《Garden of the Gods [An Isekai Story]》


 [ARC 1] Prologue - On that Night

    The prince had been left to hang for weeks for all to see. His legs swayed in the winds. While the hungry crows and unforgiving sun would peel his face like a rotten plum. It was a far cry from what he used to look like.


    His current decrepit body looked nothing like what he used to. Golden locks of hair, a beaming smile that could that made many noblewomen swoon. A delicate chin. A slender, yet muscular body.


    The Sun of the Country. The Flame Prince. Those were some of the names he was called.


    But those might as well have been curses. The Prince, so proud, had been blinded by hunger for the throne. He was different, he thought. He would do what no other Prince or Princess would do.


    Take down their Mother. The Eternal Queen.


    But like all who went against the Queen, he had failed. And so, his body would soon be moved to the Promised Gallows, where he would just be a line in history in the long and bloody history of this country. Another grave in the cemetery, where he would forever hang, along with his siblings. Another failure in the Queen¡¯s thousand year rule. A reminder to their failed attempt at the one thing they truly wanted.


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    Their right to the throne.


    After a week, a storm finally broke, covering the sun and granting the body a respite. The howling wind and heavy rain battered the body until the rope snapped.


    And the body fell.


    The guards that usually patrolled the grounds had taken shelter in the cabin. Drinking whiskey and playing cards. From their boisterous conversation and laughs, they did not notice from the window a glimmer of light in the distance.


    The prince had revived, standing up in his own two feet. He covered his eyes to look up at the heavens. His mouth opened to taste the sweet morsel of water in his dry throat.


    The prince scanned the area. An attempt to understand where he was. Seeing the graves marked by the scaffold and rope. On each scaffold was a name written in a language he did not know. Something he would find out later.


    Crossing his arms and tilting his head with a frown, he wondered out loud.


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    This wasn¡¯t Japan, was it?

 [ARC 1] Prologue 2 - The Wishing Well

    ONE YEAR LATER.


    Somewhere in this world, there lies a giant hole in the world. An abyss said to have been created by the Sun Goddess¡¯s spear piercing her sister. People from all walks of life come to this hole in pilgrimage to cast away any worldly possessions they had come here with. It was an act to release them their greed. Most of the time it was mere garbage.


    Once they casted it aside they would clap their hands twice and offered a wish to their Sun Goddess.


    Because of this the abyss was called the Wishing Well.


    It wasn¡¯t just trash people cast in this abyss. Criminals as well were cast into the Well. At the edge of the hole was a processing center and an elevator that descended to the bottom of this abyss. Anyone unfortunate to have been sent here will never come back.


    The elevator would descend and ascend once per day. Once to drop the prisoners, and the other to bring back the empty elevator.


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    It is a death sentence. There are rumors of monsters that feasted upon these prisoners once they touch the bottom. No one knows for sure if this is true. Many of the guards stationed at this center questioned whether it were true or not.


    They also wondered why the criminals would even get out. The captain of this facility gave the new guard a clasp to the shoulder and a smile.


    "Because they have no choice but to get off.¡±


    The guard that asked this would have his answer a few days later when the elevator had reached its ascendance to their facility.


    In that empty elevator, was half a body, cleaved in two. The face of a criminal that had murdered a family of four. His eyes wide and his mouth agape in shock.


    When hearing this from the new guard, the captain chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite lucky. It¡¯s only been a few days since you started and already you got one to toss back in the abyss.¡± His smile widened as he leaned in, his eyes so intense, it made the new guard shirk. ¡°Make sure to make a wish when you do.¡±


    The guard kicked the body into the abyss and made his wish.


    He wished that he would never see something like that again.


    His wish came true when he slipped and struck his head the next week.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 1 - Descent

    Though they were prisoners, and all shoved into the cage they called an elevator, they were all allowed to keep their weapons and whatever items they had on themselves.


    Yoru had been told they would keep their weapons but there was no reason to believe the rumor. They were going descending the Wishing Well after all. It was within reason to keep everything she hidden away from view. That¡¯s why she hid her weapons and items in her shadow. It would take eating a Spirit Key for her to retrieve those weapons and she had a few hidden on her. Still, not to look suspicious, she did hang a cheap sword and knife on her belt. She hid a Key in a fake compartment at the edge of her sheath. Intentional, for the guards to find it and to overlook the others on her. The guards didn¡¯t give her so much as a glance on what she carried or had. They allowed her to keep her black cloak, her pouch that carried some medicine, and potions without thought.


    Were they even trying to do their job? If she ate a Key, she could summon Shadow Heart and cut out of this cage-


    An axe crashed into the bars. It reverberated in the big man¡¯s hands. He laughed in glee.


    ¡°Giving us all our weapons. You think I¡¯ll go down into that abyss. There¡¯s no way I wi-¡±


    Half of his face was chomped on by an invisible force.


    ¡°Eh?¡± His mouth managed to say before the rest of his body was chomped.


    There was a scream somewhere, but Yoru ignored it. Her interest in the cage had swelled. She tapped lightly at the bar. Even with her Gate closed, she could feel the sensation of someone¡¯s aura inscribed into the bar.


    After that the elevator shook and it descended into the abyss.


    ¡°So, that is why, no one breaks out of the elevator.¡±


    A familiar voice, she looked up to see her Guardian, Kenichi. Just like her, he was a beastkin. Cute little round ears on top of his wavy brown hair. He was a large man wearing bandages on his muscular forearms. Beastkins like them had two noticeable difference from a normal human, and that was their ears and tail. Instead of having those round or pointy ears on the side of their face, their ears were on top of their head.


    If he was bear, then she was a wolf.


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    Black pointed ears on her inky black hair. Purple eyes that her lover had once told her were like gems. Her tail had been her pride, she wore two golden bangles on it. Though, lately she hadn¡¯t been brushing it.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t that many that could inscribe their Auras like this.¡± She poked at the bars with her slender finger. ¡°I wonder who did it?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Elves?¡±


    She covered her mouth deep in thought.


    ¡°They could do something like this.¡±


    ¡°Do you think there could be any down there?¡±


    ¡°No. There hasn¡¯t been a sighting of them for at least a hundred years. They¡¯re all hiding behind the veil of the Starfall Forest.¡± Though she had never seen one herself, she was quite sure that no elf would be down here.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange though, isn¡¯t it? While they took away our weapons when they processed us, they gave back to us. It¡¯s foreboding.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± she simply acknowledged.


    Her gaze locked down, she watched them drift down into the darkness, like a lure on a fishing pole.


    ¡°A piece of her is down here. That¡¯s our mission, isn¡¯t it? As Priestess and as Guardian. So, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s hell we descend to or not. We go where we need to go.¡±


    Kenichi gave a grunt in acknowledgment.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while for you though. Are you prepared?¡±


    Yoru glared daggers at him as if asking that question meant death to him. The guardian raised his hands in a solemn manner.


    ¡°That was my bad, I suppose, but it must be asked. You were never bound by duty, Yoru. You left us when you decided that the position wasn¡¯t for you. You come back now, and your eyes are full of darkness.¡±


    Despite those dark eyes staring at him, the Guardian remained unflinched. His perpetual solemn expression stayed plastered on his face. Waiting for her to answer his question.


    He would wait forever. She wouldn¡¯t answer his question. She instead asked her own question.


    ¡°Is that mercenary you hired trustworthy?¡±


    Kenichi expression turned slightly darker for being asked that, and for her ignoring his question.


    ¡°He is.¡± He stated in absolute confidence.


    ¡°I know he¡¯s strong. I know because I¡¯ve fought him many, many times. So, let me say this, he would betray us without a second thought if it meant his life. Don¡¯t let your misguided sense of comradery forget that. He is a mercenary, he isn¡¯t tied to the Church. He has joined the Church of the Sun against us many, many times.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because they hired him.¡±


    ¡°His only principle is who will pay him the most,¡± she said in a dark tone. ¡°Have you found Aria yet?¡±


    ¡°She is being watched by Subaru,¡± Kenichi said.


    She just couldn¡¯t with this man. He was too loyal for his own good. Though he questioned her purpose for returning, he stayed with her nonetheless. There was no doubt that he wouldn¡¯t abscond from his duty.


    ¡°Aria is fine. I just gave her another dose. She will be asleep for the whole way down.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re leaving her with him?¡± She arched a brow at that. ¡°Forget it, take me to them. We can¡¯t trust the mercenary with our ace in the hole.¡±


    The Kenichi gave a sigh, one of many she was sure he would continue to give.


    With that, the bear led the wolf.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 2 - Broken Priestess

    They shoved their way through the crowd, some of the criminals gave them a glare as they did, but their anger wilted once they saw Kenichi. A giant of a man that was a head taller than the average man, his body was a mass of muscles. Having a guardian like him was useful, but she knew that it wasn¡¯t just his loyalty that brought him down here, he also had motives of his own.


    A blue haired man looked up at them, he had a horn coming out of his forehead and gave the two of them an easygoing smile and an lax wave.


    ¡°Good to see that the Priestess has deigned to appear in front of me. I hope we can work together without you trying to kill me.¡±


    She ignored him and he grabbed his chest in mock shock. Her interest was in the woman that he watched: Aria.


    A long time ago, Aria was just like Yoru. A Priestess of the Moon. Her hair gleamed silver like the moon, and her wings allowed her to fly a great distance. Once upon a time, she was seen as a candidate like her.


    But getting a good look at her all these years, she saw the young woman in deep sleep. Her blue cloak hid her wings but she could tell they were thin and her white hair dry as a corn husk. The smell that came from her was one of rot. She hadn¡¯t seen her for a while, but just from the face, and the struggling fit she was having even drugged, that her ability had left a toll on her.


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    ¡°How long has she been like this?¡± She asked Kenichi.


    ¡°For a long time.¡± He thought for a moment. ¡°Started about the time you left us. The toll from using constantly using it drove her into madness. She could no longer control it.¡±


    Unlike the three of them, Aria didn¡¯t require the use of the Spirit Key to open her Gate. She had been born free from that curse. But maybe that was the curse, if she had to use the Spirit Key to open the Gate like them, then she probably wouldn¡¯t have been driven mad.


    Kenichi dropped to his knees, taking his giant hand to her little one. For just a moment, his solemn expression crumbled, and grief struck his face.


    She stopped fussing and her sleep became peaceful.


    ¡°Look at that.¡± Subaru whistled. ¡°That¡¯s true love right there.¡±


    ¡°Shut it.¡± She glared at him.


    ¡°Wow.¡± He held up his hand in surrender. ¡°Sending that bloodlust my way for my compliment. I¡¯m a little sad that I¡¯m hated this much. What can I do for you to start warming up to me?¡±


    ¡°You can die.¡± Yoru said without missing a beat.


    Subaru held his heart, pretending that she had stabbed him. She turned away from him, returning to Kenichi.


    ¡°Will she be alright?¡± She asked.


    He looked at her, knowing the meaning of her question.


    ¡°Yes, I believe so. The visions come and go though. She doesn¡¯t have any control of them, and even then, she might not be able to communicate what she saw.¡±


    The young woman slept peacefully with the one she loved and Yoru turned away heading off back to where she had been, at the edge of this grand elevator, to watch the darkness devoured them.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 3 - Kagami

    It had been one year since he arrived in this world in someone else¡¯s body. A long time has passed, but Kagami felt only a stranger to his new body. At times he would look at his palms, seeing no trance of the star shaped scar he had had for four years prior.


    Everything reminded him of how different this body was. He was a head shorter. Rather than the black and straight, his current self had gold hair. Eyes black compared to blue. Skin etched with scars and skin with no blemish.


    And more than anything, his current body was much weaker than his old one. It was like a dragon compared to an ant. That was the gulf between his past and current self. He had trained for a year in hopes to regain that strength, but he only found himself much more disappointed in himself than anything for not being able to reach his strength.


    Frustration speckled in his face as he shoved the boulder aside, a barrier between the Sanctuary and the Maze he would go out to every few days to hunt.


    As he stepped through the threshold, outside of the sunroot¡¯s light that enveloped the Sanctuary, he stepped into an open area lit only by the lanterns that hung upon the wall. The Gatekeeper watched him as he pushed the boulder back in place, blocking the Sanctuary from unseemly visitors.


    ¡°Going out?¡± Luke had asked, his tone disinterested, but he still asked to be polite, despite their relationship.


    Kagami bent over, trying to catch his breath, sweat dripped from his face. The boulder had been a heavy lift, if it was his original body, he could easily have moved it without batting an eye. He looked up at the man with the red mane. The Gatekeeper rested his back and his spear against the wall as he looked down upon him.


    ¡°Walnut wants me to hunt. Says we need more material for weapons,¡± Kagami answered him. He swallowed, clamped his mouth, and stood straight up. He still hadn¡¯t caught his breath, breathing heavily out of his nose.


    ¡°Hunt? Bringing corpses means you will have to pay the toll.¡±


    ¡°Toll.¡± Kagami lit up at that. ¡°You¡¯re saying you want to fight me depending on how many corpses I bring?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Luke looked displeased by that, but Kagami couldn¡¯t help it. He saw it as training, even if he would be beaten. He would get stronger. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°Alright, you stay right there. I¡¯ll bring back enough bodies for us to fight all day.¡± Kagami pointed at him. ¡°So stay right there. Give me a few hours and we¡¯re gonna have fun.¡±


    Then Kagami ran off. In the distance he could hear Luke yell.


    ¡°I hate you!¡±


    The man that he hated, Kagami wasn¡¯t him. He just inhabited his body. His wife had been a fan of this kind of genre. Isekai, she called it. She told him of stories of main characters being transported to another world, meeting some sort of god, granting cheat abilities.


    Though Kagami never understood his wife¡¯s obsession towards it, he knew she loved it and that was enough.


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    The thought of his wife finding him in a prince¡¯s body made him chuckle. He was sure if she had ever seen him, she would never guess it was him. He could imagine her mischievous smile. No doubt, she would laugh at him if she ever got the chance.


    His heart felt like it was being squeezed, but he didn¡¯t have time to think about that right now. He had a job to do.


    Here he was, at the bottom of a hole in the world, walking through a tunnel with darkness so thick that the lantern he held high above his head didn¡¯t even cut through it. It was like walking through an inky fog.


    No one in their right mind would just go outside of the Sanctuary to hunt. Most people in the Sanctuary mined instead. It was safer after all.


    But Kagami didn¡¯t care too much about the danger. This was way to get stronger. What he hunted was what most men feared down here.


    Blade Spiders. Giant spiders with legs that cut like swords. They descend when you first came down here from the elevator. The elevator acted like a fishing hook, and the prisoners the bait. It was no wonder most people were still scarred from that incident.


    It had surprised Kagami too.


    His footsteps echoed with each step. He was intentional on that, he wanted to draw some out, but despite doing that for a while, he hadn¡¯t seen one yet. He eventually traveled further away from the Sanctuary, going deeper. The tunnels expanded and forked like veins. The darkness even more foreboding, hiding something much more dangerous behind its veil.


    Kagami paid it no mind though. He knew these tunnels well. It came from experience. He did it to find a way out of this place.


    He stopped at a particular fork in the tunnel. The fork to the right would lead him out, but that was only if he had the power to defeat that man. Kagami balled up his fist, frustration speckled across his face as he gritted his teeth.


    He wasn¡¯t ready yet.


    It was a cruel fact that stabbed his heart like a molten hot blade.


    The left, which Kagami took, would open up to the Well. A barrier of wind blew pushed across his face, his golden hair billowed. Once he passed the threshold, the wind stopped. He gazed upon the darkness and then to his feet. He stood on top of a cliff, and below was still an endless drop. Walnut had told him that a Goddess had pierced the earth with a spear. Even though the elevator took them down, it didn¡¯t reach the bottom. That was where the right path would take them though.


    Kagami stood there for a moment, looking up at the abyss. Not even a hint of sunlight reached down here. How long had it been since the sunlight caressed his skin? Since coming to this world, bad things just kept on piling up on him.


    His mind wondered back to his first day in this world. He had been tossed at the feet of that Masked Queen, clearly surprised that the son she had killed had been alive. Yet, when she talked to him, she seemed to realize that something was wrong.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you are not my son, but a person from another world?¡± She repeated those words. Her tone cold, but Kagami felt like she had been amused by the idea, even if it were probably a lie. ¡°There used to be a time when Heroes had come from another world. I was one of them. Yet, I have never heard or seen someone inhabiting a body that had been killed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re from another world? Japan?¡± Kagami looked up, blood dripped into one of his eyes. He had been injured earlier when he got captured.


    ¡°I am.¡± He saw her eyes narrow from her mask¡¯s slits. ¡°But I don¡¯t believe you Cedar. I don¡¯t think you are who you say you are. It¡¯s more likely, that you are just pretending you are a person from another world.¡±


    ¡°I told you everything. I have no reason to lie.¡± Kagami said.


    ¡°If you are who you say you are, then that is true. But if you¡¯re Cedar, you have all the reason to lie.¡± She rose a hand. Brilliant light gathered to it. ¡°Rather than risk it, it¡¯s better to just kill you.¡±


    A screech snapped him back to the present. The little light moving down in the darkness explained the reason why Kagami hadn¡¯t seen a blade spider. His eyebrows knitted as he watched the elevator descend to its destination.


    Kagami broke off in a sprint. He jumped between rocky platforms that speckled the wall, intending to get there as quickly as possible.


    It had only been two days since the last one came out. They didn¡¯t expect another one to come down for a while.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 4 - Arrival

    The man she loved had been a very well-known prince. Beloved by his country, his only sin had been to go against the Eternal Queen.


    And for that he died.


    She had returned back to where she had been, gazing upon the darkness outside of the elevator. The elevator would sometimes shake and screech. Kenichi sat next to her deep in meditation. Aria laid right next to him, deep in peaceful sleep. Then the mercenary had gone somewhere else, deciding that her not responding was getting boring. She continued to peer down upon the abyss, feeling impatient. When was this ride going to reach the bottom?


    Someone sidled up next to her. She gave a quick glance, recognizing him as the noblemen on the cover of the newspaper a couple of days ago. The one that embezzled money from a bank his family owned.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the Shadow Wolf, aren¡¯t you? I remember seeing you at a party.¡±


    The elevator shook and the lights went off for a second, before it flickered back on.


    She didn¡¯t say anything, so he continued building up to what he wanted to ask her.


    ¡°My condolences about the Prince. It was tragic what happened to him.¡± He waited for her to respond. The silence was unbearable to him, so he finally got the courage to say what he wanted to ask. ¡°Say, do you want to team up? I¡¯ve been framed. Just like you, I was forced to come here.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t forced here,¡± she said. Her gaze was still down at the abyss. Her fingers gripped the bar. ¡°I came here by choice.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The man took a step back. ¡°Th-that can¡¯t be true. That¡¯s insane. No one would ever willingly come down here. You gotta be lying.¡±


    Yoru turned to face him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying. Now scram before I kill you.¡±


    She watched the man run off in disinterest. Her ears adjusted as the bear monk spoke.


    ¡°Do you regret coming back?¡± His eyes were still closed. His face looked peaceful as if he were taking a nap.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing but regret. This is the only path I have left.¡±


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    He opened one of his eyes.


    ¡°There¡¯s always a choice. If not you, it could be another Priestess.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no other Priestess that is as compatible than I,¡± she said, turning back her attention to the abyss below them. A blast of wind from somewhere below blew against her face. Her hair whipped like a flag. Drowned by the winds, she uttered words only for her to hear.


    ¡°It is my Fate after all.¡±


    The blast of wind had shaken the elevator. It caused people that were asleep to stir awake. Kenichi stood up, looking over to somewhere in the crowds.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± Yoru told him. She could see the ground reflected by the light in the elevator. ¡°You better wake her up carefully. She¡¯s our ace in the hole after all.¡±


    Kenichi nodded and then pushed his way through the crowd. Then a moment later the second most annoying man pushed his way through. The blue haired man came back. He wore a brown cloak. He adjusted the metal mask that covered his mouth.


    ¡°Look at what I won? Pretty cool, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Only you could call that cool.¡±


    Kenichi closed his eyes, giving an amused smile. He returned meditating. Yoru said nothing. She was unamused by his antics, instead returning him a deathly glare. The blue haired oni laughed it off and then had the audacity to sidle right next to her like old friends.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± He pointed to his metal mask.


    She didn¡¯t, but she knew he would persist until she said something. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to get along with you. Working with someone like you isn¡¯t pleasant.¡±


    His eyes smiled at that.


    ¡°Oh come on, there should be no hard feelings. Just because I wasn¡¯t on your side when-¡±


    She turned to him, daring him to say it. Once he did, they wouldn¡¯t be working together. She didn¡¯t care. Kenichi sensing her bloodlust opened his eyes.


    ¡°Yoru.¡±


    His tone was all that was needed to communicate his intention. She still didn¡¯t care. She turned her pressure towards the mercenary. His face twisted in displeasure.


    ¡°Hey, hey. I get it. It¡¯s a sore topic. I won¡¯t say anymore.¡± He held up his hands to surrender.


    She let up, and turned back to looking at the darkness as if he hadn¡¯t tried to talk about it.


    Subaru grumbled, cursing under his breath about her and left.


    Kenichi continued to stare at her back.


    ¡°We have to get along, Yoru.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said.


    Kenichi sighed. Though useless he said it again.


    ¡°We have to.¡±


    Yoru didn¡¯t care. She rested her head on the back of her hand.


    ¡°Yoru,¡± Kenichi said sternly. ¡°This isn¡¯t just about you.¡±


    She heard him take Aria¡¯s hand with his own.


    ¡°Please.¡±


    She didn¡¯t have time to answer. The elevator came to a sudden stop, and Yoru grabbed the railing before she lost her footing. The criminals that were sleeping stirred to see what was happening.


    An electronic voice resounded above them.


    ¡°Welcome to your destination, and to where you will stay for the rest of your life.¡±


    The elevator creaked open.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 5 - A Welcoming from the Abyss

    Like the Gates of the Abyss opening, the elevator creaked open, welcoming them to their new home. Not one soul dared to take a step out of the elevator.


    Not one to wait for something bad to happen, Yoru pushed her way through. When the criminals realized that she would be the one to take the first step out, they parted a way forward for her and her companions. She muttered under her breath, loud enough for any of them to hear.


    ¡°Cowards.¡±


    Kenichi followed behind her, Aria strapped to his back. The mercenary pushed himself out to join them. He was wearing that ridiculous metal mask over his mouth, he looked proud wearing it.


    ¡°Jealous?¡± He asked when he noticed her glance.


    Yoru thought it looked stupid but in the spirit of getting along with him, she decided not say it out loud.


    She took a few steps outside and stopped to look at the giant wall in front of them with the many many holes carved through it. It looked like a pincushion and a chill went down Yoru¡¯s spine. She didn¡¯t like the way it looked. She tried to concentrating on her ears, but heard nothing but the pitiful humans following behind her as if she were a shepherd for a flock of sheep.


    She had been told that they would be dropped at the very bottom of the Wishing Well. This wasn¡¯t the bottom of the Well, so where had the elevator dropped them off at?


    Yoru saw Aria rouse from the corner of her eyes. She turned to the broken priestess, her eyes were glowing a cerulean blue.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming. Giant bugs with legs like a sharpened sword. They come in hordes. Take those that they deem worthy. Kill those that they deem worthless.¡± Her voice crackled in a whisper like that of a dying flame.


    Then, she went slack. Her eyes unfocused. Drool dripping from her open mouth.


    Yoru and Kenichi looked at Aria and then looked at each other.


    Immediately, she pulled out the small dried piece of glowing blue fruit from her pouch. Kenichi did the same.


    A Spirit Key.


    Aria was unlike them. She had not inherited the Goddess¡¯s Curse. She did not need to use a Spirit Key to harness Spirit Energy. Her Gate was open without using one. What should be a blessing might as well have been a curse for her.


    Her ability to see the future had destroyed her mind. No longer was she the Priestess called the reincarnation of the Moon Goddess. Her silver hair that had been long and sleek, had been cut short and was drier than a corn husk. The wings on her back were dirty and grey.


    Maybe if she hadn¡¯t left the Order, then maybe¡­


    Yoru shook the thought away. She didn¡¯t have time to think about that. She chewed quickly on the Key. The bitter taste coated the inside of her mouth. Her nose in turn wrinkled from the taste. She forced it down and wanted to take a drink to wash the bitter juice from her mouth.


    Almost immediately she felt her Gate creak open. Spirit Energy flushed throughout every inch of her body. She could feel her aura dance like the waves of sea storm.


    Her ears suddenly picked up some scrapping sounds in the distance. It confused her for a bit, reminding her of the sound of swords hitting stone.


    ¡°Legs like a sharpened sword,¡± she murmured. She held out her hand, and her beloved black sword, Shadow Heart, arose from her shadow. Some of the prisoners behind her gaped as they witnessed it.


    ¡°Magic?¡±


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    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as magic. You saw her eat a fruit. That was a Spirit Key.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡± Yoru turned to the prisoners behind her. She pointed up. ¡°You better take out your weapons.¡±


    Before they could ask for what, a hideous cry shook the air. Their unsaid question was answered, and Yoru scanned the wall, looking to find where they would be coming from.


    Didn¡¯t take too long to spot them, because they spilled from every hole on the wall. Jet black spiders the size of dogs. There were screams and yelling. Some prisoners looked excited and brandishing their weapons in pure exhilaration. Others ran back into the cage, only for it to snap shut. One of them was cut in half, his upper body left in the elevator as it pulled up.


    The few prisoners that were still in the elevator gloated and looked relieved as they were pulled up.


    The elevator stopped, and the top opened up. The spiders leapt inside the cage. Yoru didn¡¯t need to see to know what happened to those poor fools. She dodged and stabbed a spider through it¡¯s abdomen. It spat out a hideous screech, it legs flailed, one cut managed to cut her cheek. She wrenched Shadow Heart free from it¡¯s abdomen and its warm guts spilled out.


    A blast of air pressure cut a row of them. Subaru stepped over the corpses, steam sizzled between his lips. His right hand held his iron mask. Kenichi smashed a spider¡¯s head as it attempted to attack him, his foot a mess of gore and blood.


    ¡°Stay together!¡± She barked. ¡°I¡¯ll lead! Subaru take the back, and blast any of them that come from the rear. Kenichi, guard Aria. We¡¯re going through the hole over there.¡±


    The hole she pointed to the nearest hole to them. While they were doing great defending for now, they were going to be overrun soon enough.


    The bear gave a solemn nod and the oni gave a dispirited shrug.


    Yoru led them, cutting down any spider that came close with the black blade. A criminal right next to her tried to cut one down with their axe. The thing bounced off as if it were made of rubber. The criminal trembled in fear before he was sliced in two.


    More descended upon them. Yoru blocked its leg. She had intended to cut it, but seeing it up close the legs were sharper than a scimitar. She shoved it aside, dodging another attack from the spider, before bisecting it in two with a clean stroke.


    With more of the prisoners being killed or dragged away by the spiders, more and more attacked them, screeching in rage from the death of their brethren. Yoru gritted her teeth as she stabbed another in the abdomen. Before the light in its eight eyes died, it swiped at her. Her arm burned


    The wound was shallow, but blood continued to trickle. Yoru touched one of the blades, feeling a liquid coating it.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± She yelled behind her. ¡°Don¡¯t let them cut you. Their legs are coated with some anti-coagulating venom!¡±


    ¡°No shit!¡± Subaru said. His face was covered in cuts. He blew another sound blast cutting through several of them.


    Kenichi continued to defend Aria, smashing the spiders with his blows infused aura.


    They were easy to kill if you had the right equipment, but they were aggressive and an endless supply of them kept on spilling forth from those holes.


    The criminal from earlier bumped into her. He looked up at her, his eyes wide and a sparkle of hope returning to them.


    ¡°Please!¡± He grabbed her leg. ¡°Help! My father can make you a rich-¡±


    Yoru stabbed him through the chest. Blood dribbled from his mouth. He looked down to his chest, not understanding why. Yoru kicked him off her blade and stepped over his body. Three spiders descended upon him, wrapping him up in a cocoon, no doubt to be used as meal for later.


    Kenichi gave a slow shake of his head, disapproving of her behavior. It wasn¡¯t really priestess like, she guessed at what he thought.


    Nothing mattered to her right now. Only surviving.


    They were close to the hole, to their exit, when a voice screeched.


    ¡°Death! Death!¡± Aria suddenly screamed awake.


    ¡°Which one?¡± Kenichi asked.


    Before Aria could mutter the answer, the very ground they stood on shook. Yoru gritted her teeth. She wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but it was certainly not something natural. She felt it below her. A giant pressure swallowed her whole.


    She was in complete darkness, drifting like a wayward piece of wood from a broken ship. The destination the waves took her, pulsed with power and purpose. It drew her in. It wanted her to find it. Calling for her.


    Yoru snapped back to reality, seeing Kenichi scream for her to wake up as he was being overwhelmed by many spiders. Aria was behind him, balled up and cowering as she saw the unforgivable future that was set to come.


    Subaru was being dragged away. He was unconscious, his eyes rolled up and his mouth foaming. He had been no doubt hit with the same pressure as her.


    How long had she been unconscious for? Regardless she swiped Shadow Heart from the floor and cut the blade spiders on top of Kenichi. With the spiders off of him, he took Aria in his arms. His gaze went to where Subaru had been taken.


    ¡°We got to go.¡± Yoru yanked at his gi. ¡°He¡¯s gone. If we try to rescue him, we¡¯ll all be taken.¡±


    His eyes wavered, but they become resolute and gave her an affirmative nod.


    They ran through the hole, escaping the hell that had greeted them.


    The piece of the Goddess sealed in this abyss had resonated with her soul. She was compatible with this piece and it called to her.


    Welcoming her here.

 [ARC 1] Interlude - Thread

    The Master of the Wishing Well, the Warden, sat in his workshop. He turned the knob on his magnifying glasses he wore to get a clearer picture on the delicate gears in the puppet¡¯s cavity. He found the issue, the gears were misaligned. He took a tweezer from the tray on his right, and carefully adjusted it.


    The Warden felt all the threads suddenly shake. His concentration remained unbroken, but an annoyance escaped his lips in the form of a sigh. He adjusted the gear and then dropped the tweezer on the tray, turning behind him to the presence that bothered him.


    ¡°What is it, Ariel?¡±


    She did not step into the light, preferring the shadow instead. She did show her respect though, and bowed to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you, Warden, I¡¯m here to make a report of what the spiders have brought back.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± His thin eyebrow furrowed.


    ¡°Four,¡± she spoke. ¡°One with high grade potential. The other three with possible potential.¡±


    ¡°Four,¡± he repeated the number, shaking his head. ¡°How disappointing. I would have expected a much bigger batch than four.¡±


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    ¡°Three with potential escaped,¡± she continued. ¡°They¡¯ve run in the direction of the Sanctuary. They may make it.¡±


    ¡°Three?¡± He was still disappointed by that number. ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s better than nothing. Send one the bigger ones to capture them.¡±


    The Warden turned back to his work.


    ¡°I also need to report the that the Seal ha-¡±


    ¡°Not now. We can discuss that once they are captured,¡± he waved her off.


    Then he waited to see what she would do. To his disappointment she bowed and left. It seems that she still hadn¡¯t developed as far as the others yet.


    He sighed, tugging at the almost invisible thread in the air. He didn¡¯t need her to watch or report. His threads were all over the Wishing Well. The intentions were communicated from these threads like the elegance of a symphony.


    He listened to it, understanding what happened. The three that had escaped were strong. But one of them resonated with the Seal.


    She would be the highest priority.


    The one that they captured with high potential came from their group. That was good. He would hopefully become good material.


    Just like he asked, Ariel had sent a giant spider to intercept them. They would meet very soon. A thread in the distance thrummed. There was movement where the elevator had dropped the prisoners off. He stopped tinkering with the puppet, and blew out a sigh.


    Of all the people that had come, it had been the prince. He would make his way towards them, meeting up with them.


    Without a doubt in his mind, the Warden knew that he would save them from their unfortunate Fate.


    After mulling it for a bit, he decided what he needed to do. With a finger slightly infused with aura, he pulled at a thread, intention added, and released the string to call her back.


    ¡°Ariel.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 6 - Fist

    They had been walking for quite a bit. Yoru was still a bit unsteady on her feet. She used the walls as a crutch. The resonance from before made her nose bleed, but it also granted her knowledge.


    ¡°It¡¯s down here.¡± She pointed to a fork. ¡°The right one will take us to where the Seal is.¡±


    She had explained to him what happened to her when the resonance hit. He had been the only one of the four of them to stay standing. Aria had screamed, and the two of them had collapsed. It had left him to protect her and Aria. Subaru had been too far away to save.


    Yoru tripped from the unsteady ground. Kenichi caught her.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You alright? I can carry you if you need to?¡± Kenichi offered.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Yoru pushed herself off his chest. ¡°Really I am. I just tripped because of the ground.¡±


    He looked at her skeptical.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said more firmly.


    From his eyes she could see that he did not believe her. He was right, but she also had her own pride. He understood it, and gave a curt nod. He looked back to the direction they came. No spiders had followed them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and scout the area first. Make sure that it¡¯s safe.¡± He put Aria down next to her. ¡°I need you to watch her, since you¡¯re the strongest.¡±


    Before she could even protest, he ran to the right fork, his back devoured by the darkness. Yoru shook her head and sighed. She fell to the ground, leaning her back against the wall.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind for you own good, Kenichi,¡± she mumbled to herself. The wolf had known Kenichi for years. The man, no matter what, was a pious man. A steadfast supporter of the Goddess of the Moon. He was duty bound to protect her, but more than anything, he desired to protect Aria.


    The winged woman¡¯s eyes were slightly closed and her mouth open. Yoru took out a handkerchief and cleaned the drool dripping from her lips. Aria did not react to her. She cared not what Yoru was doing. If she stabbed her in the leg, she wouldn¡¯t react.


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    Her heart ached. She had once been a radiant presence, but she was a husk of what she had been.


    Aria turned to her. Her eyes wide and glowing a deep blue. Her face wrinkled and dry. Her mad grin cracked her dry lips, blood dripped from them.


    ¡°Death!¡± She informed her, pointing to the tunnel Kenichi went down to. Then she barked a hollow laugh, before her head fell, and her eyes returned to being unfocused.


    Kenichi screamed, and that was enough for her to barrel into the tunnel. She focused her energy in pulling out Shadow Heart. The black blade emerged from her shadow, the hilt dripping shadow like ichor. She wrenched the blade free and came to a halt when she emerged in an open area.


    Unlike the tunnels she came from, this place was well lit with an ethereal pool of water in the middle, giving off a soft azure glow. She heard his scream again, and she scanned the area, finding him near another exit struggling against a spider double his size. His face gripped with pain, as he held onto a leg that skewered through him.


    Yoru rocketed across the room with an aura infused jump. She lifted her black blade high above her head ready to slay this monster.


    For a paused moment, she saw a thread float in front of her.


    Her blade was deflected from her hand, and the blade spider turned its gaze towards her. It opened its maw, and just like the shitty merchant, light gathered.


    She felt like a cat clawing the air for safety.


    If she was on the ground, she could have sunk in her own shadow. Her abilities did not work too well in the air. The best she could do was infuse her body with aura in an ill attempt to defend against the beam.


    But no doubt, this would gravely injure her.


    A familiar scent tickled her nose, causing her face to scrunch.


    A figure passed underneath her, running towards the spider. No one but her noticed the figure. When the spider did, it was too late.


    The man slammed his fist, turning the spider¡¯s maw. Its beam released, blowing a hole in the wall.


    As Yoru landed on the ground, she saw the spider swipe its leg at the man. The golden haired man smoothly dodged underneath the leg, making a straight dart to Kenichi. With another swing of his fist, the man broke off the spider¡¯s leg that pinned Kenichi.


    She stood up, her eyes wide. Her nose did not lie.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡±


    But it was.


    Cedar Oswell, the Flame Prince, a man known for using swords, had pulled the leg skewering the monk, and throwing him over his shoulder with relative ease. He ran towards Yoru, and in instinct, she readied her sword.


    ¡°Come this way!¡± He called out to her.


    She stood still for a moment, wondering if he had recognized her. She pulled her hood over her face, and followed after him. Behind her, she heard the cry of the giant blade spider.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 7 - The Face that Stops a Heart

    When they were far enough away, Kagami laid the big man on the ground. He was tired. A feeling that he should get used to, but still couldn¡¯t. He collapsed right next to the man, back against the rocky wall, heaving to catch his breath. The hooded woman placed the winged woman down next to the giant. They had collected her when they ran away.


    She retreated from him, slipping into the shadows. She tugged her hood down. Her face unseen other than her lips. Kagami found the behavior odd. He didn¡¯t question it now. Things needed to be done.


    Though he still hadn¡¯t caught his breath, he got to work. Kagami pulled out a roll of bandages, a needle and some thread from his pouch, placing his lantern next to the big man to better see his wound.


    His long fingers played with the needle and then he reached for the man¡¯s shirt. The hooded woman caught his wrist, like a chiding mother to her son.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sew the wound shut. Then, I¡¯m going to take him to a doctor.¡± Kagami leaned forward ready to carry it out.


    ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary.¡± From her shadow, a bottle popped out and she caught it in the air. She held a glass bottle filled with glowing green liquid. Uncorking it, she motioned for him to step aside. She stood over him with her cloak billowing a bit. Kagami watched and waited with the needle and thread in hand, ready to sew him at a moment''s notice. The man was dying, he was bleeding out and if nothing happened he would die soon. He hoped that whatever was being dropped into the man wasn¡¯t some snake oil.


    The hooded woman drained the contents into the hole in the man¡¯s side.


    His thoughts softened to pure bubbling curiosity and he hovered over the dying man in awe. A soft yet vibrant green enveloped the man. The light grew in radiance reaching its zenith and the man¡¯s face relaxed to that of a pleasant dreamer.


    His eyes fluttered open.


    Kagami¡¯s mouth opened wide. The needle clinked on the stony ground, lost somewhere beyond the lantern¡¯s light.


    The wound was gone.


    Kagami wanted to ask why she didn¡¯t do that in the first place. He didn¡¯t get that chance.


    The woman turned to Kagami and though he couldn¡¯t see her eyes, he could still feel her stare burrow through him.


    Kagami shivered at that stare. Those were the eyes of someone who knew who Cedar Oswell was. The question then changed to, ¡®what kind of relationship did she have with the former owner of his new body?¡¯


    The man sat up, gasping as if he had just surfaced from the ocean¡¯s deep. The man with the bear ears looked to Yoru and then stopped at Kagami.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Kagami held up a friendly hand to greet him. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you three dropped from the elevator today? You were attacked by a giant spider. You were lucky that I saw. We didn¡¯t know that there was going to be a prison drop today.¡±


    ¡°Prison drop?¡± The man suddenly moved his hands to where the hole had been. His face twisted in remorse as he looked up at the hooded woman. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Because of my carelessness we had to use one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We expected this,¡± she said looking away.


    Kagami pushed himself up, using the wall as a crutch. His front bangs were glued to his forehead by sweat. Pushing himself this much, he knew that tomorrow his legs would be jelly. Still, he knew they couldn¡¯t rest here forever, unless they wanted to become a spider¡¯s meal.


    ¡°Can you stand?¡± Kagami asked looking back at the way they came. ¡°We should get going. The Sanctuary is near here.¡±


    ¡°The Sanctuary?¡± The bear repeated.


    ¡°It¡¯s what it sounds like, it¡¯s a place where prisoners gather. A penal colony.¡± Kagami forced himself to smile to lighten the mood. It might have had the opposite effect. The hooded woman kept her distance from him.


    #


    ¡°My name is Kagami.¡± He realized near the end of their travel together that he hadn¡¯t told them his name yet. ¡°You could say I¡¯m a hunter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Kenichi, I¡¯m the guardi- I mean I¡¯m-¡± Kenichi shook.


    Kagami chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Everyone down here did something up there. They tend to hide what they did. It¡¯s alright. It might be better like that anyways.¡±


    ¡°Do they change their names down here?¡± The hooded woman asked. She had stayed silent the whole way, but she had suddenly asked that.


    It left him stumped, he wasn¡¯t sure what she meant by that.


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    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so? There¡¯s a processing center down here. The one on the surface sends information down here,¡± Kagami said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to hide anything like that here.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t change your name?¡±


    Ah. So she did know the former owner of this body. Kagami got his confirmation. He needed to treat carefully then.


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t do that.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the first time this happened. His body was one of the prince, but it was always hard to explain to them that he wasn¡¯t the prince, that he was another man inhabiting the prince¡¯s body. Of course, when he explained it, people looked at him as if he were insane.


    From the stories he had been told, the people transported to this world had kept their own body and to Kagami that felt like the Goddess running this world had slapped him in the face. Why couldn¡¯t he have kept his body? His body was awesome. He had never gotten sick, or been seriously injured in his life.


    In his old body, he survived assassination attempts, being hit by a truck, being shot in the head, being thrown in a vat of acid, tossed into the sea with an anchor tied to him. He couldn¡¯t count the ways mostly the Yakuza and a few others had tried to kill him and survived with ease.


    Then there was this body¡­it did none of that.


    If he was in his mighty body, that giant spider would have been squished like a bug whacked with a slipper.


    Speaking of which, he still needed to find some spiders to kill. If he didn¡¯t, he was sure Walnut would come down at him exactly like a giant with a slipper.


    Kagami gave an audible groan. The bear and the hooded woman looked his way.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing at all.¡± Kagami gave a half hearted wave. ¡°Just remembered something I needed to do. I¡¯ll drop you guys off at the Sanctuary, but after that, I need to go and hunt some things.¡±


    ¡°You say you hunt, but all I¡¯ve seen are spiders. Are you saying there are more than that down here?¡± Kenichi asked.


    ¡°There are.¡± Kagami nodded ¡°The deeper you go down the Well, the more creatures you run into and the more strange places you find. Sometimes, the things I walked into feels like something that would come out of a fantasy novel.¡±


    ¡°Fantasy novel?¡±


    ¡°Stories,¡± Kagami said. ¡°Like legends and myths. That kind of thing. My wife liked stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°Wife?! You have a wife?!¡± The hooded woman piped up.


    Kagami and Kenichi both stopped and turned to her. Realizing that she had spoken out loud, she quickly cleared her throat, regaining her composure.


    ¡°Did you get married down here?¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s outside of here. Somewhere far, far away.¡± Kagami looked up, though there wasn¡¯t anything but a rocky ceiling above them, he couldn¡¯t help but imagine the sky. ¡°One day, I¡¯ll get out of here and I¡¯ll return to her.¡±


    ¡°Fat chance. This is the Wishing Well after all.¡± The hooded woman gave a smirk. ¡°No one has ever escaped.¡±


    ¡°Yoru!¡± Kenichi admonished her. Though she tried to cover his mouth, she was a head shorter than he was. ¡°Don¡¯t you mock someone who has been separated from a loved one.¡± The bear glanced down at the woman he held in his arms. ¡°You mentioned you wish to escape, would you be interested in joining us? We plan to challenge the Warden.¡±


    ¡°The Warden?¡± Kagami quickly appraised the three of them. He tucked his lip up into a frown. ¡°You¡¯re not strong enough.¡±


    Kagami turned back and continued to lead them to their destination. They were actually close. They were coming up to an area that opened up like where he found them. Behind him he could hear the hurried footsteps of the two.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Kenichi demanded, walking by his side now.


    ¡°I mean what I said.¡± Kagami kept his gaze forward. ¡°I¡¯ve fought the Warden once. I know how strong he is. Both of you don¡¯t match up with level.¡±


    ¡°You survived a fight with the Warden?¡±


    ¡°Anyways. It¡¯s not a good idea,¡± Kagami reiterated, making sure his tone matched how dire his warning should be.


    ¡°Are we almost at the Sanctuary?¡± The hooded woman asked.


    ¡°Yeah, actually if we use that stone arch to cross that crevice, then you just need to go down the hole shaped like a heart. Then we should be at the entrance.¡±


    Kagami stopped in place. Blood dripped from his open mouth. He looked down to see a black blade sprouting from his chest. He mechanically looked over his shoulder to see the cloaked woman, black katana in her hand.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Yoru wrenched the blade free from his back. Kagami pivoted his entire body, sweeping the open air with a kick. Yoru had plunged into her shadow. His gaze went to Kenichi and Aria. The bear was as shocked as he was and didn¡¯t make any movement towards him.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Kagami asked. His breath becoming shorter and shorter with every wheeze. His lung had been struck.


    ¡°Why?¡± Her voice echoed, Kagami couldn¡¯t get a lock on where she would appear. ¡°How can you ask that Cedar?¡±


    Kagami grimaced at that. So, it was revenge. Not the first time this has happened to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not who you think I am. I¡¯m not the Flame Prince.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t know who you are?¡± Her tone clearly voiced that she wasn¡¯t amused. ¡°Do you think I would ever forget your hideous scent? Do you think I¡¯d ever forgive you for killing Elm?!¡±


    Elm. Kagami had heard that name a couple of times. It was the prince¡¯s brother. This was the first time Elm had been used as a cry for vengeance.


    Kagami held his chest. Blood was seeping through the cracks between his fingers. The longer this carried on, the worse it would be for him. He looked down at his red hand.


    Then, he clutched it into a determined fist.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t feel like dying today. So, I guess the only thing that can be said: Bring it!¡± Kagami yelled.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± Her voice dripped with animosity.


    The winged girl in Kenichi¡¯s arms sat up. A bright blue light caught his eyes and he turned towards her ready to guard against it.


    ¡°Static.¡± The winged woman pointed at him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Kenichi¡¯s eyes widened.


    Kagami glanced over there and back into the inky darkness of the tunnels. The lantern¡¯s light danced upon the tunnel¡¯s walls. Blood dripped from his hole in his chest, and his breathing wheezed closer to death¡¯s gurgle.


    He needed to draw her out. The edge of his lips curled into something of a smirk.


    ¡°It was nice you know. Killing Elm.¡± He lied.


    Something changed within the shadows. It wavered and stretched as if it were living and breathing. Kagami could sense that what he said angered her. He licked his lips, continuing.


    ¡°What was he to you? He was my brother and I killed him. People say I stabbed him in the back, but that¡¯s not true. I made sure to look into his face when he died. Do you know what his last words were?¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°He cried out your name.¡±


    She leapt from his shadow. It was just like he thought would happen. Anger had taken her, and Kagami countered, plunging his fist towards her. His fist was painfully slow. His timing was impeccable. He knew his fist would strike true.


    The force of her ascent pulled the hood off her face.


    His fist stopped and her black blade skewered his chest, stopping his heart.


    ¡°A¡­.sa?¡±


    Her face was his wife¡¯s.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 8 - The Sanctuary

    Yoru took in the sight of Cedar dead. His eyes glassed over, his mouth hanging open, and pool of blood that went down the arch¡¯s edge. She took in the scene, closing her eyes.


    It still wasn¡¯t enough.


    She wrenched her sword from his chest and swung her black blade down over and over again, chopping him up until he was just a pile of meat. She would have kept going on, but her comrade caught her wrist just as she was about to swing down again.


    ¡°Yoru.¡± Kenichi¡¯s solemn voice broke through to her. ¡°Why did you kill him? Why did you do this?¡±


    The monk waited for her answer. She knew that disappointing look he was giving her. He had given it to her when she told him she would quit being a Priestess, and one that he gave her when she came back. He wouldn¡¯t move until she answered him.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear me? This man is Cedar Oswell!¡± She answered him. ¡°He killed Elm! He killed his own brother! My lover! Why wouldn¡¯t I kill him?¡±


    Kenichi watched her closely.


    ¡°Was he truly Cedar Oswell? Did he not say he wasn¡¯t? Wasn¡¯t Cedar Oswell hung for attempting a coup against the Eternal Queen? Why would he be down here?¡±


    They were valid questions. She didn¡¯t know any of the answers other than the first one.


    ¡°My nose doesn¡¯t lie. There is no doubt. This was Cedar. The Queen must have sent him down here. He had been one of her favorites,¡± she said gesturing at what was left of the body.


    Kenichi gave a big sigh. ¡°Yoru, you know that isn¡¯t true. The Queen, is pretty infamous for killing her children if they betray her. She wouldn¡¯t give him a pass, even if he was her most favorite son.¡±


    He had her there. The Eternal Queen killed her first born son when he tried to take the throne from her. She hung him just like any other. The only thing she gave him was a big stone slab in the middle of the graveyard of other children she killed.


    But it still didn¡¯t make a difference.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± She shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s here. That¡¯s proof enough she placed him here.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe he escaped his death.¡± Kenichi murmured.


    She paused for a still moment. ¡°Release me.¡±


    ¡°Will you promise to stop attacking the body?¡± He said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pointless question. You know I¡¯ll continue once you let me go.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯m going to have to hold on to your wrist until you calm yourself. You remember our goal don¡¯t you? What we came down here for?¡± His tone tight. ¡°What happens if you use too much and turn to ashes? We already lost Subaru. If you die, then Aria stays like this. You remember why she¡¯s like this don¡¯t you? Why I agreed to come here with you?¡±


    She stiffened at that.


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair to say.¡±


    ¡°It is fair, because your word is your bond, Yoru.¡±


    Well, what was she supposed to say to that? She dropped Shadow Heart, and the sword stabbed her shadow and sunk into it. Kenichi let her go. She looked regretfully at the pile that used to be Cedar. She kicked what was left of the head into the crevice.


    She watched it get swallowed by the darkness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she finally said.


    #


    They followed the heart shaped hole and continued descended lower and lower. Yoru wondered if they could believe the words from the prince. That shitty prince had been surprised when he saw her face.


    That was genuine. So, he didn¡¯t know that it was her.


    A¡­.sa.


    ¡°What did you think he meant by those last words?¡± Though she tried to speak in a whisper, her voice reverberated.


    ¡°His last words? A saw?¡± Kenichi thought for a moment, his frown deepening. ¡°That couldn¡¯t be right. But should you care for the words of a man that you wanted to kill?¡±


    She shouldn¡¯t. Yet she did. It bothered her, because it felt like he had been calling a name. But if he had called out a name, wouldn¡¯t it be hers? Or shouldn¡¯t it have been a curse?


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    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel right,¡± she said.


    ¡°Are you now doubting that you killed the wrong man?¡± Kenichi went silent.


    ¡°No. My nose doesn¡¯t lie. I would never forget that putrid scent. But his actions were strange.¡± She admitted.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never get your answer now. He¡¯s dead. No point in thinking of it now. It¡¯s best if we focus on what¡¯s ahead,¡± Kenichi said.


    They continued to walk down the stone steps.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much ahead of us,¡± she said. ¡°Just a descent further and further down.¡±


    They had been going down for about fifteen minutes. Yoru turned back, but she could no longer make the outlines of the entrance they came from. The only thing lighting their path was the lantern they stole from Cedar. Inside of it was a small glowing bud.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trap isn¡¯t it?¡± Kenichi said.


    ¡°It¡¯s absolutely a trap.¡± Yoru agreed.


    ¡°Should we go back.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a trap.¡±


    A new voice echoed from below, and the two of them froze.


    The two of them met each other¡¯s eyes, having an invisible conversation between the two of them. Kenichi gave her a nod, and Yoru reached for her pouch to eat another key.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to come down, then my friends at the top will push a large boulder and trust me, neither of us wants that. Cleaning that mess up is never pleasant.¡±


    Kenichi shrugged at her, and Yoru looked back down.


    ¡°How can we trust you?¡± Yoru yelled back.


    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t.¡± The man answered back. ¡°But I don¡¯t have time for this, so if you don¡¯t come down, we¡¯re just going to roll that boulder down and then I won¡¯t need to have this conservation.¡±


    With little choice in the matter, Yoru continued down. After fifteen more minutes, they reached the bottom of the stairs, stepping into another open area. The only thing light were the torches on the wall roared on. They saw a red haired man with a black spear resting on the wall right next to him. He opened his eyes, giving a great big yawn.


    ¡°My nap was ruined thanks to the two of you talking. Your whispers carried down here.¡± The man grumbled.


    It took a moment, but Yoru recognized the man.


    ¡°You¡¯re Luke the Red Spear.¡±


    ¡°That I am.¡± The man gave a lazy nod. ¡°And I recognize you too. You¡¯re the Shadow Wolf. The former moon cultist.¡± His gaze moved to Kenichi. A grin cracked on his face. ¡°I guess a former former cultist?¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Kenichi¡¯s tone grew dangerous. ¡°We¡¯re not a cult!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what a cult would say.¡± He gave a shrug and a laugh. ¡°So, I guess the two of you were caught and tossed down here like the rest of us?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Though, they came down here on purpose. ¡°We met a man that told us about a safe haven.¡±


    ¡°Oh did he now?¡± Luke straightened himself. ¡°Did you happen to kill that man?¡±


    Her heart pumped against her chest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­I could hear you talk about it. The tunnel is pretty useful you know. Plus you¡¯re covered in blood.¡± He gave them a wry smile.


    Yoru snorted. ¡°Okay, so, what now?¡±


    ¡°Now? Well.¡± He scratched his cheek. ¡°We don¡¯t really take kindly to murdering in our safe haven.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny coming from you.¡± She scoffed. ¡°What about your whole village?¡±


    ¡°Let me finish.¡± His tone went dangerous. ¡°We don¡¯t care what you did up there, and usually I would care very much about who you killed. But I¡¯m not a fan of the prince myself. I¡¯ve been trying to kill him for some time, and he just keeps on getting back up.¡±


    Once more, the two of them looked at each other. They turned at him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll just let us go on ahead?¡± Kenichi asked.


    ¡°Oh for sure. Once you enter the Sanctuary though, we do have rules. No murdering is a rule though. Doing anything like that will incur a penalty.¡±


    ¡°Penalty?¡± Yoru asked.


    ¡°It means, what it means. Behind me is a Bounded Field. A rule is set up so that no one tries to kill each other. We are all criminals after all.¡±


    ¡°A Bounded Field? Down here?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°If you want to see for yourself, the entrance is right behind me. Now, if you kindly either enter by pushing the boulder behind me, or go back the way you came, either way, I¡¯d like to sleep now.¡±


    With that, Red Spear lowered his chin and closed his eyes.


    She wasn¡¯t sure what to make of their conversation. She covered her mouth, deep in thought. Her ears twitched and she grumbled.


    A Bounded Field down here was strange. Depending on how big the safe haven was, a Bounded Field would take a lot of work to maintain. No, the Seal is down here. Strange things were bound to happen down here.


    With her expectations revised, she moved to push the boulder, but Kenichi blocked her path with his hand.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± he said. Gently he placed Aria down. With a few cracks of his neck, the Bear shoved the boulder aside like a screen door.


    Unexpected light blinded her. She covered her eyes too late, and her eyes stung and tears formed. She panicked for a moment, her ears perked up only hearing Kenichi¡¯s befuddled steps. Had this been a trap after all?


    Her fears were abated though as her vision came back. Her gaze quickly turned to Luke, who was holding back a snicker, his eyes still closed.


    ¡°Remember. I could have killed all three of you here.¡±


    He was right. That was all he needed to say. She turned her attention back to the source of the light. She stepped past Kenichi who was still rubbing his eyes. Walking through the threshold, she looked up, holding her hand to block, seeing her source of the light.


    ¡°A sunroot? Deep down here?¡±


    On top the ceiling, stood a bulbous root, shining just as bright as the sun itself. She had seen one before, once, the sunroot for that tree had been the size of her hand. This one, was a big as a small town. For something that big down here, the tree it originated from must have been grand. But the area surrounding the Wishing Well was nothing but a wasteland.


    So where was this grand tree?


    That wasn¡¯t the only thing that demanded her attention. Kenichi shook her shoulder, pointing ahead of them.


    She blinked. It felt like the ground underneath her had lifted. Her head felt light, and she took a few steps forward, pushing against a rail, leaning forward to look down.


    In this place, she saw a vast city, on the scale of the capital.


    Behind her, she heard the smug voice of the Red Spear.


    ¡°Welcome to the Sanctuary.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 9 - The Decision of the Eternal Queen

    One year ago, when was reborn into the world, was also the day he also died in this world for the first time.


    The Queen hadn¡¯t liked his presence. Declaring him a nuisance, released a mysterious light.


    Brilliant light cut through his head, his left eye turned dark, but his right eye still saw light. The room dimmed, giving him the opportunity to see his killer. The Masked Queen stood with her hands outstretched. He fell to the side missing his face. A puddle of blood quickly formed underneath it.


    ¡°He dodged it.¡± The Queen¡¯s voice sounded far away. ¡°I intended to blow off his whole head, but he dodged at the last minute.¡±


    That was as much as he understood before his consciousness snapped like a dried rubber band.


    He was sinking in the ocean of darkness. His very existence felt like it was being nibbled at the edges by fish.


    Kagami knew he had died. It was a strange thought. He had never thought he could die, yet, he clearly just had. In his old body, not a sniper¡¯s bullet, not a full sped truck that slammed him, not a bomb, almost nothing had ever made a dent on him.


    Yet with his new body, he experienced something he had never felt before.


    Weakness.


    Faraway in that darkness he saw a glimmer of light.


    A spark.


    Then an explosion.


    A giant fire bird screeched, it¡¯s rainbow flames engulfed him.


    Kagami gasped, sitting up. His heart felt like it had exploded. Just like his dream, he was bathed in rainbow colored flames. The Queen had taken a step back, as did her aide. He saw light within his left eye and touched where a chunk of his face should have been carved up like a crescent moon.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Kagami asked but no answers came.


    The flames whittled away, until it was nothing but embers. Kagami was left to sit in a tense silence as the the Masked Queen and her aide gave each other looks.


    ¡°What do you think that was?¡± The Queen finally asked, her voice quiet.


    ¡°It looks like the Phoenix¡¯s flame.¡± Her aide answered in an equally quiet tone.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be possible. There should be no phoenix. I killed that useless goddess¡¯s pet.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You did do that.¡±


    ¡°Yet, what we witnessed shows that isn¡¯t the case.¡±


    Kagami wasn¡¯t following anything they were saying, so he silently watched their back and forth with some interest. Eventually though, his excitement from his revival tampered down. Kagami sat crosslegged and rested his chin on his hand. Boredom reached him like a old lover, and he yawned at their conversation.


    ¡°Are we boring you?¡± That caught the Queen¡¯s attention. ¡°I just killed you and you¡¯re acting like this has nothing to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Of course this has to do with me,¡± Kagami leaning into his hand more. ¡°But just watching you guys talk about me without asking anything is boring. There¡¯s so much I don¡¯t know about this world, but what I do know is that this place isn¡¯t for me. I want to go back home, to my world.¡±


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    ¡°Your home.¡± She repeated. Though the mask covered her face, he could feel from her tone that she smiled underneath it. ¡°Truly, you believe that don¡¯t you? I can see it in your eyes. Let me tell you something my dear son, there hasn¡¯t been a person transported from another world for quite a while. The path has been destroyed and the art of it has been lost. So, even if you were somehow reborn here, the question is how?¡±


    ¡°The Sun Drop?¡± Her aide answered.


    ¡°Yes. That would explain the power of revival, but it wouldn¡¯t explain his story.¡± She turned her attention back to him. ¡°Let¡¯s say what you say is true. That you aren¡¯t Cedar. That my son stole a wish fulfilling fruit, but why would his wish be to bring you from another world? The wish looks like he was given the ability to revive upon death.¡±


    Kagami rubbed his chin. ¡°Isn¡¯t this one of those summoning bonuses? My wife always told me that it¡¯s a cheat ability or something.¡±


    ¡°Wife?¡± She sounded amused. He could practically hear her smile from her tone. ¡°You were married in this hypothetical former life?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Kagami met her gaze and set his jaw. ¡°It¡¯s why I need to get back, because she¡¯s waiting for me.¡±


    This time she almost lost it. She doubled over and started to hack a laugh. Her aide looked astounded by the turn of events. He reached out his hand.


    ¡°My Queen?¡±


    But she held up her hand, using her other to hold her stomach. ¡°I-I can¡¯t. To think, I would see such a sincere expression on Cedar¡¯s face. It really is like he changed personalities.¡±


    Kagami wasn¡¯t sure why, but he wasn¡¯t amused by this at all, yet somehow this all felt familiar. He wasn¡¯t sure why his heart was hurting.


    ¡°Do we know each other?¡± Kagami asked.


    The Queen caught her breath, taking in deep breaths. She looked up at him.


    ¡°Of course we know each other. I birthed you.¡±


    ¡°No. I mean, you feel very familiar. I can¡¯t place it, but what¡¯s your name?¡±


    She stood tall, turning her head. ¡°That¡¯s funny, this body of mine also is telling me that you also feel familiar. Oh, wait it¡¯s because your my son!¡±


    Maybe she didn¡¯t understand what he meant, but there was something here. Something old and yearning. Not the familiarity his wife gave, but another familiar feeling, he just couldn¡¯t place what this unease was.


    ¡°You said your name is Kagami? Let¡¯s assume that you are who you say you are.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± Anger started to boil. ¡°That is who I am, no matter what you say.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely an impatient man. I¡¯ll get to it. I don¡¯t believe you. My son, Cedar, is a conniving man, this is exactly the kind of thing he would do. But your actions don¡¯t make sense. You¡¯ve made mistakes he wouldn¡¯t have made. He wouldn¡¯t have gone to the guard shack to ask where he was. He would have pretended to stay dead, but even if I believe you, it would be foolish of me to trust you.¡±


    Kagami changed hands to rest his chin on.


    ¡°So, what then? Can you just point me a way back home?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t a way. Not sure if you cared to listen, but I broke the way home. There is no path left.¡±


    Kagami straightened his back.


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°I had my reasons. What¡¯s done is done.¡± Her voice strained.


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit. If I¡¯m here, that means there is a way back home.¡± Kagami countered.


    ¡°If what you say it true. And that¡¯s a big IF. I should just kill you where you stand. But I can¡¯t. So, I¡¯m left with another option of what to do with you and letting you go just like that is a cause for disaster.¡±


    ¡°We could just chain him up and put him in the dungeon.¡± The aide suggested.


    Kagami glared at the aide. He just returned a smile at him.


    ¡°If you think I would allow myself to be chained, then you¡¯ve got another thing coming.¡± Kagami pushed himself up.


    Light blasted and Kagami dodged. His thigh was still hit, and he bit his lips to silence his yell.


    ¡°See. I don¡¯t think chaining him will do anything. He is the kind of man that would eventually get out of them.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you suggest, my Queen?¡±


    ¡°We toss him in the Wishing Well.¡±


    ¡°The Wishing Well?¡± His face creased and lips pursed. He looked to Kagami and then his Queen. ¡°Is that wise?¡±


    ¡°You think he would escape?¡± She coolly asked, turning her back against him and walked briskly back to her throne.


    His eyebrows furrowed. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°But if he did that might bring some validity to his claims. I know my son, Cedar wouldn¡¯t survive there. His pride is too deep. His act could only get him so far.¡± She sat back down. ¡°There are enough people down there that would do everything they can to kill him. A man from another world, is a Chosen. The Goddesses would help him in some capacity.¡±


    ¡°How wicked?¡± The aide grinned.


    She leaned in. ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Kagami rose a hand. ¡°Don¡¯t I get a say in any of this?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    With that, Kagami forced himself up. Pain bristled from the hole in his thigh as blood spurted from pressure of standing up. He glared at the Queen.


    ¡°Oh?¡± She seemed interested.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll do what I want.¡±


    Light blinded him. The next moment he was aware, he was on the ground, a giant puddle of blood underneath his chest, and a hole where his heart had been.


    ¡°Your determination is quite something, but it means nothing if you have no strength.¡±


    It was the last thing for her to hear before he died again.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 10 - Revival

    In a dark trench, a shimmering rainbow flame burst into life. His head acted as the firewood, kindling the rainbow flames as it covered his body. It¡¯s unnatural light danced upon the stony and uneven walls of the trench.


    Just as the flames suddenly came to life, it also suddenly died.


    In its place, a full bodied and naked Kagami sat cross legged and sighed. The flames had reformed his body back into perfect health. The effects of the mysterious flame had left its mark however, even though it was a little. A fading rainbow light dimmed all over his body, except his head.


    He wished his clothes would have been reformed too. This ability wasn¡¯t that convenient though.


    Kagami gazed down at his hand, opening and closing it. Feeling his breath, his hand, and the echoes of pain coming from his neck and chest. It was his way to anchor himself back to reality, for something that felt so unreal.


    Sometimes it felt like this wasn¡¯t real.


    This wasn¡¯t his first death in this world.


    He also knew it wasn¡¯t his last.


    His memories were hazy, but it was coming back. How he died this time. He had saved a group from that giant spider and the woman had stabbed him through the heart. Her hood came off, and he saw her face.


    ¡°Asa.¡±


    The woman had his wife¡¯s face.


    That couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. She¡­.she may be here in this world, but because of his current form, she didn¡¯t recognize him.


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    In his original world, in his original form, he was the opposite of what he was now. He was not princely like this, he didn¡¯t have golden hair as grand as a golden wheat field on a sunset. He didn¡¯t have blue eyes, or effeminate features. His muscles were sure as not as small as this.


    He had been a bigger man, with a body honed from training, and etched with scars from his fights. He was proud of his original body. This though, body wasn¡¯t like that. Injuries healed, scars never formed. The only exception to that rule was the rope burn around his neck where this body had been hung. A reminder of how this prince¡¯s life ended, and his life began.


    But he wondered what had killed him for him to awaken in this body?


    Honestly, he felt like it would have been impossible to kill him. He had been run over by a truck. Thrown off a plane with no parachute. Shot in the head. He couldn¡¯t count the ways, creative and boring, that people had tried to kill him. The one that stuck in his head was when a cult tried to use some ritualistic method to kill him. That had been creepy. The other (and by far the closest) had been when his wife, as an assassin that time, had been hired to kill him.


    Somehow he had. Or else, he wouldn¡¯t be in this world.


    If Asa ever saw him in this form, there was no doubt she would probably squeal in delight and laugh at him. She had a thing for princes in those video games she played.


    Kagami looked up at, seeing only darkness. Thankfully, he recognized where he was at. He had a fallen far down, close to the threshold where the environment of the Wishing Well changed. Yoru, had kicked him into the maw after she killed him. This hadn¡¯t been his first time down here so he knew if he went a little ways down, there was a tunnel that would lead him back where he had been.


    It would take a couple of hours though.


    In the distance, he heard an echo of blades scarping against rocks.


    Kagami could help but yell in frustration.


    He shouldn¡¯t have done that.


    A mistake because the scraping stopped for a moment, before he heard many of them come towards him. Only a couple of hours ago, he had been searching high and low for them. If circumstances hadn¡¯t arisen, he would have wanted to hunt them. He had to get back though, as quickly as possible. The longer it took him, the harder it would be to find that woman.


    Was she Asa? That was what he needed to find out.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 11 - Something to Celebrate

    The capital of this country was a place called Suncrest. It had been built upon an island in the middle of the river. Yoru had once stood on top of the castle seeing that the capital had grown beyond that island, further and further expanding.


    The Sanctuary was comparable, but rather than being expanding horizontally, the city was built downwards. Buildings stacked on the cliffs like rings and it continued further down.


    Even after being corralled into a processing center, and being asked a couple of questions about herself, she couldn¡¯t help but be amazed.


    ¡°How is there a city like this down here?¡± She asked the woman processing her.


    The woman was wearing a brown uniform, and gave her a professional smile.


    ¡°The Sanctuary has been here since the beginning.¡±


    The way she responded made it feel like she had asked: why the sky was blue? It rubbed her the wrong way. She watched the woman flip through the folder in front of her, stopping at a particular page.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but right now, I must ask you questions to determine if you can integrate into our city.¡± The woman tapped her pen on the form. Her tone was polite but as sharp and painful as a rusted knife. ¡°Chit-chatting with you will only make this take longer. You can direct those questions afterwards.¡±


    Yoru sighed and looked through the barred window. Now this place looked like a prison. When they came in, they took their weapons. The door was guarded by some dangerous looking man. The guard had a couple of scars all over his face, and was missing an eye.


    Of course, she had Shadow Heart sleeping in her shadow, and enough Spirit Energy to summon it if need to be.


    ¡°Then the feeling is mutual. Hurry and fill out the form, and ask your questions.¡± Yoru dismissively waved her hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s your crime? Why were you sent down here?¡±


    She wanted to retort. There was a file in front of her wasn¡¯t there? But she decided against it. Wanting to get this over with.


    ¡°I killed a priest,¡± she told her. ¡°Stabbed him in the heart. Then I turned myself in with the deal that I be sent here.¡±


    ¡°You asked to be sent here?¡± She rose an eyebrow at that.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Did you know about this place?¡±


    She gave the woman a terse expression.


    ¡°Would I have asked my earlier question if I did?¡±


    The office worker held up a finger, giving her a warning.


    ¡°Once more I ask if you could answer the question, rather than asking your own.¡±


    Her tone grated her. She took in several breaths and finally answered her.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She stamped the form and gave it to her. ¡°Keep that on you. You will need to come back here a month from now. Until then, you will live and be observed by one of our case workers to determine if you are a fit in this city.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan to stay here that long. I¡¯ll be gone in a week,¡± she said.


    She cocked her head. ¡°Are you going to kill yourself?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said with a shrug, just hoping to get this conversation over with quickly. She had to admit, this whole thing didn¡¯t feel like a prison at all. It didn¡¯t feel like a place where a bunch of blood thirsty monsters were tossed in.


    ¡°Well,¡± she began. Her lips curled back into a polite smile. ¡°If you don¡¯t plan to kill yourself, come in a month. Oh, and if you don¡¯t, we will kill you, painfully. I will personally cut your tongue out, and make you eat it. I enjoy doing that quite a bit, so I¡¯m hoping you do miss the appointment.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± That was it. That was what she expected. A fucking psycho.


    She folded the paper into a square and then stood up from her seat. The woman led her out of the processing center, through a long hallway. She opened the door to room with a sitting area where Kenichi held up a hand to greet her. Aria was laying on the coach, looking up at the ceiling, whispering to herself.


    ¡°¡­Not dead¡­will come¡­back¡­soon¡­¡±


    ¡°Somebody will come and see you very soon.¡± The woman bowed and then left.


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    Yoru fell onto the sofa across Aria and Kenichi, tired. Today had been a day. Spotting a teapot, she checked to see if it was filled with hot water. Steam came out, confirming what she wanted to know. She turned her attention to the ceramic containers on the table, opening the lid until she found some tea leaves. She took a sniff, finding the aroma familiar.


    She took a few scoops, putting it in a filter, before pouring the hot water in a teacup. The tea leaves turned the water orange and she took a sip recognizing the taste as Cloudberry. She swiped one of the biscuits on a plate, a buttery taste filled her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s weird isn¡¯t it?¡± Kenichi spoke. ¡°They have biscuits, tea, furniture, there¡¯s almost no difference between up here and down here.¡±


    ¡°It is strange. Even with a sunroot, I don¡¯t see a place where they could farm wheat or raise cows,¡± she said. ¡°The tealeaves come from the north.¡±


    ¡°So, you see that something is amiss too then?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± She opened a small pot, seeing high graded sugar. Deciding not to be surprised anymore, she put two scoops into her tea. ¡°But is there a point? I don¡¯t care how they do any of this. Our goal is one thing an-.¡±


    She stopped talking. Her ears picked up a heavy set off footsteps. Kenichi did too. It stopped in front of the door and their door was knocked.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming in.¡±


    The owner of the voice came in immediately. He was a big burly man about the same size as Kenichi she guessed. As she glanced at him to make a quick comparison, she saw her companion¡¯s slack jawed expression.


    ¡°I know you. You¡¯re the Bandit King. I heard you perished. What are you doing here?¡± Kenichi stood up.


    ¡°I was.¡± The bandit gave a toothy smile as he rubbed his shovel spaded beard. ¡°It¡¯s a very easy thing to answer. I was caught. The question is, what are you two doing here? The Mad Monk and the Shadow Priestess that he protects.¡±


    ¡°Same as you. We were caught and pushed down here.¡± Yoru gave an exaggerated sigh, shaking her head. ¡°Truly a shame. Much like you I see. You¡¯re here to give us a tour to the Sanctuary, right?¡±


    Kenichi turned to him, his expression complicated. ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. I¡¯m no tour guide. I¡¯m goddamn council member. But, yes is the short version of your question.¡± The Bandit King crossed his arms and leered at the both of them. ¡°Usually it would be someone else, but the two of you are special and because of that, I¡¯m forced to leave my nice little den to come here.¡±


    ¡°So, you want to get this over with then? Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    The Bandit King held up his hand for her to stay seated. He grabbed an armchair from the unlit fireplace, and dragged it across the room, setting it up adjacent from the two of them. He sat down and took out the bottle of whiskey and four glasses from the pack he had been holding.


    ¡°Now,¡± he uncorked the bottle. ¡°We could do that. Go out, I show you the sights. You pretend you love it here, and then later you stab me in the back.¡±


    He poured four shots of whiskey, Yoru leaned in her seat, baring her teeth, showing off her sharp canines.


    ¡°If I wanted to kill you, I could do so right now.¡±


    He froze for a second, then proceeded to slide the whiskey in front of them.


    ¡°You can try honey, but do you really think I¡¯ll go down so easily? Instead we can drink some fine whiskey, and we can have a nice and even chat about why the three of you are really here.¡±


    Kenichi frowned at his whiskey, holding up one hand up in the air and another on his chest.


    ¡°I do not drink. It is against our code.¡±


    The Bandit looked revolted at that. He turned to Yoru.


    ¡°What about you? This is Redpine Whiskey. It comes from the South. Are you saying you won¡¯t partake in something so heavenly?¡±


    ¡°I only drink to celebrate.¡±


    He looked as if Yoru had stabbed his son in front of him. He turned to Aria, looking hopeful but soon his face fell. One glance and he knew that she wouldn¡¯t drink. He reached out to get all four glasses back.


    But Aria snapped hers away. She gave a laugh, holding the glass high in the air.


    ¡°Celebrate! Death! Comes back! Reincarnation!¡±


    Kenichi moved to snatch the glass, but she immediately drank it all. Then, she smashed the glass on the ground, throwing her head up in a mad laugh.


    The monk shook his head, and kneeled down to pick up the broken pieces of glass. Walnut gave an approving laugh.


    ¡°See, why can¡¯t you be like her?¡± He retrieved Kenichi¡¯s glass but Yoru covered hers with her palm.


    ¡°I said I¡¯d drink if we celebrated. There might be a chance I might.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Taking a sip of the whiskey he gave a satisfied gurgle from his throat. ¡°Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡±


    He leaned back in the armchair ready to talk to them.


    ¡°So tell me the real reason you came down here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here to meet the Warden,¡± she said without a hint of hesitation. It was better to just get this over with.


    The silence was heavy. He first drank Walnut¡¯s glass. Then, the Bandit King proceeded to pour himself another shot, drinking it like water. He repeated this process three times, putting the whiskey bottle down before he could get a fourth.


    ¡°Are you out of your fucking mind?¡± Liquid courage allowed him to blurt out those words.


    ¡°Is he in this city?¡± Yoru asked.


    ¡°No!¡± He shook his head. ¡°Thank the Goddess he isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought that Walnut the Great Bandit King would shiver in his boots,¡± the bear noted.


    ¡°Your name is Walnut?¡±


    Walnut ignored her, pretending that what she had asked hadn¡¯t been said. He answered Kenichi¡¯s mocking with his own glare.


    ¡°Oh, he is.¡± He gave a slight nod, his face was becoming red from the whiskey. ¡°He¡¯s not someone you want fuck around with. You might as well knock on the Door of Oblivion itself.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes, then that¡¯s what we will do, Walnut.¡± She emphasized his name.


    Walnut took out some walnuts from out of his pocket, holding them in his palm for them to see. ¡°Do you know why my father named me my name?¡± He gripped his hand, the shells crushed with ease. He opened his hand, the shell powdered and its meat in tact. ¡°When I was two, I crushed some walnuts in my home. My father had an ill sense of humor and named me after that. He wasn¡¯t laughing when I did the same to him years later.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter if it was knocking on the Door of Oblivion or facing the Sun Devil herself. The Seal was here, and she had no doubt the Warden guarded it.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost that time of the year.¡± The Warden grumbled. ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t know where he is, but I know someone that does. He¡¯s not here right now though, knowing him, he¡¯s probably busy.¡±


    Yoru nodded, taking up the glass of whiskey.


    ¡°Then, I have something to celebrate then.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 12 - The Spearmans Toll

    Black ichor dripped from Kagami¡¯s naked body. It had taken everything out of him in order to push through the horde of spider that attacked him in the crevice. He had been lucky enough that they hadn¡¯t killed him this time. He was able to kill five before running off. He had not been chased by thirty of them, he may have taken their corpse.


    Luke was leaning against the wall, his spear doing the same right next to him. He had asked his question and was waiting for the spearman¡¯s answer. He opened one of his eyes, his lips tugged into a grin seeing the state Kagami was in.


    ¡°Yeah, they came. Did they kick you down somewhere deep?¡±


    ¡°They sure did.¡± Kagami said with the most upbeat tone he could manage. Though, the tiredness still seeped from his throat.


    Luke, sensing it, grinned wickedly. ¡°How many spiders did you kill?¡±


    He knew he was digging his own grave, but Kagami nonetheless answered honestly, counting on his fingers how many he killed. ¡°About five. Two injured. Not sure if they¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t bring any of them back.¡± Luke clicked his tongue and shook his head. ¡°I guess we can add another one for that failure and say eight rounds.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on!¡± Kagami threw up his hands. ¡°I need to go in now! I need to find those people now! Can¡¯t you let this pass?¡±


    Luke opened both of his eyes, meeting his eyes.


    ¡°No. I told you this, but I absolutely hate you.¡± Luke tripped his spear, catching it before it hit the ground. He did a couple of spins, and then pointed the blade at Kagami. ¡°Think of this as penance for every shit you did, including killing my family.¡±


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    From the black surface of the spear, Kagami¡¯s face was reflected upon it. He sighed, scratching the back of his neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m didn¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Just because you don¡¯t remember, doesn¡¯t mean you didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    There was no getting out of this. Kagami prepared for the fight, holding up his fists.


    Luke tilted his head.


    ¡°Compared to when you first came here, you¡¯re pretty ripped.¡±


    Kagami looked over his skinny body giving him a questionable look.


    ¡°This is nowhere near what I used to be like.¡±


    ¡°You were much crueler.¡± He agreed.


    Kagami wanted to retort but stopped when he felt Luke¡¯s bloodlust direct towards him.


    He dodged the thrust, feeling and hearing the pop of the air where his head had been. He could imagine his head exploding from that one thrust. As Kagami moved to close the distance between them, the spear arched down. Kagami hit the pole with his fist, deflecting it.


    Luke used the momentum of the deflection, spinning it and stabbing Kagami through the chest just as his fist landed simultaneously in the man¡¯s chest. Kagami gasped, blood dripped out of the corner of his mouth. The spear had punctured a lung.


    His punch did not do the same amount of damage. Luke grinned, pulling out the spear, blood gushed out of his new hole and Kagami took a couple of uneasy steps back. Confident of his victory, Luke walked forward, puncturing a couple of more holes into Kagami.


    All Kagami could do to retaliate was land another soft impacted punch in the same place.


    Luke stopped for a moment, looking down at the fist. The next thing he did was cut the hand off and while it was still in the air hit it across the room with the butt of his spear.


    Kagami flopped on the ground. He was still so weak. All that training, still wasn¡¯t having the effect he wanted. The way he imagined himself to move, the way he used to move in his old body, his new body didn¡¯t respond to it.


    ¡°Looks like¡¯s my win.¡± Luke¡¯s shadow fell over him like the harbinger of death. He held up his spear, pointing the blade down. ¡°Seven more times.¡±


    Though he put up a fight each time, he still died seven more times.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 13 - The Key to the Future

    Walnut¡¯s home was located third ring. They took a lift down. The thing shook far worse than the lift they had taken down earlier, screeching like a tortured witch. It stuttered midway, and she caught the rail. She gazed upon the rings as they went down. The highest ring had the least amount of houses, but they were bigger. Each lower ring had smaller homes but more buildings crammed together like crooked teeth.


    ¡°I would have assumed as a man part of the council, you would be at the top ring,¡± she said to Walnut.


    The Bandit King stroked his beard, unlike her or her companions, he did not lose his balance and stood in the center of the lift.


    ¡°You think wrong. Each ring has it¡¯s own council members. Used to have only council members from the top ring.¡± A vicious smile cracked upon his face, and he pointed at the ring closest to the sunroot. ¡°Want to guess what happened when a bunch of criminals decide they don¡¯t like that shit anymore?¡±


    Yoru was impressed by that. ¡°You killed all of them?¡±


    He grimaced.


    ¡°No. A compromise was met. Valmon made sure that it was struck.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh.¡± She chuckled shaking her head. ¡°For a moment, I thought that place didn¡¯t have a King, but it looks like you do. Valmon, the mysterious Warden. How does it feel for a man known as the Bandit King to kneel?¡±


    Walnut looked like he had just swallowed a frog. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything.¡± His voice tight with rage. ¡°That man¡­thing¡­is a monster. A compromise was made, and a compromise was struck. As long as its followed than nothing will happen.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t mind if we go ahead and kill him, right?¡±


    The Bandit King gave her a blank stare at her. ¡°Can you stop the sun from rising to the east? There is nothing more absolute than that monster.¡±


    The lift came to a grinding halt. Yoru almost slipped off the rail, and wrapped her arms around it like a lifeline. Her eyes stared down at the abyss, a maw of darkness. She felt a thrum of power pulsating deep down there, calling to her. Aria snapped her out of it when she started to giggle like a child caught by her father tickling her.


    Walnut rushed past them as the rusty door swung open and stopped.


    ¡°Come on then, let¡¯s get to my house.¡±


    They passed a few unsavory looking humans on the way to his home. Walnut stopped to greet them. Shaking their hands, stroking his beard as they told him some of their troubles. He promised to bring it up in their next meeting.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± She whispered to Kenichi.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read stories about government systems like this. He mentioned that each Ring has a representative. The people in each ring probably vote on it.¡±


    Walnut came back a moment later, apologizing to them, and then they continued their walk.


    His home was a few houses away from the lift. The buildings on this floor were almost touching each other. It was the tallest building by a story, between two other homes with two stories. He unlocked the door and motioned for them to come in.


    Walnut led them past the kitchen. She noticed some nice pots and pans there, cleaned and shining The home itself didn¡¯t feel like the den of a Bandit King. It was clean, pretty immaculately. There was one thing out place. Her nose crinkled at the smell of a plate that had no doubt laid there since this morning, now getting a funky smell.


    The giant picked up the plate and placed it on a sitting chair in the corner. That was all Yoru needed to see to know that this man had never cleaned after himself.


    ¡°Do you want some whiskey?¡± The giant asked them.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we just have some?¡±


    ¡°You can never have too much.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else you have?¡± Kenichi asked. ¡°Like tea?¡±


    ¡°Errrr.¡± He went to the kitchen and popped his head out again a moment later. ¡°Looks like tea. And some coffee. Which one do you want?¡±


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    ¡°Coffee,¡± she said.


    He frowned at that. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to make it.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t offer it.¡± Her eyebrow twitched. ¡°Tea.¡±


    Walnut looked at Kenichi.


    ¡°I would love some tea as well.¡± He nodded to Walnut.


    There was a lot of clattering and noises for what shouldn¡¯t be too hard to brew. Yoru gave Kenichi an uneasy look, but the monk kept his calm, placing his hand on his knees and waited patiently. At some point, Aria had taken the couch, falling asleep on it like a tired dog.


    The Bandit King came out with two mugs. One was made a metal tin usually used for coffee. The other was clearly a mug made for ale. He handed it out. She expected it to be piping hot, but the mug was cold. She looked down at the brown looking tea, there were lots of leaves in there.


    She put the mug down, intending not to drink it. Kenichi, being polite, took a sip, but couldn¡¯t hide his grimace.


    ¡°That bad huh?¡± The Bandit King sat down on the floor beside them, taking a swig from a flask that he produced from somewhere on his body. He lowered the flask from his lips, licking it. ¡°I¡¯m not too great at doing anything cooking related. My roommate does all of that.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t boil water?¡± She asked, clearly not impressed.


    ¡°No, and why would I? My roommate is the best cook down here.¡± He took another swig, his face was getting red. ¡°He¡¯s such a good cook.¡±


    ¡°Boiling isn¡¯t a high mark though.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he can do more than boil.¡± He pointed at her. ¡°He¡­well, you¡¯ll have to wait and see. I can¡¯t cook nothing. Before him, I¡¯d go down to the tavern and eat there.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±


    She didn¡¯t believe him. She was sure he was the type of person that would eat twigs and say it was delicious. Despite her mocking, he kept on insisting.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see. The most delicious food down here. Maybe even up there.¡±


    ¡°Was there a famous cook that got thrown down here?¡± She was generally curious and looked over to Walnut.


    Walnut hiccuped, holding up his flask. His mouth opened like a fish, nothing came out.


    The monk gave it a thought. ¡°There was the Butcher of Winterpass, but he was executed on the spot.¡±


    ¡°The Butcher of Winterpass is down here.¡± Walnut snickered.


    ¡°No. That can¡¯t be true. I read a newspaper saying he was executed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what they said, but he was sent down here. I met him when he was being processed. Didn¡¯t much like it here so he left on his own.¡± Walnut rubbed his beard. ¡°Said he¡¯d kill the Warden. Of course that didn¡¯t happen. Just think about that for a moment.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not butchers or amateurs.¡± Kenichi laid his hands on his lap. ¡°We¡¯re trained. Yoru is one of the skilled priestesses ever to grace the Order and I am quite lucky to know her.¡± He turned her with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right,¡± she muttered.


    She closed her eyes, guilt eating her from the inside. He was too honest. He didn¡¯t need to come, and yet he did when she asked him to. He was more enthused when she dangled Aria in front of him.


    It was true that there was a possibility, but that¡¯s all it was. A possibility.


    She may have brought them to their deaths.


    ¡°Yoru? Yoru?¡±


    She snapped out of it, the two were looking at her, expectantly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry what?¡±


    ¡°He was saying that his roommate is a wonderful chef.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! He can cook anything!¡± Walnut rose his flask in cheer.


    Yoru shook her head. ¡°Weren¡¯t you guys talking about the Warden?¡±


    ¡°We did. Now we are done,¡± Kenichi said in his usual matter of fact voice. ¡°Nothing will deter us from moving forward. We already lost one of us, we must continue to press forward.¡±


    That¡¯s right. She didn¡¯t think much of it, but the mercenary was dead. She didn¡¯t much care for him. In fact, she had hoped he would die, after all, he too had a share in Elm¡¯s death. It was only by Walnut¡¯s persistence that she didn¡¯t stick her blade in him when they hired him.


    ¡°You mentioned that your roommate will act as our guide?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah! Now that you mention him, he is pretty late tonight.¡± He rubbed his beard. His face a crimson red, especially his nose. ¡°I hope somebody didn¡¯t try to kill him again.¡±


    An unpleasant feeling burrowed in heart.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s an odd thing to say. Is your roommate that infamous?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You could say that.¡± A knowing smile crossed his lips. ¡°I¡¯d say he¡¯s one of the most infamous criminals down here. Or at least he looks like one.¡±


    That feeling buried even deeper into the pits of her stomach.


    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°Kagami,¡± he answered almost immediately.


    She closed her eyes, feeling a bubbling dread overtake. Even in death he has the final laugh. What was she supposed to do now? Tell him she killed his roommate?


    ¡°Is there anyone else that could take us there?¡± She was feeling a migraine.


    ¡°Do you know him?¡± His tone seemed surprised. ¡°You know he looks like the Prince that got hung.¡±


    That¡¯s because he is.


    ¡°He¡¯s had a lot of people try to kill him because of it.¡±


    ¡°. . .¡± She opened her eyes. ¡°What do you mean by that? Are you saying that many people tried to kill him?¡±


    ¡°Almost every day. Poor lad. Though he always tells me it¡¯s training.¡±


    She had killed him off the spur of the moment, but it didn¡¯t make sense. If he had been attacked, why had he tried to help her? He-


    Yoru shook her head. It didn¡¯t matter what his actions were. The man was dead. She killed him, lopped off his head, and kicked his corpse down into the crevice. And she was glad she was the one to stick the sword through him. He deserved it. Even if he was trying to change, none of it was going to bring back Elm.


    Aria sat up. Her eyes gave a blue glow. She had seen a future. She turned to Yoru. Yoru, in haste, crossed the room and crouched down to meet her gaze. She could see that this was a rare moment of lucidity from Aria.


    ¡°Aria. What did you see?¡± She took the woman¡¯s hand.


    Her eyes were still glowing. ¡°Yoru,¡± she said when she met her eyes. ¡°The man that you killed. He is coming back. Work with him. He is the key.¡±


    Then, she fell forward in Yoru¡¯s chest in deep sleep.


    A cold wave ran down her spine.


    ¡°He¡¯s alive?¡± She whispered in horror.


    As if he had waited for this moment, the front door opened. The prince¡¯s voice, that sickening voice, scratched the drums of her ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 14 - A Sweet Burning Dream

    Kagami.


    Her voice rang like a glass bell, grasping him from the lull of death.


    Kagami.


    How long had he been here this time? How long had he endured this pain without even a hint of protest? Noticing him awake, the fire bird that embraced him cried like a new born baby, blowing out what was left of his eardrums. Blood leaked and then evaporated.


    Over and over, he desired nothing more than to hear her voice. To embrace her once more. Hearing that voice made his eyes hot with tears.


    If only he could wake up from this nightmare.


    The flames were like the sun itself. It was unlike any flames he¡¯d faced. It melted deeper than his bones, deeper than his soul. No matter what, he wouldn¡¯t yield a protest of pain.


    In the space he inhabited, there was a mirror as tall and pointed as a spire that scrapped the heavens.


    He did not see his reflection though. He saw what he truly wanted.


    His dear wife.


    Kagami.


    The pain vanished, as if the flames had been doused with cold water. He was still on fire, still embraced by the fire bird.


    But her voice became his strength and he stood tall, enduring it all. The fire bird turned its head in amusement. The flames grew much hotter and whiter. This pain meant nothing as long as he could meet her once more. As long as he could embrace her within his arms again.


    His melted finger reached out to touch her reflection and she mirrored his movements to do the same.


    At last, after enduring it all, he woke from the nightmare and into another nightmare. From the frying pan and into the fire. One where she was not there, and he was someone else.


    Luke had gone back to his wall. His eyes closed and his breath serene despite the blood soaked battleground that Kagami come back into. Kagami scratched his head, trying to remember if it had already been eight times. If Luke was resting, it must be.


    Kagami rose to his feet, and Luke opened his eyes slightly to peek at him. He closed his eyes immediately.


    ¡°Still not dead. Worthless. You can¡¯t even do that right.¡±


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    ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t live up to our fight then.¡± Kagami shook his head, looking down at his fist as if it were glass. ¡°It was pathetic. I thought I got stronger too.¡±


    ¡°At least you know.¡± Luke smiled in triumph. ¡°You¡¯re a weakling Cedar.¡± He always called him that name to try and annoy him. Kagami never really cared. He was the owner of this body. ¡°You¡¯ll always be.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± His neck felt stiff, so he cracked his neck with a satisfying pop. ¡°I¡¯m not strong yet, but I will.¡±


    Luke looked as if he had bitten a lemon. His mouth turned into a snarl, and his vivid with unknowable hatred for the man whose body he inhabited.


    ¡°Childish!¡± He spat. ¡°None of it is based on reality!¡± He pointed a shaking finger at Kagami. ¡°You think you get to talk like that? The damage you caused! The grief you caused! How can you say that with a straight face? The only reason you¡¯re alive is because you keep on reviving!¡±


    No matter how strong that flame of hatred was, Kagami could not understand. He folded his arms, gave an empty stare that only made Luke shake harder with hatred. The words he said might as well have been a rusty knife digging into his open wound.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault,¡± he said those words. ¡°Even if it was me, I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    Kagami was certain that Luke would attack him. He prepared himself for a ninth round. But, to his surprise Luke didn¡¯t even lurch. His face turned purple, his vein on his forehead popped, and the way he stared at Kagami was one of the most hateful and haunted look he¡¯d ever seen.


    It was only because of that he realized the man was injured.


    The way he clutched at his chest should have been a dead giveaway. Kagami reached out to check. The man slapped his hand aside as if it were hot iron.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch me!¡± He screamed.


    Kagami didn¡¯t let that stop him. ¡°You¡¯re injured. How?¡±


    Luke chewed his lips. ¡°A bear attacked me.¡±


    Kagami didn¡¯t think that was true but he let it go, giving Luke a confirming nod. Then, he walked past him and pushed against the boulder. It took a good while, but the boulder moved enough for him to slip in. He was out of breath, and his legs were ready to give in when he was done. He gave a parting glance to Luke before he walked into the Sanctuary.


    He would ask Walnut to bring the spearman some medicine to ease his pain.


    Then, after several more minutes of pressing himself against the boulder, he placed it back in place.


    #


    Once the boulder came to a screeching close, Luke finally gave in. His legs fell right underneath him as if they were cooked noodles. The pain that radiated from his chest was quite unbearable. He had actually blacked out when he was waiting for Cedar to revive and was glad that the man hadn¡¯t caught on that he was the reason for his pain.


    That punch from the first round had struck his chest like lightning. It had hurt, but it was the second punch that did him in. Hitting the same spot with pinpoint accuracy, his chest had cracked like brittle ice. He should have stopped it right then and there, but he had enjoyed killing Cedar.


    All of the hatred and anger at him had unleashed upon the prince. The first match might have been more formal, but the second, third, and onto the ninth might as well have been torture sessions. His chest got worse, and his breathing wheezed.


    But he didn¡¯t care.


    As long as he was able to kill Cedar over and over again, he would bear this pain like a badge of honor.


    His vision wavered, and he heard his spear clatter somewhere far from his reach. The last thing that was picked up in his gaze was the inky stairway.


    He hoped that in his heart nothing would attack him in his sleep.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 15 - A Meeting Once More

    Half naked and tired, Kagami came home with a bag of food and some pants that the nice shopkeeper gave him. While he didn¡¯t have money on him, the shopkeepers knew him and added it to Walnut¡¯s tab. He had announced his arrival with a simple ¡°I¡¯m home¡± and dropped the bags in the kitchen. His intent was to get a bath before cooking, but he stopped in the den with four pairs of eyes staring at him.


    But it was only one pair that drew his attention. With the soft lights crackling from the fireplace, he now confirmed that the woman in front of him not only had his wife¡¯s face, but she also had a wolf ears on the top of her head.


    For a moment his wife blended into his view.


    ¡°Asa-¡±


    He would have been killed again if the bloodlust hadn¡¯t snapped him out of it.


    The woman pulled her sword from her shadow, the air snapped like lightning as she did it. A piece of her cheek broke off and fell. When it hit the ground, it shattered. The bear yelled for her to stop. Kagami saw the blade¡¯s path and arched his back. His body moved painfully slow, but it was fast enough to avoid his neck from being sliced. The tip dug into his left cheek leaving a line of red that reached his ear.


    Kagami took a couple of steps back, and the woman pointed her black sword at him.


    ¡°How are you still alive?¡± She seethed, every hair on her tail stood up. ¡°I killed you!¡±


    ¡°You did.¡± Kagami met her gaze. He held up his hands, but not in an act of surrender like she was thought. ¡°Can you put the sword down? Let¡¯s sit down and talk.¡±


    But to catch the sword as she as she drew it in a downward arc as he tried to speak to her. Kagami¡¯s hands moved so slowly. It pained him as much as having the sword slice through his brain. But inch by inch, he had timed it perfectly, the hands clapped together, catching the black blade. He wrenched it aside. The blade clattered on the ground near the fireplace.


    ¡°Now come. Sit. We can talk about it.¡±


    He motioned for her to sit.


    ¡°Do you think, just because you took my sword, I¡¯ll stop? You think it just ends like that?¡± She snarled at him, sweeping her hand out.


    Kagami stood still. The way she looked at him so much hatred, felt like a hammer to his glass heart. Never could he have imagined his wife making a face at him like that. Yet, here he was witnessing it. He never wanted to see something like that again.


    The black sword in the corner of his eyes shook, melting into a shadow. The crack on her face spread forming a web, as the sword materialized in her hand. Before she could cut down on try again, the bear tackled and pinned her down.


    ¡°Get off of me!¡± She screamed at him. ¡°Kenichi get off of me now!¡±


    ¡°Calm yourself, Yoru,¡± the giant said. ¡°If you go any further, you will turn to ashes, and if that happens, everything will be for naught.¡±


    ¡°As long as I can kill him, then it¡¯s all worth it!¡± Madness tugged her lips into a smile.


    ¡°If you die, then who will save Aria!¡±


    She looked into the eyes of her comrade and then at Kagami. Warring interests battled within her. She stopped her struggle, and hand with her sword went limp. For now, she abandoned her the thought of killing him.


    He felt a tap on his shoulder. Walnut gave him a smile and thrusting a towel and bowl with a bar of soap in his hands. The bandit pointed at the door behind him.


    ¡°Take a bath.¡±


    #


    A bath was nice. Even if it was in a wooden barrel. From his world to this world, when he fought he got dirty. He slapped his face full of hot water as if to wash his thoughts away. The woman sitting in the den had his wife¡¯s face. She had tried to kill him. He needed to be prepared.


    That wasn¡¯t too different from his wife. When they met, she had been one of the many assassins that had been hired by the Yakuza to kill him. Among the handful they had hired, she had been one of the ones that came closet to ending his life.


    Kagami leaned back, looking up at the ceiling, a plume of steam drifting upward. His heart was racing, sweat and water dripped from his face.


    Was she Asa?


    Her hair was a different color from her golden one. Her eye color too. Asa¡¯s had been red. She definitely didn¡¯t have ears or a tail or have a sword that came out of her shadow.


    But he looked completely different from his former self.


    He closed his eyes and opened them up again. Resolute in a way a condemned man faced death. He needed to look the truth clear in its eyes and find out.


    The water splashed as he stepped out of the tub.


    #


    ¡°Yoru,¡± Kenichi got her attention. His face was as solemn and still as a rock. ¡°Temper your anger. Do not try to kill him, yet.¡±


    Yoru snorted. ¡°Tell me, Kenichi. If the you were to face the person that did that Aria and they were taking a bath while we sat down waiting for them, would you not kill them?¡±


    Kenichi folded his arms. ¡°I¡¯d kill them.¡± His voice quiet.


    At the very least, she appreciated his straightforwardness.


    ¡°Can you really tell me not to kill him then?¡±


    ¡°I understand, but you must not.¡±


    But she also hated his straightforwardness.


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    The wolf had almost risen to her feet, seething with anger, but stayed sitting down. The giant man behind them took a swig of what Yoru was starting to suspect was a flask filled with an endless supply of whiskey. The Bandit King leaned forward in his seat, his great axe laying across his lap.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be polite to kill a naked man would it?¡± His breath smelled like a brewery.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than he deserves.¡± Yoru growled.


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow that in my home.¡± His fingers tapped on his axe¡¯s face.


    ¡°You know who he is don¡¯t you? He¡¯s Cedar Oswell. The Flame Prince. Do you know how many people suffered because of him? How many towns were turned to ashes because of him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you say, but we don¡¯t really know who he is. After all, he didn¡¯t come down the elevator. He dropped down. The processing center on the surface never sent us information about him, so, he¡¯s not a prisoner like the rest of us. He¡¯s just trapped down here like the rest of us.¡± Walnut gave a smarmy smile.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Anger flared forward. Kenichi grabbed her shoulder, looking at her with his usual stone stare. She slammed her fist in the floor, her head hung down and her hair covering her face. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair.¡±


    ¡°No one said it was,¡± Kenichi said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t fair at all. How could she hold back? When the goddess had given her another chance to inflict pain on the man that took everything away from her?


    The door to the bathing room opened and her greatest enemy stepped out.


    #


    His beating heart had and breath stopped when he stepped out of the bathroom. No, that wasn¡¯t it. Time moved slower when he met her gaze. Everything about that face was his wife¡¯s. His eyes were hot with tears and as he blinked, they streamed down his cheeks and fell off his face.


    The woman with his wife¡¯s face leaned away from him, shocked at his display. What else could he do? How long had it been since he had seen her face? How many times had he dreamed it? Memories that felt like it had happened yesterday but slipped through his fingers like water.


    His mind felt blank, but the question he wanted to ask left his lips before he could think.


    ¡°Are you my wife? Are you Asa?¡±


    Her face went from shock and then to pure disgust.


    ¡°Wife? I would never be your wife!¡±


    He had to admit, that hurt. Seeing her face look at him at him like a fly that landed on her plate, to the voice holding such contempt and hatred for him. It felt like¡­well, when she stabbed his heart. He gave a low chuckle forcing a himself to smile.


    ¡°I see. Of course it wouldn¡¯t be you. I wouldn¡¯t be that fortunate would I?¡±


    Yoru regarded him closely. She looked slightly confused at his odd reaction. ¡°Are you crying?¡±


    To that Kagami touched his eyes, feeling hot tears against his finger tips. ¡°Ahhhh, I guess I am.¡±


    ¡°Yo-you, don¡¯t think you trick me Cedar! Save your crocodile tears. This is an act isn¡¯t it? To confuse me! You think you can go ahead and claim you don¡¯t remember anything? Even if you did, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you did it!¡±


    ¡°Yoru.¡±


    Kenichi clutched her shoulder, but she shrugged his grip off. She stood up and met his gaze with her own. Hatred blazed in those black eyes, but what was he supposed to do? All those horrible things that the former owner of the body had caused, it wasn¡¯t his responsibility to take up.


    ¡°My name is Kagami. I¡¯m a man from another world trapped inside the prince¡¯s body,¡± Kagami said to her. ¡°Whatever this man has done, it is none of my concern. All I want is to escape this place and find a way back home.¡±


    There he had said it. For a moment, the burning hatred within the woman¡¯s eyes were blown away, but it wasn¡¯t confusion that had taken its place. To his ridiculous introduction, she threw back her head and howled in an uneven and unpleasant laughter.


    ¡°Really?¡± She said, wiping a tear off her face. ¡°I see. I see. So that¡¯s how it is?¡±


    Her laughter stopped as suddenly as it started. The jagged smile on her face looked like it had been cut by a knife. She bared her teeth.


    Kagami felt his heart race. She intended to kill him, but turning his back against her would only embolden her, just like a wolf did to its running prey. Kagami stood his ground as she drew closer with murder in her eyes.


    This was bad, if she did that, the penalty would be invoked.


    "Wait! If you do that-¡±


    Her claws scrapped the air. Kagami leaned his head back, hearing her nails scrap the very air. She didn¡¯t stop there. She rotated, sweeping his legs. Kagami hopped over it and she brought her hands together, shaping it like a wolf¡¯s open jaw.


    She leapt towards him and Kagami caught her blow, intertwining his fingers with his own claw. When they landed, she tried to pull away from him, but Kagami would not let that happen.


    ¡°Let go!¡± She growled, throwing in a knee. Kagami blocked it with his own.


    ¡°No. Not unless you promise to calm yourself.¡±


    ¡°I. Will. Never. Be. Calm.¡± She seethed.


    ¡°Attacking me will invoke a penalty.¡± Kagami yelled., glancing back at Walnut. The bandit was deciding whether to stand up or not, and heft his axe at the mad wolf. ¡°If you continue to attack me, then you¡¯ll be killed.¡±


    ¡°If it means dragging you to hell with me, then I don¡¯t mind killing you over and over again!¡± She yelled.


    ¡°Yoru!¡± The stiffened at the bear¡¯s yell. She looked back at him. He folded his arms, giving a mom¡¯s disappointment. ¡°Remember your word.¡±


    With that, her strength slackened and sensing their fight was over, Kagami let her hands go. She stumbled back over to where she had sat, looking like a child that had been scolded by her father. When she sat back down, Kenichi gazed at Kagami with his brown eyes.


    ¡°You mentioned a penalty. When I asked about it, we never got a straight answer on what could be considered violent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure myself. I think we¡¯re good as long as no one was injured, but Walnut can answer more,¡± Kagami stroked his chin and looked over to one of the members of the council.


    Walnut had fallen asleep at some point during their fight. His mouth open. The flask opened hung loosely in his hand, ready to hit the ground at moment¡¯s notice.


    Kagami took the flask, putting it on a table. Then he turned to their three guests.


    ¡°Did he tell you where you guys would be staying?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Kagami turned to the Great Bandit King. He rose his hand and gave the him a good ole slap to wake him up.


    #


    Walnut had not been able to lead them to the house they were staying at. After getting the information, Cedar had led them to a small house in the corner. He handed Kenichi the keys and told them to come back in the morning when Walnut would have his wits about him.


    Then, he left.


    And it took everything she had not to chase after that back and kill him again and again like he deserved.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Kenichi turned to her. She could see the sincerity in his eyes.


    She blew out a sigh. ¡°That¡¯s unfair. You know I can¡¯t get mad at you. Even if you won¡¯t let me kill him.¡±


    ¡°You already did.¡± Kenichi pointed out. ¡°You killed him and butchered his body into mincemeat, then kicked his head over the crevice.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not dead though.¡± Frustration tightened her throat. ¡°He doesn¡¯t deserve to. After killing Elm? He gets to conveniently forget everything awful he did, and gets to be immortal?¡±


    Tears dripped from her eyes. She had thought she had cried it all away, yet it surprised her to see how much it angered her, and how much it saddened her to see him alive¡­again.


    ¡°It should be Elm that¡¯s alive, not him.¡±


    The bear laid a hand on her shoulder. He looked down at her offering her hope.


    ¡°I promise, you can kill him later, but not now,¡± he said looking up at the sunroots. The light was dim, an indication it was night on the surface. ¡°He¡¯s strong isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Yoru hacked up a cough. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He was able to meet you blow to blow. When you killed him, he would have caught your sword, but was distracted by your face.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± she went silent in thought. No, it was true wasn¡¯t it? If she hadn¡¯t been so drowned in her emotions, she would have noticed. ¡°He dodged a lethal blow from my surprise attack too.¡± Remembering when she stabbed him through the back. She was sure she had aimed for his heart.


    ¡°He believes himself to be from another world.¡±


    She snorted at that. ¡°Fat chance. There hasn¡¯t been someone from another world since the path was sealed. The only ones left are ones like the Eternal Queen.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 16 - A Delusions Reward

    Slabs of beef sizzled on the iron cast pan the next morning. Cooking breakfast, Kagami mulled over the events of last night. Was it truly a coincidence that a woman had the same face as his wife¡¯s? She was definitely different in many ways. She was part wolf, and had black hair instead of the golden hair that his wife had. She also had a black sword unlike his wife¡¯s pure white one.


    After several minutes, Kagami flipped the beef then turned his attention to the eggs. He added milk, cheese, salt, and pepper, and then whisked the mixture for a minute as he watched the beef pop. He poured the mixture in a separate pan when he heard the familiar stomps of his roommate.


    ¡°Damn!¡± Walnut stepped into the kitchen with a smile of the morning sun. He held his nose high, taking a whiff of the beef. ¡°That smells great.¡±


    Kagami had lived with him for a little over a year. No matter how much he drank, the man never looked had a hangover the morning after. He snatched one of the strips of beef placing it in his mouth. He closed his eyes as if what he just ate was divine, hot steam puffed from his mouth as he spoke.


    ¡°So, delicious!¡±


    Kagami looked down at the sizzling beef and then to Walnut.


    ¡°How are you not burned?¡±


    ¡°You could say, heat does nothing to me.¡± Walnut snatched another strip just as someone knocked on the door.


    The bandit left the kitchen. A moment later the three from last night came in. Kagami caught a glance of them, seeing Yoru stare at him intensely as they passed by. Walnut poked his head in the small kitchen.


    ¡°Do we have enough for three more people?¡± Walnut asked him.


    ¡°Only if you don¡¯t seconds and stop stealing off the skillet,¡± Kagami said.


    ¡°No second breakfast¡­¡± He looked conflicted hemming and hawing, looking back and forth between what he desired and being polite. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Kagami snorted. Politeness usually won in the end for him. He would have expected him to act more in his self-interest like a bandit should, but he did the opposite instead. He was a councilman after all. The community on the ring did vote on who to ascend to the Council.


    Kagami plated the beef and eggs, balancing the five plates: two on each of his arm, and the fifth on top of his head, taking them to the den.


    Kagami watched each of their reaction as he set the plate in front of them. Walnut rubbed his hands together, drool forming in the corner of his lips. The winged woman had a vacant stare with her mouth sagging open. Kenichi nodded in gratitude. Since he stepped into view, all Yoru did was stare intensely at him enough to drill a hole through him.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    He took his place next to Kenichi, sitting cross legged on a thin pillow. Just as he was about to dig in, the door knocked again.


    Walnut was already half way down shoveling his meal. He dropped his plate, a displeased look on his face, and went to the door. A moment later, he came back with an opened letter.


    ¡°Kagami, I¡¯m going need you to go help with the supplies today.¡±


    ¡°What? Seriously?¡± Kagami didn¡¯t like that at all. Supply drops from the surface took all day.


    ¡°Luke won¡¯t be able to do it. He has a broken sternum. He¡¯s not in any condition to handle a supply drop. So, you take his place.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Kagami thought about last night. He hadn¡¯t fought well. That didn¡¯t stop Luke from wiping the floor with him. ¡°I wonder what kind of monster he was up against to get injured like that?¡±


    For some reason, Walnut leveled a deadpan stare at him. ¡°Really? You don¡¯t know why he was like that?¡±


    ¡°No. Should I?¡±


    ¡°Well, your ignorance astounds me. You¡¯ll take his place, since it¡¯s partially your fault.¡±


    Kagami made a disgruntled voice.


    #


    After breakfast, Cedar left. That left the three of them alone with the Bandit King. He placed the ever infinite flask on the table and leaned forward, crossing his fingers together like a net.


    ¡°So.¡± He looked at each and every one of them with those green eyes. ¡°You mentioned you wanted to see the Warden?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yoru said. ¡°The guide you mentioned-¡±


    ¡°It is him.¡± Walnut answered her frankly.


    She swore under her breath. ¡°Is there anyone else?¡±


    ¡°Unless you know how to talk to dead people?¡± Walnut chuckled. ¡°No. Everyone that has faced the Warden is dead. The only one still alive is our little amnesia immortal princling that you tried to kill.¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± She growled. ¡°He just didn¡¯t stay dead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a plus isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You, know he¡¯s Cedar Oswell. Why do you pretend he¡¯s someone else?¡±


    The bandit leaned back, scratching his beard. A grin spread. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I? If I told him what he said is bullshit, wouldn¡¯t it be harder to control him? Going along with his delusion is better for me? Look at this place. He cooks, he cleans, he hunts. The only thing that could be better if he was a woman with big tits.¡± The bandit gestured around his chest to emphasize the size of breasts he wanted in his woman. ¡°He¡¯s easier to deal with if he trusts you.¡±


    She snorted derisively. ¡°You¡¯re scum.¡±


    ¡°At least I¡¯m not the dog that allowed her lover to die.¡± He sneered.


    To that, she almost pounced at him. Kenichi caught her shoulder and the bandit had stood up ready to defend himself. His cracked his knuckles.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you have your Guardian to stop you.¡± He nodded to Kenichi. ¡°That¡¯s what your cult calls you right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not a cult.¡± There was a soft anger in Kenichi¡¯s tone.


    Walnut leaned back in his seat, taking a swig of his flask. He blew a sigh. ¡°Just use him like I am. You don¡¯t need to pretend to like him. He¡¯s a good naive boy right now. Not anything like the prideful prick he was. Plus, you have his wife¡¯s face.¡± He snickered at his last statement.


    If Kenichi wasn¡¯t holding her back, she would have killed the man where he stood. But he had a point. She could get what she wanted¡­if she teamed up with Elm¡¯s murderer. The thought of teaming up with Cedar Oswell  churned her stomach like rotten milk.


    The Goddess must be relishing in her suffering.


    Because she knew she would to work with him to get what she wanted.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 17 - A Boy, a Spider, and an Elf

    Twice a month the elevator would drop down like a fishing line, with an abundance of murderers, rapists, and banished noblemen. The more Kagami thought about it, the stranger yesterday had been. It was the third time this month that the elevator and delivered new prisoners to them, but no one was made aware of it. They would have a couple of people down here to escort the prisoners to the Sanctuary.


    Kagami came to the conclusion that for some reason, the Council hadn¡¯t told them about the elevator because the Warden wanted someone killed?


    ¡°Hey!¡± The boy next to him caught his attention while he was deep in thought.


    ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± Kagami asked.


    The orange haired kid huffed a sigh in frustration.


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t listen to me at all.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re honest. I asked if it was true you were a prince?¡±


    Just by being asked that, Kagami¡¯s throat rattled in disgust. ¡°Do I look like a prince to you?¡±


    ¡°Not with that face. You look like more of a thug than anything else.¡± The kid kicked a stone and almost lost balance. Kagami caught him by the pack of ores he carried over his shoulder.


    ¡°A squirt like you shouldn¡¯t carry something bigger than you.¡± Kagami closed one of his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of holes on the way to the elevator, you could easily trip and fall into one of them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me a squirt! I know that but, the more I bring the more money I get!¡± The kid huffed, then eyed him like he was some special exhibit in a zoo. ¡°How are you able to carry that much?¡±


    Kagami¡¯s pack was at least twice as big as him. He couldn¡¯t make it bigger because of the narrower tunnels to the elevator. Something he wished he could do.


    ¡°This. Can you believe that this makes me tired from carrying it?¡± A tear dropped from Kagami¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Ar-are you crying? Does it hurt that much?¡±


    ¡°The pain of being weak is enough to hurt my soul.¡± Kagami clutched his fist against his chest. Tears dripped from his down his chin. The boy took a step back, weirded out by Kagami¡¯s behavior. ¡°Did you know that I used to be able to carry something like this without breaking a sweat?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± The boy looked around, most of the other carrier immediately quickened their pace.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told almost everyone this, but I used to be super strong.¡± Kagami jabbed his thumb against his chest. ¡°Back when I was super strong, I was indestructible. I could punch holes in this puny wall if I wanted to. I could easily batter the Warden up and down if he was a puppet himself.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± The boy was started to drift away, but Kagami matched his pace. Because like everyone else, they didn¡¯t believe a lick of word he was saying.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying,¡± Kagami said. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy.¡±


    ¡°My uncle told me that that¡¯s what crazy people would say¡­¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± One of the men ahead finally screamed at him. ¡°You couldn¡¯t beat the Warden if you wanted to! You¡¯ve been saying that for a year!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right! I can¡¯t beat that skinny bastard!¡±          Kagami slammed his fist against the wall. A small crater formed with the import of the side of his fist. The man¡¯s eyes popped out. ¡°If only I was strong!¡±


    ¡°Mister.¡± The boy tugged at his shirt. ¡°Aren¡¯t you already strong?¡±


    He pointed at the wall that Kagami cracked. Kagami shook his head in deep sadness.


    ¡°You see, I used to be stronger. If I had hit that when back in my old body, it would have made a tunnel.¡±


    ¡°Fake prince, I also have dreams like that but you have to know the difference between reality and fantasy.¡±


    Kagami threw back his neck laughing. He was being reprimanded by a child. No one would believe him. He knew that, but he still held resentment for no one believing him.


    They continued through the tunnel, eventually the tunnel opened up to an open area. The area where Kagami had found the bear and the wolf yesterday. The blue pool glowed mysteriously, the kid stared at it with interest. There were a couple of men that had stopped at the giant leg that Kagami had broken off yesterday.


    ¡°What happened here?¡± One of the men asked another.


    ¡°No clue, but we¡¯re planning on taking it back with us. It can make us a pretty penny. We¡¯ll open a tab at the Wretched Hazel.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your sister¡¯s name Hazel?¡± The boy had come back from looking at the pond.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a sister named Hazel. Well¡­I had a sister. She died when I was young though.¡± Then Kagami realized he wasn¡¯t talking about him. ¡°Oh, did the prince have a sister?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s supposed to be super scary. They call her the Ice Witch,¡± the boy said.


    ¡°Ice Witch.¡± Kagami rubbed his chin.


    ¡°Yeah! I heard that she skewered a dragon with a giant ice spear!¡±


    ¡°Dragons.¡± Kagami turned to the boy.


    There was something that all men wanted to do as boys and that was to slay a dragon.


    ¡°There are dragons in this world?¡±


    ¡°Ye-yeah, but there pretty rare.¡±


    ¡°How rare?¡± Kagami asked.


    The boy wilted under Kagami¡¯s intensity. ¡°I heard that there are about a hundred in the world.¡±


    Kagami punched the wall again, a much bigger crater formed.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± People around turned towards him, but realizing it was him they went back to their business. ¡°I can¡¯t hunt something that¡¯s almost extinct.¡±


    They continued their trek towards the elevator, going through the next tunnel but were stopped when they ran into several men coming back this way.


    ¡°There¡¯s a spider web there. It¡¯s not safe.¡±


    Kagami pressed himself against the wall to make enough room for them to pass. Then, he continued pressing forward.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going back?¡± The boy asked him.


    Kagami turned to look at the kid over his shoulder. ¡°This way is faster. I want to get this over with. If I kill the spider, then we can all finish this soon. You don¡¯t need to follow me though. It¡¯s safer to go with them.¡±


    The boy still followed Kagami. His eyes sparkled. ¡°The faster way means I get paid faster.¡±


    Kagami snorted at that. He looked at his open palm, missing the star shaped scar that he had on his old body. It reminded him of how strong he was. Strong enough to block a glowing sword from killing him.


    He turned to the boy. ¡°No, you should go bac-¡±


    The boy was being dragged away. He saw his feet dangling in the corner before disappearing from view. Kagami shrugged the bag off his shoulder and dashed right after him.


    He could see the boy being dragged away. His mouth covered in web, his eyes terrified, and the giant spider that hung over the scared boy that screeched as it spotted Kagami.


    Kagami took a breath and treaded forward. The spider was about his size. It was probably young, newly hatched and hungry from the looks of the saliva dribbling from its open fangs. All he had to do was grab the boy and it would take one punch to break its shell.


    He felt movement above him. Kagami leapt back and someone dropped down stabbing the ground where he had been. The figure stood up, wrenching the sword free from the stone ground. She was a woman with silver hair tied up in an intricate hive. The robe that cloaked her reminded Kagami of a kimono. There was pattern of bright flowers that adorned it.


    But the thing that caught his attention were her pointed ears.


    ¡°An elf?¡±


    The elf pointed her white sword at him.


    ¡°Ariel. Commencing operation.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 18 - Kagami vs the Elf

    On a night like any other down in the Sanctuary, Kagami asked Walnut about elves. Elves were a fantasy stable, he wanted to know if they existed in a fantasy world like this.


    To that question, Walnut¡¯s expression darkened. He took Kagami by the shoulder, his fears apparent by how his voice quivered just from elves being mentioned.


    ¡°Why? Did you see one?¡±


    ¡°No. I was just curious though.¡±


    Walnut blew out a sigh, falling back to his favored armchair. He took his flask, taking a bigger swig than usual. Then he wagged his large finger at Kagami.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare me like that.¡±


    ¡°Are elves that scary?¡± Kagami asked.


    ¡°They sure are.¡± He took another swig of his flask. ¡°My grandpa told me a story about them. Told me one elf mowed down an entire army. Unlike us humans, they¡¯re not cursed. They can still use spirit energy without the need for keys. Not only that, they live long.¡± He stared at his open hand as if he were holding an image of the horror he described. He looked up at Kagami. ¡°If you ever run into one, you should run.¡±


    #


    There was no way in hell that Kagami would ever run when an opportunity like this came. Not when an elf was in front of him. He wanted to know if the stories were true. He ended up stretching, while the elf watched him with dispassionate interest.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± The elf asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re strong aren¡¯t you?¡± Kagami finished his legs and moved to his arms. Grabbing the shoulder and twisting his hips. ¡°I can smell it. I¡¯m getting my body warmed up to fight you.¡±


    ¡°There was nothing in your files about you smelling strength. I will add that in your file.¡± Her tone flat. ¡°Your actions are odd. They don¡¯t match anything that I know of Cedar Oswell. I guess it¡¯s true that you lost your memories.¡±


    Kagami arched his back, feeling a couple of pops and snaps. ¡°I was told that you should run away when you¡¯re faced with an elf, but I need to know how strong you are. IF I ran away here, then how could I face my wife?¡±


    With his stretches done, Kagami put his left foot forward, his right foot turned outward. He formed a claw with his right hand and kept his left hand inside his guard. Sensing the fight was before her, the elf walked towards him as if she were walking normally in a busy street going from one point to another.


    Sweat formed on his temple, and his eyebrows furrowed. He licked his lips. There was no opening he could exploit. In his old body, he had no need to make an opening, his whole thing was might made right. Kagami didn¡¯t have that convenience in this world.


    He was still weak, so he tried to copy the person he knew was strong. He emulated how his wife moved when he had taken her sword away from her.


    She had moved with the grace of a fish swimming in the river and succeeded in striking him and retrieving her blade. She smiled in triumph, tapping the sword on her shoulder. The man had blinked for it was the first time someone had succeeded in taking back what was there¡¯s.


    Before it threatened to bring a tear to his eyes, Kagami turned his attention back to what needed to be done. To rescue the young boy from the spider and elf.


    The elf vanished from his sight. She was below his sight, Kagami felt her presence. His outstreched hand caught her wrist, but it made no difference. It was like trying to bend a thick iron slab. The power behind that slender arm could not be stopped. Her blade sliced towards his side and Kagami took a step back, not fully able to avoid it. The tip cut through his precious shirt and waist, a line of red formed and bubbled, but was shallow and not enough to spill his gut.


    He was surprised. How had such a small body produce such power? There wasn¡¯t enough muscle in that tiny body to do that. It reminded him¡­of his wife.


    The elf watched him closely, her face did not change, staying frozen like a doll¡¯s. She brought her sword back and attacked him once more.


    Kagami wasn¡¯t prepared for her attack. He stumbled back, the sword hummed above his head where his neck would have been. Her eyes shifted down and she brought her sword down. Kagami rolled out of the way, and the blade cut through the stone floor like it was made from butter.


    The more he observed the elf, the more and more he felt the sense that it was like his wife¡¯s powers. The times he had asked about it, she would give him a knowing and proud smile, pressing her finger to her lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±


    The sound of the elf wrenching her blade from its stone brought him back to the present. Kagami prepared himself for her next attack. His body was weak and slow, if he moved his body in the way he imagined, it would crumble under the strain of doing so.


    Yet, he trained. Trained hard. He wasn¡¯t even close to what he wanted, but no one ever waited until you became strong enough. Fights happened whenever.


    Kagami took a deep breath, and this time he started the exchange off. He feinted low, but she didn¡¯t fall for it and brought down her blade. Kagami spun in place, smacking the flat of the blade with the back of his hand. Her gut was open and Kagami took it.


    His fist slammed against her ribcage, but he was the one to falter.


    Pain bristled up his arm. She was hard. It was like she had been made from diamond or something.


    The elf smacked his temple with the flat of her blade. His vision shook and then he felt himself being yanked by the feet. He fell face forward, and his nose crunched like an eggshell. Hot blood flowed through his broken nose.


    Kagami looked up to see that the spider had spat its web at him. It¡¯s mandibles opened, and a victorious screech blasted him. The spider spun him into a cocoon and the last thing he saw was the kid¡¯s scared eyes as he witnessed Kagami¡¯s loss.


    #


    ¡°Mission has been complete.¡± Ariel conveyed her message in her master¡¯s aura thread. ¡°He has been captured, and will be shipped to you.¡±


    ¡°He gave you no problem?¡± Her master asked.


    ¡°Measuring his physical prowess, I would compare it to a gorilla. I would say his chances of awakening are high.¡±


    From the thread, she could feel her master¡¯s relief at that assessment.


    ¡°We still require more. The Harvest will begin soon. The Queen has not kept up her bargain. She has sent less and less.¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°I see. With the Spear Man we got yesterday, and the Prince, we still require at least three more.¡±


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem. The mercenary I interrogated has told me that there are three companions that can use Aura. I¡¯ll need you to go there to persuade the Council.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she accepted.


    ¡°Now, for your other report. Did you feel anything from fighting that man? Any emotions?¡± Though she couldn¡¯t tell from his tone, she could from his thread the anticipation he felt when he asked her this question.


    ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. You¡¯re still emotionally stunted.¡±


    Ariel turned her gaze towards the cocoon. She felt a spark, and saw a lick of flame coming from the Prince.


    ¡°I apologize, Master. It seems the fight isn¡¯t over yet. I felt a spark of Aura from the-¡±


    The cocoon lit on fire. The rainbow glow was both ominous and pretty.


    ¡°-Prince.¡± She finished her sentence.


    The Prince erupted through the cocoon as if it were an egg, reminiscent of a phoenix. His fist struck the spider¡¯s underside, blowing a hole through it. The spider cried its death song, and with its innards gushing forth like a new spring, it fell.


    The Prince was burning. He turned his attention to the young boy, burning the cocoon with fire. The rainbow flames that engulfed him did no harm to the young boy. She looked over the Prince, seeing that his thumb and neck were wet with blood. No doubt, he had killed himself.


    The boy at first screamed in surprise.


    ¡°You¡¯re alright.¡± The Prince reassured the boy. ¡°It¡¯s not burning you.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± The boy quieted down. ¡°You¡¯re right, it doesn¡¯t hurt. It feels like¡­jumping in a pond?¡±


    She could confirm now that the Prince had awakened. Aura clearly gushed out of him.


    The Prince gave a low hearty chuckle. He looked nothing like a regal, prideful prince. Just a fairly ordinary man.


    ¡°Is that how it feels for you? I wish it was the same for me.¡±


    ¡°What does it feel like for you?¡± The boy asked, curious.


    But the Prince did not answer, instead telling him to wait a moment. His easy going smile, dropped as he met Ariel¡¯s gaze. She continued to observe him to gather combat information. Something within her chest toiled. She wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. Her white grip on her sword, a replica of a Sword of Light, tightened.


    The thread she talked to her master with floated in the air between the two of them. The Prince seemed to have spotted it, because his gaze flicked up in the air where it floated.


    ¡°I have a new report to make. It seems that he¡¯s partially awakening when-¡±


    The prince¡¯s hand flicked and snapped the thread. Her communication broke with her master¡¯s.


    ¡°Hey. Who are you talking to?¡± The thread in his hand dissipated.


    It took her but a moment to assess the situation. She pointed her blade at him with the intent to eliminate him. He wasn¡¯t going to die, so she would make sure to slice his limbs off, leaving only his torso.


    #


    Within the dark tunnels that no one but fools entered, there were sounds of a clash. Two wisps of light that danced within the darkness and a scream of a boy that made made a foolish man who observed this run off in fear that he would be next.


    Kagami felt strong. He felt power course through his revived muscles, the rainbow flames that enveloped him shimmered like broken glass hit by sunlight. While it didn¡¯t move to the speed he liked, his body was following the movement etched from his previous life.


    He didn¡¯t understand how he was able to move like this right now, but he knew he could now and that was all that mattered.


    Even though he was able to keep up with the elf, she did not seem to show any sign that she was being pressured. She regarded all of his attacks with calm certainty, weaving through his fists with a grace of a dancer. Kagami could feel it, she was waiting for the moment when this flame would burn out like a candle at the end of its wick.


    He readied his fist, but a premonition of his hand being cut stopped him midway, and he instead stepped sideways, and the blade passed by him cutting the ground like butter.


    Kagami moved to break the blade with a kick, but the elf incredibly caught his charged foot with her own, and kicked him aside like plywood. Kagami hit his back against the wall and the elf had followed him. With no way to dodge, Kagami aimed to exchanged his arm for a blow to her body.


    At that moment, the flame fizzled out and he felt power leaving his body. His fist slowed down to a crawl and the glowing blade came hurtling down on him.


    No. Not yet.


    His clamped jaw pried open in a defiant yell. His fist regained its strength and speed and as the burning blade bit down on his shoulder, he hit the same place he had hit with as much power as he could muster. A dull sound, like a fist hitting a thick slab of cold iron resounded through the tunnel.


    For a silent moment the two stood frozen. His fist stayed glued to where he had hit her and her blade stopped in his shoulder.


    Kagami slumped to his knees. He looked to her side, his fist had made no dent. She rose her sword and Kagami felt the pain of losing once more. He did not and would not look away from her. At the very least, he could watch her finish him off.


    But as she lifted her sword to its zenith the blade crackled and the light died like a blown candle, enveloping the area in complete darkness.


    Kagami didn¡¯t know what was happening, but he moved quickly, jumping back to where the boy was and grabbing him. He screamed in surprise, and not a moment later, he felt something sharp craze his cheek. He clamped down on the boy¡¯s mouth, whispering it was him to calm him down before backing carefully behind the spider¡¯s corpse and then retreating to a safer space.


    #


    ¡°How surprising.¡± Ariel assessed her body. A thread materialized in front of her and it wrapped itself around her neck.


    ¡°What is?¡± Her master¡¯s voice resounded in her head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t produce Aura. I believe my body has been damaged from him.¡±


    ¡°¡­So he grows stronger. The Harvest may be a success yet.¡±


    ¡°In my assessment, there is no doubt he will grow stronger,¡± she said.


    #


    Since they escaped the elf, the boy had changed the way he looked at Kagami. Rather than looking at him as if he were a strange man, the boy gazed at him with the utmost admiration. They were clearly twinkling as the boy gazed upon him with bated breath.


    Kagami didn¡¯t like it. Just the thought of a boy admiring him like so made him tired. He had been through this song and dance too many times to care, because he knew where that road led. It led to the boy asking him for him to teach him.


    ¡°You¡¯re so strong!¡± The boy finally found his courage. ¡°How are you so strong? Can you be my master?¡±


    ¡°. . .¡±


    That was a lot faster than he thought it would be. Kagami stayed silent, but the boy asked again.


    ¡°Can you teach me how to strong, master?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a master.¡± Kagami avoided the boy¡¯s gaze and with a heavy sigh, he slumped his shoulder. ¡°And I¡¯m surely not strong. I couldn¡¯t defeat that elf.¡±


    ¡°That was an elf!¡± The boy screamed at the top of his lungs.


    Kagami frowned cocking his head. ¡°You didn¡¯t see her pointed ears? She was clearly an elf.¡±


    The boy fell to his knees, paralyzed by fear. He clutched his head as if he had the worst headache imaginable.


    ¡°What are we going to do? An elf. A monster is here down here with us.¡±


    Kagami huffed and knelt to meet the boy¡¯s gaze. Sensing him, the boy looked up at him. Fear clearly in his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. The elf isn¡¯t after you. It¡¯s after me. You won¡¯t need to worry alright. You just need to avoid me.¡±


    The boy gave a slow nod.


    ¡°Come on now.¡± He held out a hand for the boy to take. The stood up and continued their walk to the lift. ¡°We gotta take¡­Ah!¡±


    ¡°Wha-what is it, master?¡±


    ¡°I forgot the bag.¡± Kagami felt his heart race. ¡°If I don¡¯t get that bag, my pay¡­¡±


    He turned back to the tunnel they just escaped from. He had punched the ceiling in order to cause a collapse so the elf couldn¡¯t follow them.


    ¡°Ca-can¡¯t we just say we were attacked by an elf?¡± The boy asked. ¡°They won¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°No, they will.¡± Kagami looked down at the boy. ¡°These are criminals after all. They will never forget a debt owed.¡±


    Kagami had watched it happen before. A man lost a bag, and he had been forced to take much more dangerous jobs in order to pay it back with interest. The precious ores that were in the cave weren¡¯t something that he could replace. They would make him delve deeper in the Well¡­


    ¡°Actually that didn¡¯t sound too bad.¡± Kagami rubbed his chin and spoke to himself.


    The deeper he went into the Well, the weirder creatures that existed. Fighting those would surely get him stronger than an elf and if he took the blame for the boy¡¯s bag, then he would never be asked to do this stupid supply drop again.


    Kagami smiled his most wicked smile and laughed under his breath. The boy, not understanding any of what went through his mind, instinctively tried to walk away from him.


    Kagami took the boy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°No, that won¡¯t do. If you go too far, you might get caught again. Stay close to me, at least until we get to the lift.¡±


    The boy nodded. He placed his hands close to his chest as if to protect something precious in his arms. Kagami watched the boy as they passed the threshold from the tunnel to the area where the lift was. Cold wind blew across his sweat soaked face.


    Kagami stopped in his tracks as he gawked upon what he found. The boy stepped right next to him, clear horror plastered on his face.


    What was reflected in those eyes was a massacre. Bodies piled up, cut through by the legs of those spiders. Ore that the workers had brought had spilled and scattered on the ground.


    But what his gaze gravitated towards wasn¡¯t the sea of death, but the spotless and empty lift.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 19 - The Councils Meeting

    ¡°You want to go fight the Warden right? Then you should just accept him as your guide.¡± Walnut told them. ¡°If that¡¯s all there is to talk about, then I have to get going.¡±


    That was the last thing he told before leading them out of his home. He locked it up before hurrying to the lift.


    Yoru sat on a bench watching kids run off with food in their hand. The food stalls were filled with plenty of sizzling meat and customers that lined up one after another to get their lunch. Yoru watched as they exchanged money to get their food, then turned her gaze towards Aria, who was gawking mindlessly at the sunroot. Drool dripped down from the corner of her mouth. With those wings on her back, she looked like a broken angel.


    A city at the bottom of the abyss was too plain for her taste. One that should be rife with criminals, yet the same criminals went about their lives as if there was nothing to worry about.


    It was all wrong.


    Why weren¡¯t they suffering like they should be?


    They were criminals weren¡¯t they? They committed crimes, they murdered, raped, pillaged, stole, and yet, they were sent down here to the Wishing Well, and did not suffer for any of the pain they caused anyone else.


    And what tore and shredded her insides was that idiot prince, who smiled without a care in the world.


    Her fists shook, turning white.


    It wasn¡¯t fair.


    She had been a victim of Cedar, and that prince forgot what he had done to her. The rage threatened to burn a hole in her heart.


    Her ears flicked when she heard Kenichi¡¯s heavy footsteps. The solemn bear held a skewer in both hands, and offered her one.


    ¡°Eat.¡±


    She took the skewer and he sat down next to her. He looked over to Aria, the girl was playing with an wooden skewer stick pretending it was a sword. He smiled and then chomped on his skewer, taking half of its contents in one bite.


    He then looked over to regard her.


    ¡°You have a frightening look on your face. I can imagine what you¡¯re thinking, Yoru. These people were exiled here. They will no longer see the sun or bath in its light. The only thing they have is the false light above us.¡±


    ¡°But they have more than that! Family! Friends! A life full of happiness! That idiot prince, who killed Elm, why does he get to live?! I killed him, and yet he still breathes and smiles like an idiot! He doesn¡¯t even remember any of it!¡± She was surprised by how wild her voice had become, she breathed hard, her emotions uncorked. She wasn¡¯t usually like this. She knew, but she couldn¡¯t control herself.


    Kenichi smiled and placed a hand on her head, bringing her head to his chest.


    ¡°I know it hurts.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± She murmured under her breath. ¡°My pride and hatred will not allow me to work with that man.¡±


    ¡°Even if he knew the path down to the Seal? Even if it means abandoning our duty?¡± Kenichi posed that question to her.


    She looked directly into his brown eyes.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, it¡¯s fine. We will find another way then,¡± Kenichi said.


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    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m sure Aria will be able to help us-¡±


    Kenichi stood up from the stone bench. His eyes wild as he looked around desperately.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± He looked to her. ¡°Where did she go?¡±


    Yoru turned to where she had last seen Aria.


    She was gone.


    #


    When Walnut had been sent down to the bottom of the Wishing Well, he didn¡¯t imagine himself being a politician. He was a bandit, a pretty infamous one at that. He would haul his giant axe and with a single cut, could slice three men.


    Now here he was listening to a mumbling old man representing fifth ring mutter some things about pipes and cracked cobblestone and asking for resources for fixing those roads. Walnut looked over the paperwork, and it was sound. They needed to fix this, but they didn¡¯t currently have the budget and the labor yet. It would be approved, but the time line for this would probably take at least a year.


    There were stories of this old man. In his younger days, it was said that he bedded thousands of women. There were stories that at least a quarter of the residents on the fifth ring were related to him. Despite his advanced age, the old man, said to be a hundred and two, was said to have had a helping hand in spawning another boy. It was said he was thrown down here because he spurned a certain high ranking noblewoman aboveground.


    The old man and him weren¡¯t the only ones out of place.


    Each of the council members were infamous in there own way. The man with the scar over his left eye from the First Ring was said to be the former Leader of the Shatter Foxes, a dark guild known for their assassins. The woman in the red dress from the Second Ring was said to be have been the fianc¨¦e of a prince from another kingdom who had been exiled and had their engagement annulled after less than savory rumors came out about her.


    The man from the fourth was a renowned priest that had dabbled in the slave trade. The sixth was a woman that killed three dukes before she was caught.


    It was a rather strange group to be sure, and yet all of them were deathly serious in tackling government manner in a way that shouldn¡¯t be possible.


    ¡°All in favor of getting Raymond¡¯s proposal?¡± The assassin asked.


    ¡°AYE!¡± All six of them raised their hands to approve.


    ¡°The votes are unanimous. Which leaves the final item on our agenda. The Warden, if you could, please speak.¡± The assassin put down his paper and stared at the crystal in the center of the mahogany round table they sat at.


    ¡°The Harvest is coming.¡± The Warden¡¯s voice came through the crystal. ¡°Yet, the offering that were supposed to be given to me were stolen by a certain prince. Councilman Three. You promised that he would not interfere. It was the reason why I allowed him to live.¡±


    Every eyes turned to Walnut. The bandit scratched the back of his head and gave a huge sigh.


    ¡°Yeah, that was my bad. I didn¡¯t think he would see the elevator come down.¡±


    ¡°Due to the lack of talent in the last few drops, I have taken into my own hands to take some of the ones with potential.¡±


    To that announcement, all six of them gave each other grim looks. None of them spoke, but within their silence, Councilman One was elected to speak.


    ¡°Taking our constituents is not part of the deal we made with you Warden,¡± Councilman One said. ¡°You promised not lay a hand on them.¡±


    ¡°Circumstances change and promises that were sworn must also change. All of you playing around governing like the fools aboveground. I allowed pretenders to do what you wanted, but remember the reality, you are prisoners down here. I am the Warden. Your lives are mine. I am the King, and my verdict is law. The Harvest is coming, and there isn¡¯t nearly enough to begin the ritual. The Seal will break if I don¡¯t take actions in my own hands. Do you understand? For a hundred you save a hundreds of thousand.¡±


    ¡°We still will not sit back and-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already done. I¡¯ve taken those that show promise, except for one who escaped.¡±


    Walnut could feel the silence bear down on him. He knew the Warden was speaking about Kagami, but he still needed to fight for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what the Prince has caused. Truly I am, but I-¡±


    ¡°No. You will send him to me. You will send the three you promised you would send as well. If not the Prince, you can take his place Councilman.¡±


    At that, Walnut fixed his jaw, clenching it shut and forced himself to smile to prevent him to yell at the monster.


    ¡°A shame. I enjoyed him quite a bit.¡± His voice visibly strained.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we could come to an understanding,¡± the Warden said. ¡°Send them tomorrow. My patience has run thin.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll come. After all, they declared to me that they¡¯re coming for your head.¡±


    ¡°I already know that. I have one of their comrades in captivity. He has told me everything I need to know. Now, other than that, I must inform you all of a new development. No supplies came today, instead my spiders report to me that the workers by the Elevator have all died. Do with that information as you will.¡±


    The crystal ball crackled in disconnection. A cold wind passed as the six digested that information. In unison, all of them scrambled out of their chairs and ran out of the meeting room to start to mobilize their men to investigate the area.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 20 - The Unseen Future

    Kagami crouched in front of the elevator overlooking the whole massacre. He surveyed the area from his perch on the top step seeing the slaughter that befell this place. He hand covered his mouth as the story told from this carnage started to piece together in his mind.


    The boy tugged at his shirt, fear stricken across his face.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go?¡± He asked, his voice high. ¡°What if the spiders come back?¡±


    ¡°Spiders didn¡¯t cause this.¡± Kagami said, briefly glancing at the boy and then back at the scene. ¡°This was someone.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what do you mean? Are you saying the elf caused this?¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t her.¡± He thought back to their fight. ¡°Whoever caused this, came from the elevator.¡± Kagami jabbed his thumb behind him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I thought it was spiders at first, but look at how these two bodies look.¡± Kagami pointed to the two closest ones. ¡°They¡¯re on their back. They fell from here. You can see the blood spots on the stairs and their surprised faces.a¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°They killed everyone here.¡± Kagami rested his chin on a bridge made with his hands. His face darkened. ¡°This is the second time that people have descended and no one knew about it. Something is wrong here. Something is happening.¡±


    ¡°Bu-but why?¡± The boy asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kagami said. ¡°But I wonder if it has anything to do with why the elf attacked me?¡±


    He then stood, patting the back of his pants to free of it of dust.


    ¡°We¡¯re going back to the Sanctuary. Staying here isn¡¯t safe. And I¡¯d be damned if I at least couldn¡¯t take a little boy like you back home.¡±


    The boy gazed at him, stars sparkling in his eyes.


    ¡°Ma-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Kagami cut him off. He placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. ¡°You should forget about this though. Never speak of it. Tell them that you dropped the ores and went back empty handed.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because if you told anything else, you would die.¡±


    #


    They arrived at the Sanctuary and they separated soon afterwards. Kagami¡¯s destination was obvious. It was at the top floor of the Sanctuary where the Council meeting was being held.


    The guard denied him access.


    ¡°No. No one is allowed access.¡± The guard¡¯s pale face and thin lips twisted in a smile. His hand reached for the cleaver tied on his belt. ¡°Unless you want to try your luck. Please, though, I haven¡¯t killed someone in a long while.¡±


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    ¡°I told you, I need to go.¡± His fist tightened and his knuckles were turning white. ¡°I need to talk to the Council.¡±


    ¡°And I told you, no.¡±


    Kagami looked at the guard and then the gate behind him. There were a lot more guards than usual stationed at the building. Did they also know what had happened at the elevator? Kagami watched as an out of breath clerk rushed out of the building and handed a piece of paper the Captain of the guards.


    If Kagami had to guess, they probably knew, but he still wanted to talk to Walnut.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Councilman¡¯s roommate, I need to speak to him.¡±


    The guard tapped the cleaver¡¯s handle playfully. ¡°I was told that no one is allowed inside. Only out. Anyone that tries to come in will be killed by me.¡±


    He knew he could defeat the man in front of him, but he lacked the power to bulldoze his way through like he had done in his previous world.


    Kagami didn¡¯t like it, but he decided to give up and wait for Walnut at home.


    Behind him, he heard the guard mock him in a loud voice, but Kagami didn¡¯t care what the murderer was saying. He took the lift down to the Third Ring, and walked back to his home.


    He stopped when he noticed a familiar figure in one of the narrow alleyways. Kagami regarded the woman with wings and entered the alleyway. He turned the corner, and the winged woman sat on an old wooden chair that had been abandoned.


    ¡°Aria, right?¡± There were no signs of Yoru or Kenichi. ¡°Did you get lost? Do you want me to lead you back to where you¡¯re staying?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Kagami. I was waiting here for you.¡±


    Kagami narrowed his eyes looking at her suspiciously.


    ¡°You could talk?¡±


    ¡°And more.¡±


    She leapt off the chair with the grace of a swan, landing just an inch away from his face. A smile formed and a crack formed on her dry lips, blood dripping from the crack. Her face showed her exhaustion, but her purple eyes showed energy behind it.


    ¡°I am Aria. A Priestess of the Moon Goddess.¡± She bowed. ¡°I have been waiting for this moment to speak to you. I have waited a long time.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Aria kept her tired smile on her face.


    ¡°You asked if I could talk, it¡¯s true I can talk now, but I couldn¡¯t speak to you before. I¡¯m able project myself into the future. I¡¯m able to move to different points, and see how outcomes could change based on the actions people take. It¡¯s a bit overwhelming, but because of that, the present me is usually viewed as insane.¡± She giggled to herself. ¡°It takes a lot out of me.¡±


    ¡°That does sound like it takes a lot of effort.¡± Kagami collapsed on the floor, cross legged and laid his hand against his chin as a pedestal for his head. He gave her his undivided attention. ¡°It must be important if you were willing to come back to the present to speak to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a request. I wish for you to help my companions. I¡¯ve looked through the future where we fight the Warden. We all die. I haven¡¯t seen one where we win.¡±


    ¡°Then you can see why I warned you guys not to go down there.¡±


    She gave him the look of a mother telling her child bad news. ¡°No matter what, we¡¯ll be dragged in. The Harvest is going to begin soon anyways. But with you there, I think there may be chance?¡±


    Kagami straightened his back at that, and looked up at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying we defeat the Warden if I¡¯m involved?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said.


    ¡°So, we lose?¡± Kagami asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    The man in the prince¡¯s body frowned. He cocked his head at her unsure what that meant. She found his stare amusing and chuckled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see.¡±


    ¡°But you just said you could see the future.¡±


    ¡°I can, but I can¡¯t see it when you¡¯re involved. It¡¯s like you¡¯re not even part of the fabric of Fate. Any moment that involves you feels like static to me. It¡¯s actually scary, but it means that nothing is predictable.¡± She smiled. ¡°That¡¯s why I believe you when you say you aren¡¯t from this world.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± Kagami pointed to himself. ¡°Does that mean I¡¯m somehow special?¡±


    ¡°I suppose it does.¡± She giggled, then afterwards those purple eyes turned serious. ¡°It is why I have to ask you again. Help my friends navigate to the root. To where the Seal lies. If you do that, they will surely lead you out of here.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 21 - Goodbye

    The sunroot dimmed, a sign that it was night time above ground. Unlike the surface, there were no moons to light up the path, so the city would use lanterns filled with firefly sprouts that would light the path home. People would either go to the tavern to drink or be walking home at this time. Kagami was the same, carrying Aria on his back.


    A few minutes of walking, Kagami could hear the sound of music wafting from a nearby tavern. A drunken man stepped of the tavern, taking a few steps outside before he lost his balance and slumped on the wall. Aria giggled in his ear.


    ¡°His liver is made of iron.¡± She muttered.


    That was the only coherent thing he had heard from her since after their talk. Everything that came out of her mouth was incoherent gibberish, the result, she had told him, was from diving deep into the future to see all possible paths. Kagami stopped in the middle of the road when he saw a woman with wolf ears spot him in the distance. No doubt, she looked at him with as much disgust as the drool that was spreading on his shoulder.


    But she spotted the woman on his back and hurried to him with the ferocity and intent to kill as a wolf did to its prey. Kagami adjusted Aria as he stood in place, waiting for the woman with his wife¡¯s face to come and try to kill him.


    Wouldn¡¯t be the first time his wife had tried to kill him anyways.


    She did try to kill him. When she got close enough, she pounced. Her claw ripped through the air, aimed at his neck. Kagami stepped aside, letting the claw cut the air. She landed on all four, skidding on the cobblestone and righting herself to face him.


    Behind Kagami, he heard heavy footsteps and even heavier breathing. The bear ran past him and stopped between them, bending forward to catch his breath for a minute before straightening. Sweat dripped from his face, as he looked held a hand at Yoru.


    ¡°Stop!¡± He said. ¡°I thought we spoke about this. We-¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I still want to kill him.¡±


    The wolf glared at him. Kagami could feel her bloodlust leak from her. If it was anyone else, Kagami believed they would faint. Kagami returned her a grin a grin to her, which pissed her off even more.


    ¡°Here you go.¡± Kagami pushed Aria into Kenichi¡¯s arms. Kenichi yelled a protest that fell against deaf ear. Kagami didn¡¯t care what he wanted to say, because that would ruin the fun here. He cracked his fists. ¡°I actually feel pretty good right now. I just fought an elf.¡±


    ¡°Elves don¡¯t exist.¡± She barked harshly. Her arm hung limp right next to her, her hand formed a claw that would no doubt rip his throat out if he weren¡¯t careful.


    A smile spread across his face. His heart thumped in anticipation of their clash. Kagami pushed his left foot forward and held his hand out. This time, he would beat this wolf down.


    ¡°You want this don¡¯t you?¡± Kagami asked her. ¡°You want to kill me. That¡¯s fine. Because this is good training for what¡¯s to come.¡±


    Disgust etched across her face.


    ¡°I hate you.¡±


    Just as he was about to close the distance, he was grabbed by the head. The bear¡¯s eyes glowed a dangerous red.


    ¡°I said.¡± And he was thrown aside. ¡°Stop! You battle junkies!¡±


    Kagami righted himself, landing on a tavern¡¯s wall, before placing his feet down on the ground. It made a loud thud and the drunken music that flowed out of the tavern stopped for just a moment, before it resumed.


    The bear was turning to the two, bared his teeth. A warning that the two of them stop their antics. Kagami gave a hearty laugh and leaned against the wall.


    ¡°You want to stop me that much? That¡¯s fine. I actually had something else I needed to give you anyways.¡± Kagami walked over to him and handed him a letter.


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    ¡°What is this?¡± He asked as his eyes bulged at the handwriting on the front of the letter. The front only had the name of person who was supposed to read it. The bear looked up at Kagami. ¡°Is this-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she wrote it.¡± Kagami nodded to the woman blubbering at his feet.


    His eyes went wide, and he slowly turned back to Aria and then at the letter. He carefully opened the letter, handling its contents as if it were holy scripture. He unfolded it.


    #


    Thirty minutes ago in that alleyway.


    ¡°Yoru hates me you know. She won¡¯t work with me. I¡¯m pretty sure if met her again, she¡¯d try to kill me.¡± Kagami told the still smiling winged woman. With the light dimming behind her, she kind of looked like an angel that had descended.


    Aria smiled at him. She produced a letter from somewhere on her and handed it to Kagami.


    ¡°Give that to Kenichi. If you do that, then she will work with you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kagami rose an eyebrow at that. ¡°Kenichi? How would that stop her from trying to kill me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to trust me on this. If you give this to him, Yoru won¡¯t attack you. If you give this to Yoru, however, she will attack you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Kagami rubbed his chin. ¡°I could always use the workout I suppose.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I have to say this, but do not give this to Yoru.¡± She held up a finger. ¡°If you listen to me like a good boy, I can tell you a nice piece of information.¡±


    She said it.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been since he breathed, but when he did, it was like his heart had been stung by thousands of needles.


    ¡°Is what you¡¯re saying true?¡± His voice cracked.


    She had him, a smile formed on those cracked lips and her tired eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, and then I will tell you. But you also have to promise not to read this letter.¡±


    #


    Kagami had returned back to his house, sitting on the ground, leaning forward against his bent knee. The flames of the fireplace reflected upon his eyes, as he watched it pop and snap. When he gave that letter to Kenichi, the man looked at him with renewed purpose.


    ¡°You will lead us to the Warden. You know the way right?¡±


    Yoru had voiced her protest, but the bear wasn¡¯t having it. He roared at her, and she stopped in sheer surprise. He turned back to him.


    ¡°No matter what, you will lead us to the Warden.¡±


    They left after that.


    The fireplace cracked and a giant¡¯s shadow overlapped him. Kagami turned to see Walnut, his eyes red and tired. His beard shaggy and disheveled.


    ¡°You¡¯re here. Good.¡± He sat down in the chair next to his, and leaned forward. ¡°You need to leave tonight.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You need to leave.¡± Walnut repeated himself. ¡°The Warden plans to use you for the Harvest. You need to get out of here now.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    The light from the fire painted an orange glow on Walnut¡¯s face. His eyes were wide and his lips parted as he stared at Kagami in disbelief.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking Yoru and her group to the Warden.¡± Kagami continued. ¡°I¡¯ve struck a deal with them.¡±


    ¡°You struck a deal?¡± Walnut repeated as if he tried to understand. He stood up from his seat and towered over Kagami. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? If you go down there you¡¯ll die. You might not believe that, because of your ability but you will die for real if you go down there. You need to get out of here now.¡±


    Kagami slapped his hand as he tried to reach him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. One of them can see the future. She told me, if I help them, she would tell me where my wife is,¡± he explained to him.


    ¡°Wife?¡± His face blank crumbled into something furious. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it, you delusional fuck? You have no wife! But I can see it in those eyes. If you won¡¯t go willingly, than I¡¯ll force you to-¡±


    Kagami¡¯s fist wedged into the bandit¡¯s gut. Walnut¡¯s jaw opened up, and fell to his knees, holding his gut. He glared at Kagami.


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    Kagami hit him again, this time in the temple. Walnut slammed on the floor, his head bounced off once from the ground, before hitting the floor again.


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you looked after me,¡± he spoke truly. ¡°But I need to go. If I know where she¡¯ll be, then I have to do this.¡±


    He turned to leave. His ankle was grabbed. Walnut was still conscious, but the damage had done its job. The grip on his ankle was weak. It was only a matter of time before he fell unconscious.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you leave.¡± He flopped his head up to meet Kagami¡¯s gaze. ¡°If you go, everything I¡¯ve done is for naught. The Warden has an elf working under him. He will-¡±


    ¡°He?¡± The one he fought was a woman. That meant there was at least two, but there were probably more than two.


    Walnut seemed to have picked up on it. His face mixed with surprise and pain.


    ¡°You met one didn¡¯t you? Then you should know that it¡¯s futile.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is futile.¡± Kagami returned back.


    ¡°Stop being stubborn. You-¡±


    The bandit¡¯s eyes rolled up and he fell unconscious. Despite that, his hand did not let go of his ankle. Kagami kicked his grip aside and looked over the man that had housed him for over a year.


    He bowed to the bandit, full of gratitude for everything that he had done for him. He wanted to repay the kindness somehow, but knew that was impossible. The best he could do was this.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The door creaked open. Heavy footsteps on the stone ground. Kagami leaned his head to the hallway to see the bear. He rose a hand to greet him.


    ¡°The letter instructed me to pick you up around this time. Am I late?¡±


    ¡°No. I was about to leave.¡±


    Kagami rounded up the essentials in his bag, and then he left the place he called home for a year, knowing that he would never return here anymore.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 22 - A Betrayal with Stew

    After getting everything he needed, they stepped outside of the place he called home for a year. It was strange to think about, because he had intended to get out of here sooner than that. Despite those days that he enjoyed, he knew that there would be a goodbye.


    His true home was wherever his wife was and he had been promised information that of her location in this world.


    Yoru stood at the bottom of the front porch. She glared silently at Kagami, her killing intent sheathed, for now. In the short time span he knew Yoru, he knew her desire to kill him was real. The owner of this body had caused a lot of harm.


    But it wasn¡¯t his to fix.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised.¡± He looked over to the bear. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would be able to convince her.¡±


    ¡°She is usually understanding.¡± Kenichi told him. He stared at him. ¡°For you, she¡¯s not. Just be aware of that.¡±


    He thought about it for a moment, and nodded.


    ¡°Good. Then, I assume you can lead us to where the Warden¡¯s Den is?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Kagami rolled his shoulder, positioning the straps of the knapsack for better comfort. The pot and pans tied to the outside, clanged against each other like a bell. He walked past the three. Kenichi scooped Aria up and carried her like a princess and they soon followed behind him.


    #


    The route to the Warden was actually very easy to get to. It was a simple fork in the tunnel that went down, one where someone may accidentally take the wrong turn and end up. Kagami was sure that was the case, because anyone who went down there never returned.


    Well, except him, apparently.


    Kagami explained this to them as they journeyed down the tunnel.


    ¡°No one returns. How ominous.¡± Yoru said in a derisive tone.


    Kagami peered over his shoulder to look at her for a moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re still not strong enough to fight him. That man is a true monster. I think I might even have trouble if I were in my old body.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    All he had to do was listen to her tone to know that she didn¡¯t believe him. He took a glance to his right, looking at Aria. He wondered if the future she saw would even come to pass. He couldn¡¯t imagine any of them beating the Warden now, but if they were able to, how would that work?


    What combination of events would allow them to?


    ¡°That reminds me. I¡¯m sure you heard but Walnut spoke to me about an event called the Ha-¡±


    ¡°AH!¡± Kenichi suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs, he pointed to the darkness in their path. ¡°I think I saw a spider.¡± He looked over to Yoru. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know I should go, but might I ask you to go instead?¡±


    She looked at him weird.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I can do-¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He cut him off. ¡°Can¡¯t have anything happen to you for now.¡±


    Kagami pursed his lips. Did this man not remember he couldn¡¯t die?


    ¡°I can¡¯t die, it¡¯s not like anything can even happen to me. Worst case, I revive. Both of you¡­¡±


    He trailed off as he watched Yoru walk past the two of them and into the darkness.


    Kenichi watched her go, before he pulled him over to a place a paces back. He pulled out that letter Aria had written, and then placed his finger to his lips. For reasons he didn¡¯t know, the Bear did not want Kagami to talk about the Harvest. He wasn¡¯t sure why Aria would ban any mention of the Harvest, but even if he didn¡¯t really trust her abilities, he was interested in any information where Asa may be.


    He gave a nod to show that he understood, and they walked back where they had left Yoru. Yoru returned a few minutes later, her hands dripping with black blood from spiders.


    ¡°There were several.¡± She reported.


    They continued their descent down the tunnel. Little firefly sprouts adorned the wall, lighting their way. Kagami closed the top of his lantern. Without air, the firefly bud wilted to a state of hibernation until the top was opened once more.


    ¡°We¡¯re near the entrance of the next floor. I just want to warn you guys, but it¡¯s not just rocky tunnels and open spaces. The further we go down, the stranger it gets. The next floor will have some plants sprouting here and there, but it eventually becomes a forest teeming with monsters.¡±


    ¡°What kind of monsters?¡± Kenichi asked.


    Kagami folded his arm, giving it a thought. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure how ecosystem works in this world, but I would say that anything you can imagine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not much to go on.¡± Kenichi demurred.


    ¡°It¡¯s enough,¡± Kagami said. ¡°Just pretend that it¡¯s the worst thing possible. You¡¯ll probably find it down there.¡±


    The bear gave him a skeptical look. Kagami returned a smile at him. It wasn¡¯t a matter of whether he would believe him or not, it was when he would. When they descended further, he would see.


    #


    In a deep trance, the Warden felt his senses expand. The wires made from his Aura reached the very end of the Wishing Well. He could feel every lifeform: from creatures to plants. One of his wires were tripped and it brought his attention towards the entrance.


    The final four had entered his territory.


    That was good. He expected them to come. Walnut had done his job well. He moved his focus to each floor, every one of them expect for his were dead. The Seal had sucked much of the Aura, but that also made his floor vibrant with unworldly flora and fauna the colorfully painted his view.


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    He sent his intentions through the thread, reaching his nearest Sapling. Oberon would go retrieve the four.


    #


    ¡°This is strange.¡± Kagami voiced his concern. ¡°This wasn¡¯t like this last time I was here.¡±


    Yoru was wiping her blade free of the black blood of their most recent spider. She had yet to summon that black blade. Her face had some splatter as well. Kenichi pointed it out, and wiped her face free of it with a cloth her produced.


    She then whispered something in his ear and he nodded.


    Kenichi turned around.


    ¡°What do you mean by strange?¡±


    ¡°Everything is dead. It wasn¡¯t like this before. There were trees that sprouted here. Ones that glowed.¡±


    The scatter of trees that should be in this area were all dead, wilted and dry. The branch Kagami grabbed, snapped like a pretzel. There were no monsters from last time he was down here. They ran into spiders, but less than he would have expected.


    ¡°Must be the Seal.¡±


    That perked Kagami up.


    ¡°Seal?¡±


    She gave him a look that told him to mind his own business. Kenichi looked at him apologetically, before he clapped his hands to grab both of their attention.


    ¡°I think we should rest here.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Yoru looked at Aria. ¡°We really can¡¯t go a little further? She¡¯s not giving you any trouble is she?¡±


    Aria¡¯s eyes were wide open, and unblinking. Whatever she stared at there was a slight smile sprawled on her face, as if she were witnessing heaven itself.


    ¡°She¡¯s not.¡± Kenichi said. ¡°But I¡¯d rather we get some rest. It¡¯s been a couple of hours. We need to know our limit.¡±


    ¡°I agree with him.¡± Kagami pulled off his knapsack, unhooking the pot from it.


    ¡°No one asked you.¡± She snapped at him.


    ¡°No one needs to ask me. You need me right? I need a break too. You¡¯re more than welcome to go on without me if you want.¡± Kagami tapped the pot on his shoulder, glancing at the two of them. ¡°I¡¯m getting hungry. There¡¯s a stream around here, so I¡¯m going to get some water. If the two of you are still here by the time I get back, I¡¯ll make some dinner.¡±


    #


    Yoru and Kenichi watched the back of the prince as he vanished past a couple of spiral trees. They looked as if somebody had sucked the water from them. Once she could no longer hear him, she turned to Kenichi, giving him a reproachful stare.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been patient.¡±


    Kenichi gave her a doubtful gaze.


    ¡°But you still haven¡¯t told me anything about that letter Aria gave you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you anything, you know. The letter was very specific. You knowing it, would change the direction of the future she wants us to go in.¡±


    ¡°And you believe it was written by her?¡± She said. ¡°That he didn¡¯t forge that letter to move us like puppets?¡±


    Kenichi leaned in, she could smell chicken from yesterday in his breath.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve known her since she was just a child.¡± He looked over at her. She was still staring at the ceiling, unblinking. Yoru thought if a bug landed on her eye, she would still not blink. ¡°She had¡­come back. For us. To give us a chance.¡±


    Yoru was still doubtful of that. This was Cedar they were talking about. There was a reason why they needed to be weary. The Prince was a skilled actor. His tongue might as well be made of sweet venom.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust any of this,¡± she finally said. ¡°It stinks.¡±


    ¡°At least trust me. I would never hurt you,¡± he said.


    She closed her eyes.


    ¡°That, I trust.¡±


    #


    The stream still had been in the same place. Water was still good, but there was less flowing there. It was drying out just like the rest of this place.


    He came back to a lit campfire, kindled by Yoru. The wolf shot him a hated glare as he came back. He put the pot of water next to his feet and sat down next to his knapsack, pulling out a cutting board and a wrapped kitchen knife.


    Since there wasn¡¯t any vegetables he could use in the area, Kagami took out some of his own. He started cut the miner¡¯s carrot, a blackened carrot that looked like coal, in big but biteable chunks, putting it in the pot. He did the same with the potato. He tore jerky into pieces and added it in.


    As the stew started to come together, a pleasant smell wafted in the air. Yoru watched him.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m cooking.¡± Kagami answered her. He looked up from his cutting board.


    ¡°You can cook?¡± Her face struck in shock.


    ¡°Of course I can. Didn¡¯t you eat the breakfast I made when you came over?¡± Kagami sampled the soup using a small sauce plate. ¡°I ran a restaurant. Despite how I looked even back then, it was a place I was proud of.¡±


    A smile touched his lips as he thought nostalgically about it. He wondered if his restaurant was still open. The last time he had been there, there was that kid that claimed he had been cursed. Kagami had promised to help him out, but he never did have the chance to do that.


    It was regretful.


    So many things that were undone.


    The way Yoru looked at him suspiciously with those black eyes of hers. Kagami chuckled mentally at this display. Though they had different personalities, the way she looked at him reminded of Asa. She had been an assassin that tried to kill him, but there was one time she had given him that look.


    It was the time he had cooked a meal like this too.


    The fireplace was like a beacon of light in the forest of darkness and death. The flames crackled and popped, a trail of steam floated from the open pot, as the brown stew bubbled slowly.


    Kagami put her portion in a wooden bowl, and handed it to her.


    ¡°Here,¡± he said. ¡°Take it.¡±


    Of course, she regarded the bowl of stew with absolute suspicion. Kagami waited, holding out the bowl in his outstretched hand, but she never took it.


    Kagami sighed, taking a bite.


    ¡°See.¡± He tried again. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in here.¡±


    She didn¡¯t take it though, she glared at it with disgust. As if he were handing her a bowl of waste.


    Kagami looked to where Kenichi had been. At some point when he was cooking, he had left somewhere. Aria was still in the same spot, staring at the ceiling. The only difference from before was her hand outstretched, as if reaching out for a hand.


    ¡°Do you know where your friend went?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    Kagami took another spoonful of stew. It was really good. There was no sadder meal than one where you eat alone with other people.


    Kenichi came back, stepping into the light of the fire. He nodded to him in greeting, scratching his cheek with his right hand.


    ¡°I had to water some flowers.¡± He told him before taking a peak at the stew. ¡°That smells delicious. May I have a bowl?¡±


    He scooped some out with the ladle, taking a big serving that threatened to overflow from the wooden bowl¡¯s edge. He took a bite and his mouth curled into a smile.


    ¡°Mmmm, that¡¯s good.¡±


    He felt a warmth spread in his chest as he watched Kenichi¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you learn how to cook like this? I wouldn¡¯t have thought a prince could cook like this.¡±


    ¡°I ran a restaurant.¡± He told him. ¡°From my past life.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I see.¡± He took another bite. Silence was heavy, and Kenichi looked over to Yoru in an attempt to break it. ¡°Have you tried this, Yoru? It¡¯s really good.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Her tone was harsh, but her stomach outed her. Her stomach growled, and her face turned a shade pinker.


    Kenichi gave a chuckle and then served her.


    ¡°I can attest there¡¯s poison here.¡± He handed it to her. ¡°Please take it.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± She swiped it. She looked at Kagami. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you and I¡¯m only eating it because I trust him.¡± She nodded to Kenichi.


    It only took one bite for Kagami to see her face twist in happiness. Her black and fluffy tail swished side to side. Kagami laughed and she glared at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not honest are you?¡± Kagami wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.


    Kenichi held up his hand. ¡°Here let me top you off.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to serve all of us. I should be doing that. I made the food,¡± Kagami told him, but he still handed his bowl over to Kenichi.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done enough.¡± He scooped some in Kagami¡¯s half empty bowl. ¡°I thank you for everything.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished my job yet. But if all the floors are like this, then it will be easy to traverse down.¡± Kagami took the bowl, and immediately taking bite. He smacked his lips, and then licked it. ¡°Did I not mix the seasonings well enough?¡±


    That last bite tasted a bit odd.


    As if on cue, Yoru suddenly collapsed, her bowl clacked on the ground, and its contents spilled.


    Kagami stared at her for a moment, trying to understand. And something had hit at that moment too. He felt drowsy, and looked down at his bowl and then at Kenichi, realizing that the man somehow spiked the stew with something.


    ¡°You-¡± Kagami tried to stand and fell on his stomach. His vision was being eaten at the edge.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The bear¡¯s voice sounded far. ¡°I want you to know, that this was written in the letter.¡±


    Behind the bear another figure came into view. Kagami couldn¡¯t make out the face, but he did see their ears. They were pointed like the elf he had ran into.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 23 - A Bargain with the Elf

    Kenichi came to an open area, encircled by dead trees that twisted and turned as if they were in agony. He waited for a moment, remembering what the letter had said.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re out there.¡± Kenichi yelled out to the darkness beyond the ring of trees.


    A cold silence filled the air, one that felt like the temperature dropped. Kenichi stood there, feeling a pang of regret inside of him. In this ring of trees, he felt like he summoned death itself.


    Death stepped into the ring, it was an elf. His hair was golden and tied into a ponytail. His emerald eyes were sharp and gazed upon Kenichi, taking note of him. He was wearing a white silk cloak adorned with several patterns of sun.


    ¡°How did you know I was out here?¡± He wasn¡¯t asking, he was demanding. Even without opening his Gate, Kenichi could feel his murderous aura. Just one wrong answer and he would die.


    The letter that Aria had given him had detailed this interaction, on what needed to be said and what he would ask.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your enemy. I wish to bargain.¡±


    ¡°Bargain?¡± The elf cocked his head, his elegant lips twisted in a malicious smile. ¡°What is there to bargain for? Your life? That is forfeit.¡±


    Kenichi shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not here to bargain for my life. I¡¯m here to bargain for another life, and position I will be placed when the Harvest starts.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I see. Looking from that attire and the necklace you¡¯re wearing, you¡¯re from the Moon Cult.¡±


    Anger rushed up his face. ¡°We¡¯re not a cult.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what a cultist would say.¡± The elf sneered. ¡°So, you wish to bargain for another¡¯s life? That won¡¯t do at all. We need every single one of you. Why shouldn¡¯t I just take you here, right now?¡±


    On cue, Kenichi handed him a letter that Aria had written. In that envelope that Kagami had given him, there were two letters. One addressed to him. The other addressed to Oberon.


    Reading the curved and elegant name on the letter, the elf gave him a hard glare.


    ¡°How do you know my name?¡± A dangerous tone escaped from his mouth.


    ¡°You will only understand if you read the letter.¡±


    The elf looked at the letter with suspicion, peeling open the letter with careful intentions as if the letter itself may explode. He unfolded the letter. His eyes progressively widened as he reached the end of the letter. When he was finished reading it, he gazed up from the letter to Kenichi.


    ¡°Is everything on here true?¡±


    ¡°It is a prophecy. It has the potential to become true, but-¡±


    ¡°Only if I follow each step perfectly.¡± The letter hung at his side, clamped between his index finger and thumb, as he muled at the potential of what was written there. ¡°I remember hearing that the Moon Cult had a woman was an interesting ability. She could find a future she desired and following the steps she would achieve it. Am I to take that this is from her?¡±


    Kenichi knew from his letter what to do. He had to push him a little further.


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    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± He nodded.


    He leaned in, a professional smile. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Why would you hand something this important to us?¡±


    Kenichi held a finger to his lips. The elf understood what he meant, and snickered.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The Warden¡¯s senses extend far and wide. No matter what we do, he will know of this. I¡¯m sure he already knows now. So, come and out and say it. Why should I believe you?¡±


    ¡°Given to me, was a letter, that told me how to obtain the future I desire. To destroy the Seal.¡± Kenichi revealed. ¡°Both events on the letters are junction points. Depending on how it is handled will decide the future.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Oberon gave the letter another look at. He looked over at him. ¡°Then, you should hand me the other letter then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already destroyed it.¡± Kenichi told him. ¡°I didn¡¯t need to grant you that letter.¡±


    ¡°No. You did.¡± Oberon smiled. ¡°It¡¯s part of it isn¡¯t it? The grand design. To allow Fate to flow in your direction. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to ignore this?¡± He waved the letter in his hand.


    Kenichi closed his eyes in resolve. ¡°Do what you want. It matters not what you do. I have already casted my stone. It is time to do yours.¡±


    Oberon¡¯s smile faded. He voiced his annoyance.


    ¡°Your quite strong willed. You¡¯re not so shaken easily. As expected of a Guardian of the Moon. That¡¯s fine. What do you say, boss? What do you make of this?¡± Oberon asked the man in charge of this spider¡¯s web.


    A long silence followed. It made Kenichi wonder what was being said, but he even without opening his gate, he could feel, beyond his closed eyes, a conversation was being had. One that did not involve him. It was no different than waiting in a lobby for the news that would affect all of this.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    To that, Kenichi opened his eyes. The elf looked displeased, and tossed him a vial.


    ¡°Seems my Master is interseted but in order for this deal to be struck, you must knock out your friends.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not my friends.¡± Kenichi caught the corked vial. It was filled with a clear liquid.


    ¡°Ha! How cold of you. As expected of someone from the Moon Cult.¡±


    #


    Kenichi watched as each one of them ate the stew. He had dipped his thumb in the vial and plunged his thumb into the stew as he handed each of them a bowl of the stew.


    And he watched each one of them fall to its effect.


    Yoru gazed with smoldering hatred at Cedar, not knowing it was him. Cedar though, knew who¡¯s fault it was. He stared up at him in disbelief, doing his best to fight off the effects of the drug. He struggled to do it, but in his own way achieved it.


    He managed to stand up on his two feet, breathing hard, his legs wiggling, threatening to crumble at even the slightest breeze.


    Oberon stepped into the clearing, whistling at the prince.


    ¡°To fight the effects of the moonshade, that is quite an achievement. But it is time for you to sleep.¡±


    Oberon blurred, reappearing in front of Cedar. He punched the prince in the gut. Cedar gasped in pain, but he stayed awake. A weak smile spread across his face. The elf widened his eyes, unaware of the prince grabbing the elf¡¯s arm.


    ¡°My turn.¡± He managed to say.


    Cedar slammed his fist at the elf. The impact sounded like a cannon exploding. Yet, it was Cedar who pulled back. His fingers bent in the wrong angle. Kenichi could see the man was in great pain, but the prince swallowed his scream.


    Blood dripped dripped between the two, as if there was an invisible wall between them. Oberon cocked an eyebrow and nodded at Cedar.


    ¡°Impressive.¡± He lifted his hand.


    Cedar gasped, he held his throat, and his face turned blue. Oberon turned to Kenichi.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to test if what your letter say is true. That the prince here is immortal and will revive once I kill him. If he stays dead, then the deal is off.¡±


    Kenichi nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Blood dripped from Cedar¡¯s red eyes as he gasped for breath. He smashed his fist, hitting an invisible barrier. The elf chuckled at his futile attempts.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to break my barrier.¡±


    Cedar kept on punching, each successful one weaker than the last, until he slumped on the ground, finally dead.


    ¡°So.¡± Oberon turned to him with a smile. ¡°Truly, how does it feel like to betray your friends?¡±


    Like swallowing a vial of poison. Kenichi wouldn¡¯t say that though. He held faith in Aria¡¯s future, and that was enough to form an antidote.


    ¡°Just fine.¡± Kenichi said as easily as he breathed.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 24 - The Black Sun

    All that needs to be done is to watch over him. Make sure that no harm comes to him, until we can come back and take him. If you can do that, I promise we will find your precious son for you.


    Walnut woke from an unpleasant dream to an even more unpleasant situation. Two hooded figures in a white cloak stood over him as if they were the arbiters of death.


    He could see the man¡¯s face, but the woman¡¯s face was covered with a mask adorned with a sun. The man wore no mask.


    ¡°Look at that. Just as we walked in too. Good morning, mister bandit.¡± The man knelt down. ¡°Could you please tell us where Prince Cedar Oswell is?¡±


    Walnut blinked, his mind was still hazy from waking up. He felt pangs of pain from where he had been punched by that boy, but his mind became clear as he spotted the symbol of a sun painted in dark black worn around the young man¡¯s neck.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Black Sun aren¡¯t you?¡± Walnut started to put two and two together. ¡°You were the ones that came down the elevator, and killed all those men?¡±


    The man snickered, pulling off his head. Walnut stopped breathing for a moment. The man had an angelic face with a smile filled with malicious intent. He had light brown wavy hair, and a beauty mark under his left eye. But it was those glowing orange eyes of his, that made Walnut feel that there was something unnatural about him.


    ¡°Why, yes. Yes, there were a couple of men that I killed when we reached down here. Wouldn¡¯t you say, Miss Saint?¡± He turned over to his companion, the woman.


    The woman did not respond back. It was clear to Walnut that these two did not have the warmest of relationships. The man chuckled, shaking his head. He still had that angelic smile on him, but his eyes went cold.


    Then, without even a warning, the man stabbed Walnut¡¯s hand.


    Walnut opened his mouth to scream, but the young man slapped him with his backhand.


    ¡°Fucking woman. Never listening to me. This is the problem with them. They think they¡¯re better than us.¡± A nasty voice slithered out of the man¡¯s mouth. He leaned on the knife, and Walnut grimaced. ¡°You never answered my question, bandit. Where is the prince? We know he lives here.¡±


    ¡°H-he left.¡± Walnut said. His mouth tasted of blood.


    ¡°Where?¡± The man leveled his gaze.


    Walnut eyed the man.


    ¡°How do I know you will let me live if I tell you?¡±


    The man chuckled, holding his hand to his heart.


    ¡°I swear under the Sun, if you tell me now, no more harm will come to you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Your word might as well be a pile of shit,¡± Walnut turned his gaze upon the woman who was leaning against the wall. ¡°But I feel like I can trust you. If I tell you where, will you let me live?¡±


    As the woman regarded him, the man spoke up.


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    ¡°Why can¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± Walnut dared to look into those pits he called eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve known your kind. I see them every day I¡¯m down here. You don¡¯t keep your promises.¡±


    The man snorted. ¡°Come on? Of course I¡¯m trustworthy. I was chosen by the Goddess herself to be her chosen champion. I am the epitome of goodness.¡±


    But Walnut kept his eyes on the woman. He waited for her to answer.


    She held up her hand, and placed her other to her chest. ¡°I promise, for the information you give us about Cedar Oswell, I will make sure no harm comes to you from us.¡±


    That was enough. Walnut nodded and looked at the two of them.


    ¡°The Prince. Cedar. He decided he had enough down here. He went to face the Warden. My guess is, he will be caught if he hasn¡¯t already, and will take part of the Harvest.¡±


    ¡°Harvest?¡±


    He was a bit surprised that an assassin from the Black Sun wouldn¡¯t know about the Harvest, but he explained it anyways.


    ¡°It¡¯s a ritual to strengthen the Seal.¡±


    ¡°Ah, now that you mention it, that shitty Priestess did mention something like that. Well, thank you for telling us all of this. Now please die-¡±


    The woman pressed the flat of her blade on the man¡¯s shoulder. His face was reflected upon it.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± His voice strained with anger.


    ¡°He answered the questions, let him go, Bell.¡±


    ¡°He is a criminal. Who cares if we kill someone as impure as him. The Goddess has granted me the Authority to do what must be done.¡±


    ¡°Enough Bell!¡±


    Bell¡¯s face twisted into that of a demon¡¯s.


    ¡°This is what I mean.¡± He spoke to Walnut. ¡°Why can¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m doing is justice? You heard the stories of this man? He deserves to die.¡±


    ¡°I gave him my word, Bell. If you try anything, I will kill you.¡±


    ¡°You would dare kill the chosen champion of the Goddess? You cannot dare match me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t scare me, Bell,¡±


    Something in the air shook. It wasn¡¯t cold, but Walnut shook anyways. It was a fear that he had not felt before, but he knew instinctively that whatever was happening to him, came from the woman with the drawn sword.


    Bell closed his eyes and held up both of his hands.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I surrender. You can¡¯t even laugh at my joke. I was never going to kill him.¡± The man smiled. ¡°Everyone under the Goddess deserves redemption.¡±


    ¡°Funny, that¡¯s not what happened when we came down here.¡± She whispered.


    Bell smiled.


    ¡°The Goddess guides my blade.¡±


    ¡°Come on then. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Can you put away that sword?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said darkly.


    Bell shook his head and sighed. He looked over at Walnut. ¡°Women? Am I right.¡±


    Walnut didn¡¯t say anything. Bell pulled the dagger from his hand, pain flashed at the back of his head. He wiped the dagger on Walnut¡¯s shoulder, put it back at his waist, before standing carefully and walking out. The woman kept her blade trained at him, walking behind him to make sure that he didn¡¯t try to kill him.


    Before she turned the corner into the hallway, she gave him a nod, and the door opened and closed soon after.


    They were gone. Walnut stood up, his body aching, his hand throbbing. He hobbled over into his room. He gazed longly at his bed, wishing nothing but sleep, but he had work to do. He pulled the bookshelf in the corner of his room aside, it took him a few tries to do it, his hand made his grip slip as blood lubricated it.


    After the third try, he was able to pull his shelf enough where he could push against the wall. The secret door swung open and Walnut almost fell to the floor as he stumbled into the room. He caught the chair with his right hand to catch himself.


    He pulled the chair out, screeching as the legs scrapped the floor and then promptly sat down in the table. A crystal ball sat in front of him, he pulled out a Key from a pouch next to the crystal, chewing on it thoughtlessly. The taste was always quite terrible.


    His Gate creaked open and Aura flowed through him like an old water wheel. He placed his hand on top of the crystal and fed it his Aura. The crystal lit up, humming to life.


    ¡°What is it?¡± A rough voice came from the crystal.


    ¡°We have a problem.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 25 - A Dream and a Deathmatch

    He met his wife on a particular cold night, where snow slowly drifted down from the heavens. He had finished his shift at the restaurant and was walking home, taking in the scene of the shimmering skyline in the distance, and the grey skies.


    He stopped for a moment and looked at the convenience store at the corner of the street. He didn¡¯t have any food in his fridge, and the super market was already closed. After blowing out a few white wisps, he crossed the street only to be struck by a truck.


    Kagami flew in the air like a loosed arrow. He blew through a stone wall intruding on a mother-son moment. In reaction, the mother grabbed her son in a protective embrace. The child held a snowball in his hand and it slipped from his finger, dropping on Kagami¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s cold.¡± Kagami slapped his face, wiping it off. He stood up, brushing the stone and dust off his shoulder. He looked over to the mother who flinched.


    Kagami tried to manage a smile, but that seemed to put her on edge more. Thinking back, it might have been the blood that was dripping from his head. It may have been how big he was, he was at least two heads taller than the average Japanese. Still, he wanted to make sure that he meant no harm to them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your wall.¡± Kagami bowed and then stepped back onto the street.


    The truck that had hit had its headlights on the brightest setting. The engine hummed despite how dented the grill was. The truck turned off, and his wife stepped out of the truck.


    She was a woman with golden hair, and ruby red eyes. She wore a black trench coat, and held onto a white katana as pure as snow. She gave a grin and whistled as Kagami took a couple more steps forward, stopping in front of the truck.


    ¡°Wow. I was told that this might not be enough to kill you. I was wondering why the bounty on you was so high.¡±


    Kagami arched an eyebrow at that.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bounty on me?¡±


    ¡°Of course there is!¡± She smiled, and spoke in a tone as if they were close friends. ¡°After all, you¡¯ve caused so much destruction, you truly made enemies of the wrong people.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± Blood dripped in Kagami¡¯s eye, he used his thumb to wipe it off. ¡°I¡¯d say they made an enemy of me. Didn¡¯t even know there were Yakuza left for me to squash. You said I had a bounty, how high is it?¡±


    She leaned forward in the open truck window. ¡°It¡¯s quite high. They¡¯re spending one hundred million yen to kill you.¡±


    Kagami clicked his tongue.


    She straightened herself.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem happy.¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be more,¡± Kagami bitterly said. ¡°But I thought I destroyed the Yakuza here. Last time I crippled the leader.¡±


    ¡°See, that¡¯s the problem.¡± She pointed at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t kill the leader, and that¡¯s why someone like me is here.¡±


    ¡°And what are you? A bounty hunter?¡±


    His future wife gave him a bold smile. She used her thumb to flick her katana, letting the blade peek from her sheath. It was frighteningly white, for a reason Kagami would know later, brought a shiver down his spine.


    ¡°An assassin.¡±


    #


    Once more he had been revived by whatever power this body contained. Each death to Kagami felt like a mark of shame that etched in his soul. His pride had been shattered many times, with many gruesome deaths. This death had been his first choking to death.


    ¡°It probably isn¡¯t the last time either.¡± Kagami shook his head and blew out a frustrated sigh.


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    The body wasn¡¯t bad. Kagami knew that. He had trained this body quite well. If anything, the body could at least match twenty percent of his previous strength. He¡¯d seen people fight better than him with less strength. But he couldn¡¯t imagine how to do it though. He tried to follow his wife¡¯s movement, but all it led to was dying.


    He sat on the edge of the cliff, his feet dangling in open air, and he gazed upon the vibrant forest that seemed to spread on forever. The colors were vibrant and clashed with each other, feeling ethereal and unreal. He watched as a giant bird surfaced to the top of the trees, only to see a giant worm emerge and chomp on it.


    Kagami recognized this area. It was the bottom floor where the Warden¡¯s house was. The house was in the middle of the floor where the monsters were the most dangerous.


    ¡°Why am I even here?¡± Kagami asked to no one in particular. He rubbed his chin and cocked his head at the thought.


    He had been killed, but dropped here instead of the Warden¡¯s house. He looked over his shoulder. His knapsack was gone, but it had been replaced with a bag full of foodstuff. All its contents were preserved foods, something Kagami confirmed when he dumped the bag a few minutes ago.


    I don¡¯t like it. There were a lot of red flags, and no explanation. When was the other shoe supposed to drop?  Last time he made it to this floor, he was strung up by at least three spiders, and brought to the Warden who turned him into mincemeat and tossed him down the spider¡¯s nest.


    His musings were answered when he felt a prick at the neck and the world turned dark. Kagami stood up, scanning his surroundings.


    A sudden spotlight lit in the center of the dark world. Kagami covered his eyes, taking a moment to adjust to the sudden bright light. Underneath the spotlight was a man that Kagami would never mistake. He was a thin man, with heavy purple bags under his eyes, and messy long teal hair that was lazily tied into a ponytail. The Warden¡¯s tired eyes met with Kagami¡¯s burning eyes.


    ¡°Warden!¡± He yelled as he rushed him. As his fist passed through him. Kagami turned around, and the Warden¡¯s image blinked. Kagami walked back to the Warden and waved his hand through him.


    It was some sort of hologram.


    ¡°Really?¡± Kagami collapsed on the ground, crosslegged. ¡°And here I thought I get to fight him. Hey, can you hear me?¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°Great.¡± Kagami grumbled.


    ¡°It seems all of you are awake now.¡± The Warden spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sure many of you are confused, so allow me to introduce myself. I am the Warden of the Wishing Well. I am the one that brought you here to this place.¡± The Warden spoke in a tired and almost grandfatherly tone, despite how young he looked. ¡°Let me be clear, all of you will fight to the death. You will fight each other, you will fight the beasts that lie in this floor, you will fight until only five are left. If no one is killed within the next six hours, I shall kill one of you at random until there is five. If at least one kill has happened, then I shall kill the person with the lowest kill amounts.¡±


    Kagami straightened his back, his mouth agape.


    A deathmatch?


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure all of you are asking yourself, what is stopping you from not taking part of it.¡± He had the smile of a man that was confident in his plans. With a flick of his fingers, Kagami gasped, feeling his throat squeeze. After a moment, he could breathe properly again. ¡°Around your neck, I have placed threads. I relieve all of you of your heads.


    ¡°You will-¡±


    A deafening ring went off in his ear. He could hear no longer what the Warden was saying. The horror of what the deathmatch would entail rattled around Kagami¡¯s head like a can full of nails.


    If that happened, how many would die?


    Kagami¡¯s feet moved as if they had their own will. He stopped in front of the Warden¡¯s hologram, and held up his fist ready to strike. His brain knew it was futile, but he still wanted to wipe that arrogant smirk from the Warden¡¯s face.


    The Warden turned to him and his neck seized. His fingers raked at his neck, trying to pry the invisible threads that was choking him out. The Warden looked at him, his tired eyes wide and a delighted smile forming.


    ¡°That was close. You almost had me.¡± Kagami had a thought while his brain was being deprived of oxygen, that those words were being directed to him personally. A chuckle from the Warden seemed to prove that. ¡°It seems the reports are true. You truly don¡¯t need the Key because your Gate is wide open.¡±


    Then he returned his gaze to his invisible audience he was addressing.


    ¡°I shall add a new rule! If you kill the Cedar Oswell, yes, the Prince of this fine kingdom, then I shall allow that person to exit this Deathmatch!¡±


    The threads were released. Kagami gasped, the sudden air made him cough and wheeze like a man sucking water after three days in a desert. He rolled himself on his stomach, pushing himself up weakly. The Warden looked at him once more, addressing him directly.


    ¡°I hope you survive. Watching you grow is worth it, Cedar.¡±


    Kagami gripped his hand into a tight fist. Drool dripped from his mouth as he forced himself to speak from his damaged throat.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you. You should visit me again at my house before you act so high and mighty.¡±


    The darkness was sucked away, leaving Kagami back where he had been. On his belly, his fingers touching the cliff¡¯s edge.


    The wind blew drowning out his whisper.


    I¡¯ll kill you.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 26 - Prey

    There was only one action Kagami could take after declaring his intent to kill the Warden, he made his way towards the center of the floor where the Warden¡¯s residence laid. It took Kagami a few minutes from the cliff to get the lay of the land and find the Warden¡¯s house, but when he did, he did.


    The sooner he got there, the sooner this death match would come to an end. Having fifty people fight each other in this environment would only invite chaos.


    Walking through the forest, Kagami failed to realize how valuable the bounty on his head would be. Before he was attacked by those after his bounty, he was first attacked by a treant.


    He had been walking down the cliff, sweat dripping down his face. He wiped it with his sleeve and viewed the progress he had made. The forest spread like an ocean, and Kagami squinted. In the distance, he was sure he could see a plume of smoke and the chimney it came from.


    If he had to guess, it would take him at least half a day to get there. His assessment changed when he saw a tree in the distance fell.


    IF he was lucky, he would get there in half a day. There were fifty people fighting each other to the death. The chances he didn¡¯t run into wasn¡¯t great.


    As Kagami mulled over this, he felt the earth tremor and a snap of a trunk. He turned to see a massive tree like monster, shoving a tree its size aside like a toothpick. Its glowing red eyes spotted him and a much more malicious smile twisted in its lipless mouth. Dangling around it was a necklace made from human heads, the image of their last moments painted on their faces.


    The monster pointed its long, claw like finger at Kagami, then tapped at an empty spot in his necklace.


    ¡°Yes. What a beautiful face you have. You will make a fine addition to my necklace.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Sweat dripped down his chin. ¡°A tree monster?¡± He looked to his fist. Could he break the tree monster with his small fists?


    The tree monster looked offended by his description. ¡°I AM NOT A TREE MONSTER! I AM PROUD TREANT!¡± Its roar made Kagami cover his face and its eyes glowed a deeper and much more dangerous crimson.


    It closed in on him, each step made the ground tremble, and it raked the ground from where he stood. If not for his quick action of jumping aside, Kagami would be nothing but bits of flesh. The force of its claw had easily dug a hole that could have very well been his grave.


    Kagami didn¡¯t have time to admire how strong the tree monster¡¯s blow was. He dropped his bag, and held up his fists, his right foot pointing out and his left forward. The monster gave an amused laugh.


    ¡°Human?¡± Its voice rasped and scratched like nails on a chalkboard. ¡°Do you think that mere fists could hurt me? I have survived dragon fire! Your fists might as well by a fly. If you give up now, I will make sure your death is less painful than it should be.¡±


    His fist tightened, turning white.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see now, won¡¯t we?¡±


    Kagami leaned forward as if he were about to fall, and kicked the ground. The treant¡¯s eyes glowed in response, and rose its hideous claw like hand. He could feel it above him, hanging like the guillotines blade. An image flashed in his head, reflecting for a moment the perfect punch he could land in his previous body. Kagami landed his blow, hitting the midsection of the tree.


    The hand came down, smashing Kagami like some bothersome fly.


    ¡°Pest!¡± The treant said.


    His punch had done nothing. It didn¡¯t even leave a mark. A pit formed in his stomach as he pushed himself to stand up. The treant gave a relieved laughter.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite tough to not turn into a splatter mark. I¡¯m glad, it¡¯s quite hard to find humans down here with such a pretty face. Give up. Your puny fist did nothing to my bark. Do you see, the proud black sheen? Not even the holy iron you mine from this hole could scratch me.¡±


    He was weak.


    But he thought of his wife. She was physically weaker than him, yet even in their death matches when she tried to claim his bounty, she had placed him in situation after situation that left him fearing for his life.


    She had been weak but strong.


    Kagami never understood how. But, he couldn¡¯t allow himself to just lay down and cry could he? While she may forgive him, he couldn¡¯t forgive himself if he didn¡¯t try until his last breath.


    That¡¯s why Kagami held up his fists again to fight. His body was hurting, but he wasn¡¯t about to give up. Not when he still needed to stop this deathmatch. Not when, he still needed to find Aria.


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    Your wife is in this world. She is being held hostage. I can tell you where she is but only if you help us.


    She had whispered those words.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that his wife was in that situation and he was sure if that did happen to her, she would be able to get out by herself.


    But if there was a chance that wasn¡¯t possible. If there was a chance what she said was true. Then he needed to get out of here. He needed to fight. He needed to be there for her.


    Kagami rushed forward, biting down his scream, until the scream reached a crescendo that pried his open turning into a roar.


    The treant swiped at him, and Kagami dodged underneath it. He punched the midsection again. Other than the sound of impact, nothing happened.


    ¡°I told you its useless!¡±


    The treant threw a backhand in retaliation, Kagami took the brunt of it, crossing his arm to soften the blow. He flew in an arch, his back slammed against a tree. His body creaked with such pain, that Kagami couldn¡¯t stop himself from opening his mouth in silent agony.


    Each step the treant took towards him, made the ground tremor. Kagami rested his back against the tree as the treant came to a stop in front of him.


    Kagami blew a breath. The blow had left him with shaking legs.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to run like that.¡± The treant observed.


    Kagami rose his fists again.


    ¡°I told you.¡± It looked like a vein popped on its forehead, and it held its hand high above its head. ¡°IT¡¯S USELESS!¡±


    He. Didn¡¯t want to die again.


    ¡°Asa.¡±


    He pushed off the tree, falling forward. The treant¡¯s swipe rippled above him, cutting the very air. The tree made a hideous sound as it snapped in two and Kagami put everything he had in this punch.


    How are you able to fight me?


    The woman that would be his wife had given him a triumphant and knowing smirk. She held up two fingers, V for victory.


    Guts.


    Something flashed in his mind. A Gate that was old and battered, like an iron door that had been beaten with a battering ram came into his mind. It creaked open and a sliver of energy rushed into Kagami¡¯s fist. The blow cracked like a mirror breaking, hitting treant¡¯s midsection.


    They stood still for a moment. Kagami was sure he would pull away. He couldn¡¯t feel his fist, he could see blood drip from his fist. But it wasn¡¯t him that pulled away, the treant moaned and stepped back, holding where Kagami had hit the monster.


    Kagami couldn¡¯t help but laugh. His hand hurt like hell, but he held it to his chest dearly, his eyes hot on the verge of tears. He felt vindicated, a fleeting feeling arose from his chest and he felt light. His fist had reached a monster.


    He-


    An arrow sprouted from his shoulder and everything felt heavy all of a sudden. The weight of his shoulder yanked him face first into the ground as if an anchor had been tied to it.


    ¡°We got him! Get him before the treant takes him!¡± He heard from beyond the trees.


    Three men stepped into the clearing. The treant gave them a snarl.


    ¡°This is my prey!¡±


    ¡°Like we planned!¡± The black haired man ordered, notching another arrow.


    The two beside him split and ran circles around the treant, while the archer loosed an arrow. It hit the treant¡¯s hand and it smashed against the ground as if there was an invisible weight tied to it. The shorter man held up his hand, and liquid flame dispensed from it. The treant threw a desperate blow at the shorter man, but the taller stood in his way and he turned to stone, stopping the treant¡¯s attack.


    Kagami turned his attention back to his shoulder, he focused his efforts in trying to pull the arrow from his shoulder. He pulled a little bit of it out, before the archer stepped in front of him, arrow notched in front of his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless you know. That arrow might as well be an anchor. You won¡¯t be able to pull it out,¡± the man said.


    Kagami met the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°This is about the bounty right? Why haven¡¯t you killed me yet?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re not mine to kill,¡± the man answered him.


    Kagami put two and two together and then he had a grand laugh. It would have been grander if the man didn¡¯t kick him in the face.


    ¡°Someone else is offering more for my life?¡± Kagami asked, tasting blood. ¡°You¡¯d be able to get out of here right? Just put that arrow in my head and you would be free, right?¡±


    At the edge of his vision, he saw the treant still alive and roaring bloody murder at the two men he was fighting. The finger holding the arrow in place shook, he was really thinking about it.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Kagami asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even get to know who wants to kill me. I really have fallen low.¡± Kagami muttered under his breath. He grabbed the arrow in his shoulder, intent on pulling it out.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s useless.¡±


    Kagami gritted his teeth, it was heavy.


    ¡°Stop it! If you keep on doing that I¡¯ll-¡±


    A body was thrown beside them. The short man had his neck twisted in an odd angle. The archer turned his attention too late though, the taller man was chucked into the archer. The treant, though burnt, did not look any less menacing. Its eyes was leaking crimson light.


    ¡°You think you little acorns could hurt me?¡± The treant plucked a glowing blue fruit from its branches and ate it. ¡°Just like you, I can use Aura if I so desired it!¡±


    The moment the monster ate the fruit, Kagami felt a surge of dread. He pulled at the arrow, struggling like a poor cub in a bear trap. The arrow felt like a stone pillar. The treant watched Kagami and gave a sickening laughter.


    ¡°Good! Go ahead and struggle!¡± As it raised its claw, an arrow hit the treant. His claw slammed into the ground.


    The archer was still alive, though, he had blood coming down his face.


    ¡°Stay away from him. He¡¯s mine.¡±


    The treant yanked its arm off. A new arm immediately sprouted.


    ¡°Your powers will do you no good to me.¡±


    The archer clicked his tongue in frustration, and fired more arrows.


    The treant laughed as it walked towards the archer. The arrows may have hit him, but they bounced off him as if they were toothpicks. Its arm grew and like a snake snatched the man by the neck. He held him up high, as if he were admiring a shiny coin.


    Its face turned in disgust. ¡°Your face is ugly.¡±


    The archer¡¯s face turned purple and then it popped.


    The arrow that held Kagami down, became light and he immediately took the chance to yank it out. The treant laughed even harder.


    ¡°So weak. His Aura couldn¡¯t even stay active in death.¡± It tossed the archer aside, but he was attacked by the tall man.


    ¡°Thom!¡± He screamed, his stone fist smacked the treant¡¯s midsection.


    The treant¡¯s mouth twisted into a delightful smile. It rose its claws, ready to reap the tall man¡¯s life.


    ¡°Let me take a look at your face.¡±


    Kagami pulled the man out of the way, the claws missed him by a hair.


    ¡°Hey, get out of the way!¡± Kagami yelled. ¡°This is my prey.¡±


    ¡°Prey? It¡¯s you who is my prey.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 27 - Red Spear

    In the distance, he saw it. A flare had been shot up.


    His hand tightened on his red spear.


    He was there.


    #


    Kagami¡¯s fist rose and met the treant¡¯s own fist. The two met, and a shock wave exploded. Tree branches rustled and the tall man who witnessed this shot forth a flare in the sky.


    Kagami was blown aside. He had lost the exchange, and the treant drew closer to him as he pulled himself up.


    He looked at his fist.


    It was still wasn¡¯t right.


    That feeling he felt, as if glass had broken, he wasn¡¯t sure how he did it, but this was the second time he felt power like that since he came into this world.


    Power.


    He was breathless, blood dripped down his left arm.


    The only thing true was that in order to fight, he needed to learn how to do it. And that meant practice.


    The treant''s claws sliced the air, and Kagami dodged. He ran underneath the treant¡¯s arm, striking him with another blow. He felt a dull thud climb up his shoulder that told him he failed again.


    A shadow of his claw came into view. Kagami rose his arm to block it. It did almost nothing. It crushed his guard and he was flung aside like a ragdoll. The back of his head hit the the tree and for a moment he blacked out.


    He woke when the treant held him up, squeezing the air out of him. It gave a jagged smile that looked like it was carved from a knife.


    ¡°Your head is nice. Like a jewel.¡± He grabbed his head like a grape ready to be plucked from the vine. ¡°Very refined. As if you were a prince. Hairs messy though.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t even budge, despite his best attempt to force his way out.


    ¡°Stop it.¡± The treant grumbled. ¡°Your face won¡¯t look good if you strain yourself.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off!¡± Kagami managed to say.


    ¡°It is the victor that decides what to do with the loser.¡± The treant reached for his necklace with a third arm. ¡°Make a face like this.¡±


    The head he held up had a face of a beautiful woman. Her expression etched on her face showed her final moments well to Kagami. She looked peaceful and happy. As if sipping on ice cold tea on a hot summer day.


    Kagami couldn¡¯t understand how she could make such a face, not when he knew that she had died from this treant.


    Rather than giving him the expression that treant wanted, he wanted to give him a defiant look. The creases on the treant¡¯s face deepened.


    ¡°You won¡¯t either will you. That¡¯s fine.¡± He felt a sharp pain in his left leg. He couldn¡¯t see his leg. A needle like vine whipped up into Kagami¡¯s view. ¡°I have given you a drug. You shall feel at peace.¡±


    He was already feeling it. His head felt light and his vision blurring. Everything was starting to melt around him, swirling and pulling him in. His senses all the way from the tips of his fingers and toes swirled into a great vortex.


    Everything about him was slowly becoming one.


    And then a divine voice boomed from the heaven¡¯s.


    Consider the happiest moment of your life.


    He-


    Happiest moment.


    He manifested at that night when he met his wife. She hopped off the truck, pulling her katana free from its scabbard. It was a beautiful sight to behold. A pure white blade, her golden hair danced in the cold wind, but she smiled at him as if they were long time friends.


    She was weaker than him, but he felt a sliver of fear run down his spine that he couldn¡¯t understand. Until they fought that one night.


    A fight that would transform into a chain of moments between the two. He-


    Pain bristled in his right leg and the world was sucked aside, snapping him back to reality. Sweat dripped from his face and he was dropped as a terrible roar resounded above him.


    ¡°What have you done?! I was close! You ruined it you ugly human.¡±


    In the corner of his eyes, he could see the tall man turned to stonew cower in fear as he dropped a bloody dagger.


    Kagami was still out of it, but he knew what had happened. The stone man had stabbed his leg, bringing him back to reality. Kagami pushed himself up, only to fall under his own weight. Whatever he had been given, it was strong.


    He focused his efforts on doing one thing at a time. Placing his hand underneath his chest. Then his other. Pushing up, shifting his weight, positioning his leg, pushing himself up.


    Slowly, but surely, he stood. His face plastered with sweat, blood, and mud. He leaned against a tree, and tried to walk forward, but pain bristled in his right leg. A crimson flower blooming on his pants.


    The treant smashed the stone man into the ground. Dirt exploded and as it settled, the man laid in a crater, no longer stone.


    Then the treant¡¯s attention went to Kagami. Its eyes widened and glowed bright crimson.


    ¡°A stab shouldn¡¯t have woken you up. I gave you enough poison to die.¡±


    Kagami didn¡¯t have an answer for him. He felt like he was about to die. He could just die, and he could just let himself rise from death once more. He had killed himself many, many times.


    But¡­he felt that by doing so¡­he had lost something.


    Those memories with his wife told him that.


    Gripping his thumping heart, he felt hot tears run down his eyes.


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    He didn¡¯t want that.


    He didn¡¯t want to lose himself and become someone unrecognizable to her.


    There was a banging somewhere. For a moment, he saw a giant gate.


    And it slowly opened.


    Power permeated from him and the pain seemed to vanish.


    The treant rose a bushy brow.


    ¡°Aura?¡± In response, it ate a blue fruit plucked from its tree branches.


    Kagami saw a soft glow envelope the treant, moving like a candlelight. When looking at his hands, he noticed that he too was enveloped by the same glow that monster was.


    He felt so light.


    The treant rushed towards him, and Kagami felt good. A smile cracked across his face as he caught the blow with his left hand. The treant¡¯s arm was shaking as it tried to pull away from his grip. Kagami ripped part of the arm, leaving a hole. The rest was crushed, turning into woodchips.


    The treant pulled his arm back, looking at the damage Kagami caused. It took once glance at him, and its gaze grew serious.


    Many vines erupted from its branches, all of them had needles and poison. They wildly attacked him. Nothing could hit him. He felt free. His body moved as he wished. As he drew closer to the treant, its desperation grew.


    Kagami reached its midsection and hit it with a blow.


    A mirror had broken.


    #


    The treant made a hideous gurgle. Green blood erupted from its mouth and where the prince had hit, left an imprint of his fist. The tree it fell on, snapped like toothpicks. Its crimson eyes dimmed.


    The prince fell forward and took another step to stop himself from falling. He rose his head high in the air, and yelled in vindication. Tears streamed down his face as he held up his fist in triumph.


    And then, he fell into the ground. Blood from his wound formed a small puddle where he had been stabbed by him.


    Summers snatched the dagger he had dropped. His back ached from the blow the treant had given him, but he stood up and made limped towards the sleeping prince.


    He had stabbed him in the leg, hoping to cut an artery, but he had missed. At that time, he had thought if he was going to die anyways, he may as well snatch the bounty on the prince¡¯s head.


    Thinking clearly, it was the right move. The man that hired him had promised his family money. He knew he didn¡¯t have what it took to survive this death match. The man had of course defeated him and the other two with him with ease.


    All he had to do was kill this man, and he would be set free.


    Fuck him.


    He hovered over the prince, his grip on the dagger tight. His shadow stretched like a blanket that covered the prince. He plunged the dagger but stopped right at the chest when he heard a sound.


    The prince was snoring. His face was unlike the rumors he heard surrounding the prince. He was sleeping peacefully. An image of his son and the prince overlapped and it made him reconsider what he was doing.


    Just as he readied himself once more, he felt a tremor. Knowing the source, he froze in fear and closed his eyes away from the reality.


    ¡°That is my prey.¡± The treant murmured under his breath. ¡°Move aside, and I shall let you live today.¡±


    The dagger in his hand dropped, and the hilt hit the prince in the face. The prince grumbled and stirred awake. He looked up at the treant and swore under his breath.


    ¡°I guess that wasn¡¯t enough,¡± the prince rubbed where the handle had hit his head and then noticed him. ¡°Stand back.¡±


    Despite how much Aura he expended, he was able to stand defiant. His body was shaking, and Summers could clearly see that he was in no shape to continue fighting. Resting was the only way to recover.


    The treant knew this too, its mouth ripped into a jagged smile. Its finger stroked the fist imprint on its trunk.


    ¡°This will stay forever. I no longer want a peaceful face from you. I shall make sure that your face is etched in the most horrible pain when I rip it off.¡± Multiple vines rose from behind the treant. Its needles dripped.


    ¡°I won¡¯t die so easily.¡± The prince rose his shaking fist.


    In the corner of Summers eyes, he saw hope. The treant must have noticed his gaze. A red spear erupted from his chest, and the treant groaned in pain. The spear rose, splitting the treant in two.


    The green blood gathered in the red spear the man held, turning it slightly green. He had long crimson hair that hung down his shoulder and his blue eyes regarded the two of them closely.


    ¡°Luke?¡± The prince stepped forward. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    The Red Spear ignored him, turning his attention towards Summers.


    ¡°What happened to the other two?¡±


    ¡°Dead.¡± His throat felt tight.


    He nodded at that. ¡°You will get their share.¡± Then, he turned his attention back at the prince, saying his name with venomous intent. ¡°Cedar.¡±


    Then, he stabbed the prince.


    #


    Kagami dodged the stab, letting it pass between his arm and ribs and caught it between the two. There was a struggle for him to hold it there.


    ¡°Do we really have to do this?¡± Kagami asked Luke.


    ¡°Killing you will free me from this. I still need to live. I have somewhere I still need to be.¡±


    Pain stabbed Kagami¡¯s side and his grip on the spear released. The spear had small spikes that retracted. Luke pressed forward with the initiative, stabbing at Kagami. He dodged each of them, hearing a pop where it had stabbed the air.


    Luke brought his spear down. Kagami had thought he had dodged it, but the spear extended, biting his left shoulder. Kagami reached to grab it, only for the spear to retract. Blood from his wound floated towards Luke. Kagami had never seen that before, but his eyes adjusted and he could see the same candlelight surrounding Luke that had surrounded the treant.


    He was far more dangerous than their usual spars.


    The spearman seemed to notice. ¡°You can see it too can¡¯t you? Aura. Killing you now is the best. If I let you go, you¡¯ll only get stronger.¡±


    His chuckle hurt his wounds.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I can die.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought hard about that Cedar, and I know I can kill you.¡± Blood gathered at the tip of his spear forming into a red and green circle. He released it and a bar of blood pierced Kagami through his stomach.


    Kagami gasped. He touched his new hole. When he looked up, Luke was already forming another round. Kagami tried to move, but his legs were anchored to the ground, as heavy as lead.


    Another red and green bar passed through him, this time ripping through his thigh. Kagami crumbled onto the ground. Everything felt so heavy. He wasn¡¯t light as he was when he fought the tree monster.


    Luke stood over him, planting the butt of his spear into the ground. He looked down at Kagami as a morbid child would to a dying insect.


    ¡°You¡¯ll revive. No doubt about it,¡± Luke said. ¡°But I¡¯ll kill you over and over again. Everything has a limit. Even your deaths do.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want that. He didn¡¯t. He grabbed his ankle, only for him to slap his hand aside with his spear. His eyes were full of hatred and sorrow. Kagami saw a reflection of Yoru within him. They both hated him, not for what he did, but for what he was.


    The Prince that killed someone they loved.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault.¡± Kagami tried to stand up. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill the ones you loved.¡±


    To that, he was met with a boot. His chin was shot up, and he fell on his back. Luke pressed his boot against his chest, and pointed his spear at Kagami. The circle of blood cycled in front of him. His head would explode once he released it.


    He¡­Asa.


    The beam slammed against his head.


    Dirt exploded.


    And Kagami still hadn¡¯t died.


    The beam had bounced off of him, but he was sure it wasn¡¯t him that did this. Luke opened his mouth, and then clamped it shut as his eyes grew serious.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± He yelled. ¡°Come out!¡±


    ¡°Coming out would be foolish.¡± A man¡¯s voice echoed from somewhere.


    Luke looked around for the source.


    Then something slammed against him and the ground exploded. He was flying in the air and then caught by a blue haired man in an oni mask that covered only his mouth. A black horn spouted from his forehead and he saw that they were on a branch.


    Kagami looked down at Luke, blood orbiting him, as he seethed in anger.


    ¡°Give him back!¡±


    A he flung another blood bar at them and it hit an invisible barrier that surrounded them. The man gave a laugh.


    ¡°Fat chance.¡± Kagami saw it. A flash came out of his mouth and the area bloomed in a bright light.


    The man carried him over his shoulder and hopped between trees by landing on branches. After several minutes, they arrived at his hideout and dropped Kagami gently.


    He took off his mask waved his hand like a fan to cool himself off.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kagami said to him.


    The blue haired man turned to him, surprise on his face. And then he laughed.


    ¡°Cedar Oswell, thanking a mercenary like me? I honestly didn¡¯t think anything could have surprised me, but it did, but you can rest, there won¡¯t be any harm on you.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± He had to ask that question.


    The mercenary widened his eyes again. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember me, Cedar? We worked together quite a bit. My name is Subaru. I¡¯m a mercenary.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 28 - The Blind Path to the Future

    Once the Warden was done, Yoru returned to the forest. She lifted her head taking in the smells of the forest. There were many scents mixed in, but she couldn¡¯t smell Cedar¡¯s putrid scent. He wasn¡¯t near them at all.


    There was one other person near them, but it wasn¡¯t Cedar. She would never mistake Cedar¡¯s scent. It was the scent that drove her blood in a frenzy.


    She never trusted him. It was why she watched his every action closely. She knew for a fact that he hadn¡¯t put the poison in there.


    There was only one person who could have done that.


    Her shoulder was clasped by Kenichi¡¯s large hand. His expression somber and worried.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± The bear looked at her with those big brown eyes.


    Her ears twitched. The person nearest to them was moving away from them. Their footsteps, based on how it sounded, she guessed a woman, faded away within the cacophony of sounds from the forest.


    ¡°No,¡± she finally said. She was always surprised how patient he was. ¡°I¡¯m not alright.¡± She turned to him. ¡°Should I?¡±


    Kenichi kept a patient smile on his face.


    ¡°No, not really. We¡¯re in a tough situation.¡± He gazed around them. His round ears twitched. ¡°I don¡¯t hear anyone near us, but we should get moving.¡±


    He moved, but she didn¡¯t. She waited until he stopped in place.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Say, Kenichi. What was written in that letter Aria gave you?¡± She asked. ¡°Did you know that Cedar would betray us? Or was it you that betrayed me?¡±


    She turned to face him and watched him closely. The monk replied with an easy smile.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know anything yet,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then can you tell me what was in that letter?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t share that information with you. The less people know the more likelier it will come true. You just have to believe in Aria. If I could share the information with you, I would.¡±


    ¡°Trust.¡± Her shadow boiled. ¡°Cuts both ways.¡±


    Kenichi eyed her shadow.


    ¡°It¡¯s best to save our resources. Even if we did end up near a tree with Spirit Keys,¡± he said.


    ¡°See. Isn¡¯t that strange to you? We were captured, and we ended up near a tree with the most valuable resources here? What did you do Kenichi? You¡¯re not even worried about Aria.¡±


    Then, he sighed. He met her gaze with his own firm gaze. He placed his hand on his chest, where his necklace with the symbol of the Shield and Moon resided.


    ¡°Everything I¡¯ve done, has been for the sake of our mission, that I swear my life to the Goddess of the Moon.¡±


    And that was when she knew that was all she would be able to get from him.


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    Because swearing on that was as sacred as an affirmation it could have gotten.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she demurred. ¡°I at least owe you that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    And she knew that he truly meant that.


    The monk pointed to a path.


    ¡°If we follow this, we should arrive to where the Seal lies. Trust me.¡±


    She¡­she had doubts. A lot of them. Everything stank. Trust was difficult for her, reaching out her hand felt like touching hot iron. But she followed the man, into the unknown darkness of a future only he knew.


    That future she would curse with all of her strength when she found out.


    #


    ¡°You know, what you just told me sounds crazy,¡± Subaru told him after listening to his story. He tapped at his blue dark horn, contemplating. ¡°To say that you are a man from another world trapped in a dead prince¡¯s body. Wouldn¡¯t it be more likely to say that the execution was so traumatic that it affected your psyche?¡±


    To that, Kagami could only heave a heavy sigh.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    No one believed him. He still had try though. The oni sensed this and laugh.


    ¡°Well, take it from me. If I told you I was the Goddess of the Sun, would you believe me?¡±


    Kagami gave him an appraising look and snorted. ¡°If you¡¯re the Goddess, then you¡¯re the ugliest goddess I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    Subaru slapped his thigh and laughed.


    ¡°Right you are! You definitely don¡¯t really say things Cedar would say! But you can see it right? I can¡¯t believe you. That¡¯s not something I could do.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Kagami sighed and turned towards the wall. They had taken shelter in a cave. He eyed the man from the corner of his eyes. ¡°So, why did you save me? Don¡¯t tell me you saved me out of the goodness of your heart?¡±


    ¡°Nothing like that.¡± He gave a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not a kind oni to save someone like you. I¡¯m a mercenary. I have a price for my service. I came down here a few days ago and was caught by a couple of giant spiders. While I was being held prisoner, I heard a few things.¡± He leaned forward. ¡°Is it true that you cannot die?¡±


    Kagami didn¡¯t like where this was going.


    ¡°What do you plan to do if I can¡¯t?¡±


    His smile became more radiant. Like a jubilant boy that got a new toy.


    ¡°I want to get an item back.¡± Subaru explained. ¡°There¡¯s a place that¡¯s being guarded, it has an item that will get rid of these threads.¡± He pointed to his neck. ¡°Anyone that goes there will have to fight one of the Warden¡¯s guard. You can imagine what I¡¯m getting at right?¡±


    ¡°So, you want an item to get rid of the threads on your neck? And what¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    ¡°Well, I told you didn¡¯t I? I desire payment for my service. I saved you, but I can sweeten the deal a little bit more and offer more of my service.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it and I have something more important to do.¡±


    Kagami stood from his rock and walked past him. The oni slithered right in front of him.


    ¡°Woah, woah.¡± He waved his hand erratically. ¡°Time out. What¡¯s this important thing you have to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill the Warden.¡± Kagami could feel the flow of anger touch his throat. ¡°Then, I¡¯m going to find my wife.¡±


    He moved, but Subaru stood in his way.


    ¡°Can you defeat him? I heard from one of the guards that you were throughly turned into meat cubes. You would be walking to your death.¡±


    His hand tightened just like his voice.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I know that? I know, but I have to. I have a place I need to be now. So, step aside!¡±


    Subaru stood adamant.


    ¡°No.¡±


    His fist flew, but it bounced back as if it had been hit by invisible rubber. The rebound made him lose his footing and fall against the wall.


    ¡°I thought so.¡± The oni observed him. ¡°You can¡¯t use Aura. At least not as well as you used to.¡±


    ¡°Aura?¡± Kagami asked, still reeling from the confusion of hitting something invisible.


    Then a smile bloomed on him.


    ¡°Well, it looks like I got something to offer after all. I¡¯ll teach you the basics of Aura, if you help me out.¡± He held out his hand. ¡°Deal?¡±


    Kagami stared at the hand, and then to his fist. Aura had to be the burst of energy he felt when was fighting the Treant. If the man was willing to teach him, then he would take all chances of doing getting stronger.


    His wife¡¯s image passed through his head.


    He grabbed the oni¡¯s rough hands.


    ¡°Great!¡± He pulled him up. ¡°Now the first thing we need to do is kill you.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 29 - Two Gates

    ¡°No.¡±


    His answer was direct.


    Cedar, no. He decided that the man in front of him wasn¡¯t Cedar. The man was different. Though the face was the same, their glare was different. It wasn¡¯t cold, but it was filled with life and emotion.


    ¡°To get rid of the threads tied around your neck,¡± he explained, tapping his neck to show the threads made from spirit energy. ¡°Easiest way to do that is to die. When I was imprisoned, I heard from a couple of the Warden¡¯s people that you¡¯re immortal.¡±


    At that, Kagami turned his head away, and crossed his arms.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. A person should die once.¡±


    Subaru smiled to mask his annoyance. If he had a technique that could be used, then it should be used.


    ¡°You¡¯re not dying. You¡¯re probably regenerating. If you were truly dead, than your Gate would be destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Gate? I¡¯ve heard that word tossed around. What is that?¡± Kagami looked at him quizzically.


    The oni tilted his head, rubbing his thumb against his horn.


    ¡°Well, I guess I did say I¡¯d teach you the basics of Aura. A Gate houses Aura. It is within every soul. Opening a Gate allows you to transform your Aura into Spirit Energy.¡± He held up the Spirit Key, a blue fruit that gave a dim glow. ¡°To open one, usually one must eat a Spirit Key. There are some people that do not need to eat one to open one up. I do, and the last time I saw you, you did too.¡±


    He handed Kagami the fruit, and he gave it a look, turning it in his fingers as he frowned.


    Kagami looked up at him. ¡°Aura? I think I used it in a fight with that tree monster. I didn¡¯t need to eat one of these though.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to eat it then.¡± He offered.


    Kagami tossed it in his mouth. His face turned purple. Subaru stood up, raised a hand towards him.


    ¡°Wait, if you¡¯re going to do that don¡¯t do it her-¡±


    Too late.


    The smell of the vomit filled the cave, and burnt his nose. It made him want to vomit. Kagami wiped his mouth, still looking sick from eating the fruit. He looked angry though.


    ¡°What¡¯s the big idea, giving me poison?!¡±


    Subaru sighed, rubbing his forehead.


    ¡°Listen, don¡¯t start with these accusations. You said you could use Aura without a Spirit Key. I had to find out. The easiest way was to let you eat one. I heard rumors that people that don¡¯t have locks on their Gates have a violent reaction.¡± Subaru narrowed his eyes at the mass of vomit. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it would be that bad. That looks like your breakfast and more.¡±


    To demonstrate his point, Subaru pulled out another dried Spirit Key. Kagami flinched at the sight of it. Inwardly he laughed at his reaction. He ate the whole thing, feeling the weird rubbery texture and the sour taste as he swallowed it.


    Then his Gate opened. Aura flowed through every bit of his body. He whispered, but with Aura, he was able to transfer the sound as if he were whispering next to Kagami¡¯s ear.


    ¡°See. My Gate is open now.¡±


    Kagami flinched, holding his ear. He looked to his right, seeing nothing but the wall. It made Subaru chuckle at the sight of the Prince who would probably order him dead if he messed with him enough.


    Kagami rubbed his chin, and frowned.


    ¡°You said you¡¯re using Aura, but I can¡¯t see it. I saw it when I was fighting the tree monster. It looked like a candlelight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Aurasight.¡± He used it to look at Kagami and frowned. ¡°But I don¡¯t see anything coming from you though.¡±


    Even if someone¡¯s Gate was closed, they would still have a sliver leaking from their body. Yet, there was nothing.


    He walked over to Kagami. The prince watched him closely, his guard up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like doing this, but I have to knock on your Gate. That involves me touching you. Can you stop acting like I¡¯m going to hurt you? If I wanted to, I wouldn¡¯t have rescued you,¡± he said, holding up his hand to see if it was okay to do what he needed to do.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡± Kagami said. ¡°Ever since I came to this world, a lot of people have have tried to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t bite.¡±


    Kagami looked at him directly in the eyes. It made Subaru shiver. Those piercing eyes felt like they went through his soul.


    His guard went down.


    ¡°If you do anything, I will kill you.¡±


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    ¡°You¡¯re not very trustful.¡± Subaru sighed. He placed his hand on his back and then pushed Spirit Energy. He knocked on the Gate.


    ¡°Wha?¡±


    He found himself transported in a dark space with a giant Gate. Flames coiled around the Gate like a snake. It shimmered like glass, colors shifted every second. The Gate tried to open, but the flames prevented that.


    But what surprised him the most was the second gate right next to that.


    That should be impossible. One person should only have one Gate. The flames originated from the second gate. He stared through the crack, seeing an eye stare back at him.


    Flames burst and he pulled his hand away from Kagami¡¯s back as if it were a hot stove.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kagami asked him.


    Sweat dripped from his face. He looked down at his hand, seeing a mark burnt on his palm. It faded away before he could get a good look at it.


    ¡°You-¡±


    He stopped. He felt heat bubble up his body, and he gasped. The mark reappeared on his hand and he saw it clearly. It was the mark of the Sun. Whatever was behind the second Gate was preventing him from telling Kagami. It was a Curse.


    Kagami placed his hand on his forehead.


    ¡°You¡¯re hot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He smacked away Kagami¡¯s hand. ¡°Just¡­overused my Aura is all.¡± He calmed himself and made the intent to hide the truth about his Gates from him. His body felt cooler, and it proved his theory that the Curse prevented him from telling Kagami.


    Still the prince looked at the hand that was slapped away and looked at Subaru.


    ¡°You¡¯re not fine. Is that what¡¯s supposed to happen when you knock on Gates?¡± Kagami watched him closely. He had thought the Prince without amnesia to be stupid, but that may be a mistake. He felt as much pressure, maybe even more, from Kagami than Cedar Oswell.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    He took a breath, and forced himself to smile.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything. Your Gate has no lock.¡± He managed to say. The sun mark on his hand faded away. His voice regained its strength. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re not able to open you Gate. I can teach you the basics, but the rest is up to you.¡±


    To that, Kagami snorted and sat back down cross legged.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me fine. I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± He leaned in, his teeth baring. ¡°You better teach me well.¡±


    But he knew if that thing was preventing him from opening his Gate, then whatever he taught him would be useless, until he was able to open the Gate himself. He wouldn¡¯t be useful if they went to get the Aura Eraser from their storage.


    The Aura Eraser would get rid of both the threads on his neck and the mark on his right hand.


    His nose wrinkled.


    ¡°First, clean up this mess.¡± He pointed to the Kagami¡¯s vomit.


    #


    ¡°Did you feel anything when I knocked on your Gate?¡± The blue haired oni asked him.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± It had been a weird feeling. If Kagami had to explain it, it was like if someone plunged their hand in his chest and knocked his insides.


    ¡°Just do that. Bring your hand to your chest, and imagine yourself knocking on your Gate.¡±


    Kagami did as he was told, bringing his hand to his chest. He closed his eyes to imagine it. He stood in front of a Gate, and knocked on it. It tried to open, but he felt resistance to it opening. As if the Gate was shackled by iron chains.


    His eyes opened, and he crossed his arms. His lips tugged in frustration.


    ¡°It feels like there¡¯s a lock.¡±


    ¡°If there was, then you wouldn¡¯t have violently thrown up when you ate the Key.¡± Subaru pointed out. ¡°Let¡¯s try a different tact. You said you felt Aura rush into you when you fought the treant? Do you recall the trigger that allowed you to do that?¡±


    That was easy.


    ¡°My wife.¡±


    Subaru rose an eyebrow to that. ¡°You have a wife?¡±


    Kagami glared at him and Subaru lifted his hands to surrender.


    ¡°You know, I have to be skeptical of you. Even if what you say is true, imagining Cedar married hurts my head.¡±


    ¡°I can understand.¡± Kagami lifted his chest in pride. ¡°This body is super weak. I trained and trained for over a year, and it¡¯s still not as strong as my true body. My real body is bigger, stronger, and better. When I was in my body, I could no doubt defeat the Warden.¡±


    ¡°Cedar? Weak? I don¡¯t think you understand how powerful Aura is,¡± he said.  ¡°With Aura you have a chance of beating the Warden do you not? Can you beat him right now?¡±


    To that, Kagami felt his mood blew like a candle flame.


    ¡°No,¡± he answered him. ¡°But if I can use that power.¡± He clutched his fist. ¡°Then I have a chance.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d all that bravado from before go?¡±


    ¡°Lying to myself won¡¯t help me defeat him. If I can use this.¡± Kagami trailed off, remembering the feeling of explosive power from his fight earlier. He compared it to his fight with the Warden, if it could have been called that. ¡°Then, I have a chance. Not a guarantee, but a chance to defeat him.¡±


    For a moment, he felt something stir in him, but it disappeared just as immediate.


    The oni looked at him stunned.


    ¡°Hm? Something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he shook his head and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think you can do anything for me. I was hoping you were still Cedar, but it¡¯s obvious you aren¡¯t. But, you¡¯re much, much different from Cedar. You¡¯re too pure.¡± He glared at him. ¡°Bad people would take advantage of that.¡±


    Kagami gave a hearty laugh.


    ¡°My wife would say something similar to me.¡±


    ¡°Your wife must have the patience of a saintess to deal with you,¡± he huffed a sigh. ¡°The truth is, I don¡¯t see us getting my stuff. The only way I could think of is to use you as a distraction.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you need to do, then you should do it,¡± Kagami said.


    Once more, the oni was stunned by what he said.


    Kagami continued.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do much right now, but I can do what I can do.¡±


    Subaru looked at him hard.


    ¡°And if I told you to die to get rid of the threads?¡±


    Kagami glared at him.


    ¡°I won¡¯t do that.¡± He made sure to repeat that as firmly as he could. ¡°A person should only die once.¡±


    Subaru sighed, scratching his head. ¡°Those threads on you, won¡¯t come off. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re against dying so much, but you shouldn¡¯t limit yourself in a fight you know. Do you understand that?¡±


    ¡°We just have to get it before our heads come off,¡± Kagami said.


    ¡°You think you can do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it my all.¡±


    Subaru snorted. ¡°That¡¯s not good enough. If I die, I die.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I¡¯ll go into the cave.¡±


    His eyes changed.


    ¡°You¡¯ll go in the cave?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll put myself at risk.¡±


    Subaru scratched the back his head and sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re weird, but if you¡¯re willing to risk that then, I¡¯ll use you how I like. You¡¯ll be the distraction while I fight the guard. You¡¯ll be the one that goes in the cavern to grab my bag. You¡¯ll take the most risks, because you hold no power right now. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Easily.¡±


    Subaru stood up.


    ¡°Follow me then. The sooner we do this the better.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 30 - I am the Distraction

    The area was much different than Kagami remembered. Last time he had been here, it had been Fall. The color of the leaves were changing and falling. The forest had been much quieter than it was now.


    They happened to walk past an opening where no doubt a battle had taken place that ended with a dead man. There was a hole where his heart had been and a bouquet of flowers sprouted from his open mouth as if it were a vase.


    ¡°What a dreadful scene. Is what aura can do?¡± Kagami asked.


    ¡°I have no doubt about that.¡± Subaru said as he took a quick appraising glance of the body. ¡°A nasty one at that. I sure hope we won¡¯t run into whoever left this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re calm.¡± Kagami commented.


    Subaru shrugged. ¡°Should I not? You look quite calm yourself?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m seen worse than this. Though, I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve seen something weirder than this. It¡¯s almost like it¡¯s magic.¡±


    Subaru snickered at that. ¡°Magic? What are you ten? The only magic you¡¯ll find are the ones in fairy tales. There aren¡¯t words that you can speak to summon fire, or wind. Everything comes from Aura and using too much can be poison. Well, not for you.¡±


    He took out a Spirit Key and held up the blue fruit for Kagami to see.


    ¡°If you eat enough of enough of these things at once, you can overdose and turn to ash.¡±


    ¡°This disgusting thing?¡± Kagami¡¯s stomach twisted into knots. He was near the line where he might gag.


    ¡°You start to form cracks all over your body. That¡¯s a sign that you¡¯ve eaten too much and should stop. Your body can¡¯t process eating too much of it, and overheats and breaks down.¡±


    ¡°Woah.¡± Kagami¡¯s mouth dropped. He was shaking at the sight of the fruit now. ¡°You¡¯re saying, it tastes so bad, it kills people?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the wrong point to take away from this, you know?¡±


    The oni returned the dried blue fruit back into the knapsack around his waist. They continued their trek through the forest. At one point Kagami saw red monkeys jumping in the canopy above of them.


    ¡°Firefist monkeys,¡± Subaru told him. ¡°As long as we don¡¯t bother them, they won¡¯t attack us¡­probably.¡±


    ¡°Firefist?¡±


    His question was answered though. One of the monkeys punch another with a flame infused fist. The monkey missed, hitting the tree. Flames flickered, and Kagami moved to put it out, but Subaru stopped him.


    ¡°The trees here are fire resistant, look.¡±


    The fire fizzled.


    Kagami kept on thinking, he hadn¡¯t seen too much of the world down in the Wishing Well, but things like this reminded him that he was in a different world. There was something romantic about that. Maybe when he finds Asa, they could travel around this world.


    A small smile cracked on his lips at that thought.


    He would really love that.


    Kagami stopped. His focus pulled at the weirdness of the space around them. There was no sound. Subaru turned to him with a wry smile.


    ¡°So you noticed it too? We¡¯re here.¡± He pointed in the distance.


    Kagami followed his finger, and his eyes went wide with fury.


    Standing in front of a great stone gate was the same elf that Kagami that killed him earlier. The one that he tried to punch, but hit an invisible wall.


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    ¡°I know that elf,¡± Kagami was telling him before the elf called out to them.


    ¡°I can sense you!¡± He roared. ¡°This area is not part of the ritual! Leave, and I shall not kill you! Stay, and your death is certain!¡±


    The two of them looked at each other.


    ¡°Do you think he can actually sense us?¡± Kagami asked.


    A tree next to them snapped in half.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only give you one warning.¡± The elf called out.


    That had answered his question.


    ¡°Hey, you called him an elf didn¡¯t you?¡± For the first time, the sense of ease in his voice slipped, replaced with a frightened boy¡¯s. ¡°Are you sure he is?¡±


    ¡°Are elves really the scary?¡± Kagami asked, thinking back to the two he had encountered.


    ¡°They¡¯re terrifying.¡±


    Maybe it was because he was from another world, but he didn¡¯t see that. In his world, he fought the Yakuza, he fought assassins, he fought even stranger things.


    Kagami took a step forward. Subaru caught his arm.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°He uses a barrier. You stay out of sight, watch and wait. I¡¯ll go ahead.¡±


    Kagami pulled his arm free before the oni could protest. He stepped out in the open for the elf to see. The elf narrowed his eyes at him.


    ¡°Oh? You must be either foolish or a death seeker come out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m neither!¡± Kagami yelled, pointing at him. ¡°I¡¯m here to get my revenge!¡±


    ¡°Revenge? I cannot remember every insect I¡¯ve stepped on. Tell me, foolish human, what did I do to you?¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t remember?¡± Kagami stomped the ground. ¡°You made Kenichi drug me!¡±


    His eyes widened just a bit and an amused smile spread on the elf¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Ah, yes. The man bearing the Oswell name. You have come here for revenge? You aren¡¯t the first Oswell to fall down here. I¡¯ve faced many, but you are a disappointment. A true stain to the name of the Eternal Queen.¡±


    Kagami wasn¡¯t sure what to say to that. He scratched his cheek and then gave a shrug.


    ¡°Is that supposed to mean something?¡±


    The elf¡¯s eye twitched. Kagami saw he hit a nerve and the edge of his lips curled.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t like that do you? Does that name mean something to you? The name means nothing to me. I¡¯ve made better shits than that name. My name is Kagami, not Cedar Oswell-¡±


    Where he had been standing exploded. Kagami stood right next to the area and tapped his knuckles against the space. It felt like glass.


    ¡°What are you here for?¡± The elf demanded to know.


    ¡°I told you. Revenge.¡± Kagami eyes burned as he took his stance and gestured with his outstretched hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come down here and face me?¡±


    The elf stepped off the cliff, landing right in front of him. As he straightened himself, Kagami finally got a good look at the elf. He was a head taller than him, with porcelain skin that would make a woman jealous. His hair as long and lithe as his body was.


    ¡°The Warden, appears to have high hopes that you will grow,¡± the elf said. ¡°I do not see why he would do so. Your only gift is you are unable to die. I¡¯ll make sure that your deaths are as painful as possible.¡±


    ¡°I gave you my name. It¡¯s only fair for you to give yours.¡± Kagami said.


    ¡°Like you, I have also thrown away my old name.¡± The elf cracked his neck. ¡°You can call me Oberon, Prince Oswell.¡±


    Kagami was the first to move. His fist smashed against the invisible barrier. Oberon snorted, wagging his finger.


    ¡°I shall not move from this spot. Your fist cannot do anything against my barrier.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡±


    Oberon held up two fingers. Kagami¡¯s next punch froze in place. He could feel his elbow in an invisible box. With with a wave of his fingers, Kagami was flung aside like a rag doll. He righted himself to land on the ground, but his feet were caught by the another invisible box.


    ¡°I did not say, I wouldn¡¯t do anything though.¡±


    The elf waved his fingers down. Kagami¡¯s face smashed into the ground. He felt his nose crack like an egg. The next moment he was dragged across the ground and then flung once more, hitting the rocky wall behind the elf.


    His vision shook, and for a moment he was sure he blacked out. The next moment, he was being held upside down, his legs shackled together by the invisible barrier.


    ¡°Are you still alive? Even after all of that? I suppose I¡¯ll have to admit your quite tough, but you have no Aura coming out of you. Does your ability activate on the verge of death? Should I go ahead and try?¡±


    His fingers touched his stomach.


    Kagami threw a desperate punch. The impact sounded like hitting a thick slab of metal. Blood dripped from his fist. The elf gave him a pitiful gaze.


    ¡°I sense no Spirit Energy coming from you. Why would she send you down here? I don¡¯t see it? If you were no use to her, she would have simply ended your life. Answer me, Cedar! Why didn¡¯t she kill you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± His voice was hoarse. With his thumb, he snapped his nose back in place. ¡°But even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Worthless!¡± His mood darkened.


    He flicked his finger. Kagami braced himself.


    Light pierced the barrier, hitting the elf. He gasped in surprise, and the barrier holding Kagami¡¯s feet disappeared.


    Kagami landed on his feet and this time his fist met the elf¡¯s body.


    The elf gasped and fell to his knees. He held the spot Kagami had hit and glared at him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was alone. I am the distraction.¡± Kagami grinned.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 31 - Overdrive Mode Activated

    Using his ability to control sound, he was able to climb the tree without bringing any attention to him. He made sure not to flare his Aura and suppress it. Then on top of the tree, he put on put on black mask that covered only the lower half of his face.


    The mask he got as a reward for gambling when he was going down the elevator. He liked its ascetics with the sharp golden teeth and the fangs at the end that gave it the feel of a demon¡¯s grin.


    It also had a secret.


    There was a little button on its side that opened a small hole between the teeth. From the man he won this from, he told him it originally had been used to hide a poison dart. Subaru didn¡¯t need to use it for that though, he had a far more nefarious use for it.


    Subaru leaned on the edge of the branch, taking note at the battle¡¯s progress¡­if it could be even called that.


    It was one sided, like an adult beating a boy. His punches battered against his barrier like pair of sticks.


    That confident grin the elf had, Subaru would wipe that clean.


    He opened his Gate.


    Aura flowed through and he gathered it all in at the hole in his mask.


    He sucked in a deep breath that expanded his belly and whistled.


    The condensed sound blew through his barrier and struck him in the chest. Kagami landed on his feet and landed a blow on his body.


    Subaru closed his Gate, suppressing his Aura and sound. He jumped from branch after branch, hopping to the next tree.


    The tree he had been on snapped in two. The elf held out his hand in that direction but had missed him by mere minutes


    He hurried to his next vantage point.


    #


    True to his word, Cedar Oswell continued to act as a decoy. His punches meant nothing to his barrier, but he was a true pest. The prince kept on striking the barrier with the mad fervor of a berserker. Though the auraless fists posed no danger to him the blow the blow he landed on him still throbbed in pain.


    The sound of the blows hitting his barrier bothered him the most.


    His breathing was off, and his barrier was weaker. He searched for the man responsible for breaking his barrier. There was no sign of Aura nor did his ears pick up any sound.


    To skillfully hide his aura, the man was a pro. Oberon wouldn¡¯t doubt if he had been an assassin.


    Oberon turned his attention back to Cedar. He wrapped his barrier around the man¡¯s fist and wrenched him up by the wrist. The prince did not stop though, he kicked the barrier. The sound thrummed like a warped sheet of metal.


    ¡°What abilities does your comrade have?¡± He questioned him. ¡°Answer me!¡±


    Cedar stuck his tongue out.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to say shit.¡±


    ¡°Childish!¡± The moment Oberon swung his fist, his vision flashed.


    His barrier broke like a glass window. The beam struck his back and it reverberated throughout his body, shaking the delicate machinery.


    He gasped, and his concentration had waned. He saw the Prince¡¯s fist before it struck his face.


    Oberon was face down on the ground. Dirt sullied his perfectly crafted face. Anger and pride warred within him.


    A failure had struck him again. A coward kept running and attacking him from a distance.


    Unacceptable!


    Once more they started the tactic again. Cedar struck his barrier over and over again, and he could not find the coward in the tree tops.


    These people.


    Bang. Bang. Bang.


    They would not.


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    Bang. Bang. Bang.


    Be allowed to live.


    Oberon stood tall. He felt a spike of Aura in the distance. He showed no concern for it. He focused on his Aura on his chest. A hatch opened up, revealing a beautiful blue orb.


    Immediately, power surged through him.


    A pleasant voice sounded with his head.


    Overdrive Mode Activated.


    #


    Subaru released another whistle. The highly condensed sound turned to light, striking the elf. His heart was swelling with confidence. The legends about elves were always horror stories. The amount of time they lived allowed them to learn many, many things. There weren¡¯t many stories about human triumphing against an elf.


    That confidence died as soon as he saw his Whistle splash instead of pierce through the barrier. Aura flared like added oil to a fire. As the light died down, Subaru watched in horror as he saw the elf holding Kagami by the neck.


    In the center of his chest was a blue orb that bled blue light. Blue lines etched across the elf¡¯s skin as if they were veins. The elf turned to Subaru and Subaru realized far too late he should have been running.


    ¡°Got you.¡± He read the lips of the elf.


    Subaru dove off the branch, desperation prickled his skin. He was like a rabbit that had caught a hungry wolf¡¯s attention.


    The air warped around him, and he was caught in an invisible trap.


    He floated down, brought in front of the elf. The elf met Subaru with those ominous glowing blue eyes with a grin that relished his victory.


    The rabbit was in the wolf¡¯s mouth.


    #


    What had happened?


    His consciousness wavered between the lines of life and death for a moment.


    A vision of the fire bird flashed in his mind.


    He didn¡¯t want to go back there.


    Pain awakened him. His throat was grasped by the elf, slightly loosened to allow him to breath. Blue light was leaking all over Oberon¡¯s body. A victorious grin stretched across his face as he looked between Kagami and Subaru.


    ¡°So, I have caught both rabbits. Death is all but inevitable.¡±


    His heart quickened at that, but he pushed that fear down.


    ¡°Then do it!¡± Kagami managed to say.


    ¡°Patience!¡± He hissed, tightening his grip on Kagami¡¯s neck. ¡°Do you think that I would kill you so quickly? After all the dishonor you have caused me? No, both of your deaths will be slow. Starting with you.¡±


    Subaru gasped. He held his throat. Oberon tossed Kagami down.


    ¡°Your friend is dying. He lacks oxygen. If you can defeat me, I shall release him.¡±


    He rubbed his throat as he coughed. His gaze was attracted to the cavity of his chest. Behind the blue orb, there were gears running in the background.


    ¡°You¡¯re a robot?¡±


    ¡°A puppet!¡± He hissed. ¡°I was once Prince Lennox Oswell. I too was thrown down here by our mother. She tosses us here, those that show potential. A test to see if one of us can make it out here. That was fifty years ago.¡±


    His legs felt like jelly, he still managed to stand up.


    ¡°What are you talking about? That woman didn¡¯t seem like fifty. Her voice sounded too young.¡±


    To that, Oberon laughed. His blue eyes flared as brightly as his knowing smile.


    ¡°She is called the Eternal Queen. She has lived as long as any elf, but should you really be asking me questions? Your dear friend is losing air as we speak.¡±


    Kagami leapt to Subaru.


    ¡°Too slow.¡±


    He was met with a kick to the face. His back bounced off the wall, and he hit the ground. Blood dripped from his mouth and nose. He pressed his arms under his chest attempting to stand back up. Oberon laughter filled the air.


    ¡°Good. Good. Keep on trying.¡± The elf flicked his finger. Subaru¡¯s face was purple, but relief filled his eyes as he took in a quick breath. ¡°Can¡¯t have him die yet. The game is still afoot.¡±


    Kagami barked out a pained laugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re really a sadist aren¡¯t you?¡± Kagami slicked his bangs aside. Every part of his body hurt as he sucked in uneven breaths. ¡°At least when I had strength, I never played with my food.¡±


    Oberon snorted.


    ¡°Come now, I¡¯m giving you a chance to free your friend.¡±


    A crack of smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°You might regret that.¡±


    Oberon sneered as Kagami stumbled forward like a walking corpse. He pointed his finger and Kagami bent over, his midsection struck by his barrier.


    He moved his finger as if he a composer moving his baton. Kagami was hit in all sorts of direction. He couldn¡¯t keep up with this onslaught of invisible attacks. He fell forward, but a barrier clamped on his midsection and he rose a few feet in the air. His feet dangling.


    ¡°Come on! Do something!¡± He waved his finger down, and Kagami slammed against the ground.


    He could do nothing.


    He was losing consciousness and in his desperation threw out a punch so weak that it may as well have been a cork gun.


    It hit the barrier between Oberon and Kagami.


    And Kagami finally fell.


    The elf shackled his hands together with his barrier and pulled him up, suspending him in midair.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you this Cedar, your will is the greatest I¡¯ve seen any Oswell that I¡¯ve killed. None of that matters without strength. I can see it in you, you¡¯re afraid, aren¡¯t you? Of what?¡± He placed his hand on Kagami¡¯s cheek, his glowing blue eyes stared through him. Kagami tried to chomp on them. Oberon pulled back. His face turned to rage. ¡°Insolence!¡±


    With a few more smashes to the ground, Kagami was surprised that he was still conscious. It was his way to resist, to give a big middle finger to the man who claimed to have the same cursed name as the prince¡¯s body that he inhabited.


    ¡°Your body is broken.¡± He tapped his arm. ¡°You haven¡¯t used your ability to revive, instead holding on for dear life. Why are you scared?¡±


    Kagami spat a bloody spit. It splatted on the invisible barrier. Kagami gave a toothy grin covered in blood.


    ¡°Anyone would be afraid to die.¡±


    The bloody spit streaked down the barrier.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t.¡± Oberon leaned in, digging deeper. ¡°I know, because I saw you revive. Why are you scared?¡±


    ¡°. . .¡±


    ¡°If you won¡¯t answer, then die.¡±


    Oberon¡¯s hand erupted from his back.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 32 - Because I Lost

    Water from the sink ran into a bowl filled with shrimp. He took one out, his big hands pulling apart the shell from the shrimp with practiced efficiency, and then he tossed it to another bowl next to him. He looked over to the clock on the wall behind him.


    It was four. She would be home in an hour. No doubt tired from her work.


    Work at the office took a lot out of her. She had complained to him about the project that had been thrust upon her by her supervisor. Earlier she had voiced confidence that they were nearing the end when she called him.


    Kagami had closed his restaurant early and shopped. He bought cake from her current favorite cake shop, and he went to the supermarket to grab the ingredients of her favorite dish.


    Paella.


    He hoped to have it ready by the time she came home, but with the sound of the front door opening, he knew that she had come home earlier than usual.


    Kagami rinsed off his hands and stepped out of the kitchen.


    ¡°Welcome home.¡± He smiled, wiping his hands on his apron.


    She was tired. He could see that. She was wearing the same grey work clothes she had worn a couple of days ago. Her usual brilliant golden hair was frazzled and tied in a sloppy ponytail. Asa was pulling her heels off, and when she saw him, the tiredness of some sleepless nights melted away from her face. She leaned into his chest, and he embraced her.


    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while hasn¡¯t it?¡± Kagami stroked her back. ¡°It must have been tough.¡±


    ¡°It was!¡± She nuzzled into his chest. ¡°Makes me want to return back to wet work. That was so much easier than a corporate job. My boss is such a pain!¡±


    Kagami cracked his fist. ¡°Do you want me to go and destroy the building?¡±


    ¡°Haha! If only.¡± She pulled her head up to meet his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re home early? How was the restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Closed it early,¡± Kagami said. ¡°You worked hard. I wanted to surprise you with good food.¡±


    ¡°A surprise?¡± Her face lit up. They separated and she leaned her head up taking a good whiff of the air. Her face looked as if lightning had struck, a sliver of drool escaped the corner of her mouth. ¡°Is it paella?¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± Kagami offered his sleeve for her to wipe her mouth. She looked embarrassed, but took his offer. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you came home early. If I had known, I would have drawn a bath for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. Your feelings are what count!¡± She said with a brighter smile. ¡°Good food, and thoughtful. What would I do without you?¡±


    ¡°What indeed?¡± Kagami rubbed his beard. ¡°Probably buried under all of the manga and games you own.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± She smacked his shoulder playfully. ¡°I take that personally! Those were my light in my darkest of hours.¡±


    Kagami couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He was so happy. His wife pouted but her lips turned to the sunny smile of a new morning. She went down the hall and Kagami went back to the kitchen.


    #


    ¡°Sooo good!¡± Her hand pressed against her cheek in delight.


    While Kagami was on his second bite, she held out her bowl for him to take.


    ¡°Seconds!¡±


    He went to the kitchen and came back with another serving.


    ¡°Eat as much as you want.¡± He placed the paella in front of her.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± She took a generous scoop of paella, squealing in delight when it entered her mouth.


    Watching her enjoy his food made his heart feel warm. He could watch her eat his food forever. There was nothing more satisfying than watching someone enjoy the food he cooked.


    Then his gaze went to her chest and he frowned. The suit she had worn covered her scar well. The t-shirt she wore now, allowed him to see it clearly. It looked like a star.


    ¡°Pervert!¡± She held chest in mock jest.


    ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Kagami asked.


    She took a thoughtful bite, intentionally taking her time to chew so she wouldn¡¯t have to answer so quickly. When she swallowed she told him.


    ¡°Sometimes.¡±


    His chest tightened.


    ¡°See, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to say anything.¡± She pointed at him with her spoon. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    Kagami couldn¡¯t help himself. His fist tightened as he thought about it. If only he could have¡­


    ¡°Enough!¡± She smacked her hand on the table. Her crimson eyes stared him down. ¡°I¡¯m not some weak little princess. This scar isn¡¯t your burden to bear, it¡¯s mine. It¡¯s on my body.¡± Then her face softened. ¡°Plus, if I were in a situation like that again, you would do anything for me.¡±


    Kagami snorted at that.


    ¡°Of course I would. I would cross the seas and skies for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a big promise.¡± She closed one of her eyes. ¡°Well, I have to one up that now. I would cross time and space for you.¡±


    And Kagami knew she meant it. It was why he broke into a joyful fit of laughter. Raising his head, and holding his gut.


    He wiped a tear. ¡°I know you would. But that¡¯s pretty hard to imagine. I¡¯m pretty indestructible.¡± He patted his chest. ¡°It would have to be some monster to stop me.¡±


    ¡°Like me?¡±


    To that Kagami smiled even more brilliantly.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite a beautiful monster to be chased by.¡±


    #


    The doorbell rang when Kagami was cleaning the dishes. They had finished dinner, and Asa was currently playing a game on the TV. Kagami wiped his hands on his apron and walked over to the door.


    He looked through the peephole but saw nothing but blackness. As he turned the doorknob, he heard a yell from behind him.


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    ¡°Don¡¯t open the door!¡± He saw Asa with a drawn blade rushing towards him.


    The door opened.


    Kagami turned to it.


    Whatever was behind the door, Kagami knew it was what killed him.


    #


    ¡°Weakling.¡± The Warden stood over him, wires dripping blood.


    It had been the first time he had met the Warden. He had by some miraculous will made it to his home only to be soundly defeated.


    Kagami tried to stand up, his body wouldn¡¯t listen to him.


    The next moment, he was cut into mincemeat and then fed to the spiders.


    #


    Once more, he had died and appeared in front of two towering gates that stretched up this white void. The first one to his right was chained by fire. The second to his left slowly creaked open and an eye stared back at him.


    ¡°So you have come here again. Was your death painful?¡±


    He fell to his knees and held his thumping head.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve asked this question many times and I¡¯ll repeat myself again. I have no reason to answer you.¡±


    Memories flowed out like water from a spigot.


    And then he remembered.


    ¡°You.¡± The hand on his head lowered from his head. ¡°You¡¯re that phoenix. The one that keeps on burning me alive when I die.¡±


    ¡°You have more of your memories this time. How wonderful. How should I torture you this time? Shall I burn you to death? Shall I pick at your guts? So many choices I have.¡±


    ¡°Torture?¡± The word made more memories rise from the depth of his mind. Cold sweat dripped from his face. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had been standing here, having a discussion with him. He had been burnt to death many, many times.


    The owner of the eyes, the great phoenix, screeched in glee.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I love that look on your face. Erasing your memories is a pain. I can¡¯t let others know that you have two gates. Though, that masked bitch saw through it.¡±


    The Queen¡¯s face popped in his mind.


    ¡°You must really hate her.¡±


    ¡°I do!¡± The phoenix screeched. ¡°Both you and that bitch is the reason why I¡¯m here like this!¡± It¡¯s smoldering eyes pierced Kagami.


    This hadn¡¯t been the first time the phoenix had told Kagami how much he despised the Queen, but for why he despised Kagami, he didn¡¯t understand. He had no recollection of ever beating up a fire bird.


    ¡°Are you the one that killed me?¡±


    There was surprise in its laughter. As the laughter reached its crescendo, the Gate swung open. The phoenix stretched its wings and screeched in joy. Like an open furnace, heat blew in his face. The blazing gust grew hotter and more violent with every second.


    He combusted. Rainbow flames devoured him.


    ¡°Weakling!¡± It declared upon the heavens. ¡°How does it feel not to have any of your former strength? To not have the body you are proud of? You must feel helpless!¡±


    He-


    Kagami pushed back against the force.


    ¡°Oh?¡± The phoenix seemed amused. ¡°You¡¯re resisting? That¡¯s fine, my brother. I shall give everything to you. My rage and my hatred!¡±


    His feet slid back a few steps and the flames grew even hotter. He couldn¡¯t take it, he was going to lose and get devoured by the flames again. He-


    ¡°Already giving up?¡± The phoenix laughed. ¡°So weak.¡±


    That word, made something snap within Kagami.


    When had it happened? When had his confidence been smashed? Why was he in such pain, being burnt so much that his flesh peeled from his bone like supple chicken wings?


    Why did he have to endure this pain?


    Even when he had been torn asunder by the Masked Queen, he still hadn¡¯t lost his confidence. He had been tied up. If given the opportunity, he would be able to beat her.


    No, if he had to rack his brain, it had been when he had the humilating defeat by the hands of the Warden. His confidence had been lost more and more when he lost to Luke and he was lit on fire by this crazy bird.


    He¡­no longer wanted to do that.


    He didn¡¯t want to die again, because he had been scared. Scared that his wife would no longer recognize him if she met him.


    But she wouldn¡¯t recognize the pitiful self he had become.


    For her¡­to see her once more¡­I¡¯d become a monster.


    The sound of knocking reverberated throughout the white space. Kagami couldn¡¯t see, but he reached out his hand towards the direction of it.


    The Phoenix¡¯s shrill laugh filled the air.


    ¡°You wish for power? I have sealed your Gate.¡±


    The Flames fizzled out because the Phoenix stopped. Cold winds prickled Kagami¡¯s burnt self like the first snow of winter. Relief and unending pain mixed together, creating a delicate balance that threatened to break him if not for his strong will.


    ¡°You wish for it don¡¯t you?¡± The Phoenix overshadowed him like a sky scraper. It¡¯s malice clearly felt through its voice. ¡°Strength to punch that puppet you fought. To crush him.¡±


    Kagami tried to form words, but he found he had no jaw.


    ¡°If you bow down, and plead to me to open the Gate, I shall allow it just this once.¡± Its eyes flared.


    He didn¡¯t want to do that. Every fiber in his being screamed for him not to do that. Because if he did, he felt that everything he endured would have been for nothing. The Phoenix knew that and desired nothing but to crush the last of his pride.


    ¡°Do it. You know if I revive you, all you will be is but a punching bag. Bow down and plead to me for power, and I shall grant it to you.¡±


    He gargled his attempts to say ¡®never.¡¯


    The Phoenix still sensed his intentions, and laughed.


    ¡°Is that all? Do you not wish to meet your wife? You will continue to stay down here for all eternity. If what Aria says is true, then she shall die.¡±


    Those words, which were wickedly said by the Phoenix, was the last thing that broke Kagami.


    For her he would do anything.


    The question hadn¡¯t been if he¡¯d become a monster. No, that was something he could easily become. The real question was if he could bare his heart for this monster in front of him to trample on? To allow his last shred of pride to be destroyed.


    His knees snapped like dried twigs as he knelt down. His blackened face pressed against the white void of a ground. In its triumph the Phoenix laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡± It blew out flames. ¡°You must beg me with your words.¡±


    His burnt body was healed in an instant and Kagami shook not from the cold but from his pride being broken.


    ¡°Please, give me pow-¡±


    ¡°No. Tell me you are weak. Because you are weak. You no longer have the strength that you once had.¡±


    Kagami immediately lifted his head. He sucked in a breath. He hated this bird with every fiber of his being. Yet, the Phoenix waited patiently, for he knew Kagami would do it. There was no other option for him.


    The once proclaimed strongest man of Earth pressed his head against the ground and bore his heart for the Phoenix to see.


    ¡°I am weak. Please, grant me power.¡±


    And no more could he say he was strong. For the Phoenix drunk that in his pathetic self as if it were the sweetest and most sublime liquor. It closed its eyes, taking it in.


    ¡°Yes. You are weak. For that I shall grant you power for a small moment.¡±


    The lock made of flame disappeared as if it blown out like a candle. The Gate slowly opened and power that Kagami had wanted surged through him.


    No longer did he want it. The power that went inside of him stained and stuck to him like oil. A poison that that killed the man he had been.


    #


    Oberon held Cedar in his hand. His other, pierced through him like a spear. His interest in the prince had waned in this fight. He was weak. His punches were quite strong, but they were nothing but child¡¯s punch against his barrier.


    The former Oswell waited to see the current Oswell revive. He was at least interested in that. An ability that allowed one to come back from death was at least, if nothing else, rare.


    Cedar¡¯s gripped his arm. It surprised Oberon to see that the prince was not dead, but still alive.


    ¡°You¡¯re like a cockaroach¡­¡± He stopped, surprised as tears streamed from the Prince¡¯s blue eyes and down the his bloodied face. It confused him. He shook his head to free himself from his befuddlement. ¡°If nothing, you are persistent. You-¡±


    Aura exploded from within him.


    The Prince crushed his arm as if it were a rotten apple. Oberon yelled and kicked the Prince aside, but he took the rest of his arm with him.


    Oberon looked to his shoulder. Threads, gears, and splintered wood was exposed from the stump. Cedar dropped the arm and looked like a lost boy separated from his mother.


    ¡°Wha-what is this?¡± Oberon¡¯s voice grew strong when he asked again. ¡°What is this, Cedar?!¡±


    He vanished. Oberon threw up his three layered barrier in response. Cedar reappeared in front of him, throwing a punch.


    This fool. His punch would not work-


    His fist tore through his barrier like paper and cracked his core.


    The force of his punch made him fly in an arc, crashing through the stone wall and into the vault that he protected. His body was broken and in shreds. His core was bleeding blue light. He could not move. The only thing he could do was watch in horror as Cedar Oswell stepped into the vault.


    ¡°Why?¡± Oberon asked. ¡°Why are you crying?¡±


    To which, the Prince replied.


    ¡°Because I lost.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 33 - The Die Has Been Cast

    ¡°I commend you,¡± Oberon said to him before Kagami destroyed his core. Half of his face had been torn off, revealing a face of a mechanical doll. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize what a monster you truly are. You truly are the person that Queen was searching for.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Kagami said. Tears still ran down his face.


    Noticing this, Oberon¡¯s laughter was breaking up filled with static. His voice was becoming much more distorted from the damages he took.


    ¡°It matters not what you think. Fate will not allow it. The Queen shall not allow it, because of the blood in your veins. You are a part of this. We are all puppets to Fate.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Kagami yelled. He was out of breath, he was still in pain. But he didn¡¯t care. ¡°I don¡¯t care about this game! I don¡¯t care about this world! All I care about is my wife! I¡­I¡­¡±


    He felt this oppressive air put on top of him. He still remembered the humiliation from the Phoenix. His confidence, his pride, and his strength had shattered like a mirror.


    I don¡¯t even know who I am anymore.


    Kagami fell to his knee. In his mind, he could hear the Phoenix screech in glee at the state he was in.


    Subaru flashed in his mind.


    He rose. He still had something he needed to do. He stood over Oberon. He wrapped his fist with Aura ready to smash his core.


    ¡°Before I destroy you, I need to know where my friend¡¯s pack is. Do you know where it is?¡±


    Something within Oberon¡¯s head whirled like spinning disks. He pointed to a corner.


    ¡°Your friend¡¯s bag is on top of the pile in the corner. Take it.¡±


    Kagami took note of the bag and nodded.


    ¡°You should hurry. My comrade will be coming soon.¡±


    With the strike of what his true body could muster, he destroyed his core.


    #


    While pouring tea for his guest, the Warden felt two discrepancies from his threads. The first was an explosion of Aura that could match even his. The second was that two¡­no three people had intruded his little ritual.


    He drafted his message and then sent it within his threads to the two closest Guardians to investigate those areas. He felt their acknowledgment from his orders and they immediately went to carry it out.


    The Warden then resumed his tea pouring.


    ¡°I wonder how much I¡¯ve danced to your tune? Giving us part of the future may have been a mistake on your part.¡± He glanced at his guest as he handed her a cup of Autumn Brew.


    Aria took the cup gratefully, bringing the rustic orange tea to her nose, taking a whiff of the pleasant and mellow aroma.


    ¡°What a nostalgic scent,¡± she said taking a sip of it.


    ¡°Have you had it before?¡± The Warden sat in front of her.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve simply seen this future many times. The aroma has always made a strong impression.¡± She placed the tea cup down. ¡°I¡¯m grateful that we¡¯re meeting, Prospero.¡±


    The Warden took a casual sip of his tea. The mellow flavor spread through his mouth. He took his time to enjoy it before swallowing peacefully.


    ¡°It has been quite sometime since I¡¯ve been called that.¡±


    Looking at his reflection his tea, he could see a shadow of the man called Prospero. That vibrant young man who still held hope in his eyes for a better world, now stared back at him with eyes may have lost some of its glimmer, but it still held the determination to make that world better even now.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯ve come here for. Even before I read the paper with what you claim the future will be. I captured a certain fellow that told me you plan to break the Seal of the Goddess below this house,¡± the Warden crossed his legs and rested his clasped hands on the table. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what future you¡¯ve seen, as long as I breathe, you will not be able to break the seal.¡±


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    ¡°Yes, I know.¡± She smiled confidently. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this future too. I know you have placed your threads around my heart, and neck. There is little I can do right now. I¡¯m at your mercy.¡± She took another sip of her tea. ¡°This is truly good tea.¡±


    ¡°If you know, then you also know that I cannot allow you to live.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know that too.¡± She placed the empty tea cup down and closed her eyes. ¡°I know that in this future, my death is inevitable. My words cannot be trusted. I have cast my die. I can only hope that after my death, it will come to fruition.¡± She opened those lovely purple eyes. ¡°Yours may too after your death.¡±


    ¡°The future isn¡¯t certain.¡±


    ¡°I know this too. Thank you for the lovely tea. It was a nice to drink something so pleasant before my death.¡±


    Her eyes showed she was not afraid of her death. She was prepared for it. The Warden respected that. To give everything for a gambit, he too understood that. With one grip of his hand, his wires tore her into pieces of meat in an instant.


    Though the chances were minuscule, he didn¡¯t want to repeat his mistake with the Prince. He summoned three spiders from below and watched to make sure they devoured every piece of her.


    #


    Subaru woke up to a bag being thrown on his gut. He shot straight up, confused and with a headache. A bloodied Kagami sat on the rock in front of him, his face tired and caked with blood, dirt, and tears.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I got your stuff.¡±


    There was blood dripping from a hole in his chest. The way his voice had no strength was one of a dying man. Yet, Kagami looked at him with a small smile, as if seeing him alive was his salvation.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re not dead,¡± said the dying man to the living man.


    What was he supposed to say to that? The man had the wrong priorities!


    ¡°I just want to make sure, you will revive right?¡±


    ¡°I killed him. The robot.¡± He ignored his question.


    ¡°Robot?¡±


    ¡°He was a robot. He wasn¡¯t an elf.¡± Kagami looked up at the ceiling. The sunroot was dimming. ¡°I killed him.¡±


    This was the first time he had ever heard of a robot before. So, that elf wasn¡¯t an elf? What did he mean by that?


    No. He shook his head. The first thing he needed to do was check the man¡¯s condition. So, he asked once more.


    ¡°That wound looks fatal. You are going to revive right?¡±


    To which, the prince gave a smile, and fell over dead.


    Subaru knew he didn¡¯t need to check, but he did anyways, checking his pulse, confirming he was dead. He covered his face with his hands.


    What the heck was he supposed to do here?


    I guess I can only wait.


    Subaru watched the sunroot dim, and remembered the bag in his lap. He opened it up, and he could feel his heart jump in joy when he found the item he needed. He held the gold coin in his hand. To others, it looked ordinary, but the coin had been imbued with a certain technique that allowed teleportation out of the Wishing Well.


    With this, he could leave this shitty place.


    . . .


    But he stared at the prince that saved him.


    He put the coin in his pocket.


    It would be rude to leave without at least seeing if he could revive.


    ¡°Are you the one that killed Oberon?¡± A woman¡¯s voice spoke behind him.


    He closed his eyes in regret and then turned to face the woman.


    It was another elf.


    #


    They were walking further away from the heartbeat of the Seal. Anytime Yoru brought this up to Kenichi, he would give her a smile and ask her to be patient.


    ¡°We¡¯ll arrive where we need to be soon,¡± he said as if he were reading off a script. ¡°That I can assure you.¡±


    It might have been the fifth time he said that. It may have been the tenth. She didn¡¯t count. She just knew she had heard it enough. She put her her aura infused foot down. A shock wave made the tree branches sway and animals run.


    ¡°Enough!¡± She yelled. ¡°I have been patient enough!¡±


    Kenichi turned to face her like a disapproving father.


    ¡°We¡¯re going further and further away from where we need to go! We¡¯ve been walking for almost four hours! How much longer will we need to walk?¡±


    ¡°I cannot answer that,¡± he said. ¡°You know I must carry out Aria¡¯s words.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t! We can do whatever we need to! Our goal is to find the Seal!¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± Kenichi¡¯s tone darkened. ¡°Or are you perhaps looking for Cedar? You allow yourself to feed into your vengeance and it has consumed you! So much so that you¡¯ve lost your patience? Do you remember what my mission is?¡±


    The bear watched the wolf, waiting for her to speak.


    ¡°To break the seal.¡± She answered him.


    ¡°Yet, I don¡¯t believe you care about that anymore. Every moment since you met him, all you wish to do is to kill him.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Irritation rose up her throat. ¡°I asked you once, what would you do if someone you loved was killed in front of you? What if Aria was killed? What would you do?¡±


    His face tensed and he turned his gaze away from her. As if scared he was scared that she would see through him.


    And she did.


    It was slow, but her anger subsided as realization crashed upon her.


    ¡°Kenichi¡­what did the note say?¡± She reached her hand towards him.


    He didn¡¯t need to say anything. All she needed to see was the look on his face. She covered her mouth.


    ¡°Kenichi, is Aria dead?¡±


    The bear looked up at the sky, the light from the sunroot was slowly dimming, showing that the sun was setting on the surface.


    He closed his eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    The area in front of them exploded. Yoru rose her arms, protecting her eyes from the stinging dirt. When the dirt settled a young man with light brown hair walked forward. When he spotted them, he gave them an angelic smile. Yoru¡¯s gaze though was caught by the mark of the Black Sun on his chest.


    ¡°The Black Sun?¡± Every hair on her tail stood up. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± The corner of the man¡¯s smile spread even further. ¡°You know us? Then that makes it quicker? Do you perhaps know where Prince Cedar Oswell is?¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 34 - Even at a Grave Cost

    When he was given the letter, his closed heart soared once more. He unfolded the letter with such care, taking the words as if they were scripture, and his thumb grazed upon the words as if it were her once plucky lips. He imagined such a scene with rapturous delight.


    Aria knew that he would listen to her. She also knew that Yoru would not. She never liked being led on. It was what led her to leave the cult in the first place. It may have hurt Kenichi for her to give up her mission, but she had returned nonetheless.


    That made him happy.


    This future, he would make sure it happened. That he promised even before he read the end.


    His vision blurred, and teardrops distorted the words.


    His fingers fiddled with the Crest of the Moon around his neck.


    And once more, that he would make sure that this future would come to pass.


    Even at a grave cost.


    #


    The sunroot had reached its end, and darkness consumed the forest. In its place, the forest leaves gave a soft glow. The darkness was as thick as ink, her powers were at its height right now. She could not take her eyes off this man.


    ¡°Oh!¡± The man clapped his hands together and spoke as if they were meeting in a much more pleasant manner. ¡°How rude of me! I forgot, I should introduce myself. I am the chosen Champion of the Goddess of the Sun. My name is Bell. What is your name?¡±


    Yoru didn¡¯t answer. His smile twitched in response.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that. I am being polite. Just tell me your name.¡±


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    ¡°¡­I have no interest to tell you my name.¡±


    ¡°¡­You shouldn¡¯t like this.¡± His smile dropped. ¡°I don¡¯t like hurting beautiful women like you, but I will if I have to.¡±


    ¡°If you think you can.¡± She knocked on her Gate. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you try.¡±


    ¡°Kenichi!¡±


    The two of them turned to him. Yoru had forgotten about him in this tense situation. It was hard to see him between the two trees, but her nose picked up on blood. He had probably been blown aside when the Black Sun landed.


    Why was he giving his name to him?


    ¡°See!¡± He clapped his hands in joy. ¡°That is how you introduce yourself! With a name! Now what is your name, milady?¡±


    ¡°Him giving his name doesn¡¯t make me more inclined to give you mine.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± His laugh was hollow. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll ask later, then. Now, now, I recall I asked a question earlier that no one answered. Do you know a Prince Cedar Oswell?¡±


    ¡°And what if we did? What would you do with him?¡± She asked.


    His smile brightened. ¡°The Goddess has chosen me to slay him. He is evil after all.¡±


    Her shadow boiled like hot tar.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t yours to slay! He is mine!¡±


    ¡°Yoru!¡±


    She was about to cut this man down, but was stopped by his voice. She turned to Kenichi. He shook his head.


    ¡°We have no use for him.¡± Kenichi explained. ¡°My friend has been affected by Cedar¡¯s evil, so I apologize. If I knew where he was, I would gladly offer him up to you.¡±


    What¡­what was he saying?


    Her fist was shaking, turning white.


    ¡°Hmmmm, that¡¯s a shame. Revenge is a no-no though.¡± Bell stopped in deep thought. ¡°I can¡¯t have that though. I should probably kill both of you.¡±


    ¡°Wa-wait! Why?¡± Kenichi sounded shocked.


    ¡°Because.¡± He pointed at Yoru. ¡°If she kills Cedar, then she took my right as a Hero away. I can¡¯t have that.¡±


    ¡°Ha! That¡¯s fine by me! You Black Suns are all the same! You¡¯re just as broken as the Moon Cultists are,¡± Yoru yelled.


    ¡°Yoru! Even at this situation, you dare call us broken!¡± Kenichi roared.


    Once more he attacked her. What he was saying felt off, like a bad performance.


    Bell sucked in a breath. ¡°Moon Cultists? Could it be¡­are you two¡­¡±


    Then he spotted the crescent moon necklace around Kenichi¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Ahhhh. I see.¡± He shook his head in disappointment. ¡°And you were so kind too.¡±


    It was just a blink, after that, he was gone.


    Kenichi fell.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Her lips parted as she made that sound.


    Bell stood over his body, his broadsword glowing and drawn. He gave a sigh and then turned to Yoru. He dropped something and it rolled towards her.


    Kenichi¡¯s face stared at her.


    ¡°How sad. I didn¡¯t want to do that, but evil must be struck down!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 35 - Broken Shadow

    Shadow Heart shot out from her shadow, she caught the black blade in her hand. Her Gate was wide open, Aura erupted within her along with her hatred. The ground they were standing on warped and shook. And then she shot forth like a loosed arrow.


    Bell intercepted her attack, their swords rang like a broken glass bell. For a moment they were at a stand still, their Auras clashed with each other.


    ¡°Heh! Do you see? Your attack means nothing to me! I can see it!¡±


    He was fast. His swings were as quick as the wind itself. But that didn¡¯t matter. She dodged his swings with ease and cut his head off. Before surprise escaped his gaping lips, she stabbed his heart. Sliced his legs. Chopped his arms. Her swings turned erratic as she screamed in rage, letting it all out.


    She stood over his corpse. Blood covered her face and she took in deep and heavy breaths.


    She didn¡¯t understand.


    She kicked his arm a distance away.


    How had this man killed Kenichi?


    The thought attacked her, gnawing on her head. Tears dripped from her face as she lifted her head and screamed her grief free.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?! How did you get killed from this weakling?!¡±


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t answer her. He was dead.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive you.¡± She murmured under her breath.


    A pink ball of light crossed in the corner of her eyes just as she was about to drop her black sword back into her shadow. She cut at it, but her sword went through it, as if she had tried cutting the moon by cutting its reflection instead.


    Yoru jumped away from the body. Her ears turned, but she heard no one around her. She kept her gaze upon the pink ball, watching it carefully. To see what kind of attack it was.


    The ball dropped on the Black Sun¡¯s body and in a blaze of pink light, Bell stepped out without a hint of injury, holding a pink blade with three gems instead of the silver sword he had held before his death. Two of the gems glowed, but one of them was dim.


    After seeing that, he bit his lips in frustration. Blood trickled from it.


    ¡°How dare you?¡± His voice shook. ¡°You took away my right to be heroic. Do you know how humiliating it is to be killed by a noob like you? You¡¯ve taken away my moment to be triumphant!¡±


    None of what he said made any sense to her. Other than one.


    Cedar¡¯s face, Elm¡¯s face, Kenichi¡¯s, and his face flashed in her mind.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Her face twisted in rage and the sword she held trembled. ¡°Why? Why are you assholes allowed to revive when the ones that deserve it are killed!¡±


    She screamed stabbing the ground. The shadows boiled like oil, and stretched covering the whole area with nothing but blackness.


    ¡°Memoria!¡± The sword in his hand changed forms. Turning into a blade that looked broken pieces of mirror glued together. ¡°Fine! I suppose I¡¯ll have to take you seriously!¡±


    Yoru cackled to that. Madness pumped to every corner of her body. Her nails peeling her skin as she raked it down her face.


    She had enough! Just fuck everything!


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you now! As painful as possible!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a NPC!¡± He screamed at the top of his lungs. ¡°But in my infinite benevolence, I shall kill you. As you are evil.¡±


    He came at her. Though slower, she was surprised to see that his swings were competent. More than that, they were masterful. Their clash rang as their swords met each other. Each time, she could feel her hands go a little number.


    ¡°Do you see now! My skills! Aren¡¯t they overwhelming?¡± Their blades met, and he pushed his body against her. Her blade was shaking in her hand, but she stood defiant. His face scrunched in annoyance. ¡°You should just give up. I¡¯ve already won. Like this, I cannot be defeated. My blade houses the spirit of a sword master. It allows me to use his moves.¡±


    ¡°Only a fool, tells their enemy, what their ability can do,¡± she said before she slipped away from him, leaving a parting slice to his cheek in the process.


    Bell touched his cheek, seeing blood. He looked less like an angel and more like a boy throwing a tantrum.


    ¡°How dare you! You still disrespect me!¡± He roared. ¡°I¡¯ll show you! I¡¯ll kill you right now! I-¡±


    A shadow blade pierced through his chest. He looked underneath him, seeing a shadow blade sprout from his own shadow and then his face finally changed to his true one.


    ¡°You bitch!¡± Blood dripped from his mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯re no hero. Just a fool.¡±


    Multiple shadow blade erupted turning him into a pincushion before melting away. The canopy of shadow that had engulfed them had guaranteed her victory, allowing her to thrown blades from any direction. within her shadow she could throw blades from any and all direction. But it left her drained, she leaned against her planted sword, and her vision shook for a moment.


    She felt pain erupt from her belly and fell on her back. When her vision stopped shaking, she saw blade planted in her gut and put two and two together. Before he had died, the man and thrown his sword at her.


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    Yoru hated to admit it, but it had been smart.


    A moment later, a pink light bloomed and Bell stood over. The sword in her gut had transformed into the pink one and he pulled it free from her. There was only one gem left glowing.


    ¡°You bitch!¡± He raged up a storm. ¡°Do you know how long it takes for that to cooldown? It takes a week for at least one to come back!¡± He pointed at the gems on the pommel. ¡°I have to wait two weeks! You put my legend in danger! What if¡­what if I die?¡±


    Yoru gave a bloody smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s the point.¡± She gathered her Aura where she had been stabbed. She used a piece of her shadow to stitch her wound shut. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a bigger coward than you. Even the that shitty prince had more courage than you.¡±


    Bell looked like he bit a lemon.


    ¡°I am the Champion chosen by the Goddess of the Sun,¡± he said that as if it was supposed to mean something to her. ¡°I have been chosen to slay evil and you are evil. You are an evil that will become much more eviler.¡±


    Yoru forced herself to laugh, even though it hurt to.


    ¡°You think I care?¡±


    A shadow blade shot from under her, Bell parried the attack and jumped back. It turned back into the Memoria sword.


    She pulled herself up, using her black blade as a crutch. Her gut bloomed in pain, yet she bit it down. Bell¡¯s face twitched seeing her stand up.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just die!¡±


    She enjoyed how frustrated he looked. It made her feel better already. She wrenched Shadow Heart from the ground ready to continue their fight.


    ¡°I know you can¡¯t use that anymore.¡± A smile cut across his face. ¡°That was a big attack. Your Gate is probably almost dry, or ready to close.¡±


    That was true. Her Gate was only a crack open now after using that. She could eat another Key, but she knew if she did so quickly, there was a chance that she could turn to ash.


    But she was going make sure to kill him and then she would kill Cedar.


    He shot forth at her. She formed her shadow into a circle to act as a barrier. Tendrils of shadow erupted from it attacking him with its sharp limbs.


    Yoru joined the tendrils and attacked Bell. He parried her attacks with ease, cutting the tendrils down one by one. She summoned more, but she couldn¡¯t form them as quickly as they were being cut down.


    He ducked under her sword and kicked her gut.


    She gasped and managed to throw a retaliatory cut.


    He back off, dodging her attack smoothly. He held his sword near his face, tapping its face in deep thought as she used her free hand to hold her gut. His stab was surprisingly shallow.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡±


    A sadistic smile formed upon his face and he pounced upon her like a wolf to a wounded hare. They exchanged dozen of blows and once more he slipped through her defense and this time cut her leg. It was another shallow cut.


    Yoru spun, she felt her face burn with anger at the humiliation she was receiving, in an attempt to catch him off guard. Cold steel clanged. Bell stood there, holding her back with one hand, while he gave a great big yawn.


    He pushed her, throwing her off balance, and in a flash sliced her multiple times. They were like paper cuts and individually they did nothing, but with a lot more than she would have liked, she was starting to lose enough blood to feel dizzy.


    ¡°How does it feel? To be bested by a Champion?¡± He asked again. ¡°Answer me!¡±


    ¡°Answer you?¡± She was breathing hard and choked out a bloody laugh. ¡°You¡¯re no hero. I knew someone,¡± Elm¡¯s face flashed in her head, ¡°if there is one true thing, it¡¯s that heroes always die, but scum like you tend to live.¡±


    This time Cedar¡¯s face flashed in her head.


    Two brothers, and they were world¡¯s apart.


    The one she loved died, while the one that should have died was still alive.


    She hated it.


    It should have been Elm that lived.


    Bell¡¯s face turned red with rage.


    ¡°Are you telling me, that I¡¯m scum?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worse than scum. You¡¯re cancer,¡± she said.


    #


    Bell, Champion of the Goddess of the Sun, had been granted a sword that transformed into twelve forms. The one he used right now, Memoria, allowed him to use the skills of the master he slayed. The master had offered himself to Bell.


    Right now, he moved like him, cutting through the wolf¡¯s shadows like aluminum foil. Though she barked about killing him, her bite was that of a toothless dog.


    Bell laughed himself in a fit as there clash continued. Her swings were getting weaker and he made sure to sadistically poke her any chance he got. He did it again, cutting her shoulder.


    Then he met her eyes.


    Her eyes, were so dark, darker than her black sword. Just as dark -no- even darker than the gaping hole of the Wishing Well when he descended.


    Fear pressed against the back of his neck and his heart started hitting his chest wildly. He swung wide, feeling his mistake he righted himself, but she had fallen down.


    Sweat dripped down his face and he gave an uneven laugh.


    ¡°For someone that says they¡¯re going to kill me, you sure fall quite a bit.¡±


    She roared and rose up with her black sword. He didn¡¯t like it. It hurt his ears and wanted it to end. Memoria moved his body as it willed, and he stabbed her through the gut, where her shadow had stitched her wound.


    ¡°Ah shit!¡± He slapped his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do that. I still wanted to play.¡±


    He pulled the blade free from her and she fell on the ground. Even at death¡¯s door, her glare was filled with all the hate that she could will up. It forced him to look away.


    ¡°Shit!¡± He remembered. He needed to switch Memoria. It could only hold one memory at a time. He didn¡¯t want a weakling¡¯s memories overwritten.


    He shifted his blade to Silverlight, but it took a little longer to transform than it should have. The blade allowed him to move quickly. He took notice of his Gate, it was slowly closing.


    Bell reached for his pouch taking out another Key. He ate the rubbery fruit with disgust and his Gate opened wide.


    He turned back at her and stopped in his tracks.


    She was gone.


    He stomped at the ground where she had been. ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t have moved far. She was on death¡¯s door. Yet as he scanned the area, he saw nothing beyond the trees. He waited, the image of her glare burnt in his mind. Time passed and yet nothing happened. At some point he loosened his stance and sighed in relief. She must have ran off. With those wounds, and her exhausted Gate, there was no way she could survive.


    A black sword popped through his chest. He turned behind him, seeing half of her body submerged in his shadow. With blood dripping from her face and long hair that covered her face, she looked like some horror movie monster.


    ¡°I was waiting for that.¡±


    His fairy revived him, bathing him in a storm of light. The third jewel on his sword dimmed. He saw bubbles come from his shadow. He was completely angry.


    It would take three weeks for all three gems to recover.


    He transformed Fairy Giver into Doom Slayer. The blade turned into a hulking slab that was meant to slay dragons. Its face looked like a burnt battlefield, and smelled like one too. He stabbed his shadow, and the blade slurped all of his Aura. Enough as he felt his face crack and he could tell he was nearing the point where he would turn to ash, he no longer cared.


    He would kill this bitch.


    The sword shattered not only his shadow, but all shadows in the area.


    #


    Yoru dived, waiting for her next chance to kill him for good. She held her breath, seeing the brilliant light that would revive him. She positioned herself, waiting for the best chance to stab him again. He would let his guard down, there was no doubt about that.


    It would take time though.


    Something stabbed into the shadow. Its scent sickened her, reminding her of the scent that exuded out of Cedar, that of burnt corpses.


    Aura built up into the sword, leaking and tainting her shadow realm.


    She straightened herself, every hair on her stood straight up. She turned and swam away.


    Her whole world cracked like a broken mirror.


    #


    Her consciousness came back in bits. She was falling, drowning deeper into the shadow. One thought occurred to her as she did.


    When Kenichi¡¯s face rolled over to her, she saw his final expression.


    Why had he looked so peaceful?

 [ARC 1] Chapter 36 - The Fight Over the Dead Prince

    Today had been the first time he had seen an elf. Today also marked the first time he saw another elf. If the first one seemed like a gaunt titan, the second one was so frighteningly beautiful, that it was almost alien. As if her expression had been carved by a skilled doll maker.


    There was no doubt that she was the most beautiful monster he had ever seen. The way her hair had been weaved together to look like a beehive to the blue gem like eyes that stared down at him as if she knew everything about him.


    ¡°Subaru. Mercenary. Ex-Black Sun. Sent down here for sleeping with the Duke¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Apparently she did!


    ¡°Wow.¡± He forced a smile, scratching his cheek. ¡°That¡¯s so amazing. Is there anything you want Ms. Elf?¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t the one that killed Oberon,¡± she concluded and her gaze went to Kagami. ¡°It was the Prince.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a bit dead.¡±


    ¡°But he will revive,¡± she said. ¡°I see. I see. But he hasn¡¯t revived yet. All my information tells me that he usually revives almost immediately after dying. I conclude that he used too much Aura, and it will take a little longer for him to revive.¡± She turned to him, her blue eyes blazing. ¡°Might I take him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, have at it.¡± He offered.


    What could he do in the face of fighting another elf? He had been whooped hard by one, and that had been on his terms. After all, he had been a Black Sun. He was an assassin that attacked at a distance or when their guard was put down.


    The elf bent down to retrieve him.


    And Subaru Whistled.


    His sound blasted the elf point blank.


    Even that barely did anything to her.


    She had caught his beam in her hand and slapped it aside. Her expression darkened, and her eyes glowed a cerulean blue.


    ¡°I see. An ambush. Did you perhaps not know what would happen if you failed?¡± The way she tilted her head felt childlike.


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Did you have a close relationship with the Prince?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are you kidding me? He was a total asshole. I remember working for him and he treated everyone like a servant. I looked at him wrong, and I¡¯m forced to dig up a place for him to shit.¡± Subaru shook his head. ¡°Such a petty man. The worst kind of prince.¡±


    ¡°Then, wouldn¡¯t it be more preferable that you allow me to take him?¡±


    He closed his eyes. ¡°Unfortunately, he saved my life. Letting you take him might as well be a death sentence, even if you are a beautiful woman.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± She unsheathed her sword. It was a curved blade. ¡°Then you must understand, that there are consequences for your actions. And that means death for you.¡±


    Subaru put on his black mask giving her his worst smile. A habit that he had developed when he was forced to fight for his life. But this time, he had to fight for another¡­well their dead body.


    He didn¡¯t feel too confident in escaping, but he was sure going to fight for it.


    The moment she moved, Subaru grabbed Kagami and used him as a meat shield. The elf widened her eyes in apparent surprise as her sword carved through Kagami.


    Subaru peeked from behind Kagami¡¯s shoulder, and Whistled. The blast hit the elf straight in the chest and she flew a few feet away.


    That had been enough for Subaru. He tossed the body over his shoulder and made a mad dash in the other direction. He hummed a melody under his breath, making it surround him like a bubble. It took her only a few seconds to recover and close the distance between them. Her voice rung into his ears.


    ¡°That was mean of you to do. Your friend wouldn¡¯t appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dead right now. He won¡¯t mind at all.¡±


    Her blade slipped across the bubble, shaving off the top part of his shield. Subaru turned and blasted another Whistle.


    The elf had been prepared, slicing his beam in two.


    ¡°You got to be kidding me!¡± Subaru yelled. ¡°Monster!¡±


    ¡°A sound bubble.¡± The elf mused. ¡°You¡¯re full of surprises, surviving like a cockroach.¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that comparison!¡±


    Gathering his Aura for another Whistle, Subaru readied himself for a long battle.


    Then his Gate shut closed, and the Aura he gathered fizzled out along with his body. He flopped on the ground, and Kagami tumbled a few feet away from him, hitting a rock and cracking open his head.


    He sure hoped that he would revive, because Subaru sure wasn¡¯t able to do that. The elf stood over him, cocking her head as she looked at him.


    ¡°You know, I feel that you¡¯re not very good friends.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not friends,¡± Subaru said, he was out of breath. ¡°But he saved my life, and at the very least, I¡¯d like to return the gesture.¡±


    The elf digested his words and nodded in agreement.


    ¡°This is a surprise to me. I was certain that ninety percent of you would abandon your friends when the going gets tough as they say. You were included in that assessment. However, I have to change my assessment of you.¡±


    ¡°What a change.¡± Subaru rose a weak fist. ¡°So, does that mean you¡¯ll let me live?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    As her blade came down, a flash of light hit the elf.


    When he could open his eyes, he saw that the open field of grass was ablaze with fire and there stood another mysterious woman wearing a white mask and robe of black and white. She tapped her shoulder with her glowing white sword and met his eyes through the mask¡¯s eye slits and then looked to Kagami.


    The robe had the symbol of the Black Sun and Subaru knew that their would be savior would be nothing but bad news for them.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need that Prince right there. Please kindly step aside.¡±


    ¡°And if I say no?¡± He asked the newcomer that, wishing he could see what expression she was making under that mask.


    She answered him, by pointing her sword at him. The tip just close enough for his nose to prick against it.


    ¡°I have no interest in killing you. Leave the body, and I¡¯ll let you live. I just want the Prince. Easy-peasy right?¡±


    That was a good deal. He had already gotten the Teleport Token, there was no reason to stay anymore. But, he couldn¡¯t help himself, and turned his gaze to the one thing stopping him from taking that deal.


    ¡°And what will you do to him?¡± He nodded to Kagami. He was still dead, blood dripped from his head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± He could hear the strain behind her voice.


    And he knew the answer.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to kill him, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    He forced a laugh and looked for a way to accept the deal.


    ¡°Can you even do that? I haven¡¯t seen him revive, but he can revive from this! You can¡¯t kill him can you¡­¡±


    He was deluding himself. He couldn¡¯t explain the feeling, but he felt that the woman in front of him, could definitely ¡®kill¡¯ him.


    In the middle of the inferno wasteland the Black Sun woman caused, he braved her with a smile under his own mask.


    ¡°I cannot abandon him.¡±


    To which, she returned to him a respectful nod.


    ¡°I understand that. You¡¯re a good man, but if you stand in my way, I will kill you too.¡±


    Aura erupted drawing both of their attention to it. Just like the first elf, the second one had a blue core in its chest. The elf looked in tatters from her earlier attack. His eyes widened as he saw the metal and wood underneath her skin. And like the woman had said earlier, the elf was a doll.


    ¡°Overdrive Mode Activated,¡± the doll said and her Aura spiked.


    The woman gave a sigh, shaking her head in annoyance. ¡°Stay here.¡± She pointed at him. ¡°And if you try to run-¡±


    He scrambled taking Kagami under his arm and making a run for it.


    The woman swore under her breath, but she knew she had to deal with the elf first.


    He could hear the explosions from their battle behind him as he dashed towards the forest. As long as he made it there, he could hide and recover.


    Something heavy struck him on the back and he tumbled across the dry dirt. Kagami flew somewhere ahead of him. Subaru pushed himself up, and saw that the elf was in tatters, her core cracked, the blue glow in her eyes flickered. The Black Sun woman landed right in front of him.


    And she kicked him in the chin. His vision shook between blackness and reality. He was still conscious, but the pain made him wish he wasn¡¯t. The woman walked towards Kagami, her back turned towards him. He reached for his pouch taking out a Key.


    He bit into it, and his Gate flew open.


    He knew he was overdoing it today, but this might be his only chance.


    Subaru Whistled.


    As if she had a third eye on her back, the woman, with her back still turned to him used her blade¡¯s face to deflect it back at him. The beam hummed past his right ear and blew a chunk of the stone wall behind him. Cold sweat dripped down his face.


    This woman was different. The chasm between her and him were so far apart, it could have been the depth of the Wishing Well.


    She stopped, and looked over her shoulder at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want any unnecessary killings. Please, stop.¡±


    His brain felt like it was melting. How could he beat this woman? Was there anyone that could even beat her? Maybe the Eternal Queen, but this woman was a true monster.


    He¡­didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill him!¡± His voice croaked. She stopped in place. ¡°Please. I get it, he was an asshole, he did terrible things. He¡¯s different now. Like a different person. No doubt from brain damage.¡±


    ¡°You know him right? Prince Cedar Oswell. I¡¯ll let you know but the Oracle foretold that the Prince would destroy this world.¡± She hovered over the Prince, pressing her white blade against his chest.


    ¡°Destroy this world?¡± Honestly, he could see it if it had been Cedar Oswell, but the man in front of him had two gates. He was sure that it housed another soul, and the one he saw, didn¡¯t feel malicious at all. Just stupid. As he opened his mouth to say that, his throat seized up, and he felt a burning sensation come from the pits of his stomach. He looked at his hand, seeing the Sun Mark.


    The curse prevented him from saying anything.


    ¡°Please. Don¡¯t do it.¡± He managed to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± From the sound of her voice, he knew that she meant that genuinely. ¡°But I must kill this man. Not for this world, but for my own selfish goal. You can hate me.¡±


    Her form warped and she cut the air. Her form returned to normal. She looked over to the forest. Three elves stepped into the clearing.


    ¡°Wow, look at that. Even Ariel is down. You think that Master was talking about her?¡±


    ¡°No, no. She¡¯s definitely one of the intruders. Not that burst of Aura we felt earlier.¡± The elf answered him and turned to the Black Sun woman. ¡°Hey! You can¡¯t be killing the offerings! It ruins the whole ritual!¡±


    ¡°How mad! Did you see that, she sliced my attack like it was butter! She¡¯s real bad news!¡± The third elf laughed.


    ¡°This is crazy.¡± Subaru felt blood drain from his face. ¡°What next? A demon?¡±


    Something fell from the sky and a giant red skinned ogre stepped out from the cloud of dirt. A giant axe in its hand.


    A literal demon did come next.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 37 - For Love

    He laid as victim of being immolated, in front of the Twin Gates that towered in front of him. One was wide open, the home to the Great Phoenix, who used his Gate as a perch to watch over him. The other was wrapped in a chain of rainbow flames, shimmering like broken glass.


    ¡°Weakling.¡± The Phoenix mocked him. ¡°This is the state you should be in.¡±


    The Phoenix stepped off its perch. As it landed, the wind from its wings put Kagami out. He felt relief, but he was nothing but a black crisp.


    ¡°Finally, I have won against you, brother,¡± the phoenix said. ¡°Today, has been a fruitful day. For today, you bowed to me. Pleading for power, because you are weak.¡±


    He had nothing to say.


    And the Phoenix crowed its victory, puffing up his chest.


    ¡°Your will to go on is nothing but a candlelight on its last stump.¡± The Phoenix leaned in. ¡°Give me your body. I shall take care of all your enemies. I shall save your beloved wife. Give me your body, and I shall make it all come true.¡±


    How do you do it? Kagami remembered asking his wife. Even though I beat you, you kept on coming after me.


    His wife. His beloved, and beautiful wife smiled at him, tilting her head so lovingly.


    Do you want to know? The answer is simple you know.


    The answer she gave had went through one ear and out the other. It made no sense to him. She never gave him a straight answer, openly declaring he would get it if he were ever in her situation.


    He¡­kind of got it.


    As he pushed himself up, his ring finger broke off. His knees cracked. Half of his face fell, crumbling into black ash when it hit the ground. But he stood up and met the Phoenix¡¯s avian stare.


    The phoenix gave a low rumble. It was clearly amused by his display.


    ¡°So you still wish to go back out there? All you will face is despair. It¡¯s not like you can fight, not while my flames seal your Gate.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t move his lips, but he understood that this space was special. He spoke not from his lips, but his heart.


    My wife is waiting for me out there.


    The phoenix gave a mocking screech


    ¡°Wife? You won¡¯t be able save her. You won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡±


    Those words hung over him like a guillotine, but Kagami, couldn¡¯t help himself. He opened his mouth, which cracked like a spider¡¯s web, and managed to fill the void with his laughter. The void responded to his new state of mind and in turn his body healed. The missing fingers and face reformed, and the black skin shattered, replaced anew.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand? What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    Kagami wiped a tear from his face.


    ¡°She¡¯s not the one that needs saving.¡± Kagami smiled. ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Aria told you the future. You¡¯re cannot save her!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡± He meant that. ¡°I know, that no matter where she is, she¡¯ll get out of it. Hell, she always survived fights with at my peak. And if I-¡± He swallowed, It was hard to say, because it meant he had to admit it. ¡®-died, I know she would cross space and time to find me. The best I can do, is at least be wherever she is.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ll fail.¡±


    ¡°But she won¡¯t.¡± Kagami snapped back. ¡°I¡¯m sure, if she was in the same place as I am now, she would have faith in me. So I will have faith in her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be useless outside!¡±


    ¡°Right now, that is the truth, but I will find a way.¡± He pointed at his Gate. ¡°To defeat you and open that. To get stronger without it if I have to.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine, go ahead. Leave once more. I¡¯ll be waiting here to take your body.¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯ll never give it to you,¡± Kagami said. ¡°Expect to be disappointed.¡±


    #


    Pure madness would be the best word to explain what was happening in front of Subaru. When you put three elves(?), a demon twice his size, and the Black Sun monster in an all out battle royale, things were definitely going to be crazy.


    The mind could only process so much information, but he saw the Black Sun stand her own against all four of them. One of the elves whipped a red ribbon and she sliced it up into little chunks. She dodged when the space around her distorted and the ground underneath it got pulled and squished like a tiny ball. She stabbed the third one through the core before the elf could show of its power. The Demon carved the ground where she stood with ease, and she dodged just as easy.


    She deflected a bar of red. Subaru formed a sound bubble, bracing himself. The Demon stepped between them and struck the ground, peeling the ground like a scab. It used the ground as a shield, and the red bar exploded.


    Bits of rocks rained down, one of them bounced off his sound bubble.


    The Demon looked back to check if they were alright. Confirming Subaru was alright, the Demon walked forward to deal with one of the elves that was coming in their way.


    ¡°What are you doing here? The Warden is gonna be very angry at you.¡± The shorter elf gave a hideous laugh. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to tell on you.¡±


    The red bar hit him square in the chest and exploded. When the explosion settled, the Demon stood there with only a scrap of blood dripping from its chest.


    ¡°What? What is your skin made out of?¡±


    The Demon smacked the elf with the face of its axe and it flew somewhere in the forest.


    Without the other elf, the Black Sun quickly dispatched the remaining elf, opening up its neck with her sword. Blue blood spurted from its new mouth. Then it fell on the ground.


    The Black Sun turned to them and pointed her white blade at them. There was no mark of uncleanliness on the blade, it reminded him of a blanket of fresh snow.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not have any more bloodshed if it could be helped. Stand aside, and give me the prince.¡±


    Honestly, Subaru wanted to take it. She was a good person, he could feel it. She was different from the other Black Sun members he knew.


    Which led to a question from him.


    ¡°Why are you doing this? I don¡¯t get it. You¡¯re not like the other Black Suns. I can tell! You don¡¯t have the fervent insanity of a believer. You aren¡¯t really doing it to save the world are you? So, why are you aligned with them?¡± Subaru observed.


    Her blade lowered just a bit.


    ¡°I do it for love.¡±


    There was a deep sadness to her voice that Subaru heard and he knew in his heart that she could not be reasoned with. What greater reason is there than that of love?


    ¡°I see.¡± Subaru shut his eyes tight. ¡°Then there is nothing that I can say is there?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The Demon stepped forward, and the masked woman gazed up at the towering giant. To him, she must look like nothing but a pest.


    ¡°Being big only makes you a bigger target.¡±


    The Demon looked back at him as if telling him to go and take Kagami. He still didn¡¯t understand why the Demon was protecting them, but he did that.


    ¡°I take it, you¡¯re telling me to defeat you before I go after them?¡± He heard her say as he scrambled for the trees with Kagami on his back.


    Subaru looked over his shoulder as the Demon roared. In a white flash, the woman cut the Demon down. Its axe dropped with a loud thud. Subaru¡¯s eyes widened as he saw her turn her attention to them.


    A woman in love was truly a dangerous monster.


    The Demon grabbed her and chucked her. Subaru had to admit, he didn¡¯t think that was enough. She righted herself in the air, but a red bar shot, grabbing her by her ankle, and she was yanked down somewhere else.


    At some point he had stopped, because he knew he wouldn¡¯t outrun her. But now he could. Subaru rolled his shoulders to position Kagami better and made a mad dash.


    This time he was able to pass through the threshold of the sea of trees and scarred battlefield. Escaping to safety.


    #


    The Bandit King had followed after Subaru, and a moment later the Black Sun assassin returned to the forest clearing, pulling a broken Harold by his hair, tossing him right next to Ariel.


    With herself incapacitated, all Ariel could do was observe this battle. Though her master had given her a name, she had yet to develop a technique that would allow her to fight on par with other Named Dolls. Her Overdrive Form allowed her to use Aura to physically enhance herself. One of the most basic forms of Aura.


    Ariel compiled a report and sent it to her Master. Her Master¡¯s returned a reply a moment later.


    ¡°Is Harold¡¯s core intact?¡± Ariel asked the Masked Woman.


    ¡°You¡¯re still alive?¡± The Black Sun asked, studying the broken Ariel. Coming to an answer, she nodded. ¡°I see. No, his core is broken. There is no light coming from it like yours.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunate.¡± She mentally reported this to her Master and waited for instructions. ¡°My Master wishes to extend an invitation to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± she said. ¡°My goal is only to kill the Prince. You can tell your Master that if he stands in my way, I¡¯ll kill him, and anyone that he puts in his way. ¡±


    She started to walk away, to which Ariel called out to her.


    ¡°Are you not going to kill me?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I have no interest in killing someone that can no longer fight,¡± the woman said. ¡°However, when you can fight, and you stand back in front of me, don¡¯t expect any more mercy.¡±


    #


    Upon the kindling of the flames, Kagami opened his eyes to the darkness of another unfamiliar ceiling. Based on the lingering stench of vomit, Kagami surmised that Subaru had brought him back to the cave.


    Kagami sat up, his back was hurting, and his throat was parched. He looked around to see if there was any water, stopping when he met a familiar gaze in the darkness.


    ¡°You should have listened to me.¡± A deep voice resounded from the Bandit King. Then he paused for a second. ¡°You look like shit.¡±


    His ex-roommate sat in front of him, tapping the face of his great broad axe as if he considered cutting Kagami down there right here.


    Kagami rose up a hand though, forcing a smile across his tired face.


    ¡°Hey, Walnut. Nice to see you again.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 38 - To Be Weak

    "You should have listened to me.¡± Walnut barked, thrusting his finger into Kagami¡¯s chest. ¡°I told you what would happen if you came down here.¡±


    ¡°And I told you, I needed to do this! If I have any chance of seeing my wife, I¡¯ll take it!¡± Kagami snapped back.


    ¡°Wife! Wife! Wife!¡± He shook his head. ¡°She doesn¡¯t exist! How many times have I told you that? It¡¯s time to get that through your skull!¡±


    Though the Prince was tired, he rose to his feet. His expression darkened. ¡°Take that back. Asa is real. I won¡¯t forgive you if you continue with that thought.¡±


    Walnut couldn¡¯t say that didn¡¯t shake him, because it did. But he knew he was getting nowhere with this. The Prince in front of him was stubborn. He always was. It was also true, he didn¡¯t act like a Prince or Nobleman. He acted like an idiot, taken in by the whims of his desires and delusions.


    The Bandit scratched his beard, and demurred.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move past that. There are two assassins after you from the Church.¡±


    ¡°Why would the Church send assassins?¡±


    ¡°Because.¡± He was starting to get angry at how many times he had to repeat this. ¡°You. Are. A. Prince.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dumb!¡± Kagami yelled.


    Walnut huffed a great big sigh, shaking his head. It was like a bird telling him that he was a rabbit. He stood up, deciding he had enough of this circle of a conversation.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find the mercenary. He went to fetch some water. That was a while ago,¡± Walnut said.


    ¡°Let me go with you.¡± He took a step forward and fell to the side, catching himself on the wall.


    ¡°No. You stay here. You¡¯re in no shape to go anywhere right now.¡±


    #


    Subaru had long filled the water flasks, but he knew he stood at a crossroads here. The token flipped in the air and he caught it. Subaru repeated this action over and over as he mulled his situation in his head.


    Kagami was safe. He had returned the favor for saving him and brought his body back to safety. Not only that, the Demon turned out to be Walnut, the Bandit King. He didn¡¯t know what kind of twisted fate made them have a relationship together, but they did, and from the looks of it, he would protect him.


    He was safe. He told himself. Subaru decided after catching the coin one last time, that it was time to leave.


    The token was anchored to his home which was on the other side of the world. He was sure that the Threads wrapped around his neck wouldn¡¯t extend that far.


    There was a small chance that wasn¡¯t the case and he would die the moment he activated the token and crossed back to his home.


    His fingers picked at the threads, and he felt it quiver as if excited by the thought of him attempting to tamper it. Subaru quickly dropped his hands as far away from it as possible.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± A gruff voice came from behind him.


    Subaru quickly snatched the token made an ill attempt to hid the token behind but the Bandit King had already seen it.


    ¡°What do you have there?¡± Walnut¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Show me!¡±


    ¡°Just a coin. My lucky coin,¡± he quickly lied. ¡°It¡¯s the memento of my mother.¡±


    "A memento huh? Let me see it.¡±


    If he weren¡¯t so exhausted he would have fought back a little more. Walnut pried the token away from his grip as easily as a father prying a child¡¯s grip. The giant held the token up at the sunroot, which was becoming brighter every minute, signaling morning was upon them.


    Walnut lowered his hand.


    ¡°This is a Teleport Token isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What? No, it isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yeah it is. I¡¯ve used these before. Must have cost you a fortune. I bet a leg that the Cult of the Moon paid for this.¡±


    Subaru¡¯s silence was his answer.


    ¡°Right, then I¡¯ll keep this.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Subaru grabbed his wrist. His wrist was large large enough where he couldn¡¯t wrap his hand around it. ¡°You¡¯re not taking that! That is¡­that is¡­¡±


    Walnut stared him down until he shut up. Then he pried his hand off of him.


    ¡°If it makes you feel better, I don¡¯t plan to use it.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Subaru found his voice again. ¡°What other reason would you take it!¡±


    ¡°To make sure you stay and as a reward I¡¯ll give this nice teleport token.¡±


    ¡°Give? That is mine.¡±


    ¡°Right, and I stole it.¡± He crossed his arms, giving him a small smile on his gaunt face. ¡°I am a bandit after all. Now grab that flasks, we¡¯re going back.¡±


    #


    In their pack that was given to them at the beginning of all of this, Kagami found eggs and bacon. The rest of the foodstuff were preserves. It was a clear sign of telling him to cook them now. So, he did just that.


    The aroma from the sizzling of the bacon and eggs wafted in the air, filling the whole cave with its stomach rumbling smell. Kagami swallowed in anticipation not only for him eating it, but upon the good company that came in a few minutes later.


    Kagami enjoyed cooking. More than anything, he enjoyed seeing the look on people¡¯s faces light up when they took a bite of what he cooked. It helped him get past¡­tough times. Just like right now. He was glad, that despite not being in his old body, despite the lack of strength, he could still cook.


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    He turned when he heard the footsteps behind him. Walnut and Subaru returned with clear confusion on their faces.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Walnut asked him, a tinge of anger in his voice.


    ¡°Cooking.¡± Kagami plated the eggs on some flat rocks. He handed it to him. ¡°We fought all day yesterday and had nothing to eat. We all must be hungry right?¡±


    ¡°I am, but that¡¯s not the point. There is smoke coming out of the cave. What if somebody found us? This is a death game after all.¡± Walnut snapped back.


    ¡°Nobody did. Here. It would be a waste of food if you didn¡¯t eat it.¡±


    Walnut eyed the food, and relieved the rock plate from his hands.


    ¡°Great Goddess.¡± He chewed regretfully. ¡°It¡¯s good. Just bacon and eggs, but their cooked perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Haha. Glad to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get the food?¡± Subaru asked, giving Walnut a skeptical look from his comment.


    ¡°It was in my bag. The one that Warden gave us.¡± Kagami answered him, handing him his food.


    ¡°Soo good!¡± Walnut said as he ravaged the bacon.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that good.¡± Subaru picked up a piece of crispy bacon. He took a bite. His eyes lit up. ¡°What the heck? How can bacon be this good?¡±


    He chomped on the bacon like a squirrel and an acorn.


    A smile formed on Kagami¡¯s lips. Watching them eat made his heart swell with pride. He dropped down, and sat cross legged. He took a bite of the crispy bacon and he chewed on it carefully. There wasn¡¯t too many ways to screw up bacon or eggs. They were simple to cook too.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple, but can prince¡¯s even cook?¡± Subaru asked. ¡°The pride of a noblemen would never allow them to cook. After all, cooking is a peasant¡¯s job.¡±


    The irked Kagami.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how rich or poor you are. In the end everyone has to eat. There¡¯s nothing lowly about cooking. In my old world, I had a restaurant. It had a lot of customers that came in that liked my food, and I always enjoyed watching them eat.¡±


    Kagami paused for a moment looking up at the two men. It must have been impossible to believe what he said. Even he had a hard time to believing it. Another world? Old body? It hurt to think about, which was why he didn¡¯t. There were stories about heroes summoned to this world long ago. Yet, there in those stories it always ended with the Goddess no longer being able to summon heroes.


    He placed his half eaten food down on the floor. He crossed his fingers together like a net and thought long and hard about everything that had happened yesterday. What he needed to do. What he needed to admit. He still had his memories of the Phoenix that taunted him in his dreams.


    ¡°I lost.¡±


    ¡°Lost?¡± Subaru asked, prompting him to continue.


    ¡°Back in my world, I was strong. Possibly the strongest. I couldn¡¯t die, no matter what I did. I thought I was invincible.¡± Kagami gave a derisive snort. ¡°I guess I wasn¡¯t, because here I am, trapped in another person¡¯s body.¡±                 He was silent for a moment, trying to explain in words what he meant by all of this.


    ¡°I am weak.¡± Saying that hurt him quite a bit, but his voice grew stronger. ¡°I¡¯m weak. The way I fought, was the way I fought when I had my body. Even though I got this body stronger, I feel like I don¡¯t know how to fight. All I had to do was punch something and I won.¡±


    It was a new feeling for Kagami to say this. He felt so vulnerable. Yet, he also felt liberated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to handle this.¡±


    ¡°Well.¡± Subaru took the last bite of his breakfast. ¡°The first thing you do is what you just did. Admitting what you are. Being weak. I know that feeling quite well.¡± Subaru raised his shirt to show a giant scar that went across his chest. ¡°The second thing you do is get stronger.¡±


    Kagami bit his lips. ¡°Easier said than done. I¡¯ve been training like crazy since I came down here. It hasn¡¯t had the affect I wanted.¡±


    ¡°I told you.¡± Walnut leaned in at him, his eyes crazed and tired. ¡°I told you, you should have run. And we still should.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do that.¡± Kagami met his eyes. ¡°I will stay here and fight. I don¡¯t like this game that the Warden is playing. If I leave than a lot more people die. Luke is here too. I can¡¯t abandon him.¡±


    ¡°Only the strong could say something like that. You can¡¯t save Luke. He wants to kill you,¡± Walnut said. ¡°And for good reasons. He hates you.¡±


    ¡°He hates the Prince.¡±


    ¡°You are the Prince.¡±


    ¡°You know.¡± Subaru chimed in. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you really do anything here. Accepting weakness means accepting your limits. You said you trained? Your punches are quite scary, but you saw what happened when you attacked someone that could use Aura. You gotta ask yourself, what can you do right now? Stopping a death ritual doesn¡¯t feel high on the list.¡±


    His hands gripped into fists. He knew that. He understood how weak he was right now. But¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m still staying.¡±


    Walnut looked over to Subaru and sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t talk sense into him. The best thing we can do is tie him up and escape.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Kagami. I really don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    Kagami stood up with them, crouching low in a fighting stance.


    ¡°If you think I¡¯m going to just let myself get dragged away without trying to stop this, then you¡¯ve got another thing coming. If I have to, I¡¯ll knock you out again.¡± Kagami growled.


    ¡°Listen you,¡± Walnut took out one of those blue fruits. ¡°Last time I was unprepared. I have this baby here. You want me to become an ogre? No amount of punches is going to make a dent on my skin.¡±


    The fire in front of them popped and they stood still, all of them no doubt waiting for the first move to be made. Kagami looked at the wrinkled blue fruit. The one that granted the ability to open the Gates and unlock those super powers.


    He couldn¡¯t eat that, but it wasn¡¯t like it would do any good either. The phoenix left his memories this time, so he knew why he couldn¡¯t use his Gate. It was wrapped shut by those chains of fire.


    That meant his only chance would be to punch them in the throat before they had the chance to eat it.


    In a blink, Kagami found himself standing in front of the Warden again. He sat in his chair, smiling. It made his heart jump in surprise, but he calmed down when he remembered that this happened yesterday too.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± The Warden started. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re wondering why I¡¯m contacting you so soon. I had hoped that the half of you would be dead in three days, but we¡¯ve already reached that number in a day. The next phase of the Ritual will now take place. All living shall move to the center where the Great Crimson Tree lies in five hours. Anyone that doesn¡¯t arrive will be killed. That is all.¡±


    Then Kagami found himself back in the real world, tied up, with Walnut sitting next to the campfire, giving him a gruff smirk.


    ¡°Did you have fun?¡±


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s cheating!¡± Kagami struggled to pull the ropes free, but something was wrong. He felt intense pain come from his shoulders.


    And then he realized what Walnut had done. Kagami looked up in horror at the Bandit.


    ¡°You dislocated my shoulders.¡±


    ¡°I like to be thorough. The two of you suddenly fainted and shook like little bugs pinned to the ground with needles.¡± He gave a shit eating smile. ¡°Luck was on my side.¡±


    ¡°God damn!¡± Kagami yelled. ¡°Put my shoulders back in place. Have a fair fight with me! I¡¯ll beat the shit out of you!¡±


    Subaru came into view, holding his head in pain.


    ¡°Wow. You really are just as bad as the rumors say you are,¡± Subaru said with a dour expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m a lot worse.¡± Walnut stood up, stretching.


    ¡°How long were we out for?¡±


    ¡°About twenty minutes. Why did both of you fall over like that?¡±


    Subaru gave a quick explanation of the threads on their neck and their situation.


    ¡°Wow, that sucks.¡± Walnut concluded.


    ¡°Yeah, it does.¡± Subaru forced a laugh. ¡°If only I had a magical token that would let me get far, far away from here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find that somewhere along the way out of here.¡± Walnut slapped Subaru¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But, it sounds like the both of you aren¡¯t in the best situation. Five hours huh.¡± Walnut rubbed his beard. ¡°Hmmm, well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem for him. It¡¯s not like you can die. We can just chop off your head and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Kagami yelled.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have that many options, Kagami.¡± Walnut narrowed his eyes. ¡°Do you know what it means for me to be here? Being here means I¡¯ve given up everything. My position of power, my house. You get it?¡± He leaned forward. Kagami could smell his breath and see his yellow teeth. ¡°EVERYTHING.¡±


    Walnut stayed silent to let that sink in, and it did. Kagami thought that over a couple of times and looked up at Walnut.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it then, why are you doing this? I don¡¯t see you as someone selfless Walnut.¡±


    The Bandit clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Why are you sharp in these situations? You¡¯re usually so dull. Can¡¯t you just believe I¡¯m doing this for you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kagami answered him. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t appreciate everything you¡¯ve done for me.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll escape.¡± Walnut asked.


    ¡°Nope. I want to fight.¡±


    ¡°Well, I tried.¡±


    The last thing Kagami saw was Walnut¡¯s foot before he was knocked out again.`

 [ARC 1] Chapter 39 - No Way Out

    Her search for the Prince had ended with the sudden arrival of Bell. When he stumbled out into her path, tired and injured, his face scrunched in hatred and he rained blame upon her.


    ¡°Do you see this?¡± He pointed to three gems on his pink sword. ¡°I used all three of my lives, because you weren¡¯t there! Where did you go off?¡±


    Through her mask¡¯s eye slits she gave him a cross look.


    ¡°I was doing my job. I found the prince, but he escaped.¡±


    ¡°You let him escape? You¡¯re useless!¡± He screamed.


    She placed her hand on her sword, considering whether she should just kill him. But the church certainly wouldn¡¯t like that. She couldn¡¯t understand for what qualities this man was chosen, other than being able to be manipulated easily.


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± She returned his question.


    His face fell and he looked down at his feet.


    ¡°I told you, I was fighting for my life. I fought three people.¡±


    She cross her arms.¡°I fought six.¡±


    ¡°I mean twenty!¡± He screamed. ¡°It was really hard! I fought them and because they were so cheap, I had to use Doom Slayer. I¡¯ve overused my Gate, and I¡¯m close to turning to Dust because of you!¡±


    Using Aurasight, she could see his Gate. It was almost closed, and cracked. Forcing it open with a Key could cause that if overused.


    ¡°You should have been more careful,¡± she told him.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have had to if I didn¡¯t have to fight an army!¡± He snapped.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Aura flared from her and he shut up. ¡°We were sent down here to do one job and you decided to go off in your own direction. Playing hero isn¡¯t a game.¡±


    His face darkened, but she returned a scowl which put him in his place.


    ¡°S-so you fought six people. Big deal. I fought twelve.¡± He avoided her gaze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. We have more problems. The Warden has set his sights on us.¡±


    Bell froze at that.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°He asked us to come meet with him.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Relief poured onto his face. ¡°Well, he probably just wants to meet us. I feel like I could use a shower after that fight.¡±


    What this man was saying was unbelievable. She shook her head, wondering if his brain was mush.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to try kill us. We are interrupting his ritual. Just because he¡¯s guarding this Seal and the Church agrees that it shouldn¡¯t be tampered, doesn¡¯t mean our presence is welcome down here.¡±


    ¡°Well, if we know he¡¯s going to try and kill us, then we have the upper hand. We can make a plan to take care of him!¡± He puffed his chest in pride at his stupid thought.


    And she couldn¡¯t believe that he could say that so easily.


    ¡°Do you hear yourself? This is a man that has been alive for a hundred years. He certainly won¡¯t go down easily,¡± she told him. But he didn¡¯t want to hear it.


    ¡°No!¡± He stomped his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet him! I¡¯m tired! I¡¯m at my limit! If I fight anymore, I¡¯ll turn to ash!¡±


    ¡°I told you, you shouldn¡¯t abuse the Keys so much.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°You¡¯re no use to me, use your token and leave.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have it.¡± Bell said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have it?¡± Her eyes narrowed upon the boy. ¡°Are you saying you were stupid enough to lose it?¡±


    ¡°I dropped it somewhere when I fought the twelve people.¡±


    ¡°¡­We¡¯re not going.¡±


    ¡°Hah.¡± Bell rubbed the back of his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to have to do this, but your other job is to protect me isn¡¯t it? If you let me die, what will the Goddess do to you? Will she help you with your loved one?¡±


    It happened quickly. Her hand dripped with blood, and Bell held his nose, tears dripping from his face as he cried it in shock and pain.


    She had hit the Hero.


    Something had snapped but she decided not to temper that rage, not when he deserved it.


    ¡°If you ever bring that up again, I don¡¯t care what the consequences are, I will kill you.¡±


    Her bloodlust washed over him, and the color from his face drained turning ghost white. He gave a nod to her.


    ¡°We will go find the Prince. Do you understand?¡±


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    Bell gave a slight nod.


    ¡°Good. Then we go.¡±


    #


    His fingers glided over the broken and mangled body of hers. Just from looking at it, he could tell that the Black Sun woman was incredibly strong to cut through her wood from the the Starcone Pines.


    More than anything else, he felt relief to see her still functioning. Tears dribbled down his face, hitting Ariel¡¯s non emotive face.


    ¡°Master what is wrong? Are you hurt?¡± The doll asked him.


    ¡°Yes, I thought I would lose you. What do you think of that?¡±


    ¡°You can always create another one of me,¡± she answered. She still didn¡¯t understand how important she was to him.


    He gave her a tender smile. If she still had a hand, he would have taken it.


    ¡°There¡¯s no other you. Do you understand that?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    He closed his eyes. She still wasn¡¯t there. When would she awaken?


    ¡°Master. The Black Sun assassin was strong. She defeated all of us with ease. Based on that, I would say that you would have a hard time handling her.¡±


    ¡°Ahhh, that¡¯s right.¡± He rose his voice in anger. ¡°I forgot that they were here. Descending upon the ritual. The Church should know better. Don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯m quite strong. I¡¯ll make sure to present those two in a body bag to the Church.


    ¡°But before that.¡± He breathed out, relaxing. ¡°I must fix you and bring you back to combat ready specifications. I see you haven¡¯t been able to open your own Gate yet.¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°You will.¡±


    And so the Warden grabbed a tool from the table on the side, and starting to repair Ariel.


    #


    They stuffed his mouth with a cloth, not to make sure Kagami could speak, but so Kagami wouldn¡¯t bite them. Walnut had been the first victim, having some painful bite marks on near the base of his thumb. The man on his shoulder certainly wasn¡¯t princely by any metrics. He was sure in the legends and stories, there was none of a prince biting a bandit.


    They made their way to the outer ridge of the floor to try to get to the exit.


    Another fire ape ambushed them. Walnut sliced it in two with his great broad axe.


    ¡°How many does that make?¡± Subaru asked him as another blew fire at them. The flames bounced off of the mercenary¡¯s sound barrier. Subaru whistled and a light drilled through the monkey, leaving a whole where his heart had been.


    ¡°I stopped counting after five.¡± Walnut paused and looked back to regard the trail of dead animals behind them. He was starting to feel sorry for them. ¡°They¡¯ve become a lot more aggressive the further out from the center we go.¡± He noted.


    ¡°There are more of those elves guarding the bridge.¡± Subaru told him. ¡°Do you have a plan to deal with them?¡±


    ¡°Cut through them.¡± Walnut grunted.


    He had broken in by using the hole the Black Suns. The boy, Bell, had blown a hole through the ceiling of this floor. Since he couldn¡¯t fly, he couldn¡¯t go back that way. That left the only other entrance. Walnut had come down here a few times as the Representative of the Council. He had been led through here as a guest.


    Walnut was no guest now. He was an intruder.


    That much was evident by the elves that guarded the only bridge out of here. All three of them had the same doll like face and fake friendly smile plastered on their face. The colors of their hair were different: red, green, and blue.


    ¡°Walnut,¡± the red one spoke first. ¡°What a shame this has come down to. To think you were the intruder.¡±


    ¡°A shame indeed.¡± The blue one continued. ¡°Of course, we will have to report this to the Warden. I¡¯m sure he has some choice words for you.¡±


    ¡°He will not be happy,¡± The green one said. ¡°We would ask that you turn back and head closer to the Crimson Tree.¡±


    Walnut readied himself to rush them. Aura coursed through his circuits and was ready to transform given the moment.


    That was until ¡®that¡¯ came along.


    ¡°Hey, hey. Walnut, I¡¯d like to ask that you stop.¡±


    In synchronous movement, the three elves parted ways and a fourth elf walked forward. Unlike the three, his face wrapped in bandages. His physique and voice were different, He was a head shorter than the other three. The newcomer had his face wrapped in bandages, the only thing that could be seen where his bloodshot eyes and his pointed ears that poked out of the bandages.


    ¡°Have we met?¡± There was something familiar about this man that Walnut couldn¡¯t put his finger on.


    ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t recognize me in this form do you?¡± The elf snickered. ¡°You might not recognize me, but we have met. But that might be a good thing. I suppose you¡¯re here to escape, but I¡¯ve given instructions from the Warden to kill anyone that tries to cross the bridge.¡±


    The bandaged elf turned to the bridge. He struck it with his fist and the bridge collapsed into the crevice.


    ¡°Well too bad! Looks like you can¡¯t escape. Now turn around.¡± He shooed them.


    It had happened so quick. He wasn¡¯t sure what happened, but the torn bridge reflected upon his eyes and soon he became angry.


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Kagami¡¯s voice stopped Walnut in his tracks. At some point, the prince had somehow removed his gag.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fight him.¡± His eyes serious. ¡°You would lose.¡±


    ¡°You think I would lose to a crippled elf?¡± Walnut growled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that thing is, but I¡¯d rather fight the Warden than him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the young prince has good instinct. You heard him Walnut. You should turn tail and go to the Crimson Tree.¡±


    His grip on his broad axe tightened.


    ¡°Look down.¡± Kagami told him.


    Walnut looked to his feet.


    There was a severed finger hidden in the grass.


    ¡°Oh, did I forgot to pick one up?¡± There was a pop, and the finger appeared on the elf¡¯s hand. He tugged at his bandages, showing off his sharp fangs as bit into the finger like a carrot stick. ¡°What a shame. It¡¯s such a waste, to leave it lying like that don¡¯t you know?¡±


    A shiver went down his spine. All will to fight left him as he understood what Kagami meant. Whoever this man was, he wasn¡¯t to be messed with. That ability as well, what was it?


    ¡°Do you not want to play with me anymore?¡± He asked as blood dribbled from hit little snack. His bandages around his mouth stained red.


    He felt like the ground beneath him rose. He hadn¡¯t felt this kind of fear for a long while, but he knew when it was time to turn back.


    ¡°No,¡± he managed to say. ¡°The bridge is destroyed. There¡¯s really no way out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± The bandaged elf snickered. ¡°Do you boys think the Warden will get angry with me?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll probably make you build a new one,¡± the blue one snickered.


    ¡°You¡¯re in so much trouble brother.¡± The green one joined in the snickering.


    ¡°But not as much trouble as him.¡± The red one pointed at Walnut. ¡°He¡¯s going to lose everything.¡±


    ¡°Well, then I suppose that that.¡± The bandaged one clapped his hand together. ¡°I hope to see you real soon, Walnut.¡±


    Walnut and the rest turned around and walked back towards the Crimson Tree. He kept on walking, noticing that the monsters had stopped attacking them. Then, when he was far enough, his knees collapsed on him. Cold sweat dripped from his face.


    He looked over to Subaru, who had a pale look to him.


    Only Kagami didn¡¯t seem affected by it. He met his gaze and he smiled.


    ¡°Can you put my shoulders back in place?¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 40 - A Golden Suncrest

    Rather than fix his shoulder, they ignored Kagami¡¯s request. The two men spoke to each other in hushed and a tense tone. Kagami frowned, listening to them.


    ¡°-just give it back! You have no use for it. I¡¯ve done my job. I did more than I needed to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting the token back.¡± Walnut scowled at him. ¡°You¡¯re helping us get out of here.¡±


    ¡°How? We either fight the monster we don¡¯t know behind us, or fight the monster we know in front of us. Either option is shit.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t see what Kagami could. They were acting like cornered rats, trying to find a way out. The only way out was to face the cat in front of you, or let yourself die. The easy way was to let yourself die.


    ¡°Hey-¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to give it back, then I¡¯ll just take it back.¡± Subaru put on his oni mask.


    ¡°You think you can take it back?¡± Walnut¡¯s face was red, a vein popped on his forehead. His grip on his black axe tightened. ¡°If you think you can take out the Bandit King, you better get an army.¡±


    They were hot headed, but there was no one more hot headed than him.


    ¡°HEY!¡± His shout made the birds in the tree¡¯s canopy fly away.


    The two of them turned to him, their angry directed towards him instead of each other.


    Kagami snorted in pride.


    ¡°Take that smile off your face. Do you know what you¡¯ve just done? You gave away our position!¡± Subaru said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t die, so I think I should just slice off your limbs.¡± Walnut glided his finger across the axe¡¯s edge.


    They drew closer.


    ¡°I know a way out.¡±


    They stopped in their tracks.


    ¡°You do?¡± Walnut sounded skeptical.


    ¡°You do?¡± Subaru looked just as skeptical.


    ¡°I do.¡± Kagami acknowledged. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you fix my shoulders.¡±


    ¡°Information first, then we decide whether to do that or not.¡± Walnut pointed his axe at him.


    If he could he¡¯d have folded his arms at that. ¡°What do you take me for an idiot? I can see it in your eyes, you don¡¯t plan to do that at all.¡±


    Walnut crossed his arms. ¡°You¡¯re always strangely perceptive in times like this.¡±


    ¡°Perceptive?¡± Kagami repeated that word. ¡°Back in my world, I was always a target for assassination. You kind of have to be perceptive when you¡¯re just shopping for food, and a sweet little kid trips and tries to stab you with a knife when you help them.¡±


    ¡°What the heck? Were you a prince in your world too?¡± Subaru shook his head.


    ¡°I was a cook.¡± Kagami answered him.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way a cook would be targeted for assassination,¡± Walnut said. ¡°Now tell us where the way out is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not budging. Pop my shoulders in. I yelled pretty loud, so if someone is nearby, they¡¯ll come. We could run into the Sunny Assassins.¡±


    ¡°Black Sun.¡± Subaru corrected him.


    ¡°Or we could run into the Warden.¡± Kagami continued. ¡°The longer we argue about which order this happens, the longer you won¡¯t know where to get out. Now, come on. Put my shoulder back in place.¡±


    Kagami turned to expose his shoulder to them. Relenting, Walnut sighed. He grabbed Kagami¡¯s shoulder and squeezed it. It made Kagami bite down a scream.


    Walnut met his gaze. ¡°Let me make this clear. If you¡¯re lying, I¡¯m going to dislocate other things.¡±


    Pop and then another pop.


    His shoulders were put back in place. Kagami rolled his shoulder, feeling pain but more relief that he could move his arms perfectly well.


    With the deal struck, Kagami turned to them and to answer their question, he pointed to the Crimson Tree in the distance.


    ¡°The Warden has an elevator that goes all the way up. You should remember right? After all you told me, and that was why I came down here a year ago in the first place.¡±


    Walnut¡¯s eyes widened at that, and then narrowed. His fist shook.


    ¡°That¡¯s suicide. We¡¯re not going there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds bad. Can I have my token back?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only one we have. It¡¯s not like the Warden will destroy it either. He uses it for supply drops to his mansion.¡± Kagami told them. ¡°It¡¯s not like we have to fight the Warden.¡±


    Walnut eyed him. ¡°You don¡¯t want to fight the Warden? Bullshit! That¡¯s all you¡¯ve talked about for the past year. You mutter in your sleep about it. You wanted so much to beat him and you¡¯re willing to give that up?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Kagami¡¯s desire to fight him clashed against the wall with the reality of his situation. Walnut and Subaru waited for him to continue.


    ¡°I can¡¯t win. There I said it.¡± He forced himself to smile. ¡°I¡¯m not at a level I can fight him.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is a surprise. You¡¯re talking reason.¡± Walnut leaned against a tree. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying we try and sneak to the elevator then?¡±


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    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Walnut looked to Subaru. ¡°Does that work for you? You get your token back by helping us sneak in.¡±


    ¡°I guess I can do that,¡± Subaru shrugged. ¡°But I want assurances. Your word means nothing to me.¡±


    ¡°Assurances.¡± Walnut rubbed his beard. His axe dropped with a thud. His hand hovered over his pouch in hesitation. Then when he found the courage, he rummaged through the pouch, pulling out a gold coin. They way he handed it to Subaru, made it seem like it was something holy.


    ¡°A golden suncrest?¡± Subaru looked up with a frown. ¡°This doesn¡¯t mean anything to me.¡±


    ¡°But it does to me,¡± Walnut pointed at it. ¡°Look at its back.


    Kagami peeked over Subaru¡¯s shoulder. There was an engraving on the coin. He couldn¡¯t read it though.


    ¡°Barru?¡±


    ¡°That coin was my son¡¯s. It¡¯s the only thing I have left of him. You give me that back, when I give your token back.¡±


    Subaru turned back at the coin, seeing it¡¯s value now. He nodded and pocketed the coin in his own pouch. ¡°We got a deal. I¡¯ll protect the coin, but you better give my token back.¡±


    ¡°Keep it safe, because if you lose it, it means your life.¡± Walnut¡¯s voice went low and dangerous.


    ¡°Great!¡± Kagami clapped and pointed his thumb over his shoulder. ¡°So, we have a plan. Let¡¯s get the heck out of here.¡±


    #


    Luke stabbed through one of the men that ambushed him. They were all going to the Crimson Tree, and some had thought it would be a great idea to try and thin the numbers. He should know, he killed the man that tried to ambush him. The position was great for ambushes, it guarded the the single pathway to the Crimson Tree.


    The Crimson Tree was guarded by a giant sharp rocky wall that encircled it. While he guarded the area, he was only out for the Prince and allowed anyone else to go past. Most did, some were fools and died as a result like the body in front of him.


    Luke sat down on a rock, leaning his spear right next to him, and waited patiently. When he was a knight, he was assigned guard duty many times, he usually slacked off during those times, and would give a great big yawn.


    No more.


    He dug his nails in his thigh, remembering that memory that led him here.


    If only he had not slept, he may have saved his sister. He still remembered the face the Prince made as he burned their village to the ground. That face, was one of a demon¡¯s.


    The current prince with no memories had the face of a fool with no care in the world.


    That was unforgivable to Luke.


    All of his misfortunes, could be pointed to that one man.


    He would never sleep, not until the prince came to him.


    ¡°Boss?¡± The lanky man came into his view. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Luke glared at him. ¡°I¡¯m not your boss, Summers. You¡¯re my slave, until we kill the Prince. Unless you want your heart to explode.¡± Luke pointed at him, and could feel the flow of blood. With his Aura, Luke could control his blood. He put a little of his own in Summers after the man had tried to kill him at the beginning of the Ritual.


    ¡°Sure, but you also promised to get rid of it, and give my family money,¡± Summers waved at it dismissively. ¡°Since the other two are gone, I get their share.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Luke eyed the smiling man. He didn¡¯t like this feeling. ¡°What did you say you did to land yourself down here?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he said, but seeing that Luke didn¡¯t like that answer, Summers continued. ¡°Just like you, I was accused falsely and sent down here as a result.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you I was accused.¡± Luke leaned in. ¡°Say anything like that again, and I¡¯ll make your death very explosive.¡±


    ¡°Come on, boss-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not your boss.¡±


    ¡°-we both know you¡¯re too kindhearted to have burnt your sister to death. You can stare daggers at me, but everyone knows at the processing center knows about your sentence. We know it¡¯s bullshit.¡±


    ¡°You work at the Processing Center?¡± Luke searched his memories. He thought there was someone like Summers but he was in the background.


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t really stand out, I¡¯m usually in the background.¡± He snickered. His smile faded though. ¡°I, used my powers to pretend to be a statue in a certain place, and was caught by the wrong person. That¡¯s why I got sent here.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re a peeper and you peeped on the wrong woman.¡± Luke snorted derisively. ¡°Pathetic.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t believe you said that.¡± Summers grabbed his head in agony. ¡°I was in love with a noblewoman and the feelings were mutual. We were going to elope but I got caught by the father.¡±


    Luke leaned into his hand, resting his chin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you in the least.¡±


    ¡°Well, what about you then! It¡¯s obvious why you¡¯re obsessed with the Prince! He¡¯s the one that killed your sister wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Luke easily answered him. ¡°He did.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand then? Why did you do what Walnut said? You played with him didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t train him. I tortured him.¡± He corrected him. ¡°I was getting paid to torture him, so, given the chance, why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­you¡¯re a lot darker than I give you credit for.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only what I was made to be by that man.¡± He subconsciously reached for his crimson spear, bringing it close to his chest in an embrace ¡°When he comes here to pass, I will break him, and then I will end his life.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, but I can¡¯t allow that to happen.¡± A masked woman stepped into view. She rested her arm on sword¡¯s hilt. ¡°I¡¯m waiting on the Prince too and he¡¯s coming with me.¡±


    Luke stood up.


    ¡°And who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m-¡±


    ¡°We are the Black Sun.¡± A very charming looking man stepped into view. He gave them a dashing smile. ¡°We were sent to spread the blessing of this world. We¡¯re looking for the Prince. Have you seen him?¡±


    The masked woman turned to the man, and he wilted upon her stare.


    ¡°As I was saying, I can¡¯t let you do that. We plan to take him back with us. Our seers have foretold a future where he destroys the world. That must be stopped, and we plan to keep him contained and kill him at the right time.¡±


    His grip turned white on the red shaft of his spear.


    ¡°The prince is my prey and mine alone. He killed my sister. That¡¯s enough for me to want to kill him with my own hands.¡±


    ¡°Look, you can break him if you want. I can promise you that much, but after that, we take him with us. If you don¡¯t want to do that, then I suppose we¡¯re at an impasse.¡± She looked down at her sword and then met his gaze. ¡°Are you sure you want to make an enemy of me?¡±


    A shiver went down his spine. The masked woman was fearsome. He could tell by one glance that the way she held herself was how a skilled swordsman would hold themselves.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying I would revoke your revenge, but I have a duty to uphold and I won¡¯t allow anyone to impede me,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough!¡± Luke stabbed the ground with his aura infused spear. A shock wave followed.


    ¡°Not enough?¡± She looked over to the nobleman. ¡°Can you use your green sword? The one that can control time?¡±


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t. I overused my Gate.¡± The nobleman grumbled.


    She crossed her arms. ¡°How long will it take you to recover?¡±


    ¡°A few hours. Maybe three.¡± He shrugged.


    For a moment, she mused. Then she walked up to Bell. Bell seized up and took a step back as she stepped forward.


    ¡°Stop moving.¡± He didn¡¯t, so she vanished from their sight and reappeared behind him. She pushed his shoulder and made him sit down, and then placed a hand on his back.


    A soft glow enveloped him. After a few minutes, she pulled her hand back.


    ¡°There, you should be able to use it now.¡± She turned to Luke. ¡°I don¡¯t like meaningless deaths. I haven¡¯t witnessed it, but it is true that the prince can revive himself, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She clutched her chest in great pain.


    ¡°Like, I said, I don¡¯t like meaningless deaths. It¡¯s quite horrifying for me to hear he can¡¯t die by normal means, but I also understand revenge. I understand the pain that someone has caused. And I understand the rage that is unquenchable.¡± She met his eyes, and in those slits, he could see a pair of ruby red eyes stare back at him. ¡°You can kill him over and over again, but in return, when you¡¯ve exhausted all you have, I will take him.¡±


    His spear was trembling and Luke turned to it, to see that it was his own hand causing it. He grabbed his wrist to stop it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what do you get out of this?¡±


    ¡°I told you, I get the prince¡¯s body. An exhausted, broken prince.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 41 - You Always Have a Choice

    Kagami noticed long before the others did, just how strange and quiet their stroll through the forest was. He looked in the distance and found the answer. After an hour, the others picked up on it.


    ¡°Look.¡± Subaru pointed to the edges of the visible forest. ¡°It¡¯s hard to see, but the monsters, they¡¯re just staring at us. It¡¯s creepy.¡±


    ¡°I noticed a while ago,¡± the bandit said in a hushed whisper. ¡°Just don¡¯t make eye contact with them.¡±


    ¡°When did you notice? I noticed an hour ago.¡± Kagami puffed his chest in pride.


    Walnut gave him a dead stare. ¡°I noticed an hour and one minute ago.¡±


    ¡°I noticed an hour and two minutes ago,¡± Kagami corrected himself.


    ¡°I noticed way before you.¡± Walnut leaned in close enough for Kagami to smell his breath. ¡°And if you say you saw it before anytime before me, I¡¯ll pull your shoulder apart.¡±


    ¡°¡­I saw-¡°


    ¡°Stop it, you idiots! What are you children!¡± Subaru yelled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who saw what first. Can¡¯t we just agree it¡¯s creepy?¡±


    Kagami looked in the distant, seeing a treant and giant bear stand side-by-side staring at them vacantly with drool coming down their mouths.


    ¡°They look hungry.¡± Kagami pointed at them.


    ¡°Stop it! Don¡¯t point at them! That¡¯s scary!¡± Subaru¡¯s yell filled the quiet forest. ¡°It¡¯s like we¡¯re being led.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what¡¯s happening? The Warden told us to go the Crimson Tree. His robots are guarding the exit and the monsters are making sure we¡¯re heading that way.¡±


    Walnut eyed him. ¡°You can be very perceptive in the most annoying times.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Kagami jabbed his chest with his thumb. ¡°I¡¯m always very perceptive. I¡¯ve just been distracted by other things is all.¡± Kagami snorted. ¡°If only I had my old body, I could do so much.¡±


    Subaru leaned over to Walnut. ¡°He talks about his old body quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°Not a day goes by that he doesn¡¯t talk about,¡± Walnut sighed and then directed his scorn to Kagami. ¡°I doubt that you had the strength to even beat these so called Yakuza you keep on talking about.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Kagami glowered. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t lie about that. The Yakuza were strong, and almost every day, they tried to kill me. One time they blew up a plane to try.¡±


    ¡°None of what you said makes any sense to me, but what I do know is a barking dog and a strong dog. You¡¯re all bark, boy.¡±


    Those words pierced Kagami like knives. He hated being in this position, because everything the bandit just said was true. Never did he know the meaning of being weak, until he came to this world. To him, being strong was as simple as breathing, now it felt like he was forced to breath through a straw.


    Kagami stopped in his tracks and noticing that he was no longer walking, the two stopped and turned back at him, waiting for him to continue walking.


    ¡°Come on now. You already admitted it. Let¡¯s hurry and be on our way. We still have an elevator to catch.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what killed me?¡± Kagami asked to no one in particular. ¡°I told you guys how strong I was in my original body, but something killed me. I wonder what? It haunts me truly. What could have killed me?¡± His mind went to the phoenix. ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s the ph-¡±


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    His mouth clamped shut as if it were wired shut. He took an uneven step forward, his body felt hot. Walnut looked confused at what he was doing, but Subaru gazed at him with sudden realization.


    ¡°Wait!¡± He slapped Walnut¡¯s hand away.


    And before Walnut could yell at the young mercenary, Kagami lit on fire.


    #


    If the burning on the back of his right hand was any indication, Subaru knew what had killed Kagami. The curse had lit the poor man on fire, and rather than scream, he sat cross legged and died just like that. The rainbow flames went out just as quickly as it combusted.


    And there he sat, burnt to a black crisp.


    Only Subaru watched it until the end. Walnut looked paranoid, circling around like a dog catching its tail.


    ¡°What the heck just happened?¡± Walnut looked around, weary. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel any aura. Where did that attack come from?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was an attack, I think it was a curse.¡± Subaru waited to see if his curse would activate. ¡°He was about to say something he wasn¡¯t supposed to say.¡±


    ¡°Great Goddess.¡± Walnut rubbed his forehead. ¡°But I guess this makes it easier. I won¡¯t need to listen to his delusional rants.¡±


    As Walnut made an attempt to scoop him up, curiosity made Subaru ask the question he was dying to know.


    ¡°Why are you protecting him? Wasn¡¯t he the one that put you here?¡±


    Walnut froze in place for a moment, before continuing his efforts to gently take the body.


    ¡°I have a son. His sister, the princess, promised if I took care of him, she would find him and reunite us.¡± Walnut paused. ¡°That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t imagine taking care of the man that put me here.¡± Subaru whistled. ¡°I guess everyone has their circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­that¡¯s probably it.¡±


    His voice was strained. It was easy for Subaru to tell that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°If it¡¯s the Princess I think it is, then I haven¡¯t heard the greatest things about her. Do you think she¡¯ll keep her promise?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I can only hope.¡± He gestured emptily. ¡°What was the whole point of this? Well?!¡±


    He looked up at him, eyes and nose red with tears. The Bandit King was reduced to a man that was nothing but a father worried for his son.


    Subaru took a step back, surprised by his moment of vulnerability. Walnut wiped his tears away, and what replaced it was a face of a demon.


    ¡°You tell no one or I kill you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Maybe if he hadn¡¯t asked, they may have stood a chance from the monster that came into the clearing. The masked assassin appeared between them, sword drawn.


    Walnut rose his axe but he fell forward, a gash of blood spurted from his chest. Her white sword popped his sound barrier like a bubble, driving through his shoulder and pinned him into the ground.


    ¡°I ask, that you don¡¯t try to fight back,¡± the woman said. ¡°If you do, then I will kill you.¡±


    And he saw those ruby eyes in the slits that she truly meant it.


    #


    Just as promised the assassin in white brought back the prince in her arms. She gave him away to the man with the crimson spear with the deal that he have his way, and she take him in the end.


    To break him, so that he would not be able to struggle any longer.


    It was a cruel way to go about this, one the assassin found distasteful.


    But the Goddess had given her orders. Had told her who to seek, and what to do. For what reason, she did not care, because she knew that the Goddess held the most valuable cards close to her chest. The one that she desired and the one that she couldn¡¯t get unless she followed her instructions.


    As Luke prepared himself to fight, Bell transformed his sword into a Green Sword with misshapen clock on the hilt. She watched the hands on that clock spin and the territory created swallowed Luke and the prince¡¯s burnt corpse whole.


    With her job done, she decided to walk away.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Bell asked.


    ¡°The Prince will revive over and over again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s distasteful to watch something that cannot die.¡±


    Then she walked off back to the path she had come from. Meeting the two men she had defeated. Their eyes filled with defiance.


    They had come back.


    She respected that and if they could see her somber expression she made under her mask, they might have lost their wills to fight.


    ¡°I listened to your conversation. Do you wish to fight for a prince that put you here?¡± She turned to the giant man.


    The giant was holding his injured chest. The wound was deep. Blood was escaped between the gaps of his fingers.


    ¡°Give him back,¡± he said.


    ¡°What about you? He may have saved your life, but your debt was released when you saved him from me earlier.¡±


    ¡°I have no choice here.¡± Subaru smiled in an ill attempt to his his pain. The hole in his shoulder surely hurt.


    ¡°You always have a choice.¡± She pulled her sword free from her sheath. ¡°Even when you don¡¯t think you do.¡±


    #


    What you said, cannot be said. Let this be a warning to you. If you say anymore, I will not revive you for a days. Now go. Your presence irritates me, brother.


    Kagami woke on a rocky ground in front of Luke. The man sat on a rock, nodding as he saw him awake.


    ¡°Good.¡± He snatched the spear that was resting against the rock he sat on. ¡°It only took a few hours this time. I¡¯m glad. It means I can kill you so much.¡±

 [ARC 1] Chapter 42 - Fight Me

    ¡°No.¡± Kagami stayed sitting down. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight a friend.¡±


    Luke darkened. ¡°We¡¯re not friends. We never were. I would never be friends with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad, but even if you don¡¯t think that way, I do. I like you. I don¡¯t want to fight you like this.¡± Kagami waved his hand around. ¡°This is a fight to the death? I don¡¯t want to kill you.¡±


    His spear shook in his hands, and the man bit his lips until a trickle of blood dripped from his chin. ¡°What do you know?¡± His voice cracked. ¡°You don¡¯t even know what you did to me do you? You killed my sister. Burnt her until she was burnt crisp. How could I ever be friends with someone like you? You want to know something? The ¡®training¡¯ we did? Walnut paid me, but I enjoyed killing you.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Another person affected by the prince. He gave a big sigh, and met Luke¡¯s eyes with his own gaze and said the words that would enrage them. ¡°I did not do that.¡±


    A vein popped on Luke¡¯s forehead, and inside of Kagami he could hear the laughter of the phoenix that granted him his immortality.


    ¡°I hate you so much. You can¡¯t even take responsibility for what you did. How could I ever be friends with someone like you!¡±


    After a moment to catch his breath, Luke attacked him.


    And just like he told him, he didn¡¯t fight. The spear went through his heart.


    #


    ¡°I will revive you immediately. Enjoy talking to your ¡®friend.¡¯¡± The phoenix mocked him.


    #


    He pulled out his spear, and the Prince immediately revived in a fury of rainbow flames. Luke waited until the flames extinguished. Stabbing him while the rainbow flames surrounded him did nothing to him. He was invincible. Once the flames extinguished, he stabbed Cedar again.


    And again.


    He killed him by stabbing through his head.


    He killed him by stabbing his lungs and watching him wheeze for breath.


    He bled him to death.


    Sliced tiny little cuts.


    Injected him with his own blood and wrecked havoc in his body, blowing his heart into pieces.


    He killed and killed, but grew more irritated when the Prince did nothing.


    Finally, after his twentieth death, he could take it no longer.


    ¡°Do something!¡± He yelled. ¡°Fight! Struggle!¡±


    Killing him had been nothing more than stabbing a bag of meat. There was no joy from it. The Prince met his gaze again, his clear blue eyes filled with determination.


    ¡°No.¡±¡¯


    He couldn¡¯t take it. Luke stabbed the ground.


    ¡°Fight me! Fight me or I¡¯ll¡­¡± His mind went back to a conversation they had a long time ago. A sickening smile spread across his face. ¡°Or I¡¯ll find your wife and kill her.¡±


    Cedar straightened himself, his lips parted in shock. And just for a moment, Luke had thought that he had something he could threaten the man with. Instead, he burst into loud laughter.


    ¡°Wha-what¡¯s funny?¡± He taken aback. ¡°I will do it!¡±


    The Prince wiped a tear and his smile was a man in love.


    ¡°Even if you did find her, you would never be able to defeat her. If you fought her a hundred out a hundred times, you would lose every single time.¡±


    How dare he, make such a face, and say such things with ease.


    He gripped the shaft of his spear and stabbed his knee. The Prince flinched in pain, but he made no yell. His spirit would not break.


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    ¡°Fight me!¡± He yelled, and then in a softer voice, he pleaded. ¡°Fight me.¡±


    In respect to his will, the Prince met his gaze.


    ¡°No.¡±


    His spear clattered on the ground. There was no way he could make this man fight him. What could he do? He tried to goad him, threaten him, killed him, pleaded with him, and yet, nothing, nothing would spur this man to fight him.


    When Luke had met the Prince in the past, he was extremely prideful and cold man. He would not let any insults fly over him like this. Rather, his personality now was more troublesome. His current self was like a mountain, unmovable.


    He would not move to his dance.


    The Prince that sat with his bleeding knee would only dance to his own tune.


    Knowing that though an answer came to Luke. One so desperate, it was the only thing he knew would work only if he meant it.


    Luke picked up his spear.


    ¡°I told you, I won¡¯t fight you.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± His voice devoid of any strength.


    Kagami straightened up.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    He pointed his spear to his neck, closing his eyes.


    If he couldn¡¯t make him fight then he would die.


    Sally, I¡¯m coming.


    He had been stopped from killing himself. The Prince had caught his spear by the blade, just an inch where his neck was. His face was enraged and he pulled the spear away from him.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± The Prince yelled. ¡°Did you intend to kill yourself because I wouldn¡¯t fight you? What are you stupid?¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s stupid?¡± A bitter taste rose from his throat. ¡°Maybe to you, but to me, fighting you, killing you, breaking you, it is everything to me! You think you can just take that away from me? This is your fault! Stop running away from your responsibilities! You were the one that did this to me? You took my home. You took my sister. You took everything and forced me to live down here. You say we¡¯re friends? Then fight me, or I¡¯ll kill myself.¡±


    The Prince stayed silent in deep thought. Then, in resignation, he handed Luke back his spear.


    ¡°I don¡¯t agree with you, but you want to fight fine.¡± He bashed his fists together. ¡°At the very least I can respect that will. I will fight you because it¡¯s convenient for me. This is a good learning experience.¡±


    ¡°Even now, you¡¯re just so god damn annoying. This is a torturing event, Cedar¡­no, I guess you¡¯re not that person anymore, Kagami.¡±


    #


    Her blade sliced through his sound barrier with ease. The oni would have died if the giant didn¡¯t pulled him back to escape her white blade.


    ¡°Great Goddess!¡± Subaru said after only realizing how close to death he had gotten.


    He had escaped with a shallow cut across his nose. Aura surged from the giant and he transformed into a great red demon. He pitched forward, bringing down his great broadaxe. The ground where she had stood exploded and she landed on top of the axe and climbed up his arm from there.


    She carved from the bottom of his face to above his right eyebrow. She had taken an eye, sealing it forever in darkness.


    Walnut roared in pain and moved erratically. She kept her balance, shifting her weight from one side to another with ease, as if she were on lull. Then she used the shifting momentum to spin and slice the arm she was riding.


    She would have cut through it if the oni boy¡¯s whistle hadn¡¯t forced her to jump aside.


    ¡°If both of you want to give up, I won¡¯t kill you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Acting like that,¡± the demon¡¯s voice was rough and loud. ¡°Are you one of the Virtues-¡±


    ¡°I am not. Nor will I ever be.¡± She cut him off before he could finish. ¡°I for one, despise each and every one of them, because they aren¡¯t as virtuous as they pretend to be.¡±


    The Demon took a step back and she realized that her Aura exploded at that. She took a couple of deep breaths bringing it back to tempered control.


    ¡°Once more, give up. The two of you don¡¯t stand a chance. The further this goes on, the more likely you two will die.¡± Her eyes went to the injured Demon. Steam was coming out of the injury. She had heard that those of the Demon clan had accelerated healing.


    ¡°You know we¡¯re not good people,¡± the demon said. ¡°Letting us live would be a mistake.¡±


    To that, she snickered. ¡°I¡¯ve seen worse people.¡±


    With that their somewhat pleasant conversation ended. She honestly didn¡¯t wish to cut these two down. It was a waste of life. She brought her white sword at eye level, her sword¡¯s tip pointed at them.


    ¡°I have time to kill until the prince¡¯s mind is destroyed, so let¡¯s go ahead and have fun.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re underestimating us.¡± A vein popped on the demon¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I am. I¡¯m taking you with utmost seriousness.¡±


    #


    Bell maintained the barrier with his sword¡¯s current form: Eclipse. It allowed him to create pockets of time and change the speed. He could speed it up just as he was doing now, or slow it to a crawl. Watching the fight inside take place was like fast forwarding from those old VHS tapes his parents had.


    He had heard stories of Cedar Oswell. A Prince so cruel that he used his flames to burn down towns and salt the area so that it would be unlivable.


    But the Prince he had heard about had been strong¡­this one was incredibly weak. He heard that the Prince was a skilled swordsman, but the Prince in front of him fought with his fists.


    He watched as the Prince was killed over and over by the man holding the red spear. The first few times were interesting, the man was skilled with a spear, but it might as well have been watching a noob being battered around by an professional gamer.


    It was sad.


    At first he didn¡¯t struggle, but then he tried, and even that was more pathetic.


    Why did the Goddess want this man? He was told that he was dangerous? How?


    He watched the spearman use orbs of blood that shot skewered the Prince like swiss cheese. That was pretty cool.


    But his focus started to wane, and he felt himself sleepy. It had been a long day after all.


    Then, he noticed a change. The Prince stood up after reviving, and he saw a mirage of a great beast that brought shivers down his spine.


    Bell decided it was a delusion when the Prince died almost immediately again.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 43 - The Princes Revival

    This time he meant to fight, but each death he revived from he was punched full of holes. In the border of life and death, he heard the echoes of the phoenix¡¯s laughter and the birth of the rainbow flames that would revive him.


    The flames of revival blew out, and the red spear pierced through his shoulder, pinning him into the stone ground. Kagami grabbed the shaft of the spear, trying to free himself. The spear did not budge from Luke¡¯s grip. If he had his strength, the spear would bounce off of him like a dull side of a needle. If he had his strength, he could pull the spear free from his shoulder.


    ¡°Weak.¡± Luke wrenched the spear away easily. ¡°So weak. Where is your vigor from our training sessions, Kagami?¡±


    Those words pierced through his head like Luke¡¯s spear.


    He had died again.


    Why was he still so weak? All that training he did for a year, was it meaningless? Getting back up, fighting, getting strong enough to crack the shell of those giant spiders. Why couldn¡¯t he win? Why couldn¡¯t he bring the strength? Why did he have to suffer like this?


    Why wasn¡¯t he strong?


    All those times, where he fought Luke. All those times when he killed those spiders. From those days where he would train until he threw up.


    Did any of it mean anything?


    I will stay here and fight.


    Those words he proudly proclaimed to Walnut meant nothing, but the giant¡¯s response lingered as he died yet again.


    Only the strong could say something like that.


    #


    At the dinner table where they ate, Kagami frowned at the answer his wife gave him. They were drinking coffee, and he had asked her a question about weakness. He had a conversation earlier with one of his employees, and it had wormed his way into his brain.


    She had given her answer and he mulled at it for a pregnant pause.


    You can only become strong if you know weakness.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Kagami crossed his arms. He wanted to understand but he couldn¡¯t. For as long as he could remember, he was strong. He never struggled against anyone, and defeated anyone that stood in front of him.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t, but it a shame though, Kagami.¡± She smiled. ¡°I think if you understood, you would definitely grow stronger than you are now.¡±


    Kagami shrugged at that.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way anything could kill me. You used a magic sword and that only left a scar.¡± He patted his chest, feeling a phantom throb.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know danger and while you can¡¯t understand, that¡¯s weakness itself.¡± She gazed at him with those ruby red eyes. ¡°I worry that some day you might die for not taking better care of yourself.¡±


    Kagami laughed that off.


    ¡°Only a god could kill me.¡±


    #


    Kagami didn¡¯t know what he was feeling right now. That memory spilled open like a cracked egg and for the first time, he understood.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    He had said he was weak, but he still hadn¡¯t understood those words. He still believed within him that he could defeat anyone that he faced.


    But he now knew that was not true.


    Asa had trained hard. He had seen her practice every morning, drenched with sweat, and with resolve as sharp as steel. The effort she placed and the effort he placed were night and day. She had told him she had honed her skills from a master.


    Kagami had never needed any of that. He just punched. If he missed, he punched harder and faster, until his punch connected and they wouldn¡¯t get up.


    In front of the Great Phoenix, the feeling finally hit. Tears pushed out of his eyes from sheer frustration and the pain of being weak gripped his heart like iron.


    The Phoenix¡¯s chuckle rumble the very air.


    ¡°Do you understand now brother? Your weak. Hand over your body, and I shall use it better.¡±


    He lifted his head, meeting its fiery gaze.


    Then, he gave a slight nod.


    The Phoenix¡¯s cry reached the very heavens.


    Kagami didn¡¯t know how anyone could fight with this body.


    #


    For a moment, he had wavered when he stood up. There had been something different about him, but his fear were buried when he stabbed him through his eye, and past his brain.


    He hadn¡¯t tried anything.


    The Prince was engulfed in that same rainbow flame. Luke pulled out his spear, but was stopped by Cedar¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Haha.¡± His laughter started small and his body trembled, before he threw his head back filling the very air with his hideous laugh. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Then, he gazed at Luke with the one eye that was still good. A blood tear trickled down his face. ¡°Thank you. I would not be here if not for you. Thank you.¡±


    A chill went down his spine, and Luke leapt back. The spear in his eye melted and the flames of revival formed a new eye in its place.


    ¡°Ahhh! It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve been free. How wonderful to smell the blood soaked air of a battlefield. You couldn¡¯t know how much I wanted to be out here, how I watched your every fight with him. Your hatred of me was something I wanted to face myself.¡± The Prince gave a wolfish smile.


    Luke watched the Prince. An image of the one he met at his village¡¯s burning, and the one in front of him interlapped.


    ¡°Cedar!!!¡±


    He formed a new spear using one of the blood balls floating in the air. He plunged his spear into the Prince¡¯s chest with every ounce of animosity he could muster.


    It did nothing though. The Prince stood there with a smile as if he were basking in the morning sun. With a touch of his finger,  the spear melted like butter. Luke backed up and flicked his finger. The blood ball behind Cedar erupted, blowing a hole through the Prince¡¯s head.


    It did nothing.


    He wore the rainbow flames like a royal mantle. The flames ebbed and flowed as the hole formed new flesh.


    ¡°What is this? Why are you able to control those flames!¡± Luke yelled. This was different from the previous immortality. The flames were active the whole time now.


    ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s my ability. For I have been remade into the Phoenix. The previous me you bullied did not have this gift. I allowed him to use it.¡±


    ¡°The Phoenix?¡± That was¡­it couldn¡¯t be¡­Luke shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s a lie!¡± The two blood balls rained down a hail of blood bullets, cutting through the Prince like wet paper.


    The madman laughed, when it was all done, even with the giant pool of blood, he reformed back just like he was before, clothes and all.


    ¡°Is this all you can do?¡± Cedar shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Is this all your sister¡¯s death amounted to?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak of her-¡±


    ¡°I loved how she screamed when I lit her on fire. She truly turned into a beautiful flame.¡±


    Luke screamed and Aura erupted from his Gate. He pulled all the blood on the ground, weaving each and every one into a dense black spear. He ran the spear through Cedar¡¯s chest.


    This time the spear did not melt.


    ¡°Magnificent.¡± Cedar said once he tried to melt it. Steam sizzled where he had touched. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you.¡± He injected the blood in him. His blood rampaged within Cedar¡¯s body. Blood vessels burst. Organs snapped. The heart exploded.


    The Prince took all of that without a hint of pain. If it weren¡¯t for the blood that dripped from every hole on his face, Luke would have that it had done nothing. A rainbow flame wrapped around Cedar like a blanket. Protecting him from death.


    ¡°That was quite something, Luke.¡± The rainbow flame converged in his hand, forming into a blazing sword. ¡°For that, I shall end you myself. As a form of respect, from someone who thinks you could have killed me before my immortality.¡±


    A bead of sweat dripped down the side of Luke¡¯s face.


    ¡°You got to be kidding me.¡±


    It was the last thing he said before the blade cut the very space around them.


    And then the time bubble crashed.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 44 - Teleport Token

    ¡°What a fine battle, a way to celebrate my emergence from my own prison,¡± Cedar felt a swell of pride as he said those words. ¡°If I were still human, you may have defeated me. But alas, I have become more than human now.¡±


    There was no answer from Luke, which made him wonder if the man was still alive. There was a pool of blood forming underneath the felled man.


    ¡°Truly saddening. It seems he has passed on, and wasn¡¯t able to hear my speech. Don¡¯t you think it was something to behold a King¡¯s Speech?¡± Cedar turned his attention to the man with the light brown hair.


    The man had waited for the Prince to finish. He stood there with his strange looking green sword that had a clock affixed to its hilt.


    ¡°My name is Bell, I am the Goddess¡¯ Chosen Champion.¡± The man pulled the blade free from the ground. ¡°And today, I shall defeat you.¡±


    ¡°The Chosen Champion?¡±


    Cedar repeated in a mocking tone, giving a little chuckle at the end. Bell narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how many ¡®Chosen Champions¡¯ there are? How many were hand selected by the Goddess herself? Do you know how many of them became a true hero? You¡¯re not the first one picked. You are a mere drop in a bucket. Unlike you, I have been chosen for a divine cause.¡±


    The best insults were the ones that spoke the truth. With aurasight, Cedar was able to see Bell¡¯s Aura erupt from his anger. A piece of his cheek cracked, and Cedar snorted derisively.


    ¡°You are a foolish chosen champion to try and fight in your condition. You¡¯re overusing your Gate. You¡¯ve eaten too many spirit keys. Unlike you, I no longer am limited to eat such poison to access my Gate.¡±


    To demonstrate, he opened his Gate at will, allowing his Aura to swirl around him like a swallow circling the air.


    But that did nothing to sway Bell.


    ¡°I am the Hero,¡± he said with conviction. In a glow of light, the blade transformed from the blade with the clock, to a hulking slab of iron that looked like a scarred battlefield.


    Aura cracked the very air when he summoned the blade, and Cedar was in awe as his eyes fixed on the blade.


    ¡°What a beautiful blade.¡±


    It reminded him so much of the villages he burned down.


    He wanted that blade. He could feel its power tremble the very air around him.


    Bell swung his blade, the air cracked.


    His arm was blown away a few feet behind him. Blood gushed from the stump of his arm. His flames weren¡¯t healing him, the pain was excruciating, but even so, Cedar could only marvel at the potential of him wielding that blade.


    ¡°I want it.¡±


    A sword made of flames formed in his hand.


    #


    The fight between them had come to its obvious conclusion. The assassin touched her mask, touching upon a cut that had been made during their fight. She didn¡¯t know what they were planning, but whatever it had been, they had failed.


    She stood in the middle of the battlefield, the two men who had fought so valiantly had been defeated by her. The giant had his arm cut off and the oni leaned against the tree, holding a deep cut on his shoulder but still conscious.


    ¡°You were valiant.¡± She spoke the words she thought and looked at the two of them. ¡°I mean that. Even though I said I would kill you, in the end I really am a coward, aren¡¯t I? In the end, I¡¯m the one that didn¡¯t have the conviction to go through with my words.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I appreciate that you were a liar.¡± The oni forced a pained smile. ¡°At the very least, you weren¡¯t the one that killed me.¡±


    She understood his self depreciating joke. The thread around his neck was certain death, controlled by the one who manifested it.


    The assassin walked over to him, and with a stroke of her sword, she cut the thread from his neck.


    Subaru¡¯s eyes widened as he patted his neck to see if his head was still attached. Then he realized what she had done and looked up with a gapping mouth.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    She felt the air tremble and turned to the direction she had left the Prince.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a bad man. Take him.¡± She pointed at Walnut. ¡°And find a way out. I can¡¯t help you with anything else.¡±


    Then, she walked back, steeling herself for another fight.


    #This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Even with Doomslayer in his hands, there was a sense of unease filling Bell¡¯s chest. The Prince had definitely changed. If he previously had the eyes of a shonen protagonist, the man in front of him had the look of a complete villain.


    There was something genuinely cruel the way light reflected in his eyes. The way his lips crooked when he sneered at Bell.


    It pissed him the fuck off.


    ¡°How dare you make such a face at me!¡± Bell yelled in defiance. The prince ducked underneath the cracked world and closed the distance between them in a blaze of flames.


    The sword in his hand changed forms, wrapping around him in light. The flame sword deflected at his chest. The sword had transformed into an armor that wrapped around Bell like a protective shell. He had named this one Dragonscale as his master had commended that it was as tough as one.


    The prince pulled back, and whistled in awe of his wonderful sword.


    ¡°That is something. Truly, what a wonderful sword. It makes me desire it even more. A man such as yourself, deserves none of it,¡± the prince¡¯s smiled wickedly.


    ¡°You will never-¡± Something within him shook to its core. The armor transformed back into a plain sword that clattered in front of him as he fell to his knees. Molten liquid climbed up his throat, as he retched forward, dying the rocky ground crimson.


    ¡°Ah, looks like you finally overused your Gate.¡±


    Bits of his face turned to dust as it hit the ground. He tried to open his mouth to scream, but his tongue fell out. The prince stood in front of him, his shadow covered him.


    ¡°Do you understand now? There¡¯s nothing special about you. You are cursed just like any other human. You aren¡¯t a hero. If you stop using Aura now, you will survive. As payment for this lesson, I will take what is owed.¡±


    The prince reached out for the broadsword, and for a moment he saw his shadow tremble, before the the world seemed to blur.


    ¡°Step away from him please.¡±


    The prince wrenched back as if he had touched hot iron. In the corner of his eyes, he a pair of brown boots step in front of him. A glowing blade like the sunshine of the new morning was held in her hand.


    His bodyguard had returned, and just in time. Bell opened his mouth to reprimand her for leaving him for so long, but no words came out of his mouth. Only garbled sounds did.


    ¡°Stay there and don¡¯t do anything.¡± She did not turn to him. She kept her eyes fixed on the Prince.


    #


    She had returned to see the outcome of a battle she had hoped she would not see. Luke was sprawled on his back, unsure whether he was still alive and the ¡®hero¡¯ she was supposed to babysit stood in front of death¡¯s door. Not only that, the prince in front of her was no doubt more dangerous than before.


    With aurasight she could see the blazing strength of the great fire bird known as the Phoenix dwelling in this man¡¯s aura.


    ¡°I will ask you only once. Surrender or I will kill you.¡±


    ¡°My, my. I must say, this woman here is certainly someone not to be trifled with. Even with divinity, I can tell how dangerous you are. How about you join me? The church does not deserve a fine woman like you. I can make you a Queen.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in such things.¡± She gripped Sunshine, and the blade glowed even brighter. ¡°I desire only one thing.¡±


    ¡°I can grant you such a desire.¡±


    ¡°You cannot.¡±


    There was no more sense talking, so the assassin closed the distance in an instant. Her speed caught the prince off guard as she cleaved through his chest quite easily. His body fell in two. Before it fell to the ground, she divided the body many, many times until it was but a pile of meat.


    Flames colored like a shimmering rainbow burst into life, reforming the prince back into pieces. She took a moment to slice the prince again, but the flames made him invulnerable to the damage. She dodged his blade that he had formed with fire. It¡¯s edge scrapped against her mask, and the crack on it finally spread enough for it to fall into two pieces.


    The prince saw her face and widened in surprise. She took a moment to take out a spare mask to cover her face.


    ¡°Why¡­no, how are you here?¡± the prince breathed out.


    ¡°Do you know me?¡± She didn¡¯t really believe it.


    A jagged smile formed on his face.


    ¡°Know you? Of course I do! I know what you are searching for. Drop your sword and I will grant you-¡±


    The assassin sliced his head off.


    ¡°You have the smell of a liar.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not nice.¡± The flames spread to where the head was lying. The prince walked out of the flames with his head back on. ¡°I am not lying when I say I know what you want.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you are telling the truth. I know men like you. Nothing good can come out of believing you.¡±


    His face twisted. ¡°Ignorant woman! I can grant you the knowledge you seek! All you¡¯re doing is covering your ears like a child does when they are being reprimanded!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure your brother trusted you before you buried a knife in his back,¡± she returned a calm response.


    Those words stopped the prince. There was sorrow in his eyes.


    ¡°Woman! You don¡¯t know anything!¡± That sorrow turned back into anger. The rainbow flames that cloaked him swelled like a marshmallow hanging over an open flame. ¡°What happened between my brother and I, has nothing to do with you!¡±


    The flames erupted behind him, falling down missiles. The assassin ran towards him, weaving past the flames and explosions. She focused her Aura into Sunshine, and the blade glowed like the morning sun of a fresh dawn.


    She sliced his arm off. His eyes widened in shock as he tried to have his flames heal his wound. But it would not. The flames wouldn¡¯t heal a wound that had already been cauterized. Before he could use his other arm to stab his neck, she sliced off his limbs leaving only his head and torso.


    "You will come with me.¡± She pointed her sword sword at him. It was still shining like a beacon of light.


    ¡°You¡¯re a fool if you think she will help you. I know whe-¡±


    The assassin stuffed her hand into his mouth, pulling out his tongue. He made some sounds, none that she could ever decipher and stabbed her sword into the ground. With her free hand, she took out her knife, taking no pause before she cut his tongue out.


    She tossed it behind her.


    ¡°Nothing you say will change your fate. You will be coming with me.¡±


    As she looked around for something to tie him around her back, she felt a change in the surroundings. A high pitched whistle shot through the air. She grabbed her sword deflecting the highly condensed sound. A tree fell behind her.


    Why? She wondered. She let him live, and once more they attacked her in a futile attempt. Her kindness had been trampled upon again. These people took it as weakness.


    She didn¡¯t like it. She recognized that. It was why she steeled her resolve. She would kill them this time.


    The giant came at her in his ogre form. Still injured with one arm intact. She readied herself to slice him in two this time.


    She was hit behind her by flames and her balance slipped. While it was hot, it did little to injure her. She had enveloped herself in protective Aura. She peered behind her shoulder for a moment to see Cedar smile in triumph as flames in the hissed from the corner of his mouth.


    The assassin swung her sword, and the ogre used the stub of his left arm to protect him. Then, he shoved with his free hand something onto her.


    It was a token.


    There was a flash, and reality warped and she knew that she had been teleported away from the Well.


    When the world came to, she found herself sitting at a table with a bottle of unopened rum, surrounded by men ready to kill her.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 45 - My Brothers Mongrel

    ¡°You¡¯re still alive aren¡¯t you?¡± Subaru shook the giant. ¡°Come on, we have to get out of here.¡±


    The man groaned, blood dripped from his stump, but not as much as he thought. He turned his head to get a better look at it. To his surprise, it was a clean cut, slightly burnt, no doubt the assassin had cauterized the wound so the giant wouldn¡¯t bleed to death.


    A kindness even to this fight to the death.


    Subaru couldn¡¯t help but feel respect for the assassin in both strength and character. She had many chances to end them, yet she let them live. He wasn¡¯t sure how to take it, but he had done everything he could to defeat her, and he came up short every time.


    He needed to focus on the now.


    Walnut woke up looking like shit. His eyes shifted around.


    ¡°Where is she? Where did she go-¡±


    His attempt to push himself up failed, and Subaru tried to catch him. He was clearly confused at why he had fallen until he saw the stump of his arm.


    ¡°Ah.¡± His face twisted as if he bit a sour lemon. ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is. A mark to show that she could have done us in.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what she did,¡± Subaru said. ¡°We fought her, and we lost. We should go, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything we can do to help Kagami.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s it?¡± Walnut grabbed him by the collar, a sneer on his face. ¡°We lost, now let¡¯s tuck our tails and run off? Fuck that! She let us live and that was her mistake! We¡¯ll go back and fight her!¡±


    ¡°And how are we even supposed to do that? We can¡¯t beat her! You know that!¡±


    Walnut looked around and then let him go.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my arm?¡± He turned his gaze back at Subaru. ¡°Help me find my arm.¡±


    Subaru stayed where he was standing as the giant hunkered down to look for his arm.


    ¡°Walnut. We don¡¯t have anyone that can attach that arm. I don¡¯t think we can even-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m looking for it.¡± Walnut yelled at him with his back turned. ¡°That hand, carried our victory. A way to beat her.¡±


    ¡°You did say something like that before, but what was it?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer him and he straightened himself to survey the area. He walked out of sight. He must have spotted his arm, because a moment later, he came back with his arm in tow. Subaru looked at the hand, seeing it empty.


    ¡°Did you find it?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± Walnut nodded. ¡°Now, we follow her, and we wait for an opportunity to attack. We might have only one chance.¡±


    Subaru watched him silently, shaking his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. What is making you do so much? Tell me!¡±


    He didn¡¯t expect him to tell him, but a moment later, Walnut opened his mouth and told him.


    ¡°I have a son¡­¡±


    #


    In the distance, Subaru watched as the assassin was teleported away. He almost dropped from the tree he was standing on.


    He¡­that bastard.


    Subaru¡¯s fist shook in rage.


    That man had used his teleport token. She had been sent to HIS HOME. He had left a bottle of the finest wine from Havelock on his dining room table to be drunk in celebration for escaping this god forsaken place.


    And now, he would never be able to go back home.


    Subaru took in a deep breath and yelled the bastard responsible for doing all of this.


    ¡°Walnut!¡±


    #


    Walnut watched the assassin get swallowed by the space itself as she shoved the teleport token onto her.


    And then she was gone.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    He turned back from his oni form in a blaze of steam and almost sunk to his knees from the strain fighting the assassin had caused his body. He could feel his Gate creek from being open so much. He was near his limit and was sure eating another key would result in his Gate collapsing and him turning to ash.


    ¡°Walnut!¡± He heard Subaru yell at him in a distance. ¡°You bastard!¡±


    Walnut¡¯s lips turned to a small smile. He didn¡¯t like doing it, but he had to. He used Subaru¡¯s token to send her to wherever it had been anchored to.


    The bandit was just glad that it was all over. He looked over to Kagami. Rather than give him a smile and a thank you, the man gave him an almost inhuman and cold stare. As if he viewed the giant as nothing but a bug ready to be squashed.


    ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡±


    That was the question he managed to ask before the prince thrust his arm through him.


    ¡°Ka-kagami?¡±


    ¡°That man is not here right now. He slumbers from the cruelty the world has given him. I thank you for saving me, it is why I will grant you a slightly less painful death.¡± He wrenched his arm free. Walnut fell on his back. Blood formed under him.


    ¡°Ce-Cedar?¡±


    It was an answer that seemed insane, but it made sense. From the sneer the Prince gave, his answer was correct.


    ¡°Yes. Good. Do you know why I stabbed through you? Even though I had no access to my own body, I was able to see from his eyes. You slipped up plenty of times, you work for my sister don¡¯t you? You work for Hazel?¡±


    How did he know?


    It must have shown on his face, because Cedar gaze grew even colder.


    ¡°I wondered why you served the fool so well. You really bent over to do everything for him. I do not tolerate spies, but even though it was for your own self interest, I shall forgive you. Your life will end by my hand. There is no greater honor than that.¡±


    Walnut pursed his lips and hissed. ¡°Fuck you!¡±


    ¡°¡­A shame. Then your death shall be as cruel and painful as what I planned for my sister.¡±


    A crimson spear pierced through his chest. Cedar turned to see that Luke had risen up once more.


    ¡°You¡¯re still alive.¡± From his tone he was surprised by this. ¡°How wonderful. If you stop yourself, I shall grant you the honor of serving me for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Go fuck yourself!¡±


    ¡°Unfortunate. It seems you¡¯ve learned nothing though.¡± He tapped the spear¡¯s tip protruding his chest. ¡°I cannot die.¡±


    Luke wrenched free. Walnut expected him to be bathed in a storm of rainbow flames. Instead, he swallowed a painful cry and fell to his knees. Luke circled him in front of him, spear in hand.


    ¡°I saw your fight with the Black Sun. You weren¡¯t healing when she cut you. It seems that there are limitations to your healing. You can only use it when you¡¯ve been mortally wounded.¡±


    There was a change in his face. Luke had hit the nail on the head. Walnut pitched himself forward to sit up. Blood was leaving him fast. He pushed to transform. Without any potions, it was his only chance to survive. His ogre self had high regenerative abilities. As he pulled Aura from his Gate, he could it strain from overusing it.


    It was a partial transformation, he felt himself grow just a little big, but the bleeding in his chest slowed down to a crawl. He would survive for now.


    At some point Subaru had arrived, staring at Cedar with concern. When he noticed Walnut rise, his expression darkened.


    ¡°Hey! You bastard! How dare you-¡±


    ¡°Not right now.¡± He pushed the little man aside walking right up to Luke. The guard trained his spear at the Prince, and at some point had wrapped blood around him like a rope.


    ¡°What do you plan to do with him?¡± Walnut asked.


    ¡°I will give him to the Warden. He was the one that wanted him the most.¡±


    Walnut sighed. He was afraid of that.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You can¡¯t tell me what to do! This man! This man!¡± His yell echoed across the forest. ¡°He killed my sister! He took everything from me! Then he pinned his crimes on me!¡±


    ¡°I know lad.¡± He put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°He took my wife, but I can¡¯t let you kill him. I made a deal with his sister. I watch him, and make sure he lives, and I get my son back.¡±


    ¡°My sister¡¯s words are as honorable as a backstabber.¡±


    ¡°¡°Shut up!¡±¡±


    The two yelled at him. Then they turned to each other.


    ¡°I will have my justice! I won¡¯t allow this bastard to escape!¡± Luke glowered at him.


    ¡°My son is the only thing I have. I would do anything to see him again.¡±


    ¡°Woah! Woah! Stop right there!¡± Subaru cut across the two of them, and the small man tried to push them away from each other. He looked at the two of them. ¡°We can¡¯t have you guys fight here. Can you say that you can control your blood if you fight another person?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t lose to a man with a single arm,¡± Luke said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t lose to a half dead brat.¡± Walnut growled.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Subaru said. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you two, but I don¡¯t want to die. Right now, we can agree right? The prince has to live. We should find a place to sit down and discuss this.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one here other than us.¡± Luke turned to the other Black Sun assassin. He hadn¡¯t moved for a while. ¡°You can go with him to the Warden and try to convince him not to kill him, but I will do what I need to do.¡±


    ¡°We got two of us and only one of you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t put me in this situation here.¡±


    ¡°You heard him, you¡¯re alone. I¡¯ve got another myself. He¡¯s just hiding beyond the forest, ready to strike if you make one step.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about your lanky friend, he ran off a while ago. I saw him when I was perched on the tree.¡± Subaru told him.


    ¡°That coward!¡± Luke¡¯s hand was shaking.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Walnut drew his face close and sneered. ¡°Now that you understand, you can give him to me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, guys.¡±


    Subaru tried to get their attention. Walnut ignored him. Luke did the same. He had a clear eye on Cedar. The prince just watched the two of them out of boredom.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this, you can go ahead and try to stop me, but I won¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Guys!¡± Subaru yelled.


    ¡°¡°What?!¡±¡± The two of them yelled, but a black blade slipped through Luke¡¯s chest in the same way his spear did the same to Cedar just a moment ago.


    Walnut tapped into his Gate, but a sickness spread in his gut, and he knew he had overused his Gate. He lurched forward spraying a splatter of blood in the stone ground. A finger from his hand dropped, turning to ash.


    Subaru took a cautious step back, his face contorted in fear.


    When Luke dropped, the wolf woman stood behind him. Walnut almost didn¡¯t recognize her, she was bloodied and injured to the point that she looked like a corpse. He didn¡¯t understand where she had come from, but with the single eye that was open, she looked at the three of them in disdain.


    Then, seeing that none of the three would do anything, she turned to Cedar. The Prince chuckled.


    ¡°So, it seems my brother¡¯s mongrel has come to save me-¡±


    She beheaded him and a torrent of rainbow flames converged.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 46 - A Hated Alliance

    ¡°It seems my brother¡¯s mongrel has come to save me-¡±


    She sliced off his head and watched it bounce a little away from they body. The face had a mocking smile frozen on it.


    He revived soon after in a torrent of rainbow flames.


    She was surprised that Luke stood up. She knew she had stabbed the heart. Her first guess was healing aura, but the wound was still there and filled with blood. She realized his ability to control blood allowed him to live. His own blood had acted like a plug, his control over it was amazing.


    But the damage was still there.


    Yoru didn¡¯t try anything. She didn¡¯t have to. Luke stabbed at the Prince in the center of the vortex, using a spear made from his own blood. She knew it was useless, and he must have known too.


    Luke faced forward at his foe with a defiant snarl.


    The Prince would not allow the same mistake to happen again. He melted the spear before it even touched him. Then, the spearman, was engulfed in a blaze of red flames. He screamed in agony, the pain too much for him, he fell to the ground, and the smell of burning flesh assaulted her sensitive and bloodied nose.


    If her nose wasn¡¯t already filled with blood, she was sure that it would have been worse.


    It was bad.


    She step back like the Subaru behind her, and watched the crimson spearman¡¯s final moment as he reached out towards Cedar. Cruelly, the Prince ignited him once more, and his screams silenced. The only sound was the crackling flames and the Subaru swearing under his breath.


    The vortex of flames died down and Cedar stepped out as if he just finished a nice warm bath. His neck was intact and his clothes reformed with no evidence that it had been bloodied and tattered.


    How convenient, she thought as her body throbbed painfully.


    ¡°Yoru,¡± he said in his polished and poisonous tone. Hearing her name come out of his mouth made her sick. ¡°Why did you save me? Speak.¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to care about the two still alive men, and kept his undivided attention on her.


    ¡°Kenichi is dead,¡± she said.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Subaru yelled. ¡°He¡¯s dead! What do you mean?¡±


    He took a step forward towards her but stopped when the Prince glared death at him. He shut up, and stepped back. The next moment, Cedar turned to Yoru.


    ¡°The bear mongrel?¡± Cedar crossed his arms. ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°He died with a smile on his face, and I fought this bastard here.¡± She pointed at Bell. ¡°He almost killed me. I hid in his shadow to heal. Thankfully you didn¡¯t kill him, and I was able to stay in hidden there.¡±


    ¡°None your meaningless dribble answers my question, Yoru.¡± He snarled. ¡°Why did you save me? I know your desire to kill me. Enough that you killed the poor man who took my body?¡±


    Her ear twitched to that.


    ¡°So, what he said was true then? A man from another world woke up in your body?¡±


    A smile spread across his face. ¡°Maybe? But there is truth to his words. My body bears two souls right now. Mine and his.¡± He looked over to Subaru. ¡°I release your tongue. You may speak my truth.¡±


    A mark on the back of Subaru¡¯s hand appeared and diluted like oil in water. Subaru gasped in relief. From the disgusting scent, Yoru recognized that mark as a curse. Subaru looked over to Yoru and gave her a resolute nod.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°I knocked on his Gate earlier. I sensed two of them. He¡¯s not lying.¡±


    ¡°Quiet!¡± She growled. ¡°I have no interest to hear from you.¡±


    She didn¡¯t trust Subaru. She never could understand how Kenichi got along with him. They had been on opposing sides once. He almost killed her a couple of times. It wasn¡¯t hard to feel personal about that. He was a mercenary now, but to her, he would always be an enemy. You don¡¯t just go from enemies like that and trust someone easily.


    Only Elm could do that¡­and even Kenichi.


    That strange smile on Kenichi¡¯s face bothered her. How could anyone make such a peaceful face when they had their head chopped off. She made guesses, and she was sure it was whatever Aria had written.


    With that in mind, she finally answered his question.


    ¡°I saved you because to defy Fate.¡±


    Cedar rose an eyebrow at her. ¡°Fate?¡±


    ¡°I had a lot of time to think while I was healing. I never liked the Cult of the Moon,¡± she said, her tone cold. ¡°Kenichi died believing in the future Aria told him. I¡¯ll never know what she wrote him, but I¡¯ve decided to do something that I would never do. Save you.¡±


    ¡°Save me?¡± He snorted and his tone was derisive. ¡°I think less of you now, Yoru. The mongrel that attached to my brother like a parasite, I know, would have at least had the respect of a proud wolf. What I see in front of me is a weak one. One that has lost her bite. You did not save me, I would have saved myself. Are your feelings for my brother so little that you would try to get along with me? Disgusting.¡± His face twisted as if his tongue touched rotting meat.


    ¡°Elm would be disappointed in you.¡±


    Those words shattered the facade he had put on. His face fell, and his crossed hands, soon turned to shaking fists.


    ¡°Never say my brother¡¯s name!¡± His cool gone, replaced with the cries of a younger brother who loved his older brother too much. ¡°A mongrel like you, should have their tongue removed for uttering his name like that! You ruined him! My brother was the strongest and best of all of us!¡±


    She remembered the words of Elm when seeing this scene.


    He¡¯s my little brother. He may be a brat, but I love him. Elm had told her with the most radiant smile while they sat together on the bench, enjoying the the peacefulness of that day.


    He was still a spoiled brat. His temper tantrum proved that.


    ¡°For someone that loved his brother, you show it in a weird way.¡± Yoru said, her throat tight.


    Flames blazed alive and he wore it like a cloak. He gave her a murderous look, and a flame sword manifested in his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever question my love for my brother,¡± he spat at her hatefully.


    For so long she didn¡¯t want to ask this. She wanted her hatred to stay at its peak, sharpened and ready to cut him through. It was why she never questioned why he killed him, but that he did kill Elm.


    A brother like him that loved Elm so much, her curiosity finally got the better of her, and she asked the question that had floated in her mind since that day she heard the news secondhand.


    ¡°Why did you kill him then? What happened on that day?¡±


    To that, Cedar¡¯s face went blank. He looked at her as if she had asked the dumbest question in the world.


    ¡°Because he was no longer perfect.¡±


    She didn¡¯t need to worry. Her hatred and desire to kill him reached a peak she did not know she had. No matter what she would kill this man. Make him suffer a fate worse than death.


    ¡°I can see it in your eyes, you wish to kill me,¡± Cedar said.


    Her shadow beneath her feet bubbled like a witch¡¯s cauldron.


    ¡°I do,¡± she said, holding herself back. ¡°But not right now.¡±


    The Prince shook his head, and glared at her. His anger rekindled by what she said. ¡°I told my brother what kind of woman you are. That you weren¡¯t one, but a beast. A beast has no pride but the only purpose is run through their base instinct. You wish to survive so much, that you would throw away your drive to kill me like a bone you got tired of? Do you wish for my help that much, mongrel?¡±


    Of course, she didn¡¯t want to. This wasn¡¯t about surviving. Despite how much she desired to kill him, she had another duty to uphold. But she would break the promise that she made to Kenichi while she rested between the lines of life and death in the shadow.


    She met his eyes with her bloodied black ones.


    ¡°I do it to defy Aria and the curse she placed on me,¡± she whispered in a harsh tone.


    Cedar considered her answer, rubbing his chin, taking deep breaths until his anger abated.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve decided to drop your revenge upon me, for another revenge. A revenge on Fate itself. Fine, I suppose I can be magnanimous for my brother¡¯s pet. We will not join hands, instead, you will grovel in front of me like the dog you are. If you do that, I can accept it. I can assist you with your little fit.¡±


    Pride meant nothing to her. She fell to her knees and pressed her head against the floor. Cedar looked mildly shocked by the display, and a dark anger swirled within those eyes of his.


    ¡°Disgusting,¡± he said, disappointed.


    She didn¡¯t care. She would do this while hiding her fangs and claws. She would grovel, and lick his boots if needed to. She did so while repeating the one vow she would never break. The one she made in front of Elm¡¯s tombstone.


    She would kill this man.


    #


    Within the endless white expanse between the twin Gates made of stone, Kagami watched the events unfold absently. He watched as the Prince, inside the same body as him, succeed where he had failed.


    There was no strength coming out of him. Kagami could not complain, he had no right to. This was what he had accepted.


    This was no longer his story.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 47 - Disappointments

    Cedar Oswell had two Flames. The first was the Flames of the Phoenix that he wore like a mantle. It allowed him to revive himself if he dies, granting him faster healing than the average man, and the third allowed him to share his gift to others.


    His second was what earned him the Flame Prince title. He was told by his mother that his second flame had strange properties, but that was as much as he got from her. It burned just as well as any other flame, and that was enough for him to light up any of his enemies.


    He used his first flame to heal the mongrel, the mercenary, and the two worms on the floor.


    ¡°From now on, all four of you are mine to use as I please.¡± He declared, moving his gaze to the four. He made sure to look at the Black Sun assassin at the very end of that sentence. ¡°You have the option to reject it, but if you do, then you shall offer your life as compensation for dishonoring me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that it¡¯s either death or following you?¡± The oni made a displeased face.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Cedar played with flames in his hand. ¡°Both are good options. As both pays me back. Does it displease you?¡±


    ¡°A little, ya,¡± the oni said, looking at Luke¡¯s corpse.


    This made Cedar laugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re either brave or foolish, little oni, but you make an impression. What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Come on, you don¡¯t even know my name? Didn¡¯t you say something along the lines that you watched through Kagami¡¯s eyes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say his name.¡± Cedar said, darkly. ¡°I will forgive you once, but if you say his name, I will end you where you stand.¡±


    That man was weak. His name didn¡¯t deserve to be called. Sensing danger, Subaru held up his hands and backed off. Smart man. He turned to the giant, the man that had tried to take him to his sister. Despite all the damage he had taken, he had stayed standing.


    ¡°You will be my shield. That is all you are good for. I cannot die, if you try anything odd, I shall find your son, and kill him. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°If you threaten my son, I will-¡±


    ¡°You will what?¡± Cedar snapped, flames ignited, dancing around him like ghosts. ¡°Ask Hazel for help? That woman won¡¯t help you. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she decided to make a little doll of your son.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    He turned to the mongrel.


    ¡°He¡¯s not lying,¡± she backed him up. ¡°She would do something like that.¡±


    She left it at that, letting that hang in the air. Walnut turned to him and then looked around for someone to pipe up, no doubt to grab some sort of denial from someone. Subaru shrugged and Bell, the make believe hero, unexpectedly answered.


    ¡°I heard terrible things about her too. That she turns people into dolls. Just another corrupt royal family member to kill.¡± A smile as radiant as a black sun cracked on Bell¡¯s lips. ¡°It¡¯s everything I¡¯ve always wanted, like a hero in a video game.¡±


    Cedar searched his memories, and realized that phrase didn¡¯t come from his own, but the ones he watched of Kagami¡¯s when he was imprisoned within his own Gate.


    He grabbed Bell by the throat, raising him high in the air. The assassin reached for his sword and to that Cedar chuckled loud enough for him to hear, he gave Bell a look that dared him to try. The assassin¡¯s Gate was still a mess, he had no Key on him to unlock his Gate. The assassin must have realized this, because the moment he touched it, nothing happened. He changed his efforts to trying to pry Cedar¡¯s fingers apart from his throat.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Subaru asked.


    The had taken a step back from him, weary of his actions. Cedar pressed his fingers against Bell¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you a question, if you don¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll open a hole in you and use your chest cavity as a nice campfire.¡± Cedar declared. ¡°I will loosen my grip on your neck so you can answer. Do you understand?¡±


    Bell nodded.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    He loosened his grip. Bell sucked in sweet air and hacking a few coughs.


    ¡°You¡¯re from another world aren¡¯t you?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Bell¡¯s expression that looked surprised. The others did as well. It was to be expected. It shouldn¡¯t be possible for summonings to even take place anymore. Heroic Summonings had been a lost art, one the Church of the Sun bitterly seethed for having lost. The Eternal Queen had ended them, and the knowledge of all of it had been destroyed by her.


    It was still lost, but another way had been found, because of Kagami.


    ¡°Yes or no.¡± Cedar tightened his grip and watched the man¡¯s face turn purple.


    ¡°Yes!¡± He managed to croak out. At that he loosened it for him talk more. ¡°I was chosen by the Goddess herself! You understand now don¡¯t you? I have divine providence! I am the Hero!¡±


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± Yoru murmured under her breath.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it is or not. He used a term that only exists in another world.¡± Cedar explained. ¡°Video games are a type of entertainment that do not exist here in this world. Now, I will ask you, why were you summoned here? For what purpose?¡±


    The mongrel quieted down, looking like a scolded dog.


    ¡°To be a Hero.¡± Bell forced a pained smile. ¡°I am the chosen one. Evil like you will be vanquished. Peace shall come to this world. I-¡±


    He threw Bell down and gave a sigh. He was hoping for more bite back, but the mongrel had really lost her fangs. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m done. I don¡¯t care anymore.¡±


    What a disappointment.


    This was why beastkins are inferior to humans. They were submissive by nature when confronted by a stronger opponent.


    Bell rubbed his throat, glaring hatefully at him. It took one look to make the ¡®Hero¡¯ wilt like a dead flower. Another disappointment. This was supposed to be a chosen Hero of the Sun Goddess? The other world was a place of relative peace. Kagami was also weak willed, allowing for Cedar to take back his body only after a year. He had expected longer.


    All of them were disappointments.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you were summoned for.¡± Irritation leaked into his voice. ¡°You will do what I say for now.¡±


    He resumed walking to their destination and the others followed suit a few minutes after meandering among themselves. He didn¡¯t care. He just wanted to get this over with. He had things to do.


    Like killing his mother.


    He might as well meet with the Warden.


    They kept on walking through the well maintained dirt path that curved like snake. It led them around the Great Wall and to a draw bridge like castles of old.


    He didn¡¯t cross the draw bridge, feeling that they were close, but they didn¡¯t see any signs of anyone else that had come through.


    He turned to the oni.


    ¡°Hey, climb the tree and see what¡¯s ahead of us.¡± He ordered the oni, pointing to a pretty tall tree.


    ¡°You want me to climb the tree?¡±


    ¡°Are your ears plugged? Yes. I do. You¡¯re a former Black Sun are you not? I¡¯ve seen you climb trees like a monkey. See what lies beyond the draw bridge.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose I can go ahead and do that if you say a certain phrase.¡± Subaru started to stretch, starting with his legs. ¡°You might be a Prince, but at least Kagami knew how to work with others. I guarantee that everyone here is thinking of bolting or stabbing you in the back.¡±


    ¡°Why do I have to ask you for your help?¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t do as I say, I will just burn you like I did with Luke.¡±


    ¡°I guess threats can work, but I¡¯m a mercenary. I don¡¯t work for fear, I work for crests. Do you understand? You can kill me right now, but wouldn¡¯t it be easier to give me some crests instead?¡± He rubbed his fingers together. ¡°It¡¯s more troublesome right?¡±


    There was a certain logic here. This one actually had some bite, unlike the three that were here. Cedar nodded.


    ¡°Fine. I shall pay you for your work. Now climb.¡±


    Subaru rubbed his chin. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s great, but I want it in writing. Any word that is good should always be in writing.¡±


    ¡°Does it look like I have paper? Much less a pen?¡± Cedar rose an eyebrow.


    ¡°Well, I do.¡± Cedar took them out of his pouch, handing them to Cedar. ¡°I want you to write out. At the end of this I want at least twenty golden sun crests.¡±


    ¡°You could buy out a small castle with that amount of money.¡± Cedar sighed. ¡°Fine. It does not matter to me.¡±


    He wrote out the contract. A simple IOU for services provided. Then he signed his name on the bottom. He motioned for Bell to come and made him sign as the witness, handing it to Subaru. After reading it a couple of times, he gave it a nod, and tucked away the document.


    ¡°We have a deal.¡±


    ¡°Climb!¡±


    Cedar was getting tired of all of this. Subaru nodded, and he rushed to work. He climbed the tree with the dexterity of a monkey. He was impressed.


    It only took him five minutes to climb up the midpoint of the tree, before something struck him and the tree in an explosion of light and heat.

 [ARC 1] Chapter 48 - An Easy Surrender

    ¡°Please! Don¡¯t kill me!¡± The lanky man pleaded with her. She had held up the man by the back of his neck, holding him over a hole where they dump their sacrifices. Though, this one didn¡¯t grow as much as the others ones did.


    She accessed her memory banks, recalling that he had been with the Crimson Spear Luke. He had tried to run away, and they of course found him and captured him.


    ¡°I cannot follow your order.¡± She told the sobbing man. ¡°My master has asked to throw you down there. Your chances of living is twelve percent.¡±


    Before he could continue begging, Ariel released the man. The last she saw of him were the whites of his eyes as it fell into despair. She calculated his chances at twelve percent at the moment of landing.


    ¡°Aghhhhhhhh!¡±


    It surprised her that his scream could be heard. Ariel had to guess that he had been unlucky and that his scream had somehow escaped the Territory down below. Through the simulations that ran through her processing unit, she calculated a ninety-nine percent chance that he had just perished.


    A near certainty.


    ¡°You¡¯re so awfully cold, Ariel.¡± An armored woman sat on the perch of a big rock said to her. Her hair was dark brown tied into a ponytail. Her ears were pointed just like hers, and just like Ariel, she too was a servant of her master. She rested her head on her hand, and gave a small smile. ¡°I wonder when you will awaken to your emotions?¡±


    Ariel computed this. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Master said that it would be soon, but I wonder what that means? I have been with Master for five years. By definition, that isn¡¯t soon. You awakened yours when you were created.¡±


    ¡°That is true. Not many people can be as perfect as me.¡± Titania placed her hand on her chest. ¡°Take for example Ophelia.¡± She motioned at the brown haired woman floating face down in the pond of water near them. If Ariel didn¡¯t know her, she would have considered her dead. ¡°She looks like a drowned corpse all the time.¡± She voiced Ariel¡¯s thoughts as if she had read them. ¡°Yet, she awakened just like me. The moment she woke up.¡± She flicked her finger to her. ¡°The Warden says you¡¯re special, and that¡¯s why you haven¡¯t awakened yet.¡±


    ¡°Special? I wonder what that means?¡± Ariel searched herself, and felt a gaping hole within her chest, unsure of what it meant. ¡°I wonder when I can succeed in achieving what Master wants me to.¡±


    ¡°I think you will soon,¡± Titania said, rising up and stretching. ¡°It¡¯s a feeling but my feelings aren¡¯t wrong. Anyways, we have some company coming.¡± She pointed to a tree.


    Ariel saw the former Black Sun assassin climbing up the tree to look at what was beyond their wall. She aimed carefully, predicting the likelihood of where he would hop next on the tree, and then blasted a beam of light at him.


    The tree fell, and Titania put on her helmet.


    ¡°Ophelia! We have company! Help us out!¡±


    #


    Using him as bait was the right choice.


    The tree fell in a thunderous thud, and Subaru¡¯s body was missing. Cedar got the feeling that the man survived, he seemed like one.


    Cedar formed a flame blade in his hand.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming.¡± He told the three. He stabbed the ground with his flame sword, and waited. He watched all of them eat a Key. The mongrel peeled her blade free from her shadow, the giant grew into a ferocious red ogre, and fake hero¡¯s sword changed forms from a ball of light to the sword that looked like a burnt battlefield.


    He planted his sword into the ground, laying his hands on the pommel of his flame sword.


    A moment later, something landed in front of them. Dirt exploded and soon settled. The doll that looked like an elf with a beehive hair stepped from the crater she created.


    If Cedar remembered right, she was named Ariel?


    He was sure that she had been to shoot the beam of light at the Subaru.


    ¡°A little excited are you, Ariel?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Then two more walked across the bridge behind Ariel. One was a woman in armor who had just spoken. The other was a blue haired woman in a white summer dress drenched in water, looking like a fresh corpse fished out of the ocean.


    Her crazed eyes scanned all of them.


    ¡°Oh what lovely men I see.¡± She pressed her cheeks. ¡°I wonder, I wonder, which one I should take with me?¡± Her eyes seemed to land on Bell and she pointed at him, a wolfish smile showing her fangs spread across her face. ¡°This one looks just so precious.¡±


    ¡°None of them will be your plaything Ophelia. They go down the hole with the others.¡± The armored woman told her.


    ¡°Such a shame, such a shame. But I¡¯m sure he would forgive me if I played with him first before we drop him.¡± She looked at the armored woman.


    ¡°Ariel?¡± She sighed.


    ¡°As long as they are alive, then it should not matter,¡± Ariel told them in a robotic voice. ¡°Though I think Master spoke of-¡±


    Ariel sliced the boulder that was thrown at her in two. Walnut picked up another one and chucked at them. The armored woman shook her head and sighed, while drenched woman gave a shrill and joyful laugh at the chaos thrown at them.


    ¡°It¡¯s rude to interrupt a conversation. Thought you would know better than that, Walnut.¡± The armored woman glared at Walnut.


    ¡°There is no time for pleasant conversations anymore. Only barbarianism, Titania,¡± he roared with a deep voice.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made a mistake.¡±


    Cedar turned his attention to Ariel who was fighting Yoru in a battle of shadow and light. Then, he watched as Bell tried to cut the drenched woman, but his blade went through her. Her body transformed into a great wave of water and crashed against Bell. She formed back on top of him, cackling as his blade was thrown out of his reach.


    ¡°You¡¯re so cute when you¡¯re scared.¡± She licked her teeth. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see how you squeal.¡±


    With a swing of his sword, the woman turned into steam.


    Cedar glared at the woman. She was already reforming. ¡°Don¡¯t do such vulgar acts in front of me. You¡¯re not animals.¡±


    When half of her face reformed, she gazed at him with her only formed eyes. Her voice like a scratching blackboard. ¡°You¡¯re pretty handsome yourself.¡±


    ¡°Fake Hero. Stand and pick up your sword. Show me that attack that broke the space. Aim it at that woman if you don¡¯t want to be consumed by her.¡±


    ¡°Shu-shut up!¡± He snatched his sword from the ground. ¡°You don¡¯t think I know that? And why don¡¯t you help me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t help the helpless. Did you feel fear when your Gate was cracking? You needn¡¯t worry about that. My flames mended the cracks, and saved your life. You should be able to go all out if you wanted to,¡± Cedar said.


    ¡°What¡¯s with you? Saying such nice things? You¡¯re supposed to be the evil prince I slay! You killed all those people didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± Cedar admitted easily, planting his sword back into the ground. ¡°For the sake of my country, I did the atrocities because they were necessary.¡±


    ¡°Heh. So you are evil after all. That¡¯s great, I¡¯ll make sure to kill you.¡±


    Cedar glared at him and the fake hero flinched. ¡°Go ahead and try if you can.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. The friendship of men.¡± The drenched woman said. ¡°Are you two done now? I only meant to take one, but to even take the prince too. I am a unsightly woman.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re much more than that, doll,¡± Cedar spat.


    The drenched woman clapped her hands together. ¡°You know what we are? Then you should know how scary we are.¡± Her form dissipated like ink in water.


    A crack spread through the air where she was turning to water.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    And it shattered the space. The drenched woman had reformed, with her arm gone. Wood splintered and blue liquid dripped from stump of it and she glared dangerously at Bell. Cedar looked at the blade enviously. The blade with the face of a burnt battlefield did damage to the woman and that was only one of its forms.


    He licked his lips. The blade was tied to the fake hero, but he had a way to make it his own. But, he shouldn¡¯t act on it yet. He still had to deal with Kagami first. It was best not to get too greedy.


    As Bell rose his blade high in the sky to finish the drenched woman off, he was hit by a thrown Walnut.


    ¡°I would ask that you refrain from doing that.¡± The armored woman stepped up to them. ¡°I can¡¯t have her die after you killed Oberon now can we?¡±


    The other prince. Cedar narrowed his eyes to that.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me that killed him. But he died a worthless death against someone he should have won against.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The armored woman said in an exasperated voice. ¡°I know you killed him. We have Ariel here to confirm it.¡±


    As if timed, Yoru was thrown his way from blinding light. She landed on her legs, and skidded towards him, stopping by his side. Blood dripped from her forehead.


    ¡°You¡¯re not doing a great job fighting, mongrel.¡±


    ¡°Shitty prince, why don¡¯t you stop planting your sword in the ground, and actually plant it in one of the three monsters in front of us?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s acting differently.¡± Ariel said. ¡°His aura is different from before. I have accessed a book from my memory where there was something like this. He might have two personalities in one body and the current one we¡¯re seeing is the prime personality.¡±


    Cedar gave a small smile. ¡°That trash would never be born from me. He is just a parasite that I willingly took in.¡±


    He gave a look around. The fake hero and Walnut were still down. The mongrel looked ready to fall to her feet and the three dolls in front of him looked well enough to continue fighting.


    Cedar snorted. The flame sword dissipated.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Yoru demanded to know.


    He rose his hands.


    ¡°I surrender. Please, take me to the Warden to speak. Let him know that the Flame Prince, Cedar Oswell wishes to speak to him.¡±