Acheron soon started to check on the fallen group before he noticed someone else had appeared.
"Hello I'm Yue Guan-"
In an instant he sniffed. Acheron looked confused as Yue Guan continued to sniff. "A floral scent, coming from you?"
Yue Guan instantly brightened up, "That unique floral scent, I've never experienced anything like it. You must also be a flower lover."
Acheron sighed, "Those flowers are perhaps best not seen." The rain soon started to pour as his face seemed to twitch.
He soon retrieved his crimson umbrella from the his subspace as the rain started to drip. Yue Guan was enamored by this almost picture perfect scene.
However the main question still remained.
"Why would such flowers that produce such a good scene not be seen? All flowers should be appreciated." He argued.
Acheron agreed, "Yes I agree, flowers are beautiful. Perhaps in times when everything is gray and monotonous, flowers can bring color into the world." Yue Guan nodded, "I knew it you are a flower lover."
Acheron shook his head without correcting him, "However the flowers you smell on me are well scented for a reason, and not a good one."
Yue Guan raised an eyebrow, "What flower would be bad to see?"
Acheron stared into the gloomy sky, "A flower that grows in the dead sea." Yue Guan shook his head, "A flower that grows in the dead sea?" He exclaimed.
He had never even heard of the dead sea.
Acheron simply explained in a simple manner, "The dead sea is one of many manifestations of the Nihility. You can understand it as nothing. Those who die and swept away by the shapeless and formless, they believe themselves to be masters of their own destiny.
"However, they unknowingly repeat actions of their past life. Leading everything they've done to become meaningless."
Yue Guan himself thought about it before, a life that sounded like a pain. He thought about his sister and the events that led up to it. Hearing the story of those swallowed up by the dead sea, he begun to reflect.
In that instant his thoughts had long strayed.
Yue Guan's eyes met Acheron's.
In that instant he glimpsed it. That dark formless thing. The dead sea, and he finally saw what he was asking for.
The crimson red flower of the Dead Sea. In that instant a flash of red was by his side and a crimson hand grabbed his clothes before pulling him awake into reality.
"I believe you understand what I mean. That flower is not something that should be seen."
Yue Guan recalled that other form of Acheron. Crimson eyes and white hair.
He bowed with thanks as he realised that he almost had suffered the same fate.
"You saved my life, I owe you. But who are you?"
Acheron turned away and began to walk in the direction pointed by the villagers.
"You can call me Acheron, Watcher of the Acheron River. It is my duty to guide those away from the abyss of nihility."
//Few Years Later//
Acheron had eventually arrived near Soto City. A recommendation many suggested. It took him a while as he got lost multiple times.
He had time and decided to take a rest. The skies began to weep once again as he took out his crimson umbrella and sat under a tree to close his eyes.
"I'll see if you are a scam academy Shrek." A haughty little girl exclaimed before suppressing her sneer. Outside no one knows her true personality and whatever she displays becomes the truth.
She continued to walk on the path headed towards Soto City when the weather had taken a turn for the worse. Immediately she hurried her pace to search for shelter near the tress on the side of the path.
That was when she encountered the touch of crimson from the umbrella. Ning Rongrong crouched down to look at the man resting with the umbrella hooked onto a branch.
Only one word came to mind.
Handsome
The bangs covering one eye fit perfectly with his style. The man was sleeping peacefully with the trees blocking some of the rain and the small drips making pitter patter noises on the umbrella.
It seemed that there was no response from the man. He was deep asleep at least it seemed like it. Since he wasn't using the umbrella, then she might as well borrow it.
Ning Rongrong felt guilty but at least had the decency to leave a note. Although the contents of the note were for her sect to clean up her mess.
"Hello, I saw that you were deep asleep and weren't using your umbrella. I have decided to take it. Give this note to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile sect, they will repay you." - Ning Rongrong
Meanwhile
Acheron found himself in this space once again, The Horizon of Existence.
He continued to walk as he experienced the painful memories of that day once again. The day he split Izumo himself.
The despair and sacrifices made.
Endless fighting all for what?
Yet despite that, despite losing all color from his world.
He retained that touch of red. That touch of red is the color of existence. A fleeting glimpse is enough to show someone the way out.
In an instant he reached the the inner depths of the boundary. The sound of raindrops intensified within the horizon as the waves grew turbulent.
In an instant the blade was unsheathed as his hair faded to white and his eyes and arms became crimson.
The blade was swung and the fleeting glimpse of red pierced through the boundary once again returning to the waking world.
His eyes opened up to the reality as the rain soon stopped. However something else was more concerning. Someone had taken his umbrella.
When sleeping he had attuned his senses to any killing intent or malice. Meaning whoever took it was simply interested in the umbrella.
A small note was left as Acheron sighed. The umbrella was not expensive but a piece of remaining memory of Izumo.
He would get it back. However, the first question is... Who is Ning Rongrong?
Acheron's face showed displeasure again realising that he would have to search for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile sect.
Ning Rongrong happily kept the umbrella not knowing the trouble and monster she had invited into her own sect.