After a long, passionate kiss, with both Verdia and Rygar releasing all the tension that had been weighing on them, Rygar finally remembered he had many questions for his master.
He could still taste the sweet, refreshing flavor on his lips, urging him to go on and forget everything else, but he managed to keep his rationality.
Slowly, he pulled away, only a few centimeters—just enough to look into Verdia's eyes.
She seemed reluctant; her expression puckered into a slight, displeased pout, as if she didn't want to let go of that moment.
Still, she didn't stop him when he gently held her shoulders, trying to organize his thoughts.
Rygar began to speak: "Mast—"
But the elf interrupted him with a smile before he could finish:
"Call me Verdia…"
Rygar's heart warmed at her kindness and closeness, but he still needed answers.
"Verdia… why didn't you tell anyone you were leaving? And why did you hide your tracks so you couldn't be followed?"
His tone held a mix of curiosity and concern. For a moment, he had truly thought his master had been kidnapped as a hostage.
He didn't even know what he would have done if they had used her against him.
Verdia grew even more apprehensive as her mind raced for an answer.
Rygar didn't know much about Divination Magic, but he wasn't an idiot.
In this war, more than once she had been able to foresee impossible movements and save the group from great losses.
He could suspect she had powerful Divination spells, but none as powerful as this.
Until recently, Verdia had firmly believed that knowing of her Miko powers was a curse to anyone.
In her entire life, every single person she told about her ability died horribly not long after learning of it.
Since then, she had never shared her gift with anyone again.
However, she had recently discovered that the Dragon God knew a great deal about her powers, and he didn't seem destined for death.
As terrifying as he was.
She looked at Rygar and hesitated for a moment.
Perhaps, to survive her curse, great power was necessary? Perhaps the Dragon God had some ability that protected his fate? Yet still, she wanted to trust Rygar.
Aside from the fact that she was hopelessly in love with him, she had always wanted to entrust this secret to someone, but whenever she came close enough to tell, she didn't.
Because she didn't want to harm that person.
She had also never used this ability as a weapon, because she didn't know if the person she confided in would reveal her secret to everyone.
At that point, wouldn't everyone be cursed? She had no information on how it worked, but she never risked it.
But now, knowing that Orsted also knew, part of her believed Rygar could resist as well. No, she wanted him to be able to. She was confused.
Rygar said nothing. He simply watched her. He waited for her to explain.
Until tears welled in her eyes, and she said, whispering, "I am a Miko. I can see the future."
In that moment, Rygar's instincts triggered an extreme danger alert. It was something emanating from his master's golden hair, which shone brighter than ever.
It was a strange, disturbing sensation, unlike anything he had felt before.
In an instant, he activated his Demon Eyes and backed away using the Wild Dash, without worrying about anything else.
With his Demon Eyes, he couldn't see much, but he saw traces of his master's mana unconsciously rushing toward him at great speed.
He felt a shapeless, immensely negative, overwhelming, and lethal aura.
It turned out there really was a curse for those who knew of Verdia's power.
But Orsted had never noticed nor been affected, because the First Dragon God's technique constantly shielded him from that influence.
Pope Lucios and a few high-ranking Milishion officials had also suffered the curse upon learning of it, but they never realized it until they were slaughtered by Rygar.
Rygar didn't know what that energy was, but he definitely didn't want it to touch him.
As he retreated and fled from the strange energy, he raised walls of stone. The energy passed through like a ghost. He raised Mana Barriers and energy barriers.
His master's remaining mana began to be repelled, but the strange energy persisted.
He quickly deactivated the Mana Barrier—if it vanished, he might never locate it again.
Rygar tried everything. Soul Barriers. Mind Barriers. But the energy grew faster. He unleashed a sea of fire.
Then lightning. He tried using gravity to distort it. Nothing worked.
The energy was faster than he was.
Then it pierced through his defenses and stabbed his chest.
A sensation of incongruity struck him. A feeling of danger permeated him at every moment. He was restless. He needed to get rid of it.
After confirming his master's safety, Rygar sat into a meditative posture.
What was that energy? An illusion? A manifestation? A spirit? No… he had tried to protect his soul. It wasn't that. Then what? A curse?
The last thing his master had told him was that she was a Miko and could see the future. Maybe that was the key to help him rid himself of it.
Certainly, Miko powers were far more abstract than any known power. Many lacked any kind of rationale.
He would have to think outside the box.
He gathered everything he knew. She could see the future. He was feeling an extreme sense of danger, but no immediate threat to himself… was his future compromised by that strange energy?
It seemed a good guess. He circled his Touki wildly, but felt nothing odd in his body.
Did it affect luck? Karma? Was that even real in this world?
No.
Perhaps it was real in both worlds, but he had never been able to detect it while he was in the old one.
In any case, the common laws of physics definitely didn't apply in this strange world, but he could try to use his knowledge to solve the problem.
Karma, in his previous world, was often associated with an invisible energy of a positive or negative nature.
According to some philosophies, karma could be eased with good deeds, repentance, and awareness, but it could never be completely eliminated, since the cycle of cause and effect was considered inherent to existence.
However, if it was indeed a type of energy, why couldn't it be accessed?
These philosophical ideas were part of Rygar's old world, but he was no longer bound to that world.
Here, in this new reality where magic, gods, and superhuman abilities were real, he had already achieved feats that, in his past life, would have been considered completely impossible.
If he returned to his old world in his current form—with his imposing presence, powerful body, and destructive might—Rygar was certain he would be worshipped as a deity.
No mundane weapon could harm him, and there was no physical obstacle he couldn't break.
With that in mind, he strengthened his mindset, refusing to be intimidated by an invisible energy.
The danger was still real, and he felt it in every fiber of his being, but now he could see it as just another obstacle.
His Demon Eyes, still activated, allowed him to think at blazing speed.
He reviewed everything he knew about karma—which wasn't much; some ideas even came from Chinese web novels and the like.
Karma was related to everything one experienced: the way one treated others, the intention behind actions, self-awareness.
At twelve years old, Rygar had reached a milestone few ever did in a lifetime: the full union of body and mind.
That was when he stopped rejecting his beastly body and accepted it as an essential part of who he was, even though his soul was originally human.
That deep acceptance gave him a sharp self-understanding. He knew himself.
He knew of his dedication and unwavering determination in pursuit of power, and his deep care and kindness toward those he loved: his wives, his master, his parents, and all he considered important.
He knew his own character and personality.
Modesty aside, Rygar believed he had many virtues. But he didn't consider himself perfect.
He was sometimes overconfident. Arrogant, perhaps. His extraordinary powers set him apart from ordinary men, and he knew it.
At times, he felt more a force of nature than a human being.
Despite that, he strove to keep his feet on the ground, not to get carried away. But he wasn't always effective.
He was also driven by intense emotions. For example, if he saw one of his loved ones hurt, his rage was overwhelming and uncontrollable.
There was also his insatiable lust—he admitted as much. Even loving each of his women deeply, he wanted more.
He was almost certain that wasn't entirely honest.
Realizing his thoughts were drifting from the essential, Rygar returned to focus: introspection. Self-knowledge.
He deactivated his Demon Eyes, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, concentrating. He began to look inward, beyond mana, flesh, and soul.
He wanted to touch something deeper, more hidden. Something as subtle and untouchable as destiny.
If there were people in this world who could manipulate time and space, then cutting an invisible energy tied to luck shouldn't be impossible.
The sense of danger around him remained.
He also noticed Verdia approaching, but for now, he ignored her. His mind sank ever deeper. His consciousness dissipated.
While he saw everything around him, he saw nothing. Reality seemed to melt, and only one thought echoed firmly within him:
Cut the Karma.
His consciousness gradually took on a familiar form. The form of a sword.
Rygar's will shaped itself into a blade, and the blade was his own will. He wasn't seeking an external target. Karma had no form. It wasn't a physical opponent.
His mind emptied. His mana reacted and adapted to this new meditative state. It was easier than he expected.
In a way, it was like being deprived of all senses, which he had already experienced in the battle against Milis.
In that state, time lost meaning. He disconnected from his body and space, diving deeply within himself.
All he sought was… himself. And within him, he sought a blade. He didn't know how long had passed, but eventually, he felt it.
A shining silver sphere hovered before him. It was like a small sun, with dark lines and streaks meandering over it, obscuring its purity.
But what drew the most attention was the red-and-black flame burning over that sphere, slowly consuming it.
Upon seeing that flame, Rygar knew instantly: that was what he needed to cut.
He didn't hesitate. He didn't think. He simply cut.
The moment his will-formed sword touched the flame, a piercing, high-pitched, disorienting sound ripped through his consciousness.
In the blink of an eye, he returned to the real world, his awareness crashing back into his body.
Verdia was kneeling at his side, her eyes wide.
Then came the pain. An intense, indescribable pain, as if a part of his existence had been ripped away.
The pain lasted one second. A long second. And then it vanished, as if it had never existed.
The danger instincts that had followed him since Verdia's revelation finally ceased. Rygar felt safe.
But even after succeeding, he still felt a new and subtle connection to Verdia.
Perhaps his previous world had been right in this regard: karma can be eased, but never completely erased.
He took a deep breath, his mind still dazed, his entire body on alert but with no sense of threat.
He looked around, reconnecting with reality. Then he turned to his master.
"Huh… Mast— Verdia… how much time has passed?"
Verdia stared at him, confused, visibly surprised, but secretly happy. She took a few seconds to respond.
"Only about ten minutes… what happened?"
---
While Rygar waged an internal, silent battle against the strange energy that had connected to him, Verdia watched closely, seized by growing anxiety.
Her blue eyes followed every movement of her disciple, from the moment he backed away with the Wild Dash to the instant he began hastily erecting barriers.
She couldn't see what he was facing. To her, there was no visible threat.
But he seemed to perceive a terrible danger, which he wanted to avoid at all costs—yet somewhere within herself, she felt something akin to relief.
If he had simply stopped and not reacted to what she had said, she would have certainly been consumed by absolute panic.
She would have imagined a thousand possibilities—that her curse had affected him and it was only a matter of time before he fell to ruin.
But no, Rygar perceived something and was fighting it. That meant two things.
She had truly been right to keep her secret. Knowing about her Miko powers really carried a terrible curse.
Even without understanding the mechanisms behind it, the effects existed.
That which was attacking Rygar—which escaped her perception completely—probably manifested against anyone who knew her secret.
Rygar resisted. He was capable of facing it.
She didn't know how—perhaps due to his keen instincts, perhaps due to that Sixth Sense he possessed that more than once resembled a kind of natural Divination—but he had reacted.
And then, ten minutes later, as if it were nothing more than something natural, he returned.
He opened his eyes. He stood up and asked how much time had passed.
Verdia nearly cried with relief. She had to restrain the urge to jump for joy and hug him at once.
He seemed fine. Perhaps confused and tired… but whole. Alive. With a steady gaze and controlled breathing.
When he opened his mouth to finally say what had happened, hurried footsteps interrupted the moment.
Ghislaine and Taes appeared running, their senses alert, eyes sweeping the area for enemies.
They only stopped when they realized there was no visible danger. Ghislaine was the first to relax her shoulders. Taes followed suit.
Their gazes fell upon Rygar. He was already standing, expression serene, and when he spoke, his voice came out firm and direct:
"Everything's fine for now. We'll have time to talk later. For now, we have to organize the situation in Milis. Everything else can wait…"
He looked at Verdia for a brief moment. A look rich with meaning.
A silent promise that they would return to that topic. He still wanted to understand what had happened.
But he also knew that Verdia probably had no control over whatever had occurred there. Besides, everything she had shown him so far was care, affection, and a sincere desire to protect him.
That was enough for now. He would trust her.
Ghislaine watched the two with slightly narrowed eyes. Her sense of smell quickly picked up the mingled scent of the two.
Her pupils dilated slightly in understanding. A small smile formed at the corner of her lips before she averted her gaze, saying nothing.
Verdia blushed lightly and turned her face to the side, still regaining her composure.
Taes crossed his arms, observed the scene, and commented bluntly:
"All right… if you say so, then it's fine. I'll let the others know."
He turned and ran off, speeding away to deliver the message.
And there was still much to be done. But for now, they were all right.
-----
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