Flames engulfed him, burning brighter than a star.
Everything around us was bathed in an intense, orange light.
This technique was familiar…
The embers of eternity.
Every piece of the puzzle came together.
Arwik. He was the one who would eventually teach the Knight of the Dying Sun how to fight.
He struck down.
It was impossibly fast. The dark figure's massive sword was sent flying.
Witnessing it in person was even more impressive. Every strike he made at the dark figure was faster than anything I could comprehend, impossibly so.
In no time, he cornered it.
Flames charred the ground beneath them. The dark figure, broken and bleeding, stood there as her mask fell away, revealing a pale face with horns.
Her features were unmistakably feminine. She was breathing heavily, defeated.
"I-I surrender!"
She held her hands in front of her, a final plea for mercy.
Arwik stood there, bloodied, his body covered in wounds. His eyes were empty. He was unconscious, yet still standing.
Ignoring the pain gnawing at my mind, I placed myself between them, my sword pointed at her throat.
I should end her life right now. But I had questions.
I flipped my sword, grabbing it by the blade, and struck her head with the hilt, knocking her unconscious.
The blonde girl came up to me.
"Are you… alright?"
"Yeah… I think."
She looked at me, unsure of what to say.
The researchers returned to us.
I hoisted Arwik over my shoulder and dragged our assailant by the collar to our camp. I placed Arwik on a bedroll, and the blonde-haired girl quickly began bandaging his wounds while I tied the dark figure to a tree.
The researchers thanked us profusely, but the situation was far from resolved. We didn't know how Arwik's body would react to the essence of a dead god.
If history remained unchanged, he should be able to control it. But I wasn't willing to bet everything on that.
The air was thick with tension as the researchers set to work again, their focus unwavering despite the recent chaos. Even as Arwik lay unconscious, his body slumped onto a bedroll, and the dark figure was tied to a nearby tree, they couldn't shake their need to finish what they had come here to do.
"We came this far,"
One of them murmured, brushing a clump of dirt from an ancient stone slab.
"The knowledge here could change everything. We can't stop now."
I glanced at the girl, her eyes flicking between the researchers and Arwik. She was silent, but I knew she was calculating the risks in her mind, wondering if it was wise to continue in the face of the dangers that had already shown themselves. But there was little we could do at this point. The dark figure was contained—at least for now—and Arwik's condition wasn't worsening. There was still time to finish their mission.
The researchers dispersed, carefully uncovering more fragments, brushing away centuries of dirt and dust. I could hear their excited murmurs as they studied ancient inscriptions that I could only guess at. They were determined to uncover whatever secrets lay hidden in the stone beneath them.
I stayed near the dark figure, my eyes narrowed as I watched her. She sat slumped against the tree, her breathing ragged. The once-imposing presence she had exuded was gone, replaced by something far more vulnerable. She looked like she was waiting, resigned to whatever fate had befallen her. Her mask, shattered on the ground beside her, revealed a face that was eerily calm despite the chaos.
I moved toward her, stepping lightly across the cracked stones of the ruins.
"Why did you attack us?"
I asked, my voice low but sharp with urgency.
She didn't respond at first, her eyes dark and unreadable. But then she spoke, her voice barely a whisper.
"This power… it is not for humans to wield."
I clenched my jaw. I already knew that—I needed to know how to make sure Arwik would be able to wield it, not be consumed by it.
Before I could press her for more, a shout echoed from across the camp. One of the researchers had uncovered something—an ancient stone tablet, covered in more cryptic symbols. The others gathered around, excitedly muttering about how the writing matched a language they had only seen in fragments.
I turned back to the dark figure. My voice was barely a whisper.
"Listen, I know about the cataclysm that follows a mortal using the essence of a dead god… but I also know that Arwik will be able to wield it."
She looked at me, surprised. Then, her face returned to its impassive state.
"Foolish hopes. I do not know how you know so much about the essence of dead gods, but you should know that no mortal can resist it."
I placed my sword above her throat, the blade cool against her skin.
"And you… what are you?"
The dark figure stared at me for a long moment. She knew I wasn't going to let this go. Slowly, her lips parted, and she began to speak.
"I am a servant—servant to the divinity of Shadra."
A cold sweat ran down my back. She was a servant of a god? Like Allucard's servant who destroyed Thera? Though she seemed far weaker than what was depicted about Allucard's servant.
The dark figure continued.
"I came here for the essence of the dead god that your friend absorbed… we need it."
I raised an eyebrow.
"So this is just about a petty power struggle among gods?"
Her gaze flashed with fury.
"Who are you to speak like that about gods?!"
I locked my eyes on hers, unwavering.
"I am the one who dictates the story."
I didn't even think about those words—they just came to me.
Her eyes widened.
"W-what do you mean by that?"
I shrugged.
"... Never mind."
She seemed about to ask more, but she knew her position was too weak to push for answers. I stepped closer, making the air around us feel even heavier.
"If you want the essence of dead gods, you must know how to use it properly,"
I said, my voice colder now.
"Only our god knows…"
I knew she was holding something back, something important. The tension in the air thickened as I pressed the sword against her neck, black ichor dripping down her pale skin.
"Alright, alright…"
She finally spoke, her voice a reluctant whisper.
"I heard that there is a way to safely manipulate the power."
"Continue…"
I urged, my voice calm, but every muscle in my body was taut with anticipation.
She clicked her tongue, almost as if annoyed at having to share anything at all.
"You must stabilize it, and for that, you must have a strong will. As for the technique, I only know the basics of it…"
I stepped back, withdrawing my sword slightly.
"If that's all… I guess I'll kill you now."
Fear flashed across her face—her breathing hitched.
"No, no… please wait. I can help… help him stabilize it."
I raised an eyebrow, still skeptical.
"How do I know you won't do something stupid?"
She swallowed.
"You don't, but what more choice do you have?"
Though I did not trust her, I knew she was right.
I tied her hands and led her back to the camp. Her eyes lingered on Arwik with a look of thinly veiled disdain.
She sighed.
"We need him to achieve perfect balance. His body and mind must be in complete harmony."
I nodded and shook Arwik awake. He barely opened his eyes, gasping for air.
"W-what…"
"Don't talk,"
I muttered.
"You need to conserve your strength."
At the sight of the dark figure, he instinctively reached for his blade. I stopped him before he could lift it and quickly explained the situation. He only nodded, as if already resigned to whatever was about to happen.
The dark figure cleared her throat.
"Concentrate. Make your body as still as your mind."
She placed her bound hands against his chest.
"You feel it stirring within you… the essence."
A voice called out from the ruins.
"Hey, what's happening?"
The blonde-haired girl.
I raised a hand to silence her. She took the hint and said no more.
The dark figure leaned in, whispering to Arwik.
"Locate the essence. Manipulate it like you would aura."
His body convulsed.
"Do not falter! You must merge the two—make them one."
I could feel it—she was guiding him, pushing against something vast and unknowable.
Arwik screamed. The dark figure bit her finger, drawing a symbol onto his chest in her own blood.
"You are more powerful than I imagined…"
She murmured, a twisted grin forming on her lips.
The symbol glowed.
A flash of light erupted.
The dark figure staggered back, blood running from her eyes. She coughed, spitting red onto the ground.
Groaning, she managed to choke out,
"I-it is done…"
She collapsed.
Arwik's energy had changed. It was no longer chaotic, no longer tearing him apart. It was… stable.