It glistened and shone under the troubling light of the moon.
Like the beautiful hazy glare of Wraileza, the gem, held by a boy whose hands protruded from the shadows of his cloak, shared the same dark lavender hue and gleamed with a lively aura of hatred and confusion.
The boy gripped the gem tightly, fully aware that it was more than a simple shining stone—its overwhelming power could tip the balance of any battle. Many believed it granted untold strength to its wielder, but he felt the weight of its cost: a powerful aura of hatred.
The boy knew its legend, that it was possibly a fragment of the mighty Wraileza, capable of awakening both light and darkness within whoever possessed it.
He raced across the hills, dodging the relentless, bright attacks unleashed by the woman fueled by vengeance. She watched furiously, her eyes fixed on the boy who carried the gem—the same gem that had trapped the one who raised her inside a glowing jewel.
"I'll kill you!"
"Just… a little more."
As the boy's feet propelled him across walls and he skidded past blurry trees, soaring over rivers and towering brown terrain, he tossed the glistening gem necklace into the air, aiming it across a border of solid stone.
"I got it!"
The gem was caught by a young girl wearing a dress that was upside-down. With nimble agility, she bounced and jumped from wall to wall, then dove into a lake to escape, swimming underwater and skillfully evading the twisted fountains that appeared from midair. Instantly, the platinum-haired woman who was chasing her dove in after, determined not to lose sight of her quarry as they disappeared into the cavern.
But as her hands reached and skimmed the rim of the cliff, a glistening purple forcefield propelled her into the air, coupled with the swift attack of a red laser striking her straight in the chest.
(SHING)
She flew and rolled down the hill.
The boy quickly dashed over and, taking advantage of her confusion, kicked her head, then her body. He taunted Sally, provoking her further as two shadow-veiled figures emerged from the dome to watch.
"That'll teach you not to mess with the cult."
Sally's pink eyes trembled in shock as she saw him strike and thrash her into a glistening lake, crying and screaming in pain, rolling over on the grass and shouting with a look of hatred freezing her face.
"I'll… kill… you."
The sound of footsteps echoed in the distance. The woman's corrupted purple eyes locked on Sally. She licked her fingernails, gave a begrudging smile, and moved closer, attempting to invade the boy's personal space.
"My… my… my… look at the poor soul who lies on the shore gracefully."
Her hair was as dark as night, gleaming in the moonlight as she battered and slapped Sally's bruised face.
"You should always know never to mess with what we need. And especially, never interfere with the cult. My my…"
The woman drove her extraordinarily long fingernails into Sally's skin, deliberately tearing out strands of platinum hair one by one before finally piercing Sally's heart. Pain reverberated through every fiber of Sally's being, but amidst the agony, a fierce determination sparked within her. Sally's thoughts raced to those she needed to protect, and a defiant scream echoed in her mind: "I will not break!" The woman's sadistic grin widened as she thrust her hand forward, ejecting a red luminance that struck the boy directly in the face.
"Give me that, pipsqueak." The woman curled her lip with scorn and quickly dashed over to the girl, grabbing The Necklace straight from her hands. Her action forced the girl and the boy to disintegrate into dust.
She released a stentorian chuckle of absolute insanity and smacked Sally, exclaiming with a shuddering fascination as she fiddled with the gem.
"This right here is mine and mine only. I can't believe you would chase after it, knowing well that you are under my power. Do you know the power residing within this gem?"
Sally quivered her arms, unable to reply because of the pain. The woman chuckled and rubbed her head.
"This is The Perfect Darkness. It's a catalyst from a soul that originates from the deepest love for battling. The essence will transmit toward a capsule when the soul has perished, giving it a beautiful aura."
Waves crashed and swept Sally away from shore.
"With this, anyone or anything that possesses it will be able to transform into the most compelling, strongest, and adjacent fighter. Anyone can become the Twisted Fantasy of their dreams. They can become a war machine with just the touch of this crystal! Anything, even that dragon up there, could be the Ultimate and most Perfect Warrior with just this crystal. It's all connected to The Orb."
With calculated interest, she licked her lips and grabbed Sally tightly, dragging her roughly across the brittle shore. She then forced The Perfect Darkness into the platinum-haired woman's pale hand. As Sally made contact with the gem, an unknown force began to form from thin air.
The entire aura of her body was consumed by a dark purple luminance in the form of millions of purple circles. The essence and its glittering particles molded into every single crevice in Sally's skin, altering her height and growing purple crystals around her.
"Ah, my my my… look at your shoulders, so broad and excellent. This is your vision?"
Purple lines were strapped around and stitched into Sally's arms, transforming her skin into hard, solid metal. The particles overran and consumed her before tossing her into the air and encircling Sally's body with their vivid aura.
A beautiful look came from Sally's eyes as she felt every hint of energy and strength bloom and shine inside her. The woman smiled and yanked The Perfect Darkness away, snapping her fingers and screaming.
"Yes, the most brilliant, excellent creation! War creation of all! Imagine if I, Lamia, held this. Imagine the greatest possibilities if my allies held this! Truly, one of the most transformative elements since The Prism!"
Purple, blue, and green strings wound around Sally's body; as their luminescent glow retreated, the strings detached and returned to the purple gem.
Lamia quickly dashed toward the shore and picked up the gem, gripping its metal surface.
She muttered to herself as she walked, her feet stepping over the piles of dust left on the shore by the disintegrated children.
"Ever since The Forbidden Book was sealed, The Perfect Darkness could not have found a host. The essence within those two couldn't connect without the other. My my my, now that I know it has been released, I can't imagine how much attraction I can get for holding it!"
Sally crumbled, crawling toward the grass as pain wracked her body. Her eyes caught sight of the devious woman wrapping the shimmering necklace around her own neck. As Lamia wore the necklace, purple strands immediately emerged from the crystal.
As a purple shadow engulfed her face and her legs transformed into blue steel, Lamia erupted with excitement.
"Yes! Indeed! Just imagine how much I and The Ending can do with this beautiful piece! A power so great that, if duplicated, it can transform our entire army into UNSTOPPABLE beings!"
Lamia's entire body transformed before the world's eyes.
The crimson glow on her back glowed even brighter, her legs extended several meters, and her body was as giant as a statue.
With so much power at her disposal and released to the world's hands, could The Perfect Darkness possibly do with its utterly transmogrifying power?
How would it be tossed around, and who could possibly be worthy enough to withstand the threshold of their own dreams?
A new danger had been introduced.
If held in the wrong hands, The Perfect Darkness could be absolutely devastating.
With a demon so vengeful and chaotic, heaven knows what would happen next with The Perfect Darkness in her hands…
* * *
Birds chirped as Aletha remembered. While Asahi journeyed to tall, misty mountains, Aletha's group rode their carriage through a peaceful, flower-filled valley.
It was bathed and shrouded in sunshine, with bunnies, ground dragons, and other fascinating creatures roaming the hills. The sky was as clear as
In Aletha's mind, she had always yearned for a thrilling experience on her journey. As she recalled the frantic energy she had experienced while battling that robotic thing, the power of The Sealed Beatific piqued her interest.
Fortunately, the bubbly, cheery-haired girl known as Kali sat next to the white-haired girl and was interested in learning about her past. She slid against the comfortable dark oak bench, turned over to Kali, and asked with a kind expression.
"Hey!"
The girl winked.
"You can just call me Kali. I believe we've met before, right?"
Aletha responded sarcastically, making a pouty face.
"Well… yeah. Before the carriage."
"No, no, no. That's not what I meant! Ha ha. I mean that we never actually had a chance to talk until now. And, ever since I met your brother, I have been interested in you and your personality. So… now that we have all the time in the world…." Kali bent her legs and released a fake cough. Her smooth cyan eyes crossed Aletha's gaze. "How about you introduce yourself and tell me who you are."
Aletha scratched her head.
"Well, I wanted to ask you about the Sealed Beatific and why I feel weird since I got here. But… I guess you're busy on--
Kali's cheeks blushed red.
"OH! I'm sorry! If you want to know, I'm happy to inform you. After all, I know the most about this nation."
"Thank you, you're so kind!"
Now that Aletha had Kali's attention, she immediately started.
"Okay, what I wanted to ask is just how The Sealed Beatific works. I've… experienced that same forceful feeling before… but…." Aletha scratched her head and released a low sigh. "It was crazy for me. I felt out of this world when I fought something with it. I even sprang in the air and did some super weird stunts!"
Kali looked down at the floor and then back to Aletha. She saw a compelling look of curiosity flood within her aura. As Emine and the others were talking in the background, Kali bent over and replied.
"Super weird stunts? Ha ha, that's just your happiness. It's tough to explain, but I can try and summarize The Sealed Beatific for you if you want."
A broad expression of likeness came from Aletha.
"Oh my goodness, of course, I want you two! That's why I asked."
Kali nodded and fixed her collar.
All right, so The Sealed Beatific is essentially the source of all special magic in The Nation of Linuxinia. Magic used in combat is dependent on your level of happiness! No, you can't pretend to be happy; to unleash powerful attacks, you genuinely need to be joyful. For example, during a skirmish in the plains, Emine was cornered and overwhelmed, but the memory of a cherished moment from her childhood suddenly filled her with joy. This sudden surge of happiness amplified her magic, allowing her to repel her attackers with an intense burst of light. It's the genuine emotion that fuels the power, making each spell as unique as the feelings behind it."
"Oh, so all I have to do is be happy to release it? Then… how can I gather the essence of happiness?"
Kali released a chuckle and tapped Aletha's chest, answering with a smile.
"Umm… Well, there's an easy way of explaining it." Suddenly, as Kali's fingers rubbed against Aletha's chest, she felt a pulse break in her heart. A green luminance sparked for a millisecond before vanishing back into Aletha's skin. Kali's eyes rounded in awe as she jumped up and squealed with amazement.
"Whoa! Aletha, I notice a vein of power pulsating near your heart. It's… it's… what is it? Oh, right, it's um… a Joyroot! Basically, you receive it when you come in contact with The Sealed Beatific itself. It's much more powerful when you fight, but… this is unnatural. Unlike Soil Canisters, you can use this without enchanted soil." A tremor of faint amusement came from Kali's glossy lips.
"It matches my sister's power, if not… all of it!"
Before anything was said, the carriage abruptly stopped. Everyone in the carriage looked over to the window and knew they had reached their destination. As Kali and Aletha stood up, the cheerful girl gave a sightful wink to the white-haired girl and grabbed her hand.
"Don't worry, I'll be able to tell you more later. Grab your sword before you forget it!"
As Aletha rushed to the wooden swords that rested on the wooden wall, Kali chuckled lightly and grinned.
"Come on!"
"H… Hold on!"
* * * * * * *
[Wow, such a sight. I can't comprehend how much I enjoy seeing the environment. Even the clouds are beneath my toes. The mountains in the distance had peaks that seemed as cruel as a hag's teeth. I suppose those are from another nation. They look so out of place with all of this green.]
The pencil and the notebook paper all drifted into the bitter scent of flowers.
Asahi rested against a rock among the high, chilly temperatures of the morning and wrote in his notebook as the glistening ball of light rose from the distant horizon.
[It wasn't just the sights that pleased my senses. The sounds, smells, and tastes were out of this world, also. The sky above the view was a feast for my eyes. It stretched as far as the eye could see in a dome of cocktail-blue, punched with fluffy clouds. Squeaking swallows chased whirring dragonflies in a dance of life and death. I didn't even know that they existed here! Oh, wait, I just realized I'm writing strangely now. ]
He tapped his pencil as he heard someone awaken from slumber.
[A neon-blue ribbon of the river ran through the center of the meadow atop the mountain. I could smell the sweetness of cherry blossoms and the soft caramel scent of flowers in the air. When I awoke, I was starving, so I dug up some wild onions near the carriage and made myself a sandwich. I hope that Joshilyn doesn't mind.]
His gray eyes turned to the petite, brown-haired girl sleeping on the soft grass bed, where a silver spoon lay on top of her mouth. Asahi continued recording his thoughts and turned the page.
[I guess the scent of my sandwich was enough to awaken everyone up. Soon after, Chloe rushed toward me and asked if I could teach her the language. I wanted to.]
He wrote while he was walking.
[However, Joshilyn immediately forced us toward the rock obstacle course, almost as if she were going to hurt someone if one were to do something wrong. What is her actual act? The first thing you see is her giving us "rice-flavored rice." Next thing you know, you find your face pummeled because you haven't awakened in time. The audacity.]
While approaching a mist-shrouded area high above the mountain, Asahi rubbed his fingers against the parched surface and mumbled.
"Hmm, dry as coal."
A shrieking voice echoed behind.
"Hey, that's not where you're supposed to go! Get yourself up here, now! Or else you will start over your training session from zero."
Asahi's gray eyes broadened.
"NO! But, I thought this was the start."
Canyon resisted adding.
"Just listen to her orders, or else you won't get your Adventurer's License."
"Okay, okay. I understand."
While a fuss was being made within the stone hedges, far at the top was a looming figure who had been waiting for this moment. A sense of tension filled the air as an ominous presence seeped through the very ground they stood on. The anticipation of power and confrontation seemed to echo in the minds of those nearby, casting a shadow over their thoughts. "My... my... my... my nemesis stands before me like a weakling. Let's see what The Perfect Darkness can do!"