Solomon's eyes snapped open.
He could see her now, standing above him with that terrifyingly beautiful face and firm physique.
Solomon became enraged at the sight of her.
"I told you... stop using her face..!"
The spirit of the armor seemed displeased with his words.
"...I thought you would have liked to see her again. Don't you still love her?"
Dark spots began to fill Solomon's vision.
When he opened his eyes again, Rena was long gone, but Emmanuel was standing above him with a disappointed look.
"...I guess I shouldn't be surprised how easy it was for you to move on. You don't even think about me anymore, and I practically raised you."
"...This... this isn't funny." Solomon said deliriously.
"I would most certainly agree."
'Emmanuel' leaned down and placed his hand over Solomon's chest.
"We are all one now. You. Us. We have already given you everything you could possibly need. And now you would dare put one of those filthy foreign things in our body, as if we-"
"My body...!" Solomon said firmly.
"Haven't they told you? The yaksha is the body. The body is the yaksha. We are inexplicably linked, from now until time ceases to lose all meaning in this universe. A change to yourself is a change to us. We like us. We don't like that seed."
Solomon felt blood dribble down his nose as his vision became worse.
The damned entity was actually doing it. It was forcing his body to reject the seed.
He could already feel the toll it was taking on his body to force such a thing out of him.
His brain wracked itself for any idea to cease their hostility.
"...The body is the yaksha, huh..? So you've seen the way I've been living until now."
The Yaksha nodded, bored.
"Stationed. In solitary. In grief. Ungrateful for all that we have given you-"
"Shut the fuck up... I meant... you've seen my memories with Raizel. You've heard his story, right..?"
Their face hardened. Solomon could practically see the gears turning in their minds.
"...His is a most unconventional tale. Yet we cannot deny its plausibility."
"Then you know that your power isn't enough. If it is your desire to see the Redeemer undone, then move aside and let me do what I have to, you beasts...!"
Solomon tasted his metallic blood as his condition worsened.
For a while, the yaksha stared at him with a look that he couldn't decipher. Solomon figured he was only conscious for around a quarter of that time.
And then, he heard its voice again, as clear as day, and yet also as distant as a whisper.
"Tell me something, lost one. What is the opposite of pain?"
-
Solomon sat up abrulty on the floor.
"Easy, easy..." Yari placed her hand on his chest. "...You've done very well, young man. You have come out better than you were before."
Solomon touched his chest reflexively.
The hurt was gone. In it's place, there was a strong thrumming. Not a heartbeat, but rather a concentrated pool of energy vibrating just beneath the surface of his skin.
He looked around and saw that a few of the other students were being tended to by school aides who weren't present before.
Gradually, they were helped to their feet and led out of the chamber. The eight of them that still lived, that is...
Solomon brought a hand to his head on instinct. It throbbed with a vengeance that he had never known.
"Here. Drink this."
Yari handed Solomon a wooden cup filled with water.
He drank it greedily, almost making the instructor chuckle at his zeal.
When Solomon put the cup down, he took a few more moments to get his bearings before he turned back to his instructor.
"..What happens now..?"
Yaari seemed amused by the question.
"For now, your day is over. The seed has taken root in you; now we just need to give it a brief period to stabilize. Then, tomorrow, we can explore the five stages of growth in class."
Solomon's eyes were heavy. "The... five stages..?"
"My. You are an overzealous learner, aren't you?" Yari chuckled. "I don't necessarily dislike that, but you should have patience. All will be revealed in time."
She handed Solomon his shirt and chestplate and watched carefully as he put them on.
"Might there be... anything else you desire to know? The dean did request that I make your first couple of days here as easy as possible, considering your unique schedule."
Solomon paused in the middle of fastening his armor to his chest. Something popped into his mind immediately.
"Actually... is there anything you can tell me about instructor-"
'Brother.'
Solomon heard Raizzel's voice in his head abruptly.
'Listen to me... be very careful with that woman. Do not tell her anything that could make our lives here difficult.'
Solomon tensed up, but he did not look around. 'What's wrong with her? This is my advisor that I told you about.'
'Then this place may be more rotten than I believed. Look at her shoulders.'
Solomon followed his brother's instructions.
Bold, black markings written in thick lines were inscribed along Yari's arms. Solomon wasn't sure, but they seemed to be the same breed of characters as those on the wall and the floor.
'...What about them?'
'Those are Ilim criminal brands. They don't just give those out for minor offenses. Whoeever this woman is, she is most definitely not-'
"Mr. A'kenai?"
Solomon blinked as he realized he'd been staring too long.
Yari had mistakenly believed him to be staring at her chest. Her posture became rigid. Uncomfortable.
"...L-Let's resume this discussion on tomorrow then, hm?" She smiled in a more forceful manner and stood up in a hurry.
Solomon got to his feet shortly after her and bowed respectfully before rushing out of the room.
He found Raizel standing in the doorway. The two of them made their way to the other side of the campus before they resumed their conversation.
"Ilim... isn't that-"
"Yes." Raizel confirmed. "It's the elven realm."
-
Yari sat at her desk, scribbling down in a notebook.
She had drawn a rough sketch of Solomon's face on one page, and on the other, she wrote down a series of notes about her new fascination.
{Multi-Elemental Warlock.
{Conjuror (A'Kenai bloodline)
{Proficient use of an unknown armament
Yari stared at her paper for a few more moments before scribbling down two more notations.
{Does not breathe.
{No heartbeat.
A sudden knock at the door caused Yari to put her writings away abruptly.
"Enter."
When the door opened, a seemingly injured visitor stepped inside, held up by another familiar face.
Nila quickly closed the door behind them and ensured that it was locked.
"A-Auntie, she said to bring her her!"
Yari immediately stood up and cleared off her desk.
"Bring her down here. Quickly."
Nila moved down the stairs as quickly as she could with a tense, disturbed woman at her side.
A series of low, threatening growls began to escape the woman's throat.
Nila helped her sit atop her aunt's desk and removed her hood.
When Yari laid eyes on the woman's agonized, sweaty expression, she couldn't help but be floored.
"…Jiaoying?"
In response, the knight commander snarled and lunged to take a bite out of Yari's face.