Chapter 7
Leaning against the tree, tense, Finn's gaze lingered on Rose, who had finally managed to find some comfort. She was lying against another tree a little farther away, fast asleep. Even if it had more drawbacks than benefits, it was the only way for her to calm her mind temporarily. After all, it wasn't every day that one had to face their own death. The mere fact that she was still standing and in full possession of her faculties was nothing short of a miracle.
"Still holding up?"
Ulrich's voice cut through his thoughts.
"There's no one to complain to anyway," Finn said, blinking twice before yawning. "Feels like I've been awake for three nights straight."
"I don't know if I've told you this," Ulrich said, staring at the river, "but your mask is really creepy. Is that thing supposed to represent you? I've seen an S2 before, but his was nowhere near that... disturbing."
"Yeah, 'creepy' is the right word," he chuckled. "Let's just say we make an effort to tolerate each other and keep our coexistence harmonious."
"If that thing that appeared to you can lend me a hand from time to time, I'd be all for it," Ulrich said with a smile as he picked up his sword near the riverbank.
'So he saw...'
''It's not that complicated if you want. It just requires one condition.''
"Money?"
"You have to die."
"Sorry?" Ulrich's eyebrow twitched. "Is that some kind of warn—"
"No."
"Try exploring the places Rose mentioned while I get some rest," Finn interrupted, his eyelids already heavy. "Just ten minutes."
"You really think it's a good idea to sleep here alone?" Ulrich asked, his gaze wandering around the surroundings. "I can imagine a dozen different ways to die without even trying.''
"I'll survive." Finn's eyes closed. "Even if the world collapses on top of us, I won't die that easily. It's already annoying enough having a heart that stops. I don't have enough time to face the reaper."
"Just follow my advice. I'm aware enough, even while sleeping."
Ulrich remained motionless for a brief moment, looking at his two sleeping companions, before disappearing into the greenery.
...
Of the locations she had mentioned, Ulrich could go either to the bridge, toward the strangers, or get closer to the shimmering tree. The last option was undoubtedly the most likely to offer answers about how the forest worked. But heading deeper into the forest also meant heading toward the Mermaid.
And if there was one thing to remember from Rose's earlier venture, it was that this was the last place anyone should step into—unless one wanted to lose their life without ever knowing how.
As he ran, Ulrich came across fluorescent crystal fragments scattered across the ground. They were spread out at first, then gradually clustered together, forming what looked like a path.
Where does this thing lead?
He was tempted to turn back, wary of what he might find. But it would be surprising if it were a Fallen lurking on the lower ends. At basic levels, the luminescent and scarlet were almost mindless; their thinking remained fairly rudimentary, driven by their thirst for blood, survival, or simply instinct forcing them to attack any creature fundamentally different.
And for a creature as powerful as the Mermaid, a Chained 4, a Zephos, using deception would be utterly counterproductive.
Taking a deep breath, he followed the crystals, which seemed to gather toward a center point, guiding him west. After picking up speed, he finally spotted a place where all the crystals seemed to converge, forming two enormous crystal masses.
He slowed down as he drew closer. Through their almost blinding glow, he could make out a male silhouette encased in one, and a female silhouette in the other, both resting—resplendent, like living canvases.
"You're not very discreet, you know," Ulrich said, his gaze fixed on the darkness of the forest in the distance.
For several long seconds, deathly silence followed, Ulrich's piercing stare never leaving the same spot.
"Seems you're pretty confident, kid." Stella emerged from the woods, blade already drawn. She cast a quick glance at the crystals—her eyes widening for a second—before returning her gaze to Ulrich, who still hadn't moved.
Their eyes met briefly. She took a few steps forward, stopping close to him, then raised her sword and pointed it at his neck.
"What are you doing here? Are you human?"
"What, got cramps or something? Or are you praying?" Ulrich asked in his most condescending tone. "Why're you raising your hands to the sky like that?"
"I won't repeat myself. Who are you, kid?" she repeated, her brows furrowing as faint steam rose from her blade. "Another joke like that, and I won't hesitate to cut your tongue out."
"You can try."
Stella bent her elbow, giving a slight flick of her wrist. A blazing sword was already heading straight for his mouth.
He ducked, the blade slicing through a few strands of his messy brown hair. Stella immediately pressed the attack, swinging in a slash aimed to decapitate him. He sidestepped quickly, then leapt backward, drawing his sword in one smooth motion.
But before he could even take a stance, Stella was already upon him again, her sword crashing down.
Ulrich managed to parry and evade, but he was pushed back, unable to create any real threat between her strikes and the steam that blurred their vision.
Stella's blade glowed an increasingly incandescent red, the steam it released becoming an increasingly suffocating heat—both for Ulrich and for her own hands, scorched through her gloves.
"A Red Knight," Ulrich said through a parry. "That's pretty rare for a woman."
"Shut up. What would your generation know?" she snapped, her voice low, kicking Ulrich and sending him flying. "Everything's easier now that you can change your blood so easily. Do you know what people had to do fifteen years ago just to change their blood type?"
She lunged at him again, ignoring the smell of her own burning skin and the pain gnawing at her.
Yet something eluded her. From the very beginning of the fight, Ulrich hadn't gone on the offensive even once. Even though she hadn't yet tried to take his life, she felt like she had complete control over the fight and could end it at any moment—yet at times his defenses seemed utterly impenetrable. Worse, she still had no idea what his specialty was, despite how long they had clashed.
"Not very talkative, are you?" she said, jumping backward. She shook her sword a few times as it cooled, then sheathed it and drew two short daggers instead.
"Are we supposed to talk about the weather before we decapitate each other now?" he replied, shifting his stance.
Left foot slightly back, shoulders lowered, chin raised, sword held at chest level.
"I don't know what you're trying to do but …"
Stella Flux surged as their blades almost collided.
"Stella."
A deep voice stopped her mid-motion.
Stella stopped her hand halfway toward the second daggers near her left knee while Ulrich shifted his gaze from one to the other, his grip on his sword tighter than ever.
Immediately after, lighter footsteps sounded behind him. Finn emerged, with Rose beside him.
"Not even twenty minutes and you've already found someone to fight to the death with," Finn commented.
"Let's all take a deep breath and calm down," Rose said. "We're not animals. Let's use our brains and think like civilized people."
"It's fine. I know him—lower your sword," Finn added. "We're not going to get very far if we start fighting humans as well."
"I just reacted, you know," she said, sheathing her blade and stepping closer to them before adding in a much more relaxed tone, "this one is completely historic."
"What's happening on this island for him to be here?" Khan asked as he approached as well.
"He's the last person we'd expect to meet around here."
"Don't want to look like the fool in the room?" Ulrich asked.
"Are you serious?" Rose said, shaking her head, a hand to her face. "At this point, knowing him should be common knowledge."
Finn glanced briefly at the woman's silhouette before turning
back to the man frozen in the crystal, his expression still filled with disbelief.
"That's Sol Arcena… a Zephos?"