Part 1
(Silence)
(I was once again trapped in darkness! Like last time, I couldn't tell what was what. Up or down, quite or loud, pain or not. Nothing made sense in this darkness! Just why am I here?! Why must I keep enduring this?!)
(White Light)
(...That light! Can it be?! I don't have time to think!)
The Rival raced towards the white light once again. Despite not even knowing where his feet were a moment ago, his sheer determination pushed all those thoughts aside and he made his way forward.
The light became more and more blinding and burning as he approached it. And the feeling made him smile all the more as it intensified.
(There's no doubt about it! It's the White One up ahead! This is my chance to settle things with him! Rematch! Rematch! Rematch!)
He kept repeating the same word in his head with every 2 steps he took. And each time carried more meaning than the last as he felt his goal at hand.
Eventually as he ran further into the light, he saw the silhouette of the one he longed for. At that moment he stopped and stared in awe against the ultimate foe. And as he did, the awe inspiring red eyes of his opened up to greet him. Likewise, the glowing smile of the White One did the same.
Rival: "..."
White One: "Heh, heh, heh! Last time and now this time, too? Don't you have anything to say to me? Or am I to amazing for you to even think about much else?!"
Like last time, there was nothing but humor and confidence in his voice. And like last time, it felt like every word he spoke was surging through him. It felt much like the stones he ate. Painful, followed by an unbelievably amazing feeling. Only his words far more so then 5 or even 10 stones.
Rival: "...My Rival..."
White One: "There you go! You're getting there. But try to say more than that. Our mouths are made for smiling and for speaking of the joy that brings said smile! And there's never enough words to describe that!"
The Rival took every word he spoke to heart. And as said heart felt like it was going to explode from this feeling, he understood what he meant. This feeling in the heart is it telling you to let it all out.
That being said, the Rival thought hard about what to say to express this feeling. He had never talked with someone else before, so it was rather difficult for him. Nevertheless, he spoke.
Rival: "...I...I want to..I want to fight you!"
He struggled to not trip over his own tongue. But even as he said what little he did, there wasn't a word spoken that didn't come from the heart.
White One: "That's it! Keep trying! The words we struggle to say are often the words we wish to speak most of all. The weight of them you feel just goes to show how much they mean to you."
Although the words of the White One were a bit complicated for the Rival, he understood all that he needed to. And it only drove him to speak further.
Rival: "...Fight...Fight me again...There's nothing...I-I want more! ...We...will fight...and I will win!"
White One: "I see your confidence is growing along with your ability to speak. Both I love and respect."
As the 2 exchange words, the Rival understood him further. He realized the White One got the same surging feeling from his words as he did his. This is why he spoke so much and wanted the Rival to speak back.
Rival: "...We will fight. ...We will fight now!"
Speaking these words with growing meaning, the Rival charged for the White One.
White One: "HOWEVER!"
Rival: "?!"
(Stomp)
With such intense words thrown at him, the Rival couldn't help but stop. It wasn't fear that stopped him, but rather a sense of obligation. He could tell the White One had something to say. And with the feeling he got from his words, as well as knowing the meaning of said feeling, he couldn't deny him the right to speak.
White One: "Everything about life is a story! Even a fight to the death is no exception! And any self respecting story tells the names of even the least significant characters!"
Rival: "...Names?"
Although many of the words the White One spoke were unfamiliar to the Rival, that word in particular was what caught his attention.
White One: "Yes, a name! A name is how you refer to someone. It represents not what you are, but who you are. So, what's your name?"
(Something that describes who I am? ...I'm his rival...no, that's what he is, too. Maybe Xenos...no, there are more of those.)
Try as he could, the Rival could think of no name in which to describe himself. While he could think of number for what he was, he could not for who he was. And the reason for that was because he didn't know who he was.
Rival: "...I...don't..have a name."
White One: "NO NAME?!"
For the first time, the White One sounded angry. This shocked the Rival like never before.
White One: "Unexceptionable! We can't fight without exchanging names! It'd be a story of a no name being defeated or being victories! People would think a fool just made up a story without knowing how to tell one! They'd throw away the book without thinking twice! But more than that...what would we gain not knowing who our defeated foe was? How can we possibly revel in victory when we know not just who it was we defeated? We'd know nothing, and we never would. It would leave nothing but a whole in our hearts."
What was once the White One's first showing of anger quickly turned into his first showing of sadness. It left the Rival broken hearted to see his face without a smile. Even his brilliant light began to dime.
Rival: "...Then what is...your name?"
In response to his question, the White One closes his eyes.
White One: "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that. A name is something to be exchanged with anothers name. If I were to tell you who has no name, it would be an act of casting you aside as a forgotten character while I take the spot light"
As he explains this with a saddened voice, he then opens his eyes ever so slowly as he gazes at the Rival.
White One: "I refuse to do that. You deserve so much more than that."
After saying that, the White One turned his back on the Rival and started walking away.
Rival: "...Wait! ...Where are you going?!"
White One: "Somewhere else. As for where, I can't tell you that. It's not time for us to settle thing, my rival. You're far from ready. And until you are, we mustn't meet."
The White One quickly made distance from the Rival after saying that. This left him unhappy to an extreme.
(What's this?! I found you like I promised! Even as my body felt a need to die, I didn't stop pushing forward in my pursuit of you! But now you're walking away while telling me I'm unworthy?! And you won't even look me in the eyes as you do it?! NO! I won't except this!)
Rival: "...HEY! ...GET BACK HERE! ...YOU CAN'T JUST WALK AWAY!"
The Rival chanced after the White One as he yelled. But appeared he was still getting further away. It was hard to tell if this was because he was fast, or if his light was dime. Either way, the Rival started to run faster and faster.
It felt like his body was breaking piece by piece as pushed himself so much, but he didn't stop for even a moment. And eventually he started to get closer to the White One. He kept getting closer until it looked like he was going to reach him.
(Explosion)
It was at that moment that he was met with an all too familiar sight and feeling.
Rival: "AH!"
The Rival was once again sent flying by another burst of heated blood.
(Thud)
With his back now against the ground, the Rival wondered where that even came from. It didn't look like the White One has shot it. So where did it come from he asked himself.
(Stomp) (Pierce)
Rival: "AH!"
He was then met with yet another all to familiar feeling. He was once again being crushed underfoot, while said foot was piercing his chest with it's claws.
As the Rival looks up to who's foot it is, it was the owner of the very same foot that crushed and pierced him before. It was the rock hided creature that guarded the spring.
Silver Creature: "No one may approach the White One! Especially not a fool without a name!"
(Just like before, he's looking down on me like I was nothing more than dirt! This bastard! I'll show him this time!)
The Rival tried to move the Silver Creature's foot with his left hand. But the creature was too strong. He couldn't move it an inch. So the Rival tried using both hands to get it off. But still to no avail. Even as he tried kicking, the Silver Creature didn't even flinch. He was simply too strong for him to overcome.
As the Rival struggled to get free, he looked over in the distance and saw that the White One was still walking away. In fact. he was almost out of sight.
Rival: "WAIT! COME BACK! YOU TOLD ME ONCE TO LOOK YOU IN THE EYES AND TELL YOU IT'S OVER! YOU HAVE TO DO THE SAME FOR ME!"
For the first time ever, the Rival was able to speak without slipping up once. His heart and voice had finally connected like never before. Despite this, as he shouted out to the White One, he still didn't turn back to look at him. He didn't even stop. He just kept walking, light growing dimer every step.
(Heat)
As he now looks up, he once again sees the Silver Creature open it's mouth. And from inside he sees the heated blood that is aiming for him.
(Why?! I don't understand! Before he wouldn't let it go when I was ready to give up to the Red Light. But now he won't even face me and even leaves someone else to get rid of me?! Was all he said a lie?! Am I not worth as much as he thought?!)
As these thoughts plagued his mind, the Silver creature's mouth grew hotter and hotter. Eventually just the heat admitted from it started to burn the Rival's skin. But he didn't care, he was too concerned with what just happened with the White One.
(NO! I can't die like this! Not with my one true Rival so close! I won't just let him walk away from me! Even my whole body is swallowed up by this heated blood, I'll pull myself out and hunt him down!)
As the Rival thought nothing more then to rip the White One limb from limb, his light finally faded into the darkness. It was at that exact moment that the Silver Creature finally let loose his attack.
Rival: "AH! ...NO! THIS ISN'T HOW IT ENDS! ...I WILL FIGHT YOU! ...I WILL DEFEAT YOU!"
Even as his flesh burned away piece by peace, the Rival didn't falter for even a moment. He continued to shout his desire with all his might. Even as his lungs were filled with the heated blood, death was what he denied to the bitter end.
Part 2
Rival: "NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU BURN ME, I WON'T DIE LIKE THIS! I WON'T! I WON...I...AH!"
The Rival quickly awoke from his nightmare before even realizing it. Although when he opened his eyes, he quickly closed them after seeing a very bright light.
(It was all a dream? It felt so real. The Darkness, the light, the claws, and the burning. It's hard to believe any of it wasn't real. Especially the White One speaking to me. Could he possibly be a...NO! There's no way he could be anything but real! There's just no way!)
Like last he awoke, the Rival refused to believe that the White One was a mere dream. Even despite all that points to what he saw being a dream, he simply couldn't believe such an amazing being could be dreamt up.
(Tickle) (Water Flowing)
As the Rival juggled his thoughts, he realized he doesn't even know where he is. But he could tell that he had his back against the ground again. And it felt like the same ground with the peaceful color.
(That's right, I walked into this room and was attacked by that large creature protecting the spring. ...Wait a minute! Where is he?! And now that I think about it, why doesn't body hurt so much anymore?! After all that, I should be dying!)
Wondering all this, he tried to move around. His left leg that struggled to walk and his broken right arm seem to both be working just fine. In fact, he couldn't feel any pain at all. He was even able to get up off his back with ease.
The Rival tried opening his eyes again to see his condition. The light was murder on his eyes, but he wouldn't let the light push him back before and he won't now. Eventually his eyes adjusted to the light and he was able to see what was around him.
He wasn't in the same room as before. While there was same stuff on the ground, the place was very different. It was far, FAR bigger than the one with the One with the Silver creature. There was a spring like before, but it was also much bigger, as was the source from which the water came. There were more of the large dirt coloured objects growing out the ground, a lot more. And it appeared there was smaller versions of their hair growing around the bigger them.
This clearly wasn't the same place he was before he lost consciousness. The Silver Creature that was about to burn him to death wasn't even here. Speaking of which, when the Rival looked at his own body, he noticed all his wounds were gone. Not a scratch was left on him from heard to toe.
(How is this possible. I was so injured that I felt every step would be my last. Let alone after that rock hided creature struck me. But more importantly, where the Hell am I? This place is unlike anything I've ever seen before. I don't feel any danger from my surroundings like I did walls that once surrounded me. Nor do I feel like there might be a new enemy with every turn I take. I feel...I don't know.)
The feeling of safety was a foreign concept to the Rival. He couldn't even begin to describe it. Much like when in the darkness, it left him lost and confused on whether or not he was suffering or not. But it was because of this very reason that he needed to find out what was going on.
The Rival rose to his feet and began looking around. He started by going to the spring to get a drink like before. Only this time he was far more cautious and prepared for another sneak attack. He took small steps one after the other while keeping his ears on alert. And after reaching the spring, he slowly knelt down to take a drink.
(Glug)
Although he wanted to take his time, he couldn't help but drink quickly once the water began going down his throat. After all he went through, especially the heated blood, he was unbelievably thirsty.
Unknown Male Voice: "Even after all we gave you to drink when you were out, you're still thirsty?"
Rival: "Cough, cough, cough!"
Being caught off guard as he was drinking like crazy, the Rival couldn't help but choke a bit.
Unknown Female Voice: "Lido! We promised Pasiphae-san that we wouldn't catch him off guard!"
Hearing these 2 voices the Rival turned to meet them.
(Rustle)
From behind the things growing out of the ground, 3 new creatures appeared. One looked similar the Silver creature that attacked him before, which put the Rival on alter. But upon closer inspection, it wasn't the same creature. Not only was he much smaller, but his overall shape was different. Not to mention his color was while close looked more like the tiny bits his fallen foes had turned to. His hide also appeared to be far more rock like. And what really made him stand out was his red coloured eyes.
Author Note: Unlike in the anime, Gros has red eyes in the original light novel.
Another one was the female voice he heard. She was the smallest of them and her body were covered it was looked like something between body hair and ground hair. To be honest it was hard for the Rival to describe. But her arms, top of her head, and waist down were covered in different colours of the stuff. Not to mention her feet while similar to the rock creature were different. But really made her stand out were the unhair areas that somewhat resembled something he feels he's seen before. It made him wonder if she even belonged in the same world as him. The hide appeared very soft around those areas, especially her big cheat that was covered in something white.
The third one to appear was the other voice he heard. A creature that like the rock creature resembled the one he saw by the spring to a point. Only he didn't have those sharp pieces on his back, and his hide was the color of blood and and this other bright color. (Yellow) He also had horns atop like the Rival, only his were much smaller and were white. But what stood out the most was that his body was covered in in the this strange material he's never seen before. It clearly didn't look to be apart of his body, especially that one long sharp piece hanging from the left of his waist.
Despite being very different in appearances, these 3 appeared to be allies with one another. One thing the Rival noticed they all have in common was they were all hurt. All 3 of them had cuts and bruises on them on many different areas on their bodies. The Rival asked himself if this was sign that they violent and to be taken seriously. But despite their injuries, all but the rock creature were smiling as they approached him.
Rock Creature: "I fail to see how us coming out of nowhere at anytime wouldn't frighten him. We should've just been at his side as he awoke to show we mean no harm."
Blood Creature: "As Pasiphae said, waking up to a bunch of unfamiliar faces can frighten anybody. Much less our fellow Xenos after what they've been through. And this poor guy clearly went through a lot down there."
The 2 males talk with each other as all 3 take their time approaching the Rival. He realized they were talking about him. And it was at that moment he realized something else.
(These creatures speak the same as I did with the White One. They're clearly not the same as those I fought before. They don't appear to hate me like they did either. I don't know what this look in their eyes is. ...Wait a moment! Did they just say..)
Rival: "...You...are...Xenos?"
The 3 looked at him in shock when he said that. It didn't look like they were expecting him to say that.
Blood Creature: "Well what do you know, he's a speaker like us! We haven't gotten one of those since Marie 5 years ago."
Female Creature: "And he seems rather gifted in it. Normally when we're first born we only start by copying what others say and improve from there."
(They're happy that I speak the same as them? Is that what makes a Xenos a Xenos? Are these 3 my real brotheren? They don't look anything like me.)
The Rival was still on edge in as he wondered what 3 Xenos were to him. Should he attack them or talk with them? These were the thoughts that filled his mind. But as he thinks about it, he realizes their appearance is very familiar. Not to mention the Blood Creature's voice also sounded familiar. After thinking about it he realized where he's seen these 3 before.
Rival: "...You...saved..me...from the...Rock Creature?"
He was sure of it. These 3 were the ones that saved him when he was about to be burnt to death. The Blood creature in particular even held him in his arms while asking if he was okay.
Blood Creature: "So you remember what happened earlier? Well that makes this a lot easier then. Allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is Lido."
Author Note: Those of you who watched the sub of season 3 may remember they spell his name as Lyd. Same goes for his name on the wiki. But that's how it's spelled for Japanese pronunciation. If you type English to Japanese on Google, both will pronounce Lyd differently. So I'll be typing Lido like it was in the English translation of the light novel, just for accuracy and to avoid confusion for dub watchers and light novel readers.
Female Creature: "My name is Ray. I'm glad to see you're okay. I was afraid we'd lose you after seeing the state you were in."
Rock Creature: "My name is Gros. I understand you must be afraid. We've all been there. But you have to understand we're not here to hurt you."
(Not here to hurt me? I've yet to see a single creature that didn't want to hurt me. Even those I thought were my own tried to kill me without mercy. And they all had blood coloured eyes like you. ...But these 3 aren't anything like those I've met so far. They look at me as if my ending would bring them pain. But why?)
The Rival couldn't make heads or tails of how the Xenos were acting. While their seemingly non-violent intentions made him feel as though he could lower his guard, his past experiences made him fearful of them attacking. Although one thing they all said did get his attention.
Rival: "...Names? ...You have..names?"
Lido: "You know what a name is, too? Ray's right, you are a gifted speaker if you already recognize that word. But to answer your question, yes. We all have names. Do you have one?"
Rival: "UH?!"
The Rival felt hurt by the one names Lido's words. It was the same question he was asked by the White One. The same question he couldn't answer as he didn't have a name to give. This reminder left him both depressed and furious. Because of this he started looking at the Xenos with a threatening gaze. Noticing this, they stopped their slow approach.
Ray: "Careful what you say to him, Lido! Remember, we're supposed to let him ask questions first and take our time when asking him things. Throwing questions at him like when he's still newly born and confused would naturally lead to stress."
Lido: "Uh...you're right. Sorry about that, friend. I didn't mean to ask you something you weren't ready for. I'm not a good at dealing with new Xenos. Pasiphae-san make it look so easy."
(Pasiphae-San? He and the one called Ray both said that now. Who is Pasiphae-San?)
Lido: "Given the confusion you showed when you woke up, I'm wondering how you got here?"
Rival: "Yes."
Gros: "We saw you getting attack on the floor below. So we rescued you and brought you here. You don't have to worry, the place we are right now is what's called a safety point. No monsters spawn here."
Rival: "Monsters?"
This word felt so familiar to the Rival that he just knows he's heard it before. But just couldn't put his finger on it.
Ray: "Monsters is what we are. The 3 of us, the creatures that attacked you, and even yourself. While we are all different from one another, we are all what you call a monster."
Lido: "Although we Xenos are different from normal monsters. As you can see, we don't attack others just because they're different from us. "
(So we're all monsters, but only some of us are Xenos? Is that why I look different from those I was born next to?)
The Rival was slowly but surely starting to understand what was what around him. He also came to realize that when the one named Gros said no monsters spawn around here, that must mean they don't come out of the walls here like they were doing all over the place before. Which explained why he didn't sense danger here.
(?!)
But there was one question that still came to mind. One that he needed an answer to.
Rival: "...The Rock Monster. ...What happened to the Rock Monster?"
The one that attacked him and was about to end his life before they intervened. Its power was far beyond his as it left him helpless on the ground. It not only stood between him and the spring, but between him and the White One. The Rival couldn't forget or forgive him for that last one, let alone belittling him the way he did with his overwhelming power.
Gros: "Rock monster? Do you mean me?"
Rival: "No...he looked like you...but he was bigger. ...Much bigger!"
Ray: "I think he's referring to the Cadmus Dragon that we saved him from earlier."
(Cadmus Dragon? So that's the monsters name. I'll remember that when I go back to kill it!)
Lido: "You don't need to worry about him. We took him down when we were rescuing you earlier."
(?!)
These words shocked the Rival. As he looks at them he remembers that all 3 of them were hurt. Fighting the Cadmus Dragon must of been what caused that. But more importantly-
Rival: "...You mean you killed it?!"
Gros: "Yeah, we did. While that one doesn't normally leave his spring, he wasn't willing to let even a single Xenos escape him. We had no choice but to fight."
Ray: "I'm still exhausted from that fight."
Lido: "It's not the first time we had to fight one of those. And compared to the first time 6 years ago, we did a lot better fighting in fewer number."
Gros and Ray both showed discomfort in what they had to go through. But Lido while just as tired as them seemed proud of what they had accomplished. But this didn't matter to the Rival. In fact, their news of the Cadmus Dragon's demise left him far from alright.
(He's dead?! Before I could get my revenge?! No! No! NO! NO, NO, NO!)
Rival: "NOOOOO!"
Lido, Ray, & Gros: "Whoa!"
Rival: "No, no, no! He can't be dead! Not now! I was the one who was supposed to kill him! ME!"
The Rival had fallen into a fit as he discovered his foe had been taken from him. The glory of his demise had been taken away by someone else. And he couldn't stand the thought of it.
Cadmus Dragon: (You were unfit to kill me! So I died to someone else!)
As he grieved over his loss, the image of the he lost appeared in his mind to once again mock him. The words this hallucination spoke were irrational, but that didn't cross the Rival's mind in the slightest.
The other 3 Xenos didn't know how to react to this at all. They all remember being saved by their seniors when they first came along, just as they had for him. But none of them have ever in their lives felt unhappy that someone else killed a monster that was going to kill them before they could. While they all knew from his appearance that he was an irregular, this was clearly unnatural.
Lido, Ray, & Gros: "...Uh? ...Sorry?"
This was something they had never seen before and didn't know how to act upon it. Which certainly didn't help with the situation at hand.
(Smash)
The Rival began smashing his hand against the ground repeatedly as he continued to grieve over his loss. His rage ever increasing by the second. The words of the Cadmus Dragon echoing louder and louder in his mind. Same goes for the image of the White One walking away as he said the he was unworthy.
The Rival fell to his knees as he despaired over the thought that he'd never be able to face the White One again. Not only did he lack a name, but he now had nothing to show he was worthy of the White One.
Gros: "...We're really sorry you feel this way. But we had to stop him in order to save you. You'd have been killed otherwise."
Gros says this while trying to slowly approach the Rival again. He wished to try and comfort him while Lido and Ray where given him hand signs to tell him not to. As good as his intentions were, they both realized he probably didn't want him getting near or talking about it.
And they were right, as his words were just adding salt to the wound. Hearing that he would've died only made him feel even lower. He just kept feeling further and further below the Cadmus Dragon, and more importantly, the White One. They both made more distance from him while the feeling of their disappointed gazes grew stronger.
(Pat)
The Rival felt hand touch his shoulder, one that carried the feeling of rock. He then looks to see Gros was right next to him.
Gros: "Just come back with us to see the rest of the Xenos. There's plenty more of us for you to meet. You'll forget all about this soon enough."
(Mental Snap)
Hearing those words, the Rival couldn't take it anymore. Without thinking twice, he backhanded Gros in the face as hard as he could.
Gros: "AH!"
Lido & Ray: "GROS!"
The power of the Rival strike sent Gros flying several feet into the air. That wasn't a problem for him since he could fly. But while he was able to land safely, his lip bled from the Rival's blow.
Rival: "?!"
As he saw Gros who bears a similar appearance to the Cadmus Dragon bleed, he imagined him as said monster for a moment. It was at that moment the Rival had a sudden realization.
(These 3 defeated the Cadmus Dragon. If I defeat them, then I must be stronger than him)
After this though entered his mind, there was only one course of action for him.
Rival: "HOWL!"
Letting out his voice that made the large spring behind him shake with devastation, the Rival charged at Gros at full speed to attack.
Ray: "HOLD ON A MOME..."
Ray tried to step between them to stop the Rival. But she was unable to finish her sentence and was forced to fly away in order to dodge the Rival's horns.
Gros on the other hand decided if this one wanted a fight, then he he had to give it to him. So instead of trying to dodge, he tried to stop the Rival with his bare hand. He grabbed him by the horns before turning around and doing a shoulder throw.
(Slam)
Rival: "AH!"
As his back slammed against the ground, cracks were all over it and a huge dust cloud formed.
Rival: "HOWL!"
But the Rival's howl blew it all away. And he continued to howl as he tried to get to his feet, but was then held down by his arms by Gros.
Gros: "THAT'S ENOUGH! I don't know why you're so obsessed with fighting, but fighting is for your enemies! And we're here to be your friends! There's a difference between the 2!"
Although Gros tries to scold him, the Rival was only concerned with winning. And being pinned like he was by the Cadmus Dragon by his look alike wasn't helping with this. Not being able to take it, the Rival grabbed Gros back and tried getting up.
Rival & Gros: "AHH!"
The both of them put there all into their strength. But unfortunately for Gros, unlike the Rival, he hadn't fully recovered. Far from it in fact. So despite the Rival's awkward position on the ground, he was getting the better of the rock monster as he began to rise.
(Grab) (Thud)
It was then that Lido came in and helped pin the Rival down.
Lido: "Please try to calm down! Non of us want to hurt you, but that doesn't mean we can just let you hurt us!"
They both held him down as they told him off. But it did nothing calm his rage and lust for battle. The Rival simply tried kneeing them and piercing them with his horns. But they easily countered and kept him pinned. Even as their ears ached from his howling, he couldn't break free.
Ray: "This is far too rough you 2! How is holding him down supposed to show we care?!"
Gros: "Well what would you have us do?! This one is crazy!"
Unknown Female Voice: "As the humans would say, pot calling the kettle black there, Gros-kun."
Lido, Ray, & Gros: "GULP!"
As a voice the Rival had yet to hear appeared, the 3 Xenos all appeared to shiver with fear. This unknown voice as well as their reactions was enough to make him settle down. It was then that they all look in the direction of the voice and saw a familiar figure.
Unknown Female Voice: "Did you 3 listen to a word I said?"
Lido, Ray, & Gros: "Pasiphae-san!"
As the 3 said her name in unison, the Rival though to himself.
(So this is the one called Pasiphae-San that they mentioned before? Given that she speaks like us, she's a Xenos, too. Only she was far different from the others. Different because she looked a lot like me.)
Indeed, Pasiphae had the same bulky 2 horn headed shape that the Rival did. Not the exact same as there were clear features that gave away she was female. But more noticeable than that was that her feet had smaller toes than him and 5 instead of 3. But the most noticeable difference was her color. Her hide was a color between that of dirt and white. (Tan)
Author Note 1: While season 3 of the anime and the raw version of the Sword Oratoria manga displayed Asterius as having black hair, this appears to be inaccurate. Looking at the illustrations of volume 10 of the Sword Oratoria light novel, he doesn't appear to have any hair like he did in those depictions.
Author Note 2: You'll also see in those illustrations that he didn't have either human feet like in the anime, or bull feet like in the manga. He was shown having what looked like Rhino feet. All this isn't surprising when you consider the fact he wasn't reborn as a Minotaur.
Another thing she had that the Rival didn't was hair. Her head, the second half of her arms, and her whole lower body was covered in it. And what really got his attention about said hair was the fact it was pure white. And like Lido, she was wearing strange martial on her body. As well as something sharp, but hers was bigger and on her back. It felt very familiar to him.
(What is she? I feel like she's one of my own, but at the same time she's not. It's just like with those monsters I left the rocks with. But unlike the them, I feel something far different then danger from her.)
Gros: "P...Pasiphae-san! This isn't what it looks like! He attacked us and we were forced to defend ourselves!"
Lido: "Y..Yeah! We're only holding him down as to calm him down."
Pasiphae: "Oh really? How often did any of you calm being forcibly held down by 2 strangers who are yelling at you?"
Lido & Gros: "Uh!"
The 2 of them had no answer for her.
Pasiphae: "And correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you 3 tell me you saw him pinned down by a Cadmus Dragon? I doubt being pinned again by you 2 while feeling he's lost something because of you would make him feel better. Not to mention as he said, you Gros look a bit like said Dragon. You see where I'm going with this or do I need to explain myself further?"
Lido & Gros: "Uh!"
It seemed she had also seen what transpired between them before hand.
Ray: "You were watching us, Pasiphae-san?"
Pasiphae: "I had no choice. You 3 already caught him off guard despite me telling you not to. Coming in to catch him off guard again would only have worsen the boy's mood. So I waited hoping you all could handle this yourselves. But as I expected, you messed up and I had come into stop you."
Lido, Ray, & Gros: "Uh!"
All 3 of them were left speechless this time to her scolding. It seemed she knew just what to say to shut them up.
Pasiphae: "There are times when one must be patient and wait when it comes to dealing with the newborns. This is why I said to wait. But you 2 still being on top of him isn't one of them."
It wasn't until they heard her say that did Lido and Gros realize they were still pinning the Rival down despite the fact he stopped struggling. In a panic they both got off him.
Lido & Gros: "Sorry!"
They both said this while bowing their heads to Pasiphae and the Rival to show they were sorry to both of them. Having calm down, the Rival also got up without going berserk again. He even scratched his head not knowing what to do.
Pasiphae: "You're not guilt free either, Ray-chan. While it's good you didn't resort to violence like the boys, standing there and doing nothing certainly wasn't going to help with this."
Ray: "Uh!"
(She has them all at her mercy. They didn't have the will to even say so much as a word back to her. Was it because she's so powerful that even the 3 of them are helpless again her?!)
Once the thought of how strong must be entered his mind, the Rival developed a strong urge to find out just how strong she is. Because if these 3 defeated the Cadmus Dragon, then she being stronger than them means she's of course stronger than him. That mixed with her white color that reminded him so much of the one he seeked, there was nothing more for him to think about.
Rival: "HOWL!"
Filled with his ever growing lust for battle, the Rival charged forward with a howl. Before the other 3 could react, he was already taking off for Pasiphae. Stretching the muscles in his right arm and gripping his palm, he threw a punch with all his might.
(Impact)
The ground around them shook as his right fist met her left cheek.
Lido, Ray, & Gros: "?!"
Pasiphae: "..."
Rival: "?!"
But she didn't try to dodge or block his punch. She just took it head on. Despite this, she didn't move an inch from her feet were planted. She didn't even flinch.
The Rival pulled his fist away and prepared for her to counter attack. But she did no such thing. Instead she just stared at him as if asking "Why did you do that?" without so much as a care. This left the Rival in awe.
As battle crazy as he was, he knew after that-that the fight was already over. He put his all into that punch, yet she was completely unfazed by it. So much so that she not only left herself open to it, she didn't consider it worth a counter attack. If he tried to continue this fight, he'd lose for sure.
(Images)
But that only brought back memories of the White One. After that, there was no way he could simply stand there and do nothing. Win or lose, live or die, possible or impossible, he wouldn't just there and do nothing. He'd fight to the bitter end and die if he must.
Rival: "HOWL!"
The Rival rushed forward yet again punching and kicking her face and stomach. He gave ti his all, but still she refused to defend herself. Or move so much as move an inch from where she stood. Not wanting to be taken so lightly, the Rival decided to take it even further.
Rival: "HOWL!"
(Pierce)
This time he tackled her stomach, thus impaling her with his horns. As tough as she was, even she couldn't take that head on. Thus blood began to pour from her stomach.
Lido, Ray, & Gros: "Pasiphae-san!"
As the other Xenos shout out, they rush to help her. But she simply holds up her hand telling them not to intervene. This was something they simply couldn't understand. They ask themselves why she would just let him do that to her.
Rival: "AH!"
The Rival found himself stuck again. So like before he began shaking his way free. Eventually getting loose, along with letting loose a lot more of her blood. Still he showed no sigh of hate towards him and didn't put up her guard.
Rival: "WHY?!"
He shouted this as he began punching the wounds he left in her stomach. More and more blood gushing out by the second.
Rival: "WHY AREN'T YOU FIGHTING BACK?! WHY ARE YOU LETTING ME HURT YOU?! AM I SO PATHETIC THAT YOU'D RATHER DIE?! ...First the Cadmus Dragon, now you?! Am I so pathetic that death is better than fighting me?!"
As the Rival let out his feelings, his fists began to slow as his voice settled down. Eventually his punches drew no more blood. After that, he stopped throwing them and simply fell to his knees. he simply looked at the ground as tears began to fall from his eyes.
While certain death made him feel loss at not getting to kill the killer, not fighting back just drained him of his fighting spirit. The others once again didn't know what to make of what they Pasiphae seemed to understand all to well.
Pasiphae: "I understand now. The reason you seek to fight so badly is because you wish to prove yourself."
Having finally said something to him directly, the Rival looked up in wonder at her words. they seemed to have hit home. So she knelt down to meet him face to face.
Pasiphae: "What is it you dream? When you sleep, you see something. Something very important, am I right?"
Rival: "How do you..."
Pasiphae: "That's what it means to be a Xenos. We've all had a special dream. While we all have different ones, we all have them in the end."
After hearing that, she looked back at the others behind him. He did the same in response. When he did he saw they're smiling faces yet again as they all nod yes.
Pasiphae: "I understand you have questions. Enough that not having an answer is confusing you. But we can help you with that. There's plenty of us for you to call friend and ask for help from."
Rival: "Friend?"
This word in particular grabbed his attention. It wasn't a word he could define in the least. But it seemed to be important.
Lido: "Yeah, friends are those who care for you and are there for you when things get tough."
Rival: "When things are...tough?"
Ray: "When things are tough, it means you're having trouble dealing with them."
Rival: "Is that why you helped me against the Cadmus Dragon?"
Gros: "That's right. We helped you because we didn't want you to die."
The more they talked to him, the easier it seemed for the Rival to speak and to understand what they were saying. Although he still wasn't too sure why they cared for him so much. But for once he found a subject other than fighting that interested him.
Pasiphae: "There are a number of Xenos you can meet if you come with us. They've all asked the same questions, and we all can help you find what you're looking for."
Those last words helped the Rival make up his mind. He wants more than anything to find the White One and settle the score. With even a chance of finding him, it was as if excepting their offer wasn't a choice anymore. He quickly stood up and spoke.
Rival: "Show me!"
Pasiphae: "Glad to hear it. But first, everybody. I think you all will be needing these."
As she got to her feet, she pulled something out from the thing hanging at her left side. What she pulled out appeared to be some kind of water. The others took it from her and 4 of them started pouring it all over themselves.
(Steam)
As it touched them, it began to become steam despite their bodies being nowhere near that hot. But what was shocking most of all, was there wounds. All the cuts and bruises along their bodies began heal. It was almost as if they were never there.
Rival: "How did you all do that."
Gros: "Oh, this? We didn't. These things here are called potions. If you pour them on your wounds, they're heal way fast then normal."
(So it was the water that did it? Where'd they get stuff like that? Is it the water that the Cadmus Dragon was drinking? That might explain why it didn't want to share. ...Wait a minute?!)
Rival: "Did you use these potions to heal me when you saved me?"
Ray: "Yes. You were on the verge of death, so we had to use all the potions we had before Pasiphae-san came along."
The Rival realized that they not only saved him, but they sacrificed what they needed to heal themselves for his sake. And yet he attacked them for saving him just because he was angry. Knowing this filled him with guilt, a feeling he's never know. And one he definitely didn't like.
Lido: "Ha, ha, ha! Don't worry about us. We've been through a lot worst than having endure some cuts and bruises. Rather go through that then lose one of our own."
Pasiphae: "We can talk about all this later. For now, let's return Gryuu-san and the others."
With that said, the group of now 5 Xenos moved out.
(To be continued)
