Chapter 41.
Short Chapter btw (if you consider 8k words short that is)
With the catalyst which was the fight and it's conclusion in the last Chapter I can finally put in motion things I had planned for a while now, some more bloody than others.
But for now, let's take it easy. I reckon that the next Chapter and the one after that will probs be without action, as there is a lot to be taken care of and cemented, Mikoto's involvement among them.
But yeh, that's about it.
Got one more question for ya all, but I'll put it in the AN at the end.
That's about it for now, so get in there and get wild with the reading.
Kay bye.
PS: I have also put in a request for a Seiji head-shot commission, I'll put the finished artwork in my SFW Danmachi Google Album once it's ready. Links to it on my profile page.
Peace out.
XXX
To say the events of that day would remain relevant for a long time to come would be an understatement.
Though the Adventurers quickly returned to their plans postponed by Fuzen's selfish actions his victory and subsequent proof of his battle which came in the form of Sakda's corpse allowed for loose ends to finally come to light.
Despite the Guild's best attempts at covering Sakda's rampage in the Dungeon to maintain a normalcy within the ranks of the Adventurer rumours began to circulate nonetheless, thanks to both the nosy Adventurers themselves as well as to the Deities who lost members to the fists of the fighter:
'There is a Were-Jaguar killing Adventurers somewhere in the Dungeon.'
Within days of the first sighting that rumour spread all throughout Orario, yet there was no solid evidence of Sakda's existence to base it upon.
That is, until a certain someone dragged the lifeless body of a Were-Jaguar to the ground floor of the Babel, the act witnessed by hundreds of Adventurers.
Suffice to say after that little event the Guild and Ganesha Familia began to feel pressure from different factions regarding their attempt at covering up the situation.
Their motives may have held some degree of goodness to them but nonetheless, this was Orario. The centre of the world. Politics ran deep and every advantage someone could get on influential organizations and Familia, they would grab a hold of it.
Luckily, Loki Familia had been spared any such indirect attack.
Though they had been aware of the situation they were not in the same situation as the Elephant God. Ganesha Familia were required to keep official reports of their patrols and personnel assigned to said patrols which would then be submitted to the Guild and the city administration alongside any threats encountered.
This was the duty and obligation of the policing force of Orario in exchange for being granted authority within the walled city.
Ever since they first became aware of Sakda the Were-Jaguar their reports had mentioned him as well as his victims.
Loki Familia, in contrast, was no such policing force and all of their patrols could be reported as just that: small-scale Expeditions into the Lower Floors.
Thus they dodged an arrow and were spared any involvement with the incident. More so, they even gained more popularity: it was after all one of their members who cut down the first-class Adventurer killer and brought his corpse back to the surface.
Such was the politics of Orario and unfortunately it would be the Elephant God and his Captain who would take the fall this time around, alongside the Guild.
Though Fuzen uttered a mental apology to the hard-working Ganesha Captain, his was however another fight to deal with...
XXX
"You're too reckless."
Though the words were by no means unfamiliar to his ears, they nonetheless managed to make the eastern swordsman shirk ever so slightly.
Not because of the words themselves, of course, but because of who uttered them and the tone they had used.
The Doctor turned to the table to her side, dipped another cloth in some Potion and turned back to him, tracing the wet cloth across the split skin across his face caused by blunt force trauma which had been Sakda's fists.
Though weakened because of the way it was used the Potion nonetheless worked it's magic and his wounds began to close. Lightly tapping the cloth against his swollen eye helped as well and before long he could see past the swell with his eye.
Next came his nose and even Amid winced as she got a closer look. "Gods, what happen?"
"...Knee to the face."
"...Of course...Haaa…" With a long sigh she put the cloth away and reached for the broken nose with both hands, fingers resting on each side of his nose. "This is going to hurt."
"Ah, that is no problem-"
An inwards push, a downwards pull and his nose was back in it's place, Fuzen once again able to breath normally. Still he could not hold back the faintest traces of tears forming in his eyes.
It truly had hurt.
"You can voice yourself, you know?"
"...Auch."
"Haaa...Stay still." Grabbing the cloth once again Amid gently tapped it against his nose and he could feel it's effect nigh immediately.
And if one where to ask why the Doctor decided on such a method of applying healing…
"You're the type that doesn't learn except from pain, so this is as much as I'll let you heal externally." Amid voiced with a visible frown on her brows as she pulled away. In truth even Fuzen's more serious wounds, like his broken rips which punctured his lung had been treated similarly.
Abandoning the use of the Magic Circle unique to the Doctor lacking the Mage Skill, Amid had localized her Spell to only heal those wounds and nothing else. The fractured bones in his arms, for example, would be left to heal on their own.
They were only hairline fractures after all, and the Falna on his back would heal such wounds fast enough even without her intervention. However if he were to put too much pressure on them those hairline fractures would become more severe.
Amid hoped this limitation would at least force the boy to rest for a good couple of days.
"I'm also forbidding you from seeking healing from anyone else unless an emergency calls for you at your peak condition." The silver-haired girl voiced with a tone of severity, though of course she was unable to truly intimidate a warrior. "And you better listen. I am your Doctor, after all." That last part was voiced the slightest bit louder than the previous statement.
Fuzen couldn't help but think that it was somewhat cute despite the circumstances. "...Of course. I understand."
"Do you really? You won't run off to training the moment you leave the clinic?" Her questioned did not betray the mistrust she had for the boy in such situations where his well-being was concerned.
Surprisingly, however, she received a shake of the head as her reply.
"No. No, I...uhh...need to think. So no. I won't."
She had not expected that reply, not at all in fact. Turning around Amid allowed herself a moment to examine him and how lost in thought he looked, compared to his usual self. "...What's wrong?"
"...Nothing." Though his eyes had been glued to the floor below him for as long as the first moment he had entered the room Amid's silent stare nonetheless managed to get to him. "...Just...thinking, is all. Nothing to worry about. I think."
In truth Amid had wanted to press on the matter a bit more but she knew through her lengthy time of knowing him that Fuzen was not one to easily open up. Even this amount of openness was something rare to get out of the boy, so she simply decided to nod in return. "So...it was that man you fought this time?"
"...Yeah."
"...He was strong, wasn't he?"
"...Yeah. Bete-sama also fought him, but proved unable to land any good hits on him. Based on multiple factors, like the Floors he survived while solo and his feats, able to push both Bete-sama and me into a corner, Varma-sama of the Ganesha Familia and the Captain ranked him as a possible Level 6."
"And you?"
A moment of silence followed, the briefest the Doctor could remember the swordsman to ever take. "He was certainly comparable to Level 6 in strength and speed. His actual Level must have been around 4, but he shared the same...core strength as me. He could go past what would be otherwise his mortal limits."
"...I'm surprised."
"At what?"
"Well...I didn't expect you to reveal that." Amid replied truthfully. "Is this core strength you shared with him…?"
"The same thing which put Forestlight-sama in that condition, and the same thing which allowed me to heal her, yes."
"...I see."
"Mhm."
The next couple of moments passed by in silence once more, Fuzen sitting on the bedside waiting for the Doctor to discharge him while Amid glanced at him from the corner of her eye. She did not let the silence reign for long however and moved in front of her patient. "Fuzen."
He did not reply nor looked up to meet her eyes.
In truth he had not once looked at her since his Familia had brought him here for treatment, his eyes solely glued on the floor beneath him and now staring at her boots.
"Are we enemies?"
The sudden and unexpected question froze him in place. Yet he was as quickly to answer it in his mind as humanly possible.
'No, of course not.'
He truly felt that. He did. And yet at the same time he knew it was not that easy, either.
The fact that he tried to kill her remained, and he would not let it be forgotten. Doing that would make him a bastard of the highest tier. But even more so, it would not be fair to Amid herself.
So all he could do was to remain silent.
"Hey. Look at me."
That was something he wished to do, as well. Lift his head and look into her amethyst eyes. Converse with her normally, as they had done before.
But it wasn't that easy, either.
'You're killing me over here…'
"...I said…" Gloved hands cupped both of his cheeks and gently but firmly forced him to tilt his head and look up. "Look at me."
"M-Mhm."
"I am in need of some materials." Amid voiced as she stared into his eyes, not allowing him to break off contact. "Low priority. Meaning that while we do not need them urgently, nobody would rush to get them for us, either. Get home. Rest up. Get well. And then when you are better, go get those materials for me. Sounds good?"
The confusion kept him from either nodding or replying.
The gears in his mind began to work and he slowly made sense of what was going on.
He was being given a chance.
A chance to mend things, to get back to normal.
His heart began to race within his chest. Why, he did not know. It was an unfamiliar sensation. Yet...not completely uncomfortable, either.
And still...was this the right choice?
The chance, did he truly deserve it?
Despite everything?
"...I tried to-"
"I know." She cut him off before he could get out even half the sentence. "I have not forgotten. Nor forgiven."
The last statement sent a cold shiver down his spine, his eyes darting to the side. Amid noticed what he was doing however and would not allow him to do it. "Are you not tired, Fuzen? Of running away?" This got her his attention again, hazel eyes once more looking at her. Right now they were more on the green side, Amid noticed. "I am not being naive, make no mistake of that. But I don't think our relationship needs to end now, either. So, we have a deal?" A smile appeared on her lips and the sight of it made Fuzen's lips tremble, his eyes shutting close.
He had told her once, that he knew she wore a mask like everyone else.
And he had truly believed that.
His experience, his past with humans and their multi-faced layer of lies and honey words hiding the knife that would strike at the most unexpected moments had steered him to say that.
To believe it.
To believe, and to remain blind to what was in front of him.
A Ki of a most serene kind, one which told him much. Which told him that the person in front of him was simply not capable of true hate like himself.
She could get angry. She could hate certain things or people. That was only natural, she was human after all.
But compared to everyone else, the core of who Amid Teasanare was would always shine brightest.
Opening his eyes Fuzen slowly reached out to the girl and pulled her closer to him by the back of the head, close enough that his lips were but an inch away from her ear. And there was no mistake, this surprised him as much as it surprised Amid herself. "The core of my strength, it can be traditionally awakened by near-death experiences. Conquering yourself, others, and death itself." He whispered on the lowest tone he could produce, not allowing even the walls surrounding them to hear those words.
"W-What?"
"But, that does not mean it is the only way. Meditation can, in very rare instances, also unlock it. A clear mind, a clear goal. Learn as much as you can about yourself, about who you are. What you want. Focus, and focus some more. Let your desires, your true innermost desires, guide you forward. Let them be the driving force behind every action you make."
"…"
"And so maybe, just maybe, you will be able to cure those ailments that only I can cure by yourself, as well. If you so desire, try it. And if I feel any changes, I will tell you if you managed any progress. This, I promise on my name and my Sword Style. Do you understand?"
"…" To say that the words did not confuse her would be a very great understatement. Amid had no actual idea what Fuzen was taking about. But she understood that, coming from him, it was meant in all honesty. There were no lies to be found in his words. "...Yes."
"...Very well." With a mental sigh he removed his hand and allowed Amid to pull away.
What came over him, he had no idea.
He truly had no idea anymore.
But, for some reasons, despite being sworn to secrecy he did not feel as if he had committed a mistake in his heart. His words were vague and no actual solid information had been shared.
But even so, he hoped they would help the girl and then maybe, he could count himself as a small reason for her growth.
'...She's already the best Doctor, though…'
"A-All right, then let's patch you up before sending you home."
"...Much appreciated." He nodded as the Doctor proceeded to place a sling across his neck for his left arm to rest into, having blocked a jab from Sakda with it and the limb still feeling numb and weak. Next came a bandage across his still somewhat swollen eye. "Try to keep your eye shut for the time being, all right?"
"Mhm."
The Doctor nodded and turned. "I'll be checking on you daily around this time of day, if that's all right. From what you told me you received a lot of hits to the head and I'd rather not overlook anything. Will you be at the Twilight Manor or your residence?" She asked as she began to clean up the table on which her tools were laid.
"...My residence. I'll talk to Loki-sama, ask for a couple of days off."
"That's good." Amid voiced, glad to hear her patient was actually planning to rest. "Ah yes, regarding your teeth, I know a good dentist in the central part of Orario-"
Whoosh!
"...Huh?" Confused as to what caused the current of air Amid turned around to look towards where Fuzen was sitting only to notice the edge of the bed empty. Her eyes turned towards the door leading into the room only to see it moving back and forth ever so slightly. "...What?"
XXX
In truth she knew she should not have been smiling.
After all, this was no laughing matter. Complaints from the Guild as well as the smaller Familia of Orario, she could already picture the piles on her desk.
What's more she had no doubts this event would be used against her at the next Denatus.
But even so, Loki could not help the smile that was present on her lips.
Despite everything that would come to bite them in the butt the achievement of her Child was well worth the downsides it would bring, of that she had no doubt.
"Over and over again…"
Indeed, over and over again he managed to do the impossible, to do that which no one else of similar Level, age or background could. As a Goddess who cared for those sharing her Falna, she could do little but be proud of someone like him, someone who always brought in results.
"Is something wrong?" The question came from the one member who insisted on accompanying Loki to Dian Cecht Pharmacy and be there to pick up Fuzen once his treatment was over.
"Nah, it's nothing Alicia." The Goddess replied with a wave of her hand. "Just thinking about how adorable you Children are, that's all."
The Elf threw her Goddess a confused look but otherwise decided not to press the matter any further. No matter how much she tried she would never be able to grasp the thoughts of a Deity, less so the thoughts of her rather peculiar Deity.
This was true of all mortals, in fact.
It was during this moment of silence that the two heard a door being pushed open and turned their heads to the side, noticing Fuzen coming out from the left-most corner and fast-walking towards them.
His face was pale and drops of sweat ran down his forehead, both signs which the Deity and Elf were not used to seeing on the otherwise composed child.
He did not even notice them waiting for him until he was besides them. "...Let's go." He voiced as he turned his head to look at the two, then proceeded to once again be on his way out of the Pharmacy.
"Hey, what's wrong-?"
"Let's go!"
Wasting no more time the boy turned and made his way out of the Pharmacy, Loki and Alicia following behind after exchanging a confused look. It was only once they reached the street and were a fair distance away from the Dian Cecht shop that he slowed down and allowed the two to catch up to him.
"Geez, what was that all about?" The redhead Deity asked.
"...A reminder that there exists something no one should experience twice in their lives...Ugh…" His words made, as always, little sense but neither of the two women pressed on any more. Had it been something of actual importance neither of the two doubted he would have voiced it.
Loki walked up in front of him and scanned him from head to toe. "How you feeling? Not to throw dirt on Amid's name, but your treatment seems...incomplete."
"Ah. It is fine." He responded as he lifted his good palm up. "It is as Teasanare-sama says: I won't learn except through pain. This is my Doctor's punishment to me, for being...reckless."
"Well, can't question that line of thought." Loki agreed as she made a head sign for them to continue on. "You were reckless after all. Very much so, lil' Fuzen."
"...Mhm."
So you...defeated him?" The question came from the Elf to his other side, gazing at him with a look he could not quite explain.
Yet he could not reply immediately.
He had been the one to survive the duel. He had come out victorious.
And he accepted his victory as the one who walked away alive.
But was he truly the winner?
"...No." His answer was accompanied by the shake of his head. "I killed him. There is a difference. I think. I'm...not sure."
His answer brought no true joy to the Elf. She was happy that he was alive, of course, but the fact he always talked about killing with such ease and calm...It had been a discussion she and the rest of the Second Group had before, yet could not come up with any solution to deal with.
A cold-hearted child, for whom killing was just second nature.
How did one go around to helping an individual like that?
How would one do that when the child in question was dead-set on his goals, not showing any signs of budging from his path?
For Ais, whom Alicia remembered had been just about as bad as Fuzen when she first joined, it had been Lefiya and the Amazon twins, as well as Riveria's intervention which managed to calm her anger down and make her see there was more to life than just fighting and killing.
Granted, she was not completely there yet, but she was getting better, little by little.
The boy besides her however, he was not like Ais. He did not let people close to him and his nigh two years of being a member had left no impact on him, as far as she could tell.
But...it was alright.
He was peculiar, sure, and his lack of care for human life was disturbing at times, just as disturbing as the time he beheaded his opponent in that duel which took place in the East District.
However, he had a solid code he followed and rarely hurt people without justification, if at all. As long as he did not get into legal problems, they could take their time, slowly and surely, to help him see the larger world which waited for him outside of his own.
So with that thought in mind, she reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. In truth she should have probably said something like 'It's alright' or the likes, but she did not understand what he was feeling or thinking at the moment. And so she would stop at just this.
Feeling the touch upon him Fuzen looked at the hand with a raised eyebrow, then at Alicia and then back at the hand. "...Ah. Are you still not feeling well, Forestlight-sama?" He inquired as he raised his palm to waist-level. "Then by all means, lean on me if you have trouble walking."
'...Right. Stupid mistake on my part. He's not cold-hearted. He's just numb. Really, really numb.'
"...No. Sorry, I forgot you are uncomfortable with being touched."
"That depends on the situation." He replied. "In battle my preferences or dislikes matter not."
"I see…"
"Mhm." In that moment of silence which followed he pondered on whatever he should tell the Elf about his action, and he decided on doing so. Whatever it would help her or not he did not know, however. "The last strike…"
"Hm? What was that?"
"The last strike. Which killed Sakda...uh, the Were-Jaguar. I told him it was for you. I meant it."
Her eyes widened at his words. He could not tell whatever she found his words helpful or not, but after a moment of silence she smiled and nodded at him.
"Hey you jerks, don't ignore me!" The Goddess yelled as she slowly felt her presence being ignored and got a quick apology from her two members. "Geez, you guys are rude...Still, you really are something, aren't you?" Loki asked as she looked over at Fuzen. "You fought that guy in the Lower Floors, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"And injured as you were, you still made it back to the surface. Carrying his body with you, no less. To be honest I don't even know how you do it at this point."
"That would be...a false statement." Fuzen replied, confusing both his Goddess and fellow Familia member alike.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I didn't do it by myself. Reaching the surface, I mean."
"...Explain."
"Hmmm…"
Though she told him to explain, Fuzen could hardly do so. After all, he had been unconscious from the damage he had taken during the fight.
But thanks to his physical conditioning he went through during his training, he was able to remain aware even when his body was asleep.
…
…
…
'Screw my fricking life…' He thought to himself as he fell face-down to the ground, his body too exhausted to allow him to remain conscious. Worse yet, he could hear the walls around him cracking and tearing open.
Monsters were being born in his vicinity.
While he was at the end of his strength.
'...Shit. Shit. Shit…'
He couldn't allow it to end like this.
He had just managed to overcome the greatest personal challenge in his life. He had taken the life of a fighter...nay, a warrior who was undoubtedly his better.
If he died now he would throw dirt on the name of both his Sword Style as well as Sakda.
That could not be allowed. Even if he were to die, at the very least, he had to die fighting and not getting eating alive while his body was unresponsive.
'Move. Move. Move you bastard!'
But he was out cold, except his mind. No matter how much he tried, he could not move a single finger.
That is when it hit him: if he unleashed a big enough discharge of electricity he could maybe force himself awake, if the jolt was powerful enough.
Of course there was also the risk of killing himself as he doubted he could take much more damage, but that beat getting eating alive.
But, just as he was about to execute his plan he heard and felt steps approaching him from behind. He was sure the Monsters had been birthed only in front of him, however.
'Adventurers?'
Of course he was not foolish enough to place too much hope in those individuals, either. Depending on what kind of Adventurers they were he could just as well be in even more danger.
"...So that's Kenshi, huh?" The first of the two presences he felt approaching spoke. It was a male by the sound of his voice, however, for some reasons his voice did not sound completely human, either.
"Yes. I watched him from afar before. I could never shake off the feeling he was aware of my presence, however." The second of the two replied. It was a feminine voice, most serene and beautiful, however the fact her approach was also accompanied by what sounded like fluttering of wings confused Fuzen greatly.
"Well, he sure knows how to fight, gotta give him that much. Still wonder what his beef with that other one over there was, however."
"It matters little, Lyd. Fels told us to keep an eye out for Kenshi and help him if he is ever in any danger. So let's do it."
"Sure thing, Ray. You take the ones in the back?"
"Mhm."
Suffice to say it took less than a minute for the Monsters to be dealt with, their death cries growing silent before long.
It was then the two approached him again, silently staring over him.
"...He's tiny." The male one, Lyd, stated.
Fuzen would have liked to tell him that he was actually of appropriate height for someone of his sex and age, but alas, that was impossible in his current state.
"And still, Fels said he is one who can bring about change." The female one, Ray, replied.
"Change, huh?" The male repeated the word before he laughed ever so lightly. "That'd be pretty nice, right?"
"...Be that as it may be, let's bring him to a safer Floor first."
"Sure. What about the dead big guy?"
"...It looked like Kenshi tried to pull him along, so let's bring him along."
"I'll carry him then. Can you take care of tiny over there?"
The female hummed a response and Fuzen once more heard the fluttering of wings. Next he felt something grabbing his arms and then the sensation one had when their feet were no longer on the ground washed over him.
He was being carried above ground, from what he could tell.
And by means of talons, of that he had no doubts.
A while later he finally woke up and found himself on the 5th Floor with Sakda's body nearby. Though the ones known as Lyd and Ray where not nearby he could feel their Ki presence in the distance, just barely within his radius.
Even so, he did not try to approach them. If they kept their distance they must have had their reasons for doing he, he thought.
And so he simply grabbed Sakda's body and made his way to surface.
…
…
…
'Lyd-sama, Ray-sama and someone known as Fels-sama. Whoever they are, there is no doubt that I would have probably died without their intervention. Gratitude must be shown when and if I get a chance to do so.'
Of course, many mysteries remained.
The identities of his saviours, the somehow non-human voice of the male known as Lyd as well as the unmistakable talons which grabbed him, not to mention the fact that he had been transported via means of flight.
His first thoughts had been that his saviours were Monsters.
But of course, that was nigh heretical to even think.
Monsters did not speak nor think, they were just puppets of the Dungeon's will.
But above all else the fact that both Lyd and Ray had Ki he could sense dispelled any such thoughts.
After all, there were only two groups of beings which did not possess Ki in the world: the timeless Deities and the Monsters of the Dungeon.
'...That lady must have been some sort of avian Beast Human I never heard of before. Yeah, that's gotta be it.'
"Hey...HEY!" The shouts near his ear shook him out of his thoughts and Fuzen looked to his side, at his Goddess. "Geez, you guys are so rude today...What'cha doing getting all lost in thought like that, Fuzen?"
"...My apologies. The truth is, I fell unconscious shortly after my battle with the Were-Jaguar ended. However, I then woke up on the 5th Floor. Thus why I said I did not reach the surface on my own. Someone found me in the Lower Floors and carried be back to a much safer Floor."
"...Any idea who it was?"
The question was a tricky one, more so since a Deity could feel a mortal's lies. Yet even if it was his own Goddess, he did not wish to cause possible troubles for the ones who helped him. "...I am not aware of their identities."
He did not lie.
After all, despite becoming aware of their names he knew nothing else besides that about them. If those were even their real names, who they were, what their affiliations were...Indeed, he knew nothing of their identities.
"Hmm...Say, Alicia. Did anyone come out of the Dungeon shortly before Fuzen?"
"Uhh, yes. But..." The Elf shook her head. "The last group before him had been a three man party of Level 1's, and there is no way they would have been able to find him on the Lower Floors."
"...That's certainly strange." Loki muttered as she gently rubbed her chin. "Everyone knows you are part of my Familia, and that we are not above showing our appreciation to anyone who helps our members...So why did they not carry you back to the surface? Why leave you on the 5th Floor?"
"At this point, I could only hope to speculate, Loki-sama." Fuzen replied with the hopes that would being the discussion to an end, which to his surprise it did.
"Well…" Loki clasped her hands, gaining the attention of her swordsman. "Let's leave that aside for now. You've been reckless and you caused a lot of problems for everyone else, so we'll need to decide on an appropriate punishment for that little butt of yours…" Loki voiced as she looked down towards Fuzen, the boy nodding in response. "...later. For now, just take it easy and rest, lil' Fuzen. You deserved it."
'...Rest...huh?'
It didn't sound bad.
He was beat and tired, not to mention that while his recent victory brought him some satisfaction and shook off the feelings that had accompanied his first loss, it left him with no small amount of questions and uncertainties instead.
He had won.
But…
He looked to the side of the road, where a middle-aged woman was selling some vegetable to a customer.
Cut her apart.
On the other side of the road he noticed two men in their early twenties talking about everyday topics.
Rip them open.
The Elf to his side noticed him looking around and he looked up at her, their eyes meeting for a moment. She was a kind soul who never yelled or screamed, and always kept her calm. It was not false to say Fuzen quite liked her, or at the very least, he did not dislike being in her presence.
And yet, even so…
Bleed her dry.
But, above all...The Deity to his other side…
His very mouth began watering at all the options he could think of.
He had won, indeed.
But at what cost really?
Rupture was a Reflection which let all the things which he suppressed over the years flow out.
After all, one could not use that Ability without being honest to themselves.
About who they were.
What they were.
Their desires and impulses.
Of course, he had been aware of what his actions would bring when he set out to fight Sakda again, when he decided to use everything he had at his disposal to win.
However, it had taken him nigh two years to get himself under complete control after the last time he used Rupture. He was obviously older and stronger now, but even so, how long would it take this time?
Two months?
Three?
Half a year?
A year?
Longer, maybe?
He had managed for a while to suppress himself, to lie to himself.
It had not been bad.
Yet now he was reminded once again that neither in the past, nor in the future, he had never been and never would be accepted.
Not truly, not fully.
Not by anyone, and not by himself.
So then, really…
His one decision based not on honour nor on what was best for his martial school, or even with his goal of grasping the Heavens in mind but instead based only on his needs and wants...Had it really been worth it?
'...I don't know. I just...don't know anymore…'
Inhale…
Exhale…
Inhale…
Exhale…
"...Hm? Hey, you alright?"
He did not look at his Deity. He could not bring himself to do so. "...Peachy."
"Hmm…"
That would have been a good point to end the conversation and simply continue to walk in silence. "...Loki-sama." But in his state of uncertainty those words left his mouth before he could force himself to shut up.
"What is it?"
The question that was forming in his mind, he managed to keep it bottled up initially. But just like food stuck in the throat, his body forced him to spit it out. "Did I...Did I do good?"
The question was sudden and took the Deity by surprise. She was not used to hearing such questions from her little swordsman, less so on such an innocent tone, barely above a whisper. That he found it within himself to open up this part of him to her brought her no small amount of joy.
She noticed that her lack of an immediate reply somehow affected her Child, his gaze falling down to the pavement below their feet. Why exactly, she couldn't say, but she did feel a bit guilty for being even just somewhat responsible for it.
And so she raised a hand and gave him a pat on the head. "Nah." Her answer got no verbal response out of the boy, but he seemed to get down even more. "You did amazing."
She voiced with a smile and continued to pat his head, seeing how he gave no indication of wishing her to stop. However, she stopped by herself when she noticed a most peculiar sight.
There was something on his face. It was faint and in truth, normally not even worth mentioning. But in this instance, it was a most miraculous sight.
The corners of his mouth were pointing upwards ever so slightly.
He was smiling. Faintly, yes, but he, Kenshi, was smiling.
'Oh...My...Self…'
"...Thank you."
"Come here!"
Suffice to say, the Trickster Deity did not think twice about throwing herself on her injured Familia member and causing a scene out on the street.
"G-get away from me you wench!"
"Why couldn't you be a girlllll?!"
"I need an adult!"
"I am an adult~"
He had been thankful for Alicia's presence as it was only with her help that he managed to get the Deity off of him and be once more on their way. His Goddess's little goofy moment aside, he was grateful for her previous words.
Unknown to her, those words helped him pick himself up a bit.
However he would allow no denial to take place.
He had won, yes.
As such all the letters and plans he had set in motion in the very likely case of his death would now be unnecessary.
And yet his victory did not mean he would go back on what he set out to do.
Better said, he could not allow himself to go back on it.
He did not know when he would break, after all, and so he had to make sure
"...Loki-sama."
"Hm?"
"Do you think that, after I rest for a little while, it would be possible for you to arrange a meeting with the Executives for me?"
"That should not be a problem, but...what for?"
"Actually, there is a girl I wish to introduce to you all."
It was not an understatement to say that Loki had frozen in place like a statue as those words reached her ears. Lecherous as she was Loki had of course only thought of the farthest reason away from the truth as to what her Child meant by his statement.
XXX
'Fascinating…'
For anyone who knew the woman in question well-enough they would be aware that few things managed to fascinate her.
She was a Deity, after all, and she had been alive for longer than any mortal could comprehend, with a good portion of that eternity spent observing the mortals in the Lower World.
Indeed, there existed little which still fascinated the Goddess Freya.
And yet in Orario there lived a boy who managed to do just that. Not just once, for that matter, but rather on multiple occasions.
He was a most wretched thing, however, a thing most full of unending hate and constant anger, unshakable denial and bottomless sinisterness alike.
A thing so pitiful, he could not even control his own overlapping emotions and ideals and so, desperate to remain as one, forced himself to split apart if only to not fall victim to his own darkness and lose what little semblance of self he still had.
Unsightly.
Truly unsightly.
So unsightly that when he first crossed her gaze, the Goddess had frowned.
How was it that someone could be so wretched was beyond even her understanding.
By all accounts, he was the furthest away from what she was seeking in a mortal. By all accounts, he must have been the exact opposite of her fated one.
And still, with all that said, he had managed it.
He had managed to gain her attention for himself.
Not through what would otherwise gain Freya's attention, not through the shine and colour of his soul, but rather through his actions. Over and over again, words of his actions and deeds reached her ears and her one question regarding him grew deeper.
Was it truly possible for someone that unsightly to perform those deeds with a soul that murky? With a soul that dark and sickly?
It was not a secret, at least to Freya, that some people were simply special when compared to everyone else. Her ability as a Goddess allowed her to pick apart those special ones from the rest and gain them for herself.
Her Familia was made up only of men and women of incredible talent and potential, all of them being chosen for the colour and brilliance of their souls. It was thus no surprise that her Familia counted the only Level 7 in Orario among their ranks, nor that they had as many Level 6's as they did.
They had all, from day one, possessed such potential.
The boy on the other hand, she could not really say. His soul alone had been covered in the thickest crust of doubt, denial and hatred she had ever seen cover a person's brilliance. A crust so old it resembled a bleeding, sickly scab.
She had been unsure if that alone would truly be enough to act as the driving force behind his achievements.
That is, until today.
The Were-Jaguar from the Lower Floors.
As a pillar of Orario, she had obviously heard about that man from day one. She had been hardly interested in the matter however, and simply let the Guild and Ganesha Familia deal with him and his rampage inside the Dungeon.
And just earlier today, other news reached her ears: the boy's Dragon had cut off the entrance to the Dungeon.
This had amused her in no little amount.
It seemed that for once Loki had bit off more than she could chew.
She had been aware of the boy's previous loss against that very same Were-Jaguar and so it had not been hard for her to realize what he was doing, or whom he was seeking.
'What do you think?' She had asked her Captain regarding the situation. 'Who will win?'
Ottar's immediate response had managed to surprise even her. 'Kenshi.'
'Despite the fact he had already lost once?'
Her Captain nodded and knowing him as well as she did, Freya had little doubt he was suppressing a smirk from forming on his lips. 'It is because of that loss that he will win, Lady Freya.'
She did not make it a habit to question the words of her Captain and so Freya had simply decided to wait and see. Ottar had showed great interest in Loki's Child and so she had no doubt his words were based on factors he had gathered about the boy by himself, as a warrior observing another.
In truth his interest in Kenshi was large enough that Freya had even considered gaining the boy for her Familia simply to show her appreciation to her Captain's hard work, as a sort of gift of sorts.
That thought still needed consideration however, as they would make an enemy out of Loki Familia in such a scenario.
Undecided plans aside, however, as the hours passed by Freya decided on disguising herself and making her way to the ground floor of the Babel, to observe the situation from close up.
Originally she had thought about sending her Children into the Dungeon to observe Kenshi and report back to her, but alas there would be no getting past the dragon guarding the entrance into Dungeon. Forcing their way through would have been an option, but in doing so they would antagonize the Braver and the other Loki Executives present, a course of action she was not fond of taking.
There would be little reason for that, anyhow, as soon after she reached the ground floor she saw him making his way up the stairs.
He was beaten and broken, bloodied and looked as if he would fall down for the faintest of pushes, but the look in his eyes was resolute.
And with him he dragged the body of he who had broken his will once before. A truly interesting sight, to be sure. Most would hardly even think about doing something like that, but here he was: carrying the body of the Were-Jaguar as gently and respectfully as he could.
It was in this moment that Freya understood, at least partially, why Ottar had been so intrigued by the boy: he was indeed a warrior to the marrow of his bone.
Intrigued by the turn of events and the boy's strength but knowing this was as much as she would get from it Freya had turned and made her way back to the top of the Babel.
And that is when she heard it: a shout of victory.
It had been raw enough to make everyone present become silent, a shout visceral enough to resonate with a certain something inside of everyone gathered before him.
Cute even, Freya thought to herself.
However, all such thoughts were dispelled from her mind as she turned her head to look once more upon him.
For just a moment, a very tiny and short moment, she could not think of him as unsightly anymore. Because in that short moment, as fleeting as the blink of an eye, his murkiness had vanished and in it's stead a brilliance most powerful took over.
One which made the plethora of people gathered all around him pale in comparison, one which almost encompassed everything around it.
O, and what a unique colour it was…
Yet even more than the colour, what managed to let Freya's jaw hang low ever so slightly had been the emotion she could see at the core of that colour, the driving force which was ever present and, despite being covered and submerged in a bottomless pit, behind his every action and deed.
It was an emotion Freya was most familiar with, and yet, a form of it she had never seen or experienced before.
It wasn't the kind a child felt for their parents.
Not the kind a parent would feel for their child.
It wasn't one shared between lovers, either.
Not the kind which her Children felt for her.
And also, not the kind she felt for her Children.
And it wasn't one someone might feel towards adventure, either.
But it was present nonetheless.
A form of love, unflinching.
Yet as soon as it shone so too it disappeared, behind the thick crust of scab on his soul.
Perhaps, without even realizing it, the boy had given in to his true self and allowed himself to be free, maybe for the first time in a truly long time.
And that is when Freya wondered to herself: that form of love she had not seen nor experienced until now...what would it be like?
To be the reason for that sort of love manifesting within someone, or to be the one receiving that form of love from someone?
She wanted to know.
She truly, and without a doubt, wanted to know.
But how?
That emotion had surfaced for only a moment, a single time. Not once had she noticed it within the boy while observing him from afar before.
The answer came to her faster than even she expected. All it took was one look at his beaten, bloodied form.
She knew a fleeting love from a real one when she saw it within someone.
And she had no doubt that what she had seen for a split second was a form of it, unflinching.
With that said, would it not remain as such no matter the hardships or suffering he would experience?
Would there not be a chance of it surfacing again in one such scenario?
Indeed, what was needed was fairy clear to her.
Trials and tribulations.
XXX
Hey, you.
Finally awake are you?
Tried to scroll down some more, but you couldn't anymore because the Chapter came to an end.
LOL sucks to be you mate.
XD
But yeah, non-existing funny bone aside, that's about it for now.
Might have been a bit fast paced but meh, I also want to finish this fic at some point in time after all.
Also, regarding that question I mentioned in the opening AN:
- What colour do you think Fuzen's actual soul is?
I actually already decided on it and even have a good friend who can attest to that (looking at you, D), but I would like to know what the single digit number of people reading this fic and reviewing it (-_-) think.
But overall, really, just feel free to leave any kind of thoughts on the progress so far.
*Cocks shotgun*
Really, feel free and certainly not forced to do so O_O
But yeh, that's about it for real this time.
Hope you enjoyed the read and see you next time.
Kay bye.
PS: Spoiler: wholesome interaction with a certain sub-sized blonde girl planned for next Chapter, so look forward to that!
(actually just putting this out here so I have no way of escaping from writing it least I come off as an asshole who can't keep his promises. So if I forget make sure to call me out on it.)
