Apologizes for the severe delay, I was busy.


Port Natalia was a lively place, both during the night and day, that much Luther could attest to as he walked down a street. Among the crowds, he was just another figure, an unnoticeable drop of water in an ocean…that would have been the case were it not for the giant crab Monster taking his side and admiring the scenery. The man was all too aware of the numerous people staring at him, staring at Soapy. He yawned, recalling how he went through the entire night without any shut-eye, the crowds, and his newly found acquaintance. At the very least, there was some reward in all of this excitement. It was perhaps one of the least stressful nights in this world, companionship was found plenty and in the end, it imparted one thing to him.

It was never mine to begin with. Keep the guitar, as strange it sounds it seems to like you more than anyone else who held it. Those were the words spoken by the mermaid innkeeper that got stuck in his mind as his hand's grip tightened around the guitar strap. Chambers couldn't really grasp the concept of an inanimate object liking someone, let alone someone down on their luck like him, but as far it went with the logic of a universe that had magic, it made sense. After all, as far as he could gather, he was the only person that the instrument reacted to in such a mystical fashion. For what reason, he did not know.

"Feeling tired?" A familiar voice asked one that belonged to Soapy. She now wore a baggy deep blue coat, which had a strange bubble pattern and didn't fail to show a massive cleavage that just drew any onlooker's eyes in. Did she get it as a gift or win it in a game of cards? Luther couldn't quite remember. That night was a massive blur for him. Either way, he got back his shirt, although suspiciously it no longer hugged his frame as much as it did before. At least it was clean now…

"Guess you can say that. Usually manage to find my way to a bed even in the wildest of circumstances." Luther casually responded with a click of his tongue as he remembered the number of times he woke back up in his or a friend's house after a day of booze. He had rarely if ever spent an entire day awake without taking a single nap, especially if alcohol was involved, but now, strangely, it seemed like he could keep going without pause or rest, like some sort of anticipation for something was keeping him awake.

"It was a pleasant night, I couldn't imagine, humans and mermaids could keep such good company…maybe you're not that wrong..." She whistled to herself, recounting the events that led up to her being here. All of this happened because she was patient and curious as to get a meal of the previously down-trodden man as much as she wanted, his peculiar scent was one of the few things that drew her to that beach. "Hoo…we could have stowed away, spent a couple of rounds together. Would have been a wonderful way to tie in this little venture, no?"

Luther took one hard stare at the crab girl, glancing from her face to a large frame. He rolled his eyes, figuring it to be simple flirtations and teasing that came with being friends with a Monster or just her attempt at having a taste of him. "I guess…but it's a little too late for that."

"You sure?" She asked in a sultry voice and if it wasn't for the distance between Luther would have half-guessed Soapy would be trying to grab or touch him in some manner. "Because I get on with it anytime and anywhere, just say the word and I'm sure we'll find ourselves a nice spot."

Soapy's words and tone failed to make the man flustered, at least on the outside. He kept his usual stone-cold expression, though there was notable upward curvature of the lips that didn't fade at the beginning of her pestering. It wasn't the first time she tried something with him, yet he was ultimately glad she reserved only words, though he wouldn't be surprised if it escalated. Luckily he wouldn't be spending much time in Port Natalia and neither was he alone.

"That's not what I meant." Luther sighed, staring forward into the center square. There would be the most likely place he would find his travel companions if they hadn't left him, and judging by the enormous dark energy signature within his sense, that was far from the case. "Only came here for a small visit with a group of people I'm traveling with. At this time we're bound to meet up in an agreed spot and then head to San Ilia for our next destination, which I'm quite sure is not a place you'd like to be in."

"A city filled with a bunch of those overzealous Ilias worshippers. No thank you…I'd rather stay here." Soapy shook her head, as time went on so too did their meeting came to a close. She expected to part ways with the man after this night, after all, neither of them had any incentives to stick together. "Ah, well, can't say I didn't see this coming, you've clearly got some business to get going too. You did me a favor and I had a great time, never quite knew that there were people willing to accept me here.

"Farewell, and I hope to see you again, if not soon then someday. You're a pleasant company, so keep your chin up."

"See you around." Luther solemnly nodded, giving a small wave to the crab monster before turning back and beginning to walk off into the port's center. Yet he couldn't take a couple of steps more before being called by Soapy, to which he responded by simply lazily shifting his head so that she was in view.

"Hey, next time, show some fire and maybe cut back on the sad songs, you're not going to woo any maiden's heart with those dirges." Soapy proclaimed, laughing to herself that her light remark left the man stunned for a moment.

"Oh…well, I'll try, I guess…" Chambers awkwardly accepted the critique, shrugging to himself, his apparent nervousness making the crab girl laugh more as she walked off leaving the man all alone again, at least for a little while.

"Chumimi~in." The call coming from his soul woke up whatever part of him was asleep. Tusk appeared before his very eyes, landing atop his shoulder in its second form. Were it not for its spectral body, Chambers would surely have felt the weight of its bulking mechanical shape, but the man was completely fine with carrying the spirit if a bit inconvenienced by its size.

"Care to shift back to the first act. It's more comfortable to carry you around that way." Luther had already begun his stroll toward his destination, only a couple of minutes had passed for the man to give such a meager request to the stand. Tusk didn't complain and effortlessly changed into its smaller, more biological counterpart, freeing up its user's vision.

Right…either they find me or I find them, let's just hope the former happens as soon as possible. Those were his inner thoughts as he scanned the area to see them. Finding his allies wasn't exactly a monumental task. Both of them would stick out like a sore thumb among the crowds of people, especially Alice- there weren't many citizens with white hair that weren't old. Although relying on a sense he had only acquired not long ago, one that had been damaged, wasn't exactly an appealing prospect. They were a bit too imprecise for his liking to be useful in crowded places with Monsters like Natalia. Somewhere like Ilias, I'd be able to b-line straight toward them, but all of this other dark energy is just muddling things up. Alice did say I had a unique smell, let's hope it's strong for her to find me or I'm probably going to wait outside.

Luther lightly stumbled forward, catching himself before he could actually fall. He placed his feet firmly on the ground and paused. Still feel like shit, though that might just be the hangover I'm having. Considering I haven't thrown up or the world isn't spinning, this is not one of my worst. The man rubbed his face, continuing his march. Drinking out in this world with plenty of Monsters that could take advantage of him is probably one of the most stupid decisions he made, he had to admit that along with the fact that he was somewhat lucky. All that's important is to make sure, you're not blackout drunk Luther, that's where the real problems start…He reached within his bag, only to pull out the top of a bottle with dark liquid in it. Damn, a shame I couldn't get the recipe, something tells me I wouldn't be able to make it even if I did know. Going to have to ration this.


Bright blue eyes scanned the crowds of humans and mermaids, searching for a certain figure, his friend and savior wandering amongst them. For as much as his monstrous companion was capable of finding the man, the eagerness and concern within his soul didn't let Luka be passive. While her sense of smell had at least given the boy some relief, Luther was fulfilling his promise. He hadn't abandoned him after that tragic and fateful night where he was struck down by that malevolent being. Luka knew what to look for in spite of Luther being able to blend into the crowd, that bland appearance was a detail he had memorized throughout their days of traveling. Indeed, Luka could perhaps say that there was at least one distinguishing factor, besides whatever could be found up close, that Luther had, his coat had a type of quality he had never quite seen. It was not in the sense of being regal, no, Luther looked far from a noble but also far from a peasant as well, it was as though the piece of clothing was not entirely crafted by human hands. It looked too perfect. There was no passion within its woven fabric, quite strange if he dared to say.

The fake hero's gaze darted from one person and onto another. There it was. That peculiar coat that largely enveloped the man's frame was just a bit ways away from him. Short brown hair followed the list of things Luka checked off on his appearance, along with his general stance…and his scar. Luka averted his gaze for the moment, as much as he could gather that peculiar feature on his face was a mark of shame. For what reason, he didn't know nor did he think that the man would reveal such information soon, perhaps later, in due time. Then there was that strange guitar, a new sight to behold, but one that oddly suited him.

"There he is." Luka silently called to Alice and pointed over to his other companion. A rude gesture, he admitted, which made many turn their attention toward who he was pointing at for but a minute before they shrugged and went on their way.

"About time he shows up, though as always it appears his thoughts are more important to him than we are, sad…. Ever wonder what he thinks about?" Alice quipped, yet the relief could be unmistakably heard by the boy who refused to answer as if he was focused on confirming whether or not the sight before him was true.

"He looks…completely fine like the first day I met him, just less lost, as if nothing happened to him," Luka remarked with astonishment he couldn't quite hide, taking a few steps towards him.

Luther walked among the crowds, his stride relaxed, confident even, only possessing a slight stumble. The older man kept his hands in the coat's pockets, his gaze was cold and studious. Miraculously even his clothes were clean. Was this really the same Luther that was limping across the streets, the one who sat by a beach for hours? Alice remained silent, a downcast gaze present, she refused to add to the boy's observation, not even with anything serious.

Only a moment passed until the purple-haired boy called for his friend, breaking into a full sprint, yet being careful as to not shove anyone, maneuvering as his noble soul demanded. Before the voice calling to him could register in Luther's mind he was assaulted by an embrace of someone rushing into him at blinding speed from the front. Then it clicked, all of the pieces and context clues falling into place. Calmly, his eyes traveled downward, expression still appearing thoughtful as a familiar sight of purple hair crossed his vision.

"Ah…Luka, I see you're lively as always." Luther wasted no further time in greeting his friend, yet remained relatively unmoving, only giving a slight pat on the back. In truth, it was more an unconscious expression of respite on his part, that his friend's demeanor hadn't been changed after the encounter with Alma, rather than courtesy.

"We didn't meet as agreed. " Luka pointed out, there was no frustration in his tone or countenance. He spoke out of care, breaking off the hug and giving the man some much-needed distance. "But…I hope you had a nice day still. You look good."

"Hmm, I guess you can say it was a relaxing day after everything we've been through." Luther responded, it was only one of the few ways to describe yesterday, his young friend's opinion fit the bill, as did the term "thought-provoking". This was the last person Luther expected to be comforted by was another Monster, one whose strange drive was certainly a thing of inspiration and low envy. The universe had interesting ways of telling peoples' stories, or so it seemed.

"Look at you, all up and about, even got yourself an instrument...and that scent on you…" Alice didn't fail to follow suit of Luka, chiming in with her own words, holding a tone that he was most familiar with – filled with mirth. "Must have had as much of a wonderful night as we did." She gave a teasing smirk, closing the distance between her and the fake hero who had devolved into stammering, red blushing consuming his face.

Something definitely happened between them, of course, it did, it's as plain as day. Although I doubt it was just 'something', perhaps Alice's dining was more intense than usual. He can't even say a proper sentence. The man's senses were sharp, yet even if they weren't his companions, they were easy to read at the moment. An entire story could be told through both of their expressions, but he bit his tongue seeing no reason as to why he should inquire on his allies' ventures besides causing further embarrassment to Luka.

"A crab girl, really?"

"You know full well that nothing of that sort happened." Chambers answered her accusations without emotion. To do so would be to show weakness and therefore invite more annoying teasing.

"True." Alice nodded her head, sighing in frustration as Luther went back to his usual cold self, mostly for the better but she couldn't deny some of the annoyance it caused her. And it wasn't as though his words were false. There was only a trace amount of the Monster scent, he wasn't completely drenched in it, to suspect that the man mated with anyone, his personality was too prickly and unapproachable. He was not someone who could be brought to mate willingly, not without any effort. "Take it you had a decent time nonetheless, where did you get the guitar? Looks unique"

"Not as much as I suspect you had, but yes." Luther coldly answered, glancing to the instrument strapped to his back, gripping the neck tightly as though he was only reassuring himself that it was now his, at least until he found its spectral owner. "As for the guitar, it was a gift."

"E-enough talking about what happened." Luka commanded, but his small stature, waving arms and crimson face failed to make him in the least bit intimidating or give a presence within the conversation besides that of an unwilling jester, although they complied with his "orders" either through some form of respect or tiring of their games. "We should worry about the present, what we're going to do."

"Our next destination is San Ilia if I remember correctly," Luther stated, sounding not too pleased about it. It wasn't as though he had something against that city, he had no desire to face what awaited him there, or really anyone if that was possible.

"Yep, we're definitely going there, no other way about it." Breaking out of his shell of embarrassment Luka nodded, enthusiasm showing through his jumping form. After all, how couldn't he be excited? It was one of the destinations he had been planning to visit since he embarked. From mere descriptions he had heard he imagined it, much larger than his own homeland, statues and cathedrals all erected in the glory of his beloved goddess. "Only heard stories and tales from pilgrims, its capital of the Ilias faith and home to the pope. I knew from the start I wanted to see it."

Alice scoffed at his excitement, shaking her head. "Oh my, this sure is interesting…" She sarcastically exclaimed. "We're going to place filled with those ignorant slaves of Ilias, what are you so cheerful about?"

Luka frowned and opened his mouth, but then closed it, figuring it to be better if he didn't say anything to escalate his companion's frustration. A headache and a condescending lecture about his religion was the last way he wanted to start his day and journey. "Look, I understand you don't like Ilias, but is there really nothing you find interesting in San Ilia?"

The Monster Lord heaved a breath of exasperation, staring the boy down, someone who had a face no one could really say no to, or at least have a hard time doing so, besides, she couldn't really skip a single place no matter how much she wanted if she was going to see the entire world. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to witness that damned city with my own eyes. 'Reading about in dusty tomes is not enough' as my mentor once said."

"Good enough." Luka sighed, turning to Luther as he recalled the man's adventurous background. "How about you? Seeing as you traveled the world yourself, you must have visited the city."

"I did, only once." Chambers responded, his words did hold any lie if one were to take into account a different perspective of a computer screen, reading the fake hero's dangerously lewd journey. "It's a large place with a lot of churches, nothing more can be said about the place except that perhaps the architecture is nice to look at. Now come on, we can either stay here and talk about how that city looks or we can actually go there and see it for ourselves."

"Rightly said." Alice approved the man's statement, already taking those first few steps out of the port. Though a long way from the exit, it was a start that forced her much smaller companion to follow. "All we're doing here is wasting precious day time when we can already be out of this port and on our way to San Ilia. There is no point in delaying, might as well get this visit over with."

No one added or refuted what the Monster Lord had to say and so they wordlessly marched to one of the gates to the fabled capital of the Ilias faith. While one wished to savor their potential days there, Luther and Alice shared a kindred spirit in the desire of getting it over with. San Ilia wasn't a city that all held in great regard.


The peculiar group walked along a path paved toward San Ilia, it was a proper road leading them there, and, admittedly refreshing sight for them all. Luther kept his vision mostly focused on the road, letting his other sense do the searching of threat for him, with a steady and calm breath he only occasionally decided to ever glance at his environment to peer at the allure that it held: open plains, forest, even passing by a small river. Its tranquil flow was a sight to behold, so was nature growing more familiar. But as always, the older man kept silent, only ever breaking out of his inner ponderings to answer a stray question or two directed at him. Like the one about his musical talents, he answered honestly – he had a small musical background and had played with his friends and acquaintances, yet for reasons that were not disclosed, to the surprise of nobody and to the frustration of some. As much as he wanted to be left alone to think about his odd situation, he still had to listen to some of the conversations and chime at times. There were only so many times he could ignore his comrades.

"Actually, how long do any of you reckon it will take to get to San Ilia?" Luka asked out. It was the first question that Luther's mind was present to hear, made of genuine curiosity or perhaps as a way to hold a conversation, nevertheless, the boy found his answer quickly.

"On foot? About three days from now. There will be nothing but forest life around us the entire time with nothing new to look at, how tiring." Alice replied, affixing a suspicious glare at the fake hero. She was open to the idea of using the boy for some refreshing enjoyment and suspected he wouldn't mind either after a long while of nothing but walking. "You better not start complaining, else you will be silent for the remainder of this journey."

"Alright, alright…by Ilias…you won't hear a peep from me." Luka promised, raising up his arms in defense. His body shuddered as he imagined the many ways she could silence him: Sewing his mouth shut? Taking away the voice from his throat with vile magic? Or would she use a more erotic method and drain the energy away from him to even speak? The fake hero went a little pale as he imagined the last option.

It was all while Luther raised an eyebrow at the white-haired lamia's frustrated remark, a question arose in his chest, one that came from a memory of certain skill Alice's Knights were capable of. "If you're so bothered by the travel time, why not just teleport us there, it would be much simpler and less strenuous on us."

"Oh, and I might as well just teleport you straight to the doorstep of my castle." Alice said, her offer being completely soaked in the tone of sarcasm, which was not lost on either of the men. "Where is the fun and challenge in that? Walk a little, stretch your legs. As much as I want to see San Ilia's archives I'd at least have some patience. Those three days can be put to good use, it's not like Luka has mastered the Cursed Sword art yet, there is still much more training to be done. Trust me. It's best for both of you that you take your time unless you want to rush headfirst into a Monster's grasp. Who knows, something or someone interesting might show up."

"Y'know, maybe I do need those days." Luka sheepishly accepted his monstrous companion's reasoning. The idea of having to immediately fight the Heavenly Knight and perhaps even her at his current level of skill was not a pleasant thing to dwell on, especially with how easily Granberia and Alma toyed around with him.

Alice's first sarcastic statement stuck in Luther's mind, like chewing gum to gears he couldn't get rid of, taking away all of his attention onto that one sentence. As mad as it sounded, her offer wasn't as unacceptable as it seemed. Honestly, I wouldn't mind a straight-up teleport once I and Luka are prepared and if done right, it wouldn't be something Ilias expected. Perhaps catching her by surprise may give some sort of advantage…or just accelerate the invasion.

The gears in Chambers' mind moved onward regardless and his newfound clarity, away from death, made him think on the events that transpired in the days leading up to this one: Him waking in this world, meeting Luka and Alice, fighting Granberia, the Harpy village incident, meeting Tamamo, Alma…Luther frowned, recalling how in those instances, Alice always played the role of the observer. Never once did she really do something… the situation with Granberia is the only red herring, she did it for her own selfish needs, for food, as ridiculous as it sounds. But anything else – nothing, just unwillingness or hesitation, and Alma… It would have taken her only a word to stop her from nearly killing me. Would it really be that troublesome to save someone completely unrelated in the fight?

The spin user shook his head, he felt Tusk shiver within him at the dark trail of thought. He sensed how the stand told him not to get frustrated, start blaming anyone. No…Alice has no obligations to save me or Luka. That much she stated herself and she does feel guilty if her still refusing to meet my eyes directly is anything to go off on. And she has already done more than necessary for her to help Luka, and even me…but still…

Alma and Granberia, one attacked an entire city while the other summoned a storm for an entire year, how many?

"Some things have been boggling my mind, it has been for a long time actually, but now that everything has calmed down a little I can actually understand some of these thoughts properly." Luther started, seeing it better to ease into his inquiries rather than bluntly asking them, especially with touchy topics. Hitting a nerve or stepping on an eggshell with Alice was the last thing he wanted to do, and right after the day she saved his life as well, yet certain pieces of information had to be known, blind judgment wasn't an action that suited him.

"Oh? And what is on your mind exactly?" Alice asked, noticing his stare, which held determination in them she had only seen a few instances of.

The spin user kept his mouth shut for a few seconds, considering his next choice of words or action wisely. Alice appeared in a fine mood today, better than she was in several days. Her body language was relaxed and casual that told a story of pleasure that the man had no desire to look into. Looking through all of the possible future events, what both of his allies live through, he figured this would be the best time to ask. "What do you think of the actions of your subordinates, do you approve of them or not?"

Alice's eyes narrowed on him and she sighed, thinking to herself the answer was obvious with how she chewed out Granberia, complaining about the lackluster discipline of her lieutenants. "No, I won't and wouldn't approve of actions not directly ordered by me, unless their initiative is actually beneficial to me and my cause. The chaos and destruction caused don't help me or monster kind at all. Why do you ask?"

"Because it seems they're not wholly willing to follow your order or stay put for that matter, neither are you willing to command them all that much," Luther answered, pressing further, his mouth was running and it wasn't going to stop until he had said his peace. "Tamamo I can excuse, it was a personal adventure that didn't involve anyone else, but the others? It's where I draw the line. Actual people, completely uninvolved, get hurt or worse."

"Ah…so that's what this is about…"Alice remarked, there was not a shred of anger within her, just a spark of regret lingering within her gaze.

"Look, Luther, I know that you're still upset at what happened to you but is this really the time to point fingers, not at the one who healed you…" Luka interjected, meeting his friend's cold, barely readable stare with his own determined one. It had seemed the fake hero was resolute that there would be no fighting amongst his only company for this journey. "Best you can do is move on, we'll have our chance to get back at Alma, I know it."

"No, no…he has every right to hold anger in his heart and he does have a point." The Monster Lord quickly let off Luka. There would be no one else that would justify her actions, not her subordinates nor even a fake hero that she wholeheartedly desired. She could defend and reason herself. It was only proper for her.

Alice gave a hard stare at the road ahead of them before meeting Luther's expression, which only held the tiniest bit of curiosity in it. "Despite me being the current Monster Lord…I don't feel like I have much control over my subjects. They're all scattered about, each one with their own agendas and goals I can't regulate. For the most part, it boils down to a question – can I punish those simply trying to survive and reproduce? I always find that there is no point, it's needlessly tyranny and for what, just to appease humanity who Monster kind isn't even at peace with, humanity I haven't fully discerned the nature of."

She paused, looking as though she was on the verge of saying more, just searching for the right words to put it in, neither of the men was willing to speak or interrupt her. "Yet…inside my own walls I find my hold lackluster, the ordinary maids and servants there are ones I have no problem with, but my Heavenly Knights aren't so obedient, loyal, but very independent. Such is the nature of a close gap of power between a ruler and the subjects. As for Alma…I had not a single clue about what she had been up to. Maintaining an entire storm for a year…absolutely ridiculous, if you'd told me sooner I'd have a hard time believing you. Alma would have stopped at day three. She is not someone I pictured having that much drive. That or it was an easy endeavor for her."

"Either way that doesn't bode well for me or Luther." Luka carefully noted, shaking his head. Luther's frown became more pronounced; the prospect that the Succubus Queen held that much power that she could casually manipulate nature to such a massive extent didn't sit well with him

"Indeed it does not, fake hero. It either means she is actively malicious to humanity or is more powerful than I first thought. Neither is going to be pleasant to be up against." Alice agreed with the boy's assessment, perchance pitying him for the fact that he will have to face such a whimsical and careless trickster like her subordinate in combat. She only hoped Alma would play around long enough for him to grow stronger. "I've only allowed minor, rather harmless skirmishes to break apart whatever aggressive force from building up, it helps keep some of the more unsavory aspects of your kind in line and draws their attention away from the others. My Heavenly Knights are able to handle the hatred perfectly well, as for the local settlements…while small groups of humans are easy to handle, organized armies are another matter entirely. Although I don't know what possessed Granberia to attack Iliasburg, too cocky? Perhaps the power has been getting into her head or someone showed up that gave her concern?"

Luther couldn't help but take a moment to digest the information, humming to himself as he let his body walk on its own. Hmm…enough fear can be used to keep large armies from gathering with the occasional suppression; I only hope there are little to no casualties, might that be the case with people like Tamamo or Granberia but definitely not with Alma or Erubiete for that matter with her current opinion of Humans. Focusing that hatred on her, however…that must be part of her stupid plan of self-sacrifice. The man sighed, rubbing his temples. No offense Alice, but your death won't solve anything, one only needs to look at your mother's attempt.

"And do yo-"

"Afraid you already asked what you can from me." The white-haired quickly interrupted before he could inquire further. A grin appeared on her face, her casual demeanor seamlessly returned from its brooding nest. "At this point, you're just asking for state secrets, my internal affairs. You're not a spy, are you?"

"What if I was?" Chambers pressed, his face shifting to match Alice's cheeky expression, in spite of his suspicious inquiry the tension in the air was lacking. "Makes sense doesn't it? All of this strange information I have."

"Then you wouldn't have revealed yourself just now, no…you being a spy would be too simple of an explanation." Alice refuted the notion, there was a tinge of dissatisfaction, a type of hope that the man at her side continued to be an enigma, the answer to his exact identity otherworldly or just satisfying to figure out. Judging by what she had gathered it certainly is starting to look like the case. "I have spoken my part-time for you to fess up. An equal trade of knowledge no?"

Luther uncomfortably shifted, averting his eyes to skies above as he considered his options. That glint of interest within Luka's look was not missed when he glanced at the boy and for that, it had seemed there wasn't really a way for him to avoid some sort of interrogation. Did he consider it fair? No, the dice were weighted to his favor for once because of the outsider information that he held. So what could he gain by revealing some tidbits about himself – trust, much-needed trust. "Alright, ask away."

"As far as you've told us, you're an adventurer. You've been to quite a lot of places." Alice said, yet in the way that it was phrased it sounded far from a question for Luther and more of vigilant observation. Chambers had a sliver of an understanding of where this was going, he couldn't miss the prodding being used against him, after all, he had done so as well in the same conversation. "And I can't help but notice that your…particular repertoire of skills…is quite strange, not to mention extremely lethal: Spinning steel balls going at speeds that would maim normal Humans and Monsters, fingernails with cutting power surpassing swords even in my armory and that healing aura, it attracts Monsters?"

"You're point being?"

"If you've been on the road as long as I've been led to believe then it's only an inevitability that you have taken lives. Few people like you go about life without seeing bloodshed. So, have you killed anyone?" Alice finished, carefully watching each and every twitch of the man's body. The way he froze up and stared with an emptier gaze than usually told her everything she needed to know and to no surprise- that much destructive power held within anyone's hands, especially a traveling man, he was bound to find trouble or have his hand forced.

"Alice…" Luka warned not to press further, any enthusiasm he had for finding out about his friend's past had been snuffed out, like torch fire thrown into a cold lake. His heart held no intentions at pressing that deep within Luther's personal story, too many gritty details may just end up ruining his night. "Eh, that's not really something you ask of your friends…"

Shit…can't say I saw this one coming and you judging from how she is looking at me, I'm an open book right now. Luther rubbed his closed eyes, feeling the scene play out once more, the bile in his throat…the blood on the grass...

He couldn't stop walking along with them. It was one step after another, but each one felt heavier. The stand user inwardly cursed for being this nearsighted, of course, there was going to be consequences to killing that roper or his fight that he had on the ship, there was no other interpretation as to his peculiar abilities and strained relations with Monsters. He held in the desire to scream out in frustration until he felt his Tusk, the inner voice of his soul, speak to him, landing on the top of his head. Where problems arise one may also find opportunity within them. An interesting perspective, could it work? Honesty is not just for the sake of trust, it can be used to study her reaction. Anything negative is a noteworthy sign of whether I should be extremely careful with my powers.

"To be honest, despite my attempts at holding back I have taken a life, one." Luther started, steeling himself to look directly in the Monster Lord's eyes with each word uttered. A part of him spoke out against this, yelling in reckless abandon for him to stop and keep his mouth shut while he still had his chance, however, it was no match for the soul of hope that burned within him. "It was a Monster, more precisely a roper that tried to digest me, directly stating her intent toward me. I…was caught off guard at the time, captured and almost pulled in and so panic set in. My hand slipped and I sliced her in half."

Deadly quiet took hold of the atmosphere, no one had dared to say a single thing for as long as minutes, fully content on just staring awkwardly at each other. Luther watched intently, observing their reactions to the telling of his first murder – Luka was solemnly nodded, his gaze glued to the paved road while Alice was most concerning for the man, he couldn't read her expression. If not for her capabilities he would find it morbidly hilarious that even straight anger would have been preferable to nothing.

After what had seemed like an hour to all to Luther, Alice finally opened her mouth. "Figures that would be the case, otherwise you wouldn't be so squeamish with sharing the details." She shrugged only to find Luka gawking and hearing a cough from Luther. "What? Do you both honestly think I'd freak out? I'm no stranger to such things, and it's clear as day you're no cold-hearted killer, I was never expecting anything worse. You had the full right to defend yourself just as she had tried to eat you, it was a fight for survival for you both and she had paid the full price."

"Right…I just didn't think you'd see it that way." Luther admitted. That fear inside of him, though weak, was still an undeniable part of his being, yet it appeared that fear was misplaced. With each sentence that Alice had uttered out, he felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders. The deep dark mind, which spoke of his end, closed just a little bit, whisper of unending paranoia ceased for the time being.

"What more is there to say, anything else would be irrational. That roper had disobeyed my orders of neutrality by attempting to kill you and lost my protection. I'm not intent on pulling foolish Monsters out of their messes if they aren't willing to listen to me." Alice stated, shaking her head. They looked onward to the heavens above, shifting in different colors as clouds were clearing up and the sky began to turn to an orange hue. All knew that tonight would be a clean night. Holding that assertion in their mind they turned to the wilds around them, looking for a proper place to camp


Night greeted Luther as his eyes slowly inched open. The man absentmindedly stared at the scene before him – the living, breathing tapestry of nature of an open starry sky, which so matched the hue of his soul. He could see constellations that humans of earth had never before seen, stars dancing as though they were in a theatrical performance meant solely for whoever was willing to watch. He could not explain it. Chambers felt it, within his own heart, not an assumption of the mind but a truth residing in spirit alone - that the outer world he peered into was live clockwork despite its inorganic nature. Something was out there, not a tangible thing or being he could grasp, but a very idea that made his powers sing. It was his only company, that and silence unlike any other he had experienced, an environment that he could perhaps call soothing yet all present in how it reminded him of being alone for the moment. That thought was jammed into his head like a nail hammered into a wooden plank.

Perhaps it was the first time he had ever awoken like this in this world, not out of some sudden and violent wakeup call – a nightmare, unending worries of the future and "what ifs" or the staunch unwelcoming grasp of the liquor had drunk. There was no restlessness in his body, just serene energy, not enough for him to instantly and groggily fall back asleep and not much where he would jump out of his cozy bedroll. Luther whispered thanks for the comfort given to him to the over-optimistic boy that was his ally in this bizarre journey.

He lightly tilted his head toward Luka, sleeping not too far from him underneath a tent. To the man, it seemed he was not the only one visited by peace when laying eyes on the fake hero's face. Huh…is this the deathly calm after the storm? Well…maybe not, I'm still too alive to there be such silence from me. Perhaps the deathly calm is what awaits me after that damned boat ride. It might be easier to handle than what happened there for a little while, but not for long.

Luther shifted his gaze to Alice, who tied her snake half to a tree, it was nothing he hadn't seen before, and he had seen it so many times it had lost whatever comedic potential it had. His expression became thoughtful, yet his eyes didn't hold any of the blank emptiness they usually had. Thinking on the Monster Lord's words was unavoidable in this peace, they had given pause for the entire remainder of the day but it was mostly drowned out by the idle chatter that entered his ears, now he had nothing to distract himself with.

"I'm no stranger to such things, and it's clear as day you're no cold-hearted killer, never expect anything worse. You had the full right to defend yourself just as she had tried to eat you, it was a fight for survival for you both and she had paid the full price."

It lingered there deep in his head as if put into permanent stasis. She was undoubtedly right in one regard, he wasn't cold-hearted, but a killer he was. The importance and severity of the matter bounced around, in each perspective a different answer lied, yet one conviction held on no matter how much he willingly dismissed it. Maybe she was right. Ultimately Luther wasn't naïve enough to believe both parties would come out alive. A match was made in blood and whether they knew it or not, both he and the roper had agreed to whatever end result would occur in the encounter. Luther's heart burned with the hope that he could clear his conscience. There was no other way that it could have ended, it was that or death.

For that one day maybe I was a killer, but not now, I don't have to be one. Leave it behind to just be another bitter day to remember, an accident. The man glanced at his hands, they were the ones that endured and struck with speed, precision, sharpness, and frost…A shiver went down his spine as the memory of his desperate struggle against the Succubus Queen, all of that anger and hate, and survival instinct he knew he had that much came out in a single burst. He felt strong, dangerous even, like the mere idea that Alma was an untouchable being was a distant dream. It was as though he was no longer a lowly Human, he was Luther Chambers – an outsider who would rip and crawl his way back to his home, broken and beaten but alive.

What then? Another life was taken and this time by my own willing hand. No, not just a life, someone who is important for what is to come. If she died, what then? Luther shook his head. This was nothing more than useless speculation. Even with his power and will, the actual possibility of killing Alma was slim to none. Nevertheless, the cold didn't leave his fingers. But what if the next time that happens my opponent isn't so capable, they're just slow, weak enough to get caught by nails. No…I don't know if this power will take hold of me again or someone will force my hand, but I'll be damned if I let it happen again.

The man crawled out of his warm bedroll, standing up in a show of vigor and resolve for no one but himself. He had been beaten that day, both in body and spirit, but his struggle was not yet lost. Tusk manifested out of the man, floating just in front of him. I have to be stronger so that none of that would be necessary, so that I couldn't be pushed that far.

Chambers gazed toward his purple-haired companion, sharing a nod with his stand. We both have to be, me and him. Nothing should threaten us if we're to survive.

Luther had listened and memorized intently the information that came out of Alice's mouth. What he learned had not pleased him in the slightest, only managing to give the spin user an ill omen and a dire precedent. Regardless of her attitude toward humanity, Alma was someone capable of casually controlling nature in a destructive manner, she had power that distressed him to no end, yet the mere fact that there were many more out there much stronger than the Succubus Queen made him want to scream in frustration and despair. If mere survival is his main priority, then he had to make his moves quickly and discreetly.

It's high time I fulfilled a promise. Chambers strode quietly over to Luka, making sure as to not make too much noise and wake the curious sleeping powerhouse that was Alice, no one else will witness their training this night. Ilias wasn't watching that much, Luther was sure of it from the lack of light energy assaulting his senses. Good, the less she sees the better. This little reprieve from her constant spying won't last long, she is bound to notice at a certain point. Might as well make the best of it.

He first poked the fake hero face, one poke turned into two, two turned three, and so on and so forth, but all that managed to do was make him turn his head away. It had seemed the boy was intent on having this night's rest as though that overabundant energy he has was mysteriously drained away. None of that mattered if that was the case, he will soon find it. Luther then advanced to a nudge, grasping his shoulders and lightly shaking him. "Hey, Luka…wake up, you need to wake up."

A slight twitch and groan came from the boy, his body reacting to the subtle stimuli as the whispers woke him. Luka's eyes fluttered open and he coughed, it took a couple of seconds for him to actually process what was in front of him or that he was actually awake. The fake hero didn't make any sudden movements, only bringing up his hands to lightly push Luther away.

"Luther? What's going on? Why did you wake me up? Something is lurking around camp?" Luka asked, despite his confusion he kept his voice low, for whatever reason both of them didn't know, perhaps it was the case of drowsiness or a friendly presence nearby that kept him from overreacting.

"We're going training." Luther squatted, whispering over his younger friend. "Get up and come with me. I got something I've been meaning to show you and only you."

"Really?" Luka's eyes lit up like stars, remembering his agreement with Luther to train together. He jumped out of his bedroll, nearly knocking down his tent, and wasted no time gathering what remained of his strength. Slowly but surely his movements lost their tired clumsiness, becoming more precise. Alice as always had not spared him the harsh trouble that was her sparring, having been drained the previous night certainly hadn't helped, but he was on the move. Reaching for Angel Halo he was stopped by a light hand pulling him away from it.

"We won't need it, for now at least, trust me." Luther told Luka, his words carrying across the tone, which said to the boy it will be worthwhile to listen to him and it wasn't some arbitrary decision on his part, that all will be explained in time.

"Alrighty then, where to?"

"Pick a direction and go, preferably somewhere private and out of earshot of our friend." Luther cautiously advised. It wasn't out of mistrust that the man didn't want the lamia to observe this training session, but having a person constantly silently studying each move you made wasn't a pleasant thing to experience, especially one that was still a third-party, not a dependable ally. The stand user preferred to keep some secrets close to his chest for as long as comfortably possible, he only hoped now Luka had enough trust in him to comply with such secrecy, follow his careful advice. "I'm sure neither one of us wants to ruin Alice's beauty sleep, else there would surely be some unforeseen consequences."

"Yeah..."Luka shivered at the thought and began walking into a forested area. If his monstrous companion was capable of being terrible while helping him, he couldn't quite muster up the heart to imagine how terrifying she would be when genuinely fuming.

Luther watched Luka pick a direction, stalling for a moment to take one last look at his few things of belonging. Sighing, he reached for his bag and clutched it close to his side. There won't be another time where it leaves his possession. Nothing of his will be left behind in this world on his watch. Chambers attentively noted the strange quantity of fireflies within the environment, what's more, as they were glowing blue and too brightly. So bright in fact, that he couldn't see their insect body up close. They looked to be more of wisps of energy than any organic creature as though the land itself was alive. A small swarm of them, those that appeared brave enough to approach him, gently danced around his new guitar…

"Chumimi~in" Tusk cooed behind, its simple noises turning into full sentences and feeling within the man's mind. Chambers understood what it had asked for.

After some consideration, he took it with him, strapping the instrument on his back and he quickly followed after Luka. Curiously enough, the fireflies followed after him, still circling his guitar they showed no sense of shyness or cautiousness. The spin user caught up with the boy, seamlessly taking his side just in time to hear his remark on the wondrous nature of today's night. Both of the men found a different clearing, minutes later determining that it was suitable for their purposes. Much smaller and secluded it was separated from the main road.

"What did you want to show me?" Seeing it as the best moment, the fake hero let go of the last strands of his patience and pressed for details, body restraining itself from jumping in enthusiasm at the prospect of learning something new.

Luther was silent, with a focused expression he took his time to observe his environment, searching for any possible intrusions or threats, putting trust in sixth sense. Relieved and satisfied with his lack of findings he turned to his would-be pupil for the day. "I know it's impolite to answer a question with another question, but let's start with this – what is life force?"

Luka paused for a few seconds, properly thinking about his answer or perhaps remembering a lesson he had been taught, Luther didn't have a clue, which was more probable. "Lifeforce… is an individual's life wholly coalesced into the most sacred energy, a fuel from which our souls burn to breathe life into our bodies and command it." He spoke, yet the words that came out of the fake hero's mouth didn't sound like they were his own, there was a certain ungenuine preachiness to his tone as though he was mimicking someone he knew.

"Right…it comes and goes as we live our life, determines how vigorous and youthful we are." Luther slowly nodded, unconvinced that the boy himself understood what he was saying, yet he did at least suspect Luka had some basic understanding of this concept that can prove to be sufficient. Other than that meant he had to skip explanations and put them aside for later. "And at the end of the day, it does nothing more – just sits there within you, waiting to be drained away by some malicious magician or a ravenous Monster until you're an empty husk."

"Eh…not sure I follow." The purple-haired boy raised an eyebrow, shrugging. Sure, having your life force drained was dangerous, but it simply came with its nature of giving life to a person. There is nothing that could change that. "Lifeforce is pretty important. Without it…well…we wouldn't be alive."

It was then when Chambers grabbed a branch of a tree he was leaning against and took a deep breath, some form of intent was easy to read in the man's stance and expression. He gestured over to Luka for him to come closer. "But don't you want it to be something more? What if I told you that within you there is a strength to take you farther beyond than any of your opponents, a power overflowing all within you. Do you wish to wield it, use your very soul as a weapon?"

Right before Luka could even begin to answer, a soft silver mist enveloped Luther's body just as the one he witnessed previously during his peep at the man's nightly visits. Like on that day the fake hero felt strange pressure being exerted on him, it didn't push or pull him in, it was just there, radiating from his comrade-in-arms. Were it not for the serenity of the aura he would call it wild, uncontrolled, yet seemingly flowing in a single direction. As was gestured by his friend Luka glanced to the branch being held, hearing a pop and crackle. The tree began to grow new short branches with buds of their own, which quickly turned into white blossoms.

"I heard you complain about the lack of heroism in the skills Alice taught, then how about this one?" He propositioned, looking at the blossoming of the fauna. "This technique had been passed down by many generations, starting from the ancient Human tribes. In its most notable case, it had been used by a brave soul, a true hero to hunt down and defeat a powerful vampire. However, with the death of most of its practitioners, its use has faded into complete obscurity."

Luther then let go, stopping the growth, and leaped toward Luka, silver lightning crackling behind him, his speed far surpassing anything the boy saw him perform even when stopping Granberia's strike or apprehending Nanabi. The fake hero noticed Chambers' deep breaths, yet the man showed no sign of exhaustion, they were almost rhythmic in a way. He heard the older man mumble to himself "huh, first time I tried that", and then turn to him finally looking like he was expecting an answer, which Luka could only respond with by frantically shaking his head as his brain was more preoccupied with theorizing on the nature of the power he was witnessing.

"What is it?" Luka couldn't quite believe it. Luther was teaching him something, finally, his patience paid off. Being taught by a fellow human was a breath of fresh air from all of the cruel lessons given to him by Alice, especially a mysterious power such as this.

"It's called Hamon, the name based on the ripples the power creates in the air and water from the body. Such a technique allows for the use of a person's life force in more…proactive ways, putting it to good use." Luther explained, interjecting a breath in each sentence as he let silver energy spark between his fingers, looking as though he was enjoying every moment of being in this state. "A bit hard to direct, it can heal you just as much as it can increase your strength and speed. All of it stems from controlled breathing."

Luka blinked, appearing absent-minded for a second, not being able to believe what he was hearing. This pressure he was feeling, this mystical force capable of healing and pushing a person's capabilities farther being conjured in front of him all originated from breathing a specific way. There had to be a catch, otherwise, he would have heard of it by now, its use would be common widespread knowledge among Humans and Monsters, yet he hadn't heard or seen anyone use this "Hamon" other than Luther.

"That's it…?"

"Yes, yes, but it's not as ridiculously easy as it sounds. I nearly died because I went into it unprepared." Chambers recalled his moments before learning how to properly use this spiritual skill, those few last agonizing seconds, which did everything in their power to cement the idea that he would die by self-induced suffocation of all things. He immediately regretted this decision upon seeing Luka take a single step back and become pale. "Don't worry. We'll make sure you won't make the same mistake. Unlike me, you'll have someone to guide and watch over you."

"Right then, how do we start?" The fake hero clasped his hands together, his older friend's reassurance wiping away all the momentary hesitancy. Though he did figure the steps were simple, it was just the "controlled' part of the breathing that was going to be a hard part.

The silver aura hadn't let up in intensity, in fact, only increasing in sheer brightness as Luther took all of his attention toward breathing. "Quite simple for our first step, try to match me. We'll see what we need to do next." He told the boy, who nodded.

"One…two...one…two…three. Just like that."

Deep breaths were the straightforward part to replicate, however it was slightly bothersome to take the time to completely empty out his lungs and take in the air again, being too forced in comparison. Minutes, perhaps even an hour passed with Luther occasionally stalling, letting the boy catch up. The specific rhythm was absolutely hellish to try to match, no matter how much effort he put in his intake took just a bit too long and his release wasn't all fast enough, confirming his suspicions about the difficulty of this technique. There was a specific method to it that he wasn't quite getting, one that allowed Luther to efficiently let out and breath in the air, that much he could previously gather from his past experiences in Cursed Sword Art training. Luther's casual expression faltering into an eventual dour frown hadn't helped with morale, but puzzlingly that frown didn't hold any disappointment in it, none that was directed at him at least, no, his countenance showed more uneasiness than anything.

"This isn't working. Or… am I not being patient enough?" The fake hero got to the problem immediately. There was no point in stalling the conclusion to be made in their attempts, despite his drive, practicing with the Monster Lord had aided him in seeing when a mistake was being made before it could ingrain itself into his head, that was easy enough to judge based on the facial expressions of both of his teachers.

"No, you're not particularly wrong, it's controlled, manual breathing, not something easy to pull constantly, especially in a battle. We could get somewhere eventually, it's just I hadn't hoped that I would have to resort to this method." He remarked with regret. For the first time, the fake hero could hear more than the usual monotone tone that he spoke with, it held a strange impatient urgency, as though time was already running out. "Have you at least memorized the pattern?"

"Uh… yes, I think so. It's hard to match though." Luka admitted, sheepishly scratching the back of his head and letting out an awkward laugh. He'd never ever imagined in his life that he would have difficulty with something like breathing.

"Good, keep it in your head, you'll need it. No matter what happens, don't forget the pattern." The stand user ominously advised. Deep in his heart, he had sincerely wished that it didn't have to come to this, a part of him was already regretting dragging his ally out into the forest like this and inflicting such torment on him. He held out two fingers, they nervously twitched and shook. It took willpower to force them still. Luka would make it past this trial, of that he was sure of; the boy had handled much worse situations. "I do have to warn you however, this other method is not pleasant at all, but quick. Based on my experiences you'll find that you can't breathe normally, don't panic and use the pattern…now, do you want to do this or keep trying the regular way?"

Just as the stand user predicted, silence, uncomfortable silence followed his suggestion, he wasn't all that surprised by the hesitation – willingly subjecting yourself to possible suffocation to death to gain power wasn't something a reasonable minded person would do, someone who at least wasn't too desperate, even Luka's martyr complex didn't allow him to immediately agree. Human survival instincts were still a factor in a person's mind, disregarding a few select cases. What was a surprise was the exact amount of time that it took for Luka to respond, only a minute, and one which both felt each second pass painfully.

"Let's do it, if there is one mindful lesson that Alice has taught me is that there is no gain without risk. The way you describe the first method sounds like it would take days, maybe weeks. Do we really have that type of time? I don't know." Luka paused staring into the starry sky above, his thoughts didn't manifest out of a form of impatience. It was a reflection of the past that guided him. All those previous battles…many out of which he was on the defensive, struggling against them, and the power displayed by his opponents, Alice herself even, was a cause for concern that told the boy he wouldn't be able to relax until he could match their strength. "You've told me to be the best me that I can be. How can I be a hero, grow stronger, if I'm scared of a little danger? Besides, you're here. Anything goes wrong, you can help."

Luther nodded at the resolute statement, directing the boy to prepare and remain unmoving as his eyes looking for the proper spot to poke. He had to aim differently due to the obvious height difference. The memory of where he hit was still fresh in his head, after all, it had caused him torment, by his own hand no less. Tusk floated down to Luka's midsection, pointing to the supposed spot with its newly developed arms that moved seamlessly despite its mechanical appearance. Putting trust in heart and spirit, the stand user steeled his will for what he was about to do and witness, and lunged, jamming his index and middle finger into the boy's body.

A true strike was dealt, the fingers sunk and his young friend let out a painful gasp as all of the air in Luka's lungs quickly fled through his mouth, leaving him nothing. Chambers' hand retracted and the fake hero stumbled back, grasping his chest, desperately trying to take a breath yet seemingly his throat refused to cooperate, closing up at the last moment. Luther watched in unnerved horror, regretting ever offering this alternative as Luka fell forward forcing the man to become his desperate support.

"Relax, don't let it get to you, remember the pattern… don't you dare go out on me!" Luther held onto the boy as he struggled, his mind screaming a sharp shrill loud enough to even make his stand shake and quiver in pain. As he felt the boy's body weakening, thoughts went from thinking that his hopeful friend could pull through it to, hoping that CPR still worked on a person in this state.

The clock was ticking, he could hear it in his head, those short-ended gasps tormenting and taunting him with the possibility that he had taken another life, yet unlike his previous, it was someone arguably dear – a friend that decided to put his trust in him. Like devils they danced around him, mocking his pathetic attempts for survival, a part of him felt as though they were right in doing so, for his task required defying the strongest beings. It was until he heard the first full gasps of life come from Luka, his frame regaining its one held vigorous strength and perhaps more when those thoughts were utterly killed. Luther restrained the unthinking urge to cry out in joy and pull the boy into a thankful embrace, lest he disrupted the delicate process of learning, and so he stepped away and watched in awe.

"Chu!" Tusk let out a battle cry of victory as another step was taken toward the path of strength, excitedly floating from one spot to another in a blur.

A royal gold aura began to spark to life around the fake hero's body, color returning to his pale face and teary eyes gaining liveliness like he hadn't had before. It flowed in calmed serenity, filling the purple-haired boy with strength untold. Brightly as though it was the sun, illuminating the immediate area and nearly blinding the stand user. Luka, as though suddenly waking up from a long sleep, snapped awake to his surroundings, observing the golden aura around his body in amazement. Luther took a step back, feeling the energy actually push him and press against him at a distance. While the older man's Hamon was like a fine mist that clung closely to his frame, Luka's was more akin to a roaring flame that enveloped the boy and expanded far, yet it was still dense.

"You have to be fucking kidding me." All of sudden Luther palmed his face, hiding it as he let out a frustrated groan. Then he seemingly marched off in a random direction before stopping by a tree. Chambers lightly slammed his forehead against the tough bark, uttering curses and threats to the cruel world playing with it like a joke at every step he took.

He did this repeatedly, occasionally glancing back at his companion, who was too engrossed in his newly gained power to notice, and holding onto some empty hope that the sight would be erased by the time he turned back once more. Luka's aura was dense enough to have a proper shape to it, still hazy, but in comparison to his own, certain features were plain to see, predominantly the two feathery wings and a sharp-pointed halo neatly resting above the boy's head.

"Ohh…oh." Luka breathed out a sigh of relief as he hugged his own frame, the ethereal wings following his motions much to his raging friend's dismay. The boy felt heat come from his own soul, warming him more than any fire had done in his life. He stretched his arms and legs without much issue, finding them more flexible, power coursed through his veins and muscles. Boundless energy filled him, the desire to jump around and run taking a toll on his will. It felt the complete opposite of whenever Alice had drained him. He was alive… as though some long-existing weight on his shoulders was lifted, a weight that he had no idea existed. "This was…worth it, is this the power of Hamon? For how long have you known this? Eh- Luther?"

Luther pushed himself away from the tree, his forehead now slightly swollen and red, nothing his powers couldn't take care of. His brows furrowed as he scanned the boy's form. Okay, okay, relax. His mother's ring hasn't been broken or has cracked. It's just a look and nothing more, hopefully… Still, even appearance-wise, this isn't good, making everything that he is way too obvious. Luka's very soul had influenced the way his Hamon manifested, that was as much as Luther could gather with his limited knowledge. He sighed, what was done was done and there was no way of turning back nor was there any valid reason for him to wallow in his mistakes.

"Oh, yeah…I'm fine Luka, really, don't worry about it, I had to get something out of my head." Luther nervously chuckled. All of the wild thoughts and emotions didn't allow him to come up with a good excuse on why he was assaulting an innocent plant with his forehead. "Anyway, yes. The power you're using now is Hamon, your Hamon. You're the second person I've seen use this ability, besides myself…I entrust its secret to you now, keep it to yourself and tell no one else, not even Alice."

"Will do." Luka agreed without much thought, he knew of this song and dance that Luther played, receiving some bit of knowledge from him was a blessing in itself and he wouldn't squander the favor granted. He glanced to his hands, still burning and sparkling with golden light, never had his heartbeat so strongly. "It's incredible…I feel like I can take on the whole world! Why don't you use it constantly if it makes you stronger? This is nothing more than a power-up, it's not even taxing to maintain. "

"That's because there are some drawbacks to it or rather side-effects, which can be good or bad depending on the situation, besides the general difficulty of maintaining the breathing in a fight" Chambers grimly stated, recalling his past anxiety-filled experiences with power wasn't a pleasant pastime, one too many times had Hamon put into a less than comfortable situation, but perhaps the caveat in using this power had some benefit to it. He had no desire in seeing Luka that much bigger magnet of trouble because of a skill he taught. "Simply put, you're radiating excess energy out into the air, making you that much more of a bigger target, not to mention how your aura looks like. It increases your scent to Monster as well, if Alice had no trouble smelling someone from miles away, then she'll definitely be able to track you from the other side of the world. That and it has an interesting effect on Monsters close to you…"

"It's not really that hard to breathe like this." Luka noted shrugging, although his older friend certainly didn't miss his face twist in confusion and suspicion at the last part. "Uh…what do you mean by 'interesting effect'?"

Strange...he seems to be having an easier time with Hamon than I am, could it be because he is younger than me, or…The man's brow furrowed as he let out a hum. A natural user? No, that's not possible, if he was one then he wouldn't need to be taught. The only thing he would need would be plain practice.

"I only call it 'interesting' because it isn't exactly consistent. Well, maybe one part of it is consistent. Let's just say Monsters may be drawn toward you while Hamon is active, they may find themselves attached…it can come in an innocent way where they might trust you more or cling on to you, and then there is the more dangerous reaction." Luther paused, shaking his head. For safety's sake, he and Tusk did another search of the forest, finding that none one was approaching them in spite of energy being released…for now…"One that I had the distinct 'pleasure' in experiencing. Some Monsters can go into a trance-like state I guess…more accurately they become overwhelmed by their natural lust or rather a hunger. Even friendly ones may not be able to help themselves."

"Oh! Oh…" Luka's shoulders dropped as he slightly grew pale at the insinuation. Realization hit him like a bat to the face, of course, how could he have not seen it? There was a clear cause for why someone rational like Luther wasn't using such amazing power, embracing the wondrous feeling that came with it. In one moment his aura vanished gradually, leaving not a single trace of its existence except for a bitter taste of disappointment. "Meaning, I probably shouldn't use this around Alice…"

"Correct, despite its strength I recommend you only use it when necessary, in short bursts of power, or if you feel safe enough then be free to indulge in the might of your soul." Luther advised, taking one more careful glance into woods and whatever secrets it may be hiding.

"It's safe now, isn't it?" Luka playfully asked, winking. There was a particularly excitable shake in his form. It beheld a certain eagerness the older man had grown familiar with seeing before it turned into something more reserved, sheepish even as he twiddled his thumbs. "I want to at least start to get used to it, it would be better to understand the timing."

"Fair enough, we're safe for the moment." Luther agreed, concluding his observations of the surroundings to the fake hero. He coughed, stretching his shoulders as his thoughts went somewhere else. "Although for now only one of us should be using Hamon at any time, two of us letting out energy freely is very likely to draw someone in to interrupt us. If that happens, well…only one of us has a weapon, and mine aren't friendly to the health and well-being of their targets."

The purple haired-boy nervously nodded, conceding to his companion's point and beginning the mystical breathing technique. Strangely it etched itself into his mind, neatly resting between the wrinkles of his grey matter. He could guess it was only because the Hamon was a solution to his life-or-death situation. Regardless of the peculiarity's origins, he was glad nonetheless for it to find a place amongst the techniques and tricks of the Cursed Sword arts.

"Good, good…well then." Chambers said. The sound of his voice was followed by a small click that made Luka jump in surprise. He quickly turned his gaze to the now unbuttoned holster stitched to Luther's pants, almost completely concealed by his coat. Luther's next word made the fake hero gulp as his life flashed before his eyes and memories of past pain returned to him. "Let's continue our target practice."


An audible crash resounded across the compactly forested woods, it sounded as though metal was slamming metal –a distorted vibration that seemed all too alien, a completely unnatural specter that haunted the forest before fading away into death. Another crash, then a great tree was felled without an effort by a steel ball. It used the dying plant's remains to bounce, seemingly flying back into its owner's callused hands, rotating nearly eternal. Luther missed that much was evident by the ruined ground near him and several trees which had unwillingly sacrificed their lives for cover. The man could admit that it proved to be an effective strategy that his Nephilim compatriot performed, at least only for a little while… His eyes darted across the battlefield, following what remained of his target, streaks of gold lightning leading the Spin user to Luka who once again bathed himself in the light of his angelic soul with grace.

"By Ilias! Ease up a little that could have killed me." Luka called out to the man, watching the destruction caused by that ordinary ball with some amount of horror. Anything he used was quickly destroyed. It didn't take long for him to realize that the only realistic course of action he could take is dodging.

"Oh please, that didn't even graze you!" Chambers retorted, following his sparring opponent's movements, and threatening him with a potential projectile aimed at him. "If you can handle Alice's 'love taps' you can certainly handle this, besides, you got Hamon."

Wings shone in the dark and as much as it made the fake hero a larger target together with the halo, unfortunately for Luther, they were completely incorporeal, only bending and fizzling out for a moment when his spin managed to graze them. Luka darted from one place to the next, seemingly vanishing and reappearing in rapid succession. Luther grasped his second steel ball as he prepared to throw the first, golden lines formed before his very eyes, yet they were not that of the Golden Ratio he was growing accustomed to seeing constantly. They manifested just as his fingers gently glided along the rotating metallic surface of his weapon, the intent was clear as day.

These lines, what are they? Looking at them he felt a sting in a certain part of his head, the very same that yelped in torment upon seeing the Golden Ratio in its true glory. The lines manifested differently, there were those that went straight, others were curved while some even originated from his surroundings, but they all shared a similarity – all involving him in some manner, shifting in length and angle as the arm that held his steel ball did. Am I seeing the exact trajectory of my steel balls? No other way to go about it, it's not the Golden Ratio, I don't need my balls to see that. Only one way to find out.

The barest form of a stray wicked smirk found its way home on Luther's face, sending chills down Luka's spine along with the modestly contained chuckle that yelled "Eureka!" to him. The boy had done this song and dance with Alice once before.

Luther sent out a spinning steel ball toward Luka. It wasn't even barely enough to the boy or catch up with his new speed, yet his expression hadn't turned back into its usual stoic frown. As the fake hero approached him he watched the pathing carefully. One-step and he was gone, only to reappear in another place with insane momentum properly forward. The stand user knew well the space where he could retreat was running out. Luther threw his second and last steel ball, it shot forward like a rocket, whistling in the air. Except it wasn't being aimed anywhere near where his sparring partner was, but ahead of him.

Despite the danger Luka continued his course, not hesitating in his pursuit of the opponent, his wings fluttering behind him. In the end, the projectile thrown proved to be nothing more than a minor hindrance with the fake hero simply leaning out of its way. The purple-haired hero doubled down in his charge, each step was faster than the other. He had no reason not to, his opponent got rid of the last weapon, he was left right open, this was but a matter of speed and whether or not he would allow the man to recover.

Luther felt sweat pour down his forehead as he felt his body heat up. Was it because of the spar or the presence of Luka's very soul, or both? He didn't care for that. Only one thing was in his mind and that was the speeding form of the fake hero, practically into a ray of light that would pierce right through him if he didn't act. Though twitching, he kept a level-headed appearance and charged right toward the fake hero, who threw a straight light jab into his chest.

Chambers' sidestepped away from the boy's fist, letting his unmatched momentum run its course and do the job of making distance between them for him. However, as expected from the fake hero, he was no slouch in recovery, nearly throwing himself at the man as he turned back.

The Spin user took a short glance to the left, while it is completely suicidal to take your eyes off your enemy in a battle, he knew well that Luka wasn't going anywhere but toward him. Right on time, let this be the last of it, my legs are getting sore, I feel like they'll collapse under me at any moment. He reached out, and a steel ball flew right into his palm like it was some sort of bound weapon of myth. Unbeknownst to the fake hero, that particular steel ball had been ricocheting around the outskirts of the battlefield and now it was flying toward his face.

No matter how fast he definitely won't be getting out of this unscathed, meaning a hit for me. Checkmate.

Yet Luka didn't halt in his pursuit, neither did he show any attempt at avoiding the metal sphere, he moved forward as he had done previously, instead, raising only his arm. Luther froze, his eyes widening into saucers so much they could pop out his head. The ball collided with Luka's palm, digging, tearing into its flesh, and sending its force through the entire arm. A barely restrained scream of agony echoed in the forest. Pain seeped into the fake hero's being as bones cracked and broke, in spite of it all he pressed forward. Past courageous deeds and tribulations in his mind, the hero's soul burned true, for what kind of hero would he be if he let broken limbs stop him from winning? He swatted the ball away with what remained of his arm, the other clenching a fist, ready to strike.

Luther stood frozen in shock at the act of endurance performed in front of him, even if he wasn't there was little more he could do, aside from cutting up or skewering his only remaining ally. Now he was, truly, without a weapon, both of his steel balls were far away from his grasp. And so the man found himself nodding...He closed his eyes and stretched his body out, accepting what was coming next.

It's only fair…

After the mystical cold of the night and heat of battle, the next sensation that came upon the stand user was his brave compatriot's fist hitting him square in the jaw. The force behind it was great and proper, as though it came from a fully grown mountain of a man instead of the scrawny child that was Luka. Luther fell to the ground, golden light sparking from his face, the tumble didn't hurt as much as the hit he received. Chambers couldn't move the left side of his face, it was as though thousands of pins and needles continuously poked his cheek, and being blinded certainly didn't help him relax. In a little amount of time, it faded, leaving only a dull ache in his entire jaw and both of them gasping for air.

"That's one-to-one, we can call it a draw." Luka painfully forced out a jape, coughing as he gripped his now-completely-limp arm, his face twisted into a pained grimace. He silently thanked Ilias that his powers numbed the pain, otherwise their secrecy would be made mute pointless.

"A draw?" Luther groaned, only finding the strength to merely keep his head from rubbing against the grass below and to look at his friend. "Our injuries aren't exactly equal. Last time I checked you got a broken arm while I got out of this scuffle with just a fucked up face. Those fists pack a hefty blow…you should really consider getting into professional brawling after your hero business is over…damn…"

"Ah, I think we really went too far here …"

"Right as day about that one…but hey, what's a good friendship without a hearty brawl?"

"It's only a hearty brawl if the fighters can comfortably shake on it afterward, otherwise it's just idiots trying to kill each other." Luka replied, walking up to the still prone Luther and offering his only good hand to the man.

"Fine then, it's a draw." He accepted.

They grasped hands and for a moment all fell into silence. It was as though nothing had happened between them. All was right for the night, the haunting specter that was the overwhelming horrors of this world, people like Alma and Granberia and many more that awaited them, the constant teasing and nagging of Alice didn't loom over them. It was only them for the time being, as far as they were concerned they were naught but distant memories and speculations. Soon enough, a chuckle escaped from one of their lips, neither one of them was really sure who started it, but nonetheless, both ended up descending into full-blown laughter. It was terrifying in its senselessness, enough that any innocent passerby or anyone daring to approach the dark foggy clearing would get tremors of terror from suddenly hearing it.

After the laughing died to just a few mere snickers and chuckles, Luther sluggishly found his footing with the little help of his companion. He stood there, pale starlight of a cool night illuminating them. Chambers felt up his aching jaw and stared at Luka's limp arm as he frowned.

"Sorry about the arm, honestly just thought you'd just avoid it like all the other times." The stand user remarked, immediately after he bit his tongue and held back a growl, regretting ever uttering those words. He had no right to an excuse, one could not simply presume what your sparring partner could do and take unneeded risks.

"Ah…no worries, I'm the one that decided to use my arm as a shield." The boy's arm twitched ever so slightly and he flinched, a grunt escaping his lips, there was no use in moving limb that was rendered useless. Still, his smile held on. For the methods to remedying this injury were at his disposal, one may only need to will them into existence.

"Need any help. I can try healing it."

"No, no, no I got this." While thankful, the fake hero rejected the offer, this was merely a minor issue to the likes of him, and none needed to worry for his health, especially someone who had aided from the start. Already his Hamon had begun to work its magic, yet he didn't have the time to waste nor the opportunity to use it for so long, unfortunately. "While Hamon is decent, I got something better. Watch." Stretching out his limp with his only other good arm the boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. An empty mind, devoid of pain was all that he needed.

Having nothing to do but comply with his ally's command the Spin user closely studied the appearance of the boy's golden aura, after all the other path he could take is dwell on his own thoughts, which often or not proved to lead into nowhere but darkness antithetical to the light in front of him. The very first observation that he could make, even way before deeply thinking about it, was that his Hamon paled deeply in comparison to his friend's. Where he was subtle and serene, cold at times, Luka's was warm, bright, almost roaring, illuminating the world with its passion and life. His second observation came from the sixth sense – the angelic influence went further than simple characteristics as a part of him suspected. Indeed, he felt the hint of divinity coming from the fake hero, plain to see amidst the neutral spirit of his humanity, like a white lily in a field of grass. He was ultimately glad that the boy's halo was positioned at an angle where he couldn't see it, wings weren't too out of the ordinary for the manifestation of a soul, but the halo… was too obvious of a connection.

All the more worrying was the light energy increase each second he spent staring at the boy. A sudden gust of wind, a force originating from Luka pushed him and made him stumble back, nearly falling on his ass. Pure white light enveloped the boy, centerfold inside of his Hamon. Thick lines began to wrap around the fake hero's frame as though they were clean bandages, starting from his limp arm going to the rest of his body. Minor petal-like fragments fell from mystical fabric, dissolving into the air. It peaked to its utmost limit, before being voided. The valve leaking angelic divinity was closed shut and the rest of the light faded and the last of Luka's summoned Hamon evaporated.

Luka shivered, sighing as he opened his eyes. There was a glint of refreshed energy in those blue irises, called from the very wellspring that was his soul, not a single sign of exhaustion remained. The grasp on his once-limp arm loosened, muscled tensed responsive to his will. It moved forward, before being thrown around, stretched in whatever ways possible, no pain manifested no matter how much the boy uncomfortably tugged at it. "There, good as new." He went silent for a moment.

"Strange, I thought there might be a slightly sore left with as long as I've kept at it, but there is nothing." Luka slung the arm behind his neck, placing it on the nape and humming. "Meditation doesn't heal as well as this."

Luther coughed, raising an eyebrow. The fake hero was far too casual for someone who had just broken their arm and fixed using means far beyond ordinary human understanding. The thoughts on his heritage and complications that came with it didn't help the man speak either. "Well…neither does your body erupt into pure white light and petals normally for that matter. Actually, scratch that, Alice is right in one sense, you're anything but normal."

Luka's expression became livelier all in the span of a single sentence, though not without a dash of thoughtfulness and surprise. Only a single conclusion bounced around in his thoughts about what was said – Hamon had done exactly what Luther had told it would do, pushing his capabilities beyond their limits, altering his meditation. Truly, another gift had been bestowed upon him by his friend. He smiled. "Y'know, Alice says the same thing about you."

"Then we're in the same boat." Chambers concluded before wincing and grasping the side of his face. "Ugh…" His jaw hadn't ached this much ever in his life, all of his previous visits to the dentist, the aftermaths of small scuffles, or even the tentacle slap he received from the second Monster that greeted him in this world. "Still need to heal my face. We should sit down somewhere. I think we call it a night."

"Would be for the best, as good as I feel I'm not in the mood for waking up like a zombie."


They both sat underneath the cover of the forest canopy as though even the night was too bright for them. Luther kicked back and breathed easy, letting his Hamon numb the pain and deal with any potential damage all while Luka stared at it with childish fascination, seemingly being unable to sit still. Much to his dismay, Luther couldn't quite fully relax, being pelted question after question, yet most of them were reasonable, ones that he would ask himself even if he lacked knowledge. It was the mere curiosity of a young boy that he had to satisfy, nothing that compared to the trials he went through – the rundown of the mere basics of Hamon, or at least how he understood this version of it, were enough to sate Luka's appetite for knowledge.

"These Overdrives, you haven't been able to replicate them at all?" Luka raised a question, innocent in its being yet to the man it felt like a dagger to his heart, a mere reminder of his shortcomings.

However, he needed to only remind himself that his primary strength didn't stem from Hamon, it was a mere technique to fall back on, a crutch to use in desperate times. "Yes, I've had no luck at all. Think you saw me try one when you first spied on me. It's called Sunlight Yellow Overdrive, where a person's Hamon is focused into a single powerful burst."

For a moment Luka appeared lost in thought, nodding to himself, mimicking Luther's expression, yet not holding the same thousand-yard stare he usually had. These Overdrives sounded interesting, pushing the already limit-breaking powers of Hamon to its fullest was really something…however, for now, he was satisfied with what he learned today, and likely even if there was an opportunity, it was obvious Luther couldn't exactly teach any of the Overdrives. That left the last option, one that didn't fail to make him feel the slightest amount of excitement – self-discovery.

"Can't help but constantly ask myself this ever since we started sparring – why didn't we need Angel Halo?" The boy pressed, it was one of the many inquiries that stuck with him ever since his abrupt awakening. "Could have practiced my sword skills, see how far this power of yours improved them. Oh well…guess there is always another time."

Luther didn't answer, instead only letting out a sigh. He leaned further back against the tree, only seemingly trying to find comfort in the rough back and dirt. As much as he didn't want to, he dived back, kicking and screaming, into deep murky waters that were his endless pondering, the slight pang of guilt in his chest for practically forsaking them for the past two days. Although now, he had to admit, it may serve a purpose to think about his next course of action and choice of words carefully. Right…Angel Halo. I'm going to have to apologize for the delay, aren't I? Let's just hope they're not in pain quite yet.

The meeting between Luka and those Angels is inevitable, fate practically sealed from the point I taught him Hamon. At least back then, when I met them I could stop such a meeting from occurring at the cost of displeasing my company and comfort. But…they deserve at least some relief for the aid they have given and the suffering they have endured. I can't let them suffer there for all of the eternity alone.

"Chu." Cooed his stand, which was standing atop his shoulder, the guiding light that was his link with took his hand and led him only to one decision. It nestled close to his neck, rubbing its metallic yet strangely warm frame against him.

It's inevitable, there is not much more I can do except take what little control I have, better it be on purpose than an accidental meeting, but it also runs the massive risk of Luka finding out his heritage…maybe, just maybe he doesn't have to find his exact ancestry, he could just have an angel ancestor…his ring will certainly help and he isn't likely to take it off.

Twenty minutes passed, Luther was still staring up at the sky. It took the awkward verbal prodding and a gentle shake from Luka to fully snap him out of his supposed trance. Chambers blinked, now looking directly at the purple-haired boy's face that was just a good foot away from his own. Startled, he lightly jumped back, slamming the back of his head against the tree. He raised up his arms and apologized for randomly daydreaming, before gathering the courage to start. "Remember the time when I first held Angel Halo and froze like a stone statue?"

"Yeah…that was…weird…I would say that now, but I'm pretty sure weird is just the norm for us all, isn't it?" Luka shyly joked before snuffing out any sign of laughter. He messaged his own face and then shook his head. "Getting back on track, do you mean to tell me that Angel Halo is alive? I kind of already knew that, no –. I mean-. I suspected it's alive, it's kind of obvious with all of the moving and winking that it's been doing. What does it have to do with Hamon?" He admitted, yet speaking these thoughts out loud did make him wonder as to how Angel Halo being alive could have interfered with his training.

"It is alive, or rather they…just not in the way you imagine it." Luther began, taking a pause, not for dramatics but to properly put his sentences together for such a beyond delicate matter, he had to ease into it just as he had done so many times before without people. "What Alice said when she first gave you the weapon wasn't a lie to frighten us. There really are six hundred and sixty-six Angels in there, trapped. At that moment I didn't zone out, no…I met them all, inside of it. They were all stuck together, in some mass of energy barely resembling a living shape, groaning and moaning in pain. I don't know why or how they got there." The man's mouth closed shut as witnessed Luka's expression change from casual curiosity to light horror and shock. A coo from Tusk and Luther wasted no time to grab the boy by the shoulders and pull him closer.

"Let-"

"Wait, relax and listen to me. " The Stand user advised caution, having him run off will do them no good. "They're trapped there? Yes…Can you do anything about it? No, and neither the likes of Alice can free them as far as I'm aware." He felt the grip on his coat tighten, the fake hero looked up at the man, with a countenance that begged to know what was there he could do to aid those trapped souls. The struggling stopped. Such morbid information being given to him right after a serious spar, that and Alice's feeding on him…it seemed fate really didn't want the boy having a peaceful day.

"But they can be helped, their suffering soothed. Pain, panic, and despair were the first emotions I felt from them until I changed it all. My repeated visits helped bring some peace into their lives. Temporarily or not, I don't know, but it doesn't matter, so long as I can be there." Luther smiled, recalling the session where saw the angels underneath a lone tree atop a hill, gazing into a false moon. They comforted him as much as he comforted them. Whether it would be his contagious smile or his comforting, the shock and desperate heroism fled from Luka's face replaced by intent patience. "I still don't understand the reasoning behind it, but my first connection with them and what followed after stemmed from using Hamon with the blade."

"Then why even stop me from taking Angel Halo? I could connect with them right here and now." Luka noted, his brow furrowing in suspicion, the behavior appeared all too puzzling and elaborate for the boy.

"I didn't want you randomly meeting them without prior knowledge. Believe me, my first time with them was far from pleasant compared to the conversations we have now, mainly because of how unexpected everything was. I panicked and left them alone immediately, lucky they didn't take offense."

"Ah…then can I help as well?"

"You can and I want you to as well. After all the times they had aided you, it's only fair." Chamber's told him as his grip on the boy loosened. Luka managed to crack a thankful smile at the encouragement, tearing up a little. "But you have to agree to follow my advice, some little rules you should pay attention to. Nothing too serious, something to keep you safe and relations pleasant."

"Alright, what are they?" The Nephilim frantically asked, nearly mincing his words and ending up speaking an incoherent sentence while fully jumping out of his friend's grasp with such haste and power that he nearly ended up pulling up Luther with him.

"First one is obvious enough. Don't talk with them while around Monsters, you shouldn't forget that your energy is still leaking out, all for a random Monsters taking. Take a hike with me away from the territory if you have to." Chambers cautioned and his companion listened intently, nodding to himself. The embarrassment of drawing a large chunk of the Harpy Village's inhabitants was still fresh in his thoughts. "The second and last one…is a bit more complicated and personal. Y'know how people regularly name their kids after saints, angels, or whatever holy figure they have? Is anyone in your family like that?"

"Yeah…" Luka clamped his mouth shut, and slowly nodded while raising an eyebrow. "My father…was named after a saint…and my mom a Seraph – Lucifina…"

"Oh, that's not good…" Luther palmed his face, hiding away his blank expression. While his face was never something he was good at controlling, that much couldn't be said the same about his tone, which held a certain inexplicable worry. Compared to the rest of his skills, acting wasn't his strong suit.

"Eh…? How is that any bad? They're angels after all."

"All I managed to figure out is that they were all wronged by that exact Seraph." The man unveiled his face, twisting his general frown into a deadly serious expression. Using all willpower his brain allotted to him he sustained the countenance despite Luka's gawking and gaping. While he wanted to impart an idea on the boy, flat out stating that one angel, a Seraph at that used their fellows to create a monstrosity of weapons would be pushing too much.

Defiance started with doubt and Chambers had no real clue as to how deep religious ideology routed itself into the boy's mind. No…if Luka were to find out Angel's past, then it would come straight from the source itself. "If there is one thing you should learn from this, cast aside some of that naïve idealism. Nothing is too sacred, not even the Gods and Angels people worship. They're all flawed more or less like us, just more powerful. Whatever the case, those Angels absolutely hate it when you mention the name, if they happened to ask after your family members, don't tell them, come up with a lie if you have to. Trust me, you don't want to anger or displease them in any way."

Luka's frown was unmissable but not permanent, the very idea that his mother's name could upset someone seemed absurd at first glance, but then he gave it more thought. "I'll try…you mentioned that it's possible to connect to Angel Halo using Hamon, how?"

"I'm sure you felt that Hamon is kind of a flow you can't stop, only guide, at least it is to me. Simply direct the flow to the sword and it will do the rest." Luther lectured. "Just don't forget that you still exist outside, keep that in mind, you should be able to exit that inner space inside of Angel Halo."

"Right, see you!" The fake hero waved off. In a mere blink of an eye, he was already on the outer edge of the clearing, feet stomping against the ground, his body becoming a speeding blur despite all reason telling him to be cautious.

"Hey, wait a minute…ughhhhh!" Before Luther could even react Luka was frantically running out into the forest and camp, to hopefully happily greet and meet all of the people helping him in this journey. The stand user slammed a stray fist into the tree he was leaning against, chastising himself for letting go of his heroic companion. He shouldn't have been surprised by this, caught off guard by the boy running away as soon as his constraints were lifted

Calm down, calm down…it's fine. Chambers hit his fist against the top of his head, although it was more reassuring taps than self-chastising slams. He shook his head and gazed more at the path his friend took. He was at the very least intent on listening to me first and accepting what I had to say, I'll give him that, even if it was to learn how to connect to the damned blade. If I want them to trust me I have to trust them…but I can't leave it up to chance, can I? Eh, worst case scenario he forgets my warnings and ends up connecting with it next to Alice. Given the amount of power Luka lets off…what happens after that happens…

Luther blinked and then slapped his cheeks, growling and grumbling Am I seriously victim-blaming a potential rape!? What the fuck has the world turning into…no, it's not like I'll be able to do anything if that happens. I'm not fast or strong enough to intervene. As much as I hate to say it if that occurs Alice's wake-up call is a preferable outcome to Luka dying.

Still, there are many chances of this not going to shit. Not like those Angels can follow after him if he escapes, and their cooperation isn't necessary for Angel Halo to work

Breaking his gaze, the man hung his head low and finally stood up. Their fight, its very aftermath, and its consequences on the environment were plain to see even in the heat of their struggle. What's more, it wasn't his Nephilim ally that caused such damage, while the boy's power was terrifyingly high, ironically enough they were more "controlled" and benign than his own meager reserves. Every felled tree, every rock, or small boulder knocked aside from the ground, most of the deformations in the dirt were made by his hands and feet. A part of him felt guilty looking at the blatant scarring of the local nature. Regardless of the destruction wrecked, the blue fireflies he had spotted before were still calm, flying around undisturbed as though nothing had occurred within the clearing.

Calm, almost too calm, eerily so. Many of them had the audacity to float near him, dangerously near…so much so that with a simple twitch, he could touch one or two, or many at the same time. He reached for one, closing his hands lightly around it, a blue hue shining out of the gaps between his fingers. There was little to no escape for the bug. What is this exactly? I have never seen such a glow before. A different subspecies in this world or something else entirely?

Luther shuddered. A chill went down his spine, his hands felt wet like the few droplets of rain that the sky could squeeze out-landed directly on him. The firefly phased through his bones, muscles, and flesh as though there was nothing there. On closer inspection the supposed firefly wasn't an even bug, its appearance had nothing organic about it, in fact, it was just pure turquoise light. He hummed and narrowed his eyes. Huh? That explains the peculiar presence all of these things have, irregular neutral energy…hell not even neutral energy, something different.

Chambers glanced around, these wisps of light were absolutely everywhere, there were stray and lonely ones, most were gilded together in loose groups, yet some moved in mass concentrated packs. The stand user peered at his guitar, which was neatly placed out of harm's way, he didn't know why he brought along him. All that was clear was the sheer abundance of those wisps jumping around the damned instrument as if enticing him to take hold of it. Take hold of it he did. Firmly grasping it he plucked a few chords, the short melody that came out made his cheeks flare-up in heat as the strings were enveloped by aqua blue light. Notes that came out, although in admittedly random sequences were soothing to his soul.

Wisp waltzed a simple dance. They flew around his body and instrument, at times even going into the soundhole of the guitar before emerging out and fluttering away. In time, less and less hung around Chambers' frame, instead, like a cloud they drifted away. Luther clicked with his tongue and ceased his strumming, noticing the lack of company, which had shifted toward a certain path he hadn't noted amongst the excitement. As it moved toward it, singular solitary wisps were left behind in the different points in the road.

Luther Chambers raised an eyebrow and blew away the few strands of hair that got into his eyes. Well then, one would be an idiot to not be able to tell that these little buggers are trying to lead me somewhere…Am I an idiot? Nah… There has to be a reason for this. He rolled and stretched his shoulders, strapping the guitar onto his back. Almost for a second, he wagered his options, there were no problems with simply examining this anomaly further, not like he didn't have a way to get back if he got lost with his sixth sense. Alice's power was a constant beacon, mayhaps even serving as a ward from lesser Monsters.

Hope this isn't some elaborate trap, hate to have to get my hands dirty after all this.


Strange was a word that found its place in Luther's mouth often – the world he was in was strange, the locals were strange, his only friends and allies were downright bizarre people all things considered, and lastly, even his powers were not something out of the ordinary. However, with the exception of anything that involved him, everything he could describe as "normal" in this particular plane of existence. Yet, perhaps he had been led toward a place where the definition of "strange" truly fit well for the first time, in both his perspective and no doubt that of any inhabitant. The path he was being led on, quickly turned winding and narrow, nature surrounding it, growing all the denser. At first glance, it was a part of the forest unlike any other, but it held a certain air of mystique to it. Where those strange wisps were mere puddles in his camp, here they were an entire sea swimming in and atop the tree canopy. The fauna here was also a shade a bit brighter than its ordinary counterpart, whether out of the lighting or naturally didn't matter, the sight held more life than anything he'd seen. He could draw on no memories to put a name to such a place, nothing in the game ever looked similar, save perhaps for the less impressive Forest of Spirits.

The spin user thought this to be an amazingly rare natural occurrence, an ecosystem so intertwined with magical forces that it was made evident for the naked eye to see. That was until he spotted carved marble joining the scenery- a ruined pillar. The pitiful yet mesmerizing column was perfectly veiled within shrubbery. It took careful searching along with some aid, both unexpected and expected, to find. In the end, he encountered more than one work of art, what was but a single pillar became many more. Stone tiles replaced the dirt he was stepping on. Architecture, worn down by the elements, greeted him, that of large long archways blended with forest canopy, broken bridges leading further in, and pieces of still intact and supported roof. Works of man and nature bleeding into each other.

While Luther remained guarded, growing more suspicious by the second, he passed through the halls, his playful stand marveling at the long-forgotten architecture zipping around. The mere walls, what remained weren't just naked smooth marble either. All of them had inscriptions and symbols, presumed writing that he couldn't read and likely had a chance of understanding based on how ancient the structure appeared to be. He passed by actual statues, although they were all too broken for him to be able to understand what they were.

What is this, some sort of temple? That's my only guess. If it is true, to whom or what is it praising? It doesn't look anything similar to churches and temples dedicated to Ilias… High-pitched metal humming caught his attention. He looked up, to the origin point of noise. Metal wind chimes in pristine condition hung low from the remaining ceiling. That's weird, there is no wind here yet it's still ringing. Must be awfully sensitive. Let's see what else this "temple" has to offer. Only one signature stands out, and it's not moving.

With the humming of wind chimes following him, Luther pressed forward, entrusting his instinct, stand, and the wisps accompanying him to be his guide. He reached a staircase, still massive, imposing, and grandiose for how broken down it looked. The giant gap between one-third of it and the last step was a sight to behold. No Human, average, or Olympic could possibly make the distance. A normal person's only safe bet would be to climb the ridged sides.

Luther was no normal person, climbing would take too long, he did still have a camp to return to while it was still night. He squatted, preparing to leap and compressing almost like a coil, legs charging up with energy that raced through his entire body. After a short delay, the man sprang forward, cracking the stone underneath his feet and making past the gap and the last step, landing atop an open chamber. Hedges, now completely unkempt and overgrown. They infested this section of the ancient building, further cementing the idea into Luther's mind that whoever built and maintained these sacred grounds were long gone.

In spite of its wild and untamed appearance traversing the impromptu hedge maze wasn't a difficult task, observing its tall walls of green provided ample interest to Luther. He wasn't so focused on natural growing structures and the general degradation of the ruins he found himself in as much as the other presence within those ruins. It didn't belong to a faint sprite of power or animal, the origin was dark, of which the man had no doubt in, yet it was puzzlingly serene and contained – the shade of hunger that drew in whatever energy it could get its hands was barely present, slumbering within.

Soon enough the fauna began to clear up, more the stone architecture rested control over the environment. What caught his attention most however was the blowing of a flute, whose melody was that of the playful dance of wind, fast, zipping up and down, distinct from the metal humming of the chimes that became more and more like ambiance, mystical, but quickly thrown out of his brain the moment he steps a foot outside. Carefully maneuvering and hiding around what few hedges remained he approached the origin of the melody.

Lightly pushing aside the bush concealing him he was greeted with a sight of what looked to be a gathering square, an old ruined statue at the center looming over it. Behind the statue sat a figure casually leaning against the marble wall, which depicted a recognizable if a bit faded silhouette of closely examined the flute player, a woman calmly playing a performance solely meant for her and the sacred grounds they both stood upon, unaware or uncaring that someone was observing her from afar.

Ev…?

No…she is long gone…Luther shook his head and sighed deeply. Simple delusion or wishful thinking conjured up by his desperate mind to find any comfort in this lonely world, either way, he didn't give much thought to it, throwing the idea along with the previous notion of what he saw. The dark energy signature he sensed matched perfectly with the location of the person that caught his attention. For good reason as well, Chambers didn't even need a second glance to tell that the one playing the flute was no ordinary woman, but a Monster.

The man's attention was immediately drawn to the most obvious oddity, her hooves and goat-like legs, which fur reached up to half of her thigh. Curved horns on the side of her head completed the picture. She hadn't looked like any other Monster he had ever seen both in life and in-game. She was too furry to be considered a succubus, yet too slender to be some type of Minotaur or any other beast-type Monster. One thing was for certain, her masterful skill with the flute was unparalleled and he couldn't help but feel respect for the act of weaving in the metallic humming of the wind chimes into her piece.

Chambers huffed and took a step back from the shrubbery, sparing his face from the pain of being pricked by whatever twigs and branches brushed against it. He tapped his fingers on a nearby pillar, concluding his search. This was all that his little outing could offer him, the ancient ruins ended here, at some gathering place whose purpose wasn't all too clear. Besides the mystique and wonder, the ruins were empty, giving him nothing more than some eye-candy enjoyment. He could at least justify that it prevented any more of his curiosity from eating away at him. The trip here was peaceful enough to make him stop thinking too deeply.

"Chumimi~in." Tusk cooed, hopping off its user's shoulder and facing him. It put its still neotenous head up against the man's chest, halting any prominent movements and making him pause for a minute and enjoy the artisan behind them play. This was not an act committed out of sheer impulse. That was not how his spirit played. The stand user saw for what it was, a part of him breaking out of the mold and presenting another option, contradicting his decision.

"Really? Come on, there is no point in bothering someone enjoying themselves." Luther refused, turning to exit the square. It was like he was afraid of her, which proved to be pointless – despite the proximity the Monster hadn't bothered to look for him or note his presence, having no idea that someone else was listening in or not caring about it, either way, he wasn't anywhere defenseless.

Yet his stand refused to relent. "Chu."

Fine, maybe you do have a point. It will be nothing more than a pointless scenic adventure if we leave now. I should stop being a creep. Music is always more enjoyable up close anyway. Sighing,Luther conceded to his stand's demands and subtly stepped out into the open, walking casually and slowly to not seem like a threat and accidentally cause a conflict.

Half the distance between them was crossed until the monstrous flute player melody slowed into a near halt. As the man approached, she sniffed the air and opened her lilac eyes that were bright as the pale moon, flinching slightly, her shoulders jumping up out of impulse before relaxing, pausing, and taking her soft lips off her instrument. Luther scanned her frame, noting down her other details, there was a large backpack lying right beside her, a short furry tail sat still comfortably on the ground. The horned woman wore an ebony purple bolero jacket with gold highlights that were connected by a bow with a flower pin in the middle, underneath it was a gordons green turtleneck sweater and her pants reached up to the goat part of her legs. Her hair was tied into a thick braid resting neatly on her shoulder.

"Wonderful night here, isn't it?" In spite of his approach, she was the first to break the silence. Several wild strands of black hair fell on her face; she gave a steady if a bit unsure smile as she waited for a response.

Luther didn't respond immediately, instead of taking the moment to truly observe the ruins, the blue light illuminating them both and the endless stars above them, there was no cold wind or soft breeze, just still air. Minus the supernatural aspect, it was a night like any other he had experienced, strangely beautiful in its unpolluted silence, yet unlike those before, he didn't wander because of a sense of restlessness. "Guess so, it's so calm and quiet. Any night where you can see the stars clearly is perfect."

"Indeed, for without the bright expanse beyond us, there would be nothing to contrast the cold melancholic blackness that comes after day." The Monster agreed, lightly fiddling with her instrument, rolling it between her fingers. "Pray tell, why are you here, what brings you?

"Could ask you the same thing, this place is completely abandoned as far as I can tell." Chambers remarked, sighing as he saw her countenance shift to a slyer grin that told him everything he needed to know – she saw through his attempts at avoiding the question. In complete honesty, he couldn't quite narrow down what brought him here: an attempt at distraction, some curiosity that never wanted to leave him? Or was it simply him trying to run away for a time being from his mistakes? "As for what brings me- wanderlust, I guess. As hard as it is to believe, part of it had to do with these wisp guiding me towards this place. Then I ended up listening to your beautiful performance."

"Ah, quite peculiar these little things are, aren't they? Although I've never seen them leave the fly outside before, it's interesting…" She noted while chuckling, staring far into the flowing river that was the ethereal above. "We're not that different then. I found this place the same as you, through wandering. After that, it served as a decent spot to sit back and unwind in my travels, though it's always nice to find someone who enjoys my music."

"These chimes, there is no wind here…they're playing on their own." Chambers remarked if there was one definite goal he was achieving beyond having the simple pleasantry of a conversation it would get in the least bit some information out of this person. The grounds below them felt so separate from the world, as though it had been forgotten completely. "Not just random noises, its constant repeating pattern of notes, there is thought put behind it…somehow…"

"My… so that instrument on your back isn't just for show. If you're asking me why that is so, then you wouldn't find an answer out of me I'm afraid. I'm just a simple visitor of the place." She admitted, her cheerful expression not letting up in the slightest before her tapping foot hit the ground hard and she jumped slightly from her seat, offering a hand to Luther. "Ah, where are my manners? It's a pleasure to meet a fellow artisan, I'm Lyra."

"Likewise, Luther Chambers." The man greeted, accepting the friendly gesture without complaint. He watched as she sat back down, leaning against the pillar and putting the flute up against her mouth. The graceful movement completely contradicted the clumsy way she introduced herself and shook his hand.

"Well, Luther, if you were to allow me, I'd like to finish what I started. You're more than welcome to relax and listen, by the looks of it you're in desperate need of rest. "The horned woman japed before closing her eyes, making her unexpected guest's face twist in reserved confusion as to the manner she spoke in almost sounded as though it was genuine concern rather than a playful joke.

Luther only nodded and closed his mouth shut, rubbing and massaging his face as the flute's melody came alive within the mystical grounds. Despite his mental efforts he couldn't help but linger on her remark. Seriously, there is something wrong with my face, isn't it or do I look tired? She is not the first one to comment on it. Is that bruise from Luka's punch still there? Pretty sure I healed it. Probably should check a mirror once I get the chance. With that, he silenced those thoughts, forcing his mind to tune back into the music being played. He observed how the flute followed the chimes example and then became the lead. However, a small detail didn't sit well with his more musically-inclined side. The pauses seemed too awkward and empty for him. It was as though a lack of additional instruments kept it from being a great performance.

Chambers continued listening intently, finding a comfortable enough seat in the rubble of the statue. Tusk sat on the headstock of the guitar, before flying off as its user grasped it and pulled it off his back. He laid in front of him and adjusting his grip and quietly tuning the strings. They emanated a pale blue light as he waited for his cue. Another pause came and he softly joined in, not overtaking the flute's main role but following and supporting it. Lyra, who sat across from him, opened her eyes wide, her cheeks taking on a redder tint, yet she still played her flute, only suffering a couple of offkey notes. Luther gave her a smile, winking, and nodded reassuringly for her to continue.

They played steadily, picking up the pace as both musicians became more in sync. The air around them picked up as leaves were blown across the gathering square and the wisps that guided the man here changed their movement from a stable stream to circling in waltz the broken down statue. The harmonious melody carefully reached the highest of peaks before descending down to low notes as though it was trying to draw something in, enticing it. A sharp shift of tone to a marching ascent followed after like it was some sort of wake-up call to whomever the song was directed to. Dull etchings and inscriptions on the floor and pillars illuminated the ruins in a soft glow much to the surprise of both of them. The climax was reached and Luther took the momentary lead, letting the musical piece's ascent lightly back down before ending it.

Lyra and Luther exchanged gazes, both unable to hide their feeling of disbelief within the blissful silence that came after their combined performance, only the slowed ringing of the wind chimes and the sound of them breathing deeply filled the atmosphere. Both of the artisans took a minute to bask in it and comprehend what happened.

"You…played along with me without any hesitation?" The horned Monster remarked, becoming absolutely still as she attentively stared right at him.

"Yeah, what of it? All you said to me was to relax and it sounded like the song was missing a little something." He answered while shrugging. He put his focus on energy coursing through the entire ruins they were residing in. It was now directed, visible by the naked eye in the indecipherable symbols on the floor.

She closed her lips, refusing to add to the conversation. Lyra bit her lips, which turned thin as her expression became thoughtful, and before she could even think of saying anything the silence was broken by a high-pitched humming. All of the wisps of blue light present gathered into a spot, the symbols on the ground erupted as lines fusing and turning into a multitude of chains, which had a total of four open locks hanging from the ethereal metal. A hooded spectral figure appeared. His very presence and clothes were dripping wet.

The specter gripped his head from what looked to be a pain, but no shriek or groan of agony came from him, just heavy breathing as he thrashed around in the air. Those chains that recently formed suddenly wrapped around his frame, stabilizing his flight and linking him to the naked air itself in four different directions. The chains pulsed as power flowed through them in flashes of light. Luther and Lyra exchanged shocked glances, non-verbally agreeing to make distance together away from the struggling entity that had abruptly joined them. Soon, the chains snapped, dematerializing into thin air, leaving the see-through man to land on the ground and stumble randomly before he found his footing.

"No, no, no! It was just there, I could feel it, right on the edges of my mind!" The spirit shouted to himself, voice echoing. The hood fell as he ran his hands against his face and head, gripping onto them tightly. In spite of his attempts and determination he froze, the last of the chains gripping onto his body vanishing. His shoulders slowly dropped down and his posture bent forwards as he turned to Luther and Lyra, a single eye stared at them through the gaps in his fingers. He stood straight up in front of them with a sad blank expression, sighing.

Luther Chambers took a step forward in front of the horned woman undoing the buttons on his holsters, he recognized the figure – it was the same man that was on the ship, but he was changing…his body was transforming into something less frail, frame fitting into the long scraps that the spirit fashioned into clothes and most of his old beard fell, becoming more trimmed. The old spirit that Luther once witnessed on his death door now looked to be his own age. "Well, hello there…pretty sure we've seen each other before.

"You were that dying man on the ship I steered…I think…" The spirit paused, averting his gaze to the ground and tapping his forehead. "Yes, yes, I remember clearly." He muttered in relief before gazing back at them and putting up his arms to show peace. "Terribly sorry, I had no means to aid you back then. Please, be at ease, this dead soul means you no harm."

Lyra's direct unblinking stare shifted between the fellow musician and the ghost in sheer disbelief, was it the fact that they vaguely knew each other surprised her, or was the news of Luther being at death's door that surprised her. Hell, the entire structure of the ruins lighting up with energy still left processing the events. Her only relief was that she wasn't the only one who appeared utterly confused.

"Who are you?" The horned woman inquired.

Their unexpected guest didn't respond immediately much to Lyra's and Luther's chagrin. Instead, gazing and fumbling with his hands as his expression twisted into a gloomy frown. "I…don't know…I don't know who I am."

"You mean you have amnesia. Don't remember anything about yourself? The past, when you were still alive?" Luther pressed. His eyes soften at how the ghost seemed more lost with each word he spoke. The despair expressed was evident in the hooded specter's countenance and posture.

"No, nothing. I have been wandering the seas and earth for as far as I have been aware" The shade confirmed, absent-mindedly floating through gathering grounds. Water dripped from his cloak and boots onto the marble below, which power had dulled. "I don't even know how I got like this." He shakenly presented his see-through form. "Just woke up one day from what seemed to be a long sleep, heart aching. I could never fall asleep after that, something…kept me awake, wandering."

"Oh, you poor soul…" the Horned Monster said, clutching her flute close to her chest as she approached the miserable spirit. "I've heard of ghosts not being able to pass on no matter how much they try, but this is the worst of it."

"A spirit not remembering anything that bad?" Luther asked, raising an eyebrow. From what he remembered ghosts only had relevance a few times in the game's story and as far as was presented they weren't exactly a common occurrence.

Lyra nodded, confirming the man's morbid assumption. She attempted to place a comforting hand on the specter's body, yet it phased through. "Ghosts of the deceased aren't able to pass on because they're either too weak, held down by outside forces like necromancy or have intense regrets forcing them to wander until they let go of them or they're amended…having someone this restless yet not being able to recall even they're own name would practically ensure they're damned to walk the earth in this state for eternity."

"No, it's not completely gone." The ghost hectically countered. He sucked in a breath before continuing. "I have these…flashes! Yes, mere moments where I get a glimpse, the faintest glimmer of an idea of who I was, but most of it always leaves me. I do know some information about myself." He pointed over to the guitar in Luther's hands. "That instrument belonged to me before my… demise…I should have known that, I had woken up with it in my hands...was the first thing I could touch without trying."

"Had a feeling it was yours, there was too much coincidence. Here, take it back, stealing from the dead isn't really my style." Luther said and attempted to hand the instrument to the spirit, yet got a response he didn't expect. Both Lyra and the spirit couldn't help but let out a humored snort at his deadpan manner of speaking.

"Keep it, giving back to me would only be a waste. These old hands don't know how to play like they used to anymore."

"These…flashes of yours, are there any causes for them? Like something or someplace that makes recall a memory, even if it was for just a moment? Anyway, we could perhaps help you right now?" Lyra inquired, picking up her backpack and safely storing her precious flute. The careful, analyzing glance didn't go noticed by her impromptu duet partner in spite of her wishes, at least their spectral friend was completely oblivious to it or rather had other matters on his mind to consider.

The spirit flew up into the air, just above the broken statue, and frantically looked around. Not a single corner of the square went unsearched. "Yes, yes…after the song was played and those chains wrapped around me I had the clearest visions of who I was. Smell, sight, hearing, taste, and touch, I felt them all like it was yesterday until it was ripped away from, torn into pieces. Now I only have a…vague recollection left, but it's there, I'm not completely gone." He landed, staring into the worn-down architecture. "Such as this place, not the first time I have seen it. It's very leftover essence calls out to me as though it had done it before."

"By the Six, you are a spiritualist!" Lyra exclaimed in awe like that one fact explained every peculiarity about the specter's existence

"A what?" Luther and his ghostly guest spoke in unison.

The Horned monster paused, shaking and sighing. "Ah…figures neither of you would know, it's old history at this point. Spiritualism was just a belief a lot of Humans and even Monsters adhered to before the Ilias faith cemented its control and wiped away most traces of the former religion. Their tactic works to this day, only the most erudite of Human scholars of old Monsters can recall the time when it was not the case. Now only a small number still practice their belief, but their numbers are no doubt dwindling."

"Spiritualism, that's a rather vague name, what do they believe in exactly?" Luther pressed, his curiosity peaked. The only spiritualism he had ever heard of in this fantasy world he found himself in were the elemental spirits that his young friend would have gathered strength from. It begged the question, how much more was there to the label.

"They put their faith in the world itself, the natural spirits, and elemental forces instead of any Goddess, those who they interacted with directly." She placed her hand on a marble pillar, gazing with a respectful yet solemn expression. "But in time, the followers were killed off, intimidated, or converted. The spirits losing their ties and being extinguished, joined back with the land, whose power faded over time. Yet before then, rituals, worship were conducted in sacred grounds such as this place – likely one of the last remaining temples dedicated to the old faith."

"Except it's not." The spirit stated, staring into an empty space between the archways. "More of them are out there. I can feel this tug, pulling me in different paths in the same way this temple had."

"Please." In a mere blink of an eye, he turned to Luther and Lyra, having already closed the distance between them. He put his shaking hands together, placing them above his lowered head. It made him appear as small as he could possibly look. They weren't staring at some ancient being bored of their existence, but a desperate man searching for answers he couldn't possibly find on his own. "You must help me, I-I can't keep 'living' like this – not knowing who I am, who or what I have left behind. Go to those places, do whatever it takes, draw out what power is left in there, maybe then I'll be able to finally remember. If not then I'll at least have some clues to go off on. I'll be in your debt, aid you in whatever troubles you face."

His begging and request beckoned absolute silence from both the man and Monster and became all the more agonizing with every second that passed, not sparing any of them from the pain of desperation. Neither of them hid their pity-filled expressions. Luther couldn't take it. Of course, he wanted to help someone in need, but his hands were full and tied by his own problems. He averted his gaze away from the pleading spirit, directing it onto the only other person present. It seemed their thoughts were syncing. She looked back at him at the same time, however, her eyes held a clear message – she was wholly willing and now was asking for his assistance in this task, almost expecting it.

Luther broke away eye contact, opting to stare at the smudged and dirty white floor. A ticklish and prodding sensation encroached on his very soul, that pleasant burning that continued to tell him he was alive. Chambers heard the cooing of Tusk, a sound he had grown most familiar with and it told him all that he needed to hear. Besides, I need the help, as bad as dragging someone into my mess is, do I really have a choice? The events to come would affect them regardless.

"I see why not, considering I'm traveling regardless. A couple of short detours aren't going to hurt." Luther responded, giving a casual if a bit reserved nod.

"Then it settles it, I'm coming along with you." Lyra stated, there was a certain self-assured directness to it as though it was more of command than a suggestion, stunning Chambers for the moment. "Well, I have nothing better to do and It's clear that whatever rituals must be done to draw out the power of these temples can't be performed by a single person, given how many times I have played here and nothing happened."

"Hard to argue with that." Luther conceded. If there was anything that his musically inclined mind presumed, it was that no part of the task could be done solo if the other sacred grounds were anything like the one they were currently in. "Although for your information, I'm not exactly traveling alone. I got two other people coming along with me. They've just camped a bit away from here. Are you fine with that? This isn't exactly going to take a day or two, and don't think they're likely to byline toward where we need to go."

The horned Monster shrugged and gave a smile. "The more the merrier, it should be a nice change of pace. It's been too long since I've been on the road with the company of others."

"Thank you. Thousand times more - thank you." The specter gave a short respectful bow and then turned to one of the many large holes in the temple, gazing into the distance. "You have a long journey ahead of you, I know it, so do not let me interfere in your familiarizing. I will follow this tug and go look for these temples. For now, rest easy, I'll come back to you when I find something."

"And…how will you do that?"

The specter chuckled and shook his head. "Believe me, after spending so much time like this…I have my ways." He leaned against a pillar, head pressing against the stone. "Leave me be, I need to get a handle on this pull. Apologies if I seem crass, but your energy is obstructing my senses. It will be best for both of us to separate for now."

Seeing no other reason to stick around other than to see the beautiful scenery they complied with the blue specter's request, only muttering simple farewells in response. Luther took the lead, strolling towards the exit and signaling Lyra to follow along after packing. Relative quiet followed after both adventurers' trek to camp. The amnesiac spirit traced his fingers against the walls left around the ritual square, the meanings of inscriptions and strange letterings had long left his mind. Yet even the simplest of minds could decipher extremely basic chiseled depictions of objects. There were two minor stone tablets attached to the wall, its surface is worn down. One of them depicted a group of featureless figures gathered into a circle around what looked to be a flame and the other had two figures in focus while all others stood at a distance.

Feeling that no more information could be gathered from the temple, the specter flew into the air and vanished. He was left in peace, while being alone was nothing new to the dead man, a certain feeling lingered in his being. It made him giddy, delighted to greet the next day, for today he is making his steps towards regaining his identity.

It was hope.


Luther's notes: Spiritualism.

Spiritualism was one of the first details of the world that I researched. It reflects Earth's old paganistic beliefs that many human tribes had before they began understanding the world around them and major religions taking hold. Despite the similarity, the idea of Spiritualism held out in human culture for a longer time than its ordinary paganistic counterparts, with many Monsters and some Humans upholding the beliefs to this day even after suffering religious persecution that was common in the conflict between the Dark and Light Goddesses. This endurance of the idea in comparison likely stems from two factors: the apparent higher decentralization of the belief and direct interaction with the respective recipients of worship.

Indeed unlike the Goddesses of Light and Dark, the worshiped spirits had a more local influence and interpersonal relationship with their followers. It was a given, a large part of their existence and power were influenced by faith as they were just that - the energy of the world and atmosphere shaped by collective belief and willpower. The temples dedicated to this religion took after this aspect. They are places of power, where energy is highly concentrated. Yet unlike Monster settlements or random concentration points, the energy within a Spiritualists' sacred grounds have intent imprinted on it allowing it to act on its own long after its followers fall. The most notable manner this is displayed is the location's apparent capability to conceal itself to all who aren't welcomed. I was only capable of finding it due to the fact I had an object, which was in the possession of a former Spiritualist.

Now, what intrigued me the most was the four Elemental Spirits' ties to the religion. Upon first glance, many would make the connection because the very term "Spirit" is used, however, one must also make the observation that their existence isn't tied to the belief of people. Regardless the first assumption is actually correct, however, instead of being related to a belief an individual may possess, their power stems from having a direct tie to the world and its elements, being their respective representatives.

Therein lies my own interest in the topic. Are there any more of these Spirits still left? Are they capable of reaching the same level of connection as their elemental predecessors?


The terrors of the past are left behind them and new companionship is found in the most peculiar places.

Luka has finally learned Hamon and with that might just end up opening the Pandora's box that is the truth of heritage, or at the very least part of it. Now, I think I made it clear enough that the fake hero possesses more talent with this ability, for reasons that are up to you to decide upon. However, both Luther and Luka still have much to advance in regards to control of Hamon, their energy is too unrestrained and loose and because of that the negatives may end up outweighing the advantages this power brings.

As for Luther's reasoning, some of it isn't actually stated in the narration or even his thoughts. All I can say is that it's much more pragmatic than stemming from ideals or a sense of honor, although it is certainly part of his motivation.

With this chapter also comes some unfortunate news. As exams increase my personal workload is increasing, I find myself having trouble with balancing everything in my life. The only rational course of action for me is to cut down some of my hobbies if I don't want to go insane and over-exhaust myself. My main point is - don't really expect any new chapters this year. I might post something, but my time for writing will be heavily limited.


Reviews:

-TheLost01: Luther's Tusk progression isn't tied to Hamon, however, it may aid in the use of it. Already one of the benefits it grants, Regeneration, is useful for Tusk since it can speed up the regrowth of his fingernails. As for the uniqueness of Tusk, believe me, there will be some things that will separate it from its canonical counterpart.

-genilgames: The arrival to San Ilia isn't going to be immediate, but when we get to that point I think folks will enjoy what happens there. As for the reunion, well let's just say Alma is going to have a much harder time against a more mature Luther.

-doomqwer: Given her circumstances, Alice has a hard time showing affection for pretty much anyone possibly associated with her plan. Most of her tsundere attitude likely stems from the distance she is "attempting" to keep, which was a massive failure on her part. Nevertheless, her hand must be forced in order to confide in her feelings.

-BlueDraken: Yet the heart may weather the storm and fashion it as food. For only he who is alive is in the right.

-Varvasnukka: As sad as is for the sake of preserving some amount of brevity in my story such character can really only take part of the focus of a chapter. During the time of writing that chapter, I saw the Crab Girl as the most fitting for side characters to pull Luther out of the dumps with her revanchist attitude.

-Zefar: For the most part, it is interesting to see different perspectives on the same idea and see them conflict. While Jojo's Bizzare adventure may not be a direct ode to the human spirit, it does certainly glorify it and not just through supernatural means in the story.

-DeliciousFriedRice: This means my plan was properly paced through, I felt as though one last outburst was needed to close this part of his character.

Thank you for the support and I'll see you in the next chapter.