The afternoon wind carried a faint warmth as Sunless and Nephis rode on a boat.
It had been a few days since then, and they had only become more comfortable with each meeting over time.
Currently, they were on a date.
Their first swimming date.
Orphany had been left with the Fire Keepers this time, and some of them were more than interested in taking care of the little wonder.
As the current picked up somewhat, they were slowly being led toward a spot Sunless knew where no one came, isolated enough to serve as a peaceful retreat for a romantic date.
As they chatted about things from here to there, they gradually scooted closer, as if it were only natural.
"My lady," he said.
Nephis looked at him.
"Yes?"
"I wanted to clear one more little complication," he said.
Nephis's brows furrowed as she tensed lightly.
Sensing it, Sunless's hand landed on hers in a reassuring squeeze, making her smile.
"I just wanted to make sure we are on the same page when it comes to the Domain War," he said.
Nephis tensed again.
However, Sunless came closer and guided her head onto his shoulder.
She relaxed as some tension left her shoulders, though her focus remained.
"When the war comes, I want it to be clear that I still want to be with you. There is no problem from my end when it comes to distance and time. I trust you completely," he said.
Nephis smiled, though some worry crept in as she nuzzled into Sunless.
"Are you sure? I will be gone at war for long periods of time." She paused. "No matter how strong I am, the possibility of death—"
She was cut off by a finger against her lips.
Nephis looked up to see Sunless looking at her with concern and firmness.
"Don't say such things. That won't happen."
He paused, his expression shifting.
"Nothing's going to happen to you. I just know it," he said.
Nephis blinked but smiled as she straightened.
"If anything..." Sunless's voice became more teasing as he held her hand.
Nephis's brows furrowed with a knowing expression, a small smile threatening to appear.
Sunless looked away dramatically.
"Ahh, there will be so many handsome Saints there. What do I do? So many strong and handsome Legacies. Should I feel disheartened?"
The act was top-notch.
Nephis's brows furrowed into a genuine frown as she lightly hit his arm.
"Then don't be," she said as she came closer.
"You are the most handsome person, Master Sunless."
She paused, and a small smile appeared.
"Sunless, no one can compare to you. No Saints and no Sovereigns either," she said with a smile.
Sunless paused.
Then looked back at her.
His cheeks reddened.
Nephis blinked, then her eyes widened as she realized what she had said. However, she stood her ground even as her own face warmed.
If Sunless needed even a little reassurance, he was getting as much as he needed.
Sunless looked away with a smile.
"Is that so? Thank you," he said with genuine warmth.
Nephis bit her lip and looked away as well.
'So cute.'
Some moments passed as they sat together and the boat drifted.
Then, finally, they appeared in a lake disconnected from the larger body of water, and Nephis looked around.
It was beautiful.
The sun shimmered across the surface of the water. Along the lakeside were patches of flowers, while a large tree cast a vast shade over the shore.
Sunless watched her reaction and smiled.
"Like it? Me and Birdy found it long ago when she was a baby. I used to bring her here for play dates," he said.
Nephis looked back at him with a smile.
This was more than just a date.
This was Sunless bringing her to places only he and Orphany came to.
Places they shared as a family.
And she was part of it now.
Warmth settled within her as they sat closer.
Eventually...
Sunless leaned closer.
"Do I have permission? Are we at a point where I have permission?" he asked with a smile.
Nephis smiled back as she leaned closer too.
The boat swayed gently beneath them.
"Permission for what?" she asked.
Sunless moved a little nearer, his nose lightly brushing against her own.
"Permission to lean in and steal a bit of affection," he said.
Then he gently pecked her lips.
Nephis closed her eyes, her smile widening.
Her hand moved behind his head as she pulled him closer.
Sunless and Nephis's lips met again.
The boat swayed slightly in the water, causing Sunless to lose his balance and fall over her. His hands landed against the boat on either side of Nephis, stopping most of his weight from falling onto her.
Yet their lips did not part.
They moved together in a tender, gentle rhythm as the cold breeze passed over them.
Time drew closer to evening, but neither of them cared.
Sunless's hands found her waist as Nephis rested hers against his shoulders.
The boat shifted again.
They rolled slightly, and soon Nephis ended up above him.
Their lips finally parted.
Both breathed lightly as they looked at one another, faces flushed and smiles still lingering.
Nephis raised one hand and caressed the side of his face.
"Do you think we are going too fast?" she asked.
Sunless looked at her with the same gentle smile.
"It really depends."
His hands moved from her waist to her upper back, caressing her lightly.
"Tell me. Do you feel hesitant when we are close like this?"
Nephis shook her head.
"No."
"Do you feel uncomfortable when I am close to you?"
She shook her head again.
"No."
Her smile widened just slightly.
"Do you trust me that I'll stop if you tell me to?"
Nephis smiled more openly.
"Yes. Always."
Sunless pulled her closer, and the two wrapped their arms around one another.
For a little while, they simply stayed like that.
Then Sunless spoke.
"You know what I think about love?"
Nephis pulled back enough to look at him.
"What?"
Sunless was quiet for a moment before answering.
"I believe love is a choice."
He looked into her eyes.
"Not just a one-time choice. Not just saying I love you once. I mean choosing someone constantly. Every day. Again and again."
His smile softened.
"That choice... it feels beautiful."
Nephis remained quiet.
Sunless continued.
"Imagine it. Someone could force another person to stay. Maybe with strength. Maybe through some other means. They could love that person and still refuse to let them leave."
His expression changed faintly.
"But would that really be fulfilling?"
A pause.
"I don't think so."
His voice grew softer.
"No. I know so."
His fingers moved lightly against her back.
"Because nothing can be more beautiful than waking every day and thinking of that person, choosing them, then going to sleep at night and still choosing them."
He looked at her carefully.
"With every breath you take, you can choose that person. With every step, you can think of them."
Sunless's gaze remained fixed on hers.
"And the only thing more fulfilling than choosing someone like that..."
He paused.
"...is being chosen the same way."
Nephis's expression softened.
"The thought of being in someone's mind with every step, every breath, every morning, every night..."
Sunless gave a faint smile.
"It sounds overwhelming."
Then, quieter:
"But soothing too."
The boat drifted gently over the water.
"With that kind of love, I don't think distance matters as much."
He looked toward the water for a moment.
"We could be ages apart. Eras apart. Realms apart somehow."
His eyes returned to hers.
"We may not get to see each other every moment of our lives."
A pause.
"But we would still know there is somewhere we want to return to."
His smile softened further.
"Not because we have to."
"But because we want to."
Nephis listened without interrupting.
"And that place..."
Sunless raised one hand and lightly touched her cheek.
"...is the person you love."
His thumb brushed softly against her skin.
"A place that keeps looking for you too."
"Not just a destination you have to reach."
His gaze warmed.
"But a point that wants to come closer to you as well."
Sunless let out a small breath.
"Well..."
A faintly embarrassed smile appeared.
"I think I'm trailing off."
Nephis's own smile grew.
"But the point is..."
Sunless looked directly into her eyes again.
"That's the kind of love I have for you, my lady."
Nephis's cheeks warmed.
"Every day I wake up, I look forward to seeing you."
A small pause.
"Holding you."
Another.
"Feeding you."
His smile widened slightly.
"Sitting next to you."
"Holding your hand."
His gaze lowered briefly before returning to hers.
"Looking into your beautiful eyes."
Nephis's face flushed more deeply.
"I think that's love for me."
Sunless looked at her for a long moment.
"And when I look into your eyes..."
His expression softened completely.
"...I just know it."
A pause.
"Somehow, I'm lucky enough for you to feel the same way."
Nephis stared at him.
His voice had been soft and gentle.
But somehow, his gaze had been even gentler.
She raised one hand and caressed his cheek.
Then she leaned down and kissed him.
Her lips lingered against his before she lightly nibbled his upper lip and pulled away.
There was no desperation in the kiss.
No hunger.
Somehow, that made it feel even more tender.
"Sunless?"
She leaned in again.
A soft kiss.
"This is..."
Another kiss.
"Me..."
One more.
"Choosing you."
Then Nephis kissed him again.
Sunless's hand moved to the small of her back as he pulled her closer.
The boat swayed beneath them.
The evening breeze passed gently over the water.
And the two simply held one another.
...
The dark halls were quiet.
Deathly quiet.
That did not mean things were calm, or that no one was present.
For once, everyone was.
And the gathering was not as successful as usual.
The Cursed of Truth and the Child of Erasure watched, ready to intervene if necessary.
The Seer of Paths and the Harbinger of Ruin had their weapons on the throats of the other two.
The Crown of Grace's hands were firmly pressed against the chests of the two beings, keeping them apart.
All the while—
Ethereal threads swirled around them as shadows formed a cover.
The Lord of Shadows's blade rested before him as he pushed back against the golden threads.
The Keeper of Fate stood before him, his arm stretched out, hovering close to the Lord of Shadows's black odachi.
"Calm down, you two," the Crown of Grace said, for once not a hint of softness in his voice.
The Keeper of Fate did not even consider the words, as if they had never been spoken.
"Lord of Shadows..." the Keeper said.
The Lord of Shadows adjusted his blade as the threads moved.
"You're crossing a line, Keeper of Fate."
"Come on, are you two of all people really doing this?" the Seer of Paths said, his shimmering weapon resting against the Lord of Shadows's neck.
"How about you two step back and talk?" the Harbinger of Ruin said, his flaming blade resting against the Keeper of Fate's throat.
The Keeper of Fate did not take his eyes off the Lord of Shadows.
The Lord of Shadows did not back down from the Keeper of Fate's silent challenge either.
"Well... this is a first..." the Cursed of Truth said.
"This won't end well..." the Child of Erasure said as he looked up with narrowed eyes.
Then—
"!!!"
All seven heads snapped up.
Even the Lord of Shadows and the Keeper of Fate.
BADUM.
!!!
All fell to their knees as an overwhelming pressure descended upon them.
As the ones who had stood tall against the Divine fell to their knees, overwhelmed, only one realization came to them all.
The Greatest of Abominations was displeased.
...
Some moments ago.
The Heir of Weaver appeared with his usual soothing presence in the dark hall, a smile appearing behind his mask.
"Ahh, how wonderful. There are six of us," he said.
The others looked at him.
"Ahh, oh great Keeper of Fate, greetings. How are you?" the Crown of Grace asked.
The Keeper of Fate smiled.
"I'm doing well. Are all of you in good health?" he asked.
"We are all in good health," the Harbinger of Ruin answered calmly.
"Can someone call the great Lord of Shadows? Then all of us will be together after so long," the Seer of Paths said with amusement.
"When was the last time, even?" the Child of Erasure asked.
"Sometime during the Doom War? Or was it at the end of it?" the Cursed of Truth answered.
"As if you two won't know? They're talking for the sake of making conversation," the Seer of Paths said.
"Now, now, let them talk, oh great Seer of Paths," the Keeper of Fate said with some amusement.
"Either way, it is true that it has been some time, has it not?" the Crown of Grace said.
"Yes, perhaps we should all come together and share a meal once more," the Keeper of Fate suggested.
"Have we even ever done that?" the Seer of Paths wondered as he took his throne.
"We have not," the Harbinger of Ruin said as he let go of his spear and sat down as well.
"This just gives us more reason to do so now," the Crown of Grace said in a mildly excited tone.
"Yes—"
The Keeper of Fate was cut off as a swirl of shadows came.
Everyone looked over as the Lord of Shadows appeared.
"Lord of Shadows," the Crown of Grace said first.
"Ahh, Lord of Shadows," the Keeper of Fate greeted.
The man turned to him first and gave a nod of acknowledgment before walking down the steps.
"Look who I found," he said as, from his clothing, he pulled out a...
"What the hell, you bastard!"
A talking skull?
The Lord of Shadows threw the skull toward the Keeper of Fate.
"By the damned Gods, you brat! What the hell did you do?!"
A golden thread appeared and caught him carefully.
The Keeper of Fate tilted his head in recognition.
"Ah, is that Eurys of the Nine?" he asked, already knowing.
The skull, now identified as Eurys of the Nine, rested in the floating web the Keeper of Fate had made and stopped before turning to look at him.
Helpfully, the web moved to accommodate him.
The skull then looked around at the demonic-masked men looking at him.
His skull could not move, but it was as if his eyes had narrowed.
"...You... what the hell are you all?" he asked in a sharp tone.
The Keeper of Fate did not seem to mind.
"What we are?" he said with faint amusement.
"Nothing special."
"Just some mad people who killed the Great Gods and Daemons," the Seer of Paths waved off.
"Of course. I tell you, he can be very annoying," the Crown of Grace added with a smile.
Eurys was one of the Nine.
The Nine who were fated to orchestrate the Gods' demise by Fate itself.
And he did not remember one of these people being among the Nine.
The Nine had a few women as well, while everyone here was a man.
He himself had committed one act of defiance against the Great Gods and joined the army of the Daemons, fighting against the Great Gods as a Sovereign until he was banned from Death by the Shadow God and pinned to a Sacred Tree alongside one other.
Hence, that tree had allowed them to stay sane and not lose their memories. As the ages turned into centuries and centuries into millennia, he had stayed pinned there alongside the other man, weathering and rotting into a skeleton, his being incapable of embracing Death.
He had seen many things.
So many that there were very few who knew the details of the Doom War as well as he did.
And yet...
He didn't know a single one of these people.
So there was no need to look at all these men, who were but Transcendents, and think that they were honest.
However...
He looked at all of them.
'What the hell is all this?'
He couldn't tell anything about them.
His perception had always been a keen one. As an imperial prince who had been condemned to be a slave, he had worked hard until he was allowed to cultivate his soul and become a Transcendent as a slave, until he was also allowed to come under the service of the avatar of the War Goddess herself...
Eventually, after his task as one of the Nine was over, he had joined the Doom War under the banner of the Daemons and rose to Supremacy.
His perception was a strange one...
He could tell and perceive others at a very strange level.
As someone chosen by Fate itself for one of its tasks of killing the Great Gods, he had a partial affinity that allowed him to sense the aura of one's importance in the tapestry of Fate, along with others who attained such heights...
Yet he could not sense a damn thing from anyone in this strange place beyond their Rank as Transcendents.
'Actually...'
His eyes would have narrowed if he had any, but his Supreme presence remained.
"You bastards... you're all not normal. Not one bit... There's something strange about your Ranks. Are you even humans? Or Noble Creatures? Your Class... something is weird about it," he said.
He turned to the Crown of Grace.
"Why can't I sense you all properly?"
He had actually lost part of his composure.
"Ahh," the Keeper of Fate answered.
"Well, you see, we have some strange relics," he said. "They were bestowed upon us by a being we're all better off not thinking about."
Eurys narrowed his eyes.
"A being...?"
He looked at the mask.
Normally, he'd question it, but the masked man had clearly said all of them, and whatever these relics were, if they could actually keep his senses from looking into them, he'd rather fish for his other questions.
Eurys looked around into the endless height.
"What is this place? It's not normal."
A pause.
"Is this even a place?"
"This place," the Lord of Shadows said as he stepped onto the marble floor, sounding uninterested, "is none of your concern."
Eurys looked at him as the net once again accommodated him.
"You... you are one of the stranger ones here. A being that can use shadows... and have more than one Soul Serpent. How is that even possible?" he asked.
"My, our friend knows a lot," the Crown of Grace said in amusement, his fist resting against his cheek.
"What do you expect? He was heavily involved in the events related to the Doom War," the Child of Erasure said.
"Forget that, pun intended." The Seer of Paths looked at the Child of Erasure. "I'm more surprised that after all this time, you suddenly decided to let us remember you."
The Harbinger of Ruin glanced at him.
"Getting our memories erased as we are present in his presence so we can't remember him... it was quite unpleasant," he said.
"Then we should be glad the Lord of Shadows told him to stop," the Keeper of Fate said with a smile.
Eurys could only stare at this strange band of people.
"Where did you even find him?" the Seer of Paths asked.
The Lord of Shadows took everyone's attention.
"I was visiting the Shadow Realm when I found this one," he said.
Eurys scoffed.
"I was perfectly fine when this brat showed up and took me like a damn souvenir," he said.
He looked at the Lord of Shadows.
"How many Divine relics do you even have?!" he asked.
The Lord of Shadows stopped as he looked up in thought.
Then he looked over his shoulder casually.
"Five for my personal use."
"..."
Eurys stared.
'And I thought I saw all that I could have...'
"Five...? Do you realize how rare even one is?" he said.
"There is already a lack of Divine and Unholy creatures in the realms. Divine don't even exist anymore. All that reached that Rank are Corrupted beings," the skull stated.
"For you to have five Memories, you'd need to have killed enough Unholy creatures, or a Class high enough to have five shards of that Rank. Killing anything close to Unholy is beyond imagination for a Transcendent, and you claim to have five?" he asked.
The Lord of Shadows glanced at him.
"Oh, I've killed plenty of Gods, boy."
He looked away.
"However, I gained all these relics over time before I killed the first one," he said.
There was an edge to his tone.
The air changed for a moment for everyone before they went back to normal.
The Keeper of Fate smiled behind his mask.
"Well, if it's any help, all of our masks are at least Divine Memories of the Seventh Tier, and some of us have more Divine relics," he said.
Eurys's head snapped back to him.
'A Divine relic... each?'
He thought in hidden shock.
'Seven people here and five on one alone. If they're honest, there are at least eleven Divine relics here...'
He paused.
Moreover, all the masks were of the Seventh Tier?
Impossible.
Actually...
He couldn't tell a damn thing about that, so it might be possible.
But that meant at least seven Titans of the highest Rank were killed.
The only Titans that were Divine were the six Great Gods and the seven Daemons.
Very few Noble Creatures surviving directly under the Great Gods or Daemons were Divine Titans, while humans were restricted to the Class of Beast.
So Unholy...
Corrupted Gods...
Most were from the Void itself.
Very few to none were in the realms by the time of the Doom War...
Though some may have appeared in the thousands of years since, these were Transcendents, so they could not have—
Unless...
'The one they don't want to think about?'
The sheer magnitude of the statement was absurd.
But apparently, it was not even the bigger problem here.
Eurys looked around.
He still had to figure out what the hell this place was...
'It's not normal... Shadow? Of what kind?'
After a moment, he sighed inwardly.
"Why am I even bothering? I just want to die already..." he said to himself.
The Keeper of Fate tilted his head.
"You want to die, huh? Well, if you'd like, we can help?" he said.
Eurys looked at him.
For a moment, he just stared, then gave a dry chuckle.
"Sorry, kid, but I was banned from Death by the Shadow God. I can't die normally, if you haven't guessed."
The Keeper of Fate rested his hand with a small smile.
"Oh, don't worry. Some of us here are more than capable of defying the Great God of Shadows' curse," he said.
Eurys's head snapped to him.
"What?"
His voice nearly changed entirely.
The Keeper of Fate looked at the Harbinger of Ruin as the web turned Eurys toward him.
Eurys stared at the man, then looked closer.
His eyes widened, not at the man sitting casually, but at the spear.
Once again, his senses sharpened.
'That's Divine... and...'
"Boy... why does that spear carry War and Shadow Gods' power?" he asked carefully.
The Harbinger of Ruin looked at him, then at his spear, then into the distance.
"Things happened. I stole it," he said.
Eurys stared.
The Lord of Shadows let out a faint, deep chuckle of amusement.
Eurys looked at them...
'Where the hell am I?'
The Keeper of Fate looked at the Lord of Shadows.
"Lord of Shadows, what were you doing in the Shadow Realm? I hope you remember how dangerous it is, even for you."
He paused.
"You can't go to the center of the Shadow Realm on foot again. Not safely, at least," he said.
Eurys snapped again.
"He got where?!" he asked.
"Center of the Shadow Realm," the Cursed of Truth answered as everyone ignored him.
"My blade was bored. I went to stretch. Though some more interesting encounters took place," the Lord of Shadows said.
Some blinked.
"More encounters?" The Keeper of Fate tilted his head. "Who could it be?"
The Lord of Shadows spoke.
Something about his presence sharpened.
"Shadow of the Slayer."
!
"..."
"..."
The others paused for a moment, then looked between the two.
Eurys looked between them.
'They... know her?'
The Keeper of Fate broke the silence.
"Whose shadow?"
His voice was eerily calm.
Not malicious or threatening, but undeniably questioning.
'A personal question?' Eurys wondered.
He himself knew the person whose dead shadow was being discussed.
He himself had known that person when they were alive.
And now, it seemed these two did as well.
That only made things more complex.
Because no one who was not alive and at the center of the conflict of the Gods could have known her, and for Eurys to have known anything about that person...
However, now even he wasn't sure if these people were actually part of the Doom War.
'...'
Eurys went deathly still.
The Keeper of Fate stood up from his throne as the web of threads appeared to let Eurys's skull rest on his armrest.
The Keeper of Fate looked down at the man with a strange sense of calmness.
The Harbinger of Ruin and the Seer of Paths stood up.
The Crown of Grace stared as the Cursed of Truth and the Child of Erasure tilted their heads.
"Lord of Shadows..." the Keeper of Fate called.
The Lord of Shadows turned to face him.
Something appeared at the sleeve of his wrist.
"What do you intend to do to that shadow?" the Keeper of Fate asked.
The Lord of Shadows looked at the Keeper of Fate before answering.
"Absolve it—"
!
All the figures moved.
Golden strings formed as shadows erupted.
The strings moved down upon the Lord of Shadows, but he blocked them with his sword, catching all of them against his blade with quick precision.
The Divine spear and dark staff manifested in the hands of the Harbinger of Ruin and the Seer of Paths as they appeared.
The Crown of Grace moved at blinding speed, while the Cursed of Truth and the Child of Erasure remained at their thrones, ready to intervene.
The Keeper of Fate remained mere inches from the black blade as the man looked at the Lord of Shadows, the Harbinger of Ruin's Divine spear at his throat.
The Seer of Paths kept his own weapon at the Lord of Shadows's throat just in case, as the Crown of Grace appeared between them, his hands against their chests to keep them apart and stop any combat.
...
Now everyone was on their knees.
The Lord of Shadows gritted his teeth as the Keeper of Fate's head lowered, unable to stay up.
The Harbinger of Ruin's spear had to be dismissed back into his Soul Sea, and the Seer of Paths was in a similar situation.
The Cursed of Truth and the Child of Erasure had been forced out of their thrones, while the Crown of Grace was on his forearms, pressed against the marble, his head nearly touching the ground.
Eurys himself felt the pressure, his voice leaching away, even thinking requiring strain.
'This pressure...!'
Then—
The pressure disappeared.
Everyone eased.
Even Eurys felt relieved as his nonexistent eyes darted around the heights in alarm.
'What pressure...!'
He had no doubt about the Rank.
The seven fought to remain on the floor for a moment before the Keeper of Fate and the Lord of Shadows stood up first, followed by the Harbinger of Ruin and the Seer of Paths.
The Cursed of Truth and the Child of Erasure stood up as the Crown of Grace rose to his feet as well.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Until...
"Lord of Shadows."
The Keeper of Fate turned to the man.
The others were alarmed again as the Seer of Paths and the Harbinger of Ruin prepared to summon their weapons if needed.
However—
The Lord of Shadows dismissed his blade before the Keeper of Fate even spoke.
"Forgive me, I... I was unreasonable in my judgment," he paused as his head lowered.
"I let my emotions—"
"It matters not," the Lord of Shadows said as he walked to the man.
"I know you more than anyone else. I didn't need to reason myself to know you would not harm me," he said as he placed a hand on the man's shoulder.
"Raise your head."
The Keeper of Fate looked at him as the man walked past.
"It is not fitting of one like you to lower his gaze for such a small matter."
His voice was calm as he ascended to his throne.
The others looked at his back as a small smile came to the Keeper of Fate's lips, and he shook his head softly.
"Your strings would have appeared behind me as well if you intended to cause harm," the Lord of Shadows said as an afterthought.
"The Lord of Shadows and his instinctive analysis of the battlefield," the Seer of Paths murmured as the Harbinger of Ruin looked the other way, amused as well.
"What did you expect?" he said as everyone relaxed.
However...
The Keeper of Fate stared at his back.
Then—
"H-Hahahah."
A hearty laugh escaped the Keeper of Fate for the first time in years as the others looked at him.
The man turned to his throne as he placed a hand on the three other masked men's shoulders in appreciation and nodded to the other two before walking up to his throne.
"Apologies, Eurys of the Nine. Our first guest here, and you had to see such a sight," he said as he took his seat, as did the others.
"What were you all talking about?" the Lord of Shadows asked calmly as he leaned in his throne.
The Keeper of Fate rested his chin on his fist again as he leaned to one side, relaxed.
"We were wondering if all of us should share a meal together," he said.
The Lord of Shadows glanced at him as if they had not been fighting each other moments ago.
Eurys examined them all.
'They're... acting like nothing happened...'
His eyes narrowed.
'Their bond runs deep.'
His gaze moved between the Keeper of Fate and the Lord of Shadows.
'Especially these two.'
...
"I'll get something from the Hollow Mountains. There is a Great Tyrant I wanted to hunt," the Lord of Shadows said.
"Then I suppose I'll bring a species of Nightmare Creature from the Burned Forest. I tried one before. It was good," the Keeper of Fate remarked.
"Ahh, then I will cook. I have some great plants and herbs I found that can be used," the Crown of Grace said.
The seven masked men talked as they discussed the meal they wanted to share.
Eurys had enough.
"Are we just ignoring what happened?" he said.
Everyone quieted.
The Keeper of Fate looked at him.
The skull looked back at the collective seven.
"What pressure? Its Rank was Divine—that should be impossible—"
"Eurys."
The calm voice of the Keeper of Fate came.
For some reason, the skull stilled as he looked at the man from the corners of his sockets.
The Keeper of Fate was looking up.
So were the others.
Calmly.
Quietly.
Eurys looked as well.
Then—
Eurys's eyes narrowed as he saw it.
The endless height and the faint light coming from it.
It began to move.
Something stirred.
Something ancient.
Something overwhelming.
Something Divine.
Then—
It stopped.
For a moment, no one spoke.
"Eurys," the Keeper of Fate called in that same tone.
The skull looked back.
The Keeper of Fate smiled behind his mask.
"You want to know some more about us, right?" he said.
The skull did not reply.
All heads turned to the dark throne.
Eurys looked at it as well.
The mere sight was unsettling for someone who could associate the two things that were represented in it.
Something related to the Daemon of Fate and the Shadow God.
"You two."
Eurys called as the others looked at him.
His gaze went to the Lord of Shadows, then to the Keeper of Fate.
"You two are different from the rest," he said.
"I couldn't place it before, but I got it now," he said as his voice sharpened.
"Your masks are different. They reek of Weaver, the Daemon of Fate."
For a moment, no one spoke.
"Ahh, well, you're not as shabby as one would think."
The Lord of Shadows began as he glanced in that direction.
"I wanted to talk about the Slayer," he said.
The Keeper of Fate looked at him. However, this time his demeanor remained respectful.
"However," the Lord of Shadows said as he tapped his odachi on the marble floor once, "since you've managed to get something right, I suppose rewarding you is not out of the question."
He paused.
"Eurys, our masks reek of the Daemon of Fate," he said.
"As they should."
The calm voice of the Keeper of Fate appeared as ethereal strings appeared in the air.
Eurys looked up.
These strings managed to make more sense and less sense at the same time.
He glanced at the Keeper of Fate carefully.
"These masks remind you of Weaver because he had made them himself for some people, until we eventually took them for ourselves."
Weaver's Masks.
Divine Memories of the Seventh Tier.
Created by Weaver, the Daemon of Fate.
For the two High Priests of the Nightmare Spell.
The Lord of Shadows's and the Keeper of Fate's eyes narrowed behind their masks.
"That are now in our hands."
Three were created.
Weaver's own remained with him.
The other two stayed behind.
They carried the enchantment which he had created after his eye was stolen.
[Where is my eye?]
An enchantment capable of seeing the tapestry of Fate itself.
Now, the power to see Fate sat in the hands of two impostors through the masks.
Granted, they couldn't 'read' the tapestry of Fate.
That was something the great Keeper of Fate could do, especially because he possessed Weaver's own eye, which saw the tapestry and turned the strings into information.
He had to use it in conjunction with the mask to decide which specific string he wanted to target and extract information from.
Compared to the Lord of Shadows, who ended up seeing the entirety of the tapestry itself and could only see golden threads—a sight that could liquefy his brain.
However, his mask was a unique one.
For Weaver had enchanted a specific enchantment into it.
[A Little Trick]
An enchantment that defied the Law of Imperfection, by which all beings came with a Flaw.
The Lord of Shadows's Flaw itself was reversed.
Such was the power these masks bore.
Yet these masks could not save them, for Eurys probing was causing their thought to be directed toward the Greater of Abominations
And it did not appreciate that the attention of the seven.
...
The sun had gone down enough for the horizon to be tinged orange.
When Sunless and Nephis stood up, they had already spent a good part of their time eating, chatting, and relaxing, and had finally decided to get into the water and enjoy themselves.
Sunless took a step forward.
"Should I go first, my lady?" he asked.
Nephis smiled at him and dismissed her Memories, leaving herself in the swimsuit she had been wearing underneath.
Sunless took his robe off and let it slip down his shoulders as the rest of his clothes disappeared into white sparks of a dismissed Memory.
"I suppose I'll go first," he said casually as he took a step forward.
Suddenly, he jumped back in alarm, his eyes widening.
The entire lake was set ablaze in flames.
White flames.
Nephis's flames.
Confused, Sunless's head snapped back as he looked at the woman, only to see Nephis's eyes fixed directly on him.
The entire lake was burning behind his back.
But Nephis wasn't specifically only staring at him.
Her face flushed and grew warm as her eyes remained fixed on Sunless's body.
'What is this?'
Nephis thought in confusion and shock as she stared.
It wasn't anything she had expected.
Apparently, Master Sunless wasn't just a slender, handsome young man.
He was a handsome and very strong-looking young man.
His muscles were lean and defined, just the way one could appreciate on a man of his appearance. They seemed reasonably proportioned, as if carved by a masterful sculptor out of marble and jade.
Her eyes trailed the lines of muscle down his defined biceps and sides, as well as his lower arms and waist.
Her eyes lingered on his chest, which seemed broad despite his smaller frame.
'He is... he is...'
She was unable to finish the thought itself as her face warmed further.
Sunless stared at her.
"My lady?"
Nephis finally managed to snap out of it and looked at him.
"Huh?"
Sunless smiled at her somewhat vaguely.
"My lady, the entire lake is on fire," he said.
Nephis's head snapped toward the water behind him.
She blinked.
Her eyes widened as the white flames disappeared.
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she tried to hide her embarrassment.
"There was a Nightmare Creature inside the lake," Nephis defended.
...
Sunless stared at her for a moment, his lips pressed into a thin line as if he was trying to hold something back.
Nephis's face grew warmer.
Clearly, the defense had not worked.
Not one bit.
"A Nightmare Creature, huh?" Sunless said as he glanced away.
His shoulders shook lightly.
Nephis wasn't sure what to say.
'This is embarrassing...'
Sunless eventually looked back, his expression easing.
"Well, I'm glad," he said with a somewhat nervous chuckle.
Nephis looked back at him. Her face was still warm, but she had questions.
Sunless looked at her.
"I was worried that despite my face, you wouldn't find me attractive." He pause.
"You see, I was told that my appearance is somewhat feminine, so I was worried I wouldn't be masculine enough for you. I'm glad you like me. So I'm a bit relieved that you find me attractive," he said.
Nephis's brow creased slightly.
Her face was still warm when she spoke.
"But Master Sunless, did I not tell you that, to me, you're the most attractive person in the whole world?" she said as she stepped forward.
Sunless blinked.
"Master Sunless, I wasn't joking when I said that. To me, you really are the most handsome man in all the realms. No one compares to you, not the Saints and not the Sovereigns."
Her eyes glanced downward for a moment, her face warming again before she looked back into his eyes.
"Do you think I'm lying?" she asked.
Sunless paused and swallowed lightly. He thought for a moment before smiling brightly.
"No, I don't. but I do feel somewhat embarrassed being called the most handsome by someone as gorgeous as you," he said as he looked at her.
Much like Nephis, his eyes wandered over her body too, and his face grew warm.
Nephis's body felt warm under Sunless's gaze as her legs stiffened for a moment.
'What is he thinking?'
She wondered.
'What does he like about me?'
Was he particularly interested in one part of her?
Or did he like her completely and wholly?
Well, it was Master Sunless, so he liked all of her. She knew that much.
But still...
Was there something he preferred?
She felt shy under Sunless's gaze as she stepped closer.
Master Sunless, being a man, had a very simple swimsuit: just some black trunks that reached slightly above his knees.
Her own was a modest set that covered her upper chest and upper body, with strings tied behind her back and around her neck, while her lower half was covered by a light, skirt-style swimsuit.
Hers remained white, unlike Sunless's black one, much like the contrast between their hair.
Sunless raised his hand and smiled at her.
"My lady, shall we?" he asked.
Nephis smiled.
She stepped forward and reached for his right hand with her left, letting him guide her into the water.
As their feet entered the chilly water and their bodies adjusted to the temperature, they both smiled at each other as they stepped farther in for their swim.
...
The sun had gone down enough for the horizon to be tinged orange.
When Sunless and Nephis stood up, they had already spent a good part of their time eating, chatting, and relaxing, and had finally decided to get into the water and enjoy themselves.
Sunless took a step forward.
"Should I go first, my lady?" he asked.
Nephis smiled at him and dismissed her Memories, leaving herself in the swimsuit she had been wearing underneath.
Sunless took his robe off and let it slip down his shoulders as the rest of his clothes disappeared into white sparks of a dismissed Memory.
"I suppose I'll go first," he said casually as he took a step forward.
Suddenly, he jumped back in alarm, his eyes widening.
The entire lake was set ablaze in flames.
White flames.
Nephis's flames.
Confused, Sunless's head snapped back as he looked at the woman, only to see Nephis's eyes fixed directly on him.
The entire lake was burning behind his back.
But Nephis wasn't specifically only staring at him.
Her face flushed and grew warm as her eyes remained fixed on Sunless's body.
'What is this?'
Nephis thought in confusion and shock as she stared.
It wasn't anything she had expected.
Apparently, Master Sunless wasn't just a slender, handsome young man.
He was a handsome and very strong-looking young man.
His muscles were lean and defined, just the way one could appreciate on a man of his appearance. They seemed reasonably proportioned, as if carved by a masterful sculptor out of marble and jade.
Her eyes trailed the lines of muscle down his defined biceps and sides, as well as his lower arms and waist.
Her eyes lingered on his chest, which seemed broad despite his smaller frame.
'He is... he is...'
She was unable to finish the thought itself as her face warmed further.
Sunless stared at her.
"My lady?"
Nephis finally managed to snap out of it and looked at him.
"Huh?"
Sunless smiled at her somewhat vaguely.
"My lady, the entire lake is on fire," he said.
Nephis's head snapped toward the water behind him.
She blinked.
Her eyes widened as the white flames disappeared.
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she tried to hide her embarrassment.
"There was a Nightmare Creature inside the lake," Nephis defended.
...
Sunless stared at her for a moment, his lips pressed into a thin line as if he was trying to hold something back.
Nephis's face grew warmer.
Clearly, the defense had not worked.
Not one bit.
"A Nightmare Creature, huh?" Sunless said as he glanced away.
His shoulders shook lightly.
Nephis wasn't sure what to say.
'This is embarrassing...'
Sunless eventually looked back, his expression easing.
"Well, I'm glad," he said with a somewhat nervous chuckle.
Nephis looked back at him. Her face was still warm, but she had questions.
Sunless looked at her.
"I was worried that despite my face, you wouldn't find me attractive." He pause.
"You see, I was told that my appearance is somewhat feminine, so I was worried I wouldn't be masculine enough for you. I'm glad you like me. So I'm a bit relieved that you find me attractive," he said.
Nephis's brow creased slightly.
Her face was still warm when she spoke.
"But Master Sunless, did I not tell you that, to me, you're the most attractive person in the whole world?" she said as she stepped forward.
Sunless blinked.
"Master Sunless, I wasn't joking when I said that. To me, you really are the most handsome man in all the realms. No one compares to you, not the Saints and not the Sovereigns."
Her eyes glanced downward for a moment, her face warming again before she looked back into his eyes.
"Do you think I'm lying?" she asked.
Sunless paused and swallowed lightly. He thought for a moment before smiling brightly.
"No, I don't. but I do feel somewhat embarrassed being called the most handsome by someone as gorgeous as you," he said as he looked at her.
Much like Nephis, his eyes wandered over her body too, and his face grew warm.
Nephis's body felt warm under Sunless's gaze as her legs stiffened for a moment.
'What is he thinking?'
She wondered.
'What does he like about me?'
Was he particularly interested in one part of her?
Or did he like her completely and wholly?
Well, it was Master Sunless, so he liked all of her. She knew that much.
But still...
Was there something he preferred?
She felt shy under Sunless's gaze as she stepped closer.
Master Sunless, being a man, had a very simple swimsuit: just some black trunks that reached slightly above his knees.
Her own was a modest set that covered her upper chest and upper body, with strings tied behind her back and around her neck, while her lower half was covered by a light, skirt-style swimsuit.
Hers remained white, unlike Sunless's black one, much like the contrast between their hair.
Sunless raised his hand and smiled at her.
"My lady, shall we?" he asked.
Nephis smiled.
She stepped forward and reached for his right hand with her left, letting him guide her into the water.
As their feet entered the chilly water and their bodies adjusted to the temperature, they both smiled at each other as they stepped farther in for their swim.
...
Some time passed as the two swam in the water, their bodies adjusting to the temperature as they had some fun.
Soon, Nephis saw Sunless swim closer to her, and she turned toward him.
As he approached, he closed his eyes and leaned forward.
Nephis smiled as she closed her eyes and waited for his lips to touch hers.
Splash!
Nephis gasped.
Sunless laughed.
Her face drenched in water, she blinked the droplets away from her eyelashes and looked ahead, only to see Sunless laughing as he retreated after splashing her.
A smile came to her lips as a challenge flickered in her eyes, and she swam toward him.
"You're not getting away, Master Sunless," she said.
Sunless laughed even more as he swam away.
"We'll see about that," he said with clear amusement.
Nephis followed him with a smile of her own.
Then she dove underwater.
Sunless looked over his shoulder only to see her disappear, and his eyes widened. He looked at the surface and was about to lunge away when he felt something grab his feet.
He was pulled under.
With his face beneath the water, Nephis resurfaced with a smile, her hair drenched as she watched bubbles rise from below.
She ran a hand through her wet hair as she looked down.
"That's what you get," she said.
A moment passed, but Sunless didn't resurface.
Nephis blinked.
There were some bubbles, obviously, since the man had probably let out a few breaths. But he was an Ascended. Staying underwater for long periods of time wasn't anything strange.
Still...
"Master Sunless?" she called out again as she swam a little closer to where his head had disappeared.
"Master Sunless?"
She looked around.
Some worry crept in.
It was irrational, but still, it crept in.
She contemplated going underwater herself, and just as she was about to—
Splash!
The surface broke behind her as Sunless emerged, his arms wrapping around her waist.
Nephis gasped as she looked over her shoulder with a smile.
Sunless nuzzled closer.
"There, got you," he said as he pulled her back against his chest.
Nephis relaxed completely.
She let her shoulders slump as she leaned into his chest.
It was only then that she actually realized how muscular Master Sunless's body was.
Naturally, they had held each other close a few times during their encounters.
Her face flushed at the memories, but it appeared that she had been too busy to realize how sturdy his body actually was.
Nephis turned herself in his hold and came face-to-face with Sunless as his hands rested on her waist.
His face...
He had a small smile on his face, and his cheeks were tinged red.
Nephis suspected hers were the same as he looked at her.
They were close.
Quite close.
And considering that this time they were in their swimsuits, they didn't exactly have many layers of clothing keeping their skin from touching.
Yet that did not deter her.
In fact, she like it.
She quite preferred being this close to Sunless.
Her body pressed lightly closer as their abdomens came into contact.
Sunless's hand lingered on her waist, lightly beneath her faintly defined abs. As her faint abs pressed against his own defined ones, his left hand stayed lightly on the small of her back while his right rested on her waist.
Since they were in the water and Sunless was leaning back somewhat, it became easier for her to hold on to him. They floated together as their legs paddled faintly beneath the surface.
Sunless pulled her closer.
Their eyes bored into each other's, as if they weren't trying to find anything, but simply staying still and grounded, as though nothing else existed.
Then Sunless's hand moved slightly as he pulled her closer.
Nephis's palm came around his back, hugging him lightly as their lips met in a kiss.
The kiss was tender and soft, gentle in its nature as it always was.
Nephis found her hands roaming across his back.
His back was broad and chiseled.
Strangely, despite being taller than Sunless, in that moment she felt both large enough to hold him in her arms and small enough for him to gather her in his own.
And that was exactly what was happening.
Sunless's muscular arms moved and pulled her closer as their heads tilted. Their kiss deepened as they both moved to caress each other's lips.
When Sunless took her upper lip, she pressed against his lower one. When he moved to her lower lip, she went to his upper.
Their faces were red, but their lips felt warm and moist.
Neither wanted to pull back.
Sunless pulled away lightly, their eyes fluttering open faintly as he breathed.
"My lady."
His voice was low and soft.
That somehow made it worse.
'No.'
'I suppose it made it better.'
'Way too much better.'
One of Nephis's hands went behind Sunless's head and pulled him closer again as her other hand came to rest over his heart.
Their kiss deepened yet again.
Sunless's left arm rose higher to hold her closer as he lightly pressed her chest against his. His right hand trailed downward along her waist before hovering near the side of her thigh, faintly tracing her without properly touching.
Nephis's brow creased slightly.
Her left hand went to his and pressed it firmly against her thigh before bringing it higher along the side of her hip, giving him her approval.
Sunless froze for a moment.
Then she felt a smile against her lips and smiled back.
Her hand returned behind his back to pull him closer as Sunless's hand gently caressed her thigh.
She felt a sudden urge and lightly, gently curled her knees enough for them to tuck against Sunless's sides as his hand slid to the back of her thigh.
With her feet raised higher, Sunless was able to swim backward more easily as their kiss deepened further.
She felt the tip of Sunless's tongue lightly brush against her lips and breathed sharply.
Her own mouth opened as she reached out with the tip of her tongue and met his.
When their tongues touched, a jolt of electricity went through her body as warmth spread through her.
She wrapped her arms around him tighter, holding him closer. Despite their bodies already being completely in contact, it felt as though they weren't close enough.
A part of her wanted to hold Sunless closer.
Closer than was physically possible.
When their tongues touched again, she tilted her head to the side and parted her lips faintly against his, inviting him inside.
Sunless's warm tongue entered her mouth and pressed against hers. She guided it to the side, wanting his tongue to touch and feel her mouth, as if she were showing a guest around.
And she wanted this guest to become familiar enough to call this place home.
They both let out soft moans against each other's mouths.
Neither parted.
...
The hall was quiet for a moment.
"These masks..." Eurys spoke. "You all, what were you doing in the Doom War anyway?"
He looked sharply at the Lord of Shadows and the Keeper of Fate.
"Especially you two... I just know it. You two did something far more than any of them," he said.
"...Sharp instincts," the Keeper of Fate complimented with a smile behind his mask.
"However, you'd be wrong in your assessment," he said.
Eurys narrowed his eyes.
The Lord of Shadows looked into the darkness as he spoke.
"Compared to the others, our tasks were nothing grand."
The Keeper of Fate chuckled faintly, though there was no amusement in it.
"That certainly is true..."
"..."
Eurys regarded them for a moment.
"As if."
He didn't speak for a while.
"Then tell me what the other five were doing?" he asked.
The Keeper of Fate leaned to his other side.
"Ahh, that. I don't mind telling. Do we?"
"...Tell him what you wish. It makes no difference," the Lord of Shadows said.
"Whatever you deem wise, I will follow," the Harbinger of Ruin said.
The Seer of Paths moved his neck.
"Sure, I don't mind."
"If that is what everyone wishes to do," the Crown of Grace said pleasantly.
The Cursed of Truth and the Child of Erasure nodded as well.
Eurys looked at the Keeper of Fate.
The masked man smiled and spoke.
"Unlike me and the Lord of Shadows, the others were doing something far more important..." he said.
"...What?" Eurys said.
The Keeper of Fate turned to him slightly.
Eurys couldn't help but feel the faint trace of something dark in that gaze.
Not hostility.
But something dark.
His voice turned eerily solemn for a moment.
"Prepare for the aftermath of the Doom War."
Eurys's eyes narrowed as he looked at the others.
The Keeper of Fate continued, his usual tone returning.
"The great Harbinger of Ruin walked across countless realms and met many mortals. His task was to gather all that he could about civilizations—their cultures, methods, ways of life, and knowledge—and collect them all, all while rallying them behind him so that when the war came, we could isolate the innocent mortals and civilizations from the war of the Divine and lead them to safety," he explained.
Eurys's eyes snapped toward the Harbinger of Ruin.
'...'
"Granted, not all listened, naturally. However, his deeds of saving beings across the realms were widespread, and he was revered as a savior of people. When the Doom War came, civilizations upon civilizations walked behind him and were guided to safety."
Eurys regarded the spear wielder once again.
He was sitting calmly.
Despite the mask, the aura around him told Eurys that he held no pride or ego for what he had done.
He was solemnly quiet.
Solemn, even.
The Keeper of Fate smiled at the man.
"He helped in saving many, many lives."
A moment of silence came.
"...I," the Harbinger of Ruin paused. "I could have saved more."
It sounded as though he were simply stating a fact.
Before anyone else could speak, the Lord of Shadows looked at him calmly.
"You saved more than the Gods cared to create."
The Harbinger of Ruin turned toward him.
Their eyes met behind their masks.
The Keeper of Fate could tell that the Harbinger of Ruin let out a faint smile behind his mask.
The Seer of Paths regarded them, then spoke in a gentle tone.
"You two truly do act as if you don't care, when no one has cared for mortals as much as you."
He paused.
"Was that not why you two worked to put those countless souls into the cycle of rebirth through the heart of the—"
He stopped as he glanced at Eurys.
Then he shook his head, smiled somewhat mischievously, and looked away.
The Crown of Grace regarded the Lord of Shadows and the Harbinger of Ruin with a small smile.
"The great Harbinger of Ruin and the great Lord of Shadows. How ironic. The ones whose names tie them to bringing death and ruin... no one fought more than them to keep people alive—"
"Enough."
The Harbinger of Ruin's calm voice came.
It was neither a request nor a demand.
The Crown of Grace stopped and smiled, followed by a polite nod.
The Harbinger of Ruin closed his eyes calmly.
Eurys looked at them.
He was seeing a pattern in their behavior.
Perhaps it reflected in their tasks as well.
"The great Seer of Paths arranged for their safety," the Keeper of Fate began.
The Crown of Grace smiled as the Seer of Paths looked away.
The Keeper of Fate smiled as if he were seeing a shy younger brother.
"He did many things, but his main task was to create—or rather, find and prepare—several uninhabited or usable realms that could later be turned into safe places for the mortals who followed the Harbinger of Ruin," he said.
'...'
Eurys stared at the seemingly lively masked man.
'Civilizations upon civilizations and countless realms... Even if they are downplaying it, and even if only a hundred smaller realms are counted, that's a few billion mortals...'
His gaze remained on the Seer of Paths.
'For this man to make enough space for all of those people... how long did he work? How many abominations must he have killed?'
He turned to the Keeper of Fate.
"How do you even keep smaller realms safe from the wrath of the Great Gods and Daemons?" he asked, not composed, but still serious.
"The Great Gods and Daemons were too strong. Even if they fought, the fluctuations created by their battles would have shaken the foundations of the smaller realms, and the realms would have collapsed."
The Keeper of Fate smiled as he turned toward the next person.
"For that, we have the great Crown of Grace to be grateful to," he said with a smile.
Eurys looked at the seemingly gentle man.
"Him?" he asked carefully.
He was not going to underestimate these damned masked men.
The Crown of Grace smiled evenly.
"Now, I did nothing that great."
"He arranged for a defensive mechanism that allowed the realms to be uninterrupted by the battles of the Gods. Naturally, it didn't take the realms away from the fundamental pillars of existence that the Great Gods governed, but it allowed them to exist uninterrupted, as if the Great Gods were dead, like the current situation now," the Keeper of Fate explained.
Eurys's gaze snapped toward the gentle man.
'If that's remotely true, the level of creation he can make is not limited to physical existence.'
The Crown of Grace smiled.
"Now, now. I couldn't have done all that without all of your help, especially the Seer of Paths. We needed many abominations of the Cursed Rank and had to kill them. It would have been near impossible without the help of the great Seer of Paths and the great Lord of Shadows too."
"Do not call me that... pretty boy," the Lord of Shadows interrupted.
The Crown of Grace jolted, then leaned back with a groan.
"In front of a guest?"
He paused to himself before looking back.
"But still, fighting that many abominations by myself, I couldn't have done a great job—"
"Tell that to the dead Gods and Daemons," the Seer of Paths interrupted.
The Crown of Grace stopped.
Then he sighed in defeat.
The Keeper of Fate smiled at the interaction.
"You do not praise yourself enough, oh great Crown of Grace."
The masked man looked away.
"Regardless, he arranged for the safety of the mortals and their knowledge," the Keeper of Fate said.
Eurys looked at him.
"So you lot arranged to save not only lives, but their ways of life, cultures, and civilizations themselves?" he asked.
The Keeper of Fate smiled.
"They did. Unfortunately, my task was a bit more different."
Eurys didn't pry.
Seeing him and the way the Lord of Shadows had already spoken to the Harbinger of Ruin, he could tell that these two had done something more chaotic.
While the others fought to save everything that could have been destroyed, these two must have participated on the front lines and contained them from the start.
'These people...'
Eurys remained silent.
'When the Great Gods and Daemons were fighting, and the strongest of all the realms were busy tearing each other apart, there were these mortals running around... to save lives?'
He could hardly believe it.
These mysterious people who seemed both demonic and evil were, in fact, fighting to save mortals from the very Great Gods who swore to protect them.
However, that did not answer one more question.
"What about those two?"
He gestured toward the Cursed of Truth and the Child of Erasure.
"What were they doing? Saving a Divine Realm or making one?" he asked with false mockery.
The Keeper of Fate did not mind.
No one did.
However, his tone held a hint of seriousness.
"Those two... you're better off not knowing what they were doing. Most people are."
He paused.
"You should already know how dangerous knowledge can be. People die if they know the wrong words because their souls can't handle the existence they became aware of... and there are things that become aware of you when you know their name..."
Eurys was not satisfied, but he listened.
He understood very well what that meant.
Some people had Aspects that allowed them to do such things.
And then—
There were many beings beyond comprehension that could simply know if someone heard their name...
His gaze drifted upward as he remembered that pressure.
'Was that thing something similar...?'
He wondered.
"However..." the Keeper of Fate began.
Eurys looked at him again.
The Keeper of Fate's gaze drifted toward the two at the ends of the hall.
"If I had to say something about their task..."
His eyes narrowed as the air around him shifted faintly.
The shadows above stirred once more.
Eurys felt something ancient react to the words that were coming.
"They were working alongside the greatest of abominations."
Eurys paused.
And waited.
The shadows stirred for a moment before they calmed down.
Eventually, he determined that nothing was going to happen and sighed inwardly.
For a moment, silence reigned again.
It was broken by Eurys.
"...You all... what are you all exactly, even? That is still something I want to know."
He looked upward.
"You saw this being with Divine pressure."
Eurys broke the silence.
"Even if you have the masks on, your Ranks... no, your existence itself is... similar? You all feel like you're..."
The masks were too annoying, so Eurys couldn't determine a word to put to his thoughts, or even find the thought itself.
He looked at the Lord of Shadows.
"Your Aspect, it's Shadow, no doubt," he said.
Then he looked at the Keeper of Fate.
"But you? You use raw essence strings much like that Daemon, Weaver!" he said.
His eyes narrowed.
"That's no Aspect, and one cannot be Transcendent without having an Aspect, but you only use Sorcery."
He looked toward the Harbinger of Ruin.
"And you used raw physical ability and that damned spear, but no Aspect."
Then he looked toward the Seer of Paths.
"That shapeshifting weapon... it's Divine, and its nature is Darkness itself, but no Aspect either, I can tell."
He looked toward the Cursed of Truth, the Child of Erasure, and the Crown of Grace.
"And you three haven't even shown any abilities..."
He looked at them all.
"Only one of you is using an Aspect ability. The others are operating around weapons or Sorcery, but all of you have Aspects..."
His eyes narrowed.
"So did this 'being' do something to you all?"
The question hung in the air.
A moment passed.
Then the next.
Then—
"H-Hahaha."
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
A deep, dark chuckle came from the Lord of Shadows as he clapped slowly and loudly.
"Finally... using your brain, huh?" he said in amusement.
Eurys stared at him with deadly calmness.
"You've certainly hit the nail on the head," the Seer of Paths laughed as Eurys looked at him calmly.
"Eurys," the Keeper of Fate called in his usual tone.
"You certainly are, as always, beyond impressive compared to most others alive in the current era."
He paused.
"I suppose there is no harm in telling you a little without permission."
Eurys turned his attention to him fully.
"We feel similar because we are, in a sense... similar beings," he began.
"We all belong to the same origin," the Lord of Shadows stepped in.
"...Same origin?" Eurys asked carefully.
The Cursed of Truth spoke.
"What do you know of the Daemons?" he asked.
Eurys looked at him.
He still didn't know their names.
It also happened that, other than the Lord of Shadows and the Keeper of Fate, only their titles seemed to correspond to their roles.
"The Daemons... those things were born Sacred in the dawn of time alongside the Great Gods and became Divine Titans quickly. They were the only beings close to the same level as the Great Gods and had authority over Concepts like other Divine and Unholy beings," Eurys said quickly, wanting to get to the point.
The Keeper of Fate nodded.
"Indeed. However, what needs to be differentiated is that they did not govern these Concepts with the same depth as the Great Gods governed theirs... Do you know why?"
Eurys regarded the question.
They were touching on territory that he did not want to talk about.
Unless all felt to Corruption and became abominations.
The Keeper of Fate did not let him dwell on it for long.
"The answer lies in something your dear friends uncovered," he said.
Eurys sharpened.
The Keeper of Fate was obviously referring to the Nine.
The Lord of Shadows continued.
"The Scholar had attained a Truth Ariel could not hold and was Defiled. However, the Truth was used by another member who used it and orchestrated the demise of the Gods... You coward bastard, didn't have the guts to clash against some mere Great Gods yourself..."
The Lord of Shadows trailed off.
Eurys didn't even bother with the insult.
The Lord of Shadows had referenced the roles of two of the Nine in front of him.
That alone proved a great deal about their knowledge.
The Keeper of Fate smiled as he rested his head against his fist.
"You sound surprised. Was the blind poet not tasked to pass on the record of your deeds?"
Eurys snapped his head toward him.
That was the third member they knew about.
'...'
If he had a body, he would have clenched his fist.
"...Get to the point. What are you all, and what does it have to do with the Daemons?" he asked with restraint.
The Keeper of Fate regarded the skull with a smile, then sighed.
He stood up and walked down the marble stairs.
"The Daemons were born of the same source. The seven children of the Unknown," he said.
Eurys looked at his back carefully.
'Unknown... they know about that?'
"Each of the Daemons inherited some level of control over an authority the Unknown had. Not complete, hence they could not have grand authority over their Concepts."
He turned around and looked at Eurys.
"The seven Daemons were, in essence, created and used by Fate itself as pieces needed to be used against the Great Gods."
He turned around.
"Pieces that Fate would move through you of the Nine."
He descended the steps as his tone changed.
Step.
"And so appeared the Greatest of Abominations."
Step.
"To defy all of existence to save all of existence."
Step.
"And like the Unknown, created us to carry out the will of the Third Paradox."
He stepped into the center of the hall, facing the darkness opposite the dark throne.
He raised his arms as something shimmered in the darkness.
"So appeared the Greatest of Abominations to save all of existence, who stood above all of existence and swore to slay all of existence."
...
Sunless and Nephis were resting beneath the shade of his porch.
Nephis's head rested on Sunless's chest, now covered in his usual garbs, while one of Sunless's hands remained folded behind his head. A content smile rested on his face.
Neither was sleeping, but neither bothered getting up either.
Sunless's left hand remained on her back, drawing small circles as Nephis's ear rested against his chest, listening to his steady, healthy heartbeat.
Orphne had fallen asleep about thirty minutes ago after being fed.
Nephis was going to stay over again tonight, though she would have to leave early in the morning for her duties at the Ivory Tower.
What neither of them knew was that something was happening at that very moment within the halls of Bastion.
In a dimly lit war room inside Bastion stood Anvil, the King of Swords.
The King of Swords.
One of the two great Sovereigns of humanity.
His war council stood around him, talking among themselves, discussing and deciding what needed to be done.
The main problem remained that they needed more advantages than they had initially believed.
With the appearance of the Lord of Shadows, who was on equal footing with Nephis, the Changing Star, and the appearance of this mysterious new Saint, who had toyed with three Saints simultaneously while fighting several other Awakened and Ascendants, there were logistical problems they had not anticipated before.
While, in the best-case scenario, those two individuals would fight more of the Song Domain's enemies, war was never prepared around the best possibilities.
Hence, they had to assume that both would come charging directly toward the Sword Domain's army, eventually becoming even greater problems.
As everyone talked over each other, fussing over what possible advantages they could draw upon now, Anvil stared at the map of Godgrave.
He already knew they had enough Saints to keep up with each other.
A battle of that magnitude would possibly remain on equal footing as long as they had Saint Nephis on the battlefield.
As long as they had Saint Nephis on the battlefield, she could potentially keep up with and hold back the Lord of Shadows.
And if the Lord of Shadows did not appear on the battlefield, then she could take out multiple Saints all by herself.
However, the problem that remained in Anvil's mind was related to another matter that had been at the back of his mind for several days now.
And unfortunately, as much as he had been trying to ignore it, it kept coming back to him as a smith.
As a craftsman.
Weapons and armor.
Nephis's sword usually wore down, and her armor barely stayed intact due to the nature of her Aspect.
Whenever she was in battle, her flames ended up destroying her own equipment.
Even the swords she usually used had to be made by him personally because no one else was capable enough to make a blade that could last her more than a few battles.
However, even he could not keep producing weapons for her every single time.
And despite everything, Nephis was still their strongest Saint.
Nephis was, without a doubt, the Sword Domain's strongest Saint.
If she was not well-equipped, then there could be battlefield problems beyond strategy, numbers, and abilities.
It was the simple fact that their best could not enter the battlefield with the best equipment she could be offered.
And each time Anvil thought about this problem, there were only two possibilities.
The first was for him to create several weapons well-equipped for her, which he could not do due to the many other responsibilities he had alongside being the King of the Sword Domain.
There was also the fact that creating weapons for her required a certain level of effort and concentration that most others simply could not possess.
That no one else could possess.
And so, the one thing that had remained at the back of his mind for several days had simply connected with this problem.
A smith capable of making weapons for Nephis.
A smith capable of rivaling him.
Rivaling his own skills.
Naturally, no one would ever assume someone like that existed.
He wouldn't have either.
But that had changed less than a month ago.
Within this very month.
Only a few weeks ago.
It was the appearance of a certain Ascended.
A certain café owner.
And a certain father.
All three aspects embodied in one man who was perfect for the job.
And so, the King of Swords had made his decision.
His head rose as he looked at everyone around him.
Everyone's attention immediately turned to their king.
At their Supreme.
Anvil spoke in his deep, composed, and sharp tone.
"Send a message to Ascended Sunless. He's summoned for an audience."
...
"You will join the war," the King of Swords declared.
"...My King, I—"
Sunless was cut off.
A heavy pressure descended upon the hall, enough to force an Ascended to their knees.
Sunless was already on one out of courtesy and manners.
Now, his hand pressed into the marble as his body was pushed down.
His head remained lowered, so Anvil could not see his face or expression.
No one else was in the hall.
The pressure increased.
"If you wish, your daughter will be taken care of here within Valor, or she can live in the Ivory Tower and be taken care of by the Fire Keepers."
His eyes narrowed.
"However, you will join the war as the Sword Domain's smith."
The marble beneath Sunless's knee cracked as the pressure pushed him farther down.
His head remained lowered as the pressure increased a little more.
"You have no option, Sunless," he said. "If you wish to let your café remain tucked away in that little corner, that is fine. However, you live in the Sword Domain, and you will obey your orders."
His eyes narrowed.
"Ascended Sunless."
The voice was neither demanding nor overwhelming, yet it carried undeniable authority.
"Understood," Sunless said as his head rose.
"My King."
The pressure had caused blood to leak into his left eye.
...
Sunless walked out of the castle and sighed as people went about their day.
His eyes wandered toward the Ivory Tower as he held the details of his position in the Domain War in his hands, written in detail on the documents he had been given.
He let out a sigh as his left eye remained closed.
He looked at the documents in his hand as his other fist clenched, his knuckles turning white while Orphne's and Nephis's smiling faces flashed through his memory.
"Fine... if that's how it's going to be."
He looked up with resolve.
"Bring it on."