---
Uh, so. This was the chapter "A Heart's Longing, Divided." Thing is, I wrote that chapter while sleep deprived — like, literally awake for around 40 hours straight before I posted it.
I've since removed Heart God's Curse and the entire concept behind it. Because of that, some smaller details have been rewritten, but the overall chapter is the same. So if you've already read it, you don't need to read it again — just wait for the next chapter.
My apologies.
---
Thus, after they finished reading Sunny's Runes, neither of them spoke for a while.
The field of blue flowers continued swaying beneath the starlit sky. Beyond it, the dark Sea moved in gentle waves, reflecting lights that had no physical source. Saint appeared reluctant to leave this place, and Sunny could understand why.
He could have awakened without her. She remained his Shadow, so her presence was not necessary for him to return to his body. However, knowing that he could leave alone did not make him want to do so.
Considering everything he had experienced, Sunny did not want to awaken at all.
…Unfortunately, his desires never received any consideration from the world.
At present, he was sitting upon a white-leaved tree near the center of his Soul Sea. From there, he could observe the rippling water and the stars above it. Saint was moving through the flowers nearby, but the distance between them was enough to leave him alone with his thoughts.
He already knew why Astérisque flowers had appeared throughout his Soul Sea. Avarice was actively overwriting the laws within it, creating an environment capable of concealing the Archangel's presence. And since Astérisque flowers only appeared where the world formula was meddled with, it added up.
Sunny did not object to the matter.
He would rather have the Archangel hidden than endure the sensation of its gaze every moment of the day. Although the capacity of his mind had expanded enormously, a minor disturbance from Avarice would still be enough to destroy it.
After all, this was the Shadow of an Archangel, an existence surpassing both the Divine and the Unholy.
However, Avarice was not the reason for his troubled expression.
'It this a feeling of… loss?'
Sunny did not know what he was supposed to do next.
Saint had explained what occurred outside while he was unconscious. The influx of Nightmare Creatures stopped when the waves of Divinity disappeared, which happened at approximately the same time Sunny obtained what he needed. However, the creatures lured by those waves had not returned to their former territories.
And so, meeting a high-Class Fallen creature or a low-Class Corrupted creature was almost inevitable.
Sunny possessed [Fated], after all!
He was confident that he could fight another Fallen Devil. Now that he was conscious, he would not even require his Angelic Transformation to contend with one. His wit and skill could cover for most abominations still prowling the shores, leaving [Shadow of Parsimony] as a last resort.
Unfortunately, the condition of his True Body was another matter…
'I am still incomplete.'
When Sunny shifted his perception inward, he saw fractures passing through his body. They extended beneath his skin and penetrated the foundations of his physical form, revealing the instability of the Fables composing it.
He remained an incomplete collection of those Fables.
A plausibility storm could occur during battle without warning. Sunny could easily imagine himself facing a formidable creature, only for an unrelated scene from one of his Fables to seize his perception at the worst possible moment.
Being killed while watching a memory of himself being killed would be an embarrassing conclusion.
As such, repairing the Library had to remain his highest priority.
The missing members of his cohort complicated that decision, though.
As Sunny considered them, he sensed Saint turning through the flower field and beginning to walk toward him.
'Saint would have searched for everyone as soon as I was safe. She said I was unconscious for a week, and the Silvershade could cover a great distance during that time.'
There was only one reasonable conclusion.
Saint had failed to find them.
'That is hardly surprising. Viceroy said this Worldline had already been touched by an Outer God. The question is which one.'
Sunny had considered the mystery several times.
Viceroy could not be responsible because he had been unaware of the Worldline until the King of Outer Gods informed him about it.
The King could not be responsible either. He had only noticed this place after discovering a Worldline he neither created nor recognized from a previous reoccurrence.
To the only possible conclusion was that another Outer God had interfered here.
That possibility explained many of the differences Sunny had encountered.
The Happy Shadow shifted onto the branch beside him. Sunny looked at it, then raised one finger as though beginning a formal investigation.
"First, my childhood was considerably better than the one I remember from the original Worldline. Finding food in the Outskirts was easier. Of course, I also killed people before reaching the Forgotten Shore, so calling it pleasant would be inaccurate."
The Happy Shadow nodded earnestly.
A woman had occasionally given Sunny food when he was young. After several men murdered her, he hunted them down and killed them.
At the time, he had felt very little guilt. He had been too young and damaged to comprehend death properly, especially when the deaths belonged to people he hated.
Sunny raised a second finger.
"There was also someone who visited me in the Outskirts. Unfortunately, that memory is obscured."
He frowned and searched through the corresponding parts of his mind.
Many memories belonging to this Worldline had become unclear after countless others entered him. Even so, Sunny was certain that someone powerful had visited him when he still lived in the Outskirts.
The visitor had been imposing and was at least Ascended. Sunny could not remember their identity, what they wanted, or why someone of that Rank had come to see him specifically.
He only remembered that the meeting happened.
Sunny raised a third finger and moved forward along the sequence of events.
"Then there is Cassie and Nephis. My relationship with them was far too different, and Nephis herself is almost another person."
A different Worldline would naturally create different people. However, several changes seemed too significant to dismiss.
His time with Cassie and Nephis had been emotionally lighter. Nephis was less socially awkward than the woman preserved within the original Sunny's memories. Cassie presently resembled her original counterpart, but the relationship Sunny shared with her had once been far closer.
Unlike what had happened in the original worldline, Cassie did not hesitate to seek emotional support from Sunny.
It was only natural. She had lost her sight not long ago, and the Dark Sea was not a place where a blind girl could afford to show weakness. Every distant howl, every unfamiliar footstep, and every sudden silence held a threat she could neither recognize nor escape on her own.
Sunny knew that Cassie was stronger than she appeared. In some ways, she was far stronger than most people he had met. However, courage did not erase fear. It merely allowed a person to continue despite it.
How did she endure all of this in the original worldline?
Sunny did not know.
Back then, she had not relied on him in the same manner. Perhaps Nephis had taken his place, or perhaps Cassie had simply hidden her fear until it became impossible for anyone to notice. Considering how adept she would eventually become at concealing her thoughts, the latter possibility was not difficult to believe.
In any case, her willingness to depend on him presented both a responsibility and an opportunity. The closer they became, the better he would be able to influence the events that awaited them. With sufficient preparation, he might be able to prevent some of the tragedies that had defined their first journey across the Forgotten Shore.
Of course, such plans were meaningless until he found Cassie and Nephis again.
Scratching the back of his head, Sunny frowned.
Even that was difficult to predict. Too many unknown variables had been introduced into this worldline, and two of them were especially troublesome.
Abaddon and Lethe.
One was the Saviour of Corruption. The other was the Daemon of Oblivion. Neither possessed a habit of explaining their intentions, and both were powerful enough to turn a minor deviation into a calamity.
Sunny did not know where they were or what they were doing. Nevertheless, he knew that they had recently drawn upon a considerable portion of their power.
The enchantment [Sentiments of the Abyss Lord] allowed him to sense certain fluctuations related to Abaddon. It was not precise enough to show Sunny what the man was fighting, nor did it allow him to determine where the battle was taking place. However, when Abaddon ceased restraining himself and released his true might, the resulting disturbance was difficult to mistake.
Sunny possessed a similar connection to Lethe through the Blessing and Miracle she had bestowed upon him. That connection had stirred as well.
Because of this, he both of them were fighting.
More importantly, they were not facing an ordinary opponent.
Sunny's expression darkened.
Considering their status and power, especially Abaddon's, only a small number of beings should have been capable of forcing them to such an extent. A high-class Cursed Being was one possibility. There was also a much worse possibility, one he did not particularly wish to consider.
An Unholy. Some Profaned God must have already awoken.
But why would they fight a Profaned God?
Abaddon and Lethe were reckless in their own ways, but they were not fools. They would not deliberately seek out an enemy of that caliber without a compelling reason. Even if they were confident in surviving, the consequences of such a battle could not be easily contained.
Sunny remained silent for several moments, but eventually abandoned the question. There was no useful conclusion he could reach with the information available to him. Neither could he cross the impossible distance separating them and interfere in their battle.
All he could do was hope that the two returned alive.
The situation had to be dire. Through their connection, Sunny had felt Abaddon invoke his second True Name, [King of Corrupted Angels]. He had also sensed Abaddon magnify the contradiction within his existence, simultaneously assuming the status of a Spirit and a Profaned Spirit.
Sunny could not imagine what sort of enemy had forced him to resort to that method.
After considering it for a while, he summoned his runes and shifted his attention to one particular line.
Ranks: Dreamer, Dreamer.
Sunny stared at it thoughtfully.
Abaddon had been the one to mend the division between his Flame and Void. As a result, Sunny was now walking two paths at once. As far as he knew, only he and Abaddon possessed complete access to both the Path of Ascension and the Path of Corruption.
That privilege was accompanied by a troublesome burden.
They had to advance along both paths.
Sunny narrowed his eyes.
Once his Fables were restored, Natural Awakening should fall within his capabilities. If so, he would be able to raise his rank without depending entirely on the Nightmare Spell.
However, the existence of two paths suggested another possibility.
Could he become an Awakened through one path while reaching the Fallen Rank through the other?
Neither he nor Abaddon had attempted such a thing. It might have been fundamentally impossible. The two ranks could have been forced to remain equal, or advancing one might have caused the other to rise as well. There was also a chance that the conflict between them would damage his soul.
Nevertheless, the idea was worth considering.
If Sunny advanced along the Path of Ascension and became an Awakened, he would gain access to [Shadow Step]. At the same time, if he advanced along the Path of Corruption and became Fallen, the quality and volume of his power would undergo a much greater transformation.
He would not obtain [Shadow Manifestation]. That ability belonged to a later stage of Ascension, and corruption could not simply grant him the same Aspect Ability by another route.
Even so, raw power had its own value.
Saint had already warned him about the threats awaiting them on the Forgotten Shore. Sunny possessed several methods of temporarily increasing his might, but temporary strength was not the same as true advancement.
If he managed to combine [Star of Divinity] with [Incarnation of Divinity], then assumed the transformation granted by [Shadow of Parsimony], he might be able to survive a battle against a Corrupted Devil.
Survive was the important word.
He would not truly be its equal. His body would be torn apart, restored by Soul Flame, and torn apart again. He would have to accept every grievous wound for the sake of delivering a single decisive strike. Such an encounter would be less of a battle and more of a contest between the creature's capacity to destroy him and his capacity to continue rebuilding himself.
Even then, victory would not be guaranteed.
Against a Fallen Tyrant, however, Sunny was reasonably confident. He might even be able to contend with the Crimson Terror.
A faint gleam appeared in his eyes.
If simultaneous advancement was possible, the most dangerous creatures on the Forgotten Shore would no longer be insurmountable obstacles. Once he possessed [Shadow Step] and the fundamental might of a Fallen being, his overall combat strength might surpass what he had possessed during the Antarctica Campaign.
In that case, protecting his allies would become much easier. He could hunt down the abominations that threatened them before those abominations had a chance to claim hundreds of lives.
He might even be able to change the fate of the Forgotten Shore itself.
Sunny sighed.
It was an enticing theory, but it remained only a theory. He had learned long ago that a beautiful plan was often the first casualty of reality.
"Yeah..."
His gaze lingered on the runes for a few more moments before another thought surfaced. Turning toward the Happy Shadow, he asked:
"Something has been bothering me. Saint seems younger. I don't remember ever seeing her with this appearance."
He studied the shadow silently as it nodded.
Could his Fables have influenced her creation?
The possibility was strange, but it was not entirely implausible. Every time Sunny looked at Saint, he experienced an uncomfortable sense of familiarity. Her measured speech and nearly flawless composure reminded him of the Saint he had met in Mirage City Noir.
However, that woman had appeared to be in her late twenties or perhaps her early thirties. The Saint accompanying him now was clearly younger. She seemed to be in her early twenties and might have been only a few years older than Sunny himself.
Despite that difference, the resemblance remained unmistakable.
She looked almost exactly like… Amanises.
Sunny stared at her for a while. Then he chuckled for no apparent reason and raised his head toward the sky.
A tear rolled down his cheek.
The smile vanished from his face, as if it was never there at all.
'Amanises... I am sorry.'
There was no one else he could blame and no excuse he could offer.
He was the one who led her to her death, after all.
—
Saint returned after finishing her exploration of Sunny's Soul Sea.
'This place is truly marvelous.'
There was little to dislike within the field of blue flowers, the dark Sea, and the starlit sky. The only exception was a notoriously Vile Bird.
Saint passed it several times and concluded that something must have occurred between it and Sunny while she was unconscious. The bird seemed incapable of attacking her or interfering with her movement.
Instead, it watched her… greedily.
It appeared to want something.
'It remains as disturbing as I remember.'
Saint could clearly recall the Vile Thieving Bird and the battle against it within the Tomb of Ariel. Sunny, Nephis, Ananke, and Saint herself had all experienced the horror of that creature.
She did not fear it. However, remaining within its presence was unpleasant.
'At least it is a Shadow now.'
Unfortunately, it could not be summoned into the material world safely. Saint suspected that Sunny's authority over it existed only within his Soul Sea.
If he ever released it, the Vile Thieving Bird would probably devastate everything within reach while ignoring his commands, before killing Sunny himself. Given the chance, at least.
The realization made Saint chuckle.
Sunny was unlikely to summon it under any circumstance, really.
These thoughts accompanied her as she approached the central tree. However, after seeing Sunny, her faint amusement disappeared.
He had concealed the evidence poorly.
Tears had dried against his face. His posture revealed that he had fallen into another sorrowful mood, perhaps the seventh since his awakening. His fingers were buried in his palms, and his nails had drawn blood more than once.
Sunny did not seem to notice the injuries.
Perhaps the pain was too insignificant compared to what he felt.
'What am I supposed to do with you? How can I help you?'
Saint had been recreated using the Fables of her previous life. Consequently, she retained memories of Mirage City Noir, where she had worked as a therapist and had been exceptionally skilled at it.
The signs before her were familiar.
Sunny was displaying the beginnings of severe depression. His emotions were blunted until they suddenly became overwhelming, his sense of identity had fractured across multiple lives, and his attachment to survival seemed increasingly dependent upon obligations rather than personal desire. He also carried survivor's guilt, chronic isolation, intrusive recollections, and the habit of treating his own suffering as an irrelevant expense.
At this rate, his condition would deteriorate with frightening speed.
'Of course.'
He was a regressor.
After everything regressors endured, their afflictions had become almost predictable. They remembered companions who no longer remembered them, grieved people who were alive again, and carried responsibility for futures that had ceased to exist. They could enter a familiar room and experience it as a graveyard while everyone around them continued speaking.
A regressor without some form of depression would probably be considered abnormal.
Every regressor carried regrets. Otherwise, there would have been little reason to regress.
'I wonder which regret is tormenting him now. There are so many possibilities that hearing all of them might require an entire day.'
Unfortunately, Saint did not possess an entire day.
They had already remained here for too long.
She promised herself that she would conduct a thorough examination later. Attempting to explore Sunny's mental state immediately could cause more harm than good because his cognition remained fragile.
He needed time to learn how to navigate his memories.
Saint imagined the structure of his mind as a multidimensional map. Focusing upon one recollection opened paths toward thousands of connected experiences, each belonging to a different period, perspective, or version of himself.
The mind of an ordinary human might contain memories comparable to a country.
Sunny's memories resembled a supercontinent.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Sunny looked up. Somehow, he concealed the emotions that had overwhelmed him moments earlier and raised one eyebrow.
"Are you planning to stare at my face all day? Has my irresistible charm finally captured you?"
Saint maintained a solemn expression.
"Milord, complete honesty requires me to admit that you are attractive. However, Nightingale possesses far more charm."
Sunny stared at her in shock.
'What a betrayal!'
Saint reached forward and ruffled his hair.
"You don't need any sort of charm, though. You possess your own appeal. Have you forgotten how many women stared at you with infatuated eyes during your previous life?"
Sunny seemed surprised by the observation. He rose from the branch, chuckled, and shook his head.
"I have forgotten most of that, actually. Sorting through these memories will take some time."
As he stretched his body, Saint sensed movement beyond the Soul Sea. His physical body in the Dream Realm appeared to be responding to the actions performed by his spiritual form.
Relief passed through her.
'His body is functioning.'
A question she had considered for some time returned to her.
"What does it feel like inside your mind? The condition remains difficult for me to imagine."
Sunny kept one eye open while stretching his neck.
"Viceroy described it quite well, really. Whenever I focus upon a memory, I temporarily relive the corresponding events and remember them as they occur. I can also choose whether to observe the memory from my original perspective or from outside myself."
Saint tilted her head.
"If every memory must be actively relived, how can you recall their contents before doing so?"
Sunny shrugged.
"I can… access them as information? I know what happened and what I did, but I cannot fully process the emotions, mental condition, or reasoning involved until I relive the memory."
Saint placed one hand beneath her chin.
"I see."
Sunny smirked.
"Are you going to record every detail about me? Have I become another subject for you to study?"
Saint answered more loudly than intended.
"Of course you have! Nothing comparable to your condition has occurred in human history. It may have no precedent in any history. You are far too interesting for me to ignore."
A mischievous expression appeared on Sunny's face.
"So I am interesting now? Which part interests you most?"
Saint's smile acquired a dangerous quality.
"Milord, recount everything you are and everything you have survived. Then answer the question yourself."
Sunny considered her words.
"Damn… can't argue with that."
Their smiles remained for a few moments. Then Saint looked toward the edge of the flower field and pointed.
"I have been meaning to ask. Are you going to turn that creature into a Shadow?"
Sunny did not need to follow her finger.
The Silvershade Harrow waited nearby.
He crossed his arms and looked toward the starlit sky.
'Should I?'
There were several factors to consider.
Shadow Weave allowed him to create Shadows without placing them inside his Shadow Cores. Sunny had already tested the process before returning to this Worldline.
However, such Shadows possessed significant disadvantages.
He could not recall them into his Soul Sea at will. Furthermore, Shadows that naturally regained sentience could become dangerous if released into the world without a means of containment.
'I will not use that method yet.'
There was no reason to do so because one Shadow Core remained unoccupied.
Soul Serpent inhabited his Demon Core. Saint was a Phantasm, but she remained connected to his Beast Core. The Vile Thieving Bird occupied his Monster Core.
Therefore, Silvershade would require his remaining Devil Core.
The decision depended upon whether Sunny could become a Tyrant before entering his Second Nightmare.
Nightmare required a Shadow Core.
Sunny's glorious, magnificent black steed had to return to him! Among the Shadows from his previous life, there were two he refused to abandon.
The first was Nightmare because its Dream Curse remained invaluable. Sunny could reproduce a similar power, but he knew circumstances would arise where invoking it personally was impractical.
The second was Slayer, the Shadow of Orphne of the Nine.
Slayer possessed more than a thousand years of combat experience. Her battle art could overwhelm most opponents directly, while her Aspect Abilities were equally formidable.
When Sunny first fought her, Slayer existed somewhere between Transcendent and Supreme. After their year of continuous combat, she advanced fully into Supremacy again.
Sunny intended to obtain both Shadows again.
That was also why he could not advance naturally to Ascension. He needed the Second Nightmare and the opportunities contained within it.
According to Saint, many Fallen and Corrupted Abominations now occupied the path toward the Crimson Spire. Additional creatures likely surrounded the Dark City. So really, reaching the Spire was going to be difficult — slowing down his path to the Second Nightmare.
But aside from those two… Fiend, Mimic, and Vile would probably never return.
Fiend could only be obtained during the Antarctica Campaign. Since this Worldline had already changed, Sunny could not predict whether that campaign would occur in a recognizable form.
Mimic had become unnecessary. Sunny could create an Echo and place seven three-layered Enchantments upon it, reproducing any function he required. Connecting such a creation to [Shadow Step] would also become possible later.
And finally, the circumstances responsible for creating Vile could not be repeated.
Sunny had no intention of entertaining another encounter with the Vile Thieving Bird inside the Estuary.
'Though… if my theory is correct, I will still have to face it after becoming a Saint. I should prepare several Spells at least a year beforehand and borrow Abaddon's power, 'Saviour of Corruption'.'
The prospect of confronting a Cursed Terror as a Transcendent Titan made him shudder.
However, Sunny could presently contend with a Fallen Devil while being a Dormant Devil. After becoming Transcendent, fighting Cursed beings might not remain impossible.
He suspected that his Transcendent self in this life would surpass the Supreme he had once been.
Though, that still would not make confronting the Vile Thieving Bird pleasant.
Worse still, Sunny would need to kill the creature within his Third Nightmare while preventing it from escaping into the true Tomb of Ariel. Allowing it to slaughter the River People and damage the seven suns was unacceptable.
'Ananke… I look forward to seeing you again.'
He could not remember her without feeling affection.
After considering every factor, Sunny reached a temporary conclusion.
"I will decide later. Using my final available Core now may not be the best idea, especially if a stronger candidate appears."
Saint nodded.
"Then we should leave."
Sunny released a dejected sigh.
"…I suppose I have to face reality again."
Saint smiled.
"We cannot remain within a dream forever, Milord."
Her form disappeared from the tree as she departed his Soul Sea.
Sunny remained upon the white leaves and prepared to shift his perception back to his body. Before doing so, he muttered one final complaint.
"I cannot allow her to keep calling me Milord. It feels unbearably unnatural!"
Then he vanished.
—
'Comfortable.'
That was Sunny's first thought upon opening his eyes.
The second was that his surroundings were pleasant.
He lay on his back upon something resembling a soft bed or several thick blankets. Rain poured beyond the walls, producing a soothing sound that filled the room.
Sunny had always enjoyed rain in the Outskirts because it made sleeping easier. Its steady cadence concealed the noises outside and allowed his mind to rest.
It also reminded him of Rain.
As just like in the original Worldline, Sunny had chosen not to approach her.
Surprisingly, the thought did not cause as much pain as expected. He felt curious about how Rain was living now, especially since he could no longer assume that her life resembled the one preserved within his memories.
Sunny began to rise, then stopped after hearing movement.
He lowered his gaze.
…There was another reason the bed felt comfortable.
Saint was sprawled across him.
She had probably assumed that position after he died, awakened, and died again. A silk blanket separated their lower bodies, but from the waist upward there was little distance between them.
Saint opened her eyes several seconds after Sunny.
Both froze.
Sunny immediately cursed his own Shadow Sense.
His senses recorded every minute detail as Saint began moving away. Her leg disentangled from his, and the arm around his neck withdrew. Her other hand pressed against his chest while she lifted herself, causing the warmth of her body and the softness of her figure to leave him gradually.
Her head had been resting against his neck.
That moved as well.
The accumulated sensations overwhelmed Sunny. He leapt backward with a yelp and struck the tower wall hard enough to bury himself in rubble.
Saint's eyes widened.
She moved to help remove the fragments of stone from his hair, but Sunny stood rigidly and raised one arm before she reached him.
His voice was firm, although the uncertainty beneath it remained obvious.
"Do. Not. Ask."
Saint nodded.
She remained curious, though...
'What disturbed him so much?'
She was entirely unaware of the emotional problem growing inside him.
Sunny recovered quickly. He brushed the debris from his clothes and surveyed the room.
"Where are we?"
Saint looked through the nearest window. Rain passed beyond it in silver lines.
"I returned to the Cathedral's territory. We remain within the Dark City, but this is the highest tower nearby. Judging by its construction, it was once a clock tower belonging to whatever civilization occupied the Forgotten Shores before its destruction."
Sunny considered her words.
'She does not remember? But she's been on these Shores for a long time now.'
His expression betrayed the question. Saint turned toward him and smiled faintly.
"I remember very little, really. Those memories contain Corruption, so only impressions remain. Your own recollections possess a similar limitation. You retain impressions of what you experienced while Sacred and Divine."
Sunny nodded.
Then he examined his clothing.
Parts of his chest were exposed. The lower portions of the Puppeteer's Shroud had been almost completely destroyed.
Saint looked him over.
"Remember that you possess a Shell now! Your Shroud is in a miserable condition after our battle with the Black Knight."
Sunny's expression brightened.
'Right. I forgot.'
Marble Shell contained [Sublime Silk].
When [True Purpose] interacted with [Sublime Silk], Sunny and Saint could shape their Mantles into any form or style they desired.
Ordinarily, steel armor would have offered superior protection, but that limitation no longer applied to them.
The silk itself was armor. Its strands had been condensed and interwoven, then strengthened further through Nether's evolved mastery of Diamond Weave. Regardless of the clothing it formed, the material remained more durable than the former Shell.
The Puppeteer's Shroud dissolved into white sparks.
Then—
A long, asymmetrical coat formed in its place. Pale blue-white sigils covered the dark fabric, while several black layers protected the body beneath it. The hem divided into irregular strips that moved independently around his legs.
Wide lapels framed a loose tunic. His left arm was covered by an ordinary sleeve, while layers of dark silk plating wrapped the right and ended in a fingerless gauntlet. The design concealed the constellation mark of Silver Weave across his wrist and forearm.
Wide trousers disappeared into tall, black combat boots. Several belts crossed his waist and torso at diagonal angles, completing the appearance of a mercenary from a forgotten industrial age.
Saint could not explain why Sunny had chosen a style he should not have recognized.
The clothing finished forming. Sunny moved his arms, tested its flexibility, and noticed her stare.
"How do I look?"
Saint examined him once more.
"Distinguished, Milord."
'He should possess no knowledge of that fashion. How did he create it?'
Sunny seemed pleased.
'To think Sublime Silk would be this useful.'
He walked toward Saint while stretching his physical body and yawning. Together, they approached the broad window overlooking part of the Dark City.
Silvershade was perched upon the top of the tower. Sunny could sense it through the rain and had still not decided whether to transform it into a Shadow.
At present, he was leaning toward doing so.
Possessing a creature of its strength and mobility would be a tremendous advantage.
'I am still unfamiliar with Storm God's Miracles. Unlike Saint, I cannot invoke them continuously because I am an Angel. The Curse of a God is quite poisonous to an Angel, indeed.'
Sunny could only use Divine Miracles for limited periods. Advancing through the Ranks would extend those periods, but it would not remove the danger entirely.
He envied Saint in this regard. She had already learned to use Storm God's Miracles effectively and appeared to possess no time limit.
'Is that because she was created in Nokstella's image?'
That thought reminded him of something glimpsed upon Saint's skin.
'Was that a tattoo?'
He wanted to ask. However, questioning Saint about it seemed dangerous.
If he requested to see the mark, she would probably reveal it without hesitation. Seeing more of her skin while his memories, emotions, and heart remained unstable would create another problem.
Saint nudged his shoulder and interrupted the thought. She did not ask what had occupied his immense mind.
Instead, she opened the window and allowed cold rain to enter the tower.
"Today has ended, which makes this the seventh day since we killed the Black Knight. I used Silvershade to carry you toward the Bright Castle."
Saint's expression became grim.
"The Castle was gone. I cannot prove that the same crimson creature responsible for attacking you destroyed it, but I believe it was involved."
For a moment, Sunny's perception of the world slowed.
…His intuition remained calm.
Storm God's Blessing enhanced his senses, while his connection to Fate still allowed him to perceive parts of the present. The future might have disappeared, but present circumstances continued leaving traces.
Sunny narrowed his eyes in the direction Saint indicated.
"I know what you are thinking, but I doubt it. Too many things would stop making sense if they all died this early in Alaya's 'Story.' Furthermore, I would have felt something if any of them had really passed on. They occupy important roles within my Fables."
Sunny looked at Saint and smiled.
"I possess [Fated], which makes me one of the protagonists of this accursed Story, just as the Nine were. There is little reason to worry. Nephis and that damned Bright Lord must have relocated. Whatever attacked the Bright Castle, I am almost certain they survived it."
Saint felt more relieved than Sunny could have known.
She had expected the possibility of his missing companions to worsen his already fragile mental state.
Instead, Sunny appeared convinced that they were alive.
Saint also doubted that Nephis and the others would die so easily. However, hearing Sunny describe their deaths as improbable gave her considerably more confidence. He was a Daemon who possessed authority over Probability, so his judgment carried a meaning beyond ordinary speculation.
If he claimed that an event was too improbable, Saint had little reason to question him.
However, one unfamiliar word remained.
"What is 'Alaya'?"
Sunny manipulated the silk of his Mantle, causing a hood to form behind his head.
"Alaya can be described as the collective unconsciousness of humanity…"
He paused and reconsidered the explanation.
"That is inaccurate. It is the collective unconsciousness of the Flame and every existence born within it. Viceroy described Alaya as a prayer that constantly guides mankind away from extinction. And, it also guides the Story of this World away from a premature end."
Sunny reached toward Saint. Before she understood what he intended, he gently pulled her hood over her head and smiled with renewed confidence.
"What I mean is that Alaya would not allow our friends to die this early in the Story. We have only been absent for what? Two month? And every Story revolves around its protagonists. Their chances of dying would probably be greater if I were with them, than without."
Sunny climbed onto the edge of the window and leaped into the rain.
He invoked [Arweiniad y Tymestl].
Small motes of blue light gathered around his legs. Swirling Spirit Essence condensed beneath his feet, allowing him to land upon an invisible foothold and leap again before gravity pulled him toward the ruined city.
Saint followed him through the window and invoked the same Miracle.
Since [Arweiniad y Tymestl] belonged to Storm God, its nature was connected to the Authorities of Travel, Guidance, and Stars. Saint moved through the rainy sky with ease, while Sunny's movements revealed that he was still learning how to direct it.
'I see. He is attempting to become familiar with the Miracle, but his Angelic nature is resisting it.'
Saint glided through the air. Sunny concentrated the Miracle around his heels and toes, creating brief currents of blue Spirit Essence upon which he could step.
The technique allowed him to maintain her pace, although every movement required conscious control.
Above them, Silvershade Harrow crossed the rain with greater grace and speed than either of them.
Sunny extended his Shadow Sense through the cathedral district. The shadows beneath broken roofs, ruined streets, and collapsed towers returned an impression of unusual emptiness.
He looked toward Saint with a surprised expression.
"…Did you kill every Nightmare Creature surrounding the Cathedral?"
Saint raised her voice over the rain.
"Yes! You were unconscious for six days. There was very little else for me to do!"
Sunny gave her a thumbs-up and faced forward again.
Despite the danger awaiting them, he felt unexpectedly content. Traveling beside Saint through the rain carried a familiarity that softened the unease within him.
Most of his attention remained upon the Miracle.
Its operation sounded straightforward, but the reality was considerably more complicated.
Shadow Dance allowed Sunny to shadow a particular Soul, movement, or identity. [Arweiniad y Tymestl] required him to borrow Storm God's Authorities and direct Spirit Essence through them.
The Miracle did not consume Soul Essence.
It used Spirit Essence, and Sunny could not convert that power into a form he already knew how to control. As such, he was manipulating a Divine Spirit Affinity while resisting the hostility produced by the Miracle inside his Angelic existence.
Divine Miracles were poisonous to him, after all.
[Incarnation of Divinity], [Star of Divinity], and [Orphan of Flame] allowed him to endure that poison without destroying himself. [Nephilim] also eased the contradiction between his Angelic and Divine qualities.
Those protections did not make the experience pleasant in any way, though.
'Will invoking a Miracle always feel this… revolting?'
Sunny continued stepping through the air with deceptive grace. Internally, he felt as though he were balancing upon the edge of a precipice. A single mistake while channeling Storm God's Spirit Essence could cause him to fall from the sky while coughing up a river of blood.
'Wonderful. In addition to repairing the Library and arranging my Fables, I have to learn how to invoke the rest of the Miracles. At least [Cernere Finem] and [Llygad yr Arswyd] are already familiar.'
Sunny's expression changed.
He had begun thinking of the Miracles by their names in the Language of the Gods instead of their translated names. The habit felt instinctive, although he could not determine whether it originated from the Miracles themselves or from the Divine inheritances within him.
He raised one hand toward his chin while landing upon another foothold of blue light.
'Is that an innate effect of possessing them? How troublesome. I can pronounce their true names, but unless I know their meaning in my own language, I cannot invoke them.'
Sunny continued moving through the labyrinth of his thoughts as he traveled beside Saint and Silvershade. The distance separating them from the ruins of the Bright Castle diminished rapidly.
…Then, midway through their journey, something changed.
The change occurred without warning.
Sunny had been concentrating on the Spirit Essence gathering beneath his feet when his face suddenly lost all color.
For one brief and precious moment, he thought he saw her.
A tranquil darkness occupied the edge of his vision. Within it, a woman turned toward him, her features hidden beneath a veil of impossible night. The sight carried a familiarity deeper than memory, reaching into the part of him that still mourned a world no longer allowed to exist.
'A-Amanises—?'
The thought never reached its end.
An unseen force seized Sunny's heart. His chest convulsed, and his fingers tore into the flesh above it as his body folded in the air. At the same time, something carved through his throat from within, filling his mouth with blood.
A wet tearing sound reached his ears.
The blue foothold beneath him vanished.
Sunny fell from the sky.
The Nightmare Spell whispered into his collapsing mind.
[Your Fables have begun to distort!]
['Darn o'r Porth Akashic' is shaking faintly.]
[Sacred Beast, 'Saviour of Corruption, is unleashing his Status!]
[Cursed Beast, 'King of Corrupted Angels', is unleashing his Status!]
[Sacred Beast, 'Daemon of Oblivion', is unleashed her Status!]
—
* **
Zzzzzzzzzzuuuuuu?
'I'm hearing… something.'
"You alright, love?"
"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"
[Your Fables are intertwining!]— --
'— — # Am I hearing?'
"This is why I'm accelerating your thought channels. I truly cannot comprehend why the minds of you who possess the Flame are so slow…"
'It's like the sound of… sketching? No… gears g-g-g—grinding?'
'S-S-S—-S——-no —-Something insid—e my body is b—bb-b — STOP! —-b reaking, teari— WAKE UP! —-ng, and snapping-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-!'
"Amanises…?"
「 You are the World I wish to save… 」
"Ah! Sunless, I wasn't expecting you so soon. How can I be of service?"
「 How the hell do you expect me to leave now!? After you've gone and m-made me… FUCK! MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU?! YOU EXPECT ME TO THROW IT ALL AWAY, HUH?! TO CONTINUE MY NEVER ENDING HELL?! 」
The heavens were fallen.
Is this the power of the Forgotten God?
— OPEN. THE. GATE.—
"… Milord?!" Saint's voice asked.
There were arms cradling his head.
"Please…" The rest of it came out broken, barely a whisper. "...don't let go.".
" …eah right."
That's not what I am. Did you already forget the first thing I told you?
into the abyss "I won't. I'll hold onto you until the day I draw my last breath."
I believe the answer is too complex for your feeble mind, little flame. Just think of me as something like a devil.
'M-m-m-M—my hea—a-a-r—-r—rt—t-t-t-. I-Is s-sw-el—l-ling.'
He heard a thump.
'It is my heart? Spin-e? Crushed? No, inconclusive. Which? No, no, NO.'
"… I don't need it. I know what I value, and I know what I want. It might not be much, but it's enough. I am who I am, and who I am is enough. It's plenty.?"
"Let it consume you, fuel you, until it burns away the false sky above."
But… she smelled so great…
He blinked, slowly.
He could still feel the phantom pressure of her palms against his cheekbones. Of her fingers rubbing his face.
"May just… fall asleep." Dried blood at the corner of his lips; she wiped it off with her sleeve. Dried drool as well.
"Everything I've done… everything I've endured… it was all for this. For this moment. It's so impossibly hard, to break fate."
His joints hurt when Saint picked him up. His chest felt as if something was cruelly expanding from within.
It smelled like… iron. "...I feel like Odysseus, too, sometimes. Lost in a distant land. Only, unlike him, I don't have a home to want to return to."
'Aaah, Aaah, veins! My VEINS'
"This world has been connected... tied to the darkness... soon to be completely eclipsed."
She was fighting now. Sunny was collapsing as he invoked [Angel's Eyes].
One step and his own hand was inside his heart.
It smelled of syrup and incense. And drying paint. And blood. And of Nephis, a bit.
"Milord! Please! Just leave it to me!" Saint yelled.
Is this paradise? Ah… sweet flesh.
To slaughter and slaughter as ones own heart was expanding?
"And no. I just went grocery shopping."
Ah! Such love! Such emotion! Such lust!
No — this forsaken sea. Cassie would ask in her gentle voice, and she'd slept in each others arms.
No. Nephis was the one he was supposed to love.
No; Saint was the only one for him.
"Who dares to mar this body of mine… ah, it's you! Each and every one of you. I can't remember… you're…"
Sunny unleashed the Shadow of Parsimony.
[An Archangel is looking at you.]
[An Archangel is questioning your existence.]
The writhing black shadows once again coiled around "his"—
—Saint was forced to dodge as the entire battlefield was reduced to stardust.
[You have slain a Fallen Beast...]
[You have slain a Fallen Beast...]
[You have slain a Fallen Monster...]
[You have slain a Fallen Demon...]
[You have slain a Fallen Beast...]
[You have slain a Fallen Beast...]
"…I'm not a fool, my love. I know you will shut your heart out to us. Just… If you can't fall in love with either of them, then… please. Please, let me be your other half."
"Then which one is the true path?"
"… SUNNY!!"
Sunny's lips stretched into what felt like it might have been a smile.
It was good mashed potato — . It was creamy. Buttery.
"Yeah, I managed to perfect this type of butter. Took long enough."
"I am Lost from Light."
The coldest and loneliest voice in the world. The protagonist had finally woken from his sweet madness.
"Oh! Don't forget the flour! I'll need it for the croissants."
Sunny didn't know. It wasn't his fault. Sunny didn't know. It wasn't his fault. Sunny didn't know. It wasn't his fault. Sunny didn't know. It wasn't his fault.
"H-how are you…?" Saint said.
There were tears falling upon his lips. They tasted of choice.
[You have slain a Corrupted Devil, Idol of the Golden Fleece.]
**
*
He spent the next few hours, or — maybe it was the entire night? — resting his head on Saint's lap, biting his own fingers in an attempt to not scream. Heart God's Curse was taking shape, and there was nothing to be done.
Yet again, Sunny's choice was going to be taken away. His hands were never meant to hold his own freedom, after all…
Black and White. Those were the correct colors.
"Saint… I really… love your eyes… you know that?"
"S-Shhh… Milord, just rest. D-Don't do anything else."
He looked up at Saint and saw her running tears. How long had she been crying over him?
"What?" He asked, flatly.
"Didn't try?! Of course, I tried! I tried everything I could to make the future I saw change! But no matter how much I tried, it n ever did. "
He looked
down at his fingers. She was right. They were utterly pale; fleshly plumps of his heart were buried in his fingernails. He grimaced internally at the thought of his future.
Outwardly he just
sighed, and closed his eyes.
But then the grinding gears… that infernal noise in his mind grew louder, so he started plucking out his eyes instead.
"P—P PLEASE STOP! I CAN'T JUST WATCH THIS!"
She sounded afraid; well, he was too. His brain was disintegrating inside the hollow of his skull. But… what did he have to be tired about?
He had made the choice to regress, after all.
Saint kept her hands interlocked with Sunny's own. After a long while, he finally fell asleep.
Maybe if
she prayed hard enough… this wouldn't have to happen anymore, and she would find a way to protect him.
. .
. —- .
—#
:) ???????
「Are you sure you want to see them? ...Your heart only knows how to throw things away. It's empty, like that room. Like your memories. 」
. — ?
「 A re you s ure you wi sh tp keep mo ving fo r ward? …Y ou'll be c cur se d by yo ur mem ori es. Yo ur fail ur e at tha t tim e ha s fi lled up th e em otions withi n you r heart… ju st like you r mem ori es. 」
— - — !
'I—I can'—t ans-…wer th-at.'
「 V ery wel l, the n.. . 」
—
Everything that had already been reduced to ruins was transformed into a beautiful tundra.
Frost covered the broken walls surrounding the hill where the Bright Castle had once stood. Frozen dust drifted across the ground, while pale formations rose from shattered pathways and collapsed structures. Beneath the rain, the ice reflected dim light and gave the devastated hill a tranquil appearance.
The hill had not been granted the sanctity of a grave.
Another battle had taken place there.
It began when Sunny fell from the sky.
Saint reacted immediately. She changed direction, caught him before he struck the ruins, and called Silvershade closer.
Sunny was… screaming.
The sound tore through the rain as his body convulsed in Saint's arms. His heart beat at a speed that would have killed any living human, each contraction forcing blood through vessels unable to withstand the pressure.
Then his heart exploded.
Profaned Soul Flame radiated through his body. Black fire gathered inside his ruined chest, restored the organ, and forced it to beat again.
Several moments later, it ruptured a second time.
The cycle repeated as Saint descended toward the broken hill. Sunny's heart burst, burned, reformed, and resumed its frantic rhythm before tearing itself apart again.
Saint cursed the world responsible for doing this to him.
The world, naturally, answered by sending Nightmare Creatures.
Several winged shapes emerged through the rain. More followed across the ground, climbing over the remains of the surrounding buildings until the ruins filled with hostile movement.
Saint ordered Silvershade to remain close and placed Sunny within its grasp.
She wanted to carry him herself. However, protecting his body while fighting so many enemies would prevent her from using the full extent of her strength.
Most of the abominations were Fallen Beasts. Their similar traits and coordinated movements suggested that they belonged to a Corrupted Tyrant dwelling somewhere beyond the ruins.
A more dangerous creature flew among them, however.
It possessed a humanoid body, a ramlike head, and four wings extending from its back. Corruption radiated from its flesh, marking it as a Devil of the Corrupted Rank.
Under ordinary circumstances, retreat would have been the reasonable choice.
But this particular Devil made retreat impossible.
Its four wings granted it enough speed to match Silvershade, and its superior Rank might allow it to overtake the Echo during a prolonged pursuit. If Saint attempted to flee, the creature would eventually reach Sunny.
Thus, she turned and met it directly.
Saint placed herself between the Corrupted Devil and Silvershade. True Darkness gathered around her body, while the four shadows bound to her rose and strengthened her.
The first collision shattered the frozen street beneath them.
The Corrupted Devil struck with enough force to throw Saint through several ruined structures. Before she recovered, the Fallen Beasts surrounded Silvershade from every direction.
Saint returned immediately.
She cut apart the creature nearest to Sunny and allowed the talons of another to tear across her back. Her body became a barrier between the swarm and the Echo, receiving every attack she could not evade.
Even with four shadows augmenting her, she could not stop them all.
A claw descended toward her unprotected side.
But it was in that moment, that Sunny appeared in it's path.
The Corrupted Devil's strike passed through his torso and nearly divided him in two. Fragments of his ribs, lung, liver, and intestines scattered through the rain.
Saint stared at him in horror.
Sunny's scream changed.
His black hair acquired a golden radiance, and the first fragment of [Heavenly Eclipse] awakened for the second time.
He had assumed the Shadow of Parsimony. His presence vanished in it's entirety.
Saint could still see the rain and the droplets breaking against ruined stone. However, she could no longer distinguish him from the countless movements surrounding her.
The Corrupted Devil suffered from the same limitation.
Just as a person could not follow every drop within a storm, it could not isolate Sunny from the rain.
Something struck one of the Devil's wings.
Frozen darkness penetrated the joint, and the limb separated from its back. Before the creature completed its turn, another attack destroyed the wing on the opposite side.
Saint lost sight of Sunny again.
She could not follow the details of what happened afterward.
Saint released the totality of her True Darkness and Nothingness. All four shadows poured their strength into her body as she moved through the Fallen Beasts and slaughtered them.
Her sword separated limbs, opened throats, and destroyed hearts. True Darkness swallowed the creatures attempting to surround her, while the unstable ground broke beneath the force of their battle.
Saint and Sunny moved through the ruins in a dance of blood.
While Saint eliminated the Fallen creatures in rapid succession, Sunny allowed the Corrupted Devil to destroy his body repeatedly.
The creature caught him and crushed one shoulder. A moment later, its claws opened his abdomen. Sunny disappeared into the rain, returned from another direction, and sacrificed another portion of his body to freeze a third wing.
Saint called out to him more than once.
He did not hear her.
Sunny seemed to be speaking to someone she could not perceive. Incoherent words left his blood-filled mouth between cries of pain, his gaze fixed upon an absence that existed somewhere beyond the battlefield.
By the time Saint destroyed most of the Fallen Beasts, Sunny had fallen to his knees.
The golden color faded from his hair. His concealment weakened, allowing the Corrupted Devil to find him again.
Its remaining limb descended toward his head.
Saint reached them first.
She struck the creature and drove all three of them into a gaping pit that was the center of the once great Bright Castle.
The remainder of the battle occurred in free fall.
Sunny was approaching death. The Corrupted Devil had also accumulated grievous injuries. Every one of its wings had been destroyed, one horn was missing, and the upper half of its face was sealed beneath frozen matter, depriving it of sight.
Saint took control of the battle.
Sunny's shadows flowed toward her. His black Soul Flame followed them and entered her body, augmenting her further.
Saint could not determine how powerful she became in that moment. The power exceeded what her body could endure.
Sunny's Soul Flame burned through her, restoring every injury while inflicting another form of damage. Her muscles tore beneath the force they produced, only to be repaired before the next movement.
She used that strength to attack.
The descent through the pit became a continuous exchange of blows. Saint tore through the Devil's defenses while it struck blindly at the darkness surrounding her. Frozen Stardust accumulated across its body, and black flame entered every wound.
After that, Saint only remembered the conclusion of the terrible battle.
She was lying upon unfamiliar ground.
Crimson blood covered the stone beneath her. Sunny was sprawled across her body, and his blood mixed with hers until neither color could be distinguished from the other.
He was… laughing?
Saint did not know what had amused him. Perhaps he was looking at the corpse of the Corrupted Devil lying nearby.
Neither Saint nor Sunny had delivered the final blow, though. Something else occupied the depths with them.
Saint could not perceive it clearly, but she knew the Devil's death had come from another source. Sunny most likely received credit for the kill because his flames were still consuming its body when it perished.
After that, the sequence of events became quite unclear.
Saint remembered crying.
Saint remembered holding Sunny while his heart continued destroying and rebuilding itself. She spoke to him throughout the ordeal, while he answered with fragmented statements that possessed no meaning she could understand.
Eventually, his heart ceased rupturing.
The last thing Saint remembered was gathering Sunny into her arms. Silvershade lowered itself beside them and spread its feathers across the ground.
Saint allowed their exhausted bodies to sink into that dark softness.
Then everything faded to black.