How many times has it been?

“.”

How many times have I demolished this Blue Bear?

“Helena, make a really tall wall behind it!”

I stopped counting after the first thirty or so, although quite some time has passed since I took up Iranorah’s challenge. I’m beginning to worry I’m wasting real-world hours even in this pseudo dream of compressed time. Even Iranorah is starting to sound bored as she repeats the same lines in Helena’s voice.

“[… up our tools and belittle our towers.] .”

“! !”

Crack!

“Ah,” I say as the bear crumbles into a pile of snow.

“I must say, I didn’t know you hunt this far in the woods.”

“Oh, goddamn it...”

With that monotone cue, another Blue Bear spawns in the distance as I breathe a sigh of exasperation.

Another failure. Should I just cancel this entire thing and take up Iranorah’s proposal? Although I still don’t know what the point of all this is, I’m starting to understand what she wants me to do. Killing the bear will only reset the loop. Instead, by recreating the events of that fateful day, I can progress further in the cycle, although I’m having trouble holding back my strength. Moreover, the bear’s behaviour isn’t deterministic, which means the loop might fail anyway.

I got pretty close that time around, so…

“Treat it like a Fox Boar. We’ll stick to our agreed plan!”

“!”

Blind it with “Helena’s” attack, then run behind the Blue Bear. Strike its hind leg but not enough to do damage…

“!”

“!”

Block its swing then strike its solar plexus. Adapt to the bear’s movements and bait its freezing breath attack…

“Helena, make a really tall wall behind it!”

up the then strike the back of the bear’s head. You don’t have to use like in the past. Just knock it out without caving in its skull…

Whack!

Punching the bear for the umpteenth time, it then collapses into the snow. However, this time it doesn’t disintegrate or get back up. Did I do it?

“Are you alright, Tyler?”

YEEESSS!

“I’m mostly fine. More importantly, you saved my life today. Thank you Helena.”

“For a moment, I thought your perished from its . I was really scared for you!”

“I was scared as well.”

“… Is that true Enbos? I was sure you were enjoying it.”

Like hell I was! I’m just glad this BS “level” is over and done with!

“I can’t deny it entirely, but I don’t think it’s a problem. How about you? Are you okay?”

“…”

“Helena?”

“… I must say, I didn’t know you hunt this far in the woods.”

I almost burst a vein hearing that bloody line. Sure enough, another Blue Bear spawns, to which I throw a while blowing my top.

“What the hell are you playing at, Iranorah!?” I roar as I decapitate another bear.

“I could ask the same of you, Enbos. I said I would help you realise the truth about undeath, not entertain a shallow pantomime of your past. It seems I will have to try something different…”

Iranorah abandons all pretence of historical accuracy as a hundred Blue Bears materialise from the snow. Similarly unfettered, I charge into the oncoming horde and begin mowing them down.

“! ! ! !”

Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT ALL! What on Aren is she getting at? What the hell am I overlooking? I’m just killing these things for stress relief, but what is she trying to achieve by swarming me with these things? What is so special about the Blue Bear from my past that I can realise the truth about my humanity?

“For crying out loud, Iranorah!” I say as I detonate an at my feet. “Why can’t you just-Huh?”

One of them is making a beeline for her! She’s going to-

“!”

Breaking out of my encirclement, I land between Helena and the charging bear. I then turn around and promptly cut off its arms and legs. Miraculously, the bear is still alive as it shuffles its way toward Helena. I have to…

The bear is still alive, and I have to kill it…

My short sword stops short before I can pierce its eye. The bear similarly freezes as it awaits my final decision. Although I snap out of my trance and remember my situation, the discomfort remains in my mind.

T-this feels all too familiar. At the time…

“Since no one else wants it, I guess you can enjoy this consolation prize. Besides, you’re too big to carry back...”

Yes, I spared the bear and even offered it our fish, but even then I knew there was no guarantee it would stop chasing us. So, why? If Helena’s safety was at risk, why would I…

“… Is that true, Enbos? I was sure you were enjoying it...”

… I’m about to draw my short sword, but the idea of killing the unconscious animal in front of her troubles me. She turns her back away, but I still hesitate…

“… Come on Helena, let’s continue our hunt.”

She stares at my face in bewilderment, before she smiles and replies, “Of course.”

“… Oh my god. She knew. She always knew.”

As if waiting for those magic words, our surroundings dissolve and is replaced by a small campsite close to a stream. Helena’s likeness is lighting a small pile of sticks, but her eyes are watching me closely as I collapse to my knees on the other side.

“My disdain for life, my inherent bloodthirst… Helena knew. S-she knew all about my true nature, and still accepted me.”

“You never could get anything past her. But do you understand now?”

“Yeah,” I say weakly. “I was never Tyler Suesa in her eyes. From the very beginning… she only ever saw me as Enbos.”

Helena didn’t fall in love with my human semblance, but with the undead that was willing to change himself for her. But if that’s true: what am I trying to protect? What part of me is still left aside from my past memories? All this time, I’ve been trying to preserve my humanity, when in truth, Helena valued my pursuit of it.

“Enbos, Tyler never battled magic bears with a chipped sword. He never talked to fairies or learned to conjure fireballs. He never cut down humans or risked life and limb for his companions.”

“I know…”

“You’ve framed your past self as the paragon he never was, always imagining he would have chosen differently. Whether you see this life as a fresh start or an extension of your last, you can’t keep blaming your undead state.”

“I know.”

“I will say it again: you fundamentally misunderstand what it means to be an undead. We are bound to this plane by our earthly attachments. Our negative emotions and tendencies are only a symptom. You want to find your morals in this cruel world, when in truth you already have a belief you are willing to kill for.”

“I… I know.”

“From cultists to monsters to various adventurers, your mantra has been broad and constant. The only times you falter are before the young, and that’s because of the trauma of Yuki’s untimely-”

“I SAID I KNOW! I get it, Iranorah! The only reason I’ve festered into the mess I am today… is because “Tyler” was already messed up in some way. Something twisted must have happened when he died. Some part of him awakened that he never wanted to know! B-but no matter how hard I try…”

As I look around me, our surroundings change into a shopping mall. All the people are frozen mannequins, including a semblance of “Tyler”, checking his phone while on an escalator.

“I-I can’t remember it. I can’t explain this… this feeling. And if I did, if I empathise with that dying, loathsome self… would it be the humanity I actually want?”

Running out of breath, I plop onto the closest bench and stare blankly at the faceless crowd. Eventually, the mob begins to resemble a mass of bodies, killing each other under a moonlit field. Iranorah fixes her long skirt before sitting next to me, waiting for my emotions to die down.

“Your earthly attachments are not innately evil, Enbos, but it’s time you reckon with your inclinations. I’ll ask you some questions. I don’t mind if you lie, but know that I’m the last person on Garea who should judge you. Okay?”

“… Okay.”

“What do you feel when you cut down others?”

“… Envy.”

“Envy of what?”

“Envy of their warmth, their weight, their every breath. T-the only time they can share in my grief… is when their precious life is slowly slipping away.”

“I see. But it’s not like you want to tear down everybody by their mere act of breathing.”

“No. But I could have been,” I say as I turn to an adjacent bench, now filled with familiar faces. “I am indebted to their kindness, Iranorah. They’re the only reason I still have something.”

“Then who? What individuals deserve your hateful envy?”

“… Cultists. Knights. Even some adventurers.”

“Why?”

“…”

“Why, Enbos?”

“Because they all treat life so wantonly, even their own. Here I am, trying my damnedest to be among the living, and yet they willingly cast aside the life I seek. I hate it. I hate how they keep taking the gift of life for granted, especially in service to the idea of an immutable soul.”

“An immutable soul?”

“Yes, Iranorah. The pathetic idea that there is a reason behind our circumstances, as if anything they do in this life… won’t just be rendered meaningless by time. Karma? Fate? To hell with those self-comforting notions! The World Stream is a mindless arbiter and the soul can rot like any other severed organ. Case in point: me.”

“… I see.”

“There is no divine will. There is no great enemy. There is no higher calling nor equality! Each and every human is a miraculous stack of carbon molecules that has achieved sentience, evolved to show boundless compassion. And yet, what do they do?” I say as I point to a ram-shaped mural. “WHAT DO THEY DO?”

“…”

“They tear each other down. They tear themselves down. They use their boundless reasoning to show less compassion than lone beasts. I’m sick of the cultists who see souls as commodities. I’m sick of the holy knights who deem themselves fit to judge everybody. If anybody deserves to play executioner, then it would sure as hell be me! The thought of returning the fear of death to them stirs my rotten soul. Because if they can’t feel their own beating heart, if they can’t appreciate the fact they were born rather than manufactured, then I will gladly carve the beauty of life into their screaming-”

“And there you have it.”

“… Huh?”

“The heart of your mania.”

“W-what do you-”

“The reason you fight, the reason you can still keep going: it’s because you understand the beauty of life more than any other. Enbos the Black, you truly appreciate how precious human life really is.”

All of a sudden, it feels as if all my anxiety never existed. Our surroundings turn blank upon hearing that revelation, leaving only me, Iranorah and our wooden bench. I instinctively try to rebuke her, but it’s hard to say anything to that gentle face. Noticing my disbelief, she goes on to elaborate.

“Every endeavour you have undertaken has serviced this idea to some degree. All your sins, all your good intentions, can be framed around that single belief. While it’s up to you how you frame this belief, personally, I find your philosophy to be truly amiable.”

“T-there’s no way. How can that-”

“Then answer me this: why are you fine killing cultists but not impoverished bandits?” she says as the scenery flashes between a village square and a rainy road. “Because one had absolutely no regard for their own lives. Why did you reach out to Hachirou when he was at his lowest? Because you feared he was valuing his own existence less and less. Why do you want to resurrect Helena? Because you felt she was taken before her time. Now, you are on a grand adventure to live the life she could not.”

“T-that reasoning is a bit revisionist, don’t you think? I kill because I care?”

“You kill because you care too much, which is the nature of all undead: we are an existence sustained by obsession. If you believe killing humans is universally wrong, then so be it. Let your life experiences inform your ethics. However, you must always be true to your core “attachment”, because it’s the one human aspect that will always remain.”

“… Then what of Gavel?” I say as I look down at my bloodied broadsword. “I killed him out of grief and rage.”

“Even then, you could argue you were still following your belief. You spared him at the last moment, but he cast aside your charity and his will to-”

“No. At the time, I reverted to my basest instinct before being saved by Hachirou. I will carry his blood on my hands, Iranorah, and to all the Gavels I may encounter in future: never again. It’s just… would Helena accept the man - the undead - I become?”

“… Your views will ultimately diverge, but speaking as a mentor, she would be happy that you learnt to stand on your own” Iranorah says with a soft smile.

“Now go,” she then says as she gently takes my hand and leads me to the cabin door, “return to your friends and leave these ruins. Keep exploring the world until you are ready to confront that hierarch once more. Tascus may become a lich… but you will become complete.”

Staring at the door for the longest time, I place my hand on the handle but refuse to turn it. On the other side, I can hear a vicious winter storm.

My actions reflect a love of life? Honestly, I’m still coming to terms with that answer. Iranorah claims I have always been true to this idea, but it’s ironic I’m now afraid of defiling that belief the moment I’ve become aware.

“Thank you, Iranorah. For everything. It feels as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. A dream it may be, but it’s good to see Helena’s face after all this time.”

“The pleasure is mine, Enbos. Take it as a lesson from a senior who has walked your path.”

“I will repay this. Once I deal with Tascus, I’ll return your soul to the World Stream. You deserve to rest in peace after all you have done.”

“… Only when it’s over. This won’t be the last time we meet.”

“Yeah. See you later, Iranorah.”

“Yes, I know, Tyler.”

“…”

“…

… You’re not turning the door knob. Is something the matter?”

“Nothing, it’s just…”

“*Sigh* Such doubts. Such hesitation. And to think it was your own story that inspired me over my thousand year vigil.”

“… Wait, what?”

Turning away from the door, I stare at Iranorah as she smiles coyly without another word.

She heard about me? Three thousand years ago!? Then there must really be a- No, wait. She said she knew nothing about a prophecy. That said, the World Stream transcends both time and space. It’s a bit outlandish but the only explanation is if she reincarnated from somebody in this era. But the most incredible thing is that she’s speaking in the future tense. Forget vague prophecies; she actually knows my life’s story. A story that I will one day divulge before she passes on, becoming the elder lich before me.

It can’t just be anybody. After all, it’s not like I’ll publish an autobiography. Moreover, to avoid having your memories washed by the river of souls you’d have to be a Worldfarer, but her smile is saying otherwise, like we’ve already met and will meet again-

“… I will take her around the world and let her experience my journey firsthand…”

… No. No way.

“… I am known by many aliases, Enbos. Teacher…”

The odds are astronomical, and in the first place- No, i-if I reconstituted her soul then reinforced it, it would all make sense. Most likely an unintended by-product. But the long, lonely fate she will come to endure is…

“… After all this time, I can finally, finally talk with you, Enbos…”

I-it has to be someone else. Someone I have yet to…

“… Then I’ve at least saved my beloved pupil at the end of this long nightmare…”

No matter what angle I look at it, the same name keeps appearing in my mind. Layer upon layer, my previous questions are answered as I look at “Iranorah” in a new light.

The reason her core released its barrier as if I had the key.

The reason I couldn’t detect another soul despite her haunting me.

The real reason she chose the form of a deer over a less conspicuous choice.

I can’t contain my trembling or squeeze the words past the lump in my throat. As always, she watches the numbskull before her with a slightly mischievous smile on her lips.

“Y-you’re-”

“A possibility. A decaying fragment. Either way, Tyler, I’m not the same woman you-”

Without any hesitation, I step forward and embrace her in my arms. I don’t even know if we have “physical” forms. All I feel is her loving warmth as if nothing else matters in the whole world.

It doesn’t matter if she comes from a different timeline. It doesn’t matter if she’s an amalgamation of many souls. I can still feel the sliver that belongs to her, and more importantly, she can now feel me. For duty, redemption, kin or curse, she has endured over three thousand years of tribulations, and yet it’s also true… a part of her just wanted to see me one last time.

“I’m back, Helena.”

“… Welcome back, Tyler.”

As I become conscious of my sobs, the interior of the woodland cabin reforms around us. Slowly, I step back to look at her auburn hair, her lightly freckled face and her tear-soaked smile. I always imagined the things I would say, yet standing before her now, just feeling her touch is enough. On the eve of a cultist calamity, I wished I realised sooner, or rather...

“F-for crying out loud, I wished you’d just told me,” I say as I rest my head on her hands. “I missed you so much.”

“As do I… but the true Helena is still waiting for you, Tyler,” she says while patting my head. “I’m only a fleeting semblance. If I were you, I would be furious for having borrowed your lover’s-”

“No, Helena. I’m not.”

“… I see. Honestly Tyler, why are you always there at the end of my lives? And every time, you make me feel… that I’ve lived a worthwhile life.”

“I will always cherish you,” I say as I wipe her tears with my hand. “Still, I must admit this entire situation is… surreal. It’s too much of a miracle, don’t you think? I mean, I might just start believing in fate.”

“Then, would you like to hear about your future?”

“…”

“Tyler, I know how much you hate to think our actions are written in stone. I’ve forgotten too much to test fate myself, but maybe not for you. You might finally solve that “prophecy” which has hounded you so.”

“… No. I finally get it, Helena,” I say softly as I look at the lock of brown hair in my hand then the ancient spirit before me. “If there is such a thing as destiny, then it has always been a product of our own choices. It was a mistake to let “prophecy” dictate my actions. Maleosis may return, and I might become his champion, but at least I will own my decisions. Besides… a “possibility” is all the prophecy I need.”

“I’m glad you found your answer, Tyler. Don’t stop moving, don’t stop growing,” she says while stepping out of my reach, “and never lose sight of yourself. Not to prophecy… and not to me.”

“Helena-”

“Find your own happiness, Tyler. But if you insist on following this path… just promise me you won’t hug “her” as tightly as you did me.”

Although it won’t be the last I see of Helena, this is the last she will see of me. Without the core, she is quickly disintegrating, but even if I recovered it, I wouldn’t want to prolong her current state. I’ve only ever wanted her to be happy, and yet life has wronged her once again. The tragic irony of her fate is not lost on me, and for the first time, I seriously stop to question my endeavours. Nonetheless, there is nothing more I can do for the Helena before me… except set off with the resolve she so admired.

No, there’s no way I would settle for that. Fate or not, “Enbos” would do more. I… I don’t have the power to save this incarnation, but at the very least, I want her to rest easy.

“…”

“Tyler?”

“Before I go, Helen- no, Iranorah, there is one more thing I want to ask.”

“Go on.”

“In the secret room, with the crystals pointing to the world atlas, each of them corresponded to a waypoint where humankind resettled, which would one day become their own countries. That said, if there are now three major powers on the continent… what’s the purpose of the fourth crystal?”

“…”

“Unlike the others, it’s still active but it doesn’t point to anywhere on the map. I found it strange you offered to trap Tascus instead of collapsing the entire pocket dimension. For such a dangerous foe, it’s an unnecessary risk, unless this place still served a purpose. Iranorah, the reason you don’t want to send everything to the void… is because you’re still protecting something, right?”

Iranorah doesn’t respond immediately. Although I don’t expect an answer, I can tell she wants to respond nonetheless. To my surprise, she reaches for the Chain of Sincerity on her wrist and unfastens it, before looking to me with a brave and beautiful smile.

“I’m sorry, Tyler. I forgot.”

“… Honestly Helena, you can’t help being a guardian angel.”

“That is my obsession.”

“I see… Do you remember what I said on the night after our encounter with the Blue Bear?” I ask as I add more sticks to the campfire.

“You offered to share in my pain.”

“Yeah. I said: even if it’s the smallest fraction, I’ll take it, erase it, then keep on until there’s nothing left for either of us to carry…”

“… Just more time to spend together, like this,” she says as she leans against my shoulder.

In this still world under a star-studded night, I savour the warmth of her fragile touch. Although I could never experience this in reality, I refuse to call this moment, or her, a lie. I just wish she feels the same. But more than indulging in each other company, I’m tempering my will into an invincible steel edge.

“… Helena.”

“Yes, dear?”

“I’m going after Tascus. You want to protect this place, but trapping him here means he has all the time to tear it apart. There is every chance he could find that hidden room.”

“You can’t beat him, Tyler.”

“On my own, no. That’s why,” I say as I bring her over to the fire escape. I press my skeletal palm on the metal panel whilst holding her hand in my other. “Let’s make a miracle, together.”

“The forlorn opens the forbidden pass

Bearing a soul with pure intent.

Once my champion overcomes his impasse

My full rebirth he shall foment.”

In a massive hall before an enraptured crowd, Tascus recites the damned prophecy as I walk over to confront him. A bound and battered Maximillian is looking at me with utter shock, probably surprised that I survived his explosive collar. He tries to say something but a magic barrier suddenly encases him, muting any interruption. I stop a dozen or so metres away from the hierarch and wait silently as the stone doors are slammed shut.

“The last stanza of the prophecy. The only part I could not divine. I oft wondered who this forlorn being could be, and why they would deserve such a title. But after meeting you, Enbos, I finally understand. I had my suspicions when you picked up the sacred core, oblivious to its powerful protections. My suspicions were confirmed when you readily accessed this sanctuary’s controls, despite taking us half a year to do so. Last we met, you asked what I knew of your fate. Have you realised the truth now, my brother?”

“…”

“Enbos the Black, your true nature… is the reincarnation of the original elder lich. The second coming of the Watchful Light, who has wandered aimlessly all his new life. But the moment of destiny has time, and you have willingly answered His summons without knowing why. I originally had plans for Maximillian to “discover” our base, but in the end, you led everyone here of your own accord. That is why He has bestowed you with … a soul with “pure intent”.”

Again, I don’t say another, only this time I’m flabbergasted that he can get so close and yet be so wrong. Coincidences sure are scary, especially when a vague prophecy is involved. ? Isn’t that the fake skill I came up with to trick Maximillian? How did Tascus-

“Ah, I see,” I say as I spy Agnes in the back.

“I’m relieved you are so willing to accept, Enbos,” continues Tascus. “Although I suspect you do not understand the full import of your legacy. You see, this sanctuary-”

“Is the Great Ark, the birthplace of modern society. Yeah, I already know,” I say while stuffing my hands into my robe’s pockets. “The “Watchful Light” already gave me cliff notes on everything while I was out cold. You can cut to chase already… Caetus.”

“… I see, Enbos. Then, I have all the more reason to rejoice. For you now know the truth of this world, and you have walked into this room of your own volition. So tell me, Brother Enbos,” asks Tascus as he extends an inviting hand, “will you join us in building a better future, together?”

For a moment, I pretend to consider his proposal. There are hundreds of cultist warriors including his entire inner circle. All exits are covered and Tascus is watching me closely. He probably has men going after my friends, but even if they fail, they are still trapped in this four-dimensional labyrinth. Maximillian’s eyes temporarily meet with mine. He can probably guess the situation from our body language, but in an moment of déjà vu, his jaw pre-emptively drops.

“I… refuse.”

From the largest “pocket” in my robe, I finally grasp the luminescent orb from my obscured bag. Although, there is a surge of killing intent from the surrounding cultists, Tascus immediately halts them as he recognises the item in my hand.

“That is-”

“200 souls. 200 innocent souls you and your men have stolen from adventurers and villagers alike. All crammed into a 20cm glass ball, and left to gather dust in a small chest.”

“…”

“Why the confusion, Tascus? You said as much yourself. I have all the keys to this place, including to your lab.”

“*Sigh* How unfortunate, Enbos. We’ve returned to where we left off. Destroying the soul prison won’t end His designs. Even if the blasts kills you and ruins the Ascension spell, it would only delay the inevitable. After all, the Prophecy never said the forlorn soul had to be alive. Fate will ultimately deliver for the faithful, so your resistance is entirely pointless.”

“Pointless, eh?” I mutter as I stare at his distorted reflection through the orb, ever conscious of the pained screams coming from within. “According to your notes, you harvested these lives just in case the Ascension ritual needed their spiritual energy. But now that you have Maximillian and his men, they’re nothing more than materials for mass-produced undead. The fact you stuffed 200 souls into a globe of perpetual, communal suffering is just for the sake of saving space.”

“What is your point, Enbos?”

“My point is that you have an entirely materialistic view of human life. Although you claim it is for a higher purpose, you are incapable of appreciating all the wonders a single life can achieve. You don’t even see your own lives as beautiful, willing to confine yourselves to a single “purpose”.”

“There is beauty in death, as well. Like the autumn leaves that nourish the sapling, the rodents that feed the great bird, and the great bird that feeds the humble archer, our lives can be offered to something greater. Maleosis demands and we deliver. We are enlightened enough to recognise His greatness and view him in reverence rather than primal fear. For if humans are benevolent, then our Lord is kinder still, since He is our better in every way.”

“Like a shepherd and his sheep. No, even sheep can be multifunctional. You seem content with only offering human lives, all so Maleosis can take pittance and build a bigger barn,” I retort. “For that alone you all deserve to be wiped from the face of the planet… but that’s not the reason why I’m confronting you.”

“Hoh?”

For a precious few seconds, I turn my attention to the glass prison while pretending not to notice the trail of mana Tascus is quietly drawing towards my feet. As I gather my thoughts, I let the weight of the orb strain against my digits.

“Honestly Tascus, before I met you I was already losing my way. There was a darkness in my heart that I didn’t want to accept. A jealousy that turned everybody in sight into ungrateful dolls of flesh. I was afraid of becoming something truly abhorrent, so I sought the lesser of two evils and used your cult as a punching bag, just to dull my sensitivities.”

“I see. And the result?”

“… I was wrong. Although I wanted to cut you all down, I didn’t actually understand why. I didn’t realise I was undermining the very belief I had valued most: that human life will always be beautiful. My biggest mistake was believing my appreciation was oversold. That I had to tone down my sentimentality to something “realistic”… when in truth, I was only scared of bearing the full weight of another life.”

“… It only weighs as much as you let it,” says Tascus in a soft tone. “All life is filled with unfulfilled promise, even if they are claimed by the passage of time rather than your own blade. We can only seek our own Path, Enbos. You mustn’t stop to lament the shattered ends of others. If you wish to honour them, then it is far better to incorporate their stones to your Path.”

“I disagree, Tascus. If I start salvaging the “value” from my sins, I might start wanting to pay that price,” I say as I look at the core hanging from his neck. “I must never forget this crushing burden. To move forward, my only choice is to grow strong enough to carry it.”

“Is it not the same? In the end, we will follow our own Paths above all else.”

“No, Tascus. I may kill, again and again and again, but every time, I’ll still weigh my soul against theirs. I may endure. I may change. I may simply break… but I’ll always give their lives their due respect.”

“Then why? Why fight at all? You swear no allegiance to God nor king nor country. Why risk your feeble heart by choosing to stand before me now?”

“Because I’m indebted to a beautiful soul. I would ask you to step down, but we both know that won’t happen. And so, before those who know nothing of life’s splendour, I will never yield.”

“I see.”

“… Thank you for hearing me out, Tascus.”

“Please, the honour is mine, Enbos,” he says as the ground beneath my feet is contaminated with his mana. “As the Apostle of Light, it is my duty to guide others along their Path, even if yours aligns with the Aspect of Life.”

“Nah, that’s not it. I’m just glad I finished the chantless invocation.”

“Chantless-

!”

“!”