Half-Alliance

Hehe, very funny. They decided to censor Twitch, WhatsApp, Kwai, TikTok, Telegram, and others. I spent the entire day in meetings figuring out what we're going to do before shit hits the fan.

Honestly, I feel like my brain is melting, and I applaud the French. If half of this happened there, the streets of Paris would be on fire.

Well, just to keep up the tradition: if anyone wants to read 3/7/13 chapters ahead and/or simply support me, that's possible through my (P)(A)(T). If not, I still appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much for reading!

That said, good night, everyone. It's almost 3 a.m., and I need eight uninterrupted hours of sleep before I can do what Devas's very first line, the synopsis of this story, says.

Good night!

(P)(A)(T)/CalleumArtori.

[...]---[...]

POV: Devas Asura.

Predatory instinct was something I’d already heard about before.

A curious thing, I’d say. Especially when I saw it firsthand — or rather, realized that was what I was seeing — while watching my friend’s mother’s cat stare at the fish tank.

I could clearly tell the difference between the cat acting like a house pet and turning into something terrifying, becoming deathly still, pupils blown wide, while staring at the fish.

It was unbelievably funny knowing that the cutest expression a cat could make only existed when it was so focused on killing something that it could barely contain itself.

I remember being able to see its muscles trembling ever so slightly and thinking, “How can something feel such an uncontrollable urge to kill that it literally can’t stay still?”

Today, I understood exactly how that cat felt.

I stared at the doll in front of me while keeping my hand extended.

I was genuinely struggling to stop myself from tearing her apart, even knowing that this was only some kind of illusion — or rather, a manifestation.

I could feel my muscles rigid and trembling at the same time, along with my racing heart.

A heart that was artificial, by the way. Not my real heart. I was manually controlling its heartbeat, and without even realizing it, I was probably close to five hundred beats per second… or something like that.

My body was heating up so much that I felt like, if I didn’t control my breathing, I’d end up melting everything around me.

And all of that was simply because I genuinely, desperately wanted to kill something.

Of course, I also blamed my half-insane state and the problems my brain was currently dealing with.

A few strokes, contusions, cerebral microhemorrhages, edema compressing my lobes, and diffuse axonal injuries that made even my own motor commands feel like they were running on 3000+ ping.

It was also because of the lingering rage I still felt toward Hardy. Right now, my body was locked onto the command “exterminate” toward anything considered an enemy — especially anything divine — and Ranni also possessed the attribute of “moon.”

I would’ve called it a miracle that I could still maintain my composure and what little sanity I had left in her presence, if I didn’t know that the very thing stopping me from doing it was also what was driving me toward it.

The urge to kill her was also the thing keeping me the most sane right now.

And in that sanity, I remembered:

I was human.

The only species on my home planet capable of consciously restraining itself and suppressing impulsive, predatory, or instinctive behavior by choice, for one reason or another.

Even insane, I was still human.

And in the end, if I am human…

…nothing human is foreign to me.

Controlling my heart and beginning to cool my body before something else malfunctioned, I waited for the witch in front of me to answer.

Ranni stared at me with both of her faces for a few silent seconds.

Her spectral face was far more expressive than the doll’s, so most of my attention stayed on it. It was also easier to react if I focused there, since the illusion’s manifestation started from that point.

It would’ve been much easier to know what she was thinking if she had blood. The Chalice would’ve helped.

Spirit Vision helped a little, but since she wasn’t truly here, I knew the representation I was seeing wasn’t as accurate as it should’ve been.

That, and her entire form was covered in an intense violet hue — her connection to the spiritual. It made distinguishing her emotions even harder.

After about half a minute of silently staring at me, she raised her right hand. The upper right one, rather, since she had four arms.

Then, slowly, she brought her hand toward mine. It was cold like marble — I could feel it through the blood forming my right hand — and she shook my hand.

I smiled, squeezing back for a brief moment before letting go.

“Deal.”

I tried using Analyze: Item during the handshake, which unfortunately amounted to nothing. She was “energy,” after all. Not that I expected much.

But the contact did let me analyze the bell in her hand, called the Spirit Calling Bell. It cost a little over five hundred thousand SP to analyze.

I tossed the item status screen aside to read later.

Her spectral face looked toward her hand while the doll face stared at mine.

“I hadst expected some manner of sorcerous pact or binding, O human from beyond the stars. Yet I sense naught.” She brought one of her left hands unto the one that had shaken mine and touched it, almost with curiosity.

The way she spoke was archaic as hell. Salem, who was a thousand-year-old witch living in isolation, spoke less antiquated than her.

“It’s a simple agreement,” I stated. “I don’t intend to break it. I don’t need a pact for that. And you, moon-reeking witch?”

Both of her faces frowned.

“Ranni,” she corrected. “And no such intent have I.”

“Devas,” I replied. “Not that I mind being called ‘human from beyond the stars.’”

She stared at me silently again before speaking:

“Devas.”

“Ranni,” I answered.

The surroundings fell silent, with only the wind making noise around us.

A message slipped out of the “spam box” and floated in front of me:

[AdvocateOfGenderEquality]What did I miss? How did this go from looking like a pre-murder scene to a conversation between two horny autists so fast????

I felt my only eye twitch.

Ignoring the message, I turned and started walking toward Blaidd, who hadn’t stopped growling and struggling to break free for even a moment. The guy was strong. Holding him still was taking a fairly significant amount of my concentration and energy.

The good part about the Chalice’s blood control was that it barely consumed any energy beyond my concentration. The energy itself came from the blood being controlled.

It was something I needed to study to understand how it worked.

Ranni’s footsteps made no sound behind me, but with how completely my attention was fixed on her, there was no way not to know where she was.

Once I got close to the wolf-man, I made the blood restraining him lift him and drag him closer. There was nothing remotely sane in his gaze.

I stared into his left eye for a moment.

“…You know, I think I accidentally took a bullet that was meant for you,” I commented distractedly.

This is going to be a pain… Maybe asking for tutoring was way too cheap a price…

…What if I ask for the sword too? And her hat? It was a nice hat…

“I have ne’er heard such an expression, yet do I grasp the meaning behind it.” She walked to my side, looking at Blaidd with a saddened expression. “What blow dost thou believe thyself to have borne in mine stead?”

“His madness.” I pointed at Blaidd’s wolf face with my right hand before pointing at Ranni’s spectral face. “It seems to be something programmed to activate under some scenario involving you. Almost like a safeguard that, once triggered, would drive him insane and — I’m almost certain — make him attack and kill you.”

Now that Ranni was close — or at least her manifestation was — I could see certain things more clearly.

The “cord” connecting Blaidd to Ranni still stretched far away, toward wherever her real body was, but a smaller, more translucent one had formed between him and the doll illusion beside me.

Using a combination of Glimpse of Light in the Abyss, Spirit Vision, and Transparent World, I could see that inside the smaller “cord” connecting Blaidd to Ranni were several “threads” that looked “rotten” and “mad.”

It was like a “possibility,” a possible “path” that, once triggered by some cause I still didn’t know, would drive Blaidd insane and make him attack Ranni.

In fact, the “healthy” threads in the cord were beginning to rot as they came into contact with the “rotten” ones.

The only reason everything hadn’t completely decayed yet was because tiny tendrils of my nightmare energy were devouring the madness and, in fact, redirecting it toward me.

... I hadn’t even realized that was happening.

I didn’t even know how those things had gotten there, since my nightmare energy was sealed inside me, protecting me from Hardy’s underworld energy.

Even my Nightmare cloak was focused entirely on that and wasn’t leaking outward.

Maybe when I used Glimpse of Light in the Abyss? My spirituality is deeply tied to my spiritual energy and my nightmare energy.

That would make sense… maybe? Was the act of me looking at things infecting them now?

But in the end, it had actually helped him.

Which was honestly curious.

I was the reason he had gone insane — though I didn’t know why it had happened — and I was also the reason his madness remained focused on me instead of turning toward Ranni, the “original” target.

I suddenly felt the urge to laugh.

It was funny. I had done all of this completely by accident.

While organizing my thoughts, I kept part of my attention on Ranni. I noticed the witch looked confused for a moment at my words, before her spectral face very subtly widened its eyes.

With Spirit Vision, I could see a blue aura appear on her forehead, right between her eyes, layered over the violet hue as she thought. Then, within that small blue space, an orange point appeared and rippled sharply.

Thought and surprise, along with recognition…

“You know why this happened,” I stated, staring at her with my head tilted. Then I corrected myself: “Actually, my mistake. You don’t know why it happened here, but you knew this could happen in the future.”

She looked at Blaidd with the doll’s face while the spectral one turned toward me. Neither showed any visible reaction.

I gave her an amused smile. Ran my tongue along the inside of my teeth.

She knew Blaidd would go insane at some point.

Now, how?

“Does it involve something you’ll do — or would’ve done — in the future?” I gestured toward Blaidd with my chin.

An orange point flickered in surprise.

“Correct,” I said. “I know he’s something created. And the way this madness manifested, like I said, feels programmed. A safeguard against you?”

Another point appeared, this time yellow, revealing tension.

“Correct again,” I affirmed, tilting my head slightly. “Should I keep going?”

A quick flash of red cut through the aura, betraying her irritation.

Provoking her was fun. Like playing with a tiger I knew could hurt me.

Not here. This manifestation of hers was weak. But from what I could sense of her power, it wasn’t hard to estimate that Ranni was genuinely dangerous — especially because of whatever was inside that right eye of hers.

In her real body, she could probably kill me even at full strength. Especially in the pathetic state I was in right now.

Even so, I couldn’t help myself.

[Archetype: The Threat — Synchronization +5%]

“Thy words do vex me.” She ignored my question.

Her lower left and right arms crossed. The upper left still held the Spirit Calling Bell, while the upper right pointed toward Blaidd.

“Thou didst say thou couldst save him. Art thou yet certain of it now?”

Did her tone change?…

Something she considered difficult… or maybe even impossible?

Interesting…

This probably involved something more troublesome than I’d thought.

Well, considering she herself seemed to be some kind of Lesser Goddess or powerful Demigod, it wasn’t that surprising.

But it didn’t really change much.

“Only a fool claims certainty about anything, Ranni.” I was getting poetic. Probably because of the madness. “So yes, I’m certain.”

I laughed softly and, ignoring the look she gave me, grabbed Blaidd’s wrist with my left hand while commanding my right hand to detach from my wrist and grab the hilt of the greatsword lying on the ground.

When I pulled it free, the freezing burst from before didn’t happen. Not that I was worried. Probably some kind of intent-based effect or specific magic from this world.

I commanded the blood hand to return to my wrist and, gripping the greatsword, sliced open Blaidd’s palm.

With the cut open, I tossed the greatsword into the Voidbag.

I felt Ranni’s gaze focus on the back of my neck.

“Battle spoils,” I said.

“From a warrior driven unto madness, and not e’en at the height of his strength.”

“Would you rather I switch to looting corpses instead?” I turned to look at her.

She held my gaze with both faces, without blinking.

“…What price must be rendered to reclaim my shadow’s blade?” Ranni asked after a moment.

She was far more reasonable than I’d expected, not gonna lie. And after realizing she could genuinely talk and negotiate with me, she seemed even more reasonable.

“A weapon of equal value.” I thought for a moment. “Preferably a greatsword or a spear. Maybe armor, I don’t know.”

She nodded slowly.

“I possess a blacksmith who serveth as mine own counselor. I shall bid him forge thee something when next thou comest for thy tutelage. Then mayest thou choose the weapon thou desirest… until such time, keep the sword.”

…I’m going to negotiate and see if I can learn smithing from that guy later. And I’m only going wherever you live after I recover.

I wasn’t insane enough to walk into a divine witch’s “workshop,” especially while this fucked up.

With another mini-deal settled, I turned back to Blaidd.

On the Minimap, the color representing him was mixed. Orange and red. My enemy, but mind-controlled, which confirmed the madness was induced.

It had been a while since I’d seen orange there…

Blood slowly dripped from the cut in his palm, splattering onto the ground and creating small stains in the dirt beside us while the wind carried the droplets a few centimeters away.

I brought my right palm directly beneath his, where the blood was falling. But before the first drop could touch the blood forming my right hand, the liquid shaped like my hand twisted and reverted back into the form of the Chalice.

Slowly, Blaidd’s blood dripped into it.

The moment the Chalice appeared, I felt a spike of terror from Ranni.

Before, she had been wary and frightened when she looked at me. A kind of fear that existed, but could still be controlled, like a warrior before battle.

What leaked from her now was genuine horror.

“What is that… abhorrent… thing?…” Her manifested illusion took a step backward.

“The cup I drink coffee from,” I answered distractedly.

Had she seen the Chalice’s true potential? Or was it something else? Either way, she must’ve had extremely sharp perception — or seen some truly horrific things or powerful artifacts before — to recognize it.

“Please be quiet. I’m concentrating here,” I said, dispersing the Chalice back into blood and sprinkling some Purification Powder onto Blaidd’s wound.

Blaidd wasn’t human, nor even divine, so the knowledge I received from him through the Chalice was minuscule. Less than that, actually.

If I compared it to the knowledge I gained just by looking at a human, it would be like Stark’s mathematical knowledge compared to that of a particularly slow three-year-old child.

Even so, it was better than nothing. And I wanted a “sample” of Blaidd’s blood. It might prove useful.

“The madness affects mind, body, and soul…” I murmured. “Two of those are simple to solve, but the last one… one thing at a time.”

It wasn’t exactly “madness,” but rather a “state of madness.” Still, the distinction didn’t matter that much.

“First, the mind. That part’s simpler, and it’s where the madness manifests fastest, infecting the body more easily.”

It was also located in the brain, which was part of the body, so I’d be solving two problems at once.

I wasn’t speaking out loud just because it helped organize my thoughts, but also because it explained what I was doing to the (CHAT) and to Ranni.

Mostly to Ranni, since explaining what I was doing lowered the chances of her attacking me because she thought I was breaking our agreement or something like that.

I wasn’t afraid of getting hurt, but if she attacked me and I accidentally killed Blaidd, it would ruin my plans for learning, getting a new custom-made weapon, and possibly receiving tutoring from a blacksmith in a world that, at this point, I was certain was a “Souls.”

… I wonder if there’s a Dark Souls here. That would be kind of wonderful, wouldn’t it? Flame, humanity… it all had a lot to do with me.

And speaking of flame…

Pushing the scattered thoughts away, I extended both hands and commanded the Shadowflame to cover them.

That weakened part of my internal defenses, but nothing serious enough to matter, especially if I was quick.

Like before, when Ranni saw the Shadowflame, she reacted similarly to when she saw the Chalice. I could feel fear — though less intense this time — followed by caution, along with a strange sort of curiosity and interest.

“This flame… what manner of power is it?…” Her voice came from beside me; she had taken a few steps closer. “Perilous it is, though it appeareth… far weaker than it ought be. A ‘being’ long sundered from its prime.”

“It’s the fire I use to heat my coffee.”

I didn’t even need to turn around to know she was dissatisfied with the answer, but at the moment, I didn’t care.

I made sure the Shadowflame didn’t infect either Ranni or Blaidd, neither with “Shadow Spark” nor “Foreigner Sin.”

As subtle as the Shadowflame could be, I doubted a witch practically dripping with spirituality wouldn’t notice she’d been infected — or wouldn’t check Blaidd afterward once this was over.

Better to avoid that.

It would also serve as a trump card in case she decided to break our agreement.

“One warning: this is going to hurt, and he’s going to scream. Don’t interrupt me,” I said without turning around.

I commanded the blood to drag Blaidd downward until his face was level with mine, and with both hands covered in violet fire, I grabbed the sides of his head while staring into his right eye with my own.

Then I “looked” inside him.

The moment I did, I could see where the madness was “installed” in his brain, and I “pulled” at it using my nightmare energy, using his right eye as a “channel,” since that was the easiest method thanks to my “concept of the right eye.”

At the same time, I commanded the Shadowflame to cover his entire head, burning and absorbing any madness that leaked out. Through his ears, I guided both the flame and the blood inward until they reached the brain, where the madness was concentrated.

Then I burned that section away while replacing the destroyed area with a “model” crafted from my own blood.

While this happened, Blaidd did everything he could to break free, putting on a performance straight out of The Exorcist as he growled, screamed, and tried to howl in pain, only to be stopped by the black hand of the Bone Helm gripping his muzzle shut.

It was unpleasant…

At my right side — where I always kept nearly half my attention focused on her — Ranni watched in surprisingly complete silence, her emotions barely fluctuating.

…Cold as ice and cruel as the moon, perhaps?…

Extracting and burning the madness from Blaidd’s brain and mind took a little over thirty seconds, during which the wind became the second loudest thing in the area.

Afterward, I let go of his head, and he collapsed forward, breathing heavily with a far saner — though exhausted — look in his eyes. His right eye was bleeding, and the iris had begun turning red, very similar to my Nightmares.

I had to force my right eye not to open and devour his…

“Don’t speak. Don’t resist. I’m trying to unfuck whatever’s fucking you up,” I told him. “Your Lady agreed to this. It’s for your own good, after all — madness isn’t exactly fun. And brace yourself, because this is going to hurt.”

Without giving him time to react, I reshaped my right hand into a larger version of itself, switching places with the hand holding his muzzle shut.

Now with my right hand made of shadows, I grabbed Blaidd’s forehead.

Then I began to chant:

“For it is in sin that we reveal our nature and truth…”

Blaidd wasn’t human, so in order to “see” his soul — even with the Transparent World, Spirit Vision, and everything else — I had to improvise.

So I used my Aura chant.

“Through it, we become the reflection of fragility and potential, dwelling in the light and shadow of our being…”

The moment I felt my soul touch his, I used that connection as a “bridge” and rapidly mapped out his soul.

It possessed a shape somewhere between wolf and human, forming something entirely humanoid on one side and completely canine on the other, while simultaneously being both in equal measure.

I didn’t need to search long to find the source of the madness. It rested in a region equivalent to the “brain” of his physical body, and there, it was obvious.

The madness was like a beacon to me, except “dark” and strangely “yellowish” amidst Blaidd’s cyan-blue soul.

I didn’t finish the incantation.

Besides not wanting to awaken his Aura, it would also tire me out. Normally not enough to matter, but here, every bit of energy was something I wanted to preserve.

Tracing and outlining the area surrounding the source of the “madness,” I advanced with my soul, touched that place, then opened my “mouth” and “bit.”

The “teeth” of the Mystery Devourer tore through Blaidd’s soul effortlessly as I fueled my Semblance with Shadowflame, which cost even more of my internal defenses.

Blaidd screamed so loudly in pain that I felt his jaw crack trying to force itself open. Then the sound turned wet when a second loud snap echoed as his vocal cords ruptured.

His muscles spasmed, and then he went limp, collapsing forward, held upright only by the blood restraining his limbs.

“Swallowing” that piece of Blaidd’s soul — which I didn’t digest, instead leaving it in a corner of the Spiritual Realm — I stepped back and closed my eyes, patching up the internal injuries that had reopened and rebuilding my defenses against Hardy’s underworld energy.

I spent nearly ten seconds doing that before opening my eyes again.

…That delayed my healing by at least six hours, maybe more… fuck…

Ranni had been staring at me the entire time. I turned to face her.

“Thou hast devoured a fragment of his very soul… that he might ne’er again find passage unto the Erdtree…” she said, half aghast, half bewildered, half repulsed, and half seized by dread.

Then she murmured:

“Destined Death…”

“I get the feeling that information is extremely important, but wait a moment,” I said, focusing on one of my Nightmares.

From my shadow-made right hand, I commanded the Nightmare to crawl out of my palm.

A parasitic insect shaped like some mix between a beetle and a spider. More specifically, the copy of the Parasite Grimm that had been feeding on Amber’s soul.

Then I brought my hand to Blaidd’s right eye and, using the concept of [The Memories of Foreigner Sin: Eyes Are The Door To The Soul] as a “pathway,” I let the Nightmare melt and enter the wolf-man’s soul.

With that, I had the creature weave a “web” that began supporting his soul, preventing it from degrading or collapsing. I doubted that would happen — his soul was ridiculously strong — and that was also the only reason I’d been able to do what I did without killing him.

I’d been serious when I told Qrow I was more butcher than surgeon when it came to dealing with souls. And that was with him being human; Blaidd didn’t even have that “advantage.”

Even so, the Nightmare was only insurance and a “support” meant to keep things from getting worse. His madness and sins were also far too weak to truly affect Blaidd’s soul.

Taking out a Healing Potion and more Purification Powder, I poured both onto the back of Blaidd’s neck, roughly where the burned section of his brain was located.

I thinned the blood serving as the model there and “converted” it back into Blaidd’s own blood.

With the Transparent World, I could see the effects of the potion and powder prioritizing that area and nearly completely regenerating the damaged section of his brain, following the “template” created by Blaidd’s blood before it dissipated.

Once everything was finished, I stepped back and reached into the Voidbag, pulling out a box containing ten [Mana Regeneration Potion: Jinn’s Model ~ Alalia], the potion Jinn had created to help restore Amber’s soul.

I handed it to Ranni, who accepted it with her two lower arms. I also placed a bag of Purification Powder inside.

“A potion that will help restore his soul and purify anything that remained or slipped past my notice,” I explained to her. “Keep him somewhere rich in nature, and he should recover quickly and wake up within one or two months. But the madness from before is cured and won’t return.”

And by “quickly,” I meant I had absolutely no idea.

He would probably wake up in about a week, maybe two at most, instead of the one or two months I’d claimed.

Even though the part of the soul I had “devoured” came from the region corresponding to the head, it wasn’t the “conscious” part of him, but the “subconscious.”

At worst, he’d be mentally slower for a while and lose some memories. I could even try extracting those memories from the fragment of his soul and recreate them using a “Foreigner Memory,” then return them afterward.

But as for the regeneration of his soul? That was something I genuinely couldn’t say how long would take.

I had tried using Analyze: Item on Blaidd when I touched him to see if there was anything that could help, but after seeing the absurdly cheap price of seven hundred million SP, I quickly gave up on the idea.

Blaidd’s soul was leagues stronger than Amber’s, so that could mean he would recover much faster. On the other hand, it could also mean the exact opposite, since there was far more “mass” to regenerate.

But overall, he would recover with time, and that was considering only what I knew. Ranni might have something capable of helping him as well.

And as for giving the potions and Purification Powder to Ranni, that was a bonus on my part, since I had “devoured” around twenty percent of Blaidd’s soul and had no intention of giving it back.

Twenty percent of his soul was worth far more than those potions — or even the possibility of Ranni recreating them using other ingredients.

The Purification Powder she wouldn’t be able to recreate for shit. Not without help from a being on the same level as Alalia and as intimately connected to the “World” and “Nature” as the dryad was.

Ranni completely ignored the potions, as though they were utterly uninteresting, and focused all her attention on me instead. I could feel her gaze fixed directly on my right eye.

Without blinking.

Just staring at me.

Then she stated, in a soft voice:

“Thou art, truly, a threat.”

[Archetype: The Threat — Synchronization +35%]

I moved Blaidd and let him fall beside her.

“Harsh words to say to the one who cured your shadow’s madness and prevented your future death.”

“I speak it not as insult.” She subtly shook her head. “Nor as praise. Nor yet as mere opinion. I speak of what thou art, as thou truly art.”

“I deny not thy deeds and, for the saving of mine dear shadow, I offer thee thanks. I deny not the vision set before mine eyes and, for the dread thou dost emanate, I declare myself not thine enemy.”

“I deny neither thee nor thine essence, that humanity which floweth forth from thy very being. Thus do I ask of thee an alliance.”

She rang the Spirit Calling Bell, summoning the same two wolves, which grew in size until the first could comfortably carry Blaidd on its back, while the second received affection from her free hand.

“Thy answer?” she asked.

“I arrived in this world less than two hours ago,” I stated. “I know nothing and no one. I have no enemies beyond those who make themselves mine, nor any allies. I intend to keep it that way for now.”

In summary: I don’t trust you. Give me what I want, honor our agreement, and we’re good.

Ranni didn’t seem offended and merely nodded as she climbed onto the wolf while holding the box of potions and powder.

“What wilt thou do henceforth? Hast thou some clear aim before thee, or wouldst thou have me fulfill my part of our accord forthwith?”

“First, I’m going to recover my arm.” I saw no problem answering. It could also make her think I couldn’t regenerate it. “After that, my schedule is open.”

“I see… so that was the thing which parted from the comet upon thy fall.” She looked into the distance, vaguely toward where my arm had landed. “Knowest thou where thy limb came to rest?”

I pointed in the direction, making her correct the angle of her gaze.

“In that direction lieth Stormveil Castle.” Her spectral face curved into a faint smile. “There is good cause to believe thy limb resteth there.”

“And the smile is for what reason?”

This time she smiled with both faces.

“I fear thy hosts there shall not provide coffee suited to thy tastes.” Yellow appeared in her aura, mingled with faint traces of red rippling softly along the edges — restrained amusement and quiet anticipation. “Though such matters are naught before a being of thy stature.”

Petty, then.

Not that I expected anything different from a divine creature, especially one aligned with the moon.

…Dealing with Artemis when I go help Percy is going to be hell, isn’t it? I think I’ll need to move my spear project higher up the priority list…

I looked upward. Dawn was breaking. The stream clock read [6:16].

“I should recover my arm by midday,” I told her. “Then I’ll come find you.”

“I deem it shall take even less time, unless thou desirest to linger and admire the scenery.” She gestured with her hand, tilting it toward me. “Thy left hand, if thou wouldst.”

I stared at the doll’s hand for a moment before extending mine.

The cold fingers of her right hand slipped between mine one by one, hesitating briefly when they touched my ring finger — where the golden “strand of hair” rested — before finally stopping at my pinky.

There, she wove the air itself, and from that weaving, “moonlight” emerged from her fingers, shaping itself into a dark-blue “strand of hair,” cold as the moon.

The strand wrapped itself around the tip of my pinky, just behind the nail, the same way the golden one had wrapped around my other finger.

“Through this shall I know thy whereabouts. Shouldst thou wish to seek me, undo the knot and I shall appear, to guide thee unto the place wherein I dwell, for thy tutelage,” she explained, stepping back.

I stared at my left hand for a moment before looking back at the Minimap. The point representing Ranni remained yellow.

I narrowed my eye slightly and raised my right hand. From the shadows there, I pulled out a small Nightmare: a floating eye created due to the influence I had received from ‘The Eye.’

I commanded the Nightmare Demon Eye to move toward Ranni, beginning to circle around her head and hat.

I linked the Nightmare Demon Eye to the “cord” connecting her to Blaidd, using the tendrils that still lingered there, so the creature would follow Ranni even after that manifestation vanished, eventually finding her real body.

“I shall know thy location through this,” I repeated her words. “When thou wishest to find me, look into the eye and call my name. I will know.”

The aura around her wavered erratically for an instant — hesitation — overtaken by a green tone of acceptance and finally settling into a deep, stable blue — respect mixed with caution.

…Why were the abilities from Klein’s world like this?…

“Very well. Then shall I take my leave. We shall meet again anon, Devas, The Human.” She waved and gave a slight bow of her head before the wolves began to leave, disappearing into the distance after a few seconds.

I made my voice reach across the distance, echoing from every direction around Ranni while the sound formed an orange mist.

“We shall meet again later, Ranni, The Witch.”

I watched the Minimap until the points representing Ranni and Blaidd disappeared. I also noticed that the other two points that had appeared when Blaidd arrived had vanished at some point.

…Damn. I’ll ask the (CHAT) which direction they went, in case they followed the same route I was taking.

With that, beneath the first rays of sunlight of that world rising over the golden horizon behind the Erdtree, I turned around and resumed walking toward my arm.

From what Ranni said… I’m going to have to kill someone, aren’t I?…

I smiled, feeling the insanity return now that I no longer needed to hold it back.

[Archetype: The Threat — Synchronization +12%]

[...]---[...]

And with that, this little encounter comes to an end. Even though “logic” would suggest there should have been bloodshed, Devas is not a mindless beast, and Ranni is extremely cautious.

Devas now has a new sword (temporarily), 20% of the soul of one of the Two Fingers’ creations, more experience dealing with soul-related matters, a few new discoveries regarding his energies, as well as a tutoring agreement and a commission.

Overall, it was a very advantageous outcome for him. It was beneficial for Ranni as well, since Blaidd won’t go mad in the future, but from Devas’s perspective, he definitely came out ahead.

I really liked how this chapter turned out, especially the way Devas used his abilities. I always try to give things a certain “logical sense,” and I think I managed to do that here.

Well, “logical” within the logic of the story, at least.

Well, I won’t drag this out too much. If you have anything to say, feel free to comment. I read every single one without exception.

As always, good night everyone, and enjoy the chapter!