Eyes of Misery

I sighed, rubbing my eyes.

It had been several months since Kuroka had visited, and she hadn't returned since. I occasionally stopped by to check in on her, but otherwise we kept to ourselves. In my spare time, I tracked down Carn and taught him Elemental magic. It wasn't as hard as I originally thought it to be, even if the Book was practically useless on the subject. As soon as I taught him the basics, he took to it like a duck to water, seeming to instinctually gravitate towards the element of Earth. It certainly helped whenever we needed to bust some skulls or make a quick getaway.

However, magic isn't my problem right now. My Sight has never been clearer, and I can see almost a month into the future now when given a quiet room without distractions. But again, it's not my Sight that's in flux. It's my sight. My normal eyes, no modifications. These days, overuse of the Clearsight lenses has left me unable to see more than a foot in every direction. I've been using Carn as my eyes, seeing as he can use the earth itself to sense things, but that won't help my Sight. After all, Divination relies on your five senses, and without my sight, I can't tell a bullet from a wood chip without feeling them.

Not to mention, when you reading through endless amounts of papers for a living, you kind of need your eyes.

Hence what I'm doing now.

I sighed, leaning back into the comforting embrace of my couch. I finally remembered the Book's version of the Clearsight lenses a day ago, when I was racking my brains for a solution for my dilemma. I only skimmed them before, so I should probably finish reading them, if only to exhaust all possible resources.

I opened the Book, running a finger lightly over its' cover. "Morning, girl." I whispered. "Would you mind helping me out?"

The Book fluttered sleepily, but gradually began flipping to the required page. I glanced down at the blueprint, finding nothing new. I sighed, rubbing my eyes once more. This was the part I had already read. I had been hoping to see something that would help me reverse the damage to my eyes, something I had missed the first time, but no such thing seemed to exist. Out of desperation more than anything, I turned the page, hoping to see something different in the notes. The lurid red text of the title caught my eye, making me squint in an attempt to read the spidery handwriting.

Theory #56: Eyes of Misery (Kangeki)

The previous blueprint was a practical application of said eyes. It allows for basic memory enhancement, but has the high cost of gradually worsening one's eyesight. It does have the benefit of allowing absolutely anyone to use them, unlike the actual eyeballs.

Fucking Naruto…

Anyway.

I was able to come up with a working version of said eyes. It was more of a project of curiosity, really, and after realizing that they could not be reproduced without also reproducing the negative effects, I had no intention of using them myself. After all, they are indeed activated only by intense emotions, and you have to feel those emotions every time you turn the damn things on, so… yeah. Not my kind of style, especially considering that my Sin is Wrath.

Sin? What Sin? The fuck is he even talking about?

When a wielder of these eyes experiences a powerful emotional condition with regards to a person precious to them, their brain releases a special signal that affects the optic nerves, transforming the eyes into the Eyes of Misery; for that reason, they are described as an "eye that reflects the heart" (感激, Kangeki, Lit.'Deep emotion'). Often, as per the Uchiha's so-called "Curse of Hatred", this emotion is a negative one, brought on by stress or loss. Fortunately, the emotion can also be positive, driven by a desire to protect or reunite with a loved one. That's what I did, and it worked just fine.

The Eyes of Misery grant the wielder two broad abilities: the "Eye of Insight" and the "Eye of Hypnotism". I'll leave those up to you to figure out. The Eyes of Misery can be evolved into the Eyes of Kaleidoscopic Emotion (Mangekyō Kangeki) by experiencing the trauma of loss, granting unique, user-specific techniques in addition to the Eyes' standard abilities, as well as sharpening eyesight to the point of being able to count the individual fibers on your clothes. This increases magic control to a ridiculous level, as being able to see everything you're doing wrong is incredibly helpful. Awakening the Mangekyō will automatically fully mature one's Kangeki if they aren't already.

Use of the Mangekyō causes blindness over time, but this can be negated by transplanting another pair of Mangekyō from a close genetic match, such as a sibling, to acquire Eyes of Eternal Kaleidoscopic Emotion (Eternal Mangekyō Kangeki) that never loses their sight. This once again boosts eyesight, possibly granting telescopic vision and something like Lifesight. It combines both the design and techniques of both sets of eyes, and grants its' user the abilities stored in both Kangeki.

As this is a recreation, and not the original, I was unable to figure out how to evolve it into the Rinnegan. I refuse to call this the Sharingan because of that, since all it is is a pale imitation of the hax Uchiha version. However, because you are creating these eyes from scratch, it's possible to awaken one pair of eyes to the Mangekyō stage, and then immediately store said pair while you use the memory of the first trauma to unlock the second pair's Mangekyō. Thus, by combining the two using the Tetration method, one can achieve Eternal Mangekyō Kangeki at no additional cost. Plus, if one rewrites the genes of an existing set of eyes, one can make literally any set of Eyes compatible with the existing set. See the entry on 'Rewriting Genes' for more.

The thing is, this universe follows different mechanics than those of the Elemental Nations. This world, unlike the bullshit land of physics-defying ninjas, is based in reality and not fiction. As such, the eyes themselves have no powers. That would be silly. Instead, they merely allow for recording and direct amplification of existing abilities, as per the user's magic. It's rather like an extension to an existing framework. They gather a lot of mana while awakening each individual stage, and use that to form the beginnings of a technique. So don't be expecting any black flames of death if you're a Mind Mage, or any impossible illusions if you're an Elemental Mage. There are rules, and they must be followed.

No invincible giant armored skeletons, either. Believe me, I tried.

But be warned. I, myself, once bore these eyes. I awakened them to Mangekyō stage, and yet… I could feel my mind itself warping under the strain. Shifting, changing, becoming something it wasn't before. The Eyes of Misery grant photographic memory, yet forgetting is an essential part of coping with loss. Because, while a trauma may never completely fade, the pain will lessen. But for someone who can remember his loss as vividly on the 300th time as he did the first, such essential aspects of coping would not apply. I have come to terms with my losses, yet the eyes would not allow me to forget them, driving me to the brink of despair.

And so, I removed them, and healed back my original pair of eyes. (Because magic.) At the end of this Entry, you will find the exact instructions required to shift your body's very genes to allow for this mystical Dōjutsu, along with the gem storing my former eyes in stasis. If you believe yourself to be able to bear their weight, you may use them as you will. The gem is set to perform the Tetration and gene altering process automatically, provided you place the gem on your forehead and pour mana into it.

Quick, easy, and blood-free. No eye surgery required. You're welcome.

Now don't blow us all to hell.

And, ah, side note, the eyes glow in the dark. Scared the shit out of a passing maid. Trisha, I think her name is. Whatever.

I stared in shock. 'The Author is fucking insane. What if a psychopath got their hands on this Book? They could do some serious damage with these things.' I glanced down at the bottom of the page, only to find a semi-spherical gem inscribed with hundreds of tiny runes.

'But still… this entire thing seems like a bad idea. I mean, eyes that require you to commit increasingly terrible sins in order to power them up? To get them to their highest stage, you'd have to kill both your best friend and your blood brother in cold blood. A blood brother that has also murdered his best friend in cold blood. I get that the Author offered a shortcut that doesn't require killing your siblings, but it's still a viable option to go the genocide route. And that's more than enough to convince me that these things are the ultimate 'power from evil' that stories tell of.'

I hesitated, glancing over the spell that would give me something that the Author, the crazy genius himself, decided wasn't worth it. I looked up at Von, who was yawning and stretching. "Hey… Von?"

He turned, looking slightly taken aback by my conflicted expression. "Er… what do you need, kid?" He asked hesitantly.

I sighed, rubbing a thumb over the gem. "If you had had a chance… if there was something you could do that would give you everything you ever wanted, but came at an incredible cost, would you do it?"

He blinked. "…Say again?"

"I could get my eyes back." I told him seriously. "I could get revenge on Smalls. I could be powerful, Von. Real power, not that fake shit they try to sell out of a bottle."

Von nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "That sounds… dangerous, kid. Really dangerous. You sure you know what you're getting yourself into?"

I laughed sardonically. "If nothing else, the Author is meticulous when he tells you the cost, even when the directions themselves are clear as mud. Hell, sometimes he outright tells you not to do something if you want to live. I know what to do, and what it'll cost me. I want to know if I should."

Von sighed, closing his eyes. We sat in silence for a while, with only the soft crackle of flames filling the void. "…I want to say that you should take your time and think about it." He finally said, shaking his head. "But I know from experience that if you do that, you never get what you need to do done. And right now, I can tell that you need some advice. So I'll say this."

He stood, walking over and sitting on the couch next to me. "Kid, in all the time I've known you, you've never been the silent avenger. You're an honest person, if a bit odd. Most people aren't most comfortable crafting weapons or devising a battle plan." He chuckled. "The way you move, the way you talk, even the way you look at people shows your quirks. You're curious, incisive, and deeply distrustful of other people. Hell, I don't even know your real name!"

He glanced over at me, sighing. "…I won't stop you if you decide to do whatever you're planning. I have no place telling you what to do. But take it from me, you need something to gather power for, otherwise you'll burn out one day. Vengeance in fine, hell, it's even cathartic. But don't make it your reason for existing, 'cause once you've killed everyone that's ever done you wrong, one of two things will happen. Either you'll realize how empty your life really is, or you'll start making up reasons to take revenge on someone."

I nodded tiredly. "I get it, no blood avengal crusades. But, if I figured out what to do with that kind of power…"

He chuckled, patting me on the shoulder and rising to his feet. "Well, then. I suppose you're about to get one hell of a power boost, aren't you?"

I smiled shakily. "Sure."

He nodded once, and turned to leave me to my own devices.

I shut the Book, rubbing my eyes and sighing. This decision is a bit above my pay grade, as far as powers go. The future is no help either, too indistinct due to my indecision. I hesitated, then tapped lightly on the Book's cover. "You there, girl?" I asked softly.

The pages fluttered slightly, and the Book shifted on my lap.

I cracked a small smile. "Any ideas?" I asked drily. "Cause I'm stuck."

The Book came to life, opening and flipping its' pages to a seemingly random array of scribbles. I blinked, squinting, and leaned in. Still scribbles. I groaned, rubbing my eyes. 'Right. Probably needs some kind of cipher or something. Damn Author.' I paused. 'Unless…'

I squinted once more, this time calling up my magic and embracing the Dream. I nudged aside the millions of futures, instead simply channeling my mind through the world around me, opening my mind's eye to the universe itself. The scribbles slowly shifted, becoming legible text.

Section X

The Eyes of Misery: Warnings and Usage

I blinked. "Oh. I didn't know there was a Section like this."

The Book fluttered smugly.

I began to read the Author's spidery scrawl, blocking out all else.

The Eyes of Misery are, above all else, a tool. They will never force you to do anything, merely give you the opportunity. However, they are also a deadly weapon, designed to inflict pain the likes of which this world does not know. All things have their cost, and the Eyes are no different.

For every loss you suffer, they grow stronger. For every Sin you commit, they lose more of their weaknesses. But the price of the Eyes is both steep and permanent, preventing you from forgetting or changing the events that changed them. Even should you unlock the Mangekyo, the Eyes will never give back what you have sacrificed. Should you gain a time-based technique, you will never be able to use it to resurrect the dead. Should you gain a space-based technique, you will never be able to use it when you need it most. All illusions granted through the Eyes will only bring pain, and all attacks will be designed to give the least amount of survivability possible while inflicting the greatest amount of agony to the victim.

Thus are the Eyes of Misery.

The World demands a Balance—for every great thing, there must be a price of equal value. As I recreated these Eyes, I learned the truly fearsome costs of using them. To operate a single Eye for a second, it would require the equivalent of three human souls to be sacrificed. In order to mitigate those costs, I used the System to bear part of the load. The Eyes are powered by emotions, much as the Devils draw power from their Sins. But, to achieve those emotions, they prevent you from ever forgetting anything—even incredible traumas. In fact, that sudden influx of emotion is what grants them the power to self-evolve.

So, know this: there is no way to use the Eyes without first suffering greatly. The Eyes themselves will warp fate to demand it.

You have been warned.

I closed my eyes. My slowly worsening eyes. My human eyes.

'Am I willing to sacrifice my own emotions, to lose the ability to forget, if it's to get my sight back?'

I took a deep breath, slowing my thoughts and trying to think logically. 'All right, so the Author himself said that the Eyes are only a tool, and can't make me do anything. He also said that they can be activated using positive emotions, too. My guess is that negative emotions are just easier to come by. And the sudden shock of seeing your best friend die is feeding them enough emotion to evolve. So, logically, I just have to slowly gather positive emotions, and eventually I'll achieve the same effect as it would otherwise.'

I nodded once. 'I'll do it. My Sight effects more than just me, now. It's also carrying Carn and Kuroka's well-being, as well. And if I don't, then one day, I'll miss something, and we'll all die.'

"All right, girl." I whispered. "Take me to the instructions."

As the pages flipped, I checked through the futures once more. Now that I had made my choice, the possibilities were clearer. Fortunately, none of them seemed to involve my death, though a few resulted in my blindness, probably due to a mistake I made with the spell.

I glanced down at the Entry, my eyes flicking over to the end of the explanation, which held the odd gem that stored the Author's eyes. I flipped the page, and was immediately assaulted by a mess of diagrams, words, and blueprints that made no sense to the casual observer. I laughed softly to myself. "I was wondering where the madness was. The Author seemed rather tame during the explanation."

Well, time to get to work decoding this mess.

Time for a little trick I learned to do with my Sight.

I ended up spending six hours decoding the damn thing, and another one just making sure I knew everything I possibly could about its' design, just in case. Everything had to be completely perfect, or something would go wrong. Of course, the Author is a right paranoid bastard, and over half of the spell's matrix is dedicated solely to safety. I guess he knew better than to mess with his own genetics without a shitload of safety spells to make sure he didn't irreversibly turn himself into a dolphin or something.

I finally shut the Book, and sighed.

Then I opened my eyes in the present.

Heh.

I had learned long ago that using Thought Acceleration in tandem with my Sight allowed me to do hours' worth of studying without moving a muscle. Those seven hours had been less than a second in the real world, and I didn't even have to open the Book. Of course, I still felt mental fatigue as if I had just decoded an ungodly complex tetrahedral diagram for seven hours straight, but there are flaws in any technique.

I closed my eyes, gathering my mana, and began the spell. I trust Von to know not to disturb me when my eyes are closed like this, so I should be fine. Now, all I have to do to begin is put this strand here, and hold this piece here, then pull this segment out…

The procedure began with a soft hum of magic, and I immediately felt my eyes begin to burn as if they had been dipped in acid. I could feel them dissolving, reconstructing themselves at the same rate they collapsed. I alternated using my Sight and brief applications of mana in order to keep the spell stable. And let me just say, being able to see exactly what would keep me from painful burning death was simultaneously the largest comfort and worst distraction imaginable.

Finally, I felt the spell beginning its' last stages. My eyelids flickered as the foreign sensation of eyes forming beneath them began to itch against their sensitive skin. My sockets themselves itched like hell, making me twitch uncomfortably. A minute later, the spell finished its' course, and the drain on my mana ceased. As the itching of new cells growing finally went away, I opened my new eyes for the first time.

I was immediately thankful that Von's smithy is a dark room. Holy shit, that hurt. OW. As my eyes adjusted, I was taken aback by the clarity with which I could see my surroundings. The words on the cover of the Book, which I had previously needed to squint to make out, were suddenly crisp and clean. All traces of blurriness were gone from the world around me, making me smile. Victory.

Then, hesitantly, I fed a stream of mana into the eyes.

It was like pouring boiling lead down my optic nerves. I would have debated whether this was better or worse than the acid feeling of before, but I was in too much pain to form conscious thought. I felt my panic rise as my hands rose to my face and I felt liquid seeping from my closed lids, blood if I didn't miss my guess. I felt extreme fear, somehow terrified that I had messed up somehow, and now I was paying the price. I could feel tendrils of my own magic digging into my mind, searching for something, not caring of the pain it caused me as it did. It seemed to find what it was looking for, and it dislodged it with a jerk. Instantly, the pain stopped. I was suddenly aware of my surroundings once more, and I could feel a pair of strong arms on my shoulders and a loud voice shouting.

Confused, I opened my eyes to see Von's blocky mug staring back at me. He seemed relieved, and began to speak once more. "You scared me there, kid, what with all the screaming…" He trailed off, seeming to notice my new eyes for the first time. "Uh… kid? You've got something in your eye, there. Like, a comma thing."

I blinked. "Really?" I thought back to the Book's diagrams. "How many?"

"Two per eye." He replied after a brief check. "Is that supposed to happen?"

I shrugged. "I think so."

He sighed, letting go of my shoulders and rising to his feet. "Well, whatever it was, be more careful next time. You've got a whole life ahead of you, so don't waste it on stupid shit."

I nodded absently. There was something… odd about the room, now that I was looking at it through the eyes. My eyes. It seemed… darker, somehow. It had a reddish tint to it that didn't exist before. The room itself seemed nastier, the shadows longer and more menacing. I stumbled to my feet in shock. "U-uh, I'm going to go take a breath of fresh air."

Von nodded absently. "Sure thing. Probably a good idea after all that."

I made my way to the door, pushing it open with a hard shove. Exiting the small alley leading to the shop's door, I got my first look at Naskapi.

For a moment I was frozen into immobility by the sheer grandeur of the cosmic vision that stretched out around me, my Sight working together with my new eyes in ways I hadn't thought possible. I floated at the edge of a universe, an ocean of blue and green seals that sang of worlds and stars and stranger things I had no names for. Beyond was a place where swirling abstract shapes too vast to see in their entirety danced forever through the void, in a symphony too great for any mortal mind to contain.

I shut my mental eye, disconnecting my magic from the universe and looking only with my physical eyes this time. I glanced at a passing woman, seeing the flickers of magic present in everything, as well as the soul within her chest. But there were swirls of darkness surrounding her in a dense cloud, touching her deeply, spreading black stains through her soul like ink poured into water.

I thought for a moment that it was part of her, and indeed much of the darkness did seem to be. But more of it seemed connected to some other source, something I couldn't quite make out. I strained to discern the strands that drifted off into the surroundings, thinning into diaphanous red streamers of barely-visible shadow that vanished into thin air.

Or did they?

Was it my imagination, or was the world itself a tad darker than I remembered? Each shadow a bit too dark, having a few too many limbs? I frowned in concentration as I shifted the layers of this odd new perception, trying to make sense of it. There was something in the air, just as there was in Von's smithy. A cloud of subtle influence that permeated everything around me, brushing against people and inanimate objects alike, lengthening their shadows and casting a dark influence on them. Some sort of spell, perhaps?

Whatever the shadow was, it extended all through the streets of Naskapi. I was sure now that it was made up of some sort of evil magic, but the matrices that would have defined a normal spell's function seemed to be completely missing. It was just a cloud of formless evil.

I scaled a nearby ladder, bolted into the wall, that allowed one access to the next-door roof. Sure enough, the shadow extended through all the streets and towers I could see from my position, but on this larger scale it didn't seem quite as uniform. There still weren't any matrices, but some areas seemed just slightly thinner or denser than others.

Then I looked up, and gasped.

The cloud extended across the whole sky, from horizon to horizon, lending the whole world a faint tinge of red. Above me there was one of the parts of the matrix that I'd expected, its' nebulous machinations stretching halfway across the sky. Other matrices peeked over the horizon on all sides, so huge they were only partly visible from here. But what little my new eyes allowed me to read of this vast array was disturbing enough.

…every grudge formed into an eternal hatred, every good deed punished with suffering and loss, every innocent soul forced to choose between evils, every child forced to grow beyond their years…

Oh, God. What is that?

I stumbled back in shock, falling back onto my rear as I attempted to look further. Turning in place, I whirled to see behind me. This part of the matrix looked similar, but different.

…for every crossroad of Time, the best choices shall be hidden, while that which leads to ruin goes unnoticed, burning the past to make way for the future…

"My god," I breathed, bile rising to my throat. "It's everywhere."

I rose to my feet, turning my spinning red eyes on the city once more. Now that I could see it, I watched as the cloud subtly twisted around each person, twitching slightly whenever they made a choice. A choice, I suspected, that would never be the right one.

But not all of the residents were affected. In fact, most weren't. The ones who weren't affected were instead bolstered by the nebulous mass, great globs of reddish black fastened to their backs like wings.

Devils.

I blinked, forcing myself to calm down. It took a few moments, but I managed it. 'Wait, if it's helping the Devils, then that means… damn. Well, I suppose this really is Hell. No wonder the beings of Sin and debauchery look right at home. They are home. It's just the uncorrupted souls that are being twisted.'

I glanced down at my own form, noticing for the first time a lack of any clouds around me. My soul shone bright and pure to my own eyes, untouched by the mass of malintent. It glimmered softly, an irreplaceable gem of enormous value. As I watched, it swelled slightly, another facet appearing on its' surface.

'It's not breaking.' I realized in shock. 'It's growing. But how? What could I possibly have that no one… else… does…' I pulled out my little Book, suspicion brewing in my mind. Sure enough, small tendrils of my soul stretched into its' core, leading out the other side as stronger, thicker threads.

"What are you doing?" I whispered in shock. "You're making it stronger. How?"

There was no response, and no possible future led to one. I gave up that line of questioning for now, instead electing to climb off the roof and return to Von's. Shutting the door behind me, I squeezed my eyes shut and cut the power to them. Useful though they may be, I think I'll hold off on testing them for a bit.

"Oh, good." Von called. "I was getting worried. If you don't get ready soon, you're going to miss the paper delivery."

I frowned. Paper delivery? What paper… oh. My job. A Revere. I found myself laughing softly at the sheer absurdity of the thought. Even after giving myself new eyes and learning of an absurd fate-altering spell covering all of Hell, I still had to go to work.

I shook my head, still chuckling as I walked over to my gear and began to get dressed. A quick check told me that there was a storm in a half an hour or so, so I definitely need these.

'So, what's my schedule today?' I wondered, lacing my boots. 'Paper deliveries have been less and less useful lately, so the big gangs are less and less interested in Reveres. Shark's a smart man, and knows the value in cornering the information market, so we should be safe for a while still, but that doesn't help daily work any. We should be done sorting the new papers by noon, so I have a full day ahead of me. What then?'

I considered the quandary, absently waving farewell to Von on my way out. I quietly marveled at the crisp lines all around me, the blurriness of my previous sight no longer present. Flicking on my Sight, I went on autopilot as I traversed the familiar path to the recycling plant. 'The Book's description of the Eye of Insight said something about being able to copy movements or spells by watching the way the mana in the air flows, or the way their magic rushes through their body. I assume from the warnings that the memorization is really just the eyes storing the data in the same place it stores the memories they draw emotion from. So I'm practically guaranteed infinite spammable spells, if only I can figure out how to bypass the 'one magic per mage' rule.'

I ducked a swinging beam as I took a shortcut through a construction site. Being a Diviner has its' perks. 'So, training with Carn to see if I can copy Elemental magic, then dropping by to visit Kuroka? Who knows, maybe Senjutsu doesn't count as 'magic'.'

I sighed, pulling out my lenses and wrapping my scarf around my face. 'Well, first I have to sort papers. One step at a time.'

The sirens began to sound around me, and people scrambled for cover as the telltale screech of wind that heralded the Ash began to wail through the streets.

I idly began planning what to have for dinner. Pizza, maybe?

Carn blinked. "Ye want me te' do what?"

My eye twitched. "I just explained the entire thing. I'm not doing it again."

He just looked even more confused. "An'… what was 'at explanation, again?" He asked weakly.

I groaned. "I have new eyes that let me copy shit. I want you to use your Earth magic so I can see if I can copy it."

He nodded slowly. "Righ'… but, what if—"

"Just do it." I snapped.

He shrugged. "Arright, but don't tell me I dint warn ye'."

He turned, concentrating, and stomped his bare foot into the ground. Hard. I watched in fascination as his magic seemed to pulse out of him, shifting the earth around him in concentric circles. The ground beneath his foot cratered, and the ground itself rippled, as if it were water being disturbed by a pebble. A moment later, he stopped, but I had what I needed. He glanced back at me. "Is 'at good?" He asked, stepping out of his crater.

I nodded, trying to focus on the way he had sculped the mana around him, before replicating the way he stomped the ground.

Nothing.

I sighed, ignoring my now aching ankle. I already knew it wouldn't work, none of the futures I could see involved me doing anything but smashing the bones of my foot, but I had to try. After all, I don't know the limitations of my Sight when it comes to the Eyes of Misery. For all I know, it's impossible to copy a technique without watching it with my own eyes.

…Though, I have to wonder, would I be more annoyed if I could use the Eyes through a Path-Walk, or if I couldn't. After all, copying an opponent's entire moveset in all possible futures is a bit over-the-top.

'Well, might as well test it.' I decided, closing my eyes and opening my mind's eye.

In my mind, I said my farewells to Carn, and went to visit Kuroka's house. I skimmed the conversation part, instead simply traveling a Path in which she demonstrated a basic Touki punch without asking too many questions. My eyes spun, and I copied the way she drew in mana to perform the technique. Once I had copied it to my satisfaction, I opened my eyes in the real world and tried to replicate it.

Only… I couldn't. It was like trying to catch fog, or outrace lightning. It was simply something out of my grasp, something I suspected was a result of using the Eyes rather than any lack of skill on my part.

'Right… so, copying future techniques won't work. Damn.' I sighed, rubbing my eyes. 'Well, going by my previous theory, it stores techniques the same way it does emotion, so if I haven't actually experienced the emotion, it won't store the technique.'

I glanced up at Carn, who was by now used to my random spacing off. He was beginning his daily training regimen, something I had gotten him into in order to help him get better at his magic. "Sorry, brother, I have to go. Need me to do anything for you in the west side of town?"

He paused, several large rocks hoovering midair. "Nah. I'll be fine." His face turned mischievous. "Just say hello to yer' lass for me."

I rolled my eyes. "Kuroka's a friend, brother. Nothing more."

"Suuuure." He drawled. "Keep tellin' yerself 'at."

I shook my head, turning and leaving my chuckling friend behind.

Half an hour and several dozen dingy alleyways later, and I was at the door to Kuroka's modest home. I knocked softly at the door, and was answered by a tiny, white-haired girl with golden eyes. She looked up at me with wide eyes. "You're nee-sama's boyfriend, aren't you?" She asked innocently.

I chuckled. "No, I'm not. I'm just the local smith. Besides, we're too young to date."

She frowned, ears twitching. "But Kaa-san said…" She trailed off, but shook her head. "Never mind. Nee-sama is upstairs."

I nodded, brushing past her as I headed to the staircase. I knocked once on her bedroom door, waiting politely before opening it. Kuroka looked up from a worn book, hazel eyes blinking in surprise as she saw me. "Dee?"

I nodded once, shutting the door behind me and sitting in a rickety chair before she could even offer it to me.

She scowled, standing and swatting me upside the head with her book. "Damn it, I told you to stop doing that!" She huffed, crossing her arms. "It's annoying!"

I shrugged. "Well, it saved you a minute of awkward silence."

She rolled her eyes. "So? It's not a conversation if only one of us is speaking. Interaction, Dee. Learn it."

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, what was that?" I asked, smirking. "Did you just lecture me on human interaction, miss bookworm?"

She flushed. "S-shut up! I can socialize, I just… choose not to."

"Riiight." I drawled, mimicking Carn. He just has this way of annoying the hell out of whoever hears him. Very useful for getting under people's skin.

She huffed, crossing her arms. "Well, I doubt you just came over to talk, so tell me what you want."

I shrugged. "Actually, I did just come over to talk, really. Maybe get you to show me a Touki strike, but otherwise nothing."

She blinked. "R-really?" Her voice came out as a squeak, and her face flushed slightly. "That never happened." She grumbled, clearing her throat.

I tilted my head. "What never happened?"

"Exactly."

'Oookay, then.'

She smiled, standing and gathering natural energy. "A Touki strike, you said?" She blurred into motion, the air rippling around her fist as she moved.

My eyes watched every detail, noting every little motion she made… but nothing clicked.

"Well, that was a bust." I grumbled, cutting the power to my eyes.

She blinked in shock, finally noticing something was amiss. "Dee? What did you just do with your eyes?"

I smiled. "Well, you see, I may have found a way to get around my failing eyesight."

"By using some kind of forbidden spell?" She asked, giving me her full attention. "Because, I swear, if you blow your own head off with some—"

"Not forbidden." I cut in, amused. "Just difficult. I gave myself new eyes."

"…Really. New eyes. Exactly when you're about to go blind. How fucking convenient." Sarcasm dripped from her words.

I shrugged. "Well, it's more like an even trade-off really. Like a healing spell on an open wound. It hurt like hell to get the damn things, and if the Author is correct—"

"Which he always is." Kuroka interrupted, giving me an irritated look. "Whether or not you listen to him is another problem."

I nodded, continuing regardless. "—Then these eyes might also go blind if I over-use their powers. Something about Mangeckos?" I frowned, trying to recall the unfamiliar word. "Mangyeko? Mangekyō? Something like that. They evolve by feeding off the emotions I experience, and once I get them far enough, they change into a more powerful version that gives me superpowers but causes blindness over time. I don't really know more than that."

She nodded slowly, still looking into my red eyes. "What are the three comma things?" She asked, pointing.

I blinked. "Three? Must've evolved when I saw… never mind. Anyway, they're tomoe. One is the basic form, two is advanced, and three is mastered. I guess they evolved without me noticing. Are they both at three?"

She shook her head. "One is two, the other three. What does that mean?"

I shrugged. "It must be just partly evolved or something. The Author wasn't very descriptive on that part. There's something called the 'Eye of Insight' and something called the 'Eye of Hypnotism', but aside from brief descriptions of both that I found on the bottom of the page, I have no idea what they do."

She sighed. "Well, just be careful then. Mystic Eyes are always difficult, and I doubt yours are any different."

My lips twitched in dry humor as I forcefully suppressed my memory of literally seeing Hell. "Don't I know it."

There was a lull in conversation as we both sat in silence. It wasn't awkward, more companionable than anything. I knew better than to speak at the moment, so I just allowed Kuroka to absorb the information I just gave her. When I felt she was ready, I opened my mouth once more.

"So, how's it been around here?" I asked, glancing ahead. Nine out of ten times she lied and said something random, but in the last one…

She hesitated and opened her mouth, but I stopped her before she could answer. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

She huffed, glaring at me. "Well, since you had to go and say that…" She grumbled.

I smirked. "Oh, hush. You know you love me."

She rolled her eyes, but the mirth drained from her face. "So… I have a bit of a problem."

I tilted my head, but said nothing. She would tell me, or she wouldn't. It was out of my hands now.

"See, the deadbeat keeps pissing away our money, and Mom is already working as much as she can." She began, twisting a lock of hair between her fingers. "So I decided to get a job. When I started looking… I ran into this really odd man who turned out to be the City Lord."

I tensed. I did not like how this was going. "Please tell me you didn't give him what he wanted."

She gave me a glare, and I shut up. "He noticed I was a Nekoshou with some training in the Sage Arts, so he offered me a place as his )Bishop(. It had an excellent salary, and all I had to do was cooperate with his study of Senjutsu. He was very polite, smiled very kindly, and stunk of malintent so badly that I almost choked. I told him I'd think about it, and he left me alone."

I frowned. "Well, if you know he's bed news, then why are you bringing it up?"

She hesitated, the future changing several times as she debated. "I think… I think I'm going to take him up on the job."

A deep breath. Two. Three. "I really don't think it's a good idea."

She tilted her head. "But do I survive it?"

I hesitated. "…In most cases, yes. But beyond that, it's fuzzy. Just because you're alive doesn't mean you're safe."

She gave me a wan smile. "When have I ever been safe?"

I fell silent, observing her. She seemed pretty certain about this, and I'd really rather not fight over it. Kuroka's a smart girl, and if she's telling me what she's going to do rather than asking, then she already thought it over on her own. "This is a terrible idea." I finally told her, resigned.

She gave me an irritated look. "You lost the right to tell me that after you fucking grew new eyeballs rather than buying glasses."

I rolled my eyes. "Are you kidding me? Glasses would have to be replaced every week at the rate my eyes were going."

She snorted. "Then don't use the fucking CLEARSIGHT!"

We exchanged death glares for a few minutes, before we both began to laugh. The sound echoed loudly in the tiny room, but neither of us minded. We were too busy plotting revenge. Laughter may be the best medicine, but vengeance is more fun in the long run.

Gotta love friendship, right?

Thoughts wandering as I flipped absently through the Book, my Sight picked up yet another bad route for Kuroka. I grimaced, trying to distract myself. She'd made her choice, and I'm not about to tell her she's wrong. I already warned her, so the rest is in her hands.

I slammed the Book shut with a frustrated groan. This was going nowhere. By trying not to think about Kuroka, I was literally lighting a neon sign for my Sight to start looking for her. Divination may be extremelyuseful, but it's really damn annoying at times.

Time for another distraction.

My gaze wandered around Von's smithy, nothing seeming to jump out at me. I already swept yesterday, and the clock on the mantle was well-dusted. I could do a load of laundry, but there wouldn't be too much to do. Groceries were well-stocked, and the wood box was overflowing.

I groaned, slumping in the sofa once more. 'Damn chores are never done when I don't want them, but done for the next week whenever I'm bored. If I didn't know for a fact that the Author is a crackpot, I'd wonder if he did a study on it.' I sighed, filing the thought for later as I noticed Von. I knew he was coming home soon, hence why I was wondering about chores, but it wasn't until just now that he finished chatting with a friendly client that was passing by the alley when they noticed each other.

"Hey, Von." I called.

He raised an eyebrow, dropping a bag to the ground with a loud clank. "You sound bored already. Was I gone for that long?"

I snorted. "Nah, just fifteen minutes. I was just trying to distract myself, and didn't have anything to do."

He chuckled, pulling an iron ingot out of the cloth bag. "Well, you are in a forge. And in my experience, there's nothing better than a good blade to keep your mind off things."

I grimaced. "Von, I told you. My skill level stopped going up months ago. I just… hit a wall, or something."

He shrugged. "I know, kid, and I get it. But maybe watching me for a bit can teach you a thing or two that you're missing. It's at least worth a shot. That girl of yours is practically in love with that knife you gave her, so you're obviously not useless at smithing." He gave me a thumbs-up and a craggy grin. "Come on, I'm not known as a legendary blacksmith for nothing. Give it a shot, yeah?"

I was torn between griping about how Kuroka wasn't 'my girl' and wondering how the hell watching could help me, when an idea sparked. The Book did day that these eyes could copy movements, spells, and techniques… so why not all three at once?

I returned his smile, anticipation building. "Actually, Von, I think I'll take you up on that…"