108 Raiment
The laser blasted into Nova, cleanly shooting through him.
『...I see.』[Nova]
Although the laser shot into Nova, the laser didn't exit anywhere from him.
Nova looked down at the cape floating around him before he stared directly at the brownling.
『...I won't waste your time.』[Nova]
He snapped his finger.
『Area.』[Nova]
Instead of the black hole appearing to envelop Nova, he seemed to just vanish into nothing, along with his flames, at a converging point of darkness.
The brownling looked around for Nova before deciding to just go for Sir Fluffles, who was backed up against a tree.
『Arf! Arf! Stay away!』[Sir Fluffles]
In another instant, Nova's voice appeared nearby.
『...Where are you looking?』[Nova]
Nova appeared on top of the brownling without any wind up or sign- just some dust being scattered by his appearance.
『...Farewell.』[Nova]
His blue eyes and cape illuminated his features in the dark forest, glowing the brightest it has ever glowed before.
Nova slowly and naturally placed his right hand on the brownling's head.
『Vodstrykir.』[Nova]
A fast expanding black mass with speckles of all the colors you could imagine- along with an endless amount of colors that didn't exist, proceeded to impale the brownling.
『GRAAAAAAACK?!』[Brownling]
He raised his left hand into the air with his right hand still lying on top of the brownling's head, gently quivering before clenching his fist closed.
『Impale.』[Nova]
Sharp spikes of the material burst out of the brownling in all directions.
The brownling began to shake rapidly.
『...It's the end now. No longer will you have to suffer.』[Nova]
『...Nova?』[Sir Fluffles]
Inside Nova's eyes were a cold, distant look that didn't look anything like the Nova that he knew.
Nova raised his right hand off of the brownling, drawing out the mysterious mass from the brownling's body in an instant.
In that moment, black smoke jetted out of each and every hole that Nova made in the brownling.
The glowing blue in his eyes slowly faded as the cape began to dissolve into the air.
His eyes slowly closed, until they fully shut themselves and he began to sway around.
Suddenly, the brownling burst into smoke, leaving Nova free falling about ten feet down.
Right before he hit the ground, there was a white flash.
Kitsu and Mune managed to catch him before he hit the ground.
『Nova! Are you alright?!』[Mune]
Nova stayed dormant on Kitsu's back.
『...Asleep. Sir Fluffles, was it?』[Mune]
Sir Fluffles barked, understanding Mune, but not the other way around.
『What… happened here?』[Mune]
Mune picked up the rank 6's crystal, a pure orb that was about the size of a pearl.
『...I'll suppose I'll have to ask when he wakes up.』[Mune]
…..
Nova woke up with a start.
He found himself lying down in the Flowering Sun's club room, on one of the sofas.
『Kugh! Blech!』[Nova]
He spit out a wad of sticky, dark blood that pooled up in his mouth.
『...Gross.』
Nova turned over to his left, where Mune was drinking from a fast food cup with a straw.
『...What happened? Are you alright?』[Nova]
He raised himself up from the couch before feeling a wave of pain run through his body.
『I'm fine. You, on the other hand?』[Mune]
Nova had a confused look on his face.
『...Do you remember anything?』[Mune]
Nova thought back on the events that had transpired before he felt a shaking in his mind.
『Ggh… What…?』[Nova]
He felt flashes of memories hit his head like rocks.
『Blessed Flame Rebirth.』[Nova]
He held the flame up to his forehead, letting the blue flame's relief wash over him with an exhale.
『...I did it.』[Nova]
Mune crossed his arms together.
『What did you do? I wasn't able to watch your fight.』[Mune]
Nova positioned himself back upright.
『I used it- I… used it.』[Nova]
He pointed to the same place Mune pointed at.
『...You… used what? A new ability? What?』[Mune]
He tried to imagine the feeling that flowed through his memories.
Nova felt a chill as the word left his lips.
『Raiment.』[Nova]
The room suddenly burst into blue flames before the cape and coat appeared onto Nova.
Mune starred with wide eyes, looking around, before looking back at Nova.
『...How…?』[Mune]
No sooner after he said that, Nova's Raiment seemed to burn into embers and disappeared into the air.
The blue flames seemed to disappear too.
『...What?! My Raiment! What happened?!』[Nova]
Mune sat down on the other couch.
『You can't control it yet. Summon your familiar.』[Mune]
『Sir Fluffles, can you come out?』[Nova]
He heard some barking in his mind before the dog showed up and started to lick Nova's face.
『Yes, Nova! Are you okay now?! Not scary anymore?!』[Sir Fluffles]
Nova nodded his head.
『Yes, yes… Wait. Scary?』[Nova]
Mune caught onto that.
『Nova. Ask him what happened.』[Mune]
Sir Fluffles went ahead and began to speak before Nova even had to ask.
『You almost died! Then you went SCHWOOP. THEN YOU GOT A CAPE! THEN YOU WENT POOF.』[Sir Fluffles]
『...I almost died, then I went schwoop, then I got a cape? Then I went poof?』[Nova]
『That's it. That's all we need to know. You've accidentally awakened your Raiment.』[Mune]
Mune pulled up a bag and put it on the coffee table while still talking.
『Your control over it should be almost non-existent right now. When you awaken your Raiment, it becomes an extension of your mana lines. When you suffer from an aberration in the flow, your Raiment will dissolve. On top of that, you will always drain your mana with it up.』[Mune]
Mune had a complicated look on his face.
『Don't show other people your Raiment. Along with it being a waste of mana without better training over it, it's a good trump card to use. You'll develop more abilities over time with it, but you shouldn't have...』[Mune]
Nova stared at him intently.
『I shouldn't have..?』[Nova]
He began to pull out a bunch of fast food from the bag that he put on the table before talking again.
『You awaken your Raiment when you go through a life and death experience… So that means I failed to protect you. I'm sorry.』[Mune]
Nova shook his head.
『I chose the mission. We should have ran sooner. It's my fault that we didn't finish the quota today.』[Nova]
Mune had a surprised expression on his face before it shifted to a slight smile.
『Sure. Then, we'll lick our wounds and go again.』[Mune]
He pushed a pile of food over to Nova.
Nova nodded with a grin on his face before picking up a burger.
