Moment of Respite

As I dislodged my blade from the demon's neck, it fell to the ground with a resounding thud. The finality of that sound echoed through the battlefield, signaling the end of the fight.

The once-terrifying Carapace Demon now lay still, a pool of azure blood expanding slowly beneath its broken body.

I turned toward Pleiades, who stood silently for a moment, his eyes locked on the demon's severed head.

After a sigh, he stabbed the ground with his sword and sat down, leaning against it, as if the weight of the battle had finally settled on him.

The oppressive atmosphere that had hung over us during the fight began to dissipate, allowing the air to return to its normal, albeit tense, stillness.

At the height of our battle, I had felt a pressure like never before. Even in all my sparring sessions with my father, nothing compared to the sheer force and domination that had radiated from Pleiades during that final confrontation. 

I shifted my gaze back to the demon's corpse, watching as the stump where its head had bled azure until it stopped entirely.

Another sigh from Pleiades caught my attention. He stood, pulled his sword from the earth, and looked at me expectantly.

I tilted my head in confusion, not quite sure what he wanted. He smirked—a familiar, mischievous smirk that immediately put me on edge.

"You did well," he said, his tone light. "At the end, of course, but still, good job. Now then, I do believe we have a steak to grill. Don't we?"

He strolled over to the demon's side, crouching to carve out a slab of its flesh. Watching him pull out a seaweed bag from his storage memory, I realized he'd planned this well before the battle even started.

'Was he that confident we were going to kill the demon?' The thought seemed more and more likely as I watched him store the meat, slinging the bag over his shoulder casually.

Pleiades took a few steps toward the path we had come from but paused, turning to look at me.

"I do believe you got a memory from the demon?" he asked, his tone laced with that same cocky amusement. "I would really appreciate it if you gave it to me. Seeing as how I did so much, I'll take it as a gift."

I wasn't surprised. I'd been waiting for him to ask for it. Without letting my face betray my thoughts, I walked over to him, extending my hand.

He grasped it, and I felt the memory leave my soul sea with the familiar whisper:

[You have lost a Memory.]

Pleiades let go of my hand, and in the next instant, his sword disappeared, replaced by the new memory he had taken. It materialized as an austere tachi, sleek and deadly.

The blade was between seventy and eighty centimeters long, forged from the same bright, lustrous metal as the Carapace Demon's armor. Its hilt was made of polished black wood, simple yet elegant.

He examined the weapon carefully, nodding in approval.

"The first key," he murmured to himself, then dismissed the memory and resumed his walk toward the tree.

Instead of following him, I circled the demon's body. My eyes traced the marks left from the battle, particularly the neck area, which had already been weakened by Sunny's Echo.

'Just as Pleiades wanted,' I thought, wondering if he had predicted the entire course of the fight or if it was just a well-played coincidence.

I knelt beside the demon, running my hand over one of the deep gouges in its side. It was damaged, just like Pleiades had said, his raven having done its job by harassing the demon and weakening it in key areas.

He had predicted nearly everything—the creature's movements, its weaknesses, even its reaction to his provocations.

He had purposely agitated the demon, slicing at it to push it into a rage.

And then, with whatever overwhelming force he had summoned at the end, he gave me the perfect opportunity to land the killing blow.

I stood up, feeling a mixture of admiration and suspicion. 'How much of this had he foreseen? And how much of it was luck?' I glanced toward where Pleiades had disappeared.

His careful manipulation of the entire battle was both impressive and…. terrifying

"Are you gonna come or spend some alone time with the corpse?" Pleiades's teasing voice echoed in the distance.

 I clenched my fists, feeling that familiar irritation rise. He always knew how to get under my skin. Shaking my head, I took one last look at the demon's corpse before heading in his direction, trying not to let his words bother me too much.

******

(You really oughta stop teasing her.) Sunny's voice drifted into my mind, the familiar calm presence tugging at me.

I smirked. [I think it's fine. She takes everything so seriously. I mean, we killed a demon as Sleepers, and she just looked blank. It's normal for her, I guess, but still.]

(Yeah, yeah, I get it. So, how are you gonna prepare the meat? Why don't you just use that extraordinary food memory instead of eating that demon meat?) I stopped in my tracks, slightly offended by Sunny's suggestion.

[Are you that much of a fool? This meat is proof of our struggle. I'm not letting it go to waste. We'll cook it and feast on it. It's gonna be a nice trophy in our bellies.]

I rubbed my stomach, already imagining the taste, and couldn't help but feel my mouth water.

(No, you're right. Let's feast then.) Sunny sounded unusually excited, and I couldn't help but grin like an idiot. It wasn't often he got worked up about something like this.

[hahaha, damn right! And you're gonna cook it.]

Sunny stopped laughing instantly, (Wait! Why me?)

Beginning to climb up the tree, I replied as innocently as I could. [Why else? You're great at cooking, i'm pretty sure, and I did fight the demon, so I'm pretty exhausted.]

As I reached the upper branches, I spotted Nephis approaching from a distance. She was still near the base of the tree, but I was already at our little resting spot.

When I got up there, I saw Cassie curled up, hugging her knees, her face contorted in some private turmoil.

She hadn't noticed my presence. Naturally, I saw an opportunity. Creeping toward her silently, I grinned to myself.

(You're not going to scare her, are you? You're a demon if you do.) Sunny's disapproving tone made me roll my eyes.

[Let me have my fun. I won't scare her that badly, just a little jump scare, a little trolling if you would.]

Just as I was about to get closer, my body suddenly became weightless, and I felt myself losing control.

[HEY! I wasn't gonna kill her, just spook her a little!] I protested, realizing that Sunny had taken over.

Sunny awkwardly cleared his throat to get Cassie's attention, stepping back a bit. She turned, eyes wide, letting out a small gasp.

"We got one demon steak coming right up," he said with a playful grin, and Cassie, her earlier grim expression softening, launched herself at him, hugging him tightly.

Sunny returned the embrace, and I could feel the relief and happiness radiating from him.

His emotions were raw—he was truly relieved that she was safe, and I couldn't deny the sense of accomplishment he felt.

[You man-whore, you took all the credit and ruined my fun.] I muttered, my mood sour.

Sunny just sighed in response, but before he could say anything, Cassie let go of him, worry still written across her face.

"I thought something bad happened! Are you alright? Are you injured anywhere?" She fussed over him, patting him down as if searching for wounds. Sunny smiled softly and reassured her.

"I'm fine, Cassie. Just a little tired." He glanced back at Nephis, who was making her way up the tree.

"And Nephis? Is she alright?"

"She's fine. She'll be here in a bit." Cassie let out a long sigh of relief and sat back down, finally allowing herself to relax.

[You little wretch. You don't have an ounce of shame in that fickle body of yours, do you?] I growled at Sunny, irritated at how smoothly he handled everything.

(I didn't take credit! I just didn't want you to scare her. She was worried sick. Scaring her wouldn't have helped. You should be thanking me for stepping in. She might've ended up hating you.)

[Keep making excuses. I know this was your treacherous plan all along. Wait for me to do all the work, then swoop in and take the reins, huh? Your true name should be Lost From Dignity you foul lecher.]

(I'm telling you, I wasn't! You know I'm telling the truth!)

[Sure, sure, I'm not listening to your words. I can feel that crude satisfaction. It's just like when you got slapped by girls at the academy, you mongrel.]

Sunny visibly winced, his knuckles tightening, but before he could respond, Nephis finally reached the top of the tree and stepped into our makeshift hideout.

Cassie, the moment she heard her footsteps, ran up to Nephis and wrapped her in a tight hug. For a moment, Nephis looked surprised but then allowed herself a small smile.

Sunny watched them, smiling warmly, clearly content with the moment, but I wasn't about to let him get away with that smug happiness.

[You're so twisted, enjoy your little moment of perversion.] I teased, and I could feel Sunny's frustration mounting.

(I'm telling you, I wasn't planning to take your thunder! I just didn't want you to scare Cassie. That's it! I'm telling you the truth, alright! And for the Hundreth time you know i can't lie!) He pleaded.

He was right sure, but was i gonna let him have the benefit of the doubt?

Pffftt, as if.

Soon, we all gathered in a circle, and Sunny began to recount the battle. Cassie listened intently, her expressions constantly shifting as she absorbed the details.

By the time he finished, her face was filled with a mixture of confusion and wonder.

"Wait, how come you didn't use the weakness on its stomach?" Cassie asked, tilting her head slightly in puzzlement. Sunny shrugged.

"I don't really know," he replied. "But throughout the battle, Pleiades seemed to guide the demon toward himself. Then he did... whatever that pressure thing was and stopped it. After that, Nephis dealt the finishing blow and decapitated it." He glanced at Nephis, who nodded in agreement with his assessment.

"That's incredible!" Cassie beamed, clearly impressed by the story.

However, her expression shifted once more as she looked at Sunny. "But how come Pleiades isn't in control now?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused.

Nephis, too, turned her eyes toward Sunny, her ever-stoic expression silently seeking an explanation.

[Why am I in control, you ask? Simple—I wanted to steal Pleiades' thunder and get all the attention.] I teased, knowing full well Sunny was going to give a different answer.

Sunny sighed audibly, sensing the growing pressure in his head. "Well, he was in control up until we got here," he said. "He was going to scare you, so I took over. I didn't really want him to do that, considering how worried you looked."

Cassie tilted her head again. "Why would he want to scare me?" she asked, clearly baffled.

[To ease the tension, obviously. She was so worried, I thought a little scare might get her mind off it.]

Sunny cleared his throat. "He said you looked worried, so he thought scaring you would get your mind off things."

Cassie seemed even more confused. "By scaring me?" she repeated, incredulous.

Sunny let out an exasperated sigh. "Yeah, that was his plan. But honestly, I don't really believe that excuse of his." He quickly covered his mouth as if regretting the slip-up.

Cassie's confusion softened into a small smile. "Ahh, I see. Well, I'll trust that he had good intentions." Her smile lingered, as if she was trying to believe in my intentions despite the odd method.

Satisfied with the explanation—or at least ready to move on—Sunny stood up and pulled out the demon steak.

"Now then, how are we going to cook this demon steak?" he asked, looking around for ideas.

Cassie hesitated, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Is it really alright, though... to eat the meat of a creature with such intelligence?"

Sunny paused, glancing at the large cut of demon meat in his hands. Suddenly, he seemed to inspect it with a hint of revulsion. "Now that you mention it…" he said slowly, the idea settling in with a touch of unease.

"Sorry, I know it seems ridiculous," Cassie apologized, clearly feeling guilty for her discomfort. "But that's just how I feel. You, Pleiades, and Nephis don't have to feel the same."

Sunny sighed again, throwing the meat over the branch without hesitation. "No, you're right."

[What do you mean, she's right? That was perfectly good meat!] I protested, feeling a deep sense of loss.

(But we don't have to eat it,) Sunny reasoned. (You can just summon your food memory, and we can eat from there. It's easier, and if you want a trophy, just take something else from the demon's corpse.)

His reasoning made sense, but I wasn't about to admit that. Instead, I laughed. [Hahaha... It seems I've been coddling the three of you too much. From now on, I'll only supply food when you're starving and close to death.]

Sunny chuckled softly in response, saying, (Yeah, alright). He really thought I was just messing around.

[Pampered fool] I muttered to myself as he grimaced slightly and sat back down.

"We can eat the tree's fruits, though," Cassie suggested, her voice hopeful.

Sunny glanced up, as if he was only just now noticing the strange fruits hanging from the tree. He eyed them suspiciously.

(Are they safe to eat?) He asked me, clearly not convinced by their appearance.

[They're safe to eat,] I replied, hesitating for a moment. [But... well, it's not important.]

He frowned and turned back to Cassie. "He says they're safe to eat, but he was going to say something else. No clue what that might've been, though."

Cassie, full of her usual optimism, smiled. "That's wonderful! I bet they're delicious." She seemed eager to try them.

Nephis, however, still looked cautious. "Is he completely sure about it?" she asked, her gaze moving between Cassie and Sunny.

Sunny nodded, then went over to grab three of the fruits. They were large but otherwise looked like any normal fruit.

After a moment of hesitation, Sunny took a bite—and immediately let out an odd noise of satisfaction. Cassie followed, taking her own bite and practically yelping in delight.

"It's so juicy and succulent!" she exclaimed, covering her mouth with excitement. Sunny and Cassie continued munching happily on the fruits, clearly enjoying themselves.

Nephis, still wary, finally took a tentative bite. Her eyes widened slightly as she chewed, realizing how good the fruit actually was.

Meanwhile, I couldn't help but smirk. 'Well, everything's changed. I'm glad I made them eat the fruits sooner, but… I wonder how they'll feel once they figure out these fruits are made from corpses.'

Sunny blinked a few times, as if something had just occurred to him, and Nephis glanced over at him.

"I just got a bit of essence" Nephis remarked, her tone a little surprised.

Sunny nodded. (How come I got Shadow Fragments?) he wondered.

[Well, this tree is very special…] I began, pulling whatever i could from my ass. [...The demon protected the tree so it could eat these babies. It also 'watered' the tree with soul shards.]

Sunny chewed thoughtfully. (Ohhh, I get it. Makes sense. Well, they're delicious, so I see why it did that.) He continued munching, clearly unfazed, while the others followed suit.

They ate until they were full, collecting more fruits as they went.

Once they had finished eating, they settled down to sleep. But a few hours later, Sunny was abruptly woken by Cassie, who looked incredibly worried.

"Sunny," she whispered, holding up five fingers urgently. "Remember, it's five! Do not forget—five is the number, alright?"

Sunny blinked groggily, clearly confused. He reached for her hand, concern written all over his face. "Are you alright? Is there… five enemies?" His instincts kicked in, and he summoned his [Azure Blade], his body on full alert.

[Whoa, calm down,] I tried to intervene. [There are no enemies. Everything's fine.]

But Sunny wasn't listening. He stood, scanning the area, ready for a fight.

Cassie grabbed his arm and pulled him back. They stumbled onto the branch, her voice frantic. "Sunny, remember: Five! Five, and listen to your thoughts and the voice. Do whatever it says!"

'Voice? What voice? Am I the voice she's talking about?' I thought, starting to get concerned myself.

[Do you know what she's talking about, Sunny?] I asked. But he didn't respond. Instead, he clutched his head, wincing in pain.

"Ahhh, damn it! Why do I have a headache?"

I grew even more worried. [Sunny, hey, can you hear me?] But he just groaned louder, his head still in his hands.

Cassie continued to warn him until, all of a sudden, she seemed to zone out. Her eyes blinked in confusion as she looked around.

"Huh? Why am I awake in the middle of the ni—oh, hi Sunny! Did you wake me up?" Her voice was back to its usual casual tone, as if she had no memory of the panic from moments ago.

Sunny stared at her, still in pain and confusion. "No, you woke me up."

"I did?" She seemed genuinely surprised, looking Sunny in the eye before shrugging it off.

Sunny, visibly drained and too confused to question it any further, simply shook his head and went back to sleep.

Meanwhile, inside, I was freaking out. 'Shit, shit, shit, this is really bad! Super bad, in fact!'

Next Chapter: Out of Contact