Chapter 58

The Academy's usual noisy halls seemed unusually silent. The usual atmosphere of chatter and bustle disappeared as a somber mood settled. In the southern part of it, close to a hundred people stood as they all somberly gazed at the dark-white picture on top of a shrine.

The picture depicted a man who had unusually emotionless golden eyes and an expressionless, blank face. Many remembered him as a hero who fought alongside them, leading them into battle with Changing Star and others.

Some remembered the day when he slaughtered people left and right in a seemingly crazed state. Some didn't know him but were there anyway because of the stories of survivors. Some were there for purely political reasons, looking at Changing Star close to the shrine. Some remembered him as their friend. Some remembered him as someone they trusted.

What united them was the fact that no one spoke.

Nephis stood in front of the picture, looking at it with her usual cold expression. However, Sunny and the rest of the cohort could see an emotion behind her eyes. Of course, they would, after all, they themselves didn't feel the same.

A handsome man with electric green eyes sighed to himself and closed his eyes.

A woman in a wheelchair looked somberly at the picture, her hands slightly trembling.

A shadow in the corner observed everything in silence, his gaze lingering on the picture.

A blind girl stood behind, her eyes teary and sore as she gazed at the sky.

And finally, a silver-haired woman opened her eyes and spoke in a soothing, tender tone.

"Rest well, Kiyotaka. Your Nightmare is over."

---

Kiyotaka dreamt of boundless crystal skies.

Beneath them, an Ice Castle stood majestically, its ruins adding an allure of mystery and ancientness. A lone figure of a tall woman's statue could be seen inside, her spear seemingly piercing the heavens themselves.

Suddenly, time seemed to flow in reverse as the sun rolled backward and then rose from the west, just to set in the east. Day and night replaced one another, and then again, and again.

The skies grew torn between light and darkness, time flowing in reverse with terrible speed. Kiyotaka observed how the crumbled castle started seemingly to self-repair, its pillars returning to their original place.

One after another, constructions that were never there appeared, forming a vast network of roads and buildings around the castle. Kiyotaka suspected that the castle wouldn't be the only thing there, but he was still very surprised that a large metropolis would appear around it.

After various roads and buildings, vast titanic walls appeared, totally enclosing the metropolis from all sides. Its gates radiated an aura of indestructibility.

As he tried to remember as much as he could, his vision seemed to shift, and his consciousness became blurry as the scenery changed.

Before he could get an idea where he appeared, his eyes widened as he found himself struggling to breathe. He felt foreign, as if it wasn't his body...and indeed it wasn't.

Kiyotaka stood in the depths of the underground chamber, his transformation complete and awe-inspiring. His appearance was nothing short of demonic, embodying the very essence of a devil. Two dark horns jutted from his forehead, their edges glowing with a sinister red outline that pulsed with an eerie light. His skin was entirely black, an abyssal shade that seemed to absorb the surrounding darkness, yet intricate red outlines traced the contours of his muscles and features, giving his form a menacing and otherworldly glow.

His eyes, now deep crimson, burned with a fierce intensity, reflecting his inner turmoil and unyielding will. From his back, a pair of large, demonic wings unfurled, each feathered segment tipped with the same glowing red as his horns and outlines. The wings exuded power and menace, casting long shadows that danced across the chamber walls.

His presence radiated a dark, overwhelming aura, a blend of raw power and restrained chaos. As he moved and struggled to breathe, the red outlines on his body seemed to ripple and flare, emphasizing his every motion with a spectral glow.

Finally, he somehow adapted to breathing and lay on the bed of the chamber as he let other aspects of his body function. The first thing he became aware of was blood flow, as his [Bloodborne Ascendent] surely took effect. His blood seemed to be dark, cursed even, different from usual. There was also a pair of wings behind his back which gave him discomfort. After some time, he finally felt somewhat adapted to them and other aspects of his body as he began thinking.

"Humans never supposed to have more than one core...is that why I was transported into the body of a literal devil?..I suspected that the Spell would transfer my own body since I am perhaps the only human with four cores and because I wasn't awakened yet...to think that wasn't the case."

Coming to this realization, he wondered about how Nightmares operated. Brushing off some of his thoughts, he concentrated on analyzing his surroundings. He was laying on a bed, chained to it with some adamantine chains. As he tried to use some essence, he found himself unable to do so. Frowning, he tried to manipulate his blood but could only do so within his body. Even his crimson fires wouldn't manifest.

At some point, he became aware of the fact he was in the same spot as that skeleton man was, perhaps he was in fact transported to that man's body. On the second thought, he did see the skeleton as a human; there was nothing like wings on his back or any bones resembling one. Perhaps he was transported into the body of skeleton, perhaps not.

As he was contemplating his situation, a voice of laughter could be heard. Then light steps echoed through the dim corridor as a voice of a girl could be heard.

"My devil boy, looks like..it's time to play~"