Happenings on the Field Trip [7] - Dream

Silas inhaled deeply, then exhaled, forcing himself to regain composure as he exited the tent.

The night air felt cooler against his flushed skin, and he donned his poker face, a mask he wore so well.

But his façade was immediately tested by the sudden appearance of a wavy, golden-haired student stepping from the shadows behind the tent.

"Ophelia Sunshower...?" he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, laced with surprise.

"My, I believe I have witnessed something quite fascinating," she said, her voice light and melodic, a friendly smile playing on her lips despite the gravity of what she had seen.

Silas tried to play it off, forcing a chuckle. "...I'm sorry, what do you mean?... Wait, did you see what I did?!" he joked, dramatically waving his hand over his face in an exaggerated manner.

"Look, DO NOT tell Quill that I used his bathroom. It's just that I didn't want my tent to stink...," he added, attempting to deflect her curiosity with humor.

Ophelia giggled softly, covering her mouth with her hand. "I must say, I am somewhat hurt that you apparently think of me as a naive girl," she replied, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Silas's playful demeanor dropped. His eyes narrowed as he studied her. "What do you want?" His voice was firm, the friendly veneer replaced by suspicion.

Ophelia took a step closer, closing the gap between them. Her eyes locked onto his, a confident smile never leaving her lips. "Ah, there it is," she murmured, acknowledging the shift in his demeanor.

"Do not worry. Whatever it is that you and Weiss Licht are planning, it has nothing to do with me," she continued, her tone light but her words carrying weight.

Ophelia took a few steps back, turning slightly to her right and casting a sideways glance over her shoulder. "However, I must admit, I would regret not having more time with this ...new Quill Nocturne," she said, her eyes mirroring the mischievous smile on her lips.

With that, she gracefully turned and walked away, leaving Silas standing in the cool night air, pondering her words.

Her presence had been unsettling, her demeanor disarming, yet her implications left him with more questions than answers.

He watched her until she disappeared into the darkness, her parting words echoing in his mind.

/||\

The forest was cold and uninviting, the trees growing denser and more oppressive with each step.

Throughout the day, Weiss had diligently cleansed the area of any Spawn Reapers, ensuring no distractions. 

Though there was still a chance of encountering one, she was confident in her ability to dispatch it quickly.

On her right shoulder, she carried the limp body of Quill Nocturne, his dark hair disheveled and his face expressionless in unconsciousness.

When she reached her destination, she unceremoniously threw Quill onto the hard, grassy ground, his body landing with a thud that echoed through the silent forest.

Weiss reached into her black uniform jacket and pulled out one of Silas's tubes, containing a blue-green liquid—the antidote to release Quill from his unconscious state.

Kneeling beside him, she looked down at his lifeless form with cold detachment.

"You know what, I don't even want to hear any explanations," she said, her voice flat and devoid of emotion. "Even if you had a valid reason, I wouldn't care."

She stared at Quill's unconscious body, her eyes narrowing with hatred. "I hope you grasp the terror of having no control over your own life... Your fate is in my hands now, and you have no other options," she added sarcastically. "My brother didn't have any either," she said, her voice growing more menacing with each syllable.

In her right hand, she crushed the tube, letting its contents drip onto the ground.

Standing up, she extended her hand to summon a blade made of pure light, its brilliance cutting through the darkness of the forest. "Give my regards to the devils in hell," she whispered, raising the shining blade above Quill's body.

*Vwish!* *Vwish!* *Vwish!*

Weiss instinctively turned, deflecting three reddish arrow-like forms that instantly dissipated upon contact with her light blade.

Her eyes scanned the darkness, her senses heightened by the unexpected attack.

She caught the scent of blood, and two red eyes emerged from the shadows, their form obscured by the darkness.

Weiss's body tensed as she concluded it had to be a Reaper.

But this one was different, capable of using a Gift, indicating it was of a higher grade than a Spawn.

The pressure on her body from the approaching presence made her sweat, and she readied herself for the abomination that was drawing closer, summoning a second light blade.

From the shadow emerged a leg, then another, revealing a young woman with hair as dark as the night and eyes as red as the moon's glow. With every step she took, the air grew thicker, the tension palpable.

"W-What are you doing here?!" Weiss demanded, her voice trembling slightly.

Erisa Nocturne didn't answer immediately. Her gaze was fixed on Quill's body lying on the ground. "I might have refrained from intervening, but given your intended action, I must insist that you surrender immediately." Erisa said, her tone calm, completely unbothered by the glowing blades in Weiss's hands.

"You don't actually believe I would do that," Weiss scoffed confidently. However, inwardly, her mind was a turmoil of thoughts: How long has she been following me? Can I defeat her? No, I must. Should I just kill him now? These questions swirled relentlessly in her head.

"I understand," Erisa replied, her voice still calm, as if they were discussing something as mundane as the weather.

Weiss turned her focus solely on Quill's body. She moved swiftly, faster than the eye could follow. 

Red orbs appeared around her, but she didn't flinch, her sole aim to pierce Quill with her blades.

Just as she was about to strike, she had to retreat as the red orbs emitted needle-like spikes at her.

Dodging them gracefully, she created distance between herself and Erisa.

Realizing she had no choice, Weiss steeled herself. If she wanted to achieve her goal, she had to take down Erisa first.

The forest around them seemed to hold its breath, the tension thick and suffocating as the two powerful forces prepared for an inevitable clash.

/||\

Elias's eyes fluttered open, struggling to adjust to the blinding brightness of the room.

His mind was foggy, but the sight of an elegantly set dining table, laden with a sumptuous meal, began to sharpen his senses.

The room was opulent, exuding an old-world charm that starkly contrasted with the modernity he had grown accustomed to.

He was seated alone at the table, yet a slight movement caught his attention.

To his astonishment, there was another person present, devouring the meal with gusto.

All remnants of drowsiness vanished as Elias's hazel eyes fixed on the young girl beside him.

"L-Lili?" Elias stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief as he took in the sight of the girl. Her wavy brown hair, identical to his own, framed a face that was all too familiar.

"Yes, brother?" she responded casually, her hazelnut eyes meeting his with a serene expression, as if everything was perfectly normal.

"W-What are you doing here?" Elias's voice trembled, his mind struggling to grasp the reality before him.

Liliane tilted her head slightly, looking at him with a amusement. "What do you mean? I'm just having breakfast," she replied, her tone light and carefree.

'Did I die?... Did I somehow come back from Quill's body into my own?'

Elias's gaze softened as he watched his sister. Her presence was both comforting and bewildering. 'No, that can't be. This doesn't make sense.'

"You've been spacing out a lot lately," Liliane commented, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Huh?" Elias muttered, still trying to process the surreal situation.

"Just like this," she continued, her tone teasing. You still have those dreams? The ones about that novel or something."

'What?' Her words only added to his confusion. This whole scenario felt like a disjointed dream.

"I—" Elias began, but his words faltered. He hadn't even noticed he was holding cutlery, which he now let slip from his grasp.

"I'm... confused."

"Confused about why people don't appreciate mint ice cream? Yeah, me too," Liliane said with mock seriousness, her face set in an exaggerated expression of conviction.

"This is not the time for jokes, Lili. I—"

"Hey, Eli," Liliane interrupted, her tone shifting to one of concern. "It's rare for us to have a peaceful morning like this... Are you drunk or something? If you are, I swear I'll knock some sense into you."" She rolled up her sleeve, playfully threatening him.

"I-I don't understand. Is this real?" Elias's voice was tinged with desperation.

"Is anything really real?" Liliane mused, her eyes drifting to the ceiling as if contemplating the universe. "Or are we just puppets of our imagination?" She finished dramatically, looking down with a theatrical flourish.

"..."

Elias fell silent, utterly stunned by her carefree demeanor.

"...Do you think a dream can feel so real that you believe it's reality?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Isn't that what a lucid dream is?" she replied, shrugging.

"A what?"

"Oh, brother, you are so outdated," Liliane teased, giggling. Elias ruffled her hair, putting an end to her laughter.

"HEY! I spent an hour getting it perfect!" she protested.

"Did it take you an hour, or was that the salon's doing?"

"…Touché."

"Does that mean I'm in a lucid dream right now?" Elias wondered aloud.

"What? I know I'm gorgeous enough to make anyone think they're dreaming, but seriously, why the weird questions? Why do you think this is a dream?" she asked, feigning offense.

"Because of you."

"Because of me?"

"Yes, you're the reason I know this is a dream."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Elias's expression softened into a tender smile. "It must be a dream, because you're here with me, alive and talking."

/||\

Weiss summoned a bow of pure light, her fingers drawing back the string to conjure arrows of the same luminous energy.

She loosed all three at once, aiming directly at Erisa Nocturne, who now stood protectively over Quill's body.

In the chaos of their clash, Erisa had maneuvered to switch their positions, ensuring she shielded Quill.

Erisa reacted with calculated precision, smearing her bleeding left arm in front of her.

The blood transformed into a red mist, which served as a corrosive barrier against the incoming arrows.

As the light arrows met the mist, they fizzled and dissipated, neutralized by the acidic blood.

Weiss knew she had to throw everything she had into this fight.

She was acutely aware that the battle could tip either in her favor or end disastrously, hinging entirely on her skill and strategy.

The Nocturne family had one fatal weakness: their greatest strength, the manipulation of spilled blood.

Normally, they carried a supply of blood for combat, but Erisa had none.

She was forced to wound herself to produce the necessary blood, a tactic that couldn't sustain her for long.

Weiss couldn't comprehend why Erisa had come unprepared. Was it overconfidence, or a sign of urgency that prevented her from gathering external blood? 

Either way, it presented an opportunity for Weiss—as long as Erisa didn't manage to cut her.

If Erisa got hold of her blood, Weiss knew the fight would be as good as lost.

"Weiss Licht, my patience is running out. Surrender now, or I will treat this as an act of war against the Nocturne Family," Erisa's voice was unnervingly calm, treating the battle as if it were a mundane task.

The composed demeanor only infuriated Weiss further. "Do you really think I care about that?!"

"You will," Erisa replied icily. "This war won't stop with you; it will consume the entire Licht Family."

Weiss laughed maniacally. "I couldn't care less what happens to them! Let them all be obliterated!" she shouted, summoning a massive spear of light in her hands.

She charged, thrusting the spear at Erisa, but her attempts were in vain. It was as if time slowed down for Weiss, making Erisa seem even quicker.

Seeing an opening, Erisa delivered a powerful kick to Weiss's chin, sending her flying backward. Weiss managed to land on her feet, but blood dripped from her mouth.

"Dammit!" she cursed, but there was no time to recover. The blood from her mouth was yanked away by an unseen force, forming a sharp needle that pierced her left arm.

"Argh!" Weiss cried out, clutching her arm as another stream of blood was drawn from the wound.

Erisa pressed her advantage, manipulating the blood to create dozens of needles, all pointed at Weiss.

"Submit," Erisa's voice was now filled with cold resolve. "Or perish."

For the first time, Weiss saw an emotion flicker in Erisa's eyes—determined fury.

The battlefield seemed to grow colder, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

Weiss knew she was cornered, her every move anticipated, her every strength turned against her.

The odds were overwhelmingly against her, and she realized that one wrong move could mean her end.

No, Weiss didn't have the luxury of dying—not until she dragged the man responsible down with her to the afterlife, where their paths would finally part.

He would go to Hell, and she would go anywhere he wasn't.

Sensing her defiance, Erisa gave a slight nod, and the blood needles shot from all directions at Weiss.

In a swift response, Weiss summoned a massive light orb, enveloping herself in a radiant shield. The needles vaporized upon contact with the searing light.

The orb's blinding brightness forced Erisa to shield her eyes, momentarily blinding her to Weiss's next move.

Seizing the opportunity, Weiss charged, her breaths ragged, her energy nearly spent. That shield was her ace, draining her strength, but her resolve for vengeance fueled her beyond the limits of exhaustion.

Light began to coalesce in Weiss's right hand, forming into a blade aimed directly at Erisa.

Erisa, reacting swiftly, dodged the ferocious attack. She slit her left arm, blood spilling out and solidifying into a crimson blade.

The wound healed almost instantly, a unique trait possessed by all Nocturne Blood Gift Users—a rapid regeneration ability.

Erisa's blood blade, despite its liquid origin, clashed with Weiss's light blade.

However, the intense light blade evaporated the blood upon contact, leaving Erisa unfazed but weaponless.

Weiss's attacks grew more frantic—piercing, striking, slashing—yet she couldn't land a hit on Erisa, who dodged effortlessly. Each miss fed Weiss's desperation.

Gasping for breath, Weiss retreated, her eyes locked on Erisa, who remained calm and unscathed.

Erisa, though only a year older, had achieved the Hunter Rank of Defender—the second rank among the five official ones, a rank above Vanguard.

Achieving Vanguard Rank in just one year was already a remarkable feat, but Erisa was the youngest ever to attain Defender Rank.

Weiss, recognized as a prodigy in her own right, was acutely aware of Erisa's reputation.

But none of that mattered to Weiss. Her sole focus was revenge, yet the chasm between her and Erisa seemed insurmountable.

"This has gone on long enough. It's truly a shame, Weiss Licht, you could have been an invaluable ally to humanity. " Erisa declared, her voice devoid of malice, only resolve. "But in your current state, you pose an even greater threat. I can't take the risk of letting you live."

Without warning, Erisa stormed forward, closing the distance between them in an instant.

The clash between them was imminent, the air heavy with tension, as one fought to protect while the other sought revenge.