Awakening

Shun

20 years old

Darkness. The pain has been gone for a very long time. It feels so light, as if I had slept, but I still feel a little tired. Haven't I seen the so-called light at the end of the tunnel? It seemed to me that everything had already stopped, but ... Mm, a pleasant breeze passed through my body. And when I opened my eyes, I noticed that I had a leaf on my face. Orange leaf from a tree.

I don't seem to be in that darkness anymore and I can finally control my body. I got up and sat down and looked around. A huge crater , ten meters in diameter, and I was in its center. What could happen here? I don't remember doing anything here.

After leaving the crater, I looked around again. There was a forest around this very crater, and now it seems that autumn is just beginning. So far, I don't understand anything to judge something, because when I last stood on solid ground, it was only the beginning of summer. Hell, I'm not even sure how long I spent in that darkness, and where I am now . Having gone deep into the forest, following the quiet sound of water, after a quarter of an hour I came to the bank of a small river. The weather was clear, even in the afternoon, somewhere in the depths of the forest, birds and some rustles were heard. Everything around was too soothing .

Coming to the water, I decided to take a look at myself, and I clearly changed. The face is the same as it was before, maybe a little tired, but now the hair has become pitch black. I was dressed in boots, pants and thin golf with long sleeves, as well as fingerless gloves from an unknown material : thin , elastic and does not feel like a second skin on the hand, so it's quite comfortable, and all this one , black. I still have fabric of the same color - cover my face, and I will look more like a ninja. Well, the final touch is a katana hanging from the belt on the left.

Having removed it from a simple fastening on my belt, I took it in my hands and , together with the scabbard, began to examine it. It was similar to the one I fought earlier, but still a little different.

The blade is straight , without a curve at the end, sharpened on one side, it itself was silvery white. The hilt without a cuba simply sharply turned into a blade, and the scabbard looked more like a stick with an oval base. But it looked unusual: both the hilt and the scabbard were completely covered with black plates, between the joints of which a faint blue light shone. It didn't really shine, in the dark, rather, the sword would simply stand out, but not illuminate.

I sat for a long time and examined the weapon in my hands. I was fascinated by the transfusion of blue light in the veins between the plates. The sword seemed to be breathing, and with each faint pulse it took a breath. While I was sitting on my mind, I heard a metallic female voice behind me, to which I immediately reacted.

[She's beautiful , isn't she?]

I jumped up abruptly and pointed my unsheathed sword in the direction of the voice. Something strange was standing there... The same black fog that enveloped me during the fight with that creature thickened and took shape in front of me, or rather, a female silhouette.

[No need to be so scared, I just want to talk to you a little.]

I tried to look at it for a while. But realizing that I was trying in vain to examine the blurry silhouette , I hung the sword around my waist and stood exactly in front of her.

- Well, who are you? - I spoke in a serious tone, still peering into this silhouette.

[Straight to the point , huh? I remember that with my brothers you were more patient, but also cruel...]

— Brothers? What are you talking about? You didn't even answer the first question! I yelled a little, as she obviously avoided my question.

[Hum. Then let's start... I'm the Sixth. And at the moment I am only a particle of the real me in your mind and gradually fade away.]

- Sixth? Are you fading in my mind? Only more questions… Wait, Six?! So you are one of those who tormented me and l in that darkness? - Remembering that I heard exactly six voices at that time, I flared up and touched the hilt of the sword with my hand .

[No, wait. Ah… I'll have to start the story from afar… There are seven of us in total. Seven former owners of this "power", each of whom improved it and created seals capable of unbelievable things . But for the subsequent owners, these seals opened up access to the power of the former owner… My name is the Sixth, because I was the sixth owner of this "power"… And I didn't torture you then, in the darkness.]

If so, then okay, I believe you. But wait...why don't you use your regular name?

[I used it when I was alive, but now I'm just a part of myself... So I hardly have the right to wear it. And I doubt that there is any point in using it.] Her voice still sounded metallic and unemotional.

"Since I am now connected with this, then I want to know what kind of seals and what kind of owners?" And why only you decided to talk to me, where are the others? I folded my arms across my chest, leaving my sword in its sheath at my belt.

[Do you want to know more details ? Well , I'll tell you now...]

The sixth began a rather lengthy story. She referred to the owners of the power and sometimes moved on to their relationship. But she also spoke about the details of this power, although she did not go into details. And here's what I basically understood...

This "power", although it can be said , is already my power, in addition to the seven previous owners, there are also seven seals, each of which has its own incarnations. Their appearance is mostly similar, however , the abilities, according to her, differ significantly, but what abilities, she did not say. At least , only the last three have significant differences in appearance: the fifth, sixth and seventh .

Each owner differed from the other in many ways - for example , in character, goals and ambitions.

Although of all seven, apparently, only the Sixth was adequate and, moreover, the only woman - the owner. She outlined the history of everyone she knew , but it still seemed to me that she was silent on the details. There were too many gaps in her story. Well, then she began to talk in detail about the names of the seals. And I must soon understand their essence myself, so she said . And this is what these seven seals are called .

The first seal is Warrior .

The second seal is Shadow .

The third seal is the leader of the pack .

The fourth seal is the Commander .

Fifth seal - Berserker .

The sixth seal is the Creator .

The seventh seal is the Devil .

Such are the names ... I have no idea what each of them does, although , perhaps , something can be assumed from the name of the first seal. But their names are so different, and I don't know anything about their abilities ...

The embodiment of the first four seals, according to Six, does not differ, only the properties of their abilities. But the last three not only make you change outwardly , but also have the conditions for removing the seals!

The Fifth Seal of Berserker requires the first and third seals to be activated , and is primarily used for combat. The sixth seal of the Maker requires the second and fourth seals and is suitable for both combat and creation of anything. And the most dangerous, the Seventh seal is the Devil... Oh , it requires the activation of all six previous seals and the presence of anger and rage towards someone. And it is dangerous because because of it you can easily lose control of yourself! Here Six spoke in a vague way, and her speech seemed to be more slowed down.

[Well , roughly… that's how it goes.]

"You didn't tell me everything, did you?" I don't even know how to use all this goodness. And why didn't the rest of the owners come out and explain everything together? Besides, I would like to see their faces. - I spoke with a little malice in my voice, because it was about those who torment and l me the devil knows how much.

[They can't do that... Since you just erased them. ]

- Is that how I erased them? - I was surprised by this answer.

[At that moment, when you were in darkness, all six tried to break you, your consciousness and occupy your body… But in the end, your consciousness turned out to be stronger than them. And since they were rebuilding your body at the same time and their minds were fighting for it, you just… How should I put it… Chewed them and spat them out.]

"That is, I crushed their consciousnesses and erased them… As a result, only mine and your consciousness remained. In general , why did they fight for my body? I still didn't understand their motives.

[They did not accept the fact that they were dead. They had tried to take possession of the body of each descendant before, but no one had succeeded. But none of them before could destroy the minds of those who fought for the body.]

"And you, didn't you fight?" I said now more gently, listening to these details .

[I have lived my life… And used that power for good. And after death, she wanted nothing more. Although I admit... that it hurts me to have such a fate.] Her voice became quieter, she froze for only a second, but then continued to speak.

- Clear. Then the last three questions... Why are you disappearing?

[I don't know myself... Rather , I do n't disappear, but dissolve in your mind. Perhaps "strength" is to blame for this, but I cannot say for sure ... Still, it is not clear what it is. A mixture of high technology or just some magic? In any case, none of the seven have been able to find out for sure... Ah yes, it looks like there is an energy in this world called mana... Similar energy exists in many worlds, but here it is especially dense and diverse... Keep in mind that now she is your drink. You are now like a whirlpool : you are absorbing mana around in huge quantities... I think everything will calm down in a couple of hours, but you will not stop absorbing it. In that sense, you can be described as a well that will never be filled.] — It seems that her inhibited actions are caused by the fact that she dissolves into my mind.

"Something has taken you to the wrong steppe… The world of magic , that means… The second question: how did you all die?"

[We were killed.] - She answered briefly and sharply.

"Even you?" — I was surprised by such straightforwardness.

[Yes, even me… Someone was killed in the heat of battle. Although no ... Basically, everyone was killed in the heat of battle. I was killed by the haters who didn't like my actions, my politics and my decisions... But you are far more fortunate than all of us!] she suddenly exclaimed .

- Why?

[In fact , because of the power, we are all immortal and able to live for more than one tens of thousands of years without changing , but we can be killed. In this case, you should not confuse immortality and invulnerability, otherwise it will become a deplorable outcome ... You , as the Eighth owner , got a more perfect version, as once I or the Seventh . Nevertheless, each new owner received this power with greater capabilities than the previous one ... In addition, before his death, the Seventh tried to create an algorithm that could save him from it, but did not have time to complete it ... If you can complete it or come up with something your own, then death at the hands of the enemy is unlikely to threaten you. But the choice is yours alone.]

- I'll have to try ... - I put my hand to my chin and thought.

[And the last question?] – Six asked without a slight pause .

"How do I know how to use all this 'power'?" I looked at her and asked my last question.

[Ah, I see… Well, since this question is coming to its logical end, please accept this parting gift as my answer.]

After these words, the Sixth approached and touched my forehead with a finger. Her silhouette quickly vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind. I had a sharp headache, but it was different from the usual one. My mind began to overflow with information from its huge flow ... After a few moments, the pain subsided and the flow of information broke off, exhausting itself ... I fell to the ground, spreading my arms wide, and , looking at the blue sky, said:

"Here , then, how ... Eh , Sixth ... I doubt that I will have a boring life here. A crazy smile appeared on my face and I burst out laughing. Because now I knew what I was really capable of.

A few minutes later, when I had calmed down, but was still delighted with what I had learned, I stood up again and held out my hand, palm up. Mist the size of a small ball thickened above her and began to take on the shape of a bird. I did it knowing and understanding what I was doing. It was as if I always knew how to control this black mist, and just one thought was enough for me to make it appear. But what it is : always black, condensed energy or something else, I did not know.

And the bird that was now sitting on my arm looked like a crow, only even the paws and eyes were black, and the iris of the eye shone like a small blue light. Under the feathers, the same blue pulsing light leaked slightly. But even so, in the dark , it can hardly be seen. The bird completely obeyed my will . I only wish that she turned around, as she immediately does it, but she could perform more complex tasks, and her eyes ... What she sees, then I see . And a perfect spy.

What the hell is going on in my head right now... Formulas , laws, various sciences, both familiar and completely crazy , and all in huge quantities, but , it seems, completely meaningless. A normal brain would hardly have coped with such a load. But my body was changed, and with it my brain began to act differently. Every cell of my body is now closely intertwined with the smallest particles of black fog. Those six prepared my body in order... So now my brain, together with this black fog , can compete in power with the most powerful supercomputer, or maybe even give it a huge head start.

Oh yes, about the bird. She continues to look at me ... Well , it would be necessary to create more of these and send them to reconnoiter the territory. Still, it's embarrassing that I don't know where I am.

One movement of the hand - and a dozen more of the same birds appeared in the air . I immediately sent them flying - with only one purpose : to study and memorize the area. And from the departed birds immediately began to receive data about the area. Around the forest ... Damn, I'll have to wait until some city finds it . Using the new possibilities of my brain, I created an algorithm for building a map and threw it into the depths of my mind. With the help of these birds, the map will be constantly updated and enlarged, and I will know what is happening away from my eyes, someday I will need it.

Now I just had to wait until at least one bird found something interesting. And since I was still a little tired, I decided to sit down on the bank of the river and just wait. And an hour later, one bird found a large trodden road to a small town. Well, that's great, then let's go!

By the time I got to the road, it was already dark. I walked slowly, yet it was quite difficult to make my way through the forest. Although I might not have noticed that now it's not just evening, but , most likely , night.

I yawned a lot, and it was clear that I needed to sleep. After all, my fatigue has not diminished at all. I climbed a fairly tall tree and settled on one of the large branches so that no one could reach me. And why? Because while I was walking here, I met a bunch of different creatures, similar to those that were considered mythical in my world. I immediately ran away from them, trying not to attract their attention. It doesn't hurt that I want to end my day with a fight with an unknown beast. Then I began to bypass them earlier, and the birds helped me a lot here.

And here I am lying on a branch of a tree, shining on me ... the moons are shining. Apparently there are two of them in this world. And while the plains were illuminated by moonlight, I gradually fell into a deep sleep ...

***

Gerdo Falins

Second Commander of the Army of the Kingdom of Raldia, Knight of the First Class

I've been called to the council office on some urgent matter. And what do these upstarts want from me again? I'm up to my neck without them. And since I am the second commander of the Raldia Kingdom, I really have a lot to do at the present time.

The Kingdom of Raldia is a country located in the south of the Conteria continent and bordering several other countries. With Elven forest territories to the west, the Dwarven Realm to the northwest , the Cortolia Empire to the northeast, and demon territories to the north.

And I , as the third person of the kingdom, apart from the seven and the king, can only be called on issues related to the western part of the country. First Commander Zelfric is now in the north and is in charge of the front with demon territory . Well , since I am responsible for the western borders, I have to establish relations between us and the elves. Dwarves are more or less accommodating when it comes to gold or artifacts, but the problem is with elves. They are considered the closest to the higher beings, whatever that means, and because of this they are too proud. As an excuse, they often talk about the dangerous situation with the demons and the threats emanating from them ., even though their forests don't even border demon territories. Therefore, they do not want to cooperate with us at all.

And so I went to the council door, it was obviously noisy there. Pushing open the doors, I entered the hall and sat down at my seat at the council table. At first, everyone present turned their eyes to me, but then immediately continued the argument. Immediately an old man in a purple robe and long gray hair stood up. This is the court magician Melfist - apparently , the culprit of this collection.

So , we are all here! Silence please! Melfist tapped lightly on the table, then sat down in his seat.

There were nine people in the office now, five of which were nobles close to the king. As far as I'm concerned, they're just there for decoration. But besides them, there are also me, the magician Melfist, the alchemist Robert and a representative of the Church of Light, whom I don't know, and I see for the first time.

- Melfist, and for what reason did you call us together ? Here is a rather motley company gathered. What happened? I immediately turned to Melfist.

"The reason for today's meeting is a report from the western borders. You, Herr Gerdo, are here only for this reason.

Did he reproach me now , or what? Although if the reason for gathering advice is in the west of the country, then this is really within my competence.

"The report refers to an anomaly discovered on the outskirts of the Zel'ga forest…" As soon as Melfist began to talk about the report, some noble immediately interrupted him :

"Wait a little. Doesn't the forest of Zel'ga belong to the elves?

"For the most part, yes, but the anomaly occurred, as I said, on the outskirts that belong to our territories , " Melfist quickly answered the question posed.

- And because of this they made such a fuss? What could be there to gather advice like that? - Robert, the court alchemist, interjected into the conversation.

Shut up you idiot! Does he not understand what the consequences of this can be? If the elves decide that this is our work, then the peace treaty can be forgotten! And about any relationship even more so!

— I understand your indignation, but the circumstances are really serious. The report from the border mages indicated that a huge amount of mana was missing from the forest. Melfist looked worried, something you don't often see.

"Are you saying that a Demon Lord was born there, in a place like this!?" The nobles decided to put in their word.

"Or someone worse?" "Another gentleman...

"First, I'd like to ask you to calm down. Secondly, the circumstances of the birth of the Lords are different in that there is a sharp release of magical power. Approximately the same as during the call of the heroes-Saviors. Thirdly, what happened in the forest of Zel'ga can be called a complete devastation or depletion of the magical power of the forest. Many plants there simply died from lack of mana. "That's a very good reason for gathering the council.

"Devastation, is that even possible?" "Again, the nobleman who doesn't understand anything wants to participate.

- Ha-a ... I will explain on the fingers. If we imagine the forest in the form of a basin with water, or mana, then that anomaly can be represented as a huge hole through which all this water has gone. Something has consumed mana or made it disappear in a certain area.

" Could it be Chaos spells?" "I don't know much about spells, but the Chaos attribute should be suitable for these effects.

Melfist shook his head at my question .

- Chaos spells are based on the chaotic mixing of mana, which leads to great destruction. But they can't run out of mana that much in the forest. I'm not sure there are spells that can drain it like that. Melfist put his hand to his beard and looked thoughtful.

"Fuh… We'll have to send out a reconnaissance team and investigate the scene." Now we need to find the source. And I still have to negotiate with the elves on this matter ... Melfist, is it possible to restore the forest? "I couldn't leave it like that, because the elves could make a lot of noise because of this.

"The forest should regenerate on its own soon, so your exploration proposal is quite good. After all, you are responsible for the western borders , - Melfist nodded in response to my proposal.

Then we voted for the plan, and the result: eight were in favor, one abstained. This Robert... he shouldn't have been invited at all. I was only indignant, not really knowing about the current, precarious state of our relations with the elves.

Soon everyone dispersed, including myself. Eh , I feel that today I will spend the whole night at the table with papers ...