29

The world keeps turning. Tempest cools, and Ingrassia heats up. One person's relaxation is another's stress. Who's to tell whether we chose the right way forward? All we can do is continue to carry our burdens down the beaten road.

Notes:

6k or so words. Posting this one very close to the previous, I have free time now so I want to keep it going. The next one will be out in closer to a week or so though, instead of the three days it took this one. I've got to work on "Crushing on a Devil" too.

Enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Notes / April / Year 2

…the first of five recorded major and minor magical anomalies (ref. Notes / August / Year 1) dubbed as "Point Alpha" experienced a rapid onset episode of chaotic activity. Until this point, these anomalies had shown no signs of activity beyond existence. All five showed signs of slow, yet constant, deterioration.

The hypothesis at the time was that these points were under the influence of an unknown factor, dubbed as "Factor Y" for the time being, and that this factor was neither consistent nor constant. Thus, it was assumed that the anomalies, assuming no outside interference, would dissipate without intervention. Our procedures regarding these anomalies have followed this hypothesis since then.

As of right now, it was correct. Of the five anomalies, the four noted to have the lowest levels of size, speed of rotation, magicules accretion, and overall cohesion have dissipated entirely. It is only a matter of time before number five followed suit. However, this lone remaining anomaly was indeed the first, and features the greatest number of all four aforementioned traits. This is Point Alpha.

A Body Double from Souei was in the area when Point Alpha began its chaotic activity, and he reported it immediately. Souei and I dispatched and investigated the area soon after.

The situation as we found it was thus: the magical anomaly within the area – which until this point had been steadily diminishing in size, speed, and spiritual pull – burst, for lack of a better term. The structure of the anomaly did not so much as collapse in on itself – as hypothesized upon initial inspection – as it did collapse outward.

This was not as much of a surprising find as it was a worrying one.

Utilizing my evolved Unique Skill: Tetra Breaker, I extended my will over the area as a grid, and forcibly stilled any violent magicules. Then, I collapsed the remainder inward, stabilizing Point Alpha into its previous form. After, Souei and I approached the center of the now magically calm area. Upon doing so, both of us noted the existence of unidentifiable noises coming from Point Alpha.

Or perhaps, not coming from Point Alpha, but from within Point Alpha. A brief silence occurred, which was them followed up by more noises that Souei claimed to be unidentifiable. He was incorrect, however. I recognized them. That noise was Germanian, butchered and scattered yet distinct to my ears.

What did it say? I have no idea, unfortunately. It was identifiable, not comprehensible.

[Ink is dotted along the open space of the page, as if the writer were in deep thought and tapping their pen unconsciously]

…

I don't like this.

-=-

Notes / May / Year 2

…the clearing and forest immediately surrounding Point Alpha have been cordoned off. Two rings of defense lines the forest: an inner layer of Razor Steel Thread and an outer layer of Sticky Steel Thread. The top of the clearing has been left open to the sky.

No further activity has been recorded from Point Alpha in the month since its chaotic episode. Due to my intervention via Tetra Breaker, the clearing has remained largely clear of magicules. Further, the anomaly itself has fully reverted to its previous state, and is once more experiencing slow, yet constant decay of existence.

However, it was determined that this decay was slower than before. It is unknown why this is, though Souei and I have proposed multiple hypotheses each. We will continue monitoring Point Alpha until it dissipates entirely, or "bursts" once more. Souei has stationed a Body Double near the clearing permanently to this end.

I asked, partly out of curiosity and partly of… would boredom become an issue?

Souei claimed it would not. Body Doubles are not literal living existences the same way as him or I. They merely think and act either on the orders of the original or based on the character traits transferred over. The Body Double of Souei that accompanied Mary, Souka, and I to Xerxes was the latter, and thus it could, for the most part, think for itself and act independently.

For this situation, Souei had created the Body Double in question as more akin to an automaton. It merely followed preprogrammed orders. This was a relief to me. It's the difference between a human on an assembly line and a robot. The human needs breaks; the robot does not. However, maintenance is an issue. Body Doubles though?

There is more yet for me to learn about the inner workings of magical abilities in this world. Yet more research…

-=-

Notes / June / Year 2

…Previously, upon rereading through my notes and reexamining the map of the initial five anomalies, I noticed an odd pattern. Regarding Factor Y, I don't believe it is the source of them. No, that's not quite it. Source implies a singular origin.

All of the mapped, noted locations pertained to instances from my time here in this world. Correlation does not equal causation; thus it would be foolish to base my theory off of this. However, I've lived in too many worlds with too many irritating factors to consider mere unlucky circumstances as the root. Let's assume these phenomena are related, for the time being.

Logically, there must be two sources. That's the conclusion I've drawn. A Factor Y which served as the catalyst for Point Alpha's chaotic outburst, and another factor entirely that allowed the anomaly to form in the first place. I will refer to this as "Factor Z".

I have no way to test my hypothesis.

No, that's a lie. I know exactly how to test it, but I'm unwilling to do so. Only one anomaly remains. And while there must be a reason this one has outlasted the others, I don't care to potentially worsen the situation. The reason matters far less than a swift end to this phenomenon. For good.

I am certain of few things. The entire phenomenon requires reclassification. These are not "magical" anomalies. Rather, they are a form of spacetime anomaly with the potential to influence the magicules on this plane of existence.

Let's leave it at that. I intend to leave it at that.

Barring outside influence, Point Alpha should fully dissipate before the end of the month. It will be of no concern to anyone once July rolls in. I, for one, am glad that one of my problems has chosen to get rid of itself for once. The pessimist in me is shouting to pay more attention, that it will never be that easy. But I'm not sure what more I could do, that I have not already done.

I [what follows is series of words is hastily scribbled over, leaving them illegible. The sentence continues after this] would like to take a break, I will admit on the safety of these pages.

Rimuru visited again and informed us all that they'd learned the location of the Dwelling of Spirits. It's in the Ulgrasia Republic, south of the Western Nations. Additionally, Vesta completed Tempest's warp pad ahead of schedule. The physical pad and the circle on top of it are necessary. Together, they are a unique existence, and now, Rimuru can craft warp circles using the Tempest warp pad's existence as a planar cornerstone.

That should mean this idiotic situation should resolve sooner rather than later. But I'm neither an idiot nor an optimist. Realistically, I'd imagine Rimuru will remain as a Professor until the summer semester closes. That, at the very least, is a potential deadline. It would be near the end of July.

I would not be surprised if they stayed until the end of summer break, too. That would be the end of August. I will refrain from commenting my personal thoughts on this matter.

However, I do have plans of my own. Once Rimuru and Mary return for good, I think I'll leave for a while myself. King Gazel has happily informed me that Dwargon will host me again if ever I wish it. Gobta has chatted about a natural hot springs in the mountains. Hakurou mentioned an excellent lake somewhere in the Forest.

Hiking, researching, relaxing, swimming, fishing…

I've never really fished before.

Shuna can come with. Mary, too.

We'll all go fishing.

-=-=-=-

Tanya was hiding something.

Oh sure, to anyone else except maybe Mary, she hid it perfectly.

But Shuna shared a bed with this woman. They were lovers. They spent so much time together compared to everyone else, it be odd if she hadn't noticed. So, to her, little things like that? She noticed.

They begged notice.

Now, before we go any further, don't get the wrong idea.

Shuna trusted Tanya wholeheartedly. If she was keeping something a secret, there was a damn good reason for it. There was no problem here, that should be made clear. No suspicion, or anger.

She had no intention of prying, not really. Not that she wouldn't ask. Nor was she worried about them going behind the other's back. They'd begged each other's names enough for the thought to never even occur. Such a thing was beyond ridiculous, for the both of them.

But it was still a fact that Tanya was hiding something. It was the faint crease to her brow, a slight stiffness in her shoulders on certain days, an almost imperceptible hesitance in touch. Tanya's nightmares had steadily gotten better over the months, but now it seemed like something in the waking world was dogging at her heels.

A dark curiosity filled Shuna at that. She was both impressed and worried at how well Tanya was at hiding this sort of thing.

It spoke to experience. It spoke to a burden one had simply grown used to carrying. Her brother had a similar look, before they met Rimuru and had been named, but after their village had been destroyed.

Benimaru had gotten better. Tanya had gotten better too. But there was a distinct look to one who'd been forced to carry burdens beyond the natural world. The eyes told all.

Responsibility. Worry. Standing strong despite them.

If only it were a simple case of overwork, but no. Tanya had learned her lesson. She had a schedule, and duties were appropriately divvied out.

Her early mornings were spent training, then doing paperwork – wooden tablet work, we've been over this – until it was time for lunch. After that, if it was necessary, she took care of whatever needed her personal touch.

Sometimes, it was a meeting with Geld to discuss Tempest's expansion. Sometimes, she met Vesta to brainstorm new projects. Sometimes it was speaking with a merchant that wanted to speak to "the one in charge"… a role that, at least as a figurehead for the time being, had been shoved upon her whenever Rigurd was unavailable.

Tanya led well, Shuna thought.

Most of the time, however, Tanya spent her afternoons doing personal research. Shuna accompanied her when she herself wasn't busy, but that didn't always happen. Thus, she couldn't possibly know of everything that worked or exploded.

Regardless, Tanya was active from her first waking moment until approximately 5 in the afternoon. After that, she was apparently "off the clock". Tanya's words, not her own.

It was a busy day, nearly every day – weekends were less intensive by far – but it was well structured. Far from overwhelming for someone like Tanya, who'd once offhandedly mentioned forced overtime with a look of disgust that rivalled the worst of things. A workday in Tempest compared to that much the way a breeze compared to a gale; comically less intensive, and much more refreshing.

The mundanity of working out and paperwork would always trump the frontlines, in Tanya's mind. And they'd been without conflict for months now. Rest occurred more often than ever.

Shuna was happy that Tanya had come so far in her ability to perform self-care. It lowered her own stress levels, that much was certain.

But then, it made the fact that something was weighing down on Tanya that much more irritating. Why couldn't they just enjoy themselves, dammit. Tempest was at peace. Couldn't the universe let up, even once?

Shuna didn't know what to do, or how to really react, other than to support her lover the best she could. She did know that if she ever found out what was causing all this trouble, she'd make damn sure to deck it or them in the face as hard as possible. Then she'd choke them out a bit, just to make sure they truly understood how badly they'd fucked up by fucking with the one she care so much about.

Right. Anyway.

Was it weird, or merely good timing, that she was baking as she thought about these things? Shaping dough into interesting shapes had never been easier than when she was contemplating how best to torture someone.

Oops, a little dough person lost a leg. What a shame. Shuna scraped her palm along the powder-covered wooden cutting board, forcing the little dough being into a pile and rolling it into a ball.

"Careful."

A warm shiver trickled down Shuna's spine, as a familiar voice drifted across her ear. Tanya reached around her, sliding away a knife that had been sitting on the side, the tip of its blade half atop the cutting board.

"I know healing is easy, but that's no excuse to allow danger. Complacency is the enemy."

This was another thing Shuna didn't know how to react to.

Shuna realized this quickly enough, but Tanya didn't openly speak about feelings, emotions, or love. She wouldn't, or maybe couldn't. It was hard for her to even think about them, much less… well, she'd never been that sort of person.

It went against the foundation of the being that was "Tanya von Degurechaff". There was a power to words, because to say something meant to give it existence in some form.

So, admitting things like that out loud was… hard. Impossible, practically. That'd be a dangerous acknowledgment. However, that kind of lead to… this sort of thing.

Tanya leaned halfway against Shuna's shoulder and side, her left hand pressing against the small of her back.

"This" being touch.

Tanya liked to touch.

All. The. Time.

It was the quiet "Excuse me" as Tanya slipped behind her, her fingertips skimming Shuna's lower back. It was the feathery palm presses against her shoulder. It was the slight squeeze as their fingers locked together. Brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, the casual kiss to the forehead while she drank that delightful coffee, followed by "I'll see you later".

Shuna both loved and hated this.

Well, that was a lie. She loved and loved it.

But she also hated it, because those constant touches drove her fucking crazy.

"Tanya. You're going to distract me. If I'm distracted, these cookies may come out subpar. And then I will be very upset."

"I am just standing here."

Yes, I'm fully aware of that.

There was something to be said about how electrified this other woman made her feel just from casual touches. Part of it was magic, both literally and in that sappy metaphorical way. Tanya's body was warm, but less in a regard to temperature and more so like a subconscious sense humming with content.

It felt good to be near her. More than good. Calling it just "good" was an insult to the feeling.

It was almost comical, now, that Shuna had initially pursued Tanya for incredibly selfish reasons. In her defense, the other woman had an enrapturing aura to her. That, and the sex was – she uses "was" here, not because it had diminished in quality, but because now, with real feeling behind it, it far transcended merely – fantastic.

For Veldora's sake, she'd had half of a crush on Rimuru back then. And while she does still love him, it's absolutely not in the same way that Shion or Milim do.

She'd never been more thankful for the utter obliviousness of her slime little brother, because otherwise she might never have… no, it was just unimaginable, at this point.

How does one describe it, when someone's hung the stars in your heart?

Shuna wondered if no one loved Tanya before, the way she does. She wondered who could ever be so foolish as to not love this woman, flaws and all.

She would also admit to a bit of bias here. For obvious reasons, her opinion on the matter is skewed. 

But really, had Tanya's 203rd ever realized just how much they meant to their Commander? Had the feeling been mutual? Did Tanya even realize it herself?

Possibly. But then again, perhaps not.

Tanya valued reason over emotion. Rational thought over powerful feeling. It was a hard pill to swallow. Even of those who claimed such a mindset themselves, most of them were liars.

Tanya now, however, did not make an overt habit of it. At least, not with her, not here.

It's different now. There were no more generals, no more frontlines, no more cold nights wondering if tomorrow would be the day a wannabe god would get tired of the whole charade and just say, "Fuck it, and fuck you".

Tanya is a logical, reasonable, stubborn person. She's brilliant, and lovely, and expresses herself in a way that others may find off-putting or irritating. But that's simply who she is.

She told the truth far more often than she didn't, even if it hurt. But on the occasion that she did truly lie… it was to most often to herself.

So, with that in mind, it's likely she had realized all of it. Examined those thoughts and feelings, from herself and others, and then pushed them away to somewhere deep inside herself, where it would hopefully never see the light of day.

And that made it all the more heartbreaking.

Because Tanya died and lost everything.

Shuna could not imagine how it felt to die.

Tanya had died, and then she came back elsewhere. Shuna found it hard to imagine how that felt, too.

But she did imagine that, in the aftermath, it was impossible to die and come back the same.

Tanya could never go back to the old her. The road to accepting this fact is long and hard, yet she's already started herself down that path.

After all, the old Tanya would have never let herself fall in love.

One day, when Tanya finally released that whole truth from within herself, there would be a lot of pain.

There would be an incredible fight. If Tanya were to accept that which she hated about herself, about humanity, then how exactly could she react, finally understanding that which she'd lost?

How would Mary react?

Hopefully, the pain is one they can all bear together.

I love you. 

Shuna leans further into Tanya's warmth. Tanya leans back, saying it without words. 

"I would hate to interrupt you. The pain of being bothered when I don't want to be, how could I subject you to that?" Tanya pulled away slightly, amused and warm. "Be more careful, though."

Her palm came away, until just her fingertips lingered on the small of Shuna's back. The warmth of their connected shoulders disappeared. It was almost imperceptible, but Tanya lingered, just a fraction of a fraction of a second.

Shuna had told the truth earlier. About loving and hating, then loving and loving. She did love and hate this. Not just the touch, but the reason behind it.

A question. Why was it that, the moment Tanya allowed herself to relax the slightest bit, to let her walls lower just the tiniest amount, did she feel the need touch so much?

It was obvious enough.

And that… Shuna hated that. She hated that no one ever saw the truth, or that they never acted on it. That Tanya had never been in the right situation, had never been allowed to soften herself enough to where such a thing was possible.

Internally, she cursed everyone from Tanya's past. Did they not understand? Or perhaps they had loved Tanya. Just not enough.

These ones, Shuna would curse doubly so.

Oh well. It was their loss, and her gain. She would not lie and claim her feelings were entirely altruistic. Far from it. Never forget that she herself was not human.

"Wait."

But what Shuna was, was in love. And they both deserved to be a little selfish, didn't they?

Tanya paused. Shuna knew her expression without looking. A slight raise of an eyebrow, a faint curious tinge to her gaze.

Shuna sighed, incredibly fond and a little sad.

"How was your work today?" An invitation. "I could tell you were in good spirits this morning." Usually, Tanya only stayed for a single cup coffee before heading out, but that morning she'd stayed for two. "Have you made good progress on your formulae? I'm curious."

Tanya drifted back in, back to her previous position, the warmth returning.

A subtle manipulation. Shuna could do it too. And she hadn't lied. She was curious. And very, very much in love.

She'd chosen her path. No matter what pain the future may hold, it would be bearable. Because she was right here.

She would always be right here.

-=-=-=-

Dawn

 Gravity Field

Tempest, Jura Tempest Federation

Burn. Scorch. Storm.

Ignite. Babylon.

A swirling, spiraling sea of flame. The muted pink-rose sky of pre-dawn illuminated in shattered fractal shades of blue. A hurricane, a tsunami, it was a natural disaster of unnatural flame that roared across the clearing's edges.

Cobalt shadows danced across the leaves, flickering images and darting shades shining through the gaps and along the bright veins and dark branches. Flowing heat, waves and force on dynamic scale.

Yet, not a single lick of flame stepped out of line, so much as singed any part of the surrounding forest. This blazing natural disaster was self-contained, perfectly controlled. Absolute order. Not a spec of magic was wasted. Not an inch of forest was damaged, despite the roaring inferno endlessly teasing it like a coy lover.

Faster. Faster. Faster.

Level One. Level Two. Level Three. Level Four.

Did it matter? Tetrabattery Limit Enhancement. What a mouthful. What a raw deal of a power, to limit and damage the host. Now, they all bled together, the power of one hardly distinguishable from the former or latter.

Power had changed; control had not.

Power, control, choice… oh, how they bled as one.

A vicious cycle defined her life to now. Since that one fateful encounter, not one moment had allowed her to lay down arms. War was Hell, but what use was Heaven if He sat up above on his ivory tower?

So be it. She had no intention of truly dying – that is to say, of ceasing to exist – until the time was right. The existence that was "Tanya" would not cease to be until such a time that she had lived the peaceful life stolen and continually denied to her

If the achievement of such required her to continue to fight, then she would fight until the end of time itself. Such was her conviction for a proper ending.

The Flames of Babylon ripped the air asunder. Their nature spat in the face of the divine. Their heat burned beyond the literal, the real. Even the ashes of the gods would be rendered null.

Tanya stood at the center of it all.

She was not in the eye of the storm. She was the eye of the storm.

Her eyes glowed a vibrant blue green, an electric teal. Otherwise, the blue flames illuminated her form. The evolution of TLE into Tetra Breaker had improved her efficiency. Her power no longer bled through the surface, making itself visible as it did before.

It was fitting. Just as the Levels of power no longer were distinct, so too was her own use of them. Good. The less obvious her strength, the more difficult for a foe to combat it.

Though, it had looked pretty cool.

The storm raged on. It was a furious ring, or more accurately a donut, with Tanya in the empty area. Inside, the heat was immense, but manageable.

They were her flames. Hers. They could never burn her.

Still, her tank top had been discarded nearby, soaked through with sweat as it was, leaving her with the bandages wrapping over her chest and shoulders like a sports bra, black shorts, and bright, sporty-looking shoes. Casual summer attire.

Sometimes, Tanya lamented the fact that going truly shirtless in certain scenarios – such as at the beach, or when working out – had become a lost art for her after her first life.

There were a few things to lament about shifting into a different body, actually. Sexism, though the Imperial military had largely been devoid of that, despite the time period. Menstruation – though she hadn't been troubled by it since arriving here, oddly enough – for another. Being shorter, the cherry on top.

That being said, it had taken until her third life to be able to look in a mirror and actually like and feel comfortable with what she saw, and that was… something she tried not to think too much about, honestly. There was a word for that somewhere. Probably, she didn't know.

She digressed.

Despite her mind wandering, the storm had remained strong and controlled. A testament to her Will.

Tanya inhaled slowly, holding it for a moment. It was hot in her lungs, the magicules excited and buzzing. It felt… not bad, and not really odd either. Just interesting. She'd long since gotten used to it.

She exhaled, and the open, un-flamed space exploded into activity.

In front of her, dark teal and wispy black energy swirled in a single spot for a single moment in time. The night-black blade of Seizon shot free like a cannon, slicing the air down. Just before it impaled the earth, space magic whirled above the grass, and Seizon darted through, back into Tanya's pocket space.

Another swirl of magic appeared over her shoulder. Seizon shot forth, forward, then disappeared into a misty twirl of magic yet again, an instant before impacting the wall of blue flames.

This continued, again and again, for a period of time that may have been 30 seconds or 30 minutes, and through a variety of points and at a variety of angles best described as "beyond dangerous". A whirlwind of black magisteel, formed by a single blade, contained within the natural disaster of the gale-force Babylonian inferno.

The noise, if you could call the perception through Magic Sense "noise", was deafening. Crackling flame, cutting wind, zipping steel. They could be heard and felt, in the physical sense and through the supernatural Sense, growing and rushing and crashing in a brilliant crescendo, rising and falling and growing and growing until-!

"Break."

The world fell silent, as if craning in, forcing itself down, just to hear her speak.

The Flames of Babylon were gone, Seizon sheathed in magical space. Tanya turned on her heel, walking to her discarded tank top. The sweat had evaporated. She threw it on, then continued walking.

Behind her, the early morning sun fully crested the horizon, bringing in the new day.

She would fight, as needed to reach her desired end. But Tanya had long since tired of the fight. And, in the in-between, when the world deigned it fit for her to rest a little, well… how did one take up a mantle they'd discarded?

When did perseverance shift from a strength to an unfortunate habit? Did "moving forward, ever forward" get her through the tough times… or had it merely kept her in them?

Had the path she'd taken ever been the right one?

…

Well, it had led her here, hadn't it? That had to count for something.

-=-=-=-

Night

Unmarked Facility

Kingdom of Ingrassia

Rivulets of liquid shadow drenched trails in the golden sand.

An army of dissipating corpses drifted to dark wisps on a nonexistent breeze, and an army more continued to struggle, desperate against all desperation. A sea of bestial bodies yowled and swarmed, waves of dark dripping claws and fangs crashing in their own wake, fighting, overpowering.

Trying, and failing.

There it was.

A flash in the darkened chamber. A golden glint, faster than average perception. Sharpened death parting the shade sea; a modern-day miracle.

That man-who-was-not-a-man slipped through the gaps, striking weak points, killing indiscriminately, efficiently. A twirl, the singing of gold, the air to slow to keep up. A gash in the shadows, an entire wave of amalgamated beasts gone in less than a heartbeat.

Slash. Swirl. Whirlwind.

A storm of his own making, for he was the storm itself.

How long had this gone on? He couldn't say.

The army never ended. It was of his own making. As long as they tormented him, he would kill them. Spirit Shades formed and split, dripping from his shadow and sewn by his aura. He had no control over it, not really.

He had no choice but to continue. It mattered not how long it took. How long he fought. It could have been 30 seconds, or 30 minutes. It could have been eternity.

As if his own creations could ever hurt him.

Though how desperately they wanted to. They were products of his hatred, after all. Hatred for his enemy. Hatred for himself. It stands to reason that they would seek to destroy he who had gifted them such miserable existence.

They could not even touch him.

The fire within him scorched their bestial, irrational rage into nothing. His spear cut them down before their grasping, crashing forms drew within breathing distance.

It was not enough.

It was never enough.

If he could manage this, then what good were these creatures? An endless army, reduced to their component parts. Gone, reduced to spirits and spiritrons in the span of a sigh. Long gone were the days of one-on-one bouts.

Yet, what did that strength really mean if it wasn't enough.

This army was paper mâché to anyone that mattered. These spirit shades, such as Lycaon, were mere bastardized beasts crafted from the corpses of Lesser Spirits and continually copied and reproduced via the tattered remnants of his Unique Skill.

They were the prototype of Nin Gen's own shades. Though, it seemed Drake's were superior, as they did not need a biological base, nor was their power limited by the component parts. Shades were – had been – better at independent action, however. That was one thing Nin had improved upon.

Not that it mattered. Drake cared little for recreating shadowed memories, even assuming the power to do so had not died with his son.

At the end of the day, fodder was fodder.

He needed to be strong himself. He needed to create strength. He had already created it, once.

As if sensing the mere hint of the thought, a great length stirred along the chamber's far wall. Madness-evoking shadow, an unnatural being, the cracked, bleeding carapace of the great rainbow serpent twisted back into some phantasmagoric Frankenstein's monster of a spirit shade.

A last resort. It was his own, but he dared not rely on it. It could not be relied upon. He'd poured too much into the creature. A vicious cycle defined its existence; such was the nature of the ouroboros.

Such was his path going forward. There would be no turning back.

Drake stood up straight, the blood of his creations dripping down his muscled form, sweat trailing alongside it. His shadow bled no more.

"Oi! No need to be so fucking dramatic, yeah?"

Drake spun his spear in his hands, viscous slabs of vantablack gunk and trails of liquid vomit-y shadow flying off at the speed of it. That done, he stabbed it blade first into the sand, leaning against it and brushing back his spiky salt-pepper bangs with a hand.

"Tear." He spoke, his voice rough from disuse. His mouth was dry, as was his expression.

"Drake-y." Tear responded, deepening her voice in an obvious attempt to mock him. She cleared her throat, bouncing over to him. "How've ya been?"

"The same."

"Nah, that's a lie. I've been watching ya for like an hour."

"I thought so. Is there a reason you're interrupting me now, instead of earlier?"

Tear tilted her head. Despite the mask, Drake could tell her expression. Half contemplative, half joking. And with a hint of concern that he didn't deserve.

"Nope!"

"Right." Drake waved her off, pushing off his spear. "Then leave."

"Not so fast, Drake-y. I've got something you'd like to hear."

"Is it, 'I'm leaving right now'?"

That one actually seemed to deflate the clown a little bit. Drake felt a pang of at irritation at himself, them forcibly shoved it down. This was his friend, wasn't it? Shouldn't she understand?

Shouldn't he understand?

He sighed, flicking a piece of shadow from his shoulder. "Fine. Tell me."

"That's what I like to hear!" Tear perked up. "I've got a solution for you!"

"A solution? To what problem?"

"Yeah. A solution. You're all worried about our little Demon Lord Seed friend, aren't ya? You know, you should give yourself more credit. You're about Octavius's level already; he'd approve. Hell, you'd beat him easy with another trick and month or two. If he were still around."

Drake's grip on his spear went white knuckled. "Yet, he's not around. His approval is of no concern."

"Sure, sure. Aye, summon another one of them Lyca-whatzits for me."

It formed by the time she'd finished speaking, melting from his shadow. This one resembled his favored version of Lycaon as a Lieutenant General in the Xerxes military. Much more refined, far less of a dripping mess. Not that the appearance meant all that much.

Drake blinked, and Tear was standing atop Lycaon's shoulders, inspecting it all over.

"Nice, nice." She pat it on the head, pulled back its eyelid to inspect inside, then nodded to herself. "Now… kabow!"

Tear jumped forward and spun in midair, a spinning heel kick blasting a gaping hole through the Lycaon's torso. It dissipated, dead before it could hit the ground.

"See that!" She landed, bouncing once then standing in place. "They're way too weak!"

"Yes, I'm well aware."

"Obviously, you need stronger ones."

"Obviously." Drake sighed.

"Cool, cool. We're on the same page. So, make them."

"…excuse me?"

Tear pointed in his face. Though, given that she was much shorter than him, she had to reach up on her tippy toes to even get close to doing so. "I said, make stronger ones! I can't believe you haven't thought of this already. Just make stronger spirit shades! Then, you don't gotta worry about them getting bulldozed."

Drake sighed again, and for not the first time contemplated taking up smoking.

"Please don't insult me. Of course, I've thought about it. But it is not that simple. Even with my affinity, summoning anything above Lesser Spirits is impossible here. I don't have the time, or the materials. And you know already that my ability to alter them has dwindled, since…"

"Yeah, stop right there. I know." Tear dropped her hand, placing both of them on her hips. "But maybe you don't gotta alter them all that much. And maybe you don't need to summon them here."

"There's no other option, Tear." Drake shook his head, anger flaring. "I don't have time for any trips. I don't have the opportunity to ride over to Dwargon or the Empire and reach out to old allies."

"Alright, I understand the problem. But, think about it this way, then." Tear leaned in. Drake found himself leaning down a bit as well. "What if I said you ain't gotta worry about time? What if I told you there's a handy dandy little method to get you back as soon as can be?"

"Is there a method?"

"Well, sort of. It'll take a bit to get there; I'll have to side-teleport ya myself, and that's not perfect with two people. Plus I'm gone as soon as we get there. Busy gal, you know? But don't worry your big head. Something special's waiting for ya; I can promise the trip back will be instant."

Drake inhaled and held it for a moment. That was... incredibly suspicious. He exhaled. "…How long?"

"Yeah, now you're interested. I like that look in your eye, Drake-y. It's a hell of a lot more familiar than whatever the hell these past few months have been." Tear shook her head. "If we leave tonight, we can get there by morning. And like I said, the trip back will be instant. So, what d'ya say, friend?"

Tear disappeared, popping back above him and draping herself over his shoulders.

"You know what you've got to do, right? Remember though, this is a one-time for the here and now. This is a "sooner than later" opportunity. Clayman's little play is only a couple months out, don'tcha know?"

His golden opportunity. Yeah, Drake knew. Oh, how he'd been counting down the days with equal excitement and dread. There was something terrifying to behold about knowing your dreams would either shatter to less than shards or reforge fully anew.

"Sooner than later" opportunity, huh? Compared to a single night and day of training, such a thing obviously outweighed them in value. And, if they were going where he suspected… then he stood to gain far more from this than it would cost.

A certain burn flared up in his heart, spiritual flame igniting the cracks of a wounded soul.

That's it, then.

He nodded.

"Good." Underneath her mask, Drake just knew Tear was smiling. "Drake, how do you feel about paying a visit to the Dwelling of Spirits?"

-=-=-=-=-=-

Known Skills List

Tanya:

Common Skill: Thought Communication

Extra Skill: Flames of Babylon

Extra Skill: Magic Sense

Extra Skill: Magic Aura

Extra Skill: Voice of the World Communication

Unique Skill: Tetra Breaker

Mary:

Common Skill: Thought Communication

Extra Skill: Magic Sense

Extra Skill: Magic Aura

Extra/Intrinsic Skill: Physical Enhancement

Unique Skill: Ability Severance