Chapter 2: a clear mind, The first battle with.

"Where... am I?"

Opening my eyes, all I saw was total darkness. Confused, I touched my face and realized I had been blindfolded.

"Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling?" A female voice echoed from a distance, her footsteps approaching.

"I am... fine?" Something felt off, and then it hit me—my thoughts were more organized, clear, and coherent.

Wait... the voices... they're gone. They're really gone!

Tears welled up beneath the blindfold, staining it. The endless torment I had endured for thousands of years, was gone, just like that. My hands trembled as I took several deep breaths, praying to the eyes above that this was not some fleeting dream.

"That's good to hear. Your brain activity was off the charts, so I had to put that blindfold on you. Try not to take it off unless you're sure you can handle thinking clearly again."

"This blindfold... how does it work?" The freedom of thought I now had left me speechless—no, relieved. I was overcome by the sheer sense of relief from this newfound freedom.

"It's one of Miss Herta's collections—a Thought-Suppressing Blindfold. Initially, she was interested in its brain-clouding properties and tried to reverse-engineer it to do the opposite: to enhance brain activity. But after several failed attempts, she gave up and lost interest."

"It was given to me by one of the Astral Express members. So I guess Herta started giving away her 'useless' items."

"Who... is Herta?" The question made the female doctor pause, clearly surprised.

"Amnesia too? You're really messed up in the head," she muttered under her breath.

"Can you recall your name at all?"

"My name... Name... Name..." I paused.

"No, I cannot."

"Do you remember anything?"

"I... I saw blood on my hands. Two figures... They were fighting me, and then they ran away."

"Uh-huh. Anything else?"

"No."

"Complete memory wipes, it seems. Sigh... Your name is Researcher Alvin, a Senior On-Site Researcher. Before the Anti-Matter Legion attacked, you were in the Incinerator Room, looking for a lost research paper you accidentally tossed in the trash." The doctor pulled up my profile from the database and listed all my achievements and breakthroughs.

"Does any of that ring a bell?"

"...No."

"Great. Well, since none of Miss Herta's Curios are known to restore memory, you'll have to deal with the amnesia for now."

"I see..." I replied, my voice tinged with melancholy. Though I knew, deep down, that the sword had forced me to possess this body, I had hoped to retain some of the researcher's memories—to honor his legacy. But it seems that was wishful thinking.

"Miss, may I request something from you?"

"Sure, what do you need? We still have plenty of supplies."

"Could I request several rolls of fabric that are resistant to cutting?"

"That's an odd request, but we do have fabrics used for flexible armor, similar to chainmail."

"That would do."

"Alright," the doctor said as she tapped a few buttons on her pad.

"The requested items will be delivered here shortly. Normally, this would cost credits, but since you're a high-ranking Senior Researcher, you're authorized to request certain items for personal use, free of charge."

A short while later, a logistics staff member entered the medical bay, carrying a large roll of white, cutting-resistant fabric.

"Here is the item you requested, Senior Researcher Alvin."

"Thank you." I extended my hand and felt the heavy roll of fabric placed into my grasp. Despite being blindfolded, I could still sense the location of my bloodied sword and retrieved it from the side of the bed. I had become accustomed to this form of 'vision.' No matter how far away it was—even if oceans parted us—I could 'see' the sword.

It was one of the curses, I called it. Physically, it was always by my side, haunting me. Now, even in my mind, I couldn't escape it.

Carefully unrolling the fabric, I tightly wrapped the entire sword, binding it in the cutting-resistant material. Though the blade was sharp, the special fabric held firm, leaving the sword covered entirely in white.

The doctor watched silently as I wrapped the sword, always wondering why it remained so close to me. But she chose not to ask.

With the sword now securely bound and attached to my back using leftover fabric, I rose from the medical bed and turned toward her.

"Can I move around now, Doctor?"

"You can, but be careful with any strenuous activities. You've just recovered from exhaustion. Do you want me to call an assistant to guide you?"

"Yes, please. Navigating with this blindfold will be difficult." I gave a wry smile.

"Alright." She tapped her pad again, summoning a helper robot to the medical bay.

A few moments later, a floating robot with three grabby arms appeared.

"Helper Robot Unit #12, ready to assist."

"Helper, take this researcher to his destination."

"Doctor, may I know who rescued me?"

"It was one of the Astral Express crew. If you're looking for them, they're at the Master Control Zone."

"I see. Thank you."

"Take me to the master control zone," Alvin instructed the Helper Robot.

"Understood," the robot responded, extending one of its grabby arms to gently take hold of Alvin's free hand, guiding him through the bustling corridors.

As they moved, many researchers who knew Alvin attempted to engage with him, expressing their sympathy for his presumed blindness. Few were familiar with Herta's Curio collection, so they mistook the blindfold for a sign that Alvin had lost his vision during the Anti-Matter Legion's attack.

However, the Alvin they once knew was no longer present. His memory had been wiped, and though many researchers tried to jog his memory by recounting past experiences, it was all in vain. Alvin could not remember any of it.

In truth, the body they spoke to was occupied by another soul—or rather, many souls. A different entity, with different thoughts, values, and a history far removed from the researcher they once knew. This soul was a man who had fought death itself, only to fall into a purgatory of his own making. With each death, another life was lived, and with every new existence, new perspectives and experiences flooded into him.

"We have arrived at the Master Control Center," the Helper Robot announced, breaking Alvin's train of thought.

"Thank you, Helper Robot," Alvin said, nodding slightly.

"Always happy to help!" The bot cheerfully let go of his hand, hovering just behind him in case further assistance was needed.

"Ah, you're the researcher we saved!" A lively voice called out, followed by the sound of quick, excited footsteps.

"Are you... one of the Astral Express crew?" Alvin asked, turning in the direction of the voice.

"That's right! The one and only, saving countless stars and heroes!" The voice, proud and full of energy, belonged to March 7th.

Alvin smiled softly. "Indeed, young heroes are always impressive."

"Why do you sound like an old man?" March huffed in complaint. "You don't look much older than me."

Alvin chuckled. "Looks can be deceiving. I've watched the sun rise and fall countless times, seen mountains rise and kingdoms crumble."

"Wait... you speak like someone from the Xianzhou. Are you from there?" March asked curiously.

"... Xianzhou, the so-called immortal state..." Alvin muttered, his tone darkening. "What a vexing place, where they see immortality as a gift when it is nothing but a curse." Though it was the first time he heard of such a place, the name alone detested him.

"Hey! You didn't answer my question!" March exclaimed, a bit frustrated.

"Calm down, March," a mature voice interjected. Himeko's presence startled Alvin for a moment. "He just got up from the medical bay. You don't want to overwhelm him, do you?"

Alvin turned to where Himeko's voice came from and bowed slightly. "I presume you are their caretaker. I extend my deepest gratitude for rescuing my frail body and, more importantly, for freeing me from a curse I have long carried."

Himeko raised an eyebrow at the mention of the curse but refrained from asking. "Don't thank me. If you want to thank anyone, thank Dan Heng. He was the one who first noticed your condition and grabbed the Curio that saved you."

"I see," Alvin replied, his voice filled with sincerity. "Where can I find this Dan Heng? I wish to express my gratitude."

"Well, he was—" Himeko began, but before she could finish, a red alarm blared across the station.

"It's the Doomsday Beast!" Asta's voice came through the comms as footage of the colossal creature flying around the space station appeared on every screen.

"March, we need to move to the Astral Express," Himeko instructed firmly.

"But what about the people on the Herta Space Station?" March protested.

"We'll protect them, but we need to secure the Astral Express first."

"Wait, let me join you," Alvin interrupted.

March hesitated. "But aren't you blind with that blindfold on?"

Alvin chuckled again, a low, confident sound. "I may be blind with this cloth over my eyes, but a debt remains unpaid. I implore you—let me fight alongside you, and I guarantee your safety."

March looked uncertain but turned to Himeko for guidance.

"You can follow," Himeko said firmly, "but it will be dangerous."

Alvin's smile widened. "This old soul has faced countless dangers. A simple beast cannot extinguish this old flame."

Hearing the resolve in his voice, March grabbed his hand and led the way as the group sprinted toward the Astral Express.

~~

Supply Zone F2

Dan Heng and Caelus, busy helping repair the damage caused by the Anti-Matter Legion, looked up in surprise as the alarms went off. The situation was dire, and they quickly made their way toward the Astral Express.

"Dan Heng!" March called out, still holding Alvin's hand as they approached. "Where have you been?"

"We were helping the guards and researchers recover from the attack, but we didn't expect a Doomsday Beast to show up," Dan Heng explained, glancing at the monitors.

"Wait, where's the Astral Express?!" March asked, panic rising as she noticed the train was no longer at the station.

"Welt must have moved it to a safer location temporarily," Dan Heng replied.

"Dan Heng," Alvin suddenly spoke, stepping forward. "You were the one who saved me, correct?"

"Yes?" Dan Heng replied, slightly confused.

"... I see. After this battle is over, I wish to convey my deepest gratitude."

"Huh? What do you mean, battle?" March asked, but as if in response to her question, the Doomsday Beast landed with a deafening crash on the platform.

"This battle will mark the day I fight with a clear mind," Alvin murmured, seemingly unbothered by the massive creature. He bowed deeply, as if in respect to the beast.

"Everyone, prepare yourselves!" Himeko commanded, summoning her briefcase as the rest of the team readied their weapons.

Alvin lifted his blindfold for a brief moment, taking in the Doomsday Beast's full glory, before covering his eyes once more. Reaching for the sword on his back, he carefully unwrapped it, revealing its bloodied edge.

A soft chant escaped his lips, unintelligible to the others but full of power and purpose. As his hand glided along the sharp blade, his blood coated the weapon, empowering it with his blood.

The blade shone a deep red, absorbing the blood with voracity as if it was alive and hungry for blood.

"Hey! What are you doing?" March shouted, smelling the blood and turning to see Alvin mid-ritual.

"March, focus!" Dan Heng snapped, eyes still on the advancing beast. Whatever Alvin was doing, it was something beyond their understanding, and now was not the time to question it.

The Doomsday Beast roared, signaling the start of the battle.