Chapter 23: Ashes

Inside Cera’s mind, she stood before the red Senodokidatsu that had taken control of her. Its phoenix-like mask gleamed, but its body lacked many traits that resembled the majestic bird. The creature loomed over her, whispering a single word over and over:

“Weak... weak... weak…”

The repetition drilled into Cera’s mind, making her stir. She immediatley gritted her teeth and said, “How did things end up like this? I didn’t wanna fight Bellar,” she muttered under her breath.

The Senodokidatsu responded with a hollowed speech and a smile. “You have no choice. You can’t overpower me, Cera. You’ve always been weak—masking your weakness with those tiny flames.”

Cera glared at the creature with defiance flashing in her eyes. “Tiny flames, huh? Those tiny flames kicked your ass and brought you down from the sky, so watch it.”

But the Senodokidatsu’s smile widened behind the mask as it extended a clawed hand. “And yet, who was it that failed to hurt me without the help of your dear Captain Soujin? How many times did you fail that day, Cera? Without them, you were nothing.”

The creature’s words cut deep, pulling at memories of that day—of every misstep, every moment when she needed help from the Captain. Cera clenched her fists.

Inside Cera’s mind, the Senodokidatsu's looming presence stirred up memories Cera had fought hard to bury. It echoed in her mind. “Always weak... even before I came along.”

Her mind flashed back to the day she had been caught by the water Senodokidatsu. The cold, suffocating grip of its tendrils wrapped around her body. No matter how hard she struggled, no flame came to her rescue. She had been powerless and nearly drowned before Captain Soujin intervened.

Then another memory hit of the same day. The spider Senodokidatsu had wrapped her up in its web, her flames flickering out before they even touched the creature. She had been helpless again until Soujin freed her. Each memory felt like a sharp jab, and with each one the Senodokidatsu’s grin widened behind its mask.

“And you’ve always been like this, haven’t you?” The Senodokidatsu sneered. “Unable to produce results, hiding behind your bluster.”

Cera shouted, "No!” Despite her shout, the flood of memories surged forward.

She was pulled back to a moment three years ago. The training grounds of the Divine Blade Society. Cera and Bellar stood facing each other, their breathing heavy after a long session. Bellar had just mastered stage 3 of her sword magic. The blue lightning was dancing effortlessly around her blade. Meanwhile, Cera, stuck at stage 2 could only watch in frustration.

Cera clenched her fists in the memory with a jealousy darkening in her face. Bellar had delivered the finishing blow, defeating her yet again. Bellar worn a satisfied smirk while Cera stood in silence.

"Looks like I'll be a lieutenant before you," Bellar had said with a smirk as sharp as the blade she wielded. The lightning that crackled around her sword at level 3 seemed to mock Cera’s own stagnant progress.

Cera remembered looking down at her own blade with resentment bubbling beneath the surface. She had trained just as hard, if not harder, so why wasn’t she getting the same results? A burning sense of inadequacy gripped her chest.

A few days later, Soujin—the Soujin of the past had called the squad to a meeting. He swaggered into the room with confidence. His style was casual, almost too casual for a leader and yet, no one doubted his power.

Soujin crossed his arms, leaning against the wall with a smirk. “Alright, listen up. We gotta fill out the slots for the lieutenant positions, and I ain’t one to waste time, so we’re getting started right now. Bellar’s got her mastery over stage 3 sword magic, so she’s already a lock for one of the spots. Took the test with me, passed it clean.”

The room erupted into murmurs and grumbles from other squad members, some in awe of Bellar’s skills while others muttering their frustrations at being overlooked. Cera’s heart sank deeper while standing there. She couldn’t argue with the logic. Bellar had earned it.

Soujin raised a hand, silencing the room. His gaze scanned the faces of the squad before landing on Cera. “Now, for the second lieutenant… I know y’all are expecting another test, some big fight or whatever. But nah, we’re skipping all a dat.” He pointed directly at Cera, causing her eyes to widen in surprise.

“You’re it, Cera. You’re my second lieutenant.”

The room went quiet as every eye turned to her. Cera blinked. She stepped forward and hesitated before asking, “Me? But I ain’t—”

“Nah,” Soujin cut her off with a wave of his hand. “It’s cool. I’ll just tell the Big Man up top that you mastered your sword magic or something. You’ll catch up. Don’t sweat it.”

Cera’s heart pounded in her chest. The decision felt both like a gift and a burden. He was trusting her—or was he just trying to fill a slot? The whispers from the squad filled her ears. Some looked at her with envy, others with doubt. The approval that Bellar had earned through hard work was something Cera was being handed.

Back in the present, Cera stood frozen inside her own mind. The Senodokidatsu continued to whisper. “See? Even your captain knew you couldn’t keep up. He gave you a position because he had to, not because you deserved it.”

Cera’s breath hitched. She wanted to scream, to fight back and deny the voice echoing in her head but the truth gnawed at her insides like a parasite.

‘Weak... weak... weak...’

The words run through her mind and became louder and louder until it was deafening. Cera clutched her head. The Senodokitasu loomed larger

"I’m not weak..." she whispered through gritted teeth.

The Senodokidatsu’s laugh was cold. “Prove it then... show me you're more than just talk.”

Cera’s sword flared to life. She commanded, “Ignite, Raika!” The blade in her mind’s eye lit up, but the flames faltered almost immediately. Desperation clouded her mind. She swung the weapon toward the Monster,

The Senodokidatsu stood there, unaffected. “Was that supposed to hurt?” its echoed with cold amusement. “You need to stop fighting. Accept what’s true. Accept what you need to do.”

Cera’s grip on her sword weakened. The doubt she’d been trying to suppress overwhelmed her, suffocating the small spark of resistance she had left. Her knees buckled and the sword slipped from her hands,. “I am weak…” she whispered. The words choked in her throat. “I ain’t got what it takes to be a lieutenant...”

The Senodokidatsu leaned closer. “Now you understand,” it said softly, almost soothingly. “You know what you need to do.”

Cera lowered her head, trembling as the words dug into her psyche. “Forget them... join me. Join the Senodokidatsu, and you will become one of us. Mother Miffet will make you stronger.”

The promise of strength lingered in the air and tempted her. The path laid before her was clear—abandon the ones who believed in her, abandon the struggle. She could be free of it all. Strong and no longer haunted by failure.

Just as Cera was about to surrender, a sudden light burst from within her. The Senodokidatsu recoiled in pain. It trembled with disbelief. “What is this… no… it can’t be! The divine blade is…!”

Both Cera and the Senodokidatsu looked toward the crystalline blade shining brilliantly in her mind. The light emanating from it was too pure, too strong and it began to push the Senodokidatsu back.

Outside, Cera could faintly hear Bellar through the chaos. “That ain’t like you. Where’s the tough girl who used to take no crap from anyone? Where’s my ride-or-die friend?”

Cera’s mind filled with memories—fragments of a life she had buried deep. She saw flashes of her and Bellar as kids, rough and dirty, surviving on the streets with a gang. They were inseparable, looking out for each other in a world that offered them nothing but hardship. More memories flooded in: the crimes they committed together as teens, living recklessly until they were caught and faced a choice—reform or be consumed by their past. They chose the Divine Blades. They chose to do good for the world and save it from monstrosities like this creature within her.

Cera closed her eyes and let the memories come to her.. They reminded her of what she had overcome with Bellar by her side. They weren’t defined by their failures or their past. They had risen above it.

Opening her eyes, Cera’s face hardened. “No,” she said firmly with conviction. “I’m the boss inside of here. I ain’t gonna get run down by some Senodokidatsu.”

The Senodokidatsu, once so menacing seemed less powerful in the face of Cera’s resolve. “And I also ain’t gonna let myself become one of you!”

Cera gripped onto her own blade tightly. She felt the heat of Raika pulsing in her grip. “You don’t know how hard I’ve trained to kick your kind’s ass,” she growled at the Senodokidatsu. The flames flickered and danced along the edge of her sword, growing more intense with every passing second. “I despise you freaks. You think you have the right to stomp all over us, take lives whenever you feel like it?”

Her eyes burned with fury. Raika blazed hotter and fiercer than ever. “Well, this world ain’t free, and neither am I!” She slashed her sword through the air.

The blow cut deep, slicing through the Senodokidatsu’s towering figure inside her mind. The creature howled in agony. It’s masked face twisted in shock.

Simultaneously, outside of Cera’s mental battle, Pufima’s crystalline blade charged itself with light. She charged forward with trembling hand but swung confidently in a swift arc, landing a strike across Cera’s chest. The Senodokidatsu mask split with a loud crack. Half of it broke off after Pufima’s slash.

The scream that followed was deafening—both from within Cera’s mind and from her physical body. The creature recoiled. Cera stumbled on the rooftop, disoriented as mask’s fragments fell away. Her breath was ragged and her limbs trembled but she forced herself to move. “Have to get away…” she muttered and began to retreat. “Have to get... to Mother Miffet…”

Meanwhile, Bellar remained focused. She pointed her sword downward, channeling every ounce of power she had left. A soft blue glow began to envelop her. Her eyes locked on Cera’s retreating body. “Not on my watch.”

Bellar stood firm and locked on Cera's retreating figure. Lightning crackled around her blade which intensified the further away Cera got. “C’mon, Cera… just a little further,” she muttered under her breath. Sweat dripped down her forehead but her hands remained steady on the hilt of her sword.

When Cera finally reached a certain distance, Bellar lifted her sword to the sky and bellowed, “Imanari, Thunder Gate!”

The sky above responded in an instant. A massive surge of lightning, red and crackling with intensity erupted from her blade, splitting the clouds and homing in on Cera’s location.

Cera barely had a moment to register what was happening before the lightning slammed into her from above. The force of the strike sent her crashing to the ground. The once-intimidating ring of fire surrounding her flickered out. The red Senodokidatsu mask that had possessed her shattered completely with it’s fragments dissolving into nothingness.

Pufima watched in awe as Bellar’s lightning strike took Cera down. Her eyes were wide and she let out a breathless, “Whoa, that was so cool!” She looked at Bellar with admiration.

Bellar’s gaze was distant and solemn. “A regular person like you shouldn’t be involved in this mess.” She turned towards Pufima and tried to take the divine blade from her but Pufima held it protectively and said, “Whoa, now hold on! It might not be over yet, you know?”

Bellar paused and turned her focus back to Cera. She realized that despite Cera’s defeat, the situation might still be volatile. Without another word, Bellar descended from the rooftop and approached where Cera had fallen.

The ground below was littered with debris and scorched earth from the battle. Cera lay crumpled in the midst of it and was barely moving. Bellar's steps were heavy with concern. She knelt beside her fallen comrade with dread. “Cera,” she said softly, checking for signs of life and assessed the damage.

Just then, Cera’s hand shot out and gripped Bellar’s wrist with surprising strength. Bellar’s eyes widened in shock.