Asura Kingdom – Outskirts of the Capital
The morning sun filtered through the thin canopy of trees near the trade road. The capital loomed in the distance, spires rising like silver spears into the sky.
Despite the bustle of merchants and travelers heading into the city, the path was calm.
Sans walked at a relaxed pace, hands in his pockets, hoodie slightly tattered from the mana storm aftermath.
Beside him, Chara (StoryShift), still wearing the borrowed name Lyssa and a hooded cloak, matched his steps with graceful ease.
Her ruby eyes scanned the horizon, always watching. Calm, sharp, calculating.
"You sure you don't wanna ride in a cart or something?" Sans muttered, eyes still half-lidded. "Figured someone like you, all mysterious and stabby, would be above dusty roads and peasant feet."
Lyssa smirked. "And miss out on your company? That'd be a tragedy. Besides, you walk like you're trying to make the road itself feel lazy."
"heh. it's a talent," Sans replied dryly. "been training my whole life to be this unmotivated."
They passed through the city gates without incident, Lyssa had procured fake identification, and Sans had simply looked like he belonged.
No one questioned the kid with the bone pin on his collar and the too-knowing smirk.
Asura Kingdom – Inner City
The capital buzzed with aristocrats, knights, and magic academicians.
Word had already spread of the Mana Calamity; nobles and scholars debated its cause, while survivors quietly settled where they could.
Sans and Lyssa slipped into the flow of refugees and blended like shadows. Though Sans didn't speak much, he was clearly observing.
Lyssa, meanwhile, watched him, her playful front only slightly masking a deeper intensity.
"So," she said, leading them through a winding alley into a quieter district, "what's the plan, Captain Lazybones? We playing refugees? Mercs? Magic prodigies?"
"i'm thinking..." Sans paused as they passed a bakery, the smell of cinnamon rolls hitting him like a soul attack. "...we lay low for now. gather info. let the world forget we exist."
Lyssa tilted her head. "You really think you can disappear in a city like this?"
He looked at her. "i disappeared from existence before. city's nothin'."
That answer made her go quiet for a moment, until her smirk returned. "Fair point. So we start slow. Find a place to stay. Pick up some rumors."
They soon found a cheap but sturdy inn run by an old woman who didn't ask too many questions. With what money Lyssa had saved, they got a room with two cots and some privacy.
Later That Night – Rooftop of the Inn
Sans sat on the roof, legs dangling over the edge, eyes lifted to the stars. His magic flickered faintly in his fingertips, blue and white traces fading in the night air.
Lyssa joined him quietly, dropping beside him with a grace only someone who could control knives with their mind could manage.
"Still thinking about the calamity?" she asked.
"...more like what's coming next," he replied.
Lyssa turned to face him. "Still thinking about your little brother? I mean the new one"
He didn't answer immediately.
"he's tougher than he looks. but yeah... yeah, i'm thinkin' about him."
She leaned back on her arms. "You're not the only one who lost something that day, you know."
"...you remember, don't you?" he asked, gaze shifting toward her.
Her smile softened, still playful, but less teasing. "Of course. I remember everything. Every timeline, every reset. I remember you. After all, i am somewhat a version of you"
There was silence.
Then: "...guess i shoulda expected that," Sans said quietly.
"I always find you, Sans. No matter what world, what form, what name I wear."
He glanced sideways at her, a flicker of emotion passing through his normally unreadable expression. "...that supposed to be comforting?"
Lyssa just smiled. "You decide."
Asura Kingdom – Capital City, Market District
It had been a few days since Sans and Lyssa arrived in the capital.
By now, they'd established a quiet rhythm: Sans wandered the streets, observing and listening while pretending to just be another lazy teen with a sharp tongue and sharper eyes.
Lyssa, meanwhile, slithered into the city's undercurrent, listening in taverns, shadowing wealthy nobles, and occasionally persuading someone to give up useful information with a flick of her knives and a sweet smile.
They were careful not to draw attention... but not too careful. Just enough for the right people to start noticing.
One Afternoon, Outside a Noble's Manor
A carriage rolled by, adorned with the sigil of House Notos Greyrat. Sans narrowed his eyes from where he leaned against a lamp post, arms crossed, watching silently.
"Looks like the political web's starting to twitch," Lyssa murmured beside him. "You feel that too?"
"yep," he said, low and casual. "lotta mana behind that crest. smells like a setup."
"Mm. Word is one of the noble houses is quietly gathering talented 'unknowns.' I'm guessing we're about to be 'discovered.'"
As if on cue, a man in formal clothes approached them. A middle-aged butler with an air of practiced courtesy and very little patience.
"Excuse me. You, yes, you two. You've been observed conducting... unusual activity in the district. Magic without incantation. Movement that defies normal swordplay. My mistress is curious."
Sans raised a brow. "and your mistress... always sendin' her butlers out for street talent scouting?"
"I find talent wherever it grows," the butler replied coolly. "Lady Ariel Anemoi Asura would like to speak with you both."
Lyssa tilted her head, eyes gleaming. "Ariel, huh? Royalty. How flattering."
Sans let out a long sigh. "guess we're not laying low anymore."
Later – Royal Guest Wing, Inner City
The palace was grand, blindingly clean, and buzzing with controlled chaos.
Inside one of its wings, Lady Ariel stood at the center of a lush room, arms folded, flanked by Luke Notos Greyrat and her ever-loyal bodyguard Fitz, now grown, quiet, and wary.
As Sans and Lyssa were led in, Ariel's eyes landed on them sharply. She smiled.
"You're... not what I expected," she said coolly.
"get that a lot," Sans said with a shrug. "so... what's a princess want with a coupla travelers?"
Ariel walked slowly toward them, heels clicking on marble. "The Mana Calamity tore through our lands. Survivors pour into the capital, many dangerous. But then word reached me of two who didn't panic. Who moved like soldiers and cast spells like archmages."
Lyssa's smile was perfectly polite. "We're just tourists."
Ariel stopped just short of them. "And I'm just a schoolgirl with a tiara. Let's drop the masks. I need allies."
Sans gave her a long look.
"...and i need lunch," he said. "what's your pitch?"
Ariel's eyes narrowed. "Help me stabilize the kingdom's power vacuum, and you'll get resources, protection... and a chance to find out what really caused the Mana Calamity. The truth, far beyond what's public."
Lyssa's smile faded into something far more serious.
And Sans? He looked at Ariel like someone who'd just heard a really good joke.
"...alright, princess. i'm in."
Asura Kingdom – Ariel's Inner Quarters, Later That Evening
Luke was not having a good time.
He paced behind Ariel as she sipped tea calmly, her expression unreadable.
Across from them, Sans was lounging on the velvet couch like he owned the place, one foot kicked up over the other.
Lyssa sat beside him, hands folded neatly, but her eyes scanned every inch of the room like a coiled serpent.
"I still think it's reckless," Luke muttered, arms crossed. "We know nothing about them. The boy speaks like a delinquent and the girl—"
"—has the presence of a noble assassin," Ariel finished smoothly. "Exactly the kind of people we need, Luke."
Luke gritted his teeth. "Your life is not a gamble."
Sans didn't even look up. "it is now."
Luke bristled, taking a step forward, only for Lyssa's eyes to flick toward him. Just a glance. But it was enough to freeze him.
"Let's not fight," she said sweetly. "We just got here. We haven't even killed anyone yet."
Luke's hand twitched near his sword.
Fitz, who had been quietly watching from the side, suddenly stepped forward. "Wait," she said, her voice soft but clear. "I... I recognize him."
All eyes turned to her.
"Back in the Greyrat estate," Fitz continued. "Years ago. You were there. You're Rudeus's brother, aren't you?"
Sans blinked, then finally gave her a small, honest smile. "heh. guess i got a face ya don't forget."
Fitz's eyes widened a little more. "But... I thought you were, separated. After the calamity."
"yep. landed far from home. decided to make the most of the vacation."
Ariel's expression sharpened with interest. "You're that Greyrat? The one with strange magic and no formal education?"
Sans just gave a lazy shrug. "guilty as charged."
Later, in the Palace Garden
The moon was out, soft and silver over the trees.
Sans stood alone under the archway, watching the stars, hands in his coat pockets. Lyssa approached behind him, the light crunch of gravel under her boots the only sound.
She stopped beside him, looking up at the same sky.
"She's sharp," Lyssa murmured. "That Ariel. I like her."
"heh. dangerous taste."
"She sees people like chess pieces," Lyssa continued, her voice quieter. "And you... you're the kind of piece that flips the whole board."
Sans was quiet for a moment. Then he looked at her, one eye half-lidded.
"you think we're gonna get dragged into some royal mess?"
"I know we are," she said. "The nobles are already whispering. Assassinations, succession wars, bribes... it's all going to boil over."
Sans exhaled. "welp. not like i had a vacation planned."
She turned to him, expression more serious than usual.
"I'll follow your lead," she said, "But I won't let anyone take you away from me."
Sans tilted his head. "...Shift, you good?"
She smiled.
"Always."
"Last time you said that, you 1v1 Swap..."
"Well... he choked me with his telekinesis before, gotta pay back you know~"
...
The afternoon sun cast long shadows through the grand alleyways of the Asura Kingdom capital, its golden light bouncing off polished stone and noble banners.
Sans walked alongside Shift, his expression unreadable, hands tucked into the pockets of his coat as they strolled past bustling markets and busy courtyards.
Shift, of course, kept a half-step closer to him than necessary, her arms behind her back and a knowing smile on her face.
"You know," she mused, glancing sideways at him, "we've walked this entire street three times now. Are you secretly sightseeing, or just stalling because you don't want to meet Ariel yet?"
Sans shrugged. "nah. just makin' sure you don't suddenly knife the royal guards if they look at me funny."
"Would I do that?" she said innocently. The pair passed under a marble archway leading toward the palace district. "Besides, I wouldn't use knives. That'd be too fast. I'd stare them down until they walk away from the job."
"yep," Sans said. "classic shift. still the same ol' judgmental flair."
Chara chuckled, letting her facade fall just a little. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
They soon found themselves near the outer walls of the Royal Academy, where Ariel's personal guards were said to be conducting interviews and seeking magically talented individuals.
Naturally, Sans had zero interest in impressing anyone, but Ariel's name had come up through their quiet investigations, and Shift insisted they'd get closer to their goal through her.
Whatever that goal was, anyway. She hadn't said much.
Shift suddenly stopped. "She's here."
Sans raised a brow socket. "who?"
Chara turned toward a courtyard beyond the gates. "Ariel. Surrounded by her usual trio. Guard captain, attendant, and that smile she puts on like a mask."
Her voice softened. "She's going to be queen someday... if we let the pieces fall the right way."
Sans looked past the crowd and spotted her. A young noblewoman in regal attire, hair a cascade of gold, standing with practiced grace.
The girl was younger than he expected, probably only a little older than Rudeus. Yet her eyes carried calculation.
Shift leaned in close, whispering near his ear, "You ready for this?"
"not really," he muttered, then started walking. "but let's go say hi to the future queen anyway."
As they approached, a guard stepped forward with a raised hand. "Hold, this area is for academy personnel and royal staff only. State your business."
Shift gave the guard a slow blink. "We're not here for your permission."
Before things could escalate, Ariel herself turned her head slightly, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Wait," she said, stepping forward. "You there. I was wondering where were you"
Her lips curled into a smile. "Now come to think of it, we haven't got a formal introduction yet."
Sans raised a hand lazily in a wave. "hey. name's sans. that's shift or lyssa. So about the... deal"
Ariel tilted her head. "Yes, i know, i'll tell you what to do" Her voice had a playful lilt, but her gaze sharpened. "Why don't we have a little chat inside?"
Shift smirked. "Looks like the princess knows how to spot power."
Sans looked over at her. "or trouble."
She leaned on his shoulder, whispering, "Same thing, really."