Flames engulfed everything within dozens of meters, all because a spear was impaled through a figure that looked like a young boy.
"You're the one who caused the Wave?" Phelion asked the figure hovering in the air, much like himself.
"The Wave?" the figure replied. "I didn't think someone who's slept for so long would even know about it."
"The brains of those in here say otherwise," Phelion answered, as if it were of no importance.
"…I'll take that to mean you dissected the brains of innocent people," Lloyd said, clenching his fists. His muscles bulged, veins standing out beneath his clothes.
…
"Janeus! What the hell is going on?!" Promet shouted, his face twisted in agony.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Janeus replied calmly.
"Then stop smiling already! I know you smile whenever you know something we don't!" Hadelus snapped angrily this time.
Hadelus and Promet were experiencing déjà vu. In truth, they could no longer distinguish reality from memory. It felt as if they were both dreaming and awake at the same time. With an enormous mass of knowledge and memories flooding their minds all at once, the fact that they could still fight consciously was already a miracle.
"Don't worry. That's the effect of the drug they took on the second floor."
A man in a white suit appeared beside Janeus, holding an umbrella over her head.
Lusk—the wraith hiding within a human shell—spoke calmly."According to the plan, those two drank the medicine given by the master. They're undergoing three stages of memory convergence into one. In truth, it's unclear why Promet and the girl were able to perceive the false reality in the previous two instances without any tools, but I believe that detail is unnecessary."
"…Are you always this talkative?" Janeus let her smile fade as she looked toward the one-sided battlefield where Wellay was overwhelming dozens of enemies.
"Oh, that crybaby boy said the same thing when we were in the Under-Prison."
"…What is the Under-Prison?"
Lusk was the trump card Ron kept for his plans, and he had revealed Lusk's existence to Janeus. That alone had made them something close to allies—though Janeus still didn't know who Lusk truly was.
In reality, Lusk could assume a form thanks to two things.First was Ron's mysterious Gift, tied to death-aspected mana, which allowed him to create an empty soul shell to shape Lusk.Second was the skull Ron gave him. It served as a vessel to generate a body—though not a complete form without a soul shell.
…
Acrune had managed to find work. That was the good news.
The bad news was that it was the lowest possible job in the shop: polishing swords and weapons, a position even lower than a simple errand boy.
Still, he was given proper clothing—an old, tattered farmer's outfit. Even so, it was better than his torn cloak.
The work wasn't exhausting, but it offered no comfort either. Most of the time, he wasn't allowed to rest and was given only a few pieces of bread and rice… mixed with water. It made him feel fuller, if only as an illusion.
He had been there for about three days now. Dark circles were etched beneath his eyes, but he had no choice—he had to survive.
Beyond that, he had another reason for coming here: to listen to the current Pope's sermon. To meet him required an enormous fee. Naturally, the Pope couldn't be met on a whim, especially with rumors spreading of other religions emerging.
"Hey you! Go get some firewood!"
"But sir, I don't have any money—"
"I don't care. Go find me wood!"
Noticing fewer customers approaching the shop, the weapons merchant blamed Acrune for ruining the store's image and looked for an excuse to drive him away. Acrune left the shop dejectedly. His face, buried beneath tangled hair and beard, made people avoid him as they would a fly.
He walked along a stone-paved road, clutching a small amount of leftover money. His face sagged with sorrow. Unfamiliar with the area, exhausted eyes hidden behind his hair, he stumbled forward.
"I'm sorry!"
He bumped into someone on the roadside. Acrune quickly steadied himself and bowed slightly, displaying his lowly status.
"Hey! Who are you?!"
The man he collided with angrily grabbed Acrune by the collar and stared into his eyes. Acrune trembled, apologizing repeatedly, praying the man would spare him.
"Who are you? Which side are you on?! What have you heard?!"
The man glared at Acrune, firing strange questions at him. Then, a hand landed on the man's shoulder.
"That's enough. Calm down. I know him. He's only been in this city for three days."
"Phelion! This is serious. If he's only been here three days, then it should be easy to deal with."
Rip—rip.
Before the man could finish speaking, Acrune collapsed to the ground. The man had pulled too hard, tearing a piece of his filthy clothes.
"I'm sorry, sirs… please forgive me. I've never done anything wrong. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm sorry…"