KUREN Y
I followed Magnus with his rapid, methodical steps and the man behind him, Kazami, who had just gotten ahead of me, for a while as they walked as quickly as if competing with me. Why had she accepted that man's offer so easily? Why had she disregarded my opinion to this extent? Magnus probably wasn't going to kill us. He was just a narcissist who wanted to use us. I didn't know Kazami was someone so affected by power. What was worse, each of my knees still ached from the ice breaking. Even though we had rested for hours, I still felt like I hadn't fully recovered from General Hiroshi's attack.
He brought us to a large beachside area. At this moment, I aligned myself with Kazami. We were standing side by side, and Magnus was about six or seven paces ahead of us, looking out over the Mediterranean Sea. This was one of the few places I learned a thing or two about during our time on Earth.
Since I couldn't see Magnus' face, I was listening to the clicking sound of the robotic arm. Kazami was sitting on the sand, his eyes still drooping like the aftermath of battle. Magnus' speech had changed many things: he had saved us, then promised education, and then demanded obedience without trial. The only thing that sounded good: we were still alive. Everything else was the result of an unpleasant choice.
Exam. In a word, a call... It is probably more dangerous than a sword blow. Kazami raised his head, his face showing a mix of fear and curiosity.
"What kind of test?" Kazami asked.
Magnus looked at me, tilting his head to the left. We were eye to eye through the robot mask that glowed purple—if we could even call them eyes... It had no eyes, yet it saw something. It was terrifying, but I didn't show it. We couldn't act this simply, but... It was as if He was reading something older than shadows, the crack within me. He was looking at me as if he knew everything I'd ever experienced.
I locked eyes with Kazami. He said quietly to me, "Go. " and nodded approvingly.
I turned and looked at Magnus again.
''What do the things we will do for you and the things you will have us do mean to you? What is the purpose of this training, please enlighten me. Otherwise... I can't make sense of this. We don't even know who you are.''
"There is no light within me. I will not illuminate you, for the light is not found in me. The only thing I can give you is my own darkness. And while that darkness will corrupt you, it will also keep you alive... If you seek the light, you will give birth to it from your own blood. My part is to lead you with the hunger of my darkness. "
I was about to object when...
"The first rule," Magnus said, "is don't hide yourself. The second rule: Don't run away from the past. Face your memories."
The image... The word left a bitter taste on my lips. I took my pipe out of my pocket involuntarily. That action still had a ritual for me. As the pipe transformed into a sword between my fingers, the old feeling returned: it was my refuge, my deception, and at the same time my only true weapon.
"My image," I could only say, but the words mingled together. "My image is a—"
"A void," Magnus concluded my sentence. "Yes. And voids speak, if you open yourself to them. Now, put down your weapon and look in the mirror. Trust me this time. Turn your face to the mirror and do not be afraid; for fear is the sweetest wine of our soul. I am not light, fear is not light; I am the boundary, fear is also the boundary; without me, there would be no boundaries on earth, no order, no necessity; and this applies to fear as well. What I am about to tell you, commit to memory: you are a creature that has forgotten who you are, and I am the hand that lifts that forgetfulness. Face your image; I will shatter that image, reshape it, and transform you into a machine worthy of walking in my footsteps. If you do not obey, I will not destroy you; I will use you... for my greater purposes. That's why look in the mirror: I will complete you, but I will make you pay for it."
I thought a bit about these words, which seemed complex at first hearing. It was as if each one wanted to convey a lot beneath the surface. Even if I wanted to get to know Magnus, it would never be possible through simple words. I realized this while at his house. However, I felt like I could understand what he was saying if I pressed on.
And that's exactly what was happening; the more I thought about it, the more I understood: the mirror here was a metaphor. What was a mirror doing on a beach anyway? What it meant to me... was the existence of my avatar. This wasn't hard to understand. The words he chose were very carefully chosen, and he almost didn't think about them while saying them; I had to confront my fears and reach my avatar. He wanted me to see him.
Avatars are the mirrors of our hearts. They are the embodiment of the fears we hide within, the desires we harbor, the truths we suppress, and the parts of ourselves we avoid acknowledging. They are not merely a force; they are a manifestation created by the convergence of our body, mind, and personality. Sometimes they are as sharp as a weapon, sometimes as iradeli as a living being, and at other times as ancient as the echo of a forgotten god or goddess.
However, what truly brings Avatar into existence is not merely the combination of these parts. What breathes life into it, sets it in motion, and shapes it is our Spirit Power. Spirit Power is not merely energy; it is the concentrated form of willpower, the pure essence of the self, and a measure of how much one can confront oneself.
Transforming an image into an Avatar is not a simple act of summoning. It requires one to delve into their inner world, confront their darkness, and embrace their light. An uncontrollable Spirit Power can turn the Avatar from an ally into a threat. Because the Avatar does not tolerate lies; it reflects what you are.
That's why what was told to me was less a training session and more a confrontation. I needed to recognize the things I was avoiding, acknowledge the emotions I had suppressed, and see myself as I truly am. The way to gain strength is not by adding something to myself; it is by learning to see what is already within me.
Magnus wants to tell me this.
If I want to strengthen my avatar, I must first become strong enough to carry myself. If I want to control my Spirit Power, I must first tidy up the disarray of my soul. And if one day my avatar starts acting truly like "me"... that's when I can't run away from it anymore.
Because the emotions accumulated within me are unreliable things.
Closing it... wasn't easy. My sword glistened, my pipe regained its metallic sharpness. But I did it; I extinguished the sword, its ash filtered through my fingers and settled like a weight in my hand. When I stood in front of the mirror (he was talking about his pipe), Magnus raised one hand and let it drop. Lights rose from around me, shadows stretched out.
I couldn't feel anything around me; my own face appeared on the surface of the beach; that familiar face... tired, angry, determined... But there was something else in the lower corner. For a moment behind my face, a small port town, a wooden pier, rain, a lullaby-like sound. A medallion shining in a child's hand. That child was me. Beside me was a tall man holding a thorny stick in his hand. They were my own past and the things that made me who I am. At that moment, it passed through me like electricity: as if a name were engraved in the center of a medallion; a letter appeared. The letter K… then it disappeared. It's light, it's dim, but it exists.
When I looked at the place where my own childhood had been, there was no trace of me there. There was a presence. By the name of spirit users, it is called Avatar. What emerges from the true essence of human beings. Its image appears as an Avatar. The more power your soul possesses, the more powerful your Avatar is. The Avatar can be considered a kind of variant. It is a manifestation of me that exists externally. If it dies, I die; if I die, it dies. Avatar users become highly skilled warriors. If using images is an art, being able to manipulate Avatar is the artist's brush.
"Master Kuren." he said in a hoarse voice. He was kneeling before me.
So this is who I am... This is what it means to achieve Avatar status. This is how I want to be seen... And that's how they see me. Yes, it's my tool of war. It's the thing that will enable me to see everything. One day, me... me and him, we... we will actually be able to stand up to the man standing before me.
My eyes watered involuntarily. Something sparked but then faded away. I couldn't capture that moment; my words bitten into my hand like a tick crawling through my memory.
"Stand up, Karttikeya."
Kartikkeya did as I asked. He was holding my image-bearer, the Drain Sword. With him there, I wouldn't need to fight.
''Sir, I draw sustenance from your soul. Keeping me active drains a lot of power from your soul. ''
I interrupted him.
''Shut up. I don't need to hear things I already know. ''
Kartikkeya stopped speaking.
I knew that a spirit power user couldn't use their avatar forever. This was consuming an unimaginably vast amount of spiritual energy, and for a novice like me, even fighting would be extremely exhausting for now.
It felt as if the place I was in were a room. Just me and my avatar. Actually, it was my own creation, my subconscious mind. While I was focused on these, I heard that annoying voice again.
Magnus's voice seemed to come from outside the room: "The one who sees will not be able to ignore. The one who remembers will not be erased. But the one who is not remembered will suffer the worst, or will make others suffer."
What does this fucking robot of mine say?
"What do you want from me?" I asked sternly. My voice sounded determined, but I couldn't suppress the tremor inside me. This question seemed more directed at myself than at him.
There was a brief silence. It was as if he was weighing me instead of answering. He wasn't looking into my eyes... he was looking deeper, where I was trying to hide.
"Are you really asking me this? " he said finally, his voice calm. Disturbingly calm.
I frowned. "Don't twist my question. Say what you want."
He took a step closer. I didn't run away… but I didn't back down either. The distance between us was heavier than words.
"I don't want anything," he said. "I'm just revealing what already exists. "
My heart raced for a moment. I wasn't expecting this answer. Or… maybe that's exactly what I was afraid of.
Same thing again.
Again, evasive answers.
But… why does it feel so familiar?
"Stop trying to force me," I said, this time in a lower voice. "If you have something to say, say it clearly. "
He looked at me without squinting. "Okay," he said. "Then let's be clear."
He paused for a moment. It was as if he was weighing the significance of what he was about to say.
"I want what you ran away from."
I caught my breath. I wanted to object. Immediately, without thinking. But the words got stuck in my throat.
Is it what I'm running away from?
I'm not running away from anything.
"…Nonsense," I said, but my voice didn't come out as strong as I expected.
He tilted his head slightly to the side. "Really? " he said. "Then why do you look away every time? "
I didn't take my eyes off him. This time, no.
But something inside me withdrew.
Because you know.
Because if I keep looking… I'll really see.
I swallowed. I realized at that moment that I was clenching my hands.
"What do you want me to do? " I asked this time, slower. More carefully.
The answer came immediately.
"Your acceptance."
This time, the silence fell heavier. It left no room for escape.
"Who?I whispered.
A faint shadow appeared on her lips.
"To fill the void left by your absence. " As soon as he said this, the world around me shook. When I looked at the ceiling of the dark mental space I was in, Magnus seemed to smile. I saw a face formed from black flames on the ceiling. He was laughing at me, but there was no laughter in his smile; like the wind standing at the edge of a crater, it was creating rifts in my mind. It hurt. "You think the image is a sword; it might be an answer. But answers hurt as much as the question. Your emptiness will become your weapon. "
My surroundings vanished. When I turned my head to the side, I saw Kazami standing far away from me. He was still sitting, but his eyes were closed.
"Are you making him do the same things too?'" I said in a calm and cold tone, without turning to look at Magnus.
Magnus did not answer my question. I was about to open my mouth to speak again when I heard footsteps coming toward me. I turned my head and reflexively took a few steps back.
"Since you were able to create your avatar... we've begun the exam." he said. Within a small area he had set up, Magnus gave me simple tasks: stand quietly, hold your breath, raise your hand when the past comes to the tip of your nose. Simple. Then complex: close your eyes and if you can sustain a memory, break it down into fragments.
Then he said, "It's your turn, do as I say. " When it was my turn, the emptiness inside me seemed to say something; but this time it was less like an old melody and more like an old noise: a door slamming, the iridescence of a scent, a child crying.
I could hear my own voice; it was the sound of children crying loudly. They were pounding inside my head.
"Do you want some more ◼◼◼◼◼?
No, I had forgotten about those… Please, stop it.
''Please... Stop... I promise. I will work harder... and serve you. ''
''I am your father! Now understand, ◼◼◼◼◼.'
Simultaneously, the agonizing screams I didn't want to hear, the gushing blood sounds, and the sounds of someone's hands and feet desperately beating against the ground while trying to crawl away were all present.
I don't want to hear any more.
'Aaaaaaaaaaaaagghhh!!'
Stop it!
''You haven't been useful to our organization until this age! From today on, everything will be more serious. " The same voices continued; I tried to cover my ears with my hands because I felt I couldn't bear to listen any longer, but blood was flowing from my ears. My hands were covered in a red, hot liquid. With fear, I pulled my hands away from my ears. My eyes and I were shaking. I started hearing voices again… "You have no choice, do you understand? ! ◼◼◼◼◼!'' he was saying.
That's enough.
If that's the exam you mean, I don't want to take it.
'Okay. Dad.. What do you think? Aaaghh! Please.. Strike.''
Get out of my head please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, , please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please!
I felt something approaching me. A cold finger touched my forehead. "Cut the border, not the visible one," he said. "If the image is just a door, you are the hinge of that door. Learn to turn it off."
This was undoubtedly Magnus' voice. I took a deep breath and tried to forget the pain, tried to calm down. The sounds of those moments in my head gradually faded away. The more I blocked them out, the quieter they became.
Closing... I tried to learn. A few breaths, a few strikes, a few words. My sword reappeared in my hand, but this time it was different. When I touched it, the air around it trembled slightly; the sword absorbed the silence. Not like a soldier, he took a deep breath: absorbing the sound, light, and warmth around him. At the moment of testing, the hammer sound ceased. The clock-like time in the room paused for a moment.
At that moment, Magnus looked at me. There was no expression in his eyes. I realized he didn't feel the slightest empathy for my pain.
General Hiroshi, who hated him... maybe he was right.
''The only thing that can make someone truly strong is their mental fortitude. Physically, anyone can be strong. You're on Team 2, right? You must know your lieutenant; that man has tremendous physical strength. But so do his weaknesses. If I killed your brother, only relentless attacks could defend me. Controlling someone with a weak mind is very easy, Kuren Y. '' he said all of this in a terrifying tone of voice. A weak person might wish to end their existence upon hearing that tone.
Suddenly, I heard a shout from the side.
Kazami retreated with fear on his face. "Kuren..." he said, and there was pleading in his voice. "Can you control this? "
I turned to him and was a little surprised. But then I smiled warmly.
"Did you manage to control it?"
Kazami pulled her legs to her chest and looked down at the ground, her face slightly contorted.
"I don't understand... I had an agreement with my partner. Everything was fine. However, what I saw..."
I thought to myself, "Partner? " I guess the avatar for Kazami is a partner. Really, the thing called an avatar is the result of personalities and desires... For me, Karttikeya is my war machine and a tool I will use. For him, his own avatar is a partner who will stand by his side in battle... This is the biggest difference between him and Kazami. I will surpass him forever for that moment... This will define our difference.
''Don't worry, this is our test. The result of what we've done and the decisions we've made... If our rebellion is to be successful. We must first resolve these issues. Isn't that right? ''
Having said these, I turned to Magnus.
Magnus's right eye glowed purple; that glow was an approval, an approval that was both minor and disastrous. "Everything doesn't change in one step. But be careful: you swallow one thing, you lose everything else. "When making a choice, don't look at the goal; look at what you're sacrificing."" he said.
He walked past me, his steps raising sand on the beach. He reached into his coat pocket.
"Still, remember that there is no right or wrong choice between options. The outcome of a wrong choice can also lead to another right choice. "
Their words hung in the air. At first, they seemed like simple consolation... but they hit something deep inside me. They didn't comfort me. On the contrary, they added an even more invisible weight to my shoulders.
"This just feels like an escape route," I said, frowning. "It's just a more fancy way of telling people, 'Whatever you do, it's okay.'"
He nodded slightly. He wasn't denying it... but he wasn't agreeing either.
"No," he said calmly. "On the contrary, this is a fact you cannot escape."
I took a step back. I don't know why. Maybe what he said was too close.
"The absence of right or wrong," he continued, "does not render one's actions insignificant. On the contrary, it makes them even more serious. For there is no longer any 'right' to which one can take refuge. "
…This is even worse.
I looked away. I wanted to not think about it. But the more I suppressed the thoughts, the clearer they became.
"Every choice," he said, his voice still calm, "transforms you into someone else. And that person... calls the outcome of that election 'right' or 'wrong'. "
I swallowed.
So...
The result is not right because the choice was right...
With the result, since I have changed, I say it is true.
"And what about regret?" I asked, unintentionally. "Then what is that?"
This time there was a brief silence.
"That's it for today. You will undergo similar training for the remaining two days.''
Even though we called out to him from behind, he didn't look back. Kazami and I exchanged glances and stood up, running after him.
That day, we returned home quickly. When we got home, he wasn't there and everything was locked. We had to spend that day resting completely by sleeping a little longer.
The next two days were almost a repeat of the previous day, but longer… The moment we woke up, Magnus picked us up. He trained me mentally and physically until I fell asleep again. This was the first time I fought using my avatar.
"Kartikkeya, destroy that robot into pieces! "
It was a bit pointless to say that… Magnus wasn't even touched by Kartikkeya's sword attacks. He was deflecting them all as if playing a game. He was pushing the giant sword away with the back of his hand. But I increased my strength, I increased my spiritual power, I accelerated my attacks. I was sure I had improved.
'HELL SYCHTE!'
Kazami's avatar swung his scythe hard directly at Magnus. The beach rose into the sky. After the official attack, sand was falling from the sky. How... how could Kazami launch such powerful attacks?!
'Haha! Good job, Kethar. Keep it up-'
I last saw Kazami's avatar, Kethar, flying and then it disappeared.
Magnus Black shattered it with a single punch.
''Kazami Korane, improve your defense.''
Of course Kazami fainted... No matter what. I had to rise to the level of someone like Magnus. Until not a single living thing was left in Cistern…
As I said… two days passed like this. At night, after three days, Magnus met us in his room for the first time since the day we arrived here.
"You are incompetent."
We were both shouting and saying things, but he didn't pay attention to us; his eyes were closed. Then he slowly raised his hand with his palm open, and we fell silent.
"I'll come to Cistern with you.'' he said.
'You too?'
'Would you really do this?' Kazami said, trembling.
Magnus opened the curtains of the window and looked directly at the Moon that was shining bright in the night.
"Once upon a time, I had a student who was younger than you... I guided him, raised him with my own hands. But he turned his back on me. Betrayal tears the teacher's soul to pieces. Now I have only one goal left: to eradicate that betrayal once and for all, to bury my student's name in darkness. That's why I'm coming to Cistern with you. Because... if I don't erase it, it will erase everything. I can't tell you this. Because you, and even everyone, no living being who knows me would believe me. In everyone's eyes, I am a lying superbeing. Three days ago, I sent your general to Cistern. I wanted to tell him these things, but I don't think he'd listen to me or believe me. Anyway, while you continue with your own revolution, you'll also have to deal with that person. Because the time has come. Either you will be with my student because his revolution suits you, but if that happens... you will perish along with him. "
I swallowed hard.
Kazami swallowed loudly.
Are you drinking water, you bastard?
We shouldn't have made it so obvious that we were afraid.
Magnus closed the curtains again.
I asked with some hesitation.
"D-Did you send our general to the dungeon? He had been on a mission around the world for many years. ''
Magnus summoned the Shadow Sword to his right hand.
"Yes, I know your Captain well. I have a long history with him. He cannot travel between Sacred Domains. That's why he asked me to open a passage to Cistern.''
There was a long silence. Kazami broke the silence.
''Sir... S-you?? Can you switch between Sacred Domains?''
Magnus looked at him with terrible eyes.
''Don't question what I've said. My words are absolute. ''
While we hadn't even digested what he said:
He swung his sword with force. The sky split open. A passage was opened.
''This passage connects the Sacred Domains. I can direct it as I wish.''
He makes a few hand gestures.
"Yes. It's suitable now. We'll be at Cistern when we pass by. The team is above Building 11. Since they've been kicked out for years, the building must be empty. That's a suitable entrance point. However, when I enter, I will be detected immediately. You must disperse immediately and split into two groups. Kazami Korane, you must sneak to your team's building and ask for help from General Akihiro Atlas. Tell them that the person who sent you is Magnus and that you need to meet him in the laboratory with Team 11. Kuren, you should also go to the captain of Team 5, do you know him? ''
I was having trouble speaking, what's going on here? They had everything planned and the guy can create portals between Sacred Domains... I don't know! From what I've seen in the books, they're pocket universes. There are millions of them, and those like us can't even begin to access different Sacred Domains. They can't even be certain of their existence. Even the books weren't equipped with sufficient knowledge. It had always piqued my interest. All the inhabitants of the Sacred Domains and the other living beings... I think there were eight major Sacred Domains, and they were called something different.. What was it? I don't remember… Aaggh! Now is not the time! I have to answer the question. I spoke even though I was a little off-key.
'I do- don't reco...gnise. Isn't that S-Shu Prryhi?
Magnus's gaze shifted to the side. Then he closed his eyes and nodded.
''Find him. Tell him what you did. He loves Akihiro Atlas more than anything. That's why he will support you. ''
This must be true. I've heard that Shu Prryhi'n is our captain's master. Even if General Akihiro is this powerful, I can't imagine what level General Shu is at. With his help, we can achieve our goal!
"These are my final words. I am seeing you for the last time for a while. If you follow my instructions one by one... your uprising will be successful. " he said and:
He took his steps toward the gate. He entered the Cistern.
I looked at Kazami.
"Are you afraid?" he said to me with a smile.
How can she smile about this?
"H-no."
"Your look doesn't show that." he said.
'What if I was afraid? '
'There's no need. ' Saying this, he stood up and came to the entrance of the passage.
"Kazami...'
"If we set out on this path, let's see it through to the end. Find the general of Team 5... we don't live to be crushed by shadows; we live to pave our own way. The void within you is not something to be feared; on the contrary, it is the door to our freedom. If it gives us its darkness, we will create our own light. Come, let us take the step together that will break its chains. "
It entered through the gate.
I stood up and waited.
"They're just worthless scumbags. You all think you're so smart about everything, that's why you think it's so easy. But good and evil aren't as simple as you think." Goodness is often an excuse to exonerate oneself, while evil is a mask that can be acceptable as long as it serves someone else's interests. When you choose your side, you think of yourself as smart, virtuous, or right... but in reality, you're just clinging to more comfortable lies. The difficult part is not choosing the right path, but accepting that the right path may never have existed at all. "
Realizing my obligation, I walked towards the passage, hearing the sound of my own footsteps. These sounds were angry at me. Because I wasn't doing what I wanted. However... I respect Kazami; he was my friend. Knowing these things… I stepped inside. It felt like I was about to lose my breath.
When I opened my eyes, the Cistern corridors were before me—the most despicable place, full of powerful spirits and warriors, where the vast, endless structures I had grown up among were located, a place even the gods detest most. I was alone; if one grows up in hatred, one either rots away in it or transforms into hatred itself. Maybe that's why I'm here: because now I have to learn to hate even that. "
I'm coming, Cistern and everyone at his headquarters.
END OF CHAPTER