"Your footwork is getting better!! Make sure you don't trip on the next exit."
Yuuto turned his shoulder and dodged the arrow aimed to pierce him.
His sword moved fast and allowed the flat edge to weave past the other arrows slowly being thrown at him.
"Is throwing items from the dark the most you can do? Why don't we meet face to face and I'll show you a few tricks I recently came up with?"
"Tricks? Sure, if only you say that you are dying to meet your lovely idol, which is me! Then I might agree."
"I. am. dying. to. meet. my. favourite. idol."
Sparkle suddenly threw a couple of dolls that he was very familiar with and he felt his body tense up. "Are you kidding me!?"
Yuuto quickly moved his mist to capture the two dolls flying his way but instead of bringing it towards him.
He immediately flung it towards an empty cell.
The doors closed after pressing a button.
BOOOOM!!
Yuuto felt his mouth twitch after feeling the tremors it created and the aftermath he saw.
It was a mess.
"Why are you throwing those kinds of dolls at me!?"
"Oppsies~~ My hand slipped."
Sparkle stuck her tongue out and fell backwards, sensing Yuuto close the distance.
Her body moved with great flexibility and as his hands extended forward. Aiming the barrel right at her, Sparkle twisted her limbs.
Wrapping her legs around his arm. Locking the gun away from her.
"Wow! You have very firm arms Yuu~"
Yuuto ignored her teasing and dropped the gun. Letting it fall towards the ground as his free arm went to grab it.
Sparkle relaxed her body, sensing his actions and removed her legs from gripping his arm.
Letting her soft body jump upwards, disappearing into the ceiling like a phantom.
His gun came up.
The rocky ceiling strangely had a reflection.
One that winked right at him.
Behind him, Sparkle's voice purred. "Ah-ah. That was too close to comfort. Are you starting to get comfortable with me?"
Yuuto jumped back to create distance. His eyes were on the timer.
[19:29]
"Is the timer going faster than what you originally imagined?"
"A bit. Why don't you give me an extra hour as a gesture of kindness?"
Sparkle tapped her chin, trying to think about his offer.
"Hmm, how about… No~! Dragging a chase like that will lose its fun."
Yuuto shrugged his shoulders as he didn't really expect for her to accept and only said it as a throwaway comment.
Sensing his gaze still on her, Sparkle tapped her shoes and looked around. The past few minutes have been some of the most fun she had ever had.
However, this type of fun can only last for so long.
So she decided to raise the stakes a bit…
SNAP!
Her finger gave out a subtle glow, and the hallway was filled with bright pink mist. Koi fish swam once more and Yuuto looked at her strongly.
"Yuu, why don't you be a dear and look at the time you have?"
Yuuto felt strange seeing her urge at him like that.
So he looked.
[&%:7#]
"What is this about…?"
Sparkle's grin grew wider and anticipated this reaction. Her core told her to wait and see how he would react.
Watch his question and see how this fun will go completely south.
See if….
Her thoughts grew wilder and when she was about to orchestrate her next move, her face crumpled in an instant.
The excited voice suddenly paused and a deep frown filled her face. Completely ruining her happy mood from before.
"I told her that I was going to use this place but why are there some sneaky serpents barging in…"
Yuuto caught her sentence until the end and saw how she stared straight at him. Her eyes were devoid of any emotion before they lit back up.
The facade she lost had suddenly appeared and Yuuto listened carefully.
"My mood has been ruined but it's not your fault, okay~. So don't feel abandoned when I disappear so suddenly~~"
Sparkle's voice grated at his ears and a sense of unease grew much stronger.
The pink mist around Sparkle grew more prominent and she fiddled with the small mask hanging at the side of her head.
Koi fishes grew larger and swam around him once more.
"So, shall we change our pace? Here I will stay still, no tricks. A perfect opportunity to shoot me and end our little game."
Sparkle's eyes glowed brighter as a sense of madness grew.
"Or allow me to set our stage on a much grander scale than this disgraced prison. One that was ruined by a few uninvited visitors." She took a step closer.
"Stakes? Unknown. All you need to know is that what you may be looking for could disappear once you decide on an answer."
*DING*
"So what type of stage would you like to end on, my dear Yuu~?"
CLICK.
Yuuto aimed the barrel and raised his gun.
She didn't move.
"Go on." She said softly. "I'm right here."
Sparkle opened her arms and smirked.
Yuuto stood silently and watched her. He didn't fire. Only watched.
He met her eyes, the pupils that shone with excitement. The petals that filled her gaze.
Her focus.
He smiled.
"Oh?"
Sparkle's eyes caught his reaction and a large smile bloomed on her face.
"I knew you were the best, Yuu~~!"
Her body trembled as she tried to contain the excitement and gave him an expressive bow.
"I will be waiting. Or should I say 'we'?"
Sparkle waved her hand and threw a rectangular-shaped object towards Yuuto.
A single playing card. Possibly an invitation.
He caught it and inspected the design. Black with golden accents and a single red mask similar to the one she had on her head.
"You can choose to accept it right now and begin our finale but as a token for always exceeding my expectations, I will give you a small piece of advice."
Her figure disappeared and all that was left was a single message.
"Go handle some little serpents for me down in the deepest layers. You might meet someone worthwhile."
"Don't make me wait too long~". Sparkle vanished just like that and Star popped from within his coat, seeing such a dramatic exit.
[What was that about?]
Yuuto glanced at her. "Not sure but it appears that her cooperation with Phantylia isn't all butterflies and sunshine."
He noted her reaction and the context of her words before he placed the card back into his pocket.
Yuuto digested the words she said and the meaning behind each one. It may seem simple but he knew it wasn't all what it seemed.
Now with her gone, the prison felt empty.
Empty but he knew best that this was just a moment before this very peace was destroyed.
"Grrrr…"
A low rumble vibrated past the cells and that was when Yuuto knew that the prison stopped pretending that it was neutral.
Entire hallways were filled with a mild, musty scent. One he particularly didn't like.
A claw the size of Yuuto's head came rushing down as he adjusted his position.
He ignored the scene of a large pack making its way towards him and focused his attention on his blade.
"Another borisin…"
Yuuto clicked his tongue and lowered his stance to deflect the heavy hand that crashed into him. A similar action and fighting style he got used to after reaching a certain point in the prison.
To an extent, it felt like more packs of this race had begun reaching the double digits after his original decision to descend downwards.
One that had now changed due to circumstances but after listening to her last message, Yuuto couldn't afford to ignore it.
He felt it.
Her excitement, no longer behind a veiled echo.
She was watching. They were watching.
Patiently waiting for his move.
"[New Moon: Sever]"
His sword flashed a subtle light before eventually multiplying into countless strands. Each one was silent, tracing arcs through the air.
Yuuto watched the strands meet their target but he didn't waste any time.
Noting the other borisin coming right after, his free hand slammed downwards. Feeling the air and the wind that came after.
"[Sever]"
Memories of how he swung his sword surged into the empty space and sunk itself into the core structure of the wind he causally created.
A small gust of wind transformed into a fierce gale of swords and caused the borisin to scream in pain.
Each strike he made felt sharper as he began to slowly integrate an element he always used so plainly. So basic.
Memories.
The white leaf within his [Core Esse] shook and the moonlight he carried gave out a simple prismatic glow.
With the many criminals Sparkle was urging him to face as he descended. He was given the chance to reflect.
A chance he would gladly take.
No more timer, but a choice.
Using the card that Sparkle gave? He could certainly use it now but what opportunities will he miss by doing so?
Each choice he made led to a different ending. A finale.
Will he regret this choice? Not at all.
It was an opportunity to complete what he's been delaying all this time. He was just finally given the chance to polish.
He had always been on a timer ever since coming to the Luofu.
So allow him to indulge in this moment.
He continued to descend at a rapid pace. The farther he got, the sturdier and more fiendish the borisin got.
Some even decided to devour other prisoners as a way to grow stronger. Yuuto continued to swing his sword.
The borisin whose tough hides sustained a lot of the damage felt their wounds slowly patch up.
A simple and fast sword strike wasn't enough and Yuuto knew.
His thoughts lingered on the types of swords he had witnessed.
His sword didn't carry the same beauty as Jingliu's.
Nor the refinement of Yanqing, whose sword became his obsession.
He knows. So he will make one that could shine as brightly as theirs.
He had the sun, one he made with his own hands.
Now he needed a moon. One that would be remembered.
The white leaf quivered.
"[Anamnesis]"
His sword let out a gentle hum and the world felt like it paused.
Like a command. The slashes, strands and moonlight. All the items that came into contact. All of them remembered.
The air, the ground, the walls and the borisin.
All of them remembered being cut.
""GRAHHHHH!!""
The borisin felt their wounds open up but the effect felt much worse. The sensation that soothed over, came rushing back, as if their body didn't want to forget.
The walls and floors had engravings placed all over them.
The world doesn't forget.
"Flare, Form, Condense."
Yuuto ignored the cries and willed a ball of fire to form in his palm.
The fire moved and condensed into a smooth crimson spear radiating an intense heat.
Its weight filled his hand and he threw it towards the borisin wailing on the floor.
They didn't have the chance to react as the spear pierced their heads and instantly killed them.
Enlightenment.
A state that Jingliu often referred to when they sparred, knowing his goal of making his own distinct moonlight.
It was a quick trance but the results were bountiful.
This change of pace surely contributed so he could only thank Sparkle. Not that he would openly admit it.
He rubbed his neck, feeling the tension get to him. It was getting tedious at this point and he wondered how the others were doing.
They were having their own battles while he was having his own as well.
Though there was a conclusion he wanted to personally create with his own hands.
*RING*
Yuuto collected the memories of the borisin he killed and after absorbing them, he made his way downwards.
***
"He created that so quickly? After I left!? How come he gets to enjoy the fun things when I'm not there…"
Sparkle clicked her tongue but that annoyance turned into anticipation.
"Yuu, hurry up!"
She waved her hand around and enjoyed the scenery around her.
Dark soil and a barren landscape. Sparkle tapped her finger and hummed a little tune.
"Little Rahu~ Go crazy. I permit you."
A thin vibration passed through the ground and Sparkle watched in silence.
"Lady Emanator... Just so you know... Sparkle likes to keep grudges..."
Her eyes landing towards an area which was immediately noticed by the person in question.
"So the little jester found me out..." Phantylia noticed the shift. "Oh well, I'll let her do what she wants. I already got what I asked for."
Her attention lingered on the small pearl-like object that had a missing section.
"Just waiting for that last piece."
***
A lone figure within an empty room. Shackled, chained and wrapped in a vest that restricted even the tiniest of movements.
It stood still and allowed time to pass slowly.
"....Hurry…"
A voice, one he hadn't heard in decades, entered his ears and a pair of blood red irises rose from their sleep.
The figure tried to move and seeing the vest hiss, constricting his limbs even more, he stopped.
Deciding to wait in the end. Something he was already used to.
"...I will not let you…"
"..You will? You can't stop the inevitable. This is already your second failure…"
The voices grew louder and the figure had his eyes glued to the door.
The commotion got louder and what felt like an eternity. The door that was shut for as long as he could remember finally opened.
A gust of cold air entered and he felt his heart beat faster.
"Preceptor Taoran, this is the person noted in the records."
"How cold of the Ten Lords Commission to have you in this state." Taoran's gaze calmly met the sharp eyes aimed at him.
"Warhead Hoolay."
A thick layer of killing intent rolled off the figure as Taoran addressed him and heard the vest that contained him turn tighter.
"Addressing me so casually."
His eyes grazed slowly on the man who spoke his name.
"Do you have a death wish?"
The killing intent grew stronger and Taoran, who spoke casually, felt a bead of cold sweat fall from his face.
His face was pale but seeing as Hoolay couldn't do anything at the moment, he slowly regained his confidence.
"I apologize if I have offended you, so let me get straight to the point for my visit." Taoran gestured to the people behind him to enter.
"My Lord!"
"We have come to grant you freedom! A crisis has plagued the Loufu and we were allowed the opportunity to escape."
"Allow us to unchain you!"
Hoolay noticed the borisin lined up in front of him and felt a feeling of anticipation soar through his body. His blood began to boil once more.
"So why have some sly serpents decided to aid me in my escape?"
He wasn't foolish. Being a species that thrived on slaughter and the blood of their enemies, he still had some sense within him.
A Warhead is not only strong but must also carry a sharp mind.
Taoran covered his mouth with a fan and waved his hand forward.
The air shifted and within the arms of the Vidyadhara soldier lay a tiny girl.
Her face was calm as if she was fast asleep but the heart within her chest ceased to beat.
"I told you that—"
"Silence that exile."
A man who was tied up behind him was forced to kneel after a strong knee was directed deep within his stomach.
His words were stuck within his throat and the chains around him grew tighter.
Dan Heng clenched his jaw and moved his body.
His legs swept the soldier beside him and caused the man to fall. Leading to another soldier jumping to save him and take down Dan Heng.
Each action he made was precise and minimal movements considering the restraint placed upon him.
"Why make a commotion now…"
Taoran gave a deep breath and gripped the air in front of him. Sources of water bloomed from beneath Dan Heng's position, rising upwards.
This sudden attack arrived at certain weak points before getting a palm struck right in the middle of his chest.
Dan Heng once again coiled and attempted to get up despite the pain, however Taoran prevented him from getting up.
"I allowed you to join despite your resistance as a way to see the results of your actions."
His voice was cold and glided through his ears. Each whisper felt like venom sinking deep within his body.
"You failed." A mocking voice mixed in. "Despite your efforts, you failed to protect her. Even after someone placed their faith in you. How sad is that?"
Taoran didn't mind the words he chose. He wanted him to hear it.
"First, as Dan Feng, who failed to save your closest companion. Turning her into a monster and forcing her to be slain right in front of your eyes…"
He continued.
"Now as your rebirth, failing to protect the new High Elder despite having support and expectations placed on you as an exile. History loves to repeat itself… tell me, did it feel the same as it did back then?"
His words struck a wound deep within him and the heavy feeling in his chest grew.
"But you don't need to worry now. The sins you carry from both reincarnations can now be solved and it starts with that defect. You two, throw him in a cell nearby."
Seeing as Dan Heng didn't move and respond, Taoran felt like it was a waste of time to speak any further. "I want him gone so he doesn't cause a commotion."
Dan Heng was dragged away and he was now left with Hoolay, who watched the scene with interest.
A deep chuckle escaped the muzzle he wore.
"How interesting."
"He deserves it for causing the slow downfall of our race."
Hoolay laughed in interest and looked at the borisin who stood at the side silently. As if waiting for an order.
"Release my right arm."
At this order, the borisin jumped into action and after some time, the chains wrapped around his arm broke free.
The muscles that were restrained bulged and the bone cracked as Hoolay moved his hand.
"Finally after all these years—!"
His large claws reached towards his muzzle and the solid metal was crushed easily. This sensation only riled his blood even more.
Hoolay felt strength return to his body and his sharp eyes landed on a borisin nearby.
"How unfortunate that my first meal out was not a foxian…"
"Wha—!?"
CRUNCH.
Taoran frowned at the bloody scene but held on as he carefully spoke his next words.
"Warhead Hoolay, I request a trade for this opportunity at freedom. Your expertise on handling foxian blood… please use it on this lady."
***
Dan Heng felt like his mind was blank and the chains around his body felt colder as time went on.
He tried to forget Taoran's words. He tried.
But it was hard to.
"I should never have thought of leaving the Express."
It was useless and he had already done more harm than good. He was certain that his friends could handle themselves.
'I have no right to face my past—'
Dan Heng continued his thoughts. Ignoring the strand of moonlight that made its way into his cell.