Caster snapped his eyes open and dragged a trembling breath, the cold, damp air of the cave stabbing into his lungs. His hands shook uncontrollably. Sweat slicked his brow, pouring despite the chill that gnawed at his bones.
He sat in silence for a long moment, then let out a heavy sigh. When his blurred vision cleared, he saw the others watching him with wary, curious and unreadable expressions.
He didn't understand what had just happened. The God… no, Mr. Error, as He had named Himself... Whatever that encounter was, it had left something behind. A clarity that was almost unbearable.
Why did it feel so obvious now? Obvious that these people didn't care whether he lived or died. Some of them… wanted him gone.
His eyes drifted to Sunless, and his stomach twisted. The boy's hostility was blatant now, almost radiating from him like heat. But why? What did I ever do to him? Caster thought bitterly. It was always Sunless with his scorn, mocking and venom. And Caster had tolerated them, again and again, like a dutiful fool.
Cassie, too. She looked at him with veiled suspicion... And fear. Did she know? Did they all know that his mission was to kill Nephis? If they did… perhaps their coldness was understandable.
Athena was unchanged, as carefree as ever. But Nephis… Nephis's gaze was like polished glass, reflecting nothing. Blank, and yet just for an instant, he thought he saw a spark of curiosity in her gray eyes.
Caster clenched his fists. Mr. Error's words came back to him, quiet as a whisper but heavy as lead: "Those people will not care whether you live or die. And a father who strips freedom and creativity from his child, who sends him to his death, is no true father."
Was He right? Was his family… the same? Would they discard him as easily as these companions would?
Caster bit his lip until he tasted iron. Deep down, he wanted... No, needed to believe that his family loved him. That his suffering, his sacrifices, his relentless discipline, all meant something. That he wasn't just a pawn, doomed to be forgotten.
But the thought coiled in his chest like a snake: What if Mr. Error was right?
And the worst part... The most terrifying part was that the God's words hadn't sounded like persuasion. They had sounded like truth.
He needed time to process it all. Too much, too fast. So, without a word, he excused himself and slipped away from the group to collect himself.
Effie, meanwhile, gave a shrug and started eating, it didn't look like they would be leaving anytime soon.
That left the original trio together. Sunny chewed the inside of his cheek until it almost bled, then finally exhaled in frustration.
"So… what now?"
Nephis remained silent, her gaze fixed on the obsidian tablet. She had recited the runes too, but unlike Caster, she hadn't lost herself in them. Still, she was curious about what had happened to Caster, though it didn't seem like he was going to answer her questions.
Cassie frowned. She had overheard the words Caster muttered in his trance. Her hearing was sharp enough, but the meaning still slipped through her fingers.
"I think…" she hesitated, "it describes the authorities of some unknown deity."
Sunny nodded, his expression dark. He was already tired of trying to figure out the purpose of the Blood Weave, the Weaver, the Seven Heroes, and so on. But he was still curious. He still wanted to know, to uncover those mysteries, even with this unknown deity now added to the list.
"I think we've already stumbled onto three of them. The first one's authorities were tied to creation, degeneration, and darkness. The second was calamities and destruction. And now this… something with dominion over time, errors, and fate. The problem is, I can't make sense of it. It's the first I've ever heard of such beings. There are no records, no myths… nothing. At least for the six gods and daemons, we have temples, murals, fragments of history. But these three? We practically know nothing."
Sunny grimaced, running a hand through his messy hair. "And worse… what we do know doesn't help. We learned the first was a Creator: a bearer of sins, a savior of the world. A Maker who shaped life and power. That much, at least, fits some kind of pattern. As for the second… is it even a god? Or a goddess? After all, the Blood Emperor was also described as a demoness, too. Maybe the Blood Emperor was both male and female. What matters is, at least we know something about them. The Blood Emperor was disastrous and terrifying, spreading madness and destruction everywhere. But this deity… this so-called God of Deceit…" He shook his head. "Nothing."
Cassie nodded uneasily. The silence after Caster froze like a statue still lingered in her mind. The God of Deceit… from what her companions had read on the obsidian tablet, she had a few guesses. Error was the natural counter to everything, whether living or not. A terrifying authority, one that even order and law of any realm could not withstand. After all, even within perfect order, even within flawless law… an error could still be born.
That meant the God of Deceit was so powerful that He or She was the natural enemy of every concept that existed. And if this god's power truly was error… then couldn't they both create and fix those errors? If so… flaws, the very imperfections that allow living beings to strive, to grow, to ascend toward divinity, could be undone. A flawless being cannot progress. By fixing the flaw of an individual, the God of Deceit could destroy the very potential of all living things.
"And the Blood Emperor," she added softly, "could be called a War God. Like the Goddess of Life, but… different. Not war as progress or evolution, but its raw essence... destruction, apocalypse and disaster."
Sunny's voice dropped.
"And this one? We don't even have that. Just an honorific name. That's it."
Nephis sighed and shook her head. There were more pressing matters than struggling to untangle the backgrounds of long-forgotten deities.
"What do you think about them?" she asked at last.
Sunny scoffed, a dark grin tugging at his lips as if the very question were ridiculous.
"We can take them. It's just Luna and that guy, Medici. Amon's all bark and no bite."
Nephis tilted her head, her expression cooling into wariness.
"Medici… his Aspect feels similar to mine, but skewed. There's no balance, just raw strength and destruction. As for Luna… don't underestimate her, Sunny. She can't be killed by ordinary means. Only soul or mind damage could touch her. And her abilities…" Nephis's lips pressed into a thin line. "…they're versatile. And appalling, too."
Cassie nodded quietly. She had already seen their runes, but…
"I think," she said softly, "we should be more cautious of Amon."
Both Sunny and Nephis turned toward her, brows furrowed in confusion.
"Why?" Sunny frowned. "He's got sharp eyes, that's all. Not even that great as a scout. Just a worm clinging to Medici and Luna."
Nephis gave a small nod of agreement.
"I haven't noticed anything remarkable about him either."
Cassie hesitated, twisting a lock of hair around her fingers before finally whispering:
"I can't see his runes."
Sunny froze, his eyes widening. Cassie's Aspect was no small thing. Subtle and unassuming at first glance, yes… but in truth, it was anything but. She was the reason they had managed to defeat some of the most powerful nightmare creatures on the Forgotten Shore. She could peer into the attributes of fallen abominations… and yet, she couldn't read the runes of a dormant human?
"How?" he muttered at last.
Even Nephis's composure cracked, disbelief flickering behind her calm gaze.
Cassie swallowed, her expression tightening.
"I think he has some sort of… anti-divination ability. It makes him invisible to my ability. That's why…" She exhaled, almost shuddering. "…I'm certain he's the real wildcard."
Sunny clenched his fists. As if Medici, Luna, Gunlaug, and Harus weren't enough… now Amon, too? That punk? He still couldn't take him seriously. Just because someone could disrupt divination didn't mean they were strong. Still… he would be careful. Maybe Amon was hiding his abilities the same way Sunny hid his own. There was no way to be a hundred percent certain.
"Fine," Sunny muttered. "We'll be cautious. But he doesn't seem like much. He doesn't even have the instincts of a killer, he looks more like a harmless fraud."
Nephis inclined her head, though her eyes lingered on Cassie. She trusted the seer's instincts more than Sunny's venom. Cassie was the reason they had gotten this far: the shards, the routes, the knowledge of how to use them. Without her… they would be blind.
"Still," Nephis said, her voice cool, "even if he appears weak and pathetic, we can't ignore him. Appearances lie. We stay vigilant."
***
Amon stepped out of the toilet with a faint sigh, shaking his head. They had already returned to the Bright Castle and even figured out how to destroy the wraith's stolen sword. Without its armor and blade, the creature wasn't exactly dangerous anymore… but it was still far from easy to deal with.
The key to killing the wraith had been a dark gem with crimson flames burning in its depths, buried deep in the monster's chest. Amon had stolen it eventually, after three days of tedious hit-and-run harassment. Well, what could he say? He'd learned that style from playing games 24/7 as a kid. Not exactly honorable, but who cared?
Maybe he could trade the gem to Sunny for something. A shadow-bound Memory, perhaps? He'd been spoiled on TikTok that Sunny could create them... Damn spoilers. At least put a warning before the edit, fuckers! Still, it wasn't out of the question. For now, though, he would keep it. The gem was too valuable for the evolution of Sunny's shadow.
Now his thoughts drifted to Caster. He had never thought much of the speedster, but that didn't mean he wanted the guy to die. Amon wasn't some edgy motherfucker obsessed with slaughter. Still… if Caster truly wanted to change for the better, Amon wouldn't mind helping. After all, he needed people for his clan. For now, he had a dragon, a speedster… and Error, being himself.
A grin tugged at his lips. Interesting, indeed.
And now… it was time to recruit the third member.
"So… do you want to find One Piece?"
Aiko blinked, her brow furrowing in disbelief. "Pardon?"
Amon only shook his head and lazily placed his bet.
"You know… I'm one of the richest people in Dark City. So, do you want to join me?" he asked, eyes sparkling with an eager, almost childlike expectation.
Aiko stared at him like he was insane. Huh?Who says that? Sure, there were plenty of arrogant people in the castle, but none so… blatant.
As if sensing her suspicions which he indeed did with his Superior Observation, Amon clasped his hands together and tilted his head toward Kai.
"He's telling the truth, Aiko," the charming prince said with a sigh.
Aiko's eyes widened. If Kai, the walking lie detector, said so, then it had to be true. And yet… doubt still gnawed at her. What if this stranger only wanted to exploit her? What if he was just another vulture in the castle?
She had spent years in the Dark City and seen every kind of vile thing. The castle guards, for example, forcing girls from the outer settlements to sell their bodies. And what could those poor souls do? They were powerless. All they could do was obey… and live in shame and fear.
Disgust flickered across her face.
Amon noticed immediately and sighed, leaning back with exaggerated disbelief.
"Relax. You're not my type anyway." He shrugged with a faint, almost wounded sigh. "I like tall girls with a big ass and boobs, not outrageously big, just… you know, right? I like them exotic, glamorous and a little crazy, too. You don't really fit the criteria. Besides, I already have wife who checks all those boxes."
Aiko stared at him blankly, then shook her head with irritation. Fine! I'm short and petite, so what, you bastard!? But instead of voicing it, she asked flatly:
"You have a wife?"
Amon nodded, a proud smile on his face and eyes closed while Kai watched him with a look of disbelief. You don't! And if Luna hears you spreading that kind of stupid rumor, you're dead!
Aiko bit her lower lip in frustration and sank into a seat.
"…What's One Piece anyway?"
Amon puffed out his chest smugly, waving his hand with the aura of superiority (delusion firmly intact).
"It's the friends we made along the way," he declared, laughing and slapping his thigh.
When no one laughed, his grin faltered, and he muttered darkly: "…Fine. It's treasure. Whatever." Then his smile returned as quick as it vanished. "Kai already verified my words. I am the richest man in this cesspit. Trust me on that. And I'm inviting you to join me."
He wasn't lying, either. Fraud's Bag and Horizon's Edge were crammed with shards stolen from nightmare creatures, the spoils of cleverly staged bloodbaths, where monsters tore each other apart while he waited in the shadows to collect. Why should he fight, when those mindless beasts could butcher each other and leave him to enjoy the harvest? That was another lesson from his personal life's teacher, Goat Yuan.
Oh, and Horizon's Edge could store things as well. It was a ship, after all. So he had tossed all kinds of junk into it: torches stolen from the basement of a ruined cathedral, expensive art pieces scavenged from the Dark City (which he fully intended to sell), heaps of soul shards, rare materials, even a bottle of Dark Sea water he planned to pawn off on researchers at the Academy. Basically, he was sitting on a dragon's hoard of treasures. He truly was worthy of being called a pirate king.
Some might ask: why not become a demon, with all those shards to evolve his Class? The answer was simple. Amon was still traumatized by the agony he endured when forming his monster core. He was, quite frankly, scared shitless.
Aiko glanced at Kai. The boy gave her a faint smile, then nodded at Amon.
"…So who else is in this clan of yours?" she asked.
Amon grinned, flashing his cards before sweeping every shard on the table toward himself.
"Let's see. We've got a dragon. A speedster. A parasite. And you will be a capitalist. You'll be better at that than Medici ever was, I'm sure. Don't disappoint me." He winked. "You'll be handling clan finances, too! Isn't that marvellous? No, no! don't thank me all at once."
Aiko grimaced at his delusions. Still… maybe it wasn't the worst idea to stick around. For now. If things went south, she could always walk away.
"…Fine. Let's say I agree."
Amon's smile widened.
But before he could gloat, a young man with long brown hair and nervous green eyes shuffled up to their table. He glanced between them, then blushed furiously and thrust a crumpled paper toward Aiko.
"C-can… can you give me an aut-autograph, Lady Aiko?"
All three of them froze, blinking in collective confusion.
Aiko gave a weak, awkward smile and scribbled her name. It was obvious the poor kid had a crush, but the moment was far too embarrassing. She spoke with him gently, then turned him down. He left with watery eyes, clutching his paper like a holy relic.
When she sat back down, Kai and Amon both avoided her gaze, staring at the floor with the same sympathetic grimace. Rest in peace, brother!
Amon coughed into his fist, breaking the awkward silence.
"Well then. Welcome to… eh, I'll think of a name later. For now, welcome to our clan."
They shook hands and parted ways. Kai lingered a bit, relieving his stress in the gambling den before heading back to his room.
But halfway through the corridor, he stopped. Something felt… off.
Kai pressed himself against the wall, heart thudding, and peered around the corner.
His breath caught.
The brown-haired boy from earlier stood with Amon. But there were no tears now, no bashful smiles. Both of them were grinning wide, unnatural grins that stretched their faces into something grotesque.
Amon pressed a bundle of shards into the boy's hands. In return, the boy passed him the paper Aiko had signed.
Kai frowned. The page was blank, save for Aiko's name. But then Amon unfolded it and... Black letters bled across the surface, curling like ink from nowhere.
Kai's eyes widened in horror. He almost stumbled into the open but froze instead, breath shallow. It was the contents of a contract.
A contract? What the hell is this… slave contract!?
Amon laughed gleefully, clutching the paper as though it were a priceless treasure. The boy beside him, face split by that same eerie smile, wiped away his tears with a glowing shard, using it like a tissue.
Amon beamed with exaggerated delight.
"Ahh, capitalism is the best! I won't disappoint you, Master Lloyd!"
By the looks of it, Aiko couldn't walk away from this anymore…
***
[A/N: Hahaha, none of you guessed it, it was Aiko! She's been successfully scammed… and recruited into the clan! We still don't have a name for it, but meh, if nothing works, we can always call it the Amon Family! I had way too much fun writing this. And Javier found Lloyd, too! This chapter is 3,000 freaking words, too! Hell, I've been working on it since yesterday, but it's totally worth it!I'm so happy right now! That's it for now, guys. Enjoy the meal!]
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