Maria snapped her fingers, and all the illusions around them vanished in an instant. Everything returned to the place where it had begun.
Watching in awe, Nujah whispered, "I absolutely have to learn that spell."
Maria smiled. "Illusions that require such strong will demand a lot of practice. If you truly wish it, I'll train you until you surpass even me. But for now… our mother is calling. We must go."
"Do you know who came?" Nujah asked curiously.
"No," Maria replied, "we'll see once we arrive. Now, hold on to me."
"But why—" Nujah began, but before he could finish, Maria sprinted with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, they stood in the throne room.
Naraka frowned. "Slow down Maria. Your brother is still trapped in the body of a three-month-old baby child."
"I'm fine…" Nujah whispered, his voice weaker than usual.
Maria quickly apologized and handed him a flask of water. After drinking, Nujah regained his strength. "Looks like our guest isn't here," he remarked.
"Our guest, Valuva, could not come for certain reasons," Naraka said.
"With respect, may I ask who Valuva is?" Nujah asked politely.
"Of course," Naraka answered. "She is one of the Firstborn Spirits of the Shiora universe. She dwells in the Void, governs both time and eternity, and across all three realms she is known as Valuva, Firstborn Queen of the Eternal Spirit. As her name suggests, she is a being of immense dignity. Why such a vast entity would take interest in us, I cannot say for certain. I have my guesses, but Valuva is nearly impossible to read. She is far older and far wiser than I."
Maria interjected: "The moment you appeared, you caught her attention. The only one she ever truly spoke to before was our sister Vercurius. For you to interest her as well… that's no small thing."
Nujah thought silently, "I don't understand any of this… best to remain quiet for now."
"There is nothing you must do," Naraka said gently. "She only wishes to speak with you. No matter how old she is, I am still hundreds of times stronger. You need not fear." Then she added: "For now, you should rest. Tomorrow you will begin walking on your own, and your body needs proper growth."
"But I don't feel tired," Nujah protested.
"That is a trick of the Soul Core," Naraka explained. "From the outside, your body looks utterly exhausted. Your heart was shattered and then reforged within the Core. At the moment it works perfectly, but such perfection may not last forever."
"Then let it be as you say, Mother," Nujah replied quietly.
Naraka snapped her fingers. Nujah's energy dropped from infinity to zero in an instant, and he fell asleep as though his battery had run dry. Naraka lifted him gently and laid him back in his bed. As Maria turned to leave, Naraka called her name.
"Did you enjoy yourselves?"
Maria smiled faintly. "Yes, Mother."
Naraka's gaze hardened. "Is there nothing you forgot to tell me?"
Maria lowered her head. "I began training him without your permission… I'm deeply sorry."
"Everything," Naraka said firmly.
Maria drew a deep breath. "When he used the illusion spell, I noticed small fragments within his light. I thought they were remnants from his human form. Also, because the transformation was not entirely successful, and—"
"And?" Naraka pressed.
Maria continued, "Even though he was right next to a massive explosion, he suffered no harm. I don't know how… but he remained completely unscathed."
Naraka suddenly laughed. "You need not worry so much, my daughter. I accelerated his growth. That is why he is already more resilient and stronger than expected. There is nothing to fear. Now go—tend to the other matters of the day."
As Maria stepped outside, she immediately summoned Vekhir to her chambers.
--
The next morning, when Naraka entered the chamber, she found the bed broken. Yet there, lying peacefully, was Nujah—his body visibly grown.
"Nujah..?" she whispered in surprise.
"Yes, Mother… ahhh! What is this form? I've grown so much!" Nujah cried.
"Don't move," Naraka commanded, placing her hand gently on his head. After a moment she spoke gravely:
"Your body has expanded a thousandfold across a hundred different points. At this rate, it won't stop."
Nujah's voice trembled. "Then… what should we do, Mother?"
"There is nothing to fear," Naraka assured him. "Once your body reaches its most balanced state, it will stabilize on its own. Your Soul Core shows no fractures, no toxins, no corruption. It is functioning perfectly, alongside your heart and mind. The only concern is that you still carry human emotions—fear, anger. Without me near, those could spiral."
She straightened, smiling faintly. "Now then… can you walk, or shall I carry you?"
"Give me a minute, please," said Nujah. Summoning all his strength, he pushed himself upright and walked carefully toward her without stumbling.
"I think I've learned… a little, Mother."
"I see," Naraka replied. "But you'll stay with me today regardless." She lifted him into her arms. "By tomorrow you might already be six years old—or ten. While you're still a child, let us spend time together."
"That sounds wonderful," said Nujah. "Where are we going?"
Naraka thought for a moment. "To the laziest of your siblings—Ren."
Nujah blinked. "A lazy Shinrei? Is that even possible?"
Naraka laughed. "Yes. Mischievous, but kind. He often pesters Muzan, who spends nearly all his time in the library."
"Why?" asked Nujah. "Isn't Muzan social?"
"Unlike the others, Muzan speaks the least. The library is his home—he rarely leaves it. If you're looking for him, wait no more than an hour or two, and you'll find him back there. Ren teases him constantly, stirs him to action, forces him to join in games… simply to keep him from being alone."
Nujah smiled. "That sounds less like laziness, more like a wonderful brother."
Naraka chuckled. "Yes, he is. I hope you'll grow close to them all. Now—let's visit him."
She snapped her fingers. In an instant, they stood outside a small, quaint house by the same ocean Maria had once shown Nujah.
The door opened, and a woman with long white hair appeared. Her energy was faint, yet her aura radiated something fearsome. At the sight of her face, Nujah gasped and clung to Naraka in fright.
"Vercurius… what is this form, my daughter?" Naraka asked, frowning. "You've frightened your little brother."
"My… little brother?" Vercurius blinked, then suddenly lit up. "Oh, oh! I am so sorry! That was never my intention—I truly didn't mean to scare him. Forgive me!"
Naraka sighed. "Enough. You're here, which means you must have fallen into one of your own jokes. Is his mind still clear?"
"Yes, Mother," said Vercurius. "I had bound him, preparing to throw him into the ocean again… but the dolphins and other creatures kept returning him faster than before."
Nujah began to laugh uncontrollably. "Why am I laughing? Isn't that bad?"
Naraka stroked his head. "No. Shinrei cannot harm one another. No matter what's thrown their way. Though… during training, I alter the rules, just enough for them to feel real pain. Only then will they be ready for true battle."
Vercurius smiled warmly. "Then I'm glad to see you both. But I have urgent matters on the mountain. We'll meet again soon, I hope." She turned, then paused. "Ah, I almost forgot… your name is Nujah, isn't it?" She leaned down, smiling directly at him.
"Yes, Vercurius-sister," Nujah replied softly.
"Then take this, as my apology." In her hand, she formed a white rose of pure light, placing it gently in his tiny palm. "Come visit me after you've seen Ren."
With that, her body dissolved into radiance, and she shot upward, vanishing toward the distant peaks.
"Mother," Nujah asked in awe, "what is she doing up there?"
"She'll tell you herself, when the time is right," Naraka answered. Then her gaze sharpened. "Now—shall we go rescue poor Ren together?"
Nujah lifted his hand high, eyes shining with energy. "Let's rescue him!"
--
When Naraka entered with Nujah cradled in her arms, she found Ren—blue-haired, ice-colored eyes—bound from head to toe in chains of light. Without touching him, Naraka released the bonds.
"Thank you, Mother," Ren said, exhaling heavily. "She was furious this time. If you hadn't come, I don't know what would've happened. And you…" His gaze shifted to Nujah. "Our new little Shinrei… I wish our first meeting wasn't like this, but it could've been worse. No need to dwell on it."
The chains of light unraveled from his arms and legs, dissolving away. Ren stood, flicked back his hair, and struck a confident pose.
"My name is Ren! The coolest man in the universe—after our mother, of course," he added with a grin and a wink.
Then his expression shifted, his voice softening:
"One of my worst habits is stirring up the city's energy and teasing my siblings to spend time with me. Everyone's so focused on their own paths and goals… everyone except Maria, our eldest sister. But even she isn't always available. Disturbing her feels wrong. It leaves me…" His shoulders sagged, eyes falling to the ground, his face clouded with gloom.
Nujah turned to Naraka, whispering softly, "Mother, please put me down." She gently set him on the ground. Step by small step, Nujah walked over, placed a tiny hand on Ren's shoulder, and shouted with all the strength he could muster:
"MY NAME IS NUJAH! IN MY FREE TIME, I'D BE HAPPY TO PLAY WITH YOU! I HOPE WE GET ALONG, REN BROTHER!"
The cry was so loud that Ren's perfectly styled hair fell apart—and the house shook to its foundations.
Ren froze, eyes brimming with tears, then broke down. "You… you're an incredible little brother!" He pulled Nujah into a tight embrace. "Let's spend much more time together."
Nujah patted his head. "Come on, Ren-nii, someone as cool as you shouldn't be crying," he said with a small smile.
In that instant, Naraka snapped her fingers. Nujah was whisked safely to her side as Ren unleashed a surge of frost, coating the house in ice.
Moments later, multiple magic blasts erupted inside.
"What were those, Mother?" Nujah asked, wide-eyed.
"That," Naraka answered calmly, "was your brother Muzan. He is the most gifted of you all when it comes to curses."
Ren scowled. "You'd better leave. Someone wants to play a game."
From outside, a voice boomed—deep, commanding, yet brimming with charisma:
"Reeeeen! How many times have I told you—stop meddling in my library!"
Nujah looked up at Naraka in worry. "Mother, what should we do?"
"This is how they communicate," she said evenly. "And as I've told you before—they cannot truly harm one another."
Still uneasy, Nujah whispered, "But… please, let it be as gentle as possible." He turned toward Ren, offering a faint smile.
Ren reassured him: "Don't worry, little brother. We'll only break unimportant things—then rebuild them better than before. And maybe toss each other around a bit, nothing more."
Just then, a massive sphere of cursed energy crashed down from above. The same stern voice rang out once more:
"Ren! You really should go now."
Naraka wasted no time. With a snap of her fingers, they were suddenly standing on a mountainside.
Nujah looked up at her. "Did we do the right thing, Mother?"
Naraka stroked his head gently. "Every being has its own way of communicating. For them, it's through battle. But if you feel troubled… don't. Listen closely." She leaned down, whispering into his ear:
"No matter how angry Muzan looks, he enjoys it—he just never shows it on his face. That's why I leave them alone."
Nujah smiled faintly. "I see." He looked around, curious. "So… where are we now?"
Naraka spread her arms. Before them appeared a quiet plain veiled in silver mist, filled with a serene glow.
"This is one of the places in Shiora where innocent souls wander. The rest… you will learn from your sister Vercurius , once we find her."