Asahi watched the transformation before him, his expression solemn. Each ringing hammer blow struck true, sending brilliant sparks flying into the air. A massive object was gradually taking shape.
"Orichalcum... it truly lives up to its reputation as the material that birthed the Teigu."
One by one, he tossed fuels into the glowing furnace, which roared like a pit of molten lava. The crackling sounds echoed like fireworks in the confined space.
...
The Demon's Extract had not only granted Esdeath the power to manipulate ice but had also enhanced her physical constitution to a terrifying degree. This was the reason Asahi had been so startled during his first close-quarters encounter with her.
"So, at this very moment, the blood of that Danger Beast still flows through your veins?" Tatsumi asked.
"Indeed. But I have completely subjugated it, so you have nothing to worry about."
"Is that... the reason you enjoy torture?"
"No," Esdeath replied simply. "I've enjoyed that since long before I drank the blood."
Tatsumi fell silent. He could have perhaps excused her brutality if it were a result of trauma from her tribe's massacre, the loss of her comrades, or the influence of the Demon's Extract. But Esdeath's answer extinguished any lingering hope of swaying her to Night Raid's side.
The woman before him was simply born this way. Her "survival of the fittest" worldview was woven into the very fabric of her soul. There was a sliver of gentleness and love within her, but it was reserved solely for him.
I was a fool to think I could convince her with words.
If Tatsumi chose to stay by her side, he would be safe. But the world around him and everything he loved would crumble. His friends in Night Raid, Asahi, Ieyasu, his village... everything would be gone.
He could never accept such an ending.
Meanwhile, in a room within the Imperial Palace, Shura stood naked by the window, his expression brooding. A full day had passed. Part of him hoped that "that woman" and the swordsman would simply rot away on that island, but he was also terrified of what Esdeath would do to him if she ever found a way back on her own.
"Damn it... open the gate. Shambala, Point B, activate."
Ultimately, Shura couldn't stomach the consequences of her potential return. He triggered Shambala, the spatial Teigu on his hand emitting a violent purple light as it opened a rift.
"What are you doing?" a woman's voice drifted from the bed behind him.
"Nothing!" Shura snapped.
The woman didn't seem bothered by his tone. "You're always so loud. But you certainly have a stylish, trendy way about you."
"Of course I do. I am the son of Prime Minister Honest, after all."
"The Prime Minister... that man?!"
For a fleeting second, the woman lost her composure, her voice trembling with sudden panic. Shura caught that tiny moment of weakness. His face twisted into a snarl, and he delivered a brutal punch to her stomach, sending her collapsing to the floor.
"What the hell was that looking for?! I respect the old man, you hear me? One day, I'll even surpass him!"
He grabbed her by the hair, lifting her like a piece of trash. To Shura, women like this were merely "toys" for venting his frustrations. Once his outburst was finished, his irritation faded slightly, replaced by an arrogant smirk.
Back on the island, Tatsumi was pinned to the sand by Esdeath.
"So, what is the other way to return?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation.
"I suppose I should tell you," Esdeath whispered, her arms resting on his chest. "Usually, I travel by riding on the back of a Danger Beast. Taming them isn't easy, but for me, it's no trouble at all."
Tatsumi wanted to struggle but couldn't move under her weight. However, as she spoke, he noticed something flying high above.
"Esdeath, like that one over there?"
"Speak of the devil... how poorly timed," she grumbled, finally leaving Tatsumi to head toward the creature—a beast resembling a giant manta ray.
"What are you doing? It's too high!"
"Don't worry. I'll shoot it down and then train it. Stay right there, Tatsumi. I won't let you escape me."
Tatsumi exhaled. While traveling on a beast with her offered little chance of escape, it was better than being stranded. But suddenly, a brilliant purple light erupted near where he sat. The small circle from earlier had expanded into a full gateway.
This is it... the way back!!
Excitement surged through him. It was a perfect chance. The exit was right next to him, and Esdeath was yards away. But as he prepared to step through, his conscience pricked him. Despite everything, Esdeath had looked after him. She had opened up to him. To leave without a word felt... treacherous.
I... I need to at least say something.
He turned back toward her and shouted with all his might.
"Esdeath! An exit just opened here! I'm... I'm going through first!"
"Wait, Tatsumi!"
Startled, Esdeath immediately abandoned her hunt and sprinted back. She froze when she saw Tatsumi. He was smiling at her—a bright, innocent smile just like the one from the day they first met. It made her heart skip a beat, yet it was tinged with a deep, mournful sadness.
"I'm sorry, Esdeath."
"Wait!"
She lunged forward with everything she had, but Tatsumi's back disappeared into the purple light.
When she finally crossed through the rift, the darkness of the island night was replaced by the vast sky of a breaking dawn. The sand beneath her feet turned to hard, jagged rock.
"This is the summit where we met last night. We're back."
She looked around wildly. "Where are you, Tatsumi?! Why did you say you were sorry?!"
"TATSUMI!!!"
Her voice echoed across the desolate, wind-swept peak, but there was no answer.
Could he have run that far in such a short time? Impossible! It's only been a moment! Was he teleported somewhere else? Tatsumi... are we separated once again?
Esdeath fell silent, her hand moving to her chest. For some reason, she felt a tightness there, as if she were suffocating.
Tatsumi, of course, hadn't run far. He was equipped with Incursio in its invisible state, standing perfectly still behind a large boulder just a few meters away.
Even while invisible, I have to stay absolutely still and mask my breathing, or she'll find me instantly. I have to hold this position...
Tatsumi turned his back to Esdeath. The rock separating them was only a few meters thick, but it was an invisible wall that divided their worlds.
I'm sorry, Esdeath...
"If there was a second time, there will be a third," Esdeath whispered to the wind. "We will meet again, won't we, Tatsumi?"
Yes, Tatsumi thought grimly. But when that happens, we will be on opposite sides of the line. We... will be enemies.
Would you like to see what Asahi has forged with the Orichalcum, or should we return to Night Raid's base as Tatsumi makes his way back?