The moment the Demonic Commander's head hit the mud, my world fractured. The sheer mental strain of the Black Slash felt like my soul was being shredded into a million pieces. Darkness didn't just fall; it slammed into me.
When I finally opened my eyes, I wasn't in the mud. I was back in the Astral Space. But for the first time, there was no pain. Instead, a wave of absolute peace washed over me. The air—if you could call it that—smelled like a garden of fresh flowers. I wanted to stay here forever. Why go back to the world of blood and bone when I could just dissolve into this tranquility?
But my peace was short-lived. Standing before me were two figures. They had no faces, just silhouettes of pure contrast—one as white as a dying star, the other as black as the deepest void.
The Duel of the Two Mothers
The White Voice, the one I had known from the start, didn't wait. "You absolute idiot!" she shrieked, her voice echoing with maternal fury. "Do you have any idea how close you came to permanent soul-death? I told you to rely on your companions, but you keep throwing your life away like it's trash! You're a fool, Reyansh! A stubborn, reckless fool!"
I recoiled. My god, she scolds more than my real mother, I thought bitterly.
Then the Black Voice, the new presence, stepped forward. Her tone was sharper, mocking the other. "Oh, shut up. He didn't take enough risks! Reyansh, your problem isn't that you're reckless; it's that you hesitate. You treat your power like a burden. Stop thinking about those 'tools' you call friends and show your true potential. Why do you hold back? Why do you fear the itch of death?"
I looked at them both, my head spinning. "Is this some kind of sick game? I'm hanging between life and death and I have to listen to a celestial talk show?"
Date, Duty, and the Dangling Sovereign
The argument escalated. The White Voice insisted on rest. "He needs to spend time with his friends! He should talk to them, heal with them... he could even go on a Date."
I froze. "Wait... do you even know what a 'date' is?" I asked, trembling slightly at the absurdity of the question.
They both stopped and looked at me. The silence was terrifying. The White Voice tilted her head. "A date... is when two people who like each other spend time together, isn't it?"
The Black Voice snorted. "Nonsense! He should be preparing for the next wave! Enemies don't take dates, and they don't give breaks. Training is his only rest!"
"You're the reason he's like this!" the White Voice yelled. "If I hadn't intervened, he would have been erased by that Commander!"
"He would have evolved!" the Black Voice countered.
This went on for what felt like thirty minutes. My "Sovereign" ego was being dismantled by two entities who treated me like a child. Finally, exhausted, I asked, "Can you just send me back now?"
They both looked at me with a chilling gaze. "If you promise to listen to our advice, we'll send you back," they said in unison.
Before I could answer, the Black Voice reached out and grabbed me by my spiritual clothes, lifting me up and letting me dangle in the air like a piece of laundry. "You should at least say thank you to the one who saved your life," she hissed.
"Thank you! Fine! Thank you!" I yelled, staring at the beautiful, shimmering stars above us. This place was gorgeous, even if the company was insane.
The Awakening
The White Voice stepped closer, her aura softening. "I will always look after you, Reyansh. Just... don't be so reckless." She reached out, and I felt a violent pull—a tug at the very center of my being.
The flowers, the stars, and the two bickering voices faded into a blur of light.I gasped as my eyes flew open. I wasn't in the mud. I was on a bed, the soft blankets a stark contrast to the iron-scented air of the gate. The room was quiet, save for the rhythmic breathing of two people beside me.
I looked down. Hina and Yumi were there, sitting on chairs they had pulled close to the bed. Their heads were resting on the edge of my mattress, fast asleep. They looked exhausted, their faces still stained with the dust of the battle, but they hadn't left my side.
I watched them for a moment, the words of the White Voice echoing in my mind. Rely on them. I closed my eyes again, the scent of the astral flowers still lingering in my nose, as I drifted into a sleep that finally felt like peace.