“Damn you! Move out of the way!”

  The red Grodran cried out, raining countless arrows at his opponent.

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Mathros defended easily with a wave of his hand, manipulating the air around him. After a moment of silent thought, his eyes sharpened. “I’d like your name, kinsman.”

  “Shut up!”

  “...”

  The two were flying outside of the moving fort, both trying to keep up with its momentum for different reasons.

  Surrounding them was the swarm of Nightmare Creatures. While the Climbing Goats were on the surface of the fort, the Bouncing Sheep in the form of wool balls were floating all around them.

  Occasionally, Mathros either shot or pushed any that got close, while the enemy released green glowing arrows to protect himself.

  For whatever reason, just like Fala and Naga, both Grodrans were somehow able to make contact with this type of spectral Nightmare Creature without a problem.

  “Mathros! I can help!”

  “Ah, Fala.” The flying explorer noticed the crow at a distance behind him. “There is no need. Just stay back.”

  “But, master instructed-”

  “It’s fine. This is for me to take care of. My duty.”

  BOOMM!

  Just in time, Mathros deflected an exploding arrow aiming for Fala, then narrowed his eyes.

  “You really have stooped low if you’re targeting the ones on the sidelines instead of the enemy in front of you.” He spoke, the violent wind swirling around his body expanding with haste. “Lord Trado will not forgive you for the lives you have taken on behalf of that vile criminal, nor will I.”

  “Like I care! The only thing that matters now is survival!”

  “What good is the survival of the flesh, if your spirit dies in the process?” Mathros spoke coldly, extending his palms forward and condensing the wind pressure. As the symphonies of the natural element resounded, a blurry, swirling shield formed around the composer, ready to block any incoming arrows, exploding or otherwise. “Let me educate you.”

  “I’m good, no thanks!”

  “There was once a Grodran.” Mathros continued on, releasing the condensed wind in his palms.

  “?!”

  Immediately, the wind swirled violently, coming together in the form of a tornado far above the damp, swampy grounds beneath. It pulled all nearby Nightmare Creatures in, while aiming for the enemy attempting to flee away.

  “Despite his upbringing, this Grodran remained hopeful about life. He believed that everyone’s spirits could be nurtured, mended, and redeemed.” The explorer continued, watching his tornado as it kept up the chase.

  “Stop talking and get this away from me!” The red Grodran flew away, his body constantly being pulled in by the manipulated currents. Occasionally, he activated his barrier or shot arrows at the windstorm, but none of it changed a thing.

  “So, this Grodran went about his life, smiling and joking about to improve everyone’s mood even in the most desperate of times. As long as everyone could laugh, no matter the situation, their spirits wouldn’t remain down for long.”

  “Dammit! I don’t want to hear your life’s story, dude!”

  “Then, when a close ally was suddenly murdered under his watch, his naivety shattered. He couldn’t joke, nor laugh, not as before.” Mathros halted for a moment, clenching his fists. Then, he looked down at his palm, tracing the live compass engraved in it. “Not until he had avenged him and brought his killer, along with the ones following him, to justice.”

  “Okay, fine! I get it! Spare me, I haven’t really killed anyone!” As his flight skill began to give out in front of the growing tornado, the red Grodran seemed to be ready to change his ways. “I’ll even help you get it! Whatever you need! I don’t know much, he helped kill Nightmare Creatures, and all I had to do in the return was to recruit others for him!”

  “...”

  After a moment of silence, Mathros held out both his hands, quickly dissipating the windstorm completely. As another sheep ball came close to him, he quickly disappeared, only to reappear in front of his flying enemy.

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  “?!”

  “Answer me this, truthfully, and I may reconsider.” The explorer said, narrowing his eyes into a sharp, piercing gaze. “Have you truly not killed another Sleeper?”

  “Of course not! I have no reason to!” His kinsman blurted out. “Besides, I respect life too much, dude! I’m even a vegetarian and everything!”

  “...” Mathros looked down at his palm, then back at his enemy. “What is your name?”

  “It’s Vryssk! What is yours, brother?”

  “Mathros Xurasdos.”

  “... Wait! Xurasdos?!”

  “And I am not your brother.”

  Mathros summoned his Grimrazor Sling once more, and raised it up.

  “Woah! Wait! What are you doing?!” In a panic, the Vryssk flew back and activated his barrier again. “I told you I didn’t kill anyone!

  “My compass says otherwise.”

  “You’re what?! Come on, are you really going to trust some slimy thing over your own kin?!”

  “...” Mathros lowered his hand slightly, then raised it back up, his next words devoid of any hesitation. “Yes.”

  There was only one person he ever broke that rule for.

  “?!”

  As the red Grodran aimed another arrow, he stumbled forward, an invisible, yet great force pushing him closer to his enemy.

  “In the name of Lord Trado, I judge you.” Mathros spoke calmly, loading a simple rock on his weapon and pulling back the string. “You don’t deserve to take another breath.”

  “Don’t! He’ll kill you too! He’ll kill everyone here if you don’t join him!” Shooting his arrows and seeing them being easily, and effortlessly deflected by gusts of wind, the archer tried to fly away, only to be imprisoned in a box of condensed air pressure. “Dammit! I’ll come back and haunt you! I’ll be the worst evil spirit that doesn’t let you sleep at night!”

  “I won’t hold my breath.”

  Following the direction of the compass on his palm, Mathros released the reinforced rock. In an instant, it hummed through the air before breaking through both the barrier, and the thick red scales between the Grodran’s horns.

  As his kinsman began to plummet down, Mathros watched the crow fly towards him. A deep, plump outfit he was all too familiar with gushed out with its long, jagged teeth and consumed the corpse in one fell swoop.

  “I didn’t even need to hold my breath this entire fight.” The flying explorer said, his eyes slightly narrowed at the sight.

  He looked at his palm again, watching it aim beyond the fort where no more violence would await. Despite that, he focused his gaze on the Mirewalker Fort.

  “Time to head back.”

  His lips curled up slightly as the crow landed on his shoulders.

  ***

  “Are you done yet? Things aren’t exactly going as planned.”

  Deep inside the fort, in a secluded point where only few Sleepers were ever allowed, Arman was hard at work. The serpent clone around his neck spoke in his ear.

  Although, instead of its normal hissing voice, Somnu was the one speaking using [False Echoes] instead.

  “Not yet, but we should be almost ready.” The head doctor continued scribbling on his long transparent board, while his tablet hovered around him. After a moment, his lips curled up slightly. “This almost feels like the devil whispering in my ear… wait, would that make me Eve? Oh my.”

  “This isn’t time for jokes, we’re running out of time here! What’s the progress? Was Bro’Ski able to get it?”

  “I’m afraid it took more effort, but whatever happens, it should be possible according to my estimation.”

  “It might be the only way, but at this rate, we might need to abandon the entire plan and get out of here.”

  Somnu was constantly breaking the connection to focus on his fight. Arman’s words were being transmitted to him through Naga’s telepathy instead, while he only briefly connected to relay his words.

  In a way, it felt as though he was constantly switching between a combat scene and a cutscene, still playing the game from far away.

  “Are you really not going to tell them anything?” Arman asked, glancing at the serpent with slightly narrow eyes. “Deep bonds are forged with deep trust, Somnu. I think asking for help is the first step towards allowing others to trust and depend on you.”

  “...” Silence took over the environment for a brief moment, then the echoes resounded again. “No, this is the best for everyone involved. We have a good plan, there isn’t anything to worry about.”

  “You’re contradicting yourself, kiddo.” Arman sighed, then walked to the side where a few books and torn papers were gathered. “Since you asked for my help, I will trust you, but once this is over and we are all back in our bodies in the waking world, I expect you will try your best to make amends for keeping them in the dark like this.”

  “It wouldn’t be the only thing to make amends for.” Somnu’s voice sounded hoarse, even in the echoes. “Even so, I’ll work my entire life to mend those relationships, no matter how long it takes. The only thing that matters is that they survive.”

  He wasn’t going to let the past repeat itself again.

  “...”

  “Crow-Shit!”

  “What is it?”

  As Somnu’s tone suddenly changed, making Arman straighten his back.

  “I just figured it out! This crimson moon… It’s going to swallow everything whole! This is bad!”

  “I don’t follow, Somnu. What is going on?!”

  “No time to explain! I need you to open a path from the throne room all the way down as quickly as possible!”

  “I’ll ask Bree’Niu while she’s still nearby but-”

  “Hurry! John Doe is planning to kill everyone here!”