It took only a blink of an eye for Yuriko to realise that Reinhardt was running while carrying her. He had her pressed against his chest, with his arms under her shoulders and knees. There was sweat dripping down his face, which went down his narrow chin and landed on her dougi.

She shifted when she woke and that had been enough for him to notice. He looked down at her and Yuriko was struck by the sheer desperation and fear in his eyes. Though both faded when their eyes met.

“You’re alright! Oh, thank the gods,” he muttered.

“Let me down.”

He slowed to a walk and released her legs first, ready to catch her should she stumble. An unnecessary but gallant gesture.

Yuriko looked around hastily. Tiernan was still carried on Devion’s shoulders. Shara ran just behind Reinhardt and Michi at the rear. Huh? Where was Kallas? What were they running from?

The moment Reinhardt let her to her feet, the others stopped, but they glanced at each other and to the rear. Devion and Michi’s faces were pale with worry, and they sported several wounds that cut through their robes. Tiernan thankfully looked unharmed.

“What happened? I….” A bout of nausea made her stagger and Reinhardt grabbed her upper arm and kept her from stumbling. “Where’s Kallas?”

“The blood creatures,” Devion growled. “Kallas gave the fatal blow but just like what happened with you, the blood entered his body completely and changed him.”

“We…we almost left you behind,” Reinhardt said, “but the red burned away from you.”

“How long?” Yuriko asked.

“Ten minutes.” Reinhardt sighed heavily. “Kallas… turned into one of those monsters. We ran away since it was pointless to defeat them.”

“But…I managed it,” Yuriko muttered.

Shara snorted in derision but she didn’t say anything.

“What now?” Yuriko asked. Tiernan was still insensate and without him, they didn’t know which direction to go.

“Perhaps we should continue towards the settlement?” Reinhardt suggested. He looked remarkably calm despite having lost one of his men. He gave a sad smile and shook his head, “I’m no stranger to death.”

Yuriko sighed, “Then let’s go.”

“Ah, I don’t know where your artefact…er, weapon went.”

“It’s fine.” Yuriko flipped her hair over her shoulder. The ribbon she used for her high ponytail had broken and she wasn’t quite used to having so much of it in front of her. After a moment, she formed a tendril of Animus and used it as a hair tie. Then she used her Anima to fix it back to its usual updo.

“That’s rather handy,” Michi and Shara said at once.

“Ah!” The warrior woman clapped a hand over her mouth and bowed apologetically.

Once they started moving, at a slow jog, Reinhardt paced next to her. Yuriko kept an eye on their surroundings but wondered why Kallas, or the creature he turned into, wasn’t following them.

“Did you leave him as he was transforming?” Yuriko asked.

“Yes. Once it was clear he was lost, Devion tried to kill him before he could turn but whatever remained of Kallas stopped him and yelled for us to run.”

“So he could have still been saved?”

“No. Almost as soon as he pushed Devion away, he turned completely red and then…” Reinhardt sighed, “...his body shifted to that of a larger man and he attacked. We barely got away.”

“I see.”

“Uh, Yuri…ko?” She arched an eyebrow at Reinhardt. “How did you manage to return?”

Yuriko said. “I fought and defeated the creature inside my Anima.” Yuriko felt herself redden. That had been an oversimplification but Damien stopped her before she could give an explanation.

He doesn’t need to know.

‘So you’re back to speaking now? What happened back then?’ she asked petulantly.

You do realize we are in the Pure Lands right? I had to make sure that They don’t notice me.

‘They?’

Leave it be. You’re not ready.

‘Why?’

You’re not strong enough. You haven’t even Actualised. You need to reach Ascension before you even stand a chance.

‘You’re just putting me off! What even is Ascension? And what danger are you talking about?’

I’ve told you before that knowledge, some knowledge, is dangerous. Names are even worse. Say the wrong name and whoever owns it will know. Worse, we aren’t sheltered by the planes.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

‘You know about the Pure Lands?’ Yuriko thought furiously, ‘Are you saying that this place has existed in your time?’

Well, yes, though it was much harder to reach than now.

‘What’s the secret?’

It's a long story. And it will only distract you from the now. I’ll tell you when we’re no longer here.

‘Always with your secrets. Hmph! Don’t tell me you actually don’t remember the details?’

Eheheh.

‘I knew it!’

Yuriko stomped so hard on the ground that the stone shattered, sending dust and fragments flying.

“Ah!” Reinhardt squeaked, “Yuriko are you…?”

“Sorry,” she muttered.

The shape of her Anima fluctuated. The condensed golden flame fluttered in the nonexistent wind. Crimson dust floated around her, and a spike of pain went through her mind.

Katha…land of the Pure. Once prison of the forsaken ones. Remnants…Anima...Those who cannot return to the cycle. Those who don’t want to return to the cycle. Here they lay, drawn in by the Remnants, unable to leave, unable to live.

Yuriko stumbled and nearly fell to her knees. Again, Reinhardt caught her arm and held her steady. She grabbed her head, and as she did, the Animus construct she used for her hair dissipated.

“Yuriko!”

More sensations lanced into her mind. Information and pain.

Who was it? What was it? The blood creature? Remnants? Anima Remnants? They fused together when they fought and killed? Why? Ah? Kathari? These were Kathari? But…

According to Aunt Layla, the Kathari appear from the dead that weren’t given the proper funeral rites. There had been so many blood warriors! Where had they all come from? Ah, there were hundreds, if not thousands of planes, occupied by multitudes of people. Even if only one in a thousand deaths weren’t sanctified, that still amounted to a lot. But Kathari don’t normally appear in civilised planes, didn’t they?

Her thoughts whirled around in circles. And it was only when Reinhardt grabbed her by the shoulders did she snap out of it.

“Yuriko, please, get a hold of yourself.”

“Ah, I’m, I’m fine.” Yuriko struggled to her feet.

“You’re obviously not.” Reinhardt shook his head. “Fighting off the blood warrior must have sapped your strength. But we have to keep moving.” He looked around and said, “Let me help you.”

“Huh?”

He turned and presented his back to her, clearly indicating that she got on. Yuriko stared at him for a moment, then nodded. “Thank you.”

“There’s no need,” he answered easily. “If you didn’t save us back then, we would have died to those grey monsters from before.”

She got on his back, and they continued on their way. Yuriko felt weary to her bones, and the rocking motion of Reinhardt’s gait lulled her to sleep.

And as she slept, she dreamt.

__________

The swirling of the Chaos Sea seemed tame compared to what Yuriko normally saw in the skies. The flows were all in one direction as if there was a Chaos storm, but there were no other indicators that she could see. There was no funnel, not Chaos lightning, and the winds weren’t really that strong.

Also, how could she stand in the Chaos without harm? Eh? Why was her hand so rough and thick? Eh? Ah! She was dreaming! And she was back in Damien’s body?

What’s happening now? She tried to look around, but she couldn’t really move anything. Her gaze followed his, and it was only because the infuriating man had been looking down that she could see his hands. Ah, how could she mistake his palazzo pants for something she would wear?

Ah, what was he doing?

Damien didn’t turn his head, but Yuriko was suddenly aware that there were more people around him. Was it the same people as the ones she saw before? She couldn’t see them to confirm, but they had a familiar presence. Well, it was Damien who found them familiar, not her.

“Are you certain?” A sultry feminine voice asked.

“Yes. There is no other way.” A calm and serene voice answered. It felt feminine too, but Yuriko wasn’t quite sure.

“The World stagnates. Growth, no longer possible.” Damien said in a low voice. “Limits where there should be none.” He spat in disgust, and his spittle split the Chaos Sea, falling thousands of leagues before landing on an island. It disintegrated and Damien’s saliva drove further into the Chaos Sea.

“That’s disgusting.” The second voice, now laden with tones of utter revulsion, yelled.

“Such power,” the sultry voice crooned. “Why don’t we see where else you can spit on?” She finished with a chuckle.

“Ugh!”

“Now, now.” Damien laughed, “I apologise for the crudeness, Elanna, but the thought just infuriates me.”

“It does to all of us.” Ellana, the serene voice, answered. Yuriko supposed the voice came from a woman, after all, since it was a woman’s name. “But doing this, it will turn the others against us.”

“Let them. They’ve long been too complacent with what they have. Just because we’ve come this far doesn’t mean that it’s the end.” Damien sighed, “Whether we succeed or not, it will lead to war. If I must end my existence, then I would rather it be a glorious death.”

“Just like what you’ve given to your enemies?” the sultry voice asked derisively. “There’s no glory in being forced into that kind of existence. What remains of their original selves, eh? Nothing! They’re but shadows of their former selves. They should have just accepted returning to the Cycle!”

“You know as well as I, that the Cycle does not work on the Elders.” Elanna sighed. “They weren’t meant to die in the first place.”

“Change is the embodiment of Chaos,” Damien said, “even if it was not meant to be, if it happens, then let the World change to suit it.”

“Just like those who have been imprisoned should not have remained there. Their purpose has been subverted, and with it, the proper running of the World has stopped.” Elanna said slowly. “Well, my bosom friend, will you give us your blessing?”

“Only if you pay the price,” the sultry voice said.

Yuriko could practically sense Elanna’s eyes roll. “You and your appetites.”

“Excitement is the spice of life, my dear. Eternal existence is boring,” the sultry voice said, “don’t you agree, Lord of the Dawn?”

Damien chuckled but didn’t say a word. Yuriko could feel a rising hunger within him, and she wasn’t sure if it was for the sultry woman or for the idea of breaking past whatever limits they talked about.

“Then let it be done,” Damien said, and the World rocked for the coming storm.

________

“Ah!” Yuriko gasped as she startled out of her nap.

“Whoa!” Reinhardt stumbled as she shifted. He almost fell over and he released her legs as he tried to catch himself from falling on his face. Yuriko quickly found her footing and caught him by the crook of his elbow.

“Sorry!”

“I’m alright,” Reinhardt said as he shook the dust off his hands. “I hope you’re feeling better?”

“Yes, thank you.” Yuriko nodded.

Her headache was gone, and whatever it was that she absorbed from the blood warrior had been subsumed in the fires of her core. Fragmented memories had no place in her mind, and she was happy to note that she couldn’t recall the visions and emotions she felt.

Well, now there were other secrets to mull on. Damien and those other two voices. Were they…the reason for the Shattering?

The idea was so ludicrous that she almost dismissed it out of hand, but a niggling doubt crept up on her.

‘Damien! What was that dream?’

What dream? Were you dreaming of jumping this boy’s bones?

‘Huh? No, I heard you and two others talking about surpassing limits and turning the rest against you. What was that?’

I don’t remember. Came his terse reply.

Somehow, Yuriko didn’t believe him.