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“Zotoady.” On top a lifeless field of nothingness, a young man finally speaks. Wearing a hoodless white cloak decorated by trails of golden lines embroidered onto it. His long white hair and two sleeves dances with the wind. Around his belt sits a violet blade.
“Did you come here as the “First Sword of the Three Realms”, “Divine Blade of Yirde”. Or are you here as Rajar Gavailian. If I remembered correctly the Gavail Tree will not awake again for another 3.23 million Realm’s Years. Why are you here?” Zotoady says, his voice is not cold yet it is lacking all emotions, he did not turn to the young man instead he kept on playing with a golden necklace, throwing it up, grabs it and throws it up again.
“I come here as a friend.” Rajar, the white haired young man says.
“I see, so” Turns to Rajar, Zotoady flicks his fingers, HE says,” Than, what are you here for, friend?” a black dome grows out, covering both him and Rajar along with most of their surroundings.
Rajar moves his hand towards his belt, palm onto the hilt of the sword.
In the next instant he throws his sword onto the ground.
“Gosh, dood finally, I can speak and act like a normal person.” Rajar let out a breath of relief.
“FINALLY FIANALL I do not be forced to go everywhere with this sword on, It is not even the real #Soul Cutter#. Those new Elders are so freaking demanding. But all that aside, SOOOOOooo, how’s going Zod?” Rajar says, his tone changed entirely form before.
“Alright? I guess, if you really don’t like those Elders, you know that you can just cut them right?”
“Yah….But Mollie would most likely cut me if I am to do that.” Rajar shrugs. Slicing his hand across his neck and puts up a dying face. Zotoady shakes his head and sighs, confirming Rajar’s statement “Of cause, she will.”
“So…em speaking of Mollie, have you, you know, you, her.” Rubbing the back of his head, Rajar unsure about how he is to approach the question.
“No. I failed….again….”
“You should really move on and accept that she is de…”
“No.” before Rajar can finish his sentence, Zotoady denied him with the same reply from before.
“I should have guessed. But anyway, I got some information for you, that you may like, about the Saint of Blades and the Ruler of Time.” Walking to Zotoady and sits in front of him.
“Ty. Send them to me across Pigeon, use private chat.”
“kk.”
“How are the others?” Zotoady asks.
“Leo and Quilta are, well, just travelling around, recently frozen another planet, because they met some really, really, really unlucky bandits. Clean-up crews fixed it up, luckily. Willem and Vivian opened up a travelling smith’ shop, at least they stopped arguing about firearms are better than melee weapons or melee weapons are better than firearms. Mollie and I are and have been doing what so called, guarding the Realm. Well you know, just sitting there doing nothing, apparently that works, go figure.”
“I see that’s nice, so wanna hear a story?” Zotoady spent a few minutes comprehending all that information, then he asks.
“SCREW you, NO! EVERYTIME I HEAR A STORY FROM YOU AND I GET A DEPRESSION FOR THE NEXT FEW HUNDREDS OF YEARS.” Rajar shouts angrily at the blacked haired young man. Yet at the same time he is glad in some ways, as Zotoady maybe is the only few people remaining in this world that will not just tumble upon hearing his shouts.
looking at each other in silent for a good five minutes, then out of nowhere a laughter breaks out.
…….. Those two talked on and on for hours……...
“Well, It seems that I really got to go.” Rajar speaks after he checked a bracelet on his forearm.
“Best luck. don’t kill yourself.”
“So, it is still that same old phrase, you know now you are saying this to the funder of the Realm of Legend, Right? The strongest being in all three Realms.” Rajar says somewhat jokingly.
“I am saying it to a friend.” Zotoady replies,” Besides what will the strongest being of all three Realms do if I tell Mollie that Rajar once cheated her when.....”
“THAT IS A LIE! AND YOU KNOW IT.”
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Erhart’s eyes widens, ‘What is that? Is that a dream? What the hell? It doesn’t feel like one. Who is that so called ‘Zotoady’s friend’. Who really is Zotoady? Realm of Legend is real? I thought master is just joking when he told me about....’ Despite Erhart feels as if his head is combusting, question pops out of his brain one after another. Soon, Erhart feels waves of pain gradually emerging into his mind from across his body.
Yet the pain was nothing compare to the strangeness Erhart is experiencing, he feels as if his whole body had been just renewed. He looks down seeing that he is bonded like a mummy with bandage made out of some green plants. Gripping his hands, finds his old work or sword hardened, callous hands. Now feels somewhat soft and smooth similar to the ones of a newborn’s. He takes in a deep breath, and fuses himself with his surroundings. ‘Qi’ floods into his body like no time before, at the same time Erhart feels his qi’s storage also has expanded. He have grown stronger, somehow.
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‘I Never know my body would act like this after the Divine Punishment?’
…..
After around seven or so minutes, Erhart clears himself of most of his internal damage that Zotoady’s potion did not cure. Now he is finally fully conscious of his surroundings. Scanning around, realising that he is sitting in an empty tank with a red haired young girl lying on the edge, fallen asleep sometimes ago. Erhart shakes his head, as softly as possible he lays the girl down on to the ground and covers her up with sheets of blanket he found nearby, most likely left there by Zotoady.
After returning to his own tent, Erhart unwraps the bandage and dresses himself. Then as he reaches towards his head. He hesitates, realising that all of his original hair had been burned into ashes and his head now feels kind of…. empty ‘Does this confirm the theory of I grow stronger and I become bold.’ Erhart thinks jokingly to himself. After considering many of the consequence for leaving his head exposed to the elements of the nature, Erhart decides he will still leave the bandage across his head on, till he finds himself a proper hat, preferably a beanie.
Peeking up into the sky, observing that the sun is still not up. Erhart decides that he will wonder around the camp, maybe go hunt for something later when everyone wakes up. For now, Erhart secedes he will just be pacing around the surrounding area. The young boy is distracted, keep on trying to comprehend all the information he received from watching Zotoady talking to Rajar. Pulled by a mysterious force, unknowing he walks south.
Erhart’s walk is mostly ordinary, not a single irregularity is spotted. Not that Erhart is intentionally trying to spot any that is. The walk is quite and normal, almost too normal that strangely in some way disturbs Erhart. The young boy feels as if his intuition is telling him to take more notice of his nearby.
And his intuition is not wrong, out of nowhere in the corner of the young boy’s eyes he catches a trace of silver flashing by. Immediately Erhart turns and looks towards it, yet there is nothing there. ‘Never believe that you saw a hallucination, sword master’s blade must be sharp at all time.’ ‘A good hunter knows that eyes are the [Gifts] from god, there is never a so called miss-sought.’
Words of his Master and Jorah echoes around his head. Erhart’s body automatically shifts into a defensive stance, his hand spontaneously jumped towards the whereabouts of the handle of his sword.
‘Woops’
But, what Erhart’s hand caught is not his sword, but an empty space. Realising that he did not bring his weapon. He still did not show any signs of weakness or attempt to run away, Erhart scans left, a silver haired girl enters his view. She smiles, nodding at the young boy, before Erhart can ask any questions or even say a word, she vanishes. Erhart focus his mind, filling the surroundings with his ‘Qi’. Attempting to sense any trace of irregularities or life forms, but at the end there is no sign of the girl or anything even being near him. ‘This somewhat feels similar to Zotoady’s presence.’
Now after seeing someone just disappear in front of his view like that. Erhart really begin to question his sanity. ‘Maybe I really am having a hallucination.’
Shaking his head, without killing his braincells any further, Erhart strolls on till in a tiny empty field within the forest. He sees a figure sitting on top of a rock, gazing deeply at something. Erhart walks closer, not realising that he is walking in total silence.
“Show you self!” Zotoady shouts.
“Good Morning.” Erhart greets, nodding his head.
“Oh, young Erhart you are awake, how do you feel?”
“Alright.”
“Good, very good. Well then anyway! Can you cook the breakfast?”
“Sure, but I think we are out of food supplies.”
“No we not, Some really nice [Human] friends send here some food supplies just a few days ago. And invited me to check on the village too, it’s a nice place, but the sewage system is terrible, so I fixed it up. Now sludge can be recycled and a sun light filtration tank is added. Oh, Oh, Oh And also, nearly forgot, someone called “Jorah” or some name starts with “J”, told me to tell you that ‘He’s are sorry. Return to the village after the [Departure Day] if you want…’ Or something.”
“Ok.” On the surface Erhart replies emotionlessly, yet deep down, for some unknown reason he feels waves of warmth reaching into heart, when he knows that he has not been forgotten. But he soon shakes himself out of that joy ‘A dead man do not deserve to be cared for or remembered.’
“What were you looking at?” Erhart asks. “Can I see?”
“Nothing really.” Zotoady takes out a small photo encased with a rainbow coloured wooden frame. He hands the picture to Erhart, his hand shakes slighly, he remains Erhart, “Be careful.”
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In the picture Erhart sees eight youngsters. In the middle of the photo is an ash-haired boy holding a purple sword, hugged onto by an emerald haired girl with a bow slung on her back.
Next to them stands another young man with grey steel hair and a cobalt haired young girl, both are blushing, while holding each other’s hand nervously.
Behind those four stands a muscular looking, blond haired young giant with a red haired young lady sitting on his shoulder.
Lastly on the two corners of the picture is a jet black haired young boy, as always long and messy hair that covering his eye and ‘Wait, what, What the hell? How is she on the picture? How is it possible?’. On the other corner stands the silver haired young girl that Erhart just saw.
“Rajar, Mollie, Leon, Quilta, Willem, Vivian, Zotoady who is that white haired girl?” Erhart counts the people one by one, pointing at the girl, he asks.
“Oh that’s Alyss. Actually, wait a second….” Zotoady pauses, realising something is not right.” How did you know all of them?”
“I saw a conversation you had with Rajar, mentioning them when I was unconscious.” Erhart speaks the truth. ‘He has the right to know.’
“Oh never know that thing has memoriion in it.”
“What thing?”
“You will know one day.” Zotoady replies.
“Zotoady.”
“Yah?”
“Emmm, what if I told you that I saw that silvered haired girl just now. Is it possible?”
“Nah, it’s not possible, she left~ this world a long~ time ago. It’s maybe an after-effect of the thing I gave you, someone’s emotions can have be transferred onto memoriion, don’t worry, you will be back to normal soon.” His voice crackles slightly.
“Another thing.”
“What?” Zotoady’s voice have a slight bit of irritation in it. Just a slight bit.
“I am sorry.”
“What?” he repeat, sounds confused.
“Sorry, about thinking that only I know to feeling of losing my loved o….” Before Erhart can finish, Zotoady stopped Erhart by covering Erhart’s mouth with his palm. He shakes his head slowly and gives out a bitter smile, “No, you haven’t lost anyone yet. Speak less and act more before you actually start to lose people you cared about. Now let us get to today’s lesson.“
“Another thing… if I actually completed all the tasks, and if Yuna comes back to life again. Which world will she be reincarnated into?”
“Good question,” Zotoady pat’s Erhart’s head and replies, “Her soul will always be bond to yours. Wherever you are, she is.”
“Ok…….Thank you, I guess”