Inu sat and hung his feet off a large boulder atop a hill and watched as Liv lay on her back moving her hands above with an ethereal elegance. She seemed to see through the material world. It was something only the most talented individuals with the Matter Inter could do. But for someone so crude as Liv to do such a thing was unimaginable.

Then again, Liv's crude nature may not have been so... inherent.

A man was not born protecting his head. It was something one learned. In the very same way, the individual known as Liv had formed herself into what she felt she had to be in order to survive.

As Inu watched her, he believed it was another person entirely who cursed the world so heavily. The Liv he saw from his boulder then was only a child infatuated with the world. Unable to take her eyes from the sky, clouds, and stars. A desire to become nature and flow away with the wind towards the sunset. The sunset that was dark yellow.

"You're creeping me out," Liv hollered, shaking Inu from his reverie. "How long are you gonna stare at me?" she asked, keeping her eyes on her hands that formed different symbols with a smooth flow.

Inu smiled awkwardly squinting as the sun shone into his eyes. "I was just wondering what you're doing."

"Practice."

"Can you tell me what kind of practice?"

"The 'Hakro-killing' kind."

Inu gave a stiff laugh and jumped down. "How do you suppose that will help you?"

"You wouldn't get it, Body. You're all instinct. Now stop bothering me."

"Uh, I think it would be a good time to continue. How is your condition?"

Liv sighed, dropping her hands before sitting up. "Still shit. You don't have to ask me every hour. We've been at this for a week now."

"What if I just want to talk to you? You never start conversations. Why is that?"

"Maybe, it's..." Liv spoke as she stood up, holding her side. "Because I don't want to talk to you. You're here to help me recover aren't you?"

Then she began walking towards the plain below.

"I also give you insight into battle strategy," Inu said after catching up to her and assuming her pace.

He would have helped her, but he had learned not to. She didn't refuse help outright. She just seemed incapable of putting a hand out. She didn't what it was to accept help. Lonely her whole life, she had never learned to put faith in another. To trust someone to do something for her.

Stolen novel; please report.

Sometimes it seemed that the effects of her identity were more mental than physical.

"Ah, that's right. But any time I ask about how you came to possess those skills of yours, you freeze up. Why is that?" Liv asked, mimicking his words and way of talking with a snarky glance.

'She identified my weakness and won't let go. No way but through, " Inu thought pursing his lips for a moment.

"Have you heard of the Eastern Purge?"

"The name came up when I raided my home dominion's head library," Liv said with a chuckle.

"So that was you," Inu said before grumbling. "Why the fire?"

"Accident. I meant to just burn the books related to the King's Eyes. After I read them of course."

"All of them?"

Liv shook her head. "Most were bullshit propaganda. That's what they teach kids, you know. That anyone who inherits the King's Eyes is destined to go insane and bring back the Red Age."

"Do you—" Inu hesitated. "Do you ever feel like it might be true?"

Liv turned with her eyebrows furrowed. "Did you seriously ask me that?"

"No, I meant the insanity. You have visions, right? You said you did. Remember?" Inu said hurriedly.

"Sure, I have visions? You think that makes me the Red King?"

"No, I didn't mean—"

"Shut up. Just shut up," Liv snapped before sighing. "So, the Eastern Purge."

Inu wiped some sweat off his forehead. "Ah, right. So I was a late-bloomer... like you. After I discovered my Intra, I journeyed out into the world. I had heard of how the government was suppressing unwanted religion in the East."

"Ah, yes. We in Stratum are the children of the Love Gods and the War Gods. That type of thing, right?"

"Right... Well, when I got there, the Eastern Purge had already started. I fought against it. That's how I learned."

Liv looked at Inu. They met eyes. He knew what was in her mind. Surprisingly, she refrained from asking.

But the facts remained. The Eastern Purge had been completed. With the contribution of Gandro Manus—the former Body of Hexa as well as the father of Hakro—, hundreds of thousands were massacred.

Out of those hundreds of thousands, many were against the new gods, but they were killed just to seal the mission. Furthermore, eastern soldiers were tortured to death regardless of religion.

For some reason, Inu still lived.

***

When they found a suitable place, they set up camp. It was near a town. It was high time to get some medical supplies. Liv needed some proper treatment.

Liv laid down as soon as they stopped and looked up at the stars in the night sky. It seemed a habit of hers.

"You like the stars, don't you?" Inu asked, breaking the silence that had lasted ever since the conversation about the Eastern Purge.

"They talk to me," Liv answered, her voice dreamy. Inu's brows furrowed. Liv raised her head and looked at Inu deadpanned. "One says that you're a dumbass."

Inu chuckled. "I'll go get some more supplies now. Oh, and..."

Liv furrowed her brows. "Well?"

"I don't think that you are insane. I know how much you've killed, but I want you to know it's not your fault. Anybody in your situation would have done it. With your powers you don't have to feel it the same. The burden of killing may just be distant to you because of that."

"Why are you... saying this?"

"I had a friend once. She was the sweetest person I knew, but after her family was slaughtered, she started doing evil for the sake of it. At times, she was happy, but she still had something guiding her into a dark place. I saw her run on crops, ruining fields that were meant to feed the poor. When I asked her to stop, she was offended. She seemed to wonder, 'How dare you tell me what I do is wrong after the wrong that has been done to me?'"

"You think I'm like her?"

"I do. And that's a good thing. It means you're not a bad person."

Liv put her head back on the ground and looked towards the sky, reaching a hand out. "Interesting theory. I don't buy it."

"That's fine. Just know that I think of you positively," Inu said and walked away to town.

Later, he thought he heard her say, "For now."