[Mana Burst- Silent Blackout!]
The music was cut off...
The golden werewolf in the darkness absorbed the power of the moon and 'turned off the lights'.
Not in an electrical sense, nor in a metaphorical way, but by completely cutting off the vision of everyone who was there. Some guests to the party screamed, yet the darkness suppressed any sounds from reaching the ears of the others.
In the silent night, a chain wrapped around Shield Master and hoisted him up, while the bodyguard duo felt someone shoving a knife into their soft bellies at a speed faster than they could react.
A unheard scream of anguish left their mouths as they tried to cover each other's back in vain...
Despite the Immortal Warrior and the Jungle Archer both having regeneration abilities in their skill-sets, both of them were completely negated by the crimson glowing knife that turned their organs into a sieve. They fell to their knees...!
In the next moment, the lights turned back on and revealed a horrifying scene of the two lovers leaning on each other as they were bleeding out on the floor... Their cold bodies was losing life fast as the only Healer in the room barfed his guts out.
It was his first time seeing murder in the flesh, and despite how many could brush off tragedies distant from them, with his ordinary heart, Vhalen was unable keep calm after seeing them in such a state.
He hesitated, and the blood flowing out of them was turning into a puddle. He wasn't in a state where he could use his Revival Heal on them. He needed to adjust his Mana to execute a Spell...!
'Can I only save one...?!' This thought also gnawed at his mind as he was already vaguely aware of his bodyguards being lovers to each other. He didn't know what decision to make at this crucial moment despite his previous bravado as Lancia Royalty.
The prince didn't want to experience the guilt of letting one live, but he also couldn't stand the guilt of watching both die... He knew only he could do anything to help them, but he was indecisive...!
It was at this moment that he felt someone slap his face. The crowd had already started to leave in order to bring Healers to the two bloodied figures and were looking for potions they could use lessen the severity of the sounds, but the scene of Vhalen being slapped made them speechless enough to forget what they were doing. The black clad girl in a mask who did this action woke the prince up.
"Are you not going to even try?" These words coming from the masked girl caused him to stop thinking, then did his job already...! He literally stopped all trains of thought about the future and focused on what he needed to do in the moment.
He only had one Revival Heal, and complicated vitals like organs couldn't he 'patched up' with a simple skill. He needed to think outside the box and do something others wouldn't expect.
Therefore, he had to let one die if he wanted to save the other...! For the first time in his life, he despised his weakness... As his blood started to pump and the adrenaline made his mind work much faster, he remembered Cultist's words:
{"You're just a weakling."}
Although he acted like he didn't care, Shield Master's jabs had been emotionally scarring for him. He knew well that the sealing of his Time Attribute truly did make him 'less than a true Royal Family member', and cursed his own destiny.
Even if Vhalen was weak, he didn't want to see people die before him. He was a Healer, his role was to save people... so how could he allow someone to die even if it was a rational choice?
He didn't want to choose, he wanted go beyond the call of duty and save as many people as he could. The shorty prayed in his heart, and did something no 'Royal' had ever done before...!
Unwittingly, as he was praying to the Holy God to give him strength, the Grand Hero sensed his devotion from afar, and his benevolence towards even those he was a stranger to. He had sensed this once before, and a repeat happened now.
Just as Fear had realised, Vhalen's was an uncompromising person when it came to his core philosophies. So long as it was to save someone else, he would even disregard his own life...!
This wasn't only on an emotional level, but also was shown through his actions. The exact moment he regained his senses and decided to do something about it, his body acted unconsciously according to his will. The Light Ether of the world flooded into his body and Magic Pathways, like a waterfall trying to fill up what was just a tin can.
No matter how much Light Ether he attracted into his body, he only had one Spell Slot. Excessively taking in Light Ether wouldn't change that fact nor would it give him any further help, but he still chose to do so anyway in order to possess more power.
His plan was to use his body as a Spell Slot and burn his body's vitality for the sake of turning one Revival Heal into two. There was no other way, he needed to do this here and now or else he'd regret it for the rest of his life. He believed this as truth!
Seeing his reckless devotion for his craft, the entity that had stayed unknown for good chunk of time in this novel recognised him. However, this 'Holy God' couldn't break Gaia's protocols to help him...
The Holy God could only help his followers who had gained the Holy Attribute. No matter how morally outstanding someone was, the Holy God was helpless unless they truly joined his faith.
The ethereal mass of consciousness may be more like a God than most, but even he was helpless in the face of Gaia's laws. Therefore, it chose to look away instead of watching him mutilate himself.
Vhalen would still survive in the end... And there was nothing he could do anyway, so God just left.
Little did he know that his 'betrayal' to the virtuous man had made it impossible for a certain someone to stand back anymore. Since there was no celestial forces willing to help the youth, it was without choice that Fear stepped up to help him.
She hadn't planned for anyone getting hurt and was shocked when she witnessed the Berserk Killer's deeds in the flesh, but she probably should have realised from the beginning what kind of person the black-haired youth would be from his name alone... Malice, it was such a dark name that someone who killed as easily as he breathed spoke. The misfit trio broke up before it could even truly show its stuff the moment he hurt innocents...
Remembering the way the Jungle Archer had placed her Spirit Essence onto her lover's in order to use a 'Fusion Spell', she immediately tried copying it in order to lessen the burden he was putting on his body. However, there was one problem with this that she couldn't tell others:
She couldn't manifest her own Spirit Essence.
Not only was that a problem, but there was also the fact that her Class contrasted to Vhalen's in more than one way. She had no idea what would happen if someone with a 'Dark Class' attempted to share their personal Spell Slot with a Light Class.
However, she had no other choice. That's unless she wanted to see the only person who unconditionally supported her when she was lost and helpless lose his life force. She couldn't bring out a Spirit Essence, but COULD use replacements.
[Darkness Concentration- Ninja Tools!]
From her two sleeves, she created chain-like Ninja Tools with her Dark Mana and wrapped the Timelight Staff of Vhalen's. The Dark Slot within her passed over to him through that connection.
Vhalen felt a strange sensation as a Dark Attributed Spell Slot flowed into his staff. Despite it being of an opposing attribute, the close connection he felt towards Fear allowed him to meld it into himself.
His Timelight Staff took on a darker appearance as he temporarily gained the ability to use a Fusion Spell with the masked girl he had saved from being took advantage of on the streets. If you're wondering what's happening, then let me tell you in layman's terms that he was using the 'Power of Friendship' to become stronger momentarily!!
[Fusion Spell- Dark Light Revival Heal!]
The stress and burden on his body was relieved as he brought his power to its maximum capacity using his Spirit Essence as a medium. Unknowing how today's situation would affect his life in the future... Especially when it came to his growth.
Two balls of black and white energies shot from his staff and covered both targets, healing their grave wounds using the technique he was always prepared to use one there was someone who could help him out to use a Fusion Spell. As he looked at the now healing up victims with a relieved sigh, he also glanced at the masked girl beside his 'dates'.
He stretched out his hand and gestured the three quintuplet sisters to not act out as soon as they regained their senses. They couldn't believe there was someone audacious enough to slap him, but he knew this act was just to wake him out of his daze. If she left him alone, he would've probably regretted his hesitation for the rest of his life...
There was also a faint blush on cheeks. He looked at the black mark left on his Timelight Staff, which was similar to that a 'Attribute Symbol' that signified the formation of a Dark Type Spell Slot.
This made him feel strange as a natural God Physique holder who normally shouldn't be able to form a Spell Slot that ISN'T also connected to his body. Though despite this being an enormous to anyone who heard, he focused on something else.
The only way to use a Fusion Skill was when two people formed a mutual intimacy and bond with each other. At first, he thought he was the only one who saw them as 'close', but thanks to the success of this Fusion Skill, he realised that she must also care for him as much as he did to her. This made him realise that she truly was a friend to him...!
He couldn't stop smiling~! A friend... This was his first time making one that was so close to his heart rather than simply being an acquaintance. Vhalen wanted to talk to her more and get to know her, so he put the matter about his internal changes to the side and called a carriage to take them home. The two bodyguards of his were taken on stretchers...
He left the matter about finding who kidnapped the Cultist he bet with to his sister before leaving the restaurant. No one was in a mood to party anymore and public safety came before all else to Royalty.
The bodyguards were taken back, and he went back with another girl he had interest in. Though the three quintuplets didn't seem to mind as they congratulated him for saving those people.
"Thank you for helping me."
"...No problem." Even as he smiled at Vhalen before her, she felt guilt about what happened to the two bodyguards... She didn't know if she had the right to celebrate with Violet, Marma, and Mint, who were happy for him being able to save people.
She had went off on her own for the funsies, but didn't expect one wrong mood would end like this.
"You seem like something's wrong."
"Nothing is...!" Her rather intense response caused the three quintuplets to give her a doubtful look.
"Were you following me?" Vhalen asked her calmly.
"...You could say that."
"I was wondering where you went today... Aren't you a little too shy about interacting with others?"
"I am...?"
"Yeah, you should stick around without hiding yourself." He gave a thumbs up to the girl.
She knew this was a misunderstanding, but couldn't help but feel happy when he offered to be her wingman in social situations. Though it wasn't like she really wanted him to do that for her.
After getting more familiar with the world and becoming less ignorant, the former Mirror Priestess didn't seriously feel inclined to making another 'friend'. She felt this one person was enough...
Her negativity made it hard for her to truly trust people other than Vhalen. She also became more antisocial after the betrayal of 'that person', who was once supposed to be a new friend of hers...
They were raised in a similar background and had many similarities others wouldn't know about, as if they were naturally compatible with each other, but after he ruthlessly tried to kill people without much of a reason or purpose why, she felt like all the moments of understanding they had between them was meaningless. She didn't want to feel 'it' again.
That disgusting feeling when you realise the person you trusted wasn't as you thought them to be... Fear would rather only have one friend than multiple acquaintances, something Vhalen could relate to despite always being a social butterfly.
When they both realised how special their bond was, they treasured it greatly beyond many others.
Vhalen smiled as they headed back to sleep. The night ended with no other incidents happening.
What a hectic first day...! Little did they know that there was much for them to experience yet.
A five-man band couldn't be formed with two...