Ryu's whole body was feverish; several hands at once moved to put damp clothes on his hands and face,
"This fever is not normal… Ryu [Small Heal]!! [Cure Illness III]!!" Aiena cast her skills in the hope of decreasing Ryu's fever,
'Nothing is working…. Ryu can't... no' Aiena was trying to stop herself from thinking worst case. Jue put a damp cloth on Ryu's head; he was sure Ryu would come through the fever,
"Big sister don't worry, Ryu big brother wouldn't do anything life-threatening I am sure he has a way out," Jue said confidently, but what he didn't know was,
'F#ck, there is no way out!!!!' Ryu looked around in an endless violet torrent of Darkness and Light surrounding him, he knew he was no longer awake, but this all was in his head.
'I already tried waking up…' Ryu thought with irritation as soon as he remembered what happened. As soon as he fell unconscious, two energies began battling inside his body, trying to establish dominance over one another, blue and soft energy opposing and managing murky black energy, which was lower in amount but more potent than it.
Ryu looked upwards at a sky in his mind painted blue and black, both colliding and repulsing at specific points,
'Damn, is there no way to go out…' Ryu sat down his head aching as if it is being drilled,
"Arhh ahh!!!" he groaned and decided to meditate as there was nothing besides it he could do rather than wait, and he didn't want to keep seeing those stupid energies anymore. As Ryu fell into mana meditation, a ray of blue energy moved toward him.
'I am sorry for intruding on your consciousness,' a voice spoke right in his mind, which he couldn't understand as he was already trapped in his mind,
"Your voice is familiar," Ryu spoke out, as he went through his memories trying to figure out who it was,
'Thanks for not turning berserk' as soon as the feminine relieved voice in his head said this, everything was clear,
"Estelle…" Ryu spoke the name, and the voice replied,
"What?"
"What kinda person do you take me for!? Literally, the first thing you said is thanks for not turning berserk… damn you, also more than berserk have you ever considered teaching your world adult's not to jump swords on kids?"
"aha, there is not much time… we need to suppress that dark mana to help you" there was a nervousness in the voice, yet it still sounded delicate and holy,
"You are just trying to distract me, right? Goddess of Light" as Ryu sighed, the voice, which was the will of the Goddess of Light, went quiet,
"At least tell me what is happening?" Ryu demanded,
"You absorbed another being Dark attribute mana. If it was someone else, they might've succumbed to it, going mindless or had fallen under the control of that being…. But that's not the case with you; due to being born with a Unique Dark attribute yourself, your Dark attribute suppressed it instinctively, but…."
"But what?" Ryu asked,
"You didn't know what to do consciously, and subconscious reflex could only do much good, so despite it costing me a heavy burden, I decided to intervene. Right now, mainly my Light mana and the Dark mana are causing a ruckus in your body for dominance…."
"So no matter which one wins… the war zone my body would suffer?"
"There is a way to end it sooner."
Ryu felt exhausted and wanted to shout,
'If there is something like that tell it first..' but held back as he listened,
"You need to direct your Dark mana consciously and make it swallow the new Darkness making it an element of your own Mana…. I don't know how many properties you will salvage because normally it is impossible."
"I have another question, Estelle," Ryu said in a deep voice,
"You know I am a Goddess, right…. You are casually saying my name… at least add honorifics. My church would be angry with you if you do that in front of them you know?"
Even though Estelle sounded disappointed, Ryu knew she was trying to distract him from asking the question, but he didn't faze,
"What is the purpose you talked about before? Why was I reincarnated?" Ryu asked the fundamental question. Light Goddess's voice sounded serene as she replied,
"Was this world good for you? Or bad for you?" Ryu felt silent even though this world had initially taken everything from him. It has just been giving him since then; Ryu can't say he hated this world, or he didn't like being reincarnated here,
"It is good… Jue, Aiena everyone" Ryu replied in a low voice,
"So does it really matter knowing the purpose? Isn't it best to crave purpose out yourself?"
"But you said I was born with one," Ryu added with a snort,
"Ryu, there is not much time… I can not hold the Dark mana much longer. But this answer I'll give you…."
'Finally…' Ryu thought, and Light Goddess replied with a serene voice,
"You were born with hope; in this chaotic world, a purpose can't be set in stone in the first place. What you are is the hope of the Prime Goddess, so make your path yourself; she and I believe in you."
Ryu woke up from the meditation and looked up at the dark mana, which was about to overwhelm the blue mana, Ryu lightly kicked the ground, and as he expected, he could float,
'Now that I think about it….' Ryu emitted dark crimson mana from his body, the black-crimson miasmic mana causing lightening within itself sparked, and soon began to increase rapidly forming a storm of crimson mana clouds. The Dark murky mana could feel it as it reacted violently,
"Light Goddess, just what are you Gods planning? A new Dark attribute," a voice from the murky black mana become audible to Ryu,
"Oii bastard, my body is not a café you chat in!!" Ryu shouted, irritated at it. The Dark mana, which was trying to suppress Light mana, turned to Ryu and rushed towards him roaring and emitting chaotic despair from its very being.
At first, Ryu was overwhelmed. The murky mana was intoxicating and impermeable trying to envelop Ryu,
"Not so fast… f@cker," Ryu said in a slow, serious voice as he raised his mana rapidly. Now the competition seemed equal both manas were trying to eat each other, but slowly, crimson dark mana was overwhelming. After all, this body was its home domain in the first place,
Outside of his body, everyone was confused. Aiena was still sticking near Ryu. Jue was also trying to reach with damp clothes, but he couldn't.
"Just what is happening?" Fiona was stressed, seeing almost evil and murky black mana rise from Ryu's eyes and ears. Silvia's parents worshipped the Goddess of Light at a corner because they thought that was best.
No one could go near Ryu in such a state. Even Jue tried his best but was pushed away by abnormal pressure. Only Aiena clad in the holy Light of sorts could sit near Ryu. Rafa was stunned. She knew she had seen it before, but words didn't come out of her mouth,
'What is this? What am I?' Rafa thought as she saw murky black mana. Her mind filled with anger, and things started becoming white,
Inside, Ryu followed behind the murky mana as it tried to escape his body,
"You can't run away before paying your rent, you bastard!!" Ryu chased behind him with all his strength not even caring as he passed through the boundaries of his internal realm,
'Ehh!? Is this out of body experience!?' Ryu was shocked as his consciousness looked in all directions. At the same time, Aiena was near him. Jue was lying face down on the floor. Meanwhile, Rafa was standing black-faced in the distance. There were others, but Ryu's conscious didn't seek them.
"it is Ryu…." Rafa muttered in a low voice as she saw the crimson mana coming out from Ryu as well as rushing behind the murky one,
"You won't harm my Ryu!!" Rafa resolved as she pulled her sword from her side and moved towards Ryu. Fiona, scared at Rafa moving towards Ryu with her sword, tried to warn everyone but couldn't move.
"you can't run, dude. Give up," Ryu snickered, but the Dark mana with other plans rushed towards fallen Jue. Ryu nearly swallowed it. Right now, the chance to hide in someone else's body is a jackpot, but a sword comes rushing toward it before he can. Even though physical things can't damage mana directly, it cuts through it,
"That wolf…" These were the last words that came out of murky mana before Ryu, in the form of crimson mana, consumed it whole.
"Finally, it's…" before Ryu could say over, he felt his whole consciousness pull towards his body rapidly, and everything quieted down momentarily.
[The second condition fulfilled]
"you win; I was right to believe in you… Wish to talk with you again soon" a calm and holy voice resounded in Ryu's ears as he opened his eyes, this time waking up in Silvia's home properly in his physical body. As he awkwardly looked around, he could only speak,
"Did I make you wait long?" Aiena and Rafa, who stood near him, hugged him instantly; Aiena was relieved that her cherished brother was finally awake and tears wouldn't stop falling from her eyes,
"Ryu, you know how scared I was. Your fever won't go down… the skills won't work either… I tried not thinking it but… but," Aiena spoke, sniffling, and Ryu wiped her tears as he spoke,
"I am back, Aiena; thanks for helping me," he begins patting her.
"I want pats too," Rafa requested her face looking a bit tense as she turned her head down towards Ryu like a kid, and Ryu began patting her too.
"Big brother, are you fine now?" Jue asked as he got back on his feet, and Ryu nodded,
'I knew big brother wouldn't fail.'
Fiona, who was seeing such a warm family scene, couldn't take it anymore and finally spoke in an irritated voice,
"I want an explanation!! If everyone is getting what they want!" she seemed confused and pouted, even though she was very concerned when Ryu was unconscious, it was all gone now that he looked in a perfect or more than perfect state,
"let's talk later at night," Ryu said as he kept patting both kids like adults in front of him, and Fiona nodded as she knew both of them needed to be consoled.
Time passed everyone aside from Jue, Silvia's brothers, and Flan remained in the room. Ryu tried to get up from bed earlier but was scolded by Aiena.
"A good rest is needed even if the fever gets healed instantly; otherwise, you'll just fall sick again," she told him before helping Silvia's mom prepare dinner. The afternoon turned into night, and Ryu was finally allowed to move after much asking. He went to the backyard and Fiona followed him,
Ryu stood in the middle of the backyard. The Light from the moon shining on half of his face made him look exceptionally handsome due to his facial features being emphasized,
"You have a manifest? Rafa is super strong!? You also have dark mana… which is mostly in demons!? You, people, are good… but just what are you guys?" Fiona couldn't help her curiosity won't let her rest; all these questions flooded her head.
And Ryu sighed as he began explaining what he could and hiding what he didn't want to tell,
"I got manifest when I was much younger while trying to protect Jue we barely escaped but God recognized my efforts, About Rafa, not just us she doesn't even know about herself… she has amnesia. We are Fusion souls party… anything else?"
Fiona sighed; the answers were already stupid to her, but she couldn't help it as she spoke,
"I really can't make head and tail of things when it comes to your party," she pouted as she thought,