A dark dream shattered in an instant, as the Luminous Branch, which pierced through the heart of the black sea and allowed it to remain stable, was ultimately disencumbered from its seal.
The entrance of three people sent ripples of the black sea echoing throughout, heard by only one person, reverberating. Someone who had cast away the world out of fear, and reborn himself anew in this new world.
"…Three people…"
"He must've come at last."
He noticed quickly that this realm he domineered over, was quickly melting into black sludge. He knew that this "false world", that was born of the Luminous Branch, being treacherous, deceitful, yet perfect and ideal, was coming to an end.
"…"
"Why?"
"It was my…."
"My paradise." He said, as blackened tears flowed from his face.
"The branch allowed me to escape the deathly real world. Such a gift to me from the Elden Gods, and it was ruined…"
"…I… I was unable to feel fear, for the first time in my life."
"So why… why does that dream have to end so suddenly?"
"Why… WHY DO YOU HAVE TO END IT?!"
"…"
"No…"
"Even if it is the end…
"My dream, in which I can stay peaceful for eternity,"
Shall show you all the meaning of my hatred.
•••
Finally, Shuku awoke, seemingly in a dark abyss, that almost seemed to be dissolving into space.
He was confused, but, his first question was,
"…Did that giant push me? Into that black sea?" Shuku wondered, befuddled, "I'm sure he said something before he did, but… I can't remember what…"
"And, I remember he pushed Nuru and Rei into the black sea too. With his size, though, he could've just pushed everyone in and been done with it. What was his intention by only pushing us three in?"
"…Well, I say 'us three', but…"
Nothing was living in sight. It was an abysm of sludge similar to pure, unfettered darkness. Then, Shuku recalled the darkness of the Abyssal Pit, which was almost as grim as this. Thankfully, because he spent a great portion of his life in that pit, he became used to the darkness quite quickly.
In fact, because of it, he was even able to see a slight figure, kneeling in the melting black sludge all around them, that deeply resembled darkness.
He, at least, it looked like a 'he', muttered a few broken words at a time, and each of these words contained a malice that was not simple. It was like, he was furious, irate, at all that exists and existed.
Because they were the ones who birthed the world he despised. Shuku thought. This figure's hatred was oozing off of him so intensely, that he figured out their intentions with just a mere glance. Though, that's not the only reason he came to such a conclusion.
"You… you deformed creature, you hold his damn scent." The figure spoke, loud enough for Shuku, who was quite far away to hear him, "You have been travelling with him."
"…With who?"
"With that irrational Giant, that has vowed to search for the world's secrets. He is hunting me, and he sent three dogs to apprehend me at last! HAHAHAHAHA! Who would've thought he would be able to find three dunces to capture the branch at last?"
"…So, you're the governor?" Shuku questioned.
"…I was. Before I embraced 'it'. The power of the Luminous Branch, that is even capable of warping the imagination itself into a great and vast land, which it also allows entry into."
"Now, I am Hurstrate. Just Hurstrate."
To this, Shuku merely replied,
"You are trying something dangerous. Distorting what is the gift of Gods is a blasphemous act they won't let go."
"Haha… the Elden Gods are eternal, omnipotent and omnipresent over what they represent, yet, you imply that they are not omniscient and don't already know?"
Shuku gave a confused glance in response.
"They already know, fool. In the same way that they already know that I will die for the sake of a foolish pursuit of the world's mysteries," Hurstrate spoke, "But, I don't care. Why should I? The Elden Gods have already taken so much from me. And, I can tell that they have taken from you too."
"Can you?" Shuku asked as he pricked his finger. Blood dripped, and from that little droplet of blood, he summoned his katana.
He didn't care for the former governor's sob story. He didn't care for any of that in the first place, even if he did have a valid reason.
But, what he did care for was the fact that there was a certain hatred in the disposition of the governor. A hatred directed towards both Shuku and technically all other beings that existed. A vile hatred on such a level was so rare, and so impossibly deeply rooted in the soul, that there was no chance of redemption.
At that moment, the figure turned around to reveal his face, and he said,
"Ever since I was young, I've always had an animosity, and a fear, for humans."
"I learnt to contain, cage, that animosity, but that fear, that is what wouldn't leave me, and what caused me to flee from Fols."
"After all, I have peered into the depths of the dark world, to obtain this branch, and I have witnessed things that could only be experienced far beyond this region of the world."
"And, with those experiences, I came across an epiphany."
"That the true world is unfathomable, endless and all around us."
His face was revealed. His skin was pale, sickly pale like he was constantly afraid, with eerie, red eyes that resembled the hatred that pierced through. His hair was also a mess, unkempt, and black tears stained his face.
"You won't understand what I mean, and neither will your 'friends'. Even I do not understand myself. But, fools who only go after the world's mysteries will never truly realise that the world is but a fruit, borne from the ancient tree."
After those last words, just like that, a giant, reddish glow ignited the darkness, revealing a land of smouldering, caked mud and dirt, with a hazy layer of fog and smoke overcast in the air.
There was nothing else in sight.
At the same time, Rei and Nuru appeared before Shuku, in the same situation he was in. Rei was standing like Shuku was, while Nuru was planted on the ground due to being disorientated.
"The scenery changed so suddenly…" Shuku murmured, glancing at Nuru and Rei shortly afterwards.
"You two?" Rei asked, rubbing his eyes, "Hah… what nonsense is this…?"
"Oh, it's you two!" Nuru sighed with relief, now able to relax his tense self.
"I don't know why we were pushed into this place, but that person that I assume we all met, is who I think is the governor…"
Shuku nodded, and Nuru continued.
"Also, he is quite a bit more stranger than expected. But, I don't think we're in this warped place for nought, since he seemed to have the Luminous Branch that Duran spoke of."
Rei rolled his eyes.
"Hmph. I just want to get this over and done with so that we can accomplish Father's task on time…."
"Hm?"
Rei looked up and saw a cyclone of fire and fog descending from the sky like a mountain. It was almost like the demonic spirit of Satsujinsha, the Blood Dragon himself, was descending. Nuru stared up in abject horror, while Shuku clutched his blade harder than he ever did before.
Shuku sensed, in that hurricane that spoke of windstorms and bursts of fire, a flaming, humanoid beast, with skin similar to bronze and coated in ashes, at the centre of it all. The Demon of Red Gold. That was the form that Hurstrate took, with the power of the Luminous Branch.
He felt wronged, and from that, he felt fear and hatred, for a reason nobody understood. So, he decided that, if nobody knew why he bore such fear, he would show why he bore such hatred, in a way everybody could understand.
I have endured for so long…
Fools. Bear some of my pain, and maybe you'll understand…
The secrets of the world.