Zaymon Kaltaris's Point of View
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The return journey was heavy with silence, broken only by the sound of the approaching storm. Elios and Merea were likely still dwelling on the humiliation they had suffered at Areyos's hands. Oredys, however, had her gaze fixed on her new necklace, a smile playing on her lips. Eventually, we arrived at the castle, and Oredys immediately headed to her chambers. Elios and Merea made their way to the throne room, where the general was undoubtedly waiting to report news from the Aegyl continent.
"Your Highness, welcome back to the castle. I regret to inform you that I must deliver some very urgent news," said the general.
"If it's about the Aegyls, it can wait. Instead, find me everything you can about Areyos Orionis," Elios demanded, his voice seething with anger.
"But, Your Majesty, the situation is—"
"Do as I say, Eldranor!" Elios shouted.
"…Very well, Your Majesty," Eldranor replied before leaving.
"I see you're still upset, Elios, to the point of seeking punishment for him, even though he's a citizen of an allied kingdom," I said as I approached.
I stood before King Elios and Queen Merea, my expression calm. The king and queen were visibly agitated, their rigid postures betraying their irritation.
"That boy… Areyos," began Merea, her voice tinged with annoyance, "he dares to challenge a king at a banquet, and you think that doesn't deserve punishment?"
I slowly shook my head, a smirk on my lips. "Merea, my daughter, and you, Elios, you see defiance where you should see strength. It's not every man who speaks to a king like that and walks away unscathed. Areyos… is cut from a different cloth."
Elios slammed his hand against the arm of his throne, his eyes blazing with fury. "No matter the cloth he's cut from! That boy must learn discipline and respect for the crown!"
I sighed, crossing my arms. "Do you respect someone merely because they wear a crown, or because they earn it?" I paused, then continued with a more somber tone. "Areyos may be a citizen of another kingdom, but his spirit… his spirit is that of a sovereign. You can try to subdue him, but he will not bow to your will like others do."
Merea raised an eyebrow, her voice skeptical. "You seem quite taken with this young man, Father. But he remains a subject, not a king."
I gave an amused smile. "A subject, perhaps. But one with an inner strength you cannot ignore. If you attempt to break him, you might find yourself facing a lion instead of a lamb."
Elios gritted his teeth. "He cannot defy royalty without consequence!"
I leaned forward slightly, locking eyes with the king. "Elios, you are a king by birthright, but a true king is recognized for his ability to lead, not for the crown he wears. Areyos knows his worth, and he doesn't need a title to prove it. If you try to control him, you may find that a natural ruler cannot be dictated to, not even by another king."
Merea, though stubborn, seemed to feel the weight of my words. "So, you think we should simply let him do as he pleases?"
"No. I say you should respect him. Because one day, he could be a powerful ally or a formidable adversary. And on that day, you'll be grateful you recognized the value of a lion before he bared his fangs."
"And you, Elios," I said, turning to him, "it might be time for you to take on the responsibilities that come with the crown. Otherwise, soon, Areyos will be the least of your concerns."
Elios furrowed his brows, frustration clear in his expression. "What are you talking about, Father?"
I took a deep breath, weighing my words carefully. "The Aegyls, your own people, are planning a coup against you. They are dissatisfied with your negligence toward them. Areyos saw the truth, in the end. You can complain, take offense, or even try to deny it, but it won't change the fact that he was right. The crown, Elios, may be too heavy for you."
The tension in the room escalated. Merea, trying to grasp the meaning of my words, asked with growing concern, "Father… what exactly do you mean?"
I looked at her with affection before turning my gaze back to Elios. "You would do well to prove your worth, son, before the elves begin to think the same as the Aegyls. Because if you continue down this path, I won't hesitate to take the crown from you and place it on Oredys, my granddaughter."
Elios swallowed hard, his fists clenched, but before he could respond, I concluded with a cryptic smile, "And who knows? Her king might very well be Areyos."
A heavy silence fell over the throne room, my words undoubtedly resonating in their minds. Despite their stubbornness, they could not ignore the truth within the words of the former sovereign that I was.
As I exited, I saw General Eldranor speaking with the commander.
"Your Highness, how are you?" they asked, noticing me.
"I'm well. And you?"
"Well, not so much. We've received an order that seems trivial compared to the urgency of the situation on the Aegyl continent. His Majesty prefers to investigate a certain Areyos Orionis."
"Yes, I've heard. For the kingdom's safety, do not involve yourselves in matters concerning Areyos Orionis."
"Is he that dangerous?" asked the commander.
"Ahaha, no. At this moment, he poses absolutely no threat to the kingdom. The problem is that he's the adopted son of General Barrios Mendoris," I replied, my hands tucked into my sleeves.
"Pardon?! Why does His Majesty want information on him?" asked the commander.
"I imagine he can't stand being humiliated by that kid, so he wants to punish him. But that's the problem. Areyos knows he has Barrios to protect him from Elios. But who does he have to protect him from Barrios? Let me give you a scenario: imagine you manage to capture Areyos. Barrios finds out and comes to Sylvestria, tearing down towers and roofs of the kingdom to retrieve his adoptive son. Who could stop him? Barrios isn't called the strongest man in the world for no reason. He could take on the four kingdoms a hundred times and come out victorious every time—unless I step in. So, for the kingdom's sake, focus on the issue with the aegyls."
"He's really that strong?!" asked the commander.
"With a celestial energy system like his, it's only natural. It would barely be a warm-up for him to take on the four kingdoms," said the general.
"Celestial energy, you say! So, he's already reached awakening?!" the commander exclaimed.
"Ahahaha, yes, Barrios has already reached awakening, which is all the more reason not to provoke him," I replied.
"Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. But in that case, what should we do?" Eldranor asked.
"Wait. Sometimes, you just have to wait for the solution to present itself."
"Understood, Your Highness," they said simultaneously. As they walked away, the rain began to pour heavily.
Areyos's Point of View
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"I brought some snacks along with the fruit juices," I said as I settled into the armchair.
"Good thing it was you who went. You're not bothered by the rain," Yoko said.
"True," added Kaiser, grabbing a fruit juice.
"So, how was the day for you?" Barrios asked.
"Great and very eventful for some," Kaiser replied, giving me a suspicious look that I hurried to ignore.
"Ahah, I can imagine," said Barrios, pouring himself a glass of wine. "Now, let's talk about the matter at hand. I need to hear the full story from your perspective, Yoko," he added, his tone suddenly serious.
Yoko took her time organizing her thoughts. As the rain intensified and thunder rolled, she finally began.
"It all started on a weekend evening. I was eight years old. That day, it was pouring—one of those storms that makes the walls shake and windows creak. I was alone with my parents in my room. We were all waiting for Megane to come home. She had been on a mission for two weeks and was supposed to return on her sixteenth birthday. We'd spent the day decorating the house, preparing all her favorite dishes..." Yoko paused, her head bowed, overwhelmed by the wave of sadness washing over her.
Despite everything, she continued. "The rain was so heavy that evening. Thunder crashed, and suddenly, someone knocked on the door. I ran to open it, convinced it was her. But... it was Reiner Fox, her right-hand man."
Little Yoko's Point of View
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"Megane! Megane!" I cried as I ran to the door. I was so excited that I tripped over the hallway rug but caught myself just in time to open the door. "Oh... it's you, Mr. Reiner…" My smile vanished immediately. "Where's my sister? Isn't she with you?"
"Yoko! How many times do I have to tell you not to open the door at night!" Mom shouted, coming up behind me. She placed her hands on my shoulders, gently pulling me back.
"Good evening, Mrs. Belserion," said Mr. Reiner, his voice trembling and his gaze averted.
"Good evening, Lieutenant Reiner," Mom replied as Dad joined us, his shirt still wrinkled. "Come in, you must be soaked walking in this rain," she added, trying to smile.
"No, thank you, I'll be fine…" he murmured, still looking down. After a silence, he spoke again, his voice muffled. "I… I have terrible news to share…" His fists clenched and trembled. The rain poured behind him, like tears falling from the sky.
Mom's face turned pale instantly. Her eyes widened before tears began streaming down, one by one, like broken pearls.
"How is she? How is my daughter!" Dad yelled, stepping forward. "What happened to her?! Answer me!"
"She... she fought to the end… The enemy was too powerful…" His voice was hoarse and broken, each word dragged from his throat. "I'm the only one who survived… Your daughter, Megane Belserion, captain of the elite unit, died in battle."
It was as if a great cold had taken over me. Mr. Reiner's words echoed in my head, meaningless. I couldn't move. I couldn't feel my legs, my arms. Everything around me became blurry. The room spun, the walls collapsed on me. I could only see Mom's trembling lips and Dad's hands shaking Mr. Reiner. But I couldn't hear anything anymore. Not even Mom's sobs. My own tears fell without me noticing, as if my body no longer belonged to me.
"No... no, it's not true… Megane will come back… She promised… Promised we'd celebrate together…" I murmured, my voice choked by the knot in my throat. I just wanted everything to stop, for the nightmare to end, for us to go back to that day when we were decorating the house, laughing about everything and nothing.
But the silence after Mr. Reiner's words was too heavy. This was reality… The real one.
Yoko Belserion's Point of View
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"I remember crying so much that night. The weeks following the funeral were awful. Thankfully, Kaiser and Areyos were there for me… as they always have been since I was little," I said, trying to hold back my tears.
"That's… so tragic. I'm sorry for your loss," Barrios murmured, sincerely moved. "This war has taken so many lives… Sometimes, we get used to seeing our comrades fall, and we forget how devastating it is for their families. It must have been incredibly difficult for you."
"Thank you for your kindness, Yoko. I swear we'll find your sister's killer, and I'll make him pay," declared Kaiser, his voice filled with rage.
"Calm down, Kaiser," Barrios intervened firmly. "If this person managed to defeat Megane, no one in the current elite unit can face them, not even the captain. Charging in recklessly will get us nowhere."
"It's true… My sister was incredibly strong, from what I've been told. That's why I hesitated for so long before telling Kaiser and Areyos what I discovered," I added, heavy-hearted.
"I understand," Barrios said, nodding. "The pages of your sister's journal that Kaiser sent me while I was on a mission contain crucial details. Normally, she would have contacted me directly instead of writing in a journal. But Megane used a secondary dimensional ring. This one wasn't linked to mine, and for specific reasons."
"What reasons?" Rey asked, attentive.
"Multifunctional objects like rings use magic. Mages who encode mana into these items can sometimes track that magic. The most skilled among them can even infiltrate the mana of secure items to extract information. This makes it possible to trace someone or monitor their communications through their magical ring," Barrios explained.
"I see... So, she deliberately left her usual ring behind to avoid drawing the enemy's attention, in case they could infiltrate her mana and track her movements," deduced Rey.
"Exactly," Barrios confirmed. "Megane hoped her journal would reach me sooner or later. She knew her personal effects would eventually be returned to her family through legal procedures. Unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Belserion never read the journal all this time."
"Actually… my parents did read it," I admitted, the memory surfacing. "They wanted to know Megane's final thoughts. It was about a week before the start of the school year. We were preparing school supplies..."
Yoko's Point of View – A Week Before the Start of the Academic Year
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"Remember, dear, you'll have to give it your all. This final year at Baringer gathers the elite from every continent. You must rise to the occasion if you want to become a great general," my mother told me as she carefully folded a garment.
"I know, Mom. Please don't pressure me too much. I think I'm already above average in terms of strength," I replied with a confident smile.
"Ahah, that's true," she laughed.
"You're already very strong. How's your sword mastery coming along?" my father asked, turning to me.
"It's going well! Areyos gave me even more advanced exercises," I answered proudly.
"Mm, it shows that Barrios trained him well," my father commented.
"Actually, Areyos trains on his own. General Barrios doesn't use a sword; he uses an axe," I clarified.
"Wow, that boy never ceases to amaze me," my father exclaimed.
"Anyway, Kaiser and he are good friends for you," my mother added, picking up a box.
"Those are Megane's belongings, right?" I asked, staring at the box she was holding.
"Yes," she said, pulling out Megane's dimensional ring. From it, she took out a sword, a journal, and a bracelet. "Here's your sister's sword. With it, you'll feel her presence in every battle," she said nostalgically, handing me the sword.
"It's your sister's Nemesis, Soulcalibur," my father added.
"Soulcalibur… I'll take good care of it," I replied, holding the sword in my hands.
"And this is her lucky bracelet," my father said, handing it to me. While I admired the bracelet, I noticed my mother's face turning pale. "Honey… come here," she whispered to my father, visibly shaken. She was holding my sister's journal, open. Whatever she had just read had profoundly shocked her.
"What's wrong, Mom? What's in the journal?" I asked, feeling anxiety rise. My father, also troubled by what he had read, exchanged a glance with my mother. The fear in their eyes was unmistakable. They then slowly turned their gaze toward the front door, as if frozen.
"We're keeping this journal. It's better this way. Don't try to take it, Yoko, or I'll be angry," my mother said, attempting to regain composure despite her distress. I nodded, curious about the secret they were hiding from me. My father took the mysterious journal. At that moment, I was determined to uncover what it contained...
Yoko Belserion's Point of View
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"Since that day, my sister's journal has fascinated me. I eventually found it thanks to my seismic sense and then discussed it with Rey. That's the whole story," I concluded.
"Why did your parents look at the door? That gave me chills," Kaiser wondered.
"I have to admit, I didn't really understand their reaction at the time either," I replied.
"It wasn't really the door they were looking at…" Barrios explained, setting down his glass, his gaze piercing. "They were recalling the night Reiner told you about Megane's death. At that moment, they realized that your sister's killer might have been there with you, and that you could all have died without anyone hearing your screams because of the storm."
Thunder roared violently after his words, sending a chill down my spine. The terror was evident on my face as I understood what my parents had realized that day.
"We could have lost you, Yoko..." Kaiser added, his voice breaking.
"But why didn't he kill them?" Rey asked, shocked and confused.
"He didn't want to risk us linking it to Megane's murder. If he had killed them too, we would have understood that the enemy had infiltrated the kingdom's walls. A general alert would have been triggered," Barrios explained.
"I understand..." murmured Areyos, looking pensive.
"Anyway, I stopped by Reiner's after the festival. His mother seemed panicked. He was in the middle of a conversation when I knocked on the door. She always calls me Barry instead of Barrios."
"Wait, when was this!?" Areyos asked with surprising calm.
"I was there before coming back here. It's twenty minutes away by flying vehicle," Barrios replied.
Areyos Orionis's Point of View
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"He was there before coming back here? How could he have met Reiner's mother!? I killed her before returning to the festival!" I thought, looking unsettled.
"Rey? Are you okay?" Barrios asked.
"No... you couldn't have met Mrs. Fox…"
"Yet she was there. Why do you think otherwise?"
"Well… I killed her this afternoon," I replied, meeting Barrios's gaze. Silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of rain.
"You what!?" Kaiser shouted, standing abruptly from his seat.
"During the play, I ran into Erina Shelter and went to talk to her. She told me that Valtor Nerrim had been seen with Reiner Fox on the way to his mother's house. Knowing who Valtor is, it was strange that Reiner was talking to him."
"So that's how Valtor knew where the Shadow Energy Stone was…" Barrios murmured, deep in thought.
"Most likely. So, I decided to check on the mother, undercover, to see if she found her son's behavior strange. And since all military personnel were on duty, it was a golden opportunity."
"I see, but why didn't you call us? Why always go with Erina?" Yoko asked, frowning.
"I didn't want to ruin your day. Besides, Erina and I are skilled at infiltration. The slightest mistake could endanger those we care about," I replied.
"I understand," Yoko said, sensing the weight of my words.
"You did well. If we had all gone, we would have ruined Oredys and Nia's day as well. Moreover, going as a group would have been reckless," Kaiser added.
"That was clever of you, Rey. What did you discover?" Barrios asked.
"I analyzed the entire house and noticed several clues. Luckily, my seismic sense has improved a lot since I mastered metalbending. The old lady seemed to be hiding something, and we quickly realized she wasn't the real Mrs. Fox. After leaving the house, I detected a coffin buried a little deeper into the forest. We went there, dug it up, and found Mrs. Fox's corpse inside."
"What!?" Kaiser exclaimed.
"So, Mrs. Fox is truly dead," Barrios said, looking thoughtful.
"But why go to the trouble of burying the body in a coffin instead of simply making it disappear?" Yoko asked.
"It means the enemy still needs that body," Barrios deduced.
"That's what I think too. Anyway, while we were talking with Erina, the old woman who had followed us came out with a kitchen knife, clearly ready to attack us. You should've seen her psychotic grin."
"Wow! Are you serious—a kitchen knife?!" Yoko exclaimed.
"Yeah. She fought very well… too well for an old woman. But since I was dominating the fight, she revealed her true form. She was a nagamorph."
"What?! Nagamorphs can't talk and are devoid of intelligence!" Kaiser shouted.
"That's what Erina told me too. But given how quickly this creature adapted to my bloody web, I can confirm it was very intelligent. Its plan was to kill us, then call its allies to replace us in our families."
"Its allies?" Yoko asked.
"Yes, probably other nagamorphs," I said.
"If there are more of them… how can we be sure everyone in the kingdom is who they've always been?" Yoko wondered.
"I have an idea," Kaiser said, closing his eyes. He reopened them and activated his Kengan. "My Kengan allows me to detect energy systems and any external influences on them, as well as an opponent's powers," he explained.
"Of course! If someone has the power to transform, Kaiser will be able to see it by analyzing their energy systems," Yoko exclaimed.
"Good thinking, son," Barrios said with a proud smile.
"You'll need to start by analyzing the energy systems of the nagamorph that took Reiner's form and the one that impersonated the old woman. That way, you'll be able to recognize them in other nagamorphs," I suggested.
"You're right," he replied.
"Is there anything else I should know?" Barrios asked.
"Yes, the old woman wrote down the fake names we gave her when she asked who we were. She left the note in the house before attacking us in the forest. Reiner has probably found it by now."
"He'll quickly realize those names don't match anyone in the army's database," Barrios noted.
"That's what I thought too, but Erina gave the names of criminals on parole: Dave and Nala," I explained.
"Ah yes, those two are accused of numerous crimes. Due to lack of evidence, they're on parole and will be executed at the slightest suspicious behavior," Barrios explained.
"I see. Erina wants to divert Reiner's attention by forcing him to track them down?" Kaiser asked.
"It's more complicated than that. She wants to evaluate Reiner's tracking skills and identify his allies. He's in a critical situation since these criminals could reveal information to the army. Erina hopes he'll make mistakes under pressure or, at the very least, expose his allies. Right now, Reiner is looking for a way to kill Nala and Dave while making it look like an accident or execution. Erina's people are monitoring him," I explained.
"Erina is that terrifying!? She actually thought through this whole plan? She's incredibly smart," Yoko marveled.
"Yes, she is. She's someone you really don't want as an enemy," I said. Suddenly, my ring glowed—it was a message from Erina.
"Hey Rey, just letting you know that Nala and Dave are dead, executed by Reiner after they killed some innocent people in a bar. You won't believe what I've discovered about Mrs. Fox's corpse: It's being used to create a replica of the old woman. My informants spotted someone with long hair, younger than Reiner, accompanying him in the forest while they were creating the replica."
"Who is it?" Kaiser asked.
"Erina...and she just informed me that Nala and Dave were killed by Reiner," I told everyone. "She's now figured out what the old woman's body is being used for," I continued as everyone listened intently. "The body is being used to create perfect replicas of the victims."
To be continued…