Seiya fell silent, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief.
"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?" he asked.
{…}
"Do I summon you or something?"
{…}
"Or maybe….tear open my chest and rip you out?"
{… That could work.}
"…"
"I thought only when I'm super mega strong can you be out here and exist separately," Seiya asked, his confusion deepening.
{You underestimate yourself,} Ibyu replied calmly. {Now, open your mouth.}
Seiya hesitated but eventually complied, opening his mouth as requested. A wave of nausea rose from deep within, forcing him to crouch forward, his mouth hanging open as though he were about to vomit.
Thick, dark, slimy blood poured out of his mouth, pooling into the basin of the faucet. The blood swirled, taking form and morphing into a small, doll-like creature. Its entire body was a peculiar red-pink hue, smooth and unblemished. Though it had features—eye sockets and other sensory markers—they appeared molded rather than organic. Its bald head and featureless body further emphasized its strange, doll-like nature.
{So this is what you look like,} the creature's tiny voice remarked, faint yet distinct to Seiya, who grimaced at the unpleasant aftertaste left in his mouth. Unable to see, Seiya tilted his head toward the source of the sound and the accompanying pulsation.
Ibyu climbed onto the back of Seiya's palm, pattering lightly up his arm as it made its way toward his face. The creature was no larger than Seiya's palm, small enough to be mistaken for an insect.
"Ibyu?" Seiya called uncertainly, feeling the odd sensation of it scaling his arm.
{Yep, it's me,} Ibyu confirmed, clutching tightly to his arm.
Seiya's fingers brushed gently over the small figure, trying to piece together an image of its appearance through touch. Ibyu let out a soft, high-pitched giggle at the sensation.
{How do you feel?}
"Empty," Seiya replied curtly.
{You'll adjust. Don't worry.}
"…Mn," Seiya murmured noncommittally.
A heavy silence settled between them before Ibyu spoke again.
{Why aren't you leaving?} it asked, puzzled by Seiya's inaction.
"I feel like if I move, I'll fall and die," Seiya admitted bluntly.
{…}
"…."
{Boy, move your ass!} Ibyu snapped.
"…"
{Get going.}
"You're staying here to wait?" Seiya asked, deftly changing the topic.
{In your room, to be precise.}
"You can't. There are cameras everywhere. They'll spot you," Seiya protested.
{I'm small enough that they won't notice me,} Ibyu countered.
"No. You're coming with me," Seiya insisted.
{Then what was the point of me coming out? It's safer if I stay here. At least even if you get your head chopped off, you'll live as long as I'm well and safe. I don't intend to join in on the battlefield and die,} Ibyu grumbled.
"Then stay in the restroom," Seiya suggested.
{Fine!} Ibyu relented reluctantly, pattering back down his arm until the sensation of its presence faded.
"I'm leaving now."
{Have fun.}
_ _ _
Seiya exited the restroom, where his teacher waited patiently. His teacher's gaze locked onto Seiya, scrutinizing him in silence as though deciphering a puzzle.
Blind and unable to see, Seiya could only wait for him to speak. After a moment, the teacher said to get going, guiding him toward the yard. Together, they stepped through the gate into the dungeon.
The icy air hit them with a fierce blast, sending shivers racing across their skin. The bitter cold sparked something within Seiya—a mixture of excitement and resolve.
"Yes. This is it," he muttered under his breath, excitement bubbling despite the cold.
Even without sight, Seiya knew where they were. The frigid atmosphere was unmistakable—the ice elves' dungeon. This was the rematch he had been waiting for.
Seiya moved to step forward, but his teacher's firm hand stopped him.
"When were you first sent here?" the teacher asked, his voice hard.
"Eight, I think?" Seiya answered.
The response hit his teacher like a blow, twisting his face in rage. Though Seiya couldn't see it, he could feel the shift in the man's pulsating heart—sharp and fierce.
Seiya fell quiet before saying softly, "I'm fine."
His teacher sighed, stepping closer.
"I know your other senses are sharper now that you're blind, but you still need to be cautious," he warned, his concern evident.
Seiya simply nodded, keeping his thoughts to himself. What his teacher didn't know was that Seiya's pulsation ability allowed him to sense the presence of others within a certain radius, giving him a clear sense of his surroundings. He didn't need his eyes—he could hear the rhythm of their hearts, pinpointing their exact locations.
Seiya made to advance again but his teacher was far from done.
"I may not be allowed to aid you," his teacher said, letting go of his arm. "But rest assured I won't let anything happen to you." He assured.
The two ventured deeper into the dungeon, the snowy terrain stretched endlessly before them, vast and desolate. As they moved, the teacher tried to make small talk.
"When we get back, let me cut your hair," he said casually.
Seiya didn't respond.
"It's almost all fallen out anyway. We'll shave the rest and let it grow back fresh," he continued, unfazed by the lack of reply.
The teacher's voice trailed off as frustration crept in. "These elves are really going to keep lurking around, aren't they?"he muttered, referring to the ice elves hiding in the shadows.
Seiya remained silent, his focus elsewhere. He approached a tall tree, stopping at its base and lifting his gaze. "Are you coming down, or should I come fetch you myself?" he called out.
Above him, an ice elf perched on a branch, a sinister smile curling on its face. It leapt down, landing with enough force to send snow flying.
One by one, more elves emerged from their hiding places, surrounding Seiya and his teacher.
Without hesitation, Seiya reached up his face, unwrapping the bandages covering his eyes. His teacher stepped forward, alarmed. "Those are medicated bandages—" he started but stopped himself, allowing Seiya to handle things the way he wanted.
Seiya wanted the elves to know it was him. He who they had toyed with years ago and the bandages hindered that so he took them off.
The bandages unraveled, revealing the charred white scarring across Seiya's face. The burns stretched from above his brows to his upper cheeks, crossing the bridge of his nose and reaching his ears. His eyelashes and brows were bleached white from the burns, and his eyes, now pale and clouded with cataracts, revealed his blindness.
Despite his distorted features, the ice elves recognized him immediately. Their twisted smiles grew wider, their killing intent unmistakable, happy that their toy had returned.
The elf Seiya had asked to come down from the tree, turned to his companions and started speaking in their language.
"Good. That'll make it easier for me," Seiya chipped in, his voice cutting through their conversation.
The elves froze, their sharp, ice-blue eyes locking onto him, astonishment flickering across their faces. They exchanged quick, puzzled glances, debating if he truly understood their language.
Seiya's teacher looked quite taken aback, surprised Seiya could understand the elves' language.
Back at the facility, Mr. Sanio also gazed in wonder.
Seiya, to whom the elves' language had somehow come to sound like his usual language, couldn't detect their shocks and surprises.
He was only glad that the elves sought to make things easier for him. They were discussing how they'd let one of them have a one-on-one battle with Seiya while the others refrained from intervening.
One of the elves narrowed its gleaming eyes, leaning forward with a sinister grin. —You can understand us—?
Seiya didn't quite catch why they'd ask if he could understand them when they spoke in a language he understood perfectly. Then, his vague memories surfaced—he remembered how, during his previous experiences in dungeons, their speech had been unintelligible to him. But now, it's different. He didn't know how or why he suddenly understood them, but he did.
—Anyways, it doesn't matter! The only thing that matters is having your head rolling at my feet—. The elf sneered, his long tongue sliding grotesquely over his lips, drools spilling as he glared down at Seiya.
"Likewise," Seiya replied calmly, readying his weapon.
The tension in the air was throat parching.
From behind, an elf moved stealthily toward Seiya's teacher, a dagger glinting in its hand as it aimed for the back of his neck.
In an instant before the elf could act, Seiya's chain dagger lashed out, coiling tightly around the elf. With a brutal yank, he pulled the elf forward, thrusting his dagger into his chest as soon as he was within reach. In one swift motion, Seiya slammed the elf to the ground with a resounding crack and drove the blade deeper with the crushing stomp of his boot.
His head tilted a little as he gazed down at the dying elf with his cataract-covered eyes gleaming eerily in contrast to his scalded face. "The only ones fighting are me and the elf over there. He decided a 1vs1. Respect it!"