"I heard Kysa’s presence completely vanished from the world, right around the ti I was getting ready to hand her ass to her too."
Brave spoke, his shark-like teeth snapping as though he chewed tal for breakfast.
"Yeah, I’ve heard that, though I’m not certain. She might simply be suppressing her presence to remain hidden, it’s not uncommon." Nava added.
"No, it’s been more than a month, and Kysa never misses a day without revealing herself. They say a war is rising, everyone striving to be the strongest Knight."
It was early morning, and Halo was having his breakfast.
They were seated in the dining room, which, unlike other royal settings, resembled an academy dining hall more than a palace. Tables and benches filled the space.
Halo could feel Kysa’s overwhelming laughter as Brave and Nava spoke about her so casually. The pride in Brave’s voice, his absolute certainty that he could defeat her, and Nava’s gentle approval only made Kysa laugh even harder.
While they ate, Oga walked in fully dressed in pink. Unlike her usual revealing clothes, this robe covered her down to her toenails.
"Ha! You really think my charms won’t affect you unless I wear sothing...revealing, Nava?"
She spun in a full circle, letting her presence fill the room.
"Be grateful you’ve seen . Even if I were locked in a cave, the thought of alone would be enough to charm you."
Halo was seated on a bench away from the three. He didn’t know what exactly was happening, but Oga’s new appearance was pleasant enough. Nava, however, drooled as though his mind was being twisted.
"Oh, Oga. How kind of you. I’m pleased to be in your presence, my lady."
Oga wore a sinister smile.
"Now, bow before ..."
Before Nava could get to his knees, Brave rose to his feet.
"Are you fucking kidding ? You fell for that shit?"
Brave whipped around to face Oga, forcing her to deactivate her ability.
"Okay, okay, but he asked for it."
The mont Nava was free, his rage began burning red. Veins popped from all over his body as he reached for his swords.
"You cheated, you little pervert."
Though they looked no different from children, Halo was glad to see there were people in this world who still held on to so humor. Most importantly, they were all enjoying themselves, and their antics gave him a pretty good idea of what their Flaws could be.
Nava turned to Halo.
"Uh-huh. Prove you can do the sa trick on Halo, and I’ll admit you didn’t cheat."
Halo frowned. ’Huh? Why ?’
Oga looked threatened for a mont.
"How could I possibly do that? His mind is so formidable that even Thor’s True Ability, Great Ally, failed on him."
Nava energetically turned to Oga.
"Exactly! Why else would I want you to try on him?"
Halo watched in both understanding and disappointnt as Oga and Nava went at each other. Brave stood between them, making sure Oga didn’t so much as touch his precious Nava.
After a brief mont, Halo fled while they argued.
In his room, Kysa, Saint, and Light took form.
"I wanted to talk yesterday, not today. Why show yourself now?"
Saint looked disappointed, while Light and Kysa kept fighting as usual.
"I already told you about how much I don’t like being in the presence of that guy... well, I don’t know if it’s for the best or worse, but he’s definitely more mysterious than he used to be."
Halo had heard enough about Jihriel already. Mysterious or not, it was his responsibility to figure him out, gain his trust, and influence him.
"You don’t need to be in his presence. As I ntioned yesterday, your freedom isn’t in question. If he believes a price must be paid, he’ll have to bring it to ."
Saint rested in a seat.
"You’re not planning to leave Wood Fringe anyti soon, are you? I have matters of my own to handle. In the anti, I can supply you with Sin Fragnts while you deal with the matters here."
Kysa’s words enthusiastically cut in barely a second later.
", ... I want to go with you."
Halo smiled. With those two together, they could even threaten the entire continent. Perhaps he wouldn’t have to lie about being an Assassin for long.
"By the way, I don’t think Thor’s ability allows him to read minds."
Halo turned to Saint and furrowed his brow.
"The na Great Ally tells enough. The gods don’t hand out mind‑reading as manipulation, you’d need to forge a True Ability of your own for that. In the end, everything depends on how creative you are."
Saint relaxed in her seat.
"Thor’s ability likely makes him exact with anyone he counts as an ally. It may allow him to dominate and enslave people or Sinners, and in that way, even betrayals are revealed before they occur."
She shrugged.
"Maybe that explains why Jihriel picked him as his advisor. It’s a remarkably useful ability for a cohort."
Halo’s expression darkened.
"Are you saying I’ve been enslaved?"
She let out an annoyed sigh.
"It’s not really enslavent. The ability tells him who would make a good ally, who might betray him, or who’s hiding sothing. Your case is different, though. He can’t break your ntal defense barrier, but I doubt that’s all he has. Soone that experienced wouldn’t rely on a single trick."
Halo gave her a lazy look. This still didn’t change anything. If they could know his agenda, it wouldn’t be all that bad, but still, he couldn’t risk it.
Maybe being told by a lonely whim that you were a character in a ga, one he’d played for quite so ti, and that your actions had made the situation of the world ten tis worse. Even a madman would take offense.
"But Thor isn’t the one you need to worry about. For Jihriel, it’s a natural phenonon, but you need to be careful with Hazard. That guy isn’t normal. Not at all."
Halo lay down on his bed, watching as Light and Kysa chatted freely while Light braided her red hair.
Friendship. That was all he wanted. He needed to put things in place to gain the favor of Jihriel and his inner circle.
Soon, a dark aura radiated from Dark Saint.
"I am Saint Paris. My title is Dark Saint. If you want another na, call the Child of Misfortune. But if anyone calls Child of Manipulation to my face, I’ll kill them. I don’t care if they’re your leader."
Halo stared at her with his peripheral vision.
"Tch..."
Reviews
All reviews (0)