Throughout the day, our group advanced with calculated precision, eliminating five scavengers in ambushes that had become almost automatic.
Star of Change served as bait, her movements carefully calibrated to lure the monsters without exposing any real weaknesses. I remained invisible, choosing positions that maximized my line of sight and preparing precise shots. At the crucial moment, Lost From Light emerged from the shadows, finishing the fights with lethal strikes.
I already knew her from what was written in the novel, but seeing Nephis in action—something tangible rather than mere lines devoid of real weight—was a completely different experience.
Each of her steps was strategically calculated, as if she could predict the monsters's savagery before they even reacted. Sunless and I merely complemented her lethal choreography, striking vital points while trying to synchronize our movements with hers.
In truth, even with all her presumption, Nephis—Changing Star of Immortal Flame—remained the protagonist of this world.
...
Despite the accumulated fatigue, the weight of the day seemed less significant when we finally reached the headless knight statue.
The colossal structure, worn by time, rose on treacherous ground as the water crept upward. Climbing it would be delicate work, especially since we needed to ensure Cassia's safety.
We followed the safest plan, though time-consuming: ascending in small sections, securing ropes firmly before proceeding.
My near-superhuman endurance proved useful here. As we moved between anchor points, I helped Cassia advance patiently, guiding her with careful instructions and the firm support of my hands.
With each step, her silent determination reminded me what it truly means to persist, even when everything seems to turn against you.
When we reached the circular platform on the statue, twilight had already swallowed the world. Gathered in silence, I watched my companions share strips of dried meat and sips from the magical Endless Spring.
I no longer felt hunger, and fatigue seemed a distant memory. The pleasure of resting or eating no longer felt real—but seeing relief slowly return to their faces brought me its own satisfaction.
An open pouch of seaweed; a paranoid shadow; and six gleaming soul fragments in our hands.
Nephis was practical—a stark contrast to her awkwardness in the art of socializing—dividing the spoils evenly: two fragments for her, two for Sunless, and two for me.
As I toyed with the curious crystals in my hands—
[You beheld the end of an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]
[Your soul shines even brighter.]
—the voice of the Spell echoed in my memories, tender and unchanging.
I still felt the faint melancholy that accompanies absorbing fragments, as if a trace of what they represented remained within me, even if only for a brief moment.
'Status.'
I had already invoked the runes many times today, and my gaze fixed once more on the same line:
===
Oneiric Fragments: [12/2000]
===
Two fragments for each awakened beast. No matter the method or who delivered the final blow—if they fell before me, their fragments came to me.
'What are Oneiric Fragments, after all?' the thought returned— a question I had asked myself several times, but whose answer still eluded me.
... Perhaps they are remnants of someone's individuality... subconscious traits, aspects of their psychology and even their soul.
I sighed, and as I reached out to hand my spoils to Cassia, I recalled the Heartworm Weaver; the countless cocoons where people slept with vacant smiles.
She consumed them, feeding on their yearnings... violating the desires of their hearts to trap them in sweet illusions, deceiving them into a false... fulfillment.
... When I gutted her, I claimed a thousand of those fragments for myself... from a life lost to oblivion.
And now they are intangible memories in my soul.
And now... they feed... me.
"I have no use for them," I said to my friend, who wore an expression of surprise tinged with hidden tension.
My Mental Sense detected the distrust and doubt of the two misfits in our group, while from Cassia came a mixture of incredulity and gratitude.
... Now, how will our shadowy friend react to my blatant honesty?
Will he stick with the same flimsy excuse or improvise something new to hand over his fragments to Nephis in exchange for free fencing lessons?
After a moment, Sunless removed another crystal from his pack and offered all three to the warrior princess.
"I'll give them to you... including any I earn on the way to that castle."
"In return, I want you to teach me how to fight."
Nephis looked at him, considering. Diverging from the novel, she asked no questions about his motives.
Apparently, my influence was already changing the course of fate, even if only subtly.
'And besides, it's not like this kind of information can stay secret. Not in our context.'
"All right," she said.
"So, when do we begin?" he asked.
Nephis glanced at Cassia and me before replying with a simple, "Now." I sensed in her voice an invitation to join the lessons.
"We'll start with a few words. That will be enough for today."
I tapped Cassia on the shoulder. She and Sunless turned to Nephis, listening like two well-mannered students.
I reflected on what I would hear next and how coherent it would be. I realized that my spirit didn't sit entirely well with Broken Sword's philosophy.
It seems that "Ariandel" has little reverence for assassins.
"The mastery of combat can be divided into two aspects. One is the body, and the other is the mind. Training the body isn't easy, but it's quite simple. All you need is repetition and experience. In a fight, things happen too fast to consider every detail in the moment. That's why your technique must live in your muscles and bones, to the point it becomes instinctual."
I nodded, though I wasn't entirely sure why I agreed; perhaps Ariandel had been a fencing nerd...
"You can achieve initial results through repetition. Then it must be cemented through experience. The more battle experience you have, the more deeply a technique integrates with your body. There is no other way. A thousand hours of training won't be as impactful as a real fight. Only those who survive countless battles can truly master the body."
I am living proof of that: even without memories, the experiences forged in me by my past selves make me more formidable than the young Legacies themselves.
"Training the mind, however, is not simple. That's because once you reach a certain level of skill, the mind is where true combat takes place. The outcome is often decided before your body even begins to move. And to master the mind, the first step is to understand the essence of combat. Yet few truly do."
Now—can I resist saying what my Flaw will say?
"What do you think that essence is?"
I put on my best, most natural expression of a well-mannered youth.
Cassia was the first to speak:
"Victory."
And almost at the same time, Sunless said:
"Survival."
And, almost in that same instant, my Flaw said:
"Stupidity."