Before any attempt was made to cross the doorway Argos had carved, something shifted.
A chill ran down his spine. A primal instinct screamed at him—warning him.
Something was watching.
Then, the figure moved.
Hina and Arius were nothing to it now, discarded obstacles in a game they never even understood. The moment stretched unbearably long as it locked eyes with Argos, peering into him, through him, into the depths he refused to acknowledge.
His breath hitched.
It knew.
He wasn't going to leave. It wouldn't allow it.
After all... I can't let him go too far.
Everything froze.
Not just the air—time itself. The battlefield, the walls, the scattered debris, even the falling snow—all trapped in perfect stillness. A lifeless diorama. Only he and I remained.
Argos' gaze darted wildly, searching, questioning. His pulse hammered in his ears. He could feel it, creeping up his spine, into his lungs, pressing against his ribs.
Tell me, reader, do you enjoy this?
Watching them struggle? Watching these fragile little pawns throw themselves into unwinnable battles? Their pain, their fear, their pathetic hopes—does it entertain you?
"What do you want?"
His voice was tense. There was a tremble hidden beneath it. He was trying to mask it, but I could hear it. Feel it.
Or perhaps, dear reader... you enjoy their suffering?
Laughter. It echoed in every direction, curling through the frozen air like smoke.
The ground beneath him cracked—then shattered.
Gone.
Argos' body lurched as he plummeted, swallowed by an endless abyss.
No walls. No floor. No sky. Just an infinite expanse of dark grey, stretching beyond reason.
His eyes widened. His pulse quickened.
Is this something more to your taste?
Argos twisted in the air, his breath sharp, his mind screaming. His senses clawed at him, warning him, begging him to wake up from this. But there was no waking up.
The void swallowed him whole.
No edges. No end. No escape.
His chest tightened. A deep, primal dread sank its teeth into him—kenophobia, the fear of vast, empty spaces. And here? There was nothing but emptiness, stretching forever. But don't worry, dear Argos... something is here with you.
The ground rushed toward him.
And then—
CRASH.
Pain.
Every nerve in his body screamed. The breath was ripped from his lungs, his ribs aching from the sheer force of impact. He wasn't dead—no, I wouldn't allow that. But for a moment, I saw it in his eyes. He wished he was.
His fingers twitched against the cold, his vision blurred with tears. And there it was—that look. That delicious mix of agony and despair. I had been waiting for it.
"What do you want from me?!"
He roared through clenched teeth, his voice raw, cracking under the weight of his fury. He lay there, shaking, hands curled into fists against the unyielding ground.
Slowly, painfully, he pushed himself up.
And the world shifted.
Lindos.
The familiar streets stretched out before him, bathed in the deep indigo of a moonless night. But something was wrong. The buildings stood hollow, their windows dark, empty sockets gazing at him in eerie silence.
Not a single soul stirred.
It was dead.
His breath came in sharp gasps as he summoned Crescent Moon, the blade forming in his trembling hands. He turned in frantic circles, searching, heart pounding.
"Just stop it! Please! What did I ever do to you?!"
His voice cracked, desperation bleeding into the words. He was waiting for the rumble of thunder, the crackling hum of lightning in his veins—but there was nothing.
Oh, poor thing. Did you think I'd let you have your powers here?
No, no, no.
In my world, you are nothing but a boy with a blade and a broken spirit.
"If I'm so powerless, show yourself! Don't hide behind whatever trick this is!"
Oh?
He's breaking already?
Laughter filled the empty streets—warped, hollow, echoing from every direction. But it wasn't just mine.
They appeared, one by one. Shadows of the dead.
Volk, his chest torn open, a gaping wound where his heart once beat. Okami, his throat slit, blood pooling at his feet. Sobaka, his limbs bent in ways no body should move. Inu, his eyes dull, lifeless, his face frozen in silent horror.
Aster, Alepou, Skylos...
And finally, Tori.
Their bodies still dripping with the blood of his failures.
And they laughed.
Oh, how they laughed.
A sick, mocking chorus, their voices twisting with pain and amusement. Blood dripped from their lips as they howled with glee.
And I? I laughed with them, of course.
Argos stood there, shoulders trembling, his head bowed. He wouldn't look at them. Wouldn't dare to meet their hollow, knowing eyes.
But he looked at me.
And then—he chuckled.
Tears clung to his lashes, streaking down his face, but still... he laughed.
Oh, this is getting interesting.
The light flared between Argos' fingers, radiant and pure—a stark contrast to the suffocating darkness that had consumed him moments ago. The ghosts of his past twisted, their mocking laughter distorting as if caught in a vortex. One by one, their forms shattered into nothing, the cursed illusion collapsing around him.
Reality snapped back into place.
Argos' breath was heavy, his body trembling as he looked down at the object in his grasp—an emblem, star-shaped and glowing with power. But more than that, it felt like freedom. The oppressive weight that had pressed against his chest was gone. His lungs could finally expand again.
The figure—the wretched thing that had tormented him—began to unravel, its form flickering, breaking apart like a shadow caught in the dawn. It tried to resist, tried to reform, but Argos wasn't going to let it. He surged forward, the emblem pulsing in his grip. As he thrust it forward, the figure collapsed into it, swallowed whole.
The moment it was gone, time returned to normal.
The distant echoes of battle faded. Hina and Arius, once locked in combat with the nightmare, now stood frozen in shock. Their gazes locked onto Argos, their expressions shifting from confusion to disbelief.
"You... got rid of it?" Hina's voice wavered, uncertain.
Argos exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders as he tucked the emblem into his hoodie. "Don't follow us."
With that, he turned, stepping toward Kitsune without another word. He took her hand—gripping it as if anchoring himself—and together, they stepped through the doorway. The castle greeted them with its still, familiar air as the portal sealed shut behind them, cutting them off from the world they had left behind.
Argos barely had time to process the moment before his legs gave out.
With a weary sigh, he collapsed backward onto the cold stone floor.
Kitsune knelt beside him, concern flickering across her features. "Are you... okay?"
He let out a breathy laugh, his chest still heaving from exhaustion. "I'm... alive."
Silence settled between them, thick yet not unwelcome.
Then, Kitsune tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly. "Uh, why did you grab my hand back there?"
"Oh..." Argos hesitated, suddenly looking anywhere but at her. "I... thought you were her."
Her expression shifted immediately, an eyebrow twitching. "Seriously? How do you confuse that? We literally have the same disorder."
"I don't know!" he groaned, rubbing his temples. "It's not like Ly ever gave me a chance to front back then!" He gestured vaguely. "He's the host here—I'm just his alter." His voice carried a sharp edge, frustration bubbling under his exhaustion.
Kitsune's posture stiffened. Those words cut deeper than she expected them to. The guilt settled in her stomach like a stone as she realized—that's exactly what I did to Tori all her life.
"I'm... sorry," she murmured.
Argos sighed, the tension in his shoulders loosening just slightly. "It's fine, I—"
A sudden shift in the air cut him off.
A portal erupted open beside them, the energy crackling unnaturally.
Without hesitation, Argos reacted, summoning his axe in a blur of movement and hurling it straight into the unknown.
But the moment the weapon passed through, a hand emerged.
Pale fingers wrapped around the handle mid-air, stopping its momentum effortlessly.
A figure stepped through.
White hair. One golden eye. One black.
And they were looking directly at him.
And as Argos locked eyes with him, a cold realization crept up his spine—
He looked just like Lykos5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0a1lF1OP5
"You."
The word was sharp, venomous, laced with years of unspoken rage. The man's face twisted in fury as he lunged, grabbing Argos by the hoodie and hurling him across the hallway like he weighed nothing.
The impact stole Argos' breath, his back slamming against the cold stone floor. But there was no time to recover—before he could even think, the man was already there, towering over him.
"Leave him!" Kitsune's voice rang out, cutting through the tension.
The man didn't turn fully, only his head shifting slightly, his golden and black eyes burning with contempt.
"You're with him? After everything he's done?" His words dripped with disgust.
Kitsune didn't hesitate—her spirit energy flared to life, forming a glowing blade in her hand. She hurled it straight at him.
The man caught it mid-air. Fingers tightening, he crushed it effortlessly.
Argos coughed, heat rising in his chest—not from pain, but from pure, unfiltered anger. Electricity crackled at his fingertips as he moved, faster than he could think. He grabbed the man's wrist, sending a sharp, concentrated shock through him.
The man barely flinched. He yanked his arm free and took a measured step back, gaze cold.
Argos retreated to Kitsune's side, throwing an arm in front of her protectively. "Get away from us. We've done nothing to you."
The man exhaled sharply, a bitter chuckle escaping his lips. "Nothing to me?" His jaw clenched. "You really don't remember, do you? Maybe you finally broke her so badly that she's willing to stand beside you now."
Argos felt something shift in his chest. The way the man spoke, the venom, the familiarity—he knew them. But Argos had no idea who he was.
Something was wrong.
"We take this outside," Argos muttered lowly to Kitsune.
She nodded without hesitation.
Without another word, Argos swiped his hand through the air, a doorway splitting open beside them. They stepped through instantly.
The moment the portal shut behind them, another one tore through reality.
The man followed.
Snow fell in slow, steady drifts, the wind carrying it in swirling patterns around them. Overhead, thunder cracked like a war drum, the sky a deep, storm-wracked gray.
Argos squared his stance, his breath fogging in the cold air. "So you clearly know us...?" he shouted over the wind. "Why?"
The man didn't answer immediately. Instead, he raised a hand, and from nothing, a halberd materialized—a deadly, well-worn weapon that hummed with energy.
Argos' fingers clenched. Fine. If that was how this was going to go.
Crescent Moon appeared in his grasp, electricity flickering along its edges. "What is it this time? Did a Goddess send you? Maybe a God this time?" His voice was sharp, taunting. "Go ahead. Tell me what divine being wants us dead now."
The man's expression darkened. "Shut up, Stella."
The name sent a bolt of ice straight through Argos' chest.
Without thinking, he hurled his axe forward, every ounce of force behind it. The man moved to catch it—
Too late.
Kitsune was already on the attack, two spirit daggers forming in her hands. She flicked them forward with precision, one striking deep into his leg, the other embedding in his arm. The man's body jerked with the impact, but he gritted his teeth and barely managed to parry the axe with his halberd.
"Now!" Argos barked.
He recalled Crescent Moon mid-air and sprinted forward, Kitsune right behind him. Beside her, a spectral wolf flickered into existence, padding in sync with her movements.
As Argos closed the distance, he got a clearer look at the man's face. His breath hitched for just a moment.
A mark sat beneath his eye—a star.
The same mark Okami had. The same place.
Argos' grip on Crescent Moon tightened. His mind reeled. Who the hell was this guy?
The halberd came down like a guillotine, slicing through the air with brutal force. Argos barely had time to brace—
CLANG!
A shimmering shield materialized between him and the strike, the impact rattling through his bones. Kitsune stood firm beside him, her hands outstretched, her expression unwavering.
She had seen this kind of fight before. Through Tori's eyes, she had witnessed Ark and MacArthur's attacks, studied their patterns, learned their tells. And now, she knew what to do. Alepou's power coursed through her, manifesting in the shield that had just saved Argos' life.
Argos didn't waste the moment. He pivoted low, his body twisting like a coiled spring before sweeping his leg outward in a sharp, precise motion.
His foot connected.
The man's balance faltered—just for a fraction of a second. But before he could hit the ground, before gravity could claim him—
He vanished.
Argos' eyes snapped up, searching.
The man reappeared just a few feet away, his movement effortless, as if reality itself had simply decided to let him go.
Then—rip.
With an unnatural, almost casual motion, he reached into thin air and tore at it, like clawing through fabric. A sharp, eerie hum filled the space as something unseen answered him.
Argos' breath hitched as the man's body pulsed with energy. A glow surrounded him, flickering, warping, before solidifying into a shimmering protective barrier.
Snow swirled around them, the wind howling as the storm above raged. Thunder cracked through the sky, illuminating the battlefield as Argos and Kitsune stood across from the white-haired man, his yellow and black eyes burning with intensity.
The man clenched his halberd, his knuckles turning white. Then—snap—he vanished.
Argos barely had time to react before the halberd slammed into him from the side, sending him skidding through the snow. He rolled with the momentum, gritting his teeth, as Kitsune leaped forward, a flaming spirit wolf lunging at the man's exposed flank.
The man twisted mid-air, catching the wolf by its throat before it could sink its fangs in. With a surge of raw power, he crushed the spirit's form, sending embers scattering like fireflies.
Kitsune was already moving. A barrier formed beneath her feet, acting as a platform as she launched herself toward him, twin daggers of spirit energy forming in her hands. She hurled them at his chest.
He pivoted—just fast enough. The first dagger grazed his shoulder, but the second found its mark, embedding itself into his arm. A flicker of pain crossed his face before he ripped it out, his blood hissing against the cold air.
Argos was back on his feet. He clenched his fist, sparks crackling around him. In a flash, he disappeared—
Only to reappear behind the man.
Electricity surged through Argos' palm as he struck out. The impact sent the man stumbling forward, his halberd dropping for just a moment—
A moment was all Kitsune needed.
She slammed a barrier into him from the side, forcing him off balance. Her cat familiar appeared in an instant, darting between his feet, slashing at his legs with razor-sharp claws. The man growled, lifting his halberd in a broad arc to strike down—
But Argos was already there, Crescent Moon singing through the air. The axe crashed into the halberd, sparks flying as metal clashed against metal.
The man grinned.
His strength surged, pushing Argos back with sheer force. With a brutal knee to the gut, he sent Argos reeling. Before Argos could even hit the ground, the man teleported behind him, driving an elbow into his back. Argos choked as he hit the snow hard, pain searing through him.
Kitsune retaliated, a wall of flame bursting from the ground between them, forcing the man back. Her wolf reformed, snarling at her side, its eyes burning with vengeance.
Argos coughed, pushing himself up. He wiped the blood from his mouth, then exhaled sharply. "Fine... you want to play hard?"
Lightning crackled around him, dancing across his skin as his body lifted slightly off the ground. In the next second, three clones of him shimmered into existence, each one surging with electric energy.
The man's eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, Argos and his clones rushed him. The first clone struck first, Crescent Moon coming down in a diagonal arc—
The man teleported, appearing behind the clone, only for the second clone to catch him with a spinning kick. Static discharge exploded from the impact, stunning him for a fraction of a second.
The third clone grabbed him, sending a direct surge of electricity into his body.
The real Argos appeared above, Crescent Moon raised high.
He hurled the axe down. It struck true, slamming into the man's shoulder with a sickening crunch. Electricity coursed through him as he roared in agony—
Then, with sheer willpower, he ripped Crescent Moon from his shoulder and swung his halberd, erasing two clones in a flash. His body pulsed with energy as he teleported again, putting distance between them.
Both sides panted, bruised, but determined.
Argos rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck. Kitsune stepped beside him, her hands glowing with spirit energy, her wolf snarling beside her.
The man exhaled slowly, lifting his halberd again, eyes burning with fury.
The halberd vanished in an instant. The man exhaled slowly, tension still thick in the air. "You're lucky," he muttered before creating a portal. Without another word, he stepped through and disappeared, leaving nothing but silence in his wake.
Argos and Kitsune remained still for a moment, waiting—expecting something. But nothing came. No second attack, no sudden ambush. It was over.
Argos let out a breath, dismissing Crescent Moon. "Whatever... Let's go back inside and rest." He turned, summoning a doorway.
Kitsune hesitated before stepping through. "What if he comes back?"
"Then we get stronger," Argos replied. "Same goes for Hina and her group."
The warmth of the castle was a stark contrast to the storm outside. Argos leaned his back against the cold stone wall and finally sat down, exhaustion settling in. Kitsune followed, slumping against the wall across from him. For the first time in what felt like forever, there was no immediate danger. No looming threat. Just the quiet hush of wind beyond the castle walls.
A few beats passed before Argos tilted his head. "Since when can you summon a cat?"
Kitsune blinked. "Childhood pet," she said casually. "Figured I'd try something other than the wolf."
"You had a cat?" Argos raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. "Actually—never mind. You totally seem like a cat person."
Kitsune narrowed her eyes, amused. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He smirked. "Just that you give off cat-owner energy."
She scoffed, but there was a small chuckle hidden in it. "Alright, sure. What about you and Ly? Any pets?"
"Not exactly," Argos muttered, gaze drifting downward.
Kitsune picked up on the shift in tone. "What do you mean?"
He hesitated, then sighed. "Never really owned any. But once, Ly found this lone wolf, injured and half-starved. He patched it up... I'd spend time with it sometimes."
"Did you give it a name?"
"Yeah... Pathos."
Kitsune tilted her head. "Then it counts as a pet."
Argos scoffed. "No way. It was a wild wolf we just took care of."
"A wild wolf you named and bonded with," she pointed out, grinning. "Yeah, totally not a pet."
Argos rolled his eyes, but the weight on his shoulders felt lighter somehow.
For the first time in a long while, they simply... talked. The wind howled outside, but inside, the storm had passed. The thunder had settled. The world was still—for now.
Because eventually, the time would come to fight again....5Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWDYbqXYxZ
