[Randall's POV]
We had to walk for a long time... Never stopping for a break, or something even remotely similar to that.
Fegendale's forces will probably continue searching the entirety of the territory. We can only put in more effort than them in hiding. 'Good thing that we're here, though... With how complex this cave system seems to be, maybe we can throw their search parties off balance for a while.'
Plus, our stay here helps us invalidate one of our major weaknesses: the dragons.
'This won't last forever, though... ugh.'
Stomachal twists resurfaced again. My hand's azure skin moved towards my still-famished belly, hovering a few inches away from it.
Rumblings echoed, bouncing off the stony walls and vines hanging off of them.
The demon who rescued me halted her steps. At last. "... I suppose we've created enough distance." She eyed me in a moment, frowning slightly. "There's a spacious opening ahead of here. We'll rest there."
Great... My limbs are about to break. A rest is very much appreciated.
I struggled ahead. Muscles barely holding themselves together flexed and relaxed, until we arrived at the site she mentioned...
A lush opening, filled with some glowberries and shining rocks. Possibly twice as extensive as my former department in Earth, but filled up with colours everywhere. From the yellow lights hanging off the plants, to the blue gems peeking into the surface.
We sat near the center, taking advantage of its openness. Then, she went towards a corner and brought back a bag almost half her size.
The stranger took out a weighty steel can for herself, alongside a spoon. "Have this." Then offered me a can and a similar, silver utensil.
'... I have a spoon, but my muscles aren't in condition to exert the physical strength I need.'
They'll probably be atrophied for a while.
Looking at the floor, I searched and found an even area in my immediate vicinity. To my right.
With a move of my hand, the flipped-over tin can touched down upon the gray surface. Importantly, its upper edges faced down.
Then... Sparks and sceeeches thundered, as bits of steel flew off the rocks. With such a hasty way to file off those borders, I was left with a can read to be flung open.
... And the stranger's angry glare.
"What the fuck was that for? Can't you open it with your claws??"
"Claws?..." Uhh...
She pinched her nose's bridge. Or where it would be, had it not been for her pink mask. "If that week-long torture made you even more stupid..."
I opted to not delay it any further. I had to be honest here. "... About that..."
So, as we had some canned beef, I explained my entire situation. To her.
The news regarding the loss of the individual's soul did not seem to bring much negativity. I almost noticed a breath of relief, but that may have been my imagination.
What was quite notable, however, was my loss of power. According to her, this complicated everything. Still, it was of utmost importance to stop and think things through.
"Let me get this straight. When Llen stabbed the Prince–in other words you– a light appeared. And when you opened your eyes again, you two had swapped bodies…"
"That's the gist of it, yes. The one you know as Llen has my body, and… well, I seem to have ended up here," I replied.
My left hand rose, its pale blue skin illuminated by the glow berries hanging off the ceiling. "I feel far weaker now, though-"
A sharp pain invaded that part of my body after five claws bursted out of my hand, causing me to involuntarily let out a scream.
"Gah!... Not again."
Again, these damned claws. Ever since the potion's effect fully dissipated, they've been rising without a shed of warning. It has been four times already and not even a day has passed, for fucks sake…
"It sounds hard to believe, but it somehow makes sense. More so with all the strange things happening as of late," voiced the demoness, who introduced herself as Anne a few hours ago.
A female, Fiend-type demon. Her starry brown eyes, which matched her flowing chestnut hair perfectly, locked themselves onto me.
Her smooth, lavender fingers tapped the rock she sat on in a rhythmical manner: Index, middle, ring, pinky, and thumb.
Then the cycle repeated.
"Anyway… What now?"
"Originally, we were meant to run away and live as rogues in either Mephino or Himperlon while I tried to understand what had exactly happened that day, but… That's not an option anymore."
A sigh left Anne's simple, yet attractive face.
"Why?"
"Your strength was a critical factor in allowing them to let us pass the Extreme Falls in their bunkers. Without it, they'd just either force us to take on impossible missions or capture us and send us to our respective lands to claim the bounties in our hands… And then we'd probably die."
Did she say we?
"I understand if I were to be executed, but you? Why'd you be-"
"... You alone were meant to take the fall for this entire incident. The Velliesta School sent me and a few others as guests for the wedding just in case something went wrong."
Betrayal… That's concerning.
"But you still ended up saving me from an execution…"
Which is also true. She seems to have disobeyed orders.
"Yes. I simply considered you to be worth more than the Velliestans… A decision that has proved to be quite correct. However, it also means the Velliesta School will put a gigantic bounty on my head eventually."
Ah, so that was it. Right.
Almost forgot about that, haha…
"Nothing in this world is free. Everything has a price."
"... I know. I know it pretty well," I replied.
"Either way, you said the body has no power, right? We're going to have to work on that, and we have to start now-"
A certain monster's footsteps, which reverberated easily across the area, cut her words off.
"... What a useful coincidence. You may start with that, Llen."
"My name is Randall, not Llen."
"... Summon your Ego, and take on that beast. Prove yourself to be worthy of my aid."
"My body is atro-"
"I know. Now, with your life on the line, show me your will." Anne even had the delicary to retreat, leaving me with more space to engage in combat.
'... I guess this is what Ren must have felt like whenever I forced her to fight…'
Frowning, I assumed a fighting position, while extending my right hand.
That is, in an attempt to summon any of the Egos I've wielded previously… Pointlessly. Confirming the words of the armored woman from that facility.
The crossbow, the scythe, the katana… Everything was gone.
… Actually, no. I think one remained.
The rapier.
An almost tangible, purple energy with faint traces of blue shrouded my main hand in a veil of mystery. In the meantime, my opponent appeared before me.
A scorpion crawled towards us. The monster's large, drill-like stinger moved around in preparation for a conflict. Many of the hanging glow berries shed light on the scorpion's golden, yet bark-like skin, along with the rocky battlefield.
"Good luck."
The summoning attempts continued. Sometimes the mist would grow thicker, but it'd quickly go back to the semi-transparent state it had previously.
My left hand twitched. And so did my eye.
Unknowingly, I managed to sidestep a spit coming from the orange-skinned monster.
'This… Almost reminds me of the times my cheeks would be grazed by the blades.'
Yeah, the feeling is too familiar.
Regardless, I kept trying to focus. Granted, it kept harassing me with the shooting silk, which actually seemed to be far more dangerous than I expected…
One of the sacks that missed its shot landed on a rock. Not too long after, the monster tried to tackle me.
It missed once again and collided with the rock, which shattered without much difficulty. 'Holy shit… It looked strong, too.'
The silk should definitely be avoided.
The monster continued on its rampage, not bothering to even do anything to Anne. Not even once.
She merely sat on the floor, watching me fight while scratching her smooth chin with her claws…
'Wait, the cla-'
"Aaagh!"
The fucking claws emerged from my hands, piercing my skin pretty well. 'That!... shit, it hurts.'
It hurt like hell.
"Don't think about your body! Just focus on your opponent!" Yelled the bystander, as sternly as a strict instructor.
Mixing silk cannons with tackles and pincer attacks, the monster's attacks spared nothing… Except for Anne, that is.
But the light sources, stone and even occasional gemstone lying around? Many of them fell to the scorpion's onslaught. Fortunately, I didn't take much damage, even as I danced around its deadly strikes.
'Though… How long can I keep this up for?'
Judging from the strength it had showed up to this point... Overcoming it after a few minutes would have been more than doable. But with how my muscles are?
'It's a miracle that I can even do this-'
A blow connected with my body, and it crashed with the cold surface. With my back against a wall, I lifted my head. My eyes met the cold, yet blood-thirsty gaze of the monster.
"Guh…"
Before I could recompose, I saw the beast rushing at me, the two pincers in front clearly showing eagerness to do unspeakable horrors to my new body.
My reflexes kicked in, and my hands took on a guard position. Even as my eyes shutted themselves off.
'...!'
Something clashed with the pincers.
"That…"
The energy from before had finally turned into something solid, usable.
A rapier.
The deep purple blade stopped the pincer dead on its tracks. A blue-ish glow, emanating from the cyan lines in the weapon, illuminated the unchanging monster's face. Impassive. Just like the others I have faced in this place.
For obvious reasons, I pushed it away a bit. Not too much, since I want to conserve what little strength I have, but enough to give myself some breathing room.
The very second move performed here was, expectedly, moving in Anne's direction. Considering this monster's behavior, it should allow me to gain an edge over it.
Using its driller tail, it attempted to pierce my body multiple times. As if it was wielding a spear.
'Looks like it doesn't dare to shoot its silk.'
Likewise, using this unrefined hand, I deflected its flaky strikes. And even managed to slip in a few counters, occasionally, but nothing worth writing home about.
Even a beginner would have been able to do those.
Regardless, our clashes continued for… a minute, I think? And the wounds stacked up notably on its body.
A crack appeared on the drill, and another one formed not too long after. In a similar vein, blood dripped from its somewhat unprotected tail.
It launched another strike, far flimsier than those that came before it. I went for the kill.
And pierced the monster's face.
"Ku-"
… The monster collapsed, resting dead on the surface of this particular environment.
Air inflated my lungs, only for them to deflate moments after. As for my head? I'd like to say it's fine, but it sort of isn't…
'This is what the difference between my current and former self feels like?... It's abysmal.'
Really.
"Haaaah…"
My off hand held onto my main arm. And came in contact with my now light blue skin… And a black liquid.
"Well done, Llen. Looks like you knew how to fight, in spite of being a former lost heir."
Anne approached me from the side, masking any potential emotions with a neutral expression in her round face.
'Looks like I got hit a few times… I didn't even realize it.'
I felt something in my main arm fluctuate, only for some energy to disperse after a few seconds.
"... We really have to work on your body's control. Your movements were nothing short of a disaster in the first half of the battle." Holding the bags, seemingly filled with supplies, she got up and started walking somewhere.
Her words hurt, but they were nothing but the truth. I wasn't too ready for battles, at least not now.
'There's also magic… Hopefully, I can use- Ah?'
This has to be a joke, right?
"Uhh…"
Standing in front of a small tunnel, she glanced at me. Directly. "Come on, we must go now."
I stared at her. The weight behind my eyes probably spoke volumes more than most words could convey. "Can't we have a break...?"
"You can have a break, if you wish. I'd advise against staying here, though. This zone's too hot." Barely after finishing utterimg such words, she turned around again.
'..... Isn't that tunnel too small?'
I just got away from a small pace, and I gotta hop back onto... one such spot.
After letting out a sigh, I went in. My feet wanted to give up, but I had too much on the line to actually do such a thing.