Clay's body fell to the ground, kneeling. In his last moments, he tried to clutch his throat. Tears falling from his eyes as he cried in pain. He tried to speak but no voice came out of his mouth.
Finally, he looked up. Still clutching his neck. He met Dein's eyes. For a moment there, Dein saw different emotions on Clay's face. Pain, anger, confusion, fear.
But all of those dissapeared when he finally fell to the ground beside Dein, who's dark, obsidian body stood straight. The sound of blood dripping from his fingers and the sudden deafening silence made him come back to reality and he breathed heavily.
Only now noticing that he's holding his breath.
Finally, an amused voice spoke in his mind.
[You have slain a dormant human: Clay]
[You have received an echo]
Dein flinched. 'huh?'
An… echo? For killing Clay? He doesn't know if he should be happy about it, he looked down and saw Clay's body on the floor beside him. His blood spilling everywhere until it touched Dein's foot.
For a moment, he remembered Clay's face just before he died. He suddenly felt his knees weaken, staggering as he fell to the ground, vomiting even though he has nothing to vomit.
'Argh… Shit, shit, shit, dammit, I just killed someone… I killed a person…'
Dein felt sick, really sick. The feeling of having his fingers inside someone's, inside Clay's throat as he convulses in pain is still fresh on his mind. The feeling of fulling it out, along with his flesh and the hot sensation when Clay's blood flew to his face was nauseating.
After a while of vomiting nothing, Dein kneeled on the ground. He breathed heavily, gasping for air.
[A-are you… okay mister?]
The voice of the Little girl resounded in Dein's mind. He ignored it. No, he simply cannot answer.
[You don't have to feel bad kid, you did it to survive]
[Y-yeah, w-we have to live remember? S-so you… argh–]
The last guy got cut off, it seems he's vomiting as well. Even though Dein isn't sure if he could actually vomit.
Instead of answering however, Dein simply listened to them. Indeed, he killed Clay to survive. Because if not, Clay would probably kill him instead. If Clay found the courage that is.
Which he probably didn't until the very end…
Killing him was much different than when he killed Bon. After all, unlike Bon, Dein felt his very own hand pierce Clay's throat. He felt it with all his being as Clay's life slowly dissapeared from his eyes. He felt his blood and his emotions.
He did not feel any of that when Bon died. The only thing he felt was pain back then from his beating and his death was so fast the last thing Dein saw was his hand. Nothing more.
And unlike Bon, Dein had multiple conversation with Clay on different occasions. You could even say they were close to being friends. So killing him was…
Dein groaned… 'What am I talking about, killing him was necessary'
If he wants to go home that is.
Dein's emotions suddenly settled, he tried to stand up, wiping the saliva on his wide, slitted mouth. He finally stood up. He felt a surged of courage and his face turned serious… now he had to think of what to do next… 'Oh, fuck you Serious guy! Stopped influencing my emotions!'
Dein shouted in his mind.
[What? I'm just trying to help! And it's not like you can afford being all emotional right now, you have to go home don't you?]
Dein was taken aback. But the serious guy is right, he has to go home. Because of his family, the Clan, because he's a Legacy and because he doesn't want to die.
But still… having your emotions controlled like that is extremely frustrating!
'Tsk!'
Now what?
Dein stood up straight once again. The nausea and everything was gone. Replaced by determination. He sighed and looked at Clay's dead body, he searched and finally found it.
The wooden sword.
It lay exactly where the light from the small creavice couldn't reached it. The place where Clay refused to moved from.
So I'm right, Clay really is going to kill me…
Dein felt disappointed for a bit there. It was just a suspicion as first after all. In fact, even after killing Clay, it was still just a suspicion. He has no proof and yet he still decided to go ahead and take his life.
He moved, picking up the wooden sword. He doesn't know what's so special about this sword but if he had to guess, it's probably because it's a ceremonial sword.
One used to kill the sacrifice.
Dein sighed… his suspicion started from the very moment he found Clay in here alongside him. The moment he was freed by him.
His first relevant question that time was why Clay is helping him. Second was if he heard Clara's voice. And then the third would be how he got in here.
On the first question, Clay said that he's just returning the favor because Dein had saved him. Which at first Dein believed to be a misunderstanding. It was plausible that Clay misunderstood him but he also knows that Clay isn't that stupid. After all, he would've a common sense and asked himself why the arrow was coming after him if Dein really did saved him.
Much more, the arrow came from his supposed sister, Clara.
His answer on the second question was even more bizarre. He claimed he had not heard Clara's voice. Which is fricking impossible no matter how much Dein thought about it. It just couldn't happen especially because of how loud that voice was. As if echoing in his mind.
As for the third question, Clay said that he'd been here since the beginning, before Dein even arrive. But if that were the case then how did none of the people living in the tribe noticed him sneak inside this shrine. Surely there were guards as well.
But all of that wasn't enough for him to move and kill Clay. He isn't a psychopath after all, he at least wants to learn more from Clay. However, the one that planted his decision was when he took a peek on what's happening outside.
There he saw Gi the priestess, Clara and then Lei… only his weapon, the wooden swords was nowhere to be found. And Dein found that weird. After all, in this whole tribe only him was allowed to use a sword so the sword must've had a huge significance for the tribe. And yet it was gone.
So where could a ceremonial sword like that be? A sword used by tribes people who sacrificed nightmare creature to keep their fire burning…
The answer of course would be right where the sacrifice is.
That being Dein.
So he went and killed Clay without thinking and then suffered the consequences right after.
And now… now what?
Looking at the sword in his hand, Dein grasp it firmly. It was black in color. As if it had been placed in front of a fire over and over again. There were intricate writings on its surface that Dein couldn't quite read.
Lastly, the sword was incredibly sharp. Maybe even as sharp as steel swords which is impossible. Or so Dein thought only be cut with it when he touches it with his finger.
He sighed… catching a glimps of his missing finger. It seems [Dreadful Trepidation], his harrowing attribute really doesn't work when he's the one hurting himself.
But nevermind that. Dein started looking around the shrine.
Now he needs to come up with a plan… and fast.