"Ais? You're finally awake."
She froze mid-step.
"...Judas? Riveria?"
Ais blinked, her thoughts stalling as her gaze swept across the room.
Judas stood there, very much alive, looking tired but otherwise intact.
Riveria was nearby, composed as ever.
There was also the unfamiliar beastkin girl from earlier, seated to the side, tense and nervous, clearly in the middle of an interrogation.
But Ais' attention was drawn elsewhere.
Her eyes locked onto the corner of the room.
Bound by restraints and layers of magic, a red-haired figure lay unconscious, her body scorched and incomplete as slow regeneration worked to restore her limbs.
"...Is that... Revis?"
The words left her quietly.
Seeing the confusion on her face, Judas sighed softly and scratched the back of his head.
"Right... where do I even start?"
After a full minute of explanation...
"You... defeated her?"
Ais tilted her head slightly as she spoke.
There was no disbelief in her voice.
Not a hint of shock in her expression.
She didn't doubt him for even a second.
Although it sounded unbelievable, Judas had no reason to lie to her.
Her gaze drifted back to Revis.
Even now, she could see it... flesh knitting itself back together at a slow but steady pace.
The enemy wasn't dead.
"...Apparently, this weird object is what Revis was after."
Judas reached into a bag and pulled out a small, shining orb.
It glimmered faintly under the light, its surface smooth and almost glass-like.
"This thing started the whole mess," he continued.
"I don't know what it is... but it kind of looks like there's a fetus inside."
Just holding it made him feel uneasy, a subtle discomfort crawling along his spine... but he could endure it.
But for Ais, it was a different story.
'What is that?'
The moment her eyes landed on the orb, her pupils shrank to pinpoints.
Her breath hitched.
Sweat beaded instantly along her temples as she took an unconscious step back, every instinct in her body screaming in alarm.
Then...
The fetus inside the orb moved.
Its eyes snapped open.
And they stared directly at her.
She blinked once, her vision swimming... and suddenly, the fetus within the orb had its eyes closed once again, its earlier gaze gone as if it had never existed.
'Was it my imagination?'
The thought surfaced even as a wave of dizziness washed over her.
Her knees buckled, and Ais dropped to the ground, one hand bracing against the floor as cold sweat clung to her skin.
"Ais? What's wrong?"
Riveria noticed her condition immediately and hurried to her side, her usually composed expression tightening with unmistakable concern.
Ais didn't reply right away.
She focused instead on steadying her breathing, slow inhales and exhales grounding her racing thoughts as the spinning gradually subsided.
Beside them, Judas carefully wrapped the jewel fetus in cloth, sealing it away from sight.
"I'm fine now."
Ais finally said, lifting a hand to wipe the sweat from her brow.
'She reacted to it...'
Judas thought as he glanced down at the jewel in his hands, his eyes narrowing slightly.
'Is it because of her spirit bloodline?'
He frowned, his thoughts spiraling.
Earlier, when Lulune had handed him the jewel, he too had felt something... an unmistakable reaction... but it hadn't been anywhere near as intense as what Ais had just experienced.
And when he had asked the others whether they felt any discomfort while gazing at the jewel, they had only shaken their heads in response.
'Well... I may be the reincarnation of the Spirit King, but that doesn't mean I can wield all of his power.'
He was human, after all... what he inherited were nothing more than faint embers of Estelon's spirit abilities.
Enough to leave him with a tenuous connection to the realm of spirits... and nothing more.
Even back when he had seized control of Ais' wind during their duel, it had demanded immense focus and time, just to stretch his will far enough to issue his influence.
Judas shook his head, forcibly pushing the thoughts aside.
"For now, let's head back home and report everything that happened to Finn and the others."
Riveria said after confirming that Ais was truly alright.
Judas nodded, then turned his gaze toward Lulune.
"Sorry about your mission, but we'll be keeping this."
"If your client comes to you... just tell them to head to the Twilight Manor."
He said as he placed the jewel securely into his bag.
"I don't care about that anymore... I'm just glad I came out alive."
Lulune exclaimed, raising both arms with a laugh.
There was no anger or dissatisfaction in her tone... only genuine relief.
Since they had already obtained everything they needed from her, they allowed Lulune to finally leave.
Watching her exit through the door, her footsteps gradually fading away, Judas' gaze slowly shifted toward the corner of the room.
A faint, almost amused smile curved his lips.
"How long are you planning to keep pretending?"
He asked calmly.
"Or were you hoping I wouldn't notice?"
His eyes remained fixed on Revis' motionless figure, her body still bound and slumped exactly as it had been moments before.
She gave no reaction... no flinch, no change in breathing.
The sudden accusation caught Riveria and Ais off guard.
Both followed the direction of Judas' stare, their expressions tightening as they took in the scene.
From his words alone, it became clear what he was implying.
Revis had already awakened... and was deliberately playing unconscious.
'How did he know?'
Riveria narrowed her eyes slightly.
Even she hadn't sensed anything out of place.
Still, she chose to remain silent, watching closely to see how Judas intended to confirm his suspicion.
When Revis continued to feign stillness, Judas let out a small sigh, as though mildly disappointed.
"Still playing dead?"
He said lightly.
"Then you won't mind if I test something."
A magic circle bloomed at his fingertip, dark and humming with restrained power, its aim fixed squarely on Revis' chest.
"If I incinerate a chunk of your flesh right now, you shouldn't feel a thing... right?"
A single bead of sweat slid down Revis' temple.
Her jaw clenched.
"Tch..."
The tension snapped as she clicked her tongue and opened her eyes, glaring up at him with naked irritation.
"Dammit... how did you know?"
Revis growled.
Judas shrugged, dismissive as ever.
"Intuition."
Before she could respond, invisible force wrapped around her body, lifting her effortlessly off the floor as his telekinesis took hold.
"We're heading to the surface," Judas continued.
"And you're coming with us."
Revis struggled slightly against the unseen grip, her eyes burning with hostility.
"You're going to regret this."
---
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