Arthur sat silently. His legs crossed, hands forming a circle. His own preferred meditation posture.
Aether gathered under his skin, making it glow.
Patterns and runes of long-forgotten languages bloom in various places.
His hair rose and fell in sync with his breath.
His eyes were closed, yet the aether concentrated there, forming eyes from it.
His matte black armor, accented in gold, shimmered with divine energy. Feeding in it. Growing on it.
Sunny watched this from the side. His face was focused and serious. He knew Arthur was doing something crazy or brilliant as soon as he started meditating without a sound.
And it seems, he was right.
Because Arthur resembled more of a violet sun than a person. The comparison not is entirely wrong.
Snow melted in a circle around Arthur, keeping him safe from everything, even the weather.
Arthur wasn't aiming for anything. Wasn't training for anything. He was studying the energy. How it naturally bent. How it flowed. Where it concentrated in his body. He wouldn't rush to a technique. It would be impossible. The last one took him several months to create after all. Instead, he decided to learn even more about the energy. His own energy. How soul essence transferred to it. In what ratio, how much, and how little at a time was possible. The little things that seemed meaningless to most. But for Arthur? It taught him. It showed him how the energy listened. How it obeyed him. Not why, but how. He needed to learn perfect circulation first. Then the techniques would come naturally. Far easier, seemingly far less complex than they actually were.
Arthur gently pushed the aether into his right hand's pinky finger. It usually avoided that place.
It flowed into it slower than the rest of his body. Seemingly, the body itself was resisting.
Then the resistance was gone, the finger-drawing in unimaginable raw power.
He flexed it once, no order. No command, no plea. Just moved it. A small flame of destruction blazed around it. With ease, controlled.
And finally, after six hours of long, hard, and boring training. Arthur smiled. Progress was achieved, no matter how small.
***
Caera sat silently in her office. Across her a man in strange wear. His face was hidden behind a full mask.
The mask itself was an orange, reminiscent of a swirl-like pattern. Strange, but understandable.
Only a single eye hole was on it.
The young man seemingly only had one eye.
A weakness, but Caera didn't focus on such a thing.
What she cared for was the abilities. The mind behind them.
"With the plesentaries out of the way, any particular part you would wish to start from?"
Caera asked softly. Her eyes focused on the man's figure hidden by a black cloak. No movement, not even a twitch.
The man shook his head negatively, and Caera continued her polite interrogation.
"Name?"
"Will only reveal if I'm accepted, same with the true name."
Caera raises a brow, but doesn't press. Such information wasn't entirely important either way.
"Innate ability?"
There was a pause before the man answered in almost a whisper.
"Time slowing perception."
Caera typed it out on her computer. Already intrigued.
"Dormant aspect ability?"
Another pause, longer this time.
"Phasing."
Caera typed it in again.
Yet she started creating a file in her mind.
Cautious. Reluctant. Silent.
Characteristics of immense guilt or pressure. Or perhaps schemes.
"Awakened ability?"
The man didn't answer. His fingers twitched. Once, twice.
Caera raised an eyebrow at the figure.
Finally, the man answered.
"Ability copying."
Caera's finger froze over the office keyboard. Her eyes widened.
She looked back at the figure. Curiosity blazing in her eyes.
Then she cleared her throat, the curiosity hidden away by professionalism.
"May I know to what extent?"
The man coughed as well, obviously not enjoying the situation.
"One rank below me, as well as a weakened version."
Caera typed it out quickly. Her eyes barely masked the glee of having someone on her team with such an ability.
Caera also knew that Arthur's own " destruction," as he had called it, was a dormant one. By that logic, the man would have no problem copying such. Even if it was far weaker.
It didn't matter, destruction ate and devoured all after all.
It wouldn't just help the organization, it would also help the man himself. Her thoughts stopped at the same instant as she thought that. The man's interest in joining was apparent to her now. He wanted destruction. Who wouldn't? Even as a sleeper, Arthur was able to put down demons and devils. And it grew with the user. And it would most likely grow with this masked individual as well. Even if slower, weaker. It would still grow. And if and when he reached Transcendence? The flames would be at the level of Arthur while being a master.
The same master who disintegrated Corrupted demons and devils. The mere thought of someone else having such a power sent a shiver down Caera's back.
She looked back at the man. The eye hole seemed to be glowing a brilliant crimson. Like blood itself.
Caera cleared her throat nervously, sweat forming on the back of her neck.
She didn't look back at the mask. Her senses screamed at her not to. And she trusted her sense more than herself.
Finally, she spoke.
"Anything else you wish to add?"
The man tapped his knuckles on the chair's sidearm. Pondering.
Finally, after a minute of silence, he answered in the negative.
He left soon after, exchanging goodbyes with Caera.
Who made sure to tell him she would get in contact with him, no matter if he was accepted or not.
Finally, as Caera saw the man leaving through the security cameras, she relaxed.
She slumped in her chair as if all the life from her was drained.
Only one thought remained. When would that bastard Arthur return?
[A/n: Uhm guess who's dying again?
Literally forced myself to write this. Probably turned out shitty. Sorry.
There might not be any chapters for a while. Or maybe I will post at the usual rate. Not sure.
I'm also researching stuff for another fic I'm writing, also set in shadow slave, with rimuru. So that's taking shit ton of time. Also writing like three more things at the same time. Not posting or anything, just writing down an idea or two. Which then somehow turns into a full chapter.
Anyways].
Thanks for reading and support!