What Remains After
Silence did not return gently. It snapped back into place, sharp and unnatural, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Dust drifted through the central hall where the mansion had begun shedding its own walls.
Moonlight poured in from every direction now, unobstructed, illuminating the fractured space where Lumy stood still upright, but no longer fully human in the way any they understood.
Her body trembled, faint crimson light pulsing beneath her skin like a second heartbeat. The air around her warped subtly, bending sound and pressure in ways that made Aqua instinctively recoil. "That's… not some undead i know about," Aqua muttered, gripping her staff.
Megumin swallowed. "She's reacting to something. Like a material seeking a compatible form." Ruko didn't respond. His attention was locked on Lumy.
Kazumq come to play. "Ok guys let's take her out cause I don't know how." "Your hopeless Kazumaaa," Aqua whimpered. "Hey guys I don't know what's up with her but please be serious for once."
Ruko start looking at the group. "Hey idiots stop being such a fooling squirrels and start focusing what's in front of you, even I can't do this alone since I can die by one hit."
Then Ruko look at her and saw her looking at some where, then notice is the decayed fragment lay several meters away, embedded halfway into the cracked stone floor. It shuddered once, its surface flaking further as if rejecting its own existence.
Ruko stepped forward. The moment he crossed an invisible threshold, the pressure hit. His knees bent slightly as if gravity itself had increased around Lumy. His instincts screamed retreat, but he forced himself forward anyway, breath steady, mind focused.
"Lumy," he said, voice low. "Listen to me, i dont know what that's inside you but pull yourself together and try fight it." Her eyes flickered toward him—red still glowing, but lucid. Terrified. "I can't stop it," she whispered. "It keeps trying to… set itself free," The light beneath her skin surged violently.
That was the trigger. The thing inside her finally broke. The air screamed. A ripple burst outward from Lumy's chest, distorting space as something emerged, not tearing her apart, but peeling away from her existence. The entity took shape mid-air—amorphous, unstable, shifting between solid and energy. It carried no face, no limbs, only pressure and intent.
Aqua screamed. Darkness laughed nervously. Megumin raised her staff on instinct. Kazuma swore. "Yep. Definitely not signing up for this kind of side quest again." The creature moved. Not fast—but inevitable.
It drifted toward the decayed fragment like a magnet pulled toward its counterpart. Ruko reacted instantly. "Don't let it connect to it!" He moved without thinking, Seal started to flaring instinctively, but barely holding together.
Chains of pale light snapped into existence mid-air, wrapping around the entity for less than a second before shattering under the strain.
"Too dense!" Megumin shouted. "What type of mana is this." The creature surged again. Ruko felt it then—resonance. Between the entity and him, his head rang, data flooded into structure.
Like he saw a density without magic, stability without form and the meaning of the creature's existed, but had no vessel capable of holding it and state the name. "The despair of fear."
Except, the decayed fragment screamed inside Ruko's bones in and out. Without hesitation, he grabbed it. "What the fuck, ggrrrr... BOMBOCLOOOT RRAAAHHH!"
Pain detonated up his arm as the fragment resisted, flaking apart violently, its remaining structure collapsing under pressure.
"Ruko!" Aqua shouted. Too late, the fragment disintegrated in his hand. But the energy didn't escape. The entity the despair of fear surged forward and then collapsed inward, folding into itself with a deafening, reality-warping pulse that cracked the floor beneath Ruko's feet. "I think ill have to use this skill then. 'Seal', now go to hell you evil asshole... Aaahh .Light exploded. Then vanished.
Ruko was thrown backward, slamming hard straight outside into the stone. His vision blurred, ears ringing as debris rained down around him. When he finally forced his eyes open, the area was quiet again.
This time, truly quiet, then he saw Lumy, Only her alone. She stood at the entrance but weaker, her body translucent at the edges, as if reality itself was slowly letting go of her.
Ruko staggered to his feet. "Lumy—" She smiled faintly. "It doesn't hurt anymore." Her voice was calm and also relieved. Megumin lowered her staff slowly. "Wha.. what happened to her." Darkness stated. "I think she's disappearing but the burden left her body and i dont get a chance to take any damage ooohohoh."
Aqua stared at Ruko's hands. In his palm rested something new. A small, irregular core but not reflective though. Dense beyond reason. It hummed faintly, not with mana, but with presence.
Kazuma squinted. "That thing looks expensive and can a fetch a high price to get rid of our debt, isn't that right ruko." Ruko didn't answer.
He looked at Lumy. Her form was fading faster now, edges dissolving into soft light. She took a step toward him, then another, before stopping just short. "Thank you," she said softly. "For not treating me like a place… or a problem."
Ruko clenched his fist around the shard. "Yeah kiddo but.. you didn't deserve it."
She shake her head. "Neither did you." Her body began to dissolve completely. "Well goodbye and one day we will meet again promised hehehe." light breaking apart into motes that drifted upward through the open air, scattering into the night sky.
When it was over, the mansion finally collapsed, stone turning to dust, walls folding inward as if relieved to rest. "Ahh ah ah my HOUSE." Wiz whimpered in no good way.
System feedback pulsed faintly through Ruko's consciousness.
[First Material Acquired: Core Alloy]
[Compatibility: High]
[Bloodbound Arsenal Unlock: Dormant Response Detected]
[Total Power Progress: 0.50%]
Ruko exhaled slowly. Kazuma broke the silence. "Well… that was emotionally scarring." Megumin nodded. "Yeah somehow." Darkness stretched. "I strangely feel fulfilled—" Kazuma cut in. "Oh yeah like you haven't done anything and so are we." Aqua wiped her eyes. "I still think this was unfair."
Ruko stared at the core one last time before putting in his pocket. "Lumy gone, but she wasn't lost. But why do I care so much for her recently since we just met."
Kazuma call everyone. "Hey guys were one piece and i guess its time to head back to Axel to claim the hefty reward.." "Yeah could use a booze after a hard work. Aqua pump up.
"Yeah and i wanna see how much points i got so i can upgrade my explosion magic through the roof." Megumin excited excuse. Ooh i want something to get this thoughts outa my head hehehe. While they forget about Wiz.
"Hmph well seems like everyone excited today now let's go—" Umm sorry but it seems like your not getting any money today.
"WHAAATT," Everone shouted and started to argue but ruko go to one side feeling shock and not at the same time. "Well seems like it's a total bummer for a quest." Stretched while go to the inn.
He sit at the bed taking of his coat and his belongings and lay down to look at the roof for some thoughts. Started looking at her core and then remembered what she said before disappeared to nothingness.
Ruko is your name right, there's one thing I must tell you or maybe two. First you said about someone name Sealer right." Yeah I just mention her name if she's the one who make you in this state."
She shake her head. "Well your wrong but a quarter right, she isn't the one who put me in this, but I hear her name to one of the higher demons which put me at this state!"
"What but how and why are you mentioning demon since you said you just run from home since your parents death." Lumy hesitated. "Well the higher demon kill my parents!"
"Ugh... fuck it where is this higher demon ass fucker. Oops sorry for my language." "Hehehe its fine and I dont know who is the higher demon is but I feel like it's stronger than the one who's the leader of demons—"
"But forget about that since I know you will meet it one day." "Aahh what a drag since I can't get a break for once in a life time, so what's the second one?"
"I want you to use my core. It got the power to shape–shift to any type of weapon and accessories!" "What what dies this mean—" "Yes it's the material you were searching for im I correct!" Lumy body start to disappear. "Well look like my times is up so take care of my heart, since it sync with your blood so you can change it at will and when I see you again start call you dad from now on.
Ruko in shock. "Hehe really, well ok ill hold to that promised, see you soon lumy." End of flash back. "Look like I have to get stronger or more smarter to survive this hell hole and ilk do it in a flashy... way?"
His out cold and whatever he had just taken into himself… was only the beginning.