Halo's burden was becoming more than he had anticipated.
After his Purpose, he had to return to Saint, to the glorious tree, and cut it down, and whether he could survive that long to make it happen, was a mystery.
He was going to benefit from this, alright. He'd discover the hero he'd been searching for all this time, Saint would be free from her fate, and he'd gain another clone. But none of that made it less tiring.
But something even worse loomed ahead. Dark Saint wasn't the only one he'd have to kill. Noah was on that list too.
As someone whose Flaw was duty, and his ability made him invincible while on duty, fighting Noah was suicidal.
Despite how much Noah wanted to die, his Flaw robbed him of that choice. As far as there was a Purpose to fulfill, he was nothing but a slave to its course. He had no sense of freedom.
In Halo's past life, this would have been a walk in the park. It would have taken only a shot to the heart to settle this, but those people were mortals. He didn't need much to outclass them. But these people transcended that.
These were promises he'd made, and despite everything, he still clung to his principles. He would kill them both regardless.
***
The sun rose in the east as Halo and his clone, now Light, reluctantly made their way toward Mirror Steppe.
Halo had hoped to spot a wagon, but there was none. They walked for hours through the night with only brief breaks, and worse still, they had no certainty that their route even led to Mirror Steppe.
Halo sighed. "I wish I could fly…"
He clutched his trembling knees as he began to rest, letting the fatigue settle for a moment. But Light kept walking without a glance behind.
Watching Light walk so casually, dark thoughts began flooding his mind.
He had no intention of abusing his clone, but he was tired, and considering that tiredness never affected Light in the traditional sense, he was going to let it carry him.
"Light…"
His clone paused the moment he called out, and it turned in his direction.
Halo smirked.
Even though he never wanted to treat Light as nothing more than a clone, his sense of discipline won out.
Without a moment's hesitation, he explained the situation to Light and proposed a game.
"Rock, paper, scissors… what do you think?"
Light stared at him bluntly for a moment before giving him a firm nod.
Halo returned with a menacing smirk.
Light was a clone of himself after all, and considering they practically shared the same mind and experience, it was obvious they'd both go with the same approach.
Halo's approach was simple. Inexperienced players almost always started with rock… it felt strong and dominant. The best counter was paper.
He had never played with an experienced person before, and so he couldn't remember the last time he actually lost this game.
This was cheating, since he knew full well Light would start with a rock just to let him win. But at least this way he'd be predicting it rather than forcing it.
"Ready?"
Light responded positively.
Halo's heart sank as he watched Light turn and make its way down the path, mouth parted in confusion.
The bastard chose scissors.
From the casual way Light turned and gestured for him to follow, Halo realized Light had intended to win from the start.
"What the…"
Halo was still frozen in place as he watched Light walk away. There was no doubt in his mind that Light would let him win, but as it turned out, even his own clone did not pity him.
Light halted, turned, and gestured for Halo to hurry up.
Its nonchalant look even irritated Halo more. His face turned red with his fists firmly clenched. He never knew he was that much of an asshole.
Was this how he'd always treated people?
After a brief moment, he let out a sigh and began approaching Light.
Though it was featureless, Halo was certain Light was laughing at him from within.
Halo sneered.
***
Despite his fatigued limbs, Halo and Light pressed on down the road, staying vigilant to avoid Sinners and whatever threats lurked nearby.
After a few hours of walking, when the sun was finally at its peak, they spotted a sign of hope.
There was a wagon rolling toward them from behind. The moment they caught sight of it, Light disappeared instantly, reattaching itself to Halo as the shadow it was.
The wagon was no different from the one he had previously used. It had a wooden base, four large spoked wheels, and its top was covered with a white canvas canopy stretched over curved wooden bows.
But the Sinner drawing the wagon was unlike anything he'd encountered. It resembled a horse but towered at eight feet, bearing a single horn like a unicorn. Its driver sat mounted on top.
It was a relief for Halo. Not only could he pay effortlessly for the ride now, but this would also save some time. It would have taken him days to walk to Mirror Steppe.
The moment the wagon neared him, it paused, and an elderly man with grey hair and glasses and a white attire that seemed too expensive for this ruined world.
He wore a gentle smile as he approached Halo. "I take it you were the only survivor from the wagon, which was just slaughtered."
Halo's expression was lazy and unreadable, but he still managed to answer positively.
"Right. Get in… we are only a few hours from Mirror Steppe."
As soon as the man spoke, he turned to the wagon. Halo frowned, slightly confused by the lack of any asked-for fee. Still, no one refused free transport. He followed behind without hesitation.
The moment he took his seat near the edge of the wagon, the man spoke up again.
"What brings you to Mirror Steppe. A Purpose?"
Halo looked his way. The wagon held only the two of them, and given the spacious bench in back, he worried the man might mind him sitting up front, but he didn't seem to care.
"Yes… a treacherous one," Halo said with a sigh.
The man removed his glasses, and his smile faded for a moment.
"Which land? Rascal or Inferno Moist?"
Halo scowled. The man seemed to be up to something. Halo couldn't sense any malicious intent from him, but he couldn't tell if he was safe either.
He wasn't heading to either of the triad lands. But rather the castle, which stood between them. The castle everyone feared, the Galactic Castle.
"Relax. You said your Purpose's a tough one, and there's nothing dangerous around Mirror Steppe, so I'm guessing you're either heading out somewhere… or a bandit?"
Halo narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I am a guard for Mirror Steppe… you can call me a policeman of the land."
Halo smiled. He got it, he'd be just as suspicious if someone told him that. But his thoughts drifted. If this man guarded the land, then he was like Noah in that regard, which explained why he traveled solo. He had confidence in his skills.
Yet it came down to two choices, reveal his Purpose to the man or have his throat cut. After all, no one would allow someone to sabotage their Purpose.
"That isn't the case… I'm actually heading to the Changing Malicious Solemn."
The man's eyes widened in shock. "What? That's suicidal!"
Halo let out a frustrated sigh. He had no choice in the matter, and as it seemed, everyone was scared of the castle. Only the heavens knew if he could survive.
The man sighed. "There isn't much you can do, after all. Just… be careful. Sometimes it's better not to do everything you're told."
Halo's blue eyes met the man's dark ones. His journey required strength, and at the moment, he was too weak to be on the gods' bad side. He couldn't afford such freedom.
"Name's Mill. If you ever get hungry, stop by Mirror Steppe. I've got the best meals you'll find around here."
Halo responded positively.
"We'll drop you by the safest route to the castle. Good luck in there."
Halo crossed his fingers. He only hoped for stronger allies.