The sounds of battle echoed across the entire island.
At the center, the fight seemed especially brutal.
Even that thing… was having trouble.
After a few minutes, Elizabeth finished collecting the serpent's scales and tossed them at Samael's feet. The plates were white with a cold silvery sheen, reflecting the dim light like polished ice.
— Fighting without armor is far too dangerous — she said. — Make one for each of us.
She paused briefly, surveying the battlefield around them.
— My debt to you will grow even more… but now isn't the time to worry about that.
Samael crouched down and picked up the scales.
For a few seconds, he simply stared at them.
Then, he activated his Aspect.
His essence began draining immediately — too fast, too intense. Creating a Memory always demanded absolute focus, and his mind was anything but stable at the moment.
Even so, he pushed forward.
Normally, Samael visualized a single Memory at a time, allowing the Aspect to shape the concept gradually.
Two sets of armor meant two creations.
One after the other.
But in that moment…
He wished for both at once.
And the Aspect responded.
[You have gained a Memory.]
Samael's heart sank.
— Damn it…
He felt it instantly.
He had made a mistake.
Memory Name: Bonded ArmorsRank: AwakenedTier: 4
— Tier four…? — Samael murmured, confused.
He felt absolutely nothing toward that serpent.
No affection.
No emotional connection.
So why?
A possibility surfaced in his mind.
— Could it be… not just the material? — he thought. — Does the situation of creation also affect a Memory's tier?
The moment.
The mental state.
The intent.
Perhaps all of it mattered.
He scanned the enchantments.
Enchantments:[Dual Memory][Temperature Resistance][Resistance][Resonance]
Description:A Memory created by the Honest Trickster, forged from the scales of a Fallen Devil.Made for him and his partner.Born from a being that emerged after the end of a world.
— There are enchantments here I don't recognize… — Samael thought.
He focused on the first one.
[Dual Memory]This Memory can be worn by two individuals simultaneously.If one bearer's Memory is destroyed, the other's will be destroyed as well.
— What a strange enchantment… — he muttered.
It wasn't exactly comforting.
Then he moved on.
[Resonance]The souls of the bearers of this Memory will enter resonance, increasing the essence recovery rate of both.
Samael's eyes narrowed slightly.
— This one…
He immediately understood its value.
Enchantments that accelerated essence recovery were rare.
Extremely rare.
And dangerous.
Resonance meant connection.
Synchronization.
Dependence.
Samael lifted his gaze to Elizabeth, who was still watching the horizon, alert for any threat.
That Memory wasn't just armor.
It was a bond.
Samael took a deep breath.
He considered how to explain his mistake.
Telling the truth would be… embarrassing. A childish error, made at the worst possible moment. Blaming the Spell sounded far more acceptable.
— Hey, Liz — he called.
— Ready? — Elizabeth replied, without taking her eyes off the horizon.
— Yeah, but… there's a small problem — Samael said.
She finally looked at him.
— What is it?
Samael cleared his throat.
— The Spell pulled one of its weird tricks and… somehow turned the armor into a two-bearer Memory.
Elizabeth blinked once.
— And?
Samael frowned.
— What do you mean, "and"? You don't mind sharing the same Memory with me?
It was strange.
Anyone would be wary.
Memories weren't clothes — they were extensions of the soul.
— I don't mind — she replied simply.
— Why? — Samael pressed.
Elizabeth shrugged.
— We're a duo. Besides, a creature already forced us to expose our secrets. After that… what's left to be awkward?
Samael was silent for a moment.
— Fair enough… — he admitted.
— Speaking of which — Elizabeth said, smoothly changing the subject — I have a proposal.
— What is it?
— Let's form a cohort together. Even after we leave this place.
The sincerity in her voice left no room for jokes.
— Sure… but why? — Samael asked.
— No one survives alone in the Dream Realm — she replied. — And to form a real group, there has to be synergy. People you're comfortable with.
She paused briefly before continuing:
— In other cohorts, we'd be exploited. Oracles and Memory producers are highly sought after.
Samael understood immediately.
— You don't want to become a resource — he concluded.
— Exactly — Elizabeth confirmed.
He thought for a few seconds.
— I accept. But I plan to join the government after we get out of here.
— Then I'll go with you — she said without hesitation. — But why the government?
— My family is being hunted by major Legacy clans — Samael replied. — I think only the government can protect me.
Elizabeth studied him for a moment.
— You're a walking problem, honestly — she said flatly. — If you didn't have a good Aspect, decent combat ability, and weren't comfortable to be around… I'd definitely avoid you.
— Just like that? — Samael shot back, offended. — A completely unprovoked attack?
— Yes — she replied, as if it were obvious. — You seem down. I thought praising your good points would help.
Samael froze.
— That's how you praise someone?
— It is.
— And how do you even know I'm down? — he countered. — You can't even feel empathy.
Elizabeth tilted her head slightly.
— Not feeling empathy is different from being unable to notice someone else's pain.
Silence fell between them.
And for the first time since waking up without his arm, Samael felt that someone truly saw him.