Archive of Our Own

Smiling had never felt so difficult before. He could barely lift his chin. Staring emptily at the tranquil surface of the lake, he wondered on and on about little nothings that once brought him so much joy. They all seemed so tense now, as if reflecting his internal turmoil, both the present scenery and memories from the past. The trees were still as statues, the winds didn't blow, and the birds all went to hide. It was getting stuffy.

Tentatively, he reached out to Valkyrie as he felt her energy coursing through his veins. Scales lines his eyes, neck and hands. He slipped into the water; his legs turned into a tail of sapphire blue. He sighed. The water here was way too warm - actually, the waters he had grown up in had always been too warm, being so far away from the Arctic North where the Rusalki called home. He was, by no means, a picky merfolk, but the right temperature would be nice for once. Valkyrie, his ever caring spirit, promptly reminded him that he was quite adept in elemental magic, which meant he could simply freeze the water, and he did. Removing his headband, he let the now cold water tousle his deep blue hair and finally relaxed.

You are nervous. Valkyrie stated. He weakly glared at her, looking so cocky with that winning smirk and her arms crossed over her chest. Don't give me that look, you know as well as I do that we can hear each other's thoughts. She raised an eyebrow, urging him to speak his heart.

"How do I even start?" Valt chuckled softly, "There's just... Too much."

The spirit didn't reply, but instead wrapped him in a fierce embrace, the ghost of her chest pressed against his back. Almost like an instinctive response, he sunk into it. Despite not having a physical body, her hugs felt real. His dad said it was because they had first built their bond way before honing their skills as guardian and master, hence it was built up on so many things outside of the battlefield.

Is it because of the type of fight you're having next? She offered.

"Yeah, I think that's the one," he said dejectedly, his voice cracking, "I just have to win him back, there's no other choice. My best friend has really become my enemy," he uttered the word with much difficulty. Despite being a swordsman, he drew a very clear line between a war and a spar. Spars were fun, and so was the rivalries that bloomed between sides, even when most people kept calling each other enemies. Wars were not. It was just as Free had said - losing was not a choice.

He didn't think he could bring his blade down his ex-friend (Shu's still his friend, he reminded himself), regardless of the crimes he had committed.

He cannot recognize us anymore. Daina had commented the day Red Eye almost sliced Besu in half, his eyes glued on the sickle that he kept twirling in his hand, as if having half a mind to hunt down the perpetrator himself. And his claim was not baseless. Valt could barely see a shred of that caring person who had carried him back after he passed out from practice and made sure he ate afterwards, nor could he find the backbone of the Beigoma team, who they could always fall back on, only a shadow that loomed over them both - Shu and Spriggan.

Kensuke, with all the charms of a performer and the sincerity of a friend, couldn't reach him at all. Red Eye was ruthless. He could and would kill if it meant that at the end of the road, he emerged victorious, and so far, he was undefeated.

Their best bet was the merfolk charm - his voice, because he was the only merfolk strong enough to hold his own against him. The Sol had agreed to take the frontline in this battle against the Bulls and Snake Pit - who were now revealed as two sides of the same coin. The Rios, the Paris and the Sun Bats had promised to back them up and were now gathered at Chris' palace to wrap up the final plan. He didn't have to attend any of that. He already knew his part.

We will bring him back. Valkyrie gripped his shoulders firmly, There's no way he will forget your voice.

"Right. I'll just let him know how I feel," He swallowed the lump in his throat and blink the tears away, "We'll save them."

Them? Valkyrie asked incredulously.

"Spriggan too, of course! Isn't he your friend?"

A shadow crossed her golden eyes, and her grip tightened ever-so-lightly.

Spriggan is the reason behind Shu's corruption, and they almost killed you. It would be alright if I'm the only one with fatal injuries because I can't really die again, but they hurt you. They have betrayed your faith. I can only show so much mercy, Valt.

"Valkyrie..."

I won't change my mind. The spirit smiled bitterly.

Valt nodded. For all the time he had spent with Valkyrie since his awakening, he had never seen her this mad. He knew there was no convincing her now.

After a while, he climbed out of the water and reverted back to his human form. His sword felt heavier than ever before, but he tightened his grip and rose to his feet.

"The time is now!"

Kristina Kuroda's assertive voice sounded across the valley. War had begun.

He was on the ground.

He was on the ground, breathing in air that reeked of smoke and blood, staring dazedly at the reddening sky. Despite the fire that danced in the distance, the ground was ice cold.

Everything fell like a long, long dream that he was now detached from, and reality had never felt so wrong.

"Shu!!"

Right...his name was Kurenai Shu, a warrior, one of the strongest out there, and his aim was to come out on top, but try as he might, the goal was always out of sight. He closed his eyes. Lying on the ground meant that he just lost again, didn't he?

But he didn't remember feeling like losing. The dread that always came with defeat was strangely absent, in its place, relief. What happened?

He recalled the weight of his battle axe in his palms as he charged and charged, flames erupting in his wake in sync with a being much greater than himself - Requiem Spriggan, his mind provided, the name carried by the mysterious entity that had replaced his companion. He recalled unparalleled rage and sickening satisfaction, for what, his mind drew blanks.

There were approaching footsteps. He strained his ears. With so many noises around, it was hard to determine, but he could soon pinpoint them as one person from the other side of the battlefield.

The victor, no doubt, coming to mock him again. No longer having the energy to move, he resigned to his fate.

Something entered his line of vision.

Blue hair that flowed freely down the sides of his face, bright brown eyes coated by a thin veil of chilling blue, red marks that stood starkly beside blue scales, and a smile so out of place...

Aoi Valt, his eyes widened in realization, and anxiety took over as the sequences of what had transpired came crashing down. His flames - born from rage, from pain, from everything he regretted, had swallowed both of them, the sharp blade of his axe bearing down on a person so small, holding a sword so pitiful he might laugh. Yet the same sword had cut through fire as cleanly as fabric, and the small swordsman charged without a second to spare. Overwhelming speed had brought him weaving through his barrages of wide attacks, in and out of his sight. Swift swings of a sword that was clearly sharper than it looked with strength unbelievable for his size. He had grown annoyed, impatient, and above all irritated at how his enemy had seemed to gain more and more vigor as the battle dragged out.

And then a voice had called out his name - his real name. For the first time in a while, he actually felt alive, but only for a fleeting moment that he had quickly brushed off. He couldn't afford to lose concentration, ever. Yet the voice sounded again and again against his skull, rattling his brain and running his breath ragged and making his heart pound. There was more despair than anything else, dampened by a deep sadness he couldn't understand.

Now he knew. He had forgotten who he was facing, that was the reason behind his failure. A Rusalka child, whose anger was cold, whose voice could turn the world upside down, whose sword could reach the intangible, who shone the brightest in the darkest times.

His childhood friend, who always wore his heart on his sleeve. How much, he wondered, had he hurt that heart within the past few months?

Valt extended a hand without a shred of hesitation and Shu was taken aback despite everything he had known about his friend. Tentatively, he took that hand. The glove was rough, but not enough to cover the callouses that had been there so long, Valt had started giving them names - he had claimed it as something he inherited from his mom rather than a side effect of intense training, almost too proudly that it was comical, the comparison between a swordsman and a baker far too wild for one to ever considered, but he supposed that it made sense; both needed the hands and a fiery will. He could feel the light trembles from strain, the arduous battle taking a toll on both of them, yet Valt pulled him up his feet like he weighed nothing.

There was that out-of-place smile again. They were covered in blood, sweat, and dirt, were both out of breath, and had been crossing blades minutes ago, but he guessed none of that mattered - to Valt, at least, so he let himself be guided on paths unknown, leaving the frozen battlefield behind. His hand unconsciously tightened around his friend's for the slightest bit of warmth from the emptiness that had started to eat him alive.

How can someone with such power over ice hold such warmth?

There were several battles going on. In the distance, he saw a flash of red and barricades of stone. So Xhaka was here, too, his battle cries so loud it echoed in his ears. There was Daina, twirling his sickles and cutting down enemies like a particularly bountiful harvest, aided by a pair of peculiar kids dressed in black and blue. There was also Wakiya, firing from the sky on his wyvern, supporting Rantaro and a green-haired guy whose name he didn't know, none of them uninjured. All because of the Bulls and the Snake Pit.

He hung his head low, no longer wanting so see the ones he knew suffer the consequences of his actions. Valt was walking at a steady pace. If this was punishment for all that he had done to him, it was only just.

"Hey, Shu?"

He lifted his head.

"Are you alright?" Valt asked. Although there was still that veil of ice over his eyes, his voice was soft. It lacked it usual energy, but he couldn't expect that from a person who had just fought with his life on the line. Not waiting for an answer, the Rusalka child continued:

"Don't worry, we're almost there."

"There" meant a cluster of tents located a good distance away from the war, guarded by two young soldiers - too young to be recruited, in fact - and one of them was having the tip of his weapon at his chin accompanied by a very intense glare.

"Woah! Toko-"

"You!!" the kid growled, ignoring his brother, golden scales ruffling up and deep green eyes ablaze. Through his muddy senses, he could tell the outline of a spirit behind him. Under normal circumstances, he would have congratulated Aoi Tokonatsu for his awakening, and the Aoi family would have thrown a big party in celebration, which Valt would undoubtedly drag him to, but the situation was far from 'normal'.

Tokonatsu charged, the pointy ends of his gig ready to run right through him, but a sword of the same shade of blue interjected.

"Tokonatsu, calm down! It's Shu, he's back with us!"

Valt's voice washed over the tension like a clear spring. The merfolk charm, he recalled, was a form of magic channeled through words signature of but not limited to any branch of their kind. However, Valt was not the only Rusalka around.

"But— Baru-nii, he tried to kill you, and Xhaka, and Kensuke! How can we even trust him!?"

Tokonatsu, despite his name, chilled the air around them. Next to him, Kit remained quiet, watching the exchange unfold with equal amounts of curiosity and concern.

"Did you know how worried we were when you went missing!?" the teal-haired boy continued on, "Baru-nii tried everything he could to contact you, and so did the rest of us, but you never responded once. I thought you two were best friends!"

"Tokonatsu-"

"Nika almost left home to go looking for you, did you know that? Even though she hasn't awakened then. Imagine how we felt when you were revealed to be this bloodthirsty hunter who went around crushing people's dreams! I looked up to you. Nika adored you! And Baru-nii... did you know that Baru-nii wore himself out working hard to reach you? You made my sister cry and injured my brother, I don't think I can-"

"Toko!" Valt cut him off, "It's alright now," he said, his voice uncharacteristically soothing, "I trust him."

Shu wanted to argue - No, you cannot trust me so easily, you shouldn't trust people so easily - but all words got stuck in his throat. It was as if Valt's voice had knocked the sound out of everyone present.

"I understand why you can't, though. After all, Valkyrie feels the same," he continued softly, as if meant keep it between the siblings, but the stark silence had made his voice loud and clear.

So Valt's guardian spirit hated him now, that was reasonable. Valkyrie had always been protective of her master. That also explained the harsh glare he kept feeling from behind but didn't get to spot.

Tokonatsu mutely nodded, holding his gig closer to his chest, but still had his guard up. At least, the younger Aoi sibling knew to be wary of obviously dangerous people.

"Anyway, all of the Guildmasters have already been summoned, even Marie," Kit reported, "The camp is now run by Zoro."

Valt frowned. He knew that the guildmasters had their own plan in order to ensure the downfall of the Snake Pit, if Wakiya's not-so-secret meeting with them had meant anything, and that each of them were strong in their own rights, but he couldn't help but worry. The master of the Snake Pit was not a force to be reckoned with, especially when all he could see surrounding him was a pitch-black mist that sent chills down his spine. He didn't have time to consult Kento about it, having been wrapped up in the Sol's internal conflicts, and now he regretted it. His dad seemed to know spirits by the essence and could've had some good pointers as to what they should do.

"Kris also has a message for you," Kit continued, clearly his voice and spoke in a feigned authoritative tone, "Since our camp is left vulnerable, your new task is to act as the captain of the final line of defense."

Valt nodded. One victory was minuscule in the grand scheme of things, he had learnt that the hard way.

Free had been compromised, which was surprising, but that news became unsurprising once he knew the vampiric mage had taken down at least one army and two dragons on his own.

When Valt came to visit, Free seemed alright, saved for the broken arm and an obvious lack of sleep, and was nonchalantly munching away Ange's homecooked food as if it were any ordinary day. Having grown used to the former general's behavior, he paid no mind as he summarized the situation on the field. Free leveled him with a knowing smirk.

"What now, general?"

"Eh?"

"You're the one in charge now, aren't you? What are you gonna do?" the blonde shrugged, "This camp is gonna be stormed sooner or later."

"It won't!" Valt exclaimed, "Not on my watch."

Free blinked. Once, twice.

"Your voice has gotten stronger."

"Really!?" Valt exclaimed, excitement overriding exhaustion.

"I can barely argue," the blond shrugged as Valkyrie puffed her chest, to which Fafnir huffed in annoyance, "Looks like there is something to losses as there is to victories, after all."

"See? I told ya!"

Are you even aware of what you're trying to gain? Fafnir inquired.

Valt opened his mouth to speak, but Valkyrie was faster.

Since when has he ever been aware of the outcome?

"Hey!!" Valt pouted, "Whose side are you on?"

The right side, the female spirit teased, Come on now, we are not allowed to rest yet.

Kurenai Shu never thought that one day, he would've wished to end it all.

His world was collapsing, old and new alike. He felt empty, hollowed out, as if a crucial part of his being had been ripped out without his knowing. Worse than that, he had lost himself and ended up hurting others - the innocent who had nothing to do with his grief and the ones who once stood on the same side - only to be woken up by the person he wanted to see the least.

(Part of him had hoped, when he was still in control, that Valt would come to beat him back to his senses.)

How would he react had he known that Shu had destroyed their bond for the sake of power?

"Niichan would never hold anything against you, you that right, Shuu-kun?" Aoi Nika said, her hands busied dressing his wounds with efficiency impressive for a little girl, trails of flames dancing in her wake, warm and full of life.

"I know," he said, averting his gaze.

"Please don't look so sad. You're back now, right?" she gave his hand a light squeeze, "You're back with us now," she repeated, sounding more like a self-reassurance than to comfort him. He forced a smile:

"I'm here. I'm staying."

After she finished bandaging him up, Nika told him to take a nap while she went to get him some food. It took a while, but soon she returned with a steaming tray with something aromatic, eagerly urging him to have a taste.

Then he felt like tearing up.

It felt so familiar, so much like home. It had been so long since he last ate anything warm, let alone the taste he could only reminiscence from happier days. Granted, it was not anything worthy of note, never so grand as comparable to luxurious dinners, but he knew for a fact that it was made with familial love, so it was never overbearing. He could recognize Chiharu's cooking anywhere, because everything with her felt just right. She was like a second mother to him in the absence of his birth parents - in fact, the Aoi household had always felt more like home than his own, filled to the brim with love. They had easily welcomed him as one of their own.

Suddenly, Tokonatsu's words held much more weight.

"What's wrong? Do you not like it?" Nika asked in concern.

"It's not like that," he choked out, "It tastes good."

"That's great!" Nika cheered, leaning back on her chair, "I tried channeling a bit of my magic into it. Singing while cooking feels silly, but dad said it helps."

"You made this?" Shu widened his eyes in surprise. That was a lot to take in. Firstly, her big brother could barely handle the stove, but she successfully cooked a complete meal that was an almost perfect imitation of her mother's. Second was the fact that she could talk the food tastier.

"Mom taught me. She said it's Shuu-kun's favorite," the pink-haired girl grinned.

Shu could only nod, words caught in his throat. It was the same dish he had claimed to like years ago, back when the Aoi first moved on land, and Chiharu still remembered it.

"Are you and niichan going to be best friends again?"

A moment of silent. Two, three. So still, one could hear a pin drop. The root was his hesitation lied within himself and his reluctant to reconnect with those who used to hold him close yet he had hurt. It felt undeserved. Four, five, then six, and the more it stretched out, the harder thinking became. He wanted to say yes, but no could mean that they would be safe from the pain that came with a severed bond he had already been willing to see done once.

Perhaps unconditioned intimation was something that ran in the Aoi family because he could feel an entity crossing the empty space that Spriggan and then Requiem had left and patted his head, their hand gentle and warm.

"Yeah, I think I'll give it a shot."

That was all it took to assure Nika, it seemed, because she nodded in contentment and proceeded to update him on everything he had missed out as he ate - Red Eye-related incidents excluded. It turned out that Tokonatsu and Nika were awakened at around the same time when they were sparring, but while Tokonatsu's spirit - Trident was his name - was a combat type much like his brother's, Nika's - whose name was Hysminai - was of the support type, only enhancing her magical and physical prowess rather than directly aiding in a conflict, resembling her father's. Chiharu invented yet another recipe for her bakery and had been exchanging them with the Sol's chef, Ange. Kensuke and the Shapeshifter Troupe were holding a tour across the world, during which he acted as their performer slash bodyguard. Zac and Akira had joined units, their combined talent in both combat and performance shooting them up the popularity charts. So on and so forth. The light conversation made him feel like he was full again.

The second time he woke up in the hospital wing of the camp was to frantic murmurs. Nika, who had stayed to watch over him, was having a hushed conversation by the door, her voice laced with worry.

"...getting worse...falling through..."

"...give up yet...let me..."

Rubbing the drowsiness from his eyes, Shu tried to get off the bed. His legs were wobbly at first, but he managed to stabilize himself using the nightstand. Whatever they were talking about, he felt a sense of dread creeping down his spine.

"Look, you're the only support-type left! We need you to back everyone up!" the kid at the door argued, to which the pink-haired girl shot back twice as fiercely:

"Then aren't I better sent out?"

"But-"

"That settles it, I'm going," she declared, storming out, leaving the other kid stuttering before attempting to chase after her, both failing to notice his presence. He dared a few more steps, leaning to the wall for support, and exited the room.

The hallways were eerily empty, as if the entire place had been abandoned. He breathed in the dust left by hasty boots. The air was still warm, but it was cooling fast, the shadows of war looming heavily over the vibrant red flags of the Sol. Shu recounted the steps and turns Valt had taken when they walked to the hospital wing, finding his way back to the entrance, the only indication of him going the right way was the increasing noises of blades clashing.

"Looking for something?"

He whipped his head around. Standing a few paces away from the evening light streaming in from the entrance, a pair of golden eyes glowed in the darkness, the true gold of sheer power putting the mask Golden Eye had proudly donned to shame. It was the true Free de la Hoya, the one he had never faced but Valt had stood his ground against, if the blurry sounds in the fog of his memory didn't lie. During one of the Bulls' first campaigns in Gilten's pursuit of world domination, former teammates had seen each other again on opposite sides of the battlefield, and their fight was unforgettable. At that moment, everyone had thought that the vampiric mage had finally shown a side long hidden, a crazed thirst for control, and become the upholder of the new reign nobody dared to overthrow.

They had all been misguided by prejudice. None of them had expected Free's unwavering loyalty to the Sol.

"Say, are you planning to head out like this?" the mage continued with a puzzling smirk, "Can't tell if you're bold or you've gone nuts."

"The same can be said to you," Shu narrowed his eyes as he tried to shot back, but that obviously missed Free's point, because the edge of his mouth curled up even more. Suddenly, he felt as if he was being held at speartip, even though the mage barely moved an inch. The feeling disappeared as quickly as it came, but his point was clear: without a spirit, heading out was just as bad as suicide, yet he couldn't help it. He had already done so many things wrong, so he had to make up to it somehow.

"Do what you want," the mage shrugged, walking past him to the entrance.

In their last-ditch attempt to turn things in their favor, the Snake Pit had landed an assault on the alliance's camp all the way in the back. Isolated and underpowered, they had no choice but keep holding their grounds until the deployed groups notice and return. Unfortunately, the defending troop was small with most of them young and inexperienced, adding that to the great number of injured soldiers they had to protect and captives that had to guard, they soon got overwhelmed.

When Shu arrived at the scene, Tokonatsu and Nika were against a guy twice their size. Wielding such a big weapon, Tokonatsu had his speed hindered and was unable to land a good hit, while Nika was faster but couldn't dish out enough strength in a single blow. They both were yelling at the top of their lungs, but neither had enough control nor power in their voices to sway their enemy the way Valt could. Similar fights were happening around, each of them a struggle, and it was clear that their defense was being pushed back.

Shu summoned his battle axe and charged. Even with one arm, he was used to the weight of his weapon. The Snake Pit soldier was knocked back in an instant.

"Shuu-kun!" the twins exclaimed, one in surprise and the other in skepticism.

"Are you two alright?"

"You came just in time! Thank you!" Nika responded, and Tokonatsu nodded in thanks, still reluctant to reconnect with him. Nika nudged him in the ribs.

"Come on, Toko, don't be such a bummer. Shuu-kun is here to help us out!"

"If you have time to help us out, please go to Baru-nii!" Tokonatsu blurted out, "Free is stuck back here keeping us alive," he gazed to the distance, where Free was seconds from collapsing but held himself up using his staff, surrounded by golden winds that deflected any incoming attacks, "But Baru-nii is out there, taking on the biggest ones in this group. Last time I saw him, he was limping," he tightened the grip on his gig, as if it could help ease his anxiety, "We're not strong enough to assist him, so please go!"

Tokonatsu met him in the eyes, deep greens unwavering despite the struggles that came with a battle he was yet ready for, and Shu was suddenly reminded of the same gaze in soft browns.

They really were brothers.

"Please trust me. I'll make sure he comes back," he said, and he meant it, if not to regain Tokonatsu's trust then to retain his sanity, because he couldn't stand the thought of his friend leaving him now that he had so much to say and too little time for themselves.

In hindsight, he should've known promises were meant to be broken.

Walking into Valt's battle zone was akin to plunging straight into a blizzard, even moreso now that he was on his last straw. The ground was already frozen, discarded weapons lay coated in snow, and fallen bodies half-turned into ice sculptures scattered around. He knew that they were not dead, because Valt was too kind for his own good, never able to bring his blade down anyone, but the sight was frightening nonetheless. Only two types of people could do such amount of damage on their own: The first was the entities of absolute power, the likes of Shirosagijo Lui or Free de la Hoya - or Red Eye, for that matter - when they were at tip-top shape; The second group consisted of people who carried a will greater than themselves, when cornered, their desperate flails could burn down castles. For all he knew about his childhood friend, he had always belonged to the second type.

The chill bit his skin despite the bandages, but it also numbed his pain as he trudged forward with his weapon drawn. The Rusalka child's voice rang out loud and clear: "Quit it!"

Oh how only two words almost sent him to his knees. Aoi Valt had come a long way since that kid flexing his sword just for fun.

Another body dropped to the ground, their hands cuffed in ice, but two more advanced. Valt was having a hard time. He shouted another command, but his voice had reached it limit and he broke into a coughing fit. He lifted his sword to parry a strike from a glaive with shaky hands when the second guy brought a hammer down his head.

Shu was fast to react, but Valkyrie was even faster. All he heard was a distinct clang of a spiritual blade before the hammer landed paces away. As the man scrambled to pick up his weapon, Shu interjected. Using the flat side of his axe, he attempted to knock his opponent out to quickly come to Valt's aid before feeling his attack being parried by an invisible force. He inwardly cursed. Of course this guy had to be an awakened, because no ordinary people could drag out a fight against Aoi Valt, while he was completely vulnerable without Spriggan.

Spriggan... His absence had left a hole in him. The guardian spirit had made his house feel more like a home even with one inhabitant and never once left him. He might not be protective the way Valkyrie was, but the two of them had grown attached; calling out and sensing a hot surge of energy through his veins had been as normal as breathing. He felt like such a big hypocrite. After lecturing the importance of staying faithful to one's guardian spirit to Daina, he just went ahead and removed Spriggan from his being, and for what ends?

Battleaxe and hammer clashed, heavy weapons in their momentum recoiled. He spread out his legs for balance. His right arm hurt, but he couldn't afford to stop, not as the opposing spirit was also firing a fury of attacks that he could only rely on his instincts to parry. Already, he was at a huge disadvantage.

Shu swung his axe and Valt jumped to a side. The weapon was too big for him to even try to parry, but he was a nimble one, fast on his feet the way he was underwater, and his sword was light, so he span on his heels with an upper swipe, using his opponent's momentum to knock the battle axe out of his grip and pointed it straight to his throat.

"I won!"

That was the first of many to come.

He slammed his hand on the ground as fire cracked the ice surrounding them, creating a cover from steam. His next swing connected.

And he thought he heard something akin to a groan. Spriggan was frustrated and unsatisfied with only one battle, and frankly, so was he, so he requested another round. Valt shrugged and complied. In no time, he had already surpassed his friend. That's also how he found out Valt was not born a warrior. It only took two days for his embers to melt away his snow at first contact, after all.

The Snake Pit had always trained its warriors to be quick to adapt to new situations. It should be a generally good thing, and he could compliment them on learning their lessons so well, had it not been used against him in such a dire situation. He cursed himself for being so forgetful. A kick from behind made him lose his balance, an enemy freshly thawed from ice thanks to his fire. He use his battleaxe to avoid the fall before ducking, narrowly escaping a sword aimed at his head. Then he lowered his body and attacked with a low swipe.

It missed, and a hammer connected with his leg.

There was a shrill cry that didn't come out of his mouth, and ice erupted.

Valt was never born a warrior. He wasn't born strong, and with no sense of strategy nor drive to improve, he had lived satisfied with being able to defend himself at a bare minimum. He was kind to a fault and had too much faith in others, that kind of person would be the first to fall in an arena where lives and pride were put on the line.

But he was a born fighter at heart, that much was clear even in their childhood days. Once he set his mind on something, he would keep trying even if it was in vain. Perhaps Shu had been wrong to think that Valt would stand no chance in the arena, his childish pride scaling worth by sheer strength. In a battle between the awakened, the master wasn't the only one that mattered. Valkyrie's own power on top of Valt's ability to see spirits had taken them through the first important steps.

The heavy presence looming over him dispersed and was replaced by Valkyrie's familiar energy. Valt was kneeling down, checking on him while his guardian spirit single-handedly held back two men and two spirits. There was that veil of chilling blue over his eyes again, this time almost hiding the soft browns beneath.

"Why are you here?"

"I don't want to leave you alone."

Not anymore, he didn't say. I'm sorry, he didn't say, because none of those words seemed to suit the moment.

Valt didn't have time to respond before he had to spring up to his feet and resume the fight, probably responding to Valkyrie's call.

How funny, the master responding to the guardian spirit while it was usually the other way around, but that's just the way he is. When people focused on first their ability and next their spirits', Valt saw first the bond they made and next the way they may complement each other in battle.

"You are ages away from winning."

Free had said after their match, when he was still Kurenai Shu of the Bulls and not Red Eye of the Snake Pit, disappointment tinged in his monotonous voice, and he had felt Fafnir's pointed tail flicking at Spriggan. The vampiric mage, too, could perceive spirits the way Valt could, that's why he was so powerful, and perhaps he had seen something Shu did not.

The Rusalka sword cut through metal, breaking the handle of the hammer as the pieces fell uselessly to the ground, frosted over. With an elegant spin, Valt took down the hammer guy.

"You are neither Shu nor Spriggan."

His voice was cold, but it hit deeper than his cries, right into his conscience. The more emotional he got, the more powerful his voice became. And it had always been the stillest in the eye of the storm. The raging snowstorm chipped away his fire little by little, while the Rusalka held his gaze and spoke with emotions pent up for way too long, they were no longer spilling but were shot as cleanly as an arrow.

Of course Valt could tell the difference between Spriggan and Requiem.

Then Valkyrie sent Requiem into oblivion.

Shu was running out of steam. He could barely maneuver without stumbling, his heavy weapon dragging him down, but frankly, so was his opponent, so he gritted his teeth and persisted.

"I'll see you in the arena!"

He had failed him. He wasn't strong enough, hadn't tried hard enough, didn't understand Spriggan enough. Lui was ridiculously powerful, but Valt's battle against him was a sight worthy of ballads and epics while his seemed nothing more than a pathetic show of struggle. When they faced off amidst that horrid battlefield, a sadistic part of him had smirked and said: We've made it.

Shu became the last one standing, a weak flame in a snowy domain.

The Rusalka's body was coated in ice, rigid and cold, and his face was deadly pale while blood trickled through tiny cracks and splattered on the ground, stark red against white. The defense game was a success, even before help could return from the main battlefield, but Valt had exhausted the last bits of his strength. Shu dropped to his knees and held him tight in a desperate attempt to make up for everything he had done.

There were voices in the distance. He tried to call out for help, but all that came out of his mouth was a weak croak. He, too, had fought with all he'd got. Soon, his legs gave in and he crumbled, darkness enveloping them both.

Valt woke up feeling like he had just been through hell.

His eyelids were as heavy as lead and his body refused to move, that much was typical for his mornings, but everything ached. He tried to recall just what kind of training he had done yesterday that it made his bones burn even after a good night's rest and wondered how much scolding he would receive from Shasa once she knew. Probably a lot, he sluggishly thought, so he silently dreaded and hoped to sleep in for a bit longer before Kit inevitably woke him up for breakfast and morning practice.

Huh... My body feels so light...

It was strange. It wasn't the soft mattress in the dormitory he shared with Kit and Kumicho, and it wasn't the latter's snores nor the familiar chirping of the birds who lived under the Sol's roof that he heard. Instead, chatter flowed in his ears in an unfamiliar accent, and he felt weightless.

His hand felt itchy, but he was too tired to move the other hand, so he alternatively tried to run it on the bedsheet, yet there was something over the back of his hand that prevented contact. Perhaps the mattress was extra fluffy today? The wall should do, then. The Sol's castle was built from ancient stones, so the walls were rough. With much effort, he mustered every bit of strength left to swing his arm toward where the wall should be, only to be met with thin air - if it was even air to begin with.  Something was off.

Prying his eyes open, the first thing Valt noticed that it was not the bright sunlight pouring from the window greeting him, but the fluorescent glow that had imprinted his childhood days. Next, it was the feeling of movement behind his ears, then the way his legs didn't feel like legs at all.

Oh...

Oh!!

He was, somehow, in his Rusalka form. Where human ears should be, there were gills, and a tail of beautiful blue scales was in place of his legs. He looked around. The place he was lying on was, in fact, not a bed, but a flat rock. Not that it mattered, since he was underwater.

However, it was also not the lake in the forest behind the Sol's castle, where he often found himself in after a long day. Wherever this was, the water was nicely cold in a way that soothes the aches throughout his body, albeit not completely. The room he was in was a cave of sorts, dimly lit by little particles instead of corals. It was mesmerizing, and he dared argue that it beat the stars above the Sol or Beigoma – though he would never say it aloud.

You're finally awake! Valkyrie's voice sounded. He looked to the side and saw his guardian spirit in her resting form - without her armor and with only two out of her six eyes opened, she looked like an ordinary lady from the northern regions. Her purple hair was pulled to a side in a loose braid, and she was dressed in a simple leather tunic, skirt, armguard, and boots in a way that showcased her muscles, not unlike how Xhaka often carried himself. More than once, the master had complained about how he was so slim compared to his own guardian, to which Valkyrie laughed. It was simply the way Valt's body worked, with most of his strength lying beneath the surface.

Val...kyrie... He called out in his mind, but even that sounded weak.

Take it easy, Valt. You've been out of it for a week. She gracefully took a seat by his side, How are you feeling?

He blinked, trying to gather his thoughts, his mind still feeling sluggish.

Where am I? He settled for a question.

The North Sea, the coldest waters of Bekai, home to your Rusalka lineage. Valkyrie patiently answered, The Aoi household, Rusalka version.

So this really isn't Beigoma or Barcelona... He registered. His head had cleared up a little bit, so he opted to speak:

"What hap-..!!!"

Valt broke into a coughing fit, bubbles blinding his vision, but Valkyrie's hand on his back was steady as she guided him back to a normal breathing pattern.

Your battle against Red Eye happened, remember? You won. She smiled, You got him back.

"I... did it?" he croaked, dumbfounded, "I did it!" he cheered. In a sudden burst of energy, he jerked up before doubling over as pain racked his body. It was only then that he took notice of the bandages covering his body from head to tail. He eyed them in confusion and tried picking the one on the back of his hand - the very one that had blocked his contact with the rock bed, to reveal a patch of sapphire blue scales. Normally, they were neat and fine, but now, one was missing, and several were protruding from the wrong angle. There was also an outline of a scar on his side, and his head spun if he turned too suddenly.

He tried to recall what had transpired that had led to this point. There had been a lot of yelling, mostly originating from himself, and a lot of red - red of flames, of blood, of soil, of eyes, of pain shooting through his being and clouding his eyes. There had been a loud ringing in his ears from weapons clashing, distant cries and his own merging into a shrill cacophony. He remembered a cold hand in his, trembling but firm, then everything else became a blur. Valkyrie sighed.

You were sleeping for at least a week, I suppose you'd need time to catch up. She proceeded to fill in the blank: His defense game against the last troupe of the Snake Pit with Shu's last-minute appearance and how they both fainted afterward, how Kris had tried her hardest to heal him yet he showed no signs of waking up, up to Kento's sudden arrival at the Sol's castle and his transfer to the North Sea. Apparently, he had overexerted himself to the point that even his elemental energy was depleted. Since the warm climate in Barcelona would only hinder his recovery, moving him to a colder region was prominent.

On top of sustaining serious injuries, you just went ahead, strained your body for another hour, and conjured an entire ice field! What were you thinking!? She concluded, shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Hey, what else could we do? We needed to hold the line," Valt shrugged with an awkward smile. Perhaps there could be better options, where he didn't have to push himself so hard to protect everyone behind, but he was never a strategist. He was a swordsman, a warrior who thrived in the heat of a battle. Charging right into the situation was his best strategy.

The guardian spirit remained silent.

"Valkyrie..?" Valt nervously called out to her.

I guess that's right. Valkyrie resigned. You did what you must. Still... I was worried. She patted his head, the ghost of her hand playing with his hair. You're the best master I could've asked for. I don't want to lose you.

"It's gonna take a lot more than that to bring me down, you know?" he grinned. His face hurt, but he felt too giddy to even care. However, as he took in the details about Valkyrie, his expression dropped - there were black spots all over her body, indicating the spirit's wounds. Although things like this happened often ever since he took on the path of battling, he still couldn't find himself to not frown, especially when there were so many of them. He had overexerted both of them.

Don't worry about it, Valkyrie assured him before he could talk, I'll recover when you do. I always do.

"Yeah... Guess I'll have to be more careful here on out," he was grinning again, confident of a future where they didn't have to end up bedridden. Valkyrie knew for a fact that that was ages from becoming reality, for her master was recklessly generous with a dangerous tendency to hop right into trouble, but realization was a good start.

You better be. She remarked.

The ride to the North Sea was arduous. Chiharu was out front holding the reins, but despite her skillful hands, the ride was bumpy. Inside the carriage, there was an awkward tension. Ever since Kensuke's rescue team carried Shu and Valt back from that icy battlefield, Tokonatsu had been refusing to meet his gaze, his eyes unreadable. Nika had been quick to assure him that her twin simply needed time to arrange his thoughts, and while Shu knew that not everyone could be as free with their emotions as Valt, the silence was burning him alive. He was trying to be patient, he really did, and patient he should be so as to not make the same mistake twice, but for all his desire to go back to simpler days, the more that time stretched out, the more anxious he became.

There was a black monolith by the sea.

Xhakuenji Kaiza, the master of seals, stepped forward and placed his gigantic hand on the black stone as it started to crack, red symbols drawing out on the sand and giving an ominous glow to the waves.

"Are you sure you're ready, buddy?" Xhaka asked. He couldn't help but feel concerned for his friend. Ever since he came back to his senses, Shu was always seen with a dejected look on his face, making him seem much smaller. Valt's unknown status also took a heavy toll on him despite Kris' reassurances that he was simply recuperating in a better environment. The titan wasn't entirely sure if Shu was in the right mind to meet Spriggan again after everything that had happened between them.

"I don't want to run away anymore," the white-haired male replied, "If I can't even face my own mistakes, then how can I face him?"

"He has always been looking your way, you know that?" Xhaka muttered.

The monolith crumbled into dust under the titan's hand, followed by a deafening growl. A familiar energy filled the space, and he suddenly felt weak at the knees. Xhaka's strong arms held him from hitting the ground, but he dared not look up. Although he couldn't see Spriggan's face, he knew just what kind of expression the spirit must be making: disappointment, for his poor decisions, for his disregard of the bond they had forged, and for being an undeserving master.

Shu gritted his teeth. He had to make things right.

"Spriggan," he began, trying to suppress the way his voice shook, "If you're listening to me, I'm sorry. I never should've abandoned you, I never should've done any of this," still leaning onto Xhaka, he planted his feet on the ground and pulled himself up, "We were meant to take the top together, but I was blinded by glory. You... can go and find a master better than me. You don't have to forgive me, either. I just... I'm sorry."

A warm hand rested on his shoulder.

Cold winds started to seep into the carriage, and Shu wondered if Chiharu was alright. Even within the covers of the sturdy vehicle, he could still feel the biting chill. He rubbed his hands together in an attempt to preserve warmth, his fire energy still too weak to protect himself. Spriggan whispered little assurances in his ears, but he heard naught but a faint murmur.

Had he been in Spriggan's place, he wouldn't have found it in himself to forgive such a terrible master. To guardian spirits, who hailed from an age long past, having a master was not unlike being granted a second chance at life, so who was he to take that away from Spriggan? He still found it hard to believe that his spirit even wanted to reunite with him.

Small hands reached out to his. Tokonatsu and Nika held his hands, a meager amount of warmth transmitting from their palms to his, joined by Trident and Hysminai. He snapped out of his spiraling thoughts.

"I won't forget what you've done," the teal-haired twin spoke, "You really did terrible things, but you also brought Baru-nii back, just like you promised, and you were badly injured because of that, too. I-... Baru-nii wouldn't want me to stay mad at you."

Shu widened his eyes. Although Tokonatsu changed his words last minutes, he knew that the kid had forgiven him - the Aoi siblings had always been so easy to read, and vulnerable might that make them, at that moment, he was glad. Being faced with genuity, it was hard not to believe.

"Are you not going?"

"I'll visit him later. The Rios' fortress is closest to the Snake Pit. We still have to clean them up before declaring this war over," Xhaka crossed his arms, looking into the distance where the alliance was cleaning up their camp. Surprisingly, the one taking the reins was not Kris, but Komurasaki Wakiya, for he played the biggest role in the capture of Ashram. Unlike that spoiled rich kid who enjoyed bossing around back in Beigoma, the blonde really did grow into a capable leader.

The Shapeshifters had grown famous. Valt, Xhaka, and Daina had both become generals well-known across Bekai for their sheer strength and contribution in their guild's revival. Even Kumicho was dubbed a man among men.

He was the only one who was stuck in the past.

"I'm sorry."

"What did you say!?" Xhaka suddenly bellowed, his gaze turning intense. Meeting with such a face, Shu could only take a cautious step back as the titan stomped forward.

"Hey..."

"Would you stop with that? It's getting on my nerves," Xhaka demanded.

"But-"

"There will be a public hearing that you'll have to attend. Save your words for then," his childhood friend looked forward again, and there was something solemn in those fiery eyes that he dared not see. He sighed. That evoked another frown from Xhaka.

"Just in case you got brain damage as well, don't you ever think about blaming yourself for the outcome of this battle. Valt had decided by himself and has no regrets. You better give him and yourself some respect."

"What do I even have to respect in myself?" he wondered aloud.

The half-titan had froze, not believing in his ears - certainly, it was not every day that he saw his stoic, prideful childhood friend looking down on himself, but he quickly recovered and grinned, sharp teeth and all.

"Let's start by learning that your friends still got your back, yeah?" Xhaka gave him a hearty smack on the back, though mindful of his injuries, "You're a great guy, you'll bounce back in no time!"

The carriage skitted to a stop. Chiharu's cheerful voice announced their arrival. Her cheeks were flushed from the long ride in the cold, but it was clear that she couldn't wait to dive into the sea to meet her husband and son. The twins hopped out first - with remarkably few layers on, though their resistance to the cold could easily be traced back to their Rusalka bloodline, then Shu followed suit in the thickest coat his closet had to offer.

As they approached the shore, he was instructed to shed his winter clothes, for they never fared well with water. Tokonatsu and Nika willed up their respective guardian spirits, and a tingling sensation spread throughout his body. His face felt uncomfortable as gills and scales produced before he eventually fell over, a scarlet tail in place of his feet. Giggles was the last thing he heard before being pushed into the cold water.

"Tokonatsu, Nika, that wasn't very nice," Chiharu scolded, but she couldn't hide her amusement.

It took him a while to get used to a tail, and even after that, the twins had to guide him by the arms to make sure he wasn't falling behind. Already, he felt tired having to muster his entire body to move. No wonder Valt was so resilient.

As they arrived at the Rusalka Aoi household, Shu could finally see him - the boy who had squeezed his guts for the past week. Aoi Valt, who was still wrapped in plenty of bandages, was sparring with Kento in an underwater mini-arena.

Even after an all-out war, you are way ahead of me again, Shu smiled bitterly.

"Hey, you two, I think a break is in order!" Chiharu called out, gaining their attention. Father and son whipped their head around and their eyes lit up upon seeing their visitors before charging at them at full speed, wrapping them in a tight group hug.

"Kaa-chan! Tokonatsu, Nika! You made it!" Valt cheered as they released, although Shu noted that after being squished against him in the process, the blue-haired boy didn't let go completely but slipped his hand in his, probably subconsciously.

The family exchanged heartfelt words - mostly concerning their eldest son's recovery. The moment was so intimate that he felt like he shouldn't be here, but it was so tender that he was afraid that any movement would've disturbed them. Chiharu seemed to have noticed the conflicted that dared to surface because she sent a gentle smile his way before guiding the conversation to a swift end. Pulling Kento and the twins along to the cavern structures that housed the Aoi family, claiming she 'needed to check out Ase's cooking', Shu was left alone with a very confused Valt.

The Rusalka child blinked before glancing down. Noticing their joined hands, he briefly panicked - recalling Shu's aversion to physical touch, and let go with a light-hearted apology, chuckling all the way.

Shu missed it already.

Holding him helped him feel alive, somehow, grounded in these times when his memory still failed him sometimes.

"Valt..." he began, and that seemed to set off a switch in the other boy because he suddenly teared up and pounced right at him with the tightest hug.

"You're back!" he sniffled, "You're really, really back!"

"I'm here," Shu found himself replying, "I'm not going anywhere anymore."

And that much was true. He was not planning to leave his friends - to leave Valt - in the dark anymore. He would rather die than cause everyone agony again. And more than anything, he would never let go of the memories he hold dear another time. For them to be taken away or come crashing back, it was painful either way, and it brought tears to the one he thought shone the brightest.

He never enjoyed cloudy days.

"Welcome back too, Spriggan," Valt continued, looked at the space behind him with a fond smile.

"Yeah, we're back," Shu confirmed.

"I'm glad," Valt smiled the softest smile he had ever seen, lacking its usual energy but overflowing with a warmth out of place in these waters. His hands slipped from his back down his hands and he put some distance between them - just enough to see each other's face, and said:

"Hey, Shu, I- well, last time you felt down, I wasn't there for you,"

The first time he lost to Lui, Shu recalled, the first drop of a storm, was when the Aoi had moved back to Beigoma Bay, where the merfolk community lived isolated from the rest of the population. It was no surprise that he didn't know.

"But you were always there for me to cheer me up. You're the strongest person I know. I'm here because of you, but I want to help you back, too!"

You already did, Shu wanted to say. He should've thought of coming to Valt sooner, for as child-like as he seemed, he was incredibly good with emotions.

So much for knowing your best friend well.

"That's why," Valt took a deep breath, and Shu held his in anticipation, "I won't leave you alone. Let's make up for all the time we've lost!"

"Alright, let's," Shu chuckled in return.

In hindsight, he should've known that Valt always meant his words literally. It took him months just to convince Valt that he didn't have to tail him to the bathroom.

Things didn't return to the way they were before, nothing ever could.

But they could always pave a way to a better future. The old training grounds, the Beigoma team's meeting spots, they were all void of familiar faces, but standing here, in the place that knew their sweat and tears, he felt relief.

Maybe, just maybe, he did deserve a chance redemption.

(You always do.)