"Umm... it isn’t appropriate, is it?" I muttered.
[Oh, right. Virgin.]
I clenched my jaw. "I really wish you had a face so I could put a hole through it."
I turned my attention back to Sera.
She was shaking and panting, probably caught in a nightmare.
Half-naked... likely the work of that bastard Vorrak, now crucified in the next room.
I reached out, caught her hand, first gently, but she clutched mine hard.
"What the fuck... what kind of eighteen-year-old has this kind of grip strength?"
[The kind that’s gifted with the Guardian Knight title,]
"No shit," I muttered, staring at Sera’s trembling form.
"Hey, Nexar."
[Hmm?]
"I... shouldn’t probably do this... I’m not Rune."
[I wouldn’t say that.]
I frowned. "Why not? I’m just someone who took over."
There was a pause before his letters traced out.
[You know... it’s kinda like.. you’re the reason Rune died, if I’m being honest.]
My eyes widened. "What?"
[In a universe, two souls with the exact same soul-print can’t exist. A perfect match means they are the same. One of them will be erased.]
He let the words hang, each stroke of his writing sinking deeper.
[Rune. You, and him... you’re the same, not just in name but in soul. In other words, if you had been born in his place, with his environment, you would’ve become him. And if he had been tortured and given a system like me, he would’ve turned out like you.]
I swallowed hard.
[It’s a fact. You are him, and he is you. Fate simply chose one. Only one of you could exist... and you got the chance.]
"I see," I muttered.
I slipped off the leather coat I had on and draped it over her. Pulling her close, I felt her panting gradually slow.
Within seconds her breathing evened out, calm, steady. I sighed in relief.
Just as I was about to put her down, the coat slid off her shoulders.
And then they appeared.
No longer distant, but right there, just below my hands. My fingers hovered in the air, inches away.
I swallowed hard.
"No... no, Rune, get it together," I told myself, forcing my hand back.
Snatching the coat, I quickly pulled it over her again.
[Heh. Virgin.] Words blinked beside me.
A vein pulsed at my temple.
"I swear—" I started to snap, but before I could, a soft, weak chuckle brushed my ears.
"Hehe.."
I froze.
Looking down, I saw her. Sera’s eyes were open, her cheeks tinged pink.
"I... knew it," she whispered, her voice trembling but playful.
"You — You’re awake?" My eyes went wide.
She slowly sat up, her white hair spilling over her face, glowing faintly in the dim light.
"Hey, Nexar..." I bit back the words and interacted with him silently.
You told me she wouldn’t wake up anytime soon.
[I never said anytime soon. But... I didn’t expect this early either. The overdose of Ero’s Essence is that high... Truly, a Guardian Knight.]
Not the time to be in awe, I shot back at him. Something’s off... she feels different.
As I thought it, Sera leaned closer, crawling up toward me with deliberate slowness.
The coat I had just covered her with slipped from her shoulders and fell soundlessly to the floor.
Her face rose until it was level with mine, both of her hands planted firmly on either side of me, pinning me against the wall without even meaning to.
"Sera... you’re hurt. You should lie down," I said, my voice low, almost pleading.
Her eyes widened suddenly, but not in pain. There was concern there. Pure, sharp concern.
"You’re hurt?" she asked, voice trembling.
"What? No, not me. You!" I insisted.
But she didn’t listen. Instead, her hands tugged at my shirt, clutching, pulling, fabric tearing at the seams.
"Where are you hurt? Who did this to you?" she asked, her tone shifting into anger, protective and burning.
"Calm down," I caught her wrists gently, stopping her from ripping my shirt apart.
"You’re hurt. You just took a recovery potion. You need to lay down."
Her hands trembled in my grip, weak but stubborn, and then she lost her balance.
Her body tilted forward, her face colliding against my chest.
"Hey... You okay?" I asked softly, peering down at her.
She lifted her head slowly... and that’s when they hung between us, swaying lightly with each shaky breath she took.
My throat went dry, a hard swallow betraying me.
"You should... cover up," I muttered, dragging my eyes away with all the strength I could muster.
But she only smiled. Soft, mischievous, dangerous.
"I won’t," she whispered, and then she moved, straddling me fully, her weight pressing me back against the wall.
"What do you mean, you won’t.." I started, but before I could finish, her hands grabbed my head and pulled me forward.
Her lips met mine.
"Mmph!" A muffled sound escaped her as she kissed me, trembling yet relentless.
Her mouth was warm, desperate, pressing against mine in a way that made my heart lurch in my chest.
Her weak hands shook as she clung to me, but she didn’t stop.
She pressed her lips again, harder this time, pouring what little strength she had left into that kiss.
I broke away, just enough to breathe, my hands on her shoulders pushing back gently.
Her face filled my vision. Eyes shut tight, cheeks flushed, her expression almost peaceful.
And then, the moment I released her, she simply collapsed against me, limp, her breath shallow but steady.
"Nexar..." I muttered, shaken. "What’s happening?"
[Exhaustion, I guess,] the words blinked beside me. [Her pulse is fine... She must’ve used up all her restored strength on that passionate... you know.]
"I better move her out of this place," I muttered under my breath. "If she wakes up and the first thing she sees is blood... it might scar her."
[Good idea. Besides, you nailed him up, and Gunther can’t move.]
I slipped my arms beneath her and lifted her carefully.
She stirred faintly, but instead of pulling away, her arms clutched my shirt tighter, her face burying deeper into my chest.
A quiet sigh escaped me as I carried her out, step by step.
"First thing I’m going to do when that bastard wakes up is ask him where he got this damn Ero’s Essence," I muttered, only through thought.
[Yeah... but how are you planning to deal with her when she wakes up again, still in that overdosed state?]
I hesitated. "...I don’t know. Maybe hide?"
[Virgin.]
"Tsk," I clicked my tongue.
For a moment, silence lingered between us. Then I asked, "Hey, Nexar. About the Emperor System... you said it makes its user the Emperor, right? The same way you made me Warlord."
[Yup.]
Then... what are the chances the current Emperor has it?
[Zero.] The reply came instantly.
I frowned. You’re strangely confident.
[Because I know. You’re supposed to face the user of the Emperor System far into the future... a lot further than the Demon Lord arc. And the current Emperor? He dies before that arc even begins. Besides... I’m convinced the Emperor System’s final task is to pit its wielder against you.]
My jaw tightened. ...And you’ll need me to form a party and defeat him?
[Yes. But not just a party. You’ll need a crew, allies, territory. None of this is easy. Each quest in between is brutal. You already know that.]
I sighed, shifting her weight slightly in my arms. "So we’re going to repeat everything from my second walkthrough, aren’t we?"
[Of course. To oppose the Emperor System, you’ll need your own dominion, your own stronghold. Just like last time, isn’t it, Warlord Rune Dreadfort?]
"...You really love dragging that title out," I muttered, pushing open the door to my room with my shoulder.
Inside, the faint lamplight washed the space in quiet warmth.
I lowered her carefully onto the bed, trying to slip free from her grip.
But the moment I moved, her fingers tightened, clutching my shirt with surprising strength.
"You’ve got to be kidding me," I whispered. I tried again, a bit of force this time.
Her other hand rose, joining the first, locking me down with a stubbornness only she could manage... even in sleep.
"No way she’s actually asleep..." I thought, incredulous.
And then. "Whoa!" The tug caught me off guard.
In the next instant, I stumbled forward, dragged into the bed with her.
Her leg curled over me, her arms clung as if letting go meant death itself, her breath brushing against my neck, hot and uneven.
I froze, staring at her. She didn’t stir, didn’t wake. Instead, in her sleep, she whispered broken words.
"...Rune... don’t leave... you’re all I have..."
A single tear slipped from her closed eye, sliding across her pale cheek.
I lay there, stiff, my gaze fixed on the ceiling.
My mind was a storm, but all I could do in that moment was listen to her fragile breathing and hold my own chaos inside.