POST_METAMORPHOSIS

Chapter V/5 - The old friends' return

--- EDITOR'S NOTE ---

The "//" mark in the conversation scene means that the messages are separated by the user.

--- END OF EDITOR'S NOTE ---

It's been a day since they busted out Minerva, along with their encounter with the Nomads. Saki was lying in her bed, still unconscious. Aleister kept vigil near her all night, sitting in a chair and checking her vital signs while solving some Sudoku. He fell asleep at 3 AM. After a couple of hours, she woke up and knocked on the glass to alert him as soon as she could move. She then opened her bed's glass chamber.

- Saki... Are you feeling alright?

- My head hurts a bit... and my legs are still tearing off..., but I'm getting better by the minute...

- Rest for now, would you?

She nodded in response. A few minutes later,

- Al... Did we win?

- We did... Minny is safe. And we caused no fatal casualties.

- Great... Look..., I... I just-

- Saki, you shouldn't have risked your life that much...

Saki felt like she was about to be berated.

- Fret not... I'm not mad at you... I'm only worried about your state... And you also surprised us. Just for reassurance...

- Thanks... Argh, I'm such an idiot... - Saki said while covering her face with her palms.

- No, you're not...

A few hours have passed again. Saki was sitting on her bed. She could move her legs by then, and her headache was gone.

- Let me guess... You wonder how I pulled off such a complex Art like that... Don't you? - Saki asked.

- Yes, I do... It was impressive, yet dangerous on your behalf... Also, it was an Intermediate-level heavy Art.

- ... Eh? "Like I've heard this before... Wait... Oh... I think I can remember now."

- As you just said, Arts have levels based on their difficulty to cast. We also group them by the time needed for preparation. So... Can you explain all that, if I may ask?

- Yeah, I think... After I got shot in the head, everything went black, like I... died. Then I was in my mind again, but a tall man in black clothes appeared before me this time. He wore a black jacket with chains on it. Black bandages covered his face. He also wore a scarecrow hat.

- Darius...

- Yes... He also pitied me for enduring such painful events... Aurora must have told him about me. He talked of using my agony as an ultimate instrument of order, discipline, justice, and, unfortunately, chaos... in a nutshell.

- That's correct.

- After that, he asked if I wanted to begin my Prowess's evolution with the Dark side. I accepted his proposal with the condition of not letting myself be prey to that foul god, and he threw me a bone, too..., with the Army of Suffering... They beat you two up... and were about to die by that switchblade hidden in that bastard's boots... For crying out loud, I didn't want to witness your death. That's why I did it...

- Now I see... That means you saved our asses back there... along with assisting in Minerva's rescue of your volition...

- I... I did?

- Yeah! ... I'd dare not put you out to such dangers again from now on, alright?

- Yeah... I can understand it...