Volume 3—Chapter 63: Something Awake…
As I watched the white fire burst into existence before me, the first thought that came to mind was Syena.
I don’t know why I’m so obsessed with her. Maybe it’s because she’s a celebrity? Or maybe… It’s something else. Either way, the appearance of this white fire, identical to the phenomenon linked to the recent disappearance cases, might be the closest lead I’ve had to wherever Syena vanished.
But I need to keep my thoughts straight before jumping to conclusions. If I let excitement take over, I might misread everything and end up chasing shadows.
Let’s address the obvious first: supernatural powers exist in this world. When I first regained my memories, I thought this was just a normal modern society with an alternate history, something clean, maybe even a bit boring. I was wrong.
These powers aren’t celebrated here. They’re hidden. Ostracised. I assume so.
Which means those who have them, like Aneira and the blonde woman in front of me, are hiding in plain sight. And that includes me.
I’ve only recently realised I few years ago about my own power. My power isn’t flashy. It’s raw physicality. Super strength. My build is not exactly muscly; I am slender, but I can hit harder than ten grown men combined. Maybe even fifty. I’m still figuring it out.
And then there’s Iris. And possibly Arthur. But I’ll get to those two later.
Right now, I need to focus on this twisted space I’ve found myself in. This… dimension? Whatever it is, it’s not normal.
The blonde woman keeps moving back, gracefully dodging every stream of white fire Aneira hurls at her. She’s fast, and every time she retreats, she summons more of those cursed skeletons to distract me.
Aneira wants me to step in to help even the odds. But I’m hesitant. Their battle is on a completely different level. I’m not sure I can keep up, even if I tried.
Still…
“Aria! You have the power to neutralise supernatural abilities, right?!” Aneira suddenly shouted between attacks.
Huh? I do?
“Use it! Try to suppress her—just for a second!”
“…It’s unwise to blurt out your partner’s power in the middle of a fight,” the blonde woman said with a mocking grin.
Wait. That was a bluff, wasn’t it? Aneira’s trying to fake her out. Trying to create an opening.
But what exactly am I supposed to do?
Aneira keeps glancing at me between blasts, signalling me, I think. Gesturing, maybe trying to guide me into position. But the meaning behind it is unclear, and I don’t want to mess this up.
I can’t read her mind, and she acts like I can.
Suddenly, the blonde woman stops retreating. Her expression shifts. She raises her hand, and in a flash…
White fire erupts from her palm, the same eerie glow as Aneira’s.
So she can use it too.
Maybe it’s safe to assume there are others like them. For now, I’ll mark these two as suspects, but confronting them directly isn’t a smart move.
Stopping their fight should be my priority. The problem is—I have no idea how to do that safely.
Teaming up with Aneira seems like the least risky option. The blonde woman’s hostility is obvious, and she’s not holding back.
Ugh… I’m overthinking all of this.
Alright. No more thinking. I made up my mind.
I glance at Aneira, who's still exchanging blows with the blonde woman, white flames bursting with each attack. It’s chaotic, intense. The blonde woman dances through the fire like she was born in it, her laughter wild and twisted. Skeletons emerge one after another at her command, trying to keep me at bay. But I’ve already decided.
We’re taking her down.
I crack my knuckles and charge forward, bones crunching beneath my boots as I bulldoze through the skeletons like paper dolls. One swing. Two. Their brittle forms shatter like glass. My enhanced strength is no joke, even though I’m not flashy like those two with their fire.
“Aneira!” I shout, ducking under a burst of flame meant for the blonde woman.
Aneira doesn’t look surprised. If anything, she seems… relieved. “Finally! Took you long enough!”
We fall into an awkward rhythm, her white fire driving the woman back, and I intercept the skeletons before they can overwhelm us. I even land a punch or two, one of which sends the woman slipping across the floor. Her smile falters, just for a second.
But that’s all it is… a moment.
Despite our combined efforts, we can’t seem to finish her. Well, not kill, just incapacitate… make her stop fighting.
Every time we think she’s on the ropes, she slips away. She’s fast, erratic, and her flames are just as strong as Aneira’s. And unlike us, she seems to know exactly how to fight as a team… even if that team is just her and her army of bones.
We're not losing, but we’re not winning either.
We have the edge, but something’s missing. I don’t know what it is. I’m strong, and Aneira’s flames are powerful, but right now we’re just throwing power at her, hoping something sticks.
While dodging another wave of skeletons, I felt the strange chill brush past my skin again.
Speaking of that fire...
“Why does that flame feel cold?” I muttered, ducking as a tendril of white fire barely missed my head. “It’s supposed to be fire, right? Why does it feel colder the closer it gets?”
Aneira huffed, her eyes fixed on the blonde woman. “You seriously have time to ask that in the middle of this?!”
“Just answer the damn question,” I snapped, crushing a skeleton’s skull with one punch.
Aneira sighed. “Fine. That flame... it doesn’t burn, it absorbs.”
“Absorbs?” I said, keeping my eyes on the dancing blaze.
She hesitated, then grunted as she launched another barrage of fire. “A force... maybe your soul? I don’t know exactly. I just know if it even grazes you, your body goes limp for a few seconds.”
My eyes narrowed. “So it's like… stealing energy or something?”
“Yeah, something like that. It doesn't just hurt, it weakens you. That’s why she keeps aiming near you but not directly. She’s trying to wear you down before going for the kill.”
That explained the eerie chill. It wasn’t just cold—it was draining. The kind of cold that creeps under your skin and into your bones.
I glanced at the blonde woman. Her smile was still there. Playful. Predatory.
Suddenly… something came from the back of my mind…
Right… I can use that… let’s not waste more time.
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