After the fight against the Fallen Devil, not much else happened. Those who were injured were healed by Nephis and Sylvie.
The return to the castle did not take long and went without complications. Arthur arrived at his room intending to bathe, meditate for a few hours, and attend a meeting with Nephis about the preparations necessary for the siege of the Crimson Spire.
His room was as it always was, and as soon as he entered, he headed straight to the bathroom.
Moments later he had finished bathing, put on his outfit for moving around inside the castle, and went to the bed. He sat down, adjusted his posture, and closed his eyes with the intention of meditating for a while.
He did not know how much time had passed when a knock on his door pulled him out of his concentration.
Walking toward it, he opened the door calmly after detecting that there was only one person outside, and he was greeted by the figure of Cassie.
She was wearing a white shirt along with light blue pants. Her blue eyes were hidden behind a blindfold of the same color, resting on her delicate face, and her blonde hair fell freely down her back.
Surprised, he said, "Ah Cass, it's you."
"Were you expecting someone else?" she asked with a silly smile.
"No? Actually, I wasn't expecting anyone." He replied. "What brings you here?"
She simply said, "Can I come in?"
"Yes, of course." He responded and tried to take her hand to guide her, but she ignored the gesture and walked in calmly.
'Oh, something is wrong.'
Cassie walked with confident and calm steps, reached the bed, and sat on it elegantly.
Arthur was still by the door watching everything with a raised eyebrow. Eventually he closed the door and headed to the desk chair as he always did, but before sitting down, he heard Cassie patting the bed beside her, as if telling him to sit there.
Without giving it much importance, he went and sat next to her.
When he did, Cassie adjusted herself and her left leg ended up touching Arthur's right one, and at the same time she rested her head on his shoulder.
Arthur froze at the unexpected action.
"Um… Cass… what are you doing?"
She simply replied, "Me? Nothing."
'What do you mean nothing!?'
"You're starting to scare me," he said.
She let out a laugh and replied, "Why? It's not like it's the first time we've been like this. Or does it bother you now?"
Arthur let out a soft sigh.
"It doesn't bother me, it was just unexpected," he continued. "Did something bad happen?"
Cassie laughed again. "Bad? Hmm… I wouldn't say that… but definitely strange."
"What?" he replied immediately.
"In fact, last night something very strange happened. Not just strange," she said.
'Why is she acting like this!? This isn't the Cassie I know.'
When he was about to ask again what she meant, she continued speaking.
"Last night, I was sleeping peacefully," she continued. "When suddenly I felt a knock on the door and then I felt it burst open." She let out a laugh. "The intruder turned out to be Nephis, who had come from talking to you."
'Oh no.'
"Do you know what she told me?" she asked.
Arthur forced a smile and looked at the ceiling. "No, no idea."
With a playful tone she said, "Oh? That's strange… because she directly asked me if I had spoken to you about her and Sunny." She continued, "Maybe I misheard."
He replied with a serious tone, "Well, you said you were sleeping before, maybe you dreamed it."
Cassie lifted her head from Arthur's shoulder, turned to face him, and asked, "Did you ask Nephis if she likes Sunny?"
He answered quickly, "Yes."
She made a small sound as if saying I knew this would happen and rested her head back on his shoulder, "looking" forward.
Arthur felt like he had to defend himself and was about to speak when she did it first.
"I can understand why you did it. In fact, I probably would have done the same," she continued. "You wanted to see if they would end up fighting because they hated each other, right?"
He let out a soft sigh. "Yes, one possibility was that they would end up fighting because they didn't get along or something, but after seeing Nephis' reaction and the way Sunny protected her in today's fight, that possibility closed."
She nodded. "That possibility was the first thing I thought when I had the vision, but then I discarded it for the same reason." With a lower and sadder tone she continued, "If I hadn't already told her Sunny's True Name by that moment, I probably wouldn't have."
Arthur gently wrapped his right arm around her.
"What's done is done."
"I know, and that's why I came here," she said in the same tone.
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
Pulling away from him and turning to face him directly, Cassie said, "Yes, I came because I wanted to apologize to you."
"Apologize? For what?"
"For putting another responsibility on your shoulders. I put myself in this situation alone and it wasn't fair of me to come ask for your help knowing you have nothing to do with this," she continued. "Besides, do you think I don't notice all the responsibilities you have in the castle? And the first thing I did when I came was add another one."
She let out a soft breath and continued, "I let my weakness take over me and I ended up making the person I care about the most carry a weight that doesn't belong to him, and the worst part is… I was too foolish to realize it sooner."
"You don't have to apologize for that," Arthur tilted his head slightly and smiled. "Do you remember the promise we made a few years ago?"
She nodded. "That we would be there for each other if one of us needed it."
He raised his arms and gently held Cassie's face with both hands. When she felt the contact she startled a little but then stayed still. Arthur took the chance to remove her blindfold, which was slightly darker in front of her eyes, and when he saw them he noticed she was holding back tears.
He wiped the tears that had already fallen with his thumbs and held her in that position. Then he said in a soft tone, "Exactly, and that's exactly what I'm doing. Helping you save your friends isn't any heavier for me than it already is for you. I couldn't imagine being in your situation. So you don't have to apologize, okay?"
She lifted her hands and held his. Then she smiled, genuinely.
It was the same delicate smile he had seen so many times in the past. The one he had silently vowed to protect.
Something shifted in Arthur's heart.
Something he was afraid to acknowledge.
Something he had buried beneath discipline, training, and his relentless pursuit of strength.
And finally, something he did not know how to handle.
Maybe… he did not have to learn how to handle it. Maybe he just had to let himself be carried by the feeling.
But… he did not.
Not because he did not want to, but because of what it meant and the consequences it could bring.
Finally, after a few moments in that position, Arthur slowly let go of her face. When Cassie felt it, she wanted to hold his hands a little longer, but in the end she simply let them go.
Trying to compose himself, Arthur asked while looking to the side, "And… what are your plans when we return to the Walking World?"
She took a handkerchief from her pants and finished wiping her tears, then grabbed another blindfold and placed it over her blue eyes. Then she replied, "You know, the usual. Visit my mother and father, anchor myself in some Citadel, and not much else."
"Are you planning to join a clan or the government? Or will you stay independent?"
She made a thoughtful expression and said, "I haven't decided yet. My plan was to create a group of Nephis' followers and help her."
He raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say it was?"
"Because now the followers she was going to have will be yours."
Arthur let out a sigh.
"I hadn't thought about that, and unfortunately you're right." He brought a hand to his chin. "Actually, I could ask them to follow her, right? You know I don't like being looked at that way."
"Would you really do that?" she asked quickly while a smile formed on her face.
He laughed at that energy. "Of course, it's not like I'm going to need followers."
She let out a small laugh and in a teasing tone said, "Ah right, I forgot that Lord Arthur is going to end up joining the great Clan Song."
He could not help but laugh at that, and a question also formed in his mind.
'How did she know?'
Before he could ask, almost as if reading his thoughts, Cassie said, "Before you ask, it was very obvious you were going to do it. Seishan's charm is very hard to resist."
Cassie said the last part with the same expression as before, but Arthur could not help but notice there was a feeling behind those words. She sounded as if she was… jealous.
Arthur frowned at that revelation.
'Is Cassie jealous of Seishan?'
He would love to ask her that, but he knew he would not receive an honest answer, so he asked the second thing that bothered him.
"How did you know Seishan is from Clan Song?"
She tilted her head a little as if surprised by the question. "Nephis obviously told me. How else would I know?"
"I don't know."
"Exactly."
There was a moment of silence and suddenly Arthur's eyes widened.
'The meeting with Nephis!'
After that, Arthur had to leave almost running toward the meeting since he was getting late. Cassie was taken back to her room with the help of a handmaiden and the rest of the day passed without much more drama.
The only thing that changed was that in a few days Arthur and Sylvie were going to make a reconnaissance flight toward the Crimson Spire, hoping to gather more information about what creatures were defending the tower, their ranks and classes, as well as the terrain and possible areas to avoid during the journey. Kai offered to accompany them at the last moment, and having no reason to refuse, he joined the trip.
***
The next day had arrived and it was going to be busy. Today they were going to kill the Lord of the Dead, a Fallen Tyrant. Luckily, Kido had crafted a bone eating vine and it had been weakening him for a day. So it would not be that difficult.
What Arthur was really looking forward to was the sparring match he was going to have with Sunny.
In the same plaza as the other day stood Nephis, Sunny, Arthur and Seishan. The rest of the cohort was handling castle duties and helping with the preparations so everything would be ready in less than a week. Everyone except Effie, who had gone out hunting on her own because she was hungry.
Cassie had taken on an administrative role and was helping Sylvie with the hunters. Caster was in charge of reviewing all the preparations and obviously he was not alone. Kai was helping train the archers in another, more distant plaza.
Returning to the sparring.
Today they were going to finish the tournament they had started a few days ago. The rules were the same, but their relationships had already changed.
Now Arthur had a clearer idea of how Sunny fought, and he had already seen Nephis in action dodging attacks from a Fallen Devil. Obviously, they had also seen how he fought, not that it would make much difference.
Although it was a two against two, the matchups would be Nephis versus Seishan and Sunny versus Arthur. After that, if someone defeated their opponent first, they could choose to join the other fight or wait their turn if their partner was defeated.
And so the fight began, each standing in front of their opponent.
Arthur summoned Dawn's Ballad and took the first step forward. The blade reflected the sunlight while a light augmentation ran through his body. Nothing exaggerated. Just enough to be as close as possible to equal conditions.
Sunny did the same. Moonlight Shard appeared in his hand and at the same time his shadow twisted beneath his feet and attached itself to his body.
He moved forward immediately.
Arthur turned his torso when the first slash brushed past his cheek. The second impact was the pommel of Moonlight Shard striking his abdomen, forcing him to step back half a step.
Sunny did not stop. A high diagonal slash followed by an immediate transition into a low thrust.
A short spin and the flat of the blade aimed for the neck.
Arthur blocked, deflected, absorbed the impact with Dawn's Ballad. But he did not respond with true intent.
Sunny noticed.
The next exchange was similar. Sunny put more force into the movement and the clash of sword against sword rang loudly. Arthur crossed his blade to block and the impact pushed him a couple of meters back, raising dust.
Sunny clicked his tongue.
"Don't play with me."
Arthur tilted his head slightly.
"I'm not playing."
Sunny moved again.
This time he appeared at Arthur's side, low, aiming for his supporting leg with a horizontal cut. Arthur jumped just enough to avoid it, but Sunny was already on him. Two quick slashes to the torso, one to the shoulder, one to the face.
Both were dodged.
During the first exchanges, Sunny had a slight advantage.
Arthur was testing him and Sunny knew it.
"If you're going to fight, fight seriously."
Something changed in Arthur's gaze.
The next exchange was different.
Sunny launched a direct attack at his face. Arthur moved barely half a centimeter to the side and in the same motion the pommel of Dawn's Ballad descended precisely onto Sunny's thigh.
A sharp blow.
Sunny's leg trembled and for a moment he lost his balance.
Arthur did not let him recover.
A short spin and a kick struck Sunny's back. The blow was clean and sent him several meters forward, rolling over the dust before stabbing Moonlight Shard into the ground to stop himself.
Sunny stood up almost immediately and it was clear he was angry.
Arthur advanced.
His movements were faster now, more direct. He was no longer testing. He was pushing.
A rapid exchange of sword against sword.
Sunny blocked two cuts, dodged a third by centimeters, but Arthur was forcing him to retreat.
A strike to the shoulder, another to the ribs.
Sunny clenched his teeth.
Arthur turned his body and launched a direct strike to the head, clearly intending to end the fight right there.
Sunny moved at the last second.
The blow passed through the air without contact and Arthur felt a displacement behind him. Sunny appeared at his back and launched a horizontal slash to his side.
Arthur managed to turn his torso in time to intercept it and both stepped back.
Something had changed and Arthur noticed it.
Sunny's next movements were familiar. Too familiar.
Sunny advanced with the same lateral step Arthur had used before. The angle of the thrust, the weight transition, even the way he turned his wrist to redirect the blade.
Arthur let him do it. One cut, blocked, the next dodged.
Sunny adjusted. He began copying his movements, replicating them and finally adapting them.
Arthur did not interrupt the process. He allowed himself to be read. He allowed himself to be imitated and little by little Sunny began to take the advantage again.
A clash that forced Arthur to step back.
A low spin that almost disarmed him.
An exchange where Sunny anticipated the counterattack before Arthur executed it.
Arthur was pushed for the first time.
Taking advantage of this, Sunny advanced, his movements now a strange mix between his own style and Arthur's. Fluid. Efficient. Precise.
Arthur smiled slightly.
'Interesting.'
Sunny slid through his blind spot and launched a direct slash at his back. At the last instant, Arthur used his second augmentation.
He did not know if it was necessary, but he did it anyway. Now he was faster, stronger.
He spun on his axis with increased speed and deflected Sunny's blade, catching his wrist with his free hand. The sudden change in strength made Sunny lose his balance.
Arthur tried to capitalize, but Sunny managed to free himself by rolling backward.
A fast and dangerous exchange followed. Swords passing inches from faces. Sparks flying from the clashes. Thrusts deflected by millimeters.
Sunny narrowly escaped more than once, so Arthur slightly changed his style to a shorter, more compact one that required less reading and had a less predictable rhythm.
Sunny tried to copy it but it no longer fit completely.
A high feint and Sunny raised his guard.
Arthur lowered his center of gravity and with a clean motion swept his leg while sliding Dawn's Ballad beneath the defense.
Sunny fell on his back.
Before he could get up, the tip of the sword was at his throat while Arthur's right foot pressed firmly against his chest, immobilizing him.
"Do you yield?"
Sunny held his gaze for a few seconds, breathing heavily.
"Yes."
Arthur dismissed Dawn's Ballad instantly and removed his foot. He extended his hand with a genuine smile.
"You did very well. What changed from one moment to the next when you started copying all my movements? That was very cool."
Sunny did not take his hand and remained seated.
Arthur noticed his gaze was fixed on his runes, as if checking them.
Finally Sunny looked up.
"I unlocked my Aspect Legacy."
Arthur was completely surprised.
'A Sleeper unlocking his Aspect Legacy?'
"Would you mind telling me what it does?"
Sunny hesitated.
"I'm not entirely sure… I think it allows me to imitate fighting styles."
He stood up and dismissed the upper part of his armor.
His pale torso was revealed, and on it there was a black serpent tattoo coiled around his arms and torso, its tail resting just above his right hand, its head just above his left. The serpent almost seemed to move beneath his skin, two curved fangs threatening to break through the surface.
Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but the metallic sound of a sword hitting the ground interrupted everything.
Turning around, he saw Nephis' sword on the floor.
She was still standing in a fighting stance but with her eyes completely open, staring fixedly at Sunny.
'What the hell?'
Seishan took a second to understand. Then she followed Nephis' gaze toward Sunny and also froze.
Arthur looked at the girls and then at Sunny, did this a couple of times, and finally started laughing.
Between laughs he said, "I think the girls have already approved your tattoo, Sunny." Then he recovered slightly and added in an amused tone, "Congratulations on unlocking your Aspect Legacy as a Sleeper, you're very talented."
Sunny was completely consumed by embarrassment, his pale face as red as a tomato. He immediately summoned the upper part of his armor.
"Thanks."
He turned around and left.
Arthur looked back at the girls.
"I suppose we won, right? Nephis don't have a weapon." And he pointed at the ground where her sword was lying.
She blinked a couple of times.
"Oh… right."
Seishan looked at her with a silly smile.
"So you and Sunny, huh."
Nephis did not reply, she simply turned around and began walking toward the castle, a little faster than usual.
Arthur stood beside Seishan as they watched Nephis walk away toward the castle.
"How did it go?"
She turned to look at him.
"Bad." She let out a sigh and looked back at Nephis' figure. "If it weren't for that thing with Sunless, she would have defeated me in the next exchange."
"Yes, she is strong. Who do you think would win between her and me?" he asked, looking at her.
Seishan kept looking at Nephis, but now there was a faint smile on her face.
"It would be a complicated fight for both, but I think she would win." Arthur raised an eyebrow but Seishan continued speaking. "But it would be a different story if you were actually trying to kill her."