'Tsk. What is this...?' Ani asked herself after her leg kick landed on the white-scaled Monster's side, sending its body a dozen steps sliding away on the ground. 'It's not like he's not resisting. He is fighting but... How do I put this?'
The white-scaled Monster pushed itself off the ground, before spitting some blood.
'It's almost like he doesn't expect to win. No... More like...'
Ani shook her head.
"Do you think you can win against me?"
"Huh?"
"Do you think you can win?"
The white-scaled Monster's gaze moved to the ground, before going to the left, then to the right.
"I don't know."
She let out a sigh at the response.
"Are you even trying to win?"
Mark brought a hand to his neck.
Scratch- Scratch- Scratch-
"Yes?"
"YOU DON'T EVEN SOUND CONVINCED!!"
He frowned.
'Of course, I'm trying to win. Why else would I fight?'
Dying to her is better than dying to a random Monster. Dying to her because you hurt someone she cares about is a better death.
"I'm not letting you go to them. So I don't plan on losing."
"Is that so?" Ani whispered as she held her nape. She sighed and lowered her chin, stretching her neck. "Don't plan on losing, huh?" Ani suddenly raised her gaze, sending chills down the white-scaled Monster's spine. "Prey that won't struggle or flee is the worst." She cracked her neck. "Trying not to lose..." The ground below her broke as she disappeared.
'Shit-'
"Is different from trying to win."
Crack- Crack- Crack-
Mark barely had the time to protect himself.
Her fist connected with his elbow, which broke under the pressure, just like the ribs that that elbow was trying to protect.
"You managed to defeat Lin? Even with the help of that Elf, I can't quite picture it."
"Aren't you here... To avenge him?"
"I am." Ani answered, but the question seemed to anger her.
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
'Continually using my Mana Points to heal my internal injuries... They get consumed as soon as they're recovered. Hah!'
The white-scaled Monster chuckled internally as it stood up.
'A Test that can't be passed... A wall that can't be brought down... Same as Zephyr. I was saved that time by Raven. Now, it's different. All I can do...'
The Commander leaped forward, and so did the white-scaled Monster.
'Is crash against that wall, and see where it goes.'
After an intense exchange, each one's fist connected with the other's side.
Their feet drifted on the ground.
"You're not putting your all into this, are you?"
"I am."
"Are you waiting for me to kill you?"
The white scaled Monster scratched its neck, before suddenly,
"What are you doing?" The confused Ani asked the Monster who had taken a seat on the ground.
"You're obviously not here to kill me. So how about-"
The Commander's eyes turned white, and a rage-filled kick to the sternum sent the white-scaled Monster high into the air.
GEH-
Sudden.
All powerful.
He couldn't breathe.
He couldn't move.
He couldn't do a thing.
It felt as if his heart had stopped.
But his mind didn't.
'Huh... Did I misunderstand the situation?' Mark asked himself as his body flew higher and higher above the ground. 'She isn't trying to kill me. Or is she? Is it the same as it was with Zephyr? The same as it was with that other Commander... Lin? I don't get it.' The sun was shining. The sky was clear. 'Confusing. Why does it all have to be so confusing? I don't get it. Did I misunderstand her? Gaavah. The Candidates. The Deadly Sins. The hidden Dungeons... Even Nia and Raven don't know why Gaavah orchestrated this. Isn't the Demon Lord of Sloth curious about that? Isn't that why she's here? Why Lin was here? I don't understand. I would've told her anything she wanted to know about it. About Gaavah's plan. At least, what I know about it. Would have told her everything about me. About... I don't understand. I don't understand her.' The breeze was pleasant. 'How high off the ground did she kick me? Amazing.' The next second, she appeared right above him. 'Right... She can jump very high...'
Her forearm and fist were brought down on his stomach, launching him back down with great speed.
BAM-
A hold enclosed him as he hit the ground.
'I don't understand her. Vengeance? Demon Lord's orders? What is it...? I don't understand her. I don't understand anything. Why was I brought here? Why was I brought to this World? Why did Gaavah choose me? What does he want from me? What does he expect from me? Why did Raven let me go? What did Zephyr want to see? What about Nia? What does Nia expect from me? What is expected from me? What's the reason I was brought here. What am I here to do? What am I here to become? What do I want to do? What do I want to become? I don't understand her. I don't understand anything. I don't even...'
A weak chuckle escaped the white-scaled Monster's mouth.
'Understand myself.'
A being shrouded in darkness appeared a couple of steps away.
'What is that? Am I seeing things? Because I'm tired? Because I'm dying? Because... Magic? Because Titles? Because Deadly Sins?'
The being moved slowly, and so did the darkness surrounding it.
It pointed.
Pointed at him.
'I don't understand a thing. I'm here to fulfill a role that I don't know about. It's not necessary for me to understand, for that role to be fulfilled. That's what it feels like. But again, I don't understand anything. I don't know anything. Despite all this time... Why did I hurt Elisa? Did I hurt Elisa? Is it something in me? What is the -something- in me? My Titles? The thing that my Titles became that day after Devouring the Item I obtained from defeating the Fire Spirit? Something inside of me that I don't understand... Berserker... Titles... Deadly Sins... Subconscious... Repressed memories... I can't understand myself if I don't remember. What don't I remember? Is there something? Something in my past that would explain everything? That would explain why I love to fight? That would explain why... I hurt Elisa? That would explain why I ran away from them? Is there something like that? I doubt it. I doubt it. I doubt it. I don't think so. I don't understand anything. That's exactly why...'
The white-scaled Monster pushed itself off the ground.
'That might be the case.'
A dark purplish Aura started oozing out of its body.
"Finally getting serious?"
'If there's something in my past, something I can remember, something that would explain it all... Why I lose control... Why I can't control my body at times... Where these urges to destroy comes from... If I can understand that... If such a thing exists...'
The white-scaled Monster clenched its fists powerfully.
'If such a thing exists, then I can't die yet. The answer...'
The being shrouded in darkness kept pointing at him.
'Is inside me? In that case... I can't die yet. I have to find out. I want to find out. I want to remember. I want to understand. I want to know.'
The being shrouded in darkness talked, but its words couldn't be heard by Mark.
Keep going.
Keep moving forward.
You'll have all the answers. You will find everything as long as you look for it. Keep going. The plan is already in motion. Everything will happen as it should.
Do not think too much. Do not try to understand. Do not worry. Everything will happen as it should. In due time, everything will become clear.
The World has already decided.
You had a choice.
You couldn't choose.
The World chose for you.
You refused to choose.
In so, you let yourself be moved.
Like a leaf blown by the wind, you relinquished control.
Like a leaf, follow the wind.
The World will guide you.
I will guide you.
Follow the darkness in your heart.
The essence of who you are.
It is already clear.
Follow your destiny.
Your fate has already been chosen.
Now, keep going.
Find her.
Look for her.
The witch in the woods.
***
Hundreds of miles away, under a dark veil.
Yawn-novE.lb-In
A small cabin made of wood.
It was completely different than those the Dark Elves used to live in inside the Dungeon.
"Another day..."
On the dark veil, countless stars, and a gigantic moon.
The woman had hair darker than the night sky.
Eyes darker than shadows.
Skin paler than snow.
She wore a dark dress
On her back, inscriptions in an ancient language.
***
"Find it. Your destiny."
Only those words, Mark could hear.
And the being shrouded in darkness disappeared.
***
She took a random book from the pile next to her into her hands and started reading.
It was the twelfth time she had read that book. At least, that's what it felt like.
She had about twenty different books.
Each had been read a dozen times.
That's what it felt like.
In truth, she had been reading those same books for the last thousand years.
