A Sunless Dream

Making his way towards Kai, Orion walked with an unnoticeable limp as he sat next to the injured saint. Whether it was absolute confidence that he would not be killed by Kai no matter his condition, or sheer naivety Kai did not know. However, there was not much he could do as Orion sat down next to him.

"See, I assume you can't speak so I'll be the one speaking for you. It would be nice if I had Song of the Fallen's ability, no? I should really copy it sometime." He flashed Kai a smile, looking at him for a brief moment before staring at the sky.

"Look, I understand that you are enraged at the words I said. I threatened to kill you and everyone you care about after all, and quite frankly in the state I was in I might have. However, after fighting you all I've come to a conclusion."

Orion took a deep breathe in before continuing, his voice remaining steady and full of resolve "Humans are hypocrites by nature, you came here to kill me, take from me, and deny all I hold dear; however, you expressed genuine rage when the same happened to those you care about."

"I've asked many people why they have such feelings, and in fact I have experienced such things myself if you'd believe that. The question you should be asking yourself Nightengale, is not 'how shall I kill the person who took from me' rather, it should be 'What can I do, to stop myself from being taken from'."

Pulling his gaze away from the sky, he stared down at Kai with genuine pity as he continued "Ask yourself this, would Effie, or whatever you people call her, have died if you never arrived here? Would Effie have died if you moved a split second sooner, to intervene in the fight we were having?"

"And the answer is no, Effie would still be alive right now if your sovereign didn't command Changing Star to come here, she would be alive if you refused Changing Star's summon. There are millions of ways she could have survived, all of which you ignored at your own behest."

"But immediately you stepped into this continent, the only thing that could have kept those dear to you alive was one thing Nightengale. Do you know what that is?" He stared at Kai, awaiting an answer. Noticing his injuries were too severe to speak, he healed Kai's damaged lungs causing him to cough up a fair amount of blood before glaring at Orion.

"Why did you heal me?" he growled, however Orion met his gaze with indifference before shrugging "I don't like speaking to myself." He continued to stare at Kai, awaiting an answer for his question with visible curiosity. Kai looked away and responded through gritted teeth "Strength."

Orion clapped his hands lightly as he stretched out his hand, patting Kai on the head. The contact caused Kai to shift lightly out of reach before levelling a glare at Orion "I'm not your dog, keep your hands to yourself" he stated with venom. Orion merely smiled in response and continued.

"Strength, if you possessed the strength of a sovereign, you wouldn't need to even take heed to the commands of Changing Star. If you possessed the strength that I do, you wouldn't have needed any other of your valued acquaintances to visit my home with you."

Sighing lightly, Orion shook his head before locking eyes with Kai "Ultimately, lack of strength combined with an abundance of desire is the sin you committed. You dared to want without possessing the strength to resist being taken from. But why must humans take from one another?"

Taking a second to analyse Kai's soul, Orion noticed it's warm orange colour oozing its way even into the colourless world he perceived. It was an odd sight, however not entirely unwelcome as he stared at it for quite a bit longer.

"People don't need to take from each other, we're forced to. The burning desire I have to kill you might be irrational, but I don't care! You took Effie from me, from her husband and her child!" Kai's voice broke down into quiet sobs as he finished his sentence in a broken tone "She had people who need her, and you took her away from them."

Orion tilted his head to the side slightly, almost puzzled at Kai's statement. "What makes you think I don't have people who need me too?" his question radiated genuine curiosity as he arched an eyebrow, folded his arms and waited for Kai's response.

Predicting his response would be unsatisfactory, Orion spoke first "I have discovered what it means to love, what it feels like to possess human emotions. I am eternally grateful for the woman who allowed me to experience such things, do you think I would simply roll over and die, leaving her in grief?"

His voice grew in anger as he stared at Kai "How many people, who have parents, brothers, sisters, friends, have you killed? If the sister of a man you killed approached you, asking for the identity of her brothers killer, would you offer yourself up as sacrifice!? If your answer is no, then you cannot direct your anger at the man who killed Effie, rather, direct your anger at yourself! Direct your anger at the people around you who caused her to approach me!"

"Direct your anger at the world, Nightengale."

The battlefield was a shattered ruin, the air thick with ash and the lingering echoes of destruction. In the dark and indifferent sky, the moon hung high, casting eerie shadows across the battlefield.

Nephis and Cassie stood side by side their battered forms barely holding together. Although Cassie had been in the battlefield for less time than anyone else present, surviving Sunny had quickly turned her into a state of comparable fatigue.

Pale white hair clung to Nephis sweat streaked face, her sword flickered with reluctant flames. Beside her, Cassie's blank, sightless eyes gazed forward. Her arm holding her rapier trembled in her grasp as she prepared herself to do battle with Sunny once more.

Facing them stood Sunny. His silhouette bled into the shadows around him, his form looked more of a monster compared to the calm and indifferent expression he always held when serving food at his Cafe. His sword of shadows coiled and pulsed like a living creature, preparing to change form in a moments notice.

Nephis raised her sword, flames igniting along its edge. Her body flinched involuntarily as she lacked the mental fortitude to resist her flaw in her battered state. With pain searing through her veins, Nephis stepped in front of Cassie.

"Cassie, stay behind me." Nephis commanded, however Cassie shook her head in indignation as she hissed back "I'm not going to let you kill yourself." Before Nephis could reply, Sunny was standing before both of them, replying in Nephis stead.

"She won't kill herself; I'll kill both of you. And I'll do it slowly."