Mephisto released his dark grip on Dell's mind, weaving a false memory into the gaps of the boy's consciousness. Dell blinked, shaking his head as the world came back into focus. "Wait... what was that? Oh, right! Rei was incredible back there. I can't let him just walk away."
He scrambled through the rubble of the fallen Colosseum, shouting, "Hey, Rei! Wait for me!"
Rei stopped. Though his eyes were still clouded in blindness, his senses were sharper than ever. He felt the vibration of Dell's footsteps and the rhythm of his heartbeat. "What do you want?"
"Take me with you," Dell panted, catching up.
"And why should I?"
"Because you're blind, for one," Dell said bluntly. "You need a navigator who knows these lands, and I know them better than most. In exchange, I want power. Teach me those martial arts—the way you fight without a weapon. I want to be strong enough to never be caged again."
Rei considered it. He was a master of strategy, and a guide was a logical necessity. "Fine. You guide me towards the red mountain and I teach you my martial arts. But don't expect it to be easy."
Over the next week, the two traveled toward the horizon. Rei was a relentless teacher. He pushed Dell through grueling physical conditioning, teaching him the fundamentals of grappling and striking. Simultaneously, Rei pushed himself to his limits. He spent hours balancing atop narrow stone pillars, practicing his Central Sword Style while blinded, integrating his martial arts into his blade work.
"Why are you pushing so hard?" Dell asked one evening, watching Rei flow between a sword strike and a high kick. "The Colosseum is gone. We're safe."
Rei clicked his tongue, his sightless gaze fixed on the distance. "Safety is an illusion, Dell. If you knew the things coming for this world, you wouldn't be resting."
A few days later, they arrived at a peaceful-looking village. The people were uncharacteristically welcoming. "Greetings, travelers!" a villager called out. "Have you come for the Shrine?"
"Shrine?" Rei asked, his head tilting.
"The Shrine of Grace," the villager explained, confused that anyone wouldn't know. "Most come here to seek the Goddess's favor."
Dell's eyes widened. "The Shrine of Grace is here? Rei, legends say there are nine shrines in the world. Anyone who conquers them all gains power equal to an Apostle of God."
Rei wasn't interested in godhood. "We are here for a map. I need to get to the Red Mountains that might be present within the 4 kingdoms."
"Follow me to the Village Chief," the villager said. As they walked, Rei sensed the shrine on the outskirts. It felt familiar—like the Japanese shrines from his previous life—but it hummed with a hostile energy.
In the Goddess Realm, Suez watched through a shimmering pool of water. A cruel smile touched her lips. "How kind of you to walk into my house, Rei. Now, I can destroy you without lifting a finger."
Suddenly, the shrine erupted in a blinding pillar of light. A massive entity of pure energy materialized, towering over the village. The villagers fell to their knees in terror. "Why is the Goddess angry? Is it these strangers? Are they cursed?"
"Rei, what is that thing?!" Dell shouted, taking a defensive stance.
Rei sensed the malice radiating from the light. He knew he had to act fast before the villagers turned on them. "Villagers, listen!" Rei's voice boomed. "A devil has possessed this shrine! It has consumed the Goddess's power to become a Devil-God! Fear not, for I shall seal it and save your home!"
The entity fired a volley of light swords. Rei didn't flinch. Using his wind manipulation, he zipped through the air in a zigzag pattern, the blades whistling past his ears.
"See! The goddess would never attack like this, Dell, distract it! Hurl rocks—anything!" Rei commanded.
Dell grabbed a massive boulder and hurled it with his bloodline-enhanced strength, but the rock shattered against the entity's aura. Rei tried a bolt of lightning, but the light entity simply absorbed the electricity, firing back beams of searing energy.
Primary elements won't work, Rei analyzed, dodging a beam that turned the ground to glass. It's made of pure energy. I need to slow it down. I need to freeze it.
"Dell, keep up the pressure!"
"On it!" Dell began a relentless barrage of stones, keeping the entity's focus diverted.
Rei channeled his qi into a rare attribute. "Encasing Ice Mist." A freezing fog began to swirl around the entity's feet. It tried to expand its light to melt the frost, but Rei pushed harder.
"Grand Spell: World-Covering Ice Dome!"
The temperature plummeted. The villagers shivered as a massive dome of ice began to form, sealing the entity from both above and below. The entity thrashed, trying to spread its light outward to prevent the dome from closing, but Rei's control was absolute. He pinched the light back, forcing the dome to solidify.
"Time to put you in your place," Rei hissed. "Seal of the Thousand Winters."
A pillar of eternal frost erupted inside the dome, suppressing the light entity until it was forced back into the shrine, which was then encased in a massive, un-meltable block of ice which was thousands of negative degree. The light vanished. The village was silent.
The villagers stared in awe. "The devil... is it sealed?" "He has the power to seal gods!"
The Village Chief bowed low, his forehead touching the cold ground. "Please, Saint, follow us. Let us prepare a feast and a place for you to rest."
"Saint?" Dell whispered, looking at Rei.
"No need for titles," Rei said, his voice weary but firm. "We need supplies. Traveling gear, food, new clothes, and a sturdy cloak. Also, bring me books, paper, pens, and ink. I have things I must write down."
As the villagers scrambled to fulfill his requests, Rei stood alone in the cold wind. The Red Mountains were his next stop. If his family was there, he would ensure their safety, and then—finally—he would retire from this endless cycle of violence.