"Oh, come on. How long do you plan on giving me the cold shoulder?" Ruan said to Lucy, her arms crossed—in the process of ignoring him.
They both continued walking side-by-side on the vibrant and vast Rainbow Road—far away from where they first began.
But still no end to the road in sight.
"Look, maybe gears are just… one part of your power! The Light is tricky like that sometimes, and I was over exaggerating a little bit. The White Light isn't the WORST one."
"It's just the one you don't want to get, ever." Ruan nodded to himself proudly, as if that somehow fixed the situation.
Lucy seemed astounded by his overwhelming lack of self-awareness.
She frowned and angrily blew a stray hair away from her face. "Yeah, whatever. Nice to know you already see me as a failure…"
Ruan promptly flipped Lucy's cape over her head in response. She dramatically flailed and fumbled against its surprisingly heavy weight.
Until she finally pulled it off and glared at Ruan—who didn't even bother to glance at her.
"What! - What was that for!?" Lucy shouted.
"Suck it up." Ruan remarked. "Thoughts like that have no place in the mind of one of my Discipulus. Your opponent isn't going to afford you such luxury on the battlefield, not when they're trying to drive their sword through your heart."
Lucy stopped walking. "You know something? You talk a GOOD game, but FRANKLY, we've been walking this road for Light knows how long, and I still haven't learned anything!" She approached him with a livid stare.
"Just how good of a Luni really were you? Because I'M starting to think that you don't really know what you're DOING! -"
Ruan suddenly placed one finger in front of Lucy's mouth, stopping her rant.
She scoffed. "W-What! - Who do you!?"
"Shh." Ruan gestured with his finger more aggressively.
Lucy examined his face; his wry expression from earlier had now completely shifted to an emotion she hadn't seen from him yet.
Panic.
From just a single change in his demeanor, Lucy realized something was terribly wrong.
"…Ruan?" She asked softly.
Ruan didn't respond; his hand hovered over his hip, uneasy.
…
SCHING!
He suddenly pulled out the sword that was sheathed on his side and clashed with a force unseen to Lucy's eyes! She fell to the floor in shock.
The clash ended as quickly as it began, Ruan's eyes like a viper as he watched his surroundings, scanning the area—every slight sound, every movement in the wind.
Reacting to every single one.
"Damn…! Must be a big one if it kept us fooled for this long…" Ruan muttered as he slowly got closer to Lucy, their backs facing each other.
"H-Huh? Who!?" Lucy exclaimed, quickly pulling herself together.
"…You were right. We have been walking for a while."
Ruan gritted his teeth.
"Because we reached the exit a long time ago."
Lucy didn't have any time to process his statement—that strange force came lunging at Ruan once more!
Only this time…
CLASH!
The figure was slightly revealed! Its large body rose above them menacingly, its claws clashed with Ruan's sword, and it was then they realized what they were dealing with.
… A dragon? No, its skin was scaly, but it had a visible lack of wings, even then—that wasn't the strangest part about the beast.
Its scales were blue, glowing blue—as if its entire body was its own source of light.
Hollow eyes stared back into Ruan; its empty sockets carried that same blue radiance.
This was no creature; it was a monster. One that seemed to be completely stripped of its will. Traces of… something stirring within.
That was all Ruan needed to see; he knew these beasts.
It was…
"…A Lightless…!" Ruan shouted, struggling to fend off the Lightless's unnatural, beastly strength.
"R-Ruan!" Lucy called out! Pointing towards the monster's second paw—it was getting primed for another swipe, the attack aimed right for his neck!
Suddenly, his left eye began to shine—a burning blue.
"…Fall." Ruan commanded.
CRASH!
And reality heeded his decree. The Rainbow Road that was currently before them was an illusion. With a single word, the road and the entire surrounding area with it,
Shattered as if it were glass.
The monster and even Lucy were violently pulled to the ground, their bodies whiplashed—like gravity itself forcefully willed them.
Lucy opened her eyes, struggling to move any part of her body. Through sheer will alone, she somehow forced her neck upwards; her chin lay on the ground.
The first thing she noticed was the rough, coarse texture that rubbed against her chin.
It was… dirt?
It doesn't process in her head at all. They were just on the Rainbow Road! How is this possible?
With a powerful kick, Ruan knocked the now fully revealed beast far back into the dirt in front of them.
And their true location was finally revealed.
A village on fire, flames rising up around wooden huts, casting eerie shadows as smoke curled into the sky—which itself was its own mess.
Lucy could see… the kingdom! Up in the sky, resting upon its cloud.
But… where was the Light? Lychinus completely blocked any sliver of light that could possibly have reached down here.
This isn't possible! Ruan said they were traveling to Tenebris—but there's no way this could possibly be it!
Turning her attention back to the village, for the first time in her life, she saw creatures.
And they were running for their lives.
The village was filled with dark elves; soot and sulfur stained their grey skin as they tried desperately to flee from dozens of ravenous beasts that looked exactly like the monster Ruan fended off—Lightless.
"MY BABY! SOMEBODY HELP MY BABY!!—" A mother sobbed hysterically, gesturing towards her kid, crushed under the rubble that was once their home.
SQUELCH
"GRHK!" The woman was suddenly impaled by a Lightless's spiked tail; it pierced right through her lumbar spine—blood immediately rushed to her throat.
BANG!
A sudden gunshot rang out into the village, the bullet piercing through that same Lightless, killing it instantly. though, it was already too late. The mother fell lifelessly to the ground.
The person holding the weapon shortly revealed themselves from behind a corner.
A feminine humanoid with buck teeth, white fur, and long bunny ears, known as a 'Harren.'
Her furred hands gripped the lever-action hunting rifle firmly, only releasing her hold to shift the brown cattleman hat higher up on her head—it really completed her entire uniform. A simple shirt with a vest and sturdy pants, leather boots, and a silver badge that read 'Vice.'
"C'mon!!" The harren shouted. "This way, y'all! Move your asses!"
A stampede of villagers ran towards her direction, following her as she let off a few more shots at the Lightless, then disappeared farther into the village.
Lucy watched the grotesque event unfold right before her eyes, finally regaining feeling in her body—she sprang to her feet,
…and froze.
She had never seen anything like them. Those… things! Their faces were wrong; their bodies were wrong!
And there were so many of them…!!
Run. RUN!
Her body screamed out, but her feet just weren't listening.
"Argh… Tough little bastard…" Ruan murmured, wincing as he massaged his wrist. "Damnit! How many are there!? No way this many of them are coordinated enough for an attack like this! Unless they! -"
The realization suddenly dawned upon him.
"The mother has to be around here somewhere." Ruan said, slowly turning to gauge his surroundings.
He then turned to Lucy—she looked completely out of it.
"Lucy!" He shouted. "Look, for right now, you have to go! Throw your hood on and follow the Vice into that safehouse! She's the tall lady with the long ears; just tell her you're with me and she'll protect you. Do you understand—"
Ruan quickly realized she was not listening to him.
"Hey! Lucy? Hey!" He shouted, but there was no response.
She couldn't stop staring at the mother, a river of blood pouring out of the gaping hole left by the Lightless. She didn't even die with her eyes closed—an unmoving stare, looking directly into Lucy.
…
"LUCY!"
As if her neck moved by itself, she quickly turned in the direction of the shout, only to be met by Ruan's angry stare; his eye shone blue again, just like earlier.
"Go." Ruan boomed.
Not even a second after he spoke, the Lightless from earlier rushed him, pouncing and knocking his body onto the floor, along with his silver sword—which went barreling across the ground far away from him.
That sight immediately kicked Lucy's body into gear; she threw her Luni hood on and made a dash towards the panicked crowd of creatures.
… She wanted to look back; she wanted to help Ruan!
… But she just kept running, knowing she was too weak.
It was such a new feeling.
Her entire life, one single principle was instilled into her by her mother.
Work.
Work, work, work, and work. Until you drop.
Wash the dishes, scrub the floors, do the laundry, and run the register; and if you ever felt as if you had completed all your duties for the day, chances are you weren't working hard enough—there is always work to be done.
That is the only path to success in this world, the only way to truly pull your weight.
Because the worst thing you could possibly ever be is useless.
A person is only as useful as their tools; you would not keep a screwdriver that has lost its tip to fasten a nail.
…
Is she… useless?
No. She doesn't want to be discarded… She finally just escaped that part of her life!
She won't be! She… can't!
"Someone! Please! Help us!" A child's voice suddenly rang out, immediately catching Lucy's attention.
When she turned to the voice, she spotted two cowering dark elves.
The first was a small young girl, clinging tightly to the second elf, a fully grown male, who leaned against the stone wall behind them, clutching the wound on his stomach; blood stained their clothes.
All while a single Lightless circled back and forth in front of them, slowly inching closer like a hungry vulture.
Off to their far right was a sight that surprised Lucy; it was Ruan's short sword that was knocked away.
… The image was far too familiar for her liking; this child was going to lose her father… And for what? She was facing something she could never have imagined happening—an event that was completely out of her control!
Worst of all, there's no one coming. No one who can stop this, who could save this child from her fate.
No one, except…
… It was then something shifted within Lucy's expression, quickening her breath as she gripped her sleeve tight.
And the gears finally began turning in her head.
"…Me." Lucy said aloud.
Dropping her hood, she leapt forward for the short sword! Nimbly swooping up the sword, Lucy quickly placed herself between the Lightless and the two elves, brandishing the weapon with a steeled expression.
The elves seemed surprised; the Lightless, however, was far from happy. It bared its sharp, dagger-like teeth at Lucy, unmoved by her stern posture.
Her grip on the hilt was amateurish at best—holding it with both hands, the weight of the weapon shifting uncomfortably in her grasp.
But in that moment, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered.
She needed to prove to nobody but herself that she was still useful…!
The Lightless descended deeper into its prowling stance, a low growl escaping its jaws until suddenly—it lunged towards Lucy with a roaring battle cry! Its scaly hand is preparing for a huge swipe!
… This was it. Like time itself slowed to a halt, Lucy watched as the Lightless's giant claws grew closer and closer.
… But she had already made up her mind.
It's time to fight!
She WILL change this young girl's fate!
SCHING!
With one swift step, she met the beast's vicious charge! Her blade instantly bounced off its toughened claws, the force knocking her back a few feet.
Quickly, she regained her balance—glancing back to check on the two dark elves, they winced when she swung her blade, but Lucy became confused the closer she watched their expressions.
They seemed… even more terrified. But they were barely even staring at Lucy, or the Lightless for that matter.
They were staring… past her?
Turning back, Lucy also found it odd the Lightless was no longer attacking or moving.
Its mouth hung open as its eyes went impossibly wide, petrified like a statue.
… Did she do that?
Suddenly, a faint line began to open up on the Lightless's body, starting from the front of its head—and with a wet crack, its blue scales tore apart.
Light burst out at first, then flesh. Its organs spilled free in heavy, glistening clumps of dark meat that were threaded with fading blue veins that pulsed once before ultimately going dull.
Its hollow eyes stretched, rupturing as the halves separated, their glow snapping out mid-stare.
It was as if something had unzipped its entire body by force; Lucy fell to the floor and gasped, steaming guts slapped against the dirt and slid towards her. She nearly began to dry heave.
In no world did she expect the sight that would come next, which would tower above its body.
It was Ruan—clothes stained with blood.
To Lucy's surprise, he had a weapon by his side, but it did not look like any mere steel sword.
An otherworldly design, a purple blade that seemed to be forged in light, rather than any kind of metal. It seemed regal, luminous patterns that were etched down its cross guard.
He did not need to hold it—floating by his side idly, yet it seemed to respond to his hands' every twitch and sudden movement.
"What are you doing? Are you TRYING to get yourself killed?" Ruan spoke, placing his hands on his hips—speaking in the tone of almost a scolding father.
Lucy, however, wasn't processing any of his words; she glanced past Ruan and bore witness to the dozens of Lightless corpses left in his wake.
Their carcasses split open, just like the one that lay in front of her.
Her breathing slowed, turning back to Ruan, who watched her in confusion—like he was trying to get a hold on her thoughts.
But when she looked him in the eyes, her panic only intensified.
His right eye… was glowing purple.
Deep Purple.
…There's only a handful of people in recorded history who have ever wielded that Light.
Ruan extended his hand, and just like before, Lucy hesitated. Not because of doubt, but for an entirely different reason, a different feeling.
Fear.
She looked upon this man with sheer uncertainty, only a single thought floating in her head.
Just who really is…
Ruan Caeruleum?