"Hehh," Zylus let out a deep breath, waking up from what felt like a deep slumber. "Where… am I?"
Zylus's eyes began twitching open in an attempt to carry himself out of the bed.
Bum!
Zylus couldn't get out; he felt hurt, almost as if he was paralysed in one position.
"You shouldn't get out of bed." A voice whispered as Zylus made an attempt to turn his head in the direction of that sound.
"Oh, you're here as well." All Zylus did was move his head; he didn't bother moving his body as he knew he couldn't.
It was Michael, and he was sitting beside him in a simple wooden chair pulled up against the bed. The room had a modest look of stone walls lined with growing healing runes, white curtains drawn halfway across a narrow window, and the scent of medicine thick in the air. Tubes of faint blue liquid pulsed slowly beside the bed, feeding directly into Zylus's arm.
The hospital bed beneath him was layered in clean white sheets, bandages wrapped tightly around his chest, arms, and legs. He looked more like a mummy than a demon. Except that there was no nurse or anyone to assist in sight.
"Yeah, I've been waiting for a couple of hours, worried about your mental being," Micahel said, as he lowered his gaze. "But it seems you're all fine now."
"We passed?" he asked. "What about you and Emilia?"
He tried shifting his body slightly to the side, teeth clenching as pain flared along his ribs/
"Me… they called it off, seeing your duel, they deemed not just you, but myself worthy as well."
Michael's fingers curled against his knees.
"You were my lifeline." He said.
And then, the tension slightly grew, and Zylus could definitely tell, but he didn't want to blatantly ask about what's happening with Michael. Thus, he carried on.
"Uhhhh!" Zylus let out a gargle of relief, "Shouldn't you be happy?" He asked.
"Yeah!" Michael replied, with a smile that bled out deception. "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?!"
Something's clearly off, I just don't know what. It'd be better if I switch the topic.
Zylus sarcastically smiled back, in an attempt to rid the tension in the air.
As their conversation met a sudden end, Michael placed his legs up on the chair, with his arms on top of his legs, as he placed his head downwards, staring into the darkness. Given Michael's short size, it was perfect for him, inch-perfect. Zylus then placed himself in a position to look up at the roof, letting his thoughts simmer beneath.
"Zylus." Micahel whispered, "It's time I tell you the truth." He said, keeping his head gazed downwards.
Truth?
He shifted his attention towards Michael, curious, very much so.
"But first, here's your glass of water."
Michael held a cold glass of water as Zylus reached using his arms. Zylus was able to move his arms fluently, even if his body was aching in pain. He grabbed himself upwards in a seated position, placing his pillow at the back of the wooden headboard, on which he lay. He then grabbed the cup of water, gulping the entire thing in one sip. His mouth was dry, but now, it was moist enough for him to speak more clearly.
After Zylus finished hydrating, Michael continued…
"The truth is… I have no system." He declared.
What…?
Zylus stared at him in shock, but he allowed Michael to continue before intervening.
Michael's gaze lowered even more, "That's the reason no other lower classes team up with me. The truth is, I've always been looked down upon.'"
"But isn't that normal for a lower class?" Zylus whispered.
"I was told by my doctors, at a very young age, that I'll never gain access to a system." He said, soon continuing, "So, when my parents left me because they thought of me of no more than a waste of resources, this was the only thing helping me dream for bigger aspirations."
I see. I can't even help someone going through that, it's not like I can give someone power. But I do feel for him.
"I trained my body tirelessly, attempting to go beyond my systemless capabilities, but no matter what I did, it can never surpass the attributes your Demonic System gives in return." Michael said, taking a deep breath. "Thus, is when I realized quitting would soon be inevitable."
He then shifted his attention upwards, tears rolled down his face. "But I made it so far so why would I call it quits?! Even though I knew I wouldn't pass this exam, I still wanted to go through with it!" He yelled, painfully so, "Even among other lower classes, I was deemed as filth. Someone that shouldn't have been born in this realm, yet I still tried to catch up." He finished, going back into the head tucked in position he was in before.
"So, why don't you continue?" Zylus asked, curious about what Michael will do next.
"After seeing you, a mere lower class's strength, I knew I could never reach one percent of that power. And either way, no matter what I do, I will only be able to carry a cheap metal sword. I'm broke either way, I can't go into those auctions that sell weapons for systemless individuals." He said, taking another glass of water on a wooden table beside him, gulping the entire thing in pain.
After Michael finished hydrating, he continued. "Everyone started calling me names. But one that stood out in my old village, was, 'The Demonic Flaw.'"
"I have just the thing for this actually." A sudden idea came to Zylus's head, as he raised his arm upwards.
"System: Open." Zylus whispered, sucking in Michael's attenton.
"What are you trying to do?" Michael asked.
"Just wait and see." Zylus responded, smiling.
[System Processing 50%/100%]
[System Identified The User!]
[Hello! We've Missed You!]
[Notification! Secret Objective Awaits!]
Oh yeah, I'm going to have to check out that secret objective later, but for now, I'll move on to this...
"This this and that." Zylus whispered, moving his fingers elegantly as he clicked each button. His katana didn't appear, simply because, now he has the choice to appear it by will, as long as he's not met in combat.
[Inventory Tab]
[Notice: Your Demonic Weapon will not show here, as it is mandatory to have it equipped at all cost when in combat]
[Items: The Hidden Atrocity]
[The Hidden Atrocity Description: If it doesn't fit the user, the user will die.]
[Equip Or Transfer Ownership?]
I've never really known what this meant, but this might just fit Michael, to be fair.