Chapter 71: The Fall of a Frozen World(6)

“Aether! It’s been a while, one, two weeks? How are your wounds doing? Actually, can you come a little later? I need to get dressed.”

Aether didn’t respond. He didn’t know what was going on inside his mind. He was acting very differently from how he expected him to do so. He was a Knight, so why did he play around like he was friendly? He wasn’t, maybe before the fall of their research, but now, he was under her grasp.

So was his personality a combination of both?

He didn’t have anyone to compare him to, after all, he had only talked to J. when he was in control. But what he knew was that they were cunning, very cunning. After all, he had been tricked by The Jack with the notes. So they knew what they were doing. So he didn’t know what scheme he could be trying to make.

He even had a theory. That there were two people inside the body, the original and the corrupted. The latter holds the memories of the former and uses them to their liking.

The corrupted versions were also formed by the Abyss, so not only were they cunning, they knew how to use everything as a pawn. One of his biggest conspiracies, but one that he had no proof for whatsoever, was that the corrupted version of The Jack was giving control back intentionally.

If this were true, then the whole story gets flipped over.

It means that the corrupted version had let the original write the notes for a reason, maybe to draw him out, or another reason that would benefit them. It also raises the question of whether he knew about his card, and in the end, his blade. If so, had he told the others?

Then, was The Ace acting like he didn’t know the abilities of his blade? But for what reason?

He clenched his sword tightly.

’It’s so damn irritating!’

Since he arrived in Frozen Crown, he had been trying to figure out everything. To discover the answer to his question. But every time he did, they only multiplied. Every discovery he made led to a deeper hole.

He had never had to use his brain so much, which was annoying, since it was a reader class story. Even with its hard enemies, its ending shouldn’t be hard to change.

…

His grip loosened as the chains retracted into his marks, dragging the sword with it. He had only found out how to do it recently, and he didn’t have a complete grasp of how to do it instantly. But it reacted to his emotions and mind. Whenever he wanted to fight, it came out; whenever he was focused on something like gaining information, they went back inside.

It was as if the blade were part of him.

“I don’t wish to fight, so don’t bother. I wanted to have a talk, after all, we haven’t seen each other for a while.”

The question echoed in the silence, as Aether awaited his answer. But he wasn’t nervous, since he already knew it. It wasn’t the first time he had done it.

Guliot decided to break the silence with a humorous laugh. Slapping his knee, as if he couldn’t stop.

“There is the Fool I’ve been missing! You always make me break a laugh.”

He had thought Aether was joking. But after seeing that he wasn’t laughing, and kept his serious expression. He understood it had been, in fact, not a joke.

…”You’re serious? Well… why not?”

In the once-empty room, a table and two chairs appeared. Or rather, they were created by a matter he was familiar with. One that all the Abyss’s subordinates seemed to use. The thing that had killed both of his friends.

He took a seat, with The Ace, sitting opposite him.

A bottle of wine was created on the table, together with two glasses. Guliot picked it up, filling up his cup, and then moving to do the same for Aether’s. But he declined.

“Im not allowed to drink. Im underage.”

The Ace looked at him, then laughed.

“Very well, more for myself.”

Aether watched as he started to devour the glasses of wine without mercy. While he fiddled with his own glass. It was a scene he remembered very well. He was able to tell what he and The Ace were going to say from the beginning. But now, he wanted to finally confirm something.

“You know… I want to kill the Queen.”

The Ace stopped drinking, looking at Aether, like he wasn’t sure if he heard him correctly. His grip tightened around his glass, enough to break it. And make the pieces flying, one even piercing his chest. Not because of how sharp it was, but from the power of his grip.

“Are you insane?”

Aether got up, from the chains that had brought him so much pain until now, appeared one of his only companions. His blade. The hilt rubbed against his fingers, blood dripping and painting it in crimson.

“I am, but that is what makes me sane.”

…

“How does that make any sense?”

Aether walked closer, bringing the tip of his sword to Guliot’s chest, but not trying to pierce it. The Ace had no idea of what he was intending to do. But it was definitely stupid. Did he really think he could pierce him? But he still grabbed his blade, just in case he tried something, applying pressure, and he was sure of it.

“It doesn’t. It’s madness.”

His grip loosened as his gaze dropped to the ground. The Ace looked surprised at the sudden change in his mood, almost pitying him.

But just like how Aether thought that the Knights were manipulating him with their words. He was going to do so with his emotions. Every piece of hate he had been keeping inside from repeating the same interaction over and over again. The anger for himself and for the world. He let it all out.

Using Guliot’s pity, he pierced his chest, right inside the core, or where it is supposed to be. And watched with a smile as the poison did its effect. The Ace didn’t react. Maybe because he was in shock, or maybe because the poison was already doing unbearable damage, but he even let him get his sword out.

“The Daemon Lord poured all his emotions into the blade, all his grief…. I wonder if that has anything to do with the amount of poison. Either way, I don’t want to risk everything.”

Guliot glanced at him with a terrifying frown, as his eyes were bright red.

“What I do know. Is that the closer the attack is to the core, the more effective it is.”

…

“Do you really think this will kill me?”

The Ace smiled as the dark essence started to go back, to disappear. His eyes were also turning white again… but he knew this would happen.

“No, I don’t.”

…

“Aether! It’s been a while, one, two weeks? How are your wounds doing? Actually, can you come a little later? I need to get dressed.”

Aether didn’t respond instantly; instead, he gave him a small smile. Looking at the cut where the broken piece of glass had hit. It had remained, even if the damage after he had pierced him with his sword was gone.

It had remained, somehow.

“Yeah, I will.”

Aether stared at The Ace’s eyes, with an innocent and pure smile on his face. One that couldn’t be farther away from his true self. It was almost disturbing, as even now, he was planning something.

At the same time, Aether was blindingly moving his blade so that the tip pierced one of Guliot’s toes. He succeeded and then took his leave. Waiting on the second floor for The Ace to get ready.

For their final dance.

The moment he stepped inside the room, one of them was going to die. He didn’t know which one it would be, but there wasn’t any backing out anymore. If this was his final day, then so be it. He had done everything he could to be sure that he would win this time. So if he didn’t, it wasn’t meant to happen from the beginning.

He was risking everything, if he was wrong then he lost, but if his hypothesis was true, then it was his win. He had tried many times to make it as correct as possible. To the point, he actually thought that it was really his ability, without needing confirmation.

“The ability to turn your body to how it was at the start of the battle.”

…

He waited a good minute before walking back up. To see The Ace wearing a suit.

Guliot was really a strange person… he wanted to have known him before he had fallen to the Queen. He wondered what he was like, if he acted the same, or if he was completely different. But he knew that wasn’t possible, and it was better, since he couldn’t have taken his life if he had known him.

But one thing was for sure.

They would have been great friends.

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