No Safety

Prol coldly eyes the shadowy figure that had tried twice to kill him. He absolutely hated it when people did that. Experimentation showed that the same techniques used in his soul would work here however, it was incomparably less efficient. He could regeneratively brake the fall, and consume the orb but he learned other people's energy wasn't his energy. It was a wasted effort to try to convert it, and used a great bit of power from the formation. He switched to deflecting the second attack, but the remaining energy in the formation was insufficient to sustain that for long.

When he was in his soul world, he could draw on the power within himself. Now, however, he was filled with a dark energy, different from before, and he was trying to exert his control on reality instead of his own soul. Apparently, he had much left to learn.

[Analysis Complete! Master, you have a much greater affinity with dark energy than light energy!]

Well, he supposes that could be one reason. He had observed very carefully as the cultist had launched the two attacks at him, and he got the idea. In essence, the energy was concentrated and shot. There were more elements at play, but he didn't have time to worry about the details. If he didn't eliminate the threat, he'd run out of energy and be destroyed. As annoyance flows through his veins, he focuses the dark energy into his middle finger.

He waves his hand at the cultist, flicking the energy off his finger as if it were something distasteful. It felt unnatural to use energy gathered from an outside source he didn't like it at all. As the energy is flicked off, one part leaves before another resulting in a line with uneven energy, that spins around like a boomerang might as it rockets towards the cultist seemingly understanding his desire it be gone from his as fast as possible. Meeting an obstruction in the form of the cultist's neck, it bursts straight through, before zooming off into the distance, and leaving behind a fountain of blood.

"Trash," he mutters, hating the foreign and impure feeling of the energy. Even without the interference of the cultist, the protective shell around them continues to crack before bursting apart, and allowing the spirit beasts to flood in. At this, his annoyance only grows. Funneling his feelings his annoyance at being trapped in his own soul, his annoyance at someone trying to kill him as soon as he escapes, and the reckless destruction and harm the beasts caused to such a sweet looking girl into his voice, he releases all of the energy he had gathered. As the words spill from his lips, they aren't as loud as he had hoped, but they contain all his power even the power that had been sustaining his body. "Fuck off."

(Lina POV)

Even as she was despairing at the wastage of energy, she turns her icy blue eyes to the back of the figure before her. Hoping he'd still be able to handle it, somehow or another. With a single motion, pure miasma gathers at his finger faster and denser than the cultist ever could gather it and it goes flying, cutting straight through the powerful cultist as if he were a paper doll. She feels her jaw drop the energy continuing off into the distance, destroying several spirit beasts as it seems intent on going on forever.

"Trash," he speaks, and she can only feel pride welling up. She'd summoned someone who was so strong. Her father would be proud. Even someone that powerful was easily crushed. Perhaps she had done the right thing. However, inevitably, she notices how obediently the miasma swarms around the person. One of the more obscure bits of knowledge her father had taught her the more rituals someone performed, the more obedient dark energy became. The cultist had killed tens of thousands of people in the town but even he seemed like he could barely manipulate the energy. Yet, the entirety of the town's worth of miasma was obediently compressed onto him.

She could only fearfully wonder...How many had he killed? A hundred thousand? Or even, a million? But she quickly shakes the thought off. No matter how horrible, she couldn't think poorly of the one who granted her wish. She stares at the tall figure, feeling a bit of warmth building up as she looks at him. Maybe he wouldn't be so bad?

However, the cracking sound of her barrier falling apart makes her blood run cold once more. An ocean of spirit beasts pours into her sanctum, the last wall in the town falling to the enemy. However, suddenly, everything stops. An incredible pressure crushes down, as the miasma freezes the creatures in place. Even she feels a cold feeling of terror in her heart. Cultists had the ability to gather energy in incredible amounts but she'd never felt it used with such emotion. She didn't dare move, scared of gaining its wrath. Her eyes, focusing on the man before her, can barely see him through the wreaths of dark energy.

"Fuck off," a whisper fills the air, but it echos with great power. It resonates perfectly with the feeling in the dark energy, and like a magic spell, an effect blasts out. Like a bad dream on the winds, the countless spirit beasts disperse vanishing into the wind, the binding that kept them bound to this plane releasing. With just two words, they were the only things left living in the city. Just how powerful was he? But as he turns to face her, he seems withered completely dry of energy, like the slightest wind would blow him away. At that, her heart hurt.

(Prol POV)

Surprisingly, with his words, the creatures disperse, and the impure energy vanishes as well. He sighs, feeling much better without it.

[Master, there's nothing keeping your body together now! You're dispersing!] He hears a very worried voice.

Maybe he'd judged the dark energy too soon. His soul felt as pure as it originally had, but that pure form was much weaker than it was just moments ago. Perhaps, if he faced a single spirit beast now, he'd immediately die. He felt like a powerful buff had worn off, but he couldn't regret his decision. Turning, he focuses his sharp hazel eyes on the small girl. About a foot shorter than him, with a white cloak on her shoulders, she wears a blue dress that goes down to her knees. Her long white hair falls her her shoulders, and shiny, icy blue eyes peer out of a beautiful face as she looks up at him in wonder. However, after a moment, her look changes to one of concern. Perhaps, she'd realized his state.

"I'm Prol, what's your name?" he asks her in a tender tone. After a moment's pause, she runs over to him, grabbing his waist desperately as if trying to stop him from disappearing. "Lina. Don't leave me!" she pleads, and his heart stings at the request. He slowly runs his hand through her white hair, and smiles softly down at her, pulling up her little face. "I won't go anywhere. We're connected at the soul, remember? Don't be wild. I just have to adapt to this world for a little while, gather a more beautiful power. Be good for me," he whispers softly to her, wishing he could use something to keep her safe while he figures things out.

Even if he didn't know her very well, she was indeed the one who brought him here, and he could feel the spiritual connection to her. More importantly, he adored cute things, and the small figure was the very embodiment of a future beauty. He felt it hard to be cold. As he thinks upon what he can do, he feels the energy of the formation. Shrugging, he focuses the energy, gathering it with the last sliver holding him together and leaves a kiss on her forehead as he disperses. Filled with his intent, the energy will slowly seep into her, allowing her to grow a bit faster and automatically protect her from any fatal attacks. That being the energy's original purpose, there was no incompatibility, and he successfully completed the task. In an instant, he felt his body disperse as well, leaving the girl clutching at the air.

…

("Mm? I'm back inside my soul?") he wonders to himself, eyeing the endless darkness once more.

[Master, it seemed like the formation had the intention of forming a body of energy for you, and boosting your power. However, it wasn't very stable, and you wasted the power away before it could settle. As such, we regressed to our original state.]

("That makes sense...What a shame.")

[By no means! My master can most definitely make something much more perfect!]

Hearing the melodious voice of his assistant encouraging him, he smiles within his soul. "Mm. You're right. I just have to get stronger," he replies, giving a couple nods, before he stops. "Hey, Rin, how do you get stronger?"

[Erm...I don't know. You weren't given any of that knowledge. I think, perhaps, we might have missed out.]

With a deep sigh, he forms a bed with the last of his energy, and falls back in it. ("Try and calculate something!") he complains, before dozing off.

(Lina POV)

For a moment, she thought her world was ending. Her last family, Prol, had vanished from her very eyes. But remembering his words, she keeps her hope strong. He was definitely with her. She could feel a trace of him on her forehead, and the connection to her soul was still there.

However, despite being comforted by the fact she wasn't alone in the world, as her eyes turn to the desolate town, she can't help but feel weak. Falling to her knees, her eyes that had momentarily dried, felt wet once again.