Chapter 63: Persona

The warrior stands up, walking towards his spear and picking it up. Then he faces One, standing still and upright.

The Female One sighs, "How could thee allow that to befall?"

". . . I allowed a hint of arrogance and superiority to get to me and bethought that there is no way his flames can burneth mine own plants or vines," says the Male One as he faces the warrior.

He nods towards the warrior, "I bow to only one being, so my own words art all I can offer. Thank you,"

. . .

He raises his left arm, a ring on his ring finger, towards the warrior.

The Female One looks at the Male One.

The warrior holds his spear defensively, bracing himself in preparation for what's to come.

"Don't worry, I won't harm thee. This is to give you extra of what was ordained, to that gent and thee, for the exciting time and reminder," assures the Male One.

"Authority,"

. . .

Nothing happens.

"There, thy shackles has't been severed. Thou art free to roam as thee wish. Though, the game shall still borrow thy strength to run until its end at least. As for Daki, that gent did earn mine own intrigue and I did suggest that he is not written into nothingness, though I doth not knoweth what shall befall. His fate is in his hands right now," says the Male One.

The warrior relaxes and nods his head towards One in respect.

"Then again, thee gaveth me the opening. Hadst I been faster, it might has't turned out differently," murmurs the Female One, looking away into the distance.

The warrior tilts his head in confusion and looks at the Male One.

"It's her way of making me feeleth better," chuckles the Male One.

"Anyways, thee did manage to landeth a scratcheth on us before we did land a clean striketh. As per terms, victory is yours," she pauses, "Hadst thee not hath lost yourself and were this stout, thee might has't been a candidate for─"

"Hello, One!"

They both whirl around, and the warrior shifts his laser focused vision to the entity behind them.

"How has your journey here been so far? Any fun?" asks a figure in a clown-like mask.

"Thee did pull a me, nice!" One says at the same time, laughing.

"It's hadst its ups and downs, but overall fine," they continue, "We were actually about to head off to continue our exploration and search, and there is a deal we must keep,"

"I assume it's him, he managed to scratch you at the peak of your first seal?" says Persona, stretching his body in a helical motion towards the warrior.

"Out of the ten, what seal would you have to unlock to defeat him?"

". . . Our estimation may beest inaccurate as we doth not knoweth what his peak is. But if I kicked it up to stage two, I wouldst has't overwhelmed him," responds One.

The warrior raises his head, and they look at each other.

Persona hums, observing the warrior.

"This is the first offspring of ******, its power is only second to the all-parent of the family tree. It landed a scratch on you?" he asks, turning his head and his eyes glow for a few seconds.

"Warrior, I just got info that your name will be Hamizula, do you understand?" he asks.

Hamizula nods in approval.

"Great! It can understand me," cheers Persona.

"Well, I bethink that t'wast affected by the corpse it took over. Belike Daki's intellect made it cunning in some aspects. Even I didn't think it wouldst settle a trap and deceive us with minor things. But now that I know how cunning it is, I believeth that even its movement to pick up the spear might have been another showcase of deception lest it ever had to square with us again. As to imply that it can't call the spear to it or control it from afar, or something," explains the Female One.

The Male One nods, "It's keeping its actions and movements to a minimal to hide what it can doth, and it seems like it can understand us, maybe,"

Persona hums, "I see. This is very weird though, I have never seen a case where it takes over a corpse, only being controlled by something alive. they are inert and don't do anything active by themselves from what I know, But for it to take control . . . this might cause trouble if the other offspring can do this as well,"

The Female One raises an eyebrow, "Why is that?"

Persona reverts to his position, facing One once again.

"Well, not all the offspring are peaceful and calm like this one. A good bunch can be . . . troublemakers, let's say if left to their own devices. And if they take over a corpse, who knows what chaos they can cause havoc? And if your theory about the owner of the corpse having an effect on their behavior and existence, stack mischievous with mischievous, and you getttt?!" says Persona teasingly.

"A complex! Ahaha!" he springs up, raising his arm and a cartoonish sound plays in the background with tiny fireworks.

"But oh well, that's just a theory. We still don't know the details of what he is thinking. This is all new , and they can be controlled anyways," he puts his hand on his cheek and turns on his side as if sleeping in the air.

"Indeed. Anyway, what brings thee here?" asks the Male One.

"Oh my! I almost forgot!" Persona springs back and links his fingers, stretching them outwards to a cartoonish degree. He then disconnects them and moves them a bit, doing a few fancy moves like a magician sweeping his arms in an arch before freezing in a pose.

Persona snaps the fingers of his right hand, and the word Authority gets spelled out in sparkles.

All of them look at the island and notice something happening quickly . . . then the other . . . then the other . . . it is everything . . . everything on the island is going extremely fast. It is as if time is being fast-forwarded on the island, leaves, ashes, and more, everything is moving extremely fast.

"Anddddd stop!" says Persona, squashing the sparkles and things go back to normal.

"Why didst thee doth that?" asks the Female One.

"And if it wast an order from him, he couldst has't just hath asked us liketh always. Why didst he sendeth thee?" questions the Male One.

"I can't answer this right now! But my job here is done. I should go to the place of Eternal Dawn now," he takes off his hat and bows, as if at the ending of a performance.

"Adios, Yarateras, and Tharuid," says Persona before he poofs into smoke and disappears.

. . .

"Seems like he was selected. The effects of what thee didst is already here, I seeth. He is already teasing us and told a past Persona about it," remarks the Female One.

"I kind of did like the names he giveth though," says the Male One.

"As did I, maybe we can useth them,"

They both look at the warrior looking up at the sky as a large hologram screen displays a message.

Congratulations ************* got a Monopoly! Please state your desired reward!