「Broken Compass」The Soterice Trials 「Trial I」

"The Blade Of Thieves" -Part V-

Chapter 32

The dial felt frigid beneath his fingertips. 

A faint tremor coursed through it, though it was not a heartbeat, or a mechanical whir; but something strained, as if a gear had been forcibly wedged into position.

Hoku exhaled slowly, and locked his gaze on Fleur as she readied another arrow from her hand. 

A red object was forged at the back, glowing like a dying ember.

Fleur's voice carried into his ears, unexpectedly calm to the point of menace. "You've brought your pocket watch, " she giggled, easing her shoulder while keeping the arrow trained on him.

Hoku scrutinized her every move. "Are you aware this watch was forged in defiance of the timeless realm you inhabit? You wield a concept of time where none should exist."

Frowning, Hoku squeezed the compass into his knuckles as he hauled himself from the churning water. 

After a brief pause, he asked, "What are you talking about?"

Fleur remained motionless as she answered, "Has no one told you that this universe is timeless?"

She laughed again, a taunting sound shrouded in mystery.

'I've been told many things, mostly that I would 'eventually understand.' It infuriated me. Why dangle answers when they have them and could easily explain?'

Hoku's scowl softened slightly as he pondered, 'Is there some point to all this?'

Fleur continued to speak over his thoughts. "Though not literally timeless, otherwise, we wouldn't be here experiencing events. The sequel doesn't adhere to the conventional definition of time. We have no future; what lies ahead is merely a realm of decay, harvested by monsters far worse than those you'll encounter here."

Hoku interrupted, "Why the sudden lesson? And why speak of monsters as if you're not one yourself?"

Fleur turned to Hoku, her expression shifting unexpectedly, as if his words had caught her off guard.

"I am not a monster. I am human," Fleur declared. "You haven't seen me in that form because Lamb currently occupies it to facilitate my ability to shift into the bodies of your familiars."

Hoku scoffed. "So, you're saying Lamb is you, and Ollie is a figment of my imagination?"

Fleur bowed her head, then shook it. "No. I am Ollie; Lamb is merely a doll. She is my elixir. The only reason she stands is because she has reserved my body for after the battle, when I will return as 'Oliverou'."

Lamb interjected from behind, "Care for one more detail?"

Hoku fought the urge to look back, and watched Fleur's hand intently. "Everything she says... echoes my own words. Like how everyone she allows me to mimic are those who've fallen in this trial."

A sudden chill seized Hoku, lifting his gaze from her hands. '...What did she say?'

Before he could comprehend the situation, an arrow shot forward from her bow.

'Damn it! She set this up to catch me off guard!' Realization struck him too late; the arrow pierced the center of his heart. 

Yet, it was not the intense pain that unsettled him. 

Looking down, he saw a familiar red flower blooming at the tip, as the arrow transformed into molten crimson.

Barely a heartbeat passed before there was a thunderous BOOM!

. . .

Hoku's breath hitched as the explosive pain abruptly vanished, and an eerie numbness took its place.

He staggered on his feet, taking shallow breaths. 

Then, a calm, insinuating voice dulled the ringing in his ears.

"You've brought your pocket watch."

Hoku's expression deepened in confusion as he saw Fleur, her bowstring taut and the same arrow drawn back.

"Are you aware this watch was forged in defiance of the timeless realm you inhabit? You wield a concept of time where none should exist."

"What…?" Hoku's voice trembled.

"Has no one told you this universe is timeless?"

A scalding heat suddenly lanced through his palm, drawing a sharp gasp.

He flinched back and peered at his hand. His pupils shrunk in astonishment at the sight before him.

The compass gave off the same familiar glow, just as it had during the astrapie and within the mural.

Fleur's eyebrow arched at his unexpected reaction, but her composure swiftly returned as she observed, "You've already utilized it."

Hoku's fingers trembled beneath the compass as he frowned. 

'I went backwards!'

He had instinctively turned the dial counterclockwise the moment he noticed the arrow lodged in his chest.

"I was almost a second too late," he murmured deeply, "Yet it appears I hold a considerable advantage."

Fleur's grin resurfaced. "Indeed, you do. But fret not," she paused, allowing Lamb to finish her thought.

"I can sacrifice a few pawns until this mechanism falls apart."

Hoku swallowed. 'Fall apart?'

His mind raced to decipher her implications. 'Is its power too formidable to be kept within a single device? Is that why it continually melts and deforms?'

His other hand twitched as Fleur's earlier comment about the 'pocket watch' resurfaced in his memory. 

'She called it a defiance... Mars had cautioned me just before we ventured into the corridor. They mentioned that time was utterly suspended beyond it. Then, as we got closer, my Compass began to deform, almost as if…'

"Have you gathered your thoughts yet?" Fleur's voice cut through his reverie.

Hoku's brow furrowed, and he inadvertently voiced his realization: "It's defying these environments by attempting to break free from the compass."

Fleur's figure tensed inexplicably.

The rest of his thoughts were abruptly set aside as he sensed more movement.

Fleur released the arrow, its path veering not directly toward Hoku but to the water just ahead, anticipating his instinctive dodge. 

Hoku twisted, shifting his weight off his dominant foot. 

His movements were premeditated. 

As he veered left, another arrow was already slicing through the air toward his intended landing spot.

It was a layered assault!

The third arrow shattered upon the water's surface, yet it did not sink. Instead, its petals burst outward, forming a chain of luminous script that burned across the air, unfurling like a latticework of binding seals.

'These were the same tactics she employed to bring down the Moths in the nest!' 

Hoku's descent was abruptly diverted as an unseen force coiled around his throat, yanking him off course by a crucial inch. 

This deviation allowed a third arrow to pierce deep into his ribs. 

Wincing at the sharp intrusion, Hoku twisted the compass dial once more. 

His hand began to discolor from the heat, yet this time, the device responded not with its usual immediacy but in a manner reminiscent of its first activation. 

Bound by the arrows' restraining seals, Hoku was ensnared in an agonizing suspension. 

His fingers squeezed the dial thoughtfully. 'I have to continue testing its functions to make sure my mind comprehends its capabilities, lest I be forced to rely only on instinct.' 

Hoku pressed down on the dial, and the compass snapped open with a crisp click.

Immediately, an invisible force enveloped him, akin to being submerged in a dense liquid. 

His senses heightened as it grew heavier.

Before he could react, the water at his feet responded. 

Tendrils of liquid detached themselves, ascending higher before they fragmented into countless droplets. 

They bore a subtle crimson hue.

Something sharp pressed into his palm.

'A deck of cards?'

Hoku's gaze fixated on the back of the deck.

The symbols on the back curled upward, dissipating as smoke does.

Curiosity piqued, and he extended his injured hand toward it, and flipped over the card on top.

An image on the other side depicted a mystical woman seated between two pillars: one white, and one black.

A half-veil scroll rested in her lap, and behind her were curtains decorated in pomegranates.

Centered just beneath the seated figure, was written "The High Priestess" in elegant font.

A second later, Hoku's palm burned as the compass now emitted blistering heat.

A guttural scream escaped him as molten metal dripped from his hand, leaving severe burns across his skin. 

Simultaneously, the deck of cards crumbled into fine dust that descended into the water below.

The droplets, now devoid of their crimson shade, cascaded back into the pool, creating ripples that expanded outward. 

Hoku gripped his injured hand, and scrunched his features, as the remnants of the phenomenon faded around him. 

Without warning, the arrow pulled free from his ribs, reversing its path. 

His throat was released before the glowing script folded back into its arrow form. 

As he regained his footing, the water around him stilled, showing no hint of the recent chaos. 

Suddenly, the stars above expanded, and the familiar weight of the pistol returned to his hand. 

Looking down, Hoku steadied himself, feeling the cold metal against his palm. 

Hoku felt a hand over his robe, 'Even the compass returned to me. Just what exactly did I do, what did those cards mean?'

Fleur had remained unmoved with her bow drawn tight. 

The reversal seemed to affect only a limited radius, leaving the immediate area unchanged. 

Hoku's chest tightened as the implications became clear.

'The compass reacts differently based on my condition,' he mused. 'After the explosion, it rewound time instantly. But during mere restraint, I had to engage with tarot cards. Is this compass intrinsically linked to me?'

Unaware that the pistol had returned to him, she loosed the same arrow a third time.

He sidestepped, skidding low through the water, and raised the pistol.

The gold gleamed; Fleur glimpsed it just as he fired.

She ducked, evading the headshot, but had less time to dodge the next round.

The bullet struck her shoulder.

Within half a second, she conjured another arrow, aiming at the water.

He withdrew as it unfurled, causing a large explosion in the water.

In the brief instant the water wall rose, Fleur summoned three arrows, nocking them on her bow.

These arrows differed from the others; the petals were less compact, and more sporadic.

He had managed only that single shot.

After releasing three more bullets through the mist, the pistol dissolved in his palm again.

'Damn!'

Hoku crouched, guarding against Fleur's arrow, his hand darting to the compass secured on his rope. Pain seared through his burnt hand. He grimaced, thoughts racing: 'I need to heal this.'

Glancing up, he noted the foundation was further than anticipated. His hand trembled. 

'I can't afford to burn both hands. I need at least one for sacrifice, but this one is nearly unusable!' 

Panic churned in his gut.

Clenching his jaw, he pressed the compass onto his raw skin, stifling a moan. 

He secured it before using his other hand to turn the dial.

This time, he didn't rewind. The dial twisted right. 

Hoku's heart raced as the rain materialized, droplets hanging in the air. 

His form blurred, traversing ephemeral nodes as he unexpectedly reappeared behind Fleur.

The compass in his hand burned, sizzling through layers of skin.

It released a putrid scent into his nostrils.

Fleur pivoted, her expression unmoved at his sudden appearance. 

Her bow had transformed into twin bone blades, each oozing black ichor. 

She stepped forward, slashing them in a diagonal cross aimed at his throat.

'Fuck! I should have held onto that sword,' Hoku cursed inwardly, realizing the compass was useless for defense. 

He ducked beneath the blades, feeling the air stir above him. 

Instead of retreating, he lunged forward, lowering himself to her waist and driving his weight into her, sending both crashing into the water.

Fleur grunted, arching her blade over him. 

Hoku jerked back just in time, the blade merely grazing his face. 

He stumbled into the water, and caught a glimpse of the trial's web shifting once more.

Recognition formed in his mind as he swept his eyes away. 'Each countermeasure alters the battle's conditions,' 

'Maybe the trial's progress doesn't allow a true undoing. Each alteration from the compass doesn't reset the web's movement; it merely spreads them further apart.'

He heaved, sucking his lips into a thin line.

His dominant hand throbbed with pain, rendered nearly useless, while Fleur was already recalibrating her stance, preparing for the next assault. 

Engaging her head-on was no longer an option; his avenues for action were narrowing rapidly.

As his boots pressed into the water's surface, the mechanics of the trial developed in his thoughts. 

He recalled how Lamb had urged him to "adapt." 

Her instructions were meant to convey that he should grasp the underlying purpose of the puzzle, not just adapt based on prior knowledge.

The compass in his grasp had become a mere instrument to stave off death; a temporary reprieve. 

Her instructions were meant to convey that he grasp the puzzle's purpose, not just adapt from prior knowledge.

On the other hand, the sword was an asset gained through resistance, possibly the key to overcoming the trial's contest.

Hoku's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the constellation web above. 

Even the foundation had proven essential, a tangible asset, as it was clear it was meant to lengthen the battle period. 

Yet, the entire purpose of the web still remained elusive. 

Did it have a deeper significance beyond reacting to his movements?

Recalling past encounters, Hoku noted an inconsistency: the stars' movements granted him weapons, however, there were also moments when they reacted to the opponent, and neither received anything in return. 

"It's almost too cliché for this much of the trial to be in my favor," he mused aloud. "Otherwise, why would experienced fighters like Juno and Fleur have 'fallen' even when supposedly given an advantage?"

He pondered the pattern of the changes, if the battlefield expanded from his own moments of defeat, could it contract with correct actions?

Steeling himself, Hoku adjusted his stance, attuning his senses to the stars above. 

Fleur lunged, slicing through the mist-laden air. 

Hoku twisted away just in time, her strike narrowly missing his shoulder.

She pressed forward, driving him into increasingly unstable terrain beneath the water. 

Recognizing the need to break this cycle, Hoku made an unexpected move. 

Planting his injured hand into the water, pain surged through his nerves, but he gritted his teeth, allowing his weight to sink just enough to disrupt the liquid's tension. 

Fleur's foot landed, hesitating for a fraction of a second. It was enough. 

With his submerged hand, Hoku twisted the compass counterclockwise. 

The water beneath them reversed, pulling the ripples inward like a collapsing tide. 

The web contracted instead of expanding, causing Fleur's footing to falter. 

A subtle smirk appeared on Hoku's face as he finally realized the true nature of the constellation's influence.

 It wasn't merely aiding him; it was manipulating the battlefield's expanse to Fleur's advantage. 

His adversary had cunningly diverted his attention by only mentioning his own advantages, concealing its true motives.

Hoku spoke gradually, "That must've been why you didn't seem surprised when I appeared behind you," he continued, locking eyes with her. "You hadn't expected me to appear directly behind you, which is why you reacted so late."

Hoku thought back to the first time in the mural. 

The compass had placed him just above the ground. Similarly he had been positioned precisely behind her.

His gaze sharpened. "No matter where I appeared, it wasn't directly there. The ground is hidden beneath water, so that I can't detect its change."

As the water beneath Fleur pulled inward, her movements staggered, and the web's pattern finally reversed. 

Hoku reined a final thought in: 'The only other difference was that I was agile on the ground, but in the air, I had been stuck for a moment.'

Fleur's step landed where there should have been distance, and for the first time, her relentless momentum betrayed her. 

Seizing the opportunity, Hoku surged forward.

His injured hand flared with discomfort, but he harnessed the recoil, twisting his body into an unnatural spiral. 

Hoku's foot lashed out, targeting the space just ahead of Fleur's stance. 

Though his strike appeared to miss, the web's intricate design dictated a different outcome. 

The compressed space buckled, triggering a collision that sent an aftershock rippling through the web. 

A shockwave of skewed force rebounded into Fleur's chest, eliciting a gasp as puzzlement crossed her face.

Her body whipped backward, and her own momentum turned against her. 

Still airborne from the impact, Fleur twisted desperately to counter. 

Hoku exhaled, and turned the dial forward.

Above, the stars coalesced, acknowledging her defeat before she even hit the ground. 

Without hesitation, Hoku reached forward, his uninjured hand grasping at the emptiness Fleur had occupied, until his fingers closed around something solid.

He had claimed the second fragment of the Sword of Thieves, its form materializing in his grasp. 

He squeezed the hilt until his knuckles paled.

Fleur, now within the compass' radius, was anchored to a halt in the air. 

Hoku thrust the sword fragment into her chest, unyielding in his resolve.

To be continued…

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 「 The Seraphis Divinations have been successfully implemented into your elixir」

Instructions for activation:

Step 1: turn the dial 

Step 2: Open the watch.

Step 3: Flip the card on top.

「Tarot is a temporary disguise of the divinations. The Abundant Creator has recently become aware of the organization. Thus, we've resorted to tarot in order to disguise the actual cards」

The functions of the pocket watch are systematic. Therefore, the divination that takes effect is not random. 

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