「Broken Compass」The Soterice Trials 「Trial I」
"The Blade Of Thieves"
-The Final Part-
Chapter 34
Hoku's expression became grim.
His primary concern was Juno's disappearance; despite his efforts, he couldn't locate her. Clearing his throat, he inquired deeply, "Where is Juno?"
The figure resembling Ollie, previously eager for idle chatter, remained silent.
Hoku's own visage stared back at him, unmarred by fatigue or injury.
He recalled Ollie's claim of only replicating those who had perished here, yet he was very much alive. Was Ollie deceiving him?
After a tense pause, Ollie lowered his hand, allowing the compass's chain to drape over his fingers.
He finally spoke, offering no direct answer. "I merely experimented with your toy before you realized I had vanished from beneath you."
Hoku's gaze dropped to his own hands, expecting signs of harm.
To his surprise, there were none, and Ollie appeared unaffected, easily holding the compass.
"Liar," Hoku retorted sharply. "Your hands are unscathed. If you had used it, you'd—"
Ollie interrupted with a disconcerting proposal, "Shall I let you see, then?"
Hoku nearly choked on his own breath as Ollie casually swung the chain, descending from the platform.
The chain coiled around his fingers, and the compass settled into his palm.
Ollie tilted his head, slipping one hand into this brown trench coat pocket. With the other, he pinched the compass's dial and twisted it.
To Hoku, nothing appeared to change.
Then, Fleur's body twitched, and Hoku's stomach clenched with a sudden, anxious spasm.
His grip tightened around the Sword of Thieves, knuckles whitening as his feet dug into the stone bed.
He quickly understood that the compass could manipulate slivers of time; either reversing or advancing events with precision.
This meant Ollie was undoing his progress in the trial!
His muscles protested as the stars' influence waned.
Yet, a change stayed within him.
Whether compelled by a set resolve to survive or the appearance of the mysterious cards, his mind had become much sharper.
Variables he had barely noted now aligned, forming strategies and insights into his opponent's moves.
Currently, he prioritized deciphering the situation over succumbing to emotions.
'I've come too far,' he reminded himself.
Despite the creeping instability in his physical state, his focus remained: escape the trial.
Juno had vanished, but he saw Fleur hunch forward on her feet when he glanced across to where her body had been,.
Ollie flicked open the compass with arrogance.
Its glow didn't settle into his palm as it had for Hoku. Instead, the chain shimmered, and light coiled around the device like a seal.
It neither burned nor dismantled in his grasp.
Ollie adjusted the dial once more, and Fleur's limbs snapped back into place, leaving an open wound in her chest.
Her head lifted abruptly as if pulled by an invisible string.
She stood, but her movements were now more rigid and sluggish.
Ollie clicked his tongue. "You've already killed them once," he remarked, "Do you really have the energy to do it again?"
Suddenly, Fleur raised her arm and plunged her fingers into the narrow stab wound Hoku had inflicted.
Hoku winced and resisted the urge to look away.
When she withdrew her hand, it was coated in a familiar black ooze that began to recede up her fingers.
Hoku swallowed hard. 'She's making another bow—'
A loud crack resounded behind him, followed by splashes of water hitting his back, as if something heavy had fallen.
He swiftly shifted his stance, pivoting to face the new threat.
Juno had reappeared, farther than he'd anticipated from the sound.
'So Fleur was a distraction to let Juno ambush me! No wonder he wouldn't tell me where she was!' Juno unfurled her fan in a single, silent motion.
Blossoms bloomed at her feet before Root began to weave under the water toward his ankles slowly.
Hoku clenched his jaw and stepped back as he adjusted his hold to account for the uneven ground.
The bullet hole in her chest was still visible through the tear in her clothing.
Ollie tilted his head, observing the revived figures with amusement. "They're not perfect, are they?" he mused, turning the compass between his fingers.
The light in its chain pulsed, stabilizing the surrounding distortions. "But they don't need to be. They need to keep you occupied."
Fleur moved next after Hoku severed the approaching roots with a single sweep of his sword.
A red primrose arrow materialized on her bowstring.
Juno followed, attacking from behind.
She slashed her fan through the air, sending a mass of thorned vines toward him.
Hoku inhaled sharply. 'Two attacks, two rhythms.'
Focusing on one meant the other would land.
As Fleur released the arrow, he stepped forward.
The primrose arrow missed, falling into the water.
Juno's vines reached his wrists as he dodged the arrow.
Instead of confronting the vines climbing his arm, Hoku ducked, swinging his sword downward.
The blade struck where they converged, severing them and unraveling the vines before they tightened.
Fleur had another arrow ready, this one leaving a violet trail.
She didn't need to hit him for the bindings to work.
'I'll have to intercept before she can shoot these arrows.'
He pivoted, dragging the vine still attached to his wrist.
With quick strides, he whipped the vine's end at her.
The thorns struck Fleur's torso, sending her reeling.
Hoku lowered his body to avoid Juno's attacks and sprinted forward, closing the distance.
He thrust his sword through a gap in the branches, and the blade emerged between her ribs.
Hoku's gaze returned to Juno, only to find her obscured by a swirling mass of petals, a stark contrast to the orderly formations she had previously summoned.
His grip tightened around his hilt.
An unexpected gust propelled him backward; reacting swiftly, he drove his blade into the rock wall, arresting his momentum.
His boots skidded, disturbing the faint flicker of stars overhead.
Fleur's movements had been eerily mechanical, her limbs jerking like a marionette, while Juno moved as if submerged in water, taking lethargic steps.
Hoku swiftly assessed the situation: Ollie sought to deplete his energy, preventing any chance of recovery.
The real threat wasn't Fleur or Juno but the one wielding the compass.
Resolute, Hoku retrieved his compass from his robe.
He reassured himself, 'Skin can heal; it's not like I'm amputating it.'
Securing his sword under his arm, he twisted the compass clockwise.
An internal force swelled; and rain began to fall, distorting the air above the water.
Juno's figure blurred, and her motion stuttered as if trapped in an infinitesimal loop within the compass's influence.
Capturing the juncture, Hoku dashed through the gap.
Advancing toward Ollie, Hoku felt his sword grow heavier.
Puzzled, he glanced down to see the numbers on its hilt dancing erratically before resetting to zero.
Suddenly, the suspended rain fell, merging with the water below, and Ollie vanished abruptly.
Hoku pivoted sharply.
He sensed the subtle creak of a bowstring being drawn taut, followed by a faint rustle as the arrow slid against the bow.
An unnatural shift in the atmosphere signaled another presence materializing behind him.
Instinctively, he ducked as an arrow whistled past his head.
Fleur had been revived.
Ollie wore an amused expression from where Fleur's body had lain.
They had swapped places, as if Ollie had anticipated Hoku's approach, creating a timed radius around himself.
Yet, there was no immediate explanation for how and why he had switched places with Fleur after reviving her.
Before Hoku hit the ground, Fleur released a second shot.
It split midair, fracturing into multiple violet strands; the luminous chains multiplied as they sought to entangle him.
Hoku sidestepped, slashing his blade to intercept the two foes before him as Fleur raised her bow once more.
She drew the string without an arrow this time, yet it bent as if under tension.
Hoku twisted his compass counterclockwise, and water droplets ascended.
An instant before time rewound, the space he had occupied vanished, and scalding heat seared his palm.
He groaned in pain but forced himself to keep moving.
As time unspooled, Hoku's body moved faster than thought. His arms pivoted, grip tightened, and stance shifted.
Landing back in his initial spot, he propelled himself away from the wall, targeting Ollie with lethal intent.
To his surprise, Ollie remained unaffected by the reversal, but his eyes widened as he noticed Fleur's body beside him.
"Right into my palm," Hoku muttered, closing the distance between them.
Ollie barely had time to react before Hoku's blade descended toward his neck.
However, he had overlooked Juno, who had already set her attack in motion.
A vine lashed out, ensnaring Hoku's sword-wielding wrist, then yanking him off his feet.
He crashed onto his back with a resounding splash, a grunt escaping his lips as the impact reignited the ache in his body.
Hoku reached for his sword with his free hand, pressing the compass deeper into his palm as he severed the vine, freeing his wrist.
The heated metal singed his arm, prompting him to plunge it into the water to soothe the burn while simultaneously pushing himself upright.
A wave of dizziness washed over him momentarily.
"Damn," he thought, "I'm pushing my limits; I could pass out if this continues."
The pain from the compass gave him a little stability. 'Now's not the time for doubt. Ollie's on guard, and he can appear anywhere. I need a new approach.'
His breath came in ragged bursts as he considered his options. 'I could use the compass again, but it might be my last chance before it melts, rendering my hand useless.'
Noticing Juno's lack of further attacks, he saw Fleur's body beginning to regenerate.
Hoku's dwindling strength left him reliant solely on better strategy.
Hoku pressed forward, aiming to reach Ollie before Fleur could fully rise.
Suddenly, an arrow embedded itself between his feet.
He halted and briskly recognized the spider lily emblem on its shaft.
Unease gripped Hoku; he retreated as Fleur regained her stance, her eyes vacant.
Confusion flickered across Hoku's face as he glanced back at the arrow.
Taking another step back, his foot brushed the water's surface.
The red petals of the lily unfurled, releasing ember-like particles that dissolved upon contact with the water.
Hoku's gaze shifted to Juno, who remained motionless, with her head tilted, and arms extended.
The water stirred subtly.
Around the embedded arrow, a spider lily emerged, followed by dozens more.
Their stems intertwined, coiling around the arrow.
A chilling sensation coursed through Hoku's veins.
Suddenly, agony exploded in his chest, stealing his breath and blurring his vision.
He collapsed into the water as vines ensnared his legs, pulling him down.
The lilies spread, their touch searing his flesh.
The pain consumed him, rendering him immobile.
He stiffened his muscles desperately and fumbled at his belt with trembling hands as he searched for a final means to fight back.
Hoku's sword slipped from his grasp as he tore the compass free, clutching it tightly.
The scalding heat paled in comparison to his body's torment.
His limbs convulsed, heart pounding violently. Through ragged breaths, he gasped, "Not... yet."
With waning strength, he twisted the dial counterclockwise, desperation fueling his repeated attempts.
A feeble 'Please' escaped his lips before the agony abruptly ceased.
He found himself back on solid ground, disoriented and retching into the water.
He wiped his mouth, and steadied himself, growing wary of another attack.
Ollie remained where he'd been, and Fleur stood as when Ollie had first switched places with her.
She readied an arrow with violet bindings; Hoku moved off the foundation but unexpectedly sprinted in the opposite direction.
Ollie noticed and taunted from afar, "Did her tactic scare you that much? Back to square one?"
Hoku ignored him, allowing closing chains to wrap around his waist before slicing them apart.
He was sprinting toward Lamb.
Ollie, frowned and spoke through Lamb, "What are you doing now?" As Hoku met her gaze, her expression shifted, mirroring his own unsettling demeanor.
With his sword angled outward from his chest, Hoku drove it into her armpit, pulling upward with all his strength.
Ollie watched in shock as her arm severed and fell into the water.
Without hesitance, Hoku turned to deflect three of Fleur's incoming arrows.
Then, he swiftly aimed the broken blade at Lamb's heart.
The attacks ceased; and silence filled the space, punctuated solely by his labored breaths.
He swallowed hard, to compose himself before speaking in a deep, resonant voice, "You mentioned Lamb was occupying your body. I should have acted on my suspicion earlier…that your evasion was just another distraction in this final round."
Ollie tensed, palms dampening, as Lamb interjected, "What are you talking about? When did you—"
Hoku cut her off, still panting and pausing between words. "I thought I was dying just now—it felt like a thousand deaths at once." He exhaled deeply. "In that hopeless state, I begged for direction. Nothing came amidst the pain, but when I reappeared on that foundation, despite my efforts to avoid it, I realized…" His voice trailed off as he kept his sword poised at Lamb's heart, the compass's metal reshaping in his other hand.
Had he gone forward, the expected outcome awaited.
"Your initial shift from the foundation to Fleur's location lacked logic; it was sheer luck you ended up so far away," Hoku remarked, his breath steadying. "That's why you used the compass on yourself only once, to avoid unpredictable relocations. I, however, can navigate its effects selectively."
A hint of pride touched his lips. "Unless I'm on the brink of death, then I'm transported to a moment that isn't random…which happened to be closest to your elixir this time."
He continued, shifting slightly, a contemplative expression easing onto his face. "Another potential reason for your evasiveness: either you don't know how to wield the compass, or you're simply unable to use it as I can."
Lamb's voice wavered as she attempted to sound amused. "You've become quite the detective, haven't you?"
"I have the High Priestess to thank."
Lamb's demeanor deviated abruptly,. "You used a divination?"
Hoku turned to Lamb, his expression now puzzled. "So, it was that card. I had only speculated; they weren't random… how strange."
"Ah…" Ollie chuckled lightly. "So, you didn't know."
Hoku shook his head. "That's beside the point. Are we done here? Have I beaten you?"
A smile returned to Ollie's face as he bowed his head slightly. "I must admit, your fight was impressive. You made me so nervous I panicked."
Hoku frowned.
"Unfortunately, you've forgotten a small thing"
Hoku sighed and glanced away from Lamb to meet Ollie's gaze. "And what is that?"
Ollie paused before answering. "I may not control where this 'Compass' transports me, making it difficult to counter you in such situations. However, since Lamb is attached to me…"
Suddenly, Hoku felt his sword yanked downward forcefully.
His eyes widened as he darted around. Lamb was gripping the end of his blade with her remaining hand.
Hoku heard movement behind him but remained focused on wrestling his sword back from Lamb.
A splash beside him prompted a swift realization; 'Arrows!'.
He grasped his compass, intending to twist the dial, but Juno's vines intercepted, ensnaring his wrists with thorny tendrils.
The compass slipped from his grasp, disappearing into the water.
"No!"
With one arm immobilized, he struggled as chains from Fleur's arrows coiled around his sword's blade, pulling harder.
More desperation set in as the hilt slipped from his grip.
Questions flooded his mind: Why am I here? Why is this happening? What am I supposed to do alone?
A new thought intruded. Seeking answers had been a shackle, weakening him.
The sword belonged to those who could give as much as they took.
His gaze shifted to the remnants of the starry crown on his head.
He placed his weight onto his back foot, anchoring himself, and pulled the sword back as far as possible.
Lamb's eyes flared with intensity before he abruptly released his grip, sending her stumbling backward.
Seizing the moment, Hoku's hand shot up, clutching the slick protrusions atop his head.
An indescribable energy surged through his palm as he crushed them.
He discovered the stars had fallen when fragments of the sword were released to him.
The remaining fragments on his head had been left intentionally, rendering them practically useless without the final piece.
Hoku squared his shoulders and locked his eyes on Lamb.
'Once all the seals are released, nothing conceals the sword.'
The blade disappeared from Lamb's hand, while the chains recoiled from Fleur's bow.
A deep grinding noise reverberated.
Hoku recognized it instantly, recalling Ollie's remark about such sounds signaling a trial's conclusion or commencement.
The sword rematerialized in his hand, assembling anew until the fourth fragment sealed, rendering it whole.
The screen below reappeared through large pixels, clearer now, though still displaying zeros.
Hoku sucked in a breath and drove the sword into Lamb's chest.
Resistance yielded with a repulsive crunch.
Juno's vines ensnared him, but his gaze remained steady. They abruptly released him as Ollie's manifestations began to unravel.
Ollie advanced, halting midway.
His voice cracked, "I surrender! Enough!"
Hoku remained unmoved, pressing his sword into Lamb's chest.
His gaze flickered toward Ollie. "Then extricate yourself from my form."
Ollie swallowed, nodding slowly, his hands clenched at his sides. He lifted one to his mouth, sinking his teeth into his arm. A muffled grunt escaped as he tore a strip from the wound, which split open.
Hoku's mouth twitched, suppressing the urge to question his action. The reasoning had already manifested through the previous adversaries who had escaped via fractures in their bodies.
His own form trembled before collapsing into lifeless flesh and fabric.
Hoku released a steady but shallow breath before surveying around Ollie.
Ollie staggered back, as black ooze railed from his arm.
A dark vapor coiled from the wound, unraveling like sinew before peeling away in ragged wisps.
More bled from his frame as if his existence frayed at the seams.
Lamb stirred. "I need to go over there. The trial won't release him unless he returns to Oliverou."
Hoku's eyes lowered to the faint glint beneath the water.
He stooped, fingers curling around the compass. Lifting it, he flipped it over in a warning gesture. Only then did he extract the sword from her chest. She offered no resistance.
She must feel nothing. She scarcely reacted when I severed her arm. Hoku mused, suspicion creeping in.
Then it struck him that she wasn't even human, but rather just a doll.
Lamb limped toward Ollie, his form dissolving into a swirling mass of smoke and fog.
Two yellow eyes blazed within the formless shape.
She tilted her head upward, pausing in a moment of stillness.
From his side, tendrils emerged, coiling beneath her arm and yanking her forward.
Hoku observed in perplexity as Lamb's arm abruptly coiled around the creature.
The surrounding mist rippled, then adhered to her, enveloping her form.
His entire being quivered, his outline releasing puffs of smoke like a deflating balloon.
From Hoku's vantage, it appeared excruciating.
The fog violently writhed.
Then, the dark vapor gradually thinned, and parted to unveil a tall, slender figure.
His long black hair was tied in a ponytail, and his robes, reminiscent of Hoku's, were shaded in white and violet-gray hues.
His pale brown eyes, and gaunt, youthful appearance suggested he hadn't seen sunlight in months.
Notably, he clutched a small yarn doll with a missing arm that exposed its stuffing.
Its dress mirrored Lamb's, with frayed red yarn forming its tangled hair.
Hoku sighed.
Oliverou's shoulders rose and fell with each labored inhale, his body leaning forward slightly under the weight of exhaustion.
Hoku hadn't considered it before. How much energy had Ollie expended shifting forms? How much of himself had he sacrificed each time?
Unlike Hoku, Oliverou lacked a means of restoration.
The stars did not replenish his strength; thus, he was left to endure solely on his own.
The space began to tremble again as if an unseen mechanism had been activated.
Ripples danced across the water's surface, their gentle undulations spreading over the foundation's base.
Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of stone scraping against stone drew Hoku's attention.
The central symbol, once marked 'Thief,' had changed.
It now bore a star identical to the one in the mural, shining with the same brilliance that had preceded the ground's collapse.
Hoku exhaled, turning to Oliverou. "What happens now? And where do I go from here?"
Oliverou's bottom lip twitched as he rubbed his neck. 'I know little beyond the trial I preside over.'"
The exchange felt oddly natural, especially with Oliverou in his true form.
"There's a tunnel on the cave's far side," Oliverou said, his voice steady. "It's narrow…that's where Lamb and I entered."
Hoku cleared his throat. "And you?"
Oliverou's gaze lingered on the glowing star. "Once all trials are complete, we'll likely meet again. Until then, I must remain, avoiding other trial keepers. I'll wait until life's recess begins to wane."
Hoku nodded. "Understood."
Oliverou gestured for him to proceed. Hoku watched as he secured the doll under his robe's belt.
Then, as Oliverou turned, Hoku moved in the opposite direction.
Oliverou halted. "What are you doing?"
"Go ahead. I'll be right there. I want to check something."
Hoku approached his motionless replica near the foundation.
The husk wore his old clothes; a brown trench coat, black trousers, a white t-shirt, and a lighter brown cardigan.
Three layers, damp in patches on the back, yet less damaged than his current attire.
He exhaled sharply, eyeing the replica's eerily accurate features before stripping the corpse of its garments and donning them himself.
As he unbuttoned the cardigan, something cold brushed his hand.
His gaze fell to the locket around the corpse's neck.
Memories of the locket his uncle, Jiang Hao, had gifted him two years prior flashed through Hoku's mind.
Since his arrival here, it had vanished, replaced inexplicably by the compass.
He bent down, fingers grazing the cool metal. Perhaps, it was a replica, however, it resonated with an unexpected significance.
Leaving it with the lifeless form was an option.
But he chose otherwise.
Retrieving the locket, he slipped it into his pocket beside the compass, then straightened.
「The Blade Of Thieves has been concluded」
To be continued...
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Core Divinations 「The Eleven Holders」
Temperance [Highest—Press dial twice] – "The Vanquished Seraph"
Grants the ability to momentarily balance opposing forces, stabilizing an otherwise impossible situation whether physical, conceptual, or supernatural. The holder may merge paradoxes into a singular, fleeting harmony before they collapse.
The Fool [Turn dial right] – "The Gambler"
Grants the ability to act without the shackles of fate, nullifying predetermined outcomes for a brief window. What should be impossible: acts of luck, survivability, and blind leaps, become momentarily plausible.
The Magician [Press dial twice] – "The Four Suits"
Grants the ability to synchronize with the environment momentarily, utilizing whatever is present, whether people, objects, or even the atmosphere itself, as a medium for power. The world bends, not to his will, but to his alignment.
The High Priestess [Turn dial right] – "The Willow"
Grants the ability to instinctively perceive hidden intentions, unraveling strategies and unseen movements in real-time. Secrets meant for the future become apparent in the present but at the cost of overwhelming perception.
The Emperor [Turn dial left] – "The Knight"
Grants the ability to establish temporary authority over a battlefield, dictating control over movements, terrain, and even subtle aspects of reality within a fixed radius until the command is broken.
Wheel of Fortune [Turn dial right]– "The Compass"
Grants the ability to shift probability in real-time, but never predictably. Outcomes are altered, but whether for fortune or misfortune is never within the holder's control.
Death [Turn dial left]– "The Inverted Threshold"
Grants the ability to 'halt' a dying process for a brief time, whether a person, a structure, or a concept. However, the pause is unnatural; the reversion of entropy will violently reclaim what was delayed.
The Star [Turn dial right]– "The Lighthouse"
Grants the ability to create an anchor in time, an unshaken point of return, whether in memory, location, or personal state. However, the anchor holds only as long as the body does.
The Moon [Press dial twice]– "The Cheshire Cat"
Grants the ability to distort perception: not of others, but of oneself. The holder may shift the way they are perceived, even to themselves, but the more the lie takes root, the harder it becomes to return to reality.
The Sun [Turn dial left]– "The Child"
Grants the ability to force absolute exposure. Lies are burned away, illusions shattered, and hidden figures dragged into light. However, prolonged use risks blinding even the holder to what they wished remained unseen.
Judgment [Turn dial right]– "The Book"
Grants the ability to weigh the past actions of those in its presence, manifesting the consequences in an immediate, physical form. Regret takes shape: whether in wounds, bindings, or whispered horrors.
「The 12th Divination Extracted from the Order」
The World [???] – "The Infinite Figures"
No records remain of its ability. Its removal altered the Seraphis Divinations in ways yet unknown.
The Vacant Divinations 「Precautionary Constructs」
「These divinations hold no official bearers within the Seraphis Divinations but were created in preparation for unseen contingencies. They remain unassigned, and their existence is scarcely acknowledged.」
The Hierophant [Turn dial left] – "The Binding Doctrine"
Grants the ability to force an absolute decree upon a subject: one law, one rule, one truth. The command cannot be broken by mortal means. But the law imposed is irreversible, even to the holder.
The Lovers [Press dial twice]– "The River"
Grants the ability to momentarily synchronize two entities sharing thoughts, wounds, or even destinies. However, should one fall, the other will inevitably follow.
The Chariot [Press dial twice]– "The Marcher"
Grants the ability to maintain unstoppable momentum: forward motion cannot be hindered, and obstacles are rendered inconsequential. But once activated, stopping is impossible until exhaustion claims the holder.
Justice [Turn dial right]– "The Eye"
Grants the ability to force an entity to experience the full weight of its own judgment. It does not reveal the truth; it only makes one see themselves with absolute clarity. Many have been driven mad.
The Hanged Man [Turn dial right]– "The Broker"
Grants the ability to trade one's suffering for another's relief: wounds, burdens, or even fates. However, the balance must always be paid in kind.
The Tower [Press dial twice]– "The Thistles"
Grants the ability to trigger a catastrophic collapse in anything unstable: whether structures, minds, or allegiances. It only works where weakness already exists.
The Devil [Turn dial left]– "The Masked"
Grants the ability to manipulate desire, amplifying temptation to unbearable levels. But the holder is not immune to its effects.
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