Chapter 21 – Divine Whispers and Unseen Eyes
Kazuki slept with one hand resting on Soulcut's hilt.
The blade responded to his touch with a faint warmth, like it recognized him even in dreams. In the darkness, flickers of memory stirred—his old life, fragments of regret, echoes of the battle in Windscale. It all churned together like an unending stream.
And then—
> [DIVINE CHAT ACTIVE: CELESTIA – GODDESS OF ORDER AND REBIRTH]
Celestia: Kazuki… are you awake?
His eyes opened instantly. The world around him remained still, moonlight filtering through the tree canopy.
> Kazuki: Barely. You always call when I'm either injured or moody.
Celestia: Well, you're always one of those.
Kazuki: Ouch.
> Celestia: You did good. I watched Windscale. You changed something.
Kazuki: I reacted.
Celestia: But you reacted as you are. That's what matters. Free will with impact. That's how gods see value in mortals.
He stared up at the stars. "I'm not really trying to impress gods."
> Celestia: And yet, you keep talking to one.
Kazuki: Because you're chatty and I don't have a mute button.
Celestia: Rude. Adorable. But rude.
He smirked.
> Celestia: Listen… you felt it, didn't you?
Kazuki: The presence watching me earlier?
Celestia: It wasn't human. Not anymore. It's tied to the Demon Emperor.
Kazuki's expression darkened.
> Celestia: He's moving now. Sending scouts. Looking for anomalies.
Kazuki: And I'm one hell of an anomaly.
Celestia: Especially with that soul. Especially with your [Create] skill.
He leaned forward, fingers tapping the ground.
> Kazuki: So, what? He suspects I'm a threat?
Celestia: Worse. He suspects you're not from this world.
A long silence.
> Celestia: Just be careful. You're alone here. The other gods aren't allowed to intervene. You're the only reincarnator. That's not a mistake. That was the deal.
Kazuki: Right. My mistake. My death. My second chance.
Celestia: Your fate.
The chat closed with a soft chime, and Kazuki was left alone with the wind and the stars again.
---
The next morning arrived quietly.
Aria found Kazuki already awake, seated on a large rock, carving something into a stick with Soulcut's inactive form. She approached cautiously, noticing the hard expression on his face.
"Bad dreams or divine gossip?" she asked.
He glanced at her and shrugged. "Bit of both."
She sat beside him. "You look like you didn't sleep at all."
"I got plenty of rest. Just… didn't rest easy."
He tossed the stick into the fire and stood.
"We need to move. There's something—or someone—keeping tabs on me. Might be linked to that Demon Emperor you warned me about."
Aria stiffened. "Then we need to leave Windscale immediately. I heard there's an old teleportation platform buried beneath the ruins east of here—Site Null."
"That's our next stop, then."
As they packed up, Kazuki noticed a faint shimmer in the treeline. A figure. Barely visible. No heat signature, no noise. A walking ghost.
He didn't act on it. Not yet.
---
They departed Windscale under heavy fog. The road was broken, overgrown, and rarely used. Bandits once roamed it, but not anymore—not after what happened to the last ones who met Kazuki.
Aria hummed softly as they walked, trying to lighten the mood. She glanced at him sideways.
"So… are you ever going to explain how you made that sword?"
Kazuki raised an eyebrow. "Soulcut?"
"Yeah. It's got a weird feeling. Like it's alive."
"It's… complicated. I used my [Create] skill and poured part of myself into it. It's bound to me. Not just magically—spiritually. It's not a sword. It's a promise."
Aria blinked. "Okay, that's the coolest thing you've said all week."
They walked on.
---
That night, they camped in a shallow grove. The trees were twisted, blackened from old magic. Kazuki slept with Soulcut planted in the ground beside him, glowing faintly like a beacon. Aria slept lightly, one eye half-open.
Then, just before dawn—
> [SYSTEM: Unknown Entity Approaching – 50 meters. No Hostility Detected.]
Kazuki sat up, immediately awake.
From the darkness stepped a girl. Pale skin, glowing purple eyes, a torn mage's robe barely clinging to her shoulders. She carried a blackened staff cracked with red lines.
She raised her hands.
"I'm not your enemy," she whispered. "I was sent to find you."
Kazuki didn't move, but Soulcut materialized in his grip instantly.
"By who?" he asked.
"The Emperor," she said.
Aria jolted awake and readied her own magic.
"I escaped," the girl added quickly. "He wanted me to observe you. Study your magic. But I saw what you did in Windscale… and I made a choice."
Kazuki narrowed his eyes.
> [SYSTEM: Unknown Magic Detected. Soulcore is stable. She speaks the truth—for now.]
"I'll give you five minutes," Kazuki said flatly.
"More than I expected," she murmured.
She stepped forward slowly and removed a scroll from inside her robe. It was glowing faintly with cursed mana.
"This is what he's building," she said, voice trembling. "He's preparing a ritual—one that opens a rift into another layer of existence. A prison that should stay closed."
Kazuki took the scroll. Glanced at the markings. Frowned.
"What's it called?" he asked.
The girl looked up, fear in her eyes.
"Site Null."