Ch. 20 Purple Eyes and blood, Absorbed

The Curseuman Ebon disintegrated into small, luminous particles, his body slowly vanishing until nothing remained but the crimson-stained earth around him.

"Again, I didn't do anything to him!" Ray exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise as he stared at the vanishing particles.

"Then why is he turning into particles? Just like before, I didn't do anything, and his leg burst! What is happening? I'm not getting it!"

Ray walked towards the disintegrating remnants of Ebon's body and stood before where it had been.

"But, it's good that he died," Ray muttered. "He deserves this! What he said about Yuki..."

His face contorted with sudden, intense anger. "If his head were still here and in a condition to kick, I would make a football of it, then play with it!"

Suddenly, the dark aura that had enveloped Ray's body began to recede, then vanished completely.

"I was given this power for a purpose,"

Ray said, looking at his hands. He then raised his head, gazing at the dark sky filled with stars. "And now, I have completed my purpose. Thank you, God!"

Ray lowered his head, a sad expression on his face. For a moment, I was happy to have my own power like this, but how can I be so foolish to think this?, He thought.

"Yuki," he whispered, a few tears escaping his eyes. "If you were here to see what I did, maybe you would be very happy."

He cleared his throat, a small sob escaping him, also clearing face.

The scene shifted to Realis, the realm where Neutralities resided. There, Rahi, still meditating to achieve his sixth vortex, spoke aloud:

"IT WAS YOURS, NOT GIVEN BY GOD, THOUGH YOU CAN PARTIALLY SAY THAT. BUT NEUTRALITIES ARE GODS OF EVEN GODS, OR DEITIES."

The perspective returned to Ray, walking alone in the silent, blood-soaked battlefield under the dark night sky. He trod upon crimson paths and navigated through ruins.

"Is this place really this large?" Ray wondered aloud. "That even after being in a war stage, it is silent."

He stopped, examining his body, his legs, his hands.

"All my injuries are healed, and I feel like I am tenfold stronger than before. That technique was so godly that I am feeling its effect even now."

Ray stood still. Suddenly, a sharp pain lanced through his eyes. He instantly clutched his hands to his eyes, pressing them, trying to numb the intense agony. His body sagged slightly as he suffered through the pain.

"What is happening to my eyes?" he groaned. "They are like burning!" He pressed his eyes harder with his hands, trying to suppress the torment.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!"

Slowly, he lessened the pressure from his hands and removed them from his eyes.

He cautiously opened them and saw blood on his hands, but it was purple instead of crimson. His eyes were now a deep, dark purple instead of their usual black.

"What is this purple liquid?" Ray whispered, his face still showing traces of pain. "Don't tell me it's blood! But blood is red; this is purple."

His eyes were undeniably dark purple.

Ray sniffed the purple liquid—or blood—on his hands. After a moment, he made a disgusted face and swung his hand to fling the blood off.

"This... this is an unbearable smell!" he exclaimed. "I can't stand it! This blood smells like thousands of rotten corpses mixed into a single drop. It can't be mine!"

Far from Ray, Ash was seen walking through the ruins in the dark night.

"Krishna," Ash murmured to the Spiritumen within him, "what do you think about Maw?"

"He was an arrogant bastard, filled with too much pride," Krishna's voice echoed in Ash's mind. "He got what he deserved according to his Karma."

"You know," Ash replied, a slight chuckle in his voice, "sometimes you talk like a mastermind, pulling all the strings from the shadows."

"What childish thing are you talking about?" Krishna retorted. "You are still like before!"

"No," Ash countered, "I thought I am much better than before." Suddenly, Ash's red eyes glowed crimson, and sweat beaded on his face, as if he were under an unknown pressure.

"What is this?" Ash muttered. "I am sensing a strong presence from the West. There is one Curseuman, overpowered but weaker than Maw, and a... maybe a Spiritumen, but he is not human!"

"Krishna," Ash said, his voice urgent, "I have to go there. I thought the war was mostly ended, but from where did this Curseuman appear?" He paused. "Sorry, but I am borrowing some more of your strength."

"No problem!" Krishna replied.

Ash chanted, his two fingers pressed together, his hands raised in a specific handsign. "SPACE PACT: TELEPORTATION!"

Ash disappeared.

Ash materialized near Ray.

"Where is that Curseuman I was sensing?" Ash asked, surprised. His eyes widened slightly.

"But... But I am still sensing him, right here! Krishna, why am I sensing two different presences when there is only one person here?"

"Look towards this soul," Krishna's voice responded calmly. "He is emitting both presences."

"But how?" Ash questioned. "How can he emit two different auras—one of a Curseuman and one of a... Spiritumen—at the same time?"

"He is emitting them," Krishna clarified, "but focus carefully on him, or rather, on the weaker aura. That is not of a Spiritumen, nor is it of a Curseuman."

Ash teleported closer to Ray, putting a hand to his chin as he scrutinized Ray closely.

"You are right," Ash murmured. "But what is he? I have never seen someone like this one."

"Who...?" Ray began, confused by Ash's intense scrutiny.

"Stand silent," Ash interrupted sharply.

"He is a pure soul," Krishna stated.

"But," Ash exclaimed, his eyes widening further, "I have never seen a pure soul, nor is there anything about a pure soul in history! But what bothers me more is the second presence. If he knows that he possesses this level of demonic strength, then why would he obey me instead of instantly attacking?"

"He doesn't know about it," Krishna replied.

"Also," Ash added, "his purple eyes are giving me some bad vibes."

"What are you talking about a second presence?" Ray demanded, his voice tinged with annoyance. "Also, my eyes are black, not purple."

"Who told you to speak?" Ash retorted, his gaze serious. "And don't try to fool us; I can see your purple eyes clearly!"

Purple? Ray thought, confused. "But I have…"

"Ash," Krishna's voice echoed in Ash's mind, "switch voices so he can hear me clearly. You are talking rudely."

"Anhan, okay, okay!" Ash conceded. "Talk!"

"Soul, what is your name?" Krishna's voice now directly addressed Ray. "I am Krishna, and the one who owns this body and with whom I have made a contract is Ash Lionheart. Don't be surprised if you're thinking why the voice suddenly changed."

"My name..." Ray began. "It's Ray, Ray Ross. I am not surprised; I know if this type of thing happens, then he is a Spirit Possessor."

He already knows about Spiritumens and Spirit Possessors, Krishna thought. Then he must have met someone else, probably another Spiritumen.

"What are you thinking?" Ash asked Krishna internally.

"All your thoughts are usually shared with me, but this time they aren't. Is there anything that matters?"

"No, nothing," Krishna replied. "I was just thinking something which is not important to tell you."