He had escaped death.

It was an experience he never wanted to repeat ever again, being on the edge of life and death. It was dreadful, knowing that your life was going to end, and without any meaning.

If it wasn't for Praise appearing in its... physical form? He would have been dead; it was something he wished not to think of, it was shameful, since not only did he have to rely on its healing, but now it had also saved him from death.

He felt like a child who needed others to clear up his mistakes. If he hadn't stabbed himself, if he hadn't thrown his lantern so far, if he had just had patience and had trained his tolerance more, he wouldn't have needed it to save him.

It was disgraceful. Most would stop after such an experience, knowing their worth, being wise.

...

But when has he ever cared about stuff like that, about what others would think?

...

...

Walking into the room, Aether looked straight ahead, where he saw someone standing on a chair staring at the sky through a small window.

It was a girl with her hair like a pink rose; she looked vulnerable, like she could do no harm. But every rose had thorns that stabbed anyone who tried to touch her, to lay a finger on her marble skin.

But those thorns can be taken off, leaving the rose without any protection. Yet it wouldn't be that easy for this one specifically, since her thorns were filled with many different poisons that could even kill Harbingers that haven't built some sort of resistance to them.

And let's not forget the soul poison hidden inside them.

She turned her head, her eyes looking into his, as if they were staring at his soul. Yet, it didn't intimidate him; she wasn't the first, and her gaze didn't compare to the Queen, or that of one hundred shadows.

He couldn't replicate that gaze, that looked into the soul, but he knew that she wouldn't expect him to be unexpected by her actions.

"Aether? Is that you?... You look different... was that you that day, the person I shot with my arrow?"

'Huh?'

Change? Can people inside the book really tell the difference? If so, why had she been the first to do it? Why had everyone else recognized him?

"It was. And it seemed I wasn't the only one who changed, you didn't use to be able to use poison, what happened?"

He knew she was suspicious of his identity, so he had wanted to prove to her who he was, so he had blurred out how had powers had changed, and only someone who knew her current power, and her previous, could know this.

Her face had darkness, as if she was disgusted by her powers being spoken of, which was strange, knowing all the Knights were very proud of theirs.

"They have, and have become much more powerful than they were before. Under the Queen's mercy, I have become who I wanted to be. But tell me, why have you joined the rebellion, when you don't even know who is ruling it?"

Rebellion? Was she talking about the people following him? But then, how did she not know that he was the one leading it? Everyone by now knew his face, or at least his name or previous path. Someone of her caliber should know better than most who the leader of the enemy was, even more when it was someone she knew.

"Eir, I am the leader of the rebellion."

He saw her eyes widen at his remark, as it had come unexpectedly.

"...That is... horrible."

...

And for a second, he considered her to be different.

...

The sound of the chain falling echoed through the room as a sword appeared in his hands. Everyone knew about Voidpiercer, not of its power, but they knew it was a powerful blade, one that allowed a mysterious being to pierce the heavens of their world, and kill their Ruler and her trusty Knights and challenge their God.

He had even seen an article written about it, people trying to figure out what sort of abilities a sword of this power could possess. Many thought that it was a Breaker-class blade, maybe even higher, which would be the first, since it was unheard of a class beyond Breaker, but people knew it was possible, since the Abyss also had a class, and it couldn't be the same as their ruler, and its vessel.

Of course, the blade in reality was a Seeker class, but he wouldn't be surprised if others would classify it as a Devourer rank, well, people from this world, since this class hasn't been discovered yet at this time.

But while most people knew about it, The Nine seemed to be oblivious to its existence, which was why she was so bewildered to see it appear from his chains. If he had to give her a place in his ranking of most mysterious Knights, she would be third, only beaten by The Jack...

and himself.

"So despicable, where did you even get such a blade, the trash can?"

He knew that the blade had been severely angered by that comment, but he hadn't called for its rage; he let it bottle up until it was screaming for him to use it, or if he was in a situation where he really needed it.

He frowned, gripping the hilt of the raging blade, and dashing towards The Nine.

He knew that she would be able to dodge the attack if he went head-on into a stab. But he also knew that she didn't consider him such a big threat, and so she wouldn't expect him to suddenly which what he was trying to do in the middle of his thrust.

So, randomly, he stopped his thrust, and with an awful grin, went for her leg, trying to make her fall, lose her balance, or anything that would give him a disadvantage, but as his leg went to sweep her feet off the ground, he didn't find it.

He stared in awe as he realized that she had moved her leg out of the way just before his attack.

'What? How? How on earth did she know that I would do that?'

...

"Aether, you despicable rat, did you really think such an attack would work on me? I wasn't taken by surprise one bit by you attacking me. Don't try such a thing again, I'll just avoid it again."

He gritted his teeth. He hadn't expected this outcome and had no idea what to do now. Until now, he had relied on cheap tricks to kill the Knights, so now, knowing that The Nine wasn't looking down on him and was giving her all, he didn't know how he was going to touch her.

...

"Damn it."

He gripped his blade, trying everything to just connect an attack, to the point he was just swinging his blade around, and yet, she was still unharmed.

How was she predicting all of his swings, all of his thrust, even his fakes and other tricks? How did she know what his next action would be when he made things on the go, not even he knew his next attack. So how did she?

Or was it that she was just reacting in time? She was a Harbinger. But if this was really the reason for how she was able to escape his every attack without even trying, did all of the other Knights have the same power? If so, then how the heck was he going to land on the Queen, who was a Breaker?

"Aether, if you don't stop this once, I will be needed to attack you, but I also want to see you scream in pain."

'Like hell, no poison will be able to help you.'

He didn't stop, continuing to attack, or rather swing his blade; he couldn't even call his tries attacks anymore. But the next second, he gripped his arm, her nails drilling deep into his muscles, and letting a poison out into his body.

A poison he knew very well.

'There it is, soul poison...'

...

"I wanted this to happen, for so long I've been waiting to see you like this."

She laughed, looking at Aether shaking in pain, from his soul being fractured.

"You could have survived if you just stopped, but you have always been like this; it has always sickened me. Pay the price for your greed, die, Aether."

...

"Huh? What is that... pain."

Whenever her eyelids opened again, she saw a blade stuck in her chest, and an immense pain coming from it. She hadn't felt it before, but she knew it well, since she also used it.

"Soul attack? But how?"

Her body felt heavy, as her vision started to get blurry.

...

"You know, if you want to use a poison, you should be ready to experience it yourself, just like I did. It also seems that your body is weaker than the normal Harbinger, that was why you didn't try to stop my attack, and why you use a long-range weapon. So this shouldn't last long."

...

...

"Now, just die, your death will help the world more than your existence has done until now."