Chapter 5: Last Light in the Dark

The Church is dead quiet. All of the oaken pews are empty now, some of them scorched at the edges. Most of the monks are still cowering outside. We sit there for a moment in the terrible silence. They hate me. I can't blame them. I feel selfish for what I said to Rina. Being so oblivious while wearing her friend’s face. I want to apologize but I doubt it’d make her feel any better. I just want to disappear from here. The old man with the red medallion moves first, approaching us slowly.

“What happened in the dungeon Kizzik?”

The Laczerta raises their head, wiping away tears. Their voice is thick in their throat.

“It was an ambush. The goblins were waiting for us when we got to the 8th floor.”

The man’s face hardens. The news seems to hit him pretty hard.

“It’s as I feared. There is a leak in our information network.” He rubs his forehead worriedly.

Kizzik goes on to explain. The party was in the dungeon looking for something. The Scryer is what they called it. It seems important.

“It was already gone when we got there. That's when the horde showed up. Vergil took a couple arrows to the chest. He was trying…” Kizzik's emotions overtake them for a moment. The priest rubs their shoulders gently. They compose themselves and continue.

“He was uh, trying to protect us. I guess he did in the end. Anyway, Rina performed a resurrection spell to bring him back with the Opal you gave us but…”

They all glance at me for a second. I squirm uncomfortably.

“Something went wrong. This guy isn't Vergil. He got put in his body somehow.”

I’m watching Rina the whole time. She’s still hunched over but not crying anymore. She’s silent, just staring at the ground as Kizzik speaks. She looks hollow. It feels worse to see her like this than her all fiery to be honest.

The priest looks me over inquisitively. He seems more curious about my condition.

“ I’ve never heard of such a thing before. A dead body being inhabited by another mortal. That is very odd indeed. Excuse me. Where do you come from exactly?”

I cough loudly, trying to clear my scorched throat as I sit up. I don't know what kind of church this is but it seems like I should be polite to this guy.

“Ahem, I’m from Nagoya, well I grew up in Namie but I’ve lived in the city since I was 17.”

Kizzik and he looks at me like I said I’m from Mars. That's what I should've expected.

“I think I came here from another world. Somewhere you wouldn’t find on a map. I don’t remember how though.” I wince in pain. The red patches of skin on my face and hands are starting to blister.

“My apologies. Allow me to heal you. Remain still.” The priest softly hums a chant, placing his hands near my burns. It takes a moment but a soft aquamarine light begins to emit from him.

“My name is Father Gordon by the way. I guess this is our first time meeting.”

“Kenji Ito.” I greet him weakly.

I feel my skin cool down. Within moments the burns fade away as if they were never there. The healing light vanishes.

“There. Good as new. Now, what else can you tell me about the situation? It seems like there’s something you’re holding back.

Kizzik rubs the back of their neck as they try to explain. “ Well, I didn't see much of it but this one… He formed some kinda crazy armor around himself. Took down an Ogre in one hit.”

“A Dawn Relic.” Rina says.

We all turn toward the elf girl as she speaks. Her tone is certain. She states it as a fact. She doesn't look at me as she explains.

“The armor he summoned bore the signature of divine magic. A god bestowed it to him. Which god though, I’m unsure...”

Father Gordon’s eyebrows shoot up. He looks completely shocked by the revelation. This news of course means almost nothing to me.

“Are you certain Rina? No one has even seen a Dawn Relic in over 3,000 years!”

She nods. “There’s nothing else it could be. A weapon capable of reshaping history.”

“So it's a weapon that a god gives you? I don't know any gods. At least I don’t think I do.” I try again to pierce the fuzzy veil in my memory but my reward for trying is another headache.

Father Gordon examines me even closer now, wide eyed. I feel very uncomfortable as he pokes and prods at my limbs fervently.

“This could be the answer to our prayers! Could you produce the armor now? I’d need to witness this with my own eyes to verify of course.” he asks.

I shake my head. “Sorry, I don't think I can. It said something about mana batteries being depleted. Why is it so important?”

Gordon’s expression turns somber. I feel the mood somehow get worse. Everyone looks deadly serious.

“It might not look like it to you, but we are in the midst of a war. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this but… The world you now find yourself in is on the brink of ruin.”

My heart skips a beat. Did I hear him right? Surely, I can't be that unlucky.

He continues to explain. “An ancient evil has been awakened from its slumber. Much knowledge has been lost over the millenia but his power is said to rival the very gods. He is a waking nightmare. He brings with him a wave of destruction unlike anything we’ve ever seen. We are hopelessly underequipped against such a foe.”

“Sooo, by nightmare you mean… what exactly?”

This time Rina responds with venom in her voice. “Rojan, the King of Demons. He is the enemy of mankind. A mad beast that seeks only doom. The dark creatures of the world have rallied at his call. He toppled the Western Kingdoms in a matter of days with his hordes of goblins and beasts. Death is all that is left in his wake.”

She tenses a bit as she talks about him. An icy chill sweeps through the church as if the air itself fears this Demon King. I notice Kizzik is bearing his fangs in a grimace.

“Our party is one of many groups trying to stop him or at the very least, slow him down. We were tasked with retrieving a magic item from the nearby dungeon where we ‘found’ you. It's one of the last scrying orbs left in existence. It would’ve allowed us to monitor the Demon Horde’s movements remotely. Something we desperately needed. Little hope of that now though.”

I can hardly believe my ears. Not only am I stuck in this world, but it’s on its last legs?! Was I brought back just to die in an even more spectacular fashion?! This Rojan guy seems like a serious problem though.

The priest strokes his chin thoughtfully. Finally, he hesitantly speaks, still trying to piece things together.

“All hope is not lost necessarily. Especially with a Dawn Relic in our possession. You said your armor requires mana, yes?”

I nod.

“Mana is the building block of magic in our world. It's an energy that mortals can use to reshape the world around them. Your Relic must be able to store mana in these ‘batteries’ as you call them.”

“That makes sense to me too I guess. The problem is, I don't know how to charge a battery with mana. Hell, I don't even know where these batteries are.”

“Wait a sec.” Kizzik interrupts. “You said it told you about the batteries. Can you talk to this thing?”

“No. Or… I don't know. There was a voice telling me things about the suit but I wasn't having a conversation with it.”

“Maybe you should try?” Kizzik suggests.

It seems worth a shot. Father Gordon moves us out back to a courtyard as a safety measure. The monks that are sitting back there scurry away when they see us coming.

The courtyard is very big and surrounded with a lush garden at its edges. The last amber rays of sunlight turn the green to gold. Summer flowers blossom all around us. They smell sweet, verdant. It kind of reminds me of the sunflower fields back home. Mari and I would lie on our backs in the grass and watch them sway. Under better circumstances, I’d find this place quite peaceful.

“Just try to clear your mind and focus on any presence that might be dwelling in you.” Gordon Instructs.

Right. Sounds easy enough. I take a deep breath and let it all out. I strain some imaginary muscle in my mind as I try to speak to the suit.

Umm, Hello? Is anyone there?

I wait for a few seconds. Nothing. I start to feel dumb for even trying when suddenly, a voice rings in my head. It’s definitely not my own! It’s a woman’s!

[Operating Systems Online. How can I help you, Void Walker?]

I yelp in surprise.

“You ok?!” Kizzik asks.

I just nod, regaining my composure. I try talking to it through my thoughts.

H-hello there. Who am I speaking with?

[My designation is OS77 Minerva. How can I help you, Void Walker?]

Minerva huh? Seems like a reasonable enough name for an Ai. What does void walker mean though?

“Whats it saying?” Kizzik asks.

“Gimme a sec.”

Minerva. What is my current location?

[You are in the town of Provo, in the temple of the Melissandra]

I’m just going to assume she’s right.

How do I make the armor appear again?

[Your exo armor would require a sufficient mana charge to manifest]

Ok, how do we do that?

[Typically, you are able to power the armor with your own mana pool. However, you do not appear to have enough mana to meet the base requirements. It is recommended you use an external source to supplement the missing amount.]

“She says I don't have enough mana. I guess I need to use an external source?”

Father Gordon lights up with joy. “That’s an easy enough problem to solve! Rina, you should have some mana crystals, yes?”

She nods slowly. She’s still wary of me. The girl digs in one of her pouches and produces a light blue stone, about the size of a baseball. It shimmers and ripples like water suspended in solid form.

She tosses it to me and I snag it out of the air.

“Don’t waste it. Last one I’ve got.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

She doesn't reply. It stings my heart a little. I hope she doesn't always hate me.

Ok Minerva. I have some… Mana. Can we summon it now?

[Processing…

Mana Crystal Obtained

Purity: 86%

Affinity: Water

Density: 4.5

The crystal provided will raise your power to (22%). Would you like to proceed?]

Really? That's it? Yeah I guess. Go ahead and power it up.

I feel something click in my brain. It's an uncomfortable feeling like trying to shift gears.

[Summoning Void Walker’s Armor]

There is a brilliant flash of light that bursts from my chest. The shadowy courtyard is instantly illuminated. The other three watch in awe as Metallic plates begin to form around my body. They each click into place with a satisfying KATINK.

In a matter of moments, I’m encased in magical armor once again. The gleaming white plates reflect the golden rays. I imagine I must look pretty incredible, judging by everyone’s reaction. Even Rina can't hide her amazement. The visor gives me readouts on everything in my field of view, cataloguing data as it does. Father Gordon drops to his knees with tears streaming down his face.

“The gods have not forsaken us after all. Thank you!” He cries out. The priest clasps his hands together and starts to pray to the heavens.

“So uh…” My voice comes through some speaker system in the helmet. It echoes a bit in my ears.

“What now?”