Chapter 12: Truth

  A cold draft swept through as rad saw a faint barrier covered with mist expand outward, its ter a girl holding a prayer-like posture. The air grew heavy with an otherworldly pressure.

  I see it better now. It really is amazing no matter how many times I see it.

  Ability: Mist sword Yrade - unknown)

  A floating sword suddenly disappeared and densed into Anira's hands through a dense mist, bringing with it the st of winter rain. Her crimson eyes were looking in one dire, glowing faintly in the dim light. She was ready to tear apart her enemy at any moment. Her emotionless face could give even the bravest men aion of fear. Her dark thik-like hair slightly lifted themselves up as they were pulled by some invisible force, creating soft whispers in the air. A mist of unknown in was around her presence, making the wooden floorboards creak with frost. She felt like a night in the coldest winter. A boundless sky that had no ends. She didn't take any posture that looked like she was getting ready to defend or attack. She was calm as deep water, just standing tall with one arm exteowards the east where her sword just materialized in her hands. It was still wet from the densing mist, droplets falling silently to the ground. Dark as starless night, hilt as crimson blood and a that looked like it was made out of mist itself, Yoru rodug some kind of invisible heat wave that made the air shimmer.

  Holy shit...She looked pissed. I don't know what it is but I feel her anger from here. Is that what they call 'a woman's wraith' ? The air feels like it might freeze.

  rad sweated a bit and thought to himself.

  Whoever your husband will be, I don't wanna be in that guy's shoes.

  rad felt a chill seeing Anira in all of her glory. The mist barrier suddenly shrank rapidly. It was retrag at a speed that could cover a manor in a few seds.

  What is happening? I have no idea. Why did it expand to begin with just to shrink?

  The sword in Anira's hand flew out at a speed that broke the sound barrier. rad got pushed back just by the force it produced. Before he could react, he sensed ay appear in front of him.

  Wedding dress?

  Oddity.

  rad threw a jab with half of his might to follow up with a bo, but as soon as he made tact with his jab, his vision ged.

  Ahh? Teleportation again. But why?

  rad turo see his inal spot. The Oddity was still there. It hadn't moved from its pce but rather it seemed like it was uo move at all.

  Ability: Mist fi (5 seds)

  As rad was just looking at that pce, Anira appeared in front of the Oddity.

  Owo, Three…Five

  Anira moved her sword like feathers. She was like the wind. Just her hands moved in different dires breaking the sound barrier multiple times. Anira opened her mouth and whispered like some wit a dark night,

  "Mist execution..."

  rad blocked the whipsh of the enviro with his newly found Brahman energy.

  Holy fuck! This is what ower.

  rad's eyes were i the sight of his teacher's power dispy but for some reason he felt she was overdoing it.

  Is she angry or something?

  rad felt a little sorry for the Oddity. As the fight retty mue-sided, unknowingly rad rexed a bit but then he felt like something ged. The sshes Anira was nding missed in succession.

  Huh? Why is she missing? It's already over, the Oddity looks like it's on the verge of dying. Just finish it off.

  "Anira, you are missing..."

  Anira wasn't able to hear him. Her senses felt dull. Theopped. The Oddity was not do. It was heavily wounded but not dead.

  Finding some gaps, it disappeared from its spot and appeared before rad.

  rad's sharp eyes looked at it without any fear. rad twisted his body in a reverse dire iremely fast motion and threw the 12-foot oddity to the ground using a judo throw.

  How did you like that?

  Anira's sight was getting dull when she heard a loud male voibsp;

  "Anira...sword"

  Without aation, Anira threw the sword towards the dire. Without any dey rad caught the sword in mid-air ging its dire in mid-air, he thrust the sword down. The sharp bck edge pierced through the Oddity's belly. A dense mist with dark light blood-like liquid spshed out of the belly. There was no stomach, it was a dark vortex that seemed to have blood for a reason.

  rad looked at the Oddity with his deep eyes. He anting heavily.

  Ahhh ahhh...finally it's dead...

  rad rushed towards Anira.

  "Hey, are you alright? You looked fine. So what happened? Are you hurt?"

  "My lord, I need some rest"

  "..."

  rad felt relieved hearing her say that.

  He reached out to hold Anira and stand her up. Anira leaned on his shoulders.

  "Here is a bed, let's rest here"

  "My lord, please stay as you are..."

  "..."

  rad didn't say anything further. They sat there still for a while. rad was looking into the red diary of Kendrick Feud.

  I don't know your story. What was that Oddity? Who was that girl in our kit closet then? What happeo the husband? It's all a big mystery.

  rad started to review the battle from before. It was a habit he had developed from his days as a fighter.

  Well that judo move never failed me. I hope I get a ce to use my right ime.

  rad started to think carefully,

  That fight retty fast, I thought it would be some drawn-out manga or anime fight but no, it was over so quickly. But I had to sider I had a powerhouse with me. Would I be able to win that fight on my own? 99.9% ces are no. I didn't even fully uand what just happened...

  There are a couple of things I did learn. First of all, it's important to be decisive and fast. The surprise attacks are extremely useful. Yes, my first rule of uability will be very useful.

  Sed, I have no useful abilities as of now. From what I saw, an Oddity wouldn't die just by brute forless you are Hulk or something.

  I need some kind of on. I 't use swords. I need a gun but from what I remember from my memories of this world, firearms are not useful. I don't know the exact reasons but-

  "I o first find out about the normal ons used in battles...maybe I should go to a on shop. I 't go alone. I have to tact them at midnight when you will be with me"

  As he said that he g the girl whose beauty could not be described by mere words. rad felt she was too perfect to be a humaiced a hair strand was disturbing her eyes, which were twitg due to the interference of the hair. rad chuckled and reached his hands to clear the hair from her closed eyes when her eyes suddenly opened.

  "My lord?"

  Ahhh it is not what it looked like. I was n to touch your face or anything...

  "Did you rest well?"

  "Yes, my lord." Anira blinked with fusion and disorientation.

  "What happened?" rad asked curiously.

  "Brahman in this world obeys three fual rules known as Core rules or Dante's ws -

  Efficy rule: Efficreases as scale decreases, Feedback loop: The lo is used the more entropy (side effects) it accumutes, and synergy and flict..."

  "So...?" rad was still fused.

  "My lord, I had used an ability called Mist fi which spends quite a lot of Brahman. As I said before, total reserve is always stant at any given time. It gave me some backsh" she tinued.

  "This is the reason why all the Essentarii in this world like to finish their fights quickly or use abilities in minimal ways"

  "Ahhh so that's the reason. But Anira, are you alright or is it some perma effect?"

  "No my lord, I am fine. Besides, when I return to your shadows I pretty much revert to my full strength. It's also an ability I get from you. It's called Abyss Healing"

  rad was a little puzzled hearing that.

  "So why didn't you do that before...why are you resting here?"

  "I 't leave you alone, my lord"

  What are you talking about? The Oddity is finished.

  "Okay let's drink some water, you will feel better. Oh there is a fridge. For some reason it's still funal at least." As he approached the fridge door he had a question in his mind.

  "Anira, all this sound wake all the neighbors up, right?"

  "No my lord, usually when two Brahman energies collide it creates a space that is separated from the physical world. In the real world it will feel like something odd is happening but normal people will not be able to pinpoint that."

  "But there are some people who willingly put a resistance against that spad tried to do supernatural fights outside as an attack strategy but..."

  "But...?" rad asked.

  "That is very dangerous as the officially trained people who are associated with various anizations arrest them for not following the w of the U.G."

  Ohhh yes I know that. The book 'The Basic Guide to Brahman' did mention UG has this ban on supernatural practices outside officials. The arrest of any rogue Essentia is a rule strictly maintained by the Iional Brahmay among several nations. If you el your Brahman into the Global UG Neer you would be able to see bounty posters. There is a man named Richardo w who had a bounty of 1 million Kata.

  rad opehe fridge, the meical hum suddenly seeming sinister in the quiet room. The harsh fluorest light spilled out, revealing what y inside. His stomach twisted violently as a sickly sweet smell hit his nostrils. He froze instantly, bile rising in his throat. The metallic st of blood mixed with the lingering aroma of cooked meat made him start vomiting. rad fell to the ground, his body shaking, cold sweat breaking out across his skin. The room started spinning.

  "My lord!" Anira's voice cut through the sound of his retg as she stood up to check the fridge. The light cast long shadows across her expressionless face.

  But she had ion. She crouched down, her dress rustling softly, to help her master calm down. The fabric of her sleeve brushed against the cold floor.

  "It's ok my lord. Please hold my hands to stand up. We should walk outside for some air." Her voice remaieady, a stark trast to the horror before them.

  In the dark room, where a red notebook was still lying there on an old wooden table, its pages yellow with age, the gray wall that was typically seen in the Victorian middle css was still as isoted as ever, aper peeling at the ers. The moonlight was now ing out and leaking ihe room from the cracked window which ened now, letting in the occasional whisper of wind. A funal fridge was illuminating the room alongside the moonlight, casting an unnatural glow that made the shadows dance.

  Ihe humming appliance, a human body was carefully sliced into several pieces to prepare for each day's dinner and was still pced inside, arranged with a disturbing sense of order. There was a stew remaining from yesterday's lunch, its surface gealed and dark.

  The huge manor-like structure was no more. It was just a normal house of a normal newlywed couple, Feud’s residenbsp;