The chilling news about the two mysterious men spread through the kingdom like wildfire, a poisonous fog seeping into every corner. Ayumi stood frozen, the words striking her like a physical blow. Her breath hitched, the world tilting dangerously. I trusted my family so completely... I was blind to the truth. The thought echoed, a shard of ice in her soul. How could they do this?
A shadow shifted at the window. A figure, indistinct yet radiating cold judgment, coalesced from the gloom. Its voice, a rasp like dry leaves on stone, slithered into her mind: "You should be consumed by shame... You murdered your closest friend with your own hands."
Ayumi whirled, defenses snapping up. "Who are you?" she demanded, a tremor in her voice. The figure's uncanny perception chilled her – it felt like it could see her thoughts.
"Indeed," the figure confirmed, its unseen gaze boring into her. "I perceive the minds of others."
Guilt, raw and suffocating, flooded Ayumi. "If I had known the truth... I would never have harmed him..."
"Now you grovel? Now you seek excuses?" The figure's contempt was palpable. "You struck the blow. Did you ever consider the agony that consumed him every second afterward? The torment in his heart?" A low, scornful hiss followed. "Pathetic human. You always seek to extinguish those who shine brightest."
Ayumi crumpled, silenced by the crushing weight of her remorse. Words were ash in her mouth.
"You owe him gratitude," the figure continued mercilessly. "Gratitude that he spared your worthless life in that dungeon."
"How... how do you know all this?" Ayumi whispered, desperation cracking her voice. "Who are you?"
"A disgrace," the spirit replied, its form shimmering faintly. "I am your Guardian Spirit. My previous charge was your mother... a woman of true worth. She tasked me with protecting your wretched existence. You... you are nothing but a stain upon her legacy."
The spirit's energy flared with remembered frustration. "When you raised your hand against Nero... I screamed into your very soul! Begged you not to kill your friend! But you... you chose to believe the venomous lies of that bastard, Arata!"
Ayumi shattered. Great, heaving sobs wracked her body, tears carving rivers down her cheeks. "I-I'm s-s-sorry..." she choked out between gasps.
"Save your empty apologies for Nero," the spirit snapped, its voice devoid of sympathy. "Not for me. I cannot fathom what manner of creature you are! You didn't seek answers, didn't speak to him! You murdered him blindly! Your father used you! Used you to snuff out the life of an innocent boy! He orchestrated it all – Ledger's death, Nero's fall, the suffering of countless citizens!"
"Please," Ayumi begged through her tears, a spark of desperate hope igniting. "I need to beg Nero's forgiveness... Do you know where he is?"
"No," the spirit stated flatly, its energy dimming. "And I doubt he ever wishes to see your face again. In his memories... you are the worst person he ever knew."
The night became an eternity of tears. Ayumi drowned in memories of Nero – his loyalty, his kindness, the precious friendship she had obliterated. Self-loathing became a tangible poison within her. Forgiveness felt impossible, a mountain too steep to climb. The relentless torment ravaged her mind and body, plunging her into a sickness no royal physician could comprehend.
"The Queen," announced a baffled doctor to the frantic King, "harbors a virulent toxin within her."
"Who did this?!" the King roared, fury radiating from him. "I will bury them alive!"
"Not an external poison, Your Majesty," the doctor clarified, shaking his head. "It emanates from her own mind... a profound self-destruction. She is consumed... haunted relentlessly by one specific thing."
Meanwhile, traversing the bustling markets of Aryavarta, Ayumi's Guardian Spirit spotted a familiar anomaly: Darky, in his unassuming cat form, pilfering candies from a vendor's stall. With preternatural speed, the spirit materialized and snatched Darky by the scruff, hauling him into a shadowed alley.
"I suspect you are connected to the disappearance of the Moon Light Spirit," the spirit accused, its grip firm.
"Meow?" Darky offered, wide-eyed innocence perfected.
"Spare me the act," the spirit retorted, its energy probing. "I sensed immense spiritual power radiating from you earlier. Far beyond any common feline."
Darky sighed, his facade dropping slightly. "Blasted excitement over the candies, eh? Guess my control slipped a fraction." A faint, eerie wail echoed nearby. Moments later, Darky sauntered out of the alley alone, contentedly munching a candie. Ayumi's Guardian Spirit had vanished.
The spirit found itself imprisoned, not in stone or iron, but within a separate, shimmering dimensional space. Escape seemed impossible. Then, it spotted them – the ethereal forms of the Moon Light Spirit brothers. Relief washed over it, quickly replaced by alarm as the Moon Light Spirits recoiled, their spectral forms flickering with terror. "Stay back!" they warned urgently. "It is forbidden to approach here! The rules..."
Before they could elaborate, a new presence materialized – Unity. At its appearance, the Moon Light Spirits cowered, their fear intensifying dramatically. The Guardian Spirit tensed, sensing immense, oppressive power.
Simultaneously, far from the dimensional prison, Nero stood before Keisuke, Yoshito, and their group. Beside him was the imposing figure of ONI.
"Everyone," Nero announced, "this is ONI."
The introduction sparked an immediate, energetic training session. Flames danced under ONI's masterful control, a significant leap from his previous wild surges. Yoshito and Keisuke moved with newfound precision and power, their progress evident. Sayuri's abilities now radiated an aura befitting a seasoned General. It was a scene of focused camaraderie.
Later, Nero returned to his quarters at the Priest Academy, seeking the quiet presence of Eri.
"So," Eri asked softly, her knowing smile gentle, "how was your day?"
Nero met her gaze, a faint smile touching his lips. "I think you already know." The profound connection forged by their soul fusion meant few secrets could exist between them.
"But," Eri countered, her eyes sparkling, "I enjoy hearing it from you."
They shared tender moments, conversation flowing easily. As the evening deepened and a comfortable intimacy settled between them, a sudden, ragged sob shattered the peace. A dimensional rift tore open beside them, disgorging Ayumi's Guardian Spirit, who landed in a heap, wailing dramatically.
"You people are utterly insane!" it shrieked, flailing its ethereal limbs. "Who plays cards and jokes non-stop?! This relentless frivolity is torture worse than any dungeon!"
Before it could rant further, Whity and Darky materialized, grabbing the flustered spirit. "Apologies for the interruption, My Lord," Whity said smoothly to Nero and Eri. "Please, carry on. We'll handle this."
Darky grinned, hefting the struggling spirit. "C'mon, grumpy. Playtime with Darky! Quiet playtime!"
The Guardian Spirit writhed, its voice rising in desperation. "Nero! Listen! It's about Ayumi!" Nero's expression hardened, but he gave a curt nod, silencing Whity and Darky. "Let him speak."
The spirit poured out the tale: Ayumi's devastating guilt, her self-inflicted illness nearing death, and the dark conspiracy orchestrated by Arata and Fernando. "...She's dying, Nero! Her own grief is killing her! Please... you're the only one who can save her now!" it finished, its voice thick with spectral tears.
Nero's face was stone. "Take it away, Whity," he commanded, his voice cold. "Out of my sight." Whity immediately complied, pulling the pleading spirit towards the rift.
"Nerooo..." Eri murmured, placing a gentle hand on his rigid arm. "Don't be so harsh."
"You know why, Eri," Nero replied, the old pain surfacing in his eyes. "Forgive her? Just like that? Have you forgotten what she did? That wasn't the act of a friend."
Eri moved closer, her presence calming. "Nero," she said softly, her gaze steady and compassionate, "I know your heart. You aren't someone who holds hatred easily. Why not let just a little of the past go? Take a small step forward?"
She pressed on gently. "I know her actions were unforgivably cruel. But Nero, she was naive. Manipulated. Easily turned by those she trusted." Eri paused, her voice gaining conviction. "True friendship flows both ways. If a friend is naive... isn't it also the responsibility of the stronger one to guide them? To support them?"
Nero listened, the ice around his heart beginning to thaw under the warmth of Eri's wisdom and unwavering belief in him. He saw the painful truth in her words.
Later, a flicker of the old ease returned. Nero nudged Eri playfully. "Since when did an idiot like you get so wise?"
Eri stuck her tongue out. "Heyy! I've always been smarter than you, you big idiot!"