Chương 359: Change for the Worse

Vale remained motionless long after Eskar had walked away, his hand tightening around the edge of the wooden table until the weathered timber groaned beneath the pressure. Another fraction of strength, and it would have splintered beneath his grip. He stared blankly at the abandoned chessboard, the pieces frozen exactly where they had been left. Only five remained upon the battlefield, three belonging to Eskar, two to himself.

His gaze lingered on them for several silent moments before a quiet, irritated hiss escaped through clenched teeth.

"Never give myself the chance to become better..." he muttered under his breath. Leaning forward until both forearms rested against the table, he let out a bitter laugh that carried no amusement whatsoever.

"What a load of crap... How can I become better if I don't even know what I'm supposed to be better than? How am I meant to improve when I don't even know where my starting point was?" The camp offered no answer. Only silence greeted him as he remained slumped over the board, replaying every word Eskar had spoken. Some of it made perfect sense. His Enigma reviving him... yes, that sounded exactly like something Kealix would do. There had never been any real doubt about that explanation.

The rest, however, refused to fit together. It had never felt as though Eskar wanted him to remain ignorant forever. If anything, Vale was certain Eskar genuinely hoped he would someday recover the truth. So why discourage him from chasing it? Why insist that he stop looking back? Would remembering really change him that much? Surely recovering his memories wouldn't erase everything he had experienced since awakening without them.

Surely he wouldn't simply forget Korin, Nova, Shade, Eskar, and everyone else who had stood beside him.... Would he? His jaw slowly tightened as the possibility settled deeper into his thoughts. The harder he tried to dismiss it, the more frustrated he became, yet that frustration wasn't directed at Eskar. It was aimed entirely at himself. Somewhere beneath every excuse he desperately clung to, he already knew Eskar had spoken the truth. Depending on what he discovered... depending on who he had once been...

There truly was a chance he would leave everything behind. He hated that possibility. He hated it enough that he refused to acknowledge it. Not yet. Not until he learned the truth for himself. His teeth ground together as frustration simmered inside him, and he slowly closed his eyes, allowing the silence to swallow him once more. A sharp thunk suddenly shattered the stillness. Vale's eyelids lifted.

His Onyx Blade stood embedded upright in the table, only inches from his face, the black steel buried deep into the wood. His gaze slowly followed the polished blade upward. Despite its flawless surface, it reflected nothing at all, swallowing the afternoon sunlight instead of returning it. Beyond it stood Nym. She watched him without speaking, uncertainty lingering behind the determination in her emerald eyes.

It was obvious she had spent considerable time convincing herself to come here, only to find that every prepared word had abandoned her the moment they met face to face. Vale simply looked back. He had no intention of speaking. No desire to think. Eventually, the silence grew too heavy, forcing Nym to break it herself. She cleared her throat before lifting her chin with the same quiet resolve she carried into every battle. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road.

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"Duel me." Vale blinked once before lazily waving a hand, the gesture carrying more exhaustion than dismissal.

"Why?" He looked away again as though the conversation had already ended. Nym's fists tightened at her sides. Embarrassment briefly crossed her face, but she refused to retreat.

"Because you need to." That finally made him look back.

"You never got the chance to settle things after what I did to Illu," she said quietly.

"This is your chance." She swallowed before resting her hand upon the hilt of her rapier.

"Fight me." Her grip tightened.

"Beat me." The name alone stirred something deep inside him. For an instant, the image of the colossal raven filled his mind once again, midnight feathers glistening beneath the sun, proud cries echoing across endless skies, ivory eyes watching over him with unwavering intelligence. Nym had killed him. That alone should have filled Vale with rage. It should have. So why didn't it? Why did the memory of his own death overshadow the death of his closest companion?

Why did his own suffering seem to occupy more space inside his heart than Illu's sacrifice? His teeth slammed together. No. That wasn't right. That wasn't the man he wanted to become. A good man puts others before himself. Yet somehow... somehow he had allowed his own tragedy to eclipse Illu's death. He couldn't forgive himself for that. Without another word, he rose to his feet, grasped the hilt of the Onyx Blade, and ripped it free from the table in one smooth motion.

The black edge whispered through the air before settling comfortably in his hand.

"Then let's fight." His voice was calm.

"Just you and me." Together they walked beyond the tents until they reached a wide clearing where emerald grass stretched uninterrupted beneath the afternoon sun. Word spread through the camp with remarkable speed. Korin arrived first, followed shortly by Eskar. Nova hurried after them almost immediately, remaining close beside Eskar with one hand lightly gripping the sleeve of his cloak. Vale noticed. He simply didn't care. His attention belonged elsewhere.

Slowly, he raised the Onyx Blade, leveling its point toward Nym. Across from him, she lowered herself into a flawless stance, her slender blade settling into perfect alignment with practiced precision. Despite everything that had happened, hesitation still lingered within her emerald eyes.

"Ready?" she asked softly. Vale answered with nothing more than a slow nod. For one final heartbeat, neither of them moved. Then the clearing exploded into motion. Both fighters shot across the grass simultaneously, colliding in the center like opposing storms. Steel screamed as their blades met, sending showers of sparks into the air. Physically, they were almost identical. Their strength, speed, and reflexes matched one another with frightening precision.

Under normal circumstances, however, Vale possessed the advantage. His technique was cleaner, his instincts better, his experience deeper. Today... None of it mattered. His mind refused to settle. Every exchange scattered his concentration further, memories forcing their way between each clash of steel. Their swords met again and again in a relentless rhythm as Vale drove forward with heavy, oppressive strikes, forcing Nym steadily backward while she answered every attack with flawless precision.

Neither gained ground until the accumulated force of another collision finally threw them apart. Vale skidded backward through the grass. Nym immediately surged after him. Her blade descended in a brutal vertical slash. Vale twisted aside just in time, the blade slicing harmlessly past his shoulder. But his eyes weren't following her sword. They were fixed entirely upon her. Her face. Her expression. Her emerald eyes. Why? Why was he still looking at her? Why couldn't he stop? After everything that had happened...

after Illu... after the memories... after learning she had taken everything from him...... why did his heart still race whenever he looked at her? The feeling disgusted him. It infuriated him.

"Why are you doing this to me?!" His roar shattered the clearing. He launched forward with reckless fury, his blade crashing into hers once more. Nym immediately redirected the force, guiding his strike harmlessly into the ground where the Onyx Blade carved a deep scar through the grass. Her blade swept toward his neck in one seamless counterattack. Vale released his sword. His free hand shot forward. Bare fingers caught the razor-sharp blade.

Before Nym could react, his metallic arm clamped around the weapon with crushing force and ripped it cleanly from her grasp. The blade spun high into the air before disappearing into the surrounding grass. She tried to retreat. Her foot never moved. Vale's boot had already slammed down on top of it, pinning her firmly in place. Silence settled over the clearing. He stood over her, breathing heavily, his expression cold while a violent storm of emotions raged beneath the surface. Nym slowly looked up and froze.

It wasn't the anger that terrified her. It was something far worse. Her ability allowed her to perceive the Words composing a person's existence, the intentions, actions, emotions, and will that formed their very being. Against most opponents, those Words flowed together into a living narrative, allowing her to predict their actions before they were ever taken. Against Vale... Everything else had disappeared. There was no hesitation. No grief, no confusion, no mercy.

Only a single Word remained, consuming every other aspect of his existence until nothing else could be perceived. Danger.