Chapter 50: The Will of the Fourth

"Take care of him."

The words remained in the air long after Dexter had stopped speaking, Elias was still holding him, for several seconds nobody moved, the enormous chamber had become strangely quiet as dust drifted through the air and broken pieces of stone continued falling from the ruined ceiling striking the floor with soft cracks but none of it seemed real.

Kai couldn’t hear any of it, his eyes were fixed on Dexter, on the red hair that had become disheveled during the battle, on the fox ears that had gone completely still, on the blood staining the corner of his mouth, on the body that was no longer moving.

The System’s notifications remained suspended in front of Kai’s vision.

[Will of the Fourth Husband acknowledged.]

[Candidate 004: Dexter Runt.]

[Life Status: Deceased.]

Kai’s breathing became shallow then another notification appeared.

[Final Will Registered.]

[Candidate 004 position has become vacant.]

Kai stared at it as a cold feeling settled in his stomach.

No.

The System didn’t respond.

No.

His fingers curled.

Don’t call him a position.

The notification remained.

[Candidate 004 succession process initiated.]

Kai closed his eyes, he wanted to shut the entire thing out, for once he didn’t care about the System, he didn’t care about candidates, he didn’t care about bond points, he didn’t care about whatever absurd mechanism had dragged him into this world, Dexter was dead, that was all that mattered.

"Kai."

Caelum’s voice finally reached him, Kai opened his eyes, the knight was standing several steps away with one hand pressed against his side, his armor was damaged, his sword broken, and blood ran from a cut above his eyebrow yet he was still standing.

"Are you injured?"

Kai shook his head, "No."

Caelum studied him for a moment then he nodded, "Good."

He turned toward the person lying near the shattered remains of the vessel, the prisoner, their body was motionless, Nox was already kneeling beside them.

"Alive," Nox said.

Kai looked over, "Really?"

"Barely."

Nox placed two fingers against the person’s neck, "The corruption has been completely severed."

Kai stared, "Then..."

"They survived."

His gaze shifted toward Dexter, "Because of him."

The words hit Kai harder than expected, he looked back at Dexter, the fox beastman had done it, he had actually done it, Dexter hadn’t simply died during the fight, he had deliberately held the core together long enough for the entity to be ripped away from the vessel, he had saved the person trapped inside, Kai swallowed, at least his death had meant something, it didn’t make it hurt less.

Elias slowly lowered his head, he looked at Dexter, there was something strange about his expression, Kai had seen Elias laugh while surrounded by corpses, he had seen him smile while killing people, he had seen him casually walk away from wounds that should have made anyone else panic, but now there was nothing, no smile, no amusement, no playful arrogance, just a quiet unreadable stare.

Elias adjusted Dexter carefully in his arms then he looked at Kai, "He meant what he said."

Kai knew exactly what he was talking about, "Yeah."

"I don’t want to talk about it" he added.

Kai looked away as the System appeared again.

[Query: Why does Host resist succession?]

Kai clenched his jaw.

Because he’s dead.

[Acknowledged.]

Because you can’t just put someone else in his place.

A brief pause.

[Clarification: Candidate designation is not equivalent to individual identity.]

Kai frowned.

I don’t care.

[Dexter Runt’s individual bond record remains permanently preserved.]

Kai’s expression slightly.

His memories?

[Preserved.]

Our relationship?

[Preserved.]

Everything?

[All registered interactions and bond progression remain recorded.]

Kai looked at Dexter again, the System’s explanation didn’t make the situation feel better, Dexter wasn’t a number, he wasn’t Candidate 004, he was the fox beastman who had climbed through Kai’s window in the middle of the night, he was the man who had caught Kai at his most embarrassed and hadn’t mocked him, the man who had listened, the man who had chosen to help, the man who had looked at him before dying and asked someone else to protect him, Kai’s eyes burned, he looked away before anyone could notice.

Nox stood, "The entity is gone."

Caelum looked toward him, "Completely?"

"Yes."

Nox glanced around the destroyed chamber, "I can still perceive remnants of the corruption but they’re inert."

He walked toward one of the broken fragments, the violet material that had once pulsed with terrifying energy was now nothing more than dull residue, "The Curator’s operation is finished."

Caelum exhaled, "Then Voltra is safe."

"For the moment."

Caelum looked at him, Nox shrugged, "That wasn’t meant ominously."

"With you it’s difficult to tell."

Nox smiled faintly, "I’ve been told that."

Kai barely listened, his attention returned to Dexter, he couldn’t stop thinking about the first time they’d met, Dexter had been running through the street, a thief, a criminal, a ridiculously handsome fox beastman with a red tail and an attitude that should have been irritating, then Elias had tackled him, Dexter had thrown Elias aside as if he weighed nothing, and Kai had seen him properly for the first time, thirty-five percent, the highest affinity the System had ever shown him at first contact, Kai had thought nothing of it, now that number felt painfully important.

"Can we move him?"

Elias’s voice was quiet, Caelum looked toward him, "We should."

The chamber was unstable, the ceiling continued to collapse, they couldn’t stay here, Caelum moved toward the wounded prisoner, Nox helped him lift them, Elias remained where he was, Kai walked toward him, he stopped a few feet away, neither spoke, Kai looked at Dexter then at Elias, "You don’t have to carry him."

Elias looked down, "I know."

"Then why are you?"

"Because someone should."

Kai couldn’t argue with that, Elias adjusted Dexter’s weight then started walking, Kai followed, they moved through the ruined passage in silence, the further they went the more evidence of the battle surrounded them, broken weapons, destroyed walls, bodies of the people who had served the Curator, the entire operation had collapsed in less than an hour yet Kai couldn’t bring himself to feel victorious.

They finally emerged from the underground chamber, the night air struck Kai’s face, Voltra was still there, the enormous city continued moving around them, completely unaware of how close their city had come to something catastrophic, Kai stood beneath the open sky, he looked up, for the first time since arriving in Voltra the city seemed strangely quiet.

"There’s something I don’t understand."

Caelum’s voice came from behind him, Kai turned, "What?"

Caelum looked toward the ruins, "The entity."

Kai waited.

"It was overwhelmingly powerful yet it allowed itself to become so unstable."

Nox answered, "It didn’t have much choice."

Caelum nodded, "Exactly."

His gaze became distant, "Whatever brought it here wasn’t designed to last."

Kai thought about that, the vessel, the corruption, the Curator, the artifacts, all of it had been built around something temporary, perhaps that was why the entity had been so desperate to obtain Kai’s divine blessing, it needed something stable, something capable of holding power, something that could survive what its current vessel couldn’t, Kai touched his chest unconsciously, the golden light from his blessing had disappeared after the battle but he could still feel its warmth.

Nox glanced at him, "You were fortunate."

Kai looked at him, "Fortunate?"

"The thing wanted whatever protection surrounds you."

Kai’s heart skipped, he kept his expression neutral, "And do you know why?"

"I don’t know."

Nox’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, "But it recognized your protection as something extraordinary."

Caelum glanced at Kai, Kai shrugged, "I don’t know anything about it either."

That wasn’t a lie, not entirely, Nox didn’t press, instead he turned toward the city, "We should get the prisoner somewhere safe."

Caelum nodded, "I’ll arrange it."

He looked toward Kai, "You should return to your place "

Kai glanced at Elias, Elias was still carrying Dexter, "I’ll come with you."

Caelum looked at him, Elias’s eyes hardened, "I promised."

Caelum understood, he didn’t ask what promise, he simply nodded, "Then keep it."

Caelum walked away with Nox, Kai remained behind, Elias stood several feet away, Dexter was still in his arms, for some reason Kai found himself unable to move.

"Elias."

"Hm?"

"About what he said."

Elias looked at him, "Take care of you?"

Kai nodded, Elias’s gaze softened, "I heard him."

"You don’t have to."

"Have to what?"

"Take responsibility for me."

Elias was silent for a moment then he gave a small laugh, "You really don’t understand people, do you?"

Kai frowned, "What does that mean?"

"It means he didn’t ask me to become your servant."

Elias looked down at Dexter, "He asked me to take care of you."

His eyes returned to Kai, "And I accept"

Kai didn’t know what to say, Elias continued, "He trusted me enough to ask."

A pause, "I’m not going to disrespect that."

Kai looked away, his throat felt tight, "You’re still annoying."

Elias smiled, "There you are."

Kai glared at him, "What?"

"I was beginning to worry."

"About what?"

"That you’d become unbearably sentimental."

Kai scoffed, "You’re the last person who should be talking."

"Probably."

Elias adjusted Dexter in his arms, "Come on."

Kai followed, they walked back toward the inn, neither of them noticed the notification that had appeared again in Kai’s vision.

[Succession assessment: Candidate 004.]

Kai stopped, Elias turned, "What?"

Kai stared at the words then at him, "Nothing."

The notification changed.

[Potential successor identified.]

Kai’s heart began beating faster as the System continued.

[Individual: Elias Vesper Cain.]

Kai’s eyes widened.

No.

[Existing bond compatibility: Confirmed.]

He isn’t a candidate.

[Correction.]

[He was not previously a candidate.]

Kai stared, the words were impossible to misunderstand.

[Candidate 004 succession conditions fulfilled.]

Kai looked at Elias, the assassin was completely unaware, he simply stood there beneath the lights of Voltra holding the body of the man who had trusted him with Kai.

[Candidate 004: Elias Vesper Cain.]

[Status: Active.]

[Bond pathway established.]

Fuck me!