"I have a lot of work to do," Riku reiterated, hoping to sway her with practicality. "In the future, I will acquire more weapons. In such a situation, I don't think I will be able to use you properly all the time."
"I understood," Black March replied, her tone surprisingly subdued.
Taking her words as a sign of agreement, Riku closed the distance between them. He gently cupped her spectral face in his hands and placed his lips on top of hers, mimicking the tender kiss he had shared with Couronne.
Breaking the contact, he asked, "Done?"
Black March's ethereal eyes fluttered open. A soft smile touched her lips. "That's enough for now."
"Huh, okay," Riku said, feeling a sliver of relief. "I'll tell Terra that you've agreed."
"When did I agree?" Black March said, her smile vanishing. "I said that I would think, and after thinking, I have decided that…"
"What?" Riku asked, a sense of foreboding creeping in.
Black March's smile returned, wider and more mischievous than before. "There's no way I will let go of such a handsome man."
"Meaning you lied to me when you implied that if I kissed you, you would agree to give your power to someone else?" Riku asked, a sharp edge of frustration in his voice.
"No," Black March stated simply, her expression unwavering.
"Alright," Riku conceded, a sigh escaping his lips. "I will use you. Are you happy now?" He had exhausted his attempts at reasoning.
"What is there to be happy about in this?" Black March countered, tilting her head. "You should be happy that I have agreed to bestow my power upon you."
"Yes, yes," Riku said dismissively. "By the way, don't you think that at this very moment, you are essentially cheating on this Twenty-Fifth Baam you mentioned?"
Black March waved a dismissive hand. "Why would you think that? I was merely his sword for a time, and that was mostly because he was cute."
"I think you liked his eyes," Riku said, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.
Black March's spectral form flickered slightly, a hint of surprise in her ethereal eyes. "How do you know about that?"
"Intuition," Riku replied simply, offering no further explanation.
A soft sigh escaped Black March. "I can guess how you found out. Well, he was just my user, like the others before him. However," she conceded, a wistful note in her voice, "I have to admit that I have never encountered a guy quite like him before."
"Alright—" Riku began, wanting to steer the conversation back to their immediate situation.
But Black March continued, her gaze now fixed intently on Riku's eyes. "When it comes to eyes, yours are completely different from his. His eyes… they held a certain light. On the other hand, your eyes are like an abyss itself. Your black eyes, even when you return my gaze, they reflect… nothing. No fear, no doubt, no distress. No sadness or pain seems to reside within them. You are very different from everyone else, Riku. That's why… I want to know more about you—"
"Enough," Riku interrupted sharply, his voice firm. The intensity of her gaze and the personal nature of her observations were making him uncomfortable. "Just get me out of here."
"Okay," Black March replied, her tone immediately obedient. She seemed to sense his discomfort and wisely refrained from pressing the issue further. The otherworldly dimension around them dissolved, and in the blink of an eye, Riku found himself back beside Terra, the Black March now solid and tangible in his grasp.
"General… You're back?" Terra asked, her voice filled with a mixture of relief and curiosity as she observed Riku holding the now-solid black sword.
Riku glanced around, confirming that they were indeed back at the desolate monument. "Looks like it," he replied, a hint of weariness in his tone.
His initial plan had been twofold: to awaken the Black March's power and then entrust the weapon to Terra. Doing this away from the village was crucial to avoid detection by other races should the ignition process go awry. However, the long journey on a single horse now presented a logistical challenge.
They had only brought one horse. Sending Terra back alone would undoubtedly raise questions and suspicions among the villagers. After a moment of consideration, Riku concluded that the only viable option was for both of them to ride back together. It would be a slower journey, but it was the most discreet way to return.
"Generalll…" Terra repeated, drawing out the last syllable with a hint of playful concern.
Riku blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. "Oh yes, what were you saying?" he asked, realizing he had been lost in his own internal deliberations.
"What were you thinking about just now?" Terra inquired, her eyes curious.
"Nothing important," Riku replied dismissively, though a part of him still replayed his bizarre conversation with the Black March. He then shifted his tone, becoming more serious. "She has agreed to give me her power, but Terra, this is crucial: you can't tell this to anyone. Not a single soul in the village." The secrecy was paramount.
"Alright, General," Terra agreed, nodding solemnly. "Then, why did we come all the way out here?"
Riku immediately grasped the underlying question. Terra wasn't just asking about their initial purpose; she was asking for a believable cover story to explain their absence together.
"We had come here to collect information from an old base of elves that was rumored to be in this area," Riku fabricated quickly. "Unfortunately, we didn't find any useful information. And then," he added with a convincing grimace, "a death storm started in the middle of our search, so we were forced to take shelter here until it passed."
"I understood," Terra replied, a knowing glint in her eyes. She appreciated his foresight in providing a plausible explanation.
"You're sharp," Riku commented, a small smile touching his lips. "Hey Terra, I'm going to try and get some sleep. Let me know when the death storm ends." He gestured vaguely towards the darkening sky.
While the comfort of his bed in the village beckoned, Riku knew it was a risk he couldn't afford to take. The memory of his earlier encounter with Couronne, and the System's subsequent mission, made him wary. He wasn't sure he could resist if Couronne pressed the issue, or if she took matters into her own hands. Staying away from the village for the night felt like the safest way to ensure the mission's success and to give himself some space to process everything that had happened.
"Of course. You sleep well, General. I'll keep watch and cover you up in the meantime," Terra said softly, her voice carrying a note of gentle care.
"Go to sleep quietly, Terra," Riku mumbled, his eyelids already feeling heavy. "I don't think we'll be able to escape easily if an enemy happens to stumble upon this place." The desolate monument offered little in the way of defense.
While Terra had been communing with the Black March, Riku had silently instructed Igris to remain in their shadows, a silent guardian prepared to defend them both. He didn't want Terra to exhaust herself on watch duty unnecessarily.
Pulling a thick blanket from his inventory, Riku found a relatively sheltered corner near the base of the monument and lay down. Through the haze of approaching sleep, he saw Terra approaching with the blanket. A wave of comforting fatigue washed over him, pulling him down into the welcoming embrace of unconsciousness…
13 HOURS LATER
"General… General…"
The persistent murmur finally pierced through the heavy veil of sleep. Riku's consciousness stirred sluggishly. What? He willed his leaden eyelids to lift, a monumental effort in his groggy state, needing to understand the source of the disturbance.
His eyes fluttered open… and locked with Terra's. She lay beside him, nestled comfortably under the shared blanket, her arms wrapped around him in a close embrace, her gaze fixed intently on his face.
How long had he been asleep—? The thought was quickly overshadowed by a more pressing concern. Wait, that didn't feel right.
'—Don't tell me!' Panic flared within him.
Riku scrambled out from under the blanket with a speed that belied his recent slumber, his hands flying to his own body to check if his clothes were still intact. A wave of relief washed over him as he confirmed he was still dressed. His gaze then darted towards Terra, his heart pounding in his chest.
'Thank god.' He breathed a silent sigh of relief as he saw that she, too, was still clothed. The close proximity and her embrace were innocent, it seemed.
"What are you doing under my blanket?" Riku asked, his voice still thick with sleep and a hint of lingering suspicion.
Terra sat up, a proud smile gracing her lips. "General, it was quite cold here during the night, and you were shivering in your sleep. So, I thought I should provide you with some warmth. And honestly," she added, a slight blush touching her cheeks, "I was also feeling a bit chilly. Rather than sleeping under separate blankets, it seemed more efficient to stick them both together and share the warmth."
"Huh?" Riku mumbled, still trying to fully process her explanation.
"I was thinking of letting you sleep longer," Terra continued, her expression softening with concern, "but when you didn't wake up even after such a long time, I started worrying about you. You usually wake up much earlier."
With a groan that echoed his body's protests, Riku finally managed to haul himself to his feet, the lingering fatigue still clinging to him like a heavy cloak.
"Good job waking me up, Terra," Riku said, his voice still a bit rough. "Now, go and check if the death storm has passed. I'll start packing our things."
"Achete," Terra replied with a nod, and headed towards a higher vantage point of the monument to survey the surrounding landscape.
In the brief moment she was gone, Igris materialized silently beside Riku. With a swift, practiced motion, Riku retrieved a card from his inventory and contained his loyal shadow knight within it once more.
Soon after, Terra returned, confirming that the oppressive death storm had indeed dissipated. They packed their meager belongings and began their journey back towards the village, the setting sun casting long shadows behind them.