The air around Jaipa began to shatter violently the moment his fifth eye started to appear, To my surprise, that eye looked completely different from his remaining four of his it burned with a moonlit white radiance as that singular eye fully revealed itself, his other four eyes closed with a sudden flip, and he collapsed to the ground like a fallen star

  White flames erupted from his entire body, and his form began to float weightlessly in the air, to me he appeared unconscious, but when he finally rose to his feet, the atmosphere around him had entirely different the surroundings seemed to burn with unreal white flames

  In the next heartbeat, he vanished reappearing with his hand gripping the monster's neck, dragging Rakta several meters away from where I layed I continued screaming in agony, a pain so profound it defied description, intensifying with each moment of awareness

  Then came a bitter realization too harsh to swallow even if i survive now my life was completely ruined as seconds passed, I lost sensation in my lower half, yet alongside the fading pain came a strange mixture of relief and concern about my ebbing life I turned my head to witness the battle unfolding before me with blurry eyes of mine

  Rakta, the monster who had nearly ended me in seconds, was being dragged like a wounded animal

  Its clawed limbs twitched and struggled against Jaipa's unyielding grip, but couldn't break free. Yet this wasn't the Jaipa I knew—I couldn't call him that anymore perhaps

  This was the Jaipa from before his memories were lost, but regardless, he continued dragging the creature by its neck, one arm hanging limp at his side. That mocking expression I'd grown accustomed to had vanished completely, replaced by something utterly expressionless

  Jaipa wasn't walking or flying he was gliding through the air with supernatural grace, his bare feet barely skimming the ground stained with my blood. His moonlit fifth eye burned brighter with each breath, as though he grew more powerful with every inhalation

  And for the first time rakta screeched

  "KrRr ! “

  One of Rakta's serpentine arms writhed outward, transforming into a massive, jagged cleaver that glinted with an oily black sheen in panic, it swung wildly and brutally

  Jaipa didn't flinch his free hand rose above his head and, with a metallic clink, caught the blade mid-swing between just two fingers the impact was enough to shook the entire forest, releasing a powerful gust of wind

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  A split-second later, white fire surged up Jaipa's arm like a serpent, engulfing the monster's weapon-limb entirely

  Even as I lay dying, I understood this was what people meant when they spoke of seeing a man fight the pressure was so intense that my bones felt compressed by the air itself

  "That's Jaipa!" I whispered now not felling the pain only the coldness of fading life remain in me

  With a single twist of his wrist, Jaipa shattered the cleaver, its pieces disintegrating into ash. Then came the real assault an inhumanly swift strike Jaipa vanished, blurring through the air like a lightning bolt wrapped in pale white fire

  He reappeared behind Rakta, both hands clenched together like a hammer, and brought them crashing down on the back of the monster's head

  BOOM!

  The ground caved in. The shockwave split trees in half and sent broken terrain skyward like a reverse meteor shower. Rakta's body slammed into the earth hard enough to crater it into a basin the robe of blinking eyes covering its form convulsed, writhing in agony as it tried to protect its master

  As for Jaipa didn't stop he was already charging for another attack

  This time he side-stepped and reached toward the heavens i watched in awe as white fire gathered in his palm, forming a long spear of solid white light

  It extended outward, bursting with white flames weightless, but with increadible power

  With one slice of that flaming spear, he separated Rakta's head from its body. Azure blood splattered across Jaipa's face then he lifted the weapon again and thrust it through Rakta's heart the air around Jaipa grew frighteningly cold

  " I thought I was the cold one ?" I wondered distantly

  Suddenly, Jaipa turned toward me with his singular moon-white eye as he grabbed Rakta's severed head and approached me slowly the closer he came, the colder the air grew around us

  When he finally stood before me, his white hair reflecting moonlight, he stared into my eyes then he knelt, offering me the monster's head

  Haa.. looking at him my lips curled up

  I was in no condition to move, yet he offered me Rakta's head knowing this. I suddenly realized something from the moment he had opened that fifth eye, he hadn't spoken once but now, he finally made a sound

  "O... my moon," he whispered

  His voice was gentle and graceful, like that of an ancient prince

  As I lay dying, I found it strange that he would show such deep respect to someone at death's door Then suddenly, his forehead touched mine, and he murmured

  "Blinded by light "

  With those words, the air around him began to settle his white eye closed, and he collapsed to the ground just like before like a fallen star

  I, who was about to meet my end, carried too many regrets for such a short life slave... slave.. slave i was indeed with these thoughts, I closed my eyes, awaiting death Jaipa had gained his physical form, and I didn't know what would happen to him if I vanished to dust, but I wished fervently for him to live

  I didn't know if a key could survive after its owner's death, but I wished it nonetheless

  Whatever I called myself emotionless, incomplete, or just a shell I had allowed him to come close even with death approaching, I didn't yearn for emotions I simply didn't find them meaningful

  My mind grew increasingly blurry. My senses faded, becoming distant from my self then I heard something a sound like sand falling. With a final flicker of curiosity, I wanted to see its source but couldn't lift my eyelids i tried several times without success

  Beyond that sound came another air buzzing violently i sensed something approaching, even with my dulled perception.

  It wasn't moving along the ground after struggling for a while, I finally managed to open my eyes

  There was Rakta again, floating above us but different This time he was bathed in golden energy, his faceless visage now covered with countless golden eyes, all staring at me as if their gaze alone could kill me

  My half-destroyed body trembled even then A bitter laugh escaped my lips

  "What a pity I am," I whispered

  Then I witnessed something utterly impossible

  Rakta's golden energy was forming a colossal sword stretching in the sky endlessly

  Looking at it, a thought made my lips curl upward

  "Do I consider myself lucky or unlucky ? "

  In the next second, that enormous sword shot toward Jaipa and me with a laugh I closed my eyes

  "At the end, everything remains meaningless..."