I Guard The Book That Slays Gods

Her violet eyes cut through the darkness, leaving traces of luminous light in their wake. Smoke from her aether cigarette drifted around her in lazy circles, weaving through her gentle golden aura.

She moved with distant purpose, arms folded across her chest, approaching where Raiden and Ash stood in the shadows as spectators streamed out of the arena.

"You really are something else." Raiden shook his head with a smirk as Noelle closed the distance between them.

She sneered and closed the remaining distance between them, stopping mere inches away. Her head tilted back to meet his gaze, violet eyes squinting as they bored into his with unreadable intensity.

Raiden was confused by her proximity, feeling her warmth against his chest. This behavior was completely unlike her.

He started to step backward, but her hand shot out to grab his, keeping him locked in place.

Raiden swallowed hard, unnerved by her unfamiliar behavior. "Noelle, are you alright? What's happening?" Confusion laced his voice.

But she remained silent, her violet eyes boring into his. Unease crept through Raiden as her stare seemed to pierce right through him, as if she were reading his very soul.

After a moment, she pulled the aether cigarette from her lips and dropped it to the floor. She sighed and shook her head in apparent disbelief. "You don't smoke aether often, do you?"

Raiden suddenly looked exasperated and smacked his palm against his forehead. "All of that drama was just to ask me that?"

She smiled softly as she reached past Raiden to pet Ash on his shoulder. After a moment, she produced an aether cigarette from her pocket and, hesitating briefly, pressed it into Raiden's mouth. Her fingers moved in a small gesture, and golden flames flickered to life from her aura, lighting the cigarette.

Raiden stared at her with bulging eyes, completely bewildered. Her strange actions were confusing enough, but the casual way she'd summoned those flames, rank five or not, was still impressive to witness.

"Long-term aether smoking accelerates mana development beyond the usual rate." She took a step back, hands folded behind her. "It enhances mana control as well. Your eyes especially need the help."

Raiden had never heard this before. He'd smoked aether several times now, and while it wasn't as often as Noelle did, he'd thought he was doing well for a newcomer. If anyone had mentioned these advantages sooner, he would have been smoking it nonstop.

"Is that so?" He looked down at the aether cigarette, then realization hit him and his expression darkened. "Hold on—there's more to aether than that, isn't there? Is that how you heal so quickly?"

"You ask too many questions," she replied with clear annoyance. "Anyway, when are we leaving?"

Raiden narrowed his eyes, studying her with growing concern. These sudden shifts between warmth and coldness were becoming unsettling.

He watched her in silence for a moment, then shrugged. "She's Noelle after all," he murmured under his breath.

"What did you say?"

Raiden sighed heavily. "You asking that question tells me everything—you fought the old vice captain and won."

He pushed his hair back while Noelle regarded him with a soft gaze.

"I already have clearance from my captain and the third captain, so no issues there." He shrugged casually. "You?"

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "How did you convince them?" Then her expression crumpled, eyes falling to the ground. "Ever since I killed the previous vice captain, it's like everyone despises me," she whispered, her voice threatening to break.

Something twisted in Raiden's chest. Her reaction felt wrong somehow. While he'd seen her withdrawn before, this was entirely different—the quiet pain in her eyes, the crack in her voice. For the first time, she was showing him who she really was beneath the facade.

Something surged through him suddenly, his blood racing and his chest burning with unexpected heat. The next thing he knew, he was moving closer, words pouring out before he could stop himself.

"We've both seen plenty of kindness and cruelty, haven't we?" He smiled gently and placed a comforting hand on her head. "Those people would have resented you no matter who started the fight."

Noelle looked up into his eyes. "I'm so glad you won. MK and the others—they'd be thrilled to know how far you've come."

His smile broadened even as he squeezed his eyes shut. "That's all that matters, doesn't it?"

Noelle's eyes slowly shifted to annoyance, and before Raiden could react, her fist connected with his gut. He doubled over, clutching his stomach in agony. Though her strike had seemed soft, it wreaked havoc on his insides. His mouth gaped as he struggled to straighten up, remaining bent at the waist until the pain subsided.

"Why are you patting me like a child?" Noelle asked, her expression cold. "And what were you getting all sentimental for?"

Raiden began forcing himself up, his hand still resting on his gut. "I met Chrono the other day, and as it turns out, he's the vice captain of the Arsenal Armada."

Noelle wore a shocked expression. "Really?"

Raiden nodded gently, feeling the pain in his gut start to vanish. "Yes, and he said we don't have much time."

Noelle reached past Raiden's shoulder to Ash.

"You need to find an opportunity for us to leave. I'm ready."

Noelle gave him a firm nod and rested Ash on her shoulder. "Okay, two days from now." She let out a breath. "I need time to see if I can threaten people into covering for me."

She smiled and shrugged. "It's not like I would ever return to this place."

Raiden wore an awkward smile as he wasn't sure about that. Now that he'd finally realized Kimberly wasn't just his family member but an arch cursed doll who had sworn loyalty to him, this place felt like a refuge he could return to if everything went south.

But this wasn't something he was going to let Noelle know. In fact, Noelle was acting more unusually than usual. "Bet, I also need some training."

Noelle turned and started leaving the arena, waving over her shoulder. "Same time, same place!" she called out.

Raiden watched her leave, then turned right toward the desert. Across the expanse, warriors moved back and forth in training.

"So this is where the unselected stay." He smirked as the desert reminded him of Stanley, the first person to ever ask him not to be forgotten.

"Dead or alive, you're not forgotten, buddy."