I Guard The Book That Slays Gods

Throughout the next few hours and into the early morning, Raiden carefully briefed his trusted allies—Noelle, Freya, and Leo—on FIRMO's presence in Persia.

It was bewildering news, but slowly, they realized Raiden's suggestion was sound. A retreat back to the kingdom was necessary.

The sun rose slowly against the horizon as Chrono and his comrades waited in the gazebo's center, expecting Raiden to emerge and cement their alliance at last.

Raiden approached from afar, flanked by Freya and Noelle. "Hope you still have the key to the book?" Freya asked. Raiden's hand moved to his chest, feeling the warmth of the golden key that hung on its cord around his neck.

"Yes, it's safely guarded," Raiden replied, his gaze fixed on Chrono's gentle smile, while behind them Aeris leaned against a pillar, legs crossed and arms folded across her chest.

They had ignored him completely since their arrival, and this marked the first time he'd even seen Aeris' face since then. It was starkly obvious she was complicit in whatever they were planning, but what?

Worse still, he couldn't simply execute Aeris for conspiracy, not after he'd made it clear he had pardoned her past betrayals. Such an act would damage his reputation as a leader.

He squinted the moment they entered the gazebo, his stare locked on Aeris, but her eyes avoided Raiden's entirely, focusing only on the ground beneath her feet.

"You did take your time," Chrono said with a cheerful smile, motioning Raiden forward.

Raiden found himself burying his doubts and returning the smile as he drew closer, while Noelle and Freya fell into position beside him.

As Raiden came to stand before Chrono, he extended his hand. Raiden looked into his gray eyes, returned the smile, then placed his hand in Chrono's.

"Anything you'd like to tell me, Chrono?" Raiden asked with sarcasm, his smile never faltering.

"Oh yes, I will betray you," Chrono replied matter-of-factly.

Raiden's smile widened as his eyes squeezed shut. The Sleeping Star's power prevented them from lying to one another, but Raiden had no desire to lie regardless; Chrono had been bold enough to speak truthfully.

"Me too," he replied enthusiastically.

"But until then, let's make formidable allies."

"Agreed," Chrono replied.

In that instant, Raiden felt a shift and gentle sensation on his wrist. He looked down to see a thorn-like black tattoo wrapping around his wrist like a bracelet.

Chrono also looked down at his wrist, then let go of Raiden's hand. "I believe this marks our alliance."

Raiden touched his wrist and rubbed it gently. The surface was smooth and soft, as if it were part of his very skin.

Raiden sighed in relief. With this finally behind them, they could embark on their journey and address the inevitable betrayal after accomplishing their objective.

"We must leave now," Chrono said, starting to leave the gazebo in the direction of the ocean. "We've already spent enough time here.

Raiden's expression grew dark as he trailed behind. "Unfortunately, we can't."

Chrono stopped and pivoted toward him, his expression unreadable. "What do you mean, kid?"

Raiden casually approached, hands sliding into his pockets as he avoided Chrono's gaze. "We will leave this place, but I need to get back to Persia first."

Chrono's eyes narrowed as he watched Raiden speak. "I have urgent matters to attend to."

Chrono remained quiet, hardly looking away from Raiden as if searching for something in his face, but Raiden's expression was stone-cold, offering nothing.

Returning to Persia was essential; not something he would shy away from. He'd have the opportunity to confront FIRMO and potentially halt their search before they progressed further, while also gaining insight into the mysterious girl who was after him.

"Alright, buddy," Chrono said with a smile. "We are a team now, so we have no choice but to cooperate, right?"

Raiden finally looked at him directly. "That's correct, Chrono."

Chrono gestured for his comrades to follow as they started toward the ocean. Raiden remained where he was, deciding who would summon the Leviathan this time.

The others followed toward the ocean while he stayed motionless, hands buried in his pockets.

Aeris summoned it the last time, and while it didn't respond to her specifically, her mana was what called the Leviathan. Soul paid the price of their bargain, while Freya handled the foul during their return.

Standing there, he began to understand how challenging managing the pathway would be. They had only Levi, Noelle, MK, Speed, and him left, and worse still, they had no clue how many absolute domains awaited them.

He rubbed his head as his brain started to burn from overthinking. He had to choose another three people and make sure they could all restore their mana properly the moment they got back home.

But as he remained there, someone waved at him from near the ocean, pulling him from his thoughts. It was Aeris.

The moment reality returned to him, he glanced behind and found he was the only one remaining at the gazebo, making him look rather unhinged as he'd simply stood there, motionless and lost in his reverie.

He sighed and started toward them, still considering who to select for the task.

"Can I summon it now?" Aeris asked the instant Raiden came within range. Raiden was taken aback by the question, his expression turning confused.

"But you already did that last time."

"Exactly, and she's the only one who can summon it now," Chrono replied with a smirk.

This only confused Raiden further as he tried to make sense of the situation. Aeris had volunteered to summon the creature the last time; did that mean she'd known all along? Was this her method of making sure Raiden couldn't abandon her?

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Raiden demanded, facing Chrono, who greeted him with an even brighter smile.

"Isn't she your comrade?" Chrono shrugged his shoulders dismissively. "So why would that matter?"

He stepped closer to Raiden and rested his hand on his shoulder. Raiden felt the anger building inside him, but he couldn't release it. It was as though the Solace Isle had stripped away his capacity for rage.

"Don't worry about it, friend." He motioned toward the ocean. "Now there wouldn't even be negotiations… we summon it, climb into its mouth, pay for fuel, and go."

His words, while clearly concealing something, weren't entirely false. Raiden saw there was nothing to be done at that moment, and with Aeris there, they could avoid the mana depletion he'd been dreading.

He sighed. "Fine."

"That's my boy," Chrono said with pride.

Raiden looked puzzled again. "How would you guys even get to Noor?"

"Don't worry, we have our own business in Persia too."

Raiden's eyes narrowed as he watched Chrono face the ocean. His heart abruptly began to pound. Did Chrono also know about FIRMO? Or could it be that some pages were actually in Persia?

Raiden gulped, sweat breaking out across his forehead. He knew he had to avoid suspicion, but their alliance was temporary at best—it wouldn't last beyond this realm. They were free to act as they chose. If it meant war, so be it.

"Aeris, let's head to Coast City."

As soon as he finished speaking, Speed, standing with Soul on Raiden's left side, chimed in. "I will handle our journey then."

Raiden smiled softly and gave a gentle nod.