I Guard The Book That Slays Gods

Raiden's suspicions showed clearly; he posed one probing question after another, but Dainty's guard remained up. Maintaining her gentle smile, she skillfully evaded each challenge.

…In the end, they were convinced to rest and save the latter for the next day. However, Raiden found her refusal suspicious. Well, repulsive, to be precise.

Even so, locked up in his blunt new room, stirring in gray and a massive comfy bed enough for his army, he couldn't help but take in the moment and relax. After all, he hadn't been in such a freezing room in, like… forever.

Deep into the night, he found himself bouncing from edge to edge on the grand bed. His golden eyes were wide open as sleep escaped him.

If nothing else, the cozy room should've been enough to coil his fatigue away into slumber, considering he had slept on mountains for days. He should be sleeping.

But he could tell that wasn't the case. His mind wandered between meaningless thoughts, but what truly held him captive were memories of Sullivan.

Now, his entire being wasn't his alone. After the Rotate with Ash, not only did he possess the memories of Sullivan, the Queen of Viscount, but also fragments of herself.

Her slow, measured breaths and calm, orderly thoughts seemed to flow into him, and Raiden found himself gradually syncing with her peaceful state.

His eyes darted on the apparent gray ceiling, sweat forming on his forehead as his mind swayed in his abyss of fear.

What if the Rotate transformed him entirely? Would he retain his rage and burning desire for vengeance? Given the serene and compassionate nature of white dragons, might he lose himself to their influence?

This realization alone left him feeling suspended in empty darkness. He'd acquired profound understanding beyond his teammates' reach, but these ordinary challenges still eluded him completely.

A few minutes in his thoughts, he scowled, his hands violently rubbing his dark hair as he rose to his feet.

If sleep eluded him, he was better off exploring the domain of the Man God, Dainty. Ah… the perfect opportunity to confront her and finally extract some truth.

Rubbing the fatigue off his brows, he opened his door to a corridor. Glowing lanterns etched the walls, paving a path through the darkness to his left.

However, the moment he closed the door behind him, something caught his peripheral vision. His stiff neck snapped in its wake, echoing a soft bone-cracking sound.

He was taken aback by the sight, a soft smile playing on his lips as his tiredness slowly drifted away.

He should have known better; he wasn't bound to be the only person to find Dainty's refusal repulsive. A distance away stood Noelle, dressed in her usual black gothic style, as though sleep was never an alternative.

The towering structure featured a living room on each floor decorated with Victorian sofas, and beyond Noelle sat Dainty, an aether cigarette smoldering between her fingers, her head thrown back toward the ceiling, lost in thought.

Raiden took a deep breath and began approaching Noelle. They've been on an awkward collision course since Ash's death, and their rough argument, and now, he couldn't help the need to clear things up. Maybe apologize.

But, before he could near her, she spoke:

"What does it mean?"

Raiden stared as she walked into the room without acknowledgment, his hand still hanging in the air awkwardly while he questioned whether the snub was intentional.

Dainty turned in Noelle's direction. "The rule domain?"

Raiden watched as they engaged in a conversation, Noelle taking her seat while he remained in his awkward pose.

After a moment, he giggled. Maybe it was for the best. He crossed the line when he spoke of her mother so harshly. The silence between them must be a payback.

"There's a word for this… uh, what's it?"

Ah-huh… Karma.

Letting out a sigh, he steeled himself as he began walking to the living room.

"There's a reason my Absolute Domain is called Gambit."

Every Rulekeeper had their Rule Domain restricted to a specific field, and until trapped in their expertise, their abilities were mostly limited. However, Noelle was an exception; she bore the true power of rule.

Raiden absorbed Dainty's explanation, taking his seat near Dainty as she welcomed him with a cheerful expression.

"How?" Noelle asked, scowling in confusion.

"My ability only works in games. I start a game of choice, and I can create new rules and erase any rule."

Noelle's expression grew even darker, as though Dainty's words were foreign. Or perhaps, she never believed she was anything special.

"But my mother had something similar," her eyes narrowed.

Dainty's bright demeanor faltered momentarily, as if processing what she'd just said, her eyes shifting rapidly as her mind raced.

"Uh… it's not possible," her usual expression returned. "… she could've protected the book if that were the case."

Noelle's eyes flickered, as though something within her shifted. "What do you mean?" Her tone was barely audible.

Dainty dropped quiet, the weight of the silence filling the room. Her blue eyes were as gentle as ever, but from a glance, Raiden could tell there was something she didn't want to say.

Whatever it was had real force behind it, something that couldn't be countered by the Joker's hypnotic charm alone. It would shatter Noelle's defenses. Or worse.

Realizing this, Raiden knew he had to redirect the conversation. But Noelle would probably tell him to fuck off or ignore him completely if he said something too random. He'd have to be more tactful with her pride.

"Cut the act. You know we're only here for the pages, so why play host?"

After speaking carefully, Raiden watched Noelle's expression, tracing her features for any sign of offense. When he realized it was safe, he added:

"What's the matter? Aren't you supposed to attack us, like the Lost Child?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows, we might even be working with FIRMO."

"Klein el Seer is on your side, isn't he?" Dainty said, her gaze still fixated on Noelle, not sparing Raiden a glance.

"If that's true, then my fight with you is futile. I can't win."

Her response made Raiden grimace. What was she talking about? Klein wasn't anywhere near here—he couldn't be. So how exactly could they win? Could El Seer really be that strong, even by Elusive standards?

"What do you mean?"

She finally turned in Raiden's direction. "Sure, the Lost Child gets demonic when he wants… but you're alive, so clearly he let you live."

Raiden's heart plummeted, his lips parting in disbelief as he looked at her. What did she mean? That creature had murdered Freya and Speed, and she could respond so casually?

"What the heck?" He blurted.