Shameless One

Shun stood motionless, lost in a whirlpool of emotions—astonishment, disappointment, and a sense of shame that gnawed at him relentlessly. His arrogance had blinded him to the reality that the world was far grander than he had ever imagined. After hearing Huang's words, his confrontation with Dominic O'Neill now seemed like nothing more than a child's play. The road ahead stretched out before him, a vast expanse that felt impossible to traverse, with countless others already walking far ahead of him. Without the intervention of the Starflame Community members, even someone as capable as September had come close to ending his life.

Yet, as despair threatened to consume him, something unexpected blossomed within him—a flicker of hope. He couldn't quite explain it, but it was as if, despite the overwhelming odds, everything would somehow fall into place. It was a feeling that lingered in his heart, mixing with a bittersweet ache.

He pressed his hands to his head, overwhelmed by the emotion, when Qing's strange power flickered again, returning time to its normal flow.

Silver rushed to his side, unaware of Qing's intervention, but sensing the shift in space. "Shun, are these people trustworthy?" she asked, gently helping him sit up.

Shun, still feeling the aftershocks of his earlier turmoil, gave her a weary smile. "I believe so. They saved my life, after all. They're powerful—beyond anything we've ever faced."

Silver's eyes softened, and she smiled in quiet resignation. "Do you want to become more powerful than them?"

Shun nodded slowly, his resolve hardening once more.

Silver chuckled, her voice light. "Of course you do. You've never been one to let anyone outdo you, not in the past, and certainly not in the future."

"I will become stronger," Shun declared, his voice steady. "As long as I walk this path with dedication and unwavering resolve, I will not fail. I will achieve more than anyone has ever seen."

Silver's gaze softened, and she nodded. "Of course. It may be a long and difficult road, but I'll be with you, Shun. You won't have to walk it alone."

Shun froze, the weight of her words settling over him like a warm, comforting blanket—and yet, something in his chest tightened, a strange feeling he couldn't quite grasp. It was a mixture of happiness and sorrow, of gain and loss, like an eternity of emotions rushing through him in a single instant. His heart was filled full, yet it felt completely empty.

He turned to face her, his eyes widening when he saw the faint trail of tears running down her cheeks.

"Silver… Why are you crying?" he asked softly, his voice distant, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.

Silver tilted her head, a faint smile on her lips. "Hm? I'm not crying."

And just like that, the echoing thoughts in his mind faded, leaving only silence behind.

But one phrase echoed louder than the rest, cutting through the quiet like a blade:

"I choose you."

For a brief moment, Shun couldn't tell if it was Silver's voice or someone else's, but it resonated deep within him, stirring something he hadn't realized was there.

As reality began to settle back in, Shun realized that Silver's face was dry, her eyes bright with that familiar, reassuring smile.

"Must be my imagination," he muttered, trying to dismiss the strange sensation in his chest. His words were hollow, as empty as the void in his heart.

At that moment, Qing's voice broke through the silence. "Shun, we will be taking our leave. There are still many things to attend to in the Eternal Dynasty. Rest assured, if any danger arises, we'll be there to help."

Shun's gaze followed September and June as they walked away from the city, their conversation a murmur he couldn't quite hear. September had donned her helmet again, resuming her disguise, while Otto, Emilia, and the others remained nearby. The citizens, once under manipulation, had regained control of their bodies after March's death. The streets, scarred by the brutal clash, seemed to revert to a strange calm. The destruction would leave its mark on Sila, but for now, the city seemed eerily peaceful.

"Where are Eden and Alexander?" Shun asked, his voice surprisingly steady as he rose to his feet. It seemed as if the river of emotions had cured his wounds. 

Emilia looked around, concern flickering in her eyes. "Not sure. They disappeared. But Eden was gravely injured. It's unlikely that the Prime Advisor's safety is in danger."

"I'll check the castle," Otto said, his tone sharp, as he began to walk toward it.

"Wait, Otto," Shun called, his voice earnest. "Thank you for saving my life."

Otto glanced back, a smirk curling his lips. "I didn't do it for you. It was my choice. You're someone I despise, but that doesn't stop me from saving your life."

"You guys go with him," Shun added softly, his resolve returning. "I have something else I need to do."

The others acknowledged his request without hesitation, following Otto's lead. Silver, however, remained by Shun's side. He knew then that there was no point in keeping his secret from her any longer. If he shared it with Silver, it would no longer be his burden alone.

"Silver," Shun began, his voice low, "I've been lying to everyone. Imaginative Reality was never my true ethereal arm."

Silver stopped, confused. "What do you mean?"

Shun walked toward the lifeless bodies of March and August, his mind racing with possibilities. If these were indeed the same people as October, it meant they possessed multiple ethereal arms. He might be able to claim them for himself. A faint, abnormal, but undeniable connection pulsed between him and the scattered ethereal arms that lay among their bodies. 

As he drew closer, something extraordinary happened. A surge of radiant light erupted from the corpses of March and August, converging and spiraling into Shun's outstretched hand. He felt the ethereal arms gathering, their energy flowing into him. He gasped as he counted the result: 3655 arms.

Most of them were simple instruments, mortal or blessed class ethereal arms, the kind he'd seen countless times. A significant number were ascended, but even those seemed minor compared to the grand scale of power in the world beyond.

But as his gaze fell upon the rest, his heart skipped a beat. Among the countless arms, two complete ethereal arms caught his attention: the 26th and the 4th.

The 4th. World Walker. Noah Heeden's legendary arm.

Shun's astonishment faltered, replaced by an icy sense of dread. Something didn't add up.

He had heard the stories. When a complete ethereal warrior dies, another child—who awakens their ethereal arm at the same time—would claim their rank. The child would possess a unique ethereal arm, different from the original, but their rank would be the same. When this happened, the entire kingdom would witness a brilliant beam of light shooting up from the child's awakening point, a phenomenon that could not go unnoticed.

Shun had seen it before. That light. That unmistakable sign of a new generation of ethereal warriors taking their place. It was impossible to miss, an event that would light up the skies.

But Noah Heeden had died.

Where was the light?

Shouldn't a new child have been marked by the awakening of another fourth complete ethereal arm?

That was the reason why Alfred Eldran insisted that Noah was still alive. 

Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.