The Mad Artist

(Grey)

"I did that?" I asked, surprised by the way the fight went.

I mean, yes, it was just a beast any artist would be able to fight; some would be able to kill it. But the crimson-eyed girl said it disappeared. Disappeared, not died, but disappeared.

Not wanting to think about it too much, I looked at the girl.

"By the way. Who are you?"

"You don't know me?" she tilted her head.

"Yeah. Should I?"

She cleared her throat and said.

"I am Amanda of the blood domain."

Why do I recognize her name?

"Oh... you're a princess?"

"Yes."

I got up and cleared some snow from my shoulders. Looking around, I found that the forest stretched in all directions; if the forest's border was near, it was blocked by the trees.

"Where are you going?" Amanda asked.

"Anywhere but here."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

I did know. If my mother taught me one thing, it was to never trust the sovereigns and anyone close to them. Amanda wasn't just close to a sovereign; she was his daughter.

"You know we'll have a better chance at surviving if we team up. Right?"

That was true, but...

An idea formed in my mind.

Sitting back down and resting my back on the tree, I asked.

"Do you know where we are?"

"Yes."

"So?"

"We are currently in the Ivory forest."

"What is the nearest city and how can we reach it?"

"Ashton city. To reach it, we have to cross the Akashic mountains."

I was shocked. The Black Mountains were one of the only five discovered death zones. Humans lower than the slayer rank are not supposed to ever step foot in a death zone; even slayers and sages have a hard time surviving in a death zone.

"So are we going to team up or not?" she asked.

'Do I even have an option?"

I didn't.

"Fine," I said

She stood up, took a dagger out of thin air, and cut herself. Giving me the dagger, she said:

"Do the same."

"Why?" I asked, taking the dagger but not cutting my hand.

"A blood contract, to ensure that no one of us would harm the other."

"What happens if one of us harms the other?"

"Death."

After a bit of considering, I cut my hand and then we shook hands.

As soon as that happened, I could feel another rune forming on my right shoulder, and the records whispered into my ear.

[You have received a boon.]

"We'll be moving north first thing in the morning," Amanda said.

"Sure."

***

It has been four hours since we made the contract. Currently, Amanda is sleeping and standing on the lookout for abyssal creatures.

Remembering the boon I received after forming the contract, I summoned the runes to check it out.

===

Name: Grey

Art: [Flame Of Destruction]

[Flame Of Destruction]: Destruction is an absolute law of reality; it will consume everyone and everything, leaving nothing behind. 

Seals Broken: [1/6]

Boons: [Archon],[Blood Contract]

-[Archon]: You are a creature of destruction, born from it, striving with it, and destined to end with it. The flame that devours also defines you.

-[Blood Contract] Conditions: Both parties can not intentionally hurt each other. If the condition is broken, the one who broke it will die.

Flaw: [The Mad Artist]

-[The Mad Artist]: Using your Art drives you into a frenzy of uncontrollable destruction and madness.

Trophies: [Iovry Dagger] 

===

After reading the [Blood Contract] condition and making sure that Amanda did not lie. I noticed that I had received a trophy.

'Must be from that fucker.' I thought.

Summoning it and unsumming the runes.

A simple, single-edged, slightly curved iovry dagger appeared in my hand. Its simplicity was honestly beautiful. I played with it for a while and then dismissed it.

"I'll take over. Get some sleep." A voice resounded from behind me.

"Sure," I replied, got up, and slept with my back rested on a tree.