Sometime later…

Two days had passed without notice, no attacks or signs of movement from the Northern Mist. Aside from Halo's training sessions with Delilah, the days would have been boring beyond measure.

Halo made a gamble.

Fade of Bridle took him through six lessons, each one leaving a distinct mark. However, Halo didn't know if the order mattered, if he had to teach them the same way Fade had taught him.

Halo only taught Delilah the fifth lesson: the candle.

This lesson required exposure to the wind. Through the midnight blues, when the wind was calm yet persistent, the candlelight had to be protected from extinguishing.

Maybe she needed to practice the first four lessons for this to be effective, or perhaps he'd missed a clear explanation somewhere. Either way, the damage was already done.

Fade was certain the lessons could be practiced individually, but hadn't mentioned whether they needed to be in order. And besides, Halo had been training out of sequence, too.

The simulation room had only three white crystals embedded in the walls and was only a few inches long, not enough for a proper simulation but sufficient to create wind that could blow out a candle.

Delilah sat cross-legged on the floor, sweat-soaked, her black vest clinging to her despite the blowing wind. She shielded the candle with everything she had, but the flame died about twenty times in two hours. Even so, she kept going.

Halo stood by the entrance, yawning as he watched the color drain from her face.

However, a voice from behind grabbed his attention.

"Whoa… are you trying to kill her? I can feel the heat all the way over here."

Halo turned to see Jihriel closing in from behind, bare-chested.

"Had I known you'd be naked too, I'd have at least put something on. You're making my build look weak."

Jihriel laughed and patted Halo on the shoulder.

He peered at Delilah for a moment.

"Wow… she's really going at it. I've never seen her act like this with anyone. And yesterday, she actually said you were her brother."

Halo furrowed his brow.

"Really? I had no idea."

Jihriel smiled.

"Well, that's what she thinks. She doesn't call anyone here a friend, but you? She calls you her brother. Consider yourself honored."

Halo stared at Delilah and sighed.

He never had siblings. He might have wanted some when he was younger, though he didn't remember anymore. But judging by Delilah's past, it was natural that she'd consider the only person who understood her as a brother.

"What brought you here?"

Jihriel smiled awkwardly.

"I've taken your words to heart. I want everyone to see that I can be both a strong leader and a true friend."

A smile naturally tugged on Halo's lips.

"Well, there's something I want to discuss with you as well. It's about your True Ability."

Halo turned to him and frowned.

Did he figure out that he lied?

"What about it?"

Jihriel's finger repeatedly tapped on his bottom lip.

"Could you read the description for me? I promise, I won't tell a soul."

Halo stared into his golden eyes for a hot second. Then he sighed.

"I wasn't entirely honest. Anyone I kill can be turned into my clone."

Jihriel nodded in understanding.

"I know."

"Huh?"

"Yes, I've always known. That's why I asked you not to worry."

Halo exhaled deeply. At this point, he probably knew Halo wasn't an Assassin.

'Status.'

The instant the word echoed in his mind, the bronze screen took shape.

***

[ Name: Halo D. Tenebris

Title: Shadow of Death

Rank: Knight

True ability: Death Clone - - - Description:

Flaw: Coldness

Only Sin: Death

Nemesis:?

—

Sin Fragments: 8140 /10000

Dominant Skill: Speed

Clones: 6 ]

***

'Description.'

***

[ Death Clone: Description:

You may summon clones of yourself, of others, and of all who have fallen by your hand. You become one.

Yet know this, what you wield is only a gift on loan, never a truth you possess. When Death comes to gather its belongings, it will reclaim them, and all you believed was yours will vanish like dust in your grasp. ]

***

Halo gave Jihriel a lazy reading of the description, while Jihriel listened intently, treating each word like a puzzle. Even though Halo skipped the part where his True Ability was on loan, Jihriel remained receptive to every detail.

The moment Halo finished, Jihriel's eyes sparked.

"You get it?"

Halo's head spun, like being thrown onto a rollercoaster. Maybe because he didn't go to school.

"Uhm, I can summon clones of the fallen?"

Jihriel's expression darkened.

"It wouldn't be nearly as impactful if I just told you. I'll leave you with a hint."

Halo nodded in understanding.

"The description says 'you become one.' Imagine yourself as a cyborg, your clones are like separate body parts. They act independently, yet they're still you."

Halo paused, confused for a moment. He'd already figured out the clones were part of him, each one taking a piece of his humanity.

But then it dawned on him.

His eyes widened in realization, but when he regained his focus, Jihriel was already walking away, hand raised in a wave over his shoulder, smiling.

It made sense now. As a cyborg, he could reassemble his body parts, willing them to reconnect. That meant he could retrieve his clones somehow, merge with them for a time, or perhaps even absorb them completely.

He smiled, but his expression darkened not long after.

True Abilities were limited only by imagination. So long as what you created fell within the ability's parameters, the possibilities were endless.

But what would happen to his clones if he merged with them? Would they return afterward, or disappear permanently? Right now, he didn't have a clone he was willing to experiment on, so the question would have to wait.

The True Ability may be open to creative interpretation, but nothing came without cost. The gods weren't that naive.

As he stood there, absorbed in his thoughts, Delilah's voice broke through from behind him.

"Fuuu… I am done for today. I shielded it for an hour straight."

Halo turned to her, watching as she stretched her arm.

"Ah, I get it. Your training was designed to test patience. It's been so annoying from the beginning, going off every couple of minutes, sometimes even faster. Anyone else would've been frustrated by now."

Halo forced a smile.

"I'm glad you understood it."

Delilah returned his with a genuine one.

"I'll be doing it more often. But for now, let's get some rest. I already have a plan for our next move."

She said and walked past Halo.

Halo clenched his fist. He was grateful for the revelation Jihriel had sparked, but he resented how much mental energy it required.

Besides, there was more. If anyone knew exactly how he'd arrived in this world and why, it would be Jihriel. That might prove even more exhausting.

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