<Only superhumans can leave alone. So learn how to group and survive. You are not a superhuman.>
-King Narasha to his children
…….
“You’re back.”
Sian spoke to Stiel who had returned.
“Yeah. A lot of things changed while I was gone.”
“Where have you been?”
“I paid a visit to those I fought with before.”
“Oh… the Granine people? How are they?”
Sian learned about the people he had fought before from various places, so he now knew about them.
“They’re still celebrating. They must be really glad that they found the well again.”
“Well… so what is that well?” Sian asked.
“Hmm… so, they can reincarnate. And when they die, their spirits return to the well to wait for another body.”
“Oh.”
“They then bury the dead body next to the well. The bones gain flesh and the spirit returns to it afterwards.”
Sian was shocked to hear that.
“That’s amazing! Why aren’t people using it to do the same thing?”
“I heard only Granines can do that. And they need the right bones to reincarnate into it.”
“I see… but why does that well hold such a unique effect?”
“I don’t know. They don’t know either. They don’t seem to record history so nobody knows.”
“Why don’t they record the history?”Sian asked again.
“What for? They have people who have memories of those times. Although there’s no one left from that age because they were sent out to participate in the Empire’s war.”
Sian became impressed.
“It’s really interesting. How do you know all that?”
Sian was surprised that Stiel knew so much about the Granines.
“I lived by the well before I met you.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. You can speak to those spirits in the well. That’s what they told me.”
“Oh, so there were <Granines> in there.”
“Yeah, most of them were Ra-Banders. Three of them were stronger than me too. But none are like you.”
Sian was puzzled.
“Why aren’t they coming back to life? They could’ve saved their bones, right?”
Ra-Banders did age, but people of that strength would’ve managed to preserve their bones. Therefore, it didn’t make sense.
“I thought so, but they said bones get weaker every time. Those are not recreated.”
“Oh… so they can’t reincarnate when all the bones are gone.”
“Yeah. But it’s really long. There were spirits that were thousands of years old. Those spirits didn’t remember anything and were numb.”
“It’s unimaginable.”
Sian was impressed.
“Yeah. They’re more than humans in some sense.”
“It’s weird how humans ruled the world when there were more powerful beings around.”
There were the Kal-Guls who destroyed the Empire, the Granines who could reincarnate, and all the other races that were more powerful than the humans. Yet the survivor of the continent was still the humans.
“Well… it’s not like strongest always survives. Except that’s not important. Didn’t you say you were going to practice in the evening?”
“Oh!”
Sian realized that he had forgotten all about it.
“Let’s go then.”
“Yeah. I can’t stop my heart from pounding. It’s where you beat me up so well, right?”
“…You should let it go now.”
“I might.”
“Something changed…”
Stiel became curious when she arrived at the scene.
“Of course. There used to be about two mountain peaks here.”
“You think I’m that dumb? I’m not talking about that.”
“Huh? What about it then?”
“Something… I feel more movement in the energy.”
Sian then realized what she was talking about also.
“Hm… didn’t this region always have more Bander and Exar movement?”
“Yeah, but it’s little more than that. Maybe it’s because we fought here.”
“That might be the reason. It will be helpful for the academy though.”
The increase in flow meant good things for students in training as it will help those students gain more Bander or Exar.
“Anyway. Show me then.”
“Where should we start?”
“By the way… don’t you think it’s a shame that those artifacts were destroyed?” Stiel asked Sian who was stretching.
“Huh? Yeah, well. It was useful.”
“Useful?”
“It made me stronger. I was impressed that there was something that allowed me to become stronger. I would’ve probably died if I didn’t have those in that other world.”
“It was fortunate.”
“Yeah. So you asked if I find it a shame for not having them anymore?”
“Yeah. The armor too. That’s broken too.”
Sian smiled. “Yeah, but it’s okay. I’ll show you why.”
The area surrounding Sian began to distort. At once, several invisible layers were created around Sian, lurching with the flow.
Stiel became shocked and shouted, “Is… is that?!”
“Yeah, it’s similar to the armor, right?”
It wasn’t just that. The armor had seven layers of dimensional barriers, but Sian had more than ten barriers right now.
“And…”
Sian then began focusing energy at the tips of his fingers. On his left hand was a golden light and on the right was a dark, black light.
“This works also. Next is…”
Stiel was dumbfounded. She was impressed that Sian wielded the armor himself, but it was possible. However, wielding various powers like that wasn’t something that was possible. No Ra-Bander was able to use different <Ways> at the same time.
For Sian to be able to do this, that meant one of two things.
One was that he was so powerful that he could easily bring those out, and the second was that his <Way> specialized in bringing out different powers.
Whichever reason it was, it was amazing. There was no way for Sian to want the artifacts anymore. He didn’t even need one.
Sian tested his powers on the grounds and skies. With one effortless move, something was erased completely.
‘So, he really did go easy on me last time.’
Stiel asked Sian, “How are you doing that?”
“What about it?” Sian said, not knowing what she was asking.
“That. How you use all kinds of <Ways>…”
“Oh this? It’s not multiple things.”
“Then?”
“It’s one <Way>. I started using it when I hit the barrier, but I can use it a lot easier after I broke through the barrier.”
Stiel’s analysis was wrong. It was not one of two. It was both.
“It’s amazing. You might never pass your next barrier.”
Sian said he needed to face multiple near-death experiences to pass the Ra-Bander barriers and to advance. But it seemed like no one could kill him.
“That’s what I aim for. I want to live in peace.”
“Destroy cities as a hobby?”
“…No. That’s not true.”
“But it’s really amazing. I think you can even kill that legendary Seven-Horned Harijan,” Stiel said as she could not guess anything would be a match for Sian.
“That’s from the legend. Even if it exists, I’m going to run away from it.”
‘He doesn’t say he’s going to lose.’
Stiel smiled. “So, why did you call me here?”
“Huh?”
“I don’t think I can be much of help here.”
“Oh… that…”
“…you wanted to show it to someone.”
“…”
“Don’t be embarrassed. Who else do you have besides me? Go on.”
Only superhumans could recognize superhuman powers.
“Okay. Then I won’t hold back.”
Stiel smiled.
