Death's End

Chapter 26 - The Contract Bearers

"So you were responsible for that vision? It only struck me when I made eye contact with you back in the Hall," Zenvix responded quietly. Misaki shook her head, her expression turning solemn. "I got that vision as well. It was a signal born from the higher entity to identify us to each other, for we are so few."

Zenvix closed his eyes, his thoughts still lingering on the vision. It made more sense now. I have not known this previously from the voice one year ago.

"I had a lurking suspicion that the vision was related to the Ritual of Keys. It showed Nox, Ceil and other establishments which I presumably thought must be the Keys themselves. But what I didn't know is that it was used as a means to identify another contract bearer. The voice, or what I believe you are referring to as the higher entity, didn't divulge this to me one year ago."

Misaki nodded. "And expectantly so. For a start, how did you become a contract bearer, Prince Nighvicto? And what do you know of the contract bearers?"

Zenvix took a deep breath as he revisited his past memories. "A little over a year ago, my personal regiment and I were out on a local military exercise when we received news from one of our scouts that a village of Nox nearby village was under bandit attack. Despite the scout's warning that the bandit force was immense and we'd be wiser to avoid it, I could not in my heart, choose to allow innocent civilians to be butchered by those crooks. It was my duty as heir to protect my people. There was no time to send for reinforcements, so we marched into the village and battled the bandits. Though we were outnumbered, we were able to distract the bandits enough to provide time for most of the civilians to escape. The price we had to pay, however, was that of being surrounded. I remember being back to back against a few of my soldiers before a strange seizure shook me. It was as if my body was being forcibly injected with a massive otherworldly power and during throes of pain, I heard a bizarre voice speak, declaring my bestowed status as a contract bearer and that my duty was to protect Nox, which was an important Key. That was all I knew. When I was myself again, the next thing I saw was Yurisviel, who came out of nowhere and single-handedly crushed the remaining bandits with her bare fists, her blows throwing bodies around like throwing ragged dolls. She told me she was contracted to me as my spiritual guardian due to a higher entity's orders. I was skeptical at first but eventually understood this as the power bequeathed to a contract bearer."

Misaki listened intently before she finally stood up. Pacing a few steps around her home, she finally turned her head towards Zenvix and nodded. "What I have heard from you and what I saw of your behaviour so far are aligned. You are just and your heart is in the right place, or you would not have stood up for me back in the Hall of the Seven, and neither would you have placed your life at stake to save mine. That was why the Spirit Sovereign chose you, Prince Nighvicto."

"The Spirit....Sovereign?" Zenvix questioned.

"Yes, though you would not have known at this point, but he was the one who gave you the responsibility of a contract bearer and contracted Yurisivel to you in an effort to help you complete the critical mission at hand."

"Wait...but how did you know that this entity is the Spirit Sovereign? All I knew was a mysterious voice. And who is this sovereign?"

"How did I know?" Misaki smiled wryly. "He told me, of course. But only during the second year of my tenure as a contract bearer. The Spirit Sovereign is the leading entity of the spiritual world. He lent you the power of a spirit, but it does not mean that he trusted you completely; he is waiting to see if you are the man he thought you to be before entrusting you with more information. That is why your knowledge of our common identity is still understandably little."

Zenvix shot a glance towards Yurisviel, his gaze somewhat accusatory in nature, but the lady retainer merely shrugged. "What do you expect? I am of his world, and so I am bound by his will not to reveal his identity to you."