CORE

Chapter 16 - Bargain

"Twice your pain is all it will take now," The voice in the black void uttered...

Hero woke up, but not as hastily due to the fact his body felt numbed and fatigued, especially after using his Magic Ultimatum for the first time, it was certainly quite draining.

"I will never get used to that..." Hero said as he scratched the back of his head, getting up as he sighed.

Now that he was relaxed, he could take in his surroundings comfortably, but much to his surprise they were in a lush forest, with birds chirping everywhere as they were in an open spot where the sun shined the brightest.

"...This is a breather," Hero spoke as his eyes slightly widened, he then turned around, to which he saw Justice sitting down on a chopped tree trunk, in which he seemed to be toying around with a stick, resting his head on his hand as he drew what seemed to be a castle of sorts.

The castle seemed... Highly detailed, one could only draw like that if they had seen such a structure repeatedly for a long time, almost without end.

"You're awake, eh? You took a lot longer than other times, I had enough time to do some art, It was one of my hobbies before," Justice said as he smirked, dropping the stick, without turning around and slightly catching Hero off-guard as to how he was able to notice him so quickly.

"...I suppose, so, what are we to do now-?" Hero said before suddenly being cut off by Justice who then stood up from the tree trunk.

"Take this time to chat and rest a bit, don't keep rushing in blind when you're not in a good state," Justice said in a playful tone as he raised his hand before turning around to Hero.

"...Sure, it seems like a good choice, this shouldn't be too detrimental," Hero reluctantly said as he laid back down on the grass, which rather strangely, was as soft as butter, yet as runny as sand as the sun shined down on his body.

"I take it you're enjoying the vacation so far?" Justice sarcastically spoke as he walked up to Hero.

"To be honest? Yes," Hero replied as he took a deep breath and Justice sat down next to him.

"So, about that conversation you had with him, do you really think of yourself as that? I mean, you never really had a choice right?" Justice asked in a casual tone, to which Hero responded, but stopped the moment he was to utter the first word as he stayed silent.

"I don't know this world as much as you do, but I think everyone's a hypocrite, no matter how committed they are to their beliefs, but that same hypocrisy allows them to strive in the first place," Hero said in a slightly guilty tone, reminiscing of the times where he did not seem to help, but more so just caused just a bit more damage to the wound, or at least what he thought.

"...I have most likely said this before, but you truly are a lot like me, I never had a choice, I was created to be a Guardian," Justice said as he snickered before raising his hand up to the air, staring at the morning sun directly as he outstretched his hand to it, before gripping it tightly.

"And when I didn't want to be one..." Justice then sat up.

"I was punished, for defying a predestined fate, given by an entity I dread deeply, seems quite familiar, does it not?"

"...It does, we can't change the past, especially when the damage has already been done," Hero replied as he stood up, and stretched his arms.

"But it is up to us if we want to weep about it or change the future to stop any more weeping," Hero spoke, turning around as he then let out his hand for Justice to grab onto.

"Ah, you really are cliche, but I can admit, in a good way," Justice said, chuckling with a grin on his face as he grabbed Hero's hand, pulling himself back up, rather comically as he looked as he jumped up like a spring.