Infinite Journey: Dark Souls

Her gaze lingered on the flames, which, nearly extinguished by the dousing, seemed to cheer as if celebrating the departure of some alien entity from them. But she herself did not want those things to leave, simply because she knew that the departing human form was also Homura Akemi… no, that was a part of her, that was herself.

The flame cried out in alarm. The firewood stubbornly climbed into the darkness, its own firelight illuminating the retreating humanoid figure once more. White ash rose from the firewood, and it coalesced into a flaming arm, reaching out towards the black humanoid figure.

The humanoid figure stopped, staring blankly at the incomplete firewood. The next moment, an arm made of solidified black liquid stretched out, and upon contact with the flames, it released a cloud of white mist.

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A chill seeped into his limbs and bones, and Ashflame jolted awake, sitting up in bed.

Her vision snapped out of that world of firelight and darkness, and everything before seemed like a nightmare. As she awoke from the dream, she felt a hazy mist still surrounding her, carrying a putrid smell that rushed into her nostrils.

The aura was a mixture of chilling cold and madness. She instinctively ignited a flame, jumped off the bed, drew her longsword, pointed the tip at the ground, and carefully surveyed her surroundings.

The room was dimly lit, with only an oil lamp hanging at a large door at the far end of her vision. By the light of her own fire, she could only see bottles and jars scattered on the floor, as well as IV needles stained a deep purple by the firelight.

The place where she had just been lying appeared to be an operating table, with some dark red substance congealed on the dirty surface. The whole room had a Victorian, retro, and mysterious style, with intricate carvings on the ceiling and between the medicine shelves, mixed with blood-stained medical instruments, making one feel as if they had returned to that contradictory era when the steam industry was just emerging and classical art had completed its revival.

However, neither the instruments of the steam industry nor the sculptures of classical art are smeared with dark red bloodstains. There is no vibrant life in this place amidst the changes of the times, only a dark and damp mysterious atmosphere. Xiao Yan felt that there would be no warm and hospitable people here to welcome her.

A faint mist hung in the air as she surveyed the room, simultaneously checking her own condition.

Apart from the flames appearing to be suppressed, all other equipment and items were complete.

Just as she was about to leave the clinic-like room, something occurred to her, and she began to call upon the familiar hiding in her shadow.

The arrogant girl with short blonde hair jumped out, straightened her chest, raised her head, and saluted her master. Then, as if she had been thrown into an ice cellar, she immediately hugged her shoulders and shivered from the cold.

Perhaps it was just an illusion, but after Xiaoyan saw her come out, the fog became even thicker, and after looking around for a while, before its master could ask any questions, the arrogant creature shrank back into Xiaoyan's shadow.

Well, it seems she'll have to explore this eerie place herself.

However, she still had some guesses. Perhaps the nightmarish scene she had just witnessed was real. This was the shadow of the flames, the abyss of darkness, and she had ultimately fallen into it. There were some things she couldn't be as open-minded about as she thought, but that didn't matter. She would reclaim what belonged to her, even if it was just the shadow behind the flames. She would carry all that had settled in her heart and climb out again.

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Flames filled the field of vision; the feeling was so familiar, yet somehow different.

At this moment, Zhi could clearly feel that the flames were surging from the bottom of her heart, and that the body was constructed from these golden flames.

Mo Tong seemed to have seen the truth about traversing worlds, but her mind was not on that at the moment.

She immediately opened her eyes and found herself back at the familiar sacrificial site... However, when she went there, there were two people, but when she returned, only she was left by the campfire.

Confirming that the figure who had always been by her side was no longer there, even though she had a premonition, Zhi still slumped down by the campfire.

That's going too far.

Recalling the words she had used to encourage Xiaoyan not long ago, she didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

A golden flame burned quietly in her heart. She neither wanted to cry nor laugh. She could see the fire in her heart clearly and knew what she should do now.

She quickly scanned the sacrificial site, then frowned again, because the figure she was looking for was not lying on the steps of the sacrificial site as usual.

Or rather, the sacrificial site was unusually deserted at this moment. Apart from the Fire Keeper standing quietly to the side, there was only the King of Cinder sitting alone on the empty throne.

"Child, you're back."

The withered Lord of Cinder sat on his throne, gazing at the girl who had returned from another world. Surprisingly, he took the initiative to speak to her.

"Ah, I'm back, Mr. Rudauth."

"The child who took you to her own world... I'm sorry, something must have happened to you, right?"

"It's alright, it would be strange if nothing happened, Mr. Ludovic. You must have seen this kind of scene many times before, right?"

Rising from the campfire, Weaver donned her signature hearty smile, but this time her expression held a touch more humanity than her mask. She waved to her Fire Keeper, receiving a bow in return, then ascended the steps. Beside Ludows' throne, she leaped onto the seat of another Lord of Cinder, sitting cross-legged on the armrest, facing the withered Lord of Cinder.

"No, I've only seen a few Ashes like you who awakened on their first journey back to the world."

"Oh? I thought that after returning to the 'world where they exist', most people would be completely awakened and turned to ashes under intense stimulation."

“What you’re describing is just one scenario. It’s true that some people do return to ‘the world they once existed in.’ But it doesn’t matter which world they return to. Your world is missing you, but it still functions as usual. Many people don’t realize this. When they see a world where they no longer have a place, they always become despondent. And for Ash, becoming despondent is no different from death.”

"Haha, it seems that not choosing to go back to my own world was the right choice after all~"

“Child, my eyes are still sharp. Your flame is so clear that even if you return to your own world, where you have no attachments, you will not waver.”

"I feel a little embarrassed by your evaluation of me~"

“You are a promising talent. Your predecessors, including myself, have always thought so. I was worried that with new ties to you, your flame might be tinged with other colors. However, it turns out that your awakening so quickly is thanks to your Oathgiver.”

Zhi's cheerful smile slowly turned into a faint smile as she looked back at the campfire, as if she were looking at a figure that was not there.

"Yes, Xiaoyan is truly amazing. Even in a world where she has no place, she can still firmly move towards her goal. From the very beginning, she probably knew exactly what her true intentions were. Her experiences in that world only strengthened her resolve and ignited her passion."

Did she confront herself?

"That's right, he bravely threw a punch straight at us."

Weaving on the handrail, he gestured as if throwing a punch, sincerely praising his companion.

"So, why hasn't she, someone as strong as her, returned yet? Mr. Ludovic, do you know the reason?"

The punching motion paused in mid-air for a moment. Zhi withdrew her movement, and when she looked back, her eyes were already shimmering with pure gold and white.

The flames gleaming in his withered eye sockets met the gaze of the woven demonic eyes. After a moment of silence, the Lord of Cinder slowly spoke.

"...Don't worry, if she's really as strong as you say, she'll climb back up from the abyss sooner or later."

The light in the magic pupils faded, and Zhi slightly closed her eyes, stretched, and let out a long breath.

"That's great! I knew it! She survived so many reincarnations, how could she possibly be defeated by this one death?"

"Heh heh, the ashes of your otherworld are indeed very interesting, much more complicated than us guys who crawled out of our graves—many of you ignore what I say, but there are guys like you who believe me so easily."

"I'll take this as a compliment from you, sir... Well, actually I believe in Xiaoyan, I'm just looking for a reason to make myself believe in her more."

The sudden change in address from Zhi startled the Lord of Cinder, who then shook his head with a mixture of amusement and wry smile.

"However, I would be extremely grateful if the old man could reveal more details to me~"

"Kid, aside from that onion-like guy, this is the first time I've seen anyone face the Lord of Cinder with this attitude. Don't you have even a shred of fear?"

Zhi casually pointed to her eyes and continued speaking in the same vein.

"Even if you can't see clearly, what is there to fear about things that you can definitely see?"

"Hahahaha! Kid, well said! If everyone believed their eyes like you do, I wouldn't be here... Hahahaha!"

The withered Lord of Cinder suddenly burst into laughter, sparks flying across his body. He was like a real piece of firewood, and even as he was about to burn out, the heat contained within his body was a hundred times hotter than ashes. This heat was the power of the Lord of Cinder, radiating out in waves with his laughter, yet it did not make Zhi, who was standing close by, feel oppressed, only filled with a sense of vicissitude.

PS: Yunxi: 744486102, the opening of Volume 2, just my usual cute antics asking for votes~

Chapter Two: The Flame and the Heart

Pushing open the heavy door illuminated by an oil lamp, Xiaoyan walked through the long corridor to the lower level of the clinic, where it was equally gloomy and dark, with a persistent, faint mist surrounding her.

Upon entering the spacious yet cluttered hall, piled high with operating tables and IV bottles, she saw for the first time what she wanted to retrieve.

It was that black humanoid figure, exactly the same as the one she had seen in her nightmare, solidified from liquid darkness, its outline barely visible. The figure stood silently in the messy operating table, its head tilted, with IV tubes dragging on the floor, seemingly connected to her in the indistinct darkness.

Ashflame walked over, the flames burning on his body dispelling the mist, but unable to penetrate the darkness.

Why would the black humanoid obediently follow her?

The flames on her body made her feel uncomfortable, and the flames, in turn, burned brighter and brighter, rejecting her.

Something rose from the shadows—a giant black wolf with thick fur, sharp teeth, saliva dripping from its mouth, and a crazed red light in its eyes.

It longed to eat, and the delicate human in front of it probably had delicious flesh and blood, so it couldn't resist taking a bite.

The giant wolf pounced, bringing with it a dark, eerie wind. It didn't know that what appeared to be human was actually devoid of flesh and blood. Even if it bit into that body, all it would taste was tasteless ashes—perhaps with a few hot sparks.

But how could Ash let itself get bitten?

This enormous beast could probably keep many novice hunters busy, but a fully armed Ash could easily plunge a longsword into its throat.

The giant wolf was too greedy. Facing the ash wielding a weapon, it abandoned its claws and pounced without any defense, just to be the first to eat the delicious flesh.

Its claws snapped shut during the attack, and its sharp teeth gleamed coldly in its gaping maw. It pressed down with all its weight, but it never expected to run headfirst into a deadly weapon.

Ash didn't even need to consider tactics. The greedy giant wolf offered its chest, belly, and throat to her. All she had to do was raise her longsword, point the tip at its throat, and thrust it out fiercely.

Claws landed on Ash's shoulder, but before the sharp nails could even grip and the heavy body could even press down, the wolf's head, forced to shut its mouth by the longsword piercing through its throat, flew out with thick black fluid as the longsword twisted and pulled through its throat.

Xiao Yan, having swiftly delivered the fatal blow, took a step back. The splashing black liquid had barely gotten close when the flames eagerly burned it all away.

The wolf's body fell in front of her, swallowed by thick black liquid, and it once again became part of the darkness.

The black humanoid figure tilted her head, watching the massacre unfold. A crescent-shaped smile appeared on her blurred face, and her childish yet shrill laughter filled the entire space.

The darkness beneath her feet carried her slowly back towards the clinic's entrance. Little Flame, however, could only remain where she was, as more darkness permeated the room, and wolf howls rose and fell. The willful darkness did not want to return to the heart of only flame; she wanted to play a killing game here, and even if the ashes won, she would not let the flames burn her to ashes.

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The humanoid figure left, and the clinic's lobby was surrounded by black beasts. Ash was fearless of the beasts, but frowned and stared in the direction the humanoid figure, who refused to return, had left.

She didn't want to spend too much time here. She had companions waiting for her return, and she had new wishes to fulfill. But now she could only lazily play a killing game with the runaway child.

Perhaps she's still just a child; she herself recently acted on the same level of willfulness; she hurt the enemy a hundred times but also lost three thousand of her own, just to annoy someone she didn't like, and ended up in the abyss.

However, imagining a demon jumping up and down because of her little prank, she couldn't help but smile.

With her longsword swung casually, she moved among sharp teeth and claws. After years of battle, Ash was no longer afraid of any situation that could be resolved by violence.

The giant wolf's enormous size actually diminishes its advantage over agile hunting dogs; for example, its own kind, the skeletal hounds that appear in packs, can take advantage of their smaller size to launch continuous attacks like waves.

These enormous creatures, however, hindered each other during the attack. The prey was so small that when they crowded together, there was nowhere for them to bite.

Even if she were actually scratched or bitten, she would lose a large chunk of flesh—oh, right now it's just a large clump of ashes to her—but we'd have to be able to scratch or bite her first.

Holding her longsword, she slowly moved her feet. As another giant wolf pushed aside its companion and pounced forward, she slightly shifted to the side to avoid its head. In the instant they passed each other, she slashed down with her sword.

The blade sliced ​​into the neck bone, cutting through the neck muscles. The decapitated giant wolf, its head drooping, collapsed to the ground and turned into black goo.

One.

The attacking giant wolf made way, and the creature next to it immediately followed up with a swing. Its claws tore through the thin mist, leaving sharp trails in the air. The longsword it had slashed suddenly changed back to a combat stance. With a step forward, she landed right in the crook of the giant wolf's forelimb. The claws that swung down were met only by another longsword slash.

The giant wolf's howl abruptly ceased, its severed claw still suspended in mid-air. The sharp sword tip returned to its combat stance, and in the next instant, it devoured another life.

Another one.

The other giant wolves went berserk. They no longer cared about their companions and frantically swung their claws, scratching out thick, black pus that splattered all over the operating table, completely covering the dark red bloodstains.

All we can do is cover up these bloodstains.