Pale ghostly hands claw at my limbs, and I heard nothing but the screams and wails of the bloody and deformed ghosts in front of me. One of them moves closer. Half of his face dangles dangerously from his throat, and his bone and brain creates a mush that moves like a sloppy puddy as his mouth opens to speak.

'Monster'

'Murderer'

'Child of Scorog'

...

They're annoying...

I wave a hand through its face and watch as it turns to smoke for a moment.

Crawl back to the realm of waiting, Bastards.

When Felix said I would risk seeing ghosts... I was... worried... yes, worried.

'I cannot not have a waking nightmare in this situation. It is too dangerous... but could I control my mind if I saw them?' Is what I had thought... but none from my life as Rei we're here... NONE.

Then what about all these guys? They're the cowards from the siege 8 years ago... and believe me, I have not killed all of these guys. Some of them, yes, but most of them are just people killed by others that made their grudge against me... and there are enough of them to cover my vision entirely... and they're loud enough to drown out everything else.

I should have expected this. None of my comrades were pitiful enough to haunt me. They were all wonderful people, and they had likely either become ancestors or reincarnated to give them another try to fulfill their soul given destiny. Unlike this filthy bunch trembling with fear and anger.

I want to sigh and really, I try to ignore them for the longest time until a whisper catches my attention...

"Realm... walker.... helplesssssssss...."

I peer around for the source of the hiss like voice, but see nothing but the ugly cowards.

"Rei!"

Another voice causes my blood to run cold and makes my body break out in a cold sweat... I... feel that I get shaken... but I can't pull my eyes away from the golden figure cutting itself through the hundreds of ghosts with a familiar sweet and bitter familiarity.

My subordinates were all wonderful people. So they were either ancestors or reincarnated... they... they wouldn't be by my side...

"...Kenta?"

My heart stings and I stare at him confused. Still, he turns with me in a roar of war, though this time no sound of his booming voice reaches me.

The water around me began to move, and in an instant a huge wave bashes against me and sends me out of balance. If someone hadn't grabbed my shoulder I would have fallen into the swamp. I'm not sure how well I could get up if I fell down right now.

Another grab at my shoulder made me stumble backwards into a pissy flock of ghosts that immediately rush my view with their mangled shapes.

A swift katana moved through the air to clear away some of the ghosts and presented Kenta to me once more. His expression is scrunched into an angry growl and yet, his eyes glimmer with a hint of worry. He reaches for me for a moment, but his hand goes through mine like air. Gritting his teeth he motions with his hand behind me to the hand on my shoulder. I can just barely see the hand, for the arm is covered by ghosts crawling over it hungrily.

"I know!" I yelled back at Kenta who turns back to slaughtering ghosts and pulling them off of his body as they try to crawl over him as well. Judging by the tenseness on my shoulder and the water just now, we are likely in a fight. I've no choice but to trust Lumere with interpreting the targets of my spell. As long as I keep them in mind it should be fine... hopefully...

"The force of water is immeasurable!"

"The force of water is a surge!"

"The force of an army blessed by water is undeniable!"

Another tug nearly makes me tumble over again before another wave of water splashed over me. I don't have time to clear my throat and continue my prayer despite the smell of rotten eggs stinging in my nose and the earthy taste of the water passing through my lips.

"By the power of water, I pray for you to bless those by my side with your power and might."

I continue relentlessly, but my eyes are drawn to Kenta struggling against the ghosts. Unlike me he can actually interact with them, but that also means that they can tear him apart, and that they are... I shake my head momentarily. I've no time to be distracted.

"Let their movements rush faster than ever,"

"As masters of rolling hills."

"Let their strikes bite into the flesh of their enemies,"

"Let them show the might of wat-"

Another tug. I nearly pull my sword in anger, but manage to get out the last syllable.

"-Er!"

I feel my body lighten as the spell sets in effect, and the water seems less of a problem now. This should help everyone out. If nothing else, then until we get to land. This blindness is driving me mad. I can't see what is going on, I'm literally more of a burden than anything else. I don't even know what kind of enemy we are up against.

Kenta's katana swipes through the air right in front of me and with one sign he motions 'Back!'

I grit my teeth and jump back, shoving the person holding my shoulder as well. The air blasts past my ear as something massive appears to have struck where I was standing and a huge wave blasts me back a bit further. I feel the water drops hitting my scalp and draw the No-dachi cautiously. It's big enough to cause 'rain' and since the water isn't ripping me along then it's probably not moving. I swing at where I stood a moment before, since the hand on my shoulder isn't stopping me it should be the right direction, right?

Impact... but barely any.

The creature must have moved as it realized I was striking... but the water isn't really moving.

I'm moved back forcefully again by my backpack as another blast of air threatens to push me over. Seems like the creature doesn't like being hurt... but... it's not moving sideways... is it raising its head?

Kenta steps up close to me with a scolding and somewhat annoyed look in his eyes, and... moves through... me?

An uncomfortable feeling goes through me like a nauseating chill. That... is he trying to possess me?! Is it because of the area?

I grip the no-dachi harder.

Kenta killed me, there is no way I would let him take over control of my body... but... it seemed like Kenta knew where the opponent was... at this rate I... at this rate I'm helpless. I can't see anything. I cannot hear anything. I take up the attention of at least one of the knights that have to move me... I... I don't want to be helpless again... I don't want these ghosts to clear and find everyone dead or mutilated. Sinful as he is, Kenta is by my side right now...

...and I weigh their survival over my pride and anger.

I grit my teeth.

I let him take over.

My stance changes in an instant, and everything goes dark as he closes our eyes. Only the wails remain, the feeling of the hand on my shoulder and the cold water.

'Kenta... why did you kill me?' I want to ask.

I want to know.

The dead wail louder, screeching and crying. Cursing at me for taking me from their families. For taking their lives... for taking their brothers... but I don't mind. That is reality. Cowards and the dishonorable will be killed without mercy.

The water shifts slightly... and the hand on my shoulder tenses...

It's coming.

A brief moment of complete silence...

The tug on my shoulder shaken off determinedly...

Then... impact...

It was a simple blow, just a strike from above, but with a step and lowered stance half ducking into the water. Immense pressure like nothing I've felt for ages presses at my arms, trying to rip them backwards out of the joints and then lightens as the strike finishes... only to appear once more as Kenta moves my front leg back to the side and swings again without a moment of hesitation... but this time immense force of movement rips my left arm out of its joint as the no-dachi gets stuck in the monster.

I grasp at the weapon with my other arm and instantly gets pulled out of the water...

I'm dangling from the sword in mid-air, and I know that this is bad. Still, Kenta refuses to let go of the sword. If he did let go, then I would probably not get to see the sword again. The beast did not at all like getting injured and was squirming violently in a way I couldn't imagine a normal beast doing... and then I felt the texture of its body... smooth... the hiss from before as well... the way it raised from the water...

"Vitis, Mayard!"

I called to the two guys I guessed would be in charge.

"It will still move after it dies, be careful!" I don't know if they are already aware, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

The nauseating feeling suddenly disappears as Kenta steps out of my body and charges back into the hordes of ghosts in what appears to be an attempt to clear my vision.

Why in the world did he possess me in the first place if he's just going to leave me like this?!

I shift and try to desperately place my feet against the giant snake to push out the sword... but from the way it keeps squirming I don't get a proper chance of doing it... at least it isn't biting me... for... reasons unbeknownst to me at this current point in time.

The snake's body crashes down into the water and nearly knocks me out from the impact as well. I keep a tight grasp on the sword and gasp for air as I feel it begin to roll. As expected, I end up underwater and hold my breath the best I can.

"Curssssse you!" A hissing voice screams in my head. Among the wails of the ghosts it is but one more voice among the noise. I push it away and this time get my feet planted properly on the body and pull.

Once I'm free of the body a pair of hands pull me back roughly.

Then... Kenta disappears again... and I'm left alone once more with the crying and screaming pitiful ghosts...

I'm pulled to safe ground... and nothing happens for... gods know how long...

The hand on my shoulder is no longer tense though... so maybe they're doing fine?

After feeling hands checking me over for injuries I cast the area effect healing spell a couple times... it's the best I can do without knowing the situation...

One of the ghosts lean up to me with a cruel grin on its lips. It's missing an arm, and its guts are dangling out like noodles... I wait... patiently...

Finally we start walking again... but it's slow...

As we walk my mind drifts back to Kenta... but I cannot see him anymore. He's nowhere to be seen... and was nowhere to be seen before the battle started... but... what is he doing here? Clearly he... wasn't hostile... but he was dead. Definitely. What were you doing here... Kenta?

And why did you kill me?

My stomach drops as nausea fills it again.

I'm confused.

Am I to be angry? I am... but I am also to be thankful...

By the time my vision finally cleared a small village was ahead of us surrounded by a sturdy looking palisade...

I look behind me and instinctively start counting...

Everyone is alive.

Many are still injured, but we are all alive.

Asher perks up and smiles as our eyes meet. He looks proud and hints towards a huge reptilian body.

A snake.

It's scales seem to glitter in the sunset light... though it still squirms. Heavy restraints have been built with earth magic, and water mages keep the body afloat on the water. Hundreds of cuts over its body can be seen... the deepest is one under its throat, a cauterized injury around the neck, and the last one on the side of its stomach... it's not what killed the huge reptile though, but it would have caused death eventually. For the cause of death, I'd guess the huge stone spike through its head...

I breathe in sweet relief. They did well... they would have done it without me there too.

The only thing seeming abnormal was Vitis being a good way apart from Peony while carrying a grim expression.

I peer back into the swamps for a last glimpse of Kenta... knowing that you can have answers is... harder than I thought it would be... to be so close... and yet be left with no answer.

He left when there was no longer danger... back to wherever he was... but I want... answers... not speculations or guesses. I want a clear answer... an answer for why he killed me... an answer for why he did it the way he did... and for why he was by my side just now.

[AN: Happy Valentines! I hope everyone of you have/has had a brilliant day!]