It had been a few hours since they were ambushed by the black monster-like golem, and Lillian still hadn’t explained herself. Her sudden strength, power, and speed were all too abnormal for Lily.
Just before, Lillian was the one asking for a short break, and now she was ahead of her, seemingly with never-ending energy.
Not to mention that Lily could clearly see there was something wrong with her sister. She might look alright, but as her twin, she could definitely tell that Lillian wasn’t the same as she was before.
“I already told you, right, Sis-“
“Lillian, why don’t we stop with this nonsense now, okay?”
Both stopped in their tracks as they locked eyes with one another.
“I clearly saw you getting hit, I clearly saw you almost dying!” Lily’s voice trembled with a mix of anger and concern. “You can’t just brush this off like it’s nothing. What happened to you?”
Lillian sighed, her playful demeanor fading. “Haah~ we’ve had this conversation just a while ago, right? I know you’re worried, Lily. And you have every right to be. But right now, we need to focus on surviving. We can talk about what happened later.”
“No, Lillian. We need to talk about it now,” Lily insisted, her tone firm. “Whatever you did to get that power, it’s not natural. I can feel it.”
Lillian hesitated, then finally relented. “Fine. There was a… being. She offered me a deal, a way to save you and defeat that monster. I took it.”
Lily’s eyes widened in shock. “A deal? With who?”
“I don’t know exactly,” Lillian admitted, her voice softening. “But she did give me a mysterious stone. It’s what gave me the power to fight back.”
Lily’s gaze shifted to the spot where Lillian indicated, a mixture of fear and concern in her eyes. “And what did it cost you?”
Although Lillian didn’t confirm it, a thought about what type of creature her sister made a deal with was up on her mind right now.
There were only a few beings in this world capable of giving power, and judging from how quickly her sister got stronger, she suspected it might be that being.
“I don’t know… but not like it matters, right?”
“What do you mean it doesn’t matter? We don’t even know what sort of being you were dealing with! You know that of all the spiritual entities, only demons offer power for something in return, right?”
“If I didn’t do it, the two of us would be dead right now, Sis! All that matters is that we’re both safe, right? So… let’s forget about it for now and talk about it later. I’ll properly explain everything to you then. Now, let’s go and claim Master’s legacy, shall we?”
Lily’s eyes filled with worry, but she nodded reluctantly. She knew her sister was right; they needed to focus on their mission. But the unease lingered, a dark shadow over the bond they shared.
“Alright,” Lily said quietly. “But you promise we’ll talk about this later?”
“I promise,” Lillian replied, a small smile on her lips. “Now, let’s get moving.” They continued their climb up the mountain, the tension between them palpable. The air grew colder as they ascended, the path becoming more treacherous. Despite the physical exertion, both sisters felt the weight of their conversation more heavily than the climb itself. As they neared the summit, the wind howled around them, carrying with it a sense of foreboding. The peak was shrouded in mist, and the path ahead was barely visible. But the determination in their hearts burned brighter than ever.
Lillian led the way, her newfound power giving her an edge in navigating the rocky terrain. Lily followed closely, her eyes never leaving her sister. The uncertainty of what lay ahead was daunting, but their resolve was unshaken.
At the summit, they found a small, ancient shrine, half-buried in snow. The legacy of their master, the reason for their perilous journey, awaited them there. They approached with reverence, feeling the weight of their master’s teachings in every step.
“This is it,” Lillian said, her voice barely above a whisper. “We’ve made it.”
“Yes…” Lily mumbled, slightly surprised by the place’s atmosphere.
She had expected it to be low on oxygen and extremely cold since it stood at the peak of a gigantic mountain, but it was surprisingly warm and cozy.
‘There are no monsters….’
She couldn’t help but notice that ever since their encounter with the black monster, no other creatures had crossed their path.
Granted, their master’s traps had interfered from time to time, but no golems or monsters had appeared to hinder their climb.
“I thought only a shrine stood here, but isn’t this a small village?” Lillian commented, observing the small houses around them.
Lily scanned the area by releasing her mana into the air and enhancing her senses, yet no other beings aside from them were present. “Lillian, don’t you think this place is strange?”
“What are you talking about, Sis? I can clearly feel Master’s aura remaining in this place. We’re in the right place, no?”
“Yes, I know, but… this place is too suspicious.”
“Well, Master was a rather mysterious person as well, right?”
Lily frowned, trying to shake off her unease. “True, but this is different. It feels like a trap.”
Lillian walked ahead, her eyes scanning the surroundings. “Maybe Master wanted it to be this way. To test us even here, at the end of our journey.”
“Maybe,” Lily conceded, though the feeling of foreboding lingered.
They moved through the small village, the eerie silence amplifying every sound they made. The houses, though small, were well-built and gave off an aura of tranquility. It was as if time had stopped in this hidden place, preserving it perfectly.
Lillian stopped in front of the largest structure, a building that looked more like a temple than a house. “This must be it.”
Lily nodded, her hand tightening around the hilt of her dagger. “Stay alert.”
They stepped inside, the air thick with the scent of incense and old wood. The interior was dimly lit by candles, their flickering flames casting long shadows on the walls.
At the far end of the room, a large altar stood, draped in dark cloth and adorned with various
relics.
“Are those Master’s weapons?” Lillian said with a slight gulp, looking at the weapons with astonished eyes.
From knives to swords, crossbows to axes, the altar was filled with the weapons their master always used. Each one was meticulously crafted, gleaming with a deadly elegance that spoke volumes about their potency.
“His equipment is also here…” Lily mumbled, her gaze shifting to the right where their master’s cloak and shadow suit stood encased in a glass box, illuminated by the eerie blue
flames of the torch above it.
Stepping closer, the two took long, smooth steps, wary of any traps that might be set up. But
as they approached, they soon realized there were none.
“Strange…” Lily muttered.
“Well, it’s better than being bombed or spiked, right?” Lillian quipped with a nervous
chuckle.
Lily couldn’t deny her sister’s words, but still, something about this place felt off. Calming herself, she looked at all the weapons with a nostalgic expression.
Touching them briefly, she could feel the hard and rare metals placed upon each weapon.
The grades of these weapons could probably sell for millions of golds if they found the right buyer, but that wasn’t their plan.
“We’re not here to sell them,” Lily said, as if reading her sister’s thoughts. “These weapons are our legacy, a part of Master’s will left for us.”
Lillian nodded; her eyes still wide with awe. “I know. It’s just… seeing them all here, like this…
it feels overwhelming.”
Lily picked up a beautifully crafted dagger, its blade shining with a dangerous allure. “These aren’t just weapons. They’re tools of our trade, extensions of our skills and will.” Lillian moved to the cloak and shadow suit, her fingers lightly tracing the glass case. “And
this… Master’s cloak and suit. I can’t believe it’s here. He always told us these were the most precious items he owned.”
They spent the next few hours carefully examining each weapon and piece of equipment. Every item was a testament to their master’s craftsmanship and his understanding of combat.
The weapons were perfectly
ed, the armor lightweight yet incredibly durable, and the
gadgets ingeniously designed for stealth and efficiency.
“We need to honor this gift,” Lily said, her voice firm. “We need to use these tools to their fullest potential. Master left them for a reason.”
“Are we taking all of this back with us, sis?” Lillian asked, her eyes wide with wonder as she surveyed the arsenal before them.
“No… we’ll leave them here. It’ll be easier to hide these items this way,” Lily replied. As much
as she wanted to take every single weapon, there was only one piece of their master’s legacy
that she always had her eyes on.
[Karaka’s Daggers]
Holding onto the twin blades that had a greenish glow around the edges, Lily twirled the daggers around with a slight smile. “Just take one for yourself as well, Lillian.”
“Okay~” Lillian said, excitement evident in her voice. She quickly approached the glass case
-containing the cloak and suit.
“You’re taking that?” Lily wondered. She understood the appeal; the suit and cloak had wondrous effects and abilities, great for assassination. But with their petite bodies, something like that seemed too big to wear.
“Yes, it looks cool~” Lillian replied, opening the glass box and taking the suit and cloak. She
had a slight smirk on her face as she put them on. The suit and cloak turned into a hazy shadow before readjusting themselves to her body size, even becoming more feminine in
nature.
“It can do that…?” Lily asked, astonished.
“Hehe~ This is one of the few secrets only Master and I know,” Lillian said with a
mischievous grin.
Lily shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. “You always had a knack for discovering Master’s secrets.”
“It’s part of my charm,” Lillian teased, striking a playful pose in her new gear.
With their chosen items in hand, the sisters made their way back to their temporary shelter.
The weight of their master’s legacy felt lighter now, more manageable.
They were no longer burdened by the past but empowered by it. “Now then, let’s go back, shall we?” Lily suggested, a hint of relief in her voice.
“I’m sure the dorm master must be pretty-” Lillian’s words were abruptly cut off. She
stopped talking mid-sentence, and more alarmingly, she stopped moving altogether. “Lillian?” Lily’s voice quivered with perplexity and concern.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The sound of gentle clapping resonated through the shrine, and a chilling sense of dread
washed over Lily.
“Hm~ it seems the two of you have chosen your respective items now~” a melodic voice
chimed.
Turning around, Lily instinctively gripped the handles of her daggers. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw a beautiful white-haired lady standing before them, looking at them with amusement. Her red eyes shimmered in the moon’s glow.
“I didn’t really notice it when I went for a short visit a while ago, but this smell- divinity? The moon as well…. Is it that shield placed upon your pouch, perhaps? That explains why you survived one of my Blood Born’s punches~ it wasn’t so easy to tell in front of a screen, you
see~”
Lily wanted to speak, to ask who this woman was, but her body refused to move.
“I wanted the night to last longer for my fun, but seeing as how the two of you almost died to
a single Blood Born~ I’ll just have to skip to the main dish.”
Clap!
The woman’s second clap reverberated through the air, and an unseen force pressed down on
Lily, making her feel like she was being suffocated. Her mind raced with panic as she
struggled to understand the situation.
“Now then, just like the old tales of the moon god, a fight between twins is the best ending for
the two of you, right~?” Liyana’s amused chuckle echoed through the shrine.
A grand chair reminiscent of a throne manifested behind the white-haired lady, its materials
made entirely of hardened blood and bones.
She crossed her legs and looked at the two sisters with a seductive smile. The edges of her cheeks ripped apart, showcasing the razor-sharp blades inside her mouth. “L-Lillian… Run,” Lily struggled to say, her voice weak and filled with desperation.
As she turned to look at Lillian, her eyes widened in horror. Her sister stood there, seemingly
in a daze, her hands trembling as she gripped her daggers tightly.
“Lillian…?” Lily’s voice was filled with confusion and concern.
“S-Stop… me…” Lillian’s voice was a desperate plea, the last thing Lily heard before the
shrine erupted into chaos.
Lillian’s body moved with a speed and precision that was frightening.
Her daggers flashed through the air, aiming for Lily with deadly accuracy. Lily barely had time to react, her own daggers meeting Lillian’s in a clash of steel.
The shrine echoed with the sound of their battle, the sisters moving in a deadly dance. Lily’s
heart ached with each strike, her mind reeling from the horror of fighting her own sister.
“Just like in the stories of old, I only want one of you to survive, okay-?” Liyana’s voice dripped with sinister delight as she spoke.
Hearing the mysterious lady’s words, the two sisters’ blades danced into the night once more.
The air was filled with the sharp clang of steel meeting steel, the deadly rhythm of their combat echoing through the shrine.