Chapter 119: Feeding Off Fear

Rein grew a melancholy frown on his face as the image popped into his head, the fact that one of his close friends had killed him in a different timeline, he didn't know how to react.

"I heard the same guy also killed the Econican prince in battle during the war. He was then avenged by the Seeking Blade of Aj'ess. Clyde really was a monster in my timeline," Core added.

"Sho too then? And then Clyde was killed by the Seeking Blade? Considering the relationship the two have in this world, thinking about that is just sad…"

"Tell me about it. We're roommates, and when he told me about his past one time before we went to sleep, it really sent chills down my spine. Though, I'm glad that my actions at least helped set him on the right path," Core remarked.

"And what about Chloe? What happened to her?" Rein inquired.

"Oh…" Core responded in a dejected tone.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"..."

Rein's heart dropped to his stomach as he thought of the possibilities, something so awful that Core didn't even want to say it out loud.

"Then I've got one more thing to say to you, Core. Despite everything that's happened, the grudge I've harbored over these 6 years and the emotions from that day won't just disappear. However, I do understand the necessity of your actions, and if not for you, not only would I be dead, but some of my friends and cherished family wouldn't be here today. And the princess… I shudder to think about what could've happened. So for that, you have my thanks," Rein expressed his gratitude.

"Stop… Don't praise me. I'm just a hopeless bastard who couldn't save the woman who cared for him for 12 years. You've made more of an impact than I ever could," Core replied, Rein shaking his head.

"Maybe so, but in the original timeline, I'm not even alive. It was only due to your actions that I was able to survive."

"..." Core grew a worried expression as he rummaged, staying silent at Rein's words.

"What's wrong?" Rein asked as he noticed his dejected face.

"... Before she died, there was something she wanted me to tell you…" Core muttered quietly, Rein tilting his head as he could barely hear him.

"Hm? I can't hear you," Rein stated as he suddenly moved a book from its position, causing the entire bookshelf to shift over, revealing a wooden ladder that led to a long, downwards tunnel.

"Well, I guess I found it. Let's head down," he remarked as he hopped onto the ladder and descended, entering a dark, rocky tunnel, dimly lit with faint torches that flickered in the soft, underground wind, with creaky, wooden stairs leading downwards into a large, rusty metal door.

Core decided to keep what he had to say to himself, not feeling ready to tell Rein yet.

"Before we move on, I just need you to promise to keep everything you heard from me a secret. I already took a huge risk telling you, I don't want anybody else finding out," Core warned, Rein nodding in affirmation as the 2 continued down the stairs, carefully tip-toeing as to not make any creeks in the floorboards.

A few minutes earlier, in the town…

Clyde and Sho continued running from the dark, ghostly figure as the bright moonlight shimmered down onto the village, giving the surroundings a blue hue. The two hopped from roof to roof, so far being able to outrun it without the use of their Springs.

"I need time to think of a plan… Is there somewhere we could hide that the ghost would be unaware of?" Clyde racked his brain as he thought deeply about his situation, suddenly coming to a revelation as he looked around the town.

"Clyde? Is something wrong man?" Sho asked as Clyde suddenly took a sharp turn.

"Follow me!" He yelled as he swiftly ran towards the west edge of the barrier, the same place that the group had been waiting when the ghost first appeared.

He kept running at full speed, charging headfirst towards the barrier, making Sho panic, thinking that he was about to crash.

"H-hey! Clyde! We're gonna crash into the barrier if you keep this up!" Sho yelled, Clyde not faltering in his charge.

"No. We can go through," he yelled in an abnormally loud voice as he was milliseconds before impacting the barrier.

Sho closed his eyes, bracing himself for impact, suddenly feeling the sounds around him become muffled and slowed, opening his eyes to a world of slowed time.

"I can only keep this active for 5 seconds. Hurry and run into that alleyway! If I'm right about the ghost's circumstance, we should be able to perplex it by disappearing from its sight, and make it look like we crossed through the barrier," Clyde claimed, quickly dashing towards a dark alleyway behind them, Sho following him as they both ducked, not making a sound.

The ghost stopped as the 2 disappeared from its sight, looking around in its area in apparent confusion.

"As I thought, this ghost's actions seem very human. We may be able to outsmart it in some ways if that's the case…" Clyde whispered, Sho staring at the ghost in amazement.

"So what now? You got a plan? It's not like we can fight it or anything. What should we do exactly?" Sho inquired.

"The way I see it, we can't obtain any more information about it, our only option is to purposely be captured," Clyde proposed, causing Sho to gulp his spit out of nerves.

"I… I'm sorry Clyde, I don't know if I can bring myself to do that… it's just, ghosts and stuff is my only weakness… and after what happened in the last mission, I don't know if I want to activate it…" Sho apologetically whispered as he looked down at the ground in shame.

"Raise your head prince Sho, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I will be the one to get captured. You can simply study its movement habits from afar," Clyde reassured as he stood up, loosening his joints as he stretched.

"Thank you," Sho uttered before Clyde jumped out of the hiding spot, Sho jumping up to a roof to observe.

"I'm over here you slimy piece of shit! Come and get me!" Clyde taunted, catching the ghost's attention as it instantly began rushing towards him, Clyde standing still so the ghost could capture him.

It steadily dashed towards Clyde at incredible speed, its grimy, shadowy hands outstretched as they reached for the unflinching man. However, moments before the ghost made contact with Clyde, it suddenly took an incredibly sharp turn, rotating 90 degrees as it shifted its velocity upwards, dashing straight at Sho.

At that moment, Sho froze up. Had he used his Spring, he could've easily dodged the ghost's rush. But he didn't. He stood there with a panicked stare as the ghost zoomed towards him, though the ghost wasn't at the top of his fears. What he feared more was activating his Spring. As the ghost reached him, it swung its arms backward, Sho closing his eyes as he braced himself to be spirited away.

However, he instead felt himself get carried off his feet in a swift motion, being sent flying into the ground as he felt someone on top of him.

"Are you alright, Prince?" Clyde uttered as he got up from saving Sho.

"Yeah, I'm fine… sorry about that, I just can't use it…"

"I told you it's alright. Go spectate in a hidden state. It would seem this ghost is more perceptive than I thought. It preys on fear," Clyde informed as Sho nodded at him for good luck, running away to a hiding spot as Clyde confronted the ghost once again.

"So your form of sensory is the fear others feel then? I can see why you didn't target me if that's the case. In that first attack, I wasn't your target either, was I? Neither was I your target during the chase. It makes sense why you wouldn't target me though. I'm not scared of you in the slightest," Clyde laughed smugly as he began approaching the ghost himself, confidently and fearlessly walking towards the shadowy figure as they both stood on the roof of a house.

The ghost twitched as Clyde shortened the gap between them, beginning to slowly move backward, seemingly intimidated by the fearless Ranger, marching straight towards the apparition.

"What's wrong? Have you lost your nerve, ghost? Haha… Hahahaha… That's right. You're the one who fears me. I've almost forgotten the feeling… This marvelous sensation… of putting your opponent in despair!" Clyde menacingly laughed, as if he was being possessed by a demon, relentlessly intimidating the frightful ghost.

Suddenly, Clyde dropped down to a knee in pain, holding his head as he struggled in discomfort.

"Rgh!"

His ears suddenly sprung a squeaking pulse that blocked out sound, his head feeling light as his vision dizzied for a brief moment, everything going back to normal shortly after.

"What... was that feeling? What took me over just now…" Clyde uttered as his hand trembled, fear beginning to etch into his heart.

However, that fear was not directed at the ghost, but at himself. He grew fearful as he recalled what he had said, afraid of the self he thought he got rid of to reappear. 

Regardless, it didn't matter to the ghost. All it needed was one semblance of fear to latch on to as it pounced at Clyde, surrounding it with its opaque black smoke, Clyde disappearing as it dissipated away.