Shattered Sun Chapter 4

At least you got two chapters at once.

Edited by: Priapus, a kiwi, Marethyu

With great effort, I manage to lift my eyelids, revealing an unfamiliar wooden ceiling. I huff in a strange mix of exhaustion and some emotion that feels like it's choking me. My surroundings spin, my head throbs, and an unexpected pain courses through my body, causing me to grimace and cough violently. This distressing feeling lingers for a moment as I decide to look around, breathing heavily the entire time. Where am I? What happened?

My vision is hazy and my thoughts are muddled, but I can at least discern the small room around me. It's far smaller than the one at the tavern. What is happening? I can hardly think clearly. I have no idea how I ended up here, but every part of me aches. It feels as though each cell in my body is on fire, and it’s as awful as one could picture. I need this pain to end. It’s excessively agonizing.

“A-ah…” I groan, my voice sounding startlingly raspy.

My throat is extremely dry, feeling as if I haven’t had water in ages. I'm unsure whether to call for help or return to sleep, but as I drift in and out of consciousness, I don’t think I can do the latter. With each passing second, I feel increasingly unwell as my harsh coughs intensify, becoming so loud that they attract someone into the room.

Whoever it is says something, but I can barely hear anything beyond their concerned tone and the painful ringing. I don’t even know what they look like, their form too blurry for me to recognize, and as I feel the back of their hand on my forehead, I speak over them with a hoarse voice.

“Water…” I grunt out in between coughs. “Please…”

Thankfully, after saying something I can’t quite make out, they listen and help me drink from a glass of water. The first gulp I have feels heavenly— exactly what it’s like to drink after being stranded for what seems like decades, but after a few more, I begin coughing violently again, spilling water on myself and the sheets.

As my throat goes from parched to searing, I gasp, huff, and pant, trying my hardest to breathe properly. Each time I inhale some air, my lungs feel like they’re about to burst. And to make matters worse, this sensation spreads throughout my body on a much lesser scale. Thankfully, even as the pain persists, it slowly subsides, and after a few minutes, it becomes more tolerable.

Managing my breathing, I put a hand over my heart and calm myself with a concerned grimace. This… doesn’t feel normal. I’ve never felt that way, even after losing my arm and eye. My head still hurts, my muscles are unnaturally weak and sluggish, I’m still shivering, and my magic feels off.

Regardless, I take one more deep breath and calm my nerves. I get a hold of myself and begin processing my situation a lot better, prompting me to speak to the person who helped me out just now.

“I’m… okay now. I think.” I say, looking at them.

I pause as I slowly recognize who this is. I almost didn’t recognize her from the bandages she’s wearing over some wounds on her face and arms, but it’s the waitress from yesterday, and at this realization, memories of what happened begin rushing back to me—the bandits, my fight with them, and accessing God Slayer magic for the first time.

“You sure?” She asks, sitting on a chair next to the bed. “You looked pretty out of it.”

“Yeah, yeah, um…” I pause again, feeling immense relief. “You’re okay. I thought you were…”

As I trail off, the waitress smiles at me.

“I would’ve died if it weren't for you.” She says. “Thank you so much.”

…

“But what about the tavern?” I ask. “It was on fire.”

“That’s what you care about?” She playfully rolls her eyes. “We’re still here, so we can rebuild it whenever. Lives are a lot more valuable than that, don’t you think?”

“I didn’t mean it that way. I just thought that I could’ve—”

“I know, I know. I’m just teasing you, kiddo.” She giggles and pats my head, making me sigh. I’d complain about being treated like this, but considering the age difference… “I’m Krista, by the way.”

“…Cyrus.”

“Well, Cyrus, considering how long you were out for, I assume you’re pretty hungry.” She says, getting up from her chair. “I’ll get you something to eat. Any preferences?”

“I’m not picky,” I respond before pausing. “How long has it been?”

“Since you were out?” She hums. “Two days.”

Two whole days? That’s a lot of time to be spending in a bed. Too much wasted time I could’ve put into my God Slayer Magic—

“Wait— where’s Solaris?!” I ask her, growing intensely anxious. “T-the giant guy I came here with?!”

The moment I get off the bed, my quivering legs fail me, and I fall to my knees, going into another painful coughing fit. Much worse than any of the ones before it, this time feeling like being stabbed in the throat with a flaming dagger. So violent, I nearly vomit even on my empty stomach.

But what’s truly damning is when I get to the point of coughing up my own blood.

With eyes wide in panic and genuine, deep unease, I back off and try to calm my breathing again, as agonizing as it was. What the fuck?

“Easy, easy!” Krista says, helping me up and back to bed. It’s then that I notice that no muscle in my body is responding anymore, not just my legs. “You’re gonna be okay, alright? Everything is gonna be fine. Just relax. Take it easy for now.”

I’m ill. Severely ill. This isn’t normal.

“Your, um, guardian? Is nowhere to be seen.” She tells me. “After you passed out, he kinda went up and vanished.”

“Vanished?” I parrot.

“Yeah. I asked him if he could protect us from the rest of Crimson Ursa.” She nods. “The group you defeated was only the guild’s ace team. The rest are hiding in an abandoned military post west of our village.”

“Their ace team?” My eyes widen. This isn’t good. “So then, they’re coming here soon, aren’t they? If their ace team doesn’t respond to them soon, they’re gonna send a search party here.”

That’s assuming said search party isn’t already on the way. And at the state I’m in, I can’t even hope to defend these people. Fuck, this can’t get any worse.

“I told you, it’s okay. You’re fine. The other person defeated the rest of them. Or I think so, anyway.” She reassures me, making me freeze. “He did fly over to where they hid, came back a few minutes later, then made us promise to take care of you until you woke up. So I assume he took care of them.”

…What? What does this— why would he do that? Why would he care? Did he help these people? Because this woman asked him to? But I thought he didn’t care about anything but himself? What’s that supposed to mean?

What’s he trying to do? Does he not fucking believe in half the things he says? Did he do it on a whim? Did he arbitrarily decide to be benevolent just because he felt like it? Just as it was on a ‘whim’ that he obliterated my home?

What the hell is the matter with him? I don’t get this. I don’t get him. I don’t understand.

I reflexively grit my teeth and clench my fist hard enough to draw blood.

I don’t understand and it pisses me off.

“Who is that guy, anyway?” Krista asks innocently. “His eyes look pretty weird, and he’s massive. I’ve never heard of or seen anyone as huge as him.”

“He’s a monster.” I hiss, startling her slightly. “That’s all you need to know, so if you want what’s best for you and your people, you’d stay away from him.”

The waitress looks at me in a combination of concern and slight apprehension, followed by an awkward, tense silence for a few more seconds before she decides to leave.

“I’m… gonna go get you something to eat.” She says, closing the door behind her.

Calming my nerves once she exits the room, I sigh to myself—great going, Cyrus. Not like she has any context of what happened. She probably thinks you’re insane now. Or rude, maybe both. Probably both.

But food would be nice, actually, especially if it’s untainted.

Given the time to reflect on what happened, I look out the open window at the setting sun in the distance for a few moments, then down at my trembling hand with a thoughtful yet uneasy frown.

I… did it. I actually did it. I got it working, and all it took was a near-death experience.

Before it, I was too crippled to fight properly. Too weak to do anything. I couldn’t even defeat any of the crooks once they were alerted to my presence. But the moment that divine power filled my being, it was as if I were facing nothing more than insects. The pain in my body was gone. I felt invincible. It’s unreal. Mind-boggling. I’m less than a beginner, let alone an expert. Is this the power of God Slayer magic?

It’s incredible. Utterly absurd.

Yet despite that feeling of overwhelming power back then— how bafflingly easy it became to tear them apart, I don’t feel that good about it. I don’t want to get into that disgusting, inhuman mindset each time I have to use it. I know that with enough skill and experience, the need to assume it will become less and less a necessity, but reaching that point could take me years.

And by the time that happens, I might not be me anymore.

I clench my quivering hand into a tight fist. Although a terrifying thought, my resolve strengthens regardless, because if that’s the price I have to pay to kill him, then so be it. I can’t give up now, not when I’ve taken the first step. I won’t rest easy until I have his head on a pike.

I don’t know what he’s after giving me that sort of power, but this proves that I can kill him.

As my head flares in pain, I flinch and lean back on my pillow with a pained groan. I don’t know what the hell happened to me— I mean, sure, after everything that has happened, it’s a miracle I didn’t collapse sooner, but this clearly isn’t a normal illness, not when I can feel that my own Ethernano is kinda sorta fucked.

Right after I used Godslayer Magic, so I’m guessing it’s the culprit here. Either my body is too young to contain that kind of power, or it’s simply adjusting itself now that I've got a taste. I’ve heard that Slayer Magic changes the user’s physiology upon accessing it for the first time, but I’m not completely sure about that. But it has to be true, right? Natsu was able to eat all kinds of fire, including natural, non-magical fire.

…Would that mean I’d be able to eat sunlight? How would that even work? And if eating my Slayer Magic’s corresponding element amps me, does that mean that, under the sun, I’d always be buffed? That’s… insanely powerful. And to think I beat those mages at night.

And, if I remember correctly, feeding off an element heals the user, doesn’t it? Or at least restores their stamina. The sun is still up, but not for long, so maybe I can try that? Hopefully, it at least rejuvenates me a little.

I take a deep breath and very gently get off my bed, and as I turn toward the window to get better access to sunlight—

“And where do you think you’re going, lad?”

—Leaning back next to the window, Solaris’s amused smirk makes me freeze in place.

My jaw reflexively clenches in a mix of dread and anger, but I don’t take another step.

“None of your damn business.”

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong.” He disagrees. “It is my business now that you’ve proven your worth to me. Really. It hasn’t even been a week. Look at yourself. Half-blind and missing an arm, yet you’ve accomplished what no one else before you has done.”

I remain silent, letting him continue.

“And somehow, you’re still alive. I take it back, lad. Maybe you are special.” He says with a chuckle. “I hadn’t accounted for you accessing divine power before fully recovering, so color me impressed. You’re a natural-born godling.”

Once again, I say nothing.

“So? You get it now, don’t you?” He asks, grinning widely at my glare. “What it feels like to be a god. Knowing you are superior. Passing judgment as you see fit…”

“I’m nothing like you,” I growl.

“It’s wonderful, isn’t it?”

“I’m NOTHING like you,” I reiterate louder, limping toward the window. “Don’t you fucking compare us like we’re anything alike, you good for nothing animal.”

In response, Solaris only chuckles.

“Alright, alright. I suppose you’re not in the mood for teasing.” He says. Before he suddenly gets in front of me, blocking my sunlight. “But really, where do you think you’re going?”

“Get out of my damn way.”

“No. Not until you tell me, at least.”

I let out a frustrated huff before begrudgingly answering his question.

“…I was wondering if I can absorb sunlight,” I respond. “And if it’ll help me recover faster.”

Solaris raises an amused eyebrow at that.

“You have a death wish, lad?” He snorts. Seeing my confusion, he explains. “Your body’s barely hanging on by a thread right after unloading all the divine energy ravaging it, and you think filling it with more is a good idea? And here I thought you were supposed to be smart.”

“It’s worth a try.”

“No, it’s not. Very likely you die.” He disagrees. “Go to bed.”

“I don’t care what you—”

I can’t get another word in before Solaris suddenly kicks me in the chest, sending me staggering as my back hits the side of the bed. I gasp in pain before immediately going on another violent coughing fit until I nearly black out right there and then.

“See? One love tap and you almost croak.” He scoffs almost playfully. “If you want to keep living, you’ll stop getting stupid ideas until we cure your illness. That includes accessing God Slayer magic. Rest up, we’re leaving in an hour to get you treated.”

I scowl as my coughs ease, watching him leave the room through the window. He’s still toying with me and treating me like I’m nothing.

“Oh, and one more thing.” He says after pausing, glancing back at me with a sinister look. “Disobey me, and I’ll slaughter everyone here in front of you.”

With a threat sending shivers down my spine, Solaris disappears, leaving me alone. That is until the door gently opens, and Krista walks back in with a tray in her hands.

“I’m back with your food.” She says. “I heard some banging just now. Is everything— What are you doing down there? Did you fall off the bed? Oh, goodness…”

Still panting heavily, my scowl deepens.

I don’t care how long it takes me.

“You’re a handful, aren’t you, Cyrus?” Krista says in a mix of exasperation and amusement, putting the tray away and helping up. “Come on. I’ll help you eat.”

I’ll kill him even if it’s the last thing I ever do.

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– Solaris –

Admittedly, he had no clue how the brat was going to react after waking up from his coma, but Solaris should’ve known that his hatred and pettiness would not be subdued so soon. Rather, it seemed as if his anger burned ever brighter. But why wouldn’t it? Now that he’d seen himself capable of bearing the might of a god, even as a mere child, he must think it to be a very possible endeavor.

And it was. Or, well, Solaris hoped so. Unlike the brat, he knew that he might need decades to reach a level where he could begin to rival the God of the Sun. If not even the Black Wizard or the Dragon King were able to destroy him, then Cyrus had a long, long road ahead of him.

But Solaris could wait. What would he lose? Really, with how much time he’d already spent on this damnable rock, all he had left was patience. Decades and even centuries were nothing to him. He might as well see just how far a Marigold with his power would go. Certainly better than letting the brat die, which he had some difficulties preventing.

Once the boy began coughing again, Solaris’ eyes lazily glanced at him, observing him shivering and sniffling as they wandered on the road. It had been around three days since their departure, and for a while, the lad had been doing rather well for himself. He was ill, yes, but he wasn’t entirely helpless. He still had some strength in him.

It did help that the villagers changed his bandages, fed him, and gave him supplies ‘untainted’ by his ‘adversary’s’ hands, but honestly, Solaris was pretty impressed. Among all his qualities—ranging from a potent Ethernano core to his magical talent, along with his eccentric wisdom and intelligence for a child—it was his extraordinary willpower that would get him far in his training.

Solaris’ eyes squinted, his stare lingering as the boy panted and limped along, barely keeping up with the god’s pace. Regardless, even he had his limits, and he was approaching them very, very quickly.

Although he typically avoided flying long distances, as it usually attracted unwanted attention from the current kingdom or empire, he had offered to carry the boy and head over to their destination, but, as usual, Cyrus vehemently refused any more help from him, despite the alternative, which was a journey of one whole week.

This was nothing more than a short-sighted, idiotic sentiment that would get them nowhere. All he was doing was merely stretching a simple, easy trip that would barely take them a minute into a long, pointless journey. Oh, but Cyrus knew it, too. He knew that these acts of defiance were utterly meaningless. That all he was doing was to no one’s benefit, especially not his.

After all, these childish decisions of his were made out of pure spite. So spiteful that he went out of his way to change his own bandages and cook his own food despite his severe illness. All he wanted to do was to be as much of a nuisance to Solaris as possible.

Although initially annoyed at the brat’s stubbornness, he was equally amused, so Solaris had simply shrugged his shoulders and began the trek to Magnolia. He wanted to see how long it would take the boy to collapse, and, as previously established, the Profound was rather impressed. Truly. He’d thought Cyrus would pass out by the fifth hour of the first day. To last for more than a day wasn’t what he expected at all.

After a few more minutes of walking, Solaris quickly noticed Cyrus' ever-slower pace until, eventually, he dropped to his knees. The Profound paused, watching him coughing violently, rending his own throat and staining the road with his blood. His breathing grew heavier and heavier, with wide eyes and shrunken pupils. He grabbed a fistful of dirt and stood back up with great struggle.

And when he noticed Solaris’ stare, he gritted his teeth and scowled.

“What the hell are you looking at?”

“Perhaps it’s time you let go of this silly little act of defiance, lad,” Solaris responded. “Don’t know how much longer you can take before keeling over.”

“I’m fine.” He insisted, wiping his mouth. “This is nothing. I don’t need your help.”

“Yes, yes, you’ve proven how tough and tenacious you are.” He snorted. “You want a pat on the back for that?”

“Don’t patronize me.” He replied. “I REFUSE to get any help from the likes of you.”

Immediately, Cyrus began coughing again, dropping to his knees once more. However, this time, he couldn’t stand back up. His legs refused to work. He trembled and gasped for air, barely holding onto his consciousness.

“And you’re not doing yourself any favors here, lad.” Solaris pointed out with a sigh. “Really, how much longer can you keep this up? Is it truly worth dying in such a pointless way?”

“You… still think I’m scared of death?” Cyrus said with a tone of confusion between gasps.

“No, not scared.” The Profound shook his head. “But I imagine losing your only chance at retribution would be worth considering before pulling these stunts.”

Cyrus paused, thinking his words through. This gave Solaris hope that he might actually listen for once, but after remaining motionless for a few seconds, the brat laughed. A quiet, mirthless, and pitiful laugh that nearly made him sound like he was sobbing.

“What a way to live, huh?” He mumbled. There was a strange sense of realization and clarity in his tone despite his state. “A pointless death implies there is worth in my life at all.”

Solaris raised an eyebrow.

“But this… isn’t living, is it…?” Cyrus added, his eyelids growing heavier and heavier. “I’m… sorry…”

And with that peculiar apology uttered, the brat promptly lost his consciousness. Solaris was intrigued— what was he apologizing for? No, the better question was: to whom was he apologizing? Clearly not to the Profound— Cyrus would sooner kill himself a thousand times than ever say that to Solaris for any reason whatsoever.

“Something to ask him when he’s awake, I suppose.” He muttered to himself, picking the boy up.

It was a good thing that he’d finally passed out. Now he’d stop being a nuisance so they could get this illness of his checked and cured. Solaris was no expert in medicine; after all, he never got sick, but he’d heard of an excellent doctor around Magnolia titled ‘The Healing Mage’. Now, were they an actual healing mage, despite healing magic being incredibly rare? Perhaps, perhaps not. Would they be able to help Cyrus? Most likely.

…Well, hopefully. He’d be displeased if they turned out to be useless.

Grabbing the boy by the collar, Solaris ascended beyond the clouds in the blink of an eye before quickly soaring toward his destination. They were somewhere around Magnolia, not in the town itself. East of it, if he remembered correctly, so that was where he began his search first.

Covering the area was effortless on his part, so it didn’t take him too long to find his target. Or, well, he hoped it was his target. As he descended next to a giant treehouse, he felt the faint essence of earthen and restorative energy surrounding the area. Gentle and serene. Almost welcoming.

Solaris took that as his cue to knock on the front door of this ‘Healing Mage’. Well, knock. It was more accurate to say that he banged on their door until it was opened, revealing a very annoyed old woman with pink hair wearing a large red cloak over a dark green blouse and long skirt.

On the verge of yelling at Solaris, the words died in her throat as she took one look at him. Her red eyes widened in a mixture of shock and dread, taking a step back once she felt the overwhelming power of the god before her. Solaris smirked in response, making his way inside her treehouse.

“Good afternoon, ma’am.” He greeted. “Think you can do me a favor?”

“…” She said nothing.

“This dumb brat of mine has gotten ill.” He explained, raising the brat by his collar. “And as you may have noticed, it’s not some common illness. I’m afraid I need your expertise.”

The old woman backed away further, eyes flickering to the boy, then back to Solaris, her expression turning wary.

“You’re not a human. You can’t be.” She responded. “What are you?”

“That’s not relevant to my request, is it? I may not be human, but the boy is.” He replied. “You wouldn’t let a wee lad die now, would you?”

The old woman, clearly on edge in his presence, took a moment before she responded. Although very hesitant considering who she was speaking with, it was evident in the way that she looked at the unconscious Cyrus that she wouldn’t do such a thing— no doctor worth their salt would simply ignore a dying child.

“…Put him down over there.” She said, pointing at the bed on the other side of the treehouse. “And leave. Do not dally here.”

“As you wish.” He snorted, doing as he was told. “I’ve heard good things about you, ma’am, so you better not disappoint me. You have three days to fix him up.”

“Or what?” She questioned with narrowed eyes.

“Otherwise, I’ll wipe out the town next door.” He promised with a playful yet menacing tone. “So you’d have to take a long detour to do your shopping.”

With that said, Solaris left the treehouse and went straight to Magnolia. He’d be around, of course, but for now, it was simply a waiting game. So, in the meantime, he might as well do his own shopping. He was starting to run out of wine, and he’d heard good things about the drinks there.

He was hoping that three days would be enough. It’d be a damn shame to destroy a town as lovely as Magnolia.

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– Porlyusica –

Watching that giant of a man leave her home, the Healing Mage released a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding, then stared down at her hands, only now noticing her uncontrollable trembling. Having been a guild mage for decades, she had witnessed countless events throughout her long life, from powerful beasts to mighty wizards. But not a single one of them had elicited such profound terror from her.

That man— that thing was the farthest thing from human she’d ever seen on two legs. No mortal alive could be that powerful. When she saw him, it felt like she was staring at a being composed of pure, overwhelming Ethernano. So strong that the space around him felt like it was bending and shifting out of place.

Porlyusica genuinely had never felt such a thing. It was similar to Lost Magic, but not quite the same. It was distinct. Different. Too unnatural to be Lost Magic. Too…. otherworldly.

Yes, that was the word. Otherworldly. It didn’t feel like it belonged in Earthland. Something from Edolas? No, it couldn’t be that either. Edolas may have powerful artifacts, but no living being in that world was capable of containing such energy.

Who was that? What was that? He had sought her out to cure the boy he carried with him, but what for? He’d said the child was his, but that couldn’t be the case. The boy was most definitely a human. Magically gifted, yes, but human.

She approached the slumbering boy. He was in a state that made her sick to her stomach. Half blind, missing a limb, and a soul fighting for its survival. She couldn’t remember the last time an adult had come to her in an equally terrible state. He couldn’t be related to that beast, could he? He felt nothing like him, and yet…

Porlyusica checked his temperature, putting the back of her hand over his forehead before using a spell to get a closer look at his illness. His body was trying to recalibrate itself in order to resist an invading magical force—a force very similar to that monster’s energy, but not quite that.

“What is this…?” She mumbled in utter bewilderment. “What kind of magic is this? Slayer magic?”

It was, in a very bizarre way, remarkably similar to that pink-haired brat in Fairy Tail. Only significantly more violent. More… consuming. 

She’d seen similar illnesses before, and, usually, the patient only needed to rest for a couple of days as the body sorted it out. But this? This was far, far worse. Significantly more dangerous, especially for a young, injured boy like him. If she were to leave him like this, this destructive energy would obliterate him from the inside. He was getting worse by the second.

Porlyusica’s eyes narrowed, leaving the boy to rest as she began preparing a concoction that could help the boy fight off this sickness. She didn’t know who he was or what he’d done to garner the attention of that beast, but let it be known that although she wasn’t the biggest fan of humans, she wouldn’t let a child die under her watch. And even though she didn’t doubt that monster, seeing the overwhelming power he boasted, Porlyusica did not need a threat of annihilation to save a poor boy’s life.

Three days were more than enough time.