From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

Ty, deep in thought, sat at the edge of Nanako's bed, his hands crossed over each other as he leaned forward. "At the very least, in a silver lining, we have an idea of how much farther we need to go to close that gap between him and us," he mused, his tone reflective yet determined. "One way or another, we will get our revenge on him."

His thoughts, however, delved deeper into the complexities of their situation.

"Still, there is a bigger piece at play here; there has to be," Ty continued, his voice a mix of curiosity and frustration. "When we first met Mattison, he mentioned Erebos was here before and had attacked the nobles. Yet he didn't kill any of them. Why is that? These thoughts keep flooding my mind, but I can't seem to understand his motives."

As Ty pondered, Nanako, still recovering, groaned a bit while sitting up. Ty's eyes briefly lingered on the bandages covering her chest and wrapping around her shoulders, a pang of sadness striking him at the sight of her injuries. "Perhaps he doesn't like to kill? Maybe he's some pacifist that just likes to beat people up?" Nanako speculated, trying to make sense of the situation.

Ty, however, was not convinced by this theory. He looked at her and replied, "No, I know for a fact he doesn't mind killing people." His certainty suggested that he had seen or knew something about Erebos that contradicted the idea of him being a pacifist.

Ty, his skeletal head held low, a gesture of contemplation and sorrow, reflected on the night he had metaphorically 'died'. "He said it himself that night I 'died' – he tried to kill Kieran and had killed 19 other people, stealing their souls like he did mine," Ty shared, his voice a mix of resolve and pain.

Nana, her finger thoughtfully tapping her forehead, interjected with a question that seemed to weigh heavily on her. "Yeah, but why?" She paused, her emotions surfacing. "I spent my entire life being betrayed by almost everyone, or having everyone I cared about killed.

All I thought about for days was how to keep myself alive, and I even hurt some innocent people along the way." As she spoke, her grip on the sheets tightened slightly, her anger and frustration palpable.

She then pondered the broader implications of their situation. "From my understanding, The Demon King made a partnership with Erebos, and that's the entire reason you're even here. Would it be so blatant to think he planned all of this?" Her words hinted at a deeper, more sinister plot.

Continuing, Nana expressed her doubts about the larger scheme. "I mean, we haven't even seen anyone else going back to Earth to collect souls. It all seems a bit odd to me," she said thoughtfully. "And I apologize if I'm overstepping, but moreover, this sword we're supposed to be collecting, after facing Erebos face to face... I just don't see how that leads to defeating him."

Nana's voice was tinged with a mix of frustration and vulnerability. "I just have an aching feeling about things, and it frustrates me. I don't want to lose anyone else I care about," she admitted, her emotions raw as she buried her head in her arms.

Ty, understanding her fears, responded with a reassuring tone. "We will do what we can. I say we will need to do some recon work of our own once things settle down." His words were meant to offer solace and a plan of action, a way to regain some control in their uncertain situation.

Nana, lifting her head, was about to say something, a blush coloring her face, "So, do you like my ne—" Her words, however, were abruptly cut off.

Ty's device, the black rectangle, suddenly came to life in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out. The device lit up, emitting a blue light that transformed into a hologram of Mattison. The image of Mattison appeared slightly blurred, his speech slurred, indicating his drunken state. "I need you to come meet me at 2nd housing division for an escort," he managed to say, his words trailing off.

Ty, without hesitation, pressed a few buttons on the device, and it instantly linked up with coordinates to Mattison's location. The call ended with a resounding click, and the hologram vanished.

Nana, still trying to process the recent exchange, was visibly astonished. "What was that?!" she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"I wish I knew," Ty admitted, equally surprised by the advanced technology. "I was expecting something more like a speaker and phone, but huh... Mattison said Lady Amaris would be getting you one of these too." His response highlighted the novelty of the device even to him.

Just then, Lady Amaris entered the room, noting the shift in the atmosphere. "I'm glad you two were able to work out your issues," she remarked, acknowledging the emotional journey they had just navigated. Addressing Ty, she inquired, "Are you always stuck in the skeleton form?"

Ty confirmed, "Yes," and then, delving into a bit of explanation, he pulled out the metal fragment that had lodged into his skull, showing it to Lady Amaris. "However, I built this device, but it looks like a piece got bent a bit. Do you know anyone who could repair the bottom piece?"

Lady Amaris, examining the peculiar object, admitted, "I've never seen anything like it. Maybe Bracken's mentor could help. He's super tech-savvy." She handed it back to Ty, suggesting, "I say have her take a look at it."

Ty sighed slightly, a mix of relief and contemplation in his breath. "I had just run into her," he noted. The prospect of meeting Bracken again seemed to brighten his mood a bit. "Guess I'll have a reason to get some drinks then," he said, a faint hint of a smile in his voice.

Ty, aware of his new responsibility, prepared to leave. "Well, I have to head off towards General Mattison, seems he is in need of some help of some kind," he announced, ready to address the situation.

Lady Amaris, her concern evident, asked, "Oh no, what happened?"

"From the sounds of it, he's in a drunken mess, but it was hard to tell," Ty replied, providing what little information he had.

Contemplating his next steps, Ty thought aloud, "Should I bring him back here or leave him on some doorstep?"

Lady Amaris, considering the implications, advised, "Please bring him here if he is in a drunken state. He is young, but holding the position of General comes with expectations. At least here we can get him some medicine to ensure he doesn't get a hangover."

Ty nodded in understanding, acknowledging the plan. As he turned to head out, he inadvertently missed Nana's last question, "Who is Bracken?" Her curiosity went unanswered as Ty focused on the immediate task of assisting General Mattison.