The warm water enveloped Kaede as she sank deeper into the wooden tub, the steam curling lazily into the air around her. She ran a hand through her damp hair, letting the heat ease the tension in her muscles. The gri of the day lted away, but her mind remained far from calm. Exempt from the locking curse. That ant she had access to her full potential—her unique skills, magic, everything.
Her fingers dipped below the surface, curling into fists beneath the water. The sound of droplets splashing onto the edge of the tub broke the silence as she stared at the wooden planks lining the wall in front of her.
Why ?
The question echoed in her mind. It wasn’t fair. Kirara, Shogo, and the others were shackled by this cruel system, yet she was free. The thought made her stomach churn. She had to find out why. She had to understand what this ultimate skill of hers was truly capable of—and whether it could help the others.
“Artificia,” Kaede murmured, her voice barely audible. “Can I use [New World Order] to break the locking curse on others?”
The pause felt agonizingly long.
Kaede exhaled slowly, her mind racing. She had the potential to help. But it wasn’t enough—not yet. She needed to grow stronger.
“What if I'm too late?,” she whispered, determination hardening her gaze. “I have to help them, No matter what.”
Draining off the water, she stepped out and grabbed a towel, drying off quickly. The cold air of the suite hit her as she stepped back into the main room, but she barely noticed. Kirara was dozing on the chair, her scarf wrapped loosely around her shoulders.
Kaede smiled faintly, grabbing a blanket from the couch and draping it over Kirara. The girl stirred slightly, murmuring sothing incoherent before settling back into sleep.
Kaede sat down across from her, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. "Hey Artificia, is there nothing I can do about the curse?"
Kaede sat upright instantly, Kirara stirring from the shuffle. Kaede paused, watching until she was certain, Kirara was still asleep. "What do you an Devour? I thought you said only Ananke would work. Why didn't you tell about the devour skill?" She whispered
Kaede leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees as she let out a heavy sigh. Of course, Artificia would answer her requests literally, she almost forgot that it was basically an Artificial intelligence, a machine. Newly born too. The realization sent a fresh wave of frustration through her, but she swallowed it down. This wasn’t the ti to let irritation cloud her focus.
"Okay, fine. Let’s talk about Devour," she whispered, her voice barely audible over Kirara’s quiet breathing. "What exactly are the conditions for it to work on the curse?"
Kaede frowned, her mind racing. Weakened significantly? That made things infinitely more complicated. She clenched her fists, staring down at the floor as a flicker of guilt crept into her chest. If she wanted to use this skill on her friends, she'd have to render them vulnerable first, hurt them. Could she even bring herself to do that?
She glanced at Kirara, her expression softening. The scarf slipped slightly, revealing more of her face. Under the faint light from the crystal lantern, she almost looked cu-.
Kaede shook her head. No, she’d figure out another way. There had to be a thod that didn’t involve forcing her friends to the brink of collapse.
"Artificia," she said quietly, "What are the full capabilities of [Devour]?"
Kaede stayed silent for a few monts, her thoughts stirring. "can I use [Devour] without harming her?"
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