A Dangerous Divination?

The party returned to the inn for the day, and went to their respective rooms.

Yomite sat on his bed, as he held the egg he was given by the granny in his hand.

It was definitely an artifact, as it popped up as green once he activated Tempus of The Heart.

(I wonder what it does…I want to know.)

———————

Name: Future Insight (One Time Use)

Rarity: 5* Artifact

Description: Item is capable to peek into an uncertain future. "Future sight could create a world few of us ever even dreamed of."

———————

(A future seeing item? Why would she give me something so valuable?)

The item didn't mention any side effects or harm, so he didn't think he had to be careful. The granny also didn't seem to want to harm him in any way.

"Well, there is nothing else to do, so I might as well try it out now, while I have time...She said I should lay down and then drink the fluid...ugh...let's see…"

Yomite lay on his assigned bed and broke the egg in his hands, drinking the contents of the egg.

A moment later, he fell into his pillow and lost consciousness.

***

**

*

*Srrs*

A shrill sound jolted his fleeting consciousness back to reality, making him feel like a spinning top forcefully put to a halt. Not the best pleasant of feelings, all things considered.

"Hm?"

A tingling numbness crawled along his right cheek and arm. He had given up on forming sensible thoughts until his brain finished rebooting.

*Brrng*

Yet the ringing noise refused to cease, eventually growing painful in his ears and irritating his senses.

If he had to compare it to anything, he'd say the sensation he was feeling was akin to a screwdriver drilling into his eyeballs.

Not that he ever tried doing that before.

With the rebooting of his brain finally completed, he lifted his head and cast a drowsy look at his surroundings, finding their vague colors enveloped by a yellow glow.

After a number of hasty blinks, he finally began taking in his surroundings: money, money, hoards of Mora all around him.

He didn't know what this place was, yet the sheer number of Mora lying around was monstrous.

"Ugh!?"

At that moment, Yomite barely avoided the bright light of the slash that targeted his neck.

"Ah, to be able to dodge this without the help of a Vision is outside of my expectations.  Perhaps you hold some level of skill in martial arts? How fun. It's unfortunate my surprise attack didn't work as intended."

From behind Yomite's back, a light voice called out, right after the surprise attack.

"That movement just now, was it an intuition? Or did you perhaps see my shadow? Honestly, I marvel at fighting, I'm quite surprised you're still in one piece."

(Who...is he...)

He couldn't see the person's face, only a dark silhouette.

Yomite's sluggish thoughts were burned with a fire that shook him awake.

That scorching heat existing in his right arm...brought upon a burning sensation.

"..."

"But that arm, if action is not taken quickly, then all your blood will be drained, no?"

Yomite's right arm was missing near the shoulder, and what had used to be attached there, like a fallen doll, was almost unrealistically rolling on the floor in a pool of blood.

The strike aimed at his head was avoided, yet his arm was still cut off.

What level of skill did the enemy hold to be able to perform such a feat?

Finally registering the seething sensation, he fell on the ground and rolled back with a growl of pain.

It burned like fire, searing him from his shoulder to his elbow. He looked up through his bloodshot eyes.

Another blow landed by the unknown attacker, and he barely blocked it with his claymore, but not by much.

His dominant arm was cut off, so he was nowhere near close to his full strength.

With blood trickling down his temple, Yomite looked up at his adversary, whose face was still covered by something akin to a fog.

Just before everything went dark, Yomite pondered in his mind.

About the girls from his party.

Would they be fine? Even without him?

"Well, it was fun while it lasted, comrade."

And with those last words everything faded away to nothingness...

***

The fear of darkness was pierced by a cold fear of loneliness.

It didn't matter what happened to the body, the mind was doomed to be lost.

However, sometimes, the fear of loneliness ended with hope.

Somebody's warm and gentle embrace could render pain and suffering inert for a while.

A quiet voice whispered to him: "Arth thou okay?"

The quiet voice might have been the only way to quiet the fear of darkness…

He slowly opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings, Fischl sat next to him, her gaze full of worry.

He then sat up after rubbing his eyes.

(It was...a prediction…that much was obvious to anyone. Still, experiencing something so vivid...gave me goozebumps)

Yomite was hundred percent sure about that.

It was something which would happen in the future.

In the prediction, he was completely caught off guard from behind which ultimately ended his life.

The best thing to do now, would be to prepare for it, or avoid it altogether.

(Think, think...Lots of Mora...Big ceiling, unknown and skilled attacker, most likely an assassin...Things aren't looking great…so much stuff happened in only a few hours of staying in this city...I'm starting to think we should actually leave...)

"My dear Assistant?...you don't look so good, Are you okie dokie?"

"His face is pale...paler than the moonlight we waltz in, something's up! The item from that granny was bound to be cursed, granting him the privilege of suffering for all eternity!"

"Calm down, girls...I'm alright…"

He decided to speak up. At this rate, there was no telling when the two would stop with their worried questions…

"I received a valuable piece of information. If something bad was about to happen, we will be prepared for it."