Bro, I'm not an Undead!

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Fulgardt's memories from the WILLS were greatly fragmented. Skullius had gleaned a great deal from them but not nearly as much as he would have liked. There was a lot about the Labyrinth of the Yoke and its purpose that was missing; there were other fractured bits of Fulgardt's adventures outside Aigas; there were lacking details about Fulgardt's encounter with the Wanderer Who Seeds.

Skullius had hoped to learn more about these subjects with the stunt he had pulled on Fulgardt. He was only half-successful.

Seeing Fulgardt turn docile was cathartic though. For once, the Immoral wasn't dictating how everything would end.

"What will you do with that information now?" Fulgardt asked.

"I'm yet to decide," Skullius said, "but rest assured, I won't be using it to dictate your actions. Much."

And indeed, Skullius knew not to push an enemy like Fulgardt into a corner. His battle against his alter possessed by the WILLS showed him just what Fulgardt was prepared to do when he was left with no escape routes.

Elita was dying to know what it was that Skullius knew that would make Fulgardt restrain himself. She wondered why the Immoral wasn't once again staking his life to end theirs in order to make sure this 'secret' wasn't used against him. It was all curious.

"I feel you misunderstand our intent," Rias suddenly said. "You read correctly that I indeed have a pact with this man to produce something especially valuable using my technique, but his goal and mine align somewhat. We both seek to preserve ourselves. I want to escape death as long as possible and Fulgardt desires to live long enough to achieve his ambitions. The weapon he requires merely guarantees his safety through the great void."

"I'm aware," Skullius said. "And like I said, I don't intend to dictate your actions."

"Then why will you not allow me into the Labyrinth?" Fulgardt barked.

Skullius sighed.

"You have the gall to ask me that when you have memories of what you did to me with your WILLS?" he asked. "I do not trust you. You said earlier than I should show you some respect. Well, progenitor, shouldn't you also accept that I, as your successor requires the Labyrinth more than you do? Even if I merely have an imitation of your powers."

Fulgardt scowled.

"How did you know that?" he hissed.

"Does it matter?"

And indeed, Skullius had appraised the Fruit of World Myths and discussed that it was an imitation – a fake. This had led him to the conclusion that his powers were probably an imitation as well, though that didn't necessarily have to mean they were weaker.

Seeing that Fulgardt had heavy investment in the subject, Skullius pushed on.

"Mind indulging me on this? I mean, you might as well, right? You lose nothing from explaining this to me," he said. "What exactly is the Fruit of World Myths? Where is the original? The Wanderer Who Seeds gave it to you, right?"

Against his better judgement from earlier, Skullius had asked the question he had been sure he wasn't ready to learn the answers to. But with the real Fulgardt before him, wouldn't it have been a waste to not ask?

The hall turned eerily silent. Everyone was listening, waiting for the Immoral's response.

Skullius had expected Fulgardt to grunt and spit some irritable one-liner, but then he remembered something: Fulgardt was very open when it came to questions about the Wanderer. Back during the Second Grand War, he had spread the message about the Wanderer before going around forcing others to accept this obscure being.

Fulgardt turned solemn.

"If men in my time were as curious as you are, maybe the war wouldn't have happened at all," he began with a scoff. "It's as you say. The Wanderer gave me the Fruit of World Myths. It was a key to unique powers that could touch upon the Common Reality Leagues, he said, and perhaps beyond. I believed him."

Skullius locked his fingers.

'Well, that part is true,' he thought.

"I studied the Fruit of World Myths as best as I could before deciding to use it. It was beyond my comprehension when I was mortal, but when I ascended, it opened its secrets to me. I created a replica of it, intending to use it for the future."

"Oh," Skullius said, intrigued. "That clears THAT up. Why were you given this power anyway? What was so special about you? And who even is the Wanderer Who Seeds? Is he a Primeval Deity?"

Fulgardt chortled coldly.

"You are no successor of mine, truly," he sneered. "I loathe everything that calls itself a Deity. Everything that was raised from mortality to godhood cannot claim to be a Deity and lord over mortals. The Wanderer is different. He is not from this reality. He carries himself unlike these Deities. He is infinitely wiser, infinitely stronger."

Skullius frowned.

Well, he should have remembered that Fulgardt had a vendetta against all Deities, nomatter how strong. This Wanderer enabled him.

"How could you possibly know he was not a mortal before?" Skullius asked.

Fulgardt looked bemused.

"Because he showed me the Great Rending that formed all life in this reality – how he himself came to be," he said. "And I'm not the only one he chose. There are others in this reality enlightened by him and granted powers like mine, unique and never before seen."

To this Skullius reeled. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

There were… other Fulgardts out there?

Skullius had always thought that anomalies were the only… anomalies in this reality, but now it seemed there was another group distinguished individuals.

"There aren't many of us. I have hoped to meet one other enlightened as I am, but I have failed to find them. Reality is wide and dangerous, even for Deities."

There was a deep stare from Fulgardt as he said this.

"I see," Skullius said. For an instant, he felt sorry for Fulgardt. His 'secret' made all the more sense now.

"To think you actually did something so devoid of immorality in your lifetime," he said. Only he and the Immoral understood.

Perhaps the Immoral became less immortal in his eyes.