Numbers x Casket-Chapter 31: Switch

A teardrop fell from Efraim's eyes as the scene about the woman played inside his head. He stared at the ceiling, but all that he could see was endless darkness.

Though the pain in his body disappeared just now, he still felt a sudden heartache, a different kind of mental grief, as he remembered the rest of his past, a story about a man named Kier.

The fourth string equator, Espada's youngest heir, the person who stood as a proud member of his family and was highly favored in the society, a man loved by the blades.

. . . . .

Sprinting towards the horde of goblins, with each of his swings, a limb was cut and heads rolled over the ground. His black blade glowing with an unusual dark hue.

"Kier is really amazing," a man holding a giant shield commented after blocking an arrow that flew towards his direction.

"He's an Espada after all," a woman at her side answered.

Meanwhile, on their side, someone gritted his teeth in disgust as he watched the man massacre the goblins. His eyes and hair had the same black color as Kier's. He clenched his grip on the scimitar in both of his hands and dashed towards the enemies.

Kenzelle Espada, Kier's older brother—though they shared the same surname and only had a few months' difference in age, they were nowhere close. For him, Kier's existence was nothing but frustration. Born as an illegitimate son of the household, with her mother as a servant of the patriarch, he despised his life.

Though at first, everything was nice and pleasant. His brothers and sisters treated him as a normal part of the family; he received all the love and attention. However, everything changed when Kier inhaled his first breath in the world.

The people around him dwindled as they favored Kier more than him. Jealousy sprouted in his young mind, and up until now he had lived behind Kier's shadow.

Kenzelle activated his Flair, and a dark hue wrapped around his blades. This was their inherited Flairs from their father's bloodline. A type of energy that gave their blades the ability to cut through everything, even space. A powerful ability that only an Espada could have.

With Kenzelle joining the fray, the battle ended without them even breaking a sweat.

"Kier, what's next?" the man who had a shield strapped behind his back asked.

On his hand was a treasure chest they found from the place.

The Espada's youngest thought for a second and glanced at the deeper part of the dungeon-like ruin. They were done killing the Goblin Lord along with the shaman, but at the back of Kier's mind, he still had this strange feeling that there was still something waiting for them inside.

Thus, he gave out his command, and their group, consisting of five people, strode deeper. Torches hanging on the walls illuminated their path, but there was not a single sign of monsters around.

After several strides, they arrived in a place with a giant wooden door covered with thick, rusted chains.

'I knew it, my gut is right after all,' Kier conveyed inside his thoughts.

Without further ado, he unsheathed his blade and ordered his group to prepare for a fight. In just simple vertical slashes, the chains along with the door were cut into pieces, and as they fell on the solid ground, the equators got a glimpse of what was waiting for them inside.

An orb emitting an unusual red color was sitting in the center of the place.

The group felt shivers as they looked at the ominous thing. However, curiosity got them good already.

Thus, without wasting any more time, they stepped inside the place. The room area was not big and not that small either, just enough for the massive orb to fit in.

"What is this?" their group's healer asked; her voice had a tinge of fear.

"I-I don't know," Kier replied, shrugging his shoulders, as he had no idea about the thing before his eyes.

Seconds later, when they were busy contemplating, a fragrance wafted on their noses. A smell so intoxicating, they began to see hallucinations.

"Kier, I love you," the mage said while still looking at the orb, her cheeks flushing a vibrant red color.

"I'll be the strongest warrior," said the man, and his laughter reverberated in the place.

One by one, the group stated their desires without holding back. Even Kier began to see Xenen's image smiling in front of her. These continued for a little while until their bodies fell on the ground, unconscious.

. . . . .

Kier woke up to the metallic stench of blood assaulting his nose. He felt his body stiff from lying down.

"How long did I sleep?" he asked the moment he sat up.

He noticed something peculiar from his voice and his body, but he ignored it for the moment. He was more concerned about the smell of blood.

Thus, he looked around him, and his eyes widened in surprise; he saw the warrior lying on the ground in his own pool of blood.

"Lloyd! What happened?" Kier asked, his face filled with worry.

The man opened his eyes upon hearing his call.

"R-Run, Kenzelle... K-Kier is out of control, he—" the warrior stuttered, speaking, but he failed to convey his thoughts as the extreme blood loss took his breath away.

Though confused by his words, Kier still tried to wake him up.

"Lloyd! Lloyd!" He screamed.

He checked his pulse, but there was not a single beat. Kier moved his gaze away and searched for the others only to see the healer and the mage having the same fate as Lloyd, soaked in a pool of their own blood and with scimitars piercing their chests.

Kier stood up and clenched his fists. Even though there was quite a distance between him and the two women, he recognized the weapon right away.

"Kenzelle!" he exclaimed, his mind wanting to reject his thoughts.

However, the scimitars and Kenzelle not being present in the place solidified his doubts.

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"Why, brother?" he uttered in a low, mournful voice.

Then, he was about to storm outside to search for the culprit of his comrades' death when he heard several footsteps moving closer, so he waited.

Afterward, three people dressed in black leather armor stepped inside the area; they wore masks, and a single sword hung around their backs. A crest containing a twin blade symbol was embedded on the left part of their clothes. These were the Espada's exclusive servants.

"Your arrival is on time; we need to—" Kier was in the middle of speaking when an individual emerged behind the servants, which made him freeze in place.

A person who had the same exact face as him. As soon as their eyes met, the copy raised his hand and pointed in his direction.

"Arrest him! He killed my comrades," the man who bore his face issued a command.

As a response, Kier reached for his blades, but there was nothing strapped on his legs. During this time, he noticed his clothes being different, but it was not the time for him to think about it.

He unleashed his second Flair to fight barehanded, but he felt no changes in his body. The surge of strength coming from his Flair was gone.

'What's happening here?' Kier thought.

Then the massive orb came to his mind, making him look back, but there was no such thing behind him.

"Kenzelle Espada! Surrender now, and maybe the patriarch will give you a painless death!" One of the servants announced before drawing his blade.

Meanwhile, Kier felt even more confused after hearing the name that the man had used to address him.

"What did you call me?" he asked, turning around and giving the men in black a disturbingly curious gaze.

Kier shook his head as a sudden realization hit him hard: the slight changes in his voice, his weapon and Flairs being gone, Lloyd's last words, his clothes being different, and the way the servant called him—they all lead to one thing: he and Kenzelle switched bodies.

"Kenzelle Espada, my older brother who betrayed and killed my friends, come with us without any resistance, and I'll talk your way out from Father," the man posing as him stepped forward and said.

Kier glared at him; his eyes were like tips of blades hurling towards the man. He wanted to kill him and even skin him alive. In those seconds, he already imagined countless scenes for his brother's death at the palm of his hands; however, being trapped inside Kenzelle's body, he was left with only one choice to do—surrender and think of a way to take back his body.

Fighting Kenzelle and three servants would be a disadvantage for him. Kenzelle's body was nowhere near his; the gap between them was too large to begin with. A first-string equator against a fourth-string was simply suicide.

Thus, he kneeled on the ground and put his hands on the back of his head. Two of the servants captured him while Kenzelle and the other one stood there watching.

"We're still not done," Kier whispered as he glanced at Kenzelle, giving him one last glare before letting his body get dragged outside of the place.

Little did he know, this was the very start, the beginning of him losing everything.

. . . . .