While they were in the grey mist, Ernites had needed to dodge. Now that he stood in plain sight, he made no attempt to evade, utterly unafraid.
Suddenly, Ruger noticed that Ernites's steps alternated between fast and slow, just as they had when they had met by chance and traveled together. Back then, the man had darted far away in the blink of an eye, then returned just as quickly. Sometimes, before Ruger even noticed, he was already waiting beside the soup pot, watching the ingredients tumble inside.
"If I hadn't spotted you from a distance, I would have had a hard time recognizing you like this. Of course, that's also because you're strong enough. If you'd died the instant we met, I might not have had time to think," Ernites said calmly. "I'd even thought that when we met again, we might sit down and enjoy another meal together. I never imagined we would meet here, like this. What a pity."
"I never imagined you would be one of the Bearers, either. After all, you said that relying on external power only made people stupid." Ruger hovered in the air, his Nightmare Wings stirring slightly.
To his surprise, Ernites nodded.
"Thank you for remembering my philosophy. As someone who practices what he preaches, I certainly wouldn't do anything that foolish," Ernites said with a smile, pointing at the Hand Lantern. "Every bone here is my own. I keep extracting my bones to cultivate them, while drinking Alchemy Potions to grow new ones. And this flame is the power of the soul, an amalgamation of souls. No one can face it without fear. I nurtured it bit by bit from pieces split off from my own soul. Unlike extracting bones, every split requires a long recovery."
"So this is all