Shadow Slave: Flaw of Gods.

It was night—without a moon, without light.

Musashi listened to the slow, rhythmic sounds of the sea while Veil sat beside him, eyes closed.

— Musashi, I'm thirsty.

— Endure it.

— But I really want to drink…

Musashi sighed.

— Where's your endurance?

Veil shrugged.

— I don't remember.

— Why do you say, "I don't remember" instead of "I don't know"?

Veil smiled.

— It's simple. Because I don't remember.

Musashi shook his head. They had been stuck here for a week already.The scavenger meat had run out yesterday. The last rain had been six days ago, and it didn't look like it would start again anytime soon… Though, that might be for the better. Drinking the black, salty sea water wasn't an option. He wondered how the scavengers survived. They spent most of their time beneath the sand…

Musashi glanced at Veil. He was still so young. He had seen so little, knew even less. Why did he treat him so well? Anyone else in Veil's place would have been sent to hell long ago. Or even better—beaten first, then sent to hell.

He sighed again. Though if he was being honest, he already knew the answer. He just didn't want to accept it. Musashi exhaled heavily. He needed to push these thoughts aside. There was only one way to achieve what he wanted.

Veil was a strange child. Then again, the fact that a child ended up in the Dream Realm at all was strange enough.

Musashi smirked.

— Says the right person…

— What?

— Nothing.

He turned his gaze back to the horizon, waiting for the first rays of sunlight to break through the darkness.

— Musashi, I'm thirsty.

— Endure it.

— But I really want to drink.

Musashi's eye twitched.

— You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?

— Doing what?

— Repeating stupid questions.

Veil looked at him, confused.

A strange child in a strange world.

At that moment, the silence was broken. The sea suddenly churned, as if something deep beneath had begun to stir. The water swelled, uneasy, but soon settled back into black stillness.

— Let's go.

Veil glanced from him to the sea and back.

— Strange… It was just daytime.

Musashi had already guessed it—Veil had memory problems.A disease? A side effect of a spell? Who knew…

The darkness began to lift, revealing crimson coral beneath. Then, the first rays of sunlight broke through. Musashi squinted. His eyes didn't adjust well to light after long darkness, so for now, he had to rely on his other senses. He was used to it.

He stood, pushed off the ground, and leapt down the slope. The route was already planned—optimal, safe. Veil would manage. He had climbed down before.

But Musashi had another task—to eliminate whatever would inevitably rise from beneath the sand.

Push off left.Shift weight right.Slow down at the ledge.

And just as expected—the sand exploded.

A scavenger burst from beneath, writhing in search of prey.

It didn't even have time to react.

The blade flashed in the air, and the creature split into two halves.

Perfect. At least they had food now.

Meanwhile, Veil had made it a tenth of the way down. This time, he was faster.

Five minutes later, he reached the bottom, and they continued forward.

— Forgotten spark, forgotten spark, forgotten spark…

Musashi frowned.

— Why do you keep repeating those words?

Veil hesitated.

— I forgot.

Musashi's eye twitched again.

Maybe he should just leave him here?

Veil fell silent, as if he had read his thoughts.

Musashi didn't bother figuring out whether it was a coincidence or not. The important thing was—they were finally moving.Staying longer was not an option.

The sand pulled them into emptiness. The air grew drier with each breath. Even silence in this world felt predatory.

They walked forward until Veil suddenly clenched his fists and spoke, his voice tense:

— Musashi… do you even know where we're going?

Musashi shook his head.

— No.

Veil took a slow breath, then exhaled.

— Straight ahead… there are at least twenty scavengers. Maybe more.

Musashi froze. Incredibly useful information.But he could have said this earlier…

— Your aspect?

Veil nodded.

— You should have told me immediately.

— I forgot.

Musashi frowned. That would take some getting used to.

But at least now they could avoid the worst areas. He knew he would survive.But whether he could protect Veil was another question.

— Alright. Where's the nearest solid ground?

Veil closed his eyes. For a moment, his body slackened.

Musashi caught him before he could fall.

— You alright?

Veil was barely breathing. For a second, it seemed like he had passed out… or, even stranger, simply fallen asleep.

A few minutes later, he finally moved, blinked, and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He raised his arm, pointing to the right.

Musashi scoffed.

— Well, at least it's not backward.

— What does it look like?

— A mountain of coral.

***

After a few hours, a silhouette rose on the horizon.

At first, it was just a dark mass, but with each step, the details became clearer.

A mountain of intertwined crimson corals loomed like an ancient fortress. It was riddled with countless crevices—narrow, deep. The wind whistled through them, creating eerie sounds, almost like breathing. The corals smelled of salt, damp rot, and something else—sickeningly heavy, like spoiled blood.

Musashi glanced at the sun—no more than three hours until sunset. There was no turning back.

— We're climbing.

They began their ascent.

The corals were solid but brittle. Some parts were covered in a slick film, others were so sharp they could easily cut flesh.

Musashi reached the top in five minutes. As soon as he got there, he immediately scanned the surroundings.

Veil lagged behind. He moved slowly, cautiously, testing each foothold. Twice, he nearly slipped. At one point, his foot skidded, and he dangled, clinging on with just one hand.

— Veil! — Musashi called out, already reaching to grab him.

But Veil gritted his teeth, pulled himself up, and continued climbing.

By the time he reached the top, his breath was heavy, his fingers trembling from exertion.

— You okay?

— Yeah…

Musashi nodded, studying him briefly before shifting his gaze to the crevices in the coral.

— Veil, this place is dangerous. Those cracks… they're full of crabs.

Veil frowned.

— Crabs?

— Huge ones. Deadly.

The wind whispered through the stone gaps again. Veil listened… then suddenly stiffened.

A click.

Faint, almost imperceptible. Like two stones tapping together.

He peered into the darkness of the crevice.

Something was there.

— They're inside? — he asked quietly.

— They're everywhere.

The crab stirred slowly. Veil didn't get a clear look—just a glimpse of massive pincers shifting in the shadows.

— What's a crab?

Musashi exhaled.

— You'll see.

He lifted his head toward the summit.

— It's too late to go back. We'll have to spend the night.

Veil said nothing. He only glanced warily at the dark crevices, a chill creeping down his spine.

They settled on the highest coral ledge. From here, they could see everything: the distant sea, the endless wasteland, even the faint traces of their path.

But Musashi wasn't admiring the view.

His mouth was dry, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. Even swallowing was difficult.

He looked at Veil.

Veil ran a hand over his lips—his skin was cracked, like parched earth.

They hadn't drunk water in days.

And if they didn't find any soon…

This mountain would be their grave.

Musashi watched as the sun slowly slid beyond the horizon. Another night. They would survive it... probably.

He sighed and glanced at Veil. He didn't look any better—exhausted, worn out, yet not even trying to sleep.

— Your flaw… is it related to memory? — Musashi asked carefully.

Veil flinched, tearing his gaze away from the horizon.

— How did you know!?

Musashi couldn't hold back a smirk.

— Seriously? — He shook his head. — You're forgetful. It's obvious. And the fact that you don't even remember that makes it even more apparent.

Veil frowned, thinking for a moment, then slowly nodded.

— Makes sense…

Musashi remained silent. Now his guess was confirmed. His flaw was terrible. But he considered his own to be far worse.

— Now you know my flaw and my aspect. Can I know something about you?

Veil seemed to perk up. A spark of curiosity flickered in his eyes.

— Well… then tell me, what's your aspect? Or… no, wait, start with your flaw… or attributes… Actually, what memories do you have? — Veil paused for a second, then suddenly blurted out, — You're strong. Maybe you have a True Name? What was your past? Can you teach me?

With each word, the flow of questions grew faster. Musashi rubbed his temples wearily.

— Enough! — He sighed. — Let's go in order.

He ran his finger over his runes, activating them. Symbols flickered to life on the dark surface:

Name: [Miyamoto Musashi]

True Name: [Guardian of Life]

Rank: [Dreamer]

Absorbed Cores: [1000/1000]

Memories: [Haori], [Myanma], [Vessel of Slime]

Echo: —

Attributes: [Master of the Blade], [Fateful]

Aspect: [Fallen Dusk]

Aspect Rank: Transcendent

Aspect Abilities: [Water Reflex]

Flaw: [Omen]

Musashi looked at Veil.

— What exactly do you want to know?

Veil thought for a moment but didn't rush his answer this time.

— Tell me about your memories.

— I have three, — Musashi replied calmly. — Two were passed down from my clan, and the third I got after killing the Scavengers. Clothing, a blade, and a vessel of slime.

Veil nodded, his gaze lingering on the hilt of Musashi's sword, but he said nothing.

— Your attributes?

— One lets me wield a sword better than others. The other… increases the probability of events. Good or bad—it makes no difference.

— Only two?

Musashi nodded.

— And your aspect?

— It gives me instant reflexes. When I first got it, controlling it was difficult. Everything around me seemed slowed down, like time had stretched.

Veil studied him closely, as if confirming his own theories.

— I see… — He hesitated, as if gathering courage, then asked, — And your flaw?

Musashi's gaze snapped up. For a few seconds, he was silent. Then, in a quiet voice, he said:

— My flaw is called [Omen].

Veil leaned forward slightly, eyes locked on him.

— And what does it do?

Musashi smirked, but there was no amusement in his voice.

— It shows me the date of my death.