Infinity in the Void – Freedom in the Abyss

"145 centimeters, 35 Kg, normal as far as I am concerned. Nothing wrong with the eyes, the leg wound is healing nicely and won't leave a scar. A lot of muscle fibers are broken and supposed to be non-functional, but you defied all anatomy knowledge."

The man with peach-colored hair nodded, he packed away his glasses into his front pocket. He smiled kindly at Charlotte, reassuring the girl. 

"I have no idea how your Gem works, but I assumed it helps you get through a lot of beating. Though, I don't recommend overusing..." 

"It.", Charlotte casually said. 

"Yes, it, your Devil. Don't depend on it too much or it will take over your body. Then again, there was never a case of a Conceptual taking the host's body, though you are an extremely special case.", he tore the note he had just written and gave it to Charlotte, "Here is the list of food to boost your recovery speed and don't exercise too much for your good."

Charlotte nodded. The doctor nodded back.

"Great, now don't go and do something too stressful. I have no idea how your body works so you need to be careful.", Charlotte could feel true worry in his voice, striking him as an honest and good person.

Charlotte stood up from her chair, "Thank you, Doctor Nightingale.", she bowed and left the room.

Would Charlotte listen to the good doctor? With a hint of guilt, Charlotte would not.

Why? Because she does not want to delay her fight with Athen. Her curiosity was peaked, she wanted to know what Athen's Devil was. Even with the help of the internet, Charlotte still could not find information about the right prince, some information was outright blocked and only showed as a mosaic mess for Charlotte.

What Charlotte needed was more practice, the spar with Enna certainly was deadly but the Fallen Angel did not want to kill her in the first place. She needs more stimulation, and more thrill to work herself.

Clutching the pendant, Charlotte fidgets with it as she walks down the corridor out of the medical bay. Feeling the smooth hardened Reverie, the dull edges of the eight-pointed star, her body went into autopilot to find its way back to her room, which was a kilometer away from the medical bay.

The pendant stayed even when Survive returned. Reverie said it was a sort of souvenir, it does not have any usage left. And all the other Akashics, except Reverie, have one of them. The final one the Akashic relics is somewhere inside the building of Project Darwin, but Charlotte cannot go in since the little incident she caused.

"Hello Miss Silvi.", a person called her out.

Charlotte stopped and turned her head, seeing a guard in black op gear. He was one of the people she met when she first awakened. She looked at his name tag, 'Rodon Delera'.

"Hello, how can I help you?", she tilted her head.

Rodon scratched his hair, looking away awkwardly, "Well, I just want to ask you a few questions. To my interest, of course. Can I do that?"

Charlotte thought for a bit, finding no harm in this endeavor, "Sure."

"Great! Well, I just want to know how life is for you. You know, with Silla around."

"Hmm... hectic, Silla is... something...", she could not quite put the words.

"Yeah... that's why she has the whole building to herself, everyone refused to work with her. Silla is Silla, she can do everything by herself.", Rodon sighed.

"...despite that, everything was fun. Yes, fun...", Charlotte smiled.

The past weeks were fun, except for everything involving Silla. Charlotte does not like Silla, especially after sending her to Hell last night.

The good thing is Silla was not the one doing the health check, Athen put her into a headlock all day. Charlotte had to go all the way to the medical bay to get her health checked.

Speaking of Athen, Charlotte noticed something strange about her bodyguard. Did Athen get younger?

Charlotte remembered this afternoon when she woke up and saw Athen, the woman was... younger. Athen looked a year younger than she was the last time Charlotte checked. 

But that thought quickly went away as Rodon asked her another question.

"So do you do anything there? Or... pardon my rudeness, sit around?"

"...uhm... I usually just read books all day or fiddle with the stuff I have.", Charlotte pulled out her fake butterfly knife, "Like this knife. I tried to buy a real one, but Silla, of all people, denied it."

Rodon chuckled, "Silla likes children, surprisingly."

Charlotte frowned, "Is that so?"

"She doesn't torment kids as much as she does with others. A guy in the guard department became her plaything, demonic sigils carved into his skin that made him into an unkillable one-man army, in exchange for constant pain. The Director had to step in to reach a deal with the guy, letting him unable to feel pain through surgery that kills all of his pain receptors."

"Where is he now?", Charlotte tilted her head, fiddling her knife now it was out in the open.

Rodon, eyeing the knife but doing nothing about it, "He usually hangs around the gym."

Gym.

Charlotte realized she could train herself there. Nothing much could be gained from such a few days of practice, but she could get something out of it. She has Survive after all.

"Hm, can you show me the way to the gym"

Rodon looked to his left, "I can but you are too young to go there. And I don't think Miss Argentum would like that."

Too young huh...

"Besides, I think you are plenty strong already. You have the cold eyes of a killer, but you have no killing intent. If the Director was looking for an assassin, you would be the top choice."

Assassin huh... ah, those that do the killings. 

Charlotte does not feel anything about ending a person's life. She thinks it would be cool to dress up and go out in the midst of the night, hunting down those who deserve to die.

An assassin... 

"Anyhow, I need to get back to my post now. Sorry for holding you here, Miss Silvi.", Rodon left with a light laugh.

"Goodbye.", she waved. Silla said this is a thing I should do.

Now Charlotte can just return to her room, but hearing about the gym told her another path to take. Athen will make a fuss, but the girl does not care that much.

Go to the gym~ make Athen panic~! 

With encouragement from Reverie, Charlotte switched gears. She turned to her right, looking at the direction Rodon was looking when she asked about the gym.

"That way...", she walked.

It was almost dust, by the time would she be back it would be night. Not that she cared, Charlotte could see in the dark - more specifically, adjust to the darkness almost instantly - or afraid of someone attacking her in the dark, nothing would surpass Silla in scariness for Charlotte.

Fiddling with her fake knife for a bit, Charlotte put it back into her pocket. She was bored. For the first time in a while, she felt bored, maybe because Survive was not making a fuss or the constant annoyance that was Silla. 

Still, Charlotte found something good in silence. Not have to worry about Silla or warnings from Survive. 

Even if she could hear the world around her clearer than most, from the small rumbles of the ground to the flow of the wind, there was something oddly calming about all of these noises.

But her moment of serenity was cut short. Survive took over for some reason. She let the will of survival control her body without resistance.

"Charlotte!", it was Athen.

She turned back, throwing a punch at the oncoming woman. Athen caught the punch with wide eyes. The cold azure eyes of Charlotte showed no emotion, only the deadly gaze of a fighter.

Survive, what are you doing?

Freedom. She took our freedom. I will complete the Oath and get back our freedom.

"Charlotte! What are you doing?!", Athen shouted in worry, trying to take hold of Charlotte.

Charlotte spun around, kicking Athen in the side with her right leg. The impact made the woman wince in pain and stumbled back, Charlotte took the chance to create some distance, but not too far from Athen, just enough in her hit range.

"C-Charlotte!", Athen breathed heavily, trying to process the things happening in front of her.

Charlotte... Survive, tilted her head, and the emotionless voice of a trained killer escaped, "Give our freedom back, break the Oath."

"I-I can't!! We have to complete the Oath! It's impossible to break the Oath swore on Styx!"

"Then I guess I have to beat you.", Charlotte cracked her neck, and audible sounds of joint snapping signaled the beginning of the actual battle, "I am Akashic Survive, Humanity's Collective Will to Live."

Our freedom huh? Charlotte mentally smiled. This will be amusing.

Athen took a moment to collect herself, breathing in a deep breath, "I am Athen Argentum, your owner's guardian."

Without a word, Charlotte dashed forward with an insane burst of speed. Even Athen was surprised by this. In the blink of an eye, her hand went for Athen's eyes, attempting to destroy them.

However, Survive sensed something amid her actions. Without hesitation, Charlotte jumped with the price of a few more cracks in her leg bones, which were filled with Reverie. She stared at the object which caused her to be more careful, a pitch-black single-edge blade burned with an aura of death.

"Give back Charlotte to me, Akashic Records!", Athen shouted. Her face became more wary and frustrated, not knowing what to do with herself.

"This is in her best interest.", Survive coldly replied. She took a few steps back, far enough from Athen to not gain a sudden attack.

Charlotte felt the control of her body was given back. So Survive caused a fight, to get back her freedom, away from the Oath of Styx. Now that the fight has officially begun, Charlotte could surrender and she will only have to listen to Athen for a while, which is not that bad when compared to Silla.

But that would not be in line with what Survive wanted. It wanted freedom, it wanted to escape from the collar of the Goddess of Oaths.

Taking in a deep breath, Charlotte glared at Athen. Her eyes filled with determination and the gaze of a hunter, ready to strike down her prey.

Words entered her mind, showing the bond between Charlotte and Akashic Survive. Unlike hers and Akashic Reverie, the trust between the owner and Survive is naturally formed, naturally made by design. The moment Charlotte got Survive back, her bond with the collective knowledge of survival was greater than with the collective human Imagination and Curiosity.

"I am... Charlotte Silvi, Contractor of the Akashic Records"

The gem on the she shined brightly, changing from the pitch black of Reverie to the blue color of the sky. Her azure eyes glowed, becoming colder and colder until they were just blue voids.

"Devils of the Void, they who embodied Infinity"

The black sludge coming out of her body turned blue, slowly evaporating into the blue glowing mist. Her hair gained a blue tint to it, as if dyed by the sky-blue mist.

"You who represent Human Survival, burning away the hardship of mankind."

Blue lines formed on her eyes, coming out of her irises, and extended to both sides of her face like cracks, trying to contain the power of Survive.

 

"Anima Pactum - Akashic Survive"

 

Athen just stared dumbfoundedly, "You can... use it? Just what happened in Hell?"

Charlotte tilted her head, eyes still wide open, "Who knows."

And the fight begins.