The next day, after recovering and enjoying themselves, Ai follows Elysium to the second trial.

"So, Cirrus what is the second trial?” Ai asked.

“The second trial is the Trial of the Mind. This trial is to see if you are mentally strong enough for the third and final trial.”

“So what do I gotta do? Read or take a test or something?”

"Hmm, no, this will be a very long process; thankfully, I have some pretty good authorities so I could just make a special room.”

“What am I doing exactly?”

“You are going to spend the equivalent of one month isolated.”

“One month!! By myself!!”

“Yes. It is a very…” Elysium has a slight pause, remembering his time in the void. "Ai, before we begin, you can return to Orario and talk with—”

“Let's get this over with!" Ai said it firmly. “I want to be the first god you sleep with!”

“…Are you mad I—”

“Yes, I am mad. Ryuu was the one who took your first time as a god! I wanted it to be me! Just like when you were human!”

“Even if when I switched my gender?”

“I wanted both of your first times!”

“You're very selfish about me, huh?”

“Well now that I have the chance to be your first wife yeah, I am a bit more selfish now. Truth be told I never wished to share you with anyone. With Art then Malion and then Ryuu... well what's another wife when you have two already?"

“Hm." Elysium smiled. "You say that but you have to admit you also looked forward to more fellow sister-wives. Particularly you vouching and pushing for Aisha."

"... So where we going?" She smiled brightly.

Elysium could tell she wasn't going to answer him.

"Follow me. Sore loser.”

"I am not!"

 

Ai followed Elysium to the next trial.

Standing there nobly was a spirit the size of a pallum. She turned her head to show her scorpion helmet.

To Ai, she seemed familiar as well, but a feeling of strength overcame that familiarity. With a single glance, she could tell she was a cut above Aries.

“Ooh! Who is this spirit?” Ai asked Elysium.

“She is my strongest knight. Scorpio, if you will.”

“My pleasure my Lord,” Scorpio said, walking up to Ai. “I am Scorpio, the Grand Spirit of Unpredictable Precision. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Ai. I am the guard to the Door to Isolation.”

“Oh hello! You remind me of someone." Ai could see a familiar visage much like Virgo and Ryuu, Ai saw Scorpio like another person that is on the tip of her mind.

“Hm. My lord, will you be explaining to her what the next trial is, right?”

“Yes, I will. You can go do what you want.”

“Thank you, sir! My lady.” Scorpio bows and takes her leave.

Ai watches as Scorpio walks away and suddenly disappearing.

“So… Why didn’t you put this in a more secure place?" Ai looked back at the Door to Isolation. "It’s just out in the open."

“Sorry, I was you know, busy building other shit. And quite frankly I didn’t expect someone to go for the trials so damn early. Haa… But you are right; I should move where it is.” Elysium then looks her in the eyes. "Alright, listen to me, you are going to spend the equivalent of 1 month isolated.”

“So it’s gonna be like what you went through!?”

“Yes. Think of it as a warm-up for the third trial. If you can get through this, then you will be ready for the next and final trial.”

“…” Ai looks at the now bleak-looking, solid black door before her.

“Scared?”

“A bit now, but I came this far! So let’s do—”

Ai reaches for the black door, but Elysium grabs her hand.

“Wait a second. I haven’t even made a backup of your memories. Do you want to just mess up your memories?”

“Oh, what are you gonna do?”

“Make a backup.”

Elysium slams his hand on her head.

Thud!

“Ow!! That hurts!!”

“Just a second.” In his other hand, an iridescent ball of light slowly began to form and grow. “There. You can go and take the trial. Oh, and some words of advice: Always keep yourself busy no matter what and focus on the things you love.”

“Alright! Here I go!” Ai stretches her arm and touches the black door. “Huh? Is it supposed to—?"

She fell through it. She quickly turned to see Elysium slowly disappearing into the darkness.

 

Before she could even speak out, she was already in darkness.

“It's…” She looks around and sees nothing. It was utterly dark. From the left or right, up or down, she could not see or feel anything.

Thump-thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump!

“I can even hear my heart when I don’t talk. Did Cirrus really spend an eternity in a place like this?”

Ai then went and got comfortable by crossing her legs and simply meditating.

She sat.

“…”

She sat some more.

“……”

And even more.

“………”

Eventually, the isolation started to set in.

“Fuck.”

She first started with her swordsmanship.

She would imagine her katana and swing down, honing and polishing her already polished style.

She kept going for so long that she had long ago forgotten the time, or maybe it was a short while ago that she forgot.

“Shit…shit.” She stops mid-swing. “Time is so messy here; I lost track! How long have I been here? I feel no hunger, exhaustion, or sleepiness! It's almost like…” She looked around and noticed there was no door.

 

Outside the door was Elysium lying against the door with Ai; her hand was still attached to the wall, in his embrace, gently stroking her hair.

“53 more minutes… just 53 more minutes.” He says this to himself as he holds her tightly. "Then you will be back to me."

 

In that solitary space, Ai took Elysium’s words as gospel and focused. She had only her two magics and her body, so she began to train them.

She would reform her swordsmanship from scratch and relearn everything again. Simple swings at first, she would repeat each simple swing painfully slowly. After she was done with that, she would go on with her magic.

“(When the bell tolls 108 times gather the eight serpents.

No offerings of sacrifice to the earth, wind, fire, water, thunder, poison, light, and darkness.

I offer you steel and the clear sky.) [Murakumogiri]!”

Even in a place with no wind, Ai’s imagination has gotten quite good in such a short time.

She would repeat this process nonstop until finally a voice rang through the space.

Ding! Time is up!

“!!” light filled the void, engulfing Ai.

She opened her eyes to find Elysium holding her.

His eyes shone, as did the stars that covered him.

“Welcome back Ai, how was isolation?”

“… It was horrifying if I didn’t do something I would have. I don’t have the right word to describe it.” She then snuggled in closer to Elysium. “I was lonely. Did you really live in that for an eternity?”

“Yes. Before the final trial, do you wish to stay with me?”

“Yeah… Can you hold me close?”

“Of course. I’ll hold you for as long as you want.” He picks her up, and she holds onto him tightly.

“Thank you.”

Elysium could feel her shaking. He strokes her hair and kisses her tenderly as he takes her back to his room.

 

Even one’s memories are never perfect; each time one remembers their past, something is always altered. In isolation, you live off of your memories because you have nothing else to accumulate. In the end, no one survives it.