After that night Cirrus didn’t leave his room for three days and nights.

When he did finally leave he simply walked out with his mask on with Nox on his shoulders. He grabbed some food and drinks and told them.

“I will be away for a bit. I will be back.”

He left the ship and went into Sorshana. Many stared at him as he walked in. They never did see the Golden-Horned Demon in person simply rumors, the only people who saw him were either his crew or military personnel.

“Can I get a few pounds of dried meat and um… some rice as well?”

“Y-yes! Of course!” the man said with a forced smile.

Cirrus puts down the money, but he stopped him.

“I-it’s on the house!”

“Oh…thank you.” He nodded.

Many could tell how young he was, his voice easily gave it away.

He went around getting supplies before leaving the town.

“Boss I'm-“

“Keep your head up Bann.” Cirrus said walking into the desert. “Ill be back eventually I just need time to think.”

He said nothing else, he simply walked into the desert with bags of food on him and Nox sitting on top.

 

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

The warm desert breeze went by Cirrus as he walked along the dunes of the sands.

Nox was flying up on high enjoying the breeze.

“…A bit more.”

He walked and walked through the desert. He would occasionally come across monsters.

“(Exousía, Adorn: Ceryneian).”

He wouldn’t fight it, he simply ran away; he had no heart to fight anymore.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

“…Were here.” Cirrus walks on ahead into Nox’s temple.

With Nox’s help they were able to find it again.

'This place looks bad.’ Nox said flying around. She lands onto Cirrus’s bag and looks at the murals. ‘Do you think you can get rid of these depictions?’

“Sure, after I unpack some stuff.”

Cirrus placed his bag down and cleaned out a spot and left his bag there. He rummaged through it and got out Goh Ma’s weapon.

“Mmm…now how do I…Crack! Ow fuck!!!” He hurt himself with the whip.

‘Hahahaha!! Are you alright Cirrus!’

“I’m fine, shit hurts.”

He would spend the day learning how to use the whip using the murals for practice.

 

Sitting on the temple’s tower Cirrus simply looked out at the shifting sands.

He thought on what he did. He would close his eyes and try t empty his mind but-

“Murderer!”

“Please no!”

“Spare me!”

“Monster!”

“Demon!”

“…” He opened his eyes and tears streamed down. “One day, one demon at a time.” He closed his eyes again.

The next day.

“Murderer!”

The next day.

“Murderer!”

The next.

“Murderer!”

The next day.

“I need a change.”

He jumped down and stuck himself in the sand to his hip.

“…Eh.” He leaned back and closed his eyes.

He stayed there sunk in that dune repeatability facing his demons.

 

He stayed there at the temple for 2 weeks learning to forgive himself but ultimately he had come to the conclusion.

“…I can't.”

‘You can’t?’

“Yes…I can’t Nox. I have buried these feelings and those people I killed down within me. They gnaw at my mind wanting me to acknowledge them, to make me face my deeds and now I can’t…I can’t keep looking away. The moment I…I killed those…I turned around and they dragged me down.”

‘…I really don’t know what to say. In my time they simply told you to not think about it and move on.’

“I’m sure it worked for them considering the average lifespan back then was 25 years old and monsters could kill you at any second. Now in this era it’s different.”

‘Yes…I noticed it. Cirrus as far as I am capable I will help you to the best of my abilities. I will fight to the death, fly to the far corners of the world for you, climb the tallest mountains and travel to the depths of the earth to help you. This guilt that you are feeling is something beyond me.’

“I know. It’s something I have to face and overcome if not…it’s something I have to live with.”

‘…That sounds very mature…and time consuming.’

“…I have that in spares.”

Cirrus spent 5 more days there.

In the end he simply choose to live with it.

"...I guess that is how it goes. The weight of sin is soaked in."

He returned back to the crew, but they found the way he walked to be different, more heavy than his usual lightness.

His first words when getting back where:

“Let’s get to work.”

And when they did get to work they finally understood why his footsteps were so heavy as to sink deep into the sand, he seemed to be carrying along the burden of the dead. His attacks were all delivers in a single strike. No hesitation as if he was air he was swinging at.

He looked at the bodies when he was finished, and those steps became heavier.