Locking eyes with the odd looking monster, Stacy wasn't quite sure what her approach should be.
Should she just attack it head on or wait for some form of opening?
These were the two ways in which Stacy thought her slashes would work.
All while she was thinking this the monster just stood there, waiting.
Maybe it knew she would attack, and was waiting for an opening itself.
In her hand she gripped her Sword of Light, resolving herself to attack it.
She simply ran at it and with all she had slashed down.
*Waaa*
Her sword slashed right through the beast and as it did the monster led out a loud screech.
'Is it really this easy?'
She turned towards Sirius when he spoke up.
"It's not over yet."
Stacy turned around to find that the beast she just slashed down was now back up fully regenerated.
"It's still alive??"
"Yes, did you think the lesson was gonna be this easy? You'll pass the first lesson if you can kill that thing for good."
"And how do I do that?"
"We'll see, if you are really struggling I'll help you out, but for now just try killing it."
Stacy understanding that she won't be getting any help for a while turned back towards the beast and started assessing it.
'It's still not moving.'
"Hey, Master. What is this thing exactly can you atleast tell me that? Why isn't it moving?"
"Don't worry it will move soon, for now it's still recovering from shock."
'Recovering from shock?'
Then as if it heard what Sirius had said the monster started charging at her, putting its hand in a knife like position.
Stacy was quick to defend its attack with her sword and was surprised by the resistence its body showed agains her weapon.
'Has it gotten stronger? And also its using its arm as sword?'
The fight continued, but Stacy eventually got the upper hand and slashed down at the monster once again slicing it in half.
This time Stacy didn't turn around and looked at the sliced up monster and saw how it regenerated.
The darkness of the Void moved like it was alive. It quickly made the wounds of the monster a thing of the past.
Now the monster stood before Stacy with two sword arms.
'Is it getting stronger with each death?'
Then the monster came at her with full strength.
Stacy could feel herself being pushed back. The monster was now overpowering her.
'This isn't looking good.'
With each slash the monster delivered Stacy could feel her chances of victory decreasing.
"Guess I expected too much."
Then Sirius moved before Stacy, stopping the monster with his hands.
"Look closely Stacy, I'll show you ONCE how you properly kill one of these things."
Sirius then pushed the monster back a few meters with a light push.
Suddenly out of seemingly thin air a sword appeared in Sirius's hand.
Then he raised the sword high above his head and as he did Stacy could feel and see all the surrounding aura being absorbed by it.
Then as he slashed down at the monster it was as if the moon had descended upon them, as his sword shone through the normally unpierceable darkness.
*Boom*
The air behind the monster exploded and the monster simply disappeared as if it had been evaporated.
"This is Cleave, you could call it the base of my weapon art. Learn this and things will be looking up for you."
'What just happened?'
The slash she had just witnessed was both ordinary and extraordinary, the movement was simple, but the result was anything but.
"Also you should try dealing with this type of monster sooner because they get stronger with each death, though just a little bit."
"Yes, Master what was that monster really. What did you mean by it being in shock?"
Sirius was silent for no more than a second before he answered Stacy.
"These monsters are what became of all those who once died in the Void. They became a part of it."
"It was a person?"
"Yes, at one point in time it certainly was a person, in it's current state... I wouldn't call it one."
"So it's not really a real person, right?"
Sirius paused for a moment trying to find the best words to use.
"Well it still thinks it's a person, but it isn't really one. And even if we consider it one we are doing it a service by killing it."
Stacy connected the dots and somewhat disgusted by herself.
"So when I first killed it."
"It was just a confused person, it didn't know why another human was standing before it. I honestly doubt it would have attacked you."
"But then wh—"
"Listen, I didn't think this was gonna bother you so much, but would you really want to exist like that?"
Stacy thought herself in the monsters shoes, before she answered.
"I guess not."
"Then I don't see the issue."
Stacy was still mulling over the whole thing when Sirius suddenly changed the subject.
"I might be late in asking this, but how did you survive in the first place?"
Stacy was confused as she was still thinking about the fight that she just had.
Seeing the confusion on Stacy, Sirius was quick to correct himself.
"I'm talking about when you were fighting the giant beast, considering your strength I don't know how you were the only one alive there."
Hearing Sirius's question Stacy thought back to what happened back then and was also left somewhat confused, leaving her with only one answer.
"I was lucky... I guess."
"You guess?"
"I suppose."
"I don't believe you, run me through the whole thing."
Stacy began recounting the whole fight form her perspective. Starting from when the monster first appeared in the Mindscape to when Gabriel fought it and eventually when he summoned the bell.
"Then at the end it seemed like the monster was talking. Then it instantly killed everyone but me. Then when trying to figure out why I didn't die it said something about a mishap."
Stacy was rather engrossed in her story telling so much so that till now she hasn't once looked up at the Sirius standing next to her.
But now that she was done she did, oh she did.
And what she saw was an expression to die for. One filled with both despair and weird form of amusement.
"HAAHAHAHA!"
Stacy could only look as the man went insane.
'Did I say something wrong?'
That was when he finally began speaking.
"HAAHAH SO THIS WAS A PART OF YOUR PLAN ALL ALONG HUH?"
"BUT IT'S USELESS TRY ALL YOU WANT THINGS WILL NEVER GO YOUR WAY."
Stacy was by now quite disturbed by what was happening next to her.
'Guess the Blaspemer name did make sense afterall.'
"SO SHE IS A PART OF YOU NEW STORY HUH?"
"I WONDER JUST HOW MUCH ARE YOU GONNA LET HER KEEP, HUH?"
...
The madness went on for a bit longer, but in the end it seemed that Sirius had a serious (You get it?) case of schizophrenia or something along those lines.
Atleast that's the conclusion Stacy had arrived to since the day that has passed since.
Standing before Sirius who was now calmer than during their last conversation, she opened her mouth.
"Master I think I can do the Cleave now."
Sirius didn't say anything, clearly still recovering from yesterday's incident. But he was still looking at Stacy and that's what really mattered.
Stacy readied herself, she placed her sword above her head letting it collect aura before she slashed down with full force.
*Boom*
She did it, but something was missing, even she was able to tell, but to her shock Sirius seemed to disagree as he spoke up.
"Good job, you now know Cleave."
Stacy quickly checked her Interface and the skill was indeed listed.
"But, it's too different from the one you used Master, there is no way it's the same skill."
That was when Sirius shook his head disagreeing with what Stacy was saying.
"I told you before, that I cannot teach you the skill I used before. My core skill simply makes certain skills function differently. Cleave is also one such skill."
Then Sirius put one of his hand into an invisible space before pulling something out.
It was a small notebook.
"Since you've learned Cleave it's only right that I let you learn all the remaining ones, but as I've said they won't be as effective as the ones I used."
Stacy took the notebook before looking at her master.
"I thought you were gonna teach it to me personally."
"Ah, don't jest, there is noway I can teach these to you in a reasonable amount of time. Learning it will take years, maybe even decades."
'Decades.'
"So this notebook will have to do, I also think it's time for you to leave."
"So soon?"
"Yes, I don't see the point in you staying here."
While she wanted to refute she couldn't, now that she had the notebook she had no reason to stay.
"I'll teleport you back to Void Outpost, if they question why you are the lone survivor then say that you'll only report to Reinhardt. Then once before him say my name, you can use my name or title it doesn't matter. If things go like this Reinhardt will give you an early retirement, but will leave you alone after."
What Sirius was saying seemed almost like a prophecy in some way, as she was sure his words would come true.
"Then I'll open the portal—"
"Wait!"
Stacy interrupted Sirius just as he was about to open the portal.
"Before we part ways, I'd like to see a demonstration, so I can have an easier time learning the moves."
"Fine by me."
Then Sirius summoned his sword and began slashing each slash more powerful than the last, then he finally arrived at the one he used when he rescued her.
He dismissed his sword as he didn't need it for it.
As he slashed the sky came apart and the darkness before then disappeared as far as she could see.
In the path where the slash landed a giant chasm remained as the lone reminder of this skills magnificence.