“I think this is a record though,” Wunder said, rubbing his chin. “Only one other nightmare has ever entered Fort Zyvar without Erzili’s permission and survived.”
“That’s Slim for you!” Arol cheered. “He’s the coolest, other than Leader Erzili.”
“And you both thought it would be okay to let me walk through the gates despite that?”
Wunder sighed. “In truth, I did want to warn you. If you died, our wager would end prematurely. Then I realized, if you were capable of walking through and surviving, you’d certainly be able to help me with Onna. If you don’t survive, then you wouldn’t be of much help.”
“You do realize right now I’m thinking of several ways to kill you.” I turned to Arol. “Both of you.”
Wunder let out a large bark. “That’s the spirit Janus! Tell me, have you come up with anything you think might work?”
“Ooh, maybe he’s probably thinking about going for your neck. Everyone always thinks your neck is the softest place to get.” Arol clapped. “What about me? Me? Have anything you think might work?”
“Fire?” I wagered.
“Nope.”
“An exorcism?”
Arol pouted. “Yes… but you’re a skeleton. You can’t perform an exorcism.”
I hummed a soft tune, slowly thinking. “As a poltergeist if you’re immune to fire, but affected by an exorcism… then that means you have the traditional weaknesses aligning with the superstitions and myths associated with ghosts… so…” I tilted my head. “Salt?”
The smile on her face vanished immediately. Wunder went silent for several seconds as well, his brow raising higher and higher with each passing second. It had been a completely random guess, but their expressions gave it away with as much ease as playing a hand of poker with a party of drunken prepubescent children.
“You’re joking,” I said, almost not believing it. “Your weakness is… salt?”
She crossed her arms in a childlike fashion and let out an annoyed glare. “I thought you were stupid.”
Wunder laughed. “Now, Arol – you brought this on yourself. Seems Janus here might be much smarter than we thought.” His eyes locked on me. “Tell me, how’d you figure out Arol’s weakness so quickly?”
There was not much to it. “People… humans, often believed that salt could be used to ward off evil spirits, so they’d put a line of it on doors and windows to prevent them from entering their houses. Some myths say that if you trap a ghost in a circle of salt, it’ll be unable to escape from it.”
“Hmph! Don’t think that’ll work on me.” Arol grumbled. “I still have my Sword of Rhamnusia, and even if you can touch me, it doesn’t mean you can beat me.”
No, it means exactly just that. I did not correct her. There was no need, as of now, to completely absolve her of the illusion that she was invincible. Knowing that she was not, as a matter of fact, utterly untouchable did more to placate me than I believed was possible. Salt was her kryptonite. There was even the possibility that other items used in myth to ward off evil spirits would work on her.
“Hey, hey, what about him?” Arol pointed, “It’s not fair that you know my weakness but not his.”
“I am different Arol.” Wunder proclaimed, thumping his chest. “I’m a Barbeast. Nothing can hurt me.”
“Nothing on the outside,” I whispered, ideas forming in my mind. Indestructible from the outside… so… like Troy? Like that snake I killed, Agkistrodon?
“On the… outside?”
“Since you’re physically untouchable from the outside, that just means your weakness is inside.” It made sense. “A suitable amount of highly toxic poison directly ingested should do you in. But let’s assume you also have regenerative abilities, it’ll be best to use a bit of poison mixed with corrosive elements, such as acid. If the inner organs are all melted and your regeneration is overtaxed trying to purge the poison and unmelt your innards, it doesn’t matter how invincible your outer shell is. You’ll die like anyone else.”
Now that I thought about it, he wasn’t truly invincible, was he? No one was. So long as basic cause-and-effect still existed, it did not matter how many dozens of levels they were above and beyond me – they could still be killed with the right methods.
Withdrawing myself from my thoughts, I noticed the duo were staring at me as if they’d seen me for the first time. There was something else in their eyes that was hard to pin down, and as much as I would have liked to believe it was recognition or acknowledgment, I knew instead that it was going to be more likely caution and apprehension.
“What?”
“You’re… amazing.” Arol breathed, with more excitement in her tone than I was comfortable with.
“I’m... what?”
“What you just said… about being killed from the inside… that was how I lost to Erzili.” Wunder stated. “I have never lost to anyone else before that. Never lost to anyone else after that. No one has ever thought about using such a method to defeat me… except Erzili, and now, you, Janus.”
It never occurred to me, that the thing I saw in their eyes was neither recognition nor apprehension, but admiration.
“You don’t seem too displeased that I figured out your weakness.”
“Why would I be?”
“I could use it to kill you.”
“Then so be it.”
So be it? “I don’t understand.”
“Janus, there are those who do their best to hide their weaknesses from the world, afraid that knowledge of it would bring them their downfall. And some proclaim their weaknesses to the world and ask individuals to challenge them despite it. If you always hide your weakness from the world, once it is discovered, it will be exploited and bring you to ruin. But if you bare
