Gunvolt woke up in the morning before Copen did. Surprisingly, his body didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. It still ached, but nothing Gunvolt can't handle. "Joule," Gunvolt whispered, realizing his aegis was probably the reason why. Without being able to return back to base, Gunvolt was highly injured. First aid could only go so far. He glanced over at Copen, who had his head lowered in sleep, while thinking, "If he wanted to finish me off, he might have the chance now."

"I won't allow that," Joule reassured Gunvolt in his head. Copen shifted in his sleep before stretching awake.

"Speak of the gacking devil…" Gunvolt mumbled. "Morning," he said aloud. Copen gave no "morning" back. Silently, they ate their rations and was on the road again. But not before Copen told Gunvolt he wanted to comb over the crumpled town one more time. Gunvolt reluctantly asked if he needed company. The answer was unanimous. Once Copen did come back, he didn't say anything and just started walking out of the town. Gunvolt ran ahead of him, knowing that Copen was going to follow. After a while of running in silence, Gunvolt stopped and turned to face Copen. "Spill. What are you doing coming with me?"

Copen disregarded Gunvolt with a sound from his throat. "I don't trust a demon like you with people at EctoWav City."

"So you are keeping watch on me." Gunvolt shook his head. "When will you stop and actually listen? Not all adepts are monster like you say-"

"Why don't you heed my words? The humans trusted Sumeragi, but in the end they betrayed everyone's trust and lead this world to anarchy."

"Only because I done them in. You were going to do the same thing, so stop whining. Soon someone will get things back in control. QUILL will make sure of that."

"It's you adepts that made humans feel helpless that they are lead astray now."

Gunvolt's patience was running thin. "Heh, I'm surprised you haven't kill me yet. Obviously, you have a huge chip on your shoulder."

"You say yet, but haven't I've been trying? The captain of your group- he even declared it- stole my gun that was made specifically to zap you of energy and kill you. But…" Copen clasped his hand around the rocket launcher that was held onto his back. "I can kill you. You're weak after all."

"And here I was thinking we could at least call a truce," Gunvolt said, moving his hand to his belt. "You're not in working order too. You think a normal kid like you could beat a 'monster' like me?" Copen gave Gunvolt a cold glare in response as if he was weighing down the situation.

"Of course, because God is at my side," Copen said before smashing a coughing bomb onto the ground. Not only did it enable a coughing fit, bit is also stung the vision.

"I don't have time for this," Gunvolt grumbled to himself. Septima energy surged through his body, delivered by Joule, and he flew into the sky. A rocket bombarded the place where he stood seconds ago. Gunvolt tagged the rocket launcher that was cocked up on Copen's shoulder before giving a little fuse of electricity to send the weapon off. Copen staggered and Gunvolt dropped down in front of him. "Be grateful I didn't just-" but before Gunvolt could even finish his sentence, he was kicked in the side by Copen's roundhouse. Gunvolt caught himself from skidding and flew up into the air again. Bullets were aimed toward him and he dodged them. His patience snapping, Gunvolt dove toward Copen and tagged him. Copen continues to shoot at him, but it was proving difficult with Gunvolt evading. Once near, Gunvolt flew right by Copen and open up his Flashfield. The tag and the close proximity made the attack much more strong. Copen fell to his hands and knees, electricity temporarily stunning him. "I don't want to have to kill you. You're only a human, but if you continue getting on my back I won't hold down. If my life's in danger I will fight. Got that?" Either Copen refused to reply or the stun was sealing his lips shut. "Let's call a truce. Once we reach EctoWav City, that truce will be over," Gunvolt said and helped Copen back up. He was sluggish in his movement, but he's able to walk. Having a chug of the energizer drink brought him back up to speed. Gunvolt expected Copen to go the other way but he reluctantly followed him, but of course in a watchful way. Night fell and there was not a town in sight. They rest in a small area with shrubs and metal.

The next day, Gunvolt was not surprised when he woke up and Copen wasn't nearby. He finally decided to leave. Gunvolt was glad for that, so he continued without the extra burden. It was only a few miles later did Gunvolt realized Copen took everything along with him. Including the food and energizer drinks. He sighed in spite of the spoiled attitude of Copen. Gunvolt thought about how he should have pushed away Copen's offer of coming with him and carry that oversized bag of Moniqa's himself. "Gunvolt, you're really tired…" Joule said quietly in his mind.

"Don't worry about it," Gunvolt reassured her, not sure if he was telling the truth or not. Joule probably knew how he felt since she was part of him anyways. Without another response, Gunvolt heard a little murmuring in the air. The sound got louder until Gunvolt realized it was Joule singing. Her septima, Lumen, had the voice of serenity that sprang Gunvolt back up when he's down. As he ran, he heard Joule sing. The song was so pure, so light, that somehow Gunvolt was feeling a bit refreshed. His soul turned in his body, partly aching that he couldn't hug Joule right now for such beautiful singing, and happiness that she is near no matter where he was. When Joule finally finished the song, Gunvolt felt renewed. The cuts and bruises all over his body felt like nothing. He felt nimble enough again to run even faster. "Joule… that was beautiful," Gunvolt said before he even realized it.

"Just a quick verse for you to feel better. I hoped it helped you heal a bit," Joule told Gunvolt.

"Wait. That was a song of healing?" Gunvolt questioned. If Joule had the power to make her songs heal Gunvolt, he would be able to rest from worrying.

Joule was silent for a bit, the air around her filled with a sense of sadness. "I guess you can say that. It only heals a little, though. Sorry… and you were depending on me." Gunvolt told Joule she didn't need to worry and that she helped him more than enough. "Thanks!" Joule replied, the air around her filling up with warmth of relief.

A new city was appearing at the horizon. It didn't took long before Gunvolt was in the city. It didn't looked that wrecked as the city near QUILL headquarters and the last one. The city grounds was just dirty of parts. Thinking of QUILL reminded Gunvolt of Moniqa and Zeno, and he wondered how they were holding up. "It's Gunvolt. Anyone home?" Gunvolt called into his communicator. No one picked up. "Huh. That's strange." Gunvolt put away the communicator. "Maybe they're busy…?" He detected movement from behind rubble and blasted it away with his Cerberus. Shocker, it was Zod and Xac.

Zod smacked Xac, and scolded him. "You gave us away!" Xac apologized.

"What do you clowns want this time?" Gunvolt sighed and rolled his eyes. Xac flinched from the insult. Zod rested a hand on his shoulder and put a fake sympathetic expression on his face.

"How could you call this boy a clown? You bully," Zod said and roughly rustled Xac's hair.

"Bully? Hypocrite enough?" Gunvolt questioned mockingly.

Zod ignored Gunvolt's comment and continued talking. "Don't worry, my boy. Gave him a show if he expects one." After Zod removed his hand from his head, Xac looked to his father and gave a determined nod. He stepped forward and started to yell out. At first, Gunvolt thought he was in pain, but it was a war cry instead. Blue light surrounded him before it completely enveloped him. When the light show was over, Xac reappeared different. His new form reminded Gunvolt of Merak and Jota strangely, it being mecha themed and the color combination of the two. He hovered with the jets that replaced his legs. His arms were spears that emit energy as the blades. Xac teleported the two, with the wormhole septima, to the top of a skyscraper.

"How-" Gunvolt started. Xac made wormholes appear at both of his sides and Gunvolt's. He extended his arms and the spears flew off and into the wormholes near him. The spears flew out the wormholes near Gunvolt. He rolled from the attack just in time as the spears grazed him a little on the back. From rolling forward, Gunvolt was closer to Xac and fired three bullets at him. It tagged. He unleashed his Flashfield. Xac groaned and stumbled the electricity that ran through his veins.

"Behind you!" Joule warned Gunvolt and he flew into the air. The spears just returned back to Xac's arm sockets, but Gunvolt was still releasing his Flashfield. Watching him, Gunvolt knew Xac was too a novice to fight and wield those powers that wasn't his. Suddenly, the kid shimmered from his sight and the Flashfield disconnected. Xac reappeared so quick that even Joule couldn't help detect where he was coming from. He appeared from behind Gunvolt and blasted him with the jets from his legs. Gunvolt flew toward the ground, and Xac used the wormholes to teleport him flying back up. He spiked Gunvolt to the ground once more with his spear arms. Gunvolt crashed through the weak skyscraper and the whole thing started to fall apart.

"Damn…" Gunvolt grumbled. He leaped into the air to start flying to safety, but a wormhole unexpectedly appear before him and he flew in. When he got out, they were flying in front of a much bigger screened TV than from the town near QUILL HQ. Gunvolt couldn't marvel as much before Xac swung his arms to strike Gunvolt. He blocked the attack with his Cerberus, the blade momentarily drained of energy from the contact. Gunvolt used his Flashfield so that Xac go back off. He did. He backed off into a wormhole and appeared even further away. One moment he was a ways off before suddenly he was so close. Gunvolt evaded the attack in time. Otherwise, he would be sundered. "That kid's fast. I'll give him that," Gunvolt thought. Xac came flying back at Gunvolt and he dodged again. "But two can play that game," Gunvolt finished. Xac flew by again. His attacks were getting predictable. Once Gunvolt evaded again, he tagged Xac with three bullets quickly. When he knew that Xac would be flying back at him, Gunvolt released electricity. It held Xac back some, slowing his speed down. When Xac went for another charge, Gunvolt managed to give him a strong kick to the side, making the kid stumble in the air before he recovered himself. He shook his head as if dizzy.

"That was... insane..." Gunvolt heard him mumble.

"Wait. He didn't know how to stop himself?" Gunvolt just realized. Not only were these not his septima, he doesn't know how to control them. If he doesn't know how to control them, the world is in great danger. "Why are you fighting when you don't even know how to?" Gunvolt asked Xac.

"I do too!" Xac countered. "I'm just not used to it...!" He raised his hand out in front of him and a wormhole appeared beneath Gunvolt. Gunvolt narrowly dodged the laser that flew out from it.

Gunvolt steadied himself in the air and stared sternly into Xac's eyes. "Can we just talk without you throwing out attacks at me?"

Xac scorned, his expression fitting as his father. "What made you think we were going to talk? Die!" He made another wormhole appear under Gunvolt and he dodged like before. But then another wormhole appeared right next to him as he did and a laser blasted at Gunvolt. Receiving that attack head on made Gunvolt spiraling down to the ground. He crashed straight into another skyscraper, making it crumple, but not necessarily falling apart. Gunvolt cracked an eyelid open and saw himself lodged in an office-like space. Some computers lie strewn around the area while some still perched on top of desks. It was as if the people didn't cause much havoc inside than outside.

As Gunvolt struggled to get up, he felt a small tingle run through his body. "Huh...?" Gunvolt looked down to where he was at. He was in the face of a computer. When Gunvolt moved again, he felt the tingle once more. His eyes followed the cord that connected the computer to a shared socket of other computer plugs.

"Electricity is still running here," Joule stated. Gunvolt nodded with a small smile. He held on to the wires that came from the crashed computer he was in and tried recharging himself. The tingling became a current that ran through Gunvolt's body. The whole place almost seem to have come alive. Computer screens were flashing on and off. Fizzing could be heard from the electricity rushing through the cords, the wires, and to Gunvolt. The office seem to be burning too, considering the smell and smoke from the fizzing cords. Xac must have wanted to check and see if Gunvolt was dead or not. He used his wormhole to teleport in the office and saw the weird flashing of the room. Before he could understand what's happening, Gunvolt turn to smirk at Xac and lunged at him. He caught on to Xac's body and the two flew out the office windows.

In the next three steps, Gunvolt tagged Xac three times again. First, as he was still holding onto Xac, he shot him. Then he pushed away from Xac and gave his head a hit from his heel. Second, while Xac was falling down alongside of the building, Gunvolt shot him again. Finally, he dropped himself down next to Xac and shot him. Xac was just regaining his bearings when Gunvolt cried out, "Septimal Surge!" This skill allowed Gunvolt's attack to temporarily boost. Immediately after he activated his skill, Gunvolt used his Flashfield. He could tell it delivered more of a kick. The conductivity seem to wrap around Xac like a hand and fling him down faster to the ground. Xac's mouth could be seen opened in a yell, but no sounds escape his throat. The high voltage in the air neutralized his voice. Even in the air, Gunvolt could feel a small quiver when Xac crashed into the ground. He landed safely from where Xac lie. The boy still tremble with life despite the hard fall.

Gunvolt held his left hand upward. "I still have you connected. If you don't want to feel that again, hold yourself." Xac didn't reply but his glare spoke that he didn't want to hold himself against Gunvolt. Gunvolt thought it would be better if he jumped to the point. "Look, I don't know what kind of relationship you have with your dad, but it's not a good one. I barely know him, but I can tell he's just using you."

"S-so?!" Xac managed to respond back. "I want him to use me... then I don't need to be left alone anymore."

Gunvolt was kind of confused from the kid's word. "How would him using you make you not be lonely?" He knew it could be because the dad was the only person Xac had, but the way how Xac said it made it like his dad was ready to throw Xac away if he became useless. A father would never throw their own son away. Xac looked like he was about to answer when he remebered Gunvolt was the enemy and kept his lips shut. "So you're trying to get his gratitude by doing whatever he tells you? Kid, that's not how you not be lonely," Gunvolt said.

"Shuddap! You know nothing of me and Father!" Xac yelled in protest.

"I know that you're desperate and he's puppeteering you," Gunvolt replied nonchalantly.

Xac started getting up, and Gunvolt stepped back, his left hand still poised up as if to remind Xac he's still tagged for conductivity. "Father saved me from loneliness, abandonment, and despair. Whatever he says is right, I carry it out for him. Because I owe him my life." Xac's jets flared up and Gunvolt emphasized his left hand again. His right hand held tight to his Cerberus in case he needed to renew the tags. "If Father tells me to destroy the world..." Xac floated upright in midair. "... I will destroy it." Gunvolt managed to release his Flashfield to conduct damage to Xac before he materialized himself from where he was. The tag was lost and Gunvolt scanned the area for oncoming attacks. He faced a gaping wormhole that shot a spear out at him. Gunvolt dodged it, but another spear appeared out of nowhere and gashed his right shoulder open. He stumbled from the cut and Xac appeared above him to smack him to the ground. Gunvolt banged against the ground and Xac stood above him with a spear arm outstretched to his neck.

"Father needs your blood, and I'll bring him lots," Xac spoke emotionlessly, his eyes dull.

Gunvolt held Xac's cold gaze. "Hold on! Maybe you do owe your dad for saving your life, but don't you have your own morals?"

Something flicked in Xac's eyes. "Morals?"

"Rules that you play by. You make it like your dad always say the worst. If he wanted the world destroyed, you'll destroy it? Then you know he is a bad egg. If you have your own morals, you wouldn't want to listen to him. You would know what's right and wrong."

Xac stayed silent, watching Gunvolt with eyes that now seem to hold something else. Realization? Gunvolt hoped it was that. But the kid's eye twitched and it showed something twisted. His mouth stretched into a hideous grin before saying, "I never knew what was right or wrong. Nobody taught me. I was left to die when I was still in my diapers. That's why I wouldn't mind if Father told me to kill this stupid world." So the father of his was not his biological father after all.

Gunvolt's hands clenched. "Here I thought you were a good kid. But you're just as demented as your 'father.' This world may be horsejitt, but it's a world where mistakes were made and we learn from it." Gunvolt pitched forward. The spear would have pierced through his neck if it wasn't for the Chargeguard Pendant he had equiped. It gave him only a small invincibility window, but that was enough for him to move out of the spear's way, smack Cerberus across Xac's face, and tackle him down with his Flashfield up. Gunvolt began chanting once Xac was on the ground again.

"Lightning that flickers,

Like a star, and purges all,

That violate its realm,

Astrasphere!"

An electrical sphere surrounded Gunvolt and three smaller electrical ones orbited around him. The high density of the attack collided with Xac, making him scream out. The three small electrical spheres kept hitting Xac again and again with new waves of shock. Recieving that much damage made Xac dissolve into the azure light. When the offensive skill was finished, the area fizzed with the recent activity. Gunvolt let out a breath and his left hand went to his right shoulder. It stung from his touch and he pulled his hand back. Joule's presence can be felt nearby before she started singing. His shoulder gash felt let painful. "I only nullified it for the time being," Joule explained. "I'll make sure to appropriately heal you some when we find a place to rest at... Gunvolt?"

Gunvolt stayed silent in despair. It wasn't anything new killing another adept... except Xac wasn't an adept. He was once human, Gunvolt believed, until he was given those septima. The ones he just battled were of Merak and Jota. Gunvolt doesn't know how it could've happened, but the foster dad of Xac was probably the explanation. As Gunvolt thought about him, he wondered where the man could be. If he was nearby, did he witnessed his son's death and is mourning over it? Or he doesn't care? Gunvolt looked over the area and there was no one in sight. Just as Gunvolt thought. That crazy doctor was using Xac.

Gunvolt kind of regret killing Xac, but he was an obstacle that the world would face sooner or later if he wasn't dealt with now. With that hurdle down, Gunvolt could continue his journey toward EctoWav City and receive the supplies for QUILL.

To be continued...

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