Common Worlds: Chapter 12


After learning about the crisis at hand, everyone decided to split up to act upon it. Some of the group would have to go back to Earth in order to chase some of Nil's forces. The laser on MÄR-Heaven's side connected the two worlds and are bringing them together due to a chain reaction.

Meanwhile, fights have already erupted.

Nanashi had just defeated the last of the Guardians at Kaldea. Unfortunately, none of their users have been found. Crystal had already gotten away. However, there was one survivor of the attack who did not leave the city – a little boy was wandering about on the street, and his green outfit caught Nanashi's attention.

"Hey, kid!" he said. "You shouldn't be here anymore!"

The child ignored him. Nanashi approached him, but he just kept pacing around. Finally, he turned his head to Nanashi. "Hi."

" 'Hi'? Didn't you see those Guardians? Why are you still here?"

"What's your name?" asked the boy. He looked innocently into Nanashi's eyes.

"…Nanashi."

"Cool. My name is Peter. It's a shame, really."

"What are you talking about?" asked Nanashi.

"That a famous Team MÄR fighter was killed by a few Guardians who invaded Kaldea. Also, you failed to protect this city."

"What are you talking about? I'm standing right here!" exclaimed Nanashi.

"Of course, what I just said is what others are going to believe." Peter suddenly released an ÄRM from a ring; it transformed into a menacing dagger. "Remember my name as you die. I'm Peter the Ripper." The boy laughed and charged at Nanashi. He narrowly dodged the blade and jumped back.

"Good job. Had I not missed, your age would be reduced. This is my Weapon ÄRM – Dagger of Youth. It reduces your age according to the damage dealt. If I cut you enough times, you will be too young to fight. By the time you regress to an infant, your flesh would be ripped apart."

Nanashi stared at the child. "What the hell is wrong with you…"

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with me. The thing is, I can't let you get back to your comrades."

"Oh, well that makes sense." Nanashi put his hands close to each other. "Electric Eye!" Electricity sprouted from Nanashi's hands and shot at Peter. However, he jumped out of the way.

"Ah, this sucks, I can't fight a kid!"

"I'm not a kid! I'm twelve years old!" Peter screamed.

Nanashi stared at him. "Really? You're only twelve?"

"Shut up!" Peter threw the dagger at Nanashi and scraped his face. The cut did not deal much damage, but for some reason, Nanashi's face seemed smoother. He quickly took out a hand-held mirror.

"Hey, I don't look that bad…"

"What the hell!" Peter was steaming. "What kind of guy carries a mirror with him?"

"You can have a tantrum all you want, kid."

"Argh! If only Nil gave me more ÄRMs to work with…" Peter kicked the dust.

"Hang on… did you say Nil?" Nanashi stopped checking himself out and turned around. "So you're one of them too…"

Peter smacked his own face. "You figure it out now…"

Nanashi's face returned to normal. "Ah, so it's not permanent. That's good. I was afraid that I might become a kid forever."

Peter smiled. "You recovered from a small cut like that and you are celebrating already? Next time it won't be so easy." He lunged at Nanashi again, but this time, the blade was stopped by a set of vines clinging from something in the air.

A man with long red hair jumped down from the sky, holding the plant. "This world has some strange people," he said.

Nanashi widened his eyes. "That's an interesting Nature ÄRM!"

"Hmm? This isn't an ÄRM."

"What? How can you manipulate plants without ÄRMs?" Nanashi scratched his head. "Oh, you must be from the other world!"

"I'm Kurama. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Nanashi. That psycho kid there is Peter. Watch out, that knife reduces your age!" Kurama was warned too late. Peter was released from the vines and stabbed Kurama in the stomach. Prior to bleeding, his clothes seemed to grow, or rather, he shrank.

"Kurama!"

"Don't worry, I'm not like you humans," said Kurama. He used a child's voice.

"Huh? Are you an elf?" asked Nanashi.

"No, I'm a fox demon trapped in a human body."

"That's cool."

"Nanashi," said Kurama, "Alan wants you to go north and find the other people. More of us are scattered around this world, trying to find the culprits. We must stop the laser within a month!"

"I got you," said Nanashi. "Andarta!" He vanished into thin air.

Peter laughed. "Then it's just me and you! I'm guessing you have about eight years of age left. That's gonna change!" He swiped Kurama in the stomach once again. Kurama was not familiar with the plants here and could not fight back; his rose was already used.

Wait! If he can reduce my age, does it mean that…?

"It's over!" Peter stabbed Kurama in the heart. However, before the blade actually reached the heart, it was pushed out by an invisible force.

"What?" Peter fell onto the ground. Kurama suddenly grew much taller, and his hair turned silver. Two ears popped out of his head.

"I see. So it does happen," said Kurama. "Thank you for bringing out my true form."

Peter was shaking. His… magic… power… "I can still fight you! Your effects will wear off if I have no more power! I'll just use it up!" He held up his hand.

Kurama took out a leaf from his hair and put it in his mouth. Instantly, all of his wounds were gone. "Who said I was going to let you get away?"

"Ah! Help me, Andarta!" Peter activated the ring, but Kurama clutched his hand and squeezed it. Blood dripped to the floor, and Peter screamed. "Save me!"

"Then talk," said Kurama. His eyes glared daggers into Peter's. "Where is Nil?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't lie," said Kurama. He took out a blade of grass. "What does Nil want?"

"He… he wanted me to… to stop you…" At this point, Peter was crying.

"Stop us from what?"

"Nil wanted to show us a new world," said Peter. "He said that the laser would change everything. But to fuel it… we needed… a fairy… so we took… Alviss…"

"What does Alviss have to do with this?" asked Kurama. He tightened his grip.

"Alviss had a fairy named Belle! She was the only one within hundreds of miles from the laser! We easily snatched her and left, but Alviss wants her back! Thing is, if she's removed, the laser's power would be also removed!"

Kurama released him. Suddenly, his body changed. His ears were gone, and his hair reverted to red. He dropped the blade of grass. "I no longer need to fight you anymore. But tell Nil this: I will personally stop him. He has no idea what he got himself into, by connecting the worlds. We could do this the easy way or the hard way."

Peter nodded. "Andarta!" In a flash he was gone.


Nil looked at Peter. "What's wrong?"

Peter touched his bandaged arm. "This guy, Kurama, he's like, hundreds of years old, and he comes from the other world. He says that he will personally stop you, and he could do it the easy way or the hard way."

Nil smiled. "Let him have some fun too, kid. We can't always be winning. Otherwise it would get boring, and our objectives would be pointless."