Chapter 3: A Discussion Among Immortals
Linne sat in front of Rachel, eyeing her suspiciously. Where was she? Where were Hyde and her sent? How did they get here? How did someone know of Hyde's EXS?
"Now then, considering you are my guest, it's only courtesy to let you ask first." Rachel said, taking a sip of her tea. Linne gulped a bit.
"Where am I?" Linne asked.
"You are in the walls of Alucard Castle, an estate given to me by my father. Here is a pocket dimension, one that is in all the nights all over the world and hidden. Or otherwise known as existing, but also nonexisiting. No one can harm you, or us here." Rachel said, Linne tried to keep her shock to herself. She was in a limbo like area, with no weapons, in a silly dress, before a being that is very powerful.
"Now for mine. What is it that you recall before being sent here?" Rachel asked.
"I was, helping Hyde finish some chores before we just, blacked out." Linne said.
"Linne, can you get the plates?" Hyde asked from his position at the sink. Linne nodded snd carried over the dishes from the table.
Later...
Linne walked toward her room and saw Hyde's door open, she glanced and saw Hyde working on homework with a yawn. His desk lamp on with a messy pile of books, paper, and notebooks.
"Are you alright Hyde?" Linne asked.
" I'm fine, just finishing something up so I can sleep in." Hyde said.
"I'll see you in the morning then." Linne said as she left the doorway.
"Good Night Linne." Hyde said with a yawn.
As Linne walked by the window, she saw a bright light from the moon and blacked out.
"That's what I remember." Linne said, Rachel looked at her curiously and took another sip of tea.
"I suggest you drink your tea, it would be an awful waste if it got cold." Rachel said, Linne reeled a bit at the phrase, but took a sip anyway. It wss delicious to say the least, it had a fruity, but cinnamon warm taste to it.
"Now then, what is your next question?" Rachel asked.
"Where did Hyde and myself land?" Linne asked, Rachel raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Hyde Kido was with you? Well, to answer, you're in a reality of the world in the year 2200. The world was savaged by a black beast decades ago before being killed by six heroes, however, genes and fragments of the beast were extracted from its corpse, which underwent several experiments. That is the premise of my world." Rachel explained, Linne took a double take as the realization that not only is she in a different reality, but the future as well.
"Now then, please tell me about Hyde Kido, and his weapon, the Insulator." Rachel said, Linne stiffened a bit. Not sure if that was information she wanted to share. However, Rachel was her only hope of finding him at this point.
"Hyde was just the unlucky kid to get caught in a Void attack. I managed to save him, but he still got bitten. He became an In-birth, a being able to wield supernatural powers, his power is know as EXS. His specifically called Void Red, a purer form of EXS that is very powerful. Possessing Void Red allows him to summon the Insulator, one of the two weapons that can kill immortals. " Linne said, she gave more than she thought she would. Rachel's interested expression did not help her.
"How interesting, it sounds like he's got an Event Weapon, commonly known as a Nox Nyctores. That's how they're known in this world. Long ago weapons called Nox Nyctores were forged with souls and the core was a fragment of the Black Beast itself. They were extremely powerful and only ten exist. However, I have heard rumors of an eleventh being created. They're known to have a toll on the soul. The weapons have a mind of their own and try to protect their user, however lock away emotions they deem useless in a fight. They are powerful and require both exceptional magic skill and mental strength." Rachel explained.
"Do you know where Hyde was taken?" Linne asked, again Rachel raised an eyebrow.
"I'm afraid not. I did not know that Hyde Kido was present with you when I found you. You were all torn and unconscious. Now for my next question, what happened to you? I generally wouldn't care for such things, but the idea that Hyde Kido somehow managed to something similar to a Nox Nyctores interests me." Rachel said.
"After waking up in the forest, we were attacked by a man named Hazama. He took Hyde after I wss launched off the cliff." Linne explained.
"Terumi..." Rachel mumbled, Linne perked up at the name as Valkenhayn walked forward.
"Ms. Linne, did Hazama reveal what his plans were?" Valkenhayn asked.
" Briefly, if you could call it that. He said a partner of his was interesting in Insulator. And, said he would bring them a live specimen. " Linne shuttered at the phrase.
"Relius..." Valkenhayn hissed, Linne looked confused, and her concern grew more and more.
"I'm afraid we must cut our conversation here short." Rachel said as she placed down her teacup.
"Why?" Linne asked, she was concerned, their reactions, and considering their power level, whoever Hyde was being taken to cannot be good.
"Relius, was a former partner of mine. We were once part of a group called 'Immortal Breakers' as the name suggest, we were created to kill immortal beings. After Rachel's father, Clavis Alucard offered me to become the bulter, I accepted. That was the last I saw of Relius for years. However, recent years I have learned of his projects." Valkenhayn explained, Linne felt her heart stop at the last word and dread filled her mind.
"I'll explain the rest to her. Go gather her equipment and be ready to send her off. " Rachel said, Valkenhayn complied and left the garden.
"Now, I'm afraid this is an urgent matter. Relius Clover is an empty man, devoid of his emotions and only seeks to experiment. His lack of empathy went to the extent of turning his wife and daughter into inorganic dollish puppets. His young son would have been turned into the same if he didn't escape when he did. He is responsible for several experiments hiding under the surface and one of the scientists who worked on the Murakumo Units. If we don't find Hyde Kido soon, we might be too late to save him." Rachel said, Valkenhayn quickly walked back, with Linne's weapons and her signature orange hoodie and shorts.
"We cannot waste time here. Hold my hand and I'll take you to someone who can help." Valkenhayn said, Linne got up, leaving a half empty teacup and grabbed Valkenhayn's hand. The two quickly vanished in a whirl of rose petals.
"I didn't expect the Princess to be so concerned." Gii said, only to get clocked on the head by Rachel's small fist.
"This matter is urgent, when we battled Hyde Kido in the phantom field, an unusual energy emitted from thst sword, Insulator. It wasn't different in the fact that it was from a different world, it felt more like a different energy, but similar to here." Rachel said, she looked at the empty seat, she hoped to have talked with Linne more, but the matter at hand was more important.
"His energy reminds me of Ragna's to an extent. He seems more naive than him though, I'm not surprised, Ragna is a man while Hyde Kido is a mere child. If Relius finds out about his abilities, he may try to use him as a weapon, or turn him into a Murakumo Unit. Just like Ragna, he wss forced with powers he never intended on having. Ragna was special case to save his life while his was merely bad luck. If he indeed has summoned something akin to a Nox Nyctores, our luck may run out and Hyde Kido's life will be cut short." Rachel said.
Elsewhere...
Valkenhayn and Linne landed in a flash of light on tile like floors. Linne was a little dizzy from the teleport, that's how Hyde felt she guessed when he was transported by Es.
"Half-pint?" Linne looked up in response the deep voice and saw Ragna the Bloodedge, along with another group she fought in the phantom field. She also saw a woman with light pink hair in some sort of white coat with a lollipop in her mouth.
"I've brought Ms. Linne here for help, her partner Hyde Kido has been abducted by Hazama, about eight days ago now." Valkenhayn said, wait, what? Linne did not know if her time table was off now.
"It's been how long?" Linne asked.
"You've been at the castle for two days, time in the castle moves four times slower than reality, thus one day there is four days here." Valkenhayn explained as he gave back her gear.
"Professor Kokonoe, Madam Rachel requests you examine this." Valkenhayn tosses a small vial of swirling red and black energy to the pink haired woman.
"Will do, alright, that makes three people we need to save." Kokonoe sighed.
"I..." Linne glanced at the others in the room. Two others were taken? Based on the people here, no doubt the ones taken were their friends. She can't believe it's been over a week now, Hyde is probably with that madman they discussed earlier. She needs an explanation fast, an operation fast, and a scheduled rescue mission fast. She wss already aware of Hyde being hunted by Amnesia, that alone made her worry. Now this? Not only is Hyde in danger, but the Insulator was also taken. Hyde is the on!y one able to summon it, if that man attempts to use Insulator, she can only imagine the horrible things they might do to Hyde to get their answers.
"Don't worry half-pint, Kokonoe and I can explain." Ragna said.
"Please don't call me half-pint. Its Linne. "
Seven days earlier...
Hazama sighed as he watched the sunrise. He has been traveling all night.
"You know, I'm not surprised I'm not tired, but you, I'm amazed, for a child I figured you'd have passed out max a few hours ago. Yet you are still thrashing around like a dying fish." Hazama said as he removed Hyde from his shoulder and plopped him down near a tree. Hyde grunted and then growled at Hazama through his gag.
"I'll let us break here for now, we'll be getting back to my partner by sundown. Oh will he be happy to see you." Hazama walked over and removed his gag, which Hyde took the chance to try and bite his fingers.
"My, my, don't be so rude. Don't want your mouth to be too dry." Hazama said in a semi-insulted tone.
"Where are you taking me?" Hyde asked as he wriggled in his binds. Since Hazama locked Insulator away somewhere, he couldn't summon it for some reason. Linne was injured somewhere in the forest and he has no idea if anyone else he knows is here. Not to mention tied up in a way that it prevented him from using his EXS abilities. To say he was terrified would be an understatement. Especially when he is taken by an extremely shady man who seems to enjoy this.
"I already explained, to my current partner. He is rather interesting in the people I met at the phantom field. Especially you my dear boy, he has several questions for what you are. Now then, your sword, Insulator was it? Its surprisingly familiar to something we call Nox Nyctores here. I have to ask, how did you obtain such a weapon?" Hazama asked.
"Like I would tell you." Hyde said as he turned his head. Hazama sighed and walked up. He grabbed Hyde's chin and forced him to face him.
"Your eyes, are also unique Kido. Reminds me of a demi-human. Like a feline of some sort. That red color reminds me of something as well. I would be lying if I said I would hunt down your friends, too much trouble honestly. You are still able to give me the information willingly." Hwzama said.
"I said I'm not telling you crap." Hyde said, yanking his head away.
"Very well, I gave you a chance to give it to me willingly." Hazama said with disappointment. He pulled out the cloth again.
"Hey! Don't you-Mpfhhfphm!" Hyde was quickly silenced again as the cloth was shoved and tied around his mouth. Hazama snapped his fingers and the snakehead moved to face him. It hissed as Hyde saw it's fangs. He felt paralyzed all of a sudden. The glowing eyes of the snake staring at him.
"Oroboros: Mind Eater." The snake launched at Hyde, jaws wide open, and his world went black.
ANnnnnnd. That's the third installment, sheesh I am churning these things out like crazy. The reason this one was finished so quickly was due to it being half written by the time chpt 2 was posted. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, an interaction between two immortal girls was something I wanted to see. This was definitely more of an info chapter, and those are possible links between the two worlds that I noticed while reading through their wikis, but that information will be relevant (or at least semi-relevant) to the rescue operation, which, have been bouncing through my head like a kangaroo on a pogo stick. The next one will introduce some more Under Night characters. The rescue operation at the earliest will probably be chapter 6 with 4 being set in Kokonoe's base and 5 being set in Relius' lab with his prisoners.
Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this one, any thoughts, opinions, reviews, or critiques will be highly appreciated and motivate me more to write this story. See you guys next time and have a good day :)
