Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this short-lived battle… especially for the one who truly does some damage.

~保護者~

"Ghosts of the Past"

~保護者~

With a soft curse, Espio teleported a small object into his hand as he ran. Not taking the time to stop and think about it, he donned the necklace Rose had given him seemingly so long ago. If she was right, if it was truly capable of utilizing the light within the gem in order to reign in his Darkness, then he needed to trust her. He had abruptly realized mere moments ago the way he had started behaving, thanks in no small part to the demon Ylden had just killed - not to mention his own disturbing desire to accept any excuse to go along with anything that would draw his Darkness back out. He'd needed to take action, and not just for his sake.

Armaris was on his mind heavily. His promise to her, the things he'd done and believed for a time after her behavior had changed, his inability to realize quickly enough that she was trapped within herself… Guilt panged through him, alongside anger and hatred. A faint glow from the necklace heralded a nearly undetectable pulse of Light through his body. Just like that, the troublesome emotions ebbed and his Darkness calmed to a degree. He skidded to a stop at the sensation and lifted the gem in his hand to look at it for a second. Then he shook his head and continued on.

Only once he was sure he was far enough away from the danger zone to not be detected when he used any of his powers did Espio finally teleport. He appeared a mere foot or so away from Ryuji. Giving the older man no time to react, he demanded, "They are coming. They are many. We have need of you."

"I noticed," Ryuji murmured gently, already brandishing his blades. "I was finishing preparations."

"The real enemies have centered themselves around Hyale for the moment," Espio told him, not wasting any time. "There are not enough warriors to handle them all, or to prevent them from splitting up."

Ryuji frowned before asking, "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Kill the originals as swiftly as you can," was the response. "The clones will only continue to return endlessly until their creators are gone." He didn't say it, but Espio knew that that had played into the massacres in ancient times. So many clones, so many originals, so much Light… it had been a bloodbath. And the people responsible intended to recreate the past here.

"Understood," Ryuji answered, shifting the grip on one of his blades. The balance of it was a tad uncomfortable, but that could be remedied soon enough, maybe once this threat had passed. "Shall we go, then?"

Espio teleported away without another word, hand already on his sword. Despite the way he knew he'd been starting to act earlier, he didn't hesitate to return home to Hyale. He'd already taken care to hide his children away with Armaris and Aku, so he focused on locating his parents. His arrival in such a manner surely didn't go unnoticed, but even so the enemy still refrained from beginning their attack. Why, he had no real idea. What are they waiting for? Whatever it was, he didn't like it.

He located his parents at their home. Shei sat cross-armed and cross-legged on the roof, looking uncharacteristically grim and unhappy. He had a kusarigma and kodachi attached to one hip, and a katana on the other. Even from the porch, it was easy to see the poisonous film covering the only unsheathed blade (namely, the sickle), and Espio wisely steered clear. The two traded a glance before he stepped inside to speak with his mother.

Aniko turned her attention to him, all manner of swords strapped strategically to her body as well as some sort of chain dangling from her left hand. "You wish to speak to me?" It was plainly obvious beyond just her demeanor that she was pissed, her fists clenched and her tone low. Even her Darkness was slowly reaching for the surface, though she kept it under control.

Her emotional state caused him to very subtly take a step back, more than ready to just leave if she showed any signs of becoming angry with him… especially once he said what he came to tell her. "I asked Ryuji to join the fight. He will not be within the village, most likely, but it is necessary for him to be close. His help is needed."

Her eyes narrowed, but not specifically at him. Aniko's Darkness rose and she muttered, "Why him?"

"Because he is the only other able-bodied shinobi in the area," Espio pointed out evenly, taking another very subtle step back. Her clear anger had him more wary than he cared to admit. And yet… the feeling wasn't as strong as he'd anticipated it being. Was it the necklace's doing? It was the only explanation he had, but at the same time, wasn't it only meant to lessen the feelings directly triggering his Darkness? "The fighters we would normally have in the village are still scattered about the other settlements," he said, forcing himself to focus on the current situation.

Aniko muttered something under her breath and shook her head. "He had best not come near me, or I may well find an excuse to attack him," the woman explained, clutching at the chain in her hand more tightly.

"I do not think he will come close if he can avoid it," Espio answered with a small nod. He understood where she was coming from, although not personally, so he didn't argue against what she'd said overall.

"Alright," she answered, seeming to relax slightly. "I assume that the chances are high that Soul will return for this fight?" the woman questioned.

"He would not abandon his home in such a manner, nor will any other shinobi with even a shred of honor," Espio answered. When she relaxed, he allowed himself to do the same. "He will come, as will others. It only remains to be seen whether or not there will be enough."

Aniko frowned at this, crossing her arms. "It will have to be. There is little that any can spare to aid us."

Espio nodded once. "The old stories say that the enemies came in waves. The strongest arrived last, when our people were already struggling against the previous threats. Is that correct?"

The reminder alone was enough to cause her Darkness to flare, her posture shifting faintly. "They did. The fucking cowards."

"Then we will need to be on alert," Espio answered grimly, "and save our strength for that portion of the fight. I will do what I can to spread word to others to do the same."

"Understood. If I see Soul, I'll do the same for him. It is likely he will take his place in another area," Aniko murmured.

With another small nod, Espio said, "I will do what I can to defend the smaller settlements. They have fewer shinobi and will fall faster."

Aniko returned this nod. "Do you have somewhere you wish for us to be?"

"Wherever you feel you are needed," Espio answered. "I only told you where I intend to be because it is likely Ryuji will be close by as well."

She huffed. "I understood as much. If that is all you wish to say, we should both make sure preparations are finished."

Shrugging, Espio turned to leave, only to pause and briefly turn back around. "Keep a watchful eye on Father. His poisons look… worse than I have ever seen them it is not normal." Without giving her time to reply, he turned back around and disappeared out the door. Aniko nodded despite him having already left and teleported to the roof.

Within moments, Espio had taken up a position that was rather strategic. He was dead in the center of the ring of settlements he intended to guard, and so it was here that he waited. Already, he could sense the Light-fueled threat coming closer and closer. They would be here any minute now. Ryuji appeared near him, blades in hand. "You feel it too, yes? Their approach?"

His words earned a glance. "Yes. It is impossible not to."

"Hm." Ryuji stood quietly before nodding. "I do not anticipate that this fight will rage for an extensive period of time. It will be long, however."

Espio slowly shook his head. "Perhaps… not as long as we think. This is a uniquely severe threat, yes, but… there are also uniquely powerful people available to combat it as well. Our enemies will expect our kind. They will not expect the likes of Zareil and Ylden."

He nodded again. "That is true as well, but expecting it to be longer further increases our chances of survival as we will not constantly be grasping at the ideal that the fight is almost over."

"I am aware." Espio closed his eyes, arms crossing. "Likewise, however, we should not spend the entire fight conserving our energy in preparation for a fight that may not be as long as initially assumed."

"Finding the medium between the two would certainly be the best," Ryuji muttered. "I presume you are capable of doing so without my aid."

At this, Espio nearly scoffed. "I have lived for eight million years, Ryuji. I am more than capable of handling myself in combat."

"I have been alive longer than you," Ryuji reminded with the very faintest of smirks. "I have easily fought more battles."

"That is not my point," Espio countered. "Shinobi who cannot fight and grow stronger die. It is the way of our people. If I were unable to handle a fight of this nature, I would be dead thousands of times over. There are threats I have faced that make this pale in comparison."

"Good," Ryuji answered. "I had hoped this was not the worst you have faced."

Espio now wore an open frown. "We have felt the full, extended fury of Malevolence twice over. Compared to that… little else can compare." He moved to stand as he spoke and drew his sword.

Ryuji lowered his stance and closed his eyes. "I look forward to seeing your capabilities beyond what we forced out of you. Know that." Espio glanced at Ryuji, surprised and suddenly unsure what to say. Ryuji cracked an eye open and raised an eyebrow. "What? Did I say something unusual?"

Slowly, Espio shook his head and looked away. "...No." But that does not make it any less unexpected.

"Alright then," he said, closing his eyes once more. "I trust you to handle yourself. However… why are you wearing that necklace? It reeks of Light."

It took only a second for Espio to decide that there was no use trying to avoid the question. "It was provided to me as a means of keeping my Darkness somewhat under control. It began affecting me shortly before I went to you in regards to this fight. If I am to adequately help in this situation, control is not something I can afford to lose."

Ryuji frowned visibly before nodding. "It is Light from a good soul. I will respect your decision," he murmured.

That was… good. In truth, Espio had expected a reaction that was far less mild. But he would take what he could get. The less anger he had to face prior to this fight, the better. "...They are unlikely to continue biding their time for much longer," he eventually said. "I intend to remain in this area when they come. Where will you be?"

"Nearby," Ryuji answered vaguely. "I will be shifting around where I am needed." The man took a moment to further steady his breathing and allowed his Darkness to slowly surface. "You will know where I am at all times."

Espio nodded, taking care to keep space between himself and his grandfather's Darkness. "Understood." With that said, he disappeared to a new, more advantageous position. The Light users were inbound.

Ryuji moved forward with a deliberately slow speed, allowing Darkness to spread along the edge of his blade before the first clones appeared. As attacks rained down upon him, perfectly aimed slashes cut each of them apart before they had a chance to touch his body. Clones fell instantly as he sheathed his swords, Darkness following the lattice pattern he'd created when defending himself.

Even as the enemies realized his brand of fighting, they were powerless to do anything about it. He continued his slow assault, tearing through everything that approached. Blades met flesh and clone alike as Darkness ripped Light into nothingness. He plunged his blade into the heart of an enemy and spoke slowly, just as his movement.

"Your life is meaningless."

The light left their eyes and the Light left from around him as he stood straight once more and spun his sword, creating a temporary vortex of Darkness that swallowed up everything weaker than he was. Clones were sucked in alongside some of their creators and destroyed in an equally painful way. Ryuji didn't care for their lives.

Then his senses went wild as a demon suddenly entered the fray a large distance away. The area cleared around him, he teleported to Espio with a frown. "She awakened?"

Espio didn't immediately answer, his senses trained on Armaris in the distance. He had never sensed her energy do this before, ever. What the hell…?

"Do you trust the man with her to handle this?" Ryuji questioned further. His gaze was locked in that direction, but he was still moving his blade and attacking enemies in the distance with Darkness.

As things stood, Espio didn't think he had much of a choice. Even with the necklace, he didn't trust his Darkness not to react violently in response to hers. It was a risk he couldn't take. "There is little choice but to trust him," he answered simply, paying keen attention to Aku's fleeing energy. The dragon had Zei and Sako with him, which allowed Espio to relax very slightly.

Ryuji was silent for a long time before finally speaking up once more. "You chose a strong partner. She is emotional, though. Confusing as well."

That earned a small scoff as Espio idly threw a kunai to his left. It pierced the heart of a clone and made it crumple. "You do not know the half of it. She is impossible to understand at times."

"I see." He seemed to debate over this information before speaking again. "Part of you does not mind it, correct? You seem to regard her well." Ryuji grabbed the sword of a clone out of the air and slammed it into the ground, crushing it's head with the stolen blade.

More knives flew, each dealing a killing blow with no real effort. Espio's shoulders lifted in the vague approximation of a shrug. He supposed Ryuji's words were true enough, but what was there to say about it? It was easier for him to just silently agree as opposed to making any comments. However, he did have to wonder one thing. Why does he care?

After this, Ryuji seemed to fall silent and back into the motions of dropping their enemies like flies. He thought deeply on the matter at hand before finally conceding a hint of information. "I was worried about her heritage. She is not like the demons, however. Not enough to be a true problem."

Hearing that, Espio gave up his own sliver of information. "Mother was concerned as well. But Armaris has more than proven herself. She is no enemy of ours."

"Your allies may think otherwise soon," Ryuji muttered. "This display will not go over well in their eyes."

Espio used a thread of energy extending from his fingertips to return his many knives to him, then resumed using them to idly kill anything he could properly aim at. "I do not care what most of them think. We may be allies, but we are not friends."

Ryuji muttered something under his breath. "Armaris will. Unlike our kind, she is soft. Their words will hurt, and she may very well have a harsh reaction."

"They will not say anything of the sort," Espio answered calmly. "They are not the sort to do such things. Once someone is seen as a friend, that is how things remain. Cruelty is not in their nature."

"You have chosen odd allies," Ryuji answered, stabbing a sword into the ground and watching as his Darkness tore info every living thing around them that dared turn a weapon against them. "I suppose it makes sense. They are outsiders, after all."

"It was the other way around," Espio corrected with another vague shrug. "I made no effort with any of them, aside for a couple." He threw yet more kunai, a rain of blades that took out more clones than he felt the need to count. Then he added, "Them being outsiders has… little to do with it. It is just how they are."

Ryuji reclaimed his blade and frowned. "Regardless," he murmured. He decided to switch the topic, no longer having more to say. "This area is almost clear. We should finish off the last of them and move on to somewhere with higher concentration before they flee. I sense the retreat coming soon."

Inclining his head, Espio answered, "Then we need to split up. We will cover more ground apart." He brought his knives back to him again and allowed them to vanish, then drew his katana in one fluid motion of his arm.

"I am not sure where your mother made her choice of the path she took, but it pleases me that you followed her footsteps well. It was… a choice befitting of you." Ryuji began walking, eyes narrowed as he focused his attention on a distant enemy. "I have business to attend to. We can speak more after this is over."

Espio looked after him for just a moment in subtle surprise before looking away. "...Understood." With that said, he vanished to resume fighting elsewhere.

~保護者~

After a brief, heated argument (with Caer trying to make his son leave and Toru refusing to), Toru and Caer brutally beat down several clones that appeared around them. It didn't take them long as their Darkness rose to the surface. Despite it slowly coming up in this way, the two seemed to relax in each other's presence and fall into a smooth and easy rhythm. Toru tore through the enemies with powerful punches and destructive ripping at the hands of his threads. Caer, however, opted to create something akin to nunchuks with his Darkness and kill anything in his way.

"So I see you've only gotten stronger, kid," Caer murmured as he idly destroyed another clone.

Toru huffed and ripped through an enemy with his tachi. "And you're no different than you used to be."

Caer bent backward as an attack sailed past him with the faintest of smirks. "I mean, I just got back. The chances that I would've changed too much are kinda low."

"Hm," Toru's eyes flashed silver and threads flew out from around his body and impaled his enemies only to drag them in front of him so he could deliver a devastating punch to them all at once. "Regardless, it's good to see you back.

"Good to be back," Caer answered, bending back once more as a sword cleaved the air where he'd just been. He grabbed the assailant by the neck and his own eyes flashed silver as he watched the energy drain from their body. "But I'm not happy that these bastards are alive. I was sure they'd been slaughtered."

With the battlefield clear for the moment, Toru turned to his father. "We're up against someone who has apparently stolen Immortals powers and is capable of reviving people."

Caer visibly frowned before shoving the tip of his foot into the ground and kicking a clump of dirt into the air. He caught it and launched it at such a speed that it exploded into nothing more than dust in the face of an enemy. Shards of Darkness trailed behind the dust and ripped their head apart as the man returned his attention to his son. "Well, that's real fucking shitty. Seems like something else is here though. Three demons? They're not Hollows."

This was a brief reminder that Armaris was within some sort of close proximity to them, so he felt the need to explain. "One is an ally. She's in a complicated relationship with Espio."

"That kid you were good friends with? Shei and Aniko's?" Caer asked.

"Yeah, him," Toru answered. "The other two you're sensing… one is the God of Demons, and the other is his right hand man... woman? Who cares?"

So Espio is with a demon? He was always an odd one, but I never expected it. "I assume the one that's stronger than me is the God?"

"Probably." Toru turned and waved his hand, drawing out a massive wave of Darkness that crushed an oncoming wave of clones. "I can beat Zareil, personally."

Caer shrugged. "Whatever. Not my problem since they're fighting on our side for the moment." He returned his attention to the battle for a moment before realizing that one of his powers was actively killing off the beings creating the clones. "So you found someone to love, eh?" He passed a faint smile to Toru.

A huff escaped the chameleon in question. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Nothing. Just glad to see you happy," Caer admitted easily. In truth, there was more to it. His life with Ekai wasn't exactly the happiest, so seeing his son have something he never had definitely made him feel… good. "And what's your sister like? She seems a touch unusual, like your mother."

"Unusual doesn't even begin to describe it," Toru laughed. "She's absolutely impossible sometimes, but lovable and sweet. I treasure her."

Caer couldn't help but smile. My boy has grown up so well. "You sound like a parent," he joked as he stabbed and dropped someone attempting (and failing) to sneak up behind Toru.

"Yeah, yeah," Toru said as he rolled his eyes. "Shut up." His thoughts then focused on something else and for a brief moment, his heart ached. "There's something we need to talk about."

Expression shifting to something more serious, Caer nodded. "Go for it."

Toru didn't know where to start, how to explain, or even what to say, so he simply said it bluntly. "I… killed my mother."

Blinking, Caer was silent for some time, trying to process this information with a faint frown before deciding to simply shrug. "Alright then. I trust that you had good reason."

To say that he was surprised would be an understatement. "I… What? That's it? That's all you have to say?"

Caer shrugged again. "Look, you're no idiot. You certainly realized that the love between me and Ekai stopped existing a long time ago. I know that's part of why you bailed out so often when you could. You wanted to get away from the life you were living."

"Tch." Toru turned and crossed his arms. "Outside of that, there haven't been a whole lot of developments in my life. At least… nothing else I'm really at liberty to talk about on my own."

The older man raised an eyebrow, vaguely confused before nodding. "Alright. Considering that I'm alive, is it possible that Shei or Aniko are back?" Even as he said that, his gaze turned suddenly and he frowned. "Nevermind… I know where they are… but they don't feel… normal. It's weird."

Toru visible frowned as well. "Weird how?"

"The energies I can sense from Shei are unusually… aggressive? Malicious? Not sure what the word is… but Aniko is certainly tapping into her Darkness. She's definitely slipped into the state that me and you were using earlier," Caer explained.

"The… evil state?" Toru questioned carefully.

Caer nodded easily, frowning. "She always had a strong hold on it. Can't really tell why it's surfacing now, but I suppose asking her later would be a better choice than doing so during this."

"Alright," Toru murmured with a slow nod.

"Oh, fuck." Caer whipped around and leapt into the air, briefly using the energy he'd drained from the various enemies to jump again mid-air. "Toru! That demon woke up and it's pissed!"

Toru leapt up after him and his eyes widened as he watched the absolute behemoth of a demon in the distance slowly growing and tearing through the beings of Light and their clones. "Fucking hell, that's Armaris! What the hell?!"

The two landed on the ground, both with the obvious intent to go see what was happening before various other enemies arrived and drew their attention away. Caer visibly smirked before grabbing a dagger from Toru. "I'll take the three on the right. You get the two on the left. If you can kill them before I'm done, I'll make your favorite dinner later."

A wide grin found its way onto Toru's face as he unsheathed his tachi once more. "You're on. Two dinners says that I have time to take out one of yours before you're done."

"You're on."

~保護者~

By now, the fight had been raging for some time.

Kill the originals, and the clones would vanish. It seemed reasonable enough. In theory, it was even easy. But in practice, things were a little different. That came as no real surprise, but Shei didn't like it regardless. Sliding a hand along the length of his sword, heedless of the cut that this created in his skin through his glove, he coated the weapon in a fresh layer of thin, slimy, purplish-green poison. Enemies surrounded him, most likely all clones. Simple enough to kill.

Readying his blade, he blurred into motion. With enough speed that time almost seemed to slow, he plunged his sword through the chests and heads of every single person around him. Only once he stopped moving did reality seem to catch up to him and the wounds he created burst into existence.

Powerful though these clones were, they stood no chance. His poisons melted them away into nothing. Now, if only I can find a real one… That would be far preferable. Huffing silently to himself, he turned and ran back to where he'd last seen Aniko. Upon finding her, he hung back and defensively crouched. There, he merely watched, waiting to see if she needed help - though he sincerely doubted she would.

The female chameleon brutally slaughtered the clones, tearing through them with various blades that were sheathed and unsheathed at blinding speeds. Her Darkness was still fighting to get out, though she kept it suppressed for the time being. Once she was clear for a moment and the clones were temporarily gone, Shei approached her. Her attention shifted to him briefly as she scanned the battlefield before raising an eyebrow. "Yes?"

With swift hands, Shei signed, "Some of the real threats have begun to arrive here and there. At least one is close by, but I can't pinpoint exactly where."

She nodded slowly. "I feel it, too. I have been keeping an eye on them," Aniko murmured.

"Their mere presence in this area burns," Shei suddenly told her, frowning to himself. "It is unlike what I have ever experienced before, worse than what you or I or any other chameleon normally feels. It is as though my skin is smoldering."

"Stay away from them if you are able. I will handle them and hopefully the sensation will cease," she muttered, her anger flaring to life once more at the thought of Shei in pain due to these beings of Light.

"I would enjoy ending the source of this myself," Shei insisted, only to immediately thereafter concede, "but I will content myself with leaving it to you. I do not trust this not to become unbearable if I venture too close."

Aniko nodded easily before pushing herself to move slowly. "They are approaching once more. Ready yourself." A nearly inaudible sigh answered her. Shei nodded and again coated his blade in a layer of poison. The female chameleon rushed back into combat, slicing and tearing into clone after clone with ferocity. Shei was close behind, ripping through anything and everything that escaped her wrath with precision and top speed.

The moment she laid eyes on the stronger being that had stayed hidden, she could suddenly no longer control herself. Vivid reminders of the war rippled through her mind as her Darkness suddenly spilled out and overtook her, launching her at the enemy and cleaving whatever attack it had mustered up in half with a blade. "You die today," she growled. Sticking to the background as he always did, Shei covered his partner's back. Every time some threat unrelated to this one tried to come anywhere near her, it was killed off. Aniko was free to focus on this confrontation.

Golden eyes stared the enemy down as attack after attack ripped through defense and offense alike. Despite her anger, she wasn't attempting to land a killing blow. She wanted to bring this enemy down slowly and make them regret existing. Regret everything. So she continued, plowing her way through everything that stood in her way until she properly reached the being of Light.

Blades sheathed, she grabbed them off the ground (ignoring the Light they were pouring out to try and harm her) and began powerfully slamming them into everything that surrounded her. Her muscles ached from the raw strength she was tapping into, but it all felt so satisfying as she watched them bleed and crack against the scenery. When she felt they were sufficiently broken down, she tossed them into the air and aimed a slash that perfectly tore them in half before returning to the battlefield with Shei. Blinking at this display, Shei signed a simple, "Nicely done."

She huffed and flicked blood into the eyes of a clone, following her sword through their neck in the same movement. "It was nothing. They are not as strong as they believe they are."

"Perhaps not. Others will be worse. But it is nice to see that you have not gotten rusty in your old age." With that bit of teasing, Shei wisely moved out of slapping range and took down several more clones.

Aniko muttered something about getting payback later before planting her foot inside of a clone's abdomen and swiftly kicking a large hole through its body, followed by another vicious kick that dragged and crushed two clones against the ground. "This is getting on my goddamn nerves."

Just then, Shei abruptly froze where he stood. His mind totally elsewhere, he idly parried an attack, then sunk his toxic sword into the gut of some enemy. Had he not been distracted, he might have taken satisfaction in the fact that this enemy was no clone. Instead, he merely let go of the blade for a moment and signed, "Do you sense that? Demonic energy is building near where Zei and Sako are."

"Unless demons were called here, the only one present in that area is Armaris," Aniko muttered before frowning. "I have never sensed her energy doing this."

"Nor have I," Shei answered quickly. "But it is here, I am sure of it. That energy belongs to no other." He continued to focus largely on the energy in the distance for several moments before relaxing to a degree. "Aku is fleeing with the children. They are already far from her. He will keep them safe."

Aniko viciously ripped a clone in hand with her sword and used the torn body as weapons to flatten two more before they could disappear. "That's not my only concern."

"I am aware. But now you have one less thing to worry over." Shei grabbed his sword and pulled it free roughly. Using their people's traditional one-handed sign language, he continued, "Her father remains in the area. Are you content to leave her in his care? I believe he is more than capable."

"He should be able to manage," Aniko answered. "He's not weak by any means." She gripped her sword tightly, leaning forward and scanning the area. "We will be called for if we are needed."

"Agreed." Shei glanced around. "More of the clones are being replaced with genuine threats. It is time we returned to the fight."

Aniko's eyes shifted to a golden hue once more. These… cowards. They would pay for invading her home and attacking her people. "They will suffer for their transgressions." Shei nodded once, tossing her an understanding glance. Then he turned away and vanished through the trees. Like his partner, he had work to do.

~保護者~

Ylden watched as many clones tried and failed to get past his scythe, each falling with their heads removed for their efforts. He had no time to be dealing with these people when his daughter was in danger, so he only held back a little bit. As enemies approached, he stayed still and skillfully dropped them with his weapon. There was almost time for him to grow bored before he realized they were growing stronger.

As such, he stepped forward slowly and began disarming them and launching the weapons around the battlefield with incredible aim, still using only his scythe. Only when he sensed one of the beings creating these clones did he do more. Ice blue eyes shimmering with magic that made his eyes appear black, he called a hellish storm of projectiles down onto them. His scythe blade hit the ground and more magic exploded from the tip, latching onto every living clone around him and forcefully removing it's life. He knew he could only do that with the clones, since the God of Death wouldn't allow anything more right now. He'd simply have to make do. With powerful blasts of magic and perfected use of his scythe, enemy after enemy dropped before him.

It was only when a blade suddenly collided with his scythe from a familiar face that he dropped his neutral expression. "I see that you're back." The sneer in response only pissed him off further and magic surged from his body, feet rising off the ground as he trapped the enemy. "I'll return you to the deepest pits of whatever hellish place I can return you to, within reason." Even as they fought to escape, he didn't allow it. Instead, he reached his hand in and let his magic pulse out of his hand, blasting his way through everything within the opponent's skull and watching them drop dead right then and there. "Serves you right."

More clones swarmed the immediate area and, thus, him. Golden runes flashed into life all over the skin of each and every single one of them without warning. With a brilliant flare of golden light, each clone was disintegrated as though they were papers in a shredder. Ylden smirked faintly and waved a hand, removing the bodies of any of the original enemies from the area before turning his attention upwards. "Took you long enough, Han."

The Hexan in question faded into existence beside Ylden with a golden sparkle, his magic flowing through him with calm restraint. "I would have arrived sooner… had I believed you truly needed the assistance just now."

"Good to know you remember that I'm actually strong," Ylden said, a faint smirk on his face as he fired a missile of magic into the air, killing a clone. "Though I have to ask, why did you show up? You usually don't leave the Lost Hex."

Han was quiet for a moment before saying, "I watched with my own eyes when this scourge was ended, long ago. I came to see for myself that they truly were back… and why."

"Probably the same reason that I was trapped in the Realms of Death and wasn't able to see the outside world," Ylden muttered. "I wasn't able to stop a demon from possessing my kid because of that shit, and I'm damn pissed about it."

That earned an immediate frown. "...Odd things have been occurring everywhere," he revealed. "You know I make it my business to keep my eye on all who use magic. I have long watched a man named Cyril. Do you know of him?"

"That guy with the cards… One of the most unusual magics I know of, but yeah. I've watched over him a little. Seems like a good guy," Ylden murmured. "What happened?"

"He, by his own telling, is not… himself. Nareish's doing, he said." Han idly drew a rune in the air with a finger. "He attacked my daughter. She is stable, but not well."

Ylden's eyes narrowed. "He doesn't attack people. He always waits to be attacked. Definitely not him." His hand glowed black and he murmured various words under his breath before adding, "You should stand back. I'd hate for you to get caught in this."

"Not yet." Han finished drawing the symbol and carefully closed his hand around it. "A tool for suppression. You and I will have need of it momentarily."

"Understood, but know that you can explain yourself with me. I won't judge," Ylden joked lightly, holding back the spell he'd prepared.

"It is never a matter of judgement," Han responded. "I remain alive, and I intend to keep it that way. Whenever that changes, then you may judge me and my soul. You are forbidden from doing so even a second sooner than that."

"Don't tempt me," Ylden answered with a small laugh. "You know that I never forget something. Ask Cere and the other Gods and Goddesses. They know."

"I have heard of your… insistence," Han sighed, shaking his head. Then, abruptly, he changed the subject. "Armaris is not awake. Her power is. It is about to show itself." Ylden barely had time to nod in response before the aforementioned cat suddenly appeared on the battlefield and ripped a clone in half with Darkness covered hands.

Ylden frowned visibly, cancelling his spell entirely. "That's not her normal power. This is her demonic half…" he muttered, watching as she began wreaking havoc on the enemies before them. "She doesn't fight like this."

"Bearing in mind that I would never ask this if it weren't pertinent, but her mother… what manner of demon was she?" Han asked, turning to face the direction Armaris was in.

"I never could tell. Her Darkness never really manifested and she didn't do much other than shapeshifting," Ylden muttered, clenching his scythe. "But I'm starting to get an idea." As he spoke, Darkness began collecting around Armaris, building up in massive chunks around her body until it was encased and took on a more monstrous form that only kept growing.

"Then you're getting an idea of how much damage she will be able to do, I trust," Han responded. "It may be worthwhile to let her attack the clones - she may send their creators running. But she must be stopped after that."

The male cat nodded slowly with his arms crossed. "I'm noticing." Ylden teleported his scythe away and watched as his daughter's demonic form only grew, beginning to tower over the trees. The clones were forced to focus on her, only to be ferociously slammed into the ground by massive claws of Darkness. "Fuck… I always hoped this side of her wouldn't come out, and now more so than ever."

"You said she was possessed?" Han questioned, leaping nimbly out of the way of a broken tree as it fell. "My money is on that as the cause of this… outburst."

"Alongside sensing a threat," Ylden murmured, waving a hand and destroying the tree entirely before it could hit him as well. "It likely corrupted her at a rate that nobody could sense."

"That's the most reasonable conclusion." Han eyed the place where the tree had been, but only for a moment before turning his attention elsewhere. "They keep on coming. Still as bullheaded as they ever were, even back then."

Ylden muttered something under his breath before nodding. "They'll never be able to beat her in this state. Judging by my estimates… she could take over this planet if it wasn't for the powerful fighters here. And the people watching over her."

"It seems unlikely that Kaden will allow her to go that far at this time, regardless." Han added.

"It would draw more attention, something he doesn't like doing anyway. Much less when he's trapped by enemies," Ylden answered. "Seeing this… I regret falling for Osaina as I did all those years ago. I still have not fully recovered myself." Armaris continued to grow larger, standing above the trees as she sought out the creators of the clones she'd been fighting.

"Not his style," Han agreed, carefully avoiding the rest of what Ylden had said - more for the cat's sake than his own. He watched Armaris carefully. "I will leave this up to you. When you feel she has done enough, tell me. I can suppress this side of her without causing her harm."

Ylden's body was surrounded with his magic as he floated into the air. "Go ahead and start. I don't intend to let her go any further than this. It's already too much for me."

"Understood." Han took to the air as well and rendered himself invisible via another magical rune. With that done, he silently approached Armaris and began laying the rune upon her as quickly and as carefully as he could. So long as he wasn't forced to rush for any reason, she wouldn't feel a thing.

The male cat, as Han worked, soared into the sky and let his magic collect around him. His senses picked out the various allies and others he didn't want harmed while he spoke under his breath. His eyes closed momentarily and he held his arms out above him before chanting, "Ultima Voto." Darkness magic exploded over the Highlands and grabbed onto the many many clones and beings of Light that he could manage to reach and destroyed them all with no trace left behind. "You have had your final wishes," he said under his breath before landing on the ground gently.

By now, Han had finished laying the rune. He activated it easily and it began to do its job. The Darkness that had collected around Armaris crumbled down and slowly vanished until just her body was left on the ground, a faint aura of demonic energy surrounding her. Han's rune vanished as soon as the transformation was done and he reappeared by Ylden's side. Ylden walked forward and collected his daughter off the ground gently, ignoring the way the aura around her made him feel. "Thank you, Han…" he murmured gently. "I appreciate the help."

Han nodded a little. "Call upon me if you need help with anything else. I need to return to my children."

"Understood. But… before you go. How did Cyril manage to hurt Wave? She's an incredible fighter. I didn't think he'd ever be able to really do much to her," Ylden murmured, a frown on his face.

At this, Han's head tilted. "Her magic is… absent. I believe Nareish is at fault for this as well."

Ylden frowned further. "Another question… Why Cyril? Surely controlling someone like you or me would have been a better option, considering what we can do with our magic." Not that I would ever want that…

"Calypso and I have waited… for so many eons for this day to come. And now…" Han closed his eyes and shook his head, almost as though in disbelief. "Finally, the God of Magic has awakened. That is why he was chosen… Why he is special."

"Fuck." Ylden shifted Armaris in his arms gently and shook his head. "We'll have to figure out something to free him from her control. There's no way we can let ourselves be pitted against a God. We've got enough problems as it is."

"Agreed. I am doing what I can to find a solution, but so far… nothing." Han shook his head again. "Come to me if you come up with anything. I'll extend you the same courtesy, as always."

Ylden nodded slowly. "I will. Return to your children. Ensure their safety. The battle here is over."

"Indeed." Han vanished without another word.

~保護者~

Groaning under his breath, Sonic blasted yet another clone away from the barrier with his fire. How many more of these guys are there? Spinning around, he kicked a different enemy away. Quite unintentionally, the clone wound up crashing through the barrier and landing at Kaden's feet. He seemed to take way too much pleasure in letting the lava flooring he'd created burn the threat away. Forgoing his usual nerves when interacting with the man since his revival, Sonic asked him, "Can Light users usually make this many clones?"

Blinking, Kaden tossed him a glance. After a second, he apparently deigned to respond beyond that. "It is not that they have created many clones. It is that there are many people available to make them."

All at once, Sonic understood his error. They waged war against the entire chameleon society and committed genocide. That… would absolutely have required more than a few of them. "How could so many beings of Light turn out so wrong?" he muttered in dismay. He used his fire to knock several more clones away, refusing to let them get past him if he could help it.

"No being is infallible," Kaden reminded simply, eyes drifting across the makeshift battlefield. "None aside from the first."

The first. As in… the Faein. With a sigh, Sonic acknowledged that he was right. "Still… this is insane. For so many of them to turn out like this all at once…" His words garnered no reply this time. Sonic directed his focus fully back onto the fight. Almost, he managed to forget his wariness of Zareil, despite her very much still being there… until he looked over for a moment and witnessed her fighting.

The demoness, in the instant he'd looked over, pulverized one of the clones into nothing on the ground with nothing more than her fist as her other hand idly parried a sword strike using her spear and stabbed through another clone. This show of brutality was nothing compared to what Sonic knew this woman to be capable of. Internally, he nearly shivered. There's a fight going on. Focus. Looking around, he squinted into the sky. The clones that had been lingering above them had vanished, destroyed when their creators had died. Seems like the chameleons are making progress. That's good. "Hey… how many more originals do you guys sense?"

"A few more than I'm okay with knowing they exist," Zareil muttered, gathering Darkness around her spear and launching it at blinding speeds, grinning in satisfaction at the ensuing explosion and death of a cluster of the clones. "But that'll be fixed soon."

Suddenly, Kaden spoke up again. "Zareil, to your left, within the trees. That one is not a clone."

She nodded and her spear suddenly was sent careening with more Darkness into the aforementioned trees, skewering the being of Light hiding within. "It has been some time since we slaughtered beings of Light. I could almost get used to this."

"There are scarcely any left to hunt," Kaden shrugged dismissively. "It is better that way."

At this point, Sonic thought it best to stop listening and so tried to tune them out. The less he knew, the better… That is, the better for his own emotional and mental health. It was possible that his physical health would also come into play, though, he supposed. If one of them says something that I'm not meant to hear… Well, no, scratch that. They'd both know way better than to say something in mixed company that they don't want other people knowing. With that in mind, he gradually relaxed and let himself listen again.

It turned out that he did so just in time. "I recommend you duck." The sound of his father's voice startled Sonic out of his thoughts and he dropped without even thinking about it. A wave of Light shot overhead, narrowly missing both him and Zareil. It hit the barrier, but met some resistance - the very same minor resistance that allowed people to lean against the outside of it. That slowed the attack down more than enough to give Kaden ample time to simply lean out of the way. As Sonic scrambled to his feet, he saw Kaden toss him a disapproving glare. "Pay attention," he chided his son. "I will not continue to alert you to danger. You know full well how to listen to your own senses."

"Yeah… Right. Sorry." The fight continued. Sonic didn't let his focus slip again, not until the attacks started coming with greater and greater frequency. As this occured, the attacks also grew exponentially more ferocious. Sickles made of light tore through the battlefield. One sliced past Sonic's arm. Another managed to just barely nick Kaden's right cheek, as a result of him simply not having the space to adequately destroy or dodge every single attack. "What the hell is with these guys?" Sonic found himself asking. "Light users don't get stronger in response to desperation. They need hope and whatnot."

Sonic hadn't expected an answer. Truly, he hadn't. But Kaden gave one, anyway. "The ones before… were fodder. The ones truly responsible for the genocide at Zyr are showing themselves."

Zareil snatched her spear out of the air and readied it, her eyes narrowed. "Where?" she questioned.

With an impassive shrug, Kaden answered, "Everywhere. They are spreading out across the region, as they once did in Zyr. Even if one falls, there will be others to take their place."

She licked her lips in response. "Then we'll have to tear them down. Show them where their place is."

Deciding to speak up, Sonic said, "We might have better luck driving most of them off for now as opposed to trying to kill them. There just aren't enough fighters around here right now to handle these guys."

"Let me explain something," Zareil murmured. "The lives of your allies hardly matter in comparison to Kaden's. Keeping him safe will come before worrying about the rest of your friends."

Just like that, she became the temporary source of Kaden's ire. "I don't need you to defend me," he growled. "Focus on doing whatever you must to rid us of these enemies. That is your job right now."

The grin on Zareil's face was unmistakable as she launched her spear once more, feeling it bounce off a distant barrier followed by the sound of something shattering. "I'll make sure of it."

A beam of Light shot past her and Sonic, causing the younger hedgehog to grumble, "I think I disagree with that first part, dad."

"I do not need protection," Kaden reiterated angrily. "You, on the other hand, need far more than I would expect of you."

"The hell you don't," Sonic answered. This time, there was an explosion, one that forced him to duck again and which simultaneously forced Kaden to do the same.

Zareil shot into the air and disappeared with an enemy, but not before creating a barrier of Darkness around Kaden and Sonic quickly. "Shut the fuck up, Sonic!" she called from wherever she'd disappeared to.

"How about you follow your own advice?!" Sonic shot back. He hadn't intended for it to happen (nor had he expected it) but all at once the stress he'd been under as of late started to bubble up and make him snappy. He blasted several clones away, letting them burn up into nothing, before turning back around to face Kaden. "And as for you, you do need protection! You wanna know why? I already lost you twice in the past! Twice! It killed me both times, and I am not going through that again! So I'm helping you whether you like it or not!"

The demoness appeared in an instant, but not in response to his words, viciously dragging her opponent across the ground before they could attempt to land a blow on Sonic before ripping their head off and launching it far into the distance. "Focus, dammit!" she muttered, swinging her spear to destroy a beam of Light heading for them. "I can't focus on the fight if I need to keep your fucking dumb ass alive!"

Huffing as he tried to reign in his emotions, Sonic did as she'd said this time and turned back around to resume fighting. He continued to cut down and burn away enemies, but over time he realized that less and less were making their way to this location. It wasn't that they were concentrating in higher numbers elsewhere, though. More that they slowly seemed to be pulling out. They're… retreating? Why?

Zareil glanced back at Kaden, a deep frown on her face. "Can you tell what the hell they're doing?"

Despite having fallen totally silent after Sonic's outburst (though Sonic was hard-pressed to say exactly why), Kaden answered her without hesitation. "Some are retreating, likely due to injury as opposed to anything else. With less support as more of their allies flee, others will soon begin to do the same. They have lost this battle. It is only a matter of when they choose to accept that fact."

"Then we should take advantage of their hesitation," Zareil muttered before her eyes widened in faint surprise. "Kaden… did you call one of those demons here?"

Suddenly, Kaden gained a faint, predatory smirk that made Sonic's blood run cold. "No," he answered softly. "I did not. One was already here."

The ensuing, echoing roar made Zareil grin widely. "That should entice these bastards to leave. She would be… particularly dangerous to them."

"What's… going on?" Sonic dared to question, glancing warily between the pair in the perhaps vain hope of getting an answer.

"A new contender in this fight. A demon that can claim a planet as its own," Zareil answered cryptically. "However… it's not truly awake. It has been some time since I've seen a demon act in this way."

"It is unusual," Kaden confirmed. He trained his gaze in the direction of the demon in question. "But for now it is to our benefit."

Zareil stood straighter and aimed her spear before launching it again, a pulse of Darkness exploding out from the weapon that grounded several clones near the demon in question. "That should keep them busy."

After a lengthy pause, Sonic dared to ask, "Please tell me you can reign this demon in once the fight's over, Dad."

Kaden's head canted very slightly. "I do not need to. She is not… awake. Her body will not sustain this forever. At some point, she will collapse… assuming one of your allies does not interfere first."

"However, she will wreak havoc on whatever she perceives as an enemy while she's active. I would recommend expecting an area that's no longer habitable after the fight," Zareil answered, aiming a blast of Darkness to counter a similar one of Light. "I look forward to seeing it."

Finally, the Darkness being let loose grew severe enough for Sonic to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from. His eyes widened a little in horror. "Aw, hell… That's near a major water source, isn't it?"

For once, Kaden decided to openly acknowledge Sonic's concerns. "Your fears are baseless. Demonic energies do not taint water. The people relying on that river, if they survive at all, will not suffer for drinking from it."

Zareil was kind (this time) enough to not berate Sonic for his lack of complete focus on the fight as she snatched a clone out of the air and tore it apart with her bare hands. "Unless they walk into the visible Darkness, they won't be harmed."

Unlike Zareil, Kaden chose to chastise Sonic again. "If you do not pay attention, Sonic, I will find a way out of here long enough to kick your fucking ass." Grumbling, Sonic turned away once again and resumed fighting, straying away from the barrier since Zareil had that general area more than covered.

The demoness, some few minutes later, shot in front of Sonic and used her spear to break through a violent beam of Darkness that came from the demon that was slowly growing to tower over the trees. "I didn't expect her to get this big without waking up," she commented.

Her sudden arrival and attack caused Sonic to freeze in place for a second. Only once her attack finished did he resume moving. This time, he fought and talked at the same time, continuing to rely on his fire to take down wide swaths of enemies. "As in, physically?" After a second, he thought to add, "And how much bigger can this thing get?"

"...You've seen Iblis, correct?" Zareil murmured. "Massive fire demon?"

"Yeah," Sonic muttered, though privately he was surprised that she knew about the specifics of that threat. Sure, Iblis had been mentioned around her, but not its size. For her to know that on her own… Just how old is she?

"She's comparable to Iblis," Zareil admitted slowly. "She could tear a planet apart if she was accessing the true capability of her Darkness."

"What the fuck?" Sonic breathed. "You mean that Iblis wasn't just some freakish anomaly or some shit? That's normal?" Whether or not she had any intention of answering, he had no way of knowing. He might have found out, had he not been suddenly flattened to the ground by a shockwave of Light. This time, however, he'd sensed the attack incoming. He'd made to dodge it, too. But it had come too quickly for even his speed to cope with. The end result? Dirt in his mouth. Which he didn't appreciate. That's disgusting, he thought, spitting the gunk out as much as possible.

Once more, something happened that caught him by surprise. On this particular occasion, it was a laugh. Then there was a voice he could hear in his head, yet also all around him. "I must admit, you are sturdier than I gave you credit for," said an unfamiliar woman. "In truth, I should have expected it. You are his son, after all."

The fact that several of the clones reacted to the voice told Sonic it wasn't just his imagination or something similarly ridiculous. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded. He pushed himself up and grabbed his sword. Feeling a touch incredulous, he watched as a multitude of clones abruptly vanished. Are their creators dying… or just leaving?

"A dear friend of your father's," chuckled the woman. "And, more recently, your brother's."

Instantly, Sonic understood. It's her… Nareish! "What do you want?" he demanded. He hoped he could trust Zareil at least enough to rely on her to keep up the fight for the most part while this vile woman's focus was on him. He got the distinct feeling that if he didn't focus on what she had to say, he would be made to regret it somehow. Or, worse, someone else would. Zareil was certainly holding her own, using her spear to shred through several clones as they came too close and controlled blasts of Darkness brought down the ones further away.

"The same thing I have always wanted. A rather lofty goal, I must admit, but a certain friend of yours brings me closer to my dream with each passing moment." Nareish laughed softly. "More immediately, however… I wanted to see the little contraption that is holding your father in place. It is so dreadfully boring around here without him. But it seems there is little that can be done. All I can do is pester him for my own amusement now and then. At least that simple pleasure remains."

Sonic conjured up enough Chaos to create and then throw a few Chaos Spears ahead of him. Each one hit their mark, and the clones that were struck died immediately. "Why the hell do you constantly do everything in your power to piss him off?" he demanded. "Kidnapping my brother, drugging him, kidnapping him again alongside my son and Toru, practically killing him, pulling stunts constantly just to get on Dad's nerves… What the fuck is the point?"

Not for the first time that day, Sonic was surprised with an answer when he hadn't expected one. Something in Nareish's tone shifted in a way that gave Sonic unexplained chills. "Negativity drains the Light. The moment your mother's little speck of influence leaves him…" She audibly smiled. "I suggest you say your farewells. The man you once knew may not be entirely dead yet… but that time rapidly approaches us."

Zareil chose to keep quiet for now, not letting her anger rise in response to Nareish's voice as she continued the battle, losing herself into her fighting with ease. It's not worth it. Don't give her what she wants.

In truth, Sonic was having similar thoughts. He strove to keep his voice level as he demanded, "Was that all you had to say? You just wanted to taunt me?"

"Hm… not quite. You see, while I cannot allow you to harm him, it would amuse me to no end to facilitate a little reunion." Nareish's voice was sickly-sweet as she explained further. "As I am sure you had heard by now, your childhood friend has returned. I imagine he would be quite interested in seeing what has changed since you both last fought. It would give him an idea of just how much he needs to improve his life's work."

Only an idiot would fail to grasp what she was getting at. "I'm not going to help that sick fuck come up with plans to keep experimenting on on my brother," Sonic hissed furiously. "It's not happening."

"I suggest you go, little hedgehog," was the unconcerned response. "As of now, I have no immediate plans to forcibly return his weapon to him. But that can change if you are unwilling to cooperate. I must take my amusement from someone. Today, I have chosen you."

"You're making a mistake," Zareil suddenly answered, letting out a pulse of Darkness that shoved their enemies a distance away. "And you will come to regret it."

No response came, other than a laugh. Then the connection was severed. Sonic cursed under his breath. "What the hell is her problem?" he muttered, more to himself than to Zareil, as he reluctantly resumed battling.

Zareil let out a low growl. "She has become full of herself after her long life of slaughtering Immortals, if you ask me." The demoness crossed her arms.

"Clearly," was the grumbled reply. Sonic watched, full of suspicion, as more and more of their enemies vanished. Some were clones being destroyed by their creators, others were real people teleporting away. They really are retreating… for now.

The demoness rapidly twirled her spear before shouting, "Don't come back!" She launched it at their enemies with such ferocity that anything near it was torn to shreds. The few that survived this force were either impaled or blasted into the ground for their deaths. Her gaze shifted to Sonic and she frowned. "Your fighting lacks a lot. Work on it as much as you can."

"Trust me, I know," Sonic mumbled, sheathing his sword. "I've been told a lot already. I've been doing what I can." Plus I'm old as frick, give me a break.

"Don't put your sword away, dumbass. Raise it to me and we'll correct some of your mistakes here and now," she muttered, teleporting her spear in hand. "I won't have you walking around with those words being uttered from your mouth."

He turned to her in open surprise. "Huh?"

"Raise your sword. If I repeat myself once more, I'll crack your legs apart," Zareil muttered, taking a stance. "I'll be teaching you."

If only out of a sense of self-preservation, Sonic grabbed the handle of his sword again. "This is a shit time for something like this!" he argued with a small scowl. He chose not to even mention the fact that he couldn't wrap his mind around the idea of a demon genuinely trying to help. Surely there was some other motive at play?

Zareil growled. "Did I say anything about caring? Our enemy is retreating and your allies will surely see that you are simply sparring. However, you have a friend with healing powers, yes? I suggest you ready yourself to speak with them."

Just before Sonic could reply, a silent command reached Zareil. Evidently, Kaden had sensed her intentions. "Knock it off. Now is not the time for this bullshit and you know that."

The demoness's spear slammed into the ground with silent fury. This display made Sonic tense and he watched her warily. "Fine. What do you want me to do then?"

"Return to where you have been or go home. Nothing has changed from before the fight."

"Fine," she muttered, lowering her weapon. Her gaze slid to Sonic and she narrowed her eyes. "I will return to teach you those lessons you require. Manage your life in the meantime." Zareil didn't wait for a reply, instead teleporting away.

After a lengthy pause, Sonic grumbled several complaints of varying severity before teleporting back to the barrier. Seeing Kaden there, unhappy but alive, allowed him to relax a bit more. "Good to see you didn't get hit too badly," he sighed. "Some of those big-ass blasts had me worried."

"Your worries were misplaced," Kaden dismissed, not even looking at him. His eyes watched the sky, observing the few remaining enemies who lingered up there. One by one, they were flying off into the distance after their own comrades.

Silence settled over the area and soon engulfed the two of them. Sonic tried to be subtle about it, but he could tell that Kaden had noticed how anxious and wound-up he was. "Look-"

Kaden cut him off with a sharp glance. "Something happened. Explain."

I would… but you'll react badly. "...Is… she coming back anytime soon? Zareil, I mean." The only answer Sonic got was a flat look. "I'm serious, Dad. Is she coming back?"

Only after several seconds had passed did Kaden admit, "I don't know." He immediately followed that up with a question of his own. "Why does it matter to you?"

"I've gotta go do something," Sonic told him, looking away. "I'm going to try to be quick about it, but you'll be alone out here unless Zareil shows back up."

"I do not need protection, Sonic," Kaden was quick to remind. The the rest of Sonic's statement clicked and he demanded testily, "And what, exactly, are you planning on doing?"

Sonic turned away a bit and grimly took hold of Caliburn's handle again. "Something stupid."

"You have already done that," Kaden pointed out. Through narrowed eyes, he followed the movement of Sonic's arm as the younger man drew what had once been his sword.

"Then something crazy." In an effort to avoid further questions, Sonic teleported away. He hated, hated doing it. Leaving his father unguarded in the aftermath of a pretty serious fight made him feel like shit. But at the same time, he knew that if he didn't leave soon, he was going to regret it. Letting Shadow be hurt again because of his own inaction wasn't a thought he could tolerate. So, closing his eyes, he focused his mind and reached out to an entity he had once been in constant contact with. It was the only person he could think to turn to for help. Hey, Voi- I mean… Ythene, I think? Listen… I know you've already done a lot for me and my friends in the past, and I know I haven't necessarily needed you in a very long time… but I need you now. I have to go somewhere, and I just can't get there on my own. Is there any way you can help me?

Almost, he managed to be surprised when he got a reply. Almost. But, mostly, he wasn't surprised at all. He was just relieved. "I can aid you… although I must heavily caution you. I cannot in good faith tell you not to do this. I only ask that you proceed with the utmost care. This entire situation is abnormal. I cannot fathom what plans are being set into motion as a result of her forcing you to see that man."

Yeah… me either. I understand the risks well enough, though. I have to go. Sonic took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to steel himself for what was to come. So you'll help me?

"Yes. Prepare yourself. This is no mere ghost from your past. This is real… and deadly." With no further warning, he was picked up and whisked away.

~保護者~

"Rusen, we cannot avoid it any longer." Sighing softly, Aethra allowed her eyes to slip shut. "So many old threats have been reawakened… Few have shown themselves yet, and the heroes are already struggling. If we do not reign Nareish in, they will be overwhelmed. The Void alone will ensure that they fall."

"Pushing ourselves too far will leave them more vulnerable," Rusen countered gently. "If we were to return to resting, they would be without our help for some time."

"Then we must wake our kin," Aethra answered. "They may be little more rested than us, but with their aid we will be able to do this with less difficulty."

Rusen nodded slowly, a frown appearing on his face. "She has certainly pressed her presence far more than I am okay with."

"We cannot continue to tolerate it," Aethra nodded. "We must contain her until such time that the heroes are better prepared to face her."

The frown grew on Rusen's face, deepening to an almost unusual degree. "I have grown irate with her, for lack of better terms."

Aethra inclined her head. "I understand what you mean. She has done much to destroy all that we have built and cherish. It will not do."

"If not for what we stand for, I would have permanently dealt with her. However, that is not an option yet. There is yet still hope," Rusen murmured.

"The Void… It is a grave danger to all, yet in the right hands… it will prove itself to be just the weapon that has long been needed to aid in the restoration of balance." Aethra opened her eyes again and looked out into the stars. "I believe it has chosen the correct person to pursue… though not for reasons that that creature is thinking of."

"Certainly," Rusen answered. "Though, our new friend will be arriving soon. They will also be a great aid alongside the Void for various reasons."

"Those two together will be close to unstoppable, even against the likes of her," Aethra agreed. "Provided nothing goes terribly wrong, the chances of their success are… for the moment, high. I can only hope that things stay on this path."

Rusen suddenly turned away from whatever he stared so intently at all the time to regard Aethra. "Who do you believe it will choose? The number it can do so with is limited… yet I am curious of your thoughts."

Through their intrinsic mental connection, Aethra shared a mental image of one person in particular. "In this timeline… more than likely, it will be her. Steam was chosen elsewhere, but he cannot be chosen here. That leaves her as the strongest contender."

"With Steam around, she will be able to grasp her abilities far more quickly than usual as well," Rusen murmured. "As if she would have taken long to begin with."

"Indeed. She is rather intuitive, is she not?" Aethra stood. "Come, let us continue our conversation as we travel. Our kin must wake."

Rusen nodded and followed beside her. His frown returned for a moment. "Cyril is being controlled by Nareish. Were I capable of strong emotion like our creations, I may have grown angry."

"So many paths where this could lead… but do you see the prominent thread? More than likely, he will be rescued before the day's end." Aethra led the way as they walked, seamlessly slipping from this reality to another and another until they had left existence in its entirety behind them. "I cannot in good faith say that it will happen in a kindly manner, but he will be saved."

"His personality was kind and loving," Rusen murmured. "I highly dislike that it will be tarnished with the weight of the deeds he was forced to carry out."

"Throughout the course of this war, so many victims have been taken, forced to confront a duality within themselves that was never previously there." Aethra let out a soft sigh. "Recovery will not be easy for many of them. I can only hope that it does not prove too difficult for those who have suffered for a prolonged period."

Rusen's eyes appeared to grow sad for just a moment before he simply sighed. "I fear for the fate of Eila. She no longer has a will to survive this war. Intervention by those who care for her may not be enough."

"It is possible that that will be the case," Aethra replied. "We can only watch, for now, and see. There is little we ourselves are at liberty to do at this time." As she spoke, she continued to lead the way. All around them was light and warmth. The place where they and their kin had spent so, so long resting after creating everything they had just temporarily left behind was close by.

"You are right. I wish to do more for them," Rusen murmured finally, revealing the true intention behind his words. "I want to help, but I cannot interfere too much."

"None of us may," Aethra responded. "We promised from the beginning to stay out of the affairs of our creations, except for during such times when they simply cannot continue without us. We may not interfere in personal lives for no justifiable reason."

Rusen nodded, though his desire did not fade with this admission. "We will continue helping from afar where we are able."

They approached the place where their kin were resting. "Come, let us focus on other matters. They slumber deeply. I will need a hand."

"Of course," Rusen agreed softly, standing by Aethra once they arrived. "It is time they rejoin us."

Our family will be whole again.

~保護者~

12.736 words this time. Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support, and I hope you enjoyed. Posted (at about 8:30 p.m.) 01-09-21.