Chapter 83 - Movie, Timelost
The theory of alternate universes, be it of different outcomes in a person's life, or completely different worlds, was a fascinating and sometimes overwhelming concept. It was a fantasy, or that's how one would be led to believe. That was no longer the case upon meeting Viral, Velk, and various other Nightmares.
Yuki had a level of understanding of the concept due to SIVA, his memories of Riis and the world Rayla called home grounded her mentality in this theory. But to stand at the edge of a hillside facing a white void, to be standing beyond her world again. It left her breathless to a point her body stumbled away from the edge, overwhelmed by realization.
"This really is another world...!?" Kirishima fell down onto his backside beside Yuki, slack-jawed. "I... I-I just... wow!"
"Amazing, isn't it?" Velk mused, staring toward that shattered horizon. "It's one to hear of many unbelievable worlds, but to see them? It can take your breath away."
"No kidding..." Ochaco blinked, taking out her phone to snap a few pictures, only to pause. "Woah, my clock's all twitchy?" She inquired, watching the number flicker and glitch.
"We're outside the Corridors of Time, as such, time no longer matters to us, or to this place," Viral raised his finger toward the massive wall of white toward the far left. "We've entered through a rift that pierced that boundary... grah, what has Harrow done?"
"Whatever he's done, we have to change it," Izuku declared, glancing back at the hillside worryingly. "... and find a way back, right?"
Viral nodded slowly, then shrugged, "It won't be too hard, once we take Harrow and Harbinger's souls, we can use their power to open a rift home," That brought a round of sighs from the teens. "Hmph, I wouldn't jump into a random portal without a plan B,"
"Always two steps ahead - n-ngh, gaaah!" Kyoka violently gagged off to the side, her hand near her chest as the black crystal pulsed a dull grey tint, forcing the girl to hack up black goo as Akio helped support her with fearful eyes.
"Kyoka!?" Immediately, Viral ran to his Host, nudging him back as he placed his palm to Kyoka's chest, releasing a soft pink light as she continually coughed up an onyx substance. Everyone could only watch and pray as the Nightmare attempted to aid their friend, seeing her body tremble sharply. "What's happening to her!?"
"Calm down," Viral motioned, helping Kyoka sit upright as her coughing fit subsided, the crystal no longer pulsing but she looked much paler than before, and her eyes, the dark purple was now a shade lighter. "There, 'Calm Mind', good for the body too, and to relieve the pain in your chest,"
"Th-thank *cough-cough*!" Kyoka rubbed her mouth as Velk held out her hand, producing water in her palm, raising it to Kyoka's mouth to drink. "...hah... thanks,"
"Don't mention it," Velk smiled briefly as her tail snapped forward at Hana's command, the blade gleaming in the sunlight. "You...!?"
"Hello again, Viral, Velk," Everyone leapt back in surprise, seeing the familiar, jack o lantern smile on a three-eyed face staring back at them. Like thin air, his presence quickly dampened the mood, darkening the air around them.
With tattered wings, Harrow gestured to them with open arms. "I'm surprised you actually came here, knowing we're expunged from time itself, is quite-"
"Guys!" Shoto called, flash-freezing the ground with a wave of his palm, ushering the ice to slice and lock around Harrow as three shadows pincered him instantly.
"Manchester Smash!" Izuku spun forward, drawing his heel down to split Harrow's head in two as a red glare radiated against his wings.
"Devil's Ruin!" Yuki's plasma burned a hot blue, scorching leather and flesh until it pieced a sizable hole through the monster's chest for Katsuki to grab the Nightmare by the face, eyes unwavering as the head slowly stitched itself back together.
"DIIIIE!" With a murderous cry, the sky flashed a scorching gold and orange, blasting Harrow into pieces, ice showering those below as the trio landed, their guards raised.
The smoke and rumbling subsided, and with a gust of hot wind and purple embers, Harrow's wings blew the dust away. His body was scorched and mangled, but bone and muscles reformed, his grin smothered in smoke as his skeletal hands clapped with reformed flesh. "Hahaha, not an instant of hesitation, even to take a life, I like that, you three are vicious when you're not trying to play hero, for that, I commend you."
"Not even that worked..." Katsuki tisked.
"Now, if we're done having a lovely warm-up, allow me to offer you some... needed advice," His hand motioned to Kyoka. "Jiro, was it?" Her hazy eyes met white orbs. "Yes, you, unfortunately, have been tainted by Calcified Huskbone, a painful way for any being to die,"
"What's Huskbone?" Yaoyorozu asked as both Nightmares appeared stoic, Viral gripping his cloak tightly in distaste.
"...the solidification of a Wormhusk, a native monster of our Realm, even a scratch can eat away at your soul, but to be pierced by a shard of it? It will slowly devour Kyoka's soul, her body will react in kind to the fragmentation of her spirit until it inevitably extinguishes her soul..." Viral answered.
"That's horrible...!" Yuki paled, snapping her head toward Kyoka who stared down at her chest. And Akio, his expression was unreadable. The bluette bit her lip, "Kyoka..."
Viral glowered up at Harrow. "Why would we trust what you have to say?"
Harrow tapped his chin, "Hm, well, you don't need to take my word, but I'm feeling generous since I'm working on fashioning myself a new coat, one that will surely be a show-stopper, hehehe," His dark cackle sent chills through the hillside. With a chain swaying toward the right-hand side of the valley edge, he continued. "In the distant right of the Isles is a nexus of pure ether, I believe that will offer you a solution to that Wormhusk shard,"
"Ether...?" Yuki blinked, imagining the pale purple substance the Fallen relied on to survive.
"Not the 'ether' you're thinkin' of, Blue," Rayla assumed, hand locked to her handcannon. "Like the energy that makes up everything, yeah?"
"Astute for a corpse," Harrow nodded, then another chain pointed directly behind him at the tower. "And if you want to risk it all, and stop me, I'll be at that tower, I have a service to attend to and I want to look the part, so please don't rush, take all the time to think it over," His eyes slit. "How does it feel, Viral? To know you'll never surmount to Nekros's legacy,"
He didn't reply, picking himself up to stare back at the Host he despised, his fists quaking. "...Atleast I don't need to pretend I'm someone I'm not,"
That made that unwavering smile of Harrow's creak. "Ngh..." With a snort, his wings released a black contrail, lifting him high into the air, his onyx form becoming a faint black arrow in the white sky.
Silence ensued as everyone digested Harrow's advice, and since neither Viral nor Velk objected, they could assume it was the truth. He offered them two choices, one to save their world, the other, to save Kyoka. Sero shook his head angrily. "He's seriously making us choose here? Come on!"
"But he's right," Shoto hated to admit it, hand over his mouth slightly. "Up against three Nightmares without our own puts us in an unwinnable situation."
"Shoto..." Yuki began but he shook his head too.
"I'm not saying we value Jiro's life over billions, but..." It stung, it seemed so logical, the majority took priority, and yet, his gut wanted to throw up at the suggestion. "Sorry, I'm not good with these kinds of decisions."
"No one should have to weigh a choice over who lives and dies, that's not right," Yaoyorozu disapproved, hugging Kyoka from the side. "I'm so sorry,"
"Hey, I'm n-not dead y-yet," She smirked, her jacks twitching toward Akio who ground his teeth, fingers dug into the soil.
"I hate this... so much," He croaked, punching the dirt. "Why... every time I think I'm getting closer to being stronger, to just escaping his shadow, it's like an even higher wall hits me in the face!" Angry tears stung his eyes. "Meanwhile, I can hear everyone I know fighting beyond it, while all I do is rumble around in the dark!"
No one present could come close to understanding where Akio was coming from. Since the day he work from his stasis within Viral, since his memory wipe he only knew how to run away, leaving a path of destruction as Harrow played with their lives, tormenting the pair. And now, that vicious cycle repeated itself.
"I shouldn't have stayed-"
*Slap!*
Akio's face was stunned, Kyoka's hand leaving a red print as she brought her hand back to crack it across his other cheek, tossing him backward as Katsuki nodded to Rayla's whistle. "Come here!" Kyoka seethed, pulling the brunette close by the collar, a fire raged in her eyes, jacks poised at his throat. "I never want to hear that shit ever spit from your mouth again, hear me?"
"I-"
"I didn't just get myself stabbed because I like it, I did it because this stupid, kind, reckless idiot who I spent months living with has been put through so much on his own that he can't even tell that he's still human, even with some Old Man in his head - shut it, Viral!" Her jack threatened the Nightmare to close his mouth. "But he never lost his cool, even when stuck under the same roof as me, even as I called him names, questioned his life and motives, he never once snapped because, despite everything he's been through, he never let the people around him down,"
Her hand loosened, flicking his nose with a softer gaze. "That stupid crap out of your head now?"
Akio rubbed his sore cheeks for a moment, then smiled as he stood up, scooping Kyoka into his arms. "Yeah, thanks for that,"
"Being an awesome girlfriend is tough work *cough-cough*," She rubbed the black substance on her jacket. "So, Green Bean, got a plan?"
"-but if we could divert our attention toward-*mutter-mutter-mutter-mutter*-" The words circled Izuku, bouncing off Katsuku's irritated face.
"He's really gotten faster at muttering, huh?" Ochaco noticed.
"I got this," Yuki cracked her knuckles, swaying through the words to poke at her mate's freckles to gain his attention. "Hello again, any luck?"
"R-right, sorry," He nervously scratched his head before appearing more serious. "There's really only one way we can save both Kyoka and our world, any other method would take too long or is too complex to execute without fallback plans,"
"We split into two groups, one with Velk, the other with Viral; we can't sacrifice one life or billions, so we'll save them all," Izuku declared as Katsuki's gaze twitched wider, listening silently. The greenette waved his hand. "The people with the strongest Quirks will find Harrow, and the rest will find a way to remove the shard from Kyoka, that's it, it's the best outcome I could think of."
"Simple enough, really," Rayla shrugged, loading shells into First In, pumping once. "I'd say Velk has the most beef with that scumbag, she should go with team one,"
"I felt it... my soul was so close," Her hand curled close to her chest, frost crackling across the ground. "I would appreciate the chance to cleave his head off again,"
"Then it appears I will be with team one," Hana nodded, glancing at the rest. "Rayla, Midoriya, Bakugo, Todoroki, and Yuki, all of you will be a part of this team too, with your Quirks we may stand a chance,"
"We can't rule out he may not have used every ability in his arsenal," Yuki warned, smirking slightly at the team. "But our Quirks are suited for various events so that shouldn't be an issue,"
"Any objections?" Hana asked but no one spoke up. "Very well then,"
"It is likely we'll encounter Scourge and Magnar," Viral sighed, glowering at the land masses ahead. "Harrow intends to taunt you, so he'll send those two to impede our efforts, heh, I'm glad," His grin began to spread. "I believe we all have a score to settle with them,"
"I never got the chance to pitch in, so count me in," Sero punched his fist into his palm.
"That Scourge guy really got the best of me last time, I won't let that happen again!" Kirishima declared, hardened fist pumped forward. "Let's do it, for Jiro's sake!"
"Ugh..." Said girl hid her flushed face behind her hand, making the group laugh a little. "I-I'm gonna d-die..."
"While I'm happy we found a solution, please refrain from death jokes until you're safe, Jiro," Yaoyorozu pleaded with an anxious smile.
Yuki felt a held breath escape her. "It's a serious long shot, but... when's that ever stopped us?" Everyone looked around. Worry wracked around their minds, and so did confidence, a conviction in their goals. "This is it, we don't get a second chance, so, everyone, give it everything you have,"
"Find your limits and surpass them now, for Kyoka's sake, our world, and so many more at stake beyond the Shattered Isles!" Viral rallied, his chest swelling with adrenaline. "Win or lose, we're ending this nightmare, once and for all!"
"LET'S DO IT!"
Journeying down the meadows, their natural pathway came to an abrupt end, the land fragmented at the edge of nothing, splitting the world into thousands. Viral led his team as well as Velk, the two groups split amongst the plains momentarily. Yuki sat with Kyoka on a boulder, applying a cluster to the rocker's shirt around the Calcified Wormhusk.
"Does that feel better?" Yuki inquired as Kyoka took a steady breath again.
"A little, what did you do?" She asked.
"SIVA ran a diagnostic on your body, as Viral said, it's attacking your soul and your body's reacting to that, so this device won't prevent its growth but you should be able to walk around without that stabbing feeling in your chest," Yuki scratched her cheek sheepishly. "It's a one-of-a-kind spiritual painkiller, ta-da~"
Kyoka just blinked widely a moment, then smirked humorously. "Ever since you upgraded, I don't know if I should be impressed or scared if you became a villain,"
"Muhahaha, you'll be my second in command," The girls then shared a small laugh, forgetting momentarily about the issues at hand.
On one end of the plains, Ochaco threw a few punches in front of Izuku and Kirishima. "-and if we see one of those Nightmares will give 'em a good thrashing for you guys!"
"Just so long as you're careful," Izuku reminded but appreciated the sentiment as Katsuki wandered over with his usual glare. "Kacchan?"
The blonde glared at the pair, "Aren't you two supposed to be scouting a route across already? Hurry up!"
"Ah, right, thanks for the reminder!" Kirishima got the memo, dragging Izuku away by the heels.
Now alone, Ochaco tapped the tips of her fingers together. "You know asking them to leave for a sec would've worked too,"
"Deku asks too many questions," Katsuki huffed, staring toward the vast void ahead. "You really think you can fight one of those things?"
Ochaco rolled her eyes, punching his bicep lightly. "I may not be crazy strong like you or Deku, and I certainly can't use my Quirk if the target moves a lot but I'm not giving up just because the task is too tough," She held a fiery spirit no one could wither, her strength was her heart above all else. "Who knows, maybe I will beat one, then I'll be tougher than you - h-huh?"
Her head rested gently against his shoulder, feeling Katsuki's vice-like hold around her back. He didn't say a word, but her eyes softened as her arms linked around his back too, enjoying the quiet moment blissfully.
Over by the edge, Sero finished binding a few large rocks to form a bridge with Izuku across the wide gap securing the pathway with Kirishima's help. Wiping his brow, Sero had to take a step back to admire the view. "Still can't believe... any of this is happening,"
"It's overwhelming at first, Velk's memories left me speechless for weeks," Hana admitted, sharing his view quietly with her hands clasped at the hilt of her blade. "Often I wondered what other worlds felt like, the energy you feel in the wind, in your lungs, a strange sensation or perhaps simply the same?"
"I getcha, it's something, that's for sure," Sero mused, "Say, I know you don't need to hear this, and... ah, well, l-look, I'll just say it anyhow," His fumbling drew her gaze from the corner of her eye to see his flustered expression. "Just... be careful, Yukino,"
"Hana,"
"Huh?" He blinked.
"You can call me Hana, I don't mind if you say it too," She murmured.
Sero was silent for just a second, grinning goofily, "Alright then, be careful, Hana,"
Her downward lips curled upward, "And you too... Hanta," Now it was his turn to feel a pleasant warmth spread across his chest.
"R-right, will do,"
Alone, staring toward the tower that mocked them from afar, Viral combed his hair, gliding his fingers down his shredded eye. "Does it hurt?" Velk peeked in beside him with her hands behind her back, laying against her wings. "Your eye? Does it itch?"
"Only when I feel Harrow nearby, as though he did steal a part of me, something I wish I could steal back," He sighed, tugging his cowl over the scar again. "Why did Harbinger take him as his Host? Someone so unstable and corrupt?"
"He thought he could save him," Velk admitted, staring up at the sky turning white at the edge. "Maybe he was stupid but I don't think Harbinger would've done it if he didn't feel certain something could be saved, he's not old enough to be a fool, I think we both know that."
Viral chuckled lightly, "Harbinger did always gamble with chance, I suppose he drew a bad hand this time," The Oracle Nightmare closed his fist by his side. "This time, we'll be the ones to deal a better one, I hope,"
"I hope so too," He flinched, feeling smooth, cool fingers curl between his rough fingers. "I know you haven't forgiven me entirely, you're stubborn to a fault," She saw his tail slack beneath his cloak. "Even if it takes the rest of eternity, I'm willing to build what we had again, but only if you're comfortable with that?"
"*Sigh*... and you're far too clingy," Viral huffed as Velk giggled behind her wing.
"I guess we're just an odd pair,"
"Hmph, certainly."
"Come on, we cannot lag behind, we've got a long way to go!" Kirishima rallied, helping his friends over the ridge of another rocky slope to admire what lay ahead. From the vantage point, he could see the valley they started in, now miles away, and instead of a bright blue sky, the world was an ashen grey.
The landscape took a sharp turn, becoming rigid and broken by large columns of basalt, various pools of magma spilling over the edges as the bubble and hiss filled the air with a humid atmosphere. It was like they walked straight into hell's basin.
Akio kept close to Kyoka, helping her manage over tougher terrain with Viral standing just ahead of them, eye peeled for any trace of another lifeform. As they trekked across the basalt land, Kyoka found her voice in the murky ambiance. "The other Nightmares, what are they like? I was kinda out of it for the most part,"
Viral shook his head, clearly not wanting to talk about them but reluctantly raised his voice. "Harbinger, as you know, was our leader, and despite his incredible trait, he only sought to help others, Nightmare or otherwise," Then he snorted, looking over his shoulder. "If I'm an 'old man', which I'm not, then he's the Grand Elder,"
"Keep telling yourself that," Kyoka quipped, rubbing her chest gingerly, leaning against Akio. "And the others?"
"Scourge is much more pragmatic than he looks, his ability is ailments; paralysis, poison, blindness, ever since he grew stronger he merged a crossbow to his arm, allowing him to produce highly destructive Nightmare energy bolts, giving him an edge in combat," Everyone listened in while hopping over lava rivers. "Although he's very obnoxious, always getting in over his head,"
"Sounds like someone else we know," Yaoyorozu giggled as Viral rolled his eye.
"Yes-yes, laugh it up," Rubbing his nose, he clicked his fingers. "Magnar is the youngest, but he never went a day without sparring with Ravage, constantly pitting himself against his new absorbed DNA until he stuck with that Diablos creature. He admires anyone with a strong fighting spirit, wishing to fight even a God one day, something Ravage would be reluctant to try," His hand brushed past where his soul resided.
"He's seriously tough, not even Todoroki or Midoriya could crack him," Kirishima frowned worryingly. "You sure you can take 'em?"
"He caught us all off-guard when they injured Kyoka, this time I'll be ready," Viral then saw Ochaco clearing her throat expectantly. "Ahem, 'we' will be ready,"
"From how you speak of them, you sound very fond of the memories?" Yaoyorozu pointed out, and for once, Viral looked forlorn.
"...it wasn't perfect, and I liked that," His scarred left began to itch again. "I have all the knowledge in the world, and yet I was so clueless,"
"It wasn't your fault," Ochaco reassured. "What about Ravage, back on I-Island?"
"I am sorry it had to end this way." His grip on Ravage's soul became tighter as his old, dense ally rested his head against Viral's shoulder, chuckling
"It was... one hell of a fight... to die for..." His claw wrapped around Viral's shoulder, eyeing his old ally. "If you find Harrow... do me a solid... and kill him."
Viral pressed forward, his aura subsiding, but Akio saw it, a faint flicker of that brute Nightmare's soul cast over Viral's. "I gave him my word, and a Nightmare never brakes it,"
"Neither will we," Akio whispered, Kyoka nodding alongside him.
What none realized, was that one of the mounds of black rock began to shift, sliding away beneath the volcanic basalt delta.
"Where the crap are they coming from!?" Katsuki roared, blasting two more black creatures into paste against the ruins of a forest-covered office building.
The world was shrouded by dark clouds, overlooking a vast, crumbling town of overgrown buildings and rusted cars. The fragments of a human town scattered across vine bridges leading to more ruins and falling roads that once connected them to the earth, fences, and pipes hanging over the white void. Beyond the ruins, a single, collapsing bridge marked the only way forward.
Crawling out from the ruins were pitch black monsters, either bipedal or crawling on all fours, human in shape but with jagged maws filled with various solid colors that matched their wide, sharp oval eyes.
"Thrall, from my Realm - grah!" Velk, now converted entirely over Hana, grunted, slicing a thin line of rime through several more, tearing the wall out from the second floor of a building. "Luckily, we can kill them regardless, since they lack enough souls to become semi-immortal - ow!"
"History later, fall back!" Yuki yelled, blasting two through the chests with Perfected Burst, their bloated bodies exploding to blind the other Thrall in a blue haze. "Izuku, three o clock high!"
He quickly dove onto his hands, swinging his legs around to break the neck of a pouncing Thrall, embedding it into the side of a car with a 'crack'. Hopping to his feet, he flicked his fingers, firing two air force jabs into a street lamp, dropping the steel beam atop two more for Yuki to decapitate with a spear in her hands.
The pair slid back-to-back, switching positions to punch and kick a Thrall each through the buildings. Shoto slid backward, creating an ice rink that tripped many of the animalistic creatures up as Rayla slid across the road, pumping buckshot through their chests, blowing the monsters into chunks.
Katsuki propelled himself above them, landing on a rubble incline heading toward a dead-end of trees and bushes, seeing the massive wall of blue ice form by Velk's hands as the team escaped higher while the Thrall scratched away at the wall of rime with various shrills of anger.
"These freaks are more annoying than the 'Thrall' I'm used to!" Rayla spat, reloading First In again. "My Light's pretty good for them though,"
"Thank my race for being made of pure darkness," Velk coughed.
"Okay, new plan," Yuki's eyes flickered to deadpan, "How do we get out of this city with all of them corraled at the bridge?"
"They're not tough but the numbers will overwhelm us quickly," Shoto agreed, leaning against a tree as Velk peeked over the rubble and dirt, eyes wide as something threw her head back.
"Ah!" Three long, blackthorns pierced her head, shoulder, and right forearm, forcing her to yank them out with a curse. "*Unrecognizable Language*! Ahem, sorry, that hurt... a lot, and I'm mistaken, there is one Thrall that's become like me, though to say its intelligence is greater would be an overestimation,"
Yuki produced a cluster, tossing it into the branches above to scan the area. Peeking through the node, she spotted a single Thrall standing with its right arm extended into a large, crooked longbow, using the left to form more arrows from its bones. Recalling the cluster, Yuki's mask flashed a worried look.
"He's a good shot though, and it's breaking the ice shelf quickly,"
"We're cornered and some wannabe ink stain is blocking our path," Katsuki grimaced.
"Please, never call my race that again," Velk's tone was aversive, shutting the blonde's mouth.
"My radar's completely red, I can't even count 'em," Rayla detested, shuttering at the memory. "Just like the Hellmouth, they just keep coming..."
That's when Izuku's eyes lit up, "That's it! We'll do what Kacchan would do!"
"HuAH!?" His voice cracked with an irked expression. "Wanna repeat that, Deku!?"
Shoto's neutral gaze widened in surprise. "That could work, following Bakugo's example."
"Are you mocking me, Icy-Hot!?" Red ticks bulged above Katsuki's head.
"I mean, it's Firecracker we're referencing, you sure?" Rayla snickered off to the side, dodging a chunk of concrete from Katsuki.
Yuki tapped a fist into her palm, her blink animated. "Ooooh, the Dumb-Dumb route, not bad, Zuzu,"
"Quit ignoring me, Mute Bastard!" He barked bitterly, all except for Velk who scratched her head, Hana also taking a blank in her mind.
"Sorry," She raised her hand innocently. "We're a little confused, what's this 'Dumb-Dumb Route'?"
"Poor Velk, it's simple," Yuki patted Katsuki's boiling head gingerly. "It's how we're gonna get you close to that Nightmare in one fell swoop!"
"Stop. Petting. Me...!" Katsuki seethed, eyes jagged and glowing cherry red.
Across the Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall, the archer Nightmare chipped away at one spot in the wall from afar, the Thrall clawing at the slippery surface in an attempt to breach the fortification. Then its head twitched, noticing the cluster of souls starting to move around, one taking to the sky just below the peak of the wall.
*Crack... Crack... BOOSH!*
"-Impact!" Katsuki tore through the entire wall with tremendous firepower, sending shards of ice flying like needles through the Thrall, the tornado dragging large portions of ice through the street, scattering them and Thrall across the ruins as he landed with a skid, glowering at the Nightmare with a manic smile. "Not so tough when we're on the offensive, huh!?"
From the dust cloud, a blue, human-sized rocket propelled itself through the air, crashing down to release a massive nova of blue lightning in its wake, Rayla drawing out a Condensed Light Grenade, or CLG, tossing it against a Thrall's head to release a constant pulse of powerful shockwaves. "Hahaha, you guys are screwed now!"
The Nightmare stumbled back as that cold air was replaced with a searing wave of heat. Shoto's hand pressed to a Thrall's face, burning it to ashes as the tsunami of flames warped and rose against the cold air lingering by their feet. Propelling from either side of the buildings, Izuku and Yuki spun around simultaneously, their right and left leg drawn back respectively.
"Perfected Divide!" "Delaware Smash!"
Izuku's right leg swept just over Yuki's, their combined air pressure releasing a turquoise wind that swept up the flames, converting the land ahead into a fiery whirlwind that blinded and burned the Thrall. "Since there are no people around, we don't need to hold back anymore!" Yuki grinned under her mask.
The fire tornado expanded and dispersed into colorful arcs of embers, through the flames, several neon blue orbs clattered to the ground, some sticking to Thrall. Not a second more, and they were consumed by a small explosion, the majority collapsing large sections of buildings atop the howls and shrieks buried beneath their feet.
Through the smoke, Yuki stormed the frontline, drawing her arm cannon forward to unleash another payload of explosives, her left hand crushing the head of a Thrall attempting to pounce her as her spider-like helmet craned toward the archer. "SIVA. Full-Body Augment. The Archpriest!"
The Nightmare plucked several arrows, releasing them with a black shroud over their forms. Katsuki reacted instantly, blasting the projectiles with a complex set of maneuvers between the ruins, flipping around to strike at abnormal angles. Below his feet, Rayla shattered the arrows with every pump of her shotgun, counting her points as she laughed.
It growled, drawing another three bones from its flesh, only to shiver. Everything below the knees was frostbitten, grounding the monster as it struggled in vain to pry its legs apart. Shoto kept his hand against the ground, frost coating his fingers in an effort to reapply the ice the Nightmare broke.
Pinching the string, the archer lined a shot with the reddish-white-haired boy, snarling into a wicked smirk. Or it had felt such jubilation, until the temperature shifted against, the very air becoming white and windy as something numbing to the bone severed its arm from the elbow, disarming the archer in a literal sense.
Velk's tail flailed back with a frozen arc, spinning on a heel to deflect the claw with her right-wing, thrusting the left forward like a fan blade, gouging a large fissure through the archer's chest. "This is where we part," Velk dove over its arm again, seeing various bone spines jut forward to skewer her.
Wrapping her left arm around its neck, Velk pulled back, carving her right hand through its chest until it threw her back with its foot, the pair recovering quickly. Velk crouched down, tail poised forward as the Nightmare lunged at her with one arm, the two clashed with azure sparks, ultimately, the sacred blade swished through the Nightmare's arm with ease, leaving it open for Velk to plunge her hand forward, grabbing a small, black flame.
With a single thrust, the flame was consumed, spraying black mist as the archer stumbled past Velk, collapsing to the ground only to dissolve into mist and onyx particles. Exhaling a long-winded breath, Velk ushered her friends forward. "The path is clear, let us move before they can recover!"
Sprinting toward the dilapidated bridge was a harrowing experience, some glancing back to see the swarm of dark creatures scampering over ice and burning rubble to give chase after the only strong souls in the area. Some crawled out from hiding but were easily dispatched. Velk flew the whole way, landing to freeze the middle section of the bridge furrowly.
"Izuku!" Yuki waved, charging toward the fan-boy who cupped his hands together, providing a footing for Yuki as he threw the girl high into the air above the rusting support structure for the bridge.
High above the rest, she saw the black masses skittering closer like a colony of ants. She had one shot at this, descending as Izuku was the last to cross over. "Siva, Perfected, Twenty Percent-!" Her right foot forward, she fired off several blasts behind her, propelling her body toward the bridge with an air cone forming at her sole. "-Ultimate Move - Rain's Fall!"
A sapphire comet struck the concrete, sending shards of ice and debris flying, the steel i-beams groaned and gave way, folding inward just as Yuki dove back from the wreckage in time. Some Thrall attempted to jump the gap only to be dragged down into the white void alongside the collapsing bridge, howling into nothingness.
Yuki dusted off her hands, eyes curved happily, "All in a day's work!"
"Don't stand so close to the edge, Mute," Katsuki shoved her forward before any more of the bridge slipped away.
"Brilliant teamwork!" Rayla lightly slapped Velk's back, her smile hidden by her helmet.
"It wasn't flawless but we've made it through," Shoto commented, staring at the changing environment ahead, the various landmasses beginning to rise into a tall forest. "We should keep moving, encase some migrated to this side,"
"He's right, we can't celebrate, unfortunately," Velk agreed, glancing back as time began to crawl. Then she gasped.
Izuku's heart stopped as well as Yuki's body went rigid as something sprung from her shadow toward Katsuki. The blonde had little time to react before a pair of claws wrestled against his forearms, tossing each other onto the ground nearest the edge. The Thrall hissed, tumbling with Katsuki closer to the bridge as cracks began to form where Katsuki managed to stand, kicking the monster back.
"Want some, huh!?" His hand let off a small blast to intimidate the Thrall as it scampered toward his brilliant soul out of hunger.
"Look out, Firecracker!" Rayla tried to find a good line of sight but the constant thrashing made it impossible less she shot Katsuki's arms off.
"Kacchan, move!" Izuku's cry alerted the boy into glancing down at his feet, seeing the tarmac split and widen below.
Yuki ran for Katsuki's arm as he rugby tackled the Thrall, ignoring its scratching to deadlift its body over his head, flinging it off into the abyss in time to run away from the edge. Then the land gave out under his boot, and his body lurched backward. "No!" Yuki grabbed his shirt in time, seeing the claws of the Thrall pulling at Katsuki's back.
"Grah, let go of me, dammit!" Katsuki tried to wiggle free but the Thrall held on tightly, by now, more cracks began to form as Velk flared her wings, ready to catch them both.
*Boosh!*
A snap and hiss of arc bolts tore through the Thrall's elbow, amputating it in time for Yuki to throw herself and Katsuki into Velk's chest, a moment later, and the remains of the bridge folded and snapped away from the land, never to be seen again.
Their eyes followed the trace line to one of the floating forests, seeing someone knelt by the edge, lowering a peculiar but otherwise familiar shaped rifle. Yuki and SIVA both stared in awe at what greeted them as red particles dispersed where the rifleman once stood, and now, only a few meters in front of the group.
"Well then, this is an unexpected reunion," Their throat clicked, dusting off a bold red cloak against their back.
"Ambush!" Rayla jerked her arms around, cocking her silver and blue handcannon.
"It's... no way... Dren!?" Yuki couldn't believe her eyes, there was no possibility he survived after the battle to save Eri, right? Scrambling to her feet, she had to rub her mask's eyes again. "It's really you!? How - when - haAH!?"
The Splicer made a noise similar to a laugh, "As I stated when we parted ways, the Vex Conflux that I infused to my body consumed me, and I became lost in time, as you are all now, but, that begs the question, how did you end up in this endless realm?" He queried, or until Shoto, Velk, and Katsuki all stood in front of Yuki, their powers beginning to manifest.
"Wait, stop, he's not with Kovik anymore... I think?" Yuki shoved herself between them, glancing over her shoulder to the Devil that rolled his head, lowering the wire rifle. "Um, truce? Hehe,"
"While I may not agree with Kovik's methods, in the end, I am only working for the good of House Devils, so... yes, you could say our partnership is... null and void," He then raised a claw. "But I will not be parting with his plans, unfortunately, I have some level of honor, but, feel free to attack, I've been meaning to work on my shield modifications,"
The group didn't reply, seeing Dren wave one arm as he turned. "If not, then follow, I believe we have bigger crises to dwell on, yes?"
Izuku couldn't help but relax with a smile. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to hear him out, right?"
"See? Even Izuku's giving the benefit of the doubt!" Yuki waved her arms, her gaze flat. "I mean it, Katsuki, no boom-booms,"
"Tch, and why the hell not!?"
"Because I'll tell Ocha you're being a real wet blanket, that's why," Yuki lifted her mask to stick her tongue out at him. "Bleh."
"You fucking dare!" His head shoved itself against her's.
"Yeah, I do, that's why I said it, Dumb-Dumb!"
"Mute Bastard!"
"Crater Face!"
"Nerd Lover!"
"Hah, that's a compliment, he's adorable, thanks!"
As the two spat insults at each other, the others followed along a sweatdrop between them. "This is... not what I expected," Velk smiled warily.
"You get used to it," Shoto and Izuku replied.
"What a strange girl," Solaire mused as his Guardian shrugged, holstering her weapon.
"She is part Fallen..." Rayla agreed.
"Welcome, to the Bannerless House," Dren offered an arm out to display the sight within the forest that overlooked the various lands from a cliffside.
Built around and suspended in the trees were various Eliksni homes with bridges connecting them to one another. Purple crystals hummed to provide light, some jutting from pikes or hung from the suspension cables. Pale blue banners mixed with red, and even dark blue and gold ones. A House color for every House to Yuki's memory.
That's when the machinist gasped, stars sparkling in her eyes. "Oh My God...~!" Everyone turned to her reaction, only to see the bluette admiring from a distance, an Eliksni with a sash wrapped securely around their torso, and the several bundles of cloth cradling tiny creatures with glowing blue eyes. "Little hatchlings! They're so cute~!"
"Those are Eliksni kids?" Rayla had never even seen one up close in person, not even a sketch of one. Dren nodded to the Vandal taking care of the hatchlings as they relaxed under the gazes of the human guests.
"This abstract realm isn't inhospitable, so it was natural a community would form," Dren shrugged, bringing his hand atop Yuki's head to tilt her upward where a few Dregs worked in a tree workshop with a large, dark sphere with a purple eye. "Even reproducing Ether for those that are not like myself,"
"Amazing...!" Izuku shared Yuki's buzzing excitement but kept his contained with a delighted smile of fascination. "An entire culture rebuilt from fragments of houses, it's something out of an old science fiction movie...!"
"Great, now there's two of them," Katsuki groaned, the murmurs between the couple rebounding off his forehead. "Would you two shut up already!?"
"Nah!" Yuki blew a raspberry, tugging Izuku closer to inspect one of the Servitors mindlessly floating between two buildings.
"Wolves, Devils, Winter, Kings... how many of you are there?" Rayla blinked in bewilderment, taking her helmet off momentarily as she spotted other Eliksni hiding in their homes or working on various machinery, tinkering without so much as a worrisome glance at the guests.
"Only myself, and Wolves, with those who once belonged to other Houses, all lost to time since Skolas's attempts to unite all Eliksni beneath one banner," Dren replied, watching Shoto drag Yuki away as she protested about wanting to see the hatchlings while Katsuki yelled at Izuku to move too.
Dren led them to the largest rounded building that encircled the largest tree in the forest. Brushing the tarp aside, he motioned for them to follow. "We must speak, both of your arrival, and of the increasing presence of Nightmares,"
Inside, the building functions similar to a workshop, tools, gadgets, and machinery lined up on benches with blueprints displayed on holographic projections and pages. In the middle of the room, one table laid out a large sketch of the surrounding isles, marked with various names and danger signs.
Dren placed his arms on the desk, leaning forward. "Explain, how have you become timelost?"
Everyone looked to Velk, the Nightmare hanging her head as Hana seeped out of her chest to sigh with her head down. "It's Harbinger, or Harrow to be particular, he's trying to complete something atop that massive tower in the distance. The others are on-route for a place teeming with Ether to cure Jiro of a life-threatening curse," Hana stared evenly at the Splicer. "We need to get to him before he can achieve his goal,"
"But navigating this place is impossible," Yuki shook her head. "Every angle suddenly splits away, and we have to double back for an alternative route,"
"Can't you fly?" Dren motioned to Velk.
"Yes, but I can't fight alone," Her dark tone silenced Dren a moment longer to stare at his maps, his brow creased with a clicking noise in his mask. "Please," Velk lowered her head. "It's my fault Harrow has managed to achieve any of this, if I... just listened to Harbinger then... none of this would have come to pass,"
"No one can blame you for what happened," Hana assured her Nightmare, squeezing her hand.
"Harrow is a madman," Dren spoke up, eyes wandering his workshop. "Even before the events of the twin Raid transpired, when we spoke, he hid nothing, his goals for complete destruction were unsettling, even for Kovik, yet he kept loyal to the Nightmare, one less spear at your back, that, and none of us could compare to his strength,"
"You tucked your tails between your legs then?" Katsuki gave a sardonic reply.
However, Dren chuckled dryly, "Yes, yes we did, like Fallen we cowered in the shadow of an immortal that knew no compassion, if I had a choice, I'd take a bullet from a Guardian over a claw from Him," Venom dripped from his words. "You need not berate yourself - Velk, was it?" The iceborne lifted her head in surprise. "I know how you can reach the tower,"
"Really?" Izuku blinked, sharing Shoto's surprise at how cooperative their former enemy was.
He nodded, tapping a place with a red marking akin to an angular 'n'. "Over the ridge, there's a massive wreckage of an old piece of equipment that appears to transport fuel, the exhaust is pointing in the direction of the spire,"
"So, you want to use it like a cannon?" Shoto summarized.
"Precisely, however," He tapped a claw to the location. "A highly advance variation of the Cabal reside there, whatever happened to that wreckage they appeared to have come with it, so we've steered clear of the location, so if you plan to go, you best we ready for a firefight,"
"'Cabal'?" Hana echoed.
"Space Rhinos," Yuki and Rayla summed up nonchalantly.
"What?" The others blurted out.
"Trust me, it'll make sense when you see 'em, ugh, I hate Cabal..." Rayla moaned, pinching her nose. "I'd take Vex over Cabal."
"In the meantime," Dren continued, moving to scan his workbench where weapons were gutted and pulled apart. "I will search for your other companions with my Skiff, shouldn't be too hard, I'll look for the explosions, go now, prepare yourselves, these Cabal are not to be underestimated,"
"Who cares what the hell they are, if they're in the way I'll blow them to pieces off into that void below," Katsuki boasted, much to Izuku chagrin.
"Kacchan..."
"Hm, confidence can get you killed," Dren pondered, tilting his head curiously, "Considering it kept that fire alive when Vosik... had his fun with Azuru, I'm inclined to agree with you, how amusing,"
Katsuki was about to say something but Yuki grabbed his shoulder softly, shaking her head with a smile now revealed to them. "You guys prepare, I'll try to find us the shortest route there,"
"Loud and clear, Boss," Rayla waved, peeking out at the Eliksni camp. "Wonder if I can nab some Wolf armour...?"
"Rayla, what have I said about stealing?" Solaire appeared to berate her.
"Let's not antagonize the aliens, please," Velk warily followed the Guardian alongside everyone but Izuku and Yuki who stayed, watching Dren tinker much like Tekres.
The abimence outside and the clanking of tools within the workshop filled the air while Yuki scanned the maps, though she had no reason to, it was all to stem the tension until she could find the words needed to speak. Fortunately, the Splicer raised his voice.
"Do you resent me, Midoriya?" The greenette flinched, staring at the Devil Splicer banner against Dren's back. "They say heroes cannot act out in anger, but I know that's simply to save face,"
Izuku clenched his fists a few times, feeling a subtle tremble between the joints. "...you tormented Yuki, tore Siva from her body, and Togata..." That one image alone scarred his mind, forcing him to choke down his rage.
"I have done many awful things, I only ever killed my enemies, so far, zero in this world, but in mine? Well, I was a Winter Splicer long ago," Dren reminisced before turning to the pair. "If you wish, I would not blame you for lashing out, as it stands, me, the other Eliksni, we died before coming here,"
"You did so many horrible things, but..." Izuku's tense expression softened. "You saved Eri,"
"And you only ever did it to see Aksis again, I get that, I wanted to save Nana at any cost," Yuki chimed in, smiling slightly. "We all just want to see our friends happier, and you saved someone too, how could we resent you?"
Izuku added last, "One horrible deed shouldn't brand someone a villain, not when there's always another chance for something better," Dren noticed it, how they finished each other's sentences, their hands interlocked at the side.
"...I have done a lot of terrible things, would you still say that?" Dren inquired.
"If Aksis proved to me anything, it's that if someone resents their demons then they can be better someday," Yuki's answer made his glowing eyes shine a little more, before growling in thought.
"...you and your mate are quite the characters," He mused as the pair blushed a little, "Hehe, still children, and yet, wiser than most Archons; go now, you have a monster to slay."
He returned to his work, hearing their footsteps fade before quickly raising a hand back. "Azuru - before we part ways, I..." He craned his neck to meet her hybrid eyes, as though the girl and his Archon stared back into his. "Young Eri, is she... happy?"
The scarred girl gave the brightest grin. "She's never been better, and," Her eyes were warmer now, "She does miss you, she wanted to thank you,"
"For what?"
"For being her first friend,"
When the tarp fell into place, Dren stared straight ahead, clutching his tools tightly with a strange sensation burrowing into his chest. He set the tools down, reaching for his wire rifle, the same modified tech that saved the girl from destroying herself. It still felt warm to the touch.
"Hey, I think the land's changing!" Kirishima waved alongside Sero, both seeing a flat array of basalt plateaus toward barren rocks and caves.
"Although, it's not exactly an improvement," Sero grimaced, shaking his head. "Can't we get a nice biome for once?"
"Anything's better than feeling like your drying up," Kirishima tried to stay optimistic, the pair awaiting the arrival of the rest.
"Guess we can finally leave this hellscape," Viral sighed, sniffing his now rancid cloak. "I feel like a well-done steak."
"You have n-no right to complain," Kyoka leered, pointing at the stupid chunk of rock in her chest, not minding the sweat from pressing her side to Akio's. "Sorry," She murmured off to the side.
His hand tucked itself around her waist again, retaining a strong smile. "I don't mind, so long as you're safe,"
"I-" Kyoka was going to say a playful insult but her jacks twitched. Her feet pulled Akio to a stop, seeing her head glance back at the ground behind them. "I thought I heard something?"
"Viral, anything?" Akio asked but he shook his head.
"Nothing's behind us," He replied, watching Ochaco and Yaoyorozu help the couple up the ridge carefully. "Hrm, not following behind us..."
Again, Kyoka jolted in Akio's arms, her arm extending to shove Ochaco into Yaoyorozu. "Move back!"
A second later and things may have turned ugly as a large maw of bony teeth shot from the earth, crushing the basalt and soil in its jaws. Shaking the loose rubble free, the large, bone-plated monster dug deep through the basalt again.
"What the heck was that thing!?" Sero gaped, quickly extending a tape strand for the rest to use to pull themselves over the ridge as Ochaco levitated herself and Kyoka over.
"The very creature whose calcified shell infected Kyoka," Viral replied, merging with Akio to glare down at the splitting earth, the beast rising to tower several meters over them all. "A Wormhusk,"
The large worm was coated in thick, bone plates covered in ridges to burrow through the ground, its head's plates folding back to reveal the dark grey jaws filled with cone-shaped teeth, several gaping eyesockets glaring down at Viral's form. The flesh beneath its armour was dry and grey, akin to a withering corpse. Two large horns jutting from the cheekbones, facing forward.
"Everyone, run for the next island!" Viral commanded, diving down the hill as it was obliterated by the wide thresh of the Wormhusk's body, roaring as it burrowed into the earth again.
"But won't it just follow us!?" Ochaco cried out, avoiding stepping near the lava moats while helping Kyoka run.
"Coldheart!" Viral's arm swished the air, his frozen blade slamming into the rising worm as it recoiled from the force, diving beneath the fire as it sprayed magma, the cracks in the ground filling with the molten substance. "Not if I bring this whole plateau down with it!" The devilish smile frightened the teens to hustle.
Viral ran as the Wormhusk zigzagged through the basalt, carving a path of destruction toward the Nightmare who spun to greet it with a blast of dark smoke, holding its horns at bay long enough to roll away, avoiding its collision with a bubbling vat of lava, the glowing goo dripping from the Workhusk's hide.
The rest of the body hip-checked Viral, his foot slipping into a pool of lava. While painful, he found his leg fighting to try and pry itself loose, the Wormhusk recovering from its crash, fangs caked in lava. "Uh oh, that's not good," Thinking quickly, he pressed his hands around his knee, compressing his glyphs to freeze the area around his leg. "One, two, three - grah! Okay, okay that hurts!"
He snapped his frozen leg in two, seeing the bone beginning to regenerate as a shadow loomed over his. Sinking his hands into the shade, he nearly ran had two strands of thick tape not bound themselves around the Wormhusk's jaws, with Kirishima grabbing one end to clamp the beast's mouth shut.
"I told you to run," Viral grunted, standing tall again as Sero pulled the other binding of tape although the pair struggled against the beast's constant thrashing.
"Yeah, but we didn't listen!" Sero grinned, trying to hold the monster's head down.
"I can't just stand around while you and Akio keep taking the blows for us, ain't much of a hero if we DID!" With a warcry, Kirishima pulled down with all his might, slamming the Wormhusk's body into the ground alongside Sero who quickly dispensed more tape to bind the worm down.
"I love these guys," Atleast Akio agreed, Viral shrugged an exasperated sigh, arms surrounded by purplish-red glyphs. "Ready when you are!"
"Very well, let's make haste," He couldn't crack this monster's armor, so he'll do the next best thing. "Nightmare Rain!"
The concentrated blast of corrupt energy sent massive tremors through the earth, and the boys recoiled when large gashes formed beneath their feet, the sheer wind pressure knocking them down to their knees as Viral huffed, a large, arm-sized hole piercing through the floating land and out the bottom.
"Uh, now what?" Kirishima asked, stepping away from the snapping tape, the beast growling angrily.
"Now we run as fast as humanly possible," Viral quickly spun and made a b-line for the next island where the girls awaited their return, yelling their names.
The trio looked at each other once the land shifted down by two inches. "Oh, man, run!" Sero yelped, avoiding one of the Wormhusk's horns that swept free from his tape. The boys broke into a fierce sprint for the safety of solid ground.
From under Viral's feet struck the severe lack of ground, his feet flying over the increasingly widening gaps. The Wormhusk gave chase, slithering over the largest segments of rock toward, snapping and biting inches behind the boys.
Kirishima kept hopping between small slithers of stone, pushing off his toes at the very last second, pulverizing any rubble that got in his way. Sero used his tape to swing himself over the gaps, fear striking his chest at the sight of that eerie, white abyss. Quickly, Viral drew two black glyphs while sprinting for the last widened ravine between them and solid ground.
"Gloom Grip!" He dove with his tail plunging into the soil securely, threshing his arms back to release two elongated, black arms that wrapped around Kirishima and Sero who were inches away from being devoured by the Wormhusk, the last of the land collapsing beneath their feet.
Hanging upside down, Kirishima felt Sero's tape stick to his body, flinging him toward the vanguard to curl his fist. "Hyraaaah!" With a resounding 'Crack', his fist split one of the forehead plates in two, a sharp ringing tossing the pair back from one another.
All they could hear was its pained screams plummeting toward the void, and to their horror, it simply blew away into black dust. "What... was that?" Yaoyorozu's throat felt dry.
"We're outside of time, down there, not even ether exists, so if you fall, you will cease to exist," That impactful reminder of how dangerous the Shattered Isles were made them all careless, even as half lay suspended above that void.
*Crack-Crumble*
Terror struck their hearts, the land Viral's tail was anchored to fell away, the girls staring down in horror as the Nightmare's spell gave out in panic. Sero threw his elbow forward, the strand of tape slipping past Kirishima and Viral to reach for the land while the redhead swung himself to catch Viral's hand in time.
"Hold on!" Kirishima grabbed Viral's wrist, only to lose his grip by a centimeter, the tape wrapped around him by Sero pulling him away from Viral who plummeted toward the void. "Viral!"
"Not to worry, I can - *BAM* ow..." The momentary loss of breath faded as Viral's cloak flattened against a floor of steel, his face embedded in the hull of a floating machine. He was going to fly back up with that trick they learned from Tokoyami, but then their face made sweet love to the broadside of a flying ship.
"Oooh," The teen above winced, although Kyoka slumped back with a heavy sigh, feeling her heart jumping around in her chest, followed by more stabbing pain thanks to the crystal.
"I can see I arrived a little too early," Standing above Viral, a familiar Splicer in red gave a wave. "Hello again, Viral was it? Velk had mentioned you out here trying to tamper with pure ether, how exciting," His eyes widened with glee.
Viral slumped his head against the Skiff's hull again. "Ugh, I should've just fallen to my death,"
Once the Skiff hovered at the edge of the floating land, Dren explained his reappearance and offered the group a shorter trip via his Skiff. Once inside its comfortable brig, he set his course for the ether in question to the northeast.
Sitting by the still open catwalk, Viral glared down at the crumbling volcanic basalt, he swore he felt something else lurking in the delta but shrugged and closed the catwalk. He had questions for the Splicer while the rest relaxed and recovered for whatever challenges lay ahead. Though he noted Akio glued to Kyoka's side, the girl had fallen asleep against the boy's side, he too closed his eyes in content. But her soul, it was flickering, growing smaller.
"I will fix this," He swore, eye set on the road ahead.
While the group rested their bodies, standing along a cliffside the Skiff flew by, a shadow emerged from the caves, dragging their twisted crossbow over the mouth of the cave. "They survived? That Splicer is still alive too? Perhaps... things can change," With a brief lapse of hope in Scourge's eyes, the Nightmare fled into the darkness in hot pursuit of the Skiff.
"Only the strongest get any right to live as they see fit!"
"Why... what the hell is wrong with you!?"
"You pigs should be grateful I let you squirm around at all, consider it my generosity,"
"I swear to you, all of you will pay... and it's gonna hurt!"
"I felt, sorry for you,"
Atop the ruined spire that could see across a vast amalgamation of worlds stitched together, Harrow's hand ran down his face, a smile etched into his face. The top of the tower had collided with a rocky land covered in burned metal and cobblestone, a section of a courtyard from another world collided with this one.
Laying with its head atop the mass was a monstrous, twisted creature of brass and white fluid that stained the earth, electrifying to the touch. Its eyes within a large beak-like head flickering and lifeless. Long strokes of a paintbrush marked the brass armour and hide with strange runes, some carved into the concrete too.
"'Sorry for me'?" Harrow echoed with a hitch in his throat, fingers tapping against his chest. "You'll see, I will do what you lack, I will see this through, and they'll finally see me," His hand ran against the burnt, rusting beak of the massive corpse. "My genesis, hehehe..."
To Be Continued...
Lots to digest here, most importantly, Dren's back for the big battle! And this realm outside of time has always been something I wanted to write about, of how lands of other worlds mesh together. There's still a lot more to come, but what's with the giant corpse atop the spire? I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; seeya in the next chapter, Heroes!
Next Chapter: Movie, Almighty
Yuki: The Cabal, this won't be an easy fight
Rayla: I've never seen a faction like this, are they from a different time?
Akio: And we're running out of time
Viral: Unfortunately, I found the reason why
Yuki: Up next; Movie, Almighty
Rayla: Go Beyond
Boys: Plus Ultra!