Chapter 1: Restarting from Zero.
Within the void, outside of Oda Luguna, the Witch of Envy Satella has caused so much harm and destruction that the gods outside of her world have seen the damage that Satella has done, so the Gods sent two watchers of the world to locate her.
The Paragon of Death and the Nefarious One.
The two have targeted the witch for a long time but made no move to attack her until they were tasked with obtaining her to reset the cycle and allow Subaru Natsuki to be sent to a new world while Oda Luguna heals after all of the damage that had been done.
The witch fought against the two of them, but even with her powers, she was no match for the Watchers, who were far more powerful than the witch.
This brings us to now...
Beta: Old Man of the Mountain/Darklord331
"RRRRAAAAAGGGGHHHHH! HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU! HE IS MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO TOUCH HIM! HOLD HIS HAND! EVEN A SINGLE BREATH!" Satella roared out at the humanoid hooded. Behind him were floating scythes that acted as conduits to cut through various shadowy hands.
"You are so full of Envy and greed. Your love is nothing but a twisted sense of obsession not even one's mind can comprehend." The being spoke to Stella spoke in a calm tone. "You twisted this world's fate in a sense to help him, but in reality, you are destroying and tearing apart various realities that the world Oda Laguna cannot contain. The world has ended multiple times, and I had to resurrect it."
"RRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
"You are not able to comprehend the meaning of love. You cannot comprehend the sounds of souls, tainting it with so much blood even the god of war could not contain."
"But no more. For too long, your influence in this world and the one you proclaim you love has suffered so much that the boy has even come to the same checkpoints where he became a man who hated this sickening world so much he even destroyed it while becoming a God of sorts that I locked away." The hooded figure said as Stella continued to growl at him in rage while Envy tried to attack him, but her attacks were in vain as another person appeared next to the hooded figure. This person looked like a witch doctor with a mask on his face, a dark cloak on his body, clawed gloves that were sharp that it hurt just looking at them, and finally, red eyes that looked into both Satella and Envy's souls.
"Hush now, little one. Soon the boy will be sent to a place where he can grow into a great warrior that can become a better version of himself than the broken husk of a man you didn't mind in your world." The doctor said as he walked up to Satella and traced a claw on her cheek, smiling at her pained expression before backing away from her and snapping his fingers.
"I have him as promised. Shall we get started?" The doctor asked as he suspended Subaru in the air before the hooded one nodded before reaching into the boy's soul. Subaru made no grunts of discomfort before the hooded one pulled out a small black orb.
"How interesting. The Return of Death's power inside of this boy. It astounds me how a being such as yourself. A woman so saddened by the loss of her beloved killed the other six witches to obtain their power and took the power of Envy for herself to transform her into the being you are today. A greedy and selfish woman with so much power, she only decided to give the boy, the man she loved, a power that only makes him feel regret, pain, suffering, and more." The hooded figure explained as the doctor watched the orb in interest before it was tossed towards him.
In a fit of excitement, the doctor got to work on the power Satella gave him.
"…What are your intentions with Subaru? Answer me!" Stella yelled as the doctor sighed, rolling his eyes before explaining.
"We intend to repair the damage done to the world because of you and your lack of understanding of how disastrous your actions have done. We planned on sending this boy to a world where there is magic but not a world where he sacrificed so much of himself he became a 'hero' all for two women he held dear in his heart. A half-elf who didn't even return his feelings, much less proceed with their relationship until it was too late. Even the Oni, the woman who caused him such suffering and pain that the boy even fell for her after all she did to him? No. That's not love; that's an obsession and fake love he uses to hide his pain and true feelings. This world is already on the verge of self-destruction without outside intervention, so there's no reason to send the boy into this world. I have a favor that I'm cashing in with an old friend, who was more than happy to take the boy to his world that he rules over." The doctor said before turning to the hooded one.
"The boy's soul is almost complete. I modified the powers the witch gave him to allow him to use magic much more effectively and be able to use it in the world we planned to send him to. All I need is the okay from you, my friend." The doctor said as he clicked his claws in excitement.
"You are clear to go, doctor." The hooded one spoke to the witch doctor.
"NO! NO! NO! YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE HIM AWAY! HE IS MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE!"
BAM!
The hooded one conjured pure purple skeleton arms that bound Satella; she struggled left and right frantically. Her eyes became bloodshot, using her mouth to tear apart the purple skeleton arms that restricted her movement.
"He belongs to no one witch." The hooded one spoke to Satella; he floated toward her while Subaru's soul floated near him. "Your interference has caused enough for the Gods. They had asked no to plead with them to prevent this timeless loop that tore apart time itself. You are not human, not an elf or even a witch. You are far worse than a demon. Lucifer is disgusted by the likes of you, witch. You are something even more...than a monster."
"SUBARU! SUBARU! SUBARU! SUBARU! SUBARU! SUBARU! SUBARU! SUBARU! SUBARU! SUBARU! SUBARU! SUBARU!"
The hooded one then used another skeleton arm to cover her mouth, muffling her screams as he floated back to the doctor and handed the soul to him.
"Finish your work, doctor. This woman is starting to annoy me."
"Ah. Patience is a virtue, my friend. One cannot rush perfection." The doctor said as he placed the soul into the boy, who shined brightly with a purple aura until a shadow surrounded the boy making the doctor smile.
"Excellent. His new power is now developing much better than I anticipated." The doctor said as he turned to the side and used his claws to rip a hole into the fabric of space and time as he smiled at the scared expression on the woman's face.
"You should be happy that this is happening to him, Stella. He's going to a new world, but he'll be like how he was when he came to your world for the first time. A blank slate." The doctor said as he looked back in the portal to see a tall figure emerge.
The figure was that of an older man who nodded at the doctor and hooded figure while looking at Subaru and smiling as if a grandfather met his grandchildren.
"To think a boy his age went through such pain. I promise that the boy will thrive in my world. I promise you that Nefarious and you as well, Paragon." The man said as the doctor known as Nefarious smiled in glee.
"Think nothing of it, Eon. You joined in when we were deciding what to do with the boy; this way, it works out for all of us. Well, except the witch." Nefarious said to the older man before Eon smiled in thanks and gratitude before waving to his friends.
"Farewell, for now, Paragon. Nefarious. I have a feeling we'll meet again someday." Eon said as he left the two alone with the witch.
In a rage, Stella used her shadow hands to rip off the hand, keeping her mouth closed, before sending a hand towards the portal, hoping to reach the man she loved in the world until the portal closed in front of her.
"Ohh! So close and yet so far. How unfortunate." Nefarious said, laughing.
"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" In a fury, Satella unleashed thousands, if not millions, of shadow hands toward Nefarious and Paragon; they stared stoically at this scenario, not scared or afraid of this little intimidation she was putting in. "DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!"
"The deed is done. Is there anything you need from us?" Paragon spoke to seemingly no one.
The duo did not get an answer from anything, but the two of them lifted their heads as they heard a response from someone. "As you wish."
"Hey, Paragon, do you want to help me deal with this?" Nefarious asked his companion while glancing at Satella's insane expression as Paragon's scythe tore every shadow's hand around them as they seemed to come endlessly.
"I'll assist you, but the witch is yours to do as you see fit. I know you were curious about her powers, so they have allowed you to have her for your experiments." Paragon said as Nefarious smiled in glee as he summoned his claws before tearing into the shadow hands that tried to push him back, but this made Nefarious smile in delight as he transformed his hands into chainsaws.
"AHAHAHAHA! I guess it's time for Jack the Ripper to let er rip!" Nefarious yelled in joy as he turned on his saws and sliced through so many hands until Satella felt fear for the second time in her life as she saw Nefarious head towards her with an insane smile on his face before he sliced off Satella's head, making the woman choke on her blood as the head fell into his arms while the body writhed as if it was a chicken with its head severed.
"Hm. Interesting. Even after being decapitated, the body tries to pull itself back together again. Oh, what a fascinating number of experiments in my mind." Nefarious then pulled out a canister and put the head in there while grabbing the body and putting a seal on it before freezing it with a time spell.
"I'll take care of the witch. Need me for anything else, Paragon?"
"Nothing for now," Paragon spoke to the doctor. "For now, restoration of the damage Satella has made requires my attention. She has left so many scars, violent souls, and destructive nature around Oda Laguna."
Nefarious nodded in reply as he was about to take the witch before Paragon stopped him.
"The one who destroyed this world. The one stands known as the Warlock of Humanity; has he shown any improvement?" Paragon asked, as he knew the name very well.
A Subaru who despised this world so much that he became a darker version of his Pride and Wrath self by consuming the powers of the Witches, Archbishops, MaBeasts, and the most powerful beings in the land of Oda Luguna; he became a god that the world tried to kill but were defeated by him until they had to interfere and capture him alive due to them being unable to kill him.
Nefarious was silent for a moment until he replied. "The boy's mind is improving. He's doing better now, thanks to the therapy sessions I've been giving him. Also, allowing him to be with his parents seems to have healed his heart and mind." Nefarious said that as he wished to help the boy's mind and heart, he allowed Subaru to return to his family, but Nefarious would seal his powers. Returning Subaru to his family was the smart move, as the boy improved his life by going back to school, getting a promising career, and even finding love from a woman who truly loved him for who he was.
"What been done is done," Paragon spoke to Nefarious. "The nature of the influence of Stella has broken his spiritual and physical soul. He is not the first to suffer, but countless others suffered the unending nightmare the witch gives her." He lifted something from his sleeve, showing an ebony skeleton arm as it conjured a cracked orb. "When I found him, he was already on the verge of destruction; his soul would've crumbled. She wasn't the only one. The Greek gods were involved with him, seemingly having a bet on Subaru. If Hades hadn't informed me earlier, we would've acted faster. I would've left Zeus and his siblings; his incest spawns a fate worse than death."
"Had Hestia not convinced you otherwise," Nefarious added in.
"..." Paragon did not reply to the doctor when he added in Hestia.
Nefarious knew that while Paragon despised most of the Greek Gods, some of the gods had a soft spot for Paragon. And one of the few was Hestia; in ancient Greek religion and mythology, Hestia was the virgin Goddess of the hearth, the proper ordering of domesticity, the family, the home, and the state. In myth, she is the firstborn child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea and one of the Twelve Olympians.
Paragon felt a connection with Hestia and truly cared for the Goddess even though the others despised him. Nefarious was happy for his friend finding a friend and companion that he could trust in his long life of endless corpses and bloodshed.
"I understand why you worried for the Warlock but do not worry, Paragon. I promised that should anything happen to Warlock, I shall deal with it myself. You and I know I'm far more powerful to take him down should he go on a rampage from his power returning or if there is any damage to his being." Nefarious said as he had a soft spot for people of different worlds who he took an interest in to see how they'll develop and grow into someone else than they were destined to become.
"Indeed, let us leave," Paragon said to Nefarious before his scythe floated beside him. His shadowy robes began to extend their shadow before conjuring a shadowy portal.
"Heh. Cute trick." Nefarious said as he walked through the portal, while the body of Satella floated beside him until Paragon said a prayer for the boy.
"May you find peace in your new life Subaru Natsuki," Paragon said; he also wanted the portal, and all was silent as the deed was done.
Satella, the Witch of Envy, was disposed of, and Subaru Natsuki was given a clean slate to a new world.
He is simply restarting from zero.
In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a world is laid on the shoulders of a young man. His name is Subaru Natsuki.
A voice said as Subaru's eyes opened in a strange world; he looked around to see where he was before a voice spoke to him.
"Greetings, young Subaru. I am Eon, and I have brought you here because my world is in grave danger. I chose you to become my successor in defending my home and protecting the people from the Darkness that wishes to destroy it." Eon said as he showed Subaru the new world he would soon enter.
"This is Skylands. A land of magic and wonder where the impossible is possible. This great land is in grave danger due to the Darkness wanting to consume the Light and bring eternal Darkness into the world. Only a Portal Master can defeat the Darkness, and I have chosen you, Subaru Natsuki, due to your latent power and heart. This journey will not be easy, but you will not be alone. My assistant Hugo shall help you on this journey." Eon said as Subaru was amazed by the world before gasping at an island destroyed by a twister.
"I have to help those people! That twister is going to destroy their homes!" Subaru shouted as he pointed to them while Eon chuckled at this before pointing to Hugo walking to an island.
"The time has come, Subaru Natsuki. Remember that you may not be perfect, but it doesn't mean you must become perfect to make others happy. We all struggle in life, but what we choose to learn from our struggles and mistakes has helped us improve. I wish you luck. And let others help you. Live your life to the fullest. Also, it's okay to be selfish sometimes for yourself." Eon said as he sent Subaru through the portal; he was surprised by the man's words but smiled in thanks before nodding.
"Thank you, Eon. I promise I will." Subaru said as the portal closed, leaving Eon alone while smiling at the boy.
"I pray that the Light may guide you to a brighter future."
Skylands
"Oh, Master Eon said help would be coming. He said they would be right here." Hugo said as he closed the book and looked around for anyone but only saw a windmill and a few flowers.
"This is just great. First, Master Eon is missing, then Core of Light is destroyed, and now I'm hearing voices that told me to come here to this island that's being torn apart by who knows what! It's official. I'm going crazy." Hugo said as he felt a strange sensation as a portal opened above him to reveal Subaru falling from it as he landed on the ground in the classic superhero landing.
Subaru got up and brushed his shoulders of dust before looking around him. "Woah. What the heck is happening here?" He asked himself as Hugo was shocked to see him before gasping aloud.
"Ah! W-Who are you?!" Hugo shouted in fear as Subaru held up his hands and responded to him.
"Woah! Woah! Calm down! Are you Hugo, by any chance? Eon told me I was supposed to meet someone by that name to help with Skylands." Subaru said as Hugo was shocked to hear his master's name come from a human before asking him.
"Wait. Master Eon sent you? T-This is amazing! Now that there's a new Portal Master here, the Skylands can be saved!" Hugo cheered as he shook Subaru's hand.
"Oh. My name is Hugo, Master Eons assistant. I was told to meet you since we need help. This village is in danger of being torn apart by something, and we don't know what. The island is coming apart, so we need to help the people evacuate as soon as possible." Hugo said as Subaru nodded in reply, excited about the adventure but serious when he heard lives were in danger.
"Got it! What's the plan?"
"The plan is that we need to head to the village. It's just over this bridge. Once over it, we can make our way to the village." Hugo said as Subaru nodded as he headed over the bridge and was ahead of Hugo before seeing that a massive boulder separated them.
"Oh shit!" Subaru shouted as he looked over at Hugo, who appeared stunned. "Hugo! Are you okay?"
Hugo fixed his glasses as he nodded in reply. "Yes! I'll be fine! Just follow the bridges, and they'll take you to the village. I'll meet you once you catch up with a friend named Flynn. He'll help you rescue the villagers." Hugo shouted back before heading back to the island. Subaru was looking for a way to help him possibly but saw none, then heard many people's screams as he clenched his fist.
"Hugo told me that we must help the villages, and I'll be damned if anyone dies, not while I'm here," Subaru said as he did as Hugo said before reaching the gate and saw that there was no way around it.
"I guess I'll have to make my entrance," Subaru said as he then felt a strange feeling; he looked at his left arm and saw that it was covered in a strange purple aura before throwing a punch at the gate and saw it explode into smithereens.
"Woah. I can throw Shadow Punches. Awesome." Subaru then went through the gate and was amazed by his new speed before leaping up a small hill to see a small mole-like creature ringing a bell.
"Hey! Are you trying to get the others out of there?" Subaru asked as the small mole turned around and gasped at Subaru.
"Wait. Are you a Skylander? That's amazing! We heard they were gone, but it's great that you're here. Oh, my name is Snuckles. I'm trying to get the villagers out of here, but the falling debris has blocked the main entrance. It's perilous." Snuckles said in fear as he tried to move some of the falling debris until Subaru tried to punch through the rubble, only to see that it was too thick for his punches to damage it.
"Dammit. If I can't punch through, what can I do?" Subaru asked himself before seeing a cannon behind him, positioned at the main entrance.
"Hm." Subaru then headed to the cannon and smiled as he had an idea.
"Hey, Knuckles!" Subaru hollered as Snuckles turned to see him before Subaru grunted as he loaded a cannonball.
"I'm going to blast that wall with this cannon. Tell the people to get out of the way!" Subaru shouted as Snuckles did as he asked before Subaru fully loaded the cannonball and got a match.
"We ready?"
"Ready! Fire away!" Snuckles shouted as Subaru lit the fuse before the cannon fired and blasted through the debris quickly, causing a small cloud of dust as Snuckles thanked him.
"Thanks for the help Skylander but there are more people in danger! Head to Turtle Valley, and you should be able to see my friend Nort. He's wearing a Viking helmet." Snickers said as Subaru nodded in reply.
"Alright. Get these people to safety!" Subaru said as he watched Snuckles leave safely before heading inside the village, seeing many people run away from whatever was destroying their homes until Subaru saw a small girl shiver in fear as she was crying in an alley.
"Mommy? Where are you?" The girl cried out as a boulder was about to crush her until Subaru came in and blasted it out of the way with a left hook.
"You okay, kid?" Subaru asked as the girl looked up and was surprised by Subaru's appearance and attire until he picked her up and gave her to the mother, that was rushing over to them.
"Alice! Oh, thank you, Skylander, for saving her." The mother said Alice waved goodbye to Subaru as the two headed out of the village.
"No problem. Stay safe, and don't look back!" Subaru called out as he saw the destruction destroying many buildings and trees.
"Damn. I know that most isekai shows initially give the protagonist OP powers, but this is very...very real. Real people are in danger, even though they aren't human." Subaru said as he saw many Mabu injured and some killed from the destruction around them.
As he saw this, an image of a village destroyed with bodies all around them appeared within an eternal blizzard and a ruined mansion.
Subaru gasped at this memory until he shook it away.
"No! I can't let anymore die here." Subaru said as he headed past the village exit and headed to Turtle Valley. Subaru looked around until he saw a Mabu wearing a Viking helmet before rushing to him.
"Need some help?" Subaru asked as Nort turned around and smiled at him.
"Knuckles must've sent you. Well, the thing is, there are people trapped on the other side of the valley, but I can't move this turtle out of the way. I'm not exactly the strongest in the village. Hehe." Nort said in slight embarrassment until Subaru smiled as he reassured him.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it. I can probably move it." Subaru said as he cracked his knuckles and began to push the turtle out of the way while listening to its terrified grunts.
"Sorry big guy. I'll be quick," Subaru said as he pushed it to the other side as the people approached the bridge and headed to the evacuation area.
"Thanks for the help, but more of our village is in danger. They'll be at the Royal Palace outside of Turtle Valley." Nort said as Subaru thanked him before leaving him and passed a couple more of the turtles until something called him to another part of the island.
"For my master!"
Subaru heard the cry while walking toward the voice; he kept listening. As he got closer to the voice, Subaru kept hearing more quotes from the voice until he saw an image appear in his head.
The grunts of a mighty warrior shouted a war cry as he kept striking his enemies with his sword until Subaru saw the image appear fully as a skeleton knight of sorts.
His body was mostly comprised of what appeared to be human bones and blue metal armor. The knight wore a blue breastplate with golden trimming that matched his gloves and boots. His head seemed to be modeled after a human skull, only with yellow, dull eyes reaching the spot on his forehead and mouth and a gold-trimmed crest.
Subaru then found the source of the voice to come from a strange gem that had the exact image of the knight he saw in his mind.
Summon the Skylanders to fight by your side.
Subaru heard the voice but wasn't sure what to call the figure until he touched the gem and said the first name that appeared in his mind.
"Chop Chop," Subaru whispered as the gem shined brightly. The outworlder shielded his eyes as the Light temporarily blinded him until he saw the warrior appear before him.
"I have heard your call Subaru Natsuki. You bear the responsibility of being the new Portal Master, but you are weak right now. I shall lend you my sword and shield to fight our enemies. I am Chop Chop of the Undead." Chop Chop said as Subaru was surprised by this before bowing his head in respect to the warrior.
"Thank you, Chop Chop. I know I'm not Eon, but I can use your help. I hardly know what I'm supposed to do. I'm mostly just winging it right now." Subaru said as Chop Chop laughed at this before the knight bowed his head to the boy.
"It's fine. Now let's get out of here." The undead said as Subaru nodded in reply. The two managed to escape the area until Subaru heard someone call them.
"Hey, down there!" A voice shouted as Subaru and Chop Chop looked up to see a man of sorts in a pilot outfit wave down at them.
"The names Flynn. Hugo told me to come to get you. Your Subaru Natsuki, right?" As Subaru nodded in reply, Flynn asked as the pilot smiled.
"That's good. Meet me here as soon as possible! I think I found out what's causing this island to come apart. Oh, and use those Bounce Pads to help you out. They're super springy." Flynn said as Subaru looked at the bounce pad with concern before Chop Chop walked on it and flew towards Flynn.
"It's safe master. Do not worry about it." Chop Chop said as Subaru nodded in reply as he got on the bounce pad and flew up towards the two before landing next to them.
"Okay. That was fun." Subaru said as he dusted himself off again until he looked at Flynn before asking. "So what's causing this island to come apart?"
"A giant tornado, that's what," Flynn said as he pointed towards the royal palace.
"See that little area down there? That tornado destroyed Mabu's royal palace. We need to get down there and help them, but I got a plan. First, we need to -RUN!" Flynn shouted as he ran back to the balloon until Subaru saw a massive boulder hurl towards them.
"Get behind me, master!" Chop Chop shouted as he raised the shield, but Subaru looked at the boulder as it hit the bottom of the cliff they were on, which made them fall into the small hole beneath them.
Subaru and Chop Chop yelled as they were free-falling until Subaru closed his eyes as waited for impact until Chop Chop spoke to him.
"Master? Master!"
"Am I dead?"
"No, but you seem to be floating somehow."
Subaru opened his eyes to see that he was standing in the air, but beneath him was a pair of shadow-like tendrils that lowered him to safety.
"Huh? What are these things?" Subaru asked himself as he looked at the shadow-like tendrils until they turned into hands. "Is this another power I got from Eon?"
"Master? Are you okay?" Chop Chop asked him as Subaru turned back to him and nodded in reply.
"Yeah. I was just caught off guard by the tendrils that saved me from the fall. Are you okay Chop Chop?" Subaru asked as the undead knight nodded in reply.
"Do not worry, master. I am fine, thanks to my shield. Plus, being an undead prevents me from being harmed by falls like that."
"That's a bit concerning," Subaru replied as they saw Flynn soar above them.
"Hey, down there! Sorry for ditching you guys, but I can probably meet you at the palace. Best you guys make your way there." Flynn said as he flew by them, which annoyed Subaru a bit, but now wasn't the time to waste on an argument.
"You got it, Flynn! We'll meet you there!" Subaru shouted as he and Chop Chop headed to a strange gate with a peculiar symbol. Subaru tried to punch through it but was stopped by the undead.
"Wait! This is a Monster Gate. These gates are meant to protect the people from monsters, but if we eliminate the monsters, we'll be able to proceed." Chop Chop said as Subaru was surprised by this before a sweat began to form on his head.
"Wait. When you say we eliminate the monsters, you don't mean we're..."
"Unfortunately, yes."
Subaru groaned at this as he readied to face any horrifying monster that was about to attack them.
"Okay. Bring it on!" Subaru shouted as the bushes rustled, with made Subaru tense up a bit until a blur shot out of the brush and latched onto his arm, which strangely didn't seem to harm him as Subaru looked down at the small green-like creature with long eyes and big sharp teeth nibble on his arm which made Subaru laugh as he felt like he was getting ticked by its biting.
"Ahahaha! Oh man, this is so funny. Look how cute these guys are." Subaru said as he looked at the tiny guy before punching him, which made the small creature explode into small balls of Light before they entered Chop Chop, filling him with power.
"Impressive work, master."
"Thanks. I was worried I'd lose an arm, but when the Chompy was biting me, it felt like it was nibbling me like a dog. It was adorable." Subaru said as Chop Chop chuckled at his new master before the two saw nineteen more Chompies appear.
"Ready, master?"
"Oh, you know it."
Subaru and Chop Chop then dealt with the Chompies back to back, while the green Chompies dealt with either Chop Chop's sword or Subaru's punches. The two were very in sync as Subaru grabbed a Chompy trying to bite Chop Chop while the knight used his shield to bash a Chompy trying to bite Subaru on the head.
Eventually, the Chompy group was defeated, with Chop Chop absorbing the remaining experience as he felt himself grow stronger.
LEVEL UP!
Subaru saw Chop Chop explode with power while seeing that his sword had become sharper and his shield harder.
"Woah. That's amazing. Does that happen whenever you level up?"
"Actually, no. Normally we have to upgrade our weapons with the fairies, but since you're my master, my weapons can be upgraded when I level up. We'll have to learn more about this as we find my lost brothers and sisters." Chop Chop said as Subaru nodded in reply before the Monster Gate fell, with many of the people thanking them as they ran out of the village before Chop Chop and Subaru approached the palace.
Only to see that it was destroyed.
"Holy shit! The palace! It's gone, but where's the royal family?" Subaru yelled as he blocked his eyes from the tornado's wind until Chop's eyes widened as he pointed towards the gate.
"Over there!" The knight said as he pointed to the royal family, trying to escape, but the gate was locked.
"There's got to be a key somewhere around here!" Subaru shouted as the wind was so loud it was hard for either of them to hear until Chop Chop pointed ahead.
"We got company!"
The Chompies looked at them before growling at them. Chop Chop stood in their way as he readied his shield. "I'll deal with these guys while you try to find a way to get those people out of there."
"But-!"
"Subaru. If that tornado reaches them, then they'll die. You have to trust me." Chop Chop said as Subaru looked at the people screaming and trying to get out before he nodded in reply.
"Okay. Let's do this." Subaru said as Chop Chop thanked him and charged into battle while Subaru began to look around for a key.
Subaru used his shadow tentacles to strike the barrels around him until he heard a voice call to him.
"The cannon! The key is over there!" Subaru turned around to see one of the Mabu shouting and pointing to a small two-story house that had lost its roof, but something bright and shiny was behind the rubble in front of it.
Subaru then saw the cannon and put two and two together as he smiled. "Thank you!" Subaru shouted as he headed towards the cannon while Chop Chop dealt with the Chompies on the ground until Subaru looked at the cannon and saw it was still loaded.
"Perfect," Subaru said as he aimed the cannon and fired it at the rubble, which blew it up.
BOOM!
Subaru looked and saw the key to the gate, which made him smile as he saw a bounce pad and knew what to do.
"Woah!" Subaru yelled as he flew across to the other side where the key was and caught it before looking at the ground to see Chop Chop finish the last of the Chompies.
"All clear of the monsters! Now let's get them out of here!" Chop Chop yelled as Subaru nodded in reply. He brought the key to the gate, watched it float by magic, and unlocked it, which allowed the royal family to flee the nearly destroyed island.
"Alright. That's the last of the people. Let's meet back with Flynn and Hugo." Subaru said as Chop Chop nodded in reply as the two rushed out of there with the tornado slowly advancing towards the rest of the island.
Later...
"Thank you, Subaru. All the townspeople evacuated safely thanks to you and the Skylanders, but this is just the beginning. There have been reports of more disasters all across Skylands." Hugo said as Flynn had the balloon ready.
"Yeah, well, an even bigger one will hit us if we don't get out of here."
"Oh, right! Let's go back to our base. I'll explain what happened along the way." Hugo said as Subaru and Chop Chop boarded the balloon. They flew away from the Shattered Islands only to see the tornado advancing and destroying more of the island with each passing minute.
"Dammit. Those people just lost their homes. Where will they go now?" Subaru asked as Hugo replied to him.
"According to the royal family, they spoke to some of their friends, and they agreed to let the civilians live with them until we can stop the Darkness from destroying Skylands," Hugo said as Subaru looked relieved but still sad that he couldn't save their home.
The memory of the mansion he saw earlier was still in his mind as he saw many people Subaru didn't know dead around him, but before he could learn more about that memory, Chop Chop placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I understand what you are feeling. Sadness. Disappointment in yourself for not being able to do more. My brothers and sisters and I felt the same when we saw our home's destruction and many casualties." Chop Chop said as Subaru looked surprised by this until the knight continued speaking to him.
"This reminds me of that day when the Core of Light was destroyed, as was our home." Chop Chop said as he began to explain what happened that day.
"My comrades of the Undead and I were training at the beach, near the Core of Light, so we could keep our skills sharp to combat the Darkness and those who wield it."
Chop Chop was clashing with Cynder, who was enjoying herself while shooting lightning at the undead knight. Ghost Roaster was sparring with Hex as they tried to compensate for each other's weaknesses.
Chop Chop panted as he was done for the day. Cynder was happy to have enjoyed another spar with her friends while Hex laughed at Chop Chop and marked that Cynder bested him again, which got Ghost Roaster laughing at the two of them until he smiled at his group of friends.
"Unfortunately, we didn't know that the Darkness would make a return, as a Dark Portal Master appeared from the Outlands to try and destroy the Core of Light. A child that was known as Kaos. He was banished to the Outlands for his attempts to rule over Skylands."
Chop Chop stopped smiling as he saw the sky Arlen as the Darkness and Kaos's flying fortress appeared, alerting the other Undead Skylanders as Kaos spoke about how he would succeed until he heard the minions seem.
Chop Chop readied his sword and shield. Cynder prepped her Lightning abilities while Hex and Ghost Roaster flew into battle and began to take out some of the small fries.
"We defeated many of the boy's minions as the battle progressed. However, at our moment of triumph, we suffered defeat at the hands of a monster that destroyed not only the Core of Light but killed Master Eon."
Chop Chop felt the powerful explosion as the blast pushed him and his friends back a bit until he heard Ghost Roaster groan in pain as he started to change until he vanished from the beach.
"No!" Chop Chop yelled as he tried to help his friend, but Cynder began to vanish as well, as she screeched in pain until she was gone.
"Cynder!" Chop Chop then saw Hex groan as she tried to use her magic to keep her from transforming herself until she felt her body disobey her
"C-Chop Chop," Hex said softly as the knight caught her in his arms. The knight brushed her hair from her eyes as the undead elven witch smiled at him before rubbing his helmet.
"F-Find...Master Eon... H-He'll know w-what to do..." Hex said as she began slowly vanishing, frightening Chop until Hex stopped him.
"No. Find Eon while you have time. We must be prepared to take back Skylands and save the people one day." Hex said as she gasped lightly before vanishing from his arms in the same golden Light as her friends until Chop Chop clenched his sword and rushed towards the Core of Light, hoping to get answers from his master.
And possibly save his friends.
"But unfortunately, Master Eon was near death when I found him."
Chop Chop grunted as he pushed aside the rubble to try and find his friends and master until he came upon the Good Portal Master as Eon was coughing while trying to move from his position.
"Master Eon!" Chop Chop yelled as he landed by his master and tried to help him until Eon stopped him.
"No... I-It's already too late for me, Chop Chop." Eon said with a tired smile as Chop Chip gripped his sword handle tightly and shouted.
"NO! I've already lost my friends! My family! I'm not ready to lose the man who helped me find purpose in my life! I need you, Master Eon!" Chop Chop shouted as he felt his body slightly weaker until Eon spoke to him.
"Chop Chop," Eon said as he patted the knight back as a father would before giving him a side hug.
"It's fine, my boy. You and all of the other Skylanders have done me so proud. I'm sorry I couldn't save your friends from vanishing, but I will say that one day, a Portal Master from another world, a man named after the stars, will come and do greater things than I could. He'll save Skylands and achieve great feats with you and the others at his side." Eon said as Chop Chop was in awe of this before Chop Chop began to fall to his knees.
"Then I swear on my sword and pride as a Skylander that I shall assist the Portal Master when he comes. May I have his name, Master Eon?"
Eon smiled at Chop Chop before whispering to him with his last breath.
"His name is Subaru Natsuki."
Chop Chop memorized the name as he kept it within his memory bank until he felt Eon's body collapse, meaning the last of the Portal Masters of Light was dead.
"Thank you, Master Eon. I swear I shall wait until his arrival, and when that day comes, I shall fight by the boy's side and help him achieve his destiny." Chop Chop said as he felt his body succumb to the power as he was transported away from the Core of Light, waiting for his new master to appear and save Skylands from the likes of Kaos.
"And now that day has come." Chop Chop said as they landed near their base of operations.
"Chop Chop is correct. This is only the beginning since Kaos will no doubt try to stop us as we rebuild the Core of Light. That's why we must prepare for the worst to come." Hugo said as he adjusted his glasses while Flynn nodded in reply.
"Indeed, and thankfully, you got the best pilot in all of Skylands, so count me in on taking down that little shrimp. Boom!" Flynn ended as he did a pose that made Subaru smirk, reminding him of a pose he liked to do until a voice called out to them.
"And just in time too. I got something you're going to want to hear." A voice said as the four turned to see a person approach them, but this woman looked like she was a cat DemiHuman.
She wore an adventurer-like outfit with a red scarf around her neck and fingerless gloves on her claws.
"Nice to meet you. Names Cali. I'm honored to meet the new Portal Master and the Skylanders." Cali introduced herself as she shook the hands of both Subaru and Chop Chop before Cali looked at Flynn's cocky smirk and wink.
"Nice to meet you, Cali. I'm sure you've probably heard of me but names Flynn. The greatest pilot in all of Skylands. I'm sure you're amazed by my presence?" Flynn asked as Cali rolled her eyes and pushed him aside before speaking to Hugo.
"Sorry for the mission just when you guys got back, but I just received news from a contact of mine. Kaos appears to be trying to locate some of the missing Skylanders." Cali explained as Hugo was shocked by this.
"Locate the other Skylanders, but why would he do that?" Hugo asked as Cali shook her head.
"Not sure why, but it can't be good if he's after them. My sources tell me that it's at the Perilous Pastures. Luckily there are only a couple of Drow there, so we should be able to find the missing Skylander and save them before Kaos does who knows what to them." Cali explained as Hugo nodded in reply.
Subaru didn't say anything as he kept thinking about what Cali said and the story Chop Chop told him. 'It makes no sense. Kaos is a Dark Portal Master, from what Chop Chop told me, and already has minions, so why take the other Skylanders? Unless he's...'
Subaru's eyes widened as he gasped and spoke to Hugo. "Wait! Hugo. Is it possible that a Portal Master, whether Light or Dark, can convert a darker or lighter version of a Skylander?"
Hugo pondered this before gasping. "Yes! It's possible to make a Skylander become a darker version of themselves if a Dark Portal Master uses magic to make them evil. Extremely powerful and dangerous, but few Skylanders have a dark form."
"Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that there are darker versions of certain Skylanders?" Subaru asked as Hugo nodded in reply.
"Yes, but due to the Core of Light being destroyed, the Darkness will have better control over those who are made to serve Kaos, no doubt, so we must act quickly!" Hugo said as Calj nodded in reply.
"Indeed. I can prep my ship to take you and Chop Chop to the Perilous Pastures. I'll let you know when I'm ready." Cali said as she headed to her ship and began to make sure she was all packed for a trip to said pastures until Subaru walked to the massive center in the base.
Subaru could feel that there used to be a large amount of magic within the circle until he turned to Hugo and asked.
"Is this where the Core of Light resided?"
"Yes, but to rebuild the Core of Light, we must locate all eight Eternal Elemental Sources and the necessary items."
Subaru nodded as he pondered back to the mention of the Dark Skylanders before asking Hugo. "Hugo. If we have to face a Dark Skylander, then does that mean we can...save them?" Subaru asked as Hugo adjusted his glasses before sighing in reply.
"I don't know. We've never dealt with a Dark Skylander before, so I'm not sure what will happen if we defeat one. Still, we should save the lost Skylanders and the rest of Skylands." Hugo said as Subaru nodded in reply before Chop Chop tapped his master's shoulder.
"Cali has informed me that she's ready. We should get going with her if we are to save them." Chop Chop said as Subaru nodded in reply before bidding Hugo and Flynn farewells as they headed out with Cali.
Cali could tell that as they took off, a feeling came through her spine as she couldn't help but fear what may happen to the Skylander that Kaos was using.
Speaking of Kaos...
"Ahahahah! Soon the stupid Skylosers will become my servant and assist me with my plans to conquer Skylands since it's my destiny to rule over all of Skylands under my giant floating head!" Kaos said as he laughed heartily before the troll beside him rolled his eyes as he made his way to their comrade, staring outside the fortress and looking down at the islands they'll soon be conquering.
"Are you okay, sir? Can I get you something to eat or drink?" Glumshanks asked as the figure turned to the troll and nodded before handing him a slip of paper explaining what he wanted. The figure with them wore a massive cloak on his body, concealing his face and body except for his hands and feet.
"Thank you, sir. I'll bring you your food and drink right away." Glumshanks said as the figure nodded in reply as if it was his way of saying thank you to the troll before the figure looked at Kaos and tilted his head before speaking to him.
"So. The Skylander will soon come to us? You know we need the Skylander alive to convert them to the Darkness."
"Yes, Yes. I know that already fool! My Drow minions are already securing the Skylander as we speak, and soon we'll have them within the fortress so you can use your spell to make me an Evil Skylander! Ahahaha!"
Kaos laughed as the figure stared at Kaos before turning back to the window and could tell that something was off; however, before examining the cause of this feeling, Kaos stopped his concentration.
"Hey, buddy! Let's prepare the room for the Skylander when he's brought to us. True evil must be done right, so we should have the torture room ready. Come along, sidekick!" Kaos said as he left the room, not knowing that the figure's left hand clenched as he was annoyed by the brat and his arrogance.
'Just breathe. Breathe and play along with this fool for now. Once I get the Dark Skylander and the other tools I need, then I can easily dispose of this wannabe villain.' The figure said to himself as he followed Kaos as his 'sidekick' to the 'torture room' when it was just Kaos's toy room where he had his action figures and such.
Kaos was cleaning up his room as he enjoyed having an evil Skylander join his team while the figure pretended to assist Kaos.
Scene!
Now I know using anime characters in a video game may not be the best idea, but I couldn't help and be amused by the picture, so I decided to give it a go.
Yes, Subaru Natsuki is the new Portal Master in this world and will be able to fight with powers similar but different to his original management in the Re Zero world. He'll also be able to forge bonds with the Skylanders and those he helps in the Skylands.
Now as for Kaos, I never saw him as anything more than a wannabe villain, which is why there's a 'sidekick' with Kaos who'll play a more significant role in the Skylands than one may think.
Oh, and as for the beginning, the two characters that ensnared Envy were the Avatars of mine and Old Man of the Mountain.
I hope you like this chapter. Follow, Favorite, and Reviews. Ta-Ta!~