Chapter/Tale 7: Diamond & Rebirth

Author's Note Intro:

Sorry for the holdup, I know I deserve the dropkick for making you all wait too long. Had a lot going on, college, family matters, getting a new job, mourning Akira Toriyama the Legendary GOAT, watching more anime, and just attending a wedding a couple of days ago. Yeah, all that stuff. Also, we finally got Metroid Prime 4 after all these years, a new Mario and Luigi game, and a Zelda game where we can finally play as Zelda! Probably should've renamed it to Legend of Link just because. And who could forget Dragon Ball Sparking Zero?! Also, I got into Code Lyoko the past few months and got obsessed with it. You should be able to see the whole series on YouTube, it's a really awesome show! Anyway, fanboying aside, I apologize once again for making you guys wait too long. Trying to get to completion was a struggle; at this point, I may have to release shorter chapters in parts and merge them later if you guys want. But the point is, I'm back! And this flashback will probably give you more insight into the incident and the nature of this arc's true antagonist. So let's get right into it! Sorry for the wait and enjoy this chapter!

Alzen's POV: Lacrimosa of a Failed Knight Part 1

It was a day like any other. Well, it wasn't like any other day. The world's gone to disaster as if it was the apocalypse. It might as well be that.

A planetary climate change had occurred due to a sudden change of events, such as a mysterious being that appeared from the resulting crash of a Clockwork Star, causing mass destruction at the factory where it crashed.

And if that wasn't enough, it was followed by some sort of strange disease that froze the infected solid, killing them in the end. It was constantly one thing after another, it felt like the world was truly going to end.

Of course, since we're still here, the world hasn't ended yet.

The government had proposed the solution of jettisoning children, who had yet to be infected with the disease, into outer space and to other planets in the galaxy as preparations were already made years in advance, although not for this purpose. Contact with the powers of the other planets were long well established and relations were perfect, so naturally they agreed to help us.

With that, living necessities for the children as well as continued education and the like were covered easily, and once they reach teen years to adulthood (depending on how long this incident will continue), they'll learn to provide for themselves while their parents remain underground on Earth in Edenia to avoid the virus from spreading and wait for things to turn back to normal as we have no definitive way of knowing whether the disease could spread in space as well.

This wasn't an easy decision, by no means, this was the most difficult decision that every parent had to make for their children. It took some time, as there was initially some hostility regarding their children, but surprisingly all the parents agreed to this plan in the end. I mean, what else can we do? And it's not like we can expect any miracles either. I doubt God (if he exists, not sure if he does) would let the planet be completely ruined like this, so hopefully he has something in mind.

Either way, we have a plan, so we must carry it out. During that time, the mysterious beast of a girl before we had referred to her as a Godbeast was still on the loose, and the temperature was constantly dropping with every passing day, so we had to work fast. Evacuation was chaotic as expected… regardless, we managed to get things on the right track somehow.

At the time, the transport shuttles were already completed and ready for launch and we had yet to load the children onboard at the station. We had to act fast, we had no idea when the virus would reach its first child victim. Preparations were underway and the final additions were complete. All that was left was to send off the children to the neighboring planets and the rest would be underway.

I happened to be elsewhere at the time... specifically at the lab with a couple of researchers and assistants aiding in this project/evacuation assignment. Well, that was only the surface of things. Ever wondered where all the remnants of humans were? That was the true purpose of Edenia.

You see, the crash caused by the fallen clockwork star also manifested an underground abyss that extends to all reaches of the globe while not compromising the original design of the earth. While we could only assume that the clockwork star may have somehow arranged this anomaly, we thought it was best if we utilize this massive underground chiasmic abyss to house the inhabitants. Thus began our industrialization of the Abyss and named it Edenia, most likely after the Garden of Eden.

The clockwork star, on the other hand, appeared to be inactive and dysfunctional, at least on the outside it appeared that way. Inside, however, was a massive plethora of archives and knowledge contained in books and with other relics as well and much more. Of course, we used that to our advantage. With that, we've come across schematics for various craftable relics. That's how we managed to subdue and tame Celsius, with the help of Veramirae, who unfortunately lost her life doing so. Of course, this was after the shuttle incident and Vera herself had lent her hand for this project as she also aided in the evacuation.

Everything went smoothly. It should've stayed that way. But sometimes… reality hits harder that you'd want it to.

March 24, Before the Year 2000

2 HOURS BEFORE DEPARTURE OF SHUTTLES

"Hey, Alzen," called an older woman seemingly in her mid-20s. Her hair was snow white with hints of blue streaks as she possessed mystical azure, blue eyes and donned a dress befitting that of a royal, which this woman is. She carelessly crossed her bare legs, bouncing and playing with her white heel that was clinging for dear life like a toy. Her lips were painted elegant pink to accompany her majestic visage as her breath released the smell of pleasant peppermint. Her gloves only extended to her middle fingers with a golden ring attached to it, showing off her marble white, painted nails as well; those same fingers gestured for me to come closer to her.

"Yes, how many I be of assistance?" I asked.

The woman's eyes glowed as she gazes into mine. "Come take a look at this for a moment."

She points towards the monitor that she was operating on. Her nails impatiently tapped on the tempered screen towards a specific location. Displayed on the monitor were nothing more than an array of statistical charts and readings, stuff I really didn't care about nor had the mental fortitude for anyway, yet I had to acquire this knowledge as part of my application, meaning I understood what every single words meant.

Or at least around her I pretend not to. "I have no idea what you're pointing at."

Veramirae was not amused at my idea of a joke. Well, in her own way, she does find fun in it. "Very funny, Alzzy-"

"Please don't call me that."

"Anyway, as I was going to say, *Alzzy*," Veramirae reaffirmed my nickname, continuing on. "The Galactic Federation had just completed preparations in regard to the jettison of the passengers. Today's the big day, so things are moving rather rapidly than we had anticipated. The energy crystal flux that we implanted within the shuttles are operating perfectly, and with that the calibrations and coordinates are all set and ready to go."

"I see, I was a bit concerned about that earlier, but it seems like my worries were unwarranted," I responded. "However, is this what you truly wanted to show me, Veramirae?"

"Very perceptive of you, sweetheart," Veramirae giggles, beckoning me to come closer to her; I did just so. "Want some chocolate for that?"

I blinked. "Er, I suppose I'll have some. First, please get your tail off of my rear end."

My confusion turned into embarrassment upon feeling a slithering, sentient thing wrap itself around my body. Of course, as I said, it belonged to Veramirae, who is actually a Dragonkin. In fact, she possessed horns as well that she could consciously control to appear and disappear along with her tail as much as she'd like. She was of the Shiver Variant, obviously meaning she was an Ice type of dragon. And she loved to tease me a lot with her tail. But that's not her most ridiculous feature as I was about to find out, and it's definitely not the pair of azure-esque crimson horns nurturing from her head either.

"Shut up, sugar. You know you love it."

"I don't."

"It always begins with denial, Alzzy. Anyway, here you go," Veramirae says, making me look at her two big airbags with much gusto since her left hand was positioning itself to catch something. As I was about to question what she was up to, it happened.

Two bars of chocolate suddenly popped from between her cleavage like two slices of toast that you would get from a toaster. I was flabbergasted and taken aback, although my body did not react the same way as my mind did.

"Excuse me, may I kindly ask," I questioned. "What the actual f-"

"-Fudge cakes, you mean?" The dragonkin smirked deviously, pulling out both chocolate bars from her breasts and hands over one to me. "Don't worry, it's fresh."

"That's not what I meant," I reluctantly accepted the chocolate bar from her as I said that.

"I know, I get that a lot. If you're wondering, it's a little trick that only us dragonkin can do. Actually, my ancestors and my mother and grandmother can do what I just did too. I don't even have to reach deep down to get what I need. And soon, my child will do the same as well."

"Your… child? Wait, are you actually-?"

"-A mother, that's right. Her name's Vanjamirae or Vanja for short. You'll be very familiar with her soon," Veramirae giggles as she performs the same trick and pops a photo from her cleavage, showing a shot of a little girl without the same animalistic features as her mother.

"Oh, wow… she's… er, um… quite… adorable, looks a lot like you," I struggle to find the words.

"Don't worry, you say what's on your mind, sweetie. I know you're not that kind of person, so no need to be uptight."

"And once again, you read me like a book as usual. How did you know-?"

"You're pretty simple, yet honest. You haven't been here for long, but those short bursts of time told me all I needed to know about you. You're a great kid, Alzzy. And you have a lot of potential, I mean, seeing as you're close to being the captain of your own squad in the Royal Guard and you're skills are one of a kind. The Royal Family truly values your efforts, and the same goes for me. I know I can definitely trust you with my daughter should anything happen in the future."

"Your Grace, please don't say that," I protested. "Don't give me so much credit… I'm not that reliable, you know. There's only so much I can do, regardless of how well-honed my skills are."

Veramirae giggles once again and suddenly points at me. "And that view you have on yourself is exactly why I can trust you. Humility is rare in this world, so having someone with that view makes me feel at ease, makes me feel blessed by whatever kindhearted god exists or whatever you believe- I ain't one to judge beliefs. That aside, I know my daughter will be safe with you around, sweetheart."

I looked away from her hypnotizing gaze, perhaps… a bit touched by her words. "Oh… i-is that so? I suppose I'll take your word for it."

"Glad to hear that. By the way, isn't my bundle of joy so cute?!" Veramirae squeals, presenting the photo of her daughter like a rabid fan in my face again.

"Erm, very so, Your Grace," I hesitated to say.

"As a matter of fact, forget being a legal guardian, you can be her big brother!"

"Is that really necessary?!" I stumbled back a bit.

"100 percent. You're definitely a perfect fit for your "little sister," Alzzy," Veramirae reaffirms. "Her name's Vanjamirae, by the way, if I hadn't mentioned that already."

I gave her an incredulous look. "Wow. Very creative name you gave her. Real original."

Her Grace quickly morphed her face into a very threatening look. "Care to repeat that, Alzzy?"

I stuttered and averted my gaze at once. "N-not really, no…"

"That's a good boy. Be nice to your little sister from now on, okay? Listen to your mommy, sweetheart."

"She's dead."

"Well then, a spot has opened up for me. As my first decree, you shall only call me mommy," The Dragon Queen said with the most devious look on her face, a creature up to no good.

"No."

"Once again, SON," She smirks deviously. "Call me mommy."

"No."

"Big Sis?"

"No."

"What about Stepmom?"

"No."

"…Honeybun?"

"NO."

"…Grandma?"

"NO."

"…Can I call you daddy?"

"DON'T YOU HAVE A HUSBAND?" I firmly retorted. "WHERE IS HE?"

"Just like your birth mother- six feet under."

"I honestly should dropkick you for saying that."

"Come on, don't you want to experience the single mother life at all? I promise you it'll be fun, and you get to be Vanjamirae's new daddy! What do say, Alzzy?"

"I need an adult."

"I am an adult."

"No. No, you're not."

"Yes. Yes, I am." Veramirae retorts.

"The scariest part is that I can't tell if you're joking or not."

"I am serious."

"I will report you."

"Yeah, good luck with that. No one's gonna believe you if you attempt to do so," The Dragon Queen ceased her inappropriate advances she calls a joke as she continues to implement new codes and protocols faster and harder than my mother's belt ever did.

I'd rather not talk about it.

I cleared my throat and looked away for a moment. "I sure hope your daughter doesn't turn out like you in that regard in the near future. I will hold a grudge against her. Well, technically you and therefore your daughter."

"Sheesh, I kid, I kid. On a realistic note, my daughter WON'T exactly be like me in a genetic sense."

"What do you mean?"

Veramirae was about to answer the question when all of a sudden, the unimaginable happened. "What I mean is- eh? What the-?!"

All of a sudden, the computer started to glitch wildly, the screen started to bug, and the audio sounded distorted.

(XANA Attacks- Code Lyoko)

"I've never seen this kind of anomaly before, what is it?" I asked.

Veramirae shook her head in response, attempting to crack its source. "Your guess is as good as mine. I'll see what I can find out. Can you check the other computers as well?"

"Will do," I answered, jumping immediately to solve the problem, if it was possible. Diving into one of the nearby computers with advanced knowledge in programming as well, I also attempted to dive right at the source of the problem.

It went just as expected after a couple tons of key inputs. "No good. I can't get through it at all. The other computers are acting the same as well."

"Damn. Just what is going on?" Veramirae grits her fangs.

It only got worse from there. At the same time, strange electricity of a black and purple color began to emanate from the computers like it was some sort of supernatural event. "Electricity? From the computers?!"

"Alzzy, get down!" Veramirae quickly tackles me out of the way and just in time because the electricity drew its dagger for a cheap shot as it shot a bundle of electricity from the computer screens, causing the glass windows it came into contact shatter to pieces immediately.

"Oh my, that was close," Veramirae sighed, relieved. "Are you okay, Alzzy?"

"Not for long, no…!" I coughed. While she did tackle me out of the way, I'm more convinced that she was attempting to choke me with her huge ice packs. "Could you maybe move yourself off me right now?"

"Actually, I'll have to keep you like this," Vanja refused. "Whatever the hell's causing that electricity to go haywire is still on the rampage! Kyah!"

The frightened squeal was enhanced by the constant barrage of somehow sentient electricity that ravaged the lab's computers and other technological inventions. Tons of materials were tossed about, some even obliterated in the process. It was like an indoor typhoon, one that would never end until it had killed someone.

But for this one? It ceased.

Once we were sure the unnatural phenomena had ended, Veramirae picked herself back up, along with me still clutching me between her sacs. "Okay… phew. I think it's over now. Are you hurt, Alzzy? Oh, sorry about that."

Veramirae gently frees me from her grasp, and I was able to breathe again. "Yeah, I am now… but what WAS that?! That swarm of electricity was anything BUT normal!"

"I definitely concur with that fact, Alzzy. That was definitely supernatural if anything, yet it felt like… a warning."

"A… warning, you say?" I raised my eyebrow. "What exactly do you mean by that?" My eyes followed Veramirae over to a nearby computer screen and her facial expression drastically changed.

"W-what t-the…! W-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-what i-i-is t-this?!" Veramirae was flabbergasted; no, she was completely terrified, and this was the first time I've ever saw her like that.

"Your Grace?! What's going on?!" I shouted as I marched over to the computer screen to get a better look. "Surely you haven't heard of- what the hell is that?!" I shared the same reaction as her the moment I got a good look on the screen. A grotesque message, as if someone's blood was spilled in the living plane of existence, slurped it into a computer, and painted the screen red with supposedly spilt blood to reveal this message:

THE WILL IS INEVITABLE. YOUR FATE IS SEALED, SINFUL HUMANS.

"What in God's name is going on?! And what exactly is it talking about?!" I gasped, taken aback as well as Veramirae, although Veramirae was losing it much more than me. "YOUR GRACE! PULL IT TOGETHER!"

Veramirae was still hyperventilating but as soon as I shook her on the shoulders, her suddenly spiked anxiety managed to deescalate to functional levels. "Oh… thank you, Alzzy. Sorry you had to see me like that."

"Tell me, what part of you have I not seen before? Aside from your desperate flirty side that you usually show…"

"Fair enough, but not now. This time it's serious," Veramirae addressed the tone of the room. "That message written there, the screen abnormally glitching, and the electromagnetic sparks that erupted without warning… the reason I overreacted is because those signs are an omen to a deadlier threat than the other world wars or epidemics to ever take place!"

"Is it that bad enough to even say that the wars and strife of the past don't even compare?!"

"Of course! I mean, I'm well aware that statement's open to controversy, but the link between then and now is that…" Veramirae rapidly clicked every key on the keyboard like our lives depended on it. "Well… let's just say that the consequences of human actions have truly come to bite us all in the ass! What if I were to tell you that this "threat" is the result of humanity at its worst?"

"How bad would that be?!"

"We're f**ked, that's how bad it'll be!"

"Oh… oh shit…!" I cursed under my breath. The sounds of the keys clacking resurged as the main sound alongside faulty wires bursting with sparks from the torn ends of the cords. "That bad?!"

"Very bad," The dragon queen panicked, browsing through the archives of data encoded within the computer, seeking answers to this unprecedented and unforeseeable incident. "And if my worries are correct, then-! Oh no!"

"Great, now what?!"

"I've tracked down the pulsations created by this anomaly just from its excessive and impulsive release of aura, and based on those facts alone, it's supposedly a manifestation of human actions! I thought it was just a myth, but now it's time to panic after seeing that message!"

The dragon queen was losing it; a being that deadly somehow manages to exist beyond the world's knowledge, enough to make even the laid-back dragon queen fold at the very sign of its presence? Now this can't be a joke, I thought. I knew something had to be done.

"Your highness, tell me! Is there any way we can stop this thing?! For example, do you know what that "thing" plans to do?!" I firmly demanded Veramirae.

The queen managed to pull herself together after hearing those words… a little bit. "Alzzy… do you truly intend to stop it?"

I gave her a nod. "I don't know yet, but if nothing's done and we could've done something about it, we have no one to blame but ourselves for what happens to our nation, our home, even our planet! Somebody has to do something!"

After hearing my words, Veramirae quickly reaffirms herself with determination. "Alright, I understand, Alzzy. In that case, you'd best be on your way. I've rerouted the Warp Gate to the city block closest to the shuttle station because that is where that mystery attacker is aiming for right now! I would send you right into station if it weren't for how badly that anomaly damaged our systems!"

"No! That's when the children will be sent off to the other neighboring planets! The launch is supposed to start within less than an hour and a half! That anomaly might be aiming to slaughter the children!"

"Better get a move on then! I fear it may even try to incite the rampant Godbeast to its cause somehow! Head to the Artillery Sector at once- that's the only place in the facility that wasn't affected by the attack earlier!" Veramirae commanded.

"So it wasn't just here then?! Is everyone else okay?!"

At once, Veramirae stood up from the chair with a newfound drive, but not after patting my head like a mother would do to her child. "Aw, sweetheart. You let mommy worry about that!"

"Stop it." My expression was dead after that line.

"Case and point, I'll tend to our precious coworkers in your stead. You focus on protecting everyone who's currently at the shuttle station right now and you better move fast! We cannot afford to lose anyone to this looming threat now!"

All of a sudden, the laidback queen of the dragons actually sounded like a real, dependable queen. My impression of her initially when I was first recruited wasn't exactly that high. But I suppose situations like this one can make an impression on a person, where their true qualities truly shine.

"Okay, as you command, Your Highness. I'll be on my way then!" I announced to her, wasting no time in sprinting towards the broken doors and continued on my way towards the upper levels of the factory. "Be safe yourself!"

"Aw, Alzzy! Love you too, darling! Be safe, okay?" Veramirae responded with a genuine expression that leapt from her heart. Those sudden words did take me aback, although I didn't show it.

Internally, my mentality was a wreck from those specific three words smuggled so innocently and casually that my heart literally skipped a beat.

Several beats, actually. How I'm still alive despite that unconventional revelation, I have no clue.

But it's clear what I need to do. With the situation ever so urgent, I sprinted as fast as I could, ascending to the higher levels of the factory as if there was a bomb that was going to go off in a matter of moments.

It wasn't long for me to reach the Artillery Sector of the factory as I was more familiar with that place long ago. The main transport portal was still active despite the other areas being in total shambles; a specific area was already locked in the coordinates. If I remember correctly, there should be a transport car that'll take me straight into the station where the anomaly is supposed to strike. The rest of the details?

That'll be for when I actually get there. And without wasting another minute, I leapt right into the portal, warping me to the nearest town closest to the shuttle.

No time for a break! I must hurry!

Pacifica Port Town

Objective: Head through the town and find the transport car leading to the station!

The Desperate Race Against Time

I soon found myself in the middle of the city square of Pacifica Port. And it seemed as if the anomaly hasn't touched the town yet. Everything looked normal… at least for now. With no time to waste, I immediately headed towards the area of the town that I knew had the transport car.

Or so I was in the middle of doing so when I noticed an unusual surge of energy spiking somewhere around the town. The inactive streetlights started to flicker as I was sprinting towards my destination, drawing my attention for a brief moment. The unusual activity continued on for a while, increasing frequency vigorously and violently and violently until a swarm of malevolent electricity began to manifest along with a taint of dark energy fused right into it.

"What the-?! Ack!" I nearly jumped out of the way, barely avoiding the electric shot made by the supposed anomaly, in which the shot created a decent-sized crater in the spot I backflipped from.

"Damn! That was a close one!" I gasped, startled. "But to think how fast it caught up to me… it must be travelling across all forms of electromagnetic devices, including the streetlights! Any object containing EMP and the likes of that are extremely lethal! I must hurry!"

The anomaly… either it was testing me, or it was just messing with me because it wasted no time in firing another jolt of electricity at me, this time a barrage of concentrated lightning. Drawing my blade, I instantly deflected the barrage effortlessly, causing street damage all the while. I was careful not to deflect any of its attacks carelessly as it could give it the advantage over me. With no choice, I vanished from my defensive stance and reappeared to the streetlight, freezing it solid with the touch of my hand.

The electricity completely ceased and dispersed instantly. Knowing that it wasn't the end of it, I continued on my way to the transport car with upmost haste. And just as I anticipated, the anomaly struck again, this time utilizing the stationed streetlights as sentries for its abnormal electrical discharges. Swerving and ducking my way to avoid being electrocuted, I fervently sprinted towards my supposed destination, sliding, dashing, jumping and attacking through the anomaly's assaults, some included gravity manipulation, telekinesis-based attacks, crafting electromagnetic minions using unlikely materials such as iron sand, and creating polymorphic specters with ghastly properties to contraptions like the weapons in the storage area and manipulating their properties to unleash elemental and non-elemental attacks on me.

"Tch! This is ridiculous! What can't that thing do?!" I growled, ever so frustrated by its assaults, realizing in a second that the transport car was near. "Ah, and just in time! But first-!"

I quickly gestured my hands to perform a basic spell arte. "Blizzard Glaive!" A swarm of ice needles immediately manifested and destroyed or repelled the homing attacks of the anomaly nearby all at once. With that taken care of, I immediately continued the race against the anomaly for the nearby transport car.

"Aha! There it is! Just a little bit further- what the-?!" Before I could reach the car, my danger sense kicked in at the last attosecond, manipulating my muscle reflexes to backflip out of the way to narrowly avoid an incoming and out of nowhere invisible slash that manifested upon striking an object- the transport car itself!

"My god! Just when I thought I could catch a damn break!" I howled angrily. I could hearing tittering from the anomaly itself as it was mocking me, using its dark mass to craft a face that looked like it emerged from the depths of the concept we call hell itself, laughing all the while and using its hand to point at me and continue to laugh.

"Stop laughing, you freak! I'll tear you to shreds! Diamond Edge!"

I fired a bolt of ice straight at the anomaly, in which its response was to stretch its massless face to allow the bolt to pass through, destroying a fair chunk of the city block. Thankfully, no one was nearby.

The anomaly, on the other hand, continued to laugh and waved adios to me before it dispersed into a trail of massless dark stream and continued its pursuit to where the station was, where innocent lives will soon be wasted if it isn't stopped.

"No! At this rate, anyone at the station will perish if I don't stop that thing in time! And it already destroyed the transport car leading off to the station…" I gasped frantically, conceptualizing my next move.

"Well, at the very least, I should call security there and give them a heads up, so they have at least a fighting chance."

I whipped out my personal, authorized communication device handed to me by Veramirae herself, which was nothing more than an advanced flip phone. Just when I thought I could get anywhere, on my screen was nothing more than a message:

THE WILL IS INEVITABLE. YOUR FATE IS SEALED, SINFUL HUMANS.

"SON OF A- AAAARRRGHHH!" I slammed my fist into the ground, creating an accidental crater out of frustration. "How far ahead is this supernatural being?! It must've infected my device as well when it first launched its attack earlier in the factory's office! Damn! I need to find another way around! I could try the underground tunnels but knowing that thing for the short amount of time it appeared, it is definitely ahead of the game for its time. What should I… hmm…"

A thought had just occurred to me as I gaze upon the tracks that direct the transport car. While the car is totaled for the time being, the remainder of the tracks are still intact. Perhaps… just maybe… that's it!

"Brilliant! Saves me the trouble of finding an alternative route to begin with! Better hurry!" I said to myself, running towards the tracks with a massive gain in speed and velocity as I jumped onto the intact transport tracks and skidded on them, accelerating faster with one of my buff artes, Frost Step.

"Perfect! Now I'll be able to catch up to that anomaly in time! I just hope I'm not too late!" I continued to grind on the tracks as fast as possible, using my artes to increase my speed and acceleration. Soon, I'll be able to catch up to the anomaly before it even reaches the station at all if possible. I need to hurry!

International Shuttle Station

The pursuit of the anomaly has escalated even further as the action continues, following it into the tunnels of where the transport car was originally going to take me, had the anomaly not destroyed it. And the merciless onslaught of attacks ramped up significantly.

The tunnel was extremely long in terms of time, so I believe I might have a chance to stop it dead in its tracks. Of course, my offensive assaults did not wane.

The anomaly proceeded to manipulate the tunnel's external mechanisms to its advantage, forcibly bending the metallic foundation to its will as stretched out battering pillars.

Thinking fast, I quickly summoned a massive wall of ice to act as a shield, knowing that it won't hold up for long as the manipulated mechanisms persistently rammed through the ice wall while I slipped through an opening I made at the same time.

I condensed raw aura in a sphere and lobbed it through the opening of the ice wall as it bounced from the tunnel walls, ricocheting at an incalculable rate of speed while piercing through the massless body of the anomaly.

At first, I didn't think much of the attack as it was only to give me some breathing room to develop another tactic, but much to my surprise, it was unexpectedly effective! The anomaly seems to be somehow affected by the raw aura sphere I made, evidently shown by how its control over bending metal started to gradually wane, its strength and accuracy of its attacks decreasing.

"Looks like that did the trick!" I smirked triumphantly, preparing more aurora spheres. "In that case, have some MORE! Heyah!"

Lobbing more at a calculated angle, I let loose with my barrage of attacks, massively and rapidly bouncing off the accelerating walls and slicing through the massless body of the anomaly without mercy. The anomaly shrieked and bellowed in agony as the projectiles continued their path of destruction, tearing the being at the atomic level.

Eventually, I came to notice that the balls of aura actually caused some frost to appear on the massless being, eventually making the ghastly-gaseous body solid and gradually doing so as well.

"So, looks like that was all that you had to offer then, huh? I'm a bit disappointed, but I don't have time to waste with you," I boasted proudly, smirking while drawing my blade once again, charging it up with more energy. "And with that, I'm gonna have to ask you to DISAPPEAR!"

"NUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

It shrieked…! So raw energy causes severe damage to a being like that… Now I know I can take it down for good!

Without hesitation, I overclocked Frost Step to increase my speed beyond my limits while focusing energy to my blade. Taking a big leap forward while shattering the Ice Wall as a cover, the anomaly desperately tried to defend itself against my attack but to no avail as the creeping frost effect caused by the raw aura spheres has completely taken effect, solidifying it in position for the final blow as a sculpture. I cry out:

"Merciless Blizzard, chill the flesh and the soul of the fool who opposes me! Reduce them to pieces! Celsius Caliber!"

And just like that, before anyone or anything could even react the moment I swung and appeared behind the frozen anomaly, time and space resumed, shattering the anomaly into an incalculable number of bits and pieces of ice chunks after the cracks revealed itself and bursts into an irregular hailstorm, its frozen corpse hitting the tunnel walls and echoing ever further than before, and the bits and pieces evaporating and strangely enough, glitching out like a virus attempting to manifest itself into the real world but being thwarted in the end.

"Whew, that takes care of that!" I sigh deeply, stopping for a moment to catch my breath. "And just in time, looks like there isn't a trace of that anomaly left to worry about."

I look behind to see nothing but the tunnels and the tracks in wait. Sheathing my blade back in its scabbard, I defrosted the ice trail caused by the duel to avoid further complications. Believe me, Teyren would've never let me hear the end of that for months, or so I've heard.

"Come to think of it, shouldn't Teyren be here at the station? Well, it's not as if I can contact him anyway-"

As if it was all a coincidence, my cell suddenly starting ringing like crazy. Diving into my pocket, I was rather surprised to find it in working condition again, considering the anomaly sabotaged it in the first place.

…

Something's not right… somehow, I get that feeling already after the scuffle I had earlier. In fact, I'm not sure whether I truly took down that being completely for good. After all, this strange being is by far the most mysterious creature I've ever laid bare to witness myself. Maybe I've only delayed its merciless advances for God knows how long.

What I do know is that I have to hurry while that window of opportunity is still open for me to make a difference. Checking my cell, all I saw on the screen was a message from Teyren, a lot of them that I missed because of the anomaly hijacking it in the first place. Reception for voice calls were inoperable as I assume the anomaly cut them off somehow; luckily, I was able to view the messages in store.

The first one I viewed was from Teyren, the chancellor, which reads:

"Alzen, if her Highness Veramirae has finished her assault of inappropriate remarks on you, I need you to cover my spot at the station as a vital matter regarding the strange abnormal energy flux has breached Central Square, and I've been asked to look into it. Let me know ASAP."

…I see, so he's not here at the station, just my luck. I continued to view the messages as I advanced forward deeper into the tunnels. Another message from Teyren followed suite:

"Alzen, I know how much Veramirae loves to hog you for herself but DO respond! Things have been escalating for the worse! The energy flux has escalated to dangerous levels than we've ever seen! Please, for the love of God, hurry!"

Tch… so the problem's escalating even further than before. I better hurry. With that urgency in mind, I sent a quick confirmation text while the reception's still available and escalated my movement to sprint mode. I did recall that there was an alternative entrance inside the tunnels that I could take to get to the main lobby, and fortunately for me, it was within reach.

Aware of the danger and risks, I forcefully tore down the door guarding the alternative route into the station which was an elevator shaft and rode it all the way into my destination.

And before I knew it, I had made it into the interiors of the station. Getting off the shaft immediately, it returns back to its original position as the doors closed itself.

"Judging from the interiors, I must be in the unauthorized areas closed off for citizens. I should be able to reach the main area from here…" I thought to myself as I continued to make my way through the lifeless corridor.

I felt… something strange was going to happen. An indescribable feeling suddenly manifested throughout my body, a feeling that I can't even fathom nor comprehend.

What was it? I don't know for sure… I can't shake it off.

Whatever it may be, that was the feeling that forced my body to overclock its energy and reroute it to speed, making me run faster and faster and faster as this indescribable feeling grows stronger and stronger.

"For some reason, I feel as if something disastrous will take place! I can't say for sure, but as long as this feeling exists, I cannot afford to idle anymore!" I gasped heavily, navigating my way through the maze of corridors in hopes of reaching my destination that I was soon approaching with every passing second.

Whatever it is, whatever it may be that's making me run, I pray to whatever God exist that I'm not too late to stop it.

Now Saving… Save Complete!

Main Story Paused. You Will Continue The Flashback At This Point Once You Return.

To Be Continued...

End of Diamond & Rebirth Act 7 Part 2!

Next Chapter: Diamond & Rebirth Part 2- Lacrimosa of a Failed Knight 2.5

Author's Note Summary:

And that's Part 1 of Alzen's flashback! Keep that in mind once the second part of his flashback is released as they are meant to be one single chapter. I may have to stick to this format of chapter releases if the general consensus is exactly so. So I hope that this chapter is enough to keep you sated for the second half and hopefully I'll be able to complete this chapter in less time than I usually do. But make sure you don't completely hold me to those words, at least for now. Consider this chapter a checkpoint. Anyway, as usual, please let me know your thoughts and how I can improve the next time in your reviews, and I'll do my best to adhere to those wishes! Oh, and make sure to keep checking my PROFILE for updates as well! I hope things work out well for all of you dear readers and I'll see you in the second half of this chapter! Take care!

P.S. Watch Code Lyoko. Some of the stuff that happens here in this chapter will eventually make sense.