Chapter 23: Orderrealm
Daegon returns to the Netherrealm empty-handed. Even when using the Blood Magic, he has failed to bring Outworld's Kamidogu with him. Despite going toe to toe, he was defeated by Fire God Liu Kang. Things are starting to go awry with their plan to collect all six. Shao Kahn is not pleased with the news.
"You and your apprentice resurrected me. You gave me the Kamidogu of the Netherrealm, I collected another and made more allies, and your apprentice managed to injure Fujin. And yet even with the dagger's power, you still couldn't defeat Liu Kang. I must say I am disappointed." Shao Kahn tells him, much to Rain's amusement.
"It's a shame that you could not carry out the deed that Shang Tsung once did. That is what you get for underestimating the god of fire and thunder, who is also the keeper of time." Rain said.
"And this is coming from someone who was bested by a child, who's also a demigod. I do not see you making the plans. I do not see you rising up to do things yourself." Daegon roasts him.
"Do not dare insult the new prince of Edenia, you Red Dragon scum." Rain said, bring out his katar. Shao Kahn slams his hammer down to the ground to break up the argument.
"Enough!" Shao Kahn yelled. "Reiko. Report."
"Kitana Kahn may be wise. But while she and the fire god were occupied, I hid something special within her temple. A gift from the Black Dragon. Regardless of their survival, they didn't suspect anything." Reiko tells him. Shao Kahn actually smirks.
"Well done, General. You have redeemed yourself for me. Your tactics have always impressed me. And what of the Kamidogu?" Shao Kahn said.
"Once they're in the same place, I will signal Mateo. Once that is done, we shall take Outworld's dagger from their grasp." Reiko said. Shao Kahn turns back to Daegon.
"Perhaps I should thank you, Daegon. You spared me the trouble of killing Kotal. He has been a nuisance to me for so long ever since he rebelled against me and stained my throne with his stench, only to make it worse when he picked Kitana." Shao Kahn laughs.
"What of the other three realms? Surely they must be aware of their locations by now?" Reptile asked.
"Leave Edenia to Tessa. She of course will have help to pull it off." Daegon tells him before turning to Shao Kahn. "Now with Dairou and Darrius both captured by the Shirai Ryu, we must change our plan to go to Orderrealm. Based on their history with them, it has changed alot given the incident eons ago. No one else knows of the realm's experience."
"But I happen to. Who do you think I am, Daegon?" Havik steps up.
"Hmm. Explain." Daegon demanded.
"My mentor told me everything about Orderrealm. After the death of the Dragon King, my ancestors wanted to be the ones to rule and spread Chaos. We were often at war with other realms and made them ours. Shao Kahn and Daegon are not the only ones. Where do you think all of my islands come from? All of my people live and thrive in them." Havik explains.
"And your mentors wanted to go to war with Orderrealm, but failed." Rain realized.
"Yes. But unfortunately, Orderrealm had strength. As a result, we were defeated and outcasted. But the need for anarchy can never be driven away from us. It only motivates us. As a result, we have always hated Orderrealm ever since, and because we despise their call for order, their distaste for freedom and their biggest weakness is their obsession with sacred laws." Havik said.
"This gives us a bigger advantage than what I originally have planned." Daegon smirks. "We can make up for losing the Kamidogu of Outworld to Kitana Kahn."
"Yes. Havik will be the one to attack. Do what Orderrealm cannot do. Show no mercy." Shao Kahn shares the same evil smile as Daegon and Havik do. This could be their biggest surprise yet.
Surprises, which are not very good for the heroes. The news has just reached Edenia. Jerrod and Sindel remain shocked and devastated at hearing the news of the tragedy that occured in Outworld. Nightwolf, Meia, the guardians as well as Taven are all there listening. They all give them their condolences, secretly except Tessa.
"Kitana. Jade. I am so terribly sorry for the tragedy that has occurred today. That bastard monster Daegon knows no bounds. He will pay for what he has done to you and our home." Jerrod closes his fists in anger. "If Daegon were to come here next, I'd slice his back open and rip his spine out."
"We will. For Kotal. For Outworld. That is a promise. And Shao Kahn will share his fate. It'll be time before one will betray the other, given their treacherous personalities." Sindel points out.
"Thank you, my king and queen." Jade said with some sadness. Despite having some pep talk from Alex, she can't help but feel saddened. No one could blame her though, especially Sindel.
"I sense that our enemies will not stop there despite failing their mission. They plan to improvise. But the issue is which realm will they attack next? Three Kamidogu daggers have been found and extracted." Nightwolf reminds everyone.
"I know where they will strike next." Taven gets everyone's attention. "Orderrealm."
"Orderrealm. From what I have read, it is Chaosrealm's sworn enemy. Because of a war." Meia said.
"Yes. The issue is Shao Kahn and my brother have forged an alliance with Chaosrealm. They are likely to attack it next now that their combined forces are even stronger. Havik will do anything to go to Orderrealm, kill Hotaru and take its Kamidogu for Shao Kahn and Daegon." Taven said.
"That would make sense. After all, Daegon is too weak from using the dagger of Outworld. It will take him a large amount of time for him to regain his strength." Kitana said.
"From what I am able to observe, Daegon is a coward unlike Shao Kahn. He had to resort to using its power to heal himself to face me. Shao Kahn normally would never do that. He prefers to fight his enemy head on. Kitana is right. With the injuries he had from his battle against me and his strength drained, it will buy us some time." Liu Kang said.
"I was also taught by Lady Sindel that the Kamidogu's blood code magic can lead to madness. The horror. In fact, too much usage can swallow one's soul. So deadly, even for a god. Though I am not sure if other forms of magic can compare to that sort of thing." Meia said.
"Indeed, Meia. Back then, not even Raiden could resist it. No one can but a few certain individuals such as Havik. Quan Chi mentioned it to my revenant." Liu Kang said.
"Our enemies are still on the move. They cannot be allowed to take Orderrealm's dagger. Someone has to go there and talk to Hotaru." Taven said.
"I am afraid that neither of us here can go." Liu Kang points out. "Our duties are here. Besides, I highly doubt that Hotaru will listen to a god. They don't want any assistance for me with protection."
"I will go." Jerrod said.
"My love?" Sindel asked.
"I am highly skilled with negotiations. They might not trust Edenia because of our differences, but with their hate towards Chaosrealm, I should be able to persuade them to our side, albeit temporarily." Jerrod said.
"I believe it is a good idea. Jerrod is the most experienced with this sort of thing. I suggest we allow him to talk to Hotaru." Kenshi advises.
"But what if this does not work? You should know that it will not be easy to talk to him. He might dismiss you." Sindel worries for him.
"He won't. My father told me. There is one thing I should point out, your majesty." Taven said. He goes up to whisper something into Jerrod's ear. Jerrod looks at him and wonders if he should. Taven silently responds with a nod.
"Very well. I shall leave right now. I will inform you of all of my progress." Jerrod said to everyone as they sign out. As Jerrod makes his way, Sindel stops him.
"Love. Wait." Sindel grabs his hand to stop him. She pulls Jerrod in for a hug and a kiss. Jerrod kisses back. "Just be careful. I do not know if I were to lose you again. Please." Sindel pleads.
"You have my word, my moon and stars." Jerrod tells her with love in his eyes. Jerrod clasps her hands and smiles before he goes off to Orderrealm. As soon as everyone leaves the room, Sindel turns to Taven.
"What did you say to him exactly?" Sindel asked him.
"Forgive me. It would be wrong of me to keep things from the queen of Edenia. But I have learned prior to the great war against my brother, that two Seidans have betrayed their own kind. They go by the names Darrius and Dairou." Taven tells her.
"Yes. I have heard of them. My Earthrealm allies have warned us about them being part of the Red Dragon. From what I have heard, the Shirai Ryu have captured them. They are led by Takeda Takahashi and his wife Jacquline Briggs Takahashi. The current master and mistress of the clan." Sindel explains.
"I see. They must not escape and live. It is a good thing they have captured them because they are one of the most experienced, given that it is their birth home. Dairou swore revenge on them because of their merciful intentions because Hotaru's insane brother killed Dairou's family. Dairou broke the oath and killed him in his cell. He was forced to go on the run with help from Darrius, as they considered each other brothers." Taven said.
"It is a horrible tragedy that happened back then. Now I remember. That is why Hotaru made changes after that incident." Sindel said. "But if we are to take desperate measures, then Dairou and Darrius may have to die if they must."
Unknown to them all, Tessa has been listening in on their own conversation, smiling evilly before she walks away.
Standing outside in the courtyard, Taven looks on at the bright sky of Edenia. He smelled the fresh air of the realm. He remembered the days he grew up in what he thought was the happiest realm in all of existence. He wondered what Outworld would look like now with Kitana in charge and has no experience with Earthrealm.
But given that Edenia has allied with them, he wonders what it is like and would like to get to know more about humans. But as he pondered, footsteps approached him from behind. It was Princess Meia. She comes with some bread, tea, and fruit.
"Princess Meia." Taven bowed his head in greetings.
"You may just call me Meia, kind Taven." Meia smiled. "You must be starving after being asleep for thousands of years."
Meia approached the reawakened chosen one with food and tea on a tray. She poured him a cup as Taven took a bite of the fruit and bread. Taven smiled at the taste of the food.
"I missed this so much. The food. The air and water. The animals and these people. If only my mother and father were here to see this. They, my old friends. I miss them all." Taven sighed.
"But you have new friends and allies here and now. Me, my king and queen. Lord Liu Kang and others beyond this realm." Meia said.
"You... think me as your friend?" Taven was thrown off big time for the words she said out of her mouth.
"Yes, I do, Taven. I hope there is nothing wrong with that."
"No. I am... rather surprised by how quickly you see me a friend, yet we hardly know each other."
"But I am one to get to know all those who make peace with Edenia. I am already friends with the Khan's son and daughter."
"What also surprises me is that a god has actual children. Must be the first."
"It is a surprise for us all." Meia said. "What were your parents like here?"
"My father Argus was considered the wisest person in Edenia. His precognitive abilities have saved us from time to time. Mother always meant well. She never liked violence. Things have... changed. Changes that I have mixed feelings on."
"I never got to give you my condolences for your losses. They, your mother in particular, did not deserve a terrible fate."
"Thank you. Not a day goes by without thinking about them. But I can't let my past keep ahold of me." Taven said. "What about your family?"
Meia remained silent. She hated having to talk about the tragedies that struck when she was very young. Despite having friends, bringing up her parents is a poor subject. But she did not want to keep Taven in the dark, feeling that it would be unfair after asking him about his family.
"... I barely knew them. They were murdered by Shao Kahn while I was forced into slavery."
"Oh dear." Taven immediately feels bad. "I am so sorry about your loss. I did not realize things were cruel here while I was asleep."
"It is alright. You are not at fault." Meia assured her new friend. "The king and queen were far from heartless to let me die. They took me under my wing. They trained me to be their successor. And... I am not sure if I am up to the task."
"What do you mean?"
"Edenia is not immune to having protestors, who think that I am not worthy of the throne. But I am more than a princess. I am a fighter with many capabilities."
Meia takes a few steps back so she would not hurt Taven by accident. She begins when she throws her elbows forward, followed by a straight punch, an uppercut, a one-two punch to the stomach area, a reverse roundhouse kick and a upper kick to where the jaw is. Her hand glows and her staff flowed to her palm. It glows a bright red as Meia draws a circle made of ice and yanks her staff in the air and the icy circle flies up high into the air before she slams the endpoint of her weapon down to the ground as the circle spreads out and explodes, and tiny, tiny sparkles of ice come hovering down to the ground like snowflakes.
Taven should feel the droplets fall onto his head. He looked up and smiled, impressed with whatever kind of magic Meia just casted. He has never seen this before in his over a thousand years of living.
"I am impressed." Taven complimented. "I have never seen anyone fight like that. And the magic. Could you do more?"
"Much, much more than that, my friend." Meia said. "My king and queen, and my friends and guardians have taught me many things. Elemental based magic, healing and beyond."
"I think you would be a worthy successor to Jerrod and Sindel." Taven said.
"Perhaps. And I believe that you will save us and all of the realms. But there is more to learn."
"I'm confident that you will succeed in due time."
"I hope years of sleep have not caused you to lose touch with your kombat skills." Meia said, making Taven snicker.
"Oh? You wish to see for yourself, then? Then I suggest that you prepare yourself." Taven smiled. Meia also smiled, accepting his practice challenge.
Despite remaining neutral for eons, Orderrealm has gone through its own changes. Ever since the day Kotan was killed in his own cell by Dairou, Hotaru has had executions outlawed. And as a result, the realm has stepped up their warriors and security. Much to the dismay of its people, they are all under curfew. No one is allowed outside their homes after dark. Anyone who does so will be tried and their fate will be decided.
Hotaru, despite being the leader of the realm, was reluctant to forge these harsh laws. He did not want to at first, but given Kotan's death and Dairou becoming mentally unstable and going on the run with Darrius, Hotaru only wished for the best safety of his people. He could only hope that nothing like what happened that day would repeat itself. That was until today.
On one of the corners of the realm, a portal opens. Seido guards approach the portal and prepare to attack whoever is about to come through. But they were not expecting just one person walking through. It is King Jerrod. He is only carrying his sword.
"State your business! Who are you?!" One of the guards demanded.
"I am King Jerrod. Ruler of the realm of Edenia. Husband of Queen Sindel. Died in Mortal Kombat and resurrected by the protectors of Earthrealm, Outworld and Edenia. I come here because all the realms face a crisis. Orderrealm included. I must speak with your leader." Jerrod said.
The guards look at each other with doubt on their faces. Not only because they are reluctant to ally with another realm, but because they are listening to someone from Edenia, a realm that Orderrealm could care less about. "We do not want any trouble, Edenian. Leave now, or be arrested and tried before Hotaru himself."
"I do not wish to fight you. But you must listen to why I am here in the first place. We share a common enemy. Chaosrealm." Jerrod tells everyone. Now this definitely catches everyone off guard. They were not expecting that word to come out of his mouth. They look at each other, trying to think of what to do next. But they all stand to a command.
"Stand down. All of you." The commander tells them and they comply. The woman then turns to the king. "Commander Motona. Second in command, handpicked by Hotaru himself." Motona introduces herself. She looks like an average 30-year old human being.
"Thank you, commander. I must speak with your leader. We have urgent matters to discuss." Jerrod said.
"Say no more, King. Follow me." Motona said.
Motona leads Jerrod to the huge city of Seido. Jerrod walks between the commander and the guards. The guards all share a blank stare towards the king, given the Seidans' differences with the Edenians. As they step on a series of floating platforms that lead up to floating pyramids, Jerrod looks down at what the place looks like from above. To him, it looks peaceful, except at the same time it really bothers him that Orderrealm does not allow freedom unlike Edenia and to an extent, most of the other realms. But much to his relief, they chose not to go to war with each other.
They ascend to the highest, floating Seido pyramid. Where Hotaru has his meetings, has his council. And where he has trials for anyone. It can be surprising to anyone that he has lived for so long. But then again, their lifespan is nearly as long as an Edenian's. Hotaru's appearance has not changed much. His hair is now more silver white and his physical appearance has changed. He wears the same robes as he did before. As he is talking to his fellow friends, Hotaru turns and sees the doors opening, recognizing Commander Motona.
"Commander. You have finished your patrol early. You must have a very specific reason, I assume." Hotaru stated correctly.
"Yes, Leader Hotaru. We have a visitor." Commander Motona steps aside and Hotaru, much to his surprise and dismay, sees Jerrod and recognizes him as an Edenian.
"Leave us." Hotaru ordered everyone, including the commander. They all obey and within a couple of minutes, he is left alone with Jerrod. "An Edenian. I must say I am surprised by your presence here. I hope you remember the last encounter between Edenia and Orderrealm, do you not?" Hotaru asked him.
"I do, my league. I am King Jerrod of Edenia. Died in Mortal Kombat. Resurrected by the combined forces of Earthrealm, Outworld and Edenia. The husband of Sindel. Father of Kitana. Kahn of Outworld." Jerrod tells him. This causes Hotaru to stand down from his high counter and starts to approach the king slowly.
"King Jerrod? Resurrected? So. The rumors are true. You live again. And a new Kahn taking over Outworld from Shao Kahn. I hope your daughter does not plan on attacking my home. That would be a mistake." Hotaru said out of slight fear.
"No. Kitana is compassionate and merciful. She fights for freedom and unites Outworld as one. Kitana formed a pact with Edenia and Earthrealm to fight side by side with each other alongside her husband. Fire God Liu Kang. I promise you she would not dare start an invasion with an iron fist." Jerrod assures him.
"If you think you are here to settle scores with me, then my answer will be no. Unless you have anything else you wish to mention, I ask that you leave. I do not wish to cause trouble for the realms." Hotaru said.
"I am not here to make a treaty, Hotaru. I come to you because all the realms are in grave danger. We share common enemies. Shao Kahn. He has cheated death more than once and has risen again and forged an alliance with the Red Dragon." King Jerrod tells him.
"From what I have been told, the Red Dragon has died in their battle against the Shirai Ryu and the other enemies have been trapped in the Netherrealm." Hotaru claims.
"True. But the Red Dragon has nearly died. They survived because Daegon is still alive. And they have armies. Not only that, they gained a new ally. One that is considered the most feared of them all." Jerrod replied.
"And who would that be?" Hotaru asked with doubt in his tone.
"Havik the Chaos Cleric and King. And all of Chaosrealm." Jerrod said. Now this gets Hotaru's attention.
"How do you know this?" Hotaru asked, feeling suspicious.
"My daughter, her friends and family have faced Daegon when he invaded Outworld. He mentioned his alliance with Havik and Shao Kahn." Jerrod said. "You should also know that a new friend of ours asked me to warn you. Two familiar faces have resurfaced. Your people thought they had died, but joined the Red Dragon in wanting revenge on you."
"Revenge? On me? Who would they happen to be? Revenge is forbidden here in this realm." Hotaru said.
"As all other things are. But they do not care. It does not concern them as long as they get what they want. Their names are Darrius and Dairou." Jerrod points out. Hotaru's eyes widened upon hearing those names.
"W-what did you just say? Darrius and Dairou? The traitors? Dairou. My best guard and fighter. He killed my brother on the same night he escaped? You're saying that they allied with powerful enemies just to have vengeance on me?" Hotaru asked, not letting up on the king.
"Not just you. They plan to liberate this entire realm and recreate them in their own image. They all share a common goal. They are after something here. A very powerful artifact." Jerrod said.
"What do you mean? What sort of thing could they be after?" Hotaru asked.
"I shall explain everything in detail." Jerrod offered. "With your permission of course." Jerrod said and Hotaru nods in acknowledgement.
King Jerrod carefully explains the entire situation to Hotaru. He starts at the beginning with his allies from Earthrealm discovering the Red Dragon and Black Dragon teaming up and finding out that they are after the Kamidogu. And that they, led by Daegon and Mavado, with Darrius and Dairou following them, have resurrected Shao Kahn from his coma and have gathered the Kamidogu daggers from the Netherrealm and Chaosrealm while allying with the latter.
Not only that, Jerrod also tells Hotaru that they have met Taven. Daegon's brother who is destined to stop him from unleashing Armageddon upon everyone. Taven's visions passed down to him by his father Argus. He then tells Hotaru that his daughter Kitana has recovered Outworld's Kamidogu. And according to Taven, they plan to attack Orderrealm next.
Hotaru processed everything he heard from the king. It was hard to believe at first that someone would dare to attack the realm of order. But then again, he has to believe it given that two of his former friends have joined the Red Dragon and want to invade it. And him hearing Havik with the two big villains is only making things worse.
"I see. So all of the enemies that you as well as Outworld and Earthrealm have been facing for so long, are really allying with Chaosrealm, our sworn enemy. Now I remember. The Red Dragon started the attack on Edenia and Earthrealm's Shirai Ryu clan. Daegon was presumed dead but survived his injuries and this Taven being put to slumber when the day comes for them to rise. So the stories are indeed true." Hotaru said, processing everything.
"And that is why I am here. I am a fighter, and I am willing to die for all the realms that Edenia has made peace with. I do not wish to fight you and I know that we still have differences that will never be resolved, but we can set them aside temporarily." Jerrod said.
Hotaru has never hated Edenians, but rather admires them for their willingness and bravery to fight. And because they party descendents from gods themselves. "But he still can't decide whether or not to trust Edenia.
"We always have our differences, but they cannot stand in the way of the crisis we will soon share together." Jerrod reminds him.
"But why should I trust you? Your predecessors could never agree with our own need for order and dismissed the idea of sharing them across your realm. Luckily for you, we chose not to fight, as violence is not always the way. So we went independent from that moment on. Chaosrealm is our only concern." Hotaru said. "Besides, we swore an oath to protect our Kamidogu and as leaders, we are forbidden from telling anyone its secret location.
"Then why or how do Darrius and Dairou know about where the Kamidogu is in the realm? How could they figure out where it is?" Jerrod said. This once more gets Hotaru's attention.
"What?!" Hotaru questions him.
"According to the Shirai Ryu master, they know where the dagger is. You showed one of them. Didn't you?" Jerrod said, raising an eyebrow. Hotaru did not like that question at all. He steps back and sees into his eyes that he is being serious. Hotaru looks down and sighs.
"...Yes. For a reason." Hotaru said. "Because before he went on the run for murdering my brother, I had hoped he would be the one to succeed me. It is only precautionary that we only show our successor the Kamidogu's location. We do not share information with outsiders, even citizens of this realm." The sound of his tone makes him sound ashamed.
"Well then. What do you plan on doing now? Are you going to allow your greatest enemy to take your most prized possession? Or are you actually willing to break your oath and help Edenia defend the realms?" Jerrod teasingly asked.
"You want me to say it, don't you?" Hotaru asked. "Fine. I cannot believe that I am about to do this…. I believe I can trust you. Follow me." He gestures. Jerrod directs him to the back of the court stand where he and his several council members would be debating. But behind it is a giant door.
Hotaru places his hands in front of it and it glows bright blue. The lights descend down to his hands and they briefly glow, like scanning for certain DNA. The gap in the middle of the door glows a light blue. The huge double doors slowly open for him. As they open all the way, Hotaru continues walking with Jerrod following closely behind him. They reach a big platform and step on it. It starts zooming upwards really fast.
It looks like they were both about to hit the ceiling, but the top of the floating pyramid slowly opens up. The top part was splitting open in half, revealing a square-like arena. Looks big enough to be a battlefield. This gains the attention of the other warriors and council members on what is going on. They could only hope that everything is alright. King Jerrod and Leader Hotaru have reached the top of the pyramid. From both of their points of views, they were nearly touching the next layer of clouds.
"How long have your mentors and predecessors been watching over this part?" Jerrod asked.
"Ever since we won the battle against Chaosrealm. We feared that if someone such as Havik the Chaos Cleric that you spoke of to me earlier was to find this, it could spell doom over the realm. So as you just now saw, only I could access the top of this pyramid. If I were to die, no one else would be able to access this secret place until someone else is chosen to take my role." Hotaru explained. He points to a tile right in front of them. Four torches surround it. As they walk closer, they both see what Havik, Shao Kahn and Daegon are after: the Kamidogu of Orderrealm. It is simply a blue square with smaller squares at each corner.
"Because putting this anywhere else in Orderrealm would have been too risky. Why only the most loyal one should be allowed to know its location." Jerrod realizes.
"Yes. I know what to do. Stand back." Hotaru tells him and Jerrod does. He takes a few steps back and Hotaru bends down to his knees and puts one of his hands on the tile. Jerrod wonders how he plans on doing this compared to his wife Sindel.
Hotaru stares at the symbol before looking up at the four torches surrounding it from each corner. He looks up at the clouds and closes his eyes. Suddenly, much to the king's surprise, the symbol lights up, and Hotaru isn't even meditating on it. Hotaru is transported into his own astral plane. The glowing aura surrounding is glowing blue just like the symbol itself. Hotaru stands up and hears voices.
"My mentors. I come to you in a great crisis. The realm is in grave danger. Our enemy, Chaosrealm led by Havik, is coming to destroy it and take possession of this artifact, which carries your spirits. He and his allies plan to unleash all Armageddon on us all. If that happens, order will be lost. Law will be lost. All lives will be lost. Please. Lend me your wishes. Allow me to carry the burden of ensuring our home's absolute survival, even if I am to die." Hotaru pleads to them. At first, it looks like nothing is happening, but then, small, dozens of lights start speeding their way past Hotaru, all of them are merging together to form a big, bright light as Hotaru is seemingly engulfed.
Hotaru opens his eyes and finds himself in the real world. He stands up and looks across from him. He looks at the sky at how beautiful it is almost all the time except for the death of Dairou's family and later his brother. He looks down at his hand and sees that he is holding the Kamidogu of Orderrealm. The hilt is slightly curved and the blades are more sharp compared to the other ones. The bottom of the blade has a small jewel resembling the symbol of the realm itself.
"Hotaru?" Jerrod said, gaining his attention. "Are you alright?"
Hotaru turns to the king and gives him the dagger. Before Jerrod could question his decision, Hotaru beats him to the answer. "Perhaps not all Edenians are unwise. But I fear you may be right about all you told me."
"Come with me. We can fight them together." Jerrod offers his hand.
"No. Havik must not be allowed to get his hands on it. They won't know until it's too late. I must act to defend my home. Go now. Before they arrive. Inform your allies. Tell them this." Hotaru instructs and whispers in his ear. Jerrod is confused by this idea of his, but has no choice. "Go back to the portal you came out of and return to Edenia."
Jerrod takes out his portal stone that he used earlier to reach Orderrealm and a portal opens back to Edenia. As he runs through it, he stops to look at Hotaru, who is retreating back down inside the pyramid. Jerrod cracks his knuckles, hoping that if something were to happen, Jerrod would oblige to avenge him. He continues running through the portal as it closes.
Note: That was a rather interesting chapter. I thought I'd have Taven talk to Meia since they actually have many things in common. Hotaru has hardly changed, which should not be very surprising since its Seido. Out of all the realms besides the Netherrealm, I would not want to live in Seido, lol.