"Are we sure that was the best choice? Touka is still new to fighting and Krovanh hasn't recovered yet." Sakura objected to the group, the team of five now having left the pair to face against Desen on their own.
"They volunteered, that's all that mattered." Artorian responded, still at the front of the group as Emilia and Reitia were close behind, Nesat taking the rear while Sakura was flying over them.
"But they might have-"
"It's to my recollection, you aren't ready for this either and refused to listen to any arguments!" Artorian snapped back, looking up to her with a pointed stare. "I don't like it either, I'd gladly have killed him with all of us attacking at the same time! But we don't have that luxury! You can hate it all you want, but Miharu's life is on the line and I'll gladly accept the hells I'll endure if it means I save her and Karen!"
Sakura was taken aback by Artorian's snap, flinching in the air at the hostility that was present in his voice. It was different from before, his anger was more pointed, focused and she can be certain she wasn't ever the target of it. But that moment of rage in his eyes looking up at her, the crimson glow had her nearly believe this wasn't even the same man she had gotten to know over the past months. The rumble in his voice almost had her scared, uncertain if his snapping was from the moment of intensity, or if there was something worse underneath.
"Hey, back off of her!" Reitia snapped back, picking up piece to put herself between the Lord and idol. "You know damn well she's just worried about them, you should be too!"
"And I am, but this is a mission still! A mission with lives on the line and Sakura hasn't broken her civilian mentality!"
"You of all people should know why she shouldn't!"
"Barrier." Nesat spoke up, interrupting the argument as the group slowed to a stop, seeing another ripple in the air just in front of them.
"Where do you think this one goes to?" Emilia asked. The Abyss' anomalies has been playing hell, as they realized halfway back that they were running on the ceiling after noticing the only lights were under them and not above. Not only that, but given the information Emilia knew the Abyss distorted both space and time. Inside the barrier everything seemed normal, but outside she was uncertain if ten minutes or ten hours passed, making it impossible to guess if they'd get reinforcements in the form of a pissed Claire.
'Prez would have been a better pick for this, she probably could have handled one of these checkpoints all by herself.' Emilia thought to herself, regretting the need to lie about the Abyss. It brought them this low, maybe if they had told her sooner, told everyone, it might have gone differently. Maybe if they knew it wasn't just a matter of Miharu, that Artorian's conscious was fighting off the Abyss at every second now, and was slowly losing given the hybrid's condition. Blood was crusted under his nose, it having bled at random, but was dried by now.
"I can't tell, but its different from the last one." Artorian noted, noticing hints of green and beige as he drew his hand across the gooey barrier. "Not a complete tear from the base, but a mutated location most likely."
"What does that mean for us?" Nesat asked, looking up to Artorian.
"If they were smart? Territory advantage. Otherwise it's sentimental, but could still be dangerous." Artorian noted, wasting no more time to push forward.
For a second, Artorian felt himself become weightless, before the suddenness of water slammed into his senses. Once he realized he was submerged, the Slayer kept his eyes open to see where the sun was, eventually seeing it and impaling his sword into the sand in case the others couldn't do this and used his energy to jump out in one go.
The Abysswalker took a few moments to regain his breath, coughing out water as he heard his team escaping from the apparent trap. Among them, Nesat seemed the most composed, only having to spit out as some of the water had sand in it. When she looked up, a wave of familiarity washed over her, nostalgia gently comforting her along with the warm breeze.
The area appeared to be a full field in Al-Salaam, a mixture of coarse sand and red bushes bringing life to the desert. Tall rock formations decorated the distance, and if she swore she could see the old remains of a town far in the horizon. Close by, there was a humble hut, a common home for small settlement families would have. Normally only four huts would be there, but Nesat saw there were around ten, a rare occurrence as it was larger than the average family, but smaller than a proper village.
"I see you appreciate the view." Nesat turned as she heard a voice, seeing Cronu standing with his hands folded behind his back. The Vessel was staring out to the distant town with a somber stare. There were a few grey streaks in his hair, either from stress or another ailment Nesat didn't know. All she did know was she saw those eyes before. And they were tired.
Cronu didn't react much more as the rest of the Slayers entered a defensive stance, the Vessel feeling the use of his powers having taken a lot out of him. Healing Miharu was past what he could manage, but it was a wrong he had to correct. And as he stood across from those who were supposed to be his enemies, all he could think about was how he had become the villain, all because of Envy's ambition.
"The door to the hut is the portal out." Cronu pointed, the shimmering door on the hut being the proof to his claim. "I don't have an interest in making some grand ordeal out of this. Just choose who you want to fight and get on with it. Karen and Miharu need you right now." The Vessel said, looking at Artorian directly. He knew something was different about him, after all he was reacting to his time manipulation as if he was moving normally. He hoped that if someone could defeat Envy at his own game, it'd be the Son of Artorias.
"You're rather cooperative for our enemy." Emilia noted, keeping a sword pointed to Cronu as her Arms Shroud remained active for combat.
"I have no grudge against you, any of you." Cronu admitted.
"Despite your organization spawning from hating us?"
"I hate the First Generation Slayers, and the incompetence that came from the East's handling." Cronu stated. "None of you were involved from that time, the closest being Artorian. But it wasn't your father that doomed Al-Salaam."
"…So he's why you got involved." Artorian put together, confusing the others as he lowered his guard, an unnatural sympathetic stare present as he looked to the tired man. "He's already paid the price for his sins, continuing is pointless."
"Not correct, he still has his family." Cronu countered, turning his head to look at the entire squad. "You should hurry, time flows differently in here than it does everywhere else. And there's no telling how Envy will react to your reinforcements."
"Artorian… who was he referring to?" Reitia questioned. She was ignorant to what was going on, the deeper meaning kept hidden by Artorian and Emilia. But she wasn't stupid either. There were few surviving members of the First Generation of Slayers, and with the subject being a man, it pointed to one of three. And only one of them had authority in the project.
"I don't think you need to be told." The Lord responded, Reitia clenching her teeth as she took that as the confirmation she needed.
"Alright then." The Slayer growled, stomping a foot into the sand as she rolled her shoulder, her Strike Beast glowing as her anger intensified her energy. "He's mine."
"Nesat, stay with her." Artorian ordered, although by the quiet girl's stern stare she was already intending to do so. "Sakura, Emilia, let's go." His words felt half genuine, but it was clear they had no time to wait.
"Reitia, are you sure?" Sakura asked, concerned as she saw the heat radiate off of the Slayer as she cracked her neck.
"Don't worry Sakura, we got this." Reitia said, holding out a thumbs up without turning to the Idol. "This is personal. And we need someone to keep Artorian's head on straight, so keep him calm for us." It was a genuine concern and response, as while Emilia was trying to keep the peace the knowledge she had made it difficult for everyone else to rely on her to not feed into his growing paranoia.
"I… I'll do the best I can." Sakura nodded before taking off after Artorian and Emilia, the three leaving the dimensional rift to continue after Karen and Miharu.
"So it seems the two of you are my opponents, I really wish it didn't come to this." Cronu admitted, although he should have expected as much. They weren't the upstart political groups they were originally. The Anti-Slayer movement had multiple political leaders openly supporting them, and arms dealers supplying weapons, armor and vehicles. Armed conflict was bound to happen… he just wished it wasn't from his side bombing a hospital to the ground.
"What's the plan behind this?" Nesat asked Reitia, allowing the girl to take the lead as she lowered into a combative stance.
"Simple, we crush him!" Reitia shouted, her energy flaring before she blasted forward in a blitz and sending sand in a large plume of debris. Cronu turned his body fully to avoid Reitia's attack, entering his own stance and throwing a punch at the girl's back. She easily ducked under and twisted on her heel, swinging the back of her fist up at his head to deliver a vicious attack. Cronu avoided the attack, but his cheek was cut by the metal of her Armament, his speed impressive enough to keep up with a Slayer but not enough to be untouched.
As Cronu winced from the blood dripping down his face, he turned and parried a downward swing from Nesat, the greatsword she summoned knocking up sand that blinded the trio. Both Reitia and Nesat, however, knew exactly where he was, charging energy into their weapons to signal each other and swing horizontally to deliver a harsh blow to the Vessel. Both were surprised when their swings collided with nothing, dispersing the sand in time for both to receive sudden blows to their stomachs, Cronu appearing in the final motion of hitting both and knocking them flying back.
'Something's wrong, that blow felt heavier than it should.' Reitia had to spit out a bit of blood in her mouth, placing an armored hand over her stomach to feel out the pain. 'Their armor enhances their strength and speed, but that was past a mild enhancement. I didn't even have the time to react to the impact landing. It was like his attack only registered at contact when it was too late.'
'Teleportation, or something more complex.' Nesat concluded, both Slayers were thinking the same as they recovered their composure. For Nesat, the clear alterations to space and the implied impact on the perception of time made it clear the laws of nature were thrown out the window. For Nesat, it was the information she inherited from her Sympathy link she shared with Artorian. As he saw her memories, she saw his, along with the darkness in his soul that made up the Abyss.
"Oi Hunter, what's the range of weapons you can use?" Reitia asked, keeping her eyes on Cronu as she slammed a fist into her open palm. She remembered back then her arsenal was limited to the Hundred's she could see, and while her current could be guessed as Artorian's, she summoned it after the hybrid left.
"My Illuminate Vision now copies and memorizes any Hundred I see." Nesat answered. "It isn't exactly like an Innocence type, unlike Emilia I can't create weapons at thought. But I can recreate weapons used by others. Yours, Artorian's, Krovanh's, Nakri, Claire, Liddy, Erica and Matthew's are my current options. I don't understand Sakura's enough to replicate it."
"Not a bad arsenal given the circumstances." Reitia admitted. "Let's start this simple, use Claire's Hundred and provide range support for now. I want to test a theory."
"Very well." Nesat agreed, tossing her greatsword and letting it dissolve to particles before summoning four gun pods, her Dragoon type similar to Claire's but with a darker red, along with a more angular armor to go along with her gauntlets and greaves.
'Mixing ranges?' Cronu thought to himself, recognizing a Dragoon Hundred at a clear glance, He was caught off guard the girl could have multiple, having no knowledge of the existence of Innocence types due to their rarity. But he did remember from the footage of her attempted capture of Sakura and Artorian she was doing that. But she didn't have free transformations like this.
The Vessel's thoughts on the Armament was cut short as he was forced to dodge a barrage of short burst beams, maneuvering away from the open terrain to try and duck for cover. As he did, he saw Reitia move to intercept, forcing Cronu to once again use his powers to then appear behind Reitia with his fist striking her back. However, this time the Slayer grit her teeth and turned, forcing Cronu to parry several empowered strikes, the last grazing his armor and chipping away at it.
Just as Reitia was about to land a solid blow to the man's head, she was knocked over by a sudden kick as Cronu was in the air, finishing the strike and turning in time to avoid a swing of Nesat's sword. In comparison to Reitia, Nesat's movements were slower, the former Hunter in better condition than Krovanh but still in a sluggish state from her previous overdose and energy buildup. It allowed the Vessel to better react and avoid using his power in greater amounts.
At least he thought that, until he felt a sharp kick to his back and saw Reitia deliver the blow with her shoulders still on the ground. With the blow stunning him, he had to flare his magic as Nesat swung her blade directly for his head for a lethal cleave. And once again before they could even blink, both Slayers were blindsided as Cronu delivered a punch to the side of Nesat's torso, then delivering a kick to Reitia's back to know them away again. Both Slayers quickly turned and got into ready positions again, charging at the Vessel as he raised his arms in a defensive guard.
'Just as I thought! He's using it for counters exclusively!' Reitia thought, reaching Cronu first and sending a barrage of punches and kicks, forcing the Vessel to retreat in time for Nesat to land a blow on his chest, knocking him crashing back into the sand. 'He can't use his power consistently or reliably! His blows bypass our ability to defend, but as long as we don't stop we can overwhelm him!'
'Shit, they put it together!' Cronu thought, already feeling a migraine as his body was strained from his limited use of his time manipulation. There was no ignoring the stress he'd endured leading up to now, and fighting against two Slayers was going to be a challenge even if he hadn't pushed his luck healing Miharu. Had he not, he may have been able to do two jumps back to back, enough to blitz the Slayers individually and make this fight a quick skirmish.
He didn't regret healing the nurse, but time had to be borrowed if he wanted to avoid killing these two.
Reitia and Nesat didn't even flinch as Cronu appeared several meters away from them, a blood dripping down his chin that he wiped away with a pant of exertion. He looked as if he had went on a mile sprint, not out of it but clearly feeling the affects of his technique so soon into their fight.
"You can't fight like this." Nesat spoke up, Cronu blinking in confusion at the girl's sudden announcement. "Whatever the Abyss gave you, it's eating away at your soul. This little usage is already draining you, if you surrender you might be shown lenience."
"What are you talking about, he brought down an entire hospital and kidnapped our friends! Or is it only my friends, since you tried to hurt Karen before?" The martial arts Slayer questioned, getting a side glance from Nesat as she allowed her sword to dematerialize.
"You've already shown you're not like the rest of your group… and since you're from Al-Salaam, I know your hatred for Slayers carries real weight." Nesat continued, taking a step towards the man with a sympathetic stare. "I… my family was wronged like yours, my brother cousin and I were torn from our families and forced into slavery. I lost my eye to a Slayer… and nearly lost everything to a woman that used Slayers as fodder."
"But even after that, people helped me see the light that I refused to look with my eyes." Recollection of Emilia's words to her in Qin, and the memories seen from her Sympathy link with Artorian had went through her mind. They were enemies, and yet through them she could finally see past the pain and the manipulation she was forced to endure. For the past three years her family was a way to blind her, and yet they used them to help bring the light forward.
"If they could do that for me… I want to try and do that for you." Nesat then held her hand out to the man, his eyes looking down in shame as she offered a way out. "Please, don't throw their memories away for this. You know, just as I knew, that the people that mattered wouldn't want this fate."
It was a nerving silence that followed, Cronu looking to the girl's hand with a somber stare. As he was at the start of the fight, a tired tint filled his eyes at the offer of putting his vengeance aside. Had he done so years ago, perhaps Envy never would have gone as far as he did… perhaps everything might have happened differently and the lives thrown away wouldn't have.
But that was regret someone could feel if there was a person to keep fighting for.
"I'm sorry." Nesat's eyes widened in shock as Cronu cleared the difference with his power, delivering a blow that saw whisps of multicolored magic shoot past the Slayer, bypassing any defenses and not leaving a single trace of injury. "I've accepted oblivion will consume me… you deserve a lot better than this."
'Un…' Nesat's consciousness faded as the blow was impossible to defend again, her guard lowered and his offensive abilities bypassing her own reactions made her defenseless. A weak gasp escaped the girl's lips as Cronu caught and laid her face up on the sand, Reitia clearing the gap in a single leap with energy infused into her fists.
"You bastard!" Before Reitia reached him, she brought a knee up and glared at seeing Cronu's look of surprise, his fist ringing against the metal of her armor. She was piecing together the details about Cronu's abilities, delivering a kick to his jaw that sent the Vessel rolling across the sands.
When Cronu recovered, he got to a knee in time to cross his arms and block a Reitia's downward chop, attempting to appear behind her when he was met with a punch to his chest. The loss of wind nearly stunned him, but he dodged in time to avoid a follow up and finally get some distance between the Slayer.
'This is bad, if she figures out my technique I'm at a disadvantage.' The Vessel noted, even by removing one of the Slayers, if Reitia figures him out he'd have no choice but to use his abilities in series. He avoided damaging himself too bad by having a small gap between each use, knowing his body can't handle any additional strain. But Reitia had strength, speed and technique over him. He'd lose the endurance battle any time he tried.
"You're a real piece of shit, you know that?" Reitia questioned, narrowing her eyes at the man as he tried to think of a plan of attack. "Dropping a hospital to rubble, kidnapping a sick girl and her nurse, targeting a kid uninvolved with you plight and then sucker punching someone that lowered their guard."
.
.
.
"You're the kind of person I hate the most, someone who doesn't blink when hurting someone but pretending like they care." The Slayer continued, Cronu's silence fanning her hatred more. "Those pathetic eyes, acting as if you had no choice in this whole thing. And yet you just follow orders like a good soldier, unquestioning at the death of others."
"…Have you ever looked into the darkest part of your soul?" Cronu spoke up in response. "That part you think never would come out? It's like a void, staring too long makes you feel like you're suffocating, and you feel cold at the horrible thoughts you had in that moment."
"This going somewhere?"
"That's all I can see anymore, and I recognize it." Cronu continued. "The Abyss does that, it twists your morals to become numb to the worst of your actions. I did stand by as we bombed a hospital, the sin I committed won't leave me just because I felt bad. I'd never make amends, and most importantly I don't want them. Hell will be waiting for me after today. And that's why I can't stop now."
"That the lie you tell yourself?" Reitia questioned, before her eyes widened in shock as seeing multicolored markings start to go across Cronu's face, his nose starting to bleed as pressure built up in him.
"No." Reitia turned in a haste to swing her fist, the force blowing sand and air like a torrent that destroyed one of the huts. But to her shock the prediction failed as Cronu blinked into reality to her side, his fist digging into her as an array of energy escaped from her opposite side, the man having landed two blows on opposite sides. "It's the only truth I have left."
'I… I couldn't even follow that.' Reitia thought as she coughed out blood, her Hundred deactivating and falling into the sand as she collapsed onto on hand and her knees, her left arm clutching at her torso as she tried to regain her breathing. She had originally believed he was teleporting in this space, blinking in and out to deliver blows that they couldn't defend against. But she figured even a bit of time was needed for each jump, the blows she just suffered landed at the exact same time.
'It… it's impossible… they can manipulate space AND time!?' It was ridiculous, but she wasn't so uninformed to think time magic was impossible. Lords had tons of stories and tales of such magic, but to think some random person had it, a terrorist no less felt like a bastardization of the concept. Such a revered power, in the hands of a killer.
"You haven't had to look into the despair that threatens to tear away everything, so I know you can't understand why I have to keep going. Even if it's against my own values." Cronu stated, not delivering another blow, Reitia responding by spitting blood up to Cronu's face.
"You're pathetic, trying to… justify your atrocity." Reitia snarled. "You talk a sorrowful tale, but all that is left for you is to kill someone… someone who wasn't even ten when you suffered!"
"You know them, don't you?" Cronu guessed, not needing an answer based on her glare. "Then I'm sorry, but I won't-"
"Shut up!" Reitia tried to throw a punch, but the Vessel stepped away and she landed face first into the sand, clutching at the loose ground as she looked back with a snarl. "Bastards like you… are why monsters get power! Inaction at the worst!"
"Just like Ornstein, he's no better than me."
"He's… a thousand times the man you are."
"There's no point in arguing, whatever you say can't dissuade me and nothing I say can have you turn against someone you respect." Cronu responded, stepping away from Reitia. "Orstein wronged my family, I lost everything. So I'll take everything away from him. His wife, his kids, his home… maybe then hell will be an easy rest."
"You won't so much as touch a hair on them." Silence befell the dimension as Reitia stared in surprise as Matthew practically materialized in the desert, his Bare Armament active as he stood across from Cronu. A dreadful glare came from the Slayer as he heard the final words from Cronu, added on with Reitia's condition he was bursting with anger as lightning sparked across his body in a rage.
"Matthew…"
"Save your strength, you can explain everything after this." A bit of his anger spilled into his words, but Matthew's concern for Reitia was genuine as he kept his attention on Cronu, the Vessel's eyes hidden as shadows covered his face. "So, my father's assumptions on the Anti-Slayer movement turning its members into Vessels was accurate. I can feel the stink of the Abyss polluting this place and your entire soul."
"That spear, so even a culture like yours is nostalgic at their worst." Cronu spat, recognizing the blade of Matthew's spear immediately.
The Slayer raised his spear with one hand, an instinctive reaction as he felt a cursed intensity rise from the Vessel. The multicolor markings appeared to spread further, leaving bright tattoos across his entire face, his armor barely containing a matching glow being produced in a hexagram pattern. For the first time, an aura of bright colors fizzled to life around the man, rotating and bleeding together in a blinding display that nearly contradicted the nature of his soul, had the vileness not bled out of his body.
"It's not nostalgia, it was taken and I took it back."
"It must be nice, to be able to claim something back stolen from you."
"My father was mutilated the day he lost his spear, this memento is to remind myself what I'm fighting for." Lightning danced across the weapon, surging as the Slayer regarded the Vessel with killer intent. "It prevents me falling into the depths of depravity like you."
"Depravity? I suppose that's what it would be closest to." Cronu said softly, reaching behind his waist as he pondered the Slayer's words. "Wickedness like watching a hospital crumble would be a result of losing my reason to live. Something your father did."
"You don't get to-" Matthew instantly stopped talking as he saw Cronu reach him in a blink, firing a blast of lightning that the Vessel avoided. The Slayer didn't react at the feeling of blood dripping down his face, a fresh cut across bleeding as Cronu revealed the dagger he had.
'He had a weapon all this time!?' Reitia thought in surprise. Although the fight was short, Cronu never even reached for his weapon before now. He never even considered going for the kill, but was intending that in face of the hybrid. If he really could manipulate time, then if he performed the multiple jumps again, even Matthew could be killed in an instant.
"So, that's how it'll be." Matthew said, not bothering to clean the blood staining his face. The cut went over his eye down to his lip diagonally, staining half his features with his life-giving ichor.
"There's nothing left for me besides this, I have one last sin I have to commit." Cronu admitted, shifting his dagger hand with an anxious twitch. "For all the good in my life, I let your father drag me down to his level, and hell will wait for me."
"You blame a man who gave everything for an entire country for your weakness." Matthew spat, getting the blood out of his mouth as the two began to circle the sand. "His inaction didn't doom your soul, you did."
"When his Slayers raped and killed my sisters, that is what doomed my soul." Cronu responded simply. "When they took my nieces and nephews to become slaves, that is what doomed my soul. When my home was smashed and burned to dust, that doomed my soul. What value is there in my soul if monsters like that are allowed to exist? That there are people that overlooked that simply because they didn't care?"
"So you lot yourself in with the horrors of the Abyss as a means to achieve justice?"
"No, because I want to hurt Ornisium."
"Show him the respect he deserves, whelp." Matthew's tone turned dark at the slight made against his father, the sand at his feet turning to glass before they performed a full rotation, the Slayer back in front of Reitia as the clash of holy and cursed magic filled the air.
"Matthew, be careful." Reitia warned. "You saw it yourself, he moves instantly I think he's doing something to teleport or stop time."
"It's the latter, and thank you for the confirmation." Matthew said back. He felt the curse when the Vessel appeared in front of him, but was at a crossroad of a blink in and out of reality, or if it was time manipulation. Given the power, removing his senses was unlikely, he seemed like a bargain bin Vessel, nowhere at the level those from the first generation of Slayers that made up Artorias' Virtues. He was a rank-and-file soldier, not an elite, so a power more obtainable like time manipulation seemed most likely.
It wasn't the most dangerous of abilities, Matthew had avoided the blade impaling into his flesh and left with just a cut. But with the Vessel armed it was more than a simple bypass of defenses, each attack had the potential to be lethal. But Matthew wasn't concerned about that. Lethality was only a problem if he was struck by a solid blow, and he had already proved evasion was possible.
'I just have to find that sweet spot.'
A chill went down Matthew's back as he finished thinking, a familiar presence that had him turn in time to deflect the dagger in Cronu's hand. The Vessel pressed forward, slashing at the Slayer with little results, being parried with the shaft of the spear in quick succession. Without blinking Matthew then swerved back as a second thrust of the blade came from his left, cutting under his chin but missing anything vital as he slammed the pommel of his spear into the Vessel's chest.
Cronu gasped out air as he was knocked back, looking up in time to see the spear's blade right in his eyes, his vision splintering into an endless array of colors as he frozen time. Each time he jumped, his power caused a mosaic display of all the different possible positions he could move, the assortment of color representing possible reactions based on the plans his power predicted.
The green represented the safest possible exit, represented mostly in areas that were outside the range and vision of his opponents. Yellow were risky gambles, often used for him to have quick shifts that could be in range but were usually just out of sight of his opponents, it was the most common one he used to allow a better pressure against skilled opponents. Blue was what he learned to be a refresh position, a rare vision but when a blue fracture appeared it was his only way to perform a second jump, providing a better set of outcomes.
Red were the high risk jumps he could make, they were within range of an enemy, and within their awareness, making it difficult to catch them off guard when he shifted through time. Purple was the perfect opening, the jump that would guarantee a surprise hit and was often the sight that allowed for the finishing blow. Damfin mockingly referred to it as his Critical, but it was a sensible label as it always secured victory for him.
Dread filled the Vessel as he stared at the mosaic flash in time, for the first time seeing an outcome he never could predict. Across the space in his domain, all of the cracks and fractures were void of green and yellow, instead he stared in shock that every single future adjustment was crimson red.
'Impossible… every single jump could be my death?' He looked around, unable to believe that every single jump was lethal to him. But no matter where he looked within his ability's range, red cracks and fragments were all he saw. Matthew was unlike the case of Reitia and Nesat, who had a red range of three meters in a 270-degree arc that represented their vision. Often they had green distances past that, along with yellow behind and at the edges of their vision for the blink and miss attacks he threw before.
Matthew Ornisium had no blind spot or ineffective range to exploit.
As he chose for a five-meter fragment behind Matthew, the Vessel had realized the effectiveness of the hybrid as he watched the Slayer turn in the midst of his thrust, holding his hand out and firing a spear of lightning. Unable to jump immediately, the Vessel could only evade the secondary attack, feeling intense heat outside his armor and burn his skin underneath, wincing as he adjusted his dagger and deflected Matthew's next thrust, the hybrid already in range of him with killer intent in his eyes.
Cronu then went through what he could only describe as the most dangerous ten seconds of his life. Unlike Reitia, Nesat and even Artorian, Matthew reacted at speeds that had the time manipulator completely outclassed, even in his powered equipment. Unable to blink, less he risks death, the Vessel barely managed to avoid a lethal hit from the hybrid's onslaught. There was no counting the blows that struck him, all Cronu could do was use his dagger to redirect the thrusts aimed at his vital body parts.
Unable to take his eyes off of the Slayer, Cronu felt blood flow across his body as the crimson ichor flew off of Matthew's spear. Steam was seen off the end of it, Cronu realizing the lightning across the Slayer was burning his flesh and evaporating the blood still on the blade before it had pierced his flesh again.
Once the ten seconds passed, the mosaic fracture of space appeared again and Cronu was once again met with the endless display of red. He cursed the sight, knowing he couldn't do the clash again. With the endless time of a fractional glimpse, he felt that Matthew had landed more than fifteen slashes, his armor proven useless before the terrifying might of the Lord hybrid.
Accepting this, Cronu concluded his only chance was to take the risks presented to him. Appearing at Matthew's side, the Vessel narrowly shifted his head to avoid the next thrust of Matthew's spear, feeling it cut above his eye before he slashed his dagger across the Slayer's chest. Normally, a dagger of any quality would find it difficult to cut into a Slayer's variable suit, the material's durability requiring a Hundred and Slayer far above human abilities, and even then it was rare to tear the strange fabric. It could even endure a Savage's blows, lethal hits from the alien monsters being the most common rip into the uniform of the militant force.
However, Cronu's blade tore into it and claimed blood, a gash of blood erupting from the hybrid's torso as Cronu managed to claim spoils. It wasn't deep enough to be lethal by human standards, but the realization of the material would keep the hybrid from acting as hastily as before.
Or so the Vessel thought, before the heavy weight of Matthew's fist struck his jaw and send him crashing through one of the huts. Air struggled to enter the man as he felt his jaw nearly slacked, shocked at just how powerful the Slayer had struck. He had recalled Artorian's punches and kicks from their short encounter in the hospital, those blows nearly as heavy but not quite there. It seemed impossible, as while both were the children of Lords, Matthew had a more lean build in comparison.
In the pained moments following, Cronu's mind quickly caught up and reminded him that unlike Artorian, who was in civilian garbs, Matthew was fully equipped for battle. With his variable suit, the hybrid's Hundred could be better optimized, his strength enhanced by energy far greater than what Artorian without it could do. Add in the blinding speed, and Matthew's blows could be just as damaging as his fellow hybrid's if his opponent was caught unsuspecting.
The mosaic returned and Cronu's vision unblurred to see that Matthew's spear was an inch from his face, the instinctual ability saving him from the graceful speed. A lucky draw had come to Cronu's vision as amidst the red fractures, the sight of azure blue came as a blessing. Moving to it, as he appeared and Matthew turned again the mosaic returned. While the last jump had saved him and gave him another infinite second to readjust, this jump returned to the previous norm of a sea of red.
By now Cronu accepted the high risk encounter, knowing this was his only chance to put the hybrid down and gain some form of vengeance for the loss of his family. The markings on his skin expanded further, covering his entire face until it cracked like the mosaic around him, blood flowing from his eyes, ears and nose as the damage to his body was reaching it's limit.
'All or nothing… which means there's no reason to hold it back any longer.'
Steeling himself, Cronu immediately flashed across the area and sent his dagger forward, the hybrid deflecting it and readying his lightning. However, Cronu disappeared again, this time appearing behind him and cutting across his back. The Vessel was now blinking in and out with each passing move, the hybrid now on the defensive as he would parry the thrusts and endure the slashes.
Reitia watched in astonishment as Matthew moved without a second of hesitation, every twitch of his nerves meant to prepare for the time manipulating Vessel. Armed with a weapon, Cronu should be the most lethal person in existence, and yet the hybrid was avoiding each attempt at his life as if he was going through the motions. Her eyes only ever saw the blink of reality Cronu left behind, watching as blood and sparks came from Matthew with each parry and cut he endured.
Cronu himself was avoiding any hits from Matthew. Often only getting nicked and burned each time he appeared for a single second. But even then, red continued to stain his face, his eyes bloodshot and lips crimson with his own blood as each jump tore more away at his soul. Each jump only brought more agony, but by the fifth jump he could no longer feel most of his nerves, uncertain if he was even still breathing or just working off the last strength his body possessed.
As the fight reached two minutes of a continuous clash, Cronu saw it, the unimaginable gracing his vision as he deflected a spear thrust and seeping back into the time mosaic. Forward and clear, a purple fracture was center of Matthew's torso, for the first time seeing better than red. Whether it was the final move as a result of his own lifeforce being burned, or the hybrid was beginning to weaken from the onslaught of cuts and bleeding, the Vessel saw his chance of victory as the Slayer's guard was lowered.
Flesh tore as Cronu's dagger went clean through the opening in Matthew's variable suit, claiming the puncture that saw the blade come out the other end of the Slayer. Reitia stared in horror as blood erupted from both sides of the stab, the Slayer's movement seeming to stall for a moment as Cronu looked to his downed face with somberness.
Blood and lightning then burst out from Cronu's own back as Matthew held onto his shoulder, his spear having been thrusted with a short grip right into the Vessel's gut. Unlike his blow, Cronu was unable to feel the metal of the spear before releasing the dagger in Matthew's chest. The Slayer then stepped back with his own solemn glance, witnessing the devastation he gave the Vessel.
Cronu had a massive hole through his body, blood and liquified organs sloshing out as he stood, the sand turning red with the vital dye leaving him. The Vessel instinctually brought a hand to try and feel out the injury, finding no flesh or bones before looking to his hand. Nothing but blood, his entire hand turned crimson as all the confirmation he needed to see his mistake.
"You baited me."
"You wouldn't have attacked me directly unless I gave you an opening." Matthew responded, gripping Cronu's dagger and pulling it out to toss it into the sand with no concern. "Time manipulation isn't easy to counter, but with a well-timed burst of my lightning, even I can move in the fragments of time you choose. And unlike other humans, I can survive an impalement with little concern."
"Much like Artorian did?"
"We're both Lords at our core. It might sting, but you won't truly kill me by either exhausting me, or go for my heart and head." Matthew admitted, Cronu chuckling with a bittersweet mirth as he spat out a large glob of blood.
"And you had me go for your right." Cronu saw clearly how he was played, unable to trick someone as versed in his own abilities was never going to pan out in his favor.
"You also slowed drastically after your second jump." Matthew noted, watching as Cronu began to walk over to the pond by the village. "Did Reitia and Nesat push you that hard?"
"No… I used up a lot of my soul speeding up the recovery of one of yours." The Vessel said. "The nurse… Miharu… she was a target of Envy's wrath when first brought here. He broke her leg."
"And you forwarded the time…" Matthew understood then and there why Cronu was drained then. His abilities barely changed time by a fraction of a second, his own body likely could only handle that short time since he couldn't land a blow during the frozen time. He pushed that second into weeks for another person, that tore decades off a soul. For a Lord it was doable, with thousands of years' worth of lifespans, a few decades barely scratched them. But for a human, one in his thirties, Cronu's soul was torn worse than a man past eighty, maybe even a hundred if he pushed himself before.
"I was a doctor before this… before I let myself be turned into their pawn." The Vessel closed his eyes, taking a breath for lungs that weren't there anymore. He wasn't sure if he was speaking properly or not, or how by that matter. Perhaps he was in such shock he never noticed, or the Abyss really twisted him that far.
"And so you think healing one person fixes things?"
"Of course not… I just couldn't put that part of me behind." Cronu admitted, weakly moving down to sit, each movement reminding his body of the pain he was in. Matthew recognized his position, it was a meditative posture Al-Salaam did in memorial of the dead, a final passing to remember those lost before accepting one's own end.
"So you've made peace with yourself?"
"Of course not, I'm begging that my family is not punished for my actions. I wish to suffer alone, as I deserve."
"Rather rich of you, begging your family be spared while threatening mine."
"What would you do for them? Or more terrifying, what wouldn't you do?" Was all Cronu responded with, a blotch of blood pouring out of his mouth as the last string snapped. "My judgment is already done; you needn't worry about me."
"Any regrets?" Matthew wasn't sure why he asked it, the man was a terrorist and threatened his entire family… but as he was now, a man bleeding in a fake desert all he felt was pity. It was a pathetic end for a man who had so much potential, held back by the past.
"Only the obvious one… I wish I saw through this sham of a movement." Was all Cronu could say. His last thoughts were on what could have been, of the potential to amend wrongs First Generation Slayers. But that was wrenched from them, all thanks to the "Liege" the higher ups accepted.
"You know, the whole world isn't going to end just because you sleep."
"I know… I'm just worried is all. You and Kozaya both already had kids, and of course she had to go the distance and have twins."
"Well you know her, always going the distance and making things stressful for you."
"Heh, yeah…"
"You know, you're allowed to be happy too. We're all waiting for the day you reveal you've been seeing a nice girl."
"Sorry to disappoint you Nemuqo, that's unlikely to happen."
"Phew, what are we to do with you?"
"Let your big brother handle his problems like an adult?"
"Well that hasn't worked yet, so clearly not. You even have Nakri concerned you'll always be alone."
Nakri was born last week, don't rope your daughter into this."
"A mother knows… and so does a sister."
"It's okay, I promise. You just focus on them, and I'll focus on the rest."
Cronu's mind blanked as he lost track of the faces of the fading memory, remembering a time before Slayers tore his family apart. It was at the moment of darkness filling his vision he realized he couldn't even remember his sisters' faces. That pain struck worse than the hole in him, as he realized how much the Abyss really took from him.
'Nemuqo, Kozaya, I failed to keep our family together… I was a failure as a brother and an uncle.' He couldn't speak any more regrets, otherwise he would have admitted to Matthew his shame of never finding the remnants of his family… if any were still left. In his grief he never even tried to find any of his nieces and nephews, having believed the worst in hopes they died rather than suffering through the hell the world could force on them.
Matthew watched as the Vessel let out an instinctual final breath, the last of the blood that could leave him doing so and staining the remainder of his mouth crimson before he passed. Despite his body going slack, he remained upright in his prayer, a last action to comfort him as he succumbed to the Abyss he allowed into himself.
The Slayer couldn't even bring himself to give something of hope to the dead man, knowing any prayer was pointless as he now belonged to the Abyss. His fate was sealed, and no blind hope would change it. It was the fate of Vessels and Abysswalkers alike, to be consumed by the evil they accepted into themselves.
'But Artorian didn't…' Matthew surprised himself with the thought, scoffing to the side at the moment of hesitation. It didn't matter if an Abysswalker chose to accept the Abyss or not, they were carriers of it and a risk to everyone. And that was all that mattered in the end.
"Are you okay?" After clearing his thoughts, the Slayer went to Reitia and knelt by her, offering her a hand as she regained some composure.
"I feel like my bones are rattling… and my stomach feels like it's in my throat." Reitia admitted, Cronu's last attack on her still feeling present.
"I assume that's the same for her then." Matthew motioned to Nesat, blinking before realizing she was no longer at the spot she was knocked out. Instead she was by Cronu's side, confusing the two.
"You don't think…" Reitia murmured to Matthew, the Slayer turning away as he helped her up.
"It's rude to assume and it isn't our business." He responded, before giving a pointed glare to the girl. "On the notion of business, what the hell were you thinking pulling a stunt like that? Breaking Artorian out, fighting against Warslran and an unauthorized strike on a terrorist cell was stupid. You could be put on trial for just one of those things, but all three?"
"It was better than standing around and let our friends be hurt, don't act like you don't know the reason!" Reitia's anger flared up as she pulled away from the hybrid, the weakness of her body catching up to her again as she fell back to the sand and coughing up blood.
"Reitia!" Matthew's own stern stare went away as he went down to her side again. "Don't push yourself, he may not have been going for a lethal hit, but a blow from a distortion of time could have you healing for months. You have to take it slow."
"Oh… so now you care…" Reitia responded, Matthew hooking his arms under her shoulders and knees to pick her up in a princess carry.
"You're my friend, and you're hurt. I was just trying to give you an earful to let you know it was reckless, I was going to vouch for you."
"I wasn't… referring to me…"
"…" Matthew knew this wasn't going to be easy, Reitia was already suspicious of him but his attempt at killing Artorian has him fully under her radar now. The Lord wouldn't be able to dodge around her forever at best, and by the end of the day he was sure their relationship wouldn't be the same after. It was a sacrifice, but to keep the world safe from the Abyss he was willing to even toss aside his feelings and push Reitia away.
Especially if it kept her safe.
"Thank you… for ending his misery." Nesat spoke up, Matthew turning to see the former Hunter gently laying Cronu back, placing his arms over his chest the best she could. "He was so far gone… you giving him that last moment matter a lot."
"Of course… take your time." Was all the Slayer could say in return. He wasn't sure the extent, but there was no denying there was some relation. But with the Vessel's passing, the least he could do was give her space. After reading Artorian's reports, the girl's been through a lot and nothing he said could be done.
"Once you're good, we'll need to get moving. I'm not sure to what extent but the time distortion in this base feels all wrong." Matthew spoke up, looking at the artificial sky. "I was searching for you for hours, I have no idea if Claire made it to the others."
"Wait, hours?" Reitia asked. "You couldn't have been more than an hour behind us. How fast did you get here?"
"We did a gravity rebound, it got us here faster but we were still two hours behind you." Matthew answered, getting his own without having to ask anything else. "Then things are more dire than I thought. We'll have to move now before-"
A sudden rumble quieted the Lord as he felt the ground shake for a moment, the sands muffling the reaction before reality began to bleed. Their vision was mixed and altered as the rumbling grew in intensity.
"That can't be good."
(A/N): Oh man, this chapter took a lot more effort than I care to admit. It was a rough one, and I admit it's because I am attempting to put far more content then is needed. Overreaching is a common problem, but luckily I'm finding my tempo again. Probably my biggest challenge was coming back from a long hiatus and dropping into the intensity of this arc and wasn't warmed up. I'm hoping the next chapter will go smoothly, as that fight I genuinely know what I'm looking for and aware of what to do, along with the fight after. So for now, I hope this chapter was nice enough to last for the next, and I'll see you all next time. Peace!