13. Nightmare
"What was that for? What did she ever do to you?" Alex asked with an impatient tone when he saw Yui at the living room, waiting for his return from school. Just as before, she tried opening her mouth but no sound came out. However, Yui had a trick up her sleeve. She had written her message on a small piece of paper and was about to slip it into Alex's front pocket when the doorbell rang. Alex turned around to get the door. Yui tried to reach for him but her entire body froze all of a sudden. She channeled her energy to her feet to try sinking into her own shadow and shadow walk her way out. However, the moment she tried to use her powers, an intense pain radiated from her feet upwards. Normally, a pain of that intensity would've cause her to drop to her knees and cry out loud. Something was preventing her from doing both. Her heart skipped a beat when her eyes glanced downwards; two burning fiery red eyes stared back at her from her very own shadow. She felt like screaming and crying at the same time but her lips just won't move! Only her tears were able to slowly oozed from the corners of her eyes. As the door opened, Yui's heart sank further into despair. A familiar blonde stood at the door with the fake smile plastered on her face; a sinister smile that was starting to scare Yui. "Hey, Alex! Oh-h…" Stacey paused for a moment when she pretended to notice Yui's presence. "Am I interrupting?" Sounding concerned. "Not at all, c'mon in." Alex widened the door for her to enter. Meanwhile, Yui could feel a strong magic shrouding the entire room. Stacey approached Yui with a sincere look and said something that made her felt like puking. "Natasha, I just want to apologize for whatever I did wrong. I didn't mean to offend you in anyway." She said in a convincing tone Her act was top-notched. Yui's disguise came back on without her even realizing it. "No, I think Natasha should be the one apologizing, not you." Alex interrupted before Yui could manage a reply. "Have a seat, I'll get us some tea," Alex said and went into the kitchen.
Stacey's acting was beyond perfect, leaving no loop holes that made her looked suspicious. Her manipulation of energy was masterful as well, expanding most of her energy around Yui while leaving only traces of them floating about. An energy signature too low for someone who had not been using their powers for a long time to detect. Despite the near minimum energy signature, the Magic spell that was casted by Horatio was potent enough to lower Alex's awareness of his surroundings; causing Yui's disguise to look convincing. "What do we have here?" A green hand wrapped tightly around Yui's left wrist. It squeezed her wrist so hard till she yelped in pain, forcing her to loosen her clenched fist. Stacey caught the rolled pieces of paper containing Yui's message as her fist opened up. The roll-up bundle went up in flame and the ashes carried out of the window by a sudden gush of wind that appeared out of the blue. "Don't take me for a fool, Yui. I'm always watching." Yui's eyebrows furrowed, both her hands reached for her belly. An unexplained burning sensation radiated from the inside of her gut. "I warn you." Stacey's face closed in beside Yui's ear and whispered. Yui opened her mouth wide, trying to scream as the pain became unbearable. It was as if a bonfire was lit in her innards. As before, her screams were silenced. Her saliva and tears were the only signs that depicted her agonizing pain. Soon, her buttock dropped onto the sofa as her lower limbs went numb. She bent over and hugged her stomach tightly in the fetal position. Then, all of a sudden, the pain was gone. "How's that? Try not to cross me again. Or else there will be worse pain to come." Stacey whispered beside Yui's ear. Yui panted heavily. She wiped her sweat, tears and saliva off of her face with her sleeves. Then, she glared at Stacey, with eyes full of anger and hatred. Her lips spread apart and she was finally able to speak. "Alex will never like you. He'll never fall for your witchery!" Yui spat.
"Tsk! I let you speak and this is what you have to say." Stacey grabbed Yui's hair without warning and yanked it backward, hard. Her cry was muffled by Horatio's magic. She closed in beside her ear and whispered. "I might not be able to make Alex like me immediately. But I can make sure he hates you!" Yui's body moved against her will all of a sudden. Her left palm reached out and flexed at an acute angle, catching Stacey's cheek. Yui realized what Stacey was trying to achieve the moment she saw Alex staring at her, his expression shocked. "Aww…I'm sorry…" Stacey began tearing up and rushed towards the front door, covering her right cheek. Her timing was perfect and her acting excellent. Alex called out to her but she didn't stop or turn around. Stacey just left without a word, just tears. Alex put down the tray of teacups and said. "I know there's a reason you're not telling me why you dislike her so much. But this is going a bit too far, don't you think?" Yui only managed a sigh. She knew she couldn't explain herself to Alex. Whatever she wanted to say would probably be silenced or the content altered by Horatio's magic. Therefore, she decided it was best to remain silent. Alex too chose not to pursue on the matter further. He went back into the kitchen to prepare dinner. That evening was unusually quiet over the dinner table, an awkward silence between the two. Yui lost much of her appetite after the pain in her belly earlier. After helping to clean up, Yui went straight to her room. She laid on the mattress and stared blankly at the ceiling. Horatio was nowhere to be seen after Stacey left but Yui knew it was still lurking inside the house, watching her every move. She had no mood for the pile of homework on her desk, there was only one thing on her mind – Stacey. Laying on the bed made her realized how tired she really was. Her consciousness slipped as she dozed off into the night.
A bright light woke her up from her slumber. Yui found herself in a room painted completely white on all sides. It was lit by an unknown light source. She looked around the room to try and make sense of what happened. While her brain tried to recall the last thing she remembered, a familiar voice caught her attention. "Yui, welcome." Stacey began emerging from the ground a few feet from her. That was when Yui realized that she must have fallen asleep and was somehow transported there. "What do you want?" Yui demanded. "A demonstration!" Before Yui could react, a bright ray of light pierced right through her body, tearing her chest apart. Her vision was momentarily blurred by the blinding light. She felt her weight shifted as she stumbled and fell backwards. She looked up at the fading image of Stacey staring back at her. "I'll see you again." Stacey waved. Yui gasped for air and reached for her chest. That was when she realized the reason why she was feeling breathless. Her entire right chest was gone! In its wake, there was a huge bleeding gap where her right lungs used to be. She tried her best to stop the bleeding but knew in her heart that it would be futile. The damage was simple too great. She fought till the very end. Everything went dark before her eyes. And then… She drew a deep breath and sat up from her bed all of a sudden. She felt the oxygenated blood coursed through her arteries. She was alive! Yui's hands quickly reached for her right torso, it was fine! Her right lung was still where it should be and the fatal wound was gone. She tried to calm herself down while looking out for signs of Horatio. It was nowhere to be seen. As her throbbing heart calmed, she went to her closet to get a change of clothes. Her pajamas were drenched in sweat. That was when her senses tinkled. "What do you what?" Yui directed her voice beneath her feet. There was no reply. She quickly put on a new set of pajamas and headed towards her bed. All the while her eyes were on the ground, looking out for threats. The faint energy signature that she detected followed her every move, from the closet to her bed. As she sat down on her bed, the weak energy she felt suddenly vanished. But she wasn't about to let her guard down. It made her even more vigilant than before.
Suddenly, a surge of energy rose from beneath Yui's bed. She immediately leapt off from the bed and assumed a defensive posture. Her palms aimed at her bed, anticipating something to emerge from it. However, the energy that she felt moments ago faded as quickly as it first appeared. That was when she noted a weaker energy signature directly behind her! The strong surge concealed the presence of the weaker energy signature! She immediately turned around to defend herself but it was already too late. A claw prickled her neck, causing her to yelp. At the same time, she took in a gasp full of powdery substance. Her whole body numbed and she collapsed to the floor. Yui willed her eyes to open and her limbs to move but none of them were obeying her command. Before long, her eyelids shut and leaving her in darkness once more. She again found herself in the same white room where she supposedly died moments earlier. "Welcome back," a loathsome voice called out from behind. "That's so lame trying to kill me in my dream," Yui turned to face Stacey. "I am really surprised that you didn't notice the first time. A Darkness element wielder like yourself should have at least some control in the dream world. It only goes to show how weak you really are!" Stacey raised her hand and was greeted by a bolt of lightning. The lightning left a golden spear in its wake. "The Spear of Vel, how intimidating. If only it were the genuine one." Yui stomped the ground with her left foot. A red trident emerged through a geyser of dark flame. "Satan's trident, how cliché." Both of them charged towards each other with their weapons. The two legendary weapons collided, causing lighting to struck down randomly from the sky while geysers of dark flame burst forth from the ground. "Not bad, but there's just one problem." The tip of their weapons locked in a stalemate. "And what's that?" Yui said through panted breath, trying her best to maintain her grip on the staff. "This ain't fake!" Stacey said. Yui's trident shattered under the tip of the spear. She leapt backwards to avoid being grazed by the spear but found herself in the wake of a lightning bolt!
Yui felt an immense heat coursed through her veins, it was as if all the blood in her body were brought to boiling point. With a loud scream of agony, she fell to the ground, her entire body twitching. Grey smoke rose from her body along with the smell of grilled meat and burnt plastic. Yui saw Stacey looking down at her, the tip of her spear pointing right at her. "Pathetic!" Stacey spat on Yui's face. Yui tried moving her arms but none of the muscles in her body were listening to her command. Her entire body was burning up and throbbed in pain. "This might be just a dream but I sure you're aware of the 'slippery slope' in dream world." Yui's mouth opened but there was no voice, only incomprehensible sound. Her throat felt bone dry and hot. "What was that, bitch?" Stacey stepped on Yui's face and smeared the sole of her shoe on her face. "You're just a pretty bimbo. That's the only reason Alex's so fond of you." More incomprehensible sounds were emitted. "Let me put you out of your misery." Yui felt a sharp pain at the left side of her chest followed by the gush of warm fluid. Her vision started blurring. The agonizing throb that she felt moments before began to dull. Stacey was stabbing her repeatedly with the spear while laughing like a maniac. But Yui barely felt anything, the nerves in her skin were completely fried the moment that lightning bolt hit her. As Stacey's laughter became distant, Yui found herself awaken once again on her bed. The wounds on her chest and abdomen were gone and she no longer smelt like barbecue. However, replacing them were a deep throbbing headache. There was a knock on her bedroom door as she sat up. "Yui, are you alright?" Alex's voice could be heard from the other side. Hearing Alex's voice soothed Yui's heart. "Are you alright?" Alex asked again after Yui opened the door. "You were screaming." He added. "It's just bad dreams." She replied. "The nightmare is not over yet!" Yui was too shock to apprehend what happened next. She could only stare as blood started spewing out from her chest. Her hands tried to contain the bleeding but it wasn't working. Yui stumbled and fell beside her bed. She was losing blood fast! Alex slowly approached her until he was right on top of her. Then, his hand reached for the hilt of the knife.
With a powerful yank, Alex pulled out the kitchen knife that was impaled into Yui's heart, taking three of her fingers along the way. Her vision was blurred by flashing light as the blade was withdrew. But Yui didn't do anything, she was still frozen in shock. She refused to believe that Alex would do something like that. The pain was excruciating but there was something else that hurt her more – Alex. "Why?" Yui coughed a mouthful of fresh blood. She realized the answer when Stacey appeared behind Alex, with the same wicked grin. Stacey pecked Alex on the cheek and waved at Yui who was slowly sinking back into the darkness. Yui gasped and sat up from her bed. Her hands gasping at her left chest. "I'm sinking." Yui said to herself. The slippery slope had begun to exert its effect on her. The more times she dies in the dream world, the less likely she'll be able to differentiate between the two worlds. She crossed her legs and started meditating, recalling her training. As the fog clouding her thoughts started to clear up, she felt an intense migraine. Her hands immediately reached for her head, grasping her hair and pulling them hard as if the action would ease the pain. She yelled out loud as the pain grew more intense. She lost her balance and tumbled to the floor. As she tumbling, she caught sight of a reddish figure fast approaching. Before she had the time to react, Horatio was already beside her. At the same time, she thought she heard knocks on her door followed by the rattling of the doorknob. A sequence of events happened rapidly within the next split of a second. Yui felt the clutch of Horatio's claw on her neck followed by the sounds of gunshots. The next thing she felt was Horatio's heavy body leaning against her, lifeless. Yui turned towards the door and saw Alex with his dual pistols. It was a nostalgic sight, bringing back memories from their first encounter. "Are you alright?" Alex asked, his eyes and guns were still focusing on Horatio. "Barely alive," Yui answered with a smile and pushed the demon's corpse away. When she was about to get up, her instinct tingled. She quickly turned her attention towards Horatio. The demon remained motionless. She brushed away her subconscious warning and examined the corpse.
"What's that?" Alex asked while inching closer towards Horatio. "Its name was Horatio, Stacey's pet." Yui's subconscious fired up once more as she spoke, like a siren, alarming her of an incoming threat. "Something doesn't feel right," she thought to herself as she examined the wounds on Horatio. A sharp pain coursed through her spine like electricity when she tried to think deeper into the matter. "Slippery slope," the phrase suddenly came into her mind. Yui's dagger appeared in her hand all of a sudden and she swung it at Alex's direction as he knelt down to examine the demon. "Why…Yui…" Alex's hands reached for his throat to stop the bleeding, dropping his guns. "There's no need to continue pretending, I am tired of all these." Yui pointed her dagger at Alex. Alex grinned, his face suddenly blurred and the wound on his neck faded. "What is your real deal? What do you want with Alex?" Yui demanded. "Everything!" Stacey answered with a wicked laugh. "That's not gonna happen," Yui slashed the empty space in front of her. A gash in time-space was created and she hopped into it. Everything went pitch-black after she entered the gash. The next time she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on her bed. Everything around her was as it should have been. There was a knock on the door followed by Alex's voice. "Are you alright?" Yui hesitated before she finally replied. "It was nothing, just had a nightmare, that's all." She walked towards the door. Yui readied her dagger behind her back while opening the door cautiously. Alex looked the same as he did before she went to bed, dressed in T-shirt and shorts. "Are you okay?" He asked again. It was déjà vu all over again. Not letting her guard down, Yui kept her hand on the hilt of the dagger. "Just a bad dream," she replied. "You don't look so well," Alex continued. "It was a particularly scary dream." Yui answered. Sensing nothing out of the ordinary, she relaxed her grip on the dagger. Suddenly, from the corner of her eyes, she saw a shadow fast approaching. She took a quick step back from Alex, anticipating a sneak attack from him. However, Alex didn't seem to show any aggression and the shadow wasn't going after her. It was aiming for Alex! Horatio impaled Alex's chest with its claws just as Yui realized she had made mistake.
Horatio's greenish arm raised Alex off of his feet before slamming him to the ground, breaking his neck in the process. As before, Yui was too shocked to react to what had happened before her eyes. "If I can't have him, no one else can!" Stacey appeared from behind Horatio. "You are gonna pay for this!" Mists of dark energy engulfed Yui, fueled by her anger and grief. Thousands of dark tendrils lashed at Horatio. However, none of her attacks got through to it. With a low whisper, the demon formed a golden barrier in front of it, absorbing all incoming threats. Another monotonous hum made the barrier shone and advanced forward. The barrier slammed into Yui with enough force to break most of her ribs. Yui was knock backwards and through the wall of her room. All the energy that she mustered moments ago were just barely able to keep her alive. She forced herself to get up and breathed through gritted teeth. Her chest felt as if it were being stabbed each time she took a breath. She was shoved back down the moment she got up. Stacey landed a foot on Yui's chest while pulling her hair. Yui yelled in pain. Angry and heart-broken as she were, Yui knew there was nothing she could do about it, Stacey was just too strong. "Pathetic! Pu-uh!" Stacey spat on Yui's face. "Sending a kid to do a man's job." Stacey slapped Yui hard on her cheek, knocking one of her tooth off. Her left ear was momentarily deafened by the hit. "You are nothing but a pretty face. That's all you are. A nobody!" Stacey continued her insult. Yui could hardly pay any attention to her. She was trying hard just to force herself to breath, gasping for air through the pain. "You're not listening are you," Stacey beamed for Horatio. The demon's eyes glowed and all of a sudden, Yui felt all the pain in her chest lifted! She was able to take deep breath without trouble. "What are you trying to do?" Yui asked, feeling a lot better than before. "Making you suffer!" Stacey answered with a grin. From the side, Yui saw Alex rising from the dead after Horatio spoken some incantations. There were four deep holes on his chest where Horatio's claws had impaled and his neck slanted in an awkward position. "What have you done?" Yui demanded.
"Have fun," Stacey turned to leave, with Horatio following close behind. Alex shambled towards Yui, his neck jerked with each step. "What have you done to him?" Yui demanded but there was no reply. "Alex, it's me, Yui!" She called out. Only incomprehensible murmurs could be heard from Alex. As he got closer, Yui noticed Alex's eyes went completely white! His usual dark brown irises were gone and he walked with a hunched back and a limp to the side. "What have they done to you?" Yui said. "Ra-a-aw!" Alex roared and lurched forward. Out of sheer panic, Yui squeezed every last ounce of energy left in her to fire a pulse of dark energy that pushed Alex back. Alex was knocked a couple of feet backwards and landed on his back. Yui tried to seize the moment to put a distance between them but only then discovered that her legs were shackled to the ground. Stacey must have created the shackles while she was humiliating her. "Dammit!" Yui cursed. She aimed her palms at the chains but nothing came out. She no longer had the strength to even produce a speck of darkness. She reached behind her back for her dagger but it was no longer there! As she turned to look up, she saw Alex charging at her with her dagger in one of his hand! She crossed her arms and covered her head in a last-ditch effort at self-defense. She felt a sharp pain across her left hand, followed by warm liquid flowing down her arms. She opened her eyes and found three of her left digits lying on the ground while one was protruding out from Alex's mouth! The sound of bone being crunched could be heard as Alex crushed and swallowed Yui's index finger. "Stay back, stay back!" Yui cried, her body trembled as fear overwhelmed her. The monster continued advancing towards Yui despite her plead. With a leapt, it landed on top of Yui, pinning her to the ground. It swung the dagger across her chest, slicing through her pajamas and left a deep gash across her chest and breasts. The monster tore apart Yui's pajamas and sunk its teeth into her right breast where the dagger cut. Yui screamed and struggled to push the undead creature away as it began devouring her. "Stop it, please stop this! It hurts!" She yelled in agony as her nipple were ripped away from her breast.
Yui shrilled as her flesh were being torn from her forearm when she tried to fight back. She felt another sharp pain across her abdomen soon after the undead devoured half of her right breast. There was an intense cramping sensation as her guts were being pulled out of her abdominal cavity. She could only gaze in agony as the creature slowly chewed on her small intestines. She lost all her will to fight back. A chilling cold crept from her lower limb and then spread over her entire body. A geyser of blood painted the zombie's face when it ripped Yui's abdominal aorta. Her consciousness began to slip and the familiar darkness welcomed her back. She felt a shook on her shoulder. It was faint at first but soon grew more vivid and stronger. And when she finally forced her eyes open, she saw Alex beside her, the same Alex that later became a flesh-eating zombie. Without taking any chances, she hurled her palms forward, sending a wave of darkness that knocked Alex off his feet and through her bedroom door. "Jeez, what was that for?" Alex cried as he tried to get up. "Wow, chill Yui. What's wrong with you? I just came in because you were screaming in your dreams all night." Alex raised both his arms in submission when he saw Yui pointing the dagger at him. "Where is Stacey and Horatio?" Yui opened her mouth but her message remained in her thoughts. "I don't have telepathy, so you'll have to speak up or else I won't know. Aww." Alex wrapped his arms around his chest. "Stop fooling around! I know you're a fake!" Her next sentence came out just fine. Yui's hand was shaking, she was hesitating. Despite being deceived twice by Stacey, Yui was still having doubts. She was afraid that she might harm the real Alex accidentally. "What? What the hell is wrong with you?" Alex yelled back. He was replied with a slap to the cheek before he could continue. Alex's expression darkened as he forced himself to stand up through the pain. "If this is what I get for being caring, maybe I shouldn't have." There were both anger and disappointment in his eyes as he turned to leave. Yui was still holding onto her dagger, holding her ground. It took a moment for her to realize that she was no longer in her dreams anymore. Everything she did was for real. She wanted to chase after him and apologize but she couldn't. Images of the blood-thirsty zombie-Alex were still fresh in her mind, sending chills down her spine. She dropped to her knees and wept. Crying was the only thing she could do.
14. Max's Confession
Calvin woke up to the low hum of machinery around him. He lost consciousness from the pain and blood loss when his right forearm was torn from his elbow. But every single word Kelvin's grandpa said was etched deep in his mind before he passed out. 'War', the single word that kept resounding in his mind. Through his multiple history lessons on Macquinol when he first came to reside in Gaea, he understood the devastating effect a war would bring. The countless melees that were fought in Macquinol after the end of the Great War. And how difficult it was before a temporary peace was achieved in Macquinol. And his aunt is going to jeopardize everything, turning it back to square one again. The fragile peace that was maintained for the past twenty years were thanks to the effort of the Macquinol Security Council, a body her aunt resented the most. She never told him the real reason before but it was obvious after what happened. The council was the one thing stopping her from starting a war. "Stop her from achieving her dream…" Calvin suddenly recalled a casual conversation he had with his aunt years ago during his lessons with her. He remembered her aunt mentioning her dream of a united Macquinol under the leadership of the Gaea family. She wished to restore the Gaea Empire to its former glory. He also recalled her saying something about a secret weapon at the heart of Macquinol. Calvin spotted the bed rail and reached for it, only to realized he no longer had a right hand. "Need a hand?" Max called out. Calvin extended his left hand and sat up with the help of Max. There was a silence pause between the two before Calvin spoke. "What were you doing back at the research facility?" "I was waiting for her," Max replied. That moment was when Calvin realized that there was another person inside the room besides the two of them. A timid and small figure was hiding behind Max. She only popped her head out slowly after Calvin noticed her presence. "Who's she?" Calvin asked. "She's Angelina, my daughter." Max answered. "Whut? Excuse me, did I hear that correctly?" Calvin choked on his drink. "You heard correctly, she is my daughter." Max said.
"I don't believe this, you never told us you had kids before. Back when we first saw you, she wasn't there. When did you get married?" Calvin asked. "It's a long story and it's related to what just happened." "Oh-h…" Calvin put down the glass. "You mind telling me all about it? I know my friends and I weren't selected randomly to come to Nirvana like you first told us. Over the years, I have tried digging into the reasons behind why we were chosen. However, I soon lost interest in it after I was nominated to become the next in line for the throne. Studies and politics occupied most of my past 9 years. Among the six of them, Kelvin was the only one whom I had no clue of. The reason he was brought here 9 years back remains a mystery to me." Calvin paused for a while, looking at his right elbow stump. "I'm a terrible person, am I? I have just been handicapped and all I could think of right now is still the throne." "That's not true. I rather have you as king of the Gaea Empire than Lady Christina." Max replied. "How can I be king when I don't even realize those closest to me are plotting against me?" Calvin raised his voice unintentionally. Angelina was startled by him and hid behind her dad's back. "Sorry," Calvin lowered his tone when he realized he had just frightened the little girl. "It's okay, Angel. Go wait outside with Miss Mandy. Papa will be with you in a moment." Max kissed his daughter gently on her forehead before she ran towards the door. A nurse was seen talking to Angelina and leading her away from them. "Is that you wife?" Calvin asked. "No. Like I said, it's a long story. Julee's in the other room, I will tell you the whole story there. Can you walk?" Max asked. "Who do you think you're talking to?" Calvin answered with a smirk. He pushed his butt off the bed with his left hand and stumbled as he got onto his feet. However, he managed to regain balance without aid. "This way," Max said, leading the way. "By the way, which hospital are we in now?" Calvin asked. "We're still in Rondo, it's Hospital 312." Max answered. "I'm so screwed if my father finds out about this." Calvin sighed. "He won't. Other than your arm, the rest have been covered. You're just another patient here, not the prince." Max winked.
Max led Calvin to an isolation room at the back of the aisle. The moment the door was opened, they were greeted by a gust of air and the smell of ionized air. Julee was seen half-asleep on one of the seats facing a glass panel. Only when she saw them entering did she rubbed her eyes and tried to force herself awake. Her eyebags were puffy with shades of darkness. As they entered the room, Calvin noted the glass panel overlooking another isolation room next to theirs'. Kelvin was lying on the bag inside, intubated. His vitals seemed to be stable with the help of a few inotropes. His heart ached from just looking at his old friend in such a state. The pain hurt him even beyond the phantom pain that pulsed through his detached limb. But his face portrayed nothing. The years of political exposure and arts of communications taught him to control his emotions well. "What happened?" Calvin asked as he leant against the glass panel. "Neurogenic shock. The Belaya Parasite that dwelled in Kelvin's body fused with it over the years. Removing it from his body is like getting rid of his nerves. His body was unable to adapt to the sudden change, causing his body to stop functioning. His blood pressure crashed together with his entire autonomic nervous system, causing him to go into a comatose state. But it's only temporary." Max explained. "How so?" Calvin asked. "His body will eventually resume functioning, adapting to the new changes. But how long that would take, nobody knows." Max explained. "Okay, guess we have no choice but to wait and hope for the best." Calvin turned around and took a seat next to Julee. "So, can you tell me now the connection between you, Kelvin and your kid?" "I hope you're ready for a long history lesson." Max grabbed a bottle of soda from the refrigerator.
"My wife – Linda died 24 years ago during the Macquinol Civil War which eventually led to the divide of the Gaea Empire, splitting Macquinol into five different nations. Though Gaea still retains most of her empire." Max began. "From what I read, it was a long war." Calvin added. "It is, five long years." "Why didn't anyone from Freedom Clan try to stop it?" Calvin asked. "It's not like we didn't try. But we couldn't do anything, not against your great grandfather." "Why is that so?" Julee interrupted. "I'm sure you know how they describe your great grandfather – King Julius." Max answered. "A tyrant, that's what they said." Calvin winced as a pulse of phantom pain throbbed through his right arm. "Yes. But he was more than a tyrant. The reason he was allowed to become a monster was all because of us – The Alliance. It was at the beginning of the conflict we called The Great War. Just as Narakiya was beginning to amass his army for a campaign against those that wrongly prosecuted the Darkness. The Council of Light at that time was also assembling a counter force in respond. And to prevent Macquinol from joining Narakiya, Chancellor Gabriel – the previous chancellor made a pact with King Julius. A pact that forever tarnished the name of The Alliance as a symbol of justice and righteousness. It did what it was supposed to do, winning King Julius over but pissing off everyone else on Macquinol." Julee interrupted as Max was halfway through. "Hold on! What did he actually do for everyone to hate him that much?" "A war monger, illegal experimentation on POWs and mass genocides. To sum it up, a tyrant." Calvin answered. "Many illegal human experiments were conducted throughout the pre-and post-war era. His crimes were left unpunished as The Alliance turned a blind eye in exchange for his support. However, his experiments gone too far, to the point where The Alliance could no longer just let him be. Because of that, Macquinol was embroiled in a terrible civil war 10 years after the Great War ended. A temporary cease fire was made after five years followed by a 20-year-long cold war. After that, the continent was once again at war. A war which took my beloved's life. The Judgement was then formed and peace returned to Macquinol with new borders drawn between the 5 nations."
"You're getting further away from the point!" Calvin slammed his fist on the table. "I want to know why Kelvin is being drawn into this mess, period!" He pointed at the glass panel. "I am getting there." Max spoke calmly. "Stanley was one of the top researcher in the 'Super Soldier Program' – a series of inhuman experiments to create the ultimate soldier. Project MICON was one of its product. My wife and I are the products of fusion with the second-generation Belaya parasite. The cultivation of a 3rd-gen Belaya parasite was about to begin when the Gaea Empire collapsed. All the illegal human experiments were exposed and King Julius and most of his high commanding officers were executed without any trial. The results of the experiments were shared among the other four new nations. However, Stanley managed to escape with the data of Project MICON. It was the only experiment that was never discovered until much later." "Wait, I thought you said you were one of the test subject. How come you can't trial against him?" Calvin interrupted. "Remember I told you that my wife died during the last Macquinol Civil War? It was then that Stanley made an offer to me, something that I couldn't refuse." Max answered but was again interrupted by Calvin. "To save your unborn child." "That's right. In return for saving her, I helped him escaped and brought Kelvin to Nirvana just as he instructed. Using a privately owned pharmaceutical company as a cover, Stanley continued the project." "But this still doesn't explain why he needs Kelvin." Julee spoke after remaining quiet the entire time. "During the last 2nd-gen Belaya Parasite experiment, it was found that Stanley's own family bloodline was most compatible with the parasite. Among the human test subjects, Linda was the most successful, so was Stanley who fused with the 1st-gen parasite." Max explained. "Wait! He experimented on himself? What kind of sick bastard does that?" Calvin said. "You have no idea."
"Then, I brought Kelvin to the Sky Garden where the Belaya Parasite was injected into his body. It took a few years for the parasite to mature and spread all over his body. I'm sure you noticed that Kelvin was much more powerful than the rest of you despite that was the first time he realized about his powers. The Belaya Parasite enhanced all physical aspects of the power user and …" Calvin's arm suddenly reached for Max's collar. "That's enough! You're the reason Kelvin ended up like this! He shouldn't be involved in all these! He shouldn't have!" Calvin fumed. He was clearly pretty upset about what happened to his old pal Kelvin "Calm down, Max did what he had to do to save Angelina. You would've done the same if you were in his position." Julee said. Calvin loosened his grip and headed for the door. "Sorry, I think I need some air." He walked out the room without another word. The entire room then fell into an awkward silence. Moments after Calvin left, Max rose from his seat. "I'll go check on Angelina. Meanwhile, you better get some shut eye. When was the last time you slept?" "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Julee answered. "I know you're concerned but at this moment, there is nothing we can do except wait." Max continued. "I know, that's why I'm staying right here." Max sighed and turned to leave. "Try not to get yourself sick, I'm sure Kelvin wouldn't want that." Julee ignored Max's advice, her eyes were fixed on the teenager behind the glass panel. As she stared at Kelvin, multiple thoughts ran through her mind. Her feelings towards Kelvin was best described as a mixed feeling. There were still things that she did not understand about falling in love, becoming something more than best of friends. However, she could feel her heart ached each time she looked at the bed inside. "Is this feeling, love?" Her mind continued to ponder without realizing the fact that her eyes were starting to droop. Before long, she fell asleep leaning against the glass window.
Calvin stepped onto the balcony overlooking District 3. The hospital stood in a typical high-rise overlooking an extremely well-organized city. Each building was built next to another sky scrapper of similar height. It was as if the entire country of Rondo was affected by a severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. He inhaled deeply the chilly night air, trying to empty his mind of all the mess that had happened. He then reached out his right hand to grab one of the many capsules on his utility belt, only to remember that he no longer had a right hand. While cursing out loud on the empty balcony, he popped the capsule clumsily with his left hand. A small gush of air was released and the capsule was replaced by a small packet. Calvin removed one cigar from the packet and lit it with a snap of his thumb. He took a deep breath, sucking in the nicotine rich vapor. Then, he let the vapor seeped deep into his lungs, savoring the burning sensation that dissipated down his throat and into his chest. "Since when did you started smoking?" A voice called out from the end of the balcony. Calvin glanced towards the direction of the voice. His gaze was met with a welcoming smile from a stranger in white coat. Calvin couldn't recognize his face at first but the next time the stranger smile, it jolted a memory deep within him. It took a while for him to recall the name but he got it in the end. "Toby?"
"Yes, it's me. Can't believe you still remembers me after this long, Prince Gaea." Toby said. "It's hard to forget that smile." Calvin replied. "What are you doing here anyway? Don't tell me you work here?" "The matter in fact, I do. I'm Dr. Toby now." Toby said. "What? No way!" The two of them walked towards each other. "Yes, I'm. The life of a warrior just doesn't suit me. I'm sure you remembered what happened in Spring Garden." Toby chuckled. "I guess so." Calvin extended his right arm for a handshake, again forgotten that his right forearm was gone. "Oops! Sorry about that, kinda forgotten I no longer has a right hand." Calvin laughed to himself. Toby quickly took Calvin's right arm stump and shook it with both his hands before he could retract it. "None taken. I'm happy that you still remember me." Toby said. "Wow, I mean seriously, wow! I'm impressed." Calvin said. "I was pretty surprised myself, able to get into a med school and graduating." Toby answered. "By the way, take these. It seems the pain had started bothering you." He handed Calvin a couple of pills and a bottle of water. "You noticed?" Calvin happily took the pills without questions. "It's called phantom pain. They can be a bother sometimes. Let's get you a new arm. That way, the pain will stop." Toby suggested. Calvin's eyebrows rose soon after he took the pills. "Wow, whatever those were, they work wonders!" The pain that had been radiating down his right arm was completely relieved by the medication. "If you think that is amazing, wait till you see your new forearm." Toby said and headed inside. "Surprise me, doc!" Calvin followed suit. "Oh, and no smoking inside!" Toby reminded. Feeling embarrassed, Calvin quickly smoldered his cigar and tossed the butt.
The two of them entered the elevator and Toby paused to insert an ID card into an almost invisible slot. "Where are we going?" Calvin asked. "Level TX – the biomechanical research lab." Toby answered. The elevator started descending at a rapid rate soon after Toby removed his ID card. Calvin could feel the pressure on his eardrums and the gravity beneath his feet started waning. Within seconds, they arrived at level TX. The moment the elevator doors opened, they were greeted by racks of prosthetic limbs made from all sorts of materials, some of them were even weaponized. "They make weapons here?" Calvin asked while following Toby through a narrow aisle. "We do. It's part of the robotic program carried forward from your grandfather's time. The only difference being we're doing it legally this time, with permission from the Rondo government." Toby replied. They reached a titanium door that emitted thick white fumes as it slid open. "I give you the latest advancement in prosthetic technology, the T450. It's made from an ultra-light composite material." Toby handed the prosthetic forearm to Calvin. "You're right, it's light." Calvin nodded. "Try it." Calvin nodded again and attached it to his right stump. "Ouch!" Calvin yelped. "Sorry, forgotten to warn you about the initial sting as it attaches to your nerves." Toby apologized. "Something's flowing into me." Calvin said. "You're impressive to detect them." Toby said. "It's the nanobots inside the T450. They help to suppress your immune response to prevent your body from rejecting the new graft." "I see." Calvin slowly turned his new forearm around, inspecting it from all angles. "Hey, how come it feels heavier than before?" Calvin asked. "The limb synchronizes with your brain to make it feels like as if it were your real forearm. That way, you'll get used to it in no time." Toby explained. "Sweet! But how tough is this thing? Considering its weight." "Why don't you try it out yourself?" Toby pointed at the simulation room. However, before they could begin, Toby's communicator sounded. "What's up?" He accepted the incoming call. "Turn on Channel 5," it was Max on the other end. Toby switched on the closest monitor and turned it to Channel 5 as suggested. The monitor showed the Judgement's Headquarter on fire! "It has begun." Max said through the communicator.
15. Demon and Magic
Lenny ran towards the direction of the shrill. As he came closer to the source, he deliberately slowed down, tip-toeing and leant against the wall, sensing danger in the direction ahead. He stole a glance at the corner where Princess Kirin's scream seemed to have come from. Four men were seen patrolling a passageway laden with bodies on the sides and blood stains over the walls. They were guarding a double door at the end of the hallway. "Do it!" Sam told Lenny telepathically, reading his hesitance and fear. The sight of the corpses reminded him of the bloody scene at Celestial Square. And an image suddenly flashed before his eyes – the headless corpse that he decapitated. The face of the first man he killed flashed before his eyes. "If you don't pull yourself together, we're not gonna save anyone but get ourselves killed! Get a hold of yourself!" Sam screeched. Lenny's hands began trembling. He stole another glance while hesitating his next move. His eyes caught sight of a spear close to him. It once belonged to one of the guards who escorted him from the torture room to his cell. The guy was dead, both his arms were shredded from his torso, he probably died in a gruesome way. "Pick it up! Look, he's coming our way!" Sam warned. The man spotted Lenny before he had the chance to hide behind the wall. He opened his mouth to warn the others but was met with a large chunk of ice shot into his mouth. He was then dropped with a spear to his thigh. He fell to the ground, choking. While he was gasping on the ground, Sam did the finishing blow, injecting its wyvern venom into the man's carotid artery. Within seconds, the venom reached his heart. He writhed weakly before becoming completely still, with frothy saliva drooling from the corners of his mouth. However, Lenny's action caught the attention of the other three guards on patrol. "It's too late to turn back now." Sam told Lenny telepathically. Lucky for Lenny, they underestimated him. Instead of sounding the alarm, the three guards went head on to surround Lenny and his pet wyvern. They let Lenny's age fooled them, thinking that he is just a mere teenager. "Surrender and we'll spare your life, kid!" One of them said. "See that sickle over there?" Sam pointed out. Since forming a pact with Lenny, Sam was able to access Lenny's experience and techniques which allowed it to predict Lenny's moves and enhance their cooperation in battles.
"Raise your hands!" Another guard barked. Lenny's hands were still trembling from the flashback he had earlier. The guards further lowered their guards as they were convinced that Lenny was just another terrified teen. "Lenny! Now's our chance!" Sam said. The guard raised his sword and approached Lenny. Lenny took a step backwards and placed his right arm behind his back. "I said…" Before the guard could finish, Lenny sprang into action. His body swayed to the side and dodged a crackling thunder bolt shot at his direction while extending his right arm forward. A gel-like string was shot passed the guard in front of Lenny and latched onto the sickle behind him. As he pulled on the string, the sickle was sent spinning towards the guards. They scrambled, breaking their formation. The one in front of Lenny ducked to avoid the projectile while another one blocked it with his sword. Lenny quickly reached for the guard who shot the lightning bolt at him, grabbing him by the neck and pulling him towards his knee. The audible cracks of bones were heard as Lenny's knee met the man's chest. The guard wasn't wearing any metal armors like his colleagues, making him an easy target. The man fell to the ground gasping. Lenny then put him to sleep with an ice club formed by solidifying his gel-like string. Sam on the other hand sprang at the guard who ducked to avoid the flying sickle. Sam aimed for the nape of the neck where the armor was the thinnest. He latched onto the guard's back and sunk its teeth into his neck. Sam's fangs easily pierced through the chainmail and found the man's spine. The venom quickly seeped through the rich blood supply on the back of the spine and coursed through his veins. Within seconds, the man fell, dropped his sabre and began convulsing. His eyes rolled up and his entire body jerked wildly before becoming still. The last guard turned to run but tripped on one of the many corpses on the ground. He tried to warn his comrades but was gaged by Lenny with a ragged cloth. "Should I put him out?" Sam asked. "NO! Don't you have any other venom that just paralyze them?" Lenny hissed out loud. "Of course, I do! How would I know what you want if you don't say so?" "I thought you can read my mind?" Lenny asked. "I need time to do that and I clearly don't have it the moment we started fighting! Besides, why should we show mercy to someone who would murder even children?" Sam pointed out. Lenny turned his eyes away from the corpses of a few children among the piles of bodies.
Lenny pinned the guard to the ground after gagging him. He looked terrified as Sam approached him with its fangs. He struggled to break free but Lenny's binding was too strong. "Relax, you're not gonna die!" Lenny reassured. The man soon fell unconscious after Sam injected its venom into him. Instead of convulsing and shaking violently like his dead comrade, the man just fell asleep. "Let's go," Lenny said. He pushed the wooden door open softly and slipped inside. Princess Kirin was still screaming but it was mixed with sob. Her cries were not as loud as before. The goons that were inside were completely different from the ones Lenny fought outside. They were dressed in 21st-century clothing, unlike most of the people he saw around his prison whom were dressed like the Medieval period. Lenny immediately noted the head honcho among the goons, it wasn't that hard really. The middle-aged man was wearing a ceremonial uniform of sort among people in tuxs. Princess Kirin was seen stripped till her undergarments. Even her undergarments were in tatters, exposing parts of her boobs and butt. Her body was laced with whip marks and her cheeks reddened, likely from repeated slapping. The head of the goons stared at the princess's exposed body with lewd looks in his eyes while brushing her tummy with a horsewhip. "Marry me and we shall rule Bashara together." The man said. "Never! I did rather die! Traitor!" Princess Kirin hissed. "Have it your way, you'll be my woman either way." The man finished with an evil laugh. Despite Lenny's stealthy entrance, one of the goons took note of his presence. "Who's there?" The leader shouted. "No use hiding, I guess." Lenny shrugged. He emerged from behind stacks of barrels, unarmed. "Lenny!" The leader seemed surprised and happy to see him. "Lower your weapons, fools! He's the one Emperor Shin asked to rescue." "Who are you people?" Lenny asked, suddenly feeling more confused than tense.
"My apologies for not introducing myself first. I am Lord Tarkhan, one of the Elites of the Bashara Empire." The middle-aged man said. "Ex-Elite. You betrayed the Empire. You're no longer one of us! Ptui!" Princess Kirin spitted on Lord Tarkhan's face. She was then punished with a blow to her gut. Her legs gave way and she writhed on the ground. Her wrists were still in fetters held by two of Tarkhan's men. "Sorry for the interruption." Lord Tarkhan wiped the spit off his face and turned towards Lenny. "As I was saying, I'm now working under Emperor Shin to topple the corrupted Barbosa Monarchy and rescue you along the way." "What's in it for you?" Lenny interrupted. "Well, with the Barbosa Monarchy out of the way, Bashara needs a new ruler," Tarkhan replied. "They'll never follow someone like you!" Princess Kirin said through gritted teeth. "Shut up, woman!" Lord Tarkhan delivered a boot to her face. Princess Kirin groaned weakly as Lord Tarkhan smeared his boot over her face. "That's enough!" Lenny yelled. "What are you doing, Lenny? Are you nuts!" Sam shouted into Lenny's thought. "Excuse me?" Lord Tarkhan was taken aback by the teenager's sudden raise of voice. "Let her go!" Lenny demanded. "I don't think you are in any position to demand that, boy!" He removed his boot from her face after stomping her left ankle. A spear made of ice started taking shape in Lenny's hands. "Are you serious?" Lord Tarkhan scowled. He then signaled two of his men to take care of Lenny. "You can hurt him, just don't kill him! Teenagers!" Lord Tarkhan huffed. Two men in tuxedos came at Lenny, one with a blackjack and the other a stun baton. Like his previous assailants, they heavily underestimated Lenny. They left too much an opening for Lenny to maneuver his spear. With a fast thrust and a sharp swing, Lenny took them out easily. They were then put to sleep by Sam. After witnessing what Lenny was capable of, Lord Tarkhan sent all his men after Lenny. "Get him!"
"Do it, Lenny!" Sam who was telepathically connected to Lenny's soul sensed his indecisiveness. He was staring at the lightsaber on one of the men he knocked out, unable to make a decision. During that split second, Sam dived towards Lenny whom was still deep in thoughts. Sam pushed Lenny off balance and caused him to stumble a few steps backwards before recovering his footing. Sam hissed as a laser beam sliced off its tail. Lenny dashed forward and recovered Sam with his right hand while summoning a sheet of ice with his left. A thin sheet of ice instantaneously formed over the floor in front of him, causing his assailants to slip and fall. "Are you alright?" Lenny asked. "As you can see, my tail's gone." Sam said. "Sorry," Lenny apologized as he ducked and rolled out of the way of the projectiles fired at him. "Don't worry about it, it'll grow back eventually. But I can't fly after this. Without my tail, I can't control my flight." Sam said telepathically. "You can grow your tail back?" Lenny replied, surprised. "Of course, we share the same lineage as the lizards. Although some dragons lose this ability as they grew." Sam explained. "That's good to know. You just stay here while I take care of business." Lenny put Sam down behind the stacks of barrels. "Go get them, master!" Lenny then dashed from his hiding place and took his opponents by surprise. With a fist to the ground as he knelt, the sheet of ice on the floor transformed into sharp spikes that impaled his foes. Three of the men got their feet nailed to the ground from below. They screamed and tried to free their legs while the rest of their brethren chased after Lenny. There was no hesitance in his mind anymore. With a gentle toss, Lenny broke the barrel that held the stack upright, causing them to collapse on top of his foes. He then ducked as another man came at him. He reached for the man's belt as his assailant's baton struck only empty spaces. With an elbow thrust, Lenny threw the guy off balance while grabbing the lightsaber from his belt.
Lenny was surprised at how well he wielded the laser blade. It was more than three years since he last held one of them. Lenny was a completely different person when he was wielding a sword. His subsequent pursuers had their fingers or hands sliced clean off as they tried to restrain Lenny. Lenny was holding off pretty well against the first five men that charged at him. They moaned and groaned in agony while retreating with their detached body parts. Lord Tarkhan cursed and gave a signal to his remaining men with a nod of his head. The remaining dozen men dropped their non-lethal weapons and ditched out the dangerous ones. Lenny made his way to the other far corner of the room, drawing fire away from his pet wyvern. He rolled, slid and jumped while deflecting the incoming laser beams and other energy projectiles fired at his way. As one foe got close enough for Lenny to engage, he made a sudden sharp U-turn. Shifting his left foot to change his direction while his right foot propelled him towards his enemy. His lightsaber made contact with the man's chest but all it did was damaged the man's tux. In the tiny frame of a second where Lenny was still figuring out what was going on, his opponent disarmed his lightsaber with a karate chop. Lenny tried to side-step to dodge the follow-up attack but was too late. The man punched Lenny hard on his right cheek, making him stumbled backwards and lost his balance. As he closed in for another strike, he was taken by a surprise somersault kick to the chin. Apparently, Lenny was able to manipulate the air during his fall to reposition himself for a counter attack. Manipulating the air was something which Lenny was quite good at but three years of inactivity rusted his skills. After landing on his feet, Lenny charged towards his opponents. He kicked the closest one in the groin while pushing another one away with a blast of compressed air. Then, he retreated to a more strategic location while the rest of his pursuers tried to corner him.
Lenny ran past two men blocking his way, knocking them down with a mace he made while running. As he ran past Princess Kirin, he sent a hail of ice shards at her direction. Lord Tarkhan reacted by aiming his wand at the projectiles and started chanting. A hail of meteorites appeared from a magic circle in the air. Lenny smiled. Some of his ice shards suddenly changed course in mid-air, avoiding collision with the meteorites. They were directed at Princess Kirin, breaking her fetter and chains. "That's a cheap trick!" Princess Kirin immediately bolted for the nearest exit. "Get her!" Lord Tarkhan barked. His men stopped. They were confused at who should pursue the princess and who should go after Lenny. As Lord Tarkhan's men finally sorted out the issues, a tidal wave caught their attention. A gush of water suddenly appeared from the door where Lenny escaped through. "Useless mercenaries!" Lord Tarkhan murmured. They braced themselves for the incoming tide while Lord Tarkhan did something that took all of them by surprise. He grabbed the man next to him and slit his throat with a dagger. As the man fell, Lord Tarkhan began chanting. A magic circle began to form from the blood of the dead mercenary. The rest of his men were too occupied with protecting themselves from the tidal wave that some didn't even notice what their boss just did. The wave of water parted into two as it crashed into an invisible shield around Tarkhan. Lenny on the other hand, picked Sam up during the diversion and headed away from the bunch. Terrible screams soon echoed from the room they fought. They started after Lenny felt a tremor from the ground and the air reeked of sulfur. "You feel that?" Sam asked Lenny telepathically. "Yeah…" He murmured and continued searching for a way out. After going through the multiple doors and passageways, Lenny found himself back to the same room he fought Lord Tarkhan and his men.
Lord Tarkhan was long gone from the spacious room. The only evidence of a battle being fought there were the charred remains. There were no corpses left from where Lenny first entered. The bodies that Lenny saw earlier were no longer there, only ashes and soot were left. "What happened here?" Lenny said. "Nothing good." Sam answered. "Do you still remember the way out?" Lenny asked as he picked up a laser pistol from the floor. "I think it's this way," Sam led the way. Suddenly, a howl sent the entire place shaking, knocking off dust from the ceiling. Lenny rushed towards the direction of the sound without another word. As he moved closer to the source, he could feel the energy emanating from it. He reached an open space after rushing through a short passageway. The moment he entered the open space, he made a sudden realization. Before his eyes stood a large field full of crops, a crop unknown to Lenny. And at the edges of the field were stalactites, stalagmites and rock pillars typically found in caves. High above the open field stood a giant purplish crystal, illuminating the place and probably supplying the light energy required by the plants. Before the breathtaking view stood two fearsome creatures – A white tiger the size of an elephant and a demon of similar size. The demon had the face of a boar, horns of an antelope and tail of a snake combined in a humanoid bipedal body and limbs. And the ground which it stood was charred. "Give it up, princess! Your White Moon is no match for Billy." Suddenly, there was a grunt from the demon. "How many times had I told you not to call me Billy!" The Demon turned to face Lord Tarkhan. "I'll call you whatever I please, demon!" Lord Tarkhan's wand suddenly buzzed with energy. And within seconds, a ray of orange beam burst from the tip of the wand, forming a whip with the wand as its handle. Lenny could sense fear and hatred in the demon's eyes as it reluctantly bowed and kneel before Lord Tarkhan. "Forgive me, my master." It uttered in a tone filled with resentment. "What should I do with the kid?" "Leave him be, I'll take care of him. Just kill that tiger and get me the princess, unharmed if possible." Lord Tarkhan replied. "As you wish," The demon 'Billy' shot Lenny one last look before charging at Princess Kirin's White Moon.
"Wait, come back here!" Lenny charged towards Billy without a second thought. "What are you doing, master!" Sam screamed in his thought. Lenny ignored his pet wyvern and withdrew two lightsabers which he scavenged along the way. Billy stopped and stared at Lenny as he charged towards it, unfazed by his double lightsabers. When Lenny approached striking range, he launched himself into the air and aimed for the neck. Billy made a quick turn to the side and received the full blow from the two lightsabers with its left arm. "Ouch," Billy made a silly laugh as the lightsabers struck its skin. Lenny could feel immense heat being transmitted through the energy swords. Before long, he had to loosen his grip on the lightsabers as they became too hot to be held. The moment his lightsabers dropped from his grip, they burst into flame, melting their energy cores and destroying them. "Hahaha, that tickles." Billy then turned its attention to the huge white tiger that came at it. The two beasts crashed into each other. They engaged in a fierce battle, each aiming for the other's weak spot. Meanwhile, Princess Kirin did some enchantment of her own. The moment she finished her spell, the plants all around them began to move! Their movements were subtle at first. But when their roots broke free from the earth, they started moving towards each other. Princes Kirin began another enchantment in a foreign language unknown to Lenny. Lord Tarkhan on the other hand clicked his tongue as he watched his minion battle it out with the white tiger. Lord Tarkhan cracked his whip, etching symbols on the ground around him while burning down the plants around him. Another tremor shook the earth. Lenny quickly dodged to one side when he saw the ground fissured.
Hot lava spewed from the cracks on the ground, consuming everything as it crept towards the two beasts. "Sweet lava!" Billy smiled as the lava began flooding towards it. White Moon on the other hand distanced itself from the boiling magma. Billy was suddenly engulfed in flame, sending off a strong heat wave all around it. Everything around its vicinity were turned to ashes. Even Lenny and Sam who were at least fifteen yards away could feel it. The lava seemed to have boosted the demon's power. The subsequent battle that ensued saw the White Moon in defense. A giant plant-like creature that Princess Kirin was conjuring a while earlier came to life. However, even with the three of them, they were having trouble keeping the demon at bay. "Get his staff!" Princess Kirin shouted as their gaze met. "Ha-ha-ha, you're wasting your time! He has no way of getting to me. Just surrender already!" Lord Tarkhan laughed. "Okay, easier said than done." Lenny murmured to himself. He reassessed his surroundings, looking for a way to turn the situation around. At that moment, he realized that the laser pistol was the only weapon he had left. And Lenny was terrible with guns. "Look master, you feel that?" Sam said. Lenny turned his attention towards the dried magma. "'That feeling, it's water!" Lenny said telepathically. "Yeah, there is definitely an underground water network down there." Sam nodded. "Alright, let's do this!" Lenny channeled his energy down his legs, letting it sipped between the pores of the soil and down to the ground. As he felt the ground water coursed below him, he started advancing towards Lord Tarkhan. A quick jog at first, Lenny slowly picked up his pace ad ended in a full speed dash. "Foolish kid!" Lord Tarkhan scowled. Lenny made a sudden stop when he felt the momentum of the current building up. Lord Tarkhan only managed to realize what Lenny was planning when he noted the earth fissured. He made that realization moments before Lenny unleashed the full force of the current that he dragged with him. A geyser of high pressure burst to the surface, crashing into Lord Tarkhan's shield before he could make any reinforcement to it. Ancient letters lit up the air around Lord Tarkhan, resisting the gush of water. "I am afraid that hardly did anything." Lord Tarkhan sneered, feeling confident that his shield would hold against anything Lenny threw at him. "Oh yeah? How about this!" Lord Tarkhan's pupils widened when he saw all the water that were drawn from the source gathered around Lenny. However, it was already too late.
The water was dragged high up into the air and gathered around Lenny's palm. "Say good night, creep!" It then coalesced into a gigantic drill. Lord Tarkhan quickly began enchanting when he realized the scale of Lenny's attack. But as before, he did not have enough time to finish the spell. Like his henchmen, Lord Tarkhan too made the mistake of underestimating that teenage boy. The giant drill was launched once it reached maximum torque. The impact sent tons of water crashing down onto Lord Tarkhan followed by mini-tsunamis that flooded the entire space. "Ha! Told you it wasn't enough!" Lord Tarkhan laughed. The impact smashed the wizard's forcefield but Lord Tarkhan was left unharmed other than getting soaked from head to toe. "Guess again!" Lenny winked as he fired a few shots from the laser pistol he picked up. Lord Tarkhan whispered a few quick words, creating meteorites from his wand to counter the laser beams. However, one of the shots got passed his defense. It cut right through the wand like hot knife through butter, splitting it into two. "No-oo-oo!" Lord Tarkhan yelled. At the same time, a similar reaction was heard coming from Princess Kirin. "Whut?" Lenny turned around in confusion. "You fool! You have doomed us all!" Lord Tarkhan screeched. "What are you talking about? I destroy your staff and save the day, right?" Lenny said. "I ask you to get it away from him, not destroy it!" Princess Kirin sounded angry. "Well, sorry. But I don't see what's the big deal here? Get the staff and destroying it is one and the same." Billy uttered a wicked laugh. "You have no idea how long I have waited for this." With a powerful push, it lifted White Moon off the ground and tossed it towards the giant plant. It then turned around and slowly marched towards Lord Tarkhan, ignoring Lenny as it passed by. "Stay-ay back… I said bac-ck!" Lord Tarkhan blasted a bolt of lightning at Billy but it did nothing to the demon. The wizard seemed genuinely afraid, more than afraid, he was terrified. Urine leaked from his pants when he accidently tripped on his other leg while retreating. He landed on his butt, staring helplessly as the demon approached. "Please, I will give you anything you want. Just spare me!" Lord Tarkhan got on his knees and pleaded. "I'll spare you alright… from a quick death!" As soon as the words left the demon's mouth, Lord Tarkhan's left arm was forcefully ripped from his shoulder! "Argh-h-ah-ah…" The man shrilled in agony.
Lord Tarkhan tried to put some distance between himself and the demon by slowly crawling away. A loud pop sound was heard when tendons were yanked from the joint. It was a gruesome sight to behold as the demon gobbled down the torn limbs. In a pitiful and agonizing way, Lord Tarkhan tried retreating with his remaining right arm and left leg. Upon seeing the cruel act, Lenny almost sprang into action but Sam stopped him. "We need to leave, now! He is a killer! He does not deserve your sympathy." Lenny relented on helping Lord Tarkhan and quietly retreated towards Princess Kirin's direction. He knew there was nothing he could have done for the man. Lord Tarkhan was a cold-blooded murderer but even so, Lenny still felt sorry for the bastard. Another long minute passed and Lord Tarkhan was completely out of limbs! Only his head and torso remained. "Please…kill me…" His voice was hoarse from all the screaming. "My pleasure!" Billy smirked. With a gentle breath, the demon lit the poor wizard on fire! His scream was unbearable to the ears. Lenny had emptied his stomach of whatever he had eaten at the sight of Lord Tarkhan's dismembered body. The poor soul was eventually put out of his misery but not before enduring being cooked alive! "Now, time for desserts!" Billy turned his gaze towards Lenny, Princess Kirin and her minions after turning Lord Tarkhan's remains into nothing but ashes. All the time while Lord Tarkhan was being tortured to death, Princess Kirin had been preparing for a spell, a powerful attack that she hoped could kill the demon. Just as the demon began moving towards Princess Kirin, the purple crystal on top glowed brighter than before. A purplish lightning struck the demon on the head and brought it to its knees. Another one followed, hitting it in the chest and another in the neck. The demon eventually crumpled to the ground after the fifth strike but Princess Kirin didn't stop there. She kept going on and on until she could summon no more lightning. She collapsed into Lenny's arms after exerting herself to her limit. However, it wasn't enough!
Billy's body twitched as lava began oozing from the earth beneath it. Its horns were shattered by the lightning earlier and its tail severed. But it wasn't dead yet! "You bitch!" Billy roared as it got up. "I'm gonna tear you up limb by limb!" The demon's body was covered in magma, healing the wounds inflicted by Princess Kirin. "No…" Princess Kirin cried weakly. "Boy, take Kirin to safety, I'll buy time for you." Lenny was startled by the huge white tiger. He never knew it could speak. Lenny was unable to reply before Princess Kirin interrupted. "No, Moon! You'll die!" "It's an honor serving you, princess. You must go now, before it completely recovers." White Moon gently rubbed its nose against Kirin's face. Lenny on the other hand was still out of words and uncertain of what to do. "One last request, boy. Break Kirin's wand and release my bound. I need my full power to hold it long enough for you to escape." Lenny turned his gaze towards Kirin's wand, he hesitated. "Don't do it, Lenny." Princess Kirin tightened her grip on the wand, trying to protect it with her remaining ounce of strength. Suddenly, Sam leapt onto Kirin's hand and crushed the wand with its jaw. "No!" Princess Kirin yelled. She had gotten too weak to retaliate. Just as the wand fell apart, White Moon's fur began to shine in a slivery shimmer. "Go!" It roared and charged towards the recovering demon. The giant plant-like creature followed. "Time to move," Sam told Lenny telepathically. Lenny nodded. He lifted Princess Kirin in a bridal-carry as she struggled feebly to break free. Lenny left the battlefield with a final parting glance.
16. Breaking free
Yui's odd behavior had been bothering Alex for some time since it first occurred. However, each time the thought crossed his mind, an invisible force seemed to bury it back into his subconsciousness. It was the same feeling one gets when entering a doorway while trying to recall what were on their mind when they were at the room before. The same sequence of events occurred like déjà vu whenever he tried putting his mind to it. At one moment, Alex was thinking hard for a way to investigate the series of oddities that happened between him and Yui. And in the next instance, all his concerns faded as if they were never there in the first place. Alex tried time and again to focus on the task but it was always interrupted midway. It was as though something was shrouding his thoughts. As soon as he left Yui's room after gotten slapped in the face, his mind was completely focused on Yui's sudden violent reaction. However, the moment he stepped into his room, the thought was buried into his subconsciousness. It was as if a thick fog had shrouded everything. His mind suddenly turned blank for a short moment, slightly disorientating him. Alex quickly sat down on his bed and sunk his face into his palms, trying to recall things that happened earlier. Then, he heard it – a piercing screech of glass-on-glass. It was soft at first but slowly, it grew louder. The unbearable sound was followed by a deep throbbing headache. Alex covered his ears reflexively to block the sound from entering. It was futile since the sound originated from his thoughts and wasn't from an external source. The throbbing gradually worsened but strangely enough, the pain brought with it a hypnotic effect. Instead of disturbing his sleep, the pain did just the opposite.
Alex found himself in the middle of a raging sea and in the eye of a typhoon. With nowhere to escape, he did the only thing he could think of at that moment – open his dimension storage. He felt the seawater that kept him buoyant disappeared all of a sudden. Then, he felt a rather dull ache as his back landed on the hard ground. Alex opened his eyes, finding only pitch black all around him. He carefully sat up and tried to re-orientate himself in complete darkness. Before long, his finger tip made contact with something that felt like a switch of sort. After pushing it, he was greeted by a bright fluorescent glow. He instantly recognized the place after the glare subsided. It was his Extra Dimension. He must have been dreaming and subconsciously opened it. He took a quick look around the small room. It seemed more spacious compared to the last time. Otherwise, everything else remained unchanged. There was no dust, no rust and no traces of his stuff being touched. They remained the same as they were 3 years back. Alex didn't know what triggered him to do so. But his arms subconsciously reached for the Arc Net in front of him. With a twist of a knob, the machine was activated. Suddenly, all his suppressed instincts for the past week flooded his mind. It caused him to have a brief syncopal attack, losing his footing and landed on his butt. He knew exactly what must be done. As his sealed memories resurfaced, a pair of fiery eyes caught his attention. They repeatedly appeared from his flashbacks, almost always appearing at the corner of his sight. He didn't know what to make of it. However, he was certain that they were sinister. From his sitting position, he glanced through his arsenal of weaponry and gadgets, formulating a plan.
Yui tried desperately to seek help from her allies in Nirvana. However, all her attempts were foiled. Each attempt to send a distress signal caused her to be punished. And each punishment was more severe than the last. All her punishments were dealt in her dreams, leaving long-lasting emotional and psychological effect than any physical damage would. She was beaten, choked, whipped, burned, amputated, raped and disemboweled. Though they only occurred through her dreams but the pain and after effects were similar as if it had occurred in the physical realm. She fought alone. Alex seemed oblivious to her suffering and cries. Ever since Yui attacked Alex a few days ago, he seemed to have stopped caring. Despite her screams and cries in the middle of the night, Alex never even knocked to check on her. Maybe it was Horatio's doing, or maybe Alex really didn't care anymore. Yui started to doubt herself, wondering what was she really fighting for. Each day, her will to fight weakens. The daily mental torment coupled with the lack of sleep was beginning to break her. There were even few times when she dozed off in class, she would wake up all of a sudden, screaming her lungs out. Even though Stacey and Horatio had nothing to do with it. Her continuous torturing caused her to have nightmare each time she closed her eyes. Her friends and teachers were very concerned. However, she couldn't tell the anything. Because all the important details would've been silenced. Besides that, Alex also didn't accompany her back from school like they used to. He would disappear from time to time without prior notice. After 6 days of constant harassment, Yui couldn't take it anymore. She broke down in the living room, crying. Her tears streamed as she relived those painful and humiliating moments. She felt helpless and alone. Yui was at the verge of giving up. At that moment, she felt a tight embrace from behind followed by a warm peck on her cheek. Then, he was gone, vanished into thin air. She didn't have to turn around to find out whom it was. She stopped crying and glanced at the rough piece of paper snugged into her breast pocket and lit it up after a quick scan.
The next day started the same as the day before. Yui woke up screaming from her nightmares. Stacey was trying to make her spill the content of the piece of paper Alex gave her. However, she endured through dawn, not giving Stacey a single clue. Looking into the mirror while grooming herself, she noted how tired she looked. Yui could barely recognize her own reflection. She looked as if she had aged a few decades within the past few days. With one last look into the mirror, she went to the dining room for breakfast. Like the day before, Alex had already left for school. It had been a few days since they last commute to school together. She then left the house in a hurry and headed in the direction of the bus stop. However, at the junction, she took a sharp left turn and sprinted down the street. A familiar aura began to take shape in the distant as she ran. It was vague at first but moments later, Horatio's aura was strong enough to be sensed by any power users within the vicinity. Yui made sure she got the djinn's attention before heading towards an abandoned biscuit factory. She could feel Horatio gaining on her as she dashed into the dilapidated structure covered by bushes and creepers. Yui slammed the rusted door shut after making her way into the building. There was a heavy knock on the door followed by a loud bang as the rusted door was torn open from its hinges. "There's no use in running." Horatio said. "I agree," Yui replied with a smirk. Shinning lasso of different colors latched onto the djinn's body and neck. Horatio attempted a quick spell to break loose. Before the first letter left its mouth, weird symbols appeared around the ground which it stood. Moments later, only Horatio's lips were seen moving but not a single sound was made. "Serves you right!" Yui smashed her right fist into the djinn's face. It only caused her to yelp in pain.
"C'mon out, you can't surprise me." Stacey walked boldly into the abandoned warehouse. Inside, Horatio was chained to the ground and surrounded by magical seals which prevented it from using its magic. An Arc Net was also deployed to cover the entire warehouse, jamming communications and preventing teleportation. "The same trick won't work again!" Elder Jarl appeared from the cover of the shadows. "Should've guessed it's you guys." Stacey replied. "It's over, Stacey. There is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. You're outnumbered!" Chris said. Alex and Yui were both inside together with Jia Hao. "Should have killed you when I had the chance," Stacey glared at Yui. Images of her torments flashed before Yui's eyes. She turned towards Alex and started sobbing. Alex embraced Yui and kissed her on the forehead to calm her down. "Get away from him, you bitch!" Stacey shouted. "Enough! Just surrender so we can end this!" Elder Jarl said. "You think you have won?" Stacey ripped off a metal bracer from her wrist. It molded and transformed into a golden spear. "The Spear of Vel, if only it were the genuine one." Elder Jarl inspected the spear. "It may have many imitators, but this is the real deal. I'm sure Alex recalls." Stacey slammed the staff onto the ground. A low frequency soundwave echoed from the impact. It was seemingly harmless until Alex started feeling dizzy. He dropped to his knees, both his palms gripping his haed in pain. "Perhaps you might remember me better in this form." Stacey's face contorted and blurred. Her hair turned raven black and became shorter, her face changed to that of a completely different person. "This is a waste of time! After her!" Elder Jarl ordered.
The ringing in Alex's head quickly faded. As he looked up at the girl that was Stacey, chills spread down his spine. There were horrors in his eyes. "No, stop!" Alex warned. Elder Jarl and his men didn't heed Alex's warning and went after Stacey. "We have fought over so many times that I knew your formation before we even engaged." Stacey slammed the tip of her spear to the ground, creating a strong shockwave which pushed back her incoming foes. Elder Jarl broke the incoming wave with a swing of his glaive. He held his ground firmly. "We could say the same," he replied. "That's not quite true, you were fighting Horatio and me. But not me alone," Stacey said. "You're nothing without your djinn!" Elder Jarl charged ahead with his glaive. The two blades locked onto each other. The old man was knocked backwards moments after the contact. Elder Jarl had the look of genuine surprise on his face before he fell. His men from the Spirit World recovered from the initial shockwave and went after her. "Watch me mow your men down one by one. Their death will be on you, old man!" Stacey licked her lips. "Stop it! Please…" Alex murmured. He was trembling in fear. "What's wrong?" Yui asked. Chris and Jia Hao began feeling concerned after seeing how good Stacey was. She faded and emerged behind one of her assailants, a teenager about Alex's age. The Spear of Vel was thrusted through his neck, killing him instantly. "No-oo-oo!" Elder Jarl cried. The Spirit World members fell one after another. They were no match for Stacey's speed and skill. The remaining members regrouped and formed a last line of defense around Horatio. "Strength in numbers? Don't make me laugh!" Stacey pulled her spear from the chest of a dying woman. "The Spirit World used to produce strong warriors. You guys are just pathetic!"
"Who are you?" Christopher said. "We should leave now while we have the chance," Yui suggested. "It's no use, my sister will hunt us down eventually." Alex replied weakly. "Wait! She is your sister?" Jia Hao thought he had heard wrongly. "So, you're Karen, the child prodigy. You were the one who committed the Massacre of the House of Mallard." Elder Jarl said. "Glad someone other than Alex remembers me," Karen licked the blood off of her spear. "But why? You were adored by everyone. You had great future ahead. Why threw it all away?" Elder Jarl kept his eyes on Karen's every movement. "Because they wouldn't let me marry Alex! They tried to separate us time and again! And I decided enough was enough!" Karen fumed. "Do you know what you're even speaking of? That's incest!" Elder Jarl scolded. "You won't understand our love! I'll just cut each and every one of you down, till no one will be in our way again!" Karen prepared for a charge. "You're one sick bitch!" Yui said. "I thought there were still hope in you. But I was wrong!" Elder Jarl said. Blue sparks crackled around the tip of the spear. Then, Karen leapt towards Yui's direction all of a sudden. Elder Jarl anticipated it and intercepted her. Purplish chains that glowed shot from the bodies of the dead reapers. They wrapped around her limbs and immobilized her. The corpses slowly rose and assumed awkward postures. Each of them held onto the other end of the chain that bounded Karen. The rest of Elder Jarl's men wanted to join in but he held them back. "Guard the djinn!" A ghastly figure began taking shape in front of Elder Jarl. "I'm sorry, comrades. Take her away, Lord Kisin!" He uttered in tears. The tip of Karen's spear sparkled once more, releasing lightning bolts that struck at all her foes simultaneously. Jia Hao and Chris formed a defensive shield with the rest of their gang, resisting the blast of energy. Despite being burnt to crisp by the intense heat, the corpses held on tight to the chains binding Karen. It was as if they were supported by an unseen force. Karen repeated the process a few times, trying desperately to brake her fetters.
The lightning bolts that came Elder Jarl's way were somehow absorbed by the ghastly presence. "It's futile to fight Lord Kisin. Your fate is sealed!" The purplish apparition before Elder Jarl slowly advanced towards Karen. It had a blurry appearance at best from afar. However, as it approached Karen, it became more formed. It took the shape of a human skeleton downing eerie accessories made of human sacrifices. It had a neck collar decorated with extruded eye balls, attached to the collar via their nerve cords. It had wrist and ankle bracers made of hair jutted with eyeballs. And on its jaw was a lit cigarette. Lord Kisin was indeed an intimidating figure. There was a look of slight panic in Karen's eyes but it quickly disappeared. It was replaced by her usual look of confidence. Her eyes glowed white all of a sudden. When her mouth opened, a deafening shockwave was unleashed, shattering the concrete pillars supporting the building. Alex, Yui and a few others managed to escape the collapsing building with temporary deafness. The surviving members of Spirit World were able to escape unharmed. As the dust and debris began settling, Lord Kisin hands seemed to be enlarged somehow. It was large enough to encircle Karen's body as a whole between its palms. Karen was in agonizing pain as her soul was slowly sucked from her body. However, she was still able to resist, fighting hard for her life. The previously invisible electromagnetic field protecting Karen sparkled as it collided with Lord Kisin's aura. With a last-ditch effort, Karen concentrated all her remaining energy into her shield. Her shield was then intentionally shattered on its own, releasing a strong pulse of electromagnetic wave.
Alex and the members of Spirit World were not caught up with what Karen was attempting until it was too late. They were still recovering from the deafening blast when the electromagnetic pulse struck. The pulse allowed Karen to break free from Lord Kisin's grip but it didn't damage the spirit at all. "It's still not too late to surrender," Elder Jarl said. "Don't be dumb! I never lose!" Karen uttered weakly. There was a loud clank as metal fell apart, knocking into each other. Everything that followed after that happened in the blink of an eye. Horatio broke free from its confinement as the Arc Net was temporarily disrupted by the strong electromagnetic pulse. With a thrust of its arm, Horatio's claw pierced through Elder Jarl's rib cage through the back. His beating heart was then ripped from his thorax. The Djinn raised its greenish arm, lifting Elder Jarl into the air. It then crushed the beating heart before the old man's eyes. There were cries and shouting all around Alex as Elder Jarl's men rushed to his aid. But his fate was sealed when Horatio broke loose. Karen was severely weakened. However, she was well protected with Horatio by her side. Karen and Horatio were surrounded once again. "Horatio, you're granted level 3 access." Karen said. "Understood." Horatio replied dully. Horatio's aura changed drastically after the command was given. Darkness spewed from Horatio's right palm, drawing dark clouds that shrouded the afternoon sky. The ground crackled and the earth began to shift. Something was moving beneath the earth! Suddenly, a skeleton hand grabbed Alex's leg. He yanked his leg backwards in reflex, pulling out a skeletal arm from the ground. "Not again!" Alex said and he reached for his pistols. It was the battle of the Eastern Range all over again!
Alex's fear of his sister was overwhelmed by the numbers of reanimated undead. Alex started firing from two pistols which he hadn't touched in years. His muscles memories slowly returned after firing a few shots. After that, he was back to his old self again. "This is not working!" Yui yelled over the chaos. Alex knew what must be done. Each skeleton or zombie they put down, a new one replaced it. It was not the undead they should aim for, it was the puppeteer. Jia Hao gave the signal and everyone converged on Horatio's direction. They split into team of two and hit Karen and her djinn with everything they got. Horatio's Taboo Shield disintegrated under the pressure. Then, they engaged in intense close-quarters combat. In the mist of battle, Karen started taking heavy blows. She wasn't able to defend herself anymore in her weakened state. She was relying on her djinn to stay alive. "Level 2 access!" Karen barked. Alex couldn't do anything against them. His bullets ricocheted the moment they made contact with Horatio. The bullets just bounced right off of it. While those that were aimed at Karen were somehow diverted by Horatio's magic. There were too many allies around Karen. It would risk hurting them if Alex were to use any form of explosive weaponry. A heavy miasma burst from Horatio's body when the next seal was released. Flame shot from fissures on the ground, setting everything on fire. The tide of battle turned a 360 degree the moment the seal was released. Every attack directed at them were absorbed by the foul mist. Soon after that, mirror images of each assailant appeared as the mist faded. The battlefield became more chaotic, with everyone fighting their evil twin.
"We're leaving," Karen told Horatio. The chaos allowed the two to slip away to a safe corner where Karen began opening a trans-dimensional portal. A small slit in time-space was made before Karen slowly enlarged it. Yui managed to defeat her mirror-self and proceeded to intercept Karen. Karen blocked Yui's dagger with the tip of her spear. She then swung the staff around for a counter attack. Yui ducked and brought Karen to the ground with a sliding tackle. She aimed for her neck but missed. Yui's dagger ended up stabbing Karen's left thigh instead. Karen screamed and punched Yui in the face. She then electrocuted Yui when she grabbed hold of the girl's ankle. Yui convulsed but managed to break free with a shadow whip. The two rolled away from each other. Meanwhile, more and more members of the Spirit World converged on Horatio after defeating their double. Yui launched herself at Karen after she regained her footing. At that moment, a loud bang drew everyone's attention. A shockwave matching the magnitude of Karen's electromagnetic burst followed the path of Alex's bullet. Horatio was dumbfounded by the wound on its shoulder. Greenish liquid poured from its damaged vessels. There was a gap at where the djinn's shoulder was supposed to be. Its right arm dangled limply, connected to its torso by thin strands of ligaments and flesh. The battlefield came to a complete standstill. The mirror images vanished. And every pair of eyes were locked onto Alex.
Alex's hands were shaking as he struggled to reload. His hands were swollen and on the ground were pieces of his pistol. Nobody was sure what happened back then or how Alex managed to fire such a devastating blow. Karen's portal became fully functional by the time the fight resumed. Horatio's previously impenetrable skin were no longer able to withstand the same onslaught as before. The Spirit World members sunk their weapons into the djinn after their failed attempts to capture it. Spikes extended from Horatio's body, killing and severely injured those that were close to it. Jia Hao's right arm was caught by one of the spikes. He winced at the pain and advanced forward with his attack. He pulled his scythe from the djinn's chest and swung it upwards at its dangling limb. Horatio side stepped to avoid Jia Hao's scythe but found itself headed right for Christopher's sword. His blade cleaved the arm off from Horatio's shoulder while it was regenerating. Horatio shrieked as more blades found their way into its body. "Horatio!" Karen called out. The djinn's body suddenly started vibrating, releasing a dark miasma at the same time. "Don't breathe that!" Jia Hao warned. His warning came too late as the ominous smog had already dissipated. Jia Hao and his colleagues were forced to release their grip on their weapons. Their weapons heated up to a sizzling degree. Most of them suffered second- to third degree burns to their palms before they could not longer handle the heat. Horatio's body blurred and a hundred images of itself appeared! Most of them were only optical illusions while some are a lesser clone of itself. They served their purpose well by preoccupying the enemy while Karen and Horatio escaped into the portal. Coupling with the hypnotic effects from the miasma, the battlefield delved into chaos once more. "You're not getting away this time!" Yui launched herself at Karen. It was a grave mistake! Horatio plunged its severed arm into Yui like a spear. The claws impaled her to the ground through her guts. Greenish vomitus then spewed from Horatio's mouth, covering Yui's face and upper chest. She screamed in agony as her flesh dissolved. "Rot in hell!" Karen spat on Yui.
Another loud bang tore through the battlefield, barely hitting Karen. She evaded a direct hit but the shockwave was enough to rip the flesh off her right thigh and fractured her femur. She shrilled in pain but was able to escape into the portal. Horatio's illusions disappeared along with it. "Yui!" Alex ran towards his girlfriend, enduring the pain from his hands. He dislocated and fractured most of the bones on his hands and forearms. The pain was excruciating but he held it in. Yui's condition bothered him more than the pain. "How is she?" Alex asked. A few members of the Spirit World were already attending to her. They seemed to be paramedics for the team. "It's bad. She needs medical attention pronto!" A lad with a funky hairdo said. "The gateway is on its way!" Chris said. Yui's face were distorted beyond recognition and her upper ribs were partially exposed. She was gasping for air before being sedated and assisted ventilation by the paramedics. Alex had to look away, it was too much for him to bear. A faint energy was emitted as the fabric of time-space torn open. "Let's go!" Jia Hao ushered.