The entire campsite was thrown into utter chaos as the psychic backlash saturated the air with its energy, thinning the veils between realities, allowing monstrous creatures to break through, slamming against the warriors being caught off guards. Towering trunks of flesh and muscles, protruding with flailing limbs and tentacles smashed against mob of elves, valkyries and Anacondrai, braying wildly, maddeningly as they did. Mindless, soulless constructs born from the collective psyche of life drifting blindly in the realm of magic, manifest in real space only by a sudden implode of magic, just like one they're in right now. Lucious clenched his teeth as he slashed wilding into the horde of formless, fleshy abominations of protruding limbs and moaning maws, his handgun roaring nonstop, explosive energy bolts ripping through pale, boneless bodies. Beside him, Ginji dashed between monstrous, tree-likes flesh creatures, shimmering ghost steel blades made short works of the things' flailing branches of limbs and tentacles. And yet there were dozens, hundreds more to deal with, keeping every single one of the warriors occupied, with even more crystalizing out of thin air as their kin were cut down.
- There are too many of them! - The high elf roared as he slashed a creature in half, back against back with Lucious as they're slowly being isolated and surrounded, while they have no problem dispatching the things, it'd be a matter of time before they're overwhelmed. - Rushi! Do something!
- What do you want me to do pendejo?! - The Anacondrai barked back, sending several monstrosities flying with a slash imbued with magical fire that barely grazed the things, the rampant, unordered energy greatly reduced its powers. - The backlash hasn't subsided yet! Our powers are useless!
- Move!
The order that's been barked at them was the only warning they got, forcing both of them to turn and watch in shock as what seemed like an entire wall of dust and embers was bearing down on them, engulfing anything unlucky enough to be caught in its path. Ginji could only watch in horror as the shadow of the fiery sandstorm loomed over them, involuntarily taking a step back as their forces either jumped out of its way or hunkered down to weather it. The ground itself shook with the advance of the fiery storm, drowning out the frantic screaming of the warriors warning each others and the braying of the creatures as they disappeared into the clouds of dust and fire. Even the mindless growths of flesh and limbs were alarmed by the danger of the storms, crying out and dragging their bodies away in the opposite side in a futile attempt to escape it. Yet Ginji just stood there, seemingly mortified by the sight, his swords hung loosely in his grasps, has it not been for straps looping around his wrists, they'd have fallen to the ground as their master's mind was seemingly in a trance.
- PENDEJO! - Lucious shrieked, pulling Ginji into his chest and turned his back toward the storm, just in time for it to hit them.
Burning sand and embers collided against the invisible barrier surrounding Lucious and Ginji, like crushing waves they plowed the ground around the glistening transparent dome, creating and mesmerizing display. It was beautiful in a horrible way, the way the chaotic torrents smashed against the barrier, ripping off and consuming glistening particles that formed the invisible wall protecting them from the roiling storm. Ginji knelt there in Lucious' arm, oblivious to the older male's cussing, his two colored eyes shimmered with the reflection of the maddening tides around them. There were other like them caught in the storm, forced to hunker down in their own bubbles as the beasts they're fighting were simply blown away, burned to cinders and ripped apart by the fire and the winds themselves.
A shrieking piece of a monstrosity hit their bubble, causing the bubble to ripple, before bouncing off and disintegrated, making Ginji flinch, a short gasp escaped his parted lips as sounds and sights bombarded his senses. Instinctively he flipped his wrists, letting the swords' straps sliding from his hands before wrapping his arms around Lucious' neck, burying his face into the Anacondrai's shoulder, having only now hearing the nonstop cussing of his friend. Yet the high elf commander couldn't help but smile as he hid his face in the comforting shoulder, knowing that the older male would protect him no matter what.
- You idiot! - The inquisitor snarled, almost overwhelming the raging storm around them. - What's wrong with you?! You could've gotten us both killed!
- I'm sorry Rushi! - Ginji squeaked out an apologized, choking with relieved tears as he smiled into the man's shoulder. - I'm sorry…
- Shut your yapping already. - He could feel Lucious shifted as he sighed, the sensation of the older male's hand caressing his golden locks sent shivers down Ginji spines. - I'll always be here to protect you, - The Anacondrai's voice sounded so reassuring, warm and comforting to the high elf despite the harsh tone those words were ushered in. - so please don't phase out like that anymore.
- Ok… - The high elf nodded, burying his face more into the man's neck as the storm raged around them.
The magical storm slowly died down, allowing them to see through the subsiding clouds of dust and ash. Most of their forces have survived, only a few unlucky new bloods managed to get themselves caught in the edge of the storm and suffered mildly severe burns. Lucious pulled himself and Ginji up, still holding the blond against his chest as he surveyed the surrounding, his golden eyes darting from one corner of their previous campsite to another. The ground have been plowed up and charred beyond recognition, a thick, grey fog hung heavily just above the blackened and turned up ground littered with streaks of unburned earth marking the places of the protective bubbles, giving the scenery the appearance of a grim, unending wasteland. Only the largest of the Unbirthed, the name given to the monstrosities by their ancestors, survived, yet even they were laid low, weakly groaning in their death throes as half of their body has been charred, beyond salvaging even for their unnatural anatomy.
- Lucious! - Kas' voice grasped Lucious' attention, the man was running toward them with Jean following behind him, both their weapons still smoking with heat and magic energy.
- Qué demonios fue eso?! - The inquisitor barked. - You could've killed us all!
- We have no choice, - Kas said quickly, stopping beside his former student and the high elf for just a moment while Jean has already ran toward the smoking wagon that's been hit with the full force of the storm. - situation is dire, we must get to Quetz and the young lord now.
- What? What's happened? - Ginji tore himself from Lucious' chest, anxiously pressing the older Anacondrai for answers.
Before Kas could even open his mouth, a painful wail broke the absolute silence of the wasteland, followed by a psychic tremor that shook them to their core. The aether winds thrummed with energy, burning away the remaining Unbirthed as water would blow sands and mucks from the riverbed, the magic that allowed them to remain in realspace being swept up and disperse with the currents. Like a tidal wave, it washed through them, so strong and rich with raw magic energy that they could feel the ethereal sustenance dragging against their forms, before rushing back to its origin point for another backlash. To his horror, Lucious could recognize residue of emotions, rage, disbelief, feeling of betrayal and hurt, sadness and regret, along with the all too familiar essence of his father, though not quite as he was now.
- His chains are slipping… - He murmured in horror, eyes wide opened, looking at the hole on the roof of the wagon, right where his father's chamber is, burning balefully with violet fire, made even bleaker a sight by the thick, dark purple fog seeping out.
- I told him it was a bad idea! - Kas snarled, swinging his halberd to gather up the rampant magic around him, before unleashing it in another sand storm, though this one's significantly weaker, disintegrating the Unbirthed still crystalizing with the aid of the backlash. - Do not hesitate to use your stronger magic! Open a blood path! Charge!
The escorts charged at the Unbirthed, dozens of magi lead the frontal assault, unleashing powerful spells bolstered by the rampant, unstable magic saturating the air. Torrents of chaotic elemental energy ripped through hordes of Unbirthed forming near the center of the backlash, black tendrils slashing them in two, while great rifts opened up below them, swallowing the monstrosities before clamping shut like great maws, still they mindlessly pushed on. As the magic attacks coming from the war host become less and less chaotic and easier to control, the beasts became weaker, the magic being sapped away by unending barrages of spells. By the time the warriors have reached them, most of them have already disappeared, while the weaker ones amongst those that still remain slowly…fade, their limbs became unsolidified mists. Yet even as the final beasts were cut down by volleys of arrows, Lucious knew as well as any others that they're still far from victory, as Quetz's painful cries were still fresh in the air.
- You two get the children out, - Jean said commandingly, getting into position just beneath the burning chamber with Kas. - me and Kas will draw his attention.
- Understood. Wait for my signal to fire. - The inquisitor nodded, quickly joining with Ginji at the entrance of the wagon.
They could hear and feel the magic being pulled toward the extremely powerful warriors, readied to be unleashed at Lucious' father to distract him, giving them enough time to get Haru and the others to safety. But the more he thought about it, the less it makes sense to Lucious, the second psychic backlash came from his father, the magic unleashed was from the lore of High Magic, raw magic as he's most proficient at. Then where did the first one, the dark magic energy from the lore of Shadow and lore of Death come from?
As he pondered, the questions only seemed to be mounting up with each detail that came to his mind. Even as he and Ginji kicked down the door leading inside, he could clearly sense that the wave of dark magic didn't come from his father, even though the magic linger, hanging like a sickly miasma in the interior of the caravan, he couldn't pin point where it's came from, almost like the magic has exploded on its own. Or something or someone has tore through the veils of space and time and caused it, then disappeared again.
- Haru! Haru! What's going on in there?! Open the door!
Mitsuki's voice echoed from the other end of the wagon, where the lingering miasma of death magic was still thick in the air, so much so that it even drowned out the pure arcane magic that came after. Impossible, Lucious thought to himself, reaching his forearm up to cover his mouth and nose, coughing out droplets of blood as his eyes filled with tears, his entire body wrecked by the effects of the deathly magic. Yet even when himself, a byproduct of a near perfect lineages of godly origin was having his life force slowly sapped away by death itself made manifest, the human girl still has enough strength to scream her brother's name and pound at the door. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts and the haziness from his brain slowly shutting down, the Anacondrai pushed on, heedless of his high elven friend screaming for him to stop.
Droplets of blood dripped from his chin with every step as his coughs got worse and worse with every inhalation in the thick mist of death magic, until he could carry on no longer. Lucious stumbled and collapse onto all four, just shy of the doorway leading into the children's sleeping quarter, where he could see Mitsuki and Loi were still banging furiously onto the closed door of his father's chamber. Blood splattered onto the wooden floor as another series of coughs wrecked his body, the red fluid now leaking from every orifice on his face, his skin turned into a sickly shade of grey as his body slowly gave into the thick miasma. And still the two children seemed unaffected by it, something was shielding them from it, no, Lucious shook his head to clear his mind, though his eyes were blurred by the blood, tears and the haziness, he could still see with spectral sight. It's not a shield or a barrier, the deathly magic was unable to approach Mitsuki, her presence an anathema to the raw ethereal stuffs, whether the girl's doing it intentionally or not, there's no denying that if he can get to her, get inside that area of psychic lull, he would be allowed a moment of respite. If only his body could muster enough strength to move.
- Rushi! You stupide idiot!
Life, raw and pure poured down onto Lucious' form with the heavenly light behind him, pushing back the deathly magic. The Anacondrai took in a deep, breath before coughing and gagging furiously, letting his shriveled lungs slowly heal and even out his breaths. Rubbing off the blood on his lips, nose and eyes, Lucious dragged himself up, feeling the warmth of life itself filling him, mending the injuries caused by the mist. Golden eyes glanced to his side, only to squint at the blinding light pouring like a water fall from a ball of pure light magic in Ginji's trembling hands.
- Ginji, you alright? - Lucious asked quickly, eyes darting from his friend to the children in the other room.
- Y-yeah. - The high elf forced himself to smile, even when pea sized sweats were rolling down his shriveled face, light magic isn't really his specialty.
- Let me help you. - Lucious said, before reaching his hand out toward the ball of light.
As if having its own sentience, the shimmering orb hopped into the Anacondrai's palm and start leeching energy from its new host to sustain itself. Lucious shuddered, feeling its pull on his soul, stronger than any other spells that he's most proficient at, but not very much. He could feel the extend of the orb's power, its healing aura pushing back the life leeching miasma, the more power he feed into it, the more the death magic is dispersed.
- Stop gawking at it, we need to get to them. - Ginji elbowed his friend, pointing his finger at the children.
- We still have to disperse this deathly miasma. - The inquisitor glanced around, channeling more and more magic into the orb inside his hand causing his glow and invigorating effects surged more and more. - You go ahead and close the door, I'll create a Light Flare to clear this.
- No. You go. - Ginji grabbed his friend's hand, his two colored eyes shimmered with anxiety and fear of what behind that door even in the blinding light of the orb. - If what I'm fearing is true, then you need to be there, only you can stop him.
- But… - Lucious opened his mouth to protest.
- Go. - The high elf urged, yanking the light orb out of the Anacondrai's hand, immediately the aura shuddered and shrank as Ginji's nowhere as strong as Lucious in term of magic capability, still he forced himself to feed the orb. - I'll clear a path for you! He won't be chasing after me GO!
A slight pause, then a nod from the larger male, before he turned and rushed into the sleeping quarter and shut the door behind him, just in time as the ball of pure light burst, clearing off the mist of death. At least he'd have a clear escape, Lucious thought as he ran toward the two children, irritatingly squinting his eyes as the null zone now affected him, hampering his magic and his every soul.
- Rushi-san! - Mituki turned to face him, her eyes shone with fear for her brother still trapped inside the small chamber, where the painful hissing could still be heard. - I heard Haru cried and scream but I can't get it to open! I-I don't know what's happening!
- What are you doing to him!? - Next to her, Loi was still banging at the door, trying desperately to get it open. - Haru! Can you hear me?! Can you open the door?! Hold on I'm coming!
- Move!
Lucious planted his foot down, using it as a leverage and spun, allowing Loi just a moment to jump aside before launching his other leg into a powerful kick at the door. Metallic plates creaked and bent in protest, but the door didn't budge, still they could feel the condensed death magic pouring out from the other side. The Anacondrai grunted and stomp down, lifting his other leg and landed another kick into the door, this time sending it flying through the shattered window on the other side. Immediately the deathly miasma poured out, overwhelming even Mitsuki for a moment before slowly subsiding.
- Haru! - Loi called out, coughing out bits of blood as the deathly mist washed over him. - Haru! Are you alright?!
There's no respond, just a dead silence as the raw death magic slowly subsided but not fizzled out. Like an unending stream, the thick purple mists oozed out, materialized into a heavy smoke like sustenance. The thing seemed to petrified Lucious and Mitsuki, as they simply froze, mortified by whatever invisible thing they're looking at. Loi didn't care, he simply pressed on, through the misty flows that were seemingly shifting in and out of existence before his eyes, each step got him closer and closer to his beloved brother. Yet the farther he got from Mitsuki and Lucious, the more he felt his life force being sapped away from him.
The tanned boy collapsed through the entrance of the small chamber, gagging and coughing out blood onto the decaying sheet. Through his burning eyes made blur by the blood and tears, painful reaction to his eyeballs slowly dying, the tanned boy watched in horror as his arms turned pale then ashen grey. He couldn't feel anything from his forearms and lower legs, save fore their weight and the pain of his flesh slowly dying, the muscle hanging loosely, sagging from his bones, still he pressed on. There were voices in that dark, deathly abyss that Loi's dragging himself through, despite the buzzing bubbling noises in his ears caused by his eardrums popping, the tanned boy could hear them. Mindless braying and moaning assault his already damaged senses, some faint and swiftly passing by like gusts of winds, some lingered as malicious wails as revenants of the dead brushed pass him, chilling his very soul.
- H-Haru!
The tanned boy cried out in horror, in despair, mustering every last bit of strength from his throbbing lungs, before collapsing again onto a pool of his own vomited blood, his body having given up due to the tormenting aches levied upon it. No, Loi thought as he tried dragging himself forward, feeling flakes of blackened skins and droplets of black blood falling from his outstretched arm, he must continued, he must get to Haru. A familiar presence brushed pass him, causing his throbbing heart to skip a beat, the continued its rapid pounding as the tanned boy recognized that presence, his brother's near.
It was a pulse, a surge of warmth and life that pushed back the deathly effects of the miasma, first limbs, one moment before were lifeless and wrecked with pain, now muscles reknitted and rejuvenated, filling with new life. His eyes were next, as the burning, painful sensation subsided from his eye sockets, the boy felt corrupted blood ceased and dripped down his face. His vision became clearer, his body becoming stronger and stronger with each pulse, until his hearing was restored, picking up faint whimpering coming up a head. Haru's near, Loi could hear him, could feel the white haired boy in his pulsating heart and each painful breath of his still damaged lungs, his eyes saw glimpses, outlines of a small figured curled up with his bandaged arms wrapped around his snowy white head as he shivered in fear.
- H-Haru!
Loi screamed out his brother's name, making his lungs collapse on themselves, forcing out gagged and choked coughs as blood gushed up to his mouth. Death itself brushed pass the tanned boy, making his eyes watery from the burning sensation that washed through his body like a wave, before slowing down but not fully stopped. With whatever strength left, Loi rubbed his eyes to see clearer, teeth clenching as he buried the pain, slowly crawling toward his brother, his saving grace and new found strength being slowly sapped away from him once again.
Haru's so close now, Loi could see him, his brother's sitting with his back against the wall, his knees pulled to his chest as he rocked back and fort, shaking violently as he gripped at his hair with his grey and bloodied hands. The smaller boy's surrounded by a vortex of the deathly mist, constantly shimmering and contorting as if under some great stress as its master sat clutching as his head, mumbling something inaudible, his violet eyes though teary were wide opened, darting from one direction to another. Instinctively, Loi reached out for his brother, heedless of the torrent of magic that's slowly ripping away at his flesh. His outstretched left arm was barely holding against the violent current of the vortex, his skin once again darkened, turning into a sickly grey then deathly black, peeling off his arms to reveal lose tendons and muscles beneath that were slowly swept away with the flow. The pain was almost unbearable, Loi's been burnt before but that was nothing compared with the sensation coursing through his body now, it was like a raging fiery waterfall bearing down on his arms, scouring every bits of flesh and blood from the bones.
He couldn't bear it any more, the tanned boy shook his head, he wanted to retract his arm, to run away for his life, his teeth clenched tightly, his other hand gripped at the non existing bed sheet to create a leverage, an attempt to pull his arm free. It didn't work, something was pulling at his arm, ghostly, skeletal hands gripped at his appendage, now nothing but bare bones flailing in the torrent, connected together by unknown means. To the tanned boy's horror, the hands started to pull him into the torrent eager to add his life force into the maelstrom of death. Loi's eyes now wide opened, his heart pulsated, beating violently as his breathing quickened, uncaring of the already shriveled lungs that have been overworked and sapped of strength. Letting out a desperate cry of both fear and pain, the tanned boy pulled, forcing his body to move backward as the hands reaching closer and closer to him, their skeletal hand reached for his face, tickling his paled skin like the sweats and tears that were trailing down his face.
Yet even before he could let out another scream, something else pulsed, stronger, hotter, darker. In a mere instant the entire dark space that they're in was engulfed in a brilliant blue light, forcing back the darkness as wave of blue fire burned away anything that's not yet already decayed. The ghostly figures were repulsed, giving Loi the chance to pull his arm free, loosened bones flying through the air, scoured clean of corruption and seared by the raging waves of fire. The fire whipped at the tanned boy's head as he buried his face into his remaining arm, burning not his body, but his very soul. He could feel it, rage, anger and sorrow, exploding behind him like a baleful sun that chilled his spine, a sun with amber eyes.
- Got him! Pull!
Something pulled at Loi's leg as he heard those words, yanking him out of the deathly shadow and into the blinding light that made his eyes squeeze shut. Life, pure and crushing, poured into his body, forcing his all but dead lungs to expand and collapse, pressing against his ribs with each painful breath. Unnatural and forceful warmth coursed through his body, forcing it to experience every bit of the burning sensation of his body being rapidly healed, of his flesh rushed through his veins, his cells inflated and multiplied until it reached his severed arm.
- IT HURT! IT HURT! MAKE IT STOP! - Loi cried out, throwing himself up and down the floor as he clutched at the bloodied stump that used to be his arm, mouth foaming and eyes dilating wildly, his mind became blanked, filled with nothing but the pain radiating like fireworks from his arms. - MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!
- He's moving around too much! Pin him down! - Ginji shrieked, trying to direct the healing light magic into the writhing boy to no avail.
- I'm trying! - Mitsuki cried as she tried to calm her brother down, hands pinning and pushing the tanned boy's shoulders in a vain effort to keep him to lay still. - Rai! Hold still! We're trying to heal you! Oh gods what's happened to you?!
- Just punch the kid and knock him out! - Lucious roared, extending one arm in front of him toward the doorway, projecting a force field of shimmering golden light to block the way. - Hurry up and heal him! We need to go! Now! - The Anacondrai turned his attention to the shivering white haired boy in his arm, tears streamed down his face from his wide opened violet eyes full of terror as he mumbled something inaudible. - It's ok now Young Lord, I'm here. I'm here.
The inquisitor squeezed the boy against his chest, grunting from the slowly disappearing miasma of death magic as the boy slowly lost consciousness, exhausted from projecting too much raw magic. Even when Haru's slowly going limp in his arm, Lucious' mind was racing back and fort between thoughts and feelings, each moment becoming more and more taxing for his psyche as he forced himself to keep the barrier up. There's no doubt about it, it was Haru who's caused the magic implode, yet not intentionally and without having control over it as even now the boy's still suffering from the affect of using death magic.
Though not as severe as someone who's been completely ravaged by the overflowing magic and reduced completely into a blackened husk, but given his fragile physique, it's a miracle that Haru's been able to stay conscious for that long. His limbs were of sickly grey, cracks spread from his hands and feet to his elbows and knees, causing patches of bloodied skin to peeled and fell off, decaying blood seeped from the corners of his lips and eyes, his already thin frame became more gaunt and sunken. Even in that state, even in his panic attack, someway, somehow, Haru's still managed to manifest enough death magic that it warped their perception of space and time, unconsciously summoning and bending it to form a barrier of pure death. But what could have forced him to do it? What could have been so traumatic that he had no other choice than to unconsciously tap into his latten power in his father's care? More importantly, what has put enough stress on his father's psyche that snapped his mental and psychological bonds?
Something pulsated from the warped, distorted void of Quetz's chamber, a surge of raw arcane magic collided against the barrier, burning away the fringes of it. Lucious snapped his head away from Haru now fully unconscious, golden eyes stared into the deep, dark abyss that's the sleeping chamber, not daring to believe what's just transpired. The magic was still hammering onto his barrier like horizontal rain, making it ripple and shimmer as it's being pushed back, chipping away at the edges of the barrier as Lucious tried desperately to regain his composure. For a moment, he felt his father's essence rushed against him, for a moment the Lord Inquisitor felt its grasp around his heart like serpents, each heartbeat against those constricting coils caused his chest to ache. Short and shuddering breaths escaped the black haired Anacondrai's parted lips, he felt cold sweats tickling his skin as they rolled down, dripping off from his quiver chin. The anger, pain and sorrow that brushed against his very being for but a second was distinctively his father's…but not him.
Another pulse of magic confirmed it, a wave of invisible psychic fire rammed itself into the barrier, causing Lucious to stumble backward, grinding his teeth and squinting his eyes as he tried desperately to stabilize the cracked barrier with shaking hand, preparing to brave another imploding. With a low hum that briefly passed giving Lucious only enough time to fall to one knee, the magic pulsated like a dying star, bombarding his mind with painful visions of a fearful boy with snowy white hair and beautiful violet eyes. A flash of eldritch purple light, then pain, deeper and sharper than any physical wound hammered down Lucious' mind, forcing him to throw his head backward as deafening shrieks assaulted his ears.
A thousand suns exploded right in front of him, their death rattles sending a tsunami of raw magical energy imbued with the baleful shrieking of His emotion and tormented psyche. Rage, fear, regret, anguish, betrayal. Good Old Ones! What power could stand against such might but the mightiest of gods? Yet in that madness, Lucious could now see it clearly. His father was the one who caused this, or rather the backlash of the broken chain has urged him to do it, turning him into a monster that can't be reasoned with, driven only by based instinct and fragments of memories released from their bonds. The Emperor, Lucious bitterly realized, there's no going back now, they must keep Haru safe by all cost.
A deafening crack boomed as the barrier shattered into a rain of glistening shards slowing sizzling out of existence, sending Lucious sliding backward and falling down on all three, his one arm still stubbornly wrapping around Haru even when every orifice on his face was leaking with blood, his veins popping from the sheer force. He could hear something, someone calling out for him, despite the ringing in his ears and the writhing crying of the human boy, yet from whom the cry has came from, he didn't know. Lucious' felt hazy, his vision blurred and shaky, his sense of balance was all but gone, every attempt to move now will force him to let go of Haru or fall over. Yet he must get up. He must get the boy out of here, out of His wrath until he can be subdued, somehow.
- GINJI! - Mustering what force he could spare, the Anacondrai roared the moment he felt his senses have recovered to the minimum, already feeling, and hearing the approaching Emperor. - GINJI! Take L-Lord Ha��ru…! Take him!
- I can't! - The high elf shrieked back a panicked reply, terrifyingly trying to keep his hands from shaking as he also felt the overwhelming force that's coming. - I still need to heal this one! He wouldn't st…
Lucious spun into action before Ginji could have finished his sentence, his unarmored tail dragged through the air before lashing against the thrashing tanned boy's face, sending him rolling against the wall, unconscious. The Anacondrai collapsed again, this time onto one knee, his hand raised high, collecting what left of his own magic in the air into a swirling ball of pure healing light, before slamming it onto the boy's chest. The ball burst, healing Loi's tattered body back into pristine condition, so much healing power was punched into him that it physically aged him, imploding outside and healing Lucious and Haru though its effect was somewhat lessened. Before Ginji could mutter a word, he felt his friend shoving the unconscious white haired boy into his arms, his golden eyes burned brightly with fear.
- Ginji. Take him. Go. - The Anacondrai barked between short, choked up breaths.
- What? No! - Mitsuki shook her head in protest. - Haru must stay here! With Keto-sa…
- HE'S TOO FAR GONE! - Lucious slammed his fist into the floor and roared. Snapping his head back toward the pit black doorway before turning around to the girl. - He's not Father anymore… He's just the Emperor, and he'll stop at nothing till he gets his hands onto Dad. - He grasped her by the shoulders, those fearful golden eyes shone with the same desperate and pleading look that she's seen too many time back at the village. With choked up, painful, almost teary voice, the Anacondrai begged her: - Go with Ginji, please. Take Dad. Go! Run! We'll hold him off for as long as we can! Go! Now! Run! To the Ih'zha'het Ruins' temple! Go! RUN!
Lucious bolted toward the doorway before his final word could leave his lips, fists coiled and blazing with brilliant multi-colored flame, launching at the dark silhouette with amber eyes. A fist rose to meet the inquisitor's, sending out shockwave that all but collapsed the roof of the wagon as Mitsuki hugged Loi and shriek in terror. Yet even as the dust was clear, the girl could felt it, the burning rage clashing with desperate bravado in a titanic match that cracked the air itself. She squinted her eyes and jerked backward as Lucious was pushed back at them, stopping just before he could touch them, his talons dug deep trenches into the floor to slow his trek. Mitsuki saw the inquisitor outstretched his arms and getting into formation, his body now classed from neck to toes in jet black armor, his fangs bearing in a threatening at a dark figure in transparent armor made from shimmering magic. His entire silhouette was blurred, flickering like mirages in a hot summer day, yet one thing was clear to her, to all of them those eyes, deep amber pulsating coldly with wrath and pain, locking directly at Haru. And at that horrifying moment of realization, Mitsuki understood as she gazed upon Wrath and Death incarnated made divine.
The Emperor has come.