"No, you cannot execute! Show me other options." Flipping through the menus Mursayade yelled at the console until she found the list of other functions. "Do not Execute."
"Targets identified. Please select action." The control console gave off an alert and a red box appeared over the hologram. "Preparing for Emergency Energy Venting. Targeting. Absorption panels realigning, Executing."
"What options?!" Vector was still twinging and the second roaring belch of energy broke Mursayade's concentration.
"Integration and consolidation is no longer possible, overlap has already occurred. Separation is possible but it will consume the remaining cores. Excess energy can be converted to Pillars for storage but damage there is a 63% chance of failure. Do you wish to proceed?" Warning signs came up across the display, dozens of push notifications came up.
"64%" Yes and No buttons appeared, Mursayade didn't have a second thought as she slapped the console and clicked the yes buttons.
"Nenoize!" Mursayade remembered she wasn't alone but Nenoize had disappeared into Vector's body soon after their arrival. She bit at her nails then ran up to Vector's floating body.
"Nenoize?" Fluctuations in light spread across the console and absorption panels were being constantly generated. "This place is doing something, get out of there." She beat on vector chest then ran back to the console to recheck her options.
The Console beeped loudly and the red lights turned to yellow then slowly turned to green. "System Alert, Aborting Sequence."
"Huh?" Mursayade felt like her eyes were about to explode, she couldn't read the miscellaneous information fast enough. Dozens of lines of information fell across the holographic display.
"Unknown Variable. Core Separation in process, now at 35%. Detecting Unknown Element, analyzing. Core Separation at 36%." The System could only report what was happening but it left Mursayade feeling helpless at the controls.
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Evinate and Qingchi shared bits of information but there was a lot that was left unsaid. Each agreed to stop posturing after the cease fire but Qingchi was still hesitant, the few dealings with beings from other planes had been difficult if not impossible to have beaten in the past. As a result, Qingchi, would never drop her guard, a dozen truthers surrounded her and continually fed her their thoughts.
Though sharp words spread between them, it was tit for tat. Qingchi got information on the history of the white space and the battles from many millennia ago, she also got a clear understanding as to the knowledge of the residents in the space. The residents of the hidden space had isolated themselves for so long that the outside world had passed them by.
"I've answered more than my share of questions, I believe I'm owed an answer." Evinate pointed at Noyuki. "You're a Copyu but you bare the energies of the Creator. Its remarkable but bothers me immensely."
"Yeah, well.. I don't think I care for your opinions either." Noyuki sneered. "You treat us like vermin, even after all of that nonsensical posturing earlier? You've said it yourself, I seem to possess the energies of your creator.. That means he's returned and not only that, he's been taken hostage. Yet, even now you drag your feet like a child waiting for the signal to get up."
Evinate waved his hand to silence her but she had already stopped talking. "Insolent Child, I don't give a damn if you're in possession of any power, I only wish to exist. I was one of very few who stayed out of the war, and so, I've been allowed to exist without interference. We've only managed to survive because of our covert existence. Your words are too sharp for those that seek allies. I can feel it in your voice. We may have taken you from the Main World and then acted in caution but would you not do the same? Keep your hateful pride to yourself. Did you expect our help simply because you've discovered our existence, we do not exist for your purposes regardless of how lofty and ideologically similar our needs may seem." He released his grip on Noyuki's voice. "This is my house. Treat me with some level of respect."
"You're right! Now that we've discovered your existence, your hiding days are over. Our trail leads directly here." Qingchi crossed her arms and leaned back in the throne for a moment to wave her hands. "Where do you think anyone who's looking will go? They will probably go to the soldiers I've left outside of your portal and then well, you can fight alongside us or die as a result of your disinterest." Qingchi stood up and stored away her throne. "I don't have the luxury of waiting for you to make decisions but you've heard ours. Get out of our way or fight alongside us."
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A Mass of Orange fluids coagulated and reformed, the Orange Emperor roared in anger. He watched from the edge of the break, the small portion of the second tier that had survived the snap had a good view of rest that was falling through the Heavens.
'▓▓▓▓,' Rìshí Huǒ, a man who prided on his ability to destroy and corrupt was throwing up at the sight.
Hundreds of Thousands of people tumbled in the sky.
The Orange Emperor 'So many cities, so many lives!' They were plummeting to their eventual doom and then, bright columns of light, dozens of them, rained down from the heavens. The beams passed through the falling rubble and after their travel to bottom, they were spread out and yet, tightly coordinating their efforts. Their choreography seemed in sync and their positioning looked like they had a singular purpose.
Rìshí sucked in deeply. The majority of his empire, his people, his trophies, his wives and concubines were absorbed in a bright multicolored blast. The whole tier had vanished and there was nothing he could do. As he knelt next to the edge, Rìshí Huǒ estimated that it would take a few hundred years to reform. In an instant, he had lost everything that mattered to him.
'I'll kill them... all of them...' Huǒ's rage consumed him, he burst into an orange beam of light and slammed against the first level of Ultinia in a fit of rage, he started searching for the Ste'Dugen. "There is no where you can hide, I will find you!!" Rìshí summoned more of his bird swarm and slaughtered everything in his path, he had not seem where the dragon had gone but there were no portals nearby for him to exit, he could only head below.
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In a dark space, underground and on the third Ultinian Heavens, a red figure dressed in all black approached a cell. "Ever since I've captured you, things have been going very badly for me. Its time I'm rewarded for my hard work." He held a device in his hand and pointed it toward the prisoner.
A beam of red light began to sink into a Crystal that was embedded in Wu Hai's chest. There was an unbearable burning sensation, a corrosive effect on his soul. Heaving and cringing across the formation on the floor, Wu Hai let out a deafening scream of pain. He was being tortured exclusively by the Red Emperor Iasyou.
"Submit!" The Emperor became furious when Wu Hai was still clinging to his consciousness. If his spirit eventually collapsed in the future, there would be no more resistance. 'Not long now.' The red beam intensified. Wu Hai's mind, body, spirit and soul were being shredded, each time it recovered it was twisted and torn again.
"Che" The Red Emperor, Iasyou, spat at the ground in pure disbelief. He hated to wait.
Wu Hai's body started to go into shock and was dying. A gas came down into the room, the Red Emperor's impatience had cost him his enjoyment. "I will return in a few hours, if you want the pain to end, accept your fate."
Leaving his dungeon facility, the Red Emperor was met with many disagreeable subjects. The Second level of the Ultinian Heavens had been destroyed, a large portion of the Eclipsing Empire's support systems had been entirely removed from existence as a measure to save the greater whole.
Iasyou spread out his energy and consumed the messengers, they burned so hot that their spirit stones shattered. "How!"
"Emperor. Witnesses say it was a battle between the Orange Emperor and a Guardian, the Ice Dragon Ste'Dugen. The Ste'Dugen defeated the Storm Crow after a battle with the Sunset Empire." when he finished speaking, he let out a long breath and collapsed in a heap of ashes.
"Rìshí.." Iasyou waved his hand and a red beam surrounded him. In an instant, he had gone.
Wu Hai was left on the table and Ajennic came walking in.
"The Emperor seems to believe you're worth keeping, I look forward to watching you die." Ajennic stuck Wu Hai in the ribs with a dagger, it penetrated his body down to his spine and bled him profusely. "Your healing ability is something to be admired, sooner or later we will figure out how you do it so quickly. I'm sure by then, you'll already be a husk of your former self. Surrender now and save us all the time."
Ajennic dragged the knife across Wu Hai's face and carved his lips away. "These will be fun for later.." he snickered and placed them into a small cloth for later. "You have such nice Teeth too.. I wonder how fast they regrow?" A rod smashed into the side of Wu Hai's cheek and bent. "Oh, such a strong face you make.." Pliers appeared in Ajennic's hands. "Lets see how long that glare lasts.."
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System warnings covered the holographic display, "Prepare for emergency venting, Enacting Class 7 protocols, increasing absorption plate deployment. Shield integrity cannot contain charge, estimated time until complete system collapse - 3 minutes."
The whole system seemed to glitch out and then repeat itself. Red lights began to flash again, it was the fourth time in a row that the messages had repeated. "Warning, emergency venting unsuccessful, energy levels approaching critical. Warning, Emergency Venting unsuccessful."
The whole plane, the entire Starlit Dimension quaked each time the Ice Dragon expelled energy. "Core Separation at 77%. Emergency Venting Successful, Enacting Class 7 protocols."
Mursayade was having a tough time with the warnings, they had sent her into a panic.
"Pillar Creation Complete, Reloading Formation Plate Dispenser. Core Separation at 78%.." The system gave updates and the number was getting higher and Vector's body looked like it was already dead, he was somewhat motionless up until the expulsion of energy. "..3 minutes until complete system collapse."
"Nenoize, you've gotta hurry. I don't know how long this thing is going to actually last." Mursayade yelled at the top of her lungs, she wasn't sure if he would hear her in his state but the process with the System had been interrupted and now it was forced into a reactive state.
"System overload in progress, absorption plates failure in less two minutes thirty-five seconds." Violent arcs of electricity began to swim out of Vector's body, it was like living lightning and seemed very pissed off.
'Xiu' 'Xiu' 'Xiu' The charges built and broke the silence in the dimension between system updates. Mursayade grabbed the crusher blade, 'there has to be a reason why I felt compelled to bring it along.'
She concentrated on the fluctuations in Vector's breathing and the smell of ozone. 'Lighting..' There were few places that had such brilliant displays of lightning. Mursayade knew that when the timer eventually ran out, that was it, there were no second chances.
The Crusher blade was a two handed sword, in Mursayade's hands, it was still enormous. Using all four hands, she held it up between the Absorption panels and vector's wild energy outburst. The System gave another notification and energy exploded from vector's mouth. Mursayade held the crusher in front of her firmly. As the blast approached, it was cut two, cleaved it in half around her and spread between the plates more evenly.
'I can do this... I can do this!' Mursayade's eyes trembled, she wasn't entirely sure why she was still alive but she had faith that the sword was special, so special that an energy blast wouldn't destroy her if she hid behind it.
System alerts continued and less than 90 seconds remained on the time until the protective barriers would collapse.
As Mursayade blocked the initial blast, she watched the blade change colors. She thought for a moment that they might be cracks but the strength of the blade seemed to increase as the blast struck it. 'What is this thing made of?' She held the blade in front of her and readied for the next burst to come.
There were less than thirty seconds remaining and the System alerts were continually sounded out.
"Core Separation at 85%, approaching critical system failure." There was a serious jerk in Vector's body mass, he flailed his arms and wings in the formation and almost broke containment. "Core Separation complete. Unknown Entity has separated the Core successfully, Analyzing. Initiating system restart."
The shields for the containment unit shut down in that instant, Vector's body fell down like a sack of hammers.
Nenoize came out. He was holding a core in each hand and they were dissipating rapidly. "Give that to me." Nenoize fluttered to Mursayade's side and grabbed the bladed end of the Crusher, the cores fused with the holes in the sword perfectly then solidified.
Arcs of electricity and a trail of frost covered the weapon, it spun midair on its own.
"What did you just do?" Mursayade held on tightly to the handle and swung it lightly. A beam of energy slashed out across the void, it barely missed one of the pillars and kept traveling until it faded away. 'Whoa.'
Mursayade put the weapon down and went to Vector's body, when she saw that he was breathing well she asked, "So, I thought you took the core out of his body.. why is he still so large?"
"His core has fused with portions of the other two, without the Creator's hand there is little we can do about that." Nenoize placed his hand onto Vector's scales and probed. "He should be awake in a matter of hours, he's no weakling. You should know that he was battling two divine beasts in his heart, that is a feat no mere mortal could have done. Perhaps it as you say, perhaps he is favored by the Creator."
Several hours passed until Klorin entered the Starlit Dimension to check on their progress.
"It seems you've managed to recover, Dragon King." Klorin bowed in gratitude, Vector was not only his King but now he was truly a King among Dragons.
Mursayade picked up the Crusher blade, "Everyone is waiting for us to return with good news. Lets give it to them."
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