"Teleportation?!!"
Philip exclaimed after hearing Zxhst's voice from the sky
'Did he fold space or did he reconstruct his atomic structure from point A to B?! Even so! Both are still impossible within the realms of Earth!'
Philip believed that certain abilities such as teleportation, flight, and anything that is an aspect of the universe like time, space, and gravity are not possible this early in the transition to Mysticism Age, unless they are high beings, divine beings, or Philip himself
There are other people or beings that can fly because they have tools, wings, or the ability to control and manipulate their surroundings; like Alucard with his vampire wings, Mathilda with her transformed boosters and wings, Sheena with her upgraded supermagnets, Tenshi as an angel, and Sai being a goddess. Justine is an exception though, her being the Swirlonic Agent allows her to manipulate concept that tend to swirl. Thus, she can manipulate the vector of gravity, even though it should have been impossible, for now
But for Zxhst, he is capable of teleportation, even though no one here on Earth, even the higher beings and divine beings are capable of yet because of the restrictions of the world that Gaia granted
'This could only mean one thing...'
Zxhst is a Mana Avatar and he can freely manipulate Mana like it's his limbs. Mana allows humans to obtain abilities, skills, and talents based on their desires and Mana can affect every concept in existence
"No..."
After thinking for a second, Philip realized everything. Dread washed over him and a force welled from deep inside him. His limit has been reached and his potential is maxed out. He then felt that he was crushed as his consciousness and self-awareness was pulled into his body
Justine and Tenshi abruptly turned around after they sensed that Zhxst is near Philip and he destroyed the relay radar. They were shocked because he managed to escape their lockdown and he seemed unscathed or unhurt. They gritted their teeths and became angry
"Graaaaagggh!"
"Raaaaahhh!"
They screamed and lunged towards Zxhst and they prepared their prayers and swirl manipulation
"A creation of the Time Felon, the Totality Catalyst, the one chosen by fate, the recoiless skill, and now, the next inheritor of the Swirlonic State. What's next?"
Zxhst describe each of them one by one and tried to come up with a plan on how to defeat them. Even if he already know what they're capable of, they're still a bunch of anomalies clumped together. If they are in the early times of the universe, this combination of concepts would never exist
'It might be because of this human that's chosen by the foreign concept outside of the universe, fate. Though, there's one thing quite strange within him and it's not the blood of the pureblooded vampire'
Zxhst thought to himself as he strained his brain to sense the very hidden concept within Philip
It was then that a thick bolt of lightning, thicker than his entire height, went past him as he casually dodged to the side. A barrage wave of flaming wind then passed him as he kept casually dodging side by side
Justine tried to come close to Zxhst and punch him but he managed to dodge to the side with his eyes half closed. A pillar of earth then rose under him and he went to the side
Zxhst opened his eyes and he can see the world running very slowly. Justine was in front of him and he could strike him a hundred times in this slow world but he chose not to at the moment. He needs the time to analyze Philip first
After a few seconds, Justine and Tenshi started to catch up to his speed as Justine is constantly increasing both of their velocity and acceleration, but it was not enough
Mark could only watch from afar because he won't be able to do anything in an aerial battle. He is holding the unconscious Elaine on his arms
Sheena also started to act as she wielded the sniper rifle and aimed it at Zxhst. With the help of the upgraded supermagnets, two upgraded assault rifles hovered next to her and started to shoot Zxhst, along with the upgraded sniper rifle. Her sniper rifle didn't need any reloads and shot like a machine gun and a laser
Celine also managed to recover after a few seconds and then she came flying from her spot towards Zxhst as the air behind her trail warped. The space around her constantly warped as she engaged in close quarters combat while constantly using Recoiless Technique in her every minute muscle movements. This will destroy her body in the process even though she has reinforced it with martial arts
The particles and energy around the entire area started to explode and shatter because of Justine's Swirlonic State, Celine's recoiless strikes, Tenshi's accepting body as a medium, Sheena's upgrade ability, and Mana present around the area
Air started to become violent and turbulent around them that it started to create a tempest tornado, which only made the cyclonic storm worse. Sparks and lightning kept from generating because of the fission of atoms and particles as they reach supercritical point
While this is all happening, Philip is just standing in place while staring in an empty wall of nothingness. His eyes are dilated and he seemed to be in a very deep vertigo and free fall
Red Spider Lilies and Blood Lilies started to bloom around him and spread around the crater, into the mountain, and past the magical forest. No one noticed this happening except for Mark. He was confused as the lilies emanated a faint crimson, scarlet, bloody, red glow. Red particles like ember also started to float in the air
Meanwhile, no one noticed that there is a Total Solar Eclipse happening currently because it was being blocked by the cyclonic storm. But, if they happen to see it, the moon started to turn red, creating an astronomical event that has never happened in the history of Earth since the creation of the world
Total Bloody Solar Eclipse
Everyone on Earth, including humans, high and higher beings, except for the battle in the unstable Mana Hotspot and confrontation in Atlantis, are seeing this event. They are preparing for the worst
~~~
"Philip?"
"..."
"Philip"
"..."
"Philip!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"101st Pureblood Inheritor Philip"
"!!!"
Philip abruptly opened his eyes because of a familiar title. He knew that he has that title because he took the Pureblood from Alucard and place it on his empty chest to serve as a temporary heart. Also, he was surprised because no one should be able to know that he's the 101st inheritor of the Pureblood. Though, Justine knows that he took the Pureblood from Alucard, but she doesn't know that there are inheritors and that he's the new generation of inheritors
So, that's why he managed to open his eyes when he was called as the 101st Pureblood Inheritor. Who called him that?
"..."
As soon as Philip opened his eyes, he found himself in the abyss, floating like he's deep under the ocean. Even though he is in the abyss, it's not dark at all. The surroundings is dimly lit in red color, like he was swimming inside a red ocean
He then felt that his chest is thumping, as if he had a heart. He can hear beating sound and feel pressure pulsating across his chest and into his limbs
Just then, he heard a rapidly pulsating sound, the same as the heartbeat, and turned around. There, in a distance, he could see a glowing red orb that ever so expands and contracts like a beating heart. The orb is constanly leaking red liquid with the consistency of blood and dripping down into the abyss. The orb is also releasing beams of bright red light
"101st Pureblood Inheritor, or should I call you by your name, Philip? We have finally meet personally"
"..."
Philip looked towards the red orb. He now knows what's currently happening
"I apologize that I can only show myself as an orb, I do not have a physical form or whatsoever like the previous Pureblood inheritors, so excuse for my rudeness"
"Ah-"
"Though, I would like a physical body someday"
"..."
"Wait, why am I being apologetic and respectful towards you anyways?! You forcefully pulled my strings out of the pureblooded vampire's lineage and put me inside of your source and origin! Now, you broke the chain of ascension and we have to start from the bottom!"
"I'm sorry, it had to be done"
"I think I understand... I already learned everything from being in your system. Chosen by fate, Future Vision, Origin Seeker... You are one of kind!"
"Hm... Do you think I'm human or something else?"
"Oh! You're definitely human! But the abilities you have is what makes you not human. A human, a monster, a god, a spirit, an unknown, you name it"
"Hmmm... So, why am I here?"
"Your brain overloaded so I had to save you. Although, don't get the wrong idea! I'm not recognizing you as a capable being to harness the full power of Pureblood. I just saved you because I can't afford to lose this vessel. Your body system is perfect to be my home"
"Then, can I wake up? I need to take care something outside"
"I can't do that... Even though I've seen everything through your eyes, even the Fate Timeline, I can't do that... At least for now"
"What do you mean?"
"Your body is calling for more power. Your body is currently pushing itself to the limit and along with your maximum potential. After you realized that the Mana Avatar is capable of anything right now due to Mana, your body immediately tried to adapt and match his power"
"..."
"Unfortunately, all of your current abilities are not enough. I know Sword Concept could help you, only if you have mastered it though or else, you would only destroy your body in the process. Weather Manipulation can't help you because the weather is not listening to you, your reformed body plus the True Mana is not enough to help you, and Eye of Sai and Duality Kinetic State could only help you that much. On the other hand, all your abilities are non-combat and it won't help you against the Mana Avatar"
"What about Fate Control?!"
"Hm... I wonder..."
"..."
"Think about it like this... Why would you be here now if your body knew that you could use Fate Control and just end it right there?"
"... It's because of Pureblood!"
"Exactly! Since your body is searching for power, it all came down to me. Your body won't just do an a** pull like that from out of anywhere anyways. That won't make any sense. All I have to do is to agree on helping you and give you control over Pureblood. So, why should I agree on helping you?"
"..."
"..."
Philip thought deeply on how to answer the Pureblood. He doesn't care to much about using Pureblood to defeat Zxhst and just use Sword Concept even if it will destroy his body, but it would be nice if he could get a hold of Pureblood. It will be added to his offensive abilities anyways
"..."
"Your answer?"
"80th Pureblood Inheritor and the 3rd inheritor's question... What is blood?"
Suddenly, the red orb stopped beating and a ripple was caused that waved across the red abyss. The red orb only beats every few seconds, unlike having a rhythm before
"..."
*Ba-dump*
The Pureblood became quiet
"You know, ever since Alucard showed me all the Pureblood abilities and the history of the Pureblood inheritors... Those two are the only ones that caught my attention"
"..."
*Ba-dump*
"First, why would the 80th Pureblood Inheritor put herself in seclusion and why would the 80th ability named like that? Ultimately, she reflected about all the previous inheritors and she stopped at the 3rd inheritor. She spent her life trying to find the answer to that question"
"..."
*Ba-dump*
"The question 'What is Blood?' can be answered as blood that gives life, blood that is composed of cells, or blood that is sacred to an existence or being"
"..."
*Ba-dump*
"So, let me ask you this... What is Blood? More importantly, what is Pureblood and how did it came to be? Surely Pureblood wasn't born from the very first pureblooded vampire, was it?"
"..."
Silence echoed from the red orb and it stopped beating
"That's what I want to know... But how could I know if I can't experience it myself?"
"..."
"Listen... Grant me the power of Pureblood and I'll give you an answer"
"!!!"
Philip's words wasn't reassuring in the Pureblood's eyes, if it had any, but the fact that Pureblood deemed him as the one chosen by fate, makes it believe him
Streaks of blood then shot from the red orb and struck Philip's body. More and more arcs of blood filled the red abyss and surrounded Philip in a violent storm. The Pureblood is incorporating itself on Philip and granting him temporary control over the full power of Pureblood
Initially, the Pureblood doesn't want to grant Philip the Pureblood yet. But, it has to under severe circumstances and an unknown reason that it sensed deep within Philip
Then, at this point, Philip had the power to use Pureblood. He opened his eyes under the violent storm of blood streaks and splashed. His golden iris stayed, along with the right violet pupil, but his sclera is crimson red, giving the impression of dread, horror, and power just by looking at his eye
The space around him then cracked and the whole red abyss shattered like glass. The cracks were symmetrical as if he was inside a crystal. But eventually, the cracks burst open and the shards were pushed out of the way until Philip's vision faded to black
~~~
Meanwhile, Justine and the others are still trying their best to immobilize or eliminate Zxhst, but to no avail. He would either dodge or block their attacks. Even with Celine's Recoiless Technique is nothing against him
"Alright! This is enough!"
Zxhst shouted and a wave of blue energy blasted around him and forcefully pushed everyone away
Celine tried to resist the force by using martial arts, but Zxhst raised his hand towards Celine and brought his hand down in karate chop from a distance
"GAHAGHH!"
Celine was stunned and she was suddenly struck by a powerful force that she spat blood and made her pupils roll up. She is on a brink of losing consciousness. It was then that the ground under her was split apart and the earth was opened until magma was seen in the deepest parts and a few Mana Stones are sticking out of the walls. The crack was a few kilometers long and 50 meters wide
Fortunately, Celine did not fall into the crack and just landed beside the ledge, enough for her arm to dangle on the ledge
"Chronostasis!"
Zxhst pointed his finger towards the darting Justine and she abruptly stopped in place. She was put under a sphere where time was stopped. With this, Justine was indefinitely immobilized and a time wave was created that surged from Earth and across the Solar System towards the Milky Way Galaxy and into the universe
*Fwit*
Zxhst then flicked his finger to the side and pointed it to Tenshi. A massive amount of different types of Mana then surged Tenshi's body and brought her down to the ground. The Mana pinned her down like a swarm of bees and Tenshi was squirming trying to escape the predicament
Zxhst was trying to incorporate Mana into Tenshi and change her transformation with Mana as her catalyst. He is doing this to control the Totality Catalyst and take her for himself
"Lightning Storm"
Large bolts of lightning then rained down on Sheena without stop. She had to land close to the Heaven's Truck because of the pressure and seh has to protect the truck with her life. The HK-Speed and HK-Demon were already obliterated and the Blaze-7 HK has exploded. Sheena is pinned down while protecting the Heaven's Truck
Meanwhile, E-1 is still unperturbed while she's being struck by lightning and still looking up at the sky with an empty expression. Everyone has forgotten about her and Zxhst doesn't seem to feel her presence
"Time is running out! I'll destroy this world by starting with you humans!"
Everyone that are conscious gritted their teeth because they feel hopeless and that they can't do anything. Mark, especially, was feeling helpless because he can't do anything at the moment. He would be a role model and face the enemy with conviction and bravery, but that's how far he'll go, especially after he saw that Zxhst can split the ground with just a flick of his hand. Zxhst immediately immobilized the entire squadron in a few seconds and Philip seemed unmoving
All he could do now is to hope that the other squadrons around the world will come. He will become more useful when the other squadron leaders are together. The reason for that is because there's a certain specialty in a team of squadron leaders than just a squadron
"Time Manipulation, Space Manipulation, Gravity Manipulation..."
Zxhst started to chant his skills and abilities that made possible by the masterful manipulation and control of Mana. He gathered his hands together and three blue orbs formed above his palm
"Event Horizon, Black Hole, Hawking Radiation"
Zxhst pushed his hands together and a full fledged black hole was created. It immediately sucked in the air and light and warped the space around it
"Goodbye human world... Goodbye Earth... This is for the greater good"
Zxhst was about to drop the black hole into Earth's core when he was interrupted. At this point, the dark sky suddenly turned red and the atmosphere became heavier, different from the denseness of Mana. The cyclonic storm also started to change and rain poured down. The rain tinted everything in red
"Blood Singularity"