"A breach, here?" Genzai's voice was a mixture of confusion and frustration.
"Ahh." Ozen calmy exhaled. "So the experiment was a success."
Looking back at him Genzai narrowed her eyes. "You planned to create a breach? How does that help anyone? What artefact are you experimenting with?"
"The artefact, well. That is for me to know and for you to find out… Now if you excuse me, let us continue. I want to deal with you now so you won't trouble me when I inspect the fruits of my labour."
Consolidating all of her lightning into her sheath, Genzai crouched low. "I was thinking the same thing."
After a heartbeat, the two fighters unleashed their attacks.
Genzai drew her blade, she devastated Ozen's defences in a flash of lightning. Slamming a foot in the ground, Genzai threw her all into this final attack. Her blade cut through Ozen's last defence before cutting through his chest.
Ozen's breath would catch as Genzai twisted the blade.
"And that's why your the Protectorate and not me."
Ozen's body would turn intangible as he became one with the shadows around him disappearing into the dark.
Looking around Genzai sheathed her blade. "I'd hunt you down Ozen, but someone has to deal with this damn breach."
Kicking one of the doors open, Genzai turned back into the ball of lightning as she rapidly moved towards where Ozen had come from.
--
Reaching the room, Genzai turned back in time to open the door.
Within the room, five black beasts lay dead on the ground, their bodies emitting a dark smoke, they lay before what Genzai was so concerned about.
The breach hovered off of the ground, outputting a purple glow. A world different from this one could be viewed through its surface
Inspecting the beasts that lay on the ground, Genzai saw that a lot of them had had their heads caved in, other's had wounds from a bladed weapon.
These creatures were reminiscent of a story Genzai was once told.
Shifting her focus back to the breach, Genzai was preparing her Flow to seal this breach when she heard a man's voice coming from within the Breach.
Sighing, Genzai knew she couldn't live with herself if she sealed this breach and left someone stranded in an unknown world.
Stepping into the Breach, Genzai found herself standing atop a hill. The first thing that became apparent to her, was the eclipsed sun high above. Looking around her Genzai took in the sight of a barren world, no plants could be seen, surely from the lack of sunlight given off from the eclipse.
Hearing the man yell again, Genzai looked down the hill.
Crio stood over the corpses of the same black creatures from the laboratory room.
Crio now wearing a suit of grey armour that was missing a right sleeve, wielded a blade in his left hand and only his fist in the other. Beneath him, Crio stood over Ragna who was still unconscious.
Hopping down the hill, Genzai slid down the steep slope.
Twirling his blade, Crio stabbed down into the neck of one of the approaching beasts. Punching the side of the beast's head, its skull cracked from the force his right fist exerted.
Letting the dead beast drop from his blade, Crio turned to face more approaching beasts. "I don't know why you want my son-" As a beast jumped at him, Crio rammed his right arm into the beast's mouth. "-but I'm not letting him go without a fight." Grabbing the beast's jaw, he held its head in place before decapitating the monster. Dropping the beast Crio readied himself as three more pounded in unison
Reaching the bottom of the hill, Genzai charged a bolt of lightning within her fingers, holding them out she snapped her fingers. A bolt of lightning shot out of her fingertips, piercing through the beast's sides, the lightning spreading through the beast's bodies reducing them to ash in mere moments.
Condensing Flow into her right hand, Genzai opened her palm as a ball of lightning formed, throwing the ball into the ground, it enlarged passing through the three people. Acting like a shield, the approaching creatures were now held at bay, lightning arced across the shield singing and beast brave enough to try and damage it.
Seeing this shield, Crio dropped to a knee, exhausted from his exerted effort he turned to face Genzai, Crio rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry Protector, this is all my fault."
Putting a hand on his shoulder, Genzai patted his back. "Don't say that, Crio. Ozen tricked us all, even the Board. Now tell me, what is happening."
Moving to pick up his son, Crio tenderly placed a finger on the black stone that had embedded itself into Ragna' chest. "This is what's happening. Ozen needed my knowledge of artefacts… And my son."
"So that's the 7th level Artifact… You can't blame yourself Crio, he used the Tongue of Many Truths to brainwash you, it just begs the question. How long have you been under his thumb?"
Cradling his son, Crio grit his teeth in anger at the time Ozen had stolen from him. "I would rather not think about it. I just need to make amends for what I have done all the same." Crio took a moment to consider their surroundings. "Where-" Wincing at something he continued. "Where are we? I've never seen this world."
"I've never been here, but I've heard rumours about a world like this one. In a constant eclipse, barren, roamed by a handful of species that would be the apex predators in most worlds. Such as our friends, the Abyssal over there. We're in the 9th World." Sharply exhaling, Genzai looked back to the breach. "No one's allowed in the 9th World. "We need to get out of here and seal the breach before the situation escalates."
Swapping his sword to his right hand, Crio hoisted Ragna onto his left shoulder. "Lead the way."
Nodding Genzai waved a hand to the side, their shield exploded outwards incinerating any Abyssal that had dared to stray close enough. "Run!"
Unsheathing her katana, Genzai first focused on the Abyssal close to them. Twirling her blade around her, lightning arced from the edge skewering several Abyssal. As one jumped at Crio, Genzai jumped, turning into a bolt of lightning she cut through the threat.
Taking this opportunity, she began to thin the numbers around them. Like a child would draw outside of the lines, Genzai zigzagged across the hoard of approaching Abyssal. These beasts could do nothing as with every passing moment they were turned to dust under the might of Genzai's power.
Returning to Crio who had now reached the bottom of the hill. Crio glanced to Genzai. "You made it sound like this place was supposed to be something to fear, your turning those things to ash without trying."
Holding her blade outwards, Genzai pointed towards the sky. "On the might of those, I swore to protect, bring the power of your judgment down onto my enemies." As she spoke, storm clouds appeared in the cloudless sky, lightning could be visually seen crackling high above them. Making a small gesture, Genzai brought her blade down to point at the approaching hoard.
Erupting, the clouds began to rain down lightning on all of the Abyssal below them.
As the Abyssal began to be torn apart by the storm, Genzai sheathed her blade as she began to pant, rested a hand on her leg, Genzai could feel that she was missing something.
"There's something about this world… Like it's slowly sapping my Flow… To answer your question, these aren't the real threat, those Abyssal are like babies, like cannon fodder. It's the Ethereal who are the actual threats… and-" Sensing a build-up of Flow behind them. Genzai spun, throwing her hands up, a shield of lightning-sparked into being before them.
Appearing from nowhere, a beast the size of an adult lion struck the shield with its claws, although still standing Genzai's barrier was substantially weakened.
"It's an Ethereal!" Genzai screamed.
It's surprise attack failing. The best threw the front end of its body down, throwing its tail forwards the spiked tip of the beast's tail easily pierced through the weakened barrier Genzai hastily threw up, shattering it.
Moving to draw her katana, Genzai could feel it, whatever was draining her Flow was slowing her movements.
Reaching forward, Crio pushed Genzai out of the way. Shielding Genzai from the hit, Crio took the full force of the attack.
The Ethereal's tail crushed Crio's chest plate with ease as it made a hole through Crio's body.
The Ethereal's tail sunk into Crio's chest. His nerves on fire, Crio strained against the pain knowing he had just dealt himself a final blow.
"Crio!" Genzai shouted, picking herself up.
As the Ethereal began to remove its tail from Crio's body. Crio grabbed the beast's tail with his right hand holding it in place. His right arm became less human as he dealt with the pain, the stone changing shape, becoming jagged,
Coughing up blood, Crio's grip on the tail tightened. "Genzai, take my son. Please, do your best to look over him-" Stabbing into the beast's tail, Crio severed the barbed tip with ease.
As the Ethereal staggered backwards, Crio removed the spike from his stomach. As blood began to gush out of his wound, the black stone spread from his arm, across his chest and back to cover his wound.
Putting a hand on the new stone. Crio gritted his teeth. Snapping a piece of the rock off of his arm, Crio threw it to Genzai. "Put that on Ragna' arm before it fully heals. It's called Parasitic Mineralis. It will fix what I broke."
"I will Crio, I promise!" Picking up the still unconscious Ragna, Genzai made her way up the steep slope.
Turning his attention back to the Ethereal, it had seemingly given him time to send his son on his way.
Swapping his sword back to his left hand, Crio raised his sword. "I wonder if I have enough time to deal you a death blow."
Scraping the floor with an oversized paw the Ethereal roared.
"Bring it beast."
--
Reaching the top of the hill, Genzai looked back to see Crio engaging the Ethereal.
Bowing her head, she spoke a few words. "My faith to you brave warrior. I hope you live to see your child grow."
Lingering a few moments more. Genzai turned, walking a few steps, she stood before the breach between worlds.
With every second the edges of the breach slowly widened. Hopping through, Genzai looked around the laboratory, the bodies of the dead Abyssal were almost gone. Only bones remained.
Laying Ragna down, Genzai turned back to the breach.
"If I don't seal this it could split and cause unimaginable damage to this world."
Glancing back to the still unconscious Ragna, she sighed. "I hope you're ok kid." Turning back to the breach, Genzai watched as the breach grew unstable. The breach began to grow faster than before.
"Unstable... Fine." Without taking her gaze off of the ever-growing breach Genzai set her weapon on the ground. Rubbing her hands together electricity began to form as Genzai focused her Flow.
Holding out her hands, two bolts of lightning shot from her palms. Encircling the breach between worlds, it stopped growing as the lightning bolts began to stabilise its instability.
Letting out a slow exhale, Genzai slowly started to push her hands together.
Following Genzai's movements, the lightning bolts began to seal the breach.
Straining against the pressure of the breach. Genzai pushed through, and over a matter of minutes, she successfully closed the breach.
The breach disappeared with a flash of purple light.
Dismissing her bolts of lightning, Genzai felt a slight pressure in her head. Holding up a hand to the side of her head, Genzai sighed knowing this feeling all too well. "Flow deficiency. I'm near my limit. It's a good thing the fights over…"
Looking to the unconscious, Ragna, Genzai furrowed her brow remembering Crio's words.
Kneeling beside the boy. She undid the bloody bandages of his arm.
Looking at the stone he had given her, Genzai repeated the name he had called it. "Parasitic Mineralis…" Gently, Genzai pressed it against the boy's arm.
One second, two seconds. Nothing. Three seconds, four seconds. Nothing.
"What's the point in this? Nothing is happening" Genzai sighed.
Moving to stand up, Genzai found she couldn't remove the stone.
Letting it go, the rock stayed attached to Ragna's arm.
"I stand corrected." Looking back to where the breach was, Genzai frowned. Resting a hand on Ragna's chest Genzai swore an oath to Crio. "I promise on my name as the Protector of the 6th World, I will do everything in my power to protect this boy."
With one last look to the empty wall, Genzai picked Ragna up. Walking out of the room and towards the surface, Genzai winced remembering something.
"Ishni is going to kill me for losing Ozen."