Chereads / Reality Shifter VOL: ONE / Chapter 8 - Episode Eight: The Fragment

Chapter 8 - Episode Eight: The Fragment

"A fine piece. I am naming it Libra", Oliver said.

[Weapon Name Awarded] [Weapon Name: Libra]

[Weapon Ability: Python Creation] [Weapon Ability: Serpent Creation]

[Passive Ability: Apex Sense]

[Weapon Creation Completed]

Oliver looked back at Joseph, mimicking his hex-colored eyes. The whole world was now brightened with the scent of joseph and the sound of his beating heart. Behind him, he could smell the strong smell and hear the beating heart of Akane. "Don't be confused, Joseph; It's exactly as you think," Oliver replied as he took a step forward.

As prey cornered, Joseph lashed out.

[Sub Ability Activated] [Reptile Creation and Manipulation...Pythonidae Swarm]

A Swarm of Pythons broke out of the ground, jolting towards Oliver, who smiled back.

[Weapon Ability: Python Creation]

A Swarm of his own broke out of the ground. Mud-green colored Python clashed against Joseph's Python, clamping their jaw onto theirs. The shock took Joseph for a loop, seeing identical abilities at play. But there was more.

[Sub Ability Activated] [Weapon Manipulation...Weapon Fusion]

[[Libra] + [Darkness + Casanova]]

The Libra's blade caught took on a black sine, and the bodies of Python caught on fire from the tail to the mouth.

[Weapon Ability: Flame burst...Two]

The heads exploded in violent Flames while Joseph shielded his face from the heat.

[Weapon Ability: Serpent Creation]

A few heads of Serpent blasted out of the Flames towards Joseph. He quickly brought up his arm, and fangs stabbed into them. Flames rose from the back and engulfed the Serpents.

[Flame burst...Two]

The Fangs on the Serpents erupted into Flames, and Joseph's arms exploded. Throwing him onto his back and back to his front. Immediately climbing back to his feet, shaking and staring at his two stumps.

[[Darkness ] + [Libra + Casanova]]

Blood snakingly spuming out, not before black carbon Python rippled through the air and clumpered on the ground around him. Joseph turned around to see a great spectacle.

[Flame Burst Level Three]

A massive torrent of Flame blasted Oliver forward with Darkness pointed straight at Joseph. Combined with the pull of Pythons, Oliver became a meteor. Crashing and putting Darkness into his person while Joseph came an inch away from the green tint of the monstrosity peeking at him from the face of a grinning fool.

With force alone, Oliver dragged Joseph across the mountain. Instantly the regeneration kicked in new pair of arms grew out and bulked up with large claws. He quickly dug his claws into the ground, stopping himself and Oliver on top of him. Oliver immediately went down and reached out for his face with his hands.

Scared and uncertain as to what to think, Serpent heads grew out of the ground and zipped through the air, launching their gullet fangs into the body of Oliver. But that haunting smile never faltered while the Serpent's fangs had penetrated Oliver's heart, lungs, liver, throat, and spine. He bent further down, causing the fangs to bend down with him.

Pulling and forcing Joseph's eyes open with his thumbs, "Joseph, I don't want you hurt you, nor do I wish to kill you since you are still useful to your Lord and to me." Oliver said while dragging his bottom eyelid down, stopping joseph from looking away. He quickly grabbed Oliver to throw his monster off himself but stopped as he stared at the sky.

A speck appeared in the night sky, which outshined the moon and stars. Suddenly began to grow and enlarge. Soon becoming massive, astronomical, greater than the earth itself and, in the end, swallowing it whole. While the whole world went out of focus and drowned in an eldritch silence.

A calm took over Joseph's mind, and he stopped resisting the futility, clearing his and helping him focus on the person in front of him. "Joseph, in a minute, I am going to send you away from here, and I want you to go to your lord Sai and tell him I. Oliver of house Battleborne will take care of Akane Bloodborne from now on. So he doesn't need to worry any longer", Oliver explained, and Joseph listened with stunned silence.

Oliver moved his hand away from Joseph's face and twisted the Darkness handle, Teleporting Joseph out of the [Otherworld]. The feeling of calm dissipated as soon as Joseph fell into the living room. The pain of his heart being pierced woke him up to the condition of his person, as his abilities slowly subsided the pain.

He rolled over in pain, the morphing effects began to dissipate, the skin on his bones turned back to its pale color, and a large gash in his cheek filled back up with its vital inners. "What in the haven sake does that child thinks my home is" a sudden angry voice boomed from Joseph's side.

He quickly turned around to see the deity in his presence. His eyes quickly widened as his mind made the unnecessary connection between Battleborne child and the deity of All-Knowing. Sudden energy surged from beneath Joseph, and a jolt threw him under the downpour of the street in New Orleans.

He got back up socking, with only torn-up pants on his person. "What the hell is going on," he wondered, soon leaving to deliver what he had discovered to his Lord.

...

The time drew closer for the confrontation; the bubbling ether and thunderstorm had reached close and soon was to engulf the flats peeks. Oliver stood back up, readying his wounded and disheveled person. The Pendant quickly pulled his body and clothing together, turning up a more presentable façade.

Cross the path laid Akane, the poison that spread through her blood by Joseph, now started to lose its strength. She opened her eyes to the dark purplish sky, immediately turning towards the footsteps coming to her. Looking up see Oliver giving her a hand. "Good to see you are alright, Akane," he said with a friendly smile, and she took it, still in a daze.

"What's happening? Where?", She stopped as the drowsy feeling quickly faded, seeing the familiar bubbling purplish black cloud. Memories she had long overcome found new weight in her stomach, and she wanted to run away but instead remained frozen. She could explain the fear she felt, but then there was this flicker of anger towards the thing that had stolen her life away from her.

But then she heard a voice call out to her from behind that caused her heart to sink. A moment before, the Fragment engulfed the flattops. Akane turned around to see Sotokie standing a few yards away. "Sotokie?" she asked, and Oliver placed his hand on her shoulder. "Clam down, it's here," he said, while purple either blanked all of them.

[Ability Activated] [Reality Manipulation... Nox Somnium Mandus]

...

The cloud quickly morphed and appeared as a mansion around Akane and Oliver. They found themselves standing inside the hallway. Immediately Akane's mouth went dry, seeing a small figure stroll past her. The figure of a young girl in her early teens, with gray hair with a light shade of purple, followed by Akane and Sotokie, who were acutely far younger than their big sister.

"Maya?" Akane managed to blurt out as she turned around but found their bodies disappearing into the mist. "What is this? Why are we here?" Akane quickly looked to Oliver for answers with a worried expression.

"Claim down. These are just your memories, recreated", Oliver replied, still holding Darkness tightly in his hand. "My memories?', Akane said slowly as her features became soft and saddened, knowing fully well what this meant.

They both began to make their way toward the childish laughter. Finding themselves coming in front of a bedroom, which Akane remembered as her own. They stumbled into the room, and Akane watched one of her most comforting memories play out. Seeing herself on the stool in front of the massive mirror of the dresser, with Maya coaming through the hair of her younger self.

It was a sunny afternoon at Fictor manor, located in the [Otherworld]. The sunshine illuminated the room as Maya hummed a silent melody while Akane calmly sat. Even as a child, Akane had bright crimson red hair.

"Maya, would always ask me if she could comb through my hair, and I really liked it as well. We spent mornings together while we talked about what we would do that day." Akane said, lost in the moment and slowly coming to tears. Oliver stood there, seeing the morning of the last Bloodborne playout in front of him.

Soon a mist accumulated from the room's entrance, taking the form of young Sotokie om a little dress. She pulled on Maya's dress, taking her attention and wanting herself to go next.

What little happiness she had growing up, the care and love she received from Maya made it all the more painful. Even though they weren't related by blood, she never gave it another thought, and from the first day, Lord Fictor and his two daughters welcomed the Bloodborne with open arms.

...

Suddenly, footsteps caught their attention, and Oliver and Akane found a butler in the doorway. Dressed formally, the man had dark hex color hair pulled back. He smiled comfortingly at the three girls, "Huh, uncle Kai?" Akane said, looking a the figure. "Another Fictor?" Oliver said, not knowing that Lord Fictor had a brother, but if he didn't know about him, that meant the worst of him.

"Yes, he was my father's brother, but a [Null]...I wonder what happened to him?" Akane said not having seen him after the accident at the Fictor manor. Kai opened his mouth to speak, and suddenly everything dissolved into mist, and the scene morphed into the hallway. This time, an older Maya, somewhere around her mid-teen, walked across the room towards the office of Lord Fictor.

Kai held the door open and motioned her to enter. Oliver and Akane entered the room along with the figures, entering a rectangular space. Seeing Lord and Lady Fictor wanting to discuss an important matter.

Lord Fictor had his bright orchid color hair pulled back and his eyes burning with purple neon. He is wearing a suit with only his vast coat and the sleeves of his shirt folded up to his elbows. On the other hand, Lady Fictor was a woman of tall structure with delicate features and long, sliver hairs running down behind her. She was wearing dark brown cardigan pants and a violet dress underneath.

As soon as Lady Fictor's eyes fell on Akane, her expression turned to a frown. "Kai, I specifically request my family", she said, looking at him with narrowed eyes. He looked back at her, then turned to his Lord. Lord Sai immediately shook his head and walked to Akane and Sotokie, leading them out of the room, "Alright, you too, go outside and play. Maya will join you shortly once we are done", he said with a quick smile. Both of his daughters nodded and went running past Akane and Oliver.

Although Oliver found the scene happening inside more interesting, Akane did pay it any mind and quickly began to follow the two young girls, knowing what far worst was about to happen. Meanwhile, the butler came to the door, and as he closed the door. Made eye contact with Oliver with a short smile and closed the door shut.

This moment took Oliver off guard as he stared back in confusion. Immediately, he walked towards the door, only to hear voices from the other side. He twisted the door nob and found the scene still playing. Lady and Lord Fictor sat on the large sofa while Maya sat opposite them. The butler was in the middle of serving refreshments to the audience.

They opened their mouths to speak, and their voices were mumbled and nearly understandable. Not that Oliver cared about the marriage proposal from the Confortos, those who longed in hatred towards the Fictors, now looking to burry the hatchet by pairing the lord's heir with Maya. But the butler, who stood back from pouring the tea, twisted his head towards Oliver with a large comical grin, gray bubbling Ether pouring out of it.

Oliver's grip tightened around Darkness as he quickly released that these were not the memories of the Akane. Suddenly, the rest of the Fictors also turned their head in unison. A dark purplish aura escaped around them, their irises turning hollow and burning hex color. Suddenly their forms collapse into mist, leaving the butler grinning at Oliver.

...

It was just another cloudy day at the Fictor estate; Akane was ten years old and had begun practicing with Maya to understand her own ability. Maya faced young Akane, age 10. Who held a knife in her left-right hand, the knife there to act as a focus to drive her ability offensively.

It began with Akane raising her empty hand, and a torrent of blood shot out, engulfing Maya. But had no effect. Instead, the blood outlined the transparent sphere shielding her person. A smile came over Maya, and she took a step, leaping into the air with immense force. Only came to a sudden stop, with her momentum completely shifting downwards as she plummeted with immense force.

Akane jolted to the side as Maya landed with a crushing boom, kicking and breaking the ground into large pieces. Akane maneuvered away from the destruction until seeing a single giant piece held by Maya, who ran with it and launched it at Akane.

Akane rushed straight at it, creating a torrent of blood under her feet to boost herself over the incoming rubble. Dragged her feet across and, with a quick step, slashed at Maya's side. A seam of blood drew out, connecting with Maya, but went unheard. A thick film of condensed gravitation field covered Maya's person, protecting her from the brunt of the attack.

Maya, with a soft smile, turned to Akane. Made a fist, around which a sphere of gravitational force formed, and she brought it down. Akane quickly jumps to her right, avoiding the punch that wraps the space around it and breaks and bends the ground with its impact. While Akane slashed again, driving the knife across Maya's abdomen.

The blood drew out, scratching the film, but ultimately unable to harm her. Instantly Maya's eyes turned to Akane, bringing her hand to her face. The sphere of dese gravity expanded, hitting Akane and knocking her several feet back. She fell on her back and rolled onto her feet. "You like running around too much, Akane", Maya said before Akane could say a thing.

Maya raised her hands towards the sky in an open embrace. A dark purplish mist began to pour out from underneath Maya and stormed upwards into a center point. Spinning and twisting into a sphere, a violent wind blew around it like a hurricane about to run rampant. Then sphere of dark violet expended with a blast, reviling bounded figure.

Eyes snapping around, a mouth hanging ajar and tucked into the chest. Both arms and legs were dislocated and twisted around its body with barbed iron chains wrapping, smilingly causing perpetual agony.

Maya, whose eyes were glowing violet and a grin across her face. Despite how caring of an older sister Maya was, her ability did her no justice. As soon as it came into existence, Akane flinched at the sight of this creature that resembled a humanoid suffering eternally. Then came along the blood-curdling screams, and the first one caused a haze to vibrate through the air, a thick blackish mist attached to everything as far eyes could see.

Everything which was detached from the land started to levitate. Akane also felt the effect of gravity giving away as she begins to float upwards.

...

"Stop! Don't!" Akane yelled as she ran for Maya. Then a pair of arms grabbed her, stopping her. "let go, I have to stop it!" Akane yelled as she reflexively bashed her elbow backward.

Oliver's head jerked back, the force nearly knocking him out, but thanks to the amulet, he stayed conscious. He looked back at Akane with the side of his forehead caved it. "That thing is not Maya; don't you dare go near it," Oliver shouted back.

Suddenly the ground began shaking violently. At this time, neither Maya nor Akane knew that their actions had woken something woke up, something whose existence Lord Sai had yet to explain to his daughters. It came from the ground, impaling Maya and extending towards the creature above her and impaling him too.

A limb of made bubbling Ether, pushing Maya back in surprise. She ogled at the substance going through her chest. The sounds, the taste, the feelings, and the smells all began to fade away. In her last fleeting moment, she looked back at her little sister, scared and horrified. The Ether wrapped over Maya's body. The air quaked as she released a powerful shock wave.

The wave repelled everything backward, causing them to become covered with a purplish mist. Younger Akane quickly accumulated blood from her back and used it to attach her person to the ground, with multiple arachnid-like legs protruding through her back.

The sudden repel was followed by a powerful second wave that pulled everything towards Maya, and at that moment, Younger Akane successfully stopped herself from being pulled. However, the knife in her slipped out and went straight to Maya's chest.

Force alone causes the blade of the knife to stab all the way to and through Maya's heart. A pain jolted Maya awake, pulling the Ether away and clearing her senses. It didn't take her long to realize what was happening. Only staring back at Younger Akane, tearing up and terrified, and barely holding on.

During this, Oliver picked out something peculiar, seeing the butler present at the scene, shocked as they were. In that quick moment, he connected all the necessary dots immediately.

Maya knew she would not be awake for long, raising her hand at Akane. A burst of force escaped her hand and pushed Akane into the building. Knowing that her Dad would realize that something had gone wrong and would come and save Akane and sotokie, the Ether again consumed her.

...

And with this, the theater ended, and the body of Maya fell limb on the ground. Everything fell into silence. Akane instantly looked away and hid into Oliver's chest. Sobbing uncontrollably and gripping his suit tightly in frustration. Seeing her like this again tore something in Oliver, but he shook it aside as he locked eyes with the angulating mass of Ether appearing over Maya.

It finally showed itself, the Fragment appearing as a humanoid. Oliver grabbed Akane by the shoulder. "Now is not the time! Turn around!" Oliver yelled, frustrated beyond belief. Akane turned around reluctant at first, but the moment the Fragment began to move towards the limb figure of Maya, her body came to a halt, fixated on it. While from afar, a Sotokie held firm and dug her nails into the palm of her hands in anger and fear.

The fragment lurched towards Maya's body and laid its arms over her, pushing them into her and begin wearing her body-like suit. The motion returned to Maya's body as the Fragment thoroughly seeped into her, and she began picking herself up. She returned to her, realizing the large gash in her chest, and her eyes opened with purplish mist-filled cavities. A blinks later, those violet eyes came back, and grayish tendrils spurred out of the wound, spreading onto the surrounding skin and pulling it inwards, closing the wound.

...

Tears begin to pour out of Maya's eyes as an inhuman frown appears on her face. "How could you, How could you do this to me, Akane?" the Fragment began speaking. Akane wanted to speak up, but the words couldn't come out during the excessive sobbing that had ensued. Oliver quickly begins to realize one flaw in his plans, that all depended on Akane overcoming her trauma without preparing for any room for failure.

Quickly his mind rushed with what to do next when the Fragment raised Maya's hand up. The ground began to liquefy, pulling apart from the middle of Oliver and Akane. The ground quickly grabbed hold of Akane and morphed into a massive hand, encasing her person. The pain of being crushed jolted Akane, aware of the situation around her, as she stared at Maya through her tears.

"This is what you get! You ruined everything!", the Fragment screamed at Akane, the grip of massive mold tightening around her, and the air shot out of Akane as she began to suffocate. The untouchable feeling of her bones giving away. "You tore our family apart! You are the reason I died! You killed me!".

This was all it took to break Akane as she went quiet. In hindsight, Akane could have easily escaped or called out to Oliver but had lost her will. Accepting all that has happened was none but her fault. Today nineteen-year-old Akane lived through her worst nightmare, staring back at that thing that wore Maya as a suit and spoke to her face to say awful things to her.

[Hidden Ability Activated] [Bloodborne...Ra....]

But then came the interruption, as Oliver came down screaming at the top of his lungs. Crashing down Darkness on the edge of the ground mold. Breaking and freeing Akane, finally took a breath.

[Weapon Manipulation...Weapon Fusion]

[[Darkness] + [Libra]]

The serpent burst out of Oliver's back to help him climb to Akane. In speed, he grabbed Akane by the collar and headbutted her in the forehead. Akane winced in pain as she stared back at Oliver in confusion. Oliver gritted his teeth, "Get, Over it! It going to kill Sotokie if you don't stop it...". A spike interrupted Oliver before he could finish.

It extended out of nowhere, moving through the air, dropping onto Oliver's back, piercing through his abdomen, and blocking his voice. Blood spurred out of his mouth, and in a quick motion, it threw him away into the mist.

"No, Oliver!" Akane yelled, failing to grab him in time but with clarity given to her by Oliver's determination. She turned around to face the monster plaguing her life. Climbing onto the edge of the mold to see the Maya standing, her feet were dissolved into the ground, as this world was nothing but an extension of her.

With her head pounding and the thought of her little sister being stuck here, Akane took a deep breath to clear her mind and wiped her tears with her sleeves.

....

[Ability Activated] [Blood Creation and Manipulation...Blood Blade]

Blood seeped out of the pores of her skin and took on the form of abstract congealed blood, crystallizing solid. It takes a moment for the expression to set in, from a frown to her eyes bulging out in anger. Seeing this, Akane's feelings solidified, and she refound the resting anger in her heart for the being that ruined her life.

[Ability Activated] [Realilty Manipulation...Fantasy Garden]

[Sub Ability Activated] [Fantasy Monster Creation and Manipulation...Keihatsu Toad]

Meanwhile, Oliver, unable to move his person on account of not having an abdomen, is caught by something sticking to his back and pulling him back to the ground. Oliver fell with a loud thud, grunting in pain.

A giant eight-toed toad with four arms and two massive leg legs. Six of his eyes came down at Oliver, while the other two went towards Sotokie. Who came appeared from behind him.

"Oh my God! Are you alright", She said, shocked to see him still alive while Olive's bath was golden light.

Spikes of ether extended from behind Maya and lashed out toward Akane.

[Sub Ability Activated] [Blood Creation and Manipulation... Blood Pillar]

She brought down her empty left hand, creating a spiraling pillar of Blood and taking herself to the top, avoiding the spikes. The pillar stopped, launching Akane into the air.

[Extended]

Blood poured into the Blood Blade, which shot out. Extending all the way to the chest and through, then into the ground, pinning her. The Fragment looked at the Blade, then back at Akane.

[Activating Ability] [Bloodborne]

[Sub Ability Activated] [Blood Creation and Manipulation...Great Blood Blister Forearm]

Akane's skin took on a reddish shade, and her eyes became Bloodshot red. Steam willowed from her body as she pulled back her open arm, which exploded into the blood. Twisting and forming a massive coagulated arm bigger than herself and a clear film-wrapped blister filled with blood twice the size of the arm at the end of the elbow.

She tightened her fist, and the Blood Blade contracted, bringing down her and the absurdly great fist. The Fragment dropped the act and turned its arm in ether blades, ready to receive the Akane. As she came in, the Fragment pulled up its blades while Akane dropped its fist into the body of Maya's side. Bending and breaking its arm, the Blister contracted, and the Blood rushed into the Forearm. Which bloated and expended and then blew up into a pressurized wave of acidic blood.

The wave alone cleared out the mist and the false reality created by the Fragment. Reviling the flat tops again. What went up started to rain down.

...

The sky bled heavily for a few seconds while Akane picked herself up. Her mind had become numb as she found one of the broken arms sticking out of her side. She grabbed it and pulled it out without giving any indication of being in pain.

The stone around her sizzled with her while Oliver and Sotokie watched as the Keihatsu Toad shielded them from the blood with his arms. "Hurry, go to her and be nice", Oliver said. "Shut up. I don't need to tell me that", Sotokie replied angrily, rushing over to her sister. By that time, the Blood rain had stopped, and the wound Akane had suffered had closed up. Hearing her footsteps approaching her, Bloodborne faded, and Akane went normal.

Turning around to see her beloved sister, who begins to tear up at the sight of Akane in a broken condition. Thinking her dameish way how to make up to her, only be met by a sudden horrified expression from Akane, suddenly making a stunted and dread-filled face. Sotokie, at the moment, became confused, as she had never seen Akane make that expression before.

Only for a spike of ether to pierce her chest.