The Forbidden Area, Part II
[THE AXIS, THE FORBIDDEN AREA — LAST NIGHT]
Anna ran through the forest, making her steps as light as possible. She'd never been to the Forbidden Area before, but she had been around the Axis long enough to know where it wasn't.
She finally arrived, stopping before the narrow pathway of trees, and heard a snap behind her. She feared it might have been the Sanctum beasts her uncle had warned them were guarding the area, or even worse — her uncle himself.
"Wh-Who's there?!" she trembled. The hairs on her neck stood on edge, ready for something to pounce from the shadows. She assumed it to be an animal – something small — but it wasn't. Hidden in the overshadow of an Ashtree near the entrance of the Forbidden Area stood a dark figure with a toothy white smile. He held his arms up, signaling to her that he was no trouble, and quickly lifted his green hood to reveal his eyes.
"Woah there, little missy… Relax!"
Anna stepped back and prepared herself to scream. The man noticed and smiled. Interesting, he thought, approaching her calmly, Could she have been what Dopi sensed? I wonder…
He lowered his hands slowly and put on a welcoming expression. "I seem to have gotten a little lost, haha…"
"My name's Hatagi. What's yours?"
Instinctively, Anna was suspicious. She had no idea who the man was or where he came from; this was the first time she had met someone who wasn't her family.
She tried peeking behind him, desperate to eye whatever was protruding from the corner of the trees where he'd been standing, but he shifted his body to block her from seeing whatever it was. "D-Did you come from the Forbidden Area?" she asked.
Hatagi looked back at the entrance behind him and raised his brow. "The Forbidden Area? You mean that path over there?"
Oho… he smirked to himself, …So she can't see it, eh? This could work.
"You can't see it, can you? Well, how's this – I can teach you if you want!" he said as he clapped. He made sure to hide his true personality behind his outgoing demeanor. Anna quickly fell for it, beaming brightly at the prospect of possibly leaving the Axis. "Really?!" she asked. "Of course! In exchange, you tell me a little bit about this place, okay? How's that?"
She hesitated. "A-Anna. My name's Anna."
"Well then Anna, it's very nice to meet you!" he laughed. "To answer your question, I didn't come from there. I came in through the south of this place. I got lost and before I could look around, I… noticed you."
Hatagi's green robe cloaked most of his body, but Anna could see the shape of a large sheath on his waist. He detected her watching him and narrowed his pearl-green eyes. "Well..?"
"I–" Anna began, mustering the courage and trust to speak her mind. "I NEED YOUR HELP!"
Her loud scream hurt his ears and turned his smile into a fearsome glare. He feared for a moment that that someone might have heard and given away his position, but collected himself before she could realize his animosity.
"My brothers!" Anna continued. Tears of sincerity welled in her eyes. "They – They've always wanted to leave the Axis, Mr. Hatagi! You came from the Outside World, right?! Please help us!"
Hatagi relaxed his gaze, understanding at once how he could spin the situation in his favor. Now I see…
He stared at his likeness in her eyes and grinned to himself. I'd considered killing the brat when she caught me off guard, but she may be more valuable than I thought…
"Why, of course, little Anna," He leaned over, gently patting her head. "I'll tell you everything you want to know tonight, and tomorrow, maybe I can meet your brothers. Sound fair?"
Once Dopi alerts him, it'll be easy to deal with you brats. All I have to do is wait a day.
"T-Thank you, Mr.Hatagi!" she cried, hugging him. He could barely keep himself in check. Her vulnerability made him feel powerful – in control.
"Of course! I love helping kids!"
They walked towards the entrance of the Forbidden Area and moved past the tree he had stood behind. A pool of blood seeped out from behind them as they passed. Several dead Sanct beasts had their innards gouged out, staining the grass beneath them until it looked black.
"First," Hatagi told her, "Let's teach you what Sanctum Energy is."
-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------
[THE AXIS, THE FORBIDDEN AREA — PRESENT]
Jacender paced around the forest for a while in search of Anna. He hadn't seen which direction she'd gone off in, but he purposely avoided the entrance to the Forbidden Area.
There was no proof she was in there, but he had a dark feeling that was where she was.
"Gah!" he yelled, punching a tree. This sucks! This sucks! This sucks! This sucks! He groaned inwardly, striking it until a large, fist-sized dent was visible from behind it.
He looked at the entrance again and amped himself up. "TSK, FINE! I'M NOT SCARED OF SOME DARK DINGY FOREST!" he announced, "COME ON YA BASTARDS!!"
He was blinded the moment he set foot within the area.
THWACK!
Before Jace knew it, he had crashed into a tree. However — having no idea what was around him — he shrieked in fear, assuming something had tried to eat him or take his soul, and roared hellishly with his fists raised, swinging wildly.
"AIEEEE!!! I TAKE IT ALL BACK!!! STAY AWAY FROM ME!!"
He dashed past trees, feeling desperately with his hands, and ran along the dark narrow path. Aha! He smirked, feeling the road before him become much more linear and wide. He started to pick up speed, exiting the pathway and arriving at an open field. It was bright here.
"Woah…"
Jacender could barely contain his wonder. Connecting the small passage of trees that opened up was a several hundred meter-long black-stone waterfall running along the entire region of the glade. It took up the majority of the space, keeping the area enclosed, bar for where Jacender stood.
VRMMMMM
Something vibrated within Jace's head, calling for his attention.
VRMMMMM
It echoed again as if beckoning him closer. He approached, captivated by the sky above him.
In the air, like a mirror of constellations, hung a sea of stars and plateaus — almost like two colliding dimensions of space. They looked as if they were sitting atop the waterfall, but not touching it at all. Small deers ate from the elevated platform at different areas, whilst other critters like birds and others bathed in small ponds elsewhere. These… These are different parts of the Axis! Jacender realized.
He had to strain his eyes to see the minute details, but it was almost like a full map. In the center stood their family's treehouse, but it was blurred out as if it wasn't tangible.
This can't be possible, he thought. Then he stopped himself with another question: Could a place like this really exist?
VRMMMMMMM!
He heard another pulsating noise, drawing his eyes upon the field before him.
Posing further down in the glade with half its body vertically submerged inside of the waterfall, stood a large and striking statue. It was of a handsome man with long, flowing hair. Despite it being made of stone, Jace could tell that whoever it'd been modeled after's hair had been red.
Both of its arms were outstretched like it awaited a selection. In its left palm, floating eerily was a flickering ball of sunlight with miniature rings of flames sticking from its center mass. In its right sat nothing.
VRMMMMMMM!
Jace grabbed his head and winced. That sound… Is it coming from the waterfall…? The twang echoing in his ears was quickly becoming a headache.
His eyes widened as he looked down at the end of the field. Sitting underneath the grassy area where the statue was a small silhouette. "..!"
Anna! He beamed, recognizing her headpiece instantly. He raised his arm and ran towards her, yelling, "Hey, Anna! What are you–"
He froze. There was another; Someone in a dark green hood standing behind his sister in the shadow cast by the statue. He stiffened as he tried to make out their face, but the stranger's crazed eyes sent a shiver through his spine.
"Who are you?!" Jacender quavered, bouncing back. Surprise of meeting another person couldn't even set in. All of his nerves told him to maintain his distance.
The man chuckled as he watched the boy take a fighting stance. His mere presence had unnerved him to take an unknowing stand against him. He was caught like a spider in a poisonous web.
"What's this..?" the man asked playfully, "Another guest? You didn't tell me your brothers would be here this soon, little Anna."
Jace flinched at his voice. Who is that..? How did he get in the Axis? Has he always been here? He shook off the questions and focused on what was most pressing – why was he with Anna?
Anna, sensing his apprehension, rose to her feet and faced her brother. "Jace! When did you get here? This is my new friend! I told you and Aleximus about him!"
New friend...? Jace contemplated. He looked at his sister and sweated nervously. "Anna! How did he get in here?!"
"D-Don't be scared! I met him yesterday!" Anna urged, oblivious. "He healed my headaches and told me all about the outside world! He wanted to meet you guys today so I could prove I wasn't lying! He can help us leave the Axis!"
VRMMMMMMMM!
That sound, again... Jace thought, …Where is it coming from?
Jace winced again, distracted by the piercing sound, but noticed that his sister and the intruder were oddly unfazed by it. Could they not hear it?
"What's the matter, boy?" The man asked, displaying a toothy grin. "Don't you want to be my friend too?"
Underneath his cape, Jace noticed a sheathed weapon hanging loosely by his waist. Over his chest sat a small symbol — a ram's head with two crossed axes.
Jace frowned, muttering, "Don't call me boy," and judged the distance between them. He wondered how many seconds it would take to get to Anna before the man could do anything. Questioning him would buy him some time. "Who are you?" he asked, "And where did you come from?"
Anna felt uneasy. Her brother wouldn't act this way without a good reason. She glanced at the man behind her, hoping he'd explain himself.
She nearly shuddered as his grin faded. He was aware of what Jacender was up to. He pushed his cloak to the side and rested his hand atop his weapon's hilt. "You're a feisty kid, aren'tcha?"
Jace paused his approach. The presence of the dagger had not only confirmed his suspicions but increased the danger his sister was in. He was being threatened.
The man ruffled Anna's hair. "I'm your sister's help, you know. I fixed her little headaches and told her all about the outside world. In return, she told me all about the Axis…"
Jace's eyes narrowed at the mention of her headaches. "H-How do you know about–"
"–Her headaches?" the outsider interrupted. "Simple. Your sister here was haphazardly using her Sanctum Energy to heal you and your brother after your sparring sessions, right? Well, an Axis is meant to hide Sanctum Energy as Sanctum Essence. Using her powers so willy-nilly caused signals to be sent out to the outside world! That's dangerous isn't it?"
Anna tittered uncomfortably and shifted her eyes to the ground. "Luckily, I intercepted her signals before anyone else," he continued. "Could you imagine what would've happened if someone with bad intentions came across this place?"
Jacender could feel the sardonic undertone in his words. "Someone like you, you mean?"
The intruder chuckled and let go of Anna's head. "I'm only here to help. You may not know, but Axis's are immeasurably priceless pieces of energy. They can only be powered by an Artifact of Imperium. Had someone dangerous got here before me, you three kids would be in a lot of trouble."
Though he couldn't make sense of the words from his mouth, Jace understood what he was getting at. He was here for something important; If he wasn't, there'd be no need to keep Anna alive this long. If the man found out that they had no idea what he was talking about – they'd be killed. Jace could feel that in his bones.
However… there was something else the man didn't know. Something that could work to their advantage.
Just us three, huh? Jace calmed himself. He stared briefly at Anna and felt his nerves alleviate, if only slightly. That means Anna hasn't told him about Uncle Matsuda. That's good… Aleximus is gonna notice we've been gone for a while now. If I can buy some time, they'll come!
He put one foot before the other, daring to come closer again. "How did you get in, you bastard?"
The comment irritated the stranger enough for him to brush past Anna and step forward. Now, his attention was successfully fixed on him and not his sister.
His voice became monotonous and raspy. "You're a pretty gutsy kid, I'll give you that. But don't let your arrogance get your stomach split."
Jace remained steadfast. Is he going to attack?, he thought, No way! Whatever that is – it's a short blade! It can't reach me from over there. I've gotta disarm him when he gets closer.
"Interested, are you?" the man asked. He unsheathed his blade and exposed a jagged, oblong dagger of silver steel. "Ah… that reminds me,"
Before Jace could even react, a blur of light shot from the blade and cut through the air.
BRAAAAAAK!!!
"You don't know what Sanctum Energy is, right?" The corner of the stranger's lips curved into the likeness of a carved pumpkin. "Let me teach you."
Jace shook and slowly raised his arm to the side of his abdomen. He staggered, falling to his knees at once. His stomach was wet. How? He hadn't felt anything. He clutched his belly and nearly shrieked as an acidic-like pain shot up his spine. His fingers slipped through the left of his belly, soaking his arms with red. Then – fearful of what he might find – Jace peered down at his midsection. There was a large hole – a chunk of missing flesh straight through his body, held together only by a few snapping strands of muscle.
A spray of blood erupted from his lips, soaking the green grass beneath him until it was the color of an Ashtree.
Anna filled her chest with air, wide-eyed and frightened, and prepared to scream. "No." the stranger said, grabbing onto her lips and squeezing them shut.
"Watch."
Jace's legs buckled, causing him to keel over. This was bad. More than bad.
He may have been tougher than others, but he'd never suffered an injury like this before. Nothing Aleximus had done to him could ever match this.
He fought for a deep breath and nearly choked as blood filled his lungs. His body was going into shock. H-How..?
"Holy fuck!" the attacker laughed. He let go of Anna and advanced. "You're still alive, kid?"
His eyes glimmered against the night surrounding them, a sense of oncoming danger present in his every step. He tossed his dagger from hand to hand, playing around and making it like he was slicing the air.
"This dagger was made of Illodium — the only thing that can inhibit Sanctum Essence and Energy! Don't feel too bad about not dodging it! It's the only item in existence that could cut through your Axis's barrier!"
He kicked Jace in the mouth and knocked him onto his back. "Not looking too good there, are ya, Jace?! What happened to those guts?!"
Jace gasped, "An... na...", and extended his arm – caring only for her. No matter how much it hurt, to him, saving his sister was all that mattered. But he needed to act fast. He was losing strength, fast.
Hatagi gritted his teeth and snarled. This brat is ignoring me!
In one swift motion, he raised his empty hand and dug it into Jacender's open wound, squelching his insides and ripping apart the few strands of tissue left holding his belly together. Then, after a torturous pause, the intruder grabbed hold of his guts.
SQUE~LCH!
Anna fell back, ready to vomit once an ear-shattering screech spilled from her brother's lips. Thrown onto the ground next to him — as if forcing him to stare — was his own intestinal tract, spewing blood and thumping horribly like it wanted to return to his body.
"NGHEA!!!" Jace howled, kicking off the ground with tears. The blood seeping from his mouth slowly turned yellow and tasted metallic.
"Sorry kid! Looks like I was wrong! You've got some fuckin' guts all right!"
The stranger threw back his hood and revealed a head of purple hair, sunken cheekbones, and pearl-green eyes. "What're you gonna do, Jace? Don't tell me you still want to fight. Give it up!"
He ran his bloodied hand through his damp hair, slicking it back as he readied his dagger again. Jace attempted to crawl away, his heavy chest rising up and down with every inch.
"You asked me who I was, right?" the man smirked. A sickly, purple-green energy oozed from his figure and sent a shockwave through the field. "It's Hatagi! Hatagi Bushigima!"
Being the only one who could use Sanctum Energy, Anna watched as a maelstrom of energy reverberated in Hatagi's body, humming loudly. She tried to rise, but his eyes followed her, issuing a silent warning.
"No no, little Anna..." he said with an emotionless look. "You wait your turn."
"ANNA!" Jace finally coughed. He stopped crawling away and grabbed onto Hatagi's dark boot. He refused to let him get close to her. "R-Run..!"
Hatagi scoffed, "No fuckin' way…", and raised his brow. "You really are something, huh? Most people would've been screamin' for their mommies or passed out from the pain, but you…"
He reached down and grabbed his collar. "Man, oh man, I like you! You're eyein' me like you can still do something here! That's interesting!"
Hatagi lifted him up and tapped his chin patronizingly. "Don't give up, little buddy! I know you've got this. Come on… If you don't stop me here, something bad could happen to your sister. You don't want that, do you?"
Jace could feel his life force draining from his body. If he didn't receive help soon, he'd die. She needs me... I can't... Die... Like... This… Dammit..!
He shook off his dizziness, channeling his determination into power, and glared at the evil man. It took everything in him to avoid being angry. He'd lose focus that way.
Hatagi whistled and stepped back, letting him fall back to his knees. "Hey, how's this: I'll throw in a free shot, kid! And it can be as hard as you—"
Before he could even finish speaking, Jace flew forward — summoning the last fading bursts of his strength — and let an uppercut fly for Hatagi's jaw. If it would land, he could shatter his jaw and render him unconscious. If it would land, Anna would be free to escape and get help.
However…
KCA~DK!!
A tremendous force blasted Jacender in the back like a torrent of air and lifted his battered body out of Hatagi's range, sending him crashing toward the waterfall behind him and Anna.
With a sickening krunck, his body was hurled into the fireball floating in the giant statue's hand, extinguishing it in an instant, and continued through the falling waves until he clashed against the jagged rocks in the interior cave.
He was rammed against surface after surface, nearly cracking his head against the slick rocks ahead of him. It was only through sheer luck that he managed to raise his arms and bounce off the final wall in the dim, blue grotto.
SHULU~CK
"Ngh..!!" he groaned, barely coming to. After he'd landed, he felt a hot, searing pain emanate from his torso. A spike.
His body — as if it had no more blood to give — twitched and tightened around the wound. "I–...." he winced, sobbing quietly. "I don't wanna—"
A pain set in his chest. Not from an exterior wound, but from a realization. Anna…
"No," Jace groaned, digging his finger into the stalagmite in him. "We—We can't let him… hurt her! I need to… I need to help Aleximus..!"
VRMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!
As he teetered on the precipice of life and death, Jacender heard a deep, resonating hum shake every fiber of his being. Like the cave — no — the world itself was shaking.
D-Damn it… he cried, squelching his innards away from the spike, Shut up..!!
VRMMMMM!!!!
Again, it hummed. "I SAID SHUT–" he began, turning his eyes to the sound.
He finally saw it. Floating mere inches above his head was a bright blue light.
-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------
[THE AXIS, THE FORBIDDEN AREA GLADE — SIMULTANEOUSLY]
Everything happened so fast for Jace, but for Anna, time slowed to a torturous crawl.
The thought of her brother being able to fly past her at such an indescribable speed felt like a surreal joke. But it was real. As real as the guts staining the ground a few meters away. She looked forward nauseously, not even daring to think of what could have happened to him.
Was he burnt by the flames? Did he bleed out? Was she next?
"Tsk, you fat son of a bitch!" Hatagi yelled, grabbing onto someone by the collar. Anna turned to the commotion. A newcomer had arrived.
"I was going to take his Sanctum Core, damn it!"
The other man wore a similar green robe to Hatagi, with the same emblem over his chest. He was much rounder and looked intimidated. "Let go of me, Hatagi!" he howled, squirming out of his hands. "I thought he was going to hurt you! Plus you can still get his Sanctum Core if his body's intact!"
Hatagi drummed against his head with his finger and poked him sharply. "You really are a special type of 'stupid fucking idiot', are n'tcha Dopi?! That kid couldn't hurt me! It was a god-damned punch without Sanctum Energy!"
Hatagi pushed him hard and pointed at the statue Jacender had passed.
"Whatever that statue is, it's been bewitched with something! It's keeping this entire area closed off from these kids! I wouldn't be surprised if the water was dangerous either!"
He lowered his finger and showed him Anna's cowering figure. "Those Sanctum Cores are our ticket to getting rich, idiot. If the lieutenant finds out we took this little detour with nothing to show for it, then we're cooked, you hear me?!"
"I-I understand!" Dopi stammered. Hatagi sucked his teeth and wrapped his arm around his shoulder like a friend. "Calm down, you bumbling idiot!" he smiled cockily. "You still did good. Who would've thought that there'd be an Axis all the out here in the middle of nowhere? And to think that these brats were dumb enough to use Sanctum Energy in a place designed to hide it is hilarious!"
"It's like telling every horse in the desert that there's a beautiful oasis over here. Bad idea, little Anna."
Anna whimpered and covered her mouth. The ground beneath her became dizzying. You mean… it's all my fault?
"Hatagi," Dopi grinned, tapping his shoulder. "You said this was an Axis right? That means there's an Artifact of Imperium lying around here! One the Church doesn't control! We can keep it right?! Right?!"
Hatagi smirked, "Of course!", and let him go. "I bet even that statue over there has gotta be worth a few million. Once we deal with these kids, we'll rake in heaps of denarii!"
Anna's eyes widened. She knew they were going to come for her, but the gravity of the situation was too much for her to stomach. She keeled over and vomited, afraid of what they'd do to her.
RSSTLEE
Hatagi clocked the sound of shaking leaves behind Dopi and narrowed his eyes. It came from the entrance of the Forbidden Area, so it was still obscured by darkness.
Or rather… It would have seemed that way to anyone without Sanctum Energy. "Hey, Dopi," Hatagi said loudly, tipping his head towards the sound. "How about we welcome our next guest!"
Dopi reached into his cloak and withdrew a pointy brown and green wand. He focused intently, charging something invisible as he thrust the tip of the weapon at the trees — blowing them apart in a flash. A small, black-haired figure blasted into the air above — a result of the mini-explosion — and just narrowly escaped the trees. Aleximus.
Anna gaped in amazement as her brother came crashing down, bracing himself into a quick roll, and charged at Hatagi.
W-Where did this kid come from?! Dopi fretted. He hurriedly raised his wand again and tried to aim at the zig-zagging boy. However, before a single combustion could be released, Aleximus assumed a swimmer's position and dove into the air, closing the gap between them immediately.
"You're fast, kid!" Hatagi smirked, moving into action. He clutched his dagger and dashed to intercept the boy. "Can you dodge this?!"
SHHHINGGG!
The blade grazed him, shaving off a few inches of his hair as he ducked for cover. Dopi took advantage of the interference and caught Aleximus by the leg, knocking him down to the ground with a heavy tackle. Aleximus's chest felt like it'd been rid of air. He'd been pinned in an instant. "How..?!"
"' How?'" Hatagi mocked, sheathing his dagger again. "Just 'cause you can't see in the dark don't mean I can't!"
Aleximus snarled, trying to fight against Dopi's grip, but it was no use. He was too large. "You must be Aleximus, right?" Hatagi asked, "...You look like an Aleximus."
"H-Hey, Hatagi," Dopi coaxed. "Since I told him where we're at and caught this kid alive… C-Can I have him before you kill him?"
Aleximus watched his eyes swirl with madness as he ravenously licked his lips.
"Heh," Hatagi sneered. He straightened his posture and faced Anna. "Where is he? We're damn near the border."
Dopi nodded cautiously and kept his eyes fixed on Aleximus. He leaned in close enough to smell the earthy scent of the boy's hair and shuddered happily. "He was near Zenica last night when I sent the message. He shouldn't be too far behind."
He slowly ran his hand underneath the boy's shirt and salivated.
Hatagi grunted. "Well, then do what you want. But keep his Sanctum Core in one piece, alright? We can't keep showing up with damaged goods."
"Shame, kid," he muttered to Aleximus as he made his way for Anna. "Your brother had a lot more fight in him. Maybe you don't care as much. Either way, I gotta say I'm real disappointed."
"You hear that kid?" Dopi chuckled, breathing harder. It smelled like fish and garlic. "Hatagi said I can have you, hehe…"
He pushed Aleximus's head to the ground and pinned down his arm with his knee. "G-Give it up…" he urged. "You can't fight it… Just accept it!
Aleximus yelped once Dopi licked his neck and tried harder to push him away. "Shh–Shh… I'll make you feel good real soon."
He mounted him, nailing the boy's other arm with his free leg, and whispered, "Don't fight it,", as he unbuckled his pants. "It'll be over soon, I promise."
"GET OFF OF ME!" Aleximus begged, trying desperately to push him away. But without the use of his arms, he had no strength. He could only watch in fear as Dopi lowered his pants.
He leaned in, attempting to kiss the boy, but in doing so, he allowed Aleximus the space for a headbutt. And a vicious one at that.
KRUNCH!!
Dopi reeled, a trail of blood rushing from his crushed nose as Aleximus squirmed out of his hold. "Get..." Aleximus shrilled, aiming for the depraved man's exposed phallus. "...THE HELL OFF OF ME!" he finished, roaring angrily. With a sudden burst of strength, he raised his knee and delivered a powerful groin kick to the predator, who squealed meekly.
"Y-You--" was all Dopi managed to utter through his bloody nose before Aleximus followed up his attack with a swift kick to his chin. "AHK!"
Dopi went down at once, not even hitting the ground before Aleximus jumped up and stomped onto his unprotected face.
CKACH! CKACH! KRUNCH!
This is my chance! Aleximus thought, using the momentum from his final fall to rush forward. Hatagi's back was still turned to him. He hadn't heard the struggle between Aleximus and Dopi, so if he could land one good blow…
He dashed quickly, lifting his leg into the air so he could aim for Hatagi's temple. One good kick could knock him out. Aleximus was assured of that. But—
"HATAGI!" Dopi's nasally voice cut through. "WATCH OUT!"
Hatagi spun around, instinctively reaching for his dagger, and slashed through the air. Or so he thought.
Within the instant he heard Dopi's voice, Aleximus stopped himself and spun in mid-air, kicking away Hatagi's arm before it could fully extend.
Hatagi swiped down, hoping to hurt him with his bare hand, but the young genius pivoted again, spinning to knock away his second arm. Then, in the same breath as his defense, Aleximus brought up his other leg and unleashed a devastatingly fierce round-house kick to Hatagi's chin.
How'd you like that?!
Hatagi stumbled and took a few steps back. He felt his nose and noticed a slimy line of red rushing from his nostrils to his bottom lip.
"Now you two have matching noses." Aleximus gloated. He took up a fighting stance and got ready to attack again. "Don't try acting tough, idiot. I might not be as strong as Jace, but a kick from me can put you to sleep. Get out of here. Or else I won't miss the next one."
Hatagi growled as he wiped away the blood. It was clear that a nerve had been touched. His skin tinged red as his purple aura returned, distorting the air around him. "You think…" He drawled shakily. Aleximus flinched, watching the energy around him take the shape of a decayed skull. "YOU THINK YOU CAN HANDLE ME WITHOUT ANY SANCTUM ENERGY YOU SHITTY LITTLE BRAT?! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!"
Aleximus's shoulders shook so badly that his tightly maintained guard dropped to his sides. He understood immediately that this power was not something he could combat. He would die in seconds if he attempted to fight him head-on.
Hatagi noticed this and withdrew his Sanctum Energy. "How's this, kid?" he grinned, "I'll give you the same shot I gave your brother. We'll fight without Sanctum Energy. You'll see the difference between us that way."
Aleximus quickly glanced at Anna. She was overcome with fear and couldn't move. The man before him was not to be trusted. He knew that. But what other choice did he have than to take him for his word? Their survival depended on it.
"Fine." he finally said.
"Excellent!" Hatagi laughed. He put away his dagger for the third time that night and beckoned Aleximus closer. Aleximus approached carefully, counting the steps it would take before he reached him. In a few more moments they would be near each other — Within striking range.
They inched forward, getting ever so closer. Ten more steps. Aleximus thought, clenching his fist. I can't lose. I can't.
He's quick, Hatagi thought, sizing him up. His blows aren't all that strong, but he knows where to land them. He likes kicks too, but they're predictable. I'll make use of that.
They were four feet away. Two more steps.
Aleximus raised his arm. One mor—
Hatagi swung, interrupting his count. Aleximus ducked, foreseeing the foul play,y and swept at his feet. "Nice try!" Hatagi cackled, pressing his body forward for a tackle. The boy rotated, using the ground as a support for a kick up and struck him in the chest. The blow landed, nearly knocking Hatagi onto his back, but he had braced himself.
He darted back from his low crouch and stood straight. He's good. He brooded, becoming more irritated.
Aleximus charged again, throwing a flurry of chops and punches. Hatagi parried them all, provoking him with exaggerated smiles."Come on! Your brother was way better than thi—"
Aleximus had gotten close enough to reach for Hatagi's mounted weapon and lunged. He tipped it, just barely missing the hilt before Hatagi jumped back for space. But with that space, he'd created a delay Aleximus could take advantage of. The boy rushed him once again and lashed forward with a roaring half-moon kick, summoning forth all the strength he could muster.
THNK!!
Hatagi went down, landing on his rear as a sharp pain set in his stomach. Aleximus on the other hand, driven by a surge of dopamine and confidence, had darted back several steps before landing next to his frozen sister. He smirked triumphantly and thrust his finger forward. "Well, how do you like that?! Idiot!"
"Watch your fuckin' mouth kid!" Hatagi shot back. His rage was almost visible. "That was a fluke! Nothing more, nothing less! Do you hear me?!"
"Shut up!" Aleximus screamed, huffing hard. "You lost! Now keep your word and leave!"
"Leave? Lost?"
Hatagi raised his brow and reached down for something by his feet. "Don't tell me you didn't feel that."
Aleximus watched in horror at what the madman held. He tossed it to him with a look of contempt and forced a smirk. "Ain't this your damn foot?!"
Aleximus staggered and collapsed to his knees. He had been so distracted with his 'win' that he hadn't felt it. Now, a stream of dark blood gushed from his leg, spluttering all over them and soaking his shorts.
"B-But when..?" he winced, squeezing his thigh. His eyes traveled to Hatagi's other hand. In it, he held his Illodium dagger.
"Y-You drew it when I kicked you..?" Aleximus realized, thinking back to when he tipped the weapon. Hatagi laughed. "Of course I did! After all, there was no rule against weapons, was there? You tried to go for it too!"
Sweat stained the back of Aleximus's neck. He wanted to roll around and writhe in agony, but there was something much more important he needed to do. He raised his arms defensively in front of his sister and stared the pair of intruders down. No one would be allowed to touch Anna.
Behind Hatagi, Dopi scrambled to his feet, screaming, "H-He hit me! That stupid brat broke my nose!" and tried to charge him. "I'll kill you! I swear, I'll fucking kill you!"
Hatagi pushed him back. "Get a hold of yourself you bumbling idiot! It's your own fault — Not using Sanctum Energy to protect yourself."
A shiver went through Aleximus's spine. Damn it, I can't take them both. This is bad...
"This is where the fun stops, kid! I'm done dancing with you!" Hatagi warned him. He flipped the blade in his hands and ground his teeth together. What an embarrassment! Damn it!
Aleximus gently tapped Anna's leg and kept his eyes on Hatagi. She recoiled at his touch, waking her from her funk. "Anna, are you all right?"
Life flickered back to her panic-stricken eyes. "A-Aleximus..?" she murmured, tears welling up. "You're here, thank goodne–"
Her eyes fell onto his bleeding stump and yelped. "Y-Your leg!" she cried, worrying if she should touch it or not. She had no idea if she could heal something like this. "This is my fault, isn't it? I-I'm—"
"—It's nothing," he interrupted. "It's not your fault, don't worry."
"B-But–" Anna sniveled, covering her mouth. "It's all my fault! They got in because of me! I'm the reason Jace is–"
She nearly gagged again, recalling how her brother had been gutted.
Aleximus winced. "He's not dead. Can't be. He's too tough for that."
Though she couldn't see his face, she knew her brother was torn inside as well. He held onto the hope that his brother was still alive. "I got here a few minutes after Jace did," he explained.
He studied Hatagi and Dopi's expressions. They seemed wary to approach, as if uncertain of what he might do next.
Aleximus continued, making the most of the time he had. "I tried to hide in the shadows and find the best time to help out, but I was too late. Jace saw me, I think. We made eye contact when he was cut in the stomach. I… I wanted to help, but he shook his head...."
His words were sharp and sporadic, but he noticed the bleeding in his leg had stopped slightly. Anna's healing was helping.
Tears welled in his eyes as he thought about Jace. "He was trying to tell me not to come out, but…"
He smiled ruefully. "Too bad I didn't listen."
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[THE AXIS, THE FORBIDDEN AREA, WATERFALL CAVE — SIMULTANEOUSLY]
What... Is that? Jacender asked himself.
Above him, something floated ethereally, calling to him on a primal level. Was it instinct? Some dormant knowledge buried deep within his soul? Or perhaps it was a force beyond comprehension, guiding him in his final hour.
Whatever the case, Jace kicked at the ground, pushing himself off of the spike that impaled him. Luckily, it had mostly gone through the wound Hatagi had given him earlier. He needed only to slip over to his side.
But the energy needed to do so came at an astronomically painful cost. "Augh..!" he howled, throwing himself over on his side.
He bled even more. It was a wonder why he hadn't yet died.
Capitalizing on his surge of determination, Jace rallied his dwindling strength and used his arms to roll onto his back. Against all odds, he managed to propel himself upright, defying the grasp of imminent defeat.
It was there. A thick, blueish-white book floated above him, humming with the same sound he'd heard when he first entered the Forbbiden Area.
What… is that?
-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------
[THE AXIS, THE FORBIDDEN AREA GLADE — SIMULTANEOUSLY]
"You need help!" Anna cried, clutching onto her brother's shirt. She had managed to stop the bleeding, but he would die from blood loss.
"No," He said firmly. "I'm gonna get you out of here first. You're the priority, don't worry about me!"
Anna wept silently. "Listen, about what I said," Aleximus gasped, fighting through the pain. "Earlier, in front of the Forbidden Area—"
"—I already forgot about that!" she sobbed, shaking him. "P-Please save your strength! I know you didn't mean it!"
"I did mean it!" He shouted, pushing her away. He finally turned to look at her and revealed his puffy eyes. There were tears rolling down his face. He quickly lowered his voice so Hatagi and Dopi wouldn't hear.
"I meant it so much, Anna. But the thing is… You weren't the one I was mad at. I was angry at myself. I was immature, selfish, and stupid… All that training — All of it — was because of me. I even forced you to heal us! No one forced me to, but I forced you! That wasn't fair of me, alright? I…"
His voice cracked. He had heard what Hatagi had told Anna earlier; How he had blamed her for everything that was happening.
"I… I was so adamant about leaving that I…"
He wiped away his tears and sniffled. "Well, I got distracted about who I was really doing it for, you know? And now, because of me, the outside world is inside."
-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------
[THE AXIS, THE FORBIDDEN AREA, WATERFALL CAVE — SIMULTANEOUSLY]
VRMMMMM!!!! VRMMMMM!!!!
Jace's gaze was fixated on the book. It was at the same time thicker and thinner than any book he'd ever seen before. Something about its presence stirred an emotion deep within him; like an unconscious memory that eluded him.
"AXIS SEALER!" a rigid voice boomed. "DO YOU ACCEPT YOUR FATE?"
The echo rattled his thoughts. Maybe he was hallucinating and already dead.
The voice spoke again. "OR WILL YOU FIGHT, CHILD OF DESTINY?"
Jace could feel it. This was no hallucination. Whatever was happening — he was being presented with a choice.
-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------
[THE AXIS, THE FORBIDDEN AREA GLADE — SIMULTANEOUSLY]
Aleximus rose to his feet, balancing carefully without the use of his left foot. "Anna… Don't you ever say it's your fault…" he whispered. "It'd break me."
Anna's breathed in, trying to find the right words to say. Her brother didn't deserve to think it was his fault. He wanted to protect her. But she felt his sincerity and understood that arguing would only break the resolve he held. Aleximus wanted to uphold his responsibility as her older brother. She had no choice but to respect his decision.
Anna smiled, brushing away her own tears before rising with him. "Okay!"
He stood tall. Unwavering, in the presence of those monstrous men. She had to do what she could to reinforce his faith. His confidence inspired her beyond words.
Opposite them, Dopi fussed angrily, upset that Hatagi wouldn't allow him to attack. He exploded in rage and bolted for the two siblings. "I'm sick of waiting, Hatagi! I'll kill them now!"
-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------
[THE AXIS, THE FORBIDDEN AREA, WATERFALL CAVE — SIMULTANEOUSLY]
"AXIS SEALER. DO YOU ACCEPT YOUR FATE?"
Jace's lip trembled. He knew that if he did nothing, his siblings would suffer for it. This voice was offering a chance.
"AXIS SEALER. DO YOU ACCEPT–"
"—If..!" He grunted, stretching out his right hand. "If I can make sure things don't change… If I can help my family..!"
He trembled with exhaustion, but his expression was resolute. His blue were set alight with determination.
"THEN I'LL ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY!"
He plunged his arm into the radiant mass of energy above him and grabbed the book. The echoing in his head ceased immediately.
VRM–
-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------
[THE AXIS, THE FORBIDDEN AREA GLADE]
"And one more thing, okay?" Aleximus smirked, readying himself for Dopi's attack. Anna watched his red eyes shine with determination.
"...I'll never make you feel like you have to cry again, so..!"
Dopi lunged, throwing up his arm so he could blast the pair with an energized attack. "What are you–" Hatagi started, aiming to stop him.
"I'LL KICK THESE BASTARD'S ASSES RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!" Aleximus bellowed.
KBWOO~OOSH!!
An overhead explosion broke out against the walls of the waterfall just before Hatagi could shout, "WAIT YOU IDIOT!", to Dopi. But he was too late.
The waterfalls behind the siblings, the intruder, and every tree that lined against the Forbidden Area imploded, sending a simultaneous tsunami of water crashing atop them all.
The statue's hand, where a flaming ball of fire was kept alight, was extinguished by the overwhelming wave instantly.
[The Forbidden Area, Part II]