ã€ŠThe Primordials: Retribution (Book Four)ã€‹


 Chapter I: Premonition (Pt.1)

    Tymon sat, levitating midair within the underwater cave. He was in a ''feeding state,'' where he could instinctually draw from the unique power others gave off upon their death. By simultaneously opening several shadow paths within the darkened cave, Tymon was able to innovate a way for him to be in multiple places at once seemingly.

    Each shadow path led to various locations he''d once visited that were marked by high deaths, such as hospitals, poverty-stricken towns, and even war zones across the globe. He''d begun the feeding process maybe a day or two prior and was only now coming to a point where the energy consumption slowed.

    Tymon felt that was a good point to stop as he exited his feeding state. His body slowly dropped to the cave floor as the shadow paths faded. Surprisingly, keeping them open hadn''t been draining despite how long it had taken. In fact, by the time he finished, it felt easier to maintain them than it had when he had begun.

    Za''Fia was there, approaching him from somewhere to his left. She had promised him she''d wait until he''d finished, which must''ve been boring for her. He gathered his bearings and stretched the stiffness from his limbs while she walked over, putting the book she''d been reading inside her spatial bag.

    "Finally, you''re done. That took way longer than we expected," she told him as she handed him soap and pointed over her shoulder to the secluded corner where she had put together a makeshift shower using the ocean water from the cave entrance, generic filters, purifiers, and water tubes.

    Tymon took the hint and headed over to clean himself up.

    "You mentioned it taking longer¨Chow long was I feeding?" he asked from the shower.

    "It''s been over a week," he heard Za''Fia call back.

    "A week...? That''s too long," Tymon stated as he started to get a bad feeling in his gut.

    "Yeah, I haven''t been out to check on things, but like you said, Avarice isn''t going to risk the others. Plus, I know we''re pretty deep below sea level, but with all the power you were gathering, someone might''ve sensed you and come down here, so..."

    Tymon suddenly became aware of the power he was emitting. Its volume felt several times more potent than what he had before.

    So, this is the growth we can achieve by feeding...

    With his current power, he should be more powerful than Avarice in his normal state. Tymon clenched his fist with anticipation. He knew he wouldn''t have surpassed him entirely in such a short time, but this was enough¡ªthis was all he''d need.

    After cleaning himself up, Tymon approached Za''Fia, who was packing items into her spatial bag.

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    "You ready?" He asked as he opened another shadow path.

    "To finally get this over with? Yeah," she responded, slightly irritable, as she stepped through the shadow, Tymon behind her.

    When they exited the other side, they stood within a seemingly bottomless pit where the HQ should have been.

    "There''s nothing left. What the hell happened?" Za''Fia inquired in disbelief as Tymon looked around.

    "The energy residue suggests it was Trevor," Tymon said, using omni-vision to inspect the area. "We need to hurry and find the others."

    He snapped open his dark wings and shot skyward with Za''Fia behind him.

    "Where are we going," she called out through the wind, her red, scaly wings carrying her through the winter afternoon sky.

    "To see if they''re at one of the other bases," he called back. Tymon searched for the others'' energies but couldn''t sense them.

    He scanned the skies, searching for any abnormalities.

    I don''t sense anything weird, and the world''s not on fire, so they can''t be dead. Were they captured? Did Avarice hide them?

    "Dammit, I can''t find them. Where could they be?" He said in frustration.

    "You think Avarice got to them?" Za''Fia asked as she cruised beside him.

    "I don''t know..."

    Za''Fia appeared to think for a moment before her expression lit up.

    "Michael has a place hidden away," she exclaimed. If they had to flee, there''s an underground area that makes it impossible for anyone to sense things within it. They could be there; follow me," she said as they redirected their trajectory northbound.

    Flying with their wings took them hours to arrive, but they finally approached a secluded valley area with a distant speck below where Tymon began to sense each of the other''s energies one by one.

    "Down there, come on," Za''Fia pointed as she took a nosedive toward the mansion amongst snow-covered greenery. When they landed in front of the front door and entered, to their left, they found the others gathered around a dining room table discussing a way to track down him and Za''Fia.

    "Should we check Tymon''s place? Maybe they visit there frequently..." Naomi suggested as Tymon and Za''Fia walked into the room.

    Everyone seemed different to Tymon, especially Alissia, who now had a scar across her chest. Her back was facing him, but he could see her fiddling with a strange green object as the others stopped talking and stared at them.

    Alissia turned to see what they were staring at and jumped up when she saw Tymon and Za''Fia standing behind her. After a moment of shock, she hugged them tightly, which Tymon had not expected. He expected her to be angrier about him leaving, not ecstatic about him returning.

    "What happened to everyone," he asked curiously.

    Alissia stepped back. A glum look filled her eyes as she fiddled with the green object again. Tymon noticed she seemed older¨Clike in the time he''d been away, she''d witnessed and experienced more tragedy than most people do in a lifetime.

    "The HQ..." Tymon said, realizing. "What happened?"

    Tymon and Za''Fia were informed of everything that transpired while they were gone. Tymon clenched his fist and gritted his teeth in restrained anger as everything set in.

    "This is what I wanted to avoid. That''s why I...why I left to get stronger," he said in a low voice.

    "What do you mean, get stronger?" Alissia asked. Alissia, followed by everyone else''s eyes, glowed as they used omni-vison to peer into the power within him. Tymon wasn''t yet accustomed to his new power, so he couldn''t conceal it as tightly as he would''ve liked.

    Based on everyone''s expressions, he could tell they were each surprised by the immense energy housed within him now.

    "It''s impressive," Damien remarked as he moved to stand near Tymon.

    "No, it''s terrifying," Naomi whispered as she took a few steps back.

    "It''s suffocating, is what it is," Alissia commented.

 Chapter I: Premonition (Pt.2)

    Arne simply grinned silently.

    Tymon''s gaze lingered on Michael, who held anger in his eyes, but he noticed something else too.

    "It''s our fault..." Za''Fia said abruptly, gaining everyone''s attention. She looked Tymon in the eye. "This happened because of us."

    "No, it was my idea," he agreed, willing to admit his recklessness caused this. "I made things worse by destroying his bases and attacking the High Gods. Then, I failed to be here when they retaliated because I thought they wouldn''t. I''m sorry I wasn''t here when you guys needed me."

    "They knew we were divided..." Za''Fia added.

    Michael stepped forward angrily, approaching Tymon.

    "Where were you exactly? What were you doing, killing people to gain that power!? While the others nearly died....Killing humans for power...you''re no better than them," he practically spat,

    Michael released some of his spirit energy to show he was ready to fight should Tymon''s response prove unsatisfactory. Tymon could tell his anger wasn''t focused solely on him. Still, this agitated Tymon, making the sky darken as thick clouds rolled in. Suddenly, thunder booms were heard outside as the air around heated up. Tymon realized that Za''Fia and Damien were ready to strike if Michael attacked him.

    Judging from Michael''s grimace, he was aware of it too.

    "Without your regenerative powers, this won''t end well for you," Tymon said imposingly as the two stared each other down.

    "Woah," Alissia said, stepping between them, placing a hand on each of their chests as she lightly nudged them away from one another. "This isn''t the time to be fighting amongst ourselves. Not to mention, if Avarice didn''t know our location before, he does now."

    Michael lowered his energy and apologized after some consideration. "I have no right to be angry when I wasn''t there to protect them either....I''ve never felt this...vulnerable before, so when Avarice took away my regeneration, I didn''t know what to do. Truth be told, I''m still trying to cope with it."

    Tymon lowered his energy as the sky brightened, and Alissia placed a consoling hand on Michael''s back.

    "No one should blame themselves," she proclaimed. "This has been a difficult time for each of us, and I even lashed out, which I''m truly sorry for," she added as she looked at Damien, Arne, and Naomi earnestly. "But we need to remain together to overcome all of this."

    She turned to look at Tymon.

    "We may not have agreed at first, but Tymon did right by destroying those bases," she turned back toward the others, "And we were caught by surprise because they took advantage of us being separated. We need to make sure they don''t have that advantage again."

    Everyone looked around. No one said anything, but there was agreement among them. Tymon looked at Michael, who held out a hand toward him. As Tymon accepted the gesture, they acknowledged Alissia''s words. Even without his healing, Tymon knew that Michael was still among their best capable fighters¡ªhe, Michael, and Za''Fia would likely be their main strength against the High Gods, Verin, and Avarice.

    "Good," Alissia said before turning her attention back toward Tymon. "But I think it''s only fair that you explain how you obtained this power."

    Tymon thought momentarily as he circled to the other side of the room to lean against a windowsill. He had to choose his words carefully; otherwise, they would spark misinterpretations.

    "I''ve been feeding from humans, like Michael said," he began, "It''s the only way we know of that makes us stronger besides aging, and our enemies each have at least nine centuries on us. Plus, even working together, we''d never have beaten Avarice, so I did what needed to be done to help increase our chances of surviving the fight."

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    "How many?" Michael spoke in a low tone. "How many people did you kill?"

    "Only the responsible ones."

    "You couldn''t have gotten this much stronger from the Holders alone."

    "I didn''t, but I didn''t kill any innocents if that''s what you think."

    "That''s possible?" Arne questioned skeptically from the corner of the table.

    "It is," Viraa answered from my bracelet. Tymon is the only one among you capable of feeding off others without being the cause of the victim''s death because the source needs to be dying already. So, his simply being nearby when someone dies is enough to strengthen him if he chooses to absorb that power."

    "Something I wish I''d known in my previous life. Maybe I could''ve prevented everything they''ve done to the world. The stain they''ve left on it..." Tymon remarked regrettably.

    "If you didn''t have to kill for the power directly, why butcher the Holders?" Michael asked him. "Despite their alignment, they were still humans."

    "I killed them because they knew what they were doing and still chose to do it for power," Tymon retorted with stern conviction before softening his words. "I also did it to prevent war between them and the Watchers from happening. I wanted to save their lives. Most of them would have died had I done nothing."

    Michael paused in deep thought for a moment. Then he looked at Tymon with understanding.

    "Though your intentions were virtuous¨Cdefensible even¨Cyour actions to prevent many of them from dying is what caused all of them to be eradicated."

    Tymon remained mostly expressionless but glanced at Alissia with a hint of sympathy before responding. He empathized with her, having once watched his parent be killed before him as well.

    "I admit, I hadn''t expected that to happen. I didn''t think they themselves would attack after losing so much."

    "It would''ve happened regardless," Alissia announced. She told them of the future Viraa showed her had the war happened¡ªhow the Watchers had been reduced to nearly nothing. How each of them lost. How some even died....

    The pain of reliving the events as she spoke was apparent in her voice as she avoided eye contact.

    "Sadly, Avarice and Verin would''ve made sure the Watchers were dealt with regardless of what happened," she concluded.

    "So, I died, huh," Arne commented, looking down at their hands. Arne looked at Tymon. He could see Arne''s admiration of his strength¡ªhow they wanted to get stronger. Arne was always confident in their strength and durability before, but knowing they''d died despite their defensive capabilities seemed to stick with them.

    "Speaking of death," Tymon said as his gaze shifted to Michael. The others followed suit. There was a lingering silence in the room before the collective comprehension set into the others one by one.

    Michael looked away from everyone, almost ashamed of his fate.

    "That''s what that vision meant..." Alissia muttered. She explained how she''d once seen a vision of a white light descending into darkness when she first searched for Michael. She had no idea it was a premonition of his future.

    Michael finally found the solicitous stares unbearable, so he pushed past everyone to leave. The others, even Arne, followed him to make sure he''d be okay, leaving Tymon and Alissia alone momentarily.

    Tymon could see her mind racing at a thousand miles per hour, trying to think of a way to keep him safe. He approached her with serious intent, causing her to look up.

    "I''m sorry," he said sincerely. "For scaring you the other day...I didn''t want to lose anyone, and I felt useless in the state I was in."

    Alissia shook her head subtly.

    "It''s fine; in the end, what you did prevented us from being captured and saved Arne''s life, so...I''m just glad you and Za''Fia are back," she fist-bumped his chest lightly. "Water under the bridge. Just don''t leave again."

    "I don''t intend to," he responded earnestly. He turned to look at the others who were on the other side of the manor. "So, Michael..."

    "We''ll think of something," she stated solemnly. "We''re not letting him die."

    -----

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    Fun fact: Michael, "The Healing Phoenix," is the fourth strongest member of the Primordials in terms of raw strength.

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 Chapter II: Wall of Sound (Pt. 1)

    Naomi wandered throughout the mansion. Since learning of Michael''s fate, she and the others had been trying to think of ways to keep Michael safe, like keeping him there, while Michael chose to avoid them all.

    She couldn''t wrap her head around it. After so long, it was hard to imagine...he was always so...untouchable... practically invincible. Could he really be killed? It just didn''t seem real.

    She wondered how he felt about it all. It had to be eating away at him. Maybe she could help him like she helped Alissia¨Cperhaps she could distract him with joy so he wouldn''t be depressed.

    You can''t help him, Naomi''s other voice rang in her head. He''s not depressed, he''s angry. Probably humiliated, too. He''s not used to needing to be saved or protected. He''s always been among the strongest¨Cable to withstand anything thrown at him, but like he said earlier, for the first time, he''s mortal. He probably wants to tell us not to bother protecting him, but he knows if he dies, so does everything else, most likely...eventually, anyway.

    "So what are we supposed to do?" Naomi asked aloud. She was pacing near a window, looking at the evening sky as she grew more anxious. She hated tense situations¡ªthe pressure always got to her. The windows nearby began to fog and frost over in response to her anxiety.

    First, calm down; we don''t need you to cause a blizzard or freeze everything. Second, I''m sure the others will all try to keep Michael away from the fighting. He may try to resist, in which case, he''ll have to be restrained here, so you''ll need to be ready to help with that. Your ice could prove exactly what we''d need to slow him down.

    "I can''t do that..."

    Yes, you can. The sooner you realize what I can do, you can, the better off you''ll be.

    "nghhh," Naomi groaned uncomfortably. Suddenly, her ears picked up on something high-pitched as the background noises faded. She concentrated on the sound until an unpleasant chuckle was discernable.

    "What''s this? Talking to yourself? Always the odd one, aren''t you?" Naomi heard Avarice''s voice speak. She could tell he was far away, yet his voice was crystal clear, as if he were speaking through a tunnel next to her ears.

    Naomi''s other personality took over immediately.

    "How is this possible," she asked incredibly. It felt as if he''d somehow used something to reign in her hearing, but that wouldn''t allow him to hear her too.

    Avarice''s chuckle echoed in her ears.

    "You mean, how can I hear you? How do I possess the same power you do? There''s not much of a story there; it was an accident from when I was much younger," he replied smugly, reflecting on the incident as if it were a pleasant memory. "At the time, you were the only one weaker than me, so I tried to steal your energy before deciding to take Tymon or Michael''s, but, like the little fox you are, you managed to escape. Of course, back then, I wasn''t aware of our cintracies, so I thought I needed all your energy to get what I wanted. Until recently, I never understood how you survived even though I successfully gained your power..."

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    "So, you tried to kill me," Naomi reiterated.

    "Yes, but I was ignorant of everything about our kind and our influences on life here. Now, I''m well aware and have a proposition for you. See, if we go head-to-head, many of you will likely die, which will affect the planet. Why risk it? We all live here. It''s the only world we have. We don''t need to destroy it over such a small dispute, wouldn''t you agree?" he replied smoothly.

    "Get to the point," Naomi said coldly. She knew not to trust him, but she was curious about what offer he would make. Perhaps it could benefit them.

    "Join me. Convince the others to join us. Each of you has only experienced a fraction of our power firsthand. Meanwhile, we are well aware of each of your limits. You put up those icy walls of yours, but I know that you don''t want anything to happen to the others, and honestly, neither do I. I''d rather we prevent needless death by coming together."

    "What about the humans? You plan to kill billions."

    "But not all. Just like I didn''t plan to kill all of the Watchers. Leaving them to their own free will...they''ve had millennia to show us exactly why they need our ruling. They destroy the only world they have to live in to pursue their ambitions. They use and betray each other for anything they find desirable. They segregate themselves, causing their lack of power to defend themselves¨Cif they were united, they''d be a threat to even us, but they can''t see that for themselves. Besides, I''m sure you, of all people, understand why they should be governed...remember your mother? Remember Detroit?"

    Naomi''s body reflexively tensed in response to the memory as she released a pulse of frigid air, covering the entire upper hall in frost.

    "Why care if a few die for order? Plus, under our collective rule, there won''t be any fighting amongst themselves; they''ll all live peacefully and by the new world order. Think about that. You all seem to want to protect and gravitate toward the human, so convince her this is the best for you all. I''m sure you can see that..." Avarice said before his presence faded, and Naomi''s senses snapped back to her surroundings.

    Naomi inhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves. She hadn''t expected any of that. Not Avarice having her ability to manipulate sound waves or him trying to recruit her. Then he just had to bring up her past...

    I don''t like him, Naomi''s younger self spoke from within.

    "Neither do I," Naomi remarked. She leaned against a wall covered in thin ice, the ice cracking beneath her weight.

    Are you gonna do it?

    "Of course not," She replied, shaking her head. Still, Naomi had to admit that some of the things he pointed out were sound, but killing billions was insane even for them.

    For now, though, she needed to focus on their new problem¨CAvarice could use her power to listen in on them. She wanted to tell the others, but since her interaction with the cannibal twins, Naomi had felt useless. She may be the least powerful among them, but she still wanted to contribute somehow instead of introducing yet another problem to the others.

    But how? How could she fix it? What solution could she offer? Avarice could spy on them because of the power he stole from her...

    Suddenly, with Detroit still on her mind, an idea popped into her head. She used it a couple of times when she was younger after leaving Detroit¨Cwhen she didn''t want anyone to hear or find her.

    That could work, she thought.

    Naomi closed her eyes and concentrated. She heightened her senses to detect even the slightest vibrations within the air¡ªvibrations from the lights in the manor, the ones that reverberated through the floors as the others moved around downstairs, their voices as they spoke to each other, and the light snow falling outside. She focused on it all. Then, using Seismic Reign, she replicated them into a mass of vibrations held between her hands before slowly expanding it outward.

 Chapter I: Wall of Sound (Pt. 2)

    It was the size of her body now, but she needed it bigger. It expanded until it was partially outside and downstairs, but it wasn''t enough.

    Bigger, she thought as she pushed it further outward.

    She continued expanding it until the mass of vibrations completely encompassed the entire manor. All the sound within the manor became muffled and mixed, making it difficult to discern anything. This caught the others'' attention as they each, even Michael, came rushing upstairs to confront her. Everyone but Tymon was disoriented and moved awkwardly as the equilibrium in their ears was unbalanced.

    Naomi hollowed the inside of her creation, allowing sound to move freely again within its parameters.

    "What was that?" Alissia asked, rubbing a finger in one of her ears.

    "A sound barrier," Naomi answered. "It''ll prevent anyone outside from hearing what goes on inside it."

    "What would we need a barrier for?" Tymon asked her as he looked through a window using omni-vision to see the barrier.

    "We need it because Avarice has copied Seismic Reign," she responded. The others were speechless as they registered what she told them.

    "What!? When?" Alissia exclaimed.

    "He said it was a long time ago when he was younger. Something about him attempting to take power from a previous version of me."

    "He told you this?" Damien inquired.

    "Yeah, a few minutes ago," Naomi answered. "Somehow, he directed my hearing toward him with a high pitch. Then, we spoke through our enhanced hearing. He tried to recruit me and get me to convince you all that his way was better for everyone."

    "That explains how he''s been aware of everything," Arne stated.

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    "He wasn''t just sending his High Gods to spy on us..." Alissia commented. She looked as if she wanted to blame herself somehow for missing that detail, but she refrained.

    "The barrier I placed up should make it harder for him to hear us," Naomi assured them. "But I''m not used to using my cintracy this way, so I won''t be able to keep it up for long."

    "That barrier will be important to ensure information doesn''t slip while we figure out our approach," Tymon asserted. He walked over to Naomi and touched her shoulders as he peered down at her. "We''ll need you to practice using it more often and for longer periods."

    Naomi typically didn''t care about what others thought. Not for a long time, but she''s noticed how that had changed recently. Her list of people who mattered to her had unexpectedly grown. What was once just herself and Za''Fia had extended to Alissia soon after meeting her. Then, since being brought along the others, she quietly realized she''d come to appreciate Arne''s selective inputs and Trik''s batters. Now, she felt something for Michael and even Tymon, whom she had dreaded since first sensing his energy.

    Naomi looked up at Tymon. Something about the way Tymon, a lone wolf of sorts, looked at her¨Cdepended on her¨Cstruck something inside of her. This was what she needed¨Ca way to help everyone.

    "I''ll do my best," she heard herself promise.

    "Splendid," everyone heard Viraa''s voice project from Alissia''s holo-bracelet. It no longer shocked them, but it always caught their attention. "Then let us begin discussing countermeasures..."

    -----

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    Fun fact: Arne, "The Unbreakable," was last reincarnated on April 5th, 2861, where for two years they were tended to by a pride of lions in South Africa before eventually being discovered by travelers who brought her to America.

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 Chapter III: The Pains of Evolution (Pt. 1)

    We moved back downstairs below the manor to a room with a gathering table that rose from the floor. The table was round, with Tymon and Damien to my right and Michael, Arne, and Naomi circling from my left. I placed my holo-bracelet on the center of the table while we waited for Za''Fia to join us. She stayed upstairs a bit longer to safely melt all the ice Naomi had created up there.

    When she finally joined us downstairs, she predictably moved to sit beside Tymon, but Damien was already there. We all watched while stifling laughter as Za''Fia passive-aggressively coaxed Damien to scoot over. Tymon, oblivious as usual, tried to offer her his seat instead, which made me giggle a little, but Damien finally moved a chair over, allowing Za''Fia to sit between them. Once they were settled, the light atmosphere became thick with solemn tension as the discussion of Viraa''s countermeasures began.

    "So, what''s this about countermeasures?" Michael initiated.

    "Viraa, you know a way to deal with them?" Za''Fia inquired.

    "Will it make us stronger?" Arne leaned forward in their seat.

    "Yes, I believe I know of a way to tend to our current dilemma¡ªto even your odds," Viraa replied.

    "And how''s that?" Za''Fia asked what we all were thinking.

    There was a brief silence before she answered, "We make Alissia our trump card."

    The others looked confused, and my eyes slowly grew wide as I responded, "WHAT!? Me!? What can I do? I can''t fight them!"

    "Not yet, you cannot, but you have the potential to."

    "Even if that''s so, what about the rest of us?" Naomi spoke from Arne''s side, who seemed as if they were just about to ask the same question.

    "I have a solution for that as well: I will release the limiters I have placed on each of your ascension marks," she stated matter-of-factly, stunning the others. "Doing so will allow you to use your full, uninhibited strength and power, but I surmise most of you will still struggle against Avarice''s brigade of transmuted klevonians."

    I caught Arne struggling to suppress their growing excitement.

    "Also, once I lift the restrictions, it will undo any augmentations I have engraved into the marks, such as your reincarnation processes. This means you all will age even slower than you are already used to. The marks will no longer sap your vitality over time, so should you not meet an untimely death, you will live your remaining lifespan of nearly 990 millennia."

    I watched as Michael and the others, one by one, let that sink in. While Michael and the others seemed to understand or accept Viraa''s reasoning behind limiting their strength, Tymon and Arne were confused about such a decision and looked at it regretfully.

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    "That''s...no. Why limit us?" Tymon dissented as he stood. "With our full strength in store, I wouldn''t have...we could''ve prevented everything before it escalated."

    "Yes, perhaps you all could have, or perhaps the same sequence of events would have occurred, or even worse, perhaps more of you would have grown cruel, believing you could live forever among the weaker humans. Thus, while limiting your lifespans, I took the precaution to restrict some of your power as well."

    Tymon sunk back to his seat as he thought about that. I sympathized with him. If I''d known most of my trauma may have been avoided had someone not restricted my strength, I''d be torn up about it too.

    "So, how do we release our limiters?" Damien asked, pressing onward.

    "I will show you that now. Naomi, would you care to be part of the demonstration?"

    Naomi bolted from her chair excitedly and appeared next to me in a blur.

    "I don''t mind," she beamed. "Just make sure it doesn''t hurt."

    "This will not hurt a bit, I promise. Lisa," Viraa spoke, "please place your hand on Naomi''s ascension mark."

    I complied quietly and placed my right hand on the back of Naomi''s left hand where her snowflake-shaped ascension mark was grafted. After holding it there for a few seconds, I began to feel a surge of energy run through me to the mark before connecting to something within Naomi that I could literally feel snap¨Cno, unlock.

    Naomi dropped her hand and stepped back as her power flared incredibly. The temperature dropped dramatically as everything was encased in hard ice, which would''ve frozen me, too, had Za''Fia not emitted enough heat to thwart it.

    Judging from what I sensed, Naomi was now more powerful than Za''Fia but still wasn''t quite as powerful as Michael or even Tymon before he left us. Still, that was quite the jump from being the least powerful a moment before.

    "This is unbelievable!" Naomi commented, amazed.

    "As you can see, quite a bit of power is still being unutilized within each of you, and it''s a simple process for me to give you access to it. Shall we continue?"

    Eager to unlock their full strength, Arne was next to follow. Then Michael, Damien, and finally Tymon. Each of them was highly pleased with their new power. We were all astounded by Tymon''s amplified power in addition to the power he''d arrived with. If not for Avarice''s presence, we wouldn''t have needed a trump card to finish things off.

    "This is great and all, but how are we supposed to make Alissia our trump card? I''m assuming that''d mean she''s supposed to be even more powerful than us," Tymon stated as he clumsily drew in his energy. None of them could draw in their energy completely. I guess it''d take even more time for them to adjust to all that power.

    "Your presumption is correct. I intend for Lisa to be made more powerful than each of you. Due to her connection with me and possessing my pneumarian DNA, she should theoretically be able to hold the collective power from each of you so long as her body is strong enough to withstand it."

    "No," Michael rejected. "That much power inside a human would kill them."

    "Normally, yes; however, Lisa has shown the prospects needed for this to succeed. Each time she consumed the JANUS drug, she retained the boost in power it gave her and also made her body stronger. This proves that she has an incredible evolutionary potential. So long as her body is not overloaded, she can adjust to the change. Once the collected energy synchronizes with her own, she will emerge much more powerful¨Cneither pneumarian nor klevonian, but not entirely human either¡ªan anomaly."

    "How do you plan to accomplish this without it overstressing her body," Tymon asked.

    A slight tingling sensation began to throb in my right arm. As its intensity grew to an acute burning impression, I lifted the short sleeve of my shirt to reveal a dark mark that resembled two infinity symbols made perpendicular to each other that had appeared on my shoulder.

    "This is a specially augmented mark designed to store all the power you give her," Viraa explained as it cooled. "After I teach her, she will be able to draw on that power at a pace she can handle until she can safely access all of it."

 Chapter III: The Pains of Evolution (Pt. 2)

    "So the mark will help her control the power, but how is her body supposed to evolve to withstand it?" Tymon continued.

    "She''ll need a catalyst," Damien interjected, answering the question. He tapped a finger on the table in thought. "Something that''ll provide the same physical effects the JANUS tablets had."

    "But what could do that? No one besides Avarice has made anything like that before, and as far as the world is concerned, it doesn''t exist yet, so no one can produce rip-off versions of it yet either," I remarked.

    Arne shuffled forward as if having figured it out.

    "Our blood," they suggested confidently. "We could insert it directly into her."

    "Ew. No," I retorted, eyes wide in disbelief.

    "No, Arne''s right," Tymon nodded as he slowly saw a way forward. "Avarice changed Junichiro and the others using components from his blood, and the JANUS tablets are mostly composed of my blood¡ªeach tablet is less than a drop''s worth¡ªbut that''s where its effects are derived from. That''s proof that our blood¡ªin controlled quantities¡ªcan, to a degree, alter a human''s DNA. If each of us were to give you just a little of our blood at a time, theoretically, it''d be like eating a ton of JANUS tablets."

    "Precisely," Viraa commented. I detected a sense of pride radiating from her.

    "Given what we''ve witnessed so far, enacting this would result in an exponential change in Alissia, as Viraa mentioned; perhaps it will be enough to challenge even Avarice," Michael voiced as he pondered the possibility. "Still, I fear she won''t survive the process."

    "Right, that doesn''t sound safe at all. Or sanitary," I said, cringing.

    "That is not an issue. If each of you were to prick your finger and touch the mark, it would mix elements of your blood with hers, forcing her body to evolve similarly to before. If you all do it one at a time while Michael provides healing aid between the insertions, she will survive the change," Viraa assured us.

    "Also, while you touch the mark, each should share a portion of your energy during the transference. It may make accepting the energy easier on her body."

    The others looked at each other silently before their eyes locked onto me.

    "Are you willing to go through with this?" Damien asked me.

    I hesitated. While pondering the question, memories of everything that had occurred up until that moment flashed through my mind. I remembered being too weak to protect anyone and often being the one who needed protection. Now, I had the chance to obtain power that would help rectify everything Avarice and his ''family'' had done¡ªpower that would allow me to protect the others instead.

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    "Let''s do it," I replied somberly.

    "Splendid, be aware that the mark will only be able to accept this kind of procedure for the next hour, so we must not dally. It would be best if you also did not give her too much of your energy. Lisa may be undergoing changes that will make her more durable, but she is still mostly human; therefore, even with Michael''s help, she will not survive receiving more than a fourth of each of your energy. With that, perhaps we should all move to a room better suited for the process before beginning."

    Following Viraa''s advice, we moved to another room down the hall after I grabbed my holo-bracelet. It was similar to any other rooms below the manor¡ªwindowless with a hard white surfaced floor and walls. However, this room was a bit more spacious than the ones I''d been in. With a push of a button on a touchpad built into the wall, a portion of the wall opened and ejected a full bed into the room.

    "Lisa, we will need you to lie on your back with your mark exposed," Viraa instructed.

    Feeling a bit nervous and self-conscious, I climbed onto the sheetless bed and lifted the right side of my shirt over my shoulder so that the mark was accessible.

    "hhhhoo, okay," I exhaled shakingly as I laid back. I felt something cold and hard brush against my skin, causing me to recoil in surprise. When I looked to the side, I saw metal restraints had appeared from the floor surrounding the bed.

    "What''s this?" I asked anxiously. My heart rate steadily rose due to the sudden unknown factor.

    "These are going to keep you in bed in case you lose control of yourself," Michael told me as he tugged at them to test their stability.

    "If you lose control of the power to match Avarice''s, there''s not much we can do to stop you," Tymon added.

    "Oh, okay," I laid back down. "Yeah...that''s smart."

    "Now, before we begin, I must warn you that what you are about to experience will be painful. Much more painful than taking the tablets did, but despite that, do not lose the will to live; you will survive. My energy will stabilize your body as it accepts their blood and energy and metamorphoses, and Michael will be standing by to heal you once the effects have completed their course promptly."

    "I think I''m starting to have second thoughts," I said half-jokingly.

    The others looked at me with concern, ready to stop everything if I said so.

    "I''m fine, I''m fine. I''m just...nervous, is all."

    Damien walked up to me and placed a gloved hand on me. He looked around solemnly before revealing a proud smile directed toward me.

    "We may not have known each other for long, but I''m proud of what you''ve accomplished. Despite our many differences, you''ve managed to get all of us together by giving us a singular common interest¡ªsomething I didn''t think was possible with us."

    "I did? I haven''t been anything but a burden to the group..."

    "No, most of us have had bad experiences with humans and wouldn''t have cared whether or not they perished, but your compassion toward the humans and us was equal. You showed us that there is a better side to humanity. It just takes a bit of digging to get to in this day and age, but I think I speak for each of us when I say you have become our common interest¡ªour faith in you as an imperfect yet pure representation of the humanity we were derived from."

    "You''re the first real friend many of us have made," Naomi added, clutching my hand with excitement and a wholesome sincerity.

    "The first tolerable human I''ve come across in a while," Za''Fia moved into my view and winked at me.

    "An honorable, strong-willed human," Arne chimed in.

    "One who may care more about the precious frailty of life than even I," Michael stated from over my head.

    I tried to keep from crying as I felt my chest tighten and my face flush as their words tugged at my heart.

    "A human with the character to strike at even the darkest heart," Tymon''s voice said before I saw him standing over me with a rare smirk.

 Chapter III: The Pains of Evolution (Pt. 3)

    I bit my lip in a last-ditch effort to suppress my tears, but the wall broke as a flood of them fell down the corners of my eyes.

    "Thank you all..." I said through sobs as I rubbed my eyes, not trusting myself to get anything else out without sounding like a mess.

    Damien smiled down endearingly.

    "You''ve treated each of us, despite our quirks, as part of your family and respected our different views. We all may not have seen it at first, but despite you being human, Viraa has done well choosing a leader capable of keeping us together."

    I stared at them blankly, unsure I understood what he was insinuating.

    "Wha¨CAre y¨C," I looked at Tymon, who smirked. Michael nodded approvingly.

    "That means if you survive this, you''ll officially be our leader," Tymon clarified.

    I started to blush. They were actually acknowledging me...

    "Hearing if come from you is a little discomforting," I responded jokingly, wiping the rest of my tears away. "Thanks guys for believing in me. I promise not to waste your faith¡ªI''ll do my best."

    I looked at each of them gratefully before settling in, a warm feeling burning pleasantly within my chest. "Okay, I''m ready."

    "I''ll activate the restraints," Michael said as he headed to the touchpad on the wall.

    Congratulations on winning their trust, Viraa shared mentally. I could tell she was truly happy for me. This is a turning point for each of you. Hold them close. Lead them well.

    Thank you, Viraa¡ªfor everything.

    ...

    Nothing to say suddenly? I asked warmly. I may not grasp things the way you want me to, but I know we''d be lost without you. And as their leader I''ll need you with me to avoid mistakes due to my inexperience and youth. So, thank you, and I look forward to working with you.

    You truly have grown significantly from the little girl who used to observe the world through her tower window, Viraa praised.

    Well, I''ve come to realize that we''re stronger together. I want us to have a better impact on humanity moving forward and to undo the issues Avarice and Verin have caused once this is all over.

    "Are you certain that you''re ready?" Michael''s voice called out.

    "Yeah, I''m ready," I responded, getting as comfortable on my back as I could. After a beep from Michael''s button input, the cold metal restraints clamped down, firmly locking me in place.

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    "It would be wise to place something inside her mouth to prevent her from biting off her tongue," Viraa advised.

    Za''Fia pulled a fancy belt from her spatial bag.

    "Here, it''s rubber. Should help."

    She handed the belt to Michael who folded it before inserting it between my teeth for me to bite down on. It was folded just large enough to barely fit inside my mouth but also too big for me to spit it out intentionally.

    "If the pain becomes too much, try to bite down instead of opening," Michael instructed.

    "mmph-kay," I replied.

    "Naomi, you will be the first to go," Viraa stated.

    Everyone backed up and gave us space as Naomi stood next to me.

    "Here goes," she stated as she partially transformed her left index thumb into a clawed appendage. She then used that claw to prick that hand''s index finger until a small drop of blood formed on it.

    I shut my eyes tightly in anticipation.

    When I felt her touch my shoulder at first, it felt like I was being touched by something a bit wet¡ªnothing unusual happened. Then, a low, chilling sensation crept throughout my body. It was uncomfortable at first, but I wouldn''t call it painful. That is, until it intensified. Rapidly. The initial sensation became one of a crippling, unimaginable pain associated with an extreme cold, unlike anything I''d ever felt. It happened so quickly that I nearly blacked out.

    The pain was too much. I tried to scream for them to stop but couldn''t through the belt. Feeling my vision blur from the overwhelming agony, I bucked and thrashed around violently, trying to use every fiber of strength within me to break free of the restraints, but to no avail.

    This went on for maybe five or six seemingly everlasting minutes until the pain subsided, and I lay there, exhausted, freezing yet hot, covered in sweat, and out of breath. My entire body ached to the point that even moving a finger was agonizing. My vision was still blurry, but I swear I saw the cold steam lifting from my face. My head lolled to the side.

    "My, she feels like a completely different person..." I heard Damien remark.

    "You did great," Viraa encouraged me with an urgency in her voice. "Stay strong; the pain was intense, but remember, you''ll be fine. Don''t let it shatter your mind. Michael, if you will..."

    I felt Michael''s light touch on the sides of my head as a warm feeling washed over me, pushing the pain aside. As he continued to heal me, with the pain fading, I noticed my body felt leagues stronger than before.

    This might actually work. We might win with this.

    That''s the idea, Viraa mused.

    "Arne, you''ll be next," she instructed.

    Arne walked over to where Naomi had just been standing.

    "Stay strong," Arne commented, looking over me.

    I nodded and closed my eyes as I mentally prepared for the following sequence of misery.

    -----

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Damien, "Sensuous Feline," is the second fastest Primordial behind Michael. Due to his selfless nature, he often ends up putting others needs above his own or sacrificing his own desires to help those he care for achieve theirs.

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 Chapter IV: Shared Minds (Pt. 1)

    At some point, while receiving Michael''s blood and power, I passed out from the unreal internal searing his light generated within me. It felt different from Za''Fia''s energy, which was more like being lit on fire straight from the core. Michael''s, however, had a different aspect to it¡ªsomething rawer that permeated everywhere. Even Viraa hadn''t accounted for its potency.

    Michael had to resort to healing me even during the process after I lost consciousness for the rest of the experience, which is probably why I can''t recall what happened when Tymon shared his energy with me. Viraa didn''t even want to discuss it with me.

    When I came to several hours later, I found the room had been completely destroyed. The walls were bent outward with terrible tears that stretched across them. The lights were mostly busted, with a few flickering. To think something was powerful enough to destroy a room meant to withstand even Michael''s power.

    As my inner sense adjusted and I became self-aware, I realized I was that something.

    I stood there in awe. The amount of power that radiated from me was...unbelievable. It was almost scary how much of it I possessed. I felt powerful...invincible.

    Alas, you''ve evolved wonderfully.

    "I know, right!? This is the most exhilarating thing I''ve ever felt," I grinned as I continued to flex my new power.

    Yes, but do be considerate of the others...

    I looked around, only then noticing how everyone had fallen to their knees from the sheer force of my energy being released.

    "Oh my God! I''m so sorry, you guys!" I concentrated hard to suppress as much of my energy as I could. Predictably, it was much more challenging than compared to the energy I once had.

    At that moment, it felt like trying to force an ocean of water into a jar¡ªsomething that would be impossible for most ordinary folks. But I managed until it was more like trying to keep a lid on a jar filled with running water. Some leaked out, but it wasn''t unfeasible.

    Once I did that, I felt the power seep from my body as it reverted to a significantly weaker state. It wasn''t as weak as before, but it was nowhere near the power I had just felt.

    Following the regression, I felt my body give out as Michael blurred over to catch me. My eyelids felt impossibly heavy as they slowly lowered over.

    "Viraa...?"

    "You are still human when not in your evolved form. Extreme fatigue is the price your body must bear until it grows accustomed," she stated as my vision turned black.

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    After that, I couldn''t remember if I had dreamt anything or had any visions. For the most part, it was just a pitch-black grip of a deep slumber until I eventually started hearing voices.

    Please wake up, it''s been three days...

    Surely, I healed her. Was all of us giving power to her too much for even I to heal...? And that form she took...

    No way in hell you''re dying after we''ve all acknowledged you like that...

    Hm...Whatever''s going on, I know your life''s not in danger at least...

    She''ll wake. When she does, I plan to be the first to test her strength...

    If her heart stops, perhaps I''ll jump-start it with an electrifying kiss. It''s been a while since I last kissed a human...

    "Everyone, please. Not so loud," I said groggily as I came to. I sat up and looked around. Apparently, they''d placed me in my bed. "Michael, I''m fine; considering the state each of us has gotten ourselves into recently, I''d say your healing abilities feel more like a cheat than anything else."

    Michael looked at me, puzzled.

    I looked at Arne and said, "I don''t mind sparring with you, but at least let me learn how to control my powers first. I''m like a baby who just discovered how to walk. I''d hate to give you an underwhelming challenge."

    I turned my attention to Za''Fia.

    "And don''t you worry; there''s no way I''m letting myself die¡ªnot now. Thankfully, Tymon was here to let you all know that my life wasn''t in danger."

    Her eyes darted to Tymon, who seemed just as confused, but I''d already started again before they said anything.

    "Damien, I don''t think an electric kiss would have made my condition better, but I appreciate that you''d be willing to kiss a human if it meant saving my life," I gleamed warmly at him.

    Damien tilted his head as a literal spark of interest flashed around his eyes.

    "Intriguing..."

    My eyes suddenly widened as I abruptly turned toward Naomi.

    "Did you say three days!?"

    Everyone stared at me blankly.

    "What," I asked. "Is there something wrong with me?"

    Following those words, a terrible thought ran through my head as I raced to the nearby touchpad on the wall and summoned a mirror. After quickly scrutinizing every detail of my face and hair, I sighed in relief.

    "Thank God. I thought I had more grey hair."

    "At the moment, your hair is just as it''s been. However, we''re more mystified by what seems to be your sudden ability to read our thoughts," Damien announced, moving toward me. His gaze kind of scared me. It was like seeing a mad scientist observing a test subject develop unexpectedly. "You continue to surprise, don''t you?"

    "Hm. Fascinating, this development is something I had not seen specifically. I did not think you would evolve to this degree," Viraa stated, astounded. "Telepathy is a common ability utilized by klevonians and pneumarians. It is achieved through an exchange of spirit energy. Since each Primordial has some of my energy within them, and Lisa is the vessel for it now, that covers her half of the exchange. I suppose now that each of you has shared your energy with her, the swap is complete: you all will be able to speak telepathically with her and receive any unblocked thoughts projected between her and each of you."

    "But they can''t hear each other..." I muttered to myself.

    "In that case: everyone, share energy with each other," I said aloud. "That''ll help when we need to talk from long distances."

    "What do you mean?" Arne inquired as everyone began sharing tiny portions of their power.

    "We''re getting rid of our c-chips and holo-bracelets," I declared. "Now that we have a more secure way of communicating, we don''t need something that could be used to track us."

    "Hmm, I suppose that is a possibility," Michael pondered as he crushed his c-chip, and the others followed suit.

 Chapter IV: Shared Minds (Pt. 2)

    "At least now we won''t have to worry about Avarice overhearing us anymore," Naomi mentioned as she pulled out her holo-bracelet and froze it until it shattered.

    Just as I was about to destroy mine, a thought made me stop. I decided to keep mine for the time being as I placed them inside my spatial bag.

    "Curious; what made you think we were being tracked in the first place?" Damien asked as Arne walked over to challenge him to an arm contest. They had already crafted a stone table and stubs between them. Za''Fia strolled up to take on the challenge instead, which only made Arne more excited.

    "With the amount of money, resources, and economic influence the Watchers'' companies had, Verin wouldn''t have just destroyed them without acquiring their assets for Avarice, right? The fact that the c-chips and holo-bracelets are still working proves that someone other than Cerebral Tech is keeping them active. My guess is that even though the HQs were destroyed, somehow, Avarice capitalized on their deaths and obtained control of the other network of installations that remained of the Watcher businesses."

    "Makes sense, plus we haven''t heard anything about any mass power outages or shortage of medicines," Za''Fia input as she and Arne were well into their arm contest. Za''Fia wasn''t putting in nearly the same effort as Arne, whose arm was covered in veiny, bulging muscles as they strained to gain the upper hand.

    Suddenly, an image of Viraa popped into our heads.

    Disposing of your devices is a wise decision.

    Everyone, including myself, Tymon, and Za''Fia, was taken aback by her appearance. She didn''t show the human form we''d seen from her past memories; instead, we saw a beautiful, regal form of pure violet/aqua energy. She had long, silvery hair that glowed like the moon as it flowed to her mid-back. Her all-white eyes radiated an air of knowledge as she smiled at us in our heads.

    So this is your true form... Michael projected in awe.

    Yes, this is what a pneumarian''s true form is like.

    It''s beautiful... Damien shared.

    No kidding, Za''Fia and I commented in unison.

    Such flattery...Viraa flustered momentarily before getting serious again. Alas, we should focus on more important matters than my visage: now that each of you has increased power, I believe it would behoove you to train said power before flying off into battle.

    She''s right, I stated. Avarice gave us two months to choose whether or not we submit to him. That means whatever he has planned won''t happen until sometime at the end of January. We can use the time before that to train before we give them the biggest surprise of their lives.

    Precisely. Michael, dear, I presume there are enough rooms down here to serve as training grounds?

    There are plenty of rooms, but I''ll take you all to the largest.

    Michael turned to leave the room, and each of us followed him through the white corridors. As we followed, Za''Fia complimented him on his amazing home.

    "It''s pretty meticulously designed, especially everything below the manor: you into architecture? Engineering?" She asked.

    "Thanks," he responded but shook his head. "But I didn''t design this place. At least not the current me. My previous incarnation left it to me."

    "He¡ªyou¡ªleft yourself a place like this?" I expressed in disbelief before it quickly made sense for beings who constantly have to start over.

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    "Yes, did none of your past lives leave gifts?" He directed his question to the others.

    "I was left an old car and a house in need of renovation¡ªkind of like Tymon was¡ªbut they both were destroyed before I learned how to control my spirit energy," Za''Fia answered, looking a bit glum at the thought.

    "I was left a bank account with a large sum of money," Damien stated, thinking back. "It provided me the funds I needed to start my business¡ªthat dreadful place."

    "I was left money too, but I told the Watcher who informed me of locating an account reserved for me that I didn''t care what he did with the funds," Arne replied with a soft chuckle. "After signing ownership over to him, I imagine he had a lavish life."

    "I wasn''t left anything," Naomi said as we entered the designated empty room. She sounded a little bitter. Maybe from envy? "But hey! We won''t be able to leave anything for the next reincarnation...you know, since we all age normally now."

    "That''s fine by me," Arne stated as they walked forward, cracking their knuckles with a wide grin. "The humans can do whatever they want with what''s left behind after I die¡ªif that''s their desire."

    Arne''s eyes locked onto Tymon with hunger.

    "I''ve never cared for the materials of the world. I yearn for something more exciting and satisfying..."

    "Should''ve seen this coming," Za''Fia muttered with an eye roll as she and everyone besides Tymon and I moved to a distant wall to our left.

    "Tymon," Arne breathed excitedly. "I''ve never clashed with a death primordial: how about we spar? Show me the power you possess."

    "Arne, this is pointless, he ha¡ª" Naomi began before Arne cut her off.

    "Quiet! I don''t want any assistance or clues to his abilities in any way," Arne announced as their skin took on a tougher, metallic silver appearance, followed by an orange coating of spirit enhancement.

    "Tymon, you won''t turn me down, will you?" Arne said as they lowered into a battle stance reminiscent of a crouching lion. Arne flared their energy wildly, boasting an air of intimidation.

    Tymon smirked at her attempt to intimidate him. He responded by flaring a powerful sense of terror outward, causing my skin to stand on end. Even Arne tensed at his presence.

    "I''m ready when you are," he said without taking a stance.

    The battle¡ªif you can call it that¡ªended instantly. Arne lunged forward as stone materialized around Tymon, but in one swift motion, Tymon coated one of his fists in spirit energy alone and landed a hefty punch straight to Arne''s gut. Upon impact, the area of Arne''s stomach around his fist lost its metallic luster as the force behind his punch sent them crashing against the far-side wall; Arne''s metal skin shattered in the process."

    Arne started coughing up blood as they struggled even to stand back up.

    Michael and Naomi dashed over to them. Michael attempted to heal Arne, but they swiped his attempt away and slowly stood on their own.

    "I tried to warn you. Your Hardshatter won''t work on him," Naomi said.

    "Yeah, I''d heard whispers about that, but I had to experience it for myself," Arne replied, wiping blood from their lips, still grinning maniacally as they eyed Tymon with a weird sort of joy. "To think he''d break through my defense in one hit."

    Arne and the others walked back over to where Tymon and I stood. When Tymon''s quiet gaze landed on Arne he opened his mouth, but Arne held up a hand in disapproval.

    "Don''t apologize," Arne told him fiercely. "I challenged you and lost. That''s all there is to it. I''ve never been defeated that quick before...even Michael took a bit longer before defeating me."

    "That''s some power you got," Arne said, throwing an arm around his neck with a smile that broke the sudden tension that had built.

    As the others chattered about their experiences fighting each other in the past, I looked at the wall Arne had crashed into. Amazingly, it was still intact without even a dent.

    "Yeah, this''ll be a good place to train," I muttered.

    -----

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Viraa was once known for her power to foresee the future. She was also born on the 20th day of the 20th month on her home world, Cindar.

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 Chapter V: Distant View (Pt.1)

    After a bit of laughter and lightheartedness, Tymon was the first to refocus and get everyone back on task.

    "So how will this work?" he voiced. "Who handles who when everything goes down?"

    He turned his head toward me, looking for an answer. Slowly, everyone else did the same.

    They all are waiting for your directive as leader, Viraa stated.

    I inhaled deeply as I took in the moment of recognition. This was my first actual order as leader of the team...

    "Hm...give me a sec," I stated as I tried to view things from a larger perspective. I needed to assign them to an opponent they''d have the best chance against.

    That would be best. You would regret sending them to face against someone who will outclass them immediately.

    Right, like sending Naomi to fend off Junichiro, I remarked.

    Precisely. That would be poor allocation, Viraa responded.

    Hmm, then there''s the issue with Michael...

    I looked back at the others, having settled on my decision.

    "Once we''ve honed our new power, we''ll hit them. Hard. Now that we know what they''re all capable of, I have the perfect matchups," I declared before telling everyone but Michael and Tymon who they''d be responsible for.

    I intended to have Tymon stay with Michael and use his power to prevent Michael from dying, but Tymon quickly objected.

    "Let me fight Avarice," he said, causing everyone to look at him with disbelief.

    "Ty, you may be stronger now, but you can''t seriously think it''s enough..." Za''Fia stated softly.

    "Yeah, that''s not smart," I concurred. "You won''t be able to kill him, and if he transforms, he''ll be too much for you to handle."

    Tymon shook his head.

    "I need this," he declared earnestly. "After what he''s done to me, I won''t be at peace until I face him personally."

    I thought about it for a second, understanding where Tymon was coming from. He''d been humiliated and tormented by Avarice and his insatiable thirsts. How could I say no to a man trying to face his traumas?

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "Don''t let him transform," I sighed, caving. "Don''t waste any time. Take him out so we can place some suppression cuffs on him."

    I turned my attention to everyone else before establishing an absolute rule.

    "None of them dies. Defeat them, don''t kill them. Got it?"

    "Hold back against powerful enemies trying to kill us.... That makes things more challenging," Arne shrugged. "Fine by me."

    I thought about how that included Verin, and my blood boiled at the thought of keeping her alive, but I conceded, knowing that it was for the greater good and that it would be wrong to plan her murder.

    "Look, I get that this is asking a lot and that they won''t make it easy, but¡ª"

    "We''ll do our best," Damien inputted patiently, seeing my internal struggle.

    "Even though some of us will have a tougher time," Za''Fia muttered as she crossed her arms and legs, still sitting on the lump of stone Arne conjured.

    "What about me?" Michael had been silent for a while.

    "I want you to focus on healing everyone during battle," I told him. "I''m putting them at a disadvantage by asking them to refrain from killing, so they''ll need your support."

    "Hm?" Arne scoffed.

    "Sorry, they may need your support," I corrected.

    "Support..." Michael said, offended.

    I placed a caring hand on him.

    "We can''t let you die," I said warmly. "I get this is insulting for someone of your stature, but please..."

    "Of course," he consented. I could tell he felt humiliated by this entire situation. He struggled not to object further but knew it was for the best.

    Damien came up and patted him on the shoulder.

    "Don''t worry, considering who we''re up against, I''m sure your power will be our saving grace. It''s bound to keep us out of perilous situations."

    "Exactly," I added. "Which reminds me..."

    I reached around my neck and removed the necklace with the cindium pendant my mother had given me.

    "Turn around and bend your knees a little," I told Damien.

    Damien complied and observed in quiet confusion as I reached around and placed the necklace around his neck.

    "Having it will protect you," I told him.

    "Oh?" he responded as he touched the pendant.

    "OKAY," Arne roared, having finally run out of patience. "I say let''s get this training started. I''m itching for a good fight."

    "I can second that," Naomi stated, having switched personalities, probably for the remainder of training.

    With that, everyone paired up and found a separate room connected to the larger one we were in, leaving me there alone¡ªwell, not entirely.

    I glanced down, wondering where I''d start for my training. Then, I noticed something interesting: I''d developed five dark rings around my wrist.

    "Wha¡ª"

    Surprised? Now that your body is stronger, I have allowed Temporal Sight to become tethered to you¡ªmy powers are yours now. You can even use Construct. Though, the other three indicate your own cintracies.

    You can sense the cores within me too, right? Can you tell me what they are?

    Of course, let us see...oh! You have quite the impressive arsenal of abilities. Your new cintracies are Lift, All-Sight, and Heart''s Eye. Beginning with All-Sight: it is a mystic-class cintracy that allows you to see other places or people regardless of how far away they may be. However, it requires you to have been to the location or have already met the target you wish to see. If I remember correctly, it should also protect you from mind-manipulating cintracies.

    That definitely sounds useful, but none of us has any mind-manipulating cintracies, I commented.

    Next is Heart''s Eye, Viraa continued on. This temp-class cintracy does not boast much offensively, but it does help grant you insight on others. It allows you to see into others'' spirits and hearts, showing you a specific color relating to one''s surface emotions. A byproduct of this intensifies your natural sense ability to the point you should be able to more accurately discern one''s EQN just by sensing their energy.

 Chapter V: Distant View (Pt.2)

    So, I could use this to detect liars¡ªprevent myself from ever being tricked again?

    Hm, theoretically, perhaps, but it only shows the surface emotion. People are much more complex than that, Viraa answered. Moving on to the third, Lift: oh my, this is a rare divine-class cintracy that, as a byproduct, allows you to move objects with your mind¡ª

    I have telekinesis!? I exclaimed excitedly. Are you serious!? How do I use it?

    I will instruct you, of course.

    Okay, okay, can we start? I was too excited about learning how to use my newfound powers. I couldn''t believe that I actually had my own powers!

    Wait, how did I get these powers? I thought cintracies were something people from your home planet were born with.

    Hmm, even I am not entirely certain how. This is just speculation, but it seems my pneumarian DNA, the JANUS, and the awakening you recently underwent have made your body something of an anomaly. Though you are still primarily human when not in your evolved state, whatever you are now is close enough to our kind that you have developed cintracies of your own. Although I have not seen All-Sight in a very long time, Heart''s Eye and Lift were among the cintracies I once named by viewing into the future. Those two are cintracies no one else has had prior to you.

    To think Trik and I started the year off still searching for Tymon... My words trailed off as I looked down at myself, astonished. I thought about how much everything had changed in only a few months. Not once did it ever occur to me that this was how things would turn out.

    Care to begin practicing? Viraa asked, probably to ensure that I didn''t focus too much on Trik. Let us start with Heart''s Eye.

    Right, I responded, getting excited again. Okay.

    I closed my eyes and allowed myself to bring forth the desired power. I could feel all five within me like foreign clots of unknown energy fused with my spirit energy. It was surprisingly easy to discern which was which. It felt intuitive.

    Not much longer, my eyes fluttered open to the world through a light blue-white film before it returned to normal. Or at least I thought it was normal until I happened to look around and notice that I could see everyone''s energy through the open doors, but it was somehow different from omni-vision.

    Through the first door to my left, Damien and Arne were beginning their training together. I''m not sure how it worked, but I could actually feel the numerical value of their power.

    Damien''s new power felt equivalent to an EQN of 1,143,630, while Arne''s was 1,138,400.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    To the right of that door was another room with Naomi and Tymon inside. They had already begun some light sparring. Tymon''s new massive growth in power felt equivalent to an EQN of 1,520,000, while Naomi''s sat around 1,012,630, which hardly seemed fair at all, but I''m sure they had their reason for pairing together.

    The last room held Michael and Za''Fia, who were flexing their energies to their highest peaks, causing sudden bursts of flame and light to flood into my area. Michael''s energy was around 1,480,300, while Za''Fia''s felt around 1,297,000. I noticed her energy appeared more orange and felt confident and determined during their clash while his was grey with anxiety.

    It slowly dawned on me that he was anxious about dying but had been trying not to show it. This only made me that much more determined to ensure he didn''t participate in the fighting, especially with Avarice or Verin.

    I left their area, hoping to get some privacy to figure out my powers without worrying about their training interrupting mine or making a fool of myself in front of them.

    I went into the room I had designated as mine. It was empty since the bed had been retracted into the floor already. As I used the touchpad to summon an assortment of targets for training, I thought about what Viraa told me about my cintracies and noticed something interesting about one.

    Hey, you said that Lift was a divine cintracy. Those are the strongest class of cintracies, right? How is it that an ability that simply grants telekinesis is divine class?

    Viraa laughed.

    I had not finished explaining earlier before your excitement ran rampant.

    Oh. Sorry... I blushed.

    Lift is not simply lifting things with your mind¡ªin fact, telekinesis is a byproduct of Lift''s true power. Its real power distorts space itself by generating spatial energy that is accessible only to you. Once manifested, you command that energy and anything it encompasses. In the right hands, it can be a truly devastating power to wield.

    Spatial energy...? I asked, confused. Did she mean like outer space?

    No, not outer space. It may be best for you to see for yourself. Try using it on one of those weights in the chamber.

    I turned to face the wall to my far right, which had tubes sticking out of them. Inside the tubes were balls of different weights going well into the tons. Below the tubes were the selection ports to pick up the weights. Out of curiosity, I chose to see how much I could lift quickly.

    I started with 1 ton. To my surprise, it was ridiculously easy to lift the weight.

    Then, 2 tons. I could tell it was much heavier, but I still had no problem lifting the ball.

    Okay, let''s skip to 3 tons. Lifting the weight this time was much more difficult, but I barely managed.

    I knew not to try picking up 4 tons, so I tried picking up 3.5 tons. Nothing. Not even a budge.

    I guess 3 tons was my limit without accessing my evolved form from earlier. I wondered if Lift worked the same way. Could I lift more with it?

    Nah, I should get used to the power before testing its limits. I chose to focus on activating Lift on one of the smaller 20-pound weights. Without much difficulty, I felt a¡ªfor lack of a better word¡ªlink established between me and the weight as it began to levitate out of the selection port of the weight station.

    I willed the weight to shoot off toward one of the mounted targets to the far side of the room, causing the target to tear off and crash into the wall behind it. I admit it was impressive, but I still struggled to see how the power was useful or warranted such praise. The most I could do was throw loose objects at my opponents to slow them down.

    With your set of abilities, you must broaden your views; otherwise, you will never reach your full potential, Lisa. The things that you lift are shrouded in the spatial-telekinetic energy I mentioned. That energy grants additional damage than usual. Otherwise, that 20-pound weight you threw would not have ripped the target it struck from its mount, let alone withstand the force without being damaged.

 Chapter V: Distant View (Pt.3)

    Yeah, you''re right, I replied, glancing at the unscathed weight lying on the floor. But it still doesn''t seem strong enough to hurt Avarice or the others seriously. As is, I''d be more of a nuisance than a threat.

    ...no, it does not. At least not on its own. Viraa agreed.

    An idea suddenly lit up in my head.

    What if I add my spirit energy? We strengthen our bodies and weapons by applying spirit energy to them. This should be the same, right?

    Without waiting for a response, I lifted the weight again and willed some of my spirit energy toward it, shrouding it in a turquoise aura before throwing it at another mounted target. This time, there was a greater impact when the weight hit the target, resulting in the target not only being forced from its mounted position but also bursting apart before it even hit the wall behind it.

    Whoa, aren''t those things made out of steel? I said in shock.

    I believe so.

    I nodded with approval, having gained momentum forward, but it still didn''t feel like enough. A klevonian''s body was even tougher than steel. Applying my energy to the spatial energy amplified the effects of the spatial energy, but it lacked any real force behind it to cause any substantial damage. I needed something easier to control but still powerful...

    I looked down at my hand.

    Something easier to control... I pondered. Then it hit me. I applied the spatial energy around my right fist, giving it a weird, transparent, hazy air about it. My fist felt lighter now and with less resistance from the air around it. Once I amplified it with my spirit energy, it became more potent and heavier the more I condensed energy into it, yet it was still more maneuverable than moving things with my mind. I liked it. It felt more suited to my fighting style.

    I dashed to another target and struck it with the empowered fist. Upon impact, the whole room shook as a destructive force was unleashed, and the target was obliterated.

    I grinned in excitement. With this, I was finally developing a way to fight. So long as I kept the door shut, the others couldn''t sense or feel what was happening, so I continued practicing using Lift long distance and applying it to myself until I got the hang of it.

    It seems you have grasped the telekinetic aspect of the power well enough. Shall we practice its spatial attributes now?

    Right, you said telekinesis is a byproduct...

    Yes, manifest the energy around another target, then approach it, she instructed. When I did this, she told me to try touching the target with a finger.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    I was confused, but I complied. I tried to poke the target gently, but, to my surprise, my finger didn''t reach.

    Lift''s spatial energy is a repelling force that, as I have mentioned, distorts space. It can even serve as its dimension under certain circumstances.

    What do you mean?

    Hm, generate the energy into a focused sphere between your palms.

    That''s possible? It''s not attached to a target.

    Yes, it is spatial energy¡ªjust as space is everywhere, so too can your spatial energy be manifested anywhere so long as you can see the intended area. However, that is not to say that you can apply your spirit energy everywhere you manifest Lift. You must still ensure it is within your power''s reach to accomplish that.

    I attempted to do as she said by visualizing a mass of the hazy spatial energy forming between my palms. Manifesting it wasn''t difficult, but it took a few tries, several fits of frustration, and extra guidance from Viraa until I could properly form a perfect sphere within my hands.

    Wow, okay, I''m actually holding space right now...this is happening...

    I noticed the others had come in at some point during my training. I must''ve been leaking my frustration and internal conversations to them. It seemed I wasn''t used to maintaining a mental block yet.

    Now, without manipulating the energy, try closing your hands.

    Okay. After trying to touch the target earlier, I already had a sneaking suspicion that I wouldn''t be able to do as she instructed. Unsurprisingly, I couldn''t close my hand due to the spatial energy''s repelling qualities.

    "Didn''t need to know the future to see that coming," I murmured.

    Viraa chuckled.

    It does not hurt to drill it in. However, my real purpose is to allow you to see what I meant earlier visually. Within the outer repellant barrier that prevents your hands from touching is your spatial energy''s very own separate space¡ªor dimension, if you will¡ª that is only generated within a closed border of the energy. The space is only accessible to things enclosed within its borders, so it disappears if the barrier is penetrated. The power could be used as an excellent defense because should you form the closed space around a vicinity...

    Feeling her intent, I did the same thing I had between my palms but made it large enough to envelop me entirely, generating a ''Stasis Field'' of a sort.

    Everything within it is mostly protected from many dangers. But be warned: should an enemy also be inside, they would have no difficulty breaking your barrier from within.

    Feeling her intent again, I demonstrated this by punching the inner surface of the barrier with a spirit-enhanced fist, causing the entire thing to shatter and dissipate like dissolvable glass.

    Remember to consider your abilities'' strengths and weaknesses; otherwise, you may end up putting your own life in peril.

    "Right. Are there any other weaknesses about this I should know about?"

    No, but you should know that spatial abilities such as yours are natural deterrents to teleporting abilities such as Tymon''s due to teleportation not being a trans-dimensional ability.

    "You say that as if to imply there are trans-dimensional abilities out there," Za''Fia commented from Tymon''s side.

    Viraa didn''t respond, but her silence was clearly read.

    "What kind of world are you from?" Za''Fia inquired in disbelief.

    "I''m wildly interested in finding that out as well," Damien inputted.

    "Maybe we can visit once things are taken care of here," I mentioned in high hopes.

    It is not impossible; however, it would take quite a bit of time to reach Cindar. Even at the speed of light, it would require two of Earth''s years to arrive there.

    "That''s quite the distance," Michael stated.

    Yes, but perhaps we shall discuss this possibility later should everyone survive the threat at hand. Lisa, would you raise another of your barriers for the next demonstration?

    "Right," I answered as I manifested another one around me. I even expanded it to be a few feet away from me.

    Damien and Arne were fascinated by the barrier''s repellant nature as they touched it.

 Chapter V: Distant View (Pt.4)

    "It''s like being opposed by an opposite force," Damien remarked as he retracted his hand. "The harder I push, the more resistance I get."

    "Let''s see if we can find its limits," Arne grinned as they charged their arm with spirit energy before slamming it into the outer barrier. To each of our surprise, Arne was flung backward with force, sending them screeching to a stop a few dozen feet away.

    "It redistributed my strength?" Arne was perplexed.

    Tymon, care to try shadow traveling next to Lisa?

    Tymon proceeded to try. His shadow came to life like usual, but when he tried to step into it, he found that he couldn''t enter.

    "Strange. It feels the same way it does when I try to shadow travel to somewhere unfamiliar¡ªlike I can''t get a location."

    Precisely. It would be the same if you attempted to escape from within the barrier, but as I mentioned, you would need only to break the inside borders.

    "Okay, thanks, Viraa, for enlightening us," I spoke, eager to start practicing again.

    "Well, that''s it for now, guys," I started politely ushering them out. "Give me some time to get my abilities down, and I''ll join everyone for combat training, okay."

    I didn''t wait for a response as they were practically pushed out of the room, and the door locked behind them.

    "Okay," I breathed. "Hey Viraa, you think we can take a break from learning about my new cintracies for a bit? I don''t want to stack too much on my plate at once, so let''s focus on getting used to Lift and a couple of other quick things I want to try before we move on."

    Very well. What do you have in mind?

    "First," I began as I sat on the floor, crossing my legs. "At minimum, I should at least learn how to fly like the rest of them as soon as possible, so I''ll start there."

    I closed my eyes and thought back to the lesson my dad had given to Tymon when he learned how to fly.

    First, surround my body in an aura, I imitated.

    I focused and willed some of my abundance of energy to completely cover my body, granting it a turquoise aura that flowed around me.

    Now, focus on gathering some beneath me¡ªenough to push me off the floor.

    At first, I kept making the annoying mistake of making the energy too flimsy to lift me, but on my fifth attempt, I finally landed it. While still sitting, I willed my energy upward until I floated several feet off the ground. From there, I spread that same level of energy throughout my aura, allowing me to move my body as I wanted yet still remain in the air.

    Now, to get used to moving around...

    I spent the following half-hour adjusting to flying. At first, I was a wobbling mess bumping into the walls, but I quickly got a feel for it and could eventually fly confidently. I couldn''t do any tricks or quick maneuvers yet, but I felt good about my flying skills¡ªenough to move on from flying for the time being anyway.

    It is exceptional how much of a quick study you are, Viraa complimented.

    "It''s all in the genes," I joked with an appreciative smile.

    I sat effortlessly in a meditative position in midair. With my eyes closed, I focused on using Temporal Sight. Now that my energy reserves were much higher, I wanted to learn how to use it properly.

    Opening my eyes, I attempted to use it again, expecting a much smoother experience than last time, but I accidentally activated omni-vision instead. My brain was immediately hit with an intense rush of visuals that overwhelmed my senses, causing me to fall to the floor from several feet up. I couldn''t even describe exactly what it was that I saw. The best I could tell it was as a mesh of different colors of different...substances? Maybe even textures. They all flowed everywhere.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I shut my eyes tightly, preferring darkness over the alternative.

    Are you okay? There was a hint of concern in Viraa''s voice, but I could tell she wasn''t at all surprised. I presumed this may happen. Your omni-vision is no longer limited to that of a human. Like the others, you can perceive all forms of any present energy, but this great vision blinds you to the material world if you cannot focus it only to reveal the energy you wish to see.

    "Okay, focus..." I focused on my sixth sense. I could feel the thermal energy in the room from the lights and the electricity circuiting through the walls. I could even sense the electromagnetic energy from the radio waves the touchpad on the wall gave off as it was connected to various mechanisms built into the walls. I slowly blocked them all until I could only feel spirit energy, then opened my eyes.

    I was ecstatic to see no other forms of energy floating around anymore¡ªjust mine emitting from my body. I closed my eyes again, this time focusing on electricity. When I opened my eyes, I was astonished at the beautiful grid of blue electricity I could see flowing within the walls and floors. It was almost like looking at an entirely different world.

    I wished I could have stayed mesmerized by it all, but I knew I needed to continue with my training. I would definitely play around with omni-vision later, though. I could practically see the world through a bunch of different eyes! How could I not try them all out?

    Getting back to using Temporal Sight at will, I remembered the last time...I believed I''d learned my lesson concerning its power and the responsibilities that came with it. After seeing my family die in two alternate futures and then watching as one came to fruition, I felt as if I would no longer feel apprehensive about the futures I would see. Good or bad. That I could handle it now.

    Even if it pertains to your friends?

    "..."

    I activated the power, a small part of me praying that I wouldn''t see something horrible happen to any of them. Since I didn''t have much control yet, the reach of my vision spanned what felt like centuries into the future, where I got a glimpse of a young male, maybe sixteen, being suspended in midair. The room he was in was dimly lit, preventing me from seeing much of him. Still, he felt oddly...familiar. It was hard to tell whether he was dead or alive, though.

    "Viraa, who is that?" I asked, breathing frantically, though I had no idea why. I reached out as if I could touch him.

    I do not know, but I advise you to reign the power back. I prefer you not to look too far. Judging by your current reaction, you are not yet fully able to resist your impulse to intervene. It would be best if you did not influence how history should play out.

    With hesitation, I looked at the figure one last time before forcing myself back to reality as I deactivated the power.

    For now, focus on what or whom you wish to see while also keeping the mental dial relatively close¡ªthe cintracy to do the rest.

    "Okay," I said, knowing I had just given her reason to be concerned about me having her power. I hadn''t meant to. I didn''t even know who the kid was, but I lingered and probably would''ve looked further had Viraa not been watching.

    Trying not to give her any more reasons to doubt me, I quietly listened to her and thought about who I wanted to see¡ªwho''s future. My own? One of the others? No, I would rather not risk seeing something I didn''t want to. It should be someone I wasn''t attached to. Someone whose future wouldn''t keep me up at night if it turned out to be bad.

    Then it clicked.

    I closed my eyes and thought of Verin. I focused on her presence in my mind, my burning hatred for her, and the aching on my chest as I willed Temporal Sight to activate and tried to keep it from going too far. As the segment of the future played out in my mind, I couldn''t help but smile.

    My own creation...Viraa said in disappointment after the vision ended. Shall we move on?

    "Yeah, we''ve done enough. Let''s go join the others," I answered in lighter spirits.

    -----

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Now an anomaly, Alissia is considered superhuman when not in her evolved form. With an EQN as low as 23,000 or as high as 90,000,000 while not transformed, she is several times more powerful than even the most elite humans.

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 Chapter VI: Angst (Pt.1)

    Verin stood anxiously in the laboratory half of the building. On the table before her was a tablet she used to scrutinize every contract and schedule to ensure everything was prepared for their upcoming plans. The others were each trying to make themselves somehow useful, too.

    Trevor was at his workbench, where he had spent the past few days crafting some new machinery. Verin never got a good look at what he was making, but whatever it was, he kept the place loud with clanking and grinding noises at all hours.

    Junichiro was running through specs on a computer he and Kaila chose to install to monitor everything from there. He ensured the aircraft they managed to salvage from Base A were still in working condition. Thankfully, Tymon and Damien hadn''t thought to destroy the hangar bay on the island when they faced Claeg. According to Claeg, many aircraft were unserviceable after Damien''s strike that destroyed the base itself, but there were enough intact to avoid having Trevor rebuild completely.

    Wren was up above, positioned on the roof. She spent most of the time generating storms and heavy weather around the area that kept the unwanted humans away. Ever since the string of explosions done to their bases, the humans had become even more of a nuisance, scampering at the chance to speak to Avarice or herself about the matter. Even the influential investors of TekTra were on edge enough to use their resources to figure out where their laboratory was located. Then, they would repeatedly schedule expeditions there. Luckily, Wren''s storms constantly forced their flights to be rescheduled. As far as humans were concerned, freak tornadoes were frequenting the area.

    Kaila was sitting at the table in the center of the judgment half of the building. Before her, there were several holographic screens displaying data she used to accomplish her task of overseeing the assets of the Watchers'' businesses that had been assimilated into TekTra. To Verin''s pleasant surprise, Kaila proved to be very astute and focused when she wanted to. She could see past her thirst for blood, past the hunt she constantly lived for, to see the issue at hand.

    Meanwhile, her brother, Claeg, was stretched across multiple seats on the opposite side of Kaila''s table. Despite searching, Verin couldn''t find any use within him outside of battle. Even then, his appetite for violence prevented him from seeing objectives with clarity. He was messy. Clumsy with tactics. Oafish. Everything about him repulsed her. Repeatedly, she found herself having half a mind to crush him until he was a smear on the ground. At least then, she''d be rid of him. Then his stupidity would no longer risk jeopardizing them¡ªshe would no longer have to clean up after him. Like making sure no humans found his filthy warehouse, he thinks he kept hidden, for example. She looked over at him with disdain. He''d spent most of the time lazing around annoying Kaila¡ªand Verin, if she was being honest¡ªwith his groaning about being bored.

    Then there was Avarice. He sat on his throne, overseeing everything and devising countermeasures to the human complaints.

    Verin felt her heart quicken with anxiety as she observed him. It was a new sensation she''d never felt before, but in the last few days...something had changed between them¡ªsomething that had never happened in over seven millennia. She''d noticed that Avarice had been withdrawn from her lately and that he didn''t confide in her anymore. How he kept his thoughts to himself now....

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    It made her uncomfortable. It...hurt. Admittedly, she shouldn''t have deceived the others into defying him, but he must at least see that her intentions were in the right place. She always had his best interests at heart¡ªthat''s never changed. He just needed time. In a few years, maybe a few dozen, they''ll be surrounded by new scenery on a new world... that''ll all be behind them.

    Trying to get her mind off it, she tried to think of something else. She wondered what Alissia and the others had been up to. They hadn''t heard anything from them in a while. A few days prior, Verin could''ve sworn she had sensed a brief simultaneous spike in the Primordials'' energies. He and the others said they hadn''t sensed anything when she told Avarice about it. Then, when she asked what they were up to, he told her not to concern herself with it; his tone practically spoke for itself as if to say, "You''re irrelevant now."

    But then Trevor reported having sensed Tymon just before that. He claimed Tymon was significantly more powerful than when they last sensed him, but no one else was able to get a beat on his energy despite trying. Still, if Tymon and Za''Fia chose to resurface, they would undoubtedly be back with the others at Michael''s manor, so there was no need to panic about where they could be.

    Since then, Avarice had been trying to keep tabs on them periodically, but he expressed frustration, saying there was weird interference. He had described the experience almost like encountering a wall of...sounds¡ªwhatever that meant. Regardless, it was clear they had discovered a way to shut him out, which Verin found extremely vexing. They were getting too comfortable opposing him.

    "Still trying to find a way to spy on them?" Claeg asked Kaila as he stood and started his irritating habit of lifting objects around the lab, searching for something heavy enough to use as a weight.

    "There must be some other way we can monitor them. I figured since Avarice can''t listen in, we could use their tech, but according to Cerebral Tech''s database, each of the c-chips and holo-bracelets in that area has lost connection. Except for one, but I can''t get any feedback from it. I don''t think anyone is wearing it," Kaila replied, her eyes still glued to the screens before her.

    "They''re undoubtedly up to something," Avarice said from his throne.

    "Want us to go check it out?" Claeg asked as he lifted Avarice''s collection of osmium¡ªa crate full of bluish-white metal pieces that weighed well over 100 tons¡ªto test its heft, but he placed it down with a disappointed look. Even Verin couldn''t budge that thing, at least not in her normal form.

    "Be careful not to break anything," Avarice warned him. He seemed a little more worn out than usual. "But, no, there''s no need. Regardless of what they''re scheming, it won''t amount to anything. Besides Tymon, none of the others are a real threat. If they still refuse to submit in two months, they know what''ll happen to them¡ªnot that it won''t happen anyhow. For now, we will continue to prepare for the JANUS shipments scheduled in January. I''ll set up a private meeting with the client representatives in a few weeks to iron out the details."

    Verin looked at the load of JANUS containments stocked against the far-right wall. It was a good thing they had some sent to the lab along with Avarice''s nanite machine a while back.

    "Fortunately, the aircraft are in working condition," Junichiro announced as he approached Avarice with a duplicate screen of the diagnostics. "Should there be no interference, the planes will arrive at their destinations successfully. However, resistance is anticipated. They will likely try to intercept somehow."

    "It won''t be an issue," Claeg boasted as he plopped beside Kaila, who shrugged him off.

    "Still, it is wise to be vigilant," Junichiro responded as he approached them. "Here, you two should take these for insurance."

 Chapter VI: Angst (Pt.2)

    Junichiro held out the two remaining energy converters Trevor and Verin had developed for them.

    "What is that?" Kaila asked, eyeing the objects curiously. Claeg picked one up and turned it in his large hands.

    "You place them onto yourself, and they either amplify your speed, strength, or power," he explained to them.

    "We won''t need that," Kaila said, returning to her screens as Claeg flicked the device back to Junichiro, who snatched it midair.

    "I am well aware of what the two of you together are capable of, but having this will ensure that you have the upper hand should the need arise." A threatening tone trickled into his words as he held out the converters again.

    Claeg and Kaila both faltered as they started to reach out to grab one, but Avarice intervened.

    "Leave them. They''re free to choose whether or not they want to use the devices. With their abilities, I doubt they''d need any further enhancements if they''re pushed that far."

    "Very well," Junichiro conceded respectfully as he placed them in his spatial bag, but his facial expression made it clear he would prefer everyone had some insurance.

    Verin had always seen Junichiro as too uptight, too cautious, probably due to his overzealousness. When Avarice was concerned, this made him easily manipulated, which she played on to get him to go against Avarice. But now...she could feel a shift in the air somehow. Something had changed, but she couldn''t figure out what. She felt like insurance was precisely what they needed.

    She looked at Junichiro intently, watching his tenseness as the others were more or less carefree. He could feel it too.

    "Hey, J, come here for a sec," Trevor called out from his workbench. He waved an arm, ushering Junichiro over.

    When Junichiro arrived, Verin watched as Trevor presented him with a new blade. It was a broader, silver-bladed, leather-hilted sword much bigger than the thin blade Junichiro typically used.

    "I''ve been learning smithing to make you a better sword," Trevor grinned proudly. "I salvaged some cindium here and there of the years so that I could make it for you¡ªan upgrade from the old sword you''re always carrying around."

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    Junichiro grabbed hold of the blade''s hilt.

    "The bits of cindium you have been... procuring during your inventory checks¡ªthis is what you have used it for?" Junichiro held the blade up to the light for a better look. He was putting up a stoic front, but Verin could tell through her Empath that, despite Trevor breaking the rules, he deeply appreciated the effort his brother put into crafting his gift.

    "Yeah," Trevor laughed nervously. "Check it out; you can switch it from a broad sword that''s designed for power to a thin katana suited for speed and precision."

    Trevor demonstrated this by placing his thumb on a piece of the hilt, causing the blade to morph from its expansive state to a more compacted, curved blade.

    Junichiro smiled as he held the blade and switched between the two forms while practicing his swinging.

    "As always, your skills astonish me, brother," Junichiro told him with pride. "I will cherish this blade as a new addition to my arsenal."

    "Thanks, I''m really glad you like it, J. Truth be told, I''d been procrastinating, but after you nearly died for me..."

    Avarice suddenly appeared next to Trevor and placed a hand softly on top of his head.

    "It truly is a magnificent blade, son. Well done," Avarice added. He looked down at Junichiro''s hip, eyeing the hilt of his old blade.

    "I''ll be taking your old blade, Junichiro."

    Verin watched silently, just as confused as Trever and Junichiro''s expressions were.

    Junichiro opened his mouth to speak.

    "Father, don''t you already..."

    Avarice cut him off, pointing at his old sword.

    "That sword''s cut down many for my sake in the past. Its services aren''t finished yet," he declared as Junichiro slowly handed him the old blade.

    "I still have one last mission for it before I allow it to depart from us."

    -----

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Trevor, though immature at times, truly loves his family-primarily Avarice, Junichiro, and Wren. While he fears and respects Verin, he doesn''t love her the same way he does the others. For whatever reason, it never clicked that way, i guess.

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 Chapter VII: Breaking News (Pt.1)

    We were a week into our training. Throughout that week, I found that I wasn''t limited to just my human form or my evolved form. With Viraa as a primer, my body could withstand me channeling the power within my mark bit by bit, granting extra strength, speed, and durability so that I would only have to use the full transformation if needed.

    I also discovered my limit with the Construct cintracy. According to Viraa, it allows me to create small, inorganic, or uncomplicated organic items. She warned me that using the power required me to understand the makeup of what I wanted to make but not to have my expectations concerning it too high.

    She admitted that while certain cintracies had the compacity to evolve under the right circumstances, even she, after 1.3 billion years of possessing it and studying the anatomy of many different lifeforms, required decades of pushing the cintracy to its limits to create something as complex as the infant bodies of the Primordials.

    So, with my knowledge and skills, I couldn''t create anything large or living, but I could create multiple smaller objects, like steel projectiles or blueberry Belgian waffles (I had to try).

    At the moment, though, I was in the middle of a sparring match against Tymon. He wasn''t transformed since that would be going too far, but he was still clearly not taking me seriously, which, if I''m being honest, I found a tad bit insulting.

    Tymon casually dodged one of my kicks and used my momentum to send me sliding past him.

    "You''re not fighting humans; don''t waste your time with such obvious kicks like that. Deliver quick, precise attacks with explosive power behind them," he instructed, taunting me as he beckoned me forward.

    Slightly embarrassed, I got to my feet and shot multiple projectiles of spirit-enhanced brackets that caught him at the neck and one of his wrists and pinned him to the wall behind him.

    Tymon tried to break free with force, but I had enough energy on the binds to ensure he wasn''t going anywhere.

    I crossed my arms as I looked at him smugly.

    "Was that precise enough for you?" I teased.

    Tymon smirked and melted into the shadows his body cast onto the wall behind him. I noticed the rest of the shadows had come to life and spread across the walls and floor.

    Crap. He could pop up from anywhere now.

    "Where is he?" I muttered to myself, searching the room.

    Use Temporal Sight, Viraa said in an obvious tone, but it was too late.

    I felt something grab both my ankles and pull me down. I yelped in surprise as the next moment, I fell from the ceiling and hit the floor with a thud.

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    "Owww," I moaned as Tymon stood over me, extending a helping hand.

    "You''re too slow," he commented.

    "You caught me off guard. What was I supposed to do?" I griped as I took his hand.

    "You should''ve used Temporal Sight," he and Viraa said in unison.

    "Yeah, well, easier said than done. I have to concentrate to use it."

    That is because you only try using it to view the far future. Try limiting it to just a peek. Like what you accomplished when you faced Wren, remember?

    "Oh yeah," I''d forgotten about that. It was accidental, but I did manage to see a few seconds into the future back then. It saved my life. "I can try applying that when we start combat training again, but let''s take a break from that for now. There''s something I''ve been practicing, but I''ll need help testing it out."

    "What kind of help?" Michael called out from behind me. I turned to see him entering the room.

    "Perfect, I was going to ask you to join us," I stated. "I figured since I don''t have any elemental abilities, I should come up with a technique that''d give me an advantage against those who do. Then I remembered what Viraa was teaching me after I woke up, about how I could use my spatial energy''s repellant energy defensively."

    "You mean the force field you created before," Michael clarified.

    "Yes, I call it ''Stasis Field,'' but instead of making it large enough to fit others inside, I''ll focus on encompassing only me. That''s not all, though: I want to develop it further. I need to be able to conserve energy by applying just the right amount of energy needed to strengthen it, depending on what attack is thrown at me. If I can do that, then even elements wouldn''t be able to reach me, at least not immediately."

    "It sounds like you have a plan. How are we supposed to help you with that?" Michael inquired.

    "She wants us to attack her," Tymon answered, having understood my train of thought.

    "Arne''s punch didn''t break through; this may be a task better suited for Za''Fia, not the two of us," Michael commented.

    "Right," I laughed nervously as I lightly scratched my cheek. "Tymon''s right about me needing you to attack me, but it can''t be simple attacks. Like I said, I want to be able to defend myself against the elements too. To get the practice I need, it has to be energy-based attacks thrown at me, and since you two are the most powerful..."

    "You figured we''d give you the most challenge," Tymon finished.

    "Exactly. So, Tymon, you should use your ''Black Fists,'' and Michael, you should use your ''Bright Talons.'' That way, I get good practice."

    "That''s too extreme for practice," Tymon stated, shaking his head in objection.

    "I agree," Michael asserted. "It''s far too risky."

    I closed my eyes, calmed my mind, and concentrated on raising my energy slightly above theirs.

    "There. Your attacks shouldn''t immediately get through since I''m currently more powerful. Besides, Michael is right here if anything goes wrong."

    "That''s..." Tymon and Michael looked at me as if they wanted to object but still couldn''t.

    "Fine." They said reluctantly.

    "Great!" I exclaimed in excitement. "But just start off with one strong attack first; don''t treat this like an actual sparring match. I want to get a feel for defending first."

    "Alright," Tymon replied as he walked to stand about two dozen feet to my right, and Michael moved the same distance to my left. "At least I know you won''t die from this."

    Tymon''s right fist began to emit dark energy that intensified as he applied Last Breath. Meanwhile, threads of pure light wrapped tightly around Michael''s right foot until it formed a talon-shaped appendage.

    "Hhh," I breathed out as I manifested ''Stasis Field'' around me. "Go."

    They both shot toward me and attacked simultaneously. My spatial energy halted their attacks; thankfully, even Last Breath couldn''t reach me.

    Gusts of wind were generated from the skirmish of our energies. I could feel them trying to push against me, but it wasn''t nearly as strenuous keeping them at bay as it should have been.

 Chapter VII: Breaking News (Pt.2)

    "You''re holding back," I called to them over the wind. "Stop worrying and give me everything you got¡ªwithout transforming."

    Thankfully, they complied, amplifying their energies in response. My stasis field started to bend inward from their impact points as I began to struggle to keep them at bay.

    I noticed Tymon''s fist slowly edging closer. Right, he was much more powerful than Michael now. I had to focus more energy on pushing back against him, but, to my utter shock, this weakened the area around Michael''s attack, allowing his bright talons to nearly reach me.

    Why didn''t I think of that? It was like spirit enhancement: focusing energy on one spot would strengthen that area but weaken the rest.

    Just as I was about to say "stop," his kick broke through completely and connected, sending me reeling past Tymon and into the far wall.

    "Agh!" I called out in pain as I fell to the floor and rolled to my side. I looked down to see my stomach had been burned where the kick touched me. "Crap, I should''ve used spirit enhancement too."

    Fortunately, Tymon''s attack was not the one that broke through, Viraa stated.

    Michael rushed to my side to heal me. We watched as the burn marks mended themselves and began to fade as Michael tried to apologize.

    "I''m alright; I''m not made of glass," I told him. "We need to continue so that I can get better. I don''t need you to hold my hand, so don''t even think about taking it easy on me. Any damage done, you can heal after."

    Michael looked at me, stunned, but he nodded solemnly.

    "Of course," he replied, seeing my resolve.

    "Okay," Tymon said, appearing over me with another helping hand extended. "In that case, we''ll spend the next two months getting you up to fighting standards."

    I grinned as I got to my feet.

    "Let''s go again."

    ****

    The next seven weeks were filled with us pushing each other to our limits as we learned the extent of our new powers. Before we knew it, it was January 22nd, 3046, and Viraa informed us that our time was up.

    Everyone had emerged from our training more confident in our abilities. Even I felt like a completely different person than when we started.

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    "So, today''s the day..." I muttered as everyone gathered upstairs in the living area.

    "I''d be more excited if I had a better opponent," Arne sulked as they turned on the TV built into the wall to my left. I discovered Arne had a guilty pleasure in watching animal documentaries about lions. A couple of weeks back, Arne had gotten hurt facing me and had to wait until Michael and Za''Fia finished their sparring match against Tymon.

    "Someone had to draw the short end," Za''Fia teased. "Although, I have a problem: how am I supposed to fight seriously if my clothes burn away?"

    "I could make you some," I offered. "I''ve been practicing with Construct a lot lately. Making clothes is pretty simple."

    "Armor!" Naomi yelled excitedly as she dashed over to cling to Za''Fia. "Make armor like mine; then we can match."

    "I''m not sure if armor is suited for everyone," Damien chuckled. He was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the sofa across from us.

    "Do you want armor?" I asked Za''Fia.

    "So long as I can fight in it, and it doesn''t melt or burn, I''m fine with it."

    "Yes!" Naomi exclaimed as she lifted and spun Za''Fia around. "We''re going to be twins!"

    I combined my fair understanding of cindium with certain metals such as steel and even threw in some leather for elasticity to construct a fireproof armor for Za''Fia. It had deep red outlines with a crimson base color. I designed it to be different from Naomi''s, which was more of a big one-piece with a cape (that was missing now that I paid attention to it).

    Za''Fia''s was created with five piece sets: boots, a hip and leg piece that would hug her figure, a torso piece, two gauntlets, two shoulder pieces, and a neck and collarbone piece. I designed it to ensure she''d look fierce and stunning at the same time.

    "Here you go," I said as I handed the set to Za''Fia, who quickly changed into it.

    When she came out, Naomi shrieked. Even Tymon''s eyebrow quivered slightly as she entered the room.

    "Not what I had in mind, but it''s cute and comfortable. Thanks," Za''Fia expressed as she placed her cloak from my mom on top of it.

    "Now what?" she asked.

    "Now we go find¡ª"

    A sudden high-pitched sound rang from the TV, causing everyone to cover their ears.

    "Arne, wha¡ª"

    I stopped as I stared at the title written across the screen. In bold letters as part of the breaking news was: GODS AMONG MAN! ANONYMOUS MESSENGER REVEALS HUMANITY''S GREATEST ENEMY!

    -----

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Za''Fia, the "Tempered Dragon", was known for being easily agitated, aggressive, and temperamental in her past lives, but today, she tries to control her anger ever since an incident when she was younger. For the most part, she has it under control. For the most part...

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

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 Chapter VIII: Pleas of the Masses (Pt.1)

    January 22nd, 3046 Several hours earlier...

    Avarice sat upon his throne, overlooking the lab. He preferred to have the lab in the sky, but they were still grounded in the lab''s landing zone in the Chihuahuan Desert due to making certain preparations.

    The lab was unusually loud at the moment. The sound of roaring plane engines drowned out the silence he was so fond of. Now, he couldn''t even hear the whisper of someone if they were in the next room, let alone someone across the country.

    Slowly developing a migraine from the noise, Avarice rose from his seat and moved toward the hidden elevator within the lab. The elevator was designed to raise and lower using the same antigravity technology Avarice had installed for his Holders and Sub Deities to access Base A in the Pacific Ocean. Being a simple hovering pad, the elevator was open-ended, having no actual walls. Therefore, one could see the concrete and steel makeup of the foundation built beneath the lab.

    As the pad lowered smoothly, the view changed from seeing solid concrete to viewing an expansive space big enough to house his security room to the left, multiple storage areas for several of his most sensitive substances to the right, and even a game room that Trevor installed for himself somewhere among the spaces Avarice hadn''t assigned yet. The largest area, though, was in the center and was reserved for the four massive cargo planes they''d scavenged from Base A''s destruction.

    Avarice made a quick cover examination of the planes as he descended deeper into the underground extension of the lab. From the looks of it, they each were fully operational and ready for deployment. He''d already been told that before. Still, Avarice had Trevor make some adjustments to ensure they were as inconspicuous as possible. He instructed Trevor to use the camouflage technology to make the planes look like a typical TekTra commercial plane. He''d even gone so far as to have the aircraft seem within regulations to the humans once they were in the air. Everything was moving along steadily. But then, due to that insufferable human Verin favored, more humans had begun to show up near the lab a few hours prior, so he had Wren construct a stone wall five miles out around the area so they''d have privacy. He didn''t want anyone to catch on to their movements before it was too late. If not for him about to send planes in the air, he''d still have Wren conjuring storms in the vicinity.

    The elevator came to a quiet stop as it hovered inches above its grounded port.

    Entering the security room where Claeg, Trevor, and Junichiro were, he looked at the camera feeds. Avarice could see more of the irksome humans had returned today in protest. He found himself becoming more and more irritated by their presence with each passing day.

    "Check it out; they''ve got new signs today," Trever smiled as he used the control center to zoom in on the humans.

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    Avarice took a glance at the screen and saw signs with slander such as "Cowards!", "False Gods!", "Leave Us Alone!", "Die Already!", "Burn in Hell!", "I Hope They Kill You All!" and many more hateful comments directed at him and the others.

    "Send me out there. I bet I can shut them up," Claeg proposed casually.

    Avarice''s gaze shifted to Claeg for a fraction of a second before returning to the screen. Claeg''s eyes were glued to the screen. He was trying to hide it, but Avarice could see the hunger behind them like a starved animal watching food be dangled in front of it. He wasn''t surprised, considering it had been days since Claeg had hunted. Avarice made sure everyone had prioritized preparing for today.

    "No, we can''t compel all the humans at once," Avarice stated as he walked away from the screens. "As of right now, our clients are still interested despite everything. Their greed for power is making them blind. If you go out there and create a massacre, then even they will revolt out of fear. Then, I won''t get to watch the humans destroy each other since they''ll be too busy being united against us. Being forced to destroy everything myself will mean I gained nothing for my efforts."

    "For now," Avarice continued, ushering them to follow behind him as he exited the room. They approached Verin, Wren, and Kaila, who was meeting up with them after finishing the final examinations of the planes. Avarice stood near the closest plane, taking in the view, "It''s time we get my shipments in the sky."

    "Everyone load onto your assigned plane. Reaffirm your destinations," Avarice commanded.

    "I am to protect the shipment bound for China," Junichiro announced before blurring to the top of one of the planes.

    "I''m going to Russia," Wren said as she flew to the top of another plane before muttering, "Even though you know I hate the cold."

    "You''ll be alright; the cold won''t affect you," Avarice replied patiently.

    "I know, but it''s the snow..." Wren sulked.

    "Iran for me," Trevor called from atop his plane before grinning mockingly at his sister. "I don''t mind the snow."

    Wren blasted him off his plane with a strong gust of wind.

    "And we''re heading to North Korea," Kaila called from her plane as Claeg jumped up to land beside her.

    "Good," he said as he levitated to be above them. "I''m proud of you all. You''ve each done well looking out for your family. After today, The Primordials will be dead or captured, and the slow implosion of the human race will have reached its climax. We will get our final entertainment display from them as they reduce themselves to nothing. Then we will venture out together in search of a new world."

    "Hopefully they have internet," Trevor muttered, back atop his plane, as Wren nodded in silent agreement.

    "Remember, keep your spirit energies suppressed until the shipments reach their destinations. The Primordials will likely still find a way to locate you, but there''s no point in helping them. When you sense them approaching, don''t bring attention to the planes. Intercept them before they reach you so that the planes still land while you all keep them preoccupied," Avarice instructed as the planes started to roll forward one by one.

    He flicked his wrist at Verin, who had proactively gone into the security room to man the control panel. At his signal she flicked the switch that opened the hatch several hundred feet down the takeoff path the planes were on.

    Let the show begin, he mused as the planes picked up speed one after another before racing down the takeoff path and lifting into the early morning sky.

    ****

 Chapter VIII: Pleas of the Masses (Pt.2)

    January 22nd, 3046 3pm...

    On the screen that Arne had been flicking through out of boredom was news playing footage meant for all humans to see. I think it was stuck on repeat, so it must''ve been sent out way earlier.

    In the footage, a shapeless figure with a digitized voice spoke as they revealed Avarice and Verin as "evil gods" and unveiled their plan to start another world war for profit by selling a special enhancement substance to other countries. There were even shots of documented proof and recordings of the various bases Avarice had built. The shapeless figure in the video went on to explain how the recent destruction to the Sadios, Russos, and Heart families weren''t coincidental tragedies but was due to them planning to intervene with Avarice''s plans.

    Then the video switched to a clear image of me and the others as the voice told everyone that only we could save them. It even revealed the others as reincarnates of the long-forgotten Primordials, with short clips of some of them using their extraordinary powers over the years and even some footage of their training.

    "Hm. I suppose that means we won''t go unnoticed anymore," Arne commented.

    Next in the footage was a final display of coordinates with a message that read ¡ª FIND THEM. BELIEVE IN THEM. ¡ª

    Michael raised an eyebrow, "Is that..."

    We suddenly became aware of a dull roar from outside and moved to the windows to see dozens¡ªno, hundreds¡ªof people gathered outside the gates to Michael''s manor. Among the horde of people were even members of the Church of Light from Poland. They were all screaming, making it impossible to distinguish what any one person was saying, but we could see the plea in their eyes to get the message.

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    "Who did this?" Naomi asked as she released some of her power to soothe as many of the humans as she could. "They''re all so frantic. They''re bound to hurt each other."

    I smiled. Not at the risks the people''s fear was putting them in, but at the sight of them unified, if even for a moment.

    "It''s gotta be Vicki," I replied. "She''s opened everyone''s eyes."

    Perhaps there is room for reconciliation? Viraa voiced in my head.

    I pondered the possibility. Vicki may have killed her dad, but she wasn''t responsible for what happened to my family. She wasn''t responsible for what happened to Trik. For all I knew she could''ve been ordered to betray us or much worse...

    Yeah, perhaps...

    -----

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Claeg''s cintracy is called ''Blood Charge''. It is a temp cintracy that gives him the ability to grow stronger the more blood he consumes, resulting in a larger, bulging physique.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

    Super Supporters: Wanna learn everything up-to-date? Get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)? Or perhaps you''d like a place to chat with other fans of the series or even the author himself...

    Visit the series'' Patreon account at patreon.com/primordials

    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to spoilers.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore posts. Enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

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    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter IX: Interceptions

    Seeing those people sparked a surge within me that steeled my resolve. Ready to end this, I turned on the c-chip I kept and asked Naomi to generate a high pitch that''d get Avarice''s attention. Not long afterward, I received a transmission from the c-chip.

    I answered to hear him chuckle.

    "This is the human, I presume. As promised, I''ve left you all alone. I hope you all used that time to come to the right decision. Have you agreed to submit? To leave the humans to their demise?"

    "You know we won''t." I retorted. "And it seems we''ve got the humans on our side now too."

    "Hmm, yeah..." he sighed. "The humans learning everything was unexpected. Nonetheless, I figured you all wouldn''t accept my offer. I hope you all know what''s in store for you. Now that the humans have placed so much faith in you and Tymon''s gone and destroyed the installations meant to detain the others, I have no choice but to kill each of them. Perhaps I''ll record the event as an example to others when I start over."

    Start over? He knows if he kills the others, there is no starting over...

    "If you kill the others, everything ends. Are you that bored with life that you''d eradicate everything just for amusement and be stuck alone once the dust settles?"

    Avarice didn''t reply, but I assumed he didn''t care. So much destruction just for kicks...It infuriated me.

    "Whatever, it won''t happen anyways. We won''t go down as easily as you think," I said sharply before disconnecting the call, crushing the c-chip.

    It dawned on me that Vicki''s message implied they were still planning to release the JANUS tablets, but I thought Tymon, Za''Fia, and Damien had already gotten rid of it all. Unless they didn''t...

    I closed my eyes and concentrated on using All-Sight. I focused on the High Gods as I open them to see the world with a reddish-pink hue. It was the first time I tried using it on multiple people simultaneously. Usually, I can see where someone or something is geographically and zoom in to see it in detail; however, this time, I could only see each of the High God''s geographical locations.

    I shared my view mentally with the others through our telepathic link.

    You''re becoming quite proficient with your abilities, Viraa complimented.

    "Thanks, but why are they scattered?" I asked aloud as I lead everyone out back.

    Za''Fia''s eyes widened.

    "No...we didn''t get all the tablets. They still had crates of it stored in Avarice''s lab. They must''ve sent them out hours ago."

    "We didn''t see any when we were there," I commented.

    "They were hidden beneath the lab," Za''Fia responded.

    I enhanced my vision to view the TV through one of the windows. It was 3:17 pm EST. To be that far across the Pacific, they must''ve shipped out around midnight, maybe?

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    Tymon closed his eyes and concentrated.

    "Not only are they all far in different directions, but I can''t sense them either. They''re suppressing their energies, and we don''t know where they''re heading. By the time we get to where they currently are, they''ll be somewhere else completely."

    "Not if we leave now. I can get everyone where they need to be in an instant," Michael proposed.

    I looked at him in soft objection.

    "No, don''t push yourself too far. Healing everyone in and of itself will take a lot out of you. You shouldn''t use too much energy before the fighting even begins."

    "I''ll be fine since I have more energy now," Michael assured me as he walked around and tapped everyone. He left small traces of his spirit energy in the form of a thin string of light on each of us.

    "These will serve as waypoints through which I can focus portions of my spirit energy," Michael informed us as his body began to transform into his hybrid form but also started to glow whitish-yellow until he was a featureless figure hovering next to us.

    "I can get there on my own," Damien told him. "Tymon, if you would..."

    Tymon nodded and summoned dark clouds to cover the sky above us. Suddenly, there were flashes of light within them as loud thunder vibrated the air, booming overhead, and a bolt of lightning struck Damien. When the lightning vanished, so did he.

    "I''ll transport me and Za''Fia," Tymon declared as a nearby shadow began to ripple to life.

    "Alright, everyone else ready?" Michael asked as he grabbed me, Naomi, and Arne.

    "Yeah, let''s go already. It''s bad enough I won''t get much excitement, no need to drag it out," Arne complained.

    I nodded at Michael, giving him the go-ahead. A split second later, I stood before Claeg and Kaila atop a large cargo plane flying through the night sky somewhere over South Korea. They tensed suddenly and looked at me wide-eyed as I took a second to adjust. Michael''s Streak ability really was something else.

    I grinned, knowing the other High Gods must be just as shocked right now.

    "What the hell? Why couldn''t we sense her coming," Kaila expressed in utter shock.

    "Hello, you two," I teased with a head tilt.

    As I prepared to face them, my mind wandered to the others. I found myself sending out a quiet message to the others.

    Okay, everyone, let''s keep the casualties to a minimum and get through this alive. Everything rests on us destroying these planes, stopping them, and keeping any threat away from Michael. It''s all been leading up to this moment, so let''s knock some skulls and save our home.

    -----

    <figure>

    </figure>

    <figure></figure>

    Fun fact: After learning about Michael¡¯s Streak cintracy, Damien used the concept to create a his ''Electric Embodiment'' technique where he fuses his spirit energy and body with natural lightning, causing it to be coated in a sheath of lightning, granting him its speed. This drains him tremendously, so it can only be sustained for as long as his energy lasts, but in short bursts, it''s more manageable.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

    Super Supporters: Wanna learn everything up-to-date? Get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)? Or perhaps you''d like a place to chat with other fans of the series or even the author himself...

    Visit the series'' Patreon account at patreon.com/primordials

    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to spoilers.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore posts. Enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

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 Chapter X: Tymon vs. Avarice - Quiet Vengeance (pt.1)

    Michael''s Manor, 3:20 pm EST

    Tymon grinned internally, once again, proud of Alissia''s growth. He and Za''Fia stood by the shadow they intended to use to travel. The others had just vanished along with Michael, yet not even 2 seconds later, Michael had returned alone.

    "He''s back already," Za''Fia commented, squinting skyward.

    Tymon looked up. He couldn''t see Michael but could sense him floating thousands of feet above his manor, gathering energy.

    He assumed Michael intended to monitor everyone''s status from there. Looking at the thin strand of light flailing on his right shoulder, Tymon realized it wouldn''t help him at all since Michael''s healing didn''t affect him.

    Tymon focused some of his energy onto his left index finger and severed the string. He then concentrated on sensing Avarice. Surprisingly, Avarice wasn''t trying to hide his presence in the slightest. On the contrary, it was almost like he was inviting Tymon over.

    "Think it''s a trap?" Za''Fia asked, having sensed him as well.

    "Doesn''t matter," he responded as he stepped into the shadow. They exited the other side of the shadow path into Avarice''s lab in the Chihuahuan Desert. The lab seemed to be grounded this time.

    Across from them sat Avarice on his throne and Verin standing at its feet. When she saw them, she started toward them.

    Tymon did the same. He kept his gaze fixed on Avarice as he moved toward him. He didn''t bother suppressing his power, letting it ooze from him as he gathered power and began to transform slowly.

    Verin hesitated, but knowing her, Tymon knew she''d regain her composure soon enough and try to get in his way. Without averting his gaze, he spoke.

    "Za''Fia, I need you to take Verin somewhere else." Tymon didn''t want any interference in his fight.

    Verin clenched her fists in defiance.

    "Don''t get ahead of yourself. You think you can stand against Avarice just because you''re a little stronger now?"

    She manifested a violet ring around Tymon as she tried to crush him by increasing the gravity, but Tymon casually placed a layer of energy that outlined his body in protection, remaining unfazed as he continued to walk towards Avarice with a cold, steady look in his eyes.

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    His skin darkened as it spurred a thin layer of grey fur, his nails began to extend into claws, the whites in his eyes darkened into night black, and his eyes took on a wolfish yellow color.

    Tymon stalked past Verin, not acknowledging her in the slightest. When she steeled her resolve, he sensed her rush in front of him and tried to lunge at him, but he released a wave of terror that froze her in her tracks.

    "Don''t get in my way again," he warned her as he gradually turned his full attention to her. He stared her down intensely as he overwhelmed her with terror.

    Verin grunted in defiance, still clenching her fists, but she was smart enough to remain in place. Seeing her reluctance to press on, Tymon redirected his focus to Avarice and moved past her.

    "Aghhhhh!!" Verin wailed in frustration as she turned back to Tymon and charged, but Za''Fia appeared and caught her by the throat.

    "That''s enough," she said before throwing Verin through the metal wall to his left.

    Tymon stopped a few feet before Avarice''s throne. He sensed Za''Fia approach the massive hole in the wall that let in a coolish breeze from outside.

    Before she exited, he felt her stop.

    "I''ll keep her busy...be careful."

    Tymon was silent for a second before responding.

    "Thanks," he said without turning as she darted through the hole.

    With Za''Fia and Verin gone, Tymon refocused his mind on dealing with Avarice. They were quiet for a while, Tymon glaring up at Avarice and Avarice peering down at him.

    "Now, it''s just you and me," Tymon said, breaking the silence.

    "Now, it''s just you and me," Avarice reaffirmed casually. "Your energy''s still as unsettling as ever. It makes my hairs tingle."

    Avarice crossed his legs and rested his head on a fist as his arm was propped up on one of the armrests on the throne.

    "I must thank you," he said, glancing at the hole. "I''d been trying to find a way to get rid of her. Truth be told, if Za''Fia were to kill her, she''d be doing me a favor."

    "What, you two no longer agree on how to take over the world?" Tymon asked as he quickly scanned the room for any signs of traps.

    Avarice laughed, his voice carrying through the large room.

    "I''ve got a new ambition these days."

    "And what''s that?" Tymon inquired, expecting Avarice to decline to answer.

    "Once I''ve reduced everything to ash and you''re the only one among your friends that remains, I''ll gladly enlighten you. The look on your face is bound to be priceless."

    Avarice looked down at Tymon curiously.

    "The way you got here...teleportation of some sort? Didn''t know you had that one. Must be how you escaped unnoticed all those years ago."

    Tymon didn''t reply as Avarice went on...

    "And this new power you possess...I''m surprised at how much stronger you''ve become in such a short amount of time. Still, it won''t be enough," he mocked. "It took me thousands of years of feeding off humans'' dull greed before amassing the power I have today. Especially considering the plateau point."

    Tymon clenched his jaw.

    Avarice laughed, "You''ve hit it, haven''t you? That point when feeding from humans is no longer as potent as it once was."

    "Enough talking," Tymon said coldly.

    "Hmph. No need to be impatient; I''m not going anywhere," Avarice said as he rose from his throne.

    He started walking down the pedestal steps.

    "Can''t you see how meaningless this is? Why go through the trouble? You confront me with only a fraction of my power, yet I can''t kill you¡ªat least not permanently¡ªand you certainly can''t kill me....What''s the point? Frankly, I''d rather watch my children fight."

    Avarice now stood not two feet before Tymon, grinning as he looked ever-so-slightly down at him, his eyes glowing amber.

 Chapter X: Tymon vs. Avarice - Quiet Vengeance (pt.2)

    "You''ll be dead before they''re defeated," Tymon boasted as he applied spirit enhancement to his fists, Avarice following suit.

    In the next instant, they erupted in a ferocious exchange of blows.

    Tymon knew that he currently had Avarice outmatched not only in power but in terms of strength and speed too. He had the advantage; he needed to keep it by applying constant pressure, making it impossible for Avarice to concentrate enough to transform.

    Avarice was surprisingly skilled in hand-to-hand combat. His strikes were precise and hefty, wasting no energy or movement. Clearly, Avarice hadn''t wasted the millennia he spent in hiding. Tymon''s body tingled in excitement as their fists finally clashed. What was that underlying sensation? Joy? Never mind that he needed to stay focused.

    Moving at super speeds, he jumped back and landed into a squat as Avarice spun into a kick aimed at his head. There was a trail of liquid gold that lingered in its wake. Without hesitation, Avarice willed the fluid forward at Tymon, who dashed forward, ducking beneath them and closing the distance between them.

    Before Avarice''s legs returned to the floor, Tymon was prepared to strike hard, but Avarice had anticipated his movements and blocked with more liquid gold being used as an extension of his body.

    Still, Tymon pressed on, adjusting quickly as he cast a small shadow that extended beyond them both. Avarice''s grounded leg began to sink into the shadow slightly, but he reacted just as fast as he leaped up.

    However, that wasn''t enough to get away from Tymon as he shot spikes of his shadow skyward toward Avarice. Avarice reflexively blocked with his spirit-enhanced arms and legs as the onslaught of shadows shattered against his energy.

    Tymon didn''t waste this moment as he blurred above Avarice and began a flurry of attacks as the shadows kept him distracted. With nothing to turn to gold while in the air, Avarice was at an even bigger disadvantage. Irritably, Avarice successfully fended off many of Tymon''s array of attacks, but flashes of the torment he''d gone through flowed through Tymon''s mind, increasing his anger along with the strength and power in his blows until Avarice slowly began to be overwhelmed as the shadow spikes started to chip away at his spirit enhancement. Some even began to cut him because Avarice was too busy blocking Tymon''s blows.

    "If I didn''t know any better, I''d say I did something to offend you," Avarice taunted under the blows.

    Just get him into the shadow, Tymon thought as he threw another punch. He aimed to keep striking as they gradually lowered back to the ground. Once they were close enough, he''d will his shadow to swallow them both, where he could apply Last Breath for a devastating effect.

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    "You''re distracted," Avarice called out as he returned a strike at Tymon, but Tymon was too fast and tilted his head just in time to evade.

    "Dumb move," Tymon said as he landed a decisive blow onto Avarice''s face, sending him crashing into the lab floor.

    Before Tymon could will the shadows as planned, Avarice somehow sent out a disorienting wave of sound that had Tymon''s ears ringing. The shadows beneath them faded as his focus dwindled, and he was forced to a shaky landing.

    "What''d you do," Tymon demanded as he started to regain stability.

    "Amazing, isn''t it? Just a little tampering in one''s ears will destroy their entire sense of equilibrium,"

    Avarice smiled smugly, wiping blood from his mouth.

    "Well? You coming, or are you going to stand there dumbfounded," he taunted.

    Tymon steadied himself. He looked at Avarice, slightly perturbed. Why did he seem to be enjoying the predicament he was in?

    He suddenly vanished and dashed toward Avarice, who was shocked when Tymon appeared before him and slammed him into the wall.

    Tymon stepped back as Avarice fell to the floor, still smiling.

    As Avarice stood, there were several spiked shadow blades pointed at his throat.

    "Oh?" Avarice commented as he casually looked at them.

    "I''m confused," Tymon stated as he threateningly willed the tips of the shadows closer to Avarice. "What happened to that anger you had back when I nearly killed Junichiro? I know you haven''t forgotten."

    "Oh, that? I''ve ensured their safety. With you here and them with my tech, none of you stand a chance," Avarice laughed.

    "Hm." Tymon released all his energy abruptly, destroying the roof and most of the lab''s walls. The sky darkened to an ominous degree in response to his power. "You have no idea how wrong you are."

    Avarice''s smile faded as he looked at the state of his lab. Tymon noticed the ground around Avarice''s feet changing into gold as Avarice''s power started to rise.

    Reacting quickly, he sped toward Avarice and connected a powerful kick to the stomach that sent him flying for miles as Tymon flew out in pursuit. When Tymon caught up, Avarice was recovering from the daze in time to block his next strike, which sent Avarice rocketing earthward.

    Avarice crash-landed on his feet hard enough to uplift some of the dry earth beneath him. He looked up at the darkened sky to see Tymon descending a hundred feet away.

    Without speaking, Tymon released more of his energy, casting a wide shadow over the ground. He leaned down and slipped his right hand into it.

    "Good, there''s some here," he muttered as he extended his command over death into the shadow. Seven mummified corpses and skeletons rose from the ground the next instant, each overflowing with Tymon''s dark energy.

    Avarice''s eyebrows raised.

    "I didn''t know you could do that," he commented, "Though, it''s a shame you have to hide behind the dead to take me on."

    "Haven''t you spent millennia hiding behind humans?" Tymon voiced as the shadow receded and his soldiers turned their attention to Avarice. "Changing a few to manipulate them under the guise of ''family'' and even concealing your actions behind scores of them who you granted power to."

    "...I liked you better when you were strapped to a table," Avarice spat in irritation. He touched the ground, causing it to turn to gold. It spread for fifty feet around him before stopping.

    Tymon observed as the golden dry grass and rocks liquified and morphed into the form of dozens of featureless soldiers to fight for Avarice.

    "Fine, a game of subjects then. You''re not the only one who can summon pawns," Avarice stated as his golden ranks charged at Tymon''s undead. Tymon''s soldiers were quickly crushed by the bombardment, but unlike Avarice''s ranks, Tymon''s were charged with some of his power. Even when they fell, they got back up to continue fighting until they eventually destroyed the golden ranks Avarice created.

 Chapter X: Tymon vs. Avarice - Quiet Vengeance (pt.3)

    Tymon extended another vast shadow forward from his feet to beyond Avarice. The corpses and skeletons turned to him in anticipation.

    "Go forward," Tymon commanded. "Use my shadow as your terrain."

    The raised dead locked onto Avarice, who looked offended.

    "You would insult me by sending mere puppets to face me?" Avarice was pissed as Tymon stood and watched as the undead moved faster due to being enhanced by his shadow.

    Regardless, Avarice easily dispatched each one that encountered him, willing gold to pierce them, crushing some with his fists, but they instantly rose again to continue their attacks. Though the attacks had no effect, they served as a good distraction.

    Tymon stepped forward and sunk into the shadow. He lurked within it until he was directly beneath Avarice before resurfacing, grabbing him by the ankle, and pulling him into the darkness.

    Tymon didn''t waste any time. He applied Last Breath at its maximum output to his shadow, hoping to end things immediately. Unfortunately, he sensed Avarice protect himself by encasing himself with the gold he''d been controlling when he was pulled in. Knowing Avarice couldn''t see, he tried to use ''Blackout: Honed Execution'' to do as much damage as possible.

    The dark protrusions that Tymon felt develop around Avarice closed in full force from all sides. Tymon could feel them slowly start to penetrate through the golden shell protecting Avarice. Then, one broke through and hit its target.

    Alright, I''ll focus on that one, he thought to himself. He dissipated the protrusions that hadn''t fully pierced through and bulked up the one that had as he prepared his final attack. Just then, Tymon heard a horrible sound released from Avarice, ringing his ears again.

    Tymon clutched them as he felt warm blood trickle from them.

    He felt powerful vibrations ripple throughout the shadow that even began to affect the ground outside as well. Tymon''s shadow quickly disappeared, leaving them both encased underground, but with one eye opened, he could see Avarice''s hands vibrating ferociously as they tore the terrain apart.

    They both shot upward, through solid stone and dirt, until they resurfaced into the cloud-covered desert. Tymon may have been bleeding from his ears, but Avarice was bleeding from his left thigh. That must''ve been where he was struck.

    "So, vibration can dispel my darkness?" Tymon spoke aloud, "No, that''s never happened against Naomi. More like I couldn''t maintain my power with that loud noise...just like earlier."

    "Oh, good. Your Shield doesn''t extend to natural effects either," Avarice called out as he covered the wound on his thigh with gold. "I suppose if I blast you directly with sound waves, you''d be unaffected, but if I generate disorienting noises in the area, you''re affected too since you can''t turn off your hearing."

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    Tymon grunted. He grew aggravated that he couldn''t end it as quickly as he wanted with ''Black Out: Honed Execution,'' but he wasn''t surprised his Last Breath attack hadn''t worked. He remembered it not working two centuries ago as well.

    Avarice walked toward him on the unleveled ground.

    "This brings back memories. Did you know that pure gold doesn''t tarnish? And since my gold''s as pure as it gets, I suppose that makes me your natural enemy. Frustrating how things are turning out exactly as they did before, isn''t it?"

    "Is that why you''re so confident?" Tymon replied.

    Avarice shrugged coyly.

    "Thing is," Tymon began as he picked up a piece of gold in the upheaval. He held it at chest level before using his spirit-enhanced hand to crush it. "This time, I have the power to break through it. Then, you age just like everything else."

    "You think so?" Avarice said as Tymon sensed a massive gathering of energy swelling inside him.

    Tymon rushed over and blasted Avarice with a torrent of darkness that shattered Avarice''s shield, allowing him to connect slash across Avarice''s chest, drawing blood again.

    "As if I''d let you do that," Tymon said in a low tone just before sending Avarice flailing backward.

    Tymon could''ve sworn he heard Avarice hiss just then. How close had he gotten to transforming? He refocused on pursuing him, but Avarice had begun a method of trying to keep his distance.

    "That''s enough running," Tymon said as he gathered a massive amount of energy. Activating ''Dark Sentience,'' he spread a live shadow far and wide before willing multiple minacious hands of darkness skyward.

    Avarice darted through the sky at breakneck speed, but Tymon had so many hands pursuing him that Avarice couldn''t get away. One of the hands finally grabbed Avarice by the leg, followed by another wrapping its fingers around his arms and midsection before flinging him hard back down to the earth.

    When Avarice fell into the range of the pool of shadows covering the ground, a spike of hardened shadow shot up, nearly impaling him. But Avarice was quick¡ªquick enough to dodge and slow his descension as more hardened shadow spikes shot out of the black vapor pool.

    "I won''t let you escape," Tymon called out as he flew after Avarice. He knew Avarice had to keep moving to avoid instant death barely. He also noticed Avarice was trying to move toward the edge of the shadow pool, but Tymon had a way of ensuring that wouldn''t happen.

    He concentrated further as more hands rose from the borders of the shadow pool and tracked center-bound, aiming at Avarice.

    Nowhere for you to go now, he mused as the hands closed in on Avarice, but Avarice released a powerful burst of air vibrations strong enough to disperse such a dense focus of Tymon''s darkness completely. Still, it opened a clear path several hundred feet wide to the ground Avarice landed on.

    Avarice created a barrier of sound around the opened area that encompassed Tymon and himself, who landed on the ground too. Tymon noticed the shadow pool staying at bay, unable to close past the barrier.

    This is just like Naomi''s...

    "Now that we have some space," Avarice said as he lowered to place a palm flat on the ground. "Bear witness to my ''Golden Paradise'' and all its glory."

    Faster than Tymon anticipated, a flash of golden power rushed over every inch of the ground within the barrier, turning everything it touched into solid crystalline gold, including Tymon, leaving him trapped in a layer of gold.

    However, the effect only lasted briefly before Tymon''s strength and power began to crack the outer shell and erupt.

    "Haaa," Avarice sighed in exasperation, "My Auric Touch typically transfigures things on a cellular level, but I suppose that''s not going to cut it with you. I suspect even without your Shield, I''d have difficulty petrifying someone whose power is comparable to my own."

 Chapter X: Tymon vs. Avarice - Quiet Vengeance (pt.4)

    "Nonetheless," he continued, releasing his spirit energy and raising a hand skyward. There was a spectacular display of golden power as the gold on the ground rose into the air, generating winds that pushed against Tymon''s center of gravity. His dark cloak flapped in the wind behind him.

    The gold spiraled into a condensed, bright mass of liquid gold the size of a car door that hovered over Avarice''s palm. Then, part of it formed into a golden hilt that seemingly slid out of the mass of gold. Next was a four-foot-long glowing golden blade with intricate designs and Avarice''s symbol on its fuller.

    "I didn''t get to show you this last time, my Chrysaor," Avarice said as he ran his fingers across its flat surfaces. There was still some of the condensed glowing gold hovering above him. "It may not be cindium, but even without spirit enhancement, my gold''s tougher than any metal this planet can produce."

    "Yet I shattered it pretty easily."

    "There''s a stronger version of it that I reserve for times like this. When my gold bonds with my energy, it glows," Avarice smirked as he willed the rest of the glowing golden mass to different parts of his body in what looked like living pieces of thin armor.

    "This is the ''Amor of God," he boasted. "It won''t break so easily."

    Tymon''s eyebrow twitched.

    "Pretentious..." He growled, irked.

    Avarice, in all his golden glory, lowered his gaze slightly down to Tymon''s pendant before smiling deviously.

    "Are we not gods? Unlike your God, we''re real. We exist to do as we please."

    Tymon exhaled slowly, ignoring his antics as he steadied his focus, ready to move for the kill.

    "I''m going to enjoy ripping you apart," he said in a deadly tone.

    "You''ll need your ''God'' to be an actual threat to me," Avarice mocked before tilting his head and tapping the flat of his blade on his shoulder. "You think that pesky Shield of yours will protect you from me. But it won''t."

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    He pointed the tip of the blade at Tymon, and Tymon was instantly hit with pain as a piece of the blade fractured and embedded itself in his left shoulder.

    "How...?" Tymon asked as he clutched his bleeding shoulder after the gold retracted and returned to the blade.

    "Your Shield protects you from my gold but not my spirit energy. Long ago, I figured out how to harmonize my gold and spirit energy to a degree that surpasses even spirit enhancement."

    Tymon gritted his teeth, baring his fangs as he focused as potent a spirit enhancement onto his body as he could while he simultaneously conjured ''Black Fists.''

    Avarice brandished his golden blade in anticipation.

    "We''ll see about that," Tymon said as they dashed toward each other and clashed.

    -----

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Avarice''s ''Armor of God'' and his Chrysaor that he manifests with his Imperial Command are abnormally tough due to their special nature. When he discovered the ability to boost his golden prowess by bonding it with his spirit energy instead of simply coating it, it proved to be enough to subdue the others all at once without him needing to transform. It''s due to this that he has never used his hybrid form in battle even when he used to train against Verin and the others. Lucky for him since he despises his appearance in that state.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

    Super Supporters: Wanna learn everything up-to-date? Get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)? Or perhaps you''d like a place to chat with other fans of the series or even the author himself...

    Visit the series'' Patreon account at patreon.com/primordials

    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. Enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

    <u>Media</u>

    <u>IG:</u> otherworldsjt

    <u>Twitter:</u> jt_fnx

    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XI: Damien vs. Junichiro - Graceful Blades

    Somewhere over Mongolia, 3:20 pm EST

    Damien stood atop the plane with his back to the wind. He''d taken the time to change his attire on the way there. To avoid their destruction or getting them soiled in blood, he removed his white silk coat and the hat that he cherished. Before him was Junichiro, who, instead of his usual tied hair, suit, and coat that hung on his back, wore a deep green vest, compression arm sleeves, dark pants, and shoes and wore his hair let down as it flowed behind him in the wind.

    He stood alert with his hand placed on the hilt of his undrawn sword. Above them was the beautiful night sky sprinkled with millions of stars that danced around the full moon.

    "Such a gorgeous sight," Damien admired as he looked up.

    "How did you manage to get here without me detecting you?" Junichiro asked. "I have failed my mission..."

    "Your mission?" Damien lowered his head back to eye level. He glanced around at the plane with understanding. "Were you not supposed to let anyone near the plane? So, the contents of this plane are supposed to be under your protection, is it?"

    Damien sent out a few sparks that flickered antagonistically in the air around him.

    Junichiro''s eyes narrowed.

    "I should have killed you before."

    "Yet you didn''t," Damien responded a matter-of-factly. "Odd since it would''ve been oh so easy for you to. I couldn''t even put up a proper fight with so many humans around. Why is it that you couldn''t kill me? Was it pride? Honor?"

    "No." Junichiro snapped. "You only stand here in your insolence now because my father had an interest in your abilities. They could be beneficial to him in the future."

    "Is that so?" Damien smiled, unbothered.

    Junichiro fixed his gaze with murderous intent as some of his energy leaked out.

    "Let me assure you: that is no longer the case. You and your inferior posse will be slain tonight. I will not spare you a second time."

    Damien rolled his eyes.

    "Of course not. I wouldn''t expect that from you. However, allow me to express that despite you crucifying me to a wall and killing the humans I was asked to protect, I don''t hold a grudge against you. In fact, I''d rather we not have to come to blows if avoidable."

    Junichiro frowned in disbelief.

    "You jest, surely. You destroyed our plans but claim not to want to battle? If this is your resolve, you must surely be a burden to the others. Let me be clear: you will fight and die by my sword. Now, prepare yourself."

    Junichiro drew both of his guns, their glowing purple barrels aimed at Damien.

    Damien looked at him with disappointment. It was a long shot, but he had hoped that he''d avoid resorting to any confrontation.

    "If you insist..." he said softly as he released a burst of powerful electricity from himself, causing Junichiro to cross his arms in cover.

    Damien began to transform. First, his ascension mark across his chest began to glow lilac as his skin darkened into grey, his nails extended into sharp claws, the whites of his eyes turned black, his irises glowed lilac as his spirit energy, and his pupils changed from round to slit like a cat''s.

    The transformation released an incredible amount of power from him that caused several parts of the plane to tear and rise open before ultimately combusting.

    "No!" Junichiro yelled as the smoke and flames rose from within the plane, and its nose tilted toward the ground.

    "Now, what was that mission of yours again?" Damien smirked as he stood with electricity crackling around him.

    Junichiro was seething in rage as they stood atop the plummeting plane. Even as it crashed in a ball of fire. The two of them casually strolled out of the inferno and stood before one another in an area with several tall trees all around them.

    Junichiro breathed in and out with control, regaining his composure.

    "I commend you," Damien spoke, impressed by his self-control. "I expected you to lash out in anger. It would''ve made things much easier for me."

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    "I am aware." He replied calmly. "I will not fall for such an obvious ruse. Instead, for ruining my mission and your continual defiance, I will sever your head and display it to Father."

    "I suppose I''m left with no choice then," Damien retorted as he released his full power on display. Thunder boomed as his lightning struck trees around them, starting fires. Several instantly charred, and he heard them splinter simply because they were too close to him. At his feet the very ground changed as it was burned away.

    Junichiro withstood the force, but Damien noticed him tense slightly, his body ready to move at any moment.

    Damien had been told before that his power felt unpredictable in nature. That must be what Junichiro sensed at that moment.

    Junichiro grimaced.

    "You are not a Supreme Primordial. You should not be this powerful."

    "I''m flattered you noticed," Damien bowed slightly in gratitude, then flashed him a beguiling smile.

    "The bar''s been raised," he continued with confidence. "You''re no longer fit to face any of them. Tell me, does that frighten you?"

    Junichiro set his jaw in quiet frustration.

    Damien raised a finger. There was a slight rumbling beneath them. Using his Ferritic Pull, he manipulated large masses of metal elements from within the ground, summoning a few chunks of natural iron and titanium that floated around him. Using the heat from his lightning, he melted some of the metal chunks into liquid form before willing them to form a saber with no hilt. Instead, he melded part of it to his right hand. After enveloping it with his spirit energy, he brandished it elegantly before Junichiro.

    Judging from the look in Junichiro''s eyes, Damien could tell he saw his talent despite him never showing it.

    "You know the way of the sword?" Junichiro inquired as a second explosion of the crashed plane sent shards of metal flying that bounced off their skin.

    "I learned a while back," Damien answered, casually wiping a piece of metal from his shoulder.

    Junichiro looked down at the guns in his hands in silence.

    "Intend to use a gun during a sword fight?" Damien prodded.

    Without responding, Junichiro raised his left arm and pointed the gun in that hand skyward.

    "Bullet Onslaught," Damien heard him say as some of Junichiro''s energy was gathered and focused into the barrel before being shot into the night sky like a violet flare. It then hung in the air over the forested area before it dispersed into thousands of bullets that were propelled downward.

    Damien tilted his head as one of the bullets raced past where his head had just been. Then, he activated spirit enhancement as Junichiro''s attack pummeled into the ground. When everything was silenced, and the dust cleared, Damien and Junichiro stood in a flat area. Even the burning remains of the plane were reduced to smoldering rubble.

    "Now we have room to move," Junichiro said as he tossed the guns aside. "I only ever learned how to use guns because Father said my sword skills were too destructive, as you have experienced firsthand already."

    Damien thought about the first time he saw one of Junichiro''s sword attacks back when he simultaneously pierced through Tymon and the floor of Avarice''s lab, then when he cut through an entire city with a swing. He could see why Avarice would handicap him by making him rely on guns instead.

    "But from here on," he placed some sort of small device on his chest, then pulled the hilt on his waist as a broad sword materialized. Then, he released his power in an impressive outburst as the device began to glow.

    [Speed enhanced], Damien heard a computerized voice speak as he turned his head slightly away, as Junichiro''s power generated an unbelievable force.

    He noted that Junichiro was a bit more powerful than him. That wasn''t a surprise since Za''Fia had already informed us of each of their EQNs. But Damien had planned to use his superior speed to his advantage. If what that device just said was true, then this wouldn''t be as simple as he hoped.

    "I''m going to use my natural skills to end you," Junichiro continued as he took an elegant yet solid stance of his own. Sensing his energy, Damien could only describe the sensation of Junichiro''s energy as bound and guarded.

    Damien responded by adjusting himself. One slip up, and either of them could be killed...

    -----

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: The energy converters that Trevor and Verin developed allows the user to gain a boost in power, speed, or strength if activated. This is done by channeling some of the user''s energy into the device. The device then amplifies that energy artificially before rereleasing it, or it takes the energy, converts it into an adrenaline serum for the user''s muscles, and then spreads it into their bloodstream for a physical boost. However, the dosage isn''t large enough to cover the entire body, so it can only spread in one''s upper or lower body, depending on where it''s placed.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

    Super Supporters: Wanna learn everything up-to-date? Get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)? Or perhaps you''d like a place to chat with other fans of the series or even the author himself...

    Visit the series'' Patreon account at https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. Enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

    <u>Media</u>

    <u>IG:</u> otherworldsjt

    <u>Twitter:</u> jt_fnx

    Thank you for your support :)

 Naomi vs. Wren - Frigid Winds (Pt.1)

    Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, 3:20 pm EST

    Naomi stumbled on a moving plane, a little dazed after being dropped off. She looked around, surprised to see a full moon as it was suddenly nighttime. It was blackness beneath the plane, but she could tell they were thousands of feet up.

    "What the..." Wren was lying on her back, cleaning her nails. She wore light-green-colored robe-like clothes that flapped in the wind. They had dark blue lining on their edges and opened around her right leg, exposing her blue thigh boots and the bottom half of the navy blue one-piece she wore beneath. She even wore a matching light-green scarf with an emerald that matched her blue eyes. With her silky, golden hair, Naomi could tell she was going for a goddess approach.

    She really is full of herself, Naomi commented internally.

    Wren levitated a few feet off the plane, still in her horizontal position, before turning herself vertical. She looked around, probably to ensure no one else had just appeared too. "How...of course...Michael."

    Wren placed her hands on her hips, eyed Naomi, and shook her head in utter disbelief.

    "What are you, a masochist?" she called out, flicking a wrist flippantly. "You get beaten nearly to death, and now you''re back for more?"

    "This time, I''m better prepared," Naomi responded as ice started to creep from her feet.

    "No, wait!" Wren said, taking a step forward, her gaze now fixed on the ice forming around Naomi.

    Naomi noted that it almost sounded like a plea, but she didn''t stop. She allowed the ice to crawl across the plane''s surface in a flash, freezing every inch of it until its inner workings stopped working. The plane shook violently as its engines could no longer operate.

    "No, no, noo," Wren said as she watched helplessly, then stomped in frustration. "This can''t be happening....Work you piece of crap!"

    Due to the ice being from Naomi''s spirit energy, her strength alone only managed to crack the ice, not break it. However, the force from her stomp was enough to begin the plane''s descension toward the ocean below.

    "Dammit," she cursed under her breath.

    Naomi leaped from the plane and free-fell toward the dark waters below them as the aircraft plummeted fast. She couldn''t help but be amazed by the reflection of the stars and moon upon the waters below for just a second. It was almost like falling toward open space.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    She felt a shift in the air as Wren frantically blew past her and attempted to catch the massive cargo plane. But it was too much for her alone. She could only manage to slow it as Naomi fell past them.

    "I can''t...I can''t lift it..." Wren struggled beneath the falling plane. She even went as far as using heat to defrost the bottom. But it still proved too much for her to handle as the aircraft fell lower despite her resistance.

    Naomi extended an arm outward as she fell and released a frigid burst of wind directly at the plane. The burst of cold wasn''t powerful enough to freeze Wren, but it instantly refroze the plane, causing it to slip out of her hands from the imbalance and gripless slippery surface.

    "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Wren lashed out and shot toward Naomi, who side-maneuvered midair, grabbed her by the arm, and swung them both until Wren now had the ocean beneath her.

    "Want to know something I learned from our last encounter?" She said as they got closer to the ocean''s surface.

    Wren glared at Naomi and gritted her teeth.

    "You''re not very good in close quarters." Naomi grinned as she used Wren as support and leaped higher, the force causing Wren to fall faster.

    Wren fell so fast that she caught up to the plane. Naomi noticed her anger let off waves of heat that melted most of the ice off the plane again as she approached it.

    She disregarded this detail, though, because she noticed the obnoxiously loud flapping of her cape behind her as he began to fall again.

    Maybe the cape''s a bit much, she thought. She reached behind and grabbed a fistful of the material before ripping it off and tossing it to the wind.

    Refocusing, Naomi watched as the plane finally hit the water, creating large waves that disrupted the perfect starry image on the ocean''s surface.

    However, as Wren landed on the waters, she saw all the water in the area stand still and become flat as if nothing had happened.

    Not a single ripple was generated even as Naomi landed, her touch freezing that part of the ocean over. She looked around as the salty smell suddenly hit her nostrils.

    She really has a way with nature, Naomi''s younger mind said from within as Naomi looked around at the frozen landscape. Too bad she uses it for someone like Avarice.

    Naomi remained silent as she noticed red in the frozen water. Some of the JANUS tablets that first hit the water must have already begun to dissolve. Deeper below, she could partially discern the plane''s lights as it sunk deeper into the unfrozen depths.

    "There goes their steroids," Naomi commented out loud.

    "He''s going to be disappointed in me..." Naomi heard Wren mutter. She looked wide-eyed, slightly crazed even, staring at where the plane was last seen before disappearing. "I''ve never disappointed him before..."

    I kinda feel bad...

    Don''t be. They''re trying to destroy the world, remember?

    "You! It''s all because of YOU!" Wren wailed in rage. The ice began to crack as Wren summoned a wall of water a distance away.

    Naomi''s eyebrows raised in response as a monstrous tsunami that stood hundreds of feet tall rushed toward them. But Naomi was undeterred as she just as quickly flash-froze it in place without moving an inch.

    "Am I supposed to feel sympathy for you?" she retorted coldly.

 Naomi vs. Wren - Frigid Winds (Pt.2)

    You don''t have to be so mean! Can''t you see how torn up she is? That was once us, you know. We never wanted to let Mom down, remember?

    Don''t try to lecture me about things you choose not to remember. Or are you finally ready to face what really happened?

    ...

    Figured as much.

    Naomi returned her attention to Wren, who she could still feel trying to summon more water. She even shot off a few blasts of it from her spirit energy, but Naomi effortlessly froze them too.

    "I get you''re having some sort of episode, but by now, you must have at least noticed that using water against me isn''t smart."

    "I''ll kill you..." Wren muttered as she formed more blobs of water around her.

    Naomi smiled internally.

    "You know, among the humans, there''s a particular stereo¨C

    You don''t have to insult her.

    "Fine, let''s just get this over with. Apparently, her mind''s as fragile as she is spoiled." Naomi said as the winds picked up. The starry night was nowhere to be seen as she summoned a blizzard that started to limit visibility and covered the area in snow.

    To her surprise, Wren countered this by summoning a massive hurricane with strong winds and heavy rain, soaking them both.

    Naomi could hear thunder cracking and see flashes of lightning from behind the thick clouds as their storms raged on in their clash of power.

    Suddenly, she was hit with a powerful geyser of water that pushed her back. Naomi extended her aura of cold, turning the water into snow before she released sonic pulses that dispersed the attack.

    While Wren continued her pointless attack, Naomi vanished and appeared behind her in a crouched position. In one hand was a concentration of sonic waves, while in the other was focused nitrogen gas.

    "Gotta say, I''m disappointed," Naomi remarked as she hit Wren with the sonic attack. Wren screamed in agony as the sound waves rang violently enough to crack the ice beneath them. Once the ringing ceased, Wren stumbled, her hair looking as if she''d been asleep for a week.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Naomi walked up to her calmly as she readied the nitrogen gas in her hand. Without saying anything, she touched Wren on the shoulder with it. Her body instantly began to appear discolored and stiffened as it was layered in ice and frost until she stopped moving.

    "This should hold you until everyone else is finished," she said. Naomi stepped back. She couldn''t deny the fact that she felt a little letdown. She wasn''t able to use the power she''d trained to master.

    You shouldn''t look forward to fighting. Isn''t it good that you were able to avoid it?

    Sure, I guess... Naomi responded, desolate. She looked up and noticed the winds still raged on. That was weird; if Wren were unconscious, the winds would have slowed down. They weren''t slowly in the slightest.

    Naomi looked back at Wren and noticed her body had started to steam as the ice around her began to thaw. Suddenly, a release of heat radiated from her, and she began to move again, slumping forward.

    As the wave spread, Naomi let it hit her to gauge its strength. She stood within its effects as most of the ice she stood on melted, but she didn''t find it impressive. If she had to guess, she''d say Wren''s flames were half as hot as Earth''s core; however, she''d felt hotter flames from Za''Fia.

    Naomi watched Wren, who now floated over the thawed water, as she continued to release a consistent burst of thermal energy. She decided to flaunt some of her power too by releasing an even bigger blast of arctic air that refroze everything again, canceling Wren''s heat.

    Wren looked at her in confusion.

    "You thought you''d match me with fire? You won''t beat me with flames that weak," Naomi said as she strolled closer. She activated ''Blue Fur,'' a technique of hers that constantly released freezing air from her skin, resulting in the immediate area around her and anything she touched freezing to its core. Its reach wasn''t as far as ''Arctic Burst,'' and it used up more energy, but its concentration of cold was much more potent. She did this to ensure she''d continually counter any water or heat Wren could attack with.

    Wren took a nervous step back.

    "If you''re afraid, then you should''ve just stayed frozen..." Naomi called out as she dashed forward, "Because now I have to beat you unconscious."

    Naomi struck Wren, who blocked the punch with her arm. Naomi currently lacked the strength to overpower or out-speed her, but she could see Wren''s arm freezing from her touch.

    "Get...away from me..." Wren hissed as her body was clad in an aura of flame that warded off Naomi''s ice. Before Naomi knew what had happened, Wren used her superior speed and strength to kick Naomi so hard she was sent twenty feet into the frozen ocean.

    Naomi lay there for a second as the reverberation of the kick still had her organs in a painful state of shock. It took everything in her to resist the urge to hurl, and her heartbeat was beating so fast it rang in her ears. When she inhaled deeply to slow it down, she winced in pain as she felt a couple of her ribs were cracked.

    "Ughh," Naomi grunted, shaking off the daze. She righted herself as she floated out of the hole and landed clumsily as she held a hand to her spinning head. She was met with Wren unleashing her full power, but Naomi knew not to fret over this because, according to Za''Fia, Wren had an EQN of 10,085,000. Compared to her full potential of 10,126,300, Naomi, accompanied with Wren''s addled state, was confident in how the fight would end.

    Naomi squinted as she noticed something odd. Some device was now on the center of Wren''s chest and glowed the same light green as her spirit energy.

    [Spirit energy boosted]

 Naomi vs. Wren - Frigid Winds (Pt.3)

    "What?" Naomi said, perplexed as Wren''s power rose even higher until it was far beyond what she had expected.

    [EQN: 11,085,000. Temporary enhancement completed.]

    "Whuuuu," Wren exhaled in a prolonged breath.

    "Can''t believe I had to rely on J''s meditation breathing. I hadn''t planned on failing today," she stated, lucid again. She touched her hair, only just then noticing its state.

    "You''re gonna pay for this," she promised, "and not just the hair: you''ll pay for the embarrassment I''ll face of failing my dad. You''re also going to pay for forcing me actually to have to put real effort into a mission. I''ve never had to work hard to please him. I haven''t had to give anything my all since I was human..."

    Her look suddenly snapped into a severe and threatening glare. Her once blue eyes now searing orange-red.

    "Unfortunately for you, you''ve put me in a position where killing you is the only way I''ll be able to redeem myself. For the love of the man who once saved me and the faith he''s placed in me, I swear I won''t fail. Tonight is your last night breathing," she warned forebodingly, flexing more of her chaotic power.

    Naomi had no retort this time. She had to admit she''d been a little overconfident since seeing Wren lose it. That kick earlier had caught her by surprise and could''ve killed her had Wren been sane enough to aim it at a more vital spot. Now that Wren was back to normal and supercharger to boot...

    She exhaled nitrogen gas as she gathered power, beginning her transformation. Her snowflake ascension mark on the back of her left hand began to glow blue. She could feel her cheeks tingle as frost whickers formed and ice framed around her chin. Then she felt four extensions of ice manifest from her lower back in the form of her frost tails as a pair of blue-furred fox ears grew from the top of her head, replacing the ones she once had on the sides. Next, her nails extended into deep blue razor-sharp claws as her transformation completed with the whites of her eyes turning completely black and her irises glowing a steely, icy blue.

    Wren shot an annoyed expression at her.

    "Guess Trevor was right about you all getting stronger," she commented, but her expression quickly became quizzical. "Strange. Why doesn''t your energy feel buoyant like before? If anything, it feels specious now."

    "Says the one with four different spirit energies," Naomi remarked as she lowered into a crouch, ready to spring should Wren make any sudden moves. She focused all her enhanced senses on Wren, who began to float upwards.

    "Fair enough," she remarked from above as dozens of fireballs the size of cars appeared in the sky overhead. Then, with a flick of her wrist, they began to fall toward Naomi.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Naomi stood like a deer in headlights as she craned her neck to look up. She had to admit there was a lot more heat coming from the fireballs than moment before.

    "Let me know if my flames are still ''too weak,''" Wren grinned.

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Depending on her preference, Wren''s spirit energy changes between ocean blue, earthy brownish orange, fiery orange-red, and a wispy light green.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

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    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

    Each saga will gain its own tier as the story progresses and will provide more bonuses than the last!

    <figure>

    </figure>

    <figure>

    </figure>

    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. If it turns out to not be your thing, then no harm no foul. Otherwise, enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

    <u>Media</u>

    <u>Website:</u> https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials<u>

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    <u>IG:</u> otherworldsjt

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    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XIII: Arne vs. Trevor - Indestructible (Pt.1)

    Somewhere over Egypt, 3:20 pm EST.

    Arne stood atop a moving cargo plane thousands of feet up, having been dropped off by Michael faster than they could''ve blinked. It was nighttime now. Late evening. Maybe 10 pm? It was difficult to tell. Above, there wasn''t a cloud in sight, and the light from the moon illuminated everything.

    Across from her was Trevor. He wore a black sleeveless shirt with green chest and abdominal plates designed into them. He had on dark pants and combat boots, an orange dramatic cape that flapped in the wind behind him, and a pair of dark shades across his eyes.

    Trevor sat swiping on the holo-screen projected from his holo-bracelet. He seemed too occupied to notice Arne''s arrival just yet.

    Arne squinted.

    Was he playing a video game?

    Arne stared at him unenthusiastically, hoping his senses would at least be sharp enough to catch on to her presence eventually. After watching him ignorantly play his video game, Arne''s patience ran out after a few moments.

    "Ahem," Arne coughed, causing him to jump to his feet in alert.

    At least he''s spry, Arne thought.

    "What? How''d you get here?!" He exclaimed, running a stressed hand through his hair. "Crap, Pops is gonna be furious with me."

    "Hm? Oh right," Arne commented as they knelt to a knee and jammed their fist through the plane''s exterior.

    "What the hell are you doing?!" Trevor screamed.

    "Quit whining; if you weren''t so incompetent, you would''ve immediately tried to stop me or prepared yourself for battle the moment you realized I was here," Arne said irritably as they shot stone protrusions through the plane''s hull.

    The engines and jets on the plane whirred as they ceased to function, and the dead bird began to fall through the sky.

    Arne and Trevor continued to stand on the plane''s back as it spiraled out of control. Arne had their arms crossed as they stared at Trevor, expectedly.

    "What are you waiting for? Aren''t you supposed to protect this thing?"

    "You''re not going to try to stop me?" Trevor asked hesitantly.

    Arne sighed and shook their head.

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    Why''d I have to get stuck with this one?

    "If what I''ve heard about you is true¡ªand based on our two interactions, I believe they are¡ªyou were bound to mess this up on your own. In fact, to prove it, I don''t intend to do any further damage to this plane. If the crash doesn''t destroy it, you will."

    "Why would I..." Trevor looked dumbfounded. Arne found it difficult to believe someone like him possessed a genius-level intellect.

    "The ground''s approaching quickly..."

    Trevor rocketed off the plane in an orange blur. Soon after, the aircraft slowed dramatically, to Arne''s delight, as they lowered to the ground.

    Arne had to give the kid credit; he had some strength. Based on the size of the plane and the fact that it only carried a supply of JANUS tablets, Arne guessed the total weight was somewhere between 90 and 100 tons.

    Arne leaped off the side of the plane and landed on the ground 100 feet below. They observed as Trevor steadily descended and placed the plane on the ground as gently as he could.

    Arne clapped encouragingly.

    "Well done. Was it heavy?"

    Trevor rolled his shoulders loose. He looked at the plane, grinned, and gave it a slap and a subtle nod of accomplishment.

    "Nah, I could''ve lifted more."

    Arne raised an eyebrow.

    "Really? I''m surprised. See, I didn''t get that impression last time we fought. Then again, between the humans'' presence and you resorting to suppression cuffs, I suppose I couldn''t gauge your actual strength, could I?"

    Trevor''s smile faded, and Arne''s widened.

    "No humans or cuffs around this time...I want to see what you can really do," Arne taunted, standing, arms still crossed, as they released an aura of intimidation.

    "So you''re stronger now, too? I take it each of you somehow gained more power..." Trevor''s eyes darted around as beads of sweat trickled down his face.

    Arne noticed this and willed the ground beneath his feet closer, pulling Trevor along with it. When it stopped in Arne''s face, Arne quickly lifted the shades from Trevor''s face and stared him deep in the eyes. To Arne''s surprise, there was something there that startled them.

    "I see...stay focused," Arne advised him. "I don''t expect much from you as is, but it''d leave a bad taste in my mouth if I have to defeat you while you''re looking for a way to escape."

    Trevor jumped back several dozen feet and lowered his shades, his breath exhaling nervously.

    Arne looked at him with disappointment. They disapproved of his lack of enthusiasm. Once a human, now something profoundly more, yet he doesn''t boast genuine confidence. Arne decided they''d only have a challenging fight if they got him to view the battle differently. Trevor lacked the necessary component to release his full potential: pride. Arne could practically sense it.

    "You''re disgraceful," Arne stated, looking at him squarely as they formed a stone throne and boldly sat upon it. Arne knew Trevor didn''t have the guts to attack despite this. Not unless their back was turned.

    "What are you talking about?" The insult caught his attention. He stopped searching for a way out and met Arne''s judgmental gaze.

    "Look at you," Arne waved an arm and gestured at him entirely as they leaned back in the seat, "Where''s your pride? Before I initially met you, I was told you''re a big talker. That you''re only confident when you think you''ve got the upper hand, yet it was also mentioned that you have a strong desire to prove your strength to Avarice. But you ran from Michael during your first encounter with him, and your pusillanimity was also displayed last time we met when you resorted to shameful tactics to avoid being hurt."

    "It was a tactical retreat. Even Pops understood that much," Trevor spat back, interrupting. "And you''re known for being indestructible..."

    "Did he truly?" Arne waved off his second excuse. "Or was it more likely that his fatherly love for you caused him to protect your feelings?"

    Trevor remained silent.

    "Even if he was genuine, are you okay with that?"

    His gaze lowered as Arne''s question struck.

 Chapter XIII: Arne vs. Trevor - Indestructible (Pt.2)

    "Of course not. Excused or not, it''s still a failure." Arne continued, clenching their fist. "Much like the failure we each faced when you all killed the humans we were asked to protect."

    Trevor leveled his gaze back with Arne''s, but Arne waved off the animosity that had swelled within.

    "Anyhow, of course, when I arrived here, I still took you as a worthless coward. Unsurprisingly, you immediately searched for a way out the moment you sensed I''d gotten stronger. Despite me having not even transformed. Honestly, it made me sick."

    Arne spotted Trevor clenching his fists tightly in bottled resentment. Tiny sparks could be seen popping off him.

    Almost there, but blind rage isn''t what I seek.

    Arne held up a hand as a gesture.

    "Calm yourself. That was before I looked into your eyes a moment ago. When I did so, I saw that you''re not as shallow as you seem. You carry a guilt behind those shades. Is that where your drive to prove yourself stems from? Does it have something to do with your cowardice? If so, why haven''t you managed to break past it yet? Tell me, and I''ll help you."

    Trevor''s body relaxed slightly as he responded, "That''s none of your business."

    So there is something there...but he won''t share that with me. I doubt he''s even shared it with the others.

    "... you''re right," Arne shrugged. "Honestly, I just want a good fight, but I''m stuck babysitting you while the other members of your clan undoubtedly will put up a better challenge to the others. I suspect they''ll want to end their fight as quickly as possible before things get out of hand, but not me. I want to face someone who can push me to my limits..."

    Arne sighed, resting their head on a propped fist.

    "But that''s not what was delivered to me....Running from Michael, thrown aside by Za''Fia, nearly killed by Michael again, then nearly killed by Tymon, and now you refuse to face whatever trauma is the cause of your pathetic attributes....don''t you think the others view you as a burden too? Do you believe Avarice is proud of your repeated blunders? Would you be?"

    Two dull orange lights glowed from behind Trevor''s shades as his energy steadily rose.

    "Didn''t take you for a meddler, but I''ll prove myself by killing you," he spoke with conviction.

    Arne grinned.

    "Then do it. Kill me and prove us all wrong," Arne opened their arms, welcoming him to attack.

    Without wasting a second, Trevor extended both arms and fired a rapid succession of explosive, baseball-sized orbs at Arne. Several shockwaves caused the ground to shake as he continued firing until he eventually stopped.

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    "With no time to react, I bet that burned you even worse than last time," Trevor exclaimed over the rushing wind.

    "Did it?" Arne called out from within the cloud of dust. Arne revealed they were still sitting on the stone throne by releasing some power. However, the throne crumbled as Arne stood. Their skin slowly changed from a silvery metal appearance and returned to its normal tan as Hardshatter was deactivated.

    "You''ll have to do better than that if you want to break through my skin."

    Arne looked at him curiously.

    "I''m not even transformed yet; I know this can''t be the extent of your power. If you can''t bypass my Hardshatter as I am now, this battle is already over."

    "Fine, you want more power..." Trevor heaved in annoyance. He began to amp up his energy even further, flinging desert rocks into the air before they suddenly combusted.

    Arne shook their head as they casually observed his surge in power.

    "Blindly increasing your power isn''t going to help you either!" Arne called out over the wind. "You need to focus more of it into your blasts instead! They''ll be much more effective!"

    Trevor stopped raising his power and looked at Arne incredulously.

    "You''re seriously helping me? Why would you give advice to your enemy?"

    "Have you not been listening? I want to fight to my fullest. If that means helping you use your powers more efficiently, then so be it. Now, stop staring at me and apply what I''ve already told you. I won''t dodge until you manage to hurt me."

    "Oh, uh, okay, so it''s like this, right?" Trevor held his hands out before him. He slowly charged a mass of power between them. When he fired it at Arne, who didn''t bother moving, the result was the same as last time.

    "It''s not enough," Arne coached. "Try again."

    Arne stood still, Hardshatter activated, as Trevor charged another attack. When it hit, Arne could feel the impact this time. It packed enough force to push Arne back several feet, leaving dragged marks in the dried desert ground, but it didn''t damage Arne''s metal skin.

    "Hmm...almost, but it''s not quite potent enough."

    Arne observed patiently as Trevor attempted a third time. He generated an enormous amount of power between his hands. It grew in size the more power he pumped into it until it was large enough to dwarf them both.

    Judging from what Arne sensed, that thing held enough power to blow up at least half a city. It was more energy than they''d felt when he self-destructed. Arne felt a prickling sensation spread through their entire body as the hairs on their arm tingled in anticipation.

    Then Arne noticed it shrinking. They were confused for a second before realizing that the element retained its power despite shrinking. Perhaps he found it easier to control smaller blasts.

    "There. This should do it," he said, tossing it up and catching it. "Compacting that much power together is bound to release an explosion even you won''t come out unscathed."

    "I have to agree," Arne took a defensive stance.

    "Hope you don''t plan to renege on your promise now," Trevor said, readying the blast.

    "Of course not. I honor my w¡ª" Arne reflexively raised their arms to block their vital organs as Trevor abruptly released the blast. There was a massive explosion the size of a mini-nuke that followed.

    Smoke filled the area until Trevor waved it away. The desert landscape had been reshaped; some of the sand that was present was steaming as it reflected the moonlight. The heat had been so intense the sand was melded into glass. Next to Trevor, the plane was also intact still.

    Arne looked down at their arms. They, too, were steaming from the heat, but that wasn''t all. Their Hardshatter had been severely cracked as well. Arne observed several chips and missing patches in multiple places across their body and smiled maniacally as blood trickled from somewhere on their head.

    "Gotta tone down the size a bit. Can''t risk the plane being destroyed, plus it''s gonna make fighting difficult if the blast is gonna be that big," Arne heard Trevor mutter to himself. "I think I can keep the power but decrease the explosion size..."

    "That''s the spirit," Arne proclaimed in jubilation as they force-mended Hardshatter until it entirely covered their body again. Arne took a more offensive stance. "Now, then..."

 Chapter XIII: Arne vs. Trevor - Indestructible (Pt.3)

    Trevor quickly shot more orbs at Arne. Surprisingly, despite being formed so quickly they still possessed the same immense power from the blast before. He''d already found a way to make a more effective blast. Arne couldn''t help but be astonished at his learning curve and ingenuity. Perhaps he was a genius after all.

    But that wasn''t Arne''s way. Arne appreciated a more straightforward way of life and aptly chose a straight path forward. Using spirit enhancement and Hardshatter together, they charged right through a few of the blasts while some missed. Trevor suddenly vanished and appeared behind Arne with an explosion in both hands.

    "Gotcha this time," he boasted as he shot the blasts point-blank into Arne''s back. The blasts didn''t detonate upon impact this time, though. Instead, they were projected forward. Even with the double protection, Arne was forcefully flung forward until they crashed into the plane, where the explosion finally occurred.

    "Dammit!" Arne heard Trevor yell.

    Arne climbed out of the burning rubble, their spirit enhancement gone and Hardshatter only mildly chipped. Arne looked to the side, seeing what was left of the plane engulfed.

    Arne shook their head, having been proving right.

    Trevor continued to curse at his screwup before suddenly shrouding the area in smoke, obstructing Arne''s vision. Arne held their breath to keep from entering their restricted state.

    "You keep mocking me. Making me screw things up..." Arne heard his voice call out from somewhere. Arne tried to use omni-vision to pinpoint his location but couldn''t see past the smoke because it was dense with spirit energy. "I''ll destroy everything so long as you''re along with it. Let''s see how your defenses hold up against everything I have!"

    It dawned on Arne that the explosion would be too much for Arne in that state if they were struck with blasts while within the combustible smoke.

    Thinking quickly, Arne responded and willed the ground to raise before lowering it back, creating enough draft to clear out enough of the smoke and reveal Trevor just landing on the ground nearby.

    Arne quickly sent out a ripple through the ground, knocking him off balance as he was charging even more energy into what he undoubtedly expected to be the killing blow.

    Trevor rose, furious.

    "Fine. If my spirit attacks won''t work..." Trevor released the total output of his spirit energy, generating smoke and sparks that occasionally ignited. True to his nature, Trevor''s energy felt baseless and unrefined but still immense. He pulled something from his pocket and placed it on his arm, "then I''ll use raw force to crush you first."

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    [Strength boosted. Strength level: Low level 3 ¨C 121.5 tons. Temporary enhancement completed.]

    "A battle of strength then..." Arne said as they transformed. The paw-shaped ascension mark on Arne''s upper right hip glowed orange. Their skin darkened slightly as their clear nails darkened and extended into sharp claws. Arne''s skin tingled as their teeth sharpened into animalistic fangs, and dark patterns appeared on their face. Finally, Arne''s ruff hair grew into a wild mane, and their eyes blackened as their irises changed to orange like a cat''s.

    Arne finished their transformation with a satisfying roar and release of power and intimidation.

    Trevor''s aggression wavered some.

    "Don''t disappoint me," Arne stated in a rougher voice before charging at him.

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 Chapter XIV: ZaFia vs. Verin - Befallen Tragedy (Pt. 1)

    Hundreds of miles away from Avarice''s lab in the Chihuahuan Desert, 3:24 pm EST

    I threw her pretty far, Za''Fia thought as she flew across the desert surface in pursuit. The winter afternoon sky made the air cold and dry, but this didn''t bother her. She eventually caught up as Verin skidded to a stop, finally mustering the strength to oppose the force behind Za''Fia''s throw.

    She stood hunched over, heaving in frustration with a death stare directed at Za''Fia. Her purple half-jacket had dust smeared on it now. Some of the knee-long skirt opened in the front by design had been ripped from her being thrown through a metal wall. But her weird buckle collar, black t-shirt, dark leggings, and boots were all still intact.

    Za''Fia was just then taking in Verin''s appearance. Before, she''d looked more like a secretary, but Za''Fia assumed this was her true nature: one of a dark gothic type.

    "What the hell..." Verin rubbed her throat. "So, it wasn''t just him. You all have gotten more powerful. Don''t tell me you''ve all been feeding off humans."

    "We may not hold much love for the humans, but we also wouldn''t stoop so low as to kill them for our own strength," Za''Fia replied as a crisp breeze blew past them. Verin looked at her, her eyes heavy with judgment.

    "Then you''re all fools," Verin retorted. "I don''t know how you''ve gained this newfound power, but the fact that you all haven''t fed insinuates you could''ve been even more powerful had you done so. Your power now doesn''t surpass my own; it simply closed the gap. That soft stupidity is what''s about to get you killed."

    The ground began to rumble and crack under the pressure Verin began to release.

    Za''Fia eyed her cautiously. She understood that Verin was faster and more powerful than herself, but Za''Fia was stronger and had Conversion, making her more powerful the angrier she got.

    If I go at this right, I could defeat her without transforming again...

    "Where''s the human?" Verin inquired as she strolled a little closer. Her proximity crushed each rock she passed, but Za''Fia knew it was just a display of her power since she hadn''t been too affected by that level of gravity. "I hoped to run into her again since our fun was interrupted last time. Is she still at Michael''s manor? Hiding perhaps? I know he couldn''t heal her with so much of my energy still inside the brand I left her with."

    Verin laughed in a way that sent shivers down Za''Fia''s body.

    "She chose not to be here. For whatever reason, I guess she''s deemed you unworthy of her attention," Za''Fia shrugged nonchalantly. "Instead, she sent me to handle you."

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    Verin scoffed.

    "You say that as if she rules over you..."

    "I wouldn''t say rule, but we''ve acknowledged her as our leader."

    Za''Fia saw a blood vessel bulge in Verin''s forehead as she grew livid.

    "So you all would rather submit to a human than to Avarice, someone superior to us all?!" Verin practically growled as Za''Fia felt the pressure around them increase.

    "Things have changed," Za''Fia smirked. "Using your logic, why would we follow the inferior option?"

    "Are you insinuating..."

    This set Verin off completely. She charged at Za''Fia with murder in her eye. Za''Fia shot off a blast of flames, but she hadn''t had enough time to focus enough energy into it, so Verin practically ran through the fire without much difficulty.

    Verin reached Za''Fia, who blocked the spirit-enhanced blow and attempted to counter with her own, but Verin wasn''t incompetent either. She moved just slightly enough to shrug off Za''Fia''s jab without taking it on fully and countered with a left sweep. Za''Fia countered this too. The two continued this dance of blows and counters at super speeds until they finally managed to draw blood.

    Za''Fia clipped Verin squarely in the jaw just as Verin connected a solid right leg swing to Za''Fia''s ribcage. Both blows flung each other dozens of feet away.

    Za''Fia heard Verin start to laugh.

    "To think I actually fell for that..." she rose from the dirt and wiped the rushing blood that dripped from her mouth. "Lying to me about the human being superior to Avarice to get me to lose my composure. It was unexpected, I''ll give you that, but I won''t fall for such an obvious lie again."

    "Believe what you want," Za''Fia stood and rubbed her bruised ribs. The pain flared something inside her. Every sharp breath irritated her to a small degree.

    Verin must''ve been able to see this on her face.

    "Wow, you''re nothing like your past selves. A kick like that would''ve sent you into an uncontrollable rage by now. That day really did change you, didn''t it..."

    Za''Fia fixed her stare on Verin.

    Verin grinned tauntingly.

    "You may be able to control it now, but it''s still there. Just beneath the surface, begging to be let out. Let''s see just how much control you have over that temper of yours."

    "You do that, and you''ll be signing your own death warrant," Za''Fia said sharply.

    "As if I''d lose to a mindless beast," Verin stated confidently as she released more power.

    Za''Fia sensed Verin clad her body in a gravitational aura that projected off her. When Verin suddenly attacked, Za''Fia guarded, expecting to withstand the blow, but Verin''s punch was much heavier than before. It sent her flying backward.

    Za''Fia caught herself but didn''t have time to question things as Verin rushed toward her again. This time, Za''Fia intercepted her, attacking her first with a powerful blow aimed at Verin''s gut. She felt herself speed up unnaturally. Her punch still connected, yet just as it did, it lost some of the power behind it as Za''Fia felt an opposite force push back.

    She can change the pull of gravity?

    Verin grinned demonically as she punched Za''Fia in the face. The force behind it was unreal. Za''Fia had been close to the bottom of the ocean a few times. The pressure then had been uncomfortable but non-life-threatening. This was much worse. Za''Fia felt the inside of her mouth split, and she nearly lost consciousness as the punch connected and sent her rocketing across the earth. After carving her way across miles, she eventually came to a stop.

    Za''Fia laid there for a moment as she recovered from her splitting headache. She couldn''t afford to take a hit like that again. She''d have to keep reinforced spirit energy applied to her head constantly.

    Za''Fia felt Verin rush after her. Za''Fia considered shooting a blast of flames at her but knew the dense gravitational pull around Verin would just redirect the fire. Instead, she focused on the only thing she knew for sure would work¡ªwhat she felt may have been gravity, but unlike natural gravity, Verin''s was based on spirit energy. Meaning it could be defended against with strong enough spirit energy.

 Chapter XIV: ZaFia vs. Verin - Befallen Tragedy (Pt. 2)

    Za''Fia coated her body in a thick layer of spirit energy and applied the intensity of her flames for a bonus element. She and Verin''s fists clashed, and Za''Fia''s spirit enhancement cracked, but she mended it almost immediately each time. This happened repeatedly as they exchanged blow after blow, sending flames shooting off as the sky blurred by their speed. Za''Fia was so focused on avoiding being hit and trying to successfully find an opening to land a solid blow that she hadn''t noticed they were quickly approaching a populated city until they crashed through one of its tall buildings.

    Finally, the two untangled from each other and floated a hundred feet in the air, surrounded by screaming people below as one of the buildings crumbled from their impact. Luckily, however, Za''Fia couldn''t sense any humans within it. It appeared to have been empty.

    Za''Fia glanced below.

    This is getting out of hand. I need to get us out of here before we accidentally kill someone.

    "What''s this? You care about the safety of these cretins now too?" Verin called out across the sky.

    "Why?" She pointed a palm at a nearby building and released enough power to crush it entirely, including the innocent people who were still inside.

    Za''Fia glared at her silently, but she kept her flame under control.

    "Wh¡ª" she began but was cut off.

    "I hope you don''t expect any justification. I won''t impose something relatable, like whether they feel remorse when they swat a fly or kill an ant. Or perhaps when they feel the crunch of a roach as it''s crushed beneath their feet. All while knowing they don''t because the humans view themselves as superior and them as pests whose deaths are inconsequential. That drivel is something my dear Avarice may believe. But there is no vindication for why I do it. None other than the simple fact that I enjoy it. The screams, the desperate looks in their eyes, them clinging to any sign of hope as death approaches them..."

    Verin rose higher in the sky. "That feeling has become my sole bliss. To me, it''s the only good thing a human can produce."

    Verin generated a film similar to the one Za''Fia had seen back when Verin crushed one of the Holders. Except this time, the film grew much larger until it hung over several blocks. Za''Fia felt Verin charge it with tons of energy as she watched the tops of buildings start to crack and crumble under weight.

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    With horror, Za''Fia realized what Verin was doing.

    She''s going to destroy an entire chunk of the city...

    Za''Fia knew that she was no stranger to killing, but this...she''d never intentionally condemn innocent people to death.

    She looked up and gauged whether or not she could break through the increasing gravity field, but she concluded that it would be impossible without transforming. Even if she wanted to do so, transforming this close to humans would only increase the number of casualties.

    "You place so much care for these humans; are you willing to die with them?" Verin yelled from above as Za''Fia felt a spike in pressure in the air.

    In a fraction of a second, Za''Fia used all her speed to fly in a direction¡ªany direction so long as it was away from the radius of Verin''s power. Even at full speed, she had barely escaped before the intense gravity suddenly let up after leaving Verin''s reach.

    When she turned around, she saw the damage done. She hovered over to see an enormous bottomless hole where several blocks had just been. More buildings continued to crumble and fall over into the pit.

    Za''Fia looked across the hole at Verin in distaste.

    Verin sighed in ecstasy.

    "You don''t know how good that felt. After so long of staying undercover...it''s been millennia since I last unwound."

    Za''Fia blasted her with multiple rays of heat, but Verin''s clad of gravity fended off most of them.

    "Fine. If you want me to fight you seriously, follow me," Za''Fia stated and turned to fly off, but she turned back around when she felt Verin''s energy had moved further into the city.

    There was an uproar of screaming again as Verin flew straight through buildings while cackling, ignoring Za''Fia''s attempt to lure her away. Several more buildings with people still inside began to topple.

    Za''Fia didn''t know what to do. Under Alissia''s leadership, they were supposed to preserve life as best they could, but how? Her abilities weren''t suited for rescue at all. There was no way she could save everyone before those buildings fell.

    Through her muddled mind, Za''Fia noticed a higher-pitched scream. Looking below, she saw a green spot. It was a child frozen in fear as some debris from a tumbling building was about to crush him.

    For the first time ever, something welled within Za''Fia¡ªa protective urge unfamiliar to her. Za''Fia darted over to swoop the kid up. She successfully managed to get the kid out of harm''s way. She stepped back to examine him when they skidded to a stop somewhere nearby.

    The poor kid was trembling terribly, unable to say a word. He couldn''t have been more than 9 or 10 years old. He clung to a see-through backpack with several folders and comics in them.

    "You okay?" Za''Fia asked him as she patted the boy down, ensuring there were no wounds the boy''s adrenaline may have been blocking him from feeling.

    The kid nodded. When he finally realized he had been saved, he spoke. "You''re really pretty."

    Za''Fia flashed him a genuine smile, something Za''Fia had just realized she hadn''t done in a while.

    "Thanks, handsome. Can you answer some questions for me? Are you sure you''re okay? You don''t hurt anywhere?"

    "Umm," he turned his hand and revealed he was bleeding a little. "Just this, but I''m a big boy now, so I didn''t cry!"

    He smiled and patted himself on the chest.

    "I saw you fly! Are you a superhero?"

    The boy''s eyes were wide with excitement. Za''Fia found it incredible how quickly he forgot about almost being crushed. Za''Fia shifted her gaze down to the comic books in the boy''s bag.

    "Something like that."

    "Are you fighting a villain?"

    "Hm, a villain...I suppose¡ª"

 Chapter XIV: ZaFia vs. Verin - Befallen Tragedy (Pt. 3)

    Za''Fia suddenly went alert in time to block as she was struck with intangible heaviness, with force strong enough to send her crashing through two buildings. When she got back up, she saw Verin hovering above, holding the kid by the neck as he kicked and scratched at her.

    Za''Fia felt herself slowly heat up as her anger crept higher.

    "Let the kid go," Za''Fia warned.

    "Why? If you want to save him..." Verin tightened her grip around his throat, causing the kid to let out a broken croak as his eyes rolled back. "Come save him."

    Za''Fia rocketed from the ground in a blaze of fire. She used all her available speed as she tried to reach the kid in time, but Verin sordidly increased the gravity around Za''Fia, slowing her down just enough to prevent her from reaching them without forcing Za''Fia out of the slowed perception of time that accompanied such speed. This meant Za''Fia had to watch as Verin squeezed until the kid''s body went limp.

    Verin looked Za''Fia dead in the eye with a cruel smile as she did so, making Za''Fia''s blood boil.

    Za''Fia felt a power surge within her. She used the built-up momentum to tackle Verin and took her far away from the city until there was nothing but desert wasteland around. From the sky, Za''Fia directed them into the ground. Enraged, she started smashing her fists into Verin''s face, letting her power run rampant with the impacts.

    Verin attempted to block, but Za''Fia had the advantage and swatted her arm aside, combining super speed and strength to unleash a barrage of blows down on Verin.

    Za''Fia could feel Verin trying to gather the energy to transform, but she was relentless. She''d be damned if she was going to allow her the time.

    "Ngh! GET OFF OF ME!" Verin yelled as Za''Fia felt the pressure around her become so heavy she went flat against the ground while Verin stood, panting. Verin''s face was bruised and bleeding in several spots. She touched her cheek and winced in pain.

    "You''ll suffer for this..." she seethed as Za''Fia became so heavy the ground beneath her gave way, causing her to sink.

    Za''Fia fell into darkness, surrounded by the earth. Za''Fia just knew there was dirt everywhere in her hair now. She could feel Verin attempting to transform again. Thinking fast, she shot mighty columns of fire skyward, disrupting Verin''s focus long enough for her to burst through the crust. When she resurfaced, she planted a flame and spirit-enhanced downward kick onto Verin, sending her deep within the crust.

    "See how you like it," Za''Fia muttered before continuing with a finisher. She quickly gathered a mass of high-temperature flames overhead until she generated a ball of fire the size of a city block. Its heat was so intense that the dried vegetation within the desert combusted in flames. Za''Fia willed the ball to explode into dozens of smaller fireballs that rained down on the earth. When they impacted, they created more columns of concentrated flames that reached deep below the earth''s crust and burst again.

    Once the inferno waned, Za''Fia waited for a moment. With that much power, she was sure the damage was enough to burn Verin even through her gravity. Now, she''d wait until Verin resurfaced to finish things off.

    Za''Fia scanned the area in anticipation.

    Except she''s not resurfacing...

    Her eyes widened as she quickly realized her mistake and charged downward, but just before reaching the ground, Za''Fia felt a sudden hair-raising release of malevolent, chaotic energy ripple through the air. There was an ominous laugh as Verin''s spirit energy caused the atmosphere to become so heavy that Za''Fia and the ground itself were flattened. Several cracks in the ground spread over a wide range. Za''Fia struggled beneath the weight, unable to move.

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    Za''Fia could literally hear the grinding of a few birds'' bones right before they were squished into a meaty puddle. The rubble of the heated ground before Za''Fia began to move as a pair of black bat-like wings stuck out.

    Verin rose. Her body steamed from Za''Fia''s attack. Some of her skin had been badly burned. The parts that weren''t were light grey. Her nails¡ªdark claws that cut through stone as she leveraged out of the ground. She had two thick, black horns that extended from her head. Her eyes were black with violet irises as she stared down at Za''Fia lifelessly. The power she presented was almost enough to crush Za''Fia''s will. Za''Fia understood there was no way she''d avoid having to transform now.

    Verin walked over to Za''Fia, a wild look in her eye. Za''Fia lay there defenseless as she tried to gather more of her power, but Verin soon stood over her.

    With her foot raised, she then pressed it to Za''Fia''s head; Verin finally spoke, her voice distorted from her transformation.

    "I guess even a dragon''s just an ant to a demon," she stated as Za''Fia felt her head begin to be crushed.

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: After year 3600 BC, during their first millennium together, Verin, "The Demon of Despair" was forbade from feeding on humans due to the extremities she unleashes in order to spur despair en masse.

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 Chapter XV: Alissia vs The Cannibal Twins - An Impregnable Force (Pt. 1)

    I stood atop the moving plane that flew somewhere over South Korea. I''d chosen to wear something more befitting a leader to commemorate the team''s first outing with me in charge. I wore a blue button-down shirt beneath a thin, short, brown jacket that stopped at my stomach. I had on light jeans, brown combat boots, and a holster on my left thigh, where I pocketed my spatial bag. Claeg and Kaila both wore dark clothing with Kaila rocking a hooded cloak as well.

    The world, from my perspective, became light blue/white as I used Heart''s Eye to discern their power more accurately.

    So Naomi was right: Claeg is much less powerful, but he poses a greater physical threat, while Kaila seems to have abundant power.

    On top of that, they both were colored in a searing red hunger shrouded in black that was so profound I could almost feel it myself.

    They stared at me blankly before Claeg abruptly charged, then leaped forward, and Kaila manifested whips of blood that shot specks at me. The world turned greenish purple as I reflexively used Temporal Sight in a burst to see a few seconds into the future. I gracefully positioned my body in just the right spot to dodge the blood specks before I leaned back, narrowly escaping Claeg''s tackle.

    As he shot past me, I grabbed him mid-air by the ankle with one hand. I threw Claeg hard enough to send him through the plane''s hull and used a little telekinesis to curve him back toward one of the plane''s engines, which caused the plane to spiral out of control and crash into an uninhabited landscape below.

    "There goes our mission," Kaila said nonchalantly as she and I landed gently a few feet away from the burning plane. A smoldering chunk of it was sent flying from Claeg, who exited the flames and smoke.

    "Screw the mission. What the hell''s going on? How''d she dodge me? How was she that strong? Did she get augmented, too?" He asked as he rolled his shoulders.

    "Don''t be stupid; it wouldn''t have happened this fast, and they don''t have Avarice''s formula," Kaila told him as she observed me carefully. "This is something else. Guess there was more to you than even Avarice suspected."

    I shrugged, "Maybe..."

    "Whatever happened to you, with the two of us here, you''re not getting out of this alive. I''m going to tear all the meat off your bones and eat it while you watch," Claeg grabbed the arm Kaila had just extended to him, then bit down hard until there was blood overflowing from where his mouth and her skin touched.

    Kaila didn''t wince in the slightest as Claeg''s grey pupils glowed red, and his body grew slightly in size. When he stopped, he let go of her arm and vanished.

    The ground crunched in multiple spots as he beelined toward me, but he remained unseen.

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    I leaned to the right just before I felt a brush of force reach where my face had been.

    "Wha...?" Claeg uttered, stupefied as he stumbled from missing.

    I kneed him hard in the gut, then swept his legs from under him. Before he could hit the ground, there was a needle of blood just inches from piercing my face. I spun light on my feet as I dodged the needle and the one hidden behind it.

    I fixed my attention on Kaila, dashed forward, and pushed her back with a weak pulse of telekinetic energy from my hand. I stood firmly as she skidded to a stop a few feet away.

    "So he gets stronger and faster when he feeds on your blood?" I glanced at Claeg, who had rushed over to stand by Kaila. "Does the same goes for you?"

    "As if I''d answer that," Kaila responded snidely.

    "Okay," I shrugged, "Either way, I think it''d be best to keep you two apart."

    With that, I held up an index finger as a small amount of my spirit energy focused above its tip, serving as a nucleus. Then, I willed some of my spatial energy forward as it spiraled tightly around the nucleus.

    "What the hell is that?" Kaila asked.

    "Whatever it is, it''s too small to be a threat. Let''s kill her already; I''m getting hungry," Claeg responded eagerly.

    "No, her goal is to separate us. Stay close; we don''t know what she''s up to."

    "You should listen to your sister," I told Claeg. "Not that it''s gonna help you much."

    I pointed my finger at the space between them. In the next instant, the nucleus shot forward quicker than they could react. Kaila and Claeg turned in slow motion as all the power and force wrapped in the nucleus was suddenly released, causing an expansive dome sphere to appear that ejected them both in opposite directions. The burst created powerful gusts of wind as the ground under it caved in to match the curvature of the bottom of the sphere.

    Those Expansion Shocks work a lot better than I expected them to.

    Indeed. They are quick yet powerful. You have created a splendid technique, Viraa praised. I see you intend to force them apart.

    Yeah. I''ll let them tire themselves out, then knock them unconscious afterward.

    Hm...

    I watched as the two finally spun to a stop. Claeg was relatively unscathed¡ªhis toughness really was impressive. Kaila, on the other hand, was heavily damaged by the attack, but her destroyed arm was already slowly mending itself back together.

    That explains why she doesn''t have any wounds despite making herself bleed so often. Though, her healing powers don''t seem to be as powerful as Michael''s was.

    "One''s tough, and one can heal. It''ll take some time until you two exhaust yourselves, won''t it..."

    "Quit talking like you have the advantage, brat. Regardless of your little boost in power, making light of us is a huge mistake. It''s still two versus one," Claeg said with smug aggravation.

    "How many times have I told you to train your senses more," Kaila interjected, slightly nervous.

    "Relax, Kaila. It''s unlike you to be cautious of a human. We got this," Claeg stated, noticing her being on guard.

    "Yet despite that, she''s displayed power a human shouldn''t have....Think with your head for once. If you''d trained your senses like you were told, you''d know that she''s holding a lot more power back than what she''s shown. We''re not winning this without using that."

    "First you say that against Michael, now her? You sure you''re not overreacting?"

    "Shut up and let''s do it," Kaila said as they super sped toward each other.

    Curious, Alissia used Temporal Sight to view several moments into the future.

    Oh? There is much more to these two than I would have thought, Viraa commented. Perhaps they''ll pose a better challenge to you as you are if you do not interfere.

    Yeah, and if Trik were here he''d tell me the same, but I''m not the gambling sort. Nor am I that sadistic.

 Chapter XV: Alissia vs The Cannibal Twins - An Impregnable Force (Pt. 2)

    That said, I, once again, aimed a spatial-charged nucleus between the two.

    "I thought I was clear: I''m separating you two."

    Claeg and Kaila were blasted apart again. This time, Kaila''s entire left side was damaged, but she started to recover not long after.

    "You''re a nuisance," she called out in frustration. "So you won''t let us get too close to each other, now? You that afraid of us?"

    "Fine by me, there are other ways we can win..." Claeg signaled to his sister.

    Kaila''s eyes glowed brighter as she smiled.

    "Let''s see how you like my Blood World," she said as I noticed the moon had turned red. In fact, everything had developed a red tint.

    I looked around to see that we had been enveloped in a mysterious red sheet of her spirit energy.

    "What''s this?" I asked, cluelessly.

    "Marsh," Kaila commanded as blood streams began to gush from her palms. Soon, the entire area was ankle-deep in her blood. I floated off the ground to avoid touching it.

    Wait, how is this even happening?

    It seems her spirit energy is serving as a barrier to hold her blood within, Viraa remarked. If I had to guess, I would presume that she, or more likely they, will have an advantage within this domain.

    At least that would be the case if they were facing any of the others, Viraa chuckled.

    "I hope you''re prepared," Kaila called out as she used one hand to draw blood from another, forming a whip. "Claeg, stand aside and wait for an opening. Attack the moment you see it."

    "Yeah, yeah, just hurry up and cut off an arm or something. I''m starving."

    "So you intend to eat me, do you?" I turned to Claeg on the left, but suddenly, a brief wall of blood fell between us as Kaila''s whip snapped down and sliced clean through the ground.

    "Wow...Didn''t know blood could be that sharp," I muttered.

    "You have no idea. Here, let me show you," Kaila stated as she whipped her edged blood, wrapping it around me, but Kaila''s blood wasn''t powerful enough to get through my stasis field. Instead of cutting me, the whips were held in place inches away from me.

    "Now, do you see?" I said as I lowered into the bloody marsh. The liquid curved around my presence, unable to touch me. As I strolled toward Kaila, I raised my power slightly and forced the bloody waters to part with each step. "You two can''t beat me."

    Kaila and Claeg watched with a mixture of confusion and horror before Kaila shook herself free of hesitation.

    "My blood can''t touch you, so what? So long as you''re within my domain, I can still strengthen Claeg until he''s strong enough to smash through your defenses."

    I looked around at the Blood World she''d created.

    "What happens if I do this then?" I asked as I tapped my middle finger and thumb together before focusing an even more immense amount of spirit and spatial energy on them.

    Claeg stupidly rushed toward me out of nowhere.

    "No! Claeg, get back!" Kaila yelled as I snapped my fingers.

    The release of energy was multiple times more powerful than my Expansion Shock was. I could feel the air vibrate as a dome of pure destruction eviscerated the ground and dismantled Kaila''s Blood World while blasting both of them skyward. When it all ended, Claeg was somehow relatively okay with only a few cuts as his spirit enhancement broke apart.

    I found that odd since I used enough power to rip through any protection he could have conjured easily. Then I noticed a little blood dripping from him.

    I looked at Kaila, who was severely wounded again but healing, of course.

    "You protected him with your blood," I commented as I flew closer to their vicinity.

    "Of course I did. He would''ve died from a point-blank blast like that," Kaila responded as her body was mostly healed.

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    "I would''ve been fin¡ª"

    "He might''ve lost a limb, but he would''ve survived," I reassured her. I knitted my eyebrows and looked at her more closely.

    Claeg charged at me again, but without diverting my focus, I forced him to the ground telekinetically and held him there.

    "Why haven''t you tried to fight me up close yet?" I asked Kaila as the thought crossed my mind. Her gaze kept flicking from me to Claeg, but she remained in the air with me. "I mean, sure, your brother is stronger and faster, but he just throws his muscles around and doesn''t bother learning technique. I know you''ve realized you''d probably stand a better chance against me than him."

    "What, you can read minds now too?" Kaila asked rhetorically. "Sure, I can fight physically if I want. I created a way for me to since I faced that fire bitch a few months ago. But if you want me to show you, you''ll have to take down that shield of yours."

    "Don''t let her hear you call her that," I told her in a friendly, unthreatening manner. "But okay, I''m interested in seeing it, so I''ll indulge you."

    "Wonderful," Kaila grinned slyly as her power built up, her skin tinged with red, and the whites of her eyes became bloodshot. "Did you know that by changing the composition of my blood, I can force it to circulate and pump faster throughout my body and heart? Doing this pushes me to my limits but closes the gap between me and the others, making me stronger and faster than before."

    To prove so, she moved faster than expected and attempted to connect a heavy kick I blocked with my arms. Then, she quickly spun into a sharp elbow directed at my neck. I crossed my left arm across my chest and caught her elbow in my palm, holding her there momentarily as she grinned in satisfaction.

    "Impressive, isn''t it? Due to my nature, I always preferred the easier way of taking down my prey, but I''m nothing like I was a moment ago," Kaila said proudly.

    "Yeah, you''re more adept at hand-to-hand than I expected," I complimented as I resisted against her considerable force.

    "And that''s not all..." she replied.

    I looked down at where her elbow and my hand met and raised an eyebrow as some blood oozed from her pores and wriggled between my fingers.

    I reflexively yanked my hand away, but it was too late. The blood started worming its way up my arm until I instinctively generated a discharge of spatial energy that lifted the blood from my skin. I watched in disgust as it tried to twist its way inwards and then explode.

    "That''s...disturbing."

    "You prevented it that time, but I doubt you can do that if it''s inside your body," Kaila stated as she readied for another attack. "A cut, the mouth, your ears. It doesn''t matter what entrance; all it takes is a drop, then you''re mine."

    Her skin came to life as her blood crawled over it as if it had a mind of its own, "And once I get a grip, I''ll drain every drop from you."

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Lift: a divine-class cintracy that grants Alissia the ability to move objects with her mind by generating a spatial field around objects or targets. This energy distorts the space around an object or target, granting her full control. Alissia''s telekinetic abilities aren''t limited to the extent of her spirit energy. While it requires spirit energy to utilize, items or targets she wants to lift doesn''t have to be within her energy''s reach. So long as she can see the object and has enough mastery of the power, she can lift objects of a variety of sizes.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

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    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

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 Chapter XVI: Damien vs. Junichiro - The Quickest Blade (Pt. 1)

    Damien grimaced as he blocked another of Junichiro''s broad sword attacks. They were high above a mountain range as they dashed and blurred in the night sky. He couldn''t keep up with Junichiro''s speed. All Damien could do was remain on the defensive as each clash sent out a flash of lilac and violet light that anyone with a trained eye could probably see from the city on the horizon.

    His sword snapped in half from the force of the strike. This was the second time this happened. For some reason, Junichiro''s sword continued to cut through his without issue despite his spirit enhancement.

    Regardless, he promptly reshaped more of the chunks of raw metal he had levitating around him, but he had still been cut across the chest as Junichiro vanished, reappeared before him, and then vanished again.

    There was no time for him to access the wound as Junichiro charged him with incredible speed again. In a flurry of movements, he diced Damien''s sword again and for a piercing jab, but Damien felt the blade coming as it broke through his spirit energy and narrowly side-stepped the tip of Junichiro''s blade that was aimed at his heart, getting cut near his rib cage instead.

    "You don''t waste time, do you?" Damien remarked as he winced but moved in a burst of max speed, spun horizontally, and shockingly managed to land an electrifying downward kick to Junichiro''s shoulder, sending Junichiro arcing far below with a flash of lightning.

    Junichiro landed kneeling on one knee with his blade stuck into the ground to disperse the lightning. The impact was so strong it created a crater in the ground. His body and clothes steamed from the lightning, but that seemed to be Damien''s electricity''s only effect on him.

    Damien found this vexing as he lowered closer to the ground.

    Junichiro shot skyward toward him without wasting a moment as a dozen dark violet blades of his spirit energy manifested around him.

    "That looks troubling..." Damien muttered as he barely dodged one of the blades sent toward him. Dodging the first one placed him in the path of the next one sent. Damien was quick enough to maneuver out of the way by ascending a bit higher, but that earned him a blade through his left leg as another was shot toward him.

    "You''re too slow," Junichiro stated emotionlessly as he sent out three more.

    Damien responded by melting some of the metal chunks around him into twenty spinning discs coated with his electric spirit energy. One-to-one, his discs proved useless, but having three discs clash into one of Junichiro''s blades resulted in the blades and discs shattering against each other.

    "Oh...what a pleasant surprise," Damien said, pleased.

    "Do not think that will be enough," Junichiro called out as he formed more blades.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    This began their battle of attrition. At first, they were evenly matched. Damien was able to counter many of Junichiro''s blades thrown at him, but it quickly became apparent that Damien couldn''t keep up with the rate at which Junichiro could conjure his weapons. By the time Junichiro reconjured two of his blades, Damien could only manage the creation of four electric discs.

    This eventually left gaps in his offense as many of Junichiro''s blades broke through, forcing Damien to resort to Arc Burst, where he released a devasting amount of electrifying power in the vicinity. He used a version of this back when he helped Tymon destroy one of Avarice''s bases. Being in his hybrid form this time, it was much more powerful¡ªpowerful enough to counter every blade hurling toward him.

    When the release of power faded, Junichiro rose to level with him, his body steaming again. Damien noted how he wasn''t gaining much ground due to Junichiro''s endurance for pain. His discipline allowed him to ignore most of the effects of Damien''s lightning. Plus, his vast number of weapons made it challenging to get close to him.

    While this ran through his head, he sensed something in the distance, but he knew better than to focus on it in his current predicament.

    "I will not fall to you," Junichiro spouted as he shrugged off the electric remnants. "Once you are disposed of, I will return to Father victorious."

    "I take it you''d then go assist your siblings in their matches?"

    "If Father wills it," Junichiro answered.

    "Well, we can''t have that now, can we?" Damien stated as he began to remove his gloves.

    "Removing your gloves is futile. We have been briefed about each of your abilities, so I am well aware of your Overload ability. As if I would allow you to touch me."

    "You''re a lot like Arne," Damien began, "During my training, I found myself against someone who was less affected by my electricity and had a high tolerance for pain. So, I had to improvise to find a way around that wall."

    "So, you used your Overload to overwhelm their sense of pain," Junichiro interrupted, "As I have stated, I know you must touch me for it to activate. You are far too slow to achieve that."

    Damien flashed a fanged smile and waved a clawed finger in the air.

    "Tsk tsk tsk. That''s its previous version. You see, being pushed like that forced me to realize something that''d never occurred to me before: we can evolve our abilities," Damien declared as his aura changed from its typical chaotic, electric state to a buzzing, refined, static aura.

    When he formed another sword from the metal around him, he channeled some of his aura into the blade. Damien summoned walls of raw metal from the ground to obstruct Junichiro''s vision. He lowered his power to prevent detection as he sped, undetected, past Junichiro''s blades, getting close enough for his sword to be within reach.

    Junichiro reacted immediately as Damien struck down hard. Junichiro blocked with his broadsword, causing their blades to spark against each other. Damien knew that his sword would soon break again, but before that, he spread more of his energy outward until it touched Junichiro.

    He noticed Junichiro''s muscles convulse tightly, causing Junichiro to leap back.

    "What is the meaning of this?" Junichiro demanded as he witnessed his arms spasm. "The vibrations from the clash, the shock from your energy...why did it feel more intense..."

    "It''s not just my hands you need to be wary of now," Damien warned playfully as he dashed forward.

    Damien was on the offensive. He slashed and slashed and slashed at high speeds, not wanting to give Junichiro any reprieve. Each strike against Junichiro''s broadsword broke his blade, but he quickly reformed them.

    Why are my blades so much weaker? Damien wondered as he continued. Then, the answer struck him. He remembered Alissia handing him the necklace with the cindium pendant and telling him how it''d protect him.

    So that''s what she meant.

 Chapter XVI: Damien vs. Junichiro - The Quickest Blade (Pt. 2)

    Damien gripped the cindium pendant around his neck and reshaped it into a hiltless sword like the others. This time, when he swung down against Junichiro''s sword, it didn''t break.

    Damien willed the blade to continue swinging even as he let it go and embedded his claws into a preoccupied Junichiro''s sides before channeling his new aura through him.

    Junichiro wailed in pain, then pushed him back and scowled.

    "Ah," Damien grabbed his blade with admiration, "Now things are a bit more balanced, don''t you think?"

    He grinned and pointed the tip at Junichiro, beckoning him forward, but Junichiro didn''t move, so Damien threw his sword at him.

    Junichiro easily dodged and, faster than Damien could blink, was before him.

    "Only a fool would toss their blade in battle."

    "I agree," Damien said as he willed the sword back to him, aiming for Junichiro''s back. Predictably, Junichiro vanished again just as the blade approached him, so Damien turned to the side, allowing it to pass him and run through Junichiro''s stomach as he reappeared behind Damien.

    Junichiro grunted in confusion as he gripped the blade.

    "Care to know something?" Damien asked as he slowly pulled the blade from Junichiro''s stomach. "Since releasing my Arc Burst, the air has become magnificently charged here. It''s made keeping track of you much easier. I may not be able to move as quickly as you can, but you''d better be careful not to assume I''m an easy target. You could get hurt, you know."

    That and his spirit energy had been the only reason why he hadn''t been killed yet. But that''s all it did. He still didn''t know how he''d actually defeat Junichiro for good.

    Junichiro bellowed in anger and lunged at Damien. When they clashed, they elevated higher into the night sky. Each collision of their swords created thundering booms that reverberated through the air.

    Junichiro''s movements weren''t as sharp as before, and he''d let out the occasional grunt. Damien could tell that Junichiro''s wounds, coupled with Overload and electricity, were working even if he was doing surprisingly well despite them. But their stalemate was short-lived as Junichiro resorted to his conjured blades to keep Damien and his energy at a distance¡ªthis time, he conjured over 20 blades.

    Not wanting to waste more energy by using Arc Burst again, he used the remaining metal around him to create one hundred blades reinforced with his spirit energy to counter. Unfortunately, he couldn''t shroud them in his static energy due to Overload being limited to only his immediate aura.

    As their blades shattered against one another again, Junichiro gave a stoic grin of satisfaction.

    "You may have wounded me, but it is painfully obvious that your weapons are no match for mine. Why continue such senseless tactics...Perhaps a display of my true capabilities will show you how outclassed you are."This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Damien felt more power surge then release from Junichiro. He flew back instinctively, wanting to avoid getting caught inside the area of energy that had formed. Within its perimeters, the atmosphere was light violet. Hundreds of spirit missiles and blades floated in the air, and even a few sentry guns were stationed on a makeshift road around him.

    Damien watched as a passing bird flew too close and was instantly sliced by a blade before being riddled with bullets by one of the sentry guns.

    "This is my Rendering Zone," Junichiro stated confidently. "I have only ever had to use this against Verin. I suppose you should consider yourself proud of pushing me this far. However, this means there will be nothing left of you for your friends to bury. Though that will not matter."

    Junichiro launched toward Damien, forcing him inside his zone. Judging from what happened to the bird, Damien knew he had to keep moving as fast as possible to avoid being hit by the numerous weapons that hung around him. Even then, he still could only barely dodge, and despite his spirit-enhanced protection, he received several bullet wounds and slashes all around that, though mostly shallow, caused him to bleed. Luckily, his reflexes and speed prevented any fatal injuries and helped him avoid the real threats: the missiles that were trained on him.

    Damien would spin, vanish, and duck between them, causing them to explode against each other. For a while, he managed, but eventually, his wounds began to slow him down, and one of the explosions knocked him off balance, disrupting his rhythm and causing him to be hit fully by one. Damien focused as much energy as he could in that instant on the point of impact on his body to reduce the damage done to himself. This did help, but it left the rest of his body vulnerable to the effects of the blast, which left him burned.

    However, despite the pain, Damien used the smoke cover to his advantage and closed the distance between him and Junichiro, blitzing dozens of weapons with his cindium blade in the process. By the time the subsequent explosions occurred, he was behind Junichiro, who stood surprised as Damien had cut through his defenses.

    Damien''s body ached all over at this point, but he moved at his top speed at that moment, wanting to wound Junichiro as much as possible. He managed to give Junichiro several lacerations across his body that leaked blood. Still, Junichiro quickly recovered from shock as Damien had to move again while all the sentry guns fired at him.

    In the midst of avoiding being shot to death, Damien sensed Junichiro''s energy swell and then spiked again. He then noticed the sentry guns had stopped firing. He shifted his gaze to Junichiro just in time to glimpse a swift movement of Junichiro''s arm, allowing him to barely raise his blade in defense as a vertical force crashed against him. The force of the attack was unbelievably strong, forcing Damien back toward the ground.

    As Damien rushed downward under the weight of the attack, he focused a large amount of his energy on his blade. Despite that, in his condition, he didn''t have the strength to repel the attack and knew he''d die if he didn''t move, so, with great effort, he gritted his teeth as he rolled the sharp projectile off the edge of his blade, deflecting it away from him, as he maneuvered to the side to allow it to pass by. The slash traveled sideways in its new trajectory until it hit a nearby mountain.

    To his astonishment, the entire mountain was split in half as Junichiro''s attack faded. Out of breath, Damien looked back at Junichiro, who didn''t seem winded at all. He wasn''t even wincing from the bleeding wounds he had.

    Having spent so much energy to ward off that attack, he knew he was in a tough spot. With the reserve of power he had left, if Junichiro could pull that off another once or twice, Damien was concerned he''d end up in the same state as that mountain.

    Damien needed to gain some distance for the time being. That attack was concerningly fast. He didn''t want to be too close if it was re-released. Plus, he needed to catch his breath, so now was not the time to be caught in that rendering zone again.

    He began to descend to the ground slowly. As he did so, he looked down at his wounds.

    Come on...

 Chapter XVI: Damien vs. Junichiro - The Quickest Blade (Pt. 3)

    "You''re just full of surprises, aren''t you?" Damien called up as he waited for the moment.

    "I must commend you for redirecting that attack. But how many times can you do that before you''re burnt out? How long will you last before those wounds sap your strength?" Junichiro spoke as he lowered from the sky as well. "You''ve done well, but this fight is over. Accept your defeat with honor."

    "Unfortunately, I can''t do that. I need you to stay here with me, you see. You leaving here would put someone else in danger."

    Damien spoke confidently, but he was out of ideas. The most he could hope for was to stall Junichiro until¡ª

    Damien looked up as pitch-black clouds blotted out the moon. On cue, the winds picked up, and thunder boomed overhead before they were hit with heavy rain. Damien had sensed the storm approaching earlier and awaited its arrival. But now that it was over them, he could feel its abnormality. A storm this intense and electrical in January wasn''t natural. But that was a problem for another time; for now, he smiled.

    Coincidently, he started to feel a warmth spread through his body and noticed Michael''s thread glowing as the wounds across his body began to heal.

    "At last," he breathed, welcoming the fortuitous turn of events.

    Somewhere to his left, he witnessed a giant funnel cloud suddenly form from a thick, low-hanging cluster of clouds, creating a tornado that began to ravage the region.

    "Tch. Damn this rain," Junichiro spat. He looked at Damien, who could see the irritation of seeing him mostly healed.

    "The rain isn''t your biggest issue," Damien declared as he began to float, "Sure, it won''t help given who you''re up against, but isn''t what you should really be concerned about the lightning?"

    Thunder cracked overhead. Lightning became visible through the clouds. Damien raised his hand and shot a blast of his spirit energy into the chaotic skies. This amplified the power of the lightning within the storm, turning it from blue to lilac. Looking down at Junichiro, he smiled, his eyes flashing with the thunder.

    For the first time, Junichiro looked worried and conjured more weapons in preparation as Damien flicked his wrist earthward. Multiple columns of pure lightning struck the ground with destructive power.

    Junichiro attempted to protect himself with his blades, but the lightning quickly shattered every weapon he conjured. Still, by conjuring at super speeds, he managed to keep himself from being hit through the continuous assault.

    Damien observed as Junichiro stood, shocked, looking at the region. Everything was either smoldering, red-hot, or charred, and the places the lightning had hit were now black chasms that still sparked with the occasional electric discharge.

    "Seems I missed a spot. Shall we try again?" Damien said as he raised his hand again and shot another blast of his energy into the clouds. Again, he rained down a godly display of lightning on Junichiro and the earth below.

    Damien watched as Junichiro''s blade morphed from a broadsword to a thin katana.

    He''s still withholding from me...?

    Junichiro''s boosting device glowed violet as he began to move in a blur. His feet were still planted firmly on the ground, but his upper body moved so fast he was difficult to see as Junichiro swung his spirit-enhanced sword and deflected lightning strike after lightning strike.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    As Damien watched from above, he saw the collisions of Junichiro''s attacks create a protective dome of sparks above him as he continued to swing. When the attacks ended, Junichiro stood on an untouched patch of the earth, panting. This was a good sign that Junichiro was finally reaching his limit, but so was Damien.

    He was out of breath as well. Summoning that much lightning twice in a row consumed far more energy than he expected.

    But that was okay; he still had his ace up his sleeve...

    Damien closed his eyes and breathed in and out calmly. With each breath, he willed more lightning to gather above him in the clouds. Once he felt enough had gathered, he commanded it to strike him.

    In a bright flash followed by a deafening ''boom,'' Damien was struck by a massive bolt of natural lightning. The bolt rejuvenated him as it fused with his depleted spirit energy and sheathed him in lightning unlike his typical aura. This sheathe was modeled after Michael''s ability to become light. It was bonded to him. It didn''t grant him the intangible and indestructible state of energy, but it did grant him the ability to move as fast as lightning itself so long as he could maintain the state.

    Damien lowered to the ground before Junichiro, his body zapped with uncontainable power.

    "This is everything I have," he stated, opening his arms so Junichiro could gaze upon him. "Unfortunately, once this power fades, I''ll be unable to move for quite some time, so I must end our little dance quickly. Do try not to die; I made a promise after all."

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

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 Chapter XVII: Junichiro vs Damien - Desperate Measures (Pt. 1)

    Junichiro stood guarded as he observed Damien''s new form. Its electrical presence was altering the storm around them and caused lightning bolts to rip through funnel clouds, dispersing them. The once cool, heavy rain warmed as Damien''s body emitted ripples of electric currents that even he felt.

    "What is that form?"

    Without answering, Damien vanished simultaneously with a lightning strike. Faster than Junichiro could react, Damien connected a straight kick to his stomach, which sent him hurdling across the ground. Junichiro managed to stop himself by jamming his sword into the ground, carving a fine line as he slowed down his velocity. When he finally stopped over a thousand feet away, he coughed up blood and nearly lost consciousness as he dropped to his knees.

    He gritted his teeth as he fought to stay awake with sheer force of will. He looked at Damien through blurry vision as he began to practice his breathing.

    His mind was rattled with questions.

    Damien strolled toward him as lightning struck the ground around him.

    "Mm, your strength of will truly is astounding," Damien commended as he approached Junichiro.

    Junichiro chose to strike quickly and true when Damien was within his reach. Still, he was immediately hit with electricity that ran through his body intensely as his blade went through Damien''s center.

    Curiously, through a pained vision, Junichiro witnessed Damien''s body shimmer around his blade like air as it dissipated.

    This was strange. He''d struck him. He knew it. He felt it. Damien had just been there; he was sure of it, yet no one was before him. And no blood stained his blade. Was it a mirage? Where was the actual body, then? Junichiro could sense Damien''s presence everywhere, making it difficult to discern his exact location, but that was impossible.

    Is he moving at such speeds that his presence can be felt everywhere at once? Just how fast has his transformation made him?

    Junichiro suddenly felt the hairs on his neck stand as he heard Damien''s voice come from behind him.

    "Careful not to let your guard down."

    When Junichiro felt Damien''s hand touch his shoulder, he was filled with a blinding pain again. He swung behind him only to be electrocuted again, his mental and physical fortitude being sapped even further.

    However, Damien was gone again.

    He is too quick now. This was not in his file... Junichiro thought.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    When Junichiro felt the prickling on the back of his neck again, his instinct went on high alert, and he reflexively blocked just as Damien struck out of nowhere.

    Their swords clashed, and Damien struck again, only to be met with another block by Junichiro. Each of Damien''s swings sent agonizing vibrations through Junichiro''s body, which became more and more challenging to deal with as the rain worsened his resistance.

    Junichiro was struggling to keep up now. He tried to strike in, but Damien was so confident in his speed that he tossed his blade into the air and casually knocked Junichiro''s blade from his hand. They immediately entered hand-to-hand combat, but Junichiro couldn''t keep up with Damien''s movements and was struck with the back of Damien''s hand before Damien caught his blade that had fallen perfectly into his hand and flashed a mocking smile with a wink.

    The backhand that at one point wouldn''t have fazed him now felt like he was hit with a building. The pain from it seared somewhere behind his eyes as blood dripped from his nose.

    This humiliation enraged Junichiro and forced him to do something potentially dangerous. He recalled the energy converters Claeg and Kaila had rejected and pulled one from his pocket. Without hesitation, he jammed it onto his lower hip next to the previous one.

    [Speed boosted. Speed level: High Level 11 ¨C 115,000pmh. Flight speed: Low Special Level 1 ¨C Mach 220. Temporary enhancement completed. Alert: Further enhancement not advised.]

    Junichiro felt like his body was on fire. Especially his legs, but he pushed through the pain.

    When Damien struck again, he could see each of Damien''s movements this time¡ªand manifested two well-timed traps to counter Damien. But Damien was still fast enough to evade them. Even with his Rendering Zone activated, Junichiro hadn''t yet landed a single blow since Damien''s unforeseen increase in speed.

    Just then, they both stopped in their tracks as Junichiro sensed three unbelievable releases of energy.

    He looked off in the direction of the laboratory. He''d been so engrossed in his battle that he hadn''t registered Tymon''s or his father''s energies.

    To think that Father would need to use this much of his power...

    Junichiro sharpened his sense to discern what transpired between Tymon and Avarice. Based on what he sensed, Tymon''s energy now dwarfed his own.

    Why is he suddenly so powerful?

    When his sense finally reached them, Junichiro could see them more clearly¡ªnot visibly as with vision but vaguely through the shape and state of their energies. With this, he could sense that his father was...losing? Tymon constantly pressured his father to prevent him from gathering the power to transform.

    He possesses enough power to push Father this far...? Even without Father transforming this still should not be happening. How? How did they change this much in such a short amount of time?

    "You know, there''s a third energy you should be focusing on as well," Damien casually pointed out, breaking his concentration.

    Junichiro did sense another significant energy source. Considering who the other two were, he figured it was Michael battling the twins. But even as he made this assumption, he subconsciously diverted his sense toward the source of the power.

    His eyes widened slowly as he realized the energy was not Michael''s but belonged to the human. No human should possess that much power. It was well over even Kaila''s, and judging from what he sensed, the twins were plainly outclassed.

    "Scary, aren''t they?" Damien teased, clearly pleased with Junichiro''s shock of it all.

    "What sort of trickery is this..." he demanded.

    "Trickery?" Damien laughed. "She''s the real deal, I can assure you. I''d even go as far as to say she''s more than a match for Avarice at full strength. But you won''t have to worry about fighting her or Tymon. After all, if you can''t defeat me, what hopes do you have against them?"

 Chapter XVII: Junichiro vs Damien - Desperate Measures (Pt. 2)

    Junichiro wanted to believe what Damien had just said was impossible. A bluff concocted out of bravado or another attempt to goad him into losing his composure. But for some reason, he knew what was said to be the truth. The human had somehow become their biggest obstacle.

    He turned to speed off in Avarice''s direction. He figured if he could intercept Tymon to buy his father enough time to transform, his father could dispatch Tymon for the time being and focus his attention on the human. Junichiro and the twins would aid Wren and Trevor before focusing on Michael. Junichiro could vaguely sense each of the others around the world. He could tell how powerful the Primordials had gotten. They had not been prepared for this at all. This was the only way they could turn things in their favor.

    Before he could get far, Damien appeared before him, his palm firmly gripping his face, stopping him in place.

    "You''re not trying to leave me, are you?" Damien said satirically as he sent a jolt of electricity through Junichiro''s brain before throwing him back.

    Junichiro managed to stop before going too far, as his feet dragged across the ground and kicked up dirt. His knees felt weak from the shock as the world spun, but he remained standing.

    I am still too slow?! He thought in frustration, unable to outmaneuver Damien.

    "I''m curious," Damien started as he and Junichiro stood in the middle of the raging storm around them, Junichiro''s wet hair stuck to his face, causing him to use a thumb to wipe it aside. "If you know Avarice''s plans, why do you support him still? Why do any of you? Do you all feel no remorse for the species you once were part of?"

    Junichiro''s expression faltered as he considered the question. His mind drifted to the past, recalling his terrible childhood and life up to being saved by Avarice before meeting Wren and Trevor, his cherished younger siblings.

    ****

    Over 1,200 years ago, Junichiro was born in the Edo period in a small rural village near the city of Edo (what would later be Tokyo, Japan). It was a poverty-stricken family he had the misfortune of being born into. Fortunately, he was too young to understand the daily misery he and his parents faced. His mother was kind and warm but was constantly sick for short periods. While his father would be out, he''d tend to her however he could.

    Eventually, though, he was seven, and his parents were foolish enough to bring another child into their somber world. By then, Junichiro knew that he was his little sister''s best chance at survival¡ªtheir mother was frail and sickly, while their father was a drunkard who''d disappear and drown his sorrows and depression in a bottle.

    Then, one day, when he was ten, their mother died from a prolonged illness, which left them in their father''s care. He never hit them or directed anger toward them. In fact, he never touched them. It was like they did not exist to him. He hardly fed them, forcing them to go days without even a scrap of food. Yet he was never too malnourished himself. Eventually, that same year, their father abandoned them, leaving a note one morning stating he couldn''t provide for himself and them. Not without their mother. The night before was the last time Junichiro ever saw his biological father''s face.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Junichiro spent the next eight years providing for himself and his sister by stealing whatever food he could. He became quite adept at it, donning a mask to protect his identity. Then, one day, his sister, now eleven, had fallen ill, and at eighteen, Junichiro traveled to Edo to acquire food, water, and anything else that could help her. It was his first time visiting Edo, which was larger than his broken town.

    With so many people to keep track of, his skills as a small-time thief were put to the test, but he was caught, and his mask was removed. Yet he escaped with food and herbs for his sister. However, little did he know then that he stole from a wealthy family that was considered royalty.

    Later in the year, while away procuring more provisions, that family''s warriors found Junichiro''s shed home. They''d used a drawing of his face and offered others food and water should they have information of his whereabouts. This incentive was impossible for anyone there to resist, but his sickly sister did. Her refusing to give up where he had gone resulted in his home being burned to the ground with her inside.

    When he''d returned, the others tried to explain, but the sight of his home devastated, his sister a charred, unrecognizable figure¡ªeverything he held dear to him reduced to ashes¡ªlit a burning, white-hot anger within him.

    He remembered having the enticingly strong urge to kill everyone in the village but refrained, knowing they were desperate and knowing that other kids like him lived there. So, without thinking, he took off toward his stolen horse tied to a nearby tree on the edge of the village, intending to ride toward Edo in a blind rage, but an old man stood by his horse.

    It was an old man he''d seen often around the village. Usually, he was hunched over, smiling, and approachable, but today, he stood tall and formidable.

    "This is not a wise decision," the elderly spoke in Japanese. "There is too much hatred in your eyes."

    "Move if you wish not to be hurt," younger Junichiro threatened.

    "You would harm a helpless old man in your rash pursuit of vengeance?"

    Junichiro ran his eyes across the elder hesitantly.

    "Something tells me you are no helpless old man."

    "Hm...instead of going down your intended path, why not follow me," the elder suggested. Then, before Junichiro could object, he said, "I saw what the warriors did to your home. If you rush off with some notion of getting revenge as you are, I can assure you, you will die. After all, I trained the master who trained them. In fact, I personally trained most of the royal families'' heads. If you do not wish to die pointlessly, then perhaps coming with me is your best option."

    Junichiro was stunned.

    "Who are you, exactly?" he inquired.

    "Oh, have I neglected to introduce myself? I am Miyamoto Musashi," the elder said casually with a gentle nod.

    Junichiro''s eyes widened in disbelief.

    "The legendary samurai?!"

    "Oh no, I mistakenly gave you my original name," the elder laughed heartily. He seemed to have a careless nature. "Shh, my current name is ."

    "You are...wait...how...?"

    "There are many secrets to this world," the elder answered cryptically with a smile.

    "Anyhow," he clapped, "Do you wish to come with me now? Or will you continue to your death?"

    Calmer now, Junichiro bowed his head, choosing to follow. He walked silently behind the elder (who was surprisingly spry) until they reached a hut not too far from the village. Back then, Junichiro was too focused on how Takamori could help him to think to pry further into how he was alive and why he appeared old despite supposedly being born 39 years prior.

    Instead, he asked, "So, how will you help me? Will you train me as well?"

 Chapter XVII: Junichiro vs Damien - Desperate Measures (Pt. 3)

    "I will," Takamori replied as he handed him a large piece of bread and prepared water over a fire. "I imagine you wish to kill those responsible for the tragedy, but you cannot honor your lost one as you are now."

    Junichiro looked at him skeptically.

    "Why help me? I have seen you around the village frequently growing up, but we have never spoken. Why now?"

    "Because I am just as angry as you. I came only to see the building was already ablaze. Believing you had died as well, I had half a mind to search for and end them myself, but when I learned you were not there, I knew you would feel the same, so I stayed to keep you from doing so."

    "I still do not see why you would feel so strongly."

    "Hm, I suppose that is to be expected. Did you know that I once had an illegitimate child? Not with my current name, but another before. Your father was part of that bloodline before he died last year."

    Junichiro stepped back in utter shock.

    "So my sister and I..."

    "Are descendants of mine, yes," Takamori confirmed. "Your blood is strong. Your father most likely would have become a great man had he chosen to pick up a blade instead of a bottle."

    "So you are saying I have the innate talent to become a great samurai myself..." Junichiro clenched his fist, a fire of motivation stirring within him. "I am ready for you to teach me."

    Takamori laughed. Junichiro remembered thinking he had been nothing like the legends suggested.

    "Good. Do keep that resolve. My training will be grueling, but in five years, should you persevere, being of my blood, you will undoubtedly become my greatest student."

    "Five years..." Junichiro muttered. He knew gaining the strength he sought wouldn''t happen overnight. Five years was unexpected, but he''d shelf his hatred for those years. He''d use it as the source of his resolve to endure anything the old man threw at him.

    "Here, eat," Takamori handed him a bowl of porridge with dried meat sticking out of it. "Build your strength. Rest tonight. Tomorrow, you begin."

    After that, Junichiro spent five long years undergoing harsh training to strengthen his body, mind, and will. Battle became his life. He''d learned to use any form of weapon he could get his hands on masterfully while hiding his identity.

    Eventually, in 1866, someone caught wind of the renowned Takamori supposedly training a peasant and informed their ruler. Later, that ruler came to visit the old man''s hut. Before Takamori stepped out to greet the royal entourage, Junichiro watched him perform an unknown breathing technique as his skin straightened into that of a youthful man and his grey hair turned black.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    "Hide," he instructed Junichiro.

    Without questioning, Junichiro obediently hid himself but still peeked so he could see who was outside. To his shock, it was the head of the family he had stolen from all those years prior¡ªthe man responsible for his sister''s death.

    Junichiro could only make out bits and pieces of their dialogue, but the guy seemed interested in meeting Takamori''s new student. Like many royalty, he appeared arrogant and overconfident¡ªthe type Junichiro was growing to despise.

    Takamori denied having a new student, but the slimy royal brushed off his lie. Junichiro heard him say something about not being allowed to taint his legacy by training peasants before getting back on his horse and riding off with his men, his eyes noting signs of training around the area.

    Nothing else was said about the man after that. Then, a month later, while training at night, Junichiro learned the royal was spying on him through bushes. He only figured it out after the royal caught him by surprise both in his presence and his skill with the sword.

    The split second of shock and hesitation was enough to put Junichiro at a disadvantage, making it easier for the skilled royal to deliver a killing blow to Junichiro. Fortunately, the old man had intercepted just in time to save his life.

    The royal was visibly taken aback by Takamori''s elderly appearance but wasted no words as their skirmish began. Junichiro could only watch in awe as the two used the sword majestically. Still, after a grueling duel, Takamori''s waning stamina gave in, and he was finally struck with a fatal wound that killed him instantly.

    Junichiro stood in disbelief as he watched Takamori''s body fall. He''d never imagined someone as skilled as his master dying. There were still so many unanswered questions he still wanted to ask him about¡ªconnections he wanted to be made.

    "Dammit. His age really has caught up to him. I shouldn''t have been able to land such an obvious blow like that," The royal commented as he stood over the body. "Now I have to find a way to keep the legacy alive somehow..."

    He reached into Takamori''s robe and pulled out a mask Takamori used as his symbol for others to recognize.

    "Saig¨­ Takamori''s legacy can''t end here."

    He hid the mask in his robe and tossed the blood-covered blade in his hand to Junichiro.

    "Your turn. Showing me what he''s been teaching someone as lowly as you."

    Junichiro reflexively caught the sword by the hilt, but just as the two were about to clash, they heard chatter and saw torches heading their way. Others in the nearby village must have heard the commotion and informed the patrolling authorities that had been established during his training.

    When they arrived, the royal quickly adapted to the situation and framed Junichiro by telling the authorities that Junichiro had been responsible for abducting and threatening him and killing an innocent elder who tried to intervene. He flashed them his family crest and ordered the men to seize Junichiro at once.

    Junichiro fled, but he later traveled to Edo for retribution for his sister and sensei. He''d snuck into the home of the royal responsible and ran his blade through the slumbering man without hesitation. It felt wrong¡ªagainst his code to kill in such a cowardly way, but he was aware that there was no honor within that man.

    After killing him, Junichiro tried to locate his master''s mask, hoping to keep his legacy alive himself, but couldn''t find it anywhere. His search was interrupted when a guard busted into the quarters and sounded an alarm at the sight of him. At that moment, Junichiro became wanted for the assassination of an important figure. He felt liberated as he managed to escape the city. There was no weight of anger upon his shoulders anymore¡ªhe''d finally avenged his loved ones.

    As he ran across an open field, his only goal was to survive the thirty-five warriors closing in on him. Due to them being on horseback while he was on foot, he knew he had no chance of losing them, so he did something he doubted they expected.

 Chapter XVII: Junichiro vs Damien - Desperate Measures (Pt. 4)

    Junichiro abruptly turned and sprinted toward them, weapon ready. He slaughtered two while they were still on horseback, then the others wised up and dismounted. It was then Junichiro vs thirty-three of Edo''s best men. Junichiro could only vaguely remember what followed. He was a breeze on the field, whipping through man after man, moving primarily on instinct. He''d use one weapon to impale a man, take that victim''s weapon, and then move on to the next. Of course, eventually, their numbers overwhelmed him. He''d managed to take out twenty of them before his strength waned.

    They had him surrounded. Junichiro remembered being out of breath and barely standing. He didn''t want to die. Had he finally managed to exact revenge on the man responsible for his tragedies, only to die by his men? Where was the justice in that? He was sick of powerful taking from him. He had seen it his whole life and lived on its receiving end. He remembered thinking, "If only I were powerful." Then, no one could take anything or anyone from him again. He''d secure the safety of everyone he loved.

    But now, that''d never happen. He was about to be impaled to death by those who didn''t deserve to live. Those who have never experienced discrimination and misery they inflict upon others.

    He gritted his bloody teeth in defiance and glared at the men.

    "I will not end here! In my death, I will curse each of you! I will curse your families. My will shall remain!"

    Each man yelled as they charged forward, their pointed blades and spears at the ready. Miraculously, though, none ever reached him. The men behind him had somehow been turned into golden statues, while a man who had intercepted the rest of the blades stood before him.

    Junichiro remembered seeing the tips of the blades struggle to break through the man''s skin. His remaining strength had finally given in. He fell to his knees and watched as the mysterious man effortlessly wiped out the rest of the men. No human could move as he had. No human could hold the presence he held. Junichiro instinctually knew that the man before him was one of divinity.

    Grateful for being saved and spared, he bowed his head. He felt a heavy hand be placed on his head.

    "Raise your head," said a strong and charismatic voice. He remembered thinking it was ancient when he first heard it. The man spoke fluent Japanese but did not look native to Japan.

    Junichiro raised his head to see the man dressed in lavish black and gold attire looking down at him with eyes like amber.

    "Why did you save me?"

    "Pity. Your skills are too great to let slip. Your will is wasted as you are. I did not wish to see it snuffed out by the likes of them."

    Junichiro had nothing to say. He sat there, honored to be saved, yet disappointed for needing saving.

    "If you wish, I can grant you power. Real power," the man spoke. "I can make you reborn as my son and grant you a family that will never die¡ªthat will never be taken from you. And should a threat arise, you will possess the strength to protect anyone you love."

    Back then, those words, that singular promise, birthed a new hope in Junichiro''s heart. The dream of having the power to prevent anyone, despite their status, from snatching anyone he cared for away from him. To be able to strike fear so powerful no one would dare target them...

    This was what he wanted. He eagerly accepted the man''s incredible proposal, and over a century later, he remembered waking up possessing power unlike anything he''d ever felt.

    The one responsible¡ªthe man who extended such a gracious offer to a peasant like him¡ªgreeted him with a proud smile.

    Junichiro remembered first hearing his name, Avarice, from the shorter woman who approached next to him, who somehow sent chills through Junichiro. Then another male, shorter than Avarice, came from somewhere as well.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "So, you''re the second," he said. Junichiro hadn''t detected any hospitality from the guy. But he didn''t have time to dwell on it as Avarice extended his hand.

    "Welcome to your new family, son."

    ****

    Junichiro''s mind returned to the present. He gripped his blade tightly, his resolve further hardened.

    "You ask why we support him?" Junichiro said as he steadied his breathing. "It is because he saved each of us and granted us the power to achieve our dreams. For me, that is to protect what is important to me."

    Junichiro conjured a ten-inch-thick shield around himself.

    "Going on the defensive now?" Damien asked quizzically.

    He pulled out the third and final energy converter from his pocket. The moment Damien saw it, lightning struck violently against Junichiro''s shield. It began to crack beneath the force.

    Junichiro looked at the piece of technology in his hand. His body already ached from the active effects of the previous two converters, and his wounds had already become numb.

    "I will not lose them," he thought as he placed the last one onto himself. His body tensed painfully as he coughed up blood. He could see the veins in his body bugle unnaturally as more blood pumped through them.

    [Speed boosted. Speed level: Low Special Level 2¨C 268,544mph. Flight speed: Low Special Level 2 ¨C Mach 360. Temporary enhancement completed. Alert: Further enhancement will stop the user''s heart. Enhancement removal advised.]

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Auric Touch: a temp-class cintracy that gives Avarice the ability to coat anything he touches with enhanced (crystalline) gold, giving him greater durability and the power to turn others to gold. The gold formed can then be freely manipulated by the him as if manipulating an element.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

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    Read the series for free as a free member of the series'' Patreon page @ https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

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    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

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    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

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    <u>IG:</u> otherworldsjt

    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XVIII: Damien vs. Junichiro - Natures Aid (Pt. 1)

    Damien continued summoning lightning strikes down on Junichiro until his shield finally broke. Just as this happened, Junichiro vanished from his line of sight and appeared behind him.

    Shocked, Damien was too slow to react. He tried to will the blade in Junichiro''s hand to stop, but Junichiro''s spirit energy prevented his will from influencing the blade as Junichiro slashed his back, causing a trail of Damien''s blood to arc from his body.

    Junichiro still had enough time for another attack, but Damien willed his own blade of cindium to intercept Junichiro''s in the last second. He turned around and floated away, keeping his eyes on Junichiro.

    Michael''s thread of light was slowly healing the wound on his back, but Damien knew it wouldn''t heal him completely. Not so long as his sheathe interfered with it and not before Junichiro attacked again.

    I have to finish this soon before this form burns through all of my energy, he thought to himself. But now he''s almost as fast as me. I''ll have to stay on guard...

    Junichiro blipped again, but Damien was aware now. He saw the attack coming from above and countered just in time. When their blades crossed, Damien saw Junichiro''s skin peeling away.

    It dawned on him that Junichiro''s spiritual output had drastically decreased despite getting faster. Junichiro must''ve been sacrificing part of his power for his speed boosts on top of consuming more to use his incredible techniques. Now that his energy was so low, Junichiro''s energy couldn''t protect him from the dangerous speeds they were moving at.

    I''d be in the same condition if not for this protective sheathe of lightning. Even our bodies alone aren''t strong enough to withstand that much friction.

    Damien locked eyes with Junichiro, who stared fiercely back at him.

    "You need to remove one of those enhancements before it''s too late," Damien warned Junichiro, slightly concerned.

    "Worried about the enemy...pathetic," Junichiro grunted as they struggled to push each other back. "I do not need your pity. I will dispose of you and aid Father before my body gives out."

    "You''ll die before then," Damien stated as a matter-of-factly. "You''ve lost. You won''t be able to beat me before you deteriorate. Don''t kill yourself just to hold out barely.

    Junichiro looked down at his peeling arms, seeing Damien''s words to be true. Junichiro''s expression became more determined, but Damien felt him let up and float back.

    "Tch. Disgraceful," Junichiro clenched his fists in self-disappointment. "To think that I would be reduced to a state where I am forced to agree with my enemy."Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    "So, you''re conceding?" Damien asked, slightly shocked.

    "No. I may not be able to defeat you before I am forced to undo the enhancements, but I can still help everyone by taking out one of the biggest nuisances to us."

    Junichiro suddenly sped off at max speed. The second it took for Damien to realize what had happened and that he was heading toward Michael was enough time to give Junichiro a head start.

    Damien took off after him in a hurry. Judging from Junichiro''s state, Damien knew that Junichiro only had one shot at whatever he was planning. As he flew in pursuit, he wondered why he chose Michael.

    Considering the options, he could see how going after Tymon would be too risky, and with Junichiro''s father not being transformed, Junichiro might''ve hindered Avarice instead of helping him. He could''ve gone after Alissia: Damien doubted there was much love for the twins established among the others yet. However, removing two allies off the battlefield for a slight chance of removing Avarice''s biggest threat wasn''t worth the risk either. From Junichiro''s perspective, that would only leave Michael. By taking him out, Junichiro could at least ensure Damien and the others would no longer be able to heal during their battles like Damien had.

    If Damien had been correct in his assumption, the plan would have made sense. Still, he was baffled that Junichiro would believe he''d reach Michael, who was across the planet. Given that Damien was sure he was still slightly faster, he''d catch him long before they made it there.

    They were still beneath the massive storm''s canopy. Damien called down dozens of lightning bolts and formed his blade into an array of metal shards that pierced Junichiro. Junichiro took most of the damage until he eventually slowed, but Damien sensed Junichiro''s energy growing. It was surging even higher than at the beginning of their battle.

    Is he using the technology to amplify his power now? He''s a stubborn one. But what...

    Damien understood in horror as he realized Junichiro''s intentions.

    Junichiro took the same stance he''d used earlier to unleash an attack that cut through a mountain. This time, however, he charged all his amplified power into his technique.

    Damien knew the attack would destroy everything and everyone in its path for hundreds of miles. No. With that much condensed, finely controlled energy being fired, it''d travel across the Pacific and even the United States.

    He really could reach Michael with that...

    The amount of energy that was emitted from the blade was outstanding. It dwarfed Junichiro as it protected him from Damien''s lightning. Even the cindium shards struggled to break through.

    Damien''s mind raced as he tried to think of a way to break through the energy. His problem was that he couldn''t produce the power he''d need even if he were at full strength.

    Thunder boomed above them. An idea clicked in his head.

    Perhaps nature can make up for my shortcomings, Damien thought.

    He flew upward and then dived toward Junichiro, morphing the cindium shards back into blade form. Damien summoned as much natural electricity as he possibly could. The sky crackled loudly as the thick clouds above them discharged enough raw lightning to appear like a net in the sky that lit up the night. All that lightning slowly turned the same color as Damien''s spirit energy as it traveled downward to Damien''s blade to be used as his weapon.

    When Damien swung his sword downward, the clouds split apart. The motion of his swing ripped the electrical currents from them and collided with Junichiro''s aura. But Damien felt a resistance. His blade slowed against the pure thickness of energy that radiated from Junichiro''s sword.

    "Stop!" Damien yelled over the howling wind. "I don''t want to kill you!"

    There was no indication that he was stopping. Damien peered through the energy at Junichiro, whose eyes were closed in focus as he charged his energy aimed across the world. He could feel Junichiro nearing the completion of his preparations.

 Chapter XVIII: Damien vs. Junichiro - Natures Aid (Pt. 2)

    In a moment of desperation, Damien put every ounce of his strength, every ounce of his will, and every ounce of his power into a final push as his blade began to carve through the energy produced by Junichiro. Damien forced his way down until he finally broke through just as Junichiro''s eyes snapped open, but it was too late. Damien cut clean through him from the shoulder to his other side''s rib cage with a fatal Thunderstrike. The strike was laced with so much lightning that Damien saw it released from the opposite side of Junichiro and travel into the ground before visibly dispersing in all directions.

    All of Junichiro''s power dissipated abruptly as he dropped his sword and fell to his knees with a shocked expression.

    Damien''s Electric Embodiment deactivated, inviting the rain to wet him again as he watched with a pained expression. Junichiro''s expression shifted to one full of regret, but Damien knew it wasn''t for having been cut down. Junichiro regretted he could no longer protect his family.

    "Why''d you make me do that?" Damien said as he walked up to Junichiro. This wasn''t the first time he''d killed, but for some reason, he was filled with remorse for having cut through Junichiro.

    Junichiro didn''t respond. He tilted his head up to glance at the massive storm that reconverged overhead. Then, without looking at Damien, he spoke. There was a hint of anger in his voice.

    "This...should not have been the end for me....You infuriate me to no end."

    "You could have stopped...why didn''t you stop?" Damien responded.

    Junichiro repressed the urge to cough, knowing it''d hasten his last moments.

    "Why not control me the way you did Claeg...?"

    Damien curled his bottom lip and looked away with guilt. It hadn''t occurred to him at all. Somehow, he''d gotten caught up in the rush. He could''ve easily subdued Junichiro at any moment by controlling him. Why had that not occurred to him?

    "I..." was all he could say.

    When Damien looked back at Junichiro, he was met with a glare of judgment. After a moment, Junichiro visibly let go of his frustration and took a softer expression Damien didn''t think he could make. His gaze went back to the clouds above, and he...smiled.

    "Ah, Wren would love this..." he said as a single tear rolled down his cheek and the life in his eyes faded.

    Just then, the integrity of his body finally gave out, and the upper segment of his body slid to the ground. There was no blood. Damien''s lightning had cauterized the wound as he cut through.

    Damien stared at the corpse before him as the rain continued. Suddenly, all of the fatigue from the battle rushed to the surface, causing his limbs to feel like they weighed tons. He couldn''t move. He couldn''t stand. Damien collapsed to the ground. The blood from the injury on his back began to spurt outward again now that his spirit energy was inactive, but he could still see the light from Michael''s thread glowing.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    He was done. He''d done his part.

    He closed his eyes and let Michael heal him as best he could.

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Junichiro was the second oldest among Avarice''s beloved children. He''d always loved and cherished Wren and Trevor while also devoting himself to his savior, Avarice. His loyalty and discipline was so profound he killed his older brother, the first successful High God, who once rebelled against Avarice long ago.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

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    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

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    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. If it turns out to not be your thing, then no harm no foul. Otherwise, enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

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    <u>IG:</u> otherworldsjt

    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XIX: Tymon vs Avarice - A Kings Rage (Pt.1)

    Tymon and Avarice continued their heated battle on the desert ground; this benefited them both since their abilities could be spread across the ground beneath their feet. Tymon was wounded all over by Avarice''s golden sword. He had discovered that Avarice could also use it to shoot out fast shards of gold unpredictably. This caught him off guard multiple times as he tried to block and parry Avarice''s strikes.

    He''d also learned the hard way about the sword''s ability to extend into a whip-like weapon. The stiff blade snapped with unforeseen flexibility, cutting Tymon across the cheek. If he blocked with his arm in anticipation, it curved to his legs at the last second. If he protected his center, the blade whipped around him and carved into his back.

    This disoriented his battle sense. He had to fight the instinct to guard where he thought the attack would land.

    Tymon could tell Avarice found this amusing until he saw his blade begin to chip. Tymon had focused all of his Last Breath to mix with his aura with high intensity. It wasn''t as potent as when he only used it for Black Fists, but after so many strikes, the effects finally began to take place. If Avarice continued to attack him, his weapon would have shattered. Tymon only had to withstand the onslaught.

    But Avarice wasn''t willing to take that gamble. Tymon observed as Avarice examined his blade warily. Still, he shifted his footing, ready to attempt to dodge, not wanting to let his guard down.

    What was once entertaining for Avarice was becoming risky. Tymon knew Avarice was starting to get the sense of that.

    "It''s been fun. I admit you''ve gotten stronger¡ªstronger than I anticipated¡ªbut it''s time I end this," Avarice declared in a less joking tone. He tried to gather enough energy to transform again, but Tymon lunged at him ferociously and pressed him harder, refusing to grant him a moment to gather power.

    Avarice was forced back as he defended. He grunted in annoyance.

    "Desperation doesn''t suit you."

    In the midst of being pushed back, he tried to gain distance again, but Tymon kept him close and attacked from all sides with his claws and shadows. Avarice winced as one of Tymon''s claws broke through a piece of Avarice''s armor and left a trail of red blood as it slashed his chest.

    Tymon was satisfied to see that none of Avarice''s gold was holding up anymore. Even the sword Avarice was so proud of appeared severely cracked as he rained down blow after blow while pushing Avarice across the desert.

    Avarice''s eyes went wide. Finally, the golden blade shattered before them with a small burst of energy. Tymon could see Avarice''s lab back in view in their path. He ended his flurry with a powerful kick to Avarice''s stomach and sent him skipping across part of the ground, kicking up a dust cloud trail until he crashed into the mostly destroyed building.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Tymon blurred over to stand over Avarice, who was breathing heavily as he lay on the floor. Oddly, he was still smiling, even as his will over the gold around him weakened to the point that it lost its shape and trickled to the floor.

    Finally...was all that came to mind as Tymon readied a claw and struck down at Avarice''s face without hesitation.

    Avarice caught it with both hands in resistance; however, he proved too weak to resist fully and had to maneuver Tymon''s hand to the side as it ruptured the metal floor, preventing Tymon from grasping his face.

    Tymon felt his hand get stuck within the flooring and tried to force it free, but Avarice''s grip was relentless as Tymon watched him cling to his arm. Then, his free hand was melded into a golden restraint that erupted from the floor. As a result, Tymon raked his buried claw across the floor instead. He tore across the metal floor, trying to get it free so he could use it to maul Avarice, but ended up moving Avarice''s entire body along the path as well.

    "Who''s desperate now?" Tymon said, pointing out the state Avarice was in. Then he noticed something shimmer through the gash he''d just created in the floor. Squinting into the darkness, his wolfish vision revealed an underground bunker filled with bombs, similar to the one he found beneath Base D.

    "Is that..." He looked at Avarice expectedly.

    Avarice smirked.

    "You don''t think I''m going to tell you everything, do you? I want some things to be a surprise," he laughed.

    Tymon grew angrier. Everything about Avarice filled him with murderous rage, and he couldn''t stand his facetious attitude.

    "Fine. I''ll go see for myself once you''re dead." Tymon grumbled as he finally raised his fist out of the floor while simultaneously breaking his other hand free of restraint.

    Avarice manifested a multi-layer shield of gold like before, but Tymon was used to his gold now. He smashed his Black Fists through the shields and ran one of his claws into Avarice''s chest.

    Avarice''s expression was shocked initially, but as Tymon watched, he slowly laughed. Tymon saw gold spread from the wound, protecting him from the effects of his decaying power.

    He laughs even in this situation...Tymon fumed. The dark clouds swirled overhead to match Tymon''s mood.

    "What''s so funny? I can still kill you despite the gold."

    "I can see it in your eyes," Avarice said through pained laughter.

    "See what?"

    He coughed up dark red blood before continuing, "Oh, it''s been so long since my heart has raced this way¡ªsince I''ve felt adrenaline pumping through my veins. You all surprise me. The human has some real power now; you''ve all somehow gained additional power of your own, and now, I''m being defeated by you..."

    "Hahhh," he exhaled before wincing from the pain of doing so. "Tell me, are you satisfied? Was this cathartic for you? You finally managed to take me down, after all," he spread his arms across the floor to emphasize his condition.

    "It doesn''t, does it? I can see it in your eyes. It''s frustrating for you to know that it won''t last. That you can never truly kill me for what I''ve done to you. That even this small victory was me at merely a fraction of my power that you, at your best, only barely have an edge against. That you will never truly close the gap between us..."

    Tymon grunted and wrapped his hand that was plunged into Avarice''s chest cavity around his beating heart, causing Avarice to cough up more dark blood as sweat ran down his face. He was in pain. Tymon liked that.

    Avarice grabbed Tymon''s wrist in a futile attempt of resistance but continued to talk.

    "St-Still, after..." Avarice swallowed the blood that was rising in his throat. "After sensing how much you''ve all changed, I actually tried toward the end there. I wanted to finish you and reassure my children that we''re still superior...ha, I suppose I''ll have to do better in the next round."

 Chapter XIX: Tymon vs Avarice - A Kings Rage (Pt.2)

    He looked at Tymon and stated, "Enjoyed this small victory. I''ll resurrect shortly an¡ª"

    Avarice''s attention was abruptly taken away as his head snapped to the side, looking away from Tymon. The pupils in his golden eyes were dilated as they scanned the horizon frantic with concern. Then Tymon noticed it too. He sensed Junichiro''s energy, which had flared incredibly for a moment, fade until it disappeared completely. Tymon wasn''t surprised; considering Junichiro was one of the High Gods he''d sensed death clinging to the night he warned Avarice.

    He smirked as he looked back down at Avarice''s distraught face. For once, Avarice had no glib comeback. He was devastated.

    "That''s one down," Tymon said, tensing his arm as he tried to rip out Avarice''s heart before he could react quickly, but before he could follow through, Avarice erupted in bellowing rage and transformed.

    His skin darkened into green, his nails extended into golden claws, and his ears elongated. The transformation itself wasn''t anything special, but the power he gave off was immense. The sheer force of the energy released from Avarice was enough to blow the last remaining walls of the lab away, peel the metal flooring back, and cause Tymon to strain against it. In one swift movement, Avarice rose from beneath Tymon and quickly severed Tymon''s hand at the wrist before pushing him off.

    Tymon clutched the leaking stub that was now his hand as he witnessed Avarice do something he''d never seen before. He clogged the hole in his chest with his spirit energy along with Tymon''s hand still in it, then took to the sky and rushed in the direction they''d sensed Junichiro''s energy.

    "Damien..." Tymon''s eyes went wide. He mimicked Avarice by clogging his bleeding stub with his energy to keep himself from bleeding out. It wasn''t difficult, but he could tell this was only a temporary fix. The moment he ran out of energy, he''d start bleeding out again. But for now...

    Damien, he reached out telepathically. You need to move. Now. Avarice is heading toward you, and I''m not fast enough to intercept him.

    There was no response.

    Damien!

    Finally, he was received with a mentally exhausted chuckle.

    Is that so? Damien responded. That is most unfortunate; however, I am far too depleted to escape.

    Tymon could tell that Damien must have been in really bad shape. Even his thoughts lacked the quick-witted tone Damien usually carried.

    "Dammit," Tymon muttered in frustration. He leaped into the cloud-covered sky and raced after Avarice, hoping to think of something along the way.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Avarice has spent most of his life obtaining everything he wants: money, power, respect, sometimes even fear. He''s developed a family who loves and obeys him and has received several prestigious titles among man. But what he desires most is knowledge. This is why he possesses...sorry, possessed (before his lab and bases were destroyed) rare elements that could be found around the world. Due to his greed for knowledge and the insurmountable volume of it even beyond Earth, I doubt he''ll ever be able to satiate himself. So he will always strive to learn more about the universe so long as he lives.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

    Super Supporters: Wanna learn everything up-to-date? Get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)? Or perhaps you''d like a place to chat with other fans of the series or even the author himself...

    Read the series for free as a free member of the series'' Patreon page @ https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <figure>

    </figure>

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

    40% Holiday discount going on until December 26th! ??

    Each saga will gain its own tier as the story progresses and will provide more bonuses than the last!

    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. If it turns out to not be your thing, then no harm no foul. Otherwise, enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

    <u>Media</u>

    <u>Website:</u> https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <u>IG:</u> otherworldsjt

    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XX: Alissia - Priority Shift

    I continued my brawl with Kaila that night in South Korea. It went on for a while; the two of us fought in close quarters. Admittedly, I was having fun. Claeg had still been held to the ground beneath my power, so he wasn''t being a nuisance, which allowed Kaila to show me what she could do in her hypercirculated form. She showed an impressive control of her blood as she fought with tenacity, forming blade extensions of her blood to extend the reach of the strikes and sweeps. She tried hard to get any of her blood on me like she had previously threatened.

    Since I promised not to use my stasis field, I ducked and weaved as I observed. Not long after, I started to see she had hit her limits in that form. She hadn''t used it enough to perfect it, so her stamina started to run out.

    As I said before, I wasn''t the sadistic type. Since she was reaching her limits, I felt it was time I wrapped things up. I wasn''t sure exactly why I''d let it go on for so long anyhow. It seemed I had begun to sink into the pleasures of battle, which was unlike me.

    That sensation is common among cindarians. It is in our nature. Especially klevonians, Viraa told me.

    Really? Be that as it may, I still don''t want to feel like a kid tearing the wings from a butterfly, though.

    With that, I stopped playing around and quickly overpowered Kaila as she went for an aggressive bite to my neck.

    "That''s not happening," I said as I caught a handful of her hair, then headbutted her before swiftly sweeping her feet from beneath her and ending it by grabbing her by the throat. I held her like that as I lowered us back toward the ground, where I intended to knock both of them unconscious in one move.

    As we descended, Kaila kept trying to form blood, but I disrupted each attempt with my spatial energy. Kaila literally hissed in vexation as she tried her best to break free. I felt guilty watching her that way.

    "I''m sorry; I didn''t mean to toy with you. I should''ve just ended things from the get-go," I said sympathetically.

    Claeg grunted, and Kaila huffed as she tried to calm down. Then, we all sensed the spike and disappearance of Junichiro''s energy.

    Kaila continued to huff before speaking. I felt her swallow beneath my grip around her neck. Her breath was visible in the crisp night air.

    "To think he''d be the first to die," she remarked as we looked out in the direction. I felt her stop resisting. She started smiling and laughing as if to say, "Good riddance."

    "Besides Tymon and perhaps the fire bitch, I didn''t think any of you had it in you to kill him."

    Hearing her comment about Za''Fia again, my grip got a little tighter, but before I could say anything, we all felt the sudden surge of Avarice''s energy as it skyrocketed and started to move fast in the direction Junichiro''s had been in.

    Hopefully...I thought as I searched the direction for Damien. When I detected him, his energy was low, but he was still alive. With the added view from All-Sight, I could see he wasn''t in any condition to flee, let alone defend himself.

    No...

    My grip must''ve slacked. Kaila used my distraction to her advantage and erupted with blood, allowing her to break free of my grasp.

    I was supposed to take care of them, but I didn''t have time to focus on her or her brother anymore. After some reluctance, I internally discerned their threat levels and felt comfortable leaving them to someone else.

    Michael, you there?

    I''m here. It seems Tymon failed to handle Avarice alone after all. He replied. I could still sense some bitterness about him being put in a supporting role. Lucky for him, that was about to change.

    There''s no time for that. I''m going to help with Avarice. I need you here with the twins.

    In the next instant, a flash of light occurred, and Michael stood beside me, shocking Claeg and Kaila, who had already gotten some distance from me.

    "Be careful," I shot him a slightly concerned but cautious look. "And don''t let them get too close to each other for too long."

    "Very well." Michael stepped forward, clearly glad to be fighting as well. I noticed several strings of light leaving his body. He was still healing the others.

    But I had no time to be concerned. I took off toward Damien''s location. When I glanced back, I watched Michael open his arms, taunting the twins with a cocky smile as if to say, "Shall we?"Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    I faced forward and sped even faster. As I made my way there, I reached out to Damien and Tymon.

    Guys, everyone okay? I''m on my way.

    Interesting, Damien''s voice was strained. Now it''s your turn to save me.

    Yeah, don''t worry, I''ll get to you, I laughed. How serious are your wounds?

    Thanks to our dear Michael, I''m recovering at a rapid pace. Though my stamina and energy reserves still leave much to be desired.

    It''s alright, Tymon stated. I''m not too far behind Avarice. Knowing him, he won''t go straight for the kill, so try to survive until I arrive. Then I''ll hold him off until you get there, Alissa.

    No, I''m taking over, I asserted. I understand Avarice is a personal vendetta for you, but he''s too much for you to handle now. Focus on protecting Damien until...wait, what?

    I''m not the same kid I was in the beginning...Tymon said softly. Did I detect actual emotion in his voice? It pains me to admit it, but I''m not strong enough to beat him. Not when he''s taking things seriously. And even if I could, since he can''t be permanently killed either, I''ll never be satisfied. I don''t want to spend forever agonizing over it, so I''m moving on from it. Right now, that means focusing on how I can use my power to help protect the team. Apart from you, Alissia, I''m our most powerful asset. If I charge after Avarice and die, by the time I revive, everyone else could be dead. So, while you handle him, I''ll help the others.

    That''s...yeah, okay, I replied, shocked at just how much he had changed. For him to give up what had been driving him since he regained his memories...that must''ve been extremely difficult.

    That was beautiful, Damien commented in awe. You''ve grown wonderfully over the past two years.

    Indeed, you have, Viraa chimed in. It is precisely those two years that may be the cause of this development. In your first life, I foresaw how you were always estranged, unwilling to connect with others. I would not be surprised if this is the first life you have ever had with others who cared for you. Perhaps the same can be said vice versa. No, you even seemed interested in caring for the others in your previous life, though you lacked the means to show it. But now, after your adoptive father, Za''Fia, Damien, and then meeting Lisa¡ªyou''ve had examples to help show you.

    Hear that, Tymon? I''ve influenced you, I teased before getting serious again. Seriously, despite everything, we''re all glad to have someone like you looking out for us. I''m counting on you to catch the things I can''t.

    Of course, he replied solemnly.

    With that, I smiled, slightly invigorated, as I rushed forward. When it dawned on me that I would reach Damien before Avarice I decided to change course and focus on intercepting Avarice before he reached Damien. I instructed Tymon to continue toward Damien.

    That way, I''d collide right into Avarice.

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Dark Shift - a temp cintracy that allows the user to essentially shadow travel by creating pathways within shadows that connect from their location to a shadow near their intended location. (another term for it is shadow paths) The cintracy only works for places they''ve been or can see clearly in their mind and saps the user of their energy. Taking others along is even more taxing.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

    Super Supporters: Wanna learn everything up-to-date? Get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)? Or perhaps you''d like a place to chat with other fans of the series or even the author himself...

    Read the series for free as a free member of the series'' Patreon page @ https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <figure>

    </figure>

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

    40% Holiday discount going on until December 26th! ??

    Each saga will gain its own tier as the story progresses and will provide more bonuses than the last!

    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. If it turns out to not be your thing, then no harm no foul. Otherwise, enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

    <u>Media</u>

    <u>Website:</u> https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <u>IG:</u> otherworldsjt

    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XXI: Naomi vs Wren - Cataclysmic Phenomena (Pt. 1)

    The battle between Naomi and Wren continued. Now that Wren was more powerful, thanks to the strange device she placed on herself, Naomi had to stay on her toes.

    Before, her saving grace was the convenient location they were in. The moon was still blocked out, and the sea wind howled ferociously as their storms raged on. Naomi could feel her skin get nicked occasionally from Wren''s hurricane''s sharpness, but she was sure the frigidness of her blizzards was biting just as hard. Thanks to Naomi''s ability, she could use the ocean as a foothold whenever she felt like it and somewhat limited Wren''s control over the ocean.

    Now, Naomi was caught beneath a sky of raining fire. The closer the balls of fire fell, the hotter Naomi felt. Even her footholds had begun to melt. She dashed about as she tried to avoid being hit by them. When one got too close, she used her frost tails to defend against it, the collision of the elements creating steam in the area. Even still, her body stung from the heat.

    Even if they aren''t as hot as Za''Fia''s, I have to avoid her flames, or I''ll get burned, Naomi reminded herself.

    She''s only been using wind and fire, but she''s still tough. Using two elements against one isn''t fair, younger Naomi commented from within her subconscious.

    Yeah, her manipulating multiple elements is an issue, but I''ve discovered her flaw: she can only control one aspect at a time. Her aura and eyes are ever only one color at a time to match the element she''s preparing to use.

    Huh, I hadn''t noticed that, younger Naomi remarked.

    It''s weird, though. She hasn''t used neta yet. I know Viraa said she could, Naomi pondered.

    "What? You need solid ground around to use neta?" she called up to Wren, waiting for the steam to fade. With a wave a gust of wind cleared all the steam away.

    "Are you trying to goad me into using it against you?" Wren replied as she hovered and looked down at Naomi. "You think I can''t use it without natural ground? You''re wrong."

    Wren summoned a block of stone over her extended hand. It manifested out of thin air from her spirit energy.

    "I haven''t used it for two reasons. One: I''ve never been fond of this element. It always gets me dirty. And two: I now realize that wind and fire are my best options here," she motioned at the open sea.

    "But since you want a taste so bad..." Wren moved her arms in a wide turning motion in front of her, and the ocean began to move, too. Naomi''s mostly melted ice broke apart as the water churned in a vortex until it became a whirlpool.

    Naomi hovered as the bottom sunk away, and the water''s walls rose several feet over her. She then noticed its walls were getting closer. Quickly. When it brushed against her shoulder, part of her armor tore off, and her shoulder was cut, causing blood to run down her arm.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    "Even her water''s like a million blades," she muttered as she clutched her hurt shoulder. She held out her bloodied hand, releasing enough cold to freeze the water solid. She could feel Wren''s influence on the water as it tried to churn again. Given the energy they both had left, Naomi knew she couldn''t keep it frozen if Wren continued to enforce her will on the water.

    Then, out of nowhere, she was struck with a massive block of stone larger than her that threw her against the ice wall. Naomi pushed against it. She slowly started to force it back when she noticed it getting hotter in her hands. Stuck with her back literally against the wall, she watched as red-hot cracks spread across the stone-like veins until they suddenly burst with force. Naomi reflexively shut her eyes and used her arms to block her head as shards shot in every direction, cutting her all around. She yelped when she felt one of the shard''s rough edges pierce her stomach.

    When she looked down to see, there was a piece as large as half her arm sticking out of her.

    Hhhh, younger Naomi gasped in her head. Take it out! You have to take it out!

    No duh, Naomi grunted as she gritted her teeth and pulled the piece of unnatural stone from her abdomen.

    No, no, no. How will you stop the bleeding?

    You didn''t think about that before you insisted I pull it out? Naomi retorted. Relax. Michael''s energy should be kicking in any time now. If not, I''ll just have to freeze the wound until it does.

    On cue, Naomi began to feel a welcoming warmth spread through her as her wounds started to mend themselves. She watched her shoulder and stomach stop bleeding as they, along with the minor cuts she obtained throughout the battle, began to close.

    "Hahhh," she exhaled with relief. Then, as she broke herself off the ice wall, she and Wren sensed what felt like one of the other High God''s energy spike ridiculously before disappearing not long afterward.

    Oh no, does that mean one of them died? Younger Naomi asked.

    "I think so," Naomi responded aloud as she looked at Wren, who had begun to cry in disbelief.

    "This can''t be happening," she muttered, her eyes wide and crazy as she clutched her head. "This isn''t real. He wouldn''t leave us. We''ve spent centuries together. We were happy. We''ve always looked out for each other. He''s always been the rock we needed. He can''t die...he can''t be dead....Why...Why do bad things keep happening to me today?!"

    The iced walls of the frozen whirlpool cracked and gave way as the water began to churn again. The walls widened as the whirlpool''s depths deepened until nothing but a black abyss was far below them. A dreadful shiver went through her when Naomi met Wren''s deadly stare.

    "This can''t be good," Naomi said as the winds picked up further. Naomi watched the clouds high above them as a sizeable field-sized tornado dropped from the storm clouds like a black wall with thunder flashing inside it. The night hid most of it, but with omni-vision, Naomi could see its full, terrifying size as it touched down on the churning whirlpool''s edges, synchronizing with its turning motion.

    She was left stunned as the watery walls and tornado edges widened even further until Naomi and Wren couldn''t even feel the wind anymore. It was just them and darkness. A black chasm below and a high, impenetrable wall of wind or water in any other given direction. No. She could see the starry night sky up above behind Wren. Wren had created the eye of the storm around them.

    Wren remained oddly silent as she glared down at Naomi.

    "You all ruined everything," Naomi''s sensitive ears picked up as another tear ran down Wren''s cheek. "You ruined what was supposed to be a perfect day." Naomi noticed Wren''s aura was a swirl of ocean-like blue and light green.

    Her eyes widened slightly.

    "She''s using both elements at once..." Naomi stated.

    I thought you said she could only use one!

    "That was the case. I don''t think she''s aware of it. She''s operating off grief."

 Chapter XXI: Naomi vs Wren - Cataclysmic Phenomena (Pt. 2)

    Suddenly, Wren shot higher into the sky. As she did so, Naomi was about to follow, but she felt the atmosphere abruptly change.

    Did she speed up the tornado? Naomi thought. Next thing she knew, the air from within the calm area was sucked from its perimeters, causing Naomi''s body to naturally switch to its restricted state to keep her from suffocating.

    Guess this means you won''t be able to talk to her now. Up above, Naomi noticed a fiery red-orange added to Wren''s aura as flames sparked to like on her hands. This shouldn''t have been possible in an area without oxygen, but Naomi wasn''t too surprised since those spiritual flames weren''t natural.

    Wren held out her hands close together and pointed them down at Naomi. The tops of the clouds swirled into the eye of the storm and circulated her hands, amplifying the flames on them as Wren concentrated more and more of her energy into a focus point just beneath her hands.

    The flames grew and grew until a mass of fire wholly blocked out the tops of the eye''s edges. The concentration of flames illuminated the area and gave off a sweltering heat, unlike the fire used before.

    Naomi turned and looked in each direction, panicking a bit, but she was trapped. There was nowhere she could escape to. Then, a sudden downdraft was felt as air and oxygen returned to the area.

    "AGHHHHHH," Naomi heard Wren''s pained wail as she felt the mass of flames be shot into the eye.

    Naomi attempted to protect herself with spirit enhancement, her frost tails, and extra ice formed from her energy. Still, the enormous blast erupted into a molting explosion as it collided with her. Several pieces of her armor flew off as she failed to fend it off, and her entire body was swallowed by the furnace. She''d never felt anything like it. All she could feel was an indescribable heat accompanied by untold pain all over her.

    When the blast was over, Naomi was barely conscious as she fell deeper into the abyss. The nerves in her body were on fire. Even the air blowing past as she descended was pure agony. She was back in her normal form. Her body must''ve reached its limit.

    Wren must have released her hold on the water because Naomi was suddenly hit with water from all sides as it rushed in to fill the hole. She submerged instantly and was thrown around in the violet water, barely hanging on to consciousness. Once the waters finally calmed, there was nothing but darkness. She wondered how many hundreds, if not thousands, of feet she''d fallen to.

    She supposed that didn''t really matter. It wasn''t like the pressure would kill her. Her body was safe. Naomi was safe there. She''d done her best. Now, she was exhausted. Maybe if she reached out to Tymon or one of the others, they could handle the rest....

    Her head was ringing. Her body screamed. Naomi began to fall asleep.

    No! Stay awake! Naomi suddenly heard her younger self yell, jolting her awake slightly. If you fall unconscious, we''ll drown! We''ll die! You''re supposed to protect us!If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Despite what her mind told her, for some reason, Naomi didn''t feel like she was underwater anymore. She felt like she was in the world''s most comfortable bed after a long day working to the bone. She started to slip again as her mind wandered, and Naomi''s voice was muffled. Then, in the final moment of sanity, she heard Naomi''s muffled voice scream something about Alissia.

    An image of Alissia popped into Naomi''s head at the sound of her name. She began to think about Alissia and the others¡ªhow they were each likely risking their lives fighting. She had no doubt that they''d each succeed. Then, there was a sudden influx of guilt. Naomi didn''t want to be a burden to them. She didn''t want to let them down...

    But how could she win now? Even if she could muster the strength, how could she beat Wren? Using the amount of power she just used likely put her near empty, too, but what good did that do when she could still use multiple elements?

    What would Tymon do? She found herself thinking. Naomi''s younger self may be terrified of Tymon, but it was that exact power, his strength, and his conviction that made Naomi, at some point, realize she''d started looking up to him. She remembered Tymon''s advice during their training together in Michael''s manor. When she was assigned to take care of Wren, she asked him for some tips. He hadn''t said much but told her she''d have to stay close. Be feral.

    Feral...okay. One more time, body...just a little more, moveee. Mustering all her remaining energy, Naomi almost forced herself unconscious from the effort.

    Naomi? This doesn''t feel right; I think you should stop. I want you to stop, younger Naomi pleaded with concern.

    But Naomi continued until she saw a flash of purple and felt her body swell with an unfamiliar, overwhelming, sinister energy that pushed her beyond her limits as she transformed again and froze everything around her.

    She shot herself through the frozen ocean until she broke through the surface and was met with the clear, moonlit sky. When she looked down at her hands, she couldn''t recognize herself due to being covered in third-degree burns. But she was so filled with adrenaline she couldn''t feel the pain.

    Her ears perked, and she tracked toward Wren, who she heard say, "Thanks, Trevor. Turns out I did learn something from you."

    As she sped over, she saw Wren looking down at the frozen ocean and saying, "She''s still not dead?!"

    Upon arriving, Naomi blitzed in front of Wren before she could react and gripped her by the face before using considerable force to smash her head into the iced-over ocean. The impact caused the ice to tremble as Wren''s head was placed firmly within it.

    Wren grasped at Naomi''s wrist as her scream was muffled. Still gripping her face, Naomi began to drag Wren forward several dozen feet, trenching the ice until she lifted and heaved her high into the air.

    Wren was able to stop some distance up, but Naomi wasn''t planning to give her any time to unleash another attack. While she still had the strength to move, Naomi appeared above Wren, who turned around just as she was hit with a powerful, concussive blast of shockwaves, sending her rapidly plummeting back down deep into the ice.

    A vast crack broke across part of the ice as Wren''s body disappeared into a hole. Naomi landed with a thud as Wren crawled out, grunting.

    Without wasting a moment, Naomi used Silent Nebula, a technique where she expanded her frost tails to create a dome around her and Wren. Inside the dome, Naomi''s frost tails released an icy mist from their snowflakes and obstructed their vision, leaving them with sound as their only helpful sense. In the still air, sound was clear. The sound of Wren''s erratic breathing. The sound of both of their footsteps crunching the ice beneath their feet.

    Using Sonic Grip, Naomi was able to strip them of even that sense. With a flick of her fingers, she produced small shockwaves within the dome and instantly froze them in place due to the mist. Once this was done, she created a protective wall of sound around herself before releasing her sonic grip and removing the mist. This revealed Wren standing mostly covered in frost as she was surrounded by a field of frozen shockwaves that were suspended in the air.

 Chapter XXI: Naomi vs Wren - Cataclysmic Phenomena (Pt. 3)

    She opened her mouth to curse angrily, but Naomi waved her finger, taking away her voice in the process. Next, she undid the ice shells around the shockwaves, generating high-frequency pitches that continuously bounced off the surface of her frost tails and the iced ocean. Thanks to her wall of sound, Naomi was protected, but Wren wasn''t so fortunate. She was caught in the middle of the loud chaos, clutching her ears as she was bombarded from all sides simultaneously. Once it was over, Wren''s arms hung at her side as she dropped to her knees and fell forward with blood coming from her ears and eyes.

    Still, she lived. Naomi could hear her heart beating as Wren lay unconscious. As she stood over her, glad to finally be done with it, her power gave out. The frost tails shattered and Naomi reverted to normal as she also collapsed on the ice floor. Once again, she felt a warm sensation spread throughout her body as Michael''s thread glowed. She closed her eyes, welcoming the healing nature of his power.

    As she lay there, she thought about what that weird surge of power was that helped her just then, but everything was so exhausted that in just seconds, she fell asleep.

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Cataclysm - a mystic cintracy that gives Wren''s spirit energy the qualities of multiple elements and the ability to manipulate and manifest them. She uses this to summon fierce storms as well.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Super Supporters: Wanna learn everything up-to-date? Get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)? Or perhaps you''d like a place to chat with other fans of the series or even the author himself...

    Read the series for free as a free member of the series'' Patreon page @ https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <figure>

    </figure>

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

    40% Holiday discount going on until December 26th! ??

    Each saga will gain its own tier as the story progresses and will provide more bonuses than the last!

    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. If it turns out to not be your thing, then no harm no foul. Otherwise, enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

    <u>Media</u>

    <u>Website:</u> https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <u>IG:</u> otherworldsjt

    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XXII: Arne vs Trevor - Pride in Strength (Pt. 1)

    The battle between Arne and Trevor continued in a desert somewhere in Egypt. Arne was pleasantly surprised by Trevor''s new strength. It was almost as strong as theirs.

    The two clashed fists, causing the ground beneath them to rumble and become uneven as parts grinded together like tectonic plates. Arne opened the fist that clashed against Trevor''s to try to grip him so they could pull him in, but Trevor was quick to backstep.

    "Dammit, it''s still not enough? It was supposed to be more than enough," he whined from a distance. He started shooting apple-sized explosions at Arne, who didn''t bother dodging. Instead, Arne chose to take them head-on even though they were damaging Arne''s body, shattering their Hardshatter.

    But this was what Arne sought. The pain. The rush. The thrill of battle. This was why they tried to guide and cultivate Trevor into a proper opponent. Arne needed a challenge they could relish in.

    Arne began to mend their Hardshatter as they continued to be bombarded by explosions, but they noticed something: the explosions were starting to feel less and less painful. In fact, the explosions had less and less effect on their Hardshatter.

    For the first time, Arne had been put in a situation where they had to reapply Hardshatter as it was constantly destroyed. Arne had no idea that it had the ability to adapt slightly with each recovery after being shattered. And how many thousands of times had they needed to recover while tanking this guy''s explosions?

    Confident, Arne decided to catch the next incoming orb from Trevor in their mouth, gating it in their metallic fangs. The orb exploded, but instead of blowing their head off, it only left Arne''s mouth smoking as they charged forward, grinning like a maniac.

    Trevor began to look worried. "Seriously?! You''re even tougher than before now?! You''re insane! Why''d I have to get stuck with a barbarian woman like you?"

    "Just die already!" He yelled as he shot more continuous explosions at Arne, probably hoping they would at least slow Arne down. Thing is, Arne did slow down. In fact, Arne came to a stop altogether, but not from Trevor''s efforts.

    Hearing themselves be called a woman after so long gave Arne flashbacks of the identity they discarded long ago. Memories of an unpleasant time in their life surfaced and soured Arne''s mood. When the smoke cleared, Arne stood silent, and Trevor''s hopeful expression dropped.

    "No more coaching," Arne declared in their monstrous voice, looking at Trevor fiercely, fists clenched. "Fight me like you want to survive. Otherwise, this''ll be over before you can give me a real challenge.''

    Trevor tensed.

    "Wait, you''re fighting to kill me now?"

    "Yes." Arne released an immense aura of intimidation that would paralyze anything not a klevonian. Trevor began to sweat a little. "After all, when facing a beast, one should be prepared to die."This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Arne then attacked Trevor with pure savagery, leaving Trevor with no opportunity to be on the offensive. Once he was breathing heavily and bleeding from several locations that were slashed by Arne''s claws, as he held up his arms in defense, Arne chose to let up and back away.

    Trevor''s arms fell to his side.

    "Is this how you wish to die?" Arne''s animalistic voice called out.

    "You''re a ''god,'' right? Use your power to fight!" Arne yelled, releasing more of their intimidating aura. But Trevor still stood there. Arne''s patience was running out. They no longer wanted to wait for Trevor to acknowledge himself.

    "I guess you are a failure," Arne muttered in disappointment as part of the ground shifted Arne further away from Trevor; walls of stone and dirt rose dozens of feet in the air, creating a narrow path and ceiling from Arne to Trevor. Arne reinforced the walls with their spirit energy, making them harder to break. Then, Arne charged forward at high speed and threw a punch packed with enough strength to cause a quake strong enough to decimate a town.

    If he''s lost the will to live, then so be it.

    But surprisingly, Trevor protected himself at the last second by intercepting Arne''s blow with a decent-sized explosion. This cushioned the strike somehow as the impact generated earthquakes through the ground and propelled him backward through one of the risen walls.

    As the structure crumbled back onto the ground, Arne strolled toward Trevor, glad that he''d chosen not to give up in the end.

    "...body''s numb." Arne heard him mutter as he struggled to his knees, but Arne didn''t let up. Next, Arne willed their spirit energy to solidify into four tendrils of stone that sought out Trevor, wrapped around him, and lifted him before impaling him at the legs and shoulders. Trevor''s spirit enhancement held off one of the tendrils aimed at his legs, but the other three broke through due to his weakened spirit.

    Being severely wounded, Trevor began to freak out. Arne watched as the literal tears started to roll down the brat''s cheeks.

    Arne lowered Hardshatter, looked at him in disgust, and said, "This is where nine centuries of arrogance and complacency get you. All the power you have and the brilliance to enhance it further, yet you cannot wield it efficiently. So much wasted potential it''s sickening."

    "Aghhh! Screw this!" Trevor yelled in pain, seeing he was losing ground. Next thing Arne knew, a trail of smoke shot from his fingers and went into Arne''s eyes. Arne instinctively blinked rapidly and tried to wipe the smoke away, but Trevor sent off a fast, focused explosion that ignited the smoke within their eyes.

    Arne released a roar of agony that shook the very earth as their eyes were seared with intensity, and they became blinded. They couldn''t see anything. There was just blackness as Arne heard a thud from Trevor falling to the ground.

    "Do you have no shame?! Where is the honor in fighting with such disgrace?!" Arne called out in fury.

    They felt Michael''s thread begin to heal their eyes and other wounds. Arne immediately applied spirit energy to their hand and ripped the thread off, breaking the connection. Arne didn''t want any outside aid in their battle, especially against someone so cowardly.

    Calming their mind, Arne tried to focus past the pain. They couldn''t see, but their other senses, including their sixth sense, still worked. Something came toward them. Arne moved, knocking aside an incoming explosion, and was met with Trevor''s disbelief. Arne continued to read his attacks by sensing his energy and feeling his movements through the ground. Arne realized that though they couldn''t ''see'', they were far from blind.

    Trevor must have slowly begun to pick up on that as well because, without warning, Arne lost track of his movement on the ground and was hit square in the face by an explosion from above as he resorted to flying to limit what Arne could track as he released a smoke screen to somewhat mask his energy signature. Still, despite this, Trevor would need a much more powerful blast actually to do any damage.

 Chapter XXII: Arne vs Trevor - Pride in Strength (Pt. 2)

    Suddenly, there was an impressive spike of energy that flared in the direction Damien and the eldest brother fought. Then, not long after, it faded altogether.

    "Hm, from what I''ve heard, I can understand why it was impossible to subdue that one without killing him," Arne stated as they and Trevor focused on sensing the commotion. "He must have been a fierce opponent.''

    There was a long silence as Arne sensed Trevor''s loss for words. But that wasn''t all they sensed. His energy steadily rose with each passing second as well.

    "No way. He couldn''t have lost. Not J...he couldn''t have, pops wouldn''t have let..." Trevor stopped as Arne figured he could sense Tymon successfully holding off Avarice. Then, just as Avarice''s power erupted dramatically, so did Trevor''s.

    Enraged, Trevor rose higher. Arne felt him put most of his power into a massive orb that had to be at least twice the size he used earlier. He compressed it further and further until it felt like all that power was impossibly trapped in a pea. Then he fed more power into it until it grew in size again, not to the same size as before, but still large enough to fit inside a coliseum, yet it gave off much more energy now.

    "This is everything I have. It''ll cause an explosion even greater than the Tsar Bomba II," Trevor claimed angrily. "You want to test yourself against my best? I''m confident this''ll be enough to eviscerate you."

    "Oh yeah?" Arne was excited as they felt their hardened skin begin to tinge and heat up from the explosive atmosphere as the temperatures rose.

    "If this is your best, I must say, I''m impressed," Arne called out in the dry furnace. "I commend you for producing heat almost as hot as Za''Fia''s before she reached her full potential."

    Arne could feel the presence of the orb like a sun baring over them and smiled appreciatively. Taking his previous claim as a challenge, they said, "If I withstand this, it''ll prove that not even the world''s greatest nuke can fell me..."

    Arne placed their pride in their Hardshatter and spirit enhancement and braced for impact, "That''s not a challenge I''d run from."

    Judging from the panting above and the wavering in his remaining internal energy, Arne knew that Trevor had put a great deal of effort into preparing this attack. He''d finally delivered them something worthy of his title, and they would meet his efforts with conviction.

    With a valiant yell, Trevor threw the blast at Arne.

    To test their own growth, Arne tried to prevent the colossal mass of volatile energy from touching the ground by catching it. Arne''s Hardshatter instantly broke, causing them to get burned before having to keep reactivating it to stave off lethal burns. By far, that dense energy was the heaviest thing Arne had ever lifted. The ground beneath their feet began to give way which forced Arne to use their neta abilities to keep the ground stable enough for a foothold.

    Once Arne felt they had a strong enough grip on the orb, they started to apply their spirit energy around it just in time to catch and contain the explosion that would''ve devastated at least a dozen miles in every direction with just its fireball alone. Who knew how far the aftereffects of the explosion would have reached?

    The effort to contain the explosion drained Arne''s energy reserves considerably. Coupled with the burns and physical fatigue Arne''s muscles were suffering through, this was the first time Arne could remember feeling so exhausted. But, with grit, as soon as the explosion collapsed, Arne used the remainder of their speed and power to rush skyward through the smoke straight toward Trevor while he caught his breath.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    They grabbed Trevor by the ankles as he was audibly surprised, but before he could say a word, Arne swung their arms downward while not letting go of Trevor. This forced them to spin forward like a wheel that built more and more momentum. Then, using all their strength along with that momentum, Arne hurled Trevor far below into the ground, where his body went so deep it probably couldn''t be seen anymore. But it was time Arne finished things. Arne bent their knees back and grabbed their ankles to point their knees groundward. While still with Hardshatter activated, they dropped (really flew) down and drove their indestructible knees directly into Trevor''s stomach.

    Upon impact, Arne heard a distinct "Ack!" as the drop created an even more enormous, 30-foot deep, bowl-shaped crater that spread outward and destroyed the smoldering desert area around them.

    When the dust settled, grinning proudly and exhausted, Arne rolled over to lay beside Trevor''s still body, unable to move. Arne confirmed he was still alive but unconscious by sensing his heartbeat through the ground. Admittedly, they didn''t really want to kill him, considering his potential and Alissia''s wish to refrain from unnecessary killing.

    Arne exhaled heavily and let out a pained laugh.

    "That was the most fun I''ve had in a while."

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Hardshatter - a temp cintracy that allows Arne to give their skin an organic, metallic coating, making their skin many times harder than normal, giving them incredible durability and defensive capabilities. Hardshatter adapts when its durability is pushed beyond its limits, slowly becoming harder with each activation after being shattered.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

    Super Supporters: Wanna learn everything up-to-date? Get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)? Or perhaps you''d like a place to chat with other fans of the series or even the author himself...

    Read the series for free as a free member of the series'' Patreon page @ https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <figure>

    </figure>

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

    Each saga will gain its own tier as the story progresses and will provide more bonuses than the last!

    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. If it turns out to not be your thing, then no harm no foul. Otherwise, enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

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    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XXIII: Royal Calvary (Pt. 1)

    Damien lay on the ground, looking up at the ensuing storm in the sky. He was utterly enervated as he sensed Avarice and Tymon hurrying toward him. Still, with so much lightning in the area, he could feel his energy slowly returning, and with Michael''s thread gradually healing him, it wouldn''t be too long before he''d regain mobility.

    He asked Alissia to show him what she saw, which helped him better understand the situation from his state.

    He lay there helplessly as he sensed and watched Alissia heading toward them to intercept Avarice, but she was slowed by the abnormally violent weather over a sizeable chunk of the Pacific Ocean¡ªno doubt from Naomi and Wren''s battle. As misfortune would have it, Avarice took this opportunity and released a high-pitched, disorienting attack at her as he flew closer. Alissia clutched her ears instinctively as he touched and turned her into a golden statue that plummeted into the ocean far below them.

    Alissia! Damien and Tymon yelled telepathically. Tymon most likely had sensed her fall as he chased behind Avarice.

    I''m fine, she called back. Tymon, keep after him. I''ll be right behind you.

    Damn, he''s going to get there before I can make it, Tymon stated in frustration.

    Sure enough, Avarice reached Damien''s location not long after. The constant lightning strikes from the storm overhead had no effect on him as a perfect sound barrier warded them off each time.

    By then, Damien''s wounds were mostly healed, but he couldn''t move quite yet, and Tymon was still a few minutes behind.

    Like an angry god, Avarice levitated inches off the ground toward Damien with a rageful expression. The water that fell upon him from the storm changed into droplets of liquid gold suspended in the air around him. However, when he caught sight of Junichiro''s body, he suddenly stopped and floated over to it.

    Damien watched with remorse and empathy as Avarice fell to his knees and placed his hands on the top half of Junichiro''s listless body. A tear fell from Avarice''s closed eyes as Junichiro''s body was encased in gold.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    "This shouldn''t have happened," Avarice whispered as he rose. "I''d ensured their survival..."

    "I didn''t want to end things this way. He left me¡ª" Junichiro''s last words rung in his ears. He could have prevented this easily, yet he hadn''t. "I''m sorry..."

    Avarice turned to look at Damien, the whites of his eyes red with rage as he let out an eerie laugh.

    "You''re sorry, huh? Rest assured, you will die for this," Avarice began as he stepped closer, and gold on the ground crept closer to Damien. "But first, you will tell me how you all have acquired this additional power."

    Damien knew there was no hope for him to withstand anything Avarice threw at him. Just being that close to so much power weighed on his nerves, yet he held his gaze, refusing to waver. If dying was the way to atone for his selfishness and would cause less anger directed at the others, then he was ready to accept it.

    "How were you able to outclass my son?!" Avarice yelled as the ground rumbled and visible vibrations and liquid gold became distinct around him.

    Damien closed his eyes in acceptance, but just before the gold on the ground reached him, a torrent of darkness blasted them both. While Avarice stood firm and remained unaffected, Damien was pushed back until Tymon grabbed him and put distance between them and Avarice. He was struck by lightning in the process, while Damien could only wish he had the strength to redirect it.

    "Not sure why killing someone like Junichiro is weighing on you this much, but dying won''t undo his death, and it won''t help anyone. Remember, our lives are linked to the livelihood of the inhabitants of Earth. You let yourself get killed, and many others will follow," Tymon chastised with a hint of anger in his voice.

    Damien shook his head in regret and cleared his head. He''d been so wrapped up in his own feelings he''d forgotten about that important fact.

    "I suppose a thank you is in order. If not for you, I was sure I was about to make things significantly worse." Damien breathed gratefully. When he looked at Tymon, he noticed one of his hands was missing and looked at him with concern.

    "It''s not like you had the strength to fight back anyway. And don''t thank me yet. I still don''t know how we''ll be able to escape. The constant lightning makes it more difficult to stabilize the shadows. Even if that weren''t the case, the moment he senses me trying to shadow travel, I''m sure he''ll pop over to make sure I fail." Tymon looked down to see him eyeing his injury. "Don''t worry about it; I''m fine. There''re more important things to focus on."

    Don''t worry about Avarice. Focus on getting your shadows ready. I''m sure he''ll be more concerned about me. Alissia relayed. Tymon, make sure neither of you get caught up in the attack.

    Damien and Tymon looked at each other in confusion before Tymon quickly began to prepare a nearby shadow for use.

    ****

 Chapter XXIII: Royal Calvary (Pt. 2)

    Avarice stood, irritated at Tymon''s interference. When he sensed Tymon gathering power to shadow travel, he rushed to intervene, aiming to remove Tymon''s head altogether until he suddenly sensed something unexpectedly powerful heading their way and fast.

    "Where''s this presence coming from?" he asked, stupefied.

    This has to be a quarter of my own power. Is this the human? He thought before shaking the idea out of his head. No. She couldn''t possess this much power. But¡ª

    Before he could finish his thought, he noticed Tymon and Damien slip into a shadow. He suddenly realized the energy wasn''t a person but a devastating attack aimed at him.

    Avarice turned the entire area into crystalline gold and used Golden Paradise and Armor of God to block the imminent blast. Whatever the attack was, it was strong enough to rip through Gold Paradise like nothing and caused immeasurable destruction to the surroundings as it drove Avarice back into the nearby mountain range.

    Once the attack was over, Avarice found himself deep within a mountain that collapsed over him as he tried to get up, but a mere mountain wouldn''t hold him. When he broke free, he dusted himself off and saw he was relatively fine apart from a few scratches. He''d used spirit enhancement to strengthen Armor of God.

    "That was undoubtedly the human...She may have somehow gotten more powerful than before, but her power still pales compared to mine."

    "Think so?" Avarice heard her voice call out. He looked up to see her peering down at him from the top of what used to be the mountain.

    ****

    I began to float down to the ground where Avarice stood, ready to fight. As I descended, I still held an Erasure Nucleus between my hands. It was a technique I created where I placed the telekinetic aspect of my spatial energy around both hands as I had them together. Then, I slowly use my fingertips to grip the energy and pull my hands away from each other, each pulling the energy from the other hand until my arms are as far apart as they can be. Afterward, I concentrated an incredible amount of my spirit energy into the area between my hands. My spirit energy merges with the telekinetic energy, adding density, making it almost elastic, like gum or rubber, as it tries to snap my hands closed again. I use my strength to resist and twist my arms in a spiraling motion around the energy, and if I want to, I then release it to fire it in the desired direction. The destruction from the force alone is insane, but the energy starts to spin after being fired, picking up any debris it can, creating a spiraling, devasting mass of destruction that can blow a hole through a mountain.

    What a monstrous power, Damien commented endearingly.

    Indeed, Viraa added. Be careful not to use it lightly.

    When''d you learn that technique? Tymon asked in disbelief.

    Don''t distract me, I thought back, resisting the urge to smile. Tymon, I need you to go protect Michael.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Doubt he''ll appreciate that, but yeah, that''s probably for the best. Did you see something?

    Yeah, I saw what their potential is. Right now, Michael shouldn''t have an issue defeating them, but¡ª

    But they have something that''ll help give them an upper hand, Tymon concluded.

    Yeah, and since he''s been healing everyone this entire time, he''s not in his top shape.

    I''m heading there now, Tymon assured me.

    Lowering toward the ground, I could feel the nature of Avarice''s energy. It felt imposing and almost...insatiable like it wanted to swallow everything.

    "Alright, where were we?" I said to Avarice as I released more of my power, causing the mountain rubble to rise from the ground.

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Avarice prefers to use Auric Touch as an enhancement during battle instead of his hybrid form. Also, a small part of his fortune was once made by him turning stone to crystalline gold, getting them made into jewelry, then selling them from his jewelry stores.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

    Super Supporters: Wanna learn everything up-to-date? Get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)? Or perhaps you''d like a place to chat with other fans of the series or even the author himself...

    Read the series for free as a free member of the series'' Patreon page @ https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <figure>

    </figure>

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

    Each saga will gain its own tier as the story progresses and will provide more bonuses than the last!

    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. If it turns out to not be your thing, then no harm no foul. Otherwise, enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

    <u>Media</u>

    <u>Website:</u> https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <u>IG:</u> otherworldsjt

    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XXIV: Michael vs The Cannibal Twins - Bleeding Wings (Pt. 1)

    As Michael sensed Alissia get further away and Tymon reached Damien, he tried to continue healing Damien and Naomi to completion. However, doing this split his attention as he faced the twins. Their tenacity forced him to realize he couldn''t defeat them and heal the others simultaneously, so he settled for Damien and Naomi being mostly healed to the point of not bleeding out.

    "There," he said as he dissipated the threads attached to the others. "Now you have my undivided attention."

    "Mm, this time I''ll take a nice big chunk outta you," Claeg claimed with cocky confidence as he cracked his knuckles in anticipation. "The girl was stronger than we expected, but she''s not stronger than a Supreme Primordial. That makes you a bigger threat and one worthy of devouring down to the bone."

    "Don''t be too reckless, Claeg," Kaila said as she eyed Michael curiously. "The girl was definitely holding back a lot more power than what she showed, remember? We don''t know how powerful she really is. And Michael could be the same."

    In the next instant, they each felt an incredible amount of energy be fired toward where Avarice and the others were. It was only a fraction of Avarice''s power, but Michael knew the power was Alissia testing the waters.

    Kaila''s eyebrows raised with a slightly wide-eyed look.

    "I didn''t think she was holding back that much..."

    "If you''re shocked by that display, wait until she gets serious," Michael stated calmly, then corrected himself. "Oh, I suppose it''s unlikely either of you will be conscious by then."

    "I''ve got a bad feeling. I hate surprises..." Kaila hissed as blood left her body. "Unfortunately, we won''t be able to hunt you properly. Luckily, you can''t heal and aren''t at your best, so let''s end this quickly and skip right to the main dish."

    Kaila used Crimson Coffin to abruptly wrap Michael in blood that cut him and forced its way into his body. Kaila smiled wickedly as she succeeded in taking over Michael''s body. It was a disturbing feeling: not being able to control his motor functions. He felt his body twist against her influences as she and Claeg drew closer, their mouths eagerly awaiting his blood to flow into them.

    "I can''t wait anymore," Claeg said, his feet tapping the ground as he bounced impatiently and then rushed toward Michael.

    Just before he reached him, Michael abruptly released all his gathered energy and transformed into his hybrid form, breaking free of Kaila''s hold. His power grew tenfold as the ascension mark on his forehead glowed beneath his fallen hair, and two extensions of light grew from the edges of his face. His eyes became those of a phoenix, shining bright with white pupils, and a pair of beautiful, white wings with a 12-foot span emerged from his back.

    Michael hovered slightly and looked down at the siblings with disgust and anger as his body gave off a powerful, white aura.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    "You two, who have feasted on hundreds of humans'' flesh, are a scourge on the world. There will be no mercy for you," He declared contemptuously as he activated Bright Talons.

    While Kaila tensed and became wary, her brother remained steady and even more eager.

    "It''s warm. Almost tranquil...I bet he tastes like a good night''s sleep..." Claeg commented as he looked up at Michael.

    "Claeg, shut up!" Kaila yelled, infuriated, as she readied for the fight to come. "This should''ve been an easy kill for us. Why are you all even stronger?!"

    Michael saw her hand inching closer to Claeg''s and shot off a blast of light that burned a small hole in the ground between them before he appeared standing there.

    "To defeat you all, of course," he answered as they both tried to attack him simultaneously. Michael proved much faster than both of them and effortlessly dodged their attempt, followed by a rotating spin of luminous threads that cut and pushed the twins apart.

    Upon inspection, Claeg''s cuts weren''t deep, but Kaila''s were. However, they were slowly mending themselves already.

    "Hm. Regeneration..." Michael commented.

    "You thought you were the only one who could heal?" Kaila called out cockily.

    "This is a surprise," Michael admitted. He looked at her wounds closer. "Even garbage can be blessed, I suppose. Still, the fact that your wounds are still in the process of healing means your regenerative powers aren''t like mine once were. Enough damage will overload it."

    Kaila gritted her teeth in barely contained anger as her wounds finally closed, and her eyes glowed with hatred.

    "I''m going to enjoy sucking you dry," she hissed as her skin turned slightly red and the whites of her eyes became bloodshot. Then, she and Claeg attacked together.

    When Claeg approached, Michael didn''t bother trying to defend against his attacks. They were far too heavy, and he determined his energy should be focused on the sister instead. So, Michael casually dodged Claeg''s clumsy strikes and positioned himself behind him.

    Claeg spun around to see Michael''s hand raised.

    "You''ll never hit me like that. You have strength and speed, but you lack any technique," he said, releasing a burst of light from his palm that shot Claeg in the face. Claeg was sent a few dozen feet across the dirt until he skidded to a stop but remained standing.

    "You''re quite durable," Michael commended as he dodged an incoming swipe from Kaila. He caught her wrist and grabbed the other before placing his Bright Talon against her chest and extending his leg while still gripping her wrists tightly. "Then again, it always takes a little more effort to kill a cockroach," Michael insulted as he prepared to rip off her arms.

    He saw blood start to seep from her skin and immediately let go before it could touch him.

    "You''ve grown bloodthirsty," Kaila stated as she backed away, rubbing her wrists. "We heard you didn''t kill¡ªthat you valued life or whatever. I guess that''s changed."

    "Your siblings thought so too when they attacked me," Michael replied.

    "My what?" Kaila said.

    "The only siblings we have are each other," Claeg clarified, aggravated. "Avarice may have given us this power, but that doesn''t make him or any of them our family."

    "Truth be told, we''re only going along with them because we know we can''t beat them," Kaila shrugged.

    "Hm. Not that either of you deserves this, but why not stand down? Aid us, or at the very least, stay out of the way. You seem like survivalists. You''ve noticed how much stronger we are. Surely, this is a tantalizing offer."

    Kaila and Claeg laughed at him.

    "Seriously?" Kaila spoke. "You''re right; we are survivalists, which is why we''ll remain obedient to Avarice. For now, at least. Do you not sense the ridiculous amount of power being emitted by him? Sure, you''ve all gotten stronger, but it''s nothing compared to that monster. How can even you make an idiotic offer like that with a straight face?"

 Chapter XXIV: Michael vs The Cannibal Twins - Bleeding Wings (Pt. 2)

    "Clearly, you''re desperate. Enough of this pointless talking," Claeg said as he crushed a head-sized rock between his fingers, and his eyes glowed red. "Kaila, it''s time we get serious."

    "I couldn''t agree more," she replied as the world was tinted red by a film of spirit energy released from her. Then, from her palms burst rapid streams of her blood that flowed continuously across the ground.

    Michael levitated off the ground as the blood level rose higher like tides. He looked at the edges of the water and saw that the red veil of spirit energy served as a barrier to trap the blood inside. Kaila didn''t stop producing blood until the area was filled with at least 20 feet of it.

    "Welcome to my Blood World," Kaila spread her arms as she stood atop the fluids, and the blood began to move unnaturally, "and it''s Red Sea."

    Michael''s eyes scanned the area. He noticed he couldn''t see Claeg anywhere, and with so much of Kaila''s spirit energy filling the place, he couldn''t pinpoint Claeg''s. Then he noticed a quick movement ripple within the blood.

    Is he swimming in the blood? Michael thought in disgust as an eruption occurred from the bloody sea below him, and Claeg appeared before him.

    Michael''s eyes widened in shock, not from Claeg''s sudden appearance but from his physical appearance. Claeg''s muscles were much more prominent than before and were covered in thick veins. When he swung at Michael, Michael side maneuvered and gently used his hands to redirect the blow, but he could still feel the pressure generated from Claeg''s swing alone as some of the blood sea parted.

    Then, not wasting time, Kaila willed several Blood Whips from the red sea. Michael attempted to kick Claeg away, but it was like kicking against an immovable object, resulting in him being the one pushed away as the whips arrived where he''d just been.

    When he looked back, Claeg was gone again.

    Michael pivoted midair and charged back in. As he approached them, Kaila willed walls of blood to burst upwards from the surface of the blood sea, but he was quick enough to spin and readjust as he tucked in his wings like a falcon to make the tighter turns. When he was a few feet away, he quickly expanded his wings, coming to a sudden halt with his talons reaching out.

    In his hand held an array of his concentrated spirit energy that he threw into the blood, then commanded, "Expand." The light burned a hole with a 20-foot radius into the flooded area, but it didn''t reveal where the elusive cockroach had scampered off to. He''d ignore him and focus on the sister, but the last thing he needed was for that monstrosity to manage to get a hold of him.

    With this in mind, he resorted to a more widespread approach. He used Brilliant Radiance to glow brightly and unleash an expansion of his power over the area, which burned most of the blood away, leaving just a marsh, revealing Claeg nearby with a puzzled expression as he fell to the ground.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "There you are," Michael said as he sped over to Claeg and used his threads to keep him pinned to the ground. "I''ll deal with you momentarily."

    He turned his attention back to Kaila and flew toward her. He figured since Kaila was a better fighter than her brother, could regenerate herself, and empower Claeg with her abilities; she was the one he needed to rid himself of first.

    When he was a hundred feet away, he stopped midair.

    "Don''t bother wit¡ª" Michael began before randomly being hit by a building-sized chunk of the earth that was shrouded in a red aura. Slightly dazed, Michael fell to the ground with the object on him.

    How did he get free? He couldn''t have broken my threads; he doesn''t possess enough power for that...Then, a likely possibility occurred to him. He dug through the ground to free himself...I suppose I should have wrapped him completely. Cockroaches tend to wriggle free otherwise.

    Before Michael could push the mass of land off him, he felt more weight be added as Claeg continued to pummel the vicinity with chunk after chunk until Michael was buried beneath a mini mountain.

    Michael found it odd: surely he knew this wasn''t nearly enough to hurt him. The only thing this accomplished was obscuring his vision...

    The memory of Alissia''s warning not to let them get too close to each other flashed in his mind.

    No! he thought as he released a burst of energy that obliterated the rubble on top of him. In that instant, Claeg appeared with a toothy grin.

    "Gotcha," he sneered as Michael focused as much impromptu spirit energy into spirit enhancement as he could just as Claeg''s fist connected to his raised hands.

    The weight behind the strike was unbelievably heavy, which Michael struggled to resist against. He could feel his spirit enhancement cracking as the ground shook from the force of Claeg''s punch.

    In terms of strength, he''s undoubtedly even stronger than Za''Fia, Michael thought as he gritted his teeth in the effort. He was starting to see the potential threat Claeg posed should he keep getting stronger. He was already at the point where blunt attacks weren''t effective, and neither were dull spiritual attacks.

    Michael decided it was best to end things before the two''s cooperation put him at an even greater disadvantage. Since Claeg was the closest...

    Michael let strings of light seep from his fingertips as he was pushed deeper underground by Claeg''s strength. Claeg must''ve sensed what was about to happen since he leaped and scaled out of the hole in the ground just as Michael''s threads tore through everything around him.

    Michael folded his wings tightly against his back and immediately flew up until he was above ground and could see Claeg and Kaila approaching one another. He used Luminous Thread: Severing Slash to generate a fast, powerful thread of light that could instantly cut through anything. He prepared to cut off their heads. This was the perfect moment to do so, but then Alissia''s wish to refrain from killing came to mind. He knew she expected him to uphold her expectations, but these two didn''t deserve such mercy.

    Strangely, despite acknowledging this and being mentally prepared, something still prevented him from striking.

    Why am I hesitating...? He questioned himself as he felt the internal resistance.

    Not too long ago, he wouldn''t have hesitated to end their lives¡ªhe knew he was willing to kill any threat to humanity. Even if that threat was a human. Yet now, something felt different. What was it? Was it losing his regeneration? Admittedly, something had changed since then. For the first time in his life, he''d begun to fear and ponder death like everyone else. To exist one minute and be gone the next....It was a terrifying concept that''d been weighing on him. Perhaps now that he knew what that felt like, he had to ask himself: was he truly prepared to snuff out someone''s light? Did their nature justify erasing them from existence?

 Chapter XXIV: Michael vs The Cannibal Twins - Bleeding Wings (Pt. 3)

    Michael returned to reality and chose to cut off one of Claeg''s legs and both of Kaila''s arms instead, achieving all of this before they could react to his presence.

    Claeg let out an audible sound of surprise as he fell over.

    "Fu¡ªughhhh!" Kaila yelled as her arms fell to the ground. She dropped to her knees, and Michael observed as her blood created a bridge link from the severed joints of her arms back to the stubs. She sweated as the arms were pulled back in, and her regeneration started to mend them back in place.

    Then, a little to the left, Claeg was sitting, mostly unfazed but still sweating, as he felt the pain of the severed leg he held in his hand.

    "You think something like this is gonna stop us?" Claeg scoffed defiantly, lifting his severed leg over his head.

    They truly are resilient little cockroaches...Michael sighed, hoping he made the right decision. He was beginning to think he''d actually have to resort to cutting off their heads to end things.

    Kaila grinned in agreement as she breathed, shaking from the pain. She raised an arm and shot more blood to Claeg, who drank it. Claeg''s body glowed red as he stood and balanced on one leg, his muscles bulging even more grotesquely.

    "Better stay on your toes, bird boy. We won''t make the mistake you just did." Claeg declared with a vicious, raspy laugh.

    Michael realized Claeg was right. He didn''t have time for some internal struggle. His job was to preserve the life of Earth. Hesitating at a time like this would only risk the humanity he was trying to protect. So, he buried his doubts as something shifted within him.

    "Hoo, that''s a nice look in your eye," Claeg commented as he crouched until one of his hands touched the ground. He was prepared to spring.

    Michael identified Claeg as the physical and moral fortitude of the duo. If not for him, Kaila would run or submit when she felt distressed. If he were to take out Claeg, her spirit would undoubtedly break. Not to mention, he wasn''t sure how far Claeg''s limits were if he continued to consume her blood. So, instead of the sister, Michael decided it was best to focus his efforts on Claeg first.

    Kaila must''ve sensed his focus shift and tried to attack Michael, but he was too quick, and he''d steeled his resolve.

    Michael''s body glowed as he used Streak and vanished from Kaila and Claeg''s line of sight. In a split second, he circumvented the globe and appeared behind Claeg, hitting him with a supercharged kick that generated a strong shockwave along with an awful snap as it connected with Claeg''s spine.

    Claeg was sent reeling and crashing through the bloody marsh until he stopped somewhere in the distance. He didn''t move. He''d been paralyzed and was bleeding out.

    With a murderous glare, Michael turned toward Kaila, who stared back in horror.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "Wait..." she began as she held up her arms and backed away.

    But Michael didn''t hesitate. He blitzed toward her and used his Bright Talons to kick her hard in the stomach. This sent Kaila flying back thousands of feet. As she tried to regain her balance to come to a stop, he appeared before her again, and with a downward, slashing, gripping motion of his feet, he smashed Kaila''s head into the ground before using it to carry her skyward at breakneck speeds. At about 20,000 feet, he threw her higher, then sped past her, and stopped her upward momentum by colliding with her as he sped back downward. In the collision, he embedded his talons into her torso as they rocketed back toward the ground.

    Michael then ejected his talons away from him, shooting her down with even greater force. As Kaila approached the ground, the talons unraveled and wrapped around her, immobilizing her as she crashed with enough force to level the vicinity.

    When Michael descended, he saw her bleeding, severely wounded, and hyperventilating as his threads constricted her.

    About 300 degrees behind him, Claeg had been thrown closer in the commotion. Michael raised two powerful rays of light over Kaila and Claeg, ready to disintegrate them once and for all.

    He turned to Kaila.

    "You High Gods are affronts to humanity. I shall rid this world of at least the two of you."

    "Wait! Just spare us!'' Kaila pleaded. "Look at us! You''ve beaten us! I know the human wouldn''t want you to kill us like this."

    Michael''s gaze drifted down. He glanced back at Claeg, who coughed up a puddle of blood and acknowledged that Alissia didn''t want this. Perhaps somewhere deep down, he didn''t want to. He didn''t have it in him to kill someone defenseless, regardless of their nature. He lowered his hand as the rays of light vanished.

    "I will let you li¡ª" he started as he turned to Kaila.

    Suddenly, a vice grip firm enough to crack his collarbone was felt at his shoulder as Claeg, having used the moment to sneak up, used some of his remaining strength to rip at Michael''s right wing, bending it unnaturally.

    Michael howled in blinding pain and was met with a solid uppercut to the chin so hard it rattled his brain and sent him miles into the sky.

    Michael was dazed as the world blurred by until the pain finally dulled a little and set in. He slowed naturally as gravity began to take over again, and he started to fall. He could taste blood in his aching mouth, and the area around the back of his eyes throbbed with pain. He grew angry, deciding it best to end the irredeemable pair after all.

    There won''t be a third chance, he told himself.

    He looked back at his wings. The broken wing flailed painfully as the wind caught it. He focused, trying to undo partial of the transformation until his wings merged back into his back. He then tried to steer his descent back toward the other two, who he now saw were within a cocoon of blood.

    He crashed and landed, kneeling not a hundred feet before them, breathing heavily, face caked in a layer of sweat. He felt a tear run down his cheek. When he rubbed the tear with his thumb and looked at it, he saw it was red. He fixed his gaze on the cocoon before him as he stood upright and spat the blood from his mouth. Michael didn''t utter a word, but his intent was clear as a pair of red eyes peered back at him.

    They''re merging? No matter. I''ll have to kill whatever emerges, he fumed angrily.

    Michael braced himself as the cocoon of swirling blood cracked and opened, releasing the presence of something much more powerful than himself. All of his anger was suddenly blown away as his mind tried to wrap itself around what was happening before him.

    "What monstrosity is this...?" He questioned aloud as a leg stepped from the cocoon.

    "Ahh, this sensation...," said a new voice. It was masculine and slightly distorted, but above all, predatory.

    Michael watched as a male figure stepped out completely and inhaled deeply, basking in their power. They were 6-foot-threeand wore dark jeans, a white collared shirt, and a red cape that flowed like blood. No. It was blood. They had long, black hair that fell past their chest. Their skin was similar to Kaila''s light complexion; their teeth were jagged like Claeg''s but with two elongated fangs, and their eyes were a searing red with white pupils. When Michael met their gaze, he felt an insatiable yet controlled hunger within them.

 Chapter XXIV: Michael vs The Cannibal Twins - Bleeding Wings (Pt. 4)

    Michael''s jaw clenched as he tensed up. He could tell he was severely outmatched. Speed was likely the only class he was superior in. Which was why he wasn''t going to let them get the advantage of the first attack.

    He sprinted toward them and fired off several arrays of light that burned holes through their body. Michael made sure that one even went through their heart. He was breathing fast, thinking he''d done it. For a second, he was hopeful as he witnessed the holes, but each hole quickly began to fill with blood and close as he observed.

    "You regenerated your heart?" Michael looked bewildered as he stepped back slightly. "Your regeneration wasn''t that strong before."

    The individual laughed as they smoothed back their hair while the remnants of the holes finished closing completely.

    "Thank you for having the good sense of being terrified," they spoke. "To answer your question: we are not Kaila nor Claeg. We are Kaeg. Puncture us all you want, but we are made of the infinite blood we generate. We will always he¡ª"

    Michael exhaled sharply as he used his severing slash to decapitate them. He could feel his heart rate increase until he could feel it pulsing in his ears. Was he scared? Was this where he''d die?

    No, Michael shook his head clear. Stay focused.

    The head on the ground turned to blood as it flowed back to Kaeg''s shoulders and reformed back in place.

    "That was rude..." Kaeg scowled.

    Michael rushed them and performed Phoenix Talon Strike, the same move he''d used against Kaila. He even resorted to using the Anti-Life: Unruly Execution technique, where he constricted his threads so tightly they sliced through Kaeg in several small segments. Still, despite this, Kaeg rose from the ground and regenerated the damage.

    "I''m sick of your threads," Kaeg stated, creating a new Blood World and a giant mass of circulating blood over them. They chipped away at some of the blood mass in various ways to send projectiles shooting at Michael. Most of them were in the form of blood bats with razor-sharp wings that assailed him.

    Michael used Luminous Threads: Severing Slashes to rip through most of them, but there were far too many for him to handle or even outrun due to them surrounding him. He created a net of luminous threads that spun rapidly around him to fend off the swarm while his mind raced to figure out a way around Kaeg''s invincibility.

    Spirit enhancement doesn''t help me damage them, so they must not use energy with the quality of blood but instead, literal, natural blood. I can burn them easily enough, but they replace the damaged blood with new blood cells. How do I bypass that?Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    He''d hoped he''d managed to slow Kaeg at least down, but Kaeg strolled through even as they were shredded.

    "I may be made of blood, but I do still have nerves, and despite having Kaila''s high tolerance for pain, being beheaded, diced, and repeatedly cut still hurts," Kaeg said, aggravated as he stood within Michael''s violet vortex. His wounds quickly healed within seconds. "Here, let me show you."

    Blood burst from their palms, forming a rotating, slashing vortex between their hands. When Kaeg pushed it toward Michael, it expanded rapidly. At such close range, all Michael could do was throw his guard up, but even with spirit enhancement, Kaeg''s attack badly mutilated him. By taking a direct hit, Michael was immobilized long enough for Kaeg to slip closer and grab him. Then, in the next instant, Michael felt a sharp pain as their teeth pierced the skin on his neck.

    They held him in place with their strength as Michael felt himself weaken to the point he reverted to his normal state just as he released a burst of energy that disrupted their form long enough to give him a chance to break free of their grip.

    He leaped back several skips as he held his neck while blood leaked through his fingers.

    "Hooo," Kaeg exhaled in ecstasy as they licked the blood that had spilled onto the back of their hand. "The taste of klevonian skin...the rich flow of life within your veins...it was everything we imagined....We need more. One''s not enough...we need all of you."

    They locked in with Michael. "But we can''t have you disrupting our meal again, so we''ll kill you and then devour you quickly so that we can eat the others too. I bet we can still enjoy Junichiro before his blood dries out."

    Michael wobbled as he tried to step backward. His legs felt like lead, and he was too drained to reenter his hybrid form.

    "But first, do you believe in an eye for an eye, Michael?" He heard Kaeg say as his vision blurred. He watched their bright red eyes grow closer with their silhouette before they jumped and aimed a kick at his head. "Because we do."

    Michael blocked sluggishly with spirit enhancement applied to both arms, but the kick was still strong enough to shatter even his bones and sent him bouncing and carving across the ground until he stopped miles away. When Kaeg blurred over to stand over him, Michael was undoubtedly a bloody mess who could barely keep his eyes open. Every breath in and of itself was like fighting to live.

    Then, as Kaeg towered over him, Michael saw the sky blacken with dark clouds, shrouding the area in an eerie veil.

    "Looks like we better wrap things up," Kaeg grinned as he lunged forward to take a chunk of Michael''s throat, but just then, Michael felt something brush past from beneath him, and Tymon stood, gripping Kaeg by the throat.

    Tymon tossed Kaeg back several feet and stood between him and Kaeg.

    Kaeg''s smile grew larger which Michael found unnerving.

    "Normally, we''d be furious about such a delicious meal being interrupted, but how can we be upset when an even better dish just served itself to us? Did you know that nothing''s better than terror seeping into the blood and meat of a human who knows they''re about to die horribly? We bet you taste like that times a thousand," they said, practically salivating.

    Their gaze lowered to Tymon''s right arm, where Michael saw he was missing his hand. There was no hiding the pure joy Kaeg clearly felt in that moment. Smug overconfidence would be an understatement for the expression they held.

    Within the following sixty seconds, Kaeg threw everything they had at Tymon, likely in hopes of weakening him even further so that they could enjoy what would probably have been the best meal of their lives. But Tymon didn''t move an inch. He stood firm as each of their blood-based attacks failed to leave even a scratch on Tymon.

    Kaeg''s expression morphed from shock to confusion, then regret as they faltered.

    Tymon stepped forward.

 Chapter XXIV: Michael vs The Cannibal Twins - Bleeding Wings (Pt. 5)

    "You can run if you want. Or do you think you can overpower me..." he smirked as he opened his arms, goading them into attacking, but with the aura Tymon radiated, even they knew not to fall for it. They were outclassed completely.

    "I-It doesn''t matter," Kaeg said nervously, sweating as he stepped back before regaining his composure. "You can''t hurt us either."

    "Wanna bet?" Tymon''s smirk faded, and his fist darkened with black mist. He blurred before them and landed a solid punch to the gut, causing them to fall to their knees and wheeze. The spot where he hit them began to corrode outward slowly.

    "You can hurt us?! That shouldn''t be possible," Kaeg coughed, likely straining to keep from vomiting up all the blood they''d drank that day.

    "Blood ages. Your liquid body won''t protect you from me," Tymon replied as he squatted down to be level with them and gripped them by the hair, forcing them to look at him.

    "I gave you the option to run. I saw you step back, but why did you resist the urge to do run?"

    "You say that like you wanted us to run," Kaeg responded, vexed by their humiliation.

    Tymon gripped their hair tighter and looked them in the eye with a cold expression.

    "When you hunted humans, didn''t you enjoy it more when they ran?" he said almost threateningly as he let their hair go and stood.

    When Kaeg looked up, the fear in their eyes displayed that, for the first time, they''d come across someone who''d made them feel like the prey.

    Afraid, they tried not to give Tymon any reason to feel antagonized by surrendering and making themselves seem smaller. They even began to split apart, but Tymon''s expression hardened as he peered down at them and reached out.

    "Wait! We surr¡ª" was all they could get out before Tymon gripped them by the face while they were partway through dividing back into two.

    Michael found the scene a bit unsettling, seeing Kaila and Claeg''s bodies separated, but the head of Kaeg remained due to Tymon''s strong grip keeping their two selves together. This gave them the appearance of two bodies sharing one head.

    "Stop! This isn''t right! Show some humanity!" They yelled, their voice muffled under his hand.

    "I''m not human," Tymon retorted as he blasted their face with Last Breath, decaying their entire head. The erosion continued to spread until they were a withered membrane that crumbled to nothingness.

    Tymon sat near Michael, who looked at him.

    "How many lives you think they spared after being pleaded to?" Tymon asked, meeting his stare.

    Michael held his gaze briefly before looking down at the ground in disappointment. "That''s not what the look was for."

    "What? You regret not being able to kill them yourself?" Tymon asked half mockingly. Then he looked at Michael''s somber expression and sighed before asking, "How many people have you killed?"

    Michael remained silent. He''d spent over a century healing and saving lives. He''d never actually taken one. Even when he felt justified, he could never actually bring himself to. Admittedly, both times he faced Trevor, he held back just enough to keep from killing him. Even when Avarice''s group ambushed him, he subconsciously held back. Then, with the twins, he still couldn''t bring himself to kill for the betterment of humanity.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "Wanting to kill someone and actually going through with it are two different things. Even for us," Tymon told him, now looking out at the horizon instead of at him. "Don''t try to be something you''re not. Remember what Viraa said; we each bring something different to the table that Alissia will need. Her ideology is to preserve as much life as possible. Your abilities allow you to do just that. There''s no need for you to try to force yourself into being someone who can take a life. There''s enough of us who can as is." He shifted his attention to meet Michael squarely, his expression earnest. "You focus on preserving her humanity. I can shoulder the grim necessities."

    Michael''s gaze drifted off. His expression must''ve told Tymon what he was thinking as he said, "Relax, you''ll be around longer than you think. I won''t let you die, so just focus on meditational healing before you bleed out."

    "To think I''d be saved by then getting advice from you. Unfortunately, I''m in no position to argue," Michael said as he shut his eyes.

    The two sat there as they began to tend to their wounds when suddenly Za''Fia pained scream could be heard in their heads.

    While Michael didn''t have the strength to move, Tymon jumped to his feet.

    "The hell was that," Tymon muttered with a grim expression.

    --------------------------------------------------------

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 Chapter XXV: ZaFias Infernal Presence (Pt. 1)

    Za''Fia''s battle with Verin continued with her on the ground, her head beneath Verin''s foot. Za''Fia felt Verin apply more weight to her head. Though reluctant, before Verin could crush it, Za''Fia willed all of her energy forward and transformed in a blaze of glory.

    The burst of heat from her sudden transformation ignited Verin''s leg, causing her to leap back.

    As Za''Fia rose from the ground. She stood, barely maintaining control. She wanted to avoid this due to the difficulty of preserving command of her anger in that state. Unlike the others, she never grasped complete control...she couldn''t. Not after what she did...she promised herself never to lose control again.

    Za''Fia looked around. Her transformation had changed the terrain to an inferno. She looked down at her claws and red scales, her extended reptilian wings, and felt the horns protruding from her skull. This was twice that she had to transform in a long time.

    She hoped she could finish things off quickly like before. The longer she stayed in this form, the less control she''d have.

    "Now we''re getting somewhere," Verin taunted, flapping her leathery bat-like wings. The fire on her leg had been extinguished, but she was burned. "Show me what the infamous Tempered Dragon can really do."

    Verin inversed the gravity within her immediate vicinity, which caused several rocks to levitate. She then used that gravity to crush the stones into smaller pebbles coated in her spirit energy before firing them at Za''Fia.

    Za''Fia ran forward and attempted to swipe the pebbles aside. She expected them to be harmless since, with her added scales, her durability was only second to Arne''s, but she felt the pebbles'' sting as they penetrated her hand.

    Za''Fia stopped in her tracks and leaped back as she clutched her right hand. As she observed, the pebbles drilled even deeper into her hand, causing Za''Fia''s anger to flare closer to the surface. She gritted her teeth and tried to use the tips of her claws to dig them out, but Verin laughed as she continued to force them deeper.

    Za''Fia pointed the palm of her hand at Verin and fired a torrent of flames at her. Thankfully, the flames were powerful enough to break past the spirit energy around the pebbles and push them out before melting them.

    "Just let go already. You don''t have a chance of defeating me unless you do," Verin spoke as she spun more pebbles around her.

    Za''Fia suddenly felt the thread from Michael fade away. When she detected his energy rise from transformation halfway across the world, she figured he was also pulled into the fight.

    Dammit, right when I needed it, Za''Fia thought.

    Verin''s face lit up as she suddenly unleashed a powerful gravitational burst that threw Za''Fia on her back. Then, a consistent down pressure pinned her to the ground as Verin hovered over her.

    "When you first arrived at our lab, I noticed that string attached to you. It was undoubtedly Michael''s energy signature. I couldn''t figure out what its purpose was, but as we fought, I noticed minor wounds that were once there would be gone moments later. Then, it dawned on me that Michael was healing you. He likely did this for each of you."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Something suddenly occurred to Za''Fia: Verin hadn''t explicitly targeted any major attacks at her.

    "That''s why you haven''t thrown anything real at me."

    "It''s part of the reason," Verin gleamed deviously. "Yeah, I saw no reason to waste too much energy attacking you if you would just be healed. I could''ve gone for the kill to end things, I suppose," she shrugged, "but I''ve already told you what I''m after. I want to see the beast you once were known to be."

    "And now that I know you can''t heal..." Verin stated as Za''Fia felt the pressure around her left arm increase painfully. "I get to torture it out of you."

    Za''Fia repressed her scream as the pressure increased further and further until she felt the bones in her left arm fracture. Still, she stifled a cry, but this displeased and annoyed Verin, who pushed even more until Za''Fia''s entire arm was crushed beneath the gravity.

    Za''Fia''s scream was so intense she felt it reverberate across her mental link with the others before her mind blanked as her fury rose uncontrollably, and she entered a savage rage.

    She felt her anger fuel her Conversion cintracy as it converted that anger into more power until she temporarily became more powerful than even Michael.

    Za''Fia''s mind was blurred red, but she held on to one singular focus: Verin. Though only capable of using one arm, she attacked Verin with animalistic ferocity. Verin tried to keep up but was quickly surprised as the fight became one-sided, leaving her on the defensive.

    Verin was forced to raise her Heavy Clad gravitational protection to stave off as many of Za''Fia''s blows as possible. But Za''Fia was determined. She let out a monstrous roar as she used spirit enhancement and sheer strength to resist Verin''s gravity momentarily and forced her fist through until she could touch Verin. Then she used the technique, Searing Rage, where she focused all her flames and spirit energy onto her hand. Anything she felt would be marked with the combustible residue of her spirit energy, igniting a searing blast.

    She touched Verin in three different locations before the gravitational force of Heavy Clad finally repelled her. But it was too late. In the next instant, Verin suffered three back-to-back eruptions of hellish flames at point-blank that forcibly deactivated her protective aura.

    Verin wailed as she was engulfed for the brief moment of the blaze. When it ceased, she floated, slumped over, and huffed as her body and clothes were charred. Even her klevonian skin was burned to a degree.

    "You''ll pay dearly for that," she threatened shakily from barely suppressed anger. Next thing Za''Fia knew, she felt an increase in downward pressure around her that was strong enough to sink the ground itself. However, unlike before, Za''Fia''s spirit energy was now much more potent than Verin''s and could resist the effects of the downward push.

    Za''Fia enraged, responded by sending out a beastly cry along with scores of flames that indiscriminately burned everything. Verin struggled to keep the fire shot toward her at bay and was struck with several burning impacts that forced her out of the sky in a ball of fire.

    Za''Fia unleashed a draconic triumphant roar as she watched her prey crash into the ground before charging toward her for the kill. But Verin wasn''t down just yet. Za''Fia saw a familiar thin film appear around her mindless body as she sprinted forward. It was the same one she''d seen Verin use to crush that guy once, but she was beyond the state of reason and couldn''t stop. She swung her right arm across and shattered the forming film, then leaped toward Verin, grabbing her by the throat as her momentum dragged Verin across the ground.

    Verin began to say something as she raised her arms, but without hesitation, Za''Fia started slamming her fist downward repeatedly with tremendous force. It felt good as she channeled her pain with each downward motion.

    Eventually, Verin morphed back to her standard form and passed out with a bloody face, but Za''Fia couldn''t calm down. She wasn''t satisfied. Za''Fia wanted to feel Verin''s heart stop within her hand, so she continued pounding.

    Za''Fia, STOP! She''s down! Alissia''s voice filled her head.

    ****

 Chapter XXV: ZaFias Infernal Presence (Pt. 2)

    As I yelled for Za''Fia to stop, Avarice chuckled, finding amusement in the situation. Enough for us to halt our fight for a moment.

    I shared what was happening with Tymon.

    I need you to stop her before she kills Verin, I told him urgently.

    If she''s about to kill her, I''m not going to make it flying. Show me where they are, he responded.

    The exigency could be felt in the air. It was like a feeling that our window of opportunity was closing, so I didn''t ask what he planned to do with his request. I used All-Sight to see Za''Fia and Verin and relayed the real-time visage to Tymon mentally.

    Let''s hope this works, he thought as he tried something different. He usually could only shadow travel to places he''d been because he had to visualize his exit, but could doing it this way help accomplish that, too?

    In the view of Za''Fia, as she dropped her fist down again and raised it for another, I saw Verin''s shadow darken and spring to life to create a shield around her, protecting her from Za''Fia''s next attack.

    This enraged Za''Fia even more as she went for an immense, fiery blow, but Tymon used Dark Shift to sink Verin into her shadow and transported her to Korea, where he and Michael were, putting several thousand miles between them.

    ****

    Tymon accessed Verin''s state. She was severely wounded and burned all over, but her life wasn''t in danger. He didn''t sense death clinging to her. His gaze shifted to Michael with slight concern, but he still breathed.

    Can you show me Za''Fia again? Tymon requested. She''ll probably come for Verin; then I can subdue her before she hurts anyone.

    That''s smart. Protecting Verin and Michael is key, so you shouldn''t stray too far from them, Alissia concurred as Tymon began to see Za''Fia. She looked around frantically, overwhelmed by her growing frustration at losing her kill. Then she went still abruptly and slowly turned to look in Tymon''s direction before taking off like a comet of fire.

    She''ll be there in less than thirty minutes...wait...

    Tymon could sense it, too. While over the Pacific, Za''Fia changed trajectory. Instead of flying straight across, she cut down on time by gaining a higher altitude, then angling herself downward and using natural gravity to help accelerate further. Tymon didn''t have much time at all until she''d arrive.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Even in that state, she thought of that?

    Within moments, Za''Fia crashed before them, her breath ragged as she looked around for Verin. When she saw her lying on the ground, she lunged, but transformed, Tymon intercepted and pushed Za''Fia away before placing a black wall of darkness behind him.

    Unable to act rationally, Za''Fia looked addled for a moment before her expression took on a look of betrayal beneath the bestial features.

    "You''re...protecting her?" Za''Fia''s draconic voice muttered as she shook her head, barely able to hang on to her surfaced confusion.

    Tymon looked down at her crushed arm with empathy, feeling a spark of anger rise within him, but spoke in a calming and soothing manner, "After everything she''s done, I know she deserves it, but killing her will do more harm than good. I can''t let you go through with it."

    Feeling betrayed, Za''Fia grew even angrier and roared fire in frustration before lunging at Tymon. Tymon dodged and defended against her onslaught as best he could but struggled to think of a way to subdue Za''Fia and her flames without hurting her.

    While pondering this, he noticed Za''Fia''s flames change from red-orange to blue. He watched in stunned silence as Za''Fia appeared like an indomitable firestorm whose flames gave off heat so intense that Tymon noticed he''d begun to sweat profusely.

    Tymon tensed. He''d never seen her like this, so he wasn''t sure what she could do in this state.

    Then suddenly, all the flames vanished, but the temperature in the atmosphere increased to the point Tymon''s sweat evaporated instantly. His mouth was left painfully dry as the moisture in it went. His skin felt rough and cracked in the brutal air.

    Where''d all the flames go? He thought as he ignored the sharp pain of his lips splitting from the dryness. He noticed a blue flash from Za''Fia. Looking at her hand, he saw intense heat waves emitting from it. No, the heat was coming from the claws at the ends of her fingers, which glowed hot with bursts of blue.

    Tymon looked up to see Za''Fia''s eyes of pure fury piercing through him. He might''ve gulped in that moment if he could muster any spit. One thing he knew for sure: he had to avoid getting caught by those claws at all costs.

    Before he could attempt to talk her down, she suddenly sprung forward and slashed at him.

    Tymon dodged as five flaming claw marks were left hanging in the air for a second before bursting into a massive fore of blue destruction that reduced everything in its path to ashes for miles. He could only hope there was no civilization along its route.

    Tymon flew higher, luring her after him to prevent more wreckage. He tried to think of a way to calm her down, but his mind drew a blank.

    There has to be some way without having to hurt her, he thought to himself.

    Hug her, he heard Damien''s voice say.

    What? How will that help? He asked, not seeing a connection.

    Damien''s pained laugh rang in his head.

    You really are dense to these things. She needs an outlet. She''s been through a lot. Find a way to give that to her.

    Tymon considered this.

    An outlet...? Tymon figured he must''ve meant for her rising power. She needed to release all of it at once to return to normal. Problem is, that''d destroy everything for dozens of miles.

    Then it hit him. It was a gamble, but if he took the blast himself, he was confident his power could contain it. If the release didn''t kill him first. Even if it did, it would still be enough to exhaust her. From what he could tell, the others had finished their battles, which left only Avarice, who he was confident Alissia could handle when she got serious.

 Chapter XXV: ZaFias Infernal Presence (Pt. 3)

    Determined, Tymon used his superior speed and slipped closer to Za''Fia, pressing her against him to keep her from attacking.

    Za''Fia was momentarily stunned as he activated Blackout, and darkness covered them both. As he held her in the darkness, he felt something unfamiliar stir within him¡ªsomething tender. His next actions hadn''t been what he originally intended, but they felt natural in that moment. Leaning his head down, he softly spoke into her ear, hoping his words would reach Za''Fia''s conscience, "Let it all out."

    Tymon felt her tense muscles relax with hesitation. He focused the lethargy effect of his spirit energy on her as he held her securely.

    "Let it out," he said again. No response. Then he felt her head lean against his chest as her right arm reached around and clutched the back of his cloak tightly. Za''Fia screamed as she released all the infernal turmoil within her in a blue and black swirl of their power.

    Tymon gritted his teeth as he bore the pain and contained the blast until the chaos inside the darkness ceased. He released Blackout to see Za''Fia morphing back into her normal state and, like him, breathing heavily and sweating as she went limp with exhaustion in his arms.

    He looked down at himself. He''d used spirit enhancement for added protection but was still burned across his chest where he''d held her. Somehow, miraculously, his cross still hung perfectly from his neck.

    He slowly descended back to the ground as he steadied his breath.

    Za''Fia groaned and gripped his arm.

    "It''s okay, I got you," he said as they landed. He laid her beside the other two and knelt, his energy almost gone.

    "It''s up to you now," he uttered aloud while sending the thought to Alissia.

    --------------------------------------------------------

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 Chapter XXVI: Alissia vs Avarice - Fractured (Pt.1)

    Now that everyone else had dealt with the High Gods and I could rest assured of their safety, I focused back on Avarice as we stood around a mountain of rubble. The pre-dawn breeze felt chilling as my hair was brushed back.

    Avarice looked moderately vexed.

    "To think that not one of you was killed..." he sighed, "Regardless, they did well to push The Primordials so far despite your mysterious gains of power."

    "Now they''re all practically drained, yet I remain," he laughed, flexing his power. "I''ll acknowledge your new strength as well, but even combined, I''m far more powerful than any of you."

    I eyed the wound in his chest as he clad himself in his Armor of God, then reinforced it with stronger harmonized spirit energy.

    "Don''t worry," he chuckled as he tapped his chest, "we''ll be finished before this becomes an issue."

    "You''d think you''d stop underestimating us by now," I remarked as I took a stance and began slowly channeling more energy from my mark.

    Avarice grunted and then charged at me. He fought with more tenacity than I expected.

    Did what I said get to him? I wondered as I barely blocked and dodged. In my current state, I was pushed to my limits as I avoided several lethal scrapes of his claws. I''d roll out of the tragedy of his blasts of sonic waves and leap out of reach from his gold that crept close. He certainly kept me on my toes. Even though I was focused on defense, the battle was incredible as it scarred the Earth in our wake.

    "Whoa!" I huffed as I side maneuvered from a projectile shot at me.

    "I commend you," Avarice said, slightly breathing heavily, "You may be on the defensive, but you''re still alive. You''ve matched me up to this point; however, seeing as you''ve reached your limit and I still have much more power to spare, you''ve lost."

    "Huh? Lost?" I said, steadying my breathing.

    "Haven''t you noticed," I said, revealing my ascension mark, "I haven''t even transformed yet..."

    Realizing the implications, Avarice''s eyes widened, and he tried to attack me again, but my transformation had already begun. He was blown back by an incredible force as a beam of turquoise energy shot into the sky. My hair changed from its natural brown luster to a silvery appearance as the streak of greyed hair began to glow turquoise like my energy. My eyes glowed completely, unlike everyone''s usual glow, which was just the irises.

    Unlike the others, my transformation was more refined and left me still appearing primarily human, but its power was unlike anything we''d felt up to that point. I stood as my body radiated power I found difficult to contain.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    "What''s the meaning of this?" Avarice stood, baffled by my presence that dwarfed his own. "You can''t be this powerful. Even the others couldn''t gain this much power in such a short period. Something like this shouldn''t be possible for a human."

    Avarice''s slitted, golden eyes scanned every inch of me. A look of familiarity was suddenly shown on his face.

    "No..." he shook his head. "But that''s the only way it makes sense...a direct descendent...you''re a vessel capable of holding our power?! I nearly died, but a human accomplished it!"

    Avarice''s eyes began to look crazed as he ran his hands through his once-smoothed hair and laughed maniacally. Suddenly, the air started to vibrate as he lost his cool and yelled in frustration, and golden pellets formed from the ground. As he continued his release of anger, they shot toward me at incredible speeds, but I weaved between them unscathed.

    "You don''t deserve that power. It wasn''t meant for you," he stated as he formed a pike of gold and shot it at me, but my stasis field stopped it. I held it there and smirked as he tried to force it through. Then he formed multiple golden pikes and tendrils around me to attack from all sides.

    This is a first, I thought, as my stasis field held them all in place. I had to spread more power throughout the field to prevent it from being penetrated.

    Be careful, Viraa warned.

    Avarice must''ve noticed what she saw, too, as he quickly changed tactics and focused most of his power into one quick, spinning golden drill that broke through while I was still balancing my power throughout the entire field instead of focusing on reinforcing one spot.

    In that moment of opportunity, Avarice lunged forward and unleashed a flurry of relentless, precise slashes with claws armored in his special gold. I could see the tips of the claws wriggle with seemingly live gold as he swung. It reminded me of Kaila somehow, and I knew that getting hit by them wouldn''t just leave a scratch. I used future sight to foresee his attack patterns, which helped me dodge until I saw an opening and kicked him away.

    Even while being forced back, Avarice almost landed a fatal wound as he sent out a lightning-fast golden projectile at my head. Still, with one spirit-enhanced hand, I grab the golden extension, stopping it in its tracks before sending violent rotations of telekinetic energy permeating through it, causing it to shatter between my fingers.

    Pulsing veins became visible on Avarice''s face as he became more enraged.

    "No, no, no, no, nooo! I didn''t spend over 8,000 years making sure I''d never be below anyone again just to be bested by a mere child!" he shouted as he became disheveled and slightly unhinged. He sent out powerful vibrations so intense it felt like the sky shook before he abruptly stopped.

    "...no, not yet. I can still win...I haven''t lost..."

    He looked at me with hatred.

    "You think you''ve surpassed me...? You''re still just a weak human who can be easily manipulated. I know your greatest weakness," he proclaimed as he darted off.

    I realized he was headed toward a nearby populated area and chased after him. Being faster, I was quickly closing the gap between us when he suddenly changed course and rose higher into the sky, where he sliced off a wing of a fully loaded commercial plane that was flying overhead.

    Avarice grinned wickedly and motioned to the plummeting plane before turning and taking off again.

    Seriously? I thought as I diverted my attention to the plane. I knew, even for me, it was too heavy to lift as it fell, so I slowed its uncontrolled descent with my telekinetic energy. Lifting something that heavy proved more difficult than I anticipated. It almost felt like its weight was dragging me down, too, but I managed to slow it down enough to land it safely. I quickly assured everyone was still alive without getting too close. Then I popped off the plane door so everyone could escape before I raced after Avarice.

    When I arrived at his location somewhere in Mongolia, he was floating a few hundred feet above the ground between skyscrapers in a heavily populated city now covered in gold. Despite it being very early morning and the sun barely being out, there were tons of people out who were mostly encased in gold, too.

 Chapter XXVI: Alissia vs Avarice - Fractured (Pt.2)

    "See, easily manipulated. You chose to save a few hundred insects but allowed me to take millions hostage in exchange."

    "Didn''t take you for such a sore loser," I said, taking in the situation.

    You two are too close to the humans in your transformed states, Viraa stated.

    Yeah, I was just thinking that, I responded as I noticed several humans near the top of different buildings were already struggling. I need to get us out of here.

    Enhancing my vision, I could see every person below was petrified in gold, but their heads were free, allowing them to breathe as they screamed in terror. Aware of what happened to the city Verin destroyed, panic sparked inside me.

    "You''re not killing any of them," I said coldly.

    "That''s up to you," Avarice grinned as he manifested giant arms of liquified gold from the ground that twisted around buildings, shattering windows as the buildings cracked.

    He''s gonna crush the buildings despite them being filled with innocent people...

    As I watched, some of the gold crept up the humans'' necks as a warning to me. I knew not to trust him to spare them if I gave myself up. Then, there was the fact that the others were in no position to help out. Saving everyone there was on me. After a few seconds, an idea came to mind.

    Good thing they can''t move; this''ll be a lot easier with stationary targets, I thought as I closed my eyes. I descended toward the ground slowly as I returned to my usual state, seemingly giving up.

    "A wise decision," I heard Avarice call out from above. "But do you know what''s so great about understanding your opponent..."

    I focused on sensing everyone within his grip. After a moment, I opened my eyes as each human was wrapped in my spatial energy.

    "You know when they''re trying to play you," he concluded as he shot a wide blast of focused, violent sound waves at the ground. Glass shattered, and buildings shook as the projectile approached.

    I reacted quickly and protected everyone by placing a stasis field over the area as I shot skyward, canceling his attack. But that didn''t faze him. Instead, he looked pleasantly surprised by my actions.

    "You should''ve given up earlier. I might''ve actually spared them," he said as he snapped his fingers. "Now they''re suffering will be on you."

    Avarice watched with satisfaction as the gold around the humans surged to encase them completely, but just as it was about to cover their faces, I burst back into my evolved form and simultaneously released a controlled flow of energy that instantly reached the humans and broke them free of their golden restraints.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "Didn''t I say I wasn''t letting you kill them?"

    When he attempted to crush the buildings next, I used my powers to prevent that as I forcibly ''pushed'' Avarice with a blunt force that sent him out of the city before I chased him.

    "Someone''s gonna have a field day mining all that gold," I muttered as I glanced back at the city.

    When he finally came to a stop somewhere far from the city, we were in the middle of nowhere. Breathing heavily, Avarice gritted his teeth and used his c-chip to contact someone.

    "Activate it now," he ordered.

    I wondered who he was talking to and what he was planning now. He revealed his golden spatial bag and reached into it before he pulled out an odd-looking pole.

    "What''s that?" I asked skeptically.

    "Something special I had developed..." he huffed as he stuck it into the ground and smiled as if he''d just assured his success. As he held the pole, his hands began to vibrate before he sent those vibrations through the pole and into the ground.

    "It''s a channel of some sort..." I realized. The ground started to tremble softly and intensified until it could be felt everywhere. Using All-Sight, I saw the Earth become unleveled in several places across the globe as earthquakes formed. I sensed several spots emitting the same energy as the pole before me.

    "Stop! What are you doing?!" I yelled at him.

    "You did this!" he yelled over the rumbling sound of the ground shaking. "Had you all fallen in line, some humans would''ve survived. I wouldn''t have to resort to such drastic measures, but not only have you defied me, but you''ve taken a son from me and destroyed everything I worked millennia for..." he shook his head in grievance before continuing, "This world no longer interests me. So it doesn''t need to exist."

    "You''d go so far as to destroy the planet?!" I reacted in shock as I pushed him away and ripped the pole out of the ground.

    "It''s too late; that won''t help y¡ª" Avarice started before being cut off as the ground suddenly stopped shaking. He looked around, surprised and confused, before growing angry.

    "Insolent human! How could she..."

    His eyes widened with realization as he began to ramble. "Verin...you made her your pet. Knowing you, your first Order must''ve been for her only to follow your commands."

    He clutched his messy hair in frustration.

    "How could I overlook such a detail...a human deceived me...my Orders never worked on her..."

    His eyes darted left and right erratically as he said, "No...a human deceived me...? I did this. I made humans too close to gods. I taught them our arts. I gave them our blood!" He looked around as if only now seeing the flaw in his 8,000-year master game.

    "I was going to give them more of our blood..." He shook his head again and continued with a gleam in his eye that sent a shiver through me, "No, I can still make sure this stain is erased...I will cleanse everything. I vow this on my undying breath."

    He looked at me, his eyes fixed with a determination I hadn''t seen in him before.

    "Starting with you," he said as he blurred toward me. I blocked his strike and met his gaze. The force of the strike caused the ground beneath my feet to give way.

    "I''ll study every inch of you down to your atoms. Then you will be eradicated just like the rest of your kind," he said, pushing me away and unleashing another flurry of strikes and kicks. "I see my mistake: no human should be able to rival a god. This world is wrong. I''ll reset it and make it right. I have the tools to do so..."

    So does that mean he won''t destroy the planet? Now he''s back to wanting only to kill all humans?

    Not all, Viraa commented. It seems he now wishes to destroy most humans¨Cnot too different from his original plan; however, now he wants to revert humans to a time before the Age of Conversion. His mind is quite addled.

 Chapter XXVI: Alissia vs Avarice - Fractured (Pt.3)

    "What about Trevor? And Wren?" I asked as I dodged more of his strikes. I noticed his energy was significantly lower than before now. I could''ve reverted to normal in his condition and still would have been more powerful than him.

    "They are my children¡ªgods created by a god. They are clean. Untainted."

    I rolled my eyes as I swatted one of his weakening strikes away. He was so engrossed in his fractured mind''s epiphany that he hadn''t noticed he was draining his physical and spiritual stamina. "You''ve lost it. Seeing a human surpass you, and another human has resisted you, you tried to destroy the world but failed...it''s broken something inside you."

    My goal was to keep pushing him to exhaustion without actually hitting him. He must''ve noticed my lack of initiative, which, of course, only made him angrier.

    "Fight back!" he yelled, finally noticing he''d fallen from his hybrid form at some point and was nearly out of energy.

    "At this point, it wouldn''t be fair if I did," I remarked, as his subsequent strike was so weak that it slid off me, unable to break my skin. Avarice stumbled past me, clutching his chest as he could no longer keep the hole in it clogged with his energy. He fell to his knees, unable to move as he started to bleed out.

    As he bled out, I walked closer and gathered energy around my fist for a final strike.

    "You...you didn''t strike me...at me once," he coughed up blood, "how could you...fight so pathetically? Just to...tire me out...to land a...fatal blow?"

    "You''re wrong."

    "...W-what?"

    "I didn''t want to be the one to defeat you," I declared as I looked down at my fist. "Don''t mistaken what''s happening; it''s the wound Tymon gave you that sapped your strength so fast and has put you in the state you''re in now. Tymon is the one who defeated you."

    Avarice showed his blood-covered teeth and pressed a button from his holo-bracelet.

    "I see. I''ve been...defeated. But I haven''t lost.... My contingency plan will take care of the rest.... I''ll resurrect...and hunt each of them down...then deliver their heads to you..."

    "You may resurrect, but you won''t be going anywhere. My connection with you all isn''t just physical. You''ll spend a long time trapped alone, experiencing a constant state of nothingness," I informed him as I cocked back my Destructive Fist. "But for now, this is for all the trouble you''ve caused us."

    I released my punch, hitting him directly in the face. The impact sent out a powerful shockwave that rippled through the area behind Avarice as if a hurricane was focused only on that space. Avarice was flung away; his body crashed through objects and bent unnaturally until he eventually came to a stop miles away.

    When I arrived at his body, I saw his eyes were rolled into the back of his head, and blood trickled from them and his mouth. He was dead. For now.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    I sighed as a slight twinge of guilt hit me. I knew he''d come back, but killing him still felt wrong. I looked up at the sky to see the sun fully rising, bringing in a day.

    I glanced back down at Avarice and saw his holo-bracelet blinking.

    It is not over yet, Viraa stated.

    Unfortunately not, I responded, but first: Tymon, can you hear me...?

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: <u>All-Sight</u> - a mystic cintracy that protects Alissia from mind-manipulating cintracies and grants her the power to see other places or people regardless of how far away they may be.

    To view other locations and distant people requires her to have been to the location or have met the individual she wants to see.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

    Super Supporters: Wanna learn everything up-to-date? Get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)? Or perhaps you''d like a place to chat with other fans of the series or even the author himself.

    Read the series for free as a free member of the series'' Patreon page @ https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <figure>

    </figure>

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

    Each saga will gain its own tier as the story progresses and will provide more bonuses than the last!

    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. If it turns out to not be your thing, then no harm no foul. Otherwise, enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

    <u>Words of Virtue:</u>

    The LORD will also be a high tower for the oppressed; a high tower in times of trouble.

    -Psalm 9:9

    <u>Media</u>

    <u>Website:</u> https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <u>IG:</u> otherworldsjt

    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XXVII: Rendezvous

    Yeah, I can hear you. Tymon responded to me. Seems you took care of Avarice without too much trouble.

    Eh, I didn''t really contribute much. That hole you put in his chest did more damage than I did.

    There was a brief pause before he spoke again.

    Thanks, he said.

    I smiled even though he couldn''t see me. Of course. But back to why I called you: Avarice claimed he set up a contingency plan before losing consciousness. I need you to shadow travel everyone. I''ll grab Avarice, Naomi, and Wren. You take everyone else back to Michael''s place, where we can rest while we figure it out. You have the energy for that?

    Barely, but I should.

    Okay, good. I''ll meet you there.

    I lifted Avarice''s body off the ground and flew into the sky. Before taking off, a thought crossed my mind, and I added an extra stop before picking up Naomi and Wren from the Pacific. They were both still unconscious when I arrived. Within an hour, I was back at Michael''s manor in Quebec.

    Michael, Za''Fia, Damien, Arne, and Naomi were awake now. They were put in good spirits after seeing their opponents lying unconscious on the floor, but everyone kinda looked quietly at Junichiro''s severed body. I had decided to grab it on the way back.

    "The remains aren''t encased in gold anymore," Damien commented in a low voice. "It must''ve been undone when Avarice died."

    Hopefully the same thing happened to the gold left in the city, I thought.

    Just as I was about to get Tymon''s attention, I saw him squat over Junichiro''s body and place a hand over it.

    "I take it you want me to get rid of the body?" He asked. I sighed, glad he understood without me having to ask something like that aloud.

    "It''ll be too risky to bury him. Klevonian cells don''t decompose as fast, so his remains will be around for a long time, and we can''t let him end up in human hands."

    "I agree," Tymon stated as he activated Last Breath.

    "So, we won. We prevented the worst-case scenario," Za''Fia voiced as she winced, grabbing her crushed arm. "Although I don''t remember what happened with Verin."

    "You nearly killed her," Michael said, wincing through the pain of his severe wounds.

    "Then tried to kill Tymon," Damien added before informing her of what transpired after she lost it. When she was told how Tymon finally managed to calm her down, she blushed, and the room''s temperature rose.

    Damien chuckled at her cute response before sighing and taking a good look at everyone.

    "We truly look a mess, don''t we?"

    Michael looked down at his destroyed arms.

    "Once my energy recovers, it''ll be my first time recovering with meditational healing..." he said with a gloomy tone.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "You''ll see why we appreciate your power so much. It''s time-consuming and doesn''t heal everything cleanly. Sometimes, it leaves you with scars."

    Everyone laughed in agreement. They were all exhausted and banged up, but we pulled through. A good first mission together, if you ask me.

    Tymon must''ve picked up on my thoughts somehow.

    Don''t celebrate just yet, his voice said in my head. Michael still has a death cloud clinging to him, so anything could happen. We need to stay on our guard.

    Based on everyone''s sudden drop in mood, I realized he''d sent that thought to each of us except Michael.

    Michael opened his mouth to say something after seeing everyone''s mood change when suddenly, a shimmering presence was perceived behind him as the tip of a blade violently protruded through his chest, piercing his heart.

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: <u>Last Breath</u> - a temp cintracy that gives Tymon the ability to rapidly age and decay most things/people he or his spirit energy touches at a cellular level. At full power he can instantly kill most lifeforms with a single touch. At low power he can stop a weaker species'' heart or their breathing.

    For more information about Last Breath, visit the franchise''s Patreon as a free member!

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

    Super Supporters: Wanna learn everything up-to-date? Get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)? Or perhaps you''d like a place to chat with other fans of the series or even the author himself.

    Read the series for free as a free member of the series'' Patreon page @ https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <figure>

    </figure>

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

    Each saga will gain its own tier as the story progresses and will provide more bonuses than the last!

    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. If it turns out to not be your thing, then no harm no foul. Otherwise, enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

    <u>Words of Virtue:</u>

    Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

    -John 6:35

    <u>Media</u>

    <u>Website:</u> https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <u>IG:</u> otherworldsjt

    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XXVIII: Marlyn (Pt.1)

    Damien watched in shock as Michael stood wide-eyed, looking down at the blade that dripped with his blood. Behind him stood the culprit. Vicki was covered in bleeding lacerations, and one of her cheeks beneath her mask was swollen. She wore rags and a pair of suppression cuffs hung from one of her wrists while she held the end of a sword similar to the one Junichiro once used. The sword itself appeared to be coated in some of Avarice''s potent energy. Surprisingly, she''d managed to sneak in unnoticed, thanks to wearing a binding suit that masked the presence of spirit energy within its boundaries. It was the same device Naomi told him Kaila and Claeg used to attack her unnoticed once.

    "Michael!" Alissia yelled as everyone turned their attention to Vicki, who withdrew her blade, and Michael fell to the floor.

    Alissia and Naomi rushed over to him.

    "Is this what contingency plan he meant? To think he was prepared to kill everyone on the planet even before his breakdown," she said as she panicked and pulled cloths from her spatial bag to clog the wound while Naomi tried her best to freeze it shut to stall.

    The lights flickered and sparked as Damien approached Vicki angrily. She was alive because he''d given her the benefit of the doubt. He felt responsible for this happening to Michael. The threat to Michael''s life was because of him...This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    "Damien, don''t," Alissia said, but he could tell she was still too shocked to react as her hands were covered in Michael''s blood.

    Vicki looked at Michael lying on the floor, bleeding out, then she looked around as if suddenly coming to her senses.

    "No...no, no, no. Oh my God, I didn''t...please," she looked at Damien, who stood before her, his eyes glowing threateningly.

    "I was forced to," her words were barely audible even up close, "I couldn''t defy her."

    So, it was Verin who put her up to this.

    Damien understood her predicament and looked down at her softly.

    "I sympathize with you, truly," he said tenderly, pointing her chin upward. "But you''ve fatally wounded our friend, so I have a promise to keep."

    Looking into her eyes, he was filled with sorrow from what was reflected.

    "You poor soul. I''ll make this as painless as possible," he said compassionately, removing Vicki''s mask. Vicki closed her eyes, seemingly in acceptance, as Damien leaned her head down and kissed her on the forehead. As he did so, he sent electric charges into her head and used Overload simultaneously to stimulate her brain to perceive her electrocution as blissful pleasure.

    Alissia was too preoccupied to understand as she finally reacted and rushed over to pull Damien away from Vicki.

    "Why did you do that?! She was human! She wasn''t fighting back!"

    Damien glanced at Tymon before responding, "She proved to be a threat to us. It''s also why I had to take out Junichiro..."

    "No, Junichiro was one thing. We still could''ve..."

    It was the right call, Lisa. Viraa''s voice was heard in each of their heads. The human was too far gone to ever recover from what was done to her psyche.

    "No, that''s not¡ª" Alissia started but was stopped as we watched Za''Fia, uncharacteristically distressed, approach Vicki as she wobbled unbalanced.

    ****

 Chapter XXVIII: Marlyn (Pt.2)

    As Za''Fia approached Vicki, her gaze was fixated on Vicki''s face. She knew she remembered those eyes when they first met in Tymon''s house that night. Suppressed memories from her past suddenly came rushing forward to the surface.

    Za''Fia was reborn into this life on May 16th, 2862. She wasn''t fortunate enough to have been found by anyone, so she was self-raised in the wild for the first thirteen years of her life. She called a forest somewhere in central Canada home. That is, until her powers manifested. She caused a significant fire one night that lured dozens of firefighters to her in the forest. Once they finally managed to put the flames out, she was found naked.

    Back then, she was still highly tempered but more afraid than anything, so she ran. However, eventually, the fighters were able to calm her down with food she''d never had before and would then cover her up before taking her to a city where she was placed into a shelter of some sort with other people her age.

    While the metal world made her uneasy, being surrounded by others who looked like her put her at ease, but she couldn''t communicate with them at first. The only thing she knew was her name, but that changed quickly. It didn''t take long before Za''Fia could understand everything that was said to her. Being able to comprehend the human language around her, she became aware that her unorthodox behaviors and destructive tendencies were against the rules of civilization, resulting in her constantly getting into trouble.

    Then, in the year 2877, a young woman showed up. She introduced herself as Marlyn and arranged for Za''Fia to be adopted by a wealthy couple in Montreal. Za''Fia remembered being ecstatic about finding a home.

    For the three years to follow, Za''Fia lived with the couple. During this time, the Marlyn individual revealed herself to be a Watcher and taught Za''Fia what spirit manipulation was and how to control her power. She also told Za''Fia about the Primordials, where Za''Fia was placed among them, and how the world was in chaos at the time due to the Supreme Primordial Death having not reincarnated yet. Then, she was informed of her natural aggression from her past lives, and Marlyn taught Za''Fia how to control her emotions so that she wouldn''t get so angry at little annoyances or be a danger to society.

    Throughout those three years, Za''Fia remembered looking up to Marlyn and cherishing her as a friend and mentor. Then everything changed in the year 2880. Despite her incredible improvements, when Za''Fia''s adoptive father told her of Marlyn''s cremation, she lost all control and spiraled into a rage unlike anything she''d felt up to that moment. That was the night she triggered her hybrid form.

    The searing heat from her transformation burned everything in the house and incinerated her father. It could never be proven if those incinerated remained alive still, but it was the only sure way to end a life back then. The following morning, Za''Fia found herself far from home and couldn''t remember what happened. She''d even suppressed her memories of Marlyn. When she made her way home, she found it in ruins and couldn''t contact either of her parents, so she assumed both died in a fire accident. She mourned them, and she spent the next nine years making a living in America before finding out the truth and learning her adoptive mother had not died but had chosen to disown her...

    Za''Fia''s mind returned to the present as Vicki''s body went limp and started to fall. Za''Fia quickly blurred over to catch her as they sunk awkwardly to the floor with Vicki clutched in Za''Fia''s good arm.

    Teary-eyed, Za''Fia could barely speak.

    "Why didn''t you tell me?" she croaked. "Why did you let me believe you died?"

    "I''d fallen in with Verin. She figured I was more useful to her if people thought I was cremated," Marlyn struggled to say with a forced smile and a tear rolling down the corner of her eye. She looked Za''Fia in the eyes before continuing. "I''m not the same person I was back then. I kept tabs on you but couldn''t bring myself to look you in the eye after all the atrocities I committed for Verin."

    She smiled and raised a trembling hand to touch Za''Fia''s face as she said, "But I''m glad I got to talk to you as the real me before the end..."If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Za''Fia watched painfully as Marlyn''s eyes drifted to a spot near her head, and the flicker of life within them faded. She felt her energy start to rise in response to her emotions, but then she felt Tymon''s firm hand rest on her shoulder.

    "You okay," he asked somberly, his tone unidentifiable.

    "Yeah, it''s under control," she retorted, thinking he was implying her power.

    "That''s not what I meant."

    When she looked up at him, she saw his expression, which was understanding and compassionate, which only made her want to cry even more.

    She hung her head and wiped her tears away before gently closing Marlyn''s eyes. She''d have time to think about all of this later.

    "I''ll be okay. For now, we have a bigger issue at hand," Za''Fia said, pointing at Michael''s paling body.

    "Guys, I can''t stop the bleeding!" Naomi looked up at them with desperation.

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: In year 2859, Marlyn Sadio (later was given the name Vicki by her oppressor, Verin) and her mother was kidnapped and held for ransom, but her father, Custov Sadio, refused to pay. This resulted in both of them being held in captivity for months until Avarice and Verin saved them. Unfortunately, while Marlyn lucked out, her mother had not gone those months avoiding the attention of their captives. The only reason why she was still alive was due to death being an unobtainable state at the time. When Marlyn was offered the power to survive and get revenge she eagerly accepted it. Though she regretted it later.

    Extra Fun fact: During the two centuries that Tymon hadn''t reincarnated yet, anyone sentenced to death, whose bodies were mutilated during SVVL tournaments, or that governments or private organizations didn''t use to harvest organs from were incinerated/cremated in an attempt to create a balance for the absence of deaths yet the ever-increasing rates of births.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

    Super Supporters: Wanna learn everything up-to-date? Get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)? Or perhaps you''d like a place to chat with other fans of the series or even the author himself.

    Read the series for free as a free member of the series'' Patreon page @ https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <figure>

    </figure>

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

    Each saga will gain its own tier as the story progresses and will provide more bonuses than the last!

    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. If it turns out to not be your thing, then no harm no foul. Otherwise, enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

    <u>Words of Virtue:</u>

    Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope in the power of the Holy Spirit.

    -Romans 15:13

    <u>Media</u>

    <u>Website:</u> https://www.patreon.com/</a>primordials

    <u>IG:</u> otherworldsjt

    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XXIX: Life Eternal (Pt.1)

    "I can''t stop the bleeding!" Naomi said again, looking worried.

    I rushed back over to Michael and rested his head on my lap as I reached over him and applied pressure to the blood-soaked cloth that sat on his chest.

    I can''t lie; he didn''t look good. He was pale, there were dark spots under his eyes, and his lips seemed a shade of blue. And worst of all, I could literally feel his presence fading.

    "What happens if he dies?" Naomi questioned as she continued trying to close the wound, but the blood just kept flowing out.

    All species will be unable to give life to new generations, Viraa answered. Those alive already will lose their vitality¡ªtheir bodies will no longer have the strength to fight off illnesses. A common cold could bring about the extinction of the human race. Something worse could kill every living thing on the planet.

    "How are we supposed to save him and prevent that?!" I yelled as I changed the cloth and pressed desperately. His presence was almost gone now. "It can''t end like this! We won. Did we save everyone only so that everyone would still be doomed?"

    As Naomi and I sat there trying our best to slow the process, at least, we all felt Michael''s presence slip away, and the blood finally stopped flowing.

    "I can''t feel him anymore..." I said, shaken.

    "What are we supposed to do now?" Naomi asked, her hands slightly trembling as they were covered in his blood. It was difficult to tell which Naomi was before me. I guess even her cold exterior wasn''t as heartless as she made herself seem.

    "We can deal with the effects of this later," Tymon spoke. "For now, we should at least send him off properly before getting rid of the body."

    "How do you send off a klevonian?" Arne asked, their eyes smoldered shut as they peeled some burned flesh from one of their arms. Oddly enough, Arne hadn''t once complained about their eyes'' state.

    "Viraa?"

    A klevonian who dies is traditionally cremated by their loved ones or the party responsible for them. On Cindar, this can be achieved without issue; however, here, on Earth, the only source of powerful heat would likely be Za''Fia''s flames.

    I looked at Za''Fia expectedly.

    "Would you mind doing this for him? Think you''ve regained enough strength?"

    "Yeah," she nodded as we all moved to the basement. When we were in one of the white rooms, I placed Michael on the floor, and Za''Fia moved to kneel beside him.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "He may have been pompous for most of the time I''ve known him, but in the end, he always wanted to heal others. He even saved most of our lives today," she said as she hovered her hand over his body and set it ablaze.

    I was about to continue the train of speaking something valued about him, but the flames immediately fizzled out just as fast as they were formed. There was now a noticeable, unknown protective membrane that had formed around Michael''s skin.

    "Strange. His body doesn''t seem to want to be destroyed," Damien commented as Arne tapped the membrane. I kinda wondered how Arne knew the body was there.

    "Maybe I should try a different way?" Za''Fia said as she placed her good hand on his chest and began to heat his body from within. It seemed to work at first, but then the effects only seemed to only go as far as making steam come from inside him. Nothing else started to melt or burn.

    Then, as we all watched, a silvery-red substance began to ooze from his ears, eyes, and nose.

    Enhancing my vision, I could see tiny, half-melted, metallic pieces of metal within the substance.

    "It''s the nanites!" I exclaimed, surprising everyone. "They''re melting from the heat!"

    Suddenly, I could feel Michael''s presence spark again. It was faint, but it was there. I smiled as I felt it grow stronger as his wounds began to close rapidly. Then, he was still for what seemed like an eternity, but we all could feel him. He was alive!

    "How is this possible?" Tymon asked incredulously. "Can he resurrect, too?"

    Not quite, Viraa answered just as Michael''s body inhaled deeply and his eyes fluttered open.

    I rushed over to hug Michael as he sat up.

    "Oh my God! We thought you were dead!" I said as he sat up in a dazed state.

    "You were dead," Tymon corrected as he held out a hand to help Michael to his feet.

    It appears once your life was threatened, the Eternal Life cintracy suspended your body until the nanites could be forced out¡ªquite the resilient power.

    "Yes, I''m...certainly grateful for it," Michael responded, still grasping the situation.

    "I guess we''re both pretty hard to kill," Tymon said jokingly. "At least the lingering death that was around you is gone."

    "How''s it feel to be immortal again?" Damien asked him.

    "I''m certainly more appreciative of it now," Michael responded, taking in everyone''s conditions. He blinked several times as everyone finally settled in. "I hadn''t expected everyone to end up in such a state....My energy''s slowly replenishing, but I still lack what''s necessary to heal you all. I''ll need maybe an hour."

    I saw him glancing at Za''Fia''s crushed arm. It was discolored and grotesque. He could probably tell that she''d already lost all nerves within that arm¡ªthat it was practically dead already. Even if he had the energy, even he wouldn''t have been able to repair it.

    Za''Fia noticed us looking and sighed with apprehension. She gritted her teeth and used her left hand to sever the arm up to where the damage stopped. As the arm fell to the floor, she grimaced in pain; her face beaded with sweat as she cauterized the bleeding with her fire.

    "I''m sorry," Michael said, disappointed. He looked at Arne. "And I''ll heal your eyes once I''ve regained enough energy."

    "Ahm," Arne responded with a nod. "Don''t feel responsible. Some of us chose to push forward without your support."

    "I suppose so," he responded as he looked at Tymon''s missing hand and said, "I could try healing that too."

    Tymon shook his head.

    "Just like Za''Fia''s injury, it''s too late. The most you could do is staunch the bleeding. Besides, cintracies don''t work on me, remember?"

    "Luckily, I have my own way of healing," he continued as he picked up Junichiro''s sword and walked over to Arne. "Mind doing me a favor? Consider it payback for our skirmish the other day."

    "You want me to kill you?" Arne questioned as they grabbed the blade from him.

    "Resurrecting is the only way I can regenerate major wounds," Tymon replied.

    "Okay, but I don''t consider this payback. Someday, I''ll get it without you needing to let me," Arne retorted confidently.

 Chapter XXIX: Life Eternal (Pt.2)

    "Then you''ll never get me back," Tymon smirked.

    Arne huffed with a low growl and a forced smile as they ran the sword through him in mostly restrained frustration. I levitated his body and placed him on a bed summoned from the digital pad on the wall.

    I caught Michael looking at the sword as I pulled it out of Tymon. When he looked down at where he''d been stabbed, we both noticed a scar there.

    "I supposed the wound that killed me will always remain with me," he stated as he touched it.

    After that, we all just sat there and recharged a bit while waiting for Tymon to return. About twenty minutes passed when I saw Za''Fia approach Damien. She thanked him for not making Marlyn suffer.

    "It wouldn''t have been right to simply destroy her," he told her. "Even we struggled against them, what hope did she have? She also seemed to have been Ordered by Verin, so she couldn''t have resisted anyway."

    "If you knew she was Ordered, why kill her?" I asked.

    "She begged me to," he replied, catching me off guard. "With her eyes. I think she wanted peace."

    I looked down, not having a rebuttal, when Tymon suddenly jerked upright. His hand had been restored, and we noticed he had a chunk of his power back.

    "Somehow, that seems unfair," Damien joked, lightening the mood as he held his wounds that weren''t fully healed.

    Everyone chuckled as they envied Tymon and Michael''s powers when Arne and Naomi abruptly went still and looked alert. Arne dropped to the floor and spread a hand on it.

    "Arne?" I called out curiously.

    "I''m sensing a strong vibration in the ground. It''s coming from...the direction of Avarice''s lab."

    Now agitated, my future sight instinctively activated, showing me an unexpected future. With little time to react, I yelled, "Everyone get down!" as the manor imploded.

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    </figure>

    Fun fact: <u>Eternal Life</u> -  a mystic cintracy that give''s Michael''s body the ability to quickly regenerate from any harm, even regrow limbs in a matter of minutes. With concentration, he can speed up his healing process to near instantaneous for short bursts of time. So long as this cintracy is active Michael is essentially immortal, making him impossible to kill and granting him eternal youth. (regeneration begins with the cintracy''s indestructible core so if a limb is cut off, the limb won''t generate its own body)

    Though the cintracy''s indestructible core is capable of healing Michael from nearly any physical injury, and can even go as far as to suspend his body in an indestructible membrane should an event where it cannot properly heal substantial damage done occurs, if Michael somehow actually reaches the point of death the cintracy cannot bring him back. (Michael nearly died this chapter but his cintracy''s fail safe activated just before then)

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    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

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    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

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    <u>Words of Virtue:</u>

    But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

    -Romans 5:8

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    <u>IG:</u> otherworldsjt

    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XXX: New Possibilities

    The building shook terribly as we were blinded by a searing heat and light that shined from the basement staircase. I had my hands raised as I held up multiple shields in defense.

    "What the hell was that?" Za''Fia asked as the violent shaking came to a stop.

    "A bomb," Tymon answered grimly.

    "The people that were outside!" Naomi said as she dashed upstairs.

    "They''re fine," I stated as the rest followed her. I quickly gave the four unconscious some of my energy and took some of theirs, then linked their wrists with suppression cuffs that connected a bolted-down piece of the floor.

    The room''s practically indestructible, so it should hold them, I thought as I ran upstairs. When I got outside, I saw the landscape was destroyed. Everything for at least a mile was gone. The green grass of the hillside was black as some of the ground still smoldered in heat, and smoke rose into the air. We might as well have been hit with a mini-nuke.

    Luckily, I had been fast enough to raise a shield around the core of the manor and another around everyone who stood outside its gates at the last second. The manor was still standing mostly; there was some damage from the impact, but it could be rebuilt. More importantly, the humans at the gates were unscathed but were now quieter than before and looked around in utter disbelief. They began to cheer when they saw they were alive because of us. Notably, though, I couldn''t see any of the Church of Light members there anymore. I wondered if they went back home.

    I looked at Tymon.

    "You said something about a bomb..."

    "Yeah," Tymon said before telling us about what he saw at Avarice''s Base D and then what he saw beneath Avarice''s lab while they fought. He then opened a shadow path for us to step through, leading to a location near the lab.

    "Oh God," I muttered as we emerged on the other side. Surrounding Avarice''s demolished lab were tubes that protruded from the ground, but the lab itself was raised to the point where we could see a storage of bombs in a clear carcass beneath it.

    "Where are those about to be fired?" I asked, horrified. Unlike the one fired at Michael''s manor, each of these bombs had enough energy packed into them to wipe a large city off the face of the Earth.

    Michael suddenly blurred back to the rest of us. I hadn''t even noticed he''d gone inside.

    "The control panels below indicate dozens of locations across the globe," he informed us. "There''s a timer on the screen set to go off in less than ten minutes. I imagine that''s when they''ll be fired."

    "Can''t we drop it in a volcano or something?" Za''Fia asked.

    "I could try shadow traveling it to the underwater cave," Tymon suggested.

    "Or bury it deep underground," Arne commented.

    "Freeze it maybe?" Naomi volunteered. "Maybe that''ll stop it from working."

    "I doubt there''s enough time for any of that," Damien stated.

    "He''s right, and I don''t wanna think about how massive the explosion would be if it all detonated at once," I said as my mind raced. Left with no better ideas and a very small window, I suddenly transformed into my evolved state, enveloped the building with my spatial energy, and started lifting it off the ground.

    God, it''s heavy... I thought as I strained myself to will it higher into the sky while flying overhead.

    You intend to take it into space? Viraa asked her tone not at all surprised.

    Yeah, please tell me we can survive in space the same way we can underwater.

    Rest assured, your body will function the same way as it does underwater, and the cold should not affect you either.

    "Great," I said as I rocketed skyward with over 150,000 tons in tow. As I neared the edge of Earth''s atmosphere, the sky darkened into a black, cloudless void filled with more stars than I''d ever seen before. My body was hit with a chill that I could feel but wasn''t bothered by as my lungs automatically stopped functioning and I could feel my spirit energy start churning within my slowed heart. I could feel the difference as my body became restricted¡ªmy strength and speed cut.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Keeping in mind that I was almost out of time, I continued flying away from Earth, ignoring the accompanying fear of being alone off the planet for the first time. It was surprisingly easier to fly as I continued. Once I was hundreds of miles away, I used as much of my willpower as I could muster to use my energy to throw the cluster of bombs as far away from Earth as I could. Not ten seconds later, I saw it explode in a ginormous cloud of gold and violet particles.

    Thankfully, the explosion was a safe distance away. However, some of its force still reached where I was. I raised another stasis field for protection as I was pushed back hundreds of miles until I was near Earth again.

    To think the force of its edges were that strong, I commented.

    You were wise to bring it out here, Viraa commended. An explosion that vast certainly would have devastated the humans.

    Yeah, I''m glad this was an option, I remarked as I floated there. In the distance I could see a nearby satellite closer to Earth. When I took in the view of our planet, I was amazed at what it looked like. It was beautiful in all its glory. Seeing it in person was nothing like the pictures.

    So, this is space, I commented as I turned to look at the starry horizon. I let it sink in that I was literally floating in freaking space!

    Indeed, what was once an unexplorable domain is now at the tips of your fingers, Viraa said as I sensed Tymon and Michael approaching. They must''ve came to check on things. The three of us floated there, looking at the outstretched universe before us.

    I wonder what''s out there, Michael voiced almost in awe.

    Things much grander than your limited experiences on Earth, Viraa stated. Her tone was foreboding and cryptic as usual. It would feel like living an entirely different life.

    I wouldn''t mind traveling to find new experiences, Michael said as he gazed out.

    Yeah, maybe even travel to Cindar, I concurred.

    That would be quite the lengthy voyage, Viraa chuckled amused.

    For now, we''ve got four problems on Earth to deal with, Tymon stated, turning back before he shot off toward Earth in a black streak. Michael and I took another look at the stars before turning back too. Once we figured things out with Avarice and his troublesome family, I promised myself I''d definitely go back to take in the scenery again. Maybe I''d even go relax on the moon.

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: Now that Alissia has taken that step into the beyond, she''s excited to see what other possibilities are out there. She could go to the moon, or visit Mars! Wait, what about Earth? Would she be gone for too long? Exactly how fast could she fly in space. She did notice no resistance as she flew just now...Michael seems to share the same enthusiasm. Maybe they''ll go together.

    Note from OtherWorldsJT: Two more chapters left before we conclude the first saga of an epic adventure!

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

    Super Supporters: Wanna learn everything up-to-date? Get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)? Or perhaps you''d like a place to chat with other fans of the series or even the author himself.

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    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

    Each saga will gain its own tier as the story progresses and will provide more bonuses than the last!

    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

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    <u>Words of Virtue:</u>

    There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don''t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

    -Romans 8:1

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    <u>IG:</u> otherworldsjt

    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XXXI: The Primordial Queen (Pt.1)

    Michael and I landed near the others who had waited on the ground. Where Avarice''s lab once stood now was a deep hole filled with rubble.

    "I take it this was you, Arne," I said as I approached them.

    "Hopefully our troubles from this place will stay buried with it," Arne responded.

    "Hopefully," I replied solemnly. "Now we''ve got one more thing to take care of before we can put this behind us."

    Right on cue, I sensed Avarice''s energy returning through our connection. The sky darkened, and I looked over at Tymon, who nodded toward a shadow behind a big rock that had been exaggerated to life. He kept it active by touching it with his foot.

    "Thanks," I said as I walked past him and stepped into the shadow. The others followed behind me. When we emerged, we were in the basement of Michael''s manor, standing before the unconscious bodies of Avarice, Verin, Wren, and Trevor.

    As they lay on the floor, I knelt over them and placed my hands on their heads, two at a time. With my connection with Viraa, I was able to connect with them through their ascension marks. I forced each of them into deep slumbers where their minds were held in solitude. In there, for each day that passed in real life, one year would pass to them. It was probably the closest thing to a coma they''d ever experienced.

    Looking down at Verin, I clenched my fists, exhaled, and then relaxed them. I squatted again and absorbed most of her spirit energy, leaving just enough to keep her weak. I was about to ask Viraa to augment Verin''s mark to block her from gaining more spirit energy from others, but I realized there''d be no point. So, instead, I altered her mental solitude, changing it from one of perpetual darkness to one where she''d suffer through hellish torment.

    Want to know something funny? Verin''s voice spoke while I was inside her head. Despite everything I''ve done, even if you could kill me, you wouldn''t. You''d be showing me the same mercy, she laughed.

    This isn''t mercy, I said coldly.

    Lisa, Viraa warned.

    I''ve seen your future, I continued. It isn''t pleasant. As you rot here, you''ll begin to pray for death, but it won''t come. Not yet. Once you''ve reached your limit, something in you will snap. Insanity will become sane, and when you see it in your reflection, you''ll know your end is near. Don''t worry, though; I don''t know how, but you''ll have a momentary sense of freedom. And just as everything you want is within your grasp¡ªthe sole reason for your existence will almost be achieved; it''ll be snatched away from you. Then you will perish alone, dreams shattered, spirit broken. And you may now think you''ve gained something by knowing how it''ll end, but I know you. You won''t be able to let things go, so that''s the only path for you. Until then, enjoy your own personal hell.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    "There. They shouldn''t be a problem anymore," I exhaled as I stood.

    "Now we need a place to hold them," Tymon stated.

    "Should we ask these idiots?" Za''Fia said, nodding at the walls as we all turned to look at them

    "Whoa, okay," a voice said as several men shimmered to existence as their binding suits were deactivated. Each man wore a black military combat suit and held military-grade firearms, but there were no other indications to reveal who they were or who they were affiliated with. The man who spoke, their leader, I presumed, held his hands up in peace. "We don''t mean you any harm, I assure you."

    "As if you could actually harm us," Arne commented as they manifested stone to sit on.

    "Right," the man gulped, "we''ve been watching long enough to know we wouldn''t stand a chance against any of you."

    "Who are you, and what do you want?" Tymon Ordered, stepping forward.

    The leader''s shoulders slacked as he entered a trance.

    "I''m Judiah Spencer, Colonel Spencer of the United States'' Task Force S ¨C a unit created to protect the population by capturing and detaining spirit users who threaten order."

    "Sir!" One of the men exclaimed as they grabbed Colonel Spencer''s arm.

    "Quiet," Tymon flashed his eyes as a warning, and the guy retreated to his post.

    "We''ve seen the destruction you''ve left across the globe and were instructed to observe you for weaknesses and bring at least one of you in if possible."

    "Bring us where?" I asked as I stepped forward, but the guy stood unresponsive.

    "Answer each of our questions honestly," Tymon told him.

    "Bring us where?" I reiterated.

    "To an underground maximum security holding facility built on an island west of Washington," he answered.

    "Hm. We could let the humans take them," Tymon suggested after some thought.

    "Won''t they run experiments on them?" Naomi asked as she watched the uniformed men mistrustfully.

    "They''ll try," Tymon answered, releasing his hold over the colonel. "Unfortunately, we''re not that easy to hurt."

    "You can take them," I told the colonel. "But tell your superiors that we''ll make regular visits to ensure they don''t do anything that''ll put themselves or humanity at risk. In case they need to know who we are¡ª"

    "We know who you are," the colonel interjected. "After that video was sent out, we did our research. Let''s just say we no longer think the stories of The Primordials are folktales."

    "Okay then," I nodded as we stepped aside and let them haul Avarice and his members upstairs and into a high-tech helicopter. It was the first time I''d seen a silent helicopter. The humans that were around the gate didn''t seem to notice us. The military must''ve hidden the area within the gate with camouflage technology like the one Arne used back in Greece.

    "Well, that''s that," I breathed as we watched the jet-black helicopter lift off and blend in with the sky before leaving.

    "Shall we kick our feet back and heal now?" Damien suggested.

    "Wait, before we do that, Michael, do you have enough energy to heal humans?" Za''Fia asked.

    "Yes, humans require much less energy," Michael responded as he''d already begun to heal Arne''s eyes, "but why do you...? You wish to help the humans who lived in the city Verin destroyed..."

    "Yeah," Za''Fia admitted. "I don''t have a hero complex or anything, but it was my fight, and I couldn''t prevent the disaster. The least I can do is help them recover. Find survivors."

    "I''m all for it," I smiled proudly as I brushed my shoulder with hers.

    "We''re all helping," I declared cheerfully.

    "It''ll also be a good way to ease some of the fear they hold toward us," Tymon added as we took to the skies.

 Chapter XXXI: The Primordial Queen (Pt.2)

    When we arrived, we saw that most of the city was either missing or destroyed. The part gone had only a dark abyss miles wide left in its place. We all were speechless as we floated in the air.

    "Well, let''s get started," Za''Fia broke the silence as she descended.

    We spent hours searching for survivors, moving debris, and steering those we could find toward a designated safe area a distance away from the giant hole in the ground.

    We chose to dump the extra rumble into a pile we''d destroy later to clear out the city as much as possible.

    As I scanned the area for more people who may have been stuck, Damien used his Ferritic Pull to raise buildings and poles off the grounds. We both turned our heads as we saw Arne and Za''Fia fly by, working together to carry a large portion of a destroyed seven-story building.

    The building wobbled as they dipped a little lower.

    "Are you even trying?" Arne grunted.

    "I am!" Za''Fia snapped, "I''m still trying to get used to only having one arm."

    "Oh? You seem to be struggling, Za''Fia. Would you like me to come help?" Damien said antagonistically, his eyes closed with a goading smile.

    Za''Fia gritted her teeth.

    "Always a pain in the ass..." she muttered as she closed her eyes. To her right manifested a concentrated arm of fire that flared before dimming to a level where it no longer gave off heat. Za''Fia grinned with satisfaction as she opened and closed the hand, then touched the building on her back.

    To our surprise, the hand didn''t melt the metal surface. Za''Fia was able to use it in place of her missing arm as she supported the building.

    "Much better," she said aloud before looking at Damien. "As you can see, I''m fine now."

    Damien smiled endearingly as he raised a finger and shot lightning that destroyed some small debris that fell from the building.

    Later, after moving as much debris to the side as possible and having recovered plenty of energy, Arne filled the city-sized hole in the ground. As they did that, I used Construct to recreate the underground powerlines and sewage system as best I could after cramming as much info as I could about them into my head.

    At some point, the Church of Light had arrived to help by setting up a refuge area within the safety zone. I''m guessing that''s why they weren''t at Michael''s manor anymore. They must''ve heard of the disaster and went to help. I guess they weren''t so bad once they got past their self-destructive tendencies for Michael.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Back in the refuge area, food and medical aid were dispensed to the victims by the church. It was all thanks to financial contributions from Michael, Za''Fia, and Damien. Of course, with each victim saved, the church spread its mantra, ''May His light reach you'' to the citizens and handed each of them a copy of the Holy Bible.

    Despite learning the Primordials'' true origins, the church understood he wasn''t an angel but still believed Michael was sent by God as an extension of His power¡ªthat someone with the instinct to protect and preserve life and the ability to heal all illnesses could only be a sign from God. Their faith was so strong it made me wonder if perhaps a higher power was truly involved.

    Maybe I''ll ask Tymon about it later, I thought. I looked around to see if I could spot him. He''d chosen to work alone since it was quicker for him that way. Whatever he was doing, he did manage to locate and transport the most survivors.

    Unable to sense him nearby, I enhanced my vision in the direction I sensed him in and saw him talking to a guy standing on the edge of a tall building.

    "Hm?" I uttered as I flew over to see what was up.

    As I approached them quietly, Tymon stood next to the average-height, middle-aged guy who was looking down at the ground far below while he looked out at the distant horizon. I couldn''t hear everything that was said when I got near them, but I heard Tymon casually saying, "...then jump."

    The guy''s head snapped in disbelief toward Tymon.

    "What...? I will, you know? I''ve lost everything! What else is there to live for?"

    "Then jump," Tymon repeated nonchalantly. "If you survive, it''s a sign you should move on."

    "And if I die...?"

    "Then you won''t feel any more grief."

    The guy looked at Tymon, stupefied, before saying, "Oh, I see. You plan to catch me to ensure I survive."

    Tymon turned his head to look down at the man.

    "No, I don''t," he said, looking him dead in the eye.

    Judging from the guy''s expression, he still doubted Tymon''s words. Squinting skeptically, he turned with his back facing forward and fell backward. As he fell, his face quickly twisted in horror as he watched Tymon not budge. The man began to scream for help as his eyes widened.

    I used my powers to slow his descent so he''d land safely on the ground. When he stood, Tymon and I were standing before him.

    The man looked at Tymon with a mixture of fear and rage.

    "You''re a psychopath! You were going to let me die!"

    Tymon silently reached into his cloak, pulled out an old purple hair clip with blood stains on it, and then handed it to the man.

    The man took the small object from Tymon''s hands.

    "This is..." he said as tears welled in his eyes.

    "Your daughter asked me to search for you," Tymon mentioned. "Told me you spent a lot of time in this area."

    The man''s body jerked with new hope.

    "She''s alive?! But I just knew she''d....What about¡ª"

    Tymon shook his head.

    "It''s just her. The blood on the clip is probably¡ª"

    "Yeah, I get it..." the man said, shaking his head, not wanting to hear the rest. He thumbed the ring around his fourth finger. "Thanks for taking the time to help out my little girl..." He looked up at the building he''d just jumped from and gave a small laugh. "I wish you would''ve told me sooner."

    "Then you wouldn''t have jumped," Tymon retorted. "You consciously gambled with your life when you chose to. Had you lost that wager¡ªhad she not been here to save you," he gestured to me, "your daughter would be an orphan. You see that now. Maybe next time you feel you''ve hit bottom, you''ll consider how what you think you know might not be reality."

    The guy looked down sheepishly and rubbed his head.

    "You''re right. I survived. I guess my fate''s to move on. I won''t forget either of your help," he said before turning to walk away. "Don''t worry, I know my way back."

 Chapter XXXI: The Primordial Queen (Pt.3)

    As we watched him leave, I spoke, "Did you know I was coming?"

    "Not when I found him. I only knew he wouldn''t die. Once I sensed you coming, I figured you''d save him."

    I sighed exasperatedly.

    "I don''t think I''ll ever understand the way you think," I commented as we rose to fly back to the others.

    When we returned to the others, I noticed the humans were sweating from the midday heat as many mourned over their lost loved ones.

    "It hurts seeing them like this," I stated. "Can''t you, I don''t know, raise the dead so they can at least say goodbye?"

    "I''ve shadow traveled a lot today. I don''t have the energy left for something like that on this scale," Tymon replied, shaking his head. "Even if I did, seeing their loved ones in that state would only traumatize them."

    "Can''t we at least do something about the heat to ease their suffering?"

    Za''Fia walked by, carrying Naomi, who clung exhaustedly to her back. She''d been the first of us to reach their physical limit after lifting buildings all day.

    "Hey, Z, think you can do something about the heat?" she asked tiredly as she rested her head on Za''Fia''s shoulder.

    "What can I do? I can''t block out the sun," Za''Fia remarked as she looked up at the bright sun beaming down.

    "I can," Tymon said as dark clouds rolled in and created shade.

    "Thanks," Naomi gave him a tired thumbs up. "I don''t think a blizzard would''ve been better."

    "It''s January; shouldn''t it be winter anyway? You think it''s still this warm because of us?" Za''Fia inquired.

    "Most likely," Damien answered. "There''s news spreading about a large iceberg with a 300-mile radius and occasional catastrophic winds floating in the Pacific. The humans were freaking out about it."

    Stolen story; please report.

    "Sorry," Naomi blushed.

    "It''s not just that," Michael said. "Blazing fissures in the earth in Egypt and unprecedented, violent thunderstorms lingering over parts of Mongolia, too."

    "Yeah, we''ll have to be more careful with our powers moving forward," I input with a slight chuckle.

    We spent the next hour or so ensuring everyone had been safely evacuated. Once we were sure, Michael flew into the sky and used a technique called Pure Skies: Phoenix Rain, where he sent out countless threads of light that healed the humans and animals they fell upon.

    When he landed, everyone cheered for their pain being taken away. I watched him notice a nine-year-old boy and his younger sister who hid behind him. The boy seemed fascinated, but the girl was definitely afraid. Michael saw the girl''s legs had bleeding scratches on them. They were fresh, so she must''ve just received them.

    "It''s okay, you don''t have anything to fear from me," he said soothingly as he knelt. "What happened to your legs?"

    "I fell running over," the little girl responded.

    "Can I heal that for you?" Michael asked her politely.

    She nodded her head as she stepped from behind her brother. Michael sent some of his energy to the girl, who watched the scratches close and disappear. She smiled and warmed up to him quickly as her brother got excited and said, "Cool! I wish I was bleeding so I could be healed too."

    "Do you really have wings?" The girl asked Michael as she stepped forward.

    "I do," Michael said with a smile as he unfolded his wings.

    "No way!" The boy became even more excited.

    The girl reached a hand out slowly to touch Michael''s wings.

    "They''re soft," she giggled. "Are you an angel?"

    Michael gave a small, amused laugh, "Many have believed so."

    The kids gleamed as Michael stood and folded his wings in.

    "Go find your mother. I''m sure she''ll worry if you stray too far."

    Not long after that, we left. We''d done all we could and left the rest in the hands of the church. Everyone was gleeful as they expressed their gratitude and waved us off.

    "So, we never talked about what your title would be," Damien said as we flew back toward the manor.

    "Hmm. What about the Primordial of Unity? Seems fitting, considering I helped get everyone together," I suggested with a shrug.

    "Wouldn''t that place you below the Supreme Primordials?" Naomi asked, now resting on Tymon''s back of all people. "As leader, you can''t be part of the Supreme Primordials; you have to be above it for others to know."

    "What about Grand Primordial?" Damien suggested

    "Or Mega Supreme Primordial," Naomi said.

    Za''Fia shook her head.

    "We could just go with The Primordial Queen," Arne threw out.

    "Ehh," I wasn''t fond of a prestigious title like that, but everyone outvoted me in agreement. And that was the birth of The Primordial Queen, a name that would later become renowned across the globe.

    ****

 Chapter XXXI: The Primordial Queen (Pt.4)

    Once everyone was back at Michael''s manor, Tymon observed that Michael had fully healed the others except Za''Fia''s missing arm.

    "Now that everyone''s okay, I''ll be heading out," Tymon announced as everyone checked for missed wounds.

    "You''re leaving?" Alissia asked, slightly concerned.

    "There''s no crisis looming over us, so there''s somewhere I need to go," he responded as he opened a window to leave through. Za''Fia stepped closer, ready to leave with him.

    "Mind if I go with you?" Damien asked as he walked toward them and flashed Za''Fia a playful look. "I have nothing better to do than run that paltry establishment."

    "I understand," Alissia gave him a comprehensive look, likely already knowing his intentions. "I''d like us as a team to have a bigger influence on the world. For them to know we''re here to help prevent wars and catastrophes and ensure what''s happened never happens again, so the rest of us will be around helping people recover where we can," Alissia told him.

    "I know, we''ll be doing the same," Tymon nodded. "We''ll meet up with you once we''re finished," he promised as he, Za''Fia, and Damien leaped from the four-story window and flew off. When they arrived at their destination, Tymon stood at the entrance to the town as memories from what felt like a lifetime ago flooded his mind.

    "It''s been a while since we were last here," Damien commented as they each looked at the worn-down sign that read Brayton Village.

    The village was just as Tymon remembered¡ªbroken, unmaintained homes, beaten, half-dead greenery, and a horrible stench that hung in the air. Some of the poor villagers caught sight of them and hurried off in fear as they entered the village. The group returned soon after, ushering an elderly man, the mayor Tymon remembered meeting when he was younger. He must''ve been among the humans who survived Tymon''s power release.

    "To think you''d turn out to be someone not even human," the old man said nervously. Apparently, the news had reached even a small town like them.

    To Tymon''s surprise, the mayor and the crowded villagers nearby each hung their heads as the mayor spoke.

    "Please, forgive us for how we treated you for all those years and for the tragedy many of us caused you just a few short years ago," he said, expressing his regret. This wasn''t just them acting out of fear. Tymon could almost feel their genuine remorse. Some of them looked as though the memory still haunted them.

    "You all were afraid. I don''t blame you for that," Tymon responded calmly. "Besides, I took many of your families from you that day, too. I''m not here carrying any resentment or to enact retribution."

    Everyone looked at each other cynically.

    "Why did you return here if not to kill us then," the mayor questioned.

    "I''ve let go of a lot of hatred I''ve held. Came to terms with things from my past," Tymon stated. "It opened my eyes to more important things a little. Despite our history, I want to honor the memories of my father. He was a good man who''d take in a burden like me and always helped everyone else. So, I''ve decided to return some of that goodwill. These are some friends I brought along to help me do that." he gestured to Za''Fia, who waved, and Damien, who gave a slight bow from above due to many being drawn toward him.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    "We''re going to help change this place for the better," Za''Fia announced. "It¡ª"

    "It won''t have state-of-the-art tech, but everyone will have working homes that''ll keep you cool in the summers and warm in the winter," Damien interjected.

    "And food for your families as well," Za''Fia finished, clearly annoyed at Damien''s antics.

    Everyone cheered at the news as they crowded around Tymon and Za''Fia, and some jumped to try to touch Damien''s feet.

    "Well, we have a lot of work to do," Damien stated as he ignored those below him and used his power to make the metal lying on the streets levitate. "Shall we get to it?"

    --------------------------------------------------------

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    </figure>

    Fun fact: a temp cintracy that passively releases a pheromone made from Damien''s spirit energy that makes most people have the urge to do anything to make him happy. Higher lifeforms such as klevonians do not have this urge, but those affected do find it impossible to harm.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

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    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

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    <u>Words of Virtue:</u>

    Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

    -Psalm 150:6

    (Ngl the way I read this in my head made me laugh, lmao. Yall be safe out here.)

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    Thank you for your support :)

 Chapter XXXII: A New Threat?

    After days of us flying around the world helping with the problems we''d caused, I finally caught a break. I sat alone in my room beneath Michael''s manor as I fiddled with Trik''s glowing green memory nodes that hung as a pendant around my neck.

    Everyone else had gone back to their homes and resumed their lives while we had a break as the humans tried to adjust to our existence. Their governments were undoubtedly trying to figure out contingency plans for each of us, but I doubt they were bold enough to bother us unprovoked.

    I had contemplated using some of the money I had stored away from the earnings Trik and I received from Las Vegas and the prize money from Arne''s SVVL the previous year to purchase a home, but if I''m being honest, I was afraid of living alone. It was supposed to be Trik and I''s home...

    Thankfully, Michael didn''t mind me occupying one of his rooms until I found the courage. With his traveling, he was hardly ever there anyway. As thanks, I promised I''d use Construct to rebuild the destroyed parts of his manor.

    Later in the evening, I lay there on my bed. Without Trik''s bantering, the weight of missions from my family, or a problem I needed to solve, I felt kinda...useless. I''d gone so long moving daily with a directive in mind that I didn''t know what to do with my free time.

    Bored, I sat up and closed my eyes in concentration.

    Have you taken up meditation? Viraa asked.

    "I''ve been curious about how far I can see into the future now. Don''t worry; I''m not trying to see anything specific. When I first accidentally accessed your power, I was bombarded with flashes of the future, but I didn''t have any control," I stated as I activated Temporal Sight. I pushed its boundaries as far as I could, and my mind was filled with a view of an unidentified energy that spiraled around me and shot me forward.

    The scenery around me was indescribable. It was like the universe was put in fast-forward until everything was blurred as I was pushed through. Then, everything abruptly turned black, and I stopped moving. I reached out and tried to will myself forward, but the dark presence prevented me from doing so. In the next instant, my mind snapped back to the present.

    "What was that?" I asked aloud.

    I do not know...that has never happened to me.

    "Does that mean I''ll die?" I asked, slightly concerned. "I mean, judging from the sensation I felt, that was at least centuries into the future. Guess I should be grateful I live for that long."

    I am not so sure that darkness indicated your death, Viraa voiced, her tone serious and thoughtful. If it were simply your death, you would have been able to witness it. That presence felt more like someone blocked your vision, did it not?

    "Now that you mention it, yeah. There''s someone who can do that?"

    Not that I am aware of...

    "How do we find them?" I asked, eager to put my mind on this new mystery.

    Unfortunately, I do not have that answer. Someone does not want you seeing beyond a certain point and has the power to block your vision. You will likely not find such an individual. They will find you. Until then, there is nothing we can do.

    "That could be decades or even centuries from now," I complained. "Patience isn''t my strong suit."

    It is a skill you will be forced to learn then, Viraa gave one of her instructing chuckles.

    "Haaa, I''m beginning to think living long won''t be as fun as I imagined as a kid," I exhaled impatiently as I laid back down and got under the covers. "Good night...and thanks for always being there for me."

    Of course, Viraa responded dotingly.

    13 months later (February 24, 3047)

    For a while, there was relative peace across the planet. No wars threatened to break out with us around¡ªplus, as far as we could tell, JANUS was dead¡ªand natural disasters were less life-threatening so long as one of us was there to help. Sure, there were still plenty of shady movements behind the scenes, but the world as a whole had gotten much less cutthroat than it was back when I first began my mission as a Watcher.

    Then, out of nowhere, for about two weeks, there had been a series of natural phenomena that began to spring up. Deep sea geysers were bursting, water levels were rising, record-high tsunamis were popping up across the globe, and extended downpours led to floods. It was like a biblical catastrophe was impending.

    You''ll just have to freeze as much of the coast as you can, I told Naomi, who''d just arrived in south Japan where another massive tsunami was rushing toward the coast. Once we''ve ensured everyone''s safety, we can let Za''Fia melt it.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    At this rate, every body of water will need to be frozen, Arne remarked as they flew up America''s east coast, erecting reinforced stone walls in their wake.

    That''ll be impossible if we can''t stop these underwater geysers from erupting, Damien mentioned from somewhere deep within the Pacific Ocean.

    Damien''s helped me block as many of these geysers with metal, but if we don''t figure out what''s causing this, we won''t be able to prevent these volcanoes from erupting too, Za''Fia told everyone. My control over fire doesn''t extend to lava.

    You think it could be Wren? Tymon questioned from Mexico as he continued his efforts to locate survivors from floods we couldn''t prevent.

    Her power isn''t this far-reaching, Michael said as he raced across Africa to do the same and heal those he found.

    Whatever this is, it isn''t normal, I thought as I cast a city-wide Stasis Field over a city in Hawaii suffering from unnatural heavy rain from a passing storm.

    Suddenly, my body shivered as we all sensed an unbelievably enormous source of power approaching the planet. I observed as the water outside my Stasis Field began to rise instead of fall.

    Please tell me everyone feels that, Naomi sent out.

    Is that real..., Za''Fia said in disbelief.

    We''re intercepting it, I declared, not wanting whatever that thing was to make things worse by encountering a populated area. Its trajectory is toward the Atlantic. That''s where we''ll meet.

    Everyone stopped what they were doing, gained altitude, and then transformed before bolting off. We all met on the beach of a desolate island where it seemed the source of power would crash. The water at the beach was also reacting abnormally as some of it broke from the ocean and rose into the air.

    Before we could question what was happening before us, the source of the unfathomable energy crashed into the water, creating tidal waves that took the combination of my telekinesis, Naomi''s ice, and Za''Fia''s flames to contain. When the steam subsided, the ocean went still momentarily before a twenty-foot figure of water rose from the water.

    We watched in stunned silence as the figure shrunk until it was the size of a man who walked across the ocean''s surface, each step sending a ripple across the water.

    Before I could react, the figure had blinked from where it was to stand right in front of me.

    I couldn''t keep track of its movements at all....Was it sheer speed? No, it was something else...

    As the figure looked down at me with eyes that glowed completely blue, its fluid head tilted as it spoke. Initially, its language was foreign to me, but my brain almost immediately translated its words.

    "Alas, Viraa, I have found you..." the figure spoke.

    End of the Earthly Ties Saga. To be continued in the Legacies Saga''s first novel, The Primordials: New World...

    --------------------------------------------------------

    <figure>

    </figure>

    Fun fact: a mystic cintracy that gives Alissia the power to see anyone or anywhere she wishes so long as she''s met the individual or have been to the location.

    Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)

    Message from OtherWorldsJT: And the first saga concludes! Thanks to everyone who''s stuck around this far. As usual, there''s gonna be a short break as I fine-tune the story board for the next novel. Look forward to the epic beginning of a new age for The Primordials!

    In the meantime, feel free to show extra support! All contributions are reinvested back into the franchise for better and more frequent art!

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    Or show your support for a new, growing series by subscribing to one of the site''s tiers! Your further support will earn you several bonuses such as immediate access to highly detailed character profiles, updated lore, amazing artwork, suggestion polls, and more!

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    (Your support will help the series'' potential to grow exponentially.) (SPOILER WARNING: If you aren''t caught up to the story, viewing the character profiles will likely expose you to parts of the story you haven''t reached yet.)

    Each chapter of the Earthly Ties Saga''s novels is also uploaded to the series'' Patreon page and is accessible for FREE! Hop right into the chapters as a free member. Or, for $1.99 a month, gain access to each of this saga''s vital character''s highly detailed profiles along with the saga''s lore bits as a bonus. If it turns out to not be your thing, then no harm no foul. Otherwise, enjoy the beautifully done artwork throughout the saga, and also interact directly with the author! Express your inquiries, dig into his mind, learn about what inspired such a story, or simply say hi! Go on, lookin'' forward to seeing you there!

    <u>Words of Virtue:</u>

    For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.

    -Ecclesiastes 3:1

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