All Hell Broke Loose

Kaibo: “You like that tea? It never changes taste and always comes back. I got an endless supply. Take as much as you’d like.”

His tone of voice didn’t change much, nor did his body language. Even hearing Michiaki tell him that he could save him, having been stuck in the same place for so long, it was hard for him to show emotion.

Kaibo: “So, you can get me out of here? Two questions…Why? And second, who are you?”

Michiaki: “Hmm, do you know what’s happening in the world outside?”

Kaibo: “Yeah, someone activated the Time Chaplet. I sensed the air was off and opened the door. The snowfall is frozen, meaning time has stopped.”

Welpen: “And you’re just okay with this?”

Kaibo: “I could care less. It doesn’t affect me. This barrier on me remains the same even since the sword is not broken.”

Michiaki: “Mind if I ask why you’re stuck here?”

Kaibo: “Some brats put me here because I didn’t do what they said to do. Had to even go get Raglashia to trap me here.”

Michiaki: “Is that so? Some brats stuck you in here using the Devil’s sword? One of the only two Honored Swords ever?”

Kaibo: “Oh, you weren’t kidding that you knew. Let me guess. You’re the 1st Revered of the Great Swordsmen?”

Michiaki: “Good guess. Now let me take a gander. You’re a former 1st Reverend as well, am I right?”

Kaibo: They don’t give those titles to anybody. You’re definitely a lot stronger than me, although your sword is lacking in strength. Might want to change that out. I’d beat you in a fight just based on that.”

Welpen: “Hey, Michiaki. What’s the point of helping this dude? He’s not going to provide us anything. Let’s hit the road. We’re wasting more time.”

Michiaki: “Because…this man cannot just escape the Time Chaplet like that. Did you notice something when you walked in the house, Welpen? The wood below us creaked at the doorway. There is a hidden passage underneath. Although, if this man is under the effects of Raglashia, then he would still be frozen along with everything in this house unless that sword is made from the Dark Mold, however I’ve seen it and it is not. The coffee and tea wouldn’t work like it did either. Odd right? So, what does this mean? Underneath us is probably his own sword and guess what it’s made out of.”

Welpen: “The Dark Mold.”

Michiaki: “Bingo…So your will must’ve been pretty strong to go down there and reach the sword before the Time Chaplet took effect. Climbing back up must’ve been hell. Your flesh and bones ripped apart constantly while you inched your way back up. I commend you for that. I see you why said to change out my sword. What do you know about the Dark Mold?”

Kaibo: “Yeah, yeah. You hit everything on the money. What’s your point? Are you gonna help or not?”

Michiaki: “Hmm, interesting.”

Welpen: “What’s interesting old man. Say it already. We don’t have time.”

Michiaki: “People are lied to about categories of swords to keep them in check. The highest is really only Legendary. The other 3 containing Ancient, Mythical, and Honored are for the Realms. Ezra has an Honored sword and so did the Devil. That means that the Devil lost his sword somehow and it ended up on our soil. Mythical swords would be Alcion as it has its own category, but mine is considered mythical as well. Finally, there are 3 ancient swords that belong to the other 2 realm users and then 1 that exists in our world through a summoning called the Reaper Sword. I’m sure you’re familiar with it though. I don’t know if the Honored Sword would have prevented the Time Chaplet. My theory would say yes, but if this man went to grab his sword associated with the Dark Mold, and he still can’t escape, then I believe those categories of swords may be able to defeat the Dark Mold.”

Welpen: “You’re doing all this based on a stupid guess? Give me a break. Let’s take the sword and leave. This man is good for nothing anyways.”

Welpen jumped down the passage, grabbing the rusted red and black sword that looked evil in itself. It looked like it had been trashed for centuries, but he stuck in on the other side of his hip and opened the front door.

Michaiki: “It looks like my buddy wants to leave. We’ll have to continue this later. There is still a lot I want to ask you, but let me kick all these people’s asses so I can go home to my wife and kids.”

Kaibo: “Goodluck kid. You’re not gonna be able to use that sword. Go ahead and try though. Be my guest.”

The Tone Chaplet contacted them and as soon as Michiaki picked up, all he heard was screaming and to get over to them now. “We found it! We found the last shard! A girl has it! She’s getting away!”

Michiaki: “WELPEN! SAIKOU! WE GOTTA GO!!”

Immediately, they took off hearing this with an Egress Chaplet, and appeared in front of Astro and Goro who had aged even more since they last saw them. Michiaki darted off as fast as light towards her, but it was like she read his movements.

In his state, she looked sideways at him before he arrived next to her and she whispered something that sent him flying back towards the buildings. He got up right away and threw tons of Defect Chaplets that randomly circled around her with fire and water. She looked scared and ran through the fire with no damage at all. He then used an Ectro Chaplet to pull her closer, but when he did it, she easily broke through the static ropes. He finally used a Connector Chaplet that allowed him to take control of her. His brainwaves connected to hers, and she struggled to break loose. Welpen used his sword abilities to encase her in a realm boundary.

Astro followed behind and jumped on top of her along with the others, phasing through the barrier, as they pulled the shard off of her. Michaiki picked it up for safekeeping. They questioned who she was, but she wouldn’t answer and spit in their faces.

Caroline: “Get off! Wand of Glory!”

This repelled all of them backwards and Michiaki used a Yellow Egress Chaplet to get out of there right away. He knew who this girl was, although the last time he saw her, she was a baby and was supposed to be killed. She was so similar to him in the sense that she was a defect. Michiaki could control way more than 3 chaplets, but this girl had an ability different to everyone’s. She was only born with one chaplet, which was the Manuscript Chaplet. Her powers that connected to it far exceeded what they had ever seen and the witches thought she was dangerous, so they tried to kill her.

Michiaki thought that she had died, but someone must’ve stopped it from happening and stole her before they sacrificed her. Without a sword or Cryen, she could say words that came to pass. She had killed her twin brother in the womb, and he could sense her powers from the one moment that he shot after her.

If she could read his movements, who knew what she was capable of. He contacted Goro and told them to leave for his location. Caroline cried on the ground and pouted over and over. “Father is going to be so mad at me! That was worth a lot of money!”

Astro knew her too from years ago, but he didn’t recognize her since she had aged a little like them. She was the girl that he saw with Dante on their journey that presented powers that Astro had never seen before. He wondered how she got the shard, but it didn’t really surprise him.

Goro: “We found it! We freaking found it! Call Iki and Natsuki! We have to go now!”

Michiaki: “Yeah, let’s get this over with. It’s been far too long since I heard my wife’s voice.”

Iki was mad having waited over half an hour and nobody showed up, but glad that the last shard was found. ‘Brother, could this lead me to you?’ he thought. His intentions differed from the group, but he was hoping that this would potentially open the Dark Mold for him to see if somehow he could find his brother. He still didn’t know if he was banished or not, and he would confront his father finally if this played out how he wanted.

Michiaki took the shards and connected them all at once. They hovered in the air, shaking and rattling with golden electricity sparking from them. They showed power more immense than Michiaki’s mana that spread what seemed like to the end of the world.

Reiken: “You should’ve checked that I was dead first, Iki Ritus!”

Reiken grabbed a shard while Michiaki was preoccupied with putting the shards together. He had to focus his strength on them to prevent them from flying all over the place and losing them even with his strength. Reiken swooped a shard and bolted off with completely sealed mana.

Iki: “Reiken!”

Iki couldn’t help his devilish side come out of him. His pink hair, horn, and eyes lit up and he screamed out, “Linear Infinite Gratum!”

Pink slashes targeted Reiken from all sides continuously without stopping. They spawned forever, until Iki released them, but Reiken was unphased having set up a barrier around him consisting of Dark Mold material and then disappeared.

Iki: “Reiken! I’ll freaking murder you! Come back you coward!”

It was an unbelievable feature that Reiken could sneak past everyone without being sensed even by Michiaki and grab a shard and even control it. The Dark Mold material was no joke.

A dark figure approached behind them.

It was something similar that Astro had seen before that had been triggered by Kento. It was one of the last memories he saw of Dante, which is why it was so vivid in his mind. Iki knew what this was too, but the clock above its head already was past 6.

The thing’s body charged up in a black light, then inhaled breath, and let it out, screeching so loud that the black mana shot off his body in waves of lines and dots, making it harder to avoid. Michaiki stepped in front, holding his hand out and deflecting everything that came at them. ‘Tch! The Reaper Sword,’ he thought. ‘Great. We’re dealing with a lot here.’

All of a sudden, Reiken was back, but in the distance just out of reach of anybody. He held up something in his hand and smiled. It was a clear chaplet with 4 small red stars in each corner and a clock in the center.

Reiken: “You all froze time, right? I guess I’ll have to move it forward! Hahaha! This is on you, Iki Ritus!”

Michiaki: “H-How did you get that so quickly?”

Reiken: “I have my ways, 1st Reverend of the Great Swordsmen. Now, let's get the real party started.”

All: “NO! STOP!”