War

Lady Shidare sat with her leg crossed, foot shaking. She stared at the book in her hand, but not a single word formed in her mind. The thought of Ignacio being out there without any help was just burned into her mind. She had to leave him to die? That was what the House was struggling to decide?

They all hated Cypher Corp. Everyone did. But no one was strong or brave enough to resist. Except for that moment. That very moment. And she was still in her library, face buried in another book instead of fighting with him.

She lifted her head as another book flit towards her like a butterfly, its cover and pages rustling as they flapped. She frowned, plucking it from the air and turning it over.

The Tragedy of Queen Val and the Hunter?

She clenched her jaw, tossing the book over her shoulder to the growing pile.

The doors at the end of the hall burst open, and a man ran in, clutching something against his chest.

“Your majesty!” he shouted.

She rubbed her fingers against her temple, looking back down at her book. “Yes, cretin, what do you want?”

He stopped before her chair, at the ring of gold and white marble stairs. He held up a letter, panting as he placed a hand on his knee.

“From… Specterveil… Kaito,” he said.

Her whole body lifted, gliding off her chair and down the stairs, snatching it from his hand and pushing her book against his chest. She tore the envelope open, unfolding the letter as fast as her fingers could.

Our dear friend, Lady Shidare,

It is with deep regret that I inform you of Specterveil’s involvement with the attack on Cypher Corp. I was usurped by Shun and Dario, and had no choice but to let them assist Ignacio and the remaining Genesys crew.

Her heart ached at the sight of his name.

I understand the House of Freedom has yet to decide on whether or not Eclipse should be obligated to deploy in assistance of the attack, so I am writing to show my approval of your request to the House in hopes that they will realize the severity of the matter at hand. Cypher Corp cannot be allowed to take this girl if she is a Nexus point between your world and ours. Their power over both our worlds will only increase, and they will become unstoppable. The only way we stop them is today, by bringing our worlds together ourselves, and crushing them once and for all.

She refolded the letter, tucking it into her breasts. She turned to the messenger, his eyes lifting from whatever part of her body he’d been staring at.

“Call for a prayer at the Colossi Temple. Rally every Cypher user currently in the city, and get a letter sent ahead of me to Velin,” she said, holding up three fingers and making a circle in the air with her hand.

A golden portal expanded behind the man, clearing to reveal one of the main roads in Miraveth. She kicked the messenger into it, plucking the book from his hands before closing the portal. She walked to one of the shelves, placing it neatly back in as she sighed.

This is your chance, she told herself, turning and opening another portal. The auditorium of the House was full of the representative men and women sitting in the rings of seats as someone in the centre floor spoke to them. Some nonsense, in all Likelihood.

She stepped inside, pulling her pink and gold robe higher onto her shoulders as all eyes turned to her.

***

Ignacio panted, black smoke curling from his mouth as he began walking towards the green ray of light that shot into the sky.

Calling for help isn’t enough now, Cypher Corp, he thought.

He turned, snarling as a red glow caught his peripheral vision. He spun around, swinging a back handed fist. Kiyomi twisted around his arm in the air, both hands brandishing red blades.

Kiyomi, he thought. You traitor.

“You can go get your sister, Ace. But have you thought of the consequences?” She shouted, slashing her blades against the back of his neck.

Have you?

Of course she had. And she’d chosen her side accordingly.

He closed his eyes, futures flashing before him. He turned as she leapt off his shoulder. He swung a giant fist, clipping her body with a knuckle. She spun in the air, catching herself with a flare of red.

“I’m trying to stop you from getting yourself killed!” she said, hovering above him.

And I am already dead, he thought, smiling to himself.

He closed his eyes again, possible futures dancing before his eyes in the dark.

But when he opened them, none of them materialized. He could only see one of her, and she just hovered there with arms folded.

Can she block Dario’s foresight?

That meant that he was probably dead. Him and Daichi. Another two graves that would be dug for his sake. He snarled.

A dark black spine slid out from his elbow. He spun around, trying to slice her with it. She swerved out the way, the tip missing her by an inch. He charged another fire blast, the orange pulse of light revving up as he lowered his head. A vortex of flame streamed from his maw, and she barrel rolled out the way, her dark hair swirling around her body.

He swatted at her like a fly, but she just kept zipping up and down, over and around his hands.

That’s enough, he thought.

He held out a hand, white sparkles of light forming and then spiraling like galaxies. A black vortex opened in the ground, and a dark crystal shard rocketed out.

Kiyomi looped in the air, the crystal rocketing past her. Ignacio snarled. He swung his hands upward, roaring as shard after shard rocketed out of the portal towards her.

This is for Ezequiel, he thought, roaring as more of the crystals rocketed from the portal, curving towards her like birds of prey on the hunt. For Beltran… for Celeste.

She zipped around them, leaving a trail of red light that looped and zig-zagged in the air.

“Just stop,” she shouted, hovering in front of him. Her tome appeared in hand, flipping open with the ruffling of pages. “Consume!”

A column of black and red smoke pillared from the pages, spreading out and forming the giant head of a cobra. Its hood was wide open, circles of red light crackling in its eyes like electricity.

Its mouth flared open as it lunged for Ignacio. A magma-javelin ignited in his hand as he ducked and swung overhead, severing the serpent from Kiyomi’s tome in a spray of red sparks.

It hissed as it dissipated in the air, Kiyomi’s tome flashing a deep red light.

She gritted her teeth, hovering higher up. “What is wrong with you? You’re fighting a losing-”

They both turned as someone screamed, and Ignacio’s eyes widened. Koharu rocketed towards them, blue flames enveloping her body.

Koharu…

He turned back to Kiyomi, roaring as he crouched and leapt into the air, reaching a claw for her. She glanced at him, drifting out of the way and letting him fall with a crash. He glanced over his shoulder as Koharu collided with her, dragging her through the air.