Chapter 682 Void

The ground shook as Akio watched Vorpal Blade fall straight into the smoke where Lee Seng was. He had been tasked in bringing out Lee Seng's Protocol abilities. Initially, Akio didn't want to do it. He thought he would just be too soft on the boy, but that day Lee Seng went maniac, he felt like he needed to really test Lee Seng.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Akali asked. They were sitting in a hospital room a few miles away from his Guild. Akio had insisted on being transferred out of the lab and to a hospital in the city. He needed… space. Space to think. Space to process the anger he felt from Lee Seng. His older twin sister looked at him as he kept his eyes on the city below. She knew Akio liked heights. He liked being up high. He liked the view. She cleared her throat, trying to get his attention, but to no avail.

"Akio." Akali called her brother. "Akio, did you hear what I just said?" Akio snapped out of it and turned to look at her. His half-buttoned up hospital shirt revealed the scar on his chest. The scar Lee Seng put on him.

"Hm?" Akio asked, clearly not hearing anything his sister had just said. Akali sighed and grabbed his hand. It was her way of keeping Akio focused. Her younger twin brother was a lot, of course, so rare acts like this made him listen. He looked at her hand, oddly. Akali never did this unless it was something important. He had a feeling of what she was going to say and wanted to pull away, but Akali kind of gripped him a bit too hard.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for you to see him right now?" Akali asked. "Lee Seng… He almost killed you with that one hit. He saw through your phasing. Your 'hopping.' Do you… Do you think it's safe to be around him right now? Especially since… Everything pertaining to him is…" She didn't finish her thought. She didn't want to acknowledge Lee Seng could do all those things.

Akio squeezed Akali's hand and shook it.

"It'll be alright." Akio braved a smile for his sister. He was the one in the hospital bed, yet he was trying his best to cheer his sister. "I don't think he meant any of it. I think… He's grown so much in the last year, and nobody saw this coming… So soon at least."

"He's really changed." Akio sighed. She looked at her brother, who was trying to be strong for both. She would constantly see that scar for the rest of her life. They would both see it and be reminded of that day… And the horrible news that came with it.

"What do we do?" Akali asked after a moment of silence. She had pulled her hand away from Akio and leaned into her chair. She looked at her brother. Akio stared at the window, his reflection in the glass showing his blank face. "We promised… Chee we'd make sure he grew up to be a fine member of society… What do we do now? The Creator obviously wants him under wraps now. Things won't go well for Lee Seng… He could get worse."

"We'll do the best we can." Akio reached up to trace the scar. "Even if it means we have to go against her wishes."

The ground shook as the Vorpal Blade connected in the smoke below Akio. He stood on an invisible platform created by the system itself. Akio was given special parameters to help him keep up with Lee Seng. A cheat, some would say. He watched in his Shadowy form. The smoke had no intention of clearing up.

"Come." Akio called for his blade. He extended his hand out for his blade to come to him, but it didn't. Akio narrowed his eyes, realizing something was off. "Did he die from the blade? Is that why it isn't coming back?"

Lee Seng grunted. He had somehow managed to catch the Vorpal Blade and was now fighting against it. The blade was enchanted with Akio's Void abilities. It was the second weapon Akio used most. The Void sword was a manifestation of Akio's powers, but Vorpal Blade, that was something entirely different… and pure chaos.

Lee Seng's eyes burned with a mix of purple. It was something he didn't realize was happening as the tendrils had exploded out of him and caught the blade. It pushed against him, trying to evaporate his existence.

'He's probably using the destruction spell…' Lee Seng thought. 'That means… I have to…'

"Argh!" Lee Seng screamed. A blast of gravity exploded around him, pushing the smoke away, revealing Lee Seng to Akio. Akio lifted his right hand and summoned Kuyarami. "He really doesn't care, huh? It's because I hit you, isn't it!"

"Shrouding Darkness." Akio leapt off the invisible platform, pulling the sword to his left side.

'Shrouding Darkness, a flurry of strikes with one blow. If I don't get Vorpal Stupid off me, I'm going to die!' Lee Seng thought. The tendrils completely absorbed Vorpal Blade as Lee Seng managed to throw it to the side. The blade exploded on the ground as Lee Seng threw his arms up to protect himself. The tendrils hardened as Akio slashed Kuyarami, watching a flurry of attacks fly out at Lee Seng.

"That won't do you any good!" Akio shouted. "Vanishing." Akio disappeared, appearing next to Vorpal Blade. He pulled the blade and slashed both swords in an X. The black energy rushed at Lee Seng's exposed back. The Dark Matter energy exploded out of Lee Seng's back, encasing him in a cocoon.

"It didn't hit him?" Akio whispered. Akio watched the strange tendril-cocoon hit the ground.

[Notice: Protocol XI is fully operational. Devouring Storm is now available for use!]

'I thought I was already done!' Lee Seng thought. He flexed his wrist and watched the walls of the cocoon fly in every direction. Akio slashed the wall in half, ignoring them as he noticed Lee Seng. Akio could feel Lee Seng's energy radiating off him. It was something he couldn't do well, but any Number would know Lee Seng had finished his evolution process.

Pure Dark Matter energy slithered around Lee Seng's body as he turned. He sucked in a couple breaths and wiped his brow.

"You're really trying to kill me, huh?" Lee Seng smiled at Akio. "I guess that's what I get for attacking first." Akio didn't smile. His grips tightened on his swords as he watched Lee Seng.

'What's changed?' Akio asked. 'He has gravity powers. Has it refined his gravity abilities?' Lee Seng raised his left hand and looked at it. He was buzzing with energy.

'Was my energy always this dense?' Lee Seng thought. 'What does Devouring Storm even do?'

[Devouring Storm allows you to devour energy off people. It allows you to manipulate pure energy, forming whatever you want it to be. Basing itself off your Mutation ability, it can work in tandem with it as well.]

"You're gonna look away from your enemy? Aren't you supposed to be doing something!" Akio rushed forwards blurring in between Realms. Lee Seng smiled and pointed his arm straight at Akio.

'An energy manipulator?' Lee Seng summarized the AI's explanation. He smiled and closed his fist.

Akio felt a weird sensation wash over him. One second, he was between Realms and the next his energy in his blades evaporated. Kurayami and Vorpal Blade fizzled out as Lee Seng swung his right arm downwards, trapping Akio in place.

'What did he do?' Akio wondered. Lee Seng turned and rushed for the flag. 'I don't have time for this! Vanishing!' Akio's body disappeared mid-air, appearing right next to the flag as Lee Seng flew straight for him.

"Again?" Lee Seng swatted his hand at Akio, watching a blast of energy fire out. Akio raised his swords to block, only to feel the energy rush past his defenses and knock him off the platform.

'What did he just do?' Akio thought. Shadows swarmed around him as he disappeared straight through the ground. 'His Protocol ability isn't a more refined form of gravity?' Lee Seng's fingers wrapped around the flag as Akio appeared, grabbing it.

"How are you doing that? I thought I got you down pat." Akio asked. The two brothers tugged at the flag. Both not wanting to lose.

"That's a secret and unfortunately for you, I know all of your moves." Lee Seng smiled.

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"Are we gonna just do this all day?" Akio asked, grinning. Lee Seng looked up and then swung his free hand at Akio. Akio kicked, watching Lee Seng lose his balance as they were both knocked off the platform, releasing the flag. "You should've tried something sneakier!" Lee Seng pulled himself back up as Akio reappeared on the platform. "I could do this all day, kid."

"I can, too." Lee Seng pushed Akio with gravity, again. He watched Akio slide to the end, quickly catching himself and launching Void energy at the flag. It swirled around it, rattling it into the air and making it drop to the floor.