Chapter 1069

Chapter 1069: “Dear Boss” [12]

“I misunderstand.”

“Svipe, you’re a good kid. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. I respect your work and how you’ve fought to get to your position. Must have been hard. You took a risk. I’m glad you did. I can breathe freely,” she eyed Igna.

“Late introductions,” said Svipe, “-Doctor Lyoko, meet lady Umi Naht.”

They locked eyes. Umi Nath was of small and slender frame. Her medium-length hair swayed. She looked to be in her late thirties. “-I feel rejuvenated,” she commented, her black pupils scanning top to bottom.

“Umi Nath.”

“You’re a man of little words?”

“Depends on the person,” he took a step back, “-lady Umi, I must ask, are you the one in charge of the town?”

.....

“Yes, why?”

“The segregation?”

“Ah, the separation between rich and poor?”

“I suppose.”

“A necessity, otherwise the town sponsors will-” the ground rumbled. A sinister aura crept outside. ‘Someone entered Orin,’ he horned onto the pin-point location, ‘-angelic... who is it?’

“Doctor?”

“Svipe, lady Umi, I should leave.”

The scenery changed for the expansive wilderness set west, past the mountainous regions, and through steep valleys. Lack of town or settlement; the unpopulated, unventured landscape of the novel continent. He flapped and shot across the skies. ‘-There,’ he stopped. Two entities fought. Fissures and burnt marks marred the jungle. Trees toppled, and birds flew swiftly – the pace was so it looked like two lights, one golden and the other dark green, flung at one another.

‘It’s a battle of the gods,’ he hovered. The eyes transformed, and the eye of truth revealed their potential and powers. Mana sense grabbed information infinitely. A stray ball of energy flung past. A distant boom followed. He turned and saw a hill half-destroyed. ‘-No holding back,’ he narrowed, ‘-who are they, and why are they fighting?’ the portal from whence they came yet remained. He soon hovered over and examined, ‘-ancient markings read the dialect of Esteh, the alchemic God. It’s not correctly formulated. At this rate,’ greenery around the portal withered. ‘-It’s sucking the live energy and mana from the atmosphere. What in the world is this?’ he moved closer, “-STOP!” Cruze suddenly manifested.

“Were you not in Hidros?”

“I sensed trouble,” he hovered shyly off the dark ground, “-I feel more and more portals opening. Igna,” Cruze gulped, “-the portals link to Draebala.”

“How do you know?”

“I remember the symbols,” he pointed, “-this one defines a location. Someone’s trying to leech off Orin. Draebala is in a state of upheaval,” another growl saw Igna side-step abruptly.

A voice lunged from another portal, “DIE!” a volley of weapons summoned, “-TO HELL YOU GO!” and rained onto the gold and green light. A slight shake of the head mumbled, “-always trying something. I swear,” he and Igna locked gaze. The man dropped his jaw, “-master?”

“Formle?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I should be asking the questions.”

They focused on the dying personages, “-don’t mind me,” the god of war calmly skipped toward the destructive sight. Half-burnt trees, charred ground, fissures, and distress, “-this here a demon, the other, angel.”

“Why were they fighting?”

“Draebala’s under stress. Master, you should listen to what I have to say.”

“I’ll do it on one condition,” Cruze manifested fully, “-tell me, are the portals similar?”

Cruze took a minute, Formle’s brows knitted, “-portals?” he asked.

“Yes,” said the serpent.

“Well,” Igna opened his palm and closed his eyes, ‘-to see through reality, I need the full capability of my vision.’ *See the unseen, feel the unfelt, knowledge deep within, awaken for I order so; Eye of Truth.* the outside world glowed in vague dim outline.’ *Knowledge known to only the watcher, I, master and inheritor of Origin, beckon thee; Mantia, Library of the all-knowing,* he sunk deep in the ocean. Multiple possibilities are presented. The nature of the portal was such that none were linked. ‘-To put an end to the portals, I need to reach the source. I see the mana waves, it’s a vague direction. I see the strings,’ a blank scroll manifested, ‘-I understand,’ knowledge of the expansive Origin horned, ‘-I see them,’ the vision contoured reality and followed across dimensions to an ancient Vase. ‘A bathhouse of marble. Steam rises. It’s around here,’ his projection passed through walls, ‘-where is it,’ he focused deeper, veins on his forehead bulged. A golden hue began to flow. Igna’s body radiated godly mana. Nike’s symbol sprawled. The outline of a diadem embodied the goddess’ symbol, the latter of which was often spotted on Igna’s forehead. The change from physical to ethereal was one of growth.

“Nike’s crown,” Cruze commented, “-her artifact lives?”

“Why, did something happen?”

“Yes, I heard it was lost, destroyed at the spear of the devourer. She lost her life in said fight. I’m surprised about her symbol’s potency. Formle, God of war, what is going on, really?” conversation grew.

*O’ goddess forgotten by the ages, o’ goddess who spread victory and peace over the souls of true warriors. I, humble vessel for thy Symbol, plea to have a sliver of thy strength,*

“As you wish,” the goddess’ transient apparition was spotted hovering above Igna. Her arms cuddled Igna’s head, like a mother soothing her child’s cries.

“Nike’s not dead, not that I remember.”

“You know something?”

“Partly,” Formle shrugged, “-I remember the guardians talking about how Athena and Nike came to the Realm for a visit. So far gone, does it really matter?”

“I guess not,” they lit cigarettes each, walked over to the angel and demon then puffed, “-poor bastards,” Formle exhaled, “-they chose the wrong side to go after.”

Meanwhile, the air and energy around Igna changed. It felt heavy and suffocating. ‘Look for it,’ the projection’s vision cleared. ‘Deep underground,’ he looked around, ‘-hidden in a forgotten tomb. The remnant of an artifact was reawakened by curious bystanders. I can’t see who’s responsible. I feel their power, it’s big, very big. I’d say on par with the Guardians. Entities of such caliber are hard to come by. It’s feeding off Orin. Draebala’s mana capacity isn’t enough. It easily summoned portals across dimensions... who in the world is this, someone with knowledge of the ancient arts? Artanos... no, it’s not him. He’s shrewder,’ he focused, ‘-the source is the cremated remains of Ayah, a personage from old tales. God or demon, I can’t say. He’s human I think,’ the fingers moved. Igna’s projection established a bond with the vase, ‘-good, a stable link. Now onto the difficult part,’ he moved, blood gushed from his corporal body, the strain amplified. *Powers to bring down my enemies, powers to bring down my foe, from the abyssal depths of hell to the highest peak in the heavens, shudder, cower, and fear, my anger is not to be triggered, my rage is not to be quelled and my lust is not to be quenched. Bow before the power feared by even Creation himself, Hand of the Lamented,* bodiless palms sprang into a pointing gesture. From Ayah’s vase to the open portals, the Hand of the Lamented made contact, ‘-it’s not just Orin, the portals were thrown in other realms,’ he clenched his fist, ‘-Nike’s power isn’t enough,’ but was unable to seal the routes. ‘It goes beyond what my body can do,’ he pressed his palms and breathed, ‘-one solution,’ *Thud,* a dark sensation came from within.

*Deep slumber, deep rest, awaken for the chance at retribution. Gate of which stands before mine way, open for thy master has come: Nevermore – Hell’s Gate,* Lightning cackled. Rain clouds formed. Igna’s body transformed. The vampiric features grew apparent, and a dark cloud containing Death’s symbol emanated. ‘Still not enough.’

*Span across the ages, fear is what held peace, fear is what caused War, fear is the root of evil. I, the harbinger of the ultimate fear, have come to spread and reclaim what is mine of right: Nevermore – Terror Gate.* A heavy feeling brought him to his knees, ‘-the strain,’ blood ran down his chin, ‘-a little bit more,’ a hard-swallow, *Unbound by the laws of Heaven and Hell; unshackle my power: Nevermore – Annihilation Gate.* ‘-still nothing?’ the heart sank, a heavy pressure dropped him on one knee, ‘-two more gates, will this body last?’ destruction by the immense power far surpassed the regeneration rate of both Vampiric and the dormant Death Element. *Gateway to the afterlife, gateway to life, gateway of those who live, open, for I order so: Nevermore – Eleo Gate,* ‘-YES!’ the hand of lamented touched the portal, he clenched and sealed the links, “-now the finale,” he opened his eyes to a sea of red, he cried tears of blood, *Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, from when you were born and till you die, I, Devil, hold in my hands the strings which binds you to this world, by my authority, I order thy chains to be severed, spell, Tactus Interitus.* The portal decayed and puffed. Igna fell and his head, with little strength, flipped and stared at the stars. Cruze’ soft footstep ambled, and the serpent looked down, to which Igna ignored the stare for the starry night. “Master, you do know using the Shadow Realm’s power would have been easy?”

“Yeah, but there’s too much risk. My domain will remain a secret as long as it permits me. Besides,’ the body regenerated, ‘-I had to test the limit of this body. It’s bad,’ he laughed, ‘-I can barely make it to the four-level of the Nevermore seal. The Death element’s in order at least.”

“If you say so.”

Formle approached from the other side, “-mind listening to my side?”

“Sure,” he sat upright, the scene before wasn’t too much. Destruction and the smell of fresh blood, what could be better?

“Draebala’s not the same. We conquered Zayan D’olsak. We forged connections with both the Aapith Nation and the Eipea Empire. The fight against the Titan’s underway. You can imagine the strain it puts on the domain. God-level entities firing spells without concern. It takes a toll and the damage was felt in the main continent. There were reports of the ground literally disappearing before people. It simply vanished from existence. A grayscale orb replaced the thing, I can’t describe it. We call it World’ End. To supply mana, the domain’s eating itself. The very frame of Draebala’s reality is in danger. I’ve granted our force authority to recall home. No one knows what’ll happen. If the Titans continue at their pace, there won’t be anything left. The line of communication between Aapith and Eipea will be lost.”

“Wouldn’t be a bad thing,” Cruze added.

“It will be, trust me. The demon and angel over there fought over nothing. They flew into our land and began tearing the place apart. It makes no sense, no sense I say.”

“Are they dead?”

“Yeah,” he exhaled.

The phone rang, “-caller Svipe.”

“I’m going back.”

“Me too.”

“Master, I implore you, to look into the disappearance of the Guardians. We know their location, just not their intent. I fear we might lose more than we have if you stand here and do nothing. We need Lilith. Please master, I beg thee.”

“I will,” he stood, “-once I’ve healed Eira, I’ll begin the search for Lilith. She’s in the Aapith Nation, yes?”

“I don’t know, maybe? She ought to be there.”

‘My aids,’ the duo vanished, ‘The princes of Hell, Asmodeus and the rest. They’ll be fine, I trust in their skill. Kul did say something about a change. Well, I’m in no hurry. The end will come, I know it will. Preparations... the Nevermore gate is working. I’m one step closer. Come what may, a great deed will be done for salvation. I hate martyrs.’

“Hello?”

“About time!”

“What is it?”

“The lady wants to meet you.”

“Didn’t we meet already? I fail to see why it’ll benefit-”

“Stop talking and meet me by the Cub’s bridge,” the phone hung abruptly.

‘Blood, death, a battle,’ he pinched his forehead, ‘-pain,’ and dropped on one knee, ‘-I can’t stop the eye, reality’s fading, I need,’ he gasped, ‘-I need.’

A cold sensation took his nose, ‘-glasses?’

“Master,” Elize purred, “-I knew you’d need this.”

“Thank you,” he smiled, “-can you help? My body’s not at one hundred percent.”