Vines tightly coiled around Kano's body. Nèe grabbed the vines, dragging Kano across the river.
"Mèe~ why is she not immobilized yet? Your wire fence won't cut it."
Mèe sighed, placing his palms on the ground. "It's a maraging steel fence. Nèe. Just jump over, the fence hasn't grown into a cage yet."
"Maraging steel? I suppose you think nothing of her charge." Nèe said before dumping Kano's unconscious body by the river bank. The vines bonded his arms and legs preventing him from motion should he regain consciousness.
"The older always thinks of everything. I coated the outer workings with silver. They should be the perfect lightning rod." Mèe's gaze never once left Tondra. He watched intently, ensuring that not even a single twitch of her eye would escape his gaze.
Kano lost, she thought, I know he was badly injured but still….it hasn't even been five minutes yet. He's not dead, right? She panicked. Her gaze shifted to Nèe as he jumped over the fence.
Mid transition, he felt his muscles stiffen. Forcing him to crush into the ground. He grabbed his throat, gasping for air. He coughed, louder and louder. "Why….." he coughed, "How~…" she ran toward me and severed my wind pipe with her nails. He glanced toward her, noticing that she hadn't even made a move yet. He let go of his throat, no blood was dripping. It was as though, it had never even happened.
The purple stripes around Tondra's iris lengthened, shrinking her irises even further. What was that? He reacted…but I hadn't moved yet. Does that mean he saw the same end of the parallel line I just formed? That couldn't be it…these parallel lines…aren't they only from me? They couldn't be possible futures, could they?
Flashes of lightning rampaged, ripping the ground around her. "What are doing, Nèe?" Mèe exclaimed, "Why fall as you did?"
"Sorry, she did something to me just now…did you not see it?"
"Of course I did, Nèe. The older sees everything."
"Fine then…Mèe, what did you see?" He dusted his clothes.
"You fell while jumping like an idiot. You know, like a protagonist who only discovered his powers. You should be familiar with typically tropes where majority of the human populace are average and he is special."
"Mèe, I don't even know why I tried with you." He sighed, before he could utter his next statement, Tondra interrupted. "We have to dispatch her as soon as possible." Exactly as Tondra spoke, that was what Nèe intended to say. She knew what he was about to say. Nèe stepped back in awe, there was no way she could have known that.
He looks shocked—does that mean he never saw this? What was different? She made it back to her feet. I actualized that future. Is that why he never saw it? Her gaze shifted toward Kano. Flashes of lightning poured from her eyes. If I let my magic have its way with me, would I be able to see all the way to the point where Kano is awake? That was too hopeful—I need to save him.
Vines materialized from the ground up wrapping themselves around Tondra. They began to tighten, squeezing whatever life she had in her. What the hell~….
Flashes of lightning rampaged, ripping the vines. Each time they ripped, several re-grew until she was consumed. "See Mèe, if you hadn't taken half measures—"
"That won't work, Nèe. She will just—" A pulse of magic like sonar was released. Ripping the vines apart as lightning scorched the ground. The vines burst, freeing her. "—do that. I already tried incasing her. Her magic is much too great. She is easily a C rank."
Tondra panted, trying to calm herself. He just tried to suffocate me. I never saw it coming too.
Mèe applauded her efforts, "Beautifully done miss. I see you can weed. But I truly pity you..." he sighed, "You see, the thing about my brother is that…he hates deforestation. You can liken him to serial killers." More vines came from the ground attempting to grab her. She leapt, avoiding them.
Everything around her slowed down, rustling leaves echoing against her ears. What is this feeling? A whip? My back hurts … Everything returned to normal. No sooner had that happened than a metal rod hit her back. Forcing her to crush into the ground. She clenched her teeth as she looked up. Rods rained down like droplets in a storm. She began running toward Nèe, who, surprisingly enough, had a grin on his face.
"Wood Art: Ethidium Recoil; Invasive sprouts!" From around her, vines emerged. Attempting to grab her. [Invasive sprouts…a parasitic variant of wood arts. These strands of organic matter, or vines, absorb magic, using it to grow spores, reproduce and the new strands do the same until all magic in the vicinity is exhausted.]
I used it earlier as well but she just overloaded it and burnt the strands before they could reproduce.
These things again! Tondra thought as she felt everything slow down. Her mind turned to a blank sheet of black. White parallel lines intersecting through her before becoming parallel again. These lines spread before phasing through Nèe.
He saw her run into him, sending a pulse of lightning through his when she grabbed his throat. The line continued before meeting Mèe. It bounced off , before moving around him.
Huh? She thought, What was that?
The vines turned to green aura and disappeared. Nèe fell to the ground, his body twitching as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Drool fell from his mouth.
It happened again, she continued dashing, switching her target to Mèe. Those parallel lines are things that could happen…but they only affected green. It just bounced off yellow. Is there something special about green? Or is there something happening that I can't see?
Mèe looked on as he fell to the ground once more. He fell again….. this isn't normal. Nèe is smart and an avid reader to boost. There is no way he is missing the details. If this were a fantasy novel, he would be the prodigy with a harem.
Mèe then recalled a time when Nèe first used the Ragnarök version of Ethidium Recoil. At the time, he was only fifteen years old.
"Mèe…" he called as vines coiled around his body. He stood in awe, trembling as his heart raced. It drowned out the sound of everything around him.
"What is it Nèe?" Mèe wondered, reclining comfortably against a tree.
"Can you see that thing? You know… the dismembered man walking our way."
"Don't joke like that…" he sat up before seeing his brother laying on the ground, screaming as loudly as he could. "I know you are younger but this is ridiculous, there is nothing there."
When he got examined, it was brought to our attention that he is divinity sensitive. It is arguably the rarest trait a mage can ever possess. This ability allows them to view the physical and non-physical plane as one. That was why he saw something I couldn't. Could it be that she is doing something to him because of his sensitivity?
He has gotten better handling of his senses, dulling them to function properly. But she must be forcing them to heighten. THIS VIXEN!
Tondra sped up, I don't get it but I only have to focus on one of them. Her hand became coated in Lightning when she delivered a jab. He held up both hands to block. Upon impact, Lightning rampaged as she began forcing him back. This time I connected.
Everything slowed down once more, this feeling, my jaw hurts. My arms and legs as well. Huh? Hardly had things returned to normal when a metal rod struck her lower jaw, sending her staggering. When she looked up again, four rods struck her simultaneously. Each to one of her limbs.
When she looked back up, she saw Mèe holding a giant grayish mace. A yellow aura exploded from it, coating it. He planted his feet firmly into the ground. "Now, Metal Art: Structural Crystali; Ragnarök. This is the end, Miss."
As she saw it approaching, she thought. This is too fast? Should I dodge, no I can't…I can't do it. She felt everything around her slow when she saw a pulse of black aura ripple the water. Kano? No…that's not right? I know this presence. I have never sensed it in my life before.
It keeps getting closer, I can't dodge it….its too fast..(Damn it all to hell…I will dodge it). This metal wall in front of me…(I will go over it…then…I. Will shatter it.) When everything returned to normal, the mace came rushing toward her when she jumped. Her aura sliding against its own. Sparks formed, sending her flying over the maraging steel fence and crushing into the river water down stream.
The mace dematerialized when Mèe bit his lower lip. "Damn it, I missed." Before I could connect, I saw Nèe roll from the corner of my eye. Damn it, I was distracted! He then rushed to Nèe.
At the river bank, Tondra continued coughing. Too much water entered my respiratory tract when I crashed. He sent me this far by only having our auras meet. She coughed before sitting still, cuddling herself. I have to go and get Kano back. But how, I can't beat them on my own. She saw something washing downstream. It was Kano's blue crystalline estoc. It was coated in a black aura. Releasing a pulse every two seconds. Couldn't be, is that Kano's?
Floating over it was a child wrapped in a blue and black aura. That thing isn't real. My father told me I can only see such things because I am divinity sensitive. She got back to her feet and walked back into the water.
~
In the dark void where no light persisted, Kano was sinking further and further into the depth of the water. The water rippled, bubbling with each breath he took. Ah….I am sinking. This cold….. He trembled with each breath he drew. The water forced itself into his body. The water bubbled more intensely, letting the air escape. His consciousness began to fade. Right—this is little more than a dream.
'Another defeat. That makes twice since this trial commenced.'
Shut up—sometimes you talk a little too much. He opened his eyes, seeing the child wrapped in a black and blue aura sinking with him.
'What next, Master? Should I reinforce your body once more?'
Don't bother…..if you temper with my body again, I will feel that repulsing hunger. I will want to kill…and kill just to feel okay. This body—it doesn't feel like my own anymore.
'Will you abandon lady Tondra? If that is what you wish then abide I shall. But, dwelling within that weak-willed existence you call your soul is another desire. Speak, and grant it I shall.'
"Shut it! You don't get it…each time I resonate with you, I don't feel like myself. The confusion, all the thoughts that aren't my own yet I must accept. You don't know what that feels like."
'Should I go about handling your desire another way? If you integrate with me, you will experience no hunger....only memories. And—I will be free for a time. I shall be the blade she shall wield in place of your aid.' No sooner had he heard those words than he drowned.
~
"Asi….look, look, look," she exclaimed, smiling brightly as she spoke. "My village, they are rebuilding it. I can't wait to come back here." They stood by the village entrance watching as the land was leveled by tools too massive to be carried by a man but magic made that possible. Giant shovels, hoes, picks and even axes, wielded by men only a fifth of their size, dug the ground. The hunted even all the snakes and poisonous insects, even arachnids.
"You like this place as it was where you were born, yes? I saw it best as you cannot survive in Abyssal Corona, that kingdom is much too dangerous. I asked the head of Hollow Veil to rebuild the village with even greater grandeur. Do you like the notion that I have presented?"
"Thank you very much," she clenched her fists, "I just wish the people were still here." she looked to the ground, scribbling on it with her foot.
"Good morning, my lord and miss." One of the workers said as he walked past them.
"Good morning, Captain…..huh? What is your name again?" he asked in response.
"Must I introduce myself each time I speak?"
"You mustn't. Only times when I request it of you."
"Sequiturom….I am Xem Sequiturom. I am your immediate subordinate but I take it you shall refuse once more, claiming I am not."
"Asi….Who is he?"
He looked toward her before responding, "He is my immediate subordinate. Think nothing of him. Close your ears when he speaks his name. If you ever hear it and forget what it is…death is all that awaits. He is the nameless."
"Should I just call him, your right hand."
"I suppose so. Forgot your name again…you have rested enough, nameless."
"You forget as soon as I tell it to you yet, you never die. Then again, how can you even hear it," he muttered as he walked away.
"He could see me. You saw that, right Asi? He saw and spoke to me!" she exclaimed, tears rolling down her face.
[Right, you relished in the feeling of having your existence acknowledged by another after never being acknowledged by anyone since your birth. You were a water spirit and only those who were spiritual sensitive and divinity sensitive could so much as see you.
'Why grant a child you hardly knew those kinds of gifts?'
Aren't you supposed to have gone by now? Why stick around to watch the memories play out?
'Because I wished to ask, why grant her such gifts?'
He sighed, Because she wished it. I thought of her like glass, fragile and could break. So I hoped to see that glass strengthen until no one could shatter it. Because then I would have my answer. Would it be possible for I to be strengthened as well?
'I see….Master. You claim to feel like you aren't yourself yet, the answer you gave was one, he would have. You and he are one—why must you reject that?]
He returned to the void, unconscious and sinking deeper and deeper into the water.