Laneret avoided multiple icy arrows from various Lizardman Girls, each girl leaping from tree to tree to snipe Laneret from above. Laneret swiped her arm, forming a machine gun in her hand then spun around, using the ground the spin the barrel. She let out a bellow as she fired lightning rounds in 360 degree motion.
The Lizardman Girls all took cover, a Siren jumping from the river stream next to her to launch a pressurized blast of water toward her. Laneret dodged the blast by leaning back, her lips forming into a smirk as she began to increase the gravity in the area.
"Infinity Technique: Crushing Dimension!" Laneret called out, snapping her fingers and crushing the Monsters around her under heavy gravity. "Tch! Are you sure your Dark Lord is asleep? All of you seem to be active."
Suddenly, a roar of a powerful dragon sounded, catching Laneret's attention and causing her to look back. In the distance stood a woman with wavy, ocean blue hair, donned in an aquatic themed clothing with a staff in her hand. She spread out her aquatic wings and unleashed her aura.
Laneret took off her glasses and slipped them into her lab coat pockets, chuckling lightly and crossing her arms. "Well, well...if it isn't the famous Dragon Miko, Ame Arashi. You're out today?"
"You are nearing the home of our mother. Turn back now, and you won't get hurt!" Ame announced, pointing her staff at Laneret.
"I am here upon official business by Lord Nox. He needs a relic from your mother, Mariella. Are you going to deny the authority I was given?" Laneret asked, staring into Ame's eyes with a raised brow.
Ame scoffed lightly at Laneret, her gaze glancing around to see if a Sovereign Butterfly was around. Amidst her search, she looked back at Laneret to see my Sovereign Butterfly subtly showing as a button on her lab coat. "You're serious..?"
"If Lord Nox is in St. Goken, does that mean Lady Floria has died?" Ame asked in deep confusion, taking a step back in shock.
"It is true that the late Dark Lord of Nature has died. Judge Floria was well beloved amongst St. Meishi and the rest of Exzodia, but she's now with Yuvah. Mariella's time is coming too, but not now. She has yet to conceive her child within her Rebirth Shell," Laneret explained, turning around to see the Old St. Goken Academy building in the distance.
"I sense I am not the only one here. Who else got past you?" Laneret asked, turning her gaze around to look at Ame.
Ame cleared her throat gently, too embarrassed to even answer Laneret. "I uh...don't know who he was. He was wearing a mask, but he was insanely strong. I was too scared to move against him..."
"And yet you challenge me?" Laneret asked skeptically, an unamused expression playing on her face.
"That's because I know you, and I still have something to prove against you! However, that comes later! That masked man is at the old academy...his energy felt similar to Qiao Zhi," Ame said, holding her staff closely to her.
'The No. I of the previous Infinity Council centuries ago? The traitor Qiao Zhi? So, his descendant is also awake. This will prove to be interesting,' Laneret said mentally, turning her attention to the academy in the distance.
Without wasting another second, Laneret rushed toward the old academy grounds with Ame hurrying behind her in a rush. Exiting the forest, the sight of a massive ruined campus came into view, the ruined campus repurposed into Mariella's Dark Lord Zone.
Walls of water blocked off certain paths within the Zone while Water and Ice Golems guarded specific buildings and strongholds. The main building had Rebirth Energy surrounding it, signalling where Mariella currently resided in. Each Monster was on high alert, the masked intruder wandering around the Zone and causing havoc.
"There he is!" Ame called out, pointing to the Hatchery Facility to the northwest.
Laneret looked in the direction in which Ame pointed, seeing a masked man with red and black hair, streams of red lightning forming around his body. She smirked and balled her hand into a fist, warping the area to bring the masked man to her then launched a powerful strike at him.
The masked man immediately blocked the attack then landed on the ground, launching a roundhouse at Laneret's head but she ducked under the kick and teleported into a dropkick to knock him backwards. The masked man rolled backwards then teleported forward, striking Laneret upon her stomach with a kick, a spark of rainbow lightning flashing upon impact.
Laneret grunted as she was knocked backwards, stumbling back into balance and caught her breath. She dusted off her coat, looking down at the searing smoke rising from her coat. 'He actually hit me..? Well, it appears that Qiao Zhi's descendant is really in front of me.'
"Are you crazy, Lannie? This guy is omega strong and you're just gonna initiate without a plan?" Ame scolded, hurrying to Laneret's side and readied herself for battle.
"I just wanted to test my hunch, and it seems I am right. One: He's going for the Hatchery to break Mariella's Eggs so more monsters can't be born. Two: This is Qiao Zhi's Descendant, Xiao Shang. You can not fool me," Laneret revealed, snapping her fingers and pointing at the masked man in front of her.
The masked man stared at Laneret then lowered his head, chuckling lowly and closing his eyes. He adjusted his mask then looked back up at Laneret. "The Great Physical Goddess, Laneret Nagini. Truth be told, I was not expecting a visit from you...but you are very predictable."
"Predictable? You just got a lucky hit. Whatever you're planning on doing here, you best run back. A Dark Lord of this caliber isn't something you want to mess with. Especially not one readying herself to give birth," Laneret said, struggling her shoulders with white lightning crackling around her body.
"This is the same Dark Lord that has been around for Eons. Since she's giving birth, this is when she's at her weakest. Killing her now will prevent the Black Waves from happening. These Dark Lords, they cause destruction! You call them Judges but I call them exactly as they are since Luca the Tyrant!" The masked man retorted, spreading his hands out with a devious grin under his mask.
"Plus, with all the Dark Lords gone, the corruption upon the Earth will stop! These Dark Lords that have risen—"
"Have you ever thought about why they are called Dark Lords? That wasn't their original name. They are called Elonun, daughters of Yuvah or commonly known as Wise Authorities. They are only seen as Dark Lords because they cast judgement just as God intended for them, but your feeble human minds can't comprehend something so simple!" Laneret interrupted, tapping the side of her head with her finger.
"All the supposed Dark Lords have something called Holy Forms. Their true forms. They only appear as they do to ward off demons and evil, they choose terrifying appearances for a reason. They use Monsters for a reason. They aren't within the forces of Darkness," Laneret continued, crossing her arms.
"Yeah! You tell him, Lannie!" Ame said beside Laneret, acting as her hype woman.
"If you want to call someone evil...you call your first love evil, the First Overlord Bu-La!" Laneret called out, drawing from the memories of her predecessor, Noxius Nagini.
The masked man grew visibly annoyed once Laneret mentioned Bu-La, red lightning crackling around his body. "I nearly forgot you have the same sharp tongue as your predecessor. How about I silence it for good?"
"I would love to see you try!" Laneret challenged, summoning her Balisk Rod and got into her stance.
Xiao Shang launched himself toward Laneret with a spinning heel kick, but she blocked the attack, leaving him open for Ame to knock him away with a swing of her staff. Xiao Shang grunted as he flew backwards, landing inside the Arrow Trap Room, multiple icy bows materializing around him.
Laneret teleported toward Xiao Shang with a downward crescent kick, but he dodged the attack then dodged the icy arrows coming from his left. Ame appeared from a pool of water within the ground, striking his back with a thrust of her staff then knocked him in the air. Laneret teleported above him with an palm strike, but he caught her hand and threw her to the ground.
"Have you forgotten what the Dark Lords have done to our ancestors in China, Japan, Korea, and the Americas? We had to seal them away because of their senseless killing!" Xiao Shang called out from above, looking down at Laneret with disdain.
"Do you forget who seeks to pervert everything good in this world? Chaos corrupted them, rewired their brains after kidnapping their minds! Did you forget who the Ruler of Hell was? Chaos was amidst us and Qiao Zhi let him whisper in his ear!" Laneret retorted, looking up at Xiao Shang with a glare.
"Yeah! Lady Mariella told us the entire story about how Terminus corrupted them just like he did with Luca the Tyrant! She and her sisters had to be sealed away because that was the only way to save them!" Ame added to Laneret's statement, pointing her staff up at Xiao Shang.
"Hmph! Well, I won't have another incident like that happening again! Ascea wasn't on Earth when Chaos struck and he isn't here now! It's time we take our will back into our hands!" Xiao Shang roared, calling down red bolts of lightning to crash down toward Laneret and Ame.
"Fool," Laneret scoffed, shifting her foot and causing a large stone hand to rise from the ground to block the lightning strikes.
Ame spread her wings and flew toward Xiao Shang, soaring through the bolts of lightning and twirled her staff around in a circle before cracking him upon the back of his neck with a powerful swing. Xiao Shang grunted as he flew to the ground but recovered with a teleport, appearing behind Ame and sending her to the ground with a chop to her neck.
Laneret pulled Ame toward her with an attractive force, bringing her to the ground safely before forming an orb of crimson red energy in her hand. Flicking it toward Xiao Shang, the red orb began to glow brightly, detonating into a powerful repulsive force of energy.
"What the—" Xiao Shang exclaimed, his eyes growing wide as the shockwave for the explosion violently threw him backwards.
The repulsive force of energy began tearing down the water walls of the Arrow Trap Room, destroying it completely which was an impossible task for even S Tier Valkyrias and Heroes. Xiao Shang rolled along the ground before recovering upon one knee, feeling the ground rumbling beneath him.
Jumping high into the air, he narrowly avoided the powerful bite from Balisk, the giant snake barely missing Xiao Shang's legs. He kicked the head of the snake away then teleported out of the way of Laneret's surprise attack and reappeared behind her with a double axe handle.
"Too slow!" Laneret taunted, vanishing before Xiao Shang's attack could land.
Xiao Shang looked around then groaned as multiple invisible strikes began to land upon his body, Laneret moving faster than be could perceive due to her Accelerated Time. The attack began to come from all angles, all coming at the same time and overwhelming his body.
Xiao Shang let out a powerful bellow, releasing a surge of crimson aura around his body to push Laneret back, but Laneret froze time for a moment, striking his face with a full power blow. She snapped her fingers, resuming time and watching as Xiao Shang flew down to the ground instantaneously.
The sounds of battle roared outside, the explosions gently shaking the ground and rumbling the buildings in the area. The eyes upon Mariella's Clamshell opened as the shell slightly opened so Mariella's voice could peer through the beautiful iridescent seashell.
"Winter...Winter..." Mariella softly called out, her voice slightly strained due to her early stages of pregnancy leaving her feeling drained.
The Frost Summoner sitting at a table nearby looked up from her manga she was reading, her gaze shifting over to the clamshell before getting up to see what Mariella needed. "Mari? What's the matter?"
"I can sense one of Lord Nox's people nearby and her battle against the intruder is getting hectic... If that intruder reaches here, I will have no choice but to reawaken and put the baby at harm," Mariella said gently, her tone becoming a soft, pained moan as she uncomfortably shifted inside her shell.
"Lord Nox?" Winter asked, hurrying back over to the table and grabbed her phone before turning it on. She began to check the cameras of the Old St. Goken Campus, noticing Laneret on the scene fending off Xiao Shang in battle. "Miss Laneret?!"
"I don't know who they are fighting, but I need that intruder gone..." Mariella commanded, empowering Winter with a bit of Rebirth Energy.
Winter nodded at Mariella's command, fixing her long blonde hair into two pigtails and summoned her Valkyria Battlesuit upon her body: Frost Summoner. The beautiful navy blue and sky blue battledress flowed with the cool, gentle breeze her aura generated.
Winter rushed out of the gym and bursted through the doors, glancing around to find where the battle was then heard an explosion coming from her left. She rushed toward the sound of the explosion, noticing some Lizardmen and Water Golems defending the zone with Laneret and Ame.
Xiao Shang dodged each slash and blast of water from Mariella's monsters then teleported backwards as Balisk snapped her jaws at him for a crushing bite. He began to freefall from the sky, landed on the ground then let out a roar, calling down surging bolts of lightning to strike down the Monsters.
One bolt of lightning was crashing down upon a Slime Girl with the treat of elimination, but a rush of cold air froze the bolt of lightning over, materializing it into frozen lightning. Xiao Shang, Laneret, and Ame looked around to see where the winds could have come from, the feeling of Rebirth Energy causing them to shudder.
"All of this fighting... It's a wonder how you even found this place without the help of Lord Nox, but I digress," Winter said to Xiao Shang as she walked forward, a large ice dragon forming behind her via her aura.
"Lord Nox? Ha! Who could that be? Don't tell me he's the current Messiah. How many saviors do we need, and if you're calling upon his name that means he's allied with these Dark Lords!" Xiao Shang scoffed, the idea of a Yesha-like figure would be allied with anyone he deems evil.
"Earth has only had two Saviors, two Nexuses, only two Messiahs. Everyone else was a Hero of Origin, including the legendary and best Hero of Origin in eternity, August Eyica. Lord Nox is the only other Savior Earth has had since Yesha," Laneret said, scoffing at Xiao Shang's cluelessness of me.
"The same Yesha that walked with Henosis, Adamiel, even Utalia's legends? I find that hard to believe because if that were true, where is your beloved Messiah now?" Xiao Shang asked, glancing around with mockery in his tone. "Missing! If Yesha or Ascea was real, He would've made himself known during our ancestors' time!"
"He was. You all killed Him and crucified Him which was always a part of the bigger plan. Dying for the sins of humanity so they could spend eternity with Him, however...just like Qiao Zhi, your spiritual blindness is what's stopping you from seeing the truth!" Laneret retorted, crossing her arms with a low scoff.
Xiao Shang glared at Laneret then grunted as he charged toward her, but Ame charged forward, intercepting his path and clashing fists with him. The two entered a heated exchange of hand to hand combat, slipping and weaving through each other's attack.
Laneret stopped time for a moment, warping toward Xiao Shang and landed a kick against his jaw to send him flying as time resumed. Xiao Shang flipped backwards and sprang off to be hand, generating two spears of lightning energy and threw them both toward Laneret and Ame.
Winter charged forward and deflected the two lightning spears with ease, both bolts of energy flying into the sky and exploding. "Boreal! Destroy the target! Zetta Blizzard!"
Boreal roared loudly, the other Monsters serving under Mariella currently retreating from the area after Boreal's draconic roar. The Alrean Sigil shined upon his chest, his mouth opening wide as he unleashed a massive beam of sheer cold toward Xiao Shang.
Xiao Shang put on his mask, his aura surging around his body and his aura beginning to glow brightly with a fusion of red, green, and purple. He held his hand out toward the beam. "Infinity Technique: Fulgar Retribution!"
Xiao Shang roared as he launched a powerful bolt of multicolored lightning toward Boreal's Zetta Blizzard, the two blasts of energy colliding powerfully and releasing a shockwave. The shockwaves of the collision began to destroy adjacent battle rooms, the chilling winds howling at the skies to defend Mariella.
Ame spread her wings and flew upon the top of Boreal's head, placing her hand upon him and adding her own draconic energy to his, empowering his beam of energy to greater heights. Xiao Shang teleported away as Zetta Blizzard broke through his attack then reappeared in front of Ame, striking her stomach with double knees then grabbed her face to teleport forward.
Changing sceneries, Xiao Shang dragged Ame's head against the Rebirth Energy walls then threw her inside the old gym. Ame recovered onto her feet with a back roll, vanishing into a puddle of water to avoid his next attack. Suddenly, Ame struck Xiao Shang with blinding speeds, her body encased with Holy Water to deal significant damage to him.
"I will not allow you to reach my Master!" Ame bellowed, appearing in the air with massive orb of water energy in her hands.
Xiao Shang looked up at Ame and adjusted his mask, his body becoming a bolt of lightning before completely blindsiding Ame with a kick to her side to sent her crashing to the ground. "This is over! I will—"
Suddenly, a presence caused him to grow quiet. He glanced around the old gym and looked up at the balcony, seeing a hooded figure cloaked in white standing at the balcony. He stared at him, wondering who the new combatant was.
"You have delayed my Physical Goddess for long enough. Awakening Mariella too early will end your life and legacy as well. You don't know what you're getting into, and if you won't listen to Laneret....you will bow down to me," The figure said, two Sovereign Butterflies manifesting around the figure and landing upon his shoulders, one of them becoming a white dove.
'Who the hell is this..? I can't even sense how strong he is...A Butterfly and a Dove...' Xiao Shang said to himself mentally, staring up at the figure with caution.
The figure placed his hand upon the rails of the balcony, his body becoming a silver silhouette and warping in front of Xiao Shang with a roundhouse but vanished before the attack landed. Xiao Shang grunted as he was caught off guard, too stunned to move then looked down, hearing similar sounds to the sound he would hear as a baby inside his mother's womb.
Glancing down, he noticed the figure standing next to Ame, healing her completely with Iridescent Aura flowing around his body. He teleported toward the figure with a spinning kick, but the figure vanished at Invisible Speeds, reappearing behind Xiao Shang with his arms crossed.
"You don't know what you're truly dealing with..." The figure said, looking back at Xiao Shang with glowing amber eyes under his hood.
"Who the hell are you..?" Xiao Shang asked with a low growl, looking back at the figure as well.
"I Am that I Am. Your mind can't process who I am truly to be...or who I am supposed to remind you of. I am not He, yet He is not me. You can call me...His Echo," The figure said, his cloak flowing gently with the generating winds.
Xiao Shang quickly pivoted around into a electrifying strike but the figure ducked under his attack then phased through his kick. Moving with grace and elegance, Xiao Shang couldn't land a single strike upon him, the figure being too slippery for him to land one strike.
Upon the next dodge, the figure leaned back to dodge Xiao Shang's roundhouse kick then placed his hands on the ground, adjusting his body to land double kicks upon Xiao Shang's stomch. Using a third kick to knock him in the air, the figure warped toward Xiao Shang and gripped his face before flying toward the ground and slamming him down.
The figure let Xiao Shang go then stepped backwards and turned around to walk back toward Ame. As he made his way toward her, a bolt of lightning flew toward his head, but he tilted his head to cause the bolt to fly past him. The figure stood still, listening as Xiao Shang stood up on his feet.
"You live by the sword, you die by it as well, Xiao Shang. Qiao Zhi's betrayal costed the livelihoods of the entire Infinity Council. As their Head, he was judged accordingly. You are doing nothing but following his steps...another Judas," The figure said, turning around to face Xiao Shang and took off his hood.
Ame gasped and covered her mouth, her body physically jolting back in shock. Xiao Shang's gaze began a deep glare, his eyes recognizing me nearly immediately. I stared at Xiao Shang with a calm gaze, reading into his heart then met his gaze once again.
"Come back home, Xiao Shang and let go of that bitterness you allowed to attach itself to. Let go of Qiao Zhi and open your eyes. Bu-La is an Overlord now and will fall like the other Fallen Angels. She made her choice, you can still make yours," I said, holding my hand out toward him.
Xiao Shang scoffed at me, staring at me with disdain. "I will not join you until you tell me why you're defending the Dark Lords! I thought you don't create evil and the Dark Lords are nothing but evil!"
"They have sinned and they are paying the price for it currently. They listened to Chaos' whispers, yet they were forgiven because God sees all. They willingly allowed themselves to be sealed. The daughters of God made a vow to Yuvah, they walked the aisle," I began, lowering my hand then looked out the open doors of the gym to the main building.
"If they were to ever fall like they did again during the days of Henosis, they would give birth to a pure, innocent Elonun and give themselves as sacrifice. To interrupt that...is to be denying their redemption. Are you standing in our way?" I asked, my tone growing more serious and stoic, my amber eyes shining brightly.
"Our? Who else could you be allied with?" Xiao Shang scoffed, taking on his stance and gripped his wrist, green lightning surging around his hand.
"God. God the Father, Yuvah. God the Son, Yesha. God the Holy Spirit, Ascea. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?!" I roared, divine fires surging around my body as invoked Psalm 27.
Xiao Shang grunted softly from the heat waves my aura generated, a bright light shining brightly within the gym. He began to look up, his eyes widening as he noticed a Throne Angel slowly becoming visible behind me. 'What is this power..? Why...am I actually afraid..?'
"You're really going to allow this man to sway you from your truth..?" Terminus's voice whispered into Xiao Shang's ear, a black serpent slithering through the cracks of the floor and coiled around Xiao Shang's leg. "The Dark Lords have killed your brothers...your lover...They deserve to die..."
I crossed my arms as I watched Xiao Shang, keeping a close eye upon him, white lightning crackling around my body in preparation. "Do not let him enter your heart, Xiao Shang. You have heard the truth, so you have a choice to make. Do not be a fool."
"Go to Mariella and kill her! End her life now so the next Dark Lord can not be born in the upcoming months!" Terminus coerced strongly, his voice sounding like a draconic roar.
Xiao Shang grunted softly as his aura surged around his body dangerously, his uncomfortable gaze switching to an amused smirk as he felt a boost in his power. Black lightning began crackling around his body, his eyes looking at his hands with satisfaction. "This power... I feel way more incredible than before..."
I closed my eyes and let out a soft exhale, shaking my head with disapproval. Ame hurried over to me, grabbing my arm and tugging my sleeve, but I had already knew that Terminus got to him. I opened my eyes and gently pushed Ame back then tossed off my cloak to reveal my Judge Form, golden chains emerging from my lower back.
"You will have to be subdued Xiao Shang as you are still a member of the Infinity Council. In my Father's name, I will drive that parasite out of you and crush his skull," I declared, my body becoming a gray silhouette and warped in front of Xiao Shang.
I caught him with a powerful gut blow, a burst of Rebirth Energy surging from his back. I knocked him away with a swiping chop then dashed after him, leaping into the air to give chase. Xiao Shang recovered mid air and clashed fists with me, swiping his arm down for another attack but I caught his wrist and twirled into a back elbow against his cheek.
As Xiao Shang flew down to the ground, I warped toward him and struck his stomach with a Heavenly Impact, driving him into the ground then leaped out of the smoke cloud. I summoned my Divine Hammer, Madriax, in my hand then set a Battle Room within the field we stood in.
〘Battle Room: Calamity Winds〙
▸ Battle Room Type: Ragnarok/Holy
▸ Room Hazard: Divine Storms
▸ Room Rank: EX-S
▸ Master: Nox
〘Battle Room Description: Just as God creates good, He also brings upon Calamity to those unrepentant. May God bring you through these specific storms.〙
Xiao Shang grunted softly as powerful wind currents began to lift him off the ground, thunders booming with anger while lightning struck down with mighty power. I launched my hammer toward him, cracking him against his chest and warped towa Madriax, knocking him away with a spinning heel kick into a bolt of lightning.
Xiao Shang groaned in pain as he was suspended in mid air then felt a powerful burst of wind knock him forward into my spinning kick against his neck, spiking him toward the ground at high velocities. I warped to the ground, catching his ankle before he hit the ground, hearing him let out a sight of relief.
"Judgement hasn't finished yet!" I bellowed, slamming his back against the ground while still holding his ankle. "You will leave his body! Both you, Qiao Zhi, and Terminus!"
Ame, Winter, and Laneret watched as I fought against Xiao Shang myself, yet I wasn't fighting the man yet the two evil spirits that inhabited his body. Xiao Shang fought with all his might to create enough distance to escape to the main building, yet I refused to let him get close to Mariella's Rebirth Shell.
Xiao Shang grunted as he stumbled backwards, coughing a bit of blood and fell upon one knee with exhaustion. He looked up at me with a light glare, noticing me looking into his eyes. "I wish you would have stayed dead! You of all people has Ascea's Spirit?!"
I listened to Xiao Shang, knowing it was Chaos speaking to me through Xiao Shang. I stared down at him and walked toward Xiao Shang. "Chaos. You show yourself at an interesting time."
Xiao Shang grunted as he pushed himself off the ground with a punch, but I took his blow upon my cheek. He grunted softly and watched me turn the other cheek, growing visibly annoyed that I was mocking his vengeance righteously by forgiving him. He let out a bellow and struck my other cheek with another blow, seeing I hadn't even flinched.
"I am the Elohim of Redemption, Dark Lord of Redemption...whatever you wish to call me. You fail to see the greater mission because you let the kingdom of darkness sway your emotions..." I said, pushing Xiao Shang's hand back and stepped closer.
"Chaos, Qiao Zhi, Terminus, you will exit Xiao Shang's body and set him free. I don't usually do this or like to...but in my name of Ascea, release my sheep!" I commanded, placing my hand upon Xiao Shang's chest and releasing a pulse of Rebirth Energy into his body.
The pulse of energy dealt powerful spiritual damage within his very soul, three orbs of dark energy flying out of his body then scattered about in the air. One of the orbs flew past me and headed straight toward the three women, but I warped backwards and took on Qiao Zhi's spirit inside me.
Qiao Zhi let out a screech and immediately left my body, my Throne Angel opening his middle eye and looking at Qiao Zhi before beaming him into oblivion with a Holy Beam. My Angel swipe the beam across the ground, striking Chaos and Terminus as well and causing them to screech in pain.
I held my hand to the sky, calling upon more Angels to deal with Chaos and Terminus, the 100 Legions of Angels driving away the two corrupt spirits. Xiao Shang immediately began to feel weak, his body collapsing onto the ground as his skin began to go back to normal.
Laneret grunted softly as she watched Xiao Shang fall upon the ground and rushed toward him, holding him up and noticed how much at peace he was. "What...? He looks...at peace..."
Ame and Winter got up from their hiding spots as well and rushed to see the revelation as well, the two gasping as their aggressor looked more like an angel than a vengeful spirit. The two looked up from Xiao Shang, noticing I was missing, Ame gasping and running to where I just was.
"Even his angels are gone! We weren't imagining it right? Lord Nox was just here!" Ame exclaimed, frantically searching around for me only to find nothing.
Winter looked around as well, feeling there was still a peaceful presence nearby then looked behind her to see I had left one of my Doves, a Pigeon, for Old St. Goken Academy. She stood up with an overwhelming rush of emotion as she noticed the dove looking back at her with a gentle coo, tears of joy filling her eyes.
"And he constantly tells people he's not Yesha...yet he's the only one reminding us of Him constantly," Laneret said to herself, a soft smile on her face.
---------------------------
I appeared inside Do-hari's room once again, reverting to my normal form and rubbing the back of my neck with a soft exhale. I looked over at her bed, noticing Do-hari still hadn't gotten out of bed yet the tray of food I left before leaving was empty. I smiled at her and walked back toward her, placing my hand upon her shoulder.
"Nox..?" Do-hari spoke softly, opening her eyes slowly and looked up at me, her gaze still broken and soft. "You're back..."
I hummed softly at her and gently caressed her cheek, feeling her skin was still cold yet she began to warm at my touch. I could still see how broken she was within, the Sovereign Butterflies I left behind still unable to take away her grief.
I kneeled down in front of her and rested my arms upon the edge of her bed, resting my head on my arms to look into her eyes. "Did you sleep well..?"
Do-hari locked eyes with me and nodded gently, letting out a soft, deep exhale and closed her eyes as I began to gently run my fingers through her hair. For the first time since Luciel, I began to understand what it felt like to truly slow down. My wisdom grew in deeper understanding of why Yuvah would favor one of His own over another, my desire to be truly connected to Do-hari growing.
Do-hari leaned into my touch as I continued to show her gentle affection, moving closer to me to try to breathe in my air. She wanted nothing more than to just remain here next to me, her hand finding its place upon my free hand. I watched as she drew closer, her forehead resting upon mine with her hairs brushing against my face.
"Thank you for never leaving my side...even when I do get annoying at times," Do-hari said softly, nuzzling her forehead against mine affectionately.
I chuckled softly at her, my hand gently gliding down to rest upon her shoulder. "I made you a promise and multiple vows. My Father's patience is my own, His love for me I'm now giving to you, so you can call me Ishi.."
Do-hari slowly opened her eyes, meeting my gaze with a loving one of her own. She could tell I could see through her, but this time she didn't mind it at all. She knew she needed a savior, and put her trust in Exzodia's Savior to pull her through a difficult time. She didn't speak, just allowing her eyes to say everything she wanted to say.
I watched as Do-hari drew closer to me, her lips pressing gently against mine for a soft kiss. Our eyes closed to warmly savor the kiss, golden butterflies manifesting around Do-hari the longer she kissed me. Soon, I pulled away and opened my eyes to see Do-hari missing and smiled warmly.
Do-hari slowly opened her eyes, seeing that she had returned to th day she had ever first met me. She looked across the street to see the bench we sat on, her heart growing heavy from the beauty of the memory. "Nox..."
I glanced out into the open of the park, taking a moment to think about how to at least help Past Do-hari feel better. I stood up on my feet and turned around to face Past Do-hari, placing my hand upon her shoulder. "Then how about we go out...and I can help you be there for yourself."
Past Do-hari glanced up at me, meeting my eyes with her own glossy stare. She glanced down once again, wiping her tears and let out a soft exhale. "I don't know...maybe it could help. I just don't know..."
"You won't know unless you give it a chance," I said, holding my hand out toward her with a soft smile on my face. "There's no need to stay in a cell that has the door wide open."
Past Do-hari felt her heart fluttering at my gentle words, her eyes catching the sight of my dove perched upon my shoulder. In her eyes, I was the only one who had color, the only one who could see her Spirit, her pain and hidden laments.
Slowly, she reached for my hand, hesitantly taking it and gulped lightly as she stood up slowly. I helped her grab her things off the bench and gestured for her to follow me, the two of us setting out on our own mini adventure to help her cheer up.
Do-hari gripped her shirt, feeling her heart growing heavy as I walked away with her past self, her body falling to her knees in a mix of undeniable sorrow yet joy that she met me. "You were always here since the start to save me...Nox..."
Do-hari began to cry on the ground alone, her face falling flat upon the ground as she wept loudly, yet no one around her could see nor hear her. She let out a lethargic scream in the grayscale world she was in, releasing all of her sadness and sorrows in a realm that didn't know she existed.
Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around Do-hari, causing her to cry harder because she knew my touch from anywhere. She held my arms and cried against me, gripping onto my robes tightly as I held her and reassured her that I could see all of her pain...no matter what period of time she was in.
Do-hari began to return back to reality, sitting up on her bed and covering her face. "I understand it now...Eomma's Dream. I truly know why you're here now..."
I smiled at Do-hari, getting up to sit upon the edge of her bed. I placed my hand upon her lap, giving her leg a gentle squeeze. "It's always been as simple as it seems...I've come to save you from your curse. Your grief...not only for you but your entire family."
I stood up from her bed, walking over to her window to look at the Manaport Skyscraper in the distance. "Nam-Sun, Dong-hee, Ae-Ri, Minsu, Mr. and Mrs. Bong. I'll save them all from their curses too. I won't stop at nothing until I see it through...even if I must sacrifice something of myself to break it."
"Nox..." Do-hari gasped, hurrying out of bed and hugged me from behind and gripped my robes tightly. "No..! I can't allow you to sacrifice yourself for us! Not after everything you've said to me these last days...after all you've shown me...you can't just go around making reckless actions."
I placed my hand upon Do-hari's hand and looked at her through the reflection of the window. "Nae sarang, there must be a time where I too have to return where I came. As Ascea, I too have to return to my former glory in Heaven once my time is finished."
"Nox, please...I can't lose you too. My fifth husband and I want this one to be the last..!" Do-hari wept softly, burying her face into my back so I couldn't look at her.
I chuckled softly at her and closed my eyes, letting out a soft exhale and turned around in her arms. I made her raise her head, her chin resting against my chest as she looked up at me. "There's no telling of when my Father will tell me it is finished for Exzodia. Only He knows that day and time, so until then cherish every moment you have with me.."
Do-hari stared up at me with glossy eyes, sniffing softly and nodded softly. She closed her eyes as I brushed her hair from her face then gave her a soft peck on her lips before letting her go. Do-hari blushed gently, caught off guard that I initiated the kiss this time and looked up at me with awe.
I chuckled softly at her and took her hand, leading her out of her room to the lounge area where I knew Ae-Ri and Minsu would be. Do-hari followed behind quickly, holding my hand tightly and watched as we entered the lounge. She could hear the sound of music playing, the sounds of her children giggling as they danced to music released by Class 12-A.
"This is our Final Stand! Ko Su-Mi, go!" The voice of Choko sounded from the TV followed by the crowd cheering.
Do-hari and I entered the lounge, noticing Ae-Ri playing a live concert from Class 12-A on the TV. The two children danced and bounced around as they listened to the music, faint glimpses of Angels playfully floating around the room catching Do-hari's eyes. I smiled at the two, looking up on screen to see Hyeon Bae playing her heart out on the drums.
"Everyone! Hurry, Eomma's had another dream!" Dong-hee called from downstairs, her tone filled with uncertainty and panic.
Do-hari and I glanced at each other, deciding to take the children with us to hear the dream as well. Nam-Sun followed behind us downstairs, the eight of us all in the living room to see what Mrs. Bong's dream was. Sitting in the living room, we all waited for Mrs. Bong to gather herself as she took a sip of water.
"Yeobo, go ahead and tell us what you saw in the dream. Take you time, and I'll do what I can to translate it," Mr. Bong said, sitting upon the edge of the couch and waiting for his wife to speak.
Mrs. Bong exhaled softly as she began to find the words to explain what she saw in her dream. "It was a building with seven beautiful lights and seven dead lights, Christmas lights and a large audience. There were people in the air, smoke and streams surrounding them! Then a fire happens! Aish!!"
Mrs. Bong's children began to grow worried as they connected the dots as best as they could, their gazes shifting to Ae-Ri and Minsu, who had a Christmas play coming up in a few days. I sat silent and closed my eyes, waiting for Mrs. Bong to continue.
"Do-hari, you must withdraw your children from this play. The main reason is in this dream, we will be exposed as Ascean. Everyone will use their power to try to save the building and I can't have this, not again," Mrs. Bong said with worry in her tone, looking at Do-hari with a concerned gaze.
"This is one of the most important days for my children...I can't just withdraw them because of a scare in a dream. Right, Nox?" Do-hari asked, turning her head toward me to get my opinion.
"The children will be safe, that is a guarantee. However, I can not guarantee safety for everyone else. One week. The seven beautiful lights represents seven days, the days remaining until the program. The seven dead lights represents a week...of long-suffering. Truth will be exposed like a wildfire," I said, interpreting Mrs. Bong dream with certainty in my tone.
Mr. Bong glanced over at me with curiosity, impressed that I could interpret dreams like he could yet a worry began to form in his heart. "Exposed..? What truth?"
Do-hari gasped and stood up quickly, covering her mouth as she immediately understood what I was talking about. "No..."
I closed my eyes and let out a soft exhale, shaking my head to gesture to her that there was no other way. "Yuvah's plan is already in motion, the stage is set... That fire...isn't metaphoric. Bulan Theater District will burn..."
Nam-Sun glanced at Do-hari, seeing her distraught expression and began to wonder to himself about why his sister was in distress. 'What is going on..? Is there no way out for this fire..? Who's going to set the building on fire..?'
The dream was now interpret, yet no one knew who would set the building on fire or what truth would get exposed. However, Nam-Sun and Dong-hee had a feeling that the exposed truth could be about their sister, an uneasy feeling settling in their stomachs.
Ae-Ri looked up at her mother, pushing her glasses back up, her eyes faintly glowing as she began to read into her mother's mind. All she wanted to do was figure out why Do-hari was so distraught, yet the revealed truth...she could not handle.
'If the truth is about Nam-Suk and how he cheated on me with Sa Nu Rim... Ae-Ri and Minsu would be destroyed! They trusted him...they saw him as a godly man, I did too... This would destroy them...' Do-hari thought to herself, biting her thumbnail nervously and began to breathe deeply.
Ae-Ri pushed her glasses up and got off the couch, storming upstairs with a broken heart. Everyone watched as Ae-Ri ran up the stairs, wondering what was wrong with her.
Minsu got off the couch as well and followed his sister. "Noona! Noona!"
I watched as Minsu followed his sister, letting out a soft exhale and closed my eyes, shaking my head as I knew Ae-Ri used her power to find the truth. 'Father...give the Bong Clan strength during this season...'