**Another section of Pardem**
A loud blast erupted from the center pyramid of the town as the orange clouds rolled overhead.
Jo faced the blast with a lazy expression.
"Again…? The hell is going on in this town?"
She threw a candy in her mouth as she sat atop a frozen fountain, deciding which flavor was her favorite from the assorted bag she got.
All around her, the plaza she occupied had become a frozen wasteland with ice statues of Bloodtusk bandits—all had been laid to waste.
It was then a figure snapped in, standing atop a pillar, smoking a cigarette.
"Normally, I'd say you should have been more discreet. But seeing as this place turned out to be a bandit town, I don't care," Code said nonchalantly.
"Good. Saves me the trouble of explaining myself," Jo replied.
"Any word from the others? Greed?"
"GG's not responding… But he is with Star…" She gripped her bag like she was about to tear it apart as she imagined a promiscuous scenario. "That bitch better not be doing what I think she's doing…"
"So, he's not responding to you either. Was starting to think he was ignoring me on purpose 'cause I made him chase her down." He blew a smoke. "Still… Putting those two together in this large town was like setting free two blind dogs who don't know how to use their nose… I should have asked you to go with them."
"Damn right. For all we know, that bitch is sucking Greed off in some alleyway."
"Right…" Code replied boredly.
"You know it's true."
"Anyway, let's head back to the Den. If we run into the others on our way, we'll collect them. We're done with this place."
Code flicked his nearly absorbed cigarette bud, and instantly pulled out another as he leaped down from the pillar.
"Also," he said with his back facing Jo, who was still atop the frozen fountain. "Don't eat anything they sold you here. The meat they sold was human meat. Who knows what else they put in the rest of the food here…"
Jo made a disgusted face as she gagged on the candy she just gulped down.
"I'm sure the candy's fine."
Jo beat her chest, and relief struck her.
"Not that I would know…"
She gagged again, managing to spit it out and gripe at him.
The two then made their way to the next section of Pardem.
***
**Havoc and Brand's location**
The two Black Wolves bolted viciously through the crowd of Bloodtusks, paving a path all the way to Lucien, who stood tall and still as a statue as he watched his comrades get gracefully swept.
Havoc burst through a wall of earth, and Brand sped like a blur all the way to Lucien's face. But just as he had arrived.
Clap…
He and Havoc were back to the very spot they were when this all started.
As were the Bloodtusk grunts, who panted exhaustedly after meeting boot to ground once again—anticipating when the next time they'd be flying through the air from these two anomalies before them.
"No, no. This won't do," Lucien said with a scowl. "You've already tried charging at them. Can't you useless grunts come up with a better plan?"
A large Bloodtusk trailed sweat from the side of his head as he answered, "Lucien… They're much stronger than the average mage—"
"Right." Before the Bloodtusk could finish his sentence, Lucien clapped his hands twice, and the Bloodtusk choked, collapsing with a shuddering thud onto the ground.
The other Bloodtusks cowered as the biggest of them was done in by their commanding officer without him even having to lay a finger on him.
"Any other complaints? Say them now, and I will put you out of your misery. Go on!"
They all remained silent as he glowered at them sidelong.
"Then what the fuck are you standing around for? Kill those two dogs NOW!" He fixed himself. "Keeper, I'd much rather be the floor under Lady Evalyn's captivating, delightful feet… Ugh!"
The Bloodtusks hesitated, but eventually began charging at them once again.
"Uh-oh," Havoc said. "Looks like Mr. Foot Fetish is cutting the crop. I liked pummeling that big guy every restart… How many times has it been?"
"This would make it the fourth. And I mean, he did do us a favor," Brand replied.
"Yeah, but that big guy was worth a lot of points!"
"How much do you think that Earth magic user is worth?" Brand crooned as he craned his head back to where he was situated far back behind them.
"Twenty, maybe…"
"Also, I take it back. This guy is definitely weirder than the Captain when it comes to feet."
"Insolent!" Lucien shouted. "Are you two treating this like some game!?"
Havoc grew a wicked smile across his face as he met his eyes, his blind eye gleaming in the sun as he postured. "Well, you keep restarting us like there's some goal we haven't accomplished."
"The 'goal' is you—dead."
The crowd of Bloodtusks rushed them from all sides, and for a moment, it seemed time slowed.
Brand swiftly exited the scene, leaving Havoc alone about to be jumped.
They flew in, one after the other, but before they came, he transformed fully.
Havoc's skin thickened and turned gray. Horns burst through his head, and he became monstrous.
He thundered as he chanted ethereally,
"Primal Magic: Surging Uproar!"
His roar had gained physical form, like the hardening of air as each Bloodtusk that jumped him suspended for a moment before being blasted outwardly in all directions.
Right then, four earth walls shot out from the ground; each one larger than Havoc's Behemoth form. They began to shave, as if forming into something new.
When the walls had carved into their desired shape, four massive spikes floated in the air, ready to pierce into him.
"Earth Magic: Stone Execution—"
"Hey," Brand interrupted with a friendly wave of a hand.
The Earth mage gasped just as Brand jabbed him in the neck so quickly, it was hardly seen.
He passed out, but the spell was already engaged.
"Ah… it's one of those spells…"
The large spikes flew despite their caster having been taken out. Zooming and zipping through the air as they met Havoc who was dead center of it all.
"Scary…" Havoc's beastly ethereal voice mocked as the spikes rushed in like homing missiles.
He then began charging a ball of energy from his mouth, and just as the spikes were feet away from him, he chanted,
Primal Magic: Ecliptic Star Shatter!"
The ball of energy blasted ahead, bursting through one of the massive spikes, and continued on, engulfing a crowd of Bloodtusks that waited behind.
It was such a powerful blast that the other three spikes eradicated before even reaching him.
Then, the sound of that infamous clap filled the space again.
And everyone was back in their starting places.
However, because Havoc's Ecliptic Star Shatter was still in effect, it continued on another crowd that spawned after having been 'reset', decimating them upon entry.
The beam passed Lucien's left as he remained like it was merely the breeze.
When the beam petered out, he looked to his side, and found a group of his men completely wiped out.
He clicked his tongue. "Useless. All of you," he spoke, craning his head back to Havoc and Brand.
"That's five," Brand said, keeping track of the times they respawned.
"And we found out something useful about his magic ability," Havoc added.
Lucien glowered at them as he spoke, "What are you two dogs muttering about?"
"Three things," Brand said as he held out three fingers. "One. Your magic ability is either Reset or Respawn magic. I would guess that it's the latter. Two. You can't reset magic that is already engaged. So even if you clap mid cast, the spell continues regardless of the caster's position." Brand's blank screen of a face held white eyes that gave off an intimidating look that Lucien tried to match. "And three. You can control the condition of each of these bandits."
Lucien's brow twitched as the metal man spoke. It was like he had read him like a book.
"For instance. The past five times we respawned, there were bandits that we knew for sure we knocked out the first and/or second times, yet they kept arriving each time we reset. That large one on the ground," he gestured to the Bloodtusk Lucien removed from play earlier. "Havoc knocked him out cold the second round. But when he deemed no longer useful to you, you disengaged your spell on him. Thus, he collapsed instantaneously upon release."
His eyes darted to the Earth mage behind them; he looked dazed, but still able.
Brand went on. "Case example. I knocked him out just this last round. Yet he stands."
Lucien clenched his slender fists and shouted, "So what, you figured it out. But that won't help you. Because unlike my men, I don't have any condition in place for you. Your tiredness follows. You will repeat this same instance over and over again until you fall!"
Havoc's beastly eyes glared at him. "You just don't get it, do you?" he spoke like a declaration. "We're fucking gamers, bro. And we're experts at Black Souls."
"What the fuck does that mean!?"
Havoc and Brand rushed again like before. Havoc charging the crowd, and Brand disappearing.
Havoc pushed through the crowd, mimicking movements from earlier rounds, and mixing them into one knew pathway as they bolted down a herded trail all the way toward Lucien.
He let loose a flamethrower as he ran, burning Bloodtusks at his wake.
From behind, the Earth mage clasped his hands into a sign, creating walls all around him, anticipating Brand's arrival. He then made another hand sign and chanted,
"Earth Magic: Thorn Pillar Cataclysm!"
Below Havoc's monstrous feet, stone pillars entrapped him, bursting through groups of Bloodtusks unforgivingly just to get to him.
While he was trapped in the stone pile, other Bloodtusks began leaping over him, some casting magic to further enhance the bind.
"Good," Lucien said, happy with what he was seeing his grunts achieve, only feet behind as he whipped out a retractable black spear from his sleeve.
He walked over to Havoc, his Behemoth head pinned to the ground.
"See. This is an ending I can approve."
Lucien raised the spear, ready to skewer Havoc with it.
And then from behind.
"Hey," Brand said with a pleasant wave.
Lucien was quick to react, as he whipped his head and clapped his hands, respawning everyone yet again.
The Bloodtusks panted as they took a moment to assess. As did Lucien, who panted like he had escaped a deathly encounter.
I thought he was going to go for my Earth mage like before, but he skipped him and came to me instead… he thought as he studied Brand standing stupidly from his starting position. Not sure what it is with that one,But his presence… gives me the fucking chills.
"Looks like we'll have to try this one last time," Lucien said, false confidence exuding from him.
"I agree," Brand said as Havoc charged another beam, this time, pointed directly at Lucien.
"Fools." He positioned his hands to ready a clap. Though, his movements had felt heavier than before… "From that distance, you'll never reach me! I'll just restart. There's one thing you didn't deduce about my magic. And that's that I can respawn myself anywhere I choose on the battlefield!"
He clapped his hands, and restarted. This time, switching himself with Brand.
"And I can do so… by trading places with anyone within this space!" Lucien shrilled when he respawned, holding a black spear already mid thrust onto Havoc.
But while he was doing so, Havoc had turned to face him with the blast ready to unleash in his face, instantaneously.
Wait… What? Lucien's mind shuddered. How did he turn so quickly? He shouldn't have known I was here!
"Ah, sorry…" Brand spoke from Lucien's previous spot across. "You see, my magic is Haste. I can control the speed of whatever I touch, including myself. Two rounds ago, I had patted your back, slowing your movements. And the previous round, I patted Havoc's back, enhancing his. I had a feeling you could do more with your magic, and my suspicions hit the mark when you said you could respawn anywhere on the battlefield. You were speaking so slowly, it gave us enough time to prepare. So I made a bet with Havoc. Twenty eterna, you have to switch with any one of us to change your position. And another twenty if you'd switch with me and respawn next to Havoc to finish the job."
Lucien's eyes twitched as he continued his motion, but he was moving so slowly, he couldn't react in time.
"If it makes you feel better, I bet that you would go for the glorious outcome rather than run away. So congratulations. You're not a coward."
"Primal Magic—"
"But you still lost."
Havoc's beam unleashed, and Lucien watched as he could do nothing. Nothing but receive it.
"Don't be too down about it. We play Black Souls on God Run 3."
"Ecliptic Star Shatter!"
The beam shrouded Lucien as he held his hands out in a slow, futile effort, yelling to his demise as Havoc's beam burst across town.
When the blast settled, all that was left in its cindered wake was Lucien—still alive—but fried like dragonbull meat.
He collapsed to the ground, and when he did, his magic across the plaza disengaged, releasing the rest of the Bloodtusks, and causing them all to faint at the same time.
From the unconscious mass of Bloodtusks that gathered to end them, only they were the left standing amid it all.
"Man, that last line was fire, bro!" Havoc crooned as he returned to his human form.
"You see? I can be gasoline when needed."
"That's not the word… But I forgive you."
They met each other and began walking off in silence for a moment.
"By the way," Havoc spoke. "Why didn't you just slime that guy when you snuck up behind him two rounds ago?"
"Because I wanted to make a bet," Brand replied. "Speaking of… You owe me forty eterna."
"Fuckin' hustler. You really aren't an idiot, huh?"
"OF COURSE I'M NOT A FUCKING IDIOT!"
Havoc chuckled and said, "Calm your robo titties, bro. Here's your reward." He handed him the twenty. "Black Souls when we get back?"
"Very down."
"Cool."
They walked in silence for another moment.
"Bet you twenty eterna I can clear King Unnamed ten seconds earlier than you."
"You fucking—"
"And another twenty if I do it with my eye closed!"
"You just want your forty eterna back!"
"All yours if you beat me."
Brand groaned. "Fine. You're on."
**Greed's location**
The reflection of the blue skies and calm, tossing clouds reflected off his dark eyes. The zephyr felt refreshing to the skin as it fluttered the grassy hill he stood atop.
Below his view, the fields grazed peacefully, like a quiet enigma.
The way it all was had reminded him of a time, not so long ago, when he would always lose himself there, hoping to find an answer to questions he didn't know he was asking.
Who was I? And where did I come from?
Then a familiar voice echoed.
Find me.
He closed his eyes, and thought of her face.
Gone were the days of ambiguity. Of unknown regret.
Here were the times of rest, and close relationships.
But even after receiving everything, the cost to get it lied in his future.
Though he had gained the memory of his past and Belle. He lost three of his closest friends.
I will never forget your sacrifice, he thought. Rex. Snow. Zeno. When I look at the sky now, it won't be out of wonder. It will be out of rest.
He lowered his head and let the calm breeze flutter his hair and clothes. His silver cross earrings chimed in the wind.
Thank you.
He smiled to himself.
And then a woman's voice shot in, like it had at last found him.
"Hey, you! Foolish captain!" she spoke. "Are you spacing out right now?"
Oh, how similar this moment felt to him from that time atop the skyscraper in LeHarla.
Though… the situation was very different.
Then next to her, a shorter man stood, bald and with an exaggerated mustache, round glasses that reflected off the sun. "Looks like he is, Melina," he said. "You think he is praying for a way to escape?"
"I think he is a lost puppy who needs to be put down, Edison."
"Aye," he replied, twirling his mustache. "Then shall we begin?"
When Greed opened his eyes, his face was serene like being here had given him an unknown peace he had been searching for.
"Edison, was it?" he asked easily.
"What of it, boy? You going to beg? I'm afraid we're past that pleasantry."
"What is this place called?"
"Huh?" Melina spouted incredulously.
"Hmm, seems you've got an eye for beauty. Very well. I will tell you—not that knowing will help you in any way. Once you step foot in my Dimensional Territory, the rules are set. And you can blame your birth for that." He went on. "This is a place spawned by my very own Sanctuary magic, called Heretic's Garden."
"I see" was all Greed said before adding, "This place… is quite nice."
They were extremely simple words, but Edison gasped like he had been given an unexpected compliment.
Simple words. Heavy meaning.
"What is it, Edison?" Melina asked.
"N-Nothing." He fixed his posture, continuing to stroke his mustache. "Let's get this over with quickly…"
"That's more like it," Melina crooned as her black hair rose from the aura she emitted.
She then formed a hand sign and chanted,
"Shield Magic: Lawbreaker Knight!"
All over her body, gold and blue shields began to cling onto her from the ethers as she underwent some sort of transformation.
"My magic lets me summon shields. That's it," Melina said as her shields began to shift into armor, latching all over her. "Not a very flashy ability, but in Edison's domain, it becomes something more… dangerous!"
Edison's Sanctuary magic was an Alternate Space Creation type that lets him summon a field where common/normal abilities become irregularities, and uncommon/irregular abilities become unstable. Depending on who he takes within his domain, he can switch between two traits—Anomaly or Disorder. If he takes an enemy in this space, Disorder is granted, making their magic uncontrollable, thus hindering themselves. And if it's an ally, Anomaly is granted, enhancing their magic tenfold, beyond their normal capabilities.
What is considered common or normal magic, consists of anything within a subtype category that doesn't go beyond its average attributes. For example, any Elemental, Primal, Manipulation, or Anatomy magics at the surface level. Like Ryo's, Star's, or Jo's magics. What is considered uncommon or irregular—Alternate Space, Elemental/Primal Summoning, Condition, Chaos magics, etc. Like Code's, Alice's, Raeyn's, or Zeno's magics.
And what determines this was the depth of the user's ability.
Even common/normal abilities like Havoc's or Ophelia's were included in this classification due to their more refined attributes.
This was the reason Melina was his partner.
Because her magic ability was so simple, Anomaly was granted to her without any excess cost. Had her ability been something more complicated, even if Anomaly were granted, its effects would only skyrocket to realms of unpredictability. And that was something Edison couldn't afford to risk within his domain.
When Melina had completed her transformation, she was clad head to toe in Shield Armor, floating above the grassy fields.
She outstretched her hand, and a greatsword emerged, larger and heavier than herself, yet she wielded it effortlessly.
"This. Is your end!" she bellowed as she dove toward Greed.
She flew in, crashing her greatsword at him, causing a massive shockwave over the hill he was on.
He leaped into the air above the smoke, but she met him there with another strike.
He crossed his arms and blocked it, but the force sent him further upward, where a massive shield the size of an airship appeared to wedge him.
Greed recoiled from the unexpected crash as Melina burst toward him like a jet, slashing him on the side where he was met with another massive shield, interrupting his sudden flight.
She cackled as she flew through the sky, repeating the motion. Strike to shield. Shield to strike. On and on, like a performance in the sky.
Greed flew. Shadows over his eyes as he crashed into another giant shield. But instead of Melina there to strike him, another shield appeared. Then another. And another, until he was boxed in.
Below, Edison was positioned with flexed hands in his direction, having casted them.
In his domain, Edison can also use the magic abilities of every person he chooses to allow in this space—after they had used them first. And he can use them to the extent of their Anomaly granting.
So in this moment, Greed was basically fighting two supercharged Shield magic users.
Greed rose amid the massive floating box shield. Swaying to a stand as he looked upward.
Beams charged from the center of each, glowing like small suns.
Then from below, Edison chanted,
"Shield Magic: Heaven's Light!"
The box illuminated as the sound of a devastating pulse ruptured these calm plains, shifting the grass to and fro.
Smoke followed soon after, shrouding the giant box in the sky gray in contrast to the blue above.
Melina orbited nearby amidst the clouds, witnessing it all, laughing chaotically at his demise.
"Overkill," she said in a manifested earpiece from her helm.
"Seems like it…" Edison said, almost saddened.
"That was way too easy. If this was that horned girl's captain, then Sir Velm will eat her alive. Did this fool have any magic at all?"
Edison said as he studied the gray box. "Not sure… I was told he only had low mana. Meaning once Disorder had been cast on him upon entry, he would have been rendered magicless. However…" He observed more intently, stroking his mustache to a curve. "I didn't see any magic to wield… Was this boy a magicless mage?"
"A magicless captain? Ha! That's impossible. The fact that he was a captain at all with such low mana, baffles me. The Valley must have just as low standards as their quality of mages."
Edison didn't respond.
There was something not adding up.
I see… It's very nice.
"Very odd…"
"What is?"
Suddenly the top of the box exploded, seeping smoke from its lid.
Both Edison and Melina gasped, eyes widening from the abrupt occurrence.
Then from the smoke, a silhouette formed, stepping—walking in the air as if on unseen land.
And there he was.
Standing in the sky like some deity.
"Impossible!" Edison uttered.
Melina's eyes shuddered as she witnessed him. There was something different about his presence now.
Without a second thought, she bolted, flying toward him with another swing from her greatsword. And before it struck, she enhanced it, growing to the size of a small building upon impact.
Greed did not move. He didn't even react when it came.
For once it struck him, it shattered into thousands of pieces; heavy gold and blue armor glittering around them now.
Huh!?
Greed grabbed a falling piece, and casually tossed it in Melina's direction.
The piece shot like a cannon as it stabbed her in the shoulder, managing to pierce through her heavy armor.
What!?
She grunted as she retreated.
Greed followed suit, bursting through the air like he had propelled off it.
They flew like synchronized jets, intertwining paths as if they were dancing comets.
"It's as I feared…" Edison shuddered from below. "It was never low mana…"
He watched as Melina struggled to lose him above. They were in their last strides as Greed, at last, reached a hand out to her as if to take her to the Keeper personally.
"Edison! What the hell are you doing!? Help me!"
Edison hesitated, but then threw his arms up, sending an army of flying shields up to the sky as Melina and Greed headed down.
When the shields hit Melina, they became part of her, reconstructing and layering over her already heavy Shield Armor. And when they rained upward at Greed, they crashed and flew off him, like his skin was ever harder.
The pieces that flew past, formed a larger shield from behind. And from below, Melina constructed the same size shield, trapping Greed between two giant forces.
"Shield Magic: Goliath's Force!"
The shields clanged, and their auras burst, crushing anything between with their own gravity; miscellaneous shields crumpled like cans upon passing.
But still he remained.
His aura alone formed dents on both sides of the massive shields, and from Melina's side, she watched in horror as everything she had thrown at this man, had done absolutely nothing.
Greed's eyes became white. An unbeknownst smile etched across his face.
He reeled in his fist and charged a strike.
"It was no mana…" Edison said like a whisper to himself.
Though Edison's Sanctuary magic depicted outcomes for other's magic abilities, there was one gray area. For when a mage with no mana enters his domain, because there was nothing to enhance or hinder, all that was left was the user's affinity, temporarily granting them access to Tantra.
Once this was done, normally, they would be able to reject his domain, but because he had managed to catch Greed off guard, that logic was bypassed.
However, because Greed's affinity for Tantra was already maxed out upon entry, the system collapsed.
And because Greed had continued to allow Edison's domain to stand, it affected something else rather than magic or affinity.
It affected his state of mind.
Thus, Heretic's Garden had effectively unlocked a third trait among Anomaly and Disorder. And it was Omnipotence.
In Edison's domain, Greed had become something the system could no longer classify.
Some would call this state godhood.
At last, Edison completed his analysis.
"This was a mistake," he deduced, recalling his plea to their leader Velm to capture the Black Wolves Captain. "We should have never been so careless…"
Greed finally unleashed his strike, forcing the two shields to shatter upon mere release.
Gravity obeyed him as it burst out, following his fist.
His punch caused a shockwave that surged through, cracking the air just as it met Melina below. When it struck her, it was as if she had been hit by a mountain. Knocking her out immediately upon impact.
She flew down like a meteor on a direct path to Edison.
And he prayed.
"By the grace of the Keeper. I ask for forgiveness. For I have witnessed your wrath firsthand."
When Melina met with Edison, there was a silent eruption upon these peaceful fields.
From the blast, a tear through space had opened—the exit to the real world.
The tear grew as Heretic's Garden began to collapse, freeing them all.
Greed:
When my eyes blurred back to reality, I found myself standing atop rubble, and was at the edge of town.
I had remembered the sensation I felt from Edison's domain, and desperately tried to hold on to it.
Whatever that feeling was. It had given me a sense of peace that I didn't know I had.
So strange.
That I'd find accidental enlightenment from a random enemy.
The feeling disappeared sooner than I had hoped. I stood there pondering. Trying to remember.
But it left. Gone like it never existed.
Like a dream you thought you could remember when you awoke, but faded soon after.
I noticed Edison and Melina within the rubble, bleeding, but alive. Unconscious.
When I passed them, I glanced sidelong to Edison a foot away from my boot, and said, "If you're lucky enough to make it out of this. Stay alive. Maybe one day, I'll come find you again… when I'm not so busy."
I walked off toward a massive, circus-looking tent in the distance. The only thing between me and it were patches of grass and earth.
"Something tells me, I'll find my Choco Bar enthusiast there…" I said as I stepped foot outside of town from an obliterated wall.
Behind me, almost a quarter of Pardem lay eradicated.