Part 2

Nothing.

Black

(What is this?)

How much time has passed?

He couldn’t tell.

Empty.

He could see nothing in front of or around him.

Nothing.

The pitch-black void of nothing.

That is what he was glazing at, or was he?

He couldn’t perceive anything or tell if his eyes were open or not; if they were, it was no use to him.

There was no sound in this void.

Black.

Empty.

Nothing.

(Is this black hell where I die?)

Black.

(Would death be better than this?)

Empty.

(Would I be able to feel anything in death? If so, then I welcome death.)

Nothing.

(After everything I've done to get to this point.)

Black.

(This is how it ends.)

Empty.

(Everything.)

Black.

Empty.

(What if we really are so doomed that everything we have done so far, including myself, was for nothing?)

(Are you sure I’m right for this power?)

Nothing.

(You were chosen to wield this power because kings and rulers do not understand the simple concept of what it is to struggle. Despite the influence they have, they would not be able to save us and ultimately lead us to a world much better than this.)

A small orb of white appeared in the black void.

(That is why you were chosen. I truly believe those who experience the cruel nature of the world know how to deal with that same nature. Our pain makes us who we are. Someone who lost what they would consider important to them would do everything to not suffer that same fate again.)

The white orb began to grow larger.

(I know this seems like a huge responsibility to you given the circumstances.)

Something was now blocking the white orb.

(What is that?)

The object started to grow brighter in the black void.

The bright light was starting to reveal his body.

Sight.

He was able to see his body.

Nereus noticed that his right arm was reaching for the orb.

(Is this his or mine?)

There was no sound in this void.

(This is from me.)

Nereus closed his fingers around the object and shuddered when he felt it.

He could feel the object.

Touch.

It was his soul.

The white orb in his hand began to vibrate violently in his hands.

(So, will you take this power?)

He opened his mouth.

He could see that the orb was changing shape.

There was a faint noise that was audible to his ears that sounded like yelling.

It was his voice.

The white orb faded out in the void, disappearing into his hand.

Nothing.

"For last words, that was pathetic for a man of your caliber. There seem to be a few of your rats scuttering about; it's best to deal with them now before this situation gets out of hand."

A voice.

He heard it.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Raziel.

A small flame-like flame appeared in his hand, spreading out in the area.

(No.)

"It would seem that you made a huge miscalculation on your part."

Nereus tightly gripped the object as small, white cracks started to form around him.

Everything was now white.

"I WILL NOT FALL HERE!!!" Nereus shouted out.

______________________________________________________

There was a heavy dripping sound as blood poured onto the floor.

"You are trying to understand."

The sound of the black sphere crashing on the floor broke out in the room.

"In the black void, how did he manage to escape? What is this power he is now using? How do I beat him now? I’m pretty sure those are the questions going through that little brain of yours."

Raziel, clutching the open wound in his chest, smirked.

"Your soul, I see, while an unexpected turn of events, do not think that you have an easy path to victory yourself with my staff is still active."

Nereus smirked.

"Anyone can wield what they call an ultimate weapon, but what matters is the resolve behind said weapon, and that is where our thought processes differ, but you won’t have the luxury of understanding."

Nereus pulled the white sword out of the ground.

"From this moment on, anything and everything will be a mystery to you as this battle comes to a close."

Nereus dashed toward Raziel and swung the white sword, causing Raziel to remove his hand from his chest and swing his staff.

A huge shockwave broke out as both their weapons clashed.

Nereus stared at the open wound on his chest.

"With a wound like that, one would assume you would make a more valiant effort to end this battle, unless there is some part of you that believes you can escape me or..."

Nereus pushed his open hand outward.

As he held it open, a white sword began to form. He closed his hand, gripping the sword.

"…. Or win"

Nereus swung the new blade towards his neck, forcing him to disappear in a mass of white light. The sword slashed the open air as Nereus eyes began darting across the room, trying to find the man.

Suddenly, a small ball of white light appeared on the other side of the room. Nereus eyes darted to that location.

(That is where he will reappear.)

Without a second thought, he leaped towards the white sphere and brought his sword down, cutting the sphere in half.

And then nothing happened.

The two halves of the spear broke apart in the air.

There was silence in the room.

(He didn’t reappear.)

There was a long pause.

Suddenly, he jerked his head to the right as a white staff blew past his head. Nereus spun around, dragging the white sword to the ground with his right hand.

He lifted the sword upward to collide with the staff that was being brought downward upon him.

Another shockwave sounded in the room, followed by a glass-shattering noise.

Both men looked at each other.

Nereus was still holding his weapon. Without looking at his sword, he knew it would be in one piece, and if it didn’t shatter, then-

Raziel stared at his broken staff, then felt gut-wrenching pain. Not the feeling of losing his weapon, but-

He looked down to see that Nereus had stabbed him in the stomach with his second sword. Raziel watched as blood poured on the floor.

Nereus kicked him off his blade, causing him to be pushed several feet across the floor. He watched as the founder began to pick himself up.

He began methodically walking toward Raziel as he was crouched down on the floor, both white swords in his hands.

The sound of heavy breathing filled the room, coming from Raziel as he was clutching his chest, blood seeping through his palm.

He glanced over at the staff handle that he held in his hand.

"Two major stab wounds, and your ultimate staff, a weapon you spent your life and research in this city to build only for it to shatter against a weapon wielded by someone prepared to lead the new world."

Raziel stood up.

"More tricks

"Not tricks; a change of plan."

Nereus smirked.

"With that broken mess of a weapon,"

Raziel grinned.

"Broken" Raziel grinned. "The fact that you are saying that means you forgot what my staff created."

Nereus eyes widen, and he turns back to the tree.

Several of the branches began to converge on the man.

With a quick flurry of slashes, he cut the branches approaching him. As he was doing so, he felt something wrap around his right ankle.

He looked down and saw one of the roots wrapped around it. Nereus quickly cut the root. The branches began to spiral around him to form a cylinder wall that towered over him, trapping him inside.

"What is this?" Nereus said as he looked up to see the top of the cage closing.

"A cage," Raziel replied calmly.

"After I got out of your last prison void, are you really going to try this same method again?"

"If it were just you, it would be one thing, but you are not the only thing I plan on trapping inside."

A red magic sigil appeared under Nereus feet. The smell of ash and fire hit his nose. Small embers began floating in the air inside the cylinder of branches.

"Another convoluted plan of yours; you know I won’t let you complete that, right?"

"I like your bravado, but that is no longer up to you to decide."

"No, you do not understand; I won’t let you complete that spell, not when my weapon is still in play."

Suddenly, white spikes emerged from Raziel's body, causing blood to spurt in the air.

"What is this?" Raziel said as he touched one of the spikes that poked out of his chest.

(From the inside, but how?)

The white tree began breaking apart, its roots and branches flaking into the wind.

Nereus stabbed the ground in front of him with the sword in his right hand and placed his hand on the white log before him.

"When I pierced you with my sword earlier and it disappeared, even you must have wondered about that small fact."

The cylinder-shaped wooden cage began to break apart, with Nereus stepping out, his foot slamming into the ground, and walking out with both swords in his hands.

"In short, that original sword is inside you, and you are immobilizing your movement."

More, longer spikes emerged from his body.

"Right now, your body is being destroyed from the inside. There is no other way to avoid this. In your so-called infinite possibilities, not even you can calculate for something you have no knowledge of."

There was silence in the room, followed by a small chuckle from Raziel.

"I can’t calculate for something I have no knowledge of," Raziel repeated Nereus words.

The two white swords began to break apart in his hands, and he began walking up to the man, who was kneeling and staring on the floor.

Raziel raised his head, looking at Nereus, with blood coming out of his eyes, nose, and mouth, staining his white shirt."

The man loomed over him.

"If you think I haven’t planned for the unknown, then you are sadly mistaken. My plans are beyond anyone's understanding. Those very plans don’t end at my death."

Raziel paused.

"You won’t succeed in your plan no matter what you do now."

Nereus smirked.

"I’m sorry, that is no longer for you to decide."

Raziel did not have time to react as more spikes emerged from his body, ripping it apart. Blood and viscera splattered the white walls as the founder's body exploded.

There was a long silence.

Nereus sighed as he stared at the ground where the founder's body once was, which was nothing more than a puddle of blood on the floor.

Raziel, the founder of NEO New York City, was dead.

Nothing.

"If you are standing here before me, then I assume you have found the girl."

His voice echoed throughout the large room.

Nereus turned his head to see a lone armor suit kneeling on the ground.

Without turning his head, Nereus lifted his arm up and blew a large hole in the white wall open to the outside world.

A slight breeze began to pick up in the room.

"Very well, show the way."

The knight held up his palm, and a blue holographic map of the city showed up.

As he stared at the map, he noticed a small red dot blinking on the map.

"A hospital, no problem. Tell the others to converge on this place; this building will be our base for our new world."

The map disappeared as the knight lowered its arm.

"Now that the ruler of this city is deceased, I will take his place."

Nereus began walking to the hole in the wall.

"I’m going after the girl to solidify my rule."

Nereus began walking toward the hole in the.

Nereus exhaled as he stepped into the outside world.

NEO New York City.

Nereus looked at various skyscrapers.

After being in that building and the black void, it was like a new feeling for him as the breeze hit him.

Energy began to surround the boots on his feet.

He placed one foot on the ledge of the building. Using the ledge as a pivot point, he jumped into the sky, the wind ripping across his body.

(To the new world.)