Rupture, Fissures
It was the 34th year, 5th month, 3rd week, and 1st day since the new Change. The coalition finally prepared and communicated with the Interchanging Dust Dynasty outside the Dimension. A time and location were given, with everything remaining in the other side's hands as the army waited and the soldier units were on guard. News about the enemy tailing them and forming a small group to assault them spread, letting everyone know they weren't completely safe, even now.
Heian Ciemnosc was in position somewhere at the rear of the arm, to the left. He and the Team supervised one angle from the army as everyone waited. Not all soldier units were put together in case the enemy attacked and found everyone packed together, ready to become nothingness. As they waited, silence permeated the area, with tens of millions of cultivators lightly meditating to pass the time.
The other leading elite Teams did the same and were quite far away from each other. They stood at the army’s perimeter, looking for any possible outcome, even spies. Nothing could be discarded. However, so far, it looked like their coalition had no fault.
“It seems we’re about to leave,” Beto talked to the Team. Heian Ciemnosc opened his darkest eyes and looked at him. So did the rest. Beto continued. “They’ll open a tunnel, like a torrent or a Sub Space. Be ready to move. We’re guarding them. There’ll be 3 different tunnels, and the Dynasty’s commanding officer will leave with the Interchanging Dust Dynasty. They’ll be first.”
“You convinced them?” Moy looked at Beto and asked, curious. Beto tsked, looking at his younger brother, and reassured the Team. “Of course I did! There’s no reason I’ll let such an opportunity pass. We can’t lose the Celestial’s favor. So far, with a little someone’s help, many of them survived through the war and up until today. Don’t you think it would be catastrophic if we lose them now?”
“Mn,” Clanton nodded, and the others followed suit. Moy blushed a little, but Sandra was there to hug his neck and pull him to her bountiful chest to comfort him. Heian Ciemnosc stood up from his cross-legged sitting position on the grass, helped Cara up and walked with the Team as Beto nodded towards them.
Walking through the army, 15 minutes later, they arrived at the front, where Riquel and the other leading elite Teams had already arrived. There were a few other elite Teams around, with some of them already in position to guard the tunnels with them. Heian Ciemnosc analyzed them with an expressionless face before focusing on the leading figures. He was still just an Auxiliary Soldier.
“You know. Once Beto becomes a Third Step Soldier, we’ll be promoted, too? Even with your cultivation base, you might become a Soldier! One of the few in the Second Step. But you’ll definitely win a spot in the Frigate’s crew personnel, not just another soldier unit in a Team within it. You can climb up the ladder now.” Ruo Wei whispered in Heian Ciemnosc’s left ear. She closed in on him, and Heian Ciemnosc could hear her smile forming.
“I hope so,” Heian Ciemnosc said, lowering his head and shaking it. “I can’t afford to disappoint some people. And I’m not sure if others will see me as well as you guys do.”
“Aww, come on~!” Cara walked over with the rest of the Team behind her and hugged Heian Ciemnosc’s neck effeminately. “You know it’s nothing like that. At least not with uuus~. That past was left behind, alright? The outside world isn’t so bad. Right? Tell him, Wei Wei. I can’t comfort him anymore.”
Cara looked at Ruo Wei, and the latter shook her head with her eyes closed at how things have changed because of Heian Ciemnosc and since he arrived. She looked up at Heian Ciemnosc and said, “Cara’s right. You can’t keep thinking of everyone else like that. There’s just strict rules, not awful tendencies.”
“Mn, no. That I know,” Heian Ciemnosc said. “I just appreciate a slow start. Even if I end up doing crazy things afterwards.”
“Mn, that sounds like you. Come on, Riquel wants to bid me farewell, and I won’t be with him until this is over. Buh bye!” Cara said, letting go of Heian Ciemnosc after pecking his cheek with closed eyes before rushing towards Riquel, whereas the leading figures had finally separated and walked towards their respective Teams.
“Okay, let’s go. This one’s ours,” Beto said. He looked at the Team, who seemed to have gotten Heian Ciemnosc in a spot before he arrived. Beto smiled and questioned the bunch, “Huh? What is it now? What’s up? Did anyone bully our new star? Or did he try flirting with my girl?”
“What girl?!” Ruo Wei questioned loudly at the side. She bared her vewy angrwy face at Beto and demanded an explanation, looking terribly cute and infuriated. Beto and the Team ignored her, lest she turned into a tigress, and Beto said while looking at Heian Ciemnosc. “Today’s gonna be a fortuitous day. I can’t believe we’re about to finish our part of the deal with a Fourth Step organization leader-”
Ruuuuuuuuuuumbleee~~... Beto’s words were cut off. Suddenly, the ground started shaking really bad. It was like an earthquake at the level it would leave cultivators helpless, something civilians would be dizzy in the first second. Beto looked back, and the leading elite Teams looked at each other, but all of them had the same expression. This wasn’t the portals… this wasn’t them!
“Beto, senior apprentice brothers, this isn’t ours… We need haste!” The heavenly leading figure shouted. Meanwhile, the troops started discerning the situation and realized it wasn’t like before. There were no such tremors before, and they could sense a distinctive force coming towards them.
“We need to move everyone inside. Now! Sir, you have to go first. Go! The coalition won’t move unless we are behind you!” Beto shouted back at the heavenly leading figure, who felt helpless. Just as the shaking intensified, and everyone could feel their feet moving as if the underground was bloating despite the ground level not changing a bit. 3 tiny, blinding, golden flashes were formed on their backs.
Tshing! Tshing! Tshing! Laaaaaaaaaaaaa~!!!
“Go! Get inside! Take the tunnels!!” The heavenly leading figure shouted, his eyes widening as he saw those things glow and expand like vortexes but calmly and without lifting even a speck of dust. The army was in an immediate uproar. They faced the flashes’ and prepared to rush into it, but while they were in a hurry and afraid, they weren’t acting on it.
Pshiiiiiiiiiinnnnnggg~~~-... TUM!!!
“Go! Gooo! Gooo!!! Follow me!” Waiting until the Interchanging Dust Dynasty’s leading figure led the other heavenly people from the Dynasty into the tunnels. The remaining leading elite Teams and elite Teams didn’t budge a muscle as hundreds of thousands of their heavenly folk rushed into the tunnels, forming array formations around them so they wouldn’t be reached by any attacks so freely.
Whoosh!! Whoosh!! Whooosh!!...
The Interchanging Dust Dynasty cultivators swarmed into the tunnels, leaving the Dimension before anyone else, but the leading elite Teams were still wearing preoccupied expressions. When they finally crossed to the other side, and the last few shouted in gratitude, Beto, Yun Tang, and Riquel shouted in unison to motion to the army. “Get inside already!!” - “Get back to space! Now!” - “Everyone!! Move!”
WHOOOSH! WHOOOOOSH! WHOOOOOOOSH!...
Thus, in a semi-orderly fashion, with millions of soldier units leaving at once, the tunnels were flocked with several soldier units. They flew into the tunnels in groups, entering and traversing it with others at the same height and similar distance. Like this, a severe number of soldier units escaped the quaking ground, which started cracking open.
It had to be known that for a Dimension to show such forced, unnatural destruction, it had to be something serious. Something that’ll make any Upper Kingdom collapse if hit against it. If the ground was cracking open, and the tremors came from deeper below, the situation had to be nefarious.
“... Come on! That’s it! Just a few hundred thousand more…” After several minutes, with the leading elite Teams barely holding their ground together, and most of the elite Teams having accompanied the Interchanging Dust Dynasty to protect them, just in case. A situation unfolded that put everyone in hell-bent tension.
“Spatial jump!” Heian Ciemnosc shouted. His darkest eyes widened, but its contents shrank. The Team barely had any time to react. Ruo Wei, Loma, Moy, Sandra, Clanton, and Cara were at the farthest back, with Beto and Heian Ciemnosc ahead of them. But when Heian Ciemnosc shouted, and as they half-turned their heads, a violet flash popped from nowhere with the scent of hundreds of high-quality talismans even Godly beings would want for emergencies.
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The next thing they saw, fully finishing the turning of their heads, was the sight of an SC Fighter suddenly materializing before them. It flashed with too much unstable violet smoke. It could be seen how detrimental it became for the Fighter in question, as cracks appeared everywhere, and the glass broke down instantaneously. It became tiny dots that hit against 3 people, a young boy, and 2 young women.
VAYIUUUUMVVVP~~!!
“!!” When the Team realized what, how, and who, the SC Fighter exploded with Neutral Energy as the 2 young women rushed out of it, flew to the sides, and the mere inertia of the SC Fighter’s spatial jump power blasted the Team backwards, forcing them into the portal. Beto reacted in time and was already half a step into the Third Step. Heian Ciemnosc had recuperated long ago and was resupplied with female companions, so his bodily strength was enough to keep him steady. Yet, his dark Neutral Energy was instantly circulated, and it protected his body from the blast and flew backwards.
But it wasn’t the same for the rest. They were sent into the portal forcefully and immediately felt an attraction that wouldn’t let them return to the Dimension’s space, no matter how forceful they were. Meanwhile, the 2 young women caught Beto’s shoulders, widening his eyes as his pupils constricted to a dot. He was visibly shaken!
“Hahaha!” The SC Fighter halted its movement, its reality broken by the forceful jump. But it wasn’t just it that was afflicted. The young women bled from their 7 orifices, albeit not that much. Their pores also bled, and their clothes tore apart in some places. Meanwhile, the laughing Chosen Ezquivel had a bloody face, his lower lip parted into 2, and his body had several wide, long wounds.
“!” Heian Ciemnosc Spirit Sense warned him intensely. He focused his darkest eyes on Ezquivel and sent a dark Soul attack!
All-Devastating!
Shuaahuaaa~! “AH!!” Ezquivel saw that pale face tormenting his peaceful moments since that ‘fateful’ day. After experiencing half the complete black monster pack, Ezquivel was terrified of anything Heian Ciemnosc was capable of. Thus, when he suddenly felt like a Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes sent an indiscernible beam of pure darkness from between his eyes, below his glabella, towards him in a rapid arch, Ezquivel paled and screamed. He was vulnerable!
Tinnnnggk~~~~~!
“?!” However, when Heian Ciemnosc was just about to bring his Myriad Darkness Materialization out… he became stupefied. Just as Ezquivel saw darkest eyes look into his Soul, and the latter trembled, with everything else darkening. But nothing could be darker than those eyes… Everything went away!
“... huff! Huff! Fuff~!” Ezquivel’s brain clicked, and he brought his right hand into his bloody collarbone, beneath his clothes, and took a medallion out. He grinned greatly while staring at Heian Ciemnosc, fearless, and laughingly spoke. “Hahahghgahgaghahgaaa! You didn’t expect this, huh?! What you think this is?! It’s a Relic!!”
“!...” Heian Ciemnosc’s already stupefied face dropped when he heard those words… So many teleportation talismans and a Relic… who the hell would bring these many objects to a single inheritor? And when their nature was this unreliable?! Even if Heian Ciemnosc wanted to feel like the world he didn’t know before was different from the Sinvonnia Kingdom… he couldn’t trust every part of the world would be like that… He can’t trust these peoples!
The medallion wasn’t an organization model. It was hung to Ezquivel’s neck and was nearly ¾ his head. It had a semi-heart-shaped appearance and was a mix of brownish bronze and golden colors. It had no lock but a crystal akin to a window in the middle with the shape of a precious stone, a gem. But there was only glass, and what was inside…
“Hahaha, let me show you!!” Ezquivel’s voice turned vehemently venomous. His forehead wrinkled as his eyebrows knitted, and his eyes were filled with hatred. The medallion glinted, and Heian Ciemnosc felt like his body trembled intensely stupidly. From within, it felt as if a calling was made to him. His Spirit Sense told him it wasn’t just him. Beto, the young women, his teammates at the tunnel, and nearby soldier units to their rear and front did so, too.
“Activate, Small Piece Sigil of Darkness! Haha, open!!”
BBFWWUUUOOOSHHNNNGG~~~~~~...
Dark smoke exited the tiny glass at the center. Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes relaxed, but the others became immensely alarmed! Riquel towards Beto’s Team, but he couldn’t move away, as enemy Fighters rushed towards them from the sky. What’s more, seeing the dark smoke as Darkness element smears over the air and blocks the way to the tunnels, the remaining several tens of thousands turned around and flew into the skies!
Pushuong! Creeeeekkksshhhh~!!
“!!” - “!!!” Beto’s eyes widened. One of his Covert Space bags was suddenly lifted, and before he could do anything, an item came out of it. It was the Motherblood Expiritus!! The Team’s complexions worsened, and they wanted to rush back into the Dimension more now than ever! But only Heian Ciemnosc there could help, as he, too, was stunned. Beto’s Covert Space bag proceeded to be torn apart by the Darkness element targeting him as the Motherblood Expiritus flew directly into Ezquivel’s right hand.
“Ahahaha! I finally have it!” Chosen Ezquivel looked down at his prize. He stared at Beto and his Team before focusing his gaze on the defeated Heian Ciemnosc. His expression became more intense and thirsty as if he couldn’t wait to tear each of Heian Ciemnosc’s limbs apart, especially those claws!
“Look! You’ve come here, fought, and lost many resources… for nothing!! Haha!” Ezquivel cracked open. Beto looked tense at the Motherblood Expiritus, but his attention was elsewhere. He and Heian Ciemnosc had still said not a thing, but despite Ezquivel having fun winning, his protectors weren’t as distracted. Yet, Ezquivel suddenly aimed at Heian Ciemnosc with his left hand and ordered them, “Fetch him to me!! His head is mine!”
“Heian Ciemnosc!” - “Fuck…!” Ruo Wei and Clanton called out, frustrated. But the battle behind the SC Fighter had already started. Bodies fell from the sky as others lost their lives on the ground. Explosions were everywhere.
Whoosh!! Whoosh!! Elga and Sandra frowned as they abided by their young master’s orders. No need to stop him now that he had attained such victory. Ezquivel laughed some more as he watched his protectors fly towards Heian Ciemnosc and about to deliver his body to him. “Hahahaha… Finally, after so much sacrificing- cough! Cough! Cough! Ah… you’ve lost!”
Ezquivel looked at Heian Ciemnosc hatefully still. But just then, Beto turned his head backwards while Ezquivel continued to smile victoriously, and the 2 young women were just a few tens of meters before Heian Ciemnosc. Heian Ciemnosc slightly nodded, and he ducked before his 5-meter dark tail hidden within his dark coat’s sleeves lunged out of the fabric and slapped the ground!
Pah!! Whooooosh~~!! Crrreeesshhhhkk~!!
“?!” Heian Ciemnosc flew forwards, but he was incessantly distracted by a sound. When he passed by Beto’s right side, his darkest eyes darted leftwards, where Beto had dug all his teeth into his wrist. Flesh, blood, and veins were torn and splurted into the air as he bit from near the elbow to the end of the wrist. Blood essence drilled into Heian Ciemnosc’s nostrils as his Spirit Sense told him Sandra chased after him and was just 3 meters above his back.
Heian Ciemnosc’s lower-bent body, dashing like a quadruped animal, was under immediate threat! But half of Beto’s blood essence coagulated into a string with slightly moving tendrils as if they were electrified. A potent candy apple red colored his blood essence as it immediately struck towards Sandra, stabbing her at the sternum and turning her eyes blood red before going white.
Zzi- PLAAAASHH! Phhshk!! Spluuurrtt~!!
“...” Ezquivel and Elga became silent, but before the latter could move towards Sandr and save her, or at least try, Beto had already cut his tongue off with his closed lips, and nearly half the rest of his blood essence was thrown into the air. But instead of intending to kill Elga, the second bloody string exploded from his left fist to form a net around Elga, stopping her in midair.
Heian Ciemnosc’s momentum was broken, and his speed decreased, but he knew what Beto wanted. Thus, as Ezquivel’s face dropped and became expressionless and frozen, Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes turned wholly, purely dark.
Bowwbooumb!!
A dark dome enveloped everyone in a 150 meter radius, encapsulating both the tunnels and the fighting cultivators near them but leaving the others in a battle outside. Ezquivel was awestruck, but his face darkened. It was the same as everyone else. A second later, as the dark dome expired, and everyone was looking in a different direction, their Spirit Sense immediately drew their heads to look in the same direction…
…drip… sshglaaghh… drip, drop… Heian Ciemnosc’s right dark claw penetrated Chosen Ezquivel’s stomach while his individual left-sided claws extended towards the Motherblood Expiritus to take it. Ezquivel’s cultivation base had increased to the Dark realm 7th stage, while Heian Ciemnosc had ‘only ‘broken into the Breaking Point realm. His battle prowess remained below Ezquivel and Heian Ciemnosc. Everyone could imagine how that happened.
But that wasn’t important now. What it was the fact that Ezquivel seemed to see Heian Ciemnosc coming, and his right arm, holding the Motherblood Expiritus, extended away. However, that wasn’t a problem, with Heian Ciemnosc’s height and individual claws’ length of 6 inches… The problem was that the Motherblood Expiritus… was gripped so hard it turned to mush.
…pshift- pshift~... … zzzap!
“...!” Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes trembled, and they slowly recomposed as Ezquivel started convulsing while holding the Motherblood Expiritus. Heian Ciemnosc pulled his dark claw out and turned around. After glancing at a pale Beto, he turned his upper torso and shouted, using the top of his lungs and dark Neutral Energy at maximum capacity. “Retreat! Into the tunnels! RETREAT!!”
WWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHH~~~~~!!!!!
But pandemonium arrived quickly…
Crack! The Motherblood Expiritus cracked Ezquivel’s body into a trillion pieces but still added together. It was the same with the Small Piece Sigil of Darkness. Even the air around Chosen Ezquivel broke like glass… and those cracks expanded at a turtle’s speed. But the more they did, the more the Interconnecting Rupture Dimension lost its color and seemed about to burst with more.
…