[Multiple Chronovores detected]

[Chronovore Beta Detected]

[Energy Rank Spark]

Brian, Mandrix and Ilex stared at the horizon awaiting the impending chronovore army. Serdna was overly tense to the point that he distracted himself by adjusting the strings of his Lyre. Shinmu, however…

Seemed unconcerned, his attention was fully seized by the sight of a single leaf tumbling down from a nearby tree.

"Only one?" Ilex said as a lone figure emerged on the horizon.

Brian's Valtite Sensing flared to life, zeroing in on the approaching being. "He’s a chronovore beta." Doubt gnawed at him; the multiple energy signatures his valtite sense picked up didn't add up.

Brian exchanged a wary glance with Mandrix, who stuck his sword in the ground and spat on his hands before rubbing them together. Beside them, Serdna fidgeted; his lyre was finally tuned and, gulping, he let his gaze flicker from Brian to the chronovore and back again. Meanwhile, Ilex flipped through his grimoire in search of the right spell.

As it came into clearer view, Brian noticed the creature was adorned with countless… it could only be described as Valtite-infused timepieces; valtite fragments that seemed to turn like clocks.

"Maybe they sent him as a messenger," Serdna suggested.

"Or an assassin," Mandrix countered, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.

As the solitary chronovore neared, Brian stepped forward. The creature's elongated limbs moved gracefully, its crystalline wings reflected the vivid night sky. Multiple sets of eyes locked onto Brian, and he swallowed hard.

His valtite sensing continued to tell him there were more. A single beta, but something about its gait gave him pause. Too confident and too poised.

The chronovore came to a halt before them. It tilted its head, his multifaceted eyes stared right back at Brian, and it gave him the strangest sense of vertigo. Of time itself warping and twisting around them.

*More timelines.*

"Wow!" Brian exclaimed, his head throbbing. What was that? He wondered, briefly dropping to one knee before forcing himself back up. He felt like his brain had just been hit with a tiny hammer. He turned his gaze to the chronovore, wondering if he had been attacked, but he was met with a distinguishable smirk behind the chronovore’s insect-like features.

“Are you alright, mate?” Serdna asked.

“I’m not sure, I think I heard the chronovore inside my head.”

"Perfect! Ask him what he wants," Mandrix commanded.

"Alright." Brian raised a hand in greeting, focusing on keeping the tremor out of his voice. "What brings you here, alone?"

The chronovore tilted his head again, his voice felt like one thousand bees entering Brian’s head. *An alien that speaks on the same frequency? Inconsequential. Surrender your timelines.* The insectoid creature emitted a high-pitched sound that resonated solely in Brian’s ears.

Brian dropped to his knees again. "Great." Brian said, relaying the message to his companions. "He's here to screw up time itself."

"Can we take him?" Serdna asked.

"Only one way to find out." Mandrix smirked, unsticking his massive sword from the ground in front of him with a metallic rasp.

"Wait," Brian warned, bracing his head while recovering from the pain of the chronovore’s voice. "He might not be alone."

"Explain," Ilex demanded.

Brian focused his Valtite Energy Sensing again.

[Multiple Chronovores detected]

Every signature came from a single location. "There seem to be more enemies," Brian struggled to decipher the readings from his Valtite Sensing. "This doesn't make sense."

“I smell the signatures too, but they’re all coming from that chronovore,” Ilex said.

A grin spread across Mandrix's face before morphing into full-blown laughter. Serdna shot him a glare, his fingers twitched above his lyre like agitated spiders.

"Relax, dealing with this bug will be easy!" Mandrix guffawed. “And you said he is not an alpha, right?” He slapped his armored thigh with exaggerated gusto.

Mandrix was right; he wasn't an alpha. However, since Zephyr possessed a 'Spark' energy signature, his strength most likely equaled that of an alpha, even as a beta.

"Dammit, Mandrix! You're gonna jinx us," Serdna growled, but the words did nothing to quell Mandrix's mirth. If anything, he laughed even harder.

"Lighten up, Serdna!" Mandrix managed between bouts of laughter. "We've faced worse than one lousy chronovore."

"Should we really underestimate our enemy?" Brian interjected, trying to mediate the brewing conflict between Serdna and Mandrix. His eyes never left the chronovore, whose energy signatures still raised questions. Maybe they were already jinxed.

*Stop wasting time.*

Brian directed his words at the chronovore. "What do you want? Why have you come here?"

*Ah, finally,* Zephyr replied in Brian's mind. "I am Zephyr, the Chronovore Oracle. I have come to reshape your world's timeline to my liking."

"Great," Brian muttered, translating for the others. "This insect wants to play god with time."

"Seriously?" Mandrix scoffed, his laughter now replaced with incredulity. "But… Just one of them?"

"Apparently so," Brian said.

"Zephyr, how do you plan to achieve all that by yourself?" Brian asked.

*Stupid creature,* Zephyr's voice echoed in Brian's mind, laced with disdain. *If you think I lack the power to accomplish my goal, then you are sorely mistaken. I have consumed the timeline of one hundred chronovores. Their power is mine.*

Brian clenched his fists, translating for the others.

"Are you kidding me?!" Mandrix's exclaimed. "

"See I told you, you always do this," Serdna grumbled, gripping the strings of his lyre, ready to strike. "This just got a whole lot more serious.

"Enough talk!" Mandrix charged towards Zephyr, sword raised high.

"Idiot!" Serdna cursed under his breath, launching into a frenzied melody. Bolts of energy raced towards the Oracle, only to dissipate moments before impact. The creature stood unharmed, mocking laughter echoing through Brian's mind.

*Their efforts are futile,* Zephyr taunted. I told you. I have consumed the timelines of a hundred chronovores. You are wasting your time.* Zephyr’s telepathy wasn’t affecting Brian as much anymore.

"Seriously?" Brian frowned, unsheathing his shortsword and enveloping it in void energy. He knew they needed a plan, but he knew Shinmu was definitely the key to defeating Zephyr. Calm down, you’ve seen Back to the Future five times.

No sooner had Mandrix and Serdna charged than Brian sensed an attack. Time seemed to slow down ever so slightly and Zephyr was no longer where he was standing. His Valtite Vision pulsed, and he felt the air behind him shift. He spun around, narrowly dodging Zephyr's fist, which seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Look out!" Brian shouted to the others. But Zephyr was already launching his assault.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

A myriad of Zephyrs materialized simultaneously, attacking each member of the party. One lunged at Ilex, thrusting a sharp limb towards him while another aimed a devastating kick at Shinmu. Serdna evaded a slashing appendage, and Mandrix attempted to block a crushing strike.

Panting from the sudden onslaught, Brian looked at each of his allies. Serdna and Ilex narrowly dodged the incoming attacks, their bodies twisting and contorting in ways that defied logic. Meanwhile, Mandrix and Shinmu weren't as fortunate—a sickening crunch echoed through the air as they took the brunt of Zephyr's assault.

"Fuck!" Mandrix spat out, staggering back from the impact. "How y'all dodged that, it came so fast?"

Brian's breath came in gasps, sweat dripping down his face. He glanced at Shinmu, who was nursing a bruised jaw, every blink seeming to cost him an effort. "It's because they have valtite cores," Shinmu said, struggling to remain composed. "It lets them detect the valtite’s temporal fluctuations."

"Temporal what now?" Mandrix rubbed his arm, then picked up his sword.

Brian set his improved sight on Zephyr again, but he quickly disappeared. Where did he go?

“Another ambush!” Serdna attempted to warn, but it ended in the same result; Brian, Serdna and Ilex barely dodged, however Mandrix and Shinmu received another painful blow.

Mandrix’s sword fell in front of him, his shoulder appeared to be dislocated. Shinmu landed on his stomach, and, despite complaining about the cheap-shot, was able to stand up.

"How... how are there five of them?" Brian asked, turning to Shinmu.

Shinmu shook his head, wincing at the stiffness in his neck. "No, it's just one Zephyr—but from different timelines."

"Are you shitting me?" Mandrix stared in disbelief, he attempted to pick up his sword, with his right hand, but his hand didn’t respond. So he picked it up with his left hand instead.

Unfortunately not, Brian thought, he focused on Zephyr one more time enveloping his shortsword in void energy again—Zephyr's power was unlike anything they had ever faced, but he now knew his gimmick.

"Shinmu," Brian said between breaths. "Can you do something like that too?" He fully engaged his Valtite Vision.

"Remember what happened the last time I tried to use my time manipulation, Brian?" Shinmu's old man's voice was strained as he extended his palms and showed them to Brian.

Brian nodded grimly, understanding Shinmu’s concern. There has to be a way, think! As if sensing their fear and desperation, Zephyr smirked, his insectoid features somehow managing to convey a sense of twisted amusement. He continued toying with them, unleashing a flurry of attacks that seemed to come from all directions at once. This time Zephyr attacked from ten angles at once.

"Dammit!" Serdna muttered, narrowly avoiding a strike from one of the Zephyrs. He clenched his lyre, fingers poised above the strings and he played a tune that reverberated through the forest as soon as he heard the valtite’s temporal fluctuation with his Aditory Core.

The tune resonated from Serdna like a shockwave, expanding in all directions. The images of the ten Zephyrs blurred, and, for the first time, they managed to deflect one of the attacks.

“That was good, keep doing that. That’s how we win!” Mandrix stood up, his arm was dangling precariously, but he looked unfazed by the pain.

Serdna’s eyes widened. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I am… I am out of valtite, that was not an easy spell.”

That was too good to be true. Brian dismissed the plan that he started formulating when he saw the success of Serdna’s ability. He wondered what would happen if he managed to slash Zephyr, would he be defeated, or would he still have ninety-nine timelines left? Would they really need to deliver one hundred finishing blows? The questions meant nothing if they couldn’t even put a scratch on him once.

*That was almost an admirable effort.* Zephyr’s telepathy brought Brian’s eyes back on his target. He saw Zephyr disappear again, here it comes, where will he appear next?

Ilex dodged another attack. He was as focused as Brian, tracking the chronovore with his Olfactory Core. He had his acid magic at the ready, but it was proving useless against the shifting timelines.

The one-sided battle continued. Brian tried to focus on the movements of each Zephyr as they danced around them, always just out of reach. The three of them were barely able to dodge the relentless assaults and their vigor was quickly draining away.

Mandrix and Shinmu, lacking valtite cores, weren't as fortunate. Each blow landed with bone-crunching force, leaving them bruised and battered. Instead of their vigor, their vitality was running low. It was also evident as they were completely drenched in their own blood. Mandrix grunted in pain as he swung his large sword, attempting to fend off the attacks. Shinmu was furious and frustrated “I wasn’t even supposed to be part of this fucking fight.”

"Hey! We're getting nowhere!" Mandrix yelled as he swung his sword wildly, trying to connect with one of the Zephyrs. “He’s done now, If I swing like a tornado, he surely can’t hit me again.”

"Stay focused!" Brian shouted, dodging a punch that grazed his cheek. Every plan seemed futile against an enemy who could manipulate time itself. He had to admit he was curious to see how Mandrix's plan would turn out. It was very childish, but maybe it worked. Yes, Zephyr had a very troublesome and a very powerful ability, but his physical strength was several levels lower than that of Zarkon or Vipros.

"Any bright ideas?" Serdna asked sarcastically as he dodged another strike.

"Still working on it," Brian admitted, his eyes never leaving the swirling mass of Zephyrs before him. If he was honest with himself his only idea was still Shinmu.

Ilex's lips drew into a thin line as he raised his hand, fingers splayed. Acid bubbled and hissed at his fingertips, the air around them growing thick with the pungent stench of corrosion. "I've had enough of this," he declared.

Following Mandrix’s and Ilex’s determination Brian yelled, "Go on the offensive!” He assured himself that this time he would slash Zephyr. Besides, aside from the dummy in Orion’s lab, he had not been able to slash anything into the void. So he was itching to test his blade on a real target.

With a flick of his wrist, Ilex launched the acid streams toward the Zephyr in front of him. The deadly liquid arced through the air, sizzling as it streaked toward its target. Brian watched, breath held, as the spell closed in on its target, only for both the Chronovore and the attack to distort out of existence like a mirage just before impact. The world seemed to freeze for a moment, the acid suspended midair, before Zephyr reappeared unscathed. The acid had vanished as if it had never existed.

"Shit," Ilex breathed, his frustration clear. "How are we supposed to fight something that can just... disappear?"

As if toying with them, Zephyr appeared behind Brian with a mocking smile. Brian felt a chill cover his entire body, a primal fear threatened to overtake him. But he gripped the hilt of his void blade tightly, willing himself to stay calm. He was already here, the only option was to deal with the situation.

It was for less than an instant, but his Oculus Core saw an opening.

In one swift motion, Brian swung his void blade around, aiming for Zephyr's exposed neck. Everything went silent. The blade sliced through the air, a deadly whisper promising destruction. But as soon as the weapon connected with its target, Brian found himself standing still, the sword back at his side as if he had never swung it.

"Wh-what just happened?" he stammered, his body trembled while he tried to make sense of the situation.

*Do you understand?*

Brian's head throbbed again. Had Zephyr just reversed time? He looked around. The same phenomenon had apparently happened to Mandrix’s childish tornado, and it was likely the same thing that had occurred with Ilex.

"Damn it," Mandrix growled, nursing his injuries with a scowl. "This bastard's playing with us."

Zephyr came to a sudden halt, his many eyes gleaming with amusement. *Thank you, Brian,* he said, his voice a chorus of discordant whispers only Brian could hear. *You and your friends have provided me with the perfect opportunity to test my superior habilities.*

Brian’s shortsword fell out of his hand. How harsh was Valteria? Even with all that training, once again he couldn’t do anything. Zephyr continued, *But I've had enough fun for now. It's time to consume your valtite's timeline.*

"Guys!" Brian called out, turning to the others, his face pale. "Zephyr's about to finish us off!"

“How fucking ironic… Even though I decided to stop using my abilities. A Chronovore came to kill me.”

Profanity escaped Mandrix's lips while Serdna’s breaths came in shaky gasps. Ilex stared wide-eyed, fear creeping into his expression. Even Shinmu, who had been eerily composed until now, showed concern.

Reality seemed to warp around them as Zephyr's power manifested. The ground beneath their feet appeared to spin like a top, and the horizon bent inward, distorting their perception of space. Brian's stomach churned. He looked down at his hands and there was vomit. Did we skip time?

A flash swept across the entire forest, gradually fading everything into white.

"Be ready to run back to Restview, I’ll buff our speed for a retreat!" Serdna exclaimed.

"Think, Brian, think." He asked himself. "Shinmu," Brian said, swallowing hard and fighting the disorientation. "Is there any way to disrupt his control over time? Anything at all?"

Serdna played like a maniac, but his notes were being drowned by the power of Zephyr’s attack. Serdna breathed, “See ya later, then." He closed his eyes and embraced their defeat.

"We’re done…" Shinmu hesitated.

Ilex dropped to the ground and placed his arms over his head. “No, no, no.”

"I’m not done," Mandrix grunted, bracing himself against the blinding flash.

*Enjoy your time-prison.*

It only lasted an instant, but it felt like sols. Time seemed to slow, each nivosecond stretching into an eternity as Brian and his friends braced themselves for the onslaught.The world twisted and warped around them, reality bending under Zephyr's control. Nothing was discernible under the overwhelming flash of light, but Brian’s Oculus Core still provided some visibility.

The ground kept groaning and cracking, buckling under the sheer force of the spell. The flash intensified, making Brian's eyes water, but he forced himself to keep them open. He watched as a devastating wave of energy blasted from Zephyr in a cone towards them. The power roared, drowning out all other sounds, making them stumble backwards. Even the trees struggled to hold on, their branches being blown away with the blast.

With a few strums Serdna cast a protective barrier that instantly shattered like glass.

"Shit," Mandrix muttered, swinging his sword with all his might, trying to cleave through the oncoming attack.

With a few strums Serdna cast a protective barrier that instantly shattered like glass.

The world blurred at the edges. Brian’s eyes slumped while the void energy receded from his sword. I’m not done. With one final, desperate effort, Brian swung his blade, aiming for the heart of the maelstrom... And then—