92.
Pandemonium
Edward watched with silent apprehension
as Tao knocked on the dark gate of Sasuke's pagoda. Hearing no answer,
the Seneschal raised his hand and rapped the smooth onyx surface once more. Edward
looked to the sides of the gate, but there seemed to be no other way of getting
inside.
Tao turned around to face Edward
and Nathan. "It seems that we have reached an impasse, gentlemen."
"What?" Nathan's
face lit up in concern. "You don’t think he’ll let us in?"
Edward looked to the listless
body of Frank, who was still in the boat, then turned back to the giant pagoda. "We can't stop here. It's
Sasuke, for crying out loud! He was my friend, and he's your brother! Isn't there
some way to let him know we're here?"
A muffled voice sounded from behind the gate. "He already knows. He
wants you to leave immediately."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Edward shouted. "This is
a life-or-death situation here. It concerns one of his former employees, for crying
out loud!"
"Sasuke is a very wanted man," the voice said. "He cannot
risk bringing outsiders into his domain – especially highly wanted individuals
such as yourselves."
"Enough is enough," Tao cut in. "This is an atrocity."
"Orders are orders," the voice repeated. "Please leave."
"We aren't going anywhere," Tao barked firmly. "Now let
us in! If Sasuke doesn't heal Frank, then–"
"If you insist on arguing, we should at least discuss this inside,"
the voice asked. "But before you come in, you must agree to obey the rules."
Tao froze. He looked to Edward and Nathan, who simply shrugged and nodded.
"Fine," Tao replied. "Just open up already."
"Not just you," the voice urged. "What about the other two?"
"Yes, we agree to follow the rules," Nathan said.
"I agree," Edward spoke with trepidation. "Now open the gate,
please."
A muffled chuckling trickled out from behind the black gate, then the
entrance swung open. After pulling Frank out of the boat, Edward followed Tao
and Nathan inside.
The bottom floor of Sasuke's pagoda was an open space with a floor composed
of beige-and-white tiles. Glowing orbs lined the walls, and the only exit was a
staircase on the other side, which continued up through the low ceiling to the next
floor.
In the center stood a humanoid figure with large black eyes, brown
sinewy skin, and two heavy-looking, featherless wings protruding from his back.
His head boasted a pair of long ears that shot back beyond his skull, and his fangs
were spread wide in a grin as he watched the three enter.
"Who are you?" Tao asked. "And what are you doing in Sasuke's
tower?"
"My name is Roto, a Vesper, or demonkin as you may know us. I signed
a pact with Sasuke to become his bodyguard before he fled Eretz."
"His bodyguard?" Tao scoffed. "It appears my brother's become
even more of an egomaniac than he was before. Surely you don't expect to fight us,
do you? Let's be civil about this."
"Fight?" Roto shook his head. "There'd be no sport in
that. No, I know a much better way to settle things – a way that can also vacate
you from the premises without further inconveniencing Master Sasuke."
Edward frowned, then looked to Frank. "Hey, we'll leave if that's what
you want. All we need is for Sasuke to heal our friend. We don't even need to see
him!"
"It's too late," Roto said with a smile. "Ever since you
walked through this door, the rules have been set into place."
"Yes, you mentioned them earlier," Tao said. "What are
they?"
"The rules of my ability," Roto explained. "It's required
for me to explain this to you in order to make it work correctly. Once the targets
agree to play by the rules, there's no way they can be free from the consequences
of breaking them."
"What?" Nathan began to panic. "This is a psynergy ability?
I’ve never heard of any ability that works like this..."
"The powers of angels and demons far surpass those of mundane humans, boy,"
Roto continued. "They tamper with reality itself, just like my little
game."
"But..." Edward spoke up. "But what are the rules?"
"That's for us to decide," Roto said. "Every time I activate
my ability, we start with a clean slate. I take turns making up new rules with my
targets, and whoever breaks a rule suffers the consequences."
"This is ludicrous!" Tao exclaimed. "It sounds completely
random!"
"This isn't a game of chance," Roto said, "it's a game of
wits. Think about it. There are three of you, and only one of me. I've played
the game before, but I can only make a single error before I lose. Your side
has two chances to get used to the game. Don't you think that's fair?"
"I don’t care whether it’s fair or not..." Edward stared at Roto
with angry eyes. "Why do we have to go through this?"
"Sorry, but it’s my job," Roto said. "You should
be thankful I let you in at all. Look, to be fair, I'll even let you make the
first rule. Go on, think hard about it. The only thing you can't do is explicitly
forbid any further rules from being made."
Edward turned to Tao and Nathan. Both of them were already busy thinking
up a plan of action. It seemed so absurd, and all the calm that Edward had felt
on the boat ride had instantly evaporated. While they were being forced to play
a frivolous game, Frank's life hung in the balance.
A dark silence shrouded the
*************
depths of Pandemonium as Bruce lay in wait. The Daughter was now in the
care of Grayson, and he’d told Bruce that Averyl would soon storm their base in
order to finish what he’d started.
The Zodiacs are in pieces right now... Saffron, Winslow, and Rose are still
recuperating, Phileas and Cecilia are MIA, and Madeleine betrayed us... I have
to be strong. Zhang Guo and Van Kaen are here, but they aren’t men of reason...Grayson
and I are the only ones left who have what it takes to make sure Roufas’ dream never
dies.
Burning with duty, Bruce stood his ground and waited – until he sensed
something strange. It was a burning, citrus aura, brighter and more powerful
than anything he’d ever felt before.
What the hell's going on up there? Grayson said he had the Daughter under
control...did she manage to escape?
Bruce followed the aura with his mind, sensing it flare each time it ripped
through matter and bedrock.
She’s out of control...what’s Grayson doing up there? Dammit, I can’t take
this anymore. I’m gonna go stop her!
Bruce leapt up from the rocks and
*************
warily scanned the sky.
Vance watched his uncle's jump reach its zenith, then waited for him to
alight before he spoke. "Sense anything?"
Averyl's eyes shifted back and forth. "I think I feel Eden's psynergy
from inside..."
"What?" Madeleine called out.
"I can sense her too," Rose realized. "But she's deep in
there."
"Silence..." Averyl held a finger up. "That's not all..."
Vance concentrated, but he could only detect other, smaller auras that
had begun to pop up one after another.
"We've been found out..." Averyl said quickly. "But Eden
is moving this way...I assume she's free..."
"Whew," Vance let out a sigh. "She’s okay? Let's go get
her then!"
"Saffron, Winslow, get ready," Rose said. "Someone must
have summoned the Zodiacs’ reserves here...and since they don’t know what we look
like, they’re most likely going to attack us indiscriminately."
Madeleine glanced around. "What about us?"
"Head to the side entrance..." Averyl said. "I'll take
care of the welcome wagon..."
Averyl's black cloak rippled in the wind as he shot through the air,
supported by two materialized jets attached to his heels.
"Averyl?!" Vance shouted. "Where the hell are you going?!"
Suddenly, a horde of assassins poured out from the volcano like cockroaches.
Using ropes, flying mechanisms, and their own psynergy, killers of all shapes and
sizes skittered out towards the group.
"Averyl!" Vance cried out again, as he watched the black figure
of his uncle disappear into the mob. "Get back here!"
"Do you really think he'll listen?" Madeleine raised an eyebrow.
"Come on, we're wasting time. Eden's in trouble!"
"Yeah," Vance said, "but Averyl shouldn't be handling the
small fries! Grayson's going to be waiting for us inside!"
"Shut up and come on." Rose dashed toward the cave. "He’s
giving us a chance to get in!"
Vance took one look back at the sky, then ran
*************
through the caverns, demolishing everything in her path. Inside and out,
Eden’s body burned with fury, and a shimmering citrus light carried her around
each twist and turn with the grace of an angel.
As Eden’s body raged on, her mind faded away – her thoughts, herself,
everything she thought she knew – like little neon tiles, they crumbled one after
the other. Finally, when everything had been stripped away, she heard it: a
voice from deep within her body that commanded unfathomable power.
Eden could see her body speeding forward like a brilliant comet, as if somehow
removed and watching from afar. If the rage hadn’t completely taken over her body,
Eden might have wondered if she was no longer herself. But now, all she could
focus on was destroying Grayson and all those who followed him.
Suddenly, Eden felt a familiar, blood red aura.
The Daughter swerved around and turned to face the grotesque figure that
stood behind her. Dead, stitched-up flesh covered his body, illuminated by the
red glow from his lifeless, digital eyes. Fear began to creep its way into Eden's
heart, but just as soon as it appeared, she shut it out.
A violent light possessed Eden's searing eyes as she stretched open the
floodgates of her psynergy. "You don’t scare me anymore."
Xarles Klavier Van Kaen licked his purple lips with a black tongue as
he advanced on the girl.
"And this time..." Eden locked eyes with her old foe and let psynergy
crackle on her lips. "I won’t let you escape."
Next: Lord of Beasts
