099

 

99.  Virtuoso and Vacuosity

 

What little remained of the pristine mirrors in the Boar's meditation chamber glittered and reflected with the shining silver blades that crucified the 4 God Beasts around their master.

 

"You..." Zhang Guo growled as he let his monsters fizzle away. "What are you doing here?"

 

Averyl tiptoed further into the chamber and peered over to the bloodied Saffron. "I can't believe you haven't finished him off yet...how unbecoming of the 4th Zodiac..."

 

"Say what you like," Zhang Guo spat as he turned around to face his new foe. "I do not have a penchant for bloodshed."

 

"And yet you seem to be so skilled at it..." Averyl smirked. "I suppose that's what makes you so interesting, Mr. Boar..."

 

Zhang Guo was not amused. "The Daughter's light faded moments ago. You're too late, traitor."

 

"And your point...?" Averyl grinned. "If I were you, I would be more worried about myself..."

 

Zhang Guo furrowed his brow. "What is this strange feeling? My...my auxiliary psynergy is being distorted..."

 

"It's about time you noticed..." Averyl teased. "That's my nephew...it seems as if he's awakened once more...I doubt he's in control, though. I only regret that I’m not there to see it happen with my own eyes..."

 

Zhang Guo cocked his head.

 

"The true power of the Albavitreans..." Averyl licked his lips. "The power to manipulate space itself...shall I give you a taste?"

 

"You're young and impetuous. You will end up no different than the swordsman!"

 

Dozens of sharp blades peeked out from Averyl's body. "Age means little where madness is concerned..."

 

Zhang Guo forcefully slammed his golden staff on the ground, a sign that the time for talking was over. With a hoarse yell, the Boar jolted a surge of jade psynergy into the staff as if it was a lightning rod, and a column of destructive psynergy ripped through the room.

 

Horizontal beams of psynergy shot out from the column, piercing the wide space. Averyl dodged each with inhuman precision, a black blur darting through jade death.

 

Excitement and amazement were the only things that kept Saffron's body conscious. "Hark! A battle of masters! I shan't die 'til this monumental clash ends!"

 

Zhang Guo sensed Averyl dive past the raging torrents of psynergy exploding from his staff. Before reaching the Boar, Averyl ripped out from his body a single clone who then grabbed a hold of its host and tossed him up and over the Zodiac. As a jade ray hit the clone and dissipated it, Averyl swooped down, enveloped his right arm with hardened purple psynergy and barreled through Zhang Guo's barrier.

 

"You ingrate!" the Boar barked.

 

Finally, the two were face to face. A mad smile covered Averyl's face as a long chainsaw blade tore out from his palm and sliced into the sage's robes.

 

With his attention focused on dodging, Zhang Guo's psynergy storm ceased and his staff clunked to the ground. Once he regained his balance, the monk zoomed back toward Averyl and unleashed a flurry of blows. Each strike that Averyl blocked with his own palms sent a thundering shockwave through the cavern, and the air pressure from the attacks sliced into the bedrock like blades.

 

The Boar's robes rippled as he flung out his fists and feet, sometimes staying airborne for seconds as a time as he utilized the momentum from his powerful thrusts. Despite his old age, the days, months, and years he’d spent training in martial arts had not been forgotten, and Averyl slowly felt himself being pushed back simply from the man's immense aura.

 

Two blades slid out from Averyl's sides in an attempt to thwart the monk's combo. They shot forward, but cracked to pieces upon making contact with Zhang Guo's psynergy, proof that the carefree tactics Averyl had used on weaker opponents would not work on this man.

 

Averyl buffed his own aura, desperately trying to keep up with Zhang Guo's strikes as the monk's speed intensified, but his psynergy was still not enough. Then, Zhang Guo slid an arm through, elbowed Averyl in the stomach and sent him careening backwards.

 

Averyl happily took on the brunt of the blow, letting it carry him backwards and out of the range of the monk's assault. Zhang Guo instantly gave chase, but Averyl had already kicked off a side wall, angled his body upwards and prepared a counterattack.

 

With a glowing blade protruding from his forehead, Averyl shot down towards Zhang Guo. Suddenly, out from the monk's chest appeared the gaping maw of Xuan Wu. Caught off-guard, Averyl was unable to stop himself completely before his fist entered the turtle's mouth. With a disgusted frown, Averyl quickly ripped it back through the beast's hardened jaw and took a step back.

 

"What devilry is this?!" Saffron shouted. "The sage can summon the beasts spontaneously? From any point?!"

 

"Metapsynergy..." Averyl licked his lips. "I'm impressed...if I had known one of Grayson's miscreants was this powerful, I would've switched up our assignments..."

 

Zhang Guo silently continued to channel his power.

 

"What do you say...?" Averyl's aura roared. "Shall we...up the ante?"

 

Zhang Guo watched as the Monkey's cloak spread out to a width that was easily four times the size of the man himself. From the blackness, four pale hands reached out, followed by identical clones. As the Averyl clones separated themselves from their master, the Boar rushed forward, raised his hand and let out a mighty yell.

 

Averyl saw a crackle of psynergy, and a dragon's maw rushed straight out from Zhang Guo's hand. The beast let out a massive breath of fire, washing flames over the group of phantoms and smothering them in heat.

 

Averyl was once again alone.

 

"Well..." The Monkey pursed his lips. "That was quick..."

 

Zhang Guo's face twitched, and he curved his head around.

 

"What...?" Averyl's eyes lit up. "Notice something?"

 

As the monk turned, Averyl raised his left hand in a wide arc and unleashed a stream of purple psynergy. The Boar tried to dodge, but half his body was caught in the blast, which ripped through his cloak and splashed ribbons of blood through the air. He fell hard, but was far from finished. Picking himself up, Zhang Guo desperately veered to the side, breathing hard as he charged up both his fists for what looked to be a devastating blow.

 

The Boar flew over to a dark, caved-in corner of the room and illuminated the area with his psynergy – to reveal another Averyl, smirking cleverly in his hiding place.

 

"You thought I wouldn't notice when you traded places with one of your clones and then ran out during the fire?" Zhang Guo coughed. "Childish tricks like that may have worked on those who rely on only two eyes, but I have a third eye, Averyl, and that cannot be deceived by the likes of you!"

 

The cornered Averyl tried to escape, but Zhang Guo was too fast. In a flash, he procured a mallet from the depths of his ruined cowl and used it to whack Averyl in the legs.

 

"What...what did you do to me...?" Averyl froze in shock, giving the monk enough time to tap the man's arms as well.

 

Averyl could still wriggle his neck, but the rest of his body was now paralyzed, and he soon toppled over to the ground, at the mercy of the small bald man.

 

"A souvenir from my duel with a Knight of the Guild," Zhang Guo spoke, not without a bit of pride. "It can petrify matter, just like it's done to your body. You have lost, Monkey."

 

The clone who had been left behind in the center of the room leapt forward, cupping a sizzling purple orb in his hand.

 

"Futile!" the Boar roared.

 

Sweat poured down Zhang Guo's face as he twisted his body around and released another jade shockwave from within. A dark green glow filled the room, swallowing up the unsuspecting Averyl and leaving no trace.

 

Saffron watched in awe as the remainder of the Boar's psynergy ripped up the room. With his deep pool of ancient power almost completely dried up, the monk was left heaving in exhaustion.

 

"There..." he sighed, turning back to face the petrified Averyl. "You have no other card to play...how does it feel to be on your deathbed? Just like I warned them all in the beginning...you cannot stop what is inevitable!"

 

"Averyl!" Saffron tried desperately to pull his ruined body up and assist the man who had saved his life. "I will come to thy aid!"

 

"Hm?" Zhang Guo perked up. "Still alive, Dog? I'd be surprised if you could traverse even half the length it would take to reach me in your condition. No, you just stay on the ground and bleed to death. Your existence has been meaningless for quite some time now."

 

"Accursed, blood-battered body..." Saffron punched his numbed legs in frustration. "Cue!"

 

"I don't even need psynergy to destroy you." Zhang Guo touched the mallet to Averyl's forehead. "With this...we may all rest

 

*************

 

in peace," Zeigfried whispered, as tears began to roll down his face. "I wanted to believe that the holy within you would overpower the demonic, Grayson. No matter how many times you wronged me, I will never forsake you, as you are my one and only son...but I know now that you are far beyond the reach of the Lord’s hand, and you must be judged!"

 

A searing gold-and-silver aura erupted from Zeigfried’s body as his eyes surveyed the new power by which Grayson had just regenerated his body.

 

"Oh, how I’ve waited for this day..." Grayson licked his lips. "I’m just so curious, Father...when I have you on your knees, will you forsake your beloved God in order to survive? Or will you insist on dying a martyr?"

 

"You cannot stop me, Grayson," Zeigfried bellowed. "God protects me in every step."

 

With that, the Apostle zoomed forward, knocking Grayson to the ground with the might of his unbridled aura. Shocked, Grayson scrambled to rise to his feet, but Zeigfried wasted no time in pinning his son. Grayson flexed his own gold-and-green aura in return, but for some reason, it extinguished the moment it touched Zeigfried’s pristine cassock.

 

"Why..." Grayson growled through gritted teeth. "It still won't work on you?!"

 

"God’s grace," Zeigfried whispered softly, then gently fastened his hands around Grayson’s neck. "Now, prepare for your journey to the afterlife, my son. I will always love you."

 

Franctically, Grayson slid his finger up and activated a small device implanted in the back of his neck.

 

"Sorry, but I have other plans."

 

The priest watched in confusion as Grayson's body shifted, distorted, then slowly swirled inwards, swallowed up into an invisible portal. Zeigfried clenched his hands, refusing to let go, ripping the flesh from both sides of Grayson’s neck as the Snake disappeared entirely.

 

Zeigfried stared in disbelief

 

*************

 

at his stepwife, who was dressed in a plain brown coat, black pants, and boots – nothing like what she’d regularly worn on Earth. She also lacked her usual hairspray and makeup, and had a strangely serene look on her face. Not only did Naomi look like a different person, she looked far more peaceful than she ever had before.

 

"Averyl sent you here?" Edward asked. "But why?"

 

"He must have figured I'd be able to remove Grayson's psynergy from her," Sasuke said. "Beyond that, who knows. That boy’s always had a few screws loose."

 

"It was only after I came here and Sasuke healed me that I realized what happened to me," Naomi said. "Grayson had me under his spell...so badly. He was in my head for years."

 

"I know what you mean." Frank shook his head. "At first, it just feels like a sense of terror. Then, all of a sudden, you're paralyzed. And the more time you spend around him, the worse it gets."

 

"He has the power to influence things, people, and sometimes even psynergy itself," Sasuke added. "It’s something much more than mind control...it’s like he can bend reality to meet his demands."

 

"He brings out the worst in people," Naomi said. "None of what he did to me would've been possible if it wasn't for my own delusions holding me back."

 

"That's not all, either," Sasuke said. "I took apart the device Grayson gave Naomi – it's a psynergy amplifier, one based on the research Victoria and I did when we first started Zexaron. He must be manufacturing them somewhere. They allow Earthlings to use psynergy – and if enough of them go berserk, it might even be enough to rupture a hole in the dimension, and potentially break through to the Space-Time Continuum."

 

"But I thought only the Daughter was able to open it!" Tao shouted. "That sounds insane. Why would Victoria research such a thing?"

 

"Victoria never wanted to kill anyone," Sasuke went on. "Eden included. On that point, I suppose Grayson was in agreement with us. He's never been after the Daughter – he wants to break through to the Space-Time Continuum using brute force, all by himself. He wants to control all the Earthlings like puppets and have them suicide bomb themselves against the very fabric of the dimension itself."

 

As he listened, Edward placed a hand on Naomi's shoulder. "I...I'm glad you're okay. I'm so glad Sasuke was able to help you."

 

Frank, on the other hand, kept his eyes focused on Tao and Sasuke, visibly shocked by what he was hearing. "This all sounds so insane. What are we supposed to do? Ed, Naomi and I, we're just Earthlings...should we even be here? Is there any way we can help?"

 

"Yes," Tao said, motioning for the three Earthlings to draw near. "I’m not sure what lies ahead for us, but I want to do my part. They say that Earthlings’ psynergy is sealed at birth due to being born in a dimension with a psynergy vacuum...but I think my ability has what it takes to draw yours out. I don’t know what may come of this, but it’s better than nothing, in any case. Stand still for just a moment – this won’t hurt a bit."

 

Tao quickly passed his palms over Edward, Frank, and Naomi.

 

"I don’t feel any different..." Frank blinked. "What happened?"

 

"I drew your latent potential out from within. Since you’re all Earthlings, and you’ve never had any psynergy training, it will certainly take some time for you to awaken any actual power...but make no mistake – it’s within your grasp now."

 

"Thank you," Edward said. "There’s nothing more I want right now than a chance to help out my son."

 

Sasuke let out a long sigh. "Victoria believed in her children so much that she sacrificed everything for them...and now they’ve come together. Maybe we just need to believe in them and help them in any way we can. In the end, Victoria really was successful in merging the holy with the unholy, just like she dreamed. Eden and Vance may be the only hope we have."

 

"But..." Edward sighed. "Does anyone even know where Vance and Eden are?"

 

"Yes." A deep voice echoed out from Naomi's chest. "No need to worry, Mr. Darcouver – they are in good hands."

 

The five turned to face the woman, who was gazing down in horror at her own body.

 

"That voice..." Sasuke choked out, as he backed up from his desk. "It sounds like...Grayson!"

 

An eruption of blood spurted out from the woman's torso, as a pale fist punched through it. Her entrails soon followed as arms and legs extended out from the cavity.

 

"Naomi!" Edward screamed.

 

His voice was drowned out by his stepwife's bloodcurdling shrieks as her body burst outwards. Grayson’s arms pushed out from her torso, and soon a bloodstained mane of blond hair emerged from the grotesque mess. A naked body followed, and the rest of the inhabitants in the room understood the truth behind the horror they were witnessing.

 

"I knew implanting that gate within your body would come in handy someday." Grayson pulled his naked legs out from the mutilated Earthling, then stomped down on her body, crushing her innards. "Congratulations, Naomi. You finally managed to complete your mission after all."

Next: The Killing Hand