And then, the monster speaks up after remaining silent for so long.
“I am the apocalypse.”
You can stop now. Lou and Ion are in the room with her, the Void speaks to Louir.
She doesn’t reply. She makes the firestorm disappear. Soon after, Louir is gone too. The elites are perplexed, searching for the Void Elementalist within the building. But of course, by the time they exit the building, Louir isn’t in the city anymore.
Three years she spent in the Void, and that was enough to change her drastically.
Chapter Seven of Arc Two
Wraithian
Louir returns to Ti, barely remembering the place. The raven is helping her with finding the spot. In fact, she almost forgot Ion’s name at one point. Other than those she’s been working with recently, she can’t recall who is who. The raven is trying to help her out by reminding her of people like Wraithian.
Louir made up her mind to never forget Ti, and she’s done a good job at that. She can still recall the night when she sent Ti to her death. Because of her, Ti can no longer shapeshift into a human. She blames herself, or at least she used to, but now that she spent three years in oblivion, her train of thoughts is rather empty.
Why did I help her out? Who is she?
Once the raven has led her to Ti, she gets to see the huge Wolf for the first time in three years. Although the Void eroded her mind, the sight of sleeping Ti makes her emotions surface.
Remember, I will have to watch over Lou today.
Louir buries herself into Ti’s fur, enjoying the sensation after so long. She likes wolves, and she can’t help it. She couldn’t sleep in the Void as it’s an astral realm, so the sudden urge to rest her eyes is perplexing. She curls up beside Ti, falling asleep finally, although she doesn’t really need to sleep.
Ti wakes up an hour later, sunrise less than two hours away. She finds Louir sleeping next to her, using her fur to keep herself warm. It’s making her troubled, yet happy. She can’t move, but she feels like she was spoiled, so she isn’t complaining.
Half an hour before the sunrise, she appears. “Hoy, Louir! Wake up! You have work to do!”
“She’s very tired,” Ti tries to shush her.
“I don’t care! She can rest a few days later.”
“Mm...” Louir is waking up. “What?”
“You have to go. Tereon needs your Demoni legion.”
“Why?”
“You don’t remember? You saw it yourself! Hell, you even climbed up a tree to hide from the Demoni when they attacked the Rajash army!”
“I spent three years in the Void. I barely remember what’s happened.”
“...What?” She is genuinely confused.
“Didn’t this happen with the previous Louir? My body was destroyed, and I had to recover in the Void.”
“No, nothing like that happened before. Or did it?” She is asking the raven for confirmation.
No, it did not happen.
“What the hell did you do differently!?”
“As if I knew what the other me had done.” Louir forgot the other version of herself brought Ti with her to the city. That’s what made the outcome different.
“Well, whatever. Just don’t mess it up any further, okay?”
“Sure.”
“Travel to Tereon, but do not enter the city. Gather a small army of Void creatures to defend the city. I’ll fetch Ion.”
“Understood. Ti, can I get a ride?”
“Of course!”
Louir mounts her, and the devil girl disappears. They depart at once, heading South to stop Wraithian. Ti feels refreshed after sleeping. She is darting from a surface to surface like an arrow, but half an hour later, she complains about hunger.
They stop for a moment. Louir unmounts and lets Ti hunt a meal. She needs a moment to recall the terrain anyway, as the Void made her forget the way. She’s starting to remember the land slowly, though. As for Ti’s hunger, it isn’t real. As a servant of the Void, she doesn’t really need to eat or sleep.
When Ti returns a little later with a bloodied face, she boasts of her game and how delicious it was. That’s when Louir smiles for the first time after getting out of the Void.
The raven isn’t with them anymore. It’s now looking after Lou, but it doesn’t mean the Void cannot speak with Louir like before. In fact, it doesn’t matter where the manifestation is as long as Louir is part of the Void.
By the time the Sun has risen above, Louir and Ti get to the fortress city of Tereon. They rotate around the lake to the Western shore. There, they start calling the Demoni army to help the city during the siege. Louir begins corrupting the local animals at once to create a small army of Demoni. Ti spends her time nourishing herself. However, she struggles to find a meal since all the animals are turning into inedible aberrations.
When it’s past midday, Ion appears with her. He’s been resting his eyes ever since he was teleported to the hideout. What he hasn’t had is food. He craves for a good, warm meal. Louir suggests he takes the gold coins to Tereon, where he can buy a meaty soup. He likes the idea.
But since Louir hasn’t seen Ion for the past three years, she isn’t letting him go right away. Ti and Ion are the two things she longed for in the Void, and now that she has a chance to be with both of them, she isn’t letting the chance to slip away.
Ion is troubled by her sudden increase in friendliness. It’s almost as if she were a whole different person. Nay, she’s almost like the certain someone he’s been dealing with recently: the Priestess.
When he sees the opportunity, Ion flees to the city to fill up his empty stomach. She is with him, explaining why Louir is acting so strange out of the blue. By the time they get to the main gate, Ion’s aware of the whole situation. He feels sorry for Louir. He should’ve stayed a little longer, he reasons.
But there’s one thing he doesn’t understand. When Ohan was playing strange with him, he was disgusted, but when Louir is at it, his heart races. He makes up his mind to solve the mystery on his own.
She leads the way since she appears to know the place well. They’re heading to a tavern called Fishy House (and it does look a little fishy). Ion has enough money to buy a ton of food. He’s planning on testing all kinds of dishes.
“You should try salmon. It’s expensive, but very delicious.”
“Isn’t that a fish? I haven’t eaten fish ever before.”
“Trust me, you’ll like it.”
“How do you know? Oh right, of course you know...”
“Exactly.”
Apparently, the previous Ion came to Tereon and liked salmon.
***
Once Ti’s grown tired of hunting, she lies down close to Louir. She did get two hares, but to a Wolf of her size, it isn’t much. The army Louir has been gathering is three digits soon. However, the more she corrupts, the less there are animals. She doubts she can gather more than a hundred. However, reinforcements from Hiphlor should be near, the Demoni army Louir’d been creating on the plateau.
“Why is this city so important?” Ti wonders.
“The city isn’t, in fact. The real problem is the guy coming here. Uh, I think his name was Wraith or something. The thing about him is that he’s capable of killing me and the Void. Also, he’s the kind of a person who’d survive the apocalypse, so he’d eventually find me anyway. Better get rid of him now.” The other motive behind the battle is to make Lou into a Void attuner by forcing her to kill the Rajash troops.
“I see. Can I do it?”
“No. You’ll stay here. When you see it fit, send the Demoni to attack the Rajash army, okay? I’m not letting even Ion go near that Mage. I’ll do it alone.”
“Okay then.” Ti won’t disturb her any more than that.
A while later, Ti falls asleep, and Louir gives up corrupting. She’s enthralled every animal she can get. She sits down in the midst of the Demoni, thinking deeply. The next thing she’ll have to do is to kill Wraithian, and that won’t happen
until after nightfall. The creatures of the Void are staring at her, their violet eyes gleaming eagerly. They become more grotesque by the moment, very slowly going through a metamorphosis. They won’t, however, become completely malformed like the Black Demons, and they’ll always have the glowing, violet markings.
Around the time Lou and the other Ion arrive, the devil girl returns with a satisfied Ion. His cheeks have a tinge of red to them. Louir can guess he tasted alcohol, prompted by her. She doesn’t really need Ion in the coming battle, but it’s always good to have a backup plan. However, now that Ion isn’t sober, she can’t count on him.
“Why would you make him drink?” Louir asks.
“He didn’t,” she says.
“Why do you think I did?”
Puzzled, Louir points out his red cheeks. “Then why are you blushing as if you’d drank?”
“T-that’s...”
“Yeah? Go on.”
“Err...”
She explains in his stead, “He had a ‘revelation.’”
“So, he’s merely embarrassed?”
“Correct. If I were him, I guess I’d be too.” She told him how interesting a relationship can be—between a woman and man.
Louir can only wonder what it might be, but she doesn’t dare to ask. She’d only worsen it if she did. “Hearing you aren’t drunk after all, mind to look after the past you? We need both of you alive, so having extra protection for the other you is a plus.”
“Leave it to me! It’s my life we’re talking about, so of course I’m up to the task!”
“Good to hear. Now, let us wait for the nightfall. There’s nothing else we can do to prepare for the upcoming battle. I’ll head to Tereon in advance before the Order arrives. Do not enter the city.”
““Got it!”” Ti and Ion reply in unison.
***
After the nightfall, the woods become quiet, and the creatures of the Void wait impatiently, yet silently for the bloodbath. Ti won’t participate in the battle, as she fears she’ll anger Louir. She is the last person Ti wants to upset. Ion, in turn, hides in the foliage near the huge rock where he was during the battle in his timeline. He gathers the past him is going to do the same.
Louir is within the city, hiding in the shadows until Wraithian shows up. She is guessing it won’t be easy to kill him. The guardian of the tower was a foe that could’ve killed her, but it was an empty puppet, not a real person. Wraithian can plan his moves, trap her, and kill her.
She can’t tell if the Elementalists in the city are willing to accept her aid. She’s going to let Wraithian kill as many as possible before she shows up. That way, they can’t refuse her aid, unless they want to die by Wraithian’s doing and risk losing the war because of it.
If only they knew the truth, Louir thinks. The war won’t last for long. When the Titan arrives, there won’t be Poer Haem, Rajash, or any other country to begin with, assuming they didn’t stop it. But then again, Louir will bring the apocalypse herself, if things go smoothly. Only struggling survivors will inhabit the world after the global destruction. She needs to build a massive army to save their dimension of the world, and to do that, the majority must be sacrificed.
Louir is taken by surprise when a loud explosion resounds in the city close to her position. The Rajash have fired their catapult. Finally, the battle begins! She’s eager to face the Mage who claims to be powerful enough to kill her and the Void.
***
Ti wakes up to the sound of the explosion. Huh? The battle has started? Was I supposed to do something now? Uh, I think I was supposed to do something... Oh, right! The Demoni, I need to make them attack.
“Okay, you disgusting things, you need to go. There are humans who must be killed over there.” She is trying to send the Demoni to attack. “C’mon, you nasty things, go!”
The creatures are merely staring at her with puzzled looks.
“Eh, how do I move these things? These guys are way too stubborn!”
After several attempts, cries of a raven can be heard in the distance. The Demoni legion is stirring suddenly. They’re wailing eerily as they set out to charge the ranks of Rajash men.
“I did it! Yey!”
Although she thinks so, it’s the Void itself that has commanded them.
***
Louir can hear cries of Poer Haem men, warning about a Kingdom’s assassin. She gathers it’s Wraithian, as there’s no one else who’s powerful enough to infiltrate the city alone. She steps out of her hide, careful as to avoid the eyes of the Order.
A little later, she can find dead bodies, slain by a Mage. She needs to be extra cautious now. Her adversary can Cloak himself. He could be anywhere. But of course, he most likely doesn’t know about Louir, which is an advantage she’ll make use of. Also, she can sense him, even if he is unseen.
“There he is! Kill him!” A knight shouts.
I think I’ve found him.
She rushes to check the corner where the knights are struggling to fight the Mage. Louir can see a handsome man in robes, bloodstains all over his garments. He erases the remaining knights with an Arcane Explosion, and then he turns to welcome the Void attuner herself.
“Oh, isn’t that color of yours violet?”
Louir doesn’t reply.
“Quiet type, huh? Are you trying to defend this city?”
“I’ve come to defend the Void.”
“Ah, so the destroyer of the world is scared of a human, eh?”
“No. The Void is merely tired of you. The person who goes by the name Wraithian is a small fry who needs to die for the sake of amusement.”
His brow twitches. “Oh? Am I that weak in your opinion?”
Of course, she doesn’t think so. She is trying to misguide him so that he’d be blinded by the greatest weakness of the human race: emotions.
“You’re so pitiful even I, the harbinger of the Void, am not impressed.”
“You sure talk big for a being I can kill with a single hit.”
“I speak in my master’s behalf.”
“Then your master is an idiot.”
“Your human mind isn’t capable of understanding the concept of time, yet you claim to be smarter than the Void.”
“Time? Who cares about time?”
Louir smirks. “I do. After all, I’m not from this timeline.”
Before Wraithian can say anything, she is stepping behind him through the Void, but not to melee range. She sends out Void orbs, provoking him. Her assault is repelled by his Arcane Shield.
“Is that—” His speech is interrupted.
Louir is piercing the spell armor with her fist, delivering a blow with her hand, empowered by the Void. Wraithian is knocked backward. He stands up with nimble movements, Cloaking out of sight. Louir counters the spell by summoning a firestorm of Void flames. A violet ocean of death engulfs the street. Where Wraithian walks, there’s a spot devoid of fire. He’s protecting himself with an Arcane Shield.
Louir sends out Void orbs at him, pressuring his invisible Shield and body. Inevitably, he removes the Cloaking, focusing on offensive spells. Arcane Spears are launched at Louir out of nowhere, but she dodges them all like a perfect machine.
Since the firestorm is doing no good, Louir withdraws the flames, diverting her powers elsewhere. She steps through the Void, appearing behind Wraithian again, but this time, she is executing a whole different move; as soon as her adversary turns around, prepared to repel any assault, she is stepping again.
Panicking, Wraithian turns around once more, only to be attacked from behind anyway. His spell barrier breaks, and he cannot repair it immediately. He Teleports up onto a roof, where he hides from Louir. He’s laid a protective spell over his innards, so Louir can’t kill him instantly from within.
“Oh? Am I too difficult after all, human?” Louir taunts.
Elementalists are gathering in the street, thunderstruck by the sight of destruction. Louir knew they’d appear. She’s stepped into the shadows to hide fro
m them. She wants all the blame to be directed upon Wraithian.
“What’s the meaning of this!?”
“Sir, an assassin of the Kingdom did this! He can turn invisible.”
“How?”
“We do not know, Sir.”
Wraithian curses under his breath. He can see now what the Void attuner is trying. He’s underestimated the Elementi of Void, and he already regrets it.
He Cloaks himself, Gliding over the Elementalists, just to cast Arcane Explosion above them, eradicating the bunch. His spells don’t differ from Ion’s, but the dissimilarity between the two Mages is that Wraithian knows one spell Ion hasn’t even heard of, a spell that pierces a physical body, only to enter the astral manifestation where it’ll destroy the being in question from the core.
Now that the puppets of the Order are dead, Louir shows up from her hide. Wraithian dispels the Cloaking, firing the Ender spell in the blink of an eye. Louir is hit by it. Her head has a hole because of it. Blood gushes out of it, bits of her brain dripping. He uses his advantage to cast the Elementi-killing spell: Astral Arrow. Louir cannot see the projectile coming, as her eyes are gone.
However, the spell doesn’t hit. Louir erupts, causing a wave of Void energy. Her body is engulfed by a strong violet aura; she is forcing the Void into an Archon form.
What the...? How? I am your master! It is me who decides, not you!
Louir doesn’t care about her perverted master’s complaint. She completes the Archon symbiosis. Now, Louir is one with the Void itself.
“Die, you insect!” Two voices are blended together.
Wraithian has no knowledge over an Archon form. He is taken by surprise when a powerful, crescent wave of violet destruction is hurled at him. He teleports out of its way, awed by the power of the spell when he sees it hit a wall. Mere Arcane Shield wouldn’t be able to prevent his death from such a thing. The resulting sound from the spell is equivalent to an explosion of a barrel full of gunpowder.
He can’t tell if the Archon can see him or not. It’d make sense if it did, as the physical body of Louir doesn’t appear to do anything other than serving as a conduit for the Void.
Wraithian tests its might by casting Arcane Torrent, a powerful blast of raw Arcana that should be capable of overpowering anything.
Apocalyptic Life (Era Series Book 2) Page 22