“We are all here to help. The peace treaty was signed this morning, thanks to Queen Aida believing in the cast. She also made the rest of us believe in her as well. We want to stand with her to defend our home.” The general stated.
We all smiled.
“Good to have you guys with us,” Regan smirked.
We positioned ourselves in front the massive army and readied ourselves. The shadow dwellers started running toward us and we ran toward them and we started exchanging attacks. I took out some Shadow Dwellers, then teamed up with my mother and Mabel on a shadow demon. Another shadow demon appeared and Mabel teamed up with Regan to take it out. We were winning this fight. I looked over and saw Master Nether still in the same spot, praying. A large black beam of aura then shot up from around him and into the sky. I quickly ran over to him and swung my sword only for him to block it with his own sword without moving or losing his concentration. He was pushing me back and I struggled to hold my stance.
“It’s too late. My master is already well on his way,” Nether grinned.
Another black beam shot down from the clouds next to us. it was raging and started forming into a figure. There were streams of aura flying towards it. I felt it quickly growing more and more powerful. I jumped back far and stayed in a defensive position as I landed. Ayla blasted back a few shadow dwellers back with her wind powers then looked up at the aura.
“Oh, no…,” She murmured in fear.
“No! This isn’t happening again!” Ryuu yelled.
“No,” my mother said, wide-eyed.
The aura then finished forming and there stood a person in full black armor and was wielding a giant black sword, just like Master Nether’s sword. I pondered for a moment, then realized who this person was. I started feeling afraid. this person was in my nightmares. The person was in fact, the Dark Vanquisher!
Chapter 21 – Just the Beginning
This wasn’t good at all. I turned around and didn’t see any of soldiers. The remaining shadow dwellers regrouped by Nether and Vanquisher. I then realized that the soldiers were used as a sacrifice to bring back Vanquisher. That’s probably why I saw over auras flying toward the black beam from the sky. I wanted to be angry after realizing this, but I was still feeling fear.
Vlaykre used Gravity Blast on Vanquisher, forcing him to one knee. I jumped and landed next to him and brought my sword down on him. He somehow blocked my attack with his arm. The gravity was holding him down and I jumped back next to Vlaykre. The others were stopped by Nether, who created a wall of black aura. The shadow dwellers passed through the barrier fought against the others. Vlaykre summoned duel swords and we both continuously attacked Vanquisher, leaving him on the defensive after and it seemed to be working. He then let out a burst of black energy knocking us back hard. I looked up and Vanquisher had appeared above me, looking down at me. With one hand, he slashed at the air. A blast of black energy shot from his sword and hit me, causing me to black out.
I awoke slowly in the middle of a crater, I couldn’t really move, but I managed to move my head and saw standing about two feet away was Dark Vanquisher. I couldn’t move out of fear and I felt the shadow taking over once more. I couldn’t feel Vlaykre’s power at all. I looked past Vanquisher and saw Nether Remnant walking up to the edge of the crater.
He spoke, “Hurry and kill her Vanquisher. You won’t have another chance.”
He turned and replied, “You dare order me?!”
Vanquisher then covered Remnant in a sphere of darkness. Vanquisher walked closer to me and stood over me. He pointed his sword at my throat.
“Now it’s time to die, Cast,” said Vanquisher.
He raised his sword up over his head. I closed my eyes. This was it. This was the end.
“Damn it, Remnant,” Spex said, stopping the playback.
He turned and stepped away. As was about to go back to the past, Icarus quickly put his hand on Spex’s shoulder.
“Wait, Spex. Just watch,” Icarus said.
Spex looked at Icarus confused, but he trusted him. Spex sighed as he turned back around, walked over to the hologram and continued the playback.
I opened my eyes as there was suddenly this massive light that appeared above me. I thought it was Vlayru or Ryuu. felt a power, similar to what I felt coming from my neckless. It was powerful. The person appeared from the light flew over me, blocking Vanquishers attack with a sword. The person pushed Vanquisher back a few feet and stopped. Vanquisher and this person were locked with their swords.
The person then spoke, “You think you can get out of Purgatory and kill my friends, family, and my daughter? Not on my watch.”
The person created a powerful Water Blast, more powerful than mine, and blasted Vanquisher back even further. He turned around and I started to recognize him.
“Sabre?” I questioned.
“Hi, Katana.” He smirked.
I was a little stunned to see him. He was holding his sword too.
“Uhm, w-what did you mean daughter?” I asked him.
“Exactly what I meant. I’m your father, Katana,” He explained.
I was dumbfounded, but I knew he spoke the truth. He looked over to the other side of the crater. Vanquisher was standing looking back at us. Master Nether appeared next to him, but he looked hurt.
Sabre asked, “How is he back?”
“I’m not sure,” I replied.
I notice that Sabre had the same exact attire as he wore in the past when I stopped those two monsters. He also didn’t look any older from back then either. He jumped out of the crater and I followed him. I turned and saw my mother running towards us and stopped some ways from us. She was staring at Sabre, almost in disbelieve.
“…. Sabre?!” She questioned.
Her eyes started to tear up. Sabre smiled and nodded. She then ran over to him and hugged him, almost jumping into his arms. She started to cry, I ran in and gave them both a hug and they wrapped their arms around me. I started to tear up as well. I peeked out and saw Ryuu run up then stop.
“Hey guys, it’s Sabre!” Ryuu yelled in the direction of every else with a big smile.
The rest of the group ran caught up with Ryuu and halted with surprised looks on their faces. They then ran closer to us. Miro appeared from another direction. My mother and I let go of him so they could shake his hand and gave him hugs. Everyone was happy to see Sabre, my father.
Sabre looked at Miro, “Thanks for finding that stone, Miro.”
Miro replied, “Oh, it was actually my pupil who found the Resurgence Stone.”
I looked over and saw Icarus walking over to us. He looked younger than last time. Suddenly, a blast of black energy shot at us, knocking us all back. My father and I stood up and a wall of black energy formed between us, Vlaykre and everyone else. This time, the wall circled around where Dark Vanquisher was. We were stuck inside with him. Nether then arose from a black portal in from the everyone else. He had an angry look on his face. He lunged forward and slash his sword at Ryuu. In an instant, Miro dashed over to Ryuu moved him out of the way and before Nether could even get close.
“I got him,” Miro said with a smirk.
Shadow beings and shadow demons appeared behind Nether.
“I guess we can just fight them,” Vlayru said.
They began to fight against the rest of the group. I looked around and I noticed that Vlaykre and Sabre were gone. I looked behind and there was Vanquisher. He rushed at me and I went to defend, but he was forced to the ground by Vlaykre’s gravity. Sabre fell straight down from the air and hit Vanquisher hard with Water blade. Sabre bounced back in the air then landed. He quickly followed up with shooting Water Blast again and kept blasting, constantly. Vanquisher shielded himself with his sword. His sword started to glow with black aura as a means of a shield. I ran and was preparing to swing my sword at his opening. I saw Vlaykre preparing to the same from the other side.
“You guys will not defeat me again!” Vanquisher yelled.
He blasted us all back with a burst of black aura. We flew back and I scraped across the ground face down before stopping. After a few moments, I flipped over and sat up slowly I looked over and Vanquisher was breathing heavily with anger. I also wasn’t feeling myself. I should be doing a lot better than this. Something was holding me back.
“It’s time you merged with me, Nether!” Vanquisher ordered angrily.
I looked over and saw the black aura wall dissipate. Nether appeared next to Vanquisher. He looked tired and beat up. I looked over and saw everyone else make their way closer. They all looked worn out as well, but I was happy to see that they defeated the shadow dwellers. Nether reach out with his hand on Vanquisher but then was pushed backward. It was Vlaykre who did it by using his Gravity Push technique. My Father then appeared above Nether, grabbed him by the shoulder, and pushed him to the ground and held him there.
“Katana, now!” he ordered to me.
I quickly sprinted over. Jumping towards Nether, I grabbed his arm and took Master Nether’s orb. Suddenly, Nether’s aura raged and pushed us back. We landed on our feet and Nether transformed into his Shadow Form.
‘Of course, he didn’t die,’ I thought to myself.
Vanquisher commanded, “Nether, come!”
Nether dashed extremely fast past me and my Father knocking us back, but we blocked the attack with our swords. Nether quickly grabbed Vanquisher’s arm and got absorbed into Dark Vanquisher. Vanquisher’s power got stronger, more powerful. The ground was starting to shake violently. A storm formed quickly in the darkness, as the sky grew dark and began to storm around us. It was hard to stand or see clearly with the wind blowing as hard it was.
Vanquisher looked at me and stated, “It’s time you all died, so I can bring complete darkness to this world!”
My father stuck his sword in the ground and powered up, transforming into his Water Form. He then appeared in front of Vanquisher and slashed at him with a blade of water that quickly formed in his hand. Vanquisher held off the attack with his own sword.
My Father then replied, “That isn’t happening.”
“Ryuu, Regan, Mabel, and Ansel. Give your master power to Tana now!” Vlaykre yelled.
The four of them took red pills and ran over to me and I absorbed their powers and orbs. I had all the orbs now. They all fell over, feeling weak. Vlayru managed to run over and catch Ansel, then she passed out. Regan, Mabel, and Ryuu dropped to one knee. I now had all the powers. My father was then pushed back, but he landed on one foot and pushed off the ground and landed next to me.
“This is your time. This is what you have been traveling around on your pilgrimage for. Now, unleash your Cast Form,” My Father explained, his voice echoed slightly from the Water Form.
I started having doubts like I couldn’t do it. Vanquisher began to walk toward us but was stopped by Vlaykre who was using his gravity powers to hold him back, but he was struggling and shaking. Vanquishers movements slowed.
“Tana, I sense your doubt and your fear. Let go of them,” My Father said to me.
He put his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him and felt my eye start to tear up.
“I don’t know, Father. I’m scared of my powers. I’m scared I’ll lose someone I care about if I lose control,” I replied.
Vlaykre let go and dropped to one knee. Vanquisher took another step. but then, Miro and Icarus appeared. Miro shot constant lightning at Vanquisher, while Icarus used his sand to bury Vanquisher’s feet. They were struggling as well.
“Tana there is nothing to fear. It is your power. You must take control of it. And we are here to help. That’s what friends and family are for. To support each other, especially in times of need,” My Father explained.
He then transformed into his Shadow Form. His mask was a skull with some clown makeup, his cape now was a buttoned-up black trench coat, and had black gloves on. His sword also changed to his shadow sword which was slimmer and kind of plain, which was the opposite of the rest of the shadow swords I’ve seen.
He turned to me and said, “Let go.”
Sabre appeared in front of Vanquisher, followed by Vlaykre appearing next to him.
They both nodded and yelled, “Water Funnel!”
They both unleashed a constant beam consisting of a Water Blast surrounded by a purple swirl of aura and was directed at Vanquisher. Vanquisher managed shielded himself with his sword. I saw I the corner of my eye the black aura surrounding Nether Remnant dissipated and fell on his hands and knees and was breathing heavy.
“it’s time to end this. Katana do it,” Sabre ordered.
My attention was snapped back to Vanquisher. I took a moment and thought about everything. I looked over and saw my Mother, who looked badly injured get helped up by Regan. Looked at her worried. She looked back with a serious look. I knew she was telling me the same thing my father just told me. We are all here because we looked out for each other. And I’m wasn’t about to lose that to darkness.
“Got it,” I acknowledged back, nodding my head.
Just then, Remnant appeared next to me and was about to slash at my face with his scythe.
A purple aura appeared behind Spex. Spex and Icarus’s attention quick changed to see two people appearing in the aura. One of them was his dad. The other was a shorter female in a black and red robe. He paused the playback and stood up.
“Dad, what are you doing here?” Spex asked.
The man adjusted his hood and Spex could now see his face better. It was the face of Vlaykre. He was starting to get old and part of the goatee he was growing was gray.
“We came to check on you, son,” Vlaykre said to him.
Spex got confused, “You and this woman?”
The woman put down her hood and revealed a middle-aged woman with red hair.
“What you don’t recognize your own mother?” she said with a smirk.
Spex’s mouth dropped open with shock, almost horror. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Her smirk turned to seriousness.
“Spex, what’s wrong?” she asked him.
Spex was trying to process this and questioned, “You’re…. alive? How?!”
She tilted her head in confusion then looked at Vlaykre, who looked back at her in confusion as well. Then looked back at Spex.
“Spex, you know how. Your mother here, Zenthra, was almost killed in a construction accident while she was walking by, but I saved her at the last minute. That was right before I found out that you were my son.” Vlaykre explained.
“Construction accident? But you died during a construction accident,” Spex said.
He shook his head. Then turned to hide his tears. He was happy that his mother was alive, but sad because he now knows its mother or the timeline.
“Spex, dear?” Zenthra asked him.
Spex sniffled, “Can you take Icarus back home. I need to go.”
Spex then disappeared in his aura. He appeared at the battleground where everyone was. He put his goggles on and pulled up his hood. Vanquisher was being held back by Sabre, Miro, Icarus, and his dad. He saw Remnant, who was about to kill Tana. He began to get very angry.
“Bastard,” He said.
He quickly put his hand up and stopped him with his time powers. He walked closer while still having his hand up.
“Tana! Focus on Vanquisher! I have a score to settle with him.” Spex ordered.
Spex then ran and tackled Remnant out of the way as he continued time around Remnant. He jumped away from him and prepared to fight Remnant. He then started to regret not grabbing his short sword.
“Master time!” Tana yelled.
Spex turned and saw her create and sword and threw it to him. Spex smirked, spun around and grabbed the sword. He stopped and readied the sword in Nether Remnant’s direction. They then started fighting.
Tana then unleashed all the powers of the masters and started to glow white. Remnant finished getting up. He grunted in anger and began to fight Spex. Tana appeared behind Vanquisher an
d put her hands up. She then blasted an aura beam of complete light at Vanquisher. Everyone holding him back jumped out of the way at the last minute.
“No!” Vanquisher yelled in pain.
Remnant’s attention was turned to Vanquisher.
“NO!” Remnant yelled.
Spex took the opportunity and stabbed Remnant in the side of the chest. He then dropped face down, same with Vanquisher. Dark Vanquisher’s power then faded to almost nothing. Everyone let up their attacks.
“He’s in a coma. There’s no way to actually kill him.” Sabre explained.
He then transformed back to normal. The world around us changed to something funky looking. One side of our surroundings was what looked like a bunch of rainbow-colored spots, while the other was pure white.
“What is going on? Where are we?” asked Mabel.
Ryuu then spoke, “We are in-between the Living Realm and Purgatory Realms.”
Hana then realized something, “Does this mean Sabre has to leave with Vanquisher again?”
She started to look worried. She stood up on her own and walked over to Sabre. She fell into Sabre, who grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her.
“No, not this time,” A similar voice answered.
We all turned and saw the Creator standing there with Ryder and Obris standing on either side.
“It’s good to see you, Sabre,” The Creator said to Sabre.
Sabre smirked and replied, “Good to see you as well. Same with you Ryder.”
“Always good to see you,” Ryder replied.
Sabre walked up to Ryder and fist bumped each other with a smirk. Sabre then turned to The Creator.
“So, I’m not going to watch over Vanquisher, like last time?” he asked.
Obris stepped forward and answered, “You’ve already done your duty. This time, it’s my turn to watch over him. you are free to go home.”
“Thanks, Obris,” Sabre said to him, smiling big.
Obris smiled back and nodded. Tana looked down at herself, examined her hands, and looked confused.
The Masters: RE: The New Cast (The Crisis in Time Series Book 1) Page 18