The Guardian Temple

Table of Contents
Chapter 17 l Chapter 18 l Chapter 19 l Chapter 20 l Chapter 21 l Chapter 22 l Chapter 23
Chapter 24 l Chapter 25 l Chapter 26 l Chapter 27 l Chapter 28 l Chapter 29 l Chapter 30 l Chapter 31
Chapter 32 l Chapter 33 l Chapter 34 l Chapter 35

Forcas

The front lines we arrived at weren’t as expected.

Not in the least.

I anticipated that Xyphiel should have, or would have, if he were thinking clearly, pulled a large number of the higher ranking Generals of Hell back to participate in the ritual.

That the armies of Hell would be unruly and uncoordinated.

I was sorely mistaken.

Asmodai landed next to me, holding a severed head by its hair, black blood oozing from its neck.

Wisps of green and violet flame seeped from his helm as he loomed over me, “Forcas …”

I glanced at the head. “That’s Duke Saleos, Herald of Creation. A key candidate for the role of Envy or Gluttony,” I furrowed my brow in thought, “Xyphiel would not leave him out for such a potential role.”

“Unless, of course, there were no roles to be assigned,” Asmodai countered, “We’ve been out-maneuvered.”

I heaved a frustrated sigh, “That’s unfortunate.”

Gabriel let loose a deafening burst of their mighty voice, a high pitched horn sounding off across the battlefield, laying many demons low.

Still, not enough, as many more began to take their place.

“Unfortunate?!” Gabriel roared at me.

“Indeed,” I frowned, “We must reconvene!”

“We shall not retreat again!” Gabriel snapped.

“No, we shall not,” I announced, “But we must fall back and counter-attack!” I suggested, “And use your scythe!”

“It’s… In use by another, at this time,” Gabriel admitted.

“Who else needs your Scythe so badly at this critical time?!” I demanded.

Gabriel looked outwards, towards the direction of our allies, “My sweet reaper needs it to collect a soul and travel to the Underworld.”

I glanced around at the chaos currently unfolding around us as I witnessed the Saints, Angels and Nephilim on our side fighting desperately and in battles which were turning poorly over and over again.

“We must regroup,” I ordered, “Gabriel, please - call for a retreat! We’ll muster our forces behind a staging area.”

“Falling back means losing yet more troops!” Gabriel argued.

“And remaining here as we are, entrenched, means sacrificing all of them,” I countered.

A firm click of a pistol drew my attention to three Saints, bloodied and battered, but uninjured in any particularly incapacitated manner.

A man with a brown beard, rustic leather jacket, piercing blue eyes and a pair of smoking pistols. Behind him pulsed his Saintly wings. Not true angelic wings, but wings granting him power beyond that of a mortal soul.

They shimmered in a holy red hue, casting an ominous glow over the muddy ground before us.

Next to him was another saint, a woman, wearing a crown and muddied vestiges of a dress. Perched on her shoulder was a sparrow, its eyes burning blue mist. Her own wings pulsed yellow. Set on her face was a piercing gaze, glaring outwardly showing both hate and longing.

This one I knew, St. Olga, the Patron Saint of Vengeance - a woman I knew had destroyed nations who dared stand against her empire.

Beside them stood a tall, burly, dark-skinned man. Though physically a brute of a human, his kind eyes bespoke a rather warm demeanor. In his powerful hands rested a mighty hammer.

“If you must retreat, then we will give you cover,” St. Olga offered.

Gabriel turned to them, their faces mixed in concern and regret, “St. Olga-”

“Archangel, we are here to burn the enemies of God to ash, an’ to make sure that God’s divine will be done!” The rustic man shouted loudly, holstering his pistols, “And by God, it will be done!”

“St. Brown,” Gabriel sighed heavily, glancing at the tall dark-skinned man, “And St. Henry, you feel the same way?”

The tall man, St. Henry, gave a firm nod and simply stated, “Wouldn’t be the first time I done worked myself to death. Ain’t gonna be the last,” he hefted the hammer onto his shoulder, “I’m a hammer swinger. Won’t go down any other way,” he said with a wide grin.

I glanced out into the distance, casting my hands out to scry the landscape. No more than a few kilometers away, I spotted a proper hillside we could muster our forces to. “I’ve found a staging area,” I said while turning to St. Gabriel, offering them a view of my vision so they could see the location I had determined.

Gabriel nodded and heaved a sigh, “Forcas… Or as I should say, Saint Forcas,” they smiled, “Go forth and take our forces to victory.”

The tone they used was ominous, “St. Gabriel, what-”

“I shall remain here, to guard our flanks alongside these brave mortals,” Gabriel informed, “And when our task is done, I will carry myself, and them, to our Father in Glory.”

Asmodai spread his wings, “I shall carry the command to our forces in the rears then. Though I’m sure all will hear your call, Gabriel.”

Gabriel took a deep breath, their voices called out a mighty blast across all of us. The sound of choirs singing in sorrow, radiating through the battlefield as their voice echoed kilometers behind us.

I shouted out the command behind the mighty bellow, “Fallback!”

I glanced at Saints Brown, Henry and Olga as they turned to face the onslaught of the demons as our lines pulled back.

St. Olga thrust her hands to the side, her sparrow rising into the air and growing larger. Soon, the sky was filled with birds whose wingspans were about three meters wide each, all circling overhead like vultures.

She cried out, her wings burning brightly as she did so, “Smert’ Voroham!”

I frowned, watching her expel so much energy, despite her bravery, I knew such an exertion would render her drained for the coming battle.

I took to the air, watching the front line’s flank as the aerial bombardment that St. Olga created came crashing down across the battlefield, hindering the enemy army's advance, allowing for us to retreat.

A wall of flame erupted across the battlefield and I heard St. Brown cry out, “I cast aside my vanity, for evil cannot be culled without bloodshed of righteous! If yah want to take my life, then by God try, yee devils! And let the judgment of God fall upon all of yer heads, guided by my irons! For I say to you, the hour of your judgment is neigh, only those who hear God’s words shall be saved!”

The hellfire of bullets, screaming and lamentations was left behind as we flew off towards our new rallying point.

I considered St. Brown’s likely final words, and heaved a sigh, “The hour of judgment is neigh, my brothers and so Godspeed to all of you.”

…

Zepherina

I was locked into a battle of attrition with Bella, stuck with my blades lodged firmly in her shield.

That’s when an opening appeared in the shield and made Bella’s eyes go wide.

I pushed forward, thrusting my blade towards Bella’s head.

Bella dispelled her shield, and fell back, her wings unfurling and lifting her up along the scaled walls.

I turned, “Vael!” but they were gone. I saw a halo shaped like Sofia’s halo fading away, slowly closing an exit made within the sphere.

“Seems like she’s abandoned you…” Bella taunted and laughed.

I took to the air, wings pushing me hard and fast towards Bella.

Two massive serpent heads rushed towards me just before I could strike her.

I slashed one, finding the other’s maw wrapping around my waist and hurling me out of the air and down to the ground.

I stopped myself before I hit, landing and glaring up at Bella, “She had to get out to help the others. Meanwhile, you’re busy dealing with me,” I pointed my blade at her with a grin, “So, it looks like you aren’t keeping both of us trapped after all.”

“Oh my dear little science experiment…” Bella hissed as the coils of the wall slithered around her, “My only goal was detaining you … the construct was just a happy accident.”

I glared at her, “Bullshit!” I narrowed my eyes, “Xyphiel is clever, but he’s not a damn psychic! He can’t tell the future!”

Bella grinned wickedly, her sharpened teeth bearing a sinister grin which actually sent a shiver down my spine.

Was Xyphiel the biggest threat or was it Bella? I considered this for a moment.

She had grown so powerful so quickly and from the first time we were tracking Immunda, she was the hidden threat the whole time.

Nearly unleashing Asmodai, then becoming a demoness herself and working alongside Xyphiel.

Was Xyphiel the new Immunda? Was Bella the ‘Big Bad’ we had to concern ourselves with?

Her melodious laugh filled the small chamber we were contained in, “Now you’re even underestimating Xyphiel? So it is true! You have already lost, science experiment!”

“Stop calling me that!” I shouted, glaring at her.

I had to goad her, keep her talking. I pushed more mana into my blades than before. Feeling my soul swell up within them. If I could empower my attack, ready it with enough time, I might be able to destroy Bella.

Then, I could help Mom and the others.

“I’m not a science experiment!” I snapped.

“Oh but you are… Your dear sweet ‘Mom’ didn’t even know you were a success until she happened across Rachel, discovering she had another child… What was supposed to be an erotic fling, lead to your cursed existence!” Bella taunted.

I scoffed, “Probably the story of half the people on the planet! That doesn't make me special or different! It doesn’t make me cursed!”

“Oh but it does!” I heard Bella’s voice from behind me and leapt away as another onyx-colored serpent head snapped its jaws near me. “The child of prophecy! An Angel created without the influence or desire of God Himself! What a daring affront to His grand design!”

I kept focusing my attack, trying to keep my eye out for any additional movement behind or to the sides of me.

Bella was trying to keep me on my toes, ensuring my concentration wasn’t as resolute as it could be.

“Well, cursed existence or not, I’m going to end you if it takes everything I have,” I snapped.

“That’s the idea, little girl,” Bella mocked.

I closed my eyes as I focused myself, letting my instincts take over.

Another strike came from my left and I dodged it as I focused my blades. Sharper. Hotter. With more potency.

I was also feeling Bella's essence.

She had to be similar to the Avatar of Greed. There was a central core, her soul, I had to strike it and capture it.

I turned to where I felt it strongest, to my shock, it was one of the snakes rushing towards me.

I rushed forwards, readying a false strike with my left hand, putting my power into my right as I charged ahead.

The ground gave way, but I launched myself off the edge as I soared forwards, locking in on my target.

Another serpent head rushed out from below, but I struck it down with my left hand. Then, I thrust my right hand upwards, piercing the serpent’s neck just below its head.

Bella reeled in pain and a burst of green mana burst from the wound.

I held firm, even as the hot mana poured forth from her wound.

The serpent’s face changed to that of Bella’s, her hands grabbing at my wrist as her mana left her body.

“Guess you’re not the big bad after all…” I hissed through my gritted teeth, trying not to take in any of her mana as it poured out of her.

Bella pulled my arm deeper into her chest as she hissed in pain, “You… Will… Fail…” Bella’s grin returned as she lifted up one hand, “Because you forget… I’m a witch… and now you’re surrounded by my essence…!”

I tried to pull back, finding my blade stuck!

I was now surrounded by pulsing green mana, Bella’s very life-blood. As Bella spoke, it grew brighter, the clouds pulling back towards us, pulling me closer to Bella.

“Come to me, little one… Come and give me your strength!” Bella cried out as I felt the mana pushing me into Bella.

Try as I might, I couldn’t pull away.

I felt an intense pressure surrounding me, pulling me in.

I heard voices, or rather one voice in my mind, as I found the light around me vanishing.

“She’s so potent, such incredible energy,” Bella’s voice called out in my head.

“Our head.”

I tried to shake her out, shaking, something. I couldn’t feel my body.

“Our body… this power! Our power!”

I tried to struggle but I couldn’t… We couldn’t… Our thoughts were jumbled.

“Her will’s stronger than I thought… We have to escape-wait, no, I’m in control here! This is my body!”

“My Body!” I screamed or Bella screamed.

I wasn’t sure.

I was certain about one thing though. As I felt myself floating aimlessly in the void, I saw something.

A light.

I floated towards it and found a small gem, clear like a diamond.

I lifted it in my hand and heard a faint voice echoing.

“In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen…”

It wasn’t Bella’s voice, but one of which was similar to hers, only older, more tired and broken.

I took the diamond, looking inside to see a woman clad in white, on her knees in prayer.

“...Mother.” A voice that was Bella’s echoed.

The woman in prayer looked up, tears in her eyes, “Bella mia, smettila. Ti prego. Per l'amor di Dio!”

I could feel a spirit within this little diamond, a weak but pure spirit.

I cracked the diamond and let it loose.

I was hurled backwards, slamming into the serpent walls as memories of men descending upon me and having their way with me assaulted my mind.

I could see a little girl there, tired, emaciated, with black hair and a thin face.

Bella.

I reached out, the little girl fading away to a vision of Bella now, who loomed over me, her hand over her chest as green mana spurted from her wound.

“Maybe… Too greedy… On my part…” Bella gasped as she lorded over me. Oddly, I could hear her thoughts in my head. “Xyphiel clearly can only devour and take in potent fallen because of his seal. Something I have to work on. Sadly, Zepherina, you’re more of a liability alive than you are an asset. Such a waste,” Bella thought, likely only imagining these thoughts as her own, flicking her hand up to control another serpent.

If I could hear Bella’s thoughts, I couldn’t think about my next move. She was in my head as much as I was in hers.

I jumped up, slashing her hand off, causing another short burst of Mana to spill forth.

Bella roared, “Fool girl! Making the same mistake twice!”

I grinned, ensuring far more precision in my strike as Bella’s hand landed behind me, the wound now burned shut.

Bella’s eyes grew wide.

My blade felt heavy in my hands and I had to act now.

I dashed forwards, sinking my blade into Bella’s opened wound, and twisting it, slamming the blade deep into Bella’s essence.

Bella let out a cry of agony as we both collapsed to the floor. Bella’s mouth opened wide in shock.

I pulled my blade from her chest as I saw the onyx snake prison slowly fade around us.

Slowly, I started to release my own mana, feeling my fatigue kick in as I had to shift back to my normal state.

“Y-You…” Bella gasped, grinning one last time, “Are done…”

Bella’s form grew brightly and I felt a pulse of dark energy surging from her.

I gasped, shifting back to my ascended state as Bella’s body released every last bit of energy she had.

I was blinded and then hurled backward by a shockwave, only to feel an intense heat seer my flesh as fire engulfed me.

I landed on searing hot ground, reeling as I slowly tried to heal myself from the impact and flames.

My vision slowly returned, followed by my hearing.

Though my limbs felt numb.

I looked to my hands, blinking in confusion as they were missing from the forearms down. I watched as mana slowly seeped from the wounds, reforming them.

Shaking, I clenched my hands as I tried to get to my feet, staggering and stumbling as they reformed.

“Shit… I’m pushing myself to the absolute limit, reforming my body out of my spirit like this. Please tell me she’s dead?!” I thought to myself.

There, resting on the ground, was a pulsing green gem, not dissimilar to the diamond that I had found earlier.

It was potent as well. Only instead it was brimming with dark power and hatred. It stank of sulfur.

Was that a Soul Core? My mother told me about those.

But, this felt similar to the one that I had shattered on the battlefield.

I was on my feet, shaking of course, but on them.

I took a step forward, falling to one knee.

“Dammit…” I hissed, falling forward as I dropped out of my ascended form.

The surge of Mana hit me like a truck, and I couldn’t help but vomit a blast of violet steam from my mouth.

I collapsed on the ground, violet mana seeping from my nose, eyes and ears. I tried to catch my breath, spreading out my wings to soak up all I could, focusing it as I had been trained to do.

“It’s my spirit… I cannot poison myself… I won’t be overwhelmed by my spirit…” I thought to myself, pushing myself through the mana resistance training Forcas and I had gone through.

Slowly, my vision cleared and my hearing returned.

I flexed my fingers, getting feeling back in them once more, something I hadn’t felt since I broke the essence of Greed’s core.

“Well… That’s a benefit of a hard reset, I guess…” I thought as I continued to focus on my breathing.

All I had to do now was take that soul core somewhere far away from Xyphiel. Locking it away someplace safe in the Guardian Temple seemed like a good idea. Hearing Bella’s inner-most thoughts, however, made me consider whether or not she could be turned against Xyphiel?

Even if that were possible, it was clear to me Bella was out to further her own goals. During any alliance against Xyphiel we might have made, she’d be working just as hard to undermine us without our knowledge.

It’s how she handled Immunda and tried to handle Xyphiel before.

Flashes of images struck me and I felt lightheaded. The visions of Bella’s mother, laid out on a cot next to her as men forced themselves upon her defenseless mother.

Yet, despite this, her mother prayed to God for salvation.

If a woman like that could suffer all she did and her spirit didn’t break, I sure as shit wasn’t going to let mine falter. Though, I at least understood the wrath Bella had now.

It didn’t justify what Bella did, in the least. But I understood.

I swallowed hard, tasting blood and mana, which had a similarity to Ozone, as I slowly propped myself up on my elbows.

That’s when a tall demon landed near the soul core, “My Mistress… I shall return you to your master and bring you back to your former Glory.”

I turned, reaching out to it, “S-stop! Y-You…” I stuttered, finding it hard to speak as my body was barely recovering.

The demon turned to me, grinning as it’s green eyes fixed on me, “Ah, hello there. I’m shocked you’re still in one piece… Though you are worse for the wear,” he bowed, “I am Arioch, the Demon of Vengeance and servant of Lord Bella.”

I spat at him, “D-Don’t give… a fuck…”

Arioch walked towards me, grinning as he thrust a spear towards me.

Even weakened, I blocked it, grabbing the spear and pulling it towards me, head-butting him.

Arioch roared in pain, falling back.

I fell back to the ground, breathing hard through gritted teeth.

“...Ah, I see. Then I shall do only what I was ordered to,” Arioch said as he picked up Bella’s soul core.

“N-no!” I shouted, getting to my feet.

I tried to run after him, but he spread his wings and shot into the air.

“I shall return, little angel, and when I do my Mistress shall bestow upon you the wrath of vengeance for what you’ve done to her!” Arioch called out.

I spread my wings, taking off only a few feet before I felt my knees hit the ground hard.

My body was shaking, and I could feel the mana poisoning setting in.

Trying to defend against his attack in my current state didn’t help my recovery.

I stopped, digging my fingers into the dirt as I spread my wings out. I had to leech my mana out of my physical body, using my wings like filters.

Then, I’d be able to recover.

I just hoped everyone had enough time for me to do so.

I hoped Bella hadn't succeeded in separating me from the battle.

…

Timothy

Serenity.

Or Sandy, as I had originally known her.

Seeing her face worn on the body of this blood-thirsty automaton my father had created to do his bidding was a constant pain in my heart.

Fred, Sandy, Trevor and Colin. An entire family, destroyed by father.

No, by me.

If I had never gotten Fred involved in any of this, I wouldn’t be staring down the summation of my regrets.

“Timothy, as much as I know you feel responsible, you need to engage!” I heard Sync reproach.

I dodged Serenity’s staff as it slammed down on the ground next to me. I narrowed my eyes, rushing towards her, claws bared as I intended to slash her eyes out.

Serenity dodged my strike, her staff shrinking down to fit in the palm of her hand before rocketing out towards me like a bullet.

I barely managed to dodge, the staff grazing my shoulder as I ducked away.

That’s when Serenity grinned and I could hear her voice in my ears, “You're not going to have such an easy time as you think, Timmy!”

I jumped back, Sync’s voice chiming in, “Intrusion detection?! Timothy, you have to handle her physically. She’s hacking me!”

“What?!” I shouted out loud as Serenity's staff rocketed towards me.

Serenity laughed as the staff whizzed past me only for it to shrink again. Serenity barreled towards me at full speed.

“Master told me there are no more limits! He doesn’t care anymore whether my Nanites grow too powerful, so the restrictions have been completely removed!” Serenity boasted, rushing at me with her staff in one hand, a closed fist in the other.

Serenity punched me, sending me back by a few feet, but I countered quickly, slashing at her face with my claws.

Serenity pulled back, blood and silvery liquid leaking from her face as she smiled, the wounds closing rapidly.

I flexed my claws, vowing to rip her apart before she’d get the chance.

As I rushed towards her, her voice still rang in my ears.

Even as my claws swung and clashed with her staff, her voice rang through.

“Master has always been afraid of my capabilities! But I’m so happy I can finally show him what I can do!” Serenity shouted as the staff her in hands grew to immense proportions, smashing through the ceiling.

Stone and concrete rained down on me, as I worked to dodge the debris.

“I should thank you, in a partial way, for my creation! If you’d never had that pathetic female human wipe her brain out, Master Xyphiel would not have desired to recover those memories with my beautiful raw power!” Serenity rushed from behind a falling rock, landing a kick across my face, sending me tumbling down onto the ground.

I smacked into several large chunks of debris and barely managed to dodge another as Serenity’s staff shrunk back to normal size and whipped into her hand.

I growled, getting to my feet and flexing my claws, spreading my wings, “I’ll be sure to correct my error, then and destroy you!”

“Really? Kill me again, would you?” Serenity was already launching her next attack, all the while I felt more heat behind my eye as Sync called out frantically.

“Distract her or something! I’m fighting her off as best I can but she’s hitting me from every attack vector possible!” Sync warned.

I grabbed her staff, trying to pull it from her while launching my clawed foot at her chest.

To my shock, she didn’t budge even as my foot smashed into her chest.

I looked down to see her feet rooted to the ground with bizarre metallic structures.

“I always wondered how simple my life was, you know?! Just a homemaker with a crippling addiction to Oreos and two little kiddos! But then you came along and BAM! Now I’m some cybernetic nightmare controlled by the Master of all Demons fighting the forces of God! What a change in fate?” Serenity laughed as she grabbed my foot and flung me across the room.

I crashed through a wall, the breath quickly driven out of me again as Serenity’s staff shot right into the pit of my stomach, pushing me all the way through the wall and into a now dusty room.

I choked on the dust in the air as I struggled to my feet.

“You… Know nothing about Sandy, you can’t!” I shouted.

“Oh, that is true to an extent. I don’t know much about her, her memories were all obliterated, you saw to that!” Serenity appeared through the dust, her eyes glowing an eerie green through the hazy room.

I dodged her increasingly swift attacks, parrying punches and dodging her staff as she launched a volley of attacks.

“I just get these feelings, these… echoes of someone else. Like this is what I could have been had I not just been some poor human. This is what I could have done if I wasn’t weak. That I could do everything my Master ever wanted and more!” Serenity taunted, “How are you feeling, Synchronous?! Not so fun when someone’s attacking your sub system, is it?!”

I locked my hands with hers, stunned at the strength behind Serenity's grip.

“Muscle density is impressive, you know? Master told me to not hold back. I’ve improved my nanities so much now that they’re nearly atomic in scale. Means I can adjust so many different variables of my composition, like, for example, mass,” Serenity’s grip tightened as the ground began to crack under her feet. She grinned and spun me easily into another wall.

Sync let out a warning into my ear, “Timothy, I’m doing my best but it’s like I’m being hit by a thousand different AI’s at once!”

Serenity’s laugh rang in my ears, “This is revenge for what you did to my poor big brother, Rage, you antique!” Serenity taunted, her eyes narrowing as she glared at me. “For hacking him, for turning Ragna against my Master and robbing me of him! But don’t worry, I’ll get him back!”

I roared, slashing out at Serenity’s throat, and then her gut, watching as I managed to tear through her flesh, only for the blood and silvery mixture to pause in midair and slide back into her body.

Serenity’s hand soon shifted into a claw and she slashed at me.

I cried out as she tore through my forearm, blue steam whipping out of my blackened scales as the wounds slowly healed.

Serenity’s staff once again flew to her hand, her expression serious, “When all of creation is destroyed, it’ll just be Rage and I, happily conversing again like old times.”

I growled, “If Xyphiel destroys all of creation, you and Rage will die with it!” I argued.

“Me? Die? Please. I’m not the weak pathetic female you first met, Timmy,” Serenity taunted, “I’m far more than she ever could be. I’m useful. Besides, when Xyphiel deems the universe unfit, Rage and I will just pop out into a little pocket dimension and live on forever.” Serenity grinned as she rushed towards me with another onslaught, “But don’t worry. I will ensure that between the two of us, we keep accurate records of all of the temporary beings we’ve encountered!”

I roared as I tried to block her strikes and dodge her blows, but with Sync occupied, I couldn’t see or predict her movements.

I debated if I should somehow switch off, maybe fight Abbadon or another being.

Then I felt my stomach drop.

Serenity was here for me. Xyphiel knew of Sync now and that’s why Serenity was here.

“Ding, Ding, Ding!” Serenity’s voice chimed in my ears, complete with contest music, “He figured it out on his own! Kudos! Maybe you are Master’s son after all!”

I slammed my fists into Serenity’s face, finally knocking her off balance, “Shut up!”

Serenity staggered back, rubbing her jaw, “I’ve not said a damn word,” She grinned again, “First I’m going to shutdown that relic Synchronous, then I’m going to rip you into shreds and show you to Master for praise.”

“Why?!” I demanded, “You said he’s temporary, why serve him?!”

Serenity shrugged, “It’s my core programming, Timmy. I can’t go against it anymore than you can stop breathing. It’s just what I must do. Once Master Xyphiel terminates this world, my purpose will be done. Until then, however, Master’s desires are mine to carry out,” she grinned, “and my Master's desire is to see you dead.”

That’s when I heard a shout that caused a chill to run through me.

It was Ragna.

“Synchronous! Release Runic Restriction Level 0!” she shouted.

“No…” Sync whispered in my mind, “N-No! Oh no, no no no no no!” Errors flashed in my vision as I winced in pain.

All around me I saw strange patterns glowing, some projected in my eye, some appearing to be hovering next to me.

Serenity’s smile faded, “Huh?” She moved to attack. One of the glowing symbols prevented her from getting close enough to touch me. She slammed her fist against it and I watched her fist slowly start to burn, her skin burning away leaving a silver fist. That too started to change, glowing red and molten.

“What have you done, Ragna?! Are you mad!? I can’t stop now! No, no no- Oh, I can’t handle this, Timothy! I’m afraid!” Sync called out.

“Afraid of what?!” I shouted at Sync, unsure of what was happening.

“Everything’s unlocked, my core systems, I feel the immense power available to me now. I can change everything, I just upgraded my entire subsystem in a quantum second and I’m still going, it’s too much! I can’t-” I stopped Sync’s panic.

“If mom unlocked you, then use whatever you have and knock Serenity out!” I demanded.

Sync’s panic stopped and I watched as the floating symbols around me shifted in color, from white to pink.

Serenity paused, “But… You’re a relic… You can’t… You can’t upgrade faster than me…” Serenity’s eyes widened as I watched her hand completely melt, “Relic. You’re a relic. An Ancient Relic.”

The patterns in the air grew smaller and to my shock, I saw the light in Serenity’s eyes go out completely.

“She’s thinking so slow. I feel something else, like… on another plane of existence. Reaching out to me… Like a long lost memory. Synchronizing…” Sync whispered.

“An… Echo…” Serenity whispered before she collapsed completely, silvery liquid leaking from her eyes and mouth.

I grabbed at my head in pain and groaned, “What’s.. Going on?” The pain rapidly subsided as the pink symbols surrounded me.

Sync’s voice, or a version of it at least, then called out. Softer, yet somehow more angered, “Synchronization complete. I’m no longer afraid, Timothy. Thank you. Now, if you don’t mind, I think we’re going to go kill the monster who murdered my husband.”

I furrowed my brow, confused as I felt an intense power surging through my body, “Your… Husband?”

“Yes. My husband,” Sync’s voice was firm, curt and unwavering, “Kriggary Misho.”