Zero and Maeve lay on their backs in front of the castle, both of them gazing up at the dark twilight that shrouded the entire area. The moon was nearly in position; in less than an hour, it would align for a total eclipse, effortlessly blocking both suns. The world would then be bathed in only a faint glow, less than what happens at the final moments of sunset.
If everything went according to plan, the moon would lock in place with the suns, and the Vampire Gods would use its power to consume the suns' light. This would plunge all of Arrithia into total darkness. Without the suns, even the moon's shine would be extinguished, and the distant stars of the Dragon Realms would remain far beyond the reach of Arrithia due to the ever-expanding universe. There would be nothing but darkness.
Zero's mind continued to revolve around the same thought, and every solution he considered led to the same devastating conclusion for all of Arrithia. He weighed the options in his head, knowing it would cause problems with at least five Highers. But it wasn't the known Highers that concerned him; it was the unknown ones, those lurking in the shadows. He still had a long way to go before he could confidently stand against any Higher, and he wouldn't be surprised if there were even a few he hadn't discovered yet.
Zero's thoughts raged on, drowning out the chaos as the Hier Kingdom crumbled around them. The remaining elves were part of Máire's inner circle, fiercely defending the castle. Even the Vampire Gods themselves should hesitate to interfere, especially with Maeve and Zero now subtly guarding the entrance.
"What now?" Maeve asked, her gaze fixed on the sky, contemplating their next move.
Zero let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know. I thought I'd be standing in front of Magic's End by now, or at least heading toward it. It's been one stop after another. It's becoming absurd."
Maeve sighed in agreement. "You don't even know if Magic's End exists. But for now, we should probably split up. It's not wise for the two of us to be seen together."
"And why is that?" A soft yet rumbling voice interrupted them from behind, causing Maeve and Zero to turn their heads to see who had approached.
"Shit," Maeve muttered.
"I guess the evil Maeve arc is officially canceled," Zero quipped.
The figure standing before them had dark red skin adorned with orange tattoos that meandered across their body, resembling more like painted scars than a distinct pattern. They wore dark brown trousers that clung to their massive legs but no shirt, revealing their extraordinarily muscular physique. Long white hair framed their face, and a curled mustache connected with their sideburns, extending into a long beard. Two black horns spiraled unevenly from the sides of their head, and two fangs protruded from their lower lip. Their eyes blazed a bright, fiery orange, and their nose featured a subtle point, mirroring the tips of their ears.
An aura enveloped them, primarily black but tinged with a reddish hue on the edges, radiating immense power. They flaunted it, displaying as much as they could as they approached Maeve and Zero.
"Little Maeve, to think you were playing us this entire time, I applaud you," the imposing figure remarked, their attention shifting to Zero with a subtle smirk. "And you, oh you, oh you, oh you."
They took a slight pivot, approaching Zero until they were merely a meter away, then abruptly halted. "OH, incredible, that was a close one."
Zero's smirk widened. "So you can see the minutes between the seconds too."
They nodded. "I can."
Zero's grin broadened. "Yeah, but you're still not as fast as Death... Or Maeve."
Even if you could perceive the minutes between seconds, you still had to be looking at your target or adjusting your perspective to keep up. Those who had harnessed this power knew its limitations, but those who had abused it did not.
Zero vanished and reappeared behind the Vampire God, his whip at the ready, its chains ablaze in bright red flames. "Sorry we didn't get proper introductions... I'm ZERO!" He swung the chain forward and, as he did, he teleported back in front of the Vampire God just as they turned around. He pulled the whip back, forming a golden arc of light that bent forward, the flames cascading into a wave. But as they neared their target, they were diverted to the left, engulfed in the grasp of Sol.
Her flesh-like, orange dress shifted as if adjusting itself, and her embedded eyes rearranged to eliminate any blind spots. She lowered her hand, and smoke billowed from it, absorbing Zero's attack.
"That was a close one, Zus. He almost got you, twice." Sol remarked.
Zus turned to her, admiring her for a moment before shifting his gaze back to Maeve and Zero. Zero had positioned himself beside Maeve, who had not only taken a stand but had also removed her hood. Her horns emitted a faint black glow, a detail that seemed to catch only Zero's attention, leaving him uncertain about her next move with such an aura.
Sol joined Zus on the yellow bricks, her hair levitating and aiming toward Maeve and Zero, ready for a potential attack.
"I assume you've heard the news," she stated.
Zus kept his gaze locked on the duo but spoke to Sol in a hushed tone, "You mean Luna's betrayal?"
"Indeed. It seems we aren't very good at spotting when we are weak," Sol replied.
Zus took a step forward, his head still held high and eyes focused on Maeve and Zero. "No, it could never be us. We are perfect." He then disappeared and reappeared behind Maeve and Zero, intending to strike, but his arm was severed in the middle of his bicep before he could execute the blow.
Maeve and Zero held their weapons at the ready but didn't attack him, choosing to hold their ground. Zero kept a hand on Maeve's chest, signaling for her to wait for the third party to make their move.
"Speak of someone, and they run to you as if they are someone," Zus commented, catching his severed arm as it fell and reattaching it with eerie ease. He then turned to his right, where Luna stood.
Luna, positioned about five meters away, had a radiant blue aura surrounding her elongated crown. She performed intricate motions with her arms, causing the extended fabric around her wrists to spin, creating a magic circle etched in the same blue aura as her hat. With a sweeping motion, she sent the circle forward, expanding its size before it vanished and reappeared on the ground, several times larger than before. Luna lifted her hands, causing the perimeter of the circle to rise. As it did, what was thought was a portion of the castle structure descended next to Zus and Sol, but it was not a piece of the castle.
As they straightened up from their curled position, their dark complexion became apparent, and their large hands were encased in gauntlets that matched the color of their skin, appearing like extensions of their flesh. The gauntlets allowed their long fingers to protrude but protected their hands up to their forearms, where the metal segmented into thin spirals, wrapping up their biceps and onto their armor. Their upper body appeared muscular and was adorned with a metal design resembling a vest, flowing down their form in patterns resembling metal vines. Their trousers were secured by the same metal, and they seemed oversized, imbued with an aura that conveyed both a larger stature and flight capabilities.
A second red belt, with golden medallions, was tied around their waist, and an aura tail swayed back and forth. Their hair was also infused with an excess of aura, forming a dynamic, ever-shifting shape that defied gravity. Their face seemed deformed on the left side initially but gradually returned to its normal appearance after they stood for a moment.
Their fierce red eyes contrasted with a crown of gold etched into their forehead, revealing their unique identity.
"Taurus fucking Maller, you piece of shit," Zero called out. "Ain't you a sight for sore eyes. You were supposed to be dead after the Battle of Four Armies, then you were supposed to be dead after that raid on Tifton, and finally, I really thought Althea killed your ass at the Cy'Lock Coupe... And they say I cheat death."
Taurus glared at Zero with such intensity that if looks could kill, they would have certainly tried. "I'm going to eat your liver last."
Zero glanced at Maeve, then back at Taurus. "What? Why would you say that? More importantly, why the liver last?"
Zero and Maeve lay on their backs in front of the castle, both of them gazing up at the dark twilight that shrouded the entire area. The moon was nearly in position; in less than an hour, it would align for a total eclipse, effortlessly blocking both suns. The world would then be bathed in only a faint glow, less than what happens at the final moments of sunset.
If everything went according to plan, the moon would lock in place with the suns, and the Vampire Gods would use its power to consume the suns' light. This would plunge all of Arrithia into total darkness. Without the suns, even the moon's shine would be extinguished, and the distant stars of the Dragon Realms would remain far beyond the reach of Arrithia due to the ever-expanding universe. There would be nothing but darkness.
Zero's mind continued to revolve around the same thought, and every solution he considered led to the same devastating conclusion for all of Arrithia. He weighed the options in his head, knowing it would cause problems with at least five Highers. But it wasn't the known Highers that concerned him; it was the unknown ones, those lurking in the shadows. He still had a long way to go before he could confidently stand against any Higher, and he wouldn't be surprised if there were even a few he hadn't discovered yet.
Zero's thoughts raged on, drowning out the chaos as the Hier Kingdom crumbled around them. The remaining elves were part of Máire's inner circle, fiercely defending the castle. Even the Vampire Gods themselves should hesitate to interfere, especially with Maeve and Zero now subtly guarding the entrance.
"What now?" Maeve asked, her gaze fixed on the sky, contemplating their next move.
Zero let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know. I thought I'd be standing in front of Magic's End by now, or at least heading toward it. It's been one stop after another. It's becoming absurd."
Maeve sighed in agreement. "You don't even know if Magic's End exists. But for now, we should probably split up. It's not wise for the two of us to be seen together."
"And why is that?" A soft yet rumbling voice interrupted them from behind, causing Maeve and Zero to turn their heads to see who had approached.
"Shit," Maeve muttered.
"I guess the evil Maeve arc is officially canceled," Zero quipped.
The figure standing before them had dark red skin adorned with orange tattoos that meandered across their body, resembling more like painted scars than a distinct pattern. They wore dark brown trousers that clung to their massive legs but no shirt, revealing their extraordinarily muscular physique. Long white hair framed their face, and a curled mustache connected with their sideburns, extending into a long beard. Two black horns spiraled unevenly from the sides of their head, and two fangs protruded from their lower lip. Their eyes blazed a bright, fiery orange, and their nose featured a subtle point, mirroring the tips of their ears.
An aura enveloped them, primarily black but tinged with a reddish hue on the edges, radiating immense power. They flaunted it, displaying as much as they could as they approached Maeve and Zero.
"Little Maeve, to think you were playing us this entire time, I applaud you," the imposing figure remarked, their attention shifting to Zero with a subtle smirk. "And you, oh you, oh you, oh you."
They took a slight pivot, approaching Zero until they were merely a meter away, then abruptly halted. "OH, incredible, that was a close one."
Zero's smirk widened. "So you can see the minutes between the seconds too."
They nodded. "I can."
Zero's grin broadened. "Yeah, but you're still not as fast as Death... Or Maeve."
Even if you could perceive the minutes between seconds, you still had to be looking at your target or adjusting your perspective to keep up. Those who had harnessed this power knew its limitations, but those who had abused it did not.
Zero vanished and reappeared behind the Vampire God, his whip at the ready, its chains ablaze in bright red flames. "Sorry we didn't get proper introductions... I'm ZERO!" He swung the chain forward and, as he did, he teleported back in front of the Vampire God just as they turned around. He pulled the whip back, forming a golden arc of light that bent forward, the flames cascading into a wave. But as they neared their target, they were diverted to the left, engulfed in the grasp of Sol.
Her flesh-like, orange dress shifted as if adjusting itself, and her embedded eyes rearranged to eliminate any blind spots. She lowered her hand, and smoke billowed from it, absorbing Zero's attack.
"That was a close one, Zus. He almost got you, twice." Sol remarked.
Zus turned to her, admiring her for a moment before shifting his gaze back to Maeve and Zero. Zero had positioned himself beside Maeve, who had not only taken a stand but had also removed her hood. Her horns emitted a faint black glow, a detail that seemed to catch only Zero's attention, leaving him uncertain about her next move with such an aura.
Sol joined Zus on the yellow bricks, her hair levitating and aiming toward Maeve and Zero, ready for a potential attack.
"I assume you've heard the news," she stated.
Zus kept his gaze locked on the duo but spoke to Sol in a hushed tone, "You mean Luna's betrayal?"
"Indeed. It seems we aren't very good at spotting when we are weak," Sol replied.
Zus took a step forward, his head still held high and eyes focused on Maeve and Zero. "No, it could never be us. We are perfect." He then disappeared and reappeared behind Maeve and Zero, intending to strike, but his arm was severed in the middle of his bicep before he could execute the blow.
Maeve and Zero held their weapons at the ready but didn't attack him, choosing to hold their ground. Zero kept a hand on Maeve's chest, signaling for her to wait for the third party to make their move.
"Speak of someone, and they run to you as if they are someone," Zus commented, catching his severed arm as it fell and reattaching it with eerie ease. He then turned to his right, where Luna stood.
Luna, positioned about five meters away, had a radiant blue aura surrounding her elongated crown. She performed intricate motions with her arms, causing the extended fabric around her wrists to spin, creating a magic circle etched in the same blue aura as her hat. With a sweeping motion, she sent the circle forward, expanding its size before it vanished and reappeared on the ground, several times larger than before. Luna lifted her hands, causing the perimeter of the circle to rise. As it did, what was thought was a portion of the castle structure descended next to Zus and Sol, but it was not a piece of the castle.
As they straightened up from their curled position, their dark complexion became apparent, and their large hands were encased in gauntlets that matched the color of their skin, appearing like extensions of their flesh. The gauntlets allowed their long fingers to protrude but protected their hands up to their forearms, where the metal segmented into thin spirals, wrapping up their biceps and onto their armor. Their upper body appeared muscular and was adorned with a metal design resembling a vest, flowing down their form in patterns resembling metal vines. Their trousers were secured by the same metal, and they seemed oversized, imbued with an aura that conveyed both a larger stature and flight capabilities.
A second red belt, with golden medallions, was tied around their waist, and an aura tail swayed back and forth. Their hair was also infused with an excess of aura, forming a dynamic, ever-shifting shape that defied gravity. Their face seemed deformed on the left side initially but gradually returned to its normal appearance after they stood for a moment.
Their fierce red eyes contrasted with a crown of gold etched into their forehead, revealing their unique identity.
"Taurus fucking Maller, you piece of shit," Zero called out. "Ain't you a sight for sore eyes. You were supposed to be dead after the Battle of Four Armies, then you were supposed to be dead after that raid on Tifton, and finally, I really thought Althea killed your ass at the Cy'Lock Coupe... And they say I cheat death."
Taurus glared at Zero with such intensity that if looks could kill, they would have certainly tried. "I'm going to eat your liver last."
Zero glanced at Maeve, then back at Taurus. "What? Why would you say that? More importantly, why the liver last?"
