As day transitioned into night, Zero ventured deeper into the woods, collecting materials to build a fire. However, things were taking a turn for the worse—he was currently suspended upside down by a Tree Ent, its magic thwarting his attempts to teleport away.
"I thought your root was a stick. Please, just let go!" Zero's plea was a mix of desperation and futility as he squirmed in the Ent's grasp.
The Ent's voice resounded with a deep, echoing boom as more of its form emerged from the earth, unveiling a honey locust tree stripped of leaves, its bark transformed into a dark, muddy brown.
"You mistook me for a STICK? Boy, you better recalibrate those eyes of yours, unless you're yearning to nourish these here roots."
The Ent maneuvered Zero to face its bloodshot eyes, the yellow pupil scrutinizing him from head to toe. The Ent's petrified maw parted, shedding a piece of bark that fluttered to the forest floor, unveiling a dark black tongue that slithered across Zero's face.
"Well, I'll be..." The Ent gradually lowered Zero to the ground, relinquishing its grip. "Ain't you a peculiar sight, Zero, my lad!"
"Huornos?!" Zero exclaimed, his voice brimming with fervent excitement. "I thought you died? How did you survive that fire?"
Huornos responded with a resounding laugh as his roots made contact with the forest floor. "The flames couldn't reach us below the earth; ain’t no stronger shield than Vol’s soil. She’s been protec… ting..." Huornos' words trailed off as he surveyed his surroundings. "Well, things sure have gone to shite haven’t they my boy? Assume Amara be dead?" Momentarily, his eyes welled up with sorrow before he pressed on, his voice heavy with grief. "...and Valaquenta?"
"Vala’whatta’now?" Zero's voice carried a note of confusion.
Huornos fixed Zero with a piercing gaze. "BOY! Ye BEST! NOT! Be tell’n me you ain’t done did never heard of our dear, Valaquenta!" His bellowing voice reverberated through the woods.
Zero's nervous laughter accompanied his neck scratching. "Uh… Is that your… Mom?"
"MY MUTHER?!" Huornos's incredulous voice resonated once more as he seized Zero with one of his roots and drew him closer. "Valaquenta be why we Ents exist!" A hint of grumbling accompanied his words, and he gestured toward the Castle of Connection. "Dat dare tree? She be Valaquenta." he turned back to Zero, his tone softening, "Say, you ain’t happen to be with the Princess are ye? I can smell her on yas."
"He did, but he lost her," Maeve chimed in, her tone laced with amusement. "I was starting to wonder what was taking you so long. Hey, Huornos, it's good to see you again."
"By my leaves. Is dat ye, Mae Mae?" Huornos's voice filled with delight as he shuffled over to her, wrapping his roots around her in an embrace. "Twist my roots! It is ye! HAH! HAH!" He hoisted Maeve off the ground momentarily and playfully shook her. "Ain’t no expectation to be finding ye here," he glanced at Zero as he gently set Maeve down. "Ze ol’ mc’guffin still good to ye?"
Maeve wrinkled her nose, her eyes sparkling. "He has his moments." She winked at Huornos and then smiled at Zero.
Huornos nodded, his bark crackling in a manner reminiscent of approval. "Ye just say da word, and I’ll hav’em hung up by is ankles and we can giv’em a good ol’ THUMPing."
Maeve tilted her head at Huornos, a mischievous grin curving her lips. "Oh! Yes, certainly! I'll definitely keep that one in mind."
Zero oscillated between the two, his mouth slightly agape, a mixture of perplexity and bewilderment in his eyes.
"You try’n catch some flameflies for later?" Maeve teased, prompting Zero to close his mouth.
Zero was poised to reply when Huornos raised a root to his bark-bound mouth, his tone hushed. "Hush now, lad. We has visitors."
Indeed, two Dryads appeared, armed with spears, their vigilant gazes scanning the surroundings. Their eyes bore an intensity that indicated a general patrol rather than a specific search. Huornos retracted his roots back into the earth, sealing his eyes and mouth in petrification. Zero and Maeve sought refuge behind a thicket of withered shrubbery, their breaths suspended as they awaited the Dryads' passage.
"You think they know where Varin is?" Zero inquired, conjuring his short sword. With a skillful motion, he transmuted it into a small-bladed dagger. The blade, a subdued gold, extended down into the hilt, wrapped in weathered brown leather. "Here, let me ask ‘em," he proposed, readying to leave their concealment. However, Maeve promptly tugged him back down.
They crouched low, their eyes trained on the Dryads as they wrapped up their patrol. However, instead of heading back, the Dryads took up positions approximately twenty meters from the location Maeve and Zero had designated for their camp, just within sight of the newly erected castle.
Zero's grip on his dagger grew taut. "Can I?"
Maeve shut her eyes, inhaled deeply, and then shook her head. "If you must."
Zero's form vanished as he teleported behind the Dryads, rapidly descending to one knee as he sliced through the ankles of the left Dryad, forcing it to kneel. Before the second Dryad could react, Zero thrust his dagger upwards, impaling it through its lower jaw, dealing a swift, lethal blow. He withdrew the blade and swung it again, driving it into the other Dryad's head.
Lowering himself further, Zero meticulously surveyed the surroundings for any imminent threats, detecting none. He raised his hand, motioning for Maeve. She emerged from cover, her cloak unfurling to reveal swirling shadows. Two massive demonic hands extended from the shadows and ensnared the lifeless bodies, retracting them into her cloak. Meanwhile, Zero positioned himself beside Huornos.
He tapped his trunk. "It’s all clear, you can come out."
Huornos extricated himself from the ground, ensconcing Zero and Maeve in his enveloping roots. "Ye know, not shure if any’on told ye’s, but ye two, ye two ahre ah bit scary."
Zero's chuckle was abruptly silenced as Huornos's upper half disintegrated into a tempest of splinters and fragments. Zero's voice quivered as he peered down at Huornos's inanimate husk as it collapsed. "...Huornos?"
His gaze shifted towards the source of the assault, finding Nix standing with her hand extended, tendrils of black smoke curling from her fingertips.
Zero's eyes darted erratically. "YOU!" Zero's eyes glazed over, his shirt starting to smolder.
"Nope." Maeve's voice was a quiet mutter as she melded into a shadow, concealing herself behind a fallen tree.
Zero’s fabric disintegrated in patches until it was reduced to ash, his scaley chest emitting a faint red glow from within. "WHERE IS VARIN?!" He relinquished his dagger, striding forward, his fists clenched so tightly that blood trickled from his palms. "WHERE IS SHE?!"
"Oh, would you look at that? So fiery and full of passion, just like a real Dragon. It's positively charming," Nix taunted Zero, while the group of Dryads under her command assumed their positions.
Maeve was poised to move, but Zero raised a hand to halt her. "No, look at the sky."
She lifted her gaze to the sky, her eyes widening. "What the fu…"
The sky hung shrouded in a dusky gray cloak, its core swirling with a vibrant blue hue, bolts of lightning crackling from every crevice that pierced through. From within this maelstrom, an inverted tower materialized, descending upon Vol, its colossal silhouette looming large against the sky.
"Search every nook and cranny of the island, above and below ground! Find anyone and everyone you can! Get them off the island! Get them to safety! Nix is exchanging the island for another!" Zero's directives echoed with resolve.
Maeve dashed away, morphing into a shadow that dissolved into the forest's embrace.
His gaze flicked back to Nix, a deep inhalation preceding his words. "Wukong Style…" He exhaled with force, flames erupting from his mouth, forming a fiery display in front of him. "…Gear 1!" The flames gathered, encircling his head. The blend of red and yellow flames danced fervently, reflecting his blazing orange eyes as they locked onto Nix. "Wukong Style…" He crouched, his fingers curling, igniting in tandem as he shifted onto his knuckles. "…Gear 2."
Nix's response was nothing more than a dismissive roll of her eyes as she commanded, "Dispose of him." The vanguard of Dryads surged forward, spears raised, a battle cry resonating as they charged at Zero.
Zero bellowed a resounding roar. A radiant luminosity enveloped him as he surged forward on all fours. “WHERE IS SHE?!”
Armed with only his hands, he laid waste to the Dryads, slashing their throats, decimating their ranks with astonishing speed, transitioning effortlessly from one foe to the next.
The Dryads armed with grimoire pages moved in, intoning incantations, their arms extended. Spells materialized from the pages—primarily lightning with intermittent fireballs.
Zero's movements quickened, evading left and right, his balance occasionally faltering. He stumbled repeatedly, narrowly escaping direct hits. He halted in front of the next wave of Dryads, letting loose a roar that momentarily stunned them, granting him a chance to regain his footing. He steadied his breath and inhaled deeply. "Wukong Style…" Flames surged once again, swirling around him before cascading down his back to form a flaming monkey's tail. "...Gear 3." With those words, he disappeared, his fiery tail swaying to maintain equilibrium as he surged forward even faster.
Nix observed the onslaught, her forces crumbling effortlessly; it was a slaughter—some attempted to flee.
Nix chuckled. "They were such obedient little soldiers," she remarked.
Perplexed and uneasy, the Dryads guarding her turned, but Nix gestured for them to face forward. "Smiiiiiilleee darlings."
Zero now stood roughly twenty meters from the remnants of her forces, inhaling deeply. "Fire Breathing…" He articulated the words through clenched teeth. A colossal fireball erupted forth. "...ENGULFING FLAMES!" The wave of fire moved at such a velocity that even the fleeing Dryads were instantly caught and reduced to ashes.
Nix swept Dryad remains from her gown, grinning at Zero. "I guess now it's my turn." She vanished, reappearing to grip Zero by the throat, hoisting him before slamming him to the ground. "Insect!"
Zero teleported away, reemerging behind her mid-air, radiating intense luminance. His attention flitted to the storm once more, its maw devouring the mountains, fragmenting them into oblivion, replaced by vestiges of a castle tower.
He refocused on Nix. "Sun Sage Technique…" All light in the vicinity vanished—swallowed by darkness, save for the unwavering glow Zero now held in his palms. Drawing the luminous sphere to his side, he pressed on. "...Apollo Style…"
Zero's eyes transformed into a luminous yellow, casting a beam onto Nix—her eyes widened, a manic smile spreading across her face, her six arms outstretched. "YES, SHOW ME THE POWER OF A DRAGON, SHOW ME YOUR WORTH! AHAHAHAHA!" Nix's maniacal scream pierced the air.
Zero inhaled deeply one last time, thrusting his hands forward. "...total eclipse." The sphere of light exploded into an immense beam directed at Nix, engulfing the surroundings in blinding white brilliance that left the northeastern expanse of Vol in ruins when it faded. The area had been transformed into a desolate wasteland of scorched earth and ash, extending for kilometers. Valaquenta herself had been reduced to a charred remnant, engulfed by the devastation. So much destruction, in the blink of an eye.
Over Zero's prone form, Nix bore the visible marks of the confrontation. Her arms were maimed—three absent, and two severed at the elbow. Zero lay upon the ground, his breath labored, his mana depleted to the point of stasis, his body adorned with burns.
"I told you," Zero's words faltered as Nix's foot pressed against his abdomen.
Despite her fractured jaw and oozing black blood, Nix's voice resonated with clarity. "LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME!" Her roar reverberated through the atmosphere, the fury within her palpable. "DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE ME TO HEAL THESE WOUNDS?!"
Zero strained to elevate himself, his every motion a symphony of agony, his face battered and bloodied. "You started it, I was jusAHHH—" His speech was severed as Nix's foot met his stomach once again.
Her retort thundered, encircling them. "IT'S FINISHED, XAYDDRYRTH!" Nix straightened, her face in proximity to his. "You're at your limit..." She paused, a chilling smile curving her lips. "...and besides, your teleportation only extends to those you physically touch… You'll never locate Maeve in time, then my exchange with Virgil will be complete."
The island quaked as further portions were transmuted, shifting between ruinous landscapes and forests engulfed in ash. Thunder resounded, cleaved by lightning that gouged deep chasms across Vol.
Zero shook his head and summoned his teleportation abilities, vanishing from beneath Nix's clutches. He stumbled to his feet, bracing himself against a nearby tree. Desperately, he tried to reach out with his mind to locate Maeve, but his consciousness was rapidly deteriorating.
Nix called out to him, drawing his attention back to her. His eyes widened as he started to approach her, concern etched across his face, but he halted abruptly as Nix smiled. Zero couldn't hide his distress. "Varin!" he called out, his voice strained. "Let… Let her go, Nix."
Nix shook her head, her smile fading as she spoke with a chilling tone. "Sure, come take her, but then what about Maeve?"
Varin struggled weakly in Nix's grip, her voice strained as she spoke. "She can fly, and once Zero finishes you off, we’re all gonna—uh’aaa." Nix tightened her grip on Varin's neck until it snapped, killing her instantly.
"Whoops." Varin's lifeless body dropped to the ground, and Zero teleported forward to catch her, but Nix seized the opportunity to kick him in the face, causing him to drop Varin's body.
"Nuh-uh," Nix declared, her voice cold and calculating. "I'm not done with her. I still need her blood." She lifted Varin's lifeless form and brought it close to her face. "Ironic, isn't it? You brought her all the way here, even killed the Emperor of Sidra to make sure she would be safe, just to hand her over to me." She glanced at Zero. "Thank you for that, by the way. You're doing quite well. If we could break your nap habit, you would be such a perfect, good little boy."
Zero struggled to comprehend what Nix was saying, as he tried to process it, his very memories began to fade. The last thing he remembered was Nix killing Varin and the conversation they just had, all disappearing like smoke.
His frustration and confusion boiled over, and he slammed his fist into the ground. "WHAT DID YOU JUST DO TO ME?!" He collapsed onto the ground, coughing uncontrollably. "Why... can't... I remember... what you... what you…"
Nix leaned down, her head tilted, her jaw moving from side to side as she spoke cryptically. "What we just talked about?" Zero nodded faintly. "Ahh, that's because it's a secret." Nix lifted Varin's body again and began walking back to her castle as the storm above consumed more of the island.
The icy chill coursing through Zero's veins intensified, and he was overcome by violent coughing fits that left him gasping for air. He fought to stand, but his strength failed him. Amidst a coughing fit that expelled a smoky, blood-streaked cloud, he cried out in desperation. "AHHHH, PLEASE WORK!"
Summoning every ounce of his remaining strength, he teleported himself and Maeve, who had been making her way towards the south part of Vol, into the heart of the Infinite Ocean. As he did, his consciousness began to wane, succumbing to the encroaching darkness.
As day transitioned into night, Zero ventured deeper into the woods, collecting materials to build a fire. However, things were taking a turn for the worse—he was currently suspended upside down by a Tree Ent, its magic thwarting his attempts to teleport away.
"I thought your root was a stick. Please, just let go!" Zero's plea was a mix of desperation and futility as he squirmed in the Ent's grasp.
The Ent's voice resounded with a deep, echoing boom as more of its form emerged from the earth, unveiling a honey locust tree stripped of leaves, its bark transformed into a dark, muddy brown.
"You mistook me for a STICK? Boy, you better recalibrate those eyes of yours, unless you're yearning to nourish these here roots."
The Ent maneuvered Zero to face its bloodshot eyes, the yellow pupil scrutinizing him from head to toe. The Ent's petrified maw parted, shedding a piece of bark that fluttered to the forest floor, unveiling a dark black tongue that slithered across Zero's face.
"Well, I'll be..." The Ent gradually lowered Zero to the ground, relinquishing its grip. "Ain't you a peculiar sight, Zero, my lad!"
"Huornos?!" Zero exclaimed, his voice brimming with fervent excitement. "I thought you died? How did you survive that fire?"
Huornos responded with a resounding laugh as his roots made contact with the forest floor. "The flames couldn't reach us below the earth; ain’t no stronger shield than Vol’s soil. She’s been protec… ting..." Huornos' words trailed off as he surveyed his surroundings. "Well, things sure have gone to shite haven’t they my boy? Assume Amara be dead?" Momentarily, his eyes welled up with sorrow before he pressed on, his voice heavy with grief. "...and Valaquenta?"
"Vala’whatta’now?" Zero's voice carried a note of confusion.
Huornos fixed Zero with a piercing gaze. "BOY! Ye BEST! NOT! Be tell’n me you ain’t done did never heard of our dear, Valaquenta!" His bellowing voice reverberated through the woods.
Zero's nervous laughter accompanied his neck scratching. "Uh… Is that your… Mom?"
"MY MUTHER?!" Huornos's incredulous voice resonated once more as he seized Zero with one of his roots and drew him closer. "Valaquenta be why we Ents exist!" A hint of grumbling accompanied his words, and he gestured toward the Castle of Connection. "Dat dare tree? She be Valaquenta." he turned back to Zero, his tone softening, "Say, you ain’t happen to be with the Princess are ye? I can smell her on yas."
"He did, but he lost her," Maeve chimed in, her tone laced with amusement. "I was starting to wonder what was taking you so long. Hey, Huornos, it's good to see you again."
"By my leaves. Is dat ye, Mae Mae?" Huornos's voice filled with delight as he shuffled over to her, wrapping his roots around her in an embrace. "Twist my roots! It is ye! HAH! HAH!" He hoisted Maeve off the ground momentarily and playfully shook her. "Ain’t no expectation to be finding ye here," he glanced at Zero as he gently set Maeve down. "Ze ol’ mc’guffin still good to ye?"
Maeve wrinkled her nose, her eyes sparkling. "He has his moments." She winked at Huornos and then smiled at Zero.
Huornos nodded, his bark crackling in a manner reminiscent of approval. "Ye just say da word, and I’ll hav’em hung up by is ankles and we can giv’em a good ol’ THUMPing."
Maeve tilted her head at Huornos, a mischievous grin curving her lips. "Oh! Yes, certainly! I'll definitely keep that one in mind."
Zero oscillated between the two, his mouth slightly agape, a mixture of perplexity and bewilderment in his eyes.
"You try’n catch some flameflies for later?" Maeve teased, prompting Zero to close his mouth.
Zero was poised to reply when Huornos raised a root to his bark-bound mouth, his tone hushed. "Hush now, lad. We has visitors."
Indeed, two Dryads appeared, armed with spears, their vigilant gazes scanning the surroundings. Their eyes bore an intensity that indicated a general patrol rather than a specific search. Huornos retracted his roots back into the earth, sealing his eyes and mouth in petrification. Zero and Maeve sought refuge behind a thicket of withered shrubbery, their breaths suspended as they awaited the Dryads' passage.
"You think they know where Varin is?" Zero inquired, conjuring his short sword. With a skillful motion, he transmuted it into a small-bladed dagger. The blade, a subdued gold, extended down into the hilt, wrapped in weathered brown leather. "Here, let me ask ‘em," he proposed, readying to leave their concealment. However, Maeve promptly tugged him back down.
They crouched low, their eyes trained on the Dryads as they wrapped up their patrol. However, instead of heading back, the Dryads took up positions approximately twenty meters from the location Maeve and Zero had designated for their camp, just within sight of the newly erected castle.
Zero's grip on his dagger grew taut. "Can I?"
Maeve shut her eyes, inhaled deeply, and then shook her head. "If you must."
Zero's form vanished as he teleported behind the Dryads, rapidly descending to one knee as he sliced through the ankles of the left Dryad, forcing it to kneel. Before the second Dryad could react, Zero thrust his dagger upwards, impaling it through its lower jaw, dealing a swift, lethal blow. He withdrew the blade and swung it again, driving it into the other Dryad's head.
Lowering himself further, Zero meticulously surveyed the surroundings for any imminent threats, detecting none. He raised his hand, motioning for Maeve. She emerged from cover, her cloak unfurling to reveal swirling shadows. Two massive demonic hands extended from the shadows and ensnared the lifeless bodies, retracting them into her cloak. Meanwhile, Zero positioned himself beside Huornos.
He tapped his trunk. "It’s all clear, you can come out."
Huornos extricated himself from the ground, ensconcing Zero and Maeve in his enveloping roots. "Ye know, not shure if any’on told ye’s, but ye two, ye two ahre ah bit scary."
Zero's chuckle was abruptly silenced as Huornos's upper half disintegrated into a tempest of splinters and fragments. Zero's voice quivered as he peered down at Huornos's inanimate husk as it collapsed. "...Huornos?"
His gaze shifted towards the source of the assault, finding Nix standing with her hand extended, tendrils of black smoke curling from her fingertips.
Zero's eyes darted erratically. "YOU!" Zero's eyes glazed over, his shirt starting to smolder.
"Nope." Maeve's voice was a quiet mutter as she melded into a shadow, concealing herself behind a fallen tree.
Zero’s fabric disintegrated in patches until it was reduced to ash, his scaley chest emitting a faint red glow from within. "WHERE IS VARIN?!" He relinquished his dagger, striding forward, his fists clenched so tightly that blood trickled from his palms. "WHERE IS SHE?!"
"Oh, would you look at that? So fiery and full of passion, just like a real Dragon. It's positively charming," Nix taunted Zero, while the group of Dryads under her command assumed their positions.
Maeve was poised to move, but Zero raised a hand to halt her. "No, look at the sky."
She lifted her gaze to the sky, her eyes widening. "What the fu…"
The sky hung shrouded in a dusky gray cloak, its core swirling with a vibrant blue hue, bolts of lightning crackling from every crevice that pierced through. From within this maelstrom, an inverted tower materialized, descending upon Vol, its colossal silhouette looming large against the sky.
"Search every nook and cranny of the island, above and below ground! Find anyone and everyone you can! Get them off the island! Get them to safety! Nix is exchanging the island for another!" Zero's directives echoed with resolve.
Maeve dashed away, morphing into a shadow that dissolved into the forest's embrace.
His gaze flicked back to Nix, a deep inhalation preceding his words. "Wukong Style…" He exhaled with force, flames erupting from his mouth, forming a fiery display in front of him. "…Gear 1!" The flames gathered, encircling his head. The blend of red and yellow flames danced fervently, reflecting his blazing orange eyes as they locked onto Nix. "Wukong Style…" He crouched, his fingers curling, igniting in tandem as he shifted onto his knuckles. "…Gear 2."
Nix's response was nothing more than a dismissive roll of her eyes as she commanded, "Dispose of him." The vanguard of Dryads surged forward, spears raised, a battle cry resonating as they charged at Zero.
Zero bellowed a resounding roar. A radiant luminosity enveloped him as he surged forward on all fours. “WHERE IS SHE?!”
Armed with only his hands, he laid waste to the Dryads, slashing their throats, decimating their ranks with astonishing speed, transitioning effortlessly from one foe to the next.
The Dryads armed with grimoire pages moved in, intoning incantations, their arms extended. Spells materialized from the pages—primarily lightning with intermittent fireballs.
Zero's movements quickened, evading left and right, his balance occasionally faltering. He stumbled repeatedly, narrowly escaping direct hits. He halted in front of the next wave of Dryads, letting loose a roar that momentarily stunned them, granting him a chance to regain his footing. He steadied his breath and inhaled deeply. "Wukong Style…" Flames surged once again, swirling around him before cascading down his back to form a flaming monkey's tail. "...Gear 3." With those words, he disappeared, his fiery tail swaying to maintain equilibrium as he surged forward even faster.
Nix observed the onslaught, her forces crumbling effortlessly; it was a slaughter—some attempted to flee.
Nix chuckled. "They were such obedient little soldiers," she remarked.
Perplexed and uneasy, the Dryads guarding her turned, but Nix gestured for them to face forward. "Smiiiiiilleee darlings."
Zero now stood roughly twenty meters from the remnants of her forces, inhaling deeply. "Fire Breathing…" He articulated the words through clenched teeth. A colossal fireball erupted forth. "...ENGULFING FLAMES!" The wave of fire moved at such a velocity that even the fleeing Dryads were instantly caught and reduced to ashes.
Nix swept Dryad remains from her gown, grinning at Zero. "I guess now it's my turn." She vanished, reappearing to grip Zero by the throat, hoisting him before slamming him to the ground. "Insect!"
Zero teleported away, reemerging behind her mid-air, radiating intense luminance. His attention flitted to the storm once more, its maw devouring the mountains, fragmenting them into oblivion, replaced by vestiges of a castle tower.
He refocused on Nix. "Sun Sage Technique…" All light in the vicinity vanished—swallowed by darkness, save for the unwavering glow Zero now held in his palms. Drawing the luminous sphere to his side, he pressed on. "...Apollo Style…"
Zero's eyes transformed into a luminous yellow, casting a beam onto Nix—her eyes widened, a manic smile spreading across her face, her six arms outstretched. "YES, SHOW ME THE POWER OF A DRAGON, SHOW ME YOUR WORTH! AHAHAHAHA!" Nix's maniacal scream pierced the air.
Zero inhaled deeply one last time, thrusting his hands forward. "...total eclipse." The sphere of light exploded into an immense beam directed at Nix, engulfing the surroundings in blinding white brilliance that left the northeastern expanse of Vol in ruins when it faded. The area had been transformed into a desolate wasteland of scorched earth and ash, extending for kilometers. Valaquenta herself had been reduced to a charred remnant, engulfed by the devastation. So much destruction, in the blink of an eye.
Over Zero's prone form, Nix bore the visible marks of the confrontation. Her arms were maimed—three absent, and two severed at the elbow. Zero lay upon the ground, his breath labored, his mana depleted to the point of stasis, his body adorned with burns.
"I told you," Zero's words faltered as Nix's foot pressed against his abdomen.
Despite her fractured jaw and oozing black blood, Nix's voice resonated with clarity. "LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME!" Her roar reverberated through the atmosphere, the fury within her palpable. "DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE ME TO HEAL THESE WOUNDS?!"
Zero strained to elevate himself, his every motion a symphony of agony, his face battered and bloodied. "You started it, I was jusAHHH—" His speech was severed as Nix's foot met his stomach once again.
Her retort thundered, encircling them. "IT'S FINISHED, XAYDDRYRTH!" Nix straightened, her face in proximity to his. "You're at your limit..." She paused, a chilling smile curving her lips. "...and besides, your teleportation only extends to those you physically touch… You'll never locate Maeve in time, then my exchange with Virgil will be complete."
The island quaked as further portions were transmuted, shifting between ruinous landscapes and forests engulfed in ash. Thunder resounded, cleaved by lightning that gouged deep chasms across Vol.
Zero shook his head and summoned his teleportation abilities, vanishing from beneath Nix's clutches. He stumbled to his feet, bracing himself against a nearby tree. Desperately, he tried to reach out with his mind to locate Maeve, but his consciousness was rapidly deteriorating.
Nix called out to him, drawing his attention back to her. His eyes widened as he started to approach her, concern etched across his face, but he halted abruptly as Nix smiled. Zero couldn't hide his distress. "Varin!" he called out, his voice strained. "Let… Let her go, Nix."
Nix shook her head, her smile fading as she spoke with a chilling tone. "Sure, come take her, but then what about Maeve?"
Varin struggled weakly in Nix's grip, her voice strained as she spoke. "She can fly, and once Zero finishes you off, we’re all gonna—uh’aaa." Nix tightened her grip on Varin's neck until it snapped, killing her instantly.
"Whoops." Varin's lifeless body dropped to the ground, and Zero teleported forward to catch her, but Nix seized the opportunity to kick him in the face, causing him to drop Varin's body.
"Nuh-uh," Nix declared, her voice cold and calculating. "I'm not done with her. I still need her blood." She lifted Varin's lifeless form and brought it close to her face. "Ironic, isn't it? You brought her all the way here, even killed the Emperor of Sidra to make sure she would be safe, just to hand her over to me." She glanced at Zero. "Thank you for that, by the way. You're doing quite well. If we could break your nap habit, you would be such a perfect, good little boy."
Zero struggled to comprehend what Nix was saying, as he tried to process it, his very memories began to fade. The last thing he remembered was Nix killing Varin and the conversation they just had, all disappearing like smoke.
His frustration and confusion boiled over, and he slammed his fist into the ground. "WHAT DID YOU JUST DO TO ME?!" He collapsed onto the ground, coughing uncontrollably. "Why... can't... I remember... what you... what you…"
Nix leaned down, her head tilted, her jaw moving from side to side as she spoke cryptically. "What we just talked about?" Zero nodded faintly. "Ahh, that's because it's a secret." Nix lifted Varin's body again and began walking back to her castle as the storm above consumed more of the island.
The icy chill coursing through Zero's veins intensified, and he was overcome by violent coughing fits that left him gasping for air. He fought to stand, but his strength failed him. Amidst a coughing fit that expelled a smoky, blood-streaked cloud, he cried out in desperation. "AHHHH, PLEASE WORK!"
Summoning every ounce of his remaining strength, he teleported himself and Maeve, who had been making her way towards the south part of Vol, into the heart of the Infinite Ocean. As he did, his consciousness began to wane, succumbing to the encroaching darkness.
