CHAPTER VI
Eliana squirmed on the bed, her hand trying to feel for something beside her, but there was nothing. Lazily, she tried to open her eyes; this morning wasn't bright and dazzling as usual. Slowly, her head turned, and she instantly saw something that pierced her heart. Calabras stood with a terrifying and oppressive gaze. Eliana was startled and leaped off the bed, falling to the floor.
"You—, why?" Calabras asked.
"Ouch! You startled me!" Eliana replied, rubbing her head, which had hit the floor.
"Do you have any plans today?" Calabras asked again.
"There's an issue with the discussion of the law; if you want to help, go ahead; if not, that's fine too," Eliana stood up while taking off her pajamas.
"Yes, if that's what you want, I just wanted to let you know that right now, they are on their way to fight the Seven Sinners, who are now down to six," Calabras replied.
"What did you say!?" Eliana screamed.
"You released him to fight Orion, but now you panic hearing he's going to fight the seven sinners who aren't even comparable to Zamboss?" Calabras countered.
"Oh my goodness, I hope Kaizo is alright," Eliana massaged her forehead.
"You weren't listening to me—" Calabras frowned.
Calabras walked out and was about to reach for the doorknob when Eliana stopped him, saying, "Calabras, what do you know about fate, and can I fight it?"
Calabras stopped, turned around, and cornered Eliana beside the wardrobe. "Who's fighting what? Why did you ask that? Who told you to say that?" Calabras spoke in a deep, terrifying voice that even made Eliana's nose bleed. Tears streamed down her face, and her legs trembled.
"Alright, I can explain. Fate is like a collection of billions of threads woven into one wider thread. Its characteristics are different, but the end is the same."
Eliana didn't answer; her body stopped moving, but at least her brain could still process Calabras's words. Based on that, Eliana knew the answer to her question. Fate is absolute and unbreakable, operating above all consciousness and existence. Anyone who tries to touch it will be erased because fate is the responsibility of Calabras, the absolute death. Many people feel they are fighting fate, but they never truly know what they are facing and going through; it's all a delusion. Calabras will never be defeated by anyone not permitted by Vernizel; the nature of this matter is absolutely absolute, so no matter how dominant the opponent is, it is all in vain. Vernizel is everything, everything is Vernizel, and rebels must perish, so grieve, readers, there is no way to fight Vernizel, even if someone is currently trying to create a fictional character to match him, because the existence of matching and being matched will not happen without Vernizel's permission. The existence of defeat and victory is also because of Vernizel, Vernizel the ruler.
Calabras added this because there was already proof. To him, Vernizel, or all the inhabitants of "The Cruiser" from Bedrock Creappear, the entire story of the universe, multiverses, macro-universes, or whatever they are called beyond that, are just a joke the size of a marble that can be instantly crushed, even though the content of that marble is all dimensions, from one to one hundred, or more commonly known as from sub-normal universes to the universe of the absolute gods.
Calabras then killed Eliana's fear with a single raise of his finger. Instantly, Eliana was standing again and was now overly enthusiastic. She immediately tried to jump out to directly help Kaizo fight. Calabras quickly caught Eliana, who had leaped out, and pulled her back in, and a very bright, dazzling, but warming flash of light shone, successfully winning Eliana back. Someone came out. Calabras looked at that person with awe; she was the absolute goddess of life, Yggdrasil.
Eliana woke up, seeing there was now someone else in her room, a woman with a beautiful white gown, her expression calming, the opposite of Calabras. Her hair was blonde and looked freshly washed, her pupils were a beautiful green, and she looked lovely without any makeup on her face.
"Calabras," Eliana pointed, trying to move away. "Who is this woman! Is she an angel? Am I going to die!?" she said, her body drenched in cold sweat.
"She is my friend, the absolute life, Yggdrasil. We're quite close," Calabras explained.
"Friend? That's it? Quite close? Are you sure, huh~" Yggdrasil glanced at Calabras with a smile that, if compared to sugar, was enough to amputate a foot due to diabetes.
Calabras averted his gaze to the ceiling; he didn't know what he was looking at. Calabras said, "Please, don't do that outside the ship," his ears turning red, making Yggdrasil and Eliana chuckle slightly.
Yggdrasil helped Eliana stand up, then explained the purpose of her visit, "A while ago, I met Lord Vernizel. He said there was someone who might need you, and she was with Calabras. At first, I didn't care much because Calabras would surely handle it well, but apparently, he called me, so I came right away. I have revived the fear in your heart."
"What!? When did Calabras call you?" Eliana asked in confusion.
"We are always connected to each other; contacting her is very easy," Calabras folded his arms while looking at Yggdrasil, who smiled at him.
Suddenly, Desmond entered with big news, but he was surprised to see Yggdrasil and Calabras there. Desmond froze until Eliana brought him back to reality.
Desmond then said, "Your Majesty, we have received news, quite bad, perhaps very bad!"
"What is it!?" Eliana asked.
"The Elf Forest, the Sulus Empire, the Oruman Sultanate, the Northern Sword Tribe's abode, even this city, are being targeted by a wave of monsters—all sea creatures!"
Eliana then turned, staring at Calabras.
"I was asked not to interfere too much; my focus is only on you, but I can give a little indirect help," Calabras said, turning toward Yggdrasil.
Yggdrasil nodded, then shouted, rebuking the sky. "Five people, warriors equivalent to ten dimensions, battle call for you!!!"
Light descended, illuminating the center of the capital, Notton. Likewise in other places. Este immediately understood what was happening, preparing the army to protect the city when the fight occurred. Aydir stood in front of his troops. When they all saw the arrival of the light, "This is why we don't need to be afraid. The path will surely come to those who have no fear of their enemies. Haydi!"
The troops replied, "Haydi!"
Meanwhile, Zato and his entire tribe were waiting for the arrival of those who shook the earth. The terrifying sound of monsters began to be heard. Amidst the fear, light descended from the sky, making them all joyous.
Likewise, in Sulus, the barbarian warriors welcomed the arrival of the being of light, who descended and immediately declared they would help them. Everyone shouted happily.
Back in Notton.
"Who sent those monsters?" Eliana asked Desmond.
"Likely Turamus, the ruler of the Bermuda continent, one of the world kings, perhaps as retribution for dispatching the five heroes," Desmond replied.
"This might happen again later. It's best if the five of them speed up their pace," Eliana stated.
"We can do that later. What's important is facing what you'll encounter today," Calabras said.
Ryan, a close-quarters fighter who possesses a very strong alter ego ability, a fist that defies the world, with a flamboyant style, led the barbarians straight to face the monsters, who weren't even visible from their large dwelling.
Kai, a young man carrying a large sword capable of utilizing ten to the power of minus one hundred of the strength of each member of the Bedrock Creappear inhabiting The Cruiser, stood with a cold gaze in front of the elf forest, ready to battle and block the monsters.
Stella, a cosmic sorceress, Kai's younger sister, chattily scolded the warriors of the Northern Sword Tribe, which made everyone excited. Everyone had great courage to defend their homeland.
In Oruman, Aydir met directly with a young girl with beautiful green hair and a green gown, bowing while lifting her skirt, greeting Aydir politely. Her power to open paths in the form of portals reminded Aydir and the soldiers of Fatih, whom they loved dearly.
Eliana came out, along with Desmond, Calabras, and Yggdrasil. They saw a futuristic white cloak fluttering on top of the tower. Someone carried a black sword that continuously emitted steam. The sword that splits dimensions, Azusa.
The sound of countless galloping horses echoed. Screams followed by dust flying. The barbarian army, led by the elders and Ryan, some twirling swords with cruel expressions. In front of them, thousands of sea monsters ran on the barren land, where, somehow, heavy rain and a storm descended.
This was the power of Turamus, the controller of the climate and the oceans, who, from the island of Orion, regulated the natural conditions of the whole world.
The barbarians used their respective powers to fight. Some threw swords with telekinesis, some strengthened their horses to be faster, some lightened their bodies for easy maneuvering, and others. Meanwhile, Ryan, feeling cool, jumped off his horse first, then danced among the monsters. Every time he pointed, Ryan's alter ego slammed them flying. The barbarian warriors burst through the waves like madmen, attacking indiscriminately. The battlefield became a blood feast. Ryan's strength was astounding; even a devil could weep.
While the clear sky over the elf forest began to be covered by storm clouds, Kai asked all the elf troops to stay in the city and not come out to help him. There was a slight possibility that some monsters could survive Kai's attack alone. Kai then advanced, raising his sword, turning the wheel that would randomly select a power for his sword.
"Let's begin!" The sound of a smooth, machine-like spin echoed among the raindrops.
STARGAZER
The power belonging to the absolute star, Stalaris. Kai flew into the air, raising his sword. And at that moment, the darkness became light when a very bright, dazzling, and warming yellow star symbol appeared with a very illogical size, giving a beautiful sight to the elves but a terrifying one to the monsters. Kai brought his sword down. Instantly, a devastating laser beam shot out from the star symbol, burning all the monsters exposed to it.
REALM SOVEREIGN
The power belonging to Vernizel. Kai descended again, raised his sword again, then slashed, conjuring a dragon of light whose wingspan exceeded the length of the elf forest. The attack quickly flattened all opponents. The elves could be heard cheering happily from the forest.
Then, in the northern snowfield of Notton, the Northern Sword Tribe fought valiantly, aided by Stella. Her devastating magical power allowed her to use hundreds of types of magic at once: instant regeneration, strengthening, anti-physical damage, and increased stamina and strength for the warriors. Then, from the back, Stella continuously fired dozens of energy balls mercilessly at the monsters. Rather than a battle, this more closely resembled a genocide.
Meanwhile, on the Oruman battlefield, the green-haired girl, who later introduced herself as Lilac, helped Aydir and his troops move the giant Oruman cannons with her ability to open portals. Lilac also helped deliver Oruman's combat weapons, making it easier for them to wage war, while she protected Aydir, who could not fight because he was too old. She summoned giant fighting monsters to counterbalance the sea monsters, making Oruman's superhuman combat power, now aided by cosmic power, even more invincible, even against monsters capable of destroying a country.
Not much different from the others, on top of the city's outer wall, Eliana, Calabras, and Yggdrasil watched the troops who had advanced and were fighting, while behind them, archers kept shooting, and cannons kept exploding. Azusa, calmly and full of aura, slashed his sword at the thousands of monsters facing him. Azusa didn't run, didn't chase; he slashed without needing to get close. Every one of his attacks was precise and hit its mark, and he was never successfully touched by any monster. Eliana saw her troops scatter, not because they were overwhelmed, but because they were warned by Azusa, who began to take his stance. He crouched down and sheathed his sword, then slowly drew it. A rapid burst of steam came out, accompanied by the sound of machinery and distorted lightning. Then, all the monsters stopped moving. Azusa disappeared, then reappeared behind the monsters after a moment.
BOOM
Blood and internal organs of the monsters flew in all directions. The soldiers and city residents rejoiced. Laughter and happy cheers echoed. Eliana was stunned, amazed, yet pleased. She was always safe, even this time.
At the same time, in the cold midnight on another side of the world, Fatih finally met directly with the six sinners mentioned. This large, gladiator-like building was a temple that stored the holy weapons chest. Right in the center, a small tower stood with seven sides, each having a keyhole.
"Alone!? Ha! Are your friends scared, so they backed out first!? Fatih? Hahahaha," mocked Turkan.
Fatih remained silent, his gaze sharp.
Yelena approached him with full passion, "Instead of fighting, why don't you just join me—"
SLAP
Yelena was thrown backward, her face red after being slapped by Fatih, who immediately stretched out both arms, then exclaimed, "O sinners, truly you reject the peaceful path, so the heavens have brought down Their wrath with the arrival of warriors who love death to eradicate you who love life."
Four portals opened from different directions: Kaizo, Zen, Kirito, and Bones arrived, each with their own style.
Thomas ignited his fighting spirit, heating up the arena, fighting directly against Bones, the god of war. Katsura immediately advanced to face Kaizo, who also carried a katana. Yelena laughed madly after being slapped, merging with her shadow creature and becoming a monster to take revenge on Fatih. Jonathan and Kirito clashed techniques, while Hanzo used his Thousand Shadow technique to fight Zen. The battle was not as lively as one might believe. Turkan ran to the back after seeing Kaizo trick Katsura, who could read all of his attacks, by exploding his sword. When Katsura blocked it, his hand exploded, and there was no longer a chance for Katsura to fight back. He was finally beheaded by Kaizo. Kaizo ran after Turkan, walking casually, knowing his opponent wouldn't go far due to his large size.
The rest lost embarrassingly. Thomas couldn't inflict a fatal wound on Bones, who constantly shifted his vital organs and finally killed Thomas by slamming his axe and crushing Thomas's head. Jonathan's repetitive attacks—throwing energy balls that then exploded—were an easy target for Kirito, who could create new magic anytime and anywhere. Kirito made a counter-magic, so his body was no longer affected by Jonathan's attacks. Finally, Kirito created a sharp blade of light at the tip of his staff and beheaded Jonathan. Kirito's white smiling mask wasn't even stained with blood. Meanwhile, Hanzo, although he could cause confusion for Zen, it was useless. If Zen couldn't find his real body, he just had to move faster than Hanzo's reflexes and kill all his shadows. True enough, his real body lay stiff and helpless, and that fast slash also ended Yelena after she was thrown back again from another hard slap by Fatih, who didn't want to kill his opponent.
Fatih put his sword and shield back into his portable pocket. Zen stuck his sword into the ground and tidied his slightly messy hair. Kirito sat relaxed, looking at the key he got from Jonathan, and Bones, who didn't want to relax, spent the time waiting for Kaizo by doing push-ups.
Everyone was shocked when someone who wasn't Kaizo came and gave them Turkan's key. Fatih and that person immediately recognized each other, while the others were confused. "Iriana!?" The girl's name. Her hair was white, her eyes blue, and her face was quite similar to Eliana's, as she was Eliana's sister.
"Brother Fatih? It's really you! You're here!" Iriana said joyfully.
"Fatih, you know her?" Zen said.
"Of course, she's Eliana's sister," Fatih replied.
"My sister hid me from the kingdom so I wouldn't have to get involved in cruel politics. Now I use my power as a chain controller to guard Notton from the shadows," Iriana explained with a full smile, making Zen slightly gape.
"Did you meet Kaizo? He was chasing the person you killed earlier," Bones asked.
"Kaizo, who is that?" Iriana asked.
"He's your future brother-in-law, engaged to Eliana," Fatih replied.
"Really!? My sister hasn't told me. I must meet him after this," Iriana pouted.
"Seriously, you didn't meet him? He's also from Notton, white hair with blue eyes. Where did he go?" Fatih began to worry.
"Is that him?" Iriana pointed in the opposite direction. Kaizo flew and landed, his clothes dirty and worn out. He had just finished fighting.
Fatih tried to ask Kaizo where he had been after chasing Turkan, but before he could answer, another person came from the same direction: Maria, wearing Kaizo's cloak. Both their faces were dirty and tired, grimy and covered in sweat, breathing heavily.
"Is that your cloak?" Zen asked.
"Didn't I say..., I lent it," Kaizo replied.
"What were you two doing?" Zen asked.
"To be honest, I wanted to..., see how strong you all are now," Maria replied.
Zen, without thinking twice, immediately took all the keys and inserted them into the keyholes on the tower. Instantly, the rocks around them moved and glowed. A golden chest rose, illuminating the night sky. The chest opened and released five lights that possessed the souls of the five fighters, while Iriana and Maria were simply amazed.
Fatih received the holy sword, which has several forms of blade transformation: a scimitar, a long sword, a katana, a rapier, and even a chainsaw blade, all with the same features—made of gold and diamonds.
Zen, who was initially disappointed because he received a large shield shaped like a dragon's head, black and hard, adorned with gold and dragon eyes made of ruby, became happy because it turned out his shield could be used as a rocket booster by attaching it to his back.
Bones received the holy axe, which could grow larger as he wished and also strengthen Bones's muscles.
Kirito received a new magic staff made of gold and a new, very hard black material; he didn't know what it was, but there was a dragon head on the end, whose golden horns could extend and coil to form a sharp spear.
Kaizo perhaps received the simplest, but this made him even more arrogant: a dragon totem, an object shaped like a dragon's head, no bigger than the palm of his hand. The totem was immediately absorbed by Kaizo, causing him to be revived with a more resilient body and unlimited mana. Yes, this totem gave Kaizo unlimited mana.
"Round two, are you ready? Or will you be weak before you feel my true ferocity?" Kaizo smiled widely.
"Haha, just the two of us," Maria threw a bomb at Katsura's sprawling body. The bomb exploded and brought the bodies of Katsura, Thomas, Jonathan, and Yelena together, accompanied by a thick black mist. Hanzo's body had already turned to dust.
Kaizo immediately charged at Maria, choking her and carrying her far up into the sky. Fatih, Iriana, Bones, Zen, and Kirito now had to face a colossal humanoid monster, pitch black with glowing white eyes, in front of them.
Maria, who was starting to run out of breath, immediately moved the earth to catch both of them, bringing Kaizo with her deep underground.
There, breathing heavily, accompanied by coughing up blood, Kaizo stayed with Maria, who was somewhat dying.
"You've seen a little of my power; you should realize I can kill Orion and all of you," Kaizo said after showing off his power.
Maria lay on her back, wiping her blood-stained lips. "If so, why did you have to bring them with you? Wouldn't that only slow you down..." Yelena spoke.
"It would, but what I'm actually doing is finding a beautiful world for Eliana because I've learned many things while training with my master. Even if Orion dies, the world won't return to the way it was. People will still do evil, and nature will bring forth a replacement for Orion to destroy this world." Kaizo looked at Maria.
"Because the one who should really be killed is—" Maria, who was talking, was immediately interrupted by Kaizo because he didn't want to discuss it too much.
"Enough, the important thing is you keep your promise. Keep trying to kill me, even if you won't succeed, hahaha!" Kaizo laughed in relief.
"What is your hope for Eliana, Kaizo?" Maria moved closer and lay right beside Kaizo.
"I love her, even if it's impossible. I will strive for everything to make her happy. If one day—ah, never mind. I don't want to cry next to you. Get away from me!" Kaizo chased Maria away.
"Hahaha, alright, alright~, in any case, you are my enemy, so don't expect too much, okay~," Maria teased.
"Ugh," Kaizo moved away, feeling ticklish.
Fatih, Bones, Kirito, Iriana, and Zen began to be cornered. This opponent was very strong. Even their holy weapons, perhaps because they hadn't mastered them yet, left them overwhelmed.
Bones jumped high with his enlarged axe, which blocked the moonlight, but was thrown far back after being hit squarely by the monster.
They all lay exhausted and full of wounds because the monster's body was so hard and indestructible. Fatih, with his courage, stood up, his body starting to shake. Several lights began to shine from his body; he was about to awaken something. But suddenly, all eyes turned to something: Bones flew back, shooting forward with a bright, dazzling orange glow surrounding his body. The monster fell with a single attack.
"What was that!?" said Zen, who was sprawled on the ground.
"The limit break ability," Kaizo came back with his blue cloak.
"What ability are you talking about, Kaizo?" Kirito, who was starting to get up, asked while healing all of them.
"With that power, your power will become more dangerous for the opponent, with a big increase in physique and the appearance of additional abilities that will surely give great support to your power. Unfortunately, I'm not one of the people who can awaken it," Kaizo explained.
"That explains the light that appeared on my body before Bones arrived," Fatih stretched his shoulders.
"How did Bones awaken that ability?" Zen helped Iriana get up.
"He must have experienced a surge of great spirit after being motivated to save you all. I've seen people who can do that firsthand," Kaizo replied.
"Wow, what a pity. It was fun. Why can't I use it again!?" Bones came over, showing his muscular body, which was exposed because his clothes were burned after the attack, making Iriana hiccup when she saw him.
"You can use it again, Bones, and all of you might be able to too if it's trained. So, do you want to?" Kaizo asked.
"That would be very helpful in the war with Orion. Approximately how long will the training take?" Fatih asked.
"A week at the fastest, if you're serious," Kaizo replied.
"Really? If so, where's the training?" Zen replied enthusiastically.
"That means we'll go back to Notton. Let's go!!!" Kaizo immediately turned around, inviting everyone to depart.
"I want to come too!!!" Iriana cheered.
"Who are you?" Kaizo asked with a cold gaze.
"Mean brother-in-law!! Boo-hoo-hoo," Iriana cried.
"Kaizo, she's Iriana, Eliana's sister!" Fatih told Kaizo.
"What!!" Kaizo was surprised and immediately apologized while embracing Iriana, who was still sobbing.
"Eliana won't be happy knowing this, mwehehehe," Kirito teased.
"Shut up, you idiot!!!" Kaizo shouted back at Kirito, which only made Iriana even more hysterical.
Everyone laughed at the panicking Kaizo.
Their warmth continued to be interwoven with every step they took.