Chapter 33: Chapter 32

Bolin stood stunned as he looked at the limp girl in Robert’s arms, her face slack as it drained of color. A slight laugh from behind him caused him to whirl around on the kneeling two.

“What so funny!” He snapped, pressing his sword into the laughing man’s chest.

Bolin felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the man who simply ignored him as he looked past him towards the girl and Robert. 

What’s going on here? Did they all go mad? He thought as he inspected the two who looked uncharacteristically calm given the situation. It's just like those monsters from before.

Once in his past life he was tasked with being part of interrogating some; what they thought to be small time gang members. Only for them to remain completely calm the whole time despite the mountain of charges against them. They simply smiled and waved him off every time he tried to talk to them, acting as if the whole thing was a joke before one day he came to work, and they were simply gone. Bolin found later they were in fact high ranking members of the mob, and their boss pulled some strings to pluck them both out of the system as if they had never existed in the first place. It was the case that caused him to fight to move up becoming a translator and negotiator instead of a detective.

“Robert, get away from her!” Bolin roared as he looked back to see the girl’s body twitch.

Robert quickly let the girl go, diving back as her body snapped upright. They all watched as the world around her seemed to warp before a title wave of force blasted off her small body, strange black veins springing to life on her pale skin. 

She smiled as she opened her eyes, her black lifeless eyes looking right through him as she slowly turned to face Robert. 

A low growl seemed to build in her chest before she spoke. “She wasn’t talking to you.” Her voice seemed distorted at first as it came out in English, before it seemed to solidify into a young girl, “now, where were we with the whole hostage bit?” She switched to Solresol as she let out an almost childish laugh as she seemed to stretch.

---

Bolin let out a nervous laugh as the power washed over him, her voice causing his blood to run cold as she spoke. 

“She really was one of the lost heroes.” Yaroslav whispered as he readied himself, his voice breaking Bolin’s trance.

“Now, Hecatolite was it?” Bolin asked moving behind the injured woman, “let’s not be rash here. We are all lost souls in this world, we can still talk this out.” He spoke in English hoping to draw her attention and build a common ground.  

Hecatolite glared at him as he laid the flat of his sword on Alexa’s injured shoulder causing her to wince. “If you’re trying to garner relationship, threats are a poor choice “hero”.” Her words were like ice, “unless that fancy relic of yours can heal as well?”

Robert moved ever so slightly as he faded from sight causing her to click her tongue. “Of course, he turns invisible. Why would he do anything else.” She hissed as Bolin gained some confidence.

“Now why don’t we talk,” he smiled as he felt he had regained control of the situation, relaxing slightly as his sword rose from the woman’s shoulder “I am sure we can clear this misunderstanding.”

His words were cut short by a sharp crack that split the air; his sword tore from his hand as the sound of metal being struck rang out. His heart nearly leapt from his chest as a long ominous rifle appeared in the girl’s hand, his mind slowly caught up with reality as he let out a shrill yell diving to the side using the hostages as cover. All the memories of his past life coming to the forefront of his mind; screaming of how dangerous that weapon was, and how useless a sword was against a rifle.

“Where the fuck did she get a gun!” Yaroslav screamed as he slammed the metal shield into the ground praying to Valor that the thin metal would deflect a bullet. 

Alexa and Hans wasted no time rolling away from the two petrified men. Alexa letting out a pained grunt as she grabbed her arm and held it in place, her sub mind already going to work casting healing magic to mend the bones.

“What took you so long!” Hans yelled as he ran to his shield causing Hecatolite to shrug as she took potshots at the shield.  

“You looked like you had it under control.” She said with a smile, she knew eventually they would realize the gun was harmless as she had no bullets for it. It was a gamble, assuming the church hadn’t told the heroes of guns simply because most people figured them useless; but one she had to take, knowing anyone from another world would likely think it as a tool of death as she had. She had chosen her first shot as carefully as she could, being careful not to actually hit the boy or he would realize it was harmless. She was surprised that it knocked the sword from his hand. “Besides, it looked like you were having fun.”

Alexa rolled her eyes as she looked at her staff laying behind Yaroslav, “sure fun, what’s your plan now?”

“Don’t know, didn’t think the gun bluff would work.” At her words Bolin sat up, she couldn’t help herself as she fired at his now exposed head. “Figured you two could just resume your child abuse class while I find dagger boy and rip his arms off for his little grabbing session earlier.” 

Bolin’s head rocked back as the mana bullet bounced off, yet it did no real damage to the boy as he shook his head. “What?” He asked as another two bullets hit him in the chest. Doing little more than causing him to jerk slightly he looked at her with amazement. “We truly are chosen by god.” He muttered as he stood up.

“Figures, a hero's mana would be too dense for that to work on them.” Hans sighed as Bolin began to laugh.  

Yaroslav peeked out from behind his shield, only to be greeted by a round to the forehead. Unlike Bolin, Yaroslav didn’t even move as the mana bullet simply caused his blond hair to part as it broke across his forehead.

Faint alarm bells rang in her mind as she could clearly feel a presence behind her. She quickly moved to the side…. Tripping over her own feet as a dagger seemed to appear in the now open air above her.

She hissed, swinging the gun wildly in the air in a blind attempt to hit the boy. Only to stop as she heard Bolin’s voice calling out.

“O Heavenly father,” the start of his prayer caused all three of them to look at the boy who now stood with his flaming sword held aloft as golden light seemed to gather around him. His voice rang in Hecatolite’s ears like nails on a chalkboard.

Shit, Alexa is still healing. Hans? No, he doesn’t have any range spells, does he? Hecatolite thought as she looked at her allies, before she started giggling causing the two of them to look back at her in bewilderment as she rolled on to her stomach. 

“Please grant me the power to guide these wayward…” his words again cut short by a loud crack as a mana bullet slammed into his nose. His head jerked suddenly as he bit his tongue breaking his concentration causing the light to dissipate.

Hecatolite clicked her tongue, “I was aiming for his mouth.” She hissed as she slowly stood up. “What are you waiting for an invitation, go beat some kids up.” She snapped causing Hans’s shoulder to slump.

“I am a knight captain, you know.” He sighed as he looked at the now glowing shield, “Impregnable fortress” ; he barely reacted in time, placing his tower shield up as a beam of light tore through the street slamming into him.

He could feel the draw on his mana as the skill activated, his feet becoming rooted to the ground as the golden beam slammed into his shield before dissipating harmlessly. After a moment of silence, he released his skill looking around it to see a stunned Yaroslav looking back mouth agape.

“Then again some education might do them good.” He said as he rolled his shoulder.

“That’s the spirit!” Hecatolite grinned. ""Educate" him like a red headed stepchild." She laughed at her own joke as Hans rushed the boy.

“Why do I feel you’re not taking this seriously!” Alexa yelled as Hecatolite dodged another invisible attack.

“Them? Seriously? They're floundering like children, Alexa look at them.” Hecatolite stopped moving the black lines on her body thickening as she reinforced her body. She swung her gun like a bat behind her causing a loud grunt to ring out flowed by a loud thud as the invisible boy appeared on the ground a good distance away. “Their cowards, predictable, relying on their toys from their god.” She stepped towards the boy as he fought to stand. “Take this kid for example, he only attacks from behind. All I need to do is wait until he’s about to attack and” she made a popping sound with her mouth. 

Just then her danger sense kicked in full blast, not the faint alarm from before. Her stomach sank as fear crept up her spine as a thought rocketed into her mind, move or I will die.

She unconsciously summoned her claws in her free hand bringing them up to defend herself as she drove to the side. Blinding pain shot up her arm as the sword dug into her claws severing two of them as the sword passed inches from her neck before she fell to the ground screaming in pain.

Her soul wrenching scream caused everyone to pause for a moment as they watched her roll on the ground, black liquid pouring from her claws as she fought to even think.

Alexa quickly fired an icicle at Bolin who had lunged at her sister causing him to pause as he blocked her.

“You are too full of yourself,” he hissed as he swatted the icicle from the air.

As if his words had summoned them, the doors to the warehouse opened, the sound of Taaffeite's voice filled the street as she yelled. “Who in the holy court enchants a whole building!” Appearing in the door was the giant form of Alastair, under one of his arms he held a man who was being berated by Taaffeite who only stopped when she looked out into the destroyed street.

Before them were the clear signs of an intense battle, standing in a half-frozen street was a young man holding a golden shield squaring off with Hans, a dozen paces away Alexa stood facing a boy with a golden sword who stood over the writhing form of a child.

The screams of a child filled the air causing Alastair to violently toss the man he held to the ground. His yell was incoherent as he rushed into the street towards the boy above his daughter's screaming body.

Bolin swore as he braced himself for the giant who came barreling towards him. “Flame spear!” He yelled as he fired the spell towards the man, only for the man to grab the burning spear from the air and throw it back at him.

“What the hell!” He barely dodged the spell as it whizzed past him only to be sent flying as a boot the size of his chest slammed into him sending him soaring through the air crashing into a wall before falling to the ground.

Alastair stopped above Hecatolite and scooped her into his arms. He began to pat the girl as if he was coddling an injured animal. Taaffeite rushed to his side as she inspected her daughter.

This is my chance. Bolin thought as he fought to stand, the giant's boot had clearly broken his ribs, but he couldn’t let this chance pass. I need to put an end to this. He began to whisper a prayer as he leveled his sword towards them. 

He couldn’t react as the image of the woman beside the giant flickered, a rapier flashing before him as it punched through his arm nearly loosening grip on his sword as he was forced to grab it with both hands. 

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“I have had it with you people attacking my children.” A woman’s voice cut through him as the rapier was ripped violently from his left arm. He brought his sword up to attempt to block only for the rapier to shimmer again, it was blind luck that his arm intercepted the blade as it darted for his neck. The thin blade cut through his arm again as he barely managed to deflect the blow from puncturing his throat. The woman finally appeared before him as she pulled back to strike again.

“You bitch,” he hissed as he tried to conjure flames onto hit blade, his left arm now hanging limply at this side, only to stop as she seemed to shimmer again. “You coward!” He yelled as he swung at her, passing though her image harmlessly; her image only grinned.

Only then did he see it, though her flickering smile. The flaming demon that was charging at him, he let out a soundless scream as he remembered his back up plan. He scrambled to get his hand into his pocket as he fished for his only hope of escaping as the flaming figure grew closer, it left a burring trail behind him as the ice in the street flashed into steam.

What in the hell is that! He panicked, freezing for a moment as the massive figure held out a hand, he instinctively brought his sword up to block himself from the heat as the burning hand engulfed his arm. 

He could instantly feel his skin start to boil as he screamed, he flailed as the giant lifted him by his arm, all burning flame engulfing the boy to his shoulder as he began to slam his bloody arm into his leg in hopes to smash the escape crystal hidden in his robe. 

Then suddenly it was all over, everything stopped as he heard a faint popping sound before he fell on cool damp grass.

---

Moments before.

“Dad, they are heroes!” Alexa yelled as she turned to see Hans holding Yaroslav at bay, neither defender able to gain any ground as Hans battered the young man with the edge of his shield.

“Heroes you say.” He growled as smoke rose from his body. “What hero beats a small girl in the street.” He snapped as he gently laid Hecatolite on the ground, she had finally stopped screaming as she clutched her hand to her chest.  

“Sword… dangerous… cut claws...” She said through gritted teeth.

Alastair exploded from the spot at her words, unable to hold his rage as he heard of someone with the audacity to brandish a sword at his precious daughter.

Alexa let out a sigh of relief as she looked down at Hecatolite. “Are you going to be ok?”

“Damaged soul again…. We will live.” She grinned weakly, “should help Hans.” She motioned to the Knight who was now dancing around the boy, abandoning his shield entirely as he simply threw punches at the young man, his tower shield locked in the air above them as if he placed it out of the way. The boy's left arm hung at an odd angle as Hans kept bashing his shoulder whenever the boy attempted to defend. “No weapon, will take forever.” She let out a quiet cry as she sat up, her arm still throbbing from having her soul form cut.

Alexa nodded as she turned, not intending to leave her sister's side as she held up one hand. Hecatolite was in awe as Alexa began to chant her voice coming out in an almost musical manner as she spoke a language she did not recognize. For the first time she watched as her sister wove a full proper spell. A small circle appeared in the air before her as her chant grew in intensity, the small circle growing in size, before it suddenly sprang out in all directions, growing easily as large as a Babylon terminal. Dozens of smaller circles seemed to form around its perimeter as the air around them seemed to freeze, small ice crystals forming in the air around her. After nearly a minute she finally seemed to finish as her chant peaked, “Frost nova.” Her voice nearly whispered as the entirety of the spell circle imploded into what appeared to be a tiny snowball that fired lazily from her hand.

“Hans!” Hecatolite screamed as the mana pressure slammed into her.

Hans stopped as he heard a scream, looking back to see Alexa standing with an outstretched hand. A tiny white orb flying towards him. His mind didn’t have time to process as he moved on pure instinct, ripping his shield from the air and taking cover behind it. He was amazed as his body activated every barrier spell he knew on top of his new blessing as he turned his shield to the boy he was fighting a moment ago, as if he knew that he would be the target. His entire world flashed white as cold air rushed around his shield, the air freezing around him as frost built around the edges of his shield freezing him and it to the ground. 

After a minute he was able to break free of his own solidified state, ripping his frozen boots from the ground as he looked around him. The entire street was coated in ice as snow began to fall from the sky. He gave up on pulling his shield from the ground as he stepped around it glaring back at Alexa, the icy prison she had summoned stopping barely a foot away from her. 

Standing in the street, was the shivering form of Yaroslav. He had not been as lucky as Hans who had a tower shield and enough experience to know that a kite shield was ineffective if you did not position your body to defend your legs. He stepped around the boy to find him frozen from the waist down, his shield frozen in a solid block of ice making it immovable.

Yaroslav glared at the man with chattering teeth as he attempted to curse at him.

“You can’t win this kid.” Hans sighed as he looked at the boy. 

Yaroslav, with a slight tearing sound, pulled his hand from his shield. He didn’t speak as he produced a colorless crystal and slammed it into his frozen shield. Hans made no motion to stop him as the boy winked from existence before him. Leaving a perfect void in the ice ware he had been, his shield vanishing with him.

“Damn kids had recall crystals.” He sighed again as he slumped to the ground. “of course, they did, why wouldn’t the church give those to the Heroes.”

---

Hecatolite was stunned as she looked at the now frozen street, ice covering it all the way to the far end as snow started to fall.

“Wow,” she muttered as she looked up at her sister with newfound admiration, the dull throb in her left hand nearly forgotten as Alexa smiled.

“Fuck this.” They heard a voice as a hand wrapped around her throat and violently pulled her from the ground. 

She let out a yelp as she blindly lashed out with her uninjured hand. 

“It's time we left, girl.” Robert hissed as his body metalized, a crystal in his hand.

Just as he was about to smash it, Hecatolite growled as her undamaged claws raked across his face. His whole body tensed as the claws tore through flesh, digging into bone as they ripped down his face, seeming to catch in his collarbone as his spasm smashed the crystal in his hand. It was blind luck that he happened to have pulled the crystal out when he saw his comrades vanish as he was robbed of consciousness by the attack that tore through his entire being as he winked from existence.

Alexa watched in horror as the boy who held her sister by the throat smashed a recall crystal only to be stunned as Hecatolite fell when the boy vanished.

“How?” She muttered as Hecatolite seemed to investigate a crushed eyeball in her bloody hand.

Hecatolite went to ask what Alexa meant only to have wind knocked out of her as a nearly naked Alastair scooped her into his arms.

The unasked question was answered by Taaffeite who seemed to appear beside them, “you can’t force teleport someone who has a stronger will than yourself. Though how the church got three of my grandmother’s crystals is a mystery.”

“Can’t… breath… pain.” Hecatolite struggled against her father’s hug as she kicked her feet.

After a moment he released the hug, moving her to a princess carry refusing to let her down as all 5 of them came together.

They inspected the damages, only to find that; minus Alexa and Hans minor mana crash, the only injury any of them had was Hecatolite’s severed claws. Her arm slowly turned black from the leaking aether. 

“Index,” Taaffeite summoned her terminal, “is there any way to heal her injury?” She asked as she held her daughter's blackened hand in hers.

“Soul damage to this extent is dangerous,” Babylon replied, as text scrolled across the screen. “This is exactly why using soul manifestation as a form of attack is a bad idea.” It flashed yellow as the text stopped. “There is only one case of someone repairing soul damage of this caliber… Hecatolite Lapidary, is the only person in existence to repair its soul through the cannibalism of another soul. Note, the extent of this damage is significantly less than the previous time. Please refrain from eating souls.” It finished.

“So, she’s less hurt than last time, that's good.” Hans said ignoring the cannibalism comment. “Will it heal on its own?”

“If it were a normal soul it would take hundreds of years to regrow part of its soul this size. Hecatolite may repair itself faster, however leaking aether will likely cause complications with the shared body it shares with Amethyst.” It replied to causing Hans to jump. He did not expect the terminal to answer anyone but the family.

Everyone stood silently as they contemplated what to do. 

“Will this be enough?” Hecatolite asked, opening her hand to reveal a crushed eye and a ribbon of flesh. “Still got some soul stuck to it.”

Everyone recoiled at the suggestion as the terminal replied. “Please. Refrain. From. Eating. Souls.” It paused as if punctuating every word before turning an annoyed yellow. “But yes, that fragment of the Hero Robert’s soul may be enough to repair the damage. You would need to consume it manually; the system will not allow you to use your soul manifestation to consume a soul again. Please note that as a system terminal I cannot condone the action; though, it is advisable if you are going to use that fragment you should act quickly given the soul is dissipating from that eye quickly.”

“You cannot be serious!” Alexa yelled as she looked around at everyone present. “We aren’t going to let her eat that, are we?!”

“Of course we aren't,” Taaffeite motioned to grab her daughter's hand only to be stunned as Hecatolite shoved the bloody handful into her mouth, swallowing it quickly much like a puppy.

Taaffeite was stunned as Hecatolite let out a small burp, black smoke rising from her mouth as she did. Hans gagged as he turned away. Alexa threw up at the sight of her sister eating a human eye and flesh. Alastair coughed as he let out a nervous laugh.

“That wasn’t too bad… kind of spicy.” Hecatolite coughed a few times before loudly exclaiming. “It is getting worse!” She yelled before turning in Alastair’s arms only to have a hand slam over her mouth.

“You made your choice. It’s pointless if you vomit it back up.” Her mother’s harsh tone surprised her as she held her mouth shut. 

After minutes of struggling Babylon finally dinged. “Soul fragment, Roberto Estrada consumed. Skill: Hide minor acquired. Trait: iron stomach acquired. Trait: cannibal already acquired, Trait; Forgotten legacy evolved into “error” …. Trait: forgotten legacy re-acquired.” It changed colors several times before it spoke again. “Congratulations, you are now the only person to ever gain the cannibal trait twice. Such a thing should not be possible, the system has rewarded you with the trait: loophole exploiter. I advise expelling the access mana before it can damage Amethyst or your soul.”

Taaffeite sighed as she released Hecatolite who began vomiting up smoky black liquid.