Chapter 53: Ch. 53 – Enter the Shadow Realm

I knocked on the door as I opened it. Raven was sitting on the couch in the living room, reading, but she set aside the book as I walked in. I headed over and sat down next to her, placing my arm over her shoulder.

"How did it go?" Raven asked as she leaned into my embrace.

"As you would imagine, though Lexa did announce that she is stepping down as Heda soon," I replied.

"When are you leaving then?" she sighed.

"Lexa and Echo will come in three days. Kane is going to pick a place where we can build some defenses and create some walls, but she has also ordered the use of the last missile, to weaken the army."

Raven took a deep breath and said firmly, "I should go too. With the resources that Arkadia and the bunkers can provide, I can set up more than some simple landmines. You can just put me in some kind of cell when he gets close."

"You don't have to push yourself, Raven. You can be safe if you stay here."

"You're one to talk," she chided gently. "You're my only family now... I don't want to do this without you."

I stroked her cheek and sighed, "You could still be happy if you let other people in."

"I love you, Rebecca, and I want my fate to be the same as yours," she said before she kissed me.

I kissed her back while trying to hold back my fears. Katye and I agreed that we would not use the Anomaly Stone, but just like Iseto appearing, we were worried that Tori would change even more things. At this point, both of us truly wanted to settle down, yet we also felt like we owed something to Tori for giving us this chance. Neither of us were the type to quit, but the idea of leaving Raven behind broke my heart. If we survived the army, then I would have to tell her everything; she deserved as much.

I spent the next day outside of Mount Weather where I could watch those that came in and scan for any traces of Iseto's mana. My body had fully recovered by midday, but after that, I started working on something that I would need for tonight. I planned on undergoing the Naru Darc trial once the moon rose this evening, so I needed a proper weapon before I entered the Shadow Realm, or I would only be able to rely on my mana.

After reading 'From Darkness to Light', I had a few ideas that I wanted to try out. The Elum Sola used weapons and armor that were infused with Light mana, so I wanted to attempt to make something like that. I could create metal, and therefore make my own gear, but I had never tried to combine the two elements together. It took a while, and several failed prototypes, but I was able to create a piece of Light-infused metal. The key was adding the Light-mana into the stone, as I transformed it into metal, but the downside was that it took a significant amount of mana to reshape it, almost quadruple the amount of what it took for regular metal.

I made a pair of short swords that were the length of my batons and roughly the same weight. Armor was not something that I specialized in, so I only managed to craft a breastplate and a single bracer that I put on my left arm before the sun started setting. While I sat, looking over my newest creations, a familiar presence walked up behind me.

"I still remember when it would take you all day to make that much metal," Raven commented, standing behind me.

"And this has two elements, Light and Earth," I replied. "But I didn't forget you."

I picked up my first successful piece of Light metal and handed it to her. It was a raven, in the same shape as the charm on her necklace, and she smiled down at me.

"I've never seen a white raven," she retorted.

"I'll make you a black one, once I have my Shadow powers," I chuckled.

"Are you sure that you're ready for the trial?"

"After I meditate for a while, yes. My body is back to normal, and I need whatever advantage I can get, before we take on Iseto. I'll be back by sun rise, one way or another," I replied, standing up.

"And you'll have that power like Lexa, right? She called it Naru Darc, I think," Raven asked.

"That's right. Does that mean that you have a mark of hers?" I asked with suspicion.

"On my calf, before you try to start something."

I chuckled and wrapped my arms around her waist as I sighed, "Fine."

We kissed for a few moments, but there were still things that needed to be handled tonight. I broke our kiss then pulled all of the armor onto my body, fusing it together at the seams. I had to carry my swords by hand, but it didn't matter as my other held onto Raven's as we headed back into Mount Weather. I had told her about the trial the day before and we had decided that I would do the ritual in our living room, since it qualified as a place that had never seen the sun.

"Are you sure that you want to stay here the whole time? It will be hours," I asked when I woke up from my meditation, despite knowing exactly how she would answer.

"Just shut up and save some energy for me. I don't have a single task for tomorrow and I expect a reason why I won't pick up anything new," Raven replied with a coy smile.

I leaned over and pinned her down on the couch that we were sitting on, kissing her passionately, then promised with a whisper in her ear, "You won't be able to walk when I'm done with you."

She nipped at my jawline as I pulled away. I ran my fingers through her hair one last time while I gave her a gentle, parting kiss. Our eyes met for a moment, but it felt like eons as countless thoughts and feelings were transferred with such a simple action. The two of us knew exactly what we meant to each other, so words were becoming less important as the days passed.

"I'll be back soon," I promised, standing up.

Raven nodded while I walked over and flipped off the light. I conjured a small ball of white flames which was the only source of light as I crossed over to the center of the room. There were three candles, arranged in a triangle, that I lit then dismissed the white fire and took out my knife. I pricked my thumb, then started drawing the symbol on the cover of the book.

It was a circle around each of the candles then a triangle to connect them all around me. Inside the triangle, I drew a dozen small glyphs along the edges and the last part was an 'X' in the very center. Channeling my mana into the symbols, the flames turned black and had traces of dark blue in them while a black portal appeared over the triangle.

I stood up and drew my swords before I stepped into the void. I felt myself being pulled into the Shadow Realm and was immediately assaulted by a bone-chilling coldness. It was the essence of Shadow mana, but in its unrefined state which was trying to corrupt my body and soul.

My mana flared as I pushed back against the darkness which caused a haunting wail to erupt that was quickly joined by dozens then hundreds of voices. Despite the blackness around me, there were faint traces of dark blue that I could barely make out, but it was enough. I slashed at the nearest hint of blue and, while I felt no resistance, something screeched with pain as it sizzled away.

With the defeat of my first opponent, I could sense a faint amount of purified Shadow mana enter my body. There was little that I could do with such a tiny amount, but more residents of the realm racing towards me, meant that I could gain plenty more.

My white swords had a faint glow to them as I slashed out at every trace of blue. For every one that I cut, their mana would transfer to me and allow me to 'see' the world around me clearer. The blue figures were spirits of all shapes and sizes, human and non-human, men, women, and even children. They swarmed me from all directions, and while my swords were able to hurt them, there were just too many.

A wolfman was the first to slip through my guard and his clawed hand slashed at my throat. The concentrated Shadow mana that made up his body tore through my thin mana shield around my skin, and my throat felt like it was crushed. My body erupted in red flames, and I blasted them outwards as I tried to get some breathing room.

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I had to channel more of my mana into my neck to remove the corrupted energy. The flames destroyed the closest spirits but were quickly suppressed by the others that kept coming. I barely had the time to recover before they were clawing at me again.

I no longer held back with my mana and launched arcs of red flames with every swing of my sword. It was enough to keep the lesser spirits away, but I was wasting my reserves at a quick pace. By the time that I finished off the swarm, not only could I 'see' the spirits, but I could also 'hear' them.

"Accursed blade," a spirit screeched, as its body dissolved away.

"Die!" another cried.

"Join us!"

The voices grew quiet as I finished off the last of them, but I knew that I was far from done. Circulating the Shadow mana within my body, my skin turned jet black, and I no longer had to waste my own energy to keep the corrupted Shadow mana back. The world around me also changed and mirrored the outside world.

I was still standing in the living room and a bright, yellow figure was sitting on the couch. Although I could not make out any defined characteristics, it was easy to guess that it was Raven. Behind me, there was a white portal, which I knew was my way back to the real world, but it was not time to use it yet.

"At last... a challenger has arrived. Come to the light of the moon and let me see you," a raspy voice called out through the void.

I looked around, focusing the Shadow mana into my eyes, which changed my vision. The walls became transparent like glass, and I could see the shining lights of people's souls all around me. Up above, I could make out a blue spirit that was looking down at me.

The walls, and even the floor, were only a representation of the outside world and not true physical barriers, but while I could move through the walls and doors, the dirt itself would repel my Shadow form. I jumped through all the floors that I could, but when I reached the top floor of Mount Weather, I was forced to use the front door.

The moon within the Shadow Realm was only marked by the large blue ring hanging in the sky. The figure that had called out to me was waiting patiently, not too far from the exit. His body seemed more corporeal than the lesser spirits had been, and there was far more detail.

He stood over seven feet tall and had a pair of cat ears on the top of his head. His hair was neatly trimmed and short which contrasted with his long fu manchu beard. A simple robe covered most of his body, but his two tails were flicking casually as he looked me over.

"Well, you certainly have more potential than the last one who attempted my trial, but her strength has been developing well. It's rare for someone so young to already have a Dusa form, even though it is still in its embryonic stage, it is still an impressive feat," he remarked.

"Dusa form?" I asked with confusion.

His eyes shimmered with a cyan light, and I could feel that my mind was being probed.

"Master still likes to keep his new initiates in the dark," the cat-man chuckled with a light purr to his voice. "Dusa form is the name of your transformation. When you can harness the power without relying on your rage, it will be fully formed."

"Master? You mean Tori?" I asked.

"As you call him," he agreed with a nod. "I am Asad, an avatar of a member of his Pantheon, Lord of the Shadow Realm and King of the Dead within this universe that he has created for your ascension. It seems that the Master's eye is as discerning as ever with you, young one."

"Did he do something like this for you?"

"He did, long ago."

"So, are you here to help us then?" I asked.

"No, I am merely here to pick your opponents and judge your trial. I just wanted to see his newest 'little sister'. I look forward to watching your growth," he replied with a purr then his body melded with the blackness around us.

To replace him, a blue hand ripped out of the void and pulled itself out completely. It was a lanky man with sunken black eyes and a broken horn over his right brow. Unlike the lesser spirits that I fought off before, he wore black armor and carried two black daggers at his waist.

He cocked his head to the side as he drew the wicked looking daggers and held them in a reverse grip. Without warning, he launched himself at me, but there was enough distance between us that I could react. I used my sword to parry his raised dagger as he spun the other one around in his hand and thrusted it towards my stomach.

I used the pommel of my second sword to block the attack, but he barely used any strength with the move and instead, twisted around me with more speed than he had used before. My swords were both whipped to the opposite side that he moved in, and he brought a flurry of shallow cuts as he circled around to my left. Everywhere the daggers cut left a chilling cold behind and revealed my tanned skin, cutting away the Shadow Skin instead of my actual flesh.

I conjured flames around me and sent them all towards him as I rolled away from him. The flames did little to my opponent, but it gave me enough time to separate myself from him and get back to my feet. I launched a few Wind Blades at him, but they passed through his body harmlessly, making me click my tongue with annoyance. Earth also proved to be ineffective, so I abandoned the elements altogether and channeled my mana through my body, increasing my speed.

Now, I was faster than him, but I had never fought an opponent like him before. Every time that he parried one of my attacks, he would let his body bend in unnatural ways and try to counterattack me at strange angles. The few times that my swords would slip past his guard, he would contort his body so that the blows would land on his armor.

I could feel myself getting frustrated with his unusual tactics. Due to him being a spirit, there was no end to the ways that he could bend and twist, which he used to his advantage constantly. I needed more than just speed, so I used my strongest spell which I had dubbed, Dragon's Breath. It was a spell that I used regularly in my spars, but never at its full strength since it was not a serious fight. Now, it was, and I channeled nearly double the amount into the spell.

A torrent of blue flames erupted from my mouth and engulfed the spirit. For the first time, he made a sound as he wailed in pain and thrashed about. I did not let the chance pass me by and pushed my speed to the limits, swinging both of my swords for his neck. His head was separated from his body and dissolved while his body was consumed by the flames.

It felt like my body was swelling as his mana transferred into me, but so did a lot of information straight into my mind. The story had said that when defeated, greater spirits would grant a Shadow technique, and the first would grant three, but I received nearly half a dozen overloading my senses. Shadow Skin and Void Walk were the two spells granted to every Naru Darc then another one based on whatever spirit that was defeated. The techniques to use Spirit Call, Shadow Bolt, and Shadow Limb entered my mind as well.

Spirit Call would grant me the ability to call forth a defeated greater spirit, meaning the one that I had just fought, but the drawback was that it could only be done at night, when 'the world was in Shadow'. Shadow Bolt was just a condensed ball of Shadow mana, just like a fireball or water ball, so not that impressive. Shadow Limb, however, was a vicious spell that copied my opponent's annoying flexibility, granting me the ability to manipulate my shadow to strike causing minor wounds. It had the potential to become what had annoyed me most while fighting him, the vicious counterattack at crazy angles once I could manifest a physical shadow.

"Well, well... you are full of surprises! I would have thought that Ishu would have left you completely empty, but you still have half your mana left. Let's see if you can handle your next challenger!" Asad's voice echoed all around me.

It did not feel like I even had the chance to catch my breath when the cat-man praised me. The 'ground' under me started to shake, so I stirred my fresh Shadow mana to examine the area around me as I retreated a few steps. I could see a void portal like the one that my previous opponent had come through, but this one was four times larger and a few inches below the surface.

A ghostly blue hand punched through the layer of dirt, then dug its fingers on the edge of the hole before the second one erupted from the dirt. Instead of flying away, the shadow dirt clung to the giant hands that were nearly two feet wide. The spirit pulled itself slowly out of the void, but that had just been an impression since his body was just so large. He was well over twenty feet tall, and the Shadow Earth wrapped around his body, hardening into Stone Armor. This was an opponent straight out of 'Grand Master of the Five Elements': a Rock Giant. They were pretty much immune to all forms of magic and physical attacks as long as their armor was intact, and they could use Earth magic. There was only one thought as I stared at my next opponent.

"Fuck this!" I swore as I channeled whatever mana I had left and fled back towards my portal, to go back to the real world.

"Don't worry, Jabo will be waiting for your next trial, Rebecca," Asad's purr rang in my ears.

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