Chapter 33
Just as Gath was about to move, she felt a sharp, heavy pressure that she couldn't ignore.
Looking down again, she caught a glimpse of a figure, The Alphar.
It gave her a look that seemed to urge her to carefully consider her next actions. She turned to Nemisis, who was standing very close, his crimson eyes locked onto hers.
"Oh, sorry," he stepped back.
"Your eyes... are you related to Aenzil or Queen Doreen by any chance?"
Gath stood there, her expression a mix of confusion and contemplation. She sensed no bloodlust or hostility; he appeared harmless.
"Y-Yes..." she replied.
"Uh..." Nemisis nodded. "I see. But why would sisters fight against each other unless it's some classic sibling rivalry?"
Gath's brows knitted together in disbelief. This human, the vessel that Order spoke of with caution, was so calm, almost childlike, all of a sudden.
"Oh well," he said. "I can't interfere with sibling rivalry. I'll let you two handle it."
"Wait, how did you know—"
"That you might be related to Aenzil or the Queen?" Nemisis interrupted. "I don't know, I just have this strong feeling you two are connected. Now, will you tell me where she is?"
"Never, she deserves to die," Gath roared.
"Oh well," Nemisis glanced at the sky.
"Hey Sanity, can you keep her company? I need to ask the 9th Daimon a few questions."
"Sure thing, kid," Sanity replied as he and Knight appeared behind Gath.
Nemisis was enveloped in a white light and slowly faded away.
He appeared before the 9th Daimon. Lilith rushed to him.
"Master!" she exclaimed, hugging him. "Your brothers are scary, Master."
"Brothers?"
He looked at Supreme and Sovereign Nemisis, who were engaged in a heated argument.
"What now, Nemisis?" the 9th Daimon asked.
"I need to find Aenzil. Can you help me?"
The 9th Daimon closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again.
"It seems she is trapped in a realm, forced into a never-ending battle that is heavily one-sided."
"A realm? Whose is it?" Nemisis inquired.
"A realm belonging to a group whose name has long been forgotten."
"Is there a way to reach her? Can I infiltrate a realm like Xereth did when I was fighting The Alphar?" Nemisis asked.
"Xereth? Who is Xereth?" the 9th Daimon questioned.
"Oh, Xereth is my brother, who has been possessed by Xenon," he explained.
"Possessed, huh?" said the 9th Daimon. "That explains why he was able to do that; it's a specialty of Xenon to infiltrate realms, making it seem effortless."
The 9th Daimon paused before continuing.
"You can, but first you must connect with or locate the core of the realm or one of its active members, as I did. Then, you must ensure you have enough energy to infiltrate the realm; that's how you demonstrate your power to the core. Realms are granted to those with strength after all; it depends on your strength, power, and mentality."
"That sounds like a lot, but I think I can handle it," Nemisis said.
"But be careful; your current transformation requires a significant amount of energy to maintain and drains your life essence the longer you stay in it."
"I still have to do this; I need to keep my promise." Nemisis clenched his fist.
"Then I won't waste your time," the 9th Daimon said.
"Wait, let me come with you," Lilith said.
"No, you need to rest for now," Nemisis replied, giving her a thumbs up. "I got this."
He then stood still, his eyes closed, as red energy surged around him, causing the ground to tremble slightly.
He opened his eyes. "Found you."
He leaped toward the sea of omniverses, the space around him folding like ice sheets.
"You weren't afraid to see him," the 9th Daimon remarked.
"Why should I be? Besides, I've stayed by his side and seen a lot," Lilith responded.
On a grey, desolate moon, thunderous clouds began to gather. Someone from the planet the moon orbited noticed and called out to a friend.
"What's that?"
"I don't know; first, we dealt with the crazy demon lady, and now this."
A brief rain fell on the moon before stopping. A figure passed through the clouds and landed on the moon's surface so softly that it went unnoticed. Moments later, a force tore through the thunderous clouds, dispersing them entirely, striking the moon and shattering it into dust.
A figure cloaked in darkness watched with a grin.
Nemisis dashed onto the planet, and before him lay a scene of mass slaughter, bodies scattered everywhere. One... two... four... eight... no, countless heads flew into the sky, even those of the two we had been introduced to.
Nemisis focused on the dark figure.
"Aenzil!" he shouted.
The figure halted, the darkness transforming into fire; her dark skin appeared pale, and her fourth horn, which had grown from the back of her head, now formed a crown. The other three horns remained in place. She drove her sword into the ground, wearing a wide grin that revealed her teeth, a dark veil covering her eyes.
The planet split in two, as if perfectly sliced in half.
Both stared at each other.
Aenzil's sword vanished as she charged at Nemisis, causing the planet to crumble into floating rocks.
She unleashed a flurry of punches at Nemisis.
The punches were so fast that Nemisis couldn't see them coming. He was hit multiple times, and one blow sent him crashing through an asteroid. Aenzil charged at him again, aiming for another punch, while Nemisis retaliated with his own.
Their fists collided, creating a shockwave that propelled them apart and formed a massive black hole. Regaining his composure, Nemisis stared at the violent violet vortex before him.
Aenzil lunged at him once more, passing through the singularity, which created a rift.
The black hole cracked like glass, shattering and sending ripples of shockwaves, releasing blinding light from the stars trapped within.
Nemisis managed to block the punch but was still sent flying.
I understand now; her attacks are at immeasurable speeds, and even her movements seem invincible.
He was struck again but appeared unfazed, lost in thought.
How can I keep up? This transformation isn't designed for speed, but its regeneration is faster than her punches.
Come on, Nemisis, how do I fight her without harming her? Maybe I could restrain her. No, she's too quick.
With a thud, Nemisis fell into the water on a planet entirely covered in it. He sank to the bottom, still preoccupied with his thoughts. Aenzil sat on him, delivering rapid punches that caused the water to boil and steam.
Yet, Nemisis did not fight back. Just then, he caught a glimpse of her middle horn. He noticed the ring looked like the one she had given him, with an empty spot at the top.
A bandage with the ring darted toward the horn, placing the ring around it, and the three rings glowed in unison.
A tremendous burst of violent spirit energy engulfed them both, evaporating the water that covered the planet, leaving it dry and barren.
As the chaos subsided, Aenzil lay unconscious on the ground in her original form. Nemisis sighed and then lifted her.
"Time to get going."
["And there she was, alone, with no one to talk to or hug. A dark silhouette of her younger self cautiously approached, offering her a wilted flower.
She picked it up and watched as the figure hurried and hid behind a tree, poking her head. out.
She smiled, looking at the flower, and she moved close to the little figure, who shuddered. She went on her knee, giving her a hug. A hug that brightened the little ones' day with hope and comfort."
Such a confusing story to tell isn't it.
-Aurora, Tales of the Little Ones]