Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 68 to 77 (Patreon)

Chapter 68

“The mark caught my attention,” Death said, “but your own actions have kept it. You contain a comforting resonance, and a pleasing balance surrounds you—which has grown stronger. You are a child of the Void, bear the burden of the eighth spire, and impossibly become the Destruction Emperor. This has earned you my time and attention. You’ve warped fate, twisted it around yourself like scarf, and I suppose even I am not immune to the pull of that distortion.”

Normally Death’s attention would be the last thing Ruin wanted, but this ancient entity almost certainly had information that would help him if he only asked the right questions. From the things Death had said Ruin had made some guesses.

“I did something to your real tower when I traveled across the passage that connects these Towers with yours.”

“I am aware.”

“I know, sorry. I meant specifically that I woke up some type of warrior things on the top of the Towers. Wardens I think they were called.”

“You did.”

“The Warden that approached me said it wasn’t time after he checked me out, and then they left me alone. So I’ve been trying to understand how you fit into the Tower. I think you’re like a caretaker or librarian. You’re guarding things, too, just like the Wardens.”

The Death avatar didn’t answer so Ruin plowed ahead.

“I figured out your puzzle, or at least one of them.”

Death didn’t respond but Ruin thought he detected confusion in the entities posture.

“You placed all the pieces in plain sight. Literally wrapping yourself with the answers.”

Ruin waited for a response and then continued when he didn’t get a reaction.

“A friend of mine took the five Hardening sigils you reward everyone and figured out the real sound-shape. How many of those are there? Do we need to use all the sigils you display on your walls?”

“Sound-shape?” Death asked in a confused voice.

Ruin summoned the completed sound-shape that represented the true form of what the Hardening sigils only hinted at.

“How many of these things are there? I had—”

Ruin abruptly stopped talking when the Death avatar dropped to his knees in front of the sound-shape. The solid white eyes made it hard to confirm but Death’s whole body screamed reverence and joy.

“You found one,” Death whispered.

“Does this mean you don’t have the others?”

Death tore their eyes away from the shape and looked up at Ruin. “Does your friend have the other seven? What about the other Towers? You must return immediately and place them in the Sacred Hall.”

“The Sacred Hall?” Ruin asked. “As in ‘wardens wake to the herald’s call, blue runes unlock the sacred hall?’ That’s from the prophecy in the Remembrance Spire?”

Death slowly stood. “Child of the Void, these shapes were taken from us. Smashed into sigils to keep us weak. The knowledge of their construction was taken and kept from us.”

Ruin frowned as the conversation had not gone like he’d expected. He’d hoped for help not more problems.

“So there are eight in total?” Ruin asked. “That means I can place the ones I have on my Meridians, right? It’s not like I’m going to take up my eight slots and then find another shape that’s better.”

“We are covered in our greatest defeat. Our strength left in literal pieces, sigils that wrap us in shame.”

“I’m actually really interested in who did that and why and when, but at the moment I need to know if its okay to place this on my Death Meridian.”

“There were eight shapes for each Tower and all ninety-six of them were kept in the Sacred Hall. When the Hall was destroyed so were the sacred forms. I know that is one of my sacred eight because it resonates so strongly with me.”

“Hold on. Ninety-six? This Sacred Hall is for all twelve Towers?”

“How could it be any other way?” Death asked.

“Right, the Realm of Bones. I should have guessed.”

Ruin sighed and tried to gather his scattered thoughts. He glanced at the pool of energy that contained his friends’ Fortifying cocoons. He didn’t want to leave them alone.

“They are safe here,” Death said.

Normally Ruin would have let a comment like that go, but these three cocoons held precious people.

“From the assassin and the outsider?” Ruin asked.

The Death Tower’s avatar stood. “Only death is truly welcome here and only with its permission can one remain.”

Ruin kept all judgement out of his voice. “So you let one of your own be assassinated?”

“Of course. All things die in time. Interfering with fate to delay a death only creates greater sorrow in my experience. Even so, I would have protected her if she had desired it. I valued her company and efficient administration of the Tower.”

“Maybe she didn’t know her death approached.”

“The Veil Watcher of whom you speak was a Twilight Oracle of immense power. She certainly knew something as trivial as the time and place of her death. It explains why she wished to leave the Origin and come to this distant fragment of a Realm. She came here to die.”

“Why would she do that?”

“Why indeed,” Death said and glanced meaningfully at Ruin’s right wrist.

Ruin lifted the wrist that contained the blood oath from Echo. “Your friend came here to die for a blood oath?”

“Perhaps.”

Ruin had no idea why someone wouldn’t do everything they could to avoid their own death. What did she know that resulted in such a decision?

Death continued. “How surprising is it then, in hindsight, that the Void Child that rediscovered a portion of Sacred Hall’s treasure carries the Echo of her blood.”

Ruin didn’t miss the emphasis. “You know Echodriel?”

“How could I not? She is bound to me though she remains too blind to see.”

“Does her blood oath pass that bond to me?”

“To wield the power of Death, one must be a willing partner. You, Ruin Val’dor are no willing partner. You resist death while threatening life. Your presence weakens the threads of reality allowing the Void to seep through, which your body absorbs. Even Death’s bond cannot survive the Void, and soon the traces of Death you carry will only be an echo.”

That was the second time Death had used the word echo. Was he trying to tell Ruin something?

Ruin glanced at his submerged friends again. “What about the outsider?”

“Outsider?” Death asked.

“Outside to me. They’re a mighty force from one of the Outerverse factions. I have it on good authority a powerful one is here. Can they hurt my friends?”

“Ah, the Luminara.”

“So, it is a Zealot.”

“I’m not familiar with that name but periodically immense bursts of purified Soul energy flood the Destruction Realm. This is almost certainly the Luminara presence.”

“Do you know why they’re here?”

Ruin already had a good idea, but he valued the perspective of this ancient being.

“I do not concern myself with the Material Realm. In time, they join us here before beginning the circle again. Their plans and desires are for naught.”

“Oof, that is depressing.”

“The truth often is.”

Ruin pointed to the pool. “Are they safe here though?”

“The Luminara souls are potent weapons against Destruction essence, but here at the bottom, they will struggle against the Destruction density. Before your involvement, the Luminara agent might have prevailed against one of us if the other Towers allowed it. This indifference is unlikely despite our differences. Even though I didn’t attack you during your fight with the Infernal Lord, I would have acted to prevent you from destroying any of the Towers.”

“You said before my involvement. Are things better or worse now?”

“You manifested our full potential here, and the link between this Realm fragment and the Origin strengthens with every passing moment. This has never occurred before and none of us knows what it means. What is a certainty, however, is that the Luminara agent, despite their strength, now lacks the power to damage any of the Towers. I can protect your friends.”

“Can anything harm you?”

Death contemplated the question for five seconds before responding. “A dangerous question, and one I wish to dismiss. However, despite the weakness of our link, I can sense your intention. The Towers respect the Harmonics and fear the Void and its Silent Horizon. The only force we truly dread are the Voidwalkers.”

Varthon had just discussed these things. The Silent Horizon resided in a temple in some Void fortress, and Voidwalker came from a painting the Void Wyrm had seen there. Ruin had gotten the impression they were fables.

“Voidwalkers are real?” Ruin asked.

“Perhaps. My ancient predecessors certainly believed so.”

Ruin debated with himself for a few seconds and then spread his arms. Five shapes hovered before him. Below each shape dozens of sigils appeared and slowly moved together and apart again, displaying how the final shape formed.

Death stepped forward and studied them.

“Each of these is a completed Hardening shape. One per Tower. I don’t understand the politics of this place and the Dark Tower’s request makes me nervous about that. The librarian in me doesn’t want this knowledge to be lost if something happens to me.”

The Death Avatar bowed to Ruin. “This is a splendid gift.”

“Just wait until you meet Lir. He did all the work. It’s my friends that make me shine.”

“Humbleness is such an unexpected trait for one with your power.”

Ruin waved the comment away. “I think what you see is curiosity. That’s my real superpower. Curiosity reflects one’s ignorance which feeds the desire to learn more. Not much space for arrogance when holding a mirror like that.”

Death gave a curt nod. “In my experience, few wish to hold such a mirror. Regardless of the semantics, you are unique Ruin Val’dor.”

Ruin bowed. “Thanks for looking after my friends. I’m going to go see what the Dark Tower wants.”

Ruin stepped toward the pool of energy that led into the ocean of power outside the Death Tower.

“One last thing,” Death said.

Ruin stopped and half turned to see the Death Tower’s avatar.

“Acceptance is not surrender,” Death said, “it’s standing still in the storm of fear and loss, gripping the hands of those who dared to care about you.”

Ruin frowned in confusion, but before he could ask what the avatar meant, Death disappeared.

What a strange thing to say. It seemed out of place based on their previous conversation. The Death avatar didn’t seem like the type to say things without a purpose though, and Ruin spent a minute trying to understand the meaning. His Cleverness Attribute didn’t react at all, and no matter how he framed the words, they didn’t make sense.

Perhaps it would become clear later Ruin thought as he wrapped himself in a layer of harmonies to keep his Destruction body safe from the dense energy of the pool.

Ruin swam out the bottom of the pool through a tunnel that connected to the ocean of energy surrounding Five Tower Island. He made his way to the area near the Dark Tower and stepped onto the shore. He let the harmonies protecting him fall away and strode toward the Dark Tower entrance.

Ruin had a good idea who had wanted him here, but he didn’t know the reason. Was the summons innocent or out of concern? Or had his sudden clarity triggered something more nefarious.

Harmony colored the black and white world of the Destruction Realm and even the shadows contained multiple hues. Halfway to the entrance Ruin detected a presence in the shadows near the Dark Tower’s base, easily visible with Harmony. He ignored it and continued as the presence observed him.

Two hundred feet from the entrance the presence raced ahead and into the Dark Tower. Ruin suppressed a smile.

As the entrance to the Dark Tower loomed a familiar person emerged.

“Thank the Darkness,” Zylkin said. “I was just heading out to search for you again.”

Ruin stopped, smiled, and gave the Warden a friendly wave. “What’s going on?”

“I found Lalquinrial and his group. They’re trying to leave the Destruction Realm as we speak. I thought you’d want to know.”

Ruin didn’t need to fake his surprise. He had a firm suspicion about Zylkin, but this revelation seemed too early. Which probably explained the frustration and worry that Zylkin tried to suppress.

“Show me,” Ruin said.

Chapter 69

Ruin followed Zylkin into the Dark Tower and they navigated an unfamiliar set of passages that eventually ended in an elevator in a small chamber.

Zylkin pointed at the platform. “That will take us to the lowest section of the Dark Tower. Which is the very bottom of the Destruction Realm.”

“Is that where Lalquinrial is?” Ruin asked.

“Not exactly,” Zylkin said. “The Inquisitor that Lalquinrial is working with has gathered others of his kind and they’re using vessels to escape.”

The Inquisitor that Zylkin had referenced was the same Dark Priest that Blapy had imprisoned, and Ruin had accidently released with an explosion. That meant the vessels were the chapel looking ships that the Inquisitors used to power the Darkness and consume the Universe.

“Escape where? Lalquinrial will want to destroy this place, not just leave. Are they using their vessels to restart the Darkness?”

“I’m not sure. They only just triggered my alarms.”

“Do you know where they’re going?”

Ruin only caught the flash of hesitation in Zylkin response because he’d expected it.

“Not exactly,” Zylkin said, “but it can’t be far because the Void will dissolve their vessels.”

Ruin nodded and didn’t ask any follow up questions. He was terrible at hiding things, so he wanted to minimize how much he communicated. He didn’t believe that Zylkin intended on harming him, at least not directly. That would defeat the whole point of Zylkin’s plan.

And Zylkin had been working on this plan for a very long time.

Ruin stepped onto the platform and Zylkin joined him. The elevator descended.

When Varthon described the Havoc Sovereign’s plan to make Lalquinrial into something that could fight the Zealot, it had occurred to Ruin that if the assassin didn’t escape either, then they might have had a similar idea.

Destruction Realm entities were at a huge disadvantage against the Zealot’s dense Soul power, and beings from the Material Realm would fare much better in a fight. Afterall, Lalquinrial didn’t need to win the fight, only distract the Zealot long enough for the Havoc Sovereign to pass the blockade.

The Soul experimenting Lalquinrial had inflicted on his followers had created legions of demons. Had the Destruction Realm been helping him experiment with Souls in an attempt to make him strong enough to fight the Zealot?

A part of Ruin felt bad for Lalquinrial. Regardless of how many details Ruin had gotten correct, the fact was Lalquinrial had been used from the start. Although perhaps willingly Ruin decided.

Afterall, Ruin had stepped into the same trap. One he would have triggered even if he’d known all this from the beginning.

When Dusk, Mist, and Thorn had discussed the origins of the Bamboo Viper Steps Ruin hadn’t thought about it much. A mysterious being with advanced martial arts had imparted his knowledge to the three sisters in a magnanimous gift so they could fight for justice.

Now Ruin suspected another truth. This gift had been to create an assassin capable of standing up to the Zealot so that Zylkin could escape. It made Ruin sad that Zylkin wasn’t who he claimed to be.

The elevator stopped and Zylkin stepped off. “What gave me away?”

Ruin left the platform as well and studied the artificial cave they stood in. It was only twenty feet across and looked roughly hewn. A narrow passage led into darkness.

“I really need to work on my deceitfulness,” Ruin said.

Zylkin’s armor disappeared revealing the shadowy black form and silver eyes of the Shadowmancer. “It’s not in your nature. You’ll never be a good liar. Which is a good thing.”

“So I’ve been told, but it sure does suck that everyone can read me like a book.”

“I suppose that is a disadvantage. Ask your questions. I’ll be honest. You already know I need your help, not your life.”

“Is your family real?” Ruin asked.

Zylkin raised an eyebrow. “That’s not what I expected, although in hindsight, perhaps it was obvious coming from you. Yes, they’re real. Obviously, they’re not here.”

“You murdered those in charge of each Tower and Deryssa Val’dor.”

Zylkin placed his right hand over his eyes and then placed it over his heart while whispering. “Blind faith. Eternal devotion.”

Anger surged in Ruin, and he stepped closer to Zylkin. “Shame on you for your faith and devotion.” He pointed a finger at Zylkin’s face. “You murdered people. Why? So your cowardly Emperor could take this band.”

Zylkin glanced at the band and then met Ruin’s gaze, his confusion obvious. “I would never touch such a holy artifact.”

Now Ruin was confused. “Is that why you let the Havoc Sovereign take it? Why is it special?”

“It unlocks the holy spire.”

That confused Ruin even more. Deryssa had only called it the Remembrance Spire. He considered bringing her into the conversation but decided she wouldn’t handle seeing her assassin very well.

Ruin tried again. “If you aren’t working for the Emperor then who sent you?”

“The High Priestess.”

Ruin sighed at the revelation. If it wasn’t politics, it was religion.

“Why did your church murder the leaders here?” Ruin asked.

Zylkin covered his eyes and touched his heart.

“Right,” Ruin said. “Blind faith and eternal devotion. You don’t ask questions. This is something you can answer. What are you planning here?”

“Haven’t you already figured it out?”

“Humor me.”

“I’ve aided the Inquisitors as they prepare to face the Zealot. Their attack will provide the opportunity for me to cross the anchor and reach the passage home.”

“Do you know much about Zealots?”

“Unfortunately, I do. My order keeps track of such power forces even in the Material Realm.”

“What’s your order?”

“Ashen Hand.”

Zylkin evidently thought that would be enough or possibly he wanted some other type of response.

“Sorry, that doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“Right. The Ashen Hand are the martial side of the faith.”

“Assassins,” Ruin stated.

“Most see it like that.”

“And how should they see it?”

“I’m a farmer tilling the soil.”

The comment brought up memories of the Scarecrow Aspect. “So you’re killing people to improve the harvest.”

“An apt description.”

“What do you know about this Zealot?”

“They are experienced. This is not their first Crusade.”

“What’s a crusade? Why is that important?”

“If you’re lucky, when you encounter a Zealot, they’re only observing, or their objectives are limited. Crusades are all encompassing, however, and they are never go. The fact that this Zealot is determined to not let anyone pass means whenever their goals are reached, they will raze everything. The Material Realm will perish for sure as they’re experts in that Realm. The Destruction Realm likely won’t survive either. I’m unsure about the Creation Realm.”

“They have the power to destroy an entire Universe?” Ruin asked.

“No one knows the specifics. I don’t know how long it takes or what the process is like. What is fact, though, is if a Zealot declares a crusade, nothing survives.”

“Really? No one can stop it?”

Zylkin looked uncomfortable but it was only Ruin’s Archangel Perception that allowed him to notice. And Ruin knew exactly why.

“Harmonics can,” Ruin said.

Zylkin’s gaze snapped to Ruin’s the Shadowmancer’s silver eyes narrowing.

“Don’t you think I’d wonder why you wanted to bring me along?” Ruin asked. “I’m sure you had some excuse like you wanted me to watch Lalquinrial die but we both know the truth. You were trying to create a weapon that could stand up to the Zealot long enough for you to escape. You’d never place your hopes of getting home on the Inquisitors. I am curious why you let me die, though.”

“That happened too fast for anyone to react, and why save you if you couldn’t even survive the Inquisitor.”

That was harsh logic but not wrong.

“Since your plan to use me disappeared when I died, you assisted the Inquisitors,” Ruin stated.

“I’m anxious to get home, so I helped them with equipment and weapons. It won’t matter though, the Zealot will annihilate them. In fact, they might not even breach the Zealot’s outer defenses.”

“And you were going to throw me into that battle?”

“In your human form, you had a chance,” Zylkin said. “Beyond my wildest hopes you discovered the secrets of Harmony.”

Ruin didn’t reveal that he’d regained the ability in his Destruction body. “You purposefully sought out and taught the three sisters the Bamboo Viper and Shadow Steps. Do they come from your church?”

“The Bamboo Viper Steps were stolen from the Harmonic Faction. I tried to replicate their process of producing Harmony wielders. The Shadow Steps are the secret methods of the Ashen Hand. With immense effort the Ashen Hand incorporated our style as a hidden layer of the Bamboo Viper Steps. You are the first to discover them on your own.”

“Why bring me now?”

“Selfishness,” Zylkin responded. “The Inquisitors have made Lalquinrial into a hybrid weapon— half Material and half Destruction. They have nurtured his nihilism enough that he can wield Destruction Essence. The Havoc Sovereign, before you killed him, had taught the Infernal Lord the Shattered Steps, which is less effective than the Shadow Steps but is all the Chaos Tower has access to.”

“That didn’t answer the question of why bring me now.”

“Lalquinrial will fail alone. Aided by me, it’s still useless. But three masters, capable of disrupting his Spiritual Network might succeed. Zealots rely on their Soul Power and their Meridians aren’t hardened. It only takes one of us to reach the Zealot to disrupt them long enough to escape.”

“The Zealot’s power stems from their Soul, not their Meridians and core.”

“Have you ever had a Meridian shattered? It’s not pain you can easily ignore. It will most assuredly have an impact on the Zealot.”

“Here’s the bigger issue,” Ruin said. “I’m not leaving. What good does it do for me to distract the Zealot?”

“Not leaving is a mistake. Your Universe is under a Crusade. It’s doomed. This is your best chance at surviving. Even if you killed the Zealot do you know what happens with Luminara?”

“No, I’m not very familiar with the Material Realm factions.”

“When a Luminara dies, their soul remains. It gives off a signal that Luminara Reapers can sense and those Reapers come and collect the soul. The soul is returned to a church where its judged and if you’re worthy they recreate your body and insert your soul. I might not have the details of all that right, but I know for sure the Reapers exist, and they can show up quickly.”

“Have you killed a Zealot before?”

Zylkin laughed. “Of course not. Even if you managed to kill the Zealot, a soul like that will reverberate through all the nearby universes. The Luminara will descend on this place with a holy wrath. Imagine their desire to keep the death of one of their precious Zealots secret. No matter the scenario it always ends with the destruction of this Universe. It is inevitable. Please leave with me. Despite the obvious hypocrisy of killing Deryssa Val’dor, the faithful have long desired a closer relationship with your family. They will support you.”

That caused Ruin to pause. He recalled his conversations with Deryssa about the Destruction Realm churches, but she hadn’t provided many details. She’d mentioned they associated themselves with each Tower and he guessed Zylkin belonged to whatever church represented the Dark Tower.

“They will support me?” Ruin asked. “Who and why? Like you said, they just killed my…” he trailed off not sure how to finish that and decided on “predecessor.”

“The two loudest factions in the faith center on your family. One wishes to protect you, and the other to hasten your downfall.”

“Why such extremes? And why do you care about the Val’dor? What Tower is your church associated with?”

“Tower?” Zylkin asked. “Do you mean Spire? Are faith isn’t concerned with the Tower.”

Ruin suddenly understood. He should have realized when Zylkin first mentioned the Val’dor family.

“You’re the cult,” Ruin said.

Zylkin’s body language displayed his displeasure at the word choice, but his voice remained even. “The Church of the Last Emperor is not a cult. We are the only citizens faithful to the prophecy. The prophecy in the Spire your family guards. You are revered by the faithful.”

“But you killed Deryssa.”

Zylkin became agitated. “That is complicated. Some interpretations of the prophecy believe the Val’dors must be ruined before the...”

Zylkin’s voice trailed off and Ruin cursed himself for focusing too long on Zylkin’s church. Ruin had already made up his mind about leaving the Universe to fend for itself so discussing it was pointless. Now he might have accidentally connected the dots for Zylkin. Assuming those dots actually referenced Ruin.

The Shadowmancer didn’t have a mouth per say, but Ruin could sense the vibrations of Zylkin’s speech even if he didn’t project his words. Words Ruin recognized.

Val dor ruin, from ashes born,

the last Emperor rises, a body torn.

Zylkin’s body trembled, silver light appearing through cracks that crisscrossed his body. He placed one shadow appendage over his eyes and another over his heart before throwing himself at the ground.

Ruin pinched the bridge of his nose and tried not to sigh. At least he didn’t need to worry about Zylkin’s church trying to kill him now.

Chapter 70

Ruin knelt to try and get Zylkin to stand only to make another connection. Zylkin had called himself an Ashen Hand for the Church of the Last Emperor. He’d killed Deryssa and the prophecy mentioned ash.

Val dor ruin, from ashes born,

the last Emperor rises, a body torn.

Ruin had assumed the statement was a metaphor for his human body’s destruction, but in a sense, the Ashen Hand Zylkin’s assassination of Deryssa had allowed Ruin to be born. It worked on a second level as Zylkin’s action also brought the Val’dor’s to complete ruin as their lineage had been completely wiped out. Then the third level, from those ashes, Ruin was born.

This single sentence could be interpreted three ways, and all of them were correct.

“Who comes up with these prophecies?” Ruin muttered.

Zylkin thought the question was for him and responded. “The Voidwalker who led the tribes out of the Void etched it with her own hand in the Spire of Remembrance.”

“Of course it would be a Voidwalker. Please stand up Zylkin. Is this Voidwalker still around?”

“She has not reappeared since the Day of Remembrance.”

“You celebrate the day she made the prophecy?”

“Only our faith and only in secret as Emperors don’t tolerate the celebration of other Emperors.”

Ruin’s right wrist burned, and he hurriedly checked it, but nothing appeared abnormal.

Uruziel appeared in Ruin’s vision. “The Scarecrow Aspect is trying to do something.”

“Oh no, not again. I thought it lost its power over me when it lost Deryssa.”

“It did, this is more like a Notification, or maybe a warning. Perhaps a request.”

Uruziel held up her hand. “Don’t say it, I know. That was terribly unspecific. Overlord and Sivart are studying it. I’ll join them.”

“Wait, before you leave, did you guys listen to all this?”

“Yes, and I believe Zylkin one hundred percent intended to do more than observe. He likely planned to throw you into the fire to aid his escape. The problem with religious fanatics is their ability to easily justify any behavior. Now though, he will sacrifice himself to protect you.”

The burning appeared again and Uruziel disappeared to help Overlord.

The only mark that remained in Ruin’s Saraph body was the blood oath from Echo, the Aspect of Death. He rubbed his wrist as he knelt next to Zylkin.

“Zylkin, please sit up. Okay, I command you to sit up.”

The Shadowmancer morphed into a sitting position but his silver eyes remained fixed on the floor.

“Tell me about the fight you planned on taking me too.”

Zylkin jerked his head up. His posture displaying surprise and horror. “You must not go near it. The Zealot will obliterate them.”

“Don’t you want to leave anymore?”

“With every fiber of my being. The news of your return must be spread so your faithful can prepare for your coming, but I will not leave you. My first duty is to keep you safe.”

Ruin stood from his kneeling position and rubbed his face in frustration. “That sounds like a great way to die at the Emperor’s hand.”

“It would be foolish to stand in the way of the Last Emperor.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure he won’t see it like that. Afterall, if I’m the Last Emperor and he kills me, then no one can dispute his ultimate supremacy.”

“This humble servant understands.”

“Just call me Ruin. Are there really people fighting the Zealot right now?”

“Yes, I wasn’t lying. The Inquisitors have finished stretching the Realm. Their army hovers at the barrier, and the Infernal Lord leads his demons.”

“Please explain the stretching thing and hovering.”

“The dimensional fold that connects to the Creation Realm has been distorted. They plan to release the blockage and allow the collected energy to flow again, but it will stream to Lalquinrial. They hope that with his Destruction infected parts he can guide the massive wave. If he can control it and shape it with what remains of his human body, they hope to match the Zealot’s strength.”

“Wait, before you explain the hovering thing, how can any of this matter. I was told Zealots destroy galaxies for breakfast and can affect Universes by themselves. The scales here are completely different.”

“The Void bridge anchor they fight on will severely weaken the Zealot because of the proximity of the Void. All the nearby Destruction Essence will also disrupt them. Their power only fully manifests in the Material Realm. Otherwise you are correct, only a powerful Harmonic would have a chance, or possibly one of the Radiants’ Transcendent.”

It made sense that the Radiant faction would have an equivalent of the Zealot. “And the hovering?”

“The Inquisitors that remain after the failed attempt to destroy the Material Realm are in their chapels hovering just outside the boundary of the void bridge anchor. They’re not as strong but make up for that in numbers. They’ll also be excellent sieves and will funnel a significant amount of the Zealot’s Soul Power into the Destruction Realm. This will eventually make its way down into the reservoir at the bottom of the Realm that Lalquinrial will be using. So in a sense, the Zealot will be helping power Lalquinrial. That’s assuming the Inquisitors don’t just evaporate from the intense Soul Energy of the Zealot.”

Ruin winced as his wrist burned. A moment later Overlord, Uruziel, and Sivart appeared in his vision.

“It’s Echo,” Overlord said. “Or more precisely, it’s the Aspect of Death.”

Uruziel continued. “We don’t think Echo is doing this on purpose or with intent. Lalquinrial designed the Aspects to help each other in battle. Remember when Echo triggered the Scarecrow Aspect’s recall.”

“How can I forget. Are you saying that the Aspect of Death is in danger and is requesting help?”

“We think so,” Sivart said.

Ruin turned his focus from the mental projections to Zylkin. “Did you see someone in a black robe. They have a huge scythe and might be riding a pale horse.”

Zylkin nodded. “They rode next to Lalquinrial.”

Ruin cursed and shifted back to the Mental projections. “Why would she do that? Her dad just killed her mom? And assuming he survives the Zealot, he’ll use all that power to harm this Universe.”

No one answered and Ruin wished Hamma were here to explain how such a thing could occur.

“Obviously,” Ruin said, “the best thing to do is let the Zealot kill Lalquinrial. That saves me a lot of problems.”

“True,” Overlord replied. “If there is any chance at killing this Zealot though, I’m guessing this represents our best opportunity. And if Varthon is right, the Zealot plans on destroying this Universe at some point as well. At least Lalquinrial is leaving.”

“Are you saying we should help Lalquinrial?” Ruin asked.

“Maybe not help exactly,” Uruziel said, “but fight the same target.”

“Then there is the issue of Echo,” Sivart added softly.

Ruin felt his chest constrict.

“I’m obligated to help her,” Ruin said. “She’s my Step Clan sister.”

“No,” Overlord replied. “She was Ruwen’s Step Clan sister. Just like you can’t manifest your Bamboo Viper marks on this Saraph body, your obligations don’t exist either. Helping her is completely optional.”

“What happens if I acknowledge that signal from her Death Aspect?” Ruin asked.

“I think it’s a teleport,” Uruziel said.

Ruin paced in the small chamber and Zylkin pushed himself against the wall.

Ruin activated Last Breath as his thought process locked up and the pressure of Echo’s imminent danger pressed on him.

Just like Ruin had in the outside world, he paced on the platform. Deryssa was already there and Overlord, Uruziel, and Sivart appeared as well. Sivart went to Deryssa and quietly explained the situation.

“Facing a Zealot is a non-starter,” Deryssa said. “I’m sorry for expressing such a strong opinion when I know the situation is complicated. Even weakened a Zealot will destroy you without effort in your current state. Where is the logic in certain death for an enemy and at best an acquaintance?”

Ruin didn’t stop pacing but responded. “You don’t need to apologize for your opinion, and you’re correct, there is no logic in helping them.”

“Unless it offers an opportunity to defeat the Zealot,” Sivart added with an apologetic look at Deryssa.

Deryssa gave a curt nod. “That is true, if there was any hope of that. None of you have seen a Zealot’s power. It’s hard to comprehend the amount and density of energy their Soul’s generate. Their crusades release such a flood of power, it always damages the underlying Destruction Realm. How would you survive such an event?”

“Let’s talk about that,” Ruin said.

Chapter 71

Ruin held up a hand to Deryssa. “I’m not saying I’m doing anything, but lets talk through what it would look like if I did. And if you didn’t notice, I found Harmony in this body. It’s weaker than in my human body. Probably because I’m still trying to process this idea of all the Realms being one. It isn’t as real to me as how I feel for the Material Realm. So let’s call it ten percent effective right now.”

“That’s a huge step forward,” Overlord said.

“I know. But it worries me that I’m a level zero Harmonic at ten percent capacity.”

“If we focus on countering Soul power, then these are the relevant abilities,” Uruziel said and glowing text appeared in the air.

Ruin stopped his pacing to read through everything.

Harmony

10% Effective

Assimilated Potion Buffs

Soul Well - Absorb a percentage of soul power based on your level.

Essence Purge - Once per day expel all foreign essence from your body.

Fate’s Balance Gem
Fate Weaver - Collect and distribute the accumulated fate of your enemies.
Lucky Streak - Borrow a percentage of the pooled luck for personal use based on level.

Voidwalker Gem

Passive Effect - Tolerance of the Void proportional to level.

Void Purge - Once per day, vent the accumulated Void energies from your body in an area of effect with a radius in feet equal to level.

Scarecrow Aspect Jacket of Sowing

Wrathful Crow Beater - staff created from wielder’s essence ignores 90% of non-magical armor and 30% of magical armor. Max damage = (Connected Meridians) * (50).

Divine Murder - While holding the Wrathful Crow Beater, summon (12000) * (Connected Meridians) essence crows to shield the target of the spell for fifteen seconds.

Worshipful Focus - grants level two meditation state and Wrathful Crow Beater can be summoned and dismissed and no longer needs to remain in touch with the summoner.

Willful Reaping - Decrease enemies’ Willpower by 5% per Fortification Tier. Area of effect proportional to total Willpower.

Scarecrow Aspect Pants of Reaping

Winged Embrace - obscures the fortification, aura, soul, and Spirit network.

Willful Toll - Once per hour when Willpower drops below 10%, tendrils erupt from the armor, ensnaring enemies, draining their Willpower and transferring it to the wearer. Area of effect proportional to total Willpower.

Ink Lord’s Wrap of Shadow

First Edition - Reduce all magical damage by 33%.

Dust Jacket - The armor emits an aura of distortion, providing a 10% chance for any incoming ranged attacks to miss.

Top Shelf - Once per hour, create a staircase made from air with a max height of 200 feet and max weight of 500 lbs.

Librarian’s Hush - Once per day, restore silence to your library by suppressing all sound in a 1,000-foot sphere for five seconds.

Book Burning - Once per month, grant elemental immunity to all inanimate objects in a 1,000-foot sphere for thirty minutes.

Bookmark - Set location and, once per day, instantly return there.

Debinder - Once per day, transform into a wraith for 10 seconds. While in wraith form, all damage is funneled harmlessly into the Destruction Realm. User cannot attack or cast spells.

Ring of Shadows

Shadow Root - Once per hour, use an enemy’s shadow to anchor them in place for 2 seconds.

Cloak of Phasing

Passive Effect - Cancels any critical damage when backstabbed.

Triggered Effect - Once per hour, the wearer can phase out of the current plane for 3 seconds, avoiding all damage.

Minor Prelude of Stillness

Tranquility of silence - Reduce all frequencies to zero in a 20-mile radius for 3 seconds.

Avatar of Cycles

Sound of Silence – generate a harmonic substrate in all environments. Area dependent on evolution, Will, resonance, and base hymn level.

Ruin spoke first. “My biggest advantages are my ability to withstand the Void, the Void Purge if I can get close, and the Harmonic Minor Prelude of Stillness.”

“And your luck,” Overlord said.

“What’s my Fate’s Balance?” Ruin asked and Uruziel displayed it.

Fate’s Balance

Positive Threads: 9,777

Negative Threads: 10,960

Borrowed Threads (1% Max): 0

“What happens to someone if they have almost eleven thousand points of bad luck?” Ruin asked.

“It can’t be good,” Deryssa said, but Zealots are extremely rigid in their thoughts and actions. They likely have a natural resistance to Fate magic because of that. And I’m sure they’d have at least one item to protect against such things even if it is a rare magic.”

“With the money I have left what level can I reach?” Ruin asked. “Some of those abilities are level based.”

“You could get to level ninety-five, and you’d have this much currency left,” Uruziel said and displayed the total.

 Destruction Needle (DeN): 10,250,000

Ruin tried to place one of his four Harmonic Spell Points in the Prelude of Stillness but it wouldn’t work. He didn’t know if it was the location or his Saraph body that prevented it. He didn’t bother searching for the Luminara and Radiant faction choices that he’d never explored. If he couldn’t change his Harmonic values then the other factions would also be unavailable.

Uruziel spoke up. “If you could figure out how to get your human body back there are a few more Scarecrow Aspect abilities that would come in handy, not to mention Harmony’s power.”

“I know, but I can’t figure out how to do that. I think it’s related to my Body Meridian. The only thing there is the kernel core I’m trying to build. That Creation Essence is there somewhere I’m sure of it, but I can’t find the path to its location.”

“If you could goad them into a mental attack,” Sivart said. “That would be devastating.”

Overlord sighed. “I didn’t mean to keep this secret, but I’ve also avoided bringing it up. I’ve kind of been teaching Prythus and the other golden angels Grandmaster techniques. Including the Shadow Steps.”

“That is a brilliant idea,” Ruin said. “I should have thought of it. Thanks.”

Ruin started pacing again.

Deryssa glanced around. “No one is actually considering this, right? I’ll admit Ruin has abilities that might keep him alive awhile but how can he expect to match a Zealot?”

No one responded.

“It’s insane,” Deryssa tried again. “Impossible.”

“That’s a normal day for us,” Sivart said, without a trace of humor.

Ruin suddenly stopped. He stared upward for ten seconds and then sighed loudly.

“It comes down to this,” Ruin said quietly. “I can’t stand by and let her die. It would haunt me the rest of my life.”

“She’s not even a friend,” Deryssa said.

“I know,” Ruin replied sadly. “She’s my sister. And I made a commitment to protect her.”

“That is noble and reflects well on you,” Deryssa said stepping closer to Ruin. “But there is so much more at stake than a single life. There is an entire Realm counting on you. Who will defend Heaven’s Gate if you die?”

Ruin turned and stared at the massive statue that towered above them. He pointed to the Scarecrow who held a balance in one hand. “They call that manifestation ‘Keeper of the Scales.’ I don’t know what it represents to the faithful, but it means one thing to me. Balance. It’s the key that unlocks all the doors. Reveals all the secrets. It’s what I strive to be. Balanced physically, emotionally, and spiritually.”

Ruin faced Deryssa. “I know helping Echo could cost me my life. I also know that if I let her die, her soul will sit on the scales of my identity. It will be a weight I can never balance. I’ve discovered the most powerful ability in existence, but it only works,” Ruin pointed up at the scales above, “if I can keep those in balance.”

Deryssa pressed her lips together until she’d calmed. Then she stepped back and bowed to Ruin. When she stood, she locked gazes with him. “You bring honor to the Val’dor. Regardless of the outcome, you are the leader we need. The hope we have waited eons for. Woe to the Zealot who raises a fist to the Last Emperor.”

Ruin grinned. “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

Ruin looked from Overlord to Uruziel to Sivart. They each gave him a nod.

“Let’s go save Death,” Ruin said.

Releasing Last Breath, Ruin spent the currency to reach level ninety-five and dismissed the Notifications.

Zylkin looked at Ruin from his spot against the wall.

Ruin gave a short bow to Zylkin and smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

Through the Scarecrow Aspect, Ruin answered the desperate plea from the Aspect of Death.

The air warped as a dimensional portal formed for just an instant, long enough for Ruin to be yanked through.

It was time to see his Sister.

Chapter 72

Ruin perception twisted as the teleportation gripped him. The sensation of being stretched and snapped back into place ended abruptly as he landed hard on a surface that hummed beneath his feet. He staggered from the sudden displacement, but his perfect balance kept him on his feet. Activating Last Breath to understand the situation, the world appeared to stop.

Around him, what Rami had called a void bridge anchor stretched into a bizarre expanse of jagged stone, sand, and scattered structures. The buildings didn’t follow a consistent architecture and were placed haphazardly around the island. It made sense knowing how the island had been created. A Void Wyrm like Varthon had expelled the memories of various things they’d learned and that information had coalesced in the void into this anchor. It explained why the environment was such a mishmash of terrain and buildings. The Void surrounding the anchor had the familiar flat grey color.

A frantic battle surrounded Ruin. Slightly ahead of him, Echo—her figure unmistakable in the long black robe and massive scythe of the Aspect of Death—fought off a horde of faceless angels.

The enemy angels had the same faceless heads and muscular bodies, all a crisp white. Only their wings displayed a difference in color. Most had white wings that matched their bodies, but Ruin could see red, orange, and yellow. In the distance periodic green and blue could be seen. Past those he couldn’t make out because the Zealot burned like a sun. Their light so brilliant Ruin couldn’t see through or past it.

The angels’ wings shimmered, reflecting the light from fires, massive magical explosions, and of course the Zealot’s radiance. From their positions, at least some of the angels appeared synched or locked in unison, their bodies glowed, amplifying bursts of golden light that streaked from the distant Zealot like golden spears.

Lalquinrial stood not far from Echo. His towering form was both majestic and monstrous. Half his body had turned into Destruction Essence but unlike Ruin’s perfect skin, Lalquinrial’s appeared sick and lumpy.

The surrounding demons looked worse. Their misshapen Destruction forms clashed with the angelic energy pouring from their enemies. The demon’s Destruction Essence melted and vaporized from the powerful angelic attacks. The nearby unnatural energy of the Void also caused obvious distress.

Above, the Void churned with tens of thousands of Inquisitors each piloting a chapel. The vessels’ stained-glass windows shone brightly as they absorbed the angelic energy. These chapels had been created by the three factions of the Material Realm and given to the Destruction Realm to aid in the destruction of a Universe. It didn’t look like they could handle the outflow of energy from the Zealot and their angels as some of them burned with golden fire.

The moment before Ruin had summoned Last Breath had filled his nostrils with the scents of burnt air and charred flesh. The situation looked grim and Lalquinrial and his forces had barely moved across the anchor.

Overlord, Uruziel, and Sivart appeared in Ruin’s vision.

“This doesn’t look good for Lalquinrial,” Overlord said.

Sivart pointed to a group of yellow-winged angels in perfect formation, their faceless heads tilted in Echo’s direction. “They’re hiding something important. If the rarity of a wing-color equates to power or rank, than those yellows constitute a rash amount of concentrated authority. It only makes sense if what they’re hiding is even more valuable and powerful.”

Ruin studied the small clump of yellow-winged angels among the hundreds of other groups and quickly agreed. In the pattern of the battlefield, that clump stood out.

“What do you think it is?” Uruziel asked.

“A commander,” Sivart responded, “or possibly a type of Scout with a valuable ability. The other groups of angels are forming different arrays. See how some of the angel group arrangements concentrate the Zealot’s energy and some are shaped to redirect the power. I bet there are shield arrays on the far side of the island. Progress toward the Zealot requires breaking up all these arrays. It’s giving the angels a significant advantage.”

“Your recommendation?” Ruin asked Sivart.

“Echo is the target. We grab her and retreat. This is an unbalanced engagement, and the Zealot is barely involved.”

“Overlord?” Ruin asked.

“We fight. Either by striking the yellow-wings immediately, or heading straight for the Zealot.”

Ruin couldn’t help but smile at this version of himself that had originated as a fearless avatar.

“Uruziel?”

“What are your goals?”

Ruin sighed. “I’m not sure.”

Uruziel continued. “Saving Echo is the lowest risk but what about her father? This is obviously a complicated situation as we all saw how devastated she was at the murder of her mother. Lalquinrial did that, so why is she here helping him? That makes her reaction to how we handle her father even more unpredictable. If you’re going to retreat with Echo, you should probably also take Lalquinrial.”

“How can I do that?” Ruin asked. “It’s one thing to help Lalquinrial fight a common enemy, but he deserves to die here. His philosophy has warped him beyond redemption, and his desire to destroy the Universe seals his fate. Whatever goodness existed within him is gone.”

Uruziel didn’t argue and continued. “Echo, her father, or both might not want to leave. I wish you’d retreat right now, alone, but I know you won’t consider that. Since the options are limited, I suggest a cautious use of your abilities to see how they fare against the Zealot’s army. This will be valuable information for future engagements.”

“Do you all want out?” Ruin asked.

Uruziel turned an intense gaze on Overlord and Sivart kept his face neutral.

Overlord did his best to ignore Uruziel’s obvious opinion.

“I think we should,” Overlord said.

“I swear you want to die,” Uruziel whispered.

Overlord raised his hands, palms out, as if to guard against Uruziel’s anger. “I’m not saying we go out and play. I think in such a dangerous and unknow situation, we should guard his back and flanks.”

Uruziel’s anger cooled. “That’s actually sensible.”

“I’m always sensible,” Overlord replied.

Sivart coughed violently and hunched over. After a moment he stood. “Sorry, I must have swallowed a fly.”

Overlord glared at Sivart as Uruziel smiled.

“Okay,” Ruin said, “let’s fight some Zealot angels and see how it goes.”

“Oh,” Uruziel said suddenly and stepped closer to Ruin. “We never tested your improved pathways. They’re all far wider and more durable than before. I’m not sure how that changes their function, so go slow at the beginning.”

“How could I forget about that,” Ruin said. “Everything happens so fast. I’ll avoid pushing my Core Velocity to twelve thousand. At least here at the start.”

Uruziel went still. “That was a joke. Right?”

 Ruin winked at Overlord who grinned back.

“Right?” Uruziel asked again.

Ruin gave a curt nod to Sivart who bowed back.

Uruziel stepped closer to Ruin. “I’m not sure you should even use your core. We have no idea how such massive changes will affect its operation. You need to be cautious.”

“Right,” Ruin said with a serious nod. “You know me—cautious to a fault.”

“Darkness take me,” Uruziel whispered, “it’s like warning a toddler.”

“Hey,” Overlord said to Ruin. “Since Rami isn’t here, or Hamma, or Blapy, or…” Overlord paused, “I guess everyone you know, I’ll say it for them. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Overlord,” Ruin responded. “Let me summarize all this advice. Things are serious and I need carefully planned stupidity. Wait, no, that isn’t right. Maybe think twice, stupid once.” He shook his head. “No, that’s what I do now.” He snapped his fingers. “How about cautious stupidity.”

Uruziel stared at Ruin in disbelief before suddenly relaxing. “Coping mechanism.”

Ruin grinned at Uruziel. “It’s better than crying in despair. Which, let’s be honest, is how any normal person would react to this situation.”

Ruin turned his attention to the battlefield again. Multiple dense pillars of golden light arced toward Echo and Lalquinrial’s position. It didn’t look like either of them had detected their approaching death.

For the first time, Ruin noticed the Scarecrow Aspect was visible, and he verified he still wore his Ink Lord armor. Maybe because of the summons or because the Aspect of Death was so near the Scarecrow wanted to make itself visible, and he didn’t change that.

Ruin went through the next few seconds of actions in his mind, and then released Last Breath.

Ruin used the ability Luck Streak from the gem Fate’s Balance to place luck on himself. He was momentarily shocked when instead of ninety-seven luck, which was one percent of his total, eight hundred eighty-eight wrapped him instead. His entire body to flushed and he realized his level increase to ninety-five had increased the percentage he could borrow. It had gone from one percent to nine percent. He could feel the area around himself warp from the strange energy he now emitted.

Using the fate gem’s Fate Weaver ability, Ruin placed a hundred luck on Echo and Lalquinrial.

Ruin summoned Harmony and his view of the world changed. He increased his Core Velocity to eight thousand and stepped in front of Echo.

Chapter 73

Ruin braided eight chords into a dense harmony and placed them in front of the incoming rays of golden power. Instead of acting as a shield and stopping the attacks, the beams pierced through the barrier as if it didn’t exist.

Even with Harmony only working at ten percent the ease with which the attack disregarded Ruin’s harmonic shield shocked him. It highlighted the strength of the angels’ geometric arrays.

You guys hang tight in there until we get a better feel for their strength, Ruin said.

Understood, Overlord responded.

The Apocalypse Destruction Core in Ruin’s center burned intensely, the pain coming from seemingly out of nowhere. A fraction of a moment later the pain spread to twelve other areas all over his body.

Uruziel proactively dropped Ruin’s Core Velocity to zero.

Vent! Uruziel shouted.

Ruin didn’t question the command and launched six counter beams of pure destruction, pulling from his Core and all twelve Meridian Cores.

The massive expenditure of Destruction Essence barely impacted the well of energy Ruin’s center barely contained. Increasing his efficiency from near zero to almost one hundred percent had completely altered the reaction speed around his core. It surpassed any of his wildest expectations.

Three seconds, Uruziel said simply.

Ruin heeded the warning of his impending core explosion. What an embarrassing way to die.

Instead of forming an attack from the Destruction essence trying to burst his center, Ruin did just as Uruziel had said and vented it away from himself.

A hundred-foot half sphere of black destruction essence accelerated away from Ruin. Power continued to pour into the wall and in just a second a solid mass of destruction essence stretched outward for five hundred feet. The pain in his body drastically decreased.

Successful, Uruziel said. Increasing Core Velocity to one hundred.

The six golden beams entered Ruin’s Mental Domain, and he calculated three would punch through his solid wall of Destruction essence and strike them.

From beside Ruin, Echo spoke. “Who in the—”

Ruin interrupted Echo by yanking her and Lalquinrial upward with his Divine Domain.

Lalquinrial resisted the movement with his own Divine Domain, but Ruin overpowered it and the three of them climbed fifty feet.

A moment later three golden beams struck each other below and Ruin realized the rays only consisted of half the attack. Instead of fizzling out, the three beams fed off each other, creating a situation not unlike what had just occurred in his center. The result was a rapidly increasing sphere of golden light.

A wave of power rippled through Ruin’s Mental Domain as the six arrays released another attack. The concentrated energy felt like claws dragging across his mind but it also revealed the spells construction.

“Divine level root incoming,” Ruin told his two passengers.

Ruin sensed Echo’s relief at his arrival, mixed with anger that he’d saved her. Lalquinrial hadn’t yet recovered from the shock that the Scarecrow Aspect had appeared. Neither could see his features, hidden as they were by the Aspect, and noticing his increased height was easy to overlook considering the circumstances.

Echo’s emotions confirmed she didn’t know Ruin had been killed, and Lalquinrial exuded more confusion than disbelief, which meant he probably thought the Aspect had latched onto someone else.

Items hidden under the surface activated, locking the dimensional space in place. Ruin’s attempted teleport failed as he couldn’t bend space, and his Divine Domain froze. The incoming root had likely just been to trigger the items buried by the Zealot.

The golden sphere below them had expanded to thirty feet and would explode at any moment. Ruin guessed it would likely kill them since this was an obviously coordinated attack. One meant to take out deities using their Domains.

Ruin could free himself with Harmony and escape, but he didn’t think he could extract Echo in time. If Lalquinrial died and Ruin didn’t directly cause it, Echo couldn’t blame him, which meant saving the Infernal Lord was low on Ruin’s priorities.

A poke with Willpower confirmed that this island didn’t respond the same way the Destruction Realm did, and Ruin couldn’t use his Will as a hammer to smash everything. He calmly proceeded to his next option.

Ruin spread his four wings and waited impatiently for his harmonic wings to resonate with the surroundings. He was confident he could survive this explosion in a variety of ways, but none of them included Echo.

During this fraction of a second, Ruin absorbed as much detail as possible from the dimensional lock. He’d never encountered one before and wanted to be prepared for such advanced alchemy in the future.

The golden shell below bulged as it detonated, and Ruin’s original set of wings finished building a resonance with the surroundings. The dimensional interference near his wings dissolved and with a snap downward he released the destructive harmonic resonance his wings had created.

To everyone else an invisible wave spread outward from Ruin, but with Harmony he watched the multicolored flashes as discordant harmonies nullified the energies around him.

Echo faced Ruin. “When did you get four wings?”

Ruin sensed an enormous stream of power approaching from behind and he turned to look. Echo and Lalquinrial did as well.

“Ah, it’s finally here,” Lalquinrial said.

Thousands of Inquisitor piloted chapels formed a channel like the banks of a river. Plunging toward them was a flood of Spirit and Soul energy.

Lalquinrial launched himself toward the incoming torrent and formed a massive funnel using Destruction Essence that ended at his location. The energy struck the construct, and the Infernal Lord reinforced his creation. He turned his back to the power just as it reached him.

The Inquisitors had successfully breached the reservoir of power at the bottom of the Destruction Realm and guided it here.

Lalquinrial directed the power, the amount far too much to control. In fact, he wasn’t trying to organize the energy at all, but agitated it instead, purposefully roiling it as it passed. Rainbow colored orbs appeared around the frothing areas.

 Ruin flashed back to his first attempt at manipulating Spirit. It had been in an underground lake in the Spirit Realm. He’d created orbs like this when he’d mismanaged the balance of power while trying to freeze the water. He’d done it as an accident. Lalquinrial was doing it on purpose.

Thousands and quickly hundreds of thousands of orbs raced across the island, and Ruin had to admit this was a pretty good plan. These orbs of chaotic energy dissolved whatever they touched as he’d learned the hard way when he’d lost four fingertips from touching one.

Normally using this strategy would be pointless as a vast amount of Spirit would be required to affect a large area. Lalquinrial groaned in pain as he channeled the power around him. He used his Destruction Essence to direct the flow and his Soul infused human part to interact and agitate the Spirit. For the first time Ruin glimpsed the full scope of the Inquisitor and Lalquinrial’s plan and he had to admit it had a chance.

The white-winged angels tried to clear the orbs and died as a result, their bodies dissolving. Red and orange winged angels replaced their weaker siblings, and they had better luck at slowing the orbs but it injured them.

It was only when the yellow-winged angels moved to nullify the orbs that the Zealot’s army had some success.

This shift in the position of the yellow-winged angels destroyed the array formations and it revealed what the largest group of yellows had been hiding. A purple-winged angel that thrummed with power.

The purple-winged angel raised a hand, and the distant green and blue winged angels raced toward the front lines. Ruin didn’t doubt they’d nullify the chaos orbs and then attack Lalquinrial or possibly the Inquisitors guiding the power here.

The purple-winged faceless angel turned its attention to Lalquinrial. It raised its arms, creating a circle with its hands above its head. Purple power flowed over the wings, traveling to the top of each wing where it arced outward with spidery legs. Much of the energy coalesced in between the hands and Ruin knew what came next.

Ruin’s harmonic shield had failed against the yellow-winged angels. They’d concentrated their power with the array, but he still didn’t have much confidence his weakened Harmony could act as a barrier against such concentrated power.

During the long trip back to Grave on Shelly, Ruin had learned a lot about the alchemy surrounding planets and stars. It was this knowledge that formed the basis of his defense as a bolt of purple energy launched directly at Lalquinrial.

Hundreds of demons and multiple Inquisitors attempted to stop the bolt and they all instantly vaporized. Echo tried destroying the bolt but her magic was useless.

Ruin used Harmony to fold a tiny patch of dimensional space that lay in the path of the energy. He guessed energy so dense would burn through any type of portal or dimensional rip or any attempt to reflect it. He had confidence a Void tear would work but his ability to create those was limited and he didn’t want to waste them on a mere angel, even if it was powerful.

Knowing all this, Ruin continued to fold the dimensional space on itself over and over moving as fast as his mind allowed. In a fraction of a second, he’d warped the space between Lalquinrial and the purple angle millions of times, massively stretching dimensional space in the area and creating a surface with little dimensional friction.

The dimensional ball Ruin had created condensed not just the dimensions around them, but all twelve, and it produced an area so dense and heavy that it warped the area around it just like the stars Shelly had navigated.

The purple bolt entered the gravity hole Ruin had created with his dense dimensional folds and just like a Star Tortoise skidding around stellar objects, the purple energy veered off course, missing Lalquinrial by twenty feet.

The bolts energy destroyed the dimensional fold which wouldn’t have lasted much longer anyway and even twenty feet away, its power caused the Scarecrow Aspect to smoke.

Lalquinrial glanced at Ruin, the Infernal Lord’s confusion on who wore the Scarecrow Aspect remained. Ruin didn’t feel like satisfying Lalquinrial’s unasked question and ignored him.

“What are you doing here?” Echo hissed.

The scent of cinnamon filled the area.

“I have the same question,” Ruin said.

Lalquinrial dropped ten feet as he lost control of his Divine Domain, and he scrambled to regain control of the flood of energy around him. “Impossible,” he hissed.

The strange environment of this place revealed to Harmony things that blended so well into the fabric of the Material Realm that Ruin had never noticed them. Specifically, he could see the faint thread of vibrations between himself and Echo. Even more surprising, he could also see the thicker harmony that connected Echo to something behind them. He knew that connection ended at the Death Tower.

The purple winged angel still focused on the area Ruin had folded, likely trying to understand how he’d overcome the attack.

“Why are you helping him, Echo?” Ruin asked. “Please come with me.”

The Death Aspect hunched, and a faint response emerged, only audible to Ruin’s Divine hearing. “He’s my father.”

It sounded more like Echo was trying to convince herself of something than answering Ruin.

Lalquinrial had directed the chaos orbs farther down the battlefield and demons and Inquisitors rushed forward behind the destructive spheres to fight the angels that had survived.

Ruin had to admit, since Lalquinrial and the Inquisitors didn’t care about the environment, this strategy might work. Although if they destroyed too much of this anchor, would the bridge they wished to cross survive?

The purple angel turned its attention from the dimensional well to Ruin and he felt it like a blazing sun emerging from behind a cloud.

The angels seemed to follow the colors of the rainbow for power rankings, which meant this purple one was the strongest here. If he wanted to survive long enough to convince Echo to leave, he needed to get rid of it.

Based on the purple angel’s shift in focus, Ruin knew it had come to the same conclusion. It would concentrate on him until one of them was dead.

Ruin prepared to advance on the purple angel when Harmony revealed a massive spike in energy coming from the purple angel. It appeared localized though, almost as if it was attacking itself.

The power inside the purple angel spiked and three copies appeared, all identical. The copies angled their feet upward and when the four angels spread their wings the tips touched, forming an eight-sided star shape.

All four purple angels burst into purple flames and Ruin had a bad feeling. He had a strong desire to flee which he rarely experienced, and it became so strong he realized it must originate from his altered fate. The almost one thousand points of luck was trying to force him to run.

Which could only mean something terrible was about to happen.

Not wanting to accidently kill Echo, Ruin reached upward as far as he could and yanked himself upward. The four purple angels followed him, keeping him centered in the star they’d created. It was like they were aiming something at him.

The space between the purple angels and Ruin blurred, as if a giant hand had smoothed the space between them and mixed all the harmonies in the process. He heard chanting but it was too faint or distant to make out. He had the impression of millions of faithful praying in unison. The scent of cedar, lavender, and jasmine surrounded him.

A gentle voice spoke as Ruin hovered in the sky, paralyzed by a strange magic.

“Go in peace, child.”

The four purple angels erupted in bright flames and the eight-sided star burned like a beacon. Near the distant horizon, from the star that burned there, a silver beam shot into the air.

The burning purple angles spun, quickly gaining enough speed to blur, and the silver bolt was drawn to it like a magnet.

Entering the center of the dying angels, the silver beam launched directly at the target the angels had sacrificed themselves to kill. Directly at Ruin.

Despite the lance of destruction quickly approaching, the strange and powerful magic kept him calm.

Ruin’s fate resisted, ripping and tearing at the blanket of peace that desired to smother him.

Just before the silver bolt struck, Ruin’s fate provided a single breath, enough time to encase himself in harmony. He blended the five harmonies taken from the Destruction Realm Towers and Hardened himself against the oncoming silver light that promised impending death.

Chapter 74

The impact of the Zealot’s spell hurled Ruin upward with such force that he entered the Void above the island in just seconds. The silver magic ate away at his body like holy acid, but the thick film of fate exploited every possible opportunity to unravel, delay, or circumvent the Luminara magic.

Ruin’s body slowly succumbed to the onslaught of the Zealot’s spell. He guessed this magic usually annihilated the target instantly, and perhaps it appeared that way to those below as it had launched him away in a blink.

With fate buying Ruin far more time than normal, and with the lesson of getting stuck outside his consciousness when losing his human body, he immediately pulled himself into his mind.

Ruin stood in Purgatory, at the very edge of the golden bamboo forest. The path that led to the base of the mountain and the bamboo grove had disappeared. He could feel Prythus and the other golden angels guarding the shed at the mountain top, ensuring no one snuck into his mind.

Whenever the silver magic of the Zealot swelled upward in an attempt to swamp and consume Ruin’s mind, his natural mental defenses reflected three thousand five hundred ninety-five percent of the damage back on the spell which vaporized it. If it continued to attack his mind like this it would eventually destroy itself.

Unfortunately, Ruin calculated his Saraph body would dissolve before the magic dissipated or self-destructed against his mind. Exerting his Willpower helped but was less effective because he wasn’t in the Destruction Realm. Instead, he floated in the Void above the void-bridge anchor slowly drifting deeper into the Void. To his dismay, the Zealot’s magic was resistant to the Void’s destructive properties. It would certainly finish its job before succumbing to the Void.

Overlord, Uruziel, and Sivart appeared next to Ruin but remained silent.

“It’s like liquid Soul power,” Overlord said. “Your human core could have absorbed it.”

“Instead, my body is dissolving,” Ruin said. “Again.”

“Avatar of Cycles,” Uruziel said. “I bet that’s why the Zealot’s magic is lasting so long in the Void. Your Sound of Silence ability gives it a matrix to exist on.”

“That’s just wrong,” Ruin said. The idea that he was helping the Zealot to destroy his own body upset him.

Not knowing how else to verify Uruziel’s hypothesis, Ruin exerted his Mind Domain outward.

The faint hints of structures that had existed in the darkness blazed into visibility.

The massive sphere of Ruin’s Center took up a third of the sky. His Apocalypse Destruction Core sat still inside it. Sleek tubes extended outward from his center, and each ended at a smaller Meridian globe. The results of his time spent in the Refinement cocoon were evident as the pathways all glistened like new.

“What are those?” Sivart asked pointing at a line of dull spheres.

“His spine?” Overlord asked.

“Chakras,” Ruin said. “Those are my chakras. They look really sad all dark and dried up.” Ruin made the mountain behind him translucent, and a small bright marble blazed like a burning pearl in the middle of the mountain. He followed the line upward and noticed a dull sphere in the sky above the mountain nearly invisible.

“According to Pen’s notes,” Uruziel said, “that bright one is your Crown Chakra.”

Ruin recalled a comment from Rami not long ago. “I think I Activated that one. The other seven are still dormant. They look smashed and unhealthy. I wonder if that a result of how unbalanced I’ve let my magics become.”

Sivart returned his focus to the Meridians. “That silver magic is eating through your Destruction Body but it doesn’t seem to harm any of your Spiritual Network.”

“It’s a combination of the Harmony spell I wrapped myself in and the massive amount of luck I’m carrying. I wish the Destruction Essence would retreat to a Meridian like that Creation Essence did when my human body dissolved. Then maybe I could access it again once this liquid Soul power disappears.”

Ruin couldn’t see his physical body, but he felt a distant shudder. Had it reacted to his thoughts?

“The five Destruction Realm Meridians are different,” Overlord said. “Their much darker. I thought it was just shadows or something, but only those five are like that.”

“It’s the Hardening sigils,” Uruziel said as she scanned the five Meridians.

Ruin usually lumped all his Meridians together. Learning about the Towers in each Realm had opened his eyes to their differences, but the revelation of the Realm of Bones and the Death Tower confirming all the Towers are constructed from similar elements had dulled that realization a little.

It made sense that the Destruction Realm Towers and the Meridians they represented would resonate. That thought in turn brought up another question. Did Harmony work when he was like this?

Ruin grasped at Harmony like he would any other time.

The drab and dark surroundings exploded with color and discordant harmonies as the shrill soul power dissolved Ruin’s body. He immediately tried to fight the Zealot’s magic, but it had no effect. Either he couldn’t impact things outside his body like this or perhaps he was just too weak or didn’t understand the proper methods.

Ruin’s hope dissolved like his body was. A process he could now witness. It seemed worse watching it and he dismissed Harmony. His physical body disappeared, and he tried not to let despair seep into his thoughts.

But Ruin had sensed something before when he’d thought of storing and recalling his Destruction Essence.

Once again Ruin felt a distant shudder.

Ruin activated Harmony again and concentrated on moving his Destruction Essence.

The remaining parts of Ruin’s body vibrated and shuddered.

Hope swelled as Ruin sensed how Harmony gripped his Destruction Body, unlike how it had ignored the Zealot’s Soul power.

Ruin pushed Harmony into the Destruction Essence filling what remained of his body. He pulled on it and added his Willpower for good measure.

Like a glove sliding off a hand, the essence that made up Ruin’s body slid off the Spiritual Network that acted as a skeletal system. The five Destruction Realm Meridians vibrated and drew the Destruction Essence toward them.

Ruin watched in fascination as the Destruction Essence of his body soaked into the five Meridians. The essence hadn’t gone inside and filled his Meridians, it had simply soaked into them. The pulling from his Meridians increased and with a painful pop, his Destruction Core split into five pieces, which were promptly sucked into the five Destruction Realm Meridians.

Studying the Meridians, Ruin could only see the seed cores he’d constructed. The pieces of core had disappeared. They’d soaked into the Meridians from the inside he realized.

“What just happened?” Uruziel asked. “Something changed.”

“Where’s your core?” Overlord asked.

The Zealot’s silver magic, having lost its meal, surged over Ruin’s Spiritual Network, but with Harmony active he reinforced the protection luck and the Hardening runes provided. Despite the Zealot magics fierce attacks, he remained safe.

Ruin answered his friends. “I used Harmony to pull my Saraph body into my Destruction Realm Meridians. My core went to them as well, only from the inside.”

“See if you can extract it,” Sivart said. “Maybe that will give you clues on how to get whatever went into your Body Meridian back out.”

“Great idea,” Ruin replied.

Ruin used Harmony to try and extract his body but nothing left his Meridians. He tried again, this time adding Willpower. Nothing emerged but his Meridians vibrated. He described this to his friends.

After some thought Uruziel replied. “Try raw Mental Power. Willpower is a component of that but doesn’t remotely represent your true Mental abilities. In fact, go easy so you don’t shatter your Meridians if this works.”

Ruin tried again, this time using Mental Energy to pull and push on the Meridians. Nothing happened and he slowly increased his Mental focus until the Meridians vibrated and then shook. He used Harmony to stabilize the Meridian instead of pulling and once again, the sensation of sliding occurred as Ruin’s Saraph body appeared and his core reformed in his center.

The Zealot’s Soul magic went into a frenzy, but as soon as Ruin stopped his Mental focus, his Saraph body snapped back into his Meridians leaving his body unharmed.

Ruin turned and hugged Uruziel.

Uruziel blushed. “Hurry up and try your Body Meridian.”

“It takes a lot of Mental energy to get my Destruction body out and I need to keep that energy active or it immediately returns to the Meridians.”

With another surge of hope, Ruin focused Harmony and Mental energy on his Body Meridian. Using the same process that had worked with his Saraph body, he tried to extract whatever had entered this Meridian when his human body had dissolved.

Ruin tried over and over again but he couldn’t get anything to emerge.

“What do you think that Zealot magic is doing?” Sivart asked.

Ruin and everyone else followed Sivart’s gaze. They needed to step right up to the edge of the darkness and look down.

With the disappearance of all the Destruction Essence, the Zealot’s Soul magic had pooled in a single location.

“Maybe it’s just waiting there to evaporate or hiding maybe,” Ruin offered.

“It’s doing something,” Sivart said. “You can see it tremble sometimes.”

“Why can’t you sense that?” Overlord asked.

“I don’t know. You’re right, I should feel it.”

Uruziel hissed. “That’s where your Soul is.”

Chapter 75

Ruin sent Harmony downward like a spear. He’d severely damaged his Soul when he’d briefly carried an entire city and its people in his Soul Vault. It had never recovered and Ruin worried it might never improve. If he had to do it over, he would in a heartbeat. To him, trading something as critical as his Soul to save Nymthus and her people was more than worth it. That didn’t mean he wanted supercharged Zealot Soul power harming it further.

Harmony struck the Zealot’s Soul magic and it splashed upward like a geyser. In the center of the liquid sphere a shriveled raisin like mass sat dark and lifeless.

Sadness filled Ruin at the visible representation of his sacrifice. He wrapped what remained of his Soul with Harmony had held it.

The Zealot’s Soul magic encased Ruin’s Soul again. It didn’t try and force its way past his Harmony barrier, in fact it almost felt like it was trying to soothe his Soul.

Ruin stopped focusing on his Soul and concentrated on the Zealot’s Soul power. Ruin couldn’t detect any sense of another, the energy seemed just like Sift’s power or Ruin’s when his Soul worked. The only difference was the immense purity and density of the Soul power.

Sift had a level three Soul and Ruin had raised his to level two. The difference between Ruin and Sift was more than double. It meant each level scaled exponentially, and he couldn’t imagine what level Soul had produced this liquid purity.

Harmony detected faint chanting from the foreign energy. It conveyed love, acceptance, and belief. Ruin tried to reconcile this power that had tried to kill him with the seeming purity of its intent. Without Destruction Essence to consume it had pooled around something familiar. It didn’t want to hurt his Soul it wanted to heal it.

Ruin considered if this could be some type of sophisticated trap. He searched for hidden intent or connections back to anything that meant him harm.

Harmony didn’t lie though. Harmony crisscrossed the Soul power like a sieve, but not matter how hard he tried, nothing nefarious revealed itself.

Ruin still resisted the idea of letting the enemy’s power into his Soul. Instead, he gently examined the damage he’d caused. Normally Souls were like white stars radiating power like sunshine. He couldn’t find any light in his and the surface appeared like shattered glass.

Careful not to create more issues, Ruin smoothed out the discordant harmonies and broken chords that filled his Soul. It was pointless. It would take thousands of years to fix the damage in this fashion. If he had doubted before, he now knew. His soul would never recover.

Ruin turned his attention to the dense power surrounding his Soul. Its harmonies were complex and flawless, layered seven times, and blended seamlessly. It was the most perfect substance he’d ever experienced. Losing himself in the Soul power’s song, he eventually detected tiny defects. It pushed his ability with Harmony to detect them and he knew his own Destruction Essence had caused it. The minute flaws were the scars of its battles.

The discovery gave Ruin confidence. He felt like he completely understood the music of this power. It detested chaos and darkness and embraced order and light. It wanted nothing more than to change its environment to fit this paradigm.

Ruin withdrew Harmony from a small section of his Soul. He had rushed to his Soul so quickly he hadn’t witnessed what the foreign Soul Power was doing before he interfered. Fixing his Soul himself would take far more time than he had. The patience to fix the damage was also beyond him. Giving this other Soul Power a chance to make things better was a low-risk choice.

The Zealot’s Soul power flowed into the space and Ruin studied the interaction closely.

Ruin’s Soul, damaged as it was, resisted any attempt to alter it. Since he’d been able to make a tiny change, it meant his Soul was specifically resisting this foreign energy.

The ultrapure Soul Power didn’t try and force any changes. It stood outside his Soul’s door and sang comforting songs, gently knocking in the hope someone would arrive to let it in.

Ruin soothed his Soul with Harmony and opened a small door inside.

The foreign Soul power didn’t rush in. It barely entered and waited as Ruin’s Soul acclimated to its presence.

Eventually, Ruin’s Soul calmed and then after experiencing the healing power of the foreign energy it welcomed it in.

The Zealot’s Soul magic had arrived to destroy the chaos and darkness of Ruin’s Destruction body. Now it used its dense purity to heal Ruin’s devastated Soul. It poured into the dry shattered husk of his Soul and eventually filled it.

Ruin’s Soul thankfully absorbed the energy. Eventually it unfolded into a sphere once again as it became saturated with the liquid Soul power. Light once again shone outward revealing millions of cracks. He thought those cracks originated before, but it became apparent they existed because his Soul was expanding.

Then like a star reaching critical mass, Ruin’s Soul ignited, and the expansion increased. The remaining liquid Soul power was sucked into his reawakened Soul and it grew even faster. He didn’t remember what his Soul sounded like before but he knew it didn’t sound like it did now.

Finally Ruin’s Soul stopped expanding and it blazed inside him. Much of the Zealot’s Soul energy had been used to heal Ruin’s Soul and it didn’t contain the complexity of the original power. The layered harmonies had dropped from seven to four, and the radiating chords weren’t as dense. One thing was for sure however, his Soul had vastly increased in power.

Ruin withdrew Harmony as the close proximity to the high frequency harmonies overwhelmed him. Joy rushed into his thoughts as he rejoiced at the return of his Soul.

What felt like spiderwebs dragging across Ruin’s mind made him pause. He waved Harmony around like a lantern trying to find what had caused the odd sensation. It didn’t take long to find the strands that drifted into the distance. He verified they originated from his Soul but disappeared into his body.

Concern filled Ruin as he worried he’d misjudged the Zealot’s power and only now did the hidden danger reveal itself. Ruin quickly followed the thread, his dread increasing with every moment.

The strand ended in a surprising location, Ruin’s Body Merdian. Why would the Zealot hide a trap here? It didn’t make sense. Of all Ruin’s Meridians he’d spent the most time searching and studying his Body Meridian as he searched for a way to reach the Creation Essence he’d thought fled here as his human body dissolved.

Ruin had assumed the thread ended on the Body Meridian, but as he studied it, he found it disappeared into the surface.

Focusing Harmony intently on the location, Ruin searched for any differences. He gently pulled up on the thread and felt pressure from inside his Body Meridian. Careful not to yank on the strand as he didn’t want to snap it, he slowly increased the tension until he felt the Meridian shift. It felt unbalanced though, like he’d only lifted one side.

On a hunch Ruin returned to his Soul and searched the opposite side. There he found another thread, and following it led to his Mind Meridian. Now that he knew what to look for, he swept Harmony across the areas around the Meridian and focused on sensing even the smallest anomalies.

Ruin found them. Eight additional threads that he had trouble following but when the thickest one led to his Activated Mind Chakra it confirmed his hypothesis. He knew his Body Meridian would have the same. The Mind and Body Meridians connected to his Soul and Chakras.

Ruin’s Soul shuddered and suddenly condensed. It released a massive amount of energy which flowed over his Spiritual Network. To his amazement, his human body began reforming.

Hope and excitement filled Ruin as he watched. The massive volume of power his Soul generated aided the rebuilding but appeared to have a limit on how much it could contribute to the makeup of his cells. It slowed and then stopped after ninety percent of his body had reformed.

Regardless of not being complete, Ruwen had returned.

Well, ninety percent anyway. It would look really gross if Ruwen walked around like this, but his armor could hide him until he figured out how to finish the process. He knew there would be issues though because his cells contained a much higher quality Soul energy then they did before. How would he find something like that?

Where was Ruwen’s luck? He floated in the Void still drifting away from the distant island. If he’d struck the bottom of the Destruction Realm, or remained on the strange island, or even been close to the stream of power Lalquinrial wielded he might have successfully shoved the last ten percent into his body even if it was of lower quality.

But Ruwen’s luck had put him here, or maybe allowed him to stay here. Was that a clue? Maybe there was something out here that was hidden from sight.

Chapter 76

Ruwen moved his focus from his internal systems to the outside environment. Only minutes had passed, and he could hear the battle continuing. That probably meant his unintentional sacrifice of absorbing the purple-wings final attack had allowed the Infernal Lord and Echo to advance.

Sweeping Harmony around, Ruwen tried to locate any secret caches of powerful energy. The only thing he sensed however was the ultralow hum of the Void. The matrix created by the Sound of Silence that his Avatar of Cycles produced agitated the surroundings, disturbing the Void’s desire for consistent nothingness.

Why did the Avatar of Cycles still function? That existed because of Ruin’s Saraph body Class Specialization, but Ruwen was in his human form. Why would his Saraph ability resonate through his human form and into the Void. What connected them?

The answer was obvious. The Void itself bridged across Ruwen’s forms. Ever since Rami’s Void Wyrm abilities surfaced and her connection with the Void grew stronger, it had bled across their bond and changed him as well. With his advancement to level ninety-five, his Saraph body had barely noticed the Void when he’d first appeared next to Echo.

Ruwen considered all this, and especially the vast amount of luck that was shaping his every action. With the appearance of Soul light and now his human form the luck had faded from sight, but he could sense it with Harmony saturating his entire being. He floated in the Void because that is exactly where he needed to be.

An insane idea occurred to Ruwen. The agitation that Sound of Silence caused to the Void briefly unlocked the Void from the prison of its nothingness. He could feel the tiny dimples across the Void’s surface, and he wondered if he could gather any of it.

Using Harmony like a shovel, Ruwen dragged it across the matrix in front of him and directly into his body.

An intense cold spread across Ruwen’s body, the first physical sensation he’d felt. The Void Essence he’d gathered dispersed throughout his body attempting to nullify his flesh from existence. Instead, the Void Essence found itself trapped by the Sound of Silence and absorbed by flesh that was immune to its affects.

Encouraged by the result, Ruwen continued to fill himself with Void Essence, carefully monitoring his condition so he didn’t cross some line that instantly killed him. Before long, he looked on in wonder at his human body. He’d finally gotten it back.

Not the same body. Ruwen had stretched four inches, and his skin was the grey color of the Void. He willed the Void Essence deeper into his body and it obeyed, revealing his normal tanned skin.

A black band circled Ruwen’s left wrist and he grinned. He tried opening his Void Band but not surprisingly it didn’t work. Wondering if anything other than his Avatar of Cycles had made it from his Saraph body he summoned his sword.

The long sword appeared immediately, directly from Ruwen’s outstretched hand. He dismissed it and refocused on his inner self.

Ruwen’s core remained empty, but his Soul blazed and even his chakras felt more real because they were surrounded by the emptiness of the Void Essence. Harmony detected a clear connection between his Mind and Body Meridians and the five Destruction Realm Meridians.

The link between the Meridians contained an immense amount of tension. It felt wrong, like a bone out of its socket.

Hoping to release this coiled pressure Ruwen gently shifted his Mind and Body Meridians.

The strained connection snapped and Ruwen felt himself fold into his Mind and Body Meridians, and then unfold from his five Destruction Realm Meridians.

Ruin inhabited his Saraph body again, and the tension between his Meridians had disappeared. The Void Essence remained, and Ruin’s Apocalypse Destruction Core quickly replaced the other ninety percent of his missing body. His Void Band still circled his left wrist.

Ruin returned to his mind, appearing back in Purgatory. His friends were still there.

“Did you guys see that?” Ruin asked.

“You turned inside out,” Overlord responded. “Thankfully your mind doesn’t shift, but its like your human body enters your Mind and Body Meridians and your Saraph body pops out the Destruction Realm ones.”

“That’s exactly how it felt to me,” Ruin said.

Uruziel looked like she might be sick. “I don’t want to watch that again. It made me dizzy.”

“Can you go back?” Sivart asked.

“I’m not sure,” Ruin said.

“Try the opposite,” Overlord offered. “Like push yourself up through your Mind and Body Meridians.”

“Your Soul and Chakras disappeared,” Uruziel said as she looked past the edge of Purgatory.

Ruin looked down and confirmed it. “They must stay in my Mind and Body Meridians.”

“I bet your Spirit core would stay there too if you had one,” Sivart said.

Ruin’s Meridians didn’t exhibit any tension at all. He placed mental hands on the five Destruction Realm Meridians and pushed upward.

The folding and unfolding sensation reappeared and Ruwen inhabited his human body again. But it only lasted for a moment as the pull from his Destruction Meridians yanked him back through his Mind and Body Meridians.

“What was that?” Ruin asked. “How come I didn’t stay in my human form.”

No one responded right away. Finally, Sivart offered a suggestion. “Siege weapons when initially built on the battlefield sometimes contain dangerous tensions based on the order their parts were assembled. I would venture the same held true for you. That initial tension was due to this unbalance, but now everything has snapped into order.”

“That makes sense,” Ruin said.

Overlord continued. “If we think of the Destruction Realm as the lowest state, then its natural you would fall here unless you actively keep yourself from falling.”

Ruin immediately tested Overlord’s theory and pushed himself upward and out of his Mind and Body Meridians. This time, he immediately latched onto his human form, and to his relief he remained there, but it had a significant cost in Mental Energy.

Ruwen returned to his friends. “That was it. My Saraph body takes no energy to maintain, but my human form does. This sucks because the cost of holding me here is a distraction and mentally draining.”

“You need a counterbalance to your Saraph form,” Uruziel said.

Ruwen immediately understood and he sighed. “I wonder if Io knew.”

“I’m sure he did,” Uruziel said.

“I hate it when you two do that,” Overlord said. “Spill it.”

Uruziel pointed at Ruwen. “It comes back to balance. Ruwen’s Saraph body pulls him downward and to counteract that, he needs a form above his human one to pull upward.”

“He needs a body of Creation Essence,” Overlord said, understanding.

“Kind of obvious in hindsight,” Sivart said. “Considering how balance is the underlying theme to your entire life. At least since I’ve known you.”

“Yeah,” Ruwen said. “Unless I want to sacrifice all this Mental Energy to keep myself human, or walk around as a Saraph all the time, I’m going to have to visit Io’s home turf.”

“Your Soul might have leveled,” Uruziel said. “It’s so much brighter than before.”

“That’s good I guess, but it pushes me in further out of balance compared to my chakras. I really need to learn how to use those things before it become impossible.”

Ruwen floated in the Void still drifting away from the island. Now that he’d gotten his body back, he needed to return and grab Echo. He could tell from the link between their Aspects that she wasn’t in danger at the moment. Remembering the unfortunate event at the lava lake during their Step Master’s trial, he didn’t want to show up naked again.

Ruwen’s Cloak of Phasing and Ring of Shadows had been destroyed either by the Zealot’s magic or by the Void. He prayed his armor hadn’t met the same fate.

Willing the Scarecrow Aspect to appear the familiar burlap armor covered Ruwen’s body. With a silent prayer, he willed his Ink Lord’s Wrap of Shadow to also appear. The wraps replaced his Aspect and a massive wave or relief passed through him.

Overlord appeared in the side of Ruwen’s vision. “I was wondering, since you’re actively keeping yourself in this form, it occurred to me you might be able to control how much.”

“What do you mean?” Ruwen asked.

“It might be useful to have ready access to Destruction Essence. Most things in the Material Realm are vulnerable to it.”

“And?”

Overlord shrugged. “I don’t know. Make a ring or boots or a cloak or something. You should test if your human body is more resistant to Destruction Essence as well.”

“You’re right,” Ruwen said and considered.

Ruwen dismissed his armor although it still provided its protection. He relaxed his grip on the Material Realm a tiny amount and just as Overlord had guessed, Destruction Essence seeped through. He let enough through to create clothes and a cloak for himself. Despite the Destruction Essence touching his skin, it didn’t affect him at all.

Ruwen clenched a hand. He felt stronger. Spreading his wings, only four appeared, so nothing too dramatic could have occurred. Still, he checked his Profile to make sure and two values leaped out at him.

Fortification Tier: Divine – Demigod (Peak)

Soul Level: 4

Two huge upgrades had occurred. Ruwen had transitioned from Archangel to Demigod, likely because of the strength of the Zealot’s Soul Power or perhaps because of the Void Essence he now carried. He could feel the new Demigod power in every movement he made.

The other was Ruwen’s Soul. It had increased from level two to level four. It felt like a small sun in his chest and because it had absorbed so much of the Zealot’s magic, it had a purity and density that he hadn’t thought possible.

The upgrades were fantastic, but having his human body back made him the happiest. That he still retained his Saraph form relieved him more than he expected. He’d need to examine those feelings after he saved Echo, since it hinted at far stronger ties to the Destruction Realm than he’d thought.

Despite all the change Ruwen hadn’t received any Notifications. The System must not work the best out here in the Void.

The island had grown distant. Ruwen spread his Mind and Divine Domains which overlapped with the Avatar of Silence passive here in the Void. He willed himself to the island and immediately stood on the sandy dunes of its edge.

A mishmash of ruins and a church blocked Ruwen’s path and in the distance the burning brightness of the Zealot filled the horizon like a sun. Smoke filled the sky and demonic birds struggled to remain in the air.

Ruwen summoned his sword and tested his new and improved body. He swung the blade upward in a mock parry and then twisted to the left, swinging the weapon horizontally to slice an imaginary attacker. The sand churned from the force of his passing blade, and he returned to a ready stance, preparing to enter the distant battle.

Chapter 77

Ruwen extended his Mind Domain and activated his Divine Domain as he strode though the ruins. He wanted to quickly adjust to his human body again and get a better view of the battle. Running in without a plan might cost him his life, so he resisted the urge to just start teleporting. His connection with Echo remained and she wasn’t in any danger at the moment. He scanned his buffs to find all the potion-based ones remained.

Name: Soul Well 

Description: Absorb a percentage of soul power based on your level.

Name: Essence Purge 

Description: Once per day expel all foreign essence from your body.

Name: Annihilation Shield 

Description: Increased durability against destruction energy based on level.

Name: Shadow Mirror 

Description: Reflect a portion of all destruction-based damage back at the attacker. Percent increases with level.

Name: Shadow Cloak 

Description: Summon the shadows to camouflage your presence. Percent effectiveness rises with level.

Name: Dark Charisma 

Description: Once per week take control of a Destruction Realm entity. Success and duration increase with level.

The buff Lucky Streak, which allowed Ruwen to borrow luck from the threads he collected using the Fate’s Balance gem explained the odd energy surrounding him.

Lucky Streak – 888 Positive Threads

Ruwen had fifty luck from the sword Threshold Compass of Fortune that had become a literal part of him and he held now. He had luck from his Grandmaster Alchemist of Fortune path but he’d used all that up making luck potions for his friends and it hadn’t regenerated yet. His Profile had his total luck calculated.

Karmic Offset: 938

Varthon had warned Ruwen not to use more than one hundred luck and the Fate’s Balance gem cautioned against borrowing luck for too long. He left the values as they were. If Echo didn’t come with him, facing the Zealot was a real possibility and if that happened, he wanted all the luck he could manage.

Uruziel created and dismissed multiple Minions every second. Ruwen didn’t say anything. She was obviously determining if his upgraded Soul and Fortification could enhance the constructs.

Overlord appeared in his Fallen Lord Minion beside Ruwen. “I wanted to remind you about two things now that you have your human body back.”

Ruin leaped over a half-collapsed temple.

“First,” Overlord continued, “some of your Aspect abilities will work again.”

Overlord flicked his wrist and glowing script appeared in front of Ruwen.

Scarecrow Aspect Hood of Guarding

Angelic Field Guardian - create clone at any location in current Realm. Spirit cost proportional to distance. Created with 25% of wearer’s AC and Attributes.

Heaven’s Spirit Maze - Incoming Spirit or Essence is delayed 3 seconds allowing for additional Harvesting time. Up to 20% of buffered energy can be bled into the surroundings.

Scarecrow Aspect Pants of Reaping

Celestial Alarm - area of effect fear with an intensity and range proportional to Spirit used.

Overlord continued. “Rapture, your Aspect set bonus that lets you teleport with mental gate runes won’t work here because your Architect Role isn’t functioning out here either which means we can’t collect any gate runes.”

“Thanks,” Ruwen said. “And the second reminder?”

Overlord dismissed his helmet and rubbed his stubbled chin. “The beard is mine.”

Ruwen didn’t know if Overlord was being serious or just trying to lighten the oppressive mood. Either way, he appreciated the effort.

Striding up a dune, Ruwen glanced over. “At some point I’m going to need a beard too. I can’t spend my whole life looking like a baby-faced teenager.”

Overlord frowned and then his eyebrows rose as he chuckled.

“What?” Ruwen asked.

“You think you look like this?” Overlord asked pointing to his face. “This is so last week.”

Now Ruwen frowned. “We look the same.”

Overlord stopped and morphed his Minion into a new shape. Ruwen stopped as well and studied the new almost naked form.

It looked mostly like the old Overlord. The blue eyes still had their intensity, and the unruly black hair remained mostly black although it now had a definitive indigo hue, especially near the tips. Overlord’s athletic build had turned slightly leaner, like a lion becoming a tiger. His features had sharpened as well. Not enough to radically alter his appearance but sufficient that each feature now stood out in chiseled perfection. It could’ve looked haughty or arrogant, but his expression turned it serious and thoughtful. Massive amounts of Charisma made it hard to look away and Ruwen couldn’t help but feel jealous at Overlord’s creation. He’d even managed to exude an air of lethal danger noticeable even through the fog of Charisma that made it hard to look away.

“You’re such a try hard,” Ruwen said. “The beard isn’t enough?”

“Oh, I forgot,” Overlord said, ignoring Ruwen’s comment.

A silver band appeared between Overlord’s right bicep and shoulder. It glowed with an internal light, dense runes covering the surface. The band’s light turned the skin around it into twisting rainbows, and the entire area from shoulder to elbow contained smokey tendrils of white, grey, and black that shifted under his skin, creating chaotic patterns.

Ruwen recognized the Band of Authority that linked him to the Spire of Remembrance. Why would Overlord use that?

Unless…Ruwen dismissed the right sleeve of his Destruction Essence shirt and found it identical to Overlord’s Minion. In all the confusion Ruwen hadn’t noticed his human body had retained the band.

Ruwen pointed at Overlord. “Are you saying that’s me? That I look like that?”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m saying. So lay off the beard. You don’t need it. You already look like an apocalyptic god, and nobody will mistake you for a baby-faced teenager.”

Ruwen rubbed his face. Shocked at the changes that had occurred the last few years.

Overlord returned to his armored Minion form and slapped Ruwen’s bare arm. “C’mon, let’s see how much progress Lalquinrial has made.”

Ruwen glanced at the band one last time and then covered it with Destruction Essence again.

Uruziel remained behind them, still cycling through variations of Minions, and Ruwen teleported to the top of the dune.

Lalquinrial and his armies had crossed two-thirds of the island. The smoke from scorched and burning buildings masked the Zealot’s brightness enough that Ruwen didn’t need to alter his vision to compensate.

Guided by the Inquisitors, Spirit and a little Soul power flowed like a river from the distant Destruction Realm. It shone like a bright thread across the grey Void. It ended at Lalquinrial who shaped it into simple spells as it passed through him. Spirit didn’t appear to severely damage the Zealot’s angels, but the sheer quantity of the power made it effective enough.

Vex appeared next to Ruwen. The steed had taken its Material Realm appearance to match Ruwen’s human form. It had absorbed some of Ruwen’s changes as well. A pure white body was contrasted by deep black wings, hooves, and mane. A vicious grey horn extended from the steed’s forehead.

“You shouldn’t be out here,” Ruwen said. “It’s dangerous.”

Vex dipped his head and tried to stab Ruwen with his horn. It came close enough to striking Ruwen that he felt the Void Essence around the horn.

“Okay, fine” Ruwen said patting the steed’s neck. Destruction Essence swirled around the black wings.

“This will need to do,” Uruziel said.

Ruwen and Overlord turned to find Uruziel hovering in the air. She’d taken the shape of a crystal dragon with thousands of facets.

“Those Zealot angels concentrate magic with arrays,” Uruziel said. “This form will refract and reflect most of their attacks. This crystal contains as much Void Essence as we can tolerate and will further negate the power of their magic.”

Overlord’s Fallen Lord Minion disappeared, and another crystal dragon appeared quickly followed by Sivart in a third.

“Please stay within my Mind Domain and don’t do anything stupid,” Ruwen said.

“Said the ocean to the puddle,” Overlord responded.

“Lalquinrial is an enemy,” Sivart said. “Aiding him is counterproductive.”

Ruwen considered. “He’s lost. Desperately searching for what he already has. And you’re right, he’s an enemy, but Echo isn’t. This is my last chance to save her. She’s adrift, and this storm will capsize her for good.”

“Why do you care about her?” Overlord asked softly.

Ruwen looked from Overlord to the distant battle. “I stand in a maelstrom created by powers near and far. The storm rages, indifferent to its wreckage. Some unlucky few are caught by this cyclone. They circle me, round and round, over and over, trapped by the vortex of my life.” Ruwen faced Overlord. “Knowing this, how can I withhold my hand. Who else can pull her from the tempest?”

Overlord lowered his long crystal neck in a bow.

Ruwen looked into the sky and the river of energy that fueled Lalquinrial’s attacks. Something had changed as the Inquisitors that acted as banks to this river of power had diverted a massive wave of energy into the Void, unable to keep it contained.

“Everybody load up,” Ruin said. “I need to make a quick stop.”

The three Dragon Minions disappeared along with Vex, and Ruwen teleported away.