Infinite Realm: Monsters & Legends

Chapter 583: Zach

Confrontation

“Again,” Ryun said slowly, his voice a whisper in the wind, as Zach held his gaze. “Are you going to stand in my way?”

Zach raised his head, he wished that Naha was here, in his shadow, but he had left her with Bera to ensure that none of the people in the city do anything stupid.

Zach knew Ryun, in ways that he doubted many did, even Erdania and Selia. Ryun saw the world in black and white, there was no room for context in his eyes. An action on its own was condemnation enough.

“When I arrived to the Infinite Realm, I resolved myself to never let what happened on Earth happen again. I don’t want to stand in your way. I agree that the Exalted Empire needs to be dealt with. But this is an opportunity for you, for us, to show the world that there is a better way. To inspire goodness, to inspire values other than strength makes right. All I want from you is a promise that you won’t kill indiscriminately, that you will go against those who ordered the attacks and who are driving this war.”

Ryun didn’t answer immediately. Zach kept his attention on him, his Analyze perk worked overtime. Every sensation he felt from Ryun was gathered, every tick and movement. Knowledge rumbled in his head, pieces falling together to give Zach a clearer picture of the man in front of him.

He was beyond angry, beyond wrathful, but it was clear to Zach that it wasn’t anger that drove him. The knowledge Zach possessed of Ryun, of his past, of their past on Earth, made it easy to see through his facade.

Ryun was terrified of losing someone again. Melody’s death shaped him into the person who didn’t hesitate to eradicate everything in his way. It was his way of protecting what he loved, to be ruthless and indiscriminate toward everyone that stood in his way.

His strength had allowed him to live like that, to be the one that made decisions that others had to live or die with.

Zach only hoped that there was enough reason in him to see that his goals were too extreme.

“Can you do that?” Zach pressed. “Can you promise me that you won’t kill those who are innocent of any wrongdoing?”

Ryun didn’t answer. Zach could see him struggling with himself, with his anger and fear. With his nature. It was clear to Zach that Ryun had bound up himself into his skills, made himself in the image of who he was on Earth. But Zach also knew that pieces locked into skills could be leveraged against each other. That they could be used to build up something more, he had done it himself.

“Are you going to stand in my way?” Ryun repeated his question, and Zach shook his head. He couldn’t even get himself to say it, to discuss it. Zach didn’t know if it was because of his anger, or if his very nature prevented him from entertaining it at all.

“And if I say I will?” Zach responded, his soul trembling as he drew on the planes of Time and Wind.

“Ryun,” Erdania interfered, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“No,” Ryun said, stepping away. “I always do this, I always just react to things happening to me. They take from me, and all I am left with is vengeance. It happened with Eerv, with the Domes and the Unchained, with Tali. I am tired of it. I am going to carve a wound in this world so deep that no one will ever again think about coming after us. I don’t care who I have to go through, I’ll keep us safe.”

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Zach closed his eyes, his soul’s perception felt the resolve within Ryun. He felt the strange sensation he had often noticed around him since their battle with Ra’azel. Ryun was already doing something.

“Last chance, just stay away Zach,” Ryun told him.

Zach used his True Link, and sent his emotion to Naha, warning her of what was going to happen. He could already see it coming.

“We all have things we believe in, to turn away from it would be to turn away from who we are. If you are not capable of being restrained, then I will stop you.”

The world around Zach changed and he reacted immediately, he was ready—Soul Aura—Time.

A pressure built up around and in between the two of them, making the air ripple. An expanding concussive blast spread across the sky. Zach distantly heard the sounds of cracking stone, buildings toppling, screams, he ignored them, it was all he could do to hold whatever Ryun was doing at bay.

“Ryun!” Erdania yelled, the blast had sent her flying away from the two of them. “Stop! You’ll wreck the entire city!”

But Ryun didn’t care, Zach could see it in his eyes.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I don’t know how your power changed,” Zach said slowly as the Aspects of four Planes seeped into him. “But I am a Sage of four Aspects. I am not so easily swatted.”

With Sage of Time and his Soul Aura Zach fought back, he twisted the Essence around him, whatever Ryun was attempting to use to impose his will on Zach drew to a crawl, the effect never reaching him.

Ryun’s eyes narrowed, then six points around Zach darkened, balls of Qi formed and fired. Zach reacted, time slowed down as his mind worked faster than it ever has. Perks activated, Lord of Grace and Woe, Phantom Avatar, Last Sovereign of Terra. His arm shifted into the blade of Knowledge, his Armor of the Aspect Foundation appeared around him. Aspect Blink sent him behind Ryun as six beams bisected the air he used to occupy. His connection to time strengthened through his armor, not as it once was. The damage in battle against Ra’azel was more than Ryun could fully repair. Still, it empowered him.

Zach swung his blade, stealing moments of time with his For Every Second, Two, with |I Moved and Wind Followed With My Will| his every motion caused the air around them to howl and turn into a maelstrom, blasting the fleets stationed around the city away. Zach’s will rose to its greatest heights.

|I Strike Through Time|

Before his blade even reached him, Ryun’s body split in two. The connection activated his blade, insight flowed into his mind, his Analysis storing and compiling everything in the back of his thoughts.

Dampen Essence

The pieces of Ryun’s body, alongside the Essence around them lessened.

Unleash Arsenal—Soul

The two pieces of Ryun’s body vanished, destroyed completely. But Zach’s soul perception still sensed Ryun.

Something in the back of his mind, the information he gathered so far, warned him. He flew back and triggered Aegis of Titanic Protection. A sphere of utter nothingness expanded from the place where Zach used to be, a {Final End}.

Zach blinked away as it grew, in an instant it swallowed up the sky, erasing one of the three peaks of the city.

Erdania was screaming something, but the wind howled and Zach couldn’t hear it. The mountain collapsed beneath them.

Then, before he knew it something smashed in his shield, it cracked and Zach’s Soul rose to oppose it. His prosthetic arm shattered and his armor groaned. It was as if the world itself wanted him to vanish.

Zach’s Image rose from within, Master of Aspects, the sensation lessened, but didn’t vanish. His will warred against Ryun’s attack, and was losing.

How are you doing this?

From nothing, Ryun’s body manifested in front of him, his eyes two pools of nothingness staring down at Zach.

He met those eyes, and saw a certainty, a belief that made him pause.

Zach felt the pressure increase, and knew he would lose. He focused on Ryun, on what he was feeling, then used a perk.

Copy Knowledge

Information flowed through Zach’s mind, it lasted an eternity, it lasted a moment.

“Oh,” Zach whispered.

His defense failed and the will and authority of the Axiom of the End descended on him, his armor crumbled, degrading into dust, his skin started to wither and peel.

“This is your End,” Ryun’s voice echoed from all around them.

Zach’s Soul rebelled.

“No,” he whispered.

And So It Was Once Again

Time flowed back.