Arc IV: “Advent of Acier”
Chapter I: “The Syndicate”
Episode II: “Secret Operation”
THE SKY WAS A DARK MANTLE over the horizon—yet a faint violet glow surged from an island…
[Apocalypse’s Island]
Everything was dark… until—
There was a bright surge of ominous energy. Violet rings of light erupted from a crater on the black-sand beach.
What is this? This… warmth—no! There’s a chilling edge to it…
With a few slow blinks, his vision sharpened.
My head… he thought, cupping his temple. What happened to me?
“Hey!” A woman’s voice rang in his ears. “Are you alright?”
He tried to focus his vision; first his hand—then his legs, which were splayed out in the black sand—and finally, he managed to look up at the woman standing before him.
As the split images merged back into one, he let out a flat sigh.
That’s right… I was fighting against that Utopian brat, Akira! But… if all I can remember is darkness… then… does that mean I… lost?
“Young Master, can you hear me?” the woman asked.
She was holding a glowing orb that was emitting a mix of pink and violet aether.
He came back to his senses as he looked at her. “Ah… Nami. The scout.”
“That’s right.”
“What are you doing here? You stayed behind with Mother to search for the—”
He noticed the orb she was holding. “I see… so you’ve found it.”
He placed a palm on his face as sweat ran down his cheek. “So, the rumors were true. The Dark Heart can bring people back to life. If you’re here, Mother can’t be far behind… and… what of my father?”
“He died as well. I believe he was killed close to this island, but I can’t revive him just yet.”
The man’s eyes widened.
“Can you stand, Young Master Bowl?”
Bowl paused.
Then he nodded. “Yes.”
He grabbed the hand covering his face before it could tremble, then braced himself to stand.
“I doubt you could even fathom the thoughts coursing through my mind right now—but first, tell me. What’s stopping you from resurrecting my father? If the Dark Heart truly works, which it must, considering I’m standing before you, then why? Surely it can restore him to his prior state—before he was crippled by that reactor explosion on Utopia.”
“It can…”
She paused, glancing up at the starry sky.
“But it’s because Lady Cataline wants him revived at full strength. That’s why we must wait.”
Her gaze shifted abruptly, piercing through Bowl.
“You can feel it, can’t you? The new energy that’s coursing through you.”
Bowl looked down at his hands again, inspecting every inch of pale skin.
She’s right… something feels different. I feel like I might be even stronger than before, and I’m still in my Natural State!
“Your power’s not stable, though. So far, all of the resurrections have been made with the bare minimum of energy required. I’ve secured two targets before you. The next three top-ranking generals will follow. After that, the remaining power goes to Lord Apocalypse.”
Bowl’s eyes sharpened. “I see… but what of him? That Utopian scum…”
“Akira Lyte? It’s not good. As things stand, he could easily thwart our efforts. Fortunately for us, he’s currently off-world.”
Then he must be even stronger… “And what of my younger siblings?”
“As I said, I’ll revive Young Masters Cette and Tub next, after I send you to the Doctor.”
“No—I’m talking about… the half-bloods.”
Nami smiled. “Ah, Young Master Rikito and his sister Asuka. They’re strong. It seems that Lord Apocalypse’s pseudo core fell into the hands of Young Master Rikito—now it’s stronger than ever. He helped Akira Lyte defeat Ronin.”
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They defeated Ronin?! That means even if Father wasn’t injured in that explosion, he still would’ve never stood a chance against him. Things are more dire than I thought. But how could they have gotten so powerful?
He closed his eyes. “How long… how long have I been trapped in this darkness?”
“At least twenty years.”
Twenty years… he thought as his teeth clenched.
Nami stretched her arms. “Alright, it’s about time I got going. It’s only a matter of time before Lady Cataline is ready to launch her invasion, so I need to go revive the rest of the targets.”
She pulled out a Hypercube and tossed it onto the ground after pressing its button.
In an instant, it expanded to over twenty-five cubic feet.
“Get in,” she said slyly.
With sweat running down his face, Bowl swallowed hard. Then he placed his hand on the metal frame of the cube and climbed inside.
Nami pressed a button on the side of the cube, and it shrank again, taking Bowl with it.
“Now I can send you back to the Doctor without the Guardian of Solaris finding out.”
She picked up the cube and placed it into her robes.
Now… which island was next?
She didn’t let herself look back at the crater.
[A week later]
A portal of dark energy spiraled inward as Cataline, Head, Sink, and Filter rose from its depths.
Cataline looked around the horizon.
Below the portal, there was an abandoned temple floating on an island made of clouds.
“This is quite the venue for my arrival,” Cataline purred, placing a hand on her waist.
Nami, who was hovering in the air before them, bowed forward. “I’ve been eagerly awaiting your appearance.”
She pulled out the Dark Heart from her robes and presented it.
“You’ve done well, Nami.” Cataline smiled as she plucked the orb. “I knew you’d be the right choice for this mission. Now rise. It’s time for us to show the Earthlings our power.”
[Later that day]
A large portal opened around the UFA Mainland.
From inside his office, the headmaster felt its aether signature.
What—?
He quickly stood and looked out the window behind his desk.
“Uh-uh. Not another step,” Cataline whispered from the other side of the room.
She carried the Dark Heart in one hand, and behind her stood Nami and the Doctor’s experimental pets.
I’m curious to see what these clones the Doctor made can do, but at the same time, I’d rather kill this old geezer before he has time to use one of his relics. If he truly has one of the Seven Divine Relics and he can harness the power of the Deities… I’m better off just killing him now.
“Head, take your siblings and go help the captains finish off the vermin.”
“Yes, Mother.”
With a wave of his hand, Sink and Filter followed Head out of the room.
“Who are you and what are you doing on Earth?” the headmaster snapped.
He raised his fighting stance.
Dammit! How could they have infiltrated the campus without setting off the barrier? No, how did they even get on Earth without the Guardians—Lu’ug and Lian—noticing them? Did they already invade the Zenith? There’s too much I don’t know…
The headmaster caught a glimpse of the Dark Heart.
That’s—!
Tracing his gaze, Cataline chuckled. She lifted the orb towards him.
“Have you ever seen one of these before? Considering your vast knowledge, I wouldn’t be surprised if you already know what this can do.”
The headmaster trembled—sweat soaking his face.
If that’s what I think it is—how did she manage to get her hands on one of those? I thought they were all but gone after the Cosmic War! What could she be planning with that? If I’m not mistaken, a Dark Heart functions as a battery—absorbing the ambient aether from its surroundings—and allowing its user to harness all of that immense might at their fingertips.
Nami’s jaw tightened. What is she waiting for? If he really has a Divine Relic, then we have to finish this as fast as possible. Depending on which one he has, he could defeat us instantly!
Cataline slowly licked her lips. “You’re probably thinking I’ll use this as an energy source to unleash a devastating Art on all of you…”
She smiled widely, her eyes rounding from ecstasy.
“But no—I have something even grander planned!”
The headmaster narrowed his eyes, slowly dragging his feet across the floor as he maneuvered towards a bookshelf against the wall. What is she talking about? How else would she use an aether battery?
Cataline didn’t blink. “I made… a Harmonic Covenant with the Deity of Death.”
For a moment, time seemed to stop inside the room.
The headmaster’s eyes widened—violet light reflecting in the whites of them.
In that decisive moment, he lunged towards the bookcase and pulled a book from the shelf. A secret panel opened, revealing a small safe inside the wall.
Cataline smiled like she’d been waiting for him to reach for it. Like I’d give you the chance—!
She raised her other hand.
“Alluring Fantasies!”
Cataline’s body emitted a dense mist until the entire room was shrouded in pink plumes.
The headmaster coughed in a raspy fit, clutching the base of his neck with his hands.
As tears welled up from his reddened eyes, he fought through the smoke and tried to enter the combination into the dial on the safe.
“It’s futile,” Cataline chuckled as the smoke dissipated around the room. “You’re already under my control.”
Ignoring her, the headmaster opened the safe and yanked out a black box. He ripped it open, clutching a silver wristband in his hands.
That must be it! Nami thought, her eyes wide. So, which one is it!?
He secured the device around his wrist and pointed it toward his assailants. This will put too much strain on my body if I activate it, but I have no other choice—I must defeat them here!
“Give me your strength, Chrono-Sigil—!”
[Outside of Alluring Fantasies…]
The headmaster’s corpse lay in the center of the room, his blood lining the walls like crimson paint.
The safe remained closed, the combination never fully entered.
“What happened in the dream? Did you figure out which Relic he possessed?” Nami asked.
Cataline smirked. “Let’s just say it would have been an interesting battle. I’m not sure what kind of Arts he wielded, but if I hadn’t trapped him in my Alluring Fantasies, he might’ve had the advantage. At the very least, he could’ve killed you instantly.”
Nami gulped, looking down at the man’s cold body.
Cataline gracefully stepped toward the safe, managing to avoid the pools of blood. She ran her fingers down the side of it.
A mix of Eclipsed-Steel and Oblivium, eh?
“Tch,” she snapped, abruptly turning around to face Nami. “Come, child. Let’s return to Lord Acier.”
“What about the Relic? We could at least take the safe with us.”
“Leave it—it’s made of Oblivium. We can’t break it—and carrying it will destabilize the portal. Unless you would like to have the experience of being reduced to ashes, I suggest you pay it no mind.”
[Outside Solaris – Acier’s Fleet]
A portal opened in the mothership’s hangar. Through it, Cataline and Nami stepped out.
A soldier was standing at the doorway, bowing in greeting. “Welcome back, Lady Cataline.”
Cataline and Nami moved through the corridors with haste.
Nami tilted her head. “Lady Cataline, will you be making your report to Lord Acier right now?”
“No, I think I’ll hold off on that. First, I’m going back to my chamber to rest. I need to make sure that the Dark Heart’s aether reserves are calibrated appropriately. I’ll send someone to fetch you once I’m ready.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Nami closed her eyes as she gave a slight bow.
Cataline continued through the corridor, rounding the edge of the hall.
Nami remained bowed for a breath longer.
She opened her eyes slowly, her eyes dry and her expression flat.
I should have some time…
[The R&D Wing]
Nami passed many soldiers and researchers as she strode through the halls.
Which room was it…? She wondered, her gaze locking onto each door tag as she paced by.
Eventually, her eyes widened once she spotted a room labeled “KURO.”
She burst into the room, only to see an unconscious man lying on a medical bed.
So, he still hasn’t come to…
She looked at the various tubes and machines hooked up to the man.
His body was melded—half solid, half liquid.
Nami pressed her fingers against his hand.
Soft.
Then she traced them up his arm as she stepped closer.
Eventually, she reached his face, where the condensation in his oxygen mask pulsed with each shallow breath.
She paused.
Then slowly caressed his cheek.
A single tear welled in her eye and streamed down her cheek—filling every groove of dry, uneven skin beneath it.
[Three Days Later – The Doctor’s Hidden Lab]
“Dammit!” The Doctor slammed his hands on his workbench. “Someone destroyed my Adaptoid—its responder went out.”
Nami was standing on the other side of the room, leaning against the wall. “Don’t you have another one right there?”
She gazed at the vertical operating table with a humanoid lying on it.
“That was a different model! This one isn’t able to absorb aether from its opponent’s Arts! I only have the materials to make each type one more time. I was hoping to get more data before I finished designing the final model.”
“Sounds like someone is busy,” Nami shrugged, her sarcastic tone cutting through the Doctor’s patience.
“If you're going to be a bother… why don’t you just go already? Don’t you have work to do?”
“I am working. I’m guarding you until Lady Cataline finishes the resurrection of Lord Apocalypse. Then we retreat to Lord Acier’s fleet before Akira Lyte can get in our way.”
A tremor went through the lab—small, but wrong.
Nami narrowed her eyes.
[Now – The Doctor’s Airship]
Or at least, that’s how I thought things would go… Nami thought, leaning against the side of the ship as she gazed out the window.
Cerulean sky bled into darkness, stars pricking through the glass.
“Hey, everybody—strap in,” the Doctor yelled. “I’m activating the Aetherstream Drive. It won’t be long until we’re reunited with Acier’s fleet.”
[Next Time on Lyte of Utopia]: “The Ones Who Returned”
[Yield Levels]:
Nami: 7z
- Suppressed: 1
Bowl: 3z
- Dark Heart Amped Base: 6z
Cataline: 11z
- Weakened: 6z
- Alluring Fantasies: x1 (Illusions)
Head: 100–7z
Sink: 10–7z
Filter: 7z
Headmaster Ryce: 2z
- Divine Pressure: 3z
- DP + Divine Bloom: 8z
Doctor: 1
Apocalypse: 12z
- Weakened: 5