Arc IV: “Advent of Acier”
Chapter I: “The Syndicate”
Episode III: “The Ones Who Returned”
THE DOCTOR stood at the edge of the bed, hands tucked into his coat pockets.
“He’s in critical condition.”
“You can fix him, yes? You will,” Cataline bellowed, her scowl draining the remaining life from the bleak room.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll do what I always do. Why don’t you clear out of here so I can get to work in peace?”
“Don’t forget this is your job. I could have Lord Acier get rid of you if you prove to be useless.”
The Doctor turned around, his expression sharper than ever. “We both know that would never happen. I’d love to see the day Acier discards me before he discards you.”
"Hmph.” Cataline spun to face the exit. “Just get to work. You’re cutting time with that sharp tongue of yours.”
Nami pushed off the wall, watching as the Doctor ran scans and typed across his holo-screen.
“You know, you shouldn’t talk to Lady Cataline like that. I know you don’t care for the Syndicate’s hierarchy or politics, but she really could talk Lord Acier into getting rid of you.”
Still typing away at rapid speeds, he smirked. “Heh, like I said—that would never happen. Acier knows how valuable I am. There’s no one else with my level of knowledge throughout the entire Universe.”
He paused for a moment, then gritted his teeth.
“No one else who can hold a candle to those accursed Gods of Providence…” he muttered under his breath.
“Right,” Nami said, stretching her arms. “Then I’ll leave you to it.”
She exited the room, looking around the hall. Let’s see how they’re doing…
She strolled the corridor, searching for Kuro’s room again.
She found it—the door was left ajar.
Peeking inside, she pushed the door wider. Her brows furrowed as she gazed at an empty bed, the sheets disheveled.
Dammit.
She walked back out, her arms crossed as she glared at the man approaching her.
“Whoa. Scary,” the man snorted.
He was tall and muscular. Humanoid, but definitely not an Earthling. He had the face of a moose, large, twisted antlers curling from his skull.
“I take it Hubby isn’t in his room,” he snickered.
“Shut it, Tebros. I’m not in the mood.”
She walked past him, her arms still crossed.
He closed his eyes with a thin smile, raising his hands overhead as if he were guilty.
As she passed, he turned to say, “This isn’t the place to be playing house. Lord Acier won’t be happy when he learns that you lost the Dark Heart.”
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She kept walking, fists clenched tight in silence.
She walked past another room, but before she could continue forward, her curiosity pulled her back to the door.
Inside, there was a blur—bouncing around the room like a fly trapped in a jar.
On one of three beds, a woman was combing through her hair.
On another bed, a man lay back with his hands behind his head—his eyes closed.
“Settle down, Tub,” the man bellowed.
After colliding into a wall, the blur came to a halt. Tub’s face was more devilish than before—his eyes even wider than his crooked smile.
“What brings you here, Nami?” Bowl asked, his eyes still closed as he lay on the bed.
Nami drifted to Cette’s bedside. “Just checking in…”
She combed her fingers through Cette’s hair, her teeth peeking through her lips as she smiled. “You’re even more beautiful than I remember.”
Cette smiled back, exuding a warmth that would fool anyone who wasn’t familiar with her into thinking she was a kindred spirit.
“That’s all? I know you don’t have enough time on your hands for something so trivial,” Bowl said.
Nami’s expression frosted over as she dropped Cette’s hair. “Your father’s here. He’s in critical condition. The Doctor is with him now.”
Bowl’s eyes snapped open, an ominous purple aura leaking out of his frame. “What…? How could that be possible?”
“What of the Dark Heart?” Cette asked.
“It’s been lost. Akira Lyte and Young Master Rikito returned to Earth. They managed to defeat Lord Apocalypse and drain the last of the Dark Heart’s power.”
Bowl scowled. That bastard, Akira… I’ll need to adjust my Craft if I want to kill him. But if father failed, would I even stand a chance?
He bit his lip. “Still, why didn’t you recover it? From what Mother told me, it can be recharged—can’t it?”
“Not possible. We would’ve died if we’d stayed even a second longer. I decided it’d be best if we lived to fight another day. We still have support from Lord Acier, after all.”
“I see.” Bowl’s aura calmed, and he leaned back on his bed.
Nami stepped toward the exit, her gaze sliding to the hallway again. Kuro still wasn’t where he should’ve been.
She placed her hand on the doorframe as she turned around.
“Also, have you seen Kuro?”
[A few moments later – The mess hall]
Ronin sneered. “So, that savage-blood is still alive, and he has a family? Good. I’m gonna slaughter their families in front of them, then murderize the Lyte brothers!”
Nami, who was sitting across the table from him, put down her drink. “You’ll need a miracle to manage that. Akira Lyte is worlds beyond your current level. You should go see if the Doctor has something that can boost your power.”
Ronin rubbed his chin in thought. “Yes… That’s a good idea.”
His tongue curled around his lips as his eyes formed devious crescents. “I’ll go see him right now!”
He slammed his hands on the table as he jumped up, then raced out of the mess hall.
Nami watched him exit. I know he was crazy before… but he seemed a bit off. There’s something strange about the ones who were revived. It’s not blatant in all of them, but some are definitely unhinged.
She finished the rest of her drink, then stood to stretch her back.
“Captain Nami,” a soldier knelt before her, “Lord Acier requests your presence.”
Damn. So, it’s that time already?
Her eyes drooped a bit as she looked at him.
“Alright, I’ll be there shortly. I must notify Lady Cataline.”
[Elsewhere]
Kuro stood before a healing pod mounted to the wall. Inside, Apocalypse floated in gushing teal water.
In the hall, a few of Acier’s troops walked by.
“Did you hear? Apparently, Cataline went through all that trouble to revive Apocalypse just for him to die again.”
“Nah. He’s still alive, idiot. But they lost that rare artifact they begged Lord Acier to find.”
“No way—they lost the Dark Heart? Didn’t it take them decades to get their hands on that? Yikes, I wouldn’t want to be the one who has to report that to Lord Acier.”
“Yeah, no kidding.”
Kuro tightened his grip and clenched his teeth. Those fools know nothing of our struggle.
He looked up at Apocalypse, his gaze softening. Master Kukito… I do not doubt that you’ll obtain the Heart of Utopia. You will. And once you do, you’ll rebuild our world from the ground up, but this time it will be shaped with the needs of Dystopians in mind. We’ll show them that we’re not the tainted scum that they think we are.
He pressed his hand against the pod, leaving his print against the cold glass.
I have a lot of them now… people I want to protect. But what about you, Master? Are you still fighting to protect someone? Or… is pure violence all we have left? I fear that no one is left for you to truly love.
He closed his eyes and drew his hand away from the glass. He fought his limp as he paced, trapped in deliberation.
Then, the door opened—
“Kuro?” a soft voice said.
He turned, quick to find the source of that voice. His eyes watered as soon as he saw her.
“Nami,” he whispered.
They ran to each other, locking arms in a tight embrace.
“How many years has it been… since I’ve felt your warmth,” he said as he stroked his hand through her hair.
“Too many,” her voice cracked—her words choked up by her tears.
For what seemed like an eternity, they stood in their embrace—no movements, no sound—other than Nami’s soft whimper.
[The Doctor’s Lab]
The room was cold and dark—except for the dim glow spilling off the operating table.
There was a man strapped down to the table—too many restraints for just one man.
Pools of blood formed on the floor—multiple streams trickling down from the man. Too many incisions into his flesh to count.
Sweat drenched the man’s face… or tears—perhaps a mixture of both. His long black hair was full of split ends and gray strands. The skin under his eyes was wrinkled. Though they were closed, the rapid movements of his eyes could still be seen.
The man groaned against a mouthpiece that stole his words. His entire body convulsed as he thrashed side to side, fighting against his shackles.
The Doctor rested a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Hush now, Mr. Sage. It’ll be over soon.”
Then, with a click of a button, arcs of red electricity surged from the table. The man’s eyes burst open, their amber light crying out. His muffled screams battered against the soundproofed walls.
Eventually, his endurance gave out, and he went docile.
The Doctor flipped a switch, and the electricity went out.
A string of drool slid from the side of his mouth—the man’s eyes still fluttering beneath his lids.
[Next Time on Lyte of Utopia]: “Ritual: The True Demon Race!”
[Yield Levels]:
Doctor: 1
Apocalypse: 12z
- Recovering: 5
Cataline: 11z
Nami: 7z
- Suppressed: 1
Tebros: 9z
Tub: ~3z
- Dark Heart Amped Base: 4z
Cette: ~3z
- Dark Heart Amped Base: 5z
Bowl: 6z
Kuro: 2z
- Dark Heart Amped Base: 5z