Chapter 45 — Stars and Spell Fragments

Editors: PROCRASTINATOR & GREETER (P/N Ok I’m back now for real this time)

 

[Ei’s POV]

 

I closed my eyes from falling asleep and opened them again, finding myself lying on a lake, staring at the starry sky above. A tendril of whatever galaxy I’m in seemed to be stretched across the sky. A gleaming, full moon illuminates the lake.

 

This is… odd. I just wanted to rest…

 

I stand up and walk forwards a bit, finding a table and two chairs. Am I supposed to sit down? Well, there’s no harm in doing so.

 

“A sleeping Vampire. How curious.” (???)

 

A voice says from behind me.

 

“Who are you?” (Ei)

 

I turn around and see a woman dressed in a black skin suit with a set of a silver, armored skirt  and breastplate, gleaming with a faint turquoise tint. On her feet she wore a pair of knee-high armored boots. Draped across her shoulders was a robe lined with fur, colored in a purple to green gradient. Purple hair cascaded down her back, matching her eyes.

 

“I have many names… Though at this moment it is not important.” (Woman)

 

She walks past me and sits down on the other end of the table.

 

“Hmmm… Now for the reason I have taken interest in you. You are travelling with INSANITY, correct?” (Woman)

 

“And why should I answer you?” (Ei)

 

“I suppose I have given you no reason to trust me. Very well. Tell INSANITY, should they be in your party, that the Harbinger of the Void wishes an audience with them. Now then, enjoy your rest.” (Harbinger of the Void)

 

I drifted into a trance-like state after that. I wasn’t really dreaming, awake, or asleep.

 

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

 

I woke up the next morning feeling pretty refreshed. I got out of bed and went into the kitchen.

 

“Ei’s awake!” (Luna)

 

“Sleepy head, ya were asleep for a week.” (Kurui)

 

“I am impressed you slept through Terra’s yelling every morning.” (Nadia)

 

“Wait. Ei, why do I sense traces of the Void on you?” (Kurui)

 

““The Void??”” (Luna + Nadia)

 

“I met someone who called herself the Harbinger of the Void. She said she wanted an audience with you, Kurui.” (Ei)

 

“Her? *sigh* This could be problematic. Do ya mind if I drag ya’ll into this?” (Kurui)

 

“Not particularly.” (Nadia)

 

“Nope.” (Luna)

 

“No.” (Ei)

 

“I doth not mind.” (Vadina)

 

“Oh? Vadina’s here, too? Well, let’s go.『Teleport』” (Kurui)

 

The world fades and I find myself standing on the exact same lake with a starry sky.

 

“That was fast.” (Harbinger of the Void)

 

“Violet, if you’re requesting an audience, it must be something serious. What is it?” (Kurui)

 

“I see you brought friends. Well, I’ll make it quick. How did you manage to get out of your seal?” (Violet/Harbinger of the Void)

 

“Some ritual by the Cult of NULL. It finished and a bit of me managed to get out through it.” (Kurui)

 

“You weren’t sealed alone. Did you make sure the other one didn’t get out?” (Violet)

 

Kurui wasn’t sealed alone…?

 

“I did a quick check but nothing thorough. As far as I could tell, I was the main target of the spell.” (Kurui) 

 

“*sigh* You know, Nil isn’t an idiot. I doubt that he would instruct his subordinates to summon you, nor would the Fourth Cardinal not know who you are.” (Violet)

 

Who’s Nil? The Cult’s leader?

 

“It does seem odd, but he said ‘come forth, INSANITY’.” (Kurui)

 

“I would be careful, if I were you. I wouldn’t underestimate Nil.” (Violet)

 

“I won’t, but I’m still sealed and I can sense ERROR in there as well. If any of them got out, it’s enough that I haven’t noticed.” (Kurui)

 

I am completely lost by now… and so is everyone else.

 

“Have you not noticed, or were you fated not to?” (Violet)

 

“I… I don’t know.” (Kurui)

 

“*sigh* I would assume ERROR has escaped.” (Violet)

 

“Can someone please explain what is happening?! I have no idea what we’re even talking about at this point!” (Luna)

 

“You didn’t explain it to them? Really?” (VIolet)

 

“Wasn’t worth troubling them over. Alright, I’ll explain. Remember how I told you about the war 50,000 years ago?” (Kurui)

 

“The Entity War?” (Nadia)

 

“Correct. So, I hunted stragglers down for 30,000 years. It was mostly chasing ERROR, but I sealed them and myself in the end with some help from OUROBOROS. They were a real doozy to seal though as they have domain over fate. It can somewhat be counteracted by OUROBOROS’ domain over time, but still it was really annoying. And Nil is the ringleader of the Cult of NULL.” (Kurui)

 

“So… you’re saying that if they escaped, then the Cult gains a massive power boost?” (Ei)

 

“Yea. Violet, what do you think they’re after?” (Kurui)

 

“I’m… not sure. Nil doesn’t think in a predictable manner. All I will say is to be extra careful. ERROR at any level of power more than an Ancient Dragon is a serious threat.” (Violet)

 

“I see…” (Kurui)

 

“Well, that is all. As much as I would like to catch up on the previous 20,000 years, we don’t have the time. And ENTITY’s chosen, be careful. I do not know what they have seen within you, but if the Cult has learned of your existence, your journey will not be an easy one. Time for you to go now. Goodbye.” (Violet)

 

The sky turns to liquid and slowly drips away, revealing the room we were once in.

 

“So, we may have another threat… great.” (Ei)

 

“Well, nothing to do but keep moving forward.” (Luna)

 

“Indeed.” (Vadina)

 

“Adventuring with you has turned out to be far more exciting than I expected.” (Nadia)

 

“Nn. If we might have to deal with Entities now, we have to get stronger.” (Ei)

 

Especially me… I can’t lose anyone else.

 

*poof*

 

A cloud of red smoke appears directly in the center of the room, revealing Flandre.

 

“I can help with that!” (Flandre)

 

“Where’d you come from?!?” (Luna)

 

“Why are you here, Flandre…?” (Ei)

 

“Violet, the HaRbInGeR oF tHe VoId said that you might need my help! So, I’m here~!” (Flandre)

 

“Well, I don’t think it's a bad idea.” (Kurui)

 

“So, who here wants to go to the Vampyric Shogunate? It’ll be fun, promise~” (Flandre)

 

“Sure.” (Ei)

 

“If Kurui says it’s a good idea, then I’m willing to go! Wait! We’re not going to get turned into food, right?!” (Luna)

 

“Nope~ The Vampires in the Shogunate are the more civilized ones. The ones that typically run amok are Lesser Vampires or ones that have been exiled.” (Flandre) 

 

“I would like to think about it.” (Nadia)

 

“Okay~ Well, I’ll be in my bakery~” (Flandre)

 

Flandre turns around and jumps out the window. 

 

“See you later~” (Flandre)

 

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

 

We deliberated over whether or not to follow Flandre for a while, but ultimately put the discussion on hold. We have to clean up the spell fragments still.

 

We arrived at the first location.

 

“Halt! Who goes there?” (Guard)

 

“We’re here to clean some stuff up from the attacks. We were told to give you this card.” (Ei)

 

“Hmm… Looks fine, you may enter.” (Guard)

 

Walking past the guard checkpoint, we pass by burnt houses. Their walls have turned black, despite being made of previously white stone.

 

We kept walking and came across a crater. Could there really be anything less conspicuous?

 

“Kurui, is this it?” (Ei)

 

“It should be around here. Vadina, I think ya got the best chance at finding it. It’d be like those runes on the worm.” (Kurui)

 

“Understood.” (Vadina)

 

Well, if it’s just runes I might be able to find it. 

 

I start to look around a bit when Vadina calls everyone over to a random hole in a wall.

 

“I believeth that this iseth the location.” (Vadina)

 

“I don’t see anything?” (Luna)

“Try sensin’ stuff with magic.” (Kurui)

 

I can certainly feel a magic signature here… 

 

“I believe I found it.” (Nadia)

 

Ooo! Nice one Nadia.

 

Nadia sticks her hand into the hole and pulls out a weird black orb.

 

“Is this it?” (Nadia)

 

“Yep. Looks like it. Hand it over.” (Kurui)

 

Nadia hands the orb to Kurui and it squishes a little bit. I wonder what it feels like.

 

“Hmm… Yep! This is definitely the ‘Tsar Bomb 2.0’. Well, I’ll destroy it real quick.” (Kurui)

 

They take the orb in their hand and shake it around a bit, poke it a few times, and then it shatters.

 

““““???”””” (Everyone else)

 

“What? I had to make sure there wasn’t any security on it.” (Kurui)

 

Haha…

 

Well, that’s the first one. Nine more locations, just to be safe.