Chapter 48: Rise

Standing up in a daze from the fall, Neo struggles to find his footing among the rubble for a while.

There is something . . . off. His left eye is turning back from being somewhat golden.

. . . It has begun.

Neo hears in his head.

What . . . what has?!

He questions only to receive no response. He looks around, the dusty air from the crash getting into his eyes, to find and check on Adora and Charlotte. They are still strapped on and stuck to the side, Adora has an expression on her face that Neo can only describe as maybe utter confusion, shock, and disbelief as he walks towards them holding his dislocated left arm.

It's the first time he's ever seen Adora like this.

Adora looks at Haco in disbelief.

How . . . how did she collapse? She was at full strength . . . aside from Tahara, Chad, and my husband along with his pets, nothing in this existence should be able to damage her when she is like that . . .

"Are you alright? What happened?" asks Neo, approaching.

She takes a deep breath.

Boom!

An explosion goes off nearby.

Neo looks behind and sees the tanks approach with some more backup from the property that were in hiding.

"What should we do?" asks Charlotte.

"Nothing! Haco should regenerate soon, and then we get out of here," responds Adora, "Neo climb up and hold onto her, and be ready for when she regenerates,"

Neo obliges, jumping up and holding onto Haco's body.

Keep going.

What?

Keep going. Get all the way up and go check where she got hit, it should be on her head.

Why?

Are you not curious about what hurt this mighty beast? I am!

. . .

Also, we might get to the first to witness something never witnessed before in this existence, it's interesting to examine it up close, no? Aren't you curious?

Neo climbs up, standing on the panther collapsed on her side and starts walking towards her head.

"Neo, where are you going?" questions Adora as Charlotte follows everything going on with her eyes.

 "Just to check something real quick," he responds.

"What are─" Adora pauses, seeing something that moves her very core and her pupils dilate.

"The mark . . . " she murmurs.

"Mark? What mark?" asks Charlotte.

"From the book . . . when the hour approaches . . . the followers will be marked . . . and that will be the end of everything," explains Adora.

She moves her eyes around for a second, "Charlotte! If you can, can you look behind my neck at all?"

Charlotte tries to move and do so, "Sorry, I can't. I can only see up to your ear,"

"Damn!"

Boom!

Both of them close their eyes as another explosion goes off nearby.

Come on, Haco. Is her injury severe?

. . .

Step, step, step.

Neo reaches her head and searches a little to find where the injury is. It is a shot from what seems to be a human-sized gun.

"How did─" he pauses, noticing a tear drop from his left eye.

"Why are you crying?" he asks in surprise.

Xzina appears behind him in her mist form, floating in the air. She places her hands on his shoulders and her face right next to his on his left shoulder, looking at the injury, "Because I can't believe I am the first to ever witness it. It's a sensation akin to traveling far away, and the only way to meet again is to take the same path, such beauty . . ."

Boom!

Another explosion goes off, very close this time.

Neo takes cover momentarily, his brain racing as he realizes that the explosion came close by from behind. Right after things calm down, he runs back through the fog . . .

Only to be greeted by a crater . . . and the limbs of his mother scattered around, moving around to put her back together.

And his lover's face missing a part of it, rebuilding slowly.

They are both unconscious from the shock.

Boom!

A small explosion hits the opposite end, he looks at the crater it creates and notices something . . .

His great sword is planted into the ground, unsheathed.

Neo smiles, and lifts up his right hand half-way, moving his elbow ninety degrees and opening his hand, palm facing towards the great sword.

. . .

Rustle.

The sword starts to shake slightly, then the shaking gets more and more aggressive until . . .

It launches from the ground, heading right towards Neo in an arc motion.

Neo braces himself and grabs the handle of the sword as it lands perfectly in his hand and immediately starts showcasing some swordplay, Xzina flying around his body as he does so.

He ends it with him facing towards Xzina and holding the sword arm down. Behind her, the property, and the tanks getting close.

Lend me strength.

Xzina smiles.

I have one small condition this time.

Condition? Are we changing the deal now?

"No, love, I would never!" she smiles, getting closer to him and placing her forehead on his.

"It's just that I feel pent up, especially now. And want a release, so you tell me what you want to be done and I'll take over and do it for you until it's done!" she says.

"You take half. You control my entire left side and follow my lead. What we can't split, we share," says Neo.

"Oooh, even more challenging and exciting! May I even say might be a bit freaky! Done deal, love," exclaims Xzina, entering his body.

Neo blinks and his left eye turns fully golden instantly, glowing brightly.

Six tails emerge from his back, of which he can control three.

"Ah, yes, I can feel myself heating up already!" says Xzina using Neo's mouth and lifting his left arm, looking down at the hand which has fully transformed into her clawed hand with a hint of purple.

But his right eye is still looking straight ahead, focused on Zahtan.

"Baby steps first," says Neo

Step, step, step.

They walk in perfect harmony, him the right leg, and her the left.

Standing near Haco's head, Neo shifts his eye down and sees . . . nothing . . . sadness visible in his eye.

Woosh!

He lifts his eye back up and sees a rocket heading in their direction being grabbed and held by one of the tails Xzina controls. It still has fuel and is still trying to reach them, but to no avail.

"I didn't think that was possible,"

"Love," starts Xzina moving his left hand's fingers, making a cracking sound, "You have no idea what is possible," she smiles.

The tail holding the rocket squeezes tight.

Boom!