Episode 13: Beyond The Limit

John was distracted.

In the Ul'manau, John's senses become numb as his main focus was on the targets before him and maintaining the inner vessel so that the essence he produces does not crash in on the vessel.

During his time as a Thiadigm, he was taught at a young age to become an implement of war. He was trained to learn how to use the Ul'manau, which is deriving essence within the very being of oneself out.

This process was deadly if used improperly as the vessel which holds the essence could crack, or worse.

As a result, John was able to use his full potential but at a cost of primarily focusing on his inner self and a portion of his surroundings.

The sounds of the giant tendrils bursting out of the ground broke him free from his trance-like state. When he realizes what was going on, it was already too late for him to do anything but send a piece of his essence towards the few that could receive it, especially his brother.

Now, all he could do was hope that he makes it out of there alive. He could not go there himself for there were other forces in the vicinity that calls for his attention.

"Oh, Here of the Eon," a guttural voice spoke from below. "I pity thee for thine efforts being wasted on such fodder."

A large figure was being raised by a tendril that broke out of the ground.

Upon deeper inspection, the figure had a boar-like feature. Large tusks protruded out of his lower jaw, curving beside his snout. A beard fashioned with what seemed like skulls of smaller creatures was wet from an earlier feast he had with the locals, the contents being the locals themselves.

He had a fur-topped cape dawned over his broad shoulders that were hung by a large lower jaw that spanned his upper torso. It looked like that of a larger boar than himself with the tusks forming a makeshift collar around his thick neck.

"Porcus," John called. "I wondered when you'd show up!"

The lord of Gluttony burst in laughter. "I abandoned that name a long time ago."

"Oooh, ya musta been snacking since the last I tore you. What's your dietary recommendation?" John poked at the beast below him.

"How bout a side of yourself?" Gluttony began to show a bit of annoyance.

"I think getting kinky won't do ya any good."

"I swear once I'm done with you I-!"

"Don't let him get to you, Gluttony." Another figure appeared as more tendrils rose from the hole in the ground. "He's playing with you."

A woman dawned in a similarly black cloak that covered most of her body. Her hair white hair flowed with the wind of the height with her ears alertly pointed upwards.

"Oh," he curtseyed mid-air. "I must say that your illustrious presence is much appreciated."

The woman returned the gesture as her cloak lifts, revealing the tails hidden behind it. Pure white, opposed to her nature, covered the tails that unfurled softly like the clouds touching the peaks of mountains. She wore a matching black dress inside that split from the knee to her upper thigh, complimenting the porcelain skin underneath.

The mask she wore, despite her position, was not as intricate. It was a regular ceramic mask that was made in the form of a fox with whiskers and curled brows etched to the frame.

"Much obliged, young one." She turned her head towards the Lord of Gluttony, "You should learn much about manners from him."

"Maybe if ye keep yer yap as shut as ye do to yer innards, Fox?"

"Now, that's the Porcus I know!" John pointed out the Blight Lord's change in behavior.

The furious lord wanted to rush the fool ahead of him but he was stopped by a sudden trembling in the ground, announcing the arrival of more of his comrades.

More tendrils rose from the ground carrying two more figures on it.

"I-If I may suggest," One of them sputtered. "That we do not waste our time ch-chatting?"

He was slim with a hunched back, prostrating himself before the two lords. He had a meek attitude that masked his appearance. He would have been mistaken as one of the subordinates.

However, John knew that he was no ordinary being for he stood on the roots that designated their position among the Blight, carrying an aura about him that seemed foreboding.

Under the black cloak, John made out a soft but scaley feature that shimmered despite there being no light to reflect with. The hood that spanned from the top of his head to the top of his shoulders had markings that reflect his stature, etched in black. It contrasted the emerald of his overall layer and the white on his forebody.

"Y-you'd be playing in his hands," he stuttered.

"Silence Snaigheim!" The two spoke in unison.

"M-my apologies."

"Really? It would seem that I've been playing by your hands this whole time." John gestured to the snake-like fellow.

"Y-you are much to kind." Snaigheim bowed in respect towards John.

John scanned the vicinity around him to ensure there were no other threats.

"It's a good plan I would say." He noticed that there was nobody else in the area but them. "Separating me from Sir Karl and the rest of the Thiadigm, forcing us to take this route at this exact time, and preoccupying me from noticing the threat below me. Clever clever," he praised the group before him.

John continued to levitate at a safe distance away from the enemy, to ensure that they don't make any sudden movement.

"So," he continued as he hovered about, "do pray tell, what seems to be your objective here? If it's to get a date with me, I'm not so swayed by any grand gestures. Simple guys like simple things."

The last figure stood silent, keeping his vicious eyes locked on his prey. His arms were crossed but at any moment, like a predator ready to pounce.

John recognized this person from the way he stood prominently from the rest.

"I bet vogue over there understands."

"Please," the figure spoke up. "I don't need to waste any more air for petty conversations."

"Way to break a guy's heart, Lewentos."

The figure scoffed as he took the hood off his head, revealing his defined features, a high forehead, strong brow and chiseled jaw with a brown pallet of hair, a tinge of orange that highlighted the edges of his braids from the top, down to his beard.

He had the coloration of a tanned man but the skin shimmered like metal. There were openings that lined his facial structure, one of them being lined from his eye to the top of his temple with a blue hue that pulsated in the gaps.

"You may be the ultimate display of human potential, but your mortality is what makes you weak."

"What can I say? I've got a soft heart."

"That tomfoolery won't save you here, John. This perfect plan was to seclude you from any aid and remove you from the canvas."

At this phrase, the tendrils began to weigh down on the ground, lifting a heavier object from the ground.

What rose was an enormous tree!

Its trunk could easily be as wide as the central ward. It could even be as high as the mountains, maybe even taller. The branches rose high above them and stretched over the group. The tips and twigs reached the clouds in the sky, grasping at it.

John would have mistaken it for a Cosmic Tree but its deformed appearance made it seem otherwise. The gaps in the wood spewed out a black liquid and fumes of dark smoke filled the air around it.

The four lords seemed unaffected by the miasma but to a mortal, that's a fatal dose of the infection. Even the dying leaves that fall to the ground were corrosive. As they fall about on the pavement and buildings, they ate away the matter that held them together, leaving a grotesque scent behind which indicated that they carried the same air as the fumes.

John recalled them being called "Blighted Saplings." They were the major contributors in spreading the infection on a global scale. Having one of them mature to this stage would mean that the world itself was already lost.

John then stopped from his spot in the sky and his expression changed.

"I did say this was a good plan," he spoke in a deeper and more serious tone. "But I didn't say it was perfect."

Lewentos, the one known as pride, was a bit aggravated by his statement.

"There are three flaws to this plan," John raised his fingers up to follow with his explanation.

"Oh?" He smiled gleefully, willing to hear what John had to say.

"One," John continued. "You underestimate the potential of humanity."

As he puts a finger down, an overwhelming feeling encapsulated the area around them. It was like the gravity around them had shifted.

"Two," John placed another finger down. "You revealed yourself in the presence of your enemy, eliminated the element of surprise."

The atmosphere became dense like they were moving around in Jelly, almost too difficult to breath for a normal human to withstand.

Lewentos frantically searched the area for the reason behind the change in pressure, although he already knew the answer was right in front of him. He had to make sure.

"Three," the pressure grew immensely.

Lewentos' greatest fear was realized as he traced the source of the pressure to John, who was emitting his withheld essence outwards.

The amount he has accumulated through his hours, days, even years of training is now prominent as he stood before the very targets that he had been searching for all this time.

He puts his thumb on his chest and had a large grin on his face. His eyes were now a glowing mix of white and silver with a trace of gold seething from the edges.

"You made me the target!"

~

"Oh, willful child," a soft and calming voice spoke to the unconscious Allen. "Whose heart yearns for what lies beyond thine grasp, awaken. For your journey has yet to begin."

A soft hand caresses his face though he could not see the person doing so. He could not see anything.

"Awaken young one."

However, he felt that this person was familiar in a way he did not understand, like this was not the first time they had spoken.

"Awaken." The voice was now fading away. Allen wanted to speak more to it, to unlock the mystery behind that voice.

"Awaken." He reached out to the void, trying to grasp at the euphonious call. He could now make out a figure in the distance that continued to move further away from him. Her voice echoed as she called.

"Wake up," the voice was then replaced with a deeper, much stern voice.

Allen rushed up, dazed.

"We need to move."

Allen was startled for a second as his hand continued to reach out in the air.

It was dark but the headlights of the vehicles that were dragged down with him lit the cramped area. It seemed like a cavern with solid concrete pillars. Though the ceiling was low, the walkway was wide enough to fit multiple transportation vehicles.

A forklift was toppled on the side and boxes were scattered about.

Allen had a little trauma with boxes now that he had experienced with rats, so he kept his distance.

"Don't worry," the person who woke him up assured their safety. "There's no one down here but us."

There was a sudden rumble that shook the ceiling above him.

"Hurry, there is no time."

The person stood in place and began to walk about, ensuring that everyone is okay.

"What happened?" Allen wanted to get up but there was a lingering pain at the back of his head. He moved his hand to where his eyes could see and saw no trace of blood.

"A Blighted Sapling appeared," the man answered in the same stern tone.

"A blighted sapling?!" One of the soldiers that were present yelled. His voice carried a sense of worry. "An entity that was labeled a Global Level of Threat."

"Yes, that tree." The man seemed unconcerned. It was difficult to make out any expression through the helmet.

Upon further inspection, Allen found that there were less people present, maybe more than half were missing.

"What happened to everyone else," Allen asked in concern.

"Either buried under rubble or didn't make it through the hole."

"Hole?" As Allen said this, he looked up and saw a massive hole right above him. It looked like the surrounding foundation was about to crumble away at any moment but there seemed to be more of the tendrils that locked it in place.

It was at this instance Allen heard a large crack above him. The ceiling was about to give in on top a citizen who was unaware of the danger.

Allen was about to rush to push the person away but the man with the helmet stood above the citizen and took the brunt of it.

"Like I said." Undeterred by the situation, he brushed off the dust on his bare skin. "We need to move."

All of the people present shook their heads in agreement. Allen couldn't help but join after what he saw.

They began walking with the man leading the way.

Allen observed that the man was unscathed despite being dragged down the earth and took a full hit from the ceiling. Even his walk felt like it carried a lot of weight that Allen did not understand, almost similar to John's.

"It's great that one of the esteemed Thiadigm is in our presence." One citizen walked up next to the man, who was prominently shorter than the individual he was complimenting. He carried a smile that Allen saw every once in a while.

"There are more," the Thiadigm disregarded the man and continued to scan their surroundings. "They are scouting ahead to make sure there aren't more of those infected."

"I'm sure that you can handle it sir..."

"Just shut up and continue walking, else something ahead might take a bite of you first."

That person's smile stiffened and his pace shortened to fall in line with everyone else.

With a closer look, Allen was able to make out the armor that protected his limbs. They didn't have a glossy shine and seemed to be battle scarred. Some of the scars were fresh and the others have become a blend into the metal.

What stood out was the untouched torso. From the back, Allen noticed that there were tattoos. He did not understand what they were but it looked as though they had a tribal design with various images that (seemed to hold significant meaning behind it. The visual imagery emotes curiosity and hidden fascination. The markings depicted a warrior, steadfast against a goliath. His eyes w etched proportioned throughout. One of them being a serpent like creature that rose out of what looked like waves. It was like he was reading out of a picture book.

"Curious?" The thiadigm had noticed Allen's gaze.

Allen stiffened as he spoke, "N-no! I mean, Yes?" He was worried about being disregarded like the citizen before him.

"A Thiadigm's life is etched on their bodies. Their exploits are fully displayed on the tattoos you see here." He pointed to the specific spot Allen was inspecting.

"You've fought against that?"

"The Sea Serpent was a cunning foe who used the ocean as its fighting ground. It would be impossible to face a creature under normal terms."

"How'd you defeat it?"

"I used the ship as a way to block it from escaping to the depths. They usually take a large leap into the air when they escape, using the momentum to dive. Though it left a huge hole, the compensation was taken care of with the bounty."

Allen was in awe as he continued to examine the exploits that were marked on his body.

"That's amazing!"

"Not as amazing as your brothers'." The thiadigm chuckled a bit.

It was rare for the others to see this as they stared dumbstruck by the sudden show of emotion. To them, a Thiadigm was a machine only bred to fight even the most incomprehensible foes. Allen, without this knowledge, pressed the conversation.

"You know about John?"

"Who wouldn't?"

Allen thought it made sense considering John is well known in the cosmos.

"Even as a Thiadigm, he was the most prominent figures out there."

"John was a Thiadigm?"

"He was more than what we could ever be." The thiadigm looked up unto the ceiling which continued to rumble. Even with the helmet, Allen could tell that John left a strong impression on them.

"What was he like?" The initial citizen from before spoke in.

The thiadigm gave a glance back before continuing. "Haughty, impulsive and all around unprofessional to the point that his actions were inefficient to the mission."

Allen chuckled a little. "That sounds just like him."

"Despite that, he carries out the mission to completion even if it risked breaking his own vessel."

~

The lord of Gluttony, hungry for a battle, immediately charged forth at John.

"You fool!" Lewentos called out.

John deftly dodged the attack, rising higher into the air. The blight lord, unable to control his momentum, crashed into the building ahead. It rumbled the entirety of the streets as it left a large crater in its wreck. The impact itself was enough to collapse the roof from a couple stories below.

"Quite impulsive as always, Porcus," John taunted the beast.

Gluttony rose from the rubble with eyes filled with rage.

"I swear that when I have you in my grasp, you'd never escape!" The blight lord roared from the building, which was now half of what it was.

"That's if you can catch me," John continued his taunt as he fluttered about in the air.

As the blight lord was readying for another assault, a root from the Blighted Sapling tightly wrapped his leg, impeding his movement.

"Halt yourself, Gluttony." Lewentos commanded the raving lord. "He's getting into your head. You mustn't let him do you in like that. That's his strongest point."

"Really?" John was now stroking his goatee. "I thought it was my prominent features."

Midstroke, John heard something at the back of his head.

"Then you won't mind if I take a piece for myself?"

John's sense alerted him of an oncoming attack. He moved out of the trajectory of an arrow made out of white flames. He then reached out for it and grasped at its energy, deflecting it back to its source.

The arrow furiously blazed towards its target until it stopped close to the sender's face. The lady of lust stood in place without a worry as the flaming arrow was mere centimeters from her face.

John then noticed as the fox gently raised her hand up to her face. Her fingers touched the tips of her pursed lips that then blew the blazing arrow away as a slight grin directed its way to him.

John was intrigued by this gesture but could not keep his attention as the woman began to furl her tails. They stretched far out as they created rings that surrounded her being. From those rings, a multitude of arrows shot towards his direction.

John instantly took flight, making sharp turns to dodge the oncoming attacks.

However, the arrows began to hone in on him as they too changed their trajectory, following John's tracks.

He tried to outmaneuver them but they relentlessly kept chase as the numbers continued to increase.

The fox stood firmly in place as she launched continuously at John.

"Give in, Hero of Eons, and allow me to partake." The voice at the back of his head stated.

Gluttony began to be restless. He itched for a piece of John but he couldn't move from his spot since the root was firmly wrapped on his leg but he thought of a way.

He took the two large axes that were hooked on his back and raised one in the air. The other axe touched the root that was holding on to his left leg. The axe that touched the root began to hum as it siphoned energy from the Blighted Sapling.

He then slashed at the air, seemingly doing nothing until dark matter in the form of a hack began to fly in John's direction.

John noticed that and greatly increased his speed in order to dodge both the unrelenting arrows and dark slashes.

As this was happening, Lewentos sat upon a makeshift throne of branch and root, surveying the battle before him. He seemed to be composed as he comfortably sat reclined with his legs crossed and his arm supporting his head.

Next to him was the snake-fellow, Snaigheim. He hunched over enough not to reach the sitting height of Lewentos showing vulnerability towards the lord of Pride.

"W-we need to finish this q-quickly," he whispered. "Or we might run out of time."

"I know that," Pride growled. "But he's keeping a safe distance away from us, using the sky as his advantage."

"M-might I suggest th-the Blighted Sapling to do the g-grounding?"

"Not when these two idiots are siphoning power from it."

"M-meaning?"

Lewentos sighed in annoyance. "The Blighted Sapling was supposed to begin draining energy from this wretched place but they are using it, wasting precious resources. I can't believe you don't understand the basics of the Blight."

"M-my apologies, mi-lord."

Lewentos lets out another sigh before speaking again. "Send in the birds."

"A-as you wish." The Blight Lord retreated under the roots of the tree, disapearing into the shadows.

Porcus grew tired of staying in place so he hacked at the root below him effortlessly and leaped from his spot in the path John was heading.

In an instant, he met John face to face.

John was now stuck in between a Blight Lord from the front and a multitude of blazing arrows from the back. Immediately, he found an opportunity.

John released a bright light at Porcus that was harmless to someone of his level but his biology was still weak. The lord of gluttony was blinded.

Gluttony slashed furiously at the air, unsure at which angle was John was going to attack next. John went straght for his attack and grabbed one of his arms, throwing the beast to his back in the path of the flaming arrows. Using him as a shield, John intensely rushed at Lady lust smashing the two into one another through the roots.

He then retreated back into the air, far enough that he felt he was safe from harm. He didn't know what the Lord of Pride was going to do and he lost sight of the snakey one so he didn't want to continue the attack just yet.

"Damnit woman!" The boar roared on top of the fox. "Your arrows got in the way of my attack!"

"If anyone is getting in the way, that would be you!" The fox retaliated as she shoved the heavy beast off of her.

"Must you two bicker every time we come together?" Lewentose scolded the two. "Let alone Porcus, I expected better from you lust."

"Hey! I heard you! I told you not to call me tha-"

"Maybe if you can give a hand, then it wouldn't have ended up like this."

John snickered as he watched the three lords argue with one another. "Ya'll must be real close, huh?"

"You must be blind if that is what you assume," Gluttony spoke out.

"I've got 20-20 vision. I even got the certificate to prove it."

The lord of gluttony clicked his tongue. "We need to find a way to get him down from there."

"Now, you're talking strategy," Lust pointed out.

"Silence, wench!"

"I've got that handled." The lord of Pride finally made his move.

Raising his hands into the air, the Blighted Sapling beckoned to his command. "This is how you use your resources wisely."

The tree trembled and creaked. Its branches began to twist and turn as they coiled together. They formed into sharp tips that pointed downwards.

Another noise resonated from the distance. Loud screeching and crying were coming closer and fast!

More of those tendrilled birds arrived at the scene, following them was a horde of giants that were slowly making their way through the buildings, toppling them in their path.

"What are you doing?!" The lord of gluttony protested. "If you bring them here, then the High Chief would notice we're here!"

"We'll finish this before they arrive."

The branches began to thunder down on top of John, who swiftly zig zagged out of its way. They tore the ground under as they burrowed deeply into the pavement. The swarm of birds were positioned in the gaps of the attack, impending John's safe space.

John had to blow away at the birds that were strategically placed in places that they knew he would pop up. When he finished one, the branches that had been grounded shot a spear of infected ooze in his direction. When he dodged the attack, the ooze hit one of the birds targeting him.

"That ain't fair!" John cried. "Using expendables to do your dirty work ain't fair!"

"All's fair in war, my dear." The voice again spoke in his mind, almost paralyzing him in place. John broke free from the paralysis in time to dodge another spew from the branch.

"It's rude to enter places you're not allowed to, milady," John rubbed his temples as he spoke to Lust.

He then noticed a large beast rising on a branch that's pulling from the ground, ready to pounce at him. "How bout full assaults?"

John managed to dodge the attack and moved further from the onslaught. His path was again blocked by a giant that slapped him midair. John careened down to the ground and crashed on the pavement, leaving a trail.

John coughed a little before getting back up. "I believe that's illegal in a domestic domain."

He was about to pat the dust off his rear until a sudden rumbling was resonating below. John's eyes widened as his suspicion came into fruition. A great number of tendrils rose from the earth and thundered down on him.

He was completely surrounded. What's worse is that there was a vine wrapping his leg, locking him in place.

"Shi-"

~

"John was a man of honor. He stood on his words as if they were his very life." The thiadigm began talking about John's personality.

"He was a man of courage, who would be the first to walk in death's own door to greet what lies ahead of him." The thiadigm looked to the complexed Allen, who had only known John as a nescience.

"He was a man of self-sacrifice, who would lay down his life even if it risked breaking his very being. Even now he is doing that."

Allen was shocked to hear this. "What do you mean by that?"

"..." The thiadigm remained silent, horrified at the answer.

"Tell me!" Allen demanded.

The others behind him were now shaking as they watched this young man speaking to the thiadigm in such a tone. In most cases, Thiadigm were known to beat down anyone other than the High Chief that spoke down on them but he remained silent.

Allen then frantically stood in front of the Thiadigm's way. His face was now out of desperation, pleading for an answer. He looked deep into the helmet of the Thiadigm with eyes of worry for what might happen to his brother.

"Please," he begged.

The thiadigm stood, looking down at the boy before him. This person does not know the slightest thing about John and now has the audacity to worry about him. This person who looked eye to eye to a Thiadigm and never backed down, despite understanding the difference in ability. This person who was the spitting image of his older brother.

The thiadigm sighed in grief, before unlatching his helm from the back of his neck and removed the piece, revealing what was underneath. Thiadigm were the machines that were built to become one-man armies. They were instruments of death and destruction. They were known to be so focused on the task ahead that during a mission, they never take their helmets off.

They never sleep. They never eat. They never want to converse until the mission was over or until their life was to come to an end.

The thiadigm had countless scars that covered the entirety of his face, even spanning to the back of his shaved head. He had an ear that was missing and the other was cut at the ridge. His facial structure was strong, indicating that he could've been a handsome man before the deformities. However, it was his eyes that stood out.

They were a milky white as if he was blind. In it, you could see the countless of tragedies that he had experience. The pain, the suffering, the guilt, and the trauma were all there. The most prominent of these was the pain, for the words that came out of his mouth told Allen something about john that he had wished he had never heard.

"If this keeps up, if we don't find a way out soon to aid your brother, he will die."

Allen's heart dropped. His eyes broke contact and went straight to the ground. He felt that his legs were about to give and his arms became numb.

This whole time he had looked up to his brother to always be there, to always be able to overcome anything that stand in his way. Now, he felt that his brother was now on the edge of a cliff, barely holding himself together.

The Thiadigm knew this was to happen as expected. Using the Ul'manau breaks the mortal restraints but it has its limits. The limits being the user. If their vessel was not strong enough to sustain the use of internal essence, then it is risked to break. It would take weeks, even months, to recover. However, shattering one's vessel is irreparable. At this rate, John is already at risk.

He wanted to comfort the young lad by patting him on the shoulder but Allen shot up from his trance. His eyes were brimming with determination that he had not seen in a long time. It almost made him smile.

"Then there's no need to stop." Allen's eyes were glowing with a shimmering glow, a hint of silver began to form at the edge of his iris.

~

John managed to escape in time, using a blade of light to cut him free. He must've been held on by the vine too tight for he felt something crack around his ankle. It would take a minute to heal normally but he can't focus on recovery right now.

With the continuous onslaught from the Blight, John struggled to find a clear path to safety. Lady Lust was causing him to see things that weren't there, illusions of branches or birds blocking his path, only to lure him in Gluttony's wrath.

Gluttony's axes seemed to have two abilities that he had analyzed. One was able to siphon energy from things it comes in contact to. The other had the ability to release the stored energy. John felt that there was more to it than that but he had no time to think as another coordinated blow from a branch smacked him through a building.

"That packs a punch," John grunted as he got up from his spot. When he got up, he felt a bit woozy and a migraine emanating at the back of his head.

"Give in, hero, or else what's dear to you will suffer your fate."

This ticked John. Lady Lust was invading his mind.

"Something? Nooooo." She giggled. "Maybe someone."

"I am so close," she whispered behind him. Instinctively, he swung his arm in the air without hitting anything. A maniacal laugh resonated in the room he was in. "Ooooh, I can almost see it. I can almost feel it. I can almost tou-"

Lady Lust, who was with the Blighted Sapling, was then hit with a massive blow inside her head, making her wail in pain. She was forced to her knees by the sudden backlash.

"Lust," Lewentos spoke up from his lofty throne that started to latch onto him. "What happened to John?"

"Show a little concern for me, will you." She snapped. "He's blocked my telepathy. I can't get into his mind anymore."

"Pity," he said calmy which irked Lust.

"I did find something though."

Lewentos turned an ear in interest.

"It seemed that there is someone dear to him, nearby."

"Ooh?" Lewentos ginned from one ear to the next. "Interesting."

"I-I have called them as you asked, My Liege." The voice spoke out of the shadows within the roots.

"Ah, Snaigheim." The lord of Pride gleefully called. "I have another task for you."

"W-whatever may please y-you." The snake bowed in obedience.

"I need you to find his weakness." Lewentos began. "Somebody that seemed to carry the same weight as John is possible in the area where we dragged those mortals."

"H-how are you s-sure that he hasn't died from impact?"

The lord of Pride gave a sharp glance towards the snake, who cowered under it.

When his eyes softened, he spoke again. "If it's his associate, I'm sure they won't die that easily."

"A-as you command," the snake retreated deeper into the dark.

It was then a large tremor shook the ground below, making even the Blighted Sapling tremble.

"It seems we hit a nerve," Lust smiled excitedly.

Pride who remained in his seat stood in anticipation for the oncoming attack.

"Just a little more time," he said softly as he gazed into the infinite, at something that they could yet see.

Lewentos then turned his attention to the source of the tremor. The air was again filled with the same pressure as before.

"I hope you are ready to face the consequences." A voice that spoke casually resounded around them.

"I am," Lewentos replied. "But are you?"

In an instant, John came face to face with the Blight Lord of Pride. Their eyes meeting as they stood in front of one another, locked in place. One was smiling gleefully at the enemy's presence and the other was smiling with a rage in their eyes that they had never displayed before.

John was now ready to push the attack.

~

"This way!" Allen directed.

The group had met up with the rest of the Thiadigm that confirmed there was no one else in the underground area. They also figured out that they were inside the service area next to the subway.

The service area was almost a labyrinth of doors and hallways that led into storage areas and maintenance shafts. Reaching for the wrong hall would have the average person lost until an employee was around to find them but if they could find the right path, they could find a quick way to the subway and then to the surface.

"Take a left here!"

"Are you sure you know the way?" One of the civilians asked out of concern.

"If you don't find a way out, we might as well be buried under here!" That one proactive civilian spoke in turn.

"I'm not! Head straight from here!"

"What?!" He replied reasonably.

"It's like a gut feeling."

They were sprinting down hallway after hallway that seemed to be never ending. It was understandable that the proactive civilian stopped in place and complained.

"You're saying that we're just going to aimlessly run down every hall till your 'gut-feeling' gets us out of here?! You even stopped to help other people," he pointed towards Gaver and the little girl who were found unconscious inside one of the Rhinos.

It seemed that when they were dragged down, the Rhino's protective layer was able to protect them from impact but something must have knocked them out during the fall. Gaver suffered an injury on his leg, probably trying to protect the little girl. Luckily, there were gurneys so they were able to carry the injured they find on the way with them.

"Wasting our time for what?!"

Allen stopped in place, clenching his fist. He was ready to punch the man but he resisted the urge. "If you have a better solution, then speak up."

The man hesitated to speak under Allen's glare. "I-I'd say we'd leave the people that can't continue behind and split up to find the exit. I'm sure covering more ground would be easier that way."

"That's true," one of the other civilians spoke up.

"Why are we even listening to this kid in the first place?" More complaints rose.

Allen was a bit dejected but he had no choice. He was right. They were at an intersection. The path they took was already determined to lead them nowhere. The only paths now are the three ahead of them.

Allen still had a feeling inside of him that led him straight ahead. He couldn't let that go but if he had to go alone then he would. He did not want to leave Gaver and the girl alone though.

In that moment, the thiadigm who had been with them the whole time walked towards Gaver and picked him up from the gurney, ensuring he did not move Gaver's to an unbearable extent.

"If you want to find your path, then go." He spoke. "I'll follow the lad."

He then gestured for Allen to pick the little girl up, which he understood immediately. They began walking down a path with the Thiadigm while the other's hesitated to follow.

Allen quietly led the way.

~

John's attacks were relentless.

The tree roared furiously as it moved at blinding speeds to impede John but it was futile.

Once John began his assault, there was no ending it. In the mere seconds of the battle, John gained the advantage. He had already eliminated the bigger threats in the area, leaving only a few behind to handle the Blighted Sapling. The birds were annihilated by John's onslaught and the Tree's thrashing.

Lewentos had to summon infected and blighted foes to face John.

They were able to surround him but at a lost as what to do next. It was a standstill.

John stood in a stance ready to take on anything that head his way. The tendrils that tried to rise from the ground were being pushed down by John's overwhelming pressure.

"It's like he doesn't have any openings," Gluttony said as he panted furiously. He gripped his axes tightly but his hands shook from taking John's hits head on. "Even the Sapling's roots can rise from the surface from his presence alone."

"That's the Hero of Eons for you," Lust commented.

"I told you it would be difficult to even get close to him." Lewentos observed John's condition. "But he can't keep this up forever."

"Yeah," John chimed in. "Can't you guys just go home for now? I feel like I need a bath."

"Still have the energy for nonsense?" Lewentos scoffed. "I bet you won't mind if we add a little more spice to the mix?"

The Lord of Pride raised his hand into the air. The tree, adhering to his command, dropped from its place, smashing onto the ground. Its roots started to bear down on the earth below, seemingly burrowing even deeper than before.

"I guess play time is over," John asked as his stance dropped lower.

"No," Lewentos replied. "Far from it."

As John was ready to launch another attack, the tree began to shake furiously as it started to enlarge. The trunk expanded to a great amount as its fumes vehemetly spewed from its orafacise.

John hadn't realized but they were under the Rift. The tree attached itself to the crack in reality and he felt its power growing exponentially.

"There is a, sort of, shortcut into maturing the Blighted Sapling." As he spoke the tree's liquid began to poor down from the Rift, as if it began raining down on the area. John wasn't affected by it or the miasma around him because of the aura that encompasses his body but this was starting to look bad.

"Borrowing from the source."

The tree's body was large enough to stretch the Rift in the sky. Reality began to crack all the way to the horizon. The clouds began to darken, completely blocking out all source of light. Only a little of the sun's rays could pass through the clouds.

"Now, tell me John Etruem, Hero of Eons, Prominent Thiadigm, and Collective of Humanity, what is you will do now?"

Black Lightening began to resonate, striking randomly. The sounds of more infected began to surround him as the wails and cries of the populace were drowned in the sounds of guttural roars. More of the Tendrilled Birds enveloped the sky above him, forming their own mass of clouds that circled the area.

The Blighted Tree's branches created more rifts as the branches broke through reality, reaching areas beyond the capitol. The roots now spanned outwards with its large wood breaking even the crust of the planet. It was now bearing fruits and within them were more of the Blighted, which were birthed on the spot.

The situation was now unsalvageable.

John did not care though. He did not pay attention to the hell that was awakening around him. He did not heed the words of the Blighted lords before him nor did he hear the sounds of the armies razing the planet.

He only focused on his heart beating. He could hear the sound of his breathing as he inhaled softly and exhaled thoroughly. He felt his body moving, from every organ working to his blood flowing. The black rain that dripped on the ground reminded him of his home, of the times when he was a child playing under the showers from the heavens. He remembered the laughter and joy he had felt those days. He remembered every face of the people he saved and the people he couldn't. He collected all of his experience into this moment.

The pressure he had been releasing was not only his immense power but the weight of his life. It was the pressure of being alive, to live through day by day doing everything he can in this mortal shell. It was the pressure of being who he is and what he stands for, his ideals that he carries and the will to push through.

He took another deep breath...

The rain stopped. No. The rain was halted. There was a barrier that covered the entirety of his surroundings and within that barrier he felt everything. He felt the gust of wind and the grass that were brushed by it. He felt the clouds pass idly by, uncaring of the events unfolding below. He felt even further beyond the barrier, beyond the planet itself. He felt one with the cosmos.

The thing that he also felt, the things he wanted to feel, was the beating hearts of the most important people in his life.

When he opened his eyes, they've become illuminated with a white light and at its center was a silver glow. His breath, even when it wasn't cold enough to, was visible. The aura around him started to leak from his skin and his armor seemed to look as if they were forged by the Celestials themselves, giving off a shimmer of power.

"I will go Beyond The Limit," he said calmly.