Chapter 7: The Dead man and the Little girl.
South Sector, Mortal Lands.
Rectangular buildings crowded the barren wasteland, shoulder to shoulder. There was just enough space between them for people to walk through—and walk they did, as night settled in.
That's why it didn't go unnoticed.
CRACK! ...WHOOSH!
A man the size of a bull came crashing down from the sky.
THUD!
AHH! what the-!
A crater bloomed in the street, throwing up a storm of dust that blinded half the onlookers.
People scattered—some fleeing, others running toward the impact, coughing through the haze.
And then they saw it.
GASP!
The man was unconscious, but that wasn't what shocked them.
It was the imprint of a fist—perfectly shaped, deeply plastered into his chest.
'Hmm.'
In the crowd, a small figure watched calmly.
A girl, no older than seven, cloaked and still, looked up at the broken sky from where the man had fallen.
Near the wall... she thought, narrowing her eyes.
And then—Carla vanished.
As if she'd never been there.
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Near the wall, a large Chapel-like building groaned under the weight of chaos. Its wooden roof had been blasted through, debris littering the interior.
And at the center of it all stood Mirus wearing a rag around his waist.
"All you babies... trying to fight an old man—"
He paused, narrowly dodging a fist the size of a small table.
"Hmm. Should I say young man now?"
The massive brawler who'd swung at him snarled.
"DIE!"
His enormous hands came crashing down.
'Body of Sand.'
Mirus's body crumbled—shifting into golden dust mid-motion and scattering before the attack could land.
"What the hell?!" the man gasped—just as a voice whispered above him.
'Body of Steel.'
He looked up—too late.
CRACK!THUD!
A metallic fist crashed down on his skull, driving him into the ground like a nail.
step.
The rest of the gang—men and women who had rallied to fight—froze.
Fear rippled through the room.
"W-Why are you all stopping?!" A mortal man behind the group spoke. "We can't die, remember? If we do, we just reincarnate..."
But his trembling legs betrayed his words.
"But the pain is real," a mortal girl muttered, stepping back.
"Yeah," said another, a mortal boy. "We don't even know how many times we can die before we go mad."
"What?! We're loyal subjects of Sir Cynthia! We won't—"
WHOOSH!
A gust of wind shut him up.
Mirus now towered over him—his metal skin gleaming faintly in the moonlight.
"Cynthia... Where is she?" Mirus asked coldly.
"I—I don't know...where S-Sir is..." the man stammered.
The rest were already backing away.
Mirus raised his hand. His fist morphed—metal folding inward, twisting—until it became a blade. aimed at the man's throat.
GULP.
But Mirus didn't strike.
He looked up. His expression shifted.
A beat of silence—
SREEECH!
Metal clashed with metal.
'Slow eyes.'
Mirus's vision sharpened—his perception accelerated as time seemed to slow down around him.
He saw her now.
A little girl, her feet transformed into copper blades, collided with him in a blur.
'A resonator.'
His eyes widened briefly.
Then narrowed.
'She might know where Young Master is.'
Both fighters were forced apart—landing in mirrored stances across the broken hall.
Carla's eyes widened as she looked at him clearly.
'The dead servant of the dog...'
'Did he go mad after just one reincarnation?...he seems to have abilities too.' she thought her brown eyes curious.
Purple light flickered in Mirus's gray eyes.
His voice dropped, cold and firm.
"Hey, old hag... Where is Young Master?"
Silence.
Carla's eyes clouded over.
"Are you with the group that chased us here?" he asked again.
"..."
"Seems like you really have gone mad." she mumbled.
Then she vanished—leaving behind trails of blue sparks.
WOOOSH!!
Mirus saw it coming—just barely.
A copper scythe slicing through the air toward his neck.
No time to dodge.
But there was no need to.
'Body of Steel.'
CRACK! THUD!
He flew to the side—crashing into another room.
"Powerful," he muttered, staggering to his feet.
His neck burned.
Numb.
blue Sparks still danced on his skin.
'Electric current from the copper...'
He looked around.
A dormitory. Beds lined the walls.
Each one held two identical bodies, lying side by side under rags.
Just like when he woke up.
'What... is this place?'
Behind the broken wall, Carla's voice echoed:
"By 'Young Master'... you mean the small dog-"
WHING!
A boomerang blade cut her off as it slashed across her field of vision.
"Shit!"
She dodged—but not fast enough. A red gash split across her ribs.
Through the crumbled wall, she saw Mirus—gray eyes narrowed into sharp blades.
Like his arms.
"You. Are. Dead." he spoke with cold certainty.
And then—he vanished.
Into sand.
Carla's grin cracked wide.
"Oops. Seems I poked the bear."
WHOOSH!
She vanished too.
They met midair in a burst of color—scythe and blade clashing, red and blue light flashing across the sky.
Each strike faster than the last.
Suddenly, Carla appeared behind Mirus—kicking him upward.
He rocketed through the broken roof.
She followed—her scythe glowing with electric charge.
"Charge Blast!"
"Body of Wood!"
BOOOOM!!
A blast of searing blue light split the night, launching Mirus over the wall and into the sands beyond.
Flames licked at his wooden limbs.
'Body of Water.'
His arm turned into water pouring over him.
Steam hissed as Mirus extinguished the blaze.
Then—
"MIRUS!!"
A Familiar voice reached his Ears.
His eyes widened.
'Young Master!'
He turned, saw the familiar four-legged figure sprinting toward him—fur bristled, eyes alert.
"YOUNG MASTER!!"
Mirus immediately reverted to his normal self, standing and bowing deeply as Rocky reached him.
Step...step.
But no reply came.
Rocky had stopped.
Frozen.
'What...'
Behind Rocky, a man was sprinting toward them.
'Cynthia.'
Mirus tensed—about to transform again when Rocky whispered.
"Mirus... What is that blue ball flying toward us?"
He turned to the air—eyes locking on Carla.
She was in the air, wrapped in electric light.
Racing toward them.
"Body of Steel. Body of Rubber."
He slammed his body between Rocky and the impact.
In air, Carla saw Cynthia near her target.
Her eyes narrowed.
She faltered.
BOOM! WHOOSH!
'Shit!' Carla cursed as they all flew away from the wall.
The blast flung all four of them...but then they hit a invisible wall...a barrier.
WLOOP.
They sunk into it as it swallowed them.
Then they vanished.
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"Ugh... Where am I?" Rocky groaned, struggling to his feet.
His leg was bleeding.
"...Young Master...." a voice groaned to his side.
Mirus was nearby—immobile. Carla and Cynthia were also stirring.
But Rocky wasn't looking at them.
He was staring ahead.
Eyes wide.
A Deep fissure split the world before him.
Sky and land torn open—edges scorched, colors warping, reality bending inward.
And in its heart:
...lay Endless darkness.
The Terrifying, yet Beautiful scenery froze in his pupils.
"What the hell is this place?!"
His voice echoed deep into the night.
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