(Frauw – Occupation: Lit) (Amos)

  Thirty minutes before Ship’s interaction with Zero, everyone gathers in the kitchen for dinner. All are talkative except for Ship and Amos, who blow on their curry.

  Sara shakes her head. “I still can’t believe RoT backstabbed Lit like that.”

  John removes the newspaper from her hands. The paper is still warm from the printer. “We’ll be safe as long as we stay neutral.”

  Christ is the first to finish his plate as he hops off his chair. “Now the only question is whether Fools or RoT will take control of this surrounding area.” Christ hands the plate and spoon to Hypno, who does the dishes.

  Marisa tilts her head. “Why don’t you guys take control?”

  Xander lowers his spoon into the bowl. “Because it’ll just put a bigger target on our backs. Ideally, we want to remain unranked.”

  Sara sighs. “Either way, we’ll all be just fine.”

  Carp nudges Sara’s arm. “Are you sure?”

  Sara grins as she gazes into the youngling's eyes. Reaching out, she rubs his head. “Of course. If something happens, you have your brothers here to protect you.” Getting closer, she whispers, “And if they fail, you’ve still got big sis Sara.”

  Carp’s cheeks turn red as Smokey pulls him in. “Ay, don’t steal my little brother from me now.”

  “When he turns eighteen, I'm gonna marry him.”

  The whole room erupts in “AY”s and “NO”s.

  Marisa’s face changes as if she just soaked her socks in warm water. “That's pretty predatory.”

  “Gross…” Hypno adds.

  “That just gave me chills,” Xander says, shaking his head.

  Sara raises her hands. “It’s a joke!”

  Carp turns to his brother. “She scares me…” he says, burying his face in Smokey’s chest.

  Sara frowns. “Oh, come on…”

  “Hey, asshole.”

  Carp lifts his head from Smokey’s chest to see Christ pointing at him across the table. “She is mine, so stay away from her.”

  Carp’s face changes as if he just ate a lime.

  Christ tries to speak again before being interrupted by a knock at the door.

  Everyone turns to the entrance.

  Vodka stands as he approaches the door, looking through the peephole. “What the…”

  He opens the door as a panicked General Copper rushes past Vodka before tripping onto his knees. Heavy breathing leaves him silent.

  Xander slowly stands and makes his way to Copper.

  Amos’s eyes widen as all he wants is…

  Christ, Vodka, and ship surround Amos. Ignoring them, Amos tries to shove past Christ, who hugs him from behind. “Don’t! Please, let's hear him out.”

  His eyes pulse as if they want to pop from their sockets. His head throbs, and his body itches.

  Kill him.

  “What is it, Copper?” Xander asks.

  Copper bows to all, forehead on the rough oak flooring. “PLEASE HELP! I don’t know what to do…”

  Xander stares back at his clan before turning to Copper. “Help with what?”

  “I tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t listen,” Copper mumbles.

  Before Xander can speak, he’s interrupted.

  “It’s Zero!” Copper raises his gaze. “He attacked Ruto and many RoT members two days ago.”

  Amos’s eyes widen at Copper’s words—it’s hard to digest.

  “I wasn’t there, but since that fight, Ruto has been on a warpath since.”

  John stumbles back. “Zero would never…”

  Hypno smacks the table. “He would; stop pretending he wouldn’t.”

  “I made a massive mistake letting him go,” Xander reflects.

  Christ shakes his head. “No, you didn’t. He chose this path.”

  Sara cracks her knuckles. “Where is he?”

  The gaze shifts from Xander to Sara. “The report said to wait outside the trenches of Flakenwell. Nothing about a push was mentioned, so I can only guess Zero is handling it himself.”

  “That’s impossible for him to do alone,” Vodka says. “Having a friend watch your back makes sense, but taking on a whole company by himself… that’s suicide.”

  Copper shakes his head. “I would have thought that too. But Zero fought many men under Feef’s command and won.”

  Ship rushes past Copper and out the door.

  “SHIP!” Xander yells. “Shit, we have to go after him!”

  As Ship takes a turn, he speeds away recklessly.

  Amos stands. “I'll gear up.” As he turns toward the hall, Christ pulls back.

  “You're staying,” Christ says.

  “Why?!” Amos grabs the table.

  Kill him…

  “Because you're still not alright,” Christ points out.

  The whole table cracks under Amos’s grip. “No one in this God-forsaken clan is! EVERYTHING IS FUCKED!”

  Christ leans in close to Amos. “Lower your tone, lil’ bro.” They exchange fierce glares. The room shivers as a cold aura radiates around them.

  “It’s fine, Christ. Amos can come with us,” Vodka says.

  Christ turns around. “What?”

  Vodka shakes his head. “Zero seems hell-bent right now, especially with all the crazy talk he spewed days ago. He’d kill hundreds just to prove some dumb point. If anyone can talk him down, it’s Amos. I hope we can reach him before it’s too late.”

  Christ turns his back to Amos and walks into the hallway without a word.

  “Amos!” Sara says, her hand on her chest. “Christ only cares. Please don’t take it personally.”

  Amos shakes his head, not responding. “Thanks, Vo—”

  Vodka snaps his fingers in front of Amos’s face, forcing him to meet his gaze. “But I have two conditions.” He lifts a finger. “Do not prioritise revenge over your family. We are your number one priority to keep safe.” Raising a second finger, he maintains eye contact. “If we can’t convince him, be ready to kill him. I would, but you bear a bit more responsibility than we do.”

  The room goes silent for a minute before John finally speaks. “You can’t kill him; he is our friend, our clanmate, our family.” John moves in closer. “Are we really going to believe this guy, just like that?”

  “That guy you're talking about is General Copper. He was a lieutenant when Christ and I were in charge of the Men Of The Cloth company. I trust Copper more than anyone outside of this clan.”

  John lowers his head. “But…”

  Xander rubs his head. “John, listen, I don’t want that either; thinking about killing him makes me nauseous. But his concerns about the rest of us lead us deeper into a hole.”

  “Explain?” John asks.

  Xander sighs before turning into the living room and grabbing a stack of papers. “This is what I've been dealing with for the past few weeks.” Dropping the stack of papers on the table, they spread out. Documents with sketches of all members in WAL and below them a set amount of money. “Bounties. Six protected small clans have set bounties worth hundreds of millions on our heads. And I can’t do anything about it because the small clans are protected by all the big five clans.”

  Copper shakes his head. “RoT is pretty divided about the bounty they set on you and Christ.”

  “Still… and with Zero, it’s just going to get worse. Everyone under my leadership is my main concern.”

  John shakes his head as he passes everyone to Amos. Joining hands, he locks eyes. “Even if it is true. Please, Amos… Bring him home.”

  Amos is speechless as this is the first time John has ever depended on him, and now he is sure of himself. “I'll do my…”

  Best…

  (Flakenwell – Occupation: Lit/RoT) (Zero)

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  Zero reaches for the mixed brew before popping the cork and downing it.

  His arm and muscle seal into shape as the wound is no longer exposed. “Leave me be… None of this concerns you.” Zero stumbles back to his feet.

  Ship keeps his usual indifferent look. “Mom wouldn’t like what you are doing.”

  Zero’s eyes widen, strained and hot. “You don’t know what my mom would have liked!” Zero chops the air with his arm while smashing the mixed brew on the ground.

  “‘My mom’?” Ship’s face turns puzzled. “She was my mom too. Stop acting like we aren't family. Ignoring me and hating Dad is one thing…” Ship opens his arms to the area. “But this has gone far enough.”

  “Don’t hit me with that family crap. I always hated you, and the more you pursue me, the more it irritates the fuck out of me! You should have never come into this clan!”

  “Duke, I…” Ship says before getting cut off.

  “DON’T FUCKING CALL ME DUKE!”

  Ship steps toward Zero. “No, Duke, this is just me and you now! No more running, no more denying me, and you are going to hear me out!”

  Kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him, kill him!

  “SHUT UP!”

  “NO, DUKE! I’M GOING TO TALK TO YOU, EVEN IF I BREAK EVERY SINGLE BONE IN YOUR BODY!”

  “I SAID SHUT UP!” Zero leaps at Ship with no weapon, just a fist full of fire.

  Ship dodges the attack swiftly before blocking a roundhouse to the head with his palm. The impact on the gauntlets stings his hands as Zero’s leg slams against Ship's palms again. Grabbing his leg, Ship lifts Zero off the ground and, with a spin, chucks him.

  Zero adjusts his body mid-air before landing on his first foot, regaining his balance in a single spin while his dark boots dig into the ground.

  Ship slips his half-talisman mask back on as they stare each other down.

  Zero grinds his teeth, growing increasingly frustrated. Fine, if he has to destroy the eighteenth parallel, he will. They have most likely retreated that far. But there are still… Zero scans down the trench.

  BOOM! The Lit cannon squads continue to fire heavy metal.

  They have a vast gap here; their command is eliminated, yet they are… Ah, he gets it. Word has spread, so they are trying to appear like a thousand men when there are only a hundred—for sure suicide—to buy the eighteenth parallel time to form.

  “You truly don’t see me as a threat, do you…” Ship says as his Sword of the Gods materializes. “Those wandering eyes are plotting your next moves after me. Duke… How low do you think of me?”

  Zero’s eyes widen. To kill his… With how many people he has already killed, the thought of killing his own never crossed his mind.

  Dreading is futile; remember why you are here.

  Zero's focus sharpens. Humans are half good and half evil… Evil has an eye for others.

  Ship’s gaze lifts. “Duke… please.”

  Zero remains silent; talking is just a waste of air now. His warhammer appears, the handle sliding down his palm, stopping at the tip. On the other hand, the ring vanishes and reappears on his free one. Lifting his hand, crystal shards form around him before he releases them. He vanishes from Ship's sight, reappearing a few feet away, warhammer coming down.

  Ship slides his foot back, narrowly dodging the strike. Leaping back, he barely avoids the crystal shards without activating his Syndesis. Before Ship lands, Zero is already on him.

  Their metals clash as they flash from the trees to the trenches and soon closer to the Flakenwell city walls. Chains spring from the ground, forcing Zero farther up against the wall.

  A four-meter-tall limestone wall. He kicks off it into a roll and digs his dark boots an inch into the dirt before leaping toward Ship. Seven clashes occur before their weapons begin to spark. Backing into a flip, Zero casts a tier-three Fire Comet. The area around them lights up as the fire comet emits a blinding light.

  Ship’s shadow along the large boulder fades as a new shadow forms beneath him. Activating his magic-protection syndesis, Ship hops onto the boulder and leaps through the flames. Their clash creates a small shock wave that extinguishes most of the flames around them.

  Chains rush for Zero, but he dodges and speeds past them, though it's difficult as many come in fast. He notices a Mystic Flash spell forming in a pool of black sludge beneath Ship’s feet. It would be bad if he gets caught in it, as it could blind him for a few seconds unless he interrupts the spell. Crystal shards form around Zero as he releases them.

  The fast chains block most of the shards, but the few that get through are stopped by Mud Walls. Zero leaps nearly thirty meters high and casts a tier-three Fire Bolt downward at his brother. Once again, the chains protect Ship as the explosion erupts ten meters high. Through the flames, he kicks off and slides past the chains, breaking his fall ten yards from the latter.

  In a leap, Ship clashes his blade with Zero’s warhammer. However, using enough force and Zero’s momentum against him, Ship kicks Zero back, not noticing the twenty crystal shards around him until it’s too late—unless he removes both feet from the ground. He barely escapes injury, but he can’t finish his spell, causing it to fade.

  It’s so bright that it takes a few seconds for his vision to clear. But by then, Zero is nowhere to be seen.

  Zero flashes behind Ship, swinging his hammer down.

  Ship attempts to block with his sword but is an inch short as the base of the warhammer breaks his left shoulder, sending him flying onto a road and into a large hut, cutting himself on his own blade upon impact. Ship lifts himself with his left arm, unaware that his shoulder is— A crack sends a wave of stiff pain throughout his body. His eyes jerk, nearly closing if not for his instant gaze upon the area where he was just a fraction of a second ago.

  The two brothers lock eyes before a flash occurs between them again. Covering hundreds of yards in seconds to the city walls, Zero is slammed against the wall, and with vibrations moving through his feet, he walks horizontally along the wall, dodging tier-four Earth Bolt spells as if they’re nothing.

  Ship slams his blade against the wall, blasting bricks in all directions.

  Parrying Ship’s attacks, Zero is forced to fight vertically once again. Moving to the top of the wall at incredible speeds, anger builds as he wastes time here. Zero smashes his warhammer on the ground, causing cracks to extend in a hundred-yard radius with nerve-numbing vibrations. All fast movements cease when a single chain snags his ankle, pulling him to the ground as chains burst from the earth, wrapping around his neck, arms, wrists, waist, and legs, forcing him to one knee.

  Chains also immobilise Ship as he tightens his grip on Zero.

  Ship has only one shot at this! “Melinda… Close your chamber.”

  Zero’s body begins to vibrate, but no matter how much he morphs, more chains force him to surrender. He manages to stand, increasing the frequency of his vibrations, inching closer to Ship. His eyes widen as a glowing light-blue angel appears before him, with multiple heads of beast and man… He knows exactly what is coming. Having experienced it once in the game, he can’t imagine the pain he would feel with real-world nerves. So this is Ship’s curse…

  The angel begins to sing harmoniously, as if one hundred million angels are vocal through her. The angel sings that what is inside must come out—a song that ruptures the insides of the victims who venture into her bubble. Similar to the colossal dragon on the planet Nanium, this attack style is dangerous; despite being small enough to escape, its curse sends the user into a dream-like state that can distort their mentality.

  Syndesis can’t protect anyone from it; the only possible salvation is the amulet of frequency. However, acquiring one is nearly impossible.

  Zero is doomed unless he reaches Ship first! He increases his vibrations to the point where the space around him begins to bend; each step distorts the ground beneath him. But the effects of Ship’s cursed chains fade, only for the next to take its place. Ship intends to kill him? Zero’s nose and ears begin to bleed, followed by the corners of his eyes.

  No… Ship is slowly increasing the volume until Zero is no longer conscious. But the mix of vibrations and the song seems to cancel each other out. If Ship continues to escalate, his reality will shift to the illusion of hell. The darkness and loneliness are far more intense than in the game. His mental state will be fucked!

  Zero can’t comprehend the horrors in his brother's mind right now.

  Zero’s body begins to feel the effects, not from the song, but from his vibrations, which his white room cannot support.

  Not even Lord Tatter can withstand this rip into the cosmos.

  Zero screams as the cuts around the chains bleed, only to be vaporised seconds later.

  Finally, the chains release as Zero breaks the ground beneath him into a launch and slams his warhammer into Ship’s chest.

  Ship activates his melee-protection Syndesis, only for it to deplete upon impact. His chest cracks, and some ribs implode, sending him flying fifty yards and rolling for another twenty.

  The angel goes mute moments before fading away. Light-distorting heat escapes Zero’s mouth. The fabric of space settles behind him. Zero straightens up, only to drop to his knees as pain surges through his body. Like late lag, his left humerus shatters in multiple places. Dropping his warhammer, he buries his head in the ground, repeating the single word, “fuck,” in his thoughts until he catches his breath.

  Ship, knocked unconscious, coughs as his lungs are crushed and pierced by sharp rib fragments.

  Before Zero stands, he grabs the warhammer; he has to finish this, walking the seventy yards between them.

  Ship's weak breaths are interrupted by coughs of blood spilling from his mouth.

  Zero examines his brother. Step-brother. It looks like Ship is down to his last breath unless… Zero raises his warhammer over his head. As he brings it down, the white room flashes before him.

  “Brother… What's his name? Duke…”

  Zero faces the wall of Polaroid pictures. In three seconds, they shatter into sections as layers shift left and right until a single picture is in front of him—the earliest memory of his life. It’s of him looking up at his brother from the cradle. Though he didn’t know his age, Ship appeared to be eight or nine.

  “Hi, Duke. I'm Eithen, your new big brother!”

  As Zero flashes back to reality, his warhammer strikes the ground, inches from Ship’s head. His knees collapse to either side as Zero coughs needles from his cottonmouth.

  Staring down at his brother, he feels warmth surge through him. But he hates him… Perhaps he hates him because he doesn’t want to feel anything. To detach, to undo… He wants to erase every trace of his fucking brother from his mind. Bloody tears stream down his nose, dripping onto Ship's cheek.

  But killing him… Or killing anyone who makes him feel this way would haunt him.

  Zero places his left hand on Ship’s chest as a vibration shakes them. “Please, I'm offering one of you to help him breathe.”

  A pool of blood exits Ship’s body before his breathing steadies.

  He should have never involved his clan; it was his journey from the start. He needed to do it alone, further separating the evil in this world from the good.

  We are the forty-eight in one.

  Back in the trenches, RoT clashes with the remaining Lit members.

  Zero needs to move forward and clear a path…

  (The Eighteenth Parallel – Occupation: Lit) (Zero)

  Just before dark, the horizon of the gulf remains bright enough to see. This is Lit's last stand because the cliff is not far from the coast. If they lose this position, it will be the end for them and over three thousand people. Recent news reports that the navy has been reduced to a third of its size after RoT’s fleet of war galleys was struck from the rear. Only ten managed to escape before Admiral Sisbis was captured.

  Chaos erupts in the trenches as thousands of Lit members scramble to find their leaders and take orders. A young lad around Amos’s age searches for his leader. “Lieutenant Bridge!” Scanning the area, he finally spots a couple of familiar faces. After being bumped and nearly knocked over, he finds his leader. “Lieutenant Bri—” As he examines Bridge’s face, he sees horror. Following his leader’s gaze, he notices a single man, three hundred yards out, with his cape flapping in the wind.

  “It’s him…” Bridge says. “WAL really turned against us.”

  Whistles blow as more troops follow down the long path. Chants and commands pile up as the names “WAL” and “Zero” surface. A final whistle comes down from the cliff to the shore, silencing the crowd. For every hundred people, there seem to be only five cannons.

  Zero halts at the sight of a two-mile-long trench stretching from the cliff to the sea, the only path into the Valley of Bell before the City of Bell. His right arm is in a metal splint after he took a quick dip in a small pond; there is no turning back now. His body still aches, not just from today’s battles but from the fight with RoT. He doesn’t want to move… But it only takes a single step forward.

  Zero shifts from a walk into a jog, accelerating to groundbreaking speeds.

  Lieutenant Bridge’s eyes widen as he shouts, “FIRE! FIRE NOW!” His platoon is the first to fire off their two cannons; a few seconds later, the surrounding platoons follow suit.

  Zero’s surroundings turn white as the first cannonball hurtles in faster than the arrows he has dodged. But like the others, he swiftly avoids them.

  From the trench's perspective, it’s almost as if Zero just… phased right through them. Within one hundred yards, the first cannons to fire reload as Lieutenant Bridge drops his jaw. “FIRE!”

  Zero deftly maneuvers like the wind around them at top speed. Leaping from the ground, he kicks the cannon into three people before it strikes the trench wall. His eyes meet those of the young lad, but he sees only an obstacle in his path. This is his…

  Journey…