"We don't have to be defined by the things we did or didn't do in our past. Some people allow themselves to be controlled by regret. Maybe it's a regret, maybe it's not. It's merely something that happened. Get over it."
-Pittacus Lore, Author of Lorien Legacies (Or 'I am Number Four')
I think it was him who said that at least...? It's been a while since I've read his stories, so I'm not 100% certain. It's a good series though. You should definitely read it though.
_
Hey, you. You're finally awake.
You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there. Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and be halfway to Hammerfell. You there. You and me - we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants. We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief-
Ehem.
Sorry. Sorry. Got a bit lost in the sauce there, by which I mean this meme was circling in my head.
Anyway. Sup ya random blokes, Alexander here.
Seeing as how you keep coming back for more, I'm assuming my tale isn't entirely boring. That's a relief to me, I like to think I'm somewhat good at storytelling.
Anyways, the last two times, I talked about heroes and villains, but that's a bit boring and old now. Let's segue over a bit to a different topic.
Hmm. What to say what to say...
Oh!
I know!
What's your favorite superpower?
I'll go first, mine is....
Superspeed. Or, even Flight with wings or something.
A bit cliche right?
Its rather boring I will admit. But when I was younger I loved to dream and fantasize about running or flying extremely fast.
The sensation of the wind ruffling my hair, having the oceans beneath my feet, reachable if I gently stretched my hands out...
Being able to fly free as a bird-
That sense of freedom is just something beautiful y'know?
...
I digress.
But now for the actual topic. Don't worry it still relates to the previous questions about heroes and villains.
What do you think about the Gods who send people on quests?
I'll say it first, I despise them.
Think about it, a random child is given a power by some higher being, then sent to fight a war no child has any business being part of.
And while you could rationalize it as the god having no choice due to being sealed, it doesn't make it any better.
You're telling me, out of all the possibilities, of all the decisions you could have chosen, YOU CHOOSE A KID?
A kid. A person who hasn't even begun to live their life, and you send them to fight something not even you could beat, something that sealed you away. Or someone you yourself made!
Lets use Konosuba as an example here.
Don't get it twisted, despite the show's lighthearted nature, that place is a hellhole and fuckfest of misguided dangers and shiz. Not to mention their recruitment was teenagers and kids who aren't exactly going to think past Cool Superpowers and reincarnation. it's cruel, its evil, and its definitely predatory.
...
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?
That's a different level of despicable.
Makes you wonder who the true villain is...
Sigh
Anyway, the next tale of this journey is about to start.
This chapter we got a bird to deal with, a very lethal botanist, and the power of possession shall trump all!
Wait no... That just sounds like Arkham Knight..
Ehem.
You know the drill.
But before I do, you know I have to share the sauce once more.
You should read Ragna Crimson, or watch it if you prefer shows more than LN's and Manga. It's hella amazing and interesting.
Anyway,
The name's Alexander and welcome to my story once again.
And again
And again
And aga-
________
Alexander, Nagazora City
"..."
'This sword is a bit too sharp for my liking...'
That was my thought after seeing the slowly sliding building that was falling from a diagonal slash, while the target of said slash was equally baffled. Well it was til I threw my weapon at its head, impaling it against the wall where it stiffened before shortly dissolving.
It had been a few weeks since that event where I had been lucky enough to be saved by Sora, and then had a borderline Ragna against Ultimatia moment with that Chariot beast before.
Not much had really happened, apart from a few fights where Honkai Seraphs had decided to dive and attempt blender upon the only two humans in the nearby vicinity...
As a result of that, I had managed to get in a few much needed practice sessions with cycling my use of Honkai energy all through my body.
Fun fact, punching the ground really hard is highly unrecommended, especially when you may inadvertently cause an earthquake. Would not recommend.
In other news, that sensation of burning was not a one off. It still burns, but its manageable enough if it means I have a means of escape, or at the very least a means of fighting back.
Another fun fact, the games did not do the physical amp it gives justice. I mean, a literal nobody like me went from being borderline unathletic beyond running, to being able to outright throw a Chariot class Honkai beast which is about 30 meters in height.
Add that its a silicone based lifeform on top of that, and you realize it must weigh a lot. On top of that, it wasn't just physically either. I could feel my senses were sharpened as well, not to mention my reflexes... I'm not talking like I'm a bloodhound or anything, but I can definitely smell and hear a lot better. Sight is a different story though, that's still average sadly.
Did I mention the constructs one can make with this power? I accidentally made an honest to god Rasengan while just messing around as a joke.
The minute I discovered this, I, like any other sane (insane) teenager immediately did the responsible thing.
And may have brought a building down on my head after using it as a testing dummy because I thought it would look cool. Sora ripped me a new one for that...
...
And I uh... May have discovered something about myself that I don't like. Which led to me wrapping my chest and back. And no, I didn't suddenly experience an Onimai scenario.
As funny as that would be, I don't desire a restart of that level in any way form or fashion. It was actually just a bunch of weird black markings arranged in a 2 by 2 pattern on my back that spread to my chest. Similar to a stigmata if you will.
Last I checked those are supposed to be either extremely rare occurring, bestowed artificially, or a sign that you're a Herrscher candidate. Considering all three of those have concerning implications, I was of the mind of out of sight out of mind. Even though I was fairly certain it wasn't a stigmata considering what it housed...
Anyway, impending internal crisis aside, one more neat thing I figured out I can do.
"..."
I glanced down at my very visibly shining right palm, which was busy hungrily devouring the honkai in the air, leaving the rapidly climbing honkai energy levels to plummet drastically.
Surprise! Or something.
I can, for lack of better phrase, sort of absorb Honkai Energy...
I only found out a few days ago after noticing creeping lines snake their way across the girl I now held dears face.
_
Flashback
It started when we were busy walking home. Well, as much as home can be when you're stranded in the apocalypse. It was sudden and abrupt but, out of nowhere-
Thud
"Sora? Sora!"
With nary a sound, this girl that was moving like a semi energetic Energizer bunny, collapsed onto her face with out preamble or prelude.
No matter how I shook her or called her name, she didn't respond. And when I picked her up to run the rest of the way home, her body was like a miniature volcano with how hot she was.
It was only after I reached our shelter and placed her down to examine her, that I realized the issue.
Honkai Infection.
She was sick, and there wasn't really much I could do at the moment.
I was panicking and not exactly thinking straight, and I didn't really have a concrete plan.
So it was as I was moving on autopilot that I just reacted instinctively.
I was thinking to myself, 'If only I could drag it into myself to save her life'.
I wasn't expecting it to work, nor was I actually planning on doing so but, before my shocked eyes, my right hand which was currently cradling her face, started shining.
And then, I saw the lines on her face thin, before shattering and dispersing into dust in the air.
Flashback end
_
Yeah. Suffice to say, I was unreasonably happy to have figured that out and immediately began abusing it to make sure Sora was healthy, and cleared out the surrounding area.
Although, the first few times did leave me drained to the point where Sora had to drag me away....
God I'd be lost without her.
But even though I was happy to be here-
...
Let me rephrase that, even though I was happy to have borderline superpowers, I wasn't dumb.
I'm an idiot at times but even I know that for a newbie, the stuff I can do is irregular. Especially as an outsider to this world.
Speaking of the little Sora, she was thankfully not here for once. I had left her back home after a few times because honestly? She's still just a kid, and no matter how cruel this world is, I don't want her to have grow accustomed to the sight of things being killed. Nor do I want to risk her getting hurt again.
"I should bring her back a gift of some kind... I think I can find a Homu doll around here or something? Bronya and Kiana did so it seems feasible?" I mused idly while walking to pick up the blade.
Of course I then proceeded to have the most embarrassing display of tug of war with it upon realizing that it was very much stuck. Apparently easy entry does not mean easy exit.
...
Pause.
But actually, mentioning those names...
I wonder if the Main three are around here? Cause at this point I'd be an idiot to assume I knew the exact timeline.
I mean I might be near it with my luck considering there is several charbroiled corpses nearby.
Should I go looking for them? I mean... I'm in another world with a very real shot at meeting them, and I could potentially even join them on adventures...
"Meh. Thoughts for later. I'll consider it when I actually have things figured out for me and Sora."
Coming to that conclusion, I finally managed to yank my sword out of the wall, nearly falling on my back when it gave suddenly.
Sighing, I dusted myself off while standing up.
Grabbing my sword hilt, I turned away from my area as I began walking towards where I assumed Chiba would be from the limited directions I got from one Sora.
Bless her heart, but she cannot explain things well at all.
She said and I quote: "Turn left at the building with rubble, then go slightly past the burny area, before stopping near the tall building."
Like seriously, what's a guy to do with that information?!
As I rambled to myself about the complexities of children with their limited explanatory capabilities, I was still begrudgingly following Sora's directions regardless.
It was as I turned a corner at what I hoped was the building with rubble since there was several, that I noticed the flashing light shining in the distance. It was also then that I begin to smell ozone or rather that weird bitter acidic like smell you get when lightning strikes.
"Ah shi-"
All I had time to do was draw my sword in front of me, before I heard the crack of something being fired, and felt an oppressive weight slam into my blade.
Now I will admit, having beaten a few honkai beasts over the course of my stay in Nagazora I was somewhat confident in my strength. Cocky even.
And I won't lie, I definitely entertained the idea that I was some protagonist, so I won't lie when I say that I thought I could parry the blast and then swagger my way out of the impact. Maybe spout a cool one liner while spinning my blade over my shoulder SAO style.
Yeah nah.
Those thoughts died a faster death than Subaru speed running the fight with the Rabbits in the sanctuary.
Cause the minute the blast hit my blade, any heroic thoughts went out the window as not only were my arms nearly blown off from the impact, I felt my body quite literally leave the ground as I was tossed unceremoniously head over heels and sent flying.
I crashed back first into one building, before proceeding to tear down several more as I was dragged backwards more and more.
I slowed down to a stop a short distance away, groaning and numb, but thankfully alive because of last minute reinforcement of my body.
"....I really hate Mondays man...."
Groaning some more, I briefly considered just lying there, but another Boom! lighting the air made me shriek as I jump rolled to the side.
With the devastating roar slowly dying down, I turned and saw the aftermath of the blast.
"..."
Oh hell nah!
If a single blast turned the ground into molten sludge, the frick would it do to me if it made direct contact?!
Unfortunately, I didn't exactly have time to stand and ponder the possible outcomes, as yet another blast was illuminating the air, and I was immediately forced to roll and dodge it yet again.
I started running after hearing it land a distance behind me.
Now then, considering the situation, most heroes or MCs would have some sort of epic inspiration and then charge forward. Maybe they'd gain a special insight which would give them a new power, allowing them to turn the tides of battle decisively.
Surely I'd be no different right?
"NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE!"
Absolutely not!
Like any sane person, I immediately turned my happy behind around and started sprinting the other direction.
...Probably not the smartest decision in hindsight, cause I'm fairly certain the person could still see me and I couldn't see them. Which definitely meant I was a still target. As in very easy to pick off.
After a bit of running, I rolled to a stop behind a building and sat down while rapidly panting and trying to regain my breath.
" Gasp By the gods, why is my luck so bad? What kind of series of Unfortunate events did I walk into?"
And ain't that the truth!
What are the odds I'd find someone with such a grudge trying to blast me into oblivion.
...Wait.
Actually speaking of blasts, I haven't heard one in a bit. I counted about 5 bursts on the way here, followed by a stronger 6th.
But I haven't heard one in a bit.
Maybe the person blasting has a cooldown?
Wait a second.
Nagazora.
Post Third Eruption.
Blasts smelling of Ozone...
Large bursts of fire, followed by a stronger 6th, before a short cooldown.
"Oh God I pissed off Raven somehow."
I mean I guess it's possible that she'd be here. After all, she established her 'Nest' here for the children she found that were survivors of the third impact, and moved them there for safety.
Which... considering the fact that this place is not exactly the poster child of safety, does raise some serious questions.
Moving past that, its fairly possible that I ran into her before she established nest?
Maybe she's doing it right now?
I mean they never really established what part of the timeline it happened, but I assume it happened after the Third Eruption, which also means the Main Trio are probably at Saint Freya now...
...
Well that sucks.
But I can focus on that later, what do I remember about Raven?
Natasha Ciora. Codename: Raven
Mercenary for hire.
Bearer of the Seventh Divine Key(1) - Seven Thunders of Retribution. A Previous Era weapon made by the eccentric Genius Vill-V. A weapon with seven potential forms, that is capable of apparently one shotting frickin Otto's avatar of Soulium.
Survivor of the Second Eruption, which led to her gaining Strong Honkai resistance, as well as losing as her brother I think? Talk about equivalent exchange...
As a result of that Eruption, she has a strong hatred for the Herrscher of Void and to a smaller extent maybe other Herrschers?
Known likes? Children.
...
Let me phrase that better, she cares for her children which call her Sensei. She appears to have a surprisingly decent moral compass for a Mercenary.
Aight.
None of that explains why I'd be shot at on sight though.
I crossed my legs while hugging my sword to my chest as I begin to think on what I could have done to arouse suspicion.
I'm assuming she's out on cleanup duty right now, so that explains why she's hunting right now.
So what did I do that aroused suspicion?
Let's see...
I was slaying honkai beasts, testing out new attacks, accidentally blowing myself up, absorbing honkai energy-
Oh.
Ooooooohhhhhh...
Yeah I think I know the issue now.
...
"*Sigh* I really hate myself for what I'm about to do..."
Remember earlier when I said I was a sane person, and thus ran away from the danger?
Yeah. Please forget that sentence. I am very dumb and not very sane for what I'm about to do.
God give me strength for the dumb decisions I am about to commit to.
Standing up, I bent down and grabbed a small rock in my hand that I began tossing up and down gently, before slowly walking from behind the rubble I was using as a shield.
I have one shot to pull this idea off, and if I mess up dodging the first initial blast I will quite literally feel the skill issue as it blows through my body.
And as I fully showed my body, I immediately saw the same glow from before, except this time....
I started running towards it. Like I'm talking flat out sprinting, towards what is almost certain death. The light soon reached a crescendo, before it exploded forward from what I assume was the Seventh Divine Key barrel.
Boom!
The beam raced towards my body as I was moving forward, which I narrowly dodged by dropping into a home run slide as it flew past my head, blowing up the rubble behind me into molten slag.
"Thats 1..."
Getting up from the slide, I continued sprinting forward, as the glow built up once more.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three more shots fired in rapid succession.
I slid under the first one once more, before immediately hopping to my feet and side stepping the second.
And the third?
I had to jump to a building and stab my sword into as an anchor while I ran up the side. It slammed into said building, blowing me off of it where I landed on my face while sliding forward.
I quickly got up once more, and continued racing towards the building I saw the light appearing from.
"That's 2, 3, and 4..."
Muttering to myself once more as I kept track of the shots fired, I didn't have to wait long for the final shot to be primed.
Booooooommmmm!
This one seemed to have a bit more oof to it, meaning I probably wouldn't be able to get past it.
"...And that's 5!"
I tensed my legs, honkai surging straight to them as I pushed, leaping into the air with a boom of my own, narrowly avoiding it clipping my legs.
And that's when I saw the 6th shot being primed and loaded. This one was a bit different, seeing as how instead of blue light, this one had an almost violent chaotic surge of purple tinting its edges and core. And whereas the other shots were somewhat contained, this one was nearly overflowing with light.
Time seemed to come to a standstill as all the color in the surrounding area seemingly vanished, before rapidly appearing once more. Without a roar, without a sound, the light exploded forth. This one rushed forward much faster than the last 5, tearing forward through the air as the boom happened after the light was nearly upon me.
I won't lie, its a different kind of impressive to be so powerful, so fast, that the attack arrives before the sound. Miss Raven... This is super cool, I won't lie.
If it was me from a few weeks ago, such a fast attack, It would have probably caught me off guard. After all, it was damn near upon me while I was thinking this.
Yeah. This shit is hella awesome!
Unfortunately, Imma have to ruin your image of certain victory.
"...Because I accounted for that!"
Spinning in midair rapidly, I slung the trump card I had held this entire time.
A rock, now enhanced by honkai energy, and rapidly spinning, met a large laser, an outcome which would be highly illogical. After all, a fancy rock should not by any means be able to stop something empowered by what is essentially a demigod core.
But it wasn't just a rock.
"Imitation; Jagged RasenShuriken!" (2)
Pause
Now now. I know what you're thinking.
Really?
A Naruto reference?
And to that I answer-
Yes.
Yes it is.
Remember before when I said I made a bootleg Rasengan?
I did end up trying to make a Rasenshuriken as well, but I could never stabilize it. Not without a medium to channel it through. Otherwise it quite literally blew up in my face.
But using a rock?
They're sturdy, and not exactly organic. Meaning it won't be almost immediately decayed by corrosion.
As to how I did it?
I spun it.
I'm not kidding.
I essentially forced my Energy to form a shell around the rock, before rapidly cycling said shell till it become a churning ball blender. Once thrown, it gets a bit jagged, but it was stable.
Look.
I won't pretend to know the mechanics of it. I literally am playing this by ear.
Resume
As Beam and Sphere collided, I was treated to the sight of matter collapsing inwards.
Such a pretty colo-
*The Shrill sound of an atmosphere being torn and smashed together rapidly in succession*
"*Wheeze*"
All the air in my lungs rapidly left my body as I slammed back first to the ground.
With the amount of times this happened, I'm starting to think I'm close acquaintances with the dirt.
Luckily, my little gambit seemed to have paid off-
"GUUGHHH?"
As a feminine shout of surprise filled the air, followed by rapid swearing.
Jackpot.
I was banking on two things when I did that, the first being to not well.. die. The second being to cause a violent explosion of light as an improvised flashbang.
As a gamer who regularly played stuff like CoD, Rivals, as well as the infamous genshin, I was used to being flashed.
..
Flashed by light I mean.
You tend to gain a resistance after getting hit by the Sun in the middle of the night.
Unfortunately Raven did not get that patch installed, cause by the time I walked over and found her, she was vigorously rubbing her eyes.
Wordlessly I walked over and kneeled in front of her as she began muttering about the Divine Key she had now dropped.
"Where's that damn Divine Key..."
"Here you go not so Ultimate Lifeform." I handed it to her with a small smile adorning my face.
"Thank yo-"
She paused as her hand landed on the Weapon, before her head slowly creaked up to see me waving casually.
"Yo."
I'll give Raven credit where credit is due, she didn't scream or anything. Instead she merely hopped back and took a defensive position. Contrary to what I expected she now held daggers, having tucked the Seven Thunders away.
I immediately threw my hands up in surrender.
"Woah woah woah! I didn't come here to fight, I promise! I just want to talk."
"We have nothing to talk about!"
With a shout, Raven lunged forward, causing me to flinch in defense as I raised my arms in defense.
Only for her to not even bother slashing at me like I thought she would.
Instead she grabbed my arm and begin spinning me around, before throwing me backwards.
I slid to a stop a short distance away, looking up, only to see several red tipped arrows falling down towards my head.
Reacting quickly, I drew my sword and immediately moved to slash them out of the air.
Only to blink as upon contact, the arrows flashed red before exploding in my face, and blanketing the area in smoke.
A short while after, I leaped backwards, landing heavily as I slid back, arms trembling as faint burn marks covered them.
Luckily I was able to block most of the explosion by blocking with my arms, but my sword was discarded as a trade off. I quickly dashed to pick it up, nearly losing my head in the process.
And as I looked up, only one thought filled my head when I saw Raven holding her bow with another arrow notched.
'Talk about poor timing. Are my Negotiation tactics that bad?'
|Boss Battle Imminent!
Rank A
Natasha Ciora - The Raven Without Wings
Win Conditions: ?
Lose Conditions: Certain Death, Sora becomes alone once more.
BEGIN!|
The two of us stood at an impasse, both staring warily at the other as we both inhaled.
My eyes were tensed as I stared at Raven warily, straining to pick up the smallest details, hoping for any advantage I get to try and stay alive longer.
"?!"
She took a small step forward, before vanishing from my line of sight.
My eyes widened in shock, before narrowing as I instinctively raised my sword to block. With a clang, an overhead slash was blocked.
Metal screeched and whined as I struggled to stop her daggers from reaching my face.
I shoved her away, only for her to disengage before slashing from below.
Meeting the slash, I slammed my own blade downwards, as sparks flew once more.
Raven went for a kick to my ribs, which I didn't have time to block, causing me to slide backwards while grimacing in pain.
I looked up to see her running forward, body low to the ground.
I met her charge head on, lunging forward myself.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Metal clashed against metal rapidly as we exchanged blows.
I ducked under one of her overhead slashes, spinning around her back while doing a slash down of my own.
She blocked, while using the force from the attack to disengage and disappear from my view once more.
The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I whirled around to meet two daggers slashing down from the air.
Boom!
The very ground itself cratered as dirt was torn apart from the collision, the mere impact alone displacing the air and causing several pieces of rubble to go flying.
"You really don't miss arm day do ya..?"
Grimacing, my arms strained as I struggled to not go flying myself.
Instead of responding, she kicked off my body once more, before dashing away, rapidly blurring around the area.
A lunge from behind me-
I stumbled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.
She came from the front this time, arm reaching into her cloak as she then tossed several throwing knives at my face. Parrying them with offhand slashes, I immediately cycled energy to my fist, before slamming it into the ground.
The impact knocked her flying into the air.
Almost immediately, she spun to right herself midair, twirling as she prepared to land on the ground.
"Gotcha!"
Except I was prepared for that, having already lunged forward to attack her.
With my sword above my head, I delivered a brutal two handed overhead, the weight of such an action causing Raven to stumble.
Taking advantage of the lapse in her combat capability, I immediately began rapidly slashing at her, each attack causing her to stumble more and more, until a sneaky gut punch sent her flying into a building wall.
As she pried herself out of it, a flashing light caught her attention as she narrowly avoided my sword impaling her head.
By the time she had turned her awareness forward again, I was already above her, leg angled for an axe kick.
BOOOOOMMMM!!!
An explosion of force exploded outward again, as Raven had just barely managed to catch my foot and was now straining to block my kick from meeting her head.
"....HaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
With a shout of exertion, I pushed down as hard as I could, causing her to briefly lose her balance.
That was all it took for my kick to finally go through as she was sent flying away through a building once more.
Meanwhile-
"Ow ow ow ow..."
I was hopping on one leg as I cradled the other now very sore one.
It felt like I was trying to kick through a brick wall, what is she eating, fricking Adamantium?
Still, I'd rather kick down than punch down. After all-
"I very much prefer leg day myself."
I tilted my head to the side as a desk went flying past it, followed by a notebook, a book bag, and what I think may have been a Whiteboard.
Yeesh.
Some people have no appreciation for the teaching arts I swear.
I blinked.
And Raven was there in front of me again, now cradling a purple rifle of sorts.
With her finger on the trigger, she fired point blank at me, as I was forced to contort my body in various uncomfortable positions as I parried what I could, until a strong impact knocked my sword from hand once again.
And as I was knocked into such a position, arms nearly torn from their sockets as they were knocked behind my back, and my body leaning precariously backwards, a vicious smile adorned Raven's face as she lunged forward with the rifle aimed at my chest.
She pressed the trigger as light rapidly built up.
Panicking, I punched out at the barrel with all my strength, even using honkai energy to overload the punch as I knocked it away successfully.
I cheered internally at that, before my expression sunk as I saw the smile grow ever brighter.
Wait.
How many shots was that?
In response to my internal query, the rifle began to charge with a chaotic purple tint once more.
The sixth shot? That sneaky crow! She had actually been planning for this the entire time?
She must have used each attack to guide me into a false sense of security, letting me think I had a shot at winning, while in actuality controlling this whole song and dance from the start.
And the climax of this play, was the sixth shot of a divine key being aimed at my body once more.
One that I wouldn't be able to dodge from close range, let alone because I was overextended in that punch.
The light condensed, before exploding outward once more, swallowing the ground in front of me rapidly.
"....Sigh..."
They say the moment you're about to die, you either see your life flash before your eyes, or experience a brief moment of hyperfocus. A moment where you can see everything in crystal clarity, moving so frustratingly slow that you can't help but reflect.
....
But I'm afraid I can't die here. Not yet.
Not when I barely got to see everything this world has to offer.
So if that means having to use Foreign Power to survive, then that's exactly what I'll do.
_
The moment that beam collided, the world seemed to shudder.
Steel was rend from building, and a pillar of light rivaling the brightest beacon illuminated the day. An awesome and terrifying power was seemingly on display, as matter was rapidly collapsed inward, before being destroyed on the atomic level.
It was a blast that guaranteed almost complete destruction of any target in the event they were hit by it.
Raven held the now seemingly inert Divine Key down at her side, slowly panting as she put it away.
She turned her back to walk away, certain that no one could survive such a direct hit.
But as she did, the smoke that was clouding the area, was rapidly dispersed by the sound of rapid buzzing.
And Raven beheld a sight that caused her to recoil in disbelief.
.
"Where are you running off to? We're not finished here yet!"
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
Insecta Complex
It's a power that exists in another world.
A unique occurrence that happens when a human is fused with an insect or something similar to arthropods, thereby gaining access to some of there traits and powers which are then amplified when further used.
Its seen as a both a blessing and a curse, and by all means should not exist in a world such as Honkai.
But it does. And now the only wielder of this power is me, Alexander.
Insecta Complex - Jumbo Dragonfly
That's the name of the gift I've inherited, and the only reason I'm alive.
In that brief moment of clarity, my will to survive overrode my will to hide anything that seemed inhuman, and I instinctively felt my wings (Cause I have those now apparently) open as I flew a short distance back.
It wasn't perfect, and I was still clipped by the light, but it was better than outright dying.
As I slowly started ascending into the air, I saw the disbelief on Raven's face turn into outrage as she jabbed a finger in my direction.
"Now that's bullshit! What kind of powerups are you pulling out of your ass? Did I miss something where I had you dead to rights? Or am I just being messed with because you got bored or something?!"
Yeah. Ain't finna lie. Definitely a valid crash out. I'd be pissed to if a person I was fighting survived by what has got to be the most blatant Deus Ex Machina I have ever seen.
Unfortunately for Raven, I am that person so...
"Sucks to suck bi*ch."
After saying that, I fully expected her to rage out and run me down, maybe shoot me again?
Nope.
She instead raised both her hands into the air and proceeded to say two words.
"I surrender."
Eh?
The comment was so out of left field that I nearly fell out of the air.
"You...Surrender."
"Yup. I've been in a bunch of dicey situations to know when to stop while I'm ahead. So... I surrender."
Huh.
Didn't expect that to go this way.
But I'll take it.
Dropping down, I hovered in place for a bit while watching Raven began packing up her stuff.
"....huh. I was fully prepared to have this go a different way."
She scoffed in response.
"Yeah? And I fully expected you to be dead so I guess we're both disappointed. What's the story with you anyway, you a reject from Cirque de Freak?"
"You could say that."
In a way, she ain't wrong entirely. If not that, I'd be a really lost hitchhiker, so I'll go with the cooler sounding option.
Well since she surprisingly calmed down, I guess I can ask that question I was wondering about now.
"So... Why'd ya shoot at me?"
She raised an eyebrow in response, before looking me up and down.
"Look in a mirror and then tell me why I shouldn't shoot what is essentially a monster in human skin, that casually blew up a few buildings. I have kids to worry about, and can't exactly take risks with what may or may not be another Herrscher walking around. The last two weren't exactly benevolent you know."
"Touche."
Seeing as how she seemed less violent, I dropped to the ground as my wings slipped back into my back. I shuddered at the weird sensation as I rolled my shoulders in discomfort.
Actually... Upon mentioning the kids part that does remind me.
Walking up behind her, I placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You mentioned kids before right? I have a proposition-"
I felt her shudder before Raven turned with a look of absolute disgust on her face.
"If you're trying to browse what you may call my 'selection', I'll have to kindly advise you to ask someone else, if not seek immediate professional help."
"...I am many things, but Anima, er, a man on that kind of mission is not one of them. I was going to ask if you had room for one more. And no, I'm not referring to me. I mean my sist-, er, someone I was watching over."
"Right...."
Y'know, considering you're the one that holds the cards in this instance, I'm going to let that disbelieving expression on your face go.
Meh.
I have a while before I have to be back to Sora anyways, so I can wait on Raven's answer for a bit. I mean unless something else just happens to go down, but the odds of that happening are lower than Gojo getting offscreened during a fight so-
...
"...I really hate Murphy and his law right now..."
Not even a few seconds after verbalizing that thought, hundreds of vines began ripping from the underground causing the ground to destabilize, as it caved in.
Raven and I both began to stumble, but I quickly began hovering in the air to avoid falling.
Raven unfortunately fell, so I had to quickly swoop down and grab her.
"Thanks."
"Nn."
I nodded wordlessly as I held under her arms and hovered in place.
We both turned our gaze as we saw one singular building seemingly be the epicenter of this whole disaster.
A mass of vines, ivy, and several other plants encased the outer walls. Surrounding the lower floor was what I assumed was other plants I wouldn't know about.
I let out a low whistle of appreciation as the flora covering the building seemed to move as if they were alive.
"Talk about being in need of a trim. Think they'll pay potential Gardeners well?"
"Just shut up and take us over there."
Chuckling, I readjusted my grip so Raven wouldn't go flying, then immediately accelerated forward.
I was treated to the sound of her screeching in fear, which may have given me a small amount of glee.
But I'm petty so, are you really surprised?
In no time at all, we arrived at the building, and I immediately realized going to the ground was a terrible idea.
"*Incoherent Screeching*"
IS THAT A VENUS FLYTRAP? WHY IS IT SO BIG?
Raven wasn't faring much better, as she didn't say a word, but I felt her hand beginning to crush my wrist.
"Maybe inside?"
"Inside is good."
I flew up a bit, before swooping in to an open classroom window.
Letting go of Raven, I began walking around the inside of the room.
Desks were tossed haphazardly across the room, and several people were on the ground in what looked to be a coma. Lines of radiation danced across their faces leading me to hiss in sympathy.
But as I ignored them and moved on, my expression caught as I saw who was in the corner of the room, looking sound asleep if it weren't for the pained expression on her face.
Raven walked up and let out a whistle of her own.
"This just got a whole lot more complicated huh."
"Yeah. Yeah it did."
And as I nodded along, Theresa Apocalypse slumbered on unaware.
Fin~
______________________
Semper pergendum sine timore. Translating to Always go forward without fear. It means to keep on pushing even when the situation is bleak. To keep fighting even in the face of uncertain odds.
A). "Imitation; Jagged RasenShuriken!"
A technique Alexander made by bastardizing a Rasenshuriken. Since he could never stabilize the form in his own hands, he instead uses a rock or something non organic as a focus for it. The Imitation is capable of roughly offsetting most of the blast a fully charged shot from the 3rd Divine Key.
B). "Here you go, not so Ultimate Lifeform."
A reference to Shadow the Hedgehog asking about a chaos emerald. He says: "Where's that damn Fourth Chaos Emerald?"
It is very much Alex poking fun at Raven.
1. 3rd Divine Key : ｢Seven Thunders of Retribution｣
◆Core : Herrscher of Thunder, Gem of Conquest
◆User : Raven
◆Description: The Divine Key made by the core of the 3rd Herrscher of the pre-civilization era, and has its own personality. Depending on the user that the weapon change between the seven forms to fit best with the user.
◆Ability : Key of Sanction
High-voltage shots of electricity that reduce the target to atomic levels (capable of destroying an entire Otto Soulium avatar)
Known forms:
-Sniper Rifle
-Slingshot
- 5 unknown others
Wrongly assumed by Alexander to be the Seventh Divine Key, it is actually the third. He just mixed up the two.
2. Insecta Complex
It is the name given to the abilities of insect humans affected by Jungle Juice, Each complex is named after a insect of the Insecta "class", with quite a few exceptions of the Arachnida "class". A "Class" is a subgroup classification within the Animal Kingdom taxonomy. At the top is Kingdom, followed by Phylum, then Class, then Order, and so on. Thus, the "Insecta Class" is part of the "Arthropoda Phylum", which is part of the "Animal Kingdom".
In less fancy words, its a power derived from the fusion of human and insect.
Alexander has this power, but he doesn't know exactly why. Although he was kinda freaked out about it, he cared less about the repercussions and more about how it would make him stand out.
3. |Insecta Complex - Jumbo DragonFly|
Skill Rank: Mythic Grade
Plunder Rank: Immeasurable
Category of Gift: Permanent
Grade: S
Description:
The Gift originally belonging to one Suchan Jang, the MC of Jungle Juice, it was later bestowed to Alexander through severely unknown means. The gift gives Alexander a level of physical strength, agility, reflexes and toughness which is far beyond that of any normal person, and even most Valkyries. It doesn't radically change his appearance, instead it causes him to sprout a pair of Dragonfly wings from his back. Although they aren't as fragile as one can expect, and can be reinforced with either Honkai energy, or gain armor through the mode dubbed ■■■■■ ■■■■■. This ability allows Alexander to fly at subsonic speeds if not faster, as well as come to a dead stop if need be. It also allows for several 'Defense Mechanisms' to be used if need be as well. This ability doesn't permanently give Alex his wings though, as he can dismiss them if necessary. But they will pop out if he's in Danger, and if the danger is severe enough he can risk going berserk as the ability forcibly overrides his mind in a fight or flight state.
Character Profile:
Name: Alexander
Nickname: Alex
Parents: Unknown
Sister/Guardian: Cassandra Mercer
Age: 20
Sex: Male
Gender: Genderfluid
Race: Human (Hybrid, because of the newfound Complex of his)
Likes: Reading, Singing, Writing.
Dislikes: Large bodies of Water, Cheese
Voice (if he happened to be voiced by someone): Yuri Lowenthal (ENG) Makoto Ishi (JP)
Fatal Sin: Greed
Fatal Flaw: Arrogance
Appearance:
Personality: A boy who couldn't quite fit in. A guy who lied to himself so much even he started believing the lies. A person who claims to never lie, but always does. A hypocrite who can't bear to see you get harmed, but will inadvertently harm you. That's who he is. A hypocrite and a fraud. A sham of a human being. the most evil, most kind person you will ever meet. He desires everything, but despises everyone. He claims to hate humans, but wants to be a hero. He can barely feel any emotions, yet wants to save everyone. He's a mess. That's who he is. He's the one person you can depend on if need be.