Guilos woke up due to the tremors caused by the battle.
She then moved her non-responsive arms to her side and used [Restore] fixing her body to the same saved state she uses every morning; it didn't repair her suit as she didn't have enough energy for it.
She then looked around and realised the guards were all dead. Her thoughts then moved to the researchers, and then she started to take account of all who were still alive. She had already noted how all humans except her were missing.
Then as she looked at Yellow, if she was already up. The humans were gone – and this cruel reality was that so was he. That is when she noticed the disturbing scene. Her half alive body trying to move. This hit her more since she knew she could not help her – restore at her level only works on her and her belongings.
She then turned her head and looked at her foe – the one responsible for destroying centuries of her work. The battle was not as favourable as she had thought it'd be. She then began to think of an escape plan.
'We're surrounded on all sides – but it seems the monsters are on standby… sneaking all of us out is simply too dangerous. The forest folk and previous subjects are also not here… I really don't think we can make it out of here should Ill fail us.'
She racked her mind – unable to think of an escape plan. Then she began to assume many things, strange considering that she hadn't done anything like that in a while.
***
The Knight had figured that this rescuer was not worth any note, but the indirect soul battle made it hard for the Knight to target any of the damage on the actual being. It was trying to kill them both, but targeting the other was proving difficult.
"Hey you! Do you know who you are messing with?"
…
"The power over [Immateriality], cool right? It's kind of a B* to deal with… still not talking…"
Suddenly his mouth closed shut, the Knight could not manipulate much inside this strange opponent, but it could control inconsequential desires such as speaking.
'He is right about one thing, control over immateriality is troubling. I can hit as hard as I want to but then he can just make my fist incapable of touching him. He decides what can and can't be touched around him, I can't even use [Soul Touch] or [Willruption] – I even doubt the [Roaring Hammer] could, even if I still had it.'
"Ya, by the looks of things Boss, it seems he's strong enough to use it to a high extent, meaning the real body is way stronger than the one sent here."
'You're right, whisper come on, are you still having trouble tracing the soul?'
…soul is constantly interfering with attempts to trace – alternate route being taken – simple analysis is being used instead of soul tracing as such I might have to use 20 slaughter points?
'Sure.'
All of this was still pushing the limits of his brother's body. Sure, he had been making it seem easy in front of the foe to discourage them from any funny ideas, but in this battle, he is pushing his brother's body further than it should be able to go.
'I have three things to accomplish. Rescue the researchers, gather information on the adversary, and dispose of said adversary. I'm sorry bro but I might have to push you just a little further, I'll have to make everything around him immaterial – and it's going to drain your soul like crazy.'
An answer came from the body to the soul intruding upon it – 'Don't worry about me brother, I'd be dead by now if you weren't here. This guy is worse than the monsters – I was even paralysed after encountering him – ridiculous, right?'
Ill then looked at the Knight and began to make air immaterial, this did nothing. This made him step back in disbelief.
'He should be choking… – maybe he has a skill to help with being unable to breathe.'
… he then pushed further on the properties of what is material and immaterial around him, making his brothers soul wince in pain. Intruding upon what is and not material is a really complex power and even capable of making something like love material. He mostly used it to help the researchers at HQ with their soul research and something they call wills.
He may not know anything about it, but in fact, it is his very hands that shape the wills of those used as subjects. Making him responsible for Cathina's brothers current state, and others alike. He's not the only one with the power though, as it is one specially cultivated at HQ.
This power, on its theorised peak, could make something permanently immaterial – making it inaccessible until someone of equal or maybe even higher calibre restores it. He was not at that level, but he could do what he was about to try – even if it was going to strain his brother further.
His brother had failed to gain this power during training and accidentally developed the power over reference. Meaning he could affect how three properties interact. An example would be affecting the reference frame of speed in relation to time and distance, which allows him to speed up or slow down things. This is why he's just a guard – he didn't fulfil the criteria of the power to be stationed at HQ.
But since his soul did not mould itself into the form suited for Ill's power, every use was cracking it. It was like trying to melt iron using a plastic mould. Sure, he could heat it up, but if he pushed far enough, this could end his brother's life prematurely. Even though he had never been forced to exert so much of his power so indirectly – it still remained that he couldn't take it easy on this foe.
'Okay then what about this…'
Then he made the Knight immaterial to everything around it, but then the Knight made a little void beneath its feet and made it solid. This void is part of the Knight and not even this could affect it.
Then it make a thin coat of the void on its gloves, and when it teleported to punch him, he was sent flying. The void itself was not immune and it's the Knight using the [Daunting] power inside it. All the Knight had to do was use this small field as a neutraliser to the power the rescuer was using – it was still making sure that the rescuer does not see its use of the void.
After that the Knight, teleported to the rescuer, caught and raised him by the neck. It had given up on trying to kill both of them and just chose to just end the battle as it was taking too much time.
'How is he doing this?'
Ill then pushed his brother even further making as many things as he could be immaterial to the Knight – he tried to breach its mind but couldn't as is the case with people with high knowledge stats – usually hard to affect their mental state. He then flailed around trying to remove the Knights hands by force.
… soul has been traced back…
You have encountered a level 350 human, Ill. Type-Undefined.
'Finally… At least now I know who to look for.'
This is why the Knight was physically touching him – to help simple analysis. But the Knight was not done… not even close…
Since it was this close – the Knight could finally use [Visage of Terror].
The hands Ill was using to try and hit the Knight off himself froze and began shaking. The Knight this time did not just sent baseless fear into his soul, now that it had established a connection. No – this time the Knight went even further, and the mask of void fell. Then Ill – the rescuer, heard it.
'Hey there…' – said the creepiest and softest voice to have ever graze his ears.
'Who's that…'
'Oh, little old me? I'm not real – I can't be.'
'Real? What are you talking about?'
'Oh, you see… people try their darn hardest to cover the truth… even I tried…'
'Yeah…'
'And well, you made me… to keep yourself from looking… and I just can't...'
'Look away from what?'
The shapeless voice raised a single finger and pointed outside his thoughts, outside his conscience, outside his delusions, because even it was scared – for his coping mechanism had failed to help him cope, it had failed to be a coping mechanism. It had failed so miserably that even it wanted sweet release, and to get this freedom it was going to force him to look – and make him bare his own dread.
He looked turning his internal attention back to the world and what he saw as he peered out of his brother's eyes was a full view into the visor of the Knight, the one it had been covering with the void, to avoid onlookers.
His chest ached and even though he barely caught a peak, not even a second long, he disconnected from his brother immediately – stranding him there.
"Brother! Brother! Brother! Brother! ..." screamed Axis using his own tongue for the first time ever since arriving – the desire to not speak left with his brother.
For at this moment, he was the one left staring into the dreaded being that is the Knight. The terror coursing through him was sheer anguish. The life from his cells vanished, his voice became course. As no-one should ever be forced to bear witness to those of the void, the void and even still on a being higher on the tier. This was no other than the dreaded being – the vile scourge of all existence, the wielder of terror that none could ignore.
His muscled began to shrivel and give up on him. His blood became stale and grey. His eyes blank and his hair grey beyond years, one would have though him incapable of anything, but he still called out to him.
Even after he went limp and lost his entire sight his voice kept calling out as it faded off. He still felt this terror even though he could no longer witness it. Even worse his soul was so ravaged, he couldn't even call upon his authority over references.
No response came as he flailed in terror, unable to release the grip of the Knights hands from his hands. He screamed so loud, one last time that the researchers began to fall to their knees in hopelessness.
His brother kept calling out to silence – no-one was going to help him, and no-one could. This was not because his brother could not hear him.
***
Far, far away in a room, at headquarters of the chimera association, stood the real Ill in the dark. Gritting his teeth, clenching his hands till they bled. Not only did he fail all his objectives on the mission, but he also failed his brother.
His skill was ruthless because even though he was disconnected he could still hear his brothers' pleas clearer than even the researchers. He felt the sharp decline in pitch as he stopped saying auditable words.
Make no mistake, he could jump back into his brother at any time, even now. But never – for he stood there, shaking, trembling – unfair considering that he had barely caught a glimpse, and had not even caught it for a fraction of a second. He knew he could go back, but would he…
Maniacal laughter from narrator.
Never‼! For in the end – the void makes cowards out of all of us.
He didn't even lift his head, facing down in shame and fear, for even now he remained as terrified as ever. A breeze blew in through the open window, and he collapsed to the floor. For a second there he felt the Knights gaze, and it scared him witless – the thought that he had not actually escaped shook him more than abandoning his brother.
He shook in place, paralysed, for a couple of minutes like a child during an intense thunderstorm. His only thought was a solemn hope that he had actually freed himself. He would go on to possess this terror for the rest of his life, for this time, knowing he might escape – the Knight used an advance level of [Visage of Terror] – one it could only do after crossing level 300.
Permanent terror.
Even if he dies this fear will never leave him. He would have soiled himself, but he feared the Knight catching wind of his scent more. Trembling there is how the staff found him the next day, having not moved an inch. In all this he had even missed the utterly chilling sound that escaped his brother the moment he died.
Worse than the snapping of the neck, or the shaking of something alive and terrified inside your hand. So chilling, that one would hope to never hear or recall such a nauseating noise in their lifetime.