Turning Point 2 – Zwischenzug – Part 3

Stella had fallen asleep. After singing a few more lullabies, my baby sister finally succumbed to her fatigue and passed out. A peaceful slumber.

But while she was able to relax, I wasn't.

First of all, I could still follow what was happening outside. It was hard not to considering about a dozen monsters per second kept dying to my defensive measures.

Second of all, I was worried about Mom and Mama Lily fighting outside.

But this point, the house had already been ripped to shreds from the bombardment of monsters, so there wasn't any chance that Mom and Mama Lily would get tripped up by being stuck against a wall or something. But I was concerned.

The monsters right now weren't very strong because Dad and Mister Laws had aggroed the stronger ones. And the terrifying creatures I could sense far in the distance were being held off by someone else. Probably Perry if I had to guess.

But monsters were literally spawning in. Like this world had suddenly changed into an RPG, the monsters were popping in from nowhere. Almost like this was a tower defense or something and they were coming in waves.

Still, that was fine. While I was worried, I wasn't anxious. There was a slim chance that something dangerous might pop up, but I trusted in the equipment that me and Master Roxy refined for Mom and Mama Lily.

The main reason why I couldn't relax was...

'Hey. Why don't you give it up?'

...This slimy used car salesman voice whispering in my head.

'Rudeus Notos Greyrat. I have to admit that you're something else. You've made me go through a lot of trouble until now, you know? But I'm a forgiving kind of guy. If you agree, we can let bygones be bygones. You just have to promise to not go against me. It's not hard, right?'

Says the creepy bastard who won't show his face. You think I trust you?

I responded to him with my thoughts. But at the same time, I focused.

A branch of magic specially devoted to obscuring the mind and preventing people from reading it. Something from a world where the Wizards at large existed in secret from the non-magicals. And one where a self-proclaimed dark lord naming himself after the 'flight of death' terrorized the magical community.

It was never explained in detail, but the principles were straight forward. And when applied with the memory techniques I knew and had been training in, as well as the world egg theory and domain expansion...

Well. I've been waiting for this.

'Hm?'

A shift in tone. Surprise from Being W. The moment I heard that...

'I got you.'

...I closed my eyes and the world changed.

Darkness stretching in every direction. An infinite space modeled after the boundless universe. And right now, I was standing in the center of it all, floating over a shining crimson star.

I also wasn't alone.

In front of me was the source of that slimy voice. The one who had been messing with me for years now.

"...Huh. Didn't think you were actually just a blob of white mist. Makes a whole lot of sense though."

It was a man covered in white mist that obscured his features. Tall, fairly muscular. In short, he looked like one of those faceless mannequins that you saw at a department store, except actually alive.

Being W looked around, confused. "This... isn't the Void World. But it isn't the Human World either? What is- Wait. Why do I hear music?"

[Play: One-Winged Angel - Final Fantasy VII]

An attack that I couldn't recreate in reality. To begin with, I didn't have the energy capacity to cast such a spell. Even if I did, the calculations required were far too complex to begin to fathom. Unlike the original user, basic trigonometry and physics wouldn't be enough. Especially since it would have required controlling both the trajectory of an interstellar celestial object and the total erupted energy of a collapsed star.

But this wasn't reality.

And since that 'god' thought he had everything at his fingertips...

"Supernova."

"W-What is that?!"

A flash of light moving at impossible speeds from the distance. Planets being broken down and their mass converted into raw energy to serve as ignition.

Being W panicked and tried to float away.

Unfortunately for him... Magic didn't exist in this world. At least, not according to his logic. Not only that, but we were playing by my rules right now.

And at this moment, it was my turn to attack.

"Why... can't I... move?!" Being W gnashed his teeth and turned to look at me.

I couldn't see his eyes, but I felt his glare.

I smiled and said, "You might be a god, but here? You walked into the wrong neighborhood, Whitey."

An entire solar system of planets, torn to shreds by the beam of light. One that grew with each planet it devoured.

"This... This is insane. You!" Being W turned to look at me and said, "What *are* you?!"

My smile widened. "Didn't you know? I'm just a kid. But kid's just have the darndest imaginations, don't they? Ah. And I hope you're pretty durable."

With that, I stepped out of phase from where Being W was, half a dimension away. The moment I did, the light pierced into the crimson star. And the moment it did, an astronomical amount of crimson energy erupted. Not mana, not divine power. Just pure, raw, destructive energy.

"AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!"

A shrill scream. Pained, but also furious.

I watched Being W with a clinical eye and checked his status.

"...So it's not enough, huh?"

I wasn't sure if it was because I lacked the actual energy to do damage to him, or if he was just that mentally resilient. But he survived.

Damn. Was this how Cl*ud and company lived through the attack? Since it wasn't in reality, they could live by the skin of their teeth?

Whatever the case, I reappeared and examined Being W.

His body was scorched. Golden blood dripped from his body between charred skin. And his absent eyes were finally visible, glaring at me with crimson malice.

"You son of a bitch!" He growled and then waved his hand, conjuring massive magic formations all around me. "You think this is a game? That you can just trap me here and play god?"

"You're the one who entered uninvited. Also, that's not how you use magic."

I snapped my fingers, shattering the magic formations.

Being W gnashed his teeth and threw out his hands. The moment he did, a beam of divine energy shot towards me.

But-

"For a god, you really don't know basic concepts, huh?"

Space rippled in front of me before suddenly collapsing in on itself. A miniscule black hole with just the bare minimum amount of energy.

But a black hole was still a black hole.

The beam of energy struck the black hole and went no further. In fact, it seemed to be stalled in space, twisting and bending around the black hole.

Being W flinched. But he glared at me doubled his attack, expanding the beam even further. As he did, he growled and said, "You think you know more than a god?"

"No. I think you're just unaware of how reality works. Like the fact that black holes can trap even raw information... Which includes a mind."

The black hole grew, greedily gobbling up Being W's attack.

I had to give him credit. Even if this wasn't reality, it still operated on proper logic. And from that, the amount of energy in that beam... Since the black hole was rapidly expanding, it was definitely reaching the output of a star.

...Just how powerful was this guy, really? He seemed to be struggling a bit, but there was still definitely gas left in his tank.

"Well, one way to find out."

Being W was still focused on trying to blast the black hole away.

A futile effort. There wasn't enough energy in existence to push a black hole away like that. And even if there was, it would be shot back out instead of moving the black hole. They just didn't like to move.

But this was my reality, my rules. And so...

I flung my hand forward, shooting the black hole towards Being W.

He screamed and suddenly turned into a thin white noodle, sucked into the event horizon of the black hole.

I watched as he gradually disappeared into the void.

It should have been over with that. Even a god couldn't escape the absolute rules of nature.

...Or so I thought. But...

"What the hell?"

A flash of white light shooting out from the black hole. An impossibility. At the same time, the black hole collapsed, revealing a mangled and bloody Being W.

"You *fucker.*" He glared at me and said, "I was wondering how the fuck everything was breaking down. You... You aren't human."

Well. Plan A didn't work. And neither did Plan B. Time for Plan C.

I stepped forward and reached out my left hand. As I did, the surroundings changed. Instead of just floating in space, we reappeared on a holographic platform.

Well, I did. Being W floated in the air above it, glaring at me.

I clenched my left hand and grabbed the hilt of a sword that didn't exist yet.

"I dunno. I feel pretty human. Well, I did until a certain god decided to mess with my life."

Right. So it looked like 'energy' wasn't enough. But that made sense when taking Rudeus's mana conjecture into account, as well as my own thoughts.

I wanted to try out my space-time collapse spell on him, but since he could jump out of a freaking black hole, I had a feeling that wouldn't work.

So... Plan C it was.

If mana was omnipotent, and if it flowed according to one's will... Conceptual manipulation wasn't beyond the realm of possibility.

Which meant that conceptual weapons could be a thing too.

It wouldn't be so simple in reality, but here...

A god had three major components: Authority, Power, and Faith.

Authority over a certain domain. Power to enforce that Authority. And Faith either by people or in itself to grant that power.

It would be a problem if Being W was an extraterrestrial being of unfathomable and incomprehensible eldritch power, but Rudeus and Orsted called him 'Hitogami.' The Human God.

Which meant that he was in the realm of comprehension.

Which meant that his powers were derived from humanity.

So.

A blade that denied the Authority of the gods by unraveling its mysteries. A sword that converted that knowledge to power. And the logic that overturned faith with unshakeable axioms.

"Damn that Laplace. I thought it would be enough to split him, but he pulled a fast one on me with that. Taking advantage of the broken soul to draw in an earthbound spirit to reincarnate together... I should have just-"

A flash of crimson light, cutting across time and space to reach Being W.

He scoffed and swung his hand to form a barrier. And then his eyes widened and he quickly retracted it, dodging instead.

"Tch." I lowered my blade. "Not that easy, huh?"

Even if this wasn't reality, concepts applied indiscriminately across the board. If I hit him with it, he would have carried that over. Seems like he wasn't as stupid as I thought he was though.

"You..." Being W grabbed his left arm and clicked his tongue. "Dammit. So that's what I meant. I-"

Another crimson flash.

This time, I took a page from my dad's attacks.

I still didn't figure it out yet in reality, but I remembered what it looked like. And that was all I needed here.

Bending time and space to slash. Using one's 'intent' and expanding it to claim a 'domain' through your mana before slashing everything at once.

"Freaking cheater!"

Being W managed to dodge. I didn't understand how, but he managed to warp out of the way, dodging an attack that should have been unavoidable.

...No. It was still unavoidable. While he mitigated the damage, I still hit him.

"Gah!"

Golden blood spilled before dissolving away into colorless mist. Raw mana, just like how Orsted's attack ripped apart the ambient mana before.

"Dammit!" Being W cursed at me and said, "This isn't over, you bas-"

I swung my blade again.

Being W shut his mouth and vanished. At the same time, I opened my eyes.

I was still in the defensive shell and holding Stella. From the explosions outside and muffled shouts, it seemed like the battle was still happening. But I could hear some cheers as well... Specifically Eris.

"Heh." I shifted Stella a bit and then smiled. "Told you Big Brother could handle it. Now, since I dealt that guy a big blow, we just have to wait and-"

A sudden lurch, shooting the ball into the air. Not only that, but the protections I placed down completely shattered, leaving just the iron shell.

But that shell quickly started to crumple, crushed by an unseen force.

My eyes widened and I quickly split the shell apart, letting whatever was drawing it in to take it. At the same time, I drew out all my mana and wrapped it around me and Stella, damping our momentum and trying to shove us out of the way.

But I didn't move.

And then I saw why.

"Holy shit."

A black hole, one emitting a chaotic flux of mana similar to what happened during Master Roxy's summoning experiments.

That bastard pulled an uno reverse card.

I wasn't moving right now since I had anchored myself with my mana. But when I did, there would only be one direction. And if I tried to disperse the summoning spell that mana was forming, I'd have to deal with the raw power of the black hole.

I... maybe could handle that. But not while holding Stella.

"RUDY!"

I heard Mom scream from behind me. Glancing back, I saw her and Mama Lily run towards me.

And then space cracked in front of them, spilling out summoning mana.

"NO! Stay-!"

Before I could finish speaking, they vanished. And they weren't the only ones.

More spatial cracks were opening up all around Buina village.

A high-pitched scream in the distance. Norn. "Eri! Sifi!"

A black hole formed over my house, tearing it completely apart. And as a result, it was also sucking in everyone nearby.

Including my sisters.

"Dammit!" I tried to do something. Cast a spell to pull her back. But the moment I moved even a bit of my mana, I started getting drawn into the black hole.

I glared at the black hole and growled. "That sly bastard...!"

I underestimated him. No, did I get too cocky? I showed him all of that thinking he wouldn't be able to do anything with it, but-

I shook my head and focused.

Think, Rudy. You can do this. Like the alternate you said, mana is omnipotent. So...

*tick*

Time slowed down.

Right. I had this ability.

A stalled world where time crawled to a halt.

*tick*

Was it because I was so close to a black hole? The time I had seemed shorter than usual. Not only that, but I had a feeling that trying to use my power to 'go back' like Rudeus implied I could wouldn't work.

*tick*

Focus!

I narrowed my eyes and surveyed the scene.

Mister Laws was holding Miss Rose, trying to keep her away from a black hole sucking them both in. And if it was just them, they would definitely be dragged in right away. But Ghyslaine was there. Piercing her sword into the ground and using it to gain ground, she held onto Laws's hand, trying to pull both of them back.

Master Roxy and Sylphy were holding onto Aisha who was trying to run towards Norn. But a spatial crack was appearing beneath them as well. The moment time resumed, they would fall through.

Eris was racing towards Norn. But she would be too slow. Dad was running as well and closing the gap faster. But they still wouldn't make it.

One chance.

I swept my eyes across the surrounding, thinking as fast as I could.

It was possible. I could save one of them. Using half my mana, I could get one of those groups to safety. But only one. I had to conserve at least half to protect me and Stella.

*tick*

Time was slowly speeding up.

With it, I could hear Eris and Dad's screams, stretched out as they called towards Norn.

I saw Master Roxy and Sylphy's surprise as they started to fall through. As they did, Sylphy started pulling Aisha close, as if to protect her, while Master Roxy's magic formations flared.

I saw Ghyslaine's sword start to slip as she, Mister Laws, and Miss Rose were pulled into the black hole.

Dammit.

He got me. That bastard got me... No. I got myself. If I hadn't given him the idea of a black hole and let him experience it...

No. I had to focus.

Time was speeding up.

Master Roxy and Sylphy could take care of Aisha. And since they were holding each other, they would end up in the same place and be fine. Especially since Master Roxy was taking preventive measures.

Ghyslaine, Mister Laws, and Miss Rose... Yes. They'd be fine too. Ghyslaine could read the flow of magic power with her eye and she was starting to pick up Dad's 'flow' technique, so they could make something work. Not only that, but Mister Laws and Miss Rose could also see mana.

So the one I had to save...

Time resumed.

Norn flew towards the center of the black hole, screaming. But before she fell in, I sent out my mana.

It was in my field of view. Mana was shaped according to the user's will. Something I experienced even more thoroughly fighting against Being W.

So.

The same vision I just witnessed. The slowed time, and Norn's body frozen in mid-air.

*tick*

"NORN!" Dad rushed in, sheathing his sword and reaching out with his arms.

"We've got you, Norn!" Eris shouted and ran in as well, kicking off the ground with a burst of flames.

*tick*

Norn didn't move- No. She did. But her 'time' had been slowed to a crawl while the world moved at a different pace around her. A temporal manipulation executed at the expense of-

"Kuh." I coughed, tasting blood in my mouth. At the same time, the vision in my right eye vanished, leaving just darkness.

*tick*

Dad reached Norn.

Eris held out her hand and then changed directions, sending out a burst of flames to go back. "Mister Paul!"

"I got it!"

Dad grabbed Norn with one hand and spun around to grab Eris.

...It wasn't enough.

*crack*

Norn's passage of time returned to normal, and she continued to scream. But then she noticed Dad and stopped. "P-Papa?"

"Eris, now!" Dad turned towards Eris, relying on her to get them out.

"R-Right!" She swung her sword, using a burst of flames to fly away.

Would it be enough?

I wanted to say it was. I wanted to believe it was. That at least a few of us would be confirmed to be safe and look for the others.

But I didn't have the time.

The black hole's gravitational pull sucked me in at a rapid speed. At the same time, the teleportation mana reached out to envelop me and Stella.

I didn't resist it, instead focusing on protecting my baby sister.

No matter what else happened, as long as I could protect her...!

A burst of light. A kaleidoscope of colors. Countless sceneries blurring past.

I felt something tug on Stella, trying to yank her away from me.

"Like hell I'd let you!"

No matter what. Even if my body broke apart, I had to keep her safe.

This was my fault. Because I got cocky, this happened.

A mistake, just like in my past life.

But I'd be damned if I let my baby sister get hurt because of it.

So come on. You know it, right? Mana gets amplified by emotions. And right now, the only thing I needed to do...!

A burst of crimson light. Just like the supernova I used against Being W.

And then I could move. Instead of being swept up in the flow, I could direct it.

Before anything else, I held Stella tighter.

She was awake now. Not only that, she was staring at me with wide eyes.

Was it fear? Hope? Trust?

I didn't know. But I knew that I had to get us out of this mess. So...

My eyes... No. My eye. My right eye couldn't see anymore, leaving me with just my left eye.

My remaining eye scanned the surroundings, looking for a way out.

It was a void with countless sceneries floating around like bubbles. I also wasn't alone. In the distance, I could see a few other people getting thrown across the void.

But I didn't have time to focus on them.

A safe place. At least a relatively safe place. One where I could make a shelter to recover and keep Stella safe from harm...

There. A relatively open grassland. Not only that, but one with plenty of ambient mana to utilize, and also one in broad daylight.

Before it passed me by, I shot towards it.

The moment I entered, I felt a weird ripple. Like jumping into a pool, except without getting wet.

And then I was suddenly falling.

But that was fine.

While my mana was low, there was plenty in my surroundings to use. So...

A gust of wind, slowing our descent.

A stone tower to meet us halfway.

And then we were safe... at least for the moment.

I landed on the roof of the tower, taking care to steady my shaky body. After that-

*static*

"Urgh."

A wave of nausea and fatigue.

I bit my tongue, using the pain to focus. But this was bad. At this rate, I'd fall over and hurt Stella.

"Just a bit more..."

I took a deep breath and focused on the ambient mana again, directing it to the tower.

First, a roof. Having a place like this pop up out of nowhere was bound to draw suspicion.

Then some lights.

A soft bed to rest Stella in...

Done.

I exhaled and then shambled over to the makeshift crib I made. "Sorry if it's uncomfortable, Stella." I carefully set her down and then leaned on the wall beside it. "But... I think big brother needs a nap. Just... Just for a few-"

-???-

On that day, it was raining.

There was an argument. Something inane.

But the result of it was that he stormed off.

She watched him leave, glaring at him the entire way.

And then a truck blew past a red light.

He didn't see it.

She did.

A panicked dash.

Screams from all around.

Blood.

His shocked face.

...Ah. He was safe. Then...

That was fine.

She thought it would end there and closed her eyes.

She regretted it. If she hadn't been so naggy. If she had listened instead...

But it was over.

She thought it was over. But the next thing she knew...

Blurry faces. Unintelligible voices, speaking in a foreign language.

Fear.

Was she crippled? A vegetable?

So she cried. She cried and cried and cried.

Terrifying roars erupted around her. Panicked words and loud noises.

It was a blur.

She couldn't comprehend what was happening.

But through it all, a calm voice echoed. She didn't understand it.

She didn't understand anything. Even as everything turned dark and terrifying noises echoed all around.

But at the end of it all...

*Dango, Dango, Dango, Dango, Dango daikazoku...*

A familiar melody. Familiar words.

Hearing those, she relaxed.

...She still didn't know what was going on. But for now at least...

[author] And we're finally on the move again. Some things change, but others remain the same. And some things in particular change a lot.

There will be a break tomorrow because I have work to do, but we'll get back to it the day after.

Cookies for each correct guess on where everybody ended up and who they meet.

[/author]