Aeon Acclimation Act 2

Viego gave a swift gesture with his hand and a bunch of smaller holes appeared in the air.

"Now listen carefully Vivshi, do you like numbers?"

"What does that have to do with this fight?"

"I will explain my Acclimation so you don't die so fast. The first thing you gotta know is that my acclimation creates what you would call a dealer, somewhat similar to blackjack. There are five holes above me, my Aeon will dish out different numbers in the pair of two between 1-11, depending on the numerical value of the combination…"

All of the holes seemed like a liquid almost watery but it was burning. It was as if it was burning water. But out from the shadows of the holes pointed metallic objects.

"These different values will create different weapons. But do be warned if I ever hit the value of 21, you will perish."

"So you want me to be counting throughout the fight?"

"Just watch."

The metallic objects that exited from the holes were subsequently set ablaze in different colors from each hole.

Then they shot out all at the same time towards me. One was hundreds of burning blue knives, another was a giant sword no human could lift. Three other blades and weapons came hurling at me at high speeds.

I ducked and dodged all of them. But the terrain made it difficult to maneuver. One wrong misstep and I would be swallowed by the scorching earth. One slow act and I would be pierced and cleaved in two.

I thought it was over but the next wave of weapons came at me. Viego stood there with his arms crossed while weapons came hurling. Canonballs, spears, chains, long swords, and excalibers came at me. I tried to run around, jumping on the solidified ground to avoid the onslaught.

I looked around trying to find a way to escape, but what would happen if I escaped? I turned my back and ran as fast as I could out of there. But a giant meteor came crashing into the ground, bursting my eardrums. The meteor was so hot and emitted such warmth that my skin started to turn red and flaky and my ooze started to boil.

"No running, fight me as a man," Viego mocked from a distance.

My face twitched, reminding me that Emovi and the rest of them were still in the building, what would happen to them?

I tried to contact Devina to tell her about this situation, so I quickly snapped open my phone and went to call her. Suddenly one of the hundreds of knives hit me in the hand and the phone flew into the lava.

Goddamnit, what does this guy want from me? Like he fought me already before why does he want to kill me now?

I was infuriated, and frustrated, someone chasing me down to end my freedom. The ability to protect those you love and to live happily with them. Viego was trying to sever my connection with them. I turned back to face Viego who stood inside his pocket dimension still with a confident expression.

The mark of Freedom pulsated violently and extended itself across my chest, deeply rooting into my body. The flames on my back burned violently and the ringing noise echoed throughout my ear.

"If it is a showdown you want, I will give you a showdown."

Viego gave a big smile before uncrossing his arms and gesturing for me to come closer.

I rushed towards him at supersonic speeds, I stepped onto the lava and ran over it as if it was solid ground and flew towards Viego.

Wave after wave of weapons came towards me, all missing their mark. The meteor came out again and collided with the lava creating a wave of death. I ran towards the side to avoid the wave but then the giant sword came down, slicing my shoulder off.

I didn't have to worry about cauterizing the wound at least. My shoulders and back burned intensely with crackling being heard from one ear.

I continued my dash towards Viego and finally reached his pocket dimension and he took out one of his swords and blocked my attack.

"Well done, you have reached me," he said with a smirk.

The mark on my cheek pulsated even faster, telling me that my freedom was in danger. Sensing the incoming threat, I stopped attacking Viego and focused on defense. I hopped backward and covered myself in my ooze. Layer by layer.

"20."

A ring of fire appeared around me and after the third tick, a pillar of magma shot up from the ground, consuming me whole.

When the pillar finally subsided, I released my ooze. Viego started laughing and told me that I had done good enough to survive that attack. My body was completely scorched, my arms had turned black, and my legs were covered in burn marks. I looked like one of those mummified corpses with dried-up black skin. My eyes were no longer there, they had been completely boiled and I couldn't feel anything.

Viego started applauding me, he clapped his hands and told me that this was the end.

I just knew the next wave of weapons would come, and I wouldn't be able to defend myself. With the remaining strength I had left, I stood up straight and looked up at the bright moon.

"See ya later Emovi, Devina."

But at that moment I heard Aylin's voice call out. Aylin? She needed to evacuate this place, it wasn't safe for her.

"With this one wish, I desire for complete recovery."

My vision was restored, and my body had turned back to normal again. All my wounds and burn marks had disappeared. Thank you Aylin, your wish will not go unnoticed!

Then in the distance, I saw Aylin holding her cheek, unable to maintain her balance. It looked like she was in a lot of pain, she was bent over and covered her face.

"With this one wish, I desire for help!"

From the puddles of my ooze, a hand stretched out.

Viego's eyebrow lifted as he saw an arm reach out of my pool.

Then suddenly a buff man flew out of the puddle, his eyes were completely red but under the moonlight, I saw who he was.

It was Dino. He charged at Viego and punched away all the weapons that came at him. The fire didn't seem to affect him, was this because of Aylin's power or mine? Nonetheless, I wouldn't waste this opportunity. I charged in with Dino.

He dealt with the incoming artillery while I closed in on Viego. We finally reached Viego, Dino punched the sword Viego was holding and it went flying. With one swift strike, I managed to cut off one of Viego's arms. This time, he started bleeding and it dripped down.

Dino went in again, right hooking and kicking him, but Viego armed himself with his martial arts and applied flames to it, parrying and blocking Dino's attacks. I moved in a pressured Viego even more, until he flew back a few meters from the impact of Dino's punch.

"Hah… you have done pretty good, coming this far. But your luck has run out."

Dino suddenly grabbed me by my neck. What?!?

"I thought you were on my side…"

He didn't respond or express any emotion. He threw as hard as he could from Viego's dimension. It was as if I turned into one of those hawks that dived their prey at 300km/h, I soared through the sky and landed in a lake around 400 meters away from Fivindius estate.

But then I heard it.

"21, Ragnarok."

A huge red light swallowed the whole Fivindius estate.

I watched in horror as it happened, it shattered my eardrums again and the shockwave caused me to fall unconscious.

After a few seconds of being knocked out cold, I shook myself and swam out of the lake. I walked down the empty streets with broken lamps. I got down on my knees and put my hands on my face, clawing at the mark. My eyes were still and I saw the scene that was before me.

A massive crater, expanding down to the earth. It was so deep that I couldn't see the bottom of it. The beam covered one-third of the city of Nautilus, and everything in that vicinity had been erased.

I looked around in disgust, I couldn't believe it, everyone was dead. Devina and the rest of them, none of them could have survived this.

"Emovi… Aylin… Marlowlia…"

I slammed the ground over and over again. I couldn't stop crying, my fists were bleeding and my teeth sank deep into my lips.

"Why?!?"

The mark of Freedom pulsated more violently than ever before.

I will never, never forgive you Viego. Even if you are dead, I will hunt and crave you out of hell.

A voice in my head spoke out to me.

"That's right, we exist to kill."

And then in the air, in his pocket dimension, Viego emerged, he had cauterized the wound on his arm and he looked down upon me.

"Pitiful."

Those words shot into my soul and reawakened something that shouldn't been disturbed.

A smile etched across my face.

I had lost myself again, I was chained up in an empty void. The same woman in the same red kimono walked up to me. She tended to my wounds and stroked my strands.

In a soft soothing voice, she hummed out a melody. It was so calming and sweet, that I fell asleep while being chained up.

"NOW, LET'S FIGHT, TRUE EMBODIMENT OF FREEDOM VERSUS EMBER!" I yelled at Viego.

It was no longer my voice, I was no longer in control, but somehow, deep within my consciousness, I witnessed how my own body moved against my own will. I saw myself stabbing myself in the chest multiple times to cover my weapon in blood. I saw how I fiercely charged at Viego with no hesitation, getting my head blown off by the giant sword, just for it to regrow. I saw how a meteor crushed my body but the ooze completely swallowed it as if was nothing before recovering from being flattened.

It was repulsing to watch myself do all that stuff. But I couldn't do anything about it.

"21, Ragnarok."

The same light beam of power fell on me, swallowing me whole and disintegrating my body. Creating another crater, the whole city was in shambles. Two giant holes swallowed 2/3 of the city of Nautilus. It was midnight, and no one was awake, but due to all the noise, people finally noticed and the emergency bell was rung. People evacuated and ran for their lives but, I was still stuck in this place, where I was chained and taken care of by a woman.

Viego closed the pocket dimension and opened it again at the bottom of the sinkhole.

"You are a complete monster…"

My body regenerated from being disintegrated and it stood up again. Looking at Viego, it marched forward with heavy steps.

"You leave me with no choice."

Viego grabbed both ends of his dimension and expanded them in all directions.

"Enter the plane of death, the place where you will be buried, the home for the grim, I welcome you to the hellish underground."

He took one step out of his pocket dimension.

"Aeon Acclimation Act 2, Dodes Rike."