Storm Council

  Not from the Origin Realm? He knew from Severance that there was somewhere beyond, but to meet someone from there was unexpected.

  ?“Are you really from... where are you from?” Blade asked, wanting to know more. He didn’t exactly doubt her words, the timing was just a bit too convenient.

  ?“My home world is called the... my home is The First World.”

  ?“The First World? So that’s what it is called,” Blade repeated. He had mostly gotten used to being here, so the name didn’t even sound that weird.

  ?“You seem a little surprised. Most people would be speechless by the fact there are more planes beyond this one.”

  ?“Planes?”

  ?“Just a word for our realities. Since they’re so vastly different from other ones, and because it is impossible for them to have multiple, we call them planes.”

  ?Blade gave a short nod, summarizing that planes were just realities where a multiverse was impossible. But that led him to asking.

  ?“Why can’t a multiverse be made?”

  ?Finding some intrigue in what she saw as ignorance and stupidity, she answered him.

  ?“Authority holders can only exist in one place. If they exist in one place, they can’t be found in another. In fact, this goes for the whole reality itself, no variants can be made of the Origin Realm nor the other planes. We only have the original one.”

  ?“And I’m guessing these planes were specifically created for Authority holders, and the people came later.”

  ?As she nodded, Blade felt multiple thoughts fill his head. The concepts and facts she had presented were simple in thought, but opened up a lot more to Blade.

  ?The people he had known had multiple variants of themselves. Some lived worse, others lived better. Many of them could have lived an almost identical life, with only a small change like the time they woke up or a strand of hair, yet others could be almost entirely different people. Yet that left the question. What about him?

  ?Blade had been a human up until the events with the Selector in his world. Then, because of Aira, his body had managed to be reconstructed at a level that could withstand being here, and by the help of Severance, he now got a body similar to the people who were naturally birthed here. There was also the fact he had Absolute Authority. Aira’s meddling, too, and Severance were other variables, both only existing in one place. What did it mean that they had been with him? Had he simply been lucky? Was there a deeper meaning? And since there could only be one root, what then about the other variants? Yet he was still human. Did he have variants of himself? Did they simply die when he came here? Too many questions and no answers. He was tempted to ask Severance what any of it meant, but eventually decided against it. He already had a lot to do and think about, and simultaneously, there was already a lot he had to learn. If he chose to learn now, it would only cause his focus to shift.

  ?As he stood there, Raiden voiced her thoughts, bringing him back to reality as he listened.

  ?“I’m running out of strength... will probably die soon... so could I ask you... to fulfill a last request of mine?”

  ?“No,” Blade replied quickly, causing even Raiden to be truly surprised.

  ?“Is it because you hold hatred towards me for killing your friends? If so, this request isn’t aimed at me...”

  ?“The answer is still no. And it has nothing to do with your actions,” Blade interrupted. The determination, combined with the confusion it left her, made her voice rise slightly as she questioned him.

  ?“Why do you refuse? At least tell me a reason.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  ?“I don’t like your tone,”

  Blade said bluntly as he stood up.

  ?His words caused her to smile. A smile that quickly developed into a chuckle, before derailing into a laugh which held happiness, only humor at her own state.

  ?“My tone? So what do you want? Me to beg and grovel, praying for your cherished help? Is that it?”

  ?Despite her words and look, Blade did not change his stance, yet he did reformulate his words.

  ?“The reason I’m not going to help you is because you have given up on helping yourself.”

  ?“And what is that supposed to mean?”

  ?“That I can’t help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves. You have the choice. Either choose to stay dead, or choose to get up.”

  ?She looked at the hand Blade held out for her. A last chance to move forward, if she chose so.

  ?“And what do I do when I get up?”

  ?“Don’t know. I’m still trying to figure out that myself. Maybe in the end it’s nothing. But you are curious too, aren’t you? About what lies if you chose to move forward.”

  ?They did not know each other by any means. But they were alike in some regards. Similar enough to where Blade could make this offer without looking back.

  ?“...Fine then... I’ll join you... just, I’m too weak to lift my hand.”

  ?Blade was happy at her eventual willingness to fight with him. Both of them knew this was by no means an attempt at redemption or negation of either's actions. It was simply finding a common ground they both could stand by and defend. Yet now the question hit him.

  ?“How do we heal you?”

  ?Raiden blinked, a mix of shock and amusement. Before she finally broke and let out a lighthearted laughter, even as she coughed blood from it. It was a strange feeling for both of them. Raiden couldn’t remember the last time she had anything to smile about, let alone laugh as naturally as now. For Blade, it was strange because it felt like ages since he had heard the voice of laughter. When her voice died down, she said.

  ?“I’m guessing you still have the Authorities of ice and fire, don’t you? With everything you did, I doubt it was only to get them for your own use.”

  ?“Correct, I do still have them, but is that of importance now?” he asked, a tiny bit of caution welling in him, which grew the tiniest bit more when she said.

  ?“Give them to me.”

  ?“Why?”

  ?“Because my own core is fractured beyond repair. Those two Authorities were also a part of mine core, so taking them back should make it repairable, at least. Afterwards, I will give them back.”

  ?Blade did not know how much he could trust her, but seeing as he had been the one offering to give her a chance, he felt he should at least try this much. Placing the Authorities in her hand, he watched as she mustered the strength to absorb the Authorities back in her. It took a little while before she gained the strength to move.

  ?Standing up a bit shakily, stretching for a moment, before following Blade as they began walking.

  ?The ravine was silent except for their steps on the ground. To break the silence, Blade eventually asked.

  ?“What is this place? And how did you know you would survive falling down here?”

  ?It made little sense to Blade. And unlike her previous behavior, which had always been calculated, this had been an illogical move.

  ?“This place is a graveyard, both for the dead and living,” Raiden proclaims, for Blade’s confusion.

  ?“A graveyard for the living and dead?”

  ?His answer gets quickly answered by him having to jump out of the way, as an enormous bug-like monster with its skeleton protruding, appears from one of the many holes in the side of the ravine.

  ?Cutting down the monster, Raiden says.

  ?“The reason for its name is due to the high level of Mora that had been kept here due to all the people who have died here. This has then crystallized within the other beings here, which are primarily insects, and thus caused this mutation.”

  ?“Okay, and I’m guessing the more people who die down here, the more mana gets left, meaning even stronger insects.”

  ?The conclusion came from his own knowledge and what she had told him, and it seemed it was right as he cut down another one of the monster bugs.

  ?“The bugs simply live and mutate. Then some unfortunate one lands here and becomes food. The bugs which eat the person evolve. Yet mutation can also happen naturally. Eventually the one that mutated and eats the evolved one, and that suddenly becomes the new floor for survival.”

  ?It was a basic concept. They fought, ate, and got stronger. The rest were either forced to follow soon or die after. Blade though was more curious about another thing.

  ?“Why haven’t any of you killed them then?”

  ?“It’s Xuria’s army. She made all these long before. I think it was around after the 1000 Year War.”

  ?Her words piqued his interest the most. A 1000 Year War?

  ?“What do you mean, 1000 Year War?”

  ?Raiden glanced over to him as she killed four more monsters, as she asked.

  ?“How little do you know? The 1000 Year War between Indra and Iris? How sheltered were you, to never have heard about it?”

  ?Blade kept quiet, understanding that in her eyes, he must look like a sheltered fool, who has barely learned anything and experienced little of the real world.

  ?“Well either way, do you have a plan on how to get out of here?”

  Blade asked, knowing if they continued, he might be left in a worse condition. He had skipped out on healing in favor of doing this within the time limit he set with her, and though his Mora had mostly restored, his health was still not at its best.

  ?“Well, we can’t use the same way we got in...”

  ?It was then Blade decided to just throw out his idea, with no better option viable.

  ?“Then we create a new one. If you could get in with brute force, we can get out using it.”