Chapter 15: Eyes closed

A large roar erupted from the sky as the Great Ape Mosong emerged from the sky. His landing tore through the ground like rippling waves and uprooted the vast trees. All that remained was a devastated earth and the unstable Noah.

"Be-hahaha! So the humans of this era have discovered THAT power after all~ I can't wait to play!"

Noah convulsed and his mouth awkwardly spewed out words. "A-ah...I...I...Noah...Zeke?"

"So you aren't stable yet? What a shame...I would have loved to see your maximum potential." Mosong readied his first and launched it towards Noah's miniscule body. A bright light engulfed the field and shockwaves of air expanded outward.

Between Noah and Mosong was a thin barrier shining a magestic gold, the Magic particles clashed and formed a clear opening in the clouds. Noah erected the barrier with a single finger.

The Great Ape hit the barrier again and again, but it's defense never faltered. 'High level projection type magic...' Mosong thought. He hadn't sensed any major traces of Magic within the boy before, so how could he generate so much now? Even if a human were to lose control of a Contract, both the Magic beast and Human would crumble in mere seconds.

Whatever this boy was, it was quite different from a human, as well as a Magic beast.

Noah's body began to take a consistent shape, the amorphous black smog transforming itself into a tangable body. He pointed his right hand out in the shape of a finger gun. His voice took on a distorted, almost eerie cadence.

"Bang."

An inextricably dense force dug into Mosong's chest, yet it wasn't quite like a projectile. Magical energy functions as a wave, allowing for the condensation of Magical power to be pushed outward from the body. However, Noah didn't "release" anything. It was a distortion of the natural world and it's laws. A calamity that shouldn't exist.

He laughed off the injury and pressed the attack. Noah nimbly dodged and countered in equal strides. The black smog grew more aggresive and erratic as the battle progressed. Murky figures of monsters flashed within his memories, their sinister laughs repeating over and over.

"You! You you your your fault! Fault! Your fault!" His arm unraveled into a mass of black smog and lifted nearby trees, hurling them towards his massive opponent. The impact of the falling trees shook the earth and rung across the heavens.

"Gah! Hold onto something everyone!" Cassia wailed. She steadily gained her footing and worriedly observed the fight.

"Damn! The corruption's gotten even worse! At this rate..." Mason said with a disheartened.

"We can't deal with Noah and Mosong at the same time! We need to divert their attention! Mason, Harper, set up a barrier around Noah to confine his sporatic movements! Pam and I will fend off the Ape King until Cassia can reach Noah! No matter what, do not die!" Malery declared with the cadence of a natural-born leader.

"Yes maam!" The group said in unison and dispersed.

Cassia stood upon the rubble and shouted in the distorted Noah's direction. "Noah! Can you hear me?!"

Mosong noticed the young woman's cries. "Tsk- So those little pests are still here...I'll kill them now. Especially you, brother." He eyes glared sharply at Pam.

He crushed a chunk of rubble and threw it near squad 12, the larger stones breaking down into smaller, high-speed projectiles that could blow through even a modern tank. Mason quickly activated Belial's ability, [Sun and Moon], and blew up the shrapnel with small lightning bolts.

"Keep going!" Mason demanded.

Cassia limped and struggled towards the two titans as the battle ensued. Noah's face grew inhuman and terrifying, lost in the throws of madness. Despite this, she cried out to him nonetheless. "Is this what you meant back then?! Is this the choice you'll make? A choice of certain death?"

Her words could not reach the young man. He stood atop the Great Ape's foot and lacerated his ankle with a sweeping cut from the side. Mosong reeled back in pain.

"Even if you think your life is worthless, I'll still come back to help you! You dense asshole!" As she got closer to Noah, Mosong only grew more enraged. He slammed down his fist in the hope that she would be crushed under the weight of his hand, yet only blood was released from his palm.

Pam had gathered enough strength to protect Cassia with one attack before collapsing to the ground once more. "Hey jackass, mind lending me a hand?" She scoffed at the might Gilsong hovering over her shoulder. "I can't take on Mosong as I am now, the strategy won't work unless we do this. Take over my body."

Gilsong looked with both excitement and apprehension. "Do you realize what you just asked? After rejecting me for so long, you've suddenly opened up and decided to play buddy buddy? You've gone soft..." He looked down at her with a small grin.

"Of course not asshole, I've got some conditions for the possession."

"...State you conditions." Gilsong let out a heavy sigh.

"Firstly, you will not be allowed to harm any of the members of Squad 12. Secondly, you will only be in possession for 5 minutes."

"..."

"Argh! You're so damn stingy! We'll make it 10..."

"You've got yourself a deal."

A well of energy poured out of Pam's body as the Divine King of Miyo, Gilsong, invaded her body. Her teeth became fangs and her nails grew sharp and long.

"..?!" Mosong sensed the familiar energy and immediately turned his attention towards the former king. 'Your body is different, but it has to be you! Brother!' His mind with rampant with fear and hatred for his former brother. The memories of abandonment carved into his face in the form of a scar.

He remembered his sly face as he turned his back to Miyo, "For a little brother, you're really pathetic. You can take my position if you want, I couldn't care less, but I can't stand having a brother as low as you."

Those words echoed in his mind and sent him into a blind range. "BROTHER!!!" He punched Gilsong with all of his might, yet his fist came to a sudden stop.

His eye twitched with a sense of unease upon gazing at his younger brother. 'I thought I chose to abandon everything, I thought I had freedom, but to face you again...' Gilsong was in thought for but a moment before putting on his veil of confidence once again.

"I'll have you know that I'm not facing you out of some sort of brotherly bond I feel. I'm merely interested in that boys fate! So let's so have some fun, little brother."