Chapter 49

PHASE ONE

"Hasn't this story gotten boring lately."

"It sure has."

"From the first generation, we should be expecting something better than this."

"Why not spice it up a bit ?"

"A bit ?" The man sighed, "I'm pushing things to the limit."

***

Kied's eyes blackened as he felt those sensations run down his spine, he could feel it, he could feel them calling him, it wasn't Hade Norx Zex this time, it was them, who were they ?

"Show yourself !" Kied yelled.

Looking around, he realized that he was stuck in this desolate realm of darkness, a darkness that was so dense that he couldn't even see his palms.

"Your life", that voice called, "your very existence, is the birth of chaos itself."

"Who are you ?" Kied called.

"Me ? Who am I ?" The voice intoned.

"This isn't the first time you've spoken to me." Kied accused, "so tell me", he yelled, "who the hell are you !"

"Are you ready to know ?" The voice questioned, "Are you ready to know the answer ? Are you ready to know the reason behind this madness ? Your very existence", the being repeated, "is the birth of chaos itself."

"Damn you !" Kied cursed, "I've done everything you've asked for. From defeating the TWELVE SEATS OF METRA, THE HORNS OF FIARA, breaking the SALVATION'S LAW'S, defying the GRAND ORDER OF MIARA. I've faced countless gods and celestial beings from the ever living realms of existence", Kied snarled, "What else do you want me to do before you take this away from me !" Kied yelled.

"I'm sorry to tell you this", the voice chuckled, "your BURDEN CAN'T BE LIFTED."

Kied chuckled, soon his smile turned into a mad laughter.

"I knew it, right from the start I knew it", Kied laughed bitterly.

"You knew", the voice said, "but why did you still choose to proceed with the oath."

"Because", Kied grinned, "my life felt boring without war."

***

"For Kied to have called us at this moment", Trident mused, "what the hell is going on in that brat's head."

"It doesn't seem like it's something trivial", Thorace said from his chair at the table, "with the way he's been standing still at the corner of the room, I think he already knows."

"There has been a rift in the dimensional gates leading to Norden", Kied said, "isn't that right Trident ?"

"Why are you asking me bugger ?" Trident.

"I don't expect a he-goat to do any better", Kied sighed.

"Who are you calling ..."

Trident was about replying when he saw Kied's fierce gaze and his darkened eyes.

"Better shut up", Kied warned.

"That's the part I like about this kid", Rode yawned from the couch.

"With the Trail Disector still in the hands of the Feudal Order", Kied continued, "it would have been one problem we have to deal with."

"So you mean we've got more troubles ahead of us." Vage suggested from where he stood.

"It's no ordinary war ahead of us", Kied revealed, "we're about to face what those bastards in my head call A CALAMITY"

PHASE TWO

"Do you think he'll be able to handle this, Legacy ?" The young boy behind the man in a velvet robe said.

"I don't know Nomad", Legacy replied.

"Would you want me to take a part in this ?", The boy said.

"Do you have to ask me that ?" Legacy sighed, "If you can break the array of those seven scarecrows, and handle being sentenced to the AGRAVANIA, you can if you want to."

"Things have been a bit boring lately", Nomad yawned, "why not take a break ?"

Nomad's being frayed into the air leaving Legacy standing, as he stared at the marmoreal skies which had that mighty octahedron levitating within its burning clouds. Seeing that crack appear on the formerly crystalline surface of the octahedron, Legacy grinned.

"So the brat was capable of breaking through right from the start."

***

Judith and James watched in awe as they saw those explosions rising from the earth. They were lucky that they were still aboard the the Aegis and they wondered what was going on down there that was causing all this destruction.

"Do you know anything about this Equivax ?" James asked

"When Kied returns you can ask him." Equivax replied.

"We really have to ask him about this", James said, "but how ? I couldn't even look into those dark eyes of his when he was leaving a moment ago."

"What's so scary about that ?" Judith tutted.

"Like you could even look him in the face after what he did to you the other day." Trident challenged.

"I don't have anything to do with that monster", Judith threw her face away.

She denied caring blatantly, but deep down, she was wondering, what had made Kied change at this very instant.

"Is Kied going to die ?" She asked Equivax.

"It's worse than that", Equivax replied, "we could all die."

PHASE THREE

That whirring sound of blades slicing through the air echoed through the distance, then came the screech of an eagle falling like a meteor from the skies, striking the ground it unleashed that mighty pillar of flames which rose like an aureole to the burning clouds.

The dust, smoke and floating debris made seeing difficult, but as it slowly cleared away, the outline of that form walking steadily forward, could be seen emerging from the clouds of dust.

"You still came dark child of war", that monstrous voice rose from the bottom of that pit.

Kied didn't reply but walked on, his lips and face not twitching one bit.

"You dare ignore me", the voice chuckled, "just as they say", the voice continued, "the dark child of war, is one insolent brat."

The ground quaked as that mighty and writhing form erupted from the ground, a serpent with the half the body of a man, who's eyes blazed of intense green arose. It's fangs and claws lightning sharp, it hissed to the skies.

"Well then child of war", the serpent said, "you came to see Gora, I hope my face won't be the last thing you shall be seeing ?"

Hypernox landed on Kied's left shoulder, it's eyes blazing red as it stared at this cosmic beast then, it's screech rose like a thunderstorm to the skies.

"I know Hypernox",Kied said, "but, I don't have a choice either, I'll have to do this and make sure I do it perfectly."

Hypernox rose like a streak of lightning to skies, charging at this being, it's form burned of flames, it was an eagle in rage.

Closing his eyes Kied felt his core rave, that sea of darkness begging to be released, the waves of lightning rising like mountains within his core, his EMBRYO.

"Not yet you monster", Kied assured, "When the moment comes you'll be prepared."

Kied's being frayed as he bolted through the distance, unsheathing his two swords which melted and remoulded themselves into burning chains, Kied clashed in a fierce battle with the serpent beast Gora.

Rising to the skies, Kied slithered his way through the halos the serpent unleashed from it's mouth, closing the distance between them. When the gap had been covered, it became a fight of claws and chains.

***

Equivax's head jerked upwards as he heard Hypernox's screech.

"The war", he said, "has already begun."