The world turned upside down and pain consumed her for the first time in a long time.
Then, a scream tore through the air.
***
I was not sure what overcame me. I was just…angry. It was stupid, childish even, but that did not matter at that moment. It was like I had to show Lea and all those doubting me how strong I had gotten. That I was not to underestimate.
Hence, the Soulfusion with all Soulkins other than the Mirage Serpent.
It strained the soulshares tremendously but it’d been worth it. Not only did Lea Zerog underestimate me, she didn’t want to go all-out. She refrained herself from using Soulfusion other than one time. Even that was more to see why the piercing wound inflicted with Nullblade didn’t recover as quickly as it should have.
Despite her faults and stupidity, Lea was not weak. She was faster, stronger, and a lot more experienced than I was. To subdue her I had to overwhelm Daniel’s sister, blocking her first few strikes with a shield from Kazriel’s armory before unleashing Mirage upon her. She struck my arm so fast I couldn’t respond, tearing through the bone like it was made of butter, but that was the cost of victory.
Nox’s arms shot out from my lower back when Mirage was at its peak, Nullblade coating the Ferronox Mantis’ conjured appendages as they ripped into her.
The blinding light of Mirage faded at last, and I was standing at the top, right arm hanging limply down my chest, Soulfused scythes piercing Lea’s chest and abdomen.
She stared at me wide-eyed.
Then, a scream – or was it a whimper? – rang through the arena, and my head flicked to the side of the room.
Mom? My mind went blank, eyes on my parents.
Expecting the worst, the fight was forgotten. Lea, however, didn’t seem to get the note. My danger sense perked up as she stirred, but I reacted too late.
One moment I towered above Daniel’s sister, and in the next it was all over. Lea did something, unleashing power unlike anything she’d shown up until this point, the sound of my bones breaking ringing through the air as she hurled me through the arena.
My vision turned dark for a moment. All strength left my body and Soulfusion deactivated.
I gasped for air, my chest burning, pain searing all over my side. Not even falling from the sky had been this painful, several bones cracked or shattered. My ribs were battered, and I didn’t even want to know how the rest of my body looked like given how it – every tidbit – felt.
As my vision cleared, Lea stood above me. Her body shrunk, skin rippling, eyes lingering on me.
“How foolish. To look away mid-combat.” She grunted and dropped a serum on my head.
Give me a second.
Volix commented in my head before taking over for a moment.
Phoenix fire swirled out from the inner World. It burst forth and coursed through flesh and bones, slowly healing the most severe wounds. Cracked bones were welded together and a set of bones snapped back into position before I reached for the serum. Removing the cap, I emptied the content and pushed up from the ground, ignoring my body’s warnings. Mom’s scream-whimper still echoed in my head.
Turning to my mother, the tears streaking down her face were the first thing that caught my attention.
For a moment I wondered if she was shocked how bloody the spar with Lea turned out to be, but I quickly recognized that something was wrong.
Daniel was pale, eyes locked onto the screen hovering before him. He wasn’t the only one. Everyone was glued to the holographic screens before them. Lea reacted faster than I did, her attention on the screen projected by her watch, incomprehensible curses escaping her lips.
Following her example, I opened my watch to several notifications.
[Emergency Proclamation of Mandatory Service
In light of the ongoing hostilities and the escalating threat posed by hostile Outsider forces, the Bastion hereby declare a state of existential crisis.
Effective immediately, all Blessed individuals assessed as combat-hardened and holding a Journeyman Rank or higher are hereby conscripted into mandatory service for the defense of humanity.
Those subject to this mandate will be assigned to Bastion defense forces, rapid-response units, or expeditionary task groups according to aptitude, specialization, and operational necessity. Refusal to comply with this directive will be considered a violation of the Protection Act of Humanity and prosecuted accordingly.
This measure is neither punitive nor permanent. It is a necessary response to an unprecedented crisis that threatens the survival of human civilization across the Bastions.
Further instructions regarding deployment, reporting locations, and logistical support will be distributed through official Nexus channels within the next seventy-two hours.
The Council recognizes the gravity of this decree and extends its acknowledgment to all Blessed who will answer this call—not as subjects, but as defenders of humanity.
For the Bastions. For humanity.]
Remnants of my Soulkins’ emotions lingered deep within me even now, but having several bones shattered forced me to calm down a little. That did not help much against the idiocracy unfurling before my eyes, nor did it improve as I checked the notification that followed.
[To all Blessed who hear this message,
The mandatory service is not merely an order. It is a plea born from necessity.
Humanity stands at the edge of extinction – not in some distant future, but now. The barriers that once kept us safe are being tested, and beyond them are enemies who do not hesitate, do not tire, and do not forget.
Throughout history, it has never been the many who carried humanity through its darkest hours—it has always been the few who were strong enough to stand when others could not.
The Pillars that emerged from the Camps have already proven this truth. Their power – the growth of our youngest generations – blesses us with hope.
Now, we ask you to stand beside them.
Not as conscripts. Not as tools. But as warriors who understand what is at stake. Your strength may decide whether the next generation is born into freedom or slavery…or if there will be no more generation to follow ours.
History will remember what is done in these coming days.
Stand firm. Fight well.
Humanity endures because you do.]
“Fuck that shit.” Lea cursed out comprehensible enough to be heard by everyone, and I couldn’t agree more.
Fuck that shit.
We’d just been conscripted.