Chapter 18: Old Rivals Reunited

It was no longer the meager power of the second realm, but a force to be reckoned with, a threat to even Martial Mortals!

“Oh, apparently I shouldn’t have abstained from using my Soul Sense. Then again, if I used it, the impact of this surprise would have been abortive”. Smiling, Zax held his hands upfront, reached out and grabbed the invisible scythe and mace.

Encompassed by a cohesive invisible energy, one man and one women moving in unison, bonded by a Companion’s Link formation!

“You two have gotten stronger”. Zax complimented. “But against the person I am now ... even augmented by this formation, your chances cannot even be described as slimmer, in comparison to what they had been last time!”

Channeling dark attribute energy, Zax’s fingers dug into the invisible energy weapons and with a dim “BANG” crushed them.

The two retreated. Jumping to the rooftop of the adjacent building and staring down, “We had yet to reveal the full extent of our power”. They voiced simultaneously with a tad of unwillingness due to the loss.

“Zechariah, Linor”. Zax’s smile grew.

“Wait, you know this guy?” The giant man interrupted the reunion of old rivals and acquaintances.

“Yes”, the two restrained their mystification as to why Zax appeared here, now, so strong, when he was thought to be dead! “A fellow indigenous of New Earth”. It was Zechariah doing the wording, but Linor’s voice resonated all the same.

“Is it true?” The four were deeply shaken. “How come we haven’t heard about him?” The duel pistols, Duthur, wanted to know why they kept in the dark instead of being told about a possible allay and a one so strong, at that.

“You did hear”. Zechariah, Linor. “His name is ‘Zax Zel’”.

“Zax Zel? The supposed runner up of our generation’s Martial competition? Wasn’t he declared deceased by the Elder Master?” The barehanded woman asked.

“Wait a moment”. Zax suddenly said, intending to renew the conversation with Zechariah and Linor after retrieving the Black Core from the Blue Stone.

“You can’t intrude on this house”. Zechariah and Linor in a flicker moved from the rooftop to the apartment, in front of Zax, their aura not entirely hostile but also not submissive.

“This formation ... Are you and the other four, and maybe that woman’s husband, too, are members of Sinister Chain?”

Zechariah’s and Linor’s brows creased. First he rises from the dead, and then he recognizes the organization they are in based on their formation? ‘Could it be that he faked his death, to hide the fact he joined the five powers?’

In truth, they recognized him the instant the defensive formation was utilized and they probed the scene with their Soul Senses. They were in immense shock and wanted to confirm that he is who he looks like immediately. They asked the four to investigate first, assuring them that they will show up in case they will not be able to handle the opponent and convincing them that this is an opportunity to familiarize with each other so in the future mastering the Companion’s Link formation would be easier. However, as the notion that he might be a traitor occurred, along with the identity of the woman’s husband he mentioned and they are familiar with, their resolution to first get answers escalated.

“This house is of limits, even to you, Zax. If there is a reason you must get in, then you first have to shed light over some of the questions we have”. Zechariah and Linor gave an ultimatum. Wary of the worse and how strong Zax has become, they maintained the formation.

“Fine, I also have things I’d like to know, but first I will finish my business here”. He was disinterested in prolonging the argument.

His figure was there and then it was not. Keeping up with it was futile.

Zax returned to the nursery and approached the barrier defensive formation. The woman within was a mere Earth’s Core Holder, for here couple of seconds gone by since the activation of the formation, but for him it could have been hours. As of now she stood still, frozen in his time.

TING!

TING!

TING!

TING!

TING!

Five fingers penetrated the formation like sharp claws. Zax drew his hand and ripped the barrier. The floor quaked, the yellow gold shade began to collapse and fade.

“Don’t touch her”. They were Peak Core Masters, but the Companion’s Link formation enhanced their perception, made them faster and stronger as it did Rockwell and Riv. However they were still much slower than Zax.

Despite it being liquefied, his was Qi was poor, meant to be cultivated the day he will obtain the full Legacy Of The One’s Path. As unique as it constantly been, his soul had yet attained the third realm’s capabilities of performing feats such as telekinesis. Thus, Zax extended his reach with the dark attribute energy, grasping with it and taking the Blue Stone from the young woman’s blouse.

“See? I didn’t hurt her or the baby”. Zax raised his hands in surrender. With the Black Core being a Blue Stone distance away, he was in a wonderful mood.

“Eh? It’s gone”. The young woman cried as they all returned to communicate at the same flow. “The formation!” Her voice turned high pitched from fright and the baby boy in her arms started crying by the approximate loudness.

“Settle down, Savir”.

“Mister Zechariah, Miss Linor, you arrived! Where is everybody else?” One moment they show up, the next vanished together with the intruder – now thief – following by the reappearance of the intruder and two of the six familiar faces left in the city to protect them in case of an emergency.

“He stole it, please take it back”, without hesitation the young woman, Savir, beseeched. “Yurnal said that it’s for Yimin, when he will grow up!”

“No, it’s mine”. Zax corrected her. “Zechariah, Linor, it seems that you are unaware of what she’s taking about. Let me tell you, it’s not something that belongs to anyone, but me. Regardless who’s the owner of this Blue Stone; I will return it, however not before taking the object inside”.

“Zax, it’s you who don’t understand. Keep the Blue Stone, but don’t break the soul imprint on it just yet. First let’s talk and then, after both sides get a little bit smarter, decide what to do”. They were relieved that he was true to his words of not posing harm to Savir and Yimin, but they also had no idea what was kept inside the Blue Stone and what will be his ... Yurnal’s response should he know that it was stolen.