The raw brutality of the surprise attack horrified Dorian.
Sun Wukong's eyes were covered in a layer of green energy as Mello tore them out. The moment they were ripped free, the world seemed to scream in agony as the eyeballs transformed into two glowing orbs of white energy. A heart-rending sensation of pain flooded Dorian's soul as he felt this, nearly knocking him unconscious.
This sensation seemed to impact everyone here, even Mello. All of the other Anomalies winced and fell backwards, several of Mello's allies collapsing. Dorian was forced down to his knees, largely because he was still recovering from the battle with Zero.
Mello merely grunted, as if he had been expecting this. He jumped backwards a dozen meters after securing the two glowing orbs, covering them up protectively.
Sun Wukong, in the meanwhile, fell down to one knee, blood spurting up from his lips. His Aura fluctuated wildly, becoming incredibly weak, more so than it already was from his injured state.
"Mello?! What have you done?" Dorian fought against the fog that clouded his mind as he threw off the pain, spinning to face the Anomaly angrily. The air around him trembled as he jumped between Sun Wukong and his attacker, glaring at Mello.
Mello was staring intensely at the two orbs, focusing on them as if preparing something. He replied to Dorian without breaking that focus,
"I did him a favor, in a way. These Eyes were killing him. You could say that I have saved his life."
Dorian blinked and turned back to look at Sun Wukong.
The monkey was still on one knee, the Aura around him still very weak. A line of blood dripped down from his lips as he sat frozen.
"How can you call that saving?!" Dorian spun back, his voice still laced with anger. As Dorian spoke, he put his full focus on recovering his strength as fast as possible.
He had never fully trusted Mello. After all, the Anomaly had even attacked him before. However, considering how they had worked together last time, he had at least gained some modicum of trust for the Anomaly. The fact that the Anomaly showed up here with help had originally solidified that.
This incident, however, served as a stiff reminder. Mello would act and do whatever he thought he needed to do, regardless of Dorian's opinion. His thin level of trust for Mello promptly dissipated, causing him to view everything the Anomaly said with suspicion.
"Give it a few minutes, brother. He's greatly overdrawn the power of his Soul Spell Matrix, and his soul in general, especially given the dire injuries his soul already bore." Mello held the two glowing white orbs in one hand as he raised his other hand and gestured at Dorian and Sun Wukong,
"I know you can hear me, even if you can't respond, monkey. I'm sure you're feeling pretty confused right now, eh?" Mello smiled slightly,
"After all, all of those permanent injuries to the soul you had… they should all be regenerating now, right?"
Dorian's eyes widened slightly when he heard that. He glanced back at Sun Wukong again.
Now that he looked closely, he could faintly tell that Sun Wukong had entered a state of meditation. While his Aura was incredibly weak, Dorian could just faintly tell that the monkey was in some type of healing state.
Mello continued to speak as he studied the two glowing orbs,
"The injuries you suffered to your soul were never permanent. The energy you spent to keep yourself stable should've been used to heal you. After all, Yukeli is powerful, but to cripple your soul, an Angelic Class soul, for a thousand years? " Mello gestured with his wrist, as if such a suggestion was ludicrous.
A tired, sardonic voice echoed out, one that caused Dorian to spin around, again, as he looked back at Sun Wukong.
"Is that so, young one?" Sun Wukong crossed his legs as he fully sat down, assuming a better meditative pose. Despite his lack of eyes, he stared straight at Mello. He didn't look angry or mad, but rather, tired.
"Indeed. It was these Eyes that kept you crippled. They grant incredible powers but have costs of their own." Mello returned smoothly,
"These Eyes were never meant for mortal bodies. When they are borne in a mortal frame, they Divinely envelop parts of your soul, forever preventing any type of soul healing so long as they exist." Dorian blinked as he heard this explanation, slowly putting together the pieces, assuming Mello wasn't lying. Mello went on,
"It was never Yukeli's attacks that kept you crippled, but parts of yourself that even these Eyes did not let you see." Mello's smile widened a fraction as he finished,
"You know I'm right. You can feel it now, can't you? You're an Angelic Class being. How many creatures alive could possibly injure your soul? Only Yukeli, and yourself, when you overdraw on it. All the injuries you've accumulated over the years were always healable." Mello repeated himself slightly, reinforcing his points.
Sun Wukong sat in silence for several seconds. His Aura, Dorian noted, was gradually increasing in power. Whether or not Mello was speaking the whole truth, it seemed that at least part of what he said was being proven, here and now.
"I find myself astonished at your breadth of knowledge. I suppose I must thank you for the overwhelming care you have shown me." A sardonic grin appeared on Sun Wukong's face. Despite the loss of his eyes, Sun Wukong seemed faintly relieved.
"Oh, it's not me you should be thanking…" A smile appeared on Mello's face as he waved his free hand once more.
"It's her."
WHOOSH
A body appeared, landing in Mello's free arm.
A calm, peaceful Aura enveloped the world as soon as that body appeared, washing over everyone present. Dorian felt his soul resonate slightly at first.
It was a small, petite body of a clearly dead woman. Even in death, the woman was clearly beautiful. She had long, flowing silver hair, and a gentle smile that graced her face.
When Dorian saw her, he felt as if his entire soul was on fire, the slight resonation exploding into a torrent of emotion. An incredible feeling of longing swept through him as he looked at that body.
But that feeling wasn't coming from him.
'Ausra?' He muttered in his soul.
'Yes.' Quietly, the Soul Spell Matrix Genie replied.
'Who is that?' The feeling of longing was coming from the Genie, somehow. A certain suspicion began to lodge itself in Dorian's mind.
Ausra was silent for a time, something that was very unusual. The Genie wasn't a true consciousness, and was far closer to an Ai of sorts, than anything else. Its replies were often automatic, and very rarely would they take a long moment.
However, she still responded in the end.
'That body once held the Soul Spell Matrix I was formed from.'
Dorian's eyes widened as he heard that.
In that same moment, Sun Wukong froze completely, his body turned towards Ausra's original body. The monkey leaned forward, as if he was about to jump at her with all of his might, and was just barely holding himself back.
"What… are you doing?" Sun Wukong's voice was dangerously calm as he faced Mello.
"I'm merely using something that was prepared long ago." As Mello spoke, the various Anomalies that had travelled here with him surrounded him in a protective layer. A multitude of powerful Auras blazed into the air as they prevented anyone from interfering.
Among that group, both Xaphan and Aron, Anomalies Dorian knew, stood stalwart with Mello. Dorian made eye contact with them, staring at them in disbelief. The duo shook their heads silently, not offering an explanation. He could feel their determination, even if he couldn't understand their actions.
"You never knew, did you?" As Mello spoke, he slowly brought the two glowing orbs over to float in front of the dead woman's face.
"Knew what…?" Sun Wukong replied slowly. His words still carried a hint of danger within them, despite his obviously weakened state. It was a feeling that made Dorian's neck shiver, a feeling of buried killing intent that threatened to swarm and overwhelm everyone present.
"The kind lady that picked you up and trained you, selflessly raising you and teaching you the ways of the world…" Mello's voice became rather sarcastic,
"You thought you could trust her." He shook his head,
"Trust is a commodity the weak can never truly have." Mello's voice deepened to a growl.
Before Sun Wukong could respond, Mello continued,
"She didn't take you in out of the kindness of her heart. She took you in because of your eyes."
Sun Wukong simply shrugged, unperturbed,
"Of course. They were what made me unique, at the time. Without them, I would've been but a regular monkey."
"No, Lord Wukong. She took you in BECAUSE of your eyes." Mello raised up her body briefly,
"For years, she began to purify and prepare her body, researching those eyes. Her unique constitution as a Wise Jade Dragon allowed her to stabilize many types of energy. Through experimentation on herself, she began to adapt her body so that it could maintain its purity and control no matter what energy it needed to conduct."
As Mello spoke, Sun Wukong listened silently. Dorian, in the meanwhile, continued to glare at Aron and Xaphan, trying to demand a silent explanation while he regenerated.
"And do you know why, monkey?" Mello finished, smiling sardonically.
Sun Wukong didn't reply, but Mello seemed to take that as a response to continue.
"Because she was interested in a pair of eyes. But if she wanted to take those eyes for herself… her body would need to be able to handle them perfectly. After all, the transfer of something so Divine would put a huge amount of strain on someone's soul." Mello added two last lines,
"From the moment she met you, monkey, she was plotting against you. The woman you view as a hero, the woman you looked up to, was a woman that planned to betray you from the very start." His words contained a hint of satisfaction and venom, as if he was revealing a truth that validated his own beliefs.
The air seemed to freeze over as Mello finished speaking. Even Dorian froze, looking back at Mello in shock as he heard all of this.
'Ausra, is that true?!' He mentally queried. His image of the Wise Lady had always been a positive one. He could hardly believe Mello was speaking the truth.
Ausra didn't reply.
Sun Wukong, however, did, after waiting for a couple of seconds.
"I judge a being not by their words, but by their actions." He spoke slowly, but with confidence so unshakable it was difficult to fathom,
"You can't be serious." Mello shook his head slightly as he replied, eyeing Sun Wukong,
"That woman based your entire friendship ON the fact that she wanted to betray you, and you find nothing wrong with that?" His tone became rather cutting.
"I cannot speak for her motives, nor for the truth of your words. But…" Sun Wukong began, his voice still unshakably confident,
"She had every opportunity to act against me. And yet, she did not. Indeed, had she asked me to give up these eyes, I would've been the first to oblige. The care she showed me is not something that can be faked." Sun Wukong shook his head,
"I have never viewed her as a perfect being. We are all flawed, one and all. I will not judge her for mistakes and desires that she never acted on, if what you say is true at all." Sun Wukong finished with one final line,
"No one is perfect."
Mello didn't seem to be angered. He just shrugged, silently, as if he hadn't expected anything different. Only Dorian was able to catch the faint hint of disappointment in Mello's gaze, largely thanks to his association with the Anomaly, but also because of the fact that Dorian still had eyes.
"A man exists that would disagree with that sentiment." Mello returned.
"He, of all people, should know it best." Sun Wukong sighed, sounding like an elderly man that wanted nothing more than to sit down and rest, to let go of the burden he bore.
In the time the duo had been talking, Mello had brought the eyes he stole from Sun Wukong all the way to Ausra's face. Light had begun to concentrate around Ausra's body, causing the nearby air to warp slightly.
This light sent waves throughout the world, causing Dorian to shiver once more as his soul seemed to burn.
Sun Wukong stood still throughout, though likely not of his own will. Sun Wukong hid it well, but Dorian could tell that the monkey was close to collapse. Dorian wasn't in too much better of a shape.
Right after that, Mello finished his preparations.
A bright flash of white light blinded the air. An instant later, an odd, pale grey cocoon of some type of fabric wrapped around Ausra's body and the two eyes, sealing them out of sight. Not a moment later, the cocooned body vanished, disappearing as if it never was.
"Lord Wukong, your gift, willing or not, will not go unused." Mello's voice was tinged with exhaustion and a hint of victory as he smiled,
"Just as you have now broken free from the shackles that bound your soul, I will break free from the shackles that bind all of us." Mello gestured at the Anomalies that stood with him, as well as at Dorian. Right after, he also sharply gestured at his men. Immediately, they began to retreat, ignoring Sun Wukong and Dorian.
Xaphan and Aron refused to make further eye contact with Dorian, looking away.
"You are blinded by your own arrogance, young one. You have put yourself onto a path of ruin." Sun Wukong replied sadly,
"He cannot be defeated in a direct battle. He simply can't, with my eyes or not." A hint of despair colored Sun Wukong's voice.
"That would presume I will fight fair." Mello retreated with the other Anomalies, never looking back as they began to trudge away from the cratered earth, heading towards one of the exits to the underground cave system.
The Anomaly never looked back as he left, leaving behind one last remark,
"No being is truly invincible, monkey. Live on and witness the truth of my words."
Just like that, Mello and his allies left, all of them transforming into various flying forms as they soared off into the distance.
"The truth of your words…" Sun Wukong let out a long sigh,
"I have pondered how to defeat that man for a thousand years, young one, and still do not have an answer. You may have more eyes than I, but you do not truly see."
Right after he said that, Sun Wukong collapsed to the ground, his soul forcing him into unconsciousness as it shut down to focus on healing from the grievous injuries he'd accumulated over a thousand years. His words sailed out as a fading echo, solemn and filled with sadness.
Dorian rushed forward and caught the monkey before he fully fell, easing him to the ground. He checked Sun Wukong's condition, noting that the powerful warrior was recovering, but at a slow rate and completely unable to defend himself.
Thud
Thud
Dorian looked up from Sun Wukong, his eyes narrowing as he heard some quiet thuds in the background.
A large horde of Grakons were relentlessly approaching the mostly obliterated center of the city. The number of undead creatures had truly built up to a horrific count, drawn in by the fearsome battle.
Dorian coughed, his eyes going slightly red as he glared at the enemies. His body and soul were in no condition to do battle. As he was about to change forms, however, he winced, and abruptly changed his mind.
His soul still felt incredibly off-balance thanks to Ausra's old body's appearance, as well as the injuries he'd sustained. The hex that Zero had used to force him into remaining in a single form had not fully been thrown off due to his weakened state.
His eyes darted to and fro as he scanned his surroundings. The body of the frozen giant had long since been blown to ash. There were no easy ways to get to anything like a high ground nearby. He had a few Artifacts that might help out, but he didn't want to risk simply levitating to the exposed roof up above unless he had to. Sun Wukong needed a safe place to rest, as did he.
After a second, however, he noticed a collapsed area of stone that he slightly recognized. Memories of a secret, underground building where a powerful, King Class Grakon had lived, and a betrayal he had suffered at the hands of a certain Lightsworn Fox.
With only one more glance at the approaching horde of undead Grakons, Dorian scooped up Sun Wukong's unconscious body and began to sprint towards the entrance, making a fast escape.
.