Shirei was illuminated by the light of the first sun.
He stood still, watching the temporal rift open completely with a deafening roar. The sound tore through the air like a pulsing wound in the fabric of time. Medium-sized monsters—mostly orcs and goblins—poured out, letting out guttural, graceless screams.
The son of Cragar flexed the fingers of his right hand and summoned the Blade of Discord from the Interworld. Beside him, Reno raised his head with a frown.
"Are we supposed to face them alone? Just the two of us against all of them?"
Shirei turned to look at the Tenebrae and felt his voice vibrating inside his head. It was the first time he experienced such a bizarre phenomenon, but he immediately assumed it had to be something special.
Reno was the first Tenebrae he had generated from a conscious being, so he must have managed to retain his ability to speak within the new body.
Could it be that he could communicate telepathically with all the Tenebrae?
"Not to rush you, but they'll reach us soon."
The Blendbreed ignored the voice of his dark companion and continued to follow that train of thought. He realized he lacked knowledge about his own powers. He had already been aware of it, to be honest, but the frantic need to train in combat had forced him to set the problem aside.
In front of his eyes, he saw moments from the Grand Manor of Cragar reappear—when the god used to visit him to see how he was doing.
He scolded himself for not having been more curious back then.
The king of the dead was a rather silent being, so words didn't exactly flow from his mouth with ease. The only thing he had kept repeating to him until his death was that he had to grow stronger, using every possible means.
Why he had to improve remained a mystery, but Shirei was starting to believe that the sudden resurgence of the Ancient One and the impending conflict were somehow connected.
Once again, his missing memories were nothing but a problem. That situation was becoming increasingly unsustainable.
Why was Rakion awake? Why did he want to attack the Highworld? What was the bond that connected them?
"Can we focus on the monsters that are coming?"
Shirei blinked. "Yes."
The Blendbreed released his five harpies, which materialized in a semicircle around him. Mentally, he instructed them to organize into a flock and use their wings to swoop down on the monsters—but to return to the sky before they could be caught.
At the end of the battle, I could try to create more Tenebrae from the orcs, he thought.
He had to limit the damage to be sure that his Divine Core wouldn't suddenly run dry in the middle of the fight.
The creatures followed his orders to the letter, and Shirei took the opportunity to glance toward the shelter where his companions were staying. With a grimace, he realized he had made a mistake and sent two of the harpies toward the abandoned house. He didn't want to risk any monsters breaking in.
"I can go wake them up too, if you want," said Reno.
"No, the harpies will take care of it."
"As you prefer."
The two stood staring at the horde of creatures, now terrifyingly close. The son of Cragar tried to estimate their number roughly—somewhere between fifty and a hundred.
"You really think you can beat them on your own?"
Shirei didn't respond and extended the arm holding the Blade of Discord. The Tenebrae got the message and tilted his head; after all, the son of Cragar had done the same thing the day before. One against a hundred didn't seem like such an impossible fight for him.
Given how they move, they'll probably crowd around in a circle and won't be able to attack.
Without waiting any longer, Shirei dashed toward the creatures, intent on sowing chaos in their ranks from the start.
"Reno, what are your powers?"
The Tenebrae followed the Blendbreed.
"Can we focus on the enemies, please?" he wanted to avoid ending up like the day before.
"Your powers," repeated the violet-eyed boy.
Before Reno could answer, three orcs had already fallen, their bodies lying lifeless. Each one bore a hole in the chest caused by the green-bladed weapon.
"Alright, let's see… I can sing."
Shirei dodged to the side, avoiding a vertical strike from an orc. The club embedded itself in the ground, allowing the Blendbreed to use it as support. He lunged forward, placing one foot on the weapon, the second on the enemy's arm, and channeled mana into a direct kick to the creature's face.
The orc collapsed with its helmet crushed against its skin.
"I got that part. Can you be more specific?"
A second orc charged at his blind spot but tripped at the last moment over the body of a fallen comrade.
Shirei saw the scene, and his mouth curved downward.
He couldn't focus on the battle with Reno's voice in his head; he had to find a way to block it out soon.
He wondered if, by generating more Tenebrae in the future, that same link would overlap with the other dark creatures.
My head would explode.
"Hey, boss, do you want me to tell you or not what I can do?"
The son of Cragar stabbed a goblin in the abdomen. "Yes, hurry up."
The orcs attacked in mass from every direction, forcing him to vanish temporarily into the Interworld.
"My singing can have various effects—kind of like in a role-playing game."
Some figurative images began to condense in the son of Cragar's mind, pulling his focus from the place he intended to emerge. Shirei saw Reno—not in his Tenebrae form, but as a Blendbreed—praising his mother and surrounded by a whirlwind of glowing cursive words. He couldn't read what they meant, but somehow, they felt familiar.
"I can chant a healing song," said the creature, as the image of pale green mist appeared before Shirei. Though it was only in his imagination, the Blendbreed swore he could sense a certain freshness spreading through the air.
"I can also tire out the enemies."
This time, the mist took on a reddish hue and branched out in multiple directions. Some orcs—creations of Reno's vengeful imagination—were engulfed by the gas and dropped their weapons to the ground, then began walking like zombies.
"I can give you strength, or speed, or protection. I can also grant you more energy."
The third image showed a blue mist heading directly toward the son of Cragar.
Shirei felt it—a sensation of lightness he hadn't experienced in a long time. Due to constant training, he rarely had more than a day to recover from his fatigue. He hadn't thought he needed rest, given his partially divine body, but maybe he was wrong.
"And finally, I have my ultimate technique: the Concerto."
"What is it?"
The image of the ability formed magically in his mind, without Reno having to say a word. The son of the goddess of music stood at the center of an arena, eyes closed, playing an imaginary instrument with the fervor of a superstar. All around him, enemies were doubled over, clutching their bleeding ears.
"My song strikes enemies and immobilizes them with intense sound waves. This is my greatest power, but using it drains me—and I can't control who it hits."
"So I'd become a target too, got it."
Shirei tried to temporarily block the connection with the Tenebrae to focus on the battle. There were still a few questions he wanted to resolve, but he feared he wouldn't be able to, not with the constant pressure of the orcs.
"Reno, move away from me and attract as many orcs as possible."
"So they can kill me?"
The help of the Equinox Flowers could have proven very useful in that situation and would've sped up the battle considerably.
"No, so you can use your ability without keeping me from fighting."
"You want to—" the idea traveled through the bond between them. "Very… clever."
Shirei forced his mind to shut down and erected a barrier with the Tenebrae, so he could maintain focus on the close-quarters combat.
He emerged from the Interworld like a demon, slicing off the leg of the first enemy. The orc screamed in pain, but Shirei had already moved on to his next target. He slipped slightly on the nearly slimy ground and sprang back to his feet, propelling himself upward with one bent leg.
Reno's voice, pure and melodious, rose above the clamor of battle, weaving a magical chant through the air. The notes turned into waves of energy that immediately drew the monsters' attention. The creatures instantly marked him as a new target and advanced in his direction.
"Come on, you cursed freaks! Front-row seats to your final song!"
Reno channeled mana through his voice, amplifying it and making it possible for everyone to hear, despite the clash of weapons and the guttural cries of the monsters.
He can speak normally, too, Shirei realized.
He took mental note of the information and returned to the fight.
The former Blendbreed, harnessing his innate ability, began to sing with devastating power. His voice rose above the noise of the clash, making the very earth tremble. Within moments, words of all kinds appeared written in the air, and an electric sound caused the surroundings to vibrate. The soundwaves, charged with magical energy, radiated outward from Reno as if he were a singular point of origin. They spread in every direction and struck the enemies, causing searing pain that forced them to clutch their ears. The closest monsters screamed in agony as their eardrums burst.
Pulled back into action by Reno's sonic assault, Shirei tried to ignore the noise and returned to the fight. His dark sword cut through the air like acidic lightning, striking with lethal precision anyone within reach. Every movement was a step in the dance of death Shirei had meticulously constructed.
Suddenly, two blurred figures appeared on the horizon, ready to support their companion. With a swift motion of the right arm, the smaller figure hurled a wave of darkness toward Reno, engulfing the creatures.
"Shirei!" shouted the daughter of Rutia, raising her right arm, already wrapped in pulsing shadows.
The two Equinox Flowers ran into the heart of the battlefield, preparing to silence the sound of Reno's ability.
"Now they're going to kill me!"
"Calm down," replied the son of Cragar, before performing a spectral travel that brought him beside Havel and Ada.
"He's with me."
The son of Sidal made a puzzled face. "What?"
"The creature that's singing is on our side."
They nodded and charged boldly into the fray.
Ada moved with agility, wielding her pair of blades, her dark eyes set on slicing through the first orcs to cross her path. With a battle cry, Havel lunged at the monsters, his axes piercing the chest of a goblin. The son of Sidal raised his weapons again with a roar—he was just getting started.
"Come at me!"
With a mighty blow, he took down an orc wearing the pelt of a strange demonic wolf, crushing its skull in a single strike.
The monsters tried to overwhelm them with sheer numbers, but the Blendbreeds' skill and the pair's synergy proved a formidable obstacle. Meanwhile, Shirei summoned his spectral harpies. After appearing from the Interworld, they dove at the smaller goblins to dispatch them quickly. Their sharp claws and slicing beaks tore through the monsters' flesh as every sound merged with Reno's enchanting song. The battle was fierce, but thanks to the Tenebrae, the Equinox Flowers, and Shirei, they seemed stronger than ever.
The son of Cragar felt mana flowing through his silver vessels, permeating every fiber of his being with celestial energy and making him stronger. With a flick of his hand, he directed his harpies into a wave that engulfed a cluster of monsters, victims swallowed in a dark vortex from which they would not survive.
"Ada, left!" shouted Havel, noticing a monster trying to strike her from behind. The daughter of Rutia spun swiftly—one of her swords caught the sunlight and blinded the creature, while the other traced an arc that pierced its heart.
Reno, without breaking his chant, sent a message to Shirei, but the son of Cragar blocked it with his mind.
A sharp pain in his sternum forced the Blendbreed to collapse to the ground, as he felt his energy being drained.
This isn't mana. What just happened?
Reno's voice struck again at Shirei's mental barrier, which this time he let down.
"Oh, so you just let your underlings die like that?" asked the Tenebrae.
Shirei looked up. "What happened?"
"An orc stomped on me—again. I also lost an arm."
Silence. "So you're about to be killed?"
"No! I'm regenerating, but for Cragar's sake, seriously? Protect me!"
That was new to Shirei. He had thought his creatures couldn't regenerate, but Reno had just proven otherwise.
So I can recreate my Tenebrae endlessly?
He also wondered whether this was a unique trait of Reno, as an original Blendbreed, or if it was a general feature of that power.
While lost in thought, he saw several monsters raise their weapons toward him and was forced to use the Etheric Pulse to avoid damage. That's when he felt a second sting. The technique cancelled halfway, and a bleeding wound appeared on the lower side of his torso.
I'm out of mana, he realized.
Havel stepped in front of the boy and let out a thunderous roar. The son of Cragar saw the strange crimson aura surround him and recognized the skill.
He's using Bloodlust.
The leader of the Equinox Flowers struck the enemies with force and scolded him: "Don't just stand there! I'll take care of these, go help Ada!"
Shirei gave a quick nod and rejoined the fray. With a nearly feline leap, he dodged a deadly strike to the chest, then twisted midair and landed precisely behind his opponent. The Blade of Discord carved a gleaming, deadly arc before crashing down in a single, fluid motion, sending the creature into agonizing convulsions.
Without pause, the son of Cragar pressed forward. He traveled through the Interworld to bypass a group of enemies, then reappeared from nowhere and stunned the first two. With a series of rapid, precise slashes, he eliminated the rest and advanced.
Finally, he spotted Ada nearby. The daughter of Rutia was struggling to manipulate shadows while keeping multiple enemies at bay. Her combat was flawless, but the Blendbreed could see the fatigue in her gray eyes.
"Damn it! How many of you are there?" Ada snapped.
She glanced upward and grimaced.
With this much light, it's too hard to manipulate darkness. At this rate, I'll run out of mana in no time.
Shirei appeared like a reaper and took down two orcs in front of her. "Are you alright?"
"We have to do something to stop them! If more come, we're doomed!" the girl said urgently. Shirei nodded, knowing she was right. The exhaustion from earlier, compounded by the ongoing battle, was slowly stripping them of any real chance at victory.
He glanced at the portal, which had taken on a golden hue. With a muffled roar, the temporal rift reopened, releasing a second wave of monsters—stronger and more determined than before: Chronomorphs.
Shirei felt his heart race, but his inner calm held firm. He recalled Ada's advice—how she had explained the importance of visualizing the ether to wield it properly. The bizarre creatures were closing in fast, their horrid cries echoing through the air.
The Blendbreed vanished into the Interworld and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to focus. He visualized the ether—the seemingly intangible, omnipresent substance that permeated the realm around him. He attempted to harness it, to control the green particles that made up the reality he'd taken refuge in. But amid the chaos of the battle, his calm wavered.
For the first time in his short life, he failed.
"Boss, where are you? We need you!"
It was the Tenebrae calling him.
Shirei sent an image of the Interworld. "Reno, how can we close the temporal rift?"
"You can't," the subordinate replied bluntly. "Only the Severed One can open and close temporal rifts."
"Then we just need to kill all the monsters until they stop coming," he concluded.
The son of Aor picked up the thought, overlapping Shirei's voice. "You could collapse it in on itself, but we might already be dead by the time that happens."
"How can I do that?"
"No, you can't," Reno replied, showing him an image of himself shaking his head with a grim expression. "If you don't make it out in time, you'll be erased from existence."
"I don't care about the risk," insisted Shirei. "You need to tell me how to collapse it from the inside."
"You'd need to find the rift's source and seize it."
"Alright, what's the source?" asked the Blendbreed, hoping for a clear answer.
"I don't know," admitted the Tenebrae. "Every temporal rift is different, and the source could be anything."
"I need you to be more specific."
"Temporal rifts are bubbles Rakion creates around a specific time period," he paused briefly to check on Havel. "Your friend is insane."
"Not now, Reno. Keep going."
"They're like little worlds where the same day, or month, or year repeats endlessly. You can do whatever you want, because it all resets every time. Everything except the death of someone from outside the loop. Listen, can we talk about this another time?"
Shirei listened carefully, his face tensing as he tried to absorb the information while keeping track of the deformed masses of monsters he saw moving through the Interworld.
"There might not be another time."
"Don't even think about going in there," continued the son of Aor in a serious tone. "Time outside flows normally even if everything inside is repeating. If something happens… we could all be lost."
Shirei made a slight grimace; he had finally connected the dots. This wasn't the first time someone had mentioned temporal rifts to him.
"I know. Someone I knew became a victim of one."
"Then get back to fighting. Now!"
Shirei reappeared in the Otherworld, a growing frustration tightening in his chest. An orc lunged at him with impressive speed. The Blendbreed had only enough time to raise an arm in defense. The creature's claws tore through his flesh, leaving a trail of blood behind.
He choked back the tolerable pain and didn't stop.
He swiftly decapitated his attacker and dove back into the fray, trying to use his powers as effectively as possible—but every attempt to condense the aether failed.
The wounds multiplied.
Every strike seemed to find its mark.
Shirei both inflicted and suffered. The fear of losing his companions was growing, making him easy prey for the Chronomorphs, who relentlessly injured even his Tenebrae.
The son of Cragar stopped, feeling sharp pangs as his Divine Core drained itself to heal the shadow-born creatures. He wanted to halt the process, but had no control over it.
He felt his strength leaving him, the pain becoming unbearable, his vision blurring. A particularly massive orc approached. With a flicker of strength, Shirei activated his Ethereal Pulse. The technique faltered due to his low focus, and the monster struck him with such force that he was thrown to the ground.
He tasted blood in his mouth, and for a moment, despair threatened to consume him.
"Shirei!" Ada cried, seeing him in trouble.
Reno ceased his song and immediately began a sweet, reassuring melody meant to restore his strength. The notes spread through the air like a soothing balm, wrapping the son of Cragar in an invisible embrace.
He felt the wounds begin to heal, the pain slowly fade.
He sensed mana flowing through his Silver Vessels, his Divine Core pulsing with renewed energy. The lighter wounds closed, his skin began to regenerate. The voice of Reno, son of the goddess of music, had become a lifeline in that sea of chaos and monstrosity.
Shirei pulled himself to his feet with newfound vigor. Ada and Havel were fighting not far away, repelling the monsters that aimed to strike the Tenebrae. The three remaining harpies continued to dive, causing trouble for the enemy.
The violet-eyed boy knew he couldn't give up, but at that very moment, something shook him to his core.
He collapsed against his will on the grass trampled by the enemy.
No, I have to get up. I have to…
He saw the Lilies Park warriors running toward him.
"Boss! Hold on, we're coming!" Reno called out, panic in his voice.
A burst of dark energy spread through the area, engulfing all the monsters in a lethal grip. Shirei's vision dimmed further, his head pounding fiercely.
He closed his eyes, and in an instant, deep sleep took hold of him—leading him toward something he needed to see.