Happy Holidays everyone!
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Chapter 40: The Storm
(Y/N) was absentmindedly petting Swampert as the trio waited for updates regarding their friends. Something was...off. It was a feeling the trainer had. The halls seemed unsettlingly quiet and Rotom had still not checked in with her. The speedy ghost type was usually quite punctual, so something had to be keeping them. Just then, Ortho walked in.
"Hello, Rook Hunt, Epel Felmier, and (Y/N) Stone. Have you experienced anything unusual?"
"Hello, little Ortho." Rook greeted. "Thank you for your concern. We have been safe and sound thanks to your hospitality."
The robot nodded. "Vil-san and the other's tests have all concluded. Everything seems to be in perfect condition. They've all been sent to their rooms so they could fully recover from the fatigue. Grim-san's tests were extensive, so we're letting him rest as much as he wants. The earliest you can meet them is tomorrow morning when you are transported back to the school.
(Y/N) sighed in relief as Room shook his head.
"Oh, my... I wished we could have met Vil sooner, but I must not force him if he is exhausted."
"I'm just glad Grim is okay." The trainer said.
"Oh, I also handed Vil-san your care package..." Ortho informed them.
Rook was delighted. "Have you? Merci! I am forever grateful for your friendship and kindness."
"It's okay. It is we who should be thanking you. If you hadn't come here, I feel as if I wouldn't have been able to discover my purpose in life. I'll do my best so I can say I did everything in my power, too. I can't leave things as is for long."
(Y/N) raised a brow at the almost...ominous declaration. It was then noticed that Ortho wasn't quite acting like he usually did. Normally he had a more chipper way about him, but he seemed much more hollow right now. It also did not escape Rook's perception.
"Monsieur Doll... I wish that your future is as bright as you hope it would be.
The boy nodded. "Thank you. I will see you soon..."
(Y/N) frowned at the door as he left.
Epel turned to her. "Ortho seemed a little different, didn't he...?"
"Yeah."
She could have sworn she saw him hiding what looked like battle damage.
(Elsewhere)
Idia stretched, relieved this entire mess was coming to an end.
"We're finally done with all the tests. Although, we might need to look further into Sir Grim's magical source. With his magical output, I doubt he'd cause that much trouble even if something happens. It should be fine with enough observation. Still...Who in the world requested S.T.Y.X. to look into the Night Raven students? We received an anonymous tip from the Isle of Dawning's government, but it's certainly suspicious that their anti-tracking countermeasures were perfectly intact. And that's not all, five mages Overblotting within a concentrated area in a short period of time was unheard of until now. In the century that it's existed, Night Raven College only had less than ten students who've gone berserk. And now, five in six months. They're problem children, but these numbers are too much. I've checked their results, but the subjects themselves don't really have anything that sets them apart from most mages. The Phantoms suppressed in them probably broke free after they used some very powerful magic, but unlike here, the Sage's Island doesn't really have any ruins or artifacts that could affect them..."
Idia paused for a moment, his eyes scanning the data before they shot over with a shocking theory.
"Hold on... Is someone deliberately triggering their Overblot?" It only lasted a second before his shoulders relaxed again. "...No, I gotta stop living in my fictional worlds. Overblot is generally caused by an excessive accumulation of Blot partnered with the caster's overflowing negative emotions. Still, there are many other factors to consider. With Overblot comes countless causes and effects. There's always a karmic cycle, so to speak. Everything is an accumulation of past events." His gaze dropped. "The "spirit" is the trigger for most emotional outbursts, yet it is extensive and very difficult to quantify. The "spirit" cannot be easily contained, no matter how hard we try. I mean, if Overblot was so easy to contain, S.T.Y.X. wouldn't even be here."
Idia let out a heavy sigh as he slumped in his chair, tired. He was so sick of this cur...job...so sick of this job and he wasn't even head yet.
"Why were humans equipped with such an unstable element in the first place? It clearly affects behavior. A system that can't be controlled is easily bugged and it won't be long before it encounters a systematic failure. Why didn't they check for errors before giving us our hearts? This is the worst..." Suddenly, his phone began vibrating. "Hm...? Mr. CrimsonMuscle just messaged me...?"
He looked at the time and let out a shriek.
"AH!! I forgot that we were supposed to finish the new DLC quests today! I haven't installed the latest update yet! I don't think I can join him today..."
Idia began typing furiously.
CrimsonMuscle: GloomySamurai. Might I have a word regarding our co-op plans...?
GloomySamurai: Good day to you, Mr. CrimsonMuscle!
GloomySamurai: I'm so sorry. I have something I really need to take care of IRL...
GloomySamurai: I don't think I can join you in tonight's quest!
GloomySamurai: I wanted to avoid spoilers as much as I can, too. I'm so sorry for breaking our promise...!
GloomySamurai: Please don't mind me and just enjoy the game!
CrimsonMuscle: There is no need to apologize. I came here to confess that my own circumstances weren't favorable as well.
CrimsonMuscle: I messaged you to apologize for the sudden change of plans.
GloomySamurai: I see... Let's enjoy the game together some other time, then!!
CrimsonMuscle: Of course. I've long been anticipating this update.
CrimsonMuscle: I, too, wish to undertake this new map with my comrade-in-arms.
Idia grinned.
"...OMG... That line is totally killer...! It's been two years since we started playing together, but he never oversteps his boundaries, and he's very understanding towards my nerdy tendencies. I wanna shower him with all my gratitude right now!"
GloomySamurai: We have faced countless dungeons and raids during our time together.
GloomySamurai: We've tasted defeat quite a number of times, too..."
GloomySamurai: I have nothing but words of gratitude for you since the moment you called out to me when I was starting out in the guild.
GloomySamurai: I hope to enjoy your company from here on out, too...!!
CrimsonMuscle: What is the matter, child? I should be thanking you.
CrimsonMuscle: I was nothing but a beginner when we first met, but thanks to your guidance, I am now able to enjoy many more titles.
CrimsonMuscle: Thank you for teaching this old geezer so many things.
The flaming haired male was practically in tears, sobbing. "I don't know if I'm feeling emotional because I've been surrounded with nothing but problem children...This is what a real friend is like!! Take notes!! Although we haven't really met IRL yet. He calls himself an old geezer, but I'm not really sure how old he is. He's usually very calm, so I know he's older than me, but some nerds like to call themselves old even if they're still young. Welp, I don't really care how old he is."
GloomySamurai: I think I'll have more free time next week, so please feel free to invite me then!
CrimsonMuscle: "Understood. I will message you as soon as I'm free."
GloomySamurai: Gotcha! Goodbye!
Idia logged out of the catch, feeling a little better.
"Lineage and distance don't really matter when you've met a kindred spirit who shares your hobbies. I'm so grateful to be born in this generation. Fuhihi! Fufufu! I'm looking forward to next week already!"
Unbeknownst to the Shroud, his companion was also a fellow classmate who definitely deserved the title of old man. Lilia frowned, a little disappointed.
"Phew... I feel bad breaking our promise, but now is not the time to be playing games. The Prefects have been taken, and most students are in a state of confusion. Only our Silver and Sebek seem to have gotten involved with the attacks, however just like Ruggie said, we do not know what the Gatekeeper has in mind. We must remain alert at all times."
There was a knock on the door as a pale haired male let himself in.
"Are you in, Father?" Silver asked.
"Yes, what's the matter? Come in."
"Pardon me. Lord Malleus has..."
Sebek then came barreling in. "LORD LILIA!!!!! LORD MALLEUS IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!!!!!"
Silver narrowed his eyes. "Quiet, Sebek. Don't be so loud."
"Listen to Silver, child." Lilia agreed. "I can still hear perfectly fine."
The green haired male looked down bashfully. "P-pardon my outburst! After yesterday's turmoil, I thought of doing more patrols for fear of Lord Malleus being attacked, but I did not see Lord Malleus when I checked his room earlier...!"
"Sebek says he was patrolling Lord Malleus's room every ten minutes..." He side eyed his companion. "I tried to warn against it because it might cause you trouble."
"Unbelievable, Silver! We simply cannot let Lord Malleus become a target!!"
Lilia got between them. "Calm yourself, Sebek. Have we not already established that the Gatekeeper is not our enemy? They may not be hostile, but they are an ally to no one as well. Though they show no mercy, they do not practice favoritism."
"Sebek, Father understands them better than we do." Silver insisted. "Keep yourself available for when the situation is really dire instead."
Sebek glared at him. "Urk... I do not need you to tell me that! However, I have been tasked with guarding Lord Malleus and I have failed!!!"
The old bat waved them both off. "You need not worry. He must have gone out for his nightly stroll. I have an idea where he might be. I will go and check on him, so you children get some rest now."
(Timeskip)
Lilia was right, of course. Malleus was now in the ruinous remains of the Ramshackle Dorm. He felt pity as he saw the poor Pokémon trying to clean up the rubble all around them. Crobat came to greet him and the two approached the fae prince, who was petting Absol while looking at the sky through the broken roof.
"I figured I would find you here, Malleus."
The horned male looked at his caretaker. "Lilia... What's the matter?"
"Sebek was making quite the ruckus when he couldn't find you."
"I see... I was wondering why he has been walking around my room every ten minutes since yesterday."
Lilia chuckled, Crobat along with him. "Hahaha! I reckon his presence is just as loud as his voice."
"I've come here seeking solace." The prince admitted.
"...This place has been quite a favorite of yours since entering the school."
"Indeed. It hasn't been quite the same since (Y/N) arrived. I initially felt disappointed when she first started living here. I enjoy desolate places. Ivy creeping through the cracks in the walls, wind sneaking in through the broken windows. The silence and solitude present in places no longer frequented by humans puts me at ease. History leaves its mark not only on us, and it makes me feel less alone."
The older fae said nothing as Malleus continued to lament, some of the baby Pokémon brushing up against his leg as they sensed he was sad.
"Still, I wonder why. (Y/N) has gone, and only her beasts wander these halls tonight. It's as if a thorn has pricked me. I feel nothing but discomfort. It looks as desolate as I've always fancied, and yet..."
"Malleus......" Lilia then looked up. "Dear Malleus, take a look above."
"There is a huge hole on the ceiling, yes...?"
"Not that, child. Look at the stars beyond."
Centered in the hole yet somehow completely missed by Malleus was a set of stars, almost completely aligned.
Lilia smiled. "The night is beautiful, and the planets are aligned. Long has it been believed that planets aligning bring good fortune. Today marks the 18th year since...No, was it a hundred...? Or maybe even 300...? Never mind. It has been a long time since then."
"Hm, you mean to say it's not something children of men will get to see twice in one lifetime?" Malleus queried.
"Indeed. You, however, have the opportunity to witness such events again."
Malleus brought Absol closer to him, a feeling of melancholy and dread seeping in.
Lilia continued on. "The next time the planets align, the world will have surely gone through another drastic change. You do understand that it is a reality you must come to terms with, don't you?"
The prince nodded. "I do. It is precisely why I have come to study here."
"Listen well, Malleus. Never forget the pain you have felt here today. I want you to hold on to those feelings for as long as you live.
"...... I will take that to heart."
"Good child." Lilia sat down, pulling the baby Pokémon towards him in a bundle and Crobat adjusted himself on his shoulder. "Come, let us pray to the stars that we may return to our peaceful living soon."
Malleus nodded. "Indeed, Lilia."
"...Countless times I have wished upon those stars, but... This one might be the last."
Malleus glanced at him with shock "...... What...?"
(Elsewhere)
Idia received another message on his phone, dreadfully work related.
"This is Idia Shroud."
The operator greeted him. "Acting Director, I have an update regarding Case No. LOD-627's situation with the Lethe River. The program is operational and ready to go. Mnemosyne Unit is already stationed. The Charon Hexa Unit has arrived on Sage's Island as well."
The males nodded. "Right on schedule. Great job, folks. Proceed with the cleanup at midnight as planned..."
In an instant, the world turned dark.
Idia shot up, panicking. "What!? A sudden power outage!?" There was no response. "Control Room, respond. Control Room? No use. The emergency system isn't working either..."
He ran towards the door, trying to open it, but it barely budged.
"The doors are shut tight. Are the generators malfunctioning, too...? I need to see the situation on deck. Ah, there's the emergency door valve..." He attempted to pry open the exit, his muscles crying as he did so. "Urk...! So heavy...! Who was the genius who designed these doors?! I'll need to regulate them for emergencies after this!"
Eventually, he managed to get the door ajar just enough to squeeze into the hall.
"I'm free..." He turned on his com. "Ortho! Give me a status update on the generators now!......Ortho? He's not responding either. Are the parabolic mics in the building busted, too? What's going on...?"
The PA system went off as sirens blared.
"Blot Warning! Blot Warning! High concentrations of Blot have been detected. All emergency personnel, report to your stations."
"An announcement means the generators are up and running. Dangerous levels of Blot means... Something happened to either Tartarus or the Underworld. Cerberus! Raise your defenses to maximum! Deploy all the powered armor on autopilot! Deploy all Chariots at the hangar to guard all entrances and exits." Idia's eyes widened as the system did not respond. "Cerberus? Cerberus, respond! The generators are running, but the Cerberus System isn't responding to me at all...? Ortho! Answer me, Ortho! Shit... What's going on...!?"
Idia ran for the control room, arriving to see the operators scrambling.
"The Cerberus System isn't responding. No response from outside contacts as well!"
"Cryo levels within Tartarus are decreasing!"
"Melting within the cages has begun in the first layer of Towers 1, 2, and 3!"
"Subjects are quickly regaining consciousness!"
"Emergency requests to the Director aren't connecting at all!"
"I can't get in contact with the Hexa Unit outside the island as well!"
"All communication systems outside the island have been cut off!"
"Requests to turn off the invisible shield are being denied!"
Idia was in a daze. "What... What in the world is happening...?"
An operator finally noticed him. "Acting Director! All of Cerberus System's functions have been restricted!"
"Impossible! Only members of the Shroud Family are able to modify the Cerberus System! Right now, I'm the only one with express authority... What exactly is happening here? I'll look into it later. We need to get Cerberus up and running again! If biometrics won't work, I'll just have to manually restart it."
His com finally went off, a familiar voice on the other end.
"Brother–,"
"Ortho!" Idia was so relieved to hear him that he missed the very obvious answer. "I finally got through, thank god! The Cerberus System is down. Help me wake it up!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that, Brother."
Idia stumbled back. "What...?"
"I've been thinking a lot about what I could do to make things better, Brother. I wondered about what it really meant to "do everything in my power"..."
"What are you saying, Ortho!?" His brother demanded. "We can talk about this later!"
"But, I finally found the answer I've been looking for! If rewriting the future is too difficult, then we can just erase everything and start over. Programs work the same way, right? It will be faster to rewrite a program than have various engineers comb through it for bugs. In other words, we should just reset the whole world so you can be born anew, Brother!"
"What do you mean, Ortho...!?" Idia narrowed his eyes. "Tch... I knew I should have debugged your AI system as soon as I noticed you were acting weird!"
"I'm not bugged, Brother. This is my free will speaking."
"It's not. You are... You're an autonomous magical humanoid I modeled after the image of my brother. Whatever "free will" you have has been programmed into you...!"
"Yes, I'm aware that I'm an artificial being. But, did you know? I'm a blessed child made possible by the Heretic Genius's gifts for magical engineering! You're the reason why I can operate beyond a normal robot's capacities!"
Red warning lights flared as the operators assessed the damage.
"S.T.Y.X's main servers are being hacked by an unknown assailant! Tracking underway. Impossible... This is Humanoid ORTHO's AI program!!"
Another operator verified it. "The erosion area is steadily expanding! The Aegis Firewall is not responding! All of S.T.Y.X's controls are being suppressed by ORTHO's AI!"
"Impossible!" Idia insisted as he pushed his way to the computer. "Ortho doesn't have that level of authority! I'll stop it...!" The computer did not budge. "What!?"
"ORTHO is rejecting the emergency codes. Erosion is spreading!"
"Lachesis, Clotho, Atropos. All servers are down!"
"The access codes are being overwritten...!"
Idia clenched his teeth. "Damn...! I can't keep up with Ortho's speed! I wish it wouldn't come to this, but... Manually turn off all power, including the emergency lines!"
They tried, but for naught. "It's not working, sir!"
Idia shook his head. "No way... Wh-what do we do...? The Island of Woe will be overrun in no time!"
Ortho chuckled mirthfully. "How'd I do~? I won the RTS this time, Brother!"
"S-stop this, Ortho." Idia pleaded. "We can't reset the whole world!"
"But we can. Didn't Vil Schoenheit say so earlier? 0.001% is a small chance, but it's still a possibility! In our new world, Phantoms will have to co-exist with everyone on the surface. I will release them from the Underworld and from Tartarus. Once I do, the whole world will be thick with Blot. We've been blessed with the power to suppress Blot! We will rule the new world! That way, we can make friends and live a normal life like many others. We can play games together, watch movies together... We wouldn't need to rewrite our friends' memories either. We can finally say "Come hang out with me again!". Reading comics, going to concerts, and playing games will be just as fulfilling as you wished, Brother. In our new world, Big Brother will be the superhero to rule them all!"
Idia's eyes widened. "Big Brother," you say...!? That's impossible...! That day, Ortho was...! Wait... Only members of the Shroud Family can shut the Cerberus System down...Impossible...! Is it... Is it really you, Ortho...?"
"Yes... It's me, Big Brother. I've put the dog to sleep."
Idia shot out of the room like a man possessed.
"Where are you going, Acting Director!?" An operator called out. "Acting Director! MASTER IDIA–!!"
Idia couldn't be bothered to listen, racing towards Tartarus, following the voice.
"Come to me, Big Brother. "
Finally he made it to the bottom, the Gate of the Underworld. The surrounding area was charred or in pieces, as if a fight had broken out.
"The gate to the Underworld is open. Are you there, Ortho...?"
The voice called back. "Yes, I'm right here, Big Brother. I've been dreaming of meeting you again. Let's go somewhere far, far away this time. I'm sorry...It looks like it'll take a bit of time. I've gotten so much bigger since the last time we saw each other..."
Idia nodded as the crystal in the control panel turned black. "Let Big Brother handle this."
(Elsewhere)
Vil paced his room, his eyes trying to adjust to the dark as the phones failed him.
"A power outage...? Hard to imagine a technologically advanced facility experiencing an outage, but-,"
A loud crash cut him off, followed by a click. He instantly felt a weight off his neck as the collar fell to the floor.
"The magic suppressing collars aren't working anymore? I can use magic now." In the distance, sirens sounded off. "An alert!? What in the world is happening outside!? It looks like I can't contact the staff from here... The phone lines aren't working. The door is still locked, too... Ah, I have just the thing..." He pulled out one of the vials Rook had brought for him. "I have nothing to lose, nothing to fear. The dazzling crown shines only for me. Fairest One of All. Everything this liquid touches will fall and crumble back into nothing. This should be able to eat away at the door now...That should take care of the lock. A small dose will do just fine."
Suddenly, something burst from the nearby camera, crashing to the floor with a thump. Vil turned to see a small body, injured and dazed, curled up pitifully on the floor.
"Rotom!" He yelled as he instinctively scooped up the creature. "What happened to you!?"
The monster beeped weakly as Vil cursed his inability to help. He didn't exactly think his magic would be able to heal a ghost. But, he knew who would be able to help.
"Let's get you to (Y/N)." With the lock disabled, he ran into the hall, Rotom resting in a sling made from pillow casings, trying to find help. "The door at the end of the hallway is completely wrecked. What kind of person have they been keeping in there? That aside, this is very strange. I am in no position to be complaining, but it is rather odd that no alarms are going off, and that no one is responding to my escape. I need to set the others free first. Jamil's room should be nearby."
He banged on the nearest door. "Are you all right, Jamil?"
"What is going on, Vil-senpai?!" Jamil called from inside. "What happened to the emergency alert?"
"We can talk later. Let's get everyone out first."
One by one, Vil disabled the locks, freeing the prisoners.
"That's everyone accounted for." Vil said.
Leona growled. "Who was locked up in that room? I smell faint traces of magical energy...
"I do not know. The door was already broken when I got out. I didn't see anyone coming in or out."
"They must be quite the mage if they were able to destroy a reinforced door." Azul stated. "Evidently, Vil, what is in that sling of yours?"
The blonde revealed Rotom as the others gasped.
"Good Lord, what happened to Rotom!?" Riddle shrieked as Jamil attempted some kind of first aid.
Vil shook his head. "I don't know. He crashed into my room like this. I think we can assume whatever broke the door may also be responsible for his state."
Jamil nodded with a frown. "We can't rule out the possibility that they may have already gone berserk. Stay alert."
"I'm worried about their whereabouts, but more importantly..." Riddle's words were cut off as he seemed to choke on the air.
Azul nodded. "Ah, yes. There is a suffocating and thick miasma about..."
Leona growled. "It's a high concentration of Blot."
"Do you think they ran into some kind of trouble with Tartarus?" Riddle pondered.
Azul tilted his head. "It's not out of the question."
Vil began to lead them away. "We can't stay here for too long. Let us be on our guard and change into our dorm uniforms now that we can safely use magic again. Rotom needs medical attention and (Y/N) is the only one who would know how to help him."
"We've managed to retrieve our magical pens as well." Riddle stated. "It must be a severe situation if these were left unguarded."
Rotom suddenly beeped in a warning tone. Vil glanced down, fearful he was getting worse, only for a new sound to draw his attention.
"Magical energy detected at roughly 10m ahead. Termination Mode: Activate."
"What!?" The blonde shrieked as Ferrymen appeared.
"Resistance detected. Proceeding with elimination."
The Ferrymen blasted powerful magic at them, seemingly going for the kill. The boys fired back in defense of themselves. Rotom attempted to help, but Vil adamantly kept him in the sling to not aggravate his wounds any further. Eventually, their assailants went down.
"... We managed to get by somehow." Azul said, heaving for breath.
Jamil poked at the armor, pulling down the mask of the helmet. "Look. This armor is empty."
Leona kicked at it. "Unlike the ones at school, these guys attacked us with a pure intent to kill. Everything about this seems fishy."
"It seems like we need to relocate ourselves first." Vil suggested. "Let us go and find the boss before things escalate even further." He suddenly turned back. "Ah, pardon me. I almost forgot something."
"What?" Leona asked.
"I must have my special beauty products with me at all times."
The beastman looked ready to kill him. "Skincare even in an emergency? Supermodels must have it rough."
VIl rolled his eyes. "Hm, say what you wish. These are my good luck charms."