Vualla had also watched, quite a bit shocked, as somehow the darkness was able to use her body to stall out the oppressive Nether Heralds for several seconds. It was clear that the darkness struggled with the task, but still. It had made Vualla’s heart flutter. With the darkness controlling her body, she had wielded power.

If I train… can I really reach this amount of strength just by relying on my body…?

Perhaps. It still feels… wasteful. There are less arduous Paths.

I never cared how difficult the Path would be. Just that it was the one that I picked.

Because the truth was that after Vualla had so staunchly stopped the darkness from reaching for the death energy that was extremely prevalent on the battlefield, the darkness had respected her wishes. It had only used its vast experience to develop a workable image that swiftly improved Vualla’s fighting strength. It hadn’t even taken that long for the darkness to come up with something extremely potent.

In a way, it was like the darkness was validating that Vualla’s Path could progress forward. The dreams she had finally found the determination to walk toward And honestly, that knowledge might even be worth losing control of her body for a short while.

Of course, that acceptance of the situation quickly fled as Vualla watched in horror as the darkness used her body to escape to the back line by absorbing one of the Nether Herald’s blows, and then ambush Abiodun and the representative of the Xyrt Brigade in an absolute bloodbath. That image that Vualla had previously so admired became a sharp blade that the darkness-Vualla used to butcher them within seconds.

With three strikes, Vualla had knocked Abiodun into a state of complete helplessness and knocked the Xyrt Brigade member into the ground. Yet the darkness didn’t stop there. It was only after thoroughly beating the representative into submission that the darkness had opened Vualla’s mouth and said, “So, you are working with Ileot Swacc to slay the Nether King, correct? But that cannot happen. It was never meant to end that way.”

Blood dripped slowly down the heavy gauntlets that Randidly had made for her while the darkness waited for an answer. Perhaps the most annoying part was that the darkness had been right; using heavier gauntlets made expressing the image even more effective.

The representative’s eyes, which were partially swollen shut at this point, widened. “...what…? If you know that, why are you interfering?! There is a Xyrt Brigade Strike Team waiting for my signal! A full thirty experts that will quickly realize something is wrong when they don’t hear from me. They will slaughter you if they find out the truth. Believe me, your life will be a living hell if you don’t-”

“I’ve carried hell in my chest for three thousand two hundred and ninety years,” Vualla had said dully. Her tone was low and gravelly. Then the darkness had tilted her head to the side as it slipped a hand out of one of the gauntlets. That hand went to the Xyrt Brigade member’s neck. “Any last words?”

“It isn’t too late!” The representative had said, clearly in a panic. His eyes were brown. They flicked side to side, searching for something, anything. The white portions of his eyes were extremely large. His pupils had dilated as his searching gaze found nothing. Licking his lips, he had tried and failed to speak several times. The words kept getting stuck in his throat as the darkness urged Vualla’s hand to tighten.

Vualla had watched the realization form in his eyes that he was going to die. “I swear I won’t report you if you just- if you just-!”

The darkness had felt no pity. Vualla’s body had ripped off the man’s head. The sensation had felt so easy that even Vualla was shocked that the rumored Xyrt Brigade only amounted to this.

Then she had been forced to watch as a different, heavier darkness forced its way into Abiodun’s body.

Vualla had quickly become furious. With blood dripping wet and warm down over her body’s hands, her plan to bide her time went out the window. So, is the other… version of you now doing the same thing you are doing to me? Is all of this really necessary? The body-snatching? The killing? Why do you want to make so sure that Eliot dies?!

To Vualla’s surprise, she felt guilt radiating out of the darkness. Its thin tendrils that manipulated her limbs seemed to tremble and sigh as they stood before that wafting darkness that now forced itself down Abiodun’s throat. I wish it were not the case. But… you can rest assured that my other half… will not control Abiodun’s body as I have been forced to do with you. That is not her way. She will simply… amplify certain portions of himself that are already there.

Vualla’s attention sharpened with fury. And after that? What will happen to him?

Few beings survive carrying my darkness for long. It is... The darkness in Vualla’s chest hesitated.

Vualla snorted derisively. Let me guess: it is karma.

The darkness hadn’t bothered to respond and the two simply watched Abiodun’s struggles against the darkness. His hands grabbed at his own neck, then he had tried to cover his eyes and ears with his palms, and then finally he just spasmed. His whole body began to seize as an internal struggle ripped through him. After a while, the jerky movements calmed down, but Vualla couldn’t forget the terrible sense of dread that began building as she watched Abiodun’s struggles. Her mind drifted back to the strange phrase that the darkness had used.

Few beings survive carrying my darkness for long.

So Vualla had watched as Abidoun blearily struggled to his feet and began to mutter to himself. She listened to his rough voice as he wondered aloud why Lady Iellaya didn’t need him anymore. Then she followed some distance behind as he began to hurry back to his Queen’s side. And Vualla felt only a terrible pity that was tinged with guilt wafting out of the darkness that controlled her.

However, as the Nether King began to send out his sonorous attacks across the frontlines, the darkness-Vualla pulled her body away, speeding it along the supply track toward the supply headquarters. She passed by many individuals who had collapsed and were foaming at the mouth as they struggled to endure the Nether King’s attacks.

Even Vualla herself was profoundly uncomfortable as wave after wave of force blasted outward from the Nether King, grinding at some vital part of herself. Yet very quickly she had arrived over a familiar collapsed form.

Eliot. Vualla had blinked. Confused, she had asked the darkness. But… why are you saving this duplication? I thought-

Eliot’s destiny is already determined; he cannot escape it. The darkness used Vualla’s body to gently pick the collapsed Eliot off of the ground. Her image wafted outward to protect him from the worst of the Nether King’s damage. But even so… this man is an innocent. He is still the one who would make a terrible mistake in order to survive if he had the chance… but he has not made the mistake yet. So… He… is still my brother.

Which was why, at this current moment, the darkness controlled Vualla’s body to drag Eliot’s unconscious form up the stairs. Below, Vualla could sense Lady Iellaya going to Abiodun’s side and keening over his feeble form. She could practically feel the life slipping away from his body. Yet Vualla’s true attention was drawn upward toward their destination.

Vualla’s consciousness slowly grew solemn as the ascended the wobbling wooden steps of Lady Iellaya’s fort. ...why are we walking up here?

After all, they were heading right toward Randidly. She could feel the bridge of warmth between them now as she was within twenty meters of his body. Even being this near to him seemed to allow a strange flow of energy to pass between them. It might be her imagination, but Vualla believed that she was slowly becoming stronger because of that flow. Every step up on those stairs that had been completely strained by the attack from the Nether King meant another pulse of warmth flowed into Vualla.

Hopefully, those pulses would make her strong enough to once more take control of her body, if necessary.

Yet the darkness that manipulated her like a puppet seemed amused by her worry. Relax, I wish no harm to come to your boy. In fact, we owe him much. Your brush with him is what set you on another Path than ours… And also his- well, we shall go investigate the situation. I suspect… that something extremely interesting is happening to that boy right now.

What…? Vualla hissed in confusion. But the darkness did not answer. It simply continued to walk forward, carrying her up the wooden stairs to the portion of the battlements where Randidly was laying.

Yet when Vualla laid her eyes on Randidly, she couldn’t help but be shocked. He lay on the warped and cracked battlements which had suffered dearly under the attacks of the Nether King. The area had sustained so much damage that the floor underneath Randidly was no longer level. But the real shock was the strange flow of every around Randidly. There was a darkly shimmering veil cast across Randidly, spreading out about a meter around his figure. It was a thin thing, that seemed almost aflame as it rippled slowly above him. In addition, two hovering white lights were floating above Randidly’s chest, slowly growing brighter.

And it was only due to that veil, pressing away other energies and protecting those two warm lights above his chest, that Vualla realized how tainted with darkness the surrounding air. That veil was like a strange, shadow-edged soap bubble that kept him pure.

Fascinating… The darkness controlled Vualla to walk slowly and stand above Randidly. With a flick of Vualla’s finger, it sent a blast of force outward to test the shimmering veil. When the force impacted it, the veil was warped slightly but soon snapped back to its original shape in a surge of fiery shadows. Next, Vualla waved her hand and caused and even larger flaw to emerge, but it quickly recovered with an even more impressive display of energy from the veil.

It was only as Randidly stirred that the darkness lowered Vualla’s arm. I’ve never seen anything like this. An exterior barrier of Nether, but within that, he is currently refining Aether into a liquid form. He clearly possesses an Aether Tithe of a Citizen in the Nexus… Yet his energy is so pure… where does it come from…?

Yet that wasn’t had Vualla’s attention. In her shock, she could resist blurting out her first instinct. He feels like a Nether Gatekeeper!

The dense Nether that fed into the bubble around Randidly shimmered playfully, belying how dangerous it was. Hiding how much Vualla had fought tooth and nail to damage barriers almost exactly like this in the past. The more Vualla looked, the more she could see how the Aether and Nether seemed to be naturally flowing into each other. There was no rejection. The two energies were moving as one as Randidly slept fitfully.

What…?

Unfortunately, we have no more time to waste. Karma waits for no one. But I hope, for his and your sake, that your boy finishes this transformation before its too late… Then the darkness manipulated Vualla’s body to look down over the edge to Lady Iellaya’s form, who held the limp Abiodun in her arms. Behind her back, energy from the sea of darkness gathered by the grand formation in the sky was slowly gathering, forming two enormous black wings that attached to her back. Those vast wings began to beat very slowly as Lady Iellaya let Abiodun’s body drop to the ground and then turned forward toward the Great Rift.

Then the darkness insider his body had Vualla follow Lady Iellaya’s gaze toward the frantic battle between the Nether King and Ileot Swacc. I’m sorry for what is about to happen. But Lady Iellaya’s assistance will not be enough. It has to be you.

Vualla felt something heavy settle into place in her stomach. What do you need me to do…?