Absolute
Kakurine
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Well, well, well. I must say, I am surprised! I never expected to see
Armour Void again."
Oh, this is a twist in events.
I didn’t expect much when I came to the True Republic of Mag Mel. To be
deathly honest, I was only interested in Shahal. It was strange... that
it was in the hands of such a feeble man. What was his name?
Linedwell... Rainrix? I believe that was the man. With such a fragile
mind, who would have believed that Shahal could be wielded by a simple
human?
Well, at least it’s gone back to where it belongs now. It rose from the
Cocutos as another section of ‘her’ power... but Shahal still needs
closure. Thankfully I have that out of the way. I was so close to
leaving the True Republic of Mag Mel, until I could sense something that
made my stomach churn.
It was the energy of a spiritual combatant.
Quite a vocal one, too.
I really didn’t think I’d see that thing again.
But the fact is, there shouldn’t even be any spiritual combatants in
I-Praseru. Much less human ones. Even I find that to be a little
strange. I had always believed that no human being could wield Armour
Void, because it was an impossible feat. But yet, here I stand, in front
of a random blonde human girl. In all my times, it’s unheard of. And
I’ve been living for quite a while. At least from a human perspective.
10,010 years is what Earthlings would call a ‘drop in the bucket’ for
people of my kind.
I have no idea who she is... but I know that she’s probably oblivious to
Armour Void’s true purpose. Most human beings are oblivious to the true
purpose of that which goes beyond them. In some ways it’s sort of
quaint... and in other ways it’s largely pitiable.
Maybe I should be glad that this ‘Erel Plowse’ has unknowingly become a
spiritual combatant. Failure by a human would have less of a sting that
it would with someone of my lineage. Which I should be thankful for.
Because I hate Armour Void.
I hate it.
It failed to kill her.
That junk represents all the countless failures to kill ‘her’
incarnations. And it’s a constant reminder of how I tainted the true
form of the Void, by creating Armour Void. I treasure the Void. This
dress that I wear... is a gift from Lea. Resistant to magic...
beautiful in design. A symbol of the support system we once shared
together. It is the jewel of Lea’s love for me. That makes it a piece
of my existence. A piece of my heart.
A heart that shudders every time I speak her name.
Lea...
The Void stands for my love for Lea, and in turn, Lea‘s love for me. And
Armour Void is a hated result of everything that has happen between her
and myself since our support system was broken. I don’t want to be
reminded of the failures of my desires.
But other than that... Armour Void is just worthless.
"Hey you!" The spiritual combatant argues fervently, "Stop disregarding
me! And what the heck is Armour Void?"
I’m surprised at that. "...Well, you are wearing it. It’s so strange
that a human being can use Armour Void. It must have mutated over the
years. Either that or a soul has gotten inside it. It could possibly be
both. It’s kind of sad that such a thing was made by my hand... even
worse that it was derived from the Void..."
The girl energizes the cerise light sword that Armour Void possesses,
pointing it in my direction. As my feet hover above the grass of this
quiet forest, she speaks again at me, this time with a bit more
irritation.
"That’s enough out of you!" She barks, "This armour I’m wearing is
called Nephilm! It’s a gift from Faily! Stop calling it something it’s
not!"
I smile. "But aren’t you the one doing that?"
She says something else to me in return, but I don’t register it. For
suddenly, I’m thinking of something different. The girl just said that
she was given the Armour Void by someone else. I’m assuming that the
person who gave it to her was a spiritual combatant herself. If this is
true, then just how many people have been using Armour Void in
I-Praseru?
Oh well. I suppose it doesn’t actually matter at this point. Ihadurca is
not like Lea’s other incarnations. I mean Gillaclva does bear some
similarities with Lea, but I find that none of her incarnations are as
well connected with her (on a personal level) as Ihadurca is.
It’s just another one of the reasons I hate Ihadurca in the way that I
do.
I speak to the spiritual combatant again. "This world’s Lea is a bit
stronger than usual. I suppose Armour Void can’t be completely unhelpful
in such a situation. Okay. Why don’t we play for a little while? It
would be interesting to see how strong the armour can be when wielded by
a human. Not that I expect much."
"Alright!" The blonde girl yells, "I’m gonna go all out this time! With
Faily and Al ‘s support with me, there is nobody I can’t defeat!"
It’s a shame I already know the outcome of this fight.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ihadurca
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Evil Zone.
Accursed place. The hopeless of I-Praseru regard it as ’The Land Wind
Promised’. And in my memory of this Assumed Figure, I can hear the
decided chants of the sealing power of this place. Chants mouthed not
only by Brain Zar Deline, the beloved of my former self, but through my
own lips. The Court magicians that had seen and accounted for Evil
Zone’s strength knew of it as a perfect prison. Perfect for confining
those who transcend human strength and grasp upon the next level.
Deluded fools.
Such is the mind of the weak. To believe that they can contain a fruit
of mankind’s eventual evolution. An Absolute Existence like myself feels
no threat from such a place. On the contrary. I feel amused by it. To
me, it is nothing but a floating rock surrounded by winds and pillars.
Evil Zone and the worthless human interpretations of it, represent only
human absurdity. But you wouldn’t agree with that, would you, Orsa?
I bet that you wouldn’t. Humph.
I will smash this place. Such a thing lies well within my powers. This
confinement area will no longer bring security to those who fear me.
Once I break free, I will exact nothing less than sheer destruction of
the peoples of I-Praseru. I shall sweep into each of its four kingdoms
with the glory and might of an ascended being, and I will rip open
Nigredo; the barrier with which I-Praseru is enswathed. This is the fate
that those who have attempted my imprisonment deserve. Not that I don’t
have other duties to attend to.
There is still the matter of the fragment.
A fraction of me.
A fraction of her.
A fraction of us.
My mind trembles at the idea of it. To know that I as a person have
become so disjointed. But it is as I wished. It’s the memory of those
times... that drives me onward. That notion completes me and stands for
who I am. The memory of that day... the day that is locked within my
mind and soul. Bound to me forever; as a stone which is obstructive and
yet... weightless. It still remains as a part of me. And yet...
...No. I will not distract myself from that I must do. I will have no
mercy on Evil Zone.
And with that thought I can feel my powers work in tandem-like reflex
for me. My wings spread bright from one point to another, and the
illumination of Bentis and Meltis both increase in their intensity. The
orb upon Vanalgando sparkles with the red glare of blood, the water of
life. Its power is relentlessly immeasurable. Which is no surprise. For
it stems from birth out of my own womb, summoned from a faraway land.
Both of my hands grip Vanalgando’s shaft as I lift it above me. The
power within it peaks and peaks...
Until I am aware that I am not alone.
I freeze. Not from fear, but curiosity. How quaint. The image I see
standing from me, the figure, is my parallel. Similar, but vastly
different. For this image of myself is nothing more than a tool to act
as a final defence for escape from the Evil Zone’s confinement. How sad.
The people of I-Praseru were wise to install a program like this into
Evil Zone... but were foolishly arrogant in believing that a mere copy
would be able to stand against me.
Humans.
So absurd. When will they ever learn to understand my power? Humph. I
suppose I should be less cynical. Expecting a mere human shell to
understand me is like expecting an amoeba to contemplate the notions of
relativity. Such is the gap between myself and mankind. Slowly I draw
Vanalgando downwards from its previous position, hovering over my head.
I feel myself smirk at the security system’s copy of me. "It’s
ridiculous that the security system is still in operation..."
It spouts mindless babble in reply to my chastisement.
But I care not for what it speaks. This rickety old defence force is an
insult to my power. The orb at the head of Vanalgando, the orb withdrawn
from the hub of my womanhood, rises along with the staff itself,
pointing upon that image, that petty fabrication.
"I could have gotten out of this magic area at any time." I declare.
"I’ll destroy the magic area. And everything around it..."
And so I will. For Evil Zone has one purpose and one purpose only. It is
the isolated place to which I have summoned my fragment, and the human
existence that she is in love with. It will be far easier to draw the
fragment to me rather than chasing it. But will she come as well? The
other of my kind?
I believe that she will. I can feel that she will. But I do not fear
that day. Nor do I resent it. Rather, I relish it. I know that she will
attempt to find me. I can so much as feel that she has already made an
assault upon Shahal and its Assumed Figure.
Let it be so. We have lost business to attend to.
Don’t we, Kakurine?
My executioner... and my beloved.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kakurine
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"...You know something, don’t you? Do you know why we were summoned
here?"
There are many who are connected to myself and Lea. The Special
Inspector who wields that strange robotic armour seems to have
connections with Gillaclva in his own world. Then there is the spiritual
combatant from the True Republic of Mag Mel. And the lunatic man who
carried Shahal right before I defeated him. Those humans tied into my
saga with Lea are both numerous and various. But none I find as
interesting as this one.
This young girl, carrying nothing more than a sword.
She is a native of Earth. I can see that much. And she appears so frail.
Even by human standards, she looks to me with the frailty of glass. I
like that. Because sleeping within her is a thread that binds her to
Lea. Unlike the wielder of Shahal, who fell into greed with her power,
this girl isn’t arrogant. Though I doubt she even realizes just how
powerful her connection with Lea makes her... it’s so refreshing to see
a human being with an air of dignity in her ignorance.
"I do," I reply to her. "I think she was the one who summoned you.
Ihadurca probably believed that you would reach her without fail. I am
starting to believe that she was right. After all, you do possess a part
of Lea..."
"Lea?" The girl questions, "Who’s Lea?"
I look over at the raven-haired girl. Again I feel this heartache from
speaking her name. "She is the object of many emotions; to many people.
Mostly hate. Which is an emotion reserved for each of her incarnations.
In particular, Ihadurca. But to me..."
The girl looks on with confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Surely you understand me without saying it," I respond, "After all,
I’ve seen that you feel for the fragment in the same way I felt for
Lea."
This human girl remains confused. "Fragment? What are you talking about?
Are you talking about Karin? What do you mean by those words?"
"I guess I’ll be more frank," This girl is unique, but still retains
human confusions. "The one you call ‘Karin’ is a piece of the power of
another existence that I call Lea. You see, your ‘Karin’ was
inadvertently cleaved by me, when I destroyed the incarnation of Lea on
Earth. It seems that after she was killed, the fragment of the
Earth-bound Lea found solitude in you. I hesitate to call you an Assumed
Figure... mainly because the fragment has some bearings left in the
Astral Plane... but that is the only explanation I can come up with for
her merging with you in the way that she did."
"Karin?" The girl (seemingly) yells to herself, but I know full well
that she speaks to Lea’s fragment. "That’s not true, is it? Karin?!"
I blink. "The fragment will not answer. Perhaps because she understands
my words as a truth? Or it could be because regarding you as an Assumed
Figure would contradict your partnership in this. But if she realizes
that, then there is no doubt that you are an Assumed Figure."
I see her body shake for a brief few moments. Her body trembles. I pity
her really. But still... She is weak in both strength and emotion, yet
she is more powerful than any of the others who were summoned to
I-Praseru. A human with the power of an ascended human. I would have
expected such strength to consume her; but it does not. Is it because
she is in love with her power?
Do the bonds of love really strengthen the weak-hearted and weak-bodied?
If so... what does that make me?
Right now I am more powerful than I have ever been. Is this because I am
what I am? The next stage in human evolution? Or is it because I need
this power to make Lea love me again? Why is it that the further I
travel in this path, the more my heart wavers? I cannot answer myself.
Before I even have that chance, I see the Earth girl’s eyes flicker
angrily.
"Stop saying such things!" She yells at me, pulling back that sword of
hers, "You’re upsetting her! I don’t know who or what you are, but I
won’t allow you to hurt Karin like this!"
Human beings have a saying.
They say that the truth can be painful...
...The truth of that past, of which I share with Lea, is my pain. To be
trapped between the blessings of my former life and the curse of my
current one. But I can’t doubt myself now. This girl wishes to meet
with Ihadurca. I can guess just what the outcome will be. If Ihadurca
wins... she will re-absorb the fragment into her body and become even
harder to deal with. If the human girl wins, she will kill Ihadurca.
I cannot allow that.
Ihadurca’s death is better to come from me and my hand, than any other.
For it’s my responsibility and my desire to destroy each of Lea
incarnations until only one is left. Then she will...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ihadurca
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Humph.
Just as I thought. Pale copies have no merit against that which they are
modelled after. I lower Vanalgando until its bottom tip touches the
stone of the ground. The energy flashing around Bentis and Meltis fades.
As does the glow of Vanalgando. Though it may seem like I exerted myself
in the battle with the fake reflection, my breath could not be more
relaxed. The security system’s copy of me falls to the ground in defeat.
The wings shredded, the face smashed, the will broken. It can barely
even speak the significations that relay its fate. But what more can I
expect from a defence mechanism devised by human labour?
Humans. Did they really believe that a simple copy would have a chance
against its original?
Bitter delusions, I assure you.
Still. I find it hard to believe that Brain Zar Deline could be so
foolish as to believe that my power could be resisted by such efforts.
After all, I have Ihadurca Il Imella’s memories throbbing inside of my
mind. I know that I felt him to be a man deeply knowledgeable about
magics and sealing power. Maybe my old self just overestimated him.
Esteem can blind people to the truth. Especially human beings who lack
the wits to understand what it means to face one who is of the A-Zonia.
Arrogance and ignorance seem to go hand in hand with mankind.
No matter. With the destruction of this pitiable copy, the last barrier,
the last defence that binds the chains of the Evil Zone; has been
quashed. It will make it that much easier for my fragment and her host
to get here. As quickly as possibly, I hope. I can move onto bigger and
better things when I have taken the fragment back into myself.
Assuming that Kakurine has not obstructed it.
Kakurine...
Why do you affect me so? What is it that binds me to you? As higher
beings, we have greater knowledge of ourselves and our existences than
mere humans could grasp. In such a position, as an A-Zonia, I am
dissimilar to the many and therefore superior. I proved as much when my
‘other self’ broke all relations with you and ended our support system.
And yet...
I smile to see your face in the eye of my mind.
I am amused when I know that you pursue me.
I felt your sadness when you killed me.
Why is this? Really?
Does my memory of the past hold as strong as yours? For what other
reason would you seek to collapse all of my existences into one? Maybe I
am tainted with the memories of my ‘benefactor‘. It seems that both the
sorrow and love that Lea harboured has leaked into those she deemed as
Assumed Figures, hasn‘t it, Kakurine? And yet I feel as separate from
Lea as the fragment does from me.
Such concepts confuse me.
Am I as befuddled as the humans that I hate? What ascended being has
weak understandings of their own existence? Because I made the choice on
that day... I bid farewell to the perception of myself as ‘Ihadurca Il
Imella’ and became something entirely different. Something other than a
Court Magician for the divine land of Evna Abraku, and something other
than an admirer of Brain Zar Deline. The shadow I cast upon the world no
longer belongs to a mindless sheep in the herd, but to that of the
leader. Following my own path, following my own will. And yet, I am
shackled with the feelings that Absolute Lea holds for Kakurine.
Maybe my will isn’t as free as I would like to believe.
This angers me.
Of course, I don’t feel restricted by this anger or these circumstances.
I wished for this. As Lea, I wished for independence and I fused my ego
with my chosen Assumed Figures, most prominent being Ihadurca Il Imella.
And as Ihadurca Il Imella, I wished for the power that an A-Zonia such
as Lea could grant me with. Wheels of retribution swung both ways as a
result of these choices. Lea cast aside her love, and I was granted with
it. As are the other incarnation of ‘our’ existence. I believe that even
Gillaclva would hold some reluctance if faced with a prospect that Lea’s
ego could not handle.
The death of Kakurine, for instance.
It’s insulting that one existence could have such an effect on so many
others. But it brings pleasure to my mind when I think that this
existence is another facet of myself.
So come, Kakurine.
Come to me. Come to me as my murderer, or come to me as the sole object
of my affections. I have absolutely no need for you now. And I have
absolutely no desire to relinquish you, either. Humph. Such is the fate
of one who is bound to Lea. Clapped in the irons of her relentless love
for you.
Our love for you.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kakurine
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it, Lea...? But then... that isn‘t your
name in this world, is it? No... I believe that in this realm... you are
known as ‘Ihadurca‘."
It’s her.
Ihadurca.
I suspect that my face shows no fear or concern. A mask, really. With
the idea that I could fail at this task, I have reason to feel that way.
After all, Ihadurca is not like the others. The others have never caused
so many problems to so many people. Not even Gillaclva. And none of the
other incarnations have brought so much attention to themselves. Yet
this is the one that has shown more of Lea’s influence than any other.
I think there is some irony in all that. After all. When we were of the
support system, we had the attentions of no one. Now that the system is
broken, we have the attentions of all. A result that Lea didn’t bank on,
I think.
Maybe this is why I actually feel nervous.
Just like on Earth, back then... on that day...
Before long, she speaks to me. I feel my heart waver again as I see her
lips part. How many years have I waited for her to speak my name in the
way she used to?
"Kakurine..." She mouths, "So you’ve finally made it here. I had a
inkling that you would come. You do not cover your tracks well, my
dear."
I smile. "Yes. I knew you would find out about Shahal and the fragment.
I wasn’t sloppy, I wanted you to know I was coming. I believe that you
once told me that you didn’t like surprises."
Ihadurca smirks in response. "I see. Well, no matter. Believe it or not,
I would have anticipated you to appear in pursuit of me. Your desire
leaks into I-Praseru as it has done the Cocutos, and Earth. What’s next?
Planet Idanza? The Cryos Organization presents no problem whatsoever. To
someone who understands Gillaclva in the way that you do..."
"Yes," She knew all along. "That is my desire. It’s why I stopped the
Earth girl Setsuna from proceeding. Though the fragment isn’t part of
what I want. Not anymore."
I see Ihadurca twirl that staff of hers around. It isn’t hard to see
that she isn’t taking me seriously. "You can dispense with that
pre-adolescent tone. It’s fine for you to speak normally here."
As she wishes...
"I see that you remember," Just as she asked, I lower my child-like
voice and respond with my adult tone. A voice saturated with the wisdom
that comes from living in reality for over ten millennia. "You didn’t
completely cast aside the past, did you?"
"You’re one to talk," Ihadurca points her staff at me, her lips assuming
another smile. "It was on that day that the fragment was made. An
offshoot of your will, your desire? Or is it more simple? A childish
form of revenge, perhaps?"
...I-Praseru’s incarnation of Lea isn’t too bright though.
"No, it wasn’t," I reply. "I killed you... because I love you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ihadurca
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I killed you... because I love you."
Silly girl.
She hasn’t changed. Still spouting madness, still toying with human
beings.
".... You’re still clinging to delusions in either case."
I see Kakurine repeat a smile from that. Strange that such a thing would
even matter to me. Or the fact that she would tell me she loved me. For
the person who robbed my Earth existence of life, I find her hard to
dislike. Ridiculously hard, actually.
I feel the chink of Vanalgando’s tip against the rocky ground of Evil
Zone. It does not rise above my own words. For I know that very soon it
will be aiding me in combat with the girl who floats before me. And so,
she finally replies.
"It is my desire."
I can see that much already. "So then. Are you going to kill me,
Kakurine?"
There is a slight twitch at her face. She knows full well that I am not
the Lea she loves. Yet there is still an underlying hesitation in
Kakurine’s inane quest. This is similar to that day... she hated me and
acted on it, killing the Earth-form of me. On that day she was crying.
No sobs, no wailing moans, just fragile tears that are unbecoming of
people in our positions. Yet strangely relevant. I think we share more
of mankind’s weaknesses than we would imagine ourselves to.
It’s pathetic, really.
"I have to keep killing you," Kakurine says, crossing her arms behind
her back in that adorable way I’ve come to admire. "Once you are the
last of them... you can love me again."
She’s still as naïve as she was back then. "You really haven’t changed,
have you? When will you ever learn? No matter how hard you struggle you
cannot lay claim to me. I will never be yours, no matter how many times
you destroy these forms on the Material Plane. The Lea that you so
desperately cling to the memory of... is gone. She exists no longer.
Anywhere."
Kakurine says nothing to answer that. I quite rightly imagine that she
wouldn’t. The idea of her losing her treasured ‘Lea’ is too much for
her. And as I person... I have to defend my individuality. Because I was
greatly enhanced and diminished on that day. That day so many years
ago...
...When I had nothing but one thing. Kakurine. Now I have everything
except one thing. Kakurine. Regardless... I will not willingly die
here. Such a thing would bring too much pleasure to the humans who dared
to seal me inside Evil Zone.
So we will do battle.
I hear the invisible bell upon the Void jingle. That is the sign of
impending combat. I don’t pretend to know who the victor will be, but
neither of us intends to lose. We both have goals to accomplish in
winning this fight. She has her love for Lea to protect. I have my life
to protect. And though we fight to resolve animosity, my feelings for
her couldn’t be more to the reverse. I greatly suspect the same for
Kakurine. After all... Lea and I are not completely separate.
Heh, heh, heh. This must amuse you, Orsa.
Two of the strongest, two of the tribe that evolved too fast are going
to kill each other. Shed each others blood; in the name of love and
sacrifice.
Nevermind.
Kakurine and I seem to be bound to exercising this little game.
Destruction based on a shared affection, I suppose. This is why I must
kill her.
Even though I love her.
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