Tales of Revenants

Chapter 51 – Zero Core

The time when Laken arrived at the cakeshop, they were already sitting properly waiting for his return.

He was filled by the void where Alisa's beside her, a range with one's within reach, yet it felt distant.

“Are you okay Laken?” Xenon asked fully aware of what he did.

Amongst them, he was the only one who knows he went to have fresh air to have a private space with Alisa, the woman who betrayed them from the past.

“Let's talk about the plan Alice, and get over with this,” Laken got serious all of a sudden.

“Argh!” Eirisse kicked the table to get their attention, “Pardon my drastic change of demeanor, my Metamorphosis kicked in,” she reminded them just in case.

Alice dropped the cookie she was munching and inserted herself between Laken and Luciella.

She clutches their arms and said in a panic, “What happened to the vampire lady?! Her crimson hair magically became long and her fangs were more visible, it's scary!”

“Don't mind her, you know she's the Heartless Revenant right?” Laken has something in mind when the light bulb on his head dazzled.

“I know! A Revenant's name is the curse itself right...?” Alice shuddered.

“Yes. When the dusk arrives, she will drain the blood of anyone she meets in the streets, that's Eirisse,” Laken was trying to make her cry but also tries to lighten up the mood.

They can't believe it works, Alice was already sobbing and wiping her tears off of Luciella's garments.

Eirisse stands up and gave him a smack in the head, “Don't tell her false stories! Or is it true? Anyways you're making me look like evil.”

“Now I understand how my head-chop hurts,” Laken told to himself.

“You bet! I will head chop you with everything I got soon,” Xenon taunted Laken in an argument.

Before they start to quarrel, Eirisse signaled Luciella to sweep the situation out, “Guys... let's talk about the plan now, shall we?”

“Sorry, I was not scared,” Alice was shivering and no one believes her.

It seems everyone in the room is accustomed to the eccentricity of each personality they have.

All of them almost forgot Sheria who was sleeping behind the sofa when she hibernated. They woke her up to discuss the things they needed to do.

“Forget about strategy, if we're going to attack with this number as a team, then there's only one thing we should consider.” Alice points out her idea.

“Oh? What is it?” Laken's attention was piqued.

He's reflecting on the plan they undertook in the past few battle they fought for.

In the end, it turns out the strategy left for them was to survive even after the plan is totally busted by the unprecedented things happening on the battlefield.

“We have no problems when it comes to pawns, the only predicament we'll be facing is the stronger pieces.” Alice draws her analogy by magically displaying a chessboard in the table similar to Xenon's photon manipulation when using his navigation map.

Her pieces were black side, she took a white's bishop and suggested, “If this were the Dimensional Reaper.”

Alice interjected her action by picking the white's queen, “Who should be the missing piece? I know you knew.” Her eyes gaze upon the mystery.

Laken should share the information they have because they are having joint cooperation, “The queen the Midnight Pentagram is talking about was none other than Alisa, the Loveless Revenant.” He hesitated when placing his card alone.

“I already know her. The human necromancer who tainted Barbaros to the core.” Alice tousled her pigtail in perplex.

“What I want to know is who is the king? And the other piece who took down Zoroaster, though we have no evidence if he really was defeated.” She gave her opinion on the things that needed consideration.

They were silent for a moment, there are things that don't add up the chess pieces no matter how they manipulate the field.

Luciella picks up a random piece on the board, “I'm just wondering, isn't the shard is within Alfeiyn? Zoroaster was defeated outside the barrier, what happened then?”

The idea she gave has finally lit up the bigger light bulb of ideas they are contemplating except for Alice who have no idea what happened to them all of a sudden being all perked up to the inference they arrived with.

Without being asked, Xenon revealed and manifested his map to validate what Luciella said.

If it turns out to be true, they might have made a mistake in which they were too absorbed about the opponent's pieces to the point they forgot what's in front of them.

“It can't be...” Laken's eyes widened to the blue dot he saw in Xenon's navigation map.

“What? Is the blue dot's position are the shards?” Alice suddenly felt a denying hunch.

“Make the blue dot more visible Xenon!” Eirisse exclaimed commanding him to maximize the spot of navigation for them to see it clearer.

“Sure!” He did what Eirisse told and spent a large amount of energy just so he could maximize the details into observing the shard's exact location.

What they behold the moment they viewed the spot where the Shard of Creation is way unfathomable.

The shard was located at the Alfeiyn, and specifically, the cakeshop where they are staying at the time.

“What now? Why are we staring with each other?” Alice is panicking.

She doesn't know what to do as they promptly became serious. The mood of distrust permeated the very room they are sojourning until Laken's answer to his deduction was given.

Faster than the blink of an eye, not wasting a single second nor moment, Laken pinpointed the edge of his sword to Sheria's neck while her g*n's nozzle is directed on Luciella's temple, it all happened in an instance.

Right after, the howl of a lunatic filled the entire space. It was without a doubt Sheria's playful laughter they did not expect.

The mark of an eye in her arm appeared. She was an enemy, a member of Midnight Pentagram.

Eirisse revealed her claws and stepped back, Xenon prepared his Stargazer switching it into a rifle.

“Who are you? You're not Sheria. I can tell her Arcanum Core is being suspended,” Xenon surmises.

“We really have a deep connection with each other. It was rather harder to act along so I just kept silent.” It was definitely Sheria's voice but it turns out she became the clothing of the wolf.

Alice presumes just now that she was possessed by some evil spirit, she went and hide behind Laken in fright.

“Who are you and why do you have the Shard of Energy?!” Laken exclaimed with ire.

Luciella can't do anything but to let her comrades deal with the situation or else her head will explode.

The three were threatening her already but Sheria never faltered, “You mean this?” They were all startled when the Shard of Energy glowing within was on her mouth, and after she swallowed it whole.

“Don't even think you can severe my head without killing this elf lady.” Sheria tightens strangling Luciella.

“Who are you?! My weapon is faster than yours, don't get full of yourself.” Xenon charges his Stargazer to the maximum output.

“How should I say this. I'm Sheria, but her alter ego. I am the one who wiped out the entire celestial battalion, and you're saying Zoroaster is the strongest mechanoid? Think for yourself!” Sheria revealed her Arcanum Core right into her chest that has the shape of a square.

Xenon was astonished when he saw her core, “That was...” He adjusted his rifle's nozzle for he knew exactly who she was.

“You recognized me Voiceless Revenant? I am the monster the Zargon Republic created after you left our country! I am Sheria Hexiria, holder of the Zero Core!” Sheria retorted and pushed aside Luciella hurling her on the wall.

Without wasting any more time, the clanking alloys were torn to pieces, she instantly destroyed Xenon's external and internal chassis, pulling the core inside his chest before he could do anything.

Laken favored to save Luciella and take care of her when Sheria focused her attack on Xenon.

Eirisse together with Alice tried to have a counter-attack but she eluded with her flexible bodily structure.

Sheria charged her g*n shooting off to the ceiling countless times. Alice couldn't believe Sheria escaped the spatial dimension they are currently locked in since only the golden key can be used in order to leave the private room.

There's a lot of pressing matter, Eirisse came to aid Xenon who was knocked down with the force uninstallation of his core.

His chest was torn open, he was robbed of the only treasure that gives meaning to his life.

“Xenon! Wake up will you?!” Eirisse tried to bring him back from unconsciousness as his voice seems to fade.

Laken checked Luciella, she was okay and there's nothing critical that happened to her.

He picks up his sword as the azure flames take over again. He did not expect the enemy is right under their noses all along.