Chapter 698: Lines Drawn
The world in between realities is a location that very few entities will ever hear of in their lifetime.
And even fewer will actually witness it.
Even if one can break the barrier and slip in between the worlds, they still might not actually ever reach Tehom.
Whether one arrives there or not is dependent solely upon it’s rulers permission.
Without it, one is fated only to travel endlessly in the dark black void that sits just above their home.
This is rather common knowledge. And it is an absolute obstacle that any would be travelers must face.
“FIRE!!”
A single silver spacecraft fired off numerous rounds of projectiles into the darkness.
It seemed to have no set target, nor did it care about direction or collateral damage.
The ship’s only goal was to make as much noise as possible.
All of a sudden, the ship stopped firing.
This caused Director Nagumo to raise a brow.
“I didn’t tell you to stop firing, lieutenant.”
“I-I didn’t, Director. Our ammunition reserve seems to have been depleted…”
“What..?”
The director rushed over to his subordinate’s console and found that her report was indeed correct.
But that was impossible. They had enough firepower onboard this vessel to fire for thirty days straight before they needed to return to base.
“D-DIRECTOR!!”
Outside the bridge window, a large reptilian eye could be seen staring into the ship.
No one had ever seen it arrive, nor did they hear a sound when it showed up.
But it was big. Extremely so.
Long range scanners placed it as being as big as the sun. Yet even that felt like a bit of an undersell.
There might’ve been a whole body around it, but there was no telling just how far they would have to back up to see the full picture.
However, what they could already see was more than strange enough.
A great reptilian eye; burning brightly red in color. For a moment, the eye blinked and Director Nagumo could see a mixture of deep black scales, but also burgundy ones that seemed to be styled in some kind of pattern..
“Seems we’ve gotten his attention… Can he hear us?” He asked.
One of the ship hands pressed a button on his console and a green light flashed on.
“C-Comms are open..”
Director Nagumo nodded and prepared to open his mouth when their newest arrival somehow beat them to it.
‘Mongrels…’
Director Nagumo almost went down instantly.
The sound of the overlord’s voice in his skull was like the pounding of a drum right on top of his prefrontal cortex.
Several members on the bridge just went down like sacks of potatoes at the mere sound of the first syllable.
Shin felt as though they had it easy. They wouldn’t have to deal with anything worse that came after this.
‘Your gall is as impressive as it is trying. To dare show up on the doorstep of my home and brazenly bombard my ears with fireworks, you seem to have no attachment to the life you were granted at birth.’
Shin was still walking with a cane after the last time that he faced Abaddon.
And yet, he stood tall as he stared into that bright, burning red eye.
“Sorry for showing up without a bottle of soju or atleast a houseplant. I usually have better manners than that.”
‘A pity you aren’t fated to live long enough to correct your mistake.’
“You are very hostile to me when I am only coming here to retrieve my man that your wives took. I only come to see her returned.”
‘…You were instructed to wait. You were not to come to us, we would find you.’
“You don’t exactly have our address.”
‘Swarming a region of space with Abyss Walkers would never have failed to capture your attention.’
Director Shin’s eyes narrowed.
‘I said swarm, not destroy. How quickly your narrow mindedness shows itself.’
Shin now looked embarrassed; feeling as if he had easily fallen for some kind of bait and switch.
‘Let me make one thing… painfully clear.’ Abaddon emphasized.
Suddenly, the large eye vanished from in front of the ship; returning the world to darkness.
In an instant, Abaddon appeared onboard the vessel.
Though that shouldn’t have been possible…
Every bit of equipment, clothing, vessel, and even the toilets in possession of the order were enchanted to repel any denizens of the abyss.
No creature from there should have been able to just appear on the ship, but as bad as it sounded to say, Director Shin was getting used to Abaddon doing things he shouldn’t be able to do.
But then there was something that he couldn’t get past.
The dragon was big before, but now he was even more imposing. His horns were literally cutting up the ceiling.
The usual two-tone hair on his head was dyed in the same dark red color he saw earlier. As were his tattoos.
But his eyes were the most unsettling thing. They were a swirling reptilian vortex of gold, black, and red.
Abaddon lashed out and grabbed the Director by the head as if it were just a baseball.
He lifted him off the ground with such frightening ease that it terrified everyone present.
Those who were still awake reached for their weapons but to their horror… they couldn’t find them.
A muffled scream sounded as Abaddon snapped one of the Director’s arms as if it were a toothpick.
“You will not… try this again. I can make your fate so excruciating that you will beg every deity in the heavens for a death that they would never dare bring you.”
Against all odds, Director Shin actually smiled at Abaddon’s current state of being.
“N-Never thought I’d get the chance to actually see you agitated… I wonder what exactly struck a nerve this time around..? Perhaps you have something precious down ther-“
Abaddon smashed the Director’s head against the floor instantly.
One time wasn’t quite enough; so he repeated the action once, twice, and then three times more.
The onslaught likely would have continued, were it not for the appearance of one kind interloper.
Lillian didn’t actually have to say much of anything when she arrived.
But Abaddon felt her appear next to him. He sensed her displeasure.
Those things were small for anyone else, but for him it was more than enough to convince him to put the half-dead man down.
–
“Hello!”
When Shin came to, he didn’t really understand what was happening.
He opened his eyes to find he had a killer headache and that he was seated at a circular wooden table in the middle of the bridge.
Abaddon and a woman he didn’t recognize were sitting directly across from him.
The only clue to her identity was the orange hair and bright green eyes. A report that had come across his desk some time ago described a woman like that in great detail.
She was part of the reason why Fiona had died.
“You must’ve had a hard time, huh? Our apologies for that.”
At some point, Abaddon had reverted back to normal and was now sitting at the table with his arms crossed in annoyance.
Director Nagumo wasn’t counting on him speaking again, and he wished that he could have taken a picture of this very moment.
“My name is Lillian. It’s nice to meet you, Director.” Lilli showed off that same disarming smile that made her husband fall in love with her not once, but twice.
But needless to say, the effect on Director Nagumo was quite a bit different.
“… What is this?”
“Oh, just making simple conversation. That is what you wanted, right?” Lillian continued. Somehow unphased by his gruff tone.
“…I’ve come for my Brigade Leader.”
Lillian nodded and held out her hand.
A small soul made of whispy green energy appeared on the tips of her black claws.
Admittedly, the Director didn’t know how to feel.
Seeing Fiona’s soul laid bare like this before him… it just hammered home the fact that she was really dead.
But he would change that.
Apparently the reward for attending this meeting was the immediate resurrection of the young woman.
Director Nagumo didn’t know how that was possible, but he would have tried anything just once if it gave him a chance.
Perhaps that was reckless and irresponsible of him. No, it definitely was.
But Kaela needed her sister. And he would not expose that young girl to death so soon. Not yet..
So here he was. At a meeting with two overlords who he was sure were going to ask for something exorbitant in exchange for creating a miracle.
Depending on what it was, he was open to the possibility of paying it in full…
He had never felt like such a failure unfit for leadership.
Lillian flexed her claws and infused energy into the soul.
Miraculously, a strange chilling air blew throughout the bridge, making those inside feel as though their trenchcoats were not enough.
And then, the most incredible thing happened.
Red pathways were created out of thin air and surrounded the soul. A nervous system.
Next came a skeleton, then organs, raw red flesh, and finally the skin and hair.
“Someone cover her!”
One of the men on the bridge rushed forward to drape a coat over the body of Fiona as she drifted towards the ground.
Director Nagumo abandoned his cane and kneeled beside her on the floor; checking her pulse, breathing, and preparing a full body scan to make sure nothing was wrong with her.
His heart was beating so loudly that he almost missed Lillian’s words that were laced with shame.
“I was unaware when I took this one of the relationship between you two.
Beasts though we may be, my family do not involve children in the affairs of adults or make use of them for bargaining.
So you may take this one back for today with no penance to be paid. And know that I..”
Lillian paused and grabbed Abaddon’s hand. Softening him immediately.
“That we sincerely hope for her quick recovery. And we hope to meet again under brighter circumstances.”
Director Nagumo slowly took his eyes off Fiona and stared at the couple incredulously.
“…What..?”
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