Chapter 1052: Behind the Scenes Preparation
*Bing-Bong*
We interrupt this conflict because it has come to the writer’s attention that our protagonist’s entrance probably needed more build-up.
As such, we will be rewinding the clock a bit so that a more detailed explaination can be given…that and we’ll need to explain the appearance of some characters anyways.
We now return to the story, thank you.
…
Been awhile since I had to make an announcement like that.
[Felt necessary with how much shit is going on right now. May need to do it again later.]
Fair enough.
*Bing-Bong*
________________________________________
Several moments before the Fallen showed up…
‘Oh hey, we arrived here before those two did. Sweet.’
Shortly after Zhen Liu had switched from looking like a proper heroic young master in full [Regalia] to a nefarious demonic overlord in full [Stigma], he and Blazejudicator had essentially crash landed on a small rocky islet.
To be more precise, his left hand had suddenly and abruptly stopped dragging him across the air immediately over this little chunk of rock that and nothing more than a shack made of driftwood on it. Granted, he was sensing that there was way more than what was on the surface.
That and because Logos and Pathos were pointing it out as well.
=Milord, can you go ahead five steps and check that spot to your right.=
‘Next to the rock that’s glowing like a rainbow?’
<=Exactly that.=>
‘Figures.’
The closer Zhen Liu got to the rock, the brighter it began to glow with all the colors of the rainbow. Not only that, but the seal on his left hand began to grow more and more…excited.
Eventually, once he was in touching distance, Zhen Liu felt a strange surge of movement all around him as both time and space began to warp in a weird way.
“Ey yo?”
The next thing he knew, he found that he while he was still in the islet, the content of the place had dramatically changed.
Instead of an old, warm shack made of driftwood and broken fishing supplies, Zhen Liu found himself standing before a mausoleum that gave off very similar vibes to the [Library of Nowhere]. It was almost as big too.
‘Oh…so that’s where she’s buried…wait was the shack and stuff just an illusion?’
<=Partially correct.=>
‘Which question?’
<=Both.=>
‘Mind explaining?’
=That thing we wanted you to check was something known only to the Kaijin called an [Overlaying Reality Array], it’s a bit hard to explain but it allows one to essentially build spaces in reality on top of each other.=
‘Huh?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Okay…what about the burial bit?’
<=That's something we can explain later. Right now, Jin Fang, Jinju Ren and the Time bastard has arrived to the library.=>
‘Ominois…also, you guys still have beef with Cornelius?’
=I’m getting over it slowly.=
‘And I thought I could hold a grudge…’
Getting the distinct feeling that opening the [Doors to Nowhere] inside of the mausoleum was bad idea in more ways than one, Zhen Liu opted to use the door connected to that little shack instead.
‘Do I just walk backwards to get out of here, or…’
<=Yeah, just walk out where you entered.=>
‘Cool.’
That same weird feeling of time and space came over Zhen Liu as he stepped out of the Storm Queen’s tomb and returned to the bare islet.
Surprisingly, he noticed that the two hostile signatures heading his way were still some ways away from arriving. Which gave him plenty of time to walk around the entrance to the tomb, and walk over to the shack.
As he approached, he couldn’t but notice this aura of…warmth coming from the building. Like he was standing next to someone’s childhood home.
‘Huh… definitely gonna need to come back here after all the fighting is over…but for now…’
With the [Key to Nowhere] in hand, Zhen Liu proceeded to use the front door for the shack to open the gate to allow his girlfriend, fiancee and new friend through.
“Hey guys, welcome to-”
“Darling!”
“Bah!”
Before he could give proper greetings, he found himself getting tackled hug by Jinju Ren. Normally, he would get bowled over, but his [Stigma] allowed him to be a bit sturdier than normal.
Granted, it didn’t stop Jinju Ren from hugging him like a koala on a tree.
“Good to see you to, Xiao Ren.”
“Oooh, it’s been so long since I was able to hug you darling! But why are you so much more imposing? Is this your [Regalia]? It looks different,” Jinju Ren said after taking a breaking from cuddling against Zhen Liu. “If your normal [Regalia] makes you look scrappy, this one makes you look…fierce.”
“Thanks?”
While this was happening, Jin Fang and Cornelius had also exited out of the gate.
“Well, good to see that you’re able to flirt despite being in the middle of an active war zone,” Jin Fang commented with a slightly icy tone of voice.
“You’re just jealous I got to hug him first,” Jinju Ren shot back while continuing to cuddle.
“Bleh.”
“Huh…hello Undertow,” Cornelius said as he took in his surroundings. Of all the warriors present, he had the most complicated feelings about the place, right before a certain young lady.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t any time for anyone to sit around and process these emotions.
“Alright, so I assume Logos and Pathos gave y’all the rundown on what’s going on?,” Zhen Liu asked after getting Jinju Ren to agree to physical intimacy later.
“You have a bunch of weirdo psuedo-kaijin wrecking the city alongside the Fallen, the Fallen Elite warriors are causing a mess and due to a combination of xenophobia and lack of identifiable features they’re being misidentified as Zhen Clan soldiers while the Zhen Clan matriarch is doing her damnedest in protecting Undertow’s leadership, your cousins are trying to free your family soldiers to assist in dealing with the Fallen and while all this is happening, the Fallen’s matriarch and what is being marked as a ‘rogue’ ) kaijin is coming to steal the legacy of the Storm Queen, my mother,” Jin Fang answered in one smooth breath.
At this recital, Jinju Ren, Zhen Liu and Cornelius all looked at Jin Fang with disbelief. After all, they only had about ten minutes to read over the document Logos and Pathos gave them before the door to Undertow opened for them.
“How did you…”
“I learned how to speed read whenever Lady Daria gave me a last assignment.”
“What does she have you do?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Moving on,” Zhen Liu interjected as he already had a vague idea of what his mom does in the shadows. “So yeah, due to all this going on. I’m going to be sticking around here to both secure the legacy while figuring out who the masterminds behind this bullshit it. If y’all wanna assist or help elsewhere, now’s the time to mention it.”
The newly arrived trio looked at one another, briefly spoke about the smartest distributions of power, and then proceeded to make their intentions known.
“I have never gotten the chance to actually go all out against someone cultivating [Chaos] before and I’m actually curious if my Dragon Force can actually cause them to heel. That and I need to exercise that new monkey of mine,” Jinju Ren declared while drawing her saber. As she did, a subtle chorus of dragon growls could be heard.
“I know the castle better than the back of my hand. If I can free up your great grandaunt, I’m certain she can tilt this war to our favor faster than if I went to go and fight myself,” Cornelius stated before circulating his strange aether. Once he had reached some invisible threshold, he immediately stepped towards the castle and disappeared.
“I’m going to stay here,” Jin Fang told Zhen Liu. “I’m going to try and assist you in dealing with those incoming bastards.”
“Are you sure?,” Zhen Liu asked with concern in his voice. “The Matriarch of the Fallen is tough and this unknown kaijin is a wildcard. Only reason I’m risking it is because she can’t use [Chaos]. That and because I got Blazejudicator in my head.”
[Indeed.]
“I have to,” Jin Fang nodded with a firm tone. “This place belonged to my mother, right? Would be really shitty if I didn’t try to defend it at least.”
“Alright.”
And with that, the young warriors got ready for battle…
…Now back to the present…
‘Holy shit, what the fuck was I thinking?!,’ Jin Fang thought to herself as she watched the beginnings of the battle from her hiding spot in her mother’s mausoleum. ‘I can feel their power radiating from up here!’
