Infinity in the Void – Freedom in the Abyss

So my blood can brainwash Vampires, good to know.

Fufu, that isn't quite correct, my dear. In your blood exists countless chemicals, some of which may contain ingredients to make numerous types of drugs. One of those just so happens to make her drunk, mixed in with a bit of truth serum.

So, my blood.

Fufu, as you say.

Though it looks like the blood drugs didn't last long. Hoa is now glaring at me will a lot of bloodlust.

"You... you dare—", I appeared right in front of her, flicking her forehead.

"It's not a big deal for me, I already knew it from the start.", I huffed, "Your secret is safe with me. I just wanted to hear it from your own mouth."

"You are a horrible human being, you know that?", she grumbled, calming down a bit. That flick didn't hurt her as much as I expected.

"Tell me something I haven't heard before.", I grin, "So what should I call you, Hoa or Fthaggua?"

She sighed a breath of tiredness, "Hoa is alright, I don't want others to know who I am—"

"The Pale Court, The Crawling Chaos, and pretty sure The Almighty knows who you are.", I listed the ones I know.

"They are... fine, Heliosol isn't against other Star from visiting their system, as long as I don't try to copy the Template of Life. The Black Pharaoh isn't a concern of mine, since they are far away enough that I can deal with them easily. And for Yahweh, I don't really care.", she just casually shrugged.

I touched her flame... they aren't hot, quite warm in fact. Hoa doesn't seem to be bothered at all.

"Let me ask you a question. Answer it and you will have another favor from me.", I get close to her, looking into her eyes... mhm, I am now as tall as her.

If I ever start an eyeball collection, I'll start with those fiery yet unmovable gazes.

"You are being too close for comfort, Charlotte.", she stepped away, "Two favor in such a short amount of time, are you sure you are not tricking me?"

"You are my best friend, I am giving you a discount here~ Molon Labe (come and take it).", I grin.

"So... what do you want to know?", she sighed, admitting her defeat.

"Are you going to destroy the world?"

She stare at me as if I was insane to think about that. I guess I had my answer.

"No? Why would I do that and make an enemy of the most unhinged and terrible Star? My salary would be deduce.", she answered like it was the most common knowledge ever.

"You have a salary, are you some higher up?"

"How did you think I became the Regent of the Fire Vampires? I worked hard for this position, aside from the paycheck.", she smirked, "I certainly don't want any trouble with humanity, even if they are a great food source."

She spin around, and as she spun, little fireballs came out from under her robe, flying around her.

"Since the cat is out anyway, the favor I want is to kill an old enemy of My Lord the Madden Flame, The Ivory Throne. So can you help me take it down?"

Now, should I help her? I can always reject this for another. She's telling me to go face another Eldritch God. Of course... I will.

"My weapons just so happen to specialize in dealing with Eldritch Gods.", I pulled out Fallen Starlight from my bag, pointing it at Hoa, "Fallen Starlight, the Barrel Pointed At God."

"I get what you mean. Also, don't point it at me!!", she slapped the barrel of the gun away.

"Anyhow, I need to satisfy my bloodlust.", I folded it back and put it in my portfolio bag.

"You sure nobody will come here?", Hoa questioned while playing with her fireballs.

"Well, we are pretty safe here. Nobody can actually enter even if they wanted to with this.", I took out my lance from its briefcase and planted it into the ground.

"In the Name of Humanity."

With no particular essence to put it, Quirinus will manifest everything... from the Storm Eye that I wanted, to the rain, the wind, and even the destructive nature of a storm. So, as to not destroy this whole place...

"Whispers of the Soft Gale, Protect us, no harm from outside shall come..."

I can hear the wind forming outside, softly spinning around... creating a barrier, accompanying the sound of raindrops hitting the building. I let go of Quirinus, letting it do its thing. 

With the darkening sky, the only things lighting up this place are my azure eyes, the dim light of Quirinus, and of course, the Regent of Fire Vampires, who illuminates the whole building in a sacred bonfire.

"This should do it.", I smile, stretching my whole body. Grabbing my right upper arm from behind my head, then I lean to the left to start.

Meanwhile, she grabbed a fireball, squeeze it, and created a glaive.

"I thought you would throw those fireballs at me.", I said as I manifests the Justice Mist.

"I am not some fantasy mage, I am a bloodthirsty Fire Vampire who knows about honor.", she swung her glaive around for a test.

"Then I'll receive in kind.", I commanded the Justice Mist to reform, turning into a two meters long greatsword, denting the ground as it fall.

"That's... a bit overkill.", Hoa commented.

"Just like how I like it.", I smile, lifting it up with one hand.

Let the dice roll.

Hoa disappeared from her spot, moving at a speed even I can't follow. From the movement of the air, she will be...

Behind me!

Clank!! 

Her flaming glaive hit the guard of my greatsword. Using the glave as leverage, I stepped to the right while using my insane strength to bring the blade up.

She then turned her body to dodge the swing just in the nick of time. She draws her glaive back for another attack.

Weapon-wise, I am at a disadvantage. A glaive can both be used as a one-handed and two-handed weapon, she can switch depending on the situation. And compare to my weapon, which is used to deal with a large number of people and not so much at close range, she must stay close to keep her advantage.

But she's not dealing with a knight, she's dealing with me.

She switched to using two hands, turning the blade upward— she thrust forward and swing up. I went all in on it, swinging down my sword—

Clank!!

Our blades touched, clashing against each other— I widens my eyes, as she just won our clash— knocking my sword to the side. And now, she's pointing the pummel at me.

I freed my hands from the greatsword. Then I lowered myself and charged at Hoa. She quickly changes her approach, whacking her glaive at me.

"What—", she was surprised, as I blocked her attack with my left arm, more specifically, my coat. Made from a material that could withstand a place where metal melts, what can a little fire do?

Using her daze to my advantage, I threw a punch into her left side. Hoa was staggered, so I slide my left arm up— grabbed her throat, and pinned her down to the ground.

Then I began to drag her across the entire field, making a trail of charred wood. Yet before I can throw her like a bowling ball, she turned herself into hot air— reforming on top of me, with her glaive ready.

"Justice."

Hearing my command, my greatsword came flying at her. Seeing it coming, she... opened her wings made of fire and flew out of the way.

"It seems like you hadn't shown me everything.", I smile, grabbing the handle of my greatsword as it makes its way back to me.

"That is obvious, I can't show you all of my cards just yet.", she landed far away, taking the distance.

"Since you had shown me your wings, it seems like you are taking this seriously now.", my smile widen, "So I should be more serious."

I absorb the Justice Mist back into my body.

"Survive, partial takeover."

I feel distant as if my body is submerged in water. I feel emptiness, my body feels nothing. Yet... I can feel everything at the same time.

From the sound of the wind wall outside, the marching of ants deep in the ground, earthworms crawling underneath the soil... to the roaring flame, the thirst for blood... I can sense EVERYTHING.

My body moved, coming close to Hoa. I hear my bone cracking, my muscles tearing themselves apart. I came close to her face— then I grabbed her right wrist, twisting it.

She frowned, being forced to let go of her weapon. Then I grabbed it, feeling the heat that would burn me...

But I am human, my greatest ability is to harness the power of everything around me... I took control of the glaive made of flame for myself.

In the exact moment as I took the glaive, I spun myself counter-clockwise for an attack— yet the glaive disappeared upon coming in contact with her...

So I twisted my body in the opposite direction— punching her straight in the chest. I knocked the win out of her... making her fall.

"Do you yield, Hoa?", I took back control, smiling at her.

"Ha... I can't show you my true power, yet. You are not my target so I have to conserve my strength until then.", she defended her pride, giving me her hand.

I grabbed it and helped her up.

"Give me your number and I'll call you whenever I need you.", she pats herself, dusting her robe even if there is no dirt.

She spun her fingers, commanding the fireballs to come back to her. They flew around her, then went under her robe.

I exchanged my number with hers, quickly and simply.

With everything done, I pulled the lance out of the ground, ending the storm outside... returning to the evening red sunset.

"I think this should be enough. I'll go grab Mitsuki, so wait for us at the gate.", she disappears, flying past me in her hot mist form.

Meanwhile, I put Quirinus back into its briefcase and picked up my portfolio bag...

"So you came.", I look up, my azure eyes piercing right through the man in a white robe.

Jesus Christ, he survived after all... why am I so disappointed?

"Greetings, Charlotte Silvi.", he spoke in a clear tone...

"What do you want, Christ?", I tilt my head, "Is there anything you would like to know?"

"No... I am not someone who asks for others' secrets. I was just checking up on you, as someone who will care for you in this Academy.", he clasped his hands, but never a prayer.

"I don't need any help, especially from an Outsider.", I don't need anyone's help, not from an Eldritch God no less.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God... the Second Ring of The Almighty. Born with the wisdom of God but with the body and mind of a human. He surely knows what I want in his infinite wisdom.

"If you say so.", he turned his back... hmm... I can smell the scent of blood. So his wound didn't heal properly.

"If I ever have a God in my heart, it wouldn't be The Almighty. You are just a part of a parasite, leech off the misery of humanity.", I turned my back to him, speaking loud enough for Christ to hear, "No matter how good of a person you actually are, no matter what good you had done for humanity..."

"An Outsider will always be an Outsider."

I cannot accept you as human, because you are far from what makes a human... a human being.

You are too good to be a human.

 

=0=0=

 

The corpse of the Spider of Tindalos was moved outside of the Academy, it was just a corpse so disposing it was a low priority.

But it was still a corpse of a Tindalos, the Beasts of Time.

The corpse's abdomen moved, twitching as something from the inside trying to break out—

A hand reached out, a dark blue that mirrored the night sky with neon red strokes across it like blood - pulsating, each finger end with a sharp talon that could penetrate anything. Then a humanoid figure, similar to a muscular man, emerged.

Like a full body covered in dark blue latex, with a pattern of a skeleton in neon red, resembling a costume one would wear during the Day of the Dead.

"Recalibrating - Install Personality - Miguel", it spoke in a mechanical tone, then change to a Mexican accent, "Okay, this should do it."

"Layla, calculate the Time Divergence."

A tiny digital amber spider appeared from thin air, [Hmm, the Time Divergence is unusual. It's more of a Time Loop.]

"Can we destroy this place?", it tilted its head.

[There are three Sources of the Time Loop that I detected unless we destroy all three, it won't be solved.], the small spider then projects a screen through its eyes, [The whole Academic Ground is one. Then the Time Traveller.]

The screen displayed the images of the Ataraxia Academy from the top down, with the buildings placed in specific spots, creating a Magic Formation.

Then another screen appeared, showing pictures of John Titor wearing different outfits from different points in time. The only similarity between them is his eyes, two clocks ticking at different times.

[And finally, one we will have the most difficult time solving— The Pale Court. The Magic Formation is fueled by the light of Heliosol, so unless we block out the sky for a few days and nights, we can't destroy the Magic Formation.]

"So a problem on top of a problem.", The Spider of Tindalos sighed under its mask.

[Not to worry!], the small spider displayed another image, this time of Charlotte, [This is the Keystone of this timeline!!]

Then she showed an image of Sinclair, [This is her Alternative Future, a Time Traveller that is currently M.I.A, from what I'd gathered, she put a hit on The Time Traveller! So the Keystone would deal with The Time Traveller, we swoop in and gobble everything up! And hopefully, the weather is bad that day!!]

"We don't have a lot of mobility, since The Pale Court is hostile to us.", it looks up into the night sky, starless and... moonless.

[Night operation it is!]