Ruby jerked to her feet, knocking over her dresser in the process. Trinkets and a small, ceramic duck figure shattered against the ground as Nexus jumped off the sill, approaching Ruby with purpose. Ruby grit her teeth, scooping a shard from the ground to hold up toward the deity. "Stay back! Now!"
Nexus merely chuckled in amusement, stepping up onto Ruby's bed to continue his approach. "Do you really think that a shard of glass is going to hurt me? It will harm you far more."
Suddenly, Ruby's door was thrown open as waves of knights filled the area. Nexus merely grinned in amusement, standing still atop Ruby's bed. "Do you think that they're going to help you? Think about it for one moment."
Ruby's brows furrowed in confusion before the realisation hit her, sending a cold chill throughout her body. "They can't see you..." The Oceranian knights looked around her room in confusion, unable to see Nexus standing atop her bed.
With that, Nexus stepped off Ruby's bed, walking closer toward her. Ruby shrieked, confusing the guards more. Nexus took hold of her hair by the roots, pulling her closer to force her to look at him directly in the eyes. "I'm not playing anymore. You will be coming with me."
The knights were left in a state of shock, seeing what appeared to be Ruby's hair floating before her by some unknown force. One of the knights gripped their blade, swinging it in front of her. The cold blade slashed through Nexus without harm, trimming the ends of Ruby's hair off.
Nexus laughed, finally letting Ruby go. "I really don't like meddling motherfuckers. Get lost." With the wave of his hand, all the knights were blown back against the wall, shattering Ruby's dresser with the blunt force of their bodies.
Ruby shouted, stepping toward the chaos. "Don't! This has nothing to do with them! Why can't you stop destroying lives?! You violent, vile piece of garbage! Why can't you be more like-"
Ruby's eyes widened as Odeen stepped into the room. The anger she felt was replaced with panic as Nexus's gaze shifted toward Odeen. "Bingo. Everyone has a weakness." Nexus turned toward Odeen, beginning his approach. Ruby's breathing increased in fear.
Before Nexus had the chance to lay a finger on Odeen, he was met by the sharpened end of a jet black blade. On the other end stood Jasher, prepared in an attack stance. "Not a step closer, Nexus. This isn't what we agreed on."
Nexus's eyes narrowed as he stared down at Jasher with chilling indifference. "You have almost completed your mission. Do you not wish to go back home? Where did you get a divine weapon from? You're truly full of secrets, aren't you?" Nexus backhanded Jasher, throwing him back against Odeen.
Jasher hit Odeen's chest, immediately feeling steady once Odeen grabbed hold of him. Nexus scoffed in amusement, watching the king bring Jasher back to his feet. "Sturdy, this one. Let's see how well he remains on his feet when faced with a creature born of the Inbetween."
Nexus never had a chance. Ruby cried out in pain, driving the shard she gripped tightly into Nexus's shoulder. Nexus stumbled forward, spasming in pain as blood pooled from the wound. He turned his head back toward Ruby, finding blood dripping through her clenched fists. His gaze shifted toward the shard that protruded through his shoulder in shock. "But how?"
Ruby was left panting as she took hold of one of the discarded swords, running her bloodied palm across the metal before holding it toward Nexus. "I don't know how that worked, but it did. Now, you're going back to where you came from."
The creases in Nexus's nose were buried deep against his face as he scowled at Ruby. "This isn't over, Earthling." Nexus jumped back, vanishing into thin air. He took the open portal with him.
Ruby dropped the sword to the ground with a loud clang, collapsing to her knees in shock. Jasher stepped forward, only to be pushed aside by Odeen. He rushed forward to catch Ruby before she collapsed, holding her closer. Odeen looked toward Jasher with a dark expression. "What was that?"
Jasher's shoulders slumped as he sank against the wall. "That was the thing that sent us here. Nexus. He's the deity I told you about. For one reason or another, he's set his sights on the girls." Jasher's brows furrowed in realisation. "Safire..."
Odeen frowned in realisation, hoisting Ruby into his arms to hold her bridal style. "Go! I'll be right behind you!" Jasher returned to his feet in a frenzy, running out toward the stables in fear and concern.
Loud, guttural squealing of pain came from outside the hut. Safire jerked from the bed with fear, turning to stare at the wall from where the sounds came. Genis stood up from the floor, his sights trained on the same area. "Safire? Does he do that often?"
Safire shook her head in terror. "I've never heard it make that sound before. It normally spends the night thudding against the barrier." The surrounding area fell silent suddenly. A silence that Safire hadn't heard in years. Suddenly, through the piercing quiet came a heavy thud, far heavier than the beast had ever made. Safire fell from her bed, scrambling back toward Genis.
The silence rang on once again, seeming never-ending as the two stared at the wall. When another dull thud broke the silence, Genis wrapped Safire in his arms protectively. Despite the shaking in his voice from fear, his words were commanding. "If it comes down to it, run. I'll hold the beast at bay. You focus on getting to the castle."
Safire turned toward Genis with a look of utter shock. "You can't be serious! I'm not going to abandon you-" CRACK. Safire turned her shaking gaze toward the wall to find the soft, purple hue of her barrier beginning to splinter and shatter away.
Genis jumped to his feet, pushing Safire behind him. He held his fists up at the ready, shouting toward Safire. "Get ready to run! No matter what, don't turn back. This may get ugly, but no matter what, keep running!"
Suddenly, the wall in front of Safire's bed was kicked down. Nexus stepped inside, brushing the dust off his coat as the black magic beast lay dead on the ground behind him. "That was easier than I thought it was. That beast led me right to your-" Nexus's eyes narrowed with fury as he found Genis in front of him. "What the fuck is he doing here?"
Genis pulled Safire to her feet by her arm, standing in front of her protectively. "Nexus. Good to see you again, old friend. I think your prison sentence might have made you lose a few screws in your head. You know how wrong this is. Leave the humans that YOU separated, out of this."
Nexus clenched his jaw as he stepped closer, causing Genis to mirror his action. "Who abandoned their post, leaving me to take over that sentence? You selfish bastard! First, you dare to ditch your post, then you try and stand in the way of me returning home? This has been coming for you for far too long."
Genis's breathing hitched when Nexus materialised a long sword, made of the same material as the one Jasher had wielded moments ago. Genis sighed deeply, running his fingers through his hair. "Is this any time to be so emotional?" Nexus rushed forward, swinging with purpose. Genis merely grinned, materialising his own blade to clash against Nexus's. "What? Did you think I wouldn't fight back? Are you certain it's me you should be focused on?"
Nexus turned to where Safire was mere moments ago. The spot now lay empty. He spun around to find the end of Safire's dress disappearing out of the hole he'd just made. "Fuck!" Nexus attempted to follow.
Genis dropped to his knees, sliding forward to grab Nexus's ankle, toppling the deity to the floor. "Don't forget about me. Dear Nexus, you and I have so much to catch up on! What's it been? A billion years? Two?"
Nexus felt himself become blind with rage, spinning around to swing his blade, slicing across Genis's cheek. The wound was superficial, but a clear warning. Nexus reared his leg back, landing a brutal kick to Genis's face. The deity was thrown back into the hut, causing the supports to collapse suddenly.
Safire watched from the tree line, shivering with fear as tears welled in her eyes. "Genis? Rufus?" She whimpered, fighting back the tears as she surveyed the destruction. The beast, beheaded and dead on the ground, the hut in pieces, and no movement from the inside. Safire collapsed to her knees, beginning to sob uncontrollably. "Someone!"
The sound of footprints thudding closer to Safire from deep within the forest sent her into a blind panic, shuffling back against the ground as the tears blinded her to the figure that appeared. Saffire shrieked, blindly flailing her fists. "Stay away! Stay back!"
The figure leaned down, grabbing her wrists securely, but tenderly. "Easy..." The familiar voice caught Safire from her panic. Soon, the tears subsided enough for her to be able to make out Jasher's face. "Where's Genis and Rufus?"
Safire looked back toward the collapsed hut, leaving both breathless. Jasher slowly let Safire go as he approached the hut cautiously. "Jasher, don't!" Safire sobbed. Jasher held his hand up toward her as he stepped onto the rubble, trying to find any signs of life. "Genis? Rufus! If you can hear me, let me know you're okay."
A piece of debris shifted, capturing Jasher's attention. He cautiously stepped forward, leaning down to begin pulling the pieces of the hut back. Without any warning, someone's arm broke through the rubble, grasping a tight hold of Jasher's throat. Safire shrieked, backing away as Genis pulled himself from the rubble, squeezing Jasher's throat tight.
Once Safire caught the face, her fear washed away. "GENIS! You have Jasher! Come back to us!" Genis snarled, squeezing tighter before he threw Jasher's body from the wreckage, pulling the building from him. Jasher hit the ground with a dull thud, knocking the wind out of him.
Safire watched in terror as Genis began to stumble and sway, tripping out of the destruction. He collapsed onto the ground, gripping the roots of his hair in agony. "Get... OUT!"
Nexus was thrown from Genis's form, crashing a few feet away. Safire took a shuddering sigh of relief before the sounds of more footsteps crunched behind her. She turned in disbelief, finding Odeen rushing forward, led by Ruby. "No... no, no, no! You can't be here!"
Ruby halted, seeing the devastation that the deities had left behind. Jasher returned to his feet, holding his side in agony, as Nexus returned to his feet, left panting and weak. Genis was panting, hunched forward and trying to collect himself from the fight. "Jasher, are you alright?" Genis called out, and Safire hurriedly translated for the deity.
Jasher nodded weakly, trying to ignore the pain. "Still alive, so it's better than the alternative. Are you alright? Did that bastard just take hold of your fucking body?" Genis turned toward Nexus with a snarl. Safire wavered on her feet as she waited for the response that never came.
Genis sneered at Nexus. "Still playing those dirty old tricks, huh? You haven't changed at all from the immature little brat that I knew all those centuries ago. Little brother." Nexus hissed as the shock rang through the others. Only Odeen was unaware of the situation.
Nexus groaned, cracking his neck as he stepped toward Genis. "Doesn't matter. I'll take any route that I have to, to ensure Serina's words are met. So don't get in my way. You know that I'm stronger on this plane. And I've mastered the melodies of the universe in the time I was imprisoned."
Genis stepped back in shock, his jaw falling slack in disbelief. "That's not possible. Only Serina has the ability to master those melodies. Your false words do not sway me. I will defeat you." Nexus merely grinned. Ruby felt her hair being pulled suddenly.
She turned to find a portal to the Inbetween being ripped open beside her. She sucked in a gasp, never having the chance to scream as Nexus jumped back, vanishing without a trace. Odeen stepped back as something hit Ruby, throwing her into the portal. Genis turned to watch Nexus throw himself and Ruby into the portal, sealing it immediately. "DAMNIT!"
Jasher fought back the urge to throw up as Safire screamed in panic. "He got her! No, no! We have to do something! Genis, what do we do?! Nexus pulled Ruby into the Inbetween!" Genis growled in rage, turning to Jasher.
"Do you still have the blade that I slipped you last time? You can see Nexus, right?" Safire translated for Genis. Jasher frowned deeply, pulling the blade from its sheath. "Good. We're going into the Inbetween to get her back." Genis tore open his own portal behind Odeen, stepping toward him. "Sorry, muscles, you're going to be forced into seeing us." Odeen felt a heavy push, being thrown into the portal.
-End of chapter 17-