Inverted Deck

Inverted Deck (Chapter 51)

Chapter 51

"Kirsi, what do you mean he might not make it!?" I accidentally outburst.

"Finn, it's you!! Where have..." Kirsi stares at me with her large red eyes, seeking to ask something important before visibly shaking it off. "It's his Aether Cap." She says, kicking back into Knight mode.

"His Aether Cap?" Ja'Krob asks.

"Yes, in his fight with one of the Joker's Hand, I presume to either be a Lieutenant or Captain to be able to harm Calum at this level, whatever they are they have a sort of special Lightning Aether technique, that they inserted inside of Calum's body to seal off his Aether Cap. As you know, the Aether Cap acts as a outer layer to a living being's Aether Core, one of its main functions is allowing the Aether Signature from one's Aether Core to freely travel throughout the body, almost like its skin so to speak. Well this Joker, placed an extra layer of foreign Lighting Aether around Calum's Aether Cap, containing his own Aether Signature from the rest of his body. Right now he's only unconscious from this, but in the same way living beings need oxygen to get to their brains... there's only so long a living being can go without Aether reaching the rest of the body before that process begins. Meaning-!"

"Meaning there's only so much more time we have to fix Calum, right?" I ask.

"Right."

"So what do we have to do?" Jojo says as I feel the wrath soaked flames beginning to churn and cinder within his Aether Signature.

"Well there was two options, we just tried the first, being Aether scalping and attempting to remove the Lightning Aether seal from within, but the problem is it's too complicated and foreign of a seal, plus the fact that it was done by a Joker, so I never seen a seal like it, but I can tell if it's tampered with too much and not in the right manner, it could potentially harm Calum."

"So option two?" I ask.

"Well, the only other thing we could come up with... it's slightly impossible but... if you were to track down the specific Joker that did this, and cause them to use enough Aether so that the seal disbands itself from not supplying it continuously with Aether, that could possibly work, but to find that one Joker throughout the entire Royal capital would be-!"

"It's done. Kirsi you're in charge till I return." Sa'El says.

"Me?! With all due respect Knight Commamder I-!"

"That's an order Kirsi, you got this, I trust you. I've taught you almost all that I know." Sa'El says.

Eri'Kah suddenly starts breathing hard and gripping her shirt.

"Eri'Kah what's wrong!?" JoJo exclaims.

"Barrier... bro...ken... they're... here." Eri'Kah manages to say.

Suddenly I feel a very large Aether Signature right above us. The quality of the Aether though, so transparent yet deadly, definitely belongs to a strong Joker, and one that's not concerned in the slightest of concealing their presence.

"The roof!" Sa'El exclaims before swinging the door wide open and dashing out.

"How did she know-!" I think as I slide my boots on before following after her.

"Stay here, Eri'Kah, I'll return soon enough." Jojo says as he follows me out of the door.

"Zhro'kasha rakua'zha!!" Eri'Kah yells out of the door as Talos, Abba'Gaia and Ja'Krob leave the room as well.

"My injuries will be fine!" Jojo yells back.

We approach the staircase to find that we are fortunately on the top floor. We run up the stairs to finally set our sights onto Sa'El aggressively pushing the rooftop door open.