The Ballad of Crystl

CHAPTER 10: FORGED ALLIANCE

"You're NOT supposed to be here," Crystl tapped the table with his fingers while watching Claad and Smowk eat in the kitchen of his supposedly secret base. "Fugn, why did you let them in?"

"Kid, if I left them out there they could've been food for the cannibals lurking around in this area." Fugn sighed, "And besides... they have admitted defeat."

"What about you, Livanne?" Crystl looked at her. "I need your opinion..."

"As far as my opinion is concerned," Livanne sat down with them, "I suggest that you keep them and tell them your story. Who knows, maybe they'll listen..."

Crystl glares at the two of them.

"You defeated our strongest combo," Smowk grinned, "and you even beat Fugn's slowest possible time move. You've gained my acceptance."

"Your awakening is a cheat," Claad sighed. "I've got no choice but to accept you."

"There you have it, Crystl," Livanne stood up. "That's your cue..."

"Alright, listen..."

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"As expected of the royal family," Claad felt disappointed, "they really reek like garbage."

"Well, not all of them are garbage." Smowk sighed, "Like the queen and the princess, for example..."

"I also think that the princess did not know anything," Cyrrus pointed out.

"How sure are you about that?" asked Claad, "I agree with the queen since she went away to do some business in Life Verse."

"The princess is innocent," Fugn nodded at Crystl. "She told me that she was starting to suspect his father about what happened to your memories..."

"If we confront Lord Voix, with all of us combined, can we defeat him?" Livanne looked at them anxiously.

"Maybe if we could gather the rest of the knights," Claad stared at Smowk and Fugn, "we can get the rest of the reapers to believe us."

"That's right," Fugn grinned. "Our creator is already betraying us. It's only a matter of time until we become his next victims."

"I'll contact them first without telling them this location," Smowk stood up. "Who knows? Lord Voix might be on to us already..."

"For all we know, there are other reapers out there who are after Crystl's title as Cyrrus." Livanne turned to Crystl, "What are you thinking?"

"A plan," Crystl was in deep thought. "I got... something better..."

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"I like it," Livanne grinned. "We can't kill Lord Voix, but we can hurt him bad."

"Too bad that he'll breakdown," Fugn agreed.

"The only way to penetrate his defenses," Crystl clenched his fists, "is to destroy his masterful creation, Caine."

"It just means that we'll have another expedition," Smowk sighed. "Your theory, however, sent some chills over my spine. Could it be possible that Caine and the ex-masters became cannibals during their time at the core of this universe?"

"It is possible already since he's cannibalized the Blood Tool where Crystl used to be a part of," Fugn patted Crystl's shoulder. "If they embraced the taboo, they're no longer reapers. They are way passed that..."

"If only we could all the help that we can," Livanne remembered something. "We really need Princess Darling's help."

"About," asked Crystl, "what?"

"I think I know what it is," Fugn acknowledged. "She told me that she plans to steal them, the Ethereal Swords..."

"What are these weapons anyway?"

"Well Crystl," Livanne sat down on a sofa, "Since I am one of the pillars of this universe, because you already know that I am its architect and Fugn is also one of those pillars..."

"Get on with it already..."

"I'm sorry~"

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"When universes get 'useless', because they no longer have the value that the Supreme Beings wanted, they eventually have to destroy them, end of the world. The Supreme Being of Destruction, Xaos, is the one responsible for doing it. However, fragments of these destroyed universes continue to accumulate and gain sentience of some sort that managed to get the attention of these Supreme Beings. So, they decided to make weapons out of them and need one to forge for them and they altogether created their blacksmith and the first Hyper Being, Forjer.

Forjer created one sword for each Supreme Being. He also made others that have lesser powers than the eleven Ethereal Swords and called them Eternal Swords. Lord Voix's Ethereal Sword is called Lafrinn Geist. It has a hypnotic glow that attracts a lot of souls. As per the Eternal Swords, each Supreme Being is given at least four so that their four chosen subordinates can wield it in emergency cases like the ones we are having right now. Firstly, the cannibals were not created by the Supreme Beings. Lastly, the case of Caine puts the Death Verse in danger.

The Eternal Sword that chose me is called Azik Viendro, the eighty-four-legged blade. According to Forjer, it is known to latch itself to its wielder with its twelve tentacles while the rest of the seventy-two tentacles serve as movable living blades. The other swords in the vault aside from my sword are the Midnight of War, the Crystal Cluster, and the Trinity X Calibur.

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"We've got company," Smowk looked outside. "They are closing in fast."

"Are they friendly?" Claad asked.

"Don't worry," Fugn nodded at them. "They're on our side."

"So even my Eternal Sword showed them my current location," Livanne scratched her head as Crystl glared at her. "I'm sorry..."

"This... is... supposed to be my hidden base and you exposed it... again," Crystl sighed. "How did it end up like this?"