Deus Didymus: Rend

Pt2Ch2: Before the Storm

A pack of shadows waded through the bushes, rustling the foliage. Slowly, they reared their heads from their verdant covers before leaping toward the IZLand guards, and into broad daylight. Cries of battle and agony echoed off the towering quartz-like walls. They seeped through the gates, pleading to be heard by the city.

The shrouded grunts pulled their crystalline blades from the guards' flesh, cleaning its edge before turning to the empty entrance. As they approached the gate, a shadow swept down the wall and onto the ground.

From above Dayeon, crashed into the ground, slamming her hand against the dirt path. In the blink of an eye, every grunt fell to their knees. What felt like mountains weighed on their bodies, freezing them in place.

Copies of the grunts sprouted from the group's back, doubling their numbers. While the originals dropped to the ground, the doubles leapt toward Dayeon. A grin sprouted between the squirrel's cheeks as a cage of wood grew around her.

The moment the grunts' blades made contact with the cross-hatched barrier, branches sprouted from the walls. They wrapped around the copies' bodies, sapping them of their life.

"Good work out there," Minho remarked.

Nako wrapped the original bodies with thick beams of wood, sighing. "So they're finally making a move again."

Dayeon released her hold. She massaged her wrists before wagging her limp hand through the air. "That entrance was cool, but it hurt..."

"You should brush up on your physics!" Minho shouted. He approached the nearby bushes, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I wonder how they got so close."

"There's probably more," Nako remarked. She moved toward the bushes, scratching her ear.

As if on queue, two small groups jumped from the bushes--each trained on their own target. A group of five surrounded Minho while another group jabbed crystalline daggers toward Nako.

"Supreme Assimilation..."

Nako opened her hand at her side, pulsing the essence of her body from her skin. Dust swirled around her as if she were the eye of a storm. Her clothes flapped in an invisible wind, and her bangs swayed in their spot.

"Typhoon Release: Category One."

Minho weaved his hands together. Pneuma collected in his palm before shooting into the air above him.

"Lightning Release: Pentagonal Surge!!"

A pentagon of blue lightning screeched from the skies, striking each individual grunt around him. The crystalline blades of Nako's aggressors grinded to their bases as if jabbed into sandpaper, leaving only shrapnel and a handle.

"Can you be any more shameless?" Nako frowned.

Sharp branches sprang from the ground as Nako clasped her hands together, impaling the grunts.

"I'm sorry you have to see them using Ms. Ezaki's allele," Dayeon mumbled.

Minho waved his hand dismissively, "It's okay. It's all the more motivation to tear them down with my bare hands."

A gentle breeze brushed over Minju as she sat atop one of the capital's many watchtowers. She held her hand in front of her, observing her soft skin. It bubbled and and contorted until the tip of her index finger turned into a metal claw. With a sigh, Minju waved the claw away before summoning Yeseo's sword to her hand.

"Can you give me another hint, Ms. Kang? I don't get it..."

To her disappointment, nothing came. Minju leaned forward, dropping off the tower's peak. She plummeted toward the ground, but before she could crash into the paved sidewalk, a pair of bird's wings sprouted from her back. The fox took to the air with grace, eventually landing in front of Y/n in his backyard.