Cypher was prepared to fight until the bitter end at this point. He knew he couldn’t win, even though he was still near his peak in terms of overall power reserves. Of course, his mental energy was running low, and the Waltz had taken up over half of his Zight leaving his Orrium quivering. However, he still had tons of stamina he could convert into Zight, and if he was able to even stall for a little while he could begin refilling his Mental energy and Zight through his connection to the Duality Shield.
Nuadha arrived in front of the barrier and smiled as he began to speak, “Well done my boy. Well done indeed!” Nuadha continued to clap slowly, the sarcasm of the whole endeavor obvious for all to see. His metal arm gleamed in the light and Cypher only scowled.
“Although,” continued Nuadha. “I expected a lot more from the son of my greatest enemy, Fenix Ceraunus. You who I had assumed had been sealed away in their little bunker of a home in Seven City. But luckily it would seem that Serenade not only survived but squirreled you away with her sister.”
Cypher had nothing to say to Nuadha. He stared blankly at the ground as the man continued to speak, “Hiding from me all these years was impressive. I’ve wasted no effort in my attempts to find you. I had hoped she would make the mistake of leaving you free to roam and thankfully, here you stand.
“You’ve arrived just as expected, killed a few of my subordinates, and you even managed to reunite with these pathetic weaklings. I must say, Cypher, that little light show was impressive. You’ve grown tremendously in such a short time. Giving you those ten days was wise on my part, but it will hardly matter once I break through this barrier and claim your life.”
Alex and Melodi stared at him in fear but Cypher held his ground against the deep voice of Nuadha.
“It doesn’t have to be that way, however. Think carefully about what I have to say next. What will you do now? Hmm? You are aware that nothing you do will save you from me. I am a Relic Ranked existence, you and your friends could hammer away at me with everything you had and it wouldn’t make a single bit of difference. You cannot escape. This little rescue mission is done.”
Nuadha paced slowly in front of the barrier, his hands clasped behind his back, “But, what if I offered you a way out? What if I promised your friends safe passage from this place? Called off the attack on your little group of reinforcements?” Cypher froze after Nuahda spoke those words.
“Oh yes, I know all about them. I had assumed they would join you here, but it seems like ants can still surprise you if given the proper prompting.” Cypher’s thoughts flashed to Elaine and her troops, but his focus remained on Nuadha as he paced.
“Why resist, when you know that it is in vain? Why try and escape when I could kill all of you with the simplest of ease? No, today I come to offer you a chance Cypher. A chance to live, and save your friends all at the same time.” Alex wasted no time and launched a full-power fireball at Nuadha’s head.
It slammed against his face and burned brightly for a few moments, but the flames quickly died out and Nuadha only glared down at Alex. Nuadha released a bit of his Aura and Alex fell to his knees. Even through the Duality Shield, he was unable to resist that force.
Nuadha had focused solely on Alex and after a moment, the pressure vanished, leaving Alex on the ground, sweating and breathing heavily. Nuadha smiled wryly and continued.
“The comrades you thought to be on their way are currently being held at bay by two of my four lieutenants. You have no further courses of action. I offer you this simple choice,” Nuadha held out his hand and faced Cypher.
“Join me. Join me in my conquest to mold this world into something new, something that the Divines never envisioned. Together, me with my army of darkness, and you with your adept skills and noble heritage could shape this reality to our liking. All you have to do is accept my offer. If you do, I’ll allow all of your comrades to live and return to their normal lives.
“Do you honestly think that this little sheet of primal energy can withstand my might? And, if it can, how long can you hold it together with one such as I pitted against it? Join me Cypher, and I shall let these two live. Or, is your pride greater than your love for them?”
Things had gone from bad to worse. Cypher’s backup was being delayed, his Zight had diminished thanks to the Waltz, and it was just the three of them against a Relic-ranked existence. Nuadha was right, there was nothing he could do. Of all the people who could have walked into this warehouse, the leader of the Usurper sect was the worst possible outcome.
Cypher struggled in his mind as he tried to decide his course of action. On the one hand, his friends’ lives were in danger. He couldn’t really choose to sacrifice their futures just to deny Nuadha could he? But on the other hand, if he did take the offer, he had no idea what dark plans the Sect leader would come up with.
He stood frozen in place, unable to decide. But after a moment, he felt a tub on his leg and looked down to see Melodi and Alex staring up at him with defiant looks in their eyes. They each shook their head, resolute in their decisions. Words didn’t need to be exchanged for Cypher to understand their meaning. They had resolved themselves to resist this tyrant of a man even at the cost of their own lives.
From what Cypher had told them, they knew what this man and his group had taken from him. Beyond that, they knew that letting the Order have their way was a problem for not just Conductors, but the world at large.
If they were willing to do that for him, Cypher couldn’t help but make up his mind. Another moment of indecisiveness lingered, and then Cypher looked Nuadha dead in his eyes. “Fuck you! If you think for even a second that I’d join you after what you’ve done then you’re more of an idiot than I thought,” said Cypher, his hands pressing harder into the walls of his Duality Shield in an act of defiance.
Nuadha looked surprised for a moment, and then look to the ground. “You have scarred too many lives, Nuadha, taken so much from this world, from me. Yet you stand here asking me to stand with you? To abandon everything my parents left for me? Eat shit you corrupt bastard!” Cypher spat at him, his rage bubbling over as he reveled in the feeling of going against a Relic-ranked existence.
If he had to die, he might as well go out swinging.
Nuadha was not pleased. His face scrunched up in a rage-filled scowl, but it quickly faded as he recomposed himself. He chuckled a bit and ran his hand through his hair. It was an obviously forced sound, but he ignored it and replied, “Such a pity. I had hoped to not have to kill you, your powers would have served my purposes well. Your fool of a father made the same mistake twenty years ago and he paid for it with his life.”
Cypher gritted his teeth as Nuadha spoke of his late father. “Hasn’t anyone told you what you are my dear boy? Have they not told you your part in this? The reason you were hidden away from the world? Watched. Guarded. Never allowed to wander on your own? That is truly a shame. Alas, now you shall never know. Still, there are other ways to use your power that do not require you to be alive.” he finished, shaking his head as if disappointed.
“Aylynah my pet, would you come and do away with these foolish children? I have no further use for them,” said Nuadha. A wave of hatred rolled through Cypher as he heard that name, but somehow it felt like it wasn’t just his own hatred.
“As you wish Master Nuadha!” she declared cheerfully as she bounced into the room, her scant armor clinking with each step.
She looked at Cypher and an exaggerated frown appeared on her face, “I had really hoped to make it a three for three kill. You know, take out the whole family. Ah, but since your lovely mother, Serenade, isn’t here, I’ll have to take what I can get,” she said as she stood in front of the barrier smiling.
Cypher’s fingers pressed harder into the barrier and his entire body shook with anger. “How dare you speak her name! Aylynah, if it’s the last thing I ever do I’ll kill you! That I swear!” he bellowed as his aura spiked and his Orrium started to refill as his Ark worked overtime.
“Oho! I take it you found out about what happened sixteen years ago! How I crushed your father’s skull beneath my mace?” she began, pulling the pitch-black weapon from the hook on her hip. “I was hoping I would get the chance to tell you all about the gory details myself. Such a shame.”
Cypher shook as her every word fueled his rage more and more. He was growing tired of all the talk. If they were gonna kill him they needed to just go ahead and do it already! Cypher took the initiative and began casting his Waltz again. The time for talk was over. Now was a time for action!
