Abyssal Awakening

Heading up to the roof, Rosalyn could see Caelan with all the materials prepared for her 'revival'.

"Don't mess around with them too much when I'm passed out okay?" Rosalyn warned as Caelan raised his hand with a helpless smile.

Knowing her brother's personality, there was a high chance that he'd pull something once she was out of the picture. But she's already made it a point to showcase how important the two are to her so he shouldn't take it far… right?

Regardless, if she wanted to recover her body, there will definitely be a period of time where she can't protect the two.

The two can only rely on themselves for the moment.

Letting out a sigh, Rosalyn stood in the centre of the ritual circle as blood began to manifest around her, forming the shell of the cocoon.

With everything in place, Caelan clasped his hands together as crimson chains burst out from the ground, wrapping around the cocoon.

In an instant, Rosalyn felt her consciousness fade as blood tendrils stabbed into her body.

###

Waking up early in the morning, Ria gave her body a stretch along with a yawn. She was still feeling a little excited by the prospect of getting her sixth Sigil so she had quite a late night last night.

Thinking about the different possibilities of what she wanted and what kind of potential Second Resonance that she can get.

Did she want something to enhance her Raikiri? Or perhaps something that'll be more physical focused? Or maybe she wanted something that has a guaranteed hit.

There were many options and all of which would be good.

Finding Luke, she quickly woke him up as the two prepared to see Rosalyn.

However, only Caelan awaited them.

"Rose is still under the process of recovering her normal form. It'll take another… Hour give or take." Caelan smiled.

Seeing the two not responding, he couldn't help but sigh.

"How are we supposed to communicate if the two of you are silent? I can't ask what you want to eat, I can't ask how the accommodations were, you hurt me as a host." Caelan waved his hands dramatically and stood up.

"But I have to say, you two really trust Rose this much to be following her words even after she's gone to recover her body. I must praise your dedication." Caelan smiled, clapping his hands.

"Although, as her brother, I can't help but have doubts of my own. My dear little sister, Lord she may be, drops her guard too often. She gets attached to fanciful 'objects' and cannot differentiate what's important and what's not.

"Do you know how dangerous it is for her to be in her current state? Her 'immortality' on the verge of collapsing. And all because of you two. To put her in such a state over the two of you. . .

"I cannot help but ask, are you really worth it?" Caelan dropped his smile as his serious expression bore into the two.

His piercing crimson eyes sent the two on guard as he stood up and held one hand behind his back.

"To journey with my sister is an honour you have no knowledge of. To have her gaze upon your direction is a reward you do not appreciate. To have her defend your safety is a boon your mind does not comprehend in its entirety. Should worms journey with my sister, it'll only place her in more danger.

"Therefore, I must ask, what are your qualifications to be journeying with her?" Caelan narrowed his eyes as he flicked his finger.

In that moment, both Ria and Luke couldn't comprehend what had happened as their surroundings shifted.

Above them hung a deep crimson moon and a large ominous castle surrounded by a glowing lake of blood.

A cemetery littered with torches, corpses hung up on crosses and a single man standing in front of the gates to his castle.

Second Resonance!

Both Ria and Luke widened their eyes as they didn't hold back.

Ria activated her first Resonance as all five Sigils lit up while Luke applied buffs to the both of them while summoning two guards.

"There's not doubt that you faced an enemy you could not handle. You forced my sister to harm herself in order to save you. Are you truly worthy of her blood?" Caelan spat out in anger.

That day, had Rosalyn not warned the two not to speak to him, he might've ended them then and there.

To dare force his sister into her current state, they deserve nothing less than death!

Snapping his fingers, blood tendrils appeared in front of Ria as her pupils constricted.

Yet right before it hit, Luke's knight intercepted, parrying it off to the side.

Opening her mouth, Ria was about to defend themselves but Luke stopped her, gesturing for her to keep quiet.

Glaring at the man who was observing them, Luke opened his Grimoire.

Promotion! Bishop!

'Alice' took form aiming her finger at the man.

Void Flux!

Unimpressed, Caelan looked to swat it away when the attack came into contact with his arm.

Furrowing his brows, he chose to swallow it whole, using blood instead.

Erasing the attack, Caelan glanced down at his arm that was smoking from the attack.

"Time and time again, I ask myself whether or not the allies that my sister makes is worth it. She decided to align herself with the human, creating an academy and even assisting their growth. The bindings they placed on her . . . Vile down to the very core." Caelan gritted his teeth, clenching his fist.

Blood hooks burst out from the ground, stabbing towards Luke as he tried to guard with the knights but he was a tad too late.

"Hng!!!" Muffling his own shout, Luke ripped out the hook embedded into his thigh while Ria broke the rest of them. Glaring at Caelan, She crouched down.

Understanding this sign, Luke opened his book and applied every buff he had!

Raikiri!

Her figure transformed into a bolt of lightning and shot forward.

Yet all Caelan did was shift his body to the side, catching her attack by her wrist.

"Is that all?" Caelan asked.

Without replying, Ria's body flickered out of his grasp as a golden mark appeared above is head.

Glancing up with curiosity, Caelan let out a sigh.

"Once again I ask you. . . Is. That. All?" Caelan enunciated slowly as his figure disappeared, reappearing in front of Luke and lifted him up by the throat.

"I care not for your strikes but can your friend withstand that power?" Caelan asked, his eyes accurately darting to where Ria was.

Before Ria could even make the next attack, a blood pool opened beneath her, disrupting her footwork.

*BANG!!!

Firing a point blank Void Flux in order to drag Caelan's attention back to himself, Luke gritted his teeth after seeing him block it with blood.

"A support who can't even protect yourself. You're no support, you're a hindrance." Caelan scoffed, slamming Luke into the ground, cracking it apart.

Shinsei Raikiri!

Ria's body appeared in front of Caelan as she slashed up with her strongest strike, making sure to aim it away from Luke.

Should Caelan have tried to use him as a shield, Ria would've cancelled the strike into something else.

Yet Caelan didn't do anything like that.

He simply caught her strike between his fingers.

There was a small cut on his palm but nothing else was affected.

However, this only caused Ria to smile since he pulled his attention away from Luke!

Second Resonance!

It was unfinished, an idea only. But right now, they didn't know what Caelan wanted to do so he had to gamble!

He didn't need to override Caelan's Second Resonance since he knew he'd lose in a direct clash. He'll simply have it affect the space they're occupying right now!

A black and white board began to manifest beneath them as a grid was carved into the earth.

Castling!

Furrowing his brows, Caelan glanced back and saw that Luke had been replaced by a rook piece.

Slamming his hands down, two bishop pieces manifested on the grip, lunging towards Caelan.

Both Alice's used Void Flux while Ria retreated!

*BANG!!!

Applied piece King!

Since a board was activated, they had to follow certain movement rules. By giving Caelan the king piece, even if he's enhanced, it'll force him to move only a single space!

Glancing down at the board beneath him, Caelan frowned and lifted up his foot before stomping down.

*CRACK!!!

A fracture split the board in half as Luke felt a shock shoot through his body.

Gritting his teeth, he summoned his grimoire once more.

He wanted to continue but Caelan had enough.

Aiming two fingers at the duo, he swiped up.

*RUMBLE!!!

A tsunami of blood burst through the board, shattering it as the restrictions were lifted. Surrounding the two in a cage, spikes were manifested.

"If you have last words, now's the time to say them."

However, Luke wasn't done.

Summoning all six pieces in front of him, Luke activated his original Second Resonance!

All six pieces broke apart and began to combine.

There were several 'modes' that this piece could take. But right now, he only needed one.

Second Resonance – The Visionary!

A strange piece manifested in front of Luke as he crushed it, gaining the buff. A golden circle appeared in his pupils before a smile appeared on his face.

The Visionary was a simple buff.

It didn't enhance the body nor did it enhance the user's casting.

What it did however, was allow the user to see certain events that were about to happen. A prediction per say based on the possible 'moves' and ambient energy.

Usually, he would give this to Ria. But as proven by Caelan, he needed to protect himself before he could give the buffs Ria needed!