Chapter 6
188.
A violet sky envelops the UniPaws, recreating the start of an old event labeled as a pandemic in Oceanaia. It is a catastrophe that wiped out everyone in the realm, and right now, it could deal greater damage than before. The root of this madness was none other than, the Centurial Genius herself, Cerono. Her motif is still unknown, but it's clear she's committed to repeating the same outcome.
Cerono played everyone on her palm, creating diversions that confused those who attempted to track her. The random corruption cases served as fuel which she harvested to create more Forbidden Runes. It also bought her enough time since the Kemis were too busy solving what was in front of them, leaving behind the curtains unchecked. And with enough power, it's time to trigger an All-out Corruption Light into the atmosphere. The All-out Corruption Light transfers the duplicated Forbidden Runes from Cerono's main laboratory, directly to the soils of the UniPaws. As long as it covers the UniPaws, the corruption of every Kemi will be close to inevitable.
Returning to the situation in the underworld, Kita's group caught up to Cerono's schemes, realizing why she was telling them everything. After ensuring that they fully healed the corrupted Kemis in the Underworld, the group immediately headed toward the Realm Hopper. Ovae decided to stay in her dungeon for now, having a different trajectory in her quest. She felt like conquering the Realm Sanctuary was no longer worth it because Cerono was just toying with everyone, Ovae was now more intrigued about the real Cerono.
Since Hideo is the one who can operate the Realm Hopper, he takes charge of opening the gates, making it even harder for the group to reject Hideo's offer. Upon setting foot in the UniPaws, the ominous atmosphere welcomed the group. Out of all the Realms that they have been through, the current scenery is what scared them the most. They all knew Cerono pulled something sinister while they were distracted, and it's evident right now.
The group nervously looked around and witnessed numerous Forbidden Runes on the ground, which were not there before they left. "Wha-what's going on?" Kita questioned while they all trembled in fear.
"Let's head to the camp first," Yuna suggested.
They ran as fast as they could, but their team was nowhere to be found when they reached the tent. Only Celeste was the one who was left waiting for the group. "Thank goodness nyu guys are finally here!" Celeste said with a huge sigh of relief in her chest. "WAIT, WHY IS HE HERE? AND WHO IS SHE?" She added in shock upon seeing Hideo and VesTris.
"We'll explain that later," Kita responded.
"Where is everybody? Can nyu tell us what's going on?" Hana worriedly asked.
"It started early this morning, we received countless updates that Kemis were getting corrupted and Forbidden Runes kept appearing from the ground when the skies turned violet. The UniKemis needed everyone's help, so they all headed back to Kemitopia while Queen Grace sent a smaller ship to fetch us. I was the one left here to wait for your return and give updates. I also tried my best to sweep the Forbidden Runes away from the tent and the Ruin to avoid accidental corruption once nyu guys come back." Celeste explained.
"Accidental corruption? I thought Forbidden Runes doesn't automatically corrupt someone. A Kemi will only get corrupted when they have strong desires upon touching the Forbidden Rune."
Yuna questioned.
"According to the reports, the Forbidden Rune is much more potent now. Even a little bit of desire can trigger the fusion. Eve and Rubi said that this situation is tricky since wanting to solve this mess can be counted as a desire. At the end of the day, we all desire something. Lowering the qualifications for the Forbidden Rune enables the fusion faster, thus the corruption became rampant." Celeste answered.
"This is madness… Do we have any estimated time of arrival of the ships?" Raven replied.
"Due to the lack of resources, the travel might take longer compared to our previous travel towards here…" Celeste sadly responded.
"We don't have the luxury to just wait for the ship. Every second we stay here lowers our success rate. We could be too late when our ship lands on Kemitopia. Nyu all know what to do." FeLinE:1000X mentioned.
The gravity of the situation sinks in as the group goes silent. Knowing what to do makes it even harder for them to accept the situation. Their trust in Hideo is close to none but right now, there's no other way.
Raven approached Hideo, looked straight into his eyes, and said, "Hideo, we will let nyu accompany us to the Realm Sanctuary, but can nyu help us solve this mess? Your Riftwalk talent is what we need right now."
"I know I'm the least Kemi you would trust, or maybe second after Ovae. It's easy to misunderstand such acts if we fail to look at the bigger picture. Everything that I did right from the get-go was true to my goal, and if this is the only way for me to meet the King again, then you have my word." Hideo sincerely replied.
At that moment, the group fully understood Hideo. All the schemes that he pulled, ready to doublecross anyone just to reunite with the King. There's no concept of what's right or wrong for him, as long as the road leads to the King, Hideo won't hesitate to cross it through. The group still doesn't know why Hideo is willing to go to this extent, but it's clear that he is dedicated to it.
With that, the group held hands, and then Hideo used his talent, Riftwalking everyone straight to the Royal Castle of Kemitopia. They made it back even faster than Eve's group, Celeste immediately informed Eve so they could communicate with the other ship that was supposed to pick them up.
Upon their arrival, they witness how chaotic the place is from the windows of the Royal Castle. The majority of the Kemis were screaming in pain, some of them were uncontrollably using their new talent from the Forbidden Rune, fighting the Royal Guards. The UniKemis and its citizen tried their best to prepare for this catastrophe, but no amount of preparation could prevent the ensuing destruction in the UniPaws. The other countries are also experiencing the same societal meltdown. The Sentient Kemis already saw this event in Oceanaia, and it looks like history is about to repeat itself.
189.
The group rushed to the Royal Palace and met the Queen with the maids from Trio Brews and Sweets. They are all relieved to see that everyone is safe, but Queen Grace and the maids are flabbergasted since Hideo is with Kita's group, alongside another Sentient Kemi. There's a lot of explaining for both sides, everything is upside down, though, despite the mind-boggling situation, they still cannot afford to waste more idle seconds.
"I know nyu have a lot of questions, just trust us on this one, he is here to help. What's the countries' status?" Kita said to cut the story short.
"I-I see…" Queen Grace stuttered. "To be perfectly honest, the corruption cases are over hundreds right now, and unfortunately there are 5 recorded deaths in all countries… All that we can do is clean the streets and evacuate certain areas, but we couldn't treat anyone…" She sadly disclosed their data.
"But now that nyu guys are here, we can save them, just like what nyu guys did in your previous journeys," Rin mentioned.
"We are ready to follow your lead," Lisa added.
"We used all of our RRs in the Underworld. We need to manufacture more." Hana said.
"But would that work on the violet skies? I think we should address the source of that first. Cerono knew what we did in the Underworld and there's a possibility that we could trigger something she plotted by doing the same thing here." Yuna argued.
"Then we'll do both, some of us need to go to the Realm Sanctuary and figure out the roots of this madness while the rest should stay here and heal the corrupted Kemis. Cerono may have plotted all of this throughout the years, but she's been doing that by herself, whereas we have each other. Cerono's endless schemes will be no match against our combined skills." FeLinE:1000X stated.
"If the UniPaws get fully corrupted, there's a big chance that the corruption will continue to the other realms. I'll stay here and slow down the infection, nyu go to the Realm Sanctuary." VesTris:1100F responded as she tapped FeLinE's shoulder. The Sentient Kemis understood their assignment, only the two of them could save the Kemis from extinction.
"Then that is settled, Kita's group will join FeLinE while the rest will follow VesTris' lead here in Kemitopia. Prepare everything and we will leave within 10 minutes." FeLinE:1000X instructed.
"Hai!" The rest responded with conviction.
Shortly, a roar from the skies caught everyone's attention. The group approached the window and saw dozens of Dragons following Padra. On a closer look, they saw Darli leading the charge. Meanwhile, the ground trembles as Badi carries Lulu and numerous Giant Beast Mimis trail behind them. Just like the Sentient Kemis, the Giant Beast Mimis cannot be infected by the Forbidden Runes, that's why Lulu and Darli took this chance to clean up the streets in all countries.
"Looks like they are finally done with their mission," Raven said.
"And they are already going for another. Let's try not to get outshadowed by them." Yuna kiddingly responded.
Later on, Lulu and Darli reached the castle while everyone was preparing for their tasks. Since it was Kita's group who started this journey, Kita, Hana, Yuna, and Lulu, alongside Hideo, are the ones who will accompany FeLinE to the Realm Sanctuary. The Giant Beasts were already instructed on what to do and the three Kings would take care of them. Raven decided to stay with VesTris since her passive talent can hasten the movement of everyone, an advantageous feat they can utilize in this crucial situation.
When the preparations were done, Hideo used his talent to instantly transport FeLinE's group to the island of the Giant Beasts, the previous home of Badi, and the location of the Ruin towards the Realm Sanctuary. Two of the Sentient Kemis are now leading the Kemis, and most probably, the rest of them are doing the same thing in the other realms.
Eventually, FeLinE's group reached the Ruins. Every Ruin in the Unipaws is identical in appearance, but the one that leads to the Realm Sanctuary changes when the Mytical Runekeys are presented in front of it. FeLinE brought out the 7 Mystical Runekeys from her Relic and 7 sockets appeared on the Ruin. She then carefully inserted the artifacts one by one into their designated sockets; at that moment, something magical happened. Instead of the usual opening of a portal that lets everyone travel through the gates, the ground trembles as the Ruin goes up, seemingly something beneath is pushing it up. Below the Ruin towards the Realm Sanctuary, a metallic brown ancient-looking gate comes out upon activation, Kita's group finally understands why the connection between the Ruins is called gates. The gate opens up, leading to a blurry destination.
"So that's why nyu guys call it gates…" Kita mentioned while they were dumbfounded.
"I can't even tell what material was used to build that gate. I mean, the texture is so unique, it looks somewhat metallic but also has a soil-like texture. I had never seen anything like that at all." Yuna responded.
"I don't know if I'm more struck by the gate or the blurry image inside of it. Both are stunning in their own right…"Hana added.
"Are we just gonna stand here and state the obvious?" Lulu interrupted everyone's mesmerization at the gate.
"FeLinE missed that tiny voice always blocking Kita's argument, it's music to FeLinE." FeLinE:1000X joined the conversation as she referred to Lulu. The original group is back and the fate of the UniPaws is once again up to them.
At long last, the group entered the Realm Sanctuary. It took them a couple of seconds to be transferred to the sacred realm but the group felt like they were transported in a split second. Stepping into the Realm Sanctuary, the overwhelming atmosphere of the realm made the Kemis feel small like they were unworthy of entering such a place. Similar to the gate that they entered, the surroundings of the Realm Sanctuary are made out of the same material, indicating that the soil itself is the source of it. The ground is somewhat in the shade of metallic brown, and the place also has golden vines crawling through the surface and climbing the Laurel trees. The Realm Sanctuary pictures both ancient and futuristic aspects, a complexly exquisite design, making it staggering for the Kemis.
190.
The scenery in the Realm Sanctuary froze the Kemis for almost a minute, the incredible atmosphere was stunning, good thing FeLinE was there to tap them back to reality. Shortly, the Kemis finally absorbed the gravity of the situation. Despite the godly nature of the realm, some of the golden vines were turning violet, similar to how the veins of the Kemis get corrupted. It's eerie how the realm's state resembles the worst fate of the Kemis. First, it was the skies turning into a violet shade, and now the corruption crawling through the golden veins, the group must find the source of it.
"Follow me," FeLinE:1000X said as she ran off and the rest of the group followed.
Only FeLinE knows where they are heading, and it's better for them to let the Sentient Kemi take the lead. The Realm Sanctuary isn't that big compared to other realms, it may just be ¼ of the UniPaws which is the biggest realm out there. Sprinting towards their destination, the group noticed how some veins break through the corruption, like shedding their outer layer and cleansing themselves. It is a good sign to see, something must have been helping them fight back, but the infection kept crawling through the vines.
In due course, Kita notices how serious Hideo is. It was the first time they saw Hideo with a genuine reaction, without his multiple layers of masks. In deeper thinking, King Luke is the reason behind Hideo's actions. So out of curiosity, Kita asked Hideo, "Anooo… Hideo, I'm just wondering. What did King Luke tell nyu when nyu first met him?"
"Let's just say that I was amazed by his visions. Someone who's willing to do everything to write a story the way he wants and not the way it's heading is worth praising." Hideo answered.
"And?" Kita questioned, not satisfied by the answer.
"And I wanted to see if he could pull off everything that he told me before. Once he does, King Luke will prove that anyone can change the future, but you also need to be capable of doing so. Everyone can be committed to something, but only a selected few can change the narrative. It is definitely rarer than a Cennturial Genius, and I would trade everything to witness it." Hideo added, leaving the rest of the group speechless.
After a couple of minutes of sprinting toward the destination, FeLinE halted everyone. Ahead of them was an open area with hundreds of what seemed like a computer, looking way more advanced than any technology that there is in all realms. It is the open-area laboratory where the Sentient Kemis first encountered King Luke, the so-called Lost Civilization. By the edge of the place, the group sees an open gate with violet auras oozing from within, and it's clear that corruption comes from that area.
"I guess we finally found what we are looking for…" Lulu commented.
"Is it safe to approach that?" Hana worriedly asked.
"Since Hana is the healer, she should be at the back. I'll be in the middle ready to Riftwalk anyone who'll get infected, but someone needs to charge in first." Hideo discussed the formation.
"FeLinE will go first, just maintain an optimal distance while following. If something bad happens to FeLinE, try to get us away from this place. The body of a Sentient Kemis is way tougher and has more resistance compared to a normal Kemi. If FeLinE couldn't handle it, none of nyu will survive it." FeLinE:1000X instructed.
Having extreme caution in their minds, they let FeLinE lead the way and do as she instructed. The situation is indeed nerve-racking, no one knows what might happen next. The group continued to thread their path, and as of now, the violet aura wasn't doing anything to them. It gave them a little bit of relief, but everyone was still nervous. As they progress, the corruption crawls up to them, starting from the lower part of their body.
"Sh-should we run?" Kita asked as the group stopped in their tracks.
"Wait a second, I think it can't fully corrupt us, it sheds down on its own and climbs again." Yuna confusedly said.
"Kinda like what's happening to the vines earlier," Lulu responded.
"Should we continue? Or back out while we can?" Hana asked.
"I can take us back but if we resort to it quickly, we will never know what's beyond that gate," Hideo answered.
"He is right, we need to take this chance. We might not get another opportunity if we quit now." FeLinE:1000X agreed with Hideo.
Understanding the weight of what must be done, the group has no choice but to continue. They are still clueless as to why the corruption doesn't fully crawl through them, though whatever it is, it's working wonders for them. Eventually, they crossed the opened gates. That is when they finally saw King Luke, fully corrupted, holding onto a white orb positioned at an altar by the center. The glow of the orb is so bright that they barely see King Luke's hands. The altar itself has the same color as the aura oozing from it, indicating that the corruption was underneath the altar, crawling toward the orb.
At first glance, the group thought that King Luke was the one trying to corrupt the orb, but that's certainly not the case. With that said, the group started an argument.
"What is he holding to?" Kita whispered.
"That's the core of the Realm Sanctuary. It's the primary source of energy that fuels the outer layer of this realm, which then serves as a star for the rest of the realms revolving around the Realm Sanctuary," FeLinE:1000X explained.
"Is he trying to corrupt it?" Lulu questioned.
"We should try to surround him and attack all at once, maybe removing him away from the core could stop this madness," Yuna suggested.
"He also looks uncontrollable, we should act fast while he is distracted," Hana added.
"No, I'm certain he knows what he is doing. Let's approach him first," Hideo argued but the group didn't listen to him and went along with Yuna's suggestion. It's evident that Hideo heavily dislikes the plan. While the group quietly made their way around the room Hideo voiced out his frustration, "I said, he is not uncontrollable, King Luke has been like that since we first met."
Because of the commotion, King Luke turned their attention to the group, halting them from their plan. They all nervously gulped, anticipating the King's next move.
End of Chapter 6