Hunter Of The Six Realms
Chapter 35: Shattered

Chapter 35: Shattered

Chapter 34

Back in the portal

Kaizen nodded in approval to her question, but his expression showed that he wasn’t too sure either. Actually, he wasn’t even sure if all this five element bullshit crap was true, he just decided to believe what he was told for now.

"If the seal hasn’t broken till now, then... the person who placed it on you used black magic."

Seal varied based on each realm, the only realm that specialized in seals was the shadow realm. Their sealing magic was extremely powerful, hard to detect and hard to break.

"Can you break it? I...." He hesitated, "I want power." He said in a desperate tone. He has felt weak all his life, powerless, useless, and he hated feeling like that.

He had gotten used to people looking down on him, but the one thing he was most afraid of, was having to watch his family or loved one being killed right before his eyes and he’d be unable to do anything to protect them. That memory still haunted him, unwilling to leave even after knowing it wasn’t real.

"Kaizen, that power...it’s...it’s disastrous." Velmaria spoke, and for the first time, her voice sounded soft, like she cared about him.

Kaizen looked up to her, his brows furrowing, "Is it something that powerful? Is that why the realms are afraid of it’s weilder? Is that why they wiped out a whole clan? Just what exactly are they afraid of?"

It would have made sense if the first weilder was actually the tyrant who destroyed everything, but from what she said, he was framed, he was set up. What exactly happened back then.

"There’s something you need to know. If two elements are joined in one person, a third is naturally created. If three are joined, a fourth is naturally created, and if five are joined, it’s weilder will be able to harness ten abilities. What makes that power even more scary is that, it has no limits. Somehow, they keep getting stronger and stronger, as they grow, the power grows with them. Back then, iroh was the only being that could control us. He was the only one we were afraid of."

"He shattered the seal didn’t he?"

"No, he never did, they did...the rulers did that and framed him for it. They were just searching for every reason to get rid of him. They always saw him as a threat. Kaizen, if you want that power, you need to be prepared for the responsibilities and dangers that come with it."

"By dangers, you mean getting hunted by the four realms?" He asked, yeah it wasn’t something he’d enjoy, being hunted by the world would be a nightmare, but....but maybe he could make a change. He could make them see that the power could be used for something greater, maybe the weilder of that power was a destined ruler of all six realms.

"Yes, you’d become their target, and even when they don’t come at you in the open, they’d come after you hiddenly. So you... you’re gonna have a lot on your hands. The rulers, they’re greedy, they’d get rid of anything that challenges their rule, they’re blood thirsty disgusting bastards disguised as kings." Although she knew nothing about the cuteness rulers, she knew for sure that nothing much had changed from now and then.

"Elf...or, do you have a name?"

"It’s Velmaria." She replied quietly.

"Can you help get rid of this seal? I’m ready for whatever comes after, infact...I don’t really care. Just... destroy it." He was done thinking about consequences, if he kept worrying about what would happen or how it would happen, he’d remain the weak boy born without magic.

"I can break it, but....can your body handle it? Wait, I’m not even supposed to ask that question after what just happened, you know I’m still confused, what exactly was that power?" Velmaria asked, her eyes observing him suspiciously. It wasn’t any elemental magic, neither was it a beast ability, it was something completely otherworldly. She had never experienced something that terrifying before now.

"It’s gone. That power, it’s completely gone. I don’t feel it anymore." He knew that something had interfered, something had heard his desperate plea when he cried and begged. But what exactly was it? He had no idea.

"Kaizen, come here." She ordered, and without hesitation, he moved closer. He didn’t know exactly how to describe what he felt at the moment, excitement maybe? Fear? But one this he was sure of was that he was nervous as hell.

"Remove your shirt." She ordered again.

Kaizen raised a brow, "Is that necessary?"

"Yes."

He obeyed, although the shirt was mostly tattered from the fight he had with her.

Velmaria’s hand hovered above his chest, "Prepare yourself, this is going to hurt, for both you and me."

The moment her palm connected with his chest, Kaizen flinched. Something cold crawled into him, like a thousand needles pricking through his veins at once.

Velmaria closed her eyes. Her brows pulled into a deep frown as a black symbol lit up beneath her hand, a jagged crest in the shape of an eye, glowing with red and violet streaks.

Kaizen felt a sting in his back, then his ribs, then everywhere. His bones locked up like they were resisting the process. His heart pounded louder and louder, like it was being squeezed by an invisible grip.

"Whatever you do," Velmaria whispered, eyes still shut, "don’t scream. If you scream, the seal fights back harder."

Kaizen clenched his teeth as blood burst from his nose. His eyes rolled back slightly but he forced himself to stay standing. The veins on his neck and arms turned black, crawling slowly like ink spreading under skin.

Velmaria’s hand trembled. Her hair floated slightly from the force. She muttered incantations he couldn’t understand, each word digging into his chest like barbed wire.

Kaizen fell to one knee. A pitch black mark appeared on his chest , then it cracked. A strange wind started to swirl around them inside the portal realm, making the marble fragments on the ground float in the air like dust.

A second pulse hit, this time Kaizen screamed, but it wasn’t loud. It was broken, like a sound trying to come out but failing.

Velmaria groaned, clutching her arm as it began to burn. "This seal’s alive," she muttered. "It’s fighting back."

Kaizen collapsed completely now, both palms on the floor. He gasped for breath as smoke rose from his back. The black ink-veins twisted, then slowly began to retreat inward like they were being drained.

Velmaria pressed harder. "Almost... there..."

Kaizen’s eyes turned pure white for a moment. A surge of energy blasted from his core and threw Velmaria backwards, but she didn’t let go.

She pushed back, both palms on his chest now.

Then finally, crack.

A loud snap echoed through the realm. The black symbol shattered like glass and scattered into sparks.

Kaizen stopped shaking and everything went still.

But instead of Velmaria to seem relieved, she had a look of horror on her face instead.

"Kaizen, I forgot something."

Kaizen looked up, confused and breathing hard. "What?"

"The blood moon, they’d know you’ve awakened."