My Shard Bearer System - Elias's Legacy
Chapter 80: The World Would Rise

Chapter 80: The World Would Rise

Elias chuckled, shaking his head. "Your old man still gets the final say on that, sorry."

Junjio sighed, shifting under the covers. "Fine. But when we get out of this mess, I want at least a beer or something."

Joji let out a long breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We’ll talk about it."

Elias clapped his hands together. "Alright, so where do we go from here?"

"First, we need to meet back up with Elara," Yui said. "See how she’s doing kicking that Ikona user’s ass."

Before anyone could move, a loud bang echoed against the door.

"Resort security! Open up!"

Elias sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "How the hell did they know anyone was up here?"

Joji shrugged, already making his way to the door. "Your guess is as good as mine. But if we just tell them who we are, things should be fine."

As Joji reached for the handle, Yui tensed, his hand instinctively hovering near his weapon.

"Wait—be careful," Yui warned. "We don’t know if we can trust them. Elara warned there could be problems."

Joji turned the handle and pulled the door open. "What problems could they really have?" he muttered.

The words had barely left his mouth when the first gunshot rang out.

The guard at the door already had his weapon raised—the moment Joji turned to greet him, the trigger was pulled.

The round slammed into Joji’s shoulder, blood spraying across the entryway as the sharp scent of gunpowder filled the air. The force sent Joji staggering backward, his back hitting the floor hard as the barrel hovered over him, ready to fire again.

"Dots, now!" Elias shouted.

The second shot fired, but before it could hit, a metal barrier materialized, slamming onto Joji’s face just as the bullet embedded into the reinforced frame.

A split second later, Yui lunged forward, grabbing the first guard’s wrist and twisting. The man stumbled, just as his partner fired three rapid rounds.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The bullets hit center mass, tearing through his vest before Yui forced the man’s own hand upward, pulling the trigger himself.

Bang. Bang.

One shot to the chest. One to the head.

Both bodies collapsed to the floor.

A small radio crackled to life on one of the downed guards.

"Report in. Were you able to secure the Ikona user?"

A brief pause.

"Backup guards are en route. They should trust you since we’re disguised as local security."

Yui snatched the radio, pressing the button. His voice was sharp and controlled.

"Reporting in. Ikona user secured. His father’s been neutralized. They didn’t go out without a fight—killed my partner in the process."

A brief silence. Then—

"Good to hear. Stand by and wait for backup."

Yui clicked his tongue in annoyance, then immediately shot the radio.

"They know that’s not the real guard," he muttered. "We have to get out of here—now."

The metal frame covering Joji’s face flickered, dissolving back into energy, revealing his bloodied nose and the growing stain of red from his shoulder wound.

Yui cursed under his breath, already dropping to one knee. Elias reached down, effortlessly lifting Junjio into his arms.

"You’re pretty light," Elias remarked.

Junjio scowled. "And why do you think you need to carry me? My father’s the one who got shot!"

Yui was already moving. Digging through his beach bag, he pulled out a roll of gauze and antiseptic, working fast.

He tilted Joji onto his uninjured side, pressing a clean cloth over the wound to slow the bleeding. "Stay still," Yui instructed. "I need to pack the wound first."

He grabbed a sterile pad, pressing it firmly against the entry wound to stop excess blood loss. Moving efficiently, he wrapped the gauze around Joji’s shoulder, securing it tight but not cutting off circulation.

"We need to move now," Elias said.

"I can teleport us out," Junjio muttered, his voice strained. "But it’s hard... all my senses feel like they’re twisting around."

Elias tilted his head slightly. "Ah, yeah. The reversal effect. I’m dealing with that too, actually."

Junjio’s tired expression shifted into confusion. "You’re dealing with it? What does that even mean?!"

Elias shrugged. "Long discussion. But basically, I’ve adapted to it... for the most part."

Junjio stared at him, wide-eyed.

The hardest thing I’ve ever faced, and this guy acts like it’s just a minor inconvenience... He swallowed, watching Elias adjust Joji’s weight with ease. Just how awesome is this old guy?

A sudden beeping noise cut through the room as Yui pulled up the scanner, glancing at the holographic display.

Boots slammed against the floors below—heavy, fast, organized.

Yui grimaced. "They’re already inside. More guards. We need to go—now."

The scanner blinked, a small marker flashing at the edge of the screen.

"Elara’s last location is about two miles out, near the wave pool section," Yui muttered.

Junjio exhaled. "Good. I can work with that... slightly."

He slumped against Elias’s shoulder, his arm trembling as he lifted it. His Ikona, a small, multi-colored creature, perched lightly on his wrist.

The creature’s tiny, delicate voice whispered. "Focus, please."

Junjio sucked in a breath and forced himself to concentrate.

A low hum filled the air. The temperature dropped slightly, a faint pressure shift rippling across the room. Then—

A massive energy vortex erupted beneath them.

The swirling portal expanded outward, warping the wooden floor beneath it. The space within pulsed, shifting between multiple colors—deep blues, burning oranges, streaks of violet that flickered like lightning.

The edges of the vortex seemed unstable, vibrating erratically, as if resisting the weight of reality itself.

"Just jump in," Junjio gritted out, his voice weak but determined. "This should take us exactly where we need to go."

Yui sighed, adjusting Joji’s unconscious form over his shoulder. "We’ll need to get you medical care first thing."

Without hesitation, he stepped forward, leaping into the swirling mass.

The moment his body touched the vortex, space twisted—his entire form stretched impossibly thin before snapping inward, pulled like a thread through a spinning loom.

Elias watched him vanish, then looked at Junjio. "Alright, kid. Let’s get going."

Then, he stepped in.

The sensation was instant. His body felt like it was being unmade and rebuilt at the same time—his muscles locking up, then suddenly loosening. His vision fractured into a thousand shifting angles, as if he was seeing multiple versions of himself in motion.

For a brief second, he swore he felt the weight of a second planet beneath his feet—an echo of where he was and where he was going.

Then, with a sharp snap, reality reformed around him—solid ground rushing up as the vortex spit them out.

The moment Elias hit the ground, pain shot through his body. His stomach twisted violently, and before he could fully register his surroundings, he vomited, clutching his side as his senses flared uncontrollably.

His body felt disconnected—as if his nerves were fighting to align with reality again. His breathing was ragged, the teleportation’s reverse penalty still rattling through his system.

Forcing himself to focus, he gritted his teeth and fought against the disorientation. Slowly, he built himself back up, his body adjusting to the lingering aftershock.

Then, everything around him snapped into focus.

Yui stood off against Vincent.

Elara lay unconscious on the ground, blood streaking down her face. Her body, clad in nothing but her bathing suit, was covered in deep gashes, smoke lingering in the air around her.

Elias’s mind blanked for a second. Then—

"N-No way... what the hell is going on?!" he shouted, pushing himself to his feet.

Vincent didn’t wait. He blitzed forward, a blur of motion as his fist crashed into Yui’s chest, sending him flying into a nearby building. The wall caved under the impact, debris scattering around his body.

"YUI!!" Elias yelled.

But his eyes locked back onto Vincent.

His stomach twisted again—not from the teleportation, but from the realization of what Vincent was holding.

A suit.

Elara’s suit.

It only took a second to put it together. He must have ripped it off after knocking her out.

But how?

There’s no way she’d lose to him.

Vincent chuckled, adjusting the suit in his arms before tossing it carelessly to the side.

"Once I’ve killed you, I’ll rip both of your shards out. There is no hope for you."

His gaze darkened.

"You should’ve just stayed hidden in that fancy fortress. Not that it’ll matter. Silas will come and conquer all."

Elias’s breath hitched.

Silas? he thought

That name was new.

Before he could process it, Yui pulled himself from the rubble, stepping up beside Elias.

"This isn’t good," Yui muttered, dusting himself off. "We won’t have backup for at least twenty minutes. The mission was supposed to be in-and-out, no large-scale fights."

He glanced at Elara’s unconscious form.

"And Elara being knocked out? Guess there’s a first time for everything."

Elias turned, eyes wide. "How the hell are you even walking?!"

Then, he noticed it.

Yui flexed his hands, cracking his knuckles.

He was wearing the gauntlets again.