Chapter 7: The Core Divided
Darkness.
That was all Kazuki knew.
But within the void, there was movement—memory, emotion, fragments of a life hidden by the Core's power. Then, a single flicker of light appeared, piercing the abyss.
It wasn't a place. It was himself.
---
Flashback – Five Years Ago – Forbidden Plateau of Tal'Shan
Kazuki stood beneath the crashing waterfalls of Tal'Shan, his body broken, bloodied, but unyielding. A monk-like figure with storm-gray eyes circled him.
"You rely too much on the raw Core," the master said. "It gives you power, yes. But it clouds judgment. Weakens the will."
Kazuki spat out blood, bracing himself. "Then take it away. Teach me to fight without it."
The master grinned. "Good. Let us begin the Kairo Cycle."
---
Memory Sequence: Kairo Cycle – Core Harmonization Training
Day 1: Breath Kazuki sat within a ring of iron sand. He was not allowed to move for twelve hours. If he did, the sand would erupt with shock currents. He passed out three times, revived by freezing water.
Day 3: Void Stance Suspended upside-down by one ankle over a river of molten stone, Kazuki had to maintain his focus to avoid plummeting. His master called this "steeling the instinct."
Day 7: Echo Fist Blindfolded, Kazuki faced illusions of enemies drawn from his worst memories. He had to destroy them not with strength, but with emotional clarity. He failed many times.
Day 14: Awakening the Flow The master placed Kazuki in a sealed dome filled with unstable energy. Kazuki had to stabilize it by syncing his heartbeat with the Core's natural rhythm. It nearly killed him.
Day 30: Ascension Strike The final trial: harness the Core's raw power through deliberate technique, not instinct. It became his signature: Crimson Lattice, a technique that shattered space around its target.
---
Present – Unknown Dimension
Kazuki's body floated in a plane between realities. His chest still burned with the new mark—the Mark of Division. Red energy pulsed across his body, sometimes clashing with the original blue Core lines.
"Where… am I?"
A voice echoed.
"You are within the Realm Between—the Echo Gate. Few survive entering it. But you are not ordinary."
Kazuki turned. A man cloaked in smoke stood before him—no face, only shifting features.
"I am the Keeper of the Broken Path. You carry two cores—something never done before. One of creation, one of destruction. They will battle within you. If you fail, you vanish. If you win, you reshape reality."
Kazuki clenched his fists. "I'm not here to lose. Show me how to master both."
The Keeper smiled. "Then begin."
---
Training Montage – Echo Gate
Kazuki faced dream creatures that shifted shape—each representing a fear or regret. His mother, dying. His comrades falling. Himself, alone, godlike and mad.
With each vision conquered, he unlocked new powers:
Voidstep: a movement technique that blinked between dimensions.
Astral Shell: a barrier that negated both light and shadow-based attacks.
Crimson Lattice – Overload Form: an enhanced version of his old technique that could slice through time itself—for five seconds.
Kazuki trained relentlessly. The Keeper revealed that the two cores had their own consciousness.
One night in the realm, the Core of Destruction spoke.
"Power unchecked is freedom. They will betray you. Let me free you from their weight."
Kazuki replied coldly. "Power without purpose is just annihilation. I choose who I become."
The Core of Creation flared in response.
"Balance must be earned. Not forced. We trust you, Kazuki."
His body began to adapt—two streams of energy weaving through his veins. He meditated within stars, dueled shadows of himself, and formed the Ecliptic Blade, a weapon forged from the fusion of both cores. Light on one edge, void on the other.
---
Earth – Sanctuary Citadel
Selene and Rael stood in the council chamber, facing chaos. The Ascended factions were fracturing. Some feared Kazuki had been killed. Others believed he betrayed them.
Renji slammed his fist on the table. "We hold together or fall apart."
Aria shouted, "We need a leader!"
"Then lead them," said a voice behind them.
They turned.
Kazuki stood at the doorway—armor cracked but glowing, his eyes a mix of blue and red.
Everyone stared.
"You're alive," Rael said.
"And stronger," Selene whispered.
Kazuki stepped forward, projecting calm but overwhelming power. "I saw what's coming. The Silence is already here. They plan to erase the Ascended bloodline entirely."
Mio looked at the readings. "The energy spikes… they're not human."
Kazuki nodded. "They're calling in something beyond comprehension. We need to strike first."
---
Plan of Action
They split into three teams:
Team Aegis Breach (Kazuki, Renji, Selene) – target the Aegis Core Reactor.
Team Sanctuary Defense (Aria, Rael, Kaito) – defend Sanctuary against infiltration.
Team Origins Search (Mio and a newly introduced Ascended archaeologist, Daeon) – investigate a lost chamber beneath Earth said to house the 'Primal Codex'—a book said to explain the Core's origin.
As they prepared to move, a massive tremor shook the citadel.
A rift opened in the sky.
From it descended a Silence Herald—towering, six-winged, speaking in a tongue that shattered glass.
Kazuki's dual cores flared.
"Let's see if you're ready," the Herald said.
Kazuki raised his hand, and the air split with Crimson Lattice: Overload.
The beam met the Herald's blade—neither budging.
"So be it," the Herald said. "The war begins."
Kazuki motioned to Selene. "Help Renji. I'll deal with this."
She nodded, eyes wide with trust.
Kazuki's blade lit up as he activated Ecliptic Shatter, a dual-core technique that fractured surrounding space into shards of energy.
The Herald smiled. "You truly are the anomaly."
Kazuki grinned. "Get used to it."
As the city shook from their clash, across the globe, the Silence Council awakened more of their Heralds.
At the same moment, Daeon and Mio unlocked the chamber beneath the Earth, revealing a floating codex bound in cosmic metal.
Mio whispered. "It's not a book. It's alive."
The Codex pulsed, and across the world, dormant Ascended began to awaken.
Kazuki felt it—every heartbeat, every spark of power.
"We're not alone anymore."
But the Herald grinned.
"And neither are we."
The sky turned black, stars vanishing, and through a tear in space came The Null One—leader of the Silence. Taller than mountains. Masked in entropy.
Kazuki stared in awe and fear.
The Null One raised a hand. "You will kneel."
Kazuki responded, "I will rise."
To be continued in Chapter 8: The War of Light and Silence