A massive dome dominated the landscape, its multifaceted surface reflecting the bright daylight. The structure, as wide as a football field, stood like a silent titan, with the distant city skyline serving as a hazy backdrop. Surrounding the dome were numerous slender communication rods and expansive parking lots filled with vehicles of every type and size. This ring of concrete and steel was itself encircled by a lush, green forest, a stark contrast to the technological marvel at its center.
High above the dome, beyond the clouds and blue sky, there is a massive red planet visible. It is dozens of times larger than the moon, which is also visible in front of it. To the left of this enormous red planet, far in the distance, there is a much smaller sphere. It appears to be another planet.
At the main entrance stood a colossal gateway, flanked by two imposing statues. On the left, a cloaked man in heavy armor held a blade pointed downward, his posture one of solemn duty. On the right, a taller female figure wore similar knight-like armor, a sword resting confidently at her hip. Both statues towered over the entrance, yet even they were dwarfed by the sheer scale of the dome and its thousands of gleaming windows.
Inside, the scene shifted to a cavernous departure hall. A group of individuals, including Niata, stood before a shimmering, portal-like gateway that pulsed with an unstable blue light. The gateway was framed by a massive, circular mechanical ring, with a short stairway leading up into the swirling vortex. Above them, a woman in a lab coat watched from a high control panel, her face illuminated by glowing consoles.
"Niata, I truly apologize for rushing your progress," a man said, his voice smooth and calm. He was tall, with dark brown skin and short hair that was starkly divided, half black and half white. His ears were pointed, like an elf's, and when he smiled, he revealed canine teeth as sharp as a cat's. Dressed in a simple white shirt and black pants, he exuded an aura of relaxed authority.
"I just hope I don't die, Mr. Tiamoth," Niata said, his voice barely a whisper as he stared at the swirling portal. "I don't feel ready."
"No need to worry. You have Blake and Neo," Tiamoth said with a light chuckle, his hands casually in his pockets. "They have been here for five months and have fought Derivatives before."
As if on cue, a girl with vibrant blonde hair and eyes that seemed to shift colors approached Niata. "Hello! Name's Neo, your local bookworm," she said, snatching his hand and shaking it vigorously. A bright, infectious smile revealed a charming gap between her front teeth and a slightly busted upper lip.
Niata nervously pulled his hand away. "Nice to meet you," he responded with a shaky voice, his gaze quickly darting back to the intimidating abyss of the portal.
Nearby, a young man with short dreadlocks let out a quiet chuckle, though his stoic expression never changed.
"Alright," Tiamoth announced as the woman on the control panel gave him a thumbs-up. "The coordinates are ready. Good luck, Guardian program students. Show them what you're made of."
"Oh, okay," Niata said, his voice still trembling.
"Don't forget to activate your earpieces!" Tiamoth yelled, pointing to his own ear as Niata, Neo, and the silent Blake began walking up the stairs and into the portal.
This is happening so fast, Niata thought, his world dissolving into a vortex of blue light as Tiamoth waved from behind them.
The group seamlessly exited the vortex into a different part of the world. The air was heavy, humid, and smelled of damp earth and decay. The sun climbed steadily into the sky. It's morning?, Niata thought.
In front of them stood a massive, old building made of rusting metal, surrounded by a few meters of barren ground before a dense forest of towering trees extended endlessly in every direction. They had materialized on a cracked, overgrown road leading directly to the structure's gaping entrance.
"Yeah, this is it," Blake said, his voice flat as he stared at the large, rusty building. "They said the Void detector picked up Derivatives here." Without another word, he started walking towards the entrance.
"No need to be nervous, Niata," Neo said, tapping his shoulder reassuringly before following Blake. "It'll be a quick job, then we're out."
"Where are we, though?" Niata asked, the unfamiliar atmosphere making him uneasy. "The air smells different."
"We're in a forest located in the country of Amiss," Blake responded loudly, already several paces ahead.
Niata's eyes widened. "You mean in the West Region? Vestra? That Amiss?"
"Yep," Neo responded, her body beginning to glow with a soft blue aura.
"That's like, eleven thousand kilometers from New City," Niata said, his eyes wide with disbelief.
As he was speaking, Neo's body erupted in a brilliant light. Two massive wings, wider than she was tall, sprouted from her back, radiating with shifting rainbow colors. Her blonde hair shed its dye, becoming a cascade of iridescent light. The wings, like those of a great eagle, were semi-transparent, shimmering with power.
She gave a powerful flap, launching herself into the air.
Niata's eyes widened as though they were going to fall out of his head. "Okay, that is actually awesome!" he yelled, his loud voice scaring a flock of birds from the nearby trees.
A Cursed Ability to form wings, he thought, his mind racing. I should have known from her unique eyes that she's a Cursed Attribute Essencer. The wingspan is ridiculous. From what I can tell, they have the same characteristics as a barrier, kind of transparent. Highly likely she can shield herself with them. He mumbled to himself so quickly the words were lost to the air.
"I'll scout from above!" Neo shouted from the sky, and with another flap of her wings, she quickly disappeared over the treetops.
"She's gone," Niata said to the empty air.
She's experienced and knows how to use her Essence effectively, he thought, his gaze fixed on the rusty building. I bet Blake is, too. Meanwhile, I'm unprepared and just being thrown into this.
He took a deep breath, his right hand unconsciously coming to rest on his chest plate. His heart was beating fast. I couldn't smell any sinister intent on the detective, but he's being careless. I might die... but I need strength. Yes... I need strength to find the truth. He clenched his fist, staring into the dark entrance of the building as if it were an abyss. And I'll get that strength by becoming a Guardian and using these connections. Plus, I already have a close connection with a big-shot detective.
"Wake up. Let's go into that building and check it out," Blake said, snapping Niata from his thoughts.
"Alright, Blake," Niata responded.
"Please, call me Blitz."
"Alright, Blake," Niata repeated absently as they stepped out of the light and into the oppressive darkness of the building.
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted from within the rusty structure, shaking the very earth itself. Blake and Niata were sent flying out of the entrance, tossed through the air by the force of the blast. A great cloud of dust and debris billowed outwards, rising higher than the trees and completely obscuring the now collapsing building.
From high above, Neo noticed the commotion and immediately dove towards the scene. "Hey guys, are you okay? What happened!?" she yelled, landing in front of the two as they staggered to their feet.
"Something... hit us!" Blake said, panting for breath as he braced himself against a tree.
"Damn..." Niata said with a shaky voice. Blood dripped from his nose. The chest plate of his armor had been completely shredded, revealing the damaged, form-fitting Tyroni suit underneath. The torn metal of the armor glowed faintly, as though something had burned clean through it.
Niata's hand hovered over the damaged part of his armor. My breastplate... it didn't burn... it's been corroded. And that force... damnit.
"You're bleeding!" Neo said, her voice filled with worried emotion. "I can perform Energy Share on you!"
"You're bleeding! I can perform Energy Share on you!" Neo said, her voice filled with worried emotion.
"Healing? I'm fine..." Niata said, wiping blood from his nose. His eyes slowly widened as the dust began to settle, revealing the wreckage.
What he saw was an entity. A towering, humanoid monster stood where the building had been, wreathed in black flames that burned violently but consumed nothing. The monster slowly rose to its full height, as tall as the surrounding trees, a thick, powerful tail swinging behind it. Its entire body was composed of the black, violent flames, and on its face was a single, massive eye, beaming with a malevolent purple light.
The three young Guardians stood in shock. "We were supposed to face early stage Derivatives," Blake said, his eyes wide with horror.
Neo lifted a hand and pressed the earpiece she wore. "Guardian Dome, there has been a misunderstanding here! The Derivative seems to be in its third stage!"
A calm, synthesized voice replied instantly from her earpiece. 'There is no mistake, student. It was Tiamoth's orders.'
Neo slowly lowered her hand, slapping her forehead in disbelief. "You heard that?" she asked her teammates.
"Yeah," both Niata and Blake responded grimly.
Derivatives are monsters from the void realms, completely composed of Umbrage, Niata's mind raced, his analytical thoughts a rapid mumble. They come into our world via void portals as average, mindless, adult sized versions. But the longer they stay unslain, they fuse with one another. What we see right now is a third stage fusion, a fusion of at least seven Derivatives. That means it's smarter and can use its abilities better than its earlier stages. Not to mention, it's almost equal to a low level three Guardian.
Suddenly, the monster vanished. In the next instant, it reappeared directly in front of them, smashing the ground with a force so great it shattered the earth. The three Guardians dodged just in time, scrambling for cover as the ground buckled. The force of the blow created a minor earthquake, causing a massive fissure to crack open. Dozens of trees collapsed into the newly formed chasm.
"Holy shit!" Niata yelled to himself, sprinting through the forest, away from the rampaging Derivative. This is not good. I'm so scared. He was panting, his own panicked murmurs lost to the wind. I'm thousands of times faster than I was, but I can't face a third-stage Derivative... I'm so scared... I wish Toro was here.
They were scattered, separated from each other. Neo was already airborne, soaring high above the chaos.
"Niata, brace for fire! Buff up your defenses!" Blake shouted from across the forest. "Seven thousand degrees!" he roared. "If the Overseer wants to see action, let it be: FLAME ERUPTION!" Blake leaped from the trees, his body glowing with a furious red aura, and landed directly in front of the monster.
A massive portion of the forest was instantly engulfed in red flames. The fire was so intense that when it vanished, all that remained was scorched, barren ground.
As the dust settled, a Derivative stood completely unaffected. It swatted Blake with brutal force, sending him flying into the sky until he was a speck disappearing into the low rising clouds. Neo immediately blitzed after him, trying to catch him before he fell back to earth.
But as she did, the monster leaped, soaring into the sky with impossible speed. It side-swiped Neo as she was carrying the unconscious Blitz, the impact forcing them to separate and fall in different directions.
Niata stared into the sky, hesitant to jump so high. He watched the monster begin its free fall, its single purple eye locked directly onto him. He remembered the pose Liosa had taught him.
I can't attack its core, he thought, but this has to do something.
Aiming at the falling monster, Niata fired. A violent flash of turquoise energy radiated outwards as the beam shot into the sky. It hit its mark, and the resulting explosion caused the air itself to vibrate. Niata stood at the center of the burnt, barren forest, panting.
"That had to..."
Before he could finish, the monster appeared behind him, crushing him into the ground with one massive, flaming arm. The sound of flesh and bone grinding together echoed through the clearing.
"Argh!" Niata let out a pain-filled scream, coughing up a sea of blood. The monster had hit him so hard it had formed a new, massive crater.
His teammates were kilometers away from him. Neo had crashed into a distant mountain and was unmoving. Blitz had landed in a body of water, far away. "I will prove to her I can..." Blitz whispered, his voice like stones scraping together.
The monster towered over Niata, who lay broken in the hole its brute force had created. The roaring, fiery figure began to change form, its single eye staring directly at Niata as it slowly formed a black orb of energy, ready to finish him off.
I don't wanna die, Niata thought, his eyes teary. "Big brother, please help me," he whispered.
"Th..." Niata managed, his voice cracked and weak.
Suddenly, a volley of small projectiles flew out of nowhere at ridiculous speeds, slamming into the monster and sending it flying yards away. Then...
BOOM!