Vladimir fell back, groaning to himself as his knife clattered on the ground, his fingers bruised, his knees hurt. Ivan crouched down in front of him, a dull expression on his face, he looked at Vladimir irritatedly.
"You lost your form, keep your stance or else you die, simple as that" His voice was harsh and demanding.
Vladimir muttered "I know, I get it, I'm just more experienced fighting without weapons or it being less skilled in general"
Ivan sighed as he said "Well that sucks for you, you can't expect every opponent to be fighting with just brute strength, most of them will have proper technique and skill and above all else, creativity"
Vladimir nodded as he said "Yea probably, can't you be a bit calmer though?"
"You should be used to this, I've been to the underground, it's a shithole"
Vlad nodded defeatedly "Yea…You're right…"
Ivan stood up firmly, wiping his hands on his sleeves, he glanced away before sighing. He reached down to pick up Vlads knife, holding it out to him with a slight rushing expression. Vladimir looked at him in surprise but took it.
Ivan cracked his neck as he said "One more and we'll be done, you can do whatever for the rest of the day"
Vladimir nodded "Alright"
He stood up and held his knife close, he had left his sword on a nearby bench, Ivan cracked his neck as he walked away. He gave another glance at Vladimir thoughtfully, rubbing his shoulder as he prepared.
"I can see your Veles, yet you still aren't able to use it"
Vlad responded "Well my Grace Order gives me a lot of it right?"
Ivan nodded as he closed his eyes "Yea, but talent without effort is nothing, besides, you haven't been able to convert your small amount of Blank into Pure or Hollow"
"Yea, well maybe I'm just built for fighting instead of magic"
Ivan annoyedly sighed as he responded "It's not magic for the last time, it's Orders, and Veles can be used by anyone, even if they don't use Orders"
Vlad said jokingly "Well maybe I have a special power where I don't have any Veles"
Ivan shook his head "Literally impossible"
Vlad responded "Doesn't mean it can't be done~"
"Yes it fucking does!" Ivan snorted slightly.
Ivan had a slight smile, but it soon returned to his usual irritated expression. He took a quick inhale before standing straight, his fists clenched as he took a step back, sighing deeply as he looked straight.
A voice called from the benches "Don't kill him Ivan! I've got stuff I need to talk to him about" The voice was slightly joking but also genuine.
Vlad glanced over and his eyes widened in surprise as he said "Seraphim?"
She was sitting cross legged, her hat drooped behind her, she waved slightly at the two which was slightly unnerving to Vlad. Ivan looked at her in annoyance before looking back at Vlad without his expression changing.
Vlad looked at her slightly confused, his knife raised and his eyebrows the same. He thought to himself, why was she acting like this again? Did she forget to have any coffee? What did she want to talk to him about?
"Keep your focus" Ivan yelled out as he appeared in front of Vlad.
Vlad held his knife sideways as Ivan kicked it, Vlads shoes dug into the ground as he was slowly pushed away. Vladimir gritted his teeth as he tried for knee from the side, though Ivan caught his leg and wrapped his arm around Vlads back.
He pulled him back before kicking him in the chest with both feet, Vladimir gasped in pain as he flew across the field. He shakingly stood up, his knife to the side of the battleground. He groaned to himself as Ivan took a step back.
Suddenly Ivan appeared in front of Vlad again, his foot held back. Vladimir ducked as Ivan kicked upwards, his kick barely missing his head. Vlad ran at Ivan and punched him in the chest, following it up with a knee to his stomach.
He held his hands together before attempting to smack it on Ivans head, Ivans eyes were sharp and harsh as looked up at Vlad. He grabbed Vladimirs wrists before pulling them behind his back, he kneed him in the stomach before backhanding him in the face.
Vlad took a step back as Ivan released him, Ivan taking another step forward as he tensed his arm. He punched at Vlad who barely avoided it, his hand slightly redirecting Ivans wrist. Ivan tensed his other hand as Vlad ground himself firmly.
Seraphim held her hand to her mouth as she called out "Nice form Twilight Boy!"
Vlad turns to her in confusion as he responds loudly "What did you say?"
Ivan suddenly says "Keep your focus"
He lands a direct punch to Vlads face, a slight crack sound coming from his skull. Vlad fell back, blood dripping from his nose. He cradled his face in his arms, letting out short gasps of pain. Ivans eyes widened as he kneeled down next to him.
"Shit, sorry I got too into it"
Ivan grabbed his arm as he pulled him up, his teeth cracked, his nose bleeding, his skull and cheekbones cracked all over. Ivan winced as he pulled him away from the field, Seraphim nervously chuckled to herself.
Ivan pulled Vlad to a bench as he looked to Seraphim "Mind giving me a hand?"
Seraphim nodded as she leaned over the bench, barely giving the effort to stand up. She placed her palm on Vlads face as his nose began to close, the bleeding slowly stopping flowing, his breathing became less difficult.
Seraphim chuckled as his face was healed "Ah, well sorry Vlad for distracting you, my fault" Her tone was casual, as if she didn't cause his face to be broken in.
Ivan sighed as he stood up "Alright, we're done for today"
Vlad nodded as he sat up on the bench, rubbing his previously broken nose, the phantom pain still remained. Ivan stood up as he wiped his knuckles with his palm, drops of Vlads blood fell onto the ground.
Vlad muttered "I thought you said you were holding back today?"
Ivan nodded "I was, I just expected you to block it, I barely used any Hollow Veles"
Vlad groaned to himself as he muttered "Great, that's a huge difference between us"
Ivan didn't say anything, he just glanced at Seraphim who asked "What did I do?" Her voice was fast, she said it all in one breath.
He spoke bluntly "Next time, keep your voice down, his skull cracking was the better outcome, his entire head could've splattered"
Vlad felt a chill go down his spine as Ivan said that, it was unnerving, the thought that a single punch from him could explode his head. This was Ivan holding back, he wasn't even going all out or even trying.
As Vlad held his arms close, a voice came from the side "Ivannnnn, don't scare him"
They looked to their side to see Nadia standing there, she asked curiously with a slight smug tone to it "Do I finally get my turn?"
Nadia walked next to Ivan and Vladimir nodding her head upwards to both of them, Vladimir tensed himself as he didn't fully understand the gesture. Ivan gave a short wave with a slight smile, Vladimir nodded nervously.
Ivan took a few steps away as he said "Alright, we can go a few rounds"
He stretched his arms as Nadia went with him, she whispered to Vlad "Meet me later if you need to practice hand to hand"
Vladimir squinted his eyes as he looked at her, that sounded unusual. Why did she want to help him too? Though the main question was why hand to hand? She can't be that good, especially when Ivan is in the picture.
He leaned back on the benches next to Seraphim, she crossed her legs as she stared forward at the two preparing her head bobbing side to side. Vladimir stood next to her and watched on, curious about how this will go between two experienced Champions.
Vlad leans next to Seraphim as she says "How's things Twilight Boy?"
Vladimir squints his eyes as he asked "Why do you keep calling me that? I'm twenty two, I'm not a boy"
Seraphim waves her hand as she states "And? I'm twenty seven, so yea, you're a boy. Not to mention how you act"
Vlad responds irritatedly "Ivan says my…Immature tendencies come from not being able to release them in my childhood, as I never really had one"
Seraphim leaned her hand on her cheek as she asked "Really now? You've been scavenging for scraps since you were born?"
Vlad chuckles to himself "More like in the womb, I've always had to fend for myself"
Seraphim whistled before saying "Man you're independent, good job"
Vlad looked at her annoyedly before asking "Do you have some need to be condescending?"
Seraphim laughed as she said "I'm just messing around, let me have my fun Twilight Boy"
Vlad sighed deeply as he stared forward with a dull expression. Seraphim laid against the wall with her arms propped up, a smile on her face as she watched Ivan and Nadia practice. The two raised their fists and smiled at each other.
Vladimir asked curiously "Hey so, how long have you been a Champion for?"
Seraphim placed her chin on her hand as she said surprisedly "Random question, well I guess I'll soon be crossing eight years"
Vladimir exhaled deeply as he sat down "Eight years…Do you even get breaks?"
Seraphim nodded "Obviously, we aren't machines"
"Well Xeiemia did say it's rare to come by a break"
Seraphims eyelashes fluttered as her eyebrows raised, she asked nervously "Oh I see…D-Does Xeimeia talk about anything else?"
Vlad shrugged his shoulders "Haven't managed to talk to her that much, I do want to learn more about her though, what do you know?"
Seraphim looks away as she says "Well…She likes cookies, and coffee. She always wanted to teach others about Orders, she has a pillow and cup with a cat on it a-and…"
She slowly trailed off as she saw Vlad looking at her nervously, his face contorted in worry and confusion. She looked down while coughing to herself, letting out a short hum sound as she tapped her feet on the ground.
Vladimir said nervously "Well I mean, she also likes eating rocks"
Seraphim snorted to herself but covered her mouth quickly, letting out a high pitched whimper "Sorry"
Vlad shook his head with a slight smile, he turned back to Nadia and Ivan who stood at opposite ends of the arena. It was a small dirt arena, but it worked for practicing skills rather than Orders. At least that was what Ivan told him.
Ivan says confidently "Loser makes coffee tomorrow?"
"Get brewing barista" Nadia responded smugly.
Ivan grins as he lowers his head slightly, his fists raised as he called out "Let's not waste too much Veles on this"
Nadia tilted her head as she said condescendingly "Aww, worried I'll break your wrist?"
Ivans eyebrows raised as he chuckled, charging a small amount of Veles into his hands, from his palms to his wrists. Nadia did the same, except herself extended further, reaching to her elbows instead.
Vladimir sat down on the bench next to Seraphim, leaning forward as he curiously watched the two prepare. Seraphim rocked her head side to side as she awaited them to move in any way or do anything.
Vladimir pointed at the two as he asked "So, I barely have learnt to sense Veles,but theirs seems different"
Seraphim responded bluntly "It's because it's Hollow Veles, the type made up purely of the particles in the air, though it's absorbed it has none of the energy from your soul that usual Veles do"
Vladimir held his hands together as he said "Hollow Veles, that makes you stronger right?"
Seraphim let out a slight groan but said "Pretty much yea sure, it can be summarised to that"
Vladimir nodded as he looked fully at the two, curious to see their first moves. The two stood ready, their stances taken, the Hollow Veles charged into them. They smiled at each other as they were about to engage.
Vlad rested his arm on his knee as he said "I don't know why Nadia is talking so much shit, Ivans really good, I doubt she could beat him"
In an instant the two were in front of each other, a crash of sound came from their sheer speed, a flicker of their previous positions visible for a split second. Ivan went for a jab at Nadias neck only for her to avoid it by tilting her head.
She grabbed his arm and tried to elbow it with her other arm but he responded by trying for a kick to her chest. She blocks it with her elbow and then swings him around to disorient him, afterwards she tries for a right swing.
He pulls his neck back and avoids it with a blank expression, then he retaliates by pulling her close and headbutting. As the two pull away Nadia grins before returning another headbutt. The two stagger away from one another.
Nadia smirks before running and jumping at Ivan, he readies himself swiftly in response. She tries for a kick which he ducks under and tries for a punch. However she jumps again and goes for another kick, her ankle smashed into his neck.
Ivan staggered as Nadia landed and landed a jab to his torso before following it up with another to his forehead. She continues pummeling him, overtime increasing in aggression and speed. She quickly began landing dozens of punches and jabs every second.
Ivan was struggling not only to combat her but to read her moves, she moved so quickly and unpredictably. Every hit set his mind back several steps, though he was slowly getting a grasp on her movements.
Everything collapsed as the moment he was going to retaliate she jumped and swung her leg at him, landing a knee to his cheek. He flew several metres out of the arena, tumbling across the ground another few metres.
He groaned audibly as he laid on the ground, his body beat and bruised from the pummelling. Nadia stretched her arm upwards as she let out a sigh, clearly happy with the outcome of the fight.
Vladimir looked in shock, Nadia had beaten Ivan in unarmed combat, something even he failed to do. She clearly didn't charge any more Hollow Veles than at the start either, she won through sheer skill alone.
Nadia crouched next to Ivan and chuckled as she whispered "Two teaspoons of honey, and black overall"
Ivan groaned as he responded "Yea yea I know, I'll make yours tomorrow"
Nadia chuckled before grabbing his arm and wrapping it around her shoulders, with a bounce she had pulled him up. Ivan wiped the dirt off his face, his face twisted from his cheeks stinging from being scraped.
Vlad said in confusion "How the-?"
Seraphim interjected with "There is a pretty clear gap in strength and speed between Nadia and Ivan"
Vladimir sighed deeply as he said "God, why is this so complicated?"
Seraphim clicked her tongue as she said "This is our lives"
Nadia and Ivan sat on the bench next to the two, both staring upwards in the same state. Ivan fell back onto the wall, his arms laying lifelessly by his sides. His mouth was slightly open, his eyes unfocused.
Nadia muttered to him "How's your brain?"
"Empty" Ivan didn't move as he spoke.
Seraphim asked excitedly "Hey so, what are we doing for Arthur's birthday?"
Vlad asked curiously "Is Arthur another Champion?"
Seraphim nodded "Yep, he's an Order user like myself"
Vladimir looked upwards as he leaned back, curiously asking "What would Elena be classified as?"
Seraphim cocked her neck to the side "Eh, she's mostly physical, mostly Hollow Veles, there's only one Order she uses usually, though it's nearly an instant win"
Vlad leaned forward as he asked "What is it?"
Seraphim chuckled as she said "Why ruin the surprise?"
Vlad groaned as he turned to Nadia and Ivan and asked "Hey do you know if she has any coffee today?"
Nadia nodded "This is her after coffee, she's notoriously a little shit"
Vladimir leaned back on the bench "Juuuuuuust great"
Seraphim spoke to the other two again "So, do we have any plans for him?"
Ivan shrugged "I've got a reservation at Adeils, he'll enjoy that, Ennzoll also agreed to come"
Nadia sat forward swiftly, as did Seraphim while Vlad looked in surprise, the two girls asked confusedly "Ennzoll!?!"
Ivan nodded "Mhm, turns out he's a big badminton fan"
Vlad asked "Adeils is badminton?"
"Yea it's a badminton company, founded by Daniel…Mershi? I think" Seraphim nervously spoke.
Ivan corrected her "It was founded by Brian and Amy Secta, Daniel was just an investor"
Seraphim said "He made a lot probably"
Ivan nodded "Yep, the companies worth like three billion Rena"
Vlad asked curiously "Just for future reference, does anywhere else use different currency than Rena?"
Ivan shook his head "Aside from the Familiar world, no"
Vladimir continued "What about doppelgangers?"
"Yea they use Rena, they have a society after all"
Vlad squinted at him as he asked "How? How does that work?"
Ivan shrugged "It just does, they have a hierarchy and political structure, though I'd not recommend travelling there as they don't like us Falsebloods"
Vladimir presses his fingers against his forehead as he says "Is there like a book with just every bit of info?"
Ivan responded bluntly "I'll probably make one at some point" He turned to Vlad as he stated "Though you'd need to learn naturally soon"
Vlad nodded "Alright, hopefully my next mission can teach me"
Vladimirs eyes widened for a split second, he looked down for a moment before sighing. He had two missions so far, and yet neither went well. One he did nearly nothing to help, on the other he sabotaged the whole thing.
He was a liability in their work, he was too weak to do anything, and he didn't have the knowledge or experience to do anything to help. He groaned in his head, annoyed at his own helplessness.
Nadia stretched slightly "Alright, I'm ready for another round, what about you guys?"
Vlad exhaled deeply "I don't think I'm able for another one"
Ivan rolled his shoulders "I've actually got work I need to do, so I can't stick around"
Seraphim shook her head "I'm not a hand to hand fighter"
Nadia groaned as she sat back "You're all boring" Her voice was groggy and raspy.
Seraphim turned to Vlad as she asked "Anyways, now that you're done with Ivan, wanna train with me?"
"Train what?" Vlad raised an eyebrow, how was she going to train him when she isn't a physical fighter.
"What else? Orders!" She spoke with a starry eyed tone, like she was a child.
Vladimir looked at her in surprise "Oh, you can train them?"
She nodded "Yea, well mostly different ways to use them, or your Veles control, casting Orders is the best way to improve"
Vlad hissed to himself as he said "Yea well, my only Order is Twilight Core at the moment"
She chuckled "Well aware Twilight Boy, but I'll help you get some more"
Vladimir looked at her with a blank expression, his eyelids lowered disappointedly. Seraphim chuckled to herself mischievously as she leaned back, rubbing her mouth. Vladimir sighed as he leaned forward.
He muttered to himself "I'm surrounded by morons"
"What does that make you then?" Seraphim smirked at him.
Vladimir lowered his head as his hands hung between his legs "I don't know, my head still hurts"
Seraphim shrugs "Well that's a shame, you're not able to practice Orders?"
Vladimir sighs "I mean, okay I'll do it"
Seraphim smiles happily as she jumps up, grabbing Vlads arm and pulling him up after her. He winced slightly as he felt the blood in his head shake from the force of the pull. She took a few steps away, her movements almost giddy.
"You don't mind if he works with me right Ivan?"
He nods "We were done anyways, good luck"
Vladimir gulps before he follows Seraphim, she had already started walking away before Ivan finished speaking. He groaned slightly as he watched the two leave the field, Nadia sat forward as she looked at Vladimir concernedly.
"Ivan, why was his body not enhanced with Veles? Why haven't you taught him?"
Ivan leans his chin on his hand as he says irritatedly "I did, back in Viraj, yet it doesn't work for him"
Nadia raised an eyebrow "Why not?"
He shrugged "I don't know, he does it right, I can feel the Veles, but yet it doesn't work for him"
Nadia grunts to herself "That's a shame…Think there is a way to fix it?"
Ivan sighs as he responds "I'm not sure, we're trying experience keeping the Veles active, maybe his body will get used to it"
Nadia looked forward as she groaned "He's difficult to handle"
Ivan nodded as he sat back "Yea he is, he's irritating and confusing" He let out a deep exhale "But I guess it's not boring at least"
Nadia nodded, rolling her shoulders before standing up, she stretched her arms upwards before letting out a sigh. She cracked her back before turning to Ivan, he sat forward as he saw her looking at him.
"You know, your Veles is getting a bit higher"
"A bit huh?...Thanks…" He annoyedly responded.
Ivan sighed deeply as he stood up, rolling his arms as he asked "Well, want to practice a bit?"
Nadia nodded "Yea, I'm alright with that"
Meanwhile, Vladimir and Seraphim had gone back to the main building, passing by the break room. Seraphim happily skipped towards the place they were going to practice in, Vlad felt a sense of unease being around her.
As they reached the corridor to the place they saw Mirkola coming from that direction. She passed the two of them swiftly, Vlad looked back and noticed she was holding a sharp sword, her hand on the blade itself instead of the hilt, her eyes dull and serious.
Vladimir gulped as he turned away, Seraphim seemed unbothered by Mirkola as she reached the door. She swung it wide open, walking in swiftly after. Vladimir worriedly followed close behind, though he raised an eyebrow as he looked around.
It was a massive white room, there was a small bench at one of the walls, though that was the only thing in the room, the rest was just empty. He squinted his eyes as he looked around, nothing seemingly to help him train.
Vlad turned to Seraphim as he asked "How will this wo-"
"A-ah Twilight Boy, be patient"
Vladimir annoyedly groaned under his breath 'This was a mistake'
Seraphim stopped in the middle of the room, turning to Vladimir as she happily stated "We are going to practice using Orders here"
Vlad looked at her blankly as he responded "I-...I know, you already said that"
Seraphim stopped in place "Did I? I don't remember"
Vladimir looked at her in confusion as he asked "Do you even know how we practice it?"
She nodded and took a step towards him "Of course I do, I've been using Orders since before you were born!"
"You weren't"
"I was!"
She pushed the hair on her forehead back as she stated "I ignited my Orders at three years of age! Then I proceeded to master them by nine!"
Vladimir looked at her blankly "And what kind of Orders do you have?"
Seraphim looked at him surprisedly, though she soon looked upwards, whistling slightly as she bobbed her head side to side. Vlad raised an eyebrow as he waited for any kind of answer, feeling slightly offended by her indifferent demeanor.
She looked at the bench and her eyes widened happily, she swiftly turned back to Vlad as she stated "Try to sit down on that bench"
Vladimir raised an eyebrow, glancing between her and the bench. He squinted slightly as he walked towards the bench, falling back onto it. He closed his eyes for a moment as he sat down, feeling the wood below him for only a second.
In the split second he closed his eyes he felt a slight push from the bench, until it was gone, his legs also felt straight. When he reopened them he saw he was standing again, not just that, Seraphim was standing in front of him smirking.
He looked back at the bench to see it was the same as before, he turned back to her confusedly. She chuckled slightly and whistled as she walked around Vladimir, smiling as she circled him while he looked at the bench in confusion.
"You see now?" She spoke with a sense of superiority.
Vlad shook his head slowly "N-No, I don't get it"
She stopped in place as she responded blankly "Oh…I see…Well I don't need to explain right now, let's just work on training Orders"
Vlad sighed as he asked "How do we do that? Is there a specific way?"
Seraphim looked upwards as she asked curiously "Well, have you accessed your Ingrium yet?"
Vlad looked at her blankly before pinching his nose annoyedly "What do you think? The guy that can't use Veles obviously hasn't accessed something that likely needs Veles"
Seraphim shook her head harshly as she stated "Nnnnnope, you don't need Veles to access your Ingrium"
Vlad sighed as he bluntly asked "Fine, what is an Ingrium and how am I meant to access it?"
"I thought you'd never ask!" She said slyly.
Vladimir looked at her with a bored expression as she opened her arms wide "There are several layers to your soul, you have the outer layer, your soul, your soul is an outline of your body, it changes as you grow, it's how we regenerate"
Vlad nodded "Yea I know that, Ivan told me"
Seraphim stopped smiling for a moment as she said bluntly "Did I tell you you could speak?"
Her eyes were sharp as she stared at him, Vladimir felt a chill go down his spine as he tensed up. He shook his head slowly, Seraphim slowly lowered her head, looking down at the ground for a few seconds in silence.
Her head perked up "Now below the Body Layer as we call it, is the Ingrium, it's basically a large dome with doors that access all your Orders, it represents you and your being, it's created when you are born and is designed based on your Orders and what you do in the future"
Vladimirs mouth opened a crack, however for a split second his eyes widened. He gulped as his mouth smacked shut, leaning back slightly. Seraphim leaned forward slightly as her eyes widened slightly.
He shook his head nervously as he mouthed 'I didn't speak'
She stared at him with wide eyes, not moving at all, her back arched uncomfortably. Her pupils shook slightly as she looked him in the eyes, he whimpered slightly. His hands swiftly covered his mouth as he leaned even further away.
Seraphim suddenly smiled and closed her eyes "So you understand it now?"
He nodded nervously as he muttered "Yea, I think so"
Seraphim smacked her palm on his forehead "I asked if you understood, not that you could speak"
Suddenly a sound like a wave echoed in his head, followed by a heavy headache. He winced as he crouched down, holding his head tightly in pain. Seraphim crouched down, her arm on her knee.
"I warned you" She spoke annoyedly
She placed a hand on the back of his head as she closed her eyes, tapping her fingers on his hair. She bobbed her head side to side as she hummed to herself, looking around the room her eyebrows perked up as she noticed a bag on one of the benches.
Vladimirs headache swiftly dispersed much to his relief, he sighed deeply as he looked back up, seeing Seraphims wide, blank eyes staring back at him. He groaned slightly under his breath to himself, while her expression never changed.
"Bit close huh?" He slightly joked, but was also serious about it.
She blinked a few times before standing up, pinching her chin dramatically as she looked upwards, humming silently to herself. Vladimir stood up and rubbed his head, grumbling slightly in his throat.
"What should we practice? Hmmmmm" Her head dipped slowly downwards as she thought.
Vladimir just looked her with his mouth agape, as her humming got louder he got increasingly more irritated. When they first met she seemed pretty calm, composed, yet this is meant to be what she's like?
She tilted her head slightly as she thought, letting out hums as she muttered to herself "Terraniss? No too complex for you, Zagovory? Maybe later, Zhertva? Probably won't matter for a while…OH! COMMANDS!" Her voice was giddy as she thought of one.
Vlad crossed his arms "Commands? Are they a kind of Order?"
Seraphim chuckled as she responded "Wow you actually got something right, good job, even if it's only half right"
Vladimir scoffed as he muttered "You little bitch"
Seraphim let out individual chuckles as she responded "Yes yes, you're one who can call me a little bitch"
He pushed the hair on his forehead back as he asked "Alright, what is a Command?"
Seraphim waved her hand as she stated "A Command is an alter to an you, it's usually temporary but it can do something like, triple your Veles, improve efficiency, remove your pain, some Commands can be used on your Orders, though not all Orders can have a Command applied, sometimes it could be all your Commands that don't work with your Orders"
He crossed his arms "So what do you do then?"
"Well you can just use the command on someone else of course"
Vlad raised an eyebrow "What other powers can you use on other people?"
"Mostly just Commands, Orders rarely have anything like that, well I guess Zagovory can in some way boost someone, but it's specific situations"
He held his neck as he asked "Are Commands also linked to the… Starts with an I" He spun his wrist slightly as he looked upwards, trying to remember the name.
"Ingrium?"
"Yea that"
"Obviously, are you a fuckwit or something?"
Vlad slightly recoiled at her sudden outburst, he inhaled through his teeth as he responded "I get it, is there like a limit to your Veles?"
Seraphim shook her head as she responded "Nope! We're a special species where we have no limit to our potential, we grow infinitely, all it takes is you to focus"
"Okay… Is all Veles equal or is there a way to make it stronger"
She bluntly stated "Nope and nope, the denser your individual Veles, the stronger it is, think of it like a number, three thin Veles is equal to one thick Veles. The density is decided at birth though, that's why Ivan's so weak"
Vlad recoiled slightly as he asked confusedly "Ivan's weak?"
She let out a loud laugh as she responded "Yea he is, he got really unlucky, both his Hollow and Pure Veles are thin as paper, he has a lot it's just the individual amount is so weak he can't match any of us, that's why he's mostly the negotiator when it comes to missions rather than the fighter"
"Is that why Nadia won? Her Veles is thicker?"
Seraphim looked to the side as she shrugged "I don't know, I'm not a hand to hand fighter, I guess maybe she only put her Veles to equal his, maybe she didn't account for the density difference"
Vlad tilted his head slightly as he asked curiously "What about my Veles, how much would I have?"
"Well, a lot because you have a Grace Order"
"Does that mean it's dense?"
"I don't know, likely not though because you can't use it yet, though it is weird" She pinched her chin as she looked upwards.
Vlad raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms "What?"
"Grace Order Users should Ignite their Orders before they're eighteen"
Vlads shot slightly wider "I see…Huh…"
He pinched his chin as he looked down "Maybe that's why I can't use my Veles, because I can't use all my Orders, Ivan mentioned I should have a couple, I mean I already have Telepathy"
Seraphim pointed her finger at Vlad as she stated "You'll have seven Orders not counting the Grace Order, it'll also mean your Ally will be very attached to you"
"My what?"
Seraphim swiftly responded "Ally! It'-"
Her eyes widened slightly as she stopped mid sentence, standing in place for a few seconds. Vladimir shifted slightly as he turned around before looking back at her, however once he did she was gone.
"I-..."
He heard a crack on the floor behind himself, he turned quickly to see Seraphim exiting the room. He looked at her in confusion as she opened the door and stepped through, before turning to close it.
She said bluntly "Sorry, I've gotta meet with Ennzoll, you practice Twilight Core here, see ya Twilight Boy!" She gave a short wave before closing the doors.
Vlad tensed up as he leaned towards the door, however he sighed before relaxing only a bit. He turned around before heading to the bench, he fell back onto it as he looked upwards, a heavy exhale leaving his lungs.
"Telepathy, that's one of seven, what other ones would I even have?"
He held out his hand as he looked forward, opening it as he blankly held it straight, no attempt at anything, no purpose, just holding it out, to see if anything would happen. His fingers slightly tensed as he sat up, furrowing his eyebrows.
After a few seconds…Nothing happened, there was little surprise in his expression. He simply stood up and stretched his arm upwards, before dipping downwards and touching his toes. He cracked his neck as he stretched.
He pulled himself back up as he straightened his back, taking a deep breath in before exhaling with the same depth. He rolled his wrists around a few times before holding his hands out calmly, allowing himself to focus.
"Just need to focus, just need to get used to using it"
"What the hell are you doing?"
Vlads eyes widened as he turned around, lowering his arms as he saw who spoke so confusedly. There stood Xeiemia, her eyes squinted confusedly as she looked him up and down, having come in while he was stretching.
She was wearing a different outfit, her hat was gone, in its place was a smaller flat cap. She had a grey hoodie on with black slightly baggy trousers. She was wearing a pair of thin black boots, accompanied by a green band around her ankle.
Vlad coughed to himself as he responded "I was just pumping myself up to practice"
"You're practicing Twilight Core, I don't think it needs to be physically ready"
Vlads fingers stung slightly as he listened "Actually from what I've seen I need my blood to travel to where I'm firing the flames…Or else I burn myself"
Xeiemia raised an eyebrow as she walked over to the bench "I guess that's the flaw"
"Do Orders usually have flaws?"
"Depends on the Order, weaker ones don't, less flexible ones. However…" She sat down and crossed her legs as she stared at him seriously "Grace Orders always have a critical flaw built into the power" Her voice was cold, blunt, as were her eyes.
Vlad looked down for a moment before nodding, he turned back around as he took a deep inhale, feeling his blood painfully begin conglomerating in his veins. His hand expanded as he winced slightly, the pain was something he'd need to get used to.
He exhaled before stating quietly "Cast Order…Twilight Core!"
A moment later a huge burst of flames shot from his hand, however as quickly as they fired off they burnt away, like they didn't exist in the first place. He looked in surprise, his hand still hurt but now it had a sense of relief.
He chuckled softly to himself as he raised his hand again, inhaling deeply before firing off the Order again. Another blast equally large fired off, and once again it died out instantly. The flames never reached the walls of the room.
Vlad chuckled as he leaned his head to the side "I think I'm getting the hang of it"
"Don't overdo it" Xeiemia stated bluntly as she flicked through her book.
"I know, I'll take a break after this one"
He inhaled deeply "Cast Order…Twilight Core!"
Once he said it…Nothing happened, Vladimir looked down slowly in confusion, his eyebrow raised suspiciously. He slowly begin to turn his wrist when it suddenly exploded in a far larger blast than normal, just narrowly missing himself.
Xeiemia closed her book harshly as she leaned forward "You good?"
As the flames died down Vladimir slowly turned to Xeiemia, nervously nodding his head. She raised an eyebrow as she put her book down, taking a few steps towards him. She looked at the floor around him, burnt with an unnatural mark.
"Yea I think that's enough for today"
Vlad sighed as he nodded "Yea I guess"
His head perked up as he turned to her "Oh by the way, how did you know Borai was…R guy"
"Raisax I think his name was…Well I had a hunch"
Vlad blinked at her "Like, is that another way to say an Order told you? Like some supernatural entity of knowledge?"
She shook her head "Nope, I just thought it"
Vlad blinked at her again as he looked in confusion "So if I didn't see the particles we would've just left him and believed he was dead?"
"Well it didn't happen, besides he's dead now, no point it dwelling on it"
"I mean…We killed a Cardinal in the Verindax, I feel like that's a big deal, aren't we making an enemy out of them?"
She looked at him blankly as she said "Our war has been going on for far longer than you've been a Champion"
Vlad nodded "I know, but this would probably make them see us as more of dangers right?"
Xeiemia was silent for a few moments before snorting to herself, she turned away as she mumbled "Oh that would be great wouldn't it?"
He raised an eyebrow "You got some deal with them? A non aggression pact?"
"No, we aren't seen as that much of a threat anymore, now Sila's out of the picture" Her smile dropped the moment she mentioned Sila.
"Was he that strong?"
"Oh yea, he surpassed probably all the Cardinals combined, though there was one issue"
"What was it?"
Xeiemia cracked her neck back as she responded "He was a pacifist, refused to hurt even a bug, sometimes he'd even let people smash his face in instead of fighting back"
"He sounds… Like a fool…" Vlad looks downwards blankly "He's risking his own life just for his own stupid idea-"
His breath suddenly stopped, his eyes widened and tensed as he grasped his throat, it felt like he couldn't breathe. Xeiemia walked right in front of him, grabbing the front of his shirt as she pulled him closer.
"Shut. Up" Her eyes were wide and tensed as she stared him in the face.
Vladimir weakly nodded as she let go, his breath returning. He gasped slightly as he grasped his throat. Xeiemia annoyedly pulled up her sleeves as Vlad painfully took in more air than he needed, it was like he forgot how to breathe.
She clapped her hands together "Come on, I'll show you how to do something to improve your fighting" She let out a deep exhale
Vlad raised an eyebrow as he looked at her, she glanced back at him and raised her eyebrows bluntly. He exhaled deeply as he walked next to her, pulling up his sleeves too. Xeiemia crouched down suddenly much to his confusion.
"What are you doing?"
"Taking off my shoes, what else?"
He glanced away before looking back at her "Is it needed for it? Or is it easier?" His head tilted.
"It's easiest to practice it, come on, take off your shoes"
Vladimir took a swift exhale as he crouched down and undid his shoes too. Xeiemia stepped forward, taking a deep breath as she tilted her hand upwards, her other hand closing into a fist. Vlad crossed his arms as he watched.
A moment later her fingers were covered in a golden glow, she ran her fingers across her knuckles before taking a step forward. Her white sock glowed as she took a step too. A moment later her whole foot was covered in the golden glow, as was her palms.
She exhaled deeply, her breath being held this whole time. The moment she did the glow dissipated, now replaced with a sense of perfection, but at the same time, imperfection, existing in perfect balance.
"What was th-"
Before Vlad could say anything Xeiemia let out a loud groan as her back arched backwards, she groaned under her breath as she groggily walked to the bench before plopping down on it. Vladimir raised an eyebrow in confusion.
As he walked to the bench Xeiemia said groggily "Yea nah I hope you were focusing, I can't do that again"
He sat down next to her as he asked "What did you do?"
"It's called the Manifest State, there's two different versions of it, what I did was the forced way, this version is essentially adrenaline, it's a last resort on your last legs, allowing you to up your Veles, Orders and even your physical body to a vastly higher state for about a minute"
Xeiemia gasped as she sat back, resting her head against the wall, she groaned slightly to herself. Vladimir nodded slightly as he though what he saw, there was no clear way to do it, also how did it involve your shoes?
"When you say physical body, do you mean your body without Veles"
Xeiemia exhaled deeply "Yea, as you use Hollow Veles your body slowly gets used to it, this means you can enhance your body more, but it also means you're stronger without Veles too, I could snap someones spine with one hand without any Veles"
Vlad looked at her in concern "That feels too specific to be an hypothetical"
"Because it wasn't, it was an experience, anyways I think you should give it a go"
"How am I meant to do it?"
"Weren't you watching?"
"Yea, you just did it, I don't know where to go from it"
Xeiemia held her face as she groaned "Of course you couldn't"
"I wasn't born into places that used Orders and Veles constantly" Vlad annoyedly retorted.
Xeiemia chuckled to herself "Neither did I, I was born into a place where my Orders were seen as a gift… It wasn't" She sat forward and looked down as she finished.
Vlads eyes widened slightly, however he stayed silent, turning away and looking down the same as her. He understood that she wanted to keep private, he also wanted that too, wanted to be alone and not bothered.
His eyes widened slightly as he noticed something on the floor "Wh-What the?" He pulled his feet up onto the bench, away from the floor.
He slightly grunted uncomfortably as he looked down at the floor, Xeiemia looked at the same spot to be met with a little six legged bug, it was small, almost hidden on the floor. It was a mix of black and brown with the body and legs being smaller aside from the head.
Vladimir asked confusedly "What the hell is that?"
Xeiemia shrugged before she simply stamped down on it, much to Vladimir's confusion. He turned to her with a slightly disgusted expression, wincing to himself at the same time. Xeiemia sighed as she sat back, dragging her foot off it.
She glanced to the side to see Vlad looking at her, she asked confusedly "What?"
"Y-You just stomped on that thing, you didn't even hesitate"
She blinked a few times before responding bluntly "It was a bug"
Vladimir rubbed his face as he responded "You're not even wearing shoes, that's nasty"
She looked at him disappointedly as she responded "You're from the nastiest place in the world, how am I the nasty one?"
He exhaled deeply "It was a bad place, but at least I didn't do anything like that"
"Mhm, sure buddy, you were homeless and broke, you didn't do anything like that to live"
Vlad sighed as he stated "Yea alright, maybe I did…" His head leaned back defeatedly.
Xeiemia looked at him smugly, it was always a joy to prove someone wrong "That bug reminds me of the patterns of the Zweig Branch"
"What's the Zweig branch?"
Xeiemia bobbed her head side to side "Zweig Branch is a Branch of the Atlas Foundation"
Vladimir raised an eyebrow "I thought the Atlas Foundation was a unified group?"
Xeiemia let out a loud cackle "Fuck no! They're closer to blood against each other than against the Verindax"
"Is there something keeping them from not going on the offensive?"
"No clue, probably"
Vlad leaned his back against the wall "I can't imagine how big the Foundation would be though, if there's multiple Branches"
Xeiemia snapped her fingers and a box appeared in her hands, she reached into it and grabbed a cup of steaming coffee. Vlad looked in confusion as she took a huge gulp of the boiling liquid, not flinching at the heat in the slightest.
"Does that box just have a portal to a coffee dimension?"
"That probably exists" She swirled the coffee around the cup before taking another short sip.
She looked over at him "Also you probably don't know much about things being large in general?"
Vlad looked at her in confusion "What do you mean by that?"
"You can figure it out"
"I'm not that small"
Xeiemia shrugged mockingly as she stated "Eh well, you're five-eight"
"-And a half!" Vlad interjected with.
Xeiemia chuckled as she claimed "Yea halfway underground ya dwarf" She rubbed his hair with a smile.
Vladimir stated smugly "Yea keep laughing, I'll just spit in your drink"
Xeiemia could barely resist laughing in her response "Big talk for someone with very flammable clothes, that we've learned from experience"
Vladimir stated "Ey, says the one who likes eating rocks, how about you instead eat this co-" His and Xeiemias eyes widened as he swiftly corrected himself "Actually I probably shouldn't finish that"
Xeiemia said awkwardly "Yeaaa, probably shouldn't"
She snorted slightly as she muttered "Wasn't even a good comeback, works less because I'm not into men"
Vlad let out a loud huh in surprise, which Xeiemia returned. The two sat there in silence before chuckling to themselves, this time they were laughing at themselves, not at each other. It's small, but it's some of the most fun Vlads had in his life, Xeiemia would also remember this for a long time.
She rubbed her cheek with her palm as she stated "Anyways, yea that's the symbol of the Zweig Branch, at least it looks like it"
Vlad let out a deep exhale before asking "Is that a normal bug to see?"
"Oh yea, it's called a Leshy, there's tons of them, creatures that unnaturally evolved for the sole reason of being the apex predator of the world… Oh how foolish they were"
Vlad nodded as he sat forward "To be honest, I don't think many species can match what humans can do, I mean, find another species as differing in personalities as us"
Xeiemia nodded as she stretched her arm "There's a reason why we're the only species that can use Orders"
"Exactly, we just have a natural advantage, since the beginning of time"
Xeiemia's head perked up confusedly, she turned and stated with her eyes squinted "I don't think humanity always had access to Orders" She looked upwards as she muttered "Also I don't think we're even the strongest species"
Vladimir grunted slightly "What could be stronger, be honest"
She shrugged "Doppelgangers are comparable at least"
"Huh…I see" He held his chin in thought "Any others? Like are there different species of humans?"
Xeiemia blinked a few times before responding "What?" Her voice was dull and blank.
"Just different types of humans, different biologies altered by Veles?"
Xeiemia blinked before holding her mouth "I don't think so-Wait actually I did see there were some people from the underground that looked blue and lanky with green blood"
Vlad shook his head "That's called dopers and they clearly did something that changed their biology unnaturally" His mind flicked back to when he went to the casino.
Xeiemias mouth opened wide in acknowledgement "Ohhhhhhh, I don't know much about the underground to be honest"
He rubbed the back of his head "Yea I ge-AH" He felt a sudden sharp pain in his fingers.
Xeiemias eyes widened as he held his fingers in front of his face, their burnt tips looked like he had dipped his fingers in a pot of boiling water. Xeiemia raised her eyebrows confusedly as she looked at his injuries.
"Where did those come from?"
"Twilight Core, I accidentally activated it and burnt my fingers" He winced as he lightly rubbed the marks.
Xeiemia pinched her chin "Have you tried Hollow Restoration?"
"What's that?"
"It's where you use Hollow Veles to heal"
"Oh no I-Actually wait yea I did drink some Hollow Veles, it healed my other injuries, yet this was the same"
Xeiemia looked at him concernedly as she stated "Okay I think this is the job for the big man, let's go" She stood up swiftly.
Vlad looked at her in surprise but nodded right after "Okay"
The two swiftly left the room, putting their shoes back on beforehand of course. As they walked to Ennzoll Vladimir felt his fingers burn, it felt like they were burning the closer they got to him, like the injuries were afraid.
As they reached the large door to Ennzolls room Vladimir gulped, he last saw him after completing his mission with Xeiemia. Xeiemia took a deep breath before knocking on the door, her fist clenched even after knocking.
The sound of scraping metal came from the other side, though it stopped and was replaced with footsteps. Soon the door swung open inwards, and there Ennzoll stood, his height still as imposing as when Vlad first met him.
"Hey Ennzoll, Vladimir needs some help" She grabbed his sleeve and pushed him towards Ennzoll.
Vlad looked at her in confusion before nervously turning to Ennzoll who looked at him in surprise "Hey, um…"
"Hello Vladimir, here come in, Xeiemia do you mind waiting outside?"
She nodded and glanced at Vlad who took a deep breath before walking in, Ennzoll shut the doors soon after. Vladimir looked around the room in surprise, it was grey now with a table to one side with several black blades on top.
Ennzoll stated calmly "I apologise for the mess, I know I should be cleaner, I just wasn't expecting anybody right now, I'm working as you can see" He gestured to the blades and a steaming red knife.
Vlad nodded calmly "It's fine don't worry"
Ennzoll sat down on a large stool as he asked gently "Now then, what do you need help with Vladimir?"
He inhaled deeply before reaching his fingers out "This is the problem"
Ennzoll looked at him and his fingers, his large hand reaching out to gently hold Vladimirs fingers. He looked down at the burn marks for a few moments, observing the perfect symmetry of the marks.
"How did you get these?" He asked calmly, his voice deep.
Vlad gulped as he responded "Before my mission with Ivan, I accidentally burnt my fingers with Twilight Core"
Ennzolls eyes widened slowly "Twilight Core? You have Twilight Core?"
Vladimir looked at him in surprise "Yea?" He felt a sudden sense of unease.
Ennzoll pulled his hand away and pinched his chin in thought "I know you showed signs of a Grace Order, but the power of the Twilight Core is not one I expected, I expected one such as Silver Veil or even Infinite Wheel"
He gulped slightly as he looked at Vladimir "I'm…Sorry… This cannot be healed"
Vladimirs eyes widened slowly, the room felt tenser, it felt like all lights had just gone out. He looked at Ennzoll silently, not able to form a single word, nor a thought, aside from one…Why? Why couldn't this be healed?
Vlad nervously asked "Is there someone in the Champions Faction that can heal it then? Is it just your healing is limited?" He gritted his teeth by the end, a feeling of false hope in his voice.
Ennzoll gulped "No…I'm afraid this kind of injury cannot be healed…" He looked down in sadness.
Vlad gulped as he responded "Nothing? I can't fix it?"
Ennzoll shook his head "In Zervan there's someone with a Zagovory to nullify pain, so at least we can stop it hurting…"
Vladimir didn't even think of asking what any of that was, he just nodded defeatedly, his fingers burned in agony. His fists clenched annoyedly as he turned away, gulping as he walked to the door with his head down.
"Thanks Ennzoll…I'll see if I can find a way to fix this"
He gulped as he left the room, Ennzoll lowered his head as the doors closed. His arms drooped down as he looked downwards annoyedly. Of course of all Orders it was the one that caused that injury.
He placed his palm on his face "I…Why does it keep getting worse?" His head perked up, his eyes widened as his quivering voice spoke "Is that why it happened? Is that why he was the fifth?" His fingers covered his mouth "What have I done?"