“They’re all dead, you know.” Ira began to walk toward Gicae who maintained a calm expression.

“Yes...Your growth completely exceeded my expectations.” Gicae responded bitterly.

“Stay right there, I’ll show you something even better.” Ira moved past the crowd of Dark Elves before stopping to give the Blood Sword to Casey.

“Perhaps it would have been better to listen to Lyra.” Gicae sighed as he looked at Lyra’s sleeping face behind the coffin.

“You would’ve died either way.” Ira teleported and reached out to grab Gicae.

Surprisingly, Gicae didn’t even move and seemed to accept what happened.

“That was...easy.” Ira narrowed his eyes and then found something was off.

In an instant, he slammed Gicae into the ground and he faded into a turquoise colored energy.

“It’s a good trick.” Ira looked around and saw dozens of more Psychic projections appear with crystal coffins right next to them.

“I’ve been planning for this since I saw what was inside of your head. I tried to account for everything, especially that daughter of yours. I wonder if she’s waiting for you in that peculiar garden?” The projections of Gicae spoke in sync.

Ira leaped out and ripped through the chest of one of the projections before moving on to the next and breaking its neck. After reaching another he lifted it up and tore it in half. Another had its head destroyed with a punch.

“You’re smart to hide.” Ira spat venomously. Gicae’s words implied that he saw Ira’s daughter without the latter being aware.

“Ah, I suppose there is something captivating about your anger. Watching an animal chase its prey while it doesn’t know its the one being hunted.” Gicae whispered as the number of his psychic projections tripled.

Casey moved forward with the sword but Ira yelled, “No!”

His voice was laced with so much rage that Casey took a step back before nodding in understanding.

Ira’s hands turned into two murky black claws that he used to cut through space. The suction force of the rips in space pulled sand into them and made a giant cloud that resembled a sandstorm.

“Gicae! Gicae! Gicae!” Ira shouted madly as he continued to slaughter the projections. He expanded his senses to the maximum in order to find a sign of the real one but they all seemed to be the same.

“After you die I’ll have to raise your daughter up to open the Storm Wall.” Gicae’s voice echoed throughout the cloud of sand.

Ira stomped his foot and gravity increased tremendously causing the scattered particles of sand to fall.

Ira’s rampage made everyone else take distance due to the sheer ferocity in each attack. He seemed to have forgotten they were even near him and showed no sign of restraining himself.

…

Lauren was flying with Avery when a series deafening shockwaves erupted. From above, she could see Ira surrounded by hundreds of enemies that he continued to easily dispatch but they would vanish after each attack.

“We should assist him, Grandmother.” Avery fiery wings began to manifest but Lauren stopped her.

“Not while he’s like that.” Lauren shook her head as she brought them down to the gathered crowd.

“What happened?” She immediately asked as Casey approached.

“Gicae knows about Raveria and the garden where Avery stayed during her pregnancy. As soon as he brought it up Ira attacked.” Casey explained.

“He’s trying to draw Ira in,” Lauren stated as she watched Ira continue.

“I can go and calm him down.” Avery stepped forward but Lauren stopped her again.

“I don’t think that’s wise right now given his current state. The best thing for us to do right now is to be ready for any sneak attacks.”

Avery looked at Ira who still hadn’t even gained the slightest amount of calm. She gave a reluctant nod and concentrated on recovering her power.

…

It was hard to say how many of the psychic projections Ira destroyed but they continued appearing.

“After she opens the Storm Wall for me I’ll have to kill her too. I suspect that she would grow to just as dangerous as you are.” The Projections continued speaking.

“I can’t wait until I find you.” Ira gave a hollow laugh as he tossed a projection away.

“Ah! So your daughter is closer than I thought.” Gicae exclaimed before continuing, “It’s that doorway right? The one in the tent?”

Ira was about to teleport away when a turquoise pathway opened in front of him and he could see Raveria who seemed to be unaware. Gicae’s ability to find her meant that he was able to find her so moving her away wouldn’t prevent him from finding her again.

“Maybe it would be better to take care of her before she can grow. Even if I can’t return to my people, I’ll rid the entire world of danger.” The psychic projections all showed the same action of Gicae opening the crystal coffin and Lyra stepping out.

“Gicae!” Ira’s body tensed up as he prepared himself to react.

Avery’s eyes widened as she could see what the pathways lead to even without being very close. Her wings emerged and she flew toward the doorway Ira set up.

“You won’t be able to find me in time, Ira,” Gicae said as psychic energy gathered around Lyra and her body began to move stiffly.

Lyra suddenly screamed and raised her hands before beams of starlight shot out of her hands and into several different pathways.

Ira vanished and went to protect his daughter from the attack that seemed to be directed at her.

…

Ira appeared in Avery’s chambers which caused Raveria to jump in surprise but then dozens of beams of light came from psychic pathways and moved toward her. There were Valkyries all around and they obviously weren’t prepared for Ira’s sudden arrival.

Ira landed in front of Raveria and pushed her away before being struck by the lights that tunneled through his body leaving large holes around an inch in diameter. Nearly all of Ira’s vital organs were destroyed in that instant.

“...Ah.” Ira fell to his knees as his body regenerate slower due to the nature of the attack.

“What?!” Harper rushed over.

“Dad?!” Raveria ran over Ira and hugged him while showing a fearful and concerned expression.

“Give...me...a...second.” Ira concentrated on his wounds.

“Ira!” Avery burst through the interconnecting door and saw his condition. She moved toward him but another volley of attacks appeared before she could do anything.

Ira pushed Raveria toward Avery and took them head on causing more damage to his body. His vision grew hazier. He clenched his teeth and jumped through one of the openings only to land in the desert again.

“Dad!”

“Ira!” Avery and Raveria called out but the turquoise pathways shut after his departure.

“Dad hurt! Dad hurt!” Raveria cried as she pulled at Avery’s armor. Her mood was becoming increasingly unstable and two small obsidian-like protrusions emerged from her back.

Avery found that every became slower...or maybe they became faster. The only thing that was for certain was that Raveria was the one causing it. Greyish particles surrounded them and Avery rushed out of the wooden door and into the desert before looking for Ira. Everyone was moving at an unrealistically slow pace while the mother and daughter seemed to easily pass them.

“There,” Avery exclaimed as she looked at Ira who also seemed to be affected by Raveria ability. Though it was more likely he was focused on fixing himself rather than resisting her power.

“...Tired.” Raveria became exhausted and time resumed its normal pace.

…

“...Fuck.” Ira’s body was full of wounds that were see-through and the heat from the concentrated beams of light slowed his regeneration.

Rhys sped toward him along with Lauren and Casey and even Avery and Raveria suddenly appeared. All of them were moving toward him with the intent of helping him but another doorway opened and Gicae stepped out and created a dome of psychic energy to stop them.

“You know, when I saw that Avery Thynne was pregnant I immediately knew that I could capitalize on it. Of course, your overprotectiveness of her also made it easy to keep you distracted while I searched for your daughter. I never planned on killing her, I just needed you to willingly take on the attacks. I fully plan on using that daughter of yours to open the Storm Wall.” As Gicae finished speaking, Ira smiled weakly.

“I have...to admit...I do love...my daughter.” Ira admitted to his own weakness.

“Is that so? Well, I’ll be sure to remind her after you’re dead.” As Gicae finished speaking, another doorway opened up. He remembered what was said by the creature inside of Ira’s mind and planned on throwing Ira’s body into the Storm Wall immediately after he died.

“You’re not enough to kill me.” Ira was regaining his breath while climbing to his feet as his body worked to repair itself. He looked outside the Psychic barrier to see everyone trying to force their way in. Rhys’ hands were covered in lighting as she reigned punches upon it. Lauren used the blood sword to try and penetrate it to no avail. Casey, Sylun, and the Dark Elves fired off magic while Avery put Raveria down and drew her Godsteel sword.

Just as Avery was about to attack, Gicae spoke, “I wonder about that.” He moved his arms and a scream was heard through the doorway before a bright light emerged from it and pierced through Ira’s head causing everyone to stop.

A hole emerged in between Ira’s brows and his body began to fall backward. His consciousness remained for a few seconds as his sight began to fade.

…

It seemed to be night time and there was a heavy rainstorm, except the rain was coming from the ground and going into the sky. In the middle of the storm, a lone log cabin stood by itself. A dim candlelight peeked through the windows indicating that someone was inside.

Two silhouettes carrying something rushed toward the cabin and burst through the doors.

“Damn it! Close the door!” Presumably, the owner of the house yelled as they moved to help carry the cargo.

“Alright, alright, just put him somewhere.” One of the guys who burst through the door closed it behind them before shutting an iron latch.

“Clear some space.” Another said as he threw all the dishes off of a wooden table and hoisted whatever they were transporting onto it.

It hit the table with a loud sound and the guys heaved a sigh of relief.

“Light a few more candles!” Someone ordered as they looked at the sole light source that was clearly fading.

“Got it.” A man produced a flame from somewhere and lit various candles scattered across the room.

After the final candle was lit the faces of everyone could be seen. All of them looked like Ira and the person on sprawled out on the table was also Ira. The only thing that set them apart was the fact they were missing the sigil of a wolf eating a moon on their wrists.

“How is he, Ira?” One of the Ira’s asked the other two Ira’s.

“That’s not the one we should be worried about, Ira,” Ira responded.

“Don’t you think that’s a confusing way to address each other? Here, I’ll be Ira One and you both can be Ira Two and Ira Three.” Ira One said while going to examine the real Ira.

“Fine, just finish what you were saying,” Ira Two said.

“Ah!” Ira sat up and breathed heavily as he looked around only to see himself.

“That was quick.” Ira Three commented.

“What the...fuck.” Ira blinked at the people in front of him.

“Listen to me, Ira.” Ira One snapped his finger and brought Ira’s attention onto himself.

“There are three things you need to know. First, you aren’t dead, you’ve just been...moved. Unless your entire body is destroyed then you don’t have much to worry about. Second, we aren’t real, this is your mind attempting to repair itself and everything you’re seeing is just your interpretation of that. Third, you need to get Siegfried under control.” Ira One listed out the important points.

Ira clutched his head while trying to think but his thoughts became scrambled, “Siegfried?”

“He’s not like us, he’s actually real.” Ira Three answered.

“Remember what Indras told you?” Ira One ignored Ira Three and questioned.

“About what!?” Ira asked with frustration as his head began to ring.

“Fragments, Ira. You were separated from yourself in the Void and you’re carrying a piece of Siegfried with you. You didn’t actually think that putting all those memories in the back of your head meant they would go away, did you?” Ira Two asked.

“Ok...so what am I supposed to do?!” Ira continued shouting as a grating noise assaulted his ears.

“Shit, we’re moving a bit too slow. Alright, listen to me, Ira. All you need to do is gain control for a moment. After that, we’ll need you to come back so we can try and repair all the damage without messing any memories up.”

“My memories?” Ira closed his eyes and attempted to ignore the loud noise.

“He thinks he’s going to lose his memories…” Ira Two laughed to himself before speaking, “You have genetic memory, idiot.”

“Don’t listen to him. He’s telling the truth but if we let you inhabit your body for too long things may start to...overlap. After all, your brain was destroyed.” Ira One

“I know you had to save your daughter but seriously? You sure fell right into that” Ira Three voiced his thoughts aloud.

“Well, now that’s settled, you should get back out there before Siegfried does something drastic.” Ira One sighed.

…

Meanwhile, almost no time had passed in the outside world. Ira’s body that was falling suddenly stopped while his limbs and head still hung lifelessly. Then, black mist began to pour out of his body.

“Damn it!” Gicae retreated through a doorway while forcing Lyra to attack again.

The beams of light once again wreaked havoc on Ira’s body but the mist continued to emerge until his entire body was covered in a layer of it.

Ira’s began to rise to his feet and two empty yellow orbs which replaced his eyes could be seen.

Hundreds of psychic projections were sent out to surround him but Gicae’s expression turned into one of horror as he continued watching. Ira’s current appearance resembled the hazy figure of darkness that took his arm.

The figure was completely silent as it looked at its hands before clenching and unclenching its fist.

“...This shouldn’t have happened.” A quiet and distorted voice reverberated across the entire desert.

The orb-like yellow eyes scanned the surroundings before it spoke again, “This shouldn’t have happened.”

As it finished speaking, the scenery turned black and white.