Broken Wings

Chapter 19: Linked Nodes

He felt as if he were back in the heart of the Abyss all over again, being torn and scratched at by the cacophony of sounds. Yet now he perceived them differently, the thousands of dead at once. Humans and Seruva souls alike, obliterated by the rage of Sujata Raka but unable to escape. Nothing remained but their tormented cries.

Shrieking for so long they'd lost all form.

They were everything and nothing.

They were the Noise, trying to draw everything into their abyss with them. They could never truly rest, going mad as they shrieked and cried from the endless torment.

He'd rendered his first judgement of the guilty and now he felt those souls drawn into that mass as well.

He heard the melody dancing in his ears, the melody that would draw everything into the Noise for eternity. Rendering all life into nothing.

And with every ounce of himself, he fought it, even as the Noise wore against him, constantly flooding his mind.

Sing the ballad. Summon the guardian. Render the final judgement.

He refused... how many innocents could be standing in its path? How many guilty? Surely he could sort through the innocent and the guilty on his own?

Arbiter. Perform the final judgment!

He watched as the wind blew his discarded jacket to him. He caught it and slipped it on. Something about this garment gave him comfort as he contemplated the steps he needed to take...

"Why hasn't he summoned Sujata Raka?!" Luka exclaimed as she watched Kaito hovering over them.

"... that's how hard he's fighting," Gakupo said, "This is Kaito fighting back. And this is what the Noise did to him... to try and force his hand."

Miku pulled up her sword. "Miku... he will most likely focus on you..." the warrior added, "If this is like... the Harbinger's experience... then it wants to break him. Your death would do that."

Luka felt unnerved at how Gakupo had begun to separate his actions under the influence of Noise from his own. While it was good that he wasn't blaming himself any longer, it still kept drawing him back even when he was free of the dissonance. If she freed Kaito and he sang the ballad of Sujata Hama again... perhaps she could free Gakupo of the Noise's guilt forever...

"Like HELL we're letting anything happen to Miku!" Len shouted, "We just gotta break that chip on the back of his neck and he'll be back to his old self, right?!"

"Yea! We're gonna save Kaito-niisan!" Rin cheered, "Right guys!?"

Kaito turned his head to the sky and Luka frowned as she saw it filling with black-winged creatures. "The CVs are being drawn by the dissonance..." Oliver explained, "Even our best units would get pulled in if there was enough Noise... hovering around the source like moths..."

The boy began to have another coughing fit. "Ollie!" Ann shouted.

"...Miku," Avanna spoke.

Miku turned her head back to look at the raven-haired priestess. "We'll create a barrier around this space, so they can't interfere with you rescuing the Spirit Caller."

Big Al flexed his arms. "That won't be enough..." he said, "What if they just punch their way through?"

He smirked at his partner. "Indeed... we'll hold back all those wacky birdies!" Sweet Ann said.

"NO! It's... suicide..." Oliver choked out, clutching at his chest.

As he doubled over, Cul ran forward and grabbed him. "I'll keep the child alive!" she said, "The rest of you, just create the shield! You two... you better know what you're doing!"