God Shelter (EN)

Areyos Orionis' Point of View

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I woke up on the floor with Yoko's head resting on my stomach and Kaiser's leg blocking my view. Gently, I lifted Yoko and laid her on the couch. Soft rays of sunlight filtered through the manor's windows, and the birds' songs heralded a beautiful day. After freshening up, I prepared breakfast for myself and Barrios.

"You're already up, that's good," said Barrios, coming down the stairs.

"And you? I didn't expect you to be up so early considering how loudly you were snoring last night," I replied, amused.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Barrios retorted, pulling out some fruit juice from the fridge.

"Haha. By the way, when are we training?" I asked.

"As soon as these two wake up and get ready. Until then, I'll have my breakfast in front of the TV."

"I see. Well, I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back soon. Oh, and Eyline suggested we visit Reiner's place today, when are we doing that?" I added before leaving.

"I'll handle it. Reiner's definitely dead. If I go today and his killer is still watching the place to see who knows about Reiner, he'll know where to focus his attention. I'll wait three days instead," Barrios explained, turning on the TV.

"Why three days?"

"For two reasons. First, if there's an assassin watching Fox's house, in three days, he might have left. Second, when a member of the army is absent for three days without a valid reason, two or three members are sent to their home to check on them. So, if the assassin is still watching, he'll only see scouts, and it'll seem like a normal army procedure. It'll question the idea that we tried to lure Reiner into a trap, knowing he was a clone," Barrios continued.

"I see, that's very clever..." I said, impressed by Barrios's cunning. He certainly hadn't earned his general's title for nothing. The ability to track anyone and optimize any operation are qualities every great general should have. "Alright, I'm off," I finally said as I left.

During my morning walk, I decided to stop by and say hello to Nia.

"Good evening!" I said, entering the shop.

"Evening? Haha, Rey, it's daytime, you know," Nia replied, clearly happy to see me.

"Haha, I know, I just wanted to make you smile," I said, taking a seat on a high chair. "So, what's new?" I asked.

"My grandmother finished her treatment; she's getting out of the hospital tonight," Nia announced, beaming with joy.

"Oh, that's great! Will you need help taking her home?"

"No, no, don't trouble yourself with that."

"Okay. You'll probably have a lot to catch up on," I said, standing up. "I'll come by to visit."

"I'll tell her about you; she'll love you," Nia said with a radiant smile.

"Haha, okay. Well, I've got to go; I've got a long training session today. See you tomorrow," I said, standing up.

"Okay, see you tomorrow, Rey," she replied, suddenly holding me back. "Rey! I need to show you something before you go," she said, approaching me.

"What is it?" I asked, curious.

"I discovered it today while sweeping. I didn't even know I could do this." She extended her arm, and after a few seconds, a small breeze of air emerged, making my hair float.

"...airbending!?" I said, astonished but calm.

"Exactly," she confirmed, smiling.

"How is that possible? Only Aegyls and humans can bend air, and as far as I know, the Moores are Metaryons. Could you be—" I started to say when the noise of children entering the shop interrupted me.

"Dad, it's here! The shopkeeper makes the best pastries in the kingdom," one of the children exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's true, she's the best," added the other.

"Okay, okay, don't rush. I'll buy you what you want, but then we're going home," said the father, visibly struggling with the excitement of the two kids.

"We'll talk about this later, Rey. These kids aren't going to wait," Nia said with a slight giggle.

"Definitely, good luck to the dad," I said with an amused smile. "Alright, see you later!" I said before leaving the shop, the idea that Nia might be a human bearing the Moore name lingering in my mind. She hasn't shared her life story yet, but living alone with her grandmother speaks volumes about her past. Once back at the manor, I headed to the backyard. Training was about to begin.

"Ah, Rey, you're just in time; we were about to start without you," Kaiser said with a smile.

"Yeah, right." I rolled my eyes, looking at Yoko. "Wait, isn't that my oversized t-shirt!? You've been rummaging through my stuff?!" I shouted, surprise mixed with anger.

"Yeah, I didn't bring any spare clothes," she confessed, with an embarrassed smile.

"And why mine?!"

"Well, I changed in your room; it was closer. And anyway, Kaiser would have said no," she replied, shrugging.

"I confirm, I would have said no. Oh, and for the record, she also used your towel," Kaiser added, amused.

"yeah haha, it smell so good by the way" she said, laughing softly.

"What?! You didn't dare! And take off my t-shirt right now," I said, comically threatening.

"You can take your t-shirt back after training, Rey. Get into position," Barrios commanded with a tone that left no room for argument. I shot Yoko a murderous look, who just gave me a satisfied smile, accompanied by the victory sign with her fingers.

"Here, put these on your arms and legs," he said, handing us weights.

"It's not that heavy; it's only 50 tons each, so 200 tons in total," Yoko said, glancing at the weights.

"Speak for yourself," I replied, feeling the tension rise.

Yoko looked at the numbers marked on our weights, puzzled. "It says 80 tons," she murmured.

"We usually train with 100, but since today's session will be long, we're going down to 80," Kaiser explained. Judging by her look, the idea of training for a long time with 320 tons on us was surely surprising her. But that was just the beginning of the surprises.

Yoko Belserion's Point of View

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"Are you ready?" Barrios asked, his gaze scanning our faces.

"Yes," we chorused.

"Okay, go," Barrios said before doubling the gravity. I immediately lost my balance, feeling like I had 400 tons on me. To my great surprise, Kaiser and Areyos remained standing, effortlessly supporting their now doubled load.

"Are you okay?" Rey asked, coming closer to me.

"Yes, I think so," I replied, still a bit dizzy.

"I thought I asked if you were ready," Barrios said, looking confused.

"I thought I was. But I'm good now, let's go," I declared, determined.

"Okay, let's do this," Barrios agreed before doubling the gravity again. I struggled to stand, my muscles on fire.

"Come on, let's warm up! Jump and do circles with your arms. I'll see you in 2 hours. We'll have 5 hours today. You can have a one-hour break after 2 hours of exercise."

"Seriously!? 2 hours with this!?" I exclaimed, disbelief on my face.

"No arguing, get to it," Barrios ordered, his expression serious. Areyos and Kaiser seemed indifferent, as if this routine didn't bother them at all.

"For once we get a break, we should bring Yoko more often," Areyos whispered to Kaiser, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Definitely," Kaiser replied. Barrios left us, and we started the workout. After ten minutes, I felt my body on fire while these two were casually discussing who would win between a ninja robot T-rex with a lightsaber and a 15-headed dragon... Yes, they actually managed to make it a debate, just a typical guy conversation, I guess. They didn't seem to feel the pain of the training yet. But I couldn't give up. I had to survive, at least for an hour... just one hour.

Suddenly, I felt an energy burning within me. The weights on my arms and legs lightened slightly, and yellow lightning coursed through my body. A golden aura emerged. I stopped, unable to understand what had just happened, thus stopping Kaiser and Rey.

"Look, it worked, Kaiser. You owe me 1000 Kera," Rey declared, a proud smile on his lips.

"Damn, you were right," Kaiser responded, disappointed.

"What... what's happening to me? I feel so much stronger!" I exclaimed, fascinated by how easily I could now lift my weights.

"Congratulations, Yoko. You've just entered 'Overcharge Mode' for the first time. It's your incredible fighting spirit and your effort in front of what seemed physically impossible for you that enabled you to gain this mode," Kaiser explained, his gaze full of admiration.

"Overcharge Mode? It's a Metaryon transformation! I finally have my first racial transformation!!" I shouted, elated.

"We'll celebrate that later. For now, let's finish the training before Barrios decides to cancel the break," Areyos suggested pragmatically.

"Yeah, you're right. It should be much easier for you now, Yoko. Overcharge Mode multiplies all your stats, thus your power by 10. So if you could lift up to 100 tons without a problem before, now you can lift up to 1000 tons before you start feeling the strain," Kaiser said, already ready to resume training.

Indeed, I barely felt the weights on me. This transformation was one of the best things to happen to me. It didn't seem to surprise Areyos and Kaiser much, probably because they'd seen it so many times during their training.

We continued training for 2 hours before stopping for the break.

"Ahh, I thought it would never end. Do you guys do this kind of training often!?" I asked, breathless despite my transformation.

"Yeah, we do it every weekend, generally," Kaiser answered, running a hand through his hair.

"I understand," I said, sitting on the ground with my back against a wall. "Tell me, Kaiser, how was it the first time you went into Overcharge Mode?"

"Well, it was during a similar training, except we had to climb the highest mountain in the kingdom with 80 tons on us. We must have been around 12."

"Wow. Barrios wasn't going easy on the training," I said, astonished. Barrios's training was indeed very effective. To think that Kaiser and Areyos could already lift 80 tons and climb a mountain at that age, it was like climbing a mountain with 13 adult elephants on the back.

"Haha, that's true," Kaiser replied, removing his weights with a nostalgic smile.

"And you, Areyos? When was the first time you entered Overcharge Mode?"

"I don't have that transformation. I'm not a Metaryon, remember. My first transformation is Moonlight Mode. And the first form is Crescent Moon."

"Now that you mention 'first form,' it suggests there's a second one. How do you know if no one knows where this transformation comes from? I mean, you don't even know which race it belongs to," I asked, curious.

"That's true, I always thought you made up the name. But mentioning 'first form' implies you know of a second," Kaiser added.

"Indeed, I didn't make up the name. As you know, I was kidnapped with other children when I was younger. Because of my extraordinary biology, I was subjected to stronger and more dangerous substances than the rest. But what I forgot to mention is that I wasn't alone. There was another child, a bit older, who endured the worst experiments as well. Thinking back, I should have asked him which race he was from. During our breaks, he sometimes talked about how he ended up there and how he'd escaped from home. At one point, I explained I had a plan to escape, for us and all the kids, but we'd need weapons. That's when he assured me I could count on him. He then transformed into Moonlight Mode, first form, to show me his power. I asked him about it, and he explained everything there was to know about that mode, whether it was multipliers, forms, or unlocked elements. It was only later, when I transformed myself, that I noticed the similarity between our transformations. That's how I managed to escape from Crimsonfall, the deserted city where we were captured."

"Amazing. Do you think he was from your race?" I asked.

"Absolutely. Thanks to him, I understood that Moonlight Mode exploits the power of lunar phases, hence the first form, which is boosted by the crescent moon. Crescent Moon is twice as powerful if I use it during a crescent moon, multiplying my strength by 20 instead of 10."

"That's super effective," said Kaiser.

"And your friend detailed all that to you? What was his name?" I asked.

"Seidon."

"And where is he now?" Kaiser asked.

"No idea. But he unfortunately survived..." Areyos replied, his expression thoughtful and cold.

"Unfortunately...?" I repeated, hesitant.

"I see you're enjoying the break," Barrios interjected upon arrival, cutting off our discussion. "Oh, you've entered Overcharge Mode, congratulations, Yoko," he noted.

"Thank you very much, General, it's thanks to you," I responded, smiling.

"You're welcome, Yoko. Alright, now we'll work on the basics of chakra. Yoko, you'll have a different training."

"I thought we were on break," Kaiser said, surprised.

"Did you really believe that, seriously? Sit down; we're not doing anything physical."

Areyos Orionis's Point of View

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Finally, we're going to explore chakra. I've been looking forward to this day.

"Yoko, bring out Soulcalibur," Barrios requested.

"Here it is," Yoko replied, handing over the sword with excitement in her eyes.

"Perfect. Originally, I forged this Regalia for Shiki," Barrios said, touching the blade's surface.

"Professor Shiki!?" Yoko exclaimed, surprised by this revelation.

"Yes, he infused the chi-bending into the blade. When a Regalia is infused for the first time, it retains the power that was infused into it," Barrios explained with palpable satisfaction.

"So, I could use this blade to bend chi?" Yoko asked, her enthusiasm growing.

"More or less, yes."

"Father, what is a Regalia, really?" Kaiser inquired, curious.

"Well, Regalia are part of Baringer's three treasures. These treasures are, in fact, the three types of legendary weapons in the world. Three families have the ability to create these weapons. The Shelters are the holders and creators of Magias, the Moores hold the Nemesis. And finally, the Regalia, the most powerful weapons of all, belong to the Mendoris," Barrios explained, his voice filled with pride.

"I see. What makes Regalia more powerful than the other two?" Yoko asked, seeking to understand.

"To understand that, I'll need to talk a bit about celestial energy and afflictions," Barrios responded, his eyes lighting up with ancient knowledge.

"Celestial energy and afflictions?" Kaiser repeated, intrigued.

"Yes. Let's start with afflictions." He said, generating a fireball in his hand.

"Yoko, bring your hand close to the fireball," Barrios requested, his tone serious.

She obeyed, extending her hand towards the glowing sphere.

"What do you feel?"

"Heat," Yoko answered, confused, not immediately understanding the demonstration's purpose.

"Good, heat. Heat is an effect of fire. Now, watch closely," said Barrios as the fireball disappeared in a shimmer.

"The fireball just vanished, didn't it?" he asked.

"Yes," Yoko nodded, intrigued.

"Now, put your hand where the fireball was," Barrios requested, his voice firm.

"Ah! It burns! But how is that possible? I can't see anything, though!" Yoko exclaimed, quickly withdrawing her hand.

"What you just touched is a sphere of heat. With my mastery over fire-type afflictions, I can control temperature and create mirages. Afflictions are just the effects or properties of elements," Barrios explained, increasing the garden's temperature without generating flames.

"Wow! You can do such a thing!" Kaiser exclaimed, amazed.

"Yes. Each element has its afflictions. Heat and mirage are fire-type afflictions. Paralysis and speed, on the other hand, are lightning-type afflictions. This means I can boost my speed thanks to the speed affliction, acquired through my lightning bending. But using afflictions can only be done in two ways: either through chakra or through Regalia or Nemesis."

"Ah, I thought so. If it were through chi that we could do this, we would have discovered it long ago," I said, exchanging a knowing look with Kaiser, who nodded.

"Haha, I guess you're right. Anyway, now that you know what afflictions are, I'll explain the difference between the Shelters' Magias and the Moores' Nemesis," Barrios concluded, preparing to delve deeper into this fascinating world.

"Magias are weapons that, after being infused with chi, allow the use of that element as weapon power. Weapon powers are techniques that reflect the characteristics of the weapon from which they are used. For example, a fire power launched from a sword can only be a blade of fire or a spike of fire because a sword has an edge and a tip," Barrios explained, his voice full of conviction.

"Can you give us a demonstration?" I asked, eager.

"Okay," Barrios responded, pulling out a knife from his ring. Given its mythical design, it was probably a Regalia. He touched the blade's surface, and it burst into flames. Then, he swiped sideways into the air, and a blade of fire shot out from the knife in the shape of a fiery arc.

"So cool!" Kaiser exclaimed, a broad smile on his face.

"I know, I know," Barrios said with a boastful air. "Now, let's talk about Nemesis. Nemesis are weapons that, after being infused with an element, allow, upon contact, to use its afflictions," he explained next.

"Ah, yes, kind of like Captain Will," Yoko exclaimed, enthusiasm overflowing.

"Yeah, he touched me with his staff, and I was affected by the 'mirage' affliction," I added, recalling that experience.

"Haha, it's an interesting affliction indeed," Barrios said, sparks flickering at his fingertips. He touched the knife's surface again, but this time, unlike with fire, lightning did not surround the blade. A very faint, barely visible yellow aura surrounded it. "I've just applied a lightning-type affliction to the blade," he announced with a sly smile.

"Ah, which one?" Yoko asked, intrigued. Barrios pricked her with the knife's tip, and she froze, unable to move.

"Ah! I'm paralyzed!!!" she cried out, surprise and frustration mixed.

"So funny, haha! You can't do anything now" I said, pulling her cheek with a mocking smile.

"Ha-ha-ha, leave her alone, Rey," Barrios said, pricking her again. She could now move.

"There you have the characteristics of Nemesis. Regarding Regalia, once you understand Magias and Nemesis, you can easily grasp a Regalia's power. Regalia possess both the properties of Magias and Nemesis, making them the most effective weapons. That's why I could use both fire and paralysis from the same knife. We can even combine the two," Barrios explained, his tone assured.

"Wow!!! That's so useful!" Yoko exclaimed, her eyes shining with admiration.

"Exactly. The second thing to know about Baringer's three treasures is that they have the ability to elevate the nature of the power infused into them."

"Elevate the nature? How so?" I asked, intrigued.

"You must already know that mana, chi, ki, and chakra are considered inferior energies," Barrios explained.

"Inferior!?" Kaiser exclaimed, visibly shocked.

"Yes, inferior. These energies are derivatives of a superior energy called 'celestial energy,' or simply 'celestial.'"

"I remember when I fought the Peacock King, my attacks did nothing because of his celestial aura," I said, realizing the magnitude of this revelation.

"That's normal. Know that no matter the power difference between you and your opponent, no matter the gap in your stats, you would be unable to block or counter a celestial attack. And even if the roles were reversed, you could do nothing against a celestial defense, even if the opponent were a 2-year-old. As long as that toddler possesses a celestial body, you could do absolutely nothing against them. Celestial energy is literally divine compared to chakra, mana, ki, and chi," Barrios affirmed, his expression grave.

"WHAT!? How is that possible!?" we exclaimed.

"Yes, that's celestial energy. You were very lucky to survive against the Peacock King because, being summoned to our world, he could barely use a tiny fraction of his celestial aura for protection and to execute two celestial attacks. And if Erina could hurt him, it was only because of the very powerful Magias belonging to Kayn Shelter. Normal Magias wouldn't have been able to hurt him, even weakened by the power of the one who summoned him. Things would have been different if he had been set free; he wouldn't have had to depend on anyone's power."

"Wait, wait, Kayn Shelter!? The prodigy son?" Yoko exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Yes. The Magias Erina uses were just training toys for Kayn. His main weapon is much more powerful than that," Barrios explained.

"How powerful is Kayn Shelter!?" Yoko asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Well, let's just say if what remains of Thaleus's team disappeared, Kayn would be the most powerful being in the world." Barrios's answer left us speechless.

"Better not to mess with him," I said, shocked.

"Indeed, stay out of his affairs. But anyway, that's not the point; you now know what celestial energy is."

"So, if I understand correctly, by infusing fire chi into Magias, like Erina did against the Peacock King, those flames become celestial?" Kaiser asked.

"Yes, that's it." Barrios confirmed and clapped his hands. "Alright, enough talk, training isn't over," he said gravely.

"Ahhhhh, I forgot," Kaiser groaned, a bit discouraged.

"Come on, get up. We'll split the training into two parts. Yoko, since Soulcalibur already has Shiki's chi power, I'll teach you your sister's secret technique, 'Vengeful Blade.'"

"About that, how did this sword end up with my sister if it was originally Shiki's?" Yoko asked, curious.

"It was a gift from Shiki. A very powerful assassin had killed the previous captain before Megan. She was in love with him and swore to avenge him. Shiki was a close friend of the victim's family, so when he learned of Megan's intentions, he gave her this sword, hoping that with the celestial power it contained, she could avenge him... but alas, it wasn't enough..." Barrios said, head bowed.

We immediately understood that the assassin who killed Yoko's lover, an elite division captain, was the same one who had killed Megan, the former captain of the division. Seeing the shock on Yoko's face, this revelation chilled her.

"She... still lost... even with such power at her disposal..." Yoko repeated, her voice trembling.

"The assassin who killed Megan is not an ordinary being, so I'd advise you not to get involved in this matter. He could be anyone, and even I can't always protect you from an adversary I can't see. The only thing I can do is train you hard so you can survive or at least escape if you feel threatened," Barrios confided.

"I will avenge my sister... even if it costs me my life. I'll train hard and succeed," Yoko declared, her eyes shining with determination.

"My goal is to become stronger than my father anyway, so training will be on the agenda. You can count on my help," Kaiser added, ready to fight.

"Then, since you're so determined, prepare to suffer. I'm extending the training," Barrios announced, eyes closed, with a sly smile.

"Ahhhhh, are you serious !!!" we groaned simultaneously, collapsing to the ground.

To be continued...