Return of the Runebound Professor Chapter 915: No Coincidences

“Well,” Decras said. “That was something.”

Renewal looked over at him. Then she looked back to the screen. Without a word, she reached out to the bowl of chocolate sitting between them and snagged a handful, tossing them all into her mouth at once. She’d earned this. They’d been fighting for a few days straight. That had burned a lot of energy.

And there was no way to get that energy back than sitting back and watching her loyal and faithful servant somehow make every single wrong decision possible.

“She’s doing her best,” Renewal said defensively. “Vivian has a lot of things to keep track of. Balancing the tournament with keeping the visiting Faction Heads in line isn’t easy. I’d say she’s actually doing a commendable job. With regard to the tournament, that is.”

“There’s no denying that,” Decras said through a chuckle. “It’s everything outside of the tournament where she’s falling apart. How did she somehow manage to pin the Beyond onto Og? She’s an idiot.”

“She’s delusional,” Renewal corrected. “Vivian subconsciously doesn’t want to accept the truth. It seems she’s somehow taken a liking to Noah despite not having the faintest idea that he’s the one I asked her to find a little while ago. She somehow got the right solution with the wrong equation. Cute.”

“Incompetent,” Decras corrected. “She is unworthy to be your most powerful servant.”

“Don’t mistake Vivian’s naivety for weakness,” Renewal said. She threw another handful of chocolate into her mouth. “She’s a demon. There’s a reason that Sievan made a contract with her and none of the other Faction Heads. Vivian might be young and inexperienced, but she is by no means weak. She’s just hopeful. And desperate.”

“Not a good combination,” Decras drawled.

“Not a great one,” Renewal admitted. Then she shrugged, letting herself sink slightly into her Cumulo. “She’s up against Noah and Yoru. That’s a tough combination to try and go into. The future-meddlers are always annoying.”

“There are ways to deal with them,” Decras replied with a grunt. “The future they see is only as true as they are powerful. I’ve killed a number of gods who believed they controlled what would come. They’re always so confident… right until the end. So focused on what will be that they lose sight of what already is.”

“It’s a lot easier to deal with them when you’re a god compared to when you’re mortal,” Renewal pointed out. “Divinity makes a great number of things far clearer.”

“And yet it seems that Yoru’s grip is slipping,” Decras said. He crossed his arms behind his head. “She definitely wasn’t counting on the Apostles’ presence. And Noah… he’s going to pull out of her sphere of influence whether he wants to or not. That magic he’s playing with is not a toy.”

Renewal’s features turned downward in a faint frown. “Yes. The Lost Citadel. I can’t believe he found his way there. And made it out, no less. If we could still see into his soul…”

“It might be best that we can’t,” Decras said. “He’s getting powerful enough that he might actually notice our presence. Don’t forget that he begun to manifest Divinity before he destroyed his Rank 6. That little thief has done well with what he took. Very well.”

“He has,” Renewal agreed with a small smile that quickly faded away. “The fact that he ended up at the Citadel after vanishing for so long concerns me, Decras. It’s been hundreds of years since anyone interacted with it in that manner. And the last time someone did…”

“I remember,” Decras said. “It is an ill omen that the Beyond has escaped again. Your concern is not misplaced. A part of me wonders if the Beyond itself had something to do with Noah’s arrival. It is not nearly as passive of a force as Vivian once believed. She learned that the hard way.”

“But if there’s anyone that can figure out how to tame that , then it’s probably Noah. He’s not a god yet,” Vivian said. “There’s time for him to learn to work with it. He might even be able to do what Vivian couldn’t.”

“Perhaps,” Decras said. “Or perhaps it will consume him and finally manage to accomplish its goals. But even if it doesn’t and Noah manages to ascend together with it… Judgement will know. There is only so much we can do to hide this planet from her gaze. The true return of that magic will draw her.”

“That’s a problem for a later day,” Renewal said. “A much later day. Noah is nowhere near truly ascending. Even if he manages to manifest a fragment of Divinity — and I truly believe he will — he’ll have a long road ahead of him. He certainly hasn’t made his way forward. The odds will be heavily stacked against him.”

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“Perhaps that will be good,” Decras mused. “He’s had an easy time of things lately. True power is only forged under duress. The power the Beyond lends is immense. He could sweep through his entire bracket if he leaned on it properly.”

“He respects its power,” Renewal said. She shook her head. “I don’t think he’d be so foolish. But even if he did lean on it… well, let him enjoy the rest he’s earned. It was impressive that Noah managed to defeat Father. He deserves to have a little time where he feels in control. And a lot more time with Moxie. The rest of his students, too.”

Decras let out a dry laugh. “Nobody deserves anything in this universe, Renewal. You should have figured that out by now. All you deserve is what you can take. He’s gotten his breather. But Vivian’s attention is going to ruin that soon enough… if Orlen doesn’t get to him first.”

Renewal grimaced. Then she blew out a sigh. “I hate that guy. Him and his little minions. Disgusting creeps. Constantly ruining good things.”

“Not just them,” Decras said. “The other ones he calls False Heralds as well. Those mages are not normal. This tournament has collected quite a few dangerous beings. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence. The Beyond is seeking them out.”

Renewal sent him a sharp look. “You don’t mean…”

“I don’t know if it seeks to spread,” Decras said with a shake of his head. “I have never drawn close enough to it to peer deeper into its desires. But the Beyond wouldn’t be assisting Noah for no reason. It wants something. And I don’t believe in coincidence. If it isn’t looking to spread, then it’s looking to make its host more powerful. Just like Vivian. And you remember what happened there.”

Renewal did.

A part of her wished that she didn’t.

Renewal looked back to the screen, where Moxie flickered quietly in place, alone. No sign of Noah remained, but her hand was still outstretched as if he was still before her. It really was a shame. Noah had been stolen away from her far too fast. Renewal had really been hoping for a much more drawn out reunion. Maybe one with some flowers. Flowers would have been nice. A romantic dinner. Something to give her some ideas.

Things had been really boring lately. All she and Decras had been doing was training and battling. That had its place. There was nothing wrong with it. But it wasn’t nearly as fun as watching the mortals.

But she’d have to wait a bit longer before she’d get her wish.

“They’re not the only ones,” Renewal said finally.

“What?” Decras asked.

“The False Heralds — or whatever Orlen wants to call them — aren’t the only ones out of place. Your Apostles. What are they doing, Decras?”

There was a long second of silence.

“I am unsure of their motive.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Renewal glanced over to Decras. “They’re people.”

“They are,” Decras said. “But I have not spoken with them in some time. And I did not give any instructions to attend the tournament. There is nothing for them to gain here. They do not seek apprenticeship. Attention from the Faction Heads isn’t anything that they should have a reason to seek. The Heads have nothing they don’t already have.”

“So what are they doing there?” Renewal asked. “They didn’t even realize that Noah is still alive. It’s not him that they’re there for. I doubt its his students. So what are they after?”

Decras slowly shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

***

“Well?” Vivian asked sharply. “Have you managed it, Maria?”

The shadowy figure before her twisted. Two irritated eyes looked up at her.

“Don’t use my real name. I didn’t come up with another one for no reason. Names have power.”

“Nobody else is here,” Vivian said flatly. “There isn’t a single mage in all of Aqua Terra powerful enough to sneak up on me within my own stronghold. This is my room. We are isolated. Now tell me. Did you succeed?”

Maria blew out a breath. The shadows around her rippled. Then she nodded.

“Yes. I did. As I said… I couldn’t tell you where Spider is. The security in these badges is too powerful. They only work when you’re in contact with them, and even then, tracing their path is impossible. Even for me. But I did manage to shift things so that his badge would be the next one to light up. He used it. So he’s down there, on the fields, right now.”

Vivian smiled.

“And you can re-direct it when the fight is done?” Vivian asked.

“Yes,” Maria said. “I can have it send him here instead of to his room when the fight is complete. Just know that you’re giving him some pretty severe weaponry against us. Everyone knows that this tournament is a giant game of cat and mouse. The other Heads are looking to catch you cheating, and you’re looking to get away with it. That’s how hosting it works. But if you show this Rank 5 that we can modify the badges… all he has to do is tell a single one of them about it. If they find out—”

“I’ll deal with that,” Vivian said with a smirk. “Don’t worry about it. He’s not going to have a reason to tell the other Faction Heads anything. We’ve won. Rake is too late.”

Maria shrugged.

Then she froze.

Vivian’s eyes narrowed instantly.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Rake,” Maria said. “He’s at the arena that Spider is fighting at.”

“What?” Vivian exclaimed. “How? We just changed it! He wasn’t even meant to be fighting until moments ago!”

Maria shook her head mutely. “I don’t have the faintest idea. There’s no way he could have known. My defenses haven’t been breached. But his domain is powerful enough that Aqua Terra won’t affect him. Maybe he was just watching all the arenas to wait for Spider to show up and just caught on really quickly? I—”

“Was he there before Spider arrived?” Vivian asked sharply.

Maria paused for a moment. Her brow furrowed. Then, a moment later, she nodded.

“Yes. I don’t know how, but yes. He’s been there for an hour.”

Vivian’s jaw clenched.

“Maybe it’s just a coincidence,” Maria said. “He could just be…”

Maria trailed off.

Vivian was already gone.