“Heretics,” the man hissed as he dropped his arms, the butt of his golden staff slamming into the ground. “o heavenly father” He began to pray, however Taaffeite was no fool, she lunged at the man hoping to break his prayer before he could finish.

The blade of her rapier disappeared as she struck out at the man with blinding speed, only to have him deflect the blow with all the agility of a sword saint, his chant like prayer continuing unimpeded as she jumped back muttering under her breath as she created space between them.

She infused her rapier with mana causing the blade to shimmer and vanish, she quickly recited a spell “Doppel” as she dove in for a second strike this time, her body flickering before splitting into two mirror images. It was a spell combination that had never failed her, cast Doppel, cast invisibility, cast Doppel a second time using the first image it created as a focus, then while the opponent was distracted by the two copies run them through. 

To her amazement the man positioned his staff directly in the path of her rapier, completely ignoring her illusions as they passed harmlessly through him. She felt dread knowing she made a mistake when she noticed he never even turned his gaze to her as he kept blocking her attacks, his chanting never stopping. She should have used a more powerful spell instead she attempted to break his focus with weaker prodding attacks, and she knew that would be the folly of this fight.

Me finally stood, the lady that blocked it from the beam of death seemed to share words with the robed monster before she began to attack him. It couldn’t explain it but when it locked eyes with the woman a moment ago it felt a connection, like it could trust this woman to not abandon it. Her milky gray eyes were stern, scary in fact, but it felt comfortable when they met gazes before. As their eyes met its soul sight activated again and it was stunned to see what appeared to be an enormous glass woman before it. The soul towered over the small frame it now possessed; its body looked almost like crystal as light reflected through it making rainbows throughout its body at random intervals, and it knew looking up at this woman who possessed such a lovely soul that she was powerful. Not in such a way as to smash walls, but it knew no wall would ever hinder such a soul.

Its eyes snapped back to reality as the woman crossed blades with the man, only to be blocked repeatedly. It could feel a building since of danger as the man's voice rang out like nails on a chalkboard, and the woman backed up to where it stood. Even it could feel the power that the robed man was emitting as the area around him seemed to ignite.

“This is worse!” Me yelled as it watched the man raise that gaudy golden stick in the air and brought it down pointing directly at it. 

It didn’t have time to react as it was suddenly scooped up in the arms of the woman who raised barrier after barrier above them clutching me in her arms prepared to defend it with her very body.

She’s wrong! It's not going to come from the sky! Me’s danger sense blared in its mind as it locked eyes with the man again. It might not have been able to discern facial expressions, but it couldn’t help but feel the man was mocking it with a smile as his ugly golden stick began to glow with power. Shit, what can I do? Soul magic? No to slow, reinforcement and jump? No barriers above us, he played us… 

Taaffeite held her daughter, using every ounce of mana she had to put a barrier above them to hopefully deflect the divine judgment the priest had called down on them only to be caught off guard by manic giggling that was coming from the tiny body she held in her arms. Even then she did not regret her decision to protect the creature as she was blinded by light. For several long moments she sat waiting for the blinding pain of retribution only for it to never come. She could hear what sounded like words coming from her arms as she could feel her daughter moving, tentatively she opened her eyes to see what could only be a scene from stories.

They were surrounded by divine light on all sides, a large black obsidian slate stuck at an angle to her back, in her arms was a smiling pale girl eagerly tapping her hand against the slate causing it to flicker with words.

“Hell yea, stupid box is good for something huh” Me called out tapping the Inutil terminal that showed up just in the nick of time.

“This is a blatant abuse of the skill Babylon.” Inutil 11 chastised it, “I am an information and communication terminal not a common shield.” 

“o sulk later, if it quacks like a duck and all” me replied, quoting a random… thought it had. “Do they have ducks in this world? A duck is a bird, right?”

“Is this the best time for such questions?” Inutil replied, flashing the yellow it now knew to mean annoyance, “and yes a duck is a bird commonly used for food.”

It couldn’t help but cackle as the light around them only seemed to intensify.

Taaffeite was stunned, the small girl had summoned a world screen to deflect the attack. Then giggling like a child, it asked it… about ducks? She couldn’t understand what the creature said but she could read the screen, wait did it say a misuse of Babylon. Her family’s new bloodline ability. Was that what it did, summon the voice of the world? She was stunned as the small girl wiggled out of her arms and started smacking the screen. 

“Babylon,” she whispered only to be greeted by a smaller handheld version of the world voice.

“Insufficient mana to summon a full terminal,” the screen flashed on its crimson red background, “how may I assist you Matriarch?” 

She nearly dropped the screen when it addressed her before dismissing the skill instead focusing on the one her daughter had summoned, the girl was apparently asking about ways to attack with… soul magic? That’s going to be problematic, soul magic was not a strong offensive magic any mage knew that, however that seemed to upset the small girl as she began punching the screen, causing it to turn a multitude of colors warning her that if she broke it, they would subject to the brunt of the spell that somehow was miraculously still going, was that man burning his entire mana pool on this? Maybe his god was giving him power to deal with the heretics?

“Fine I will break you later” Me scoffed, “so if soul magic has no offensive capabilities what I can do?”

Name; “Unknown” Lapidary

Age; “Error” 10

Race; unknown

Titles; Twin soul, Me, X47

Traits: Aether body, Shattered soul, Abomination, shared body, Twin soul, Leaking soul, Soul magic affinity, Enemy of boxes, Arduous, Indomitable will, Weak focus, fractured mind, Scholar, Forbidden Knowledge, Polyglot literate non-fluent, Albinism.

Skills: Soul sorcery, Enchanting greater, Skill override greater, Enchantment override, Self-reinforcement greater, Soul shaping, Aether condensing, Spell circle creation, Spell chant negation, Aether mastery, Deception greater, Soul sight, Blessed by “error”, danger sense greater.

Lapidary Bloodline skill personal: Babylon “Inutil”

“Your useless box!” Me screamed as it set off smacking the screen again, “just you wait, once I get back into the void, I will rip the next 6 Inutil’s to pieces! If only I had my claws, I could scratch a circle into you and teleport you into the damn sun!” Me flexed its hands willing aether into its fingers, willing them into the clawed talons it had grown accustomed to.

“Skill acquired, soul manifestation, this is a sub skill of soul sorcery, self-reinforcement, and soul shaping. Soul manifestation, soul sorcery, soul shaping, and soul sight have merged into Soul magic mastery. Acquired Title Soul Sorcerer. Self-reinforcement greater has evolved into self-enhancement. Self-enchantment, enchanting greater, and enchantment override have merged into Enchantment mastery, Title acquired, Enchanter. Updating soul page.”

Name; “Unknown” Lapidary

Age; “Error” 10

Race; unknown

Titles; Twin soul, Me, X47, Soul Sorcerer, Enchanter

Traits: Aether body, Shattered soul, Abomination, shared body, Twin soul, Leaking soul, Soul magic affinity, Enemy of boxes, Arduous, Indomitable will, Weak focus, fractured mind, Scholar, Forbidden Knowledge, Polyglot literate non-fluent, Albinism.

Skills: Soul magic mastery, Enchantment mastery, Skill override greater, Spell circle creation, Spell chant negation, Aether mastery, Deception greater, Blessed by “error”, danger sense greater.

Lapidary Bloodline skill personal: Babylon “Inutil”

Taaffeite read the soul page for a second time as it updated in a flash, in awe of the list that she saw, the creature had 5 titles at the age of 10! And all its skills were at greater level, that was a level of mastery would normally get someone a lesser noble title alone. She read it for a third time and realization caused her heart to sink.

“It is the same age as Amethyst, it was trapped inside its sister's mind for 10 years.” She said out loud, “I didn’t even name it, my unborn child.” Her eyes caught on the traits list of “unknown” as a tear ran down her cheek, no wonder it has such horrible traits. It grew up with nothing but the voice of the world to keep it company.

She recognized most of the list, knowing most of them to be known negative traits, some were downright terrifying to see in a child, fractured mind and abomination caused the seasoned warrior to lose strength in her legs. She knew that wherever it had been trapped in Amethyst's mind all it had was the Babylon terminals to read, it was clear that its manifestation is what created the bloodline ability once she had seen how the young woman interacted with it.

Finally, the light subsided, and all was quiet as they both sat behind the screen, Taaffeite in tears as she watched her daughter hiss at the terminal, scratching it with a newly formed talon. The girl’s entire forearm was blackened from aether strange white jagged lines covering her hand before coalescing into long cream white talons at the tips of each finger. It seemed to notice the spell had stopped, pulling it from its task and stepping away from the terminal. Taaffeite glancing to see “I’m a stupid box” carved into the terminal, stood to join her child.

The man stood panting, sweat covering his face, his eyes wide in shock as the two stepped from behind the obsidian slab that had been melted into the street. 

“How.” He rasped using his staff to stand, he took a deep breath and began to pray once more.

Taaffeite readied herself to lunge again, looking at the man there was no way he could dodge like before. But it turned out to be wasted effort as a giggling girl stepped before her and raised a blackened arm, a black liquid like substance dripping from it.

Me looked at the panting man, its soul sight activating when it made eye contact with him, the writhing golden tentacles from before seemed to lose their luster, now limply draped over the man. And only one thought rang out in its mind.

“Soul mastery,” me began raising its arm that now dripped with aether, “Soul manifestation, Devour!” It yelled the aether pooling around it bubbled up as what appeared to be a giant white fox head appeared to lunge out of the pool, its gaping maw slamming shut around the priest before retreating pulling the golden tentacle monster into the aether with it.

“What in the gods,” Taaffeite gasped as an enormous white fox head shot out, closing around the drained man, before retreating into the black liquid that pooled at her daughter's feet. As the black liquid seemed to magnetize itself to the girl seeping into her skin, Taaffeite looked at the golden eyed priest whose body though undamaged from the attack, was covered in white translucent flames, his golden eyes seemed dull as he stood mouth agape unmoving.

“Title acquired: soul eater. Soul Alexander Von Helix, bishop of valor consumed. Traits lost, shattered soul, Leaking soul. Trait gained, Marred Soul. Spell created, moonlit devour… Spell moonlit devour, locked by system for being a soul-destroying spell.”  The terminal behind them flashed though neither of them noticed as they watched the priest fall, the white soul flames that consumed what remained of his essence burning out.

With a loud laugh the small woman collapsed backwards, only to be caught by Taaffeite who cautiously lifted the girl into a tight motherly hug, whispering in her ear, “Hecatolite. Hecatolite Lapidary. That will be your name.”