[Art done by Eldritch Chao (my friend) from ArtFight 2021]

Velacera's POV
"N-Now," I gulped as I stood halfway between the two, "let's not fight, they're probably getting away." I looked between the two as their eyes held no emotions that I could read easily. 

"Cousin let's try to remember we are here on a request from our uncle to help one of his hellspawns," Tsathoggua softly scolded as he moved closer with his chair, "it is a chance to meet you, Neverland Star Devil. I am assuming Velacera's Celestial is your Neverland Star is that correct?" Tsathoggua asked tilting his head towards Burakku. 

"Formal Star but now a Blackhole but regardless I will serve Lord Kur until my core fades to nothing," Burakku huffed as his posture relaxed, "mortal legends paint you very different than face-to-face interactions, Tsathoggua, the sleeper of the N'kai?" Burakku moved closer to me and Tsathogua.

"I suppose so but it is better that way as I can rest better knowing my legends differ from my pen name," Tsathoggua peeked open an eye real quick before closing them again, "when I imagined the Neverland Devil and them being dubbed the Celestial Nightmare Devil I imagined more of a monsterous feature than myself." Burakku gave a chuckle at that comment. 

"Suppose so," Burakku hummed with contempt as he looked at me, "Kur had mentioned you before but it's interesting to meet you in person. You must be Velacera?" Burakku asked as he held out his hand. Wait Kur had mentioned me. I took his hand as he shook my hand, "I am quite interested in these twisted fairytales that you write Kur praises them saying it brings more image to the story than the cheap knockoff retellings skipping the content it needs." 

"I-I see," I stuttered as he moved slightly back, "I have a few volumes back in my residents in Conjinham. I am sure Kur can surely show you a few volumes that I had written." Burakku gave a toothy grin before his face dropped as he snapped his head to the right and he growled under his breath. "W-What's wrong?" I asked seeing how Burakku acted. Almost like how Kur reacts to things that happen from afar before snapping to attention to answer me. 

"Lord Kur is in distress," Burakku mumbled low as he snapped back to look at me, "sorry if that scared ya. A force of habit~" Chuma had mentioned how Burakku had a solid connection to Kur. I could see why Chuma mentioned it hours back it's certainly a strong bond between a Star and its well-respected Devil.  

"Which direction then if you can sense him?" Chuma asked as he walked closer. Burakku hummed as he stood straight and held out his hand as light pooled into his hand and turned into a red butterfly glowing the same red hue. 

"I can cast a small tracking spell but my sphinx mares are not as reliable or strong as Kur's sphinx mares," Burakku hummed as the butterfly took off into the air toward the direction he had just looked, "I'll catch up in a bit I have to do a quick clean up of all the Zmora's who are roaming around. Best to rid of those before they harm any being of the mortal realm. They're disgusting in all the means."

Burakku waved as he took off in the opposite direction grinning as he pushed down a shadow that was nearby the shadow made an eerie noise before it dissolved with Burakku's touch a faint red glow from his hand. "Well," Pommy exhaled, "I suppose that is the go-ahead message of going after the main group. Let me fill you in on what we witnessed." 

We followed the butterfly as Pommy explained what he had seen and right before Burakku showed up. Seemingly that they had set many Zmora's up around the area causing much chaos. But what really caught my attention was the mention of a supposedly new hellspawn. "That can't be true," I had spoken up after Pommy had mentioned the Hellspawn's appearance, "I know each and every hellspawn and one of the newest is one I saw before and no other hellspawn looks how you described them."

"Figured," Orcus softly said as he looked over towards Futsura, who was running beside him grunting with the agreement, "so who exactly was that then and could it be that since that being was claiming to be a hellspawn and who brought all those exorcists and priests to Conjinham?" Orcus turned to me once more. 

"If I think of the outcome as I see it," Chuma huffed as he fixed his hat, "I'd say we have a copycat of someone trying to create a hellspawn but didn't think it all the way through due to hellspawns knowing each other. Or they are merely spreading misleading information. But either way, it could mean more trouble in Conjinham if there is no action taken." Chuma slid to a stop and placed a hand out as the butterfly landed in his hand as it flashed signally something before Chuma looked back at us.

"What is it, Chuma?" Pommy asked breathing heavily as we all slowed down to wait for Chuma's answer. 

"Morse code says there's a bit of trouble ahead but we are near Kur and the enemy it seems we'll cross paths with some exorcists coming from the other side of the valley heading to Conjinham," Chuma said softly and with fear hinted in his voice. Oh no, I wouldn't be able to withstand much from actual trained Exorcists and my injuries would be greater than the last experience I had a run-in with exorcists. The butterfly flickered a bit more before taking off of Chuma's hand and coming close to me. 

Quickly moving my hand out, it landed on my hand as it flickered once more. I looked up towards Chuma as he sided and shook his head, "it is fine there is a less amount of purification magic so it's safe to hold but it's already aware of your fears of exorcists and a general summary of what happened before but it's advising you to stay slightly further back as we pass the valley as by the time we reach the opening in the valley the exorcists would be several yards away from where we will be crossing so it'll ensure you'll have more of a cover and further away from them."

"Smart butterfly," Cthulhu commented as he came closer bending slightly down as he looked more closely at the butterfly. 

"They're called Sphinx Mare's," Chuma corrected as he sighed, "Kur can easily create them and uses them as a form of medium for purifying nightmares and clearing out large groups of Zmora's. I've watched him do it several times back in the Celestial terrain. He has even done it to the little lumerian I treated for torn wings as the little one would not wake up until after Kur used the sphinx mare to wake them up though the encounter after was not pleasant."

Purifying nightmares? Now that I think about it, I wasn't jolting awake or getting as sick with hay fever as much anymore. Was Kur always using his sphinx mares to help me? "Does one feel its presence if being used on?" I asked hesitantly as the sphinx mare flickered once more before I looked at Chuma for the answer as he shook his head. I guess I would have to ask Kur directly when we have time. 

"Interesting, Tsathoggua if you have any more trouble sleeping maybe ask for one of these and see if that works," Cthulhu chuckled as he held out his hand to the sphinx mare as it gently fluttered onto his hand as he stood up holding it higher and looking all around it, "strange even though it's entirely made of purification magic I do not feel anything nor any tingling from when it's touching bare skin. Are you sure it's made of pure purification magic?" 

"Yes," Chuma sighed, "I am not aware how it could be done but it's a medium spirit made out of the energy of Kur which is a Celestial's purification magic. He has stated he had many years where he would send smaller ones in groups of three into the mortal realm to purify those nightmares of strong forces to make sure Zmora's wouldn't leak into the mortal realm. So their biology is unknown to me." Chuma shrugged his shoulders as the sphinx mare flew off of Cthulhu's hand to on top of Chuma's hat, "but it tells us to hurry as-"

The ground rumbled as a light appeared from behind Chuma, "it seems like the spell Kur cast activated again," Pommy commented as the light faded away. I looked over to Pommy as he sighed and shook his head, "I have no idea which spells he used but from what I witnessed and experience it works with two effects dissolving many Zmoras and also stunning everyone that is within 25 feet of him. It's effective and has made their progress as slow as it is."

"We must hurry then," Chuma turned around as the sphinx mare took off from his hat before flickering once more, fast and panicked, "unfortunately the blast caught the attention of the exorcists that were nearby. Velacera it's best to stay as far back as you can so that way they can't sense you or go after you." I nodded my head as I gripped my staff tighter. I just don't want to encounter them as more than just merely grazing past their sights. 

The air was tense and we ran towards the opening seeing a cluster of shadows looming closer I slowed down as Chuma and Pommy broke through the brush first as he held his hand out to stop the rest of us. "Ah Greetings," I heard Chuma strain his voice, "might you be traveling?"

There was a brief silence before a couple of voices responded to Chuma's question. I could clearly hear one male voice and two more higher-pitched female voices. "Vel-" I heard the hushed tone of Orcus as he gently patted my shoulder, "your shaking. Do you need to move further back behind us?" Orcus asked as I looked down at my hand where I held my staff. I then noticed how badly I was shaking. Gulping I took a long dragged breath trying to calm myself down.

"It's alright I am fine right here," I said softly as I watch Orcus frown and motion for Futsura to stand on the opposite side of me, "besides Chuma and Pommy are here too they'll distract them and sway them the other way. I trust them."

"What was that?" one of the female voices said as I watched in horror as the cluster of shadows faced the density of the woods. Chuma coughed as he fiddle with his hat.

"Our groups camp is set up not far from here and some of our crew got poisoned when traveling through the vast forest of Zwinkern and we had just passed the western part of the forest," Pommy quickly moved to the front of the cluster of shadows, "unfortunately, I only had two bottles of potion on me for just me and my fellow crewmate right here I'd thought I had brought more you don't want to see their conditions as they seemed very bad. We were about to head to the eastern part when we saw the explosion and were seeing if anyone was hurt." 

"Is there a possibility we could see the conditions," another female voice spoke up, "we would like to help as well." There was a slight pause before there was more talking. My breath hitched as I heard the clicking of heels on solid rock. "Andacht what are you doing?" the female voice said before I felt the tingling of fuzed air before I gasped and shut my eyes awaiting the pain. But it never came. For sure I felt the tingling air of purification magic so why no pain? Opening my eyes I saw Orcus and Chuma in front of me along with those whose voices I heard beyond the bushes. "What is that?" the female said as I saw her up and personal.

"Is that a hellspawn the thing that was rumored caused tons of mischief and was heading to Conjinham?" the other female stated. 

"Hellspawns are weak against purification magic so why is it not affecting them," the male said taking a step back as I looked down and noticed a thin barrier glowing a faint pastel red.

"Velacera are you alright," Chuma asked hesitantly asked as the red tint faded away. Looking up I could only assume that behind Chuma's mask matched a shock expression the same as my own in the reflection of his spectacle on his mask. 

"What was that?" I asked, my voice sounding more alienated than anything before the soft smell of lavender surrounded us as the newcomers slowly slumped to the ground and lightly dozed off. Burakku came from behind them and lightly tapped their foreheads as they lay down on the ground. 

"There this should make them believe they were dreaming," Burakku huffed as he walked closer to us, "per se, did you and Kur form a connection at any time?" I looked at Burakku assuming my face resembled shock as Burakku chuckled, "remember anything out of the ordinary perhaps a shock of electricity or feeling lighter?" Wait a shock of electricity?

"When I found him for the first time," I gasped, "I reached down to see if he was conscious that was when a short shock ran between his body and my finger but it didn't hurt at all. I'd thought it was just infused air of spells scaring off anyone that would fall for such a cheap trick."

"Lord Kur must've been out of it for sure if he was in despite need of forming a connection out of pure instinct," Burakku folded his arms placing one hand under his chin, "seeing how I was unable or nowhere near him to start the emergency healing he was reaching out subconsciously for anything to at least get his body to move. Your connection started when you went to touch him. All it needs is close proximity to start the connection." I looked around seeing all eyes on me. 

"What does that fully entails?" I asked seeing Burakku glance to the side before back at me. Before he chuckled and unfolded his arms placing them on his hips. 

"What it means is that the only reason why Kur was so easily adaptable to such rough environments and culture such as the exposure to the madness without his natural instinct to purify everything in sight was that your connection with him filled the gaps," Burakku leaned forward slightly, "his adaptivity to all forms are dependant on his connections to his peers and subordinates. You see my connection is a subordinate's connection so I am able to sense and even give pieces of my energy to Lord Kur if it is necessary to do so. But yours is based on peers which is rare for such a connection to form but it entails that he trusts you and it's a mutual trust where he protects you from your weaknesses and in exchange he adapts to what you were immune with such as miasma and madness."

"I have a connection with Kur," I breathed out trying to process Burakku's words. But it was starting to piece together as Kur was able to adapt to living in Makai as if he was born there and how he easily accepted other's company as they were all familiar to him as his connection with me had already recognized the others as peers and so it mirrored towards Kur. "But wait his scar," I started to ask, "his scar over his right eye that never healed and his sclera's are pure black and not white li-"

"His wounds reflect the loss of his star and the sclera's reflect the light of what was once his fall," Burakku frowned and sighed deeply, "the way his star cracked it mirrored onto him. It can take form anywhere on his physical body his case just so happened to be over his eye the black sclera is the sign of there was no more light to be found where his star once was meaning it was completely snuffed out." Burakku held a frown as he stood up taking his hands off his hips, "it took me by surprise to see that Kur had survived in the condition he was when I saw him as in rare cases Star's loose everything in becoming a Blackhole. He only lost the star shape on his head the color of his hair faded to pure black and sclera's turned black and the scar over his right eye. Most stars lose more as they become nothing, losing all sense of morals and speech even cases of losing forms and having little to no control of their void powers."

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So this wraps up this chapter I am going to do more in the next chapter so see you then. As stated crossing over into several parts of my friend's series (Eldritch Chao) so enjoy several jumps into different storylines and short interactions with other characters. 

Midnight Voided Galaxies checking out bye~