Chapter 32 – Containment
The cavern was no longer a battlefield — it was a storm.
Every strike from the crystalline colossi shattered stone into rivers of molten light. The ceiling sagged under the strain, fissures glowing as though the Rift itself was bleeding.
Raynar's chest heaved, gauntlets fractured, skin split with glowing lines from overstrained Blutz channels. But his grin was feral.
"Heh. Finally—" he slammed his fists together, detonating a thunderclap that hurled one colossus back, "—I don't have to babysit my power!"
His veins glowed brighter, kinetic energy snapping outward like chained explosions. Every step he took burst with force, the ground splintering beneath him.
Redmond's gaze flicked to him briefly — a quiet nod — before turning back to the second colossus. His aura pulsed inward, crimson void folding into sharp lattices.
"Raynar. Take the wounded one. I'll restrain the other."
Raynar barked a laugh, eyes wild. "Don't order me around. But fine—leave the cripple to me!"
The colossus staggered toward him, its left arm shattered, crystalline veins leaking light. Raynar launched forward like a cannonball, fists detonating kinetic bursts mid-air. He slammed into the giant's chest, Blutz current erupting.
BOOOOM!
The giant reeled, but Raynar clung on, fists pounding like rapid-fire artillery.
"Break! Break! BREAK!" Each word was punctuated by an explosion, his laughter echoing like a madman's.
The colossus roared, raising its other arm to smash him flat—
But Raynar caught it. Both gauntlets locked on the giant's wrist, Blutz veins blazing like twin suns. He twisted, energy detonating, snapping the limb clean off.
"HA! How's it feel to be on the receiving end, huh?!"
The giant shrieked, staggering back, core flickering erratically. Raynar slammed into it again, detonations firing point-blank into its chest.
BBOOOOMMM!
The core cracked. Light sputtered. The colossus froze mid-step… then shattered into shards, fragments scattering like broken glass across the cavern.
Raynar dropped to one knee, chest heaving, gauntlets smoking. But his grin remained.
"Who's next?!"
Meanwhile, Redmond stood calm amidst chaos. The other colossus — uninjured, massive — bore down on him, blade-arms glowing with Rift charge. Its steps warped the cavern floor, every motion a tidal wave of energy.
Redmond lifted one hand. His voice was quiet, almost drowned out by the tremors.
"…Come."
The colossus roared, swinging its blade down.
Redmond moved. Not with speed — but with inevitability. His hand rose, aura collapsing inward, Vermilion energy condensing into a sharp geometric lattice. The blade met his construct—
And stopped.
The colossus staggered, confused. Its arm trembled, unable to move forward as though reality itself resisted.
Redmond's eyes burned, crimson spirals narrowing. "Not… enough."
The lattice expanded. Patterns folded into each other, weaving a cage that snapped shut around the colossus's arm. Crystals erupted upward, pinning it. The giant roared, struggling—
But Redmond's aura pulsed again. Another lattice formed, this time around its legs. The ground beneath it solidified, veins of vermilion crystal binding it in place.
Council chamber gasps filled the projection feed.
"Impossible… he's restraining it with pure manifestation—!"
Elira's eyes widened. No. This isn't restraint. This… this is the first whisper of Codex.
Redmond's body trembled. Not from weakness, but from resonance. The energy wasn't leaving him — it was answering him. Every heartbeat pulled the cavern's essence inward, folding it into the lattice.
The colossus thrashed, Rift energy blasting outward. The crystal cage cracked.
Redmond grit his teeth. His voice, low and steady, carried through the cavern.
"I didn't come here to restrain you."
The lattice pulsed. Cracks sealed. The cage didn't just hold — it transformed.
Crystalline walls thickened, veins of void and vermilion weaving like diamond shot through with living flame. The colossus froze mid-struggle, body solidifying. Its roar cut off, mouth wide but silent, frozen in vermilion crystal like a beast caught in ice.
Raynar, leaning against a shattered boulder, stared wide-eyed.
"…What the hell did you just do?"
Redmond lowered his hand. His breath came steady, aura quieting. He looked at the prison, at the colossus suspended like a fossil.
"…I don't know."
But in his chest, he felt it — the faint hum of something greater. Something vast.
Council Chamber
Elders rose to their feet, shouting over one another.
"That's no talent!"
"No Origin wielder should—!"
"This violates—"
"Enough."
Aldrich's voice thundered through the chamber. He sat forward, eyes burning with pride. "What you see is simple. A Red'Lux heir who does not bend to limits."
Elira's voice cut through, cool but sharp. "No, Aldrich. What we see is resonance. That lattice… it was not formed by choice. It was drawn out by his will aligning with universal structure. It is—" she hesitated, "…a Codex whisper."
The chamber went silent.
Lord D'ark's smirk returned. "Interesting. Containment… not destruction. A path most unexpected."
Aldrich leaned back, expression unreadable, though pride burned behind his eyes. "Whether Codex or not… he is mine. And he is ready."
Back in the Rift, Redmond approached Raynar, offering his hand. His brother snorted, taking it with a bloody grin.
"You and your creepy calm crap… Fine. Next time, I'm the one shocking everyone."
Redmond's lips twitched. "…I'll look forward to it."
Behind them, excavation teams moved in. Researchers swarmed the crystallized colossus, scanning, mining, whispering in awe. For the first time in centuries, a Rift monster hadn't been slain — but captured.
And in the silence of the cavern, Redmond stood before his own creation, staring at the vermilion diamond prison.
For the first time, even he didn't understand what he had done.
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