Chapter 1032: Mark, else Ark


    Untamed beasts mbered – two lines of fighters formed. One surrounded Igna as a way of protection, and the otherpromised the guards. Attackers of physical traits forged in the neutral barrier between monster and angel. From one-eyed to three-legged – aerial and grounded, the surge was considerable. ‘-Hermes’ long gone. The feeling of nostalgia,’ therein, Alfred’s memory of a simr scene yed; ‘-on the cusp of victory against the vanguard, after he struck an heir of the gods – thetter sought vengeance. Unleashing an army of unkible macabre,’ such went the thought. The Shadow Realm’s army readied; blessings of the four guardian deities were bestowed on each individual as if a ss system. Gophy, Miira, Intherna, and Lilith; shared their might with the realm, and so, those born of the realm were akin to gods in their own way. Comparing both armies was a matter of perspective. Igna, loyal to his ominously bleak ways, ordered one of the many faceless fighters forward. With the Shadow Realm’s uniform on his person and a rifle slung over his shoulder – the masked man nodded. He took one step; screeches from theing assault blew tempest-like winds. Debris lifted, trees uprooted – the sheer strength cracked windows and broke the door. Igna waited firmly, he brushed his shoulder after the growl and smiled, ‘-pointless disy of power. Such idiots,’ a snap slithered from the inner circle (where Igna sat upon a throne of conjured bones) and into the fighter’s ear. The only recognizable feature, the eyes, lit with a me akin to the Abyssal Depths of Death’s version of Hell. He slung the shoulder, grabbed the rifle, and fired – a beam of pure mana snuffed all in its wake. White fumes hovered where a considerable part of the attacking army once waited. A few steps back(of which one was to leap into the air) one could see the resulting devastation. ‘The beginning of the end,’ mumbled Igna, “-kill them all,” he ordered – the prior mention of devastation was the sudden disappearance of buildings and associated infrastructure and items like a city structure. Roads were torn, uprooted even. Bases of constructions unlucky to be in the battle’s path were wiped. Take foundation and the massive pirs crumbled under normal circumstances. Igna held his hand up, from which countless magical circles twirled, potent magical symbols and ecriture took the skies.


    Aplete massacre. He climbed from the throne,tter vanished soon as he rose, ‘-nice,’ he smiled, ‘-no enemies left in their wake. Good, this is very good,’ he tapped and transported the soldiers to their home. ‘-The destruction of an entire city,’ he ambled, ‘-and the disappearance of the godly guardians. I counted legendary monsters in their ranks, spawns of the Hydra and the famed Bird of Ok. Too bad all was in vain. My death won’te easily,’ hence arrived at the center of death. A point at which the deceased rejoined. Gallops cackled – a fissure tore reality; heavy armor dropped at his side, “-Igna.”


    “Undrar,” he replied, “-figured you’d be here sooner. I present the souls of the dead.”


    “Olympians,” she examined floating auras, “-their guardians. What happened, I count three-digit numbers, are you okay?”


    “I’m fine. Ran into trouble from, you know, them.”


    “The Gods?”


    “Who else? Undrar, I need a favor,” he settled on a nearby bench facing a bloodied pool. Latter counted streams of crimson spanning the battlefield.


    .....


    “Word to the wise, don’t get in too deep.”


    “I won’t,” he returned, “-I need to disappear from their radar.”


    “Why?”


    “Zeus and Tharis are under the assumption that I was in. Better for the notoriety to dwindle, I can’t make my move openly, it’ll be akin to changing clothes in public. Anyway, Undrar, this mess here, I want you to take credit.”


    “Are you stupid?” she t out threw her arms in an ‘X’, “-if my dominion is suspected of being involved in the unjustified death of the Olympians... I-I won’t.”


    “Okay, okay,” he snapped, summoning a soldier with short hair ck, tattooed arms, and a rifle wrapped around the shoulder, “-here’s Mark, goes by Ark most of the time. He’s one of the finer fighters the Shadow Realm produced. Ark, for reason beyond my understanding, prefers silence and sleeps three to four hours a night. Make him the hero of this particr event.”


    The soldier kept a reserved expression, “-might I speak?”


    “He does speak,” said Undrar.


    “He does have a mouth,” returned an unimpressed tone, “-voice your concerns, Ark.”


    “Must I be a scapegoat?”


    “No, you’re no scapegoat,” said Igna, “-you will be crowned the hero to take down the Devil and the Olympians. They won’t be pleased, however, I’m sure some other faction will be rather pleased. What say you, care to join a chessboard spanning the whole of existence?”


    He pressed his heavy temples in thought, “-what must I do?”


    “Nothing far as I know,” added Igna, “-take the credit and see what they throw. Failure else denial is an option. Mark, for my sake, what will it be?”


    “I’ll do it,” he exhaled, “-on one condition.”


    “Which is?”


    “I want a cute partner.”


    “Pardon?”


    “I WANT A PARTNER!” he firmed. Igna shook his head and summoned a demoness from Asmodeus’ army, the soldier zed his frown, “-I meant a weapon.”


    “My apologies for thinking ‘-cute partner’ referred to a weapon of mass destruction.” He threw his hands into a fissure and pulled a few items, “-the Bow of Aviel, the Sword of Arneh, and the Staff of Ezmer,” once again, Mark blinked, “-a rifle would be nice?”


    “My,” with a slight cackle, Igna threw the weapons into the crimson pool.


    “-STOP!” Undrar caught the staff, “-these are Relic ss weapons, some of them have a religious purpose in Orin, don’t just throw-”


    “Ah yes, weapons of ancient heroes and kings – Vesper and her team have been on a fruitful hunt. Aviel is said to have blinded and swallowed the sun, Arneh reportedly sliced the moon and Ezmer brought the dead to life. The rumors exaggerate their capabilities,” he took and threw Ezmer’s staff. *Knowledge known to only the watcher, I, master and inheritor of Origin, beckon thee; Mantia, Library of the all-knowing,* a hemisphere covered the pool – a beam shot into the sky, parting the clouds and breaking the somber weather, an assault rifle of dampened crimson hovered, “-there I present, a gun,” he pressed the weapon against Ark and tapped his back, “-it uses one’s mana to fire. The purer the bullet, the harsher the destruction. You hold in thy hands a weapon able to dethrone a demi-god.”


    “No god yer?”


    “Those of the Shadow Realm are blessed with god-ying abilities. Now then,” the realm shuddered – an oppressive force pushed, the air grew dense, “-Undrar, rest is in your hands,” he vanished, leaving the duo in an awkward stare-off. A thunderous boom resounded. The sky split to amodate circlesyered on one another as if a tunnel – angelic power and heavenly glee sparked.


    “I’m back.”


    Undrar returned a colder stare, “-Hermes,” she sighed, “-what are you doing here?”


    “Came to take Igna’s body of course,” he scanned, “-where is he?”


    “Dead,” she said, “-and so is your army.”


    “My what?”


    “Look around, the blood and gore. Clearly belongs to the Olympians, right?”


    “Igna’s dead, huh?” the tone dropped as he shuffled about, “-true, I don’t sense his presence,” he circled Undrar and tore towards a strange figure, “-who might this be?”


    A chilling re rose at the god, “-name’s Mark.” Hermes ignored the personage and turned towards Undrar, “-who is this kid?” To which she kept a nonchnt grin and gestured, ‘-look back,’ with her brows.


    “What’s your name?” a cold harsh sensation tapped Hermes’ head.


    “Excuse you,” he turned, rather, tried, one motion and the barrel dug harshly, “-I’d keep my bravado in check.” The barrel tipped and fired, “-I said, keep the bravado in check,” said a frigid whispering from the back, “-trying to injure me won’t help your cause, eh.”


    Mark chuckled, “-and the threats won’t bring much,” he nced below, “-your leg, suppose I did hit my mark,” blood dripped.


    “-WHY YOU!” he immediately reached for a weapon, “-YOU DARE INJURE A GOD!”


    Undrar leaped, took Hermes’ weapon and tipped him onto the ground, and followed to engage the trickster into a chokehold, “-you’re being a brat. Where is Zeus, what happened to the treaty of non-involvement with another god’s realm? This here is a clear vition. Want me to take this to Tharis?”


    “No,” he coughed, “-anything but tha-” and tapped. *cough, cough,* “-herald of death my foot, you’re a monster, Undrar,” came harsher pants, “-you there, Mark was it?”


    “What?”


    “Work for me,” he stood, “-I don’t doubt your strength. Killing the Olympian guardians is no easy task – tis one above even a few gods. Besides, you managed to injure my leg – breaking my immortality. You’re a strange entity... if left to the other gods, you’ll be persecuted and sentenced to a fate worse than these idiots,” he kicked a fallen monster’s head, “-good traits, Mark,e join me.”


    “I refuse to work under you,” he narrowed, “-though, I’m willing for it to be called a partnership,” he rose the rifle, “-what say you, Hermes?”


    “...” a simple thought followed, ‘-is he going to kill me?’ *BANG,* innards sttered across the cheek and clothes, he turned backward and spotted a risen Undead, “-the curse of Makral. Undrar, send them to oblivion,” he skipped to Mark’s side, “-you, my friend, are very strange. I like strange. The strong are weed to make demands,” the tone dropped, “-be sure to mind your ce when speaking to anyone else other than me, understand? The heavenly realm isn’t as forgiving as I am. I wouldn’t want my partner to be killed on the first day.”


    Orbs of light circled Undrar, *-Requiem,* she pped, the souls departed. “Hermes, you realize bringing a stranger to the upper realm is taboo. It’s your funeral, I’m not here to judge. Stop causing problems, yeah?”


    “Right,” he rolled his eyes, “-let’s meet up for drinks some other time. Orin is a fine location for rest and rxation.” Mark threw the rifle over his back and followed after Hermes, “rade,” the tricksterughed, “-I like the sound of that. Mark, from today onward, we’rerades. Before we officialize the pact, I need to test your skills,” a portal opened to a familiarnd – the bright sunlight made visibility poor, “-wee to Hidros,” whispered Hermes, “-it’s a ce governed by Igna, the man who caused my father and the gods much hassle. We don’t know if he’s alive or dead, no matter, the mortal realm does not affect the heavens. Tis a ce of non-violence, a neutral zone. We’re going to help Lucifer,” he grinned, “-see the hangar before us?”


    “What about it?”


    “It’s the Hidrosian Army’s Maicite Powernt. We’ve been paid in gorgeous women Elze.’


    “God can’t interfere...”


    “No, no, we can’t. But we can use a proxy,” he pointed, “nd a bullet there, we’ll see a big boom.” The natural canopy of the hillside provided good cover, Mark rose his head and armed the rifle, ‘-firing will make me a traitor. Do I obey or be a partner... what does the master want?’ he gulped and steadied his breathing, ‘-what should I do,’ the fingers trembled.


    Firm hands grasped the shoulder, he turned to a transient apparition – invisible to the giddied Hermes, “-do what you must, Mark – thou art a Hero, be the god’s herald of destruction. Our reunion shall be on the battlefield, when the dayes for us to face each other, I will know you did your duty. Don’t wait, Ark, follow the hand ofmentation!”


    ‘I knew it... Mark isn’t one of us. He’s a traitor working for Igna... this means the man’s yet to die,’ he gritted under the fa?ade of excitement, ‘-got excited about nothing,’ he reached for his dagger, *BANG,* an explosion tore the power-nt, the shockwave took both men off their feet – a massive mushroom cloud rose, “-one shot is all I need,” he whispered, “-Hermes?”


    “WELCOME TO THE FAMILY,” the god leaped into his arms, “-I was wrong to doubt you,” heughed, “-let’s get out of here.” The soldier looked away from the chaos, ‘-onward onto death,’ he prayed, ‘-onward onto death.”