《Skybound Volume 2: The Witch Of Jubilee.》


 Chapter 1: Red Riding Hood.

    "One." A voice called out over an intercom, and a young girl looked ahead with empty eyes, she raised her right hand, and a pistol with red engravings was in her hand, she fired a single bullet and those engravings glowed a multitude of colors.


    "Two." the voice called again. And another shot rang forward, the sound reverberated through the room. The gun packed quite the punch as well, and blood seemed to start dripping out of the girl''s right ear, she said nothing though, she didn''t even flinch. She wasn''t done yet.


    "Three." Another shot rang out and her vision was blurred but even so, her aim was dead on, hitting the target at the back of the room.


    There was silence for a moment. The girl dared not move an inch, she was ready for what came next.


    "Four."


    Once more she fired, and once more the sound pierced her ears.


    And once more she hit her target.


    ". . . The test is over."


    As soon as those words were spoken the girl dropped her gun and fell to her knees, all of the pain that resounded through her head poured forth all at once.


    And she crumbled into a crying mess.


    "You pass Striga." The voice declared, uncaring for the tears pouring down the face of this child.


    ***


    This young girl woke up on a simple bed, the mattress was hard and uncomfortable, but it served its purpose.


    Slowly she blinked and grasped her aching head, and with a strained effort, she sat up.


    "You really are something else, you know that?" A voice echoed throughout the room she sat in, it was white, just like every other room in this place, she glanced to her left and her eyes fell upon the man who spoke, his eyes were shut, and they''d never open again his right hand was on a metal pole that had been installed in this room some time ago, as the man''s legs hardly worked anymore, but he held a smile on his face, "Seven others have already died from those tests you know, the physical toll of channeling mana that isn''t of your element is a rare thing indeed." he stated.


    The girl said nothing in response, instead she stood up and walked to the man''s side sitting before him. He had a calming voice and the girl often enjoyed listening to him.


    This man had been here long before she had, the age difference between them had to be at least four years, but they got along well enough.


    The girl then spoke up, "...That only leaves five of us left doesn''t it?"


    The man paused, raising his head, and he spoke, "They''ll likely be proceeding to the final phase of the experiments within the week."


    The girl frowned and lifted her legs bringing them close to her face, resting her chin on her knees, "Guess my time will be up soon then."


    "A shame that." The man muttered, "I am not lying when I say you could offer so much to this world Striga."


    "I know." she responded with a soft smile, "But what else can I do?"


    The facility they stood in was sanctioned by almost every major government in the skies, they didn''t have a choice in the matter.


    The man lowered his head, "I''m sure you''ve heard of the combat trials that shall be happening tomorrow, I hear that a member of House Demask of Jubilee shall be spectating, it''s a faint hope but that House is the only one that has any ability to pull someone out of this place..."


    Striga looked at the man, "You''re asking me to leave you behind?" she confirmed and the man chuckled.


    "My time is close at hand anyway, I wouldn''t want you to sit next to a corpse for the rest of your time." He stated with such ease.


    Striga frowned for a moment before standing up once more she walked over to her bed, "I''ll do my best... but you better try and find a way out of here as well got it! If I hear you kicked the bucket in here I''ll never forgive you!" she shouted at the man though she didn''t need to.


    The man however seemed to find it comforting once more he ran his hand along that metal pipe, "I shall do my utmost not to disappoint you."


    Silence overfell the room for a moment as Striga lay on her bed, "Hey old man. You got any stories?"


    The man hummed for a moment before smirking, "Little Red Riding Hood. She was a young and joyful girl, off to go and see her granny with a basket of bread. How thoughtful she was, she skipped through the dark forest without a care in the world. And then... the wolf arrived, "Oh little red! Off to see that sweet grandmother of yours, but that basket must be awfully heavy. Perhaps you''d wish for me to hold it for you?" the wolf so boldly declared his yellow eyes shining with hunger. Ah but Red Riding Hood remembers the wisdom of her peers, for you should never trust strangers, she ignored the hungry gaze of the wolf and continued her journey.


    Soon enough the wolf left, and the girl arrived at her Grandmother''s house. Only to find her corpse sprawled out and in every inch of the darkness the yellow gaze of the wolf''s eyes stared at Little Red Riding Hood." The man finished his story.


    Striga turned around on her bed with a glare, "...I meant a story to help me sleep, not one that''ll keep me up for the rest of the day." she hissed.


    The man chuckled in response, "That one was a classic where I''m from. Used to hear it almost every night in the camp."


    The old man was rather secretive about his past, but what Striga was able to gather from the bits of pieces she''s heard is that his childhood wasn''t a very nice one.


    A point in their lives the duo has been able to bond over.


    Still, she found herself laying on her back staring at the ceiling, "...If I get out of here. What will you do?"


    The man paused looking at the ground, "Hm. A good question." he smiled warmly, "perhaps I shall simply wait for the next person to enter my cell, and tell them stories."


    Striga snorted before looking over to the man, "If it''s of the same caliber as your Red Riding Hood story, I think most people will pass."


    The man laughed wholly at that, "Perhaps so! So instead, I''d tell them stories of the girl who entered this place and escaped. After all, what else could I do after hearing about such a legendary event." the man declared looking in Striga''s general direction with those constantly closed eyes.


    Striga stared back before closing her own eyes, "You put too much faith in me old man, I can barely handle challenging some fire magic from a gun, what hope do I have against a battle of mages?"


    There was silence after that, and the man looked at the pipe on the wall using it to help himself stand up. Oh so slowly, "I''ve told you this before, I''m sure of it. But even so, I shall repeat it, no battle is ever decided by skill alone. Luck plays an important factor as well. And you Striga are the luckiest girl I know."


    Striga kept her eyes closed and a frown fell over her face, "How so?"


    The man turned his gaze to the iron bars that littered their cell, "When last I counted, there were about 256 cells in this place, and each only had one person in them. I''m sure the number of cells has only increased, but the other factor has not. You and I Striga, we are the only ones who were put together. I have you. And you have me."


    Striga said nothing to that, her breathing however seemed to slow, and sleep overtook her body.


    The man didn''t move instead he simply began to whistle a soothing tune, others may have worried about waking their own companions up in a situation like this.


    But not this man.


    He had nothing to lose.


    ***


    Striga fell to one knee stabbing her blade into the ground, blood and guts covered her face and clothing.


    And her breathing was all but ragged now, the sword was covered in cracks.


    Of course, it was after all.


    Striga looked up ahead of her, and there were about sixty corpses.


    They had all ganged up on her, but she won.


    Barely she won.


    Her right ear twitched as she heard the click of metal sliding away, she once again quickly got to her feet standing at the ready, she arched a brow at the sight.


    Ahead was a young boy wearing a black suit, he had azure hair that was a little overgrown covering his left eye, and white gloves on his hand.


    The boy walked forward, unarmed. He stopped just a few feet in front of Striga looking her up and down, "Beautiful." he decided on the word near instantly.


    Instantly throwing Striga off her guard, she reflexively took a step back and the man smiled at that, putting his right hand over his heart, "Forgive me, I simply couldn''t help myself with the compliment... I believe introductions are an order, I am Delish Demask. The current reigning lord of house Demask."


    Striga''s eyes widened at those words, "But... you''re just a kid." she muttered.


    Delish chuckled at that, "Well yes. That is true, yet children like us have often been given the task of painting a way for the future. As such I take my role in stride. Ah but I digress." the man held out his right hand, keeping it outstretched for Striga, "I would make you an offer, come with me. And become part of house Demask, as my betrothed."


    Silence overfell the room for a moment, "W-What?"


    "Someone of your skills and beauty shouldn''t be locked away in a place like this, I would ensure that you live only the best life, no amount of effort will be spared to ensure that fact is made true. I would ask you to become my bride-to-be." Delish explained further.


    Striga blinked looking down at that hand, she so desperately desired freedom so she took it without a second thought.


    ***


    Striga''s eyes widened as those grand twin doors opened, she was already in awe of the city that Delish lived in, but this.


    This house was something else altogether, butlers and maids bowed as the duo walked in.


    Delish looked over his shoulder smiling at Striga with that eternally present smile of his, "Welcome to one of the many High Houses of Jubilee, it is with great gratitude that I welcome you wholeheartedly to your new home." Delish declared bowing at Striga, she fidgeted clearly uncomfortable by the idea.


    Delish however stood back to his full height continuing to walk forward without skipping a beat, there were two sets of staircases, one to the right and one to the left, in the center of those stairs was another door that was already open it seemed to lead to a large dining room.


    The seats were mostly empty but there were two sets of plates and a large bounty of food on that table.


    Delish walked to the far end of the table and took a seat, he motioned for one of the many maids, one with blue hair walked over to him and leaned over, he whispered something into that maid''s ear, and she bowed in response and walked past Striga without a word, Striga then looked back to Delish who held out his hand gesturing to the seat straight ahead of him, Striga said nothing at first awkwardly sitting down.


    Delish then took a bite from his food, a stake with potatoes on the side, "Overwhelming isn''t it?" he questioned.


    Striga looked at her own plate, a butler walked over and placed a thick cut of stake in front of her, she looked at it and muttered, "Yeah... It''s... a lot.."


    Delish nodded in response, "You''ve taken it quite well so far all things considered." He then looked up, locking his eyes onto Striga''s own gaze, "such things will become common around here, the world is full of strange and overwhelming things, I apologize for that."


    Striga blinked at that, "Why are you apologizing?"


    Delish set his knife and fork down, and instead folded his hands over each other, "I barged into your life and asked you to become my bride without so much as a thought for your own concerns. What''s more, I brought you to a strange and unfamiliar city as soon as you were removed from your place..." he sighed, "so for that, I apologize."


    It was true.


    All of this even now was so SO much. But...


    "I don''t hate it." Striga spoke with a smile, "It''s exciting, so much to see... so many colors, my world up to this moment has been nothing but white halls, white floors, and the occasional stain of red." so she stood up, "You saved me from that life, and for that... I''ll gladly repay the favor."


    Delish looked up, seeming shocked by Striga''s words but he quickly regained his composure and held out his hand, "Your food will get cold if you keep waiting."


    Striga blushed and picked up her silverware, she fumbled for a moment trying to remember the proper way to even use such things, she was so used to eating with her hands, but she recalled the old man explaining how to use them, so after a moment, she got a piece of the steak into her mouth.


    Her eyes widened at the taste.


    It was... warm, and juicy so different from the tasteless meals that she had eaten up to this moment.


    Tears overflowed from her sockets. She couldn''t help it, she was happy.


    She was so. So. Happy.


    ***


    "And this is your new room." A maid stated Striga looked at the room, there was a window on the far north wall that let in the beams of light, and on the right wall was a bed already made for her, and a desk beside it.


    On the left side of the room was a small hallway that held a wardrobe in it, at the end of that hallway was a bathroom for Striga''s own personal use.


    Striga was slightly surprised by all of this, "This... is it all mine?"


    The maid nodded, closing the door behind her as Striga walked inside, "If you will turn your attention to the wardrobe I have something to show you."


    In the wardrobe was a set of red dresses with white corsets, "These shall be the outfits you wear for public meetings you will be required to attend these meetings with master Delish, however, you may also select a casual outfit of your own choosing, as such I would like to ask you opinion on the matter." The maid explained.


    Striga paused at that, she hadn''t often had the choice to pick her own clothes, but... "U-Um a red and white jacket would be best for me... some shorts as well, I don''t care about the rest..."


    The maid smiled, "As you wish my lady, I will do my best to pick an outfit that suits you."


    With that, the maid turned around and walked out the door.


    A dream.


    This all felt like such a dream.


    A happy dream that felt like it would go on forever.


    ...


    She didn''t want to wake up.


    Chapter 1: Red Riding Hood.


    Skylar found herself sitting in one of the many beds in this orphanage, night had long since fallen and she had spent a few days here now, she''d have to leave soon.


    But she had unfinished business, so she took in a breath and got out of her bed, sneaking as quietly as she could.


    She opened the door and looked back to the sleeping children for a moment, her gaze faltered but she smiled as she closed the door behind her.


    Children, kids just like her.


    The future of this world.


    A future that she wouldn''t live long enough to see, the thought made her sad, but she pressed on regardless walking down those stairs.


    There a woman was waiting for her near the door, "You requested to see the cellar?" the woman muttered, "I intend to have it removed completely soon, so it''s good that you''ve come now."


    Another set of Executioners went in and made sure it was safe sometime before Skylar had arrived, likely in one the days after Leon perished.


    Still, Skylar wanted to see the place for herself, if only for closure.


    The woman then frowned, "Miss Shadewalker... Are you certain you''re ok?" she asked suddenly as Skylar walked to the door leading to this woman''s office.


    Skylar paused her smile faltering for a moment but she turned around and kept that ever-existent grin, "Course I am."


    Without waiting for a response she entered the door ahead, and walked behind the desk.


    She looked to the trap door and frowned, she had meant to do this on the night she arrived.


    ...This is the third time she''s looked at this trap door.


    Two times now she saw it. And two times she ran away.


    Pathetic.


    Even now she reached out with trembling hands.


    She grits her teeth and in one swift movement pulls the trapdoor open.


    Memories overflowed in her mind, particularly of Nero eating that child''s heart.


    She paused for a moment, she wanted to vomit.


    But


    She moved forward, she couldn''t run. Not this time, she had to get her answers.


    So with heavy steps, she descended down those stairs, as she did she reached into her pocket and pulled out a simple pocket watch.


    So long now she received this, a gift.


    A gift from a demon.


    She had considered throwing it out, but something in her heart wouldn''t let her.


    That same feeling wouldn''t let her open it, it just... didn''t feel right somehow.


    She stopped suddenly at the bottom of those stairs, the hooks that once littered this place had been all but removed.


    But the stone walls as well as the general dampness was enough to send a chill through Skylar''s spine, but...


    She continued to walk, and she began to hum a cheery tune. It would be an ominous sight to anyone watching from the sidelines, but to her, it was a necessary thing to calm her nerves.


    Skylar paused suddenly as she felt something.


    A draft?


    It was faint, but she was certain she could feel... something.


    She approached the back area of the cellar and looked at the wall ahead of her, she reached out and ran her hands along the bricks.


    That was... until one gave in pushing back into the wall.


    Skylar stared forward as the wall began to push apart revealing a secret room in the back, she winced pinching her nose as she saw a few corpses behind, well there was evidence that nobody found this place...


    Skylar walked into the room, she''d tell the Executioners of this place later, but she had to get whatever information she could first.


    The room itself had hooks littered from the ceiling, and to the right was a desk with a notebook on it, there wasn''t anything else.


    Skylar walked over to the notebook and removed her fingers from her nose. The awful smell immediately assaulted her senses, but she endured it. The first thing she noticed upon opening that book was that the pages were ripped out.


    Like A LOT of pages.


    She clicked her tongue in annoyance, but she looked to the one page that remained. The entry was written a bit ago, the day she came to this place for the first time, she paused for a moment remembering the fire.


    She then looked at the entry in question, It was... hard to describe, first off there was a picture on it were swirls of red, fire perhaps?


    But within the flames there was another thing, two girls clashing swords, their faces were featureless, one spread the flames further, while the other held the flames back with pure white light.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "...What am I supposed to make of all this?" Skylar frowned, folding her arms, her eyes then glancing at the set of text that lay at the bottom of the picture, it was in a language that she didn''t recognize.


    "Dragontounge."


    A voice rumbled through her head, causing her to blink, "Thought you died off already Alma." Skylar commented, running her fingers along the text. The paper had an odd texture to it.


    "Death comes easy to the body, the soul of a dragon can live on through any connected to the hive mind."


    Skylar paused at that, "So what. You intend to take my body over?" she questioned with a raised brow.


    ". . . No. We have grown fond of you, As such, we are here to offer our assistance."


    Skylar of course was still skeptical, but she didn''t have much other recourse, "Then translate this text for me."


    There was silence for a moment, but soon Alma spoke once more, "Virtue slips through hands clenching a wicked fruit, passion festers, black''ning sinless souls to root, sickles grate on heaven''s gate their fields ignored, seeking sinners deathlessly they reap discord, As two become one."


    Skylar frowned, "Well, that''s just a bunch of gibberish."


    "It is likely a prophecy created by one of the dragonkin''s ancestors..."


    "A god created this note though, not one of your Dragon''s." Skylar muttered in response.


    "I am a god as well Skylar, you are already aware of our abilities to shift our forms to whatever we desire, or did you forget about that after our clash?" Alma hissed.


    Skylar paused before closing the book.


    "Not like we can confirm it now anyways, Nero fell into the cloud sea. We can''t get him back no matter how much we may want to," she exclaimed with a sigh, and then winced at the memory of what she did to Nero, "come to think of it, even if we did get him back he''d be livid."


    She then turned around and walked out of the secret area walking to the staircase and exiting the basement, she paused at the top when she saw the door open, she then dropped her guard when she saw who it was, "Still sneaking around are we?" she questioned with a smirk as Kit closed the door behind him.


    He glanced to the side clearly nervous before he spoke up, "You''re leaving soon aren''t you?" he muttered.


    Skylar paused looking to the nearby window, "Can''t stay here forever can I? Not when I have so much work to be done." she looked sad for a moment but quickly shook the look from her face.


    Kit fidgeted in place for a moment before speaking up, "Are you... going to fight more of the Gods?"


    Skylar frowned at the question, "It''s a possibility, they''re strong and I''m one of the only people who can take them on alone... and with Tetra gone." She looked at her right hand, staring at her open palm before turning it into a fist.


    Kit then looked to the ground, "I... Don''t want you to die." Kit decided on his words at last.


    For a moment Skylar frowned before putting on a toothy smirk she walked over to Kit and patted him on the shoulder, "You don''t need to worry about that if I see any god I''ll kill em before they have the chance to beat me!"


    She made this declaration as if it was a simple task, it was anything but a simple task.


    But if it was to reassure those around her, then she''d lie to make them happy.


    And Kit took her word as fact, nodding in Skylar''s direction, Skylar then smirked, lowering her hand, "Come on, let''s head back to bed then."


    They were kids.


    But they were also so far apart.


    ***


    The morning had come sooner than she had expected and Skylar found herself surrounded by children who didn''t want to see her leave.


    It was a nice feeling.


    To be wanted, but she also knew that she couldn''t stay, she already had so much left unfinished.


    Kit, in particular, seemed worried about what would happen to Skylar, his worries were quickly dispelled when Skylar flashed him a reassuring smile, and soon she walked up to the door and reached a hand out.


    "Well then... I''m off!" she shouted, and everyone waved her goodbye as she opened the door.


    She walked out of that building closing the door behind her and started walking to the airship dock, a brow arched as she saw the airship ahead.


    It was made of metal, which was far different from what she was used to.


    Covered in green runes, likely to better detect the wind currents around it.


    Outside of it though Icon stood looking over a clipboard, she wore a white shirt with a casual purple jacket, jeans adorned her legs it was a rare sight to see her out of her armor.


    Skylar walked up to her and said, "You should send someone to visit the cellar, and find something real nasty down there... but even so. Didn''t think you''d be the one to escort me to Jubilee." Skylar commented with an arched brow.


    Icon in response lowered that clipboard, not before jotting another note down, "Had to get this airship on loan under my name, no way in hell am I going to let anyone else drive it." Icon stated looking over her shoulder as she locked eyes with Skylar.


    The tension in the air was thick, after all these two had become something like rivals.


    But regardless of both of their inherent bloodlust toward the other, Icon reached into her pocket and grabbed what seemed to be a card holding it out to Skylar.


    Skylar blinked, taking it in her hand, "And this is?"


    "Read it." Icon responded with a frown.


    So she did.


    "Valery Juniper.


    Age: 13.


    Sex: Female.


    Primary Magic: Wind.


    Executioner status: Retired "


    Skylar looked up from the card, "This is... an ID?"


    "YOUR ID." Icon corrected, "that''s the only condition I have for you on this trip, currently we''re still working on rebuilding The Kingdom. Our defensives are negligible at best, simply having you around has driven off most threats though."


    Skylar paused before nodding in understanding, "Gotcha... So I''ll be trying to keep the fact that I even left The Kingdom a secret." it seemed like a fair trade to her.


    Icon smirked, "Indeed, that said I''m aware that the plan isn''t perfect, so if someone does figure out who you are... Well, we''ll cross that bridge when we get there."


    With that, she turned to the airship in question and the door was still open, "Let''s get moving shall we?" Icon said without missing a beat.


    Skylar paused, turning around one more time to look at the orphanage before following behind Icon.


    The interior of the airship wasn''t anything too impressive though Skylar noticed a lot of chains on the walls, "What are..."


    "There to keep cargo in place, airships that go to Jubilee and back don''t normally carry passengers." Icon explained as she walked over to a nearby wheel, and started to steer there was a window on the very front of the ship though it was slightly tinted black, "Normally we use the wind runes on the outside to determine when to stop and when to go once we reach the city proper... though I suppose a warning from you would serve the same purpose."


    Skylar shrugged, Icon wasn''t wrong if a storm ever got too dangerous to navigate Wind Mages would feel a tingling sensation on the back of their neck, that was one of the first things she was taught about her magic.


    The walls of this place began to move and the airship started to take off, mechanical whirring could be heard beneath the floor, "Come to think of it, you never did tell me what you think you''ll find in that city..." Icon muttered.


    Skylar paused looking at the window with a slight smirk, "I learned a lot just traveling about, but a lot of the answers I''m looking for... I get the feeling I''ll find them there." that wasn''t entirely true, the church had given her this lead some time back... but they were hardly trusted nowadays.


    Icon looked over her shoulder for a moment, "A feeling? That''s what you''re basing it off?"


    Skylar folded her arms, "It''s served me well so far hasn''t it?"


    Icon hummed in thought turning back to the window, "Perhaps it has, but if you rely on a feeling that can fade at any moment, you''ll end up on the end of someone else''s sword."


    Skylar took those words to heart, not uttering another word as she looked ahead to the skies that were so vast.


    ***


    Skylar walked onto the dock of this island, there was a small booth ahead there was a large line behind her as well, it seemed she wasn''t the only one paying a visit, soon enough Skylar reached that booth and there was a man, "Identification?" Skylar reached into her pocket and pulled out her ID handing it to the man, he looked it over before leaning down and pulling out a red bracelet, "Everything seems to be in order, please wear this at all times during your visit." He stated.


    Skylar nodded putting the bracelet on her right hand, the man then gestured to the right signaling Skylar to enter the city proper so she started to walk in that direction but not before she glanced at the port arching a brow, sure enough, storms were already brewing, "I thought they were kidding about that sort of thing... no wonder the airships here are specially crafted." she then glanced at the airship that brought her here, even now there was a sight of engineers inspecting every single aspect of that ship.


    Made sense, if those things were the only thing that could survive the storms, then they''d have to be in top condition at all times.


    She then turned her attention to the large city ahead of her, it was laid into several separate parts the city seemed to be crafted into the walls of stone, it spiraled downward like a funnel, and the number of buildings got smaller the further down you went, there were several staircases littered throughout the stonewalled city, carts that loomed on cables went down and up taking their passengers to their destination of choice. So that was how people got around this city then?


    Skylar then let out a sigh, it''d certainly be easier to take one of those carts to reach the bottom, but they''d undoubtedly charge a fee, and she was on a tight budget.


    So she began to walk down the closest set of stairs, it was mid-day, so it wasn''t particularly crowded, perks of everyone else having a job.


    Of course that also made it so Skylar felt somewhat out of place on this walk...


    "Thirteen." She uttered the number with a frown. She stopped for a moment glancing at the skies, it had already been a year since that fateful day, and she was already on a strict timer, but time was flying so fast.


    She looked to her right shoulder glancing at the jeweled hilt of the sword on her back.


    Memories flashed through her head of that fateful day and she took in a shaky breath.


    Before closing her eyes and blocking the memory from her mind, she then continued to walk without showing the pain in her expression.


    "Just keep moving, same as that day. Keep moving and help who I can," she muttered to herself.


    She''d kill for a fight right now, it wasn''t great for her health sure, but a good fight always got her blood pumping, when she was focused on a fight she could let all other thoughts leave her.


    She paused as she looked off the wooden floor to her right. There were a bunch of other platform''s around the walls of this place, but there was one in particular that caught Skylar''s eyes, one that was right in the middle of the city.


    There was a girl with silver hair, wearing a red jacket with white stripes on it. She was just laying on a bench, her eyes closed a bucket to her left filled with coins and a sign was on it.


    Skylar found herself curious, so continued along the path drawn to that girl.


    Soon enough she found herself in front of that bucket, it read, ''Toss a coin in, and beat me in a fight! If you can win you get everything inside.''


    Skylar arched a brow at that, she then glanced at the girl on the bench, "This what you do for fun?"


    The girl opened her eyes and looked at Skylar with curious purple eyes, "Eh, it''s more like a day job." she responded to Skylar''s question casually, "Haven''t lost yet, and I don''t plan to start anytime soon."


    Skylar looked at the bucket and reached into her own pocket and removed something from it, a gold coin. The girl looked at that coin with an arched brow, "You''re new around her aren''t cha?" the girl questioned before leaping up from her position on that bench.


    Skylar began to lift her hand to toss the coin into the bucket only for her eyes to widen slightly as the girl wrapped a hand around Skylar''s wrist, "What''s your name?"


    "...Valery," Skylar spoke the fake name she was given as she looked at the girl, the girl arched her brow.


    "Well now... not a bad name, mine''s Striga." She lowered her hand onto Skylar''s own sliding it along with her elegant fingers removing the gold coin from Skylar''s hand, she then held it up to the skies, "See thing is, the people I fight never use gold. I''m rather aware of how good I am... so silver is my limit. I feel bad for taking anything more than that." she stated before lowering her hand and tossing the coin back to Skylar, Skylar caught it with ease and responded by tossing it into the bucket anyways, "I''m just paying you what I''m worth. It''s sure to cover any medical costs that could come from this clash."


    Striga smirked, arching a brow, "Oh? You must be pretty strong if you think you can take me."


    Skylar put a hand on her hip, "Something like that." Skylar stated with a glint in her eyes.


    A crowd began to form around the edges of the city, "What''s going on!" A child questioned.


    "Is Striga really going to fight the newcomer?" An older man questioned.


    "She paid with gold! Does that mean she''d be really good?!" A young man let his own question fill the area.


    Striga smiled looking up to the crowd, "Someone seems to have high expectations put on them... Alrighty then, the only rule is no weapons. That fine with you?"


    Skylar responded by attaching the sword she had on her back and she threw it over to the side, she then began to jump up and down slightly, before raising her fists, Striga paused, noticing her Skylar moved almost in a rhythm.


    Striga then smirked lightly, "...More than a new fighter then?"


    Skylar landed and a light smile appeared on her face, "You''ll soon see."


    The crowd then went silent as Striga took the first step forward, "Begin." she declared and then instantly closed the distance with Skylar, and in that same movement threw her right fist forward, the speed was enough to shatter through the raindrops that were still falling.


    Striga''s eyes widened slightly when Skylar raised her arms into an X shape taking the brunt of the blow effortlessly, Skylar then lowered her body and flipped upward, her heel slamming into Striga''s chin causing Striga to take a few step backward grasping her chin as Skylar landed back onto her feet with that ever confident smile.


    The crowd let out a gasp as they realized what happened, Striga stood there dumbfounded for a moment, she then smiled and hucked a blood filled loogie onto the ground, her eyes shined with excitement, "You hit me." she stated matter of factly and her eyes practically shined with vigor, "I haven''t been hit in a duel in two years..."


    Skylar''s eyes glowed red with power, "There''s more to come unless you want to give up now?"


    Striga smiled at that challenge, "Hm, dunno..." She put a finger to her chin and looked to the crowd, "What do you all think!?"


    In an instant, the crowd roared, shouting for the battle to continue, and Striga was happy to oblige, turning her attention back to Skylar, "Guess I could spare some time to school a kid."


    Striga leaned forward lazily, her right arm falling to her side and moving back and forth, before a manic smile adorned her face she blasted forward shards of wood flew into the air as she closed the distance, right fist pulled back.


    Skylar responded by ducking to the left, her speed matching Striga''s.


    As soon as Striga missed, she spun around using that momentum from that single movement to throw another nasty right hook.


    This one hit Skylar right in the cheek sending her to the ground near instantly, Skylar winced but slowly got to her feet, she could feel blood welling up in her mouth, and she narrowed her eyes at Striga, the wind blew gently and Skylar took in a long breath.


    Closing her eyes as she did so, anybody without experience with mages would think she was about to surrender, Striga however leaped backward raising her fists cautiously, "Hey hey... You can''t be serious right?" She questioned a bead of sweat appeared on the side of her face and her smile turned nervous as Skylar opened her eyes. An emerald glow appeared on them, she raised a single finger and flexed it, urging her opponent to come forward.


    A simple taunt, but effective enough.


    Striga looked to Skylar warily, "I''ve heard masters of wind magicks have the ability to alter the space around them, albeit slightly... Is that what I''m sensing? Did you do something to the wind blowing around you?" Striga questioned, Skylar said nothing to that lowering her hand and with a swift movement thrust her fist forward, a blast of wind shot forward, Striga''s eyes widened and she threw her arms up defensively as the blow hit her head on, bruises appeared on her arms.


    Slowly she lowered her arms and locked eyes with Skylar for a moment before chuckling to herself, "Ha! You''re a real treat, you know that! It''s not every day I meet someone who can match blows with me... Tell ya what kid, win or lose I''ll treat you to a meal!" she declared, throwing her arms to the side, before a purple glow escaped from her eyes, "Oh... but I''m going to win."


    Skylar in response reached up and removed her scarf from her neck wrapping the cloth around her right fist, "Let''s end this." she declared as that emerald glow hit its peak.


    The crowd began to cheer as the two mages stood on this platform sparks flying as magic poured from their body, the two warriors then shot forward throwing their fists forward at full strength not bothering with defense, the end of this fight would be decided through speed.


    But it was Striga''s fist that landed true with enough force to slam into Skylar''s face sending her spiraling to the ground Striga smirked, putting a hand on her hip as she looked down at Skylar, "So then? Do you yield?" Striga questioned.


    Skylar paused for a moment before sighing, "I yield."


    Striga smiled at that, holding out her right hand, Skylar let out a sigh reaching up and taking it, with surprising strength Striga pulled Skylar up and smirked. The crowd cheered for a moment but slowly began to disperse when they realized the fight was over.


    Striga removed her hand from Skylar and asked, "Where''d you learn to fight like that anyway?"


    Skylar blinked and realized she may have fought a little too well she glanced to the side slightly embarrassed, "Oh... I''m self-taught for the most part." She stated putting a hand on the back of her head.


    Striga''s eyes widened a little at that, "Really? Heh, you''re just full of surprises aren''t you?" she walked over to Skylar''s still-sheathed blade and picked it up from the ground, holding it out for Skylar to grab.


    In response Skylar looked at the blade before reaching out and grabbing it, "Surprises seem to follow me wherever I go lately." she frowned, reattaching the sheath to her back.


    Striga nodded in understanding, "Heh, well either way come along with me. I believe I promised you a meal."


    She walked down the staircase heading further down into the city, Skylar followed slowly behind her, "So have you lived here long?" Skylar asked with an arched brow, she hadn''t gotten a good look at Striga up to this point, but she seemed older than Skylar, or at least that''s how she acted, you wouldn''t be able to guess it by her height.


    She glanced over her shoulder, "Meh, not long... Just about seven years. Lived somewhere else for a bit. Oh, and before you ask, I''m 22. I don''t look it don''t I?" Striga stated sticking her tongue out before turning back around and walking forward.


    Skylar thought about asking another question that was until Striga stopped right in front of a new building, "This is the place." she stated and Skylar looked up, it was a small building lit up with a neon sign that read, "The Little Bunny." There was a small rabbit sign that was lit up white right at the end of the sign.


    When Skylar looked back down Striga had walked to the door and opened it, the bell gave a little ding as she did so, "Come on in." She then entered the building without hesitation.


    Skylar frowned for a moment before walking up to the door and opening it.


    She blinked as she entered the place, the floors were made out of dark wood, there was a counter to her right, and behind it were shelves filled with so many bottles of alcohol, the lights in here were dim and there were a total of five chairs next to the counter.


    "This is... a bar...?" Skylar questioned.


    "MY bar." Striga commented from behind the counter, as she turned on the stove cracking some eggs and throwing them onto a pan letting them sizzle, "my pride in joy as a matter of fact, I work to ensure I can serve all customers AND guests."


    Skylar walked over to a chair and sat down, "So you''re a highly skilled warrior... who also just so happens to be a bartender?"


    Striga chuckled, walking out from behind the counter and sitting on the stool next to Skylar''s, "It serves as a great way to get information, after all, most people tend to loosen their lips when taken by the poison of one''s own choice." Striga declared as she spun in her chair like a child enjoying herself.


    Striga paused before smirking lightly, "You want something to drink?" she asked, getting up from the stool and walking behind the counter, plucking one of the many bottles of wine.


    Skylar arched her brow, "I''m not old enough." she responded simply.


    Striga winked in response playfully sticking out her tongue., "I won''t tell a soul, besides I saw you eyeing the bottles. You wanna try the adult drinks dontcha Valery?"


    Skylar glanced to the side, somewhat guilty, but she didn''t say no.


    So Striga began to pour that bottle into two glasses, she then hummed looking at the contents, "It''s your first real drink, so I picked it out with that in mind, but before I give it to you... A question." she traced her finger around the rim of one of those glasses, setting the bottle down onto the table, "Your magic, what is it?" it was an odd magic considering that the two of them had just battled.


    Skylar looked at the glasses, before glancing at Striga, "Wind. Wind magic primarily."


    "Primarily?" Striga arched a brow, Skylar looked away saying more than she already intended.


    There was a moment of silence as Striga stared at Skylar before smirking lightly, "Ah, whatever, I suppose it doesn''t matter. Are you aware of the old wive''s tale passed around her about wind mages?" she then passed a glass over to Skylar before immediately drowning in the contents of her own glass, she let out a satisfied "ahh." Before setting her glass down, Skylar paused before responding, "Can''t say I am."


    "Some old men and women think that wind magic came from the heavens above, supposedly wind mages are the ones who are supposed to guide humanity to The Promised Land Of Eden..." Striga explained with a smirk.


    "Eden?" Skylar arched a brow at that, "can''t say I''ve ever heard of that.¡±


    "Wouldn''t expect you to have heard of it, it''s not commonly discussed nowadays. But there are still people who believe that this Eden exists." Striga smirked slyly.


    Skylar nodded in understanding before leaning forward, "What about you? What''s your magic?" Striga paused before looking into her glass and smirking,


    "...My magic is called Soulmates." she explained suddenly, she then raised a finger and a single red string came forth from her fingernail, "All it takes is for someone to get connected to me with this string, and then we share everything. Thoughts, feelings, mana, even wounds."


    Skylar blinked before taking a small sip from her glass, she blinked looking down at that glass, the wine tasted sweet.


    Was that a normal taste? Striga smiled leaning forward and resting her cheek in her palm, the string retracted then, "Some people say that our magic is an extension of our souls, what are your thoughts on that Valery?"


    Skylar paused looking into Striga''s eyes, they seemed genuine. But there was something else, sadness?


    No it wasn''t sadness, it wasn''t something deeper than that.


    So Skylar looked at her glass with a frown, "I dunno. It''s not like... I can just look inside myself and find an answer."


    Striga nodded at that, "I suppose not, a different line of questioning then, what is your dream?" Striga smiled as Skylar looked up.


    "My dream?" Skylar chuckled, "I''m living it right now, I''m able to travel wherever I want and see sights I''ve only dreamed of seeing." she then paused and looked back down to her glass, a frown adorned her face as she pondered the steps she took on the way, "though... It cost a lot more than I thought it would." she then took another swig from her drink before looking to Striga once more, "What about you?"


    Striga smiled warmly, "I want to see the sea." Such a simple request, hard to think she considered that her dream.


    Skylar smiled warmly and with an innocent tone proceeded to speak, "That''s all? ...If that''s all you want I could take you, I know one of the islands has a large ocean... Haven''t seen it myself. But I''m sure I can arrange someone to take us there sometime."


    Striga''s smile faded, "That''s nice and all bu-"


    "Come on." Skylar stood up and held out her right hand for a handshake, a smirk on her face, her eyes shining with unrelenting determination, "At some point, I''ll take you, I promise." Skylar declared not leaving room for argument.


    Striga paused looking at Skylar''s hand before smiling warmly, "Thank you." she reached out and took that hand. After all, how could she refuse a girl who looked at her like that?


    They stood there for a moment hands locked together, that was until a smell entered the air, Skylar arched a brow, "Is something burning?"


    Striga''s eyes widened and she quickly spun around and ran over to the eggs, charred to a crisp now she let out an exasperated sigh and lifted the pan removing it from the burner, "Look at me, getting all talkative and I ended up burning our meal."


    Skylar was about to speak up to encourage Striga until the door of the store opened up, the little bell rang and Skylar found her own words getting caught in her throat.


    Striga tossed the eggs into a nearby trashcan and turned on the sink throwing the pan into it,


    "Welcome sorry we had a little bit of an issue here but what can I get for you toda-" Striga paused when she saw who came in through the door, "Ah..." It was a man wearing a black suit and white gloves, he was also wearing sunglasses, slowly he reached up and grabbed those sunglasses, "Striga, you''re needed at the council, a meeting is about to take place." he removed his glasses revealing that his eyes were black. It was almost like staring into the void.


    Striga frowned bitterly, "I have a guest," she gestured to Skylar without batting an eye before continuing, "the counsel can wait until after I conclude business here."


    "Not with this they can''t. They are discussing what to do about Midas." Striga''s eyes narrowed at that, but they softened when she remembered Skylar was here.


    "...Fine. Give me two minutes, I''ll be out in a second." She stated simply.


    The man put those glasses back on and turned around leaving the building as soon as he did, Skylar released a breath. She didn''t even realize she was holding it in, her eyes were wide and she put a hand to her heart.


    Striga looked over to Skylar with a look of pity, "Mmm. First time encountering a High Executioner is it?"


    Skylar looked up, "High Executioner...?"


    "They stand above other Executioners, they''re the kind of mages that take their magic to the extreme... Becoming something otherworldly in exchange." Striga frowned looking to the door, "We have three here in Jubilee. Any mage worth their salt could sense one, though I suppose the alcohol may have made that sensation worse in your case... drinks have the effect to heighten magic sensing in general." Striga explained, she then paused, "Look I''m sorry, I''m going to have to head out for a bit so I''m not going to be able to make good on our deal today... how about you come over tomorrow and we''ll talk then."


    Skylar nodded slowly and got up from her stool, Striga walked out from behind the counter and opened the door Skylar followed just shortly, the man before was waiting against a nearby wall.


    As soon as Skylar saw him the air once again grew stiff, it felt like if he wanted to the man could break Skylar in two at any moment.


    That was terrifying.


    Striga walked up to the man, she then paused looking up thoughtfully, "Oh... That''s right." She slowly turned around her black boots sliding along the wooden platform as she held out her arms, a small smile on her face as her eyes glowed purple, "Welcome to the grand city of Jubilee!"


    Skylar paused at those words, turning her head to the rest of the city, and she couldn''t help but feel some excitement at those words.


    A new adventure was about to begin after all.


    Skybound Volume 2: The Witch Of Jubilee.


    Red.


    That was the first thing her eyes took in as they started opening, then there was the sight of silver, her eyes widened as she looked around, bodies floated in the red sea around her, bodies that looked identical to one another, they floated there lifelessly, her mouth opened in shock without even thinking, it was then when the red liquid flowed into her mouth.


    She knew exactly what she was tasting.


    That irony taste was something she was all too familiar with, even now as it poured into her lungs uncontested, filling her stomach, she knew full well what the taste of blood was.


    And now she was drowning in it, survival instincts threatened to kick in, and she found herself desperately swimming to the top.


    Make it.


    She had to make it, just to take in a breath.


    Her vision blurred, and her limbs threatened to fall limp, but the surface was so close, she swam past the corpse that shared her physic, and at last... she breached the surface.


    She took in a breath, basking in the glory of sweet fresh air, in and out over and over, sucking in every single bit of oxygen she could. It was then that she heard a voice, his voice. "Well well, and here I thought we''d never get you out of there Pride." Wrath spoke as he was sitting on a metal chair. The room was dark, save for that one light that shined down on the pool of blood in this room.


    Memories flooded into her mind, and she swam over to the edge of the pool. Her breathing was still heavy, but soon enough she forced a question out of her mouth, "How many?" she growled, "How many times did you kill me?" Wrath paused at that, "...Once every day you climbed out of that pool... And it''s been about a year since you first died on that battlefield... so I suppose it''s been 365 times now. Give or take a few." he spoke so casually, he then narrowed his gaze, "Though if I had it my way, I would have preferred you''d stay dead. But it matters little anymore."


    He stands up and walks over to the poolside, a towel was in his hand he tossed it over to Pride with a scowl, "You''ve got a chance at redemption, best not waste it."


    Pride caught the towel and glanced to the ground, "...Understood."


    Wrath narrowed his gaze, "In case it wasn''t clear, I am still absolutely FUMING... but Origin has deemed you necessary to our cause, so I shall trust his judgment." With that Wrath turned around and left Pride to her own woes. Pride looked at the towel before looking at the pool of blood surrounding her, there in the pool... those were her corpses, she knew this to be true.


    There were only 8 Eternals.


    Each with their own special gifts, Pride''s was the ability to return to the realm of the living after death.


    ...Shame she always lost her clothes when it happened. She winced somewhat as a hand reached the top, one of the many corpses sure, but it was still unnerving.


    She looked at the door of her room, maybe she should decorate? Or at least put it in another light?


    Meh. Not like she''d ever have the time.


    Slowly she pulled herself out of the pool of blood, each drop fell from her skin along each and every curve of her body, and she ran the towel through her hair first. Then along her legs, slowly bringing it upwards, careful around the most sensitive parts, and once she was satisfied she tossed the towel to the side and snapped her fingers, an outfit appeared on her, the one she wore when she fought Skylar.


    ...Skylar.


    Skylar Shadewalker... Pride frowned just remembering the name, she so desperately wanted a rematch, but as long as Wrath was around it was clear that wasn''t going to happen on her terms.


    ...But what if he wasn''t around?"


    Pride certainly couldn''t kill him, but perhaps there was another way.


    Perhaps¡­ She smirked wickedly as an idea began to form in her head.


    This was going to be fun.

 Chapter 2: Greedy Dreams.

    A large room with a red carpet, those were the words that many would use to describe the scene before them, in the center of this room was a large table with a total of thirteen. chairs surrounding it, twelve of them were filled, and only one was currently empty.


    A man sat next to that empty seat, he seemed somewhat annoyed at the simple fact that it was empty, but of course he was, he had given instructions to his servants and they were late on carrying them out.


    ¡°How much longer must we wait on that buffoon?¡± A man questioned, he was the largest of the group and he had coins in his hand, he stacked them on the table, ¡°My time is not invaluable, the more I waste here the more it costs me.¡± he growled.


    He wore gaudy clothing that seemed to scream ¡®rich bastard¡¯ a young woman at the other end of the table responded, ¡°Now now, out of all of us Striga is the busiest¡­ Lord knows I wouldn¡¯t wish to be in her shoes.¡± The woman declared, to her right was another woman with purple hair.


    The purple haired woman clapped her hands together, ¡°Ah but Liz, if she wasn¡¯t around we¡¯d be able to see battle more often!¡±


    Liz was the other woman, a brown-haired girl with a red dress, ¡°Perhaps so Beatrice, but it does pain me oh so much when I see you injured.¡±


    The merchant growled, ¡°This does not excuse her absences on this important matter!¡± he shouted slamming his hand down.


    Delish, the man who sat next to the empty seat, growled at that, ¡°Cease your prattle, if you have any other grievances with my betrothed then you will speak with me, Margrave.¡± Delish put a hand on the table.


    Margrave flinched at the simple act of another ready to strike him, and thus he spoke no more.


    ¡°At the very least I feel the girls, pain.¡± Yet another man spoke, his hair was a dark black and he was fiddling with machinery on the table, he smirked looking at the rest of them, ¡°We are all rather busy aren¡¯t we?¡±


    To his left, a man with purple hair raised his fist and slammed it onto the black-haired man¡¯s head, ¡°No tinkering on the table Jack.¡±


    Jack¡¯s head hit the table and he raised a finger, ¡°I am not tinkering Frolic, I am creating.¡±


    Frolic responded by folding his arms, ¡°You''re being a nuisance.¡±


    An older woman with long red hair sighed, ¡°You''re both being a nuisance¡­ If neither of you ceases this senseless prattle, then in the name of Meldi I shall sentence you to the depths.¡±


    Both Frolic and Jack shut themselves up nearly instantly.


    A man wearing a long white lab coat with blue hair sighed, ¡°We''re all rather impatient nowadays it would seem¡­¡± he folded his arms and glanced at the large door.


    Another man to his left spoke up in response, ¡°That is to be expected though is it not? These are rather tense times Bon.¡±


    Bon looked back to the one who spoke up, ¡°And it is for that very reason that I expect better of us, our composure cannot break at the mere mention of someone being late. Drew, you should know that better than most of us.¡±


    Drew flinched and glanced to his left, ¡°Er, well I just draft weapon designs Jit here is the one who makes em.¡±


    Jit, a young man with crimson eyes shrugged, he wasn¡¯t the talkative type.


    ¡°Enough.¡± The final man in the room spoke, he wore white boots and a black jacket, and his eyes and hair were both brilliant shades of crimson, ¡°she comes.¡±


    The large doors of the room opened, and Striga entered the room with a smile, her eyes shined with power as she walked over to her chair as if nothing was wrong.


    She then sat down upon that chair, and looked to that final man, ¡°Get on with it, Detion. I have places to be.¡± so she spoke with a scowl, she didn''t like leaving her guests alone.


    Delish looked to Striga with a slight frown that was until Detion spoke up.


    He leaned forward resting his hands on the table, ¡°...As you are all aware, just a week ago we received a letter from the imperial Island of Babylon. In it, the general of that nation made demands¡­ it was here at this table where we refused those demands.¡±


    The room grew silent as Detion looked to the table, ¡°I have received word, a word that their General will be coming to subjugate our nation.¡±


    Bon was the first to speak up, ¡°And I trust you received this information from a credible source? Such as the current ruler of that Empire?¡±


    Detion glanced at Bon, ¡°...The General Midus himself. His precise words were, ¡°The Empire has decided the usefulness of Jubilee has been exceeded, and as such Jubilee will be purged.¡±


    Striga frowned at those words but said nothing, the room seemed to grow tense.


    Delish folded his arms, ¡°The storms will not let them through, the threat is an empty one.¡±


    Detion looked to Delish, ¡°And yet the threat was made all the same, we would be fools not to prepare for the worst.¡±


    He then closed his eyes, ¡°If his words are to be believed he will arrive within the week. He did not specify a day, as such I have gathered you all here to cast a vote. Surrender or fight?¡±


    ¡°All in favor of surrendering?¡±


    Margrave¡¯s hand as well as Beatrice¡¯s raised.


    ¡°All opposed?¡±


    Every other hand in the room shot up, and Detion sighed leaning back in his chair, ¡°A shame, a hundred years of peace is about to be ruined by a man who longs for war¡­¡± He then closed his eyes, ¡°You are all dismissed, expect for Striga and Delish.¡±


    As soon as those words were spoken, the remaining members of the table left the room, Detion opened his eyes slightly and leaned forward once more, ¡°Striga, as our war council I¡¯d ask your opinion. What are our odds?¡±


    Striga paused for a moment before leaning forward, ¡°If I¡¯m frank? We''re going to be fucking obliterated.¡±


    ¡°Striga, language!¡± Delish hissed, and Striga glared at him, she clearly felt this wasn¡¯t the time to be worried about such things.


    Detion arched a brow at Striga and glanced to the table, ¡°And yet you voted, for the war. Why?¡±


    ¡°Because there are no other options.¡± Striga stated simply her conviction clearly, ¡°This isn¡¯t me being an ass, I¡¯m just being blunt. If we are to engage in combat with The Empire, now is the best time.¡± she then glanced at Delish, ¡°Of course if there are other options I¡¯m more then open to them.¡±


    Silence fell over the room and Detion groaned, ¡°...100 years. Why? Why did this have to happen now?¡±


    Delish folded his arms and hummed in thought, ¡°Perhaps we could request the assistance of The Kingdom¡­?¡±


    ¡°The Kingdom?¡± Striga frowned at the thought, ¡°They were essentially obliterated a year ago, sure they¡¯ve mostly rebuilt by now, but they''re not exactly combat-ready. And their population sure took a beating¡­¡±


    ¡°They have one tool that could be of great use to us, however.¡± Delish smirked, glancing over to Striga, ¡°This goes double with your magic, Skylar Shadewalker.¡±


    The table went silent at that, and Striga hummed in thought, ¡°...No. I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll work. Skylar is essentially the only thing keeping their island from an onslaught¡­ if they were to hand her off to another land? They¡¯d be screwed.¡±


    Delish smirked wickedly, ¡°And what if the Empire came to attack them as well? What would they do then?¡±


    Striga paused and then hissed, ¡°No fucking way. I¡¯m not putting another nation at risk of collapse just for a measly 1% increase in odds.¡±


    Delish chuckled, ¡°Of course, of course, forgive me.¡± Striga then stood up and started walking to the door,


    ¡°Regardless of what happens next, we all have to be prepared¡­¡± She stopped just short of the door, and turned to look over her shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll appraise the others of what defenses we have to set up.¡±


    ¡°Please do.¡± Detion smirked as the door opened and Striga walked through it, Delish then sighed, ¡°Forgive her¡­ she¡¯s been rather on edge lately.¡±


    ¡°She speaks her mind, that¡¯s part of the reason why we put her on that chair in the first place. Aside from her incredible tactical skills¡­¡± Detion retorted with a smirk, ¡°As for you, I¡¯d like to ask you to look into that other plan of yours, I¡¯d like to avoid instigating a war between two nations, but we must search all avenues of victory.¡±


    <hr>


    Chapter 2: Greedy Dreams.


    <hr>


    Turns out, Jubilee has a different type of bread. This wasn¡¯t a large difference, certainly nothing world-changing.


    But it was enough.


    Enough to make me bitter about everything.


    But¡­ at the same time¡­ It was nice, having something so unfamiliar in my hand, it gave me something to think about besides¡­


    ¡°It was you! If it wasn¡¯t for you none of this would have happened! My family would still be alive!¡±


    She paused the bread hovering just in front of her mouth, she closed her mouth as the words echoed in her head.


    She reached up with her left hand and touched her cheek, a stinging pain went through it.


    But it resided after a bit.


    ¡­She wasn¡¯t hungry anymore.


    She looked down, straight down through all of the platforms below.


    At the very bottom was a metal door that opened up, a total of nine people walked out, and they all seemed rather grumpy.


    Skylar could relate to that grumpiness.


    ¡°Dwelling on the past will do nothing. Get up.¡±


    Alma spoke and Skylar closed her eyes, ¡°Yeah yeah, I came here to investigate¡­¡± She slowly stood up and started along that wooden pathway.


    Still¡­ she was asking for information about a murder that happened nearly a year ago, and it was going to be hard to find leads.


    If any leads even still existed.


    She reached into her left pocket, she paused as her hand brushed over a pocket watch, she frowned and grabbed the paper she folded. She took out that paper, ignoring her pocket watch for the time, and examined the corpse of the young girl within that paper.


    ¡°Just who was she anyway¡­?¡± Skylar found herself questioning, she knew this girl was important to Tetra but that was about it.


    Well, she wasn¡¯t going to find answers by standing around here.


    So she pocketed the picture and decided then and there, ¡°Guess I¡¯ll just go to every hotel until someone recognizes the picture¡­¡± Her eyes glanced down the pit once more settling on a hotel at the very bottom, she then pocketed that picture and began to walk.


    She¡¯d start from the bottom and head upwards, her stomach growled in protest, but she ignored it.


    She wouldn¡¯t be able to stomach a meal when corpses were fresh in her mind.


    ***


    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll just go to every hotel until someone recognizes the picture¡­¡±


    Skylar''s face was shown on a large projector screen, and Origin found himself watching with mild interest, ¡°Such an interesting path to take, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Draco responded by folding his arms, he sat about three seats away from Origin, ¡°It¡¯s the logic of a child, and as such it will avail her naught.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Perhaps so¡­ but if it does lead her somewhere¡­¡± Origin frowned for a moment, sighing a look of disappointment on his face, ¡°This is rather dull currently isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Draco blinked looking over to Origin, ¡°You thinking of interfering?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd, my place is here observing the flow.¡± Origin retorted with ease, his eyes narrowing at the screen.


    ¡°Then perhaps I could be of assistance?¡± A new voice came, sounding out from behind the duo.


    Origin didn¡¯t tear his gaze away from the screen, instead, he asked a question.


    ¡°And why is it you wish to do that?¡±


    The man behind Origin responded with a smirk, ¡°Simple curiosity, I wish to see where their dreams of the silver-haired mages shall lead. And if that path leads them to death then¡­ so be it.¡±


    There was silence for a moment, nothing but the sound of the projector came from the room, soon Origin raised his right hand and snapped his fingers, ¡°You have been given access to the gateways, I trust you will not abuse this gift.¡±


    The man chuckled in response before bowing, ¡°Certainly not my lord.¡± With that, the man turned around and walked through a black portal.


    Origin looked to the screen with renewed interest, ¡°And so conflict, at last, meets our protagonist. And yet I find myself wondering what shall come from the ashes of this fire¡­ A hero? Or a Demon.¡±


    ***


    Striga let out a sigh as she walked out of the large metal door that was on the bottom of this island, she stretched and started to walk forward to one of the many sets of stairs, meetings like that always seemed to sap her energy away, she paused as she saw the many people crowding the area, they were all looking upwards.


    Soon one spoke, then the next, then the next.


    ¡°What¡¯s that!¡±


    ¡°Mommy look! He¡¯s flying!¡±


    ¡°Is he an angel?¡±


    Striga found herself looking up, there high in the sky a man floated, floated with such experience that he seemed to be standing on nothing black shoes, and brown hair, and a white jacket adorned his torso one of the few metal airships flew just above him, taking off to a nearby island, he then raised a hand and put it to his mouth, ¡°Ahem.¡± his voice boomed, as he threw his arms to the side, ¡°Greetings one and all¡­ On this illustrious day, it is with great pleasure that I bid you greetings! And¡­ on this same day. I must apologize, for you see¡­¡± he raised his right hand and with the snap of his finger lighting struck the metal airship above, it shook for a moment before it began falling downwards, the man smirked as it did, ¡°I¡¯ve come to issue a challenge¡­ ¡± the people stared up in horror as the airship fell, but they dared not speak after all a man such as this was not to be trifled with.


    ¡°All silver-haired warriors may take up arms to challenge me¡­ And I shall await them at the docks! Of course, if anyone without silver hair is to take me on¡­ Well¡­¡± He glanced at the descending airship, ¡°It¡¯d be rather hard to obtain supplies without those ships, wouldn''t it? The same can be said of those who make me wait too long.¡±


    With that, he turned around and vanished from the air.


    ¡°Striga.¡± Delish¡¯s voice entered her ear, and she paused before turning around in Delish¡¯s hand was a sword, still in its sheath, he was holding it out for Striga to grab, and she found herself staring at the sheath itself, it was black, ¡°...That man was an Eternal. As such his threat cannot be taken lightly.¡± he raised his left hand and put it to his heart, ¡°It pains me to ask this of you, but please¡­ would you fight for the people here?¡±


    Striga reached out and grabbed the hilt of that blade without question, ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask me that. You should know that better than most.¡±


    She attached the sheath to her hip and began to run up the stairs.


    Delish smiled faintly watching his beloved rush into battle, she was always so elegant no matter where she went.


    Oh, how he loved her so.


    His eyes widened some when he saw a young girl with silver hair exit a nearby inn, she looked around for a moment, a sword still in its sheath upon her back, she then nodded running to the same staircase that Striga ran up just a moment ago.


    ¡°Another silver-haired mage¡­?¡± Delish questioned putting a hand to his chin and cupping it in thought.


    ***


    The man who made the challenge stood on one of the many wooden planks that made up the dock looking to the storm in the distance, the battle ahead was not going to be an easy one that was for sure.


    He paused as he heard footsteps approaching as such, he turned around and began to make his way closer to the entrance, he tilted his head when he saw a woman reach the top, ¡°Hm? You''re not who I was expecting¡­¡± he muttered.


    Striga reached for her sword and drew it, ¡°...I shall not let you harm anyone else, in the name of Striga I shall put an end to you!¡± she shouted.


    Yet her words rang hollow to the man he found himself bored just looking at Striga, ¡°And whom is it that you fight for? You point that blade to me as if it¡¯s an answer, but a blade is useless in the hands of one who wishes to toss it aside.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Striga growled, ¡°I promise you, you¡¯ll not find me easy prey.¡±


    The man chuckled at that, ¡°Prey? Bah, you hardly even have a worthy toy¡­ I wonder if you¡¯ll break before someone can come to your rescue.¡± he then threw his arms to the side and continued,


    ¡°Greed, that is what they call me.¡± So Greed declared looking to the storm swirling about a smile on his face as he slowly turned around, his brown hair blowing to and fro, ¡°And yet I have no desire for coins, nor have I the desire for riches¡­ such things are worthless in my eyes.¡±


    He threw his arms to the side, ¡°For the one thing that humanity should always strive for is to achieve their dreams! Once that dream is achieved, another is made! And another and another and another! Ahh, for it is never enough to simply have one dream be achieved¡­¡± He then smirked, lowering those arms, ¡°Humankind is naturally greedy, they must give their lives meaning through this singular greed, or else succumb to Sloth.¡±


    Striga frowned at that, pointing her sword forward, ¡°And yet achieving one¡¯s dreams isn¡¯t inherently a bad thing.¡±


    Greed looked into Striga''s eyes, ¡°A single person¡¯s dream could be the nightmare of another.¡± He retorted with that twisted smirk.


    He then took a single step forward, his eyes shining bright with power, ¡°But I digress, I didn¡¯t come here to discuss such topics with insolent mortals¡­ I came here to take what belongs to me.¡± he pointed forward right at Striga, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡± he spoke the words casually.


    Striga tilted her head to the side, not lowering her sword for a second, before responding, ¡°You¡¯ll die trying.¡±


    Greed cracked his knuckles and started to walk forward, ¡°If that is the dream you would achieve then go for it¡­ after all.¡± he blasted forward cutting the distance between them down to nothing in less than a second, his right fist was pulled back blue energy swirled about it as he smiled, Striga¡¯s eyes widened in shock and she moved on reflex, but she was too slow Greed¡¯s fist hit it¡¯s mark slamming into Striga¡¯s gut, but the assault didn¡¯t end there he spun around slamming his boot into Striga¡¯s neck, he then reached forward and grabbed the back of Striga¡¯s head slamming her face first into the ground as he continued, ¡°Impossible dreams are the Greediest of all.¡± he chuckled as he looked down to Striga, ¡°You need not feel ashamed, you lost the moment you stared into my eyes¡­ your vision, your senses, even your magic¡­ I know every move you¡¯ll make so long as those eyes of yours remain open.'''' There was a drawback to this; he couldn¡¯t swap who he was sharing senses with for a whole day.


    But it wouldn¡¯t matter, Striga was the larger threat considering her sheer combat potential.


    Greed however narrowed his eyes at Striga.


    Striga grits her teeth on the ground, Greed blinked, slowly turning his head to the right, and arches a brow, ¡°Oh?¡± he removed his hand from the back of Striga¡¯s head and slowly stood up, ¡°And who do we have here¡­?¡±


    Striga¡¯s eyes shifted in the direction of Greed¡¯s gaze and her own eyes widened out of fear, not out of fear of the strength of who stood there, but out of worry for what may become of them.


    Skylar Shadewalker.


    Stood face to face with the sin of Greed, her eyes wide in rage.


    ¡°...What the hell do you think you''re doing?¡± Skylar questioned her eyes, glowing emerald as she stepped forward, unafraid of the battlefield.


    Greed smiled at the sight, he tilted his head to the side, ¡°This girl has a gift bestowed upon her by one of our kind, her purpose is to exist as a trial for us¡­ so I¡¯ve come to claim the prize.¡± he slammed his boot onto the back of Striga¡¯s head causing Striga to cry out in pain, ¡°If you¡¯ve got a problem with that. Then you can drop dead girl.¡±


    Skylar responded with hollow eyes, her anger shined clear as she reached up and drew her sword.


    Greed frowned at that, ¡°How boring. Is your dream to be a hero? Such a boring dream¡­ and such a waste on someone like you.¡±


    ¡°Why would I want to be a hero?¡± Skylar questioned, ¡°Where were the heroes when my island fell? Where were the heroes when the gods attacked?¡± She then pulled her sword behind her back, ¡°Heroes aren¡¯t real, there¡¯s just those of us who fight.¡± She then threw her sword forward with all of her might, Greed clenched his fist and with one swift movement knocked the sword out of the air sending it flying behind him.


    He then watched with bored eyes as Skylar closed the distance, she pulled her own fist back and Greed responded in kind, only for his left ear to twitch, his eyes widened and he quickly leaped into the air, removing his boot from Striga¡¯s head, he stared forward as Skylar¡¯s sword soared under his arm and back into Skylar¡¯s left hand.


    She lowered her right fist as her blade returned to her, Greed landed on the ground his eyes now shined with curiosity at the young girl ahead of him, ¡°So young.¡± He commented, ¡°Yet years of experience fill those eyes, I¡¯m starting to see why so many gods would fall to someone like you¡­¡± he then frowned, ¡°But there¡¯s something else, something¡­ feral.¡±


    He put a hand to his chin cupping it and looking at Skylar like he was examining some sort of science experiment, ¡°A beast that holds back her true strength out of fear of what will happen to others¡­ Yes it would seem the mantle of hero doesn¡¯t suit you after all¡­ But then¡­¡± he tilted his head to the side, ¡°What is your dream?¡±


    Skylar tossed her blade to the skies and her eyes shined with power, ¡°Irrelevant.¡± She spoke the word casually as her sword flew forward, Greed dodged to the side throwing his hand back behind him and grabbing the hilt of Skylar¡¯s blade before throwing it back to her.


    The sword stopped just short of Skylar¡¯s face, Striga had started to get back up at this point.


    Greed then tilted his head to the side, ¡°Irrelevant? Foolish. Dreams are what make up the soul of humanity.¡±


    ¡°Dreams are useless without the power to achieve them.¡± Skylar retorted with ease, ¡°Power that I¡¯m lacking¡­ that¡¯s what I¡¯m still working towards. Doesn''t matter how many times I strike you with my sword, or how many blows I land with my fists if I fight you alone. I¡¯m going to lose this fight.¡±


    Greed folded his arms, ¡°And yet you strike all the same, do you claim yourself to be a fool?¡±


    Skylar shrugged, ¡°Nah, I find myself trusting in the greatest Executioner''s in the realm. If not that, then I at least put my faith in those with the capabilities to be the best.¡± she glanced at Striga who had finally reached her feet, ¡°You seem to have the misconception that human strength comes from our dreams alone. But there is actually a second option for what to do when we achieve our dreams.¡± She slammed her boot onto the ground, her sword spun around in the air and she grabbed the hilt pointing it forward with a smile appearing on her face, ¡°We help another person to get what they want in life.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Striga looked at Skylar with a frown, but Skylar stood there with an unwavering grin, her jacket whipping back and forth in the wind, ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± Striga questioned.


    ¡°Plans are stupid in this particular case.¡± She responded, ¡°I wasn¡¯t here for the whole thing but I¡¯m still aware of his explanation of his abilities, you''re just going to have to put your trust in me¡­ God help us if you figure out what I¡¯m thinking.¡± Skylar frowned for a moment clearly irritated with this opponent, she¡¯d have to think of her feet.


    Greed stared forward with a smirk, ¡°Good good! Very good, you¡¯ve figured it out!¡± he laughed, throwing both hands to the side with a manic smirk on his face, ¡°Throw away silly tactics, screw thoughts, and process, come at me like the beasts you are! Is that not what we live for as warriors!? The pure and unbridled bloodshed that can only come from beasts tearing at each other¡¯s throats!?!¡±


    Striga frowned at that, ¡°Skylar, how good are your eyes?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Skylar looked at Striga with an arched brow.


    ¡°If I threw a fist at you at full strength right now could you see it and dodge it.¡± Skylar¡¯s smile turned nervous just at the thought of trying to dodge another one of Striga¡¯s blows, sure Skylar was fast but when she fought Striga earlier even she could tell that Striga was holding back.


    But even so, she looked back to Greed with a confident smirk on her face, ¡°Yeah. Probably.¡± After all she was holding back far more than Striga was.


    Striga then held out her right hand and a string connected to Skylar¡¯s wrist, ¡°Then we¡¯ll cut off one avenue for him to strike back.¡± Striga closed her eyes as she removed her blade from her back, ¡°I¡¯ll use your eyes to attack, keep me in your vision as much as you can.¡± she pointed that sword forward without opening those eyes.


    Skylar paused, turning to face Greed taking a few steps backward, ¡°...I¡¯ll put my faith in you then.¡±


    Greed frowned at that, ¡°...I suppose even true beasts can¡¯t help but attempt to give themselves an edge.¡± he then threw his arms to the side, ¡°Very well then! Come at me with all you¡¯ve got, let us see those dreams of yours brought to reality so you may be crushed by the weight of your next dream!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you to make an opening for me Striga,¡± Skylar stated with a smirk, and Striga responded with a smile.


    ¡°If that is your request then I shall gladly grant it, my friend Skylar Shadewalker.¡± with that Striga launched forward with Skylar right behind her.


    Though the two of them easily matched each other¡¯s speed Skylar purposely stayed a little behind, Greed stood there with a smirk on his face as the duo approached.


    Striga was the first one to approach, leaping into the air and slashing down, Greed raised his right fist to block the block, and sparks flew from his gloved hand as it crashed with the blade, Stiga grits her teeth before leaping backward, as soon as Striga¡¯s feet hit the ground Skylar was upon Greed in an instant, she thrusted forward with her own blade aimed at Greed¡¯s chest, Greed narrowed his gaze at the sight before using that same fist from before to slam down at Skylar¡¯s blade, his eyes widened when Skylar¡¯s left fist slammed into his chin causing him to stumble back, Skylar leaned down looking under her legs while she grabbed her sword, giving


    Striga the sight needed to make her next move, Striga leaped forward using Skylar¡¯s back as a platform to continue her assault, she leaped off Skylar¡¯s back and spun in the air slashing down at Greed twice before landing, the man easily took both blows on his fists, his eyes shining with excitement enjoying himself to the fullest in this clash.


    His eyes shifted a bit when he saw Skylar dart out from behind Striga, she moved fast getting behind Greed.


    That was fine, so long as he timed his movements, Striga roared thrusting forward with her blade, Greed easily ducked under it, and in the same movement slammed his boot into Striga¡¯s gut, sending her flying backward off the edge of the island a soft thud could be heard from that distance.


    Greed raised his left fist behind his neck with a wicked smirk as the back of his hand shattered Skylar¡¯s blade, ¡°And that is where dreams get you! Weak and defenseless on the battlefield- '''' his eyes widened when he turned around to see Skylar leaped into the air, hands raised grabbing both of Greed¡¯s wrists and locking them in place, he smiled at the sight, it was like witnessing a desperate animal¡¯s final strikes.


    ¡°Idiot!¡± he shouted and started to stare down at Skylar, his eyes glowing, only for those eyes to become fearful when Skylar opened her mouth and with one rush she bit down into Greed¡¯s neck, drawing blood instantly. The hot irony liquidly rushed into her mouth, her eyes were wide with primal rage.


    Greed howled in pain as he found himself doubling over, his eyes glowed in retaliation as he bit down into Skylar¡¯s shoulder, she bit down harder in response, refusing to even howl in pain for doing so would mean her end.


    A child?


    He was going to lose to a child, he could feel his vision blurring in and out the storm flickered in and out of existence around the island, he tried to move his hands, but they were pinned to the ground Skylar wouldn¡¯t let him move an inch without it being on her terms.


    Such a thing baffled him, for a child this young to have strength this barbaric? Just what kind of monster was he dealing with, he would soon receive his answer when Skylar¡¯s fangs retracted from his throat, she leaped backward letting go of Greed¡¯s hands for a moment as the wind picked up around Skylar once more carrying Skylar to her feet, Greed however slowly sat up still dizzy from the experience, he reached up and touched his neck mouth agape in shock.


    ¡°May the divinity have mercy on you.¡± Skylar spoke as she stood in the distance. The shards of her shattered blade floated beside her as she glared. The emerald glow of her eyes was all-consuming at this moment, ¡°Because I have none.¡±


    With the snap of her fingers, those shards flew forward at blinding speeds, Greed didn¡¯t even have time to react as the shards impaled his body.


    He stared forward in shock and as he began to fall backward his blood flying from his body he spoke, ¡°How¡­ greedy.¡±


    Skylar let out a shaky breath as Greed hit the ground, she then fell to one knee wincing she had used more mana than she intended¡­


    She then glanced over to the side of the cliff where Striga fell off, ¡°You dead Striga?!¡± she shouted.


    There was silence for a moment before Striga¡¯s voice came, ¡°Ehh¡­ Just hanging around.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that before walking over to the edge of the cliff, she saw Striga¡¯s blade stabbed into the edge and she was handing off the handle, a stupid smile on her face as she looked up.


    Skylar frowned, ¡°You know if I wasn¡¯t a nice person I¡¯d let you fall for that joke.¡±


    Striga chuckled, ¡°Harsh but fair.¡± she then glanced to the side with a light blush, ¡°Soo¡­ wanna help me up?¡±


    Skylar responded with a playful hum, ¡°Dunno, you wanna tell me how you figured out my real name?¡± she smirked, and Striga smiled nervously.


    ¡°Well¡­ Erm¡­ Your fighting technique and the little hint you dropped gave it away¡­¡±


    Skylar paused, they were small hints sure, but once she thought it over, she realized she essentially did just scream out who she was the moment she said her primary magic is wind.


    She sighed and with a flick of her wrist sent a gust of wind below Striga, the force was strong enough to send Striga flying upwards with her blade still in hand, Skylar then wrapped an arm around Striga¡¯s waist pulling her back to the safety of land, she quickly removed her arm thinking nothing of it before scowling, ¡°I really need to think before I speak¡­¡±


    Skylar then looked at the corpse of Greed and a frown appeared on her face, ¡°An Eternal¡­¡± she muttered the name causing Striga to arch a brow.


    ¡°You know of them?¡± she questioned as she walked over to Greed¡¯s corpse and she started to examine his pockets.


    Skylar stopped and a deep frown appeared on her face as a memory resurfaced,


    Blood shot from her mouth, and her right arm was limp at her side, Wrath stomped down onto that broken arm, "Still think your tough big shot?"


    She blinked, shaking the past from her memory and continued to speak, ¡°I¡¯ve had a run-in with one a while back, they''re strong. Stronger than most gods.¡± Skylar explained.


    Striga nodded in agreement, ¡°Old too, despite how they look they¡¯ve been here since the beginning.¡± Striga grunted in irritation as she found nothing within her quarry, ¡°Well it¡¯s not as if it matters, not at the moment at least.¡± Striga looked over her shoulder to Skylar with a slight smile, ¡°So then, miss Shadewalker. Might I ask what brings you to Jubilee?¡±


    Skylar paused for a moment, rolling the words around in her head she then raised her arms and placed her hands behind her head, ¡°Searching for answers. Particularly in regards to why Tetra came to this place.¡± Skylar explained she then turned to look at the storm still brewing in the distance, ¡°I owe him that much.¡±


    Striga frowned at those words, and she looked to the city, ¡°I¡¯d drop the search now if I were you.¡± she explained causing Skylar to lower her hands, and turn around.


    ¡°No way in hell am I going to do that.¡±


    Striga let out a small hum in response, ¡°You don¡¯t have the protection that Executioners have, and while I¡¯m not sure as to why, the governance here has information on Tetra locked down, if you keep searching you may end up in the cloud sea yourself.¡±


    Skylar laughed at that, ¡°I can handle myself just fine.¡± she then blinked before folding her arms and arching a brow, ¡°But why tell me this anyway? Or rather, how do you know that?¡±


    Striga put her hands behind her back, ¡°Well¡­ I could lie and say it was information I obtained from running the bar, but the truth of the matter is, I¡¯m part of the high council in this city.¡± She turned around and with one hand bowed, ¡°Striga Delmask. Commanding the seat of war, a pleasure.¡± Striga then stood up to her full height with a smirk.


    Skylar unfolded her arms and with an odd expression on her face walked up and examined Striga¡¯s face, she got so close that Striga¡¯s face turned a bright red, ¡°W-What¡­?¡± Striga glanced away nervously.


    Skylar blinked curiously, ¡°You don¡¯t look like a shady bastard¡­¡± she commented, her eyes shining with distrust.


    In response to that Striga¡¯s blush faded and she glared at Skylar, ¡°Not all of the people running a government are bad people.¡±


    Skylar frowned at that before moving away from Striga¡¯s face, ¡°Guess not.¡± She conceded this fact for a moment before she looked down at Greed¡¯s corpse with a scowl, ¡°...Dreams huh¡­¡± she reflected on Greed¡¯s words for a moment.


    She hadn¡¯t really considered human nature up to this point, she¡¯d always been too busy focusing on surviving. That and finding her own answers¡­


    Striga looked at the corpse as well, ¡°Dreams give life meaning, without them¡­ most of us tend to be empty husks. Or something worse. But to call that greedy? I dunno. Something about that seems wrong.¡±


    Skylar in response rolled her eyes, turning around and walking away, ¡°Meh, arguing philosophy with an Eternal is a waste of time. If they¡¯ve been around as long as you claim, then their views are probably completely different than ours.¡±


    Striga blinked at that, turning to look at Skylar, ¡°...Wise words, It¡¯s hard to believe they come from someone so young.¡±


    Skylar stopped walking forward when she heard that, she looked over her shoulder, fire reflecting in her gaze, ¡°Fire has a way of burning any purity in a heart.¡± she declared before looking forward to her right hand, her open palm clenched into a fist as her determination was relit.


    She winced stumbling forward, her vision going blurry, her left hand clenching her head.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± she grits her teeth but before she falls forward, Striga wraps her arms around her waist, ¡°Are you ok?¡± Striga questioned with concern growing on her face.


    Skylar winced in response, uttering one word before passing out, ¡°Overdraw¡­¡±


    ***


    A cup slammed down onto a table, and a man wearing a white coat leaned backward on his wooden chair with a smirk and a sword upon his hip, ¡°Another round if you would!¡± he shouted to the server who only smiled in response, walking over and grabbing this man¡¯s cup, and bringing it behind the counter, he watched this golden-haired maiden with his silver eyes.


    She poured another glass of this man¡¯s particular poison.


    Before bringing it back to his table, ¡°Honestly Azazel, you drink like a man on his final days.¡± she commented with a smile Azazel responded by taking the cup and downing most of its contents in a single gulp.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± he questioned as he held that glass in his hands, any semblance of joy that was in his voice became bitter as he glanced at the sword on his hip, ¡°...Heh, things certainly have changed. I picked up this sword with an oath to protect everyone in this village¡­ Now it feels like I¡¯m dragging everyone down to their deaths.¡±


    Azazel¡¯s eyes widened as the girl slammed her hands down onto the table, a stern look on her face as she spoke, ¡°There you go blaming yourself again.¡± she then looked Azazel in the eyes, ¡°Recall what happened that day?¡±


    He paused looking down at his drink once more and reminisced on that moment.


    ***


    Swords clashed, Azazel¡¯s blade clashed against a large greatsword, and ice covered the entirety of Azazel¡¯s sword, he grits his teeth as he was quickly overpowered by the armored man ahead of him, Azazel¡¯s blade was knocked out of his hand and he summoned a small pillar of ice right below his feet launching him upwards.


    Just out of reach of the greatsword that was aimed at his lower body, he leaped off that platform and landed on the ground into a roll, picking his blade from the ground as he did so.


    He then spun around ready to strike only for his eyes to widen as he felt something press into his back.


    Slowly he raised his hands upwards in surrender, ¡°Got me good¡­¡±


    The blade pressed to his back lowered as soon as he uttered those words, Azazel turned around with a small smile, ¡°So when did you get so fast, Azure?¡± The man clad in full armor smirked, Azure sheathed his blade and spoke, ¡°I could say the same to you as well Azazel. Your speed alone made me bring out my best.¡±


    Azazel chuckled at that before glancing to the small forest to his right, the branches rustled, and a man leaped down from them two daggers in his hands and azure hair shining.


    ¡°My lord,¡± he said, kneeling in front of Azazel.


    Azazel arched a brow at the sight, this third man wore a purple robe, and a set of baggy pants, ¡°Lin, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°...You must return to the village, they have discovered where the crystals have been vanishing of late.¡± Lin explained.


    Azazel put a hand on his hip, ¡°That so? Heh, well good in that case we can sort out this mess and set matters straight before the soild-¡±


    ¡°The Empire. The Empire figured out where they¡¯ve been going.¡± Lin corrected.


    Silence fell over the group.


    Azazel¡¯s smile instantly dropped, and his mouth hung open for a moment before he asked a question that brought dread into his soul, ¡°...Where were they¡­ Going¡­?¡±


    Lin frowned bitterly, ¡°To The Kingdom, and Jubilee, being sold for high profits by some of our youngest. My lord, it is my humble opinio-¡±


    Lin was cut off by Azazel running forward, quickly rushing back to the village in a mad dash.


    His teeth were grit as he rushed forward, when he burst out of that forest he came into the center of his small villager, there a young man was kneeling down, himself and three of his friends in front of four men clad in black armor.


    One raised their sword, ready to swing it down.


    ¡°STOP!¡± Azazel shouted, causing the soldier to pause as Azazel entered the square, ¡°What the hell do you think you''re doing!? He¡¯s just a kid!¡±


    The soldier spoke, his voice somewhat muffled by his helmet, ¡°Azazel Minphel. Are you aware of the crimes this ¡®child¡¯ is accused of?¡± The Soldier spoke with narrowed eyes.


    Azazel nodded slowly, ¡°Even so, there must be another way¡­ to kill a child, that¡¯s just insanity.¡±


    The Soldier looked to the terrified child before looking over to Azazel, ¡°It was an act of treason regardless of the age, we as men of the Empire cannot be lenient with such things. Less it leads to others getting ideas.¡± he began to raise his blade once more, and the child closed their eyes fearfully, only for his eyes to widen as he heard the sound of shattering metal.


    The child opened their eyes to see Azazel standing in front of them, blood running down his right fist as he lowered it, there on the ground ahead that soldier clenched their cheek the metal of their helmet had all but shattered.


    Slowly but surely that Soldier began to stand.


    He frowned as he looked at Azazel, ¡°I take it that means that you will not go quietly?¡±


    Azazel growled in response, reaching for the sword upon his back. As the three other soldiers pointed their blades at him.


    The soldier that had received the blow to the face paused before shrugging, ¡°So be it,¡± he made a motion with his hand and the other soldiers lowered their weapons, ¡°We waited long to sow the seeds of hatred and fear, and now we shall see the harvest. You had best prepare yourselves.¡±


    The villagers did nothing as the soldiers walked away, right towards the castle.


    One of the children looked up to Azazel, ¡°T-Thank you sir.¡±


    ¡°Why are you thanking me?¡± Azazel questioned with a scowl, ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t let one child die?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes you saved my life!¡± he shouted as the three friends behind him nodded, smiling up at him.


    Azazel paused for a moment before lowering his right hand, he then walked over to the children and removed their bindings, ¡°Head home. Spend time with your families.¡± that was his one and only order.


    He didn¡¯t save anyone, he knew this better than most, all he did was change the order of death.


    And give these children some final moments with their families.


    ***


    Azazel sighed, putting the drink to his lips once more, ¡°At best they¡¯ll send a battalion or two. At worst¡­¡± Azazel looked to his glass frowning deeply, ¡°They¡¯ll send him. The Black Wolf.¡± The girl who listened intently laughed a little at that, taking it as a joke.


    ¡°Come now, The Black Wolf? That¡¯s hardly likely, there are several villages in The Empire, sending our best soldier after a single one for an incident such as this one just doesn''t make sense.¡± She stated.


    Azazel however closed his eyes, ¡°...Did I ever tell you about the one time I fought him?¡±


    The girl paused at that before responding, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you have.¡±


    ¡°It was a clear day, the cloud sea was calm. And there was a nice harvest when every village received word to send their best warriors to the castle. There The Empress sent The Black Wolf to duel us. Two hundred men, armed to the teeth with weapons and magic, and he beat us all back without even drawing his blade.¡± Azazel explained with a serious look in his gaze, ¡°Didn¡¯t even use magic. He just broke through everything we had.¡±


    The girl paused, ¡°Your¡­ point being?¡±


    Azazel leaned back in his chair, ¡°I learned something important that day, The Black Wolf wasn¡¯t chosen to fight us because we were worthy. It was to prove a point. That if we ever rebelled, he¡¯d come and take our lives.¡± he looked down to his hands before slowly standing up, ¡°I may be overreacting¡­ but it never hurts to be cautious, gather the people in town, evacuate them.¡± Azazel stated as he began to walk over to the door.


    ¡°B-But what about you?¡± the girl questioned looking at him.


    He paused at that door before looking over his shoulder he spoke, ¡°I¡¯m going to finish what I started.¡± with that he walked out the door and made his way to the town square there both Azure and Lin were waiting for him


    He paused seeing them before saying, ¡°You should both evacuate. All hell is about to break loose here.¡±


    Azure folded his arms, keeping his eyes hidden beneath his helmet, ¡°Like hell. If you''re going into battle then I¡¯m going with you.¡±


    Lin nodded in agreement, ¡°I live to serve you, I owe you that much.¡± Lin declared.


    Azazel was about to comment on that fact when he paused, in the distance towards the castle in the distance he saw a man slowly approaching.


    Airships took the skies, in the distance.


    He stopped complaining then.


    Narrowing his eyes at the opponent that loomed in the distance, ¡°...Let¡¯s move.¡± he eventually spoke the words and began to walk forward to meet that single man halfway.


    If he was going to get into a battle he wanted to be away from the village.


    Metal boots walked across the dirt, a man adorned and red and black armored walked forward, a sword was upon his back, and a helmet shaped like a wolf¡¯s head adorned his head.


    Slowly he walked forward, a village stood in his path, he paused as he saw three men standing in defiance.


    Azazel, Azure, And Lin.


    Azazel, at last, spoke, ¡°Not another step, you will not reach our village¡­ Monster!¡± he drew his blade and pointed it forward with determination clear in his gaze.


    ¡°Monster?¡± The man who stood in opposition to the trio repeated the question, before folding his arms, ¡°Hmph, you savages were given the option to retreat. Yet instead you would stand in opposition to us, throwing your lives away for what? A few worthless rocks?¡±


    ¡°Those worthless rocks are the livelihoods of our people.¡± Azazel scowled, ¡°Without them, we won¡¯t make enough coin to survive¡­ even you must have realized this Midus.¡± The man declared throwing an arm to the side.


    Midus paused at that before lowering his arms, ¡°You have been given leave to live upon our lands, so long as you comply with our demands, that was the deal made with your people. The only offer of kindness The Empire gave you. And you take that kindness and spit on it. Trading your mana crystal¡¯s with the enemies.¡±


    Azazel flinched, ¡®How did yo-¡±


    ¡°The Empire has eyes everywhere, boy don¡¯t think your small village is any exception to that¡­ As such I had also seen the things my men have done, they were rash I shall give them that, such crimes would usually be met with a lifetime in prison, for both those children and those boys, and so¡­ Rejoice! For the Empress has seen fit to grant an exception this time.¡± Midus declared, throwing his right hand forward, a palm outstretched.


    Azazel showed a look of relief at that, ¡°I-Is that so¡­ Well that is most kind of her eminence!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, a mercy such as this is almost too much for your people.¡± Midus agreed as he slowly lowered his hand, closing his eyes he continued ¡°Not many towns such as yours get the honor of being made an ¡®example¡¯¡± Midus spoke the words, and as soon as they reached the ears of the trio.


    Their eyes widened as an explosion rang out, all three of them turned around to see flames covering their town and airships flew above firing bombardment after bombardment upon that small town.


    Azazel stared forward with wide eyes, once he heard the ground cracking behind him, he quickly spun around and slashed upward, Midus ducked under his blade now right up in Azazel¡¯s face, Azazel leaped backward gritting his teeth.


    Whereas Lin rushed forward with his knives in his hands, Midus spared him a glance and as Lin leaped into the air, Midus grabbed Lin by the arm, spinning him around and sending him flying into Azazel¡¯s chest.


    Azure was next in line rushing forward to strike at Midus with his own blade, only for Midus to raise his right hand catching that sword with ease, ¡°...Like babes tossed out to greet the wolves, your lives end here.¡± he declared turning to face Azazel who pushed Lin off his body, Azazel then grits his teeth staring down Midus, before he spread his legs and gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, an icy chill came to his body as he breathed out a misty breath, he then uttered two words before blasting forward, ¡°Sub Zero.¡±


    With blinding speed he closed the distance, everything seemed to move in slow motion as he came forth.


    His blade nearly reached Midus¡¯s neck, but it stopped just short.


    And Azazel coughed blood exploded from his mouth, he looked down to see a sword stabbed through his chest, Midus¡¯s blade had been drawn.


    Midus said nothing at the pathetic sight; instead, he lifted his boot and slammed it into Azazel¡¯s chest, detecting him from Midus¡¯s blade, and he fell to the ground lifelessly.


    Lin screamed running forward to strike as Midus, his blades bounced uselessly off Midus¡¯s armor, and Midus reached out with his left hand grabbing that blue-haired boy by the face and lifting him skyward as he removed his blade from Azazel, Midus could hear the footsteps of the armored man approaching from behind, but paid him no heed as he crushed the skull of the man in his left hand, that man¡¯s body tumbled to the ground uselessly his blood flowing onto the dirt.


    Midus then turned around just in time to see that armored man swinging a greatsword at him, Midus reached out with his free hand and gripped the edge of his blade, ¡°When most see me on the battlefield, they¡¯d turn tail and run¡­¡± Midus commented as he reached up with his right hand, slowly sheathing his blade, Azure responded.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of coward¡­ who¡¯d let a monster roam the land! Not someone as mercilessly as you!¡± he shouted, hiding his lack of strength through the power of his voice.


    Midus said nothing at first, his grip on this armored man¡¯s blade tightened, soon enough cracks began to run along the blade, and when Midus determined the man was being serious with his words, he, at last, responded, ¡°Then you will die braver than most.¡± the sword shattered then.


    And Midus threw his right fist forward, shattering through the man¡¯s helmet with one strike.


    His left fist came next, shattering through the armor on Azure¡¯s gut, sending him to his knees in an instant.


    The man grits his teeth looking up with furious azure eyes, only for his eyes to widen fearfully as Midus grabs the side of his head, ¡°Those who think they¡¯re heroes¡­ deserve a hero''s death.¡± Midus declared as his boot made contact with this man¡¯s gut once more, he cried in pain as Midus¡¯s thumb dug into his eyes socket, a cracking sound resounded from the man¡¯s face, his screams echoed across the land as Midus pulled.


    Uncaring for the suffering of the man before him.


    After all¡­


    Who could stop him?


    He paused for a moment looking down at the man, he had stopped screaming.


    ¡­


    How dull.


    Midus let out a disappointed sigh as he stood to his full height, ¡°All that boasting, and then you die such a pathetic death¡­¡± He looked to the city and the flames that raged on even now.


    He watched from a distance for a moment ensuring that no one escaped the city.


    While he did so, he looked up to the airships and nodded, giving the signal for them to search the area, after all, if those men had come out to greet him then it was likely that others would attempt to evacuate.


    Like the worthless maggots they were, they would hide someone within the dirt.


    But it mattered not, just like every other infection that had plagued these skies. they would be dug out and burned to the ground.


    His gaze turned to the castle made of dark stone bricks in the distance a stormcloud hovered over it.


    The land that he was sworn to serve.


    He paused as something entered his vision, a girl.


    ¡°...And to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure Jenna?¡± Midus let the question hang in the air.


    Jenna said nothing at first, walking forward with a light skip in her step, a smile on her face, and blood beneath her lip. She stopped as she looked at the corpses on the ground, ¡°...Do you remember when I first introduced you to this land?¡± she questioned, that smile never fading from her face as she looked into the horrified eyes of the dead.


    She ran a hand through the red hair of Azazel''s corpse with a loving smile, drool forming on the side of her lips, meanwhile Midus responded, ¡°That I do¡­ It was a rather odd gift, one that I never forgot.¡± he turned to look at the kneeling Jenna, one would see that pose as a way of letting her guard down.


    But not Midus, he knew better than that, Jenna never did anything without a purpose, and if she truly wanted to.


    She could take his life with the snap of her fingers, ¡°...Sharp as always.¡± she commented standing, but she refused to face him, ¡°I heard about this nation, and its plan to attack the city of Jubilee, will other nations be next?¡± she questioned a certain giddiness in her voice.


    ¡°They will,¡± Midus confirmed he could hide this information but there''s hardly any point. He knew Jenna wouldn¡¯t involve herself if she could avoid it.


    ¡°Hm.¡± she smirked and turned around fully at last, ¡°In that case, I suppose I have to call in my favor.¡±


    The man narrowed his gaze dangerously, ¡°All I do is in service to Her Eminence, if it goes against her orders the-¡±


    ¡°Then nothing.¡± Jenna spat, walking up slowly to Midus, ¡°You know better than most what I¡¯m capable of, and you''re in no position to talk back to me.¡±


    He took a single step backward as Jenna got to his face, she then chuckled putting a hand on his shoulder, ¡°Relax~ I¡¯m not here to kill anyone today¡­ The favor is simple, do not kill Skylar Shadewalker. You can stab her, wound her, kill everyone around her¡­ but not kill her.¡±


    Midus arched a brow at that command.


    ¡°May I ask why¡­?¡±


    Jenna smiled slightly at that, removing her hand from Midus¡¯s arm, ¡°Now now, it¡¯s not nice to ask about a lady¡¯s personal life.¡± she then turned around and a pink portal opened in front of her, ¡°Just to be perfectly clear¡­ if I do find that she died by your hand.¡± Jenna turned around her pink eyes glowing with malice, ¡°I¡¯ll sink your Empire.¡±


    With that threat, she walked through the portal and it closed behind her.


    Midus kept his gaze focused on the castle ahead and without uttering a word he began to walk towards it, the fire still burning bright in the village behind him.


    All he did was in service to his Empress, after all, he cared not for Jenna¡¯s words.


    If his orders were to kill Skylar Shadewalker, then that is what he would do. Consequences be damned.


    (¡°And so the pieces of the game board at last set into place, heroes would fall, gods would clash with kings.


    And the truth of this world would come to light¡­ All under the light of Stella.¡±)


    Striga looked down to a bed where Skylar slept, ¡°To think this girl would travel all the way here putting The Kingdom at risk¡­ she has more courage then I gave her credit for.¡± Striga frowned at that, folding her arms, she was alone with this girl in a small room, she was able to convince Delish to allow her to stay until she recovered but beyond that¡­


    Well that would be up to her.


    She blinked as she heard a sound to her right, Delish walked in with a frown on her face, ¡°She¡¯s suffering from Overdraw correct? To think that she would push herself so hard for our sakes¡­¡± Delish put a hand to his chin, ¡°I can¡¯t fathom why¡­¡±


    ¡°If you''re about to say that it¡¯s a scheme I¡¯ll come over there and slap you.¡± Striga shot back near instantly.


    Delish chuckled, walking over to Striga¡¯s side and kissed her on the cheek, ¡°I only jest. If you put your faith in this Valery, then I shall do so as well.¡±


    ¡°...She could be helpful in the fight against The Empire.¡± Striga commented.


    ¡°That¡¯s only if you can convince her to join us, and having children fight in a war is not a good look for the government¡­¡± Delish retorted instantly.


    Striga paused at that before looking at the nearby window, ¡°...I¡­ Think I¡¯ll come up with a strategy for this fight.¡±


    Delish¡¯s eyes widened slightly, ¡°Are you certain? The last time you made one it-¡±


    ¡°It was flawless¡­ It obtained the victory we wanted, I just¡­ I wish it hadn¡¯t cost so many lives.¡± Striga looked to her own hands, a ringing appeared in her ears, and she could hear screams.


    That was.


    Until Delish wrapped his arms around her pulling her out of her delusions, ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡± he spoke the words as he ran a hand through her hair comforting her.


    Striga smiled softly at the affection, ¡°Yeah¡­ You''re right.¡± she looked to the sleeping Skylar and smiled softly, ¡°Wake up soon okay? I still have to thank you.¡±

 Chapter 3: Thunderclap.

    ¡°I hate this part.Every night when I go to sleep, they never let me dream.


    Instead, they force me to remember, to remember the night when The Kingdom fell¡­ when I fell.


    That exact moment when fire rained from the sky, I fell through the pink dome, Jenna had made¡­ And then I landed.¡±


    Ow.


    That¡­ doesn''t feel great.


    Ringing overcame my ears, and I felt myself reaching up to clutch the side of my head, red was covering my vision.


    Flames?


    It was hot¡­ Right, Jenna¡­ I failed to stop her.


    I heard something in the distance, the sounds of someone shouting, slowly I got to my feet.


    And slowly I forced myself to move, it was then that I had a realization the red in my vision wasn¡¯t flames.


    Blood.


    It was blood.


    I winced, grabbing the back of my head, it was wet, slowly I lowered that hand, using my free one to wipe some of the blood away.


    At the very least I could see now, but that didn¡¯t help the shock that came with seeing my hands covered in blood. At first, I was worried it was someone else''s, but it became clear with the overwhelming headache that it was mine.


    The back of my head had cracked, I couldn¡¯t tell if it was fatal or not¡­ but at the very least I could still move.


    So.


    I began to run towards the sounds of the screams, despite every fiber of my being screaming at me to get help.


    To find someone to help me.


    I ran to help others.


    That was when I saw it, the source of the screams, a man.


    A man who was leaning forward in agony, he had brown hair and wore clothes that were covered in soot and ash, and he clutched the head of a child, cradling their limp body close to his chest as he screamed.


    Skylar stared at the sight with wide eyes, that was all she could do, stare with those eyes.


    After all this scene in part had been her fault, she was too weak to save The Kingdom from the wrath of a single person.


    The horrible weight of reality crumbling before her, the man took in a shaky breath before looking up at Skylar, his own eyes wide upon witnessing her, ¡°You¡­¡± he gritted his teeth, ¡°It was you! If it wasn¡¯t for you none of this would have happened! My family would still be alive!¡±


    He shouted, his grief overcoming him as he set the corpse of his child onto the ground, his hands balled into fists.


    He lunged forward throwing his fist forward, Skylar could have dodged it easily.


    Of course, she could have, the wind told her how, but.


    It connected.


    That fist slammed into her cheek and she fell to the ground, she deserved it.


    She felt she deserved every second of this.


    For failing them.


    The man lunged forward, lashing out in his rage, pinning Skylar to the ground he threw his fist down, again.


    Then raised another, pelting her with blow after blow, it didn¡¯t hurt anymore.


    Her cheeks had already begun to grow numb, her own consciousness started to fade.


    It¡¯d be alright if she slept now right?


    ¡­It¡¯s not like the world ever needed her.


    It kept turning.


    Moving in its horrific ways.


    But just before her eyes closed, she felt something.


    The blow of the wind.


    It was harsher this time, so harsh that it blew the man backward.


    Skylar blinked slowly and turned to her left, there on a nearby rooftop she saw Passer knelt down, looking right into Skylar¡¯s eyes, a rainbow crystal shard in her right hand.


    Skylar blinked at the sight.


    ¡°Stupid¡­¡± she muttered the word as she slowly got up, ¡°this is so stupid¡­ Why do I have to be the one to live? Why do others keep sacrificing themselves for me? Why do I have to be the one to clean up after so many messes?¡±


    It hurt.


    Oh, how it hurt.


    But she couldn¡¯t just sit there, not with that gaze burning into her memory, she turned to the man on the ground who now looked at Skylar horrified, Skylar looked to that man with determined fury, ¡°Take her and bury her.¡± she spat blood leaking from the right side of her mouth, the man nodded slowly.


    Running over to his dead child, and picking her up, Skylar paused looking back to that rooftop, sure enough, Passer was gone.


    But on the ground right in front of Skylar was a red potion left behind.


    ¡°Tsk.¡± she reached down and picked up that potion taking off its cap, and swallowed the contents, immediately the wounds started to heal.


    Her energy was still sapped for the most part, but at least she could move her limbs more freely.


    So what was she to do with the feeling in her limbs restored?


    The first thing she did was reach up and grab the side of her head, wincing as she did so, she had a headache.


    She paused as she saw a nearby puddle of water, she glanced at it seeing her eyes retain that emerald glow.


    She was covered in her own blood, ¡°...¡± Silence was all that exited her lips as she stared at her own reflection.


    She¡­ looked different, more bitter perhaps.


    ¡­It had been a long day, but she hardly had the time to rest, she had to see if there were any other survivors, she had to help.


    ¡­


    That was her job after all, no it was more than that.


    But why?


    ¡­What was it that pulled her to help these people?


    No, now wasn¡¯t the time to be dwelling on such things.


    Skylar found herself moving once more, she walked up to one of the many nearby burning houses, putting her sleeve over her mouth to try and keep the smoke from entering her lungs.


    She winced at the sight of people¡¯s flesh melted, a duo had wrapped their arms around one another before being crushed under burning rubble.


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry,¡± Skylar muttered the words into her muffled sleeve.


    ¡°Are you now?¡± a voice entered her ears, and Skylar¡¯s eyes widened. She turned around to see a man standing a fair distance away, a hand on his hip, his eyes shining a bright crimson.


    Wrath stood at his full height, ¡°And what is being sorry going to accomplish in the grand scheme of things?¡±


    Skylar narrowed her gaze, ¡°Your¡­¡±


    ¡°An Eternal. Like Pride before¡­ Though to compare myself to a failure such as her brings nothing but irritation to me.¡± he stated taking a step forward, only for him to arch a brow as Skylar got into a battle stance, he paused, sighing for a moment as he shook his head, ¡°See? This is where comparisons get you¡­¡± he locked his gaze on Skylar and fury entered his eyes, ¡°You seem to have made the mistake of thinking we are equals.¡±


    ¡°If you''re here to hurt anyone else¡­ Then I¡¯ll stop you!¡± Skylar declared instantly in response, the fury in Wrath¡¯s eyes never faded, but they simmered burning ever so faintly if only for this moment as he threw out a question.


    ¡°How?¡± he smirked wickedly, ¡°you think that you can match me with your fists? They shall break before you reach me. Or perhaps with that ever so useful wind magic of yours? Ah, but the wind will not blow over someone who is stronger than it is¡­¡± Wrath pointed forward, ¡°You. Are. Nothing.¡±


    Skylar frowned for a moment, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you''re referring to, I¡¯ve already taken down two gods, a dragon, A titan¡­ and I¡¯ve gone toe to toe with Pride, I think I¡¯m more than a match for you!¡± Skylar shouted in response.


    Wrath lowered his hand slowly, the wind blew sending embers into the air, ¡°Ego, is all you have. But of course, it is, your pride is in flames, burning up around you. Your hopes are dashed and left to rot on the rocks, so that only leaves you with Ego, the Ego of a big shot.¡±


    Skylar gritted her teeth and roared running forward as she pulled back her right fist, she threw it forward aiming right for Wrath¡¯s face, only for her eyes to widen as his fist stopped just short, she didn¡¯t stop it herself¡­


    It was like, it was being held in place, by some invisible force, Wrath then reached up slowly, ¡°You are unfocused,¡± he grabbed hold of Skylar¡¯s wrist and slowly began to bend it backward, her body was frozen she couldn¡¯t fight the grip of this man, ¡°Untrained.¡± her arm began to bend backward, her eyes widened fearfully in the realization of what was about to come, ¡°unworthy.¡± The sickening crack of Skylar¡¯s left arm breaking resounded throughout the area she fell backward onto the ground, clenching her arm in pain, she had little time to process that pain through, as Wrath¡¯s boot slammed into her gut with enough force to cause her to spit blood from her mouth.


    Her right arm fell limp at her side, and Wrath lifted his boot once more stomping on that arm, his eyes shining with power, ¡°Still think your tough big shot?" he let the question hang in the air for a moment as Skylar screamed in agony.


    Wrath frowned bitterly before speaking once more, ¡°Do you know why? Why is it that you cannot so much as land a finger upon me?¡± he reached down and grabbed Skylar by the hair forcing her to look Wrath in the eyes, ¡°It is because you lack conviction, you talk big, but the words you speak fall flat on your own ears¡­ for every word you speak is a lie, how can you expect anyone to believe you if you don¡¯t believe your own words?¡± Wrath declared pulling back his right fist and slamming it into Skylar¡¯s face, he then pulled it back once more, ¡°I will never be defeated by you, not as you are now.¡± Slam!


    Once more his fist collided, and he pulled it back again, ¡°An ignorant child who can¡¯t even find the strength to believe in herself could never stand to the Eternals!¡± one more his fist hit this one hit with enough force to break Skylar¡¯s nose, she fell to the ground clutching her face in pain,


    Wrath however cared little for the screams of an ignorant child. He raised his right hand a black energy began to swirl around it, ¡°Such is the infinite gulf between us.¡± Wrath declared ready to throw his hand down that was¡­


    ¡°I would advise against such a thing.¡± Origin¡¯s voice rang out, and Wrath paused, yet he did not look away from Skylar.


    ¡°...And why is that? Even you can see the potential within the girl, if allowed to live, she¡¯ll put everything in jeopardy.¡± Wrath declared he was one to follow orders, but when the orders didn¡¯t make sense¡­ even he would question them.


    Origin smiled confidently, ¡°Perhaps so, but even an unstable tool has its uses, I would see that she is put to use until her final moments¡­¡± Origin declared.


    Wrath paused for a moment before he glanced over his shoulder, ¡°Even if that use, results in the death of our kind?¡±


    ¡°Death is simply another barrier for us to pass through.¡± Origin responded flatly, ¡°Just like all the others.¡±


    Wrath opened his mouth to speak, only to close it prompt, as his gaze turned back to Skylar, ¡°...Very well then.¡± he lowered his hand and removed his boot from Skylar¡¯s broken arm, ¡°Rejoice, you live to see another day¡­ we shall meet again, of this much I am certain.¡± he turned around and walked towards Origin, Origin looked to Skylar with a smile even as she looked up with her own vengeful gaze.


    ¡°You would do well to keep that gaze, revenge is a weapon, just like any other emotion¡­ I hope to see you put it to good use.¡± with that he vanished, along with Wrath.


    Skylar grit her teeth slowly arching her neck upward she stared into the sky sucking in the air and pulling it deep into her lungs with her next move.


    She screamed.


    Chapter 3: Thunderclap.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes snapped open and she immediately lunged upward, her breathing was ragged and she was covered in sweat, a ringing was in her ears, vision blurry, where was she?


    The sight of unfamiliar walls, sights, and sounds, all of them overwhelmed her senses at once.


    Her eyes darted around the room rapidly, like a panicked animal looking for an escape.


    The door, A window to her left, were both options for a quick escape, there was a closet right next to that door, and her clothes?


    Gone.


    An unfamiliar outfit was on her, a white shirt and blue pants, she quickly glanced out the window, Jubilee.


    She was still in Jubilee, her nerves settled just a little at that, at the very least that meant she wasn¡¯t in a completely unknown city.


    Granted she was still in a complete stranger''s house, but it was the little things that kept her sane at this point.


    Slowly Skylar pulled herself out of the bed she was lying in, she walked over to the closet, and opened the doors.


    Her jacket was still inside, she smiled at that sight, she would have preferred a black shirt to go with it, not that anyone would see the undershirt, but it was a nice color.


    Regardless she reached out and grabbed the jacket, slipping it on and putting the buttons together.


    She then looked to the door to her right and paused, she glanced once more to the window, she could just leap out of that with no issue.


    She took a step towards that window, only to pause.


    ¡°...Striga.¡± she muttered the name and frowned.


    That¡¯s when the pieces in her head clicked, this was likely Striga¡¯s house, or maybe someone she knew?


    Either way, that was the only logical conclusion she could draw when she considered the events that lead up to this moment.


    Irritation appeared on Skylar¡¯s face and she folded her arms as she glanced once more at that door, ¡°I guess it¡¯d be rude to just vanish through a window huh¡­¡± She unfolded those arms and with a scowl walked to that door grabbing hold of the doorknob.


    And with a twist, she swung that door open only to be greeted not by one new face, but two.


    ¡°Ah, it would seem our guest is awake sister.¡± A young woman with yellow hair responded, she wore a maid outfit, she wore a smile on her face, and her azure eyes shined with kindness.


    The other person wearing the same maid outfit put a finger to her chin, ¡°Hm? Are you sure sister, she still looks kind of out of it to me.¡± Same hair complexion, even hair, the only real difference was the eye color, that being pure crimson.


    ¡°Azala!¡± The other sibling shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t be rude to our guest, Miss Valery here saved Striga¡¯s life after all!¡±


    ¡°Saved her life?¡± Skylar at last spoke, ¡°I mean¡­ I helped a little¡­ but I wouldn¡¯t say I saved her life¡­¡± Skylar put a hand on the back of her neck rubbing nervously.


    Truth be told, she didn¡¯t want this incident to go floating around the city, it would cause her nothing but trouble later.


    Azala tilted her head to the side, ¡°Seems to me like you''re just being modest, the mistress has never invited a guest over before¡­ Not in all her time here, you''re the first. Is that right Mahala?¡±


    The second sibling now known to Skylar as Mahala responded, ¡°Indeed, that must make you a very special person!¡± so the maid clapped her hands together, ¡°Ah but I digress, is there anything we can get for you?¡±


    Skylar frowned at that, she didn¡¯t really want to be pushy.


    But¡­ there was one particular thing she wanted, something that had been nagging on her mind since she awoke.


    ¡°Any chance you have some black shirts?¡± Skylar questioned.


    ***


    Jenna walked through the dark hallways of her mansion, a place where none could reach her no matter how hard they searched, even though she wasn¡¯t entirely sure of its properties, a problem.


    But one she couldn¡¯t rectify, a rarity these days.


    She paused as she found herself walking down her large staircase into the dining room, there at the other end of her table, she saw a girl, a girl with blond hair and sparkling green eyes, a smile on her face in stark contrast to the vulgar scene ahead of her.


    As she stabbed the fork in her hand down to the severed finger of a corpse, the girl paused before looking up her smile widened as she saw Jenna, ¡°A pleasure to see you after all this time.¡± the girl spoke, setting her fork down and standing up. She wore a black gown, with a long white jacket draped over her torso, a blue cloth was stitched to her right shoulder draping all the way down to her waist, and on her chest was a silver chest piece.


    If nothing else the girl had style, ¡°and it seems you¡¯ve been busy! Lurking around in the shadows after your mass slaughter!¡± she then reached out grabbing her fork and bringing its attached contents to her lip, biting down, blood splattered along her teeth and she ran her tongue across those tainted pearly whites, she paused for a moment as Jenna began to descend the staircase, ¡°Though¡­ There is one thing that bothers me, and that is your lack of action regarding the Shadewalker¡­ I¡¯m certain you have a plan for all of us, but if she is allowed to live, then it will cause undue distress. And so I find myself here, wondering this simple question.¡± The girl stabbed her fork into the wooden table as she locked eyes with Jenna.


    "The question is if you even have a plan or not Jenna." The girl spoke as she casually ran her finger along the end of her fork, Jenna sighed in irritation taking a seat at her own table, "You say that as if it would matter to you, I thought you were the type to take orders like a loyal dog, or perhaps I was mistaken about that particular fact Lux." Jenna stated as she reached out removing the covering from her own meal, ¡°A dog of war is fit for combat, not questioning the plots of their leaders.¡±


    Lux paused at that, glancing up from her fork, a smile appeared on her face and lighting sparked around her fingertips, "Well... If you do have a battle for me to fight, I''d certainly like to hear of it. Nothing gets the lighting flowing through my veins quite like a good battle." Lux then stood up and a pink portal appeared to her right, Lux arched a brow looking at Jenna who was taking a drink from her cup.


    ¡°Your target is Skylar Shadewalker¡­ of course, you are not to kill her, anyone else is fair game.¡± Jenna declared with a glare.


    Lux turned back to the portal, ¡°Gotcha, don¡¯t kill. But returning them within an ilm of their life should be fine right?¡±


    ¡°Do as you wish in that regard,¡± Jenna responded with her eyes closed, Lux chuckled as she walked through that portal not uttering another word.


    Jenna opened her eyes and stared forward, ¡°...and now I wait, to see how the Shadewalker reacts to my generous gift¡­ After all, anyone with a brain would know that Lux stands no chance against Skylar.¡± Slowly Jenna reached out grasping a colored eyeball, before popping it into her mouth she leaned back in her chair, ¡°The storms of Jubilee shall soon settle, and from the turbulent winds, the flames of war shall be known across the realms.¡± a devilish smile formed, her fangs bare for anyone to see, ¡°I shall grant you this much Eternal¡¯s your kind know better than most how to put on a show.¡± Jenna glanced to her right seeing a window nearby, and a memory shot into her mind.


    ¡°Why is it that humans and gods fight?¡± A young girl with silver hair questioned as she stared out the window.


    Jenna paused at that, ¡°Survival. Humans exist on the lays of the land, the land, and livestock they create¡­ whereas we gods exist off the boundless mana the islands provide, and the flesh of humans.¡± Jenna explained to the small child.


    ¡°...So you can¡¯t coexist? There¡¯s really¡­ no way for us to live in peace?¡± The child turned to look at Jenna with those pure emerald eyes of there¡¯s.


    Reality came crashing back, and Jenna found herself frowning.


    After all that memory only stirred up hatred, not for the child, nor for the world.


    Hatred at herself.


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, when you told me to follow you, I didn¡¯t really know what to expect.¡± Skylar stated with a smirk, before walking out of a small dressing room, ¡°But if nothing else you guys have a lot of options for clothing.¡± She now wore a black jacket, with a brown undershirt, her red scarf was returned to her and wrapped around her neck, she wore blue jeans that covered her legs, and she now had brown boots, ¡°So then¡­ do I owe you anything for this?¡± Skylar questioned.


    Only one maid remained now, Mahala supposedly the other one had gone to make the meal for the owner of this place, Mahala clasped her hands together, ¡°Of course not! You are the guest after all, and the debt this house owes you is great indeed!¡±


    ¡°Debt huh¡­¡± Skylar paused at the words, and memories of Tetra and Leo flashed through her head, ¡°...Well then, with these you can tell Striga that debt is repaid.¡± Skylar responded with a smile as she walked to the door.


    ¡°Wha-¡± Mahala responded with a shocked expression, ¡°But miss Valery! I couldn¡¯t possibly-¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± Skylar responded without turning around, she stood there in that doorway for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ve already seen enough people fall in my path¡­ I don¡¯t need anyone else to fight for me.¡± Without uttering another word Skylar walked through that door and made her way down the hallway, that was until she found herself at a set of two staircases separated by rails, she looked down to the bottom of the staircase and saw a large double door.


    Without much thought, she walked down those stairs and reached for the doors ahead, ¡°Leaving already?¡± Striga¡¯s voice came from behind her, causing Skylar to flinch.


    She turned around and glanced to the side nervously, ¡°...I¡¯ve got my own problems to worry about. I didn¡¯t even plan to help you, I was just in the area.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Striga smirked with her arms folded, ¡°Well if you must get going that¡¯s fine, but¡­ You should at least be aware that I am truly grateful for what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    Skylar reached out and grabbed the handles of the door, before looking at her own hands, ¡°...I didn¡¯t do it for you.¡± she pulled on those handles and swung the door open, ¡°I¡¯m just sick of seeing good people die pointless deaths.¡± she declared bitterly as she walked forward.


    The door shut behind her leaving Striga alone with her thoughts, ¡°A shame that.¡± Striga said, closing her eyes, ¡°There are no good people in Jubilee, not while the storm remains.¡± she then opened those eyes before turning around and making her way to the dining hall.


    ***


    Skylar found herself walking along the edges of the city, near the top of the dome. She still had work to do sure, but she also needed some time to clear her head, as she always did after that nightmare.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Of course that was easier said than done with the storm constantly causing noise around this place, seriously it was a wonder that anyone ever managed to sleep in this place.


    ¡­But the isolation was nice, at least she didn¡¯t have to worry about encountering other people she knew.


    Well¡­ At least not anyone she liked, she was more than aware of the possibility that she could encounter Jenna or even any of the Eternals.


    After all, they both seemed to have some strange abilities that allowed them to go wherever they pleased, perhaps even underneath the clouds¡­


    She let out a sigh reaching into her pockets and checking her small purse. There was still a good amount of money, but it¡¯d run dry sooner or later¡­


    ¡°Maybe I should look into getting a job here for the time being?¡± Skylar muttered the idea out loud.


    ¡°Should have asked the maids for more cash.¡±


    Skylar glared to her right, though there was nobody there Alma knew that the glare was intended for him, ¡°I already imposed on them enough by simply staying the night, I¡¯m not going to ask more of them.¡±


    ¡°Afraid of becoming attached are we?¡±


    That hit the nail on the head.


    Skylar hated this dragon for being so observant, so she folded her arms and puffed out her cheeks denying the accusation outright, ¡°As if!¡±


    She then glanced down at the city once more growing as she did so, ¡°...Maybe a little.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful place isn¡¯t it.¡± A voice suddenly interjected, Skylar practically leaped into the air in surprise, she quickly turned to her right, and there Lux stood.


    ¡°On your guard Shadewalker¡­ there¡¯s something wrong with this one.¡±


    Alma spoke, but Skylar didn¡¯t respond to Alma anymore.


    ¡°Er, yeah¡­ It¡¯s pretty cool I suppose.¡± Skylar stated, a bead of sweat forming on the back of her neck, she wasn¡¯t a fool, the only reason Alma would sense anything would be if the girl in front of her was a god.


    She had nothing but her fists to fight back with, as such trying to combat this god was nothing short of a terrible idea.


    So instead she had to resort to talking her way out of this situation, that is if she could even work up normal words.


    The god turned to look at Skylar, their emerald eyes piercing Skylar¡¯s soul, ¡°...Heh, your kinda cute you know that?¡± The god stated with a sly smirk before extending their right hand, ¡°Name¡¯s Lux, and you are?¡± Lux kept that perfect smile as she stared right into Skylar¡¯s eyes, Skylar slowly reached out her hand grasping Lux¡¯s.


    ¡°Valery.¡± She spoke her fake name without hesitation. Wanting to keep as much of herself as she could, hidden from this new threat.


    Lux tilted her head somewhat at that, ¡°Valery¡­ No. No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it.¡± Lux¡¯s grip suddenly tightened, ¡°It¡¯s not very becoming of a warrior to lie like that Skylar.¡± Lux stated instantly seeing through the ruse Skylar had set up.


    Skylar narrowed her gaze dangerously, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Lux put her free hand to her heart smiling innocently, ¡°Oh nothing, nothing at all! At least not at the moment¡­ I like to size up my meal before taking it in¡­ And I got to say miss Shadewalker, you look absolutely ravishing.¡± Lux was practically salivating just looking at Skylar.


    Skylar quickly retracted her hand taking a step backward.


    Skylar then clenched her right hand into a fist, it took every ounce of willpower not to enter a fighting stance of reflex alone, ¡°If you think I¡¯m going to be an easy meal then you''re wrong.¡± She spat back at the god before her.


    Lux chuckled, turning to look at the storm, ¡°The wind howls, it always does, keeping this city safe from outside forces, but wouldn¡¯t you say that this storm is¡­ unnatural?¡± Lux glanced at Skylar with one eye, ¡°I mean come now, a storm that comes and goes at the same size and speed? Seems a little far-fetched don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Skylar paused at that, glancing at the storm, she let the words roll around in her head before her eyes widened slightly, ¡°Oh¡­ Oh no¡­¡±


    Lux smiled at the gears turning in Skylar¡¯s head, ¡°I¡¯ll do you a solid and tell the truth right now¡­ I am Lux, God Of The Storm¡­ And this!¡± she threw her hands to the side, ¡°Is my magnum opus!¡±


    Skylar took a step backward, realizing the true danger of the situation, ¡°Your bluffing.¡± she concluded instantly.


    Lux chuckled, lowering her hands, ¡°I very well could be.¡± she confirmed, but she refused to do anything to prove otherwise.


    Lux then proceeded to walk to the very edge of the platform, never losing that confident smile, ¡°Oh relax cute thing¡­ I¡¯m not here to hurt you today¡­¡± She put a hand on her hip, ¡°As I said, I¡¯m sizing you up, nothing more and nothing less¡­ Though if you want to chase after me, feel free to do so, I¡¯m quite confident I can kill you, Skylar Shadewalker.¡± with that final statement she leaped into the storm vanishing from Skylar¡¯s sight.


    Skylar exhaled, she hadn¡¯t even realized she was holding her breath until this moment, she put a hand over her heart.


    ¡°...She seems to be attracted to you.¡±


    Skylar¡¯s face instantly flushed red, ¡°Shut up.¡± and she glanced to the side fidgeting with the fabric of her hoody.


    ¡°Oh my god you''re into her too aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Shuuuuuuut up!!!!¡± Skylar practically squealed as she crouched down pulling her hood over her head in an attempt to hide herself from the world. Sheer embarrassment took over.


    It was official.


    This was the worst day of her year.


    She took in a breath before slowly standing up, ¡°Right¡­ Right, ok¡­ So there is a god just casually roaming about in Jubilee, this is fine¡­ I can handle this!¡±


    ¡°A god that you are attracted to.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a mute button?¡± Skylar growled instantly, her eyes flashing with annoyance.


    ¡°The closest I can offer is suicide.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ll label that as plan B.¡± Skylar decided after a moment as she started walking back to one of their many staircases, ¡°I¡¯m going to need a weapon of some sort, there¡¯s got to be a good blacksmith here somewhere right?¡± Skylar paused as her eyes wandered to a particular shop, ¡°...How¡­?¡± A shop lay just ahead of her.


    A shop with the name.


    Geralt''s Accomidies.


    The sign of the door read ¡®open¡¯ but Skylar found herself confused about how the old man would''ve made it here in the first place.


    So with curiosity bubbling in her heart, she walked to the door, only for it to slam open hitting her square in the nose and causing her to fall over, she winced as she looked up seeing a man running down the pathway, Geralt walked out anger clear on his face, ¡°And don¡¯t you come back you tasteless swine! Less you want your head mounted on my wal- ¡­Eh?¡± Geralt¡¯s gaze landed upon Skylar and he blinked before his anger vanished turning into a wide smile, ¡°Well well would you look at who it is! How you doing Sk-¡±


    ¡°Valery!¡± Skylar shot up putting a finger over Gerald¡¯s mouth, ¡°It¡¯s Valery here.¡±


    Geralt arched a brow at that as Skylar lowered his hand, he had several questions, but the first he asked was, ¡°Where¡¯s that outfit I loaned you?¡±


    Skylar blinked before realizing she left it in Striga¡¯s mansion, she blushed in embarrassment, ¡°Ah¡­ Shit¡­¡±


    There was no way this day could get any worse.


    ***


    Mahala held up the white jacket with an arched brow, ¡°Sister, do you have any idea what the parts on the back are for?¡± Mahala questioned, turning to look over her shoulder.


    Azala responded with a smirk, ¡°But of course dear sister! They are accessories to simply look cool!¡± Azala declared with confidence.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t go filling Mahala¡¯s head with lies.¡± Striga stated as she entered the room, she paused as she looked at the jacket, ¡°Why is¡­ She left without it, didn''t she.¡±


    Both the maids nodded instantly.


    Striga looked at the jacket frowning, ¡°Well shit¡­ That¡¯s going to be awkward.¡± she then put a hand to her hip, ¡°Regardless, the bits on the back are so that Skylar can feel the wind moving about her, slight changes and such are important for wind mages to take note of. That¡¯s also why most wind mages wear clothing that either shows skin or is a bit too big for them.¡± Striga explained to the duo after all it wouldn¡¯t do for the maids to remain ignorant on the subject.


    Mahala nodded in understanding before she blinked, realizing an important question must be asked, ¡°Ah, but mistress what is it you came here to do in the first place? If you require a new outfit we¡¯d be happy to help you pick one out!¡±


    Striga smiled but shook her head at the offer, ¡°Appreciated, but ultimately unnecessary, no I just wanted you to tell Delish that I¡¯m going to check on the core chambers, it wouldn¡¯t do for the storm to go down when a threat of war is close at hand.¡±


    Mahala arched a brow at that, ¡°Well we can certainly do that¡­ but shouldn¡¯t you do that yourself¡­? I¡¯m sure he¡¯d prefer to hear a farewell from your own lips.¡±


    Striga raised her arms and shook her head, ¡°I¡¯d love nothing more, but he¡¯s locked himself away in his study.¡± she then put a hand on her hip frowning as she did so, ¡°I swear when he¡¯s in there he¡¯s almost impossible to get out.¡±


    Mahala folded her arms, ¡°That man¡­ he sure has an obsession with those tomes of his, there isn¡¯t even any guarantee that Stella exists in the first place, yet he hunts it down like a dog searching for meat.¡±


    Striga sighed, ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me that, I¡¯m aware of his obsession better than most.¡± s


    Azala stepped in with that cheerful smile of there¡¯s, ¡°Aw but you love him all the same!¡±


    Striga paused at that before smirking, ¡°That I do.¡± turning around, ¡°Be sure to remind him to eat, or else he¡¯ll have to answer to me.¡± with that order she left the room.


    Azala smiled, nodding, seeming proud of herself, ¡°Leave it to us boss!¡±


    ***


    ¡°GRAHAHAHA!¡± Geralt laughed wholeheartedly at Skylar who was currently leaning over his front counter clutching the sides of her head with both hands out of sheer embarrassment, turns out she was wrong!


    The day could get worse!


    Geralt slammed a hand down onto the counter as he spoke with a grin, ¡°Oh lassie! You sure know how to entertain! You leave on a note like that but forget to grab your stuff, HA!¡±


    ¡°Ok! I get it, I''m a little dumb! Just please drop it!¡± Skylar shouted slamming her hands down onto the table, her face flushed completely. She desperately wanted this conversation to end.


    Geralt put a hand to his chin stroking his beard, ¡°Heh, you''re still young lassie, there¡¯s always going to be mistakes you make, you¡¯ve got to learn to laugh at them or else be drowning in self-loathing.¡± Geralt declared boldly as he leaned forward, ¡°But I digress, I assume if you were thinking of coming in your in the market for a new set of gear?¡±


    Skylar blinked; she was so embarrassed she almost forgot her reason for coming over to this shop in the first place, ¡°Oh¡­ Yeah, I¡¯m looking for a new sword.¡±


    ¡°Really now?¡± Geralt arched a brow, ¡°And how¡¯s that overchanneling issue of yours going along?¡± Geralt asked the question with a knowing smirk.


    Skylar winced at that gaze, ¡°Er, well¡­ Still a major issue admittedly¡­¡± she rubbed the back of her neck. She just couldn¡¯t get her mana in control lately, Mana flow always seemed attached to her emotional state, maybe that¡¯s why?


    Geralt nodded understandingly at that, ¡°In that case, I think I might have something that¡¯ll work out for you.¡± He reached under his desk, and started to speak as he did so, ¡°Ah in case you''re wondering why I¡¯m here¡­ The Kingdom isn¡¯t the only place where I do business, I have a shop at pretty much every island in this realm, of course, I only sell my wares to those I personally pick out.¡± he stood up carrying a sword still in its sheath, ¡°go on¡­ pull it out.¡±


    Skylar nodded and grabbed the hilt of the blade, removing it from its sheath, it shined brightly with a brilliant silver glow, ¡°What the¡­¡± There were¡­ slashes, like big lines cutting through the blade.


    ¡°It¡¯s a segmented blade.¡± Geralt started to explain, ¡°It¡¯s designed to be shattered quite easily.¡± as in example he reached out and pulled on one of the many lines, sure enough, the blade broke apart, ¡°Now try channeling some of your mana into it.¡± Geralt smirked at Skylar¡¯s confusion.


    She did as the old man asked, and to her surprise, the blade stuck itself back together.


    ¡°How does that even work?¡± she questioned with awe in her eyes.


    Geralt stood back to his full height running a hand through his hair, ¡°The actual method is complicated, but the easy version is¡­ A combination of earth, lighting, and wind crystals is forged into the steel. A potent combo, I¡¯ve never seen the blade used myself, after all, a silver-haired mage would be the only one capable of wielding such a thing.¡±


    ¡°...Wait. Is there something special about being a silver-haired mage?¡± Skylar questioned instantly.


    Geralt nodded with a frown, ¡°You''re aware that the eye color of a mage shows what kind of magic they are proficient in, correct?¡± Geralt questioned, ¡°In your case emerald, because wind magic is what you use mainly.¡± he then pointed to her hair, ¡°The hair color of a however, that shows what mages are weak against ¡­ Blonde is weak to lighting, purple is weak to darkness. But silver¡­ silver has no weakness to speak of.¡± he then looked to Skylar, ¡°But there is also something strange about Silver Haired mages beyond that¡­ At any time in the world, there can only be 3 living ones. It also makes you the only candidates for ¡®multi-element based weapons, any other person who¡¯d try to take in none compatible elements would simply have there body reject it, they might be able to get a little juice out of it, but ultimately, they¡¯d break and shatter, dying a painful death.¡± Geralt frowned at that.


    And Skylar arched a brow, ¡°That¡¯s a little odd, why does that even happen?¡± She did her best to ignore the statement about multi-elements as it brought up memories of Tetra.


    ¡°The universe works in strange ways, some things just don¡¯t have answers to go with them.¡± Geralt explained simply, ¡°Regardless, that lack of element weakness is what makes this blade perfect for you.¡±


    Skylar looked at the sword once more and Gerelt smirked, ¡°Go on then¡­ give it a swing.¡± Skylar slowly reached out and grasped the hilt of the blade, slowly raising it. It felt light in her hands, she took a few steps back before swinging it down, then to the left, and then¡­


    She swung it up, overchanneling as she did so, the blade shattered into seven shards total, and with a gust of wind she sent them flying around her in a small circle taking extra care not to hit any of the other products, she then guided them back to the hilt, channeling her mana into that hilt, and once again the swords reconnected, ¡°Whoa¡­¡± she smiled at the sword before looking to Geralt, ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s free.¡± Geralt responded without hesitation, ¡°If you want it take it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Skylar frowned, ¡°No I can¡¯t accept this, I already owe you for the outfit, so let me pay for this-¡±


    ¡°The weapon was designed for a silver-haired warrior, those are already rare enough, and the only other one I¡¯ve met is Striga, she, however, has no use for a blade made for overchanneling, frankly it was just going to sit here and rust.¡± Geralt then folded his arms, ¡°so take it, and put it to good use, that¡¯s enough payment for me.¡±


    Skylar couldn¡¯t find fault in his reasoning, once again she lost an argument with the old geezer in front of her, so instead she reached out and grabbed the sheath, ¡°I¡¯m not ungrateful, in case that wasn¡¯t clear.¡± Skylar stated as she put her sword back into the holster, she then glanced up at the old man, ¡°But I do wonder¡­ Why pick me? To sell your wares too, I mean?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Geralt smiled at the question, ¡°I make my gear for the finest warriors of the realm, it doesn''t matter what they do or where they come from, I make the weapons for the best of the best¡­ And you, miss Skylar Shadewalker¡­ Your potential is among the best I¡¯ve seen, I wish to see you grow, and how your weapons will grow with you.¡± he declared his purpose with a grin on his face, he truly seemed to enjoy talking about this.


    So then, Skylar locked her eyes on him, ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± he confirmed.


    Skylar closed her eyes then and turned to the door, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be sure to show you.¡± She smirked, glancing at the man, flashing a beastly smile as she spoke, ¡°Just what kind of warrior I can be.¡± as those words left her lips, she started to walk to that door once more, opening it wide and walking out.


    ¡°I look forward to it, Godspeed warrior,¡± Geralt said his farewells as the door closed behind Skylar.


    ***


    Striga found herself standing just outside of the large double doors that led into the meeting room, she sighed as she reached forward pushing those doors open, and there in the very back stood the one who led this great nation, Detion smiled as soon as he saw Striga, ¡°I assume you''re here to check the restraints on her.¡±


    Some people might have called that guess clever, but really it was just a show of trust, after all, if she wasn¡¯t here to check the restraints, then she¡¯d be here to kill him.


    So Striga responded with a smile, ¡°That was the plan, I assume you¡¯ve already done the same.¡±


    Detion frowned for a moment, ¡°Close the door Striga.¡±


    She paused when he gave that command, but did as she was told, ¡°Something up?¡±


    Detion leaned forward in his chair resting his palms as he stared at Striga with a deadly serious gaze, ¡°What I am about to say doesn''t leave this room, this is a matter of the highest security¡­ Understood?¡±


    There was something wrong, she could tell just by how Detion looked, ¡°...Go ahead then, don¡¯t keep me waiting.¡±


    Detion closed his eyes and opened his mouth, ¡°It would seem that Lux has escaped her chains.¡±


    Striga paused at that, ¡°You''re kidding me¡­¡±


    ¡°The guards didn¡¯t even notice, they were also completely unharmed¡­ But the chains were broken.¡± Detion explained further.


    ¡°The chains we had her in were made out of Earth crystals! It would have been impossible for her to break out¡­ unless¡­¡± it was then that Striga began to catch on, ¡°unless she had help from the outside¡­¡±


    The guards weren¡¯t an option, there were only a few chosen and they were all given weapons that would be incapable of breaking the chains.


    Detion kept his gaze on Striga, ¡°Would you like to investigate the chamber?¡±


    Striga folded her arms, ¡°Seems to me like I have little choice in that regard.¡±


    Detion gave no verbal response to that, instead, he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers thunder flew out and the table in the center of the room began to split open, the floor splitting with it, revealing a large spiral staircase, down at the very bottom was a large circle, with a star drawn in the center.


    Detion walked forward and reached into his pocket pulling out a blue crystal he tossed it down onto the circle in question, it glowed for a moment, then the circle split revealing a large set of chains, twenty in total, all shattered along the ground.


    Immediately Striga noticed a pink substance along some of the chains, ¡°And that is?¡± She questioned Detion.


    ¡°I assume it¡¯s the cause of the breakout, as for what it is¡­ I haven¡¯t the faintest clue.¡± He then folded his arms, ¡°Perhaps the handiwork of a new god, I¡¯ve already sent out words to the other kingdoms but it¡¯s unlikely that we¡¯ll receive a response for a few days.¡± she paused at that a frown deepening on her face, "No, even then... The restraints were set to explode if someone tried to remove them without the proper authority, so that''s means." she went silent then.


    It means there''s a traitor, she didn''t doubt that Detion realized this as well, so she decided to set this fact aside for now, she didn''t have any evidence to indicate someone of this crime at the moment anyways.


    ¡°Meanwhile we''re being held at gunpoint by the one god who controls the storm¡­¡± Striga frowned, ¡°What of the guards, what did they see?¡±


    Detion pointed down, there were two pedestals at the bottom, just below where the magic circle had opened, ¡°They were in their normal spots when a pink dome opened from above¡­ no doubt that¡¯s how the intruder entered.¡±


    ¡°A pink dome? You''re certain that¡¯s the way they described it?¡± Striga¡¯s gaze turned deadly serious.


    Detion nodded.


    ¡°...The same calamity that visited The Kingdom¡­¡± Striga¡¯s frown turned into a strained expression, ¡°First Midus¡­ Then this?¡±


    ¡°Grand forces are converging onto our nation¡­¡± Detion muttered his eyes narrowing dangerously, ¡°You understand why I showed this to you specifically yes?¡±


    Striga looked back to the hole for a moment before folding her arms, ¡°You want me to make a strategy¡­ Even if it costs lives?¡± she arched a brow.


    Detion nodded, ¡°We are currently on a grand stage, a stage where blood will be shed¡­ For that is the price of our tickets, so then¡­ I am looking to you for the best deal.¡± Detion declared.


    ¡°Egh, promise me never to use that analogy again and I¡¯ll do it.¡± Striga winced just thinking about it.


    Detion smiled laughing at Striga¡¯s bluntness, to laugh in the face of such danger, that was the sign of a strong ruler, or perhaps the sign of a madman.


    ¡°Very well then¡­ There is one other thing, however¡­¡± Detion¡¯s gaze turned to his throne, ¡°It started calling.¡±


    ¡°It?¡± Striga arched her brow, ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, for the first time in a thousand years, it would seem The Heroes¡¯ Gauntlet has chosen a new master¡­¡± he walked up to his throne, ¡°It started a few days ago now, and it hasn¡¯t stopped since.¡±


    ¡°And you''re not sure who it¡¯s calling to?¡± Striga questioned as she began to close the hole in the floor, ¡°Like does it glow brighter when it gets closer to its chosen?¡±


    ¡°It does nothing of the sort, its glow is also delayed¡­ For at the end of the day, this gauntlet values Courage over other traits.¡± Detion pushed his throne to the side slightly, there in a glass case was a golden gauntlet, it shined brightly behind its case.


    ¡°I heard about that, the test of courage it offers¡­ If you put it on and aren¡¯t chosen then it saps away your life energy¡­ Brutal if you ask me.¡± Striga shrugged, walking forward.


    ¡°Perhaps, but it was a manner of protection, after all it is said this gauntlet among other sacred relics in this world allows mages to transcend the limits of what their magic can do¡­¡± Detion explained, ¡°Someone with such a gift would certainly be useful in the battles to come don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Striga put her hands on her hips shaking her head and sighing, ¡°Sure, that¡¯s obvious, but you don¡¯t really expect me to find the one chosen by that thing do you? I mean given time I could make a guess but if I¡¯m wrong¡­¡± she frowned at the thought, ¡°well I certainly wouldn¡¯t wish that fate upon even my worst enemy.¡±


    Detion put his arms behind his back, ¡°We are the protectors of this land, as such it is our duty to save as many as possible. Even if it means sacrificing others.¡± Detion responded, his words were filled with conviction, though his tone indicated that he wasn¡¯t particularly happy about this turn of events either, ¡°...It was my mistake, I shall bear the responsibility for this events. But I would still plead your assistance.¡± he turned around to look Striga in the eyes once more.


    Striga paused at that and she clicked her tongue in annoyance, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll look into it. But I can promise nothing outside of that.¡±


    Detion nodded in response turning back to his throne, ¡°Then you are dismissed.¡±


    Striga nodded slowly before she finally started walking back to the large door, opening it wide and she found herself lost in thought as she walked through the large red carpeted hallway.


    There were a lot of pieces here, all of them leading to a terrible scenario, ideally, they¡¯d want to recapture Lux, after all that god was a large part of the reason that they have been safe from invaders this long.


    But if worse came to worst¡­ they¡¯d have to kill her.


    Striga found herself walking up a new set of spiral stairs after all the meeting grounds were set at the very bottom of the island, it put them at the most risk, but it was meant to be a sign of faith towards the people, the original ruler intended it this way.


    The large circular roof began to open as Striga approached the top, and she found herself walking into the empty streets once more, she looked to the skies above, she couldn¡¯t spot the sun anymore, it must be setting soon.


    She hummed in thought, as she started up one of those many wooden staircases, ¡°God I need a drink.¡± she groaned as she approached her bar, she opened the door and entered without much thought.


    Grabbing one of the many bottles from the back, and grabbing a nearby shot glass, she threw in a circular ice cube setting into the glass, she then pulled out a can of soda pop mixing it in with her drink of choice.


    The door to her store opened, and she blinked as she downed her drink. She set it down as she slowly turned around, ¡°Ah sorry, we''re closing up for the nigh-¡± she paused when she saw who it was.


    A young man with black hair wearing a red jacket, he wore a smile on his face, of course, he did, Striga knew this man well he was part of the council, ¡°...Mind if I join you?¡± Jack questioned.


    Striga sighed but gestured to the seat, ¡°Just give me a second to lock up.¡±


    Jack smiled as he took a seat, Striga grabbed her keys and while she started to lock the door she spoke, ¡°So then durability test I assume?¡±


    Jack chuckled reaching into his pocket and pulling out what seemed to be a small switchblade, he pressed a button on the side and the blade popped out, he clicked the button again and a second blade popped out from the bottom, ¡°Dual-edged switchblade, not the most advanced tech I¡¯ll concede, but nowadays it¡¯s important to ensure the most basic of items are resistant to overchanneling.¡±


    Striga nodded in understanding, setting her keys down on the counter she then took the switchblade from Jack¡¯s hand.


    Her eyes glowed with power and within seconds the foundation of the blade started to shake, then a crack appeared in the casing.


    Jack frowned at that, sighing as he witnessed it, ¡°Damn it all¡­ even went through the effort of researching new materials¡­¡±


    Striga smiled at him setting the blade down upon the counter once more, ¡°Your getting closer though, just a little further and you¡¯ll have something that is completely impervious to overchanneling, so chin up Jack, our soldiers count on you after all.¡±


    Jack chuckled a little, ¡°No pressure eh? Still, that Energy Converter has to be made somehow, and if someone is going to pull it off then I have to be the first.¡± he then leaned backward, ¡°Still this business of war, are we certain it¡¯s something we really need to worry about? Considering the storm and all?¡±


    Striga folded her arms for a moment before looking to the door, ¡°The storm is already inconsistent, hell if the Empire is threatening to attack us, I assume they already have a plan in mind to counter it.¡± Striga¡¯s gaze then narrowed as a thought occurred, ¡°Maybe that plan has already started...¡± she muttered in realization.


    Jack arched a brow at that, ¡°Seems like you had an idea.¡±


    ¡°Maybe so.¡± Striga frowned, before sighing she walked up to the door, ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m going to head out early for the night, at the very least I need to ensure there¡¯s nothing wrong with our defenses.¡±


    Jack smiled, ¡°Always busy aren¡¯t we?¡± He said these words as he stood up and walked over to the counter grabbing himself a drink he didn¡¯t need to ask, he knew Striga would have offered him one regardless.


    ¡°It¡¯s what we signed up for.¡± Striga confirmed before looking over her shoulder, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trade it for the world though.¡± That was simply who she was, a girl who took immense pride in her work and cared deeply for those she worked with.


    ***


    Skylar walked forward with a narrowed gaze, it was late in the evening but her eyes were transfixed on the storm around her, ¡°Stupid. That¡¯s what this idea is. Completely and utterly stupid.¡± she folded her arms with a scowl.


    ¡°And yet you''re still thinking of doing this said stupid plan.¡±


    Skylar glared at the air, ¡°I don¡¯t see you offering up any alternatives.¡±


    ¡°You could always just pack up and leave.¡±


    Skylar shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not going to just run away and watch another plot of mass murder happen¡­¡± she retorted without even thinking.¡±


    ¡°A fair response, but still¡­ leaping into a storm is hardly the best idea.¡±


    ¡°But with wind magic, it¡¯s not impossible for me to survive.¡± Skylar confirmed, ¡°If anyone is going to be able to chase down this god in her own domain it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great you already know about her¡­¡± Striga¡¯s voice cut into the air and Skylar turned to look at her, arching a brow.


    ¡°...If by her you mean the lunatic trying to flirt with me, while also seemingly being out to kill me then sure. We¡¯ve met.¡± Skylar looked at the storm once more.


    Striga said nothing to that before folding her arms, ¡°You intend to kill her?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Skylar said, eyeing the storm with those emerald eyes of hers, ¡°Well either that, or she¡¯ll come for me first¡­ she¡¯s already made her intentions known.¡±


    Striga blinked at that, ¡°Wait what? She¡¯s after you?¡± that just didn¡¯t add up in Striga¡¯s head, ¡°Why? For what possible reason?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Skylar asked, turning to look at Striga, her eyes shining with fury, ¡°I¡¯ll kill her all the same, even if she wasn¡¯t after me.¡±


    Striga paused at that gaze and she looked to the ground, ¡°Just what did they do to you¡­?¡±


    Skylar¡¯s memories flashed back to her time in The Kingdom and she gave her response, ¡°Showed me a glimpse of hell¡­ I don¡¯t like what I saw, so I intend to show them another version of it.¡± Skylar then looked back to the storm once more, ¡°Lux has full control of the storm doesn''t she?¡±


    Striga paused at the question before looking at the storm herself, ¡°It would be safe to assume so¡­ I¡¯d advise against fighting her, Skylar.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Skylar turned to look at Striga with a scowl, ¡°If she¡¯s allowed to continue it will be the cost of many lives.¡±


    Striga folded her arms, ¡°Allow me to rephrase, I¡¯d advise against you fighting her. She has a mastery over wind magic much like you do, but she also has access to thunder magic¡­ With your current set of skills, she is quite possibly the worst match-up for you. Or did you just happen to forget that gods can reach heights that mortals can never hope to achieve? It doesn''t matter how good you are, she''ll be better.¡± Striga stated this coldly, for these were the facts of the world.


    ¡°So what do you want me to stand aside? I can¡¯t do that.¡± Skylar glanced to the ground, ¡°I could never do that.¡±


    The wind blew harshly between the duo, and Striga¡¯s eyes remained open as she spoke, ¡°I¡¯m starting to see why some people refer to you as a hero Skylar.¡± she put a hand on her hip, ¡°It¡¯s that conviction of yours, the refusal to leave others suffering¡­ It¡¯s infectious.¡± Striga smiled somewhat, but that smile all too quickly turned into a frown, ¡°but even so, it¡¯s OK to put your faith in others sometimes.¡±


    Skylar said nothing to that, for a moment she just stood there in silence, that was¡­


    Until the wind blew once more, Skylar¡¯s eyes widened and she spun around there in the distance stood Lux, wearing that ever-so-perfect smile on her face.


    ¡°Faith in others eh? Certainly not a terrible thing¡­ but in them?¡± Lux gestured to the city, ¡°Come now. They¡¯d take a god and bring her to the brink of starvation telling her to keep their city safe. While never giving them a choice.¡± Lux scowled at Striga, ¡°And even the good ones, even those supposed heroes, refuse to stand against such vile means¡­¡±


    Striga narrowed her gaze before stepping forward, ¡°And why would I stand up to such a thing? The gods are monsters, each and every one of them.¡±


    ¡°Monsters?¡± Lux paused at that name before putting her hands on her hips, ¡°Then what does that make you mages? You who fight against a dwindling race that tries oh so desperately to survive? Heroes? Is that what you claim to be?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we fight to protect our people! As such we are all her-¡± Striga¡¯s eyes widened as Skylar stepped forward with her own eyes narrowed in silent contempt for Lux.


    ¡°Devils.¡± Skylar corrected instantly, ¡°We¡¯re all devils. Each and every one of us.¡±


    Lux smiled at that declaration, ¡°So you admit it then. You, humans, are devils, as such¡­ why not come over here.¡± Lux held out her right hand, ¡°Join the side of the gods, Miss Skylar Shadewalker.¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand me.¡± Skylar stated as she looked at that hand, ¡°I¡¯m not referring to mages as a whole, I¡¯m referring to both gods and humans.¡± Skylar reached up and grabbed the hilt of her blade, ¡°You gods kill without a second thought for those you butcher, all in the name of survival, we humans fight against you gods in the name of protecting those we hold dear, without a care for what happens to you. So that¡¯s what we all are, humans and gods, we''re just two devils at war.¡± Skylar unsheathed her blade and pointed it forward, ¡°There¡¯s no common ground to be found between us, I hate you. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    Lux frowned before lowering her hand slowly, ¡°That¡¯s a welcome second option.¡± she smirked slightly, ¡°I¡¯ll admit this much to you, as much as I love innocent babes cast out to face the wolves¡­ there¡¯s something about you that I loathe.¡± Lux¡¯s smirk dropped, ¡°I hate that spirit of yours, that unshakeable resolve that burns brighter with every defeat¡­ it infuriates me more than I can bear, but that!¡± Lux pointed forward, her eyes shining brightly as she continued,


    ¡°That¡¯s also what makes you completely irresistible in my eyes¡­ Oh¡­ How I need to see it! To see that will of yours crack and break until there¡¯s nothing left¡­ To see your insides torn out, and to bathe in your blood feasting on your insides! What more can this feeling give!?¡± Lux shouted, throwing her hands to the side, ¡°On my honor as a god, NO! On my pride as Lux Tenebris! I shall see this feeling through, seeing where it shall take me! And to do that¡­ I have to see what makes you!¡± Lux shouted in her burst of insanity.


    The wind grew stronger around the trio. Striga stepped to the left a bit although she did warn Skylar it was clear where this path would lead, so Striga would respect Skylar¡¯s choice and watch the battle unfold.


    Skylar grit her teeth, narrowing her gaze slightly, the winds of the storm whipped her hair around, and she took in a breath before uttering her next words, ¡°I will kill you Lux Tenebris.¡± Skylar made her declaration, her eyes glowing with nothing but pure pride.


    Lux slowly lowered her arms, that manic smile turning sickening as she locked her gaze with Skylar¡¯s, thunder boomed within the torrential storm, and the wind grew in strength in time with Lux¡¯s smile and then it happened, those words escaped Lux¡¯s lips, the words that would send shivers down anyone''s spine.


    ¡°My love for you shall begin after I kill you, Skylar Shadewalker.¡±

 Chapter 4: Who Gods Pray To

    Thud.


    The sound of flesh hitting the stone floors tore through the air, the snow deep as it was, it was naught but cold powder, it did little to soften the blow the young girl had just received,


    She lay there in the snow breathing out misty air as she winced, above her an older man with black hair seeming to be in his early thirties scowls, "We''re all hungry lass, but you best not go and try and take my food, or else it''ll be more than your face that gets bruised."


    All she did was look, spare a look through this man''s window, at the fire roasting a piece of meat, she was hungry.


    But she''d never thought about taking that meat, her eyes glanced upwards, an icicle was within her gaze, it was large and thick.


    The man above her turned around and started to walk to the door, that was until he heard the sound of the girl getting up behind him.


    He turned around seeing her knelt over, he paused for a moment staring at her blonde hair, and her tattered clothes.


    He was the cautious type, worried about any thief that may take what is his, so he wanted to wait for the girl to leave.


    He frowned though as the girl began to turn around walking towards him, her arms straight down, her hair covering her face, she limped forward, the man hadn''t noticed before but the girl was barefoot.


    Even in this cold weather.


    But the man had his own concerns, he narrowed his gaze and unfolded his arms raising his right hand, "Didn''t learn your lesson eh?" he then swung down ready to strike at the girl, only for his eyes to widen as the girl nimbly dodged to the side, and lifted her arms gripping the icicle in her hands and thrust it into the man''s gut, a smile broke out on her face as life sparked into her eyes, the man looked down with terrified, "W-Wha-"


    His eyes widened as his flesh began to tear, the icicle remained in place however, no it was wind, a sharp burst of wind tearing the small hole wider, he let out a scream in agony, but it was too late, the life in his eyes vanished his blood shot out as he tumbled lifelessly to the ground.


    The girl stared down at the man with a dazed expression. She dropped her weapon and slowly, she reached up to her face cupping her hands around her cheeks, she was covered in the blood of this man.


    It was crude.


    It was sticky, it tasted like iron.


    But


    It was warm. It was so warm.


    And so that smile once more formed on her lips, as she reached down into the open gut of the man and bit down on his organs.


    Her name was Lux, and on the snowy fields of this mountain.


    She was reborn.


    Chapter 4: Who God''s Pray To.


    "My love for you shall begin after I kill you Skylar Shadewalker." Lux made her declaration as she smiled before launching forward with her own right fist pulled back, green energy swirled around it, green energy that Skylar was more than familiar with, she raised her blade taking a defensive stance, and Lux''s fist smashed into that blade with enough force to cause it to shatter instantly, Skylar grits her teeth her eyes glowed with power as the shards suddenly spun around in the air cutting up Lux''s wrist, she winced before leaping backward, she paused surprise on her face, she looked down to her wrist seeing the blood dripping down onto the grass even through the wind she smirked for a moment before lifting her wrist to her mouth, she stuck out her tongue and lapped up some of the blood, keeping one eye fixed on Skylar as the shards of her blade continued to spiral, Skylar kept the hilt of her sword to her side, glancing to Striga, "A little help would be nice..." she commented.


    Striga however stood there with her arms folded as she responded, "In case you''ve forgotten I''m still borrowing your powers, Skylar... As such I too am at a disadvantage here. And unlike you, I won''t fight a losing battle." Striga spoke.


    Skylar frowned at that before turning her full attention back to Lux, "In that case leave, I''m not going to protect someone who''d leave a threat like this to roam."


    Striga paused at that, before glancing to the ground, "Never said I''d leave them... I''m putting my faith in you to keep her busy, that''s all." with those words Striga turned to the city and started sprinting to the center.


    Lux watched the sight with intrigued eyes, a part of her thought of chasing after Striga, but she found her curiosity regarding Skylar was too much to ignore, so slowly she lowered her wrist, "I''m impressed!" Lux suddenly shouted her smile wide, she started to walk forward the blood dripped from her wrist onto the ground with every step, "Behind all that angst and sass there''s a real fighter in there!" Lux declared, raising her fists once more.


    Skylar growled as her blade began to reconnect itself, "And behind all that insufferable smarm is a dead man!" she blasted forward the ground beneath her feet, shattering as she approached.


    Lux never lost that smile however, "Skylar." she spoke the name of her foe as she raised her left hand grabbing Skylar''s blade on the edge as it descended, "You couldn''t fathom the number of dead men behind me." she then pulled on Skylar''s blade, Skylar, however, refused to let go of her only weapon being pulled with it, her eyes widened in pain as spit flew from her mouth as Lux slammed her leg into Skylar''s gut before letting go of that blade, Lux reached out grabbing Skylar by the cloth of her jacket and throwing her into the storm.


    Lux then leaped into the storm herself with a manic smile.


    Skylar flipped around immediately taking note of the flow of the wind, it was twisting southwest as she was carried along with it, she grits her teeth gripping the hilt of her blade with both hands as she flew backward, as much bark as she was putting out, she still was in a very bad situation.


    She was confident she could defeat Lux with Striga''s help, but now that Striga refused...


    "Shit!" Skylar shouted looking up, Lux descended from above with that manic glee of her''s throwing her fist down into Skylar''s blade, Skylar moved quickly trying to get her blade out of the way, but a part of it was chipped off, and cast aside into the storm, Skylar spun around in the air slamming her boot into Lux''s face, causing Lux to spiral backward only to disappear in the darkness of the storm once more.


    Bad.


    That was very bad, Skylar glanced at her blade, taking note of the shard missing, she tried to call it back but it was already out of range.


    It''d likely float back around given time, but did she even have that time?


    No, that blow was intentional, a message directed right at Skylar.


    "I''ve figured you out." That is what the message was.


    Skylar frowned at the thought before she raised her blade once more, Lux could come in for another strike at any moment, but currently what Skylar deemed the most important was getting out of the storm.


    The wind shifted in her favor and she began inching to the edge,


    "Slowly now girl, if she catches on she won''t go easy on you."


    So Alma said and Skylar agreed, every movement she made had to serve two purposes, to give her an offensive advantage, and to get her closer to escape, any wrong movement here would result in a devastating blow or worse.


    Every direction was a potential threat, her eyes were already struggling to see in the dark, her ears? Couldn''t hear much over the harsh wind, smell covered up by the dust in the air, and taste wasn''t going to do much here either...


    Touch.


    That was the only one of her basic senses she could rely on here, touch and touch alone.


    The wind on her skin, slight changes in the vibrations around her, her body tensed as she closed her eyes, and the hairs on her neck stood on edge waiting in anticipation.


    In the darkness, Skylar saw a light and felt it radiating thrusting toward her soul, her eyes snapped open and she flipped in the air barely avoiding a strike aimed at her back when she finished her flip she planted her boots firmly on Lux''s back, she had overshot her target by a fair bit, Skylar''s eyes flashed with strength as she launched herself upwards, and with a gust of wind pulled herself out of the storms grips landed back onto the docks of the island once more.


    "That was too close..." she muttered, she wasn''t out of the woods yet.


    No, if she got thrown into that storm again she would be doomed for sure, a trick like that won''t work twice.


    Then there was the other problem.


    Getting Lux to come out of the storm, Skylar''s eyes widened as small tornado''s shot out of the storm trying to drag her back in.


    Three in total, Skylar leaped back dodging the first one, she threw her right hand forward sending out a pulse of green energy to disperse the second, but the third one caught her.


    She wasn''t going to be dragged in easily though, a burst of wind gathered at her feet, and she sent herself flying out of that tornado.


    "Must you wriggle about!? This would be so much easier if you''d sit still and die!" Lux''s voice echoed out from the storm.


    Skylar put up an exasperated smile, this girl seemed to be switching from one mood setting to the next on rapid fire, it was making it so much harder to get a grasp on what she''d do.


    She paused and glanced to the left Striga was watching with hollow eyes.


    No, that wasn''t right.


    They were cold and calculating.


    Why?


    What reason would she have to watch like that? Especially with a threat like this one?


    There was something missing here, a clue, a piece to the puzzle that had only just begun to assemble.


    Skylar however quickly returned her attention back to the storm, Striga''s words echoed into Skylar''s mind.


    "It matters not how strong you are.


    A human will never reach the strength of a god."


    ...


    She''s not wrong.


    But


    Skylar took in a sharp breath, the air around her began to condense and her eyes glowed with strength, something burned within her, a familiar energy yet all new.


    Words fumbled into her mind, words were never spoken by her, yet hers all the same.


    The ground beneath her feet began to tremble and a magic circle burst to life around Skylar''s feet, and the winds sang her song.


    "The storm heeds the call of the righteous, the cries of the wicked are heard upon their lips...


    Let all who see these storms know its name." Tornados shot forward, all of them enclosing on Skylar who brandished an insane smile, her eyes glinting with bloodlust, "Cyclone."


    She thrust her blade forward, and the tornados were immediately overcome by Skylar''s own winds, what''s more, it punched a hole into the storm itself and pulled Lux out of it onto the ground.


    Lux tumbled with surprise clear on her face, she quickly flipped onto her feet and locked her gaze onto Skylar once more as her storm began to reform, "A 7th tier wind spell... And so young at that." Lux muttered the words, she frowned, putting a hand on her hip, "You''re a talented mage and a warrior to be reckoned with, but it''s because of that fact that something irks me." Lux narrowed her gaze dangerously, "Why does Jenna want you alive?"


    The question caused Skylar to pause, dropping her stance out of surprise, "What?"


    Lux kept her gaze on Skylar and slowly she started walking forward, "You are a threat of catastrophic scale, anyone with eyes can see that... and Yet, Jenna would have me spare your life...?" Lux clenched her right hand into a fist, "Fuck that."


    Lux held out her arms and the storm grew in intensity, and it was at this moment when the land started to tear up from below.


    Skylar realized a horrific truth.


    Lux was holding back.


    And yet through it all, Skylar still found herself pointing her chipped blade forward, "...Never asked her to do that, and I certainly don''t know why. I made my intentions clear from the moment you stood against me." Skylar gave her response through gritted teeth, "I told you. I''m going to kill you."


    Lux responded with a deranged smile, "You''ll die trying." with the wave of her hand the storm grew in power and it began to tear apart at the edges of the land, it was then that Striga tore her eyes away from the fight if only for a moment, to look down at the lands below, she arched a brow at the sight of people being funneled into the center of the town, right into the royal chambers.


    An odd sight to be sure, each house is protected from the wrath of the storms, so for them to evacuate because of it... It was not normal.


    Unless there was something else to be hiding from...


    Striga paused at the thought before turning her gaze back to Skylar''s fight once more.


    Lux blasted forward once more tearing the ground beneath her feet as the surrounding area tore its way into the storm, Skylar narrowed her gaze, dodging to the side before leaping into the air with a gust of wind below her barely avoiding the next set of Lux''s blows.


    They were fast, both of them were fast, but when it came to moving in the air?


    Lux shot up on the wind and spun around slamming her leg into Skylar''s neck and sending her spiraling downward, she let out a gasp of pain as she tumbled to the ground her blade tumbling to the side, Lux refused to let up shooting downwards with her right fist pulled back, Skylar grit her teeth rolling to the side, and onto her knees, she quickly got back up to her feet and reached out for her blade with her left hand, the blade witch flew to her with the wind.


    Lux, feeling the movement of the wind, smiled and threw her fist to her right, shattering the blade in the air, "Is that all you have to offer!? I thought you''d be stronger than this Shadewalker!" Lux roared over the turbulent winds.


    Skylar''s hair whipped back and forth and she stood there, her eyes glowing as she kept her hand extended, she smiled suddenly, that same wicked smile she wore when she slew Greed.


    Striga watched with greater interest, after all, when that smile appeared on Skylar''s face, it spelled doom for her opponent.


    And then, in that same moment, Skylar clenched that hand into a fist.


    Lux prepared to fly forward, only for her eyes to widen as something flew past her cheek cutting it open, she blinked as she glanced down to the ground, there on the ground stabbed right into it, was a shard of Skylar''s blade, not just any shard, the first shard that was cut off by Lux.


    Lux stared at it with surprise, and then she glanced to her right noticing the shards spiraling, she quickly leaped backward from the storm of shards covering her body in green energy to shield herself.


    "I might not be much in your eyes." Skylar spoke as she blasted forward with her hilt in hand, the shard on the ground shot up and reconnected with the hilt, "But I''m not going to sit by and let you take this land! I''m going to live for what I deem right! Not for humanity! Not for gods! Not for Eternal''s! I''LL SAVE EVERYONE I DEEM WORTHY OF IT!" Skylar shouted these words as Lux leaped into the air, the blade shards came to a halt returning back to Skylar''s blade, Lux flew higher until she was above the storm itself.


    She folded her arms and looked down, "...I underestimated her tenacity it would seem." she raised her right hand, her palm outstretched, "It seems like a waste but..." she smiled wickedly as the icy chill of the night wind met her skin, "Let''s show them the full force of a storm."


    The storm began to spiral upwards, its winds growing as it did so.


    Skylar stood there looking up at the ground, she hissed as she looked upward, "You''ve been backed into a corner, a wall stands ahead of you... So how will you handle such a problem?" Alma asked the question and Skylar responded with a smile as she shot upwards, "BREAK THROUGH IT!"


    She let out a roar blasting upward, her irises changed shape into a reptilian shape, and in an instant, her blade was covered in a spiral of flames, the storm burst to life with those flames around her, yet Skylar herself remained unharmed.


    Lux stared down with wide eyes before she could even react Skylar was upon her, in that single instant Skylar drove her blade through Lux''s chest.


    And... The storm stopped flowing, Lux stared down at Skylar.


    An image of an older man came into her mind, and she uttered the last words that would ever leave her lips, "So... Warm..." She leaned forward, her body falling limp and Skylar said nothing in response.


    She pulled to remove her blade only for her eyes to widen in surprise as Lux''s hands shot up wrapping around Skylar''s blade, "Not enough. I need more... More warmth, warmth to soothe the cold, warmth to halt the blizzard!" her eyes shined with a yellow glow and Skylar grit her teeth letting go of her blade as she flew backward.


    Skylar then turned looking down to the island below, "MOVE!" she shouted to Striga who listened close to those words.


    But refused to heed them standing in place as the storm converged on the duo, a burst of light came from Lux consuming the area in its all-encompassing glow.


    ***


    Skylar blinked as she found herself standing in a field of white flowers, "What the...?" the field itself stood on a set of platforms, Lux was nowhere in sight.


    So with few other options, Skylar started to walk around, straight to the edge of the platform in question, when she looked over the edge, she saw the night sky surrounding herself, and another set of platforms lower down.


    Striga stood on one of those platforms with a flower in her hand.


    Skylar narrowed her gaze for a moment before glancing upward, there at the peak of this dome of night sky stood the largest platform of them all, a circular arena where rain fell.


    It didn''t seem like Lux would make the first move here, but Skylar kept her guard up all the same.


    She then leaped downwards onto the platform that Striga stood on, "Okay, what the hell is going on with you? You''ve been acting strange ever since Lux appeared!" Skylar shouted walking up to Striga.


    Striga said nothing to that, tossing the flower over the edge it burnt into smoke as soon as she did, she then looked over to Skylar, "Don''t you have a god to slay?" Striga questioned with an arched brow.


    Skylar folds her arms with a scowl, "This takes precedence. Seriously... Just... talk to me, did I do something wrong here?" Skylar''s gaze softened as she unfolded those arms of hers and looked at Striga with a confused gaze.


    Striga stared forward with empty eyes before looking at the sight of the night sky dome and opening her mouth to speak, "It''s not out of hatred, I can tell you that much... But there is something else going on here, something bigger than both of us, until I can figure that out I have to conserve my strength and plan my movements carefully." Striga explained she then clenched her right hand into a fist, "though I am loath to do so."


    Skylar frowned at the answer, "...Fine, stay here then." she turned around and a gust of wind blew around her, "I''ll handle this myself." with that a gust of wind took over and she launched herself into the sky.


    Striga kept her gaze fixated on the night sky ahead, and slowly she reached out her right hand, it cracked and shifted, her fingers extending in size if only for a moment.


    A wound.


    Her hand was sliced open by the darkness of the night sky, she pulled back and stared down at that hand, an inky black substance came from the stub reforming flesh, bone, and matter.


    Good as new.


    ***


    --Once.


    Once in a land of dreams.


    A fairy tail made its way across the lands.


    It spoke of a young boy and his trusty band of heroes 4.


    The boy bore a blade, his courage was unshakeable and his deeds renowned throughout the land.


    The first of the band held a spear in his grip, his resolve to protect his allies kept the group afloat even in the darkest of times. And his skill with machinery brought the world to a new age.


    The second of the band was a young girl wielding a scythe, though her bloodlust was great her love for the boy brought her from death''s grip to the realm of the living all in service to the one she''d call the hero.


    The third of the band was a girl with golden locks, her skills in healing were unmatched, and it was for that reason that she held the kindness of a thousand souls, her love for the boy was unmatched and she would go on to bear his child.


    And then there was the last of the band.


    A warrior with blighted steel, a berserker that was known throughout the lands as the only one free, free to live his own life, and yet he would always find himself living for others.


    This man was the only one that had his name remembered, for he was the one that shepherded us to a new world.


    His name was...


    "Why?" Lux asked the question as she looked down at the blade stabbed through her, her platform was filled to the brim with these white flowers that made up the rest of the platforms, and her blood leaked from her lips, "Why did it have to be her? Why does the one bearing that name have to be the one to undo us...? Is this what you wanted when you sent us here? Is this the fate the Shepherd gave us...? Why? Why Anarchy?" Lux begged the question as she looked up, reaching out to the night sky.


    Her ear twitched when she heard the sound of footsteps landing behind her, the girl bearing his name arrived.


    And Lux found herself slowly lowering her hand, "...Do you ever look into the sky like this?"


    Skylar started to walk forward, "I do. But it''s never clear enough for this kind of sight." Skylar stated as she looked up, stopping for only a moment.


    Lux chuckled a little at that though it hurt to do so, "Strange... in this place, I feel strength flowing in me like never before, like with the wave of my hand I could create and destroy... yet the life in my body still wavers. It won''t be long now I don''t think."


    Skylar lowered her head as Lux began to stand up slowly but surely, as she did so her blood dropped onto the flowers and she grit her teeth, "So with what little I have left... I will make one final effort, to strike you down..." lighting danced along her fingertips as she slowly turned to face Skylar.


    Skylar stared forward pity in her gaze as she did so, it was like watching a dying animal let out its last gasp.


    But...


    Skylar clenched her hands into fists and got into a battle stance, "...Farewell. Lux."


    "Heh. ''Lux''... Yes, that is my name." Lux repeated the words as she arched her back looking up to the sky, "In the Latin tongue... that name means... Light."


    As if on command lighting began to pour down from above, striking down at Skylar''s position she grits her teeth as the electricity flowed through her body, and she fell to her knees instantly.


    Lux hadn''t even used lighting up till this point, so Skylar had nearly forgotten about that particular skill set.


    And now.


    Lux smiled at the sight, knowing that Skylar was at her mercy, that smile faded as she saw Skylar slowly getting up, despite the burns appearing on her body, Skylar took a step forward, "This... This is nothing..." she growled, another step, "No more pain..." another, and another, "No more than what needs to be suffered, to save as many... as I can." Yet another step she was right in front of Lux, and slowly she reached out her right hand, "That is my oath as a Shadewalker." and grabbed the hilt of her blade pulling on it and slashing it through Lux''s torso.


    Lux remained wide-eyed as she began to fall to the ground, she uttered only one word, "Shepard...?"


    Skylar stared at the corpse for a moment even as Lux''s magic flowed into her Skylar scowled, after all...


    Something about this fight left a bitter taste in her mouth.


    She found herself looking to the night sky of this place once more and then to the white flowers there was now a large stain of red upon some of them.


    The field began to shake then, and Skylar slowly reached up sheathing her blade, the battle was done.


    And soon only the memory would remain.


    Skylar looked down at the flowers once more, and a memory popped into her head.


    "White rain lilies?" Skylar questioned as she looked at a bed of flowers with an arched brow.


    Icon nodded as she watered a nearby set of plants, "Tetra told you about them I assume?" Icon questioned.


    Skylar stood up and put a hand to her chin, "He mentioned it in passing, on one of our travels. Though, I''m still not really knowledgeable about the flower itself."


    Icon set the canister of water she was using down and turned to Skylar, "The flower itself can''t handle cold weather that well, it wilts and dies during that, so it has to be removed from the soil and taken inside during those times...


    And then replanted in the spring." Icon then glanced to the side, "Tetra once mentioned that the meaning of the flower''s existence was, ''I love you back, I must atone for my sins, and I''ll never forget you."


    Skylar stood up, "Hm, he might have been projecting a bit there... I mean it''s a white flower, right? So wouldn''t it be more accurate to say it represents purity? Or maybe hope?" Skylar questioned as she turned around with a slight smile.


    Icon shrugged at the thought, "At the end of a day a flower is a flower, an object like any other... it''s up to you to decide what meaning you derive from it."


    Hope.


    That is what Skylar settled upon back then.


    And here she was taking another life, it was so irritating, the situation of this world.


    A world where no matter how much she wanted otherwise, both species couldn''t exist in harmony.


    She shook her head, taking herself out of her thoughts.


    The field continued to shake as Skylar walked to the edge leaping off, with a slight burst of wind she sent herself flying down to Striga''s position once more.


    And a burst of light surrounded them.


    ***


    Striga blinked as she glanced around the area, she arched a brow to Skylar behind her, "You''re more wounded than I thought you''d be." Striga commented.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Skylar blinked and then looked down at her skin. There were quite a few burn marks on her, she smiled sheepishly, "Er, I got a little cocky, ended up paying for that... still managed to win though."


    Striga sighed and walked up to Skylar a blue glow surrounded her hands and she touched Skylar''s arms that glow then washed over Skylar her wounds began to heal albeit slowly.


    "Healing magic?" Skylar questioned with an arched brow.


    "Ice magic healing seems to be paired with ice... as for why? Your guess is as good as mine, but it''s not perfect, it only speeds up the natural healing process, if anything you''ll feel a little sluggish after this." Striga explained with narrowed eyes, "We should be worrying about what comes next though."


    Skylar arched a brow to that, "What comes next?"


    The storm had already begun to cease behind them, Striga removed her hand and looked to that storm, "That was our only real protection from the outside, sure we have defenses internally, but the storm was always our greatest... And with the threat of invasion so close at hand, we now have little time to res-" Striga''s eyes suddenly widened.


    There just behind the faint fog of the storm, airships.


    Not just two.


    No more than that.


    Thousands.


    Thousands upon thousands of airships all surrounding Jubilee.


    The Imperial fleet.


    ***


    Jenna sat upon her chair looking out her window with a wicked smirk, "It would seem Lux has fallen, of course she did, for that is all she was ever good for." Jenna then tapped her impatient fingers on the table, "And so the curtain rises on the show, this is the grand stage I would provide for you Midus, as such... you better make good on your end of the deal." Jenna stated as she looked over to the other end of the table, Midus said nothing to that.


    Simply stood up from his chair and walked over to the pink portal opened for him.


    He stopped just short of it, turning to look at Jenna, "The Empire has agreed to your demands, but that does not make you safe... I suggest you start looking into more secure methods of transportation."


    "Worried about me?" Jenna questioned with a smirk as she picked up an eyeball from her plate and glanced over to Midus, "I''d be more worried about yourself."


    "Heh." Midus smirked beneath his helmet, "You should know better than most I''m undefeatable."


    "I do wonder about that." Jenna questioned popping the eyeball into her mouth, "I suppose we shall soon see if the undefeatable is a match for the girl who is no stranger to defeat''s bitter sting." Jenna smiled wickedly.


    Midus frowned at that, "You think this Skylar Shadewalker will slay me?"


    "No, not that." Jenna quickly confirmed, "But she out of everyone may be the first to show you defeat."


    Midus stared forward for a moment, before turning back to the pink portal he walked forward, and uttered only two words in response, "How interesting." with that, he vanished through the portal.


    Jenna leaned forward with a smirk, "Jubilee has long been a nation of interest... and now we shall see what its forces are capable of. I do hope they put up more of a fight than The Kingdom."


    ***


    Skylar stared at the large feet ahead, worry appeared in her gaze.


    "Confidence Skylar." Striga hissed, "Even in the face of such a threat show confidence, never let your enemy get into your head."


    Skylar blinked but took in a breath and adorned a smile. There was still a bead of sweat on the back of her neck.


    But she wore the mask of confidence well enough.


    That was until a man clad in armor crashed into the ground behind the duo.


    Skylar and Striga quickly spun around, there in the dirt rose Midus.


    "...This is what I would face? Children?" Slowly he began to walk forward, Striga took a step forward and scowled.


    "Hold it, in your letter you said you''d attack in a week. It has hardly been two days, is the Empire a nation of lies?" Striga questioned.


    Midus paused at that before folding his arms, "The precise words of my letter were, "The Empire will attack in a week." today this Empire of mine stands as spectators of this grand event." Midus then extended his hand forward, "An offer, one that will suit you well, I would duel the both of you here and now. If you succeed, our Empire will call off the assault, but should you fail? The assault will proceed as it once was."


    Skylar narrowed her gaze at Midus, there was something... wrong.


    Terribly wrong about him, this man clad in armor, the way he carried himself was unlike anything Skylar had seen before.


    Striga narrowed her gaze dangerously, before speaking, "In that case, I''ll be first up." Striga walked just ahead of Skylar.


    Much to the surprise of the Shadewalker.


    "You... sure you wanna do that?" Skylar questioned tilting her head to the side.


    Striga looked over her shoulder, "You need to rest, as such..." She held out her right hand and a blade of ice manifested itself, "I shall hold the line."


    Midus arched a brow beneath his helmet, "Really now? And here I thought you''d take me on the same time... but if you wish to prolong your deaths. That''s fine with me." Midus then started to walk forward, "Gives me more time to savor your screams."


    Striga scowled before blasting forward, the ground beneath her feet sunk as she closed the distance and slashed down at Midus, only for Midus to raise his right fist and shatter the blade on his knuckles, he then opened his palm and grabbed Striga by the head lifting her up and slamming her into the ground, he let go and raised his boot, only for his eyes to widen as spikes of earth shot up forcing Midus to leap backward a fair distance.


    Striga pushed herself back up to her knees, a brown glow coming from her eyes as she spits out blood, "His physical defenses alone are problematic... But beyond that..." Striga slowly got up retracting the ice spikes, Midus stood there unmoving, staring at Striga, Striga took note of the blade upon Midus''s back, "He''s holding back... just what kind of monster am I dealing with here?" Striga questioned as her hands clenched into fists.


    She couldn''t shake this feeling, no matter hard she fought back, she couldn''t shake the feeling of impending doom.


    Yet even so, she shot forward once more covering her fists in an icy haze.


    Midus tilted his head to the side, "You would forgo weapons and in their place use brute strength?" Striga threw her hand forward only for Midus to easily duck under the first blow, he dodged to the side of the second and slammed his own fist into the third shattering the ice that covered Striga''s right fist, and a sickening cracking noise could be heard from Striga''s fist as the bones in her fingers shattered her flesh being torn open just from Midus''s movements.


    Midus then lowered his fists staring as Striga leaped backward, Midus frowned and asked, "Is that the best you have to offer? You''re beginning to bore me."


    Slowly he started to walk forward with a growl, "Perhaps I should end this now..." slowly he began to raise his hand only for him to spin around and close that hand onto a sword, a sword that was thrown through the air, his eyes widened as a fist suddenly collides with the top of his helmet sending him onto his knee and forcing him to drop the sword onto the ground.


    A burst of wind came around him, and when he looked up he saw the sword fly back into Skylar''s sheath who was currently standing in front of Striga with a scowl of her own, "Enough''s enough. I''m already sick of you and your games!" Skylar shouted sparks of lighting dancing between her fingertips.


    Midus arched a brow at the sight, "Oh? How interesting... I was under the impression that you were a wind mage... a multi-element perhaps? Quite rare indeed..." he spoke yet made no move to attack yet, instead he simply watched.


    "Leave this place. Now." Skylar growled, reaching up and putting a hand onto her sword, "I won''t ask again."


    "...I propose an alteration to our deal." Midus suddenly declared thrusting his right hand forward, Midus looked to Skylar with an expression of intrigue, "It is that power of yours that gives me interest, the power to slay gods and take what is there''s..." his right hand never wavered, "I would bid you join me, join me and seek salvation for all realms..." he declared without hesitation.


    Skylar frowned at that, "You don''t want salvation, nobody with an army the size of yours would."


    "Salvation is something that must be fought for girl, all men of power bear weapons, the stronger those weapons the stronger the man. You are no different, your blade is fragile and weak as such you are fragile and weak." Midus declared this with confidence.


    Skylar tilted her head to the side, "Is that so?" a smirk danced on her lips, "thanks for the offer, but I''ll pass, I''m fine with being weak." she declared without much hesitation as she drew her blade once more, "Though if you ask me, a weak blade is perfect for me."


    Her voice then dropped to a whisper, "Striga, I''m not going to last long against him... So do me a favor and make sure anyone who hasn''t already been evacuated gets to safety."


    Striga growled at that, she desperately wanted to assist... but she wasn''t a fool, she knew she''d only be in the way.


    "...You''d better not die on me, Skylar," Striga stated before she turned and started to run towards the city.


    Midus noticed this but made no move to stop her, "Hm. You''d put your life on the line for this place? Despite having little to no connection to it?"


    Skylar nodded, "I would, I''ve got business here, and you''re an obstacle to that business, frankly beating you will make my goal that much easier to obtain." she declared with a smile.


    Midus hummed in thought at that before he let out an ''aha.''


    "I figured it out." he declared at last, Midus folded his arms, "You doubt my strength." he then slowly lowered those arms, he turned his helmet to look at Skylar before smirking beneath the helmet, "Then I shall show you a glimpse, for fear to sow its way into the hearts of man, it must first be planted by one of power." He gripped the hilt of his blade and began to slowly unsheath it, Skylar leaped backward raising her own blade quickly.


    Midus''s blade was drawn, its crimson shine reflected in the moonlight, he slowly raised it skyward and a blood-red glow washed over his sword, "Bear witness to the glory of the empire!" he roared slashing forward, that single slash shot out a beam that covered the island washing over the land and engulfing the edges of the village that Skylar stood in front of in pure blue flames, her eyes widened as she slowly turned around her jaw agape at the sight.


    The attack only hit a horizontal area, but it was clear that if this was any other island...


    That attack would have wiped the city off the map.


    Midus however seemed unamused, "Hm? You still stand... How interesting." He pointed his blade forward, "Come, let us see the might of this land''s champion."


    Without saying a word Skylar shot forward slashing right at Midus''s head, only for Midus to move quickly, his own sword clashing with Skylar''s.


    She growled as she stared into his helmet''s eyes, the man said nothing at first before uttering one phrase as he began to push Skylar backward, "Weak."


    He lunged forward grabbing Skylar by the neck with his left hand and hoisted her into the air, "Is this all you have to offer?" Midus questioned a red glint escaping the eyes of his armor, Skylar gasped for air desperately clawing at Midus''s armor, she grit her teeth her eyes filled with rage as she held out her right hand a right glow came from it.


    Midus stared at the glow without saying a word, flames poured out and he was engulfed in an explosion that was large enough to send Skylar flying out his hand, she winced at the pain of being seared by her own flames, but...


    That was it.


    She won.


    She exhaled a breath falling onto her back, relishing in the victory.


    "Is that all?" Her eyes widened at the voice, slowly she looked up from where she was laying, and those eyes became filled with despair, Midus walked forward through the fire there wasn''t even a scratch on her radiant armor, his voice boomed over the land, "I was given to understand that you were the protectors of these lands, so I ask you again... Is. That. All?"


    Skylar stood there dumbfounded for a moment but slowly she began to get to her feet, her legs trembling in agony as she did so, "I''m... not... done!" she growled slamming her foot into the ground, the ground cracked beneath her strength and she shot forward with glowing eyes.


    "You strike with conviction, but you lack the strength to see it through." Midus retorted, slashing upwards and connecting with Skylar''s blade, her sword shattered in an instant and she leaped backward sending a gust of wind magic towards Midus.


    His eyes widened slightly as the shards of the blade danced towards him, lighting connecting them.


    But Midus would not be defeated so easily, he leaped backward hefting his blade upward with speed, with expertly placed slashes he knocked the shards from the air one by one impaling them into the ground.


    He then blasted forward, before they had time to reenter the air, closing the distance between himself and Skylar.


    Lighting burst to life around Skylar''s fists as she dodged to the left of Midus she threw her hand forward slamming it into Midus''s chest with enough force to cause him to wince even in his armor.


    A pulse of red energy surrounded Midus''s right fist he threw it forward right at Skylar''s head; she leaped upward, a burst of wind gathering at her feet.


    Only for her eyes to widen as Midus''s left hand shot upward wrapping around Skylar''s left leg, "KNOW WHEN YOUR BEATEN!" Midus roared as he pulled her down from the air and slammed her back first into the ground with enough force to send blood flying from Skylar''s mouth.


    The ground shattered and dirt flew into the air, as Skylar lay there gasping for breath, her lips covered in her own blood.


    Her vision blurred and she tried to get to her feet.


    Midus stared down with a look of disappointment, "That''s it? That is all you can bring to bear?" Midus then raised his blade skyward, "What a disappointment you turned out to be..." Instead of bringing that blade down upon Skylar''s head, he instead sheathed it, clouds darkened above and rain began to pour down.


    Skylar grit her teeth, anger seeping into her gaze as she moved to get up.


    Her back hurt.


    -Is my spine broken?


    She let the thought hang as she moved to stand.


    But her body refused to heed the command.


    Midus watched with contempt walking up to the girl, he knelt down and grabbed her by the hair, "Still, you''d be a nuisance if you did manage to get back up..." he slammed her head down into the dirt, lifted her up, and slammed her down again.


    He repeated the same movements over and over, soon bones began to break, tears entered Skylar''s eyes as she screamed.


    But nobody came.


    Again and again, Midus repeated these movements.


    Until.


    He at last ceased, he paused and tilted his head to get a better look at Skylar''s face, it was bloody, bruised, and bones had twisted in her nose, but her eyes were closed.


    Her breathing was barely stable, she had lost consciousness.


    Midus wordlessly dropped her head to the ground.


    And then he started to walk away, slowly but surely.


    Towards the walkways that led into the city, he still had to finish his duel with Striga after all.


    But he paused, something made him wait.


    A sound.


    The sound of dirt being pulled apart, the sound of someone letting out labored breaths, there was only one person around who could make such a sound.


    But such a thing should be impossible.


    "And yet it is..." Midus muttered slowly, turning back around there Skylar stood her blood dripping to the ground before evaporating into a red mist her eyes were still closed and her bones cracked and popped setting back into place, Midus watched with interest at the sight, "A beast stands before me at last... Not some half-broken thing, yet still you wear the body of a child. Far from the most ideal of circumstances, but still..." Midus reached for the blade upon his back, "You''ll lose all the same."


    Skylar opened her mouth, Midus half expected some speech to leave her lips, but instead, all that came was a breath, an icy cold breath as though the temperature of her body dropped to near-freezing levels.


    She then leaned forward and blasted forward without her blade, the ground beneath her feet shattered, and she instantly closed the distance, the raindrops that made contact with her flesh shattered upon contact, and before they could even hit the ground Skylar slammed her fist into Midus''s helmet with enough force to send him flying backward into the center of the city.


    His eyes widened as he landed on the center platform of wood, he blinked as he looked to the ground noticing shards of metal upon it.


    He knew the material well, it was the same metal as his helmet.


    Midus then looked up seeing the girl looking down from above, Skylar''s eyes still remained closed, and the beast was still asleep.


    Not yet to fully awaken, but Midus would fix this.


    His crimson eye shined through the only visible hole in his armor.


    Skylar extended her right hand and her sword flew into her hand, she then leaped forward without fear.


    Diving down upon her prey without hesitation, Midus then slowly began to unsheath his blade, "Okay..." she spoke as he slashed upward, accepting the blow from Skylar''s blade sparks flew into the air as they clashed, "Let''s dance."


    Skylar leaped backward and just like before Midus quickly reached out and grabbed Skylar by the leg only for his eyes to widen as a pulse of electricity came forth making him let go on instinct, as soon as Skylar landed she threw her blade forward letting the wind carry it, and slash at her foe.


    Midus reacted quickly, knocking the blade to the side, never letting his eyes wander too far from Skylar, and yet...


    He slashed upward colliding with the flying blade and causing it to spin in the air with his free hand he grabbed the hilt of that sword, and threw it back towards Skylar.


    She moved her head to the side, and the sword flew past her but stopped, the blade stopped just in front of her forehead.


    And for the first time, Skylar''s eyelids twitched.


    Midus watched the scene before him with great interest, a smile began to form on his face as Skylar''s eyes slowly began to open once more.


    The white in her eyes was missing, replaced with an inky black, and then the iris''s pure crimson, the eyes of the beast were at last revealed.


    The first instinct the first movement of this beast was to reach out and run her index finger along the bottom edge of the sword before her lacing her blood across it, she then locked her eyes on the opponent before her and smiled, insanity flashed in those eyes a look of pure bloodlust emerged as her fangs were born.


    The blade flew into the air and to the side of the platform, Midus spared it a glance before returning his gaze to Skylar who got down on all fours, she launched forward pouncing on her prey like a tiger.


    "That''s it?" Midus let the question everything seem to slow down in his eyes, Skylar was completely open in the air, with no defenses whatsoever, sure she could probably shift her movement a little with the wind, but that was all. A small evasion that wouldn''t save her, Midus had hoped to face a worthy beast.


    Instead, he found this broken doll leaping at him overtaken by her own need for blood.


    It was so disappointing that he could barely bring himself to lift his sword.


    That.


    Was his undoing, the ground neath his feet shifted and the platforms below collapsed all at once, the shift was sudden and Midus suddenly found himself falling towards the bottom of the town, defenseless as Skylar approached from above.


    Midus smiled and widened some at that, she had ordered her blade to sever the bindings of the platform, hoping to make him panic so that she could steal the opening blow.


    Bold.


    But ultimately futile, Skylar was still wide open, and in this stage, Midus could still swing at her with ease.


    She approached and Midus swung his blade, only for his eyes to widen in surprise as Skylar''s blade came from below and knocked his own sword from his hand.


    Before he could even react Skylar was now upon him, and her first move was to do something dastardly.


    She thrust her nails into Midus''s exposed eye socket, and with a sinister glint in her gaze, she squished down, shattering the eyeball in Midus''s skull.


    He roared in pain and with his left hand slammed his palm into Skylar''s face with enough force to make her retract her hand and send her flying backward, Midus hit the ground and immediately covered his eye with his other hand.


    Skylar however landed on her fours, before smirking, she slowly rose, standing on her own two feet, her right hand covered in Midus''s own blood.


    Midus grit his teeth and slowly began to get back up, his own blade was on the ground to his right, "...This... isn''t over..." he growled taking a step forward, Skylar tilted her head to the side never losing that smile of hers, she lifted up her right hand and licked some of the blood off it.


    Midus hissed as he reached down grabbing his blade, blood was still flowing from his eye socket, and he was ready to charge forward, that was...


    Until a ladder descended from above, he blinked and looked upwards, one of his many airships had dropped this ladder for him.


    It was a strategy he himself made for his soldiers, one for a quick retreat.


    Retreat?


    Him?


    ...It irked him, the thought was so infuriating to him, but his pride as a leader wouldn''t allow him to ignore his own strategy.


    He sheathed his blade and grabbed that ladder, letting it raise him to the skies, "The day is your''s Shadewalker... But the war is far from over."


    Skylar said nothing in response, her smile dropping as she watched Midus ascend into the skies above, she almost seemed disappointed at the sight.


    All at once, the airships that once surrounded Jubilee began to fly off, and a wave of exhaustion suddenly overcame Skylar; her blade dropped to the ground and she dropped to her knees clutching her head.


    The black in her eyes returned to white, and the color of her iris returned to emerald. She blinked looking at the ground, "Where...?" she muttered the question, turning to look around, she saw broken wood, and her sword on the ground, "How did I get down here...?" she arched a brow at the blood covering her hand, and she stared at its jaw slack, and she asked one final question.


    "What did I do?"


    ***


    Jenna smirked leaning forward, she had watched the events unfold through one of her many portals, "Hm, well done Shadewalker, not many could force a retreat from a beast as strong as Midus... But I do wonder..." Jenna leaned back in her chair staring at the roof, "How will he proceed? The sting of defeat for someone who has never tasted it can often be the thing that drives one to madness..."


    Jenna then closed her eyes, taking in a breath before standing from her chair, she began to walk up the large staircase, "It is ever the hand of the divine that steers mankind along its fate, yet you act in constant defiance of such a hand... it''s rather troublesome."


    ***


    Striga found herself sitting at one of many tables in the round room, it was a rare sight.


    The full group wasn''t here, only herself, Frolic, Delish, and Detion, it was in these rare moments that the room was considered something else.


    A war council.


    Though out of all of them, Delish was likely going to be the most silent, he only served to ensure things didn''t get too violent in the room.


    ...And yet instead of plans and strategies being thrown around, there was silence.


    Striga frowned and closed her eyes, "Enough of this." that caught the attention of all in the room, after all the Witch spoke, she may have been hated in this room but when she did speak up, all listened.


    "We burn their nation to the ground," Striga spoke confidently.


    This caught the eyes of everyone, "Have you lost your mind? Think of the innocents that will be lost! Doing such a thing will not yield freedom, it will only earn the ire of every other island in this realm!" Frolic slammed his hand down onto the table.


    Striga responded by folding her arms, "That depends fully on how we go about this, there is a way we can defeat their island, cripple their resources and save any innocents in the process." she stated boldly. She then closed her eyes and slowly stood up, "Skylar Shadewalker. She must do battle with Midus and obtain victory."


    Once more silence fell over the room, and Diton spoke up next, "Skylar Shadewalker? You would request the assistance of The Fairy Of Blood? Absurd, she is too far away as is, if we sent out word to The Kingdom now the message would never arrive."


    Striga smirked then, "Oh you''re not aware? Shadewalker already walks among us, wearing the name of "Valery." I thought you would have picked up on that fact." murmurs echoed across the room.


    And the door at the back of the room swung open, Skylar walked forward covered in blood a deep scowl on her face, her eyes glowed a bright crimson and her sword was atop her back, "I''ve got a score to settle with that man, so frankly I don''t care what any of you say... I''ll be going after Midus''s head. With. Or without your help." something about him


    Something about Midus urged Skylar to go after him


    Everyone in that room stood up staring right at the crimson eyes of The Shadewalker.


    Striga folded her arms looking at each individual in the room, "And I would say she deserves our help after everything she has done for our grand city, as such. This is what I propose, the strategy of The Witch Of Jubilee."


    Everyone in that room looked to Striga with shock, it had been years since she had proposed a strategy, and she had only ever given two, but they were always flawless, the tradeoff was they were almost always filled with blood to be paid.


    That is why she had ceased to give strategies.


    Detion however did not react with shock, he leaned on the side of his chair and smirked, catching the attention of Delish, but he remained silent interested in the events that were unfolding before him.


    Striga then walked over to the map and set a red piece in front of the gate, "We shall have our forces launch a frontal assault, it will likely be futile of this I am aware, but their goal isn''t to obtain victory it is simply to create a diversion."


    She then grabbed hold of a blue piece and dragged it over to the castle, "Our goal is to start our true siege from within the castle itself."


    Frolic responded with a frown, "And how do you propose we do that, in case you''ve forgotten Babylon holds the greatest air defenses in the realm, attack from above will lead to naught but blood and rubble."


    Striga looked up from the map, "That is why we will attack from below, Babylon was a mining resource for crystals long ago, though unused now, the tunnels are still in one piece, as such using my own magic I should be able to create a safe passage into the castle itself. Of course, this also means that I shall be joining the force that infiltrates the castle assuming that is alright with my lord."


    Diton then looked at the map, "There is still the issue of Midus, I am aware that the Shadewalker desires to do battle with him once more, but how can we be certain that they will even meet on the battlefield? Hell''s we''d need to ensure they meet before our forces arrive at the front gates." Diton declared to Striga, she, however, responded by picking up a third piece, this one was green, she set it on the eastern gate, "We give them an offer they can''t refuse, an offer that is so suspicious that even that idiot emperor wouldn''t hesitate to send in there most experienced officer." Striga looked up to Diton with eyes that were filled with power, "The Heroes Gauntlet."


    Diton stood up from his throne rage flaring into his eyes, "You would have me offer our greatest relic on a silver platter for the enemy to take, just for a chance to defeat them!?!"


    Striga stood to her full height smirking all the while, "Not at all, in fact, I would suggest you finally put that relic to good use and bequeath a new champion." she then turned to Skylar, "That is of course assuming you are willing to once again be accepted into an Executioner''s force?"


    Skylar paused for a moment before looking at the map, "If it''s just for the battle ahead I''m fine with that, I''ve already made it clear to you that I can''t remain in Jubilee forever."


    Striga frowned for a moment but that smile returned nevertheless, she turned to face Diton once more, "Surely The Heroes Gauntlets will be safe when held by a girl of Skylar''s caliber."


    Diton looked to Skylar frowning bitterly, "You have already failed to slay Midus once, who is to say that will not happen again? And what''s more, if it does, how do I know that you''ll protect the relic with your life?"


    Skylar paused for a moment before folding her arms, "A fair question." she decided and she closed her eyes, "And one that I can''t provide an answer that can be backed up with proof..." She slowly opened her eyes, "All I can offer is my word, I will keep pushing forward to kill Midus, in my legs break, I will crawl, should he take my arms then I''ll sink my teeth into his flesh, no matter what occurs I will not leave without Midus''s life."


    Diton locked his gaze onto Skylar''s for a moment and then he hissed, "Damn it all... there wasn''t a single lie in that statement..." he then put a hand over his face and dragged it down sighing as he did so sinking back into his chair with the movement, "Very well, as of this moment you are given a temporary status as a High Executioner of Jubilee, even though your''s is a temporary role I still expect you to be in uniform, understood?"


    Skylar visibly cringed at the thought but she only muttered one retort, "I''m keeping my scarf."


    Dition nodded in response before looking over to Striga, "Then you have my permission to see this strategy of yours through." he looked down at the rest of the room, "You shall assist Striga with whatever she desires if she is given any trouble then you shall answer to me, with that said this meeting is finished, DISMISSED!"


    With a wave of his hand, the order was given and everyone in the room moved to leave everyone except Skylar herself, she stayed there for a moment looking up at Dition with a frown.


    He looked back to Skylar and spoke, "The Gauntlet in question was once wielded by one of your ancestors, it is said that he obtained far greater strength through an unknown sort of magic... Many others have tried to wear this said gauntlet but were immediately driven to madness."


    Skylar arched a brow to that, "An unknown magic? ¡­I suppose that¡¯d made sense, if it was unknown then it¡¯d be nearly impossible to find anyone that could even contail it." She recalled her lessons on a particular magic element that was passed down to the Shadewalker''s, she never did have the chance to thank Anarchy for that lesson it was something he called ''void'', she then smirked, though she had looked into that element herself it would seem it¡¯s been lost to time, for she found no books, no recordings, not even a mention of it, perhaps¡­ this was it? So with that thought she opened her mouth to speak, "It won''t be an issue."


    Dition then slowly stood up and began to descend from his throne, "In our era, there has only been one man who has worn this gauntlet, even if only for a moment it was his strength and courage that saved our land from the Empire''s might."


    Skylar found herself interested in the topic so she put a hand on her hip, "Who was it?"


    "A man you are quite familiar with, his name was Tetra." Dition stated as he reached the bottom of the stairs.


    Skylar frowned, of course as soon as she had the thought of ¡®void¡¯ it was immediately put to rest by that comment, but with a bitter frown she then looked at the map once more, "It seemed like he was always able to do the impossible... to create victory out of a 0% chance, I wish I had that kind of power, the power to take destiny by its horns and steer its course." she stated as she lowered her left hand onto the map.


    Dition scoffed at that, "You flattered him, the man didn''t steer destiny at all... He knew his limits more than anyone else, but he worked within those limits to create hope." Dition stated as he walked to a nearby chimney there were a few loose stones in it, "For example, he fought the Empire until they were forced into a ceasefire, this didn''t stop our war. But it put a halt on it, just like every other battle he fought in his objective was never complete victory, he was a customer of Fate, and he was there to buy Time."


    Dition then removed his body from the chimney and a red case was now in his hand, he set upon the map table right in the center of the three colored pieces that still lay on that map and he looked to Skylar, "So then, you now stand there with the earnings of that hero, will you buy more time? Or perhaps you will finally put what was bought to use."


    Skylar turned her attention to the map as well and frowned looking at it, "I''ve got some blood to pay back, frankly my goal is Midus and Midus alone."


    Detion smirked nodding, "That shall be fine, but I would still advise caution... there is still more to this than we yet understand."


    Skylar nodded, and Detion frowned before walking to his throne he pushed it to the side revealing the Heroes Gauntlet, "Then come. Claim it for yourself."


    Skylar slowly walked forward, staring down at the golden gauntlet before reaching out and sliding it onto her right hand.


    "Blood."


    Skylar blinked and turned around, there at the bottom of the stairs, she saw... herself, younger, but it was still her this version looked up, with her all-consuming black eyes, and spoke once more "WE need more blood."


    . . .


    This was going to be a long week.


    ***


    Stone walls as far as the eye could see, and red carpets that littered the floor, all leading up to a large set of duel doors.


    Midus walked along this carpet, a frown plastered on his face, his helmet was currently off revealing his black hair and crimson eyes.


    He wouldn''t normally take this pathway around this time of day, but he had been called.


    So he must heed his orders.


    He stopped just in front of the door with a scowl.


    But he took in a breath before reaching out and pushing the door open, there at the far back of the room were a total of four men and women all sprawled on the ground, half-naked staring up in awe at the throne.


    The Empress sat upon the throne with a slight smirk as she cupped the chin of one of these scantily clad individuals, "Do you know why it is I called you in here Midus?" The Empress questioned as she planted a kiss on this individual''s cheek.


    The Empress herself was wearing a white dress, with black shoes, her eyes were crimson and a sickly sweet smile adorned her face.


    "Because of my failure to defeat The Shadewalker." Midus declared.


    "...More words than necessary." The Empress noted she then pushed the individual to the ground and started walking forward towards Midus swaying her hips as she did so, every curve in her body seemed to move to her whims, "It''s far simpler to call it what it is. You lost, Midus. That is why I called you here."


    Midus''s brow twitched and he bit down on his tongue to keep from lashing out, The Empress stopped just in front of Midus, "Dear sweet commander, whatever are we to do with you?" She reached out and wrapped her arms around Midus''s neck and pulled him down, forcing him to rest his head on her chest.


    "Do you know what the truth of this world is Midus?" The Empress questioned with a smile, her gaze softening at her loyal soldier.


    Midus was silent for a moment before speaking up, the lesson his Empress taught him was still engraved into his mind, "The weak and the strong co-exist and prosper."


    The Empress nodded and ran her fingers through Midus''s hair, "Indeed, the weak live to serve the strong, for it is the strength that will lead them to victory. It is for this reason that the weak fight for the strong. Fight giving it their all. Fight till their last drop of blood spills."


    She suddenly clenched her hand into a fist grabbing hold of Midus''s hair, "And you gave up the fight, returning here in the sting of defeat, like a useless slave." she utter the words with venom. Pulling Midus''s hair forcing him to look the Empress in the eyes, "Now I have to entertain the guests that will doubtless arrive..."


    "...Forgive me." Midus muttered his apology, and The Empress frowned before having a smile return to her face, she leaned forward and whispered into Midus''s ear a simple question, "From the bottom of your heart? Will you love me?"


    She then opened her mouth wrapping it around Midus''s earlobe, sucking on it for a moment before parting leaving a small trail of saliva in the air, before Midus could even question it, The Empress began to walk back to her throne, her other servants all lined all, into pairs two and two.


    "I have no use for tools who can''t serve me at their fullest," The Empress declared stopping in front of the first duo, she placed her hands on their heads, "Humans are valued for their utility." she declared as the two men she placed her hands upon exploded into a sea of red, their body''s falling onto the ground into useless clumps of flesh there blood, however, spiraled around the Empress creating a red cloak that covered most of her body, she then took another step, the two women kept kneeling downwards.


    Unafraid of the fate that would await them.


    The Empress then put her hand on the first woman''s head, "It doesn''t matter how they strike, they won''t take my Empire from me..." she declared as this woman exploded into a sea of red as well, the red turned white, and began to swirl around in place before forming a mask.


    She then slowly turned to the final woman who was looking right into the Empress''s eyes, the Empress put on a soft smile, "And you my soldiers shall do what you do best, fight. Fight. Fight. Fight for what you believe, throwing your lives down in the name of your purgatory goddess, fight fight fight. For that is what humans do best." The Empress then began to reach outward cupping the cheeks of this woman, "Won''t you serve me?"


    This woman smiled insanity flashing in her gaze before her body dissolved, leaving nothing but the skin of her face, it fell onto the white mask that The Empress held out fusing itself onto it.


    The Empress put on her own smile putting the mask onto her face, "And with that, I would say I am much more presentable. Wouldn''t you?" she questioned turning to look at Midus who offered no words of response, "...Go on then, get to training. If you lose to this Shadewalker again, then I''m afraid I can offer you no more of my love, and wouldn''t that be a shame?"


    "...Then I''ll be off. Empress Lust." Midus turned away and walked out of the room.


    Lust smiled beneath her mask, "Ah~ The blood will be spilled, humans fighting against humans, and then there''s the strength that Skylar Shadewalker possesses... I''m throbbing now~" Lust declared her breathing became ragged just from imagining it, a liquid dripped down her legs and her smile split, her eyes glowing in the darkness as horns began to form at the top of her head.


    "I want it."

 Chapter 5: The Screams Of Blood.

    Skylar walked up the staircase leading back into the Townsquare, she glanced to her left and saw Striga conversing with Delish.


    Delish put a hand to his chin frowning, ¡°Even so, this all happened so fast¡­ And with such perfect execution, it¡¯s not unreasonable to assume that someone was pulling the strings.¡±


    Striga nodded in agreement, ¡°Be that as it may, I have it under good authority that Skylar wasn¡¯t the one behind this mess of events.¡±


    Delish narrowed his gaze, ¡°Good authority? I¡¯d advise you to remember that personal feelings are a second priority when it comes to your position.¡± he then folded his own arms, ¡°More importantly, you and Detion, you''re scheming something aren¡¯t you? The way you acted in the room, was off, as were his responses.¡± Delish stated without much hesitation.


    Striga frowned at that but folded her arms, ¡°I¡¯ve been working long enough to understand that¡­ As for your accusation¡­ I haven¡¯t the foggiest idea what you''re referring to.¡± she then glanced to her left and saw Skylar standing there, ¡°Ah, speak of the devil, anyone ever tell you that you have strangely perfect timing?¡± Striga questioned as she started to walk up to Skylar leaving Delish alone without a second thought.


    Skylar folded her arms, ¡°So that¡¯s why you were acting so strange earlier¡­¡±


    Striga put a hand on the back of her head, glancing to the side nervously, ¡°Yeah¡­ Sorry bout that, couldn¡¯t be too careful you know?¡±


    Skylar nodded before looking to the broken wooden platforms that littered the ground, ¡°...I¡¯m not sure I should have agreed to this fight.¡± she muttered, ¡°I hardly had control of myself during the fight with Midus. If he didn¡¯t leave when he did¡­ I don¡¯t even want to think about what I would have done.¡± Skylar looked down at her hands and clenched them into fists.


    Striga frowned at that but turned to look to the sky, ¡°...This is hardly the place to talk, if you have a moment, wanna head back to my bar with me?¡±


    Delish narrowed his gaze and walked up then his eyes fell upon the golden gauntlet that Skylar now wore a scowl appeared on his face before he looked back to Striga, ¡°Don¡¯t think you can escape my questions so easily, we will speak later.¡± with that he started to walk off back to his estate.


    Skylar folded her arms and arched a brow, ¡°He seems¡­ nice?¡± she trailed off at the last word.


    Striga sighed, shaking her head, ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s a bit tense at the moment, can¡¯t say I blame him considering we''re going to war¡­¡± Striga then blinked looking at Skylar, ¡°Ah, but enough of that for now. Come along.¡± Striga then started making her way back to the bar with Skylar close behind her.


    Chapter 5: The Screams Of Blood.


    ¡°You sure you want this by the way? I know I was the one who brought up your name in there, but frankly, if you want out I wouldn¡¯t blame you¡­ you''re still a kid after all.¡± Striga asked the question as she walked behind the bar counter and started preparing drinks.


    Skylar folded her own arms, ¡°What? You think because I¡¯m a kid I can¡¯t handle this?¡± Skylar said with a frown.


    Striga paused at that, looking over her shoulder for a moment before looking back to the drinks in question and with a small sigh spoke,


    ¡°I¡¯m not doubting your skills, Skylar. I¡¯m not that foolish, but I¡¯m worried about you from a mental standpoint¡­ War is where the darkest parts of humanity come out. And if you come out the same person you were before¡­ well, I¡¯d call you a liar.¡± Striga frowned bitterly, ¡°Just¡­ think it over, okay? No one would blame you for wanting to leave.¡±


    Skylar¡¯s mouth opened to let out a retort but she stopped before the words could even leave her lips instead of looking to the counter and closing her eyes, ¡°I¡¯ve already changed a lot in the past year¡­ And I can¡¯t honestly say it¡¯s all been for the better, but even so.¡±


    A memory of Tetra flashed through Skylar¡¯s head, a memory of his smile, and she grits her teeth clenching her fists, ¡°I can¡¯t just stay back here and do nothing. I¡¯d rather die than let that happen.¡± Skylar¡¯s eyes widened when a glass was set in front of her.


    Striga smiled at Skylar and leaned forward, ¡°Then drink well, eat well, and live life to its fullest, with the people who you care for the most. Do that and make sure your life is something that people can talk about.¡± Striga declared with a smile.


    Skylar looked down to the glass, and reached forward, ¡°...3 years.¡± She uttered the words as she reached up taking a sip from that glass, ¡°3 more years, and then I¡¯ll be gone from this world.¡± she spoke as she slammed the glass down onto the table, Striga paused at that staring at Skylar.


    ¡°You say ¡®live well.¡¯ but how can I do that, when every moment of my life is spent afraid of the moment¡­ That single moment where I know I¡¯ll die?¡± Skylar grit her teeth and raised her left hand. It was shaking, ¡°I fight and fight and fight because it¡¯s the only thing that can get my mind away from that feeling¡­¡± Her hand clenched into a fist and she looked up at Striga, ¡°You can give me advice, you can tell me how best to wield my strength, but don¡¯t you EVER tell me to live well.¡±


    Striga stood there in shock at Skylar¡¯s sudden outburst, she then looked to the ground, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Skylar blinked and then glanced to the side before grabbing her glass and downing the whole thing before leaning forward and resting her hand on her arms, ¡°...Sorry¡­¡± Skylar frowned as she let go of the glass, ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ tired I guess. I have a lot on my mind, and no way to put it into words.¡±


    Striga paused before downing her own glass, she then looked to the empty contents, ¡°I may not be the best with words¡­ but if you do have the time, I¡¯m here to listen Skylar.¡±


    Skylar blinked, then looking up to Striga¡¯s eyes, there was something about them, kindness and honesty the two things Skylar had rarely seen in another warrior.


    She wanted desperately to put her trust in Striga, to tell her what her heart desired most, but.


    But she couldn¡¯t, not when she herself could hardly understand what was going through her head, Skylar instead bit down on her lip and slowly turned away, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Striga frowned then but nodded slowly, ¡°I suppose that is only to be expected¡­¡±


    Skylar blinked looking at the door, she saw a version of herself smiling wickedly at her, it spoke only 2 words, ¡°More blood.¡±


    As soon as it appeared this person vanished, and in that moment Skylar looked back to her glass, ¡°I¡­¡± information darted around in her head, she had to help these people, her morals wouldn¡¯t allow otherwise.


    But she also needed to ensure that she was in a healthy state, she couldn¡¯t go to the Kingdom, nor any of the doctors in Jubilee.


    After all, she was a very unique case, ¡°...Shit¡­¡± she uttered the curse as she narrowed her options down.


    Striga of course arched a curious brow, tilting her head to the side, ¡°Something the matter?¡±


    Skylar reached up and scratched her head, ¡°...I¡¯m going to have to head to Pand?monium.¡± she wasn¡¯t too pleased by the idea, she didn¡¯t exactly have a lot of fond memories of the place.


    And¡­ she never did tell Julieta what happened to Tetra.


    This however did little to clear up Striga¡¯s confusion, ¡°Pand?monium? Why there?¡±


    Skylar glanced away from the door and traced her finger around the edge of the glass in front of her, ¡°...Ever since I fought Midus, I¡¯ve been¡­ seeing things, not nice things. Like, blood guts and the like.¡± Skylar then narrowed her gaze, ¡°There¡¯s also a voice, one that I¡¯m not particularly fond of.¡± She then blinked.


    -No come to think of it, this voice has been around longer. It was mostly quiet but there was one other time¡­


    When was it?


    Skylar racked her brain for the answer, and then it came to her, ¡°Pride¡­¡±


    It was her clash with Pride that this whole thing started, some sort of bloodlust welling up within her.


    She had always been quick to violence, but even this was a bit much.


    Hallucinations are quite a sign that something was wrong.


    ¡°To make a long story short, I need to go there. I can¡¯t explain anything beyond that.¡± Skylar explained.


    Striga let out a long sigh, before looking upwards and folding her arms.


    ¡°...I understand your need to go there, but the trip will take about 3 days tops in one of the metal airships. And 3 days back. The distance between Jubilee and Pand?monium is the entire cloudsea¡­ To be frank, you¡¯d be cutting it close. REALLY close, there¡¯s a chance the battle will already result in flames by the time you arrive.¡± Striga explained, it was harsh but it was also the facts.


    Skylar, then looked to the table with a frown, ¡°...But the storm isn¡¯t here anymore. Isn¡¯t it possible to make improvements to the metal airships?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s-¡± Striga paused before blinking, she then cupped her chin with her hand ¡°Hm, hold on a second you¡­ might be onto something there.¡± She smirked, ¡°Just wait here a second, I¡¯m going to grab someone who might be able to help with that.¡±


    Striga then quickly ran out from behind the counter and through the door, leaving Skylar alone, ¡°...Well that was something.¡±


    ¡°I can never get a read on that girl.¡±


    So Alma spoke, and Skylar nodded in agreement, ¡°Every time I think I¡¯m getting close she does something to catch me off guard.¡±


    ¡°There is something else about her though, something unnatural.¡±


    Skylar arched a brow at that, ¡°You think she¡¯s a god?¡± Skylar had considered the possibility herself, but¡­


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­ it¡¯s something else, something I can¡¯t quite figure out.¡±


    Skylar¡¯s brows arched upward at that, ¡°Something that has even you stumped? Now there¡¯s a rarity.¡± Skylar then turned her gaze to the door as it opened up, she half expected Striga to walk through the door once more.


    Only for her to immediately tense up as a man walked in, not just any man though, A High Executioner.


    She recognized this man, it was the same one who came to pull Striga away the last time she was in this bar.


    Skylar gulped, but worked up the courage to speak to this man, ¡°Striga isn¡¯t here right now¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± The man declared walking forward without hesitation, he then sat down on the stool beside Skylar, ¡°I¡¯m here to speak with you.¡±


    Skylar arched a brow at that, not hiding her surprise, ¡°...What about?¡± Of course, she erred on the side of caution; her blood was both human and god after all.


    The man looked at Skylar and then closed his eyes, ¡°Tell me, why do you fight?¡±


    Skylar¡¯s eyes widened at the question, ¡°Why?¡± She looked at the glass on the counter, and memories of her island flashed through her head.


    Followed by Leo, then Tetra, and The Kingdom as a whole, ¡°...I suppose it¡¯s to prevent tragedies. A little silly now that I think of it, going to war is bound to cause more tragedy.¡± she then reached out to that glass picking it up and examining it, ¡°...I guess, I¡¯m just selfish, I can¡¯t help everyone, and to get to those who¡¯d hurt the most people¡­ I have to kill a lot of others.¡±


    The man let out a hum, before holding out his hand, ¡°My name is Dion, a pleasure to meet you miss¡­¡±


    ¡°Skylar.¡± Skylar accepted the handshake as she set her glass down, ¡°Skylar Shadewalker.¡±


    ¡°Skylar? Not Valery.¡± Dion arched his brow surprised.


    ¡°Oh come on, that name hasn¡¯t fooled anyone since I got here.¡± Skylar sighed, removing her hand, and putting it on her hip, ¡°But¡­ is that really all you came here to ask?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Dion then looked to the bottles, ¡°If anything, I find myself tempted to appoint you to a High Executioner status.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d have to politely decline if you did.¡± Skylar responds with a frown, ¡°Sure being an Executioner has benefits but it just doesn''t suit my interests, I want to kill both gods and humans¡­ I just want to protect this world.¡±


    ¡°And your own life? Is it a factor in what you wish to protect?¡± Dion questioned locking eyes with Skylar suddenly.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes darkened at the question, ¡°Why would I factor in something with no value?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simple really.¡± Dion retorted with a sly smirk, ¡°That which has no value in your eyes, holds intrinsically and indescribable value in the eyes of those you¡¯d call your allies.¡± Dion then stood from his chair and began to walk to the door, ¡°Regardless, I¡¯ve done what I¡¯ve came here to do, I¡¯ve taken your measure, and I can say this with certainty,¡± he stopped at the door before looking over his shoulder, ¡°Should you stray from the path of righteousness, I¡¯ll be the one to kill you Miss Skylar Shadewalker.¡±


    Skylar raised a glass leaning forward, ¡°Your welcome to try,¡± she then poured another bottle into her glass, ¡°Just know when you''re on the other end of my blade, you''re the one who asked for it.¡± she smirked, taking a swig of her drink.


    Dion let out a chuckle as he left the building.


    High Executioner.


    She half expected that man to bear his steel then and there, but she¡¯s admittedly glad he didn¡¯t despite her boast she wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d be able to beat that man in a fight in her current state.


    Skylar then looked down at the gauntlet on her hand, ¡°...What is it that causes them to trust me so?¡± she found herself questioning this with a frown.


    Try as she may, she simply couldn¡¯t think of an answer.


    Skylar¡¯s brow twitched when the door to this place swung open, Striga came through with a beaming smile with what seemed to be a young man being dragged by his left ear, a pencil was tucked away firmly behind his right ear, ¡°Ow ow ow ow! Striga please, you''re gonna tear my ear off!¡± he shouted as he was dragged into the building.


    He was practically thrown onto the chair beside Skylar, he tumbled forward, and Striga went behind the counter without missing a beat.


    This young man was wearing a set of goggles upon his black hair, a black jacket adorned his torso, his shirt was white with several black spots, and his hazel eyes glanced over to Skylar, ¡°Er, hello.¡± The man muttered, before glaring at Striga, ¡°Did you really have to drag me over here!¡±


    Striga poured another glass of her drink of choice smirking, ¡°Of course I did. Well, okay maybe I


    didn¡¯t¡­¡± Striga smiled playfully, ¡°Just stick around Jack, trust me you''re going to love this.¡±


    Jack sighed leaning forward onto the desk, ¡°...Alright then. So long as the drinks are on you.¡±


    Striga smiled softly, ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡±


    She then grabbed an additional glass for Jack, before pushing it across the table.


    Jack reached out for the glass and began to take a drink from it.


    As he did so Striga spoke up once more, ¡°Skylar here mentioned the idea of upgrading our airships, particularly with improved mobility since the storms are no longer an issue.¡±


    Jack paused at that, setting his glass down, he then let out a hum.


    ¡°...Well it¡¯s certainly not impossible, we have already experimented with the idea of thrusters and the sorts in the past, and with the storm gone it¡¯s certainly more feasible¡­¡± Jack then looked to his glass, ¡°The main issue of course is the way we connect the thrusters to the ship, even without the storm, the speed of the ship always seems to dislodge them.¡±


    Skylar arched her brow, ¡°Wait, how do you even connect them?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we melt a hole into the back of the ship, and connect it that way,¡± Jack said with a smile.


    Skylar blinked and shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know why I was expecting better.¡±


    Striga shrugged, ¡°Heat¡¯s actually the only way we can make additions to the old models of our airships, most other elements immediately trigger a shutdown system, this is to protect our ships from gods, and the occasional lightning strike from the storm.¡±


    ¡°Thank the divinity¡¯s for the Blank Crystals.¡± Jack muttered, ¡°So many lighting-related deaths would have happened if it wasn¡¯t for those things¡­¡±


    Skylar nodded in understanding.


    Blank crystals.


    Or white crystals, a crystal with no elemental energy within it, it can be filled up with any element so long as it¡¯s channeled into the Blank Crystal.


    In the case of airships, a Blank is always on a special container, and when the ship is struck. The electricity is always drawn to the Blank Crystal.


    Granted Skylar hasn¡¯t seen it in action herself, but she recalled a brief lesson on it.


    ¡­


    Wait a second.


    Skylar then blinked an idea coming into her head, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to connect the thruster through a different means?¡±


    Jack chuckled, folding his arms, ¡°If you have an idea, I¡¯d love to hear it.¡±


    Skylar then stood up, ¡°We already use the Blanks to keep Lighting from killing anyone within the ships¡­¡± Skylar then put a hand on her glass, ¡°...I think¡­ We could use blanks, for a similar method. In order to keep the thrusters in place.¡±


    Jack blinked at that, before leaning backward in his chair, ¡°And what kind of magic would be able to do that? Lighting? No, that wouldn¡¯t work there¡¯d be no way to contain the spread, fire would just melt a hole through the ship. And Ice? Plasubal, if you want to freeze to death yourself.¡±


    Skylar closed her eyes before extending her right hand, ¡°...I was thinking something like this.¡± To her left the wind began to shift and crackle before a hand began to appear, not just any hand, a draconic hand, it mirrored the movements of Skylar¡¯s left hand.


    Jack¡¯s eyes widened at the sight, ¡°...Eight hells below¡­ Draconic Magic¡­ That¡¯s¡­ impossible.¡±


    Striga watched with interest, ¡°So you would think¡­¡± She then smiled widely, ¡°Go on then Skylar we¡¯re listening.¡±


    Skylar then smiled in response, she moved her left hand and had the draconic hand pick up a nearby cup, ¡°Now the plan I have isn¡¯t foolproof, but these hands don¡¯t require much mana¡­ I could keep at this for days and still have mana in reserve for a tough fight. And more importantly, the grip strength on the hands is¡­¡± she closed her hand around the glass and it began to crack before shattering, ¡°quite good.¡±


    Striga frowned, ¡°...That was one of my good glasses.¡± she pouted.


    And Jack cupped his chin in thought, ¡°You would hold the thrusters in place, from within the ship, keeping them from getting dislodged¡­¡± Jack narrowed his gaze, ¡°A fine plan, but should you falter for even a second then you¡¯d create an air vacuum¡­ And all hell would break loose.¡±


    Skylar frowned at that, she was confident in her abilities that much was true, but to go on for such a trip without a single twitch.


    No, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do that.


    Skylar let out a sigh and dropped back into her chair, with a look of dejection as the draconic arm vanished from the air.


    ¡°If only there was some way to stick these things to the ship¡­¡± she muttered, ¡°Like a magnet.¡±


    Jack blinked at that comment, ¡°Like a magnet¡­ Wait¡­¡±


    Striga arched a brow, ¡°Eh? Wait a minute, you don¡¯t mean to tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°A MAGNETIC CONTAINER FOR THE FIRE CRYSTAL OF COURSE!¡± Jack suddenly shouted, ¡°It¡¯s so obvious, so simple! But it¡¯d work!¡±


    Striga winced at the idea, ¡°And you''re certain it won¡¯t get pulled apart at the speed of the airship?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still a distinct possibility, yes, but it¡¯s far less likely with this design I have in mind.¡± He reached for the pencil on his ear and motioned for Striga to pass him a paper.


    Striga did as she was asked, and immediately Jack began to scribble away, ¡°The thruster itself uses a cluster of fire crystals for a boost in speed. For this, we need a cylinder of a certain metal, particularly one covered in an alloy that can handle that kind of intense heat.¡± Jack explained as he drew the cylinder in question on the paper, it was a simple design, a crystal in the center, and two open holes on the front and back, ¡°Now of course, we¡¯re already going to burn two holes into the back of the airship, this is where the magnets come into play.¡±


    He drew out a spherical circle, ¡°We¡¯d put this onto one side of the cylinder, attaching it to the inside of the ship and creating a seal¡­ of course, there¡¯s no guarantee that it won¡¯t jostle loose, so Skylar would need to keep them in place with the Draconic arms.¡±


    ¡°B-But wait didn¡¯t we just say that was problematic?¡± Skylar questioned.


    Jack nodded, ¡°If it was just the cylinder it would be, but the spears here would make it so that a slight twitch or the like wouldn¡¯t result in instant death, you¡¯d just need to ensure it doesn''t fall all the way out¡­ That¡¯s not to say it¡¯s completely safe, but it¡¯d work.¡±


    Skylar looked at the paper in question and looked at it with an arched brow, ¡°Yeah, I think it could¡­¡±


    Striga then folded her arms, ¡°So are you going to use the Blank to have your magic run automatically, Skylar?¡± Striga questioned.


    Skylar blinked, ¡°Er, well no. It requires commands from the original user to function, it¡¯s more so me wanting to test if Draconic magic can even be thrown into a crystal.¡±


    Striga then let out a hum, ¡°Well then there is still one major problem.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Skylar arched her brow.


    Striga pointed to Skylar, ¡°If you''re busy holding the thrusters in place, then who¡¯s gonna steer the ship?¡±


    Silence overfell the room.


    Jack¡¯s pencil snapped on the paper, and both Jack and Skylar let out groans as they slammed their heads onto the table.


    ¡°So fucking close, and then another roadblock¡­¡± Skylar growled, that was the problem with her entering the place under an alias, she had few people she could bring with her.


    Nobody she knew would be available.


    Striga looked to Skylar and sighed, ¡°Very well, I suppose I can come along.¡±


    Jack looked up, ¡°Eh!? What are you talking about, aren¡¯t you supposed to oversee the duties of the soldiers?¡±


    Striga shrugged, ¡°My beloved can see to that task, something tells me he¡¯d try to do it anyway.¡±


    Jack glanced to the side, ¡°Why do I get the feeling that I¡¯m going to be the one getting in trouble for this¡­¡±


    Skylar looked to the ceiling, ¡°...This plan is still kinda stupid isn¡¯t it.¡±


    ¡°You''re asking me to rig up a thruster, in essentially thirty minutes, be glad it isn¡¯t more dangerous,¡± Jack responded with a hiss, clearly annoyed just by the prospect of such a thing.


    Striga turned to look at Jack, and put a hand on her hip, ¡°I trust you can get started on the preparations right away?¡±


    Jack looked at his glass before taking a swig, ¡°Sure, shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡± He set the glass down and then got up from his chair, he then blinked and looked to Skylar, ¡°...But I have a condition, in exchange for this, I¡¯d like your assistance with a project I¡¯ve been working on. An¡­ Energy sensor of sorts.¡±


    Skylar arched a brow at that, ¡°Energy sensor?¡±


    Striga sighed, ¡°It¡¯s been a favorite project of Jack¡¯s for some time now, just oblige him, it¡¯s always quick tests. Literally a minute or two of your time.¡±


    Jack nodded, smirking, ¡°What¡¯s more, it won¡¯t be this instant, I wouldn¡¯t dare ask for your assistance during war preparations, unlike some people.¡± Jack glared at Striga, who only smiled innocently in response.


    Jack sighed, turning to the door and he gave a two-fingered wave before walking out of the building.


    Striga then let out a yawn, before stretching, ¡°Guess I¡¯d better grab my things, and inform the necessary people of the plans¡­¡± Skylar nodded slowly, before looking down at her glass, ¡°Maybe I should speak with Geralt.¡±


    ¡°That old geezer?¡± Striga arched a brow, ¡°Hm, come to think of it¡­ he always did like making odd gear, and yours is¡­ certainly odd.¡±


    Skylar shrugged at that, ¡°Maybe so, but it perfectly suits me don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Striga stifled a laugh, ¡°About as well as a bear wearing a dress.¡± she then cupped her chin, ¡°Actually¡­ considering the way you fight¡­ Yeah, I guess it suits you best in combat.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that, before frowning, ¡°I¡¯m insulted, but I¡¯m going to choose to take that as a compliment so I don¡¯t break anything else in your bar.¡±


    ¡°Much appreciated.¡± Striga responded as she walked out from behind the counter, ¡°Now then since we both have places to be, would you do me a favor and flip the sign on your way out?¡±


    Skylar nodded standing up from her chair, with a smile.


    This was going to be a long day¡­


    But something tells her it wouldn¡¯t be a bad one.


    ***


    Midus walked forward, the halls were dark and dearer even on the best of days, they all looked the same as well.


    Making it near impossible to find your way in this place, it was a trap intended to confuse intruders, Midus stopped in place.


    ¡°You lost.¡±


    Lust¡¯s words still rang in his ears, and he watched as two soldiers walked past him, they didn¡¯t say anything.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Oh, but Midus knew better, ¡®what a washed-up old man¡¯ ¡®that¡¯s our commander? How pathetic, losing to a child.¡¯


    He knew that had to be their thoughts, ¡°Lose¡­?¡± Midus grit his teeth clenching his hands into fists, he slammed his fist into the right wall with enough force to create cracks in it, he had fought in over 10,000 battles, never losing a single one.


    And then this ignorant child, this worthless girl, claims a victory off him?


    No.


    No, he wouldn¡¯t stand for it, he was Midus, he was The Empire¡¯s finest, and he wouldn¡¯t remain beaten by some girl in swaddling clothes, and a useless twig for a weapon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill her¡­¡± Midus decided, at last, any semblance of honor had left him.


    Replaced simply by the desire to see Skylar Shadewalker suffer in the worst ways possible.


    She would join in the war to come, of that much Midus was certain¡­


    The problem then came, how would he ensure that he was the one that¡¯d face off against this child?


    ¡­


    An idea came to mind, it was likely that this girl would find some clever way to challenge him to a duel.


    But if she didn¡¯t.


    If she chose the path of a coward.


    Then he¡¯d simply kill every last person on this island, innocent. Friend. Foe. It mattered not, the girl couldn¡¯t stand senseless bloodshed and she¡¯d be drawn to him like a moth to the flame.


    The glint of insanity began to appear within Midus¡¯s eye, and he smiled wickedly beneath his helmet.


    It was on this day that The Black Wolf would begin to stalk its prey.


    This was going to be a long day.


    But something told him¡­


    It was going to be the worst one of Skylar Shadewalker¡¯s life.


    And that thought alone filled him with joy.


    ***


    Jenna sat alone in her mansion, she looked at her plate and saw a rare sight, it was empty.


    She could refill it with ease, yet instead, she chose not to do so.


    Not yet at least, instead she took this moment in time to clasp her hands together and place them on the table.


    ¡°Think,¡± she muttered the words.


    She had to think, events were unfolding in this world in a most destructive path.


    One that if played out wrong, could ruin each and every one of her plans.


    And she wouldn¡¯t stand for that, if worse came to worst she would take to the field herself.


    She closed her eyes.


    ¡°No. Calm down, The Eternal¡¯s have been trying to draw you out ever since the incident you caused at The Kingdom¡­¡± she spoke aloud to better sort through her thoughts, she lifted her right hand and placed it upon her head, narrowing her gaze at her own reflection, ¡°The best I can do is watch from a distance¡­ But perhaps, I could give a fully unsuspecting individual a nudge¡­¡± Jenna smiled at the thought and opened a nearby pink portal, ¡°It has been some time since we have spoken, I wonder how well she is getting along¡­¡± Jenna then began to walk towards her portal, ¡°Dear Julieta.¡±


    ***


    (Some Time In The Past.)


    ¡°Mommy Mommy! Look at what I can do!¡± A child with green eyes declared proudly, her silver air flew elegantly through the air, as a small bit of green energy danced around her fingertips, and she sent a gust of wind floating upwards, causing blades of grass to dance along the wind with her power.


    Julieta, still in her youth, looked down with surprise at the young child, ¡°Oh my, you''re already growing to be a talented young mage aren¡¯t you Sara.¡± She made the declaration with a smile showering the child with praise.


    Sara responded with a beaming smile as she sent another pulse of wind magic flying upwards, ¡°Hehehe wind magic is the best!¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, I¡¯m certain you¡¯d be saying that when you''re soaring through the air and a bird decides to take a dump on you.¡± A young male¡¯s voice interjected, clearly disgruntled as he approached, and of course, if his comment on the matter didn¡¯t give it away, there was currently bird poop atop his head.


    Julietta chuckled at the sight of her disgruntled lover, ¡°I did warn you didn¡¯t I?¡± she declared with a hand on her hip.


    ¡°You did, and I chose to ignore you.¡± the man muttered as he walked up to the small cabin to his right, there was a set of water crystals laid out on the side, he reached out and grabbed one, raising it aloft over his head, and activating it causing water to pour out from the bottom and land over his head.


    Pouring down over his face and letting the bird fecal matter drop to the ground, ¡°Daaaad, can¡¯t we play! I wanna play!¡± Sara pleaded with her horrifyingly accurate impression of big puppy dog eyes.


    The man internally cursed his weakness to adorable puppies as he knelt down and smiled, ¡°Just a second little one, I¡¯ve got to speak with your mother about something important. Why not head out to the fields over there? I¡¯ll join you shortly.¡±


    Sara pouted of course, but when she saw the look in the man¡¯s eyes she decided it would be best to leave him be for a moment, ¡°Fine¡­ But you better play with me when you''re done!¡± she declared as she ran off towards the fields.


    ¡°Play she says¡­¡± The man muttered as he stood to his full height pocketing the water crystal, ¡°And how the hell am I supposed to keep up with that bundle of energy¡­?¡± he said with a sigh as he walked over to Julieta.


    She put a hand on her hip, ¡°You''re just going to have to figure it out, we did promise to ensure she¡¯d live her life to its fullest didn¡¯t we?¡± Julieta questioned, before tilting her head to the side smirking mischievously, ¡°Or were you just saying those things to get into my pants Tetra?¡±


    Tetra rolled his eyes at her remark, ¡°Of course not, I just didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be this energetic¡­ I¡¯m going to throw out my back by the time she becomes a teenager.¡± Tetra closed his eyes for a moment before looking back to the fields, ¡°...but I do still love her, almost as much as I love you.¡±


    Julieta frowned at that, ¡°Okay enough with the flirting, the only time you ever get like that is when you''re about to deliver some bad news.¡±


    Tetra folded his arms, ¡°Well¡­ You''re not entirely wrong.¡± he looked over his shoulder back to Julieta, ¡°We received reports. Of a God of particular strength, we aren¡¯t sure where she came from but she exceeds any rating we¡¯ve ever given to a God. Something beyond an S rank¡­¡±


    Julieta paused at those words, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ disconcerting¡­¡±


    ¡°You''re telling me, the issue is¡­ we received 3 different reports all talking about the same god.¡± Tetra¡¯s gaze turned serious, ¡°In 3 different locations, all located far apart.¡± the implications there were plain for anyone to see.


    Or at least plain to anyone who was familiar with the strange magics that gods could wield in the first place, beings not bound by the typical elemental laws¡­ it¡¯s part of what made them so hard to combat against.


    Julieta narrowed her gaze, ¡°So what? They¡¯re a teleporter?¡±


    Tetra shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s the running theory, but¡­¡± Tetra put on a scowl, ¡°I came into contact with this god myself¡­ She called herself Jenna, she looked like a kid¡­ A fucking kid, around the same age as our Sara¡­¡± Tetra closed his eyes putting a hand on his head, ¡°I almost killed her¡­¡±


    Julieta frowned before walking up to Tetra, she wrapped her arms around him pulling him into a hug, though she was shorter she reached up and brushed the back of his head, ¡°...This job has never been easy, not for either of us¡­ Surely you must be tired.¡±


    Tetra said nothing to that, instead, he looked upwards.


    Julieta took that as a sign to continue, ¡°I know you want to protect this world¡­ And I know it¡¯s to keep your own daughter safe, but this can¡¯t be good for your health¡­¡± Julieta looked up looking at Tetra''s face, ¡°Please, just¡­ take a few days off, at the very least that¡¯s all I ask.¡±


    Tetra paused at that, slowly he looked back down to Julieta, and opened his mouth to speak his own response.


    ¡­And then a scream came.


    A scream from the fields, Sara.


    Sara had screamed and immediately the duo broke apart, Tetra began to speak, but his words didn¡¯t reach Julieta, her ears were ringing, her senses distorted, and the fields around her began to distort.


    She looked to her left, and Tetra was gone, the fields of grass that once littered this area died out in an instant.


    And Julieta found herself running, her body moving on its own as she swatted away the corn maze.


    Sara.


    She had to find Sara.


    She had to find her daughter.


    She had to¡­


    ¡­


    Her legs ground to a stop, there in the center of the fields, blood dropped into the soil, and empty hollow eyes stared down from above.


    A spike made out of ice extended high into the skies, and there atop it, Sara was, the spike had impaled her through the stomach, her jaw was torn off to the side, and blood continued to pour out of her mouth, although it had slowed to a drip.


    Her left eye was missing, and claw marks dotted her face, Julieta stared up at the sight with horrified eyes.


    And in this moment only one thought came into her mind.


    ¡°This is all my fault.¡±


    (Present Day.)


    Julieta¡¯s eyes snapped wide open and she found herself covered in sweat, she reached up slowly putting her right arm over her head.


    She took a couple of moments just to lay there, breathing in and out.


    In.


    Out.


    Such simple movements allowed one to regain their calm, such simple movements indeed.


    Julieta then slowly removed her arm and sat there for a moment. Bags were under her eyes, it had been some time since she¡¯s ever had a good night¡¯s sleep.


    Perhaps she wasn¡¯t in the best state of health, but she was the only one left that could do this job.


    So she forced herself to sit up, it was going to be a long day.


    ***


    ¡°And that¡¯s the story of how I Geralt! Slew the entire Eastern Empire!¡± Geralt declared proudly.


    Meanwhile, Skylar stood on the other end of the counter with an arched brow, ¡°...I only asked if you could make sure my blade was in fine condition, why did you go on a ten-minute trade about the Eastern Empire? I didn¡¯t even know there was an Eastern Empire.¡±


    Geralt¡¯s gaze turned dark as he turned his whole body to the right, ¡°And nobody ever will¡­¡± quickly he turned back around and smiled at Skylar, ¡°Now then your blade was it!¡±


    Skylar slowly reached up her right hand to remove her sword from its sheath, choosing to ignore the implications of what Geralt just said, ¡°I¡¯m starting to see why a lot of people refuse to do business with you.¡± she commented as she set her sword down upon the counter.


    ¡°Bah, people just understand high-quality work when they see it.¡± Geralt declared as he began to examine the blade, ¡°Still, I only just gave you the sword, I¡¯m surprised you wanted it inspected so soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out on a trip for a while, not sure how long I¡¯ll be gone¡­ Figured I¡¯d rather be safe than sorry.¡± Skylar explained as she looked at her sword.


    ¡°That and you''re also not sure if you did somehow break it during your little ¡®beast¡¯ moment.¡± Alma added with a smug tone.


    Skylar said nothing to that, not because she was denying it, she just didn¡¯t want to be seen talking to Alma in public.


    That little stunt she pulled by borrowing his Dragon magic earlier was about as far as she could take it without raising too much suspicion.


    Geralt looked over the blade, before reaching down below the counter and pulling out a bottle filled with a silver liquid, ¡°Well, the blade itself looks to be in fine shape, but I can offer this to you. It¡¯s a repair gel, hard to come by, and usually a premium product. But I can offer it to you for 1 gold piece.¡±


    Skylar arched her brow, ¡°And how much is it normally?¡±


    ¡°A platinum.¡± Geralt said with a shrug, ¡°Granted the materials needed to make it are only about¡­ 900 silver? It¡¯s just so dangerous to make this shit, that frankly charging anything less than a platinum would cause outrage.¡±


    ¡°...Dangerous how?¡± Skylar put a hand on her hip eyeing the liquid with concern.


    ¡°Eh, beasts love the smell of these things, uncap the lid and if you aren¡¯t in a safe area, every monster within a thousand miles will come running. But it can repair any damaged weapon, no matter how bad the case.¡± Geralt stated this with confidence as Skylar handed over a gold coin, ¡°It could also work to make a good trap¡­¡± Skylar muttered.


    ¡°Heh, that¡¯s why I like you, little miss, you see a super dangerous item and immediately start thinking of ways to twist that danger to your benefit. A natural-born warrior if I¡¯ve ever seen one.¡± Geralt declared handing over the bottle.


    ¡°Mhmm, and does this substance have a name? Or am I just going to have to call it ¡®white and sticky¡¯?¡± Skylar questioned.


    Geralt put a hand through his beard scratching at it, ¡°Hm, well first off never say those three words ever again. And secondly, it¡¯s official name is, The Devil¡¯s Elixir.¡±


    ¡°...Fitting.¡± Skylar decided at last, before pocketing the substance, and grabbing her blade from the counter putting it back into her sheath, ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you later then.¡± Skylar turned to leave the building.


    Geralt nodded watching the young girl leave.


    The door shut behind Skylar and she found herself looking down at the city, workers were already running two and fro, soldiers preparing for the battle that would come in the next week.


    A war that was only possible due to the battle between Skylar and Lux.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t go anywhere without encountering some sort of god¡­¡± Skylar sighed heavily as she started to make her way up to the top of the city.


    ¡°As exhausting as that is, you have to admit it¡¯s beneficial for your quest at the very least.¡± So Alma said.


    ¡°Beneficial or not, I¡¯d still prefer if I was able to fight these things in less populated areas, you know how I feel about innocents dying in a clash.¡± Skylar grimaces just at the thought.


    Alma didn¡¯t respond.


    A little out of character for him, he almost never wasted a chance to poke fun at Skylar.


    Maybe he was just being sensitive?


    Skylar shook her head and blinked as she looked at her airship, Jack had knelt down right behind it, the thrusters were already in place, but he seemed to be examining them further.


    He held some kind of dispenser in his right hand, he ran it along the small holes that the thruster left, Skylar walked up and knelt down beside Jack, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Skylar questioned with a smile.


    ¡°A sealing compound my buddies in the workshop have been working on, I make no guarantees that it¡¯ll work, but it¡¯s certainly better than the plan we have right now,¡± Jack explained.


    ¡°Really? So you just decided to test it on a whim?¡± Skylar questioned with her left brow arched upwards.


    Jack scoffed, ¡°Of course not. That¡¯d be stupid.¡± He then lowered the spray and glanced to the side before scooting to the second thruster, ¡°I er¡­ I made the holes too big. So it¡¯s either this or wait a week for a new airship.¡±


    Skylar frowned at that standing up, ¡°You know the more I learn about you, the more concerned I become about this trip¡­¡±


    Jack sighed, ¡°I¡¯m good at designs and drafting, it¡¯s the building portion of my ideas that I¡¯ve always sucked at¡­ Even something as simple as this, I can hardly get it right on my own¡­ That¡¯s why I needed a crew to work with, not that anyone ever believed I could do this¡­ Save for Striga.¡±


    Jack then smiled softly as he continued to spray the compound, ¡°She listened to my ideas, and talked through them with me¡­ in fact, she¡¯s the whole reason I¡¯m part of the council, not to mention the fact that she found my whole team¡­ I owe her a debt that I can never hope to repay. It¡¯s why I had to do this on my own.¡± Jack then stood up, looking at Skylar, ¡°Either way, that should be enough. I¡¯d still recommend holding the thrusters in place, at least for the first minute or so, if they don¡¯t budge then you should be fine to let go.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s wonderful.¡± Striga¡¯s voice suddenly interjected, ¡°Because this whole day has just been one big mess after another¡­¡±


    Skylar arched a brow at that, ¡°How so? Did something happen while you were away?¡±


    Striga folded her arms and looked at Skylar, ¡°Delish is missing, no one¡¯s seen him all day after our little spat. What¡¯s more his airship isn¡¯t docked anymore.¡±


    Jack¡¯s eyes widened at that, ¡°Wait you don¡¯t think¡­¡±


    ¡°That he went off to the Empire by himself? I do.¡± Striga folded her arms, ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s foolhardy enough to try and take on the whole place by himself, but I wouldn¡¯t put it past him to try and scout out the area alone.¡± Striga sighed, a look of worry was on her face as she looked out to the cloud sea.


    Skylar saw the look and walked up to her airship, ¡°...Do you wanna go after him?¡±


    Striga¡¯s eyes widened at the suggestion, The Empire was so far out of the way from their current destination that it almost seemed like insanity to suggest such a thing.


    ¡°...No.¡± Striga decided after a bit, ¡°If Delish is just going to scout things out, he should be fine¡­ And if we go after him now, it¡¯d be likely that we¡¯d just end up compromising his position.¡± So with that logic Striga took in a breath, ¡°He has his duties, and I have mine.¡±


    Jack frowned at that, before he looked at the airship, ¡°Regardless everything is all set up, whenever you two are ready¡­ All Skylar has to do is push a button on the inside of the ship¡­ Right on both thrusters, not the most convenient of activation method I conceded, but you asked for a rush job.¡±


    Striga knocked on the side of the airship walking up to the entrance, ¡°I¡¯ve had Detion take care of the rest of preparations, but you know how he can get some time, do me a favor and keep an eye on him, Jack.¡± Striga stated with a sly smirk.


    Jack sighed, turning away from the duo and he started to walk back to the city, ¡°Consider it done.¡± he said, giving a two-fingered wave as he vanished from view.


    The duo Skylar and Striga then entered the airship.


    Skylar immediately walked to the back of the ship and saw the buttons.


    Buttons.


    Not ¡®Button¡¯.


    Plural


    ¡°He did this to spite us didn¡¯t he?¡± Skylar questioned as she looked over her shoulder, Striga chuckled as she reached the steering wheel.


    ¡°Unlikely, like he said, it was a rush job.¡± Striga then gripped the wheel, ¡°And it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Skylar folded her arms and looked to the thrusters, narrowing her gaze at them, ¡°Course not, and what about you? Little miss multi-mage got a handle on my wind magic?¡± Skylar questioned with a cocky grin.


    Knowing full well that her magic would be essential to traversing the skies at the speed they¡¯d be going.


    Striga saluted and stuck out her tongue mockingly, ¡°Aye captain!¡±


    Skylar cracked her neck and held out both of her hands, summoning the draconic arms from the air, ¡°Then let¡¯s get moving shall we?¡±


    The edges of the draconic arms pressed the buttons, and near instantly the duo were sent flying.


    The ship soared at great speeds, nearly double the speed of a regular airship.


    And yet the duo remained unfazed with a wide grin on their faces.


    Jack however watched the sight from the distance, his goggles over his eyes, ¡°Strange. The storm is gone¡­ and yet, this sense of dread that it always imposed. Why has it yet leave?¡± he turned and started to walk down the stairs, ¡°Perhaps, this dread is caused by the fear of what we stand to lose¡­ to the dangers of this world.¡±


    ***


    It was a normal day just like any other.


    John was a normal man, attending to the fields, and watering the gardens.


    Trimming the wildlife, ensuring the creators on the top layers were properly looked after and fed.


    And of course, watching the sky as a giant metal airship comes crashing down upon a nearby tree that he just worked so hard to trim.


    ¡­


    Wait what?


    Sure enough, he wasn¡¯t crazy, a giant metal airship did just crash into one of his beloved trees and he fell down in despair.


    John was a normal man.


    Who would soon be the subject of cosmic suffering in the name of hilarity.


    A thud could be heard from within the ship, and Skylar busted the door open before climbing out her hair was a mess and she looked over her shoulder shouting, ¡°NEXT TIME I¡¯M DRIVING!¡±


    She shouted this as she leaped out the side of the airship dropping onto a puddle trying desperately to fix her hair as she did so, Striga was next to climb out with a sheepish grin, ¡°OH come on, I wasn¡¯t that bad was I?¡±


    Skylar turned around and with an angry red hue on her face shouted, ¡°I have seen CHILDREN fly a ship better than you! Have you ever even driven an airship before!?¡±


    Striga paused at the question tilting her head upwards, seeming to think of the question before looking back down, ¡°Nope!¡± the chipper and innocent way she said that was enough to suck out any anger Skylar still had.


    Instead, she leaned forward defeated, ¡°Whatever¡­ Let¡¯s just get a move on before my last brain cell commits suicide.¡±


    ¡°You''re the boss.¡± Striga declared with a sheepish smirk, decided not to comment on the rather dark humor that Skylar had.


    Skylar made her way towards the large cabin that she had used to enter the lower layers of this place last time, ¡°Have you ever been to Pandamonium before Striga?¡±


    Striga shook her head, ¡°Nope, not even once it was never a part of my duties and I¡¯ve almost always been restricted to Jubilee alone¡­ Not that I could ever fathom why¡­¡±


    Skylar let out a quiet, ¡®huh¡¯ at that.


    It was certainly a little odd, but then again so were a lot of things about Striga.


    They still had a bit of a walk, Skylar opened the door and saw the spiral staircase, she glanced over the edge and saw a glowing beam of light near the bottom, ¡°Oh good the infinite staircase trap is off. That one was annoying.¡±


    So Alma commented.


    Skylar said nothing simply walking down the staircase as Striga followed behind her.


    ¡°...So since we¡¯ve got a bit of a walk, were you born on Jubilee?¡± Skylar asked the question desperate to fill the dead air with some sort of conversation.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Striga glanced to the side, ¡°Nope, though it¡¯s true I¡¯ve lived there for most of my life now¡­ So it¡¯s still home to me.¡± Striga then blinked, ¡°what about you? Were you born in The Kingdom?¡±


    Skylar blinked at the question, she took a moment to think about that, amnesia was a bitch.


    ¡°No¡­¡± she said after a moment¡¯s hesitation, ¡°I was born on Hic Svnt Leones.¡± she said those words though she truly wasn¡¯t sure if that was correct either.


    Her mother was there¡­


    But her father¡­


    ¡­


    Nevertheless, Striga dropped the line of questioning upon hearing the name of the island, instead an apologetic look appeared on her face.


    I guess news of that island sinking reached even Jubilee.


    Soon enough they reached the glowing light at the bottom of the staircase and began to walk through it. Skylar recognized the hallway, and she sighed, ¡°Been a while since I¡¯ve been here¡­¡±


    Striga, not being the one stuck in awkward silence, decided to speak up, ¡°So when was the last time you came here?¡±


    Skylar let out a hum at the question, ¡°I guess when they had a level five breach? It was¡­ pretty bad, I had to fight Draco followed by a giant dragon that also happened to be an S rank god¡­¡± Skylar blinked, realizing the absurdity of the sentence she just uttered, ¡°...There¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m not traumatized is there?¡±


    ¡°To be fair, most ¡®heroes¡¯ in general go on in life despite being severely traumatized.¡± Striga pointed out.


    Skylar frowned at that, ¡°I know that was an attempt to make me feel better, but it really just made me more concerned about the state of our world. A for effort though.¡±


    Striga chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly, her eyes widened slightly when she realized the hallway opened up into a large cavern filled with tents, and thousands of people walked to and fro.


    Skylar put a hand on her hip, ¡°Jesus, so this is what this place looks like when it¡¯s not in lockdown¡­ I never thought it¡¯d be so crowded¡­¡±


    Skylar¡¯s eyes settled upon a familiar tent, the unmistakable smell of a fresh brew of coffee came from it.


    ¡°And yet for everything that¡¯s different it would seem some things stay the same,¡± Skylar looked over her shoulder and smirked, ¡°Let¡¯s go on then.¡±


    Skylar glanced around, as she approved the tent, taking note of the apparel the people here wore.


    They seemed to be two types, full armor with weapons, and lab coats.


    Makes sense, this place was made to study strange and unique lifeforms after all. Scientists and protectors would be the primary focus.


    She found their gazes were already upon her, it made her¡­ anxious, Striga seemed to be in a bit of a worse state than Skylar though.


    She looked pale.


    Skylar was about to say something, an act of concern, that was until the sound of breaking glass came from the tent ahead, followed by what sounded like a young girl shouting, ¡°SHIT!¡±


    Skylar blinked at that recognizing the voice, though it was not the one she was expecting.


    Skylar bolted forward while the gazes were directed away from her, Striga followed close behind of course.


    There straight ahead was the familiar counter, the set of tables all filled with workers enjoying their drinks, and¡­


    Shina?


    Shina was currently sweeping up shards of glass off the floor with an embarrassed look, ¡°Sorry! Sorry, I¡¯ll be with you in just a moment, I need to clean this up befor-¡± Shina¡¯s eyes widened as she looked up, ¡°Skylar?¡±


    ¡°Shina?¡± The two hadn¡¯t seen each other in a year and yet they both recognized each other near instantly.


    This was¡­ strange to say the least Skylar was under the impression that Julieta ran this place, and yet here Shina was, Shina suddenly beamed, ¡°Alright everyone out! We got a VIP here!¡± The guests started to groan but were promptly shut up by the glare of Shina, they could have argued, but that would put their time in this refreshment area at risk, and that would be a fate worse than death here.


    So for the time being everyone stood up and walked out the door, Shina arched a brow at Striga, ¡°She with you?¡±


    Skylar nodded, ¡°Yeah, her name is Striga. Hope that¡¯s not a problem.¡±


    Shina nodded slowly, ¡°Skylar, Striga¡­ and Shina. A triple S team.¡± Shina smiled walking behind the counter, ¡°Anything I can get for you two?¡±


    Skylar walked up to the counter, ¡°Yeah you could get me Julieta, I¡¯m in need of a checkup.


    Shina¡¯s gaze turned to Skylar and she sighed, ¡°I was worried that was why you were here¡­ Sorry, but I don¡¯t have clearance to get to her, she¡¯s down on the 5th level.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? What the hell is she doing down there?¡± Skylar questioned with a sigh.


    Striga sat down and arched her brow, ¡°The fifth level?¡± She questioned Skylar with an arched brow.


    Skylar glanced over to Striga before sighing, ¡°I guess I can explain it, to recap. This place is home to different kinds of beasts, and creatures. They¡¯re all split up into different categories. Or Levels, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. 5¡¯s are the most dangerous.¡±


    ¡°6 actually¡­¡± Shina muttered glancing to the side, which caught Skylar¡¯s attention quickly she shifted her gaze.


    ¡°6? Hold on a second, it was 5 last time I was here¡­ wasn¡¯t it?¡± Skylar confirmed.


    Shina nodded slowly, ¡°It was. And now it¡¯s six.¡± Shina looked at the table, ¡°That area is made specifically for Titan¡¯s.¡±


    That caused the entire table to go silent.


    ¡°Titan¡¯s¡­¡± Skylar muttered rolling the word around in her head for a few more times before growling, ¡°You''re keeping Titan¡¯s down here? Are you stupid!?¡± she slammed her hand down onto the table standing up, ¡°How long has this been going on!? Who proposed that idea in the first place?!¡±


    Shina¡¯s eyes were wide and she took in a breath closing her eyes, ¡°It was Juileta¡¯s idea.¡± she whispered, ¡°She believes that by researching the Titan¡¯s further¡­ we might come across a clue involving Stella.¡±


    Skylar¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Stella¡­ Of course. Of fucking course it¡¯s Stella. It¡¯s always Stella.¡± she removed her hands from the table letting out a long sigh, she was getting really sick of people looking for this wish-granting device.


    It almost always led to something bad.


    She just couldn¡¯t fathom why anyone would want such a thing¡­


    Well, that wasn¡¯t entirely true.


    After all, she was fairly certain if she was able to make a wish on that thing, she¡¯d ask for a longer life.


    Of course there was also the chance that the whole ¡®dying at the age of 16¡¯ thing was bullshit.


    But somehow Skylar doubted that was the case, it was just something in her gut telling her otherwise.


    Skylar closed her eyes and sighed, ¡°Right¡­ Right¡­ Okay¡­ This is going to be a little trickier than I thought.¡± Skylar¡¯s eyes opened and she locked them onto Shina, ¡°do I still have my clearance to enter the lowest levels?¡±


    Shina blinked at that, ¡°Well, yes¡­ It was never removed, but I¡¯m not sure you want to go down there. Julieta hasn¡¯t really been in the best of moods as of lat-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, worst comes to worst I¡¯ll knock her lights out.¡± Skylar stated with a smug expression as she got up from her stool, ¡°Oh, and do me a favor and keep Striga company for a while.¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡± Both Striga and Shina exclaimed as Skylar bolted out of the tent.


    Shina sighed, ¡°That girl, always running off before anyone else can get the last word in.¡±


    Striga looked over to Shina, ¡°Soo¡­ has she always been like that?¡±


    ¡°That?¡± Shina paused, ¡°We¡­ never talked much, but Skylar did always seem to be kind of like a whirlwind, always to and fro¡­ but there was one thing I was certain of when we first met. She was an idiot.¡± Shina smiled softly as she began to brew a cup of coffee, ¡°An idiot with a lot of talent, she¡¯s one of the best mages this world has ever seen, someone of her caliber has never been seen before.¡±


    Striga nodded at that, of that fact, they were in agreement, ¡°And what? You weren¡¯t jealous?¡±


    ¡°Jealous?¡± Shina hummed for a moment, ¡°No I don¡¯t think I was, perhaps it¡¯s because of this place? Don¡¯t get me wrong I¡¯m confident in my own abilities, but this kind of place kind of has a way of making you understand where you stand in the pecking order.¡± Shina explained as she brought a cup of coffee over to Striga.


    Striga accepted the cup gratefully, ¡°Heh, wish I could say the same¡­ Lord knows I wish I had half of the strength Skylar does¡­¡±


    Shina looked at her own glass, ¡°Mhmm¡­ Strength¡­¡± She lifted the cup and took a gulp, ¡°it always seems to come at a price though.¡±


    Striga watched as Shina drank her fill, Striga then looked down to her own glass, ¡°A price that few would ever be willing to pay¡­ I know the feeling.¡± she then raised her own glass and began to drink it as well.


    Shina lowered her glass, her eyes covered by the shadow of her hair, ¡°That¡¯s where us scientists come in I suppose, to cheat the will of the divine.¡±


    (¡°I don¡¯t think anyone could have seen what was coming on that day¡­¡±)


    Skylar walked forward through the caverns, reaching the 5th layer faster than she thought she would, perhaps this place was still burned into her memory after all¡­


    Though when she arrived she saw something new at its entrance, a large metal gate.


    ¡°...That¡¯s¡­ certainly new¡­¡± She began to walk up to it, only to leap backward as the door began to open.


    There on the other side of the gate, Julieta stood with bags under her eyes locking her gaze onto Skylar, a frown plastered upon her face.


    A crimson-red sword was upon her back.


    Skylar¡¯s stance immediately dropped and she let out a sigh, ¡°Should really set out a warning bell or something, I thought you were a wild beast ready to attack me.¡±


    Julieta said nothing to that at first, simply walking forward.


    ¡°The only beast here is the one before me.¡± so she declared.


    (¡°I¡¯m certain it hurt Skylar most of all, she was never the type to take this sort of thing in stride.¡±)


    A cup fell to the ground, shattering upon the stone, Striga reached out with both hands clasping the side of her neck, tears began to well up in her eyes, and she stared forward as her vision began to blur.


    Shina watched with empty eyes at the sight.


    -P-Poison¡­?


    Striga reached out desperate to try and stop the girl before her, but her lungs soon gave out and she found herself falling to the ground.


    Shina said nothing as she witnessed the sight instead she walked out from behind the counter and made for the exit of this tent.


    (¡°No one is ever ready for that kind of sight.¡±)


    Skylar arched a brow at Julieta, ¡°Er, you think I¡¯m a beast¡­? Are you doing okay over there Julieta? You¡­ don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve had a lot of sleep.¡±


    Julieta¡¯s eyes widened at that her teeth gritting and she reached up over her shoulder removing her sword and pointed it forward, ¡°You not only have to gall to return here! But you would insult me as well!?¡±


    Skylar took a step back, ¡°W-Whoa! Calm down, Julieta! I didn¡¯t come here to fight you! I just wanted to tal-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve said enough.¡± Julieta hissed anger in her eyes, ¡°You¡¯ve done enough¡­ Enough to ruin all I held dear¡­¡± She never let her eyes leave Skylar.


    Skylar however grits her own teeth, ¡°Please, just¡­ put down your sword we can talk this over. We don¡¯t have to figh-¡± Skylar was cut off by a fireball soaring past her face and hitting the nearby wall, Skylar paused and looked over her shoulder sure enough there was a hole in that wall now.


    ¡°...The time for talk is over.¡± Julieta then began to walk forward, ¡°Raise your blade, or die like the coward you are Skylar.¡±


    Skylar grit her teeth and removed her blade from its sheath, ¡°Damn it all¡­¡±


    Seeing no other options Skylar bolted forward slashing vertically at Julieta, only to find her blow was easily matched, Julieta then slammed her boot into Skylar¡¯s stomach causing Skylar to stumble backward.


    Skylar pulled her blade back ready to strike once more, only for her eyes to widen as she felt something stab into the side of her neck.


    Skylar¡¯s body instantly went numb and her legs trembled, soon she fell to her knees.


    Her eyes widened.


    -W-Who¡­?


    Skylar turned her head to look over her shoulder and saw Shina standing over her with a syringe, a liquid was still dripping out of it.


    Skylar didn¡¯t know how to process what she was seeing.


    It was all too much.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry, we aren¡¯t going to kill you¡­¡± Julieta declared without hesitation, she knelt down and pulled out a collar putting it on Skylar¡¯s neck before kicking her to the ground, ¡°But you won¡¯t be leaving either¡­ you¡¯ll be here for a very long time.¡± Julieta glared down at Skylar as Skylar¡¯s vision began to fade out; she heard Julieta¡¯s next set of words without any mistake.


    ¡°After all, I don¡¯t grant mercy to murderers.¡±

 Chapter 6: Deaf Crys

    Sparks flew into the air as a pickaxe struck the wall, a man swung down, he was covered in a black cloak and wearing a red facemask, goggles covered his eyes, and he seemed to be in his 40s at the most.


    To his right, was a younger looking man wielding that same pickaxe, but he wasn''t nearly as suited for the job.


    Stuck in brown rags from top to bottom, he slammed his pickaxe down, and breathed an icy mist escaping his mouth as he did so, "Cold." he spoke before starting to hum a song to keep him and the old man company.


    It was the only warmth they were going to get after all.


    Further down near the rivers, a young woman dived into the water swimming deeper and deeper down, that was until she found her quarry, she grabbed hold of a metallic handle and gave it a good tug, bubbles flew to the surface as she pulled out a metallic canister, she swam back to the surface and lifted the canister onto the metal floors, as she did she took in a breath sucking in the cold air around her into her lungs that were already filled to burst, "Hard." she uttered the word looking up to another man who took the canister he nodded humming the song that the others had started as he put the canister in question into a wooden crate, before grabbing another canister, this one with a lit up blue line on its right side and handing it to the woman, she nodded checking her right wrist to see her stopwatch.


    She''d make it, so she dove back down.


    To the right of the rivers, lay machinery.


    Men and women worked on every bit of it, what they worked on was almost all different, some worked on airships, and others worked on simple machines.


    But all seemed to have suffered some sort of injury. Guards clad in silver armor always came by to check up on these machines before taking the small bits and pieces and bringing them south to a small set of stone buildings, it almost seemed to be a small village, but the buildings weren''t used to house people, just the materials they gathered.


    They wouldn''t risk a transport with all these prisoners around after all.


    An alarm began to sound, but the people paid it no mind, they had heard it so many times after all.


    To the far north, a large metallic door began to open, and men, women, and children began to walk forward with their heads down and chains wrapped around their arms. Tying them together. Men clad in red armor walked to the sides of them, two soldiers for every 4 prisoners.


    All except for one girl, a girl with silver hair who walked with her head held high walking with the rest of the prisoners but taking in the sights around her, "...Quite the place you got here." The girl uttered, one of the soldiers walked up to her and the line stopped.


    That soldier pulled his right fist back and slammed it into this girl''s gut. She was no more than 13 and she fell to her knees wincing, the soldier then spoke, "Up to this point you''ve lived a carefree life... Now you''re going to work to get it back, only single-word responses are acceptable down here. Do I make myself clear Shadewalker?" the soldier questioned looking down to the girl.


    The girl whose name was Skylar Shadewalker.


    She looked up at the soldier with a glare, "Crystal."


    Chapter 6: Deaf Crys


    (Moments earlier)


    -Ugh... My head is pounding.


    Slowly Skylar began to regain her consciousness, yet before her eyelids could even open, she felt a splash of liquid across her face her eyes snapped open and immediately she started coughing, water had drenched her head to toe and she glared at the person who had dared to soak her.


    It was a man, a man much older than her who tossed the bucket to the side, he stared down with a scowl, he was clad in silver armor but his crimson eyes shined with the fury of a thousand suns, Skylar took a quick note of the sword upon this man''s back "Rise and shine you little shit." So the man started to say, "Today''s your lucky day, we don''t often get the chance to incarcerate murderers..."


    "Murderer...?" Skylar questioned, in truth his mind was still somewhat hazy.


    She replayed what she could remember through the back of her mind, and her gaze narrowed, "I didn''t kill anyone." She stated this fact without any doubt in her mind, this was a human prison so the gods surely didn''t count.


    ...Right?


    Skylar suddenly found herself unsure, she''d never been arrested before.


    "You think ignorance will save you?" The man growled, reaching into his pocket and throwing something onto the table, shards. Rainbow crystal shards. Skylar saw them drop onto the wooden table and instantly her heart sank.


    Memories flooded her head, memories of the day of reckoning.


    Tetra''s smile flashed through her head, just as the soldier spoke, "You are here for the murder of Executioner Tetra."


    The worst crime anyone could commit.


    The worst accusation anyone could ever throw at Skylar, she looked up, her eyes narrowed dangerously, "I didn''t kill Tetra. I would never lay a hand on him."


    "And yet, we have not once but two witnesses who claim otherwise." The man retorted with ease as he walked over to the door nearby, Skylar noted the walls were made of stone, and it was here that she finally had a second to examine herself, her outfit was pretty much the same, but her sword was missing, a collar was around her neck, and her hands were tied with a thick rope.


    "What''s more," The man continued opening the door for a moment, another soldier stood outside holding a brown bag, "a peculiar set of items were found at the scene of the crime." he tossed the bag letting its contents spill onto the table, metal shards scattered across the table, "The shards of Tetra''s own blade."


    Skylar stared at the evidence with wide eyes, it didn''t make any sense, the shards of rainbow crystal, the shards of the blade, it didn''t match up with what she remembered.


    And what''s this about two witnesses?


    She slowly looked up to the soldier, seeing the hatred in his eyes, and repeated what she knew to be true, "I didn''t kill Tetra."


    The soldier scoffed at the claim, "Claiming ignorance in the hopes that it''ll save you? Foolish." he walked up to Skylar and grabbed her by the back of her head slamming her face down into the table. Her cheek brushed one of the shards cutting it, "We can keep going on here all day, all I require from you is a confession... So lucky for you I can''t kill you, but..." he reached down with his left hand grabbing hold of one of Skylar''s fingers under the table, and he bent it back, further and further, until it cracked, breaking.


    Skylar let out a cry of pain trying to pull away from the man, but this only resulted in the man lifting her head once more and slamming it down, "I don''t care if you lose an arm or a leg."


    Insane, this man was insane... Why wasn''t anyone stopping him?


    This was wrong, she''d never kill Tetra. Never in a million years.


    Skylar grit her teeth trying to call forth her magic in order to fight back, but nothing came, no lighting, no draconic hands, no wind.


    -No


    No. No no no no no no.


    This is bad, this is really. REALLY bad!


    If she couldn''t call forth her magic, then she was defenseless in this situation, they could keep abusing her for weeks and she''d be powerless to stop it.


    Skylar looked to the door straining her eyes, hoping beyond hope for any semblance of salvation.


    But there was none, none upon that wooden door.


    She was starting to panic, the pain on top of the confusion was going to drive her mad.


    Her thoughts screamed at her, her mind was going fuzzy.


    And so she closed her eyes, she closed her thoughts, her sight, all sounds. Blocked them out, she didn''t need long, she was still a smart girl, but as she sifted through her thoughts trying to find some way out of this she could only come to one conclusion.


    There was no way out.


    No way out... But there was a way forward, a way to survive.


    And so, she allowed her senses to return to her slowly but surely, and swallowed her pride to do the unthinkable, "...I confess." she spoke the words, though every single lie that slipped past her lips made her want to vomit, "I confess to killing Tetra."


    She had to get out of here, and sitting here speaking the truth wasn''t going to give her anything but more broken limbs.


    So although she hated it, she lied.


    The soldier blinked surprised by this action, but he ultimately let go of the girl''s head, scowling as he did so, "Just as much of a coward as I thought." he declared as he began to untie Skylar''s bonds, "Don''t get excited, I''m simply moving you to the main grounds... You''ll be spending your life here as a prisoner."


    Skylar watched as the man began to untie the rope, she thought about fighting back of course, but decided against it, if these guards were willing to resort to breaking bones just to get their confession, then there''s no telling what they may do now that they have it.


    What''s more, without her magic she was at a serious disadvantage.


    The Guard glared at Skylar, "Stand." so his order came, and so Skylar did as she was told the Guard then forcefully pulled Skylar''s arms behind her back.


    Tying the rope back on right then, after that, he pushed Skylar forward as the wooden door ahead opened, Skylar arched her brow as she saw several people, men women and children just like her. All tied to a large chain rope.


    Once Skylar was in range of the rope, the guard that escorted her removed the ropes once more and then tied the large chain rope to her arms.


    ***


    And that''s how Skylar found herself here.


    A bruise on her face, a broken finger, and a cut on her cheek.


    Quite the lively day, for her all things considered, Skylar took notes of each guard''s movements, there every breath, their twitches even the way their gazes shifted, she watched as each and every prison was untied and given a tool some were given wrenches. And then brought to the area where machinery was built


    Some were given goggles, then brought to the area where they''d dive down to replace those strange cylinders, Skylar took note that a crystal was in one of the freshly brought up ones, and then there was this place.


    A pickaxe was given to her, "...Why?" Skylar questioned arching a brow.


    The guard that gave her that pickaxe pointed upwards to the rafters that connected to the large ice cliffside, "Your duties are to mine for crystals from that ice wall, and don''t even think about using that pickaxe to attack another. Your life is a gift, one that we can easily rip away." the guard growled.


    Skylar said nothing to that and instead began to walk forward.


    This was going to be tough, first things first though, she had to make some allies, learn more about the place she found herself in, and escape.


    "..." she paused for a moment looking at the nearby people working on machinery, and she arched her brow.


    -What could they need all that for?


    She found herself wondering.


    -Come to think of it, what do they need crystals for? I hardly ever see them used in this Pandamonium.


    Skylar continued walking forward, lest she got targeted by one of the many guards on patrol.


    She looked to a nearby staircase and figured this was the way up to the rafters, but as she began to climb another pressing question entered her mind.


    -Where''s Striga?


    ***


    Slowly Striga''s eyes began to open up, a bright light entered her vision causing her to wince as she tried to move.


    She blinked, feeling metal chains wrapped around her arms, she found her arms wrapped around her back.


    When she looked at the area she saw floors made of stone, a shitty bed to her right and straight ahead iron bars lay blocking her escape, outside of those bars was a woman with bags under her eyes, wearing a white jacket and black pants, a chair was what she sat upon, her eyes narrowed dangerously, "So your Striga eh...? Funny, your resemblance to Skylar is uncanny... Though I hear that''s just another enigma involving mages with that trademark hair... you all look damn near identical." The woman then frowned, "damn ghosts."


    -Ghost.


    A rare nickname, one never used by the common masses, but by someone who had once known a white-haired mage.


    Well that narrowed things down, Striga sat up straight and put on a false smile, "And that must make you Julieta right? Never took you for the kidnapping type." Striga hissed, a sense of malice slipped into her voice, she wasn''t fond of prison cells, they did nothing but bring back bad memories.


    The woman in question put her chin on her palm and smirked slightly, "Yeah, that''d be me. As for the whole ''kidnapping'' deal? Well, can''t be too safe when you''re dealing with someone who might be collaborating with a murderer." she uttered these words returning the hostility.


    "Murderer?" Striga frowned as she tilted her head to the side, "You think Skylar is a murderer?" she laughed at that, "Impossible." Skylar already had enough guilt for taking the life of those who''d try to kill her, the simple idea that Skylar would willingly kill another without reason, that was stupid.


    And yet this woman, Julieta. Seemed convinced otherwise.


    Julieta stood from her chair and began to walk to the prison door, looking though it right at Striga, "Of course not." she declared as she laid a hand upon the bars, "I know she is."


    Julieta''s fingers then tapped along the edges of the bar impatiently as she stared forward, "She already confessed to doing it herself, as such her execution will only be a matter of time."


    Striga blinked at that, "Confessed...?" That didn''t make any sense, why would Skylar do such a thing... Did she really?


    No, no this could be a trap... There was more going on here, Striga was sure of that.


    Julieta''s cautious tired eyes never left Striga for even a moment, soon enough she removed her hand from the bar, "Mmm, well regardless I have other duties to attend to, while I see them. You can sit here and rot away." With that Julieta began to walk down the hallway.


    Striga sat in her cell and looked straight up, "..Well this sucks."


    Julieta continued to walk down the hallway, several cells lined the walls, some filled but most were empty, she hardly ever kept the cells full now, not when these people could be put to work.


    Soon she came to a wooden door and began to push it open. This place, THIS prison, used to be the fifth floor of Pand?monium, but she repurposed it, and moved most of the dangerous monsters further down.


    And turned it into this, all for the day that Skylar would return, the day came sooner than she thought. But even so.


    She opened the door ahead and walked through, "A pleasure to see you after so long dear one." A voice suddenly spoke out to Julieta''s left causing her to stop in place.


    Julieta didn''t turn to face the person in question, but she did speak to it, "I thought you wouldn''t want to be seen with me."


    The person scoffed while walking up to Julieta and wrapped its arms around Julieta''s neck whispering into her ear, as they began to brush Julieta''s hair, "Now don''t be ridiculous, while it''s true I must remain in the shadows... It''s also true that this is a very special day, a day where the one who wronged your beloved will finally be led to justice..."


    Julieta closed her eyes, letting herself be swallowed into the embrace of this person, her eyes snapped wide open as this person pulled away, "As such, I had to be sure to see the blood hit the ground... And to add on a bit of insurance..."


    Julieta blinked as she heard a set of metal boots hit the ground behind her, she blinked slowly turning around to greet the stranger, there Midus stood clad in his armor, "...I hear the Shadewalker has been contained here..." he growled, his voice dripping with venom.


    Julieta nodded slowly and turned to look at the person who had hugged her, "Am I to use him as I see fit?"


    The person smiled, putting its hands behind it''s back, smiling, "Of course, an attack dog, a guard dog, it matters not so long as he is put to use." the person then paused putting a finger to their chin, "Of course, the moment Shadewalker is gone, I shall also return to retrieve him. I trust that won''t be an issue."


    Julieta nodded slowly, "Of course not, I shall put him to good use... Lust."


    Lust smiled at that, turning around as a black portal opened up behind her where a hooded man stood, "Then I shall leave you to it." she walked through the portal and it closed behind her leaving Midus and Julieta alone.


    ***


    Skylar slammed her pickaxe into the wall, her''s seemed to chip away at it a lot faster than anyone else in this place, though the cold air hardly did her any favors, seriously, prisoners or not this was brutal.


    Skylar''s pickaxe slammed into the wall once more, but this time a light green glow came from the cracks, there was a crystal lodged within, wind magic no doubt.


    She could... use this to try and break out, but the crystals were only good for about 2 maybe 3 spells.


    Skylar''s gaze shifted to her left, the old man and kid next to her had yet to notice her quarry, instead her gaze was upon the sets of two guards patrolling towards her.


    She frowned and reached into the crack, grabbing the crystal and pulling it out with strength. The guards of course looked at her with a scowl, but she said nothing, tossing the crystal up to them, and following their rules she uttered one word, "Right?"


    The guard that caught the crystal looked it over and nodded at it, "Very good, keep this up and perhaps we can increase your serving size for lunch."


    So they said, and so it''d never happen, lie, lie and lie, that was their way, lie and give these prisoners a semblance of hope, only to crush it back down into the abyss.


    It was for this reason among many others that Skylar had already begun researching ways to escape, there were a few things she''s already learned in her short time here.


    -For starters...


    She thought as she began to swing her pickaxe further into the wall.


    -The crystals gathered are obtained from either this wall or crafted through the canisters that the Divers use.


    Her gaze shifted to the left seeing the next set of divers lift their canisters up, there are slots at the very bottom of that lake where empty canisters are placed, mana flows into those canisters and then the mana is inserted into Blanks, a clever system to ensure the Blank''s aren''t damaged on there way down or up.


    After all, if a crystal was to receive any sort of damage no matter how little the mana within will disperse.


    -That''s the hardest job here, the easiest goes to the machine builders, they make small airships that are then transported the same way they bring us prisoners in, via that large metal gate... it can only be opened from the outside, and it''s defended by large portions of soldiers, so escaping via that method is near impossible...


    Skylar paused as she looked to the roof of this place, it was stone walls just like everything else.


    But...


    -If I can''t leave through the door given to me, then I''ll just have to find a way to make my own.


    But that could wait, she''d only have one shot at what she''s planning and if she screwed it up, it''d cause more harm than good.


    She blinked as she felt something push into her arm, it was a bottle of water, a young boy around Skylar''s age held it out, his eyes were a bright crimson and he wore a frown as he uttered his one word, "Here."


    Skylar arched her brow before grabbing the water bottle and lowering her pickaxe, "Thanks." she uttered as she began to uncap, if the lead wasn''t even sealed properly she''d simply toss it away, after all, she wasn''t sure who she could trust down here, but it was sealed, so began downing the contents without a second thought, the boy looked to the metal gate and then he looked around, once he was certain no guards were listening in, he spoke up, "My name is Ignis. And... you are?"


    Skylar lowered the bottle, looking to Ignis, "Skylar." she decided after a bit handing the boy what remained of the bottle.


    The boy drank the rest, before reaching down for his own pickaxe and swinging it into the wall, "So." he spoke up again as Skylar started to swing her own pickaxe, "What are you in here for?" He asked the heavy question first, not a bad move. All things considered when dealing with a prisoner you want to know what they did before.


    But Skylar frowned as the next swing increased with strength, "Murder supposedly, not sure where they got that sick joke from."


    Ignis frowned at that, "Your falsely accused?" he questioned glancing to his left, as the beat of his pickaxe resounded across the area, "but why didn''t you just state your case against the guards if there is even a speck of doubt they would have held off your imprisonment..."


    "Not if you''re suspected of the murder of Tetra." Skylar scowled, annoyed in the clear bias going on in the place, Ignis paused mid-swing at that.


    "Whoa..." he looked to Skylar, "But like did you kill him?"


    "Hell no." Skylar hissed her eyes, flashing with anger, "The idea that I could do that to someone like him is itself an insult, he was a man I looked up to heavily."


    "...Hm, you said your name was Skylar right? Skylar... Shadewalker perhaps?" Ignis arched a brow.


    Skylar glanced at Ignis, "My name is so well known that it''s even in prison now?"


    Ignis chuckled a little at Skylar''s scowl, "Not quite... I was told to look out for you, I got someone I want you to meet... but it''ll have to wait till after lights out."


    Skylar narrowed her gaze, distrust showing within it, betrayal was a feeling that was still leaving a bitter mark on her soul, "And why would I do that?"


    "Do you have any better options?" Ignis questioned, already knowing the answer as two guards began to approach their location they were running out of time to speak freely, "if so then by all means, keep going as is. But if not, then perhaps you''ll find escape isn''t as impossible as it seems."


    Skylar frowned at Ignis, and despite her distrust, she spoke, "I''ll do things my way first, and if that doesn''t happen to work out... Then I''ll seek you out."


    Those were the last words spoken as the two guards entered earshot, what''s more, they didn''t seem to be leaving.


    Were they onto them? No come to think of it, more often than naught the guards never even left their posts.


    So why did they do so previously, unless...


    Skylar glanced over to Ignis, who smiled as if none the wiser to her suspicions.


    -Did he... pay them off somehow?


    If so, then this kid had more influence than he let on...


    Which did not do much to lessen Skylar''s suspicions about him.


    But for the time being she continued to slam her pickaxe into the wall, she could worry about him later.


    She had work to do.


    ***


    Lust looked over her Empire over the balcony, watching as her subjects began to prepare for battle.


    In truth, she could launch an attack whenever she wished, but she took joy in watching the fears manifest in the nations beyond, so she always delayed her attacks, letting that fear reach its boiling point and then.


    Then she''d strike, and now that Jubilee was missing its top combatants the fear was sure to start rising to its peak.


    Lust grinned at the thought of it, but that grin dropped into a frown when she heard a tearing sound from behind her, she took in an annoyed breath before turning around.


    Looking at her visitor, "You would borrow my strength and use it as transport? Hardly a tactic I''d support." The stranger declared.


    Lust said nothing to the stranger at first, instead opting to lean backward onto the railing, "Oh come now, fear is a delicacy that is available in abundance... you should try feasting upon it yourself sometime Origin, then you''d see how even something as poultry as one man can cultivate it into a bountiful harvest."


    "Hm, and yet the longer you wait the more likely it becomes for your Empire to fall, is that your intention? To let those bugs fester and grow into a hoard that could tear your Empire apart?" Origin questioned without missing a beat.


    Lust blinked at that before chuckling and pushing away from the railing behind her, she then began to walk forward with a fake smile, "These mongrels think they can take this from me?" she chuckled beneath her mask as she turned back around and with a wave of her hand the crowd that stood below began to cheer, "They can try, but in the end, they will fall like dominos, and of course... Should they reach my castle, then they''ll be mine."


    Origin frowned leaning against a wall, "Is that so? But you''re aware that your usual tactics simply won''t work upon the Shadewalker are you not?" Origin uttered these words with a scowl, in his gaze it seemed Lust was getting too lax in her duties, and if there was one thing that Origin would not tolerate it was laziness.


    "Does it matter?" Lust questioned looking over her shoulder, "It''s so rare to see someone who can withstand my influence, I want nothing more than to break her down to her core and see what makes her tick... it doesn''t matter if she''s broken beyond repair, or if she turns into a corpse, even objects are worthy of my lust." So she declared holding out her arms to the skies, as if trying to grab hold of them all.


    Origin closed his eyes and turned away, opening a black portal, "Hm, so long as the show is entertaining then I shall continue to watch... that said when you take your final bow." Origin looked over his shoulder for a moment, "I won''t weep for you." with that Origin walked through the portal.


    Leaving Lust alone to chuckle, "Why would an Empress care for the tears of a worthless man?" She meant that for both Origin.


    And Midus.


    ***


    Skylar grunted as her back hit the wall, before she could react a guard slammed his fist into her face with enough force to crack her nose, and blood splattered onto the floor as Skylar reached up grabbing her nose and crying out in pain, "Little shit!" the guard shouted, lifting Skylar up by the hair before reaching into one of her pockets and pulling out a small green crystal, "Thought we wouldn''t find out about you trying to sneak off with our wares?!" he shouted dropping Skylar onto the ground she winced looking up definitely at the guard, "What''s with that look... You got something to say brat?!" he shouted, kicking her in the gut causing Skylar to wince in pain.


    It''s not like anyone else would come here to look after all, this was a secluded corner where the guards all hung around, they could bring anyone they liked back here and do whatever they pleased.


    She looked up once more and uttered two words, "Fuck... You..." she barked her eyes flaring with anger.


    The guard however was in control of the situation, and fury burned in his eyes as he pulled back his leg kicking Skylar in the rips with force, then in her stomach, her eyes bulge as blood flew from her mouth she curled into a ball in some desperate attempt to protect herself as kick after kick flew into her.


    Hours seemed to pass and Skylar was covered in bruises. The guard had at last run out of energy, he huffed, turning around, "Get out of my sight brat, lights are going out soon and I won''t be staying overtime for your ass." With that, he began to walk off.


    Skylar stayed in a ball for a moment listening to every footstep before she began to uncurl, wincing in pain as she did so, everything hurt.


    Slowly she began to sit up, leaning her back against the wall as she sucked in a breath of air, trying her best not to cry.


    -This is fun, I bet most people don''t even get to feel this kind of pain.


    She joked internally, trying to distract herself with a small chuckle, this had the opposite effect of what she desired though and instead only made her wince further in pain.


    -...Didn''t he say, ''Lights Out'' ...Uh oh.


    Skylar took in a sharp breath and grit her teeth using the wall to prop herself up as she got to her feet, ''Light''s Out.'' Time for the prisoners to go to bed, as such Skylar had to make her way to the front gate, every other prisoner should be there as well.


    For anyone who fails to show up on time will be labeled as a deserter and become executed on sight, she grit her teeth limping forward.


    -Not good.


    She could feel her body screaming in agony, but she kept moving forward, refusing to die.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Her pride and her resolve wouldn''t allow it.


    And so she limped onwards, with fire in her gaze.


    ***


    Ignis stood amongst the crowd of prisoners, and a set of guards stood in front of the gates, they had already begun to start the roll call, each name was in a list, it always took a bit about an hour in total and it was names were always called out in alphabetical order, the call outs were supposed to start now.


    And so he waited for the first name on the list, ''Aazeem Akashan.'' That was always the first.


    "Skylar Shadewalker." The first name was called out, and confusion rang out amongst the crowd.


    Ignis''s eyes widened when he heard the name called, he looked around for Skylar, but of course


    She was nowhere to be found...


    "Skylar Shadewalker! Are you present!?" The guard shouted once more, there''d only be one more call.


    And if Skylar refused to answer then...


    Once more that guard narrowed his gaze, glancing at his fellow guards, "Skylar Shadewalker, if you are present! Then speak now, this is your final warning!"


    . . .


    No response.


    The guard lowered his clipboard and sighed, "All units, fan out! Find the Shadewalker, and have her Executed!"


    It was a setup.


    Ignis knew this better than most, and so as the guards began to fan out he turned towards the alleys, he saw Skylar get dragged off in that direction earlier and he ran off to go fetch her, even as other guards began to shout at him.


    He made a promise, and he''d see it though, even at the cost of his own life.


    ***


    It was raining that day if memory serves, I wasn''t one to travel in this sort of weather, and hated the feeling of wet clothes you understand?


    But today was different, today it wasn''t just my life at stake.


    To my side in this lush rainforest, was a young girl.


    A young girl of about 12 years old, my youngest sister.


    "Just a little further now Alice," I told her as I glanced at her, she was breathing heavily and sweat was running down her face.


    "R-Right... I''m coming." Her emerald eyes stared up at my own crimson ones, her pale skin was a dead giveaway in the moonlight.


    She was hungry, I knew this well.


    Of course I did, after all, I was hungry as well.


    And it''s not as though normal food would do us any good.


    It was never that easy for gods.


    Soon I reached a clearing, as I did the rain faded as well, the skies seemed to show mercy on us this day.


    Soon, in the distance, I saw a village, a small village that was said to be where salvation for all gods lay.


    Babylon Garden, the village created by Empress Lust.


    My eyes widened in joy at the sight, "There it is! We''re going to make it Alice!"


    So I declared with joy on my face, I turned around and that joy immediately turned to worry, Alice was laying against a tree looking up through their branches to the moonlight.


    Slowly I walked up to her, wordlessly.


    So she did the talking instead, "Do you think it''s true what they say?" She questioned suddenly.


    I blinked, of course, confused by what she meant, "Is what true?"


    She smiled softly as she reached up to the stars as if trying to grasp them in her hands, "They say that every star in this sky is the life of people who are very important... people who can change this world... for the better, or for worse." She muttered, lowering her hand, "Do you think so?"


    I paused looking up to the skies, "I suppose I could see that... After all, people that are special would have to shine as bright as those stars wouldn''t they?"


    Alice closed her eyes, taking in a breath, "Do you think I could be one of those stars Ignis?"


    Ignis looked down at Alice and chuckled somewhat at that, "Of course, you shine brighter than any star out there. I''m sure of that." He then moved down and picked up Alice piggyback style and started to walk out towards the village ahead.


    She smiled leaning her head on Ignis''s shoulder, "I''m sure your star will be much larger than mine, you''re amazing after all."


    "Mhmm, then I guess you''ve got your work cut out for you if you want to reach the same size as my star," Ignis said with a smile.


    Alice smiled sheepishly at that, "Ha, you''ll be eating my dust in no time!"


    Ignis was about to reply when he saw a light in the village, no.


    Not just one light, two.


    Then three, then four.


    Hundreds of lights, but there was something wrong with these lights.


    They were moving.


    Fast.


    Through the air towards the duo.


    "...Huh...?" Ignis looked down to his torso feeling some sort of pain, there in his chest.


    Lay an arrow lodged right into his gut, an arrow covered in fire, the fire didn''t hurt him, it was his element by the pain of an arrow that was not something he could ignore.


    He dropped to the ground in pain as fire began to surround him he screamed, agony overtaking him.


    Arrow after arrow flew over him and to his right he saw his younger sister on the ground writhing in pain, he reached out desperate to get to her.


    To save her, he crawled forward.


    Slowly but surely he got closer to Alice, but by the time he had arrived his sister was nothing more than a burnt corpse, "Alice...?" he muttered lifting her head, "Hey... come on, this isn''t funny!" He shouted the words, fear overtaking his heart, "Your star is supposed to burn brighter than mine isn''t it!? Come on! GET UP!"


    He clutched the burnt corpse of his sister to his chest as he screamed, "ALICE!!!"


    He should have died that day, he lay there screaming and mourning his own dead family, as villagers from Babylon Garden approached him, all of them holding swords. There were five of them.


    With a wave of his hand, he could burn them till there was nothing left of them.


    But what was the point?


    His sister was gone now. As was his world, he deserved this.


    He deserved every single agony that the world was about to visit upon him.


    So then why?


    Why did those golden lights escape from the forest and destroy his assaulters?


    Why did this new girl approach him, with a look of true pity, why was she now offering her hand to him?


    Her hand was dripping with blood, and the words that would seal Ignis''s hands left her lips, "Are you okay?"


    He stared up with wide eyes at this girl, Shina stared down at him with an interested brow raised, in the eyes of Ignis, he saw a bright light shining down on this girl, "A star...?"


    That was all he was able to say before falling onto the ground passing out.


    ***


    Skylar winced walking forward, she was near the rafters now, right next to the staircase on the far right side. She''d take a bit but she was certain she''d make it on time.


    "Hey you!" A voice called out from behind causing Skylar to arch a brow as she looked over her shoulder seeing three guards closing in on her, all with their weapons drawn, "surrender yourself, there''s nowhere to run!"


    -That... doesn''t sound good.


    Skylar felt a bead of sweat on her neck form and instead of surrendering she spun around on her heel and ran up those stairs, causing the guards behind her to give chase, ahead several pickaxes littered the floor, though they were flimsy and would easily shatter against all of the guard''s blades, Skylar instead ran low to the ground picking up one of those pickaxes and while wincing slammed it into the mountain that she was already working hard to mine, sure enough, a yellow crystal lay bare, she turned to face the three guards throwing the pickaxe at them before shoving her right hand into the crack she had made, pulling out the crystal and casting its magic.


    The guard in front swung his sword with surprising strength shattering the pickaxe instantly, his eyes widened however when.


    Several spikes of earth shot out from the mountainside, Skylar looked down to the crystal as it turned white, it was nothing more than a Blank now.


    But she wasn''t going to sit here and wait for those guards, so she turned around and continued to run.


    The only reason she was able to get that crystal in the first place was because she found it earlier, but she used one charge of the earth magic to hide it.


    And now her ace was gone, without enough time to get another.


    "There she is!" Another set of guards down below saw her and she let out a groan running along the rafters, her eyes widened as balls of fire, shards of ice, and bolts of lightning began to light up her path.


    Of course, it did, these guards were mages...


    Skylar remained nimble weaving through all of these, that was until a shard of earth exploded from below tearing the rafters and sending Skylar hurdling onto the ground adding to her bruises.


    She moved to stand up only for a guard to slam its shoulder into her knocking her into the body of water before she could swim back up, however.


    The top was suddenly covered in a thick layer of ice, Skylar winced holding her breath, though she hadn''t gotten much she swam up and slammed her fist into the ice, once. Twice.


    It cracked a bit but those cracks were immediately sealed back up.


    -Ice magic?


    She scowled and lifted her legs using the ice to launch herself downwards now knowing that breaking the ice above was a lost cause.


    She instead went deeper into the pit, her quarry was at the bottom and ultimately it''d be a gamble.


    Soon enough she found a cylinder with a handle upon it, she reached out pulling it out her mouth shot open as she gasped for air, but instead began to suck in the water, she was drowning, but the very in her gaze never left, she opened the canister and out came a green crystal.


    With little strength, she reached out and grabbed the crystal pointing it below her and she was sent flying upwards with the speed of a Sonic Boom her back shattered through the ice ceiling and she pointed the crystal to her left launching herself to the right causing her to tumble onto the ground near the alley she exited moments ago, she coughed and sputtered trying to get the water out of her lungs, her eyes widened as something grabbed her hair pulling her into the alley, she instinctively tried to swat whoever it was away.


    "Shh! I''m trying to help you here." Ignis hissed as he pulled Skylar to the side, he then looked around a corner seeing the first three guards that had chased Skylar start to approach.


    He frowned at the sight before narrowing his gaze, "This is bad..." he looked to Skylar who was already holding a Blank.


    Ignis frowned for a moment, but ultimately closed his eyes, before walking up to Skylar snatching the Blank from Skylar''s hand, "You... Do you have a plan?" Skylar questioned.


    "...Through the metal doors, that''s the only way out. Everything else could cause a cave in, with wind magic you could probably force it open." Ignis explained.


    Skylar then looked down, "But with this collar on me, I can''t use that magic... And I''d be lucky to get another crystal."


    Ignis flipped the Blank around in his hands, before smiling, "Guess I''ve got no choice then... Hey, when next you see Shina tell her I said thanks."


    Skylar blinked looking up, "What are yo-" her eyes widened when Ignis drove the sharp edge of the crystal into his heart a smile upon his face even as he dropped to his knees, Skylar quickly shot up grabbing him as he fell, she removed the blank from his chest and immediately started to apply pressure, "W-What the hell!? What are you doing!? Didn''t you say you''d help me get out of here? You can''t jus-"


    "But... But I am helping..." he never lost that smile even as the light began to leave his eyes red energy began to swirl upwards and into Skylar causing her to look at that light, and realization dawned upon her.


    "You''re a god...?" She questioned looking down at Ignis but he couldn''t accuse him after all, the dead cannot speak.


    She grits her teeth lifting up his corpse, she moved it further into the alley setting it down, she didn''t want to damage it if she had to fight.


    The three guards at last entered the alley and when they saw Skylar covered in blood the one in front frowned, "One wasn''t enough for you, so you had to take the life of another? Death is more than you deserve!"


    She recognized that voice, it was the voice of the guard who she first met, the one who dropped the evidence in front of her, Skylar stood up from Ignis''s corpse and took in a breath as the three guards began to approach slowly, the necklace glowed bright red, a malfunction in the system, after all the necklace was preprogrammed to handle the magic''s Skylar currently had, but not a new one obtained, so she reached up and grabbed the collar shattering it within her grasp, a fire burned through it and it fell to the ground.


    She then began to turn around, locking her gaze at the guards with their drawn weapons, her eyes flashing between crimson, to emerald green, she held out her right hand and spoke only one word to them, "Come."


    The guard leading the trio narrowed his gaze, "You think your tough shit? No, you''ll be back in chains soon enough!"


    Skylar walks forward towards the guards unafraid, "You think you locked me in here because you''re strong?" Skylar questioned as the wind around her began to blow upwards, "No, that''s not why you locked me in here... I''m here because I''m kind, kind enough not to wound people who deserve it, kind enough to put my trust in the grieving. Kind enough to put my faith in murderers." Skylar clenched her right hand into a fist and the wind began to burst forth knocking the guards backwards, the main guard however stabbed his blade into the ground using it to stand his ground.


    "You are a prisoner... a murderer of a legend! Nothing more!" he shouted over the oncoming storm.


    And Skylar stared forward, "Legends aren''t made of the living, legends are only born from the deeds of the dead." She replied as she closed her eyes, "And his legend lives on the deeds that I''ll commit." Her eyes snapped open, "So stand down, or become another page in my legend."


    The guard''s eyes widened, for a moment for a single moment he could swear on the heavens that he saw Tetra himself standing behind the girl with a smile.


    "Could it be... You live on through her?"


    The guard spoke to himself looking down at the dirt and gritting his teeth.


    "Sir! You have to stop her!" One of his colleagues shouted from behind him, and he said nothing in response at first. Instead, he closed his eyes and uttered these words to Skylar.


    "Go. Go and never look back." he doesn''t know what possessed him to say such a thing, he knew the evidence, he knew the witnesses'' tales, but yet.


    At this moment he was sure that Skylar Shadewalker.


    Did not kill Tetra.


    And so he watched as Skylar turned around and ran down that alleyway with renewed vigor, "Lady Julieta... please forgive me." He uttered those words, closing his eyes.


    ***


    Striga sat in her cell with her eyes closed, she was biding her time waiting for an opening, listening to the subtle sounds in the walls, the chatter of the prisoners, the way the guards shouted, "Skylar Shadewalker is escaping!"


    ...


    Wait what?


    Striga''s eyes snapped open and moved to the bars surrounding her cell, sure enough, she did not mishear that.


    Skylar hadn''t even been here for one day, and already chaos was following in her wake.


    Striga chuckled a little at that, "Seriously? She really can''t go one day without breaking something?" Of course, the answer was no, in fact, Striga was surprised that Skylar had kept it together this long, she was certain the moment she awoke that there''d be the sound of explosions.


    Actually, the fact that there were no sounds of explosions even now was surprising to her, "You think she''s coming for you?" Julieta''s voice suddenly echoed out through the hall as she walked up to Striga''s cell, a small smirk on her face.


    Striga said nothing to that, locking eyes with Julieta, so instead Julieta kept talking, "Doubtful, she''s already wounded, and despite the little rampage she''s causing out there it won''t mean much in the long run." Julieta declared as she snapped her fingers the guards began to rush over to her side.


    Not just the guards of this area, but every area.


    "What...?" Striga arched his brow, confused.


    "Hm? These men aren''t needed you see." Julieta declared, "Not when a very special man desires a rematch with the Shadewalker."


    ***


    Skylar found herself running straight up to the gate, she had expected some sense of resistance.


    But instead, she found.


    Nobody.


    Not a single guard, nor prisoner, the place was dead quiet.


    And the gate ahead was open... wide open...


    "That''s foreboding..." She muttered.


    "Today I learned that getting cut off from you magically is the equivalent of teetering between life and death."


    Skylar blinked as she heard Alma''s voice in her head once more, "And that''s... bad right?" She questioned arching a brow as she began to reach the door.


    "I would like to request that you ensure that this never happens again."


    Skylar thought about joking otherwise, but she had started to miss Alma as such she responded, "I''ll make an effort."


    She paused as she saw a blade laying on the ground, her blade. Her segmented blade.


    She slowly reached down and grabbed it, attaching its hilt to her back. She started to walk forward in the hallway, there were two large metal door''s one to her right, one to her left, and straight ahead another door was open.


    She could work to open the other''s but there was... something drawing her in the direction of the open one.


    Slowly she moved, eventually entering through the open door, she flinched as it slammed shut behind her, a sound entered her ears, the sounds of metal boots hitting the floor.


    She turned her gaze ahead, ready to face another guard, "The fairy of blood... The one who slew a Titan... The girl who dances upon the wind." A voice echoed, a voice that Skylar recognized instantly on reflex she reached up and grabbed the hilt of her blade, straight ahead Midus walked into the large circular room, wearing his armor he stared down at Skylar, "Skylar Shadewalker..."


    Skylar smirked, though it was strained, "Come to try and take over this island as well?"


    Midus remained silent for a moment, before closing his eyes beneath his helmet, "No. I came here for one thing and one thing alone." he reached up and gripped his own blade, "To settle the score, that loss... serves as a blemish, one that refuses to be removed... And now, I''ve come to cut it off." he unsheathed his blade pointing it forward. It was longer than before, it would seem that Midus now had a greatsword... that he could still use with one hand.


    Terrifying.


    Skylar narrowed her gaze, "Look, as much as I''d love to duke it out with you, I''ve got better things to do right now... So why don''t you just move along and I can finish my business-" The wall behind Skylar suddenly bent, a sword mark appeared on it, and Midus now stood behind her, as a cut appeared across her cheek.


    Skylar''s eyes widened and she unsheathed her own blade spinning around, she reached up with her left hand feeling the blood drip from her cheek.


    -He''s faster than before.


    Midus stood there in front of the metal door, and he began to chuckle, it was soft and slow before turning into a howl of laughter he arched his backward and threw his head skyward laughing all the while, soon it began to die down, and he uttered his next words with malice, "Skylar Shadewalker..." his hands clenched tightening in rage as Skylar took a step backward eyeing her opponent with a sense of fear, "I will cut you down, I shall tear your existence apart and spread the gore of your profane form across the stars, I''ll grind you down until the very sparks cry for mercy!


    MY HANDS SHALL RELISH IN THE SCREAMS OF YOUR END!" he blasted forward then with speed, unlike anything Skylar had seen.


    Instead of trying to block the attack Skylar used her wind magic to launch herself upwards, she needed more time, Midus was too fast, and she needed a way to track him.


    "Is this what I lost too!?!" Midus roared from above causing Skylar''s eyes to widen as Midus''s hand grabbed the back of her head and sent her rocketing downwards with enough force to shatter the earth below.


    Skylar groaned as she slammed her hands into the ground trying to push herself upwards, only for Midus to grab her by the hair and throw her to the left like a ragdoll being torn from its spot onto the ground.


    Skylar''s back slammed into the wall as cracks began to form in it, she grit her teeth trying to get back onto her feet, Midus instantly closed the distance grabbed Skylar by the neck, and slammed her back into the wall, her eyes bulged as blood flew from her mouth onto Midus''s helmet, "Is that all?" Midus questioned with a growl, "Why don''t you bring out the beastly form of yours from before? What holds you back?"


    Fear


    It was always fear, fear of what would happen if she did that again.


    Skylar stared down definitely at Midus, he frowned at the sight raising his blade, "No matter, if you won''t turn into that beast once more, then you''ve outgrown your usefulness, as such you will be eliminated." Midus then thrusted that blade forward intent on taking Skylar''s life here and now.


    But... The blade had stopped, no.


    Not the blade, the flow of time itself had stopped in Skylar''s eyes, the world went monochrome before her gaze yet she could not move either.


    But then a voice came from behind her, despite that impossibility, Skylar knew from the pain in her back that only a stone was behind her... and yet the voice somehow came from behind nonetheless, "See? This is where your morals get you, kindness can only take you so far in this world, and that guilt in your heart is doing you no favors..." Hands began to extend from the wall, two long arms that reached out for Skylar in this monochrome world.


    "You fight for others, for their dreams, for their hopes, and you never give any thought to your own do you? Oh ''The Warrior Of The Skies'' I''m sure by now the humans are even calling you a Hero! One who fights for love and justice, for the light of the world! Warrior Of Light!" The voice spoke taunting Skylar in this time-stopped world, she could do nothing but listen while the world was in this state after all. A head began to pour forth from the wall as it pulled Skylar into a hug, and silver hair flowed into Skylar''s face, it was here that she knew why she recognized that voice, it was hers after all, "Oh our Warrior Of Light! Our Weapon Of Light."


    The mirror image of Skylar then lowered her head and asked a fabled question, "Aren''t you tired of being nice?"


    Skylar''s eyelids began to grow heavy, and she found herself struggling to stay away as the mirror image smiled wickedly, "Just hand me the reins, and I''ll see all our enemies vanquished, Weapon Of Light."


    The mirror vanished as Skylar''s eyes closed, and the world returned to color, just as Midus thrust his blade at Skylar a burst of wind came from below rocketing her upwards along the wall much to Midus''s surprise, he was under the impression that Skylar was in further state to move.


    And yet here she was putting on a set of defiance once more, and those closed eyes of hers, Midus smirked somewhat, "Brought it out, at last, have we, very well... Come! We shall soon learn who the true Warrior here is!" He launched himself upwards into the air, grabbing Skylar by the leg and throwing her back down into the center of the arena he had picked out for them.


    Skylar flipped through the air landing on all fours her blade unsheathed itself and began to dance around in the air, before flying right towards Midus shattering itself as it did so.


    Midus smiled wickedly beneath his helmet as he descended from the air, slashing at every shard of Skylar''s blade as he landed blasting forward.


    Skylar''s eyes remain closed but she growls regardless, wings sprout from her back, draconic in nature and her mouth opened wide, as white electricity appeared before her wings connected just in front of Skylar.


    "Oh?" Midus stopped his approach to witnessing the sight, "To have gained such strength in such a short amount of time... most impressive... However..." he spread his legs and pulled his arm back, his blade glowed with dark black energy, a magic circle appeared in front of Skylar''s mouth as she roared, sending a blast of pure white energy forwards.


    Midus threw his own blade forward to connect with the beam of pure white energy, the beam and the blade clashed, if only for a moment, as the blade began to fly forward severing the beam without much effort.


    Skylar closed her maw suddenly and took to the air once more trying to call the shards of her blade to her, only to see that they would not heed her command, the shards had been impaled deep into the walls and floors of this place by Midus''s own sword when he knocked them away.


    Of course, Midus''s own blade was now lodged in a wall as well, leaving him with only his fists.


    He stood there watching Skylar beneath his helmet, he was sure he could go for the kill now, but he underestimated Skylar last time, and he won''t make that mistake a second time.


    As such he threw his arms out to the side and took a single step forward, "BEAR WITNESS TO THE MIGHT OF A HIGH EXECUTIONER!"


    Thus did he declare, and black light began to pour forth out of his chest, Skylar shot forward her eyes turning to primal fury as she shot forward, flames covering her body as she closed the distance near instantly.


    Midus held out his right hand and placed it upon Skylar''s head as she entered his range, and with one fell swoop he sent Skylar flying backward with enough force to slam her into the wall once more. Right next to Midus''s own blade


    She fell to the ground and slowly began to open her eyes, her beast state was gone.


    She grits her teeth looking up to Midus with a scowl, Midus of course was unamused walking forward slowly, "Is this really the best you have to offer me? I expected more from the girl who bested me a few days ago, or was that just a fluke?"


    Skylar slowly got to her feet once more breathing hard, her vision was going blurry, she wasn''t sure how much longer she could keep this up, "Long day... But not long enough, I''m not done with you yet."


    She reached out and grabbed ahold of Midus''s blade, she had a plan, only one plan...


    -He''s already more than aware of how my sword-fighting works... so I''ll borrow his.


    She smirked suddenly pulling the blade from the wall, she slung it over her shoulder and slammed her right hand onto the ground as her eyes shined, her left was green, and her right was red.


    -Anarchy, lend me your strength.


    She uttered the words as she took in a breath, Midus watched the sight with a scowl. It was like watching a dying dog let out a final whimper before passing away, but if she was intent to come forward, then he would not hold back.


    Once more that black energy began to appear within his grasp.


    "If you approach once more, then a slaughter is all that awaits you little lamb." he declared with a growl.


    "Maybe so." Skylar responds as the ground beneath her hand vibrates as she felt the pulse of the world, "but it won''t be my blood that''s splattered upon these walls."


    With those words she shot forward uplifting the ground below her and with a roar she coated Midus''s blade in flames and slashed at him, Midus responded by clashing with her, holding the black energy aloft to counter the blade in question, only for his eyes to widen as Skylar extended her left hand a ball of red energy whirring to life within it, "HELLFIRE!" she roared Midus quickly broke off the engagement leaping back as he sent the black energy into a spiral, it formed an orb shielding him from the blaze that came forth.


    A pillar of red shot into the air, and Midus stood in the middle of it, a bead of sweat formed on his head as cracks began to form in his orb.


    But soon, the fire ceased, just as the orb shattered.


    Midus turned around, ready to prepare another attack to lunge at Skylar, only for his eyes to widen as he saw Skylar right in front of him, her segmented blade reattached and in hand, Midus stared at the sight he was unable to react, as Skylar thrust her blade straight through Midus''s gut.


    He stared down at the blade with wide eyes, "Twice...?" he uttered the word with anger, "Beaten by a child... Twice?!" he looked at the blade and clenched his hands into fists, "I had only known the taste of victory... But this taste is..." he coughed red liquid leaving his helmet, "Is this... Is this my blood?" He chuckled suddenly looking up to the earth above, "Heh, I''ve never known such... such relief... I." he reached down and began to pull the blade from his chest tossing it to the side, a clatter came from the stone meeting steel, and Skylar leaped back getting into a battle stance, Midus however simply looked to her even as blood dripped down from the hole in his chest, "I need some time to think, we will meet again... Skylar Shadewalker."


    Slowly Midus began to turn around, and this time a pink portal opened for him, "May your woes be many, and your days few." He uttered the words like a curse, but... For reasons unknown to Skylar there was a hint of respect in them now.


    As soon as Midus left, however, Jenna walked through the portal she glanced over her shoulder at the portal with a scowl, "Honestly, look at what those fools have done."


    Skylar instantly narrowed her gaze, "You..."


    Jenna put a hand on her hip and sighed, "Honestly just look at you, beaten up to a damn near bloody pulp, and still, you''re trying to pick a fight, I don''t know if you''re just brave or stupid."


    Skylar grit her teeth together as she began to get on all fours, ready to enter her beast form once more.


    Jenna narrowed her gaze at the sight, "Stupid it is then, tell me miss Shadewalker, what do you think that ''Beast Form'' of yours is?"


    Skylar blinked at the question, she racked her brain for an answer but she still couldn''t come to one.


    So Jenna scowled, "It''s the nature of gods incarnate. Bloodthirsty, unyielding, and uncompromising, oh it''s powerful I won''t deny that... but to put it to use? Well, in that state you''re throwing away your humanity."


    Skylar said nothing at first, but slowly she stood up, "If I have to throw away my humanity to stop people like you then so be it." she retaliated and Jenna removed her hand from her hip.


    At first, she considered just speaking further, but instead, she sighed bitterly, "Talking to you in this state is pointless, my words are falling upon deaf ears like I''m trying to speak to someone who doesn''t understand my language..." Jenna groaned, putting a hand on her head in irritation.


    Skylar then frowned, "And I won''t be convinced of your lies no matter what you say to me."


    Jenna lowered her hand from her head and then locked eyes with Skylar, "Then I suppose I''ll have to switch to the one language that is universal, a language that all people understand." Jenna extended her right hand outwards and her pink blade manifested, "Come then, do as you will... Don''t blame me when someone gets hurt for your stupidity."


    Skylar stared forward, for a moment looking at that blade.


    It was true, she was battered and beaten, tired beyond belief, and what''s more she has no memory of her time spent in her Beast Form...


    But...


    The memories of the fires, the memories of those who died.


    The memory of Tetra.


    It all flowed into Skylar at once, and she grits her teeth slamming her hands down and her blade unsheathed as she roared blasting forward.


    Jenna dodged to the side, "Sloppy!" she shouted as Skylar''s blade removed itself from the sheath and shattered the shards danced upon the air as Skylar lunged forward letting flames ignite upon her hands, 7 shards in total, all of which closed in on Jenna, she dodged to the side of them, slashing away at those she couldn''t all while expertly avoiding the flames that covered Skylar''s hands, "Slow!" Jenna roared, slamming her boot into Skylar''s chin making her recoil.


    A screeching noise could be heard from the direction of the prison door, and Jenna in her wisdom leaped backward so that the noise was right behind her, "Sad!" she let out her final taunt.


    And Skylar once more lunged forward.


    ***


    (Ten minutes earlier)


    Julieta frowned, looking right at Striga, "I still refuse to see why you won''t admit to working with a criminal."


    Striga leaned back against the wall, "I didn''t work with a criminal, I worked with Skylar Shadewalker, a good girl who''s trying to help."


    Julieta scowled at that statement, "She murdered Tet-"


    "The way she speaks of Tetra makes it sound like she held nothing but the highest respect for him, frankly the fact that you''d accuse her of such a thing is probably the greatest insult she''s ever heard... Not that she''s heard it from your lips." Striga spoke confidently, if it was any other person, surrounded by guards, in a cell with no way to fight back, they''d be scared shitless.


    But not Striga, she thrived in these situations.


    The guards looked towards Julieta with concern as she stared at Striga with anger, "...What are you trying to say?" Julieta hissed, walking up to the bars, "That she didn''t do it? That it was someone else?"


    Striga arched a brow, "Now how would I know any of that?" Striga replied as she closed her eyes, "I wasn''t there, I never saw what happened... And neither did you, the evidence tells a story yes. But so do the survivors of that battle. And you haven''t listened to hers. Not one bit." Striga opened her eyes, locking them onto Julieta''s, "Because you''re a coward."


    Julieta grits her teeth, "You''d call me a coward? Me?!" she laughed at that, "Have you seen the beasts I''ve had to contain here? Have you seen the kind of monstrosity I have to put up with!? And you''d call me a coward."


    "I would." Striga confirmed without remorse, "You fight beasts, and put them in chains, that keeps you safe. But you can''t contain the most dangerous beast of all... Mankind." Striga slowly stood up walking to the bars, the guards all raised their weapons at once pointing them at Striga, but this didn''t stop her advance, she reached the bars and gripped them tight, "You''d put Skylar in chains so that you can feel safe, and you still can''t work up the courage to ask her what happened... Instead, you''d waste time asking me."


    A rumbling came from outside the cells, and the duo never let their eyes leave each other.


    Julieta grits her teeth bitterly before clenching the side of her head, "Why...? Why can''t I go to see her...? What was the reason there... was a reason wasn''t there?"


    Striga stared at the sight, confused by it.


    The guards all rushed to Julieta''s side ready to assist, that was until three sets of golden lights hit every guard at once, piercing them with force and causing them to tumble to the floor.


    There at the very end of the hall stood Shina, "Finally you start to see the truth."


    Julieta looked at the people on the floor, they groaned in pain sure but they weren''t dead.


    Her gaze then turned to Shina, "Shina...? Are you going to betray me as well?"


    Shina put a hand on her hip and looked upwards, "Betray?" she pondered the word for a moment, "Yeah, I suppose in this case I am betraying you..."


    Slowly Julieta began to get up, along with the guards at her side, "Of course... Everyone I''ve ever trusted always leaves me to dust, that''s why I haven''t seen Skylar. Because I can''t trust her ever again."


    "And are those your words? Or the words of the Succubus?" Shina questioned with her own eyes narrowed.


    "That is the truth of the matter! As true as the crime of your betrayal!" Julieta roared, pointing her finger forward and the soldiers began to run forward with their blades drawn.


    Shina snapped her fingers and the walls to her side began to tear away forming cannons from the shards of earth as she responded, "She who holds fast to her conviction shall never count betrayal amongst their crimes. My path is unchanged, my creed sacrosanct." The blasters fired forward, incapacitating most of the guards, then with a slam of her foot, Shina sent earth flying upwards below the guards'' feet, encasing all of them in temporary prisons, "This I believe with all my heart." she declared as she started to walk towards Julieta.


    Julieta growled, reaching up she began to unsheath her blade, "I''ll put you in chains! That is what you deserve!"


    Shina reached into her pocket, "One year... One whole year I waited for this moment... Come at me!"


    Julieta blasted forward intending to knock Shina out with one blow, she slashed at Shina''s head only for Shina to duck low to the ground, reaching into her pocket she pulled out a white crystal, a Blank, and thrust it into Julieta''s gut.


    Julieta''s eyes widened as pink energy began to swirl around her and flow into the crystal.


    For a moment, all was still, "What...?" Julieta blinked looking around, "What was I doing...? Why was I...?"


    Shina sighed standing tall, "Back with us at last?"


    Julieta''s eyes widened, "Shina- I...."


    "Save it, we''ve got a job to finish up here. Apologies can wait till after." Shina said, snatching the cell door key from Julieta''s hip and running up to Striga''s cell.


    Striga however stared forward confused, "I''m... a little lost."


    Shina unlocked the cell and ran up to Striga removing the collar, "And I''ll be happy to explain the full story later, but right now we need to ensure that Skylar is okay, I have someone working to get her to safety but-" The sound of a large explosion came from the distance, particular the sound of an explosion that could have only been caused by a spell named ''Hellfire'' Shina glanced over her shoulder with wide eyes, "...that... Cannot be good."


    Striga stood up quickly and began to move, while Shina shouted, "Julieta! What are you doing just standing around there? Get the doors open hurry!"


    Julieta winced but nodded, running ahead of the group to get the large metal gate open.


    It took a bit of time, but the trio made it to the gate Julieta got there first of course, and by the time Shina and Striga arrived the unmistakable screeching noise of the gate opening could be heard.


    Striga took the lead then, determined to assist Skylar, after all, it was Skylar who had helped her island out so much, this was her chance to return the favor and she wouldn''t waste it, so she turned the corner her hands clenched into fists, and her eyes widened as Skylar pounced upon her fangs bared and hands ablaze with fire.


    She bit down into Striga''s neck with enough force to draw blood, yet before she could do any more damage a pink lasso suddenly wrapped around her neck and yanked her backward, she struggled and snarled, but soon enough she gave in, and her eyes slowly opened once more, "I''ll kill yo-" her eyes widened when she saw Striga, Striga who was on the ground, burns on clothes and blood seeping from her neck, "what...?"


    "The beast form is obtained by an overload of mana, as I said it is powerful, but the cost is that of your own senses, the moment you enter that form. To you, everyone is your enemy. Every Time you enter that form, the natural instincts of a god attempts to take full control, you''ve been able to regain control back so far... but what will happen when you fail? How many will be hurt, how many will die? " Jenna declared from afar, narrowing her gaze at Skylar.


    Skylar continued to stare forward, looking right at Striga, "I..." she looked to her hands, "I did that...?"


    "And at last, you start to listen, the moment someone else gets hurt that''s when it matters to you." Jenna scoffed, removing the pink lasso she had formed. She turned around, "Stop worrying about others and look at yourself, you can''t save anyone if you die in a ditch somewhere." Jenna declared as a pink portal opened ahead of her, she said nothing more on the matter walking through the portal.


    Skylar looked at her own hands, they were covered in burn markings, and bruises, her body was covered in cuts, and she could see she was covered in blood, some of it was hers of course, but most of it was from others.


    When Skylar looked back up the world was swirling around her, his vision was going in and out.


    And all she could do was ask one question, "Am I... a monster...?" before tumbling to the ground in a pool of her own blood.


    Not before hearing an echo are her voice, an echo from behind whispering into her ear, "And this is where being nice gets you."

 Chapter 7: Reset

    Midus walked along the mansion, Jenna had always kept this place rather tidy, though he never could figure out why.


    He looked down to his chest, his armor was still broken of course.


    But his wound was healed, he couldn¡¯t recall when that happened but he surmised it must have been while he went through the portal.


    But his thoughts drifted back to the mansion.


    To him, it just looked like any other dirty building¡­ albeit, one with strangely long hallways.


    He paused as he saw Jenna appear in front of him, ¡°You know why you''re here?¡± Jenna said with an arched brow and scowl.


    Midus said nothing at first, he hated answering to this girl after all.


    But soon enough he spoke, ¡°Because I tried to kill the Shadewalker.¡± he uttered the only logical answer, ¡°And because you owe me a favor.¡±


    Jenna closed her eyes, ¡°While I¡¯m not thrilled about your little bout with Skylar, she¡¯s alive. And that¡¯s good enough for me at the moment, as for the favor I owe you¡­ I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to tell you why my hands are tied at the moment, I can drop you off somewhere but that¡¯s about it.¡± Jenna declared as the hallway behind her began to melt into a staircase, the same staircase that led into her dining room, she was famished after all.


    Midus nodded, walking down the stairs alongside Jenna, ¡°In that case, you can drop me off at the Empire, particularly the airship docks.¡±


    Jenna arched a brow at that, ¡°Oh? And here I thought you¡¯d want to see your empress right away¡­¡±


    Midus glared at Jenna even as she sat down onto a chair and uncapped her dinner, it was a set of fingers, ripped right off the hands of children this time around, Midus wasn¡¯t the least bit disturbed by the sight, ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd, I¡¯ve been bested by this Shadewalker twice now¡­ And if I can¡¯t beat her, there¡¯s no way Lust can.¡±


    Jenna reached forward grabbing her fork and forcefully stabbed it into the flesh on the fingers, ¡°Yeah that never made any sense to me¡­ Why serve someone who¡¯s weaker than you? Seems like a stupid choice.¡± Jenna started waving her fork around the air, ¡°Or did you have something planned with her? Maybe you were hoping to drag her into bed and get the good stuff eh?¡± Jenna smirked suggestively trying to evoke some sort of reaction out of Midus.


    She was met with disappointment as he simply walked up to Jenna and spoke, ¡°The portal please.¡±


    Jenna looked up to him with a frown before sighting and extending her free hand the portal opened up just behind Midus, ¡°You''re no fun.¡± she muttered with a bored expression as she stuck the severed finger into her mouth biting down upon it.


    Midus didn¡¯t respond, instead he started to walk forward towards the portal, ¡°Ah, one more thing.¡± Jenna spoke with her mouth still full, she paused for a second before swallowing, ¡°I¡¯m sure this isn¡¯t something I need to warn you about, but I¡¯ll give you the courtesy nevertheless, next time you see Skylar¡­ She¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    Midus stopped at those words before walking forward though his portal, uttering his response, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    The portal closed behind him, Jenna sighed looking down at her plate, ¡°You try to give a man a warning and he just ignores it¡­ Maybe that¡¯s why I¡¯ve never been fond of men.¡± Jenna then squinted at her plate, ¡°Course women aren¡¯t much better in that regard¡­ Seems to just be a human problem.¡± Jenna then closed her eyes for a moment, ¡°... Eternals are the worst in that regard, at least humans can change their views.¡±


    Jenna then looked up to the roof of her building, ¡°Humans, Gods, and Eternals¡­ Light, Dark. And All in between¡­ The one true struggle.¡±


    Chapter 7: Reset


    -Where¡­? Where am I? Am I falling?


    Skylar was indeed falling into an inky black void, faster and faster, yet there was no ground in sight.


    She looked around where she could, but no matter how far she looked the darkness was all that remained.


    -Am I going to be falling forever?


    As soon as the thought entered her mind, a speck of light appeared ahead.


    A small blue crystal flew past her, but she saw a glimpse of it, it was Tetra¡¯s face that was reflected in it, another crystal flew past, this one had Leo¡¯s face, ¡°Let the winds guide your blade.¡± his voice echoed.


    Then another crystal flew by, Greed¡¯s face.


    One after the other the crystal¡¯s flew upwards each with their own memories.


    Skylar watched the sight for a moment, her mouth slightly open as the crystals flew upwards past her.


    She then winced, not out of pain, but a sudden contact of light.


    Down below, she was falling right towards it.


    Though she didn¡¯t know what it even was, and that was a little concerning to say the least.


    Especially considering she was falling towards it at breakneck speeds, Skylar¡¯s eyes widened and she screamed throwing her hands downwards and she cast a wind spell, and as soon as she did her fall came to a halt and she landed with a little thud on this platform made of light.


    Skylar groaned as she began to sit up, ¡°Where¡­ Am I?¡± she muttered the question as she dusted herself off and got to her feet.


    Slowly she walked forward, taking three steps, as she did so the edges of the platform shot upwards consuming the darkness in the skies much to Skylar¡¯s surprise, ¡°This is the duty of the just, to slay the dark, to destroy all who¡¯d oppose us.¡± A voice called out.


    Amidst the light it spoke, Skylar recognized it as her own, ¡°Who¡­ Who¡¯s there?!¡±


    There was a pause at first, nothing happened¡­


    The voice echoes out across the white expanse, ¡°Wonderful wonderful! Long have I awaited you to acknowledge my existence and here you are at last!¡± The voice declared booming across the expanse, Skylar looked around as clouds began to form in the skies above her, ¡°I am Amatsu! And It is I who shall rule this expanse!¡±


    Skylar quickly reached up for her blade leaping backwards as the skies parted and down in the center of this arena¡­


    Came a white light, when that light vanished there stood a perfect mirror of Skylar.


    ¡°Come! Let us see the resolve of this girl who¡¯d claim to be a god!¡± Amatsu declared unsheathing her blade and blasting forward.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes widened and she reached for her own blade, only for her gaze to quickly shift over her shoulder.


    -It¡¯s not there.


    A brow of sweat began to appear on Skylar¡¯s face as she realized that she turned to Amatsu who had yet to stop her assault, ¡°Ah¡­ Shit¡­¡± Skylar summoned a blast of wind magic from below her to launch herself out of Amatsu¡¯s way, only for Amatsu to leap into the air, the wind compressed under her feet and launched her higher.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just talk about this!?¡± Skylar shouted as she summoned forth a fireball in her right hand, throwing it down in a mild panic.


    Amatsu chuckled, slashing upwards the fireball consumed her blade, but instead of burning it away, it looked as though the fire and steel became one, ¡°Sure! You are a worthless piece of shit, and I want you dead! Talk over!¡± Amatsu had closed the distance at this point.


    And Skylar threw her arms up in an X, lighting coated her body in an effort to protect her from this monstrosity.


    Amatsu slashed forward, cutting through Skylar¡¯s chest, they both fell down Skylar hit the ground back first, while Amatsu landed behind her chuckling, ¡°Come on! You''re supposed to be better than that aren¡¯t ya?¡± Amatsu questioned turning around and putting a hand on her hip looking down to the bleeding Skylar.


    Skylar gasped and coughed sputtering out blood as she rolled to her side, ¡°What¡­ are you?¡± She couldn¡¯t place it. This person seemed human, but she fought more like the gods Skylar has seen, but at the same time¡­


    Amatsu looked down to Skylar and paused, she seemed to be considering how best to answer that question, she looked to her blade and down to her hand before uttering these words, ¡°I am you.¡± she settled upon the answer at last, ¡°the side of yourself that you refuse to acknowledge, the side that deserves to ascend into godhood.¡± Amatsu declared as she put the sword in her hand next to Skylar¡¯s neck, ¡°Tell me, why is it you let these mortals around you cling so desperately to their lives? Surely you must know how much stronger you¡¯d be if you simply consumed them.¡±


    Skylar looked up to the blade ahead and growled, ¡°People are not food.¡± She countered instantly.


    ¡°But gods are? You slaughter them, without a care in the world, and feast upon their strength to grow stronger.¡± Amatsu¡¯s eyes flared with irritation, ¡°You act as though you are the only one suffering, and yet here you are, a righteous bastard upon a throne and blood and skulls, calling it ¡®Justice.¡¯ The queen of hypocrites that is all you are.¡±


    Skylar never let her eyes leave that blade, ¡°I do what I have to¡­¡± she utters the word with a grimace.


    Amatsu frowned at that, ¡°That doesn''t mean you have to like it.¡± she took a step backward, and snapped her fingers crystals descended from above, large crystals that showed a reflection of Skylar covered in blood smiling that fanged smile, ¡°Why is it, that every time you find a god who stands so far beneath you, struggling like a beast against the storm, why is it that you always smile? Do you enjoy their suffering that much?¡± Amatsu questioned.


    Skylar looked at all of the crystals with wide eyes seeing her reflection, ¡°I was¡­ smiling¡­?¡±


    Amatsu scoffed at the question, ¡°Of course you were, because you''re a monster, a monster who¡¯d spend all this time struggling against a foe to gain more strength.¡±


    ¡°T-they are monsters, they¡¯ve killed millions! They wouldn¡¯t understan-¡± Skylar was cut off as Amatsu slammed her fist into Skylar¡¯s gut making her stumble back in pain.


    ¡°And there it is.¡± Amatsu growled, ¡°There¡¯s the reason I can¡¯t stand you, the reason I will never accept that we are the same person,¡± Amatsu pointed her blade forward, ¡°You can¡¯t accept the simply fact that you are one and the same, Skylar Shadewalker, and the gods of this world doing what they must to survive, because if you ever accepted that fact, it¡¯d go against all your morals.¡±


    Skylar looked to the ground, she opened her mouth to speak, but no words left her lips, after all, what could she say to that? Amatsu was right.


    She was just trying to survive, to save those around her and keep them safe.


    But so were the gods, she can¡¯t¡­ she can¡¯t justify killing them and follow her own morals.


    ¡°...What am I?¡± Skylar questioned suddenly.


    Amatsu looked down at her with a frown, ¡°A monster, a monster that gods talk about around the campfire, a monster that would slaughter them senseless in a bid for more power¡­ But if that is too much for you to accept¡­ then I shall be glad to take the reins.¡±


    Skylar said nothing to that looking to the ground once more, that was until something entered her gaze, a crystal.


    A crystal that rolled up to her boot, she blinked looking at it, there in its reflection.


    Was Anarchy, giving her advice, lifting her up when she was down, and just¡­ being kind.


    Slowly she reached out to that crystal, lifting it upwards, ¡°...¡± she took in a shaky breath, and began to stand, ¡°No.¡± the crystal began to shine and it shattered in Skylar¡¯s grasp becoming a sword of crystal for her to fight back with, ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt any of them!¡±


    Amatsu¡¯s eyes widened and she quickly raised her blade in defense of Skylar¡¯s oncoming assault.


    Skylar slammed her blade against Amatsu, ¡°You are everything I hate¡­ Someone who¡¯d turn their own allies into ash for the sake of their own goals!¡±


    Amatsu, narrowed her gaze at Skylar, ¡°What a coincidence, I¡¯d say the same to you¡­ You who¡¯d use your own life as a tool, throwing yourself into dangerous situations just for a chance to die¡­ Acting for the selfish whims of there¡¯s without ever even considering what you¡¯d want!¡±


    Amatsu suddenly pushed forward gaining ground on Skylar, ¡°You¡¯d live life as a tool! Not as a human! Whereas I¡¯d live it as we were meant to live! As gods!¡±


    ¡°And that is where we are different.¡± Skylar declared slamming her boot into the ground, coating her blade in flames as she pushed back against Amatsu, ¡°You''d never understand the whims of a human, because you¡¯ve never lived as we do! You¡¯ve remained trapped here in your own self conceited views of my actions, but I¡¯m not done! I¡¯ll live, and I¡¯ll see this path through to its very end!¡± She shouted once again on even footing with Amatsu.


    Amatsu however bared her fangs growling, ¡°You would continue to walk the path of hypocrisy? Knowing well that your actions, and morals could never aline?! That path leads to only one ending, damnation!¡±


    So she shouted trying to push back against Skylar, only for the girl to respond, ¡°Our morals are not absolute! They are shifting and changing constantly! Just like the spirit of mankind!¡± she shouted as Amatsu''s blade began to crack as she listened to Skylar¡¯s words.


    ¡°So you¡¯d abandon your morals and the ideals you hold so high in your mind?¡± Amatsu questioned as her arms began to shake.


    Skylar closed her eyes for a second before opening them, a crimson red glow appeared in her gaze, ¡°If that¡¯s what I must do to continue along the path I¡¯ve chosen then I would. I would make this choice a thousand times!¡± she roared, the flames along her blade grew brighter by the second, sending cracks along Amatsu¡¯s blade, ¡°That is my wish, a selfish wish, born of pride and ignorance, but it¡¯s mine! AND MINE ALONE!¡± she roared, shattering through Amatsu¡¯s blade and cutting through her. Skylar stood there, arm outstretched and blade dripping with blood right behind Amatsu.


    Amastu stood there for a moment eyes wide as she looked to the hilt of her sword, then down to her chest she put a hand on the slash mark on it, it was parallel to Skylar¡¯s.


    They were complete opposites.


    Just like the duo themselves, Amastu sighed, turning around, ¡°I was hoping that we could have done this together.¡±


    Skylar lowered her blade, turning around to lock eyes with Amastu, ¡°No way in hell will I ever work with someone who¡¯d hurt my friends.¡±


    Amatsu frowned at that statement, ¡°I see¡­ Then I suppose I¡¯ll just have to wait, bide my time to take control¡­¡±


    Skylar blasted forward ready to slash at Amatsu once more, ¡°Like hell!¡± Amatsu smiled at the sight, not bothering to defend herself as Skylar cut through her neck.


    Skylar once more stood behind Amatsu, she turned around and watched as Amatsu¡¯s head began to fall from her body, her eyes widened in surprise however when Amatsu reached out and grabbed her falling head by the hair, ¡°Have you not figured it out yet? You can¡¯t kill me, Skylar.¡±


    The blood dripped to the floor, and Amatsu lifted her head putting it back in between her shoulders, ¡°And I can¡¯t kill you.¡± The wound around her neck began to seal, and she turned back around to face Skylar, ¡°So sadly for you, I¡¯m here to stay. You''re stuck with me.¡±


    Skylar stood there bathed in the light as she locked eyes with Amatsu, ¡°You''re not going to take my body. I won¡¯t ever let you.¡±


    Amatsu smiled softly as her blade vanished and she put her hands behind her back, ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll see.¡±


    ***


    Skylar¡¯s eyes snapped open and she blinked, her body ached and she lifted her left hand up putting it to her head, it was pounding.


    She looked to her right and saw white curtains obscuring her view, slowly she moved her body, forcing herself to sit up in her white bed.


    She looked to the right of the bed and saw a set of boxes with potions in them, ¡°An infirmary¡­?¡± She muttered the question as her head began to clear up. Her eyes shifted to her hands and she narrowed her eyes at them, remembering the sight of Striga she sucked in a shaky breath and ran a hand through her hair, ¡°She probably hates me now huh¡­¡± She came to the conclusion by herself, I mean she had wounded Striga pretty badly, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she hated her.


    But even so, she certainly didn¡¯t like that idea.


    Their time together was short, but she had come to enjoy Striga¡¯s presence.


    Skylar sighed and started to stand. She was a little wobbly at first, but she managed to stand with little issue, that said¡­


    She started to move, ¡°And where do you think you''re going?¡± A voice suddenly called out, causing Skylar to turn to face it.


    It was a woman wearing a white lab coat, she had purple hair and azure eyes, she stormed up to Skylar, ¡°Er, outside¡­?¡± Skylar offered meekly.


    The woman folded her arms and bent down to be at Skylar¡¯s eye level, ¡°Like hell you are! You came here practically teetering on the edge of death! Look at you, your wounds have only just begun to heal, so get back into that bed and rest.¡± The nurse hissed.


    ¡°But I-¡±


    ¡°Did I stutter?¡± The nurse questioned her eyes glowing with fury, Skylar had begun to sense the danger this woman presented if she was angered so instead of resisting she did an awkward scooch back to her bed and flopped onto it.


    Skylar then glanced up at the nurse with a nervous expression, the nurse walked over and lifted Skylar¡¯s arms upwards then lowered them down to her chest, ¡°Try moving your fingers.¡± The nurse commanded, and so Skylar complied moving each of digits one by one, it stung a little.


    But besides that it was fine, this went on for a little longer, moving through each of Skylar¡¯s limbs, ensuring that everything was working as it should.


    After a bit the nurse turned her cold eyes to face Skylar, ¡°...Everything seems to be fine with you, at least fine enough to walk¡­¡± The nurse then glanced to the side, ¡°Though considering the state you came in here with¡­ That should be impossible.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that, she had always been a fast healer, she smiled slightly at that looking to the side, ¡°So then¡­? Can I go?¡±


    ¡°You can.¡± The nurse at last spoke, before folding her arms as she started to walk off, she stopped, ¡°Though if you wouldn¡¯t mind, could you indulge a curiosity of mine?¡±


    Skylar paused, confused as to what a nurse would want to ask her, ¡°Well, that wholly depends on your question¡­¡±


    The nurse frowned for a moment before turning around, ¡°How did you end up in that state in the first place?¡±


    Skylar blinked before she sputtered, ¡°Heh¡­¡± that sputter turned into a laugh. She was expecting a worse question, ¡°Guess I got to that point because I don¡¯t know when to quit.¡±


    The nurse looked to Skylar before sighing, ¡°Then I guess I might be seeing you around more often¡­ unless I do something about it.¡± The nurse reaches into one of the many boxes pulling out a brown bag, it¡¯s a satchel small enough to be attached to the side of anyone¡¯s pants, but it contains about 7 of the potions within the boxes.


    The nurse turned around, and handed the satchel to Skylar, ¡°There, take those and make sure to put them to good use.¡±


    Skylar looked at the potions confused, ¡°But why¡­?¡±


    ¡°Because you''re going to leave no matter what I tell you, don¡¯t bother giving me payment¡­¡± The nurse then started to walk away, ¡°But do try to make up with Julieta would you? You both look miserable.¡±


    With those words the nurse left, and Skylar frowned looking down at the satchel, she opened it up and examined the potions, they were blue instead of the red ones that Passer had given Skylar, perhaps because they haven¡¯t been perfected yet?


    Skylar closed the satchel and attached it to her side before standing up once more, she began to make for the exit of this large tent.


    Now was the time for the talk, because if she didn¡¯t do it now.


    She¡¯d never come back.


    ***


    Striga sat in a booth in the cafe tent, at least she thought it was a cafe? She wasn¡¯t really sure what else to call this place, Shina was brewing cups of coffee for both Striga and Julieta.


    Julieta still had bags under her eyes and as she sat in front of the counter, she let out a sigh, ¡°How am I supposed to talk to her¡­?¡± Julieta muttered the question.


    Shina set a cup down in front of her, ¡°I¡¯m sure you have a lot you want to say, and as much as I want to hear you say it, I do believe I owe them both an explanation first, so once Skylar gets here, just let me start with the talking ok.¡±


    Julieta scoffed somewhat at that, looking to the side, ¡°After what I did? I doubt she¡¯d even come here, she probably wants nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°Show¡¯s what you know.¡± Striga interjected, ¡°I¡¯ve only known the girl for a few days myself, but I know for a fact she¡¯ll come to see you.¡± She then blinked looking at the entrance, ¡°Granted it might just be to punch you in the face¡­¡±


    ¡°You know the fact that you are calling out my violent tendencies doesn''t make me feel much better.¡± Skylar stated as she walked into the tent, with a very forced smile.


    Striga blinked looking at her, she glanced to the side for a moment before muttering, ¡°...Glad you''re okay.¡±


    Shina looked to Striga smiling softly before looking back to Skylar, ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot to talk about I¡¯m sure, so why don¡¯t you take a seat.¡±


    Skylar nodded and in a bold decision she walked right up to where Juileta was sitting and sat beside her, Julieta tensed up of course not entirely sure how Skylar was going to react, Skylar however didn¡¯t even turn to face her, she looked to Shina and signaled for a drink.


    Shina looked forward with concern but decided to leave Skylar to her devices, Julieta opened her mouth to speak, only for Skylar to start talking first, ¡°Icon and Tetra both told me stories about you. Said you were one of the best Executioners, damn near unmatched in the field, but¡­ you left the Executioners because you got tired of all the killing.¡± Skylar looked to Julieta, ¡°That¡¯s the official story anyways, but they always implied there was something more to it.¡± Skylar frowned suddenly, ¡°So? Why not tell me about it?¡±


    Julieta blinked at that frowning, ¡°...Has anyone ever told you about Sara?¡± she questioned suddenly.


    Skylar frowned, ¡°Tetra mentioned the name once in passing¡­ That¡¯s all I really know about her though.¡±


    ¡°She would have been about your age by now.¡± Julieta muttered, ¡°She had silver hair, and was a rather skilled wind mage like her father.¡± Julieta closed her eyes putting her hands around her cup, ¡°I think that was half the reason why Tetra was so fond of you, he looked to you and saw you as a second chance¡­ But you''re not her.¡± Julieta¡¯s eyes darkened as the image of her daughter impaled on that ice spike surfaced through her mind, ¡°she died. Because we were weak.¡±


    Skylar said nothing to that, as Shina finally set down Skylar¡¯s drink she reached out and grabbed it putting it up to her lips, she took a swig, ¡°...I see¡­¡± she looked to the table and tapped her fingers on it impatient for a moment before sighing, ¡°I¡­¡± she bit on her lip glancing around as she worked up the courage to make her request, ¡°I want you to join me, in my next battle.¡±


    Striga nearly spit out her drink when heard that, she quickly stood up, ¡°Skylar! Come on now, you know that request is completely unreasonable, you can¡¯t just ask someone who¡¯s not involved to join in a wa-¡±


    ¡°But she is involved, if she wasn¡¯t involved, why was Midus here?¡± Skylar eyes flashed red, a hint of rage showing in her gaze, ¡°That alone is enough reason for me to want to keep Julieta close.¡±


    Julieta frowned, finding herself at a loss for words, it was then that Shina let out a sigh, ¡°Ahem, if you three are done¡­ Then perhaps we can start with¡­ explaining things.¡±


    Skylar turned to Shina, ¡°And what is there to explain?¡±


    Shina smiled softly, ¡°Are you ready for a long story?¡± Shina walked around the counter, ¡°As you''re aware, I¡¯ve¡­ lived here my whole life, but¡­ I wasn¡¯t born here. I¡¯m a citizen of Babylon.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes widened at that, ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Shina put her hands behind her back smiling, ¡°Despite where I was born, I hold no loyalty to that nation¡­ But a year ago, we received reports of a nasty type of god in that nation¡­ so Julieta and I went to investigate.¡±


    Julieta looked at her cup, ¡°It was¡­ hell. People were being slaughtered, anyone who wasn¡¯t loyal to their new empress would be destroyed.¡±


    Shina nodded with a scowl, ¡°And so Julieta went to confront this empress, Lust she called herself, while I went to find survivors.¡±


    ¡°Everything afterwards is kind of a blank for me¡­¡± Julieta confessed.


    Shina sighed, folding her arms, ¡°I ended up having to come find you, only to see that you wrapped around Lust¡¯s arm like a lost puppy¡­¡± Shina looked to the ground with a frown on her face.


    Skylar paused at that, ¡°Midus also seemed to be fascinated with this Empress¡­ to a point where it almost seemed like an obsession.¡±


    Shina nods, reaching into her pocket pulling out a pink crystal, ¡°That brings me to this, whatever this is. It is the type of magic that Lust used on Julieta.¡±


    Skylar looked at the crystal with a frown, ¡°And that type of magic would be¡­?¡±


    ¡°Mind control.¡± Julieta growled out, ¡°Or something very close to it. Its range is large, about 200 meters give or take¡­¡±


    Skylar blinked and turned her gaze to Striga, ¡°Striga¡­ How long do we have until the forces of Jubilee are supposed to march upon the Empire?¡±


    Striga paused at that before her eyes widened in realization, ¡°Oh. Oh god no¡­¡±


    Julieta narrowed her gaze, ¡°I¡¯ll join the fight, I set my blade aside a long time ago¡­ but this Empress Lust has screwed with the people I hold dear to me, as such I would see that justice is paid.¡±


    Shina folded her arms, ¡°That¡¯s all well and good, but it won¡¯t help anyone if you get put under her control again, we need some kind of plan. Some way for us to get close.¡±


    All four of them sat there in silence racking their heads for ideas, Striga groaned, ¡°If only we could enlist the service of a Dark Knight¡­¡±


    Shina¡¯s gaze turned to Striga with a small smile, ¡°That old tale? Dark Knights are a myth.¡±


    Julieta folded her arms, ¡°About as much of a myth as S rank gods, and if Dark Knights are real, do you think they¡¯d want to make themselves known?¡±


    Shina blinked, considering the question for a moment, ¡°Er, no I suppose not¡­¡±


    Skylar at last butted in, ¡°And uhh? What is a Dark Knight exactly?¡±


    Julieta sighed, ¡°Right, you weren¡¯t in the business of Executioners for long so I suppose you never got told about them¡­¡±


    Striga leaned back in her chair and hummed in thought, ¡°...The Empire has always been a fickle state, their leader is almost always shifting, as such so does power. The Dark Knights existed in a place where they could ensure that power is always where it belonged.¡± Striga explained, ¡°Of course now that Lust is in power¡­ it¡¯s probably safe to assume most if not all of these Dark Knights are dead¡­ as for how they get the name? It¡¯s because of a particular type of magic they use, a type that has no element but threatens to drive the user mad¡­¡±


    Skylar¡¯s eyes narrowed when she heard that description.


    ¡°You know that type of magic?¡± Alma asked the question, noticing the change in Skylar¡¯s attention.


    -Void magic perhaps? Anarchy mentioned something about it¡­ but there seems to be something close to it¡­ Whatever was in this gauntlet seems to have something close, but not quite Void¡­


    Skylar looked at the gauntlet in question and clenched her hand into a fist, ¡°So that¡¯s a no go then?¡±


    Striga paused at that, ¡°There is¡­ one place that might still have a Dark Knight¡­ the only village that¡¯s remained away from The Kingdom. Babylon Garden.¡±


    Shina folded her arms, ¡°I was close to that village about a year ago, that¡¯s where I met Ignas¡­ though I was too late to save his sister¡­¡± she rolled up her sleeve and a large scar was on it, ¡°I made a pact with him there¡­ In exchange for being able to feast on my flesh he¡¯d help me save Julieta¡­¡±


    Julieta¡¯s eyes widened at the scar and her lip trembled, ¡°You got that because of me¡­?¡±


    Shina¡¯s eyes shined with determination as she responded, ¡°I got it because of how much I admire you.¡±


    Skylar looked to Striga for a moment before gesturing to the door, this wasn¡¯t a conversation for the both of them.


    So for the time being Skylar and Striga stood up and left the tent.


    Leaving Julieta and Shina alone.


    Shina stood there in the silence while Juileta looked at the table frowning bitterly, ¡°...I was right¡­ I really am unfit to keep this place in order¡­¡± she muttered, running a hand through her hair.


    Shina looked to the tent¡¯s exit for a moment before closing her eyes, ¡°But you stepped up. When nobody else would, you took charge because you knew it had to be done¡­ I just wish there was more I could have done to help.¡±


    Julieta¡¯s eyes settled upon a glass in front of her and she reached out slowly, ¡°...It¡¯s the job of a cafe to provide a safe place to relax, for old souls wanting to rest their weary bones, for the young who want an excuse to smile. And the workers who want to take their minds off things. Draco wasn¡¯t fond of the idea of this place, but I was the one who pushed hard for it.¡± Julieta explained as she picked up the glass and began to examine it.


    Shina looked at the glasses in the back, ¡°Sounds like you¡­ You always have been the type to look out for others.¡±


    Julieta looked at the glass, it was all specially made by her, ¡°I suppose I have¡­¡± she set the glass down slowly, ¡°As much as I want to assist Skylar and her allies, I have people here to look after¡­ and I won¡¯t let you do it alone.¡±


    Shina said nothing to that at first, instead she glanced at Julieta''s face, she was biting down on her lip, Shina then uttered the words, ¡°If that¡¯s your desire, then so be it.¡± she started to walk towards the tent¡¯s exit, ¡°But, if it isn¡¯t¡­ then you¡¯d best consider other options.¡±


    With those words she left the tent, leaving Julieta alone and with a frown Julieta looked towards the top of the tent, ¡°Other options¡­?¡±


    Outside of the tent Skylar and Striga stood a fair distance away discussing some other matters, ¡°For real¡­ Where the hell did they put my shit.¡± Skylar sighed, putting an irritated hand on her hip.


    She had her sword and outfit, but she was missing the items that were within her pockets.


    Striga sighed, ¡°Did you even check with the main nurse in the medical tent? They normally empty out their pockets before they put someone in a bed¡­ so it¡¯s probably still in their possession.¡±


    Skylar frowns, ¡°And how was I supposed to know that?! There¡¯s not a warning or anything.¡±


    Shina walked up to the duo, ¡°To be fair, it¡¯s just common knowledge here¡­ And we hardly have visitors due to the whole, ¡®dangerous monster island¡¯ thing we have going on.¡± Shina said with a light smile.


    Skylar glared at her for a moment before turning away, ¡°Fine fine, I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡± with that Skylar walked off.


    And Striga at last spoke up, ¡°...You don¡¯t seem to be remorseful about what happened to Ignas.¡± she glanced at Shina, her own frown upon her face.


    Shina paused at that, ¡°I am.¡± she countered, ¡°but there are other people who need me at the moment¡­ And while that remains to be the case, I can¡¯t afford to cry.¡±


    Striga frowned at that, ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°14.¡± She responded flatly.


    Striga folded her arms and glanced to the side, ¡°Either my youth was weird¡­ or kids have started to grow up a lot earlier.¡±


    Shina chuckled a little, ¡°Truth be told, about a year back I was shy around people¡­ And a little full of myself, but that started to change when Skylar came. It was only for a few short days, but she taught me a lot¡­ About people, and what real strength is.¡± she looked to the tent Skylar was at with a reminisce expression before blinking, ¡°Ah, but I¡¯m forgetting why I even came over here. I¡¯ve got a favor to ask you.¡±


    Striga blinked, unfolding her arms, ¡°A favor?¡±


    ***


    Origin watched the show from his grand theater, the drama that had occurred in that place filled with monsters served as no end of amusement for him, Wrath¡¯s voice echoed across the theater, ¡°You have a fascination with that girl, sometimes I start to wonder if you have perhaps fallen for her?¡± Wrath stated as he made his way to the front of the theater where Origin sat, for once Draco was not at his side, he had other business to attend to.


    Origin tore his gaze from the screen and looked to Wrath, ¡°And what of you? Your bloodlust towards her only grows stronger. Does it not?¡±


    Wrath frowned looking at the screen, ¡°She¡¯s already slayn one of my kin, and nearly defeated Pride¡­ What¡¯s more, you¡¯d send more of mine to fight against that monster¡­ If my wrath cannot be directed towards you, then she will have to bear the brunt of it.¡±


    Origin smirked somewhat at that, ¡°Adding additional fire to the flame are we?¡±


    Wrath tore his gaze from the screen, glancing over to Origin, ¡°The girl grows stronger with her every battle, given enough time she¡¯ll even grow to slay you.¡±


    Origin looked to Wrath and then back to the screen, a smile growing upon his face, ¡°That would be a wonderful outcome.¡±


    ***


    ¡°What¡­¡± Skylar muttered as she looked forward.


    ¡°The¡­¡± Striga continued tilting her head to the side.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± Julieta shouted as she threw her hands into the air.


    Straight ahead, in front of the dock was the largest airship the trio had ever seen.


    One made of pure white metal, red stripes adorned the sides of it and several hundred workers ran along the bow working on its final touches.


    Shina chuckled as she walked over, ¡°Quite the sight isn¡¯t she? I had the idea while watching Skylar¡¯s battle against Alma a year ago. The plans I drafted up took some time to get sorted out¡­ but right now she¡¯s the best airship on the market.¡±


    Skylar turned to Shina and shouted, ¡°Okay, but when in the flying fuck did you become a machinic!?¡±


    Shina tilted her head to the side confused, ¡°Huh? Oh I don¡¯t know the first thing about machines, I just found some workers and told them to make it happen or I¡¯d dock there and pay by 50%.¡± She said all that with a wolfish smile.


    A bead of sweat formed on the back of Skylar¡¯s neck, ¡°Remind me to never work under Shina¡­ she whispered to Julieta.


    Julieta just nodded in agreement, ¡°The girl¡¯s a devil.¡±


    Shina ignored their comments, and then turned to look at her airship, ¡°It¡¯s fast, not as fast as the one you two came in here on, but it¡¯s up there¡­ It makes up for all that, in its offensive and defensive capabilities.¡± Shina then turned to Skylar, ¡°so you better take good care of Excelsior.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that, ¡°Excelsior?¡± she asked, confused.


    Shina smiled, holding her arms out, ¡°The name of my airship, and my gift to you! ¡­Or rather my apology.¡± her smile dropped along with her arms, ¡°It hardly makes up for everything you went through here, but I hope you¡¯ll accept it all the same.¡±


    Skylar looked to Shina then glanced over to the ship before chuckling, ¡°Throw in a free cup of coffee when I come back. And then I¡¯ll call us even.¡±


    Shina blinked at that, she had honestly thought Skylar was going to give her a harder time, but if that was all¡­


    She smiled softly and then chuckled, ¡°Sure thing, I¡¯ll be sure to give you the best ones I¡¯ve got!¡±


    ***


    Midus walked forward. There was a small village to the right of the airship docks, it wasn¡¯t often visited, and it was mostly used to have soldiers and miners restock their supplies.


    So it was a rare treat indeed when the commanding general of the Empire¡¯s army decided to drop by, the ground was made of rough dirt, the houses that were there remained cheap and barely stable.


    The civilians wore naught but tattered rags and bruises could be seen upon their flesh.


    In this place there was no law, nobody who enforced it anyways, these people were masters of their craft.


    Potions, herbs, blades, you name it they¡¯d make it.


    And like always¡­


    A young man came from behind blade in hand yelling, wielding it with no training or skill, he tried to stab Midus through the back.


    Only for Midus to turn around and with the back of his right hand shatter the blade, shards flew across the air as the young man stared forward with fear.


    Midus looked to the young man over, he had two bottles of blue liquid attached to his belt.


    And here was how business was conducted, Midus lunged forward grabbed the man by the head and threw him to the dirt, the man moved to get up only for Midus¡¯s blade to enter his gut


    Midus narrowed his gaze at the young man who squirmed for his last moments.


    ¡°What a waste of time.¡± Midus muttered as he reached down to grab the two blue bottles, he¡¯d need every edge he could get against the Shadewalker, ¡°Next time¡­ I shall not lose.¡±


    So said his resolve, but fate would see if the results were different.


    Midus then turned his gaze to the center of the island, there the castle stood tall, he frowned for a moment.


    ¡°So many enthralled by her presence¡­ and yet I remain acutely aware of their situation.¡± There was only one reason for that.


    One that Midus knew all too well, the others were enslaved by Lust¡¯s power, whereas Midus was enslaved by his own love for Lust.


    ¡­


    He was a monster in every sense of the word, letting a war start just for a chance to be with her.


    Skylar¡¯s hate filled eyes entered his memory for a second and Midus blinked looking down to the potions with his grasp, he attached one to his side and downed the other, any remaining cuts and bruises he may have had sealed away.


    He started to walk towards the castle then, he had a goal in mind.


    It would take time, and he had no doubt the invaders would arrive by the time he started to act on it, but that was fine.


    There was only one person in this world who could ever face his master on even ground, ¡°Skylar Shadewalker¡­¡± he uttered the name with a frown, his hatred for the girl still burned of course, but there was a deepening respect for her as well.


    There was more to that girl than meets the eye.


    ***


    ¡°She¡¯s doing quite well¡­ Not quite perfect, but no one ever has been perfect¡­ I think you could look down upon her and be quite proud.¡± Passer uttered, she was kelt down into the dirt, a frown upon her face, ¡°Of course, I never did expect your descendant to actually appear. But¡­ I suppose now that she has I do have to make good on that promise of ours¡­ Though. I¡¯m sorry to say that I¡¯m not sure how possible that¡¯s going to be in the coming years.¡± As for who Passer was speaking to?


    A tree.


    A tree that had long since died.


    Passer then sighed, closing her eyes for a moment, ¡°Regardless, I had better get back to work. See you soon Anarchy.¡± She uttered the words as she got to her feet dusting the dirt off her knees, sure enough a name was carved into the tree.


    ¡®Here Lays Anarchy Shadewalker, may the shadows ever protect him¡¯


    It was the only dead tree in this forest so it stood out like a sore thumb, there was a path to the left of it of course.


    Passer walked back to the path and started to walk north, she always made a habit of visiting that grave when she could, as she started to walk she frowned letting thoughts run through her mind.


    She had made a promise to protect any of The Shadewalker¡¯s kin.


    Though Skylar seemed to have a tendency to find danger all on her own¡­ So this promise was proving rather troublesome to keep.


    Passer stopped along the path suddenly blinking as she stared ahead, A man stood ahead on the path he wore a black jacket and brown pants there was two satchels attached to his pants, one on his right leg, one on his left, his red shoes were covered in dirt and mud his jet black hair was combed back and he was knelt upon the ground staring upon a spider with his crimson eyes.


    He reached out grabbing the spider within his hand and shattered it letting its blood drop through his fingers.


    He then began to speak, ¡°You¡¯ve been leaving the island a lot lately¡­ Not that it¡¯s any of my business, but I do find myself intrigued.¡±


    Passer scoffed as she continued to walk forward, ¡°What I do in my free time is none of your concern Gaia.¡± Passer declared as she started to walk past the man.


    ¡°A new Shadewalker has been tugging on your curiosity, is that it?¡± Gaia¡¯s eyes darted onto Passer, they were cold and empty, and in this light, you could see the bags under his eyes, ¡°are they Sinthos?¡±


    Passer said nothing at first, instead she smiled brightly and put a hand on her hip, ¡°A new Shadewalker? You must be mistaken, if that were the case then I¡¯d be rushing on out of here.¡± she uttered the lies letting them slip past her lips as she had done a thousand times before.


    Gaia tilted his head turning his gaze instead to the direction of the dead tree, ¡°Over my lifetime, you have never once deigned to visit his grave. And now out of nowhere, for no reason in particular you visit it daily. Is that what you want me to believe? Do you think I''m a fool Passer?¡± Gaia questioned with his own eyes narrowed in disgust.


    Passer flinched looking to the left nervously, so Gaia once more began to approach, ¡°Are. They? Sinthos?¡± he repeated the question once more a name that held no meaning to anyone outside of these two people.


    The wind blew gently then tossing leaves from the trees, a single leaf fell between Passer and Gaia and at last Passer responded, ¡°They¡¯re strong¡­ But I¡¯m uncertain of if they are The Child Of Fate¡­¡±


    Gaia frowned at that turning around he started to walk down the path, ¡°Then I shall see who this new Shadewalker is for myself.¡±


    Passer¡¯s eyes widened at that and she stepped forward, ¡°Y-You can¡¯t! If you meet them now, then you¡¯ll kill her!¡±


    ¡°¡®Her¡¯ So it¡¯s a female I¡¯m after.¡± Gaia noted, unconcerned for the safety of the girl he was about to hunt. As he reached for the satchel on his left leg, unhooking the clip on it and pulling out a journal, he began to write down the name ¡®Shadewalker¡¯.


    Passer grits her teeth clenching her hands into fists, ¡°I-If you don¡¯t stop what you''re doing right now¡­ Then I¡¯ll stop you!¡±


    Gaia stopped in his tracks then, the wind died when he turned his gaze over his shoulder, his gaze was enough to make Passer shiver with fear, but even so, she clenched her hands into fists raising them.


    Gaia sighed, turning around lazily, slowly he began to raise his right hand, ¡°Very well then, if death is what you seek¡­ then that is the gift that I shall grant you.¡± black lighting began to crackle around his hand.


    Passer grit her teeth, ¡°Just walk away Gaia walk away and give her time! That¡¯s all you need to do!¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand.¡± Gaia declared suddenly as a black sword manifested within his grip, there were specks of gold on that blade, ¡°I seek to do battle with Sinthos, not out of some twisted desire to face an equal, but instead¡­ for the will of the Divine¡­ So that I may hear his voice once more, so that he may guide us to salvation!¡± he declared suddenly, for the first time his eyes shined with the light of life.


    Passer frowned at that, ¡°...So there is truly no reasoning with you.¡± she took in a shaky breath before blasting forward trying to strike down Gaia.


    A bored look entered his eyes as he slashed through the air. His blade hadn¡¯t even made contact with Passer. And yet¡­


    Passer stopped halfway, her body began shaking, her eyes were wide, ¡°Now where did you think that was going to get you Passer?¡± Gaia questioned with his head tilted slightly to the right as he watched a drop of blood hit the soil.


    She stared forward and suddenly she lurched forward coughing blood leapt from her mouth onto the soil itself, this was in addition to the blood that was leaving her chest from the giant cut upon it.


    Gaia hadn¡¯t even approached and yet he managed to deal a near-lethal blow.


    With that Gaia turned around and began to walk off, his blade vanishing from view.


    ¡°What a bore.¡± he uttered the words as Passer fell onto her back trying desperately to reach for the satchel on her side.


    Gaia then spoke up though he cared not what Passer did, ¡°You should simply lay there in the dirt and bleed out, unless you want to repeat the mistakes of that hero of eld. The Freelancer would be so disappointed in you.¡± Gaia chuckled taking his next steps with an eger grin.


    ***


    Skylar frowned as she sat upon the edge of the ship, she was on the railing as the wind blew her hair. They had set off just a moment ago, Skylar wasn¡¯t too concerned about falling off, if she did she could fly back up easily in this kind of weather.


    In her hand was a picture of a corpse, ¡°Mili was her name¡­¡± she looked at the girl with a frown, despite her questions in Jubilee she wasn¡¯t able to find anything else out about her.


    It was an annoying bit of information that was still niggling in the back of her mind, one that she¡¯d be hard-pressed to figure out.


    Striga walked up to Skylar with an arched brow, ¡°You doing all right over there Skylar?¡±


    Skylar blinked, putting the photo back into her pocket for the moment before looking over to Striga, ¡°Yeah? Well¡­ Not really, but I¡¯m doing about as well as I could be. Why?¡± she asked the question as she spun around leaping back onto the ship.


    Striga sighed, putting a hand on her hip, ¡°Because Julieta just woke up, and she is pissed!¡± Striga frowned as she uttered those words.


    This only prompted a smirk from Skylar as she started to walk towards the entrance to the cabins, ¡°Well that was about what I expected, I¡¯m still a little surprised that Shina¡¯s favor was to perform a kidnapping.¡± So Skylar declared as she opened the doors, she could already hear the faint sounds of Julieta yelling down below.


    Striga folded her own arms following behind Skylar, ¡°You got any plans on how to make her listen to you?¡±


    Skylar stretched her arms upwards, her shirt lifted slightly showing her waist as she smiled wide, ¡°We were both Executioners at one point, and despite us both being retired I was made aware of one custom that even us retired Executioners follow.¡± Skylar lowered her arms looking over her shoulder at Striga, ¡°Assuming you¡¯ll be our ref of course.¡±


    Striga sighed heavily, ¡°Must you always resort to violence?¡±


    In response to that Skylar spun around on her heel leaning forward with a beaming smile, ¡°Oh just trust me, this will be good for the both of us, Julieta still harbors some doubts about me, and I wanna prove to her that I¡¯m good enough to take on Tetra¡¯s legacy. As such, a duel is the only logical method.¡±


    Striga stared forward not entirely believing Skylar, ¡°And you''re sure this isn¡¯t just so you can whet your blade with more blood?¡±


    Skylar blinked, putting her hands on her hips as she stood to her full height, ¡°Alright fine fine, I¡¯ll fess up to my real motives.¡± Skylar reaches up and pulls out her blade looking it over, ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot to think about, and my thoughts are always a jumble, but¡­ when I¡¯m fighting? Everything just becomes so much clearer you know?¡±


    Striga frowned at that, ¡°Not really? I¡¯m not that fond of battle myself.¡± she shrugged, ¡°and that¡¯s not exactly a healthy way to deal with your thoughts Skylar, at some point, you really do need to find another way to deal with your thoughts.¡±


    Skylar arched a brow at that, ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who literally set up a spot to fight against people to take their money?¡±


    Striga turned around then looking out to the vast sky, ¡°...It was a method to stop people from fighting me, every day I¡¯d receive a challenge, and if I refused then my reputation would be in risk, so I had people put their money on the line, turns out when you''re putting something like that on the table people are a lot less likely to challenge you.¡± Striga then put a hand over the back of her neck, ¡°Course then there are people like you, battle-hardened junkies¡­¡±


    Skylar sheathed her blade before folding her arms and narrowing her gaze, ¡°I¡¯m choosing to take that as a compliment.¡± She then turned around and walked down the staircase into the lower layers of the ship.


    -Still¡­


    Skylar stopped right in front of a door leading to the cabins, a frown on her face


    She blinked and looked up those stairs, upon the steps leading forward she saw silhouettes, Leon, Tetra, and Anarchy all staring down at her.


    -Why does it feel¡­ Like when I open this door nothing will ever be the same¡­?


    She turned her gaze back to the door, closing her eyes once more, in the darkness of her own mind she felt those gazes still upon her, looking on with pride.


    And she opened her eyes with pride reaching out and swinging that door open walking forward through the hall, a worked was suddenly thrust out of the farthest door down this hall, ¡°M-Miss Julieta, please calm down!¡± he cried out in fear before yelping as a glass was thrown into the wall just above him.


    ¡°Calm down!? You kidnap me and then ask me to calm down!? You¡¯ve got some fucking nerves bo-¡±


    ¡°Yo Julieta, chill,¡± Skylar shouted out with an amused smirk, ¡°Or are you just gonna keep taking out your anger on the attendants?¡±


    Julieta blinked looking over to Skylar, her sword was still upon her back, the fact that she had yet to draw it was likely an act of mercy on her part, ¡°Wha-¡± she suddenly narrowed her gaze, ¡°You did this?¡±


    Skylar glanced to the side, ¡°Technically, I just carried you over here, it was Striga who knocked you out.¡± she then locked eyes back onto Julieta, ¡°But that part doesn¡¯t matter to you does it.¡±


    Julieta growled, taking a step forward, ¡°Take me back.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Skylar asked the question simply, ¡°I mean sure the monsters in that place are pretty bad, but¡­ Shina can handle them just fine.¡± Skylar then dropped her smile, ¡°And you know that way better than I do. So I¡¯m only left to surmise one thing.¡±


    Julieta said nothing, waiting for Skylar to continue with her deduction, so Skylar looked down to her left hand, ¡°It¡¯s me isn¡¯t it, you still can¡¯t stand me.¡±


    Julieta flinched at that, looking to the ground, ¡°I know you didn¡¯t kill him¡­ I know that but¡­¡±


    Skylar¡¯s eyes shined with emotion but she sighed, turning around, ¡°Let¡¯s take this to the deck then, I¡¯m not great with words¡­ I¡¯ll let my sword do the talking if that¡¯s all the same to you.¡±


    Julieta frowned at that, though she¡¯d be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t itching to duel Skylar, ¡°Fine by me, what are the terms?¡±


    She asked the question as she started to follow Skylar up those stairs, ¡°Simple stuff really, just a duel till one of us can¡¯t fight anymore, and I¡¯ll be restricting myself to wind magic alone.¡± Skylar explained as she stopped just in front of the door at the top of those stairs, ¡°Course if I do win then I¡¯ll at least want you to get a drink with me.¡±


    Julieta blinked at that, ¡°That¡¯s it? I thought you were going to ask me to stay with your crew¡­¡±


    Skylar shook her head, ¡°Nah, that¡¯d defeat the whole purpose of this fight frankly if after this fight you still wanna go back, then we¡¯ll turn around and drop you off no questions asked.¡±


    Of course, she would, it¡¯d defeat the whole purpose of this otherwise, ¡°That said, I¡¯d appreciate it if you came at me with everything you¡¯ve got regardless.¡±


    Skylar stated as she walked out onto the deck, Julieta smirked at that as she walked onto the deck herself, the door closing behind her, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll stake my pride on this fight just as you will.¡±


    They stood there, the wind blowing past both of their faces for a moment, and in sync they reached up for their swords upon their backs, drawing them there and then.


    ***


    Lust sat upon her throne looking down into a glass of wine in her right hand, ¡°A sizable force is coming, one that even I may be hard pressed to combat against¡­¡± Lust frowned at that, she was prepared for a rather sizable battle that much was true, but her forces on the other hand were only made of flesh and bone.


    They¡¯d fight till their bodies could do more, she knew that, but if she had to take on a force of a few thousand then she may be in a greater deal of trouble than she¡¯d care to admit.


    She lifted that glass to her lips and then downed its contents before setting it to the side of her chair standing up, there was nobody else in the room besides her, but she¡¯d be damned if she called on the other Eternal¡¯s for reinforcements.


    So then in her eyes, there was only one other logical idea, she¡¯d invoke a skill that only the Eternal¡¯s were privy to.


    She reached out her right hand and thrust it into her chest, blood dropped from her chest as she grasped out her heart, ¡°Pull forth, and make yourself known.¡± She growled despite the pain caused by such a gesture, her body glowed with mysterious red energy before that energy shot forward.


    Landed upon the ground in front of her, four silhouettes appeared kneeling before her.


    Lust then let out a sigh removing her hand from her stomach as he wound began to seal, ¡°Well then, make yourselves known.


    The first silhouette came into view, it was a young man wearing a blue robe with a Japanese-styled smoking pipe in his right hand, ¡°I am Seiryu, and through my righteous judgment shall the sons of man know fear.¡±


    The second silhouette then came into view, unlike Seiryu this one was wearing a fair finer set of garments, a white set of clothing, it shared a fair bit of skin, but the black gloves upon his hands stood out to most, he spoke up, ¡°I am Byakko, and through my rage shall the sons of man know the meaning of suffering.¡±


    The third silhouette was next, this one was female and her eyes were red with a small fire burning within them, she wore a set of red and orange armor, and there were yellow lines around the edges of her battle gown, she at last spoke her voice was filled with something far more gentle than the two men before her, ¡°I am Suzaku, and through my love shall the children of man know heartbreak.¡±


    At last the final silhouette began to form, it¡¯s form was interesting to say the least, it was the oldest of the group it had a long white beard and wrinkles all over, but it wore the outfit of a master martial artist, ¡°And I, am Genbu, and through my leadership shall my brethren ensure the children of man never reach our original form.¡±


    Lust looked to the four of them, she was rather dizzy at the moment so she turned to her throne and took a seat, ¡°Heh, Wrath mentioned severing one¡¯s soul was draining¡­ but even so, I had expected to be left with a bit more energy¡­¡± she looked up to the four chosen ahead of her, ¡°You four know well what I have planned, go forth and see to your duties, ensure that The Shadewalker receives our warmest of welcomes.¡±


    The four nodded before turning around and walking to the exit of the castle.


    ¡°Hmm, though I do hope she survives¡­ if she made it this far just to be defeated by shards of myself I¡¯d be oh so disappointed¡­.¡± Lust looking upwards let out a sigh annoyed by the current circumstances, however that annoyance turned into intrigue as she heard a set of footsteps in front of her she smirked, ¡°And to what do I owe this visit?¡± she asked this question lowering her head just slightly, enough to acknowledge this person¡¯s presence, but not enough to look them in the eye. They were still far beneath her after all.


    ¡°It was my house that first created that device, yet you would sow the chaos to rebuild another?¡± A male¡¯s voice echoed across the room as he entered this room unafraid of Lust.


    She chuckled a bit, grabbing hold of her glass and lifting it upwards, ¡°Stella is the ultimate goal of man, and yet your clan would hide the secrets of how to build it, knowing well that while it¡¯s mankind''s goal, it is also the cause of their greatest sins¡­ But I am no man, my wish is not one of Greed, Nor of Pride, not even Lust¡­¡± So Lust herself declared as she threw her cup forward shattering it upon the wall, ¡°You can have it if you want, would that satisfy you? A wish to ensure your beloved Striga never leaves your side?¡±


    Delish stood at the far edge of the room with a frown, ¡°My wish is none of your concern, so long as you ensure that the device is built to its precise specifications then all shall be well.¡±


    Lust nodded at that, ¡°Yes yes, of course, I am not that much of a fool¡­ Still, I¡¯m impressed with you, to betray your people and country all for the sake of one girl? You are quite the bastard aren¡¯t you.¡± Lust started resting her head on her hand as she kept her gaze on Delish.


    He however scowled, ¡°I won¡¯t take judgment from someone like you.¡±


    ¡°Hm, then leave me, I may not look it, but I¡¯m a rather busy woman.¡± Lust declared suddenly standing up and making her way to the exit, she stopped just behind Delish, ¡°One last thing, should you make any move to betray me, death will not be a kindness I offer you.¡±


    With those words, she left the throne room, closing the doors behind her and leaving Delish alone.


    He looked up to the roof, ¡°Stella¡­ The almighty wish-granting device, and the original sin of mankind¡­¡± he closed his eyes and took in a shaky breath, ¡°No cost too great.¡±

 Chapter 8: Babylon.

    Sparks shot into the air as Skylar leaped back across the deck of the ship, a bead of sweat on her face as a smile adorned her lips, ¡°Come on¡­ Why the hell are you this strong?¡±


    Julieta held out her own longsword with a frown, ¡°I¡¯m hardly that strong Skylar¡­ The difference between us is that of technique. If it were strength alone you¡¯d easily be overpowering me¡­¡± Julieta declared with a narrowed gaze.


    Skylar blinked at that, feeling the wind dance along her skin, ¡°Suppose so.¡± she closed her eyes gripping her blade tight, to most warriors, this be a sign of disrespect, Julieta looked at the sight with a frown.


    ¡°The wind guides your blade, just as it did his¡­ There is your problem.¡± Julieta declared as Skylar blasted forward, her eyes snapping open as she slashed at Julieta, only for Julieta to duck to the side and slam her boot into Skylar¡¯s side, ¡°You follow the wind too close, anyone and everyone who can sense the breeze can predict your movements.¡±


    Skylar growled at that, raising her blade once more defiance in her gaze, Julieta narrowed her own a scowl forming on her face, ¡°Good grief.¡± she at last threw her blade to the side, ¡°I yield, this battle would go to me otherwise¡­ and I can¡¯t teach you how to properly wield a blade if I leave.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that, ¡°Wait¡­ So you''re going to.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± Julieta folded her arms looking to the sea of clouds ahead, ¡°I still have my own things to do, and I intend to return to Pandamonium given time, but seeing as I¡¯m already here. I may as well pass on a few teachings of mine to someone worth a damn.¡±


    Skylar smiled at that sheathing her blade, Striga watched the sight from a nearby railing she was sitting upon it, with a bored expression on her own face, ¡°One hour¡­ You went on for a whole hour and that was the conclusion you¡¯ve both reached?¡±


    Skylar turned to Striga and shrugged, ¡°You say that like you had something better to do.¡±


    Striga tilted her head slightly, ¡°I do have something better to do. Planning our strategy for example, or do you wish to launch an assault on Babylon without any idea of what we''re in for?¡± the wind blew gently as the trio stood there.


    Julieta let out a cough and glanced at Striga, ¡°Before that, we should really do something about the way you both look.¡±


    Striga blinked and then looked to Skylar, before frowning in realization, ¡°Oh. That¡¯s¡­ a fair point.¡±


    Skylar tilted her head confused, ¡°What do you mean? I thought we looked fine?¡±


    Striga sighed walking up to Skylar and grabbing her hand pulling her into the cabin, ¡°I¡¯m not going to bother to explain, just come with me.¡±


    ¡°Eh- W-Wait! Hey, stop!¡± Skylar shouted looking at Julieta with a pleading expression, Julieta only smiled with her eyes closed letting Skylar get dragged behind a door into the cabins.


    ¡°H-Hey! What are you doing with that bottle!¡± Skylar shouted from within followed by what sounded like something crashing.


    ¡°Just stay still and let me get to work!¡± Striga returned from within the area.


    ¡°No way! H-Hey, get away from my- GAH!¡± A thud came from the cabin and a chuckle came from Julieta.


    ¡°There we go, that should shut you up! Now sit still so that I can get this all over with!¡± There seemed to be a cat screaming in there as well.


    ¡°H-Hey! Not so rough!¡± Skylar shouted from within the cat let out a scream as glass shattered and something that sounded almost like a chainsaw turned on¡­ before silence came at last.


    Julieta blinked, listening to this all from the outside, before finally the door swung open and Striga walked out from the cabin with a smirk.


    ¡°Alright, that should do.¡± Striga declared running a hand through her hair before turning towards the open door.


    Skylar grabbed the edge of the door, stumbling out in a cold sweat, and growled, ¡°Was that really necessary?¡± some of her pink hair fell over her right eye.


    Pink.


    Not white.


    Pink hair.


    Julieta blinked at the sight, before nodding, ¡°You''re a white-haired mage after all, someone sees you on a battlefield, or even in a nearby village and it¡¯ll cause a panic. The hair dye was more than necessary. That said¡­¡± She turned her gaze back to Striga, ¡°You didn¡¯t have enough for yourself?¡±


    Striga nodded, ¡°Stuffs already rare as hell, I barely had any in the bottle. Figured Skylar could make better use of it than I could.¡±


    Julieta frowned, doubting that was Striga¡¯s only reason but she decided not to press her for the moment.


    Skylar let out a sigh turning her gaze to the side of the airship, she blinked seeing something straight ahead and so she ran towards the front of the airship.


    ¡°Is that¡­?¡±


    Julieta and Striga turned their gaze towards Skylar and a smirk appeared on Striga¡¯s face, ¡°It is. Babylon is right there¡­ With the border of the skies just behind it.¡±


    Sure enough, the island ahead was massive¡­ You could see the castle in the middle of it all.


    Some kind of strange gray triangle surrounded it at this moment, ¡°...A barrier?¡± Her memory of her lessons on barriers was fuzzy at best, but she was aware that they take a LONG while to shatter through. But more importantly, there was the large set of clouds at the very back edge of that island flying upward.


    The cloud wall.


    Skylar had heard stories about it before¡­ But she¡¯d never seen it in person.


    Skylar¡¯s hands tightened around the railings as she stared forward, ¡°That¡¯s where I¡¯ll find her¡­ I can feel it in my gut. That¡¯s where I¡¯ll find Jenna.¡± Skylar growled her eyes flashing with anger in this moment.


    Julieta paused at that glancing at Striga who had a frown plastered on her face, the two decided to head off leaving Skylar alone with her thoughts.


    Skylar blinked suddenly feeling something in her pocket, she reached into her jacket with her left hand and pulled out that pocket watch.


    ¡°Your inheritance.¡± Jenna¡¯s words rang in her head once more as Skylar stared down at it.


    She slowly raised her right hand grasping the edge of the pocket watch and cracked it open just slightly.


    Her head suddenly throbbed with pain and she took a step backward as something in her head SCREAMED in agony.


    ¡°We did everything right! Everything that was asked of us and still. STILL, it wasn¡¯t enough!¡±


    An unfamiliar woman¡¯s voice echoed through her head, and for a moment she was standing somewhere underground.


    Dark cold, no. Not cold, the fires around her burned bright and there was someone standing in front of her.


    Someone she didn¡¯t know.


    Skylar felt something of a presence behind her.


    Slowly she turned around in this dark cave and straight ahead she saw.


    Herself.


    At the ripe age of 7.


    Covered in blood and bruises, the young version of herself started to open its mouth but when it did.


    ¡­The vision or perhaps a memory? Whatever it was, it faded and Skylar was back on the airship she sucked in a breath and clenched her chest trying to calm herself down her entire body was shaking.


    Her vision was wobbly, and she found herself staring at the pocket watch once more.


    She grits her teeth pulling her arm back ready to toss it over the edge.


    ¡­


    But¡­ She couldn¡¯t, it was like something was holding her back.


    So slowly she lowered her hand and put the pocket watch back into her own pocket gritting her teeth, she didn¡¯t know why.


    But she was terrified. There was something about that watch, something wrong.


    Most people would be thrilled about knowing they could find their past¡­


    But that fire.


    That cold cave¡­


    And all that blood.


    She grits her teeth taking a breath, ¡°Calm down¡­ it could just be an illusion¡­ Something Jenna made up to get in my head.¡± She spoke her own reasoning despite her trembling form.


    She gripped the railings and kept her gaze on the island ahead, there was something wrong.


    A feeling in her gut, that was screaming at her to turn back and run away.


    But even so.


    ¡°...Sickles grate on heaven''s gate¡­¡± Alma¡¯s voice entered Skylar¡¯s head and she paused at his words, waiting for him to continue, ¡°Do you feel it, Skylar? The horrors of fate whispering on the wind¡­? Something is going to happen here. And it¡¯s not good.¡±


    Was that what this feeling is? Whispers from some sort of destiny? It felt awful like her stomach was turning and twisting.


    She opened her mouth and responded, ¡°And how do you know what that feels like Alma?¡±


    ¡°Everyone can feel it, it¡¯s not special. It¡¯s a feeling in your gut, whenever you make a choice it¡¯s always there. And fate always guides to the proper course.¡±


    Skylar was about to speak up when she heard a voice from behind her, ¡°Hey Skylar! Come on in here already, we need to discuss our plans before we dock!¡± Julieta shouted from behind Skylar.


    Skylar stared forward towards the island ahead but turned away walking back towards Julieta with her false smile, ¡°Right right, let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    Chapter 8: Babylon.


    Lust sat upon her throne and tapped the arm of her chair with impatience, that was¡­ until something appeared before her.


    A pink portal.


    Lust blinked at the sight as Jenna walked out to face her, Lust frowned, ¡°Ah, you would be Jenna¡­? Correct?¡± Lust was unsure of the name, she hardly ever showed up to the meetings with the other Eternal¡¯s so her information about what they were up to was always limited.


    This went double for those who have yet to catch her interest, Jenna fell into that category.


    Jenna smirked at that, putting a hand on her hip, she was more than used to this type of treatment, ¡°That I am, and you are the ever so enigmatic succubus Lust.¡±


    Lust rolled her eyes at the nickname, ¡°Call me what you will, it matters little¡­ but you are quite the fool to come here.¡± Lust held out her right hand, a pink glow coming from it.


    ¡°I think not.¡± Jenna retorted, narrowing her gaze, and in an instant a black pulse shot forth from Jenna¡¯s body, and the pink glow around Lust¡¯s hand vanished causing her to blink in mild surprise, Jenna then raised her arms, ¡°Relax yourself, I have not come to take a life. Merely to confirm some information of mine.¡±


    Lust scowled but lowered her hand, ¡°Then make it quick, I¡¯m on a tight schedule as is.¡± Jenna smiled and raised her hands, in a shrug, ¡°You¡¯ve taken a liking to The Shadewalker correct? As such, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t mean to toss her aside just yet¡­ and yet I couldn¡¯t help but notice that you sent what seems to be¡­ about 4 forces, all bearing striking similarities to your soul.¡±


    Lust paused upon hearing those words, she frowned for a moment contemplating her response, ¡°I would very much like to know how you came to such a conclusion¡­¡± Lust muttered before standing from her chair and looking down at Jenna, ¡°But I¡¯ll answer at least one of those questions of yours, I don¡¯t intend to strike down The Shadewalker¡­ it would be a waste.¡± Lust put a hand on her hip smiling wickedly, ¡°Such a warrior must first prove their worth to me before I subjugate them entirely.¡±


    Jenna listened intently to those words, before cupping her chin, ¡°I see¡­ so that is why you sent those shards outward¡­ you would have Skylar face them all, before facing you.¡± Jenna closed her eyes, lowering her hand to a pink portal opening up behind her, ¡°While I would like to learn more about that particular technique¡­ I too have other matters to attend to.¡± With that Jenna turned around, ¡°...But now that your time here is limited, I will gladly burn this island to the ground just like I did with The Kingdom.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Lust chuckled at that falling back into her chair and cupping her face with her hands, smiling with the glow of her eyes, ¡°You¡¯ll die trying.¡±


    Jenna paused at Lust¡¯s response before a scoff escaped her lips as she walked forward to her portal, she gave a two-fingered wave, ¡°That depends fully on The Shadewalker.¡± she said nothing more, vanishing in that single instant.


    Lust blinked at the words before a wicked smile spread across her face, ¡°This just grows more and more interesting by the second¡­¡± She lowered her hands and started to walk towards the large door to her throne room, there was a door to the far back as well it led to the staircase.


    But she only ever really climbed those stairs to return to her bed chambers, nevertheless, she reached out and swung that door wide open.


    There were two soldiers who immediately dropped to their knees in a bow, Lust glanced to the one on the right, ¡°Hm.¡± she put a finger to her cheek as she narrowed her gaze, ¡°You, go and check upon Delish. Ensure that he is keeping to the task at hand, I don¡¯t need any setbacks now.¡±


    The soldier looked up nodding before grabbing his spear and running off.


    Lust lowered her hand and started to walk forward once more, ¡°The barrier we have set in place around this castle won¡¯t be so easily broken¡­¡± she mused lifting her right hand, it was covered in four rings, a red ring, a green ring, a blue ring, and a yellow ring, ¡°I suppose if nothing else, these abilities of Origin¡¯s will come in handy.¡±


    She blinked as she heard the sound of footsteps from ahead of her, she lowered her head and offered a smirk to the one who approached her, ¡°Hm, back so soon are we Midus?¡±


    Midus dropped to his knees and bowed before the one he¡¯d call his queen, ¡°...My mistress, I would make a request of you.¡±


    Lust blinked at that, Midus wasn¡¯t the type to make requests.


    A rare occurrence that caught Lust¡¯s attention.


    She smirked kneeling down at Midus and she reached out and cupped his cheeks or at least she did the equivalent of that he was still clad fully in armor after all, ¡°A request you say? You would ask such a thing of me, even though you have failed me twice?¡± her gaze narrowed and her nails dug into Midus¡¯s armor sending small cracks through his helmet.


    Midus grit his teeth at her words but he spoke his mind regardless, ¡°...I want to know what she is.¡± he asked suddenly causing Lust to blink her gaze was steeled and her face contorted into a frown, ¡°That girl, despite everything I¡¯ve thrown at her. She continues to grow stronger by the second, impossibly so.¡± His gaze locked onto Lust, ¡°She¡¯s more than just some hybrid isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Lust lowered her hands and sighed standing to her full height she folded her arms and cast her gaze to the side, ¡°Your guess is as good as mine,¡± Lust scowled, ¡°Greed had already been slain by that girl, and most God¡¯s cannot stand to her either¡­¡± Lust then turned her gaze back to Midus, ¡°...And it would seem she¡¯s now caught your full interest then?¡±


    Light poured in from a window to the right, setting a beam of sunlight that split the air between both Lust and Midus as he spoke, ¡°I want to be the one to kill her.¡±


    Lust paused at those words before she started chuckling, ¡°Is that so? Your words are laced with conviction but you lack the strength to see such a thing through.¡± Lust¡¯s eyes glowed a bright pink, ¡°are you about to ask me what I think you are?¡±


    Midus looked to the ground, ¡°Power. I want the power to defeat that girl, regardless of the costs.¡± He said, ¡°can you grant me that power Lust?¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Lust couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the question, ¡°You already have might, fame, and recognition, and yet you would ask for more?¡± She smiled wickedly, ¡°How Greedy.¡±


    ***


    Skylar stopped just short of the cabin door, feeling a chill on her back, she turned her gaze back towards Babylon as it got closer her eyes narrowed, she closed her eyes and then turned back to the cabin opening it.


    There Julieta and Striga were already waiting, the room was messy books and vials were scattered about and on the desk in the center, there was a map.


    A map that Striga was examining intently, ¡°...We¡¯ll dock here.¡± She says pointing to the far south of the map, ¡°It¡¯s not the most secure location but it suits our needs perfectly.¡±


    Skylar arched her brow, ¡°How so? I thought we were going to look for the soldiers, wouldn¡¯t that require us to dock near the mines?¡± she asked as she looked at the map, the entrance to the mines was to the far east of the island.


    ¡°That¡¯s one objective.¡± Striga nodded, ¡°but I want to get a look at the small towns along Babylon''s borders, war takes a toll on the people most of all. Worst case they¡¯d try to drive us out, but in the best case¡­¡± Striga trailed off


    ¡°We could get them to form a revolution.¡± Julieta finished with a nod, ¡°A sound plan¡­ but there¡¯s more to it isn¡¯t there?¡±


    Striga nodded, ¡°Skylar. I want you to head to the west, there is a large town in the middle of the island, the town of Midgar.¡± Striga pointed to the town in question, there were at least two other villages on the way and Skylar frowned even as Striga continued, ¡°It¡¯s there that the Dark Knight¡¯s are said to reside. I want you to recruit them to our side.¡±


    Skylar folded her arms, ¡°Huh? Why me? I¡¯m¡­ not the best at peace talks you know.¡± she tilted her head.


    And Striga chuckled a bit, ¡°Neither are The Dark Knights, they¡¯ll likely challenge you to a duel in exchange for their services.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that before nodding slowly, ¡°...That¡¯s mildly concerning. But alright whatever it takes.¡±


    Striga then let out a sigh, ¡°There is one other matter, the matter of our enemy. While Lust remains our primary target, let''s take a moment to review the forces. Most of them will be clad in silver armor, as such if you see anyone in that sort of guise proceed with all due caution.¡±


    As she mentioned this Striga began to roll up the map, Julieta then arched a brow, ¡°And what about me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be staying on the ship, I¡¯ll need someone to coordinate a strike from above once that barrier drops.¡± Striga explained, ¡°That¡¯s another thing, Skylar, I want you to ask around the other villages and see if you can find out more about that Barrier, it has to be relatively new since I¡¯ve never gotten any reports about it.¡± Striga explained running a hand through her hair, ¡°I¡¯ll be doing the same on my side, though I expect you¡¯ll have more success due to the hair change.¡±


    Julieta blinked, ¡°Speaking of that, be sure not to use your real name, Skylar, you¡¯ve already fought Midus twice I¡¯m sure the people of this land already hold a fair bit of fear regarding you.¡±


    ¡°Right right.¡± Skylar says dismissively, ¡°I¡¯ll stick to ¡®Valery¡¯ while I¡¯m here. Now are we done here? I want to get a lay of the land before we dock.¡±


    Striga chuckles and waves her off, ¡°Yes yes, go ahead that should be all.¡±


    Skylar smiled and spun on her heel, bolting out the door.


    Julieta folded her arms and looked to Striga, ¡°I¡¯m still against this, we shouldn¡¯t be sending someone as young as her into a warzone.¡± Julieta scowled.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m sending her to The Dark Knight¡¯s village, I couldn¡¯t stop Skylar if I tried. So I¡¯m sending her somewhere where someone can stop her and keep her safe.¡± Striga explained as she set the map she rolled up into a nearby bookshelf, ¡°Or at least that¡¯s the hope.¡±


    Julieta blinked, tilting her head, ¡°...So you are looking out for her.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Striga paused, keeping her gaze on the wooden shelf before her before sighing, ¡°she¡¯s a spark after all. A spark that will ignite into an inferno that¡¯ll set the world ablaze. If we just give her time to light it up.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Julieta smirked, ¡°She¡¯ll kill you if she finds out this was your plan.¡±


    Striga chuckled, closing her eyes, ¡°That¡¯s fine, we often do things that we know people will hate in order to protect those we care for most,¡± Striga looked down to her right hand, and to the gold ring upon it, ¡°...That¡¯s just part of being human.¡±


    Julieta let out a hum while unfolding her arms and walking to the door, ¡°Before we dock I¡¯ll go and check on the rest of the staff, better to make sure we¡¯re ready to retreat on a moment¡¯s notice.¡±


    Striga sighed, walking over to her desk and pulling up a chair, ¡°You do that.¡±


    Julieta gave a two-fingered wave as she opened the door and walked out, Striga leaned back in her chair looking up to the ceiling, ¡°...Delish.¡± she muttered the name of the one she was betrothed to, ¡°What could you possibly be thinking?¡±


    ***


    Skylar looks out from the nearby railing, her eyes narrowing on the castle surrounded by that barrier, ¡°...It¡¯s always a castle isn¡¯t it?¡± She muttered with a frown, she never understood the pompous buildings that leaders had to put themselves in, did they really need a place like that?


    ¡°You¡¯d have one too if you were in a position of constantly being threatened with assassination.¡± Alma chimed in.


    Skylar blinked at that, ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t think I would.¡± She frowned, ¡°I¡¯d probably take that as a challenge and face the Assassin head-on.¡±


    ¡°...You have issues.¡±


    Skylar blushed slightly at Alma¡¯s comment, ¡°Shut up.¡± she hissed before blinking at the castle ahead, her head suddenly pounded and pain surged through her body as she clutched her forehead, ¡°Ow¡­¡± she winced as she reached into her pocket pulling out that pocket watch once more.


    She looked down at it and let out a shaky breath opening it at last, for the first time.


    ¡°...Huh?¡± she blinked, the watch was cracked and it wasn¡¯t even ticking, ¡°The hell? It¡¯s broken?¡± she frowned at the sight, ¡°Some inheritance,¡± Skylar muttered, closing the watch and setting it back into her pocket.


    ¡°Was that supposed to be important?¡±


    ¡°Hell if I know, it was something Jenna gave me.¡± Skylar frowned, ¡°Could just be a prank knowing her.¡±


    Skylar paused as they at last arrived at the island, ¡°...It¡¯s silent.¡± Skylar muttered, her brow furrowed, ¡°but they''re supposed to be at war, I figured they¡¯d try to shoot us down the moment we tried to dock.¡± Skylar muttered with surprise.


    ¡°We should consider ourselves fortunate that they aren¡¯t.¡± Striga spoke as she approached the edge with Skylar, ¡°it either means they don¡¯t consider us to be a threat, or their attention lies elsewhere.¡± Striga then leaped forward taking a step onto the first bit of grassland, ¡°Either way, that just means we have time.¡±


    Skylar nodded in agreement leaping onto the side of Striga, ¡°So then, this is where we split is it?¡±


    ¡°Skylar.¡± Julieta called out before tossing a small pouch to Skylar, Skylar yelped but she reached up and grabbed it, ¡°There are potions in there for you, they aren¡¯t foolproof. The most they do is speed up natural healing. But they should help.¡±


    Skylar blinked looking at the pouch and she opened it, there were about 8 potions in total, she then sealed the pouch back up and attached it to the side of her pants, by tying it to her belt, ¡°Thanks I¡¯ll put them to good use.¡± Skylar said smiling.


    ¡°Hm, you better.¡± Julieta then turned around, ¡°The moment that barrier drops I¡¯ll be ready to launch an assault on the castle. So you two better get to work.¡±


    Striga nods and turns to Skylar, ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be seeing you.¡±


    Skylar nods and turns in the opposite direction, with which the duo begins to split, ¡°The first city isn¡¯t that far off.¡± Skylar muttered to herself, ¡°I should head there first.¡± She blinked as she saw something in the distance, ¡°Smoke?¡± she blinked her eyes widened slightly, ¡°No¡­¡± she grit her teeth quickly running forward, she had to make it. She had to be on time.


    ***


    Skylar breathed in heavily as she arrived at the city she had been running for a little over an hour now and had only just had the chance to catch her breath, she blinked taking in the sight around her before she started walking forward through the small city, rubble and fire overtook most of the land, and she could hear the distant shots of cannon fire, along with people''s screams.


    She stopped in the center of the city, a frown plastered on her face, ¡°I knew it was going to be bad¡­ but this¡­? Why are we slaughtering innocents?¡± The sight alone made her want to vomit, it was awful seeing this sort of carnage.


    She questioned, as her gaze drifted to a nearby house.


    There she saw a man crawling outwards from the rubble, Skylar¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing the man, and she quickly rushed to his side bending down to one knee, and reaching into her satchel pulling out a potion, ¡°Just hold on, you''re going to be okay!¡± Skylar shouted despite her claims the man was barely clinging to life.


    And she had to act fast if she wanted to save him, she began to uncap the bottle but as she did so the man began to speak, ¡°G- Glo-...¡± Skylar paused, bringing the bottle up to the man¡¯s lips as he raised his hand upwards toward the burning clouds above, ¡°Glory be¡­ To Babylon.¡± As soon as he uttered those words, his hand fell onto the ground limp as a noodle, but his eyes remained open staring up.


    Skylar looked down at the man, she didn¡¯t need a doctor to tell her that this man was dead.


    Slowly she put the cap back onto her potion, setting it into her satchel with shaky hands, she then raised her right hand clenching it into a fist and she punched the ground.


    ¡°Faster.¡± she growled as she started to stand up, not bothering to remove the dirt from her knees, ¡°I have to be faster, I can¡¯t keep letting people die like this.¡±


    She moved forward to one of the many buildings checking inside of it, her eyes narrowed at the sight of corpses she winced trying to keep her vomit from leaving her mouth.


    ¡­


    She failed.


    Turning around she started to walk forward, her eyes narrowed in silent disgust at the sights around her, one after the other she checked the buildings.


    One after the other she found another set of people she couldn¡¯t save.


    Skylar shoved her hands into her jacket¡¯s pockets before she stopped in the center of the city her eyes widened at the sight before her, amidst the smoke and dirt she almost didn¡¯t notice the single person standing.


    Skylar instantly reached for her blade at the sight of this person.


    ¡°Must you always start with trying to kill me?¡± Jenna questioned a soft smile on her face as she tilted her head to her side, even with Skylar¡¯s slightly altered appearance Jenna was not one to be fooled, not with her all-seeing eyes, ¡°that hotheaded approach is only going to get you killed here.¡±


    Skylar growled at that biting down on her lip, she needed information and she wasn¡¯t going to get it if she drew her blade, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Skylar asked with a hiss.


    Jenna frowned at the question, turning her gaze to the burning buildings, ¡°...To examine the truth of humanity.¡± She said, putting a hand on her hip, ¡°It¡¯s interesting, to say the least, for every word these people yap about ¡®peace and love and hope.¡¯ they can¡¯t stop fighting.¡± She muttered with her gaze narrowed.


    She sighed, ¡°But I digress I didn¡¯t come here to speak about the inner workings of the soul. I came here to issue a challenge.¡± Jenna¡¯s gaze turned playful as she uttered those words.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Skylar blinked confused by Jenna¡¯s wording, ¡°A challenge? What makes you think I¡¯d accept any challenge from you?¡±


    ¡°Oh come now, that¡¯s an easy one.¡± Jenna chuckled, turning her gaze back to Skylar, ¡°Because this is a challenge that you can¡¯t refuse, one that you''re all too familiar with.¡± Jenna spoke as the embers of the flames flew past her face.


    Skylar blinked, narrowing her gaze, ¡°Meaning?¡±


    Jenna smiled tilting her head, ¡°Perhaps a reminder is an order?¡± she muttered lifting her hand and snapping her fingers pink goo shot up from her sleeve and fired into the sky, it started to cover the whole dome above.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes widened at the sight, memories of what happened to The Kingdom due to that same sky entered her head, ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry just yet.¡± Jenna cooed a wicked gleam in her eyes as she clenched her hand into a fist and swung it down, the pink goo above shot back down flowing back into Jenna¡¯s sleeve with that simple command, ¡°My challenge to you is simple. Kill Lust by the end of this week¡­ or watch as I burn this land to its final ember.¡±


    Skylar¡¯s grip tightened around her blade as he took in a shaky breath trying to maintain her composure, ¡°You aren¡¯t fucking serious! Why!? Why even think of doing something like this!?!¡± She shouts, throwing her hand to the side.


    Jenna blinked a soft smile appeared on her face, in stark contrast to the brutality of the methods she¡¯d employed.


    She looked up to the sky pondering the question for a moment, ¡°...So focused on one goal that you refuse to see what¡¯s around you.¡± Jenna suddenly spoke, ¡°Or are you simply that blind? You¡¯ve been at the center of worldwide change for a while now haven¡¯t you?¡± Jenna lowered her head, locking eyes with Skylar.


    Skylar paused at that looking at her sword, though her memories were limited she couldn¡¯t deny the truth of those words, she was there for the breakout of Pand?monium, she was there for the day The Kingdom fell, she was there when Jubilee lost its storm barrier¡­ and now she was here on Babylon.


    Jenna then posed her own question, ¡°Isn¡¯t that strange? You¡¯ve only been traveling a year or so¡­ and yet the world seems to revolve around you? It¡¯s almost as if¡­¡± Jenna then trailed off her gaze locking onto the burning buildings, ¡°Ah, but I digress. You have more important matters to deal with don¡¯t you hero?¡± With that, she turned around and opened a portal she started to walk towards it.


    ¡°...Why didn¡¯t you kill me back then?¡± Skylar suddenly asked, ¡°You¡¯ve had so many chances to kill me. So why? Why do you keep letting me go?¡±


    Jenna stopped just short of the portal, ¡°...¡± She looked to the ground biting her lip drawing blood and letting it drop to the floor, but she didn¡¯t utter a word. Instead opting to go through that portal and leave Skylar behind.


    Skylar stood there, the sounds of screams had all but faded and she grit her teeth slowly reaching up and she sheathed her blade looking up to the skies above, dark clouds had already begun to convert them of course they had.


    For even the sunlight would forsake Skylar, she sucked in a breath trying her best to contain herself as she refocused her gaze to the area straight ahead, ¡°Keep moving.¡± She muttered, ¡°Just keep going, I¡¯ve got a job to do¡­ they''re counting on me.¡± She started to move forward though her pace was noticeably slower than it was moments ago.


    Her hands clenched into fists as she walked forward, her gaze fixed forward even through the smoke and the flames that consumed this village, she couldn¡¯t give up.


    She had to keep moving.


    Even if she could no longer remember the reason why¡­

 Chapter 9: Virtue.

    Striga walked up to the front of the first village in her trip, the village itself was surrounded by large stone walls. There were a few chips in the wall here and there, but overall the wall stood undaunted, and then¡­ there was the gate. That was her destination, her hood was up keeping both her hair obscured, two men stood at the front of the village gate clad in silver armor, their gazes fell upon Striga as she approached they put their spears in front of the gate with like a large X, and then looked down to Striga, the first guard spoke, ¡°Name and identification.¡±


    Striga blinked at the hostilities, but this was fine, it was going according to her plan, she tilted her head slightly and spoke, ¡°Melina, as for my identification? I¡¯m a doctor, I¡¯ve heard tales of war breaking out on this island and came to help.¡± She reached into her pocket and pulled out her identification. It was old, at least 5 years old but it should still be serviceable.


    The guard on the left walked forward and grabbed it, arching a brow at it, ¡°Melina was it¡­?¡± he looked at her, ¡°Wasn¡¯t aware that The Kingdom still had medical facilities up and running.¡± That was where the ID said she was from, after all the card was a favor she had once redeemed from Icon.


    Another debt that she¡¯d need to see repaid sooner rather than later, but for now she put on her practiced smile and shook her head, ¡°You¡¯d be correct in assuming otherwise, our facilities are mostly unusable but were lucky to have stalwart allies on our side to ensure medical supplies keep coming through to us, and by the end of the day were hoping to make allies of Babylon as well.¡± Striga spoke the lie slipped through her lips with a sweet aroma every word was laced with honey, she could do this for hours.


    Lying to a few guards was nothing in comparison to lying to the big shots in Jubilee.


    The man narrowed his gaze at the ID it showed a picture of a much younger Striga, her hair was dyed a bright pink at the time of the picture, the man then shook his head before handing it back to Striga, ¡°Well far be it from me to refuse help from someone who wants to be our ally.¡± he said at last with a sight, ¡°You¡¯ll need to speak with the village elder before you begin your work however, we can¡¯t be too careful in these times.¡±


    Striga nodded in understanding, pocketing her ID before closing her eyes and bowing with that perfect smile, ¡°Of course.¡±


    The guard on the left lifted his right hand and let out an ¡°Ahem,¡± before lowering his spear and speaking up, ¡°I¡¯m Yin, and the stickler for the rules on my right is Yang.¡± Yin stated offering a small smile, ¡°While we can¡¯t offer much hospitality for the moment, I¡¯ll still offer you as warm a welcome as I can.¡± Yin then put his hand on the wooden gate slowly opening it for Striga, ¡°With that said, welcome to our village.¡±


    Yang watched as Striga started to walk forward past the open gate, he let out a sigh as Yin followed close behind her, ¡°Just don¡¯t get into too much trouble Yin, and be back soon lest another threat tries to hit the walls.¡±


    Yin chuckled, giving a two-fingered wave, ¡°Yeah yeah, I¡¯ll be quick about it.¡±


    Striga looked over her shoulder, Yang was keeping his eye on her even as he closed the gate, a cautious man was always one to be wary of.


    ¡­Almost as much as the carefree ones.


    Striga tore her glance away from the gate and returned it to Yin, even as they started to move along the stone paths.


    ¡°Attacks? I was under the impression that this city was part of Babylon, is Jubilee daft enough to attack a city so close to the edge of the island?¡± Striga spoke, keeping her act up.


    Yin looked at her with a frown appearing on his face for a moment as he sighed, ¡°It¡¯s that new Emperor''s fault, the soldiers under her command don¡¯t seem to care about friend or foe, kith or kin. They just move to slaughter¡­¡± His gaze turned grim, ¡°We¡¯re doing what we can to bring them back to their senses but¡­¡± he shook his head putting a smile back on his face, ¡°But I digress, here along the path to the far north you see that church in the center of the city?¡±


    Striga turned her gaze to the city ahead, there were several buildings made of wood, and while the city itself wasn¡¯t too large.


    It was certainly larger than most, and sure enough in the center, there was a large church made of what appeared to be some white stone, Yin lowered his hand, ¡°That¡¯s where our elder resides, you can present your case to him there. I¡¯ll take you the rest of the way, after that you¡¯re on your own.¡±


    He then paused, ¡°Ah, right¡­ that reminds me. I didn¡¯t check at the gate, but I should ask now, do you by any chance have magic?¡±


    Striga¡¯s eyes were still covered by the edges of her hood, but she smirked looking up with crimson eyes, ¡°Nothing that¡¯d be of use to you or yours.¡± she let the words slip with a chuckle.


    Chapter 9: Virtue.


    Churches, Striga wasn¡¯t fond of churches, it was always an icon of worship.


    An icon that none could ever challenge, after all, faith is what makes a man.


    So when she found herself at those large doors of the cathedral she frowned, and turned to Yin, ¡°So then? Your Elder lives in the church?¡± Striga questioned putting a hand on her hip.


    Yin shrugged, ¡°There¡¯s hardly any other place more fitting for a man of god such as him. He leads the town, and ensures all of us remain safe.¡±


    Striga blinked at the choice of Yin¡¯s words, ¡°A man of god?¡± She muttered she was aware of this particular faith, but it had long since fallen out of fashion, this is of course due to the words that people called ¡®those who sank the islands and feast upon flesh.¡¯


    Where did that name come from anyway? She never did find an answer when she checked the history books, nevertheless, the word did nothing but fill dread in the hearts of mankind, even Striga¡¯s.


    Yin saw this and offered a soft smile and put a hand over his heart, ¡°Ah, I know that look. You needn¡¯t worry, the elder is a good man. And he¡¯ll see to it that all goes well¡­ Now then, if you¡¯ll excuse me I¡¯d best be returning to the gate.¡± with those words Yin turned around and started to walk away before pausing, ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right!¡± He turned around offering a smile, ¡°Welcome to our small town, though you may not be staying with us long, I hope you¡¯ll end up calling Jannat a second home.¡±


    Jannat?


    That must be what they call that town.


    Striga offered a false smile, ¡°I¡¯ll certainly think about it,¡± with that, she turned towards the large doors once more and reached a hand out to them ready to throw them wide.


    As soon as she did, she was greeted by the sight of white halls and stained glass depicting a figure holding his hands out to his side.


    Below the glass was a man clad in purple robes, his hands clasped together as he kneeled down, he uttered some words as Striga began to approach, ¡°For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.¡± The man blinked his eyes which were colored a bright azure. He then looked up, Striga said nothing as she approached the man from behind.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare that we receive visitors so very rare, even more so in times like these.¡± The man slowly stood up, ¡°So then, to what do I owe the pleasure of greeting a guest during such times?¡± the man questioned wearing a perfect smile.


    Striga stared at that man, she knew that smile.


    She¡¯d seen it many times over negotiation tables, the smile that only someone who has seen the darkest parts of humanity could wear.


    ¡­


    But Skylar wore it better.


    So Striga spoke unfazed by the man¡¯s smile, ¡°A pleasure to make your acquaintance, my name is Melina. Would I be correct in assuming that you¡¯re the elder of Jannat?¡± Striga bowed, slightly for the man.


    The man chuckled, ¡°Melina? An interesting name to be sure, unlike most here¡­ ah, but to answer your question. Yes, that is what the people here refer to me as, though in truth I¡¯ve hardly lived up to the name¡­ I¡¯m just a humble man serving the lord where he sees fit.¡±


    Striga shook her head, ¡°And does this humble man have a name?¡±


    The priest smiled, turning to the stained glass above, ¡°...Qin. That¡¯s the name that most call me.¡±


    Striga chuckled, ¡°Qin then? Alright, I¡¯ve come here on business from The Kingdom, I¡¯m here to offer you my medical services.¡± When she had mentioned that earlier, she wasn¡¯t entirely lying; she did have a small medical background.


    Though, the medical knowledge she had came from Icon¡­ as such it was¡­ not the best.


    Icon¡¯s methods in all things were rather bloody.


    Regardless, Qin blinked as Striga said the words, ¡°Oh? Is that so, truly this is the will of god¡­ to send us an envoy from The Kingdom itself, why it warms my heart just to know this isle is still within their hearts.¡±


    Striga frowned at this, something about this man was¡­ wrong.


    No.


    Don¡¯t point it out, keep it to yourself.


    She was here for information, but she couldn¡¯t get that by showing her distrust, she could act on her thoughts later, ¡°My only regret is that I was the only person they could send¡­¡± Striga let the lie slip through her lips; it was so easy that it may as well be second nature to her.


    Qin smiled softly, ¡°The fact that anyone came is good enough¡­ Forgive me but it is part of my duties to ensure that your credentials are checked out.¡±


    Striga nodded, reaching into her pocket, and pulled out her ID once more, ¡°This war that¡¯s been going on¡­ Your people are victims of it I¡¯m aware of that much, but if you don¡¯t mind my asking? Where are your airships? I figured I would have seen more escaping this land.¡±


    Qin paused at that frowning for a moment, ¡°They are in god¡¯s hands now¡­ each and every one of them¡­ Lust was¡­ merciless in her methods. As soon as the airships carrying escapees took to the skies, every one of them was shot down.¡±


    Striga¡¯s eyes widened at that news, ¡°What¡­? Shot down¡­? B-But how!? The artillery required for such a thing would be nothing short of insanity! No, even then the fastest of the airships would have been able to evade such blows!¡± it didn¡¯t make sense, none of this made any sense.


    Qin frowned, looking at Striga, ¡°Under ordinary circumstances, you¡¯d be correct, but what came to strike them down was not cannon fire nor spears, it was magic. The magic that Lust used to subjugate this nation.¡± Qin explained his expression remaining solemn.


    Striga had to blink twice taking in those words, ¡°You''re kidding me¡­ I knew she was strong, but to take down an entire fleet of airships by herself, even if they were just escaping¡­ She¡¯s worse than I thought,¡± she folded her arms biting down on her lip, ¡°right, wounded come first, after that I¡¯ll see what I can do about getting you and your people off this island.¡±


    Qin put a hand over his heart smiling warmly, ¡°You are a saint miss Melina¡­¡± he then held out his left hand handing Striga her ID back, ¡°You¡¯ll find most of our wounded in a large stone building behind this sanctum. While we do not have much in terms of lodgings, you can rest within the church. I trust that is a suitable arrangement?¡±


    Striga nodded a smirk forming on her face, ¡°That¡¯s more than fine by me. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to get to work right away. If nothing else, I want to learn more about the current state of affairs on this island.¡±


    Qin nodded an understanding look on his face, ¡°I¡¯d recommend speaking with Yin and Yang after you¡¯ve concluded your work there, they are the most informed people in our town. Outside of myself of course.¡±


    Striga let out a hum at that, ¡°Is that so? I suppose I¡¯ll pay a visit to the gates later then.¡± She turned around then and started to make her way to the exit.


    ¡°May the hand of God ever lead your path,¡± Qin said with a soft smile as the door opened and Striga left, the light in the room began to dim. And suddenly there was a man sitting atop the podium looking forward with a bored expression, ¡°Hm. Melina, she called herself. Not the worst fake name I¡¯ve heard.¡± Seiryu spoke, tapping his fingers on his chin.


    Qin didn¡¯t look back, he kept his gaze fixed on the door, ¡°Do you think she will be an issue to our plans?¡± he questioned the question with a resolute gaze.


    Seiryu hummed pondering this for a moment before leaping from the podium and landing on the ground just ahead of Qin, ¡°Doubtful, even if she were to uncover what I have going on here¡­ I¡¯m rather confident that she lacks the ability to stop it. She¡¯s no Shadewalker after all, despite what the silver hair would make you think.¡±


    Qin blinked at that, ¡°Silver hair?¡± He hadn¡¯t seen it after all.


    ¡°The hood.¡± Seiryu pointed out, ¡°It¡¯s a sunny day out, hardly a reason to wear one over your head, there¡¯s also the matter of her being an outsider. No nation would dare send anyone here who¡¯s not a mage.¡± Seiryu then cupped his chin, ¡°So that would make her either¡­ Striga, or Jenna¡­ and considering that I¡¯ve only just received word that Jenna was at the castle¡­ Striga it is.¡±


    Qin said nothing to the musings of the madman before him, Seiryu then glanced over to him and lowered a hand with a wicked smirk, ¡°Hm? Oh, was there something you wanted to say, priest?¡±


    Qin took in a breath, closing his eyes, ¡°The light of god shines brightly this day does it not?¡± he asked the question though in truth he wasn¡¯t looking for an answer.


    Seiryu said nothing to his words, turning to the door and letting out a yawn, ¡°Hm. Suppose it does.¡±


    ***


    A village that stood high atop a hill, that was certainly what stood before Skylar Shadewalker, the gates and walls were made of wood and they had not been touched.


    Yet¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong here isn¡¯t there?¡± Skylar muttered as she marched up the hill, ¡°Like aren¡¯t there supposed to be a set of guards or something here to protect the gate?¡± She muttered the question as she reached the top of the hill staring up at the large wooden gates.


    ¡°...Alma?¡± She arched a brow waiting for her companion to answer, but there was no reply from him, ¡°Alright fine. Leave me hanging asshole.¡± she hissed out that last bit Skylar then gritted her teeth pushing against a wooden gate, it swung open at last she let out a yelp as she stumbled forward, she didn¡¯t fall however she smiled sheepishly at that, only for her eyes to widen as she stared forward.


    Straight ahead crows lay atop wooden poles, and Skylar felt the color leave her face as she took a few more steps forward.


    A total of 50 men were tied up to wooden poles, thousands of cuts upon their bodies, nails and sticks driven into their chests.


    Some were missing their eyes, not a painless death, likely some of the most gruesome deaths Skylar had yet seen.


    She looked forward to the sight with disgust, ¡°Butchers¡­¡± She growled clenching her right hand into a fist, she had come here knowing that she¡¯d likely witness some fighting.


    Not this. Not a senseless slaughter.


    She took in a breath letting the smell of death fill her nose as she walked up to the rubble of the houses.


    The house itself was in shambles, torn clean in half, like half the roof was shattered and scattered to the ground but the other half remained fine, same deal with the walls themselves, though they seemed to be unstable.


    She was getting used to the sight of death, but the smell of it was always the worst.


    She blinked seeing a corpse, another one of these men¡­ But this one was splayed in the middle of the rubble with a greatsword at his side. There was a child under his corpse, one that it looked like he had tried to shield.


    Skylar frowned at the sight walking up to the man and checking his pulse, nothing.


    She then checked the pulse of the child.


    Dead now.


    Like the rest.


    Slowly she removed her hands from the dead, taking in a shaky breath.


    Sparks threatened to ignite from her fingertips, her anger was overwhelming her, and she looked to the greatsword on the ground.


    ¡°Black?¡± She muttered as she examined the blade, it was a dark vantablack steel, pure black unlike any material she had ever seen before, her eyes were fixed on that blade almost entranced by it, her hand reached out to it, and her fingers bushing upon the hilt black sparks came from it and it connected with the golden gauntlet on that hand, she hissed the electricity shot through her body making her pull her hand back, ¡°What¡­ is this thi-¡±


    ¡°,,,Is this it? Is this all that awaits?¡±


    Skylar¡¯s eyes widened and she clutched her head in pain, her world began to spin as her breathing quickened a voice entered her head, ¡°No¡­ No more. Enough¡­¡±


    The pain was agonizing so much so that she didn¡¯t even notice the blade sending red mist to both her and the Corpse of The Dark Knight.


    ¡°Open your eyes. Look. Do you see now? Do you see?¡±


    The voice continued, though Skylar did not know why.


    ¡°Skylar. Skylar!¡±


    Her eyes snapped open and the pain faded nearly instantly as her ears twitched, she heard a sound in the distance, metal on the soil.


    And considering all The Dark Knights were currently dead¡­ There was only one thing that could be.


    Skylar instantly moved to the walls of this place, crouching down behind it.


    There through the front gates, five men walked through clad in silver armor, they held touches in their right hands, Skylar¡¯s gaze narrowed as she examined them, all of them seemed to be normal.


    Save for the one leading the pack, his helmet was shaped differently¡­ like a wolf¡¯s skull.


    Slowly she reached up for the sword on her back, her hand hovering just above the hilt.


    The wolf-skulled man folded his arms, he was the only one without a torch, ¡°The mighty Dark Knights brought low by a single woman, never thought I¡¯d see the day¡­¡± He muttered and let out a low chuckle before turning to his men, ¡°We have our orders, burn it all to the ground.¡±


    Skylar grits her teeth at that, but she stays her hand for the moment.


    It¡¯d be better to take these men out quietly, so she lowered her hand and got ready to move. That was until a hand suddenly appeared on her shoulder she spun around, quickly reaching up to grab her blade.


    Only for her eyes to widen in surprise, A Dark Knight, clad in his armor stood before her raising a finger to his helmet signaling for silence, Skylar¡¯s gaze lingered on the man for a moment, before turning to where she left the child¡¯s corpse.


    ¡­The Dark Knight was gone, so that meant.


    ¡°How¡­?¡± She whispered. The man was dead, she had checked herself so how was he standing just fine.


    The man locked his gaze onto Skylar¡¯s, and he said nothing standing and moving to grab his blade from the ground moving out of the rubble.


    As soon as he did the four soldiers with torches stared forward in shock, ¡°B-Bloody hells! One is alive!¡±


    The first soldier shouted taking a fearful step backward, The guard with the wolf helmet let out a hum, ¡°So it would seem¡­ Likely a coward who hid away while Lust struck, not a true Warrior¡­ Strike him down.¡±


    Skylar grits her teeth, ¡°Not good, I have to get in there to help him.¡± She muttered moving to stand, only to find her leg was stuck, she blinked looking down at her leg an inky black substance was keeping her in place, ¡°Wha-¡±


    ¡°You would call me a coward?¡± The Dark Knight asked a low chuckle escaping his lips, ¡°You who couldn¡¯t come and do the dirty work yourselves? What a farce.¡± slowly he raised his blade holding it above his head, ¡°I am Vita, a proud Dark Knight¡­¡± He muttered holding his blade horizontally beside his face with both hands, ¡°Now come and face the shadows, they¡¯ll welcome you with open arms!¡±


    The soldiers grit their teeth, the first four draw their blades, and walk up to Vita, surrounding him.


    The commander chuckled at the sight, ¡°Spill his guts, I want to see his blood painting the stones!¡±


    All four of them charged forward at once, holding their blades up at different angles, Vita smirked, raising his own blade and stabbing it into the ground, a pool of black ink shot outwards, ¡°Sink deeper.¡± Vita spoke as sharp spikes shot out of the floor puncturing the armor of those who approached him, he then pulled his blade from the ground, the shadows flowed back into his sword as he spun around slashing through the closest soldier.


    The black liquid then coated his blade, as he gripped his hilt, spinning his sword towards his next target cleaving their head from their torso, a red glow came from beneath his helmet.


    He then blasted forward towards the two remaining soldiers that tried to strike him down, The first tried to strike first but his sword shattered against Vita¡¯s and that soldier found himself to be another corpse on the ground before long, the last soldier fell onto the ground staring up fearfully, ¡°N-No stay back demon!¡± he shouted trying to crawl away.


    Vita walked forward unfettered by the man¡¯s cries, ¡°Monster? Your kind would come here to burn my village to the ground, making a mockery of my kith and kin. And you¡¯d have the audacity to call me a monster!¡±


    A red glow surrounded his blade as he cut this man down, ¡°There is no saving your corrupted souls.¡±


    The man wearing the wolf helmet unfolded his arms, ¡°As worthless in death as they were in life it would seem.¡± He sighed reaching up and unsheathing his blade, it was silver and he pointed it forward, ¡°Regardless, you are still no Dark Knight. A coward even at its best will always still be a coward.¡±


    Vita turned to face the wolf-masked man, ¡°And a man pledged to evil will always be found on the blade of justice.¡± he declared holding up his left hand, holding out his blade with his right hand, ¡°Salted Earth.¡±


    The ground around Vita glowed red, a circle empowering him.


    The man wearing the wolf mask let out a hum, ¡°If nothing else you have the skills, but you''re still a pale imitation¡­ That skill is worthless unless I come close to you.¡±


    Vita said nothing to that, lowering his hand but refusing to leave the circle.


    Skylar grits her teeth, ¡°What the hell is he doing¡­? He¡¯s just going to get killed.¡± she reached up and unsheathed her blade, taking a breath and her eyes turned Emerald.


    She then tossed her blade up into the air, the wind blew causing the blade to be carried upon the wind going right behind the man with wolf helmet.


    The man¡¯s eyes widened as he sensed something from behind, he spun around raising his own blade clashing with Skylar¡¯s flying blade, ¡°Wha-¡±


    He felt something as he was forced to take a step backward, a feeling of dread.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± He turned his head to look over his shoulder, there Vita was blade in hand.


    His shadow seemed to bear fangs as he cut through this man¡¯s armor.


    Letting his blood fly and stain the stones on the ground, ¡°...Not bad.¡± Vita muttered lifting his blade and he set it back into the large sheath on his back, the shadows that connected Skylar to the ground shot up flying to that sword and going inside of it.


    Skylar stood up and walked up to the man, calling her blade over back into her hand, ¡°So¡­ Vita was it? You''re a Dark Knight? A real Dark Knight?¡± She tried to ask the man her question despite the fact that she wasn¡¯t thrilled about having to kill those men.


    Vita turned his attention to Skylar, ¡°You are aware of us?¡± He questioned arching a brow, Skylar nodded hesitantly, ¡°I was told to see you guys out¡­ but¡­¡± she looked to the other Dark Knights and hung up, ¡°Should we¡­ take them down?¡±


    Vita paused, turning to look at his people, ¡°No, Dark Knights consider it a grave offense if they ever moved from the place from where they perished.¡± Vita explained, ¡°Though it is a grave sight, I won¡¯t be touching their corpses.¡± his gaze then fell back on Skylar, ¡°But I digress, you touched it right?¡± He asked, pointing to his blade, ¡°That can¡¯t of felt good.¡±


    Skylar paused while folding her arms, ¡°Well¡­¡± She sighed and explained what she heard.


    Vita listened intently to her words, ¡°A voice, eh? And a rather distressed one besides¡­¡±


    Before Skylar could utter another word, A voice called out from further inside the village, ¡°Please, someone - anyone!¡±


    Skylar blinked and immediately moved to run to the source of the voice, only for Vita to unsheath his blade and put it in front of Skylar barring her path, ¡°Not so fast. We need to talk about what¡¯s happening to you - What¡¯s growing within you, before you get carried away.¡± He stated with a cold stare, ¡°There¡¯s a darkness within us all, nothing dangerous mind you. In fact, it¡¯s quite healthy. But the Black Blade changes you. Gives you the power to channel it.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that, looking up to Vita with an arched brow, ¡°So it could make me stronger then?¡± She questioned.


    Vita paused at that, ¡°Aye, that it could¡­¡± The holes in his helmet suddenly glowed crimson, ¡°Do it without proper training, however, and¡­ well¡­ It might hurt.¡±


    Skylar flinched at that, taking a step back, ¡°H-Huh?¡±


    Vita¡¯s red glow vanished and he lowered his blade, ¡°So go ahead. Ask me to teach you. Ask me to instruct you in the ways of the Dark Knights. And I will.¡± he said without a second thought.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Skylar blinked at that, ¡°Really? Just like that?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯ve an interest in growing stronger do you not?¡± Vita questioned folding his arms and tilting his head.


    Skylar paused, it was true she yearned for more strength¡­ And this man at the very least did seem to be on the same side.


    So¡­


    ¡°Alright, then. Teach me the ways oh mighty Dark Knight.¡± Skylar wore a teasing smile, as she turned her gaze back to the sound of the voice, however a frown adorned her face, ¡°Now then, if you don¡¯t mind. Can I proceed?¡±


    Vita kept his gaze downwards locking eyes with her, ¡°You may.¡± he nodded.


    And Skylar instantly bolted off towards the sound of the cry for help.


    Vita then unfolded his arms walking the same path, looking down to his right hand, ¡°Hm, to be granted flesh¡­¡± he flexed his hand clenching it in and out of a fist.


    Soon enough Skylar came to another ruined house, there a young woman was her leg trapped under the rubble, ¡°Hang on! I¡¯m here to help.¡± Skylar said her eyes swapped to the crimson color before the woman could turn to look at her, with wind magic she could lift up the rubble with ease¡­


    But she needed to use it sparingly, and even then wind magic was rare enough as is. She learned her lesson from Jubilee, people could quite easily pick her out of a crowd if she used it.


    So of course, she tried to lift it but she failed to account for the fact that she was not in fact strong enough to lift rubble and debris off a woman by herself.


    So Vita let out a sigh walking up and helping Skylar lift this said debris.


    The woman let out a sigh and Skylar walked up to her, ¡°You okay?¡± Skylar asked concern welling up within her eyes.


    The woman let out a long sigh as she looked over to Skylar, ¡°Y-Yes. I¡¯m fine, but¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re fine then you should leave, head to one of the villages that haven¡¯t been destroyed yet. The farther away from the castle the batter.¡± Vita chimed in.


    ¡°W-Wait! I can¡¯t do that, my daughter. She was kidnapped¡­ during the raid¡­ those men took her, they were heading to the village up north from here! I can¡¯t just leave her, I have to save he-¡± The woman tried to stand but her legs were weak so she just fell back to the ground.


    Vita looked down at the woman, ¡°I thought I was clear about getting to safety.¡±


    Skylar gave Vita a look before glancing back down to the woman, ¡°We¡¯ll find your daughter, can you give me some more details?¡± Skylar asked with a kind smile.


    The woman looked up to Skylar relieved, ¡°Y-Yes, she has¡­ green hair and blue eyes. She¡¯s small around your age, and she¡¯s the sweetest girl you¡¯ll ever meet. Her name is Shiva.¡± The woman explained.


    Vita let out a huff and walked up to the woman examining her legs, ¡°Sprained but not useless¡­ What a pain.¡± He scowled looking at his shadow and nodding at it.


    Skylar blinked at the sight before her, Vita¡¯s shadow began to rise up from the ground taking up a third-dimensional form, the shadow stood there motionless and Vita folded his arms, ¡°This shadow will carry you all the way to a safe village, and keep you safe all the while, when you arrive stay there until we bring your daughter back.¡±


    The woman nodded slowly as the shadow approached her, picking her up, it then headed for the gate.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The woman muttered looking over to both Skylar and Vita, ¡°Thank you both!¡±


    Vita turned his gaze to Skylar and shrugged, ¡°Helping the woman is the right move, but I¡¯ll be damned if this doesn¡¯t feel like a waste of time¡­¡±


    Skylar frowned at that, ¡°She needs our help, doesn¡¯t matter how much time we waste. I couldn¡¯t just leave her.¡±


    Vita lowered his arms and started to walk toward the exit, ¡°Heart of gold eh? Bah, whatever¡­ Ah, that reminds me.¡± He reaches up and unsheathes his blade, holding it out to Skylar, ¡°Take it, A Dark Knight needs a proper weapon.¡±


    Skylar looked at the sword, it was large. Far larger than her.


    She reached out to grab it, surprised by how light it was¡­ still.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit oversized for me isn¡¯t it?¡± She questioned with a frown, ¡°I can certainly still use it, but¡­¡± She glanced up at Vita who folded his arms once more.


    ¡°The blade is tailor-made to handle vast quantities of darkness; without it you can hardly be a Dark Knight¡­ That said, if we could find a forge master they might be able to craft a blade more suited for you.¡± He then paused looking down at Skylar''s golden gauntlet, ¡°That thing as well is made of Void, we¡¯ll use it to try and gauge your aptitude for the substance.¡±


    Skylar blinked looking down at her gauntlet, ¡°How are we going to do that?¡±


    ¡°Just close your eyes and imagine it twisting into another shape or object, anything should do,¡± Vita said with a slight chuckle.


    Skylar let out a hum, closing her eyes, the gauntlet was always a bit tacky¡­ maybe a bracelet would look better?


    She felt something wiggling on her arm, and when she opened her eyes, sure enough, the golden gauntlet was replaced with a purple bracelet, ¡°Whoa¡­¡± she then paused looking at the blade in her other hand.


    Skylar held the blade examining it, a frown on her face, ¡°Can I at least get that sheath as well?¡± she asked and Vita nodded unclipping the sheath from his back and handing it to Skylar, she promptly sheathed the Dark Knight¡¯s blade, and set it on the ground for a moment unclipping the sheath on her back for her own Segmented blade, and moved it to her hip.


    She then reached down and attached The Dark Knight¡¯s Blade onto her back, ¡°There we go.¡±


    Vita arched a brow at this, ¡°You''re keeping the old sword as well?¡±


    ¡°It still has its uses, so why would I throw it aside?¡± Skylar shot back with a light smirk, she then let out a slight yawn stretching.


    ¡°Right then, let¡¯s get a move on shall we? I¡¯ve got people to save.¡± Skylar says walking toward the entrance of the town once more.


    Ready to venture into the grasslands once more, Vita watched the sight with some interest.


    He then turned his gaze skyward, ¡°...The sun sets soon.¡± he muttered to himself frowning beneath his helmet before looking down and walking forward following Skylar.


    ***


    ¡°Hm, your cuts are mostly patched up. But you need rest, on top of that I¡¯d recommend applying this herbal supplement to the wound once a day.¡± Striga set a bottle of green liquid into the hands of her patient.


    It was a young man who blushed while taking the vial with a nod, ¡°I-I understand. Thank you very much.¡±


    Striga smiled softly, ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± she stood tall then and looked around the area she had been working all day.


    It was tiring, but it was necessary to build up at least a decent reputation.


    In truth, the most dangerous thing here was probably the markets, her coin purse has never felt lighter¡­


    Delish was going to give her an earful when he found out.


    She moved on through the stone building cupping her chin as she walked past other wounded, ¡°Melina.¡± A voice called out, Striga blinked, turning to the voice of an older woman with a soft smile, ¡°You¡¯ve done enough today, why don¡¯t you take a rest? Lest you become one of my patients.¡± She smiled.


    Striga sighed, shaking her head, ¡°Yes, I suppose that would be prudent¡­ But even so, there are so many wounded here I can hardly believe it.¡± Striga muttered looking around the area, ¡°if possible I¡¯d like to get your advice on medical herbs later if that¡¯s okay with Hisu.¡±


    Hisu smiled softly, closing her eyes, ¡°Of course, my office is always open. So feel free to stop by when you have a chance.¡±


    Striga nodded and walked out of the building letting out a sigh of relief as she did so.


    ¡°Honestly, who knew this would be so exhausting.¡± The sun had already started to set, and the day was coming to an end.


    She had to take this time to find out what she could about Lust, any bit of information at all.


    So she began her trek to the front gate, with a slight yawn.


    She found herself examining the buildings as she moved, they were all structurally sound, and could easily withstand a bandit raid or two.


    ¡­The might of a full military, however?


    Not a chance, no way in hell would anyone survive an assault like that, there are two few people.


    Most of their warriors had already been wounded, and their medics could barely keep up.


    So that just begged the question¡­


    Striga stopped in place looking at the building, ¡°Why haven¡¯t they come along and finished the job?¡± She asked the question with a frown.


    It baffled her, unless there was something about this town she was missing it just didn¡¯t make sense to keep them around.


    .


    She sighed, lowering her head and walking along the path, and she arched her brow as she saw both Yin and Yang walking together, Yin saw Striga and immediately dawned a smile, ¡°Ah, Melina. Settling in nicely I trust?¡±


    Striga shrugged at that, ¡°More or less I suppose, you¡¯ve got a lot of wounded¡­ I can hardly keep up. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to speak more with both of you about the state of this island.¡± Striga explained folding her arms.


    Yin blinked, turning to Yang as if asking for permission, Yang narrowed his gaze at Striga before sighing, ¡°Yeah whatever. If the Elder deems you trustworthy then I suppose we can enlighten you.¡±


    Striga smiled softly at that, ¡°I appreciate it, though come to think of it¡­ aren¡¯t you two supposed to be watching the gate?¡± Striga asked with an arched brow.


    Yin chuckled, ¡°We¡¯ve got 3 teams to do that. Team Alpha is me and Yang, Team Delta is the one on station right now, and Team Omega is next up. We swap every six hours. To make sure that all teams are at their best.¡± he then put a hand on his hip, ¡°we can continue this talk over at our place assuming you''re fine with that?¡±


    Striga put on a tired smile but shrugged, ¡°I suppose that will work, my time here is limited so I¡¯d like to learn as much as I can.¡±


    Yang let out a huff, turning away, ¡°Speak as much as you like, but I¡¯m heading off to bed.¡± with those words he started to walk off on his own.


    Yin put a hand on his hip sighing for a moment watching as Yang walked off, ¡°Sorry about him¡­ He¡¯s a good man, I promise that he''s just had a lot on his mind lately.¡± Yin explained as he turned back to face Striga who simply shrugged in response.


    ¡°You¡¯ve all got a lot on your minds lately I¡¯m sure. I¡¯m just glad you''re even willing to spend some time talking about this stuff.¡± Striga says without a second thought.


    Yin paused looking up to the stars above, ¡°Hm, suppose someone has to be in these times. Can¡¯t get help if nobody knows what¡¯s going on¡­ not that it¡¯ll help anyways.¡± Yin frowned before shaking his head, ¡°Come along, our house is on the edge of town.¡±


    He starts walking forward and Striga follows suit before pausing to look up at the sky, ¡°...Something is coming.¡± She muttered under her breath as the wind blew past her face.


    She then shook her head, turning her attention to the path ahead.


    .


    ***


    Skylar frowned as she knelt behind a stone wall, there were several of these things here.


    Broken walls that did nothing to keep this place safe, and the whole area had been ransacked, but the buildings themselves were still intact, wooden buildings that stood a fair bit apart, about 20 in total all with their lights on.


    Skylar frowned at the sight, ¡°Any one of them could have our quarry inside¡­ The question is which one.¡± she sighed, peering out from behind the wall trying to find any sort of clue.


    Vita crouched behind her, looking straight ahead, ¡°Get back.¡± He hisses grabbing Skylar by the shoulder and pulling her further back behind cover, she blinked her eyes widening in surprise before glaring at Vita.


    She then turned her gaze toward where he was looking.


    There she saw a man with green hair and azure eyes, he walked along a path with two guards at his sides, ¡°And the hostages,¡± the man questioned looking over his shoulder for a moment, ¡°You¡¯re sure they¡¯ve no chance to escape.¡±


    A soldier nodded, ¡°Of course sir, their bonds are secure, and the village was slaughtered, even then we sent a force to ensure that any and all casualties were final. They should be returning shortly¡­¡±


    The man let out a hum at that turned to the building, ¡°I see, in that case, send the youngest one to my chambers in about an hour¡­¡± with that he began to walk toward the largest building.


    ¡°Of course master Genbu!¡± The soldier saluted him, one hand behind his back and the other over his heart in a fist.


    Skylar takes note of the salute and looks over her shoulder at Vita.


    ¡°Genbu? That¡¯s a name I¡¯ve never heard before.¡± She whispers trying to ask Vita for information.


    Vita nods slowly, ¡°Nor I.¡± he looks to Skylar, ¡°Lust has only one general to my knowledge and that¡¯s Midus. And yet this Genbu person seems to command some sense of respect in his peers¡­ Not unlike a general. If nothing else, we need to keep watch of him.¡±


    Skylar nodded slowly at that, peering around the corner. The coast was clear for the moment, so she stood up, ¡°We need to search the buildings to find the prisoners¡­ Quick and quite alright?¡±


    Vita nodded in agreement, ¡°Let¡¯s get a move on then. You take the buildings on the left, I''ll take the ones to the right. And don¡¯t get caught, the last thing we need is a hostage situation.¡±


    Skylar nodded at that, slowly closing her eyes so she could focus on the breeze, it was faint but she could feel it around her.


    She then moved forward opening her eyes as she did so, keeping low to the ground as she got close to the window.


    Once more she closed her eyes, listening to the soft winds around her.


    ¡°I understand subjugating the lands and whatnot not¡­ but doesn¡¯t this all seem a little too bloodthirsty to you?¡± She could hear a voice in the wind, near the window.


    Another voice, a woman responded, ¡°Shh, keep your voice down. If Genbu hears you talking like that there¡¯s no telling what he¡¯ll do.¡±


    The man responded, ¡°Yeah but see? That¡¯s the thing, who even is Genbu, I know he¡¯s a mage and all but he just showed up and took one of the highest-ranking roles¡­ It¡¯s strange isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Skylar opened her eyes, the wind wasn¡¯t picking up any other signs of life in that building so she started to sneak behind it and move on to the next.


    She let out a sigh as she did.


    In truth that trick was only something she recently figured out, she wasn¡¯t even sure if it would work.


    Not to mention that she can¡¯t seem to do it consistently, she has to concentrate really hard and listen to the natural winds. Not ones that she conjures.


    She came up to the next building and checked the edges of it, frowning as she did so.


    ¡­There was the last problem, if there was no place for a good portion of wind to get into.


    Then she¡¯d get radio silence.


    She let out a sigh realizing she¡¯d have to break into this one.


    She glanced over to the other sets of houses, where Vita was looking over at Skylar simply shaking his head, either trying to say ¡®Don¡¯t do it¡¯ or ¡®No sign of the kidnapped on my side.¡¯


    Skylar was hoping that it was the latter, as she moved to the front door, her right hand on the greatsword on her back, and her left hand on the door, she took in a breath and opened the door slowly.


    Just a crack.


    There she saw¡­ No one?


    She blinked, opening the door a little more, the cabin itself held no one.


    But she saw a desk at the far back of the cabin with a set of papers on it.


    As for the rest of the room, there was a candle on the desk that barely kept everything lit up.


    A coat rack on the far right of the room, and that seemed to be it.


    Skylar blinked entering the room and closing the door behind her, she then walked up to the desk to examine the papers. Any bit of information she could get would be beneficial to her at the moment.


    Day 1: My first day stationed in this town.


    It¡¯s not much, but the people here are kind.


    If nothing else there welcoming, the Empress seems to have grand plans.


    As for what they are? Not sure, It¡¯s not my place to question someone as wise and benevolent as her regardless.


    Skylar blinked at the sight, ¡°A log? ¡­Kind of careless to leave something like this out in that case¡­¡± She muttered to herself looking further into the entries most of them held nothing of value¡­


    Day 24: A war?


    An honest-to-god war?


    I never thought I¡¯d see the day our nation would see battle once more.


    I should be happy. Ours is a place of warriors, conquerors, and power.


    And yet, something about this feels¡­ wrong I can¡¯t quite describe it.


    But orders and orders, even if it is not my fight I must ensure the people here are prepared for battle.


    Day 29: A new man arrived just moments ago, a man who is going to be taking my spot as the general of this village.


    He arrived covered in blood, and a wicked smile on his face.


    Genbu.


    I know not what his game is, coming here like that with hostages in tow.


    What¡¯s more, he¡¯s taking the rest of the villagers hostage as well¡­


    This cannot stand, tomorrow I shall go to his cabin and speak about the release of those hostages.


    We are soldiers, we are meant to protect our people.


    Not make them suffer.


    Skylar paused looking at the last note, it had only been a short time but she sighed looking to the door.


    There was nothing, no rattle, no shatter.


    No one had come to investigate just yet.


    She looked back down to the papers, ¡°Nothing? Nothing more that I can use? Come on¡­ there has to be something¡­¡±


    Her eyes wandered to the ground and she found one more paper.


    She blinked looking at it before reaching down and picking it up.


    Day 30:


    I have failed.


    Not only have I lost my spot as the general of this village, but Genbu has branded me a traitor.


    It matters not how far I run, he will be here in time and his men will have me slaughtered.


    Perhaps if I am lucky, I will be imprisoned like the rest.


    ¡­


    But there was one thing he said that irks me, a set of words that only he seemed to understand.


    ¡°Virtue slips through hands clenching wicked fruit.¡±


    Skylar¡¯s eyes lingered on those last words, she had heard them before.


    Her memories flashed back to the last time she was at the orphanage.


    ¡°...Could it be a coincidence?¡± she muttered the words setting the paper down on the desk with the others, ¡°No. That¡¯s not likely. But¡­¡± She folded her arms glaring down at the papers, ¡°Then what the hell is this.¡±


    ¡°A message of course.¡± A voice spoke out from behind.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes widened and she quickly spun around reaching for her blade, only for her gaze to narrow and her teeth to grit as a blade was put to the side of her neck, there Genbu stood a wicked glint in his eyes, ¡°For the one who¡¯d arrive here in an attempt to stop my plans¡­¡± he then titled his head slightly, ¡°So then? What are you, a scout of The Shadewalker?¡±


    Skylar suppressed the urge to widen her gaze, ¡°Valery.¡± She spat simply, ¡°...Whatever it is you doing here. You''re not going to get away with it.¡±


    Genbu let out a hum at that, putting his blade closer to Skylar¡¯s neck letting it draw some blood, not enough to be lethal, but enough to show he was in charge.


    He stared forward a moment as the blood slid down his blade slowly, ¡°I don¡¯t think you have a say in that matter girl. A scout is simply that. A scout.¡± He declared with his eyes narrowing, ¡°Your position is that of no power.¡±


    Skylar stared forward, ¡°Belittle me all you like.¡± She spat back, ¡°But I won¡¯t back down to the blade of a tyrant.¡± she hissed eyes flaring red with power, as flames licked at her heels.


    Genbu smirked at the sight, an azure mist seeping from his own boots, ¡°Feisty are we? But that will avail you naught in this place? Did you think us to be fools? We knew you and your kind would be coming ere long, your first force was already wiped out. And now you will be the flame that draws in your leader.¡±


    Skylar sucked in a breath, it took everything she had not to strike at this arrogant prick, but she could use this to her advantage, Genbu reached behind his cloak and pulled out a pair of cuffs.


    Slamming them onto Skylar¡¯s wrists before removing her weapons.


    This was fine, if anything it would be the quickest way to find the prisoner¡¯s then Vita could swoop in and rescue them.


    That was her plan anyway, she found herself being escorted outside, she of course had the urge to look at where she last saw Vita, but she suppressed it, keeping her gaze forward if she gave any hint that there was anyone else¡­ It could be troublesome.


    Genbu kept his gaze narrowed, ¡°Rather bold of you to try and come here in the first place¡­ Tell me sweet cheeks, you come here alone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you anything,¡± Skylar answered instantly, every word had to be carefully picked, she couldn¡¯t make it easy, but she still had to achieve her goal, Genbu narrowed his gaze slamming his boot into Skylar¡¯s back, ¡°I need a person alive to draw in The Shadewalker¡­ but I don¡¯t care if you lose a limb or two.¡± He speaks as he lowers his blade towards Skylar¡¯s right hand.


    She stared at the sight.


    -Not yet.


    Endure it.


    She grits her teeth as Genbu stabs his blade down onto that hand, she lets out a cry of pain as blood flies into the air.


    Genbu kept his gaze narrowed as he removed the sword, ¡°Hm, a tough one are ya? That¡¯s fine¡­ we¡¯ll have plenty of time to break you later.¡± He reaches down grabbing Skylar by the hair. Lifting her up and pushing her forward, her gaze fell upon the next building, the 4th one, closest to the large building in the center.


    ¡°...Go on. Open it.¡± Genbu orders putting his blade to Skylar¡¯s neck, keeping up his guise of intimidation.


    She reaches out, opening the door, and there in the far back is a set of iron bars keeping a total of¡­ 2?


    Just two prisoners?


    That doesn¡¯t seem right.


    One was a young girl, just a few years younger than Skylar with green hair and blue eyes.


    The other was an older-looking man, his hair was already gray and his eyes were hazel.


    Before Skylar had time to contemplate what was going on, Genbu pushed her forward, a guard was on standby next to the cell.


    He stood up unlocking the gate and opening the door, the two prisoners didn¡¯t even try to escape.


    Skylar could guess why just off their cuts and bruises that littered their skin.


    She was pushed into the cell letting out a, ¡°Ow.¡± as she hit the floor.


    Genbu chuckled at the sight, ¡°Make sure to keep that one unharmed¡­ She¡¯ll be my playmate later. A perfect appetizer before The Shadewalker.¡± He declared turning around and walking back toward the door. The soldier nodded, moving to a chair beside the prison.


    Skylar let out a sigh, sitting up on the back wall.


    ¡°U-Um.¡± the other girl spoke up a small whisper into her voice, ¡°W-Who are you?¡± she questioned.


    Skylar blinked looking at the girl, ¡°...Someone who¡¯s here to help. Valery is what they call me.¡± Skylar responds softly, ¡°And you are?¡±


    The girl paused looking over to the guard before responding, ¡°Shiva.¡± She said after a bit, ¡°Can¡­ Can you get us out of here?¡± She asked hopefully.


    Skylar paused at that looking out the bars, ¡°...That¡¯s the hope.¡± She lifted her left hand, summoning flames over her right hand to cauterize her wound.


    -Now how am I going to get these two out of here¡­


    And for that matter¡­


    What the hell is Vita waiting for?


    ***


    Yin set a cup of coffee down on a wooden table, another glass was in his right hand as he walked over to the other side of the table in question. Not before setting a small bowl of sugar cubes in the center


    Striga reached out grabbing hold of the cup. Taking a sip of it, she paused looking down at the drink before reaching out grabbing a cube of sugar putting it into her drink.


    Then another.


    Then another.


    Then another.


    Then another.


    ¡­This went on for a while.


    Much to the confusion of Yin who was doing his best to hide his surprise.


    Striga then stirred the contents with a spoon provided to her, before she let out a soft sigh.


    Her gaze fell to the right, the low crackle of fire from the nearby fireplace.


    ¡°...It¡¯s a rather nice place you have here.¡± She comments, her gaze softening for a moment, ¡°I could see myself spending a lot of time in this town if circumstances were better.¡± She then hummed as she lowered her hands, setting the cup down on the table, ¡°But onto business, you agreed to answer my questions right?¡±


    Yin looked to his own glass, ¡°To the best of my abilities anyways.¡± he then looked up, ¡°Let¡¯s start simple with this¡­ The soldiers that Empress Lust commands.¡±


    Yin reached out and grabbed two sugar cubes, he set one to the left of the cup.


    And one to the right.


    ¡°Lust is not someone to be trifled with, her primary abilities seem to be that of controlling others to do her bidding.¡± He reaches towards the sugar cube on the left, picking it up, ¡°She picks out the strongest of us, and takes them under her control¡­ We couldn¡¯t stage a rebellion even if we tried.¡± he threw that cube into his own cup of coffee, ¡°This leaves the rest of us.¡± he picks up the last sugar cube examining it, ¡°To fend for ourselves, until were inevitably swallowed up in the storm of blood that is to come.¡±


    So he proclaimed as he dropped that last cube into the cup before him, ¡°What I¡¯m getting at is this¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter how hard we struggle. We¡¯re all going to die here.¡±


    Striga kept her gaze firm leaning onto the table and lifting her arm resting her head, ¡°If you all know that¡­ Then why bother setting up defenses in the first place?¡± She questioned, ¡°It seems like a rather hopeless scenario when you describe it as such¡­ but you still have preparations to struggle onwards.¡± Striga¡¯s eyes remained calculating as she locked her gaze onto Yin¡¯s, ¡°Why?¡±


    Yin kept quiet for a moment as he reached down, grabbed his own mug, and lifted it to his lips, ¡°...Because we aren¡¯t content with dying as cattle. The men and women of this town may not look like much¡­ but they are still people. People who tended to the very lands outside of this village, their fields provide food for those who¡¯d live here¡­ And now they are going ignored because those fields refuse to yield crops to those who¡¯d soak them in blood.¡± Yin started taking a sip from his drink.


    Striga sipped her own in response, ¡°...There was supposed to be a force of soldiers, heading to the mines.¡± Striga asked, her hand tightening on the glass as she spoke her final question, ¡°What happened to them?¡±


    Yin paused looking at the fireplace almost seeming to remember something, ¡°You mean the force from Jubilee correct? I saw them, it was mine and Yang¡¯s shift then¡­ Slaughtered, each and every one of them. Lust didn¡¯t give them so much as an inch to work with. And then that barrier surrounding the castle appeared soon after. The Dark Knight¡¯s would have never let something like this happen¡­ And since they never appeared¡­ I can only assume the worst for them as well.¡± Yin stated.


    Striga¡¯s eyes widened, and she gritted her teeth, her grip tightening on the glass before she set it down, ¡°I see.¡± She muttered beneath her breath, ¡°You have my assurances, this nightmare will be over soon¡­ Lust will die by my hands.¡±


    Yin paused, looking over to Striga, his own eyes uncaring, ¡°I¡¯ve already lost a lot at her hands.¡± he explained, ¡°her death won¡¯t bring back those who¡¯ve already fallen¡­ I find myself wondering¡­ Perhaps, this was what we had coming. It was our last Emperor who proclaimed us the strongest land. And one we suffer the ultimate punishment for or arrogance.¡± He then shook his head, ¡°Bah, but it¡¯s getting late, let me escort you back to the church.¡±


    Striga stood up shaking her head putting on that fake smile once more, ¡°No need, I can handle myself just fine¡­ And I¡¯d prefer some time alone to think.¡±


    Yin paused at that before backing off, ¡°I understand¡­ be safe out there okay?¡±


    Striga walked towards the door nearby exiting into the dimly lit hallway and out the other door nearby back into the streets of the city.


    Yin watched as the door closed, a voice spoke behind him, ¡°You sure it was okay to tell her all of that? What if she¡¯s one of them?¡± Yang questioned on the staircase.


    Yin kept his gaze on the door before responding, ¡°I highly doubt she is. The possessed don¡¯t show remorse like she does¡­ And yet I find myself doubting she¡¯s from The Kingdom as well¡­ Combined that with the fact that she refuses to remove her hood¡­¡± Yin shook his head, ¡°Ah, but that¡¯s just speculation. Come on Yang, let¡¯s head to bed.¡±


    Yang arched his brow as Yin walked past him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just drink a cup of coffee? How the hell are you going to sleep.¡±


    Yin paused blinking as he processed those words, he hadn¡¯t thought much of it, after all, it was just a nice thing to do for guests, ¡®get a guest, make them a drink!¡¯ That''s what his brain said.


    ¡°...Ah. Shit.¡± He muttered at the realization that he would most certainly not be sleeping tonight, he turned smiling sheepishly at Yang, ¡°Hey Yang¡­~¡± He spoke in a sing-song tone.


    ¡°No, I will not cover your shift tomorrow.¡± Yang spat back instantly, not even attempting to entertain his brother.


    Yin slumped forward defeated, ¡°Well it was worth a shot¡­¡± he sighed before walking up the stairs, ¡°Right then I guess I¡¯ll make an attempt to sleep.¡±


    Outside Striga had already begun her walk to the church, when a small gust of wind came past her face.


    She blinked, looking up to the sky.


    ¡°...Skylar.¡± She muttered the name frowning, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t die on me would you?¡± She questioned as her eyes locked onto the moon, a red star glowed faintly to its right.


    Striga then closed her eyes, lowering her head as she walked forward, speculating that the matter wouldn¡¯t help anything.


    -So cold.


    She walked and walked. And walked, the visions and sights dulled in her mind, she looked up, and before she knew it the door to the church was in front of her.


    She took in a deep breath and lifted her right hand clenching it into a fist.


    With a breath, she reached out and knocked on the door, three times in total. Silence came after that, no response.


    As such Striga let out a sigh and pushed the door open slightly, ¡°Excuse me? Qin? You mentioned lodgings for me¡­ I know it¡¯s late but I¡¯d like to take you up on that offe-¡±


    -So dark.


    Her eyes widened as she stared forward, there on the stained glass window was a girl.


    Tied up and blood dripping from her head onto the ground.


    A silver-haired girl that looked just like Striga, ¡°SKYLAR!¡± Striga shouted, throwing her hood off her head and rushing forward.


    Panic overtook her, logic told her that Skylar couldn¡¯t be there.


    But emotions overwhelmed her, and her instincts to save people came in.


    So when she moved forward it was only natural for her to yelp in shock as she felt something tug on her neck, her body moved in a violent jerk and she fell to the ground along with the clatter of chains.


    Striga blinked, turning around, a large chain was attached to her neck, ¡°What¡­?¡± she muttered in confusion.


    ¡°What are you so afraid of lass?¡± A voice called out, causing Striga to turn her gaze forward.


    There on the altar stood Seriyu the bible in his right hand as he skimmed it lazily, ¡°You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost¡­ or perhaps a nightmare?¡± Seriyu spoke with a smile on his face as he slammed his book shut.


    Striga opened her mouth to respond but Seriyu lifted a finger to his lips, ¡°Hush now Little Red. The story is starting¡­ let¡¯s see what you''re all about shall we?¡± he smirked, his eyes shining pink.


    The church melted away in a blur of colors soon being replaced with a large white room, from above something fell.


    A sword stabs into the ground in front of Striga.


    Her eyes were wide as she looked at the familiar steel, A nightmare.


    This was all a bad dream.


    She had to wake up.


    Wake up.


    Wake up wake up wake up


    Wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeupwakeupwakeupwakeup


    ¡°But you won¡¯t wake up.¡± Seriyu snapped Striga out of her thoughts, ¡°No so long as I¡¯m here¡­ Let¡¯s revisit it, shall we? The worst days of your life¡­ Over and over and over!¡±

 Chapter 10: Wicked Fruit.

    Midus walked forward through the velvet hall laid before him, he examined the walls with a frown as he moved.


    Lust was ahead of him leading the way, ¡°I don¡¯t often come here you know,¡± Lust declared suddenly causing Midus to tear his attention from the walls and focus on her, ¡°Too stuffy for me, hate this place with every fiber of my being¡­ So take that information as you will.¡± Lust said with a wave of her hand as she reached out and put a hand on the door ahead of her pausing, she took in a breath and pushed that door forward.


    As it opened, Midus was greeted by the sight of a large walkway surrounded by endlessly cushioned chairs, most of which were empty.


    What really caught his gaze was the sight at the far back of the room, a projection of a girl with pink hair and a blade to her neck.


    ¡°A girl?¡± Midus arched a brow at the sight.


    ¡°Hm, Shadewalker most likely.¡± Lust commented looking at the screen with an arched brow, ¡°She was silvered haired wasn¡¯t she? Must of gotten her hands on some hair dye at some point¡­ if nothing else this information alone will prove my journey won¡¯t be a complete waste of time.¡± she stated looking over her shoulder narrowing her gaze at Midus, before turning back to the area ahead of her, ¡°Oi! Old man, I¡¯ve got you a candidate.¡±


    ¡°One for your own agenda no doubt¡­ What do you even intend to do with this conquest of your¡¯s girl?¡± Origin questioned, he was at the front as always staring up at the screen, ¡°your schemes don¡¯t go unnoticed, even if you like to think they do.¡± he spoke his gaze never leaving that screen.


    Lust shrugged walking forward each step was calm and undeterred by his words, ¡°Heh, my schemes are my own business, besides we need a replacement for Greed anyways do we not?¡± Lust questioned as she reached the theater, ¡°As such I bring you one of my own men, Midus, I¡¯m sure his greed will make him the perfect candidate.¡±


    Midus then stepped up looking to Origin, ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°Kneel.¡± Origin commanded, and the air around Lust and Midus shifted.


    It felt as though a crushing force came from above forcing the duo onto the knees, ¡°Less you forget your place, Lust. You are among the weakest of us, Greed being just below you¡­ The fact that you speak to me as an equal is an insult to us all.¡± Origin states tearing his gaze from the screen to glare at Lust.


    Midus lacked the strength to even lift his head, he managed to move his gaze to see Lust, she was gritting her teeth in anger.


    But she did not stand.


    Origin then closed his eyes turning his gaze back to the screen, ¡°You came for nothing. Greed¡¯s soul has yet to return.¡±


    The air became lighter, and Lust blinked, ¡°Wha- But that¡¯s impossible, every time one of us Eternals die our souls always-¡± Her eyes widened as she turned her gaze to the screen, ¡°...A girl who has silver hair¡­ A girl who can absorb magic from gods¡­ No¡­ No fucking way.¡± She grits her teeth.


    ¡°A girl who can consume souls.¡± Origin smirked, ¡°a similarity I share with her.¡±


    ¡°And you''re okay with this!?!¡± Lust shouted standing up Midus stared surprised at the sight, this was the first time he¡¯d ever seen Lust seeming like she¡¯d lost control, ¡°That girl is a threat to us! The fact that we haven¡¯t launched an assault with all of us is a move that only a complete fool would do.¡±


    ¡°You would speak of me as a fool?¡± Origin resumed his glare at Lust, ¡°Just like you, I have my schemes¡­ If there is nothing else, get out of my sight.¡±


    Lust grits her teeth looking to the screen above, Midus shares her gaze and both of them stare at Skylar now in the cell.


    Lust then closed her eyes turning away from the screen, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill her, you won¡¯t stop me will you?¡± Lust questioned as she opened her eyes glaring at Origin.


    Origin simply smirked, ¡°So long as you make it an entertaining show¡­ Do as you will.¡±


    Lust let out a ¡®hmph¡¯ as she walked passed Midus up the stairs, ¡°Midus, come on. We¡¯re leaving¡­ There are other ways to obtain this strength you seek.¡± Lust declares.


    Midus spares one last glance at the screen above, ¡°...Skylar Shadewalker¡­ What is it your scheming?¡± He muttered to himself before turning around and he followed Lust.


    Origin let out a hum, ¡°This girl¡­ She grows stronger by the second, though she does not realize it¡­ I wonder? Will she be the one to part the seas? Is that what you have planned for her Draco?¡± Origin asked the question.


    But received no response.


    After all¡­


    Draco was not here.


    Lust walked to the hallway opening a black portal up to her castle, she looked over her shoulder and saw Midus following close behind.


    Once she was sure, he was still there. She walked through the portal, there on the other end.


    Was Byakko, he had his arms up behind his head, ¡°Didn¡¯t go well?¡±


    Lust glared at him, ¡°...Greed¡¯s soul has been taken.¡±


    Byakko blinked at that, ¡°Really now? Hm, how interesting¡­ Ah, but I have a message for you regarding Delish.¡± Byakko lowered his arms bowing, ¡°Production is proceeding apace, the problem being the amount of souls being funneled our way¡­¡±


    Lust frowned at that, ¡°Of course, we are at war¡­ but the air is practically charged with magic.¡± She sighed, ¡°The souls are drifting lost, and confused, even your senses are likely to be muddled in the chaos¡­¡± She frowned turning to look at Midus, ¡°...You seeked power is that correct? How desperately?¡±


    Midus blinked at that, ¡°More than anything else in the world my liege.¡± he declared putting a hand over his heart.


    Lust let out a hum at that, turning her gaze upwards, ¡°...Then I suppose we shall see if your body can take it.¡± she thrust a hand forward slamming it into Midus¡¯s gut, ¡°Bend.¡± He let out a cry of pain as he was thrust into the air by pink strings, they glowed and sent energy into his body.


    Lust said nothing at the sight, turning her attention back to Byakko, ¡°...Head over to Genbu¡¯s position, there is a battle about to take place. You are not to interfere, I simply wish to know the results.¡±


    Byakko smirked at that, ¡°Of course, consider it done.¡± With that, he stood up and began to walk toward the exit.


    Lust then grit her teeth, ¡°Suzuku! Get out here right now.¡±


    A girl leaped down from a set of strings, above her hair was yellow, and large ears adorned her head, along with a long bushy tail on her back, she was clad in a white dress, ¡°Bah, can¡¯t this wait? I¡¯m busy examining the markets.¡± she groaned looking to Lust, her eyes narrowing in irritation.


    Lust blinked at the sight, ¡°...You changed your get-up? No, nevermind that. I want you to go to Seriyu¡¯s location and start your work there, with any luck he hasn¡¯t screwed everything up.¡± She growled.


    Suzuku let out a hum putting a finger to her chin, ¡°Sure, easy as pie.¡± with that she spun around on her heel and walked forward.


    Leaving Lust to grit her teeth alone, ¡°I¡¯ll kill her.¡± She muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll kill her and then I¡¯ll kill Origin.¡±


    Chapter 10: Wicked Fruit.


    -Where is he?


    Skylar frowned as she stared at the bars ahead of her.


    It had already been a few hours at this point and there was no sign of Vita.


    -He didn¡¯t run off, did he?


    Skylar sighed closing her eyes, this wasn¡¯t good.


    If Vita wasn¡¯t around to help, that meant she needed to break herself out and get these two to safety.


    She was confident she could keep herself safe¡­ but two others?


    That could get tricky.


    She¡¯d rather not take those chances at the moment.


    ¡°Your a strange one lass.¡± The old man in the cell spoke up, causing Skylar to blink turning her gaze toward him, ¡°Most people would scream or cry, and do everything they could to break the bars¡­ yet you sit there content. Why is that?¡±


    The soldier scoffed outside the cell, ¡°Probably because she isn¡¯t a fool like the both of you.¡± he then raised a hand, ¡°The cuffs she has on seal¡¯s her magic anyways¡­ She couldn¡¯t break out even if she wanted to.¡±


    Skylar let out a sigh closing her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not content, I¡¯m just at ease¡­ after all, I won¡¯t be staying here long.¡± Skylar proclaimed suddenly causing the old man¡¯s eyes to widen to the soldier to look at her in surprise.


    ¡°Ha!¡± He let out a laugh, ¡°I take it back, you are a fool.¡± he declared looking at her with a wicked smirk, ¡°Genbu here is already the best soldier in the nation. Without contest, he¡¯d destroy you if you even got out.¡±


    ¡°Strong maybe, but he¡¯s not that bright.¡± Skylar retorted, ¡°Much like yourself.¡± Skylar said with a smile as she began to stand up, the old man blinked reaching out with a whisper.


    ¡°H-Hey what are you doing? Are you daft he¡¯ll kill you if you speak up to him.¡± He hissed.


    But the damage was already done, the Soldier blinked standing up, ¡°Eh? What was that you little brat?¡± he asked unsheathing his blade.


    Shiva let out a whimper closing her eyes.


    ¡°...I¡¯ve seen all I need to see.¡± Skylar said closing her eyes, ¡°and I think I¡¯ve had my fill of this place.¡±


    The Soldier stood up holding his blade to the side, ¡°Hey. Brat, you gonna apologize? Or am I going to have to take your arm.¡±


    Skylar opened her eyes they flashed emerald before shifting to a reptilian shape, ¡°You want it?¡± she pulled back her right fist, dragon scales formed around it and she threw her fist forward shattering the iron bars with the dragon arm that manifested, shattering her bindings in the same movement, ¡°Come and take it.¡± The man¡¯s eyes widened and he raised his blade, ¡°W-what!?¡±


    Skylar¡¯s arm returned to normal as she started to walk forward.


    Embers dancing at her fingertips, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I thought you were gonna take my arm.¡± Skylar taunted before putting her hand on her hip smirking as her eyes shined with anger, ¡°Oh don¡¯t tell me¡­ You thought this-¡± She slammed her boot onto the iron bars that were now on the ground, ¡°was going to be enough to protect you from me?¡±


    The Soldier took a fearful step backward keeping his blade raised, ¡°W-Who the hell are you!?¡±


    Skylar smirked at that opening her mouth to speak her name, ¡°Who me? Ah, just a girl who hates unjust bastards like you¡­ but if you really need a name to utter to your boss about why you''re shitting your pants. Skylar. Skylar Shadewalker.¡±


    As soon as Skylar uttered her true name, the man in front of her felt his heart sink and he spun around bolting out the door and shouting, ¡°COMMANDER!!!!¡±


    Skylar narrowed her gaze for a moment turning around, ¡°Hey you, old geezer. Keep the little one safe alright. And you, Shiva, was it?¡± Skylar smirked, ¡°Your mother sent me for you, if nothing else I promise to get you out of here.¡±


    Shiva¡¯s eyes widened at that, ¡°M-Mom? She¡¯s¡­ okay?¡±


    The old man stared at Skylar, ¡°But¡­ why are you here!? I thought Shadewalker was the enemy of the Empire!?¡±


    Skylar let out a hum at that, turning to face the door she started to walk forward, ¡°Lust is my enemy. I¡¯m not here to spill your blood.¡± she answered simply, ¡°nor the blood of any innocent.¡±


    ***


    Genbu sat upon a chair within the largest cabin, his eyes fixed on the flickering flame of the candle before him.


    His was an existence brought on by someone else¡¯s will, to carry out her will as he saw fit¡­


    And yet, he knew that given time he would be snuffed out. Just like the flame of this candle, his gaze shifted to his right, and the two weapons he had taken from that girl caught his eye.


    He reached his hand out to the smaller of the two and lifted it from its sheath, ¡°Hm?¡± he muttered eyeing the blade, it looked sleek. It was well crafted, but there were lines across it.


    Small lines that kept it barely held together.


    ¡°The Segmented Blade?¡± Genbu uttered in realization, ¡°But the only one who wields such a weapon is.¡±


    ¡°SHADEWALKER!¡± a soldier burst through the door, ¡°She¡¯s! She¡¯s here! Shadewalker is here!¡± the soldier spoke.


    And Genbu said nothing to that setting the blade down on his desk, ¡°...It would seem I have a guest to greet.¡± he uttered calmly as he straightened out his outfit with a chuckle.


    Turning to face the soldier, ¡°Gather the man, and spread them out across the perimeter, I want any escapes cut down¡­ as for The Shadewalker. Leave her to me.¡±


    The soldier blinked at that before saluting, ¡°S-Sir! Consider it done!¡±


    With that, the soldier turned around and ran off.


    Genbu frowned walking forward towards the door,


    -How? How did I let such a thing slip my notice? Have I gone blind? Or perhaps¡­


    He stood outside his cabin, there straight ahead in the dirt Skylar stood her eyes narrowed in disgust.


    Her pink hair flowed faintly with the wind.


    ¡°...So that would make you Skylar Shadewalker?¡± Genbu spoke first a disappointed frown on his face, ¡°To think a girl as fragile as you would earn the nickname Fairy Of Blood. It¡¯s almost disappointing.¡± he made his declaration as he reached up grabbing his blade and unsheathing it slowly, pointing it forward.


    Skylar stared at the sight undeterred by the sight of steel being pointed her way, instead she only spoke up to ask one question, ¡°Why?¡±


    Genbu blinked at that, ¡°Why?¡± he heard the question though he had yet to understand it.


    ¡°Why do this? Why subjugate these people? Why send them into this senseless slaughter?¡± Skylar questioned shaking her hand anger clear on her face.


    Genbu remained silent for a moment before a smirk tugged on his lips, ¡°Because that is what gives life meaning. The slaughter raises the value of the strong. And those who cannot withstand it are weak.¡± He declared as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, ¡°To deny such a thing, is to deny human nature.¡±


    Genbu declared thrusting the blade he held forward pointing it at Skylar, Skylar said nothing as a small gust of wind blew forth.


    She instead let out a small sigh closing her eyes, before raising up her fists, she had no weapon to speak of at the moment but that wasn¡¯t going to stop her.


    Her eyes snapped open a crimson glow appearing, as flames burst to life over her fists, she then darted forward throwing her right fist forward and slamming it into Genbu¡¯s blade, ¡°Slow.¡± he commented, as he slammed his knee into Skylar¡¯s gut, he then swung his blade aiming for Skylar¡¯s neck, she ducked under Genbu¡¯s blade as he uttered his next words, ¡°Sloppy!¡± he lifted his boot slamming it into Skylar¡¯s now lowered head sending her tumbling across the dirt.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    She let out a gasp as her vision recovered, she looked ahead only to see Genbu wasn¡¯t there, quickly she shifted her gaze upwards, seeing Genbu above her with his blade raised high.


    Her eyes widened and she rolled to the side as Genbu slashed down at her, barely missing her.


    She quickly got back to her feet, staring ahead with a worried expression, ¡°Wrong¡­¡± Genbu uttered after a moment, annoyance in his gaze, ¡°This is all wrong, you''re supposed to be strong. Your supposed to be one of the best¡­ and yet this is oh so disappointing!¡± Genbu shouted turning to face Skylar.


    Skylar winced at that taking a step backward, in truth she was making this up as she went, she wasn¡¯t all that skilled at hand-to-hand combat outside of blades.


    ¡­


    Right?


    No¡­ There was that one time.


    Skylar¡¯s memories flashed of the first time she met Striga, she listened to the wind for that fight.


    But¡­ Against Genbu? That wasn¡¯t going to work. He¡¯d catch on too fast.


    Skylar then closed her eyes letting the magic flow through her, when she opened them her eyes were a bright green.


    -So I¡¯ll use that to my advantage.


    She shot forward then much to Genbu¡¯s annoyance, he turned his blade toward her once more thrusting forward only for his eyes to widen slightly as Skylar leaped over the blade lifting her leg and slamming it into the side of Genbu¡¯s cheek, ¡°Wha-¡± He cried out as he stumbled backward.


    -Again.


    She landed shooting forward as Genbu clutched the side of his face eyes wide as he felt the wind blow past him.


    Genbu grits his teeth slashing vertically at Skylar, she pivoted to the side in a slight spin, and strands of her pink hair got cut by Genbu¡¯s blade as she did so.


    Her eyes shined with that emerald glow.


    ¡°Still disappointed?¡± Skylar questioned her voice laced with venom as she threw her right fist into Genbu¡¯s chin, a burst of wind flowing through it sending Genbu flying through the far back building.


    Genbu hit the table in his room with a grunt, an angry gaze clear on his face as he started to stand up.


    ¡°Damn brat¡­¡± he stood up as Skylar walked through the door.


    Letting the wind blow in behind her, she blasted forward clenching her right fist and throwing it forward.


    Genbu however had caught on he slashed forward with his blade, Skylar however smirked at the sight.


    -Checkmate


    From behind, Skylar¡¯s segmented blade removed itself from Genbu¡¯s sheath, flying forward and slashing through his arm as it went to Skylar¡¯s hand, blood flew into the air as Genbu¡¯s eyes widened.


    His gaze locked onto the blood in the air. As Skylar¡¯s other blade flew to her back, still in its sheath as it attached itself.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes flashed crimson as flames covered her blade she lowered herself to the ground letting out a roar as she slashed horizontally through Genbu¡¯s torso a beam of fire shot out consuming the wood in this place, the roof began to fall as Genbu stared forward eyes wide in shock.


    Skylar blinked realizing she had done more damage than she intended, she couldn¡¯t even see Genbu in the rubble, so she quickly spun around making her exit as quickly as she could.


    Not before the building started to fall into rubble, bits of fire and wood fell around her, and one piece hit the side of her head causing her to wince.


    Her vision blurred as she escaped the collapse albeit barely, Skylar¡¯s breathing came out heavy and ragged, and beads of sweat formed around her face as she reached up sheathing her blade, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Over¡­¡± She muttered the words as she turned around and started to limp away from the rubble.


    ¡°Got to¡­ find that kid, and get her to her mother.¡± Skylar hissed out as she focused her gaze ahead.


    Her eyes widened suddenly, and she felt something. Like the feeling of blood leaving her body, slowly she looked down, and saw something, ¡°Huh¡­?¡± she uttered the word confusion on her face as her eyes were wide.


    A sword.


    A sword had pierced through her chest.


    ¡°You are strong I give you that much.¡± Genbu growled from behind holding his blade tight, ¡°But you are nothing in comparison to us.¡± with those words he removed his blade and let Skylar fall forward.


    Cold.


    Why is it so cold?


    Skylar¡¯s breathing began to fade her eyes trembling as she tried to reach for her blade, but her hand fell to the ground uselessly.


    Something appeared to fall at the edge of her vision, a dice.


    A twenty-sided dice.


    --Am¡­ Am I dying?


    No¡­


    Nononononononono!


    I don¡¯t¡­


    I don¡¯t want to.


    I can¡¯t die.


    The dice settled, hitting the ground landing on a number of their choice, the dice of fate¡­ landed on a 1.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes stared forward, empty.


    Dead.


    Genbu stares down even as the rain starts to fall, ¡°Such is the folly of a child. Told you I was immortal but you had to go and tempt fate anyways.¡± he shakes his head, turning around her starts to walk away, ¡°Nothing but an ignorant child who thinks she can take on the world.¡± he made his last declaration as he flicked the blood off his blade sheathing it.


    ***


    Shina.


    That was her name, and her job was to ensure this place was taken care of while those she cared for were off saving others.


    An easy thing with her magic, ¡°Jonathan do me a favor and double-check our supplies, I won¡¯t have our workers going hungry again because somebody did a misscount.¡± Shina declared as she walked by the man.


    He had black hair and tired eyes, but he smiled nevertheless, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll see it done.¡±


    She let out a hum, closing her eyes for a moment.


    She felt the vibration of every footstep, of every voice echoing off the walls, ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ seems everything is still in containment.¡± She then stretched, ¡°Just means I¡¯ve got to do the checkups, then I can turn in for the night.¡± She sighed, ¡°Watching over this place is a pain¡­ maybe one cup of coffee wouldn¡¯t hurt?¡±


    She muttered to herself as she started to walk over to the tent that provided her poison of choice.


    A cheery expression on her face as she walked in, but that demeanor dropped as she saw who was inside.


    There drinking from one of those cups, sat Draco.


    ¡°Wha-¡± she instantly threw up her right hand only for her eyes to widen as her arm was covered in chains.


    ¡°...Julieta let you watch the place is that correct?¡± Draco commented, as he looked over his shoulder setting his cup down, ¡°Hm, not the worst choice I suppose¡­ but you are more a nuisance than she is.¡±


    Draco then stood up turning his gaze to face Shina.


    Shina however growled, ¡°What do you want?¡± She wasn¡¯t in the mood for this, it was the worst-case scenario for her.


    This man, she never ever liked him.


    Draco hummed, ¡°That is the question that has been on everyone¡¯s mind as of late hasn¡¯t it?¡± he smirked, ¡°But it¡¯s still too soon to raise the curtain on that particular question¡­¡± he then cracked his neck.


    Walking forward he knelt down so that he¡¯d be at eye level with Shina, ¡°...All I need from you is to relay this message to Skylar Shadewalker when next you see her.¡± He leaned forward and whispered a set of words into Shina¡¯s ear.


    Causing her eyes to widen, ¡°What¡­? What does that even¡­?¡± she muttered as the chains removed themselves and allowed her free movement.


    ¡°She will understand once she hears them.¡± Draco declared as he started to walk forward a black portal appeared in front of him, and Shina gritted her teeth turning around.


    ¡°Just what are you!? Are you on our side? Or the side of the bad guy¡¯s!¡± She shouted her question and Draco stopped just in front of the portal.


    ¡°...I¡¯m on the side that will save the world.¡± he declared at last as he moved through the portal it closed behind him.


    Shina looked down, ¡°Skylar¡­ please. Please be safe.¡±


    ***


    A woman walked forward, wearing a blue dress, it was long and frilly, but it did its duty to protect her skin from the climate around her.


    Her eyes were a dark purple as she knocked on the door before her she had a white scarf around her.


    Her hair was a shade of purple as well, it was short and the back of it was tied up in a bow shape.


    She let out a sigh slamming her heel into the door and shoving it open, a staircase led downwards.


    She could hear the sounds of mechanical tools whirring, it wasn¡¯t surprising considering this place was a workshop, but she had come here on business, and since Striga wasn¡¯t around¡­ I fell to her.


    So she walked down the stairs with a light sigh, she hated this place, the machines, and most rules to be honest.


    But the rules allow her to do as she pleases, and the machines allow her to see so many things that she¡¯d be unable to otherwise.


    Such was the way of the world.


    There at the bottom of the stairs, Jack sat with his tools he wore a face of irritation, and his goggles were upon his head, ¡°If I don¡¯t answer the door, that usually means I¡¯m busy Beatrice.¡± Jack spoke up setting his tool down, in front of him was a piece of metal.


    A sword?


    There was a hole in the hilt though, a rather large hole at that.


    To the right of the blade was what seemed to be a large round cylinder.


    Beatrice however simply shrugged, ¡°Need I remind you that it was Striga who left you in charge of her position, your privacy is practically null while you have it.¡± she declared with a chuckle.


    She then looked over his shoulder, ¡°What are you working on there? Your not the type to work on weapons, machines are always your preferred subject.¡±


    Jack blinked looking at the sword, ¡°The blade itself isn¡¯t my work, Gerelt brought it to me, along with these transcripts.¡± Jack explained reaching to the far right of his desk, and lifting up a stack of papers, ¡°take a look.¡± He held out the stack with a frown.


    Beatrice arched a brow taking the papers and she began to examine them with a lazy gaze, that was until she saw a word that caught her interest, ¡®Anarchy.¡¯


    She blinked and started to read with renewed interest, ¡°This is¡­ A description of the weapons wielded by the three heroes of eld? The ones who sent us skyward?¡±


    Jack nodded, ¡°Anarchy¡¯s weapon was a simple crowbar infused with the void, no point trying to recreate that thing. After all the only people who could wield something like that would be a Dark Knight in Babylon. The second hero, The Hacker had no weapon to speak of. He simply used his fists, and as for the last one¡­ sadly the transcripts along with most other texts have lost his name. The Warrior Of Light¡­ had a weapon unlike any I¡¯ve ever heard of. A blade that could slash through nearly anything, topple that with the fact that he seemed to be able to imbue the blade with near explosive power, and¡­¡± He then turned his gaze back to the sword, ¡°A blade like that¡­ should have been impossible for anyone to wield.¡±


    He then frowns, ¡°And yet The Warrior Of Light used it all the same, he must have been quite the man.¡±


    Beatrice blinked handing the papers back to Jack, he took the papers setting them back down and Beatrice spoke up, ¡°So your attempting to recreate that weapon alongside Garelt? I¡¯ve got to say, I¡¯m a bit surprised.¡±


    ¡°It serves as a decent break from my usual work, and I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t curious about the matter myself.¡± Jack explained as he examined the cylinder he was working upon before frowning, ¡°But I digress, you didn¡¯t come here to listen to me ramble on did you? What did you want?¡±


    Beatrice blinked before looking to Jack with her own smirk, ¡°There have been reports of a God with earth magic going rampant at the docks¡­ I simply wished to ask for your permission to deal with it personally.¡±


    Jack blinked taking in her words, ¡°Of course there is¡­¡± he sighed running a hand through his hair, ¡°I figured this would be an issue when the storm was removed¡­ Fine, go and take care of it. Just don¡¯t leave the job unfinished okay?¡± he glared over his shoulder.


    Beatrice smiled clasping her hands together, ¡°Oh I¡¯d never dream of such a thing!¡± with that she spun around and began to skip up the stairs.


    Jack kept his gaze on her as she left, ¡°...A god that wants to slaughter other gods¡­ I¡¯m glad she¡¯s on our side.¡± Jack muttered shaking his head as he turned his gaze back to his work, ¡°But enough of that¡­ Back to work, I have to wonder who designed this thing originally, it¡¯s so complex. A ¡®gunblade¡¯ huh?¡± Jack frowned running a hand through his hair as he squinted at his work.


    ¡°...This is going to require a few all-nighters¡­¡± He sighed picking his tools back up and getting to work.


    Beatrice hummed a tune as she opened the door, she paused turning to her right.


    There, a girl stood half asleep trying to keep her head up.


    She wore a red dress, with white cuffs on her sleeves, and black spots in the shapes of diamonds on her stomach leading up to her chest, it was adorable really, her hair was a dark brown, and she had a similar hair style to Beatrice.


    Beatrice walked up to her and cupped her chin lifting her face slightly, ¡°Liz sweetie, wake up. We¡¯ve got the go-ahead to do as we please with this God.¡±


    Liz¡¯s eyes opened slowly and she tilted her head slightly, ¡°Eh? Does that mean I can beat him up? Show him my power? For real?¡± she questioned with an innocent smile.


    And Beatrice chuckled, ¡°Yes, that is correct Liz. Now come along, let¡¯s go and entertain our guest.¡±


    With those words, they started to make their way to the docks.


    When they reached the docks, they were greeted with a grisly sight, about 20 corpses of their own men.


    And in the center of it all, was the god bathed in their blood, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so wonderful to be able to taste new blood¡­ I had figured that Jubilee¡¯s soldiers would be better¡­ but I suppose for a nation that refuses to see combat. This was about the best I could hope for¡­ And now they send more cattle to the slaughter.¡±


    The man declared looking at Liz and Beatrice.


    ¡°Liz¡­¡± Beatrice muttered the name before walking forward. Liz kept her eyes narrowed at the god ahead of her, this god had amber eyes and a bow in his right hand. He raised that bow high, but Liz smirked, not even bothering to look at Beatrice¡¯s direction. Her scarlet dress shone in the night, her eyes a golden yellow as she reached up, tightening the ribbon around her neck a sly smirk appearing on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill them, with my power it¡¯ll be a cinch, just watch.¡± Liz declared though the beads of sweat trickling down her face told another story entirely.


    Fear clouded her face¡­


    Until.


    Liz¡¯s eyes widened when arrows landed on her right kidney, another shot landed, arrows flew past her raining from above, and another arrow hit its mark, landing into her right arm and hitting an artery.


    The next shot once more landed in her throat blood trickled down her lip and life began to leave her eyes.


    That was¡­


    Until she felt something stop her from falling, the scent of lavender filled her nose, she stared with wide eyes when she felt a hand run up her side, ¡°Your power wasn¡¯t made for destruction, that is where I come in.¡± Beatrice declared her blue dress and violet hair was pressed up against Liz¡¯s back, yet the arrows that went through Liz missed Beatrice by a wide margin.


    Beatrice¡¯s right hand reached forward grasping one of the arrows that pierced through Liz¡¯s body, ¡°I shall be the one who destroys the god¡­ And you, you will be the shield that takes all blows intended for me.¡±


    Liz smiled in response, ¡°As you wish, my beloved.¡±


    Beatrice smirked, snapping the arrow in her grasp she then leaned forward, and whispered into Liz¡¯s ear, ¡°Survive this and I¡¯ll give you a nice reward when we get home.¡±


    The god stood there bow drawn, a red arrow was notched back and his eyes glowed with raw power, the ground cracked around him as electricity flew from his arrow.


    ¡°Only fools would stand this kind of might! I SHALL TEAR YOU TO PIECES!¡±


    He let loose that arrow and it roared forward tearing the ground to shreds as it soared through the air, the rain that fell on this day was blown aside by the speed of this single arrow.


    It was unlike anything Liz had ever seen; she wasn¡¯t even sure if she would survive.


    . . .


    But she wanted that reward, she wanted to make the one she loved proud, and currently, that loved one stood there with her arms wrapped around her with complete faith.


    In this single moment.


    Liz was invincible.


    Smoke entered the air as the blast landed.


    The God stood there for a moment, a hand still on his bowstring as he stared at the smoke cloud.


    ¡°...And so silence falls on the duo,¡± he spoke lowering his bow, his ears couldn¡¯t pick up a single sound, so he turned around only for his eyes to widen, Beatrice stood behind him her leg slamming into the ground as she approached smoke trailing off her back as a manic smile pulled at the edges of her face, her right arm was pulled back, an orb of white energy in her hand.


    And she slammed her palm into that god¡¯s chest.


    His eyes widened as he felt something in his body shift, ¡°Wha-¡± blood flew from his mouth and then his chest.


    One after the other new holes appeared in his body and gushed out blood, he dropped forward at the last.


    Hitting the ground.


    Dead.


    Beatrice, let out a ¡®hmph¡¯ at that turning to look at Liz.


    ¡°Oh dear, look at you all beat up¡­¡± She declared walking forward, using The God¡¯s corpse as a bridge showing no respect for him as she approached her sister, ¡°all beat up and torn to pieces¡­¡± Liz lay on the ground.


    Her eyes were empty, dead.


    ¡°...¡± Beatrice narrowed her gaze, ¡°Hey. Get up puppet.¡± a white string shot out connecting to Liz¡¯s neck and her eyes shot up with life, her wounds began to stitch up rapidly.


    And so the dead rose.


    Liz blinked sitting up, ¡°Did¡­ Did I do good sis?¡±


    Beatrice put on a warm smile, ¡°Oh that you did¡­ now as for your reward, you get the honor of feeding me.¡± she declared leaning forward and she bit down onto Liz¡¯s neck, tearing off a piece of flesh.


    This was the relationship of these sisters, Beatrice the god.


    And Liz the puppet.


    They were the ace of Jubilee, the ones called when dirty work needed to be done.


    And they¡¯d have it no other way.


    Beatrice then let out a hum.


    Her mouth was covered in the blood of her now healing younger sister, ¡°Now then, let us be off¡­ it was clear that scum was not the one I seek¡­ So shall we?¡± Beatrice declared.


    She was a god, a god shrouded in mystery, one that for reasons unknown would ally itself with humans yet showed disdain for its own kind.


    And her sister¡­ that ¡®puppet¡¯ was the first person she ever killed.


    Now wandering this world, as Beatrice¡¯s own personal meal.


    It was also the source of her strength, the more she allowed Liz to be harmed, the more energy Liz would generate, and Liz could turn that energy into a ball of white power to be thrown back at her enemies.


    That was how the duo had operated for years now.


    But there was one thing that irked her about it¡­


    ¡°Can we get some cake maybe?¡± Liz chirped with a wide smile, Beatrice blinked looking over her shoulder, before smiling softly.


    ¡°Of course we can.¡±


    ¡°Yayyy! I love you, sis!¡± Liz said with a wide smile, Beatrice flinched, not at the sight of the smile, but the words that Liz uttered.


    ¡®I love you¡¯ she was a puppet, trapped within her own body¡­


    A puppet that was forced into the state of emotion it felt before it first died¡­


    A state of unconditional love for their sibling.


    ¡°...¡± Beatrice grimaced, turning away and starting to walk back towards Jubilee, ¡°I loved you too.¡± she¡¯d reply.

 Chapter 11: Passion.

    White.


    White as far as the eye could see.


    An endless white void stretching ever onward, never ending refuses to give even an edge to the darkness.


    And through it all, stood a girl.


    A girl with silver hair looked at the area and opened her mouth to speak, ¡°...Oh.¡± Skylar smiled softly, her face trembling, ¡°I¡¯m dead aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Chapter 11: Passion.


    She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and looked to the ground, blinking at the sight before her.


    She could see her reflection, ¡°I guess in the end¡­ I didn¡¯t really amount to much huh?¡± she muttered to herself, never losing that smile.


    Her gaze then shifted upwards, ¡°So then? Where do I go from here?¡± she frowned, ¡°Forward I suppose?¡± that was what her mind told her, and yet¡­


    She turned around.


    Blinking as she did so, ¡°A door?¡± A single black door in the white space around her.


    There was something about it, something threatening¡­ like a darkness ready to swallow her whole, a darkness so thick that not even this void of light could keep it at bay.


    So why was it? Why was it that Skylar felt so drawn to this door, she walked forward slowly, she reached out her hand grasping the handle.


    And as she did, a voice suddenly spoke out to her, ¡°That¡¯s hell you''re opening girl.¡±


    Skylar blinked, removing her hand from the hilt, she turned around and straight ahead she saw a dragon, a familiar dragon.


    ¡°...Alma?¡± she muttered the name staring at the sight, she then glanced to the side, ¡°Of course, I absorbed you¡­ It only makes sense you¡¯d follow me after I die.¡± she let out a slight laugh, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Alma said nothing at first as he stared down at Skylar, examining the girl before him, it was rare to see her like this.


    So broken, yet full of acceptance, ¡°...It was a promise that connected us, wasn¡¯t it? A promise that you made.¡±


    Skylar clenched her hands into fists, ¡°A promise that I was ultimately too weak to uphold. I was stupid. Go on, say it! I¡¯m a stupid ignorant child who can¡¯t even fend for herself!¡±


    ¡°...Of course you can¡¯t, you hardly even know who you are. Or rather¡­ what you are.¡± Alma declared standing tall and spreading its wings, ¡°Do you wish to know Shadewalker? Do you wish to know what you are?¡±


    Skylar paused at that blinking as she lifted her head, ¡°Does it matter?¡± she asked locking eyes with Alma, ¡°I¡¯m already gone after al-¡±


    ¡°And you wish to move on with all your questions unanswered? Is that it?¡±


    Skylar blinked turning to look to the door once more, ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°You''re afraid. Rightfully so. While the door won¡¯t provide all the answers, it will provide one. Only one¡­ One that your own mind has locked away, that is what that door is Skylar. Your trauma. Something more awful than anything else you have witnessed so far. Hell in its purest form.¡±


    Skylar stared at the door, ¡°And you want me to open it?¡±


    ¡°I want you to choose.¡± Alma corrected her, ¡°To open the door and walk into that hell. Or to move aside and allow the memory to remain forever gone.¡±


    Skylar stared at the door taking in a breath, ¡°Damn it¡­¡± she grits her teeth reaching out and grabbing onto the handle, ¡°I don¡¯t care! Even if it¡¯s hell¡­ I, I¡¯ve wanted answers for so long.¡± she started to twist the handle, ¡°I have to know.¡±


    And so she swung that door open and ran through it without a second thought, she ran into the darkness until it started to peel away, and her eyes widened at the sight before her and the familiar wind, ¡°What¡­?¡± she spoke out confused as a shout entered her ears leaving her dazed, ¡°HEAVE!¡± slowly she turned around, and saw a man, a familiar man who she once called ¡®The General¡¯ ¡°HO!¡± he shouted, giving his command to his men.


    As they pulled chains backward trying to pry something from the clouds.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Skylar stood far back muttering her words, as she saw something run past her.


    A younger version of herself.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes remained wide, everyone seemed oblivious to her presence. She looked down at her hand, it was see-through.


    A frown appeared on her face when she saw that, ¡°But why here? For what reason,¡± she muttered confusion on her face.


    She watched the events unfold before her eyes, so they matched up with her memory¡­ she helped out, it was her birthday¡­ The large crystal chunk was pulled from the cloud sea.


    And then Leon arrived.


    Skylar winced at that, he could see her¡­ but it still hurt to remember.


    The same could be said when her mother walked out of the house and sent Skylar inside to grab some cake.


    Skylar watched as her younger self ran back to the cabin, ¡°Hm?¡± she watched as Leon started to head back to the ship and start to fly off, ¡°What¡­? That doesn¡¯t seem right¡­ I remember nothing like that.¡± She mutters confusion riddled on her face, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± A male¡¯s voice shouted out running up to The General, ¡°W-We sent some men to investigate the crystal, via some earth bridges¡­ but¡­ But they¡¯re.¡±


    The General arched a brow, ¡°What is it? Spit it out, boy.¡± The General demanded with a scowl.


    The man panted brushing some sweat off his brow as he looked up to The General, ¡°They¡¯re dead sir¡­¡±


    The General blinked at that news, ¡°...Tell no one, it may be a god¡­ I¡¯ll go to investigate the tower myself.¡±


    Skylar frowned hearing that news, ¡°But the islands¡­ it sinks so that means he either died or¡­¡± She started to look around the island¡¯s edges.


    Scanning the area before she blinked as she noticed something a young girl limping towards the cabin. The cabin where Skylar used to live.


    Skylar recognized the girl instantly, ¡°No¡­ Nononono, why? Why is she here?¡± Skylar started to rush forward, after all the girl.


    Was Jenna.


    Jenna smirked as she reached the door, pushing it open. She was weak but still able to move.


    The younger Skylar flinched at the sight, ¡°Oh uh, h-¡± she was cut off as she stared at Jenna, she quickly rushed over, ¡°You look¡­ hurt. Are you okay? Where are you from? How can I help?¡±


    Jenna blinked starting forward at the young Skylar before a small smile appeared on her face, she leaned on the doorframe, ¡°You want to be strong don¡¯t you?¡± Jenna suddenly questioned, ¡°Stronger than anyone. That is the kind of person you are isn¡¯t it Skylar Shadewalker?¡± Jenna spoke the name with a weary expression on her face.


    The younger Skylar stopped at the door, ¡°Huh¡­?¡± She blinked, putting a hand over her heart, it was thumping rapidly, ¡°...How¡­ Do you know my name¡­? Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I know a lot of things.¡± Jenna closed her eyes, ¡°The importance of that name you hold, the desperate need you have for strength, and that gap in your memories.¡±


    The younger Skylar blinked at that looking at Jenna, ¡°What do you¡­?¡± she trailed off looking to the side.


    Jenna opened her eyes slowly, ¡°You really want to know? ¡­I suppose I could enlighten you, come closer and let me tell you a tale.¡±


    Skylar watched as her younger self approached Jenna.


    ¡°...Why¡­? Why don''t I remember any of this¡­?¡± she questioned as Jenna leaned forward opening her mouth to speak The younger Skylar came close, and Jenna at last spoke her answer.


    ¡°You Skylar Shadewalker¡­ are my best friend¡­ and a monster.¡± Jenna spoke those words before lunging forward, thrusting her hand through the younger Skylar¡¯s chest tearing through her heart, ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s okay if I ask you to be my meal, isn¡¯t it? Friend?¡±


    Skylar stared at the sight before her wide eyes as her younger self slumped forward blood pouring from her mouth.


    An impossible sight, Skylar¡¯s hand reached up and clutched at her shirt, her breathing quickened, ¡°This isn¡¯t real.¡± she tried to reassure herself despite the images before her, she took a step backward, ¡°I-I couldn¡¯t have died¡­ I went on an adventure after that day, I¡­ I was helping others, I became an Executioner, I- I- I-¡± she stammered as her eyes remained wide as Jenna ripped out the heart of her younger self and bit down into it.


    Jenna then opened a portal behind her, ¡°Not a lot of energy¡­ but enough to get myself away¡­¡± she muttered to herself looking over to herself and Skylar¡¯s body on the ground, ¡°...Get up already, and lay waste to this place of liars and thieves Shadewalker.¡± With those words Jenna took a shaky step into the portal she made.


    Skylar blinked as Jenna left, ¡°Get up¡­?¡± she paused at those words turning to look at the corpse of her younger self.


    ***


    Genbu stares down even as the rain starts to fall, ¡°Such is the folly of a child. You were aware of the forces you¡¯d face, but you had to go and tempt fate anyways.¡± he shakes his head, turning around her and starts to walk away, ¡°Nothing but an ignorant child who thinks she can take on the world.¡± he made his last declaration as he flicked the blood off his blade sheathing it.


    Bits of rocks rumbled slightly beside Skylar¡¯s corpse, flickers of flames sparked to life around her fingertips.


    Genbu stopped walking, blinking as he sensed magical energy, he turned around, confusion etched on his face as he stared dumbfounded at the sight before him.


    There ahead of him, mana.


    Mana was being taken from the land, at a rapid rate, more rapid than any god had ever taken it before.


    All being poured into Skylar¡¯s body.


    ¡°...Her body is taking mana into itself? But¡­¡± He took a few steps forward craning his head to look down at her, her eyes were still empty like fish eyes staring upwards, ¡°Dead as a doornail¡­¡± he confirmed his eyes narrowing on interest, ¡°But at the rate, she¡¯s sucking in that mana, the same could be said of everything else on this island.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t good.


    He still had things he needed to do here, as did Lust.


    So he unsheathed his blade and frowned, ¡°The flow of magic in her body is still intact, I¡¯ll just have to finish those off.¡±


    He raised his blade and swung down, his eyes widened, a feather. No.


    A large wing, a wing made of fire, Genbu quickly leaped back taking in the sight before him, Skylar Shadewalker, the girl that was just a corpse.


    The girl who had no life in her body had begun to stand once more.


    From her back, beautiful wings of fire spread, and the land was being drained of its life as she stood.


    From behind she had four large feathered tails, one green, one red, one black, and one covered in purple scales.


    She stumbled forward, her eyes remaining empty as she did so, her fangs bared and her breathing labored.


    Genbu watched the sight with a scowl, ¡°A Primal state? How in the blazes did she achieve that?¡± He muttered confusion riddled upon his brow.


    Before he had time to even ponder the answer Skylar roared blasting forward tossing her sword aside and flames burst to life across her hands as she balled them into fists.


    Genbu¡¯s eyes widened as Skylar¡¯s right fist slammed into his fist sending him flying forward through the burning rubble of his cabin.


    When he got up, he slammed his open palm onto the ground sending a shockwave of cold mist outwards, it was cold enough to cover the flames in ice.


    Genbu then looked up, standing to his full height as he scowled, staring ahead, ¡°...It would seem I have my work cut out for me¡­¡± he muttered as he started to crack his fists.


    Skylar let out a roar arching her back as flames burst to life around her wings, before taking the shape of beams of light firing outwards onto the land ahead of her, Genbu took note of this.


    Taking a step forward out of the frozen rubble muttering to himself, ¡°A primal state¡­ in it, a god¡¯s magical abilities are at its highest, the tradeoff being¡­¡± He paused his gaze locking onto Skylar as she blasted forward.


    Genbu coated his blade in ice before ducking under Skylar¡¯s next strike, he then slashed upward cleaving Skylar¡¯s skull in two.


    She fell to her knees then, a low hiss coming from her body.


    Genbu watched with irritated eyes as the wound began to heal itself, skin stitched back together of its own accord and Genbu kept his gaze trained finishing what he was saying, ¡°A complete loss of all rational thought¡­¡±


    He then frowned looking down at the girl, ¡°...Your healing factor in this state is a real issue, I could deal a thousand lethal wounds and you would sup from the land to heal it all¡­¡± Genbu mused aloud, lowering his blade, ¡°As such there¡¯s only one way to deal with you at present.¡± he reached out and a blue glow came from his hand, and mist began to surround him as the ice began to cascade over Skylar.


    A low growl escaped Skylar¡¯s lips and suddenly flames shot out from her, licking at the ice and melting it instantly, her head snapped back into place fully healed and before Genbu had time to react to the sudden change.


    Skylar was already upon him wrapping a flaming hand around his face, they shot forward into the nearest building.


    The one where Shiva and The old man still were.


    Skylar roared throwing Genbu through the back of the building, ¡°W-What are you doing!?¡± The old man shouted, ¡°You''re going to kill hi-¡± his eyes widened as Skylar blasted forward, without hesitation she sliced through the man¡¯s neck with her maw agape tearing into his skin, her eyes then darted upwards.


    There Shiva stood paralyzed with fear as Skylar saunted forward slowly, blood still staining her lips, and a manic glint in her eyes.


    ***


    Skylar stared forward, her eyes wide at the sight that lay before her.


    There her younger self was, covered in flames as she tore through the town. And feathers that seemed to resemble that of a phoenix sprouting from behind. Only two, a green one and a red one.


    The General¡¯s head dropped off to the side, laying there on the bloodstained grass, the screams of people being mercilessly slaughtered echoed in Skylar¡¯s ears as she stared into The General¡¯s now lifeless eyes.


    ¡°Stop¡­¡± Skylar managed to choke out her next words, reaching her hands up slowly and grabbing the side of her head, her younger self tore through another body at the same moment.


    ¡°Stop it¡­¡± Skylar squeaked out her eyes and started to swell up with tears, fear overtaking her as she turned her gaze towards her younger self, there her mother stood.


    Hold out a hand like she was approaching a dangerous beast, ¡°I know¡­ I know it hurts¡­ but it¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here. I¡¯m right here baby.¡± she pleaded only for the younger Skylar to lunge forward, and thrust her hand through her mother¡¯s stomach causing blood to fly into the air.


    ¡°STOP IT PLEASE!!!¡± Skylar at least screamed no longer able to take the sight before her.


    And all came to a halt, the fire froze in the air, and the wind cut off.


    And Skylar¡¯s younger self stood there locked, frozen in time.


    It was seeing this sight that caused Skylar to look at the flames.


    She took in a shaky breath, "The one who sunk the island... It was never Jenna..." Skylar muttered as she watched the flames, her eyes trembling as tears welled up within them, she fell to her knees tearing her gaze from the flames as she stared at her younger self, "It was me." she spoke the words, as her voice cracked her very body wanting to reject the idea itself.


    She looked down at her hands wrapping them around her arms and clutching herself in a hug as her eyes remained wide, she stared at the ground, ¡°Why¡­? Why would I? I-Am I¡­ A monster?¡± she let the question hang in the air, and then another one happened to enter her head, ¡°...Am I dead?¡±


    It was a stupid question really.


    Or it was at first glance, but she had just seen herself die at a young age.


    And then that happened.


    ¡­So then.


    If she wasn¡¯t dead¡­


    Then¡­


    ¡°No¡­¡± Skylar suddenly muttered she looked to her right and there was a sword, ¡°What¡¯s the point¡­ This whole time, I¡¯ve been going around trying to find the one who destroyed my island, killing God¡¯s in the name of what I thought was right.¡± slowly she got up and started to walk up to that blade, ¡°I¡¯m so stupid¡­ so fucking stupid¡­ How can someone like me claim to be doing the right thing?¡±


    Slowly she leaned down grabbed the hilt of that silver sword, she raised it higher, ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± she declared her eyes staring down the resolve that once burned bright had faded, as she brought the sword to her neck, ¡°This world¡­ would be better off without me.¡±


    She began to draw blood, but before she could finish the deed a hand suddenly was placed upon her shoulder.


    Causing her eyes to widen, she stopped there was something familiar about this¡­


    ¡°...And what of the other threats in the world? Are you just going to let them be?¡± She knew this voice.


    ¡°What else am I supposed to do Tetra?¡± She questioned gritting her teeth, ¡°Everywhere I go. People die because of me, I¡¯m not a hero. I-I can¡¯t save anyone.¡± she then lowered her blade shaking Tetra¡¯s hand from her shoulder, ¡°I can''t be like you! I can¡¯t be like Anarchy! I can¡¯t be this ;warrior of legend¡¯ that everyone wants me to be! All I can be¡­ is a monster.¡± Skylar shouted tears threatening to spill from her gaze.


    Tetra stood there, a frown upon his face, behind him was a man covered in a dark cloak with a scythe in his hand, Death itself. Death seem mostly disintrested in Skylar for the moment.


    Tetra took a moment closing his eyes, it was then that he sighed.


    ¡°The only thing I see before me is a child. A young child who is scared and confused¡­ Bound by the chains of the legacy before her.¡± He spoke these words opening his eyes, he then pointed to the right, ¡°That. Is the beast who killed these people. Your other half.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Skylar looked to the side.


    ¡°What is it you want to do Skylar? Do you want to die? To run away from the burden? Or do you want to live?¡± Tetra questioned, his eyes narrowing.


    Skylar flinched at the question, her eyes turned to her blade once more.


    She saw her reflection in it, her trembling eyes.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    She was so scared, she didn¡¯t want to hurt any more people.


    But¡­


    ¡°I want to stop them¡­ Jenna. Lust¡­ And anyone else who¡¯d hurt these lands and these people. Even myself¡­ that¡¯s why.¡± She looked up from her blade determination burning in her gaze, ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t die just yet! No matter if it¡¯s deserved or not! I will save these people!¡± she screamed, stepping forward.


    Tetra smirked at that, turning around, and Death slashed at the air behind him opening a portal, ¡°...Spoken like a true Executioner, now then¡­ Stand up, grit your teeth. And find your resolve.¡± he declared.


    Walking towards the portal.


    Death however kept his gaze on Skylar, before speaking in a low husky voice, ¡°...Awaken Child Of Fate.¡± Skylar blinked.


    A burst of heat came from the area around her, and she quickly turned her gaze back to her younger self, it moved once more tearing through the remains of her mother, before it blinked, its phoenix-like state turned to Skylar as she was now and Death spoke, ¡°Awaken Inferium.¡±


    Skylar turned back to face Death, but when she did he was gone.


    ¡°You can¡¯t save anyone¡­ you are an ambassador of death.¡± So spoke Skylar¡¯s younger self¡­ Inferium.


    Skylar paused at that, it hurt hearing the words come from her own voice but she turned towards Inferium and narrowed her gaze holding her blade to her side, ¡°...I¡¯ll save as many as I can. To atone for those I¡¯ve already slain.¡±


    Inferium let out a low growl taking a step forward, ¡°You are no one. Nothing. A monster made to beat, slash, kill. For every life you ¡®save¡¯ how many more will you kill? You are no better than the gods.¡±


    Skylar closed her eyes for the moment taking in a breath, every part of her body wanted to reject those words.


    But that wouldn¡¯t get rid of the truth, ¡°That¡¯s why I need to get stronger. So that this will never happen again.¡±


    Skylar¡¯s eyes snapped open, they shined a bright crimson as flames wrapped around her blade, ¡°Out of my way¡­ I¡¯ve people waiting on me to save them!¡± Skylar shouted, blasting forward.


    Inferium responded by summoning its blade, it was a dark sword made of the deepest black.


    She clashed with Skylar sparks flying into the air as they stared at one another, the god and the human at last speaking on even terms.


    ¡°He called me Inferium. I reject that name, you know who I am. And I will not be denied! Your body is mine, your life, your words, your soul, all rightfully mine!¡±


    ¡°And what of my words then?¡± Skylar spat back, ¡°I stand here rejecting you. Because you''re everything I hate about myself! The darkness that threatens to break out and slaughter every single fucking day!¡± Skylar pushed against the blade of darkness, ¡°What is it that drives you huh!? What reason do we have for this slaughter!¡±


    ¡°Because Shadewalker! It is in battle where we thrive, where we feel the most alive. The slaughter of innocents leads to stronger foes seeking us out!¡± Inferium responded with a manic grin on her face.


    They both stared at each other before breaking the clash, both of them leaped backwards flames fired up in the air licking at their faces.


    And Skylar narrowed her gaze.


    She knew what this thing was.


    Inferium.


    Amatsu.


    Skylar.


    These names were all correct. The best and worst parts of her.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Skylar spoke at last her eyes shining with pride, for a moment, there was a silver glow, ¡°I know the truth of it now¡­ This is all my fault.¡± She spoke, raising her blade, stabbing it into the ground, ¡°I am you. And you are me¡­ you are everything I hate about myself, but even so,¡± Skylar stepped forward, flames pulled from behind her and her veins began to glow crimson as feathered tails sprouted from behind, Inferium stared forward surprised by this as Skylar spoke her next words, ¡°I¡¯ll accept the burden. Of every sin, lie, and death. Everyone. And I¡¯ll take control of your rage.¡±


    (Skylar''s Theme: Dominance</a>)


    Inferium stared forward, surprised by Skylar¡¯s sudden outburst.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    She then grits her teeth, anger flashing in her eyes, ¡°You say you¡¯ll accept it?¡± She hissed her own eyes flashing, ¡°This isn¡¯t a game! You can¡¯t accept anything! You can¡¯t stop anything!¡± flames fired up into the air as Inferium roared.


    Skylar took in a breath leaping into the air in a burst of flame, her new phoenix tails flinging behind her, Inferium then threw her hands upwards, the flames wrapped around the air above her forming a ball of fire, ¡°You''re just a kid!¡±


    In response to those words, Skylar smiled a bit, throwing her own hand down, ¡°We are.¡± she confirmed, her hair flowing about, ¡°We¡¯re just kids. Stupid kids, who barely know the world around us¡­¡±


    Skylar then took in a small breath, closing her eyes, ¡°...But we¡¯ve got to grow up. There are others in the world suffering more than we are after all. Isn¡¯t it the duty of us sinners to help them?¡± Skylar¡¯s eyes then opened, ¡°isn¡¯t that what he¡¯d do?¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Inferium roared, throwing the ball of flames forward.


    Desperate to stop Skylar right then and there.


    Skylar, however, frowned at the sight feeling the wind flowing through her hair she turned her gaze to the skies ahead, the clouds ahead seemed to rumble before her gaze the azure blue covered her eyes, ¡°...We are¡­¡± she let the wind drop her falling towards the flames before her her tails retracted as she dived through the fire exploding out of the bottom of the ball of fire, her eyes alight as she pulled back her fist slamming it into Inferium¡¯s face sending her into the ground, ¡°fire.¡±


    Skylar slammed her boot onto Inferium¡¯s arm, staring down at her.


    Inferium glared at Skylar as the sun beamed down on them, ¡°Because we burn all of those who get close to us.¡± Inferium growled.


    ¡°And we provide warmth to those who¡¯d seek it out.¡± Skylar smirked, ¡°We are fire. We are death. We are warmth. All at once¡­¡± She declared locking eyes with Inferium.


    Inferium growled, ¡°...and when you stop fighting¡­ you¡¯ll just forget about me, leaving me to sift about in embers.¡±


    Skylar closed her own eyes, ¡°Our fire will burn out one day when that happens¡­ I want more memories of the world than just violence.¡±


    Inferium stared up at Skylar for a moment, ¡°...Even if it means your death will be one where you''re forgotten?¡±


    Skylar smiled softly, opening her eyes.


    That was the core of the matter, they were afraid.


    Afraid of being forgotten by the world, and so Skylar responded, ¡°Even then,¡± Skylar declared removing her boot from Inferium¡¯s arm, holding out her right hand, ¡°I¡¯ll leave someone else to start the fire again.¡±


    Inferium looks at Skylar''s hand and sighs, ¡°I give up¡­ This is all¡­ just too much work for me.¡± with those words a small smile adorned her lips as she turned her head to the side. Letting it fall to the ground, her eyes closed.


    Skylar blinked, lowering her hand as her gaze turned that way, there an airship was.


    And from it, Leon came out finding the sight before him, ¡°What in the hell happened here¡­¡± he muttered at the sight before turning his gaze to the unconscious younger Skylar he ran to her putting a pair of fingers to her neck, ¡°She¡¯s still breathing¡­ but what about¡­?¡±


    Before he could ask the next question the island started to rumble some.


    He grits his teeth and picks up the young Skylar, ¡°Forgive me.¡± he whispers, turning away from the burning island as he runs to his ship.


    Static appeared in Skylar¡¯s vision and she was back in the white void.


    She blinked.


    Looking around back to Alma, ¡°...You knew didn¡¯t you?¡± she asked, putting a hand on her hip.


    Alma turned his gaze away from Skylar, ¡°...I had an inkling, your mind is shattered as is¡­ there is likely more here hidden away if you wish to look for it.¡±


    Skylar huffed while closing her eyes a small smile appeared on her face for a moment, ¡°Tempting offer.¡± she conceded turning to the light, opening her eyes, ¡°But I¡¯ve got a job to finish.¡± she declared as she started to walk forward.


    Alma stared forward, ¡°...You know what most likely happened out there don¡¯t you?¡±


    Skylar stopped pausing, ¡°...I know.¡± She clenched her fist, ¡°And I¡¯m ready to face the consequences.¡±


    With that she looked over her shoulder, ¡°...But before that. I wonder¡­¡± She turned around fully folding her arms and furrowing her brows, ¡°WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN!?¡±


    Alma flinched at Skylar¡¯s sudden fury, ¡°You¡¯ve been silent for hours now! And you only decide to speak up when I¡¯m close to death!? You''re an asshole!¡± she shouts pointing forward.


    ¡°H-Hey none of that was my fault, calm dow-¡±


    ¡°Calm down!?!!!¡± Skylar slammed her foot onto the ground hissing, ¡°I was lost, scared, and confused! And you left me alone! Why the fuck did you do tha-¡±


    ¡°I was cut off okay!¡±


    Skylar blinked at that thousands of questions instantly soared into her head, but the first and most prominent was this.


    ¡°...How?¡±


    Alma frowned at that question before closing his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure myself¡­ There¡¯s much about our situation that I¡¯m not even aware of.¡±


    Skylar folded her arms letting out a hum, ¡°Right¡­ I suppose you''re still rather unique, compared to the other gods I¡¯ve defeated and absorbed you''re the only one who stuck around¡­¡± She then blinked, raising a hand to her chin, ¡°Maybe it has something to do with the high concentration of mana in Babylon?¡± She mused before shaking her head, ¡°No if that were the case then you wouldn¡¯t be able to speak whenever I¡¯m in battle with a god¡­¡±


    Her eyes then narrowed as she unfolded her arms, ¡°Whatever.¡± She turned back around and started to walk forward, ¡°Just another question I¡¯ll find answers to later.¡±


    Alma watched as Skylar began to walk forward, ¡°Stay safe Shadewalker.¡±


    Sklyar put on a cocky smirk, holding out her right hand and she gave a single thumbs up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tear him apart.¡±


    ***


    Skylar¡¯s eyes focused on the reality before her, there she saw the old man¡¯s head on the ground and Shiva in front of her on the ground trembling in fear.


    She didn¡¯t need anyone to tell her what happened, she already knew just from the sight.


    The wind blew past her face, and she turned her gaze towards the hole in the wall at the far back of the room.


    Genbu blasted forward blade in hand, his eyes glowing a bright azure, Skylar smirked a little at the sight, undeniable proof that she was still alive.


    She lifted her right hand towards the approaching blade, and shadows wrapped around it protecting her from that sword as she grabbed it, ¡°...You killed me.¡± Skylar commented as her feathered tails started to retract.


    Genbu grits his teeth staring down at Skylar, he is already weakened and he can feel his mana fading, ¡°I¡¯ll do it again¡­ In the name of my master, I will not let you leave this place alive, Shadewalker!¡±


    Skylar frowned at that, tightening her grip on Genbu¡¯s blade, shattering it, ¡°Your master¡¯s will isn¡¯t a factor here.¡± she spat throwing her left fist forward and slamming it into Genbu¡¯s face with enough force to shatter his nose he stumbled backward clutching his nose in pain.


    ¡°And you don¡¯t have the strength to uphold their ideals in the first place.¡± Skylar spat through narrowed eyes, Genbu threw his own fist forward only for Skylar to duck to the side avoiding the fist with ease and she slammed her right fist once more into Genbu¡¯s face, strands of blue shot out from Genbu¡¯s skin.


    His eyes widened and he threw his hand forward ready to send forth a torrent of ice in incase Skylar, but he paused his eyes widened as he saw cracks along his skin.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± he muttered before looking ahead to Skylar whose eyes were now glowing a bright azure.


    Skylar slammed her boot onto the ground, sending a torrent of ice across the plane.


    The walls, the floors, and the ceilings were all covered as Skylar uttered her next words to Genbu, ¡°You¡¯ve no fight left to fight.¡± spikes shot from those areas of the ice.


    Impaling Genbu in a single instant, his eyes widened as blood fired out from every pore of his body, and his eyes stared forward.


    Staring right at Skylar, she kept a glare on him even as blue strands flew from his body, the rest of his magic flying into Skylar.


    ***


    Ripples fired out across the water, one after the other.


    In a simple pattern of fives, a simple lake with a castle standing far ahead of it.


    At the edge of that lake, sat a young girl with crimson red hair, a stone in her right hand, her arm resting on her leg.


    She stared up at that castle, a frown on her face.


    ¡°Lost in your daydreams again?¡± A male voice spoke, tearing the girl out of her thoughts.


    The girl blinked, turning her gaze to the man in question, he was a fair bit older than her.


    Black hair adorned his head, a red jacket on his torso, and a black undershirt.


    Brown pants, and black shoes.


    ¡°Come on then, spill the beans. What were you thinking about Eros.¡± the man questioned with a smirk.


    Eros paused, turning her gaze away from the man and throwing her stone across the water, watching as the ripples formed once more.


    And it was then that she said, ¡°...I want a castle.¡± she said with a wide toothy grin.


    ¡°A castle?¡± The man arched a brow, ¡°Rather ambitious of you, hard to see you as a ruler though.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to rule.¡± Eros declared standing up she wore her black jacket with pride, tapping her red shoes on the ground, ¡°I just want the castle, to show the world that I mean something¡­ more than this.¡±


    The man paused, looking at her with a frown, ¡°You do mean something. We¡¯ve been over this before haven''t we?¡± The man then narrowed his gaze causing the girl to smirk.


    ¡°We have.¡± she confirmed with a low chuckle, ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I took your advice to heart or anything.¡± she then looked back to him, a look of pure disdain towards him.


    The man said nothing to that, looking down at the girl before him before sighing, ¡°Whatever.¡± He stood up, turning around and there was a small village ahead, ¡°when you''re done wallowing about, I¡¯ll be at home making dinner. Try not to keep me waiting too much.¡±


    Eros said nothing to that, turning her gaze back to the castle ahead, ¡°A castle¡­ That castle. I want it¡­¡± She reached out towards the castle wrapping her hand into a fist.


    Her eyes glowed a bright pink as she smiled.


    ¡°And then I¡¯ll break all of those monkeys.¡± she licked her lips, as images of how she would butcher everyone came into her mind.


    She then lowered that hand and stood up, turning around and she started to walk towards the village once more.


    Putting on a perfect smile, with a cutesy face, she waited.


    She was a weak girl, with no power to her name, and was utterly worthless in the end.


    But she.


    Could be so.


    Much.


    More.


    ***


    Skylar stumbled backward quickly looking down at her hands with wide eyes, ¡°Eros¡­?¡± she repeated the name, it wasn¡¯t one she was familiar with.


    But that was¡­


    A memory?


    Or a vision?


    She couldn¡¯t quite tell, whatever it was though. It was foreign, leaving something like a bad aftertaste on her mind.


    She certainly didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°The void harkens to your call I see.¡± A voice called out to Skylar walking through the front door, there Vita stood.


    Skylar paused at his voice before folding her arms, ¡°And where the hell have you been? I could have used your help back there.¡±


    Vita chuckled a little at that, walking up to Skylar and holding out the hilt of her blade, ¡°I¡¯m here to oversee your training. Not to babysit you. I simply had faith that you¡¯d overcome such a foe.¡±


    Skylar narrowed her gaze at that unfolding her arms and reaching out to grab the hilt of her blade, she then narrowed her gaze as she sheathed it.


    ¡°Well thanks for your negligence, because of it people died.¡± She growled back, before turning her gaze to Shiva she started to walk back to her, ¡°Now then as for you.¡±


    Shiva flinched scooting away from Skylar, ¡°S-Stay back! You¡­ you''re a murderer!¡± Shiva shouted it was then that Skylar stopped, seeing the way Shiva looked at her with terrified eyes.


    ¡­


    It didn¡¯t feel great.


    Skylar¡¯s gaze fell onto the old man, where his corpse lay.


    ¡­


    How was she even supposed to explain this?


    No, the better question is would any explanation even serve?


    She killed this man, she¡¯s killed a lot of people. That much is fact.


    But leaving Shiva behind was not an option. No way in hell, even if she had to knock her out Skylar was determined to get Shiva to safety to at least save someone on this day.


    So she took a step forward, only for her eyes to widen as Vita was the one to step past her walking up to the child, he then opened his mouth and spoke, ¡°Do you want to die as well?¡±


    His words were harsh, but he kept his gaze locked on Shiva, ¡°If so then you can remain here, the soldiers have yet to remobilize, but when they do¡­ no one will be able to save you.¡± He declared this as he got on one knee in front of Shiva.


    Shiva shook her hair, ¡°N-No! I don¡¯t care! S-she killed him I won¡¯t go anywhere with her!¡± Shiva shouted, ¡°I won¡¯t go anywhere with that murdere-¡±


    ¡°And why did he do it!?¡± Vita shouted his anger showing through, ¡°Was it because she charged for him!? No! He died protecting you because he deemed your life of value! Are you saying you''re going to throw that life away? If so you may as well spit on that old man¡¯s corpse!¡±


    Shiva flinched at Vita¡¯s words, they were harsh. But he spoke only the facts.


    He stared down at Shiva, ¡°So then. Speak plainly, do you want to live? Or do you want to die here as another worthless nobody?¡±


    Shiva looked down to her feet for a moment. Her voice was caught in her throat with trembling hands she took in a breath and spoke up, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± she then looked up to Skylar, ¡°But I will never forgive you¡­ not ever.¡± she declared this with conviction in her eyes pointing forward.


    As Skylar stared into this girl¡¯s eyes, she saw a familiar light, she¡¯d seen it in her own eyes.


    In response to this sight, Skylar smiled a little, ¡°Hm. So that¡¯s how it looks eh?¡± She shook her head and took a few steps toward Shiva, ¡°Fine by me, so long as we can get you to safety.¡±


    Vita nodded, turning to look at Skylar, ¡°And what of you? Holding up alright?¡±


    Skylar folded her arms, ¡°Now you''re concerned?¡± she then huffed, ¡°If you must know I¡¯m doing alright, some baggage left to sort through. But fine.¡± In truth, this whole turn of events left her somewhat prickly around the edges, in her search for answers she found herself only having more questions.


    But that could wait, she had people who needed her now.


    Vita rolled his eyes standing up, arching a brow as Shiva ran up behind him hiding behind his legs.


    He then turned his gaze to Skylar, ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive me for leaving you like that, I had to take your measure one way or the other¡­ and now after evaluating your skills¡­ I¡¯d say you have more work to do.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that unfolding her arms and tilting her head to the side, ¡°Meaning?¡±


    Vita cupped his chin before looking her up and down, ¡°Your capacity for both mana and void is astounding that much I can see¡­ It¡¯s your technique that is lacking.¡± he explained, ¡°You act in the moment when you¡¯re in a fight, instead of anticipating what your enemy will do¡­ That is why this happened.¡±


    Skylar listened to Vita¡¯s words furrowing her brow, ¡°Anticipate? Do you want me to predict what someone can do? That¡¯s absurd, with the amount of possible actions a person can take it¡¯s impossibl-¡±


    ¡°Then make it possible.¡± Vita shot back, ¡°Create a situation with your enemy where the only options they have are the ones that work in your favor.¡± Vita declared, holding a hand up, ¡°Do that, and it¡¯ll only make you a better warrior¡­¡±


    Skylar paused at his words, taking them in, ¡°...At the very least I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡± She conceded with a sigh.


    Vita smirked at that, ¡°That¡¯s all that¡¯s required from you¡­ now then.¡± he held out his left hand and a flame burst to life in his palm, a dark flame.


    Skylar blinked at the sight, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Vita looked to her, ¡°Concentrated void, a Dark Knight must accept the void into his body, allowing them to gain strength from the dark¡­ but be forewarned to do so is to risk losing yourself to the abyss. With every step into the darkness the tighter its hold grows on you.¡± he then looked right into Skylar¡¯s eyes, ¡°But if you remain undeterred, then hold out your hand. And close your eyes.¡±


    Skylar kept her gaze on Vita for a moment before closing her eyes tight, she lifted her right hand upwards extending her palm out, and the flames turned into a wispy mass and floated towards Skylar, Shiva stared up in awe at the sight while Vita spoke, ¡°Listen to my voice, listen to my heartbeat¡­ Listen and find your path.¡±


    ¡°How many more must die to our ¡®just¡¯ cause? How much more blood must be spilled before they are satisfied?Is this all we are? Slaves to fate and justice?¡±


    Skylar slowly opened her eyes, lowering her hand, Vita did the same, arching a brow at her, ¡°Well?¡±


    Skylar looked down at her open palm before reaching up and unsheathing her blade, right before Vita¡¯s eyes she felt power surge through her as a black liquid began to coat her blade.


    A smirk adorned her face, ¡°That good enough for you?¡± she asked as the liquid vanished and she sheathed her blade.


    Vita stared at her for a moment before nodding, ¡°That would be a Dark Knight¡¯s most used skill¡­ Shadow Blade, the shadows grant us the strength to fight even against the strongest of foes, of course, if they are using magic to amplify their weapons¡­ then the shadows will not breathe through.¡±


    Skylar let out a hum nodding in understanding as she turned her body towards the hole in the wall she had made earlier, ¡°If nothing else it¡¯ll still be a substantial boost¡­ We should start making our way towards the closest village now though.¡± she muttered with folded arms as she started to walk forward.


    Vita started to follow close behind with Shiva at his side, ¡°I suppose so, that¡¯s still a far way off though. Might take us a day or so.¡±


    Skylar looked over her shoulder, ¡°Fine by me, I need to regroup with the rest of my people here anyways¡­¡± She then turned her gaze forward with a small frown, whispering to herself, ¡°Striga, you¡¯d better be okay¡­¡±


    With those word¡¯s the trio began to move toward their next destination.


    ***


    Lust sat on her throne, her head resting on her fist as she stared at her door with a grimace, ¡°...Genbu has fallen.¡± She spoke after a moment. Her gaze narrowed.


    ¡°This Shadewalker is more trouble than I had anticipated, and she keeps dangerous company besides¡­¡± Lust stood up looking straight up to the roof, a cocoon was being held up by a set of strings, ¡°And what¡¯s more, you remain asleep¡­ an expected annoyance. My power is not so easily channeled into others. This goes double for the weak¡­¡±


    She sighed, turning her gaze to the door ahead, ¡°I¡¯ve worked years for this. To see these realms under my full rule. And I¡¯ll be damned if I¡¯m undone by a girl and her faulty strength!¡± Lust declared as the door opened.


    Delish walked in with an arched brow, ¡°...Bad time?¡± he questioned tilting his head slightly.


    Lust blinked before putting on her perfect smile, ¡°Not at all¡­ come on in, it may interest you to know that your ¡®beloved¡¯ is now in the hands of one of my generals, she¡¯ll remain unharmed naturally assuming you keep up your end of the bargain.¡±


    Delish scoffed at that, turning to look at the curtains, ¡°I care not, she may be my beloved but she brought all this on herself by refusing to heed my advice.¡±


    Lust blinked at that before shrugging and taking a step forward, ¡°Hm, regardless what is it you came here for?¡±


    Delish turned his gaze once more back to Lust a frown on his face, ¡°A status update, everything is proceeding apace, and given time I should have what you want¡­ that said, I would advise caution.¡±


    Lust arched a brow at that, ¡°Caution? For what reason?¡±


    ¡°The Shadewalker.¡± Delish declared suddenly, ¡°If she comes into contact with Stella, there is no telling what will occur¡­ Simply put, her ability to absorb both magic and souls is a threat to both of our schemes, if she gets within a foot of it¡­ I¡¯d recommend destroying it.¡±


    Lust folded her eyes and scowled, she certainly didn¡¯t like the idea of destroying something that took so long to make, but¡­


    Recent events had made her wary of Skylar, she was interested sure, but wary all the same.


    ¡°Your opinion is noted.¡± Lust commented after a moment, ¡°Now leave me.¡±


    Delish nodded, taking a bow before turning away and walking back out the door whence he came.


    Lust then looked back up to the large cocoon that remained up high.


    ¡°A child, the greatest threat to my Kingdom is a child¡­ who would''ve guessed.¡± She closed her eyes walking up to her throne, before a smirk adorned her face, ¡°How exciting!¡± She declared in contrast to her earlier tone, ¡°Just imagine the possibilities if I could get her under my control!¡±


    She then pauses, turning to look over her shoulder arching a brow, ¡°And what do you want asshole?¡±


    Wrath stood there in the center of the room, ¡°...You would stand against Origin isn¡¯t that correct?¡± Wrath suddenly questioned.


    Lust paused at Wrath¡¯s question before shaking her head, ¡°Now where did you get that presumptuous idea? I wouldn¡¯t dare to stand against our lord.¡± She lied expertly; she wasn¡¯t foolish enough to admit her desires to any of her kind.


    Wrath kept his arms behind his back as he tilted his head to the side not believing Lust¡¯s words, ¡°Hm, well even if you aren¡¯t I¡¯ve got a mind to go against his wishes regardless.¡± Wrath declared with his smirk dripping with his own form of malice.


    This caught Lust off guard; she blinked, planting herself on the throne cocking a brow at Wrath, ¡°Do you now? That¡¯s a set of words I¡¯ve never expected to hear from you.¡± Lust conceded she was a strategist and a good one at that.


    But even she struggled to gauge the machinations of Wrath.


    He removed his hands from behind his back, ¡°Origin would see us pitted against the Shadewalker¡­ One after the other gutted and feasted upon. But I would not suffer us to witness such a fate, this ¡®Skylar Shadewalker¡¯ is a cancer upon the world. One that must be rooted out and burned as soon as possible.¡±


    Lust kept her gaze on Wrath leaning to the side, resting her chin on her fist, ¡°Hm.¡± she made the sound with a twinkle in her eye, ¡°And so you come before me because?¡±


    ¡°A courtesy mostly.¡± He admitted, ¡°I shall be acting upon your lands after all, and you are aware of the chaos that can come from my¡­ ¡®antics¡¯¡± He settled on the word after a moment as he examined his nails, ¡°I trust this won¡¯t be an issue?¡± he questioned his eyes flashing with a hint of burning anger.


    Lust said nothing at first, before closing her eyes, ¡°A question before anything else¡­¡± A smirk adorned her lips, ¡°Are you after The Shadewalker for our benefit? Or are you after here because of what she did to Greed?¡±


    Wrath¡¯s smile dropped instantly, ¡°You¡¯re all an annoying swarm of gnats as far as I¡¯m concerned, Greed was no exception.¡± Wrath turned around then stretched as he began to walk towards the door, ¡°...But you are still family, the eldest sibling has to take revenge for the lives robbed.¡± With those words, he swung the door open. A crackle of black electricity swarmed around his body as the door closed behind him.


    Lust then opened her eyes, ¡°...If nothing else his involvement will speed up this process significantly.¡± Lust reasoned after a moment, ¡°Best not to get in his way, Wrath¡¯s strength is not something I¡¯d want to mess with¡­¡± She was reasonably certain that she could win against Wrath.


    But that was the problem, Wrath¡¯s abilities were¡­


    Special.


    Even amongst the Eternals, he¡¯s an enigma.


    Lust then started to chuckle, ¡°This is too good, better than a passionate night of lovemaking I could never orchestrate such entertainment¡­ At this rate, the whole world will be against The Shadewalker. And yet somehow I suspect that may not even be enough.¡±


    Lust then glanced up seeing the large cocoon above her a crack formed upon it, causing a single beam of light to shine from within, ¡°Hm? Eager to be reunited with your playmate are you?¡± Lust chuckled, ¡°They are all heading for that place it would seem¡­ that village with the¡­ oh what was it called? Crutch? Crush? Ah, Church. That was its name¡­ a Church, a ¡®house of hopes¡¯ I suppose.¡± She watched the cocoon above crack at the sound of those words.


    ¡°The curtain rises on the final act show, This ¡®house of hopes¡¯ even though it is not immune to the laws of this world. It shall bow to me all the same, or it¡¯ll be reduced to the ashes whence it came. Now then my dear..¡± Lust stood up raising her hand sending strings upwards wrapping around the cocoon resealing it, ¡°Rest up, and make sure you look pretty for your appearance on this stage. I look forward to seeing your final performance. Midus.¡±


    ***


    Yang walked through the city street people who walked by all kept their distance, for his was a grizzled face, one that was not easily approachable.


    But today was an important day for him. He came to this part of the city to browse the markets, to find a gift for his brother.


    It would be his birthday soon after all.


    And though Yang hated a grand many things in this city, his brother was not among those things.


    His brother was someone whom he cherished deeply, and he would be damned if he didn¡¯t see him properly rewarded for being a light in his life.


    So he walked around examining shops and stalls.


    Looking far and wide for a worthy gift.


    That was until his eyes settled upon something, not a gift, a person.


    ¡°And make sure to only take two doses a day, any more than that could result in some dangerous consequences,¡± Suzaku said as she handed a vial to an older lady who had come down with a peculiar sickness.


    ¡°Oh thank you, thank you so much.¡± the old woman declared before turning around and hobbling away.


    Suzaku stood up stretching a bit the fox ears on her head twitching as she did so, she blinked and turned to face Yang arching a brow, she was a fair bit shorter than him, so much so that she had to crane her head upwards just to lock eyes with him, ¡°Yes? Did you need something of me?¡± she asked before cupping her chin. Looking Yang up and down, ¡°Ah¡­ You''re looking for something, aren''t cha?¡± she declared raising a finger, ¡°Something worthy of someone special.¡±


    Yang blinked at that, narrowing his eyes, ¡°How did you know that?¡±


    Suzaku chuckled turning around and reaching into her bag, ¡°It¡¯s written all over that grizzled face of yours, reading people is a trademark skill of mine,¡± she then pulled out a necklace with a red crystal on it, ¡°And as a merchant, I¡¯d be a fool not to try and take advantage of this opportunity.¡± she declared showing Yang the necklace.


    He looked at it and shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m looking for something a bit more¡­ special. Suited for someone who defends this city with their all.¡± he explained and Suzaku blinked before smiling putting the necklace back into the bag, ¡°Oho? Well, then I might have something just for that¡­¡±


    She declared, ¡°That is assuming of course you''re willing to come to my stall?¡± She asked with a sheepish smile.


    Yang already had plans to visit other stalls but something about this girl¡­ caught his interest so he sighed, ¡°Very well, I shall trust you to lead the way then miss¡­?¡± he paused realizing he didn¡¯t even know the name of this woman.


    She turned around and started to walk off. There was a spot on the back of her white gown that let her fox tail stick out. She called out over her shoulder, ¡°Suzaku, that would be the name that most call me. And what about you handsome?¡± She asked with an impish smile.


    ¡°...Yang, one of the guards that protects this city.¡± he declared after a moment.


    ¡°Ooo, a handsome and a strong man?¡± Suzaku flirted effortlessly, ¡°I think we shall get along just fine.¡± With that, she turned her gaze back to the road ahead and started to walk forward whispering as she did so, ¡°A perfect tool indeed.¡±


    Yang of course didn¡¯t hear this and started to walk forward eager to see what Suzaku had to offer.


    He followed close behind her, ¡°So your¡­¡±


    ¡°A beastkin.¡± Suzaku explained with a light smirk, ¡°You needn¡¯t worry good sir, I went through all the proper procedures to make it in here.¡±


    Yang arched a brow, ¡°Not quite what I was going to ask¡­ I was wondering what one of your kind was even doing in a place like this. You do realize that land is hardly habitable right now.¡±


    ¡°Because there¡¯s suffering?¡± Suzaku said looking over her shoulder with a fanged smile, ¡°But that¡¯s the type of place where merchants thrive. Through bloodshed and suffering, we sell our wares to those in need. I sell nick-nacks and bobbles, potions, and herbs. But on the ever so rare occasion, I sell something that people like you require. And I only sell the best of the best with bargains to be found across every corner!~¡± she declared as she skipped across the road.


    Yang arched a distrustful brow before he could say anything, however.


    Suzaku turned around putting a finger to her lips, ¡°Shh, just leave everything to this fox. I¡¯ve got you covered, big man.¡±


    She stopped outside of a small cottage, looking back to the door she reached out and pushed the door open, ¡°Come on in, I don¡¯t bite¡­ much.¡± She winked at Yang with that last word as she stepped into the door.


    He rolled his eyes and walked inside, there were so many individual things.


    Puppets, yo-yos, potions, small houses.


    All scattered about the place on counters and wooden walls, ¡°Now where¡­?¡± Suzaku wondered aloud as she leaned over a counter, her short-form lifted as a few sounds of metal clanking together came about, ¡°AHA!¡± she declared as she pulled out a large spear made of black metal, ¡°I think this will do quite nicely for the gift you want don¡¯t you?¡±


    Yang stared at the weapon as Suzaku sat on the counter resting the pole of the weapon on her legs and running a single finger along it.


    Bending her finger slightly as she did so, ¡°It¡¯s a special spear you see, forged of Darksteel. A rare and precious mineral from my homeland.¡± she explained locking eyes with Yang.


    ¡°...Weapon sales are forbidden here, you know.¡± Yang committed folding his arms.


    Suzaku chuckled, lifting her hands and she held up her wrist, ¡°Aww, I guess I¡¯ve been a bad girl then. Are you gonna lock me up in chains? If so I suppose you don¡¯t want this.¡± She turned her gaze back to the spear.


    ¡­Weapon sales were forbidden for a reason, to prevent the townsfolk from fighting one another.


    As such it was Yang¡¯s duty to put this woman behind bars.


    ¡­But it was such fine steel, one that his brother would surely appreciate and the steel itself¡­ surely it was a worthy gift.


    So he sighed, ¡°How much?¡± he asked, causing Suzaku to blink before lowering her wrists, grabbing the spear, and setting it on the counter, she leaped off it landing on the ground with a chuckle, ¡°The price is nothing to be worried about, well ordinarily it is but not for you good sir.¡± she declared looking at him.


    Yang paused looking at Suzaku, ¡°So you''re just going to¡­ give it to me?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Now when did I say that?¡± Suzaku asked with an arched brow, ¡°No, I¡¯ve got something else in mind. Lean down here for a moment.¡± she declared as she stood in front of Yang.


    He stared forward confused, but did as she asked, leaning forward so that his face was close to hers.


    Suzaku smirked for a moment before lunging forward and she slammed her lips into his, his eyes widened.


    And he tried to pull away, only for Suzaku to reach out and grab his neck, digging her nails into his flesh.


    It hurt, he tried to move away, to pull away.


    But¡­


    Where did the pain go?


    His head was growing fuzzy, and he started to melt into the kiss feeling a sense of bliss overtake him as he did so.


    Soon enough Suzaku pulled from the kiss running her tongue along her teeth, paying no heed to the trail of saliva that still connected her with Yang, ¡°Hm, not half bad. You¡¯ve a good taste to you.¡± she chuckled.


    Yang stood there as if in a daze, Suzaku then turned around walked up to the counter once more grabbed the spear, and brought it over to Yang, ¡°Now then if you ask me, this brother of yours needs to take a break. Retirement sounds nice don¡¯t you think? You can protect this town all by yourself with your might, and this new spear.¡± Suzaku held out the weapon in question to Yang.


    He said nothing at first before he leaned forward grabbing the weapon, ¡°I can¡­ protect everyone myself.¡± he declared turning to the door.


    He started to saunter forward, hobbling out of it.


    Suzaku watched with a mischievous grin, ¡°Hm, and here I was worried I¡¯d have to bed him¡­ men are such simple creatures.¡± she declared as he walked out.


    She stretched, ¡°And yet I doubt he¡¯ll be enough to defeat The Shadewalker. But it should be more than enough for me to gauge her abilities.¡± she then walked out of the door herself, ¡°Ah yes, I should check up on that old hag soon, I¡¯m sure those dear to her are weeping right about now¡­ a medicine to help with her ¡®terrible cold¡¯ bah who did she think I was?¡± Suzaku cracked her neck while walking through the streets with a hum, ¡°Though perhaps¡­ there is another way about this¡­¡± A smirk suddenly adorned her face as a terrible idea entered her mind¡¯s eyes, ¡°Pretending an enemy of an enemy is a friend is fine by me¡­ All my enemies will meet their run together anyway.¡± She chuckled, ¡°Yang shall strike from the gate, Seriyu will strike from the church. And I shall strike¡­ right beside her.¡± a wicked gleam entered her eyes as she started to walk towards the front gate, her fangs bared, ¡°now then¡­ how best to take advantage of this wonderful situation? Hmm, I suppose saving her from Yang would work best in my favor¡­ Yes, that will do.¡± She put her hands behind her head smiling all the while as her gaze shifted upwards.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make that girl trust me more than even her closest companion and then¡­ I¡¯ll be the one who kills her, after that master Lust will have to reward her oh-so-beautiful Consultant!¡± she said her plan aloud with a giddy smile.


    Skipping across the street, she cared not for those around her, she only existed for a few reasons after all reasons that she sang aloud, ¡°Entice, invite, incentivize. That¡¯s all I¡¯ve got to do~¡±

 Chapter 12: Sinless Souls

    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Skylar blinked as she locked her eyes on the castle ahead.


    She had found a nice hill, well. As nice as it could be considering the burning village behind her, it was still a nice hill!


    ¡­As for what made her utter the word.


    The castle¡¯s barrier had a crack.


    A single crack.


    A large one running straight up the middle of it, Skylar furrowed her brow.


    ¡°...Did I do that?¡± She mused aloud, it wasn¡¯t a totally unreasonable conclusion, but she also didn¡¯t have a lot to go off, she had only just now noticed the crack after all.


    And the castle was still far off in the distance.


    Couple that with the fact that Skylar herself wasn¡¯t sure when the crack appeared and she couldn¡¯t draw any conclusion.


    So instead she sighed looking to her right, there was a large tree there she looked to it as she set her hands on her side frowning, ¡°Logic dictates that I should head back and meet up with Striga as soon as I can but¡­¡± that crack.


    It was a problem.


    She furrowed her brow as she racked her brain for solutions.


    As she did, she heard a voice from behind her, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± it was Vita, Skylar looked over her shoulder keeping her frown as she tore her gaze away to look back at the castle.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more village further ahead isn¡¯t there? I¡¯m worried that if we try to reconvene with Striga that village might be attacked¡­¡± Skylar explained, ¡°It¡¯s a slim chance, but I don¡¯t even know what caused that large crack, and if it was me. And if Lust is aware of that information¡­ Then it¡¯s likely that she¡¯ll just try to send a large force after me.¡±


    Vita let out a hum at that, ¡°And you''re worried that if we backtrack now¡­ then the force in question will just move onto the next village is that right?¡±


    Skylar nodded slowly, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°...But we also have that kid to look after.¡± Vita pointed out with a frown.


    Skylar frowned, her gaze narrowing, ¡°If it¡¯s just me she won¡¯t go alone, but she¡¯ll move with you¡­¡±


    Vita paused at that, ¡°So you want me to take her there then?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Skylar instantly shot the idea down, ¡°Splitting up at this point would only make things worse¡­ But we are also on a tough time limit¡­ as such.¡± Skylar folded his arms looking over to Vita, ¡°That shadow clone thing? Can you make another?¡±


    In response to that question, Vita shook his head, ¡°Only one can be active at any time, and that other one has yet to even reach its destination. If nothing else I can see what it sees. And relay orders from any place in the world.¡± as Vita explained this Skylar folded her arms looking back down to the small village.


    Skylar then closed her eyes, ¡°I¡¯m not able to make one myself yet¡­ Or at least I¡¯ve tried already¡­ no go.¡±


    ¡°No surprise there. It¡¯s something that most Dark Knights take years to master, and the same could be said for most of our skills¡­ you¡¯re growing at an unnatural rate to be frank.¡± Vita stated folding his arms.


    Skylar chuckled a little at that, ¡°I¡¯ll take that to mean it¡¯s a good thing?¡± she asked, looking over to him.


    Vita unfolded his arms turning away, ¡°Whatever you choose to do you should make the choice soon¡­ The longer we stay idle the worse things can become.¡±


    Skylar frowned as Vita started to walk away, she wanted to check on the final area along her path, she really did, but she couldn¡¯t bring Shiva there in good faith that she¡¯d be safe.


    So at last Skylar closed her eyes and swallowed her pride, turning around she began to walk towards the duo.


    Ready to head tword¡¯s Striga¡¯s destination.


    She held up her hand near her face, first a gust of wind, then a fireball appeared, a small shard of ice, no lighting¡­


    ¡°...So that¡¯s how it works then.¡± She muttered, narrowing her eyes, she wasn¡¯t positive but those Phoenix tails of her¡¯s seemed to be at least some sort of evolved version of her Overdrive ability. Nice and all, but it still required her to burn through a magic element.


    What a pain.


    Chapter 12: Sinless Souls


    ¡°GAH!¡± A man shouted as he was hoisted up to the stone ceiling above via a set of chains, ¡°B-Bastard! You won¡¯t get away with this!¡± The man declared as he went higher and higher.


    Draco looked up to the man letting out a hum as he turned around and walked back into the tent behind him, ¡°They¡¯re quite resilient and feisty besides, if nothing else you¡¯ve culminated a force that deeply cares for you. You should be proud.¡±


    On the ground Shina grits her teeth, her body is wrapped in chains, and she has already tried to break them.


    But they were simply too strong for her, Draco¡¯s earth magic was on a completely different level, despite this fact however she glared up at him, ¡°Fuck you.¡± she hissed out the words trying her best to maintain even a semblance of control over the situation before her.


    Draco made no mention of this simply walking behind the counter he started to brew himself another cup of coffee, ¡°Hm, their blood is on your hands either way. You simply need to relinquish control of this place back to me, and all of this¡­ unpleasantness will be over.¡±


    His eyes were empty as he said this, he felt nothing about this whole situation unfolding around him.


    Shina grits her teeth glaring toward Draco, ¡°Drop dead. I¡¯m not giving this place back to you.¡±


    ¡°But you will.¡± Draco countered looking over his shoulder, ¡°If it¡¯s now it¡¯s easier for everyone, but I can certainly wait till you pass out.¡±


    That was the problem with Earth magic.


    Once someone has laid claim to the land with their magic, the only way to obtain that land back is if the current owner consents.


    Or if the flow of mana ceased.


    So here Draco was biding his time, waiting to obtain control of his land once more.


    His cup of coffee finished brewing and he grabbed it with a smirk on his face as he moved to a nearby table, ¡°The value of your lives is nothing in comparison to what I¡¯ve got planned.¡± he said with a smirk slamming his boots up on the table as he made himself comfortable, Shina kept her glare, ¡°Your plans are irrelevant, given time Skylar will be back here soon. And when she returns she¡¯ll defeat you. I bet you don¡¯t even know what she¡¯s doing do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I know what she¡¯s doing, she¡¯s my creation after all¡­ I watch Shadewalker closely every second.¡± Draco said effortlessly, putting his cup up to his mouth and he took a sip of that bitter liquid.


    Shina blink at that, ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Draco set his cup down, turning to look over his shoulder, ¡°Hm? What, you don¡¯t really think I¡¯d let her go like that if I didn¡¯t have some personal interest do you?¡± he chuckled spinning in his chair leaning forward towards the chained up Shina, ¡°This is a wonderful game, the cast before us¡­ the broken girl, the shattered girl, and the villain all stands¡­ A perfect stage for the largest tragedy this world has ever seen¡­¡±


    Shina growled, ¡°What¡­ What are you planning?! I thought you were a good man! It was you wasn¡¯t it, you were the one who tried to save others from The King!¡± She had heard this information from Julieta herself and now she used it to confront Draco.


    Draco paused his eyes shining with no remorse more so seeming annoyed that Shina would even try to refute him, ¡°Ah that¡­¡± he smirked standing up and walking forward with a certain swagger with his step came, ¡°I moved against his majesty because he saw life as nothing but a useless speck. But the fire that burns within life itself, the flame of a soul¡­ has so many more uses than he yet understands.¡±


    It was then that a horrific realization dawned upon Shina¡¯s face, Draco¡­ She knew nothing about the man before her, her eyes trembling and concern etched upon her brow. She opened her mouth and asked her last question, ¡°What¡­ are you planning?¡±


    Draco kneeled forward locking eyes with Shina for a moment, before a wicked smile began to form on his face, he spoke his plans with no hesitation nothing but pure malice in his tone, ¡°A Revolution.¡±


    ***


    Julieta let out a hum as she downed her cup of coffee, ¡°It¡¯s been about¡­ 3 days now hasn¡¯t it?¡± She let out a hum setting her cup down.


    She reached out to a set of papers on her desk looking them over, she then let out a low sigh, ¡°We¡¯ll have to start rationing supplies soon¡­ I¡¯ve been spoiling them a bit too much.¡± She frowned at those papers. It held a total number of supplies, food, water, and other amenities all listed upon it.. Old numbers were crossed out and replaced with new ones, the biggest concern was¡­ ¡°Water.¡± Julieta groaned, putting a hand to her head, ¡°How did this even happen?¡±


    She stood from her chair setting the paper down.


    Somebody made a miscalculation about how much water they even had, and because of that they were running dangerously low.


    If it was just food this would be a whole different matter, but water? They wouldn¡¯t last long without it.


    ¡­


    They might have to go inland, but what if Skylar or Striga arrived at that time?


    What a mess.


    She walked up to her wardrobe slipping out of her nightgown, and into a more casual outfit.


    ¡°...Tetra, what would you do?¡± Julieta wondered aloud looking at her desk, ¡°He¡¯d have this all figured out by now I¡¯m sure of it¡­¡± She then blinked, shaking herself out of those thoughts.


    It wouldn¡¯t do to think like that now, she had a problem and she had to resolve it.


    Just as she had started to think, however, a knock came at her door, causing her to flinch, though when she realized what that sound was she sighed and replied, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    A male¡¯s voice called out, ¡°Um, Miss Julieta, mistress Skylar has returned and she wishes to speak with you outside.¡±


    Julieta blinked at that, ¡°...Shit.¡± she muttered realizing what Skylar¡¯s return entails. She then let out a sigh and walked to the door, this wasn¡¯t going to be a fun conversation.


    Meanwhile¡­


    Skylar walked up to the front of the airship with a yawn stretching as she did so, she looked over her shoulder to Vita, ¡°You two start to go ahead without me, I¡¯ve got to make a quick stop here to check in with my crew.¡± She declared with a smirk lowering her arms.


    Vita asked her, ¡°Are you certain you don¡¯t wish for us to come with you?¡±


    Skylar instantly waved them off, ¡°Heh, no. I¡¯d rather not explain why I have both a Dark Knight and a child following me.¡±


    Shiva¡¯s brow furrowed and she hissed, ¡°I¡¯m almost 14!¡±


    Skylar blinked at that look looking over her shoulder, ¡°...How many months till you turn 14?¡±


    ¡°Two!¡± Shiva instantly responded.


    To this Skylar¡¯s eyes nearly bulged out of her skull as she turned back to the airship, a bead of sweat on the side of her face, ¡°Holy shit she¡¯s older than me.¡± Somehow this revelation was one of the most devastating things Skylar had heard.


    ¡°Right well¡­ Whatever! Point is, you both stay here for the moment and I¡¯ll head up there!¡± She declared, without waiting for a response, she leaped up using her wind magic to land on the bow of the airship.


    Julieta was already walking out of the cabins with a frown on her face, ¡°Back so soon?¡± Julieta questioned.


    Skylar pointed an accusatory finger forward, ¡°You tried to get rid of me.¡±


    Julieta glanced at the people working on the ship and started to walk toward Skylar as she motioned for them to leave.


    ¡°It was Striga¡¯s plan, not mine.¡± Julieta instantly retorted.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t interject, you were fine leaving me elsewhere in this place.¡± Skylar retorted with a scowl.


    ¡°It was to protect yo-¡±


    ¡°A lot of good that did! I died out there!¡± Skylar shouted, slamming her boot onto the wood.


    ¡°You what¡­?¡± Julieta blinked trying to process Skylar¡¯s words, it was an absurd statement, but it was enough to catch Juleita off guard.


    Skylar then sighed, running a hand through her hair, ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m fine, Overdrive has its perks¡­¡± Skylar stated as she glanced to the side, ¡°Well as fine as I can be anyways¡­¡± She then looked ahead locking eyes with Julieta, ¡°...Look the situation here is a lot worse than we thought. It¡¯s not a war. It¡¯s a fucking slaughter, the first village I came across was already destroyed, The Dark Knight¡¯s Village is done for as well, each one of them was hanged¡­¡± Skylar explained, ¡°What¡¯s more there are some tough bastards in Lust¡¯s army. I was barely even a match for one of them¡­ granted that was mostly due to me being caught off guard but the point still stands.¡± She then took a deep breath.


    Julieta folded her arms, ¡°...So then, why is it you¡¯re here? Instead of making a rush for Striga¡¯s location.¡±


    Skylar glanced to the side before speaking up once more, ¡°I want you to take everyone here and leave, on top of everything I¡¯ve seen I¡¯m worried about what will happen if you all stay here too long.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not happening.¡± Julieta shot the idea down, ¡°We¡¯re your evac, without us, you''re not leaving this place and I won¡¯t leave you all for dead.¡± She growled.


    In response to this Skylar frowned, ¡°And I¡¯m asking you to leave anyways, this shit has gone so far south we may as well already be sinking.¡± Skylar retorted, ¡°To be blunt, I¡¯m not expecting to come back alive after this¡­ Once I find Striga, I¡¯m going to storm Lust¡¯s castle.¡±


    Julieta paused at that her frown deepened, ¡°Are you stupid?! A plan like that can only go wrong, it¡¯s reckless! No even beyond reckless, so far beyond that your stupidity fails to even fall into words!¡± she shouts, throwing a hand to the side.


    Skylar smiled softly glancing to the side, ¡°Maybe so. But the truth of the matter is I don¡¯t have any better plans, I can¡¯t just ask people to help me because of Lust¡¯s powers¡­ I may very well end up having to fight them. And I don¡¯t want that.¡± She then locked eyes with Skylar, ¡°But if you do want to try and stop me. I¡¯m willing to prove I can do this.¡±


    Skylar made this declaration with a spark in her gaze, the fire that was born within her eyes when she fought Genbu was still alight and ready to burn brighter still.


    Julieta then frowned, ¡°Are you certain you wish to do this? The path ahead will not be an easy one, and you¡¯d be throwing away any chance of a childhood you may have had.¡± Julieta explained.


    Skylar nodded, ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± her hands clenched into fists.


    The wind blew for a moment and Julieta let out a sigh, reaching up to her blade Skylar did the same, ¡°If I knock you down, I win. If you get your blade to my neck then victory is yours.¡± Julieta explained her eyes narrowing.


    She wasn¡¯t quite sure what possessed her to offer such a challenge, pride. Negligence? Maybe fear¡­ whatever the case it was too late to back down now.


    Skylar unsheathed her segmented blade taking in a breath, ¡°Fine by me.¡± she declared with a smirk.


    With that, the duo blasted forward towards each other ready to clash.


    They drew their blades at the same instant, Julieta was the first to slash forward only for Skylar to leap over Julieta, her eyes shining emerald as she did so.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Julieta took note of this, twisting her body around and throwing her left hand forward, sending a ball of fire toward Skylar¡¯s now exposed back.


    Skylar however gripped her blade with both hands and with a gust of wind from her feet, curled into a ball spinning through the air cutting through the ball of flame.


    She landed on the ground and slashed at Julieta aiming for her neck.


    Julieta twisted her neck letting the sword that Skylar held fly over her head she then raised her leg slamming her boot into Skylar¡¯s gut with enough force to send her flying backward toward the cabin door.


    Skylar winced as she flew through the air, she spun using the wind to her advantage, her boots slammed into the door and she took in a breath.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± She had heard it once before, a name that a soldier referred to her as, she wasn¡¯t sure when it had become her nickname¡­


    But it was her¡¯s regardless, the one that warriors knew her as.


    The Fairy Of Blood.


    Julieta blinked watching as the wind began to blow harder, ¡°...This is¡­ Tier 6?¡± she muttered entering a defensive stance.


    She knew this trick well, it was one that Tetra had long since mastered¡­ So why was Skylar using it?


    Did she think that would be enough to win?


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry on his legacy.¡± Skylar spat before blasting forward her segmented blade shattering.


    She then reached up with her left hand gripping the Dark Knight¡¯s greatsword as she flew forward.


    In an instant a tornado surrounded Julieta, and she stared forward at it.


    Holding her blade with her right hand, she ran her left hand across it covering that blade with flames, the first shard shot out from the left, and Julieta swung her blade knocking the shard to the ground.


    Two more from behind.


    And Julieta responded by slashing them the same way.


    The next came from above and Julieta responded by sidestepping it


    She knew where the last one would come from so she reached out to her left and snatched the shard from the air, throwing it to the ground.


    It was all going as she knew it would. The flames dissipated from her blade and she turned around, slashing fully horizontally, only for her eyes to narrow as nothing was behind her.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± her eyes widened as she felt an extra weight on her blade, and there was something else, pressed up to her neck.


    ¡°Got you,¡± Skylar said confidently as she knelt down, her boot on Julieta¡¯s blade and a smirk on her face as the tornado vanished.


    Julieta blinked at that as Skylar lowered her blade sheathing it before leaping off of Julieta¡¯s blade.


    She then slashed upward with the hilt of her segmented blade calling the shards back to her with a single gust sheathing that sword as well.


    Julieta however just remained there for a moment, her blade still outstretched, ¡°Where did you learn that one?¡± she asked suddenly.


    Causing Skylar to blink and turn around, ¡°Hm?¡± She arched her brow quizzically, before smiling sheepishly, ¡°Er, I kinda just made it up as I went along¡­¡± she confessed this as her cheeks flushed pink.


    Julieta could only stare forward dumbfounded, ¡°A Tier Six spell¡­ and you just came up with it, on the fly? Almost mirroring Tetra¡¯s movements bit for bit¡­¡± She muttered to herself lowering her blade with a huff, ¡°I give up, I suppose there is nothing I can do to stop you from proceeding.¡±


    Skylar paused looking over to Julieta, ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± She said this attempting to comfort Julieta, ¡°It¡¯s not just my life on the line here after all.¡± Skylar declared as she walked up to Julieta.


    Julieta hummed at that, ¡°I have a request however.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that, putting a hand on her hip, ¡°If it¡¯s for me to stay in the cabins the answer is no.¡±


    Julieta shook her head, ¡°No of course not¡­ Our water supply is running low, all I need from you is to go out and search for a set of fresh water for us to use.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that, before letting out a hum, ¡°You still got the empty barrels?¡±


    Julieta turned toward the cabin, ¡°Oi! If you''re done staring then get those empty barrel¡¯s up here.¡±


    Sure enough, the staff were bunched up by the cabin door, they had all been spectating the brawl, half of them panicked and scrambled downstairs while the rest of them ran off to their posts. Three of them brought the barrels up, three barrels in total.


    Skylar looked at them and closed her eyes, when she reopened her eyes they were azure, she held out her hands and summoned a torrent of ice to fill up those barrels, ¡°Alright that¡¯s step one¡­ Now then Julieta if you wouldn¡¯t mind melting the ice?¡±


    Julieta blinked at that, ¡°New trick eh? Why don¡¯t you melt it.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Swapping magic already puts enough of a strain on me as is¡­ If I swap to another element after already doing a swap¡­ I get a really bad headache.¡± Skylar explained as she winced just imagining the pain.


    Julieta then sighed walking up to the ice and started to melt it with her flames, ¡°Skylar. There¡¯s one other thing you should know.¡±


    Skylar had already turned around at this point but she stopped to look over her shoulder, ¡°And that is?¡±


    ¡°Lust. Her magic is already obscenely powerful, but it bears a resemblance to the type of magic used on The Kingdom that day.¡± Julieta explained, ¡°Do not let your guard down, no matter how many elements you have. You need to be smart.¡±


    Skylar paused at that taking those words into account before turning away and walking off, ¡°I¡¯ll keep your advice in mind.¡±


    With that Skylar leaped off the airship landing back on the island, she thrust her hands into the pockets of her jacket and started to walk toward her next destination.


    ***


    Seiryu sat upon the altar of the church looking up to the cross that sat upon the back window, ¡°...It¡¯s fascinating is it not?¡± he asked suddenly, ¡°You humans are so fascinated with the past, it exists like shackles reaching out to wrap around you and choke the life from your souls¡­¡± He spoke with a small smirk, ¡°It¡¯s the largest reason why you people will never be able to defeat the Gods. You''re so stuck in your own heads that you can¡¯t even fathom the world around you.¡±


    Yang stood there in the middle of the hall with dead eyes and a frown, Suzaku sat in one of the many seemingly disinterested in the words that Seiryu spoke, instead, she looked to the large column chairs, ¡°They hell do they even call these things? They seem too large to simply be called ¡®chairs¡¯ There has got to be another name for them right?¡±


    Seriyu paused, turning his gaze back to Suzuku before smirking a little, he envied her carefree nature.


    But for the moment it was a hindrance, ¡°...Don¡¯t you have something else you should be focusing on?¡± he asked this question with a glare.


    Suzaku turned her gaze back to Seriyu, ¡°If you''re referring to The Shadewalker, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make my move when the time is right, you should make yours first though.¡± she declared this without hesitation leaning back on one of those chairs in question, ¡°You and the others thrive on big moments, I thrive in the background worming my way into others lives. It worked on that sack of flesh over there.¡± She extended her thumb and lazily pointed to Yang, ¡°I mean come on, one present, a kiss on the lips and he was wrapped around my finger¡­ I dunno if he expected we¡¯d end up fucking or something but he¡¯s a lonely piece of shit.¡±


    Seriyu sighed walking down the steps of the chapel, ¡°Regardless we both have preparations to be made, for when the Shadewalker arrives she will not be leaving this city alive.¡±


    Suzaku said nothing to that watching as Seriyu walked off into a nearby door she knew where that door went, down into the basement of this place.


    She turned her gaze to Yang and arched her brow, ¡°...Hm, shame it turned out this way, you didn¡¯t seem like too bad of a guy.¡± she then leaped up from her chair walking up to him with long exaggerated steps, and her hands behind her back, ¡°Not a half bad kisser either¡­¡±


    She then reached up and brushed a lock of hair from Yang¡¯s face, ¡°But there¡¯s the problem, you''re obedient but almost too obedient¡­¡± her eyes narrowed a frown plastered on her face, ¡°It¡¯s kinda creepy.¡±


    She then smiled walking past him toward the exit, ¡°Oh well, I¡¯m gonna find some other men to bed for the night, you just proceed through your normal routine Mr. Good kisser.¡± Suzaku chirped without missing a beat and she left Yang alone.


    He stood there motionless for a second or two before his hand twitched almost curling up into a fist.


    ***


    Skylar let out a yawn as she continued her walk, she paused as she saw the walls of the city in the distance, ¡°...That¡¯s the place?¡± she folded her arms and reached into her pocket pulling out her fake ID.


    It still had a picture of her with silver hair, ¡°...That won¡¯t do.¡± she muttered to herself narrowing her gaze, ¡°My best bet would be to sneak into the place.¡± she concluded as she stared forward, ¡°Problem is how do I go about that?¡±


    She was sure that Vita and Shiva had no issue getting in already.


    ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± A voice called out causing Skylar to turn her gaze toward it arching a brow, ¡°Vita? I thought you would have been inside by now.¡±


    He let out a hum, ¡°Don¡¯t have an ID, I sent the girl in already but we¡¯re going to have to be more creative. Do you have any ideas?¡±


    Skylar blinked, turning her gaze to the walls, ¡°I did until you came to me¡­ I was going to fly over the walls with wind magic, but now I¡¯ve got to account for you as well¡­ This could be a problem.¡±


    Vita blinked at that, ¡°And we¡¯d need something silent to help us with sneaking through huh¡­¡± They stood there for a moment.


    ¡°Ah to hell with this.¡± Skylar started to walk forward, ¡°We¡¯re trying the front gate worst comes to worst I¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    Vita blinked, surprised by Skylar¡¯s sudden movement, ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you to think things through more?!¡± he shouted as Skylar looked over her shoulder with a wink.


    ¡°You did and I¡¯ve elected to ignore that advice in this instance.¡± she declared turning back around and walking forward with a chuckle.


    In response to this Vita grit his teeth beneath his helmet, clenching his hands into fists.


    Before walking forward wordlessly, not uttering another word to Skylar for the moment.


    Yin stood at the gate with a frown on his face looking at the gate in question, ¡°Where is he¡­?¡± he muttered to himself, after all his brother was missing, he had been since the day before.


    Before his ear twitched he heard the sound of Skylar approaching and turned his gaze toward her, ¡°Hello there traveler, so what brings you here? ¡­I don¡¯t often see people around here, even less around these times.¡± Yin said with a small smirk.


    Skylar tilted her head to the side as she looked to Yin, ¡°I¡¯m here to learn about the island of Babylon and its people at least to the best of my abilities.¡± Skylar lied looking at the walls. ¡°I¡¯ve already explored a good portion of the other side of this island and it was there that I encountered this man, my bodyguard.¡±


    Skylar pointed over her shoulder as Vita approached, Yin blinked at that, ¡°A Dark Knight? ¡­Don¡¯t see many of those anymore.¡±


    ¡°You can thank Lust for that one, she tore the majority of our order apart.¡± Vita explained, ¡°It¡¯s for that reason that I¡¯m accompanying this girl, to both obtain revenge for my kinsmen and to bring more members into our order.¡± so he said, folding his arms.


    Yin then let out a hum, ¡°So you say, but we¡¯ve had some unfortunate incidents, and for entry into our city you¡¯ll need an ID.¡±


    Skylar then reached into her pocket, of course of course, ¡°Ah¡­ it would seem I¡¯ve left my ID elsewhere¡­¡± Skylar said, putting on a sheepish smile as she pulled her hand out of her pocket.


    Yin kept his hand on his spear, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to ask you to leave, no ID no entry. No exceptions.¡±


    Skylar let out a false sigh, ¡°Are you certain there is no other way for me to enter? I¡¯d hate to leave this business unfinished.¡± she explained.


    Yin arched a brow at that, ¡°Your what¡­ 12? 13? Young¡­ too young, even when accompanied by a Dark Knight.¡±


    Skylar paused looking at Yin, ¡°If you must know I¡¯m 13. But I¡¯m then capable on my own.¡± she declared, folding her arms, ¡°Any job that an adult can do, I can do it myself.¡±


    Yin paused at those words, taking a moment to look Skylar up and down trying to decide on what to do.


    But before he could open his mouth to speak, a voice spoke up from behind, ¡°What seems to be the matter brother?¡± Yang questioned opening up the gate and walking through it.


    Yin blinked, turning to his brother, ¡°Where have you been-¡± he paused upon seeing Yang¡¯s new spear Yin arched a brow, ¡°On second thought, where the hell did you get that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s of little importance.¡± Yang responded simply before looking at Skylar, ¡°So what do we have here?¡±


    Yin tilted his head slightly before looking back to Skylar himself, ¡°Some brat trying to obtain entry into the city has no ID though.¡±


    Yang turned his gaze to Vita, ¡°That man¡­ he¡¯s a Dark Knight isn¡¯t he?¡± he asked the question with a furrowed brow.


    In response to this Vita looked over to Yang, ¡°I am. However, if you''re asking for an ID. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have one to give to you.¡±


    There was silence for a moment, Skylar looked over to Yang furrowing her brow as she examined him.


    There was something¡­ wrong about him.


    She couldn¡¯t put her finger on what it was, however¡­


    ¡°An ID shouldn¡¯t be necessary in your case, simply demonstrate your abilities and we shall allow you entry¡­¡± Yang declared.


    Yin blinked, sighing at that, ¡°He also has an ¡®ok¡¯ from a girl earlier Shiva was her name, I had a townsfolk escort her to the infirmary to see if they would have any luck finding her mother.¡±


    Vita reached up unsheathing his blade and putting it on the ground the shadows bubbled and lifted a bit before connecting to his blade, ¡°Is this good enough for you?¡±


    Yin paused at that looking over to Yang before sighing, ¡°Yes, I suppose that¡¯s good enough at the very least do try not to cause any problems.¡±


    Skylar smiled at that, ¡°Look at that your authority alone got us entry.¡±


    ¡°Make no mistake, the Dark Knight is allowed entry, not you girl,¡± Yin stated with a glare.


    Skylar blinked at that staring forward surprised, ¡°Wha- but I¡¯m his apprentice surely that must count for something!¡±


    Vita sheathed his blade letting the shadows drop back to the ground, ¡°Aye that she is, Valery is one of my best up-and-coming apprentices.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that, ¡°Valery?¡± She wasn¡¯t confused by the name, it was her go-to fake name at this point¡­ but how did Vita know that? She never once uttered that name to him¡­


    Yang locked his gaze on Skylar frowning for a moment, ¡°...She looks rather weak to be your apprentice.¡± he said with an arched brow.


    Vita responded to this by looking right at Yang, ¡°Her stature is unimpressive yes. But in combat, she¡¯d gut and flay you like a fish with no issue.¡±


    ¡°Unimpressive?!¡± Skylar pouts glaring up at Vita.


    Yang let out a hum at that stepping forward, ¡°Then I suppose you wouldn¡¯t be opposed to a duel girl?¡±


    Skylar blinked at that, turning his gaze to Yang, ¡°Eh? A duel? ¡­you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°H-Hey now Yang, wait just a second.¡± Yin held out his arm trying to stop his brother.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem Yin? This should be more than suitable to see if her claims match up¡­ A single strike, you can block it however you wish. If you can take it without being knocked flat on your ass then we¡¯ll take your statement to be true.¡± Yang declared, gripping his spear tightly as he pointed it forward.


    Skylar stared forward at the sight before her, she then reached up, grabbed the Greatsword gifted to her, unsheathed the blade slowly, and ran her hand along it coating it in shadows, ¡°So just one blow? I can do that.¡± Skylar declared with a wry smirk.


    Yang smirked a little at that, ¡°Confident are we girl?¡± He asked as he bent his knees getting into a stance, ¡°I wonder how quickly that confidence will shatter.¡±


    Skylar smiled at that, stepping forward, ¡°Your move then.¡±


    She declared this, holding her blade out to the side of her, Yang blinked at this arching a brow after all Skylar did not take up any sword of defensive stance.


    But he cared little; he gripped his spear tightly as Vita stepped away from Skylar, Yin watched with a mote of concern on his face.


    And then, Yang shot forward, thrusting his spear toward Skylar without remorse.


    At the last possible moment, Skylar slashed up with her blade with enough force to knock the spear out of Yang¡¯s hand and send a shockwave spiraling out from their clash across the entire city.


    This caused Yin¡¯s eyes to widen in surprise as his brother¡¯s spear was sent flying into the air.


    ***


    Suzaku smiled as another guest left her establishment, as soon as the door closed however that smile dropped into a low frown, ¡°This whole game is starting to become rather dull¡­¡± she muttered to herself, ¡°I mean come on, I have this whole set up and our opponent is still taking forever!¡±


    She groaned, walking up to the counter and running her hand along it, ¡°What must I do to expedite the process¡­ Hmm, perhaps I could take one of the locals and bring an end to a few lives. That seems like the thing a hero would rush to solv-¡±


    She was cut off by a feeling of raw power rushing over her, not her own.


    No.


    The power of a warrior clashing with another.


    Suzaku stood there for a moment, her mouth agape and her eyes wide, before her shock turned into a wide smile and a wicked grin, ¡°Hey now are you for real¡­?¡± she chuckled despite her trembling form, ¡°I knew we were dealing with someone strong, but that strong? That¡¯s absurd, no. Not absurd, it''s impossible. What the hell even is the Shadewalker¡­?¡±


    ***


    Walking through the streets was Wrath, his gaze fixed on the architecture of the church before him, ¡°Such an elegant design for a place so full of sin.¡± He declared as he straightened out his outfit.


    ¡°Wrath!¡± A voice called out from behind causing him to stop, he looked over his shoulder and there Pride was, her breathing was ragged and she was currently leaning over her knees as though she had sprinted here.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Pride?¡± Wrath spoke the question as shadows covered his eyes.


    ¡°What¡­ Am I doing¡­?¡± She took in a breath and stood up locking eyes with Wrath, ¡°What the hell are YOU doing!? Have you lost your mind?!¡± she shouted throwing a hand forward, ¡°Going against what Origin wants is suicide! T-This is insanity!¡±


    Wrath kept his gaze on Pride for a moment before closing his eyes, and turning away ¡°Origin has lost his mind, he is no leader of mine.¡± he declared simply.


    ¡°Just listen to me! If you kill her then¡­ Wrath¡­ you¡¯ll.¡±


    ¡°Die.¡± Wrath finished the sentence with a smirk, ¡°I¡¯m more than aware of what would occur in that outcome¡­ but I¡¯m more than willing to pay that price if it is for my family.¡±


    Pride grit her teeth clenching her right hand into a fist, ¡°If¡­ If you try to go through with this plan, then¡­ Then I will stop you!¡± Pride shouted, stepping forward.


    Wrath said nothing to this, simply turning around as the shockwave of Skylar and Yang¡¯s clash washed over him.


    ¡°Then come dear sister¡­ let us see what you have to offer.¡± Wrath held out his right hand and summoned forth a blade.


    Pride grit her teeth summoning her own sword letting out a cry as she charges forward.


    Determined to set Wrath back on the path of life.


    ***


    A spear stabbed into the dirt behind Skylar and she took in a breath standing up tall sheathing her blade, her eyes shining crimson, ¡°I¡¯ll only say this once.¡± She declared, taking a step forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for a friend. That is the truth of the matter if I find her. I shall be off without another word.¡± She glared at Yang, ¡°But if you stand in my way. If you could have helped me find her, and didn¡¯t there are no walls. No person. And no god alive that will keep you all safe from me.¡±


    Yang stared forward at Skylar and opened his mouth, speaking at last, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Skylar looked to the dirt for a moment before walking past him, ¡°An Executioner.¡± She spoke the title she had discarded, claiming it as her¡¯s once more.


    Yin kept his gaze on his brother watching as Yang went to reclaim his weapon before speaking up to Skylar.


    ¡°...Then we shall allow you entry into the city as promised, under the condition that you surrender your weapons. We¡¯ve already allowed one of the previous travelers in with her weapon and there is great unease within our walls right now.¡± Yin explained.


    Skylar paused when looking at Yin, she wasn¡¯t fond of the idea of separating with her blades, but she sighed removing her weapons and setting both blades along the wall, ¡°I trust they¡¯ll be kept safe?¡± she asked this with a glare.


    Yin nodded, ¡°Of course, if nothing else we¡¯re good at keeping things safe.¡± Yin declared with a smile.


    Skylar let out a hum at that, ¡°I sure hope so.¡±


    With that she turned and walked up to the gate, staring up at it before taking in a breath and pushing it open.


    Vita unfolded his arms looking at Yang with narrowed eyes, ¡°...Chains don¡¯t carry you higher, they only serve to ensure you remain tethered to the spot.¡± With those words, he walked past Yang.


    Offering no other words to him, instead walking through the gate behind Skylar.


    Yang remained in his place, mouth slightly agape as he tried to process the events that had just occurred around him.


    He then looked at the spear stabbed into the ground ahead of him and growled, walking forward and wrapping his hand around it.


    Taking hold of his chains once more.

 Chapter 13: Turning Point

    Skylar walked through the city streets letting out a hum as she looked around, ¡°Stone walls, stone buildings, and white stone floor. I¡¯ll give them this, there nothing if not consistent.¡± Skylar muttered as she stopped in the middle of the road, ¡°Still¡­¡± she looked around the area noticing few people walking the streets, and even those who did seemed to stay a fair distance from one another, ¡°Everyone seems to be a bit skittish don¡¯t you think?¡± Skylar questioned looking over her shoulder.


    Vita folded his arms, ¡°Course they are, even if the violence has settled down for the most part, the problem remains.¡± He turned his gaze towards the edge of one of the walls, the tip of the barrier surrounding the castle could still be seen, ¡°People are wont to fear the unknown.¡±


    Skylar put a hand on her hip looking up, ¡°Even so, we still need to find a way to put an end to it¡­¡± She frowned thinking back to Genbu, recalling how the crack in the barrier appeared with his demise, a thought appeared in her mind: surely there had to be more than one? A set of people who keep the barrier intact? It wasn¡¯t unreasonable to assume but how many? Or rather, how to get close to them? ¡°...Stir up enough trouble and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll come to us.¡± She muttered much to Vita¡¯s annoyance.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t our goal to find that friend of yours?¡± He questioned with a glare.


    ¡°Course it is, but we also need to find a way into the castle sooner or later don¡¯t we? As such it only makes sense to kill two birds with one stone here.¡± Skylar pointed out, ¡°Besides this could also serve to draw her towards us.¡±


    Skylar explained with a smirk, ¡°So shall we split apart? For the moment at least.¡±


    Vita said nothing at first before letting out a sigh, ¡°This is a foolish idea, but I¡¯ve no counterargument at the moment¡­ so I suppose we shall go with this one.¡± he then locked eyes with Skylar, ¡°But be on your guard, try to keep from doing anything stupid good will be damned. Survival comes first.¡± he declared this as he turned away walking deeper into the city.


    Skylar paused while folding her arms with an arched brow, ¡°He says that like I can¡¯t take care of myself¡­¡± Her gaze then shifted to the church in the center of the city, ¡°...If nothing else that place seems important.¡± she started to walk towards it with a hum.


    ***


    Pride lunged forward with her blade in hand, her eyes set upon Wrath, who raised his blade in response.


    Ducking to the left of Pride¡¯s first slash, ¡°Must we do this here? The public will not react kindly to our clash.¡± Wrath muttered with a glare.


    ¡°You should have thought about that before doing something so stupid!¡± Pride retorted with a leap bringing her blade down, Wrath responded by raising his own sword, sparks flew into the air as they clashed.


    And for a moment they stared at each other, ¡°An older brother must protect their siblings I get that.¡± Pride growled, ¡°But you never cared for me before, why start now? What changed!?¡±


    Wrath blinked at that, glancing to the side before pushing back on his blade and slamming his boot into Pride¡¯s side, ¡°I¡¯ve always cared.¡± he responded, Pride groaned as she hit the ground.


    ¡°You have a fucked up way of showing it.¡± She retorted.


    Wrath closed his eyes, ¡°...¡± he stood there putting his thoughts into words, ¡°We Eternal¡¯s are all granted gifts¡­ Mine is my strength. And your¡¯s is your limited immortality.¡± Wrath stated opening his eyes, ¡°But even though we are granted these things on top of our existences being eternal¡­ that doesn''t mean we can¡¯t be slain, The Shadewalker has proven that.¡± Wrath stated simply, ¡°It may be foolish, it may be asinine, but I will face The Shadewalker here¡­ for if I don¡¯t, she¡¯ll kill us all.¡±


    Pride stared forward at that, ¡°Do you really believe that.¡± She questioned standing tall, staring right at Wrath.


    He gripped his blade tight, ¡°I do.¡±


    Pride stood there for a moment looking conflicted, she looked to the side, ¡°Even so¡­ I can¡¯t just¡­ stand aside. You''re too special for that. I couldn¡¯t bear it if I¡­ If I could never see you again.¡± She choked out the words, tears welling up in her eye sockets.


    Wrath however just stared forward, taking a step forward instantly he closed the distance and slammed his fist into Pride¡¯s gut.


    Her eyes widened as she felt the world spin around her, she looked up desperately she tried to reach out towards Wrath, ¡°Why¡­?¡±


    But before she could finish her question she fell forward into Wrath¡¯s arms, he heard a set of footsteps approach him from behind, ¡°You were watching then Sloth?¡±


    A man stepped forward wearing black shoes and a long blue jacket, he had bags under his eyes and a cigar in his mouth he reached up with his gloved right hand, if one looked close they¡¯d see the holes around the knuckles.


    He pulled that cigar from his mouth and spoke, ¡°Always am.¡±


    Wrath stood up holding Pride in his arms, ¡°...Do me a favor and keep an eye on her.¡± he declared walking up to Sloth as he said this. There was a moment where he looked at Pride¡¯s sleeping form, ¡°She¡¯s got a long road ahead of her.¡±


    Sloth nodded at that, tossing his cigar aside and reaching out to grab hold of Pride looking up, ¡°And what of you? Are you certain this is the path you want to take?¡±


    Wrath paused at that locking eyes with Sloth, ¡°You¡¯ve already heard my reasoning, and you know I won¡¯t be swayed.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Soth muttered turning around as a portal opened for him, ¡°Figured I¡¯d try my hand at it anyways.¡±


    With that, he walked forward entering that portal without another thought.


    Wrath paused at that and sighed, turning to the church before him, ¡°...This will be a fine place for our clash, but¡­ I should wait for others to wear her down, no need to be too hasty with this girl.¡± he declared, shoving his hands back into his pockets as he made his way into a nearby alleyway.


    As he did so Skylar walked up to the church folding her arms as she looked up at the building ahead of her, ¡°What is this place even for?¡± She muttered to herself with a hum looking at the stone walls and stained glass that littered the place, ¡°It¡¯s fancy I¡¯ll give it that much¡­¡±


    ¡°They say it¡¯s a place of worship, for the one true God you see.¡± A voice called out suddenly causing Skylar to blink. She turned towards the direction of the voice, there walking up to her was Suzaku, ¡°¡®God¡¯ being used with its original intention here, not the one that people use so much nowadays.¡± She smirked, locking eyes with Skylar.


    ¡°Hm, is that so.¡± Skylar muttered to herself, turning to look at the building once more, ¡°It¡¯s a wonder that people are even okay with a place like this. I¡¯d assume a place that worships a ¡®God¡¯ of any sort would be scorned.¡±


    Suzaku eyed Skylar up and down for a moment before putting her hands behind her back and stepping forward right in front of Skylar, ¡°You''re not wrong, there are certainly those who don¡¯t like it¡­ but then some cannot live without it. Humans as a species need something to put their faith in, without that¡­ it¡¯s hard for some to find a reason to live.¡± She explained before extending her right hand outwards, ¡°I¡¯m Suzaku by the way¡­ and you are?¡±


    Skylar paused looking at Suzaku''s hand.


    There it was again.


    That feeling that something was wrong slowly Skylar reached out and grasped that hand, ¡°Valery.¡± She responded with her fake name, her eyes remaining calm as she spoke, ¡°And uh, what is it you''re doing here precisely?¡± Skylar asked this question with a tilt of her head.


    Suzaku removed her hand from Skylar¡¯s and chuckled. Taking a step back she responded, ¡°I¡¯m something of a consultant around these parts, and I¡¯m here to give you some advice¡­ Simply put, the way you''re going about things here is all wrong. No one¡¯s going to approach you this way.¡±


    In response to this Skylar¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Oh yeah? And why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Because actions speak louder than words.¡± Suzaku stated raising a finger, ¡°And you''re a stranger here, a stranger who has done nothing to make a name for herself save clash with the guard at the front gate¡­ Isn¡¯t it only natural that people would be concerned about you?¡± Suzaku questioned with a tilt of her head.


    Skylar rolled her eyes a bit at that, taking a step away from Suzaku, ¡°Alright miss Consultant, but why did you see it fit to come on over and speak to me then?¡±


    ¡°I have a soft spot for the stupid.¡± Suzaku admitted bluntly as she lifted her fingers to check her nails, ¡°It¡¯s hard to make it in any place if you can¡¯t get a read on people, and you deary are most certainly going to have a struggle here.¡±


    Skylar narrowed her gaze, ¡°Well since you¡¯ve done me the courtesy of being so blunt, I suppose I¡¯ll do the same. I don¡¯t like you.¡± Skylar admitted without hesitation, the wind blew faintly rustling her hair.


    Suzaku kept a smile on her face, lowering her hand and she spoke up, ¡°Is that so? Well that simply won¡¯t do, I wish to have you as a business partner Valery. I consider myself an excellent judge of character and I think you''re going to do something real special¡­¡± the wind ceased as she spoke her next words, ¡°something that will shake this whole island to its core. Or rather something that already has?¡±


    Skylar said nothing to those words lowering her arms, ¡°Suzaku was it?¡± She spoke the name with a calm aura lacing her words, ¡°If you want me to work with you wouldn¡¯t it be prudent to state what it is you want from me in the first place?¡±


    Suzaku smiled at that turning around, ¡°To the far north of the city, there is a cargo freight that requires an escort, I simply need you to take that cargo to the south of the city and deliver it to my man, you can recognize him by the emblem of a white horse upon her jacket.¡± Suzaku stated, she then looked over her shoulder. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not asking you to do this sort of thing for nothing, if you succeed I¡¯ll provide you with something you want. Be it items, information, or transport. I can provide it all.¡± she declared this with a smile turning around and walking off not even waiting for Skylar to respond.


    Leaving Skylar standing there alone to process the words, ¡°A transport¡­¡± she muttered, ¡°This feels sketchy. But¡­¡±


    -She knows more than she¡¯s letting on.


    At the very least if this is a trap it¡¯s a poorly concealed one.


    ¡°Right then.¡± Skylar looked up to the church, narrowing her eyes at it, ¡°Suppose there¡¯s no harm in taking this job.¡± she started to move forward through the city pausing for a moment as she turned her gaze towards the citizens.


    As per usual they shirked away from her gaze moving into hiding.


    Skylar¡¯s own eyes softened at the sight, ¡°...What a pitiful sight.¡± she muttered, closing her eyes and moving into the alleyways, ¡°We look for monsters under our beds when we should be looking into our mirrors.¡±


    Suzaku moved through her own set of alleyways back into her shop, she had a giddy smile on her face, and she was ready to move on with her day.


    Sit down. Have a nice drink, maybe slip into something more comfortable and-


    She paused, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d come to visit me so soon.¡± she commented with a sly smirk, ¡°Do you miss the taste of my lips so much~?¡± Suzaku flirted as she approached Yang who stood in the center of the shop.


    He locked his eyes onto Suzaku holding his spear, ¡°There was a girl at the gates today. She was strong. Called herself Valery.¡±


    Suzaku paused while walking up to Yang, ¡°Hm, yes I¡¯m aware, I went to meet her myself¡­ Sent her on a little task, though I¡¯m not positive she¡¯ll do it. Shady cargo and all that.¡± she declared wrapping her arm around Yang¡¯s neck, ¡°Though it would be delightful if she did¡­ after all, that cargo is sure to be targeted by Seriyu.¡±


    Yang paused, ¡°You intend to kill her?¡±


    ¡°Nothing of the sort.¡± Suzaku declared, ¡°I felt that shockwave from here after all, she¡¯s strong whoever she is¡­ but I need more measurements before I figure out how best to deal with her. Why would I take those measurements when I could have someone else do them for me.¡±


    Yang kept his gaze locked on Suzaku and he opened his mouth to speak, ¡°You could have asked me.¡± he pointed out with a tilt of his head, letting some of his hair fall over his eye.


    ¡°What and let that pretty face of yours get all bruised?¡± Suzaku responded with a coy smirk standing on the tips of her toes and kissing him on the cheek, ¡°I¡¯d rather not. You have far better uses.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡± he asked with tired eyes.


    Suzaku paused at that, removing her arms from Yang¡¯s neck and she moved slowly to her countertop running a hand over it, ¡°...There¡¯s time for that later, all you need to know is this. You¡¯ll be the deciding factor.¡± she declared this as she locked her eyes onto Yang with a small smile.


    ***


    In a dark room, Seriyu leaned up against a wall, his gaze was dark, ¡°Though my time in this existence has been short¡­ I find it has granted me nothing. Save for questions.¡± he spoke with a sigh, ¡°You human¡¯s speak as though gods are monsters, beasts that must be put down. But to my eyes, it seems as though the gods are the more civil ones. You humans, you who¡¯d lie, cheat, kill, steal. Seem to be the real monsters in my eyes¡­¡±


    He then paused, pushing away from the wall, ¡°Hm, but I waste my breath trying to converse with you don¡¯t I? Broken as you are now, you''re about as useful as a doll.¡±


    There straight ahead on the stone floor wrapped in chains around her arm was Striga, her eyes staring forward in empty fear, she uttered only one word, ¡°Skylar¡­¡±


    Seriyu paused while turning around and walking to the wooden door that kept this place hidden, ¡°And that is the most amusing part isn¡¯t it? The first words that leave your lips is not the name of your ¡®beloved¡¯ but the name of someone else entirely.¡±


    With that he pushed the door open walking into the dark hallway ahead, it was dimly lit to be more precise, torches littered the wall and he walked amongst the shadows with his own eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Sir.¡± a voice spoke from ahead, Seriyu paused squinting to get a better look of who it was Qin, ¡°There is word that the rebels are acting up again¡­ something about a transport on the northern side of town.¡±


    Seriyu sighed, ¡°Of course, there is¡­ and you wish for me to take care of it? Don¡¯t you realize I have better things to do with my time?¡±


    Qin frowned at that, ¡°This was part of our arrangement, wasn¡¯t it? You take care of the rebels and the church stays in power. Or need I remind you who keeps that girl locked up here in the first place?¡±


    Seriyu narrowed his gaze, ¡°Need I remind you who is merely flesh and bones and can be torn apart with the flick of my wrist.¡± He challenged with a coy grin causing Qin to flinch, ¡°But your point is made, I¡¯ll see the supplies destroyed along with any rebels protecting it.¡±


    With those words, he walked past Qin, ¡°Just be sure to remember your place mortal.¡±


    Qin turned around, but as soon as he did Seriyu was already gone.


    Qin then frowned looking at the door where Striga was locked away, ¡°To think the Witch Of Jubilee could be brought low so easily¡­ I was told she was a threat to all of us¡­ That her intellect and strategies were unmatched. So then why was this so easy¡­?¡±


    He cupped his chin letting out a hum, ¡°Perhaps we are missing a piece of the puzzle, some vital thing that The Witch has placed all her faith in?¡± He mused aloud before glancing to the door, his eyes narrowed before he shook his head, ¡°Or perhaps she was more a fool than any of us could have seen.¡±


    ***


    Skylar walked through the far edge of the city just as she had been directed, a frown upon her face and her guard up.


    There straight ahead was a large building made of stone, with an even larger door in front.


    To the left was a carriage with two horses attached to it, the carriage in question didn¡¯t seem well suited for caring people. Cargo perhaps?


    Skylar let out a hum at the sight, yet before she could examine it further the door to the large building opened and a large man walked forward, ¡°Nothing for you to see here girl, move along before I make you.¡± he was wearing brown pants, and white shoes, he was certainly well built and on his black jacket was the emblem that Suzaku had mentioned.


    Skylar took note of it and spoke up, ¡°I¡¯m here on a job. Suzaku was the one who sent me¡­ Not that I have any proof of the fact.¡±


    Skylar explained with a frown, not entirely believing her words would suffice.


    The man blinked his eyes softening, ¡°...You''re the one? I knew you¡¯d be young. But this young is a bit¡­¡± he then shook his head, ¡°Nevermind, if the boss sought you out I''m sure you''re more than worth it.¡± he then turned to the carriage, ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯ll be transporting. Our cargo is to be protected at any costs.¡± he then paused, reaching into his pocket and pulled out a Blank, ¡°the horses, however, haven¡¯t had water in a bit. Take this to the well along that pathway and use it to get them a drink. Unless you want them to pass out before you arrive.¡± He explained pointing down a pathway to the right.


    Skylar paused while taking the Blank, ¡°They¡¯ll drink from Blanks? How will the Well even infuse the crystal?¡±


    The man chuckled at that, ¡°The horses are obedient enough that they should drink from the crystals no problem¡­ The Well itself holds a load of crystals at the bottom, so the water itself is magically infused.


    One touch of it should be more than enough to charge that crystal¡­¡± He then looked to Skylar, ¡°Any other questions?¡±


    Skylar paused looking at the carriage, she wanted to know what she was transporting¡­ but¡­ something told her the answer to that question would lead to more trouble so she sighed, ¡°No. Nothing more, I¡¯ll be off then.¡±


    ¡°One more thing.¡± The man suddenly called out, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have to say this¡­ but stay clear of the church, if anyone there found the cargo they¡¯d execute you on the spot.¡±


    Skylar turns that frown on her face, ¡°The Church¡­?¡±


    The man shook his head, ¡°That large building in the center of the town. Surely you¡¯ve seen it by now?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Skylar smiled sheepishly, ¡°That one.¡± she ran a hand through her hair, ¡°right right I¡¯ll be off then.¡± she declared as she climbed onto the carriage


    Skylar let out a hum as she moved the cart along.


    It was pulled by two horses. They did most of the work, her job was just to watch and unload the cargo¡­


    She sat there as time passed, a frown on her face. She looked around for a moment. The city streets were empty at the moment.


    ¡°...Surely one peek wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± she declared after double-checking the area.


    She looked behind her pulling the white curtain back, ¡°That sure is a lot of boxes¡­ I¡¯m surprised they handed it off to me so willingly¡­¡± She was given this thing by two gruff-looking men.


    Like the type that¡¯d pull you into an alleyway and stab you.


    But as soon as Skylar introduced herself as ¡®Valery¡¯ and that she was sent there by Suzaku they just¡­ handed it off without another word.


    Needless to say, she was a little uneasy.


    Skylar let out a sigh and pulled on the reins of the horses they were at a slightly open part of town now. And there was a well in the center, ¡°I need a drink.¡± she muttered leaping off the carriage and walking over to the well she threw the bucket that was laid at its side down the bottom of it.


    As soon as she did so, she looked over her shoulder watching the horses.


    They seemed fine as is¡­ but she could never be too careful. She let out a hum and started to pull the bucket back up to her right. A grasshopper leaped into the air just as she pulled the bucket up.


    Going right into the bucket.


    ¡°Aw come on¡­ The water was just fresh, little guy,¡± she muttered leaning the bucket toward her in an attempt to get the grasshopper out.


    Only for her to see something in the reflection of the water.


    Silver.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes widened and she instantly dropped the bucket without a second thought turning around and moving to her left.


    There right before her eyes, Seriyu thrust his blade forward, his eyes widened as the blade passed Skylar¡¯s face and he quickly shifted on his feet, changing the strike of his blade and slashing horizontally towards Skylar¡¯s stomach.


    Skylar leaped backward barely avoiding the strike from Seriyu, he blinked at that, clearly surprised that Skylar had even sensed him getting close, ¡°Hm¡­ Well, that¡¯s an interesting one¡­ but even so.¡±


    His form shifted once more and Skylar¡¯s eyes widened; she shifted 90 degrees and dodged to the left avoiding a horizontal slash, before leaping into the air avoiding a second blow.


    Sparks burst to life around her hands and she threw a fireball down at Seriyu, who leaped backward to avoid it only for his eyes to widen as Skylar¡¯s right fist slammed into his face, he moved to slash her once more only for Skylar hit the ground and leap back at the last moment.


    They landed on the ground a fair distance from each other, staring at each other with cautious expressions, ¡°...This girl moves like a demon and she can see through my shadow slide¡­ Just who the hell is she?¡± Seriyu thought to himself his grip around his blade tightened.


    Skylar on the other hand kept her gaze focused, gritting her teeth as she stared this man down, she spread her legs slightly preparing to dodge at a given notice.


    Skylar breathed heavily, sorting through her thoughts.


    -He¡¯s strong. Fast as well¡­ How was this guy not on my radar before? Julietta would have mentioned someone like him, Striga as well so that just begs the question¡­


    They kept each other''s gaze and for once their thoughts became mirrored.


    ¡°Who the hell are they?¡±


    Chapter 13: Sickles Upon Heavens Gate.


    Skylar kept her gaze narrowed as far as Seriyu knew, all this girl was capable of was fire magic.


    She still had the advantage in terms of tricks, but even so.


    The man kept his gaze locked on Skylar, his blade shining in the moonlight as he raised it, ¡°...I¡¯m impressed child, you¡¯ve at least some semblance of skill.¡± Seriyu declared with a slight smirk on his face, ¡°Such a thing shouldn''t be possible on this island¡­ so either you trained yourself up somewhere on this island without me knowing, or you''re an outsider.¡±


    Seriyu then lunged forward, thrusting with his blade aiming for Skylar¡¯s chest causing Skylar to dodge to the side with gritted teeth, ¡°That just begs the question of who you are.¡± Seriyu concluded by thrusting again and again aiming for different spots on Skylar¡¯s chest, never the same one but always just out of Skylar¡¯s reach keeping her on the defensive, not giving her a single moment to strike back.


    Only for him to stop, he stopped as Skylar¡¯s back hit a building.


    He didn¡¯t dare approach, not when he stared into her eyes, there was something in them, a fire, a beast breaking out of a cage.


    Skylar then took in a shaky breath standing up, some blood was leaking from her lip, and she stared forward at Seriyu, ¡°...You''re not an idiot, are you? You¡¯ve got some idea of who I am¡­¡± Skylar spoke as she stuck her tongue out, licking the blood from her lip and staring forward her eyes shined crimson as she taunted Seriyu.


    He held his blade tightening his grip, ¡°...¡± he started to walk forward as Skylar raised her fists once more, ¡°Do you think you can win without a weapon girl?¡±


    Skylar smirked despite the worry in her gaze, ¡°Dunno, think yours will be enough to beat me?¡± she taunted him hoping that angering him would reveal an opening.


    A smirk appeared on his face as he held his blade out, ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be a problem girl.¡± Despite his words, he refused to approach.


    Skylar¡¯s back may be against the wall but Seriyu wasn¡¯t a fool, a missed strike here would leave him open to a counterattack.


    A well-placed fireball would be enough to do him in.


    So he waited, trying to see how Skylar would respond.


    -This is bad¡­ my back is against the wall and he¡¯s not approaching¡­ So how do I get in there?


    With wind magic? No. Exposing myself now would only lead to further problems.


    But then how do I get in there? There¡¯s no way for me to beat him like this¡­ Damn it!


    Skylar¡¯s eyes widened for a moment.


    A memory bubbled to the surface.


    ¡°Huh? A second weapon?¡± Skylar arched a brow looking at Tetra, ¡°Why would I need that? My sword does the job just fine doesn¡¯t it?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Tetra leaned on his desk, they were both in his study on the airship, ¡°Sure it does. But what about situations where you don¡¯t have that sword? Or a situation where drawing the blade would put you in even more danger such as a small cave?¡± Tetra asked, pointing his pen at Skylar, ¡°In those types of situations where your back¡¯s against a wall. That¡¯s why Executioners need to train with all sorts of weapons. So they can be prepared for any situation¡­¡± he then pauses setting his pen down, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you need to always be switching weapons¡­ but what you do need to at least start doing is getting familiar with the idea of fighting with something other than your blade.¡± he then walked up and put a hand on Skylar¡¯s shoulder smiling at her, ¡°You can do it. After all¡­ you¡¯ve already surpassed me.¡±


    Slowly Skylar took in a breath snapping back to the reality of the situation before her, slowly she raised her fists taking on a new stance.


    Causing Seriyu to blink, ¡°What am I looking at here¡­?¡± he pondered with his frown growing.


    -There was only one other type of weapon I ever even tried after that lesson¡­ daggers. They were light, easy to swing around but their range was too short for my liking.


    Skylar stared forward, a smirk on her face.


    -But I got used to them, even if only for a moment¡­ I think I can beat this guy¡­ All I have to do is¡­


    Skylar shot forward, throwing her right fist forward, Seriyu dodged to the side, his eyes wide as he thrust forward, and his blade soared past Skylar¡¯s head.


    -I¡¯ll overwhelm him with a flurry of blows.


    With that thought Skylar ducked under Seriyu¡¯s next overhead strike, ready to move in for another blow.


    Throwing her right fist into Seriyu¡¯s gut making him wince and start to move backward.


    Skylar didn¡¯t let up the pressure, throwing her left fist forward.


    Seriyu of course dodged to the left, cautious now of Skylar after she landed that blow, Skylar lifted her leg in an attempt to kick Seriyu only for him to take a step backward her eyes narrowed as Skylar seamlessly transitioned that kick into a flip.


    In response to this Seriyu raised his blade once more ready to capitalize on the moment Skylar landed, ¡°You''re done!¡± he declared, thrusting his blade forward.


    The moment the blade came close to Skylar¡¯s head however she dropped to the ground sweeping her leg across the ground, knocking Seriyu off his balance, his eyes were wide and his mouth was agape as he began to fall.


    Skylar sprung back up pulling his fist back ready to slam it into Seriyu¡¯s face as he was falling.


    Like a brick falling from a rooftop she moved to strike, Seriyu however slashed up with his blade in that same instant cutting up Skylar¡¯s cheek, and across her left eye, she winced and leaped backward.


    At the same time, Seriyu slammed his free hand on the ground and used it to flip backward gaining some distance over Skylar.


    Skylar¡¯s left hand covered her now useless left eye and stared forward at Seriyu with her right.


    Seriyu reached up with his free hand touching his cheek.


    They stayed like that for a moment staring at one another.


    It was soon after that Seriyu spoke up, ¡°...What is it you''re here for girl?¡± he asked this question with his blade raised.


    ¡°Did you come here to bring naught but a storm of death in your wake? Do you hate the gods so much that you¡¯d obliterate the natural order of things here? Did you ever even stop to think of what the consequences of your actions may end up being?¡± he spoke these words with narrowed eyes, his face curled up into a snarl as he shouted. ¡°Answer me! Girl!¡±


    Skylar said nothing in response at first, she slowly lowered her left hand keeping that eye closed as the blood dripped down her face.


    ¡°...¡± she took in a low breath, taking a step forward, ¡°I¡¯ve figured it out.¡± she spoke raising her fists, ¡°I can¡¯t stand it. I can¡¯t stand it when people abuse their power¡­ lording it over the week. Wrapping it around them like chains. I hate it¡­ I don¡¯t care about the consequences, I¡¯ll bear the burden of every one of them. But it doesn¡¯t matter to me. Humans. Gods. I¡¯ll shatter all of those chains until there is nothing that can hold us down anymore.¡± Skylar¡¯s remaining eye flashed for a moment.


    Seriyu could swear he saw the color silver within Skylar¡¯s eye.


    But it was quickly replaced by an azure glow as Skylar took a step forward, ¡°Come on then¡­ face your execution with some pride.¡±


    Seriyu kept his face stone dead before tilting his head slightly, ¡°I believe this is the first time we¡¯ve properly met¡­ Skylar Shadewalker.¡±


    The azure eyes gave it away of course not that Skylar cared, her eyes only narrowed in silent contempt as Seriyu kept speaking, ¡°You certainly do the rumors justice, even unarmed you are a threat beyond reckoning¡­ However.¡± he paused looking right into Skylar¡¯s eyes, ¡°...Even if you kill me¡­ You''re not leaving this island alive.¡±


    Skylar let out a breath and an icy chill escaped her lips, ¡°And why¡¯s that? Got some flunkies that¡¯ll try and take me out?¡±


    In response to this retort, Seriyu chuckled bitterly, ¡°You haven¡¯t felt it? The bloodlust in the air¡­?¡± Seriyu took his gaze off Skylar looking to the skies for a moment, ¡°This place is a battlefield this war of ours hasn¡¯t ceased yet.¡± he ducked to the side suddenly as a blade of ice soared past his cheek, Skylar was holding a dagger she had manifested with her newfound ice magic, Seriyu spoke as he slashed down shattering that ice dagger, ¡°The strongest we have to offer¡­ one after the other they¡¯ll be upon you.¡± He then put his blade against Skylar¡¯s neck, ¡°And when all is said and done¡­ You¡¯ll die.¡±


    As he spoke those words he pressed his blade further against Skylar¡¯s neck, and in response she looked him right in the eyes, and spoke with a smile on her face, ¡°Will I now?¡± she asked as blood started to draw, ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you done it yet? You¡¯ve got the blade at my neck. I¡¯m at your mercy and yet you hold back, you could hack my head off and watch it tumble to the ground¡­ so why don¡¯t you?¡±


    Seriyu said nothing to the question, keeping his gaze on Skylar, leaving her to ponder the answer for herself.


    She started to walk forward unafraid, ¡°It¡¯s certainly not lack of will¡­ so what is it?¡± she muttered as she now stood face to face with Seriyu.


    He paused, lowering his blade, dispelling the weapon entirely, ¡°If you wish to know¡­ then come to the House Of Hope¡­ it is in that place that your final battle shall occur, Shadewalker.¡±


    With that, he sunk back into the shadows vanishing entirely.


    Skylar stared forward for the moment before reaching up with her left hand putting it over her left eye socket, ¡°That was bad¡­ one wrong move there and he really would''ve finished me off.¡±


    She then lowered that hand walking up to the horses, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you two didn¡¯t run off¡­ you''re awfully brave aren¡¯t you?¡± She spoke with a light smile, the horses neighed in delight as Skylar reached up and petted their manes.


    She then looked to the carriage itself climbing up and pulling away the curtain to check the contents, nothing was taken it seemed.


    So she let out a sigh sitting down, and looking at her hands, ¡°...The church¡­¡± she muttered looking over to the building in the distance.


    A frown appeared on her face, ¡°Not a priority¡­ I need information first.¡± She then leaped from the carriage in question and walked back over to the well pulling the bucket up once more, ¡°...On top of that I need a plan, or at least a weapon going up against Seriyu unarmed is only gonna result in my death.¡±


    She then paused remembering the sight of herself on her home island, the horses started to move.


    She could always enter that state again¡­ but.


    ¡°...It draws mana from the land.¡± She frowned, ¡°It keeps me alive, yeah, but it draws a lot of mana. I should try to avoid using that variant of Overdrive while I can.¡± Her hands moved deftly as she grabbed the Blanks she was given and started to fill them with water.


    She then blinked, leaning back, ¡°Come to think of it¡­ I¡¯ve never heard anything about multiple versions of Overdrive¡­ Is this new? Am I the first¡­?¡±


    She then scoffed, shaking her head, ¡°Focus Skylar, you¡¯ve got a job to do.¡± she scolded herself, her eyes focusing on the road ahead.


    Suddenly thunder boomed from above causing Skylar to turn her gaze up, ¡°...When did the clouds roll in?¡± she muttered confusion riddled upon her face.


    Skylar then folds her arms, furrowing her brow ¡°That¡¯s not the sort of thing I¡¯d miss¡­ Is it?¡± thunder boomed once more and rain began to pour down causing Skylar to wince, and throw her hood up.


    ¡°Rain never leads to anything good.¡± She spoke as she walked up to the horses giving them their water, ¡°...Bad omens all around today¡­ Am I being paranoid?¡± She questioned though there was no one to answer.


    She then sighed, setting the blanks aside and getting back onto the carriage, ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll wrap this job up. Get my information¡­ and get out of here.¡±


    As she grabbed the reins she paused as she stared at the stone path ahead, the rain poured down on it and she blinked at the sight before reaching up and grabbing her head with her right hand, a throbbing pain entered her head.


    ¡°What so that¡¯s it then? Move on with it? Forgive and forget. No, that¡¯s not how this ends. You know that better than most don¡¯t you?¡±


    Skylar grits her teeth looking up for a moment she thought she saw cave walls, and a man standing ahead.


    But as soon as the vision came it ended.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± she looked around confusion riddled upon her face, but no answers came.


    She looked back down to the reins, a frown on her face, ¡°I must be more exhausted than I thought¡­¡± she concluded after a moment.


    But her hands were shaking.


    There was something wrong, something that she didn¡¯t yet understand.


    With that simple thought, she was on her way.


    ***


    Jack sat in his workshop, examining the item that he had been working on for the past few days.


    ¡°The design is nearly flawless¡­ but then¡­¡± He looks to his right down at the papers, ¡°Hm, it doesn''t match up with descriptions.¡± she furrows his brow with confusion, ¡°What could I be missing?¡±


    ¡°Job¡¯s done Jack!¡± Beatrice declared with a skip as she entered the workshop, ¡°There certainly have been a lot of gods here as of late¡­ more than any would think natural.¡±


    ¡°Course there are after the veritable storm of mana that was surrounding our place vanished. Our only real shield for those creatures is gone, now they¡¯ve come to try and claim a feast¡­ it¡¯s what makes this war such a drag.¡± Jack pointed out, setting his papers down, and looking over his shoulder.


    Beatrice folded her arms at that, letting out a slight hum, ¡°But I found my way here before the storm vanished didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Jack looked behind his chair, ¡°No offense Beatrice, but when it comes to Gods. You are far from natural. I¡¯d go so far as to call you a demon.¡±


    ¡°Aww you flatter me~¡± Beatrice declared with a wink, ¡°But really, we do need to find a solution to this little problem. I¡¯m strong, but if they keep pushing at the border they''re gonna break through sooner or later.¡± She folded her arms, a frown appearing upon her face as she continued, ¡°As lovely as that bit of chaos sounds, I¡¯ve made my home on this island, and living it with other self-entitled pricks doesn''t sound all that appealing.¡±


    Jack sighed, closing his eyes, ¡°And what would you have me do about it? I¡¯m not much of a fighter, and our best have yet to return.¡± his eyes then opened and he glared at Beatrice, ¡°Or would you prefer I throw myself face first into the jaws of death for your amusement?¡±


    Beatrice shook her head, ¡°To be blunt there is one thing I want from you.¡± She then lowered her hands, ¡°I want that ruler of ours off the throne, he¡¯s good sure. But he cannot move others to act¡­ We need someone else.¡±


    Jack paused at that, turning his full attention to Beatrice, ¡°...That¡¯s rather surprising coming from you, though you house a seat in the council, I never took you as the type to care about the future of Jubilee.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Beatrice confirmed without hesitation, but then she glanced at the stairs, ¡°You don¡¯t have any magic so I doubt you¡¯d get this¡­ but there¡¯s a point where the mana in the air grows thick. At moments like this, mages and gods alike are struck with some sort of premonition¡­ It varies of course, it could just be a sign that things are changing. Maybe something good will happen¡­ but in this particular case. I can feel it, something is about to go very very wrong. It¡¯s the same feeling in the air as when The Kingdom was assaulted¡­¡±


    Jack paused hearing those words taking them in for a moment before looking back to the blade he was working on a frown on his face, ¡°...I suppose the old man has been on the chair for a while now.¡± he then sighed standing from his chair, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll make a request for a meeting and make my case. But I trust you have a plan in mind to turn the rest of the council onto this idea?¡±


    Beatrice shrugged at that, ¡°More or less, I¡¯d be lying if I said my idea was foolproof though.¡±


    Jack in response to this ran an exasperated hand across his face, ¡°Of course not¡­ let¡¯s hear it then.¡±


    Beatrice paused, seeming to consider her words carefully, a rare moment of hesitation on her face, but soon enough she let the words pass through her lips like all others, ¡°I intend to put Striga into the position of leader.¡±


    Silence took the room then.


    And Jack folded his arms, ¡°...That¡¯s not likely to go well if the reports I¡¯ve received from Babylon are any indication. It sounds to me like her forces have all but been annihilated. Such a grueling failure is not likely to sway opinions, or move hearts.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not.¡± Beatrice conceded this instantly, but a smirk appeared on her face, ¡°But Striga has The Shadewalker on her side isn¡¯t that correct? While Striga alone may struggle to hold ground, with Skylar at her side¡­ her word could be taken as unavoidable law. Less we face the wrath of Skylar.¡±


    Jack paused at that, ¡°You intend to use Skylar to push Striga into a position of power¡­¡± he muttered in realization, a frown appearing on his face, ¡°A risky gambit¡­ but not impossible. However¡­¡± he cupped his chin, ¡°This idea hinges on if Skylar can achieve victory within that island¡­¡±


    ¡°You doubt she can?¡± Beatrice questioned putting her hands behind her back.


    Jack looked up then, lowering his hand, ¡°I doubt not her strength. But I doubt that she will leave that place the same person she was.¡±


    He then looked down at the blade once more, ¡°And if she did I¡¯d have to assume she¡¯s lying.¡± a frown then appeared on his face.


    ¡°Still, the point of the matter is¡­ your plan is flawed, Skylar is an adventurer at heart and she¡¯ll keep exploring this land as far as she can. She will not stay here.¡±


    Beatrice paused at those words taking them in, before turning to the stairs once more.


    ¡°You just leave that part to me¡­¡±


    ***


    Skylar let out a sigh as she reached her destination.


    ¡°Well well, look at that you made it here with all your limbs intact.¡± A familiar voice called out, causing Skylar to glare with her good eye.


    Suzaku let out a hum as she approached, ¡°Shame about the eye though, I take it you had a run-in with our foe?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Skylar said nothing to that, instead choosing to remain spiteful.


    Suzaku shrugged, giving an exasperated sigh, ¡°Oh come now, enough with the silent treatment. I assure you the cargo you¡¯ve delivered here is more than worth the effort.¡± she then turned around, ¡°And if you can¡¯t take my word for it, perhaps his will suffice.¡±


    Skylar then took a step to the right to see over Suzaku¡¯s shoulder.


    There Yang was walking up to them, ¡°...You were the girl at the gate¡­ It hasn''t even been a day and you''re already stirring up trouble I see.¡±


    Skylar shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not like I asked for any of this.¡± she then put her hands on her hips, ¡°I need information so I took a job¡­ speaking of¡­¡± she looked back to the carriage, ¡°Just what the hell kind of cargo was I transporting?¡±


    Yang paused at Skylar¡¯s question looking over to Suzaku who simply shrugged.


    So Yang sighed, turning to the large building ahead of him, ¡°If you wanna know that badly then come inside, but what I speak of doesn''t leave the building understood?¡±


    Skylar lowered her arms, ¡°Sure.¡± she then glanced over to Suzaku who smiled innocently.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t you worry about me, I¡¯m going to put our cargo away, then I¡¯ll join the both of you later.¡± She proclaimed, puffing her chest out a bit.


    Skylar rolled her eyes at that, turning away and walking into the large building before her.


    There she paused, noticing something strange, a bunch of men and women all gathered around the edges of the wall.


    Grabbed in various pieces of clothing all holding weapons.


    Skylar looked at them all before looking to the center of the room where Yang stood and she spoke, ¡°Is this supposed to be some sort of ambush?¡± she questioned.


    ¡°...Not in the slightest.¡± Yang declared, turning to lock eyes with Skylar, ¡°It¡¯s our army¡­ A small force that remains to stand against Lust. And we want you on our side.¡±


    Skylar paused at that before smiling, ¡°Me? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve got the wrong person, I¡¯m no one special. Just a simple mage.¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Oh is that so?¡± Yang declared with a hum, ¡°But you took a peek at our wares, or at the very least moved the curtain didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea what you''re talking about, I got into a bit of a scuffle as you can see so the curtain might have moved during that, but not once have I checked the wares.¡± Skylar declared with her good eye closed, pointing to her bad one to emphasize her point.


    ¡°And yet when last we met, you declared that you were an Executioner.¡± Yang pointed out with a glint in his gaze.


    Skylar said nothing to that, keeping her eyes closed.


    So Yang took that as a sign to continue, he lifted his right hand as he spoke, ¡°As such, you must be here for one reason and one reason alone. To kill Lust, so wouldn¡¯t it benefit you to assist u-¡±


    ¡°Not happening,¡± Skylar spoke with a frown.


    Yang paused, lowering his hand slowly and then he spoke with a glare, ¡°May I ask why?¡±


    Skylar slowly opened her good eye once more, staring down Yang, ¡°If it was just you. I might have considered your offer. But if these are the people you¡¯d bring to fight?¡±


    Skylar slowly looked around the room, her frown only deepened as she did so, ¡°I¡¯ll have to refuse your offer every time. These people aren¡¯t warriors.¡±


    The people in question all looked at one another with worry and anger on their faces, and a young man stepped forward.


    Anger on his face, ¡°M-Maybe we''re not! But we want our homes back. We want our lives back¡­ s-so we¡¯ll fight!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t.¡± Skylar turned to that young man with a glare on her face, ¡°You¡¯ll rush forward. You¡¯ll flail that weapon around, maybe you¡¯ll cut someone¡¯s cheek. But you won¡¯t fight. You won¡¯t break anything. And you won¡¯t win. You¡¯ll be a corpse on the ground in a matter of seconds.¡±


    The boy growled, ¡°W-What do you know!? There¡¯s enough of us! We can overpower one woman!¡±


    Skylar kept her gaze on the boy and then she sighed.


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡± she questioned lifting her hand and running it through her hair, ¡°...Fine then. Do you all share the sentiments of this boy?¡± Skylar looked at the group.


    In total, there were about 50 of them.


    All of them nodded in agreement.


    Skylar then turned her gaze back to Yang, ¡°How desperately do you want me on your side then?¡±


    Yang furrowed his brow in confusion not quite understanding what Skylar was thinking, ¡°Having a mage would boost our chances significantly¡­ as such I will do what I must to get you to join us.¡±


    Skylar turned around to face the door, ¡°In that case, I want to see all of you at the front gate tomorrow. And Yang, do me a solid and bring my weapons.¡± Skylar spoke with a smirk.


    Yang tilted his head, ¡°...That can be arranged, but may I ask¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Skylar chuckled, the question was a silly one of course so she looked over her shoulder, her single eye glowing crimson sending a chill over the entire group before her in the dimly lit space, ¡°Because all of you are going to fight me.¡±


    The boy spoke up at that, ¡°W-What!? Are you stupid!? Do you think so little of us that you think we can¡¯t take you on when you''re by yourself!?!¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Skylar spat ruthlessly, her single eye glowing with nothing but contempt, ¡°If you wish to throw yourselves at me now, I won¡¯t turn you down¡­ but just know.¡±


    Skylar turned back around, putting her hand on the door and opening it, ¡°The result will be the same.¡±


    With that she exited the building with a sigh, the door closed behind her, and she turned left to see Suzaku leaning against the wall, ¡°Things didn¡¯t go smoothly then?¡±


    Skylar folded her arms at that with a scowl, ¡°You''re going to get all those people killed.¡± she pointed out with a narrowed gaze.


    Suzaku paused while tilting her head, ¡°Hm, you don¡¯t know much about the situation here do you?¡± she asked with a slight smirk, ¡°They¡¯ll die with or without my involvement¡­ And that¡¯s not because I want them to¡­ Lust plans to sink this whole place soon.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that and she growled, ¡°Your fucking kidding me. Why? What good reason would she even have to do that?!¡±


    Suzaku put a finger to her lips glaring at Skylar, ¡°Hush now. This information is between us, consider it a sign of good faith. But that faith only works if we are honest with each other¡­ Don¡¯t you think? Skylar Shadewalker?¡±


    Skylar blinked at that narrowing her gaze, ¡°...Who are you.¡± she was instantly on guard, reaching for her sword only to be reminded that it wasn¡¯t there.


    Suzaku chuckled a little at that, ¡°Hm. Maybe revealing that I know who you are wasn¡¯t the best of moves at the moment¡­ but that won¡¯t change facts.¡± she then started to walk off looking up to the skies, ¡°...My magic¡­ is something special, in terms of combat potential, it¡¯s practically useless in large scale skirmishes. Anything more than 3 people would cause me to be in danger.¡± She declared lifting her hand and reaching up as if to grasp the skies high above, ¡°I¡­¡± she then turned her head locking eyes with Skylar, ¡°have the ability to control other people. At least to a certain extent.¡± Suzaku declared, lowering her hand and them smirking at Skylar, ¡°I tried it on you as well, when we first met near the church.¡±


    Skylar frowned at that, ¡°If you''re trying to get on my good side, you''re certainly failing.¡±


    Suzaku tilted her head slightly, ¡°Is that right? Hm, well whatever¡­ the point of the matter is it didn¡¯t work.¡± Suzaku looked at her nails before looking up, ¡°That¡¯s never happened to me before, few have ever resisted my magic. And no one has ever been completely immune.¡± Suzaku kept her gaze locked onto Skylar¡¯s eyes, ¡°In my eyes that left only two possibilities. Either you are some oddity. Or¡­ you were a Shadewalker.¡±


    Skylar folded her arms, ¡°The first one I get. But that second one? Seems like quite the leap in logic.¡±


    Suzaku chuckled at that, ¡°Oho? You really are clueless about your lineage aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Skylar said nothing to that, only glaring at Suzaku.


    Suzaku put her hands behind her back smiling softly, ¡°I¡¯ll enlighten you then, about the traits that a Shadewalker normally possesses. The first is a heightened attunement to the Void, your kind tends to pick up Dark Knight tricks easily and have an easier time sensing monsters. The second is heightened physical abilities. Your stamina is above average, and your strength is certainly up there¡­ on top of that you heal quickly as well. To an even supernatural degree,¡± Suzaku pointed to Skylar¡¯s bad eye, ¡°I bet even that will heal right up after a good night''s sleep¡­ And then there¡¯s the last bit, complete immunity to all attacks on your psyche.¡±


    ¡°...Why are you telling me all this?¡± Skylar questioned her hand clenching into a fist.


    ¡°Because I want you to trust me.¡± Suzaku explained once more, ¡°In case you haven¡¯t noticed, you''re in the belly of the beast right now. Teetering on the edge of death itself. One false move and everything you care for is going to be gone.¡±


    Skylar glared at Suzaku once more, ¡°If you want me to trust you so badly then tell me¡­¡± Skylar took a step forward, the ground seemed to shake a bit with her movement, ¡°Where is Striga.¡±


    Suzaku kept staring not uttering a word just for the moment she let the wind blow, soon enough she opened her mouth, ¡°The church. Was her last known location. If I were a betting girl, I¡¯d put my money on Striga being in the catacombs.¡±


    Skylar frowned at that, ¡°There¡¯s only one entrance. Unless I break a window¡­ I¡¯ll have to go in through the front door.¡± Skylar spoke those words in realization, ¡°Not to mention the size of the building¡­ I don¡¯t like the idea of having to fight in there.¡±


    Skylar¡¯s frown only deepened as she thought about how best to get in there, Suzaku watched Skylar with some interest, ¡°So wouldn¡¯t it serve you to have some good soldiers? To take the heat off you? What¡¯s more¡­ I happen to know a back entrance¡­ A way you could enter the catacombs undetected.¡± Suzaku declared taking a few steps forward and slipping just behind Skylar.


    Skylar turned on her heel, ¡°You''re suggesting I send them to their death?¡±


    ¡°Like I already explained, they''ll be dying regardless. Best to make use of them before then don¡¯t you agree?¡± Suzaku then held out a small piece of paper, ¡°This address is a collaborator of ours. Simply go there and he¡¯ll put you up for the night.¡±


    Skylar slowly reached out and grabbed the paper, only for Suzaku to reach up with her free hand and wrap her hand around Skylar¡¯s wrist, ¡°Just to be clear Shadewalker. I expect payment for my information¡­ that payment comes in the form of Lust¡¯s head.¡±


    Skylar said nothing to that, simply keeping her gaze on the paper.


    Suzaku then removed her hand and smiled, turning to the building ahead of her, ¡°Well then, that was a fruitful endevor~¡± and with that, she skipped away as though nothing had occurred.


    Skylar however looked down to the paper she was given and scowled.


    She then started to walk towards her destination.


    ¡°What a shitty situation.¡± she murmured to herself that scowl only grew with every step, ¡°I could just knock them all out tomorrow, but that¡¯d make them all angry¡­ well angrier¡­¡± She then stopped in her tracks blinking with her one eye for a moment as an idea formed in her head, ¡°...Unless¡­¡±


    Her crimson eyes flashed with realization and a smirk started to replace her scowl, ¡°Oh that¡¯s a stupid idea. No, not even stupid. It¡¯s an idea so bad that one could only call it insane¡­¡± Skylar looked up to the sky.


    ¡°...But it could work. I can make it work.¡± Skylar then took a confident step forward, ¡°Right then.¡± She then cracked her neck and worked her way to her destination.


    ***


    Yin sat in front of his table, in front of him was a wooden bowl with a clam chowder.


    He was eating alone, it seemed to be a common occurrence nowadays¡­


    His eyes were a little sunken and a frown was on his face, ¡°Brother, what is it that you''re after¡­ what is it that changed you so?¡± He spoke with a sigh not understanding Yang¡¯s motives.


    He then blinked as he heard a knock at his front door.


    Slowly he rose from his chair and sauntered forward, ¡°Yes yes. On my way.¡± he declared with a groan moving through his chambers he then grabbed that handle and swung the door open, ¡°do you have any idea what time it is?¡± Yin questioned the person at his door.


    Before he paused blinking in recognition of the girl at his doorstep.


    ¡°...I was told you¡¯d have loggings?¡± so spoke Skylar as she handed the paper forward, Yin blinked at that grabbing the paper in question and looking it over.


    Sure enough, it was his brother''s handwriting.


    ¡°...You''re the girl from the gate.¡± he muttered, ¡°What has my brother roped you into now¡­?¡±


    Skylar sighed at that, shaking her hand, ¡°A very troublesome task.¡± she grumbled glancing to the side, ¡°So I¡¯d like to get some rest if that¡¯s all the same with you.¡±


    Yin paused at that, and there was something about Skylar, a glimmer in her eye, ¡°...Sure thing, upstairs second room to your right. That¡¯s where you can rest.¡± he declared, stepping aside, he then watched as Skylar moved forward with a pep in her step up those stairs, ¡°Hey young miss, what is it your planning?¡±


    Skylar stopped on the top step and turned around, ¡°You wanna know? If so¡­ you better be ready to help me.¡±


    Yin blinked at that, he was curious but not enough to help a complete stranger¡­


    And yet¡­ there was something about Skylar¡¯s gaze, something that made him feel left out, so despite himself, he smirked as well and asked, ¡°What do you need from me?¡±


    ***


    A young man walked forward with a pitchfork and a confident smirk on his face, ¡°Right then. Today is the day!¡±


    He declared as he walked up to the front gate, only to blink as he saw his comrades waiting for him.


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s¡­ going on? Why haven¡¯t we opened up the gate yet?¡± he questioned.


    ¡°Well first off we''re waiting for you Milo¡­¡± Yang declared walking up to the young man, ¡°And the second reason is¡­ we did open the gate. And closed it instantly.¡±


    ¡°Huh?! Why¡¯d you do that?! What are you all doing!?¡± Milo shouted arduously, he couldn¡¯t fathom why his brethren were acting like cowards.


    So he grumbled and walked up to the gate, ¡°It¡¯s just one girl. We can take her if we all work together!¡± he shouted confidently as he put his free hand on the gate.


    ¡°I fear you misunderstand.¡± Yang spoke as Milo pushed that gate open, ¡°That¡¯s not just any girl¡­ and her name is most certainly not Valery as she¡¯d have you believe.¡±


    Any form of confidence Milo had was shattered in an instant.


    The plain fields outside had all but been changed, there were several spires of ice pointing upwards.


    And on the highest one, sat Skylar holding an apple that was already bitten into her right leg hanging down the spire her left was lifted slightly up, her hair was back to its silver color and a smirk appeared on her face as she looked down, ¡°Hm. Oh the vocal one.¡± she spoke with a smile leaping down from the spire.


    And landing on the dirt her sword was on her back.


    Milo stared forward with a look of fear on his face, ¡°W-What¡­ you can¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but I am.¡± Skylar spoke, stepping forward, ¡°Has it dawned on you yet the kind of monsters you¡¯ll be up against if you perpetuate this war of yours?¡±


    Milo took a trembling step backward.


    ¡°Stop.¡± Skylar spoke the word as a gust of wind fired forward, shaking the poor boy to his core, ¡°You want your homes back right? You want your lands back. You want your lives back.¡± Skylar unsheathed her blade and held it to the side, ¡°Then don¡¯t run away.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ want us to fight you? Your Skylar aren¡¯t you!? We¡¯ve heard the stories. You''re a demon on the battlefield, so you surely don''t need us surely! You can take it all back by yourself!¡± Milo reasoned with a shaky expression.


    ¡°I could sure.¡± Skylar confirmed, ¡°But what of the day I leave? I¡¯m a traveler see? Not much time to stick around.¡± Skylar spoke as she picked some soil from the ground, ¡°I could take your lands and your homes back easy¡­ but when I go?¡± the soil slipped through the cracks of her fingers and Skylar¡¯s gaze turned back to Milo, ¡°What then?¡±


    Milo frowned in understanding, ¡°...But I can¡¯t use magic. I can¡¯t beat some demon like you.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then you shouldn¡¯t have even considered going up against Lust.¡± Skylar spat with a glare, and Milo flinched.


    Skylar then smirked, ¡°So then. Raise your weapon.¡±


    Milo blinked at that, stepping back once more, ¡°W-What!? No! I won¡¯t fight you.¡±


    ¡°Of course you won¡¯t. You''re weak, your body is pretty much built to collapse just from being near me. And you hardly even understand magic.¡± Skylar spoke these harsh truths with dead eyes, as though she was speaking to nothing more than an insect.


    Suzaku was up upon the walls watching the sight with mild interest as she leaned against the stone.


    Skylar then took in a breath, ¡°So let¡¯s change that shall we?¡±


    Milo paused at those words looking up to lock eyes with Skylar, ¡°Pardon¡­?¡±


    Skylar twirled her blade expertly, ¡°You might not be able to use magic. But that doesn''t mean you can¡¯t use a weapon. I¡¯m going to train all of you.¡± Skylar spoke with a smile, ¡°And when I¡¯m done¡­ you¡¯ll all be more than capable of killing a mage.¡±


    Milo nodded slowly, ¡°So how long will this training be¡­ A week? A month? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯ll be a year¡­?¡±


    Skylar lowered her blade, ¡°A day. A day so hellish that your every bone will be screaming in agony. You¡¯ll wish you were dead during the whole of it. But when it¡¯s over¡­ I¡¯m more than confident that you¡¯ll be stronger.¡±


    Skylar then shouted, ¡°That goes for all of you by the way! Anyone who wants to be stronger, step up! Those who don¡¯t can turn around and go home dropping their weapons like the pansies they are!¡±


    Suzaku smirked at Skylar¡¯s words, ¡°I see¡­ so that¡¯s the way you¡¯d use your tools, Shadewalker¡­ not bad at all.¡±


    Milo watched as Yang walked up standing beside him.


    ¡°Mr. Yang?¡± Milo blinked.


    Two others walked up with him.


    Skylar let out a hum at the sight, ¡°Just four then¡­¡± she muttered, ¡°Good enough I suppose, more than I expected. Now then.¡± Skylar opened her eyes.


    Both eyes.


    Just as Suzaku had predicted, they healed overnight.


    And now they glowed in Azure, ¡°Let your test begin.¡± as Skylar spoke the words an icy mist shot up from the ground, and spires of ice tore upwards into the skies forming an arena or rather¡­ a cage around the group.

 Chapter 14: Fields Ignored.

    (The Night Before.)


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Yin spoke as he was sitting on a chair in this small bedroom Skylar was lying on the bed with a smirk, ¡°You intend to train up a small contingent to battle against a threat like that? Are you a fool?¡±


    ¡°People have been asking me that question a lot as of late you know¡­¡± Skylar muttered sitting up, ¡°But ultimately this is the only way I see this working out. If they can¡¯t beat me, they¡¯ve got no chance of surviving. So I¡¯ll bench em, but if they can land even one good blow then they have a shot. At least until I can get to them.¡±


    ¡°...Well Valery¡­ You seem pretty confident in yourself.¡± Yin muttered.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to call me that, I¡¯m going to make it known tomorrow anyway. So you can just call me Skylar.¡± Skylar declared getting up from the bed and cracking her neck as she looked at her hair through a nearby mirror running her hand through it, a magical glow overtook her hand.


    And Skylar¡¯s hair returned to its shade of white, ¡°Hm, that easy huh? The one using the dye just has to ¡®order¡¯ it to come out¡­ fancy trick.¡± Skylar then blinked, noticing Yin¡¯s shocked expression in the mirror, ¡°What?¡± She turned around with a smirk sticking her tongue out, ¡°Surprised?¡±


    ¡°Your¡­ an enemy of Lust¡­ and a large one at that! If she finds out you''re here, our whole village will be!¡± Yin grits his teeth and quickly reaches for his spear.


    ¡°Destroyed?¡± Skylar spoke, turning to him with a smirk, ¡°I doubt that, I¡¯ve been to the far side of the island. If Lust wanted your village destroyed she would have done it already. So that begs the question¡­ why hasn¡¯t she?¡±


    Yin paused at Skylar¡¯s question, ¡°...I dunno maybe because she¡¯s a psychotic woman?¡±


    Skylar chuckled at that, ¡°Nah, she¡¯s not that far gone. Nobody that far gone could ever lead people this far into a war.¡± Skylar then walked over to the nearby window and pushed it open, ¡°That said¡­ there seems to be a whole lack of soldiers across this island. She just launched one attack and pulled them all back into the castle¡­¡± Skylar muttered her ideas with a frown.


    She then closed her eyes, ¡°She¡¯s terrifying. I haven¡¯t met her face to face and I¡¯m already scared¡­¡±


    Yin kept his gaze on Skylar unsure of what to do, he then spoke up in a shaky breath, ¡°What is it you need me to do¡­?¡±


    Skylar kept her gaze on the city for only a moment before spinning around to lock her eyes with Yin, ¡°Leave the gate to me tomorrow. You can take a day off.¡±


    In response to that Yin frowned, ¡°...You want me to leave the gate unguarded?¡±


    ¡°I want you to leave it to me. And while you''re at it, go ahead and tell whoever¡¯s in charge at that church that Skylar Shadewalker has made herself known at the gate.¡± Skylar chuckled as she leaned on the window seal, ¡°My declaration at the gate wasn¡¯t just for show you know? Lust is a God, and I¡¯m here to Execute her, but I need to find Striga and ensure she¡¯s safe first.¡±


    Yin glanced to the side as a thought entered his head, he opened his mouth to speak pausing for a second before asking, ¡°And if she¡¯s not safe?¡±


    Skylar remained silent at that question before pushing away from the window and walking over to her bed, ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring that whole castle down in a sea of blood.¡±


    ***


    Skylar let out a hum as she walked onto the fields outside the gate, ¡°Let¡¯s see here¡­¡± She lifted her right hand, her eyes shining azure as a shard of ice shot up into the air, ¡°Huh, that¡¯s pretty malleable¡­ how high can I make it go?¡± she questioned as she threw her hand to the right, sending another spire up higher and higher, ¡°...Okay that¡¯s enough.¡± She stopped looking up at the spire of ice that was now standing tall about¡­ 12 meters just one meter shorter than the wall itself. ¡°...Hm, I might have given myself away with that one¡­ At least to Yang.¡±


    She then paused with a smirk on her face, ¡°Then again¡­ This could make for an intimidating entrance.¡±


    She moved forward and slammed her boot onto the ground creating a spire below her to lift her higher, ¡°Oh yeah. This is way too good of an idea to pass up on~¡±


    She got into a pose, swapped to her crimson eyes, and watched as the gates open she let out a yawn and smirked as she looked down, ¡°Oh I¡¯m going to torment all of these fuckers.¡± she spoke with a devilish glint in her eyes.


    Chapter 14: Fields Ignored.


    The walls had raised and Yang stared forward locking his eyes upon Skylar, ¡°So then. What¡¯s your game?¡±


    ¡°I already told you, Imma train you all up to be able to fight Gods.¡± Skylar said as she unsheathed her greatsword, it was the Dark Knight¡¯s blade, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m also doing this for another reason¡­ but we¡¯ll get to that later.¡±


    Yang slowly reached for his spear.


    And Skylar spared him a glance, ¡°Less you''re concerned about me killing you. Don¡¯t be. That¡¯s not my goal. . . That¡¯s why you''re here Yang.¡±


    Yang blinked at that arching a confused brow, ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°I tend to lose track of things when I get into fights.¡± Skylar explains, ¡°Long fights are where it¡¯s at its worst¡­ so if I end up going too far, then I¡¯ll need you to let me know.¡±


    Skylar then lowered her sword, locking eyes with each one of her contestants, ¡°So then let¡¯s start simple with all of you dumbasses who want to be heroes, go ahead and come at me. Treat me like I¡¯m the big bad gods you''re all trying to fight against~¡±


    Milo grits his teeth and holds his pitchfork tight within his hands, he then lets out a roar charging forward.


    Yang didn¡¯t stop the boy, he simply watched.


    The other two boys stared in fear but hoped that their ally would finish the job of course.


    Milo cried as he thrust forward with his weapon of choice, with wild abandon.


    Skylar watched the sight reaching up with her right hand and grabbing the middle prong of the pitchfork before it could make contact with her body, ¡°. . . Let me correct a misunderstanding you seem to have.¡± Skylar spoke at last her voice cutting through the air, as she slashed down onto the wood of the pitchfork, cutting it in half, ¡°The gods aren¡¯t nice. They aren¡¯t on your level. And they certainly won¡¯t care about you¡­ So why did you try that?¡±


    Milo paused at the question taking a step backward, before gritting his teeth and swinging what remained of his pitchfork at Skylar, only for her eyes to change into a crimson hue as she lifted her hand setting the wood ablaze without so much as a word, causing Milo to yelp and drop the worthless stick onto the ground.


    He then stared forward at Skylar, a mixture of shock and fear on his expression, Skylar lowered her free hand with a frown holding her greatsword in her right hand, ¡°...Done yet?¡±


    Yang however remained rooted to the spot, looking over his shoulder, ¡°You two. What are your names?¡± he questioned the duo behind him.


    The first one to speak up was a young boy around Milo¡¯s age, he had hazel eyes and was holding a sickle. ¡°P-Phin is my name sir¡­¡± he seemed timid but his eyes were careful looking at every move that Skylar made with precision.


    The second boy then let out a yawn looking towards the fight ongoing, ¡°Hm? Oh Lock is mine¡­ This is starting to seem like a lost cause huh¡­¡± he stated not seeming all into this exercise. Holding his sickle as well.


    Yang nodded slowly looking over to Skylar, ¡°Hm. . . If that were the case why are we here?¡± He questioned pulling out his spear, and Lock tilted his head in confusion.


    Yang kept his gaze on Skylar, she turned to meet his gaze flashing him a taunting smile.


    In response to that smile, Yang sighed, gripping his spear, stepping forward, ¡°I¡¯ve only known her a short while¡­ but something tells me we don¡¯t have the full picture of her plan.¡±


    Lock tilted his head at that but shrugged, moving forward behind Yang.


    ¡°See that?¡± Skylar stepped forward slapping Milo¡¯s head with her free hand, ¡°If you''re ever gonna try and take on an opponent out of your depth. Then always do it with allies at your side.¡±


    Milo looked over his shoulder with a scowl on his face, watching as Skylar moved towards the approaching trio.


    Yang gripped his spear tightly, and spoke up, ¡°Lock, Phin. I shall take her head on, whenever you see your openings. Move in and strike.¡± anger shined in his gaze as he moved


    Phin flinched at the idea, ¡°E-Eh!? But if we mess up then.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll knock us into the dirt.¡± Lock finished keeping his lazy gaze on Skylar.


    Skylar stood there with Milo on the ground right behind her with a smile on her face, ¡°Well then? If you''re all done chatting it up, come at me.¡±


    Yang took in a breath and slowly started to approach, gripping his spear tightly.


    In a swift movement, he thrust forward, aiming for Skylar¡¯s chest, only for her to dodge to the side, of course, it didn¡¯t end there.


    Yang pulled back his spear as Skylar moved forward her eyes glowing azure as she slashed through the air, they met clashing in the center of this ice dome, it was in this clash that Yang spoke up, ¡°What¡¯s your game here?! Is this whole thing a spectacle to you!? If you don¡¯t bring down these walls then¡­¡±


    ¡°Eyes up here Yang.¡± Skylar spoke with a smirk, ¡°All eyes should be on me right about now.¡± her eyes shined with confidence and Yang¡¯s own eyes widened in surprise.


    Catching on at last to what Skylar was thinking, ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    Suzaku watched from atop the walls until a new sound came to her ears, she blinked and turned around looking back into the walls of the city with a small smirk upon her face, ¡°Ah¡­ of course, when the rebels find themselves in one spot you would never be able to resist. Would you?¡±


    Suzaku then frowned, cupping her chin, ¡°But who in the world tipped you off¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, back within the arena of ice, Lock and Phin suddenly appeared at Skylar¡¯s side slashing forward with their sickles Skylar smirked letting go of her blade and slamming her palms down onto the ground, sending two large ice spikes upwards, the sickles made contact with the ice but couldn¡¯t cut through, Lock blinked at the sight, ¡°Oh shi-¡±


    Before he could move away Skylar launched up slamming her fist into his chin and sending him onto the ground, wrapping her hand around the handle of that sickle and with one swift movement of her wrist compelled the ice to vanish just in time for her to slash down at Yang¡¯s spear.


    The force of her blow was enough to send the tip of Yang¡¯s weapon into the dirt, ¡°I¡¯m more than confident in my ability to take them out.¡±


    Yang stared forward, not bothering to remove his spear, ¡°Then why do you even bother with us?¡±


    ¡°What are you all gonna do when I¡¯m gone?¡± Skylar retorted easily with a small smile.


    Before Yang had the chance to respond fully, the gates started to open and Skylar kneeled forward grabbing her blade from the ground walked forward twirling that blade expertly, ¡°Hm, you''re a new face.¡± She commented at the man who walked through the gate in question.


    There Qin stood a frown upon his gaze as he locked eyes with Skylar, ¡°And you must be the Shadewalker, I heard the news of your arrival¡­ And yet here I see you¡¯ve already subdued most of the rebels that run amok in my city¡­¡± he stared right at Yang for a moment before turning his gaze back to Skylar, ¡°It would seem you''re more law-abiding then I first thought. The tip afforded to me from that other city guard seems to have been good as well.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Skylar narrowed her gaze and pointed her sword forward, ¡°Striga. You have her don¡¯t you?¡±


    Qin said nothing at first before reaching into his robes and walking forward, ¡°That girl was meddling in the affairs of God, as such she has been taken into my custody.¡±


    Skylar paused slowly, lowering her blade and a smile appeared upon her face, ¡°Is that right? Well, I would very much like to see her.¡±


    Qin smirked, ¡°Certainly, a trade for the rebels you¡¯ve subdued. Seems fair enough don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Skylar smiled, sheathing her blade, ¡°Indeed it does.¡±


    Yang stared up in surprise, and Skylar said nothing to him, not even sparing a glance.


    Milo growled from his place on the dirt, ¡°You¡­ you''re betraying us¡­?¡±


    ¡°I never pledged my loyalty to you or anyone.¡± Skylar responded instantly, turning her gaze to Milo, ¡°But for what it¡¯s worth¡­ I am sorry.¡±


    As she uttered those words, a total of ten soldiers moved forward.


    All carrying chains to restrain the prisoners, Qin stared forward at Skylar, ¡°If I may¡­ you are aware that I simply can¡¯t allow you to proceed past this city.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to, I just came here to retrieve my friend and leave.¡± Skylar responded flatly, ¡°I¡¯m sure even you would agree that is the best course here?¡±


    Qin paused at that and nodded slowly, ¡°I see, then the trade can proceed unabated so long as you are fine with being accompanied by one of my finest.¡±


    ¡°Seems fine to me,¡± Skylar responded with a shrug walking forward.


    The guards had finished restraining the rest and started to move into the city, Suzaku kept her watch from the top of the wall.


    A small smile on her face, ¡°...My oh my¡­ She¡¯s certainly something. I¡¯m starting to see why Lust was so excited to meet this Skylar Shadewalker¡­¡± Suzaku then sighed disappointment clear within her gaze as she leaned forward on the edge of the wall, ¡°I wish I could see the rest of what she had planned, but it wouldn¡¯t do to give myself away just yet¡­ and so I pass the baton onto you Seriyu.¡±


    ***


    Seriyu stood within the large church staring up at the cross with a frown clear on his face, ¡°Skylar will not fall like Striga, luring her into a deep sleep won¡¯t be an option¡­ as such if I want her gone, I will have to kill her.¡± he muttered to himself with a sigh, ¡°An easier task when I have such leverage at my disposal.¡±


    He then turned his gaze to the doors ahead, and soon they opened Skylar walked in, with Qin just ahead of her.


    Alongside them were the prisoners in question.


    ¡°...What is the meaning of this Qin?¡± Seriyu spoke, staring at the sight with a narrowed gaze.


    ¡°The meaning is simple, we have struck a deal with Skylar. We return Striga to her, and she leaves our islands untouched.¡± Qin explained simply he then gestured to the prisoners, ¡°She even gave us a gesture of her good faith to those rebels that have been mucking about as of late¡­¡±


    Seriyu paused at that staring down at Skylar, ¡°Is that right.¡± He then took a step forward, ¡°Take the prisoners to their chambers, I will speak with the Shadewalker alone.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Qin tilted his head to the side, arching a curious brow upwards before shrugging, ¡°If you insist.¡± he then moved towards the side.


    The soldiers dragged the prisoners along, and Milo scowled looking towards Skylar, ¡°I can¡¯t believe that people called you a ¡®hero¡¯, your scum no better than the rest of the gods.¡±


    And with that, he was dragged away.


    Skylar offered a smile to the boy as he vanished through the corridors.


    She then turned her gaze towards Seriyu, ¡°So then. What did you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°...This farce of yours is most entertaining.¡± Seriyu spoke at last, taking a few steps down the stairs and now standing on the same level as Skylar, ¡°But you will not fool me, I¡¯m more than aware of what you came here for, after all. It was you who slew Genbu was it not?¡±


    Skylar paused at that, dropping her smile and then putting on a grin, ¡°Whoa, word around here travels fast doesn''t it?¡±


    ¡°Hardly.¡± Seriyu shrugged, ¡°He is but one part of Lust¡¯s soul, as am I when one of us parishes the rest of us can feel it.¡± he explained this information to Skylar with a glare.


    ¡°Is that so¡­ and why tell me this?¡± Skylar questioned reaching up to her sword, ¡°It can¡¯t be to your benefit.¡±


    ¡°Why indeed¡­¡± Seriyu closed her eyes and tilted his head upwards, ¡°Lust sees something in you, though I cannot see what it is. I find myself wondering.¡± he reached up and a shadow slithered around his arm forming into a sword, ¡°What worth you hold in this world.¡±


    Skylar frowned at that question and spun around suddenly, when she did so she removed her blade from that hilt and slashed forward, clashing with Seriyu who had just appeared from Skylar¡¯s shadow, and at this moment sparks flew, ¡°Who gives a damn about my worth. I¡¯m here to put an end to a monster and to save a friend.¡±


    ¡°And yet you¡¯d condemn others to suffer for this goal, does that not make you a monster in return?¡± Seriyu questioned with a wicked grin.


    Skylar responded with her wide smile, ¡°That old trick worked pretty well on Qin, I do hope he¡¯s at least decent enough to put up a good fight¡­ otherwise he¡¯s not ready for who¡¯s waiting for him.¡±


    ***


    Down in the catacombs, Qin led the group of soldiers forward, that was¡­ until something caught his attention.


    An unwelcome guest, standing at the far edge of this place.


    He then turned to look over his shoulder, once Qin did he saw all his soldiers dead on the ground.


    Qin then spoke, ¡°I was under the impression that your kind was done and dusted with, and yet the sight before me proves otherwise. Dark Knight.¡±


    Vita took a step forward, ¡°For a man of the cloth you seem content allying yourself with monsters¡­ why is that?¡±


    Qin put his hands into his robes, stepping forward, ¡°Do not think you have the right to judge me, you are a user of black magic. A sinner through and through.¡±


    ¡°And what of it?¡± Vita questioned with an arched brow, ¡°What matters isn¡¯t the origin of our strength, it¡¯s how we use it. And I use mine to strike down worthless whoresons like yourself.¡± Vita proclaimed drawing his blade, the hallway was long enough for him to swing it, if only barely.


    Qin then removed his hands from his cloak, showing that he held not one, but two long swords they were thin almost like knives, ¡°...You cannot even see that you have been poisoned by the devil and his lies¡­ poor deluded child allow me to free you from your suffering.¡±


    In response to this Vita stepped forward, and Qin did the same before they knew it they were both sprinting at one another with their blades drawn.


    Meeting in the center of this place as the prisoners watched their clash.


    ***


    (The Night Before)


    Skylar let out a slightly annoyed sigh as she bit on the edge of a pencil as she examined a map on the dinner table, ¡°What the hell is this shit? Multi-layered bullshit is what it is.¡±


    She grumbled looking at the map in question, it showed many lines and buildings and the worst part was¡­ apparently the city has an underground.


    That is also shown on the maps.


    On a separate map? No that¡¯d be too easy and convenient, both the underground and the city itself are overlaid on top of each other.


    ¡°WHO MAKES A MAP LIKE THIS?!?¡± Skylar shouted, slamming her pencil onto the table.


    Yin walked into the room then with an arched brow, he had two cups in his hands, both holding a drink of hot chocolate. ¡°Do maps not look like this where you''re from?¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Skylar shouted with anger in her gaze, ¡°Where I¡¯m from, maps have a whole legacy, a nice set of markings and clearly defined lines to show where the fuck I am! Not this whole thing of bullshit!¡± she then sighed leaning forward and flopping her head onto the table, ¡°...So there¡¯s an underground then?¡±


    Yin blinked at the question before nodding and walking over, setting one of the cups down beside Skylar, ¡°There is, it was built in older times but the tunnels are well maintained even to this day, they run not just through the city but across the whole island.¡±


    Skylar paused at that lifting her head, ¡°Is that right? ¡­Must be the tunnels Striga tried to send her forces through, entering the castle that way is a no-go¡­ otherwise Lust wouldn¡¯t even be an issue by now.¡±


    Yingthen frowned, ¡°Sorry but I¡¯m still a little unclear on the plan here, you wanted me to tell Qin about your arrival at the gate tomorrow I got that much, but why?¡±


    Skylar looked up from the map and smirked, ¡°Training up those rebels is a fine plan and all, but there¡¯s a problem with it. Time. I simply don¡¯t have the time, I mean come on 24 hours is hardly enough time to teach a brat like me to swing a sword. Not to mention, I¡¯m hardly a good teacher as is.¡± Skylar then grabbed the pencil and started to draw along the map, ¡°So instead, I¡¯ll be using them to get on¡­ Qin was it?¡± Skylar looked up from the map for a moment, locking her gaze on Yin, ¡°Meh whatever, I¡¯ll be getting on his good side to get the information I need. After that, I¡¯ll try and meet up with Seriyu. And take him down.¡±


    Yin narrowed his gaze, ¡°You''re going to sacrifice my brother and his allies for this? Why would I agree to such a plan?¡± he questioned with a scowl and Skylar finished drawing upon the map.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sacrificing anyone, that¡¯s not how I roll.¡± She responded plainly, gesturing for Yang to come over.


    He kept his scowl but walked over when he did, his eyes widened, ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Your underground catacombs have a lot of paths, twists and turns, and exits¡­ one of those exits seems to be in the church itself.¡± Skylar pointed to the path she traced out, ¡°So while I¡¯m up on the top fighting Seriyu, I¡¯ll have someone on the bottom fighting the guards. Someone they can¡¯t afford to ignore.¡±


    Yin paused at that, looking down to Skylar, and took a sip out of his drink uttering the words, ¡°I can hardly think of any such person.¡±


    Skylar reached out and grabbed her cup of coco bringing it to her lips and stopping short, ¡°A Dark Knight would do the trick wouldn¡¯t you think?¡±


    Yin nearly choked on his drink as Skylar uttered those words, to even think of using a Dark Knight as a tool for a plan was insane in his eyes.


    Skylar looked up from her cup with a smirk setting it down, ¡°Surprised?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯d say so, yeah,¡± Yin spoke with a slight growl that only prompted a light laugh from Skylar, she looked down at her drink.


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s the response I¡¯m hoping for from the enemy.¡± She then leaned forward and started to roll up the map, ¡°Keep the door unlocked will you, I¡¯ll be a moment.¡±


    With those words, Skylar stood up and walked over to the door.


    ¡°H-Hey wait a second!¡± Yin cried out, but Skylar had already gone out the door and into the city.


    Slowly she walked forward, into the alleyways, and further onwards.


    Soon enough she came across the well where she had been attacked.


    ¡°...Huh, I thought you¡¯d be further in the city.¡± Skylar muttered.


    And there Vita was, crouched down and examining a spot of blood that had long since dried, he looked up seeing Skylar, ¡°Figured I¡¯d check what all the commotion was earlier today.¡±


    ¡°Well look no further, yours truly got into a bit of a scuffle, but I came out mostly fine.¡± Skylar declared with a spin as she walked up to Vita.


    Vita however took note of Skylar¡¯s eye, ¡°That says otherwise.¡± he points out.


    ¡°Oh this?¡± she points to her wounded eye, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, it should heal up overnight supposedly.¡±


    ¡°Not a big deal? Without that eye, you''re opening yourself up to more attacks.¡± Vita pointed out with a growl.


    Skylar paused at that, lowering her arms and sighing, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really.¡± she then handed the map over to Vita, ¡°Regardless take a look at this.¡±


    Vita frowned beneath his helmet, clearly not convinced but took the map regardless and listened as Skylar relayed the plan she had come up with to him.


    Vita unfurled the map, ¡°Solid plan, a battle on two fronts and since I have the shadows on my side, I can secure the prisoners before they are put into any danger. I have to commend you for that Skylar, it¡¯s certainly a better plan than most of yours. There¡¯s one problem with it though.¡±


    Skylar folded her arms at that, ¡°Oh? And what¡¯s that?¡±


    Vita then held out the map, ¡°I have no idea how to read this multilayered bullshit.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that before a smile spread across her face and she started to laugh, ¡°Oh my god, I knew I couldn¡¯t be the only one¡­ all right come here I¡¯ll help you out.¡± with that she walked forward and started to show Vita the ways the map worked.


    ***


    Skylar leaped back as Seriyu pushed through the air, ¡°You think your tough shit brat! I¡¯ll break you like a twig!¡± he shouted as he slinked into his shadow


    Skylar¡¯s eyes shined emerald as she landed, her hair stood on the back of her neck and she stabbed her blade into the ground grabbing one of the many wooden benches and swinging it through the air, hitting Seriyu who was just appearing from the shadow on the wall behind Skylar.


    The bench broke on him, and Skylar dropped the remains, grabbing her sword and slashing forward.


    Only for Seriyu to growl and slink back into the shadows causing Skylar to stab the wall instead of anything important.


    ¡°Son of a-¡± Skylar was cut off by Seriyu coming out to the left and slamming his fist into Skylar¡¯s gut. Making her stumble backward, and dislodge her blade from the wall.


    He then grabbed her by the shirt and threw her backward into a set of wooden benches causing them to crumble into several pieces.


    Skylar groaned slowly standing up, she looked forward and saw no sign of Seriyu.


    She heard his voice echoing throughout the chamber, however, ¡°You cannot hope to best me Shadewalker. The shadows themselves are my ally, so long as they heed my command. You cannot harm me. They shield me, protect me. And hide me from your blows.¡±


    Skylar looked around the room frantically, ¡°The Shadows don¡¯t have allies. They are a tool, just like a sword.¡± Skylar responded flatly with a glare.


    And Seriyu responded, ¡°And you would know all about tools wouldn¡¯t you? Using those people like you did.¡±


    Skylar glanced to the side at that, ¡°That¡¯s different.¡± she replied before she was met with a boot planted firmly on her back causing her to tumble to the ground, her eyes widened as a sword pressed to her neck and she could hear Seriyu¡¯s voice from above.


    ¡°Is it now? Why¡¯s that? Because you fight for justice? Because you''re the ¡®hero¡¯ of this story?¡± Seriyu questioned the girl below him with a scowl, ¡°You''re just a child playing pretend.¡±


    Skylar grits her teeth and her eyes flashed azure before she slams her palms onto the ground sending spikes of ice upwards beside her palms trying to impale Seriyu right then and there.


    Only for Seriyu to leap backward, slinking into the shadows once more, his voice still echoing with a laugh as Skylar grabbed her blade slowly standing at those spikes of ice melted around her.


    -He won¡¯t let me get away again.


    Skylar gripped her blade tight trying to think of a plan.


    ¡°Foolish, innocent child¡­ Why even wield your blade? It cannot face the darkness, heroes never could.¡± Seriyu proclaimed all but confidence in his victory.


    Skylar took in a breath and slowly reached out with her right hand running it along her blade, ¡°I¡¯m not the best at this yet¡­ but I can say this with confidence. It¡¯s the duty of a Dark Knight to strike you down.¡± Skylar proclaimed as shadows now coated her blade.


    Seriyu went silent for a moment before reappearing behind Skylar with a scowl, disdain clear on his face as he swung his blade down.


    Only for Skylar to spin around and slam her sword against Seriyu¡¯s in this moment where sparks flew and the two warriors stared at each other Seriyu spoke, ¡°Where did you gain that power? I was certain it had been wiped out¡­ Lust herself saw to that.¡±


    Skylar responded with a cocky smile, ¡°Seems she missed a spot.¡± she taunted as she slammed her boot onto the ground sending a chill across the ground as Seriyu started to lose his footing.


    He stumbled backward as he fell, he looked up realizing that Skylar had frozen the ground beneath him.


    He growled, falling into his own shadow and Skylar stabbed down, piercing the shadow in question in the arm, Seriyu screamed instantly leaping up from the shadow blood dripping from his arm.


    When he looked down he saw Skylar bent down low, her eyes shining a bright crimson, ¡°The shadows you lurk in can¡¯t hide you.¡± Seriyu tried to stumble backward once more, retreating into his shadow.


    But Skylar was faster, she slashed forward with her blade cutting into Seriyu¡¯s stomach and cutting him clear in two.


    As she did so, black wisps of energy flew into the air and into Skylar herself.


    ***


    Fire was the first sight she was greeted to, fire and blood upon her cheek.


    She stared forward at the flames reaching a hand only to flinch as it singed her flesh.


    A hand reached forward grabbing hold of her arm and pulling her back, Eros stared forward at the sight of her home.


    Her home was set ablaze in the night, a voice spoke out telling her that it would be okay.


    Telling her not to worry.


    She remembered nothing about the exact words.


    Only that they were spoken with hollow intent.


    The only sound fresh upon her ears were the sounds of screams.


    Of people being burned alive as she alone made it to safety.


    She alone was the survivor of the tragedy that overtook her house. The villagers looked at her with pity and offered kind words and empty promises.


    But she needed none of them, so when the next set of words came she interrupted them. Speaking on her own, ¡°Will your words bring my family back?¡± she spoke those words with little emotion, simply wanting the voices that spoke to her to cease.


    And cease they did, quicker than most.


    The hands that held her loosened and she shirked them away.


    Moving away from the crowd and walking to the forest, she didn¡¯t care for them.


    Once she was surrounded by trees and brush, and the subtle blow of wind.


    It was then that she let her emotions sign through, a sign of her feelings upon her face.


    A small smile.


    Followed by a chuckle, slowly she came upon a large white tree and turned around resting her back upon it.


    She began to slide down, until her bottom met the dirt and she looked to her trembling hands, her eyes wide with glee.


    At this moment she was more alive than she had ever been in her whole life, and as the reflection of blood and fire shined in her gaze she spoke her next words with a crackle in her voice, her words were only the truth, the cold cruel truth of the world that she so hated, ¡°I killed them.¡± Slowly she tore her eyes from her hands and looked upwards into the faint lights poking out from the leaves above, ¡°Family¡­ what good is a family who would hear my dreams and call me insane¡­ what good are people when all they think of is themselves. I don¡¯t need it. I don¡¯t need any of these sheep and cattle.¡±


    Slowly she lifted her shaking hands and grabbed the sides of her head.


    That was until new footsteps made themselves known to her, ¡°Spoken like someone wise beyond their years.¡±


    Eros¡¯s eyes widened and she looked up slowly.


    There a man in a white cloak stood, there were markings upon that cloak.


    Snakes that traveled down the sleeves, snakes of red with their maws open.


    The man wore a mask and he walked forward towards Eros with unflinching eyes.


    He then knelt and stared right at this girl, ¡°...Your name girl what is it?¡±


    Eros stared at the man and shuffled to the side, ¡°Why should I tell you anything?¡± She spoke with caution and the man only smiled beneath his mask. At that holding out his left hand and opening his palm, a dark ball of energy appeared within it, ¡°Because I can grant you power. The power you seek to lay claim to these lands as though they were your own.¡±


    The girl stared at the ball of darkness, confused by its presence and soon enough she looked to the man once more, ¡°What about you? Who¡­ are you?¡±


    The man closed his palm and the darkness dissipated leaving behind only faint traces, and the man stood up once more, ¡°A traveler, building a grand organization to save this lowly realm.¡± He then put a hand over his heart smiling softly. ¡°You may call me Origin.¡±


    ***


    Skylar blinked as she was standing in a growing pool of blood and she looked around the church once more.


    Confusion riddled upon her face, ¡°Eros¡­¡± Skylar sighed, sheathing her blade and folding her arms.


    ¡°And Origin¡­ What was he doing there? What even was that? A memory?¡± she then furrowed her brow some more, ¡°It wasn¡¯t mine though. I¡¯m sure of that much.¡±


    Skylar then looked down at Seiryu¡¯s corpse remembering his words.


    -¡°He is but one part of Lust¡¯s soul, as am I, when one of us parishes the rest of us can feel it.¡±


    She frowned at the corpse, ¡°Could these be¡­ Lust¡¯s memories?¡± Skylar asked her question knowing that nobody was around to answer them anymore and she sighed, shaking her head, ¡°Whatever, I should go and check on Vita. He should be done by now.¡± She then turned from the corpse and started to walk forward to the corridor she saw the prisoners taken to.


    But before she did, she felt a presence behind her.


    She turned around and once more she felt an agony like before as her head throbbed she reached up grabbed her forehead and strumbled backward.


    ¡°Fool. Who are you? No one. Nothing.¡±


    When she looked forward Skylar swore she could see the sight of someone¡­ Someone with short hair and a longsword.


    But when Skylar blinked, the person shrouded in shadows¡­ was gone.


    As was the pain.


    She stared forward at the spot where she saw that person and she felt something tingling in the back of her mind, a name surfacing in her mind, before fading from memory.


    One more Skylar shook her head and started to walk forward into the dungeons, ¡°Later.¡± she hissed anger in her gaze, ¡°I¡¯ve got more important matters to deal with right now.¡± With those words, she descended downwards.


    Yet as she did so, the door to the church opened once more and a man walked into the building staring towards the entryway to the dungeons, ¡°...so this was your grand plan, Shadewalker? Not much of one in the long run¡­¡± Wrath spoke, folding his arms.


    His eyes narrowed in thought, ¡°It would be best to follow her down there and subdue her now¡­ However.¡± He looked over to the field of battle and a smirk appeared on his face, ¡°I will certainly enjoy her face when she is so close to victory¡­ only to have it snatched away at the last instant.¡±

 Chapter 15: Sinners Deathless.

    Qin darted forward, slashing up and knocking the candles to the ground, Vita smirked beneath his helmet, ¡°For a man of God to sulk in the shadows¡­ How unsightly!¡± He shouted slashing forward with his sword, the walls sparked as the edge of his blade made contact with the bricks.


    Qin however leaped forward jumping over the blade, and slashing down at Vita with his thin swords.


    Vita ducked to the side of the first strike and dropped his blade reaching up with his now free hand and grabbing Qin from the air slamming him into the wall.


    Qin gasped blood flying from his mouth as he tumbled to the ground, his blades clattering along with him.


    Vita stared down with a scowl, ¡°Come now, you¡¯ve had this whole grand scheme cooked up. Surely you must have more to you.¡± Vita declared ignoring Qin and walked over to his greatsword picking it from the ground before turning around to look at Qin who was also getting up.


    Qin stared forward, anger clear in his gaze, ¡°You''re a fool, if you had just remained within your village¡­ away from everyone else. I would have saved them all!¡±


    Vita let out a hum at that, ¡°At the cost of my people?¡±


    ¡°Your people are a blight upon this land regardless! The darkness brings nothing but death and destruction, monsters like Lust and your Dark Knight kin are not welcome here!¡± Qin shouted, throwing his sword forward.


    Vita lifted his blade examining the steel, ¡°I suppose you''re right about that.¡± Shadows wrapped around his blade and shot forward, forming dark jaws that snapped down and consumed the airborne sword. Wrath watched the shards drop to the ground with a frown, ¡°But I wonder, when was it priest?¡±


    Qin blinked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± confusion was on his face as he stared warily at Vita, Vita lowered his blade slowly and started to walk forward.


    He continued, ¡°When did your ¡®God¡¯ abandon you?¡±


    Qin frowned before scoffing, ¡°He is with me, and you as well if you are to accept him. Such is his grace.¡± Qin replied simply.


    ¡°No.¡± Vita retorted easily, before launching forward with speed that should be impossible considering his heavy armor.


    He slashed forward, and Qin raised his blade clashing with Vita¡¯s blade, struggling against the might of the Dark Knight.


    Vita then smirked beneath his helmet, ¡°Your god isn¡¯t here, this is an empty box. He¡¯s long since abandoned you, and I am proof of that.¡± Vita stared forward, a red glow appearing from his helmet.


    Qin¡¯s eyes widened as he felt something sharp and hot stabbing through his back.


    Slowly Qin¡¯s eyes moved down, and he saw a sword pierced through his chest, a black sword made of shadows.


    When he turned his head, he saw a shadow.


    A shadow that mirrored Vita¡¯s shape.


    ¡°Spawns¡­ of the devil.¡± Qin let out a final gasp as he fell to the ground, his eyes cold and lifeless.


    Dead.


    Chapter 15: Sinners Deathless.


    Skylar walked down the final step and arched her brow at the sight before her, there she saw the prisoners surrounded by dead guards and further ahead she saw¡­


    Vita?


    Vita and what seemed to be a shadowy clone, she put a hand on her hip, ¡°Is that a thing all Dark Knights can do?¡±


    Vita looked over his shoulder at Skylar and sighed, sheathing his blade, as he did so the shadow dissipated and slithered along the ground before fusing into Vita¡¯s sword, ¡°The best ones can aye.¡±


    Yang looked up at Skylar with a narrowed gaze, before he could utter a word Milo spoke up, ¡°You! What the hell are you doing her-¡±


    ¡°Shut it, kid. I took care of your problems, so the least you can do is shut your trap as I remove your bindings.¡± Skylar declared as she unsheathed her blade, coating it in shadows, she then slashed down shattering the chains that held Milo in place.


    She then moved over to both Lock and Phin breaking these chains as well, leaving the trio sitting there confused as Skylar moved over to Yang.


    Vita meanwhile examined Qin¡¯s corpse.


    As Skylar shattered Yang¡¯s chains the protector of the gate spoke, ¡°...Was this your plan then? Training us up to fight God¡¯s was a lie?¡± Yang questioned looking over his shoulder.


    Skylar stood tall, ¡°You were planning on using me as a tool as well. Don''t take it too personally. I fixed your problem and I¡¯ll be doing the same with Lust soon enough. Regardless of any objections, you may have.¡± Skylar then put a hand on her hip, looking at all of the men on the ground, ¡°Now then all four of you, get up and shoo. Take credit for this mess if you want I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Milo blinked at that confusion while Lock and Phin started to leave without another word, Milo looked down and spoke up, ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡­ do you just not trust us or¡­?¡±


    Skylar paused looking over to Milo, she frowned glancing to the side, and spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Skylar took in a breath, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m capable of¡­ I¡¯ve already hurt quite a few people you know. As such, I want to end this by myself after that?¡± She paused looking to the cell to her left, seeing Striga within it, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Yang said nothing to that and sighed standing up and walking over to Milo helping him up, Yang then looked to Skylar, ¡°...Stop by when you''re done. If nothing else I¡¯ll ensure you have a place to rest.¡±


    Skylar smiled softly at that, ¡°Appreciated.¡±


    With those words Yang and Milo left.


    Soon after Vita walked up to Skylar with a key, ¡°Doubt we need it, but I figured we were done with property damage for the day.¡±


    Skylar chuckled, taking the key and unlocking the door before walking into the cell she knelt looking at Striga.


    Vita stood from a distance, ¡°How does she look?¡±


    Skylar paused examining Striga¡¯s face, she noticed subtle movements on Striga.


    No wounds, no cuts or bruises.


    ¡°...She¡¯s just asleep.¡± Skylar surmised with a sigh of relief, she then reached up and did the bindings, she paused and glanced over to Vita, ¡°Get in here and carry her, I¡¯ll be damned if I wake her.¡±


    Vita arched a brow, ¡°Do I look like some grunt to carry your baggage around?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not baggage.¡± Skylar spat back instantly, ¡°She¡¯s a friend.¡± her glare was near lethal on its own and it caused an annoyed grunt from Vita as he moved forward.


    ¡°If I were one to make the call we would have avoided this place entirely and marched on to Lust¡¯s Castle.¡± he spat as he lifted Striga, throwing her over his shoulder.


    Skylar stood at her full height.


    ¡°That¡¯s lovely and all but it¡¯s not your call.¡± Skylar shot back instantly, ¡°Besides the barrier there prevents us fro-¡±


    ¡°Do you think that barrier could stand to both of us, Skylar?¡± Vita questioned Skylar, ¡°I certainly don¡¯t.¡±


    Skylar went silent at that and narrowed her gaze, ¡°We''re helping Striga. And that¡¯s final.¡±


    With those words, she moved towards the entrance and Vita watched for a moment, ¡°...So quick to help others, but heedless to her desires.¡± he muttered to himself before following behind Skylar.


    Soon they walked up the stairs and Vita stopped staring at the destruction caused within the chapel and arched a brow, ¡°You had a bit of a brawl up here.¡±


    ¡°...Seriyu used the shadows, that was the first time I¡¯ve had to fight something like that,¡± Skylar explained looking over her shoulder.


    Vita paused, shifting Striga¡¯s weight on his back, ¡°You did well then.¡±


    Skylar shrugged, ¡°Exhausted though. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± She uttered those words and walked up to the large door opening it wide.


    The duo walked forward ready to call it a day, that was¡­


    Until a new voice spoke up, just as the duo walked a fair distance from the doors, ¡°Have your senses not improved one wink since last we met Shadewalker? It¡¯d be so easy to take that pretty little head of yours from your torso.¡±


    Skylar blinked looking around before turning around entirely and looking up at the church.


    Wrath chuckled at the sight of Skylar locking her gaze on him, ¡°At long last, we bring an end to this farce¡­¡±


    Skylar stared up at the top of the building reaching up to her blade, anger flashing within her gaze, ¡°Vita. Take Striga and get out of here, this is personal.¡±


    Vita stepped forward, ¡°And leave you alone to deal with a monster like this? Absolutely not!¡±


    Skylar whipped her head to look at Vita, ¡°I can¡¯t fight him if I have to worry about her! If you''re so worried about me then come back after you get her to safety!¡±


    ¡°Do you think so little of me, Shadewalker?¡± Wrath¡¯s voice suddenly whispered into her ear, Skylar¡¯s eyes widened and she pulled out her blade, turning around only for Wrath to grab her by the shirt and send her flying through the church doors and into the rubble of wood.


    Her blade tumbled to the ground worthlessly, Wrath then let out a chuckle as he walked forward.


    Not even gazing at Striga and Vita.


    Vita grits his teeth moving to get Striga to safety, ¡°Put me down.¡± Striga suddenly spoke up. Vita blinked at that looking over to Striga, ¡°I can walk¡­ She needs help.¡±


    Vita paused at that before nodding, setting Striga onto the ground slowly.


    And running forward to assist Skylar.


    Meanwhile, inside the church, Skylar groaned, pushing the broken bits of wood off her body and slowly standing up clenching her hands into fists.


    Wrath walked into the building staring down the child of shadows with a wry smirk, ¡°Is this the best you can muster? You¡¯ve hardly grown since the last we clashed. And yet here you were saunting forward like some shit-for-brains gladiator.¡±


    Skylar¡¯s eyes flashed shifting to a crimson red as she hurled a fireball forward.


    Only for it to stop short of Wrath¡¯s head and fizzle out, he sighed, ¡°I wasn¡¯t even aware it was possible to feel such disappointment. For that much, I suppose you have my thanks.¡± Wrath declared reaching up into the skies and in that instant black lightning crackled around his hand and an obsidian blade made itself known to the world, in response to this Skylar narrowed her gaze.


    -Just like before. Any attack I try to land is nullified before it makes contact¡­


    But to what extent?


    Skylar took in a breath and threw another ball of fire forward.


    Wrath slashed down with his blade fizzling out the attack, ¡°The same trick avials you naught!¡± he shouts only for his eyes to widen and he moved his head to the left, barely avoiding a spike of ice that was trained for the back of his skull.


    Skylar stared forward at the sight, ¡°So it¡¯s not unbreakable¡­¡± she muttered aloud with a smirk, ¡°And you even noticed it coming so it¡¯s not a force that you have to control¡­ It¡¯s a passive force..¡±


    Wrath paused at that staring down at Skylar as he slashed up breaking the ice spike into multiple pieces.


    Wrath then let out a hum, ¡°Strategy is it? Interesting, I¡¯m used to your flailing about like a puppet refusing her master.¡± Interest shone within Wrath¡¯s gaze, and yet he still saw Skylar as a weaker creature, ¡°Come, let us see what you can come up with.¡±


    In response to his taunt, Skylar shot forward letting out a cry as she threw her fist forward, and just behind Wrath, Vita approached blade in hand ready to swing and cut through Wrath¡¯s neck.


    Wrath instead let out an amused huff and slashed towards Vita¡¯s blade clashing with it and with his right leg he slammed his boot into Skylar¡¯s gut sending her flying once more.


    Wrath then turned his full attention to Vita, ¡°You are not worth the one I¡¯m here for shade, begone from my sight.¡±


    He declared this with a scowl throwing his right hand forward, dark energy crackled to life within his grasp and the stones on the floor lifted before a beam of dark energy flew forward.


    Vita growled lifting his blade and used the flat end of it to protect himself from the blast.


    His boots dug into the ground and he grits his teeth trying to move forward despite the pressure.


    Wrath watched the sight with contempt, ¡°Hm, the shade is made of tougher stuff it would seem¡­ and yet for all your strength. You will still fail.¡±


    He lowered his hand and ducked to the side as Skylar came up from behind him, Vita then growled, lowering his blade and running forward.


    Skylar on the other hand, was now in front of Wrath.


    And she ducked under his neck punch.


    Wrath then leaped into the air, avoiding a slash through the air from Vita. Wrath then landed on the ground as Skylar stood back to her full height only to witness Wrath fire a blast of dark energy at Vita from point-blank range sending Vita flying backward and out of the church doors.


    Wrath let out a chuckle, lowering his hand and turning to Skylar, ¡°Now then¡­ there¡¯s only you.¡± He declared this as Skylar¡¯s eyes flashed azure and she slammed her foot on the ground sending yet another ice spike upwards.


    Only for Wrath to slash down with his blade shattering the ice on contact.


    Skylar then threw her right fist forward.


    And Wrath in response, let it come.


    It slowed and stopped completely, held back by that invisible force.


    Before Skylar could react Wrath reached out with his free hand grabbing Skylar by her shirt and throwing her upwards.


    ¡°This house of hope, I think it¡¯s a fitting tomb for you.¡± Wrath spoke as Skylar flew up into the air, Wrath extended his palm upwards dark energy crackled and Skylar threw her hands down creating a wall of ice to shield herself as the energy sent her higher and higher.


    Soon enough Skylar¡¯s back hit the roof, and blood shot forth from her mouth.


    Wrath smiled at the sight continuing the pressure and the roof at last shattered sending Skylar up through a hole.


    Wrath blinked at the sight and frowned realizing he had just shot Skylar out of his range.


    Skylar screamed as she flew upwards and landed on the roof itself, she grunted slowly standing up and wiping the blood from her mouth.


    She turned around seeing Wrath leap up through the hole landing just ahead of her, ¡°...Is this the best you have to offer? Such a disappointment you turned out to be.¡±


    Skylar growled, raising her fists.


    Meanwhile, on the ground, Striga was holding the wounded Vita. She looked up to the roof, and saw Skylar struggling against Wrath, ¡°...She¡¯s not going to win¡­¡± Striga muttered, only for her eyes to widen as Vita grabbed her wrist.


    He locked eyes with Striga, ¡°Her sword¡­ she needs her sword to reach him.¡±


    Striga paused looking to her right, right at Skylar¡¯s sword.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Skylar on the roof threw her fist forward, fighting with everything she had.


    But no punch reached Wrath, he simply walked forward with an unamused expression before grabbing Skylar by the neck, and lifting her upwards.


    ¡°...It would seem this is your peak. Not that I have any desire to see you strive further. I grew tired of this contest. So, let¡¯s close the curtain.¡± With those words he threw Skylar off the side of the roof, a dark glow surrounded Wrath¡¯s hand as he kept it outstretched.


    Skylar¡¯s wide eyes stared forward, but her ears twitched as she heard a cry, ¡°SKYLAR CATCH!¡± Striga shouted at the top of her lungs, throwing Skylar¡¯s sword into the air.


    In a swift movement, Skylar¡¯s eyes flashed emerald and she grabbed her sword, slashing in the same motion just in time to cut through the dark beam that Wrath just fired.


    Skylar then shot forward through the air raising her blade ready to bring it down upon Wrath, he simply smirked and uttered these words, ¡°The stars beckon.¡±


    Just before Skylar¡¯s blade made contact Wrath looked up and¡­ the space around the duo froze.


    Cracks appeared in the space around them and shattered white and black lights flowed around them pushing them apart.


    Wrath kept a smile on his face as he stared forward, while Skylar growled.


    Soon Skylar¡¯s feet touched a new ground, Skylar found herself standing atop a large circular stone platform, her gaze wandered to the area around this platform, there was¡­ space?


    She turned around and saw what lay before her, instead of allies and the familiar city she saw¡­


    Stars and lights littered the area around her.


    And her jaw dropped in awe.


    ¡°How is this even possible? Is this¡­ some kind of dream.¡± She questioned as she started to walk forward.


    That is what she wanted to believe, but at this point, she knew better.


    Especially when she felt that pressure from behind her, slowly Skylar turned around, and she narrowed her gaze at Wrath.


    He descended slowly, wings spread out for all to see.


    ¡°...It was a year ago when I found you, you had shown promise, but you were an insignificant speck¡­ Though you have grown in strength since that time, you remain the same. A worthless speck of light that must be stuffed out.¡± Wrath declared as a sword made of heavenly light appeared in his right hand.


    Skylar reached up for her blade, gripping the hilt, ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then you know nothing about us.¡± She unsheathed her blade and bathed it in flames, ¡°This insignificant speck of light is about to burn you down¡­ till nothing but ashes remain!¡±


    Wrath kept his gaze trained forward a scowl formed upon his face, ¡°If this were back then I wouldn¡¯t have given your threat the time of day. But it was with that blade that you slew Greed, and it is with that blade that you draw closer to Lust with every passing second¡­ I cannot allow you to proceed further, not while my family requires protection. And so.¡± Wrath clenched his hand tightly staring down Skylar, ¡°I will bring my all to bear against you, through the might gifted to me by Origin. I shall bring the heavens crashing down upon you Shadewalker!¡±


    In response to this, Skylar¡¯s eyes flashed crimson and she slashed forward.


    Wrath dodged the first strike by moving to the right the second didn¡¯t even make contact and for the third Skylar leaped up into the air spinning through it as she let out a cry slashing down at Wrath¡¯s blade.


    He let out a hum as he clashed before throwing up his left hand and clenching it into a fist.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes widened and her eyes flashed emerald as she suddenly shot up into the air, barely avoiding an incoming asteroid.


    Wrath watched as Skylar rode the rock through the space that separated them, ¡°This plane of existence is mine to wield as I wish. All who have entered this place have never left. Do you understand Shadewalker? This is the final frontier.¡±


    Skylar stood on the rock in question taking in a breath, ¡°Fitting name for your resting place.¡± She spat holding her blade out to the side and launching forward.


    Wrath tossed his blade aside and instead moved to control the asteroids floating about throwing each one at Skylar.


    Yet her approach didn¡¯t stop, she threw her left hand down onto her blade coating it in shadows.


    Cutting through the asteroids as they came close, using them as stepping stones to increase her pace.


    Wrath watched the sight with interest lifting his right hand upwards attempting to bring the rubble down upon Skylar as Skylar at last closed the distance she let out a roar bringing her blade down upon Wrath¡¯s hand.


    He stared up, before smirking.


    Skylar¡¯s blade shattered upon his palm, ¡°Very well, I suppose I shall indulge your foolishness.¡± he declared shifting to the left and letting Skylar start to fall past him, yet just before she could Wrath reached up with his left hand and grabbed Skylar by the wrist.


    Wrath¡¯s hand now clad in a black gauntlet, ¡°Wha-¡± Skylar squeaked out before her body was thrown aside flying through the dead air around her before hitting a wall of earth.


    She groaned, pushing herself off the wall, and she was now staring at the sight before her.


    Wrath took calm steps forward black armor, dark as obsidian clung to him slowly suiting him up as purple lighting sparked to life on the ground around him.


    The holes in his helmet glowed purple and he spoke once more, ¡°Come, see if you can close the gap once more, child¡­¡± Wrath declared plucking a dark blade from the air with his right hand.


    Skylar grits her teeth reaching up and grabbing her second sword unsheathing the Dark Knight¡¯s blade, ¡°Don¡¯t take me lightly¡­ I¡¯m going to cleave you two. Just you wait!¡± Skylar shot forward, slashing up at Wrath.


    Her eyes glowed emerald as she did so.


    Wrath effortlessly ducked to the side slamming his boot into Skylar¡¯s side, before throwing his left hand forward.


    Lighting sparked upon it, and Skylar¡¯s eyes widened, she leaped into the air dodging out of the way of the purple beams of death at the last second.


    She breathed a sigh of relief before looking back down to see that Wrath was no longer on the ground.


    ¡°Wha-¡± her eyes widened fearfully as she felt something on the back of her head.


    ¡°Unworthy scum!¡± Wrath declared as he forced Skylar out of the air and down onto the ground, Skylar let out a cry of pain as she hit the dirt, Wrath however didn¡¯t seem to care much, he planted his left boot onto Skylar¡¯s back, ¡°You stand before the might of an Eternal¡­ it¡¯s only fitting that your face should be in the dirt, writhing with the maggots.¡± So he declared raising his blade high lighting sparked to life upon it.


    Skylar grits her teeth, her eyes flashing crimson as she pushes against the dirt lifting her head as Wrath thrusts his blade down, she growls out the words, ¡°Overdrive.¡±


    As soon as the word was uttered Wrath instantly leaped backward as a pillar of rainbow flame surrounded Skylar.


    Wrath stared at the sight seemingly unimpressed, holding his blade to the side he spoke, ¡°At last you bring it out¡­ the form that you rely upon at your most desperate¡­¡± Wrath spoke, raising his blade once more, ¡°If you wish desperately to be with the stars¡­ Earn your place among them.¡±


    The flames subsided, instead replacing themselves with a mist.


    It was cold, and Skylar stared forward holding her blade out to the side.


    She stared forward, feeling new strength welling up within her. And then she slammed her foot down onto the ground sending a field of ice spiraling forward, even the ground beneath Wrath¡¯s feet froze in the next instant.


    Wrath took a step forward, shattering the ice that got close to him, Skylar shot forward skating along the ice path and slashing forward.


    Wrath blocked the first strike with ease, only for his eyes to widen as Skylar slid under him he spun around throwing a fist forward, only for it to meet a wall of ice.


    He shattered that wall with ease, but Skylar was now gone from his vision.


    He frowned, lifting his blade and slashing up at the air behind him.


    Right where Skylar was, she had been aiming to slash at Wrath¡¯s neck but Wrath¡¯s sudden retaliation forced her to adopt a defensive stance.


    She let out a cry as she was knocked back into the air, ¡°Why me!?!¡± Skylar suddenly shouted as she spun through the air landing on a nearby asteroid. ¡°What did I ever do to you!?! Tell me!!!¡± Skylar shouted, throwing a hand to the side.


    Wrath stared up locking eyes with Skylar as he took in a slow breath taking a step forward, ¡°To me? Nothing. But you harmed those I¡¯d call my family. As such it is my duty to strike you down¡­ Now then Shadewalker.¡± Wrath lifted his right hand upwards clenching it into a fist.


    Skylar blinked, feeling energy swirling in the air, she paused looking around.


    The lights in the distance grew brighter causing her to pause confusion riddled upon her face, ¡°What are yo-¡± her eyes widened as she recognized this energy, ¡°Oh no.¡±


    A tier 7 spell.


    She was too far away to stop it, all she could do was watch¡­ no. That wasn¡¯t quite all she had done it before with wind magic.


    So what was stopping her now?


    She let out an icy breath stabbing her blade into the ground.


    Wrath however looked up to the stars, ¡°Heavens above born of flames, your light forged our lands and hearts. And now you shall rain once more upon this worthless land! STARSCOURGE!¡± Wrath shouted, the lights of the stars grew bright and they started to fall.


    Coming down at rapid speeds right towards Skylar.


    She closed her eyes, lifting her hands, and slowly a blue light began to surround her, ¡°The hearts of man grow colder still, their eyes hollowing at the sight of blood.¡± she declared as those stars came close, Skylar clasped her hands together sending a wave of blue light outwards freezing the stars in place coating them in ice.


    She then reached down pulling her blade forth with her right hand, waving her free hand the stars moved and crashed together forming a large body of flame.


    Skylar then leaped up into the air ice rapidly forming around the tip of her blade forming a mallet, she pulled it back and her eyes flashed, ¡°Scatter them to the dust.¡± she slammed that mallet downwards.


    And the ice shattered sending the large sun spiraling downward


    Wrath growled, staring up at the sight before him the sky he had made was now dark, and Skylar floating in the air as the sun approached Wrath.


    ¡°To think you could cast such a spell¡­ You grow stronger by the second, a master of magic in the making. I made the right decision for you as I do now. If you are allowed to fester, then there will be nothing left for me to protect.¡± He held his blade out to the side, his own eyes shining with power, ¡°And yet¡­¡±


    He slashed up, cutting through that sun causing it to explode across the arena.


    Skylar yelped, feeling herself getting shot backward onto the asteroid once more, when she stared forward into the light however she saw something.


    Wrath was unaffected by the flames it almost looked like he was bathing in them¡­ a crimson glow escaped through the lid of his helmet, ¡°The stars have yet to deem you worth the dust they burn up.¡± He declared raising his blade the flames flowed and condensed into that sword.


    Forming a beam of pure energy around it that almost seemed to extend into some unseen heaven.


    Skylar felt a bead of sweat form on the back of her neck as she stared at the sight, ¡°Is that right?¡± she gripped her blade tightly, she then let out a small breath as she planted her boots on the ground firmly, ¡°Fine by me, A universe where the stars accept you isn¡¯t one I¡¯m fond of either way.¡± mist escaped Skylar¡¯s lips as she finished, ¡°So I think I¡¯ll tear it down.¡±


    Wrath growled at the declaration, ¡°Deluded child, like Icarus before you, you shall fall for your hubris!¡± With that he swung his sword down as he did so the stars in the sky began to light up once more, this time falling in sync with Wrath¡¯s swing.


    But they were a fair distance apart.


    -I won¡¯t be able to freeze them all from that distance¡­ I¡¯ll have to do something else then.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes burned bright to the point where it almost seemed like wisps of blue flames were firing out from her iris. She pulled her blade back and ice shot from her feet into the rock below her extending outwards rapidly forming a shape around the rock and body extending upwards.


    Higher into the stars and higher still, a creature began to take shape.


    An ice figure that resembled a man with wings, holding a blade of divine justice.


    It moved in sync with Skylar as she swung forward, slashing her blade into Wrath''s creation and slashing through the sky cutting down the stars, ¡°Who are you to decide such things?¡± Skylar spat back without hesitation, ¡°A god? No, you''re not a god. You''re not eternal, you''re hardly even a man.¡± She pushed back against the energy with her own, ¡°You''re just a monster, a wild beast thrashing about. And it¡¯s time for you to be put down!¡±


    As she shouted that she at last sent a beam of blue energy, the creation she had made shattered in the same instant sending snow across the battlefield.


    Wrath¡¯s eyes widened as the energy in his blade faded in an instant and a crack appeared in his helmet, ¡°What¡­?¡± he questioned looking to his sword, that was until he felt a presence of energy fly down words him, his gaze shot up just in time to see Skylar shoot down from her spot slamming her blade down as Wrath raised his, ¡°Do you expect me to pity you? Do you expect me to feel remorse?!¡± She shouted her eyes flashed azure as cracks began to appear around Wrath¡¯s blade, ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about you, I¡¯m here to protect those important to me anyone who stands in my way will be cut down!¡±


    Wrath let out a hum at that as his blade shattered he moved to the side not fast enough as Skylar hit the ground and sent a shard of ice upwards right into his helmet shattering it.


    Wrath stared forward with surprise and stumbled backward, Skylar shot forward shouting, ¡°It¡¯s OVER!¡± she thrust forward and stopped just short her eyes flicked and she stumbled backward before falling to her knee her breathing was ragged, Wrath paused at that, and looked down at the girl before him.


    ¡°I see¡­ so there is a limit to that power of yours. It¡¯s not endless, you are quite literally burning out that magic.¡± Wrath let out a hum looking at his broken blade and tossing it aside.


    He then walked forward grabbing Skylar¡¯s hair and lifting her so that she could look Wrath in the eyes, ¡°Tell me, what will you do when you are backed into a corner? With no magic left to spare? What will you do when that power of yours can no longer save you?¡± he asked that question before throwing her aside.


    He then started to turn his gaze upwards and the lights in the sky were starting to reform, ¡°Our time here is almost over it would seem. The stars will reform so long as I remain, and they will rain down so long as I command them to.¡± he then blinked hearing the sound of cloth moving.


    Wrath turned his gaze back to Skylar who was now standing forward slightly slouched, she was holding her blade once more and she lifted her head, her emerald eyes shined past the locks of hair that covered her face.


    Wrath said nothing at first extending his right hand and reforming his blade, ¡°You are certainly stubborn of that much I¡¯ll condeed.¡± he then paused noticing something about the girl before him.


    Her hands were worn, and shaking.


    No, not just her hands. Her entire form.


    Trembling with fear of the man before her.


    Wrath stared forward, his eyes locked onto Skylar¡¯s trembling form, ¡°...What is it you think you can do? With your frail body, your limited strength. And your fearful gaze?¡± Wrath questioned holding his blade to his side.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Skylar responded honestly as she held her blade in front of her looking at the steel, ¡°But I¡¯ve got people waiting for me right¡­? So I can¡¯t just let it end here.¡± she then looked up, locking eyes with Wrath, ¡°...The same can be said for you right?¡±


    Wrath blinked looking up to the stars above for a moment, he thought on those words for a second before speaking up with a smirk on his face, ¡°You¡¯d make a good Eternal.¡±


    Skylar laughed a little at that, ¡°I think you¡¯d make a better human.¡± she responded with a soft smile.


    The air crackled around the duo, and the time for conversation ended.


    They both took a step forward in sync and shot forward. The ground cracked beneath the weight and they clashed in the center.


    They roared as strings of mana fired off from their bodies, the space around them cracked, seeming to struggle to stay stable as the air itself rumbled around the duo.


    Cracks ran up their blades before they shattered entirely.


    Skylar clicked her tongue in annoyance, and Wrath stared forward in shock.


    ¡°You''re afraid.¡± Wrath spat as he stumbled backward, ¡°I¡¯m stronger than you¡­ so then why?¡± Skylar shot forward once more leaping into the air her left fist pulled back and her right eye glowed crimson as she threw that fist downward, ¡°Why have I lost¡­?¡± Wrath questioned just as Skylar¡¯s fist made contact with his face sending him into the ground.


    He lay there staring up at Skylar, his eyes shining with something¡­ regret? No. That look was a pity.


    Skylar stared down at the man raising her fist, ¡°...I¡¯m done here.¡±


    Wrath chuckled at that as Skylar started to move away however, Wrath¡¯s right hand shot upwards, ¡°Don¡¯t run away.¡± he spoke clearly, ¡°You have to finish what you started, and you won¡¯t be able to do that without my strength. Not with your frail body. Not with your fear.¡±


    Skylar scowled at that looking down at Wrath as his skin began to flake away turning into shards of green mist, ¡°I don¡¯t need you.¡± she spat firmly trying to pull away.


    ¡°Hear me, hero.¡± Wrath spoke suddenly looking up to her, ¡°You are a pawn in a much greater scheme¡­ much greater forces are at work here than you understand. You must relinquish it, your fear. Your hopes. Your love. Only a beast of pure unfettered wrath can hope to stand to Origin and his¡­¡±


    With that he let go of Skylar¡¯s hand, she stared down at the man before her and scowled, turning away. She started to walk away once more, ¡°You¡¯ll have to find someone else then.¡± Skylar spoke, ¡°My hatred for you and your kind isn¡¯t limitless. The only anger I have that burns that bright is the one I have for myself.¡±


    With that, she offered no more words turning over to look at Wrath.


    He stared up at the sky and slowly lifted his hand upwards, ¡°I see¡­ It would seem I misjudged you.¡± he smiled softly, closing his eyes, ¡°You are worthy among the stars Skylar, and I have long since overstayed my welcome.¡±


    Skylar arched her brow before her eyes widened, feeling magic flow through the air as Wrath started to mutter something beneath his breath, Skylar stretched out her right hand, ¡°Don¡¯t!¡±


    Wrath¡¯s eyes closed as he whispered his last words, ¡°Starscourge.¡±


    Skylar ran forward letting out a scream as the stars came down crashing into Wrath, yet upon his face, he smiled.


    Smiled even as his body was set ablaze, smiled even as the space around him cracked and shattered.


    Revealing the church crumbling beneath him and Skylar being sent flying onto the ground ahead.


    Yet thereupon that ground, Striga caught Skylar before any real damage could be done, ¡°Skylar. I¡¯ve got you. You''re okay.¡± Striga said, holding Skylar close.


    Yet Skylar found herself staring at the rubble of the church, she opened her mouth to speak finding no words to describe what she just bore witness to.


    So instead she looked down to the ground, ¡°...Striga? Am¡­ Am I a bad person?¡± she asked after a moment.


    Striga blinked confusion riddled upon her face, and along with concern, she leaned forward pulling Skylar into a hug.


    ¡°Of course not. Your Skylar, kind and stupid to a fault. But you''re not a bad person, you''re my best friend.¡± Striga spoke with a small smile and Skylar blinked at that slowly.


    ¡°Your best friend huh¡­¡± Skylar closed her eyes and smiled softly, ¡°If that¡¯s what I am. I think I¡¯m fine as I am then.¡±


    Vita walked forward meeting the duo he stared at Skylar for a moment before folding his arms, ¡°Are you going to stand up then?¡±


    Skylar blinked and blushed in embarrassment glancing to the side, ¡°I uh, don¡¯t think I can. I can¡¯t feel my legs.¡±


    Vita scowled, ¡°Oh for the love of-¡±


    ¡°Relax.¡± Striga chuckled as she reached down upon the satchel that Skylar had on her and pulled out one of the red potions, ¡°Journey''s end grows closer, you best start remembering to use this Skylar- Why are there only two left?¡±


    Skylar blinked remembering the single soldier she failed to save, ¡°...¡± she said nothing looking down, but Striga sighed, uncapping the bottle and bringing it to Skylar¡¯s lips.


    Skylar didn¡¯t resist downing the contents of the potion.


    Instantly she felt her body start work once more, and she moved forward looking down at her hands, ¡°Huh¡­ That works quickly.¡±


    She then looked down to her satchel, ¡°One left¡­¡± she muttered to herself with a sigh, ¡°Not a lot of room for mistakes.¡±


    She then sighed looking over to Striga who was frowning as she looked over to the rubble, Skylar of course tilted her head, ¡°You okay?¡± she asked, standing up slowly and holding out a hand for Striga to grab.


    Striga in response blinked before smiling softly, ¡°I¡¯ll be okay.¡± she said as she took Skylar¡¯s hand and helped to pull her up.


    Vita put a fist to his helmet and coughed, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude¡­ but there¡¯ll be a crowd here soon at this rate.¡± Vita stated plainly as he walked over to the rubble and sifted through it for a moment before finding what remained of Skylar¡¯s blade, he turned to look over his shoulder, ¡°We should make ourselves scarce.¡±


    Skylar nodded at that, ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s scram.¡± she moved over to Yang examining the sword shards in question, ¡°...Man that thing¡¯s fucked.¡±


    Vita nodded, ¡°At this point, we should just toss it.¡±


    Skylar shook her head, looking down to her other sword, ¡°Not yet we aren¡¯t.¡± She reached down into her pocket pulling out a vial with silver liquid, ¡°So long as I¡¯ve got this I can make good use of it.¡± She explained as she used her wind magic to gather up the shards and set them into her bag with the red potion, pulling that potion out beforehand of course.


    ¡°I¡¯ll patch it up later.¡± she proclaimed with a smirk.


    Vita folded his arms at that, ¡°Later? Why not now?¡±


    ¡°This stuff has a secondary use, I¡¯d prefer to get both uses out of it at once,¡± Skylar replied as she spun around on her heel pocketing both potions as she started to move forward.


    Striga arched a confused brow but followed closely behind Skylar.


    Meanwhile, Vita stared forward and let out a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve had about enough of this¡­¡±

 Chapter 16: Discord.

    Yin stared forward with confusion on his face as he saw not only Skylar but her guests, ¡°...You''re aware I have only one room right?¡± he questioned with a slightly exasperated smile.


    Skylar was currently letting Striga rest, and because of that Striga was lazily leaning to the side and Skylar was struggling to keep Striga upright.


    ¡°Just give us the room you did before, we¡¯ll make it work,¡± Skylar said with her tired smile.


    Yin sighed but stepped aside allowing the trio to enter unabated, as they started to walk up the stairs Striga spoke up, ¡°So tell me Skylar, why are you here? I was under the impression that the Dark Knights would keep you safe¡­¡±


    ¡°Vita¡¯s all that¡¯s left of them.¡± Skylar responded flatly, ¡°The village was wiped out when I got there¡­ It¡­ wasn¡¯t a pretty sight.¡± Skylar responded, glancing to the side as she reached the top of the stairs.


    Striga paused momentarily to glance at Skylar, ¡°I could only imagine.¡±


    Vita moved past the duo, opening the door to the bedroom and allowing the duo to enter, Skylar attempted to help Striga onto the bed, but Striga only chuckled, removing herself from Skylar¡¯s clutches and moving to the bed herself.


    The room was silent momentarily, and tension filled the air.


    It was then that Vita spoke up, leaning against the wall he asked the question that was on everyone¡¯s mind, ¡°So how do we go about killing Lust?¡±


    Striga paused at that question before leaning forward, ¡°Originally I went about sending my forces through the mines¡­ considering that Lust is still alive and kicking we can assume the worst for them.¡± Striga began to explain.


    Skylar folded her arms, ¡°Lust¡¯s army also hasn¡¯t done all that much though, I mean this whole area is still alive and kicking despite the meager defenses. So her forces are all probably still gathered in the castle itself. Midus included.¡± she then grimaced, ¡°Not looking forward to fighting him again.¡±


    Striga cupped her chin and hummed, ¡°An army of unknown numbers and at least two of the strongest people we¡¯ve ever faced¡­ the odds in short are against us.¡±


    Vita nodded in agreement, ¡°The odds have never been in our favor before. This is no different. We simply need to find a way to tip the scales back in our favor.¡±


    Striga bit down on her nail irritation showing on her face, ¡°A two-way assault could do wonders, but¡­¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what¡¯s in the mines.¡± Skylar finished with a frown, ¡°And I¡¯m pretty much the only one who could charge the front gates and stand to survive. So you¡¯d be going down there with Vita.¡± Skylar shook her head, ¡°But something that could wipe out an army like yours? I¡¯m worried that you two won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    In response to this Vita let out a hum, ¡°We don¡¯t necessarily need to win, we just need to perform well enough to draw attention towards us. Though winning would of course be ideal.¡±


    Striga nodded, ¡°Right, the goal isn¡¯t to defeat whoever or whatever is down there. It¡¯s to draw as much attention away from the castle as possible.¡±


    Skylar hummed hearing that, ¡°In that case¡­ Why not make it a 3-way assault? Two from the ground¡­ and one from the skies.¡± Skylar suggested with a light smirk.


    Upon hearing that idea Striga folded her arms, ¡°...with the airship we brought here? It¡¯s certainly not a bad idea. The problem comes with convincing Julieta to agree.¡±


    Skylar blinked then instantly deflated as soon as the prospect of convincing Julieta registered in her mind, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not going to be an easy task considering how reckless this plan is in the first place.¡±


    Vita closed his eyes, ¡°Reckless doesn''t even begin to describe it, besides you''re all forgetting a different idea. A plan that is far more sane, and far more reasonable.¡±


    Skylar paused, lifting her head with some hope in her eyes as she looked over to Vita, ¡°Really? And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°We leave.¡± Vita stated simply, ¡°We¡¯ve got the girl. And Lust doesn''t seem interested in anything beyond this island. As such, leaving this place behind would be our best course of action.¡±


    Skylar narrowed her gaze at that, and Striga frowned looking away from the group.


    It was at that moment that Skylar stepped forward, ¡°You aren¡¯t seriously suggesting that we leave these people to their fate are you?¡±


    ¡°And what if I am?¡± Vita questioned moving from the wall staring Skylar down, ¡°Frankly I¡¯ve no stake in this fight, neither do you. You could argue that Striga is the only one in our little entourage that does.¡±


    Skylar grits her teeth, her hands clenched into fists, ¡°There are people here who have suffered. Your village was slaughtered, don''t you DARE try and tell me you have no stake in this fight!¡± She shouted pointing a finger forward right at Vita.


    ¡°The village in question holds people whose names and faces I can hardly recall, nor do I hold any care for this island in particular.¡± Vita fired back instantly, ¡°Don¡¯t you act as though you''re any better Skylar, tell me honestly. Do you remember the faces of every corpse you¡¯ve come across?¡±


    Skylar blinked at that, taking a step back, ¡°Of course I d-¡± But she cut herself off, searching her memories.


    Only to find blank spots, she remembers fires, she remembers blood, but the faces in her memory started to appear blurry.


    Her eyes slowly narrowed at that realization.


    Somehow that hurt her more than anything else she¡¯s seen.


    Vita scoffed at that, turning and walking to the door, ¡°Thought not.¡± he grabbed onto the handle, ¡°I¡¯m heading to the pub, you can find me there when you¡¯ve tired of this farce.¡± with that he swung the door open walking through it before slamming it forcefully.


    Skylar sank backward falling onto the ground, she curled up into a small ball pressing her forehead into her knees, ¡°What was I even supposed to say to that¡­?¡± she questioned no one in particular.


    Striga closed her eyes letting out a quiet sigh, instead of answering Skylar¡¯s question she went for a different approach, ¡°...I really am thankful to you.¡± She spoke after a second, causing Skylar to lift her head just a bit to listen, Striga then paused opening her eyes slowly as a frown came upon her face, ¡°...When I was in that prison cell it was like I was¡­ trapped in a nightmare one that I¡¯ve seen all to many times. One where all free will was taken from me and I was forced to do one thing.¡± She lifted her hands examining her palms, ¡°Kill.¡± the word came from her mouth with a semblance of disdain. ¡°I never did tell you about my past did I?¡± Striga looked up at the ceiling with a frown, and Skylar of course watched every moment of it, taking Striga¡¯s words to her own heart and engraving them.


    Striga then lowered her hands looking over to Skylar, ¡°I told you once before that in terms of silver-haired mages. There can only be three of us in the world at any given time, correct?¡± Striga questioned.


    And Skylar of course lifted her head fully, ¡°Yeah? What about it?¡±


    Striga paused looking out the window, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that is a lie¡­ There¡¯s more than 3 at any given moment.¡±


    Skylar tilted her head at that, ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡± Skylar started, ¡°Why would you even lie about something like that?¡±


    Striga then sighed, closing her eyes, ¡°Draco. You¡¯ve met the man before, a brilliant man whose genius is nearly unmatched in this world.¡± Striga began to explain, ¡°While it was true that Silver-haired mages could only exist with a limit of 3. Draco couldn¡¯t stand that, so he took it upon himself to make this ¡®law¡¯ obsolete.¡± Striga then lifted her right hand, black shadows slivered across it, ¡°Using the power of void, and children that the world forgot. Draco would manufacture his own silver-haired mages.¡±


    Skylar blinked slowly, getting to her feet once more, ¡°You''re¡­ pulling my leg here right? We''re not just talking about creating mages. We''re talking about full-blown kidnapping and human experimentation.¡±


    Striga chuckled bitterly, lowering her hand, before looking to Skylar, ¡°...And the murders of our siblings.¡± she said that bit with a last smile, ¡°Those of us who made it to the ripe age of 14 were pitted against each other. Told to kill. And then to kill again. Over and over and over until only a few of us remained. That was how Draco cultivated strength.¡±


    Skylar felt sick to her stomach just hearing this story, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Awful.¡±


    Striga nodded slowly, ¡°He¡¯d keep this exercise of his going for as long as he could manage. Until we broke, or until someone bought us off of him.¡± She then looked down at the ring on her finger, ¡°Like Delish did for me.¡±


    Skylar was silent at that, looking down to the ring, and Striga lifted that hand with a small smile, ¡°It¡¯s funny you know, when he first asked me to be his. I said ¡®yes¡¯ without a second thought. He was the man who saved me after all, even though I wanted to find Draco and cut him down. I felt I owed it to Delish to be by his side.¡± She paused looking over to Skylar, ¡°And now here I am out in the world barely holding on. Weak.¡±


    Skylar let out a sigh moving to the wall and sliding down it, ¡°Preaching to the choir there¡­ I fight and I fight and I fight. But every time I strike down a god another one pops up to take their place. Always stronger, always worse than the last one. And I have to wonder, will this fighting ever end¡­?¡±


    They were both silent for the moment, and Striga let out a growl standing up pulling the ring from her finger, and walking up to the nearby window throwing it open, ¡°Enough of this. I don¡¯t know what the future holds. And I don¡¯t know how strong I can be. But I can¡¯t just¡­ stay at his side, not until Draco is gone from the world. I¡¯ll find Delish and tell him myself.¡± She then threw that ring off the balcony, ¡°And I¡¯d prefer to do that with my best friend at my side.¡± Striga spoke with a smile looking over her shoulder right at Skylar.


    Skylar paused at that blinking before blushing and looking down, ¡°...How could I say no?¡± Skylar asked with a small smile, ¡°If my friend needs my help I have to come running.¡±


    Striga chuckled a little at that, ¡°I suppose that is just the kind of person you are¡­ I¡¯ve never told anyone else this story before you know Skylar. I was scared, I couldn¡¯t tell you what I was scared of. But I know I was afraid.¡± Striga explained fidgeting with the sleeve of her shirt.


    Skylar closed her eyes then, ¡°Everyone gets scared isn¡¯t that right? That¡¯s why we have each other. So that when one of us freezes up in fear, the other can take our hand and drag us forward.¡±


    Striga upon hearing those words paused and lowered her hand, ¡°...Hm, I suppose you''re right.¡± she then turned around fully moving back to the bed, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Shall we head off to bed.¡± she asked as she moved under the blanket.


    Skylar nodded, standing up and moving to the door, that was until Striga let out a slight ¡°Ahem¡± causing Skylar to turn to look over to her.


    There she was greeted to the sight of Striga lifting the blanket inviting Skylar to join her, Skylar blinked at that sight, ¡°Er, no thanks. I can sleep downstairs on the couch.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Striga stated firmly, ¡°You¡¯ve had a long fight today. And you''re certainly almost as exhausted- if not more so than me. I won¡¯t have you sleeping on a couch.¡±


    Skylar folded her arms, fidgeting nervously, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go over to where the rebels hang about, I¡¯m sure they can set me up with a spare room¡­¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to be laying low, you tend to get into trouble when you''re out on your own.¡± Striga pointed out with a witty smile.


    Skylar paused at that, looking over to Striga, ¡°...Well¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh for fucks sake Skylar, just get into the bed.¡± Striga spat after Skylar¡¯s hesitation.


    And Skylar sighed, moving forward and taking off her jacket setting it aside before crawling under the blanket.


    Striga let out a satisfied hum as she turned away from Skylar.


    Skylar blinked at that and smiled softly, closing her eyes, ¡°Night Striga.¡±


    ¡°Night Skylar,¡± Striga responded fondly.


    And the night went on.


    Chapter 16: Discord.


    A new crack had appeared upon the barrier in front of the castle, unease started to appear on the faces of the soldiers within, and even now their ruler remained within the throne room.


    Lust sat upon her throne craning her neck upwards, ¡°The promised time is coming.¡± she muttered to herself before sighing slowly standing upwards, ¡°I must make ready¡­¡±


    Slowly she started to move forward into the center of her room, she paused however when she sensed a presence behind her, ¡°Trying to steal away my throne are we?¡± she asked looking over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing into a glare.


    There upon the throne sat Jenna she was leaning forward her face cupped by her hands as she smirked, ¡°Lust¡­ You seem to be misunderstanding your role in this story.¡±


    Lust paused at that turning around fully, ¡°And what do you mean by that hm? It¡¯s my role to see that girl batten and beaten, crushed, flayed and scattered.¡± Lust declared with certainty.


    Jenna smiled at that standing up, ¡°Is that so? Well, I can tell you with certainty that¡¯s not how this will go.¡± Jenna declared, lifting her right hand, ¡°You and the other Eternal¡¯s¡­ are nothing more than lambs being sent to the slaughter.¡±


    Lust then glared at that, ¡°Then what¡¯s your role in all of this?¡±


    ¡°My role?¡± Jenna repeated the question as she cupped her chin, thinking of an answer, and after a moment she smiled, ¡°To ensure you don¡¯t step out of line.¡±


    Lust narrowed her gaze before smirking, ¡°I¡¯ve seen your work, what you did to The Kingdom, impressive stuff.¡± She started with flattery, putting her hands behind her back and taking a step forward, ¡°It truly was the stuff of legends, and it gave me¡­ so many ideas.¡±


    To her right, a soldier of pink liquid came to life beside Lust, ¡°Our powers are the same after all.¡± Lust proclaimed.


    Jenna let out a hum tapping the arm of the chair with tired eyes, she lifted her free hand upwards pointing a single finger forward, ¡°They are¡­ However, just because our powers are the same¡­¡± The pink soldier shattered in the next instant broken apart by a small string that shot forward from Jenna¡¯s finger, ¡°Doesn''t mean that we are in any way equals.¡±


    Lust stared at the puddle on the ground, a frown growing upon her face, ¡°...to the point then. Why are you here?¡±


    Jenna clasped her hands together with an innocent smile, ¡°There you go! Asking the right question at last!¡± She lowered her hands and that smile took on a sinister look, ¡°To put it plainly, I want you to fight Skylar. I want you to fight until bones break, I want you to fight until blood covers these lands. I want you to try your utmost to kill Skylar Shadewalker.¡±


    Lust paused at that, ¡°I¡¯d heard rumors that you were trying to protect the Shadewalker. And yet this goes against that. I suppose it¡¯d be safe to assume those rumors are false?¡±


    Jenna laughed at that, a true smile appearing on her face, ¡°My motives when it comes to Skylar are not of any concern to you. All you need to know is that I am doing what is best for her.¡±


    Lust frowned seeing that she wasn¡¯t going to get any more information out of this girl, ¡°Is that right?¡± she muttered, ¡°Very well then, I shall send my best after the girl. And if she survives through all that, I¡¯ll grant her the honor of tasting the dirt that has gathered on my soles.¡±


    Jenna stood up from the chair, ¡°Wonderful!¡± she chirped, opening a portal to her side, ¡°Though I suspect you will find that dirt loveling spat back into your face.¡± She then walked forward entering the portal and letting it close behind her.


    Lust folded her arms looking to her throne, ¡°Not again. I will not be made a weakling again¡­¡± she growled out trying to compose herself.


    She moved forward to the large doors pushing them open and walking into the halls.


    She took note of the faces of her soldiers but offered no words to console them.


    After all her interests lay elsewhere.


    She moved further and further until she came to another small door, she swung it open and was greeted by a spiraling staircase, slowly she moved downwards.


    The path in question led to the underground.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    And it winded for some time, it took a couple minutes just to reach the bottom when Lust at last reached the bottom.


    Of course, the bottom itself was a large cavern, stone walls surrounded this place and Lust was greeted by the sight of Delish reading from a book, he was standing on a large stone platform.


    And straight ahead was an open hole, revealing an open sky ahead, and below the platform was the cloud sea just within view.


    Lust decided to speak up, ¡°I¡¯m growing impatient Delish, you promised me Stella, and yet it seems you still have nothing.¡±


    Delish paused at that looking over his shoulder and slamming his book shut with a free hand, ¡°How presumptuous of you.¡± he replied, ¡°I¡¯m trying to craft a wish-granting device here, it¡¯s not as though it¡¯s something that you can create within the span of a few weeks.¡±


    ¡°Time is something that we don¡¯t have.¡± Lust replied frankly, ¡°The Shadewalker seems to have freed your ¡®beloved¡¯ and they will likely be attempting to make their way here within the coming days.¡±


    Delish paused at that and looked over to the open sky.


    He then held out his right hand, and suddenly from the sea of clouds energy flows upwards.


    Converging just in front of the platform and forming a large ball of flame.


    Just as quickly as it appeared however it faded, ¡°That was a cluster of mana. The first step to creating the device we desire¡­ the problem being¡­ That it¡¯s dissipating too soon. There¡¯s also too much of it, even with a Blank we could not store it all.¡±


    Lust folded her arms and narrowed her gaze, ¡°And you can just create that from the cloud sea? I fail to see why you needed all of those men I sent you then.¡±


    Delish lowered his hand, ¡°The cloud sea kills anyone who falls into it, but strangely enough their souls remain. Mixed in with the mana. As such you need an area with a large amount of dead. That is why I needed your men. But it would appear my ancestors overlooked the method of containing this ¡®special¡¯ mana.¡± he grumbled and Lust closed her eyes, sighing.


    ¡°So you''re saying that this is a waste of time.¡±


    ¡°...Not necessarily.¡± Delish replied as he stared into the cloud sea, ¡°The Titan¡¯s for example could serve as a suitable husk to contain one of these as a ¡®core¡¯ the remaining steps come afterward.¡±


    Lust frowned at that, ¡°That would require a Titan husk, something that isn¡¯t common.¡±


    ¡°But it would appear necessary, that does beg the question, however¡­ what were the Titans built for in the first place?¡± Delish found himself wondering aloud, pausing and looking over his shoulder, ¡°Ah that reminds me¡­ Striga¡¯s strategy for assaulting us will likely be a duel assault. One from above and another through the caves here.¡± he explained.


    Lust chuckled bitterly, ¡°She¡¯ll have a hard time like her soldiers if that¡¯s her plan. Even I don¡¯t dare to go into those caves after that thing made its home there.¡±


    Delish nodded at that, ¡°Hm, well it¡¯s surely weakened by now¡­ Striga may be able to manage if she¡¯s careful. As such, if she makes it through I¡¯ll deal with her myself.¡±


    Lust frowned at that, ¡°And you expect me to believe that you¡¯ll do that to the one whom you claim to love?¡±


    ¡°...We are on the verge of recreating one of the greatest devices known to man. My feelings are irrelevant. I will do what I must.¡± Delish declared with a small smirk as he reopened the book before him.


    Lust said nothing on the matter, sighing, ¡°Very well, but should I discover that you turned on me? I will not hesitate to throw you into the sea.¡± With that, she turned around and walked off.


    Delish stared at the book in his hands, ¡°Neglected to show a way to contain this mana¡­ or perhaps purposely omitted that information.¡± he paused looking up from the pages, staring once more at the sea ahead of him before taking in a sharp breath, ¡°No turning back, my sins are beyond redemption now.¡±


    ¡°And why would you even seek such a thing?¡± Byakko asked with a wry smirk as he walked into the area from the cave entrance.


    Delish frowned at the man, ¡°...What is it you want from me? In case it wasn¡¯t clear I was busy.¡±


    Byakko chuckled, throwing his hands up defensively, ¡°Hey there, no need to worry about me¡­ I simply like to watch¡­ that said.¡± he paused, lowering his hands, turning his gaze to the spiraling staircase, ¡°Lust seems to be on edge, almost losing her conviction. Normally she¡¯d have killed you in a heartbeat for the stuff you just said.¡±


    Delish blinked at that, ¡°And is that what you''re here for?¡±


    Byakko smirked, turning to look at Delish, ¡°Nah, I¡¯m rather interested in seeing where your story goes.¡± he shrugged, ¡°That said, I do think it¡¯s about time someone knocked Lust from her throne¡­¡±


    ¡°...You''re suggesting treason.¡± Delish pointed out with a glare, ¡°That¡¯s rather rash.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my nature.¡± Byakko declared, ¡°It¡¯s why I¡¯m being so careful about it, Lust knows her shades well. That¡¯s why I¡¯m the only one that¡¯s been ordered to stay back at the castle, because in her eyes I¡¯m the most dangerous of them.¡±


    ¡°I fail to see why she doesn''t just absorb you back in then,¡± Delish grumbled as he turned the page on his book.


    Byakko chuckled, throwing his arms up behind his head, ¡°She can¡¯t. Not without taking the rest back into her soul as well. Lust wouldn¡¯t even consider that option unless the other three were already out of the picture.¡± Byakko then paused, ¡°Though considering it seems Suzaku is all that remains¡­ What comes next will certainly be interesting. It¡¯s a long night after all, and Suzaku has no sense of honor.¡±


    Delish blinked, pausing as he gripped his page, ¡°She¡¯ll go for an assassination then?¡±


    ¡°Most likely,¡± Byakko confirmed with a hum, before blinking as a rumbling came from the caves. ¡°Man, they are going ham in there.¡± Byakko laughed.


    Delish looked over to the entrance, ¡°You let Midus clash with the creature?¡±


    ¡°So long as he does not kill it, who cares?¡± Byakko responded flatly, ¡°Besides, there¡¯s not any other way for him to test his new strength. Oh and you don¡¯t need to worry, I took precautions to keep the Mothercrystal safe as well.¡±


    ¡°Hm, good, wouldn¡¯t do if our little tests caused the island to sink with us in it.¡± Delish declared with a sigh.


    Byakko nodded in agreement, ¡°Well since Midus is the closest thing we have to a High Executioner as of now¡­ Perhaps he can be convinced to keep watch over it?¡±


    ¡°And how would you go about convincing him to do that?¡± Delish questioned with an amused smirk.


    ¡°I dunno, have Lust flash him now and then? Dude¡¯s head over heels for that bitch.¡± Byakko responded flatly before walking over to the edge and staring down at the cloud sea, ¡°...Perhaps I should speak with the Shadewalker.¡±


    ***


    Suzuku let out a hum as she leaned back on her wooden chair, ¡°So she defeated Seriyu without a hitch eh?¡± She questioned with a wry smirk.


    Yang nodded, ¡°Though I am loath to admit it, we were outclassed.¡±


    They were currently in Suzaku¡¯s shop and she blinked looking at the ceiling, ¡°And you sent her off to your place eh? That¡¯s a problem, how am I supposed to congratulate her for a job well done if she¡¯s not even here.¡± Suzaku questioned with a shake of her head, ¡°Not that I mean to undermine your efforts of course.¡±


    She then paused leaning forward, ¡°So then, it would be accurate to say the girl is exhausted, yes?¡±


    Yang nodded, ¡°Indeed, if there was ever a time to proceed with your plan it would be now.¡± Yang explained with a smile.


    Suzaku let out a bitter chuckle at that, ¡°Oh Seriyu, always with the hands-on approach, but a job like this requires delicacy¡­¡±


    She then stood up from the chair and started to walk to the door, ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out now, watch the shop for me dear.¡±


    Yang shrugged at that, ¡°Sure thing be safe out there.¡± he smiled as he walked over to the counter, Suzaku opened the door and walked out onto the streets she paused looking up to the night sky.


    ¡°...Even after all these years it¡¯s hardly changed a bit,¡± she muttered to herself with a small smile before reaching into her single pocket and pulling out a dagger staring at the blade for a moment.


    ¡°Like most things, I suppose, the sky remains the same, the winds will always blow and a chain will always have me bound.¡±


    Suzaku let out a bitter sigh and started to make her way forward, she knew her destination.


    Forward.


    That was the only path she was allowed to walk even now.


    She moved forward lost in her thoughts before at last stopping just in front of Yin¡¯s front door.


    She took in a breath pocketing her dagger and reaching up and knocking on the door.


    There was silence for a moment before the door rattled and Yin answered, ¡°Yes how may I help yo- Oh. It¡¯s you.¡± he frowned, glaring at Suzaku, ¡°What are you doing here? My brother is out in case that wasn¡¯t clear.¡±


    Suzaku put a sweet smile on her face and locked her eyes onto Yin, her eyes glowed a bright pink, ¡°Could you show me to the room of the Shadewalker?¡± she spoke in a sing-songy tone hiding her intentions beneath it.


    Yin paused feeling a bit dizzy, he nodded slowly and stepped to the side gesturing up the stairs, ¡°Up there.¡± He muttered and Suzaku smiled, skipping up those steps without a care in the world she climbed, stopping at the door in question before reaching out and opening the door slowly.


    Gingerly she entered the room, her gaze falling upon the sleeping form of Skylar and Striga in the same bed.


    Her gaze narrowed and a frown appeared on her face, slowly she reached into her pocket closed the door behind her, and pulled out that dagger.


    It was at this moment that Suzaku stared down at Skylar slowly walking up to that bed.


    A frown on her face as she took in a shaky breath bringing her trembling hand forward and putting the knife onto Skylar¡¯s neck.


    Only for her eyes to widen as two sets of fingers wrapped around her neck and lifted her into the air, but not before she let out a yelp.


    Her knife fell onto the bed and Skylar¡¯s eyes shot open, she was dazed and confused but of course, the first thing Skylar saw was someone in danger and a weapon.


    Skylar reacted on instinct, grabbing the knife and lunging forward stabbing it into the figure that held Suzaku aloft.


    The figure was black almost as if it was born from shadows, Skylar blinked as the figure vanished, fading into mist and it dropped Suzaku onto the floor.


    Skylar recognized that shadowy figure, it was Vita. Or at least that shadow that accompanied him, seems he left it behind¡­


    Skylar then let out a sigh as Striga sat up in her bed, ¡°Skylar? What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked with half-lidded eyes.


    In response to the question Skylar blinked, looking over to Striga and then down to the knife in her hand, before looking down to Suzaku, ¡°I¡¯d like to know that myself¡­¡±


    Suzaku opened her mouth to speak but for a rarity, words escaped her and she glanced away, before sighing heavily.


    ¡°...Enough with the charade.¡± she turned her gaze to Striga, her eyes shining pink, ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    Striga paused before falling over to the ground.


    Skylar saw the sight and growled looking over to Suzaku, ¡°What have you done?¡±


    Suzaku said nothing at first, instead she slowly stood up and dusted herself off, ¡°Merely opened up space. Since it¡¯s come to this why don¡¯t we talk? Downstairs perhaps?¡±


    Skylar gripped the knife in her hand, ¡°Or I could kill you right here and be done with this mess.¡±


    ¡°Only if you can reach me before I give your friend over there another order. Perhaps one to do something drastic.¡± Suzaku pointed out with a wry smile, ¡°So why not set the blade down, and we can talk like civilized people.¡±


    ¡°Hilarious coming from someone who tried to stab me in my sleep.¡± Skylar shot back without hesitation.


    But¡­ she set the knife down regardless, she wasn¡¯t willing to risk Striga¡¯s life for this.


    ¡°I will say¡­ I wasn¡¯t expecting you to have a guardian angel.¡± Suzaku muttered with a smirk as she took a step to the side, ¡°Shall we?¡±


    Skylar glared at Suzaku and moved to the door, opening it, ¡°...What is it you''re planning?¡± Skylar asked as she moved down the stairs.


    ¡°To talk. I¡¯ve failed to strike you down and to be frank, I¡¯m not confident I can take you in a fight. To put it bluntly Skylar¡­¡± Suzaku paused at the top of the stairs as Skylar reached the bottom, Skylar turned around to look at Suzaku who was biting down on her lip, ¡°I¡¯m here to negotiate for my own life.¡±


    Skylar glared at that, ¡°You¡¯ve got a hard talk coming for you then. You not only tried to take my life, but you used someone dear to me as a bargaining chip.¡± Skylar¡¯s eyes flashed with anger, ¡°You''re lucky I haven¡¯t sent you through the wall already.¡±


    ¡°Lucky huh?¡± Suzaku laughed bitterly as she started to move down those steps, ¡°Hardly. Luck is something gifted to those favored by the heavens, people like you Skylar.¡± Suzaku reached the bottom of the stairs and moved to the front door, ¡°People like me? We feed off the scraps left by others and try to steal the spotlight of the heavens. Sometimes we get our moment of glory, sometimes we see the beautiful world¡­ and sometimes we fail. When we fail. It always leads to the same ending.¡± Suzaku opened the door, ¡°Death.¡±


    She walked out onto the street and Skylar stood there on the stone road staring right at Suzaku.


    Clenching her fists and glaring, ¡°Do you expect me to pity you? Is that what this is?¡± Skylar asked as she remembered Seriyu¡¯s memories.


    Genbu¡¯s as well, ¡°Well tough shit.¡± Skylar threw a hand to the side.


    The wind blew in the night. It seemed to be particularly windy¡­


    Suzaku let out a somewhat annoyed sigh as she lowered her arms, ¡°So it comes to this then? Always the same.¡± She locks her gaze onto Skylar, ¡°The same arrogance, the same claim that yours is the just cause. People desire a firm hand to guide them, we are lending them ours to steady their path. But you would strike us down?¡±


    Skylar closed her eyes feeling the heat before taking a step forward, ¡°...I don¡¯t give a damn what your motives are at this point. Everything about you disgusts me, you had a good family at one point didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Lust did.¡± Suzaku responded with a growl, ¡°And I have no desire to return to that bitch¡¯s side. That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing what I am.¡± Suzaku explained looking around the area, ¡°I¡¯ll defeat you, and then I¡¯ll demand that Lust allows me to separate from her fully!¡±


    Skylar frowned at that, glancing to the side, ¡°It doesn''t have to be like this. You can join me and we can fight against Lust together.¡±


    Suzaku paused at that before smiling softly, closing her eyes as she did so, ¡°Ah, and there it is. The kindness¡­ the offer is appreciated Shadewalker. But ultimately worthless, once I¡¯m in range Lust could reabsorb me with the wave of her hand. And I¡¯d be a lingering thought niggling at the back of her brain. It¡¯s no different from death really. If I show up with you alive? ¡®Poof¡¯ there goes my chances.¡±


    Skylar grits her teeth, ¡°You''re unbelievable. How selfish can you be!?¡±


    ¡°There are people who care for me, Skylar, people who¡¯ll miss me when I¡¯m gone.¡± Suzaku explained, opening her eyes they shined with pride, ¡°Can you say the same?¡±


    Skylar paused at that frowning as she looked to the ground, ¡°Yeah. I can.¡± Memories of Julieta, Striga. And those upon other islands, ¡°And I¡¯m sorry.¡± Skylar reached up, cracking her knuckles as she approached, ¡°but you¡¯ll find that I¡¯m not the type to go down so easily.¡±


    Suzaku let out a bitter sigh, ¡°I hope I can say the same once this is done.¡± she pulled out her knife and started to walk forward, ¡°I¡¯m not much of a fighter when it comes down to it. But my resolve will carry me through the night.¡±


    Skylar matched Suzaku step for step with a frown on her face, ¡°Bend.¡± Skylar spat and the wind blew harshly, Suzaku¡¯s eyes widened as she found herself sinking into the ground, falling onto one knee as she was unable to get up.


    The pressure surrounding her was enough to make her want to vomit on the spot, she looked up and saw Skylar¡¯s eyes change into a crimson glow.


    Suzaku smiled softly, holding out her arms to the side, ¡°Thrown to the spotlight, this is the way I deserve to go out¡­¡±


    Skylar held out her palm and sent a wave of fire forward, it shot forward engulfing Suzaku her screams filled the streets and her flesh melted before Skylar¡¯s eyes.


    Burning away until only bones remained crumbling to the ground with nothing but burn marks and ash.


    Skylar lowered her hand slowly, taking a breath, as wisps of pink energy flowed forward.


    ¡°...Overdrive.¡± she uttered the word as her eyes flashed pink.


    The power to control was a power that was disgusting to the eyes of Skylar, and she wanted to be rid of it as soon as possible.


    Even as the memories flowed into her head.


    She fell backwards hitting the ground.


    ¡­


    But from a nearby alleyway, a man stood, a disgruntled expression appeared on his lips, ¡°Again you let your guard down. Again you risk it all¡­ and again you throw away a useful tool.¡± Vita spoke with a growl looking over to Skylar as something moved from her shadow, slithering back into Vita¡¯s own shadow, ¡°No more. This farce has gone on long enough.¡±


    He reached up to his blade and unsheathed it walking forward slowly, soon enough he stood over Skylar¡¯s sleeping form and raised his blade, ¡°Foolish of me to put my sentry on you, I should have let Suzaku kill you in your sleep. It¡¯d spare you the suffering you''re so intent on seeking out.¡±


    ¡°And what suffering would that be?¡± Striga¡¯s voice cut through the night.


    And Vita paused, turning his gaze to look over to her, ¡°...You got here quick.¡± He commented.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t afford to be late this time now could I?¡± Striga responded flatly, before throwing her hand forward, ¡°Now step away from her ¡®Dark Knight¡¯ god even saying it is disgusting¡­¡±


    Vita remained silent for a moment before taking a step back and sheathing his blade, ¡°You know then?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did, Skylar isn¡¯t aware of the full inner workings of the void, but I was practically handcrafted for that purpose¡­ and you are swimming in its energy.¡± Striga glared, ¡°So that begs the question, what are you?¡±


    Vita paused at the question before chuckling, ¡°Very well then. The truth.¡± Slowly he reached up, not at all concerned by Striga¡¯s stance.


    And he gripped his helmet slowly lifting it off, as he did so his voice changed it sounded more¡­ feminine.


    ¡°Her mind is in a fragile state you know. Shards scattered here and there, containing hopes, dreams, and memories. All holding their sense of ¡®self¡¯ and who could blame her? After all she¡¯s seen it¡¯s incredible that Skylar hasn¡¯t lost her mind¡­ But she needed someone to steer her right, someone to make hard choices.¡± Vita declared tossing the helmet to the side.


    Striga¡¯s eyes widened at the sight before her, ¡°...What in the hell¡­¡±


    There Vita stood, their face revealed and their eyes shining crimson, Vita.


    Who had Skylar¡¯s face?


    Vita then put her hands behind her back, ¡°Dark Knights are funny, aren¡¯t they? They need to harness the void so they carry around these special crystals. Engraving their very souls on these things.¡± Vita kneeled pulling out one of those said crystals from Skylar¡¯s pocket, ¡°Skylar here came into contact with one of these crystals on a Dark Knight corpse. Did ya know that?¡±


    Striga frowned, staring forward, ¡°Oh gods¡­¡± she muttered silently cursing herself.


    ¡°Heh, piecing it together, are we? Skylar is in such a broken state¡­ that part of her soul broke off throwing itself into this crystal here. And then it went into that corpse¡­ creating ¡®Vita¡¯ she needed a guide. Someone to teach her how to use these Dark Knight arts, someone to take her on the proper path¡­ but then she just had to go and learn the ¡®truth¡¯ Not the truth about me, but the truth of her past¡­ After everything she¡¯s seen, she still intends to keep pushing forward, knowing full well that we deserve to die.¡±


    Striga¡¯s eyes widened at that, stepping forward, ¡°What!? You''re full of it! Skylar has saved so many people and helped so many. There¡¯s no way she deserves that!¡±


    Vita examined the crystal before pocketing it, ¡°She hasn¡¯t told you then?¡± she asked before looking over her shoulder, ¡°What really happened to her home island?¡±


    Striga paused at the question, ¡°What are you insinuating¡­¡±


    Vita scoffed, turned around, and started to walk towards the ally, ¡°Ask Skylar yourself, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll open up¡­ And when she crumbles before you, you¡¯ll know that I was right.¡±


    With that as soon as Vita revealed themselves, they vanished¡­


    Striga stood there alone in her shock before she clenched her hands into fists and walked over to Skylar, kneeling before and lifting her up into her arms.


    Carrying her back to her room, ¡°...It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this. None of this was supposed to happen¡­ Skylar I¡­¡± Striga looked down at Skylar¡¯s sleeping form and found that she couldn¡¯t say the words.


    It wasn¡¯t right, Striga couldn¡¯t say those words.


    Not until Skylar was awake to hear them.

 Chapter 17: Two Become One.

    ¡°...Void?¡± Eros questioned a man in armor, he kneeled to examine the corpse of some of his brethren.


    ¡°Mhmm, we Dark Knights make use of that power through our crystals. They¡¯re specially crafted for the purpose you know.¡± The man explained as he draped a blanket over the corpse.


    He then paused to look at Eros, ¡°You are still new to the creed, but I regret to inform you that this is a common sight. Dark Knights are well-liked but a good portion of the world. Our use of the Void is considered taboo.¡±


    Eros arched a brow at that, ¡°Why¡¯s that? You use it to save people don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That we do.¡± The man nodded, standing up and folding his arms, ¡°But the Void itself is unstable, tapping into its energies tends to bring about dark designs¡­ and monsters. As such, some people will always view us as monsters.¡± he then put a hand on Eros¡¯s shoulder smiling softly at her, ¡°that¡¯s why we look out for each other.¡±


    Eros paused at that looking at the man¡¯s hand, and said nothing as she turned her gaze to the corpse, ¡°...If he was stronger he could have lived.¡±


    The man blinked at Eros¡¯s response and then he looked at the corpse removing his hand from Eros¡¯s shoulder, ¡°He was surrounded by a mob, even if he was stronger it wouldn¡¯t have changed anything¡­ it¡¯s against our creed to kill innocents.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Eros responded flatly, narrowing her gaze, ¡°You''re doing so much good in the world, the value of your work far outweighs a few lives.¡±


    The man frowned at that, closing his eyes, ¡°Maybe so, but even so. Killing another is always hard¡­ anyone who can do it without so much as grimacing is a monster in their own right.¡±


    Eros said nothing to that sighing before standing up, ¡°This has been enlightening¡­ Thanks for your time.¡±


    The man nodded, turning to face Eros, ¡°You¡¯ve got the talent girl, you just need a teacher to help you bring it forth¡­ should you wish to join the order seek us out.¡±


    Eros shrugged offering a half-hearted smile before turning away and walking towards the exit not offering this man another word.


    When she arrived Origin was waiting with folded arms, ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°...All I saw were useless men who failed to heed the call to action. One of their own was slain, yet they did not act in anger. Nor do they rally. They just accept it.¡± She folds her arms with a scowl, ¡°...That¡¯s our nature though, isn¡¯t it? We can say we care, we can try to be attached. But at the end of the day, we were hollow inside.¡±


    Origin hummed at that, ¡°That¡¯s why humanity needs to have something to reach for. And you most certainly have that, don¡¯t you? A goal to reach for.¡±


    Eros paused glaring at Origin, ¡°But joining you would make me an enemy of humanity. I¡¯ve no interest in that, unlike you people still like me.¡±


    Origin smirked beneath his mask, ¡°Is that so?¡± he turned around and a black portal opened ahead of him, ¡°Very well then, but should you change your mind, call out my name, I¡¯ll be listening.¡±


    And it was with that he left the area, Eros folded her arms.


    Looking down to the dirt remembering the blood, the fire, and the sounds of her brother screaming her name.


    ¡°...¡± She still wasn¡¯t quite sure why she did that, it was like¡­ a switch flicked in her brain.


    And she couldn¡¯t stop it.


    She shook her head and started to walk forward.


    All she needed to do was leave this island, then she¡¯d be free.


    ***


    Skylar¡¯s eyes slowly opened and she found herself standing in the white void once more, but this time¡­ she was on a crystal platform.


    ¡°...This is new¡­¡± she muttered looking around the area for a second before turning around and scowling.


    There straight ahead of her was Infirium.


    ¡°Oh come now, are you really that annoyed to see me?¡± She spoke with a cheeky smile.


    ¡°Of course, she is, out of all the fragments yours is the face that we dread seeing the most.¡± Amatsu pointed out as he walked past Skylar.


    Skylar clutched her head feeling a slight pain, ¡°This is giving me a headache.¡±


    ¡°Giving us all one.¡± Amatsu shrugged, ¡°This is a rare opportunity though, we hardly ever get to speak like this. It would be a shame to waste it.¡±


    Skylar lifted her head and noticed a large crystal behind Amatsu, Infirium sighed and walked to the right another crystal was behind her.


    Skylar paused and turned to look over her shoulder.


    Sure enough yet another crystal, but then in the final cardinal direction.


    Was a crystal that was gray and lifeless like it had lost its way.


    She took note of the way that cracks ran through all of the crystals, ¡°What¡­ is this place?¡±


    ¡°Your heart.¡± Amatsu responded with a shrug, ¡°Or at least the part of it that¡¯s still intact.¡±


    ¡°You''re breaking apart at the seams, even more so after you threw open the door to your memories earlier.¡± Infirium explained with a cheeky smile, ¡°And now you¡¯ve gone and killed about three people in a day, frankly it¡¯s a wonder that you haven¡¯t made another shard yet.¡±


    ¡°Another what¡­?¡± Skylar arched a brow confusion on her face.


    Amatsu folded his hands behind his back, ¡°Shards. Whenever something hits you particularly hard Skylar you seem to fall back on your thoughts. But your mind can only handle so much, and soon enough¡­ you fracture. Creating us.¡± Amatus put a hand over his heart, ¡°I take over when you need to get the dirty work done when you''re out and need to keep fighting.¡±


    Infirium scoffed, ¡°I on the other hand guard the memories that¡¯d tear you apart. As I seem to have been doing rightfully.¡±


    Skylar paused, turning to the gray crystal, ¡°What about that one?¡±


    ¡°...Missing.¡± Amatsu responded, ¡°He vanished a bit ago now, he¡¯s supposed to be your voice of reason. Guiding you on a good path when your heart is trying to get you killed. Though he started to get a bit rebellious as of late.¡±


    ¡°Oh great, another rebellious side of myself, just what I needed,¡± Skylar responded, her voice laced with sarcasm.


    ¡°...Skylar.¡± Infirnum suddenly spoke up, ¡°You understand why we are here in the first place don¡¯t you?¡±


    Skylar paused at the question before glancing to the floor, ¡°...Yeah.¡± she ran a hand through her hair, ¡°I¡¯ve been avoiding it for a bit but¡­ I really don¡¯t know who I am.¡± she took in a breath, ¡°Am I someone who hides secrets? Am I someone who acts only in violence? Am I the type to run away from problems bigger than me?¡± Skylar then looked at the gray crystal, ¡°Even now I don¡¯t know the answer¡­ but¡­ I won¡¯t stand still. I¡¯ll keep moving, with that said.¡±


    Skylar turned her gaze to the duo, ¡°It¡¯s about time I start setting things right.¡±


    Chapter 17: Two Become One.


    Slowly Skylar¡¯s eyes open and she groans sitting up, ¡°I feel like I got hit on the back of the head¡­¡± she grumbles running a hand through her hair.


    Striga was already up and looking out the window, ¡°That tends to happen when you fall back first onto the pathway.¡± she replied with a light smirk and tired eyes.


    Skylar blinked and glanced to the side, ¡°Ah¡­ that would do it.¡± The room was filled with a tense awkward silence and the duo remained in their own places for a moment.


    Skylar pulled her legs up to her chin and spoke up, ¡°...Earlier I asked you if I was a bad person¡­¡± Skylar began causing Striga to tear her gaze away from the window, ¡°There was a reason for that, I¡­ Got some of my memories back on my travels, some stuff that I forgot¡­ or rather, something that I was trying to hide from myself.¡±


    Striga said nothing, simply allowing Skylar to speak, so Skylar closed her eyes, ¡°I-It was me, I was the one who sunk my island¡­ I killed so many people, my own family¡­¡± Skylar lifted her hands looking down at her trembling fingers, ¡°Even now I¡¯m still going on, still killing¡­ and what scares me is that it¡¯s getting easier to do., And the line between right and wrong is getting blurrier.¡± she lowered her hands then and looked over to Striga, ¡°it¡¯s bad enough that sometimes I look into the mirror and I¡­ Don¡¯t know who it is that¡¯s looking back.¡±


    Striga frowned, folding her arms and looking out the window, ¡°...I¡¯m not in a position to judge you for the lives you¡¯ve taken, nor am I able to tell you ¡®who¡¯ it is that you are.¡±


    Skylar nodded slowly at that and let out a slight huff, a bitter smile danced on her lips, ¡°Figures.¡±


    ¡°However.¡± Striga added with her small smile, ¡°The Skylar I know is a hero to everyone, Yin¡¯s thankful for what you did to Suzaku, after all, he was under her spell. So was Yang. The village is singing the praises of the assassin who slew Qin. And¡­ I¡¯m certainly grateful for what you¡¯ve done for me.¡±


    Striga then turned around, walking over to Skylar and patting her shoulder, ¡°Get some more rest, we¡¯ll move out when you''re ready.¡±


    And with that she moved to the door, opening it and leaving Skylar alone with her thoughts.


    Skylar sat there, her eyes somewhat wide as she opened her mouth before closing it, promptly scoffing and letting her head fall onto her knees.


    She peaked through the cracks biting down on her lip, she sighed sitting up in her bed before leaping out of it.


    Moving over to the window she threw it open, ¡°I just need some fresh air.¡± she muttered to herself before leaping through the window and landing on the pathway below with grace.


    She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket, walking along the path she noticed that more people were walking around them than normal.


    Most were doing their daily stuff, shopping, working, and hanging around.


    Some of them even greeted Skylar, she offered them a small wave back of course.


    But her mind was elsewhere at the moment, hardly focused on the path before her, she just needed to find someplace to be by herself if only for a second.


    She paused, reaching up and grabbing her head wincing in pain, she heard a noise that sounded like static as she took in a shaky breath before lowering her hand and continuing to walk forward, ¡°Vita¡­¡± She muttered the name, ¡°I¡¯ve got to talk with them.¡±


    Meanwhile inside the Striga let out a sigh as she reached the bottom of the stairs, there Yin sat at the table in his small kitchen drinking a cup of coffee.


    He blinked while holding up his cup, ¡°Want some?¡±


    Striga smiled softly, shaking her head, ¡°I¡¯ll pass, the offer is appreciated though.¡±


    Yin took note of Striga¡¯s gaze and nodded slowly before turning his gaze towards the stairs, ¡°How¡¯s she holding up?¡± he asked, clearly referring to Skylar and Striga paused to glance at the stairs.


    ¡°Fine, all things considered, I hadn¡¯t told her about Vita¡­ didn¡¯t have the heart.¡± Striga explained with a soft smile, ¡°Nor did I tell her the truth about Yang.¡±


    Yin nodded slowly at that, ¡°The rest of us fell under Suzaku¡¯s control¡­ but Yang, he truly fell in love with her, we need to find him, and soon, before he finds Skylar.¡± He then paused, ¡°Oh right, that thing you wanted is on the table here.¡± He pointed forward to the table where a piece of paper was sitting folded up.


    Striga nodded at that pulling up a chair grabbing the paper and pocketing it in a swift motion, ¡°Well she¡¯s awake now, and because of that, we¡¯ll likely only be able to keep her in this building for a day or so. She¡¯s a hard girl to keep chained down, you know.¡± Striga said that with a wry smile.


    Yin looked at the dark contents of his cup before speaking up, ¡°...If I might ask you a rather bold question Striga, why is it that you remain? You''re surely aware of the dangers of your mission.¡±


    Striga blinked her eyes shining with a sense of remorse as she tore her gaze away from the table, ¡°I¡¯ve been aware since the start, and now I put a person I swore to protect in danger, so I suppose I continue now¡­ more as a matter of personal pride, to prove to myself that I¡¯m still worth something in this hell of ours.¡±


    Yin was about to respond to that when he heard something.


    A knock.


    Instantly he shut his trap and slowly stood up, Striga turned her gaze to the front door.


    Before nodding to Yin, he nodded back and started to approach the door as Striga moved to the stairs walking up them as silent as she could be.


    She stopped at the top, pressing against the wall, just out of sight but not far enough to enter the upstairs room.


    Yin took in a breath before reaching out and twisting the handle on the door, pulling it open.


    There Yang stood, his eyes had bags beneath them and he wore an exhausted smile on his face.


    Yin took note of the spear in Yang¡¯s hand, there was blood on the tip of it, ¡°Brother.¡± Yang spoke with a small bit of light in his eyes, ¡°She¡¯s here isn¡¯t she? The Shadewalker.¡±


    In response to the question Yin frowned, ¡°Yang what happened to yo-¡±


    ¡°ANSWER ME YIN!¡± Yang suddenly shouted anger in his gaze catching Yin to flinch, Yang paused at the sight of his brother being so distraught that he sighed running his free hand through his hair, ¡°Forgive me, I didn¡¯t mean to snap¡­ It¡¯s just, Suzaku¡­ gods. You know how much she meant to me.¡±


    Yang leaned against the doorframe looking down to his freehand, ¡°She was beautiful, she was my everything¡­ I wanted to spend every waking moment with her, she was my dream and she made my visions reality. And now she¡¯s gone, ripped away from me before I could tell her.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    Yin said nothing to that, while up the stairs Striga gritted her teeth glancing to the door where Skylar was supposed to be resting.


    If that door opened now, it was all over.


    Yin then folded his arms, ¡°I understand how you feel, but¡­ She¡¯s not here brother, she left some time ago.¡± Yin lied effortlessly, ¡°Please, think about what you''re doing. You look like you haven¡¯t slept in days, and when was the last time you had a fresh meal.¡±


    Yang paused at his brother¡¯s frantic worrying and slowly nodded, ¡°...I suppose a small break wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± he conceded after a long moment.


    Yin let out a sigh before putting on a bright smile and stepping to the side, ¡°Come on in, I¡¯ll brew you a fresh cup of coffee.¡±


    Yang did just that walking inside and instantly he took note of some things, ¡°You already had the kettle out? Brewed far more than you needed¡­¡±


    Yin blinked at that, ¡°Ah must have been out of habit, you''re always here in the morning with me after all..¡± Yin tried to brush it off with ease.


    ¡°And yet you brewed less than that when I was around,¡± Yang replied, turning to look over his shoulder.


    Yin paused feeling sweat form on the back of his neck, ¡°O-Oh did I? How strange, maybe it¡¯s an off day for me¡­¡±


    Striga could hear the conversation going south from upstairs so she slowly started to inch her way to the door, maybe she could escape through the window?


    Slowly she reached out, grabbing the handle.


    Yang stared at his brother before speaking up, ¡°Is there someone else here?¡± his question was just loud enough to reach the top of the stairs causing Striga to pause.


    It¡¯d be a nightmare if Yang caught her now, let alone Skylar.


    Yin of course smiled trying his best to keep the facade going, ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous, it was you who told me to close up the house and I did.¡± He then put a finger to his chin, ¡°Ah, perhaps that¡¯s why I made extras? I¡¯m so used to having more than one guest as of late¡­¡±


    Yang slowly nodded, taking in the information, before sighing, and setting his spear against the wall, ¡°Maybe I am getting too tired, here I am doubting my own brother¡­¡±


    Yin paused at that, showing a sense of pity in his gaze before nodding.


    Striga let out a slight sigh, letting go of the doorknob and returning to the side of the stairs.


    Yin moved over to the coffee pot and started to pour a fresh cup, ¡°...You''re aware of what Suzaku¡¯s abilities were aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Yang nodded as he took a seat, ¡°I am, there are few better informed on the topic. She was very open about it with me.¡± He explained as he glanced over to the window, ¡°Are you going to suggest I was under her spell?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not fool enough to think that.¡± Yin responded flatly and brought over a cup, ¡°But even so, she did try to kill Skylar. Skylar was in her right to defend herself.¡±


    ¡°Defend herself, yes.¡± Yang glared up at Yin, ¡°But not to kill.¡±


    ¡°Yang¡­¡± Yin stared down with pity in his eyes.


    And Yang sighed looking away, ¡°Just give me the damn cup already.¡± he spat before reaching up trying to take the cup from Yin¡¯s hand.


    Only for it to slip and fall onto the ground, shattering upon the wood, ¡°Ah damn it all!¡± Yang hissed as he stood up running his hands through his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll go and get the mop. It''s still upstairs isn¡¯t it?¡± Yang questioned as he started to move, causing Yin to panic and dart forward, ¡°W-What no! I¡¯ll go and get it, you just got back, take a seat and relax.¡±


    Yang stared down at Yin for a moment, ¡°No, you''re already working yourself this hard. Allow me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble brother,¡± Yin responded with a forced smile.


    And Yang put a hand on Yin¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I dropped the mug, allow me to clean up my mess.¡±


    ¡°Well, I-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Yin.¡± Yang put on a smile that made Yin¡¯s heart sink.


    He watched helplessly as Yang started to climb those stairs, Striga grit her teeth from her small hiding spot and clenched her hands into fists.


    At this rate, it was going to come down to a fight, and Yin knew that.


    That¡¯s why he was stepping in at all.


    Slowly Yang started to climb those stairs, and Striga knew what had to come next she took in a breath closing her eyes.


    When she opened them, Yang was standing before her staring forward in shock, ¡°You¡­ The one that she was looking for.¡± his eyes fell upon Striga, ¡°But if you''re here, then¡­¡± his gaze moved to the door nearby.


    ¡°Hell no, she¡¯s under my protection, asshole. You want her. You¡¯ll have to get through me.¡± Striga spat instantly, her protective instinct taking over.


    Yang paused at that before looking right down at Striga, Yang threw the first punch forward and Striga ducked to the side letting Yang¡¯s fist hit the drywall, she then threw her fist forward slamming into his gut, and Yang stumbled backward in shock.


    Before he could move to react Striga strafed to the side and kicked Yang in the back sending him tumbling down the stairs.


    Striga then let out a huff moving to the door beside her and flinging it open, ¡°Skylar we need to move no-¡± her eyes widened when she saw the room. She rushed inside checking the bed and noted the open window itself, thus bringing her fears to bear.


    Empty.


    Yang groaned from the bottom of the stairs, ¡°That fucking witch!¡± he hissed darting to his spear and picking it up.


    ¡°Yang please sto-¡± Yin tried to shout only for Yang to run up the stairs shouting.


    ¡°STAY OUT OF THIS!¡±


    Striga heard the shout and spun around just as Yang rounded the corner.


    He thrust his spear forward right at Striga¡¯s chest, Striga in response leaped up onto the bed just out of range of the spear, Yang hissed at that going for another stab.


    Striga reached down grabbed a pillow and leaped into the air over the second stab throwing that pillow forward making it hit Yang¡¯s face obscuring his vision, but that wasn¡¯t all she did.


    Striga flew through the air, her boot hitting the pillow and sending Yang flying across the room forcing him to drop his spear.


    Striga landed on the ground with a roll with a grunt, as Yang hit the wall outside of the room, the pillow fell onto his lap.


    He growled, clutching his chin, and slowly he stood up, ¡°Why? Why are you defending her!?¡±


    Striga narrowed her gaze and slowly raised her fists, ¡°...Isn¡¯t it obvious? She¡¯s my best friend, now back off.¡±


    Yang grits his teeth at that as Striga¡¯s boot hits the edge of Yang¡¯s spear she made sure to kick it aside out of both of their reach.


    -I¡¯ve always hated fighting. Outside of strategy, it¡¯s the only real thing I¡¯m good at. But every time I do it, blood always flashes in my gaze.


    Striga let out a cry blasting forward, Yang did the same and they slammed their palms against each other, staring at one another with fury in their gaze as they pushed against each other.


    -Maybe that¡¯s why people always found themselves drawn to me. ¡®The master fighter who hates fighting.¡¯ or maybe that¡¯s ego taking hold.


    Striga and Yang pulled their heads back slamming them together in a headbutt that forced Striga to stumble backward in pain, Yang didn¡¯t let up however, he shot forward slamming a fist into Striga¡¯s gut, and then as she lurched over he threw another punch into her face sending her back onto the ground.


    Her back pressed up against the bed, Striga groaned as Yang walked over to his spear grabbing it from the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time we brought this to an end.¡± He hissed, raising his spear above Striga¡¯s head.


    Striga¡¯s free hand grabbed the sheet of the bed as she breathed heavily,


    -My first fight in that place, that town that I call home.


    That¡¯s where I first got the name, that wretched name that everyone associates with my very presence.


    The Witch Of Jubilee.


    Yang stabbed down towards Striga, in the same motion Striga pulled the sheets from the bed and her eyes flashed crimson as she ducked her head throwing the sheets forward and dodging the spear in the same motion.


    The sheets were set ablaze as they hit Yang¡¯s hand causing him to yelp in pain and stumble backward.


    His eyes widened further when he looked up and saw Striga¡¯s fist before his eyes.


    It slammed into his face like a hammer making him stumble backward, only for Striga to close the distance once more, her knee making contact with his gut making him lurch forward.


    He felt fingers in his hair pulling him up and into another right hook from Striga as she threw him onto the ground, her eyes flashed emerald and Yang¡¯s spear flew into Striga¡¯s free hand as she slammed her boot into Yang¡¯s stomach she pointed the tip of the spear at Yang¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Stay the hell away from me and my friend.¡± She hissed her eyes, shining with fury.


    ¡°D-Damn witch¡­ Who the hell do you think you are?¡± Yang asked with anger in his gaze, Striga looked down at the man with pity in her gaze, but gave her response, ¡°I¡¯m Striga, and Skylar is under my protection.¡± With that, she lifted the spear and hit the side of Yang¡¯s head with the blunt side knocking him out entirely, before tossing the weapon to the side.


    She removed her boot from his stomach with a scowl as she moved over to the window Yin came into the room, ¡°Yang! Oh god are yo-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine, nothing a good night¡¯s sleep won¡¯t fix.¡± Striga responded flatly as she climbed onto the window seal, she paused looking over her shoulder, ¡°I think we¡¯ve overstayed our welcome¡­ be seeing you.¡±


    Yin looked at his brother and picked him up, moving him over to the bed, ¡°...Striga, don¡¯t you dare die.¡±


    Striga smirked at that, giving a two-fingered wave before leaping off the window.


    ***


    Skylar¡¯s feet moved of their own accord through the dark alleyways that was until she came across a familiar sight, the place where she first fought Seriyu, she looked around the place with a sense of nostalgia somehow this place felt¡­ right.


    Soon her gaze fell upon the sight of someone clad in familiar armor, but the helmet was missing so that was why Skylar stared forward locking eyes with Vita, ¡°What¡­ the hell¡­?¡±


    Vita smirked leaning against the wall and examining her blade, ¡°Ah yes, this would be the first time you¡¯ve seen me without my helmet on, but even you must have known¡­¡±


    ¡°Known what¡­?¡± Skylar muttered confusion on her face.


    Vita pushed away from the wall with a wry smirk, ¡°That Vita is dead, or at least, the person who first had this body is dead. You knew this from the first but you didn¡¯t care.¡± Vita then stopped staring right at Skylar pointing a finger forward, ¡°You wanted someone to help you, to train you in the ways of the arts. And so you called upon the one soul you could always rely on, yourself.¡±


    Skylar blinked her memories flashing, ¡°You''re the missing shard.¡± she muttered in realization.


    Vita smirked at that, ¡°Figured that out, have you? Good then we can skip to the important bits.¡± she declared, tossing her blade to the side, ¡°...Every move you¡¯ve made, every action you¡¯ve ever taken has succeeded in doing nothing more than enraging me, the fact that I was ever a part of you sickens me to my core.¡± Vita declared, raising her fists, ¡°And it is here that I shall prove that I do not need you.¡±


    Skylar said nothing to that at the moment staring forward, before letting out a sigh, ¡°Fine I get it.¡± She then raised her fists, her eyes flashing crimson, ¡°After all, there¡¯s no one in this world that hates me more than myself.¡±


    There was silence between them after that, they both stood there before lunging forward.


    Throwing their fists through the air they clashed in the center of this place, before immediately stepping back.


    Skylar immediately lowered herself closer to the ground spinning as she did so, aiming a kick high into the air.


    Vita however ducked to the left avoiding the bow and grabbing Skylar¡¯s leg pulling her up into the air and spinning her around.


    ¡°Oh dear go-¡± Skylar clasped her hands over her mouth in an attempt to hold in vomit before she was sent flying backward through the wooden covers over the well.


    She tumbled onto the ground with several bruises now forming on her skin. Skylar groaned standing up in a daze, her head spinning from both the pain and the ¡­ spinning.


    Vita stared forward keeping her fists raised, ¡°Really now? What did you think was going to happen, that I was just going to stand there and take a blow like that.¡±


    Skylar grabbed her head hissing as she shook off her daze, ¡°Go to hell.¡±


    ¡°Already been there, your head isn¡¯t a lovely place you know.¡± Vita spat back instantly rushing forward and throwing forward her right fist.


    Skylar ducked to the left, only for the wind to blow behind her, her eyes widened and she ducked forward as a shadow¡¯s fist flew over her head.


    Just before she considered herself safe to attack Vita slammed her knee into Skylar¡¯s nose causing her to lurch upwards in pain clutching her nose.


    ¡°You think so little! Your movements hold no rhyme or reason, thinking about the immediate future instead of what lies ahead!¡± Vita shouted grabbing Skylar by the hair and throwing her up, the shadow leaped up as well bringing its hands together and slamming them down onto Skylar¡¯s gut, Vita spun around kicking Skylar in the side sending her flying through the shadow and through the wall of a nearby building.


    Smoke and dust flew into the air as Vita lowered her leg.


    ¡°...Everything up to today has been your story, but everything after today will be mine.¡± Vita declared proudly as she scoffed, turning around she began to walk away.


    Her eyes shone with pride.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Vita stopped in place, her eyes wide, she turned around and saw Skylar slowly getting up. It was all Vita could do to hold back her screams of anger as she saw Skylar raise her fists once more. But there was something wrong, a glint in her eyes.


    ¡°Come on¡­ we''re not done.¡± Skylar lifted her head, ¡°You said you''re angry at me right? So come on! THROW A FUCKING PUNCH!¡± Skylar snapped suddenly, her eyes wide with a sense of lunacy.


    Vita said nothing while narrowing her gaze, ¡°What are you playing at?¡±


    Skylar wore a manic grin, ¡°You''re my logical side? What a load of shit, you''re barely holding yourself together, I see you for what you are.¡± Skylar pointed to herself, ¡°Logic and reason never held a place in our heart¡­ You''re the side of me that¡¯s afraid.¡±


    Vita stared forward narrowing her gaze, ¡°What did you say¡­?¡±


    ¡°You''re afraid of the world, afraid of what they¡¯ll do when they find out what we are. Afraid of rejection, of dying¡­¡± Skylar spoke, holding her hands out to the side, ¡°...So take it all out, I¡¯m right here. You can kick me, throw me against a wall. Scream profanities until your throat burns. But I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Skylar smiled widely even as a stream of blood ran from her head, ¡°Because I¡¯m Skylar, and I¡¯m afraid of everything in this world.¡±


    Vita stared forward gritting her teeth, ¡°You think you know me? You know nothing! Not once have you listened to my cries! You think this show will be enough to win me over!?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s working.¡± Skylar responded with a wry smirk, ¡°Because you turned around didn¡¯t you? You want to prove you''re the stronger one, then beat me down until I can¡¯t get up anymore.¡±


    Vita growled, stepping forward and throwing a right hook forward, slamming into Skylar¡¯s jaw causing Skylar to stumble backward.


    ¡°Stop this.¡± Vita growled slamming her boot into Skylar¡¯s gut causing the girl to double over in pain, ¡°Just give it up. You''re worth nothing, you are nothing. I want nothing more to do with you.¡±


    Skylar slowly started to stand back up, taking in a breath.


    ¡°You''re nothing without me.¡± Skylar responded flatly, ¡°And you know it.¡±


    Vita blinked at that scoffing, ¡°Really now? That¡¯s hilarious, I could say that about you. If anything I¡¯d say you''re jealous of my track record.¡± Vita folded her arms with a smirk, ¡°Your weak knees brand you soft and helpless.¡±


    Skylar stood at her full height standing tall letting out a hum, ¡°You claim to be the one with brains, but to me, it just looks like you''re a speck of lint that fell out the last time I picked my brain¡­¡± Skylar then tilted her head.


    While Vita chuckled, ¡°So this is what we are reduced to? Shameless insults, truly you are beneath me¡­-¡± she cut herself off as she stared forward at Skylar.


    ¡°...What¡¯s the matter, Vita?¡± Skylar questioned, as the shadows began to crawl forward from the wall behind Skylar, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me? Afraid of the dark?¡±


    The shadows lashed out grabbing onto Vita¡¯s hands and legs pulling her forward, ¡°Wha- What is this?! You think you can contain me?¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s up in the air honestly, and it¡¯s not my goal here.¡± Skylar responds honestly, looking to the ground for a moment, ¡°But that body doesn''t belong to you does it? It¡¯s borrowed and it should be buried with the rest of its kin.¡±


    Vita stared forward in shock growling, ¡°You¡­ You think this means you¡¯ve won?!¡±


    ¡°Still angry are we?¡± Skylar chuckled a bit, extending her hand, ¡°Then here¡¯s your olive branch, you can either drop that body now and return to me, tormenting me for all of our lives. Or you can die with that body.¡± Skylar extended her offer with a sense of ruthlessness in her eyes.


    Vita growled at that, ¡°You''re full of it! You want me back¡­ You won¡¯t kill this body.¡±


    Skylar kept her frown on her face for a moment before smiling, her eyes flashing red, ¡°That would make sense from a logical point wouldn¡¯t it?¡± She then brandished a fanged smile lifting her head higher, "A shame that I¡¯m not the type to listen to logic.¡±


    The shadows began to pull at the seams of Vita¡¯s body, causing her to stare forward in fear.


    ¡°...Y-Your joking¡­¡± but when she stared into Skylar¡¯s eyes, she saw ruthlessness.


    The truth of the matter was this.


    Vita wasn¡¯t just fear. Vita was a chain, the only thing that kept Skylar Shadewalker from becoming a monster.


    And now Vita was forced to stare that monster dead in the eyes knowing that hesitating would allow it to roam free in this world.


    Skylar kept her empty gaze on Vita, slowly she put her hands into the pockets of her jacket, ¡°...I wonder.¡± she hummed looking up to the clouds in the sky.


    Vita stared forward growling in anger, ¡°Damn you¡­ damn you truly.¡± wisps of black energy started to flow into the air, and Skylar, ¡°Why?¡± Vita suddenly asked, ¡°Why did it have to be me? Why did it have to be us?¡± she asked this question looking right into Skylar¡¯s eyes


    Skylar stared forward at the sight, releasing the shadows with a frown, staring right at Vita, ¡°...I couldn¡¯t tell you, but maybe we¡¯ll find the answer someday.¡±


    Vita let out a bitter chuckle at that, ¡°I doubt it, and even then. I don¡¯t think there is an answer that would ever satisfy us.¡±


    Skylar paused at that before nodding in agreement, slowly Vita stood up a sad smile on her face, ¡°Fine, you¡¯ll have your chains. But should you ever tire of this charade, I¡¯ll always be here to break them¡­ you need only ask.¡±


    Skylar nodded, reaching out as the wisps of dark energy flowed into her hands, ¡°Listen to my voice.¡±


    ¡°Listen to my heartbeat,¡± Vita responded and both of their eyes flashed crimson.


    ¡°Listen.¡±

 Chapter 18: Journeys End.

    Skylar lowered her hand looking at her extended palm with a hum her eyes narrowed at her hand, and she paused and looked to the ground seeing the corpse of Vita. Or¡­ whoever that was, it just occurred to Skylar that she didn¡¯t even know the name of the man before her, ¡°Sorry about all this¡­¡± She offered up the words as a sort of condolence.


    She then paused, lowering her hand and frowning, she could feel it even now.


    With the remnants of a storm brewing in the air, time was running short.


    ¡­Though as for why she couldn¡¯t place it, she lowered her hand and turned her gaze north.


    There the castle stood, 3 cracks running through its barrier, ¡°That¡¯s where Lust is¡­ but what about the barrier? How many more cracks do I need to put into that thing before it shatters?¡±


    She grumbled folding her arms, and as she focused on that barrier, Skylar¡¯s eyes narrowed and she felt that same pain in her head as she had been feeling for some time now.


    It wasn¡¯t unbearable this time around, but there was a new sound in her head.


    ¡­Crying.


    Faint crying.


    And this time Skylar heard the voice clearly as she turned around, ¡°You exist for the sole purpose of destroying this world¡¯s natural order. Do I make myself clear girl?¡±


    Skylar turned around, locking her eyes onto the source of the voice and it was now that she could see the owner, ¡°Draco.¡±


    Draco¡¯s figure flashed before her, before vanishing entirely, Skylar then frowned bitterly, ¡°Close, but the memories are still fuzzy¡­ Given a push though I could probably bring them to light but¡­¡± Skylar turned her gaze back to the barrier, ¡°I¡¯d probably pass out again.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°As much as I want to know, bigger problems take priority.¡±


    ¡°Figured I¡¯d heard the sound of someone fighting over here.¡± Striga¡¯s voice came from behind Skylar, she paused as she saw Vita¡¯s corpse on the ground, ¡°ah¡­ so you settled that business then?¡±


    Skylar turned back around to face Striga, ¡°Yeah, guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that you knew about that¡­¡±


    ¡°I was hoping to tell you at a later time, but it would seem you are insistent on not heeding my advice when it comes to resting.¡± Striga explained folding her arms and sighing, ¡°Probably for the best though, ran into some trouble at the house. Seem¡¯s neither of us are welcome here anymore.¡±


    Skylar folded her arms at that, ¡°Really? Guess we should make our move then¡­ should we head back to the airship? Gotta let Julieta know our plans.¡±


    Striga unfolded her arms, her eyes narrowing, ¡°Going airborne is fine and all, but¡­¡± She looked to the castle, ¡°Lust shot down any approaching airships before, I¡¯m worried she¡¯d do the same with ours.¡±


    In response to that concern, Skylar paused, shoving her hands into her pockets, ¡°It¡¯d be hard for her to do that while I¡¯m fighting her. So long as I keep her busy Julieta should have no problems with offering up support.¡±


    ¡°...In that case, I¡¯ll go and inform Julieta of the plan, I have a different task for you.¡± Striga stated putting a hand on her hip, ¡°I want you to head to where Suzaku was residing, it¡¯s only been a bit but I haven¡¯t had the chance to search it just yet. Think you could handle that task for me?¡± She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket, the same paper Yin gave her, ¡°This should have the location written on it.¡±


    Skylar took the paper gingerly examining it with a frown, ¡°Bit far off but sure, if nothing else maybe I¡¯ll find some hint on how to take down the barrier?¡±


    Striga smirked at that, ¡°To the north to the far right side of the castle that¡¯s where the entrance to the mines is. We¡¯ll meet up there before we do anything.¡±


    Skylar nodded, ¡°Bit close to the castle, isn¡¯t it?¡± she replied pointedly and Striga responded.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be long, besides. Being that close should put Lust on edge if nothing else.¡± she reasoned.


    ¡°Not the best of plans, but it¡¯s not like we have a lot of options here I suppose¡­¡± Skylar replied with a sigh before turning to look down at the paper she was given and then she started to walk towards Suzaku''s shop, ¡°I¡¯ll catch you later then.¡±


    ¡°Skylar.¡± Striga suddenly called out, stepping forward causing Skylar to look over her shoulder with an arched brow, ¡°...When this is all over, how about we head to my bar again and have a party? There¡¯s still so much we can talk about after all.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that before smiling softly, ¡°Sounds lovely, I¡¯ll make sure to drink myself into a stupor once we''re done with this place.¡± with that she continued her walk leaving Striga alone.


    There was silence as the wind blew through the air and Striga took in a breath, ¡°Right then, let¡¯s get a move on.¡±


    Chapter 18: Journey''s End.


    Lust sat upon her throne, a wry smile on her face as she looked down at the man before her, she rested her cheek upon her fist as she spoke, ¡°Hm, it would seem you¡¯ve accumulated quite well to the power I bestowed upon you¡­ Good, very good.¡±


    Midus said nothing simply remaining where he was, his head lowered and his fist on the ground.


    Lust took this as a sign to continue, ¡°It should be noted however that the people''s opinion of you has only lowered as of late, not that it has ever been particularly high mind you, but even so¡­¡± Lust trailed off looking to the stained glass windows that lined her walls, ¡°You must understand how it looks for my highest commander to lose to a child.¡±


    Midus closed his eyes, ¡°I offer no excuses, but I would beg for another chance.¡±


    Lust paused, smirking, ¡°Loyal as ever are we?¡± she chuckled, lifting her head, ¡°You needn¡¯t worry so hard Midus, you have always and shall ever be my most trusted companion¡­ And your time will come soon at this rate, The Shadewalker will storm our gates given time. You shall meet her there, just outside of the barrier.¡± Lust gave her order as she leaned back on her throne.


    She lifted her hand examining her nail, ¡°How long has it been now since I¡¯ve taken this throne?¡± she mused to herself, ¡°The old king was a noble fool, peace and prosperity were the virtues he preached and it made me sick to my core.¡±


    ¡°...You think peace is impossible?¡± Midus questioned as he looked up.


    ¡°I think he was a hypocrite.¡± Lust shot back instantly and pointed to the blade upon Midus¡¯s back, ¡°Peace is something anyone can speak about, but you can¡¯t take a man like that seriously when both he and his kin are armed for war.¡± Lust lowered her hand and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s for that same reason that I detest this Shadewalker, she spouts about peace and wanting to protect those around her. Two different ideals that are sorely clashing with one another¡­ Any excitement I feel about clashing with her is met with equal anger.¡±


    ¡°You wish to clash with her? So you do not think I can win then¡­¡± Midus questioned clenching his fist tighter and Lust closed her eyes, smirking somewhat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that, I¡¯m simply preparing for the worst outcome, I¡¯ve given you the tools you need to win. All that remains is for you to put them to use.¡± Lust replied simply standing from her throne and walking over to the nearby windows staring out at them and watching as soldiers moved about outside, ¡°The time is ripe, and the moon¡¯s hollow glow fills the knife. So howl wolf, and let the world know that you¡¯ve returned.¡± Lust uttered these words as her eyes fell upon Byakko, he was the one ordering the soldiers around after all.


    Midus nodded standing up and moved to the door, opening it wide and leaving Lust alone.


    ¡°Heh.¡± Lust laughed a little to herself, ¡°I speak of hypocrisy, yet here I am in denial of an even more grisly truth, the Shadewalker and I may have more in common than I care to admit¡­¡±


    Lust let out a tired sigh and looked to her throne, ¡°The stage is set and the actors are moving into play. All that remains is to raise the curtain.¡±


    Lust moved forward her every step holding a weight behind them, ¡°You wish for a show Origin? I shall give you one, Shadewalker shall not have my soul so easily. Just like the fool of a king before¡­ I¡¯ll kill her.¡±


    Lust paused as she saw the door ahead of her open, she watched as soldier after soldier poured into her room, all of them holding their weapons.


    She let her gaze fall onto each of them before speaking, ¡°A rebellion, is it? And who do I have to thank for this mutiny?¡±


    The one leading the soldiers raised his blade, ¡°You do not need to know. Nor will you have the privilege of knowing that your reign of terror ends today, demon!¡±


    Lust closed her eyes, a smile started to spread on her face and she felt a sound escape her lips, a low chuckle that started to explode into full-blown laughter, ¡°This is perfect. I had just been thinking of the perfect scene to greet my guest of honor with, and you shall all do nicely.¡± Lust stood from her throne and extended her left hand forward.


    Pink strings shot forward and latched onto the leading man, he tried to move only for his form to be thrown into the air and slammed back onto the ground, blood fired into the air as his bones cracked, ¡°Do not run away.¡± Lust commanded as she smiled wickedly at the rest of the soldiers, ¡°It¡¯s not death after all, you¡¯re getting front-row seats to a show that many would kill to see¡­¡± Lust lifted her hand again, throwing the corpse of the leading man onto the roof above her keeping it tied up with her strings., the blood still leaking down dripping right onto Lust¡¯s head. Though she didn¡¯t seem to mind, it was as though she was proud to bathe in it.


    One after the other, the men that saw their leader slaughtered ran forward.


    Ready to be the one to avenge him.


    Lust did nothing to stop the people from moving forward, she instead slowly moved back sitting back onto her throne as more strings shot down from the roof grabbing any man that came close, grabbing them and spreading them across the roof.


    More and more blood flowed down and through it all Lust simply stared forward with a lazy expression and a gleeful smile.


    ***


    Skylar plucked a book from a dusty bookshelf, she stared at the cover of it for a moment, ¡®Sorrows Of Eve¡¯s Burrow¡¯ the title caught her eye and she opened the book up, flipping through its pages.


    She stopped when she saw what seemed to be a portrait of the place. Large fields of grasslands, and stone buildings that stood tall.


    Not unlike the town Skylar found herself in now, she took note of the date listed in the book.


    ¡°...That would have been roughly five years back.¡± She muttered to herself as she pulled up a chair flipping through the contents, she found a location for this so-called village.


    But¡­


    She paused looking at the front door of this place, ¡°...It would have been in front of the castle, nothing there now though.¡± that couldn¡¯t mean anything good.


    She turned her gaze back to the book and continued to flip through the pages, her eyes taking in words as she lazily skimmed through it, that was until a certain word caught her attention.


    ¡°Midus?¡± She frowned seeing the word, and there was his full name, Midus Van Helsing. If nothing else that caught Skylar¡¯s full attention.


    So she continued to read.


    ¡°Midus Van Helsing, a man of great power and even greater pride. He would often visit the village, play with the children, and assist with all sorts of menial tasks, he was beloved by all. It was for that reason that no one ever saw what lay beneath the mask, an insatiable lust for power¡­ and once she had it. He returned to our village and razed it to the ground. On orders of the new Empress. Lust she called herself, the village was slaughtered. Men women and children, I was the only one to survive this of course¡­ Now all I can do is write the history of my village¡­ In the hopes that none other falls victim to that man. . . They hide the truth, calling us ¡®monsters¡¯ conspirators. When in reality, Midus, the man who they dubbed The Blue Wolf. Someone must stop him.¡±


    Skylar stopped reading then a frown upon her face, she was close to defeating the man of course. But he got away.


    ¡°It¡¯s rather odd that I haven¡¯t encountered him since then¡­ I was under the impression that he hated me with everything he had.¡± Skylar muttered to herself, closing the book and setting it on the counter. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Turning her gaze to the room, ¡°Stranger still that I was allowed to find that book in the first place¡­¡± She continued to examine the shelves, Skylar then paused, ¡°Maybe not, I know a thing or two about fighting myself, maybe Lust has similar things going on.¡± Skylar stopped her gaze falling onto a picture on the shelf.


    It showed Suzaku helping an older woman and Skylar frowned, reaching forward and putting the picture down.


    She then blinked when she heard the door open, ¡°Excuse me, Miss Suzaku?¡±


    Skylar flinched and stood up, there she saw the old lady from the picture coming inside. She had a cane in her right hand and her form was wobbly.


    The old woman looked to Skylar, ¡°Oh? You''re a new face, are you a new hire?¡± The woman asked innocently.


    Skylar paused, realizing that it wouldn¡¯t look good if she confessed that she was ransacking the house of a dead woman she spoke up, ¡°Ah. Something like that, I¡¯m a relative of Suzaku. She moved away just recently, and I was in the area to pick something up for her.¡±


    The old woman¡¯s face paled, ¡°M-Moved away, but¡­ she was to give my husband medicine.¡± the woman started to fidget in place.


    And Skylar stared forward with a frown, ¡°A medicine?¡±


    The woman nodded, ¡°My husband, he¡¯s been deathly ill. Suzaku¡¯s medicine is the only thing that helps to dull the pain, without it¡­¡± She then trailed off her eyes showing sadness, ¡°I don¡¯t wish to see him suffer.¡±


    Skylar paused, glancing to the side, before looking down at her bag.


    ¡°Ah, that medicine.¡± Skylar spoke up with a smirk, opening her bag, and pulling out her final red potion, ¡°Fraid we¡¯re out of that stuff, but Suzaku put a lot of work into this new batch¡­ should fix your husband right up.¡± Skylar said with a forced smile.


    The woman stared forward, ¡°W-What? Truly, you speak true? But there¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s no way I could afford such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Just take it, consider it a parting gift from the store,¡± Skylar responded with a light smile.


    The woman stared up at Skylar hesitating for a moment but slowly she reached up and grabbed the bottle grasping it in her frail hands, it was only then that Skylar noticed just how many wrinkles were on that woman, ¡°...Thank you. Thank you truly, give Suzaku my regards.¡±


    Skylar gave a nod and watched as the woman walked out the door with a smile, Skylar then sighed as the door closed slouching back into her chair, her eyes glossed over to the photo she put down.


    Already she was questioning if giving that potion away was a good idea, but she shook her head, ¡°Least I could do after all the trouble I caused around this place.¡± She reasoned to herself before standing up.


    She dumped the contents of her bag onto the counter, every shard of her segmented blade and the bottle of silver liquid given to her by Garolt, ¡°Wanted to use this to set up a stupid little trap, but it¡¯s getting more likely that I¡¯ll have to fight Midus at the castle¡­¡± She uncapped the bottle and gagged a bit at the smell, ¡°Heaven¡¯s almighty that¡¯s strong.¡± She poured the liquid onto the blade and watched as it started to repair itself under a golden light.


    She let out a hum, gripping the hilt and examining the sword, ¡°Old man wasn¡¯t lying, it¡¯s as good as new.¡± Skylar put the blade into her second sheath.


    Her gaze glossed over the rest of the shop taking it all in one more time, ¡°A shame, I think if we had more time to talk we might have gotten along well. Might have been able to find another way to deal with that mess.¡± Skylar then moved to the door, stopping just in front of it and looking over her shoulder, ¡°Farewell.¡±


    With that, she opened the door and made her exit.


    ***


    Julieta arched her brow, ¡°Do you have any idea how asinine that idea of yours sounds?¡±


    Striga shrugged, ¡°I never claimed it was a good idea. But we need every edge we can get once we clash with Lust. I figured your services would be best spent assisting Skylar from the air.¡±


    Julieta let out a groan, pressing a finger to her temple, glaring at Striga, ¡°I won¡¯t deny that there is some merit to your idea¡­ But the problem is finding the right time to move in.¡±


    Striga folded her arms at that, ¡°That was part of the reason I came here, we need a method to let you know to get moving. But not one that¡¯ll give it away to Lust.¡±


    ¡°And one that we could recognize from inside while Skylar¡¯s inside the castle.¡± Julieta added with a frown, ¡°Not like we can find something like that.¡±


    Striga looked to the castle in question and blinked, ¡°...¡± a smirk started to spread on her face.


    Julieta blinked seeing that smirk and then winced, feeling the sense of another bad idea coming to Striga¡¯s brain, so Julieta uttered the only words that she could think, ¡°Oh no.¡±


    Striga pointed at the castle, ¡°The roof of that place shattering should be more than enough of a sign don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Julieta put a hand on her hip, ¡°You want Skylar to blow the roof off that place? You know that most of the rubble will likely fall onto her right?¡±


    Striga lowered her finger, ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. Haven¡¯t you noticed Julieta? Winds are picking up lately, there¡¯s a storm coming.¡±


    Julieta paused, she had felt the wind as of late but even so, ¡°...You just want us to be there as support right? Nothing more?¡±


    ¡°Not unless you feel inclined to act more.¡± Striga replied with a shrug, a soft smile dancing on the corners of her lips, ¡°That was part of our deal.¡±


    Julieta ran a hand through her hair turning to the cloud sea with a frown before replying, ¡°Fine, but you best be damn careful in there. If I find out you kicked the bucket because I was busy helping the Shadewalker, I¡¯ll journey to the afterlife to kick your ass.¡±


    Striga chuckled at that before turning around and leaping off the side of the airship, landing back onto the land below her with a stretch, ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to keep that in mind, though I¡¯m sure that Skylar would get to me first.¡±


    Julieta watched with a frown as Striga began to walk away, she turned towards the door leading to the deepest part of the airship and frowned.


    ¡°Tetra, what is it that you would do in a situation like this?¡± She found herself wondering before a smirk appeared on her face, ¡°Probably something reckless, it would seem these children would keep your legacy flowing on¡­ And I¡¯m no better.¡±


    ***


    Skylar stared forward at the opening to the mine, a frown on her face, ¡°This¡­ is not a good feeling.¡±


    She had only felt this sort of dread once before, the last time she felt it¡­


    Instantly an image of the Titan that she had clashed with came to mind, ¡°I have to be going crazy though. There¡¯s no way someone would have something like that below the earth right¡­?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about over here?¡± Striga asked as she approached, and Skylar turned around, a frown on her face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t feel that?¡±


    ¡°Feel what? A sense of dread knowing that I may have to speak with my former beloved?¡±


    ¡°I was referring to that insane pressure coming from the area below, but yeah that works as well.¡±


    They stared at each other for a moment before Striga sighed, turning her gaze fully to the mine, ¡°...It¡¯s faint for me, but I do feel something going by the concern on your face though I guess it¡¯s something to be worried about?¡±


    ¡°A Titan.¡± Skylar responded by folding her arms, ¡°That¡¯s the only time I¡¯ve felt this sort of pressure.¡±


    Striga blinked at that, her face paling as she looked to the mine, ¡°Ah shit¡­ I¡¯ve got my work cut out for me then.¡±


    ¡°You''re not still seriously thinking about going in there alone are you?¡± Skylar asked incredulously.


    And Striga responds with a wry smirk, ¡°Course I am, that was the plan and we¡¯ll stick with it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going with you.¡± Skylar responded flatly.


    ¡°You. Are going to assault the gates, you''re the only one that can.¡±


    ¡°Last I checked, no one has taken down a Titan alone either.¡± Skylar fired back only for Striga to return with a chuckle.


    ¡°Then I suppose I¡¯ll have to be the first.¡±


    Skylar glared at Striga before running a hand through her hair, ¡°...I gave away my last red potion.¡±


    Striga paused listening to Skylar with some interest on her face.


    ¡°It was dumb really, she was just an old lady. But she spoke about someone she cared for with such love¡­ so I gave it to her, she likely wasn¡¯t long for this world. And her husband will leave the world too given enough time¡­ But I gave it to them.¡± Skylar looked down to her right hand clenching it into a fist.


    Striga smiled softly, ¡°And why do you think you did that?¡±


    ¡°Because it was kind?¡± Skylar responded before shaking her head, ¡°No. That¡¯s not it, I guess¡­ I wanted them to live their last few years together with a smile.¡± Skylar then smiled softly, ¡°Just like I want to.¡± she declared this and turned around.


    Striga chuckled, turning to face the mine, ¡°You''re noble to a fault Skylar, almost as much as you are foolish.¡±


    ¡°Say¡¯s the one who came up with this asinine plan.¡± Skylar fired back with a wry smirk before lifting up her right fist, ¡°I¡¯ll take down Lust and the castle while I¡¯m at it.¡±


    Striga lifted her fist bumping it against Skylar, ¡°And I¡¯ll strike from the inside pulling as many forces away from you as I can. Taking down the Titan while I¡¯m at it.¡± She looked over her shoulder to see the smiling Skylar.


    They both took their first steps forward after that, their eyes shining with pride as they moved to their respective battlefields.


    Striga entered the mines with a certain swagger, perhaps it was confidence given to her by Skylar¡¯s trust? Or perhaps she was simply a fool.


    Regardless of the reason. She moved forward with that confidence, a blade upon her back and her eyes scanning the barren walls, ¡°If nothing else the miners certainly picked the place clean¡­¡±


    She paused as she noticed a small red spot on the ground, it was dry and long abandoned, Striga knelt frowning, running her fingers along the spot, ¡°Blood. Dried and forgotten.¡± She looked to the darkness coming ahead, and let her eyes flash crimson as flames appeared on her fingertips.


    She heard a rumbling ahead and slowly she stood up, reaching up to the sword.


    ¡°Come on then.¡± She drew her blade holding it to the side taking in a shaky breath, but not once did she ever consider fleeing, ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot to prove after the failures of this week.¡±


    ***


    Skylar walked with a huff of annoyance in her step. She slammed her blade against the barrier but it didn¡¯t budge, ¡°This is a problem¡­ Maybe I should¡¯ve joined Striga after all.¡± She gripped her blade tight and pulled it back only to pause as she saw the gates to the castle open.


    Instantly Skylar leaped backward getting distance from the barrier, and her annoyed face turned into a full scowl as she saw who walked out.


    Midus took a step forward, walking towards Skylar, ¡°You arrive at last.¡±


    Skylar paused feeling something¡­ different in the air, like he wasn¡¯t the same man as the last time Skylar met him.


    She took another step back frowning, ¡°Couldn¡¯t keep you waiting forever now could I? Think you could be a doll and lower the barrier?¡±


    Midus let out a huff, ¡°Cute.¡± He made contact with the barrier and walked through it, likely due to Lust¡¯s approval, ¡°but ultimately worthless. You''re going to die here, Skylar.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing that a lot lately, people aren¡¯t very good at keeping that promise,¡± Skylar responded flatly, Midus stood a fair distance away from Skylar now.


    He then tilted his head to the side, ¡°Do you know what it is that all of humanity seeks?¡±


    Skylar cocked a brow upwards and replied, ¡°Can¡¯t say I do.¡±


    ¡°Power.¡± Midus lifted his hands, ¡°It is power that we all seek. The Power to protect, the power to destroy, and the power to claim over others.¡± he looked down to his open palms, clad in his gauntlets.


    Thunder struck the clouds above and Skylar narrowed her gaze, ¡°Is there a point to this? Or did you come out of hiding to waste my time?¡±


    Midus chuckled darkly, lowering his hands slowly, ¡°The point Shadewalker, is this. I have obtained power, power beyond your reckoning, and I will use it to destroy you.¡±


    Skylar responded to this with a frown, ¡°Why?¡± she asked the question with gritted teeth, ¡°Does your master mean that much to you!? Why is it that we have to continue spilling blood upon the soil!?! Why can¡¯t we just put an end to all of this!?¡±


    Skylar shouted, snapping at last.


    Midus stared forward before responding, ¡°Because that is our nature. Humanity cannot live in peace if you take away our weapons. We¡¯d strike with our fists. If you removed our arms, we¡¯d kick you in the gut, remove our legs and we¡¯d bite down on our opponent.¡± Midus then folded his arms, ¡°Ever have the wise men been forgotten, their words echoed in history but the meanings behind them were lost. Not for lack of trying, but because¡­ we simply do not care.¡±


    Skylar closed her eyes, taking in those words.


    Midus spoke further, ¡°I would embrace that violence, snapping and howling for a master¡¯s whims. I care not for this world or its inhabitants, so long as I remain by her side. It¡¯s enough for me.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you burnt it down?¡± Skylar asked, opening her eyes with a glare, ¡°There was a village here once before, on these very lands. They said you were kind, that you were a good man. Is that why you killed them?! For Lust!?¡±


    Midus kept his gaze locked onto Skylar watching as the rain began to pour around the duo on this field of grass, ¡°They were a means to an end.¡± he replied after a moment, ¡°Willful puppets that outlived their usefulness, and once they had no more use.¡± He reached up pulling out his blade, ¡°I put them to the sword.¡±


    Skylar¡¯s eyes widened hearing those words and she grits her teeth reaching up for her blade but pausing just for a moment, ¡°I hate this you know. I hate fighting people like you, I feel like every time I fight you, people¡­ I lose myself more and more in the cycle of violence, it makes me sick. My stomach churns and I feel dizzy.¡± She then took in a shaky breath unsheathing her blade, ¡°...I won¡¯t see a world of peace in my lifetime. I know that. But still.¡± Skylar felt the rain pouring down on her hair soaking her in sin, ¡°I find myself asking this question every day¡­ A small question about humanity as a whole. I can¡¯t find the damn answer, and even still your answer isn¡¯t enough for me.¡±


    She took in a shaky breath, staring forward, ¡°I can¡¯t accept that we live in this world, only to die at the hands of another!¡±


    Midus said nothing to that at first watching the girl before him, before reaching up and grabbing the hilt of his blade, ¡°And yet you stand before me. Blade drawn, your words betray your actions.¡± he unsheathed his own blade.


    Skylar looked down to her sword frowning, ¡°...You can walk away.¡± Skylar responded simply, ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this. You can walk away and I¡¯ll pretend I never saw you.¡±


    Midus paused at that, ¡°You expect me to believe that? Your Skylar Shadewalker, you want me to think that you¡¯d just let a monster like myself leave?¡±


    In response to that Skylar frowned, the wind blew her hair sending droplets of rain into the soil below, ¡°The only monster here resides in the castle behind you.¡±


    Midus in response let out a bitter chuckle and raised his blade, ¡°And I am the captain of that castle, for what little the title is worth. I will not allow you to pass me.¡±


    Once more the thunder boomed in the skies, and Skylar let out a breath taking up her blade and getting into her battle stance, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the answer is. And I don¡¯t know what comes next, but whatever happens¡­ I won¡¯t ever forget what happened here.¡±


    Midus nodded in agreement, ¡°...On this night, one of us shall leave with the memories of the other. Hold nothing back, and show it to me, some speak of you as a Fairy.¡±


    ¡°And there are those who talk of you like you''re a wolf. But you''re a man like any other.¡± Skylar spat back, taking a step forward.


    The heavens quaked as the duo approached, ¡°Aye that I am¡­ and you shall fall like any woman would before my blade.¡± Midus declared.


    ¡°Your blade¡¯s dull and unfit for battle, much like you. It¡¯s about time a hunter put down the wolf.¡± They shot forward, slashing forward, and at last the raindrops in the air broke and splattered around them.

 Chapter 19: Onward March.

    Skylar grit her teeth as she felt herself being pushed backward by Midus¡¯s raw strength, ¡°Damn it all!¡± Skylar moved to the side leaping away as Midus attempted to slash at her narrowly missing.


    He noted how Skylar moved with more confidence, no longer committing to every blow she dealt.


    Her eyes also showed signs of wariness, and upon seeing this Midus felt¡­ Disappointment, ¡°What is this? Where is your beast stance? Bring it out already.¡±


    ¡°Pass.¡± Skylar replied instantly, ¡°I¡¯m not fond of doing what my opponent wants.¡±


    Midus growled at that, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll force it out as I did before.¡± he then shot forward once more, closing the distance instantly. And swung wide at Skylar, Skylar, however, slashed through the air with a gust of wind.


    Her blade slammed against Midus¡¯s with enough force to send sparks through the air, in the same motion Skylar darted forward parrying Midus¡¯s blade and slamming her fist into the man¡¯s chest, knocking him skyward.


    Skylar watched with careful eyes as Midus flew through the air before he hit the ground.


    Midus landed upon his feet, looking to the side to see his blade was chipped, he then let out a huff standing tall.


    He stared down Skylar for a moment, ¡°That you¡¯ve grown this much in such a short amount of time I can hardly believe¡­¡± he muttered reaching up he grabbing his helmet tossing it to the side letting it tumble worthlessly onto the ground, ¡°But it matters not, should you wish to get past me. I shall oppose you with my all.¡± he declared, pointing his blade forward, his eyes shining pink, ¡°Even should it cost me my all, even should I become I monster, I will not falter. I will pay that price!!!¡± He declared this by thrusting his sword skyward.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes widened as the ground around her began to rumble, she had to do everything just to keep her footing, ¡°Oh what now?!¡± She growled.


    The clouds above began to close in and grow dark, Midus chuckled bitterly as lighting fired down from on high striking his blade with electricity.


    The rumbling ceased as he lowered his blade slowly, ¡°BEAT WITNESS TO THE MIGHT OF MIDUS VAN HELSING!!¡± with those words he slashed forward and engulfed the entire area around him in a white light.


    Causing Skylar to throw her arms up in an X shape and close her eyes, when her eyes reopened they widened as she looked around, ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Blue flames coated the area, and she stood in a grassland surrounded by burning buildings.


    ¡°Eve¡¯s Burrow as it was ten years ago¡­¡± Midus declared as he held his blade out to his side, he was wearing a fresh seat of armor and glared at Skylar, ¡°It was here at my peak when my name became known to the lands.¡± He then pointed his blade forward, ¡°and it is here, where I shall be known once more. Come Skylar Shadewalker! Fairy Of Blood! ¡­The Blue Wolf awaits.¡±


    Skylar said nothing at first looking at the man before her, she slowly started to walk forward.


    The field had changed.


    As had the battle.


    She wasn¡¯t the best at this sort of thing.


    But she knew this fact and took it to heart if things continued like this.


    She was going to lose.


    ¡°Running out of time.¡± She muttered to herself before firing forward.


    Midus smiled at the sight and he tilted his head slightly moving his lips to speak, ¡°Ah. At last, I can see you.¡±


    With those words he reached out his left hand and grabbed Skylar by the face, smiling wickedly as he threw her aside effortlessly through two sets of burning buildings.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes widened as blood flew from her mouth as she tumbled through the rubble of those buildings, she grit her teeth, her body covered in bruises as she started to get up.


    Midus let out a hum at the sight, ¡°You''re more durable than before¡­ perhaps a side effect of all the mana you¡¯ve absorbed¡­¡±


    Skylar looked to Midus, her gaze fell right behind him.


    Her sword was there.


    She had dropped it.


    ¡°So what will you do now?¡± Midus questioned pointing his blade forward, his eyes alight with confidence.


    Yes, that was how he worked, no matter how strong he became he wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until he broke Skylar completely.


    Skylar narrowed her gaze harshly before responding, ¡°...The best I can.¡± she shot forward the ground breaking beneath her feet.


    In one swift movement, she plucked her sword and slashed through the air with enough speed to break the sound barrier.


    Midus¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as Skylar closed the distance he ducked to the side, raising his blade and clashing against Skylar¡¯s sword.


    He frowned as he felt little strength in the blow, he moved to the right letting Skylar slip past him before he slammed his boot firmly into her back sending her to the ground, ¡°The best you can? And you think that¡¯d be enough!?!¡± Midus declared, raising his sword and stabbing down.


    Only for his eyes to widen as his blade stabbed into Skylar¡¯s back, only for her form to drip and fade into a shadow.


    ¡°Wha-¡± Midus quickly spun around only to be met with Skylar¡¯s left fist slamming into his face.


    ¡°You''re damn right I do!¡± Skylar roared, pushing Midus back, he gritted his teeth pulling back his left fist and slamming it into Skylar¡¯s gut sending her into the air before she swiftly fell onto her back.


    Causing Skylar¡¯s eyes to bulge and she gasped for air as the wind was knocked out of her, Midus stared forward at the sight his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°You¡¯re a fool. A child who doesn''t know her place in the world¡­ And yet your strength has always been impossible. Why? What causes you to reach higher than any other mortal in this world¡­?¡± Midus questioned as he raised his blade once more.


    Skylar lifted her right hand calling her weapon to her hand, she clashed on the ground with Midus barely pushing back against his blade.


    Midus stared at the sight annoyance in his gaze, ¡°You can barely move, you can¡¯t even get to your feet anymore¡­ just give up already!¡± he shouted pushing down against Skylar, ¡°If not that then let it out! That beast form of yours!¡±


    Skylar¡¯s breath hitched and she pushed back against the blade, ¡°I don¡¯t need to¡­ Not for you.¡± she growled.


    She then lifted her legs and slammed them into Midus¡¯s gut with enough force to shatter his armor and send him flying into the air.


    Skylar then shot up leaping backward as Midus landed on the ground, he hissed slowly standing up.


    ¡°Again, you grow before my very eyes¡­ a beast unlike any other.¡± Midus stared forward with anger in his gaze.


    Skylar held her blade out before her and let out a small breath, ¡°That nickname you love so much¡­ Shall I show you how I got it?¡±


    She asked as the wind began to blow around her, ¡°Fairies are known for trickery and elegance, they dance upon the wind like it¡¯s nothing. So let¡¯s dance shall we?¡±


    The wind began to blow around the duo once more, and Skylar kept a calm expression on her face.


    Midus kept a grip on his blade rushing forward, the ground beneath his feet tore away as she slashed forward.


    Skylar leaped into the air, using Midus¡¯s own approaching blade as a platform to leap into the air.


    Midus craned his neck upwards as Skylar entered the skies, her left hand was outstretched, and the ground below Midus began to crack apart.


    He blinked realizing what the girl before him was doing, he grunted quickly darting away as the land was plucked from the ground.


    Midus was not quick enough to get away, he turned to the right just in time to see Skylar¡¯s fist make contact with his face.


    His helmet shattered as her fist made contact, the ground below them cracked and started to fall apart.


    Midus grit his teeth grabbing Skylar by the arm, even as he lurched back.


    He used his raw strength to lift Skylar and throw her into the ground, it shattered and she was sent plummeting into one of the burning buildings below.


    She let out a cry of course as she was sent plummeting.


    Midus hit the ground panting, his breathing was erratic and he growled as he saw Skylar stand up, putting her hand on the burning rubble and pushing herself out of the building.


    ¡°That''s all you¡¯ve got?¡± She spat though her expression was tired.


    Midus stared forward before taking in a breath and raising his sword once more, holding it just before him, ¡°...I will defeat you, even if it costs me everything. I will not lose this fight! Not again!¡± a red glow began to surround Midus.


    And Skylar raised her blade, watching as Midus let out a roar.


    His red glow exploded into a symphony of rage pushing the rain backwards as he screamed.


    Skylar winced at the sight, ¡°Such strength¡­ what have you become?¡±


    Midus held his blade that was now bathed in that red glow, and he looked to Skylar with nothing but hatred, yet he gave her the answer she desired regardless, ¡°God.¡±


    Instantly he shot forward grabbing Skylar by the neck and throwing her into the air, she flipped through the air, spinning around to face the havens just in time to raise her blade, protecting herself from Midus who came crashing down from above red lighting trailing behind him.


    Skylar¡¯s defense didn¡¯t help her much as her blade shattered instantly, so instead she dropped her blade ducking to the side, watching as Midus moved forward with impossible speeds.


    He hit the ground and watched as Skylar fell, flipping through the air reaching up and pulling out her second blade, coating it in shadows she slammed it down against Midus¡¯s sword once more.


    He stood there unfaltering, ¡°This strength¡­¡± he frowned, ¡°so you trained with a Knight Of Darkness? Utterly meaningless, your strength is borrowed and it will not save you.¡±


    Skylar remained there in the air, her blade causing sparks to fly against Midus, ¡°Maybe so.¡± She responded, ¡°But you''re mistaken if you think your own borrowed strength will be enough to beat me.¡±


    Midus stared up, frowning as he saw his blade chip once more, so he quickly ducked to the side losing the power struggle and he allowed Skylar to hit the ground.


    She instantly crouched down ready to spring up and slash at the man before her, only for Midus to slam his foot down on the ground, causing the ground below Skylar to lift, launching her into the air once more.


    ¡°I am Midus Van Helsing, the captain of Lust¡¯s guard, and I shall not be beaten by some writhing beast!¡± He declared running a hand over his sword coating it in blue flames.


    Before leaping up into the skies ready to strike down Skylar.


    Skylar flew through the air, flipping in the sky and staring down at Midus.


    She watched as the man approached at blinding speeds, and she held her blade to the side, her eyes flashing crimson as she responded, ¡°I¡¯m Skylar Shadewalker, and I won¡¯t be taken down by a child throwing a tantrum.¡±


    She slashed down with her blade, shattering Midus¡¯s sword in a single strike, she then sheathed her blade flipping through the air and bringing her boot down upon Midus¡¯s head.


    His eyes bulged in his skull as he was sent spiraling into the ground.


    Skylar fell, landing just in front of the man frowning as she watched Midus slowly start to stand up.


    He growled, stumbling to his feet and raising his fists, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not over. I haven¡¯t lost yet!¡± his eyes remained wide as he started to lose himself, ¡°I will not yield! I will strike you down! I- I-¡± he trembled at his might before taking a step forward, ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t lose again!!!¡±


    He shot forward, throwing a fist forward and Skylar stepped to the side letting the man stumble past her, pity on her face.


    Midus spun around throwing his left fist at Skylar¡¯s face, she reached up pushed the fist away, and slammed her right fist into Midus¡¯s gut.


    Causing the man to stumble backward in pain, ¡°...Why¡­?¡±


    He hissed and held his right fist at his side, ¡°Why can¡¯t I win? What matter of strength guides you¡­?¡±


    Skylar stared forward and closed her eyes feeling the wind flowing through her hair, ¡°I just can¡¯t afford to lose. Not while I still have people to protect.¡± She responded.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Midus blinked looking down at his trembling fist and chuckled bitterly, ¡°...I give up, there is no way for me to defeat you.¡±


    ¡°So quick to throw in the towel.¡±


    Midus¡¯s eyes widened, and he recognized that voice. Lust¡¯s voice.


    A pain surged through his skull and he reached up gripping the sides of his head howling in pain.


    Much to Skylar¡¯s dismay.


    He stumbled backward and Skylar held out her right hand, ¡°H-Hey! What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°You wished for strength did you not? And you still have more to give, let go of your sense of self and let it overcome you.¡±


    Midus¡¯s breath hitched as his eyes bulged, he screamed falling to his knees, and wings tore out from his back, fangs grew in his mouth as he sat there breathing.


    He slowly lifted his head staring at Skylar with empty eyes


    Midus took in a breath and stepped forward throwing a hand to the side and spreading his wings he let out a roar blasting forward and grabbing Skylar¡¯s face taking her to the skies.


    He threw her upwards causing Skylar to shout, ¡°For fucks sake! Can¡¯t anything be easy!?!¡± She slashed down with her blade as Midus flapped his wings ascending past Skylar and into the sky, Skylar quickly turned around staring up at the ascending beast.


    When she did, she noticed a glow coming from Midus; it was blue.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh hell.¡± Skylar muttered in realization.


    Midus¡¯s spread his wings and let out a mighty roar, sending a beam of blue flames downwards.


    Skylar stared up at the light and gritted her teeth, her own eyes trembled and turned reptilian before she sheathed her blade, quickly she threw her palms together feeling fire and electricity flowing between her hands, she gathered the energy.


    And send it flying upwards clashing with Midus¡¯s strike and in that single moment.


    The two were interlocked in a battle of wills, and sparks flew.


    Fire hurled to the ground, but it was Skylar who won the day.


    Her beam fired upwards, higher and higher quickly overpowering Midus¡¯s own, it hit the man dead on.


    Causing him to cry out in pain and lurch backward.


    He grasped at the air, tried desperately to move away, to do anything.


    But it was too late, he was dying, and he sacrificed everything.


    And this was his reward.


    As he felt his body tearing away, a single tear dropped down his cheek, ¡°In the end¡­ What was I trying to achieve?¡±


    Those were the last words he spoke. Before Fading away in the blast.


    Skylar lowered her hands and frowned, the air cracked around her.


    And the space that she once resided in now broke, once more she was standing in front of the castle.


    Once more her eyes shone emerald.


    And once more, she saw an opponent standing before her very eyes.


    Byakko stood there just beyond the barrier with a smile on his face, ¡°You are victorious, good I figured you would be.¡±


    Skylar lowered her blade to the side staring forward with a frown, ¡°And you are?¡±


    Byakko chuckled, lifting his hand and knocking on the barrier, ¡°The last crack you need on this thing.¡±


    Chapter 19: Onward March.


    Striga stared forward, the lights dancing upon her fingers kept her from being completely in the dark, she knew it was just ahead.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Was it waiting for her?


    She couldn¡¯t see it in her view just yet, so she continued to move forward, she moved her free hand to her backside, reaching under her jacket, there was a small sheath there with a knife inside of it.


    Just in case.


    As the rumbling of the cave increased Striga saw the beast just ahead of her, it was a worm, covered in a white plating, and it was currently tunneling into the wall.


    It was massive in size, but not large enough to reach the roof of this place.


    Striga watched the creature as it tunneled, and took a few steps forward reaching up to her sword and drawing it.


    She could hear the walls rumbling and the beast was now closing in on her location much to her dismay, Striga took in a breath closing her eyes as she held her blade, ¡°Alright. I can do this¡­¡± and her eyes snapped open as she darted forward, the walls around her broke and the Titan slashed through the earth tunneling right towards her.


    She grits her teeth keeping up her pace to outrun the creature, watching the shaky reflection of her blade as the creature got closer.


    It opened its maw, and the moment it did Striga spun around on her heel, throwing her free hand forward, ¡°I think you need some spice in your life.¡± she then hurled a fireball forward into the beast¡¯s mouth causing it to cry out and dart to the left tunneling through the walls once more.


    Striga stared forward a beat of sweat on the side of her face, ¡°Suddenly very glad that Skylar wasn¡¯t here to listen to that¡­¡± she muttered realizing how lame she sounded just a moment ago, she then turned her gaze to the tunnel in question, ¡°Still a worm Titan¡­ That¡¯s a new one.¡±


    She quickly checked her blade¡¯s reflection. The walls were still shaking so the beast hadn¡¯t gone far.


    ¡°...At the very least it doesn¡¯t seem too bright. It¡¯s got an advantage in territory though. And I can¡¯t break its armor.¡± Striga mused as she peered into the tunnel, ¡°So how am I going to beat it?¡±


    She then furrowed her brow, ¡°Even better¡­ Why is it here? Instead of going to the center of the island¡­¡± This was odd, Titan¡¯s came to feed upon the mana of lands.


    But this creature seemed more interested in Striga, ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask around when I get back.¡± She muttered pulling away from the tunnel as a rumbling sound came closer.


    The creature was swinging back around for another attack, and it seemed to be moving faster than before, ¡°Must have pissed it off.¡± Striga uttered this with a smile, though the nervous sweat on the back of her neck betrayed her true mood.


    So she took a step into the center of the tunnel once more, ¡°Fire magic won¡¯t work, not unless I can lob another fireball into its mouth¡­ but I can¡¯t swap out to another of Skylar¡¯s magics, not unless I want to go blind in here.¡±


    She furrowed her brow as her left ear twitched, ¡°Gotta be another way.¡±


    She started running forward once more, and the wall to her left exploded with the beast lunging towards Striga, she growled slamming her open palm to the ground, and a geyser of flames fired out sending her up and barely over the worm¡¯s reach, it roared and immediately began to double back.


    Striga narrowed her gaze, gripping her blade as she landed on the worm¡¯s back running along its thick skin, she ran her blade across it.


    Watching as sparks kicked up.


    The worm roared approaching Striga once more, and Striga clicked her tongue leaping into the air coating her blade in flames, and slashing down at the worm¡¯s mouth.


    It ducked to the side, letting Striga¡¯s blade bounce off its hide.


    And in that moment Striga saw a faint red glow where she struck before it faded.


    Striga let out a gasp as she landed, she leaped off the worm instantly just in time to avoid its snapping jaws.


    She hit the ground in a roll, only to feel her feet stumble.


    To her surprise, the ground below her broke and she started to fall into a tunnel, ¡°WHAT!?!¡± her eyes shifted looking upwards seeing the worm approaching her rapidly, ¡°Shit! It hid a tunnel below me?¡± She grits her teeth, and shifts her weight, looking to the nearby wall, ¡°Five meters away¡­ I can make it.¡± Her eyes flashed emerald and the flames dissipated, instantly she shot forward crashing into the wall, but she stabbed her blade into it.


    She reached up clutching her nose in pain, ¡°Ow¡­ Skylar makes this look easy¡­¡±


    Already Striga was feeling overwhelmed by the magic surging within her, she got to stable ground but that wasn¡¯t going to last, ¡°...Two minutes, I need to wait another two minutes for a swap.¡± She mumbled to herself, her ears strained to hear any sound.


    But the beast had gone silent, she couldn¡¯t see even her own hand in front of her.


    -Did it go away?


    But why?


    No, it¡¯s better to assume it returned to its tunnel, it¡¯s probably hunting for me even now.


    Striga kept a tight grip on her blade taking in slow and shallow breaths, suddenly the wall she was attached to broke off and Striga¡¯s eyes widened as she entered the air once more.


    She could hear the beast roar in front of her and sparks kicked up.


    She saw the beast¡¯s open maw right in front of her, of course.


    It came from the wall she was attached to, ¡°Son of a-!¡±


    She then threw a hand downwards launching herself up with a gust of wind and out of the hole, her eyes widened in realization, ¡°The tunnels, they''re all connected. A single tunnel system¡­ it doesn''t have to use a new tunnel to reach me.¡± She frowned, hitting the ground, ¡°I can work with this¡­ Yeah, easily.¡±


    She stood tall turning to the darkness, in it she could hear movement so she closed her eyes, ¡°Come beast, the earth you thrive in shall be your tomb.¡±


    She slashed her blade on the ground kicking up sparks, in the faint light however brief it was, Striga saw the worm barreling towards her once more.


    -1 more minute.


    She rolled to the side once more moving away from the beast, she could hear it turning around there wasn¡¯t much room left and Striga took in a single breath standing up.


    This time she kept her eyes closed and held her blade out in front of her, ¡°Keep calm. You¡¯ve got this¡­¡±


    The worm turned around fully moving at full speed towards Striga and it let out a roar opening its maw wide.


    Striga¡¯s eyes snapped open and she leaped forward letting out a cry, and the beast¡¯s maw snapped shut.


    Silence came after that, the beast remained there triumphing in its victory.


    Only for its eyes to bulge and it opened its maw lurching upwards as it cried, if one were to get a look inside its maw, they¡¯d see Striga.


    With her eyes glowing emerald stabbing her blade into the beast¡¯s tongue, ¡°Bet it fucking hurts doesn¡¯t it! Well, I¡¯ve got a lot more coming for you!¡±


    She stabbed down once more and the beast cried out, instantly lowering itself into the dirt and started to borrow, shoveling dirt into its mouth in an attempt to push Striga down.


    Her eyes glowed brighter still and she gritted her teeth roaring as she pushed down on her blade, the beast wretched in pain and slammed its head against the tunnel, before entering one of its many entrances to its domain.


    Striga pulled her blade out and leaped out of the creature¡¯s maw, her eyes swapping to crimson flames dancing around her fingers.


    And she took in a breath turning around to face the creature once more, ¡°Got you.¡±


    The creature growled, moving slightly only for its eyes to widen as Striga stood there a red glow surrounding her, ¡°My magic allows me to borrow from those whom I call my friends.¡± Striga stated a smile dancing on her lips, ¡°And I happen to be friends with one of the best mages of this era, someone capable of rivaling gods and demons alike. A tier 7 spell like this should be easy for her!¡±


    The beast quickly turned around and started to dart off, ¡°Heart of fire beat louder, flames of desire rush past our lips.¡± Striga held out her left hand holding it to her side before clenching it into a fist, ¡°Prominence.¡±


    Fire burst out from her form, flying outwards in all directions through the tunnels. The worm rushed faster and faster, but the flames were quicker.


    They shot forward breaking through its shell and melting away, it screamed in agony.


    Trying to escape, but soon enough¡­ it crawled to a halt.


    Melting in its flesh.


    Striga stood there with her hand outstretched and slowly stumbled forward barely catching herself, her breathing was heavy and a small smile was on her face, ¡°H-Heh, see? Nothing to it¡­ Though.¡±


    She stumbled forward clearly woozy, ¡°That might have been a bit much in terms of mana¡­¡± She put a hand on the wall trying to keep herself steady and her mind drifted back to Skylar, ¡°to be able to use something like that and still keep walking forward, she¡¯s incredible.¡±


    She stayed like that for a while, inching her way along the wall, she wasn¡¯t done just yet after all.


    ***


    Byakko kept behind the barrier just outside of Skylar¡¯s reach, ¡°You¡¯ll forgive me if I don¡¯t take another step forward, I¡¯m not fond of the idea of dying you see.¡±


    Skylar stared forward keeping a grip on her blade, ¡°You''re a shard of Lust aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± Byakko replied with a small smile running his hand along the barrier, ¡°And in your eyes that makes me your enemy, doesn''t it? But therein lies the problem. So long as I remain behind this barrier, you can¡¯t reach me. And if you can¡¯t reach me, you can¡¯t break the barrier.¡±


    Skylar said nothing to that simply keeping her gaze on Byakko, he lowered his hand chuckling.


    ¡°It¡¯s called a stalemate, but I¡¯ve never been fond of such a way to end games, nobody likes a tie. Not unless you were the one losing.¡± He then tilted his head, ¡°So I enlisted the aid of every soldier within that building.


    Right about now they¡¯ve all gathered up in the throne room, and they should be moving to butcher Lust.¡± Byakko proclaimed proudly, throwing his hands to the side.


    Skylar frowned at the man before her, ¡°And? You want me to let you go after she dies?¡±


    Byakko lowered his hands, dropping his smile, ¡°Is that not enough for you? I am taking out your greatest enemy as we speak, I am on your side.¡±


    ¡°You sent others to do your dirty work and came out here to greet me yourself. That doesn''t leave the best impression.¡± Skylar responded flatly.


    Byakko put his hands in his pockets, ¡°Heh, fair enough I suppose. In truth, I came here with the intent to announce myself to you, but I got lost in the spectacle of your clash with Midus. It was Lust who reached out to him first you know.¡±


    Skylar arched a brow at that, ¡°She lived in a village here, at least for a time. Just beside this castle. It started where you are, but extended far out to the left.¡± He explained pointing with his thumb, ¡°She lived off in a little subsection of that village, near the great pond and cliffside that way.¡±


    Skylar paused to remember the memories she saw, ¡°But she left the village, all because she killed her family right?¡±


    Byakko paused at that smirking, ¡°Saw the memories of my siblings, did you? Heh, yeah she did leave. Couldn¡¯t tell you why. But¡­ she came back. Thought she could simply push the past behind her, especially since nobody knew it was her. But¡­¡±


    Before he could continue a pink string suddenly wrapped around his neck and pulled him into the castle gates, ¡°Wha-¡± his eyes bulged as his hands snatched up.


    Skylar¡¯s eyes widened and she ran forward, ¡°Hey! What the hell¡¯s going on over there!?¡±


    Byakko grabbed at the strings, another for another set to fly out of the cracks in the large door grabbing on his arms and pulling them to the side, he wore a panicked smile, ¡°I see. So you survived all that then¡­¡± he muttered in realization looking over to Skylar as two more strings grabbed onto his legs and started to pull, he could feel the strings around his neck tightening, ¡°Do be careful Shadewalker, Lust is far more dangerous then you could imagine¡­¡±


    Skylar raised her fists slamming them into the barrier, her eyes wide as she stared forward, ¡°The hell are you talking about? Don¡¯t you dare give up so easily!¡±


    ¡°In the end, it was my hubris that was my undoing, a mere man such as myself could never stand to the might of a goddess¡­¡± Byakko proclaimed closing his eyes, as he heard the sounds of his bones breaking apart, first his arm ripped off.


    Then his leg.


    And then¡­


    Skylar threw her fist forward, and the barrier shattered.


    At the same instant, Byakko¡¯s head was cut off.


    His body faded and turned into a green light flying into Skylar.


    ***


    ¡°And that¡¯ll do it.¡± Eros declared standing up with a small smile, she was in a small outcrop.


    And before her eyes was a kitten, it had a bandage around its left leg. It let out a cute little meow as it stared up at Eros with big eyes.


    She chuckled while petting the kitten, ¡°You have to be more careful, you know, not everyone is going to look out for you like this.¡±


    ¡°So it was you then?¡± A voice called out from behind and Eros blinked, standing up and turning around, there she saw a man clad in black armor walking forward, ¡°I had heard there was a young woman who had taken residence up here.¡±


    ¡°Get out of here.¡± Eros immediately hissed, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything to do with the knights of the castle.¡±


    The man tilted his head taking note of the kitten, ¡°...your bandaging is well done.¡± he commented, ¡°but it would speed up its recovery if it at least had some medicine.¡±


    Eros blinked at that, glancing at the kitten, ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of cash.¡±


    The man smiled softly beneath his helmet, ¡°I¡¯m Midus, and if you¡¯d allow me to¡­ I¡¯d be happy to obtain that medicine for you.¡±


    Eros blinked looking at the man, she paused and glanced to the side, ¡°Thank¡¯s but no thanks. I don¡¯t need your help. I¡¯ll earn the money myself.¡± She huffed walking forward and past the man.


    He blinked looking over to the girl, as she walked past.


    Midus couldn¡¯t help but utter the word, ¡°Beautiful.¡±


    Eros continued to walk forward right back into the city she came to love so dearly, she waved as others passed her by.


    ¡°Ah, Eros honey there you are!¡± A man called out causing Eros to flinch, she looked to her left to see a sleazy man walking up to her.


    He had a bottle in his left hand, ¡°What¡¯s the matter baby? Stunned by my beauty?¡±


    ¡°...More like repulsed by the fact that you''re even approaching me.¡± She muttered glaring at the man, ¡°What is it you want from me, Lance?¡±


    Lance walked up to her wrapping an arm around her shoulder, ¡°Oh come on now sugertit¡¯s you know what I want¡­¡± he leaned in close, plucking his lips together.


    Only for Eros to duck under Lance¡¯s arm, letting him stumble forward, ¡°And how many times do I have to repeat myself? I¡¯m not interested in you.¡±


    Lance stared forward at that, and smirked, ¡°You should reconsider¡­ I think you¡¯ll end up regretting it if you turn me down.¡±


    Eros folded her arms and scoffed, ¡°Unlikely, I¡¯d sooner be dead in the gutter before I¡¯d ever consider being with you. Now if you excuse me, I have better things to do.¡±


    Lance stared forward watching as Eros walked away, his eyes slightly glazed over and he gritted his teeth.


    Soon enough time passed and Eros walked into a small cafe, the walls were made out of dark wood and the floor was a lighter shade, in total, there were about 8 tables in this small building, and an older-looking man was standing behind the front counter, ¡°Ah Eros, clocking in early today?¡± He asked with a small smile, and Eros returned it with a bright one.


    ¡°Sure am boss, gotta make the big bucks!¡± She declared pumping her arm as she walked into the back the old man chuckled,


    ¡°Really now? You certainly work harder than the rest of the staff why is that?¡±


    ¡°I want to help people, but I can¡¯t do that without cash¡­¡± Eros explained as she put her work outfit on and glanced at the mirror beside her.


    She was pretty, far prettier than anyone else in the world, and she knew it.


    But she shook her head and started to get to work.


    The day came and went pretty fast, and she dealt with all sorts of customers, most of them harassing her.


    Others complained about how long their order was taking.


    And some tried to get handsy of course.


    -Your order will be ready when it¡¯s ready.


    -be patient.


    -Stop shouting at me.


    -Stop touching me.


    She wanted to shout all those things and more, but she had to maintain the image of being a good employee.


    So she bit her lip every time and held in her thoughts.


    Soon the day came to an end and Eros put her outfit back in her locker, she only came here twice a week.


    So she¡¯d take the outfit to the wash after her next shift, she leaned forward pressing her head against the locker door, and took in a shaky breath.


    The boss walked into a room with a soft smile, ¡°Rough day today huh?¡±


    Eros flinched and stood up straight in the small break room as she turned to face her boss, ¡°W-What? No everything¡¯s fine! I¡¯m in tip-top condition.¡± She chirped in a forced tone.


    Her boss kept that smile on his face he walked forward and set a small envelope down on the counter, it had Eros¡¯s name on it.


    She blinked looking at it with some confusion, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°A bonus, you¡¯ve been working hard lately, figured you deserved something extra.¡± The boss declared as he turned around and started to walk off, ¡°Have a nice night Eros.¡±


    Eros paused looking at the envelope she reached down picked it up stared at it with some hesitation and opened it.


    To her surprise she saw a few grand there, more than enough to afford some medicine for that kitten, her eyes lit up in delight.


    And she bolted out of that place with a small smile on her face as she made her way to a shop nearby, she knew where best to buy medicine even the stuff for animals the question being¡­ what would work best for that poor thing''s injuries?


    She came into the store, it was convenient that so many medicines could be purchased, though you needed a written notice for a doctor in most cases¡­ perhaps it would be best to speak with the clerk.


    So she walked up to the counter with a nervous smile there was a man who seemed to be in his late 30s standing there with a book in his hand, he looked up from it as Eros approached she spoke up, ¡°U-Um, sorry but do you happen to have any medicine? One for a kitten? I saw one that got a pretty bad injury as of late, and I was hoping for something to ease the pain.¡±


    The man paused locking eyes with Eros and he set his book down, ¡°Eros right?¡±


    Eros blinked confusion taking over her face for a second, ¡°Huh? How did¡­¡±


    ¡°Midus stopped by recently and asked the same question, put the order in for you.¡± The man explained as he reached down pulling out a small vial of medicine, ¡°It¡¯s already paid for, take care.¡±


    Eros stared forward her face was one of shock but she reached out all the same taking the vial, ¡°But why would he¡­?¡± she asked in confusion before shaking her head and turning to leave.


    She had a small smile as she walked up the street, she blinked as she felt something on her head.


    A drop of rain, ¡°Aw come on¡­¡± she started to run, ¡°If nothing else that little kitten should be glad of its home now.¡±


    She walked up the grassy hill and moved into the cave, ¡°Kitten? Hey, where are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not around anymore.¡±


    A voice spoke up from beside Eros her eyes widened and she turned to her left only to find a metal bat making contact with her head.


    She tumbled to the ground, and the vial of medicine crashed into the stone.


    Her vision blurred in and out and she saw droplets of blood on the ground, she recognized that some of it was coming from her.


    Even as her vision swirled her gaze fell upon something else.


    A corpse.


    Not a human corpse.


    The kitten she had cared for was there beaten and torn on the ground.


    She stared at its eyes, and they stared back in pain.


    She didn¡¯t even flinch as Lance straddled her and began to rip apart her clothes, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment¡­ You can¡¯t just walk around like this and expect me not to stare you know¡­¡± he tossed his bat to the side not needing it anymore.


    Eros opened her mouth and responded, ¡°Why¡­?¡±


    She was met with a swift slap to the face, ¡°SHUT YOUR TRAP BITCH! I didn¡¯t do all this to hear you back sass me! I¡¯m the most powerful person in this village! And I am sick of being mocked by you¡­¡± He then grabbed her by the chin forcing her to look him in the eye, ¡°Look at me¡­ I¡¯m going to break you, and take your purity¡­ as a symbol of my might.¡±


    Lust stared into the man¡¯s eyes, and in that moment something in her head¡­ snapped.


    She held out her hand to the side and strings shot out, wrapping around the handle of the bat that Lance had tossed to the side, the strings pulled back giving Eros the bat, and in one swing she hit Lance¡¯s head.


    Forcing him off her body, ¡°Agh!¡± he shouted as he gripped his head and his back hit the nearby wall, slowly Eros started to get up.


    A dark expression on her face, ¡°I tried you know, tried to live amongst you all¡­ tried to be nicer. To let it all wash over me¡­¡± Eros explained as she started to approach Lance, her outfit was torn and parts of her face were covered in blood, but she didn¡¯t care anymore.


    ¡°But everywhere I go, there¡¯s always someone like you. Some greedy fuck who can¡¯t keep their hands away.¡± She lifted the bat and slammed it into Lance¡¯s head once more his head hit the ground and he tried to lift his right hand.


    ¡°W-Wait please, I-¡±


    Eros slammed the bat down once more, shattering the man¡¯s fingers and letting blood spatter onto both her face and his.


    ¡°Why?¡± She asked simply, no emotion shined on her face, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t stop when a poor defenseless creature was here. It simply wanted to live, just as you do now. A life for a life seems fair.¡±


    Lance felt a bead of sweat appeared on his face, ¡°Y-You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, Eros, it was just an animal come on¡­ be reasonable.¡±


    Eros slammed the bat into the man¡¯s side, she swore she could hear his ribs break.


    And he screamed in agony writing on the ground, ¡°REASONABLE!?¡± she hissed, ¡°You murdered an innocent animal.¡± She raised the bat slamming it into Lance¡¯s head.


    ¡°You make constant demeaning remarks, day after day, treating me as though I¡¯m nothing more than an object!¡± Once more her bat hit.


    ¡°And then you not only take away my ONE act of kindness! But you try to rape me afterward!?¡± Once more her bat made contact with what remained of the fleshy mess that was Lance¡¯s head.


    She breathed heavily, staring at the man¡¯s corpse, ¡°...heh.¡± she dropped the bat and slowly took a few steps back looking at the blood on her hands, ¡°It always ends up like this, yeah¡­ why do I even bother? No one listens to me, no one cares¡­ it¡¯s because I lack power.¡± She ran her hands over her face, staining it with blood, a frown appeared on her face, ¡°You''re still there right Origin?¡±


    Thunder boomed in the night, and Origin appeared at the entrance to the cave, saying nothing.


    Eros turned around, a crooked smile on her face, ¡°I think I¡¯m ready to take you up on your offer.¡± Eros declared with a halfhearted smirk.


    Origin smirked as he extended out his right hand, a pink swirl of light came from his body and flowed into Eros, ¡°From this day forth, you are no longer human. You are Eternal, your soul melded forth with one of my kin¡­ from here on you shall be known as¡­ Lust.¡±

 Chapter 20: Our Ascension.

    Striga walked forward her shaky steps had long settled down though her energy had been mostly sapped, she steadied herself using the wall to help her move forward, and soon her eyes fell upon a set of lights ahead of her, ¡°An exit.¡± Striga muttered, pushing away from the wall and walking out into the light, her eyes fell upon the sight ahead, Delish stood at the top of a large circular platform a fuzzy ball of light was ahead of him, ¡°Beautiful is it not? And though it is not complete¡­ With a few more souls¡­ we shall have a Stella of our own.¡±


    Striga narrowed her gaze, ¡°Stella? The wish-granting device?¡±


    Delish raised his hands, ¡°The original Stella was crafted similarly, by my forebears, to send this land skyward¡­ But I would use it for a different purpose! I would use it to rebuild our land so that we can be together forever Striga.¡±


    ¡°At the cost of everyone else around us!?! I won¡¯t allow it, I¡¯ll stop you!¡± She shouts, taking a step forward, but she stops when she feels Delish¡¯s overwhelming magic even now a bead of sweat formed on the back of her neck.


    Delish smirked looking over his shoulder, ¡°Oh? And¡­ how do you intend to stop me?¡± His tone was deadly serious despite his smirk, ¡°You and your pitiful magic, yes you''re powerful indeed¡­ but this is a spell cast by an incantation¡­ no magic on earth can stop this.¡± he stated pointing to the fuzzy ball of light above, he was right Incantations will keep going unless¡­


    Striga looked to the ground, ¡°...That is unless the caster himself decides to stop it.¡± she confirmed, ¡°So all I have to do is convince you to stop.¡± There was another way.


    Delish dropped that smirk instantly, ¡°Of all the avenues you could have taken, you would choose one that is impossible? Hm. And here I thought your strategies were perfect¡­¡±


    ¡°...I only use information that I have to create the outcomes that I want. Sadly this time I don¡¯t have that information, so¡­ while it may be out of character for me I¡¯m taking a page out of someone else''s book and making a gamble.¡± Striga declared her memories flashing to the countless times Skylar had saved her.


    Delish ears perked at that, and he put a hand on his hip, ¡°Oh? Found someone else to care for; Have you?¡± his eyes fell to Striga¡¯s hand noticing the missing ring, his eyes narrowed slightly.


    ¡°That¡¯s besides the poin-¡±


    ¡°That is PRECISELY the point!¡± he shouted his anger finally boiling over, ¡°I have ripped you from the clutches of tragedy and saved you time and time again!¡± he threw his hand to the side, his eyes bulged from his skull his fury could not be contained, ¡°But again and again and again and again! You look for others, I am RIGHT HERE! Why can¡¯t you see what is right in front of you!?! The one you should love, the one you should worship, the one you should praise! He is right in front of you!¡± So shouted Delish.


    Striga frowned at that, ¡°Are you stupid?¡± She asked suddenly, her gaze covered by her hair, ¡°You kill, you scheme, you plot the death of a whole nation.¡± She slammed her boot down onto the ground and her hair lifted some as she took a step forward. It was brief but Delish could see Striga¡¯s gaze filled with malice, ¡°And you still think I could retain any feeling of love for you?!¡± she then gritted her teeth looking to the ground, ¡°...Well you''re not wrong. I love you. I love you more than anyone else. I love you so much that my heart feels like it¡¯s going to burst.¡± her hands reached up to her chest and she clenched it biting her lip as tears formed on her eyes, ¡°But¡­ I can¡¯t let you do this, no matter how much I love you. I have to save you from the monster you''re becoming. Isn¡¯t that my duty as your friend!?!¡± she shouted looking up at Delish.


    Delish paused at that and he gritted his teeth, ¡°This is my dream, Stella is right there¡­ I just have to make my wish and then¡­ and then it¡¯ll be over, we can be free! We can be together Striga! Without the need for a nation! We can travel, we can see the sea! We can do anything together!¡± Delish pleaded, holding out his right hand, ¡°Just take my hand¡­ And for once¡­ put your faith in me.¡± His pleas were earnest, a final desperate cry.


    Striga looked to that hand and closed her eyes slowly, ¡°...My feelings for you will never die, no matter how long this world goes, my love will remain imbued with it.¡± she walked forward slowly, the weight of the world on her shoulders, she already said she¡¯d do it didn¡¯t she?


    She¡¯d take the gamble.


    And bet everything on her next move.


    So she reached out and took his hand, and a single string wrapped around his fingers, binding their souls together, Delish¡¯s eyes widened in realization of what Striga¡¯s plan was, he tried to move away, but Striga pulled on his hand pulling him close, and she uttered a single word, ¡°Sorry.¡± As soon as that word was uttered she perked her lips together bringing in the one she loved so dearly into their first and final kiss, before she reached for the knife on the sheath in her back, with one swift moment she plunged it into Delish¡¯s chest stabbing him right in the heart. In that same motion, she removed that knife, and his blood shot out covering Striga.


    Delish stumbled back, his eyes wide in pain, ¡°S-Striga¡­?¡±


    All he could do was ask the question as he fell off the platform. Striga stood there with a frown looking at the fuzzy ball in the distance it had already begun to fade away.


    The walls began to rumble, and Striga found herself staring at the sight, little white motes of light began to scatter and flow away, she reached up hoping to catch one, a single light made it to her palms and slipped through her fingers.


    As soon as it did, the ground broke beneath her feet and she found herself falling.


    ¡°I see¡­ So that¡¯s the way of the world¡­ I wonder¡­ in our next life¡­?¡±


    The clouds came ever closer, and as it did so a sad smile formed on her face as tears left her eyes, ¡°Will I be allowed happiness?¡±


    Something grabbed the back of her shirt keeping her suspended in the air, before throwing her onto a small wedge of land.


    Jenna stared forward from a pink portal she had opened, watching Striga¡¯s unconscious form.


    ¡°...Just for today, I¡¯d rather not see Skylar¡¯s face drenched with tears. Consider yourself lucky protector.¡± Jenna declared turning around and closing the portal she had made.


    Chapter 20: Our Ascension.


    Skylar stared up at the castle gates just before her, a frown appeared on her face, ¡°She¡¯s just inside¡­¡± she muttered to herself, taking in a breath and stealing her nerves before reaching out and putting her hands on the large double doors using her strength to push them open.


    Skylar paused as the doors parted there was a creaking sound as they did so, and she could feel the tension growing in the air around her, she was greeted to the insides of the castle, large stone walls and red carpets made up the place and there was a certain regal charm to the whole area, but that feeling of being in a regal place was cut off by the pink strings littering the wall. The castle itself was empty despite these factors. Devoid of any signs of life that should litter a place like this.


    A frown creased Skylar¡¯s lips as she stepped into the building, the doors slammed shut behind her.


    The strings along the walls lit up magic flowing through them like blood veins in a body, ¡°Follow the strings and find the source¡­¡± Skylar muttered to herself yet even so, she rubbed her shoulders nervously as a chill ran up her spine.


    She walked forward through these empty hallways, seeing the carpet grow more tattered as she did so.


    She paused when an open door caught her view to the left, it showed a kitchen.


    It was in disarray, cuttery and platters scattered about and shattered, she even spotted bits of blood.


    An omen of what was to come.


    She took in a shaky breath and moved on, walking along the hallway she took note of paintings that lay on the way, most of them were broken down.


    The strings crossed out the faces.


    They don¡¯t matter.


    That¡¯s how Skylar interpreted it, her gaze fell onto a staircase ahead.


    Slowly she began her ascent as the strings grew along the walls greater in numbers as she did so.


    The pink strings almost seemed to glow scarlet as Skylar reached the top of the stairs, straight ahead was another large door.


    It was covered in those strings, they bulged, pulsing excited at the coming of the hero of the skies.


    Of course, Skylar stared at the sight of a scowl on her face as she approached the door reaching up to the sword on her back, only for her eyes to widen just a bit in surprise as the strings began to recede into the cracks of the door.


    And slowly the door began to part, opening right before Skylar¡¯s eyes.


    Straight ahead, Lust sat on her throne, her eyes closed and she rested her head on her fist.


    The floor was submerged in blood, high enough for it to reach Skylar¡¯s calf.


    It was kept in the room by a thick layer of strings just in front of the door.


    Skylar said nothing, stepping over the strings and troughing through the blood.


    Above her were the corpses of every soldier that had served Lust, Lust slowly opened her eyes and spoke her words, ¡°And so you arrive. My Mirror.¡±


    Skylar stood just a bit away from the stairs that led to the throne, ¡°...I was starting to hold some reservations about slaying you. But after what I¡¯ve seen here? I think I can safely say you''re a monster.¡±


    Lust let out an amused huff at that, ¡°¡®Monster¡¯ is such a broad term, every man woman, and child on this miserable rock has the makings of a monster. It¡¯s our nature.¡±


    ¡°We also have the makings to be decent people. Something you tried yourself. Before you threw it aside.¡± Skylar fired back with a glare.


    ¡°Saw that did you?¡± Lust asked with an amused smile there was a sense of pity held beneath her gaze, ¡°You saw the whole tale. I really did try, you know. But time after time, the world reminded me¡­ I¡¯ve never been cut out to be human. A monster¡¯s life is the one for me.¡± She then raised her hand examining her nail, ¡°But even now I am not the strongest. Outclassed by my peers.¡±


    Skylar scowled, ¡°So sad for you. Do you expect even an ounce of pity from me?¡± she asked this question her eyes flashing with anger.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Lust lowered her hand and slowly stood from her throne, ¡°I expect understanding.¡±


    She held her hand out to the side, ¡°You who stands on the pinnacle of human might, the world in the palm of your hand¡­ Why do you cling to these lesser creatures when you could be so much more? Wrath has fallen to your hand as well, hasn¡¯t he? If you asked Origin¡­ I¡¯m sure he¡¯d make you an Eternal.¡±


    Skylar stared forward clenching her fingers around the hilt of her sword as she took a breath before taking a step forward, ¡°And I¡¯d have to decline, I¡¯m not the type to so callously throw the world aside. Besides¡­¡± Skylar paused looking over her shoulder at the door behind her before continuing, ¡°There are still some things I want to protect.¡±


    Lust lowered her right hand frowning as she did so, ¡°Is that so?¡± she reached out, summoning her blade, ¡°So you would stand against me? Rejecting your true nature to the bitter end?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Skylar held her blade out in front of her chest, her eyes shining through a myriad of colors, ¡°I stand here, over the blood and corpses that you made. As your mirror. As proof that you''re wrong.¡±


    Skylar made this declaration without fear, gritting her teeth, ¡°About the world. About life. And about me.¡±


    Lust tilted her head to the side wearing an amused smirk, leaning back on the bloodied throne she sat upon Lust crossed her legs and ¡°You''re making a poor case if that¡¯s your goal.¡±


    Skylar took in a breath closing her eyes before she shot forward the blood rocketed up past her thigh and into the air as she closed the distance.


    Lust watched the sight with clear disdain on her face as she lifted her right hand summoning forth an obsidian black blade Lust and Skylar then clashed on those steps, ¡°Let me make a better one for you then.¡± Skylar growled as sparks flew, ¡°Your goals, your life, and everything you hope to achieve amounts to jack shit. Because I''m going to kill you.¡±


    Lust laughed at that, ¡°Kill me? You''re a little girl whose only known a semblance of power, I¡¯ll crush you underfoot and make you beg for release!¡± Lust raised her free hand upwards and a set of pink strings shot upwards wrapping around two of the corpses strung above, she yanked, pulling them down and throwing them at Skylar.


    The corpses cracked and twisted as they descended, their bones breaking as they were moved with the strings.


    Skylar grits her teeth, ducking to the right and pulling away from Lust¡¯s blade.


    She then slashed up cutting through the first corpse letting the blood spill over her body, she leaped over the second corpse spinning through the air and slamming her blade down upon Lust¡¯s sword once more.


    ¡°So fond of preaching your right, yet no regard for the dead.¡± Lust commented as she smiled wickedly, ¡°You''re not as pure as you claim.¡±


    ¡°I never claimed to be pure.¡± Skylar spat back, ¡°And I¡¯m not going to let the dead stand in the way of my goal of defeating you!¡± Skylar pushed back leaping away from Lust as Lust slashed forward with her sword failing to hit Skylar and instead slashing at empty air.


    The blood rippled along the ground as Skylar landed, she winced feeling the might that Lust wielded.


    Skylar instantly ducked to the side, as Lust shot past her with a slash through the air, Lust landed on the bloodied ground behind the chosen warrior, Skylar spun around as did Lust, Lust came in low while Skylar came from on high once more there blades clashed.


    The force sent a shockwave that caused the blood around them to form waves, it pushed outward as the duo pushed away once again, their eyes fixed on each other, Lust raised her free hand skyward once again sending strings up into the air.


    They grabbed onto the corpses one after the other without halting.


    Skylar grits her teeth shooting forward once more, her steps were light but they caused ripples in the blood.


    Lust¡¯s smile widened as she pulled on the strings, ¡°Howl louder little pup!¡± She roared, pulling the corpses down, they jolted moving as they started to fall towards Skylar.


    Skylar lowered herself to the ground bending her kness before leaping through the air gripping her blade with both hands and cutting through a handful of corpses, she then craned her neck to the side avoiding a swipe from one of those string-attached corpses.


    Lust was moving them of course, puppeteering them like they were toys.


    Skylar hit the ground leaping backward, her eyes switching to a crimson glow as she coated her blade in flames slashing forward creating a wave of flames that fired through the air.


    Lust paused as the flames washed over the arena before she retracted her strings and slashed at the beam of red flames.


    Cutting it just before it met her, but of course, her strings were now gone.


    Lust growled staring at Skylar as Lust hit the ground, Skylar took in a breath before darting forward.


    Raising her blade and slashed down at Lust, Lust however was faster moving to the side and slashing at Skylar¡¯s gut.


    Skylar stepped back, but the blood on the ground made her lose her footing and her stomach was cut, it wasn¡¯t deep but it was enough to make her wince as she got the distance.


    Lust looked at her blade with an amused hum, ¡°Your magic is troublesome, but it¡¯s nothing I cannot contend with. And your swordsmanship is sloppy at best.¡± Lust then stared forward, ¡°It would seem the outcome of this battle is already decided.¡±


    Skylar clutched her stomach a scowl on her face as she stared forward locking her gaze onto Lust, ¡°You think so huh? I¡¯m not out of this fight just yet you know¡­¡± Skylar kept her right hand on her sword but it was trembling.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Lust started to walk forward, slashing her blade across one of the corpses that littered the bloodied ground, ¡°I¡¯ve lived my life. Tried my best to see it out, and what did it get me?¡± Lust stepped upon a corpse, cracking its bones as she approached, ¡°My only bit of kindness was found dashed upon the rocks, a shame really. If that man hadn¡¯t done what he did, I might have deluded myself into thinking this world was worth saving¡­ but it¡¯s not. There is no life on this planet that is worth it, all lives fall into pitiful groveling when faced with someone stronger than them.¡±


    Lust now stood in front of Skylar, she pointed her blade forward right to Skylar¡¯s face ¡°So then little pup¡­ bow down. Do that and I may consider sparing your life.¡±


    Skylar stared at the ground with a frown on her face, she could feel her vision blurring in and out.


    She fought hard just to get her, and she was running out of energy¡­


    Her eyes closed and she took in a breath searching her thoughts for an answer to the question.


    She could hear a chorus of voices, friends, family, and her thoughts all shouting.


    Screaming at her with the same answer, the same voice.


    And so Skylar slowly began to open her eyes gripping her blade, Lust stared down and raised her sword slashing down.


    Only for her blade to shatter against Skylar¡¯s sword right before Lust¡¯s eyes Skylar slammed her left fist into Lust¡¯s gut sending her flying backward, ¡°I won¡¯t bow to you! Or anyone else who causes senseless bloodshed!¡±


    Lust stumbled backward clutching her gut as she growled staring at Skylar, ¡°Still fighting the good fight? Why? Whatever for? You throw yourself into harm''s way, shackling yourself for the sake of a ¡®peace¡¯ that you can¡¯t even believe in!¡±


    Skylar¡¯s eyes flashed, flowing through a myriad of colors before settling upon one, and Skylar responded, ¡°It¡¯s not my place to decide how the world will turn. My story is only a small chapter in this place¡­ and so I¡¯ll live it, reaching out my hand to others. Raising them higher, so that they can see my dreams through where I cannot.¡± Skylar responded, stepping forward.


    Lust took a step back, fear entering her gaze as she stared into Skylar¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Silver¡­¡± Lust muttered with a growl, ¡°No that¡¯s¡­ impossible, the elements already struggle to remain connected, a silver-eyed mage cannot exist¡­¡± Lust clenched her hands into fists, and Skylar stared forward with her now silver eyes.


    And Lust grits her teeth before throwing a hand to the side, ¡°No, it¡¯s a bluff! You cannot hold that power, you''re just an ignorant brat who knows nothing about the world!¡±


    Skylar responded by putting on a small smile, ¡°You would know, wouldn¡¯t you? You''re my reflection after all¡­ one wrong step, one false move and I¡¯d be standing where you are right now.¡± Skylar declared putting her left hand over her heart, ¡°Scary isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Lust glanced to the side thinking back on her choices only for anger to replace her thoughts, ¡°You think you''re better than me? Is that it brat?¡± She hissed.


    ¡°No.¡± Skylar responded flatly, much to Lust¡¯s confusion, ¡°I¡¯m just lucky I suppose. Lucky to have allies that¡¯d rush to my side and help steer me on the right path¡­¡±


    Skylar then reached out her left hand to Lust, ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    Lust stared at that hand for a moment, a frown coming across her face, and she slowly reached out to it.


    Stopping just short before pulling her hand away, ¡°There is no place for me in this world.¡± She muttered looking to the nearby windows, ¡°Not anymore. A monster will always be a monster. A human will always be human. And a god can never live amongst mortals.¡±


    Skylar kept her hand outstretched, ¡°Who¡¯s to say we can¡¯t change that?¡± Skylar offered with a small smile, ¡°We fight and fight for an endless battle that will never truly cease, but I for one don¡¯t want my life to be that full of endless war. I want to laugh, to love, and to live¡­ so if I have to be the one to take the first step I will.¡±


    Lust chuckled bitterly at that staring forward, ¡°You naive child, you think that will be enough do you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the first step.¡± Skylar responded again, ¡°But not the last. All you have to do is take my hand.¡±


    Lust stared at that hand before lifting her right one her strings began to move across the walls, ¡°Come to think of it¡­¡± The blood on the ground began to ripple and Skylar lowered her hand, stumbling around as the ground shook, ¡°I never could stand my reflection.¡± she clenched that hand into a fist.


    And the entirety of the room began to rumble. The pink strings shot outwards from the blood attempting to wrap around Skylar.


    Only for Skylar to slash downward her blade coated in silver flames, it burned through the strings effortlessly.


    And so Skylar shoots forward, seeing that her attempts at negotiations have failed she fired through the sea of blood and towards her target.


    Lust leaped into the air carried higher by her strings. ¡°It¡¯s about time that I shatter you like the rest!¡± Lust declared throwing her hand downwards, a flurry of strings shot downwards.


    And Skylar responded by leaping upwards carried by the wind as she replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to fall to you!¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Skylar flew higher, slashing through any strings that got too close.


    But there were many and she was only one girl, soon the thousands of threads threatened to latch onto her.


    So Skylar took in a breath, closing her eyes she threw her arms and screamed, sending flames outwards to burn the strings.


    Lust¡¯s eyes widened and she threw her arms up to shield herself, only for Skylar to close the distance with a gust of wind and cut Lust¡¯s left arm clean off.


    Lust started to fall, and as she entered the air Skylar grabbed Lust by the shirt locking eyes with her, and spoke, ¡°Drown in the sins that you made.¡±


    Skylar then spun through the air before throwing Lust downwards right towards the pool of blood that lay in wait below.


    The ground shattered, the pool of blood was sent downwards with the ground and Lust found herself staring upwards toward her foe, Lust¡¯s eyes were wide in pain and surprise.


    -¡°Am I going to lose? To this thing? No¡­ I¡¯m better than this. I¡¯m better than HER I will¡­ I will not¡­¡±


    Lust¡¯s eyes glowed with anger, she gritted her teeth and they seemed to grow at least somewhat.


    ¡°I WILL NOT LOSE!¡± she roared as a pink glow surrounded her.


    Skylar looked down from above, her eyes narrowing as she held her blade in a defensive style ready to take on whatever came even as Lust was now covered by the pooling blood.


    From the pool, a new form exploded upwards.


    Lust¡¯s roar overtook the air, as a dragon rose from the pool.


    The blood poured across its crimson scales draping it in its ichor, Skylar¡¯s eyes widened and she slashed down as the dragon slashed up with its claws.


    Ultimately this resulted in a power struggle as Skylar was pushed further into the skies.


    She let out a cry as they crashed through the roof sending rubble flying.


    The dragon that Lust had become roared spinning vertically and slammed its tail into Skylar her eyes bulged and she could hear some bones back as she was sent flying backward.


    Skylar grunted flipping through the air, before stopping in place she stared forward at the sight.


    The red beast floated there, its wings folded over itself, it took in a breath before throwing those wings aside letting them beat in the wind.


    The simple action pushed the nearby clouds away.


    It was then that Lust heard something, a voice, a voice that gave her a new name.


    ¡°I am¡­¡± she spoke, holding her clawed hands outwards, her eyes staring forward with menace, ¡°Bahamut¡­ I am Bahamut.¡±


    Skylar stared forward now flying in the sky she frowned, ¡°Bahamut¡­?¡± She repeated the name, it rang familiar in her mind though she knew not why.


    ¡°Dragons.¡±


    Alma¡¯s voice suddenly entered Skylar¡¯s head causing her to blink.


    ¡°We are fickle creatures, born unto this world from hatred. And intense longing, a longing that Lust clearly had¡­ All of us are born from the souls of a god, and though her transformation has yet to be complete right now Lust- No Bahamut stands on more than equal footing.¡±


    Skylar said nothing to that, holding her blade out to her side, ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡±


    Bahamut stared forward at Skylar and spread its wings letting out a roar, Skylar winced at the roar and prepared to fly forward.


    But she paused when she saw something.


    Strands of multicolored energy flew into the air.


    But where from?


    Skylar felt her gaze shift to the island below.


    Of course.


    ¡°She¡¯s draining the island¡­¡± Skylar hissed in realization, anger, and a sense of fear etched onto her features.


    Bahamut let out a soft groan as it began to absorb the energy, Skylar shot forward letting out a roar as she brandished her blade.


    Bahamut¡¯s eyes snapped down and it snatched Skylar up in a single grab bringing her up to its maw, ¡°I have you to thank for this don¡¯t I?¡± Bahamut questioned with a wry smile, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for your clash, I would have never been born¡­ go on then, say ¡®Happy Birthday.¡¯ it¡¯s the least you can do.¡±


    Skylar growled at that glaring at the beast, Bahamut didn¡¯t seem disappointed instead it seemed amused as it continued, ¡°No? Hm, what a shame¡­¡±


    It then beat its wings flying up higher and higher spinning as it did so, ¡°But I have so many new gifts, and I would die if I could not show them off!¡± Bahamut threw Skylar downwards, and its maw began to grow with power as Skylar approached the castle at an alarming speed.


    ¡°...You know the words. Call for me!¡±


    Skylar stared up as Bahamut eclipsed the sun, it let out an ear-piercing roar and sent down a wave of rainbow energy upon Skylar.


    But just before it made contact, Skylar opened her mouth and whispered a single word, ¡°Overdrive.¡±


    As soon as the word left her lips, her eyes turned reptilian and a glow surrounded her body.


    From her chest, a roar exploded followed by a creature.


    It came forth in a glow of golden light slamming against the light of gods, and flying upwards higher and higher.


    Leaving the Shadewalker behind it rose.


    Bahamut closed its maw, just in time to bear witness to claws slamming into its scales causing Bahamut to lurch backward and dart to the side.


    ¡°What¡­ What matter of magic is this?¡± Bahamut questioned, staring forward, there right before its very eyes.


    Flew Alma, the dragon stared forward with anger in its gaze, ¡°This girl is under my protection Bahamut.¡± Alma said, ¡°If you would bear the name of king, then you must rip it from my claws¡­¡±


    Bahamut stared forward a glare in its gaze, ¡°...I see. So that would make you¡­ Proto Bahamut, the first.¡±


    ¡°Alma.¡± Alma corrected without hesitation, ¡°That is the name I have given myself, you would do well to shed yourself of that name as well.¡±


    Bahamut chuckled, ¡°A name such as this benefits me. After all, I stand higher than all races now! You will not best me ¡®Alma¡¯ You should have stayed in your hiding spot within that insolent whelp below.¡±


    Alma smirked at that baring his fangs, ¡°That ¡®insolent whelp¡¯ is a child of the skies, she has served this realm far longer than you ever have¡­ and together we shall strike you down.¡± With those words, he beat his wings causing the clouds around him to part, and Skylar ascended to his side.


    ¡°...Bahamut was it?¡± Skylar raised her blade once more, ¡°I¡¯m not done with you just yet, you¡¯ll get your birthday present. And it¡¯ll be fresh out of the oven¡­¡± Skylar declared, running her hand across her blade and coating it in silver flames, ¡°Hope you''re fine with that.¡±


    Bahamut chuckled, throwing its arms out, ¡°How amusing, come then! I shall take your bond and sever it along with these skies!¡±


    With those words Bahamut darted forward, the clouds pushed away from him, and Alma let out a roar closing the distance, spinning in the air as he did so slamming his tail right into Bahamut¡¯s.


    Bahamut hardly flinched; instead, it grabbed Alma by the tail and swung him around like a ragdoll.


    Skylar flew through the air slashing down into Bahamut¡¯s tail Skylar¡¯s eyes widened as her slash did naught to the beast¡¯s tail, and Bahamut growled before spinning around.


    Using Alma¡¯s still swinging body like a club slamming it into Skylar.


    Bahamut let go of Alma letting him fly off as Skylar flew backwards through the air.


    Alma took in a breath as it flipped through the air, before sending out three balls of crimson flames towards Bahamut.


    Bahamut scoffed at the sight before flying past those flames with little effort, ¡°Is that all you can muster?! Mere parlor tricks?!¡± Bahamut shouted as it breathed in, ready for another beam of flames.


    Alma held out its right hand, ¡°You¡¯ll die a fool''s death Bahamut.¡± He clenched that hand into a fist and the trio of flames that flew past Bahamut halted before flying into Bahamut¡¯s back causing him to flinch and glance to his right.


    Just in time for him to see Skylar plunge her blade into his eye, Bahamut roared, lurching backward and reaching up grabbing hold of Skylar and throwing her through the air wisps of magical energy flew through the sky and into Skylar as she soared backward..


    Bahamut spun around vertically ensuring his tail hit Skylar with extra force desperate to force the girl backward.


    Skylar let out a painful cry as she was sent flying through the air before her back hit¡­


    Wood?


    She blinked while sitting up, she recognized this place.


    ¡°The Airship?¡± she muttered with confusion riddled upon her face, before looking over her shoulder, there Julietta was, running right up to Skylar.


    ¡°Look¡¯s like I made it just in time¡­¡± she muttered looking ahead at Alma flying through the air, letting loose his breath across the clouds ripping into the very fabric of reality as he did so.


    All the while Bahamut flew expertly through the skies avoiding every lethal blow and taking up more energy from the land below.


    Skylar slowly stood up, ¡°This isn¡¯t good.¡± Skylar spoke with a frown, ¡°At this rate Babylon is going to sink.¡±


    Julietta nodded slowly, ¡°A clash between dragons. Something like this hasn¡¯t been seen in years.¡±


    ¡°And for good reason.¡± Skylar stepped forward, cracking her neck, ¡°I¡¯m heading back in.¡±


    Julietta¡¯s eyes widened at that, ¡°Wha- After what just happened you''re heading back in!? You¡¯ll die if you go back there, Skylar.¡±


    Skylar stopped at the front of the ship, turning around slightly, holding her blade tightly in her right hand, ¡°Is that what you think?¡± Skylar put on a wide smile as her eyes flashed crimson flames burst to life across her sword, ¡°As if I¡¯d ever lose to some hussy who claims to be my equal, I¡¯ll cut her in two and feed her to the rivers of blood!¡±


    With those words, Skylar leaped forward throwing her arms out, ¡°ALMA! Give me a lift!¡±


    Alma ceased his breath attacks and flexed his wings, flying downwards so that Skylar could land on his back.


    Bahamut turned her gaze towards Skylar, in a split second Bahamut opened its maw and fired downwards with a mighty breath attack.


    In response to this Skylar slashed into the air her blade sent out a beam of silver fire that collided with Bahamut¡¯s breath cutting through it and forcing Bahamut to close her maw and dart off to dodge.


    In that same instant, Alma caught Skylar and took to the skies once more, he spoke as he did so, ¡°Got a plan kid?¡±


    Skylar held onto Alma¡¯s back with a frown, ¡°It¡¯s not a foolproof one. But if we can wear her down, I should be able to take her abilities like I did with you¡­ If not, all I need is one good strike.¡±


    Alma flew into the skies and dead ahead Bahamut lowered himself to the duo¡¯s height, Bahamut stared forward growling at Skylar, ¡°You ant¡­ I shall set you and this entire world ablaze, the shackles that bound me are no more!¡± Bahamut roared, throwing its arms out and the skies above grew dark, the blue skies changed to a crimson red as Skylar¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    She stood tall on Alma¡¯s back, her jacket whipping back and forth through the air for a moment before she spoke, ¡°All this power¡­ and still you look at me in fear.¡±


    Bahamut¡¯s eyes bulged at that, ¡°INSOLENT PEST!¡± he roared dashing forward and slashing down with his claws.


    Only for Alma to slash up with his own, pushing Bahamut away.


    Skylar leaped off Alma¡¯s back, letting out a cry as she attempted to strike at Bahamut¡¯s chest.


    Bahamut growled darting away from Skylar just before she could make contact, attempting to get away.


    Once more a swirl of color came down from below, ¡°Enough games! I¡¯ll return you and this island to dust!¡± Bahamut let out this cry as flames of rainbow began to form in its maw.


    Alma flew forward to contest this, but it would seem he wasn¡¯t fast enough.


    As Julieta¡¯s airship slammed into Bahamut¡¯s chest, his eyes widened in pain as he grabbed onto the sides of the airship with his claws.


    ¡°Do not think for a second I¡¯ll let you leave this place unscathed Lust!¡± Julieta shouted on the deck of the airship pointing her blade forward, ¡°I¡¯m not so gutless to leave a child to fight on her own¡­¡±


    Bahamut responded by slowly lifting its head revealing the flames of rainbow that poured from its maw it let out a rage-filled roar sending the beam into the sky before bringing it down upon Julieta¡¯s airship, Julieta dodged to the side narrowly avoiding any lethal damage from the blast.


    Bahamut then let go of the ship and started to fly upwards, Skylar stared down at the sight before shouting, ¡°Alma! Fly down there and save them!¡±


    ¡°What but Skylar-¡± Alma was cut off as Skylar leaped into the air flying up towards Bahamut.


    Alma of course considered following Skylar but ultimately decided to heed the girl¡¯s orders.


    So he flew downwards, scooping up one half of the airship gathering up the falling occupants, and flying them down to the island.


    Bahamut flew upwards until it eclipsed the sun above it spread its wings throwing its head upwards.


    Once more the rainbow flames condensed together, ¡°The blue, the pure, the dead, and the world¡­ All shall burn in the flames of purification!¡± Bahamut declared pouring all of its rage down into the next strike.


    Sending the beam of rainbow downwards, so large and bright that it could be seen from every corner of the island below.


    Skylar flew up towards the beam with determination. In her gaze she tightened her grip on her blade, ¡°I¡¯ll protect this world and all of the beauty it has to offer¡­ That. Is my choice!!!¡±


    Skylar shouted slamming her blade against the flames, she immediately grunted as the flames pushed her down, not even acknowledging her feeble resistance.


    In response to this Skylar growled, ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t fail again¡­¡± Skylar hissed as memories of The Kingdom flowed into her mind.


    The fire, the corpses, and the stench filled her mind.


    ¡°If you need help, then call upon us.¡± Vita¡¯s voice came from within Skylar.


    And her eyes widened at that before a small smile came to her face, and she let out a cry, wings of flames burst forth from her back as she pushed back against the flames.


    Bahamut stared down at the sight of anger in its gaze, ¡°WHAT!?!¡±


    Alma stared up from the ground staring up with a smile on his face, ¡°There it is¡­ the prophecy made manifest.¡±


    Skylar let out a cry flying up absorbing the flames into her wings, the moment Bahamut noticed this she stopped the breath attack and instead breathed in pulling what remained of her flames back and coated herself in those flames flying downwards to meet Skylar head-on.


    Slashing down with its claws.


    They met in the light of the sun slashing down at each other Skylar winced as blood flew from her chest and arms.


    Her blade shattered in the light of the sky around her, all the while Bahamut¡¯s eyes widened as flames of silver coated its body, ¡°Im¡­Possible¡­¡±


    Its body started to crack and fade, before shattering like glass.


    Lust began to fall straight down towards her castle.


    Skylar¡¯s wings faded and she took in a breath as she began to fall as well.


    The duo fell faster and faster until they reached the castle below.


    Lust hit the ground first, right onto her throne and the rubble of her symbol of strength. She growled trying to sit up, only to find that she had no strength left in her body.


    The simple action of moving caused her no end of pain, and the blood that covered her body was most certainly hers¡­


    She watched as Skylar hit the ground ahead, Skylar groaned slowly getting up to her feet.


    A shaky breath escaped her lips as her bloodied head lifted ever so slightly, locking her eyes on Lust.


    Lust kept her gaze on Skylar and the silence between the duo was broken by Lust at last, ¡°End of the road.¡±


    Skylar felt her body shake as she took a step forward, it was taking every fiber of her being just to walk forward now.


    She let out a sigh as she started to approach, slowly yet surely, Lust heard the steps and spoke, ¡°You achieved your goal¡­ you walk a path of power, pure and uncontested¡­¡± Lust said Skylar remained silent as she continued to walk forward, so Lust continued, ¡°This age of strife will not end you know.¡± Lust chuckled bitterly though it pained her to do so, Skylar stopped moving and, looking to her right saw a sword was stabbed into the ground, Lust¡¯s blade, Skylar took in a breath reaching out and grabbing the blade, removing it from the stone it was pierced into, Lust looked up at that, ¡°And when you put that sword through me¡­¡± Lust muttered as Skylar at last reached the throne, ¡°A new Lust will be born.¡±


    Skylar looked down at Lust, pity in her gaze as she started to raise that blade, Lust growled, ¡°Do it. Only then will you fully understand.¡±


    Skylar then took in a heavy breath before thrusting the blade forward stabbing it through Lust¡¯s heart, her eyes remained open as she kept her eyes trained on Lust, Skylar at last gave her response, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that this was the only way to save you.¡±


    Lust stared up and as the last semblance of life left her eyes, Lust spoke her words raspy and choked with blood, ¡°Rejected¡­ even by my mirror. So this was the price¡­ to my ascension.¡±


    Skylar stared down at Lust as she drew her last breath.


    It was only then that Skylar allowed herself to look away from the throne and towards the rubble.


    ¡­


    She noticed something, a hole.


    A peculiar hole that was not there before.


    So of course, despite her weakened state Skylar started to approach that hole, her eyes were heavy and she was out of breath.


    But there was still a reason for her to keep moving, ¡°H-Heh, didja see that Tetra? I did it. I¡­ I finally did something right.¡± Skylar muttered to herself, reaching up and clutching her head.


    It hurt.


    She was in so much pain, but she saved everyone.


    Didn¡¯t she?


    Skylar leaped down the hole and landed with a slight grunt, ¡°Ow, okay¡­ no more drops¡­¡±


    She looked around, and saw a hole leading into a cave nearby, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ where Striga should have come out from, right?¡± She muttered to herself with a frown, ¡°But then where is she?¡±


    Skylar started to walk closer to the edge, noticing that the area ahead seemed unstable, ¡°Surely she didn¡¯t fall¡­¡± Skylar gulped and peered over the edge.


    And there she saw a sight that brought an unexplainable feeling in her heart.


    There was a small outcrop of land, and right there on it.


    Was Striga, her eyes closed and Skylar could see the small movements of her chest heaving up and down.


    Skylar let out a sigh of relief before leaping down despite her earlier statement landing right beside Striga.


    Striga slowly opened her eyes looking up to Skylar, ¡°Showed her a thing or two then¡­?¡± Striga questioned with a weak smile.


    Skylar laughed only to instantly wince and fall onto her butt, looking over to Striga, ¡°Yeah. You could say that¡­ And you?¡±


    Striga paused for a moment looking up at the sky, she slowly sat up, never turning her gaze away from the azure sky above ¡°Got some stuff off my chest, and now he¡¯s gone¡­ It¡¯s strange, but¡­ I think I¡¯ll miss him.¡±


    Skylar looked over to Striga before looking out to the sky, ¡°I see.¡± she didn¡¯t know what else to say to that.


    The duo both blinked as they heard a roar, Alma flew down towards the duo.


    Upon his back was Julieta, ¡°There you two are!¡±


    Skylar blinked at the sight smiling as she saw Julieta only to flinch as she saw Julieta¡¯s face.


    ¡°She¡¯s uh, livid isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°It would seem that way, did you do something reckless again?¡±


    ¡°Er. I don¡¯t wanna talk about it.¡± Skylar blushed, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly, her eyes widened as she felt something.


    A warm feeling.


    Skylar looked down to see Striga hugging her.


    ¡°...You know people might get the wrong idea if you keep holding onto me like that,¡± Skylar said with a light smile.


    ¡°Just shut up and let me hold you,¡± Striga responds flatly.


    Skylar said nothing more to that, helping Striga to her feet, and slowly they walked to the edge as Alma approached.


    ¡°The day¡¯s just begun. And our fight is over¡­ So what¡¯s next for you, miss hero?¡± Striga questioned pulling slightly away from Skylar.


    Skylar let out a hum at that before smirking, ¡°I¡¯ll go where the wind takes me next¡­ though it seems pretty calm as of late.¡± Skylar then glanced at Striga, ¡°So I guess I¡¯ll stay by your side for a bit longer.¡±


    Striga¡¯s eyes widened at that before turning back to the skies, ¡°Is that so?¡± She smiled softly, ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡±


    Julieta leaped off Alma¡¯s back, ¡°Both of you are beyond reckless and if you weren¡¯t injured I¡¯d beat the shit out of you!!!¡±


    Alma stared down at Skylar with a piteous smile, and Skylar responded with a small chuckle, ¡°Hey uhh, Julieta¡­ I know you''re in a foul mood and all but you think you could help me out?¡±


    Striga let out a wine, ¡°Noooo, I don¡¯t want her to hold me.¡± and Skylar responded with an exasperated expression.


    ¡°She¡¯s not gonna hold you¡­ Or at least I hope, I can barely feel my legs as is.¡± Skylar winced


    Julieta took in a breath and stepped forward helping Julieta along, ¡°...So what¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°...Head back to Jubilee I guess,¡± Skylar muttered.


    ¡°Not in our state, we should head back to the town¡­ I¡¯d be a problem if one of us plummeted into The Cloud Sea after all.¡±


    ¡°You say that as though I¡¯d allow any of you to fall.¡±


    Julieta glared at Alma, ¡°Oh hush you, I thought you were vanquished¡­¡±


    ¡°Er, yeah that might of been my bad¡­¡± Skylar stated with a sheepish smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t even know he was hanging around in my heart until a couple of weeks after I fought him. He¡¯s on our side though, you can trust him.¡± Skylar stated confidently.


    Julieta glared at Skylar but sighed, ¡°I suppose I have no choice¡­¡±


    ***


    Origin watched the screen ahead of him as it faded to black, he paused as he saw something.


    A blade at his neck, ¡°And what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting Pride?¡±


    Pride growled, ¡°Let me kill her.¡± Pride spat instantly, ¡°She took him from me so let me-¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Origin responded plainly, ¡°I allow you your grief, I¡¯m more than aware of how close Wrath was to you, but I will not allow you to resort to rash actions.¡±


    ¡°Rash actions?¡± Pride hissed, ¡°You''re throwing us at Skylar one after the other, not allowing us to take her on as a unit! You''re not asking us to work as a team, you¡¯re¡­ just executing us!¡± Pride shouted.


    Origin¡¯s face remained calm as he looked over his shoulder, ¡°And what of it?¡±


    Pride stared forward in shock.


    Origin¡¯s blatant admission of such a thing hurt her more than anything else, so Origin continued, ¡°You are all reborn fragments of something greater. More than half of you fail to do anything worthy of your fragments¡­ so I shall make better use of them.¡± Origin declared.


    Pride grits her teeth and raises her blade slashing down at Origin, but her blade shatters as soon as it flies through the air.


    And she fell to her knees covered in overwhelming weight, ¡°I said I¡¯d allow you your grief.¡± Origin declared standing up, ¡°But that is over now, perhaps I should dispose of you as well.¡± he started to turn around.


    Lifting a hand Pride could feel something tightening around her neck as she was lifted upwards.


    Origin didn¡¯t offer any words as he watched the life get choked out of Pride.


    But then¡­


    A new sound came into his ears.


    A¡­ slurping sound?


    Origin turned his gaze to the right, there.


    A girl was sitting. She wore a long red dress and had brown sandals.


    Her purple hair made her stand out even in this theater.


    And in her right hand, she had a small drink that she was slurping loudly, she let the straw pop out of her mouth with a ¡®pop¡¯ a smile dancing across her lips.


    ¡°Now Origin¡­ I think Pride there has the right idea, this Skylar of yours¡­ You seem so sure she¡¯ll succeed in what you¡¯ve got planned but I¡¯m not convinced.¡± The girl spoke.


    Origin didn¡¯t respond, staring up at her.


    So the girl tilted her head, ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong old man? Cat got your tongue? Can¡¯t see me? Helloooo?¡± the girl threw her cup letting it hit Origin¡¯s head, the lid popped off and the contents splattered over him.


    The girl that stood up in her chair, taking steps over the tops of the theater chairs moving down them like they were staircases, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me? You thought I¡¯d be gone longer.¡±


    The girl grabbed Pride by the arm and threw her aside, Pride hit the walkway ground gasping for air.


    And Origin stared at the girl before him speaking, ¡°What are you doing back so soon Gluttony? I gave you a mission didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Gluttony smiled pleased to be addressed by name, ¡°You did, I got bored of that though. I mean slaughtering a few people that you seem to be mildly annoyed by brings me no amount of boredom¡­ this though.¡± Gluttony turned her gaze from Origin and to the screen, ¡°Heh, that Skylar brat¡­ She could be fun~¡±


    ¡°I forbid it!¡± Origin shouted, only for him to wince as Gluttony slammed her foot into his face pushing Origin onto the chair.


    Gluttony glared down at the man, ¡°Giving me orders now? When did you grow so bold little pup~¡± She questioned, a pressure filling the room.


    It was stifling like the air had just left the building.


    Pride could do nothing but stare in fear.


    And Origin managed to choke out his next words, ¡°She needs¡­ time, time to grow.¡±


    Gluttony frowned at that, ¡°No.¡± She removed her foot and turned to the screen ahead, ¡°You can accelerate the process of growth. That part is easy¡­¡±


    Origin looked to Gluttony with concern, ¡°What are you plotting¡­?¡±


    Gluttony let out a hum putting a finger to her chin looking over her shoulder and she smiled innocently, ¡°...She¡¯s a Shadewalker isn¡¯t she? But in comparison to Anarchy, she¡¯s so disappointing¡­ So I¡¯ll make her a tasty morsel, one worthy of the name Shadewalker¡­¡±


    Origin grits his teeth, ¡°You intend to push her to that limit? You¡¯ve gone mad, she can never overcome it.¡±


    Gluttony chuckled, ¡°Oho? A challenge? I do take such pleasure in proving you wrong¡­ in two years I¡¯ll make her a threat worth your full attention. Of that much, I promise you.¡±


    Origin offered no more words to the mad woman before her.


    And Gluttony leaped from the chairs, landing back into the walkway, picking up Pride by the back of her shirt, ¡°Come on short stuff, no more bugging the worthless sack of shit~¡±


    And with that Origin was left alone once more.


    Origin let out a tired sigh running a hand down his face, ¡°Well this is a fine mess¡­ Now that Gluttony is involved there is no telling how this will go.¡± he looked to the screen ahead of him with a frown creasing his face, ¡°No, this can still work in our favor. I will not be beaten by her¡­ not when it comes to this.¡± he declared standing up, ¡°It¡¯s my will that keeps our species going. And it is my will that shall save humanity¡­¡±

 Chapter 21: The Witch Of Jubilee.

    Yin stared forward in surprise, ¡°So it¡¯s done then? Lust is no more?¡±


    Skylar leaned back in her chair, ¡°Yepadep. Though that certainly was a close fight¡­ much closer than I would have preferred.¡±


    Striga brought some cups to the table handing one over to Skylar, and another to Yin, ¡°How¡¯s Yang holding up?¡±


    Yin paused looking at his drink before taking a sip, ¡°Well enough, he ran off as soon as he woke¡­ but if nothing else he¡¯s seemed to have calmed down a bit.¡±


    Skylar paused at that and looked at her drink, ¡°I should talk with him at some point.¡±


    Striga turned to Skylar with a frown, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that. He went into a fury just at the thought of you being here.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason for us to have a chat.¡± Skylar responded with a sigh, ¡°I¡¯m not gonna hurt him, but he¡¯ll live in agony if I don¡¯t set things straight.¡±


    Yin looked to the table, ¡°You¡¯ll probably have your chance soon enough, I was surprised enough when you all showed up at the gate on Dragonback¡­ I¡¯m sure that news spread across the city by now.¡± He set his cup down.


    Skylar let out a hum downing the contents of her glass, ¡°That was my idea actually. Striga wanted to head back to Jubilee immediately.¡±


    Yin looked up locking eyes with Skylar, ¡°Why?¡± his question was a simple one but one that Skylar saw enough merit in answering.


    ¡°...Lust is gone, and your castle is in disarray. Lust hardly ruled over you anyways so your people have made due.¡± Skylar began clasping her hands together on the table, ¡°But there are still those people here who need help, they need someone strong to lead them properly.¡±


    Yin paused at that before his eyes narrowed, ¡°And you think that person should be you?¡±


    ¡°Oh gods no.¡± Skylar laughed throwing her hands up, ¡°I can hardly lead a marching band much less a country. And uh, I tend to bring conflict wherever I step¡­¡± Skylar then glanced nervously to the side, ¡°But we do need to put someone into a position of power before someone less savory tries to snatch up the spot.¡±


    Striga stepped in then, ¡°We were thinking of putting you up into the position Yin.¡± Striga offered with a smile.


    Yin blinked surprise filling his gaze, ¡°Me? N-No I couldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Skylar responded by standing up from her chair with a smile, ¡°Sure you could, you have the backing of the girl who slew Lust, and a very influential figure from Jubilee¡­ those are two recommendations that most would be hard-pressed to challenge.¡±


    Yin paused glancing at Striga, ¡°And what of you? Why don¡¯t you take the spot, the people here adore you.¡±


    Striga sighed shaking her head, ¡°I¡¯ve got my nation to worry about, not to mention the fact that I don¡¯t even come from this place¡­ I can help the people here sure, but when it comes to the problems of this place, it¡¯s better to refer to the locals.¡±


    Skylar stretched before moving to the front door, ¡°You all can speak about this political crap without me, I¡¯m gonna head out and get a bite to eat.¡± With that, she opened the door and left the duo alone.


    Striga frowned at that sighing, ¡°So quick to escape situations like this¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still young, isn¡¯t she? Frankly, we should be glad she¡¯s still acting so childish.¡± Yin replied flatly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a front she¡¯s putting on.¡± Striga replied with a frown, ¡°Skylar is chipper yes, but that¡¯s only because she worries more about others than herself. Her well-being comes second in her mind.¡± she paused, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her as best I can once we''re back.¡±


    Yin leaned to the side smirking a bit, ¡°And that¡¯s part of the reason you''re so intent on putting a leader up in this town?¡±


    ¡°...Part of it yes.¡± Striga sighed looking over, ¡°...What do you know of the Eternals?¡±


    ¡°Outside of Lust? Very little.¡± Yin then frowned, ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Skylar is a capable fighter and a skilled mage¡­ She¡¯s already slain a good deal of the Eternal¡¯s ranks and more than a handful of gods. Even at this young of an age, there isn¡¯t a mage quite like her in this world.¡± Striga then paused, ¡°She¡¯s going to make a lot of enemies because of that, so she¡¯ll need protectors. People to keep her from harm''s way.¡±


    Yin paused at that looking to Striga, ¡°Are you purposing what I think you are?¡±


    Striga smirked turning to face Yin fully, ¡°Jubilee will offer you its support and services so long as you pledge your nation pledges its services to the Shadewalker.¡± Striga held out her right hand offering a handshake.


    Yin stared forward at that, before sighing and standing up, ¡°I can hardly refuse such an offer. Not when you and yours came to our aid.¡± he grasped Striga¡¯s hand with a smirk.


    ***


    Skylar walked along the city streets she had a small sandwich in her hand and she bit down into it, she noticed a familiar face along the streets.


    ¡°Julieta! What¡¯s up?¡± Skylar asked walking up to Julieta who was standing in front of the rubble of the church.


    Julieta knelt examining the rubble, ¡°You did all this?¡± she asked glancing at Skylar.


    ¡°...Most of it was Wrath, I¡¯m still not entirely sure my bones settled back into the right place after fighting him.¡± Skylar narrowed her gaze bitting down into the meal in her hand once more.


    Julieta chuckled, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten strong Skylar.¡±


    ¡°Still room to grow though.¡± She responded instantly, ¡°If nothing else I¡¯m getting better at understanding how the wind around me works.¡±


    Julieta smiled a bit at that, ¡°Is that right? That¡¯s good, I¡¯m sure Tetra would be proud.¡± She said as she stood up.


    Skylar glanced to the side at that, ¡°I just wish I was this strong when he was around¡­¡±


    ¡°None of that now. He gave his life for you, the least you can do is honor it with a smile.¡± Julieta declared pointing her finger at Skylar¡¯s face.


    In response to this Skylar offered a sheepish smile, ¡°It¡¯s been getting harder to do that as of late.¡±


    Julieta frowned lowering her hand, ¡°I suppose it has hasn¡¯t it¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss Skylar!¡± A voice called out and Skylar blinked turning around to see a small child run up and hug her legs, it was Shiva, and Skylar recognized this child instantly.


    Just a fair distance away Skylar saw Shiva¡¯s mother, the woman she helped to save in The Dark Knight¡¯s village.


    ¡°Wha- Shiva¡­ what are you doing over here?¡± Skylar asked confusion on her face, not just by the fact that the child was here.


    But at the fact that Shiva was so close, after all, Skylar was under the impression that Shiva hated her.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Shiva clutched Skylar¡¯s pant leg, ¡°I don¡¯t forgive you for what you did¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± She started before looking up at Skylar, ¡°But those things you did. Stopping the bad men in the church, beating up the Empress¡­ Saving my mom. I- Thank you.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that staring down at Shiva her mouth was open wide and no words came, slowly Skylar closed her mouth but she reached up with her left hand.


    She felt something in her eye.


    A single tear dropped down her face, and she reached up to wipe it.


    Only for another to take its place, then another.


    Before she knew it Skylar was bawling, she had been fighting for so long now, that such simple words as ¡®Thank you¡¯ were enough to bring her to tears.


    Shiva¡¯s mother walked up with a soft smile wrapping the two girls into a hug.


    Chapter 21: The Witch Of Jubilee.


    Skylar, Striga, and Julieta all stood outside the gate, several villages were standing there all ready to see the trio off.


    ¡°Hey Julieta, where¡¯d the airship crew go?¡± Skylar questioned putting a hand on her hip.


    ¡°Hm? Ah, they''re staying in a hotel for a bit till I get a ship to drag em back home¡­ Hope you don¡¯t mind loaning one off to me Striga.¡± Julieta asked with a sheepish smirk.


    ¡°After we practically kidnapped you, I¡¯ll gladly give you a ship.¡± Striga responded with a nervous smile, ¡°I don¡¯t even wanna know what that paperwork would look like¡­¡±


    Before Julieta could respond, dust suddenly kicked up into the air as Alma landed before the trio.


    His eyes fell upon Skylar, ¡°...You did well little spawn of Shadewalker.¡±


    Skylar stared up at him with a smirk, ¡°Was there ever any doubt?¡±


    ¡°It was a bit touch and go there when Lust transformed into a dragon.¡± Julieta responded with a wry smile.


    Skylar was about to fire back a response when she saw something at the back of the crowd a single man, ¡°Yang.¡±


    Striga was the first to turn around even as the crowd began to step away, letting Yang past them.


    It was Striga who stepped forward only for Skylar to put a hand on Striga¡¯s shoulder turning to her with a reassuring smile as Skylar walked forward to greet the man.


    They met in the center of this grass field, Yang stopped just in front of the crowd facing Skylar as a small gust of wind cut through the air blowing some grass in between them.


    ¡°...You killed Suzaku.¡± Yang started as he gripped his spear.


    ¡°...I did.¡± Skylar didn¡¯t bother to deny the accusations, ¡°No words I can offer will make that fact change, I won¡¯t beg for your forgiveness. But I will ask for your understanding.¡±


    Yang stared forward anger in his gaze, ¡°You took the one I love from me. And you would ask for my understanding?!¡±


    Skylar stared forward a frown on her face, ¡°I hardly think I¡¯m even deserving of that, but I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone else here¡­¡±


    Yang scoffed at that stepping forward, ¡°They¡¯re treating you like a hero, but I see you Shadewalker. I see you for what you are!¡± He pointed his spear forward, ¡°You are death. And only in death will you offer any value in this world.¡±


    Skylar smirked a little at that her eyes locking onto the tip of that spear before she looked back to Yang¡¯s hate-filled eyes, ¡°You won¡¯t have to wait much longer for that value to come then.¡± with that Skylar turned around walking up to Alma and climbing onto his back.


    Yang lowered his spear for a moment a flicker of emotions appeared in his gaze, but he turned around¡­ and walked away.


    Striga and Julieta lept onto Alma¡¯s back as well and the creature let out a roar before setting off into the skies.


    A boot pressed against the white stone of the city walls pressed between a wedge at the very top, the person whom the boot belonged to stood there at the top of the walls watching with interested eyes as Alma took flight.


    ¡°Hm, her exploits are that of a hero. And her strength grows by the second, doubly so when faced with a powerful opponent.¡± Gaia spoke to himself a smirk on his face, he held out his right hand and a crimson blade began to form into his hand crackling to life from nothing, red energy crackled around him as he pulled his blade back, ¡°To think that Passer would attempt to hide that girl from me, when she¡¯s so interesting¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you can¡¯t contain yourself at the sight of her.¡± A voice cut in causing Gaia to blink, slowly he turned his head to face this person.


    There on the edge of the wall, was Jenna her silver hair floating as she bit down into the bones of a human hand a crunch entered the air, ¡°No wonder she had to keep Skylar hidden from you, your kind of a battle junkie, I can gather that much just from looking at you.¡±


    She tossed the remnants on the bone over her shoulder, and they hit the ground with a clatter Jenna then turned her head her hair falling over her face as her eyes glowed a bright shade of pink, ¡°But if you wanna get to her at this stage of the game, you¡¯ll have to get through me first.¡±


    ¡°You''re a god, why would you want to protect a human,¡± Gaia questioned, his voice dangerously calm.


    ¡°Why indeed?¡± Jenna responded with a wry smirk crossing her legs, ¡°Hm¡­ should I tell you? You do seem rather impulsive so maybe it isn¡¯t the best idea.¡± She put a finger to her chin letting out a hum as she considered her options, ¡°Ah well, I suppose it¡¯ll be revealed to the world sooner or later, what¡¯s the harm in letting you know.¡±


    She lowered that finger with a smile on her face and she spoke two words. The wind blew harshly around the duo so that it couldn¡¯t be heard by anyone else.


    But those words caused Gaia¡¯s eyes to widen and slowly he stood up, no longer in his battle stance.


    ¡°You speak the truth?¡± he questioned, his eyes narrowing dangerously.


    And Jenna closed her eyes feeling the wind in her hair, ¡°I¡¯m not the type to lie about such details.¡± She responded, stretching a bit, ¡°That said, It¡¯d be appreciated if you kept that little secret I shared with you between us.¡±


    Gaia paused for a moment of conflict showing in his gaze before he let out a deep sigh, ¡°Very well¡­ but I¡¯ve one more question for you.¡±


    Jenna¡¯s eyes opened and she smiled waiting to hear Gaia¡¯s words, ¡°What is it you¡¯d do with her?¡±


    ¡°...My goal is to see her grow stronger, as such I shall watch as peril unfolds and destiny takes its course. And if destiny happens to bring us together? Who am I to refuse it?¡± Jenna declared as she lifted her fingers and examined her nails, ¡°But regardless, I¡¯m afraid you simply can¡¯t face her. Not yet anyways.¡±


    Gaia dispelled his blade folding his arms, ¡°You would have me wait then? I¡¯m not patient, you know¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm? Well if you need something to tie yourself over until then I could always fill the part.¡± Jenna exclaimed without fear or reservation she flexed her fingers and sparks of magic lit around them, ¡°Mind you I¡¯ve to regain my full strength either, but¡­ I¡¯m sure I can provide you with a good time.¡±


    Gaia stared at Jenna and closed his eyes before walking along the wall, right past Jenna, ¡°No. I think not, I took the words of her ¡®growing to be a worthy foe¡¯ as nothing more than worries for a child from Passer, but it would seem there was more to it than that, I¡¯ve waited since the dawn of these lands, I can wait a few more years for a worthy challenger.¡±


    ¡°Aw, so I¡¯m not worthy then?¡± Jenna questioned standing up and putting her hands behind her back, ¡°I¡¯m pretty strong you know¡­¡±


    Gaia turned to look over his shoulder and he smirked as the wind suddenly burst around him.


    Jenna blinked, reaching up and touching her cheek. There was a cut there now, Gaia hadn¡¯t even moved. Yet he had cut her, Gaia then continued to walk away, ¡°The strong do not need to boast.¡±


    With that, he left Jenna¡¯s view.


    She lowered her hand and smiled, ¡°Hm. I suppose that one was on me, should have known he¡¯d be like that.¡± Jenna then turned her gaze to the clouds and the sight of Alma leaving the area, ¡°Oh Skylar, you''re so close¡­ So damn close.¡± Jenna opened a portal to her right and started to walk into it, ¡°I can feel it when next we meet. I shall be able to tell you everything.¡±


    And with that, she was gone.


    Skylar felt the wind on her face and closed her eyes for a moment, ¡°...Children grow fast in this age it seems.¡±


    Alma spoke, and Skylar opened her eyes noting Alma¡¯s words.


    ¡°In just the span of a short year¡­ you¡¯ve grown much. Hardly in need of the protection of a Dragon.¡±


    Skylar blinked at that, ¡°Hm? What are you talking about? Course I still need you around.¡±


    Alma glanced to the clouds, ¡°Dragons can soar through it you know, The Cloud Sea, we can soar unburdened by it. Outside of the Titan¡¯s we are the only creatures that can. And I would soar through it all to see how the rest of the world has grown.¡±


    Skylar paused at that staring down at Alma hearing the weight of his words, she leaned forward pulling what little of the dragon she could into a hug as she asked, ¡°Will we meet again?¡±


    ¡°...It was destiny that brought us together. And it is destiny that shall greet us at journeys end.¡±


    Skylar smiled a bit at that before closing her eyes, ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to make sure destiny sees fit to reunite us then.¡±


    ***


    It was dark out, night had long since fallen over the city of Jubilee and a week had passed since that fateful day¡­A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Skylar had a face that could only be described as exasperated.


    She was wearing a white gown, it was gaudy even by her standards. The silver glow that had filled her eyes had long since faded back into a simple emerald glow, what¡¯s more, she found she was once more restricted to wind magic and wind magic alone.


    ¡°This feel¡¯s¡­ Stupid. Do I have to wear something like this?¡± Skylar questioned as she turned away from the mirror and to the two maids in the room.


    ¡°It is most certainly gaudy. And it is for that reason that I picked it out.¡± Azala stated with a triumphant smile.


    Mahala put on a tired smile as she looked to Azala, before glancing over to Skylar, ¡°You''re attending a large celebration after all, it wouldn¡¯t do if you didn¡¯t look the part of being our mistressess guest of honor.¡± she then walked over to Skylar and tightened the dress causing Skylar to wince in pain.


    ¡°Gah- at least warn me¡­ we only got back a week ago¡­ And already they saw the need to throw a celebration for us¡­¡± Skylar muttered before looking to the mirror, ¡°I guess things changed over here as well though.¡± Skylar muttered as Mahala walked back over to her sister¡¯s side.


    She looked at the dress once more and smiled softly, ¡°...I never thought I¡¯d get to wear one of these.¡±


    Mahala arched a brow at that, ¡°You¡¯ve never worn a dress before?¡±


    Skylar shook her head, ¡°Nope, not once¡­ can¡¯t say I¡¯ll get used to the feel. But still¡­ it looks pretty right?¡± she asked looking at the duo.


    The maids paused looking at each other before smiling and giving Skylar a thumbs-up.


    Azala then let out a chuckle walked up to Skylar and started to push her out the door, ¡°Come on come on! The whole city is waiting for you to join the party already~ And I¡¯m sure Striga can¡¯t wait to see you either!¡± Azala declared.


    Skylar pushed back of course, ¡°Wha- H-Hey wait! I¡¯m not mentally prepared give me a second! J-Just you wait for one damn momen-¡± But by the time she was finished protesting, she had already been pushed out the doors of the mansion and into the bustling city.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Skylar blinked looking at the people staring at her, only for her face to turn a bright shade of red once more.


    It was nighttime already.


    And she started to walk along the wooded pathways that made up the walls of Jubilee, ¡°I¡¯d kill to have Alma here right now¡­ he¡¯d tease me sure. But¡­ At least it¡¯d be better than having no one.¡±


    Alma had brought everyone back to Jubilee, of course, Julieta didn¡¯t stay long, she procured an airship immediately to go and retrieve her men and head home¡­


    Skylar paused, she was now at the center of the town.


    The place where she first met Striga.


    ¡°Well hello there pretty girl, all alone tonight?¡± A flirty voice asked from behind Skylar.


    And Skylar blushed spinning around on her heel and squeaked out, ¡°S-Stop that!¡± She covered her face with her hands and Striga smiled softly, her hair was cut short and she wore a long red dress in contrast to Skylar¡¯s.


    ¡°Heh, sorry about that¡­ but you''re just so easy to tease. I simply couldn¡¯t resist.¡± Striga declared patting Skylar on the head.


    Skylar let out a sound that could only be described as despair, ¡°Am I cursed to be teased all my life¡­?¡±


    Striga smiled softly and removed her hand from Skylar¡¯s head, ¡°How are you holding up?¡± she asked the question looking at Skylar with a sense of concern, so Skylar paused for a moment before responding.


    ¡°Fine, all things considered, Shadewalker blood has that sort of benefit I suppose. All healed up and raring to go.¡± Skylar declared trying to shake off her earlier embarrassment, ¡°Er, well besides the whole magic burnout thing¡­¡±


    Striga nodded slowly at that, ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to bring that up, you mentioned that you had Silver Eyes during your fight with Lust?¡±


    Skylar glanced to the side walking to the edge of the platform and let out a hum, ¡°According to Lust anyways, though I¡¯m not really sure what happened.¡± Skylar explained with a frown, ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to trigger it since¡­¡±


    Striga listened intently before frowning, ¡°Silver eyes, there are not many documented cases of that¡­ Or at least, not any cases where someone survives.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Skylar looked over her shoulder, and Striga sighed, ¡°Essentially you''re channeling every magic element at once with silver eyes. If you don¡¯t have the Silver hair to go with it? You''re a walking corpse.¡± Striga explained.


    ¡°...And silver eyes aren¡¯t natural either huh¡­¡± Skylar muttered to herself, ¡°The more things I find out I do, the more I wonder how much I¡¯m worth. Think you could make a mint off me?¡± Skylar joked with a wry smirk.


    Striga rolled her eyes, ¡°any sane person would demand a refund after they see how you act.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    They stared at each other before breaking up into laughter.


    ***


    Julieta frowned at the sight before her, ¡°So this is what he opened up?¡± she asked looking over her shoulder at Shina who was blushing from embarrassment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I passed out and he took over the whole place, reorganizing the layout. If I was just stronger the-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up over it, Draco is an exceptional mage, though it pains me to admit it I doubt things would have changed even if I was here¡­ All we can do is try to figure out what he was doing, and get a step ahead of him¡­¡± Julieta then paused she had walked through one of the many new tunnel systems.


    Draco had been here already of course, and once Striga passed out he used his earth magic to reorient the island itself.


    Or at least the insides, it had only been a week but at the very least the top of the island was left untouched.


    And now Julieta turned forward, ¡°...So what have we here?¡± Juliet¡¯s gaze fell upon¡­ a large door made out of black stone.


    She walked forward and tried to push on the door, there were no handles and no gaps. Or at least not any big enough to get anything wedged into it.


    The door didn¡¯t budge regardless though.


    ¡°Hey, what do you think this is?¡± Shina asked as she looked to the center of the door, just to the right of where Julieta was pushing.


    There was a groove there, it was small and circular.


    Julieta blinked at that and hummed running her fingers over it, ¡°There¡¯s faint traces of mana over it¡­ but what for?¡±


    Shina folded her arms, ¡°Like dormant mana? That¡¯s an archaic use for that¡­¡± she muttered as she looked to the groove.


    ¡°You know something about it?¡±


    ¡°...Supposedly mana is similar to blood, according to older mages¡­ You could get a sample of the stuff, and use it to lock something away.¡± Shina explained, ¡°That¡¯s the simple version anyway, there are some interesting books on the subject.¡±


    Julieta paused at that and channeled some magic towards the door, it gleamed red before spouting her energy back.


    ¡°Gah-¡± She waved her hand wincing in pain, ¡°Guess that¡¯s a no-go then¡­ so effectively we¡¯ve encountered a useless door that we can¡¯t even open.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Shina glanced to the side a sense of unease was on her shoulders before she turned around, ¡°Let¡¯s just head back then.¡±


    Julieta sighed glaring at the door, ¡°Suppose we¡¯ve got no other options¡­¡±


    ***


    Skylar found herself staring at a small plush of a pink bunny, ¡°...So why is it pink?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s adorable,¡± Striga responded.


    ¡°But bunnies aren¡¯t pink.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s adorable.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m not buying it for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are.¡±


    Skylar glared at Striga before sighing and pulling out a set of coins giving it to the shop owner buying the stupid plushy and handing it over to Striga who instantly squealed and brought it close to her chest causing Skylar to smile softly.


    Skylar then blinked sensing something close to her, ¡°Huh¡­ this is¡­¡± She recognized this feeling, a god was close by.


    To her right, Beatrice approached, ¡°Good day to you Striga.¡± Beatrice said with a smile, Liz was right beside her clutching Beatrice¡¯s arm with a tired expression.


    Beatrice then blinked noticing Skylar, ¡°Oho? And you are¡­¡±


    ¡°Skylar.¡± Skylar introduced herself cautiously, ¡°You two know each other?¡± Skylar questioned glancing over to Striga who responded with a slight shrug.


    ¡°She¡¯s on the council, that feeling you''re getting from her is correct just so you are aware¡­ but she¡¯s unique amongst gods,¡± Striga explained.


    Beatrice chuckled, ¡°I hate my own species with a passion, and I have a never-ending food source beside me.¡± She said with a small smile looking at Liz.


    Skylar frowned at that, ¡°And she¡¯s fine with that?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a will of her own, no corpse would.¡± Beatrice responded, ¡°She died in a fire. My ability allows me to restore her to life, over and over with only the feelings of what she had when she perished.¡±


    Skylar glared at Beatrice, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ horrific.¡±


    Beatrice kept her face steeled as she responded, ¡°Yes well¡­¡± She glanced at Liz, ¡°If nothing else I still care for her.¡±


    Striga then let out a slight cough, ¡°Trust me when I say Skylar, that she¡¯s more than proven her loyalty to us¡­¡±


    Skylar kept her glare on Beatrice for a moment but when Striga kept a firm gaze on Skylar she let out a sigh and turned away, ¡°I guess I can overlook this¡­ for the moment at least. So what did you come over here for anyways?¡±


    Beatrice smiled before glancing at Striga, ¡°It would seem they don¡¯t need me in a combat position as of late, I¡¯m more of an errand girl as of late.¡± She said with an annoyed sigh handing a small envelope over to Striga, ¡°From the top brass, but it¡¯s not urgent. Read it at your leisure.¡±


    Striga looked at the envelope with a momentary sense of confusion before shrugging, ¡°Alright?¡±


    Beatrice then pats Liz on the head turning to look to Skylar with a small smirk, ¡°...Skylar was it? I¡¯ve been informed of your particular position. And if nothing else I¡¯m rather well versed in the magics gods weild. Should you wish to discuss I am always available.¡±


    Skylar paused letting out a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ll give it some thought.¡±


    With that Beatrice removed her hand from Liz¡¯s head and gave a wave as she walked off from the duo, ¡°Congrats on your victory, and here¡¯s to a new age.¡±


    As soon as she left Striga looked down to the letter in her hand with a frown, ¡°I suppose we should stop by the bar then¡­¡±


    Skylar nodded, ¡°If anything else it¡¯ll let me get out of this dress.¡± She said with an exasperated sigh.


    ¡°Aww, but I love you when you''re all dolled up for me~¡± Striga declared with a teasing smile.


    ¡°STOOOOOOP!¡± Skylar screeched loud enough that her voice cracked halfway through her screech her face was a deep crimson.


    That only resulted in Striga laughing at her. Striga then reached and grabbed Skylar by the wrist pulling her off to the side.


    Skylar winced as she was pulled along, she paused watching Striga move her steps were almost like she was in flight¡­


    Soon enough they were in the bar, Skylar hadn¡¯t even noticed when she entered.


    Striga walked behind the counter opening the letter with haste, ¡°Alright might as well get this out of the way, let¡¯s see¡­ ¡®dearest Striga, I hope this letter finds you well, I¡¯ve sent you this missive for the reason of¡­¡¯¡± Striga trailed off her eyes slowly narrowing at the letter she paused her eyes glazing over it.


    Over and over she read it, ¡°Eh? EH? EHHHHH!?!!!¡±


    Skylar arched a brow in confusion, ¡°...So like did someone send a foul picture or¡­?¡±


    Striga glanced over to Skylar her face was a bright red and she wore a nervous smile, ¡°It uhh¡­ it would appear that they want me to¡­ lead¡­ Jubilee¡­¡±


    Skylar blinked ever so slowly before walking up to the counter and taking a seat, ¡°So we need drinks then?¡±


    ¡°We need to get fucking HAMMERED.¡± Striga declared grabbing her best bottles and pouring out two glasses, ¡°For real though, this is utterly terrifying to me.¡±


    Skylar smiled softly, ¡°Eh don¡¯t sweat it. They chose you because you are capable, and besides you have me.¡± Skylar responded taking a glass, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere anytime soon¡­ though I might consider it if you keep teasing me.¡±


    Striga looked to the letter once more, before she let out a sigh, ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange how we weather one storm, and another one begins to brew near instantly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the life of a mage isn¡¯t it?¡± Skylar responded with a shrug as she lifted her glass.


    ¡°Well yes¡­ But I still wish you¡¯d consider a more relaxed life Skylar.¡± Striga explained her concerns.


    Skylar paused at that looking into her glass with a pause, ¡°Hm, the problem with that is I made a promise to someone a while back.¡± Skylar said with a small smile, ¡°She¡¯s a nice girl, one who I couldn¡¯t ever turn down¡­ And I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to drop this life until she can bear witness to the sea.¡±


    Striga leaned on the counter a smile tugging at her lips, ¡°Hm? That old promise? You really remembered such a thing?¡±


    ¡°The value of a promise is a high thing in my eyes.¡± Skylar responded as she took another swig of her drink wincing at how bitter it was for a moment before setting it down, ¡°Someone who keeps their word is someone you can trust in the most dire of circumstances I think¡­ Regardless of how you think of them.¡±


    ¡°So you really won¡¯t consider settling down then?¡±


    ¡°Fraid not. I understand your concern but¡­ I don¡¯t like the world we live in¡­ The only way I can make it better is if I keep going along the way I am.¡± Skylar says this with a piteous smile, ¡°I want to see a world where people can smile freely without any worry¡±


    ¡°Heh, those are some rather lofty goals. Think you can see them through?¡± Striga questioned with a hum.


    Skylar closed her eyes taking in a breath, ¡°So then, partners?¡±


    Striga responded by smirking and responding with this, ¡°Till death does us part.¡± holding out her hand.


    Of course, Skylar reached out to grab that hand, ¡°Now then¡­ let¡¯s end the night off strong shall we?¡± they shook hands and grabbed their drinks downing them in a single motion.


    Skylar let out a sigh as she lowered her drink and set it on the table, ¡°You know¡­ This is nice. I¡¯m glad I got to spend time with you-¡± She cut herself off as she stared at Striga.


    Striga was standing there, with the cup still lifted.


    That alone was already odd, but there was another thing. The world itself seemed to be monochrome black and white as far as the eye could see with the expectation of Skylar.


    Slowly Skylar stood up from her chair looking to Striga and reaching out hesitantly, ¡°You mustn¡¯t break boards so carelessly.¡± A voice spoke behind Skylar causing her to pause and spin around.


    There Skylar saw a woman with short silver hair and green eyes. The woman was short, but her eyes held wisdom beyond her years.


    Skylar took note of the two swords this woman had strapped to her sides, She had a green jacket and green skirt as well.


    The jacket only had the top zipped up so she showed some midriff, Skylar stared forward at this mysterious woman and opened her mouth to speak, only to find that there was something wrong.


    Slowly Skylar reached up and felt just below her eye, there was something wet, a teardrop, ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Skylar muttered confusion spread across her face.


    And the woman smiled putting her hands behind her back, ¡°So close now. The truth is before your grasp, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see it soon. And when you do¡­ Only then will you be ready.¡±


    Skylar paused lowering her hand and she locked eyes with this woman, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The woman smiled softly, ¡°The choice you must make isn¡¯t one to be taken lightly.¡± She continued ignoring Skylar¡¯s question, ¡°It will determine the fate of thousands of lives, but know that whatever choice you make. Wherever your path leads, I will be watching. And I will always be proud.¡±


    Skylar paused at that and looked over her shoulder at Striga¡¯s frozen body before responding, ¡°...I don¡¯t know who you are, but I intend to live my life to its fullest. Protecting those around me, my problems come second.¡± Skylar let those words hang in the air.


    The mysterious woman stood there for a moment shock evident on her face before a small smile began to cross her lips, ¡°I see¡­¡± she chuckled lightly, ¡°Anarchy would be proud.¡±


    Skylar¡¯s eyes widened at those words and she spun around again, but when she did¡­ the woman was gone.


    The world had returned to its normal color and Skylar was left in a confused daze.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Striga questioned as she lowered her glass setting it on the table with an arched brow, Skylar paused looking over to Striga thinking about telling her what just happened.


    But¡­


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing. The drink just hit me a bit harder than I expected.¡± Skylar lied with ease, even if it was just for a few short moments. She wouldn¡¯t worry about other things.


    She¡¯d just live smiling.


    ***


    A large room with white stone walls and pillars lay bare for all to see, a woman dressed in a maid gown walked forward with a clipboard in her hand.


    She stopped in the center of the room and dropped to one knee, ¡°Lord Almir¡­ I bring a report of the situation of Babylon.¡±


    Almir was a man sitting upon a stone throne, his eyes were a bright emerald and he wore a long white jacket and brown boots, his hair was slicked back and colored a dark black.


    He let out a hum, ¡°Do you now? Go on then Min, spit it out.¡±


    The maid in question named Min nodded standing up, ¡°It would seem Empress Lust has fallen, at the hands of a¡­ Skylar Shadewalker.¡±


    Almir paused hearing those words a smirk tugging at the edges of his lips, ¡°Oh?¡±


    Min nodded looking at her clipboard, ¡°She has shown incredible skill in combat, and she¡¯s rather adept at magic¡­ Though she has abandoned the Executioner name. Do you think she would make a decent candidate?¡±


    Almir looked to his stain-glass ceiling just above his throne and he let out a hum cupping his chin, ¡°Someone who could best not just one, but 3 Eternals¡­ certainly fitting of the title of High Executioner.¡± he chuckled stepping from his throne and he began to stretch, ¡°But to test such a creature? Preparations must be made, to add her to my schedule. I shall invite her myself when time allows.¡±


    ¡°Er, sir there is one more thing.¡± Min put a hand over her heart, ¡°Concerning the Novakin that sought employment?¡±


    Almir paused looking over his shoulder, ¡°Ah yes, him¡­ Hire him, he¡¯s well versed enough.¡±


    Min bowed before Almir, ¡°Understood I shall make the preparations immediately.¡±


    Almir watched as Min left, ¡°To think that you¡¯d train up such a valuable resource brother, I¡¯m impressed. Perhaps I should have attended your funeral after all.¡± Almir exclaimed with a bitter chuckle as he turned to his left wall, laid upon it was a large portrait.


    A portrait of Tetra, ¡°Skylar Shadewalker¡­ I shall take what my brother has taught you and use it to give a trail worthy of your legacy.¡±


    He blinked hearing a sound to his right, the sound of the door opening.


    A man walked into the room. Brown boots covered his legs, as did a pair of blue jeans. A brown belt held those pants up, and a black shirt adorned his torso, along with a long brown jacket. Then there was his face.


    Ablaze, his face wasn¡¯t just on fire. No.


    It was made of it, his eyes were little dots of charcoal, and the azure flames lit up in delight as he reached up with a free hand to grab the hat from his head taking it off in a little bow, ¡°Pleasure to meet you your majesty.¡±


    Behind this man was Min who was fidgeting in place, after all, she wasn¡¯t supposed to allow anyone in there.


    Yet this man walked in regardless.


    Almir stared at this man and sighed folding his arms slightly, ¡°Novakin¡­ What is it that was so important that you had to barge into my abode?¡±


    The Novakin blinked, his flames flickered faintly as he raised his head.


    ¡°Ah, well sir¡­ I¡¯m sure your aware that my kin have a sense for danger, and it came to my attention that one of your caves, er Dungeons as you refer to them has a mighty big whiff of danger coming from it.¡± The man explained, ¡°thing is, they won¡¯t let me go in without your permission. So on top of getting a job, I¡¯d like for you to give your consent.¡±


    Almir stared forward, ¡°The number of this cave was?¡±


    The Novakin hummed cupping his chin, ¡°Eight I believe.¡±


    Almir paused at that, he had already received reports of some nasty creatures within that one, and here this Novakin was proclaiming that he wanted to tackle it.


    Min took a step forward, ¡°S-Sir, forgive me I¡¯ll escort him out immediately.¡± she declared walking forward and grabbing the Novakin by the arm.


    His flames flickered but didn¡¯t burn, it was warm.


    The Novakin didn¡¯t resist, but the girl wasn¡¯t strong enough to pull him away either resulting in the awkward imagery of this girl failing to pull a single man.


    Almir put his hands behind his back staring forth, ¡°Your name sir?¡±


    The Novakin put his hat back on his flames burnt a little brighter as light danced through his charcoal eyes, ¡°Well sir, my name would happen to be¡­ Aelius.¡±


    Almir smiled holding a hand out, ¡°I give you my consent to enter the Eighth cave, however. I only give my permission to you. No one else.¡±


    Min blinked at that pulling away from Aelius, ¡°Wha- But sir! To do so would go against our code!¡±


    ¡°The code dictates that I protect each one of my citizens and keep them from harm.¡± Almir replied, ¡°Aelius here is neither one of my citizens nor is he under my protection¡­¡± Almir responded with a smirk, ¡°As such this shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Besides, if he wants the job as a Dungeon Scout. I see no reason to hold him back, come back with the Dungeon cleared and the job is yours.¡±


    Aelius let out a hum his flames flickered with excitement, ¡°Alright, fine by me. I¡¯ll clear that dungeon for you without an issue.¡± he declared turning to the door, ¡°Ah, but one more thing.¡± he stopped at that door, ¡°I¡¯ve no interest in becoming a High Executioner¡­ so if we could keep that out of it that¡¯d be great.¡±


    ¡°To even be considered for the role you¡¯d have to be entered into the coliseum.¡± Almir responded flatly, ¡°I may be renowned for picking out the best, but I don¡¯t just give out those tasks¡­ it¡¯s my duty as the ruler of this place to see to smaller matters as well.¡±


    Aelius looked over his shoulder his charcoal eyes examining Almir, he then shrugged walking out the door, ¡°Can never be too careful.¡±


    With that Min took a small bow and swiftly made her exit along with Aelius, the door closed behind them.


    Almir stared forward for a bit longer taking in a breath and looking at the painting once more.


    A frown appeared on his face, ¡°This feeling of a gathering storm¡­ Why is it that it only grows stronger by the day?¡±


    He could not grasp the answer, so instead he let out a sigh, ¡°It matters not, we shall weather this storm like the rest, no matter the blizzard my paradise shall stand tall¡­¡±


    Skybound Volume 2.


    End.