"The earth is shaking; the sky is weeping, and deafening vibration is plaguing the land in disarray. Oh, Cosmos be merciful...it appears I'm too late. I did expect the war to progress more severely after Lorelai's death, but to think tensions would escalate to such a degree after a mere few months. Ascalon and Xeros have already begun their clash; I must make my way to Polus posthaste...wait, that's peculiar. These sounds are traveling from Nox Caelum, not Polus. That can't be correct. Is Ascalon the one who initiated the invasion? Something strange is afoot here, something strange indeed. Well, never-the-matter. I am a scholar, a collector of knowledge, and it is a scholar's duty to pursue the truth and unveil the shadow of uncertainty. Whatever the circumstances may be, I shall discover myself. To Nox Caelum, we depart!"

Arch Magus Virgil, Ruler of Augurium

———

Libevich

Libevich crashes into the hard pavement directly in front of one of the spire's entrances and slowly lifts her trembling body up, eyes bloodshot red and face contorted into a darkened expression of wrath. The first person that comes out of that hunk of metal and tries to explain themselves will meet the full fury of her fist and pummeled into a stain on the ground, this she declares. They should never have taken her out of the battlefield. She was this close to greatness! This close to the death she so dearly desires!

Footsteps echo out of the darkened entrance and grates Libevich's ears with each infuriating step. She winds her arm back, ready to slam the poor sacrifice with the full might of her strength, and-

-comes face to face with Luxanne. She pulls out her gunblade, ready to counter, but Libevich stops her fist and begrudgingly plops herself on the ground

"Ah, damnit." Libevich throws her hands and sighs with a gravelly husk. "Of all people, it just had to be the one I swore not to harm. Luxanne, dear, please tell me you have a very good reason for making me lose face in front of Lorelai. I really, truly do not appreciate your little interference."

Luxanne walks over to the pouting Commander and pulls the hook out of her chest. It slides out with a squelch and covers Luxanne's pearly-white armor in red, but Libevich remains unphased and continues to glare at her.

"It's precisely because Lorelai has made an appearance that I'm forced to change our strategy," she says, tossing the hook aside. "The fact that she's alive means that we've been tricked. That, or Xeros is losing his touch with age. I don't care which one it is, but we're in a really dangerous situation right now. See that thing over there?"

Luxanne points out to the battlefield where a giant, lumbering titan of steel is slowly making its way towards the capital gates.

"Oya? Has that little beast finally turned into a boy? He just may be worth slaying now," Libevich says with a sneer.

"I'm glad you feel that way because you're going to be the one that deals with Sarathiel." Libevich tries to object but is quickly shut down with a pierce to the throat. Xeros's habits have really rubbed off on the girl, huh. "I don't have enough firepower to bring him down, but you do with that freakish strength of yours so I had to pull you out before you got yourself killed."

Libevich lets out a harump and crosses her arms. "That's all well and good my dear, but I really don't care about your military matters. All I want is to clash against Lorelai, or whoever that thing is, until the both of us are bloodied and dismembered."

"Whoever? Ugh, nevermind. I know what you want Libevich, but as the person responsible for the lives of everyone in this city right now, I can't let you be selfish. I have a duty as Acting General to do whatever I can to bring about victory, and I have a duty as a daughter to protect my mother's legacy from being wiped off the map. If you're not going to do it for me, at least do it for whatever faint remnant of respect you have for Luxmi."

The mention of the former Grand General silences the old woman quick. She does owe Luxmi quite a bit, and while Libevich is rather proud of her shallowness, she can't deny that letting the nation Luxmi worked so hard to build collapse would leave a sour taste in her mouth. She has that much conscience at the very least.

"...Bah, you know I can't win against you Luxanne," she murmurs. "Fine, fine. I'll play with that bundle of scrap for a little bit, but only because you asked me so nicely my dear."

Luxanne breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"But I do hope you don't try to stop Lorelai yourself. She's incomparably stronger than before and I wouldn't be able to face your mother if I let you perish in such a fool's errand."

"I know. I already know I stand no chance against her if she's able to subdue a monster like you so easily."

"Compliments will get you nowhere, my dear~"

"That said, it's not as if we're completely helpless. I just need more time."

Libevich raises her eyebrow, realization slowly settling onto her face. "Protocol Omega?"

"Yes. I wanted to save it for The King of Polus, but the Grand General is currently engaged with him so I don't think we'll have the chance."

Luxanne points above them where the furious clash of the two Rulers can be felt all throughout the city. Each of their strikes rumble throughout the expanse and the sky is blanketed in shifting hues of amber and scarlet, pressure bearing down upon all below their struggle.

"Fufu, I see," Libevich chuckles. "However, such a thing will not be enough to weaken Lorelai much."

"All it needs to do is stall her long enough for Xeros to slay Ascalon. How he's supposed to do so, I don't know, but that man is not the type of person to fall easily. He'll find a way in the end, but not if the Thrones rejoin with their King. I'll manage somehow; you just do your duty."

Libevich gives Luxanne a rare look of concern before rising to her feet. "So be it. Just be careful, Luxanne. You're not allowed to perish before this old woman, remember that!"

And with that, she leaps into the air and lands directly on top of the main gate. There's no need to worry about Luxanne: she's always been a good girl. Xeros...well, he'll survive. If there's one thing the two of them have in common, it's their stubbornness. For now, the only thing Libevich needs to care about is playing with her new toy.

The titan of steel has become a lot larger since the last time she's seen him. Every step of his foot pulverizes the ground below into a dusty print, and every lumber of his body lets out a noisy, metallic creak. He towers in size, head rising all the way to the top of the gate and a single clench of his fist would be enough to crush hundreds of bodies all at once. A storm of bullets and projectiles batter and detonate upon his every surface, but he continues to move forward, unbothered and unharmed, whilst trailing a giant axe alongside him.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Libevich watches with amusement as the Nox soldiers attempt to hack, and even climb, his foot before being squished into a dirtied smear on the earth. The war machines and their cannons seem to do a little bit against his body, albeit leaving only a small dent or scratch upon his silver, jagged armor. It's as if she's witnessing a colony of ants: a mindless, swarming mass. Cute.

All it would take is a single swing of his axe to unravel the land around him and pave his way towards the gates. True, it would also harm the knights following him from behind, but if they are truly made of sterner stock then they can withstand a shockwave or two. In fact, this gives Libevich a wondrous idea...

She stretches her muscles and pats her dusty robes before planting her feet onto the metal floor. She riles her spirit up, heart thumping faster and faster as her vision becomes encased in red and unleashes an ear-piercing cry.

In an instant, she bolts forward, body speeding through the air like a flash of lightning. With a thunderous crash, she collides straight into Sarathiel's chest and sends his giant frame tumbling off the ground. He falls, slowly plummeting towards the legion of knights and blocking out the sun with his shadow as if a meteorite is descending from the heavens.

Sarathiel is overcome with such surprise, such alarm, that Libevich can't help but cackle whilst falling herself. What use is there in transforming yourself to such a size if you aren't going to make use of it? That body of his is the perfect vessel to unleash destruction, devastation, all throughout the land, yet he chooses to remain stalwart like a boring mountain of stone. A pity. It seems that in the process of transforming into a man, Sarathiel has lost the ferocity that makes him entertaining.

Well, it's not too late. Perhaps Libevich can lend a hand in his education. She'll make a warrior out of him yet.

Unfortunately, much to Libevich's dismay, Sarathiel's giant form begins to shrink and compress until he's back to his typical size. He crashes into the earth, but no knights are crushed. Instead, they scatter to the side and continue to assault the ranks of the Nox soldiers all-the-while ignoring Libevich as she trudges towards the still-cursing Throne of Steel.

"Oh, get up boy. I know you're made of sterner stock than that," she says with a shake of her head.

Sarathiel rises from the ground and takes a sturdy step forward. "Ah, damn it. Figures you'd come for me after running away from Lorelai."

Libevich wants to tear apart his throat right this instant, but she manages to control her anger for now. Maybe if she plays with him slowly enough, Lorelai will come to his rescue and she'll have an excuse to confront her again. "Fufu, don't anger me now Sarathiel. I'd like nothing more than to embrace your oh so beloved symbol of hope, but I have a little girl of my own and she has her own plans for me. I do hope she comes, though. I'd love to present your mangled corpse before her."

"You're insane as ever, I see," he grumbles with a quick crack of his neck. "But she isn't coming. You'll have to settle for little ol' me."

"Oya? Are you sure you can handle all of me? You're still but a boy, Sarathiel, no matter how big you get."

"We'll see about that. I've grown a lot more since the last time we've met. I won't be toyed around by you so easily anymore."

"I dearly do hope so, Sarathiel. In fact, I'll let you prepare yourself as much as you want before you charge at me." Libevich pats a spot on the floor clean and elegantly seats herself down. "I won't do a thing."

He clenches his fists and leers at her with a smoldering gaze of hatred in his eyes, but he does as she wishes and allows his body to become one with metal. Unlike the giant titan from before, this transformation is much more sharp and jagged. Little spikes of silver erupt around him, body slowly transforming into a monstrous creature while a giant, twisting horn forms on top of his head. He roars out to the sky, helm parting way to reveal a row of serrated teeth and his arm transforms into a double-bladed edge. The only aspect of him that doesn't change are his eyes; they remain clear and full of rationality.

Libevich throws her arms open, coily beckoning him forward. "I'm waiting, boy. Don't tell me you've turned into a beast again?"

He exhales a large cloud of metallic dust and glares straight at her. "Not this time, and never again."

Sarathiel rushes forward and bisects Libevich into two. Her organs, brain...everything is bared before the Stars to see, especially the manic grin plastered across her face.

"Ooh~ that wasn't half-bad," her two halves mock, forcefully shoving themselves together and becoming whole once more. "You've certainly improved boy, but your strikes still lack a certain something. Here, let me demonstrate for you."

Libevich grabs onto Sarathiel's axe and forcefully rips it off of his body. Shiny grey fluid pours from his torn orifice while he roars from the pain, but Libevich doesn't hesitate for a moment and brings the severed weapon crushing down upon his chest. He desperately grabs onto it with his spare hand, back flat on the ground, but the blade doesn't stop and burrows deeper and deeper into his chest.

"You need more bloodlust Sarathiel. You need more barbarity," she chuckles, slowly increasing the pressure on the axe. "The past you lacked style and grace. It was a boring, mindless display of animalistic instinct, but for what it lacked in technique, it more than made up with ferocity. The you now is slightly better, but you've lost that fury within. Call upon it, Sarathiel. Use it to stoke the flames within your bosom."

"Doing that...is what made me lose control in the first place!" he shouts, unleashing a silver blast of aura from his horn and encasing Libevich in a mold of metal. He grabs her torso and slams her onto the ground, shredding her body with his regrown axe into a meaty pulp.

"Fufu, do not be mistaken boy. I'm not telling you to be consumed by it," Libevich says, trapping Sarathiels fist in her ribcage and dragging him onto the ground alongside her. "Anger, fury, it all has a time and place. Lorelai bottled her emotions and let it all loose in a singular instant whenever she swung her blade. But you...you just let it roam freely in your heart. It no longer clouds your mind, but you're not using it to its full potential either. It's a waste."

Libevich digs into her chest and pulls out her intestines, wrapping it around Sarathiel's neck and jumping off from his body before twisting the entrails like a rope and pulling him into a choke. He gasps and wheezes for air, clawing at the continuously-regenerating flesh around his throat until eventually he manages to flip his body and slice through the binding.

"Ah, screw it," he says, turning the axe back into his arm. "There's no point in slicing you up. I'm going to wring your neck with my own two hands."

"Yes, that's it. Now you're starting to sound like a real warrior." Libevich flashes a smile and brings her two fists up right next to her face.

The two charge forward and hurl a never-ending flurry of punches, each collision unleashing a booming shockwave and sending every speck of dust and dirt back around them. Their fists become bloodied and bruised, bones shattered and cracked, but nonetheless they continue to pummel each other until all that remains are mangled stumps. They step back, breaths haggard with adrenaline, and take a brief moment of respite for their hands to recover before continuing their primitive contest of strength once more.

But all good things must come to an end. After a brief period of euphoria, Libevich eventually overpowers Sarathiel and sends him writhing onto a pile of mud.

"I had fun Sarathiel," she says, slowly trotting towards him as he struggles to get back up. "And I would love nothing more than to nurture you further into a foe worthy of slaying me, but unfortunately I can't wait that long. There is another more worthy of that honor, and I really shouldn't keep my darling little girl waiting any longer."

She picks him up by the scruff of his neck and raises him high into the air. "But to be fair, you did quite well. I shall honor you with a warrior's death. May the Stars welcome you into their eternal battlefield above."

He spits on her in one, last act of defiance. "Heh, shame I won't get to see Lorelai silence your brainless drivel once and for all. I'd give anything to see that."

"All in due time, Sarathiel. All in due time."

She raises her hand and-

An explosion of rippling aura from above sends the two tumbling onto the ground. The air becomes dense. The body becomes sluggish. The entire world halts to a standstill, and as the eyes of the disoriented masses look up, they find the sky enveloped in an endless veil of twilight. Dread invades the mind, and there, pulsing with energy for all to see, is Xeros's figure completely engulfed in red lightning.