Kyrion popped his neck as he finished the underground apartments as well as the various hidden buildings and pathways underground. He’d spent days working on this, and even developed a special moss that turned carbon dioxide into oxygen among other things, and glowed at certain times of the day, various vents scattered about pulled air from other places and cycled it about keeping the area clean.
After building his hideaway, he needed a second place to mount his assault, where the Fortress would act as a target and a home for the creatures of light, and the undercity would act as a place where certain monsters could live in peace and protect his lands. It wasn’t the place where he’d hide an immortal monster army that was at his beck and call.
“Am I becoming a villain?” Kyrion considered it for longer than he should and nodded. “To anyone who faces an army like this, more than likely, yes. Let's see, I got my cloak and eyepatch, should I wear a hat as well? Not a crown.” Kyrion shaped his thorns into a black crown of sharp triangles that constantly floated an inch above his head and no matter how much he moved it stayed at the same distance from the top of his head. The cloak was black and blood red with golden embroidery while the eyepatch was black with a gilded symbol that resembled a fox.
“Now then it seems the orc has been captured and is being kept prisoner as beating her would cement a fight they don’t want. I gave them four days to work, so Chester should be nearing his limit which means today is the day I strike. Sucks that I couldn’t milk them longer but Brion takes priority.”
Kyrion continued to monologue to himself as he thought out his next move. “Hmmm… I need Chester to survive for my plan to work. Ari, if you're listening, prepare to fire the payloads.”
Ceres sat at a table with an annoyed Aether, the two of them being the last two on the team to survive.
“When did we lose the other two half dragons?”Aether asked with a dark tone.
“While they were digging the tunnels, suddenly their signals went blank. It appears that there are new races underground. Some sort of rabbit-human hybrids, my ability to track them went dark. I assume that they have been sent back.”
“It would be easier if they were dead. What of the alliance with Sheeva?”
“Victor has also gone missing. There have been no signs of the yo– of the missing captain.”
“Right. He’s up to something and I get the feeling he won’t like it. You should inform him that Asela is currently in a critical state due to the sneak attack by Milo. His mana can negate healing and linger even after getting sent out of the Arena. Chances are, his people are going to finish the job.”Aether raised a teacup full of a sanguine-colored beverage and consumed it. The veins in his body became visible and darkened as he activated the power within his blood. While Kyrion wouldn’t kill him on purpose Aether knew that accidents did happen, and if he wasn’t at his best then he could die in one of those accidents.
“Do you really want me to take Sheeva out now?”
“An effect like Chester’s has no effect on your innate magic. Four days should be enough for him to finish whatever he was planning.” Aether crossed his arms and left the makeshift hut, unaware of the grass that seemed to be watching his every move. The red substance spread across the desert in a day and revitalized the land with the blood of countless monsters and animals. It had even crossed into the field of chaotic magic and taken on a purple hue making everything in the area his territory.
Ceres recalled a statement from Gamodren before the current match. He’d told everyone on the team this statement, and though she knew it was off, she didn’t protest as he’d told his real students the whole truth prior.“Four things make someone like Kyrion dangerous, his innocence, his creativity, his mana, and time. Never give someone like him time to do things if he’s an opponent. If you fight with him, the more preparation he has the better. Due to my lessons it's likely that he may attempt to draw attention from himself while allowing someone to think he’s off the board.”
Ceres sighed as she reentered the field of wild energy and found Brion surrounded by a contingent of three warriors. Sheeva the ice mage had a scowl on her face as Ceres approached. A warrior in silver armor and covered with various weapons had her arms crossed as she watched the song play on a Violin warp reality.
“Why are you here?”
“I have come to assist in the battle against the guy in the sky. While I can’t do much, I do have a decent throwing arm.” Ceres stated from behind her black helm, as she picked up a rock.
“Don’t think that's going to work on him. I’ve already tried arrows and javelins. They curve as they approach and not naturally. It’s some kind of barrier.” Minerva stated.
“Right. So you two have no way of getting him down from there?” Ceres primed her throwing arm while Mana moved under her feet. So long as the land was under Kyrion’s control, she could use it unhindered by the field, and unnoticed.
“Feel free to try.” Minerva sat on a boulder and watched Ceres like a hawk. Prepared for any visible shenanigans while Sheva gave off an aura of relaxation.
Ceres launched the rock forward and watched as it seemed to sharpen into a spear mid-flight unhindered by the field of Chaos. The spear slammed into and through an invisible wall, which surprised Sheeva and Mineva, enough to let their guards down for a brief instance. Which was how they didn’t see the spears of earth that would have decapitated them from behind.
“Loyal friends, and a keen intellect, buried under his air of idiocy. With that I guess it’s time to surrender.” Ceres looked up and watched as Chester’s music faded while horror faded into confusion.
Ceres then took off her helmet and many things became clear.
Chester muttered something. “To think he’d have his maid infiltrate an opposing team. Just how far ahead must he be able to see? Was he also a seer?” Hundreds of questions flowed through his mind as the strain of using so much Divine Essence took a toll on his energy and stamina.
As Chester nearly landed on the ground a bunny-eared humanoid hopped out of a hole that had opened up and caught the falling young man, then landed in another recently opened hole the creature whisking Chester off the battlefield.
Kyrie appeared behind Ceres with a halberd in his hands. “You must be Ceres, we’ve never had the chance to speak, one on one. My name is Rie, and for it would be simpler to say I am a plant clone and not a real person so my death would be a minor inconvenience. Don’t look down on me though, my body is more durable than it looks.”
“You smell too much like someone else. Are you trying to lose Rion?”
Kyrie sighed as something about him changed. “Man… I really thought that would work.”
“Why are you here?” Ceres asked.
“Why am I not fighting Psycho?”
“Yes.”
“He uses a circular double bladed scythe. No chance am I going there unarmed.”
“Would you like me to surrender?”
“No need. Sorry about this. Detonate.” Kyrion snapped his fingers as the area around Ceres exploded in a mushroom of green mana, the spell made to initiate the emergency retreat spell placed on her when she entered the portal. The green mana then solidified into a tree that stood sixty feet tall and spread countless seeds of various types across the land. From acorns to coconuts.
From there Kyrion watched as Ceres was forced to retreat, then he approached Brion who was trapped in his sword form, and sighed.”
“You awake buddy?”
Brion didn’t respond.
“Brion!”
Brion still didn’t respond.
“Don’t take this the wrong way.” Kyrion wrapped a hand around Brion’s hilt and pulled the sword most of the stone coming with it. As the stone had melded to the blade via chaotic mana. Still, it wasn’t that heavy to him, a five-ton sword was still usable in this world though he could hurt someone if he wasn’t careful.
Brion still didn’t respond.
“Shaggs, return to me.” Kyrion returned the clone outside the arena into his soul and felt a great deal of power return which would cause Volain some irritation.
From there Kyrion looked towards where the current fight was and sighed. This will be annoying.”
From there Kyrion began the process of flying towards his final battle of the tournament.
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Aether deflected the greatsword aimed at his neck with a rotation of his weapon and brought the second blade towards Kyrie’s throat, the strike missing by a hair as Kyrie kicked Aether in the chest and sent him thirty feet back.
“You’ve gotten stronger, Kyrion, but I’m not done yet.” Aether drew a symbol resembling a circle with various skulls scattered around it.
Kyrie summoned a wall of earth around himself as the spell was finished.
“Disintegrate!” Aether watched as a hole the size of an elephant passed straight through the circle green mana symbolizing someone’s defeat rose from the top of the dome.
Aether scowled and looked closer, there was nobody in the dome so he must have gone. “He got me.”
Aether felt two hands grab his legs and begin the process of dragging him underground.
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“Reset!” Aether yelled as a field of mana surrounded him and caused the hands of the earth to appear as just floating hands. The maneuver gave Kyrie time to put his opponent in the ground where a near point-blank mana cannon held by Ari was immediately fired.
“Wall of bone!” Aether surrounded his body with a dense wall of what appeared to be dragon bones which caused the blast to rebound sending Ari flying into the ground, their left arm gone, and the cannon destroyed. The wall of bone was heavily cracked and yet completely intact.
“There was no data on a power like that. How strong are you?”
“I am invincible. Now then, where is Gios?”
“No idea.” Ari’s expression went blank as multiple small devices resembling tubes with wings made from the remains of the mana cannon floated around him in a rotating pattern.
Kyrie slammed his greatsword into the bone shell and seemingly shattered it with an explosion of what appeared to be water mana. He followed the attack up with an overhead strike. The strike was redirected by the double scythe, its tricky nature proving itself as a blade pierced his ribs.
“Oh! That evil brat thought that far ahead when he made you. Neither of you bleed!”
“Your blood magic won’t work on us, Psycho. Though your death affinity seems to be quite useful.” Kyrie said as he retreated as though having his lungs pieced was a minor inconvenience.
“Useful but–
“Fire.” Ari said in a monotone, interrupting the rapport that the two were building.
Aether dodged through the attacks as his sclera darkened and his eyes glowed crimson. Moving through every projectile with extreme accuracy.
“That was ru–”
“Fire.” Ari fired again, only the second time around half of the shots that missed seemed to hit Aether from behind causing minor burns but not breaks in his skin.
“Sto–Bone spears.”
Ari jumped up as hundreds of spears shot out of the ground and then branched toward them.
Kyrie used the opening to coat his blade in wind and water magic to create an effect similar to ice magic. The greatsword was swung downwards in an overhead arc.
“Frozen Moon Cutter!” The man behind the attack was huge, even by Kyrion’s standards and Aether wasn’t able to dodge, and taking it head-on could prove lethal but he wasn't out of options as Aether and Ari seemingly switched places without warning.
Ari closed their eyes and accepted his defeat as his body vanished into Kyrie.
“That isn’t fair.” Aether complained.
“You suddenly teleporting isn’t fair.” Ari stated through Kyrie’s mouth as a second set of spectral arms appeared behind Kyrie, around those arms appeared the miniature cannons they'd scrounge together.
“Now that you're just one person, do you believe you can still beat me?” Aether scowled.
“No. You are far too experienced for just the two of us to beat head-on, but…” Kyrie dropped his greatsword and placed both arms on the ground.
“But what?”
“I offer up my body, to the heavens above and the netherworld below.” A field of mana surrounded Kyrie as though they were in a barrier.
“This is just a tournament!”
The drones shot a second barrage forcing Aether to dodge the overcharged attacks.
“Bring my enemy to their knees, let them be besieged by the arsenal of unending weapons.” A second circle surrounded Kyrie as they continued to chant.
Aether cut their hand open and held it out. “Barrier disruption!”
As the bloody projectile passed through the first shield a boulder appeared out of nowhere, and redirected the blood bullet.
Kyrion sat atop a rounded hill with a pile of stones at his side.
“It seems you’ve gotten rid of Ceres.”
“Correct. You’re next and we’re running out of time. Lay down and surrender for me. Save me the trouble of bruising that ego of yours.”
“Not a chance. Why do you even want to win?”
“That's a secret. Why are you here?”
“To regain my strength.” Aether sighed as nothing came from Kyrion.
Kyrion tossed the stones up and caught them as they fell back.
“Really? You aren’t going to reveal your grand plan?”
“I just don’t like the cut of your jib.” Kyrion said as he held up the glorified club that was Brion coated in rock and slammed it into a stone sending the rock careening off into the distance.
“You’re supposed to take the sword out of the stone. You do know that right?”
“I’m not aiming to be a mythical hero king. I just want peace.” Kyrion took in a breath as his muscles tensed from within his flowing robes, the action nearly imperceptible.
“You expect–”
Kyrion moved with enough speed to leave behind shockwaves as he slammed Brion at his opponent with enough force and momentum to cause the land around the attack to shear away like a boot in mud.
Aether was prepared for a sneak attack and in turn managed to dodge the oncoming strike by nearly matching that speed as he retreated.
“Bone spear!” Aether commanded various bones to shoot out of the ground towards Kyrion, only for them to point away as they seemed to have been controlled.
“Was that White Fox?”
“No, that was me. I won’t tell you how I did it though. “Rending Tornado!”
Aether proceeded to retreat and continue retreating as he sensed a mix of hot air and cold air being whipped into a frenzy as Kyrion spun in a circle slamming his weapon into the bones around him to create debris.
“Bless us with your rain of unending weapons, and let us experience the pain of inevitability!” Kyrie muttered muffled somewhat by the heavy wind as he added a fifth line to his chant while the main body played deadly distraction.
Aether seemingly recalled that the fight wasn’t just on one a bit too late.
“Manafest on this world, Divine Arsenal!”
Weapons from throughout history appeared in the air above from the simple stick to more high-tech versions of swords that were more sophisticated than Kyrion’s phoblades. Instead of falling onto Aether, however, the storm picked up in strength and took in what seemed like countless weapons from throughout the ages. The danger of Kyrions tornado was magnified as Kyrie’s body vanished and the two shards returned to the back of Kyrie’s mind.
The spell was indeed powerful but it was also one mostly comprised of mana. Which meant that it could be overpowered by a spell of the opposing element or countered by one of its own.
Aether created a matching tornado that seemed to spin in the opposite direction, using a bit of his divine essence to imbue it with some more power, causing the wind around him to turn black. The warrior then used his remaining strength to bunker underground only as he tore up the earth he seemingly fell into an underground area lit with various mots.
“Wait, was the plan to face me here?”
“No. It was to give me a chance to face you. The others did some heavy lifting as the plants he used to make the clones were hard to grow here. I go by Ra, by the way.”
Aether sighed and looked up to the ceiling. “You are mad, you know that?”
“Yes we are, all that energy wasted on an attack that is aiming to cause you to experience an energy rebound.”
Ra broke the distance in a way similar to Kyrion’s method only smoother as the wind didn’t shatter behind her, the force getting transferred into her fist as she slammed it at Aether, leaving an inch of distance between her fist and his chest.
A loud crack reverberated as Aether’s sternum was broken and regenerated in seconds. The blow buried him deep in the hard earth around him.
“That’s some power you have there.” Aether coughed up some blood onto an open hand then swung it in an arc.
Ra dodged each bead as they passed then moved forward to attempt a barrage of deadly blows.
Aether pulled his hand backward and watched as needles of blood impaled her through her back.
“Blood puppetry.” Aether stated as he held up one of his hands and pointed to the ceiling above.
Ra raised a hand and watched in horror as her mana was forcefully used to open up a hole above Aether.
What Aether hadn’t expected, however, was for armor, vehicles, and weaponry in the weight class of tons to fall on him through that portal.
“Bone dome!” Aether hurried as he dropped the blood spell he had focused on Ra.
“Dragon’s Dance.” Ra moved through the sound barrier and began carbonation that started with a set of kicks that went medium, high, then low, the momentum of the low kick used to push into a double punch that resembled a dragon’s maw closing in.
Aether spun into the final blow and watched as the area he had been in erupted into flames as the area was superheated to a degree where it had ignited. An energy was expended though it wasn’t mana.
“That was close.” Cough Aether felt at his throat and squinted as he wasn’t going to risk suffocation by speaking any further.
With the hole blocked off, Ra continued her assault with a series of punches and kicks aimed to force her mostly human opponent to dodge or have the wind knocked out of the opposing warrior making it clear, unlike him, she wasn’t breathing, due to currently being a plant clone. The fight continued until Ra threw a series of kicks that missed their mark.
Aether moved in for the kill only to realize his opponent had expired and their body collapsed like a damp paper bag, its form shriveling up as it reverted to a seed.
Aether commands the earth to open only to hear utter silence above him. No music, no infernal buzzing, no loud tornado. Everything was peaceful, Aether had immediately known something was wrong but what was well beyond his thought process.
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“Hey Bumblebee, now that we’re alone, I have a proposition for you.” Kyrion said with steepled fingers.
“I am Bealze–”
“Doesn’t matter. Your name that is. You see, what matters, is that I don’t want you dead, or gone. You see I have a use for you. What is it you love, Bumblebee? What do you desire?”
“I love consuming pollen, and nectar, and if I'm starving and lazy, mortal garbage is a cheat meal.”
“A demon after my own heart. Simple, what if I gave you a continent with no humans and all the plants you can harvest that would last for an eternity should you not over indulge.”
“Why would I believe you were capable of this?”
“Send your swarm all over. This place was a dessert, the whole continent I mean, and within seven days it’s already lush and vibrant with life. A continent like this wouldn’t be much work, though clearing the monsters out could be a pain.”
“Humans don’t do things for free. What do you want?”
“Two things really, I want you to be my friend and work with one other person of my choosing until the Demonlord, my uncle, regains his soul. Second, I want you to avoid killing the person who brought you to this world. We won’t call on you often but for the battles ahead and the freedom of your master, I will need all the power I can get. Also you need to agree to be my ally for a bit after my uncle he gets his mind back.”
“And if I refuse?”
Kyrion laughed, “Ha! If you refuse, you get nothing.”
“Nothing, that doesn’t seem like an ultimatum.”
Kyrion’s irises glowed purple as darkness surrounded them both, in the form of geometric triangles. “You aren’t using your imagination. This storm of weapons I summoned wasn’t for Aether, it was for you. You see, Bumblebee, my thorns are getting hungry, I’m sure I can satiate their hunger with a boar or some meat but you. You are like a Wagyu steak to them. Do you know what that is? Nice, juicy, and full of O so much Divine essence that they will regain quite a bit of strength and you will be like the billions of souls trapped in your corner of the netherworld. Helpless and suspended in nothingness. Forgotten. You will get nothing. You will be nothing. You will know nothing.” Kyrion spoke in a tone that brokered no argument as more triangular objects split off from his crown and began to hover around the Lord of the Flies.
“I accept your proposal, may our friendship last an eternity.”
“It should last at most eight months then you’ll probably be free to do whatever you want on your continent until people come to inhabit it. I’ll let you set the terms, and if you want I’ll make the journey extra difficult.”
“You are ruthless, human larvae.”
“Not really. I just know how to deal with demons. Might makes right and power speaks for itself. Show weakness and I end up dead, which means you’re getting me while I’m ready, pragmatic, and ready to act on my warnings to prove a point.”
“Why me?”
“You are of the few I can entice and were summoned by a comrade. It would be a waste not to get this done.”
“I see the resemblance, your eyes aren’t as kind as your uncle’s. That kindness and lack of resolve got him in this mess.”
“It takes practice. We’re getting an incursion soon. I won’t let a single expert tier invader escape if I can help it. So, will you be my friend?”
“I will.” The Lord of the Flies states.
Kyrion placed two vials and a blue coin on the ground. “Take these and go adjust to your new power. I think my next opponent is ready.”
Beelzebub quickly flew away. Their wings buzzed loud enough to shatter the sky that got in its way.
“It’s always good to make new friends.” Kyrion cracked his neck as Kyrie’s sacrificed body returned with quite a few differences.
Instead of the red hair, a deep brunette ponytail was braided behind them with silvery highlights that could be signs of aging. Their form was also that of a woman. Had they been human, somewhere between 28 and 32, based on the signs of maturity, and natural presence? It was very likely that they were much older. Something about their face itched a place in Kyrion’s brain, though he didn’t risk thinking about it too much.
“So, how is the vessel we sacrificed?”
“Strong and durable, most vessels would be burned eternally just by hosting my presence. A mortal of your age shouldn’t have knowledge of that type of enhancement. Why did you summon my arsenal? You know a lesser deity would have to come in person.”
“Are you even a god? Just asking, out of curiosity. The one’s i’ve encountered are quite a bit more.”
“Impressive? Respectable? Unique?”
“Annoying. I have nothing against you, as you seem much more grounded and not in control. Despite being able to kill me five times in two seconds.” Kyrion shrugged.
“You know gods can't smite mortals without good reason. Favoritism leads to corruption. Now why do all this?”
“You look familiar… Not that it matters. Can you wake my friend up real quick?” Kyrion handed Brion to the goddess and watched her swing it a few times adapting to its weight and heft.
“I can. But what is it you wish to offer me?”
Kyrion took out a blue coin and watched the creature with enhanced senses and mental processes. As he flipped the blue coin he noticed the goddess's eyes follow the coin carefully.
“Where did you get something like that?”
“Doesn’t matter. Anyhow, ten of these per wish, how does that sound?”
“Ten? A wish?”
“Request. Put simply I need you to do two things, wake up Brion as he seems to be in a coma.”
“Already done.”
“Great! Next you need to deliver this to the first Imala, not the current one if that makes any sense.” Kyrion held out an ornate black box with a strange symbol on it. It resembled a worm poking out of a rock with a scholar's cap on its head.
“What in it?”
“A magic book. Don’t worry too much about it.” Kyrion lied, what was in it was Imala’s tower monolith and it wasn’t activated. There was also a communication device.
“Are you trying to start your own faction before you get to the next world?”
“I have no intention of going there. Though I may visit for tea and cakes.” Kyion held out a bag with 22 of the special coins and wrapped it with a string. The item was taken and the minor war deity left.