“Hold it right there…”

The booming voice echoed through the chamber and froze Sorah mid-stride. He slowly turned towards the direction of the voice where loud footsteps followed. His weathered face had a flicker of annoyance. Behind him, the Rice Guru squeaked and dived behind Breeze Plume as it muttered about the rudeness of interrupting conversations.

Thud!

Emerging from the shadows, a figure stepped onto a broken platform with a presence that commanded immediate attention. Tall and muscular, with a stern face hardened by years of battle. This was Vice-Marshal Commander Kahless. He radiated an aura of authority and raw power. Behind him trailed the remnants of the defeated squadron who were all resenting their earlier failures.

Kahless surveyed the scene, narrowing his eyes as they fell upon his injured men scattered across the chamber floor. His gaze then settled on the massive imprints left behind by what seemed to be a gigantic log. Finally, he locked eyes onto Sorah, specifically on the staff clutched in his weathered hands.

“Hmm…” Kahless had heard the account from his retreating men about this peculiar elder whose staff could grow to monstrous proportions during combat. "So, you're the one who dared to challenge my men," Kahless growled. "And that… that oversized twig you wield, is that supposed to be your weapon?"

The Rice Guru peeked out from behind Breeze Plume, looking upset. "Twig? You dare call Master Sorah's magnificent Vayrukumer – legacy of the great Aoi Kyoshin, a mere twig? You clearly lack appreciation for fine craftsmanship!"

Kahless's brow furrowed at the mention of "Vayrukumer."

Vayrukumers were mystical weapons manifested from the wielder's inner spiritual energy and elemental affinity. A Vayrukumer acted as an extension of its owner's soul, taking on unique shapes and abilities tied to their elemental attunement. Vayrukumers enabled the user to utilize 80% power of their Titan Avatars without them being summoned.

As a Vice-Marshal Commander, Kahless was well aware of these legendary weapons. Could this seemingly ordinary staff be one such weapon?

“A brute like you has not the eyes to appraise such masterpiece.” The Rice Guru scoffed at him.

"Silence, you walking pile of compost!" Kahless barked then returned his attention to Sorah.

‘No matter, I shall test this old man’s capabilities for myself,’ thought Kahless, tightening his grip on the hilt of his Aether Sabre. He infused the hilt with potent Aether Steam, the compressed spiritual energies swirled until they solidified into a razor-sharp blade of pure condensed aether. The air crackled with power as the blade took shape.

"Prepare to face the consequences of your actions, old man," Kahless declared as he began stepping forward.

Thud! Thud!

The Rice Guru, sensing the imminent danger, tugged at Sorah's sleeve urgently. "Master Sorah, be cautious! This one is no mere grunt. I sense a formidable warrior's spirit within him." He then turned to Breeze Plume, who stood resolutely beside Sorah with its wings spread wide in a protective stance. "And you, my adorable wood eater, retreat with me at once! This is no place for a gentle creature like yourself."

“Kyuuu!” Breeze Plume chirped in defiance, refusing to abandon Sorah. Its large, luminous eyes were fixed on the approaching Vice-Marshal Commander, twitching its wings in anticipation of battle.

"Stubborn butterfly," the Rice Guru muttered, before hopping onto Breeze Plume's back. "Very well, if you insist on staying, we shall face this threat together." With a powerful flap of its wings, they soared into the air, which drew the attention of the remaining Sand Devils.

Kahless, who was focusing solely on Sorah, barely spared a glance at the Rice Guru and Breeze Plume as they took flight. "Seize them!" he barked at his men.

“Yes sir, Vice-Marshal Commander!”

The recovered Rhamus, Kratos, and the other Sand Devils immediately executed their new directive, scrambling up the chamber's stairs and launching a volley of rock arrows towards the airborne duo.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

“Kyuuuu!” Breeze Plume, with surprising agility for its size, weaved through the projectiles very skilfully. It then retaliated by spewing strands of thick, sticky silk from its mandibles that ensnared several of the rock arrows mid-flight, effectively deflecting them harmlessly away.

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“Hey, I’m competent too you know… Boqumu #5…” The Rice Guru, clinging tightly to its back, retaliated by firing Spirit Thorns – thorny projectiles imbued with Aether Steam – at the Sand Devils, forcing them to take cover.

Boom! Boom!

With the distractions dealt with, Kahless advanced further towards Sorah with his Aether Sabre thirsting for blood. "Now, old man, let's see what those aged bones of yours are truly capable of."

“Wait!” Sorah held up a hand, attempting to reason with his adversary. "There is no need for violence. I seek only passage through your lands. I mean you and your kingdom no harm."

Kahless scoffed as his face contorted in a sneer. "Words are wind, old man. Actions speak louder." With a swift movement, he lunged forward swinging the Aether Sabre at Sorah's chest.

“Harden!”

Sorah, knowing he couldn't risk expanding the Dawn Sky Crusher without risking an overuse of the Sage Curse, focused his intent into strengthening the staff, causing its surface to hardened into an impenetrable barrier that deflected Kahless's strike with a resounding

CLANG!

“Oh!” Kahless was surprised by the elder's swift reaction. He pressed his attack, adroitly swinging the Aether Sabre in a blur of motion as he tested Sorah's defences.

Clang! Clang!

Each strike was met with an equally swift parry or deflection by the Dawn Sky Crusher that was proving to be a formidable weapon in Sorah's skilled hands.

"Hmm, not bad for an old man," Kahless remarked before increasing the intensity of his attacks. He swung his Aether Sabre with greater force, feeling out Sorah's strength and stamina.

Clang! Clang!

Sensing Sorah's fatigue, Kahless increased the power behind his strikes. With a mighty swing, he sent Sorah flying backwards until he crashed into a nearby boulder.

Boom!

“You’re nothing special old man.”

“Gah!”

Sorah groaned as he pulled himself from the rubble. His body was in pain and his vision blurry. But the Sage Curse's power continued to flow through him, invigorating his tired muscles and sharpening his senses. He could feel the Aether Steam emanating from his body, forming a faint amber-white aura around him.

Whoosh!

"Huh, ZenFlow Kana…?” Kahless realized by the quality of Aether Steam now wafting gently from Sorah’s body.

ZenFlow Kana was a type of Aether Steam manipulation that enhanced a person's ability to sense and read the flow of energies around them. It also granted users fluid movements and evasive manoeuvres, just like the wind as well as allowed them to tap into various hidden potentials.

Kahless smirked and said, "So, you're an Air Elementalist, old man? Interesting. But your fancy wind tricks are no match for the raw power of the earth. Do you hear me OLD MAN! My TerraFlow Kana will crush your pathetic wind gusts!!”

Boom!

Immense emerald-white steam was oozing all around the raging Vice-Marshal Commander. This was TerraFlow Kana. It allowed the user to channel Aether Steam into a protective shroud or outward force to increase physicality, offensive and defensive capabilities.

He raised his Aether Sabre and began channelling his TerraFlow Kana. The blade glowed with an intense earthy light, moreover, his blade-arm swelled massively. Then without any delay, Kahless charged forward with the intent of puncturing Sorah’s heart.

Dash!

Sorah, whose senses were heightened by the ZenFlow Kana, anticipated Kahless's attack. He twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the blow, and countered with a swift strike of his own. The Dawn Sky Crusher, imbued with the power of the Sage Curse, met Kahless's Aether Sabre in a shower of sparks.

Clang! Clang!

The two warriors clashed in a mad frenzy. Their constant back and forth movements were kicking up loads of dust and rubble within Rendil Temple.

Sorah, despite his age and injuries, moved with the grace and agility of a seasoned warrior - which he was in full right of the sense. ZenFlow Kana was guiding his every step. Kahless, on the other hand, fuelled by his unfathomable TerraFlow Kana, fought with brute strength and determination. He executed strikes powerful enough to shatter diamond.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Sorah's hands rattled with each blow he deflected. The vibrations travelled up his arms and into his chest. He could feel the strain on his aging body, but the Sage Curse's power kept him going a bit longer; its energy coursing through his veins had bolstered his strength. Yet, he could not overpower his foe.

“Oh, no! Master Sorah is struggling against that brutish Sand Devil!”

High above, the Rice Guru, perched atop Breeze Plume, had been busy dodging the Sand Devils' attacks. He watched in concern as Sorah battled Kahless below. He had never seen Sorah fight with such skill and ferocity. But he also understood the dangers of the Sage Curse if overuse as well as the darkness that lurked within its power.

"Master Sorah," he called out. "Remember your ZenFlow Kana! It's not just about sensing, but also about moving with the flow!"

‘Yes, I remember. For years I’ve thought others how to ‘flow’ without having experiencing the Kana myself. But now it is different. Now I can wield Aether Steam to its maximum capacity!’

As if awakened by the Rice Guru's words, Sorah's movements began to shift. He started to move like the wind, twisting and turning adroitly to avoid Kahless's strikes. His footwork became a blur as his body continued swaying and bending like a willow in the breeze.

Kahless, surprised by Sorah's sudden change in tactics, found it increasingly difficult to land a hit. Each swing of his Aether Sabre met only empty air.

“Stay still, you old bastard!” Kahless, frustrated by his inability to land a blow, let out a roar of anger. He channelled more power into his Aether Sabre, the blade glowing with an almost blinding light. With a desperate lunge, he aimed for Sorah's head.

Swoosh!

Sorah, with the enhanced perception granted by ZenFlow Kana, saw through Kahless's strike and effortlessly backflipped over the attack which almost peeled his Adam apple. He then countered by extending the Dawn Sky Crusher with a flick of his wrist.

"Extend!"

The staff elongated instantly, its tip struck Kahless squarely in the midsection and sent him soaring to the opposite end of the chamber.

Boom!

"Gah!" Kahless cried out as he slammed into a pile of rubble.

“Vice-Marshal Commander!”

Witnessing their leader getting stomped away, the Sand Devils froze in shock. They had never seen anyone move with such speed and agility, let alone an elderly man with a wooden staff.

"Yes! That's my apprentice!" the Rice Guru cheered from above, filled with pride. "You show that Sand Devil Commander the true power of Aoi’s Vayrukumer!"