Joshua cashed in the reward for that mission, taking a well deserved break. Instead of the penthouse. Joshua headed to the spire where he originally met Krieg, Alec and Mitchell. Going in there just to let Zephyr play around. He found his refuge by sleeping on a bunch of fluffy Fenrirs that were moving about. Just a good nap there. He did notice the many other Venerators, and human scientists that were present. They were taking a look at everything.
The Venerators weren't combat types, they were mainly non-combatants. Seems like they enjoy the break here too. Then he noticed someone, General was there along with Lady.
"Can you spare a bit of time?"
"Sure." Joshua said as he got up, where one of the Fenrirs placed its head over Joshua's head, licking the optics that stuck above his head.
"Did you hear about a black spire that appeared recently?" Joshua shook his head to Lady's question.
"Was busy with a few personal errands and dealing with some more stuff on my end."
"To sum it up. It's a spire that has appeared in a district. A 3 pronged faction war. Humans, angels and demons. The problem is, most humans inside the spire can't leave until the spire activates. When it does activate, they will be defenseless. There's a few Venerators inside but they can't make much due to the fact the spire has limited their fortifications." General explained.
"That sounds like the Mulligan Spire but at the very least there are Venerators present. So they're not as defenseless as Mulligan was. You don't have to convince me any further. I'm in." Joshua said.
"Good, but because you're an E-Rank. There will be some problems. I've cleared it with the Chairman. We know you're stronger than your rank suggests. But you'll have to face another unique class user like yourself." Lady added on.
Joshua watched as the Cherry Blossoms appeared. The blades were shaking.
"This class user... Noir Dancer?" Lady and General nodded.
"So this is what it means that our fates were intertwined. Where there is the Noir Dancer, the Lord of Thorns will follow." Joshua said out loud,putting the blades aside.
"So you know of it?" General asked.
"Nothing much than Noir Dancer and Lord of Thorns are intertwined. So how many A ranks and S Ranks?"
"We're looking at 200. It'll be in 4 days. So do what you need to, but I suggest you head to the training area. First." Joshua got up, then whistled. Where Zephyr picked him up from below.
"Lead the way." General and Lady went out of the spire and into their car. Where Joshua followed them from behind, people watched how a horse was keeping up with a sports car going at 180 kilometers per hour.
When Joshua arrived he did see the A-Ranks, abd B-ranks along with the Guild masters that were in attendance. When Joshua stood in the battle area, he felt the Cherry Blossoms resonate as they float next to a black haired woman. Perhaps a year or two older. Her eyes were pure white,even her iris. Joshua's schlera was completely black. The Mask of Thorns reacted to the woman in front of him. Her mask was a plain porcelain skull.
It reacted by opening its mouth. The two of them vanished from sight. Standing right in front of each other. The thorns of Joshua's mask was blanketing his neck. The porcelain skull opened its mouth, beginning to chatter. Their hands twitched. Another weapon float to Joshua's side. It was a black katana, and Joshua took out the katana that he received from Kael.
Where the two combined, forming a katana that lacked a handguard with an ashen gray sheathe. Joshua put it to his hip, as the masked woman drew her pair of blades, they were similar to the Cherry Blossoms. Combining with hers.
The 13th Lord's Unnamed.(Awakened when blade has been given a name)
Ash to ash, that is what the Lord has dealt with in Mulligan. For the many dusks and dawns he had seen.
The Lord has watched everything that he has known turn to ash for the 3 years of his trial. For that was part of the many things he has done. The many curses he has seen.
the 13th Lord's true weapon is this blade.
Attack Power 110 Sharpness Lord's Blade.
Joshua thought about it, his mind thought about the snow that he first saw. When he would remember everything that he had seen in the past. The distant memoirs of the past that was now ash.
"Brilliant Ash."
The 13th's Brilliant Ash.(Blade Shift is available)
Brilliant ash, the memoirs of the 13th Lord. The thoughts he beared when he watched everything turn to ash. Yet in the ashes of the destruction of his home of Mulligan, the Lord of Thorn still chooses to remember the happiness and the beauty of such times. Rather than the destruction.
Attack Power 11000 Sharpness Lord's Blade.
"Blade Shift." Joshua whispered as the blade turned to complete black, where the sheathe faded away, leaving behind the grip and the surging elements that formed the blade itself.
The 13th's Ashen Sirius
The blade shift form of Brilliant Ash. Named after the beautiful Sirius Alpha that beared witness to the Lord's birth as a child.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Ashen Sirius bears the mark of the brilliant star with it.
Attack Power 15000 Sharpness Lord's Blade.
"Blade Shift." Ashen Sirius returned to Brilliant Ash. Joshua drew the blade, it had some weight to it but its balance was even on all sides. The grip was aggressive and even without a handguard, Joshua could not feel the blade slipping at all.
A black figure in a tailcoat with a red plume appeared, wielding a claymore stood by the masked woman's side.
"Ignitus?" The woman turned to her companion.
"Clear out humans. This fight is not for the weak hearted." The figure spoke to the humans.
"Now...Now, Ignitus. Don't be so rash." Bayran spoke up to Ignitus, wearing a white tuxedo and fixing his tie.
"Noir Dancer. If you wish to fight against the Lord of Thorns you must bring forth all of your allies." Ignitus informed her, where she nodded.
"Come, my companions." a black orc appeared from the ground wielding a pair of dane axes. A decaying dragon, skeletal horsemen on skeletal horses. Then followed by four horsemen that were in different colours. Pale Rider, Crimson Rider, Azure Rider and Emerald Rider, their horses were Spectral Horses. Skeletal soldiers wielding rifles. An Azure Werewolf and an Emerald Werewolf. A vampire and two soldiers appeared.
"Familiars." Lugasa got out first, stretching as he looked at the Azure Werewolf and Emerald Werewolf. Commander 151 readied his saber, looking at the Emerald Rider. Vizel, Alec, Mitchell, Iacus and Donovan followed suit. Including the Suicide Division.
The Four Ancients appeared before Joshua's back.
"Ignitus... It seems unfair if it is just you. Where are the other three?" Three more appeared as a result of Barakas's question. One in red, one in gray and one in white.
"The Ancients of Death. Sleepless Death, Violent Deaths, Silent Deaths and Crying Deaths. It has been many years." Bayran spoke as he bowed.
Bayran and Ignitus walked towards each other, taking out two halves of a coin. Then combining them together.
"If you want to stay just make sure you sit at the stands." Chairwoman Lee spoke to them as the open space area transformed to a world of glass. Glass pillars and the Lord of Thorns and Noir Dancer stood before one another.
There were seats for them all to take, which the others did.
"What's your name?" The woman asked.
"Joshua... Joshua Gates."
"Joshua. My name's Klaudia Bern. Let's try our best." She said gently though Joshua felt his body tense up. With reason, Joshua and Klaudia took a deep breath together. Where Joshua's Familiars and Klaudia's Companion's clashed. The shockwave created cracks on the floor. The pillars took the damage from the sheer contact that was made by the groups. Lugasa and the two werewolves howled at each other.
The Suicide Division clashed to the skeletal army. Bayran fought with Ignitus while the Ancients began their fight. This world of glass, was being shaped by the fights that they were having. Joshua and Klaudia did not draw their blades at all. The clash of Familiars and Companions were enough to watch, the Orc went after Vizel while Commander 151 fought against the Emerald Rider's scythe. The Rider got off and fought on foot. Evening their battle ground. Allowing their blades to make contact. The Emerlad Rider grinned to the Commander who did not utter a word.
"For my pactmaker, I will tear you to pieces!" The Rider roared to 151's face.
"For my lord, I will assure your destruction!" 151 roared back.
Joshua and Klaudia just stood there calmly watching the fights unfold. Where Vizel was being pushed back, ten rifles fired away at the black orc from the cape. Asim clashed with the Ancient of Violent Deaths, it was a rowdy battle. Ice Reaper joined the fray to support Iacus and Donovan that faced the Pale and Crimson Rider.
"Come on Tetra... Radulfr! You're being too tame! We're werewolves! WE NEED TO GET WILDER!" Lugasa roared as his body was being covered in red flames and charging at the two werewolves. Joshua could see Lugasa smiling where as the other two werewolves grin as they went at each other's throats. Within seconds, they had changed the entire landscape of the area. Yet Joshua and Klaudia's circle, was not disturbed.
Krieg, Alec and Mitchell went after the Azure Rider. Guns going against guns. Their bullets made contact with each other, cancelling each other out.
"Just one of them is able to match us.Just what did we expect of the Four Horsemen." Alec said as he fired the shotgun shells, only to be met with another spread from the shotgun.
"This is annoying." Krieg said as he reloaded the lever action rifle.
The fights between the Familiar and Companions were a sight to behold.
"They'll be joining you guys on this Black Spire. They aren't S-Ranks but if we want to make sure there's no casualties. I'd rather have them with us." General said to the others.
"I trust there will be no issue here?" Lady asked the others who nodded, most likely due to the fact that their Guild Leaders were present to make sure they understand that.
"I'm not doubting your abilities, but we need to be outside to coordinate the rescue plans. It's a district of 75 thousand with only 10 Venerators on the inside. It doesn't help that the Spire limits to 200 Venerators per entry. Then entry points are choked up by the numbers." Jun added on to them, the Venerators here need to understand the stakes.Some with family, some had spouses and friends in there.
A lot of human lives, were at stake and they would need the help. Looking at Joshua and Klaudia that was fighting was enough for them all to think about it. They needed the power that they could bring.
Joshua's Familiar and Klaudia's Companion's stopped. Stepping away from the fight, turning their backs as Joshua and Klaudia drew their blades.
Joshua charging at Klaudia head on, spiraling to her direction with the power of wind and drawing the blade.The katana clashed with Klaudia's shashkas, sparks were being emitted. Klaudia had strength, that much Kael can tell but his endurance and speed was much further. Klaudia's blade struck Kael, where it cut through the Coat of Crimson but it did not cause Kael to bleed.
"Elemental Dancer. Ice and Fire." Klaudia spoke as her right hand held fire, her left hand held ice. The blade turned blue in the deep flames while the ice solidified on the blade itself.Klaudia went close as she crossed the blades together in a scissor like formation.When ice and fire connected, it created a strong blast and mist that covered the area. Klaudia jumped back, watching the blade pierce through the thick mist.
Kael had negated the attack, then going on the offense. Where he watched his katana be parried by a shadowy hand. It must have been what Klaudia was wearing. It was a coat that had split tails and Joshua watched one of the faint shaodw of a hand throwing a grenade at him. Joshua slashed it in half, then going faster. Grabbing Klaudia by the throat, when he crushed her neck.
It turned to ash, where Klaudia's feet skid to the back. She was sliding on her feet and readjusting her balance.
"Void Dancer."Where Klaudia took a stepback, as a phantom appeared with a katana to strike Joshua. Joshua dodged the strike as he dashed straight to Klaudia. Where the Void Dancer phantom chased after him, Joshua smacked the sheathe of Brilliant Ash with the left hand. Striking the jaw of the Void Dancer's phantom, then he continued to swing the blade at Klaudia.
The blade was within a hair's reach to her neck. Yet it did not cut through her hair. Joshua was pushing to get close to Klaudia's neck. The tension in the air was tense but Joshua and Klaudia did not speak or even a sound. Just the vapors of their breath. Trading sword strikes. Klaudia's strong blows, being diverted by Joshua's katana. Where he would push the blows aside to throw her off. Shoulder charging to push her back, a quick sheathe of the sword to ready another strike to the chest.
Klaudia took the blow head on, being pushed back by the myriad of slashes that Joshua had struck her with. Her feet skidding to the back, then she watched how Joshua vanished before her, then he stood right behind her. The blade hanging by her neck, yet she had Joshua's neck by the tip of her blades.
Joshua and Klaudia sheathed their weapons, then walking back to their Familiars and Companions.
"Any objections to the two of them joining the team?" Chairwoman Lee asked, where the many Venerators kept their mouths shut. Not saying a word or anything to them.