The Western Continent
Kingdom of Titus
Right after Ragnarok was activated
Far from the territory of the Machina Empire lies its neighboring nation, The Kingdom of Titus. Also known as the kingdom of earth and steel. Thus was the realm of Giants. Beings who stood three or more times the size of most races in Esos other than dragons. Within the realm was a large deserted island. On that Island lies a huge temple with a magic barrier surrounding it.
The temple's entrance and scriptures were designed after the goddess of earth, Gaia. The mother of all giants. The temple had long since stayed silent for over thousands of years, until one fateful hour.
Suddenly, Ragnarok was activated and out of it came a beam releasing into the sky. Then what followed suit were the scriptures on the temple glowing as well. Then the barrier surrounding the island came undone and a beacon of light erupted from atop of the temple and into the sky. What Ragnarok awoke within that temple, was something that was never meant to be awoken from it's slumber. It was something that could destroy the very world of Esos itself.
***
Hours Later
Far outside of Lockwood
Machina Empire territory
Floating in the sky was a giant airship. Not just any airship, but a warship belonging to the Midgard Republic and the temporary base of operations for Tenjin's team. Jayden looked in awe at the massive warship they were entering.
"Whoa!" Jayden gasped.
"We're far enough from those warships so you'll be safe here for the time being. Once we cross the border, we'll be home free." Tenjin said.
"No kidding. Wait, hold on man are you okay!? You look like you need a doctor the most." Jayden said. Tenjin grunted. He seemed fine before but it looked like he was putting on a brave face. His injuries looked severe but he was still standing.
"I'm fine. Believe it or not I've been through worse than this. Henro, how's Emilia?" Tenjin asked. Henro was by Emilia's side, healing her while she was unconscious. He had just finished.
"She's fine now, but she'll need rest." Henro said.
Tenjin sighed in relief. "Good. Once she's up we'll meet at the communications center to discuss what happens next."
"You should let me treat your injuries too old-timer. That adrenaline can only carry you so far." Henro said. Henro didn't care if Tenjin was in charge or not, as the team's doctor he felt he had the right to lecture Tenjin on this matter.
"Alright, fine. Just make it quick." Tenjin said. Henro nodded and began healing him. While that went on Jayden saw Ziera finally land in the hangar of the warship. He ran out of the dropship to go to her.
"Ziera! Are you okay!?" Jayden called out running to her. Ziera exited her Omni-Fighter.
"Jayden! I'm fine. My new ship was beaten to hell but I came out of that fight without a scratch. What about you though?" Ziera asked.
"Oh me? I'm just a little dizzy. No thanks to that jerk's flying but yeah I'm fine. Don't worry though, I'm tougher than I look." Jayden said, standing proud crossing his arms.
"Oh okay tough guy." Ziera said grinning. She balled up her fist and placed it on Jayden's chest. "Well then, I'll be counting on ya to watch my back from here on out ya here?" Ziera said.
Jayden blushed at her teasing but gave a toothy smile back. "You got it! You can count on me." Jayden said. Ziera giggled and blushed a bit herself.
"Ziera, don't listen to him! Dude was literally peeing his pants the whole flight!" Henro yelled from across the hanger. He had just finished healing Tenjin.
"Oh shut up! You were literally sweating from top to bottom at the fear of those ships shooting you down because yo bitch ass can't fly for shit!" Jayden retorted.
"Oh ho! You got a problem with my flying aye greenhorn!? Okay, then how about I take you on a skydiving lesson!? Free of charge!" Henro said.
"Guys come on! That voice came from Emilia. She was the next to one to walk out of the drop ship. "Can't we all just get along?"
"Emilia!" Jayden and Ziera said simultaneously.
"Are you okay!? You took a pretty nasty hit from one of those fighters!" Ziera said.
"Oh no I'm fine really! Yeah that stung pretty bad but Henro's healing magic is something else! Look! My wings are all better!" Emilia said, growing out and flapping both her wings.
"Phew. Thank the Guardians. You had us scared Emilia. I wouldn't want the girl who saved Anna and my mom to get killed on my watch." Jayden said.
"Oh don't worry. Henro and Tenjin already told you but you should never underestimate the Garuda tribe. Right Henro?" Emilia asked. Henro wasn't as enthusiastic.
"Yeah sure. Whatever." Henro said uncaringly. Emilia caught wind of it.
"Henro?" Emilia asked sadly.
"Hey! What the hell is your problem assho-." Jayden didn't finish as Ziera pulled her arm out blocking Jayden. "Ziera?" Jayden asked.
"Let's just leave them be for now." Ziera advised. Ziera had a point. It's not like Jayden cared about Henro that much or really knew his relationship with Emilia. Maybe they can solve this themselves? Jayden saw Emilia look sad and then at Henro who looked pissed.
"But even so..." Jayden thought to himself.
"If you're all done chatting, we should get a move on." The group turned to see Tenjin coming out of the dropship next. "We've got a lot to discuss after all." Tenjin said.
"So Jayden huh? That's your name kid?" Tenjin asked.
"Uh yes sir! Jayden Cortez! It's an honor to officially meet you....sir." Jayden said awkwardly.
"Heh. Easy kid don't go passing out on me. I'm nothing special. Now you on the other hand, well, seeing as how Ragnarok chose you that's gotta mean something I guess. But it'll be up to me and my colleagues to see if you're up for the challenges ahead. Now come on, they're waiting." Tenjin said.
***
Republic Warship:
The Command Center
The group made it to the command center of the ship. They stood around a large circular table. This table was highly advanced as it was made to display holograms, holo-screens and used for military purposes. Tenjin stood in front and turned it on. What came out were holo-screens showcasing three different people.
"Now that everyone is here, Jayden, I'd like to formally introduce you to the other members of The Order." Tenjin said. Jayden looked and stood there in complete shock. These people...he couldn't believe it. He recognized two of them from new stories and the one in the center from his comics.
Cory Nocturne: She's a hybrid between a giant and a mermaid. She is a tall young black woman with long black braided hair. She wears blue eyeshadow, a golden choker necklace, golden spike hoop earrings, and a black and golden yellow side split thigh dress. She's really beautiful and an insanely powerful mage. They say that in a battle against invaders from the empire she rose a tsunami from the oceans and swept them to the bottom of the ocean floor.
Odysseus: A rare hybrid between a dragon and demon. He's a tall middle aged man with pale skin, long black hair tied in a pony tail, and red eyes. He wears glasses and a black and blue bow tied military uniform. He's a ruthless military strategist and tactical genius. Winning countless battles for the Republic in the past against both the Machina Empire and Kingdom of Ifrit. Keeping their borders safe from invasions.
And finally, the one that caught Jayden's attention the most. The former mentor and one of the founders of the Guardians of Esos!
Merlin: He was an old man at average height with long gray hair that went down to his shoulders, a long white beard, black colored eyes, wrinkles on his face, high cheek-bones and hooked nose. His outfit consisted of dark blue robes and underneath were golden armor pads. He had a dark blue wizard hat and his long staff with a blue crystal at the top. Merlin stood tall as he stared down at Jayden.
This was THE strongest sorcerer in all of Esos. He helped form the Guardians to rebel against the gods, lived for over thousands over years to help found both The Order and the Republic. He's a legend. Jayden was so excited he could almost faint.
Tenjin then looked and just noticed that one of the members was missing. "Hey where hell is Spartacus!?" Tenjin asked, frustrated. Cory sighed.
"I believe his words were. ["Not coming. Don't bother me"]. His words. Not mine." Cory said.
Tenjin sighed in frustration. He was getting sick of Spartacus and his bullshit. But I'll deal with him another time.
"But Holy shit! Even still I can't believe it! I'm actually officially meeting the members of The Order! Especially Merlin himself! Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming!" Jayden shouted.
Henro transformed his hand and brought out his claws to pinch Jayden. But was met with a back of the head smack from Ziera. Jayden ignored them and took notice of something.
Tenjin coughed to get Jayden's attention. Jayden took notice of his misbehavior and calmed down. "Oh hehe. Sorry about that." Jayden said, rubbing the back of his head. "My name is Jayden Cortez. It's uh, an honor to meet you guys. Really. I never thought I'd see the day."
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"Neither did we." Odysseus said. He sounded annoyed. Jayden chuckled nervously. Perhaps Jayden was indeed not off to a great start.
"Anyways, let's get down to business then. A couple of months ago, we revived intel on where Ragnarok was located for the past thousand years. Deep inside the caverns of an old dragon tomb. It was thanks to Merlin that we even knew where it was." Tenjin explained.
"Damn. Guess I shouldn't be too surprised that's the legendary wizard for ya." Jayden thought.
"Of course we couldn't just go and get it being that it was in the Kingdom of Ifrit's territory and we knew no doubt that Zenal would still go to retrieve the gauntlet regardless of the risk. So we needed a plan. Though we can't take the full credit. Ziera was the one who devised the plan in the first plan." Tenjin said.
Ziera grinned while placing her fingers under her chin.
"Damn girl. I didn't know you were moving like that?" Jayden said in shock.
"Of course. Don't underestimate the mind of a former princess of the Machina Empire." Ziera said confidently.
"If you're so smart, why did you almost die?" Henro asked.
"Moving on. The plan was solid yes though it came with risks. The gauntlet was being heavily guarded so I had to lure out the man in charge of protecting it. One of the empire's mightiest warriors. Fury the Fenrir." Tenjin said.
That name made Jayden sweat. "Wait hold on! Fury as in that fury!? One of the Crimson Knights!?" Jayden asked.
"Good. You did your homework. Then you know just how dangerous he is, right?" Tenjin asked.
"Of course! The Crimson Knights are the strongest warriors within the Machina Empire. I've read all I could about them. There's at least ten of them and Fury himself is especially bad. I heard he's a ruthless bloodthirsty killer who can even rip dragons in half with his bare hands. You...you actually fought his head on?" Jayden asked.
"That's right. I received all those nasty injuries from him. Luring him out was easy. But honestly I had way too many close calls during that whole exchange. Everytime I tried to cut his head off he would counter. Not to mention our fight lasted for at least 17 hours without much rest. Only reason it didn't continue was because Ragnarok came out and activated which caught my attention. He tried to follow me but more dragons came. They wanted revenge for what Fury did to their buddies so I used the distraction to escape." Tenjin explained.
"17 hours!? With barely any rest is insane! And tenjin still had enough energy to come save us, wipe out those fighters and keep those warships at bay. Tenjin really lives up to his name, he's incredible." Jayden thought to himself.
"So while I fought Fury, Ziera would sneak aboard and take Ragnarok while Emilia and Henro would stay on standby until Ziera gave the signal so we could all escape. You know the rest." Tenjin finished.
"Actually you missed a few key details, Tenjin." Odysseus said. "Yes that was the plan but you forgot to mention that they were supposed to bring Ragnarok back to us so that we could take our time searching for a proper candidate for Ragnarok. But instead this brat came in and screwed everything up."
"Odysseus. Don't be rude. This young man was chosen by Ragnarok. So whether you like it or not he deserves a fair trial." Cory said.
"That remains to be seen." Odysseus retorted.
"Wait hold on! Trial? Did I do something wrong?" Jayden asked.
"No Jayden, you didn't. This isn't that kind of trial. This is to see if you have what it takes to handle all the responsibilities and risks that come with being the next wielder of Ragnarok. If you are, The Order will accept you with open arms and you'll be welcomed into the republic as an official citizen." Tenjin explained.
"And if I'm not?" Jayden inquired. Tenjin didn't answer. He just had a serious look on his face. Jayden had an idea of what he was talking about. He held onto his left arm and squeezed. "Oh". Jayden said in shock.
"You'll be lucky if you get off with that. They say Ragnarok has a defense mechanism if it feels that it's being forcefully removed from it's owner. So if that doesn't work well....". Odysseus said with a grin. Jayden gulped. Ziera was getting angry. She had enough of this and stepped in front of Jayden.
"Hey! No one expected Jayden to get Ragnarok, but don't write him off before even getting to know him! He saved my life twice already! Even when he didn't-."
"Ziera. Who gave you the right to speak to this council?" Odysseus asked in a deadly tone. Both Jayden and Ziera tensed up. Even though they couldn't sense his mana, his presence felt intense.
"You are lucky we even granted you the privilege of being in our service, instead of rotting in a cell where you belong. We took you in, gave you your freedom and at a chance of redemption. But we can still easily take it all away. One more word out of you, and kiss your freedom goodbye." Odysseus threatened.
Ziera tensed up but despite his threat she didn't leave Jayden's side. She wasn't going to let Odysseus just walk all over Jayden when he didn't deserve it. But Jayden was more scared for Ziera than himself. He didn't want her to get in trouble.
"Ziera, it's okay you don't have to-." Jayden was about to finish but he was cut off.
"Odysseus!" Tenjin shouted out. Odysseus and everyone except Merlin looked at Tenjin who had a deadly look on his face. "I have a question. Who gave you the right to discipline my students? I gave the privilege of running your mouth just now. But if you keep making idle threats right in front me, I'll take more than your freedom away. Understand?" Tenjin said.
Odysseus didn't respond. He just stared at Tenjin and Tenjin stared back at him. It felt like it was getting tense between the two until Cory clapped her hands.
"Alright! That's enough you two quit it! We're in the middle of a trial so both of you please act your age." Cory lectured.
"Hmph." Odysseus said, looking away from Tenjin.
"Tsk." Tenjin said doing the same.
Cory just groaned. "Merlin sir, will you please say something so that we can get down to business?" Cory pleaded.
Merlin however wasn't saying anything. This whole time he's just been staring at Jayden. To be more precise, both at Jayden and Ragnarok. Jayden felt his gaze and looked at him. Merlin just heir gazing his eyes at the boy in front of him until tears began to fall from his eyes. Jayden looked taken back. He was surprised to see Merlin shed tears so suddenly. And then....
"WAAAAAAHHHH!!" Merlin wailed. This caught everyone in the room off guard. All were in complete disbelief that the great wizard Merlin was crying his eyes out. Snot coming out of his nose.
"M-Merlin!?" Odysseus asked.
"Wha-what's wrong!?" Cory asked.
Jayden was just uncomfortable at this point. "Uh? Did I do something to make him cry?" Jayden asked Ziera.
Ziera just had a "really?" expression on her face while staring at Merlin. "No. I think he's just a goofy old man." Ziera stated.
"ZIERA!" Both Emilia and Tenjin shouted simultaneously.
"I mean, I could believe it. Jayden's so damn ugly that I'd cry too." Henro said as he relaxed his hands behind his head.
"Go back to hell!" Jayden shouted.
"Jokes on you! I got out and I'm never going back so eat me!" Henro retorted while wiggling his arms.
"Waaaaah! Forgive me! It's just been so long! So long since the first Ragnarok wielder! Since..since...PERSEUS!!!" Merlin said as he kept wailing and pouring his tears.
The group just kept watching in disbelief. "Well Jayden, always meet your heroes, am I right?" Henro snickered as he elbowed Jayden's shoulder.
"Oh come on he's just excited is all. I would be too if I saw carrot cake!" Emilia said.
"You'd cry over carrot cake?" Ziera asked.
After a couple more minutes Merlin had ceased his wailing and looked back at Jayden. "Jayden Cortez was it?". Merlin asked. Jayden stood in attention.
"Yes sir!" Jayden said. Merlin nodded.
"It's time we tell you what our true mission is." Merlin said as he waved his wand and in the air of the command center came constructs of mana forming into the shapes of what appeared to be weapons.
"What are these things?" Jayden asked.
"These are ancient weapons. Weapons that have the power to destroy the world. Just like yours. They are called The Sacred Relics!" Merlin declared. Merlin then named them one at a time.
Phanes: Staff of Ambrosius, the god of life.
Azrael: axe of Lucius, the god of death.
Excalibur: Sword of Prometheus, the Sun God.
Tsukuyomi: katana of Selene, the moon goddess.
Neptune: Trident of Poseidon, the sea god.
Mjölnir: the hammer of Thor, the god of thunder.
Vulcan: War Hammer of Gaia, the earth goddess.
Fujin: twin blades of Zephyrus, the wind god
Nexus: the core of Zenith, the Machine Goddess.
"Whoa." Jayden said in shock. So they're just like Ragnarok. He thought.
"From what I gather you're a big fan of the Guardians right Jayden? So what do you know of the sacred relics?" Merlin asked.
"Uh well...I only know from the comics but I never heard of any of this. I do know that Ragnarok has the power to use all the 8 elemental attributes belonging to the 8 races outside of machines. Me turning into a machine was said though to be an add on for the leader Perseus." Jayden explained.
"You are half right. Ragnarok doesn't just take the elemental properties of the 8 races. It takes the powers of all nine gods!" Merlin said.
"..........huh?" Jayden couldn't believe what he just said. Maybe he misheard him. "I'm sorry when you say gods you mean the..".
"Yes. All of the nine late gods. Don't act so surprised. Ragnarok is a god killing weapon after all. It wasn't created by the gods but by the guardians to overthrow them. It's only natural that it would have such awesome power. Ragnarok has the ability to absorb the mana from a deity and take their powers for their own. That's how the Guardians managed to win their war against the gods. The reason you didn't know that was because I and the Guardians kept it a secret." Merlin explained.
"Don't tell me you actually thought that comic book crap was accurate?" Henro asked.
"Well, I mean it said it was based on a true story." Jayden said feeling embarrassed. "Still what does all of this have to do with the other relics?"
"Everything. The relics were tools used by the gods to create this world. But after their deaths, spirits that reside in those weapons still remain." Merlin stated.
"Wait hold on! Spirits!?" Jayden asked. This was a lot to take in at once.
"Yes, spirits. Each relic has an ancient spirit made entirely of mana that gives life to the relic. Once they find a worthy master, the spirits grant the user the power of said weapon. You have encountered a spirit of your own have you not?" Merlin asked.
Suddenly it hit Jayden. "Oh yeah, the spirit of Ragnarok! He told me to call his name and just like that I was able to use his power!". Jayden said.
"Very good now you understand. So here's the bottom line. After Ragnarok was activated, it awoke the spirits of the other relics across the world. Each relic was hidden within a temple across Esos. The temples were closed off for thousands of years being protected by ancient barrier magic that not even Zenal can destroy. But when Ragnarok lit up in the sky, so did the beacons of all the temples across Esos and thus the barrier was lifted and now those temples are open to the public." Merlin explained.
"Oh I'm getting it now. So now that they're exposed, Zenal has free reign to go after them now right?" Jayden asked.
"Yes but it's not just Zenal." Tenjin chimed in. "Each temple resides within the territory of each of the 9 races. Which means they'll be gunning for those relics as well. Which is where you come in." Tenjin said.
"Me? What? To go get them?" Jayden asked.
"Not to just get them, but to face them. To retrieve the relic and absorb its mana, you must face the spirits of those relics and defeat them in battle." Odysseus said.
"Say what!?" Jayden shouted.
"He's right Jayden. These spirits won't just bend the knee to anyone. You have to earn their power. But in your case you already have a relic so you can't use more than one. All you can do is absorb their mana but they'll fight you all the same. And absorbing their mana only happens after you defeat them in battle." Ziera explains.
"Ohhhh so it's like a video game!?" Jayden asked. Everyone in the room was silent and just stood there staring at Jayden for a minute or two.
"Uh...yeah sure. Like a video game. Only in this one if you lose you'll die for real." Ziera said.
"Excuse me! Sorry but some things have been bothering me." Emilia spoke up. "If one person can't wield more than one relic then what will we do when we retrieve them? If these relics are in the territories of other nations is it right for us to just take them when they aren't ours? Also what does zenal want with them if he can't use them all? You haven't told us this stuff yet." Emilia said. The Order looked at each other and then back at Emilia. Tenjin spoke up.
"To answer your first question Emilia, each time we collect a relic, we'll be handing it over to Merlin and Merlin alone. The reason why coincides with your second question. You kid's probably knew this already but thousands of years ago, the Guardians agreed to seal the relics away in those temples because they are too dangerous for anyone to use. Even royalty. Yes they are in their territory but if they misuse that power the damage can be devastating." Tenjin said.
"Well yes but..". Emilia said.
"Look, I understand how you feel, Emilia. In a way yes it does feel wrong but Merlin has tried dozens of times to reason with the other nations on not using the weapons. Those things have the power to destroy esos itself. Imagine if they went to war with them. Millions, no billions would die. It's why we can't just sit by and let people like Zenal take the relics for themselves." Tenjin concluded.
Emilia still felt unsure but understood. "Okay. I'll trust you, Tenjin." Emilia said.
"To answer Emilia's last question, we don't know why zenal wants the relics but given his nature we know it isn't wise to just let him do as he pleases and obtain all of them. Also Jayden, Zenal may have wanted Ragnarok but he doesn't need it to defeat the spirits of the relics. Ragnarok would have made his job much easier but it's not impossible to defeat a relic spirit without it. But regardless, he and others will still come after you so be careful." Merlin warned.
"But now that you know what's at stake. What will you do Jayden Cortez?" Tenjin asked.
"Will you stand with us and fight this war against Zenal to obtain the relics?" Cory asked.
"Or will you stand against us and give up Ragnarok here and now?" Odysseus asked.
"Only you can decide now boy. The fate of the world will rest on your shoulders or you will go back to your normal life back at Lockwood. Make your choice." Merlin said.
"CHOOSE!" The Order said at the same time.
Jayden felt anxious. He hated Zenal with every fiber of his being for what he's done and wanted to stop him and the Empire but this.....this was too much. Fighting spirits of relics, taking their mana, stopping zenal from obtaining them, and eventually fighting zenal himself ...it was a lot of pressure. Do they really expect him to do this all on his own? Could he? Should he? Would he?
"No!" He thought to himself. "I have to! I've come too far now! I made a promise to mom! I can't give up! I can't!" Jayden thought to himself, closing his eyes. Suddenly he felt someone taking his right hand. He opened his eyes and looked. It was Ziera.
"Z-Ziera." Jayden gasped.
"Jayden. You've saved my life twice already. The least I can do to pay you back is support you. Whatever you decide, I've got your back okay?" Ziera said, giving Jayden a smile.
Jayden looked Ziera in the eye and just like that he felt his confidence rise again. It was just like before back at Lockwood. She just had a way of getting Jayden to do his best. Jayden smiled. He couldn't be more thankful to have met her back on that street that night.
He then looked back at The Order. "Okay! I accept it! I'll go along with your plan to find those relics and kick Zenal's ass! I plan to become a great hero just like the guardians of esos. I want to give people like my mom and the others in Lockwood a better world to live in! I want to be their hero! And if it means fighting a thousand of those relic spirits or fighting Zenal a million times over, then bring it on!" Jayden said, pumping his fist.
The Order looks at him all giving different reactions.
Tenjin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh boy." He said.
Cory just giggled. "My! Such courage! He'll definitely fit in!" She said.
Odysseus stood there dumbfounded. "A simple yes, would have sufficed." He said.
Merlin laughed. "The boy has promise! I like him already! Ahahahaha!"
Emilia was crying. "Tha-that was so beautiful!" Emilia said sobbing.
Henro was crossing his arms looking annoyed. "Are you kidding that? That was so corny I thought I was in a cornfield." He spat.
"Alright. Now that all of that is settled, your first relic will be from the Kingdom of Titus. It'll take a few days to reach but thankfully it's an easy one as we have good relations with the king so he should be more reasonable with giving us the relic. Still be prepared for anything." Cory said.
"You heard her. Are you up for this kid?" Tenjin asked with a grin.
Jayden looked at Ziera and she gave him a nod as she smirked. Jayden smirked back and then faced Tenjin.
"Hell yeah! A hero's job is never finished, and mine just started, am I right?"
***
Miles away from Lockwood and out in a grassy field, are the corpses of dragons. Not just any dragons, fire dragons. Warriors from the Fire Dragon Kingdom of Ifrit. Whether they be big or small there were about 20 dragons down dead on the dirt. All killed by one man. The very same man who was sitting atop of a giant dragon's head eating the flesh off its bones.
Fury the Fenrir, of the Machina Empire. A member of Zenal's elite warriors, The Crimson Knights.
He was a tall middle aged man. About 6'8. He had long black hair, a thin beard, was muscular with huge biceps, sharp teeth, dark blue eyes and sharp black tattoos painted all over his chest and back. He also has large scars all over his body including fresh ones from his recent battle, blood leaking from his chest and was currently shirtless as his armor was torn to shreds.
While Fury was busy eating, he got a call. It was from his majesty, Lord Zenal. Fury grinned showing his bloodied sharp teeth. He threw the bone, answered the call and bowed to his lord and majesty. Out of his communicator came a giant hologram of Zenal who stood above Fury.
"General Fury." Zenal said.
"Lord Zenal. How may I serve you?" Fury asked.
"In the only way you can. Begin the hunt for Ragnarok's new wielder........Jayden Cortez."
Fury gave a wide sadistic smile and then roared out into the sky.
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