The entire legion of the titan were neck deep in battle, fighting their way out of rifts and pathways similar to what the claws had faced and overcame. Hajin and his Kaminaris losing quite a good number of their Prometheans, Yemi and his brawlers fighting a siege battle against a master ranked multi-tentacled creature while Tomasa engaged in an almost aerial battle against flying nameless horrors.

Through it all, the legion persevered, breaking out elixirs upon elixirs they had stockpiled, entire squads resulting to typical dungeon delving tactics with the Prometheans acting as the tanks, the Ijas being at the frontline with them.

Ashas rained from the skies in heaps, the ascenders piloting them having to jump out lest they die from the hordes of creatures that assaulted them. Soon enough, each cohort found signs of each other as they fought their ways out of the rifts, entire cohorts linking up squad by squad and then division by division. The price was steep, the victories paid in literal lives and the forces of the abyss pushed back to the pathways they came from, the commanders of the cohorts shutting down the pathways they came from.

Moyo felt it all as he moved deeper into the castle, the one lifeline he held to the outside realm, Idris at his side, trying not to buckle under the immense power of the abyss that oppressed them. Standing right next to Moyo, relieved some of that burden though, Moyo himself marched forwards as his aspect flared, shielding him and Idris from the worst of its effects. He could feel both Molrik and Mortas in the air though, he could feel the eyes of the lord mutator, one of the lords of the abyss focusing his full attention on the battle being waged here,

And it was terrifying,

The only solace Moyo took from this, was the fact that this meant the other planetary forces wouldn’t face the full brunt of just what he was facing, giving them time to press harder. He made no mistake though, a lot of lives would be lost, and even now as he fought the aspect of the mutator, seeking to go deeper into this hellish landscape, he could feel his legion dying. It hurt deeper than he could explain, like an iron brand pressed to his heart, but it would be all for naught if he couldn’t get to Mortas himself.

A moment of anger flashed in his mind at the brigade’s arcane generals and the rulers who waited behind for the way to the crane lance be opened up for them, paid in the blood and lives of ascenders whose only offense were seeking a better life for their families and loved ones. Although Moyo had instituted the process of reparations for those who died in his service, it was not enough, but compared to the other planetary forces whose members were treated as fodder, it left a bile taste in his mouth.

“Pathetic, is it not?” the voice of Mortas rang around him, Idris grunting as sweat beaded down his face,

Moyo touched his champion, fueling his titan aspect core with more of his powers, Idris looking at him gratefully as he stood straight. Moyo glanced up, sage’s eyes glowing as he saw the powers of the abyss coalescing, summoning something into this place and time. He summoned Gegun. The anathema of the abyss burned bright around him, tapping more into his aspect as he felt a bit lightheaded.

It showed him just how much aspect and Ashe he was burning just by standing in a place of power of the mutator, Mortas chuckled,

“Your so called rulers sent you to die in their name, like preys to the slaughter, your lives thrown away in an endless grind to preserve their selfish existence for just another day, have they no pity?’ the crane lance asked,

Moyo swung Gegun once, his intent and aspect blazing as it set fire to everything around him, horrible shrieks of pain and despair echoing around as whatever creature Mortas was summoning was burnt, scorched from the inside out. The crane lance cursed,

“And yet, we persevere” Moyo replied, his power echoing his voice, Idris standing at the ready, weapon of the titan held and glowing, eyes vigilant,

“For every one of us you kill, we take a hundred of yours, we fight for the survival of the universe, not to become lapdogs of some abyssal being as you have become”

“The abyss is inevitable, we are the beginning of creation, and we will be the last” Mortas said,

Moyo flashed his aura around, pinpointing just where the voice was coming from, another layer of reality as he realized. The castle was layered upon multiple layers of existence, the same went for the fortress itself, explaining why and just how big the structure was. That meant some of the planetary forces were on higher levels, all pushing towards the same plane of existence as the crane lane.

He would get there first, seeing the crucible he was going through, and he would test his strength against the empowered crane lance, for one thing was clear when it came to abyssal masters and creatures high on their ranking list, his rank and position as a primordial mattered little to them.

A side of the walls of the fortress grew a sickly green colour before bursting open like an open wound. Moyo cursed, frustrated with himself with not seeing the obvious trick, Mortas had drawn his attention to the summoning above him, ensuring he ignored thee summons that was happening just under his nose.

The creature of abyssal power and shadows tore out of the abyss into reality, manifesting as a creature of smoke and bones,

No, Moyo thought as he shook his head,

This is the abyss, time to start thinking differently,

Idris shot forwards, roaring as he swung the bastard blade in his hand, Moyo’s eyes going wide at the suddenness. The creature lunged, its shriek visibly rippling through the air, carrying with it the authority of Molrik, Moyo had seen enough of the that particular ability to know where this was going. One step of Ogun through the abyssal aspect that sought to repel him, he was there, saving Idris from the power of Molrik.

His aspect flaring, he grabbed his champion by the collar, shoving him backwards and taking the full brunt of the attack. Groaning as the power sought to transform him into an abomination, his aspect baptized him with its fire, purging the powers of the mutator forcefully as he gritted his pain. Gegun flashed as the creature sought to skewer him, shearing off a claw from its limb as the creature shrieked in pain, retreating in a burst of smoke.

Idris stood up behind Moyo who felt him,

“Find the path out, let me deal with this creature” he growled,

Idris knew better than to argue, nodding and racing ahead, his eyes peeled open for any foes that may arrive. Moyo turned back to the creature, Gegun and dominion that manifested in his other hand, taking a stance, he watched as his willpower and Ashe were bent towards just shielding him from the effects of the abyss. He subtly wondered at the fluctuating control of the abyss, one moment it was weak in some areas and the next he was close to being overwhelmed.

Whatever Molrik was planning, he was sure it would be deadly, and Moyo wasn’t sure he was prepared to face it. Taking a deep breath, he shot forwards to meet the creature, Digi aye flaring and biting chunks out of its power, his aspect burning those chunks to nothing. The power of the creature was not something he wanted inside him, or anywhere close to him for that matter.

Oshosi’s ferocity screamed, Moyo dodging what looked like smoky tentacles from touching him as he tried to get close to the creature, the thing being wise enough to avoid that, zipping across the room that constantly changed shape to throw him off its trajectory. Moyo burned brighter, sage’s eyes flaring as he calmed his nerves, drawing his two blades back, he waited for the right moment.

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Reflexively dodging the attacks of the creature when it ventured too close to him, his Digi aye and Oshosi flaring whenever it did indeed get too close to him, not enough for what he had planned though. The moment came soon enough, the creature frustrated with its attacks that failed to pierce his skin, his cloth burnt and shredded though, it decided to go for his throat,

A deadly mistake,

Gegun cut through the air, dominion right behind it. One decapitating the creature, Gegun burning with his aspect and dominion stabbing through its body,

“Black hole” Moyo said,

The body crumpled in on itself, the blackhole ripping everything around it to shreds, the power sucking everything the titan intended around him. Flinging it skywards, he felt the explosion rock the layers of reality Mortas had delicately woven. It punched a hole right through, no doubt the attack drawing the attention of the other planetary forces. Turning in the direction Idris had gone, he flicked the gore of the creature off the blade,

“I have no idea where you keep bringing these creatures from Mortas” he said,

“But you’ll find that I have little patience for useless vermin, see you soon” he finished, smiling as he shot forwards,

He could feel the palpable rage of the crane lance, the high brother of the cult raging against him wherever it was, but Moyo could care less. Idris was neck deep in fighting sickly looking elves, this particular species forgoing the usual bow and arrows they were popular for in myths and legends to wield lethal looking knives.

Unsure of what exactly they were, he tore his way through, only to smash against a shield of blistering abyssal energy, rebounding back in shock, he saw one of the elves with a staff, a crystal that glowed green and poured abyssal energies in his hands,

“Great, they have a mage” he muttered,

Flexing his willpower, he shattered the shield, going straight for the mage who snarled and uttered a spell. Oshosi and sage’s eyes warned him of what was coming, titans might suffusing his body, Moyo grabbed the figure that appeared out of thin air, not summoned. Perhaps it had been hiding, seeking to catch him off guard, not a terrible idea, just stupid against him. He crushed its skull, the being of stone and abyssal energies shrieking in pain as the titan aspect literally burnt its essence to nothing.

The elves fighting Idris all laid in heaps of sliced body paths, Idris resting on the blade,

“You forgot one” he said, Moyo glanced at the mage who was retreating slowly,

“Another step and I promise you, your death won’t be nice” Moyo said,

He wasn’t sure if the elf understood him, but it got the meaning and paused, withering stare at him and Idris,

“it’s like the abyss just keeps creating new species” Idris said,

“And out of myths no doubt” Moyo replied,

Pointing Gegun at the mage who visibly paled and shrunk from the blade in terror,

“Tell me, where is Mortas crane lance?” he asked,

The elf hissed, eyes glowing,

“That can’t be good” Idris muttered,

“You think?” Moyo drily replied,

The elf froze up, becoming rigid as it looked like it was possessed, Moyo sent dominion to his vault, Gegun in one hand and walking closer to the creature. It cocked its head to one side, a snarl on its face,

“Titan blade” it said,

“Mortas, taking a page from your master’s book of possessing his underlings I see” he replied,

“that’s Mortas?” Idris asked,

“More or less, just a projection, the main creature is hiding somewhere in this fortress, and I intend to root him out like a rat” Moyo said,

“Your ego has grown bigger than your strength, you think everyone is beneath your feet” Mortas hissed,

“are you okay there?, you sort of sound like, you know, you’ve got a bad migraine” Moyo replied as Idris coughed into his hands, hiding a smile,

The elf glared as its eyes glowed green and its body began to visibly decay,

“Careful there, you’re burning your vessel faster than I think you’re anticipating” Moyo quipped,

“Nothing would give me more pleasure than to kill you myself, sacrifice you to lord Molrik, but alas, we must deal with bigger issues than your insignificant existence” Mortas hissed,

“you mean the brigade and rulers?, oh don’t worry, they’re coming for you, after I’m done pummelling you to nothing” Moyo replied,

Mortas laughed, his voice coming out in echoes,

“those beings?, apart from the jade, there are steps in place to handle them, no, what I talk about is one who has thrown off the shackles of the archailect completely, your death blade” Mortas hissed,

Ajax,

Moyo involuntarily gripped Gegun harder, the purple fires flaring brighter,

“Ah, I see that I’ve managed to touch a nerve, my apologies there, titan blade” Mortas taunted,

“For his blood would be shed soon enough, and once we’re done with him, I’m coming for you” Mortas hissed gleefully,

Moyo shook his head,

“don’t be stupid, I can tell you’re having a nightmare just keeping him in check” Moyo said,

“Infact, something tells me Ajax has left this galaxy, heading for the planet dire itself I presume?” Moyo continued, watching the rigidness of Mortas,

“And if my assumption is true, then that means you guys are throwing everything at him to slow down his advance, good Ajax, always throwing a wrench in everyone’s plans” Moyo said with a smile,

“Insolence, five chosen or elites as you call them of the lords of the abyss have gone after him, he will be dead soon enough” Mortas snarled,

“oh yeah?, and how many has he killed so far?” Moyo asked,

Mortas paused, as if shocked,

“What are you implying?” he growled,

Moyo noticed Idris has subtly faded away, perhaps some skill of his, but his peripheral vision showed the Geb hand pointing at a slightly glowing sigil on the wall,

Bingo Moyo thought,

Still facing Mortas, he droned on,

“If the lords of the abyss are sending elites after him, it must mean he has put a significant dent in your fighting force, and knowing Ajax, he definitely has killed some of the elites, so how many?” he asked folding his arms,

Mortas hissed as the elf’s body was slowly turning to sludge,

“Soon titan blade” he hissed,

“Soon I will be the one driving a lance through your body, I will keep you barely alive to watch me transform your world into a hellish landscape, and I when I’m done, you will beg for death, you will plead for the sweet release of oblivion” Mortas said,

Moyo sent a tendril of his aspect towards the sigil, smiling,

“oh yeah?, not if we come for you first pus face” he replied,

Mortas laughed, his body already shrinking,

“you mean the forces sent against me?, they are nothing, you were the main threat and soon enough, your forces would be annihilated, you are not getting to that world” he hissed,

“Bother about yourself Mortas crane lance” he said softly,

His aspect lashed out, seizing control of the sigil as Mortas’s eyes widened, the sigil as Moyo had discovered, was a link, a sort of router if he could use the terminology for Mortas to send his essence around the fortress. There must had been hundreds of those things around the fortress and Moyo wanted to smack himself in the head for not noticing that earlier.

Luck and fate had allowed him to latch onto the one Mortas had used to find him and he wasn’t letting go, not yet, not until he found him. Driving his aspect through like a bullet, he tore through the sigil, Mortas pushing his entire willpower on him, trying to force him out,

“depart” the crane lance ordered,

Moyo amidst the contest of wills he didn’t think Mortas could bring up against him smiled,

“no” he replied,

Then he was through, his perception alone, but he had found the place where the crane lance resided and it almost tore his mind apart. His titan aspect holding his mind from the mutative energies of the abyss that twisted and tore the place every second, remaking it back in the most grotesque shapes ever possible. Moyo groaned as the saw the crane lance, attacked to a tall column of green metal, energy-like cables coming and going from his body, and surrounding him were Devigians.

These were dressed in green robes, chanting prayers to Molrik and turned as one to him, snarling at his perception and power that had breached their most unholy site. They began chanting, the abyss causing some sort of nausea that affected his mortal form, kneeling back in the hallway, he groaned, forcing his titan aspect to hold on,

“Idris, council” he groaned,

Idris responded immediately, realizing what his lord meant, Moyo however could feel the full force of whatever spell they were chanting slowly pushing him out. In one last effort, he dropped it, a burning piece of his aspect that he fed the entirety of his power he could muster at once, willing it to explode in that realm of decay and mutation. Explode it did, lighting up the entire place as it burnt the Devigian priests that came too close for comfort, leaving them as piles of bones and ashes.

It didn’t reach Mortas though, the remaining Devigian priests whipping out shields over shields that managed to stop the brunt of the attack, Mortas, a sickly form hovering on the column smiled,

“You failed” he said,

Moyo just gave him a weak smile as his mind slipped out of the realm, rejoining his body before slipping to the ground in exhaustion,

“did I?’ he asked softly as the powers that be descended on the fortress, a light smile on his face.