The third island had been cleared of serpents, Moyo and Ashira knowing well enough to avoid staying in the air for long periods due to attacks from the avians. Moyo had an itch they were being followed, but after glancing repeatedly behind them with his Digi Aye and seeing nothing, he had resolved to simply let whatever it was reveal itself. Gold rank had opened his eyes to the sheer power he wielded, constantly having sparring bouts with Ashira had also shown him what a monster she was, albeit a patient and deadly one who struck when he least expected it.
Nine out of the ten bouts he had lost, which was telling the level of skill she had. She switched between her three different modes in less than a second, alternating between blocking his evolved attacks that hit like a mountain, to slowing him down with her toxins before rampaging on him with her golden feral mode. The bright part about all of it was the simple fact that he could match her move for move as compared to when he was bronze or silver. They had spent the whole day scouting the last lines of islands, being fully aware that the easy run they had enjoyed if it could be called that was coming to an end.
Moyo crossed his hands as he stared at the next island that pulsed like the heartbeat of a monster, already he could see signs of the birds on it. Ashira walked close to him, her brown robe flapping in the air,
“Looks daunting, doesn’t it?” she said softly,
He nodded, even if he couldn’t see the actual colors, the myriad of aether that pulsed along with the island was enough to inform him he would be peeking behind the curtains of diamond fights. He turned to her, Ashira glowing with gold rank strength,
“I’m not sure I want to pick this fight, not yet anyways” he said,
Ashira shrugged,
“Then we don’t, we let the other kingdoms converge on these set of islands and we pick up after them, the scraps from the fights of diamonds are valuables to gold” she replied,
“How long, this is the fourth day” he grumbled,
“Soon, I have a feeling they’d converge soon” she said,
Moyo was about to reply when he felt vibrations in the aether coming from behind them, whipping dominion out in time to intercept a hook forged out of pure aether that dispersed immediately under his realm he summoned also. Ashira whipped out her blade watching as shapes began to walk out of the tree line, four in number. Moyo stood patiently as they paused,
“Are you by any means the titan blade and his companion?” one of them asked,
They were all gold from what their auras were telling him,
“Black swords and glowing sun” Ashira whispered to him,
“there’s someone else beyond the tree line, another gold, be careful” he whispered back,
“it’s unpolite to ignore a question” another one of them spoke,
Moyo decided to give them numbers, he couldn’t be bothered with their names,
“I’m not sure where you’re from, but where I come from strangers don’t just try to kill a person in greeting” he replied,
Number 1, the first on the left who had spoken before laughed,
“Must be peaceful where you come from, however, you still haven’t answered my question though” he said,
Moyo shrugged,
“What if I am?”
“You have something we need, a weapon, a core forged weapon, give it to us and we spare your lives” number 4 said, the last on the right,
Moyo glanced at him,
“Core forged?” he asked,
“don’t play games with us, the weapon you used in harming your fellow red dust ascender” number 2 next to number 1 spoke,
Moyo frowned,
“How did they know?” he whispered to Ashira in alarm,
“Play along” she whispered back before turning to them,
“We have no idea what you speak of, and why you’d think we would turn against our own ascenders baffles me” she said,
“Spare us the lies, your own kingdom sold you out” number 3 said,
Moyo glanced at the figure beyond the three lines, the particular grey aether swirling around him revealing who it was,
“Heron, too scared to face us?” he shouted,
The figure dropped from the trees and walked out, his cover blown, Heron raving wind, gold ranker snarled as he gripped his two short blades in his hands,
“The both of you are disgraces to your kingdom, you will both die here today”
“I see, after you attempted to use us to farm legendary weapons” Moyo said,
“It doesn’t matter anymore, your lives are forfeit” Heron replied,
“Are you by any means talking about this weapon?” Moyo asked as he idly brought out Oro,
The four ascenders from the rival kingdoms twitched,
“a core forged weapon indeed, hand it over and the black sword kingdom would protect you from any consequences” number 1 said,
“That wasn’t the deal!” Heron hissed,
“We care not for the deal, we only need the weapon” number 3 said,
“Sorry to burst your bubbles, but it only works for me” Moyo said,
“Then we will rip it from your cold dead hands!” number 3 snarled as he produced a large metal gun looking weapon,
“You can try” Ashira replied coldly as all the ascenders launched their realms together, the island quaking under the combined force of gold rankers,
Moyo’s realm easily tore away the realm of number 1, a realm filled with mist and intent. The both of them clashing under a shower of blades and intent, Moyo channeled his ferocity of Oshosi, dodging attacks as he laid his steadfast rage on the ascender that grunted under the force before phasing away in a burst of mist,
“HOLD” Moyo commanded as the mist began to take shape,
“FREE” the voice of the ascender replied, shaking the command Moyo had uttered and allowing him to escape the cut of dominion,
Ferocity of Oshosi screamed at him to roll and dodge another hook that came for him from behind, dispersing it with Digi Aye and punching the gold ranker who blasted backwards with a crunch. The mage crashed into the ground, ribs broken as Moyo landed on him with his knees, furthering the damage. Dominion raised high, he rolled away from number 2 in time to avoid getting skewered by the blade of number 1. Number 2 guzzled an elixir of healing as his bones snapped back into place with a crunch, standing up to stay beside number 1 that protected him.
Ashira had been fighting the two ascenders of the glowing sun, a mage, and a weapon user, however, that was all the focus he could glean of the fight as the two black swords pressed him again, Moyo alternating between using his sword to deflect the blade of number 1 and using his Digi Aye to disperse the chains of number 2. Dodging the blade of number 1, he grabbed number 2, impaling him with Oro that switched with dominion in a second, the blade passing through his ribs before getting stuck there.
Kicking number two back and using his palms to catch the shadowy blade of number 1, he grounded to a halt, grinning,
“What have you done!” number 1 shouted, glancing behind to see his companion writhing on the ground in pure agony,
Moyo used the opportunity to kick him backwards, using a step of Ogun to appear in front of number 2 before dragging Oro straight through his shoulder blades, effectively dooming him to a slow death. Number 1 roared in anger as the skies above Moyo were filled with intent shaping into black blades,
“Fall!” number 1 roared, raining the blades down on Moyo,
Using his dance of Sango to weave between the blades, moyo held dominion in hand, using it to deflect those he couldn’t. With a burst of his realm and Digi Aye he dispersed the rest, catching number 1 trying to drag and draw Oro off the body of his almost dead companion. He recoiled in agony as he gripped the blade, the scream dying in his throat with dominion removing his head off his shoulders. The body of the ascender rolled on the ground, blood spilling before breaking down to aether and essence.
Moyo turned to Ashira who had impaled the mage with her clawed gauntlet and was using his body to deflect the shots of intent from the bolt weapon of the weapon user. Drawing Oro from the body of the mage that turned to green putrid sludge, he threw it straight at the weapon user who had to roll away as he dodged the blade, right into the blade of Ashira that impaled him straight through the heart. Moyo turned in time to deflect the attack of Heron that had managed to sneak up on him, a kick into the ribs of the raving wing sent the gold ranker rolling in the sand.
Heron spat out sand as he took a stance, blades forwards,
“it’s over, get out of here” Ashira said,
“You would pay for this” Heron growled,
“I have half the mind to end you right now” Moyo growled,
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Heron smiled and raised one hand up,
“You should had when you had the chance” he said as he shout a bolt of grey intent skywards, the energy exploding in the air as shrieks replied,
Moyo’s eyes widened,
“You fool!” he shouted as Heron laughed, birds falling out of the skies above, talons gleaming,
Moyo cast his realm, overlaying it with Ashira’s as the birds came for them,
Heron flew towards the forest as Moyo snarled,
“HOLD” he commanded,
Heron froze in terror as one of the birds seized him and tore him into two, effectively ending the life of the gold ranker. Three birds had appeared, with one going after the now dead Heron, the two left turned their gazes to Moyo and Ashira. Blasting forwards with pure rage Moyo twisted in the air as he poured intent and aura through dominion, the blade glowing as he brought it crashing down on the first bird that used its wings to block the attack, its diamond crusted wings cracking before pushing Moyo back.
The skies blazed with golden light as Ashira unleashed the full might of her golden mantle, pure intent rained down in the shape of blades as Moyo marveled at the pure aggressive power of her path. The birds hunkered down, giving Moyo the chance to blast forwards, fist drawn back as he roared the command that splintered reality right in front of him,
“BREAK!”
The air in front of the bird shattered with the sound of breaking glass as he collided with the body of the bird, agony lanced straight through his entire body as he collided with the diamond ranked monster. Ashira was one step behind him, her blade poised to drive straight through the beaked mouth of the bird,
“RENDER” she whispered as the command echoed around them with all the power of a gold ranker,
Her blade tore straight through the beaked mouth of the bird, straight through its brain. Grabbing her, he rolled out of the way of the sonic scream the second bird released. Ashira grabbed her blade, drawing it out with a sucking wet noise from the head of the diamond ranked bird. Together they blinked out of the path of the two birds that remained,
“We need to escape!” he growled,
“Close your eyes!” she shouted back,
Moyo didn’t have time to tell her he was blind as she blazed to light with all the power of an exploding star, his Digi Aye sight blazed golden as the power of Ashira bleached his sight golden. Averting his eyes, he felt her grab his hand and push them in what he assumed was the direction of the next island. His body impacted the ground as he grunted, rolling to a stop with the golden light receding. He opened his eyes, the purple landscape of his Digi Aye sight being restored, but with the wisps of golden aura floating around.
Ashira panted close to him, in the distance the birds screeched in pain as their eyes smoked, his HUD lighting up with loots from the diamond ranked bird they had managed to kill, pushing him to 406. Together they crept into the forest, keenly aware they were in avian territory. Taking a minute to rest, they slumped on a tree,
“That was close” she whispered,
He nodded,
“Heron, that bastard” Moyo replied,
“we’ve been betrayed from all angles, we might as well be lone ascenders with enemies on all sides” Ashira said,
Moyo at up, eyes gleaming as he nodded as Ashira brought up her HUD,
“No choice, we have to contact them” she said again,
Shaking his head, he stopped her,
“No, wait, not yet”
Ashira raised an eyebrow,
“what do you mean not yet?, we’re beset by golds and diamonds on all sides” she said,
“And the diamonds are held back by the unspoken rule not to go after those below them, meaning we only have golds to deal with” he replied,
“Moyo, dearest Moyo, it’s not an actual rule, it’s just etiquette that should be followed in civilized societies” she started,
“look around you, we’re in a dungeon, if diamonds kill us, what sane gold would speak against their words?, we’d be dead to even refute the claim”
Moyo stared at her with a level gaze, her outline of swirling gold, green and brown aura outlining her shape,
“True, but, excuse me if I sound pertinent, the masters won’t be with us forever” he said,
“The sooner we learn to handle situations by ourselves, the better”
Ashira shook her head,
“don’t do this, the whole we strive on our own thing” she sighed,
“we’d be long dead without the masters at critical steps of our ascensions, you said it yourself, those with power exist to protect those weaker than them”
Moyo nodded, resting back and closing his eyes,
“But I doubt they could storm into a diamond ranked dungeon unless they get into a fight with the master of this world” Moyo replied,
“True, but they’d come up with a plan, and we can follow such” Ashira said,
With a sigh, he nodded in acceptance as Ashira crafted the message,
“Then I have a message to send to king Biyo then” he said with a grin,
“oh?, what message?” Ashira asked,
Moyo simply grinned,
“let’s make sure the birds are gone though” he replied,
*******************
King Biyo and his retinue flew through the forest of trees, the last of the low pulsing trees, his HUD blinked with a message from the titan blade. He landed on a tree at the realization of who had sent the message, he opened it up as his eyes widened in shock and then in rage. The diamond rankers around him paused in the air,
“My king?” Zortes asked,
“Change of plans, we head straight for the boss” he growled,
“What?” Haran asked, stupefied,
King Biyo turned to them, eyes flashing,
“We don’t have time!” he growled, sending them the message,
The female diamond ranker that served as the healer retched at the sight of the message, Zortes cursed and Haran stared in shock. The headless body and mutilated parts of the golds sent after the titan and the Kairos girl lay strewn across the ground, taken in time before their bodies had faded to aether. Davin who had sufficiently healed went white as a sheet at the sight of his fellow guardian, trembling with barely withheld rage.
King Biyo nodded and then sent the next image, this one had everyone pausing in pure terror,
“We assumed there was a reason for her disguise, but it seems we were wrong, we need to get out of this dungeon in time to change the narrative and quick” king Biyo said, his voice hiding the tinge of fear behind it,
The next few days would decide even if he would enjoy the fruit of his labors or be nothing but dust,
“Should we contact the other two kingdoms?, we need their help with the dungeon boss” Haran said,
“I’ve sent the image, the mutilated one to the two kingdoms,” Biyo said,
His HUD tinged with a call as he brought it out for the rest of his retinue to see, the faces of both kings appeared, rage filling their steely gaze,
“Two of my golds dead, two from the sun and only one from the dust, explain why we shouldn’t come raining down retribution on your kingdom?” king Zahil asked,
Alsius, king of the glowing sun merely stared at king Biyo, rage simmering,
“I recall agreeing on sending just one gold from each kingdom, instead two golds showed up from your kingdoms?” king Biyo said,
“Besides that, I relish the challenge that you both would provide for my kingdom, assuming lord Jager doesn’t have your heads for trying to cull each other without his express say so”
“you would take on the might of both our kingdoms?, your hubris indeed knows no boundaries, perhaps we should indeed attack, forgiveness is better than permission” Alsius said,
King Biyo grinned a most devilish grin with his face as his eyes were alight with excitement,
“Then come fellow diamonds, let us give this world a battle unlike never before, then we can all die by the hands of lord Jager” he said,
Zahil stared then nodded,
“This means war Biyo, in this dungeon and when we leave, because I swear by my kingdom and position, you won’t leave this dungeon, not complete” he said,
“The glowing sun agrees to this pact also” Alsius replied also,
King Biyo laughed,
“Oh, and one more thing, I just sent you an image” king Biyo said,
The two kings paused as they opened the image, then their faces went white as a dead man as they stared at it in abject horror, as one they canceled the connection. King Biyo turned to his retinue,
“Onwards, we have no time to waste”
The image had the arranged words written “house Kairos sends their regards”
***************
Master Killian stood opposite master Haden that had returned to his ship, Ajax death blade sat behind them, idly picking his nails with his blade,
“I need my ascenders out of that dungeon” Killian said,
“the brigade-“
“I don’t care about the brigade, there was a blight sighting on that world, it could get glassed, plus they’re going against three kingdoms” Killian growled, intercepting master Haden,
“And I’m aware, however, the reaping is as sacred to house Ironash as it is to our rulers, the world had been isolated from the flow of aether from its nexus point, you have a brigade armada coming in for some reason I’m not sure and the new master of the planet, Jager Azartes has assimilated his edicts and in no position to go rumbling through his new domain” Haden said,
A figure suddenly appeared in the air outside the ship, silver shaggy beards with oversized muscles and a large black Warhammer slung behind him, silver hair cascading behind him and on his chest, an armor of silver that radiated master ranked strength,
“I believe that is Jager?” master Killian asked Haden, master Haden nodded,
The ship opened up to admit the master that stepped in softly,
“Jager Azartes can speak for himself, master Haden” the rumbling voice of the patriarch of house Azartes said,
Ajax glanced at him, eyed him for a second, and turned away. Jager Azartes narrowed his eyes,
“that’s no way to treat a fellow master” Jager said as Ajax snorted,
“Master Jager, congratulations on stepping into our realm, however, I have ascenders, ascenders of house thousand blade and Kairos stuck in your reaping” Killian said,
Jager nodded, scratching his beard as he eyed Ajax,
“So my descendants inform me, I could care less for this titan blade of yours, the Kairos girl is my priority” Jager replied as everyone paused,
Ajax had begun to emit a black miasma, back wisps of aura leaked out of his frame as he froze,
“Could you repeat that again, Jager?” he said softly,
Jager Azartes grinned and placed one arm on his Warhammer,
“You draw that and your ascension ends now and here” Killian said with steel in his voice,
Jager glanced to see the eyes of the stellar blade glowing with barely unleashed power, master Haden simply crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, as if watching kids,
“Your master threatened me” Jager said,
Haden chuckled and shook his head,
“You might be new to the realm of master, but don’t be stupid. That right there is Ajax death blade, the death blade, if he wanted you dead you wouldn’t even know it”
Jager’s eyes widened at the realization, slowly he removed his hand from his Warhammer as the oppressive feeling in the room abated,
“A wise choice Jager” Killian said,
Ajax sighed and swirled his chair away from them, reclining it back as he closed his eyes and paid no attention to them any longer, but master Killian knew him well enough, he was listening with all the attention he could muster, which was little if master Killian readily admitted to himself. Master Killian turned back to the two masters,
“So?, how can this situation be remedied?, it appears the three kingdoms on your continent are after my ascenders, ascenders that will represent house thousand blades in the coming swordsmen tournament” Killian said,
“The brigade overseer has restricted access to the particular dungeon they currently occupy, they are under the suspicion of being a link to the blight infestation” Jager said,
“All these have been explained to me by master Haden, it’s not a solution” Killian argued,
Jager shrugged,
“The best we can do is hope to survive the dungeon and meet us once they escape, my authority for now currently only extends to when they leave the dungeon as long as the overseer hovers over this world” Jager explained,
“Then we leave them be” Ajax said as they all turned to him,
“What?” Killian said, not quite sure what he heard,
Ajax adjusted his posture,
“The brigade wouldn’t bend to four masters, they never do, we can’t access the dungeon and last I heard, they’re golds, we leave them be” Ajax replied,
“Putting aside the apocalypse that would happen should house Kairos realize their favored daughter is dead, you want to bet your hopes on a bunch of golds surviving a diamond dungeon?” Killian said,
“Favored daughter?” Haden echoed, as confused as Jager,
Killian glanced at them, sending them a message as Jager went pale white and Haden sucked in a breath,
“Impossible, the rumors- “
“Were true” Killian said darkly,
“So, you see, you see what I’m trying to avoid, help me” Killian pleaded,
Jager stepped out of the ship and spoke,
“Overseer Iveph!”
In a blink, the android overseer of the brigade stood in front of them,
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again no” the overseer said,
“experts” Jager said,
‘what?” the overseer asked,
“If we stepped in as experts once they live the dungeon, can we extract them from harm?” Jager asked,
The overseer stared, then nodded,
“Assuming the blight doesn’t manifest and they escape, fine” he said before winking out of existence,
“Damn brigade” Haden muttered,
“So, it’s settled then, we wait and hope they escape” Haden said,
‘That isn’t reassuring, they’re going up against diamonds and diamond monsters” Killian said again,
“Ascend or die, the odds are never in our favor Killian. Ashira would be fine, no one would be stupid enough to hurt a scion of house Kairos, the titan blade though?, well” Ajax said as he grinned,
“Well?” Killian asked, perturbed by his smile,
“I might had sent a message to him, something to occupy his time while in the diamond ranked dungeon” Ajax said,
Killian stepped closer to the master who had a smile on his face even as he laid back on the chair,
“What message Ajax” Killian asked,
Ajax sent the message to him as Killian read it and face palmed himself,
“Ascend or die”