Chapter 79: Duel Under The Raining Skies
The top half of the ship that did not hold Zan and Lara, immediately started to fall. Quickly a Rain Priest barked out orders and numerous people shoved themselves inside the row boats, only to be pushed out screaming in midair until a rain cloud slithered below them.
The other piece of the ship however, shook and trembled but continued to float among the clouds despite losing its other half. The purity of blood in her veins and the magical blue light on Lara’s hand was not just for show, her power would keep them afloat for as long as she was alive.
Winds whistled and rain continued to fall. Under that heaven-separating strike, gazes met where the clouds did not. All others may have fallen to their knees, but Zan continued to stand proudly, refusing to bend.
Zan’s eyes sparked red with fire, they contained eagerness, passion and movement. Contrary to his opponent, the swordsman's eyes were mellow, calm and…unnaturally still as if time had stopped for him.
Despite the clashing ideas they represented, for a brief moment they recognized something profoundly similar in each other's eyes.
“...What is that?” A smooth, relaxed voice came out of the swordsman.
He gazed deeper.
In their gaze that was both romantic and murderous, the two suddenly flinched. Previously assaulted by Reh-Tom's ocular powers, and now spurred on by the man’s massive metaphysical power, Zan’s mysterious eldritch powers unknowingly activated.
A brief moment, no longer than half a second, passed by. Yet within that moment, Zan entered a world of flooding rain mixed with blood.
Lightning struck, and illuminated the earth with bluish undertones. The momentary light helped him to see within the apocalyptic rain, and in the distance, was a vague figure that laid on the ground lifeless. A feeling of extreme, heart wrenching loss started to consume him, and the rapid rain that poured from the sky like bullets, started to fall slower and slower, until time had totally frozen for them.
Suddenly he snapped out of his trance. Albeit just for a moment, it felt like a lifetime.
Zan’s gaze once again focused on his imminent opponent, and he found that the swordsman was equally dazed and confused. Looking closer, the swordsman's pitch black eyes now held colors of orange, yellow, and red. His eyes held traces— remnants— of burning skies and violently tragic, scorching loss.
“What was that…” He breathed out deeply.
The Rain Swordsman focused his gaze on Zan once again. He lowered his sword that was previously pointing up at the sky, into a horizontal position where the flat side of the blade was more susceptible to the collision of the raindrops.
Many would think his actions were simple— he must have lowered his blade momentarily to think thoroughly about how to advance— but instead his actions carried another, hidden underlying meaning.
To those with sharp and keen ears, they could decipher that the rhythm of the raindrops that particularly fell on his sword sounded out in an irregular way. The sound of the rain was random everywhere else, but the raindrops that fell on the sword seemed to be musically organized. As they danced on the blue katana, they produced a song that was both expressive and communicative. It was otherworldly, it sounded like a beautiful but alien melody.
Leaning his ears into that song, the Everrain Swordsman communicated with the worldly natural spirits of the eternal rain. As he closed his eyes to listen further, a less mysterious conversation was taking place on the half afloat ship.
…
“Hey.”
“Rain girl. I’m talking to you.”
“Wha– What?”
“He’s the strongest you’ve got right?”
“Doesn’t that mean when I beat him I’ll have five healthy ships?”
“Whe– When!?”
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“Yeah. When I do. Which is gonna be pretty soon.”
“Hey! You over there! What’re you closing your eyes for?”
“You just gonna let me destroy two of your ships?”
“Not gonna do anything about it?”
“Well, technically they were my ships as soon as I saw them.”
Arrogant and taunting words echoed through the skies. The forces of Everrain grinded and gritted their teeth at his infuriating attitude, but they had no answer for it. They had to wait for their leader to confront the man otherwise the general’s daughter might become implicated. Though…if Zan were to really unleash himself on the fleet, no one else had the ability to stop him.
After a few more insulting shouts from the crude delinquent, the Everrain swordsman finally opened his eyes. The communion he engaged in was a special sort of ritual that he personally created. The seeker could ask questions and be answered, but he was given short and undetailed answers. Furthermore, if the seeker did not ask specific enough questions then he would simply get useless answers.
A voice did not appear in his head, but rather a sort of morse code using the sound of the rain falling on his sword.
“How strong is the opponent?”
“Strong.”
“How strong?”
“Strong.”
“...Is he stronger than me?”
“Yes.”
“!!!”
“Is he…an elite? Has he integrated a source?”
“No.”
“No?”
“No.”
“Wait. Am I more powerful than him?”
“Yes.”
“But he is stronger than me?”
“Yes.”
“...Is he physically stronger than me?”
“Yes.”
‘That must be why…’
“How much stronger than me?”
“Yes.”
“...”
“Using the universal scale of those who have not integrated a source, how powerful is he?”
“Strong.”
“...Where does he classify under energy manipulation, using the universal scale?”
“Adept.”
‘Only an Adept? No, maybe…’
“Classification under body cultivation?”
“???”
“...What rank does he classify under body cultivation?”
"Strong.
"…Using the universal scale what rank does his body tempering classify under?"
“Inhuman level.”
“...Shit.”
“What is his bloodline?”
“...Unknown.”
“What?”
“...”
“...Alright. I thank you for your aid.”
With that information, the swordsman gripped his sword tighter. This would be a tougher battle than he had thought, especially because his opponent had reached such a level with their body.
"Hey! You finally ready to fight?! Huh!? Are you actually really weak? Want me to destroy a few more ships!?"
Ignoring his boisterous opponent, he appeared totally calm and at ease. A contemplative light appeared in his eyes as he thought things through.
In the next moment the swordsman reached into a special compartment within his robe-like armor, and fished out…a particularly shiny medallion.
The silver medallion was raised towards the skies between Zan and himself, and as the swordsman gripped the medallion tighter, it started to thump wildly like a beating heart. As if it was alive, the images on the sides of the medallion started to move and breathe, transforming the still images into moving scenes of silver vibrancy.
On one side of the medallion was the scene of an ever eternal rain, and the silver that the medallion was made of, shifted and warped to replicate the profoundness of its nature.
On the other side of the medallion was a formation of three grand castles. As the images moved, as the silver danced, and as the rain poured upon the castles, the stone strongholds started to swell in size.
A profound statement was hidden within that scene. Instead of eroding from the ceaseless rain, they grew stronger from that which would seek to break them down.
"I am Lloyd Steelrain from the broken earth and endless skies of Everrain! First son of the Cloudsword General and the Pure Maiden of the Eternal Rain! I am of the lineage of flooding skies and raining steel. I am of the divine blood, of the mortal who sought the goddess's hand and made her shed tears. I am the mellow blade, the last sight before eternal rest! I am the Sword of the Rain!"
The swordsman drew a deep breath in, for he did not particularly like shouting and already grew tired of it.
"With right of noble birth, under the eyes of the sky that may continue forever to weep, I issue a challenge towards the one before me! I deem him worthy, of strength shown and spirit to be tested, I declare a noble duel under the divine goddess of rain above and the primordial ones below! Do you accept!?"
Towards the swordsman's declaration and miniature speech, a grin slowly started to form on the stranger's face. He inhaled the surrounding air deeply, and as he did, gales of wind flew towards his body.
Air compressed in his lungs as if he naturally knew the technique to amplify his voice, and in the next moment he shouted proudly for all to hear.
"I am the future commander of a fleet of five flying ships!"
His prideful voice echoed through the skies and the earth, causing a mix of reactions from the crowd.
"Arrogant."
"That is how a man should speak."
"I hope he can back up what he says."
"My ears are ringing."
Gathering air once again he shouted, and to his best effort, he imitated the way of speech that he had come across.
"I come from that which has been destroyed! The ruined chain of kingdoms of Egarouc, Noitilov, and Bala!"
"What kingdoms are those?"
"They sound imposing."
"They are not labeled anywhere on our maps…"
"People who have called my blood humble are dead! For my will and ambitions are grand! I am the Undefea—"
He stopped for a moment, contemplating silently for no more than half a second before his eyes flashed with dignity once again.
"I am no longer the Undefeated!” He shouted without shame.
“I am the one who defied death to take back what is mine! I am the undestroyed! I am the unbroken! I am the blood stained battered fist! I am the unspilled blood that will rule over all! And I am he who will become master of all the nations and its peoples! Nobility!? Royalty!? I am the peasant of nothing! And I am the future King of Everything!"
"I am Zan!"
“I accept your challenge!”