Originally uploaded Jun 25, 2023

Neoth Pov

Dark violet flames burned brightly as it grew upon Grey's blade. The edict of destruction glowed like a star, having a mind of its own, an insatiable hungry to consume and destroy all, only further strengthened by the ambient aether. Only contained thanks to his aetheric companion. How he came into possessing both a strange tool and the edict of myth was just another thing to tack onto the list of abnormality that seemed to swirl around this creature.

The body of a dragon, fueled by a core of pure aether. A blasphemy to science and aetheric arts, and all of it containing a foreign soul. Not even fairy tales have this much contrivances.

A mental signal was all that was needed as the first row of my legionaries marched forward. Each of their steps in perfect lockstep with each other. Their shields raised and spears poised to strike the anomaly.

Grey launched himself off the ground, the aether fusing with his muscles and bones as he charged head first into my warrior. My soldiers broke their linear formation, spreading out into a wide half-circle. Surrounding Grey.

Grey lunged at the middle warrior, his destruction laden sword melted through the blackstone shield as if it was butter and plunged his weapon deep into the warriors heart. Killing them instantly as the flames ate away at him, erasing him from this world.

The other warriors wasted no time, moving at matching speeds they closed in on Grey. Using their longer-ranged weapons to try to stay out of range from Grey's trump card.

With a quick sidestep he avoided the first attack aimed at the back of his head, it looked as if he barely even moved. The purple flames of his blade erupted forward like the breath of a dragon's as it reduced three other warriors into smoldering ash.

He locked blades with another warrior, but it only lasted for a second. As he effortlessly cut through my soldier's weapon and body in half. Sending a mental prob I signal for the next row of my warriors to begin their attack.

A rainbow volley of different spells filled the air. As the row of casters began channeling their energy through their spellforms. Another warrior, using the spellfire as distraction launched themselves at Grey. Grey shifted his weight as he began to dodge. But was too late as the spear buried itself in Grey's arm. But even this small wound was momentary as I could already see flesh and bone begin to meld itself. Swinging with his remaining hand my warrior barely dodge his death.

His fighting stance and style seemed familiar. Being an archaevoist I pride myself in liberating important pieces for my galleries. For future generation to see. And I have seen various fighting styles and combat forms in my time. And Grey's shared many similarities to the Pantheon race of asuras.

The efficient and tight footwork. Limiting body movements to the absolute minimum to not only preserve energy but to also erase one's presence. But replacing the asura's usage of force-type mana arts with aether.

Perhaps he truly was from Epheotus. How else would he hold such knowledge of the Pantheon race's closest kept secret. They weren't a race who shared their knowledge. Even within their clan only the most talented and gifted students are further trained. Perhaps he was some kind of experiment the dragons created. Incarnating a outside soul into a asura body to further understand the immaterial world.

But if they did why would they send him into the Relictombs alone? Even seeing all the talents and abilities first hand, if he ran into any of the hostile Djinn realms he would have been reduced to dust the second they realized he was a dragon. Even any halfway decently sensible Indrath clan member would deem a specimen such as him to be secret that should be heavily guarded.

I mused my thoughts. Grey seems to be proficient in melee combat. But his stance suggested he was more used to one-on-one combat scenarios. He seemed to have trouble keeping up with multiple combatants who matched him in speed. He was powerful enough to give even most asuras a run for their money. But the best counter to an aetheric being was another aether wielder. In such a case the fight becomes not just a physical one with weapons, but also one of willpower. A fight over the control of aether itself.

My line of warriors were now thinning. Most of longer ranged troops began to fall back to gain some distance as the remaining warriors struggled just to stay alive as destruction hounded at them. Lunging at them like a starved beast. Chasing them away from Grey.

Destruction. The edict of the vivum branch of aether. While most of our scholars and researchers focused to the creation and life aspect of vivum. But their were records of the death and destruction branch. It was a difficult subject, mostly because it would consume the wielder if not carefully understood and used. Perhaps it was his core that allows this, or perhaps that companion. Who holds the edict but not the full knowledge.

Strange, in all cases the knowledge is what would grant a rune or edict. But how could they split such knowledge? Was that wolf a part of Grey's soul? A fragment of the greater whole perhaps. Having focused my studies in soul magic it was possible to create shards from a host soul. But the effects were either too small to bother or too detrimental to the main soul. Turns out having a part of your very being cut off is not the most pleasant experience everyone can live through.

'Though that does make me wonder.'

I twisted my staff of light. Runes adorning its shaft glowed a bright gold as the aether heeded my command. Aiming my staff at Grey I release my spell.

I could make out the motes of aether part and recede. Like the sea before a large wave. The flames from his sword were extinguished as I ripped out his wolf companion from his body. Both Grey and his tool were frozen in shock for a second. And that was all I needed. In that split second I activated another one of my sealing tesseract. It blinding blue light encompassed the shadow wolf. Encapsulating it and storing him in a frozen moment in time.

The space around the cube bent. As it disappeared and reappeared in my hands. Looking back down on Grey I met his gold eyes. Filled with shock and hatred.

"You've played on easy mode for long enough." I shouted down at him as the tesseract disappeared into my cloak.

Next thing I knew Grey leap upwards. Cracking the marble floor below him as he did so. Launching himself directly towards me. His sword aimed for my head.

A rune on my body automatically activated. As the time I perceived slowed to a crawl. Rendering all of Grey's movements seem sluggish. Taking a simple step I moved to the left of his attack as I struck him with my staff. Time resumed to normal speeds as Grey was sent flying into the wall.

Several portals opened around me. And out of them flew three battle barges. Small floating ships armed with cannons and guns. A new creation of mine, taking inspiration from typical sea voyaging ships and the flying fortresses and cities of the throne realm.

Grey appeared again. From what I could see several of his bones were broken but that hardly seemed to matter to him. I could already hear his bones snapping back into place as he rushed forward again. The aether aiding and holding him up in the air. The first battle barge exploded in spectacular fashion as Grey unleashed a torrent of aether at point-blank range. The next was cleaved in two as Grey's sword extended its blade to several meters long.

'Perhaps having adequate shielding for the next version is needed.' I thought in my mind as I watched Grey rip into the last one wielding two swords.

He was upon me again. And I decided to indulge him a bit. I could feel my body become warm as multiple runes activated at the same time. Our weapons clashed. Aether rushed to my aid as I struggled to keep up with his raw fury. He was a whirlwind of attacks. Each strike meant to deliver a life ending blow. I never received any combat training. From a young age I had aided my father in his research. And eventually attended the academy to study history. The only combat knowledge I knew was from old books and observing other races. Only surviving through my advanced technology and aether arts.

Seeing an opening I lunged with my staff. But I extended to far forward, not used to fighting in midair. Grey took this chance as he loped off my hand holding my staff. It fell to the ground as he pointed his sword at my chest.

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"Where is Regis?" He growled with poison.

"Ah, so his name is Regis?" I asked with a smug smile.

I felt the cold blade slide into my heart as my body began to fall. I could feel the lifeforce leave my vessel. Before I even touched the ground my soul was ejected. Following pathways of aether I instantly awoken in a new body.

I stretched my neck, hearing several cracks in the process. As my emerald cloak materialized tile by tile and my staff built itself from nothing in my hands.

As I stepped out of the stasis chamber my attendant bowed as he got onto his knees.

"Time for round three I suppose." I spoke as I planned on what to do next.

"Permission to speak, my lord." My kneeling servant asked, his small frail body hidden under a large hooded robe.

"Speak." I commanded.

"Shall I awaken another legion of warriors, my lord?"

"Hmm, no. We don't need to council growing suspicious of the amount of warriors I waste." Yes the council was still a problem. They won't react to kindly to me throwing away too many soldiers. In fact, they might be enraged that I haven't already captured Grey and alerted the council of his existence.

Vago has already won over most of the council with evidence of that the Emperor was still alive. They still worship that blood thirsty warlord as their savoir after all. Though I doubt some of the members of the council or other nobles would stay still. This might be their only chance to gain more political power before that warlord returns. They may be driven the extremes with not much time remaining. I wonder what his reaction to how low our race have fallen would be? Growing rotten with politics and fighting each other for power.

But that was not for me to worry about. I never carried about that warlord of an Emperor's motives. As long as I can continue my collection I cared not for the rebellion. I'll worry about council matters another day. Their was a vermin within my realm I had to deal with.

"Ready my praetorians."

Grey Pov

The halls grew quiet again. And again I sent a mental message to Regis. Well, tried was the more correct word. I couldn't feel his presence. Neoth's dead vessel didn't hold the sealing tesseract he captured Regis with. And he should be back any time now.

From my short engagement with him I could tell he was not used to doing the fighting himself. He matched my speed, but just barely. I could tell his vessel was struggling to keep up with me, as it began to slowly break apart and destroy itself from the excessive usage of aether.

I started walking down the hallways again. Perhaps I could break loose some of the exhibits to act as a distraction. A sword appeared in my hands again as I approached one exhibit. I placed my palms on its transparent wall.

Realmheart flooded my vision with a sea of purple. The elevated base was powering the walls around the large Vritra warrior. Judging from its large deer-like horns it had a lot of basilisk blood. I aimed the tip of my sword at the base.

Just as I pulled back to strike it my sword hand was severed at the wrist by a hot ball of plasma.

"Please observe the exhibits with your eyes only." A youthful voice spoke out. Turning my head I saw another one of Neoth's vessels. This one was much younger, early twenties. Bright white hair cut short in a military fashion. Flanking him were two more warriors. But these were different. They were much taller and bulkier. Their blackstone armor also seemed more advanced. As they walked their armors hummed with energy and whirls of inner mechanisms.

Each of them wielded a large sword, the blades were crackling with blue lightning. Bright enough to make my eyes sore as I stared at them.

There head were fully covered by their helmets but I could tell the oppressive aura of doom that seemed to follow them around. These were far more advanced and trained warriors of war.

"Now Grey, I'll give you a choice. You can join my gallery with your furry companion and become the center piece. Preserved forever for future generations to see. Or you can die and I'll have to make do with your corpse." Neoth spoke.

Aether was pumped into my very bones I readied my body and took a fighting stance with my sword.

"Option two it is!" He shouted and the two large warrior moved without delay.

They teleported. The aether bellowed in their wake. One was directly in front of me. His sword raised to cut me down. While the other was behind me.

Burst step carried me sideways, away from their attack. But they instantly appeared right before me again. Another sword appeared in my other hand as I blocked both of their attacks at the same time. My arms buckled in protest as I winced at the pain. The lightning of their weapons jumped to mine as it sent hairline cracks in my aetheric blade.

I pushed them away from me but they didn't budge. One of my sword cracked and crumbled into thousands piece as the warrior's sword buried itself in my shoulder. Sending painful electric shocks through my entire body as crimson blood spewed from the wound.

My other sword was parried away as I was stabbed in stomach. Sending searing pain into my gut. I fell to my knees as the two warriors dug their sword deeper into my flesh. The lightning leap from their weapons into my body as it sent stabs of electric pain all over my body and core.

Gritting my teeth I try to regain my footing, only to be forced down to my knees again. Noeth approached me. Stopping just a few feet away. He had a sealing tesseract in his hands.

"You and your companion Regis will be a fine addition to my collection." Neoth gloated.

I struggled to channel the aether from my core. My runes glowed warm in reaction as aether erupted from my core. Causing a shockwave that threw away my two attacker and Neoth off of his unsuspecting feet. I lunged forward, covered in my own blood. A sword manifested in my hands as I reached out for the cube in the Djinn's hands.

Next thing I thrown against the wall, the force with which made he cough up blood. I could feel that multiple ribs and parts of my back were broken as I slumped to the ground.

"I'm not playing around anymore boy." Neoth said with venom and force as he stood before me. His staff glowed bright as its tip was aimed at my head.

He turned back, slapping me in the face with his long emerald cloak.

"Take him." He ordered his two warriors.

They stepped forward. Swords poised to strike my core. I felt a warm sensation in one of my forearms, where the dimensional storage rune was. And from it a small light was emitted. And instantaneously it grew, in both brightness and size as it eclipsed my entire vision.

Coldness. That was what I felt. My body felt weightless. Akin to when I was in the aetheric void. An infinite, terrible coldness of the absence of everything.

In the distance their was warm light. Like a star, it burned bright. And like a moth to a fire I was drawn in. Without consciously doing so I was pulled toward the light. It was inherently different from when I was first reincarnated into the body of Arthur Leywin.

Their was some unknown warmth, a familiar feeling to it. Like coming home from a long journey. This time it was foreign. A unnatural emotion emitted from the light but I was still encapsulated by it.

As I approached closer I could make out what was emitted such a light.

A large mechanical device, a throne. The grime and scars of time were etched upon its surface telling its age. Thousands of wires and tubes causing a sprawling network of technology. An ancient device of ages past. And upon the throne sat an entity.

A corpse. A large body was sitting on the throne, draped in regal clothing fitting a king. But its body was in no such state. A decaying figure, similar to mummies from old Earth. The corpse was seemingly connected and covered with wires and tubes from the throne running through it. Reaching both downwards and upwards infinitely. As if they were all attached to the body to keep it from dying. Across its lap sat a sheathed sword. Sharing the ancient and unknowable feeling the rest of this place possessed.

Its face seemed to be just a skeleton with parchment thin skin covering it. Its empty eye sockets stared back at me.

And it spoke.

Not with words, no. Words were obviously far below such a being. Our minds interlinked, as the decaying corpse relayed words and mental messages directly into my brain.

And when it did it was painful. The wealth of information surged forth, as if the floodgates had broken open. Thousands of years of knowledge flooded my brain, I couldn't make sense of any of it. It felt like a scream of a million people. It was so overbearing, it felt as though I was conversing with a celestial entity I couldn't hope to comprehend.

But among that deafening screams I could make out a few words.

+Savior. A tool. The shard. Traitor. Cursed one. The Anathema.+

I clutched my head as it felt as if it would explode. But the I felt something. A message was conveyed, clear instructions. I couldn't understand how or why but I could feel it. As if a different part of my mind had shown me. I knew what I had to do, what this corpse had instructed me to do.

In my hands appeared the sheathed sword. I studied the sword for a moment. Its handle was a bronze-gold color, with the crossguards designed to be the feathered wings of an eagle. Upon the sheath were large runes carved into it. Without hesitation I removed the blade from its housing. Revealing the flaming blade in its full glory. Burning a bright white, the entire void was bathed in a holy light. The sword reacted to my aether, as if welcoming me. I could sense it within my mind, as if the sword had a mind of its own and was now connected with mine.

My eyes snapped open and I was back with Neoth's galleries. Looking downwards I saw the sword sheathed and attached to my belt. I was standing, and the two warriors were reaching towards me. But time stood still. This wasn't static void or any other sort of spell. This was something else entirely.

My mind wasn't the same either. It felt as if there was a fraction of my mind that had changed. I couldn't fully explain it. It reminded me of when Sylvie or Regis would speak to me through our connected bond. But this time it felt as if their was a portion of my mind that wasn't entirely mine but was connected with a mental link. I was still me, but something had happened.

I could sense the sword beckoning me, telling me to use it. And I complied. Drawing its long blade from the sheath. The sword ignited in bright white flames and shone like a star.

The two warriors audibly gasped in shock and withdrew. They took a moment before they fell to their knees and bowed to me.

Neoth noticing the strange light and looked back. And his face twisted into one of shock and horror.

With his mouth agape he slowly walked towards me in disbelief.

"How... the... the sword of the..." Before he could finish his words I pointed the blade at him. I could feel the immense power surge from the sword. I could feel the energy that it gave me. Neoth seemed to know what this sword was and he seemed to shrink away from it in fear.

It felt as if some godly entity had taken control of my body or perhaps it was aiding me. Without a second thought I spoke. My voice was heavily altered by the aether underlying every word making it deep and echo off the gallery walls.

+Now you shall listen to me.+