Spirit Rebirth Realm, Endless Darkness, Raging Flames (1)

Pwvium~, whoosh. Heian Ciemnosc maneuvered his Ornament as he saw a cloud of dirt rise into the sky a few kilometers away. The ground shook a little, but there was no explosion. This Fighter had gone down by being beaten down badly. Heian Ciemnosc looked at its last moments before finishing his movement before talking to the communications channel. "Start preparing for a retreat. I'm hiring a Frigate from somewhere."

"Heian Ciemnosc, how are you gonna pay?" Elena's voice immediately sounded, giving Heian Ciemnosc a second to consider before answering. "10,000 Star Powerful Stones."

"That won't be enough to make them keep their contract and our safety after helping us out, would they?" Elena asked again. Her voice wasn't concerned, but her words naturally were. The communications channel might have grown silent, but the battlefield continued to echo with bullets raining and missiles flying. Enemy Fighters kept exploding as the 13 Fightes moved according to Heian Ciemnosc's orders. He answered, "It will be enough to let us get into the City and resupply."

"They may also get in the City, what then?" Esteban asked, somewhat concerned and anxious. But of course, they had to kill everyone! Yet, Heian Ciemnosc simply responded. "We'll go after them once they decide to leave the City. I'll find a way so nothing will stop us."

“Understood,” Fengli’s damn serious but indifferent voice responded. Nothing else was needed. The Fighters retreated into a little line as they shot and maneuvered, spinning and rotating as they formed up. As they employed the formation, the enemy started a sudden offensive, launching themselves fearlessly and trying to move around a little so they could dodge all bullets and missiles. Naturally, it was helpless as dozens became shredded in explosive energy.

Tararararara- clink clink clink clink- cliiing~. A little bit of a chase ensued, following the retreating Concealed Ornament Team Fighters and trying to harass them endlessly. Another Fighter was riddled with bullets from various angles, a concentrated fire. To which Heian Ciemnosc slightly deviated and put himself in front, his shield taking most bullets as the rest still rained on that Fighter, but he also started deleting the enemy’s pilots with the piece of artillery mounted.

Pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum… boom boom boom, boom boom boom…

Each shell destroyed about 3 or more enemy Fighters. It continued fighting as Heian Ciemnosc slowly rotated the machine guns to its underside as the smallish engine faced the enemy, but so were its machine guns going all-out at this moment, not caring one bit about the overuse of ammunition. Heian Ciemnosc watched as a pack of Sweet Carolina Fighters tried intercepting him, waiting precisely for this moment.

Fwush- fwush- fwush-… BOO BOO- BOOOM… The Ornament dispatched 3 missiles, each one fabricated to cause destruction and nothing more. Even as they were dodged, they self-imploded amidst the enemy pack of Fighters, turning them into 3 explosive energy balls that became one and suddenly exploded again, expanding and covering his Fighters’ retreat.

“Hurry, they are still coming out, and someone must have brought their toys. Immediately rush back.” Heian Ciemnosc calmly spoke as he leveled his Fighter and joined the line formation. His people were silent as they rapidly prepared themselves to go at full speed towards the Medium City. When their team leader arrived, they started their Fighter’s array formation as it slowly connected to Heian Ciemnosc’s Ornament and, more precisely, to its smallish engine.

Fwvium, fwvium… The Fighters started advancing, their speed increased slowly as Heian Ciemnosc manipulated the Rhychly Transporting Formation Array to connect perfectly with the Fighters. But, just as he was executing it, the Fighters started feeling lighter, as if they weren’t even flying in the air. To everyone’s surprise, Heian Ciemnosc’s eyes widened enormously as he suddenly yelled!

“Keep advancing! Do not stop! Get to the City immediately!!”

“?!” - “!!” - “?!?!” The Concealed Ornament Team didn’t know what happened. But their training and trust in Heian Ciemnosc knew no limits, so they simply did according to instructions, setting their target to the Medium City as pre-accorded. Just then, they felt their world changing as the space in front of them distorted backwards, and lines started appearing, following that distortion’s direction.

Peeeeeeeeew~~... WHOOSH– PAM CRAAAASHHH, SCREEEEEEEEECH~!!

Heian Ciemnosc watched as the other 12 Fighters went ahead as his Ornament, accompanying them, suddenly stopped before continuing with a slow speed, but with something blocking their way… This something was various cloaked figures that suddenly flew over from the ground and stood a few kilometers from where the line formation was flying, directly in front. These cloaked figures would be crashed on by the Fighters as soon as the Rhychly Transporting Formation Array was activated.

In the last moment, Heian Ciemnosc deviated their course, setting them higher in the skies. He watched as they approached those figures almost instantly. His eyes widened, their darkness showing helplessness and annoyance as he barely managed to avoid a figure with a familiar body shape, also cloaked. His Ornament passed by that figure, and as it did, his Ornament’s sides were sliced open. It leaned to the left, and its speed was still too high, and its control suddenly became low as Heian Ciemnosc had no choice but to eat the dirt with it.

PAMMMMM~~... Dirt flew up into the air again. This time, however, it was much more than the Fighter from before. Over a hundred meters were filled with dirt as the Ornament’s body disappeared. The figures in the sky remained where they stood, floating in the air, stagnant, and seemingly daring not to move a muscle throughout this ordeal. But below, Heian Ciemnosc was already recomposing himself while his COs and Fera were still on the floor and walls.

‘We landed on our left.’ Heian Ciemnosc realized as he exited his seat, somewhat covered in dirt. He went to Fera’s seat, sent her some of his dark Power Energy, and started waking her up. Before she could fully awaken, Heian Ciemnosc went to the other COs and tugged their clothes, waking them up immediately as their bodies were alright. The sudden crash and strange rebound force only stunned them briefly.

Psssshh~. Heian Ciemnosc exited his Ornament, opening the cabin as it seamlessly showed him the night’s sky. It was black with some stars in it. Heian Ciemnosc looked back at his COs and noticed they were rapidly recuperating, their energy fluctuations slightly in disarray. Thus, he looked up at the cloaked figures, and his thoughts became severe as they turned true. ‘Those are Third Step cultivators if not Second Step…’

“What are you looking something that’s way above you right now?” A voice interrupted his thoughts, making Heian Ciemnosc lower his head and eyes. The latter met Greg’s face first. Heian Ciemnosc wore a casual expression, his darkest eyes seemingly shredding the sweeping obscurity surrounding them. There were no lights nearby and no moon. Only the stars watched them from above.

“...” Heian Ciemnosc continued to keep silent. He looked at Greg, the blonde twins, and the other young man, Los. Greg’s face grew serious and bothered as he tilted his head to the left and spoke to Heian Ciemnosc like talking to a disobedient child. “What, don’t dare talk now? You were very spirited in those channels just now. Can’t bear to talk to your daddy now?”

“Mn, what a strange fixation,” Heian Ciemnosc finally opened his lips. Greg’s eyes glowed anticipatingly but turned dull a second later. He took a step forward, and other figures started appearing behind Greg. He was on the ground, outside the Ornament’s crater, while Heian Ciemnosc was on top of it. It had landed with half its left body buried in the dirt. It wasn’t difficult to take out… but he wasn’t sure he could even get through this at these moments.

“Did you ever think this day would come, Heian Ciemnosc?” Greg asked, his body leaned back like a thug as he did. Heian Ciemnosc chuckled, responding with a little grin as he felt the energy fluctuations from the twins and Los surging. He began gathering his dark Power Energy inside. “What day? It’s night. Hmm… Oh, my death isn’t something people like you can talk about. It’s far above your head.”

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“... Kill him,” Greg paused momentarily before commanding. At once, he took out a big hammer, looking at Heian Ciemnosc with condescending eyes as he turned his weapon upside down and pressed his chin against the lower end of the shaft. The twins, Rion and Remi, wielded dual cone-daggers. While Los wore dual blades. They rushed to Heian Ciemnosc as the latter was tired, hurt, and still recuperating.

“!” Heian Ciemnosc’s eyes widened as he took his Claws Out. Some ‘pshift- click’ noises spread to the sides as dark Power Energy exploded to his sides, forming 10 claw energy attacks pincered on the twins and Los. Their Mortal weapons were enhanced by their Power Energy as they glowed in the dark, finally giving light to something. But this illumination did not spread over to Heian Ciemnosc! He still appeared dark, even with his pale skin.

Heian Ciemnosc stepped backwards, lightly floating and letting those claw energy attacks land on the enemy. They employed explosive bursts from their weapons, almost effortlessly dispatching the dark energy as they rushed forth. They ignored the dark Power Energy remains as they caressed their skin and clothes. Flying towards Heian Ciemnosc, they immediately reached him and swung their weapons.

The twins swiped their cone-daggers left and right, cutting through his clothes time and again as Heian Ciemnosc kept retreating and dodging them. Occasionally, Los would face Heian Ciemnosc alone, sweeping his blades left and right as if they had eyes all over their edges and were hatefully glaring at his body, wishing to quarter every limb he had!

Heian Ciemnosc continued avoiding, dodging, and tilting his body to easily come off unscathed in every bout. The twins attacked together and sometimes tried getting his back sliced upside down and vice versa while confronting Los. But they were of equal nimbleness as Heian Ciemnosc. Even if he was slower than them, they had better cooperation and fought like one mind. He still had an astounding Spirit Sense accompanying his superb reflexes.

Heian Ciemnosc wasn’t planning on just receiving attacks nonstop. After seeing their movements and analyzing their attacks and modus operandi, he was already thinking of a counterattack. But similarly, his enemies were testing him and pushing his limits. They could’ve used their Arts right away and overwhelmed Heian Ciemnosc. But if they knew something about their target — it was that treating him like any other person meant courting death.

They slowly fought it out, but in less than a minute, both parties were decisive as they looked at each other’s bodies and started their move! Heian Ciemnosc’s body was tired and injured, sending some of his Power Energy around his body in order to recuperate faster. On the other hand, the trio was fine and fighting in peak condition, with nothing to fear about a sudden attack or a detrimental extra injury during the battle.

Heian Ciemnosc’s dark Power Energy condensed around his arms, palms, and sides of his torso. He brandished his Claws Out, stagnant to the sides, lowered to his hip level. His eyes were not only ultimately cold but also showed slight determination as he suddenly rushed forward, planning to meet the enemy head-on. The twins and Los charged forward in response, their Power Energy at its peak as they visualized Heian Ciemnosc and only him amidst the dark.

The lights from their weapons intensified, illuminating much more terrain as they advanced dozens of meters at once. Heian Ciemnosc was a little slower but was consuming the light they emitted. In just 2 seconds, everything changed, and the testing turned into all-out, lethal moves from both parties.

Heian Ciemnosc’s torso and arms exploded with darkness. It engulfed 40 meters to the sides and covered another 20 meters before him. As he continued advancing, the range didn’t decrease and, instead, increased under the growing shocked eyes of his enemies! They could only grip their weapons’ hilts tighter and start operating their Arts. In just a second, their Arts was fully displayed. The twins summoned several white, translucent planks. They had 2 cone-shaped ends, equal to their daggers, and their Mortal weapons glowed with more intensity.

Los’s dual blades showed 2 different additional ones behind him. They were bluish, translucent, and twice as long as his body. They were ‘held’ by fingerless arms, looking more like armor pieces. When they appeared, they agilely and bloodthirstily swung the long blades just in time to cleave Heian Ciemnosc into two with an upside down and from below to up cut. Heian Ciemnosc saw their Spirit Image and Arts employed at the same time but didn’t back down.

That was just the beginning, as when another half a second passed, the twins joined their Art and Spirit Images. Los’s armor pieces and blades were set ablaze with bluish energy that intensified as they arrived closer to Heian Ciemnosc! Heian Ciemnosc’s darkness spread everywhere, but it had no threat, and those 3 could feel it. So they ventured inside without fear, not caring about the light from their weapons swallowed by Heian Ciemnosc’s unique Power Energy.

But at once, the darkness dissipated, and replacing it were hundreds of little claw-shaped dark energy attacks! The twins' and Los’s eyes were engulfed in disbelief as they could already feel their blood’s scent in the air as soon as those things moved. Their clothes were already gaping with holes even as the 2 seconds weren’t over. Just then, as they prepared to go all-out to kill and survive, they saw Heian Ciemnosc in the middle of this hurl of claw-shaped energy techniques.

Just then, they could see Heian Ciemnosc’s abdomen stained with dark blood. Their spirits were lifted as they could see a clear opening, but they had to deal with his strange move before reaching him. Heian Ciemnosc, on the other hand, ignored Greg’s taunting stares and looked at his prey. His dark Power Energy was so exhausted by now that he could barely keep himself floating a few tens of meters above the ground level.

As Heian Ciemnosc watched those 3 prepare for his technique, he nodded to himself and didn’t underestimate them. Immediately, he effectuated the killing trigger, and the world around the 4 turned into a cluster of rapidly passing, small, dark shadows.

Sounds of some things colliding with metal, bouncing off, penetrating, cutting through but stopped, and of constant exchange of blows resounded everywhere, accompanied by thin blood strands splurting from time to time and short cries of pain and surprise following suit.

Tap- whoosh, swish swish, swoosh- clank clank clank clank- clattatata-tatatatatata…

“!!” Greg’s eyes were still confident when he looked at Rion, Remi, and Los, surrounded by hundreds of small, claw energy attacks. But when the all-out face-off went on for 5 seconds, his eyelashes slid further up and his face slightly contorted, taken aback. He stepped forward, but even with his Earth grade big hammer, he didn’t dare to take action and could only watch as Heian Ciemnosc made another move and approached the unsuspecting trio!

Dash- grip. Crrreeesshhhhkk. Just as the trio was being riddled with cuts all over their bodies, especially their arms and legs, Rion felt her left shin grabbed at. Before she could react and defend her Power Energy down there to struggle, she felt her bones and flesh crushed by small claws. They were real and not energy-like as those cutting her shoulder were. Her eyes looked up, hopeless. She seemed to see through the hurl of blurry shadows, connecting her gaze to her twin sister.

“!” Remi seemed to feel it as she looked down. Only 3 of her planks with cone-shaped ends were defending her still. She looked down and noticed her sister, Rion, with still 6 other planks protecting her, helpless as she was being dragged downwards and to the front. Her eyes were saddened, unwilling to let her twin die after her. If only one of them could survive. The thought of Heian Ciemnosc’s strength didn’t even cross their mind, as they only cared about each other.

“Noooo!!” Remi shouted and sent her left hand down as if to grab her sister, but all she received in return was Rion’s right hand weakly extending upwards to hold her. Silence ensued. Remi was no longer aware of her surroundings anymore as she scrunched her face in despair. Los noticed what happened but couldn’t care anymore as he fended Heian Ciemnosc’s technique off and kept protecting himself.

Heian Ciemnosc disappeared for half a minute before Remi heard a sudden scream behind her. Turning around as if expecting something, she saw Heian Ciemnosc’s pale skin and dark claws going through Los’s light brown neck and bathing it in red. One of his blades impaled Heian Ciemnosc’s abdomen, but that was all. Los’s hopeless scream echoed in her head as she saw his head explode with a burst of dark Power Energy imploding inside Los’s skull. “Remi, wake up, help me kill this bastaaaaa-”

Bugsh… … …

Then, Heian Ciemnosc set his eyes on the last victim. And unlike before, he didn’t disappear in the hurl of blurry shadows. Instead, he stepped in the air towards Remi, slowly making his way up to her, looking at her fragile body cut open and strands of blood flying without her flinching. He was merciless as his darkest eyes looked down at her, and his left claw-like hand made a clutching gesture towards her.

“...” Heian Ciemnosc offered no words. She was just another enemy, his target to kill, but not his rival or someone important. Another bag of flesh with bones, organs, and blood inside with just a different image at the front. Remi, however, wasn’t a frail little girl. She suddenly impulsed herself in the air and drove her cone-daggers towards his sternum, overlapped side by side as she rapidly moved.

Fwush- futomp- griiip~, cr- cru- crush, crack…

But even as she was faster than Heian Ciemnosc, even without him being alarmed and having his Spirit Sense, he had already motioned his Vocón to surround her. When she sprung to action, she hadn’t even traversed 10 meters when she found her upper thighs, arms, and torso tightly entangled by something fresh and cold. She fleetingly glanced at her limbs as her head bobbed left and right in pain and confusion, but she couldn’t see the head of what was wrapping her.

Her eyes became tremendously terrified when she finally felt something on her upper back. She looked at Heian Ciemnosc, only by instinct, and saw him lick his lips slightly. As if already anticipating a familiar taste. Just as she tried to say something, her back was pierced, and something squirmed its way out of her neck, protruded from it, and started eating her jaw from below.

“Th- wwuuughhh- kuuughh~!” Remi’s body was slowly yet rapidly entangled tighter as her arms, thighs, and torso broke apart. Noises of her bones slowly crushed under the constriction were the last things she could hear before her death, which she wasn’t aware had already arrived.

…