Activating final enhancements. Standby for 009.

Caeden had always wondered about 009 and all its derivatives. After all, there were only eight buttons on Forged Infinity's hilt form. How was he supposed to activate it? More than that, once he realized the forms of Forged Infinity had been based on the King Beasts of the Saga of Emperor Dragon, it only added more questions.

There were eight King Beasts. Each one wielded one of the weapons Forged Infinity could take in its single-digit state. From 001 to 008, that was the blade, shield, dagger, spear, gauntlet, axe, hammer, and sword. But there was no ninth King Beast. The basis of the ninth form only had one real answer in Caeden's mind. The final member of the group.

Emperor Dragon.

But Emperor Dragon had no traditional weapons he wielded. Not like the King Beasts. He was known for his entire body being forged of Pillarlight and the darkest depths of the Starry Sea. His whole body was a weapon. Claws, fangs, tail, breath, all of them lethal. So what was 009's form?

Final Enhancements complete, added adjustments calculated and accounted for. Activating 009.

Caeden watched as Forged Infinity exploded into activity, swaths of purple and gold metal with crimson accents folded out from within, rapidly crawling over his hand and up his arm, just as it did when he formed 005, the gauntlets. But it didn't stop there.

Metal plates shifted out over complex gearwork and tubes, swarming up his arm and over his shoulder before coming onto his torso over his robes. It spread and spread, across his chest, down his legs, over his head. A full suit of armor took shape. But it didn't stop there.

Caeden felt the suit tighten and shift before metal filaments dug into his skin, passing through his flesh painlessly to wrap around his bones and organs, his muscles, heart, and lungs. Forged Infinity wasn't just covering him; it was integrating into every part of his body, enhancing every corner of his form beyond even Physical Enhancement.

It was scant moments before Caeden was entirely surrounded in the armor, filaments passing through his eyes, through his skull, and connecting directly to his brain. He and his shrouded weapon were one. A flow of information passed into him effortlessly, the barrier between himself and Forged Infinity's intelligence completely gone. In a fraction of a second, it conveyed everything Caeden needed to know about 009.

In the corner of Caeden's vision, two percentage indicators appeared, represented by his shroud sigils surrounded by an empty circle. Each ticked up from 0% to 1%, a tiny portion of that circle filed, traveling clockwise around the sigils of an ornate throne and a bloody knife.

Forged Infinity conveyed the researcher's final message directly into his brain.

Hey, kiddo! It looks like you finally decided to test out 009. Well, I gotta say, I'm not very happy with this one. I designed your shrouded weapon as best I could, but it's still your weapon. Much of its basic features were based on your own desires, like every shrouded weapon is. The extra power I gave it extended that capacity to take on your desires into a whole new stratosphere.

So here's the low-down. By now, I'm sure you've figured out that Forged Infinity is based on a legend from your childhood. Well, your impression of that legend was a bit too strong. 009 was locked away for your own good, as were the triple-digit forms. Earlier on, you managed to emotionally resonate with your shrouds enough to increase your integration and unlock the triple-digits. That's not true of 009.

Honestly, you aren't exactly ready for this form. Being based on the mythological figure you found so impressive; it's trying very hard to emulate that level of power. To your detriment. Merely existing in this form puts a strain on your shrouds and soul. So sorry; I had to put in some safeguards.

10%. Once your soul damage reaches 10%, 009 will lock out again. You'll have to fix that damage to use 009 again. And, you know, damaging your soul can end the universe. So be careful with it, yeah? Luckily, that's not a real danger until you reach above 50% in either shroud. Also, the higher your integration gets with each shroud, the higher the limit on 009 will go.

All of that information streamed into Caeden's brain seamlessly. It was like recalling something he already knew, perfectly natural and easy. It took only a moment. Activating 009 had already brought his shroud damage up by a single percent, which was a full tenth of his budget in this context. But Caeden wasn't waiting any longer.

The masked man was still staring at him. Caeden couldn't get any impression from the featureless face, but he felt the warmonger was in shock. That was good. Caeden would use every advantage he could get. Before the masked man could gather himself, Caeden reached out, slamming both hands into the shield inches in front of him.

The armor covering his hands with 009 was slightly different than 005. It was still gauntlets, of a sort. But the 005 gauntlets were big, thick things designed to be weapons and augment his bare fists. This armor was slimmer, finer. It wrapped more closely around his hands and hugged his flesh. Caeden could feel it was denser somehow. This form was almost entirely designed for defense.

But his fingers were still tipped with crimson claws, and Caeden dug those sharp points into the field, grunting as he heaved to bring his arms together as the field tried to push him back. He yanked at the field as if to rip it apart as golden ripples flowed out around the points of contact, rendering the whole field visible once more.

Caeden marveled at how different the world was in this armor. He could see more clearly, feel more deeply. He was stronger, and he could feel it. His heart beat harder, and his lungs breathed deeper. His bones felt sturdier, like the strongest of refined and infused metal. Everything felt easier. It was similar to how he felt the first time he used Physical Enhancement To formshift into golden body. But another layer on top of that.

Caeden could feel the field trying to push back against him. The force of his claws and grip being pushed back into his hands. But Forged Infinity's new form took the pressure in stride and inverted it. Caeden felt that force flow through his armor, down into the filaments running through his body. It circulated in his bones and rushed out into his heart and lungs before settling into his muscles. A surge of strength ripped through him, and he pressed all the harder.

The golden ripples of the repulsion field intensified, taking his increased pressure and pushing back all the harder. That pressure cycled through him again, and the force fed back into the field. A feedback loop formed as Caeden strained to rip the field apart and get to the masked man. The golden ripples came faster and faster, pushing harder and harder until the entire field was a glowing gold dome over the control center. Caeden couldn't even see through the endlessly strobing and pulsing waves.

Both of Caeden's counters ticked up to 2%.

"Stop him!" An echoing voice shouted from inside the dome. Caeden would almost say he sounded panicked. Good.

Two of the refined abominations jumped toward Caeden as he pulled even harder. This was where 009's offensive abilities came into play. The armor was primarily defensive. Primarily. But it was also orders of magnitude stronger than any other weapon Caeden had ever used from Forged Infinity.

With a thought, the armored golden purple tail with a crimson-bladed tip flicked from behind Caeden toward one of the machine-men, heading for its neck. Using the tail was as natural to Caeden as his own arms. It whistled as it cut through the air, the sound a moment behind the actual motion. Despite that speed, the abomination managed to catch the tail with a metallic hand. Only for the tail to keep pushing, hardly slowed down. All four of the living weapon's main arms grabbed hold, barely stopping the bladed tip from beheading it.

That still left the other one. But at the same time, Caeden's new appendage was holding the first at bay; he turned his head toward the second. He breathed deep, his jaws opening as he felt the helm covering his head open along with them. Forged Infinity was one with him, and it had fully integrated into his whole respiratory system. His mouth and throat, lungs, and even his tongue were armor-plated. That was necessary. From the corner of his eye, Caeden saw the gold and purple flames that flashed with bursts of crimson flicker from his mouth.

He exhaled.

The room bloomed into brilliant light as the burning flames from Caeden's mouth overwhelmed every other source in the giant space. The massive ether engine made less light. The flames washed over the torso and face of the abomination, wrapping wholly around them and continuing on.

Caeden watched in alarm as his counters jumped from 2% to 5% in a flash. He shut his jaws, cutting off the flames. Fortunately, no more time was necessary. The second abomination was gone from the waist up as the scent of burnt flesh and hot metal filtered into Caeden's enhanced nose.

With one machine-man down and the other held at bay, but with more no doubt moments away, Caeden heaved hard, dragging both his hands together. The repulsion field let out one last massive pulse and exploded into fragments of light that faded before they could fall.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Before the field could even finish collapsing, Caeden was already leaping forward. At the same time, the masked man leaped away, up into the air, while two more of the machine-men jumped to meet Caeden above the generator controls.

They, in turn, were slammed off course as two teachers, Embodiments transforming them into monsters, interrupted their attacks. The abomination held back by Caeden's tail tried to grab hold and stop him as well and lost a mechanical arm for the effort. Caeden was on an uninterrupted course after the orchestrator of all the death and destruction.

The man was fast, and his jump took him far. No doubt he was using some ethertech to enhance his movement. But his power didn't begin to compare to the state Caeden was in right now. His raw power dwarfed anything the man could hope to achieve. Caeden overtook the warmonger, grabbing hold of his arm and raising a fist to slam into his metal face.

Before he could, the man raised his own hand, and a burst of blinding light subsumed Caeden's vision. His grip loosened for a moment in surprise, and that was all the man needed. Caeden grunted as something he couldn't see struck him hard in the chest. He could feel the blow even through his armor, though it did nothing more than push him and the Revolution leader apart.

But that was enough. Caeden's vision was clear after only a moment; Forged Infinity and Physical Enhancement helping to restore his sight. In that time, the masked man had made it halfway to another exit from the generator room. Caeden knew that if the man escaped into the depths of the tunnels under Central City, they'd never find him.

Responding to his will, Caeden felt portions of Forged Infinity extend from his back. They weren't wings, though he knew they were supposed to be. The suppression field affected the secondary transformation, as it relied partly on his auras. But it was enough. A burst of force pushed him down directly in the masked man's path.

His counters ticked up to 7%.

But he was there. And so were two more of the abominations. They had come here ahead of their master, waiting for him. Caeden had no time for them; the man was only a few feet away. He clenched his fists, and golden crimson metal unfolded, forming twin, long, thin swords. He flicked his wrists, cleaving the two machine-men in half.

His counters jumped to 9%.

Caeden flexed his doubly enhanced legs; both swords pointed forward. The tips caught the man in the chest, right in the middle of his back. It took a surprising amount of force for Caeden to impale him. His armor must have been at the pinnacle of grandmaster quality.

Nevertheless, he was finished. Not wanting to waste a moment giving the man a slow death, Caeden flexed and levered his swords against one another. They ripped apart, scissoring through metal and flesh to cut the man in two. It was over. He was dead.

"Ha! Impressive, young man!"

Caeden's blood ran cold. His swords retracted, and he caught the severed torso, spinning it around to see the man's masked face. Claws tore the metal off, revealing not a human face but more machinery. Blinking ether and silver tubes. This was not a human being.

"Come now; you didn't truly think I'd come here in person, did you? For a 'publicity stunt,' as you put it?" His voice, full of mirth, projected from a speaker where the mouth should be. "Ahh, I'm afraid to disappoint you. I'm quite far away at the moment. It seems I've won this little back and forth. Well, better luck next time!"

The ether under the mask stopped glowing, and the puppet went limp.

Then everything changed. Caeden felt it. Everyone in the room felt it. The suppression field was gone. Caeden's aura roared to life, once again filling him with knowledge about everything around him. Including the abomination about to leave the generator room.

In one hand, it held the black obelisk, the field generator. In the other was a long cord extending all the way from the controls at the center of the room to its very edge. While Caeden had been chasing down the puppet, the other abominations had drawn the teachers, fighting them away from the center. One of those abominations was swatting the air as if trying to strike something invisible. Caeden's aura told him it was Lily.

Halfway to leaping across the room and pursuing the fleeing abomination, Caeden jerked. With the suppression field gone, his wings finished manifesting. Splendorous gold ribs with purple webbing extended out over twenty feet to each side.

His counters ticked up a single percent.

The counters both flashed white. Soul damage limit reached. Safety protocol enacted. Ending 009. His wings collapsed as the rest of Forged Infinity withdrew from around and inside him. Internally, Caeden cursed. By preventing the wings from fully manifesting, the suppression field had also limited the damage done to his soul. When the wings kicked in, so did the damage he'd avoided.

But he wasn't about to let that stop him. The abomination was fast and strong, more so than any others Caeden had seen. It was already halfway to the elevator banks by the time Forged Infinity had returned to its 000 hilt form. He charged after it.

The teachers and Lily remained stuck in combat, though what had previously been a pitched battle with no clear winners was now rapidly turning in their favor as Lily's aura came into play. She and the Embodied teacher with her dismantled their opponent even as Caeden charged across the room.

Rushing into the elevator lobby, Caeden saw that the teachers here were still fighting their own abominations. Both had Embodiments that seemed more defensive than the teachers that had followed Caeden into the generator room. He also was just in time to see the machine-man with the obelisk take flight, heading up the tunnel he had dug.

Caeden followed right after. They needed that field generator. Studying it could let the CA develop defenses against it. It was invaluable; losing it would be devastating. If Caeden couldn't have the mastermind behind all this, he was damn well going to mess up his plans. A weapon with countermeasures was infinitely less valuable than an unknown one.

It was a mad dash up the tunnel, filled with crumbling or sharp sections. Caeden was losing ground, as the flying abomination didn't have to worry about its footing. He slowed it down by throwing dozens of Sharp constructs after it, forcing it to defend itself and the obelisk.

Finally, it entered the lobby of the Core Seat, turning instantly and flying out the doors. Caeden was only a moment behind. He barely had time to recognize the carnage the lobby had become while he was below. A lot of fighting had happened there.

He was outside, watching the abomination heading straight up, no doubt ready to fly out of Central City and across the Starry Sea to who knows where. But there was something in the way. Caeden smiled savagely, looking at the giant cocoon surrounding the entire Academy in thick, impenetrable webbing.

His smile vanished as a portion right at the top burned avail, revealing another abomination. It was followed through the gap by another. And another. More holes burned. More machines came through. Caeden stared, overwhelmed as hundreds, thousands of machine-men poured into the air over campus. The one with the obelisk disappeared into the throng. Caeden tried to track it with his aura, but it vanished from his senses a moment later. It was equipped with the same ethertech Kevin had to avoid shrouded aura senses.

As much as he hated to admit it, that was a secondary issue. This many abominations, or Ethermen, as the warmonger had called them, would be enough to kill hundreds of the remaining students. Even some of the staff could die, despite having their auras back. This number of Ethermen represented a level of offensive power that Caeden couldn't imagine.

"Well, that's quite the entourage." A warn, weathered voice spoke next to him. Caeden turned to see a pale man. So pale, his skin seemed to flicker and disappear at times. With him was Cat. She grinned widely and offered him a little wave when Caeden looked her way. Dave was a step behind her and nodded in his direction.

"A group of these things showed up right when my granddaughter was about to defeat the horde of miscreants and malcontents destroying my Academy and pinning me inside the Mess." the Headmaster continued. "They're tough. A group of a dozen or so gave me a hard time before that annoying field disappeared."

He sighed. "This is a wonderful example of why overinvesting in aura can be a deadly mistake. I had liked to think I was much more balanced than that, but events have indicated otherwise."

He turned to look at Caeden. "My granddaughter tells me I have you and another friend of hers to thank for turning this situation around. I also happened to notice an interesting change in her domain. Would you know anything about that?"

Caeden froze. Any response he might have had disappeared as black, pitless eyes bore into his soul and drowned out all thought. Caeden saw a million dead in those eyes. Scores and scores of those this man had ended without effort or remorse.

Then the moment ended, and Damon Vestigious smiled. "You have my eternal gratitude for what you have done for my little kitten. I will do my best to limit the Council's actions against you. Though they're going to be hard-pressed to act against you in the short term. You earned a hundred favors from powerful people today, son. You've saved the scions of a dozen influential families. And the Council is going to be eating their feet once they remember to read all my reports from the last twenty years. This Revolution nonsense has gotten out of hand. They dropped the ball, and everyone knows it now."

"Uh, Gramps. The flying machine people?" Cat spoke up.

"Ahh, yes kitten. I'm getting there." Damon stretched slightly, interlocking his fingers and pushing until his knuckles cracked. "Now, watch a true pinnacle Shrouded at work. This'll be you some day." He seemed to address that statement to Caeden and Cat both.

"Wild Hunt." Damon's words echoed in the air, stirring up a wind that grew and grew until a howling gale formed within the confines of the cocooned Academy. Shapes took form, riding the winds and cackling madly.

"It's time!"

"We're back!"

"Oh ho!"

"Attack!"

"We Ride!"

"We Ride!"

"We Ride!"

Mounts of all kinds joined their riders flying on the wind. Monsters and magical beasts of every order, shape, and size flew higher and higher. The riders, men and women of flickering green flame, drew weapons as diverse and varied as the beasts they rode.

"THE WILD HUNT BEGINS!" A cacophony of gleeful voices rang out as the ghosts let loose. Each apparition was suddenly wrapped in the colors of their own shrouds. The sky filled with a kaleidoscope of color as they manifested all manner of attacks. Abominations were ripped apart or vanished outright. Their bodies twisted and broke under the fury of the Ghost of Authority's single mnemonic. Caeden watched in awe as opponents he had to injure his soul to dispatch were taken out in droves.

This'll be you one day. The words echoed through Caeden's mind. Watching the carnage unfold, he had a hard time believing it.