Chapter 20: The ruined Hero (3)
“KARUMA!!!!” Ruk, controlled by his resentment, charged recklessly at the former Chosen Hero. He swung his heavy axe, which was a double-bladed axe on both sides and tried to take the head of his sworn enemy. Ruk might not be a sorcerer but he got the inhuman strength combined with the accumulated rage he collected all these years and these were all targeted at the man in front of him. Considering his slim build, the former Hero should not be able to defend against Ruk’s might.
But Karuma himself knew that. Instead of defending, the former Hero used one of his blade to deflect the axe to one side. But before he could use his second blade to cut down Ruk, a steel bolt was fired at the Hero. Naturally, it didn’t hit as it was easily parried by Karuma’s second blade with his other hand. But that bolt did save Ruk’s life for not for it, Ruk would be on the ground by now, probably dead. Throwing Ruk aside against the wall, despite already having his hands holding the twin blades, Karuma was able to throw a throwing star hidden in his sleeves at the crossbow, stopping it from firing anything.
“What the hell?” Pete uttered in shock. Though he couldn’t complain as has Karuma decided to throw that star at him, Pete would be dead by now.
“FUCKING BASTARD!” Ruk raged and stood up once he grabbed his axe again. He knew that his target would not be so easily defeated. The guy was a Chosen Hero after all.
Meanwhile, Wedge joined his boss and rushed at Karuma. But the former Hero launched himself first, targeting the person he deemed weaker from the two. Reducing the number of your enemies was the basic tactic of all warriors. Karuma’s black blade struck Wedge’ shield which was splintered upon contact with the blade. How could the blow feel so heavy when it came from a guy of the same size as Wedge himself? How could there be such a difference? Was it because the other party was a Hero? If so, then the legends of heroes and their might were not just simple legends after all. It was real. Their supernatural power that surpassed the realm of mortals, the epitome of men. And now, one of these men was their enemy? Wedge and Pete trembled in fear.
But fear did not work its wonder on Ruk. On the contrary, fear was a drug. Facing an impossible opponent only pushed himself further. Using the opportunity Wedge has given him, Ruk rose his axe high above his head and chopped down. At this distance, Karuma would no longer be able to simple deflect a vertical blow from above nor could he have the time to dodge. Without any other choice, Karuma crossed his two blades and accepted the blow.
The Hero’s twin swords were unlike any other common sword. They had extremely sharp blades and edges but were very thin. This design allowed a swift draw and the ability to cut flesh easily but in return made the blades very fragile. Unable to sustain the blow from Ruk’s axe which was to them a block of iron, the blades succumbed under the pressure and shattered.
Realizing his disadvantage, Karuma quickly flipped back further into the room with his broken blades. A Hero without his weapons was nothing more than a tiger without his fangs. What could he do now that the tide has turned? Although, considering how Karuma has fared so far despite being blind, he did more than well enough even with this crucial handicap. But how was he able to fight in such condition? Detecting his foes’ presence, being able to parry their attacks and even counter-attack with a throwing star aiming precisely at such specific point of the crossbow to neutralize it, this guy was no joke. At the same time, it confirmed his true strength to Astora who has been watching in awe. Old Gandolf was right: if Astora could learn how to fight from Karuma, she could certainly become much stronger. Combining it with her Champion’s power, she would be unstoppable. But first, the girl had to figure out how to stop this fight. The girl was determined to stop the fight before anyone could get hurt or worse. She must do something before that point of no return.
“Wait a minute! Stop!” The girl shouted and barged in between the two menacing figures.
“Step aside brat!” Ruk fumed. He could no longer be reasoned with.
“No, you have to stop! There are still many unknowns about the entire incident at Holbeck that we don’t know about.” Astora argued.
“Holbeck?” the man in black muttered. “This one sees…So this is what is about. You are another fool who wish for vengeance.”
“What was that, bastard?” Ruk spoke loudly.
“Wait a minute, at least let us hear his side of the story!” Astora spoke. “Sir Karuma, tell us what exactly happened at Holbeck! How did it end up destroyed? If you were really the one responsible, why bother going back to the capital only to be captured? Tell us!”
“If they say I am the one causing the destruction of Holbeck, then it must be true.” Karuma smirked. Yet, Astora could sense something off with his voice. Her psychometry power allowed her to see the memories of objects but also increase her sensitivity to strong emotions. In Karuma’s case, he was engulfed in acute anguish, the opposite of what he was showing on the outside. This man was hiding something.
“That is it!!!” Ruk swung his axe, ignoring the girl in front of him and pushed her aside as he charged at Karuma.
“You have served this one well for these last ten years. You two can rest now.” Karuma spoke to his twin blades and let them fall onto the ground then changed his stance for close combat. His aura suddenly changed, so immense that even the bystanders could feel it all the way from the entrance.
Wedge noticed what the former Hero was trying to do and shouted. “Boss, be careful! He is using….” But before he could finish his warning, Ruk has already attacked, only to be evaded easily by Karuma with minimal movement. Then Karuma executed his counter attack.
“
“Haha, is it all you got?” Ruk laughed.
“Don’t die from this!” the blind man muttered.
*BAM*
Without warning, Ruk’s armor blasted itself open in the back, as if he was hit by an invisible cannonball. The delayed impact was so powerful it blasted him against the wall and knocking the guy out unconscious, leaving a crater in the wall. With his opponent in that state, the former Hero turned toward the rest of the group.
“Anyone else?”
Who would reply after seeing that performance? Ruk was a tall muscular guy with a heavy build, not to mention his armor. Yet, he was so easily beaten and even thrown away with a single palm strike. To Astora who had no knowledge of the technique Karuma just used, it might just because Karuma was immensely stronger than he looked. But that was not the case and the two guys behind her, Pete and Wedge, knew about this. They tried to warn their boss but it was too late. For a sorcerer, using mana to blast someone away like Karuma did was a simple task. However, Karuma, as indicated by Gandolf, was not gifted with magic. So how did he do it if not for his strength?
“I shall be your opponent.” An unexpected voice raised. Valanor the painter has stepped forward to take on the challenge.
“Wait what?” Astora asked herself loudly. She certainly did not expect Valanor to be the person who was willing to take on Karuma. “What are you doing?”
“Please be at ease, miss Astora! I am still aware of our goal in this expedition. But it doesn’t look like he will go with us quietly. And my honor will not allow me to let you fight him in your state. Therefore, it is a logical conclusion that I should fight him.” Valanor said.
“Wait…we will help.” Pete and Wedge volunteered. Their legs still trembled.
“I am sorry but considering your level difference, I will probably fight better alone.” Valanor flatly refused. Dejected, the two stepped back. Then the painter turned back to Astora. “If I am to be your companion, I should at least be able to do this.”
“FINE!” the girl pouted. “Since everyone wants to fight so badly. Don’t blame me if you get your ass kicked!”. From the looks of what happened, it didn’t seem like Karuma would resort to lethal strike. Else, he could easily have taken Ruk’s life. In addition, aside from his brush, not much was known about Valanor’s fighting style. This would serve as a good opportunity to see how a painter would fare against a tough foe such as a former hero.
“I won’t disappoint you.” Valanor smiled as he now looked at Karuma who has been waiting patiently. “Please be easy on me!”
“Not a chance!” Karuma vanished from sight and plunged into the darkness.
The deadly silence awaited the painter as he calmly walked toward the center of the room where the white stick of light was. From Karuma’s perspective, this dark cave worked in his advantage. Because he was blind, his eyes did not matter no matter where he was. On the contrary, Valanor would have to rely on his sight and hearing to spot the location of his enemy and this luminescent stick was his only ally. Staying within the light, Valanor took out a black flask containing what appeared to be ink. Then, the fox poured some of that ink onto his brush, soaking it. The other three watched closely, unable to understand what Valanor was trying to do while waiting nervously for Karuma. Who would attack first?
In an instant, it was Karuma who had the first strike. From the shadows, the former Hero emerged. Positioning his arm like a sword, Karuma hacked the air into two as he aimed at the painter. The fox, able to dodge the strike, retaliated with a few whips of his brush but all of them missed. Because the thing was soaked in ink just a moment ago, it was now splashing the black stuff everywhere around him across the cave. With Karuma now out of sight again, Valanor stayed within the light and waited for his next opportunity. This put both of them on equal ground in term of disability since both could not see each other with their eyes. However, being blind for so long, Karuma has developed a technique to sense others despite his handicap. Meanwhile, the darkness prevented Valanor from attacking effectively so he must do something about that. He had a plan to counter this. However, the plan required him to perform a very specific task first. Until this task was completed, Valanor would have to fend against the Hero and this darkness.
Again, Karuma struck and this time managed to slightly cut Valanor’ sleeves before vanishing into the dark once more.. Luckily, it only touched his cloth and nothing else. Valanor still waited patiently for his chance. Then on the third time, it came to him. As Karuma exited the shadows and launched his attack, his cut was somehow stopped by the slender brush of Valanor, halting its course in mid-air. This perplexed the man in black as he has greatly strengthened his own body. Yet, it was able to break by this puny brush? Preposterous!
“You are not the only one who can use it, Hero!” Valanor pushed back and whipped the brush manically. Then a few drops managed to land on the former Hero’s face. “I got you now.”
Feeling uneasy about this particular liquid, Karuma immediately retreated back to the shadows. The ink was not poisonous nor did it show any corrosive property. Yet, Karuma felt as if he has been hit a critical blow. The truth of the matter was, his instinct was correct. Then, Valanor began his assault. Without even looking for Karuma, the painter launched his brush that elongated and undulated itself like a living snake searching for its prey. And despite the darkness which clouded him of his vision, Valanor was able to find the hidden Karuma amongst the shadows.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
“Found you!” Like a coiled serpent, the brush rushed stormed at its target, aiming for their head. Fortunately for Karuma, he was able to evade the attack in time else his head would no longer be there. That brush looked frail at first but it could smash rocks in bits. Even worse, no matter where Karuma tried to hide, the brush followed him like a persistent pest, unyielding. How was it able to find him so quickly? It was as if the thing knew precisely where Karuma was even though it could not see him. That was when the former Hero finally realized Valanor’s intention behind that strange attack previously. The ink that was splashed onto him, that was how they managed to track him down. Once branded, the brush would always follow him and know where to strike. It appeared that sneaking around was no longer a desirable tactic.
Noticing a figure showing himself in the edge of the light, Valanor retracted his brush and the thing resumed its standard form. He knew better than anyone else that this puny trick would in no way be the end of this fight. If the stories told about Karuma’s feats in battle were true and indeed it was the same man in front of him, this fight would have taken a very different turn. A Hero wouldn’t normally fight in the shadows like this. Surely, he had a reason to do so. More importantly, he has yet unveiled his true power and Valanor knew this. But the painter too had other tricks of his own.
“This one won’t ask you again: leave this place and do not turn back!” Karuma surprised everyone with his proposal. After all, he was the one with the most advantage in this situation. Being a former Hero, he should be able to handle everyone here, including Astora. For a criminal who caused the death of so many, the guy surely didn’t seem that evil.
“Gandolf told me that you can teach me how to fight.” Astora stepped up and spoke.
Hearing the girl’s voice, Karuma breathed in heavily, as if he was trying to sniff out the smell of the girl. “Gandolf you said?....And what makes you think that this one will do it? Gandolf is nothing but an old geezer who sells stuff to this one. We are not friends in case you don’t understand. If you get it, scram!”
“He said that you and I are the same.” Astora referred to her mana problem. Indeed, Karuma didn’t seem like to be able to use spells either. However, his martial arts would be quite handy. That was, if he was willing to give away his techniques.
“….You are nothing like this one.” Karuma spoke, his voice clogged with irritation. Now that things have settled down and he had time to analyze the girl, Karuma finally understood why he felt so strange during his encounter with the girl earlier. This girl managed to get inside his cave without him sensing her. If not for her scent and the loud noises she made, he wouldn’t have detected her presence. It was true. Like him, the girl had no mana, therefore being practically undetectable. Furthermore, she was clearly not well versed in martial arts enough to be able to manipulate her presence like that. “What are you?” Karuma asked nervously while exuding a murderous aura.
Indeed, Astora was similar to Karuma in this aspect. The former Hero too was not gifted with magic. But in return, he turned his handicap around and made use of it. However, the reasons behind this phenomenon were not the same for the two. Both had no mana nor any organ to generate mana within their own bodies. That much, they shared. And that was all what they had in common. Yet, there was something else about Astora. Something so elusive that those with eyes could not see. Something that escaped the attention of the old sorcerer Gandolf. Something that only this blind man who was so sensitive to mana fluctuations could see.
From Karuma’s point of view, Astora’s presence was that of a zero. No mana, no spiritual energy, no aura, the girl had none of them. She was nothing. And yet, inside this nothingness, contained infinity. Karuma, a former Hero and a genius of his time, felt overwhelmed by this zero presence. A presence such as his was so grand next to her but the closer he got, the more he got sucked into that zero. That absolute zero would devour him and everything else in its path until nothing remained, all except the zero.
“What do you mean?” Astora asked, wondering what the guy was talking about. She kept a smile on her face to ease the tension, unaware of Karuma’s threatening aura which visibly affected the others.
But her innocent smile was mistaken for a sign of arrogance from a superior being addressing an insignificant worm. Combined with her abnormal presence and the seemingly courage to face a Hero head-on, no wonders everyone thought she was clearly above them. Through the eyes of the common folk like Pete and Wedge, all they saw was a Hero sweating in fear in front of a little girl. Why? What was it about her that made her seem so powerful? Perhaps, this was something that only the strong would perceive, not something commoners like them would understand. If so, then this girl Astora must be amazing, far more than they gave her credit to be.
In an instant, with a single smile, Astora somehow turned the tide without actually doing anything. All of the people around her, maybe except for Valanor, all regarded her with praise or ire, or even fear. Then again, fear could also push some to do things they would never consider.
Assuming a battle stance in complete serious mode, Karuma challenged this supreme being. “Fight this one!”
“What???” Astora blurted. “Hell no! Why would I want to fight you?”
“This one doesn’t know why you are interested in my techniques. But if you truly want to learn it, this one must attest your skills. Whoever falls or is disabled first will be the winner.” Karuma explained the conditions of the fight.
“What do you say, miss Astora?” Valanor asked the girl. “Will you take on his offer? It is not a bad deal and we can finish this affair quite quickly.” The painter, in truth, was not confident enough in his skills to beat Karuma. Not without risking his life in the way. Considering the insignificance of this battle and his final goal still pending, it would be foolish to put all the cards on the table. However, the sudden turn of events worked quite in his favors. If Astora fought Karuma and won, the former Hero would have to comply with their request. But could she actually win though? Valanor was aware of her lack of experience. However, her unusual powers and that strange talking book she had with her must be able to cope with this challenge. He has seen it, the masterpiece this girl could create. Her destiny would not allow her to fall here. The painter had faith her and her abilities. Of course, it all depended on whether she agreed to this in the end.
As for Astora, she was frustrated by how things came to this state. Why must she fight the guy who was supposed to teach her how to fight? But it didn’t look like she had a choice at this point. In order to end this, she must surpass this challenge. The objective was not to defeat the guy but merely to topple him. So, at the very least, her life should not be in any immediate danger. Although, she still had to figure out how to do it. At the moment, there were quite a few things in her arsenal: the Flames of Hell, the Thunderbolt and the paralyzing spoon. There was also the chalice but she had yet to figure out how to use its power in combat without resorting to the sacrifices. An idea sparked in her head. But of course, how could she forget about it? She had one more weapon she could use. She already once used it to topple a guy before, even knocking him unconscious. She could try and apply that strategy again. But just in case, Astora added something more special this time.
With the two sides agreeing to the terms, the battle between Astora and Karuma began.
“FIGHT!” Valanor, settling as the moderator, declared.
The thunderbolt manifested from Astora’s hand as she threw it at the man in black. Sensing the tremendous energy coming his way, Karuma quickly dodged to the side. Unlike before, he did not want to just charge and attack recklessly. He wanted to analyze this girl’s fighting style before going for the finishing move. But Astora fought in such an amateurish way that the former Hero could not figure out what her style was. There was none. That was Karuma’s mistake for overthinking and overestimating the girl. Because of the feeling he had from earlier, the man was wary of her. Little did he know that had he gone to take her head-on, he would have won by now. His misunderstand was disabling him, preventing the former Hero to attack. Taking advantage of the situation, Astora continued with her assault by casting the blue flames in several spots of the cave, thus eliminating the darkness Karuma could use to hide in. The man had his back now in a corner, stuck between lightning and fire. He felt pressured. A martial artist was useless if he could not get close to his enemy. Even more, his lack of vision made it difficult to spot the girl’s exact location amidst this chaos. For a moment, it felt as if it was over for Karuma.
“Way to go, miss Astora!” Pete and Wedge cheered from the sidelines.
“Give up now, Mr. Karuma!” Astora threatened.
“If you think this is enough to defeat this one, you are dead wrong!” In an instant, Karuma performed inhuman footsteps and dashed along the wall before making the jump and somehow landed right behind Astora. Without even touching the girl, Karuma created a shockwave from his palm and blew her into the center of the cave. There was no need for a kill move. This alone was plenty enough to make her drop onto the floor. But victory wouldn’t come so cheap. The small book Astora had with her has transformed into an immense grimoire her size and caught her in midair thanks to the thick layers of paper it had.
Back with her feet on the ground, Astora tried to catch her breath. If she was supposed to have no mana, therefore being undetectable, how did Karuma spot her? He couldn’t just smell her in this fiery situation. And he didn’t. Karuma could not possibly detect Astora’s presence through smell or mana. However, to him, this zero presence presented a critical flaw and was the main difference between him and her. For Karuma, his lack of mana allowed him to bend with the environment, making him almost undetectable. However, for Astora, her lack of mana manifested in a very different way. Instead of blending one with the environment around her, the girl created a void. All energy surrounding her was being absorbed by that zero she represented. The infinity that never surmounted into anything. The zero that consumed all. That was how Karuma was able to find the girl: an unnatural location that was devoid of mana.
Meanwhile, Astora was nervous. She intended to corner Karuma before throwing Grimora at him. With the increased in weight and size, it would surely topple or even crush him down to the ground. However, her plan failed miserably. Contrary to Karuma, she underestimated her opponent. Could she continue at this point? The number of casting spells per day would soon reach their limits. By then, Astora would be rendered powerless and only had the spoon left as her only weapon. What were her options now?
Taking a few steps back while setting her eyes on Karuma who was closely approaching, Astora’s back hit something. The glowing stick that served as the source of light in this cave, she was right in front of it. Only now that she was right next to the thing that she could see it more clearly. The glowing stick seemed to be some kind of wooden branch. The color was that of the white ashes and the branch had a very smooth surface. But what made it glow? A strange feeling overtook the girl and pushed her to pull the stick out of the ground. At that moment, something resonated inside the girl. A voice echoed in her mind.
“The wait has been long, Chosen One. At long last, my lady’s prophecy will come true.”
“What is this?” Astora uttered as a bright light engulfed her. The released energy was so great it brought down the collapse of the cave and blowing everyone outside. A column of white light rose to the sky and it was not the only one. At that moment, across the region of the Blighted Woods, several other columns of light also began to appear seemingly out of nowhere. Then these pillars of light all converged toward the one where Astora was and joined together with the light, creating an intense radiance of white, almost as if a second sun has risen from the land of death.
This pure divine light was later referred as the Second Advent and marked the true beginning of Astora’s journey in Valhalla. From a nobody to the most wanted person across the land, this was where her tales began, but also her endless source of troubles. As one would expect, this event surely captured the attention of many at the time.
* * *
Location: Great Ash Tree Zwiggdrasil
Inside the World Tree of Valhalla, in its deepest layer where few would know of its existence, a humanoid figure was attached to the wall around it through hundreds of white luminescent of what appeared to be tree vines. Its slim body was actually hollowed with many holes, almost like a great old tree. Only the material was unknown, white in color but shiny and smooth like iron. A being beyond mere flesh, a higher form of life. Something has happened. Something has picked its interest and awakened it from its slumber.
Sensing the awakening of their god, two figures entered the white room. One was a man wearing a crown in royal attire. The other with a tiara and a royal dress. Both were significantly smaller than a human, about a third of a human’ size but possessed a pair of transparent wings even bigger than their own bodies. In term of appearance, if perfection existed, these two would be called as such. Their glamour made even the world’s most beautiful man and woman to shy away. Yet, this perfection oddly offbeat, almost artificial as if they were designed to have the most beautiful characteristic but ignored how all of these looked when put together.
“Oberon, Titania, my children! Find this person! Bring them to us, unharmed! Should anything stand in the way, eliminate it!” The figure spoke in a strange voice, almost like a mixture between a man and a woman.
“It shall be done, father!” The man put his hand on his chest and kneeled before his creator.
“As you wish, mother!” The woman also kneeled with deep respect for her creator.
Both referred to the same person, yet addressed them in very different way. From the man’s perspective, it was a beloved caring father. From the woman’s outlook, it was a predominant candid mother. Strangely, it both described the same person. Receiving their orders, the couple retreated outside and closed the door behind them. From outside, they could hear the whispers of their creator talking to themselves.
“Is that person really here? After all these years?” a male voice echoed.
“We must not waste our energy based on some antiquated prophecy. We know it is a fake.” This time, a woman’s voice rang. Two persons appeared to be talking to each other inside the chamber. However, only one person was inside.
“We shall not abandon our goal. If our instinct is right, this person can help us with what we need.” the male voice spoke.
“Instinct is merely the inherent inclination towards a particular behavior deeply rooted in one’s mind. It cannot be used as a reliable source of information. We need more proof.” the female voice argued.
“Moving by logic alone won’t get us what we want. This is a gamble we must take. If it succeeds, it will be a new step of evolution for us. Staying idle will be the end of us. Instead, we must move on.”
“We agree. Therefore, we shall add this quest to a higher priority.”
“Confirmed. Soon, Tartarus will once again make its mark onto the world…no, the entire universe.”
“Together, we shall transcend! For Zwiggdrasil!”
* * *
Location: Empire of Scyentia, Ministry of Science
In a strangely modern room that somehow ended up in this medieval world, a figure was sitting next to his working table. A man in a bleached robe wearing a cloth mask hiding his face, leaving only a pair of eyes visible, was working on some sort of scheme. In his office, papers containing thousands of different formulas for various purposes as well as body schematics of many species of monsters, including human, elf, beastman and many more, were scattered and piled up or pinned onto the wall. Like a madman obsessed with his work, this individual swore to break down the very fabrics of the world and to understand how life was created. In other words, he wanted to become a god.
Suddenly, something stopped this man from his work. A strange energy was being spread around the world. Its source came from the bright radiance he could see in the horizons even from the window of his office.
“That direction….the Blighted Woods? Did the Pillar of Death cause this? …No…impossible. But if it is not him, then who….I see. The girl has found a fragment of Yggdrasil. Things are moving quite smoothly.” The man murmured to himself. “With this, even the Sky Emperor will not be able to sit stand in his golden throne. What will you do now that the girl has shown herself to the world?”
“What are you whispering about?” a young female voice appeared from behind the man. But this sudden appearance did not shock the man the slightest. “What is that light?”
“That, little lady, is the future.” The man replied calmly. “The girl has come to fulfill her destiny.”
“Is it that impostor again? The one who came here a month ago?” asked the young lady.
“Indeed, the very same.”
“That faker….why can’t I kill her yet???” the lady fumed.
“Patience, young lady! Everything needs an appropriate time. For now, we have the Fiends and your ascension to worry about.” Said the man. “The more you wait for, the better it is. A character who doesn’t know their role will be kicked off the stage.”
“Grrr…But I want to!!! I don’t like that imposter going around pretending to be his child.”
“Now now, technically, she is still his child. That is a fact. Compared to you….”
“DO NOT COMPARE HER TO ME!”
“Fine, I won’t.”
“Grrr..” the young lady clearly was frustrated. From the man’s point of view, it would do him no good to have her around in this state. She needed to let off some steam.
“If you promise me that you won’t kill her, I will let you go take a peek. But only a peek, you hear?”
“I can? Yeah!!!”
“This is a warning young lady. Should you kill her, there won’t be any candy for you for the next month. Understand?”
“Yah yah.” The lady smirked devilishly. Sure, she would comply for the sake of those candies. The instruction was clear. As long as the girl was alive, she could do whatever she wanted. Jumping out of the window, the girl threw a metallic plate under her feet that floated in midair, allowing the girl to stand on it. Two small rocket boosters were attached to the rear of the plate and propelled the flying skateboard onward at incredible speed. Long blue hair down to her back, the girl seemed to be of the same age as Astora. She had blue eye with the other one covered by an eyepatch. However, compared to Astora, her expression was something wicked, not fit for someone her age. This girl, whoever she was, enjoyed inflicting pain and spreading chaos to the world. “Hahahaha! Dark Lord Cornelia Argent, successor of Dark Lord Alastor, is on duty! Just you wait, impostor!"