Soon the group made its way outside the city and into a clear but desolate plain. It was quite dark as it was far from the city, to avoid any collateral damage.
"So, what's it going to be witch king? How ya want to play this?"
"Let me get some light first." Jack said as he hummed his hymn, "ZaaaaaaNiiiWoooooHUG!"
Jack raised his left hand casually to right above his head and ended his Holy Hymn on a high note. After the Hymn finished, a large ball of blinding light manifested into existence. Its light rivaled the Skull of the Sun God.
Jack pushed on the ball, and the brilliant light orb rose high into the sky, suspended just below the ceiling of the Underworld, its light illuminating the surroundings as if they were on the surface world on a clear day. This phenomenon alerted all the surrounding undead. This artificial sun could be seen by all the surrounding Countries, let alone the capital of Deagoth, Saigunrai. This drew the eyes of many.
Boss Crag whistled, "Nice, Light show. You mind if I can invite you to my son's wedding when he gets hitched?" He let out another "Heh" laugh.
Jack shrugged his shoulders, "I don't mind, as long as you attend mine."
Boss Crag was intentionally being obtuse but was dumbfounded by Jack's reply. He never expected that the witch king would be so relaxed. He even counter offered him. What did this mean?
[Did ole' witch king improve? There was that other fireworks display he had about a few days ago... Should I be worried? Let's play this a little differently then...] Boss Crag was thinking to himself.
"Alright witch king, we all gentlemen here. Let's have a friendly duel. Just you and me, none of the little ones need to get involved. When we feel we have been bested, just shout 'I surrender,' and we stop. Winner gets to pick what we do? You getting this?"
"...I agree. Let's start a hundred meters apart, and since I made a suggestion, I think it would be best if you have a subordinate that calls the duel to start. You agree?"
"That's fine by me."
"Knowall! Get over here." Boss Crag had turned his head and shouted to his subordinate. Capo had been getting information while they were walking from reports given to his men by the rats on the streets... He did not like what he was getting.
He jogged over, and in a low voice, "Yeah, boss?"
"You going to be the one to call the duel to start, but what information you got?" Boss Crag promoted Jonny 'The knowall' to Capo. Jonny wasn't the only Capo Boss Crag had, but he was the closest to him, because of his ability to acquire information.
In a lower voice capo told the information he had been getting, "You not going to like this... The Holy Witch King flew here from the Capital... flew! Then he crashed down in the town square and ordered an escort to the Elegant Darkness Manor. He also had all the people cleared out so he wouldn't be seen. Boss... Let me say it again, he flew here on his own... Like an Emperor."
Boss Crag's eyes shrank to pinholes. [Shit. It's a damn good thing I set this up as a friendly duel. So the fireworks was him breaking through...]
Boss Crag wasn't going to make this a life and death duel, in the first place, but he had been planning on putting the witch king out of commission for a while. He had plans for expansion that would work better without local clergy interfering...
He lowered his voice, "Alright, go to the middle, and do a count to start when I message ya."
"Alright, boss."
Capo jogged to the middle of both The Holy Witch King and Boss Crag.
"Alright, my capo here is going start the countdown. Remember, if I best ya, just call it. I'll do the same. Remember that weapons and spells don't have eyes, so don't get to badly broken up; I'll try my best, as well."
"...Agreed..."
[Do it.]
"1... 2... 3... START!" The capo shouted as he hauled ass back to his group watching from the sidelines. Honestly, it was odd that the Clergy and the Mafioso were so close to each other in proximity while spectating their respective bosses' fight.
[Ah, to get to watch his Grace in battle... This will be something I can pass down to my children!] Bishop Johnson was thinking while watching the start of the match.
[I need to feel out how strong he really is, if he just reached Emperor level, I think I can still take' em.]
Boss Crag stomped the ground, shattering the rocky terrain. He suddenly held his hand out flat, then made a two finger point and turned it upward, he exclaimed, "Roxusayasegi!" A mouth full, but Crag spoke it flawlessly. This was a Knight rank spell from the Nature school of magic.
Large pieces of the ground that was shattered tore itself from the dirt and hurled itself at the witch king.
As the chunks of rocks came within a meter of the witch king, the rocks were blasted apart by arcs of golden lightning springing from the body of the witch king.
Boss Crag could clearly see these lightning arcs and the large dancing flames in the eyes of the witch king. He had seen them earlier but didn't think much of them. Now, however, he found out that the witch king was emperor rank; he knew it was because of his cultivation materialization! Those dancing flames... they stared into his soul and made him feel very uncomfortable.
[What kinda spell was that? Lightning? Isn't that more of a nature spell? Meh...] Boss Crag thought it was strange that the witch king had a type of lightning spell... In fact, it didn't make sense at all.
"Haha, I was just feeling you out. I'm going to get serious now."
"...Alright..."
[...Is he taking me for a joke?] Those flaming eyes... That uncomfortable feeling made Boss Crag slightly pissed, and so decided to unleash his Rock Giant spell.
"Roxhiaregim-Uff!" Boss Crag had held both his arms up to call out his spell, but a suddenly received a hit to his stomach knocking the wind out of him. One of the limitations of a true zombie undead, they still had to breathe air. As his spell failed, he bent slightly from the strike.
Boss Crag looked at the witch king, and saw him slowly walking over to him, his right hand extended. Boss Crag straighten his back where he was hunched over from the hit and took in the sight of the witch king retrieving his staff from mid-air, as it returned to him.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Boss Crag might have not seen exactly what happened, but Capo and Bishop Johnson did... They both looked at each other and then back to the duel.
[I didn't know his Grace could throw his staff like a Javelin. That was an unexpected strike.] Bishop Johnson thought and praised.
[That was a dirty move. You wait for Boss Crag to go giant.] Capo was inwardly laughing, not realizing that his Boss had just tried to do that very thing.
[Yes!] Jade was watching with the other girls further to the side and behind the undead-at-arms that escorted them and his Grace with Bishop Johnson.
"Well, well, well... Not pulling any punches, huh." [He's really is Emperor rank. How else could he do that, with such ease? I didn't even hear him cast a spell... Silent casting?!]
Steeling himself, He raised his arms again, and quickly shouted his spell, ""Roxhiaregim---anahro!" Boss Crag again received another strike to his stomach, but it didn't interrupt him, so finishing the spell.
The earth beneath his feet twisted and turned, as it slowly crawled up his massive legs. Quicker still, it rushed up his torso and over his arms.
The Holy Witch King was silent during Boss Crag's transformation. He slowly grew more in size, until he was a towering 15 meters tall.
Boss Crag clenched his rocky hand, and a clap sound was produced. He opened his palm and a few gnarled diamonds fell from his hand.
[I still got it. HA.] It had been a while since Boss Crag had stretched his muscles, and flexed his martial might.
The witch king only stood 50 meters from Boss Crag now and looked up to the small headed behemoth in front of him.
[That's my Boss! Boo ya! Giant Rock form. Boss is near invulnerable in his rock form. Though, I'm not sure how it stands up to an Emperor rank Cultivator... Come on Boss!] Capo started out strong but started to doubt Boss Crag near the end.
[I knew Boss Crag was strong, but this is ridiculous... That's a King rank spell! So it's true that Boss Crag is a King rank Cultivator?! I've heard the reports at the chapel, but this is my first time seeing it. But... His Grace is still so calm!] Bishop Johnson made a keen observation. [His Grace must be superior. That's right! He flew here! He must be Emperor rank! I can't wait to see how he resolves this, and I get to brag all about it. Ha!]
[Oh, I hope his Grace doesn't get hurt for my sake... What would I tell Leslie?] Jade covered her eyes. She knew that The Holy Witch King was powerful, but she had been in the shady business for a while. How did she not know who Boss Crag was? He was a King rank leader of the Mafioso here in Deagoth. She had heard of his martial exploits in his younger days.
"That's right, witch king. This is my Rock Giant form. Back in the day, many who fought with me and seen this form... all ended up dead." Boss Crag was laughing with loud gaffing sounds.
"...Are you threatening me? Then this isn't a friendly duel?"
"Ack...! I'm just saying how powerful I was back in the day. You get that right? I bet I could have taken on those six armies you took out."
"Really?"
"See, this is what I don't understand. If it was me, I would of made a deal with both Countries they couldn't resist, and if it did come to a battle, I would of smashed one Country, then the next. I wouldn't of waited for them to come to smash me, like you did..."
Inhaling another breath, "It's all about the approach. Like us! We are both high-level cultivators. No need to send in the little guys. Just let Us battle to see who wins. We can all be civil, but if they don't be civil, then I crush them under heel. Survival of the Fittest and all that. You getting this?" Boss Crag started monologuing while walking to the witch king showing off his impressive form made of rock. He just couldn't figure out the witch king's expression or opinion from his stance or face, considering the witch king's face was all bone. Only the dancing flames in his eye sockets told anything, but all they did were to become fiercer as Boss Crag trodded over.
Boss Crag was buying time to gather enough magic power to unleash a nature spell he could only cast while in his rock giant form... The dreaded "Desolate Tomb." One could see that the stone that made up Crag's being was slowly turning a gray color from the brownish red it was before. This was the prelude to his spell. Some even said that his "Desolate Tomb" spell was equal to an Emperor rank spell, but its only drawback was that it had a long build-up time.
[Ahhh yeah, Boss is about to unleash his big attack! So much for friendly, haha.] Capo was praising in his mind. He really wanted to know how The Holy Witch King would take it on.
"See... I'm going to stop you here." The witch king raised his left hand to give a halt to Boss Crag.
"A couple of things of note. Where were you, when the Country needed your help? Two is there a problem with a spider to spin a web to catch his prey, both Countries walked into oblivion. Six armies with one blow. Do you think they would have just walked into my web if they had known otherwise? Third, there is always a price to pay. No matter the trade-off, the bargain, the deal; whatever it is you want to call it. There must be a trade. I traded many years of my... unlife to wipe their armies from the face of this world. Do you think for even a moment, that I care about you and your thoughts? I came here to pick my soon-to-be Mother-in-Law up. If I don't bring her home, then my Consort is going to be upset. Thinking about the tears she's already shed... It makes me frantic, Crag... Do you understand the tears of a woman? A helpless woman, Crag? Like my Mother's tears on her deathbed? Let me tell you this... I'm not happy, Crag... I am very unhappy. You call yourself the Boss of the Crag Families... But you failed to pay respect to the Boss of Bosses... Me."
"Rathexifolec" Jack calmly spoke.
[What tha fuck? He's not happy? Why do I care about his women crying? What was all that stuff about his mum? Does he want to talk about it...? Wait what did he just cast?!]
Boss Crag saw a glaring light shine behind the head of the witch king. Brighter than the small sun he had created earlier. The bright light even swallowed the small sun. Boss Crag took two steps back to get a good look at the sky. He was astonished... Was this the spell...? THE SPELL?
[OH MY GRACE! IS IT THAT SERIOUS?] Bishop Johnson couldn't believe it! He honestly couldn't believe it.
[Is that... IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS! BUT, BUT, BUT...] Capo's mind was breaking down; he knew what The Holy Witch King did at Angel's decent... This was it! THIS WAS THAT SPELL!
[What's going on?!] Jade exclaimed in her mind. Her girls were almost under her. They were terrified. They were just normal women, with no cultivation. Jade had heard of The Holy Witch King's exploits, but she was able to see the last time this spell was cast.
Everyone... Everyone in the kingdom of Deagoth, Everyone in the surrounding Countries, even the people's abyss could see in the sky above the small city of Sosuhalf... Forming from the bright light, a golden blade pierced the veil in the sky beneath the Stony ceiling of the Underworld.
The golden blade drug slowly across the sky as it tore a rift above. White light shined from the gaping wound left behind. Soon as the scarred sky was torn asunder, the blade retracted, and the massive form of a golden skeleton widened the gash to reveal itself. Half of the form of the Angel of Death had revealed itself, with skeletal wings that unfolded themselves that stretched from the north coasts of Stonedge to the City of Nogore, deep inside the territory of Deagoth.
All the undead looked up in collective awe. Those that did not witness the Angel of Death last time had their chance, now. Undead all over the Ruined Content came out of their homes, businesses, barracks, churches, and tombs to gaze upon the Holy Hymn of The Holy Witch King. They called to each other to come to look, and be awed. Everyone knew it was him. Only he could call down the Angel of Death. They all collectively wondered who had offended The Holy Witch King, now that he awoke...
Staring with an empty expression, much like his summoner, The Holy Witch King; the Angel of Death gazed down at Boss Crag. It was holding his Scythe; the undead had named simply, The Golden Reaper.
Boss Crag never imagined that the witch king would call down the Angel of Death! The last time he did that he was entombed for a thousand years. This wasn't a joke. It was said that the "Angel of Death" Holy Hymn was an Ancestor ranked spell. That's right not Emperor rank, but Ancestor rank!
He was a small boy at the time and had seen the same appearance in the distant sky. Was it really that serious! It was a friendly duel!? Was the witch king really that pissed?! What if he was...
[Oh my sweet abyss... Don't tell me with the Emperor rank he can just call down the Angel of Death whenever he feels like it... I... I...]
"I SURRENDER!" Boss Crag took a knee and held up both his hands in mercy. His head bowed. All the magic power he drew to cast "Desolate Tomb" dispersed.
The Large form of the Scythe, The Golden Reaper, reached down from the sky, and the very tip of the blade reached under the chin of Boss Crag and lifted it up ever so slightly until his eyes were made to have contact with the witch king's... NO! The Holy Witch King's flaming eyes.
"Boss Crag, now you know. I am the Boss of Bosses. I am the Holy Witch King, and I rule this land. You will follow me to Saigunrai. We have much to talk about."
"Ye... yeah. No problem. I mean, this is just a friendly duel, after all. No hard feelings, right?"
The Scythe retracted and the form of the Angel of Death sunk back into the open laceration it had slashed opened to make its entrance into their world. Slowly it retreated back to the Light.