Kai and his squad followed Naru Saeya to an open field which was only slightly smaller than the Blackflame Empire's main encampment. The Emperor of the Blackflame Empire, Naru Huan, currently stood in the field surrounded by not only his underlords but all his gold servants. "Go stand over there the Seishen Kingdom will be here soon," Saeya said to the group. They all saluted the Emperor and then their Captain and walked away.
"What do you think we are here for?" Kang asked.
"Well, they want to show off their next Underlords; we will most likely fight the Truegolds of their kingdom," Keya said.
"Is this even going to be a challenge for us? I'm sure Kai or Joy could fight all the Truegolds that they bring at once," Kang said.
"While we most likely could, let's use this opportunity to train. Keya and Skye can work on their ability to make combat solutions. Kang, you can work on improving your techniques and not relying on people covering you. Joy can focus on her technique layering and I will try to work on using my bloodline power," Kai said. As soon as they had all agreed, a cloudship arrived at the far end of the field. Two Overlords' presences resonated from it and many more Underlord presences. A ramp dropped from the cloudship, and the passengers streamed down it.
"Ah, Welcome, Seishen Kingdom! We hope you have brought only your best sacred artists or today will prove quite disappointing," Naru Huan bellowed.
"Greeting, Naru Huan! I believe these battles will prove mutually amusing," the Overlady that walked down the ramp said. Her face had the youthful cast shared by many whose bodies had been reborn twice in soulfire, however she had grey hair entwined with green vines. In her right hand, she held a giant green scythe.
"Very well then, Riyusai Meira, let us introduce our Truegolds," Naru Huan said as he gestured towards Kai's group. Kai took that as a summons for his group and led them to stand in front of the Emperor who then introduced them. "This is our number one ranked Skysworn squad and our strongest candidates to reach Underlord. First, we have Jai Kang; he is the son of Jai Chen who is the leader of the Twin Star Sect and an advisor to the Twin Monarchs. Next, we have Wei Shi Keya, youngest daughter of the Twin Monarchs. Then we have our two strongest Truegolds in the entire empire: Wei Shi Kai, adopted son of Twin Monarchs, and Akura Joy, daughter of the Akura Monarch," Naru Huan announced proudly.
"Hmm, allow me to introduce the Seishen Kingdom's rising talent." Meira then gestured to her four Truegolds. "The first among them is Shen Ju, Our next competitor is Shao Lila with her sacred beast partner Fune. Finally we have my own two children, Riyusai Kiro and Riyusai Chio. So shall we begin with the first match?"
"We shall. Instead of randomly selecting opponents, you may choose the pairings and we shall choose the order of our competitors. Our first will be Jai Kang, then we will have Wei Shi Keya, then Akura Joy, and finally Wei Shi Kai. Now who will you have?" the Emperor replied.
"I shall match Shen Ju against Jai Kang. Shao Lila and Fune against Wei Shi Keya. Riyusai Chio against Akura Joy and Riyusai Kiro against Wei Shi Kai," Meira said. Kai, Joy and Keya then left the boundary that had been set up by the servants while the overlords were negotiating and sat on the Empire's side. Kang stayed on the field and twirled his spear warming up for his fight.
Kang had thought on what Kai had said. He knew that he was strong, but he hadn't considered how he always left himself open when fighting. Maybe it was because he never feared any fight or maybe he was just being too reckless. His uncle, who could cover openings with living techniques, had trained him and maybe that was why. Nevertheless, he had to make this fight count not only for the Empire but to ensure a spot competing in the Uncrowned King Tournament with his friends since surely the son and daughters of Monarchs would have a spot.
Shen Ju pulled out two swords from their sheaths and faced Kang ready to fight. Jai Kang and Shen Ju must have been almost the same height however Kang was broader and looked stronger while Shen Ju was much skinnier and looked more nimble. Kang twirled his spear and got ready to fight. "BEGIN!" Shouted an Underlord on the sideline. Kang immediately used his body enforcer technique, Flowing Starlight, and began charging forward. Ju must have done the same with his own enforcer technique because he was pouncing on Kang just as fast. A sweep of Ju's swords sent twin slashes of earth madra tearing at the ground in front of Kang. Kang dodged the technique with ease before returning his own striker technique, the Star Lance. Ju also dodged Kang's technique before closing to bring his swords down in an overhead chop that Kang managed to catch on his spear. The spear would have broken from the force of Ju's blow, if Kang hadn't prepared for it with his weapon enforcer technique, Star's Edge. Ju and Kang traded strikes continuing to seem nearly evenly matched until both were left with muscles trembling from exertion and covered in blood from many minor cuts. While the earth artist withdrew a bit to gather a technique, Kang mustered his flagging strength and prepared both of his enforcer techniques hoping to end the fight before he finally ran out of madra. They both completed their techniques, charging at each other and landing one final blow. Blood flowed from the new cuts on Kang's leg and Ju's chest. Kang turned to brace for his opponent's follow-up, but Ju collapsed to the ground. "Victory to Jai Kang!" the Underlord shouted.
Riyusai Meira entered the arena and grabbed Jai Kang before he could react, her hand wreathed in writhing vines of green flame. She placed her other hand on Shen Ju and they were all briefly engulfed in emerald fire. Rather than burning him as he'd feared, the wash of twisting life madra left their wounds completely healed.
Kai cheered as he watched Kang beat Shen Ju. It was an exciting fight. Even though Kang had taken what could have been a serious injury in the ending exchange, it seemed he had started to take Kai's advice. He'd clearly made an effort to use his enforcer techniques to dodge and block, not just to attack. That made Kai smile. From next to him, Keya stepped forward and entered the arena. She would be facing what most people thought would be a two-on-one match, but Kai knew it was truly two-on-two. If Skye managed to be anything like a copy of Dross, then Keya would have no problem winning her fight.
Keya stood opposite Shao Lila and Fune. Shao Lila was a tall girl; she wasn't as tall as Kai but still taller than Keya. Fune wasn't a turtle like Orthos but a large owl that stood beside Lila. [Ok if I'm going to make a combat solution we need to find out some of their techniques. Do you think you can do that?] Skye asked Keya. I'll try to survive long enough, Keya replied. She didn't need to speak aloud as Skye lived in her head and so could read her thoughts.
"BEGIN!" Shouted the same Underlord on the side. Shao Lila and Fune charged forward side by side. Keya prepared the soul cloak and used it to dodge the first punches and claws. Keya stepped back, preparing to switch to blackflame, when a gust of wind aura shot towards her. Keya kept the soul cloak up and the wind aura smacked into her, pushing her all the way back to the edge of the boundary. [Keep going. I can help you more with warnings now and I would give my model about a thirty percent success rate right now] Skye told her. Keya switched to blackflame and her eyes changed from ocean blue to black and red. She launched blackflame from her palm towards the two hoping to get them to use a new technique to defend. They used their enforcer technique to leap out of the way so the blackflame only burnt the blades of grass where they had once stood. [Ok, a few more techniques and I think I got it!] Skye told Keya. Keya then charged forward with the burning cloak to leap at Fune who had taken to the air. She switched back to cycling her path of twin stars as she fell and slammed her empty palm down onto the owl's back. With its madra disrupted Fune could neither counterattack nor control the aura enough to continue flying and fell to the ground slamming into Lila. [Well let's give this a try then,] Skye said.
Information Requested: Combat solution for Shao Lila and Fune.
Time slowed as the report began. Her opponents would shake off the strike from her empty palm and their subsequent collision quickly and both would get up charging towards Keya. They would get in close before trying to use an enforcer technique to physically overpower Keya because she had demonstrated that she could easily dodge a striker technique or brush off a ruler technique. She would use the Hollow Domain as they closed. Fune would first consider attacking from the air while Lila attacked from the ground, but with the recent memory of falling from the sky would choose instead to come over the ground as well. Their enforcement would fail as they reached the edge of Keya's technique and they would be so off-balance that they would become entangled again. Keya would switch to Blackflame before they could recover and surround them in a circle of blackflame to demonstrate her victory without killing them.
Report Complete..
As soon as Keya saw it, she became like an actor playing out a well-rehearsed script. She landed on the ground and saw Lila and Fune run at her as Skye had predicted. She activated the Hollow Domain as they closed. The first surprise came when Fune tried the wind ruler technique again and Lila came bearing a forged weapon. Both techniques failed just as their enforcer techniques did inside Keya's Hollow Domain. The extra techniques were an unexpected strain for Keya and she hesitated an extra moment in dropping the hollow domain before switching to blackflame. She started to worry, but her opponents' clumsiness was still sufficient for her to complete the plan. She swept her striker technique in an arc around her downed challengers, but cut the technique abruptly as Overlady Meira appeared between them. "Fair play, Wei Shi Keya, I concede you are the victor of this match. You easily could have killed them there." Keya bowed before the Overlady's declaration. Meira must have known that blackflame was not meant for taking prisoners.
Naru Huan was delighted. Although the Seishen Kingdom and Blackflame Empire were allies now, he always liked beating them in a fight. He watched in anticipation as Akura Joy stepped into the arena and went to face Riyusai Chiro. Chiro looked like her mother and must follow a similar path as her blonde hair was wrapped in vines of solidified green madra. She also held a giant scythe in her hands but it appeared to be a sacred instrument rather than just a haft to hold a forger technique. Akura Joy looked like her mother but instead of wearing her shadowy black hair in a ponytail, as Mercy usually did, Joy's was flowing down her shoulders. Naru Huan's eyes widened in recognition as her staff changed into a bow with its dragon head still hissing at her opponent.
Joy stood opposite Chiro and readied her striker technique. "BEGIN!" the usual Underlord shouted. Joy immediately shot the loosely-forged arrow towards Chiro who sent a slash out from her scythe. The slash met the arrow and the techniques both dispersed. Joy then layered her striker technique with an enforcement that would enhance the strength of both bow and arrow with her shadow madra. She drew back on the bow and sent the technique flying towards Chiro in a high arc. Chiro managed to step out of the way, and the arrow landed just in front of her feet. Chiro suppressed a giggle at Joy's miss and began to prepare a striker technique of her own in answer, when tendrils of shadow madra leaked out from the arrow and latched onto her feet. Chiro frantically swung her scythe, destroying the arrow, but failing to disperse the shadows that continued their ominous upward climb. Chiro switched to an enforcer technique, which gave her the strength needed to break through the shadows which had bound her legs, and charged towards Joy. Joy danced backwards and shot three arrows towards Chiro, layering a different technique on them this time. The first pierced the truegold's left shoulder disrupting the momentum of her advance, the second only grazed Chiro's hand as she blocked with her scythe, and the last pinned her foot to the ground. Chiro cried out in pain as the arrows had touched her.
"I yield! Make it stop." Chiro begged, voice trembling with fear. Joy immediately released her technique causing the arrows and the extra pain and panic they carried to disappear from Chiro. The physical wounds Chiro started to heal on her own, but Meira walked over and quickly finished the task. Joy bowed to them both before leaving the arena. When she reached the sidelines, she watched Kai to get her squad leader's opinion on her fight. Though he said nothing and his mask hid half his expression, it was clear to anyone who had spent as much time with him as she had that his face was transformed by a proud grin.
Kiro looked on in horror as the people that he had trained with for the longest time had all been beaten. They were the strongest truegolds in the kingdom and only one fight had been close. Shao Lila and Fune had been defeated by one person and his sister Chiro had just been defeated in a minute. He was the last one and now he was about to face Wei Shi Kai. Kiro looked towards his opponent who had already entered the arena. The man was taller than he was but seemed to be similarly muscled. Kai wasn't wearing any armour over his black and red sacred artist's robe but he carried a sheathed sword on his back. Kiro noticed most of the man's exposed skin was a red colour, which he suspected might be Kai's goldsign but he was confused on why it stopped somewhere behind his mask leaving the rest of his skin a pale white. Kai's eyes were emerald green rather than sapphire or ocean blue like his sister. Kiro noticed what looked like a burn scar that stretched down below his mask from just above his right eye. If the eyes weren't enough to give it away, then his light brown hair would be enough to declare that he was adopted.
Kiro stepped into the arena now pulling out his sword and shield. Kai hadn't even drawn his sword. "BEGIN!" the Underlord shouted. Kiro didn't charge forward like the others had; he continued studying his opponent, waiting to see what Kai would do. Kai didn't move either. The stalemate felt like it was going to last forever as neither Kai nor Kiro moved forward. Kiro finally gave in; if Kai wasn't going to move and wasn't taking him seriously enough to draw his sword, then Kiro would just have to make him. In an instant, he covered both body and shield with his enforcer technique, closed the gap between them, and aimed a shield bash towards Kai's chest that would surely knock him off his smug feet. Kiro was startled when his blow connected early and glanced over his shield to see that Kai was now covered in the blazing fire of an enforcement technique and had caught Kiro's shield in one hand. With his sword in his other hand he went to swing it down on Kai who parried it with what looked like a spike of flaming madra. Before Kiro could do anything else he took a blazing foot to the chest. He stumbled backwards, managing to maintain the enforcer technique on his shield and raising it as Kai went to punch him. The force on the shield was immense and Kiro was struggling to keep it up when the pressure of what felt like an additional technique pushed him back. Kiro picked himself up, becoming more annoyed that his opponent was just showing off and staring at him, when he thought he caught something flash in Kai's eyes.
Kai kicked Kiro away before following up using his striker technique, Forgers' Fist, against Kiro's shield. He poured in so much excess fire and force madra that his control slipped and the technique exploded, sending Kiro sliding backwards before he stopped. Kai had been trying all fight to use his bloodline ability, but he couldn't and he didn't know why. He had focused on every part of himself, searching for insight and facing disappointment. He was doing well so far without the power, but he needed to focus on his opponent who seemed to be getting more aggressive or things would quickly change.
Kai returned his attention to Kiro just in time to see his opponent level a threatening glare his way and shift his stance. In the next heartbeat, it happened: He saw Kiro charge at him with sword raised and a striker technique building with each enforced step. Kai focused on stopping the sword strike with his enforcement technique like he had done earlier against the shield bash expecting to be able to dodge the striker technique before it finished forming. Kiro's sword strike was only a feint and the real power of his charge was channeled again through his shield. Kai's focus on the sword left him unbalanced for the hit from the shield and Kiro knocked him down. He lost, lying on the ground, unable to dodge as Kiro released his striker technique at point blank range.
The vision ended. Kiro was closing fast, his sword raised and technique building, when Kai acted. Instead of focusing on the man's sword, he decided to dodge the sword and duck under the swing of the shield. Kiro's momentum meant that Kai came up from his crouch behind Kiro and landed a punch on the Seishan man's back. Kiro stumbled to the ground and Kai finally drew his sword. Kai stood over his opponent holding out his sword, waiting for Kiro to surrender.
Kiro opened his lips and Kai tried to trigger his bloodline ability again now that his victory was clearly at hand. Luckily for Kai, it worked. In the vision, Kai saw Kiro's shout of defiance accompanied by the sense of sudden danger from his spiritual sense. Kiro had maintained control of his striker technique as he fell, but Kai had been too distracted by his own success to notice. The technique slamming into his back left him open to Kiro's leg sweep and subsequent violent assault with both sword and shield.
Kai came out of the vision and spun around catching and diffusing the striker technique on his sword. Kiro's bellow of defiance turned into frustration as Kai's spin made his leg sweep attempt miss completely. His cry cut off abruptly when Kai landed a vicious kick to his chest with all of the momentum of his completed spin and the added strength of his blazing enforcer technique. Kiro went flying out of the bounds of the arena. "Victory to Wei Shi Kai!" the Underlord announced.
"It seems we were outmatched in this battle," Riyusai Meira declared. Naru Huan chuckled.
"What a splendid show it was!" Naru Huan crowed. Kai walked over to where Kang, Keya and Joy sat watching his battle.
"So, how did it feel for everyone else?" Kai asked.
"Seems like I had the most trouble, but I was able to improve trying to rely on my own techniques rather than the rest of you," Kang offered.
"Skye was able to come up with a solution and it worked really quick," Keya said.
[Not to toot my own horn, but I think I'm going to be stronger than Dross. Maybe I should go brag to him now,] Skye said. Kai turned to Joy, but she didn't seem as happy as the others.
"Joy, you had the fastest victory of any of us," Kai said. That seemed to startle her from her introspection and she finally considered his question.
"Umm, The layering of my techniques went well, but I think I could have finished it off even sooner. What about you, Kai? Did you get your bloodline power to work?" Joy difflected. It was clear she was trying to distract him from pressing her about what the real problem was, so he didn't ask.
"I got it to activate twice, but I don't know if I can fully control it when it happens. Kang could you try and punch me?" Kai asked. Kai tried to do what he had done during the fight and focused on Kang as he drew back his fist, but the special awareness again eluded him. Kang's punch landed straight on his chest. "Nope, still not got it fully under control." Everyone laughed.
Yerin erupted into laughter after watching Kai's fight. Lindon couldn't help but smile with her. It seemed that the children of Monarchs were monsters. Akura Charity dropped the projection and the owl disappeared. "I'll tell the Akura Underlords to prepare," Charity said. Maybe it was Lindon's imagination but she seemed to have a slight smile on her face too.
"We'll give them a week. I want to speak with Joy and I'm sure the others could use some time to prepare and advance," Mercy stated. Lindon agreed with Mercy. Fighting the Akura's elite underlords would be the final test, but not only if they all managed to discover their Underlord revelations. That could take any amount of time and he hoped Mercy's proposed reprieve was long enough.. He and Yerin had pushed themselves to their revelations fighting against the Seishen Underlords. The Akura Underlords would be much tougher opponents than the ones they faced, especially if his children were stuck at truegold. He was consoled by the fact that Dross's latest model of Kai and Keya suggested they might even be able to win at truegold.
Wei Shi Asuna sat on a tree next to one of Akura Charity's owls. She had just watched the fights between the Blackflame Empire and Seishen Kingdom. She was proud of how her younger siblings had grown stronger. She couldn't wait for them to reach Underlord so they could spar together again. Kai had grown so much from what she remembered. When they were only jade and iron, Kai would always get into trouble in the valley and she would have to step in to protect him. It seemed his time in the Blackflame Empire had made him stronger and more responsible. From what her father had told her, Kai had grown in other ways, even manifesting a bloodline ability. Something inside her stirred and now she couldn't wait to fight him. Neither could it.