AN: Ooookay! This is the 22nd chapter... There's atleast one fight in this chapter... If I feel nice I might put two... On to the story!Attic-Window: Yeah.. Yeah... He died... He was kinda cool... Errrrr... I wouldn't know about the whole cute thing... I will update sooner, I just got into this whole race thing to see who could level faster on MapleStory.
Alex strode through the darkness, his axe hanging loosely by his side, though it was obvious that he his entire body was as taut as a bowstring, ready to strike, or counter-strike, any attack that might be made. A figure emerged from the darkness; Alex was sure he saw tendrils of shadow reluctantly relinquishing their hold on Tylus. The orange robed man reached behind him and grasped his sword by the hilt. With agonizing slowness, he pulled it into view, revealing a Devil's Sunrise. "I dare say that I hope you will prove a challenge. All the other challengers are... Lacking... In skills," muttered Tylus. His voice, though quiet, resounded commandingly throughout the vast room.
"I'll prove to be more of a challenge!" Alex snarled as he lunged forward, his Clonian Axe whipped out from its casual position. Tylus held his ground to the charging Crusader, his bearded face kept skillfully out of sight as to shroud his expression from view.
"How... eager..."
The Devil's Sunrise arched almost gracefully through the air and caught the axe on its blade. Tylus, still with one hand behind his back, parried Alex's blow with minimum exertion and leaned forward and struck Alex. The sound of metal clashing against metal resounded through the area as Alex moved his axe with lightning speed to intercept the blow. Tylus shifted the attack and attacked from the side. Alex gritted his teeth as the blade bit into his armor. "Argh!"
"Hurts... Doesn't it?"
Alex roared in fury and swiped at Tylus's face. Alex's fist caught the ancient warrior hero under the jaw. With a grunt of pain, the hood fell from Tylus's face, revealing a pale but fair face that denoted a rich bloodline of nobles. "What the hell?" Alex called wildly as he viewed the hero's visage. Tylus's eyes were blank, the pupils having faded to a dingy white. There was no color in Tylus's eyes. They were the eyes of a dead man. Taking Alex's temporary distraction as an advantage, Tylus swung his Devil's Sunrise, aiming at his opponents head...
XxX
You are the human to whom this body belongs... Correct?
Yes...
I see Kane did not fully take control of your mind... You could have stopped him when he massacred your elders.
Yes...
Why did you not?
They... They did not help me... They assumed I was content with them... With their rule... With their advice. When my brother defected, I realized the faults of their rule. They supressed us with the meaningless ranks, gave us false satisfaction by training endlessly and turned us away from taking time to think... To think about our government.
I see. You decided that a new government might benefit your world.
Yes...
So you went along with the attacks... That was a dangerous plan. If that balrog's take on the government had been... worse...
I could have killed him easily. With Kane's help, who also harbored a goal of Kronos's death.
You would have teamed up with Kane, killed Kronos, then shunted Kane from your mind.
Then I would have taken the government upon my own hands.
That was reckless. You could have lost your entire world to the balrog's hands, had you failed.
Then the fate of the world was out of my hands. I would be dead, so the world's state would not affect me.
But your plan has succeeded... partly.
So you do intend to change this world into the next hell...
Yes.
As I said, I don't care what happens to this world now. It does not affect me.
Hmph.
XxX
The Devil's Sunrise landed on the ground beside Tylus. Alex's Colonian Axe rested threateningly on Tylus's collarbone. "Submit."
The ancient hero's eyes widened slightly. "How'd you--"
"Submit! Or I will kill you!"
"I... I submit..."
Alex limped away, one hand clutching his wound and the other dragging his axe. Tylus looked awed, then backed away into the shadows. Aradia gaped openly at Alex as he walked past. "Alex! That was amazing! How'd you do that? One second you were about to get your head cut off by Tylus, the next you were asking Tylus to submit! You moved too fast to see! I mean... What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Aradia! You're test is next. You are facing Robeira. I wish you luck. You will need it."
Aradia nodded numbly and crept through the massive stone doorway and into the shadows. "Hey Aradia!"
She turned to look at Ryker. "What?"
"Don't lose."
Nodding again, she continued into the shadows, her fan at the ready. "Begin!"
Aradia whirled around just as Robeira hissed into her ear. Aradia waved her fan and a sharp piece of ice sprang through the air at Robeira. She brought her hands up protectively and a force field appeared around her, blocking Aradia's spell. But Arada was on the move. She teleported behind Robeira and flung a thunder spear at her unprotected back. "Dodge that!"
The spear passed through Robeira completely, earning a piercing scream of agony from the ancient mage. Then, she faded from sight, leaving only a vague outline in the shadows. "You must see through deceptions... You have much to learn..." Robeira appeared behind Aradia. "Explosion!" She cried, making a complex series of hand-signs. The air suddenly burst into flames. Aradia quickly teleported back, but was not quick enough to escape the explosion.
"Dammit!" Aradia landed on her feet several yards away. Her breath was shallow and quick, signs of exertion showed on her face. I can't keep this up... Aradia waved her wand and a bubble of poison shot from it, speeding towards Robeira. With a smug look, Robeira ducked as it shot passed.
"How... pathetic..."
Aradia teleported in front of Robeira when she was distracted. "Poison Mist!" The bubble burst and a thick, poisonous fog erupted around them. Robeira quickly covered her mouth and nose with one hand. Aradia grinned and raised her wand again. Making a sign that looked like she was shooting a bow, she shouted, "Fire Arrow!" A fiery arrow sprang from the Hinomaru Fan and pierced Robeira in the shoulder.
"Argh!" The ancient mage shrieked.
Aradia made another sign. "Holy Arrow!" This arrow struck Robeira in the opposite shoulder, inducing a similar cry of pain.
"Enough!" Robeira bellowed, her normally high-pitched voice becoming deep and guttural. With a single sweeping motion, she made the earth rise up and envelop Aradia's body. "I can move the ground with a single motion! You have no chance of defeating me!" Robeira slowly raised her hands, and as she did this, Aradia and her rocky coffin rose to match them. "Die!" Robeira dropped her hands after they reached their maximum height.
Even as she plummeted to her doom, Aradia smiled. "I don't think so... Slow!" A green aura enveloped her. The fall was slowed considerably. As she gently landed on the ground, her eyes pulsed white and the earthen sepulcher burst. Aradia sprang from the rubble, her fan waving wildly through the air. "Shining Ray!"
The seconds ticked by and nothing happened. Robeira cast her gaze wildly in every direction, searching for the oncoming attack. Aradia crouched on the ground, panting slightly as she held her bleeding side.
Suddenly, a deep rumbling reached the two mages ears. Then, the entire ceiling split and a massive beam of light, spanning the entire room, spread from one wall to the other. Robeira shreiked in fear and anger. The light enveloped Aradia without harm; it began to advance slowly towards Robeira. She raised a hand in defence. Arec appeared and grabbed the ancient mage around the waist. "Arec! Let me go!"
"Assaulter!"
The two disappeared and reappeared next to Aradia, safely inside the light. "Robeira submits!" Arec called to her. "Dispell it!"
Aradia nodded and waved her fan again.
Robeira writhed angrily in Arec's grip. "Let me go Arec! I do not submit!"
"You've seen her power, she is obviously ready to wield it!"
Robeira looked repulsed by the man holding her. "This battle is not over until one of us is unable to attack!"
Arec began dragging her towards the door. "Aradia, congratulations. I'm sure your master will be proud. Robeira! Quit squirming! You would have been torn apart by that spell!"
Druce looked down. If he were still alive...
Aradia shuffled along a good way behind them, wary of the angry guardian who at any time might decide to continue the fight. Arec dumped Robeira on the ground beside Rene. "Chase, your test is next. Ryker, I'll face you afterwards."
Chase nodded dumbly and followed Arec back into the room. Alex settled himself in-between Aradia and Ryker. "Hey... You know who Arec and Robeira remind me of?"
Aradia shook her head and Ryker grinned wryly. "Nope, but I bet you're gonna tell us."
"You and Aradia."
"They do not!"
"I mean, by how you act. Aradia always wants to keep fighting, but Ryker knows when to quit, and Ryker sometimes has to carry you off... Maybe you guys are descendents from those two..."
Druce looked down at them. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were. Many heroes could trace their bloodline back to these four and their comrades, sometimes even farther back."
Arec turned to face Chase. "You're an assassin right?"
He nodded.
"Cool. I'll test you on your assassin skills. Don't worry, I won't use and bandit skills... Let's begin!"
AN:Another chapter... See, I got two fights in there! And a thought-conversation between Akuji and Kronos (and I mean the demon Kronos...). Okay... So... Feel free to review... It makes me happy! Yay! Happy.. happy... Okay, it doesn't make me happy. Well, kinda but... Anyway... Review please...
