Chapter 8: Chaos
The skies had finally come to a quiet rest after the fearsome battle of the brothers. Azulong could feel the others on Mjolnir heading his way. He stood ready with his hand on his blade, prepared to draw instantly at the slightest movement. Though the area was quiet, the small sound of fizzing caught his ear. He turned quickly with his sword already coming out of the scabbard, but he stopped mid pull when Salamander's body sat upright and began pulling itself together.
With groans and grunts, the body that was once severed had begun a process of rebonding. The bones nudged back into place and welded close in seconds. Layers of muscle began to form over and over until the redness returned to the slice. Last, the skin formed over the wound and closed with a bubbling reaction afterwards that subsided. With a sickening crack, Salamander straightened his spine and neck before jumping up and looking at Azulong.
"Well now, guess that's what I get for not paying attention. Luckily I took a precaution in case the slinger was too much." He said while standing still to let the rest of the nerves and muscles reconnect.
Azu had yet to encounter such a technique and thus he wondered.
"What mysticism is this?" He asked, cautiously taking a step forward.
Down below, just as Kuroi, Alexander and Yumi were nearing the top, Sho appeared above them in a flash of blue. He landed on one knee in front of the party and looked up to them.
"Won't have to worry about Mr. Hound anymore, he'll be joining the rest of his incompetent group." He stood but grabbed his wounded shoulder and looked at his healing hand. "Yumi!"
She jumped to attention.
"Uh yes!?" She answered, almost frightened.
"Take care of this will ya?" He asked as he propped his body up against the rock beside him. She ran over and instantly began to release healing energy into his wound. The green light penetrated deep into the wound and began to heal it from the inside out. Slowly the open hole closed with no visible marking that a scar ever existed.
"Good as new huh? Guess we will have to keep you around." Sho said after standing straight up and looking at the path. "Come on, let's keep going.
The continued on until the peak greeted them. The moment they spotted Salamander and Azulong, the same flash of white flew for Sho's head. In that instant his eyes gave a yellow glow and he quickly drew his knife, mimicking the same movements Azulong made. A black flash shot from his blade and struck Azulong's canceling it out.
"How is it you can use the soul blade technique?" Azulong inquired.
"Anything you can do, so can I, but that's beside the point. We've been looking for you Azulong and finally we get to meet. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Sho Seki, lea-"
"Sho Seki? Your jest does not amuse me. I do not know how you know that name, but I assure you that your kidding will end here. "His words ending with his blade being freed from the scabbard and swung with great might, sending another soul blade for Sho.
Kuroi appeared before the blade and held his hands out. His hands wrapped around the soul blade and pulled it apart like a small twig. Azulong's eyes narrowed in annoyance. He swung multiple times, faster than any normal person could see let alone count. Kuroi summoned the spheres and began firing them one by one into the blades that came from Azu. Though he tried to match the speed, some of them flew through his defense. Alexander stepped in quickly with his shield, taking the hits dead on behind the wall of metal, but even still some flew by and turned around, heading for Sho. Sho laughed and began to circle his feet with his finger. A pinkish glow surrounded him and the other two without wait. The soul blades approached them, but were dematerialized and absorbed into Sho.
"I grow tired of these games. I will put an end to you once and for all!" Azu yelled while he again summoned the Izanagi blade.
He lifted the blade to the sky, chanted the summoning oath and threw the blade into the air this time. From his body, an ethereal arm appeared holding Izanagi's sword. Without wasting any time, Azu swung the blade while turning his body for maximum output.
"Tyrant's blade!!" Azu's voice echoed through the air as the blade turned white and fired a large soul blade.
Alexander and Kuroi both jumped into the air, taking a defensive stance to endure the attack. Yumi placed her hands together and began to pray.
"Kyrie Eleison!! Her words echoing as well as a shielding light appeared around Kuroi.
Kuroi summoned more spheres and stomped hard. His muscles tensed up and his spheres created a defensive aura around him.
"Steel body!!" He shouted while holding his arms out to take the damage.
Sho watched and leapt in ahead of them with his finger tracing something in the air. Just as the blade approached them, he finished his outline and the blade was instantly absorbed into a blue portal. They all landed beside one another. Sho folded his arms and looked at Azulong.
"We didn't come to fight. We came to- "His words were cut off by Azu jumping into the air.
The ground began to quake much more than before. Azu muttered a chant to himself and raised Izanagi's sword. Energy began to charge, causing the arm and sword to become more and more visible. His body somersaulted forward while picking speed. Faster and faster he went until his body resembled a smith's saw.
"Zero's Division!!" His voice radiate from the rotating mass of energy that suddenly began to expand rapidly.
Everyone's eyes widened as the blade ripped into Mjolnir, slicing further and further into the rock. The blade spew trees, boulders and animals in every direction as it flew through the mountain. Azulong had no intention of letting the one he thought to be an imposter escape. He poured the energy into the blade, making it stretch further until he'd nearly reached the ground. The rotating saw blade began to slow down, soon Azulong was visible again. He descended to the edge of the giant chasm he just effectively created.
He just stood there, reveling in the damage he caused. Smoke gently poured from the gash due to the friction of the slice. With a shrug he took a step, but quickly stopped when Sho jumped out of nowhere with blade drawn. He turned to draw his blade, but Sho was already too close. He placed the knife to his throat and grabbed Azu's arm. He stood behind him, breathing hard, but still grinning.
"Not bad Azu, heh but not good enough. Now I'm going to tell you this one more time. We're not here to fight you, but after that little display I'm not so sure I want to keep you alive." Sho said.
"Then make your cut swift or release me and allow me to make mine. Either way, one of us is on borrowed time." Azu replied coldly.
Sho laughed and released Azulong with his hand shown. The Advent's symbol began to glow on his hand, showing his claim to be valid. Azu gazed at the mark only for a moment, but he knew right away what it was. He gasped and knelt down with his head bowed low.
"I have been a fool. My great ancestor wrote of The Advents and how they would make their return. When you mentioned the name, I thought it was an impossible dream to hope they had finally returned. I deserve whatever punishment you enact." Azulong pleaded.
Sho looked around and shrugged. He placed his hand above Azu's head and made him one of The Advents. Azulong gasped at his life being spared. He raised his head, but caught a fist to the face instead.
"That's for nearly killing me and my crew dammit!" Sho shouted. "Speaking of my crew."
He placed his fingers in his mouth and blew a high pitched whistle. Alexander stood from a pile of rubble with parts of his armor broken and tattered. With his hand on his head, he shook it trying to regain his balance.
"Goodness, I never imagined such a power like that. I guess we came ill prepared." He said as he stood.
Yumi peeked from a broken tree, looking around for the others. She came from the other side with her outfit dirty and torn. She stood beside Sho and began to heal both he and Azulong. Alexander joined them, also receiving healing from Yumi.
From the nearby chasm, Kuroi jumped up with smoke around his body. His body was perfectly intact from his steel body technique. It just so happens it canceled just as he landed on the edge. He only looked at Sho, folded his arms and nodded. Salamander whistled himself and pushed a small mountain of rubble from his body, his shirt and jacket now completely ripped off from the rest of his outfit. He joined the others and received more healing from Yumi.
Well well, I suppose it's time that the Advents were finally reunited. I hereby declare us The Advents, the most powerful guild to walk this earth." Sho said.
He looked up to the sky, his mind started to run through the many plans to get to the royal family. Just when things looked up more, Sho felt a sudden shock through his body. He lurched forward and gasped for air with his hands on his knees.
"Sho! What's wrong?" Yumi asked, kneeling down to his level.
He tried to talk but he couldn't breathe. It was the same feeling as before in the tomb of The Advents. The black emperium reappeared before him and released a tendril into his pocket. The others backed away, watching the emperium pull the black crystal from Glast Heim. It wrapped the tendril around the entire object and jammed it into Sho's chest where his heart is. He released a deafening scream as he fell to the ground and rolled around. His skin darkened slightly and his eye color shifted to a shade of grey.
He sat up, still taking giant breaths of air while he was helped up by Alexander. He looked up at the emperium which floated just above his head.
"O black guardian of disaster, we call upon thee to execute our will as The Advents! Bring forth Chaos!" Sho shouted into the air.
The ground quaked again, pouring rocks and trees into Azulong's man made canyon. From the ground a red ring of light appeared. From the ring jets of blue fire shot into the air, changing the temperature around the area. A large gauntlet shot out and landed onto the ground. The flames filled the gauntlet, creating an arm that clawed into the ground. More armor poured from the flames, and connected until a suit of black, spiked armor stood before The Advents. The flames created the body of the summon with the face coming in last, a distorted flamed image that looked down at Sho. It knelt down in the air bowed its head to Sho.
Sho looked up at Chaos and gave a half smirk since he was still suffering from the pain. He stood up, using Alexander as a brace and lifted his branded hand to Chaos. The Advent symbol appeared on its breast plate and forehead. The black emperium vanished from sight and with it, Chaos did as well.
Back in Prontera, a swordsman ran through the halls, breathing hard and stumbling over his own feet. He sped along the corridors until he reached the King's quarters where the king's guards stopped him.
"No one is allowed in this section, leave now or we will use force." One said to him.
"No! Listen! There's something happening on Mjolnir, it's been split in half!" The panicked swordsman spoke.
The guards looked at each other and ran towards the window to look outside. Sure enough, the mountain had been severed. Had it been possible, their eyes would have left their skull. They turned quickly and ran back to the king's door, rapping the door with their fist.
"Sire! Sire there's something wrong with Mjolnir!" The guards yelled.
The king awoke from his sleep and rubbed his eyes. The covers he wore were thrown to the side as he stood up and went to the door. He opened the door in great haste and looked at the two guards and swordsman.
"What is the meaning of this?!" He demanded to know.
"Sire! Mjolnir has been divided in half!" One of the guards spoke.
"Preposterous! There is only one force on this planet that has that power and I am in possession of said force." He said as he made his way towards the window.
Indeed the mountain had been split and he was now eating his words. He took a step back and looked to the three men.
"Rally my men; I want them in the audience room immediately!" He ordered just before making his way downstairs.
No more than a minute had passed before the king's party had begun to arrive. Seban had already been present since he was usually on duty at this time. Alverk followed in her blue night gown and stood with a salute. Terra and Lina came in, both of them underdressed for the room. Edgar stepped in with only his pants on and Cortez followed in with pajama pants.
"What's going on sire?" Seban asked.
"Wait, where's Wolfe and Jinzo?" The king asked while looking around.
"Neither were in their room sire and the guards say they haven't checked in for hours." Seban reported.
The king lowered his eyes and looked outside at Mjolnir. His eyes opened wide when Chaos appeared atop the mountain. He couldn't believe his eyes, an enemy of the past appeared before him.
"C-Chaos? How is that possible?! He was said to be lost decades ago." He spoke quietly to himself.
While watching The Advent symbol appear on Chaos' body, he noticed a bloody figure limping towards the west gate of Prontera. The king pointed to Alverk and Seban and issued and order.
"Go to the west gate, bring the one you find there to me!" His words were rushed and filled with panic.
Minutes late they returned with one of the hound members who was on the verge of dying. He spat up blood and coughed while being supported by the two.
"S-sire, Sho and The Advents…They're on Mjolnir! They destroyed our entire platoon, I'm the only one alive…" He coughed and closed his eyes. "I saw master Wolfe killed…."
Seban laid the dying man down on the ground and placed a pile of books with a shirt atop them underneath his bloody head.
"They are powerful my lord, much more powerful than we gave them credit for. Master Wolfe brought along the Amatsu man, but he vanished before we could find Sho. He said something about reaching Azulong before Sho did….And…And….He…" He tried to continue speaking, but his life was brought to an end with his final breath.
The king heaved a heavy sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He looked at the group of individuals in his presence and shook his head.
"I'm not going to lie to you all, we're against an enemy I wish could have been eradicated long ago, but that is not the case. So I will put this simply, prepare for war for I fear Sho will be bringing it to us. I cannot guarantee we are fully prepared for this threat, but I can say that we have some of the best there is at what they do. Please aid the royal family in defending against Sho and The Advents!" He spoke with his head down, much more worry and even fear passing over his body.
"Yes Sire!" they all spoke with the exception of Cortez who wrote it out in the air with an accompanying smiley face.
With their new hope, the party left the room while speaking to each other. They each returned to their rooms, but couldn't sleep. They stared outside at the now split mountain, wondering what exactly they would have to face in the future. The king sat in his room at the desk, looking at a photo of his children.
"May the Valkyries keep you safe my children… For if not I do not believe I can maintain my sanity nor rationality." He placed his hand on the photo and peered back outside at the place where Chaos had been.
Tomorrow would be a new day and he knew the city would be in an uproar.