Chapter Thirty One – Gods of Thunder
The following morning, the city of Crossbell was abuzz with talk over the bizarre event that occurred on the previous night. The pillar of purple light that had shot up into the sky, followed by intensifying earthquakes caused nothing short of mass hysteria. The Crossbell Police Department, being inundated with panic-stricken calls about the occurrence, had sent officers to the location, but turned up nothing. Nothing except a charred circle on the floor of an abandoned building.
To the detectives in charge of the case, with Alex Dudley at the helm, it was clear that some kind of ritual took place in that building, but what kind? After an initial examination, there were hushed whispers between some of the older officers, ones who had been on the force when a group of dark alchemists used to hide in the shadows of Crossbell. Whispers that had begun to entertain the possibility that these alchemists had returned, despite the well-known truth that they had been wiped out a few years ago.
Detective Dudley knew better than to listen to rumours, but he also knew that with the complete lack of evidence that there was at the scene, the case was a non-starter. So, in order to keep the higher-ups happy, the Detective passed the case off to the Special Support Section, who arrived at the scene shortly after, along with Cyrus, who was in the middle of a call on his ARCUS when he arrived.
"Yeah, fine. I'll keep an eye out. Thanks, Emma," Cyrus muttered, pocketing his ARCUS before trying to enter the building.
"Hold up, you have no authority to enter this scene!" Dudley stated, holding his arm out.
"Detective, please… We both know that the SSS are the ones I'm working with during my time in Crossbell, which means I have the authority to go wherever they go. Now, return your arm to your side, lest you wish for me to break it," Cyrus growled, glaring at the Detective.
"C'mon, Alex, it's fine. You know he's with us," Lloyd stated, tapping the man on the shoulder.
"Tch, very well, Bannings. But I want you to keep an eye on him. We don't need some foreigner telling us how to do our jobs," Dudley scoffed.
Using Shadow Step, Cyrus moved past the Detective, and into the room, which only served to annoy Dudley even further. Cyrus found it quite amusing to see that Detective Dudley was almost exactly the same as Machias, in both appearance and personality.
"Right, what have we got here…?" Lloyd muttered, looking around.
The room was nothing special, just an office inside a building that was situated inside Crossbell's Entertainment District. It was obvious to even the most junior officer that the room had recently been cleared out, with dust patterns on the floor outlining a desk, bookcase, and a rug among other things. The charred circle in the middle of the room was right on top of where the rug had once been.
"This circle is definitely the product of Septium enriched energy. Whoever made it knew this building was sat directly above a considerably large Septium Vein," Tio declared.
"Well, that doesn't make any sense…" Randy responded, looking puzzled.
"What do you mean?" Elie queried.
"You guys know where we are, right? Like, the building we're in?" Randy began.
"Well, I'll be a son of a bitch…" Wazy muttered. "This place used to belong to Garcia Rossi, didn't it?"
"Randy's right. We lost Rossi and the rest of his goons after we were attacked by unknown assailants at that Schwarze Auction back in April," Lloyd stated. "This place was where he used to do business as Revache's Underboss."
"Wasn't the Schwarze Auction the place where you guys found KeA?" Noelle asked.
"Who?" Cyrus spoke, turning to look at Lloyd.
"Ah, right… Long story short, Randy and I went to a secret auction being held by Revache, and found one of the, uh, 'items' up for sale was a kid. After rescuing her, she chose to stay with us at the SSS, since she can't remember anything about who she is, or where she came from," Lloyd explained.
"Well, that's a lot to unpack, and I don't care to be a part of it," Cyrus muttered. "Has anyone been down into the sewers yet?"
"Wow, that was a weird change of direction…" Noelle whispered.
"Why would anyone go down into the sewers?" Elie asked indignantly.
"You mean none of you see it?" Cyrus spoke, raising his voice. "Crossbell's finest, and they can't even detect a secret fucking passageway?!"
The insult grabbed the attention of all the officers and detectives inside and outside the room, who all crowded the doorway with looks of anger on their faces. Cyrus, in response, slammed a fist against a section of the wall, which rumbled slightly before sliding backwards, and then off to the side, revealing a secret passage that led to a ladder that went straight down underground.
"How did you find that? We checked this room from top to bottom before the SSS arrived!" Dudley exclaimed.
"Thanatos above, how could you not see it?! The scuff marks on the floor suggest that a bookcase was used to hide it. What the fuck is the matter with you people?!" Cyrus shouted.
"Whoa, ok… Timeout, everyone. Look, Cyrus, how about you come with us to see where this path leads, and we'll let the rest of the detectives finish processing the scene here," Lloyd suggested, hoping to defuse the quickly escalating situation.
"Sure, why not. After you, Detective," Cyrus beckoned, stepping aside to allow Lloyd access to the passageway.
"C'mon, guys. Let's see where this thing takes us," Lloyd nodded as he entered the passageway, approached the ladder and started to climb down.
One by one, the Special Support Section, along with Cyrus, all climbed down the ladder into the darkness below.
In Erebonia, Group A had just finished off their first task of the day, and were on their way back to Legram to report to Viscount Arseid. Throughout the morning, those in Group A had been fussing over Rean, after what had happened to him the night before.
After finishing yesterday's Field Study tasks, Group A had been invited to sit with the Viscount during dinner, where the topic of Victor's mantle as the legendary 'Radiant Blademaster' had come up. One thing had led to another, and Victor had offered to spar with Rean, much to Laura's disappointment (much in thanks to Vahlok's Aspect).
Despite only being a Beginner of the Eight Leaves One Blade School, Victor did not go easy on Rean. It was his duty as the head of the Arseid School to not hold back against an opponent, even if it was just in a sparring match. As the match heated up, the dark power within Rean had started to take over… Until it simply didn't.
Much like what happened in Heimdallr a month ago, as Rean's dark power started to take control, the ring he had been given by Cyrus started to glow, and just as the transformation finished, a pale, hooded spectre appeared before Rean, slipped its mask off and sucked out the malevolent energy from within Rean, causing him to fall unconscious and revert back to his original form. Once that had happened, the phantom disappeared.
"Guys, you don't need to stress over me; I'm fine, really," Rean said, brushing off his classmate's attempts to ensure he was alright.
"You say that, but you still look rather pale. You don't need to push yourself so much," Laura stated.
"Ha! He's just weak! Hevnoraak was right about you, brat; you're pathetic!" Vahlok snapped.
"I still don't know what happened last night, but it was weeeeeeird!" Millium chirped, seemingly unfazed by everything.
"Must you always have an opinion on everything?" Jusis sighed.
"Hey, well, if you guys won't tell me what's going on, I'm just gonna have to start guessing for myself!" Millium sulked.
"Tch, clearly your head is full of hot air, since you clearly don't understand the concept of 'we can't tell you'," Jusis scoffed.
"C'mon, you two… There's no reason to keep arguing," Emma muttered, forcing a small smile.
As the five students returned to Legram, they could immediately tell something was off. The townsfolk seemed on edge about something, but Group A couldn't figure out what that reason was for. As they passed Legram's Bracer Guild office, they found Klaus stood outside the building, talking to a blond haired Bracer they had met the day before.
"Klaus, Toval. What's going on? Everyone seems worried," Laura said as she approached the two men.
"As they should be. The Viscount has some rather unsavoury visitors," Toval stated, looking up at the Arseid household with concern.
"Please, my Lady, do not worry yourself. His Lordship is not one to be afraid of ruffians," Klaus added, noting the concerned look on Laura's face.
"I am aware of that, Klaus. What concerns me is who would be so bold as to demand an audience with Father like this?" Laura pondered.
"I wanna see, I wanna see!" Millium cried, running off for the manor.
"Aidios preserve us, this fool is going to send us all to an early grave," Jusis sighed as the rest of Class VII gave chase.
"Victor, Victor… Please, I am here out of respect to you, and your title as the Radiant Blademaster. Originally, I was going to send written correspondence, but the time for that has passed, as I need an answer now," the Concierge spoke, standing before Victor in his study.
"Why exactly would you think I'd ever stoop to consorting with someone like you?" Victor asked, giving the shadowy figure a hard stare.
"Victor… Time is wasting," the Concierge muttered, taking a pocket watch out of his waistcoat and inspecting it. "Right now, I would imagine the Crossbell Police Department will be starting to process the scene of last night's events, which means I don't have a lot of time. I need to be back in Crossbell by lunch."
"Hmph, look at you; acting as if you haven't a care in the world. If this is so important to you, why involve me at all? Would it not be easier to go straight to the source?" Victor asked.
"Come now, Your Lordship! Surely you don't need me to spell it out for you," the Concierge laughed. "Our relationship is a difficult one, and my actions would be immediately seen for what they are. If you were the one to facilitate things, however… Well, that might change the scope of how everything is perceived."
"If I do this for you – and that is a very strong if – how do I know you'll honour your side of the bargain?" Victor muttered.
"I might be a criminal, Victor, but I like to think I have some semblance of honour when I make deals. You have my word that no criminal elements will take root in your domain. If I hear so much as a whisper of Jägers, black market dealers, or even common street thugs making attempts to act in your territory, I will ensure at least one of my Captains personally deals to them, and your home will be kept free from criminal elements," the Concierge assured. "Oh, and that is a lifetime guarantee too; even after you're long dead, and your daughter becomes the new Viscountess, Legram's protection will be assured."
"Fine, I will make contact. I am confident that no harm will come to her, so I need not make any mention of causing harm," Victor stated gruffly.
"You're a smart man, Your Lordship. Reasonable too," the Concierge nodded.
A knock on the door to Victor's study concluded the conversation between the men. After a moment of silence, the door opened, and Tengri entered the room.
"Apologies, Pakhan, but it seems we have unwanted guests," Tengri muttered.
"Ah, yes. Right on time, it would seem. Come along; we're done here," the Concierge nodded, snapping his pocket watch closed and tucking it away.
As the two men left the room, the doors to the Arseid manor burst open, as Group A rushed into the foyer.
"Father?! Father, where are you?!" Laura called out, looking around.
"Please, children, calm yourselves. The good Viscount is fine," the Concierge stated, staring down at them from the top of the staircase.
Group A tensed up as they realised who they were looking at. The long black coat, the black hat that covered one eye, but left a single amber eye exposed, the large Nord warrior stood next to him. The only thing they couldn't make out was the man's face; it had been obscured by a cloud of shadows that made the man look ethereal.
"What are you doing here in Laura's house?" Rean asked, his hand slowly drifting towards his Tachi.
"Calm yourself, Mr. Schwarzer, I am not here to fight," the Concierge stated as he drifted down the stairs, followed by Tengri. "Thanatos knows you would be dead before you could even draw that thing against me."
"Then why are you here? What business could you possibly have with my father?" Laura questioned.
"There is something I want, and His Lordship is going to get it for me. Now, before you state how much of a paragon he is, I would like to point out that no-one can refuse me. Allow me to demonstrate…" the Concierge muttered as he stood before Group A, and looked at them with a single amber eye. "Step aside."
Despite their best efforts to stand their ground, Group A felt compelled to do as the shadowy figure commanded. Slowly, their bodies moved and eventually, the five students had all moved to one side, creating a path for the Concierge and Tengri to walk through.
"That… How did you…?" Emma whispered.
"Do you understand now, children? You cannot hope to stand against me," the Concierge stated. "Come, Tengri. Crossbell awaits."
As the two men marched outside, Emma found she was able to move of her own accord again. In a spur of the moment decision, she ran outside, hoping to confront the two men and demand answers. However, once she stepped foot outside, she found the criminals were gone, a small wisp of blue smoke rising up into the air where they had been standing.
"A Warp Crystal… So, that's how he was…" Emma muttered.
"Emma?!" Rean called out, as the rest of Group A ran outside, only to find the Class President standing alone, with her ARCUS Unit in her hand. "What are you doing?"
"You heard what he said, didn't you? He's going to Crossbell. Cyrus is already in Crossbell, so he needs to know," Emma explained as she waited for the call to connect. "Cyrus? It's Emma. I have something important to tell you."
"Well, that was a waste of time," Noelle muttered, as the group returned to the surface.
"Be that as it may, at least we know no-one's hiding in the Geofront, except for our usual bevvy of monster pals," Wazy chuckled.
"No matter how often we go down there, there always seems to be an unending slew of creatures waiting for us," Elie sighed.
"Why haven't the Bracers been keeping up with curtailing them? Is that not part of their job?" Randy grunted.
"I suppose we could always find Arios and let him know you find his work unsatisfactory, Reaper," Cyrus muttered.
"Can you stop calling him that? That's not who he is anymore!" Elie protested.
"Once a Jäger, always a Jäger. Isn't that right, Reaper?" Cyrus asked, looking back at Randy, who sighed.
"I'm impressed you remember that, Raijin. Perhaps the Princess' words did stick with you," a voice spoke, surprising the members of the Special Support Section.
"Who… Who are you?" Lloyd asked, immediately taking up a guarded stance.
The person who had spoken was a tall, muscular man of Eastern Calvardian descent. He had thick, scruffy white hair which was shoulder length, despite being tied up at the back. His hair covered one of his eyes, revealing a single amber eye. Attached to his back was a Guandao, its golden lustre glistening in the sunlight.
"Holy shit… That's impossible," Randy gasped, staring at the man with wide eyes.
"Hello, General. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Cyrus said calmly. "You haven't come here to kill me, that much is obvious, so why are you here?"
"An astute observation, Cyrus. I come bearing a message from the Princess," the man responded. "Are you busy? I'd much prefer to sit and drink with you, if time permits."
"What's happening right now? Randy, who is this man?" Noelle asked.
"He's a Jäger, and a very powerful one at that. The Lightning Lord, General Jing Yuan; one of Ikaruga's Death Squad Commanders," Randy responded.
"Very well, General, I shall indulge you," Cyrus nodded, turning to look at his temporary allies.
"Don't worry about them, they can join us," Jing Yuan smiled.
"This guy is a Jäger? He seems so charming and… welcoming," Elie said, smiling back at the General. "He's nothing like the Jägers I've seen."
"Hmph, Jing Yuan makes your run-of-the-mill Jägers look like toddlers. You would do well to remember that, Elie," Cyrus snorted.
"That might be true, but as I said, I am strictly here to deliver a message from the Princess. Not to kill," Jing Yuan reaffirmed.
"Very well then, General. Let us away," Cyrus said, allowing the General to join the group.
After joining the group, the Ikaruga Commander followed Cyrus and the Special Support Section to Crossbell's Eastern Quarter. Since it was obvious the man was an Easterner, Lloyd decided that visiting a restaurant in that part of the city would be an appropriate step to take, in order to allow their guest to feel welcome, which is how the group ended up at the Long Lao Tavern & Inn.
"Hey guys, how's it going?!" a young girl called out as the party entered the building. "Take a seat wherever you like, I'll be along shortly."
"Thanks, Shanshan. No need to rush though," Lloyd smiled as the group found a table and sat down.
"Alright then, General. What does Shizuna have to say for herself?" Cyrus asked.
"We'll get to that in due time, Cyrus. As I said, I would like to take time to share a drink with you first," Jing Yuan stated, as Shanshan arrived at the table with a bottle of Baijiu, and six small, ceramic cups. "Young lady, might I inquire as to the strength of this Baijiu?"
"Ah, certainly. It's our strongest kind; sixty percent," Shanshan smiled.
"Wonderful. I am most grateful," Jing Yuan responded.
"Think nothing of it, General," Shanshan said, bowing before disappearing to another table.
"Hmph, it seems your reputation precedes you, Jing Yuan," Cyrus smirked.
"Well, I was a General in the Calvardian Army as of a few years ago. Hence why I am still called 'General' by those in certain circles," Jing Yuan stated as he prepared a drink for everyone at the table. "Do you ladies not partake?"
"Oh, no… We're both minors," Elie stated with an apologetic smile.
"Correct. I am fourteen, while Elie is seventeen," Tio nodded. "But she will be eighteen in December."
"Ah, I see. My apologies," Jing Yuan chuckled. "You keep some interesting company, Raijin."
"It's a temporary arrangement. I'll be gone once the West Zemuria Trade Conference is over," Cyrus shrugged.
"Then I'm glad I caught you here, rather than in Erebonia," Jing Yuan stated, raising his cup to the table. "Zhù jiàn kāng."
"Uhh…" everyone droned, looking at each other, unsure of what was said.
"Tch, it means 'to your health'. Raise your cups with both hands, or with one hand and support the cup with your other hand underneath, and respond with 'gān bēi' and drink the whole thing. However, do not raise your cup higher than the General's. To do so is a sign of disrespect," Cyrus explained, showing the group how to act.
"Gān bēi," everyone said quietly as they drank from their cups.
Lloyd and Noelle almost gagged on the alcohol, being completely surprised at how strong it was, whilst Randy grimaced slightly, and Wazy managed to down his, but ended up coughing after he swallowed the burning liquid.
"Hmph, amateurs…" Cyrus muttered. "Gān bēi."
At the same time, Cyrus and Jing Yuan drank from their cups, and made no discernible reaction to the liquor, surprising the members of the Special Support Section. The surprise increased when the two men shared another cup together right after.
"Hey, wait a second. Wazy, aren't you also–?" Elie began, looking at the green haired youth.
"Ah-ba-ba-ba… Don't spoil the party, darling," Wazy winked.
An hour and a half later, the party had finished eating and left the restaurant. Despite spending the last ninety minutes drinking a bottle of incredibly potent liquor, neither Cyrus nor Jing Yuan showed any signs of intoxication.
"That shouldn't be possible, right?" Elie whispered to Randy.
"Heh, not a chance. The General I can buy being able to do such a thing, but I didn't think the kid had it in him. Sure, he's like six and a half feet tall, but to put away all that alcohol and not feel its effects? I gotta know his secret, because that one cup almost knocked me on my ass," Randy laughed.
"So, General, perhaps you'd like to tell me what it is this message Shizuna wants you to deliver to me?" Cyrus asked, now deciding to broach the subject, now they had finished eating.
"Of course, but I should have mentioned that the Princess gave me a condition to give to you first," Jing Yuan responded, looking around. "Do any of you know of any good, open spaces around here?"
"Oh, so that's your game, is it?" Cyrus sighed, rolling his eyes. "Forget wide open spaces, you're gonna need a big, fuck off field for that."
"A most excellent idea. I don't visit the Western part of the continent very often, but I quite enjoy Crossbell on the rare occasions I do visit. Destroying it would be a tragedy," the General nodded.
"Wait, what now?" Lloyd asked, blinking in surprise.
"You'll see in due course. For now, I want you to take us to a location that has a massive, wide open space," Cyrus stated.
"Uhh, what about the Ancient Battlefield, near the Sun Fort?" Noelle suggested. "That's a pretty large area."
"Sounds perfect. Lead on then," Jing Yuan beckoned.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Elie sighed.
"Probably because there's an exceedingly high chance of a fight occurring," Tio stated, making Elie sigh even harder.
An hour later, the group of eight had now made their way out of Crossbell and were standing on a place Crossbellans referred to as the 'Ancient Battlefield'. During the journey, Cyrus and Jing Yuan had been silent, which only added to the tension the Special Support Section had been feeling since the group had left Crossbell.
"Ah, this is perfect. Alright, Raijin, show me how powerful Fulgora is now," Jing Yuan commanded.
"So, that's what you're after… You want to pit your Leigong against my Fulgora?" Cyrus asked.
"Indeed. When the Princess sent me to find you, this was her condition she imparted on to me. If you wish to hear what she has to say, then show me how powerful Fulgora has become," Jing Yuan stated.
"Who's this 'Princess' he keeps referring to? Didn't Calvard stop being a Constitutional Monarchy about a hundred years ago, after the revolution? Surely the surviving members wouldn't cling to their titles today?" Noelle whispered.
"He's talking about Ikaruga's Head Commander… Or, at the very least, the Co-Commander," Randy responded. "Now, I don't know a whole hell of a lot about her, or the Corps outside of the fact they're an SSS-Rank Corps, and have thirteen elite squads within the hierarchy called 'Death Squads', but I do know the woman he's talking about. They refer to her as the Silver Princess, and she's supposed to be a lethal force of nature."
"So, what, this guy is their leader too, or…?" Elie asked.
"No, he's the Commander of the First Squad, who are by far and large the strongest out of the thirteen, but he still answers to the Silver Princess. Only thing I wanna know is, what relationship does the kid have with her for him to be on a first name basis with her?" Randy muttered.
"I do hope you'll hold nothing back, Raijin. It's been a while since I allowed Leigong to flex his muscles. I don't want to accidentally kill you," Jing Yuan laughed.
"You just worry about making sure Leigong can stand his ground, General. Out of all the Death Squad Commanders under Shizuna's command, you are the one I like enough to not want to kill," Cyrus responded, cracking his neck.
"I'll be sure to let the Princess know you hold me in such high regard then," Jing Yuan smiled.
"Y'know… I'm actually glad they asked to move away from Crossbell," Lloyd muttered, looking at the two men.
"Why is that?" Noelle asked.
"I have a feeling that, if we stayed, we'd be looking at a mass casualty event," Lloyd stated.
Before anyone could respond to Lloyd's statement, the ground started to shake and black clouds swirled in the skies above. The faint rumble of thunder started to roll across the heavens as the two men stood a good thirty meters away from one another.
The shaking turned into a powerful quaking while the thunder roared above, bringing with it forked lightning and a torrential downpour. With nowhere to run for cover, the six members of the Special Support Section could do nothing but stand in the rain and become drenched.
"Radiant Spirit… Heed my words…" Jing Yuan spoke as bolts of golden lightning rained down around his feet.
"Come, Fulgora. We have work to do," Cyrus called out, as an azure flame ignited and engulfed him. 'Azure…? If that's the case, then… Good.'
The Special Support Section watched in awe as two beings manifested; a golden armoured warrior and an azure armoured warrior. Both beings were massive, reaching so high into the sky they could be seen from Crossbell.
The golden spirit of Leigong, an ancient God of Lightning, stood silently, holding a Guandao that was almost identical to the General's. The azure spirit of Fulgora, an ancient God of Storms, also stood silently, holding a sword that was almost identical to Cyrus' Dao.
Without any prompting, the two spirits raised their weapons and struck one another, a deafening explosion of thunder echoed around the Ancient Battlefield. With each subsequent strike, the thunder and lightning intensified, and the rain got heavier to the point where the Special Support Section could no longer tell if the roaring they heard was from the thunder as the two titans clashed, or if it was from how heavy the rain had become.
"What the hell is going on?!" Noelle cried, her voice getting drowned out by the storm.
"These guys are monsters alright! I can't believe people like this exist!" Lloyd shouted, trying and failing to guess what Noelle had said.
"Is that all you've got, Raijin? I'll have to let the Princess know that you're starting to slip!" Jing Yuan said, watching as the two gods clashed above him.
"By all means, General. Let Shizuna know what you think… But at least wait until you've seen what Fulgora is really capable of!" Cyrus shouted, as he pulled his hand down over his face, putting on the Destroyer's Mask. "RAMPAGE, FULGORA!"
As soon as the mask appeared, the General stared at Cyrus in awe. He had no idea the young man before him had such an item, and he certainly had no idea it could influence Fulgora. When Cyrus put the mask on, the azure armour of Fulgora started to crack, allowing a dark crimson light to seep out of the fissures.
Letting out a guttural roar, Fulgora shattered its armour, causing a brilliant azure light to shine as it harnessed the Corruption within the mask Cyrus was wearing. Once the light had vanished, everyone stared in horror at Fulgora's new form.
In place of the azure armour was a black skeletal figure, with blazing crimson eyes, and a pair of horns that were identical to the horns on Cyrus' mask. Black flames surrounded the God, creating a defensive barrier, threatening to burn anything it came into contact with. Leigong drove its Guandao at Fulgora, but the blade couldn't make it through the wall of fire. Instead, the fire started to spread across the blade, and up the shaft of the weapon.
When the flames reached Leigong, the Thunder God dropped its weapon, creating a massive earthquake that was felt in both Calvard and Erebonia. The flames snaked up Leigong's massive arms, burning the spirit. As Leigong burned, so too did Jing Yuan. As the Special Support Section watched in horror and awe, they came to the conclusion that whatever damage the spirits sustained, the damage would also be inflicted on their hosts.
In a fit of rage, Leigong smashed its way through the wall of fire and grabbed the area of the skeletal Storm God where its throat would have been and started to choke it. As they watched on, the Special Support Section could see that from behind the mask he was wearing, Cyrus was also being choked.
The battle raged on, the two Gods not giving an inch. Fulgora managed to break free from Leigong's grip, and smashed the Thunder God in the jaw, shattering some of its helmet. Both Cyrus and Fulgora fell, with Cyrus finally being able to breathe again.
Whilst Fulgora was incapacitated, Leigong picked up its weapon again, and swiped downwards at the skeletal apparition. Using the cursed, black sword in its hand, Fulgora blocked the attack, holding the blade up in the air to stop the Guandao from delivering a lethal blow.
"Full… Counter…" Cyrus growled.
As he spoke, the blade in Fulgora's hand glowed crimson, as energy from the world around it was absorbed by the flaming blade. Once the energy absorption reached critical mass, Fulgora suddenly dropped the blade, causing Leigong's Guandao to fall along with it. Now, with an energy enhanced blade, Fulgora immediately swung the blade back up into the air, causing another explosion of thunder as the two weapons collided again.
This time, however, Fulgora's blade had enough strength to slice through the head of the Guandao, cutting the blade off the weapon. As the head fell onto the ground, another earthquake rocked the Ancient Battlefield.
Realising its weapon was now useless, Leigong started to attack with its fists, delivering powerful strikes; each blow creating a clap of thunder and causing forked lightning to strike the ground. The two gods were going blow for blow against one another, refusing to give an inch. After five minutes of earth shattering hand-to-hand combat, both gods fell to a knee, before vanishing, and the skies above the Ancient Battlefield once again becoming bright and sunny.
The Special Support Section all stood looking on, mouths agape. What they had witnessed shouldn't have been possible for humans to accomplish. Not even Wazy, in his position as a Dominion, had ever witnessed such a thing. After hearing what Randy had told them about Jing Yuan, and Ikaruga, the Special Support Section were astounded by his power, but what surprised – and terrified – them more was the fact Cyrus could do the same thing. The General looked like he was in his mid-thirties, which made the feat of him being a former General in the Republic's army all the more impressive, but they knew Cyrus was still only eighteen. How could someone who was around half the age of Jing Yuan have such devastating power? After what they had just observed, the Special Support Section were hard pressed to think of anyone who'd have the power to stand against Cyrus. Even Randy knew that, if he were still alive, not even his father would be able to last against Cyrus in this state.
"I'm impressed, Raijin. Your skill with Fulgora is impeccable. Although, that trick with the mask took me by surprise. Where did you get such a relic?" Jing Yuan asked.
"Eh, it was given to me by the Direwolf. I don't know what his reasons were for giving it to me, but it would seem that he did it deliberately… Almost like I'm some kind of test subject," Cyrus muttered.
"You don't say…? Tell me something; do you know why the Princess has sent Little Bee, Chameleon, Ibaraki-Dōji, and Archangel after you?" Jing Yuan asked, taking Cyrus by surprise.
"She clearly has some kind of axe to grind with me. Archangel said something about it to me before I killed her, but Little Bee says someone hired you to kill me. Master Ka-Fai said Shizuna wanted to talk, but I didn't buy it at the time, so I sent a messenger to see if the rumours were true," Cyrus shrugged.
"You really don't remember, do you?" Jing Yuan muttered, frowning slightly.
"Remember what? Don't play games with me, Jing Yuan; I respect you too much to allow you to try that with me," Cyrus snapped.
"Alright, answer me this; how many seals have you broken?" the General queried.
"Four. Why does that matter?" Cyrus grunted; his patience running thin.
"I see… Well, I'll have to let the Princess know of that. As for the message she wanted me to give you… I'll need to amend it slightly, as it seems she's been given the wrong impression, based on who you sent as your messenger when you had them deliver Archangel's head to her," Jing Yuan muttered. "When you have broken the Seventh Seal, seek the Princess out in Longlai. You have my word that you will not be harmed by the other Squad Commanders."
"Tch, not like they'd have the power to stop me after I break the Seventh Seal," Cyrus muttered.
"Then I shall let the Princess know you will arrive when the time is right," Jing Yuan nodded. "Good day to you, Raijin."
At that, General Jing Yuan took his leave. Cyrus, meanwhile, returned to Crossbell with the Special Support Section, who were all still reeling from what they had witnessed.
Back in Legram, Viscount Arseid had received another guest, much to the worry of the citizens of Legram. This time, it wasn't the Concierge of Crime, or anyone affiliated with the underworld, but the exact opposite. Victor's visitor this time was none other than General Aurelia Le Guin, and Brigadier General Wallace Bardias. Upon witnessing their arrival, everyone in the town knew why they were here.
For years, the Arseid Family had been left to their own devices, and due to Victor's position as the famed Radiant Blademaster, the Noble Alliance had allowed Victor and his people to remain neutral in the brewing conflict between the Noble Alliance and the Reformist Faction. Now, however, with the stakes being raised higher and higher each day by each camp, Duke Cayenne had decided that the Arseid Viscounty could no longer remain a neutral party.
"Good afternoon, Master. It's good to see you again," Aurelia said, bowing to her old master.
"Aurelia, Wallace… Thank you for making the time to come and see me," Victor responded.
"Yes, well, needless to say, I was surprised when you contacted me, but I had already been asked to come and see you anyway. I'm afraid the time has come, Master. His Grace has asked us to persuade you to side with the Noble Alliance. Maybe in doing so, we can keep Osborne's Reformist Faction in their place. No-one would dare to go face-to-face with the Radiant Blademaster in battle… Except for myself," Aurelia smirked.
"I see… And what happens if I decline the offer of His Grace?" Victor asked, looking at the two Provincial Army Officers.
"We know better than to try and take Legram by force, Lord Victor," Wallace stated. "That aside, I don't think the same can be said for Duke Albarea, as you do fall within his territory, and we know how much of a capricious bastard he can be. If Duke Albarea does try and take Legram by force, Osborne and the Reformists will no doubt retaliate by sending in the Imperial Army in order to quell any possible uprising, which would lead to more senseless violence. If you choose to side with the Noble Alliance, we can guarantee Legram's safety."
"Hmph… You're not the first person to promise that today," Victor muttered, a slight scowl starting to form.
"Hmm? What did you say, Master?" Aurelia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Must we do this now, Generals? I have students from Thors visiting on a Field Study, and I would rather spare them from having to see adults squabbling over asinine topics," Victor stated firmly.
"You mean those brats from that new Class VII that my brother is a part of? Yes, I suppose it wouldn't do for them to see us having to force our hand… Although, it seems like their curiosity has gotten the better of them," Aurelia called out, causing a faint bang to occur on the opposite side of the door.
"Hey! Good going, you guys! You suck at this spy stuff!" Millium's muffled voice cried.
"You were the one who panicked and knocked that vase over, you imbecile," Jusis snapped.
"Come on, that's enough! They know we're here, there's no need to hide any longer," Laura sighed as she opened the door. "Hello, Father. Generals."
"Eavesdropping on private conversations. I thought I raised you better than that, Laura," Victor frowned, shaking his head.
"My apologies Father, but after what happened this morning, we weren't sure what–" Laura began, before Aurelia stopped her.
"What do you mean, 'after what happened this morning'?" Aurelia asked, scrutinising Group A.
"Would it be too late to pretend this never happened?" Rean suggested weakly.
"Oh? A comedian are we, Schwarzer?" Aurelia grinned, reaching for her sword, Arcadia.
"That's enough, Aurelia," Victor commanded. "Leave the children be; I'll tell you what happened."
As Aurelia's hand fell back to her side, she stood and listened to what Victor had to say. While the Radiant Blademaster spoke, Aurelia's face was expressionless, even when hearing the bane of her existence had been in Legram just a few hours before her.
"Ah, so that is why you contacted me? I thought it was wishful thinking that you had suddenly had a change of heart about your stance on the Noble Alliance right around the time Duke Cayenne asked us to come and speak with you…" Aurelia muttered.
Whilst Group A didn't recognise it, both Victor and Wallace could see that Aurelia was speaking through gritted teeth, reining in the fury that was desperately trying to escape from within her. For years, she had been trying to capture this elusive criminal, and had come up short at every turn. The man had become a constant thorn in her side, and while she would never admit it, she was dying to capture the criminal, and finally prevail against him.
"Aurelia… I know that look. He's long gone by now; gone to Crossbell, according to the children. That is way outside of your jurisdiction, so you're better off putting the idea of pursuing the man out of your mind for now," Victor said calmly.
"Yes, well… I still need an answer for the Duke, Master. What say you?" Aurelia asked, changing the subject to refocus her mind to the task at hand.
"I cannot deny that the thought of Duke Albarea trying to send troops to subdue my lands and my people is a concern, especially with everything else the Brigadier General theorised, but I'm afraid we are just going to have to take our chances, should such an event come to pass. The Arseid Family has remained neutral in political affairs since the days of the Lance Maiden and the Eisenritter. I concede that the political climate in the Empire as of late is starting to reach a boiling point, but I will not drag my people into a senseless faction war, where the only ones who will suffer will be the innocent civilians. Please, give my regards to His Grace, but you will have to let him know that I refuse to budge on our position to remain neutral," Victor declared.
"Father…" Laura whispered, a strong sense of pride welling up inside her chest.
"Tch… Pathetic fence sitter. You are the Radiant Blademaster! Pick up your fucking sword and go to war!" Vahlok shouted, although no-one outside of Group A could hear him.
"Very well, Master. I respect your decision at this time, but I want to leave you with another warning. There will come a time where His Grace decides that he will no longer take 'no' for an answer. When that happens, I shall return, and we can finally find out who is the true Master," Aurelia smirked, lifting the handle of Arcadia ever so slightly.
"Should such an event come to pass, I will gladly accept your challenge, General," Victor nodded, the smallest glimmer of a smile appearing on his face. "Good day to you both."
As Aurelia and Wallace left the Arseid home, the Brigadier General could tell something was bothering his friend. She was completely alert, even more than she usually was, which told Wallace something was wrong. He could sense it too, a sensation that the two officers were being watched by someone. Someone who wanted to try and ambush them.
"Wallace… Return to the Balclutha. I'll deal with our sneaky little friend," Aurelia muttered.
"Very well. I don't doubt you'll have any problem dealing with them, as they don't seem to want to harm you. I wonder what it is they're trying to achieve…" Wallace pondered as he and Aurelia split up, and he returned to the airship.
Aurelia decided to take a longer path back to the Balclutha, which was situated on the opposite side of Legram's Ebel Lake, in order to draw out her stalker. As she arrived in the town square, near the Bracer Guild, she turned and put a hand on Arcadia, ready to draw it.
Group A had been watching General Le Guin from the top of Laura's home, and continued to watch her as she split from Wallace, made her way into the middle of the town, and prepared herself for a fight. Out of the five of them, only Laura and Millium could tell what was happening.
"What's she doing? She knows she's not in hostile territory, right?" Rean muttered.
"Hmm, something must be wrong. I highly doubt a warrior like the General would be this on edge over nothing," Jusis responded.
"She's being watched by someone," Laura stated. "Apart from us, I mean."
"Woooow, that's so dumb! Who'd be crazy enough to wanna fight her?!" Millium laughed. "Even Gramps won't dare challenge her, because of how powerful she is! That's why he settled with Cyrus; he's nowhere near the kind of monster the General is!"
"I don't know about that, Millium…" Rean mumbled.
As Group A continued to watch Aurelia, they all saw a black streak leap out from the roof of the church, and head straight for the General. Aurelia, of course, knew the attack was coming, and pulled Arcadia out of its sheathe, holding it up to block the pre-emptive attack.
The sound of metal hitting metal rang out around Legram, shocking the passersby who were in the vicinity. What surprised Aurelia was the range of the attack; she hadn't expected her stalker to attack with a whip.
"Wait, what the…?" Rean blinked.
The person who had attacked Aurelia was a young woman with fiery orange hair, and was wearing a revealing black latex suit with a cat tail, and a mask that had cat-like ears. Those who were shocked by the initial attack were now more shocked by the assailant's choice of clothing, as it left little to the imagination.
"Ooh, she's so pretty!" Millium gasped. "Her suit's kinda weird though; it's not as cool as mine!"
"Yeah, somehow, I don't think functionality is the suit's primary purpose…" Rean responded, staring at the woman.
"Oh? And what exactly is the suit's primary purpose then, Rean?" Emma and Laura asked, giving Rean a disapproving stare.
"Wh… Well… I mean, that's only an assumption, but… Y'know, I-I could be wrong," Rean responded sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head as he shrunk under the glares of his two female classmates.
Whilst Rean was being chastised for his wandering eyes, Aurelia and the latex-clad woman had exchanged a flurry of blows, but neither woman had managed to hit their mark; Arcadia was too great a weapon to allow a mere whip to get past it, and the woman's agility was enough to avoid any strike from Aurelia.
"Who are you; a pervert with a death wish?" Aurelia snorted, looking at her attacker.
"A-A pervert?!" the woman cried. "I am Phantom Thief Grimcat, and I'll be taking that sword of yours, General!"
"Hmph, you think you possess the skill to even touch me, let alone incapacitate me long enough to steal Arcadia? I'm impressed by your determination, but there's no way you'll be taking this weapon from me," Aurelia grinned, as she rushed in to attack.
Even whilst wearing high-heeled boots, Aurelia's speed was incredible, and her sword strikes even more so. Luckily for Grimcat, she had just enough agility to dodge all of Aurelia's attacks, but couldn't mount a counteroffensive, due to how fast the Golden Rakshasa was. It didn't take long before one of Aurelia's attacks collided with a building, taking a massive chunk out of it.
In the midst of the chaos, Klaus and Victor both appeared outside and approached Group A. While Klaus was astounded by the recklessness of Aurelia, who had managed to destroy another building in the time it took both men to arrive outside, Victor didn't seem all too phased by what he saw. He was, after all, one of Aurelia's teachers, so he knew all too well the kind of destructive force the eldest Le Guin child had.
"What in Aidios' name is going on?!" Klaus cried.
"We don't know, the General and Brigadier General split up and shortly after, she was attacked by this masked woman. We have no idea who she is, or why she's trying to fight Aurelia!" Laura explained.
"Hmm, so this is why he asked me to contact her…" Victor muttered.
"Father? What's going on?" Laura asked.
"That man who was in our house this morning, he asked me to contact Aurelia and get her to come to Legram," Victor began. "I know the two have history with one another, so I had assumed he was trying to lure her into some kind of trap, but… This woman, she doesn't have anywhere near the kind of power to be able to stand up to the General; it's a miracle she's still standing now."
"Wait, so you lured General Le Guin into a trap?" Laura gasped. "Why, Father?"
"I cannot explain it, Laura. I… I felt like I was compelled to do as he asked, even though I knew it was wrong. Mind you, I know Aurelia was in no danger, but that doesn't change the fact I still felt as if I had no control over my actions," Victor responded.
"He hypnotised you…" Emma whispered.
"What?!" Laura cried in shock.
"H-How is such a thing possible?" Jusis asked.
"Didn't you all find it strange how, when facing the man this morning, we simply folded under his command? I couldn't sense any murderous intent, or even anything that made the man feel like a threat to us, yet when told to step aside, we all simply obeyed, when there was no real reason for us to do so," Emma explained.
"Emma's right. I tried my best to stand my ground, but as soon as we were told to step aside, I felt obliged to do as he said. I tried to fight it, but my body wouldn't listen to me," Rean added. "I didn't think it was something as bizarre as hypnotism, but I guess it kinda makes sense."
"Wait, don't you need a coin on a string or a crystal ball to hypnotise people? How could he do it without using one of those things?" Millium asked.
"There have been stories of people who were born with the ability to hypnotise others with a single look, and no command they issued was able to be denied, but those stories are nothing more than half-truths and tall tales, no doubt made up by people who did something stupid, and tried to excuse their foolish actions," Emma stated. 'At least, that's how the Hexen Clan have managed to keep their hypnotic powers a secret.'
"So, what are you saying? Are you suggesting that man uses hypnotism to get what he wants?" Jusis snorted.
"It would make sense, based on the stories we've heard in the news about his rise to power in the underworld. I mean, he practically took control of the Black Market overnight; one day he didn't exist, then all of the sudden, he's the undisputed king of the underworld. How does someone have such a meteoric rise to power and remain a complete mystery?" Rean said.
"Can this trick be learned in anyway?" Jusis asked. "Surely, since hypnotism is just the power of suggestion, anyone could learn how to do it without using silly gags like coins."
"I suppose it's possible, but…" Emma mumbled.
She knew exactly how ocular hypnotism worked, as she was born with the ability to use it herself. She had never heard of anyone not being born with the ability to use ocular hypnosis learning the skill, which posited a worrying conclusion; the Concierge of Crime had to have been from the Hexen Clan.
The conversation Group A was having was cut short when the sound of another building being destroyed in town grabbed their attention. Looking, up, they could all see the remains of the Bracer Guild, sitting in a pile on the ground. Fortunately, Toval had left that morning to work a job of his own, which meant the building had been empty.
Clawing her way out of the rubble, Grimcat staggered to her feet and spat some blood out of her mouth; part of her mask had been broken in the fight with Aurelia, and after being flung into a building, her suit had been ripped in several places.
Surprisingly, Aurelia seemed to be having a more difficult time than what she had first thought when Grimcat attacked her. She had sustained no wounds, but after her last attack, she looked like she was running out of energy quickly.
"Heh, you're a slippery little pervert, I'll give you that," Aurelia panted, spearing Arcadia into the ground while she tried to catch her breath.
"Grr, I keep telling you, I'm not a pervert! I'm Phantom Thief Grimcat!" Grimcat cried, also breathing heavily.
"If that were true, then I'm sure you could have found a much more functional outfit for yourself," Aurelia snorted, looking at the torn suit Grimcat was wearing.
"Hey! Both my mom and my grammy wore this suit before me! It's a Grimcat tradition!" Grimcat growled.
"Great, so you come from a family of perverts," Aurelia muttered, picking up Arcadia. "I just hope your mother and grandmother weren't as stupid as you, and tried to fight someone far superior to them."
Without giving Grimcat time to respond, Aurelia rushed forward and leapt into the air, holding Arcadia in a downward position. She had intended to make this attack – her signature Prismatic Tetra Blade – the final attack.
Time seemed to slow down for Grimcat as she watched Aurelia leap into the air, ready to kill her. She might have been a Phantom Thief, but Grimcat had been in her fair share of fights with overzealous Calvardian Law Enforcement Officers, and gangsters, so she knew when someone had that certain 'killer look' in their eye, and she could see that glint in the eye of the Golden Rakshasa.
Dropping her whip, Grimcat reached behind her back and produced another object; Scorn. While in its sealed state, it looked like nothing more than an ancient relic, something that would have been useless in a fight. Except, Grimcat knew how to unseal it and utilise its true power.
"Armatise; Black Rider – The Third Guardian!" Grimcat yelled, knowing she had nothing left to lose.
The explosion of purple energy was immense. So immense, it created a giant barrier that blocked Aurelia's attack, and knocked her back a considerable distance. Digging her heels in as she landed, Aurelia was able to stay on her feet, and watched on in fascination as the purple barrier dissipated, revealing the Rakshasa's new foe.
The blazing dark pink hair, the pale, lifeless eyes, the new fully armoured form. Whatever this creature was, it was only human in appearance, and that made Aurelia very excited to fight it.
"Oh, you were hiding that little trick up your sleeve, were you?" Aurelia muttered, grinning as she gauged her new opponent's power level, and realising the power spike between Grimcat and this new entity was stories above anything a normal human could achieve.
"Let's try this again, Golden Rakshasa. Hand over Arcadia, and you can leave with your life," the being growled, spinning the fully released form of Scorn over her head, creating a crimson cyclone of shredding death.
"So, what do you call this form then? It's as if you're a completely different person… Inhuman is probably the better word for it. You have my attention," Aurelia stated, raising Arcadia at her foe.
"I am one of the Five Guardians brought to this world to keep the balance of souls in check. I am the Black Rider, the Protector; Fury," the being responded, still spinning Scorn around, shredding everything the bladed whip came into contact with.
"I never did care much for those tall tales growing up. Frankly, you can call yourself whatever the hell you like; it won't matter when I crush you," Aurelia declared, as she prepared to face Fury.
With no more words to be said, the two combatants lunged at one another, creating a colossal impact that destroyed even more buildings. Fortunately for the General, when she had originally been attacked by Grimcat, everyone had evacuated the area to the train station, the church, or the jetty by the lake, so as not to get caught up in the conflict.
"Did… Did she just say 'the Protector'?" Emma whispered, a cold shiver running down her spine.
"Yes… I'd say she's not doing a very good job of that, considering the damage she's caused," Jusis muttered.
"Aw, c'mon, Jusis! Lammy and I could do way more damage if we really tried!" Millium stated, poking her tongue out.
"It's not really a competition, Millium…" Rean mumbled, laughing awkwardly.
"My Lord, you need to stop this fight, immediately!" Emma declared, turning to Victor.
"What? Why?" Laura asked, clearly bewildered by Emma's frantic statement.
"As powerful as General Le Guin is, she cannot stand up against the Protector. If we don't stop this fight, she's going to die," Emma said, surprising everyone.
"Nonsense. General Le Guin is the finest soldier in the Empire. Perhaps even in all of Zemuria. Some scoundrel with a whip is hardly a challenge for her," Jusis responded.
"Emma, what's gotten into you? You're almost frantic," Rean said, looking at the Class President with concern.
"That 'scoundrel with a whip' is one of the Five Guardians selected by Thanatos to keep the world from falling into chaos. Nothing in creation can stop the Protector, except for her own kind!" Emma cried.
"C'mon, wasn't that just some old wives' tale the Church made up to scare kids into behaving?" Jusis snorted.
Jusis got his answer in the form of General Le Guin being smashed into the ground at his feet by Fury, who was a good fifty metres away from them. Using Scorn, she had grabbed Aurelia by her ankle, flung her into the air and across the town square and into the ground next to Group A.
"Hmm, it seems I underestimated your ability with that whip…" Aurelia grunted as she stood up and grimaced as she put her weight onto her now bleeding ankle.
"Please, General, be careful! This is not a foe that should be taken lightly!" Emma stated.
"Hmph, don't speak to me about combat, little girl. I've been fighting inhuman monsters since before you were born," Aurelia balked.
Sensing an imminent threat from behind her, Aurelia turned and lifted up Arcadia, blocking the boot of Fury, who had moved with blinding speed in an attempt to take the Rakshasa off guard. Arcadia bore the brunt of the attack, but the kick was still powerful enough to send Aurelia skidding back a good twenty metres.
"I have no quarrel with you, children. As long as you or the Radiant Blademaster don't interfere, your lives will not be at risk," Fury said, her cold, detached voice chilling Group A to the bone.
"If you kill her, fiend, then you will answer to me. That is a promise," Victor growled, glaring into the pale eyes of the Black Rider.
"Hmph, if the Golden Rakshasa cannot best me, then there is no hope for you, Radiant Blademaster; her power is greater than yours, and will continue to grow… Provided she doesn't die here," Fury scoffed as she walked past Victor like he didn't even exist.
Group A, along with Klaus, were stunned by the level of disrespect Victor was shown by the woman. The man was one of the Empire's greatest swordsmen, and Fury brushed him off like he was nothing more than a child with a chip on his shoulder.
"What insolence…!" Klaus gasped.
"Heh, if you think that's disrespectful, wait until you meet her younger brother. He is the most arrogant of all the Balance Keepers," Vahlok chortled. "Understandable though, since he can start and end wars with a swing of his blade."
Fury walked slowly towards Aurelia, making it very clear that she did not think of the General as a serious threat, which only served to anger Aurelia. Kicking away the blood trickling down her ankle and into her shoe, the General ran at Fury and leapt into the air once again as she attempted to use her Prismatic Tetra Blade craft again.
This time, the attack hit its mark, and Fury was swallowed up by a blinding flash of light, as she was hit by an onslaught of elemental energy. Group A blinked in astonishment as the ground underneath Aurelia's attack was destroyed, causing a massive crater to form in the town square.
"Looks like all that bravado was for naught," Jusis scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"That… That was insane. I've never seen such a powerful attack," Rean blinked.
"Well, she's not the feared Golden Rakshasa for nothin'!" Millium chirped. "It's power like that which makes her a 'Special War Potential' in the Intelligence Division's files!"
"Something tells me we weren't supposed to know that," Rean muttered.
Satisfied her victory was assured, Aurelia nodded and lifted Arcadia up in order to sheathe the massive weapon. She could no longer feel Fury's presence, which meant she had either been defeated by the attack, or she fled at the last second. Either way, Aurelia didn't care; the threat had been dealt with, and it was time for her to return home.
As she lifted Arcadia up, Scorn flew through the air from within the dust cloud, taking everyone by surprise as the almighty Greatsword was ripped from Aurelia's hands and pulled back towards the carnage the General had created.
When the dust finally settled, everyone looked down in shock as Fury stood at the centre of the crater, completely unscathed, holding Arcadia in one hand, whilst spinning Scorn in the other.
"H-How?! That attack was a dead on hit! There's no way anything could have survived that!" Rean cried.
"She… She took the entire force of the Golden Rakshasa's Prismatic Tetra Blade, and it didn't even scratch her?! What kind of monster is she?" Laura gasped.
Before anyone could react, Fury placed Arcadia on her back, sheathed Scorn and stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled. The shrill screech was so loud it cut right through Legram, and even managed to reach Wallace on the other side of Ebel Lake.
"Come, Rampage! We are done here!" Fury shouted as she broke out into a run directly at Aurelia.
As Fury pressed forward, a crack formed in the ground at her feet, and a wall of azure fire exploded out of the rift. The sound of hooves on cobblestones echoed throughout Legram, followed by the cry of a horse. As the fire subsided, a black horse with a mane of azure flames appeared at Fury's side, and she wasted no time mounting the phantom horse as she and her steed blew past Aurelia and fled Legram.
In the time took for everyone to process what they had just saw, Fury was long gone. Even as Group A collected themselves and rushed to Legram's main gate, they could find no trace of Fury, or her horse, Rampage. They, along with Arcadia, were gone.
"Aurelia! Are you alright?!" Victor asked as he ran over to his former student.
"I am fine, Master, don't fret," Aurelia sighed, as she brushed her uniform down. "That said, I'm pissed that creature stole my sword, but I don't understand why she was so intent on having it; that whip of hers seemed like a weapon she was more comfortable with…"
Later that night, after arriving at her destination, Judith presented the sword she had taken from Aurelia to the Concierge, who was very pleased to see his new subordinate had been successful in retrieving it from the lethal hands of Aurelia Le Guin.
"Marvelous! Simply Marvelous, Judith! Not only did you return alive, but you also brought me Arcadia! You have outdone yourself!" the Concierge exclaimed. "How did it feel? To fight as Fury for the first time?"
"It… It was actually incredible. That form gave me so much power, and fighting against one of Erebonia's strongest warriors was nowhere near as troubling as I thought. You were right about it; Scorn, I mean," Judith responded.
"Now you can really go after the most evil of people…" the Concierge muttered, as he put a hand into his jacket and pulled out a photograph. "Starting with this man."
"Who is he?" Judith asked, raising an eyebrow.
"First, a little backstory as to why you're going to show him what real fear is… As you know, I control the Zemurian underworld; nothing happens there without my knowledge, and as such, I know the names of all the major players in this world. People like Sigmund Orlando, Cao Lee… Ellroy Harwood. There are all powerful people, and while they don't know who I am, outside my moniker, I certainly know them," the Concierge began.
"So, who's this guy then? He that Harwood guy you mentioned?" Judith muttered.
"No, not at all. This man is far worse than the Oathbreaker, as far as criminals go, at least. Ah, but I digress. You see, I was catching up with an associate of mine quite recently – and I'll get to your part in that affair soon – but when I was discussing business with Mr. Rossi, a name came up that concerned me," the Concierge continued. "As far as things go, I've heard their name before, but it seems like they're coming up more and more frequently. Tengri has been doing some digging on my behalf, and it turns out the man in that photo is seeking to oppose me and take over as the ruler of the underworld. Of course that cannot – or should I say will not – happen, but I am unfortunately too preoccupied with business here in the West to nip this problem in the bud. So, that duty now falls to Fury."
"Why Fury? Wait… you mean I'm supposed to…?" Judith blinked.
"Grimcat is a thief, and while I have no issues with you playing 'hero' in that way in your spare time, your new role as the Black Rider – the Protector – is to keep the balance," the Concierge stated. "Only Fury has the kind of power you need to kill this man, as I've also heard whispers of him surrounding himself with Assassins; ones far deadlier than Yin and Yang. As it stands, Grimcat alone would never be able to complete this job. Fury though? I imagine she would have the power to succeed."
"So who is this man, then? You clearly know a lot about how powerful he is, and who he allies with," Judith said, tucking the photo away in her back pocket.
"The man is in charge of an organisation, so killing him will only treat the symptom, not cure the sickness," the Concierge responded.
"In other words, if I just kill him, then someone else will take his place," Judith sighed.
"Circle gets the square," the Concierge nodded. "You need to utterly decimate the entire organisation, but I won't make you do it alone. We still don't know how long your armatised state lasts, and I would very much like to avoid your armatisation ending mid-battle, and losing both you and Scorn in the process."
"Well, that's comforting… I think," Judith muttered. "Wait, what do you mean I won't be doing it alone?"
"Did you think I asked you to steal Arcadia from the good General Le Guin for a laugh?" the Concierge laughed as he lifted Arcadia up. "Heavens, no! This, my dear, is the final piece of the puzzle!"
"What are you talking about? Are you saying that weapon is like my Scorn?" Judith asked.
"Ooh, I like this young lady, Tengri. She's whip-smart, if you'll excuse the pun," the Concierge nodded. "Quite right, Judith; Arcadia is just a name that was given to this weapon centuries ago, to hide it's true identity. Meet the Treasure Sword Arcadia… Or, rather, the Armageddon Blade."
As the name was spoken, something stirred in Judith. She knew it had to have been her recently forged bond with Scorn, but as she looked at the Armageddon Blade, she knew she was looking at another Armatus.
"So, who'll be getting this weapon? Couldn't General Le Guin have used it?" Judith queried.
"Well, yes and no. You see, the Armageddon Blade is the 'big brother' of the original Armatus, Chaoseater," the Concierge explained. "The weapon was reforged by a powerful entity shortly after the Great Collapse, and became known as the Armageddon Blade. Without the right host, this weapon would immolate anyone who tries to armatise with it. Unfortunately for the General, she is not the right host."
"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume you aren't going to tell me who is the right host, are you?" Judith sighed.
"You'll find out in due time. For now, return to Calvard. Enjoy playing Grimcat, and when the time comes to complete that job I assigned you, you'll know," the Concierge smirked as he waved Judith away. "Oh, actually, before you go. Take this card, the person it belongs to is one of my Captains and he's actually stationed in Edith at the moment. Seek him out, and when you do, tell him that his Pakhan sent you. That way, he'll know you're an ally, and are to be trusted."
The Concierge handed Judith a small business card with a name and address on it. It was plain and unassuming. It was clear to Judith that it was a legitimate business, which meant the proprietor worked for the Concierge on the side, much like how she now was.
"'Van Arkride. Arkride Solutions Office – Complicated Matters Only'," Judith muttered as she read the information on the card. "Oh, I know this address; it's in the city's Old Town District."
"Then you won't need a map, excellent," the Concierge smiled as he watched Judith leave his office.
"What do we do now, sir?" Tengri asked.
"Now, Tengri, we focus on getting those ILF dogs eviscerated at Orchis tower, whilst putting Scarlet to work as the newest member of the Bratva. Now that I have the Armageddon Blade in my possession, it's perfectly safe," the Concierge responded.
"What of the CPD and the SSS? The raid this afternoon was concerning," Tengri muttered.
"Concerning, yes. Unexpected, no. Though, I suppose that's what happens when you try and defy orders," the Concierge shrugged. "Those who disobey orders need to be put to the sword… Or gun, in this instance. That's the only way to keep the scum in line."