Chapter 1: The Beginning
Chapter Text
A young man was dashing through a forest on the Gormotti Titan. The trees were large and lush, blocking out most of the Sun's rays. He wore a blue twin-tailed overcoat, silver gloves, blue pants, and brown leather boots. He had silver hair and gold eyes and looked to be around twenty years old. In his right hand was a white futuristic longsword with a blue energy blade and a blue crystal in the hilt. His name…was Xander Origo.
Xander looked over his shoulder and saw the pack of Volffs still chasing him.
"You guys sure are persistent," he commented as he kept his momentum.
The beasts were closing in on him. It won't be long before they catch up and kill him. But he wasn't going to let that happen. He refused to let himself die like this, in the middle of nowhere. He's almost there. Just a little further.
Xander soon found himself in a clearing, however, his path was blocked by a cliffside. He could try scaling the cliff to get away, either by climbing or by using his grapple (which was concealed under his left sleeve by his wrist), but he didn't make a move towards it. Instead he turned around to face the horde of Volffs. He gripped his sword with both hands and got into a battle stance.
The first beast closed in and pounced on the swordsman, ready to bite into his neck. Right before the Volff could even come into contact, Xander quickly swung his upward, cleaving the beast in two. Two more Volffs decided to flank him and attack him from the sides, only for the swordsman to spin and strike them both, killing them instantly.
Three of the beasts were slain, but there were still seventeen Volffs left. Even this would be a challenge for him to handle alone as he watched the remaining beasts charged into the clearing and surround him, their eyes full of bloodlust. Two Volffs eagerly ran at Xander from behind while several prepared to come from the other directions.
Right before the Volffs managed to reach their target, a white figure suddenly landed directly behind the swordsman and stopped their advance with a blue hexagonal barrier made out of ether energy produced from her black gloved hand.
"Apologies for the delay, Master," the figure said with a robotic female voice, not evening glancing over her shoulder. "Are you unharmed?"
Xander cracked a light smile as he briefly glanced over at his partner and longtime companion. She was an android with fair skin, large magenta eyes, and pastel blue hair that fell past her waist. She wore sci-fi style white armor plating on her legs, arms, and torso, with black, red, and blue detailing. One of her arms is black, which matches her neck brace. She also wore a large white, black, and red helmet which cover her forehead. There was a blue core crystal on her chest that was shaped like a long downward-pointing triangle, the same crystal that was on Xander's sword. Her name was Kos-Mos, and she was Xander's Blade.
"I'm alright, Kos-Mos," the silver-haired Driver replied, taking advantage of enemies' surprise. "Are the others here too?"
"Yes. They will arrive in approximately eight seconds."
Almost as soon as she said that, a torrent of water and two large bombs suddenly appeared and struck the Volffs, creating a medium-sized explosion. Kos-Mos quickly protected her Driver from it, as well as the shockwave created from it, with her ether barrier. The shockwave did push the duo back a few feet though.
Four new figures emerged from under the trees. The first was a young man, around eighteen, with shoulder-length black hair and silver eyes. He wore a long-sleeved green tunic, a brown vest and belt, navy-blue pants, as well as black leather gloves and boots. He was wielding a strange red saber that had a blue energy blade and mechanical shield. Just like Xander, he was an Ardainian. His name was Ethan.
By Ethan's side was a young woman with long purple hair that flowed down to her waist and orange eyes. She wore a black bodysuit with red accents, long black gloves and armored black boots that went up her arms and thighs respectively, as well as a long red scarf that draped down her chest. She had a circular orange crystal on her upper chests, as well as faint orange lines around some parts of her mechanical body. The artificial Blade, Poppi, who Ethan had built by himself.
The third figure was a short girl who was around seventeen years old with a petite frame. She had neck-length silver hair styled with a bob cut with feline ears of the same color. She also had amber eyes, three white stripe tattoos on her face and elongated canine teeth. Her outfit consisted of a feline-hooded yellow one-piece jumpsuit with gold trimmed white armor plates around her chest and upper arms, a brown utility belt that held three small daggers, and red and white heeled boots which come up at the top into large decorated white and black cones, which extended past her knees around the front and around her calves from the back. She was a Gormotti named Nia and her main weapons were her twin rings.
By her side was her Blade, Dromarch. Unlike the other blades, his form was that of a large, thick-furred white tiger. He wore various pieces of pearl-white armor on his legs and chest. His blue core crystal was in the middle of his chest and resembled a claw.
"We sure cleaned house with our attacks!" Ethan praised. "Those beasts got nothing on us."
"It's too early to celebrate," Nia chided cynically. "There are still a few of them left."
True to the Gormotti's word, while most of the Volffs had been taken out by the new arrivals' surprise attack, there were a few survivors that weren't as injured, allowing them to recover and get back on their feet. There were about five of them left.
"My lady," Dromarch said in a formal tone. "May I suggest we finish this battle and put these creatures out of their misery?"
"Sure," Nia agreed before glancing over her shoulder and looked at a random direction. "But I think he should get some action in this as well."
The remaining Volffs split up in groups to take on the Drivers, with two heading to Xander while three charged at Ethan and Nia. Ethan and Nia readied their weapons and got into a fighting stance, but it was unneeded as a silver blur rushed from under the trees and effortlessly killed the three beasts with one slash.
The figure revealed himself to be a tall, well-built man with shoulder-length white hair, fair skin and blue eyes, who looked to be in his late twenties. He was garbed in white and silver armor, with lower part resembling a twin-tailed overcoat, and silver fingerless gloves. He wore a horned silver facemask that exposed his mouth and wielded a black nodachi that had a diamond-shaped blue crystal embedded in the hilt.
"Showing off as usual, Jin," Ethan said teasingly as he and his group approached the swordsman. "Sometimes I think you like doing it."
Jin flicked the blood off his sword before facing the Ardainian. "I don't try to show off," he said passively. "I just do what I can to protect our group."
"Yes, but you always do it in such a dramatic way," Nia added with a sly grin.
He didn't reply to that. It was quite common for Ethan and Nia to take jabs at the mostly silent man, even on the battlefield. It didn't really bother him as it showed their close bond despite Jin having only joined one year ago. However, it did bring back memories that he buried deep within his heart. Memories of an age where remnants of it remain to this day.
Jin turned towards his leader, who was fighting the last two Volffs with Kos-Mos. He knew he didn't need to interfere, so he simply stood back and watched.
The Volffs tried to attack Xander from the sides, which could have worked had he been alone, however, since Kos-Mos was here, she could easily intercept one. One of the beasts pounced and readied to sink its teeth around the Blade's throat, but Kos-Mos simply shielded herself with her left arm. She did feel some pain from the bite as white ether leaked out from the wound. Despite this, however, the blunette didn't even flinch.
Even if a monster had somehow managed to inflict a grievous wound on her, Kos-Mos will not stop protecting her master. It was her duty as his Blade to put her very life on the line for him, at least that was how she saw it. What made this task easier was that Blades possessed a very potent regeneration ability, allowing them to heal from even the most serious of wounds in just a few minutes. As long as their core crystal and their Driver is alive, the Blade can keep living.
The android glanced over at her shoulder and watched Xander block the other Volff with his sword before quickly knocking it away. He ran at the beast and leapt into the air, holding his sword above his head. As he descended, he swung the blade down, cleaving the Volff in two.
Immediately after his feet touched the ground, he threw his sword at his partner. "Finish this, Kos-Mos!" he ordered firmly.
As if those words were the key she needed, Kos-Mos quickly sprung into action. She struck the Volff in the stomach with her knee hard, causing it to yelp and let go of her arm. She then effortlessly caught the white sword in her right hand. Wanting to fulfill her Driver's order to end this battle, Kos-Mos activated her Gravity Shell, which caused pink energy blades to materialize around her waist, shoulders, forehead, and core crystal.
Gravity Shell was essentially her battle form, something that is unique to her, increasing her power and allowing Kos-Mos to use her strongest attacks, Her Arts. Arts are powerful attacks that both Drivers and Blades can use by harnessing ether energy, albeit in different ways. Blades first absorb the ether energy within the atmosphere and manifest it within their core crystals. They then channel that power into their weapons, which is essentially a part of them, which their Drivers wield.
Unlike Blades, humans are unable to harness ether energy on their own. The only way they can do so is by resonating with a Blade to become a Driver. The human then becomes able to use ether energy to unleash Arts by wielding the Blade's weapon, which the Blade supplies with their own power.
However, while it seems that Blades have such a huge advantage over humans with this ability, it isn't the case. If a Blade uses their powers too carelessly or too much, they will become exhausted and run out of power, leaving them helpless. They will eventually recover by drawing more ether from the air, but it takes time, and every second is critical in a battle. It is much more efficient for a Blade to conserve their energy and unleash their Arts only when needed. This apparently led to Drivers wielding the Blades' weapon, though how that idea even got started was unknown.
The Art Kos-Mos was preparing to use was her weakest one. The three-hit special attack, R-Blade. First, she struck the beast with two horizontal slashes before morphing her sword into a blaster and finished it off with a barrage of energy bullets. The Volff let out one final whimper before succumbing to its wounds and fell limply on the grass.
After deeming that the threat has passed, Kos-Mos disengaged her Gravity Bind and changed her weapon back into a sword before returning it to her Driver.
"Nice work as always, Kos-Mos," Xander said sincerely as he sheathed his sword to his waist.
"It is nothing, Master," the android said in her usual emotionless tone. "I am just doing my duty to protect you."
Xander let out a light sigh as the rest of the group sheathed their weapons and approached the duo.
"I'm honestly surprised that your plan worked, Xander," Nia admitted, her arms folded across her chest. "Using yourself as bait to lure that Volff pack out into the open. While it was somewhat clever, it was very reckless. Had those beasts caught up to you before we arrived, you'd be dead. Even you can't take on a horde of monsters on your own."
"Relax, Nia," Ethan said casually. "Kos-Mos herself determined the best possible route for Xander to take that had the least amount of risk. She wouldn't have let him go alone if she couldn't find one."
"Ethan's right," Poppi agreed. "Plus Kos-Mos is super strong. If the plan went south, she could get Xander to safety."
When it came to the strength of their Blades, Kos-Mos is easily considered to be their strongest Blade. She was of the Light element, an exceedingly rare elemental affinity that hasn't been seen in Alrest in 500 years. Even Xander didn't know why the android Blade was of that element. Kos-Mos was a gift from his late mother, Ceres, though how she had her core crystal was a mystery. It didn't really matter to the silver-haired Driver as he was grateful to have a partner at all.
Ever since Xander had left his home in Mor Ardain due to circumstances at the young age of fourteen, Kos-Mos had been one of his only companions. However, life in the outside world proved to be more difficult than the Ardainian had thought, with him struggling to find a way to make money to survive. Luckily, a man named Klaus took him in and trained him on how to be a proper Driver. He was even like a second father to the teen.
Xander made his living by selling his services as a freelance mercenary. He took almost any job, whether they would be monster extermination or trivial stuff like material gathering. The only exception was jobs that involved joining any armies. Sure, if he accepted such a position, he wouldn't have to worry about finances or his next meal anymore. He didn't dislike the military by any means, he just rather not get involved.
"Anyway," the silver-haired Driver spoke up, getting the rest of his mercenary group's attention. "Now those Volffs won't be attacking any more unsuspecting lumberjacks. We should head back to Torigoth and report to our employer."
"Agreed," Kos-Mos replied with a nod. "We should depart immediately. If we leave now, we should reach Torigoth by sunset."
Nia let out a sigh. "Do you have to say things so matter-of-factly, Kos-Mos?" she asked sarcastically. "We don't need to hear all those details every time."
"That is just how Lady Kos-Mos is, my lady," Dromarch replied. "Besides, there are advantages to knowing our arrival time."
The Gormotti didn't respond. Instead she merely let out a groan before the group set out.
Just as Kos-Mos calculated, the mercenary group arrived at Torigoth at sunset. Unlike most of the other Titans, Gormott is very rural with not many towns or cities. To compensate for this, the lands here were very fertile and produced excellent harvests and lumber. However, that made Gormott very sought after by the other nations and is what led to Mor Ardain to annexing it to support its own population.
There was a military faction stationed here in Torigoth, the largest city on the Titan, mainly to maintain Mor Ardain's power over the land and to recruit new soldiers and Drivers. The consul that managed the land was pretty incompetent too, but Xander didn't complain since it gave him more job opportunities.
He and his group went to the lumber mill, which was located outside the city walls, and met with its manager, the man who had employed them, and delivered their report.
"I am glad to hear that the threat has been taken care of," the manager said in relief. "You Origo Mercenaries sure live up to your reputation."
"It was nothing," Jin replied passively.
"Plus we couldn't just ignore those lumberjacks being attacked by those beasts," Poppi added. "It is our duty to help those in need."
"That, and we needed the gold," Xander said sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.
"Xander!" Ethan said in shock. "You didn't need to say that."
"Sorry," the silver-haired Driver huffed out, arms folded across his chest, "but our funds are really tight right now thanks to a certain someone blowing most of it on random junk or machine parts." He then delivered a one-eyed disapproving glance at his fellow Ardainian.
Nia simply giggled in response. "He's got you there, Ethan," she added, trying but failing to hide her smirk. "Then there's all those cylinders you bought to try salvaging, but you never managed to make a decent profit to cover the expenses."
"And all the different outfits you got to dress up Poppi," Jin said with a slightly amused smirk.
Ethan simply slouched in defeat. "Oh, right," he said in misery, while his artificial Blade comforted him by patting his shoulder.
"Anyway, our payment if you would be so kind," Xander said politely as he extended his hand towards the manager.
"Oh, of course." The older Gormotti went into his office for a minute before coming back out and handed the mercenary leader a leather bag tied by string. "Here's everything. 10,000 gold, as promised."
Xander handed the bag over to Kos-Mos, who used her analytical mind to confirm that it was the exact payment. He hated distrusting his employers, but he has had incidents were people have tried to scam him out of his payment. If that ever happened, Xander would use some "persuasion" to get his fair dues before cutting ties with them forever. Thankfully, this manager would not require such measures, which was good as Xander preferred having a decent reputation when it came to his mercenary work.
With their payment received, the group decided to head back to their base. The Origo Mercenaries had a handful of bases scattered around Alrest, with most of them hidden to prevent any intruders from getting in. The one in Torigoth was of their main bases and one where they took job requests from.
The small mercenary band proceeded to the Torigoth pavilion, where they saw a crowd of people gathered there. Xander could also spot three Ardainian soldiers behind a booth that had a core crystal. The soldiers kept blabbering about all the benefits citizens would get if they became Drivers and joined the Ardainian military.
"Seriously?" Nia said in annoyance. "Another recruitment campaign? Haven't they got enough Drivers in their bloody army already?"
"The success rate for core crystal resonance has been decreasing as of late," Kos-Mos answered. "There is a high probability that Mor Ardain has run out of potential candidates in their military forces."
"I agree," Jin added, his arm folded across his chest. "I've heard tensions between Mor Ardain and Uraya have been high as of late. It makes sense that Mor Ardain would be preparing for war."
Xander let out an annoyed grunt as he looked away in shame. It was depressing to see his homeland prepping for something that would kill thousands of people on both sides. He heard Poppi comment that a middle-aged Gormotti male had approached the recruitment booth, likely wanting to attempt to resonate with the core crystal. He lifted his gaze to see what would happen.
The Gormotti greedily placed his hand on the core and attempted to resonate with it, however the white light that came out of it was erratic and the man started to shriek in pain as the power within it began overwhelming him.
"He's a goner," Nia commented nonchalantly.
"Yep," Xander said, resting his right hand on his waist.
A few seconds later, fountains of blood spurted out of the male Gormotti and he fell silent before falling limply on the ground. Ethan looked ready to barf from the sight, with Poppi trying to soothe him by rubbing circles on his back, while Xander and the others didn't seem to be affected.
"That was a lot of blood," Poppi said slowly as they watched two of the soldiers carry the corpse away.
"That's what happens when someone unworthy tries to resonate with a core crystal," Dromarch said inquisitively. "It takes a certain aptitude to become a Driver. Ethan was lucky to only get a three-day nosebleed when he attempted one. Most cases of unworthy applicants end in either death or comatose."
"It's a shame that you can't become a Driver in the traditional sense, Ethan," Xander added. "But it led you to creating Poppi. I think you've got potential to be a great Driver."
Ethan managed to recover from his sickness and faintly smiled. "Thanks, Xander. It means a lot to hear that from you. It's thanks to you and Klaus that I was even able to finish Poppi at all. I don't think I can ever fully repay you two for that."
The silver haired Ardainian simply chuckled as he watched a younger Gormotti male, around the age of the mercenaries, approach the core crystal. The Gormotti's resonance attempt went much more smoothly, with the light being stable and him not being overwhelmed by the crystal's power. The crystal then morphed into a great lance and a generic Blade appeared by the man's side. Blades with unique appearances are very rare, but they were also stronger than the generic Blades, making the unique ones highly sought after.
"We don't need to see the rest of this," Jin spoke up. "Let's get going."
The others agreed and continued on their way. Their base was located in the southern residential district, near the docks. It was built into a cliff and kept largely out of sight. Their base was of moderate size, allowing everyone to have their own space and rooms. It also had a good view of the Cloud Sea and a space for a certain someone.
The group arrived with no issue, however, as they entered they saw a certain blonde-haired man wearing a white lab coat sitting at the table. He looked to be either a Leftherian or an Ardainian.
"Klaus?" Xander said in genuine surprise. "I wasn't expecting you back for another three days."
Klaus, like Jin and Ethan, wasn't a Driver, but unlike the other two, he didn't do any actual fighting. Instead he acted as an advisor for the Origo Mercenaries and helped secure any potential jobs. It was thanks to him that the Origo Mercenaries even existed as aside from Ethan, Klaus had recruited everyone into the group. Despite this, Xander was still considered the leader. Klaus also had a habit of running off to do research on Alrest's ancient history. Why he did so wasn't entirely clear, but no one really seemed to care as long as it didn't affect them negatively.
The blonde-haired man simply smiled at his surrogate son. "Sorry for my sudden return, but I've got some news I need to share. Just to check before we start, Xander, you are from Leftheria, correct?"
"Yeah, that's where my mother was from anyway. Why?"
"Oh, nothing," Klaus passed off. "Anyway, I got a message from Chairman Bana of the Argentum Trade Guild. He wants to hire you specifically as a bodyguard for a salvaging job. The others are invited too. The total pay is 200,000 gold, with half of it as the advance."
"What?!" Xander exclaimed in disbelief.
"200,000 gold!" Ethan added eagerly. "That's a lot of money. We'd be set for months with that. Let's do it!"
"Hold on," Jin said firmly. "Something about this offer feels off. Chairman Bana is specifically after our leader and is willing to pay an extraordinary amount of gold for his services. That's very suspicious."
"Jin's right," Nia agreed while brushing her bangs with one hand. "This all sounds fishy. Did Bana go into any detail on what this salvaging job is about or who the employer is?"
Klaus shook his head. "He did not. However, I do have an idea on what it could be and that's why I'm back so soon. A few days ago, I detected some strange shifts in an uncharted area. I did some scans and detected a sunken ship in that area. Bana or his employer must have detected that ship as well. From what I heard from Argentum, Bana's bringing together a team of highly skilled salvagers for this job."
"If the Chairman is going to these lengths, then there must be something on that ship that he wants," Kos-Mos spoke up before facing her partner. "Master, what should we do?"
Xander was silent for a few moments as he gathered his thoughts. "Hmmm… If I know the Chairman, he wouldn't do something unless he can make a profit off of it, no matter how dangerous or shady it is," he said slowly. "I'm getting a bad feeling from this thing. We can't ignore this, but we can't cooperate with Bana either."
"Obviously," Nia replied in her usual tone. "But how are we supposed to retrieve whatever's on that ship? It's deep under the Cloud Sea."
"Actually, my ship has a way to bring that sunken ship to the surface," Klaus replied. "I've been working on it for a few years. Now it's time to see if it'll work."
"You don't even know if it'll work?!" Ethan and Poppi shouted in exasperation.
Jin let out a groan and shook his head. "This just gets better and better."
"Indeed," Dromarch added. "Well, then, Master Xander. What shall we do?"
Xander paused for a moment as all eyes fell on him. He actually felt hesitant on what to say. He had a feeling that this particular mission would be riskier than the others he has done. He didn't even know if he could guarantee the safety of his teammates if he went through with his mission. However, he had a feeling that he couldn't ignore this either. Plus he was curious on what could be on this ship that Bana would want his help this badly.
"We're going to investigate this ship ourselves," Xander declared, maintaining a firm tone. "However, this is strictly a voluntary mission. If anyone doesn't want to go, please say so now. I won't hold it against you if you want to."
"There's no way in hell I'm missing this," Ethan said confidently. "Even if we don't get paid, I still want to see this ship myself."
"Me too!" Poppi added enthusiastically.
"Dromarch and I are going too," Nia said in a casual tone. "Someone will have to patch you boys up if you get hurt."
"I'm coming as well," Jin said. "I'm guessing you're coming too, Kos-Mos."
"Of course, I am," the blunette confirmed in her monotone voice. "If my master wishes to go to this ship, then I will accompany him to protect him. That is my duty after all."
Klaus couldn't help but smile at the sight. He was glad that the group didn't need much convincing for this volunteer mission. He needed their help to retrieve what lied inside that sunken vessel, or more specifically, Xander's help. He couldn't let her fall into the wrong hands. He could only hope that they will make it time.
"If we are all in agreement, then we should leave at once," he said firmly. "It'll take a day or two to reach our destination and I don't know when Bana's team will set out. We must reach that ship before they do. Time is of the essence."
"Understood," Xander replied with a nod. "Everyone, pack only what you need. We leave in half an hour."
"Okay," the others acknowledged.
The Origo Mercenaries split up to quickly pack whatever they needed. Once they were done, they proceeded to the hidden dock, which contained Klaus's ship, the Galahad. Unlike other ships in Alrest, this one didn't require a Titan to function. Apparently, Klaus had found the Galahad years ago on a random island-sized Titan while exploring the Cloud Sea. It was broken when he found it and repaired it over time. The technology in it was very impressive, way more advanced than anything Xander has ever seen on the Titan vessels. Supposedly the Galahad could also submerge itself beneath the Cloud Sea, but the Origo Mercenaries never had a reason to use it before. It also has several advanced weaponry, but only the basic cannons were currently functional at the moment. Finding parts to maintain and repair the Galahad were very hard to come by, not to mention Klaus and Ethan continue to struggle with understanding the ship's technology.
Once everyone boarded on the black vessel, Klaus immediately pulled the Galahad out of the dock and set sail.
"Klaus, have you notified Azurda about this?" Xander questioned as he realized that one of their members had been missing during their discussion. He and Klaus were in the bridge, with Klaus at the helm. Everyone else were settling in their rooms.
"I have. He said that he'll stand by and act if he needs to," the advisor replied.
"That's fine. Submerge the Galahad. We don't want to risk being followed."
"Roger," Klaus said as he obeyed his orders and sent the Titanless ship underneath the surface of the Cloud Sea. He then began setting a course for the uncharted region that contained the mysterious sunken ship. "Xander, I feel I should tell you that if we do this, we may end up changing all of Alrest for good. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
The Ardainian Driver simply chuckled in amusement, resting his hand on his waist. "This isn't like you, Klaus. You don't normally question me this much," Xander said casually. "That gives me the impression that this must be important to you. I owe you a lot for everything you've done for me and Kos-Mos. If I can repay you even just a little bit by going through with this mission, then I'll gladly do it."
Klaus couldn't help but smile warmly at that. "Thank you, Xander. I promise to make sure that this will be worth all your effort. If that ship contains what I think it does, then we can't allow it to fall into Bana or his employer's hands."
Xander simply nodded in agreement, silently wondering what could be awaiting them within that sunken ship.
To be continued
Welcome to my reboot of Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Bonds! As mentioned in my earlier author's note, I'm not really proud of that story, but it did help me grow more comfortable with writing original content and I am grateful for that. It was thanks to my experience with writing Bonds that the Demon War arc in Dark Swordsman 2 (originally I was going to skip it entirely and jump straight into its sequel, with there only being flashbacks showing the war; luckily I realized that that was a stupid idea and wrote the arc in its entirety) and all the original content for Black Wolf were able to happen. One thing I should mention is that the crossover arc between Bonds and Dark Swordsman will happen in this story, but it will be changed to fit into the new context on both sides (plus I hate that I had put that dragon form for Marth. I don't know what I was thinking with that. At least with the Yugioh cards that are in Black Wolf, it's not exclusive to him and I can do some interesting stuff with them). This new crossover arc will be the canon version. I'm not gonna update the one in Dark Swordsman 2, mostly cause I don't have the patience and I don't want to get potentially flagged by the site. Anyway, I'll see you guys next time!
Edit (10/20/2020): Okay I'll be putting this note in both this chapter and the next one to clear up some confusion regarding Klaus. Yes, he still did the experiment and created Alrest, that didn't change. If you've read my original story, you may already have an idea on how Klaus is with Xander and his group. To keep spoilers down to a minimum, this Klaus is indeed the Architect, but not entirely. All of that will be revealed MUCH later on in the story. For now, think of this Klaus having a similar to role to Alvis, a character that knows more than he's letting on and does things for a specific reason.
Chapter 2: The Aegis
Chapter Text
Kos-Mos was sitting on her bed in her and her Driver's shared room, waiting for his return. The Galahad was a medium sized ship and had a good number of bedrooms for its crew, but the android always insisted to stay in Xander's room since they had a history of sharing inn rooms prior to Klaus taking them in. The reason that the duo had shared inn rooms was largely due to a lack of gold and because Xander was an inexperienced Driver at the time. Because of the latter, Kos-Mos was always very protective of her master, always prioritizing his safety over everything else whenever they got attacked, either by monsters or bandits who sought to take the android for their own. However, no matter what the threat was, Kos-Mos annihilated them all without hesitation.
As Xander grew stronger over time as well as meeting Ethan and the others, though, she slowly lowered her protective protocols. The only exception was the whole sharing rooms when they were on missions, though Kos-Mos's justification for it now is that it's more cost-efficient. Whether Xander actually believed that was neither here nor there, but he chose not to fight it since the android can be very stubborn at times. However, his friends do like to tease him about it, but Kos-Mos was completely oblivious to it.
The bedroom door opened with a hiss, prompting the Blade to stand in alert. It wasn't Xander who entered though, instead it was the new member, Jin. Despite having been teammates for over a year, Kos-Mos still had a hard time reading the masked swordsman. He had joined the Origo Mercenaries after Klaus had supposedly found him on a dying Titan, though where or what that Titan was was unknown.
Jin always seemed distant when it came to interacting with the other members as well. He never spoke about his past and never took his mask off. However, the masked swordsman wasn't the only one in the group who never shared his past, so the android never really found that suspicious. Not even Klaus spoke much about what he did prior to meeting her and Xander.
Jin did prove himself useful with his incredible battle capabilities. When it came to physical strength and speed, he was superior to the Drivers and Dromarch, only losing to both Kos-Mos and Poppi. Jin didn't have a Blade of his own, instead using his nodachi, which can harness ether energy in the atmosphere, to use Arts. How this worked was unknown to the android, but she assumed that it was similar to how Ethan's saber and shield functioned, as he wasn't a traditional Driver as well.
"Do you have business with me, Jin?" Kos-Mos questioned.
The masked swordsman leaned on the wall opposite of the Blade, his arms folded across his chest. "In a way, yes," he answered slowly, as if trying to determine his words carefully. "I was hoping we could exchange information."
Kos-Mos raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side slightly. "Exchange information? Why?"
"Well, it's no secret that I haven't been the most social member of the Origo Mercenaries. Klaus even told me to try opening up a little as we were getting ready for this mission. With Xander being our leader, I figured that I'd start with him and you."
"I see," the android replied as she studied the swordsman carefully. "However, details regarding my master's past are classified and require his approval to be shared with anyone else. This is not only his safety, but for the safety of everyone around him."
Jin let out a heavy sigh. With how strict and rigid the Light Blade could be, he knew that there was little he could get from talking with her. It was a miracle Xander had any social skills whatsoever from being around her for so long. Supposedly, besides Kos-Mos, only Klaus knew Xander's secret. Jin knew that the Driver was a mix between Leftherian and Ardainian, and that he was born in Mor Ardain, however Xander was always determined to avoid that nation at all costs, regardless of the pay he would get from mercenary jobs. The most he would do was go to the towns on the outskirts of the Titan, and even then, he kept his visits brief.
The words Klaus told the white-haired swordsman before meeting the group soon resurfaced in his mind. "Like you, everyone in the Origo Mercenaries has a tragic past. We're almost like a family of outcasts. We all have a reason for hiding. However, if you can learn to trust each other completely, heh, I doubt even the Architect could stop you."
That last part almost made Jin laugh. As if anyone, much less a small band of Drivers, could ever take on the Architect. Everyone in Alrest knows the legend of its creation. According to the religious texts of Indol, humans used to live in a land located on top of the World Tree, which was the center of Alrest. This land is known as Elysium and it is the domain of the divine father, the Architect. Elysium was a bountiful land, an endless field of green, a utopia.
However, for reasons unknown, the Architect ended up banishing the humans from Elysium, forcing them to live in Alrest. Life here proved to be very difficult and when it seemed that humans would be wiped out, the Architect took pity on them. He sent his servants, the Titans, and allowed humans to settle on them. Humans and Titans have lived in harmony ever since, though that didn't stop the occasional war between the different nations.
"It's not helping that the Titans are starting to die off," Jin thought to himself. "They're the only land we have in this world and it's starting to sink beneath the Cloud Sea. Even the continental Titans, like Gormott and Uraya, are slowly dying."
With living space running out, it is not a surprise to hear talks of war as nations struggle to secure more land for their people. The Ardainian Titan, which is arguably one of if not the oldest Titan in the world, and it is dangerously close to the end of its lifespan. Because of that, harvests and food production there have been very poor, making it difficult for the empire to support its massive population. This led to them annexing Gormott so they could have access to more food and fertile land for crops.
What puzzled Jin was that to his knowledge, there was no land being remade to replace and expand upon the aging Titans. While parts of his memory were still hazy from his long slumber, he could still vividly remember hearing about that cycle from that man. In fact, in all of the history books he's read, that cycle isn't even mentioned, lost to the ages.
"That doesn't make any sense," Jin thought in bewilderment. "I know that Torna was destroyed during the Aegis War, but I didn't think that would be forgotten. Could someone have erased it from history? But why?"
"Is something wrong, Jin?" Kos-Mos spoke up, snapping him out of his thoughts. "You look troubled."
"It's nothing," he passed off, silently hoping that the Blade wouldn't push further. "Just reminiscing."
The blunette just stared at him passively, making it difficult to tell if she knew he was lying or not. She looked ready to say something when suddenly a familiar voice could be heard from the speaker.
"Kos-Mos, can you come to the command room?" Xander said. "Klaus and Ethan want to do some last-minute tuning on the device and need your help with the calculations."
Kos-Mos went over to the speaker, which was located by the door, and pressed the button with one finger to speak into it. "Understood," she replied in her usual tone. "I shall go immediately." She removed her finger from the speaker and glanced at her teammate. "Apologies, but we will have to continue this conversation later. My master needs me."
"It's alright," Jin replied. "See you later."
The android gave her own farewell before marching out the room and towards the command center. After a minute or two of waiting, Jin decided to leave as well, but went in the opposite direction to return to his room.
"So, I'm guessing Kos-Mos didn't tell you anything?"
Jin halted in his tracks before turning around to see none other than Nia, who was standing in front of her door, arms folded across her chest. She was the healer of the group, patching up wounds with either first aid or her Healing Arts. Her Blade, Dromarch, was a decent Blade that complimented her role, however, Jin felt that something deeper lied in the Gormotti girl's Arts.
"Yeah, but I can't really blame her," Jin confirmed. "Everyone in the Origo Mercenaries has their secrets, and we all have our reasons for hiding them."
"Yep," Nia said as she brushed her bangs with one hand. She looked down at the metal floor, eyes full of longing. "Jin…do you think we'll ever reach a point where we can accept each other fully? Can the seven of us create a place where we can all belong?"
The masked swordsman was taken aback by the question. Nia always seemed to be a cynical and sarcastic person. It was strange to hear her admit to having such thoughts.
A memory then flashed deep within the swordsman's mind. He was inside some kind capsule in a dark room. On the other side of the glass, he saw a woman with brown hair, which was tied back in a thin ponytail, and golden eyes. She had a puncture wound on her stomach, staining her white shirt with her blood. Her skin was unhealthily pale, likely from the blood loss.
"I'm so sorry, Jin," she said in sorrow. "At least this way you'll still remember me. Goodbye."
The memory cut out, bringing him back to reality, but it didn't stop the pain from returning. He had failed his promise to her, and she paid the ultimate price for it. He didn't deserve to keep his memories of her. "I don't know," Jin answered honestly. "It may not happen immediately, but maybe one day, we'll all be able to reach out to each other without any fear."
Nia's eyes widened in disbelief for a moment before it was replaced with a light smile. "Thanks, Jin. I hope that can happen." She turned around and was about to go into her room before glancing at him one more time. "Oh, don't tell the others about this. I don't need any pity points from them."
Jin couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Alright. Your secret's safe with me."
The Gormotti gave her thanks before proceeding into the cabin, closing the door behind her. Meanwhile Jin turned and continued heading to his room. As he trotted down the hall, he couldn't help but wonder if someone like him deserved forgiveness, much less a place to belong. Could he bring himself to have a partner once more?
The next two days were largely uneventful. There was the rare monster attack by a group of Lexos, but the Galahad's cannons were enough to drive them away. By the time the sun had gone down, they had arrived at their destination. When Klaus gave the alert, everyone gathered in the command room, which had a few bookshelves, chairs and a large table (which was located in the center).
The Galahad was shaking a little from the currents, but that was largely because of the storm that was happening above the surface.
"Like I said in Torigoth, our target is located in a shipwreck in this area," Klaus debriefed to the mercenaries. "It's about 450 peds straight down from where we are. Obviously, we lack the equipment to search the wreck when it's submerged, and even if we did, it's too risky. However, I've got a device that'll allow us to bring it the surface."
"Ah, yes," Nia said sarcastically as she leaned back in her chair. "The device you don't even know will work. Our whole mission hinges on a gamble."
"Actually the odds of it working is pretty high," Ethan admitted. "I'm not that familiar with the technology, but Kos-Mos and I have been reviewing it and we think we can pull it off."
"Correct," Kos-Mos confirmed. "The odds of the first phase succeeding is at ninety-five percent. The remaining five percent is that it will fail and we will be unable to proceed."
"I guess we all better pray that this goes off without any problems," Xander said, sounding a little unsure. "This is the most difficult part of our mission as we lack the proper equipment."
"We will succeed!" Klaus assured. "Anyway, I'll be at the helm, managing everything from there. Everyone else will go with Xander and explore the sunken ship." He then brought out a sheet of paper with an unusual symbol on it and handed it to the team leader.
"What's this?" the silver-haired Driver asked as he examined the paper that was given to him. For some reason, he felt like he had seen it somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where. Unbeknownst to him, Jin (who had glimpsed at it from over his shoulder) let out a silent gasp as he saw it.
"If I'm right, right where the target is, there should be a door with that symbol on it," the blonde man explained. "Xander, you'll need to touch that symbol to get it to open. It has to be you, no one else."
"Okay," Xander said in suspicion. "But why me?"
"I'll tell you after we retrieve our target. Now let's get into position. We don't have a lot of time."
Seeing that they weren't going to get any answers, the rest of the group agreed to end the meeting there and hurried to the entrance to the deck of the Galahad, while Klaus went to the helm. When he arrived, he immediately began typing certain commands on a control console and inserted a key, causing a small square of the console to flip, revealing a small indention that was shaped like a cross.
He then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a silver core crystal that matched the indent. "Well, Fenrir, looks like we're rescuing your sister," he said softly as he stared at it. "We can't let him find her. Please lend me your strength."
The core crystal didn't react to his words. It never did nor did it allow anyone to resonate with it. Klaus could vividly remember seeing several people trying to awaken the Blade inside, only to be rejected and killed by its power. Even he didn't know why that was the case, so he always kept the silver core with him, not just for their safety, but for the core as well.
Klaus inserted the silver core into the console, causing the core to emit a bright, silver light. He quickly got to work and activated the device, which was an energy beam that would allow him to bring the sunken ship to the surface. Such a device doesn't normally exist within Alrest. Klaus had to travel to that land and scavenge some parts to create it. When it came to power, regular ether energy wasn't going to cut it. Thankfully, the silver core crystal shared a link with a certain all-powerful artifact that his other self had used. He may not be able to use that artifact to its full power, something that even his other self swore off to do given the first time they did so, but something on such a small scale is no problem.
He inputted the final command, prompting a small machine to come out from the bottom of the Galahad. The machine lowered its head towards the sunken ship, which was lying on a sunken, unknown Titan. It then unleashed a golden beam of light, enveloping the ship and causing it to rise to the surface, with the Galahad close behind.
As soon as the Galahad broke from the Cloud Sea's wake, Xander and the others were notified by Klaus that the device he used to bring the ship up will have drained all of the water, allowing them easier navigation. Poppi commented that such a device was incredible and asked how it worked, only for Klaus to deflect by telling everyone to be careful.
"Ethan, did Klaus tell you or Kos-Mos how that device worked or what powered it?" Poppi asked as the group went onto the deck of the Galahad.
"No, he only told us how it worked," the black-haired Ardainian replied. "Apparently the Galahad uses some kind of energy in order to attract objects to it. Where that energy comes, I don't know."
"Even I cannot trace where the energy came from," Kos-Mos added. "However, I can determine that it is not harmful."
"Well that's good to know," Nia spoke up before turning towards the second ship. Just like the Galahad, the once sunken ship was made entirely of metal and didn't seem to require a Titan, however it was way bigger. Unlike the Galahad, the unnamed ship looked more traditional, resembling more like a boat. It had a strange, almost draconic, figurehead and engine (which was located at the back of the ship. It even bore a great resemblance to a Titan.
Xander let out a whistle. "Wow. I've never seen a ship like that before. I wonder which nation made it."
"It doesn't resemble any ships from Uraya or Mor Ardain," Dromarch said thoughtfully. "I doubt even Indol could build a ship like this."
Xander glanced over at Jin, who looked a little uneasy. "Are you okay, Jin?" he asked the masked swordsman.
"Y-yeah," Jin said slowly. "I was just…surprised. I'll be fine."
"Have you seen a ship like this before?"
The nodachi-user hesitated for a moment as he thought of a response. "I think so. I can't remember which nation made it though." That was a lie, but Xander didn't comment on it.
Instead, the Ardainian Driver watched as the Galahad pulled in closer to the other ship and extended a metal walkway to allow the group to reach it safely. Once they were on the ancient ship's deck, they moved on to the second phase: securing an entrance to the ship and retrieving their target. The Origo Mercenaries headed towards the stern of the ship, where what seemed to be the quarterdeck was located, as well as cannons that no longer worked.
The entrance inside the ship was a double metal door, which appeared to be locked tight despite having been submerged within the Cloud Sea for an unknown amount of time.
"Great," Ethan complained. "How are we gonna get in?"
Xander brought his right hand to his chin as he thought of a solution. They could try using the Galahad's cannons to blow the door open, but he didn't know just how sturdy the door was and if the cannons could even pierce it. After a few minutes of thinking it over, he finally got an idea.
"Kos-Mos, can you take out that door?"
"I can," the Blade said with a nod. "Is that what you wish for me to do?"
"Wait, wait, wait!" Nia exclaimed nervously, her arms waving chaotically. "Are you trying to destroy this ship?! Kos-Mos's power is insane! She could probably destroy a whole town if she wants."
Xander turned his head towards the Gormotti, completely unfazed. "Do you have a better idea?" he asked.
Nia couldn't answer. She knew he was right. They were on a time limit, so they had to cut corners when needed. However, she was afraid of seeing what would happen if Kos-Mos unleashed her full power here, in the middle of nowhere.
"Do not worry, Nia," Kos-Mos spoke up to reassure her. "I can minimize the destruction my power can cause to lower any damage to the ship."
She let out a reluctant sigh. "Okay," Nia said in defeat. "It's not like we have a lot of options anyway."
Kos-Mos ordered her friends to get clear as she planted the heel of her boots into the deck and lowered the visor of her helmet to cover her eyes and nose. She did a quick scan on the structure of the door and calculated the precise amount of power she needed to eliminate. Once the calculations were done, she disengaged the safety lock on her power and held her arms down to the ground while four blue energy rods shot out of her waist and shoulders, forming an x. The rods flared with blue ether energy, with her visor soon following.
This was her strongest attack, and the most destructive. The Art called X-Buster. Because of how powerful it was, Kos-Mos resorted to only use it when the situation called for it, such as if there were too many enemies for her friends to handle otherwise. Given the urgency of their mission, she decided to make a small exception.
Once she built up enough ether energy, she unleashed it all through her visor, firing countless curved beams of light at the door. Her attack struck true and created a powerful explosion upon impact, shaking the entire deck. A cloud of smoke surrounded the entrance, but Kos-Mos knew that she had succeeded with her task.
"Confirming destruction of the quarterdeck entrance," she said calmly as her visor and rods retracted while she took on a normal stance. "We can now proceed inside the shipwreck."
Ethan looked to be sweating bullets as he and the others returned to the android. "No matter how many times I see that attack, it always seems to scare me," he admitted nervously. "I'm glad you're on our side, Kos-Mos."
Kos-Mos tossed a questionable glance at the Ardainian. "There is a slight error in your statement, Ethan," she replied. "The side I am on is my master's. His safety is my highest priority. Even the priorities of the other Origo Mercenaries pale before his."
Xander let out a groan as he pinched his nose. "Don't listen to her, Ethan. Despite what she says, Kos-Mos does care about everyone's safety. She's just really committed to protecting me."
Ethan let out a laugh as he cracked a light smile. "I'll say. Anyway, let's get going."
The other mercenaries agreed and proceeded inside the ship. Just as Klaus had said, there wasn't any water, save for a handful of puddles here and there, allowing the group to proceed easily. There were monsters, mainly Krabbles, but they were no threat to the mercenaries, despite slowing them down a little as the group killed them to clear the way.
However, what surprised them was the ship's interior held some resemblance with the Galahad. Xander even speculated that both ships may have come from the same nation. Eventually they managed to reach the bottom of the ship and came across the sealed door of a bunker. There wasn't any power in a nearby console to open the door, but Ethan managed to jury-rig it to brief run on Poppi's energy so he could open the way.
"Guess there's benefits to having an artificial Blade," Nia commented. "You feeling alright, Poppi?"
"I am fine," the artificial Blade replied. "My ether furnace isn't fully ignited, but I should recover by absorbing ether energy from the atmosphere."
"That's good," Jin said. "We don't know what's up ahead. Let's proceed with caution."
"Agreed," Poppi replied.
The mercenaries proceeded into the bunker, where they came across an Aligo. The shark-headed monster turned to face the group and screeched menacingly. Behind it was a door.
"Looks like this thing won't let us past," Xander said knowingly as they drew their weapons. "Let's take it down."
"Yeah!" the others said in agreement.
The Aligo charged at the Oligo Mercenaries, barring its fangs at them, prompting Ethan and Poppi to spring into action. Ethan raised his shield and held his ground as the monster ran its head into it. He let out a pained grunt as the shock of the impact reverberated throughout his body, however thanks to Poppi transferring her power into his weapons, he was able to shake it off. Meanwhile Xander, Nia and Jin broke off and attacked it from the sides.
Nia twirled around and dug her twin rings into the beast's stomach, causing it to howl in pain. The Aligo turned towards the Gormotti and snarled. It readied to lung at her, only for Ethan to fire a small bomb from his shield, striking it in the head. The tiny explosion did damage it and draw blood. This succeeded in regaining the Aligo's attention.
With the beast distracted, Nia ran in and unleashed the Art, Butterfly Slash. The Art was two diagonal slashes, striking the beast's tail and inflicted a breaking sensation on it.
"Xander!" Nia shouted urgently.
The silver-haired Driver nodded in acknowledgement and fired his grapple at the Aligo's right leg. The grapple quickly wrapped around the leg, and as he retracted the wire, Xander pulled on the line with all his might. The combined action managed to topple the monster on the ground.
"You're up, Ethan!" Xander ordered.
Ethan obeyed and unleashed the Art, Soaring Slash, which had him deliver a vertical slash on the Aligo, sending it flying into the air.
"Finish it, Jin!"
"Leave it to me!" the masked swordsman answered as he leapt into the air and delivered a powerful overhead swing into the monster's back, smashing it straight into the floor.
The Aligo let out a weak growl as it tried to pick itself up, but its wounds were too much for it and it limply collapsed. With the threat now eliminated thanks to the group's Driver Combo, the group sheathed their weapons and proceeded to the door the Aligo seemed to be guarding. Upon closer inspection, the group noticed a strange symbol on the door. It was the same symbol that Klaus had shown them.
"I think this is place," Jin spoke up. "Xander, touch that crest. That should open the door."
"Alright. I'll give it a try." Xander placed his right palm on the crest. As soon as he made contact, the crest flashed with blue light. The bunker shook violently, catching the group off-guard as the door suddenly opened, revealing a strange chamber on the other side.
The mercenaries cautiously proceeded inside. Xander was the first to enter and found himself stunned at what he saw. The ceiling looked like it went on forever and the chamber was rather spacious. However, what truly left him speechless was what at the center of the room. There was a white and gold broadsword with a green cross-shaped crystal embedded in the hilt, resting in front of a strange machine.
Attached to the machine was a pod that contained a young woman. She had long blonde hair that went down to her waist and fair skin. She wore a short white dress with numerous golden and green ornaments, a golden tiara with a green gem in the center, white gloves that went up to her shoulders, long black leggings, and white and black boots. There were two green symmetrical crosses on her chest armor as well. Finally, there was a green cross-shaped crystal on her chest, the same crystal on the sword in front of Xander.
She seemed to be sleeping peacefully. It made Xander feel a little guilty for being here. However, he wasn't the only one who was shocked by the sight as the others were too as they entered the chamber. Jin, though, was just as speechless as Xander.
"It can't be," the masked man said in disbelief. "Mythra…"
"Do you know that girl, Jin?" Dromarch questioned.
Jin let out a gasp as he realized his mistake. His teammates were all looking at him warily, waiting for an answer. Seeing no way out, he decided to tell the truth, at least part of it. "I'm sure you all know about the Aegis War, which took place 500 years ago. A terrible event that sent three continents to the Cloud Sea's bed."
"Of course we know that," Ethan answered as if it was obvious. "Almost everyone in Alrest knows about that war. It's a major topic in history class. Heck, it's named after the very Blade that hero Addam used to fight and end it. A legendary Blade known as the Aegis."
Jin let out a deep breath as he carefully prepared what to say next. "Well, I think this girl is her," he spoke up. "The legendary Aegis, Mythra."
The others, except Kos-Mos, gasped in shock. "Wait. That girl's a Blade?" Nia questioned.
Kos-Mos turned her head and stared intently at the sleeping girl. "I can confirm that the crystal on her chest is indeed a core crystal. According to historical archives, a green core crystal is the sign of the Aegis. Therefore, this girl must be the Aegis."
"Now we know why Bana was so eager to get Xander's help," Ethan said. "He and his employer must have known she was here. A Blade like her would be sought out by anyone. But how did you know her name, Jin?"
"Uh," Jin struggled to say as he looked away. "I…remember Klaus mentioning it once whenever I helped him out with his research."
Kos-Mos felt the need to question Jin further, but she noticed that her Driver has been oddly silent. She made her way over to him and saw that he was simply staring at the white sword, the weapon of the Aegis.
"Master?" she asked in concern. "Are you okay?"
Xander didn't answer as he found his gaze drawn to the green core crystal within the hilt of the sword. The crystal was emitting a warm, green light. It was almost…inviting. He could even hear a heartbeat coming from the crystal. He unconsciously reached out and touched it with one hand. The Aegis Sword released countless green particles, causing Xander to stumble backward, but Kos-Mos was able to catch him.
"Are you alright, Master?" she repeated.
Xander was a little shaken over what happened but he soon found his voice again. "Y-yeah," he stuttered out as his Blade let him go. "I don't know what came over me. Anyway, how are we going to get her out of here?"
As if on que, the pod began letting out steam and slowly began to open. Once it was fully open, the Aegis tumbled out, right into Xander's arms, who had moved to catch her. Her sword disappeared as well, dissolving into white ether energy.
"Nn," Mythra groaned as she opened her golden eyes and looked up at Xander. She felt groggy from her long slumber, so her vision wasn't fully focused yet. "Addam. Is that you?"
"Uh, not quite," Xander replied nervously, realizing that he was still holding the girl. Unfortunately, so did Mythra as she shook off her remaining fatigue.
"Ah, back off!" she practically shouted as she pushed him away. "Haven't you heard of personal space?!"
Xander suppressed the urge to groan. Kos-Mos looked ready to attack Mythra, but he signaled his partner to stand down. "You were unconscious and about to hit the floor," he argued as he stood up. "Is it wrong for me to be a gentleman and catch you?"
Mythra's eyes widened before she looked away in guilt. "Oh. No, it's not," she admitted sheepishly, rising to her feet as well. "I guess I should apologize to you, Xander."
"It's fine. You just woke up, after all." His eyes widened in surprise as he realized something. "Wait, how do you know my name?!"
The Aegis folded her arms as she glanced at her sword. "I found out when you touched my sword's crystal," she explained. "But that's not the only thing that happened when you did that. It seems you formed a resonance with me."
"A resonance?" Xander questioned. "Does that mean I'm your Driver now?"
"Seems that way. So would you mind telling me why you're here?"
"We're here for you," Jin took over, catching Mythra's attention. The Aegis seemed surprised to see him, but she didn't interrupt him. "We think some shady people learned about your whereabouts, so we came to retrieve you before they could."
"I see," Mythra said. "I got a basic reading on Xander's personality when we came into contact, so I know you're not lying to me. However, something tells me we're on a time limit."
Nia looked a little impressed by how the Aegis was handling the situation. "You're sure catching on quick."
"Lady Mythra," Dromarch spoke up. "I'm sure you have a few questions for us, but it might be best if you save them for when we are safe. Now that we have you, we need to leave quickly."
"Alright," she replied. "Lead the way."
The Origo Mercenaries, along with the new addition of Mythra, hurried to the exit. Since they had killed all the monsters on their way down, they didn't have to worry about them again and navigation was easy thanks to Kos-Mos and Poppi CPU-like brains. However, as they were nearing the deck, a few explosions could be heard and the ship shook from it.
"What was that?!" Ethan said in fear.
Xander gritted his teeth. "Don't tell me," he said slowly.
The group continued moving with a newfound urgency. Soon they returned to the deck of the ancient ship, the storm still raging. However, they quickly noticed that there was a third ship located opposite of the Galahad. It looked similar to the mercenaries' ship, only it was somewhat bigger. It was firing its cannons at the smaller ship, the Galahad barely holding on by protecting itself with an ether shield.
"Not good," Nia said in frustration. "Whose ship is that?"
"That is the Monoceros," a new voice spoke up. "And it belongs to us."
Xander and the others turned and saw that they weren't alone on the deck. Four figures approached them from the shadows. The first was a man with short jagged black hair and gray eyes. He wore black plate armor with staggered plate pauldrons. In his right hand was a sword tonfa with a blue energy blade. By his side was humanoid Blade with four limbs, a tail, and an elongated head with tiny eyes and a fish-like mouth full of teeth. His skin was blackish-blue with gold-edged armor, large black claws and a pentagonal blue core crystal in the center of his chest.
The third figure was a man who had short black hair and blue eyes. He wore an armored black overcoat, black pants and gloves. He also wore a mask that matched his outfit. He was wielding a black and purple greatsword with both hands. Next to him was a female dark-skinned Blade who had waist length white hair and blue eyes. She wore a helmet that was similar to Kos-Mos's as well as an armored dress with a pleated skirt and high boots. She also wore a pair of glasses and was wielding a black scythe with a violet energy blade.
"I guess we should thank you," the first man said arrogantly. "You brats did all the heavy lifting and retrieved the Aegis for us. Now hand her over."
Xander gritted his teeth in frustration. "So you must have been Chairman Bana's employers," he said before putting an arm in front of Mythra. "However, I'm afraid Mythra's coming with us."
The dark-skinned Blade let out cynical laugh. "It would be wise for you to reconsider," she said with a cold smirk. "Not unless you want to be trampled by Torna."
"Torna!"
That name struck a chord with the mercenaries, and not a good one. Every Driver has heard that name at least once. Torna was the name of a group of terrorists known for killing Drivers and stealing core crystals. No one knows why, but even the strongest Drivers choose to avoid them if possible. Barely anyone who has fought against them has ever come back alive.
"So you know that name," the first man said, retaining his smirk. "Good. I'm Malos by the way, and my Blade's Sever." He tossed a glance at the third man. "That guy's our leader, Julius, and his Blade, T-elos."
"T-elos?" Kos-Mos questioned as she eyed the Dark Blade. That name sounded familiar to her. But why?
T-elos's eyes flamed with fury. "Wait, I know you," she said bitterly. "Julius. Can I crush that Blade beneath my boot?"
Julius, who had been silent up until now, stared at the blunette, as if evaluating her. "Go ahead," he finally said. "That Blade is too much of a risk for us. Better to eliminate her now."
The Dark Blade smiled evilly in response. "Excellent," she replied while getting into a battle stance. "Now then, Kos-Mos. Time for you to be obliterated!"
Kos-Mos detected a tremendous amount of ether energy radiating off of the enemy Blade. She still didn't understand how this Blade knew her name, or this strange sense of familiarity, but one thing was clear to her. Her Driver was in danger.
"Prioritizing safety of Driver," the Light Blade said firmly as she summoned her sword, causing the one Xander had to disappear. "Master, please stand back."
"Kos-Mos, what are you—" Xander didn't get to finish as his partner and T-elos charged at each other, clashing halfway. The strength of their attacks created a powerful shockwave that shook the whole ship and both Blades held their ground. The battle between the Origo Mercenaries and Torna has begun.
To be continued
Okay, so I was planning on ending this chapter differently but this just felt like a good stopping point. So Xander and his friends encounter Torna for the first time, but Torna has a new member. Since Kos-Mos is in this story, I felt it was fair to have T-elos join the enemy faction since those two are polar opposites. One thing I feel I should say is that since Pyra doesn't exist in Connections, Mythra's character will be handled a little differently. You'll see in the next chapter. Anyway, see you guys next time!
Chapter 3: Escape From Torna
Chapter Text
Mythra couldn't believe her eyes. How could Malos still be alive after she sent him plummeting into the Cloud Sea during the final battle of the Aegis War? Just thinking about that terrible battle threatened to overwhelm her with pain and regret. An entire continent was gone because of her, destroyed by her own hand, as well as the deaths of thousands of innocent people that were caught in the crossfire. This just couldn't be real. It couldn't!
"Malos," she said softly, pain etched in her voice as she unconsciously took a step backward.
The second-in-command of Torna simply sneered at the Aegis as the sounds of thunder boomed in the air. "What's the matter, Mythra?" he asked cynically. "Are you afraid of me?" He readied his sword tonfa. "If so, then capturing you will be easy."
Malos ran at the blonde, who was too lost in her thoughts to react. Xander and Jin quickly sprung into action, with the former forcing Mythra aside while the latter clashed blades with the enemy Driver. Jin let out a strained grunt as he held the sword tonfa away from his upper chest, sparks dancing off their locked blades. The Torna Driver's physical strength was incredible, but it felt weaker than it should have been.
"Well, well," Malos said calmly. "I didn't think I'd see you again. Why are you wearing that mask again?"
"I don't have to answer to you, Malos," Jin retorted with a calm bitterness. "Just know that no matter the era, I won't let you have your way."
"Seems I touched a nerve. I wonder if your comrades know what you really are. Should I tell them myself?"
Jin let out a growl before repelling the sword tonfa. He prepared to unleash one of his Arts, but he got hit in the chest by a green cyclone, which sent him flying backward a few feet. He managed to pick himself back up and tossed a glare at Sever while silently cursing himself. In his rush to protect Mythra, he had forgotten about Malos's Blade, an amateur's mistake. He was lucky that the Blade's attack was only to force him back with minimal damage, otherwise he could have been in more trouble.
Malos ran at the masked swordsman, eager to battle him once again, retaining that evil sneer on his face. Nia moved to intercept and swung her twin rings to force the Tornan Driver back. Malos easily evaded and readied a counterattack, however Dromarch unleashed his Wild Roar Art, which was a powerful roar that could knock the enemy back, from the side. Sever got between the tiger and his Driver and blocked the attack with his ether barrier. Unfortunately for Sever, Dromarch's attack was only a distraction as Jin had managed to block a diagonal slash from Malos with his nodachi to protect Nia.
"Thanks," the Gormotti said in gratitude. "Let's fight him together."
"Agreed."
Meanwhile Julius rushed towards the downed Xander, who was still unarmed, only for Ethan to halt his advance with his shield.
"Sorry, but I won't let you pass!" the Ardainian declared. He thrust his sword forward, hoping to stab the masked man in the stomach. Julius was faster though as he instinctively jumped back to evade, not even getting a scratch on his clothes.
The leader of Torna tossed a quick glance at the downed silver-haired Driver. There was something familiar about him, but Julius couldn't put his finger on it. He quickly dismissed the thought. He didn't come here to reminisce on the past, he was here for the Aegis. If Torna could get their hands on her, then they would be one step closer to achieving their goal. These children were just a nuisance waiting to be squashed.
Julius can't expect any assistance from his Blade as she was too engaged in her own battle with Kos-Mos. Both androids looked to be equal in power, at least for now. T-elos has a habit of playing with her prey before she overwhelmingly crushes them under her heel. The pastel blue-haired Blade will soon meet the same fate.
He gripped his sword with both hands and got into a defensive stance before locking eyes with Ethan. "If you want to live, I suggest you move aside," he said coldly.
Ethan found himself flinching in response. It was almost like his opponent's words held some kind of power. However, he couldn't back down. His leader was defenseless right now and as the protector of the Origo Mercenaries, he had to keep their enemies' attention on him instead.
He tightened his hold on his weapons and gave his opponent a forced grin. "I'm afraid I can't do that," he answered in a bold tone. "If you want to get the Aegis, then you'll have to get through me first."
"Very well," Julius answered passively. "Then I'll send you and that Blade of yours to the Cloud Sea's bed. Prepare yourselves!"
Ethan quickly braced himself as Julius charged at him with almost inhuman speed. The masked swordsman swung his greatsword in a diagonal arc, which the Ardainian barely managed to block with his shield. The impact from the swing reverberated across Ethan's body, threatening to make his nerves go numb had Poppi not begun transferring her power to him. He let out a strain grunt as he put all his strength in pushing his shield forward, repelling the greatsword forward before unleashing the three-hit Art, Hyper Strike. The energy blade on his saber flared to life before he spun around and prepared to strike Julius in the waist.
Unfortunately, Julius had already recovered from the initial knockback and quickly blocked the Art with his sword, halting it dead in its tracks. "Too slow," he said simply before knocking the saber away, effectively cancelling the Art and knocking Ethan off-balance.
Julius brought his sword overhead and swung it down hard, attempting to finish the Driver off. Ethan tried to raise his saber in an attempt to block, but the movement was too sluggish. The greatsword struck true and slashed its target across the chest, however, because Ethan had been stumbling backward, the cut left behind was only a minor one, damaging his clothes and drawing some blood. It still hurt like hell though.
"Gaah!" Ethan cried out in pain as he stumbled into his Blade, who managed to catch him in her arms without losing her footing.
"Ethan!" Poppi cried out in worry. Unlike Nia and Dromarch, she had no way of healing her Driver with Arts. It was a miracle that his wound was not fatal.
"So you managed to survive that," Julius said calmly as he slowly approached the duo, his greatsword poised to strike. "But this is where your luck ends."
He attempted to unleash a flurry of slashes on the injured Driver, only for Poppi to grab Ethan's saber and barely manage to block them all by putting her systems into overdrive. Such a process put a massive strain on her body, but she didn't care. She had to protect her Driver at all cost, plus he could fix her later once they were safely away.
Xander, on the other hand, could only watch helplessly as his teammates continued their battle with Torna while he held Mythra closely. Right now, it looked to be at a stalemate, but he knew that it wouldn't last. The Origo Mercenaries hadn't gotten a real break from fighting the monsters inside the ancient ship, while the Tornan Drivers were all at full strength. Then there was the fact that Torna seemed to be way stronger than anyone else that the mercenaries have dealt with. If Kos-Mos wasn't occupied with fighting that strange android, T-elos, they might have a chance at victory.
He found himself shocked at seeing a Blade that looked similar to his partner, but with a complete opposite color palette and personality. He had never seen Kos-Mos meet her match in a fight before and couldn't help but worry over the safety of his longtime companion.
"Wait a minute," Xander realized. "We still may have a chance to win."
He glanced down at Mythra. She had been unusually silent since the battle began. She didn't even react to him holding her so closely. Instead her eyes looked lost, a look that that he was very familiar with. From his own experiences, Xander could tell that Mythra was feeling some kind of psychological trauma, but he needed her to snap out of it, otherwise none of them would be getting out of here alive.
Mentally preparing himself, Xander turned the Aegis around to get her to face him. "Mythra, you need to focus!" he said with authority. "I don't fully know what you're going through, but you need to get your mind back on the battlefield. If you don't, we're not gonna survive."
Miraculously, as if the Architect himself had interfered, Mythra managed to snap out of her daze. "Huh?" she said in confusion before noticing their positions, causing her face to blush with embarrassment. "Hey, let go of me!" She quickly pushed her Driver away, knocking him onto the metal deck.
"Ow," Xander groaned as he sat up while rubbing his aching forehead. "Are you always going to do this, or is this just a bad day?"
Mythra let out a light chuckle. "I think I'll let you find out for yourself," she replied as she stood up before offering her hand to her Driver. "Anyway, it's time we join the fight. I'll show you the power of the Aegis."
The mixed Ardainian couldn't help but smirk at that as he accepted his new Blade's hand and allowed her to pull him up to his feet. He quickly surveyed the battlefield, determining where he should join in. Jin and Nia looked to be handling Malos and his Blade decently. They should be able to continue just fine without him. Kos-Mos was holding her own too. She had summoned a duplicate of her sword to dual-wield and was keeping up with the Tornan Blade. The Galahad was on its own with handling the Monoceros as Xander had no way of helping Klaus. Thankfully their ship didn't seem to be in that much danger as its ether shields were still holding, allowing it to keep taking the enemy cannonfire.
That left Ethan and Poppi, who were struggling to repel Julius's rapid attacks. The duo were using a vanguard maneuver where one member engages the enemy while the second plays support. Poppi was the offensive member, barely managing to land any attacks on the enemy Driver while Ethan blocked any attacks with his shield to protect her.
"That's where we'll go," Xander declared, with Mythra nodding in acknowledgement. He extended his right hand, prompting the Aegis Sword to materialize from a white light. He gripped the weapon with both hands as its master began transferring her power to it, causing the weapon to open up and allow a golden energy blade to roar to life.
"Let's go, Mythra!"
"I'm with you!"
The renewed duo rushed to join the struggling Ardainian and artificial Blade just as Julius was readying a hard slash on Poppi's back. Xander quickly intercepted the attack with his own sword, locking the two in a stalemate.
"Ethan. Poppi. You guys alright?" he asked without taking his eyes off his opponent.
"Y-yeah. Somehow," Ethan answered. "This guy's on a whole different level. I've never seen a Driver move as fast as him before, except for maybe Jin."
That was interesting for Xander to hear. He had sparred with Jin a handful of times and even he had difficulty with keeping up with the silver-masked swordsman. To learn that there was someone similar was quite intriguing.
"Snap out of it, Xander!" Mythra shouted. "This isn't the time to get distracted. I can't transfer my power to you if you don't focus."
The Aegis was right. This wasn't the time nor place for idle thoughts. With his strength augmented by Mythra's power, Xander was able to repel Julius's sword, who looked somewhat surprised by the action.
"Interesting," Julius mused. "So you're the Aegis's new Driver. Let's see if you can handle that power."
Xander brought the Aegis Sword in front of him, his eyes fully serious. "Bring it," he said simply.
The two swordsmen charged at each other and began exchanging a flurry of slashes, sparks dancing in the air. Thanks to Mythra's power transfer, Xander was able to block most of the Torna leader's attacks and deliver a few of his own, though they were only minor injuries. Julius's swings were like sledgehammers hitting at full-power, and this was without T-elos's interference. Those heavy attacks will eventually wear Xander down, so he needed to end things quickly.
"Mythra, do you have any ideas on finishing this battle?" Xander questioned as he continued trading blows with his opponent. Ethan wanted to join in and assist, but Poppi wouldn't allow it as she didn't want his injury getting any worse.
The Aegis cracked a confident smirk as a thought came to mind. "I've got one trick that should turn the tables," she said smugly. "Just wait and see."
Mythra brought her hands close to her core crystal, which flared to life with green light. She then swung her hands out and unleashed a dome of white light that enveloped the battlefield, but only Xander seemed to notice it. The Aegis Driver's eyes widened in astonishment as he noticed time had stopped save for strange echoes showing the movements of the Torna members.
"What is this?" he asked in confusion.
The golden-haired Blade maintained her smirk and said, "This is Foresight. It's one of my unique abilities. It allows me and my Driver to see predictions of what will happen in the immediate future. It only works in battle though. Read the enemy's movements to find an opening, then counter."
Xander smiled in response as he saw the telegraphed spinning slash from Julius. "Got it," he answered simply before time returned to normal.
With his newfound knowledge, he was able to not only block the leader of Torna's attack, but also repel him backward, much to Julius's shock.
"How did you do that?" he questioned intently. Both Ethan and Poppi were equally surprised.
"Like I'd tell you," Xander retorted. "Let's do this, Mythra!"
"I'm right behind you!" the Aegis replied before she and her Driver began their assault on the masked swordsman.
Meanwhile, T-elos was getting rather frustrated that she was having this much trouble getting the upper hand on her opponent. She knew from her past battles with her fellow android that Kos-Mos was a fierce fighter, but she didn't expect to see this much resistance. This angered her immensely. She was supposed to be superior to the Light Blade in every way, and yet Kos-Mos refused to be destroyed. Just what was motivating her to fight so hard?
"Damn you, Kos-Mos!" T-elos said bitterly as they were locked weapons in another stalemate. Both of them had their Gravity Shells activated, with the Torna Blade's energy blades being purple instead of pink. "Why won't you just die already?!"
"Apologies, T-elos," Kos-Mos answered in her usual monotone voice, though there were some traces of an unknown fierceness in her tone. "But I cannot allow myself to fall here. My mission is to protect my Driver at all cost. I will not allow you to harm him."
"Your Driver, huh?" That explained it. Kos-Mos was always a very dutiful and loyal Blade. Her highest priority will always be her Driver's safety. If she deemed that something was a threat, then she will do whatever it takes to eliminate it.
"That gives me an idea," T-elos thought evilly. She tossed a glance over at her Driver, and much to her surprise, had met his match with Xander. It seems that the power of the Aegis was not something to be underestimated.
If she was any other Blade, she might find this action quite cowardly, but she was T-elos, one of the top fighters of Torna. She will do whatever it takes to achieve victory. With a strained grunt, she managed to repel Kos-Mos away before readying to unleash one of her high-level Arts, T-Skylla. First T-elos performed two back-to-back horizontal slashes with her scythe, which were both blocked Kos-Mos's ether barrier. T-elos then followed by crouching, using one hand to support her upper body while spinning her scythe with her other hand. T-elos leapt into the air, grasping her weapon with both hands, and swung it down with a powerful overhead swing, her body spinning as she did so.
As expected, Kos-Mos attempted to defend herself with her ether barrier again. The tip of scythe struck the barrier and after a brief struggle, managed to shatter it. However, the impact pushed the Light Blade, allowing her to narrowly avoid the weapon's bite. But hitting Kos-Mos wasn't the Dark Blade's intention to begin with.
"This ends now, Kos-Mos!" T-elos declared arrogantly as she hovered on her scythe. "Now watch as your weakling Driver dies!" She then fired a single ether shot from blaster strapped to her right arm straight towards the unsuspecting Xander.
Kos-Mos let out a gasp as she realized the other android's intent. Since it was proving difficult for T-elos to overpower the Light Blade, she would go after a weaker target to eliminate her. Her master! Whenever a Driver dies, their Blade returns to their core crystal and lose all their memories, save for their name. If Xander dies, then Kos-Mos would be forced back into her core crystal, rendering her completely defenseless.
"I won't let you!" she said hastily and rushed to intercept the projectile. If she didn't hurry, that attack will hit her Driver in the heart, killing him instantly. She refused to let that happen. She had made a vow to protect him ever since they ran away from home.
Unfortunately, by her calculations, she wouldn't make it in time to save her master's life. All she could do was call out and warn him, praying that he can react in time to dodge.
"Master, look—" Kos-Mos's words caught in her throat as she noticed Xander tense up before he backflipped away from Julius, narrowly avoiding T-elos's cowardly attack, which instead struck one of the ancient ship's cannons, blowing it up.
T-elos's eyes widened in disbelief as she landed back on the deck. "Impossible," she said slowly. "You should be dead."
Despite the near-death experience, Xander casually picked himself back up and dusted off his overcoat with one hand. "Okay, that Foresight of yours really came in handy there, Mythra," he said calmly.
Mythra, who was holding back Julius with her ether barrier, glanced at her Driver with a light smile. "Good to hear. I wouldn't want my Driver dying so quickly."
Kos-Mos found herself sighing in relief. She would have to question her master on how he was able to evade T-elos's attack without even looking but that didn't matter right now. All that mattered was that her master was safe, and she felt overwhelmed by a strange emotion. Was this…joy?
Another emotion followed suit, and it was one that she could easily identify. Anger. Anger that a Blade would even attempt to kill her beloved Driver in such a cowardly method. She will never forgive T-elos for this atrocity. Never.
"You will pay for that, T-elos," Kos-Mos said venomously as she glared at her enemy. "No one hurts my master. No one."
The Dark Blade found herself flinching in slight fear. She knew she was in trouble now. Kos-Mos never expressed any form of emotion. If Kos-Mos was angry, then things were about to get more destructive. This sunken ship may not be able to handle an all-out battle between the two androids. She readied her scythe for the coming attack and mentally prepared herself.
Meanwhile Kos-Mos already decided on what her counterattack will be. She had noticed that Ethan and the others, including Xander, had a few minor injuries. While Jin didn't need to worry too much about that with his continuous battle with Malos as he had Nia and Dromarch healing him, Kos-Mos decided to lighten the strain on the Gormotti Driver.
She dismissed both her swords and disengaged her Gravity Shell, she doesn't need the latter to unleash this Art, and brought her hands up to her core crystal. She lowered her visor and partially released her safety lock, causing ether energy to flare around her. This was one of her strongest Arts at her disposal. The Hilbert Effect Refrain. This Art was an area-of-effect attack with a big range. Not only did it damage any enemies caught within its blast, but it would heal her allies' injuries as well. It is an attack that can change the course of battle.
With a might cry, Kos-Mos unleashed the stored energy as she swung her hands out, releasing a large wave of ether that quickly enveloped the deck.
"What the hell?!" Malos shouted in disbelief. Sever tried to protect him with an ether barrier, only for it shatter instantly when the Hilbert Effect struck it. They then fell victim to the ether wave as it damaged their armor, hindering their movement. Even Julius and T-elos weren't able to escape unscathed.
On the other hand, Ethan and the others found their wounds closing and their strength restored.
"Man, do I love that attack!" Ethan cheered as he picked himself up. "Thanks a million, Kos-Mos!"
Even Jin found himself smirking as the battle turned in favor of the Origo Mercenaries. "Looks like this battle is coming to a close, Malos," he said firmly as he readied his nodachi. "Eat this! Chillstroke!"
After shouting the Art's name, Jin thrusted his nodachi at Malos's chest, who managed to block it by morphing his sword tonfa into a small shield. The silver-masked swordsman wasn't done, however, as he concluded the Art with an upward diagonal slash, which knocked away Malos's weapon.
"Now, Nia!" Jin shouted.
"On it!" the Gormotti acknowledged as she and her Blade closed in.
Sever tried to protect his Driver with his ether barrier, however he was still injured from the Hilbert Effect. This allowed Dromarch to easily shatter it with his Wild Roar Art, allowing Nia to close the distance with Malos. She then struck the enemy Driver's waist with the Art, Gemini Loop, which was a spinning slash attack with her rings, before quickly retreating.
"Damn you!" Malos cried out in anger. "You'll pay for that!"
A strange black aura began to envelop his body. His armor began to repair itself, albeit slowly, and a fierce power could be felt coming from the Driver. It was like nothing the Origo Mercenaries have seen before.
"What the?" Nia said in shock.
"Is that power coming from his Blade?" Xander questioned.
Mythra shook her head. That power was too strong to be coming from a regular Blade. She knew what power it was, and she had to act quickly to protect her new-found comrades. Otherwise, they could meet the same fate as those people from that fallen Titan.
"I need to borrow this, Xander," she said hastily as she grabbed her sword from her Driver before he could respond and rushed towards Malos.
Before he could even complain about being left defenseless again, Kos-Mos tossed him her second sword, allowing him to block a sneak attack by Julius, while she continued her fierce battle with T-elos. The masked man was slightly hindered from the Hilbert Effect, but he was still powerful and very fast. Even without receiving power from either of his Blades, Xander was able to hold off the leader of Torna thanks to the combined efforts of Ethan, Poppi, and Foresight.
Meanwhile Mythra circled around Malos just as he was about to charge at Jin and Nia. She let out a cry as she jumped high into the air and brought her weapon overhead. Malos quickly turned around and managed to block the Aegis Sword from hitting him with his sword tonfa, the two locked in a brief stalemate.
Not letting up her momentum, Mythra swung her legs up and leapt behind Malos with a twirl. As soon as her feet touched the deck, she quickly blocked the incoming counterattack, a diagonal slash, from the Tornan Driver. The two fighters began trading rapid blows with each other, with Mythra backing away upon every clash. Malos attempted to strike her, or at least knock her down, with a spin attack from his sword tonfa, but she was cartwheel away from it.
"Raa!" he cried out in frustration as he halted his spin attack and simply ran at the Aegis.
Mythra stopped her cartwheel and fired two golden blasts of light at her pursuer with two simple swings of her blade. Malos easily cut through the projectiles with his sword tonfa, but he then found the immediate area in front of him to be flooded with blinding golden light. Suddenly Mythra appeared from the light, her sword held in a reverse grip. She slashed upward towards the enemy Driver's chest, only for him to block it with his sword tonfa. The two just stood there, locked in their stalemate.
Jin, Nia and Dromarch simply watched in awe.
"You're pretty sharp for someone who just woke up," Malos said smugly. "Takes me back to five hundred years ago. But you're still holding back. Show me your real power."
Mythra gritted her teeth as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. After the disaster of the final battle of the Aegis War, she had vowed to never use that power again, no matter what. She couldn't handle the burden of causing that much destruction, of causing the world to burn, a second time. Just the first one threatened to overwhelm her, and Malos somehow surviving effectively spat on the graves of everyone who died on that fallen Titan.
"I…I won't let you run rampant again," she declared, more to reassure herself than be a declaration.
However, Malos managed to catch a slight edge of fear in her voice, making him sneer. "Really? Because it looks you want to run away," he goaded. "To run away from me, to run away from yourself. These maggots don't deserve our protection. You know that as much as I do."
Mythra didn't respond as she struggled to keep the Driver back. Something about him definitely felt off. He seemed weaker than before, but the memories of the past made her unable to fight at her full strength. Malos will definitely exploit this. She had to end this quickly.
"By the way, you wouldn't happen to be thinking of going to Elysium, would you?" Malos suddenly questioned as he increased the pressure in their sword lock.
"That's none of your business, Malos!" Mythra bit back. "Where I choose to go has nothing to do with you."
"That's where you're wrong, Mythra. If you're going to Elysium, then I have no choice but to stop you."
They broke their sword lock and Malos attempted to punch the Aegis with a fist of purple energy, but she simply backflipped away and gracefully landed near the edge of the deck. Suddenly Jin noticed that, during the chaos of battle, the Monoceros had managed to circle around the sunken ship to the other side, right where Mythra was. The Titanless ship brought out its cannons and took aim at the unsuspecting Aegis.
"Mythra, behind you!" Jin cried out in warning.
Mythra turned around and just barely managed to raise her ether barrier in time to protect herself from the barrage of missiles the enemy ship fired upon her. Unfortunately her barrier wasn't able to handle the constant attacks, destroying it and sending her backward towards her Driver. Explosions spread across the deck, covering the area in a veil of smoke.
"Mythra!" Xander shouted in worry as he hurried to his other Blade, who was lying on the ground. He knelt beside her and helped her sit up. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah," she replied. There was a slight ringing in her ears from the multiple explosions, but it was manageable. "I was just caught by surprise is all."
The smoke cleared up, revealing that the Monoceros was ready to strike again with another barrage. The Galahad was trying to redirect the enemy ship's attention to it by firing its own cannons, but the Monoceros was determined to annihilate the Origo Mercenaries. The larger ship's cannons opened fire on the downed Xander and the Aegis. Mythra quickly activated Foresight to see each of the missiles' trajectories. Once she determined a safe pathway, she grabbed her Driver by the waist and disappeared in a flash of golden light.
This was her Lightspeed Flurry ability. It allows her to accelerate her body to reach the speed of light, but only in short bursts. It is also a very taxing ability on her ether reserves, especially since this time she is also accelerating her Driver to move him to safety, so she had to be very strategic with it. Mythra flashed around the deck three times, narrowly avoiding each explosion before finally getting some decent distance from the enemy ship.
Unfortunately the Origo Mercenaries were also getting pushed back, not only from Malos and his allies, but also to evade the Monoceros's cannons. The Torna members formed a line, keeping the mercenaries from getting to their ship.
"This is bad," Dromarch said. "We've been cut off from the Galahad."
"Damn it," Ethan cursed. "Without the Galahad, we're stranded. Xander, what do we do?"
Xander, who was back to using the Aegis Sword, gritted his teeth and clenched his weapon tightly as he wracked his brain to find a solution. Every time things looked to be turning around for the Origo Mercenaries, Torna found a way to change the odds back in their favor. Was this really how things will end?
Kos-Mos noticed her master's hesitation and said, "Do not worry, Master. I will make sure you get out of here alive."
"Kos-Mos," he said softly.
T-elos laughed cynically. "You maggots put up a better fight than we thought," she said snidely. "But this ends now."
The Monoceros's cannons were aimed squarely at the Origo Mercenaries. There was nothing they could do to stop it from firing. Suddenly, right before the Monoceros could fire, a series of large red fireballs struck the cannons, destroying them in multiple explosions.
"Seriously?!" Malos shouted in anger. "Who did that?!"
A loud cry echoed in the air, one that was all to familiar to Xander and his friends. Hope returned to them as a large dragon-like Titan with a long horn on its head and green hair down its neck soared between the two ships before flying up to circle around.
"Uncle!" Xander cried out in triumph, a smile on his face, a sentiment shared with his teammates.
The Titan, Azurda, is the final and oldest member of the Origo Mercenaries. Whenever Klaus wasn't around, the Titan would serve as the group's transport to reach their jobs across Alrest. He didn't do much fighting as he prefers the quiet life, but he would always make exceptions if the mercenaries were in grave danger, like now.
Azurda circled around and gazed at the enemies of his allies, with some members being very familiar to him. The first was the Blade T-elos, whose core crystal should have been lost during the Aegis War after being defeated by Addam and his allies. Then there was Malos. Azurda couldn't understand how he could have survived but he pushed those thoughts away. His comrades were in danger and he needed to act fast.
After making one final turn, Azurda descended and fired a barrage of fireballs at the Torna group. T-elos was able to protect Malos and Sever from harm with her ether barrier, but they were pushed backward from the impact. Julius, on the other hand, simply cut through any fireballs that drew near him. However, he and his allies were blinded by a smoke cloud that covered most of the ship's deck.
"Xander!" Azurda cried out as he got closer to the bigger group. "Get on! Hurry!"
"Got it! Everyone, get on Azurda! We're getting out of here!"
"Right!" the others acknowledged before they all hurried towards the edge of the ship.
Nia and Ethan were riding Dromarch, while the others were on foot. They all jumped off, descending towards the Cloud Sea, only for Azurda to swoop up and pick them all up on his back.
"We're going!" he cried out as he began flying away from the ancient ship. "Hold on tight!"
Meanwhile the smoke cloud cleared up around Torna, allowing them to see the Aegis and her allies making their escape.
"Stop them!" Malos ordered frantically. "Open fire!"
The Monoceros obeyed the second-in-command and began firing javelins, which had a longer range than the missiles, at the fleeing Titan from its remaining cannons. Some of the javelins managed to hit their mark, causing Azurda to cry out in pain, but he pushed through, determined to get his team to safety. Meanwhile Klaus chose to use this opportunity to get away himself, submerging the Galahad beneath the Cloud Sea and firing the engines at full throttle.
"Turn her around!" Malos continued. "Ready the ether cannon!"
"It's no use," T-elos said bitterly. "They're out of range. Those maggots just slipped through our fingers."
Malos slammed his fists together in frustration. "Damn it. We were so close to getting the Aegis too." He glanced over at their leader. "What should we do?"
Julius was lost in thought as he remembered where he had seen that silver-haired Driver before. Even after all these years, that boy still bore some resemblance to her. It didn't matter though. If he chose to stand in their way of their goal, then Julius will cut him down as well. But not today.
"We're turning around," he decided.
"What?" T-elos questioned. "We aren't going to pursue them."
"No. The Aegis is awake. That's enough for now. I'll have Akhos track them down."
Julius turned around and began making his way back to the Monoceros, while Malos and T-elos kept staring in the direction the Titan had fled towards.
"I wasn't able to pulverize Kos-Mos," the Dark Blade said in frustration.
"You'll get another chance, T-elos," Malos replied. "You two are fated to battle after all." He turned towards the Monoceros, but did one final glance towards the Titan. "Catch you later, partner."
To be continued
And so Xander and the others barely managed to get away. As you can see from this chapter, Mythra is a bit more traumatized from the events of the Aegis War than in the original canon. I feel this is a fair trade since Pyra's not there (being all alone with those kinds of mental scars can't be good for your mental health). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you guys next time!
Chapter 4: A Strange Encounter
Chapter Text
I feel like Sakurai is giving me a sign to continue this story, BECAUSE MYTHRA JUST GOT IN SMASH! YESSSSS! Best DLC character ever! And she's releasing in my birth month, March. It's almost like a birthday present from Sakurai. THANK YOU, SAKURAI!
In all seriousness, sorry for taking so long with updating this story. I was so focused with Black Wolf and Dark Night that I kept putting this one on the backburner. I am fully committed with finishing this story. I'll try to do better next time. Anyway, enjoy!
Edited: 10/25/2021 to better connect with Ashen Wolf continuity
Mythra found herself on the back of a strange, but familiar, draconic Titan while under a dark and cloudy sky. It had a long neck and tail, as well as short orange wings made of ether. Above her was a massive diamond-cut blue crystal that was far bigger than her, located at the base of the creature's neck. She knew this Titan. It was Torna, the Titan she had sent to the Cloud Sea's bed five hundred years ago during the Aegis War. The very Titan were that strange group that sought to capture her seemed to have gotten their name from.
"But…how?" she questioned to herself.
Already, she could feel her grief and regret building up inside her. The memories of that terrible day were painful, so much so that she wanted to cry. It was her fault. She was responsible for the deaths of this Titan and the thousands of innocent people who were unable to escape its destruction. It was all because of this cursed power that she bore, power that she was unable to control.
She collapsed to her knees and choked out a sob, her hands covering her mouth. She wanted to disappear, to run from this pain, the pain that was overwhelming her heart. She didn't deserve to exist, not after committing such a terrible sin. In her grief, she failed to hear the sounds of two sets of footsteps approaching her from behind. A hand then touched her shoulder, causing her to jolt.
The hand belonged to a man with spiked silver hair and yellow eyes. He wore white and black armor with gold lining that exposed his shoulders, black and white armored gloves, an ornate gold fabric that was tied into his belt and draped past one leg, as well as white and gold armored boots. He had a strange crest on the collar of his armor and had a greatsword with a red-wrapped handle strapped to his back. The sword also had a crest, but it was different than the first.
The man looked at the Aegis in pity. "I'm sorry, Mythra," he said sadly. "I failed you when you needed me the most."
Mythra knew this man, his voice sounding too familiar. He was the man who first awakened her and became her first Driver. A man many would come to recall as a legendary hero.
"Addam," she said quietly, her voice sounding hoarse. Words were becoming difficult for her to form.
"Don't worry," he continued in a calm and soothing tone. "We'll make sure to seal that sword away so that no one can use it to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. And I know that you'll get through this. Maybe not with me, but with someone who can share in your burden."
She wanted to believe him, she really did, but she couldn't bring herself to believe that anyone would want to hold this burden with her. The blood on her hands was thick. No person would ever want to hold them. Once again, she simply wished to disappear, to have someone else take her place as the Aegis.
The scene began to slip away, almost like a distant memory. Right before her vision went dark, Mythra glanced over her shoulder at the other figure behind her old Driver. She wasn't able to get a good look on them, but she could see their long pastel-blue hair and white outfit. She knew this person, but her memory was drawing a blank on what their name was, likely a side-effect from being asleep for five hundred years.
Darkness enveloped Mythra before she felt a gentle breeze caress her cheek. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself lying on her side on soft green grass. There were dozens of trees in the area, covering the area in comforting shadows. Her head was resting on some strange fabric, which was attached to…
"Glad to see you're awake," Xander said softly as he looked down at the Aegis. "Are you alright, Mythra?"
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," she answered slowly before letting out a surprised gasp as she realized their current positions. She immediately sat up and scooted away from her Driver in a haste, putting a few feet of grass between them. He looked relatively unharmed, though his clothes looked a little ruffled. Mythra's eyes then fell to his folded legs. "W-was I in your lap this whole time?"
Xander scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Yeah," he admitted. "I woke up about an hour ago. Since you were still out of it, I decided to let you rest on something more comfortable. I hope you don't mind."
Mythra struggled not to blush at that. She had only known her Driver for such a short time and he was already treating her so kindly. Does he not know about the destruction she caused during the Aegis War? Why would he be so kind to someone he just met? It painfully reminded her of Addam, who her new Driver bore a great resemblance to save for their outfits and hairstyle, with Xander's hair being flat and slightly longer.
"Um, uh," she struggled to say, her brain moving too fast for her mouth to follow. "Thanks, I guess." She turned away from the young man and hugged her knees close to her chest. "Where are we? What happened?"
The area they were in seemed to be a swamp of sorts, with gnarled trees and mist as far as the eye could see. The air was pretty humid, making the Aegis feel slightly uncomfortable in her outfit. She could already feel her black leggings clinging to her legs. Right in front of them was a small cove that was filled with water.
"We managed to escape from Torna, I know that for sure," Xander explained. "However, things get a little hazy after that. I remember a lot of screaming and flying before I blacked out. I think we washed up on a Titan though."
"I see," Mythra acknowledged. "Where are the others? Are they safe?"
Xander sadly shook his head. "I don't know. Kos-Mos was here with us, but I sent her to go scout ahead. Hopefully she'll be back with the others."
Kos-Mos. Her Driver's other Blade. Mythra was quite surprised to see how powerful the android was, especially against T-elos of all people. The dark-skinned Blade was quite feared during the Aegis War with her destructive power. She may not be able to destroy entire Titans like Malos could, but she could easily reduce an entire town or city to rubble.
What was truly surprising though is this strange feeling of familiarity that she felt towards the android. Did they meet each other five hundred years ago during that terrible war? Her memories were drawing a blank and going to Kos-Mos wouldn't help because even if they did meet, her fellow Light Blade wouldn't remember it because Blades lose their memories the moment they return to their core crystals.
"Come to think of it, Jin was part of Xander's group too," Mythra commented in her head. "But why's he wearing that mask again? He shouldn't have to worry about his identity now that the Tornan Kingdom is gone."
It was also quite shocking to see that Malos had somehow survived their terrible battle. However, if anyone could survive a crash like that, it would definitely be that man. Unfortunately, this knowledge was not helpful at all for Mythra's psyche. If there was any comfort to be found in this, it was that Malos was not fighting as he normally does. In fact, he wasn't even using half of his real power or wielding his sword. Instead, Malos just fought using the weapon of his Blade, Sever, and only bringing out his own power in short bursts if the odds turned against him.
He must not have fully recovered from their battle and was still damaged. That was the only explanation she could come up with.
"Are you okay, Mythra?" Xander suddenly spoke up, interrupting her thoughts.
The Aegis glanced over at her Driver, noticing the concerned look on his face. "Yeah," she replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"
The half-Ardainian rested his right elbow on his knee as he gazed at the cove in front of them. "Well, you looked like you were having a panic attack when you saw that Malos guy," he reasoned. "Do you know him or something? If so, what did he do that would warrant such a reaction?"
Mythra silently cursed to herself. Of course, Xander would notice her breakdown over Malos. Why wouldn't he when he was the reason she was able to somewhat snap out of it? The mere thought of her and Malos's shared past filled her with dread and fear. If she told Xander the truth, would he still want to be her Driver. Granted he wasn't given much of a choice since their resonance was rather sudden, not to mention accidental.
If he rejected her, she couldn't really blame him for it. Who wouldn't for the sin she committed? But that didn't mean it would be any less painful, doubly so because he resembled Addam so much.
"I…well…"
"If you don't want to answer, I won't force you," Xander suddenly interrupted.
Mythra let out a gasp as she gazed at her Driver in shock.
"I won't lie and say I'm not curious about your past, but I won't force you to explain something that is clearly painful to recall," he continued. He turned towards the Light Blade and gave her a light smirk. "If I did that, I'd practically be a hypocrite. I've got my own problems in my past as well. Just tell me when you feel that you're ready to do so."
She was simply floored at what she had heard. Her new Driver was actually giving her a choice to confide in him about her past. He really is a lot like Addam, not just physically, but mentally as well. It couldn't be, could it?
Meanwhile
Marth opened his eyes and found himself standing in the middle of a strange swamp. At first he thought he was back in Alfheim Online, but this wasn't where he had logged out from. Only novices would exit ALO while on the fields with no protection since player avatars don't automatically disappear if a player leaves the game while on the field.
He looked himself over. He was definitely in his Spriggan avatar, ash-gray overcoat and black hair, as well as eyes as red as blood. His ears were pointed as well and his trusted twin longswords, Lunara and Solaris were strapped to his back in their scabbards.
If this truly was ALO, then the developers have certainly done an impressive overhaul as the textures were extremely detailed, almost like something you'd see in the real world. There was even a modest humidity in the air, something that most VRMMOs ignore to save on processing power.
"Brother, is that you?"
Marth turned his blue eyes over and saw that he wasn't alone. On his right was a girl with waist-length violet hair and bloodred eyes. She wore a purple and deep blue battledress, resembling that of a nebula, purple gloves, black heeled boots and dark blue leggings. Strapped to her waist was a rapier. Her ears were pointed as well, but her color scheme resembled that of an Imp, another one of the nine fairy races of Alfheim.
"Kisara, what are you doing here?" he asked his younger sister in surprise.
"Beats me," said a different voice.
The two siblings turned and saw another Spriggan beside them. His attire was largely the same as Marth's, but was all black instead of gray, and his hair was flat while the former's was a little more messy. The boy's eyes were also black. Strapped to the boy's back was a black longsword and golden sword that was the Holy Sword Excalibur.
"You're here too, Kirito?"
Despite the strange circumstances, it was quite comforting to see his best friend and partner was here as well. The two of them made up the Darkness Duo, the ones who cleared the death game that was Sword Art Online and were the co-leaders of the guild called the Alfheim Warriors. Kisara was also an SAO Survivor and fought beside them at the very start, so her strength was near equal to their own. Together, they had managed to pull through whatever the world had in store for them. This will be no exception.
Another thing to their advantage is that neither Marth nor Kisara were humans. They were actually reincarnated demons who had once lived seven thousand years ago, when the world they lived in was once filled with magical creatures. It was actually thanks to them getting trapped inside SAO that they managed to learn this truth as while they couldn't tell why they had a menacing and inhuman presence about them, which had caused so many people to resent them. After finding out that it was because they were demons, it strangely put the two siblings at ease, but it didn't fully erase the trauma and abuse they had suffered from under their peers. Kisara had it worse since for the longest time, the bullying she endured forced her to become a shut in, constantly seeking her brother for protection.
During that hard time, she had only been able to make one real friend, one who had a similar traumatic experience. But after getting trapped in SAO, making new friends, and learning the truth, Kisara finally managed to break out of her shell and become more confident in herself, something Marth was proud to see. Of course, he was still crazy protective of her, but at least now he knew that she could take care of herself if the situation demands it.
"Yeah, wherever here is," the Black Swordsman responded as he examined the area. "I know that the terrain for ALO and the many floors of New Aincrad is pretty varied, but I don't remember seeing a place like this before."
"Me neither," Kisara added. "Not to mention that this place feels different from both ALO and SAO. It looks too real to be a game. Is it possible that we're in an alternate world?"
At one point in his life, Marth might have dismissed the idea of alternate worlds as merely something that only existed in fiction. However, since he was actually a reincarnated demon prince from another time, the existence of alternate worlds wasn't too farfetched. As his sister had said, this place feels way too real to exist in a game. The processing power to simulate this with Earth's current technology just didn't exist right now.
Wanting to figure out how they ended up in this situation, he began recalling what had happened prior. Last he remembered, he and Kisara were visiting the gravestones of their birthparents' graves on Christmas Eve, the day they died. Meanwhile, Kirito and the other Alfheim Warriors would be fighting in the Floor 21 boss fight of New Aincrad as the newest update to unlock floors 21-30 went live on the same day. The siblings did want to help their guildmates during the raid, but given that it was a yearly tradition for them to visit their birthparents on Christmas Eve, they had to give the raid a pass. Thankfully everyone was very understanding and said that they'll fight even harder for the both of them.
Anyway, right when Marth and Kisara were about to head home for the night, this strange light appeared before them and instantly consumed them. The next thing he knew, he found himself in the middle of this swamp.
"Kirito, what happened on your end?" the Dark Swordsman questioned after telling his partner what he recalled.
"Hmm. Well I remember beating the floor boss with Asuna and the others. Liz, Silica, Agil and Nautilus had to log off because of how late it was, so the rest of us decided to go activate the teleport gate. Right when we went to do so, we got consumed by this bright light."
"So basically the same thing happened to you," Kisara realized. "That probably means that Sinon and the others are here as well. We have to find them quickly."
"Agreed," Marth spoke up, his tone becoming more serious. "I guess we should be grateful that we ended up in our avatars. We still have no clue how to access our abilities in the real world."
"You could say that again," Kirito replied. "We'd be pretty much defenseless in our real bodies, well except maybe for you two."
That was partially true. Since Marth and Kisara were demons, they naturally had special powers, like the ability to use magic in real life. At least, that's what Satoshi Shiraki, the partner of Akihiko Kayaba, said to them during the final moments of Aincrad after the death game that was Sword Art Online was cleared. Unfortunately, neither sibling knew how to use magic in real life. Given his implications, Skiraki seemed to have known how but he simply disappeared along with Kayaba, never to be seen again. Without any way to use their powers, Marth and Kisara were just as defenseless as their human friends.
Well, maybe Marth wasn't completely defenseless. He still had that power at his disposal. However, he had promised his beloved sister that he would never use it again. It was too dangerous to use, too wild. If he uses again, he might not be able to come back. If that happens, then he won't be able to keep his promise to protect her.
Sadly, there may come a point where he might be forced to use his forbidden power to not only protect Kisara, but the rest of his friends as well. They were literally in unknown territory here. It is impossible for him to guarantee the safety of his comrades with just his skills from SAO and ALO. No matter what happens, he'll ensure that they all get out of here alive.
Marth couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. He really has changed, arguably for the better. Prior to him getting trapped in the death game that was Sword Art Online, he didn't see himself willing to use his dark power to protect his friends. Kisara, most definitely if there was no other option, but for Kirito and the others, not so much. Making friends was a rarity for him because so many people shunned and bullied him from being different, from not being human. He was worried that if he used that power, it would cost him the few friends that he did have. Thankfully, even after they learned the truth about him, his friends still chose to stand by him.
While not verbally saying it, he was grateful for that. They were a light in a sea of darkness, and Marth will use all of his power to keep that light from going out.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a load groan echo in the air. The groan was full of pain and agony. It definitely wasn't human in nature, but it was obvious that whatever it was, it was hurt, badly at that. Given his sister and partner's reactions, they had heard it as well and were both on edge, their hands reaching for their weapons.
"What the hell was that?" Kirito questioned while drawing his dual swords as Marth did the same.
"No idea," Kisara replied. "Should we investigate, Brother?"
The demon prince was silent as he processed their options. There were no guarantees that whatever they heard was friendly, and there was also a chance that whatever injured it might be nearby. His Hypersense told him that there were monsters in the area, possibly as strong as the ones that lived in Floors 70 and up from old Aincrad. Still, he was confident that whatever this place threw at them, the trio will survive. He knew what to do.
"Yes. Let's go." And so, the trio set out deeper into the swamp, their weapons drawn, searching for whatever creature was making the noise.
Meanwhile
Kos-Mos had returned soon after Mythra had woken up. Unfortunately the android wasn't able to locate any of the other Origo Mercenaries, much to Xander's disappointment.
"It'll be fine," Mythra spoke up in a casual tone, who seemed to have cheered up a little. "I'm sure your friends are alright. They're probably deeper in the swamp than Kos-Mos dared to go."
"I agree with Mythra," the android said in her usual emotionless tone. "It is too soon to give up on the others. Given the circumstances of our close escape with Torna, I estimate an eighty percent probability that the other Origo Mercenaries are further ahead. We should make haste to find them for maximum survivability."
Xander had to agree with his Blades. This wasn't the time to just sit around moping. This was an unknown place that he has never seen before. He might be fine since Kos-Mos is a very powerful Blade while Mythra's the Aegis, but the others might not be so lucky. There is strength in numbers so his friends needed to be found as soon as possible.
Kos-Mos mentioned that she had heard the sound of a large creature in pain to the north. Fearing the worst, Xander and the girls headed off in that direction. The swamp was rather tranquil. The insects buzzing about were annoying, but they were tiny and not much of a threat.
After a few minutes of walking in silence, they soon came a pile of fallen trees. The condition of the wood looked snapped and gnarled, almost like something large crashed into them. There was only one thing in Xander's mind that could cause such damage.
"Uncle!" he shouted in worry as he burst into a run, following the collapsed tree line.
"Wait, Xander!" Mythra exclaimed as she and the android hurried in pursuit. "Don't run off on your own."
Her words fell on deaf ears as Xander pushed through the damp ground. After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the Titan and his heart immediately sank.
Azurda was lying limply in a small clearing surrounded by trees and shallow pools of water. He was covered in large wounds, strange metallic spears piercing various parts of his body, ranging from his neck and the way to his lower back and stomach. It was clear that he took the brunt of the Monoceros's projectiles to protect the Drivers and Blades on his back during that terrible night. The grass beneath him was practically soaked in blue liquid ether, the Titan's very blood.
"No," Xander said in dread. He hurried towards the Titan's head. "Uncle!"
While Azurda was obviously not his uncle by blood, the old Titan was very good friends with his family, at least with regards to his mother's side. When they were children, Xander and his sister once called him "Gramps" because of his age, which was around 1,200 years, but he didn't like it because it made him feel old. They meant no harm by the nickname but chose to respect the Titan's wishes, coming up with "Uncle" instead. Azurda may not fight that much, but he always acted as his family's protector. Ever since Xander left his home in Mor Ardain with Kos-Mos, the Titan always made rounds to see if he was okay. To see him with such fatal wounds was devastating to the Ardainian.
Slowly, the old Titan opened his eyes and locked eyes with the grieving Driver. "I am glad that you are uninjured, Xander," he said weakly. Even talking seemed to be too much for him as his lifeblood continued to pour out of his open wounds.
"How awful," Mythra said in sorrow, her eyes close to watering. She knew the Titan as well from the Aegis War, though their interactions were very brief. It pained her to see an old friend having sacrificed himself to ensure their escape from Malos.
Xander fell to his knees and punched the ground in frustration. He had some medicine with him, all mercenaries kept some in hand after all, but his limited supply would not be enough to save the dying Titan. Kos-Mos's Hilbert Effect Refrain did have healing properties, but even she couldn't heal wounds as grave as Azurda's. If only Nia was here. Her Healing Arts were especially potent, more so than any other Driver. Why that was the case was unknown to the Aegis Driver, but he didn't care, especially right now. She might be the only one who can save his uncle.
"Kos-Mos!" he called out in desperation. "We need to find Nia. We don't have much time."
"Understood," the android acknowledged. "But I estimate a five percent chance that Azurda will—"
"Don't tell me the odds! I won't let Uncle die. I can't lose him after losing my mother. I can't!"
Both the android and Mythra were surprised by the boy's tone, more so for Mythra.
Surprisingly, it was Azurda was spoke up. "I am grateful for your concern, Xander, but I fear that it is too late for me," the Titan said gravely. "At least I fulfilled my promise with Ceres. She would be proud to see the man that you have become."
The mere mention of his deceased mother caused Xander to lose whatever composure he had left and began wallowing in grief. As if on instinct, Kos-Mos went over to her master, got on her knees, and pulled him close to her chest. Such an action was practically ingrained within her very being over the long six years since they fled their old home. During the first three, her Driver was often plagued with terrible nightmares of his mother's death, causing him to awake with a fright late into the night. Because of this, Kos-Mos sought to comfort her master whenever he was distraught. It brought her a strange foreign pain in her chest to see him in such a state, so she made it her objective to comfort him whenever Xander became distraught.
"It's alright, Master," she said slowly, trying her best to sound soothing but still sounding robotic. "I'm still here. I won't let anything happen to you."
Mythra found herself feeling slightly jealous at the sight, but felt that the android was the better fit to calm their Driver. She recalled Xander mentioning that his past wasn't cheerful as well. She was curious to learn more about it, but now wasn't the time.
"Well, this is awkward."
The Aegis let out a gasp in surprise. She quickly summoned her sword and turned abruptly around before taking on a battle stance. Having been lost in her own thoughts, she had failed to sense the arrival of three people she has never seen before. The first was a young man with raven-black hair and black eyes. He was dressed entirely in black, from his coat down to his pants. In his hands were a black sword and a strange gold sword that seemed to radiate a holy aura.
The second person was also a boy with black hair, but his eyes were as red as blood. His color scheme was a dark gray, almost the color of ash. In his hands were also a pair of black and gold longswords, but they had a strange wing-shaped crossguard that opened towards the pommel. Also, the black sword in his right hand had an unusual presence about it, a powerful darkness that felt incomplete.
The third person was a beautiful young woman who left Mythra breathless for a few seconds. She had lovely purple hair that fell to her waist, and her dress was very form-fitting, as if empowering her physical features. Her bloodred eyes seemed menacing at first, but they instead gave her a more devilish charm to her beauty. In her right hand was a sleek purple rapier.
Mythra could sense that these people were not normal, especially the latter two. In fact, they reminded her a bit of Malos. That unnerving aura, a terrible darkness that would consume anything it touched. Bracing herself for a fight, she managed to regain her voice.
"Who are you?" she demanded, trying to sound as confident as possible.
The swordsman in gray narrowed his eyes. Yeah, he definitely didn't come across as a friend. He had a darkness within him, one that felt more dangerous than anything Malos could pull off. "When asking for one's name, aren't you supposed to give your own first?" he replied in a cold tone, colder than even the android. Already, Mythra didn't like this guy.
The next to speak was the swordsman in black as he slowly lowered his weapons. "Sorry about him. He acts like that to anyone we don't know. Believe me when I say that we don't want any trouble," he said slowly. "My name's Kirito. This is my best friend, Marth, and his little sister, Kisara."
The purple-haired girl, whose name was apparently Kisara, gazed over at the dying Titan. Was that…sorrow in her eyes?
"Oh, my god," she spoke up, returning her rapier to its sheath on her waist. "What happened to this guy?"
Against her better judgement, the Aegis decided to indulge in the girl's question. "His name is Azurda, and he got these wounds from protecting us from this strange group that attacked us. I don't think he'll survive."
Kisara fell silent for a moment, possibly thinking of what she should do. What she said next caught the Aegis off-guard. "I can't promise anything, but I'll try to see if I can heal his wounds."
The fencer went over to the Titan, who was already beginning to dissolve into white ether. It won't be long before death fully claimed him. Despite this terrible sign that it was too late, Kisara calmly stretched out her hands and began chanting in an unknown language. Soon a gentle and warm light gently radiated off her hands, quickly enveloping the dying Azurda, whose groans lessened and breathing grew less harsh. In the end, though, it seemed like her efforts were in vain as Azurda eventually fully dissolved into white ether, dissipating into the air.
Kisara lowered her head in disappointment before turning to face the kneeling Driver, who had finally stopped sobbing and was beginning to collect himself again.
"I'm sorry," she said, her tone laced in sorrow. "His wounds were too great. If Asuna was here, we might have been able to save him."
Xander rubbed the tears out of his eyes and merely shook his head in understanding. "Don't worry about it," he replied. "At least you made Uncle's passing easier. You have my thanks for that."
They all shared a moment of silence to mourn the old Titan's passing. However, it was soon interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Why are you all looking so depressed? I'm not dead."
The group turned towards the voice's direction where they noticed a small figure emerge from the blue light. The creature barely reached halfway towards Mythra's lower leg. It was covered in white fur, had small pink wings and ears, a white furry tail, as well as a tiny horn in the center of its forehead. Right in the center of its chest was a blue diamond-shaped crystal. It strangely resembled…
"Uncle?!" Xander shouted in disbelief.
"Uh, is that kind of thing normal for creatures like that?" Marth asked, his eyebrow raised in confusion.
"No, this is the first incident I have witnessed where a dying Titan reverted to a larval state to heal itself," Kos-Mos explained in a monotone voice as she and her Driver stood back up.
The little Azurda puffed its chest out with pride. "Kos-Mos is partially right. However, some Titans like myself can maximize cellular regeneration to maintain bodily function, though it does tend to revert us to a larval state," he explained. He then turned his head towards Kisara. "I didn't think I would be able to do it in time but whatever this girl did managed to keep my body alive long enough for the regeneration to begin. You have my thanks, Kisara."
The fencer looked understandably confused, but simply bowed her head. "You're welcome, Azurda. I'm glad that I could be of some help." She then returned to her friends' side, an innocent smile gracing her face. "Brother, does this deserve a reward?"
Marth, who had been silent the entire time since the beginning of their meeting, looked to be a more reserved and stoic character. Surprisingly, his impassive mask cracked with a small smile of genuine warmth. He returned his gold sword to its sheath on his back before gently rubbing his now empty palm against the girl's head. Given her smile, she seemed to like it. "Not bad, little sister. Not bad at all."
Mythra didn't understand how they could be siblings since the only thing they shared in common were their eyes. However, despite her confusion, she chose not to question it as it was a waste of time. That didn't change the fact that the presences they had were unlike anything she had seen from anyone from Alrest. Just what were they? Still concerned that they might attack, Mythra kept a tight grip on her sword while Kos-Mos took a defensive position in front of their Driver.
Since the siblings seemed to be in their own little bubble, oblivious to the world around them, Mythra and the others turned to Kirito, hoping for some answers. As if expecting this, the swordsman in black let out a heavy sigh.
"I should have figured you guys would sense it. Everyone back home could too."
"Sense what?" Xander spoke up, his eyes narrowing in skepticism. "That menacing presence around those two? Just what are they? I've never met a human or a Blade who has that kind of presence before."
Surprisingly, it was Marth who answered, his mask returning. He calmly got between the group and his sister, all while keeping a tight grip on his black sword. "I don't know what a Blade is, but given the situation we're in, I guess I should probably come clean with what me and my sister are. Basically, we're demons, reincarnated demons at that."
Needless to say, the residents of Alrest were shocked at what they heard. Naturally they were aware of demons since the Indolline religion did have stories about them, but they all passed the stories off as just propaganda. To hear that demons actually exist and that two were standing before them, well, none of them knew what to do.
Reading the tense atmosphere, Kisara reached for her rapier. "If you're going to attack us, you should know that we won't go down so easily. The three of us didn't clear Aincrad through pure luck after all."
"Aincrad?" Kos-Mos questioned in confusion, but not lowering her guard. "That name is not in my database. Explain yourselves."
"I knew it," Kirito said slowly. "You guys aren't from our world. Do you know where we are?"
Curiously enough, Xander and the others did explain their situation and how they ended up here. Azurda explained that he accidently flew into a rift while he was trying to get the Origo Mercenaries away from Torna, causing him to crash in this swamp and everyone getting separated. Kirito gave a similar explanation on his group's behalf. After that, a tense silence was exchanged between both parties. Xander's party seemed ready to make the first move, only to be stopped by the small Titan, as he quickly hovered to get in between them.
"Wait, Xander," Azurda cried out, tiny arms outstretched to their full length. "I don't think these people mean us any harm."
The mercenary leader narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Get out of the way, Uncle. If those two are demons, then they can't be trusted. They might even be the reason we got here."
"Then why was Kisara so willing to heal my wounds? I do not believe that she and her brother are like the bad demons from the Praetorium's teachings. Besides, if they wanted to trick us, they wouldn't have admitted they were demons so quickly."
"Well…"
Marth let out a grunt, as if he had expected their reactions. He didn't seem at all worried that he was in the presence of the legendary Aegis and a powerful Blade. Most people would be wetting their pants right now, but he has remained calm and composed. That was worrisome. It meant that he has had his fair share of difficult battles and he was confident in his own power.
"I'm not surprised in the slightest. It would seem that humans are the same regardless of the world they're from," he said, sounding almost disappointed. "You're unwilling to think outside the box when it comes to things outside your own species. Is it so hard to believe that there can exist demons who don't seek to ruin human lives?"
Xander's teeth clenched tightly as he glared at the male demon. Every word from the swordsman in gray seemed to tick him off, but he managed to stay relatively calm. "But nothing good ever comes from associating with your kind! How do we know that this all isn't some elaborate trap?"
Marth's mask cracked again, only his smile was anything except cheerful. The smirk he had made Mythra's blood run cold. "Guilty until proven innocent. Talk about an ancient concept. It matters not to me if you believe me nor not. However, if you dare to bring harm to Kisara or any of my friends, then that makes you my enemy." As if to put more emphasis into his words, the menacing presence around him intensified, a black gale rustling his coat and hair. "Tell me, are you willing to risk the lives of your friends by making an enemy out of me?"
"Trust me when I say that you don't want to make an enemy out of my brother," Kisara added. "Look, we don't know where we are, and we both have missing comrades that we need to find. Rather than wasting our time trying to kill each other, why don't we work together towards a shared goal?"
Was it wrong that Mythra saw the logic in the demoness's reasoning? She was right though. They were all in unknown territory and their teammates were still missing. They needed to find them all as soon as possible. However, it wasn't her call to make. Curious as to what her Driver would say, Mythra turned her gazed to the silver-haired mercenary.
Xander was silent for a few moments. It was clear that he saw the truth in Kisara's words as well, but was struggling to accept them. In the end, it would seem his common sense won out as he reluctantly said, "Fine. Until we find our comrades and a way back to our respectful worlds, I am willing to work with you three. But make no mistake. I still don't trust you."
Rather than look angry, Marth looked rather amused. Was he taking pleasure from this? What the hell did Kirito see in him to ally with this guy? "Oh, I don't expect any of you to so readily trust me and my sister," the Dark Swordsman replied. "As long you don't get in my way, I've got no problem with allying with you."
"It doesn't hurt that you know how to keep some good company," Kisara added, her eyes darting over to the Blades. Her gaze came off as…hungry. It frankly made Mythra a little uncomfortable.
Kirito could only groan in response as he just shook his head. "You know, that's not gonna help make them trust us. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised." He then locked eyes with the leader of the Origo Mercenaries. "Listen, you said your name was Xander, right? Marth's the type of guy you have to earn his trust. It's hard, but it's well worth the effort. If you have his trust, then he'll be the best ally you could ever have. I can vouch for that myself."
Xander didn't say anything in response. It honestly felt that he just made a deal with the devil. He just hoped he wouldn't regret this decision.
To be continued
And so the revised Temporal Island arc begins. I was thinking of doing this arc later, but this felt like a good place to get it out of the way, though I don't know how long it will be. For those who haven't read my Dark Swordsman stories, I don't feel it to be necessary to read them to understand this arc. I will do my best to give you all full context on certain situations regarding the SAO cast so that you don't have go read something else to understand what is going on. If you have read my Dark Swordsman stories, then don't expect this version of the arc to go about in the same way as it did in Dark Swordsman 2. I am rewriting this arc from the ground up to fit the new context of the Dark Swordsman world and removing some things (like Dragon Soul no longer existing, because good God, WHY DID I THINK THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA?! Wolf Heart still exists though do expect some retcons revolving that). With all that out of the way, I'll see you guys next time!
Chapter 5: Reunions
Chapter Text
Edit (10/25/2021): This chapter has been revamped to better fit the continuity of Accel World: The Ashen Wolf
Jin was in the middle of a battle with strange creatures he had never seen before. These monsters resembled lizards, only they were much larger, almost the size of Dromarch. Their scales were a deep green, likely to help them blend in with the environment, and were exceptionally thick. Their teeth and claws were razor-sharp, perfectly capable of rending flesh and armor.
There were about four of them in total, but there could still be more lurking about, waiting for their chance to strike. Jin tightened his grip on his nodachi, steeling himself for battle. He had to break through so he could find his friends, but these lizards were making that very hard to do.
One lizard lunged its fangs at the masked swordsman, wanting to take a chunk out of his right leg, but Jin swiftly evaded it. He then countered with a powerful downward slash at the creature's neck. The lizard screeched in pain as blood poured from the open wound, however the cut was not very deep thanks to its deep hide.
This whole encounter was nothing more than a game of cat and mouse. The lizards made sure to keep the swordsman on his toes and rarely attacked in a consistent manner. Sometimes just one would attack, other times two would attack. There were even instances where one would act as a decoy for the others to get a free hit. Such coordination from cold-blooded beasts was unheard of to the mercenary.
Jin knew he was in trouble as while his wounds were minor thanks to his quick reflexes, eventually the monsters will wear him out enough to go in for the killing blow if nothing changed. There was no other choice. He had to use that power again. It was the only way to ensure his survival.
"At least the others aren't here to see it," he thought to himself as he gathered his resolve. "If I showed them what I can really do, they'll instantly know I'm not what I say I am."
The monsters circled around the swordsman, each of them snarling at their prey. They were anticipating their victory, but Jin was about to give them a rude awakening.
The air suddenly grew cold as a white mist enveloped the immediate area. The lizards movements came to a halt, wary of the sudden chill that wasn't there moments before. That brief pause was just the opening Jin needed to turn this around.
He leapt upward and brought his open left hand close to his face, eyes locked on his targets. He channeled his energy into the air, condensing it, freezing it. As he did so, a silver aura surrounded his body. In a matter of seconds, dozens of icicles appeared before him, their jagged tips all pointed towards the large lizards. Jin swung his hand down, launching the icicles at the beasts at high-speed. The lizards were barely able to even make a sound before they were all impaled by the crystalline spears. By the time the mercenary's feet touched the ground, they were all dead, their vital organs destroyed by his ice.
Seeing that the danger had passed, Jin let out a tired sigh. Are all the creatures in this strange place this strong? He found himself worried even more about the other Origo Mercenaries. He had to find them as soon as possible so they could get out of here. This land was not a kind place at all.
"Gaaah!"
Jin stood at alert. That was a female voice, one that was in pain. He didn't recognize it, but whoever it was, she was in trouble. He sprinted in the direction the scream came from, jumping over multiple gnarled tree roots and puddles of water as he did so. After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached a small clearing where he saw four individuals surrounded by a pack of large wolf-like creatures. The wolves looked just as ferocious as the lizards, only they had brown fur.
The first individual was a young man, likely in his mid-twenties, with messy red hair held up by a black bandana. His outfit consisted of a strange red and blue coat, a black undershirt, a leather chestguard held up with a white cloth, black fingerless gloves, and white pants tucked into black boots. He also had a slight beard on his cheeks and chin. In his hands was a gray katana with a black hilt.
The man was fighting like a crazed berserker, desperately trying to keep the beasts away from the girl behind him. The girl in question looked a lot younger than him, maybe around seventeen at the most. She had beautiful long purple hair that fell to her waist and deep red eyes. She wore obsidian chest armor, a long-sleeved bluebottle violet tunic which showed part of her sides, as well as her shoulders, purple fingerless gloves, a windswept shirt that went a little bit past her thighs and parted on her right leg of the same color, and purple high heeled boots that went all the way up to her knees. In her right hand was a one-handed double-edged purple sword, the blade looking as skinny as Jin's nodachi.
The girl had a nasty bite mark on her left leg, which was bleeding profusely. One of the wolves must have made it. The wound had rendered the girl immobile, lying helplessly in the grass. She was struggling to get back on her feet, wanting to help her protector fight off the beasts.
"Stop moving, girl! You're only making it worse," a familiar voice said frantically.
Jin quickly looked past the redhead swordsman even more to see a familiar Gormotti kneeling beside the injured girl, a twin ring held above the bloody leg and showering it with ether energy. Right behind the Gormotti was a certain armored white tiger wielding another twin ring in his mouth, doing its best to keep the wolves away from the girls.
"Nia! Dromarch!" Jin cried out in worry.
He burst into a run, cutting down any beasts that dared to halt his advance. One wolf had managed to slip past the red swordsman and readied to pounce on the purplette only to be killed by a downward stab from the masked swordsman's nodachi, piercing the small of its back and severing its heart.
Jin wordlessly yanked his sword free, causing the wolf to fall limply on the ground, and turned his back towards the girls, his eyes focused on the other monsters.
"Who the hell are you?!" the red swordsman demanded as he held back another wolf's jaws with his katana.
Nia let out a gasp in relief when she saw the white-haired man before her. "Jin! Thank goodness you're here. We're in serious trouble."
"I can see that," the male mercenary replied as he got into a fighting stance. "You focus on healing your new friend. I'll take care of the other beasts."
"On it. Be careful though. These things are tougher than they look."
Thanks to Jin's sudden arrival, the group was able to fend off the beasts long enough that the wolves decided to retreat to find easier prey. Nia was able to heal the other girl's leg to the point that there wasn't even a mark left over. The Gormotti was truly skilled with Healing Arts, a little too good for a regular Driver. The only female Driver of the Origo Mercenaries was definitely hard to read, even for Jin. She seemed fond of her comrades, yet always kept them at arms-length. Her very presence felt different from other humans.
"Thanks for the help," the redhead spoke up as Nia and Dromarch healed their wounds. The whole group took a seat to rest, but still kept a vigil in case more enemies showed up. "Your name's Jin, right? I'm Klein and this is Yuuki. Do you have any idea where we are?"
"A pleasure to meet you, Klein," the masked swordsman said formally. "And no, I'm afraid I don't know where we are. I don't recognize this place at all. We might be on an undiscovered Titan."
Yuuki cocked her head to one side, her eyes looking confused. "Uh, what do Titans have to do with this?" she asked obliviously. "Aren't they made up or something?"
It was then that Jin and his friends learned that Klein and Yuuki weren't from Alrest but from a world called Earth, which had its own nations and cultures. They also learned that Titans don't exist on Earth and instead the continents were all made of solid rock. They then shared information to try to make sense of their situation.
"I see," the white-haired swordsman mused. "So you two were celebrating your victory on clearing some floor in this New Aincrad with some of your friends when this strange light suddenly appeared and swallowed you both up."
"Yep," Klein replied as he scratched the back of his head. "The next thing we knew, we were here in this swamp. We ran into Nia and Dromarch soon after and then we got attacked by those wolves."
Yuuki gently rubbed the spot on her leg where the bite mark was, as if trying to soothe any phantom pain she might be having. "Those things are strong. Their attack patterns are nothing like the mobs we fight in Alfheim," she said quietly, as if to try calming herself. "I guess there's a big difference between fighting something that has a limited attack algorithm to a living and breathing monster. I got hurt because I was too careless. One slip-up here and you can really lose your life here."
The Absolute Sword had a curious presence around her. It was fierce, different from that of a human, yet had a sense of regality to it. Supposedly this was because she was the reincarnation of some fairy princess from a forgotten age from her world, but Jin wasn't sure if he could believe that. Then again, she and Klein were from another world so maybe it wasn't quite out of the question.
"Don't say things like that," Nia chided. "No one's going to die here. Not if Dromarch and I have anything to say about it. If anyone gets injured, we'll patch you up real quick."
"Indeed," the white tiger added. "My lady and I will do all that we can to keep everyone in fighting shape."
Jin took a quick look around the area. There weren't any signs of the wolves coming back, but that still didn't give him cause to relax. This place is increasingly proving that it was very hostile. They were too exposed out here. Monsters could easily surround them and block any possible escape routes. They'll have no choice but to brave the dangers of the swamp. Not only would the trees provide them with some decent cover, but it was also the only way they can locate the others.
"Hey Jin," Klein spoke up, interrupting the mercenary's thoughts. "Since we're all stuck here with no explanation and have missing teammates, how about we work together? It couldn't hurt, right?"
"That would be the smarter decision. There is strength in numbers after all."
Despite having only just met them, Jin felt that he could trust the Salamander and Imp, something he couldn't say with most of his meetings with strangers. The two humans reminded him a lot of his friends in the Origo Mercenaries. He prayed to the Architect that the others were safe.
A loud howl suddenly filled the air. The wolves must be regrouping for another attack. This clearing was no longer safe. After doing a quick check on everyone's conditions, he recommended that they needed to leave now before the beasts return. No one argued otherwise.
Together they got up and set off to find their missing teammates.
Xander had finished beheading yet another giant lizard with the Aegis Sword. He and the co-leaders of the Alfheim Warriors, Marth and Kirito, all agreed that they should find a way out of this swamp. Not only would it allow them to get their bearings and potentially learn where they were, but it might help them reunite with their friends.
Unfortunately, said task was easier said than done. Not only was the swamp incredibly dark due to the dense tree line blocking the light from above, but everything also looked the same, making it near impossible to navigate. To make matters even worse, monster attacks were rather frequent. The beasts came in a variety of appearances, ranging from lizards, wolves, to even massive snakes and bear-like creatures.
While these constant attacks were rather annoying, they did serve as decent practice for Xander to get a better handle for Mythra's power. She was easily on par with Kos-Mos, though that shouldn't really be much of a surprise since she is the legendary Aegis. Her Foresight definitely came in handy with dealing with these fiends as he has never dealt with monsters this strong before.
Xander turned his gaze towards the Darkness Duo and the Purple Flash, who were fighting a black bear with strange red markings that seemed to glow in the dark. It was easily twice their size, and yet it could hardly touch them. As much as he hated to admit it, the warriors from Aincrad were simply too fast and their teamwork was flawless. They were easily on par with the Origo Mercenaries
One would rush in to deflect a claw attack with a Sword Skill, giving the other the opening to strike while the creature was defenseless with yet another Sword Skill. However, Sword Skills apparently causes their users to become rigid for a few seconds after the attack concluded and they were impossible to cancel mid-activation. The movements were all preregistered so once the skill is activated the trio from Alfheim were committed to performing all the attacks in their entirety, no exceptions. The rigidness obviously left them vulnerable to enemy counterattacks too, however the trio always made sure that one of them would protect them by judging when it was the right time to use a Sword Skill. It was honestly quite impressive.
The bear's breathing was getting ragged, its body completely covered in wounds. It was a miracle the thing was still standing even from all the blood it had lost. It had taken multiple slashes, burned by Kisara's fire, electrocuted by Marth's lightning, and yet it was still determined to keep fighting.
"Good grief," Marth complained as he blocked its claw attack with a barrier of black wind, the wind-defense spell Stormveil. "This thing just won't go down."
Xander could spot some small traces of sweat on the Dark Swordsman's brow. The gray clad Spriggan had been using a lot of his wind and lightning magic to help fight off the monsters, all to protect his sister and partner. Apparently in Alfheim, magic or mana had some kind of bar that the user could tap into to cast spells, whatever that meant. In real life though, such a thing didn't exist which meant that the spells needed something else in order to be unleashed. The player's own energy, or mana as Kisara liked to put it.
Speaking of which, Kisara looked about as drained as her brother. Not only had she been using her fire magic (which looked to be at the level of his sister's Blade) on any beasts that dared to attack her brother and friend, she also designated herself as the group's healer. To be honest, Xander was hesitant to allow the demoness in that role, but she quickly proved to be just as capable as Nia and was a bit more cooperative than her brother. The only one who wasn't as mentally drained was Kirito, and that was because he didn't use magic as he hated practicing the incantations needed to use them. When it came to combat, he preferred relying on his swords, something Xander could understand.
"No kidding," Kirito said in frustration as he and Kisara slashed at the bear's sides while it was distracted. "It's like a freaking tank. It just keeps absorbing our attacks like they're nothing and keeps fighting. I'm just glad it doesn't have a healer otherwise this'll never end."
"Don't jinx us, Kirito," Kisara said warily, holding her rapier in a defensive manner. "The monsters here are like nothing we've ever seen before. I'd rather we not make things worse for us by tempting fate."
Marth suddenly intensified the black gale around him, knocking the bear backwards. While it was off-balance, Kisara blasted it with a stream of violet fire from her left hand, the flames colliding with the beast's chest. The bear groaned in pain as its black fur was burned off. Once the flames parted, Kirito rushed in and activated the Dual Blades Sword Skill, Double Circular. He began with a downward slash with his right sword, cutting into the bear's chest before spinning around and concluding the combo with a horizontal slash with his left sword. The Holy Sword Excalibur cut through the beast's lower chest, likely slicing through several major organs in the process.
At last, the behemoth bear collapsed on the ground, its lifeblood wetting the grass below it. It let out one final, weak cry before finally succumbing to its wounds, never moving again.
As she returned her rapier to its sheath, Kisara looked at the beast in pity. It took the Aegis Driver by surprise since he was taught to believe that demons were heartless monsters who ruined the lives of others for their own amusement. Now, Kisara did have a strange habit of flirting with Mythra and Kos-Mos, but otherwise she seemed like a relatively normal girl.
Xander watched as Marth placed his left hand on his sister's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"You know it had to be done, little sister," the male demon said calmly, but had a hint of sympathy in his tone. "Like SAO, if we die here, then we'll die for real. In this world, it's kill or be killed."
"I know," Kisara muttered softly as her beautiful white hair obscured her face. "It's like you said. Only those who are prepared to be killed are allowed to kill. It doesn't make fighting any easier though."
"And I don't expect it to. Just know that no matter what happens, I'll protect you. As long as I'm around, no one will harm you."
That seemed to do it as the demoness cracked a slight smile towards her brother. "And as your second partner, I won't let anyone harm you either. We're siblings. We need to look after each other."
"Hey!" Kirito cried out. "What am I, chopped liver?! I'm here too after all."
The trio shared a laugh at that, indicating that the Black Swordsman was merely joking around. It was strangely comforting to see this brotherly side of Marth though. While he may not be particularly kind towards strangers or associates (as evident on his dismissive attitude towards Xander and his Blades), it was clear that he truly cared about his sister. He seemed like the type who would do whatever it took to keep her safe.
The three of them then went on ahead, with Xander and the others following close behind.
"Wow," Mythra commented in awe. "Marth and Kisara really defy the common traits of demons you hear about in stories. They genuinely care about each other and Kirito, who is a regular human."
"I concur," Kos-Mos agreed. "It is clear that they all had their fair share of difficult battles if their teamwork is any indication. Also, it would seem that even though they are demons, Kirito seems to harbor no grudge towards the siblings."
Yeah, the Black Swordsman was the only one here who treated the siblings normally. In hindsight though, this made sense as they were friends. Still, Xander did want to hear what Kirito's thoughts were, preferably without the siblings around. He still didn't know if Marth and Kisara could be trusted, but they at least proved that they were useful in a fight.
"Master, there is light coming from the west," the android explained in her usual manner. "I calculate that we are nearly out of this swamp. Once we are past the tree line, we may be able to get a better idea of where we are and the locations of the other Origo Mercenaries."
Mythra let out a groan as she brushed the mud that had been accumulating on her short dress. Actually all of their outfits were somewhat dirty from all the walking and fighting they have done. "Thank the Architect," she said in irritation. "I was beginning to think this swamp just went on forever. I could go for a shower right now. Some food and clean water would be nice too."
"I think we all can say that, Mythra," Azurda spoke up. "We still need to be careful though. There's no telling what else could be lurking here."
"Azurda's right," Xander agreed. "We're not out of danger yet. We need to find a town or something to try and get some information on where we are. This definitely isn't Alrest and from what Marth says, it's not Earth either. We're in completely unknown territory."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Mythra said nonchalantly as she folded her arms. "If we get into any trouble, just let me handle it. I am an Aegis after all."
Surprisingly, Kos-Mos turned her head towards her fellow Light Blade and said, "I am perfectly capable of protecting my master on my own. I do not require your assistance, Mythra."
"What was that?! I dare you to say that again!"
Xander let out a groan as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He should have expected this would happen eventually. Kos-Mos was always very protective of him, that was the mission she created for herself after all. It was quite crucial back when it was just the two of them, but now they had their friends and even the Aegis herself. The android could loosen up at least a little.
"Knock it off, Kos-Mos," he chided his longtime partner. "I'm Mythra's Driver now, so that means she'll be tagging along with us from now on. You've seen her in action. She's more than capable of pulling her own weight. Besides, it wouldn't it be better if you had another partner you can rely on?"
The android then turned her attention to her Driver. "Your logic is sound, Master, but protecting you is my main objective," she refuted in a coldly calm manner. "I cannot prioritize anything above that."
Mythra suddenly cracked a wicked smirk. "Oh really?" she challenged as she glared knowingly at the blunette. "It sounds to me like you're jealous that Xander has another Blade he can rely on. You worried that I'm going to replace you, Kos-Mos?"
"Your statement is flawed. I cannot feel this jealousy you speak of nor fear that my master will replace me. I have protected him for over eight years and will continue to do so. There is no need for you to worry about my master's safety as long as I am by his side. I will not allow anyone to harm him."
The Aegis simply looked away, her smirk not fading. "Yep, totally jealous," she said simply. "This might be more fun than I thought."
"I am not jealous!" Kos-Mos declared with an unusual burst of emotion.
"Enough!" Xander shouted with authority, getting everyone's attention. "If we're going to escape this place, I'm going to need both of you to help. Can I ask you two to please cooperate with each other?"
The two Blades fell silent and locked eyes with each other. After a few moments of silence, they turned their gazes towards their Driver.
"Fine, I'll rein it in until we get out of here," Mythra said in defeat. "As long as Kos-Mos doesn't slow me down, I'll work with her."
"If those are your orders, Master, then I will obey," Kos-Mos added. "I will…share the responsibility of my mission with the Aegis."
Xander simply groaned in exhaustion. Even though the android was always very protective of him over the long years, he had never seen this side of her, one that was unwilling to cooperate with someone who's strength rivaled her own. He prayed to the Architect that the two Blades can put aside their differences and work together.
They all began marching to the west, towards where Kos-Mos had seen light from out of the tree line. No monsters attacked them again. They must truly be almost out.
Suddenly he heard a loud buzzing sound from behind. Hastily, he drew the Aegis Sword and turned around to see a large bug with pincers flying at him. He quickly readied a Sword Bash only to watch in shock as a purple spear of lightning shot through the air and easily pierced through the bug's armor, killing it instantly. Instinctively, he turned in the direction the spear came from, where he saw Marth calmly standing a few feet from him with a purple magic circle that disappeared over his shoulder.
"Uh, thanks," Xander found himself saying, unable to move from his spot.
"Don't mention it," the Dark Swordsman said dismissively. "Next time don't get so distracted. The battlefield is no place for idle thoughts. You're not exactly useful if you're dead."
"Is that the reason you helped me just now?! Would my death be an 'inconvenience' for you?"
"Logically, yes. If what you said about Drivers and Blades is true, then if you die, then Mythra and Kos-Mos will revert to Core Crystals. Naturally, I could try to resonate with them to add more tools to my arsenal, but I'm not so big into risking my life to resonate with beings I know nothing about. As such, keeping you alive is the better alternative."
The way he gave that explanation so calmly was aggravating to the Aegis Driver. It made Marth seem like he was superior to the young mercenary despite only having three years of combat experience. It would seem that they would never get along.
"You know, you could at least say it in a nicer way," Xander replied in an unamused tone.
"Maybe, but we're not friends, and we're only working together because we have no choice if we want to survive. Also, you don't trust me, so why should I bother showing you any respect?"
"Because you have to earn respect and trust, not demand it!" Xander objected. "If you want me to trust you, a demon, then you have to prove to me that you deserve it."
Marth simply rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. He looked in some random direction, not bothering to look the half-Ardanian in the eye. "I could easily say the same thing to you, Xander Origo. There's a reason I don't trust so willingly, but I bet that you'd just say I made it up just get some sympathy with you humans." There was a lot more venom in his tone in that last sentence, so much so that it caught mercenary off-guard.
Those words actually stung. Despite his bias, Xander could tell that Marth was being honest about it. It was clear that he was so cold and blunt to people for a reason, why he seems so damaged. Perhaps the young mercenary would have ended up this way had he not met Klaus and the others.
"Anyway, I've been meaning to ask you," Marth spoke up as they went to rejoin the others, wanting to change the topic. "Do Drivers normally have only one Blade? Kos-Mos's attitude towards Mythra seems to indicate that she doesn't like you having another Blade."
Xander nodded his head. "Somewhat, yeah, but Kos-Mos has always been protective of me since we've been together since I was a kid. Anyway, while there are plenty of core crystals out there, Drivers usually only stick with one Blade unless they really need the extra support. It's not uncommon for a Driver to have multiple Blades because it gives them more versatility, it's just not something you see nowadays."
"I see. That's a shame. There's nothing wrong with a little variety. It helps make you less predictable. Anyway, I'm sure Kos-Mos will get over it eventually. Once you build a repour with Mythra, she'll have to acknowledge her as another partner."
Okay, that was actually kind of touching. Maybe Marth wasn't so bad after all. "Um, thanks. I hope that's the case. It'll be hard for me to be their Driver if I can't get them to cooperate."
After a few minutes of relatively peaceful walking, the group finally reached the end of the tree line. Once there, they came across a large, beautiful lake. The crystal-clear water was perfectly still, the light of the setting sun filling it with multiple shades of color. Such a marvelous sight rivalled that of the prettiest gemstones.
"Wow," Kirito said with a whistle. "Don't see that every day."
"Indeed," Azurda agreed. "But it would seem that we were in that swamp longer than we thought. It's already evening."
"No kidding," Marth added, arms crossed along his chest. "And how much do you want to bet that the monsters here get a lot more active at night?"
"I would estimate that the creatures in this area become active at night by about seventy percent," Kos-Mos stated matter-of-factly. "It would be wise for us to seek shelter."
Xander had to agree with the android. While he didn't mind camping out, it was simply too risky here. There had to be a town nearby that they could stay in. Hopefully they don't have a different currency here. But they still had to find the rest of the Origo Mercenaries and Alfheim Warriors. There wasn't much time left before it will be dark.
"Xander! Kos-Mos!"
"Marth! Kirito! Kisara!"
The group turned to their left and saw none other than Jin, Nia, Dromarch, Ethan, Poppi, and four people Xander didn't recognize. The first was a purple-haired girl who looked seventeen, a red-haired man in his mid-twenties, an eighteen-year-old girl with long aqua-blue hair and dressed in blue and white with a rapier strapped to her waist, and finally a sixteen-year-old girl with pale blue hair and wearing a green coat with white chest armor, a black choker and fingerless gloves, as well as black short shorts and boots. What was very striking was that she had a long, aqua blue tail and cat-like ears that resembled a Gormotti's, only they opened in the opposite direction. The final girl also had a silver bow strapped to her back with its quiver attached to the back of her waist.
"Nia! Jin! Ethan! Poppi! Dromarch!" Xander called out in relief, waving to his friends.
"So our hunch was right," Marth said slowly before exclaiming, "Yuuki! Klein!"
"Asuna! Sinon!" Kisara cried as she waved towards them, her face filled with relief.
Once the two groups converged, they shared introductions and exchanged information. The other Origo Mercenaries were shocked to learn that Azurda had reverted to a larval stage as a result of the wounds he got from their escape from Torna. However, they were relieved that he was still alive. Now they were only missing one member, and that was Klaus, who was aboard the Galahad when Torna attacked.
As for the Alfheim Warriors, it became quite clear that Marth and Yuuki were in a relationship, as were Kirito and Asuna, due to the affection they displayed upon their reunion. Again, it was a surprise to the male demon genuinely care about someone else, especially a fairy since they supposedly don't get along well with demons. Kisara shared a similar reunion with Sinon, pulling the archer into a tight hug. Could she actually be…?
Pushing that aside for now, while there were other members of the guild still unaccounted for, Kirito revealed that it was only the five of them who were present when that mysterious light appeared. Marth and Kisara may have been at a different location and were still dragged in as well, but the Black Swordsman theorized that the siblings might have been the exception. If the other guildmembers were here, then they would have escaped the swamp as well.
"I'm guessing none of us know where we are," Ethan spoke up.
"Nope," Klein answered as he rested his katana against his shoulders while it was in its scabbard. "We're as clueless as you guys."
"I'm just glad that we're in our game avatars," Sinon added. "Still, I wonder how this is possible."
"If I had to guess, it might be the side effect of whatever brought us all here," Marth speculated. "Regardless, we need to find shelter for the night. Anyone have any ideas?"
"Well we could try to find a town or something," Nia suggested. "There's no way in hell that I am sleeping out here in the wilderness, not with these strange beasts lurking about."
Xander held his chin as he thought about it. He actually had the same idea as the Gormotti but there were no clues on where to look, much less if a town even existed in this world. He quickly voiced his concerns with the rest of the group.
"Well I could try flying up and see if there's any towns nearby," Marth casually offered.
"Wait, you can fly?!" Xander exclaimed in surprise. "Why didn't you do that before?! We could've have gotten out of that swamp in half the time that way."
"Technically all of the Alfheim Warriors can fly, we play as fairies after all," the Dark Swordsman clarified. "As for why we didn't try earlier, it's because we need natural light, be it from the Sun or Moon, in order to fly. While there was some sunlight breaking through the trees, it was way too cluttered to risk flying through. There shouldn't be any problems know that we're out in the open."
Kirito nodded his head in agreement. "Then it's settled. Marth, go and scout ahead. With your mastery over wind and lightning, you're practically at home in the sky."
"Just be careful up there," Yuuki added. "There could be some aerial monsters around that even you would have trouble with."
Marth simply cracked a light smirk. "I'll be fine, Yuuki. If I get attacked by something I can't handle, I'll just fly away. I am one of the fastest fliers in the guild after all."
The other fairies still looked concerned for the Spriggan, Kisara especially. After reassuring them that he'll be alright once more, Marth summoned two pairs of black, translucent insectoid wings on his back. The wings gave off countless sparkles of light. Right in the top center of the wings was a black crest, the symbol of the Spriggans.
Marth then kicked off into the sky and flew as far as he dared, keeping a close vigil for any monsters. He soon halted his ascent and looked down at the land below. Much to his surprise, the whole world was simply chunk of rock floating about in nothingness.
Yeah, it looks like getting back home may be harder than he initially thought. On the bright side, he did manage to spot some towns in the distance, one of which happened to be in good walking distance from the lake the others were at. However, his attention was soon drawn to a strange city surrounded by pale stone walls. Marth couldn't get a good look at it because it was too far away, but for some reason it felt familiar to him.
His heart began to ache, as if it knew something he didn't. It didn't make any sense to the Spriggan. He had no memory of this place, nor that city, yet why does it feel so familiar? Why does he feel sad? It was then that he remembered Shiraki's words when he told the demon prince the truth during the end of Aincrad. Could this be…?
Pushing the thought aside for now, he descended back towards the others.
"There's a town about a few miles to the north," he said the moment his feet touched the ground. "If we hurry, we should be able to get there before dark."
Mythra let out a groan. "Sounds like a pain, but we don't really have any options," the Aegis replied. "Let's get moving. We've got a lot of ground to cover if we want to sleep somewhere with actual walls."
The others voiced their agreement and began making their way to the town that Marth recommended. Hopefully they can not only get some much-needed rest there, but also some answers on how they ended up on this floating island.
Klaus was at the helm of the Galahad, trying desperately to locate his missing teammates. With the direction Azurda was heading in and taking the current season into account, he should have reached Gormott with the other Origo Mercenaries. And yet when he returned to their base in Torigoth, he found it empty, looking the same as when they left it.
"This doesn't make any sense," he said to himself as he furiously kept typing away on a keyboard. "A group of Drivers, Blades, a Titan and the Aegis doesn't just disappear like that. Where are they?"
Suddenly the Galahad's sensors went off. It was detecting an unusual surge of magical energy. Come to think of it, that also happened last night when the Origo Mercenaries were fleeing from Torna. A dark thought suddenly came to the researcher's mind.
He inserted Ultor's core crystal back into the console and began typing furiously. Though not quite as powerful as the original Aegis cores, the silver core crystal still held a connection to that artifact and systems that harnessed its power. By accessing a small part of the artifact's special energies, he might be able to trace the unusual energy surge and not only find out where his team had gone to, but for him to go there and bring them back. They couldn't have ended up in a really bad world, could they?
When the console finished its calculations and locked onto the world in which the Origo Mercenaries were in, Klaus's heart sank. Of all the countless worlds the team could have gotten sucked into, why did it have to be that one?! A world that serves a fragment of a forgotten age that has since separated from the world it originally came from. A land that has gone undisturbed for thousands of years, safely containing a terrible darkness that a brave group of heroes sacrificed much to defeat.
Temporal Island.
To be continued
Well, ain't that a comforting way to end a chapter? I'd hate to know what it could be that scares Klaus so much about that place (spoiler, I already know). All joking aside, if you read the original Temporal Island, you're probably wondering why I didn't include ALL of the Alfheim Warriors and instead only included seven of them. While I do like challenging myself with how many characters I can add (just look at Black Wolf (edit 10/25/2021: actually don't, that story ended up being a huge mess because of it)), I felt it would be best if I kept the cast a bit smaller than in the original arc. Mainly, most of the Alfheim Warriors aren't actually needed for this arc. Only Marth, Kisara, Kirito, Asuna, Klein, Yuuki and Sinon are needed given their future roles within Ashen Wolf. Anyway, I'll see you guys next time!
Chapter 6: The Ruined Village
Chapter Text
Edit (10/26/2021): This chapter has been revamped to better fit the continuity of Accel World: The Ashen Wolf
When the joined group had arrived, Xander didn't expect to see an empty village in complete decay. There was nothing there. No people, no animals. Just damaged buildings and plant life. Strangely, there wasn't as much overgrowth as would be expected from an abandoned town. It was almost like the village was frozen in time, like a picture that was 3D.
"No way," Nia said in horror, her hands covering her mouth.
"I can't believe it," Dromarch spoke up. "This whole village has been destroyed."
Xander noticed that Mythra was visibly trembling in fear, her breathing unsteady.
"No, not here too," the Aegis said quickly as she covered her hands with her mouth in horror. "Don't tell me I caused this too?"
Mythra was having yet another panic attack, but this time her core crystal was flashing erratically. She hasn't had one since they had arrived on this strange floating island (which Xander still couldn't wrap his head around and he lived in a world made of clouds). He may not know much about the Aegis's past except for the stories his mother told him when he was younger, but he could tell that the poor girl had gone through some hard times. He had to do something to calm her down.
Steeling himself, he grabbed Mythra and pulled her in close before wrapping his arms around her back, surprising everyone else. "It's alright," he said calmly as he rubbed the girl's back gently. "You didn't cause this. I promise. Everything's fine."
That seemed to work as Mythra began to calm down, her core crystal no longer flashing. After a few moments, the two separated although the Aegis looked rather flustered and refused to look her Driver in the face. "Er…Thank you, Xander," she said slowly, trying her hardest not to blush. "I'm sorry you had to see that again."
"There's no need to apologize," he replied. "We're a team. We support each other even in hard times."
"He's right," Nia agreed as she rested a hand on her waist. "Everyone in the Origo Mercenaries have their secrets, but we do our best to support each other regardless."
"Indeed," Dromarch added. "Well said, my lady."
"Still," Asuna spoke up as the group returned their focus to the ruined town. "What could have caused this? There's barely any buildings that are mostly intact."
"Could be the work of the monsters of this island," Jin guessed. "They certainly felt like they could destroy a small town like this."
Yuuki let out a sigh before taking the first few steps forward. "Well at least we can use this place as shelter," the Absolute Sword said hopefully. "And just in time too because night is practically here."
She was right as the last remnants of day were swiftly changing into the gentle embrace of the night. With no better options available, the group made their way into the village, all with sorrowful looks on their faces. There was a dozen or so buildings in the town, all in varying integrity. There were even some buildings that were just a pile of boards of charred wood.
There was a well in what must have been the town square as well as a gentle river located at the west end. Destruction was everywhere. Doors and windows smashed, holes bursting through the walls and stone roofs. To think that this place used to be full of people, full of life.
The only building that looked the most structurally sound was thankfully the inn, which was located a few houses away from the river. The inside was in complete disarray with a few broken tables and chairs, not to mention shattered dishes and bottles of glass. It was two stories, with the rooms on the second floor while the bar and dining area were on the first. There was also a doorway that led to a medium-sized pool of water that had wooden walls around it, likely a bathhouse of sorts.
It was hard to see at first because it was now night, but Kisara had the courtesy to create an orb of gentle flame in her palm, while Kirito also cast a night vision spell on everyone to help improve visibility.
"Well it's not perfect," Kirito spoke up as he looked around, "but at least we've got a roof over our heads. Let's see if we can salvage anything and maybe make some dinner. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starving."
"I think we all are," Marth voiced in his usual tone. "We've been moving about for an entire day now without any real breaks." However, Xander noticed that the demon looked a little uneasy, but it was hardly noticeable. He'd been like that ever since that scouting flight. Was there something he wasn't telling them about this place?
The Aegis Driver pushed the dangerous thought aside. For now, the Dark Swordsman was an ally, but that didn't mean that he had the mercenary's trust. One way or another, he'll find out the demon's true intentions. Anyway, the group searched through the kitchen and as expected, most of the food items stored in there had long since spoiled. It was a nightmare to get the cabinets and counters clean. Only some herbs and cooking utensils looked usable.
In order to be as efficient as possible, the group decided to split into three teams. Team A would go look for any wildlife that might be nearby, Team B would go to the river for water and fish, while Team 3 stayed to tidy up the inn (hey they may be staying there out of necessity but that didn't mean they shouldn't at least try to make it more livable). Team A consisted of Marth, Kisara, Sinon, Ethan and Poppi. Team B was led by Kirito and was joined by Klein, Jin, Nia and Dromarch. Everyone else was put into Team C, though both Mythra and Yuuki were a little frustrated that they didn't get into Team A.
"Sorry, Yuuki, Mythra," Kisara said sympathetically. "But we can't place all our heavy hitters in one team. We don't even know how safe this village is. We could be attacked at any moment."
"Plus the Blades shouldn't be separated from their Drivers," Ethan added. "They tend to get a lot weaker when they're separated by a long distance. Even Poppi isn't immune to that and she's an artificial Blade."
Poppi gave her Driver a pitiful look. "Sorry Ethan. I might be able to use my full power even without you if my ether furnace was fully ignited, but it refuses to cooperate with me."
"No worries," the Ardainian passed off. "I'm sure we'll find a solution eventually. Anyway, we should all get moving. It's not getting any brighter here."
Everyone agreed and set off to accomplish their respective tasks. Xander acted as the leader of Team C and began divvying up jobs for everyone. Asuna and Yuuki were charged with preparing the kitchen (apparently they were rather skilled at cooking). Kos-Mos was to inspect the bedrooms and see if any repairs needed to be made. Finally, Xander and Mythra were to handle cleaning up the dining room. Azurda, on the other hand, simply sat on the counter and watched. There wasn't much he could really do with such a small size.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," the Aegis complained as she was sweeping up the broken glass with a somewhat decent broom and dustpan. "I'm the Aegis, not a maid. Can't someone else do this?"
The silver-haired Driver chuckled in amusement. The mention of a maid reminded him of that maid costume Ethan got for Poppi. Apparently she actually has a mode to fit that role, though Xander has never seen it before. He has, however, seen some rather revealing costumes for the artificial Blade. The others, especially Nia (though neither Kos-Mos or Poppi made any comment on the matter), voiced their disapproval of them but Ethan has yet to dispose of them.
"Well it's either this or risk getting cut if we take so much as a step."
"I'm a Blade. I heal fast. Getting cut from glass isn't going to affect me."
"True," Xander voiced. "But that's not the case for us humans. We heal much slower than you guys. Honestly I'm kind of envious at that."
Mythra simply giggled at that. "I never thought I'd hear a Driver say something like that," she replied. "You sure are interesting, Xander."
Xander cracked a light smile. For some reason, he felt relaxed around the Aegis. It almost reminded him of whenever he was alone with Kos-Mos. It must be because they're both Light elemental Blades. He felt the temptation to open up to her a little more. It made sense. They are technically partners now.
"Origo."
Mythra looked at him in confusion and paused from what she was doing. "Pardon?" Azurda, on the other hand, hummed to himself as he watched the scene unfold.
"That's my last name. Origo. Figured you should know."
The girl's eyes widened in disbelief. She remembered Nia mentioning that name earlier, but she had passed it off as a coincidence, or thought that maybe Jin had chosen the name. But no, her Driver shared that last name as well. One that she never thought she would hear again. That meant that…
"Xander, are you…" she started to say.
"Master, I have found some usable towels we can use," Kos-Mos suddenly called out. "Shall I bring them down?"
The duo looked up and saw the pastel-blue-haired android standing by the railing overhead. In her hands was a pile of different towels that were in good condition.
"Yeah, go ahead," their Driver answered. "So how's the upstairs looking?"
"Quite a bit of dust has collected in each of the bedrooms, but I calculate that only some moderate dusting will be required," the android replied matter-of-factly. "I have even taken the liberty of choosing our room."
"Wait, you two share a room?" Mythra questioned before facing the half-Ardainian, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. "Just what kind of relationship do you have with her?"
Xander's face went beet red as he quickly raised his hands in defense. "N-nothing like that, I swear," he stammered out. "Believe me, I tried to get her to stop a long time ago."
"Uh huh," Mythra said slowly, not even trying to hide her skepticism. She then returned her gaze to her fellow Blade. "Hey, Kos-Mos, is there any space for me as well?"
"Why are you asking that?!" Xander cried out in shock.
Mythra let out a scoff as she folded her arms. "Well someone has to make sure you don't do anything indecent while you two are alone," she passed off. "I don't like it, but I might be the best fit because I'm your Blade as well."
For just a fraction of a second, Kos-Mos's left eyebrow seemed to twitch, which actually amused the Aegis a little. "That…is not necessary," the android spoke up. "However, I cannot deny that the room should be able to accommodate the three of us."
Xander suddenly wished that he had joined the other teams instead of remaining here. He'd rather be anywhere else right now. Heck, he'd even take being on Marth's team, despite his distrust towards the male demon. Surely the Architect couldn't be so cruel as to inflict this fate upon him. This had to be a bad dream, right? Right?
"Uh, Uncle, a little help here," the half-Ardainian pleaded with the little Titan, hoping that he'd come to his aid.
Unfortunately luck was not on his side as the Titan was simply rolling on his back, laughing all the while. "Sorry, Xander," Azurda said between fits. "But I'm enjoying this too much. You're on your own with this one."
"Oh, come on! Can this get any worse?!"
"What's going on here?" Asuna suddenly spoke up as she poked her head out of the kitchen, catching the others' attention. "You guys are making an awful lot of noise."
"N-nothing," Xander said with a slight yelp. "Just continue what you're doing."
The Undine raised an eyebrow in suspicion but thankfully chose not to press further. Instead she just went back into the kitchen to help Yuuki get things set up. Kos-Mos did manage to bring the towels down and place them by the entrance to the bathhouse before going back up to dust. There weren't enough towels for everyone so that meant that they'll have to be reused, but it was better than nothing.
After what felt like an eternity, only made worse by Mythra and Azurda now teasing him over sharing a room with two girls, the duo was finally able to get the dining area relatively clean. Some tables and chairs were unsalvageable, but they could make for some decent firewood. The bar was in good shape and there were still plenty of usable chairs left, so there was no fear of having to eat on the floor. They had even managed to find some lanterns that were intact. Curiously they didn't use either ether or oil (some type of liquid that's from Earth) for fuel, but rather magical energy, or mana. Supposedly both Marth and Kisara had sensed that there was mana in the air during their trek to the village, though why they could sense that was unknown to the Aegis Driver. Actually, now that he thought about it, it might be because they were demons. Yeah, it was definitely that as Yuuki sensed the same thing and she's a reincarnated fairy. Curiously, both Asuna and Sinon could sense mana too despite them both appearing to be human. Anyway, this did come in handy though as now the group can light up the inn more and not appear like they were staying in a cave.
They finished just in time too as the other teams have finally returned from their tasks. Team A managed to find some rabbits and even more herbs, though Marth was curiously picking at his teeth for some reason. When Xander asked about it, the Dark Swordsman said that he got rabbit fur stuck between his teeth. That had to be some kind of joke because there's no way a swordsman would hunt a rabbit with his bare teeth. Then again, Marth is a demon, but Xander still didn't get the point of it since he was pretty capable with his spells and swordsmanship.
Team B returned with buckets of water, enough for both drinking and cooking. They even managed to score some fish. Weirdly enough, Kirito was picking his teeth as well, something about him trying to get the fish scales out. Just what is with the Darkness Duo?
Asuna and Yuuki, joined by Jin and Kisara, immediately got to work preparing dinner. Curiously Marth was staying as far from the kitchen as possible, despite both Yuuki and Kisara urging him to join in.
"Unless you want to give everyone food poisoning, you don't want me anywhere near the food," he said rather hastily before bolting out the door. Honestly, it was amusing to see since he always carried himself so seriously.
"Surely he can't be that bad at cooking, right?" Nia questioned obliviously.
Kirito gave the Gormotti a knowing look, smirking all the while. "Want to try it out?" he offered.
Nia was silent for a moment before sighing in exasperation. "On second thought, maybe not."
Everyone in the dining area laughed at that. Kirito ended up leaving to go make sure his best friend didn't go too far. Xander and the others simply gathered around the fireplace, which was newly lit thanks to Kisara's fire magic. They also took the opportunity to take baths while dinner was being prepared. Nia went first, although she was strangely adamant against letting any of the other girls joining her. Once she was done getting cleaned up (she had changed into some spare clothes that Kos-Mos had found for everyone so that their current attire could be washed), Mythra and Sinon went next, along with a hesitant Kos-Mos. The android gave the offer of going in with her Driver, much to Xander's chagrin. He practically pushed her towards the bathhouse to join the Aegis and Cait Sith archer just to save himself from further embarrassment.
Neither Blade needed to wash their clothes since they could simply regenerate them using their ether energy, which was kind of handy. Sinon and the other humans, though (not to mention Poppi) didn't have such luck. Eventually everyone except the Darkness Duo and the group in the kitchen had taken baths.
"Never thought a bath would feel so good," Mythra praised. "I feel alive again."
"I'm guessing you hadn't had a bath in over five hundred years?" Klein questioned.
"Yep. The pod I was in maintained my body enough that I didn't have to worry about baths, but there's only so much you can do to pass the time within a dream world."
"A dream world?" Poppi mused with interest. "What did you dream about, Mythra?"
Strangely enough, Mythra looked away, towards a window revealing the beautiful moon. "Nothing of importance."
That was a lie. Xander could tell in an instant. He wondered if he could get the Aegis to open up a bit more. She clearly cared about the others, especially him, but she was keeping them at arm's length. What could her reason for that be? Did have something to do with the Aegis War five hundred years ago? For now, though, Xander chose to leave it be.
By the time Marth and Kirito had returned, Asuna and the others had finished cooking and were starting to bring them out to the table. Not surprisingly, everything tasted incredible. Jin was already a good cook but tasting Asuna's food was spectacular. Xander could see why Kirito fell for her. Needless to say, none of the food that was prepared went to waste.
"Ah," Kirito said in bliss as he leaned back in his chair. "I never get tired of your food, Asuna."
"Your food's great as well, Yuuki," Marth added with a rare, but honest, smile. "You did good too, Kisara."
"Indeed," Azurda agreed as he munched on some fish. "I haven't eaten this well in years."
The Absolute Sword smiled in victory. "Thanks, Marth. You too, Azurda. I'm glad you both like it."
"Me as well, Brother," the demoness added. "Even though all I did was provide the heat."
"Nonsense, Kisara," Asuna refuted calmly. "You were a big help back there. You've got such a steady hand with a knife. It's no wonder you're good with a sword."
The Purple Flash couldn't help but smile in response, but it looked a little sad. "Thanks, Asuna. Our foster mother is always busy with work, so she isn't always around," she explained. "I've had to do most of the cooking since every kitchen hates my brother's guts. I swear he's capable of even burning water. But I'm fine with that. After all, Marth has always looked after me in other ways, even before our birth parents died."
Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Xander turned to the male demon hoping for some additional context. Thankfully, it would seem that the Dark Swordsman was in a talkative mood, as that's exactly what he did. "Kisara and I were feared by our peers ever since we were kids. It made it hard for us to have any friends. Even our own parents feared us, though they still cared about us. Because of that, I chose to look after her. Whenever someone picked on Kisara, I'd take them down. It may have branded me as a problem child, but I didn't really care. As long as she was safe, that was all that mattered to me. That only got stronger when our parents were killed that Christmas Eve."
"And I'll always be grateful for that, but even you have to admit that your methods can be a little extreme sometimes," the demoness replied with a slight laugh. "Still, we were able to find real friends in Kirito, Sinon and the others. We're not alone anymore."
"No, you're not," the Cait Sith archer spoke up as she gave her best friend a sideways hug. "No matter what happens, we'll be here for you two. That's what friends are for."
"Yeah," Kirito agreed.
Even Xander had to admit that this was a touching sight. It even reminded him of his own family, the younger sister and cousin he had left behind. Deep down, he knew that they were fine, they had their own Blades after all. However, every now and then Xander would feel a sense of longing, of wishing to return to his home. But there was a reason for his self-exile, and because of that, he can never return to his home in Mor Ardain.
Both Mythra and Kos-Mos noticed the longing look in their Driver's eyes. The small Titan noticed as well but only he and Kos-Mos understood why the half-Leftherian was acting as such. Neither of the trio questioned the Driver, feeling that it was best to leave him be for now.
"Anyway," Sinon suddenly spoke up. "What are we going to do? We can't exactly stay here for the rest of our lives."
"Too true," Jin agreed. "While this village might be peaceful for now, this whole island is way too dangerous to stay in for long term."
"Yeah," Xander added. "We need to find a way to contact Klaus. I'm sure he might know a way for all of us to get back to our worlds."
Kos-Mos nodded her head in agreement. "I concur, Master. That would be the wisest choice for us to make. I calculate that there is a 90% chance that Klaus is looking for us as we speak."
That would not be much of a surprise. Klaus was a member of the Origo Mercenaries after all. While there was still much that Xander didn't know about their advisor, like which nation he came from, he still trusted the man with his life. After all, it was thanks to Klaus that he was still alive. While Kos-Mos was a force to be reckoned with, Xander was always her weakest link. If he died, then she would revert back into a core crystal, allowing someone else to resonate with her but with the memories of her previous life erased. Azurda wished that he could have stayed more frequently during that time, or even permanently to help protect the inexperienced Driver, however he wanted to keep Xander's existence as hidden as possible, so he largely kept his distance.
That decision, however, would be a big mistake as there came a time where Xander and Kos-Mos were trapped between a rock wall and a massive gogal while traveling around Gormott doing mercenary work. The android did everything she could to protect her Driver from harm, using every Art at her disposal, but the gogal was quick to catch on. The colossal ape-like creature managed to catch her off-guard with a sudden kick, slamming her into the hard rock. While Kos-Mos was stunned for a brief period, she watched in horror as the gogal prepared to crush the isolated Xander under its massive fist.
But then, as if the Architect himself had willed it, he appeared. Klaus suddenly came swinging in on a grapple, grabbed the young Driver, and got him out of harm's way. Relieved that her Driver was safe, the two humans then watched as the enraged Kos-Mos mercilessly annihilated the gogal with a full-powered X Buster. When the Art concluded, nothing remained of the gogal and the ground beneath it had a large streak with no grass growing, almost like a scar.
Ever since that day, Xander has stuck by Klaus, the man acting as a second father to him as well as a mentor. It was thanks to him that the Leftherian became such a good Driver. Because of that, he felt that he could never fully repay the blonde-haired man for everything that he has done.
"Where are you, Klaus?" he wondered to himself. "I really need your help right now. Please hurry."
Marth was relatively silent as he watched the discussion unfold. For some strange reason, he's been feeling a strange sense of familiarity ever since he got out of that swamp. The gentle warm air, this ruined village and that strange city he saw from the sky. It filled him with a foreign sense of nostalgia, but also sadness.
And he knew why. He had seen this place before, locked in the recesses of his dreams. This was the remnants of the fallen kingdom of Arcadia, the kingdom he once called home in another era, when he went by another name. In that life, he was a half-demon named Zane Umbris and was the prince of both Arcadia and the demon land of Eternus.
He still didn't remember much about his past life, the memories still too fuzzy and distorted to make sense of. Then there's the fact that Satoshi Shiraki didn't tell him the full story after Aincrad was cleared, saying that it wasn't his role to do so. He still didn't know what that meant. Maybe now, in this place, he'll finally get the answers that he seeks.
"Are you okay?"
That was Yuuki, who had noticed his strange silence. She looked concerned and rightfully so. After all, she had also lived in that forgotten era as well, as Celine Arnor, the crown princess of the fairies. She also didn't have much of her past memories, but she probably felt that same sense of familiarity that he did. Kisara, Kirito and Asuna must as well since they were reincarnations as well.
"It's nothing," Marth replied, trying to sound as collected as possible. He turned over to his partner and adjusted his collar, a sign that they needed to talk in private. Naturally, the Black Swordsman quickly caught the meaning and nodded wordlessly.
Since it was getting late and everyone was exhausted from all the fighting and traveling, they all decided that they would continue this in the morning. Klein, Yuuki and most of the Origo Mercenaris headed upstairs to their assigned rooms. Strangely enough, Xander looked strangely uncomfortable as he, Mythra, Azurda and Kos-Mos walked up the stairs. Marth simply shrugged it off though. What the Leftherian Driver did was none of his business. As long as he didn't slow the demon prince down or didn't try to harm Kisara or the other Alfheim Warriors, he could do whatever he wanted.
Sinon and Kirito stayed on the first floor, with the former performing a sort of check-up on her bow. Meanwhile Asuna and Kisara headed for the outdoor bath for their turn to freshen up, with Jin staying close behind so that he could bathe next. Marth found the masked swordsman quite intriguing. The white-haired man clearly cared about his comrades, but his body language was somewhat rigid, almost like he was keeping them at arm's length. Then there was Jin's presence. It felt different compared to the other Drivers, it was almost…not human.
Unfortunately Jin noticed his staring and said, "Something wrong?"
"No," Marth passed off. "I'm just trying to get a read on you. You seem different compared to your friends."
Jin's blue eyes narrowed from behind his mask. "I could say the same thing about you," he answered as he folded his arms, almost like a shield. "I know that you and Kisara are both demons, but something about you feels remarkably different. You're hiding something. I can tell. You've got a terrible darkness within you, something that seems as strong as the Aegis herself."
The Dark Swordsman visibly grimaced at that. While he expected the masked swordsman to be able to sense his demon presence, he didn't expect him to be able to sense that power. The forbidden power that was forced upon him back when he lived as Zane and subsequently inherited when he reincarnated. A terrible curse that sought to destroy everything it touched. Ironically, it was because of that power that he managed to protect his beloved sister the day their parents were murdered by those unknown assailants. To this day, he still didn't know what those people were after, but he knew that he should never use that power again. Unfortunately, there were a handful of times he had no choice but to use it, with it growing stronger and harder to control with each attempt.
Thankfully, though, Kisara was always there to bring him back. She was his beacon of light in a sea of darkness. If he lost her and her light, then he didn't know what would happen to him. The most likely scenario would be that he would simply snap and lose himself within that forbidden power, becoming something so terrible he wouldn't be able to recognize himself.
"I don't know much about you, Marth," Jin continued with his analysis. "But I can tell that while you do push most people away, you're not completely heartless. However, if you become a threat to my friends, I will not hesitate to cut you down."
Marth felt the urge to retort at the threat, but soon found himself hesitating. He couldn't really offer any kind of defense to that, especially when he knew it was true. Honestly, he would rather die a painful death than go mad and turn his sword against his friends. Heck, he even made Kirito, someone he saw as a brother, swear that if he ever lost his way, to kill him before he became a threat.
"Brother. Jin. What are you talking about?"
The two swordsmen perked up as they saw Kisara and Asuna return from the bath. Their hair was still a little damp, but they looked rather good in the rustic attire. It gave them a rather unique charm. Of course, any guy that so much as looked at his younger sister funny would get a swift punch in the gut. Marth would never allow anyone he deemed unworthy to ever take his sister out on a date. Sinon actually once said that Kisara would die alone because the Dark Swordsman kept scaring away all the boys.
Although, looking back, his sister has never seemed to be too interested in boys. In fact, she seemed bolder and more confident around girls. There were countless times she would tease Asuna and the other female members of the Alfheim Warriors. Heck, she even occasionally flirted with Sakuya, the leader of the Sylphs, though she claims that it is simply for fun. Then there was the fact that she was very close with Sinon. Yes, the two have been best friends for eight years, but their relationship felt more than just friends. Could they be…? Marth stopped himself. At the end of the day, he trusted Sinon with his sister. If they decided to go to the next level in their relationship, then he won't try to stop them.
It's nothing," Marth said finally before tossing a glance towards the masked mercenary. "Right Jin?"
"Yeah," the older man replied with a slight nod. "Just discussing something private. There's no need for you two to be concerned with it."
Both girls looked rather skeptical, especially the demoness, but they chose not to question it and marched upstairs to go to bed, dumping their somewhat dirty clothes in a basket to be washed tomorrow. Jin then grabbed a towel and his change of clothes before heading for the bath himself, leaving Marth alone, though before he departed, the two shared one final look with each other.
After a moment of silence, Marth turned to Kirito and once more tugged at his collar with his right hand. The Black Swordsman noticed the gesture instantly and nodded. The fellow Spriggan said good night to Sinon before following Marth out the door into the village plaza, coming to a stop by the well.
It was a clear night, the stars and moon easily within view. There were a few recognizable constellations, further indicating that this floating island was indeed a fragment of their world. The air was a little chilly but wasn't enough to cause discomfort to the duo. They had faced far colder climates within both SAO and ALO.
"What's wrong?" Kirito questioned intently, cutting straight to the chase. "What seems to be bothering you?"
Marth didn't even know where to begin. There was so much he wanted to say, but also things that he didn't fully comprehend. "Well, for some reason I feel like I've been here before," he explained slowly. "This air, this view, this destruction. It all feels so familiar to me. I think this might be Arcadia, the kingdom we used to live in during the Era of Chaos."
Surprisingly, the Black Swordsman suddenly sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. And here I thought I was the only one who felt that. I guess that means that what Shiraki told us was true. We really are from another era."
"Looks that way. Have you had a chance to talk with the others about this?"
"Somewhat. Asuna looked uneasy at seeing the remnants of the carnage that was described to us back then, but Yuuki and Kisara should be able to help her through it. I think what's really telling though is that Sinon feels that same sense of familiarity too. Like us, she might be another reincarnation"
Now that caught the demon by surprise. He didn't expect that the best sniper in GGO to be a reincarnation from the Era of Chaos. If that's the case, then what was she in her previous life? Was she a friend back then, or an enemy? Damn it all, why can't his memories come back now. It was aggravating not knowing.
"I feel the same way," Kirito agreed, knowing his thoughts. "We have the answers in our lost memories but they just won't show up."
"Yeah. By the way, when I flew up to scout the area, I saw a ruined city in the far distance, north of our current position. I think it might be Zophia, Arcadia's capital city."
"The one that fell in the war? If that's true, then we might find some answers there. But this place is really dangerous. It might be too risky to go there."
"I know that," Marth said firmly. "But I can't help but feel that we need to go there. Not just to find the answers to our questions, but also because something just feels off about that place. I get the feeling that we shouldn't ignore it."
It was true. Even now, he could sense something stirring within those ruined walls of the fallen capital. It felt powerful, pure evil. He had sensed this presence before, a long time ago, but he couldn't place a name to it. It was at the tip of his tongue and he just couldn't grasp it. Not to mention that this whole situation felt wrong to him. Not only were they on a chunk of floating rock from a forgotten era, but there were people with them from another world. This couldn't have been an accident.
Kirito let out a reluctant sigh. He knew that his partner was right. "Yeah. Something about this whole thing seems fishy. I hate to say it, but the only way we might get any answers is if we head for Zophia. I just don't know if we can handle whatever's there."
"Me neither. The Alfheim Warriors may be the top guild in Alfheim, but we don't have all of our members here. If they were, I'd feel more comfortable going into such a dangerous area that reeks with suspicion. We might need the cooperation of the Origo Mercenaries to pull through."
"Yeah, that's not very likely. None of them really trust you or Kisara since you're both demons. They might just think you're trying to lead us all into a trap."
"It might very well be one, but if they aren't willing to help us, then we'll just handle it ourselves. This isn't the first time we've been dealt a bad hand."
"Too true. Plus we've got that trump card of yours. I know you hate using it, but it might be our best chance for survival given the circumstances."
Sadly, that was correct. That power that he has sealed within him would most definitely be useful in this scenario, if he can maintain control of it. Right now, it was too risky to use, but it might work as a last resort. Still, it was a huge gamble but as long as Kisara and the others were with him, he was confident he could come back.
The Darkness Duo decided to continue this discussion with the others in the morning. They made their way back to the inn to get some much-needed sleep. They needed their strength for the journey that awaited them tomorrow. However, as they walked back, they soon had a feeling that they were being watched, but despite their Spriggan night vision spell, they couldn't find anyone in the area. Kirito shared this information with Jin, who had volunteered to take the first watch in case monsters decided to attack, who assured them that he'll be vigilant for any potential threats.
Unbeknownst to the swordsmen, a strange shadowy bat was watching them from a nearby rooftop, its eyes trained on the Darkness Duo.
A man garbed in terrifying black armor with crimson-red accents and a red cape flowing down his back knelt before a strange altar, which contained a large gemstone as black as night, located on an enormous tower located the northernmost city on Temporal Island. His shoulder-length hair was a deep gray and his eyes a cold black. Strapped to his back was a large red greatsword with a wicked edge.
He smiled as he saw the two teens through the eyes of his familiar. Good. Everything was proceeding as planned. It wouldn't be much longer now. A swirling purple void suddenly emerged within the gemstone, the strange rock now trembling with moderate force. It was if it was feeling anticipation for what it to come. A black and gold magic circle suddenly materialized around the altar, releasing an aura of power upon the gemstone. An ancient masculine voice cried out in pain as it struggled to break free from its bonds.
"Be patient, Master," the armored man advised calmly. "We will soon have everything we need to free you from this prison. Then you can finally escape this place and finish what you started thousands of years ago."
That seemed to settle the being trapped in the gemstone as the void within it faded and the shaking stopped. The magic circle's light faded as well. It was very impressive that such a little thing was potent enough to confine the soul of a god. Then again, this prison was created by two goddesses, primal ones at that. However, that wouldn't stop his dear master from spending several millennia trying to break free. His rage and fury could not be contained.
Suddenly the man felt something warm within his pocket. He rose to his feet and pulled out the source, a small green stone that was barely a fifth the size of his palm. He could feel the resentment and anger radiating off of the stone. Even after all these years, she still refused to concede to him. She was still determined to escape.
"Don't you worry," the man said cynically. "I'll let you watch as I sacrifice the half-breed and his little friends to free my master from his confinement. I bet you won't be as strong-willed once you see Zane's reincarnation die by my hand. This is your ultimate punishment for defying the God of Destruction, Zeta!"
Meanwhile the woman whose spirit was trapped within the green stone struggled valiantly to free herself. Even without a body, she could still try something, like maybe warn Zane not to come here. However, her captor had taken extra measures to ensure this prison was strong enough to confine a demon as powerful as her.
"Please, Lady Sinestra," she silently pleaded as she was returned to the man's pocket. "Watch over Zane and his friends. Offer them your protection and stop this traitor's mad ambitions."
From her isolated palace located deep within the shadowy lands of Eternus, the land that she had created for her beloved children but has long since distanced herself from them out of shame, a beautiful woman with fair skin and long shadowy black hair perked up from her throne. She wore a fancy long-sleeved black and purple dress that showed off her thin figure and accented her modest bust. She wore purple heeled shoes, a beautiful necklace made of platinum and decorated with multiple red and purple gems. Resting upon her head and woven into her long hair was an ornate black and purple tiara that radiated divine power.
She had felt a strange presence, four of them in fact, ones that she hasn't felt in ages, not since the end of the War of Light and Shadow. One of them was heavily masked, making it near impossible for even her to properly identify, but she could clearly sense the other three. She nearly teared up when she felt the younger two, ones that she thought she would never sense again. It really happened. The Umbris siblings have been reborn at last.
However, the realm which they were in was one where they should not be. It was a realm created by the remaining gods after that brutal final battle of the War of Light and Shadow, using the fallen kingdom of Arcadia to forever imprison their fallen brother.
"So then, False Demon King Zarc, Zeta," she mused to herself, filling every word she uttered with venom and disgust. "You would seriously believe that you could lure two members of the family I created from my own blood, the family I see as my direct kin, into the Temporal Realm and not catch my notice. You both truly are fools."
She wanted to go to Temporal Island immediately, but gods were forbidden from going. Even a goddess as powerful as her couldn't disobey the will of Aesir, the God of Creation. However, that didn't mean she was entirely helpless. The Goddess of Darkness, Sinestra, was known to always keep a few tricks up her sleeve.
Also, as much as Sinestra hated to admit it, she knew that she would need help from her sister. It is only through their combined might that they could pierce through the veil surrounding the Temporal Realm and send the help that the children desperately needed.
She could only pray that Mitra would at least be somewhat cooperative.
To be continued
Wow, a bit longer than I anticipated. I was unsure whether to include the green stone Zarc was carrying and the scene with Sinestra (in case you haven't read Black Wolf, she's a fictional goddess that I created and the progenitor of the demon race) but I decided to put them in partially for foreshadowing for Ashen Wolf (which actually takes place long after this story in Marth's world) and to show off Sinestra, who has yet to make an official appearance in any of my stories other than a telepathic voice in Fate Dark Night. Anyway, I'll see you guys next time!
Chapter 7: The Boy With The Red Sword
Chapter Text
Edit (10/26/2021): This chapter has been revamped to better fit the continuity of Accel World: The Ashen Wolf
Xander woke to the feeling of something soft being pressed against the crook of his arm. Letting out a light groan, he reluctantly opened his eyes and was taken aback by the sight. Bathed in the early morning light, the Aegis, Mythra was sleeping peacefully beside him, a stark contrast to her usual snarky attitude. There was one problem with this picture though. Her…voluminous chest was uncomfortably close to his left arm.
For a brief moment, the flustered Leftherian wondered why Mythra was in his bed. After taking a second to calm down, he remembered that the Light Blade pretty much forced her way into sharing a room after learning that Kos-Mos preferred to share a room with their Driver, which was already something that Xander wasn't too keen on as he wasn't a child anymore. One of these days he needs to find a way to convince his longtime partner that he doesn't need her looking after him twenty-four seven.
Seeing that this could easily be taken the wrong way by the Aegis, Xander began to stealthily pull his arm free, careful not to wake the girl. Somehow, as if the Architect took pity on him, he was able to move his arm away and sit up without disturbing the girl next to him.
"I knew this was a bad idea," Xander murmured with a groan.
"I concur, Master. Mythra's presence here is largely unnecessary."
He nearly jumped out of the bed from the sudden monotone voice. To his right, he saw a familiar pastel-blue-haired android sitting in a wooden chair, observing the duo. Of course, she'd already be up. It quite literally Kos-Mos's routine to wake up at first light. While Blades did have same needs as humans, like sleep and food, Kos-Mos was always a bit more unique. Sure, she still ate plenty of food and drank enough water, rest was a bit more complicated. Because of their past days of struggling to survive, the android Blade made a mission for herself to only get the minimum amount of sleep needed to perform her self-appointed mission of protecting her Driver effectively. When they were alone in the wilderness, she kept taking watch-duty and only rested when she had to, no matter how much Xander protested. Even if she were to get some sleep, the moment she sensed even the smallest hint of danger, she would bolt awake and prepare to defend her master.
While this was difficult to deal with, Xander couldn't really complain since Kos-Mos is the reason he's still alive. She may not express emotions all that much, but she wouldn't go to such extreme lengths to protect him if she didn't care about him. Naturally she would deny this, saying that she was simply doing her duty as a Blade, but Xander felt that there was more to it than that. It was almost like the android inherited the wish of his deceased mother, Ceres, the wish to keep the boy safe no matter what.
"Morning, Kos-Mos," Xander said softly, keeping his voice low to not disturb his other Blade. "Did you sleep well?"
"Good morning, Master," she greeted in her usual robotic manner, but she at least courteous enough to not be too loud. "It currently 6:45 AM, earlier than your usual time. As for my rest, despite the crude condition of this bed, I managed to acquire an adequate amount of sleep. I should have no problems with maintaining my duty as your protector."
"That's good to hear, but don't try to push yourself too hard. You've got Mythra to help ease the burden now. Not to mention the other Origo Mercenaries."
For the briefest of seconds, Kos-Mos's left eyebrow twitched in irritation. "While I am willing to allow the other Origo Mercenaries to assist me with my duty, I see no reason why the Aegis should be included among them. If I may speak openly, it was a mistake for you to resonate with her, even if you never intended so. There is a ninety percent probability that Torna, the group that attacked us on that ancient ship, will come after us to claim Mythra for their own intentions. There is also the possibility that we will be attacked by other greedy Drivers so that they can take the Aegis for themselves. I believe the wisest option is to leave Mythra behind and return to Alrest without her."
While the android's statement was rude, he couldn't deny that there was logic behind it. It would be foolish to think that Julius and Malos won't try to take Mythra from them again. It also won't be long until rumors about the Aegis's awakening will spread across Alrest, meaning that selfish Drivers may attack them to claim Mythra as well. Temporal Island, while still very much a mystery to the Leftherian-Ardainian Driver, seemed to be in its own dimension, separate from the world he called home. While it was extremely hostile, there was a good chance that Torna couldn't follow her here if Mythra stayed here.
However, the mere thought of leaving an innocent being behind did not sit well with him. It went against everything his mother stood for when she was still alive. He couldn't in good conscience abandon someone to save himself, especially if that person was his own Blade. One of Ceres's teachings when Xander initially awakened Kos-Mos was that a Driver and Blade were one in body and soul, neither one can unleash their full strength without the other. He may not have been Mythra's Driver for long, but that shouldn't justify the idea of abandoning her to save his own skin. It would betray the legacy of his family.
Xander prepared to utter a stern retort, but a certain someone beat him to the punch.
"As tempting as that is, I've got my own reasons for wanting to return to Alrest," Mythra retorted, now wide awake and sitting up, tossing a fierce glare at her fellow Blade. "It's not just because Xander's my Driver, but because there's something I have to do." She then cracked a confident smirk. "Besides, I am the Aegis. I'm more than strong enough to protect everyone from any threat, be it overconfident Drivers or Torna."
Kos-Mos simply narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "And strong enough to destroy three continents," the android replied coldly.
That took the Aegis by surprise she fell unusually silent, her gaze falling away from her roommates. Xander was a bit hesitant as well. He remembered the stories of the Aegis War that he learned in school, about how nearly all of Alrest was razed from the terrible battles and how three continental Titans were sent to the Cloud Sea's bed. Curiously, whenever he would discuss what he learned with his mother, Ceres always said that history tends to dramatize certain events to make things seem bigger than they actually are. She never really went into more detail though, saying that she'll tell more once he reached eighteen but with her death, that promise could never be fulfilled.
Mythra may be his best chance of learning what truly happened five hundred years ago. It was almost like the Architect was giving him a second chance, not only to fulfill that promise, but also to protect someone close to him. He couldn't save his mother when she needed help the most, he wasn't about to turn his back on Mythra.
"That's enough, Kos-Mos," Xander said with authority, taking the girls by surprise. "Neither of us knows what really happened during the Aegis War. It's not fair to hold Mythra accountable for things she might not have done, or her reasoning behind them. You say that having her around would make protecting me difficult, but you forget that this is a two-way street. Just as you protect me, Kos-Mos, I protect you. The same applies to Mythra, but you both have each other to rely on. I'm sure that if we all work together, we'll be just fine."
Kos-Mos fell silent while Mythra eyed their Driver in astonishment. Once again, the Aegis noticed the similarities between Xander and her previous Driver. Both were full of compassion and empathy, never willing to turn their backs onto someone in need. It brought warmth to her heart, but it made her feel even more guilty. She didn't deserve his sympathy. What she did five hundred years ago was irredeemable, unforgivable. That was why she…
There was a sudden knock on the door. "Hey, are you guys awake?" It was that boy, Marth.
"Yeah, we're all up," Xander answered. "You can come in if you want."
The old door opened with a loud creak from its hinges. Stepping into the room was the Dark Swordsman himself dressed back into his familiar black coat and clothes, all freshly washed and rid of any dirt or mud. His twin swords, Lunara and Solaris, were in their matching color scabbards and strapped to his back.
"Uh, hope I didn't interrupt anything, but Asuna and the others are preparing some breakfast downstairs," Marth said slowly, taking into account the weird atmosphere of the room. "Also there's a blonde-haired man wearing a lab coat here. He said he knows you guys and brought this weird flying submarine with him."
"Klaus is here?!" the Aegis Driver exclaimed in disbelief. That was great news to hear. If anyone knew a way out of this world, it had to be Klaus. There was barely anything the man didn't know, and he brought the Galahad which means their transportation issues were solved.
Marth nodded his head in confirmation. "Yeah, that was his name. He arrived during my shift for watch duty," he explained. "That ship of his is certainly impressive. No way my world could build something like that."
"I thought that I had heard the sound of something large approaching during the night," Kos-Mos added. "I kept my sword in reach but chose not to investigate further in case something befell my master." She then looked the Spriggan over. "By the way, how did you get your clothes cleaned so quickly?"
"Eh, was feeling a little antsy during my watch so I decided to pass the time washing my outfit. Kisara was having trouble staying asleep so she decided to help out and even used her flames to help dry them off. She's got a steady hand with her fire magic so I didn't have to worry about any accidents."
"Heh," Mythra chuckled in amusement. "Magic sure comes in handy, especially in a place like this. Well I'm starving so I think I'll go downstairs and help with breakfast."
Before she could even make her way downstairs, Marth blocked her path with his left arm. "About that, Mythra," he said slowly. "Jin said that you're not allowed in the kitchen. Apparently he's heard horror stories of your cooking from the Aegis War."
That came as bit of a surprise to Xander. He didn't recall any history book mentioning the Aegis's culinary skills, or lack of them. How exactly did Jin know about it? More questions keep piling against the mysterious masked swordsman.
Not surprisingly though, Mythra took offense to that as she practically threw herself off the bed and glared at the Dark Swordsman, who was merely a messenger. "Oh, come on!" she protested loudly. "It's not that bad. There's nothing wrong with a little carbon."
Marth let out a slight groan as he scratched the back of his neck with his gloved hand. "If those stories are true, then your cooking is just as atrocious as mine," he said rather calmly. "Given our situation, I'd rather not have to worry about my stomach suddenly rebelling when I'm in the middle of a fight. For everyone's best interest, it would be best if you left the cooking to someone else."
The Aegis growled in frustration as she folded her arms and looked away in a pout. It was actually a little adorable, like a child being refused to help with a particular chore from their parent.
With that out of the way, the quartet decided to head downstairs, where they could already smell their next meal being prepared in the nearby kitchen. Everyone else was already there, minus Asuna, Jin, Yuuki and Kisara, who were obviously in the kitchen. The Drivers and the Alfheim Warriors were all back in their usual attire as well. Man they sure worked fast. Xander wondered if his own clothes were clean as well. Klaus was present as well, conversing with Kirito about the Galahad and its technology, before taking notice of his leader approaching.
"Good morning, Xander," the older man said with a light smile. "I hope you didn't get into too much trouble while I was away."
The Aegis Driver had to fight the urge to run up and hug him like he did when he was younger. He wasn't a child anymore, but the leader of a mercenary corp. It was still awesome to see his surrogate father here though. While he had no doubt that with their joined coalition, they could easily survive this strange place, now that Klaus was here, they might actually be able to escape and return to their worlds.
"It's good to have you back, Klaus," Xander said warmly. "How did you manage to find us?"
The scientist/researcher simply chuckled. "You know me, Xander. I have my ways. I'm just glad the Galahad survived the trip. Traveling between worlds isn't easy."
The Titanless ship could be seen outside in the city plaza. There weren't any large bodies of water nearby so the Galahad must have used its flight functions to go this far inland. While Xander was still clueless as to how such an ancient ship could do that, he certainly wasn't complaining. It won't be long before they're all back home.
Breakfast was soon ready, and everyone began to dig in, though the mood was much more lively as they were almost free of this place. However, that was when Marth said something that easily soured the mood.
"You want to stay here?!" Ethan exclaimed in disbelief. "Are you crazy or something?"
The Dark Swordsman was silent for a brief moment, collecting his thoughts, before finally answering. "Look I don't want to stay here longer than I have to either," he replied. "But I can't shake this feeling that it would be a mistake to try to leave now. There's something wrong with this place and I need to find out why."
Nia rolled her eyes as she took a quick bite from her fish. "Yep, you're crazy. No one in their right mind would want to stay in this terrible place."
Both Kisara and Kirito, as well as the other Alfheim Warriors (minus Klein) looked uneasy as well. Were they in on it too or was it something else? Again, his suspicions towards the Dark Swordsman came to light. Was he trying to kill them all and brainwashed Kirito and the others into agreeing with him? Klaus also looked nervous, though it was hard to notice. Xander only did because he had been around the man for so long.
"Actually, Marth's not the only one getting this strange feeling of familiarity," Kirito spoke up. His eyes were hesitant, but they didn't seem to hold any ill intent. "I'm getting it too."
"Me three," Kisara added before bringing her right palm to her upper chest. "This air, this land, this sight, they all feel like I've been here before. If this land really is the place I think it is, then we have to investigate."
"Weird," Yuuki said with interest. "Me, Sinon and Asuna were discussing that last night because we got the same feeling. What could that mean?"
Silence fell across the room as no one dared to speak. Strangely enough, it was broken by the most unexpected person.
"I think I know why," Klaus said solemnly. "While this floating isle may not be a part of Alrest, I have managed to learn a bit about its history. This is Temporal Island, the only surviving remnant of a forgotten era from your world. It is both a memento and a prison."
Everyone was shocked at what they heard, especially Xander. The Leftherian may have occasionally taken peaks at the older man's archeology notes but none of them ever hinted at a floating island hidden in a different dimension. It reminded him of how little he knew about his surrogate father. Just who was Klaus?
"How do you know that?" Kirito rightfully asked in suspicion, while his partner narrowed his eyes at the older man. "You're from Alrest, not Earth. How would you know if something is connected to our world?"
"It's…complicated. Keep in mind, even I don't know everything about Temporal Island. The most that I know are mere fragments of what transpired. You see, long ago on your Earth, the humans lived alongside mythical beings, ranging from gods, divine beasts, to even demons and human-sized fairies. But, as with all tales, it did not last as one of the gods, Zeta the God of Destruction, decided to wipe out the humans and all beings of the light. This was known as the War of Light and Shadow."
Shulk was having a strange dream. It was all colorless, similar to the one he had back in Tephra Cave. This time he wasn't on some strange floating building, but instead in a large city with gothic architecture. It was way bigger than Colony 9 and was surrounded by a thick wall made of brown stone.
However unlike his previous dream, this one was a lot more graphic. The entire city was burning, plumes of dark smoke rising towards the dreary night sky. His eyes were already feeling watery from it. Civilians screamed in terror as they fled from the pursuing monsters and the humanoids that fought beside them, slaughtering anything that came their way. There were soldiers trying to hold off the invading army, though, but unlike the military force in Colony 9, these soldiers were completely covered in metal armor with a design he has never seen before. None of them were using firearms, instead they relied on swords, shields, to spears and axes.
"What in Bionis?" he asked aloud as he examined the carnage.
It painfully reminded him of the Mechon attack on Colony 9, but unlike his home, this city, most likely a capital, was clearly on the brink of falling. The invaders were too numerous, and the defenders were in complete disarray. It won't be long until this battle was decided.
But where did this happen? Nothing about this place reminded him of the Bionis. The Titan's limbs weren't anywhere in sight, much less the Mechonis. Was this a different world entirely?
"Zeta's forces attacked out of nowhere, taking all of the different kingdoms at the time by surprise."
That voice. It was the same one he heard from his other dream. Shulk quickly looked around, grateful that he could actually move in this dream, and sure enough, hiding in the smoke was a familiar young man. He was the only other one in full color, his shoulder-length hair a deep silver while wearing his usual purple top under a white waistcoat with gold buttons, a long-sleeved purple jacket with a grey fur collar, silver buttons and a symbol on the back, purple trousers, and white boots with grey soles that attach around his waist. His back was turned towards the blonde, keeping his face hidden from sight.
"Out of all of them, two kingdoms were hit the hardest," the unnamed figure continued. "The human kingdom of Arcadia and the demon kingdom of Eternus. Eternus fell to an army of insurgents that were loyal to the Dark God, its king murdered by one of its champions, and its capital, Obsidia, purged of any who opposed the new ruler. As for Arcadia, Zeta's forces easily overwhelmed the capital defenses and took the city, Zophia, as his own. He executed its king, Lambert, himself and left the kingdom in ruin. Barely any from those two cities managed to escape the slaughter. And thus, the War of Light and Shadow began."
"No way," Shulk said in shock. "That can't be true. I haven't heard anything of this scale before. There's no way this could have happened."
"Understandable, given that this all happened in an alternate world," the figure answered. "As I said, there were in fact survivors of this massacre. One was Altena Umbris, Lambert's husband and the true heir to the Eternian throne. She was one of the six demon lords, champions of their progenitor, the Goddess of Shadow Sinestra, and arguably the strongest demon to ever exist. While she was in Zophia at the time, rather than join her husband to hold back the enemy forces, she instead helped the civilians, and her children, Zane and Lucia, escape the carnage. Unfortunately Zane and his childhood friend, Kaito, got separated from her in the chaos, and she was forced to abandon them to protect the humans. Luckily, one of her old friends, the immortal warrior, Scathach, managed to find the two boys and got them to safety, taking them in as her own."
That was a lot for the wielder of the Monado, the only weapon capable of piercing through Mechon armor, to process. This all sounded so unreal. He was well aware of the Homs war against the Mechon, but that paled before a war of this magnitude. But that raised one question?
"How do you know all this?" Shulk asked in suspicion.
The silver-haired Homs merely chuckled. "I have my ways, also a certain goddess filled me in a little. While I do not know Sinestra or her sister, the Goddess of Light Mitra, personally, I cannot exactly turn down a request from two primordial gods, especially given the stakes."
"What are you saying?"
"There's been a situation. Zane's reincarnation, Marth, and his friends, as well as people from a world called Alrest got transported to Temporal Island, the only remnant of Arcadia left that serves as a prison for the Dark God after Zane's forces defeated him. Zeta is close to breaking free of his bonds and if that happens, he could easily threaten other worlds, including the Bionis and the Mechonis. Goddess Sinestra feels that you and your companion will be of great use to Marth and his allies."
While Shulk did feel honored that a goddess felt that him and Reyn would be useful to this Marth person, he naturally felt hesitant to accept. All he wanted to do was stop the Mechon and get revenge for Fiora, his other oldest friend who was tragically killed in the attack on Colony 9. Opposing a god seemed a little too much for him to handle, even with the Monado.
As if reading his thoughts, the young man turned towards him, revealing his silver eyes. There was something red on his chest, but the smoke made it hard to make out. For some reason, it reminded him of the Monado.
"You will be fine," he assured in a calm tone. "While there is no ether in Temporal Island, the magical energy there should be sufficient enough for you to use Arts and the Monado. So then, are you prepared to fight a god?"
"Uh, not really. I still don't fully understand anything, but it seems like this is a big threat to the Bionis. If I can keep everyone back home safe, then I'll be glad to help."
The young man cracked a light smile. "Good, because I've already taken the liberty and allowed Sinestra and Mitra to transport you and your friend to Temporal Island. You will find yourself in ruined town where Marth and his friends are located. While it may be tempting to simply escape the island, Zeta and his second-in-command, Zarc another of the six demon lords, will not allow that to happen. The only way to escape safely is to defeat Zarc and Zeta."
Shulk nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Okay, but are we really enough to stop a dark god and a demon lord?" he asked nervously.
"It will have to do. It's not exactly easy breaching the heavy defenses of the island. Ideally the twin goddesses would come themselves, but that would directly go against the order of the God of Creation, Aesir. Even they cannot do that, so this is the only workaround."
That only made Shulk even more concerned. Not only was he going into a world he never heard of, but he would be trapped there until the threat was dealt with, not to mention that the beings sending him and Reyn there can't offer much support. Unfortunately, if the silver-haired Homs was right, it was out of his hands since he had already been sent to Temporal Island. He'll just have to hope that he can get himself and Reyn out safely.
"Alright," Shulk said in defeat. "I'll do my best then. I do have the Monado with me after all."
"Indeed. While you have not fully grasped its true power yet, it should be enough to get you by. I'll leave the rest to you then. I do hope we meet again. There is still much for you to do after all."
He didn't even get a chance to question it as the dream quickly faded. The next thing he knew, his vision was dark and he heard a male voice calling out his name in worry.
"Shulk! Shulk! Come on, wake up already!"
He let out a grunt as he slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the early morning light while also adjusting his wavy blonde hair out of his face. He found himself on a dirt road just outside of a ruined town to his right. His short red jacket, a black sweater with pink and purple patterning, grey shorts with straps and flat-soled boots were all undamaged, which was a welcome relief. In his right hand was a large two-handed red sword with a single edge and an empty circle by the hilt. Blue lines of light pulsed across the weapon. The Monado.
To his left was a young man (around his age, which was eighteen) with tan skin and a muscular build. He had short spiky auburn hair and brown eyes. His outfit consisted of a silver, gray, and orange metallic top, dark grey pants, dark grey and orange fingerless gauntlets, and near black boots that reach near his knees. Strapped to his back was the gunlance that Shulk built out of spare parts, which had helped to protect them both from monsters.
Caressing his head with his spare hand as he sat up from the cold earth, he asked, "Reyn, are you okay?"
The other Homs nodded. "Yeah, I'm a bit sore but I'll manage. Where in Bionis are we? Last I remember, we were just about to reach the Gaur Plains on the Bionis's Leg after leaving Tephra Cave. How'd we get here?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Shulk said dismissively. He held the Monado in front of him with both hands. The Homs from his dream said that it should work here just fine despite the lack of ether but he needed to test to be sure. Focusing his energy into the red sword, the weapon soon opened up and generated a large blade made of blue energy.
Well that was a relief. Without the Monado, he was practically powerless.
Reyn, however, rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah, you said that about your visions yet you managed to use them to save my life from that Arachno Queen," the gunlance user chided. "I don't think anything can surprise me now."
Shulk let out a heavy sigh and braced himself. "Okay. We're on a floating island that serves as a prison for a dark god that nearly destroyed an entire world. Two goddesses sent us to help other people that are trapped here defeat the god so he can't escape and threaten other worlds, including the Bionis."
To absolutely no surprise, the former member of the Defense Force said, "Okay, yeah that is crazy. I know that the Bionis is a dead Titan, but to think that actual gods exist is a little hard to believe." Reyn rested his palms on the ground and looked up at the sky. "But it's the only explanation we've got so I guess we'll go with it. Fighting against a god can't be that hard, right?"
He couldn't help but chuckle at that. While some things may roll over Reyn's head, he certainly didn't let that keep him down. So Shulk shouldn't let it bother him either.
"Maybe," Shulk replied. "Supposedly the reincarnation of the guy who defeated the dark god is here as well. With him and his friends, we might be able to pull it off."
"Great!" Reyn said eagerly as he slammed his palm into his friend's shoulder. "Now that's what I'm talking about. So where are they?"
"Thankfully, they shouldn't be too far from us. They should be in this town. We should hurry before they leave. We have to warn them that they can't leave until Zeta is defeated."
The auburn-haired Homs nodded in agreement before they both hurried to their feet. They then ran into the ruined village, with Shulk filling his friend in on the situation as they moved.
Needless to say, Marth was shocked to hear that Klaus knew he was the reincarnation of Zane Umbris, the half-demon prince who fought in the War of Light and Shadow and was the one who defeated the God of Destruction, Zeta, here in the fallen kingdom of Arcadia. The man's knowledge of the events weren't that great, about as helpful as Shiraki's account of the story. Weirdly enough though, Shiraki had called Marth and his sister as full demons except they were half human in their previous lives. Perhaps they simply lost their human side when they were reincarnated in this era.
Naturally, Klaus also knew of Kisara's origins as Zane's younger sister, Lucia Umbris. He didn't know much about her except that she was strong for a half-demon but wasn't quite as powerful as Zane. He also mentioned Kirito's first life, Kaito, who was Zane's right-hand man during the war. Asuna and Sinon's previous names in that era were apparently Stacia and Solus, but Klaus didn't have much information on them, just that they were Zane and Kaito's comrades. Finally, he mentioned Celine, Yuuki's previous self, who was the princess of the fairies. Kind of ironic she feel for a demon since both races hated each other even before the war.
"So what do we do?" Klein questioned after a period of silence.
"Isn't it obvious?" Nia replied. "We get the hell out of here. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't fancy staying in a god's prison any longer."
"I concur with my lady," Dromarch added. "There's no telling what will happen if we stay here. It might be best to leave here while we still can."
While Marth did agree with their logic, he couldn't shake the feeling that that would be a mistake. Someone had brought them here. That much was clear. It was no accident that they found themselves on this island of frozen time. That meant that if they tried to leave, that person would do whatever it takes to keep them here until they got what they wanted. Whatever it was, it made him feel uneasy.
"I don't know," he spoke up, trying to sound as reasonable as possible. "I just don't think that's a good idea."
"What other choice do we have?" Azurda questioned. "While we may not have to worry about the monsters here, a real god may be more than we can handle. If it breaks free, there's no guarantee that we'll be able to survive."
"I…agree with Uncle," Xander said slowly. "Fighting Drivers and monsters is one thing, but a god is in a league all of their own."
Mythra simply shrugged. "Even I don't know if we can win against something that strong, and I'm the strongest Blade there is. I hate to say it, but retreat may be our best option."
"Hold on," Sinon interjected inquisitively. "Even if we are able to escape Temporal Island, what's stopping Zeta from doing the same if he manages to break out of his prison? If we leave him be, he might try attacking both our worlds once he gets free."
Asuna nodded her head in agreement. "Sinon's right. It's too risky to leave without ensuring that Zeta can't follow us off this island. Not to mention that unlike you Drivers and your Blades, my friends and I can't use our abilities in the real world. If the God of Destruction attacks us there, we're finished. I don't think any weapon we have is capable of defeating him."
As expected of the Lightning Flash, the former sub-commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath (well he says that but she more of a liaison to the K.O.B. since she was already a member of the Dark Swordsman's guild, the Harbingers; Heathcliff and Zelgius just gave her that position to honor her skills as a player). Marth had to agree with his guildmates. Zeta was too much of a risk to leave unchecked. No matter what happens, they have to ensure that the Dark God cannot become a threat for any world, not just their own. He was the wielder of Lunara and Solaris, two of the strongest weapons in ALO. He and Kirito defeated Heathcliff and Zelgius (aka Akihiko Kayaba and Satoshi Shiraki), the creators of SAO and were practically virtual gods, how hard can the real thing be?
"Sorry Xander, but the Alfheim Warriors can't ignore this," he said firmly. "As Zane's reincarnation, and the crown prince of Eternus, I feel that it is my duty to ensure that Zeta can't escape from his prison. If you don't help us, then we'll just handle it on our own."
"Yeah," Kirito added. "Right now, we have the power to make a stand and ensure this guy can't escape. If we run now, it'll make it even harder to stop Zeta if he manages to leave to another world."
Jin narrowed his eyes as he stared at the Alfheim Warriors. "Are you crazy? You're talking about fighting against a god. It's suicide."
"Maybe," Kisara replied, her eyes not wavering. "But it has to be done. There are just some fights you can't run from. I learned that from watching my brother. Neither he nor Kirito ever backed down from a fight that mattered, even when the odds were stacked against them, and they always managed to pull through. This time though, my brother has me for support. We won't go down so easily."
Marth couldn't help but feel proud of his little sister. She had come a long way from the shut-in she used to be before they got trapped in SAO. No matter what happens, he'll ensure that Kisara will survive this. He owed that to her and to their past lives.
"Yeah!" Yuuki added energetically. "Zeta's got nothing on us. You with us, Klein?"
Not surprisingly, the samurai slammed his right fist into his other palm. "Hell, yeah!" he said eagerly. "Just say the word and his ass is grass. We may not have the rest of the Alfheim Warriors with us, but we'll make do. We always do after all."
The Dark Swordsman chuckled at the redhead's enthusiasm. He then locked eyes with the Aegis Driver, his resolve not wavering. "Your move, Xander. If you choose to leave, then I won't try to stop you, but its in our best interest to work together. Please, lend us your strength."
The Leftherian's gaze fell to the wooden table, no words leaving his mouth. Marth couldn't blame him for his hesitation. He was asking a simple mercenary to help him defeat the God of Destruction. It felt like something out of the fantasy games he used to play, not something that would happen in the real world. Then there's the fact that he's a demon, meaning that the Aegis Driver had a hard time trusting him. He wouldn't be surprised if Xander wasn't able to let go of his doubt and take the leap of faith. In all honesty, he'd just be disappointed.
"I…"
"You can't leave!"
Everyone stood to alert as they all saw two young men in their late teens storm into the inn. The first one had wavy blonde hair, silvery-blue eyes and wore a short red jacket. A large red sword with glowing blue lines was strapped to his back. The second young adult had short spiky auburn hair, brain eyes, and wielded a strange weapon that Marth had never seen before. It looked as though it was made from scrap metal.
"Who are you?" Xander said cautiously as he reached for Kos-Mos's sword.
"My name's Shulk and I'm here to tell you that leaving Temporal Island right now is a mistake. The only way we can leave is by defeating Zeta. There's no way he'll let us leave otherwise."
To be continued
Not exactly how I intended for it to end, but it works. So now Shulk and Reyn are on Temporal Island. With XC1 and XC2's stories being connected and happening simultaneously, I felt it was right to have the two parties meet. This felt like the best time for their first encounter since Xander and Marth need all the help they can get. I do plan on Xander meeting Shulk after this arc again with more of the latter's party, likely through a certain Challenge Arena. I might even do a Xenoblade 1 story, though it will probably be a novelization of sorts, but I'll be changing Shulk's endgame pairing to Melia (best XC1 girl, fight me) if I do it. Anyway, I'll see you guys next time!
Chapter 8: The Capital of Death
Chapter Text
Edit (10/27/2021): This chapter has been revamped to better fit the continuity of Accel World: The Ashen Wolf
Chapter 8- The Capital of Death
You know, Temporal Island looks a lot more peaceful when seen from up in the sky. That was what the thought that crossed Xander's mind as he looked down at the floating isle from the deck of the Galahad. The air was a bit nippy because of the altitude but he has felt worse colds from his mercenary work. This will probably be the only time he'll be alone for who knows how long.
The engines of the black ship let out a metallic roar as the ship soared towards its destination. It was the place that the young mercenary wanted to avoid at all cost. If what his surrogate father said is true, that once-great city of a long dead kingdom was the one thing keeping a dark god from escaping this realm and bringing ruin to all other worlds.
He just couldn't understand Marth's insistence on fighting this Zeta if the god managed to break free from his bonds. Their entire party was filled with a ragtag team of mercenaries, gamers (whatever that is), and two Homs from yet another world. Was this all some trap by the Dark Swordsman? The mercenary leader still couldn't get a good read on the demon. On one hand, he seemed like a decent guy underneath a cold exterior, but on the other hand, Xander just couldn't bring himself to trust him. If Marth was a human, then he could understand his behavior much easier, but knowing that the Dark Swordsman was a demon made it harder to do so.
"Oh, sorry," a voice suddenly spoke up. "I didn't know you were here as well."
Xander turned around, his hands gripping the metal railing, and saw a familiar boy with wavy blonde hair. His facial structure kind of reminded him of Klaus, but that was probably just a coincidence. Strapped to the boy's back was a large red sword with a decent sized hole near the handle. Supposedly it was called the Monado, but it was unlike any weapon he has ever seen, yet it felt strangely familiar.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Xander said, "Don't worry, Shulk. There's plenty of space here for both of us. I just came here to clear my head."
Shulk looked a little hesitant to stay but he made no attempt to descend back into the Titanless ship. Instead, he made his way over to the Driver and gazed at the land below.
"This place is quite a sight," the former mechanic said in awe, his eyes darting everywhere, as if to soak in as much as he could. "It's definitely not like the Bionis or the Mechonis. It's hard to believe that this was once part of Marth's world, Earth."
"Apparently magic no longer exists there, as well as gods and magical creatures," Xander added as he did the same. "It's almost like their one world was divided into separate realms."
"Well, given what we've heard, it wouldn't be that much of a surprise if the gods of Marth's world decided to separate their people into different realms in order to prevent another tragedy like the War of Light and Shadow," Shulk reasoned. He brought his left hand to his chin. "I wonder what their gods must have looked like. Are they as big as the Bionis? No, that would probably be too large unless Earth was the right size to accommodate that. It's a pity Marth and the others only have fragments of their past lives. There's so much I want to ask them."
The young mercenary let out a slight chuckle in amusement at seeing the blonde Hom's mind at work. He seemed pretty methodical and incredibly curious. He was definitely someone hard to dislike.
"Um, are you angry at me?" Shulk suddenly questioned as he turned his gaze to the half-Leftherian. "You haven't spoken much since we boarded the Galahad."
Xander let out a hesitant grunt and found it difficult to even look at the blonde. In the mess hall, Ethan and the others were chatting it up with Marth's group and Reyn without a care in the world, as if they weren't about to do something many would consider asinine. Kos-Mos was performing some diagnostic checks on herself to make sure she could fight at her optimal condition, while Klaus was steering the ship. After taking a few moments to gather his thoughts, he finally gave his answer.
"I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. I think this is a bad idea. Mythra may be the Aegis, the Monado being the sword of your dead Titan, and Marth's team being one of the strongest guilds in Alfheim, but I don't think we're a match for a god. We should leave while we have the chance."
As expected, Shulk shook his head in refusal. "I understand where you're coming from," he said sympathetically. "I've only been on my journey with Reyn for barely a day and this all feels overwhelming to me. I set out to destroy the Mechon for attacking my home and killing Fiora, not to defeat a god in some alternate reality. I barely even understand how much power the Monado contains. I don't even know if what power I do control will be enough to protect everyone."
"So you agree that this is bad idea?"
"Not exactly. I may not fully understand everything, but if what I heard is true, if Zeta manages to escape his prison, there's no doubt that Earth will be his first target. The powers Marth and his friends have don't work there, or at least, they don't know how to use their powers outside of Alfheim, which means it might be the most vulnerable world to attack. Then there's the possibility he could attack Alrest or the Bionis. Right now, Zeta is at his weakest. We have to take advantage of this opportunity and stop him before he becomes a major threat. Besides, he and his minion are the reason you guys got here. I doubt they'd let you go without getting what they want."
He couldn't really deny any of it. It was because of that that Klaus changed his mind about escaping Temporal Island and defeating the God of Destruction. If there was even a chance the dark god could escape his prison, then they had to nip this in the bud before it was too late, or else they might never see their homes again.
"Kinda wish you were here right now, Sister," Xander muttered under his breath. "We could really use you and your partner right about now."
Unfortunately it wasn't quiet enough as Shulk's head perked up in confusion as he heard it. "What was that?"
"Nothing," Xander lied before running a hand through his silver hair. He then sighed in defeat. "Fine. The Origo Mercenaries will stand with you." He then gave the teen a forced smile. "Though I do wish we were getting paid for this."
"Is your world view so limited that all you think of is money?" a new voice spoke up.
The duo turned around and saw none other than the Dark Swordsman himself, casually leaning by the door leading into the Galahad, arms folded across his chest as his black hair and ash-gray coat flapped in the wind. Xander glared at the male demon, clearly not amused by his rather rude comment.
"Unlike your kind, I'm not so selfish to focus my views on such things!" the mercenary exclaimed. "Yes, I do care about money, but I'm not the type to betray my own morals for some easy cash. Can you say the same for yourself, demon?!"
Marth didn't react at the outburst. If anything, he just let out a deep sigh. "It was a joke. As usual, you humans continue to disappoint me. Always so distrusting to things outside your little bubbles. I had hoped that you and your friends would be different since you hail from another world, but it seems like that was just naïve on my part. So…" His eyes narrowed, filled with ice. "Are you planning to fight me? As a little warning, if you so much as scratch Kisara, then you better be ready to run and hide."
Xander's eyes widened as he realized that he had been unconsciously reaching for Kos-Mos's sword, only to grab empty air as the android had retrieved it for her "maintenance". Mythra had taken back her own sword as well, wanting to do some training before they arrived, promising that she won't go too overboard with it. It was no surprise that Marth would be acting more hostile despite making that terrible joke moments earlier. It's like he becomes a completely different person whenever it comes to Kisara.
Then again, the two siblings have mentioned losing their birth parents at a young age, during a family vacation no less. They only had each other for family. As the elder sibling, it made sense that Marth would be protective of the Imp fencer should she come under threat. It was a feeling Xander sympathized with. It made Marth feel…human.
"I'm sorry," Xander said slowly as he relaxed his hand to lower the tension in the air between them. "I'm just…having a hard time processing this. You're a demon, Marth. How do we know if we can trust you or not?"
The Dark Swordsman was silent for a moment before glancing away dismissively. "That's your call to make, not mine."
"What?"
"If we were friends, I might feel differently, but let's be honest, we're just total strangers to each other," Marth explained as he made his way over to the Leftherian, his tone not lighting up in the slightest. Every step he made was strong and true, as if he could leave actual dents in the metalwork. "I won't deny that it shocked me as well when I learned what I really am. If it wasn't for Shiraki, I probably wouldn't have learned the reason why I feel so different from everyone else until today. Back then, when I learned the truth, I was afraid of losing the few friends I did have, but they still chose to stand by me. The Alfheim Warriors are more dear to me than you can imagine, and I will do whatever it takes to keep them all safe, but you probably think I'm just making this all up. Go ahead and hold onto your own hatred for me but keep it to yourself."
That uneasiness Xander was feeling had just intensified. This was the true face of the Dark Swordsman. A young man whose heart was hardened by persecution and the suffering of reality, one who has seen death wherever he went. Someone who rarely trusted anyone, much less opened up to them, keeping most people at arm's reach. Someone who rarely shows his true emotions, keeping them locked behind a tightly locked fortress, only letting up for those he held close.
Someone…who might not hesitate to kill if the situation came to it.
As if reading his mind, Marth simply shook his head. "I've killed people before, but it was in self-defense," he said slowly in a monotone voice. "The first people I killed where the ones who killed my parents. They tried to kill my sister in front of me and I just snapped. The next thing I knew, I was covered in blood and their corpses surrounded me. I can still recall seeing Kisara's distraught face as she held me in her arms." He paused for a moment, as if reminiscing on the memory. "The next people I killed were members of Laughing Coffin, player killers. They knew that if players died in SAO, they'd die in real life, but they did it anyway, like it was all a game. My guild and I were the ones who tracked down their base and joined a strike force to send them all to prison." His left hand suddenly shot to the opposing arm into a tight grip and his jaws clenched up. "But somehow they managed to ambush us. The whole battle was chaos incarnate, like something you'd see in Hell. I…ended up losing control of myself again and five members of that murderous guild died by my sword, Lunara. In the end, ten among our ranks lost their lives in the struggle while Laughing Coffin lost twenty of theirs because they refused to surrender. The rest of them were apprehended and sent to the Black Iron Prison and remained there for the rest of SAO. Unfortunately, their leader, the man I hate the most, PoH, managed to elude us. Even now, I don't know what happened to him or where he went."
Both Xander and Shulk were left speechless. Marth may have been reincarnated from a demon who fought in a terrible war thousands of years ago, but they never would have imagined that the suffering would follow him in his new life. It was almost like a curse, and he was forced to bear it or else it would absolutely break him.
"For the record, I took no pleasure in their deaths and I don't regret what I did," Marth continued in his emotionless tone. "However, if staining my hands with blood is what it takes to keep Kisara and my friends safe, then I will gladly do it. I don't care what the world views me. They may call me a monster, that I shouldn't exist, but they can burn in hell for all I care. I don't care about the world. I just want to keep my loved ones safe."
"So that's why you're willing to fight Zeta," Shulk commented. "It's not because it's the right thing to do or to protect your world. You're opposing him to protect the few people that you care about."
"More or less. Don't get the wrong idea though. I may be a demon, but I do have some morals. I don't kill for no reason. Even I can see that it would be bad if Zeta broke free from his prison and escapes Temporal Island. I am willing to do what is necessary to protect my friends." His stony gaze suddenly fell upon Xander, freezing him in place. "So then, Driver of the Aegis, are you willing to fight alongside the dreaded Demon King of Aincrad, the most feared swordsman of Sword Art Online? Do you have the courage to cast aside your own prejudice and take that first step?"
Xander couldn't speak. He wanted to, but no sounds could come out of his mouth. Those words struck at him deeply. He wanted to trust Marth, he really did. But there was just something about him that made the mercenary too afraid to reach out. He hated this feeling. Even he knew that the Dark Swordsman didn't really choose to be this way, it was just the circumstances of his upbringing that made him the person he is today.
"Hmph. I thought as much." Marth turned around briskly, not even bothering to look at the duo. "Just so you know, we're nearly at Zophia. Klaus wants us all to meet in the command room to discuss our strategy. The meeting starts in five minutes." He then walked off, disappearing into the ship's interior.
Silence befell the deck of the Galahad. The only sounds being made were from the rush of the wind. Eventually, Shulk would break it by releasing the breath he had been holding.
"Well, that was…intense," the young mechanic spoke up.
Xander couldn't help but nod. "Yeah. Do you trust him, Marth I mean?"
"Of course. I don't know much about demons since we don't have any mention of them on Bionis, but I can tell that Marth's not a bad guy. He clearly cares for Kisara and his friends. That's enough for me right now."
The Aegis Driver didn't respond. Maybe it was possible that he jumped the gun when it came to Marth. Maybe it was possible for there to be good demons, after all.
Marth had to give Alrest credit. It sure has some of the most interestingly designed ships that he's ever seen, if the Galahad is any indication. It made all the ships he's seen on Earth look like a joke. This particular ship is capable soaring into the air, riding along the Cloud Sea, and even able to submerge under it like a submarine. Supposedly this kind of versatility is pretty much non-existent for the ships in Alrest. In fact most of them required an actual Titan, though how that worked was foreign to the half-demon, nor did he really want to know about it. How curious that the Galahad did not require a Titan to operate. Whoever its builders were must have been master craftsmen to achieve such a feat.
He was currently in the command room with everyone else as they were now hovering over the ruined capital city of Arcadia, Zophia. There weren't enough seats for such a large group that quite a few of them had to stand. Marth was among them, choosing simply to casually lean on the wall in his usual manner. He stayed relatively silent as he watched Klaus give the briefing, but he was skeptical over how the man knew so much about a realm that's not even connected to his own world. Then there was that strange presence about him. It felt human, yet different as well. It was impossible to put to words.
"Just who are you, Klaus?" Marth pondered to himself. "What goes on in that head of yours." Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mythra looking at the scientist curiously as well. Did she notice this as well? He'll have to ask her when he can find the time.
"As I mentioned back in the village," Klaus explained obliviously. "Zophia is the former capital of the now destroyed kingdom of Arcadia. It was one of the first places to fall to the God of Destruction, beginning the War of Light and Shadow. I'm not going to lie, what we're going to see down there is like that of a living nightmare. If anyone's squeamish, I suggest that you stay on the Galahad until the threat has passed."
"We don't exactly have a choice here," Sinon spoke up. "We're going up against a god. He may be weakened because of his confinement, but he still won't go down easily. Then there's his minion that Shulk mentioned. We need to all work together if we want to survive."
"Sinon's right," Reyn voiced in agreement. "This isn't the time for us to get cold feet. As long as we've got the Monado, we have a chance."
Marth had to agree with them. Even though Zeta is most likely weakened in his imprisoned state, this would still be a difficult battle. Even if the rest of the Alfheim Warriors were here, he still wasn't sure if they could win against a primordial god. But if what Shulk said was true, they had no choice but to fight if they ever want a chance to escape the Temporal Realm. If the worst should happen, then there was always his "trump card". While it was still a huge gamble, it could be what they need to even the odds. Then there was Mythra's power to consider. As the legendary Aegis, she is supposed to be the strongest Blade in existence. Hopefully she lives up to the legend.
"Anyway," Klaus continued as he pulled up a hologram of a tall black and white tower which a large black and red cloud swirling at the top. "This is the Eclipse Tower. It was one of the many structures that was built by the gods, this one built by the God of Creation, Aesir, himself. It was once filled with potent magical energy, which Zeta supposedly used to make him and his forces more powerful than ever, making it difficult for even the other gods to stop him."
"That tower is probably why Zeta went straight for the Arcadian capital when he began his war campaign," Jin speculated in a firm voice. "Not only could he use its power to become stronger, but he could demoralize his enemies by desecrating such a holy site. He really has no shame if that's the case."
The scientist nodded in agreement. "You're probably right, Jin. Eclipse Tower is definitely a tempting place to empower your army for a large-scale war. Continuing on, the data I have on the War of Light and Shadow is limited, but from what I could find in my search, the Eclipse Tower is where the final battle between Zeta and Zane's forces was held. With great sacrifice, Zane was able to defeat the dark god, weakening him enough for the surviving gods to imprison him in the tower for the rest of eternity. His prison will be located at the spire, the very top. The same place their fateful battle was held."
"So basically we'll have to climb all the way up an enormous tower to defeat a god that nearly destroyed all life on Marth's world?" Mythra said passively, as it was the easiest thing ever. "Should be interesting to say the least."
"Hold on," Nia interjected hastily. "Are we seriously going to scale a tower that size?! We'll be exhausted long before we reach the top. Can't we just fly the Galahad to the spire?"
Sadly, Klaus shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not possible. The winds around the tower are too strong to fly through safely. There's no way the Galahad can handle it long enough for us to reach the spire before it breaks apart from the strain. The only way we can reach it is by land."
"Can't Marth just protect us from the wind with his magic?" Ethan questioned curiously. "Wind is one of his specialties after all."
"Maybe," Marth said dismissively with a shrug, "but I've never done something at that scale before. Also, even from this distance, I can feel something unnatural with the air above Zophia. I don't think it would be wise to fly through it and reach the spire that way."
"Not to mention that our enemy might just shoot us out of the sky if we tried that," Kirito added. "We need the Galahad intact if we want to get off this island. We can't be too reckless with it."
"Indeed," Azurda said with a nod. "Nothing good ever comes from taking the easy route either. We'll just have to make do with what we have."
There wasn't much of a strategy on how to defeat Zeta or his minion. How can they form a strategy? The group barely knew a thing about them. According to Reyn, Shulk has the ability to get visions of the future, but he has no control over it. The visions just come whenever they want. Marth had half a thought to dismiss it as a joke but given that he was a demon and they were about to go fight a god from a forgotten era of his world, a young man getting visions of the future was outright tame in comparison. Interestingly enough, Mythra commented that she has the same power, only her visions are of the immediate future, but she has full control over them and can share those visions with her Driver.
Very interesting. Was that just a coincidence or was there a connection between them?
Anyway, it was decided that Marth, Kirito and Xander would be the ones leading the mission. Because of how large Zophia was, and there was the heavy possibility of shadow beasts lurking there, the trio agreed that the best option would be to stick together. They could leave nothing to chance. There was too much at stake here.
Asuna, Nia and Dromarch were assigned to be the team's healers. If any of their wounds weren't treated immediately, there's no telling what would happen. Sinon, Kisara, and Marth would be the long-range support, either through arrows or sorcery. Reyn, Ethan and Poppi were what Marth dubbed "the tanks", meaning that they'll hold the enemies' attention while the others take them out. Everyone else were the melee fighters. Except for Klaus and Azurda, both of whom will stay in the back since neither one had the ability to fight. They really should stay behind since they'll likely be a liability but both insisted on tagging along, wanting to see the coming battles with their own eyes. Marth didn't really like that idea, but simply shrugged it off. If they wanted to risk their lives in ruined city likely filled with powerful monsters, then he sure wasn't going to stop them.
"Alright everyone," Xander said in a professional tone as he rose to his feet. "We will now commence our mission of climbing the Eclipse Tower and defeating the God of Destruction once and for all. Let's do our best that we all come out of this alive."
"Yeah!" the others, minus Marth, cheered.
It took everything the Dark Swordsman had to not become overwhelmed by dread when the team stepped foot in the destroyed city of Zophia. When he had first seen the city from so far away during his recon flight, he felt that same feeling of dread welling up inside him. To think that this city was once his home so long ago. That it was once filled with thousands of people living their lives in peace.
But now, that couldn't be further from the truth. Buildings were smashed and burned; the streets littered with debris as far as the eye can see. The high white stone walls that once served as the city's protection became its prison when most of the escape routes were blocked by the dark god's forces. A terrible stench permeated the air. The stench of death. A colossal swirling black and red cloud hovered over the decaying city, encasing it all in shadow. The sound of thunder boomed as red lightning danced in the air. That was not a natural storm cloud. It was practically radiating malice and hatred. It almost made Marth feel ill for seeing the sky corrupted like this.
It was a miracle any of the citizens who were able to survive such a tragedy. He couldn't imagine how terrified they must have been as they tried fleeing for their lives, only to be slaughtered like cattle. The mother of his first life, Altena Umbris, she must have been incredibly powerful to have escaped this losing battle. But what happened to her during the War of Light and Shadow? Is she still alive? Was there a chance he could see her again? These thoughts echoed within Marth's mind as he and the party trudged through the ruined capital.
According to Klaus, the Eclipse Tower is located in the northern end of Zophia, right behind the royal palace. They had entered the city from the south as the Origo advisor believed it was the safest place to land and make their ground approach. If they cut through the market district and the city plaza, then they should be able to reach the tower with ease. That is, of course, assuming that everything goes well. If Marth's experience taught him anything, it is that things rarely went according to plan.
A menacing roar suddenly filled the air, causing everyone to stand at alert. It sounded like it came from a large creature, one that was uncomfortably close. The roar was soon followed by loud footsteps, each step sending a tremor to the ground.
"Something's coming," Ethan said frantically as he was visibly shaking.
"Master, I advise that we conceal ourselves," Kos-Mos said in her usual monotone voice. "I am detecting a powerful creature heading in this direction. It might be wise if we let it pass through without engaging it."
Xander nodded his head in agreement. "Okay. Marth, Kirito, what do you two think?"
"I'm down with that," the Black Swordsman said as he kept a close watch on his surroundings with his swords drawn, trying to keep tabs on the beast. "Everyone, take cover in the ruined buildings. Try not to make any noise."
The others obeyed and immediately scattered into the various buildings that provided decent cover. Marth ducked behind some mostly intact crates in an alleyway with Kisara, Reyn, Ethan and Poppi. It was bit of a tight squeeze due to all the debris, but they were somehow able to make it work. Marth peeked his head above the crates, wanting to see what this mystery creature was and where it was going.
"See anything, Marth?" Reyn asked slowly.
"Not yet. It might have just…" He suddenly tensed up when he felt the ground beneath him trembling, causing ripples in a nearby puddle of water. "It's coming."
A tense silence fell upon the group as the booming footsteps grew louder and louder. Judging from the sounds, it was big. This reminded him of a certain scene from an old movie he used to watch as a kid. Did the monster know that they were here? Did Zeta send it to kill them? Whatever it was, he had a bad feeling about this.
Another bone-chilling roar echoed in the air, louder than ever before. A few moments later, Marth saw it. Emerging from the shadowy ruins of Zophia was a large four-legged creature, at least twenty feet in size. It looked like a lizard, but its gray scales resembled that of stone. It had bone-like spikes running down its spine and razor-sharp claws perfectly capable of rending flesh and bone. Finally, its eyes were a feral yellow.
The sheer presence of the creature was incredible, easily making the hair on the back of the demon's neck stand on end. He could tell instantly that it was far stronger than the beasts he encountered in the swamp. But was it too strong for him to defeat? No, he shouldn't risk fighting it. He needs to save his strength for when they breached the Eclipse Tower. They didn't have time to play with this lizard. Speaking of which, the beast was sniffing at the street, as if it was looking for something.
"Brother," Kisara muttered quietly as she watched the overgrown lizard as well. "What should we do?"
What should they do indeed? They could try fighting it, they do outnumber it after all. Plus, if he had seen correctly, their splintered group were in a good ambush position. Or would it be better to follow Kos-Mos's advice and simply wait for the beast to go away? Unfortunately this decision was taken from him as the monster let out a powerful roar. Two more roars soon followed, as if they were a response to the first one.
Marth soon heard the flap of powerful wings and another set of large footsteps. An unsettling sensation caused his stomach to churn as he had an eerie suspicion of what was coming. His fears proved correct as two more shadow beasts appeared on the ruined street. The first was a fifteen-foot bird with raven-black feathers with talon-like appendages on its wings. The second beast was twenty-foot large wolf with light brown fur save for large patches of black fur on its head, parts of its leg, and tail. Just like its brethren, its fangs and claws were razor-sharp.
Just like the lizard, the wolf beast was sniffing around the area, likely trying to find the intruding party. However, it was getting uncomfortably close to some of the group's hiding spots. He could practically feel the intense worry and concern from his friends as their positions were almost blown by the enemy.
"Damn it," Marth cursed quietly. "There's three of them now and they know we're here. We need to leave fast."
"Agreed," Poppi said in confirmation. "If we fight them now, our chances for victory are around forty percent. Besides, our main objective is to infiltrate the Eclipse Tower and defeat the dark god. It would be wise for us to conserve our strength as much as possible."
Reyn nodded his head. "Never thought I'd say this, but for once, I agree with running away. Let's give these jokers the slip."
The male demon wished that he had some way of contacting the other groups and order them to retreat, unfortunately he had no such means of doing so. If this was Alfheim, he could have sent a message through his main menu, but that didn't exist in the real world. However, he had faith that Kirito and Asuna would come to the same conclusion due to their experience from Aincrad. The same could be said for Xander, despite him and the Dark Swordsman not being close.
The street was obviously a no-go but the alley they were in seems to continue further into the city. They might be able to find an alternate route to the palace if they stuck to it. Satisfied with that plan, he gave the signal to his group to fall back. Unfortunately, Ethan wasn't looking where he was walking and accidently stepped on some broken glass, catching the unwelcome attention of the Lemures as they turned their feral gazes to the alley.
"Uh, sorry," Ethan said nervously, almost looking like he was sweating bullets, not just from the gaze of the beasts, but also the death glare Marth was giving him.
Grunting in annoyance, there was simply one option remaining. "Run for it!" Marth ordered as he grabbed his sister by the arm with his left hand and bolted down the alley, away from the Lemures. Reyn and the others hurried after the siblings.
Thankfully the alley was too narrow for the lizard and wolf to pursue them, although the structural integrity of the opposing buildings was definitely questionable. The wolf initially tried to smash its way through regardless, but Marth heard Kirito cry out "Hey!", catching the beast's attention.
Marth tossed a glance over his shoulder to see that Xander and Kirito's groups were leading the lizard and wolf away respectively in opposite directions. The bird, which upon closer inspection looked to be a mix between a vulture and hawk, soared after his group, hovering just above the ruined buildings. It would seem that it wasn't bothered by the unusual air currents that he sensed. Now that was just straight cheating. If he could take to the sky himself, he was sure he could win thanks to his smaller size and greater speed.
They ran for several minutes but couldn't shake the oversized bird. In fact, the bird Lemure was catching up to them, knocking over rubble from the nearby buildings as it pursued the group. It let out a powerful screech as it continued to close in on its fleeing prey.
"By the Architect, this thing is stubborn!" Ethan cried out in annoyance. "Why won't it leave us alone?!"
"Brother, use your Spriggan magic!" Kisara said in a haste, her eyes full of worry. "Hurry!"
The Dark Swordsman nodded in agreement and began chanting a smokescreen spell as he ran, causing words of power to encircle him. The fairy races of Alfheim Online all had their own strengths and weaknesses, like being particularly skilled with a certain type of magic than the other races. The Spriggan race, which Marth had picked, were essentially the thief class of ALO. They were skilled treasure trackers and masters of illusion, although Marth himself rarely used them, choosing to focus on Wind and Lightning magic instead. However, that didn't mean that he completely ignored his race's natural abilities.
Thankfully he managed to not mess up his high-speed chanting (which would have caused the spell to backfire should it have happened) and raised his right hand up at the shadow bird right as they were reaching a four-way intersection in the alleyway. The black crest of the Spriggans soon materialized in front of his palm. Immediately afterwards, a huge plume of jet-black smoke erupted from Marth's hand and quickly enveloped the immediate area. The smoke wasn't harmful in anyway, but it sure came in handy when a quick escape was needed.
The bird beast was surprised by the action and came to a sudden halt. The smoke had greatly hindered its vision. It could hear its prey slipping away, but it couldn't see where they were. Angered by this, it flapped its large wings to clear the smoke. It took a few moments for it to completely dissipate, but by then it was too late.
There was no one in the alley. The Dark Swordsman and his comrades had gotten away.
To be continued
And now things have only gotten harder for Xander and the others now that they're forced to separate while in a monster-filled city. I hope things go well for them. Anyway, I'll see you guys next time!
Chapter 9: Fight to Eclipse Tower
Chapter Text
Edit (10/27/2021): This chapter has been revamped to better fit the continuity of Accel World: The Ashen Wolf.
The sounds of beasts echoed in the air as they prowled the ruined city streets, searching for the trespassers. One wolf turned down one large alleyway, constantly sniffing for humans with its sensitive nose. It didn't take long for the air to smell of ozone, but by then it was too late.
"Lightning Javalin!" a cold voice spoke up.
Suddenly several purple magic circles appeared before the wolf which all fired spears of purple lightning. The spears all struck their mark, damaging various parts of the beast's body. The wolf howled in pain not just from the cuts, but the electricity that surged through its nervous system.
Before it could even retaliate, it was struck with a blast of dark purple flames, searing its mighty hide. Next came a large blue laser beam that pierced its chest, obliterating its heart. Somehow, the beast still managed to hang in there, just barely alive, growling weakly all the while. However, that wouldn't be for much longer as a gray-black blur rushed over to it jumped up and stabbed the wolf beast in the head with a black sword.
The monster let out one final growl before finally collapsing on the stone pavement, its lifeforce depleted.
Marth, who was standing on the mighty beast's head swiftly pulled Lunara from its head. The black blade was stained with the creature's blood, but a small discharge of lightning managed to remove them. Returning the sword to its scabbard, he turned towards his group, who were emerging from the shadows.
"Aw, man," Reyn spoke up as he rolled his left shoulder, which was still a little sore after he had blocked a beast's attack from earlier. "I wanted to join in too. I'm supposed to be the protector of the group after all."
Kisara, who had designated herself as the party healer, shook her head in protest. "Not if I can help it. You should rest that shoulder for a bit longer before you fight again," she replied in a firm tone. "That's an order."
The auburn-haired young man looked ready to argue back, but upon looking into the Imp's fierce eyes, he quickly relented. Good, less trouble for them.
"This sucks," Ethan spoke up. "We got separated from Xander and the others, and we're lost in a monster-filled city. Could this get any worse?"
"It will if you say that," Marth replied bluntly, keeping a close eye for any nearby enemies in the process. He couldn't sense any hostile forces, but he couldn't become complacent. "We need to keep moving. Staying here will only bring our deaths. Let's continue to Eclipse Tower."
"But shouldn't we try to find the others first?" Ethan argued. "There's strength in numbers after all."
"You're more than welcome to go, but don't expect me to tag along. I'm heading straight for the tower."
"What?!" Poppi exclaimed in disbelief. "But your friends are out there. Aren't you worried about them?"
Marth simply turned to his group and sighed, but his eyes were as firm as ever. "It's because I know them that I want to get to Eclipse Tower. We already know our destination. Rather than wasting time searching this massive city, we can just head for the place we all know about and regroup there."
"He's right," Kisara voiced in support. "I know my brother seems cold from his actions, but he knows what he's doing. I'll be going with him. What about you three?"
The male demon knew that his sister would side with him. Deep down, he was worried about his friends, the few people he ever trusted, but he had to keep moving. He knew that they would want him to do just that, especially given the stakes.
"Count me in," Reyn replied with a light smile. "Sounds better than wandering around aimlessly. I'm sure Shulk would do the same."
Ethan looked a bit more hesitant while the purple-haired robot was silent. With Poppi being his Blade, it was doubtful that she would be willing to separate from him, much less let him go into a monster-filled city by himself. Hopefully they'll make the right choice. Marth couldn't protect them if they went away to search for their friends.
"We'll…come with you," the Ardainian Driver said slowly, still sounding unsure. "Xander and the others are strong. I have to believe that they're alright. With any luck, they'll be waiting for us at the base of Eclipse Tower."
Marth nodded in acknowledgement, but still kept a neutral expression on his face. "Good. Then let's move."
The rest of the group gave their acknowledgement over the command and followed the Dark Swordsman deeper into the city of death. The cries of beasts echoed in the air as they marched, keeping them wary all the while.
As they continued walking, Marth looked at his left palm and made a fist. Dark energy radiated off it for a brief time before fading away. The power of the curse within him. It looks like his hunch was right. He might have to resort to using this power if he hoped to ensure his sister's safety. He had used it a few times before, all with very poor results. But if it can allow him to protect his beloved sister, not to mention his friends, then he'll gladly use it.
Xander and his group were hiding in a decaying house, all trying to catch their breath. They somehow managed to escape that huge lizard creature, thanks in no small part Kos-Mos's well-aimed shots on its limbs plus a burst of light from Mythra, which temporarily blinded it. Despite their friction towards each other, they did make a good team, though neither would be willing to admit it. The mercenary leader then turned his gaze to his party. Aside from his Blades, his group consisted of Yuuki, Klaus, Azurda, as well as Nia and Dromarch. Not the best setup, but still salvageable.
"This was a bad idea," the Gormotti Driver complained. "We should never have come here."
"It's not like we had a choice," Yuuki replied quickly. "Remember what Shulk said. Zeta won't let us leave the island as long as he's here. If we want to escape, then we have to deal with him first."
"Pardon me, but how do we know that Shulk and Reyn were telling the truth?" the pastel-haired android suddenly questioned. "We don't know anything about them, and they conveniently appeared right when we were discussing plans to leave the island. There is a 30 percent possibility that they may be working with the Dark God to lure us to Eclipse Tower."
Yuuki looked completely shocked by the android's bluntness and cold-hearted nature. Truth be told, Xander had some issues with it as well, heck Marth rubbed him the wrong way due his similar persona. However, unlike with the demon, Xander knew that Kos-Mos was simply a very logical being, always accounting for every possible variable. It was thanks to that methodical nature that he was still alive. At the end of the day, Kos-Mos simply wanted to protect her Driver.
"What are you talking about? Of course they were telling the truth!" the Imp argued back. "There's no way Marth and Kirito would have gone along with them if they were lying. Those two are excellent judges of character. They always do what they think is best for their friends."
"Even when it comes to killing someone else?" Xander asked in a dead tone.
This was probably a bad time to talk about this, and he knew it, but he needed to know. Just who is the Dark Swordsman and where does he stand in all this? Is he really someone deserving of this level of trust? Who better to question than the girl he supposedly loves?
"Tell me honestly, do you really trust Marth?" he continued. "Are you truly willing to risk your life for him?"
Yuuki looked understandably shocked by the question. It took her a few moments to find her voice to make a response. "Of course I trust him. He's my boyfriend after all. It may bother you that he's a demon, but what about me? I'm not human either, I'm a fairy, and yet I don't see you treating me with the same skepticism."
She had a good point there. Even though the Absolute Sword wasn't human either, Xander found himself more willing to trust her than either Marth or Kisara. Maybe it was because fairies aren't mentioned in the Indoline text, or maybe it was because Yuuki gave off a more elegant presence, rather than the menacing one of Marth and Kisara. Despite having an eagerness to fight, Yuuki had a good head on her shoulders. Go figure, given that she spent two years trapped in a death game.
"Does it bother you that Marth has killed people?"
"Not really, mainly because I know the context behind them. I know that Marth isn't the type of person to just kill people on a whim. He always has a reason for it, and he only kills bad guys."
Xander could tell that she was being sincere. Now for his next question. "Why are you so loyal to him? Aren't fairies and demons supposed to hate each other? Why ally with someone that's meant to be your enemy?"
Surprisingly, Yuuki just laughed at that. "To be fair, I didn't know that Marth was a demon when I met him, or knew that I was a fairy. Also, we met in SAO, a virtual world, meaning that our inhuman presences aren't a thing there. But even after I learned the truth about what we are, nothing really changed. He was still the boy I love. He saved my life countless times. It would be wrong of me to reward him with cruelty."
"So basically," Mythra spoke up. "You saw past your different races and accepted him as a person?"
"Basically, yeah. I was pretty sickly as a child so I got bullied a lot at school, so I somewhat know what Marth and Kisara go through. I didn't have any friends for a long time, but there was this boy who was kind to me. We didn't talk much, but he wasn't bothered by my illness and saw treated me like a regular person. However, he ended up leaving our school due to tragedy and I didn't remember his name for the longest time. It made me sad that I had lost my first real friend, but then I found him in the most unlikely of places. Guess where?"
Only one place came to mind. The floating castle where the Absolute Sword spent two years of her life trapped inside. Aincrad.
As if reading his mind, she nodded in confirmation. "Yep, it was in Sword Art Online. Neither of us remembered each other for the longest time since we were only children when we first met." She cracked a slight smile, fondly remembering the time she spent with that friend in that virtual world. "We went on so many adventures together. A lot of people hated us because we were branded as Beaters, but neither of us cared. I even got to meet and befriend his sister."
Wait, sister? It couldn't be, could it? Once again, Yuuki seemed capable of reading the mercenary leader's mind as her smile got brighter, pretty much confirming his suspicions.
"That friend I had forgotten was Marth Kurusu, but when I met him again in Aincrad, he was going by the name Shun Koujiro. Sure, he was a lot colder than he was as a child, and definitely one of the more callous players in SAO, but it didn't really bother me. I still saw that he was a good person deep down."
"I see," Klaus mused, stroking his chin with his right hand while sitting on a stool. "How interesting. You don't judge people on the surface, but what they are on the inside. If only others could learn from your example. The world would be so much better if there were more people like you, Yuuki."
Unbeknownst to the others, Nia looked down in hesitation. Are there really people that would accept even beings like her? Someone like her shouldn't even exist. If people found out what she really was, they would try to kill her, or maybe even try to use her for their own selfish desires. Could there really be someone who would just accept her for who she is, not what she is?
The Absolute Sword obliviously giggled as she hugged her knees. "I won't deny that, but I think I might be too naïve for my own good. I just like to see the bright side to everything. Anyway, is that good enough for you, Xander?"
All eyes turned to the leader of the Origo Mercenaries. The air went still as they all waited expectantly for his reply. He then cracked a small smile. He had finally found his answer, the answer for whether Marth was good or evil.
"Yes, I think I finally have a good grasp on what Marth is like," he answered slowly. "He can be blunt, cold, and maybe a little rude at times, but underneath it all, he cares about you, Kisara and your friends. He doesn't hold grudges towards people, just disappointment if they don't take that first step. I guess I should have come to you first instead of just judging him on just my interactions with him."
"No kidding," Yuuki voiced in agreement. "Marth tends to treat people he doesn't trust pretty coldly, which can give them a bad impression of him. It doesn't really bother him, but I'm glad that you finally see it."
"Yeah, I think I owe him an apology. He may not be a hero, but he's certainly no villain."
"An apt observation, Master Xander," Dromarch mused.
"Master, I am not detecting any Lemures in the area," Kos-Mos suddenly spoke up. "I recommend that we continue our way to Eclipse Tower."
Nia let out a slight groan. "As much as I hate to admit it, that might be our best option. It will take too long for us to search this whole city for our missing teammates. We all know where Eclipse Tower is, so it makes sense that we head there to regroup."
Xander agreed as well. As long as they were careful, they should be able to reach the tower relatively quickly. After giving everyone a few moments to get ready, the group went back onto the ruined streets, their eyes raised to the darkened tower in the distance.
Eclipse Tower was located in the center of Zophia and is by far its tallest building. Of course, visual confirmation doesn't help with any twists or turns depending on the route, but it helped give a general idea on where to go. Xander braced himself, finding himself feeling nervous of the coming battles. The life of a mercenary is never easy. He had even heard stories how they could feel a terrible sense of dread before a certain battle, usually the ones that would take their lives.
That same feeling of dread could be found in his own heart. Was this where he was going to die? Some ruined city from bygone era on a floating rock. He prayed to the Architect that it wouldn't be so. He had people counting on him to survive, not just his fellow mercenaries, but the family he left behind.
Surprisingly enough, Shulk and his party were easily able to escape that giant wolf. All Kirito did was use his Spriggan magic to create a smoke cloud to disorient the beast and overwhelm its sense of smell. Plus thanks to his Hypersense and Searching skills, he could detect whenever monsters drew close, allowing them to easily avoid confrontations save for a few minor skirmishes.
"Wow, Kirito," Shulk said in praise as they continued their journey towards the Eclipse Tower. "You sure know what you're doing."
The Spriggan simply scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Thanks, but it's all because of my time in Aincrad," he answered honestly. "There's no way I'd be able to pull half of this stuff off on Earth."
"I don't know, Kirito," Asuna mused knowingly. "There are theories that certain skills from the virtual world can get carried into the real one thanks to habit. I remember that time during one of our dates when you caught that robber right before he could snatch my purse. He was so off-guard by it that he ended up running away in fear."
Klein simply chuckled at that. "That sounds like Kirito alright," the samurai added. "But then again, he is one of our co-leaders after all and one of the best swordsmen in Aincrad."
Shulk couldn't help but smile at their interactions, especially the parts where Kirito tries downplaying his feats. It reminded him a lot about his interactions with Reyn and Fiora, friends just living their lives as best they could.
He'll never forgive the Mechon for what they did to Colony 9 and Fiora. He'll make them all pay. With the Monado in hand, anything was possible.
That's right. Kill them all. Make them pay.
Shulk let out a gasp in surprise. It was that voice again, the one he heard in his head in the aftermath of the battle of Colony 9. Just like before, it was goading him to get revenge for the fallen, to destroy all Mechon. It sounded a bit like his own voice, but somewhat off.
Truth be told, the voice kind of scared him. He couldn't confirm whose it was. Right when they boarded the Galahad (which curiously shared the same name as a certain fortress located in Sword Valley) to head to Zophia, Shulk actually found himself confiding in Marth. There honestly wasn't much likelihood that the demon would have any answers, but given that the Dark Swordsman had blood ties to a literal goddess, he might have some insight on it.
"Sometimes I hear voices in my head as well, none that I recognize," was his answer. "They feel…almost like memories, ones long forgotten. It's possible this voice is someone you knew in another life, but I find it unnerving that it's goading you into taking revenge. Trust me, that is not a good path to go on."
"So then what should I do?"
"I don't know. Life kind have forced me down a certain path, but I make the most of it. Maybe try walking the path you feel is right."
Walk the path you feel is right. Ironic that he would hear such advice from a demon. Still, there was truth in it. Shulk wanted to make the Mechon pay for the deaths of Fiora and his fellow Homs at Colony 9, but he also wanted to protect his home, the Bionis. He'll make sure such atrocities will never happen again.
Suddenly his vision turned gray with traces of film obscuring parts of his sight. He saw himself standing within a large corridor with his comrades. Their weapons were drawn and were fighting a large reptile with a crown of horns on its head and a pair of leathery wings. They seemed to be struggling against the beast with constantly shrugging off their attacks with its thick hide. Then the scene flashed forward. The massive lizard charged towards Marth, whose body had gone rigid, likely because of a Sword Skill. It brought its razor-sharp claws down on the demon, hoping to cut him to ribbons while he was defenseless.
"Brother!" Kisara suddenly jumped and pushed her elder sibling to the side, taking the attack herself. The claws easily tore through her flesh, most likely shattering bone as well. Her dark blood spilled everywhere, a pool of it gathering beneath her feet. She didn't even cry out. She just fell limply onto the ground, staining her tattered outfit with her own blood, never moving again.
"Kisara!" Sinon could be heard crying out in despair.
"You bastard!" Klein shouted in outrage. "How could you?!"
Suddenly a black aura flared around Marth. His outfit morphed into a silver twin-tailed leather overcoat with black and red highlights that included a black hood which was pulled down, a gray tunic with chain mail underneath, black metal gloves with silver elongated fingernails (almost like claws of sorts), dark gray pants, as well as a silver belt and armored boots. His hair went from a deep black to a white-blonde and his eyes became a menacing yellow.
"You took my sister from me," Marth said in cold anger, the dark aura around him never fading. "Not even your life will be enough to atone for that sin. I'll destroy every trace of your being, piece by pathetic piece!"
Shulk then found himself back in the ruined streets of Zophia. Sweat was practically rolling from his forehead and the hairs on his neck stood on end. Was that a vision he just had? If it was, then that was the most terrifying one he'd seen so far. Does that mean that Kisara is going to die? And Marth's sudden transformation. What was that all about?
"Are you okay?" That was Jin, who was standing beside the blonde after realizing the boy had stopped. "You look a little pale. Do you feel sick, if so, I'm sure Kirito will let you rest for a bit."
"N-no," Shulk said slowly, desperate to come up with some excuse. "I guess I'm just overwhelmed by our mission. It's not everyday we get to fight a god."
The masked swordsman looked at the Monado-wielder skeptically. Could he tell that he was hiding something? "I see," he finally said. "Well, if you need a break, let us know. This land punishes recklessness after all."
"R-right," Shulk replied with a nod. "Thank you for your concern."
Jin simply nodded before heading to rejoin the group. After a few seconds, Shulk did as well, but he kept to the back to ponder his thoughts.
"If that was a vision of the future, will I be able to change it like I did in Tephra Cave? But then again, I wasn't able to save Fiora despite foreseeing her death. What should I do?"
Shulk honestly didn't know how he should handle this. On one hand, he could tell Kirito and the others about his vision and maybe they'll be prepared for it, but what if that single act just ensures Kisara's demise? He couldn't let that happen. He had seen one brother lose his sister to tragedy. He couldn't let that happen again. But would such a thing even be allowed?
After what felt like hours of walking and fighting, Shulk and his party found themselves standing before a two story building right in front of the Eclipse Tower. The rest of the perimeter was surrounded by tall stone wall. There were holes in the structure, showing glimpses of what might be water on the other side. It would seem that the tower was surrounded by a lake of sorts. Was this building some kind of entrance, perhaps?
The blonde looked up at the sky, gazing right at the colossal gray tower that pierced the very heavens. It looked even bigger in person. Nia was right to be concerned. Could they even survive a climb like this?
"Whew," Klein whistled as he rested his katana on his shoulders. "Got to hand it to Aesir. He sure knows how to construct a tower."
"Yeah," Sinon said in agreement. "I've never seen anything like it before. Even from this distance, I can feel a dark power coming from it."
"That has to be Zeta," Jin speculated. "He might be feeding off the magical energy left within the tower to break his seal. We might not have much time left."
"Looks that way," Kirito spoke up. "Let's hope the others made it here safely."
The group made their way inside the building, which was missing its front doors. The inside looked just as ruined, windows to the outside smashed to pieces. There were faded carvings of strange symbols decorating the walls. It was possible that this was once a place of worship for the people of Zophia. Given that the Eclipse Tower was built by Aesir, the God of Creation, it's possible that he was seen as the protector of the city. A shame then, to see such a sacred place falling apart and reeking of decay. Shulk hoped that anyone who died here on that terrible night could rest in peace.
Suddenly Kirito stopped everyone with a hand signal. Slowly, but surely, he made his way over to a corner leading down a hallway, reaching for his black sword. Once he got close enough, he swung his blade only to be met with a familiar black sword.
"Kirito?" the Dark Swordsman said in surprise.
"Marth? Thank God it's you," the Black Swordsman said in relief. The two swordsmen withdrew their weapons. "Glad to you're alright. Who all is with you?"
"Just Kisara, Ethan, Poppi and Reyn. Reyn got injured on the way here, but thanks to my sister's healing magic, he should be ready to go once we storm the tower."
"I see. What about Yuuki and Xander? Are they here yet?"
Marth shook his head. "Haven't seen them yet. They should be here soon though. I highly doubt Yuuki would want to miss a chance to fight a demon lord and a god."
The dual-wielders shared a laugh before the Dark Swordsman led them to a decently sized room with passable furniture. Granted, everything was totally covered in layers of dust and it was all falling apart, but it was still better than being out in the streets.
Shulk scanned the room, searching for his best friend. Sure enough, Reyn was here. He was sitting on a stool of questionable durability with Kisara standing behind him with her right hand on his shoulder. A warm green light could be seen coming from behind the former soldier. That must be healing magic. How interesting that it reminded the blonde engineer about healing arts, only the demoness seemed to be much better at it than him.
"Well? How does that feel?" Kisara questioned as the light faded.
Reyn rolled his shoulder around before smiling in triumph. "Feels good as new. Thanks a lot, Kisara."
"You're welcome, but just be more careful next time. You nearly sprained it again trying to protect me and Ethan from a lizard's claws, after I ordered you to avoid combat so you could recover."
"Sorry, but I couldn't help it. It's my job to protect people, plus I'm a sturdy guy. I can handle a few injuries."
The female demon just rolled her eyes at that. "You boys are the same everywhere." She then walked away, wrapping her arms around Sinon, who shared the embrace. Was it Shulk's imagination, or did those two seem closer than the average friend? Wait, prior to the Mechon attack, Shulk spent the majority of his time in the lab. He barely knew anything about girls save for the obvious. For all he knew, that's just how girls act to each other.
"Oi, Shulk." The engineer's thoughts were interrupted when he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around him and put him into a tight squeeze. Honestly it felt like his ribs were getting crushed.
"Hey…Reyn," he wheezed out. "Glad to…see you're…alright."
The auburn young man simply chuckled. "Of course I'm fine. The monsters here are nothing I can't handle. What about you, Shulk?"
"Hanging…in there. Can you let go? I can barely breathe."
"Oh sorry." Reyn quickly let go of Shulk, allowing his friend's lungs to get air back inside them.
After a minute or so of panting, Shulk finally got his breathing under control. "You never change, Reyn," he said slowly. "That's kind a relief actually."
"I'll take that as a compliment. By the way, did you have any visions while we were separated. According to Marth, Eclipse Tower will most likely be filled with powerful monsters. Anything that can give us an edge would be greatly appreciated."
Immediately, Shulk's thoughts turned to the bloody image of Kisara. Without meaning to, he looked over in the Imp's direction, watching her casually chat with the female archer like nothing was wrong.
"Was it about Kisara?" Reyn suddenly questioned, his arms folded across his chest.
"W-what?"
"You had a vision about Kisara didn't you? What happened?"
"I-I don't know," he lied. "All I remember is a giant lizard-like creature and a lot of blood."
Reyn grimaced out of instinct. "That's…reassuring. But you can change it right?"
"I don't know. This place is different than the Bionis. There's a possibility that I can't change the future here. For all I know, the future is already set in stone."
The gunlance user simply shook his head. "That doesn't sound like you, Shulk. Didn't you say that your visions are like a warning back in Tephra Cave? I'm only alive thanks to those visions of yours. I may not be the smartest bloke around, but I don't see why they wouldn't work the same way here."
He did make a good point, but Shulk was still stumped on what he should do. He was tempted to warn Kisara and Marth about what he saw, but it felt too risky. Shulk reached out behind him and drew the Monado, gazing at the blue ether flowing within it. Half-heartedly, he hoped that the sword of the Bionis could offer some guidance, maybe even some helpful advice, but it just silently hummed as always.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching. He and the others turned around, looking straight at the doorway. Emerging from the dim light was none other than Xander and his group. They had all managed to navigate through the city safely.
Shulk was about to call out to them, but stopped when Xander locked eyes with the Dark Swordsman and made his way over to him. There was a strange tension in the air and Shulk feared that it would lead to a fight between the two leaders, but then something most unexpected happened. Rather than draw his sword, he instead reached out his empty hand.
"I'm now ready to take that first step," the Aegis Driver spoke in confidence. "You may be a demon, but that doesn't mean you're evil. I'm willing to take a leap of faith and place my trust in you. Let's combine our strength and march towards a shared goal."
Marth stared at the silver-haired Driver's hand for a few moments before returning the eye contact. He cracked a faint smile and accepted the hand into his own. "Agreed. We both have people to protect. If you're willing to trust me, a demon, then I will put my trust in you. Let us work together, Xander Origo."
"Gladly, Shun Koujiro."
Everyone except those in Xander's group looked surprised at hearing that name. Marth especially looked shocked. He briefly turned his gaze to his girlfriend and saw the impish smile on her face. He seemed to realize what had happened, but merely shook his head.
While still confused from hearing Marth's supposedly other name, Shulk was glad to see the two put aside their differences. If this mission was to be a success, then they would need to work together. Now with this new unity, they stood a much better chance against Zeta and the dangers of the tower.
"Anyway," Kirito spoke up. "Thank God that it would seem that we all had healers with us when we split up. That would have made things a lot more difficult."
"Speak for yourself!" Nia growled in annoyance. "At least you weren't stuck with Mythra and Kos-Mos. They nearly got us all killed trying to outcompete each other on who could kill the most monsters. Not to mention we had to protect Azurda and Klaus since they can't fight."
"The fault lies solely with Mythra," the android answered emotionlessly. "She was the one lacking restraint and drawing all the monsters to us."
"Oh, really?" the Aegis said smugly. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself out there. I bet it's not often that you get to let loose."
"Incorrect statement. I merely maximized my firepower to better protect my master because of your reckless tactics. I was not trying to compete with you, Aegis."
"Maybe," Mythra glanced away, her smug grin still on her face, "but I totally killed more monsters than you."
"Incorrect. You only killed around thirty large beasts. I, however, killed thirty-five."
"Your circuits must be malfunctioning. I killed thirty-eight beasts. You only killed thirty-three."
"My body is functioning perfectly. It is your count that is wrong. You did not…"
"Enough!" Xander shouted in annoyance, clearly getting fed up with his Blades arguing with each other. "Can't you two just call it a draw and leave it at that? We have bigger things to worry about right now."
The two Light Blades hesitated for a moment before finally relenting. "As you wish, Master," Kos-Mos answered in her robotic voice.
"Fine. I was getting bored anyway."
Oh this was going to a huge pain, isn't it? Shulk didn't fully understand how Drivers and Blades work, but even he thought it was weird to see two Blades that share the same Driver bickering with each other. If he didn't know any better, he would think that they were just regular humans.
"I wonder how Blades came to be. They're incredibly lifelike with their own personalities and emotions. If they were created with technology, then I'd love to meet the creator."
"So now that we're all here," Jin spoke up. "What do we do next?"
Marth brought his hand to his chin, looking deep in thought. "If this was Aincrad, then I would consider sending a scouting party to get an understanding of the layout for the tower. The only problem is that not only do we not know how strong the monsters are in Eclipse Tower, we have no easy way of escaping should things go south."
"Yeah," Kirito agreed. "Aincrad had those teleport crystals. Sure, they were expensive, but they made exploring the labyrinths easier since they were a great escape tool. Shame they're not a thing in real life."
"No kidding," Klein added. "Anyway, what's the plan?"
Shulk let out a small cough to get everyone's attention. "I hate to say it, but I don't think we have the time to scout the Eclipse Tower. It's Zeta's territory. How do we know if we can even leave once we enter?"
"That's a good point," Xander replied hesitantly. "There's no telling what could happen in there, but I don't like the idea of going in there blind."
The Dark Swordsman let out a heavy breath. "In that case, how about we all go together, put I scout ahead to look for optimal routes. I'm a Spriggan, which are basically the 'rogues' in Alfheim. I should be able to navigate safely with that."
"Not without me you're not," Kirito objected. "I'm a Spriggan too, so I should go with you. Plus it wouldn't hurt to have some back-up."
"I'll go too!" Yuuki eagerly added, practically jumping up and down.
Marth looked a little hesitant to bring his girlfriend along, but it was clear he probably couldn't change her mind. Heck, even if the demon did refuse, Shulk had a feeling that the Imp would simply tail him the moment he turned his back.
"It might not be a bad idea to bring three more people," Azurda spoke up. "We don't want the scouting party to be too big, otherwise they won't move very fast, not to mention the attention they'll bring."
"I'll join the scouting party," Kisara offered. "I'm quick on my feet, plus I'm a good healer. I can make sure no one in the party will get badly injured."
"Not a bad idea," Jin replied calmly. "I'll join too. I'm arguably the fastest member of the Origo Mercenaries, barring Mythra but she can't fight at full power without Xander being nearby. I'm the best pick when it comes to my team."
"Alright then," Klaus said. "So the current scouting party consists of Marth, Kirito, Yuuki, Kisara, and Jin. We need one more member. Any volunteers?"
There was a bit of murmuring among the team. The final member couldn't be another one of the Origo Mercenaries. Drivers and Blades aren't very effective when they're separated. As for the Alfheim Warriors, any one of them could work. Sinon could offer ranged support, Klein could be another melee fighter, while Asuna could provide additional healing and occasional magic/swordplay.
Upon further thinking about it, it might be better to keep Asuna in the main party, otherwise Nia will be the only healer for them, and that might be too stressful for the Gormotti. Klein might be better off in the main party as well, just so they had an additional fighter. As for Sinon, he couldn't think of any reason not to include her. She was agile, had great eyesight, and was an excellent shot. She might be their best choice. There was also Reyn, but as much as Shulk hated to admit it, his best friend isn't exactly known for his speed.
The memory of his vision resurfaced in his mind. Given the design of that corridor, it had to have taken place within Eclipse Tower. His vision did show that the battle involved the whole team, not just the scouting party. However, maybe it wouldn't hurt if he tagged along, just to be safe. If the future here wasn't set in stone, then Shulk wanted to be nearby, ready to unleash the Monado's power.
"If you don't mind, I could join in," he offered kindly. "I'm not quite as agile as you guys, but I know some basic healing arts, plus I have the Monado. I'll do my best not to slow you guys down."
"Whoa, are you sure about this, Shulk?" Reyn asked in concern.
He tossed his best friend a look, telling him to stand down. Thankfully, the former soldier complied and fell silent. Meanwhile the remaining members of the scouting party merely locked eyes with each other and nodded.
"Sure," Kirito said with a light smile. "We'd be glad to have you."
Shulk couldn't help but smile back. "Thanks. I won't let you down."
Marth led the team to the other side of religious building, where they all found themselves on a damaged stone bridge stretching across a large pool of water. On the other side was their destination. Eclipse Tower.
Even from here he could sense the darkness coming from those stone walls. It felt ancient and powerful, like evil incarnate. He was half-tempted to turn back and get his friends to safety, but it was far too late to flee. He knew the risks of coming here, but he pushed on, regardless. While Marth's memories from his previous life still haven't returned, he knew that he defeated Zeta before. If he could do it then, then he can do it now. No matter what happens, he'll protect his sister and their friends.
"Ready partner?" That was Kirito. He and the rest of the scouting party were beginning to separate from the main group, preparing for the fight ahead.
The Dark Swordsman took a deep breath to steel his nerves. "Ready as I'll ever be." He turned around to face the main party to address them. "I'll take the scout team on ahead. Wait on first floor for about an hour or so. Once that's up, start going through. We'll leave a trail of sorts so you guys can follow us."
"Understood," Xander replied. "We're counting on you six to navigate us through the tower safely."
"Be careful, Kirito," the Berserk Healer added. "I won't forgive you if you die in there."
"I'll be just fine, Asuna," the human Spriggan said casually. "I'll see you soon."
"You watch yourself too, Kisara," the Cait Sith archer spoke up, looking more concerned than usual.
"I will, Sinon," the Imp fencer replied with a light smile. Marth eyed his sister curiously. He knew that Kisara and Sinon were best friends, the two having met in middle school, but recently he noticed that they were getting closer. Well it's probably nothing harmful. Sinon has his trust after all.
"Hey, Marth," Reyn spoke up. "Look after Shulk for me. If he gets one scratch, I'll pulverize you."
The demon prince chuckled, a faint smile cracking on his lips. "Oh, sounds interesting. If you're willing to do that over a single scratch, I'd hate to see what you'd do to me with a more serious injury. Bad jokes aside, don't worry. I'll keep him safe."
Marth and his team turned around a sharp 180 degrees, their sights set on Eclipse Tower. There was no telling what awaited them inside, but they had to keep moving forward, one step at a time."
"Alright, let's move!"
To be continued
Well, what do you know, I FINALLY got around to writing the next chapter for Connections. I am really sorry about that. Since I rebooted Black Wolf into Ashen Wolf, that story has been my top priority. I still intend to work on Connections and Silver Radiance, but it's hard to say when they'll get updated. I hope to at least update them once a month, possibly twice, but knowing me that'll be a stretch. Anyway, we're close to the homestretch of the Temporal Island arc. Once this is done, it's back to the Xenoblade 2 story. See you guys next time!
Edit (9/6/2021): Okay, Fenrir has been renamed Ultor. I suck at coming up with names for original character and when I had created the fourth Aegis, I pretty much just named him the first thing that popped in my head, which just so happened to be the wolf from Norse mythology. In all honesty, Fenrir does not sound right for an Aegis name, but I finally found a name I think is a better fit, which is Ultor. Like with Fenrir, this one also comes from mythology, but this time from Ancient Rome, Mars Ultor, the god of war. Also, Celestia has been renamed Mitra. That was another name I wasn't too proud of. Sorry.
Edit (10/27/2021): What do you know, Marth and Xander can work together after all. Since this site doesn't notify chapter updates, I'm going to tell you what I've been doing this past few days. I decided to rewrite the Temporal Island arc so that it better fits the continuity of Ashen Wolf. This way, the transition of Marth's personality isn't that jarring. Heck, in this version, he already knew he was a demon before coming to Temporal Island. I recommend you give the old chapters a read so that you can see parts of the new context. Anyway, I'll be posting this as a new chapter so that more people will see this.
Chapter 10: Eclipse Tower
Chapter Text
Sorry this took longer than intended. I had to rewrite most of the Temporal Island arc to better fit the Ashen Wolf continuity. Then I had to overhaul this chapter as well to accommodate those changes. Also, in case you haven't read the rewritten chapters, Kisara's now an Imp player instead of a Sylph. This means she has violet hair and red eyes instead of the Sylph colors. As for her clothes, she wears a blue and purple battledress (colors resemble that of a galaxy). She still uses a rapier though. Anyway, enjoy!
She couldn't believe she was doing this. She should be back in Eternus, protecting Balduq until its master was ready to return. She hadn't dedicated the last seven thousand years of her life ensuring that castle didn't fall into the wrong hands only to suddenly leave on a whim. But that man was rather insistent that she should go to Temporal Island. There was something of great importance there that must be retrieved at all costs.
As much as it pained her to admit it, when it came to predictions, that man was always on the mark. If what he said was true, then the object she needed to reclaim will shake the foundations of Eternus, a realm filled with political strife. The only problem though was that he never specified how to retrieve it, only saying what it was and what it looked like. Sadly, that wasn't too surprising as he loved watching people struggle to achieve their objectives, but it was still annoying, nonetheless.
If what that man said was true, then the object she was here for was in the possession of Zarc, the reborn Demon Lord of Greed, and the False King of Eternus. This will not be easy. Just getting to Temporal Island was such a pain because of Aesir's stupid wards placed on it to keep out intruders. Even a master sorceress like herself had trouble circumventing them, plus there was the issue of getting back to Eternus.
"Still, how am I going to confront Zarc and retrieve the item?" she pondered to herself. "I'm sure that I can take him in a one-on-one fight, especially since I have Gungnir with me, but I can't risk damaging the item. Plus if Zarc finds out why I'm here, then he'll definitely use it against me and get the upper hand."
Oh how she wanted to throw a fit right now, ignoring how childish it was for someone who has lived as long as her. She wanted so badly to go back and strangle the man who put her up to this. She was about ready to just blast her way through and hope for the best when she heard the sounds of battle in the distance.
There were other people here? Oh right, he did say that Zarc will have dragged people from Earth and some other world in hopes of reviving his master. It was quite impressive that they had managed to come this far in such a dangerous place, but if what the mage said about them is true (and it usually is, damn him), then it wasn't too surprising. She wasn't allowed to reveal herself to them, especially the ones from Earth as it was too soon, according to that stupid mage. She was not allowed to interfere with what will happen here in this tower, making her objective all the more trickier.
"Wait. If I can't interfere with what will happen, perhaps I can use these mortals to retrieve my prize. Yes, that should work just fine."
She let out an eerie chuckle, revealing two pairs of razor-sharp canines that looked like they could easily pierce through flesh.
"Raaaa!"
Shulk watched in awe as Marth and Kirito went to town with a horde of giant toad-like monsters that had ivory horns on their heads, dual swords in hand. No matter how many times he has witnessed it during their climb up Eclipse Tower, seeing their coordination and teamwork in action was truly breathtaking. Without so much as saying a word, every one of their actions seemed planned out. No movement was wasted, no opening was made. Yuuki and Jin were helping out as well, making use of their high speed to evade enemy attacks.
So this was the power of the Darkness Duo, two of the strongest swordsmen from Aincrad. He could see how they had earned such high praise. He was initially worried about proceeding through the tower with such few numbers, despite having volunteered to join the scouting team, but those worries were put to rest once he saw the Aincrad fighters in action.
Naturally, both Kisara and Yuuki had excellent coordination with the dual wielders as well. In fact, whenever the whitette joined the fray, the battle was pretty much over. Marth would not let a single monster get past to harm his sister, while Kisara made sure his back was covered. Truly impressive.
However, this all made that vision he witnessed even more painful. Shulk has been observing the architecture of Eclipse Tower as he and his team made their ascent, and he can confirm that the vision he had seen will take place here. He didn't know when the encounter will happen, but his instincts told him that the battle is soon approaching. The battle that will cost Kisara her life and Marth will throw himself into a terrible rage, becoming more terrifying than the monster itself.
Shulk still wasn't sure if he could change the future here. Reyn seemed to think so, but the blonde was still struggling to accept it. He thought he could find the answer to this predicament by joining the scouting team, but all it did was leave more questions than answers.
Now, Shulk was by now means an expert in combat, that right went squarely to Dunban, who not only fought the Mechon at Sword Valley with the Monado, the blade rendering his right arm unusable afterward, and still managed to fight when the Mechon attacked Colony 9 a year later despite having not fully recovered. However, despite his own inexperience, he had a feeling that Marth was holding back his true strength. He fought with the same skill and precision as Kirito and Jin, but he also seemed to be fighting an internal battle with himself. Did it have something to do with that dark power Shulk had seen from his vision? He wanted to ask about it, but he had a feeling that it was something the Dark Swordsman didn't like to talk about.
One of the toads tried to take a cheap shot at him while he was distracted, shooting its disgusting pink tongue at him. The attack would be in vain though as a purple blur suddenly severed the tongue at the root before finishing the slimy beast by stabbing its head. The toad let out one final groan before succumbing to death. A familiar figure gracefully pulled out her azure blue rapier from the toad's head before returning it to the scabbard strapped to her waist. With a click of her heels, she turned towards the speechless engineer, an amused smile plastered on her face.
"Careful, Shulk," Kisara said calmly. "Distraction on the battlefield can cost you your life."
Shulk couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Sorry. I got lost in my own thoughts is all. Thanks for the save though."
"Anytime. That's what teammates are for. We look after each other."
Despite the situation they were in, Kisara seemed relatively cheerful. She wasn't as optimistic as Yuuki, but she had the same amount of confidence as her elder brother. An interesting combination to say the least. Heck, there were times where the Imp fencer would make some weird comments about wanting a "reward" from the Absolute Sword after saving her from an ambush, which caused both girls to laugh. Shulk naturally didn't get what was so funny, so he had asked Marth about it, only for the Spriggan to say that was Kisara's usual behavior around girls, something that had developed during their time trapped in Aincrad. That…still didn't tell Shulk anything, but if Marth didn't seem bothered by it, then it was probably harmless.
"Well that's the last of them," Kirito commented as he and the others regrouped. "A shame Asuna isn't here. I'd love for her to try cooking all this toad meat."
Marth simply rolled his eyes at his partner's sentence. "Yeah, because that went so well the last time it happened," he said knowingly. "Although it might be fun seeing Asuna trying to force raw frog legs down your throat again."
"Hey!" Kirito said in protest as the others laughed at his expense.
After a while, a deep silence befell the party. Even the air felt still. "We're pretty far in," Jin spoke up. "How far up have we gone?"
"Hard to say," Shulk answered. "There's no windows nor any holes in the walls that we can look out of. Given how tall Eclipse Tower looked to be from the outside and how many floors we've gone up, I'd say we're maybe a third of the way up."
"We're not even halfway through yet?!" Yuuki cried out in exasperation. She let out a groan before collapsing on her butt, as if she lost the strength to stand. "We've been climbing nonstop for hours now. Just how many floors does this place have? One hundred?!"
"I hope not," Kisara commented as she carved a symbol into the wall with her rapier to mark that this was the proper passage for the main party to use. The tower's layout was surprisingly complex, like a maze, so it was actually wise to have a scouting party to search for any optimal routes. "I'd rather not have another Aincrad situation again."
Both Shulk and Jin looked confused by the fencer's statement. Thankfully Marth noticed this and decided to provide some context. "Basically Aincrad was a giant floating castle that had 100 floors. Each floor varied in terrain, monsters, etc, and were all pretty vast in their own right. Thankfully the floors in Eclipse Tower are nowhere near as big and there aren't any floor guardians keeping us from ascending."
"No floor guardians yet," Kirito corrected. "It's too soon for us to dismiss that possibility. We're still in enemy territory after all. There's no telling what's lurking further up."
"Good point. Anyway, how's everyone holding up so far?"
"I'm doing alright," Jin passed off, and true to his statement, he looked none the worse for wear. Seriously, just was with this guy? Not only was he wearing a mask, but his sword skills were second to none. Not to mention that his nodachi was very unusual. It didn't seem like a typical weapon.
"I can keep going for a little longer," Shulk replied, with Kirito nodding as well.
"Me too!" Yuuki added with her usual enthusiasm, a stark contrast to how she was when she returned with Xander's team earlier.
"I…can keep going as well," Kisara said with some hesitation.
That seemed to catch Marth's attention as he silently observed his sister, while occasionally tossing glances over to Shulk. In what felt like ages, he finally spoke again. "Okay, we're taking a break. Jin and I will keep an eye out for any monsters. The rest of you take five."
Kisara looked ready to protest, saying that she was fine, but since Marth didn't look willing to change his mind, she had no choice but to give up. The two swordsmen took positions on opposites sides of the party, sitting on high ledges to get a good vantage point for any monster activities. Meanwhile, Shulk and everyone else just sat on opposite sides of the hallway to rest their feet.
In all honesty, the blonde engineer was glad that they were taking a break. All this fighting and walking was making his body feel really sore. He ached in places that never ached before. He only said he was fine because he didn't want to slow everyone down. Apparently Marth could easily see through that ruse. Was it the same for Kisara?
As if reading his mind, the purple-haired fencer simply let out a deep breath. "My brother's always been like that," she explained. "If he thinks I'm in even a modicum of danger, he becomes really protective of me. Heck, back in Aincrad, when this group of guys were harassing me to 'have some fun with them', he just snapped and pummeled them all to the ground. Brother even said that if they tried that again, he'd throw them in a monster-filled room and leave them to die. They never bothered me again after that."
Shulk couldn't help but grimace at hearing Marth's past deeds. So that's why he was called the Dark Swordsman. He essentially made everyone fear him just so that they'd leave his sister alone. Seems a little excessive though. He probably didn't make any friends because of that.
"Yeah, he didn't really make a lot of friends with people back in Aincrad," Kisara replied, as if she knew what he was thinking. "But my brother and I are used to being feared and resented by others, so it didn't bother him too much."
"Because…you and Marth are demons?" Shulk questioned.
"Yep, but we didn't know it at the time. We just knew that something was different about us. Something that wasn't human. Even our own birthparents feared us. All my classmates bullied me because of my looks and my demon presence. It was only in my brother's arms when I found comfort."
"Well, until you met me and Sinon," Kirito followed up. "Your demon presences didn't bother us at all. Heck, we all became pretty close because everyone treated us like outcasts."
"True, but I always had a habit of clinging to my brother for protection. It was thanks to Asuna and Yuuki that I managed to break out of my shell and become who I am now."
The Absolute Sword simply giggled. "I'm glad I was able to help you, Kisara. You're too pretty to be a shut-in all your life."
"Thanks, Yuuki." Kisara then smirked and got into a rather strange sitting position, where she hugged her knees close to her rather decent-sized breasts and exposing part of her upper legs. It made Shulk a little uncomfortable and he found himself looking away from the fencer. "So, about that reward…"
Yuuki seemed oblivious to those implications as she was just laughing up a storm. Kirito looked to be amused as well, as if he could see some kind of hidden meaning behind the demoness's words.
"You've sure come a long way, Kisara," the Black Swordsman said calmly. "It's good to see you have such confidence in yourself. The old you definitely couldn't pull this off."
She simply giggled at that before returning to her original position. "No kidding. Just talking to people outside my friends was such a hassle. I'm glad I was able to push past my insecurities. I guess there were some benefits to me getting trapped in Aincrad after all."
Silence befell the group. There was no sound to be heard anywhere. It made it hard to believe that this tower was filled to the brim with powerful monsters. Suddenly a thought popped in Shulk's head. It was a thought that has been bothering him for a while now, ever since they entered Eclipse Tower. Since there seemed to be no danger of any monster attacks at the moment, now might be a good time to speak up.
"Hey, Yuuki? Can I ask you something?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"How exactly did you get Xander to trust in Marth?"
The Absolute Sword simply smiled as she held her knees close to her chest in a tight embrace. "Simple. He wanted to know what kind of person Marth was, so I told him. I talked about how he was the first person to look past my illness as a child, my first real friend. I told Xander a little about our adventures together, how I saw the kindness and warmth beneath his cold exterior."
"You always could see the best in Marth, Yuuki," Kirito voiced. "Even in his ugliest moments. I remember how desperate he was to get you back when Sugou trapped you and Asuna in Alfheim. I never saw that side of him before. I like to think that you affected Marth's life for the better.
A warm smile graced Kisara's face, adding to her ethereal beauty. It was clear she was reminiscing on the good times. "I agree. I remember a time where my brother would prioritize only my safety over all others. It led to him getting a bad reputation at school, but he doesn't really care what people think of him. However, once he met you two, as well as Klein and the others, that slowly started to change. He finally found real friends, and he'll fight like hell to keep them safe."
"Exactly," Yuuki confirmed. "He may not a great guy, but he's no villain either. Despite living a harsh life, he managed to hold onto a shred of compassion in his heart. It was that compassion that made me fall for Marth in the first place. It's why I'm even here."
"Wow," Shulk said in awe. "Marth must be really lucky to have friends like you in his life."
"I am."
He turned to his left to see that the Dark Swordsman was suddenly standing beside him. How did he get here? Shulk didn't even hear any footsteps. Marth wasn't kidding when he said that Spriggans were naturals at stealth. Interestingly enough, the male demon had a faint smile on his face, a kind one, instead of his usual passive mask.
"Believe me when I say that I'd probably be very different today if I didn't have people like Kirito and Yuuki to keep me straight," Marth said honestly. "I probably would have turned into the monster that Xander thought I was. I don't have the luxury of 'running wild' as he probably would have put it, when I have people I want to protect. I'll do whatever it takes to keep my friends safe, even if it means staining my hands with blood."
Ordinarily, that probably would have freaked Shulk out, but after hearing what the others thought about the dual wielder, it actually brought him some comfort. Marth definitely seemed like the type of person you want to watch your back. His coldness can keep your arrogance in check. He'll always make sure you don't strain yourself. No wonder Kirito was proud to call him his partner.
"Is everyone ready to go?" That was Jin, who has just returned from his post. No one really protested, as if their conversation made them forget all about their fatigue.
"By the way," Jin added, glancing over at the Dark Swordsman. "I think I owe you an apology. I misjudged you too. Like Xander, I wasn't too sure you could be trusted. That's part of why I joined the scout team."
Surprisingly enough, Marth didn't look offended at that. In fact, with his right hand resting on his waist, he looked very relaxed. "Don't worry about it. I'm used to it." He paused for a moment, lowering his head to stare at his other palm. "Besides, there are legit reasons to fear me. A side to me, that I don't like to show."
That unsettling feeling in his stomach was back. Marth had to be talking about that dark power that overtook him in that vision. Just what was it, and why did he have that power? Was this a good time to ask about it? Either way, Shulk wanted to know more. Perhaps more knowledge about it can help him to prevent that future from happening. However, before he could even put his thoughts into words, a strange sound echoed in the air.
"Meow!"
The group suddenly stood at alert, weapons all drawn. They all turned towards the sound expecting another horde of monsters, but instead it was something none of them expected. It was just one small creature, barely reaching Shulk's shin. It had sleek black fur and pointed ears. Long white whiskers on its face, bloodred eyes that seemed to stare into one's very soul. Around its neck was a small white ribbon. It was just sitting there, staring expectantly at the group.
"Uh, a cat?" Kirito questioned in confusion.
Xander felt exhausted. Even during the early days of his mercenary career, he's never experienced this amount of fighting before. Maybe it was because he had to keep an eye on Klaus and Azurda since they couldn't protect themselves, or it was because they had a bigger group, but progressing through Eclipse Tower felt like a slog. They've been doing a good job avoiding traps and the like, all thanks to Marth's scouting party marking which ways to go, so the mercenary leader hoped that they were making good progress.
"Are you alright?" Mythra asked in concern.
They were all taking a break at the moment. They've been doing so much walking and fighting that they've lost track of time. Not to mention that no one knew how far up they've come. Supposedly they have been climbing for five hours, according to Kos-Mos, but it honestly felt longer than that, like maybe twelve. This was harder than he thought it would be.
Xander rolled his right shoulder around as it was feeling sore from all the swinging he's been doing with the Aegis Sword. Despite it's relatively small build (at least when it was inactive), it was a bit heavier than it looked. He needed to use both hands to use it effectively, unlike with Kos-Mos's sword, where he had the option of using it with only one hand. Of course, being the legendary Aegis, Mythra had to show off by showing that she could swing her own weapon around with one hand easily.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired, is all."
"If you need to sleep, Master, you are welcome to use my lap as a pillow," Kos-Mos offered in her usual robotic tone.
Xander let out a nervous chuckle while trying hard not to blush. Sometimes he wished the android wouldn't be so blunt at times, plus he found the idea of resting on his Blade while in front of everyone rather embarrassing. "N-no thanks, Kos-Mos," he said sheepishly. "I'm good right now."
"Very well. Just do not push yourself too hard."
Slowly the Aegis Driver turned to the remaining Alfheim Warriors, who were all sitting together on the other side of the hall. During the course of their journey through Eclipse Tower, he had been asking them about Marth and Kisara. While he was now willing to trust in the demon siblings, especially the Dark Swordsman, after hearing some of Yuuki's tales of her boyfriend, he was curious to learn more about them.
Thankfully, Asuna and the others were happy to share some of their stories regarding the siblings. They talked about the founding of their SAO guild, the Harbingers. Originally it started with five members: Marth, Kirito, Asuna, Yuuki and Kisara. Over time, they would gain few new additions in Nautilus, Philia and Argo. The debate over who the leader would be was a quick one, either Marth or Kirito since they both had the most experience in Sword Art Online. However, Marth would end up being the leader since Kirito didn't like being in the center of attention (granted neither did Marth, but he was willing to bite the bullet for his partner). Interestingly enough, Klein never joined the Harbingers, mainly because he was running his own guild with friends he met from another game, the Fuurinkazan. However, that didn't stop him from joining the Harbingers on some of their adventures in Aincrad. It wouldn't be until they started playing Alfheim Online did the samurai join their guild, which was renamed into the Alfheim Warriors.
Although it was uncomfortable to hear how the Harbingers, despite being designated as one of the top guilds in SAO, were essentially used as the minions of the Clearers, the players fighting on the front lines to clear the death game, as they were branded as the "Beater Guild". Whenever an orange guild, otherwise known as a criminal guild, became too much of a problem, the Assault Team would task the Harbingers with stopping them. The small guild never killed anyone on these missions, of course, and they didn't do them for free. Information, rare items, or even Cor (the currency of Aincrad), those were given as payment for their services. The only time they ever killed orange players was when they took part in the raid on Laughing Coffin's base, and it scarred most of them with how savage and brutal that battle was.
"Hard to believe that you guys were the most feared guild in Aincrad," Xander commented aloud.
"That's more because of Marth and Kirito's reputation than us," Asuna replied. "If the situation called for it, they were willing to play the villain. Heck, they willingly took up the moniker of 'Beater' just to take the heat off the other beta testers so everyone could concentrate on clearing the game."
"Yeah, but you, Kisara and Yuuki got branded as Beaters too because you chose to stay with them after the Floor 1 boss fight," Klein added. "Not that I'm blaming you, I would have done the same thing. It's because of those two that I was able to survive in SAO."
"So even in other worlds, humans are still willing to hate on each other for even petty reasons," Klaus spoke up, recalling the incident that led to Marth and Kirito creating the Beater moniker. "No wonder Marth is so distrusting of other people. And to think that he grew up in such a hateful environment."
"Indeed," Dromarch mused. "Children are impressionable. Their childhood is what shapes them. With such a tragic past, it's not surprising that the Dark Swordsman would become so cold to the world around him."
"Maybe," the mercenary leader added. "But that doesn't mean that he's beyond saving. I mean, he's willing to fight a god just to protect his family and friends. That shows that there is some good in him."
Nia let out a whistle. "Wow. Just a few hours ago, you weren't willing to even think positive about Marth. Now you're saying that he can be saved. Isn't that a bit of a leap in logic, even for you?"
"Marth may be a demon, but that doesn't make him lesser than a human by any means. If I said that, then I'd be a hypocrite since I treat Blades as equal even though we have different origins. Besides, just because there are bad demons, that doesn't mean they're all like that. Like humans, there are demons that are good. With that in mind, I am more than willing to put my trust in Marth and Kisara."
"I like the way you think, Xander," Reyn spoke up, a big smile stretching from ear-to-ear. "Together with you, Marth and Shulk, I think everything will turn out alright."
"I concur," Kos-Mos said. "I do not have an explanation for this hypothesis, but I believe that if Master cooperates with Shulk and the Dark Swordsman, victory will be ours. Is this what you humans call 'faith'?"
"Sounds like it," said Sinon as she was adjusting the string of her bow. "Sounds like you're becoming more and more like a human each day."
Xander agreed. While the pastel-blue haired android remained as emotionless as ever, once they rescued Mythra from that ancient ship and found themselves stranded in this realm, Kos-Mos has slowly become more like a person. Heck, she constantly keeps getting into petty arguments with the legendary Aegis, something that would be unheard of years ago. This was a welcome change since she was the Leftherian Driver's longest companion. Now if only she could loosen up with her "protection protocols", but that was probably just a pipe dream at this point. If the formation of the Origo Mercenaries didn't lower Kos-Mos protective drive for her Driver, it was doubtful that becoming more human-like would.
After a few more minutes of rest, the group continued on their way before stumbling into another corridor, but this one had two massive stone doors blocking the way. The room was not empty either, as there were a few familiar faces gathered around with some of them even sitting down on the hard floor.
"Yo," Marth said slowly as the larger group approached them. As expected, he was casually leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. How the heck is he able to stay so composed despite being in enemy territory? Was this a demon thing, or was Marth just weird?
It was taking everything Xander had to not tremble in fear. This place just felt wrong, like pure evil. His mercenary instincts were screaming for him to run, but he knew that he couldn't. If he wanted to return to Alrest, his world, then he couldn't avoid this battle. He's the Driver of the Aegis and teamed up with arguably the strongest guild in Alfheim. Maybe they could survive this, if they played their cards right.
"What are you guys still doing here?" Ethan questioned in confusion. "I thought your team was supposed to scout ahead until we were close to the top."
It was then that Xander noticed that there was a new member among the scout team's ranks. It was a strange feline creature with sleek black fur. It was curled up in Kisara's lap, the demoness petting its back with her gloved hand. However, something about it just felt off. It had a graceful air about it (similar to Yuuki), yet it had the menacing presence of a demon (like Marth and Kisara). How curious.
"What is that?" he asked slowly.
It was the Purple Flash who answered. "Oh, her. This is Rose. She's a cat," the demoness said rather calmly, seemingly not bothered by the creature's presence. "We found her while we were making our way through the tower. She seemed friendly enough, so we decided to let her come with us."
"Uh, are we sure its safe to keep it around?" Klein said nervously. "I mean, I find it hard to believe anything in this place can be friendly."
"Too true," Azurda complied. "It would be wise for us to not take any unnecessary risks, especially given the stakes."
Xander had to agree. They didn't know anything about this creature. For all they knew, it was another monster that was simply disguising itself as a harmless critter and waiting for just the perfect moment to strike and wipe them all out. He got a weird vibe from this "cat". Maybe it was because of his time as a mercenary, or maybe it was because he was the Driver of the legendary Aegis, but he had a strange feeling that this creature was more than it appeared.
As if reading his mind, Marth spoke up in his distant manner. "Don't worry about the cat. If it wanted us dead, it would have attacked when we were separated. There's no tactical advantage for it to attack us when we're all together. Besides, I have a feeling that it means us no harm."
If even the distrustful Dark Swordsman was willing to allow the cat to accompany them, then Xander really had no place to argue against the idea. Well, he could try, but that risked losing the cooperation of the Alfheim Warriors, which they needed if the Origo Mercenaries wanted any hope of escaping the Temporal Realm. With that issue now resolved (for now at least), it was time to move onto the more obvious.
"Why are you guys still here?" Mythra questioned, her arms folded as well. "Isn't the point of a scouting party to be ahead of the main group so they can locate any traps or false paths?"
It was Kirito who answered on their behalf. "That was the plan, but there's a bad vibe behind those doors." He gestured to the giant stone double-doors behind him. "It reminds me of the floor boss rooms back in Aincrad. There's a strong possibility that a powerful monster is inside, stronger than anything we've faced here before."
"As much as I like to challenge myself with strong opponents," Yuuki added, "even I know that this enemy isn't one to be taken lightly. We ended up deciding to wait for you guys to catch up so we could fight it together."
That actually made sense to the mercenary leader. Even though all of their battles had taken place inside a virtual world, the Alfheim Warriors had a good understanding on battle tactics. Go figure, since most of them had gotten trapped in a game where if they died, they'd be killed in real life, for two years. It made sense that they were able to judge if an opponent was in their league or not.
There was indeed a powerful presence behind those massive doors. His mercenary instincts confirmed as much. Whatever was in that room was stronger than any creature they have fought before. It was unclear if they could beat it with their current strength, but there were no alternate routes they could take. They had no choice but to brave the danger before them, praying to the Architect that they would all survive.
It was then that Xander noticed that Shulk looked strangely silent. He seemed to be thinking about something, really hard if the scrunching of his eyebrows were any indication. Reyn did mention that he could get visions of the future. Perhaps he had an idea of what awaited them.
"Shulk, are you okay?" he questioned, nudging the engineer's shoulder, snapping him from his daze.
"Huh, Xander? Sorry, I was just thinking about something."
"I could tell. Did you have a vision or something? Do you know what's in that room?"
The wielder of the Monado looked a little hesitant to answer, but he ultimately shook his head. "I…no I don't. I'm sorry."
That was a lie. Xander could tell. However, there was no ill intent in the boy's words. He honestly seemed to be doubting himself more than trying to be a deceiver. Perhaps it was the consequence of seeing into the future? Debating on whether the future could be changed, or perhaps if you should change it at all.
"I see. If you get a vision, let us know. We all need to work together if we want to succeed."
"Okay, I will."
Shulk tossed a glance over at Kisara, who was now by her brother's side, chatting about something in low voices. Was it possible that the vision Shulk must have had involved those two? Sadly he had no choice but to trust the blonde teen. He had a feeling that Shulk would come through for them. After all, that Monado of his is no ordinary weapon. There is a strange power hiding within it. Power that reminded him of the Aegis Sword.
Once their preparations were finished, the group approached the massive stone doors, ready to face the danger lying in wait for them.
To be continued
Yeah, I'm evil with ending the chapter like this. I wanted to include the upcoming boss fight in this chapter but it was getting pretty long so I decided to put in the next chapter instead. Anyway, not much to say here. I'll see you guys next time!
Chapter 11: To Change The Future
Chapter Text
The massive stone doors opened on their own, revealing a darkened corridor on the other side. Slowly, the group made their way inside, with Marth, Kisara, Kirito and Reyn up front. The room was much larger than it appeared. The sounds of their footsteps echoed in the darkness. As they marched through, Shulk couldn't help but hold his breath in anticipation. This was the room from his vision. He knew it within his bones. He recognized the pillars scattered about, though his vision was limited because of the darkness. Which means this is where…
"What the?" Nia said in confusion. "There's nothing here."
"Yeah," Ethan voiced in agreement. "It's totally empty."
However, that did little to soothe Shulk's nerves. Instead he turned his attention to the Alfheim Warriors, or more specifically, the ones who were SAO Survivors. The way their stances remained firm and resolute, their weapons raised in defensive positions, gave the impression they've experienced these places before. He could understand why they looked so on edge. After all, nothing was more terrifying than a creature lurking in the dark.
Suddenly a blue flame sparked to life on one of the columns, bringing an eerie light to the darkened corridor. Another flame lit up, then another and another. In mere seconds, all the torches were alight, revealing to all the contents of the room. Located right in the center of the chamber was one large creature with leathery black skin. Its legs were lean and muscular. Resting on its back were a pair of leathery wings. Its head was angular and decorated with horns.
The Homs engineer had never seen a creature like this before, but he could tell that it was stronger than that Queen Arachno from Tephra Cave. It might even be stronger than the Mechon with the metal face. His breathing hastened and his heartbeat accelerated. This feeling, this anxiety. That was indeed the monster from his vision, the one that kills Kisara. Will he be able to prevent that future from happening though?
Right now, the monster was asleep, oblivious to the intruders within its lair. Perhaps they could avoid a fight altogether and just sneak past it. He was about to make the suggestion when the doors behind them suddenly shut on their own, trapping them within. The exact moment the stone doors sealed, the black monster opened its menacing red eyes, fully alert. It rose up, spread its wings to its full length, and cried out an earth-shattering roar.
Almost all of the group flinched at the sound, with some even covering their ears in fear of going deaf. Shulk's own ears were practically ringing like alarm bells from the aftermath. The sheer presence of the creature rendered him immobile.
"What the hell is that thing?!" Reyn cried out in outburst. Even he looked a little uneasy with facing such a powerful presence.
"A dragon."
It was Marth who answered. Somehow, he seemed totally unfazed by the awesome presence of the master of this floor. His gaze was firm, unwavering, unflinching. He brandished his dual swords, the opposite color blades glimmering in the blue light.
"Come again?" Azurda questioned, understandably confused.
"It's basically a giant lizard with wings and elemental attacks, usually fire-based," the Dark Swordsman explained calmly. "They appear lot in mythologies on Earth and they serve as tough bosses in video games."
"Translation," Kirito interjected, "prepare for a difficult fight. This thing's not gonna go down easy."
Well, that was comforting. If even Marth acknowledged the strength of this "Floor Boss", then this fight will be the hardest one so far.
Before Shulk could even mentally prepare himself, the dragon roared again, a faint light glimmering from its mouth. Immediately afterward, it fired a large stream of purple flames at the group. The heat coming from the breath attack grew more intense by the second as it drew closer and closer.
"Incoming!" Xander shouted.
Nearly all of the group scattered, desperate to avoid being scorched by the deadly flames. All except for Marth, Kisara, Kirito, and Shulk. Shulk didn't move because he was still petrified by the dragon's presence, but he had no idea why the trio in front of him were still in front of him. If they continued to stand there, then they'll die with him.
"Get out of the way!" Mythra cried out in warning.
"Hurry!" Klaus added in haste. "There's not much time."
Yet the three remained where they were. However, Shulk noticed that their body language was as firm as ever. They were up to something. That was the only explanation.
At that moment, he felt a strange gust of wind blowing against him. Visible black gales gathered around Marth, stirring up his coat and his long raven-black hair. Meanwhile the purple flames were nearly upon them, the intense heat pricking intensely upon Shulk's skin.
"Stormveil," the demon prince said calmly.
Suddenly, mere seconds before the purple flames reached the quartet, a dome of black wind surrounded them. The heat from the fire was still intense as it collided with the gale, but the flames themselves could only pass over them without so much as a burn.
Shulk found himself feeling speechless. He didn't think it was possible to stop any attack the dragon threw at them, and yet Marth effortlessly blocked its breath attack. However, the Homs should have expected as much, since the dual swordsman was the leader of the Harbingers, arguably the strongest guild from Aincrad save for one other.
The dragon's attack ended after just a few seconds, but to Shulk it felt like an eternity. Once the winds parted, he noticed the trail of smoke coming from its maw, not to mention its feral gaze.
"Listen up, everyone," Marth ordered, brandishing his right sword. "Reyn, Ethan, hold the beast's attention. Asuna, Kisara, and Sinon provide long range support while protecting Rose, Klaus and Azurda. Everyone else, pair up and attack from the sides."
"W-wait," Ethan spoke up nervously as the team regrouped. "Why do Reyn and I have to distract this thing? How do we even distract a dragon?"
"Just attack its front and avoid its teeth and flames," the Dark Swordsman replied nonchalantly. "Not to mention its sharp claws."
"That sounds…difficult," Poppi said slowly.
"Fine. Then you guys focus on blocking its attacks while I distract it. My speed should be enough to evade its attacks on my own."
"I'll help too," Kirito added in a firm tone. "Besides, I can't let you hog all the fun, partner."
Marth cracked a smile at that. "Alright. Now let's go!"
The dual swordsmen broke into a run, charging straight at the large dragon who roared in challenge. Asuna's team stayed in the back, readying spells and arrows. Though a little hesitant (more so with Ethan) the supposed tanks of the group rushed to join the Darkness Duo with distracting the monster. Meanwhile, Xander and Klein formed parties to attack the dragon's sides, with Shulk joining the latter.
The sounds of battle echoed in the air as the fight played out. Marth and Kirito did a good job of holding the dragon's attention, their quick speed and reflexes allowing them to dodge most of its attacks. They made excellent use of the Switch maneuver, where one fighter would parry an enemy attack with a Sword Skill, allowing a partner to jump in and unleash another Sword Skill at the defenseless target.
Unfortunately, whenever they had to use this maneuver, they had to use high-level Sword Skills to parry the dragon's claws and fangs. Their first blocking attempts with regular Sword Skills left them injured, which Asuna was able to patch up with a healing spell. Because they were using their stronger attacks, Marth and Kirito were forced into a longer post-motion delay after they concluded their attacks.
Fittingly for a supposed boss, the dragon naturally would try to exploit such a vulnerability, but that's where Reyn and Ethan came in. While they would occasionally land attacks of their own, which was hard to do because its hide was so thick, they focused primarily on protecting the Darkness Duo from harm.
From Shulk's position, he could see the sweat glistening from Reyn's body whenever he stopped one of those razor-sharp claws with his gunlance, which miraculously stayed intact. But how was that possible? That scrap driver was made from spare parts and needed to be enhanced by the Monado just to block a full-power attack from a Queen Arachno. Now Shulk was by no means a novice when it came to weapon development, but he never designed that gunlance to survive hits from a dragon. Just how was this possible?
The answer came to him when he took a closer look at his best friend. It was a bit hard to see, but there was a faint veil of water surrounding the Homs soldier, especially around his weapon. Of course, Asuna must have used a defense-enhancing spell on him to help block any attacks. Now that he noticed the detail, he could see the same veil around Ethan and Poppi. Talk about impressive.
Marth knew exactly what he was doing when he issued his orders. He kept the healers and long-range fighters to the back, away from any danger, with the exception of Nia and Dromarch since they can't really heal from a distance. Then he had the close-range fighters attack from the sides, not having to worry too much about the dragon's claws or mouth. Despite having only three years of fighting experience under his belt, Marth had the air of a seasoned tactician. It's no wonder the Harbingers became so strong in Aincrad.
Unfortunately, they weren't making much progress with slaying the beast. Its hide was like metal, easily deflecting most of everyone's attacks. Even the blade of the Monado was having some difficulty with leaving any cuts on its flesh. Xander seemed to be doing alright with the Aegis Sword, plus with Mythra's Foresight, he was able to dodge any sudden attacks on the flanking parties.
Speaking of which, even those two parties weren't safe from harm as the dragon would occasionally swing its massive tail around in a circle, knocking back anyone caught in its path. Shulk was able to evade them thanks to his visions, and was even able to warn his teammates so that they could avoid injury as well. The dragon would also unleash a barrage of fire lances from magic circles, which were really hard to evade, even with the ability to see the future. One even grazed Shulk's left leg because he wasn't able to dodge in time, they were so fast.
"Easy," Nia said calmly as she held one of her ringblades over the smoldering wound, the ends of the Blade weapon glowing with ether. He could feel the energy from the weapon stitching his flesh back together.
"Th-thanks," he replied.
"Just doing my job."
They hurried to rejoin the fight. Asuna's team was constantly raining down spells on the dragon while also providing healing for the distraction team. Those spells seemed to have some impact on the black beast, as the wounds they left were decent, with bronze blood gushing out. With that revelation, the Origo Drivers began unleashing special Arts with their Blades, with Kos-Mos and Mythra's Arts being rather effective. Fitting for two Blades who share the elusive Light element. The Alfheim Warriors even switched to Sword Skills that deal elemental damage, though they had to be careful with them because of the aforementioned post-motion delay.
After what felt like hours, it looked like they were finally making some progress as the dragon's attacks were slowing down, becoming less sporadic. Perhaps that vision he had back in the streets of Zophia won't happen after all. Dare he hope that it won't come to pass?
That fleeting desire came to a swift end when the dragon unleashed a dreadful screech, one more powerful than any it unleashed before, stunning everyone within range. A shockwave of power knocked the surrounding teams off their feet.
A purple magic circle surrounded the dragon, a pillar of dark light consuming it entirely. When the light finally faded, Shulk's eyes widened in horror. The beast's appearance had changed. It retained its black scales, but it had the addition of red tattoos that decorated its entire body. The horns on its head were more pronounced and gained more on its neck and spine. It even gained a second pair of wings. The presence around it was more intense than ever. The Homs engineer could tell that this sudden transformation had made the beast even stronger. Adding to that intense aura, all of its injuries have been closed up, much to the group's frustration.
"Damn it," Mythra cursed as she gritted her teeth while trying to get back up. "This thing was annoying to fight beforehand, now it just got even stronger."
"I believe I am experiencing frustration over the current circumstances," Kos-Mos added in her robotic voice. "Master, do you have any ideas?"
"Ngh," the Aegis Driver grunted as his team managed to return to their feet. "Keep on the offensive, but watch for any sudden movements. Its attack patterns might have changed so be careful."
"Okay," Yuuki replied, readying her sword. She wasn't smiling like her usual self, instead her eyes were alert. "This is a lot like the Floor Boss fights from Aincrad. Once the boss reaches a certain condition, its attack patterns change and even get stronger. You might call this its second phase, if you catch my drift."
Shulk partially understood that, but it was enough to get the general idea. The transformation came about because the dragon took a certain amount of damage to trigger it. Still the fact that the dragon was able to heal itself as well as power up, it managed to put a damper in everyone's morale. All of their hard work had been erased within a blink of an eye.
The beast let out a menacing snarl, which sent a shiver down Shulk's spine. Suddenly it lunged its front claws with incredible speed. Marth and Kirito were able to dodge just fine, but Reyn and Ethan weren't so lucky. Thankfully they were able to block in time, but the sheer impact sent them crashing into the stone pillars.
"Reyn!" Shulk cried out in concern as he hurried to his downed friend.
Another vision appeared to the blonde, showing the dragon unleashing a wide-spread ice spell to attack the party. The vision quickly faded as the event came to pass. A biting chill filled the air before the beast roared out, a purple magic circle surrounding it. A veil of jagged ice erupted, catching all the attackers off-guard.
Shulk himself was barely able to evade the ice, but he could hear some of his comrades not being so fortunate. He pressed further, somehow managing to reach his best friend intact, kneeling beside him while setting the Monado on the floor.
"Reyn! Are you okay?"
The auburn-haired soldier let out a wheeze. The impact from the pillar must have knocked the wind out of him. "I-I'm fine. I felt worse from the colonel."
If he had the strength to make a little joke, then he was probably fine. Still, just be safe, Shulk cast a Light Heal Art on his friend. He took a quick examination of Reyn's body as another precaution. Good. He didn't spot any serious injuries. The most he could find were just a few bruises plus a sprained shoulder. That enhancement spell must be responsible for the lack of injuries. Shulk really needed to thank Asuna once the fight was over.
"This isn't good," Reyn suddenly spoke up. "Look, Shulk."
He turned around and gasped in horror. The ice had ensnared Klein, Yuuki, Dromarch, and Poppi (who had taken the attack to protect her stunned Driver), all of whom having serious wounds. It was clear that they were out of the fight. Aside from Asuna's team, who must have been working overtime to patch up their downed comrades with Sinon providing cover with her arrows, the only ones left were Marth, Kirito, Jin, Xander, Mythra, and Kos-Mos. Nia looked alright, but it was clear she had to focus on healing duty while getting her downed comrades to safety.
Reyn was right. This wasn't good. In fact, things had just gotten worse. In an instant, the floor boss had managed to turn the tables on them, easily cutting their forces in half. This was a hopeless battle from the start. Was this where they were going to die? Despair was starting to settle within Shulk's heart as he lost the strength to stand up.
"Sei!"
"Raa!"
Two clear voices rang out. It was from Marth and Kirito. Despite them having lost three of their teammates, the dual swordsmen were still fighting, using every ounce of strength to hold the dragon's attention. They were practically a blur with how fast they were moving, the clashing of their swords against claws echoing crisply. They hadn't given up yet.
"Chroma Dust!"
Mythra, while airborne, fired a barrage of golden light from her sword, each one striking the dragon's back. As she landed beside her Driver, Xander tossed his white sword to Kos-Mos, which suddenly transformed into a large golden blaster shaped like a cross, which she held in one hand while a copy of it appeared in the other. In fact, it looked very similar to Mythra's Core Crystal.
"Gatling Fire!" Kos-Mos called out emotionlessly.
The twin blasters unleashed a constant barrage of ether bullets upon the dragon's right side, easily breaking the thick hide and causing its bronze blood to spill.
"Zero Blade!" Jin cried out before unleashing a rapid assault of slashes with his naginata. Also, was it just Shulk, or did the air suddenly get colder? Yes, the ice from the dragon's last attack was still present and generated bit a of chill, but somehow the air got even colder.
Shulk pushed the thought aside for now. What was important was that everyone else hadn't given up yet. Heck, Klein and Yuuki were trying to get back into the fight, despite Nia's protests as she tried to heal them.
"These guys are incredible," Reyn said in awe. "They've only known each other for about a day and they're fighting as a team."
"Yeah," the blonde replied, his mouth agape.
Just seeing the onslaught before him renewed Shulk's determination. Reyn still needed a few more moments to recover before he could rejoin the fight, but that didn't mean his best friend had too as well. As he reached for the Monado, however, a certain scene began to play out, the very scene that he dreaded to see happen.
Somehow, the dragon managed to isolate Marth from his partner, with Kirito in question trying to free himself from an icy prison ensnaring his feet. Shulk watched in horror as the beast slashed at the Dark Swordsman with its claws, which he was barely able to parry with his dual swords. However, the action rendered him immobile for a few precious seconds. Not letting up on its momentum, the dragon slashed at the gray-clad swordsman with its other front claws.
"Brother!" Kisara cried out in worry. The purple-haired fencer was nearing her elder sibling, clearly intending to take the blow herself.
Panic surged through Shulk's mind. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. If things didn't change, everything will play out exactly like it did in his vision. Kisara will die and Marth will succumb to some sort of dark force. But, was it even possible for him to change the future here? Sure, he warned everyone of the dragon's attacks before, but those weren't quite as threatening as this vision. That vision focuses on two people, not the entire group. It was a major vision.
"Do you seek to change it?" a familiar voice spoke within his mind. He knew this voice. It was the same one he heard in his dream from Tephra Cave, and of the one that brought him and Reyn to Temporal Island. "The future?"
"I do," Shulk responded. "But I don't even know if I'm allowed to do it, especially here. This isn't the Bionis. Everything here feels so different."
"You are overthinking this. If you wish to change the future, then do it. You are the wielder of the Monado. You decide what fate will happen. It does not matter which world you are in."
"Really? Is it really that simple?"
"It can be, if that is what you desire. There is no need to overcomplicate things. So, I ask again. Do you want to change the future?"
Did he want to change the future? Of course he does. What kind of person wouldn't want to change the future if it led to a dark path? Shulk refused to let the future he saw come to pass. With a renewed purpose, he grabbed the Monado, the weapon humming in his hands.
"So that is your answer? Very well. I do hope you survive this. There is much you have to do in our world after all."
Shulk was curious what the voice meant by that, but he had no time to question it. He had to act, and he had to act now. Time was of the essence. Kisara was dangerously close to pushing her brother away from the dragon's claws.
"Raaah!" With a mighty bellow Shulk rushed towards the demon siblings, the blue blade of the Monado igniting into life. He ran, faster than he's ever run before, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He only had one shot at this, so he had to make it count. A yellow symbol appeared on the glassy disc of the Monado, turning the energy blade into the matching color. This was Monado Shield, the very Art Shulk used to save Reyn's life back in Tephra Cave. It was able to deflect the attacks of the Arachno Queen. Now it was time to see if it could do the same against a dragon.
"Hyaa!" Shulk roared out as he swung the Monado in a circle, sending out a wave of ether that spread out across the corridor at lightning speed. The moment the ether reached Kisara, a yellow hexagonal barrier enveloped her, right before the razor-sharp claws touched her body. The moment the blade-like appendages made contact with the barrier, they were instantly deflected, leaving Kisara unharmed. He had done it. He had changed the future!
"Kisara!" he cried out as he reached the siblings, the sister helping the brother to his feet. "Are you okay?!"
"Y-yeah." She looked a little taken aback, which was understandable. She must have thought she was about to die from that last attack. "How did you do that?"
"With the power of the Monado," he answered firmly. "Just like how it grants me visions of the future, it also gives me the power to change it. I refuse to let anyone die. Not again!"
Kisara's eyes widened from his outburst. Suddenly they heard the dragon screech again and readied to block its claws together, only for Marth to block it with his dual swords. Surprisingly, he was actually able to repel it using brute force alone, knocking the dragon off-balance and sending back a few feet. Heck, one of its claws was even cut off.
"You have my thanks, Shulk," the Dark Swordsman spoke in a strangely calm tone. "I owe you my gratitude for saving my dear sister." He glanced over his shoulder to face the duo. His eyes were now a pale yellow. "But now it's time to unleash my real power. That overgrown lizard will regret the day it was born."
"Brother," Kisara called out in concern. "Be careful. Last time you couldn't…"
"I know. I'm just gonna use it to cripple this thing. I can't risk losing control at a time like this. Watch my back, okay?"
"Always."
Marth held his swords up, the blades facing the floor. A dark aura enveloped his body and his hair turned from black to a pale white. With a mighty cry, he swung the twin blades out, sending out a wave of power that seemed to shake the entire room. Everyone had their eyes on him, shocked by what they saw. Even the dragon looked nervous as it took a step backward.
"Myriad…Heaven," the Dark Swordsman muttered coldly, as if his very words became ice. Lunara and Solaris flashed with purple light.
In a flash, Marth rushed forward at the dragon, easily closing the distance between them. He then unleashed a barrage of slashes upon the beast, his movements too quick to follow through. He managed to sever one of the dragon's front legs and left deep gashes in its meaty neck. This was the 16-hit combo, Myriad Heaven, the fourth attack of Marth's Dual Blades style.
Like with all Sword Skills, Marth's body went rigid after the skill concluded, leaving him very much vulnerable to a deadly counterattack. After the final hit of Myriad Heaven struck, he collapsed onto his knees, his hair returning to its usual color and the dark aura around him disappearing. He looked…like he was fighting himself. Unfortunately for him, the floor boss was very much intending to exploit this opening as it looked incredibly furious from that last attack. It opened its gaping maw as purple flames began to gather at the back of its mouth, intending to finish him off with its breath attack.
"Starburst Stream!"
"Mother's Rosario!"
The dragon howled in pain, its breath attack interrupted as two new attackers struck it from the sides. It was none other than Kirito and Yuuki, the latter having recovered enough to rejoin the fight. The Black Swordsman had unleashed his fourth attack of his Dual Blades style, while the Absolute Sword was using a Sword Skill that she created herself. Apparently, it served her well in both Aincrad and Alfheim. The joint attacks threw the beast off-balance, suffering wounds more dire than before.
A flash of blue then rushed past Shulk and Kisara. It was Asuna, her rapier in hand. She got right in front of the dragon, not even flinching from its fierce glare. If anything, she looked more ferocious than the angry lizard. Now Shulk was beginning to understand why Asuna had the secondary nickname of the Berserk Healer.
"Star Splash!" she cried out as she activated the high-level Rapier skill, delivering a rapid series of upon the dragon's face. The speed in which she moved her blade was on par with her guild leader. It was impossible for Shulk to keep up. He just couldn't make out the tip of her blade. What was truly incredible though, was that she managed to take out both of the dragon's eyes, blinding it as bronze blood poured from the fresh wounds.
"Hell, yeah!" Klein whooped in cheer, also recovered from his injuries thanks to the Gormotti. "Nice going Asuna!"
"Mess with the leader of the Harbingers and you mess with all of us," the Berserk Healer said firmly, casually flicking the blood off her rapier, before helping her leader to his feet. "We're not just a team. We're a family."
This kind of implies that their current guild name, the Alfheim Warriors, is just superficial. Internally, Marth and the others still refer to themselves as the Harbingers, the most feared guild in all of Aincrad. Perhaps they simply changed the name to avoid scrutiny, but that was just speculation on Shulk's end. Then there was the fact that not all of the guild's members were here. How much stronger were they if they were all together. Something told him that even the Mechon wouldn't want to face such opponents.
"Alright guys, listen up!" Kirito exclaimed. "Hit it with everything you've got. It's time to end this. Sword Skills, Arts, everything!"
Everyone cheered and rushed forward with renewed vigor, attacking from all sides. The first to strike were Kos-Mos and Mythra, who both unleashed their X Buster and Lightning Buster Arts, crippling the beast even further by taking out a wing and another leg. Next were Klein and Sinon, who both unleashed elemental Sword Skills that left the dragon stunned. Following up were Nia, Dromarch, and Jin, with the former two unleashing Dark Maelstrom, while the latter unleashed a flurry of slashes before following up with spears of ice that embedded themselves in the monster's flank?!
Ethan had Poppi unleash her Noponic Axiom, piercing through the dragon's thick neck. Next were Reyn and Shulk, the former unleashing a powerful Sword Drive into the monster's stomach while the latter followed up with a Back Slash. Asuna and Yuuki were up next, the two swordswomen unleashing a beautiful combination of attacks that looked almost like a dance. After they were done, it was clear the beast was on its last legs as its breathing was becoming labored. It couldn't even muster the strength to retaliate.
"Marth! Kirito! Kisara!" Xander cried out.
"Finish this!" Sinon concluded.
The remaining trio nodded in acknowledgement and rushed together. They leapt into the air before swinging their swords down on the dragon's head, penetrating the skull and slashing the brain. The master of the floor let out one final, weak cry before finally collapsing onto the stone floor, succumbing to death.
They did it. After what felt like an eternity, they finally did it. They managed to kill that powerful dragon. There wasn't much cheer or celebration as practically all of the fighters promptly collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion, the stress finally beginning to leave them.
"Well done, everyone," Klaus said with a smile as he, Azurda and Rose made their way over to them.
"I'll be honest," the Titan admitted. "I had my doubts we would be able to win this battle, especially after that thing transformed, but you all managed to surprise me. I too must offer my congratulations to you all."
Rose just simply meowed, probably giving her own praise to the group. She then went over to Kisara and curled up into the demoness's lap, prompting the purplette to stroke her fur.
"Yeah… We won," Shulk spoke up, finally finding his voice again. It was hard for him to stay awake. He never felt this tired before. Perhaps he had overdone it a little. Still, he couldn't help but smile. He succeeded in changing the future. Perhaps his visions are a warning and that he was supposed to change the outcome of them. Reyn might have been onto something after all.
"I think…there are some things we need to discuss," Marth added, with him leaning against his partner and sister.
"Yeah," Xander agreed. "You first. What the heck was that power you used just now? Was that a Sword Skill or something?"
Shulk was curious about that as well. He had never seen such a display of power before, even from the Monado. The way it managed to scare even a dragon was frankly unnerving. It just didn't seem natural.
Clearly it was a topic that Marth didn't like to talk about given his visible hesitation. However, after taking a deep breath, he began to explain himself.
"There is…a dark power slumbering within me. I don't know why I have it, but it's how I was able to protect my sister the night our parents were murdered. It essentially pushes my strength and speed to the absolute limits, but it's nearly impossible for me to control it, hence why I don't use it very much. Plus every time I do use it, it becomes harder for me to come back, so I only save it as a last resort."
Mythra looked a bit shaken by the revelation. Go figure. Supposedly she lost control of her own power and destroyed an entire Titan during the Aegis War. It's no wonder why she would react in such a way. Shulk could only hope that something would allow the Aegis to find peace. The past can't be changed, but that didn't mean you should let it haunt you.
"Well, regardless, that was really impressive back there," Ethan noted. "At least it gives us one final trump card if things go south." To no surprise, Poppi punched him in the shoulder for his slight insensitivity.
"Now that that's out of the way," Asuna spoke up. She turned her gaze to Jin. "You're not a human, are you? None of the other Drivers were able to do what you just did. How did you summon those icicles?"
The masked swordsman let out a heavy sigh. He glanced over at the ice spears he embedded into the dragon's body, which still haven't melted even a little. "I knew this day would come eventually. I just didn't think I would reveal myself out of a slip-up like that." Jin reached up and removed the horned mask from his head. There, right on his forehead, was a diamond-shaped blue crystal. The exact same crystal that was on his naginata.
Practically everyone was shocked by the revelation.
"No way," Nia cried out.
"You're a Blade, Jin?!" the leader of the Origo Mercenaries exclaimed.
"I am. Five hundred years ago, I fought alongside Mythra in the Aegis War. During that time, I was called the Paragon of Torna, a kingdom that no longer exists. I was also the strongest Blade in the kingdom as well."
"Wow," Klein said in amazement. "That explains why you're so strong. That's incredible. But how are you here? I thought Blades lost their memories when they return to their cores."
"They do, but I never returned to my core. I'm not ready to fully talk about my past, at least the parts that I remember. Basically, my old Driver, Lorna, put me to sleep in a similar manner that Addam did to Mythra. It allowed me to retain my physical form and my memories. About a year ago, Klaus found me and did a partial resonance with me so that I could move about."
"So Klaus is your Driver?" Xander questioned.
"Sort of," the older scientist answered in the Blade's stead, his arms folded across his chest. "However, I am only serving as a temporary Driver. Given the unusual nature of his awakening, Jin is free to resonate with anyone he chooses provided they have the aptitude for it. It is up to him to choose who his next Driver will be, if any."
"I see. Well that explains why his fighting style was so unusual. But wait, he mentioned the name 'Torna' earlier. Is there any correlation between the group that attacked us the night we rescued Mythra?"
"Hard to say," Jin replied. "I recognize Malos and T-elos. Mythra and I fought him back in the Aegis War. Malos is actually another Aegis."
"Wait, what?!" Ethan cried out in shock.
Nia looked equally perplexed. "No way in hell. That Malos is another Aegis?!"
All eyes turned to Mythra, who had her head lowered in shame. It was clear that the mention of this Malos person was bringing about painful memories of hers. Shulk felt sorry for he, but he and the others needed answers to these questions of theirs.
"It's true," the Emerald Aegis confirmed. "Malos and I are Aegises. About five hundred years ago or so, a man climbed the World Tree to reach Elysium, hoping to meet the Architect. However, when he reached the top, he couldn't find Elysium or the Architect. To at least prove that he was there, he took back three cores. Malos, me, and one other. Sometime later, he awakened Malos. I don't know why he did. Maybe for power or something else I'm not thinking of.
"When Malos awakened, he wielded his power without restraint. Destruction for him was as natural as breathing. Eventually, he broke free from that man and began running rampant throughout Alrest. He even awakened T-elos to assist in his rampage. I was awakened by Addam O—" she stopped herself for a brief moment, "Addam, the fourth prince of Torna, to put a stop to Malos's rampage. I gave it everything I had and succeeded in defeating Malos and T-elos." Mythra then choked up. "But not without a price. Three continental Titans fell in the struggle, including Torna. I was the one responsible for Torna's destruction, because I lost control of my power. I sent Jin's home to the Cloud Sea's bed."
Silence befell the group, all of them trying to process the information that they just learned. It kind of reminded Shulk of the Battle of Sword Valley, but on a much bigger scale. It was understandable that Mythra suffered from some sort of PTSD from it. He had seen a few Homs soldiers going through the same thing after the supposed defeat of the Mechon.
"There's more you're not telling us, Mythra," Marth spoke up. "Don't think I failed to notice your little slip-up. Addam O? It's clear you were about to say his last name before you stopped yourself. It wouldn't happen to be similar to a certain someone's last name, would it?"
"Marth, I think you're overstepping your—" Xander was about to say.
"Origo. Addam Origo. He's Xander's ancestor." It was not Mythra who answered, but Azurda.
For the third time today, the group was shocked. So the current Driver of the Aegis and the leader of the Origo Mercenaries is a descendant of a legendary hero from five hundred years ago, who was also the previous Driver of the Aegis. Talk about one heck of a coincidence. In fact, both Mythra and Jin must have known all along, but just chose to keep quiet for their own reasons.
"Figured as much," Marth replied nonchalantly. "Why else would Mythra hesitate to give Addam's last name? Anyway, I think that's enough questioning for now. We should rest before we press onward. Hm?" He paused for a moment.
"Is something wrong?" Kos-Mos questioned.
"Thought I sensed something, but it's nothing. Anyway, rest up for now. We've still got a long way to go."
Shulk didn't argue as he found himself leaning onto Dromarch's fur along with the Gormotti Driver. It took him a mere second to fall asleep. He'll need all the rest he can get. The real battle was further ahead.
To be continued
Wow, first chapter in a long while that is dedicated to one POV. I mainly stuck with Shulk's POV since he is the central character in this chapter. Given how this is him prior to meeting Sharla, I figured I'd go into his hesitation over his visions, especially since he was dragged into a new world with different mechanics and such. I feel like it's natural he would be unsure if he could change the future outside of the Bionis, especially since he's just starting out on his journey. Anyway, we're in the homestretch now. The Temporal Island arc is nearly done. Once this arc is done, I can start working on my Xenoblade 1 story since it'll be set right after Shulk and Reyn return to the Bionis. I'm looking forward to that as I've always wanted to do a Xenoblade 1 fanfic (take a guess who I'm pairing Shulk with). That's all I wanted to say. See you guys next time!
Chapter 12: The Demon Lord
Chapter Text
A deep anxiety filled Xander's heart as he and his team continued their trek through Eclipse Tower. It was that same feeling of dread he had felt back when they were traversing the monster-filled city of Zophia. Was it simply fear of facing their final opponents that awaited them at the spire, or was it something else? Either way, he had a feeling that the next major battle may be the final one.
Speaking of fighting, ascending this enormous tower was a bit easier than the mercenary anticipated. After that terrible battle with that dragon halfway up, Xander had feared that any future monster battles in this tower would be even stronger than the ones from the lower half. However, that didn't seem to be the case. Whether it was because of their team composition or some factor that he didn't know about, the clashes with the monsters of the upper half were around the same strength as the ones he fought before. They were still tough and not ones to underestimate, but they were surprisingly more manageable than he anticipated.
This knowledge did little to soothe his nerves though. If anything, it made it feel like the tower was mocking them. It didn't see them as a serious threat, even if they somehow managed to kill that dragon. Whoever was waiting for them at the top must be more powerful than anything else on this floating rock. This was all just a game to them. Xander could feel it in his bones.
"Master, I am detecting life forms ahead of us," Kos-Mos suddenly announced. "It is the scouting team. They are just past that corner."
Sure enough, Marth and his small team were around the corner, simply waiting in a small chamber that had a stairway leading up. A light could be seen from the top of those stairs, meaning that the spire was just within reach. They had finally reached their destination.
Just beyond those stairs were the greatest foes the Origo Mercenaries had ever faced. An imprisoned god and their fanatical servant. They were the ones who brought both the mercenaries and the Harbingers to this place. If these two people fell, then they were free to finally return their respective worlds.
In all honesty, Xander was glad that the end of this journey was coming. He has had enough fighting in this unknown place to last a lifetime. He yearned to return to Alrest and continue with his job as mercenary. Sure, it wasn't the ideal lifestyle, especially for someone like him, but he was satisfied with it. As long as he could put food on the table and have a roof over his head, he'll tolerate the dangers of this occupation.
Speaking of which, what exactly was Marth going to do after he and his friends return home? Back on Earth, the Dark Swordsman was (mostly) a regular guy. He didn't have to risk his life like Xander did to get by. Heck, he seemed to be the only one who seemed largely unfazed by this whole adventure. This wasn't a sign of potential treachery, rather, Marth just simply didn't show his emotions too often. Instead, he largely kept them hidden behind a passive mask. Heck, the male demon rarely showed much emotion even in combat. It was frankly unsettling to witness as it made it hard to get a read on his thoughts.
Then there was that dark power he used against that dragon. Over the course of Xander's entire mercenary career, he had never seen anything like that before. It was clear that power was ancient, capable of sending fear to anyone who sees it unleashed, but beyond that, there just wasn't much he knew about it. Not even Marth fully understood this strange power or why he had it, or so he claimed. Xander could easily just use this newfound knowledge to cast doubt on the male demon, potentially severing this whole operation, but he chose not to. He had promised to give Marth a chance to trust him and to do something as dirty as that would go against his pride as a mercenary. Unless there was clear proof that the Dark Swordsman was malicious, Xander will not raise his blade against him.
"There's a terrible presence above us, one stronger than anything we've encountered so far," Jin spoke up as the two teams convened. "Marth and Kirito sensed it too. This might be the top of Eclipse Tower."
"Finally," Nia said in exasperation. "I've done enough climbing to last a lifetime."
"Agreed," Dromarch added. "Our journey has been a rather strenuous one. None of our previous ones could ever compare to this one with how taxing it has been."
The red-haired samurai nodded as he let out a heavy breath, likely trying to shrug off any fatigue he had. "No kidding," Klein said slowly. "I think only Aincrad really compares to this place. I can't wait to get back home and crawl into bed."
"That's a sentiment all of us are feeling right now," Ethan replied. He then shook his head. "Unfortunately I'm going to have to spend a lot of time fixing up Poppi's systems. All of her mechanisms have been working overtime to keep up with these monsters and our battle with that dragon did a lot of damage to her. Even I can't tell how long she can hold up without maintenance."
Xander couldn't help but agree to his friend's sentiment. Unlike Mythra and the others, Poppi was an artificial Blade. She couldn't shrug off injuries as well as a Blade normally could. It was common knowledge that Blades could regenerate, regardless of any wound it suffers as long as its crystal remained intact. But that didn't quite apply to Poppi. Now this didn't mean she couldn't heal from injuries at all because Ethan managed to create some kind of nano repair technology that uses Poppi's own ether energy to repair her body. It wasn't quite as powerful as a Blade's regenerative abilities, like potentially replacing lost limbs, but it was enough for her to shrug off minor injuries, especially during a fight.
However, the silver-clad Driver had noticed a dip in Poppi's battle performance lately. He noticed it as soon as they left that chamber where they fought that terrible dragon. What a terrifying battle. If it wasn't for Kos-Mos and Mythra shielding him with their combined ether barriers, he might not have escaped that ice attack unscathed. That one attack instantly shattered both Poppi and Dromarch's barriers when they tried to protect their own Drivers, which was how those two got injured in the first place. The water Blade had already fully recovered from the ordeal, but it doesn't seem to be the case with Poppi.
Her legs still had some gashes in them, with the occasional spark escaping every now and then. Because of her mechanical origins, healing effects from spells weren't very effective on her. Even Healing Arts didn't fully work on her. Shulk and Ethan tried to patch Poppi up as best they could before they all had to set out, but given their limited resources here in Eclipse Tower, it was pretty much just slapping a bandage on an open wound and hoping for the best.
Even now, Xander could see Poppi's body desperately trying to repair itself. Ether didn't exist in this realm, limiting how much power the artificial Blade could use to repair herself. What the Blades were using as a substitute was mana (at least that's what Klaus claimed), which was essentially the same as ether, but it had more of a magical effect than ether did. Blades weren't exactly compatible with mana so they weren't quite at full strength, but it was barely noticeable. However, that was pretty damning for Poppi. Ethan had to reoptimize her systems to be able to collect the magical energy in the air for them both to use Arts, but it was clear that she wasn't at full power. She and her Driver have been lucky so far, but will that luck carry them through this final battle? Xander didn't want to take the chance.
"Hey, Ethan. Poppi."
The two turned to their leader, confused by the sudden name call. "What is it, Xander?" the Ardanian Driver questioned.
The mercenary leader scratched his head nervously. He hated this and he knew his friends would hate this decision too. However, as their leader, he has a duty to keep all of his teammates safe. He prayed to the Architect that they would forgive him for this.
"I think it might be best if you two sit this fight out," he said solemnly. "It's clear that Poppi is really pushing herself to keep up with the rest of us. It's just not safe to have her keep fighting while in a compromised state."
"I am fine," the artificial Blade answered, rather quickly at that, with one hand over her orange core-like structure on her chest. "Yes, my systems are not in an ideal state, but I should be able to hold out during this next battle. There is no need to worry about me and Ethan."
"That would not be wise," Kos-Mos interjected, her red eyes staring into her fellow android. "Given your body's current condition, I estimate a sixty percent chance that you could suffer critical failure if you continue fighting without making proper repairs. Bringing you and Ethan into battle would be hinderance for us all."
Ethan gritted his teeth in frustration. Xander expected this reaction from him, but it still had to be said. "You're wrong, Kos-Mos," the Ardanian retorted. "Poppi and I can still fight. There's no way we're missing this battle, not when we've come this far."
"If you and Poppi come along, then you'll most certainly meet your deaths."
Silence befell the group in an instant. All their eyes turned towards the Dark Swordsman as he was the one who spoke that chilling remark. As usual, Marth maintained a passive expression, calmly leaning against the blue-green stone wall with his arms folded across his chest.
"The only reason you two are here is because I miscalculated," the male demon continued. "I noticed the other Blades have some difficulty with using their Arts, but I didn't do anything because they were able to make do with what they had. But that's not the case with Poppi. It's been hours since we killed that dragon and she's still not fully repaired. Bringing her along would just slow us down. The same goes for her Driver too."
"Hey!" Ethan cried out in protest, his hands tightening into fists. "You don't know anything about Drivers and Blades. Don't act all high and mighty with me, you freak!"
Xander could feel the tension rising in the air. He had to do something before a fight broke out. They couldn't waste their energy here, not when the final battle was so close, especially Marth's. Not that he thought little of Ethan and Poppi, but even in their best conditions, they stood no chance against the Dark Swordsman. If they fought, victory would easily go to the Spriggan in gray.
Acting quickly, he reached out and grabbed Ethan's shoulder before the latter had a chance to reach for his sword. "Stop this, Ethan," he said calmly, trying to soothe his comrade's nerves. "I think there's more to his rationale than you think. Just hear him out." Internally, Xander prayed that was the case not Marth just being an asshole, but it was enough to get black-haired Driver to stand down.
Marth let out a grunt before continuing his explanation. "Look I was against bringing Klaus and Azurda with us from the beginning. We've been very lucky that they haven't gotten caught in the crossfire in any of our battles so far, but luck only lasts for so long. Whoever is waiting for us up there, I doubt they're ones to play fair. Neither Klaus or Azurda can properly defend themselves. If they go up those stairs, they'll be a liability. There's no guarantee that we can keep them safe."
"Not to mention that they might attack focus on attacking Ethan and Poppi because of their compromised state," Kirito added, his voice almost melancholic. "A team is only as strong as their weakest member. It might be best if they stay here with Klaus, Azurda, and Rose."
"Will it be alright with just Ethan and Poppi guarding three people?" Mythra questioned. "I mean, there aren't any monsters nearby, but what if they get ambushed while we're busy fighting in the spire? We won't be able to send help if that happens."
"Already ahead of you, Aegis," Marth spoke up before turning his gaze to his guildmates. "Klein, Yuuki, I need you two to stay behind to reinforce Ethan and Poppi. I'm sorry, but you're the ones I can afford to cut from this upcoming fight."
"Roger that," the Salamander samurai replied while giving a salute. "You're the boss, after all."
Yuuki looked a little upset that she would be a part of the final clash, but she made no effort to oppose her boyfriend's decision. Perhaps she felt that she had no way prove the Dark Swordsman wrong. "Alright," the purple-clad Imp said slowly, forcing a light smile. "Just be careful up there. Kisara, Kirito, I'm counting on you two to look after my boyfriend for me."
"Naturally," the demoness said smoothly.
"You've got my word."
Ethan didn't make an effort to protest any further. Even he had to see the logic in their reasoning. He even apologized for his rude remark towards the Dark Swordsman, who just casually shrugged it off. It would seem that it would take more than one slipup to make Marth hold a grudge against someone.
"Be careful up there," Azurda said slowly, his voice filled with concern. "Win and come back safe."
"Of course," Xander replied. "We'll do our best. See you guys later."
And with that, the newly reformed strike force made their way up the stone staircase. They knew the battle awaiting them would not won easily, but they prayed that everything would turn out alright.
It was hard to breathe up here. That was the first thing Shulk noticed when he reached the top of the staircase. That shouldn't be too surprising considering how high up they were. Marth even warned him about this once they set out from the floor where they fought that dragon. However, the high elevation only seemed to be a small contributor for blonde's difficulty to breathe. There was a huge tension in the air, as thick as syrup. There was barely even a breeze, it was so thick. If he swung the Monado around, he felt like he could see the air literally separate before him. There a powerful being here, one stronger than anything Shulk has ever faced before. Was it the dark god that was imprisoned here? Was it the Zeta's minion, the one who was keeping them trapped in this realm? Or maybe it was both? Shulk couldn't tell. All he knew was that his instincts were screaming at him to run, that he wasn't ready to face such an opponent.
However, he brushed that fear aside. He had come all this way to assist with this quest to prevent the revival of Zeta and he fully intended to see this quest through. As long as he had the Monado in his hands and received his visions of the future, not to mention his new friends, he knew he could handle whatever this island threw at him.
The spire of Eclipse Tower was more simplistic than he would have thought. There wasn't any grand statues or monuments dedicated to any deities, or anything for that matter. All that was here were dozens of black and white stone columns, some of which were crumbled and broken. Whether it the flow of time or some great clash that caused their destruction, he could not say. However, he could not understate how massive the spire was. Eclipse Tower's perimeter did shrink the closer you got to the top. The spire was around the size of the military district back in Colony 9, perhaps maybe a little smaller. There were no walls around the perimeter, meaning that if he was not careful, he could easily find himself thrown off the tower and fall to his death. Meanwhile the sky had grown dark, black clouds blocking out most of the light from above. The sounds of thunder boomed fiercely as lightning danced in the air.
Tightening his grip on the Monado, the ancient blade hummed quietly as it opened up. There wasn't much cover out here. Not many places to hide, but that doesn't mean any sudden attacks can't come from any direction. Shulk remained with the group, his position being up front with Marth and Xander, who all had their weapons drawn, as they made their way to the center of the spire.
After the center was merely a few meters away, Shulk saw that there was someone there. It was a man garbed black armor with red accents decorating it, a flowing red cape draping behind his back. The design of the armor screamed demonic, what with all the spikes around the shoulders, knees and elbows. Even his gauntlets looked more like claws than actual metal gloves. His gray hair was flat, falling to his shoulders. He was well built too. His arms and legs were covered in plate armor, but they looked no less thick and sturdy. A terrifying air surrounded him, sending shivers down Shulk's spine. Just by looking at this man, the young engineer felt this overwhelming sense of dread.
The man's back was turned towards the group. Did he not hear them approach? No, that couldn't be it. Dunban once warned Shulk that if a deadly warrior ever had their back towards their opponent, that was rarely a good sign. Normally doing such a thing is ill-advised because it leaves you vulnerable, but those with enough battle experience can easily cover up that weakness with incredible instincts. Given the deadly aura around this man, it wasn't out of inexperience or arrogance that his back was turned. He saw them all as weak and truly believed he could repel them all if they all attacked at once. This was not good, considering they had three powerful Blades and a demon with a forbidden power among their ranks. If he didn't consider any of them to be a threat, then they are in grave danger.
"Calm down," Shulk chided himself, trying to calm his nerves. "Don't do anything rash. Wait for him to attack first. I can't beat him head-on, but I can at least support and the others with my Monado Arts."
"My, my. We haven't even started yet and you're already trembling."
Shulk let out a gasp from hearing that smooth, confident voice coming from the man before him. He didn't expect him to sound that way, but if he was a demon as well, it would make some logical sense. After all, both Marth and Kisara had charming voices (at least according to the other Harbingers), adding to their devilish charm. Unfortunately, the man was right in his claim. Shulk dared to toss a look down to his hands and sure enough, they were shaking. He was having difficulty with holding up the Monado. It felt incredibly heavy in his hands, as if it suddenly tripled in weight. Was this…fear?
Most of the others looked unnerved as well, including Xander. This was not good. Not good at all. The battle hasn't even started yet, and their morale was dangerously low. The only one who seemed unfazed was Marth. The Dark Swordsman had his dual swords held in a defensive position, anticipating a coming attack. His eyes were narrowed. Was it Shulk's imagination, or did Marth look angry?
"This isn't our first meeting, is it?" the Dark Swordsman questioned firmly, the grip on his swords tightening as he spoke. "We've crossed swords before."
The man let out an amused chuckle before finally turning to face the group, revealing his obsidian black eyes. His long gray bangs parted along his chiseled face. His mouth was curved into a confident smirk.
"That is correct," he answered calmly. "I'm impressed that you were able to recall that much just from looking at me. We fought each other on opposite sides seven thousand years ago, during the War of Light and Shadow. We tried to kill each other in the name of our patron gods. For me, it was Zeta, while you fought for Sinestra, the Goddess of Darkness."
Sinestra? Didn't that figure from Shulk's dream mention that name? She was part of the reason he even got to Temporal Island in the first place. Supposedly, she believed that he and Reyn would be an asset for Marth and his team. But just who was she? What was her role in all this?
As if expecting everyone's bewilderment, the man went on into greater detail. "Ah, pardon my manners. Some among you still haven't recovered your memories from that era while others are hearing this all for the first time. I'm sure you're all at least aware of the great war that ravaged this world seven thousand years ago and how it was all started by my master, the God of Destruction. To put it plainly, he saw humans and fairies as weak, undeserving of life, so he plotted to wipe them out. He recruited me, one of Sinestra's six demon lords, and I managed to overthrow the Umbris family's rule of Eternus, adding its power to my master's army. I even managed to convince four other demon lords to turn traitor."
"Umbris rule?" Kisara muttered. "You mean my brother and I are demon royalty?"
"Correct. The Umbris family were the first demon family to be created by Sinestra. In fact, they were directly created from her own blood. All other families were basically off-shoots, created through the template the Umbris family provided. As such, only demons of Umbris descent contain divinity in their blood, making them especially powerful. They are the only ones who can take the Eternian throne, however that did not stop me from usurping power and becoming king, even though I myself am not an Umbris."
Kirito gritted his teeth in disgust. "Let me guess, you executed anyone that dared to question your rule. You used fear to keep everyone in line."
"You catch on quick, Black Swordsman. Yes, that was exactly what I did. After all, no usurpation is ever peaceful. My right hand, Arcanos, the Demon Lord of Gluttony, personally saw to the purging of any rebels in Obsidia while I dealt with the king, their deaths reaching the thousands. Their blood flowed like rivers that day, forming a new path for my order. Ah, I can still hear their screams of terror from that day. Brings a smile to my face every time."
"You monster!" Jin shouted in protest, his ice-blue eyes narrowing into slits. It was unnerving to see someone so reserved looking so angry, but it was a sentiment Shulk himself felt. "All those people, families and children. You killed them all for your own personal gain, and you took pleasure in it."
"I never thought I'd meet someone as bad as Malos," Mythra added, looking just as pissed off. "You are so not leaving here alive when I'm through with you!"
"Most of you shouldn't even be here at all," the man explained. "The spell I used should have only drawn in Zane, no Marth, and his allies to this tower, however a slight accident with the ritual caused me to bring you Drivers and Blades as well, not to mention causing you all to land in the Dreadmire."
"We already know why you summoned us here," Xander spoke up. "You want to sacrifice us to free Zeta from his imprisonment."
"Correct. You see, I am a reincarnation as well, but once my memories returned to me, I came to Temporal Island at once so I could begin preparations to revive my master with all haste. I spent years waiting and preparing for this day, only for that little slipup to happen. Oh, I'm not mad at this. In fact, I was quite elated when I saw you Drivers and Blades stumble into this realm. Now I have even more offerings for my dark lord."
Shulk tossed a glance behind the man to see a strange structure behind him. It was an altar by the looks of things. It looked very ornate with its decorations. Hovering in its center was a large gemstone that was black as night. The gem was cut like a diamond and had strange ethereal purple chains clipped into its pointed edges. He could feel a dark power slumbering within it, but also this foreign desire to look away from the stone. In fact, just looking at gem was causing his head to ache. Soon he was forced to look away out of fear of getting a migraine, or worse, some kind of brain damage. He couldn't risk getting any sudden ailments now. Not while this guy was around.
"Man you are one messed up bloke," Reyn commented while readying his scrap driver. "All you've been doing is talking about stuff that happened ages ago. You haven't even told us your name yet."
"I didn't? Oh, how rude of me. My name is Zarc, and I am the Demon Lord of Greed, or Greed Lord for short. Now I believe that's enough talking. It's time for you all to die!"
Suddenly a gray vision came to Shulk. It was of Zarc materializing a wicked red greatsword before rushing at the group with unnatural speed. He swung his massive blade down at the blonde engineer with ease, slicing him across the chest and leaving behind a fatal wound. Shulk's vision abruptly returned to normal. He took a breath in and prepared to usher out a warning to his friends.
However, the moment he was about to give the warning, Zarc suddenly appeared before him, his greatsword in hand. That was so fast, too fast even. There wasn't even any time to ready Monado Shield to block that overhead attack. There was no way he could block it with the Monado alone. He had to lean back. It was his only chance to survive this attack. He had to move and dodge this attack. And yet, despite his overclocked senses, Shulk's body was moving too sluggishly. It was as though time had slowed to an absolute crawl, purposely prolonging his torment.
"Am I…about to die?"
He couldn't die here, not when he still had so much to do back on the Bionis. He still had to make the Mechon pay for nearly destroying Colony 9, for them killing Fiora, one of his best friends. This can't be how it ends for him. It just can't.
Suddenly Shulk felt something grab the back of his shirt. It was soon followed by a strange feeling of weightlessness. No, it was more accurate to say that he felt his body being tugged to the side. The jerkish grab pushed Shulk to the left, away from path of the large sword, his body spinning as a result. As he fell, Shulk saw who was responsible for his escape.
It was Marth, his right hand still holding Lunara while his left was empty. Somehow, he had gotten behind Shulk in time to push him out of the way, knowing full well that the blonde couldn't react in time to dodge that attack. But how could he have pulled off such an incredible feat? It took seeing the occasional bolts of purple lightning sparking off the demon prince's body for him to realize. Marth was a master of wind and lightning magic. It would make sense that he could use it to temporarily enhance his speed.
However, while Shulk may be saved from death's embrace for now, it was now the Dark Swordsman who was in danger of getting killed. Could he muster up enough strength to repel that attack with just one sword? Surely Marth had already planned out a way to get out of this scenario, right?
Purple lightning gathered around gray-clad Spriggan's left hand and suddenly Solaris suddenly rushed back into his grip, as though it had been pulled by an unseen force. Was that some kind of magnetic trick? If so, that was pretty clever. Now Marth could battle at his full strength.
Time went back to its normal pace as Shulk's back hit the ground. A flash of pain surged through his spine as a result of the impact, but he was still very much alive. He watched with wide eyes as Marth blocked Zarc's attack with his dual swords. However, shockingly enough, the Dark Swordsman was having trouble repelling the large sword. Small beads of sweat trickled down his face as he struggled against the overwhelming force.
"Always so predictable," Zarc said mockingly, a sadistic grin on his face. "I knew you'd move to protect your weaker teammates from me. You haven't changed at all, Marth." He then put more strength into his blow, adding to the demon prince's strain to repel it. "However, it seems you haven't yet regained your full power. This will be easier than I initially thought."
Marth's eyes flashed with fury, a foreign sight for the Dark Swordsman. "Don't…count on it!" he bellowed. A gust of wind suddenly burst forth from the young demon, pushing everyone, save for Zarc, away. Somehow, that burst of power also enabled him to repel the red greatsword away.
The two demons began unleashing a furious engage of swordplay, neither party giving an inch. At first glance, it would seem that they were equal in strength but it soon became clear that Marth was the one on the defensive. His fast movements were barely enough to evade and block any of Zarc's attacks, while he was unable to launch a single counterattack.
"I have to get up," Shulk realized in haste. "I need to help Marth out. He can't win on his own."
But Shulk's body simply wouldn't move. It refused to listen to his commands. Did Zarc unleash some kind of paralysis attack to keep him from interfering in this battle? No, definitely not. It was simply an overwhelming sense of fear. Shulk had never seen anyone as powerful as the Greed Lord before. Not even that faced Mechon or that dragon could compare to his strength. Shulk could feel it in his bones. He was no match for Zarc. If he stepped in to help, he would most likely get in the way.
Several figures rushed in to support the Dark Swordsman. It was Kirito, Jin and Xander. A small opening within Marth and Zarc's clash had allowed them to jump in and join the fight. Strangely enough, Zarc's sword suddenly shrank to the same length and width of a typical longsword, likely to give him more flexibility to deal with multiple opponents.
That seemed to be the case as Zarc easily adapted to fighting his additional opponents. No one, not even Jin, could get past his blade to land even a scratch on his armor. That armor must weigh a ton, yet the Greed Lord moves around so easily. If anything, it seemed like he was actually holding back against the group, and if that was true, then they were in serious trouble.
Bolts of fire, spears of ice, and lightning-charged arrows suddenly rushed towards the demon lord. Shulk knew that had to have come from Asuna's team. They were trying to distract Zarc enough to create an opening for Marth's team to land a solid blow. Sadly those efforts would be in vain as the Greed Lord muttered a few words before a black magic circle appeared before him, all while he kept repelling any attacks from the melee fighters. A wall of black earth emerged from the circle, effortlessly blocking the trio of attacks. Kos-Mos, who had her Blade weapon in hand, tried firing a few ether bullets from another angle, but another earthen wall rose to block her attack.
Suddenly that clay wall exploded as Zarc rushed at the Light Blade, his sword poised to attack. Kos-Mos quickly raised her ether barrier to protect herself, but it instantly shattered the moment his blade made contact. The impact sent her flying backward, colliding into a stone column, almost immediately shattering it. She fell to her knees and coughed up blue ether, struggling to catch her breath.
Shulk then received a vision of Zarc's next attack, which was towards Asuna's group. Reyn would try to block the red sword with his gunlance, only for the sword to easily cleave through it like a hot knife and cut off the soldier's right arm, the Homs's blood gushing from the open wound. Before he could even cry out in pain, Zarc ran his sword through the soldier's chest, right where his heart was located.
"No, Reyn," the heir to the Monado muttered. He had to push his fear aside, otherwise his best friend was going to get killed. He nearly lost him once, and he was not going to go through that again.
Gathering his strength, Shulk forced himself onto his feet, right as Zarc was making his way over to the Undine and her group. Reyn, seeing this, hurried to defend them, raising his scrap driver in anticipation. The Greed Lord simply smirked at this.
"I'll wipe that grin right off your face, you bastard," Shulk thought to himself.
The Monado flared to life in his hands, responding to his will to save his friend's life. The symbol for Monado Shield appeared on the weapon, the energy blade turning a golden yellow. With a mighty shout, Shulk swung the red sword in a circle, sending out a wave of yellow ether. It reached Reyn just in time, enveloping him in the familiar hexagonal barrier. As expected, Zarc's attack was immediately repelled the moment his sword touched it.
"What the?" the Greed Lord said in confusion. He tossed a glance over to Shulk. "You. This is your doing, isn't it? Looks like you just volunteered to die first."
"Over my dead body!" Reyn shouted in anger. He rammed the flat of his gunlance against the demon lord, knocking him back a few feet. Not letting up, Reyn raced forward, determined to run his blade through Zarc's chest.
"Reyn, wait!" Shulk cried out in concern. He hadn't gotten another vision, but he didn't need one to see that his friend was being rash. However, his words fell on deaf ears as the former soldier continued his charge.
Zarc snapped the fingers of his left hand, creating five more black magic circles, these ones much smaller than the ones he made previously. The jagged tips of spears made of black stone emerged from them. He then swung his empty hand out, firing the volley at the soldier. Seeing the attack coming, Reyn raised his gunlance to defend. The first four went for a direct approach. They collided head-on with the scrap-driver-Shield combo, seemingly unable to break through until the spears suddenly broke through the hexagonal barrier, before impaling themselves within the gunlance itself.
"What in Bionis?" Reyn said in confusion.
"Interesting," the Greed Lord commented. "So that barrier acts like an absolute defense, but only for physical attacks. It doesn't seem too effective at blocking spells. Good to know. Goodbye, boy!"
"Reyn, behind you!" Shulk cried out.
Zarc had fired five stone spears. Four had impaled themselves within Reyn's weapon, but the fifth had disappeared. However, as Shulk's warning had indicated, it was attacking from the back. The first four had been a diversion! To make matters worse, it was rushing towards him at high-speed.
Even if the former soldier had seen it, he wouldn't be able to react in time to dodge it. The Monado Shield couldn't protect him from magical (and likely ether-based) attacks and his gunlance was in no condition to take another blow. There was nothing Shulk could do to help his friend. He could only watch helplessly as the spear made a beeline for the soldier's basically exposed back.
"Reyn, no!"
"Piercing Flame!"
A clear voice cut through the air. A nebula-colored blur rushed forward, intercepting the jagged spear. It was Kisara, rapier in hand. The purple blade flashed crimson as violet flames gathered around it. She then executed a series of eight thrusts, all at rapid speed, each one striking the stone spear. After the eighth hit, the Greed Lord's attack shattered into fragments, leaving both the Homs and demoness unharmed.
Thank Bionis for that. It would seem that Kisara had some of her brother's quick thinking, given how fast she reacted to coming to Reyn's defense. What she had just used was her own Original Sword Skill, Piercing Flame. Apparently, she had created it back in Aincrad, but later upgraded it to do fire-elemental damage when the OSS system was added to Alfheim Online.
Right before he could even sigh with relief over his best friend's rescue, another vision came to him. It was a brief one, only showing Zarc standing before Shulk while lunging his sword at the Homs. He could hear someone calling his name, but he couldn't tell who it belonged to. The vision then ended, however before Shulk could even question what he saw, the Greed Lord suddenly appeared before him, his longsword pulled back.
Curses. Even though Shulk was still getting his visions, it meant nothing if he couldn't react in time to stop them. He had gotten lucky the last time when he saved Reyn from Zarc's assault, but now the same thing from the start of the fight was happening all over again. He could hear Reyn and co screaming at him to run, but Shulk knew it was pointless. He simply couldn't match Zarc's speed. He wasn't like Marth, Kirito, Jin, Asuna or even Mythra. He was just a regular Homs engineer who only got to wield the Monado purely by chance. He was never meant for the battlefield. However, that didn't mean he'd go down without a fight. Seeing the Harbingers and Origo Mercenaries in action taught him that. So, with great determination, Shulk raised the Monado to block the attack, even though his reaction time was too slow to do anything.
"So long, kid," Zarc said calmly as he lunged his sword forward.
"Shulk!?" Reyn shouted, rushing to save his dear friend, knowing in vain that he would not make it in time, with Kisara just ahead of him.
"Shulk!" a familiar voice cried out.
Suddenly Shulk found himself lying on the ground. He felt some pain on his face and legs, but they were relatively minor, possibly just some scrapes. His vision was a little hazy, like from the sudden impact. He let out a sudden gasp and grasped at his chest. He felt his shirt in his grip, but there was no damp feeling there, nor the feeling of a hole in the fabric. There was no injury. Somehow, he had escaped (relatively) unharmed!
Was it Marth again? Did he use his magic to close the distance and move Shulk out of the way? If so, why didn't he hear that familiar clashing of blades. There wasn't even a breeze to be felt from the burst of magic. Instead, what Shulk heard was an agonizing scream of terror.
Hesitantly, he looked up, his vision still a little blurry. He could see two figures before him. After a blinking a few times, his eyesight became clear again. The first figure he could make out was Zarc, who had a strange look of bewilderment. The second was a familiar figure dressed in blue. In their right hand was a white sword with a large golden energy blade.
"Xan…der…?" Shulk muttered hoarsely, recognizing the figure. Then his eyes widened in terror as he saw droplets of blood splatter onto the stone ground. Red blood.
The mercenary leader let out a weak cough, his lifeblood dripping out of his mouth. Right in his chest was a red longsword, Zarc's longsword. The blade had run all the way through him, with about half of it sticking out of his back. His lifeblood slid down the blade before dropping to the ground in small amounts. He had been stabbed, right through the heart.
To be continued
Yeah, I'm evil. Ending such a tense chapter with such a cliffhanger. I was going to have the full fight in this one by making the chapter extra long, but it was too perfect to end it this way. Sorry if Shulk came off as really weak in this one, especially after the feat he pulled off in the previous chapter, but I wanted to show off just how powerful Zarc is. To keep things brief, demon lords are essentially minor gods in terms of power. Given that this is early-game Shulk, there was no way he'd stand a chance against Zarc, especially since aside from Enchant and Buster, he only has ONE Monado Art right now, that being Shield. In fact, most of the cast can barely even keep up with the guy, especially the Xenoblade one. Anyway, I'll see you guys next time!
Chapter 13: Clash Between Demon Lords
Chapter Text
What's this? A new chapter released a few hours after the last one? Has the world gone mad? All joking aside, I still felt the urge to write more even after writing that last chapter. And since I left it on such a huge cliffhanger, I felt that I shouldn't make you guys wait ANOTHER month or so to see what happens next. I can't guarantee how often this will happen as like I've mentioned sometime before (probably in Ashen Wolf) I prefer writing when I'm in the right mood as I feel like I don't put out my best work if I try to force myself to write. Anyway, enjoy this bonus chapter!
Everything had happened so fast. Even the legendary Aegis had difficulty processing how this battle had gone as she saw in horror that her Driver had been impaled by Zarc's blade. Initially she had gone with her Driver to help support Marth, alongside Kirito and Jin, while Kos-Mos and the others provided ranged support, but that hardly even slowed the Greed Lord down. He seemed to have the ability to change the shape of his weapon on the fly, switching the heavy greatsword for a slimmer longsword. His speed was crazy too, far greater than anyone Mythra had seen before. Not even that Julius fellow held a candle compared to Zarc. Any attack they threw at him, he easily repelled, all with that arrogant smirk plastered on his stupid face.
Things really fell through for Marth's team the moment those clay walls went up. The very instant they went up, he had launched a massive counterattack with this earth spike spell. It started by shooting spikes from the ground, which everyone was able to dodge with relative ease, but that was only the first phase of the spell. The next phase had those same spikes fired into the air, constantly trying to run themselves through the fighters. Now that alone was challenging given how fast they moved, but they were also annoyingly sturdy that regular attacks could barely even scratch them. Then you had to factor in Zarc himself, who was constantly on the offensive while his opponents were struggling to even survive this onslaught.
Just to survive, they had to change their strategy by having Marth and Kirito holding back Zarc while Xander and the others dealt with the spears. As much as Mythra hated to admit it, she was lucky to have come out of that ordeal alive. They were constantly attacked from all angles, all directions. Nowhere was safe. Not even the ground which they stood on. The very floor felt sticky, as if it was trying to swallow the Aegis whole. The only solution to deal with it was to constantly be on the move, which is really hard to do while dodging high-speeding spears of stone!
Somehow the three mercenaries managed to destroy a majority of the stone spears, but they were pretty beat up as a result. Mythra's dress and leggings were torn, with blue ether pouring out of her open wounds. The tendon of Jin's right leg was severed, the spear still sticking out of him. He had taken a hit for Xander as such a blow was outright crippling for a human. As a Blade, Jin can heal from any wound so long as his core crystal is intact, but that takes time, time they might not have. As for the Aegis Driver himself, he had few cuts here and there, but they didn't look too serious. It was only thanks to Mythra's Foresight that he managed to get by with just those injuries.
Then there were Marth and Kirito. To put it bluntly, they were covered in injuries too. Despite their coordination, they were only barely getting a few hits on Zarc, leaving only minor gashes in the Greed Lord's armor. They probably could have done better if they didn't have to constantly dodge any earth spikes that got through the trio. The Black Swordsman in particular was even worse for wear. In fact, from all of Mythra's quick glances while dealing with the spikes, it looked like Zarc was deliberately going for the black-garbed Spriggan. Was he trying to get a reaction out of Marth, to force the demon prince into making a mistake? It was hard to say, but possible. Although, speaking of the Dark Swordsman, Mythra once noticed this strange smirk on his face. Was he…enjoying this duel of death?
Things really turned to hell after Kos-Mos's failed long range barrage attack. In just the blink of an eye, Zarc unleashed a barrage of earth magic spells. First he shook the ground to make them lose their balance, then fired another volley of earth spikes which were even harder to dodge. Mythra had to unleash a barrage of Arts alongside her Driver just to protect the two of them. Jin managed to shield himself within a dome of ice, which barely managed to withstand Zarc's magical assault. As for the Darkness Duo, they somehow managed to pull through, having both partners covering each other's backs. That is, until one slipped past Marth's guard and was about to pierce his shoulder had Kirito not taken the blow himself
Mythra could still remember seeing the fountain of blood gushing out from the Black Swordsman's wound. Thankfully Nia and Dromarch had managed to break through and began trying to patch the dual wielder up while Marth covered them. In fact, that was probably the most serious Mythra ever saw the demon prince fight. Kirito's shoulder wound looked serious, with him barely able to move his left arm. Nia was working hard to heal him with her Arts, but it was taking too long to close.
Somehow, they managed to destroy the remaining earth spikes, but while they were distracted with that, Zarc had begun attacking the others in the group. The first to go down was Kos-Mos. He struck so fast the android could barely react in time to block it with her defense barrier. She looked relatively fine, only getting a sprained back and the wind knocked out of her. She managed to recover quickly enough to come to her Driver's aid, allowing the Aegis to switch to a more supportive role.
Then the Greed Lord went after Asuna's team. Thankfully through the combined efforts of Shulk and Reyn, the team of three were safe. However, that's when Mythra noticed that her Driver had disappeared, along with her sword. It was right at the moment where they destroyed the last of spikes, the Aegis turned her head just in time to see Zarc run his sword right through Xander's heart.
"Xander!?" both she and Kos-Mos cried out in anguish.
Panic and worry surged through the Aegis's heart. When a Driver dies, their Blades are reverted to core crystals, and they lose all their memories. As an Aegis, the usual Blade rules don't quite apply to Mythra herself, but that wasn't the case for Kos-Mos. If Xander died, the android would lose all her memories of their time together, of all the times she cared and defended him. If she reverted back into a core crystal and was reawakened, it would be like Xander never existed for her. Truly, a fate worse than death. The curse of being a Blade.
The Light Blades rushed to their shared Driver, despite Jin and the others' warnings. They didn't care. They had to go to Xander. They had to save him before it was too late.
A bloodthirsty rage practically radiated off of Kos-Mos, who was running on fumes given that her resonance to Xander was fading rapidly, parts of her body glowing with blue light. It won't be long before she reverts back into a core crystal and loses all her memories. Right now, that uncharacteristic anger was probably the only thing that was maintaining Kos-Mos's physical form.
Kos-Mos's blaster reverted back into a white sword as she rushed towards the Greed Lord. He saw her reckless charge and simply smiled that sadistic smile. He was enjoying the torment he was causing them. In one swift motion, he pulled his sword out of the Aegis Driver's chest, grabbed him by his coat, and threw them at the Light Blades. In an instant, both girls abandoned their angered pursuit and quickly moved to catch their fatally wounded Driver. It was probably the first time they truly worked together.
Somehow, they managed to catch Xander with no issue and set him gently on the ground. They knelt on either side of him as his lifeblood pooled beneath him, but neither cared. Right now, they were just desperate to keep their Driver alive. He was already starting to fade, if his cloudy eyes were any indication.
"Xander. Xander!" Mythra said desperately as she clutched his right arm. Her heart was pounding against her chest, this foreign feeling of dread and fear overwhelming her. "Don't you dare die on me. We were just starting to know each other. I still haven't told you my wish yet."
Yes, there was a wish that she had. One that she has carried from the moment she went to sleep five hundred years ago, after the Aegis War had ended. She had hoped that Xander would be the one to grant it. But now it seemed like that will not be the case. Was this her punishment by her father, the divine Architect, the one who created the world of Alrest? Was he punishing her for all the lives she destroyed when she killed the Tornan Titan? She was willing to accept punishment for her actions, for all the blood she spilled that terrible day, but why did Xander have to pay for it? He had awakened her by accident. He never intended to become her Driver. He was…Addam's descendent. She failed him, just like how she failed Addam that fateful day. Tears began welling up in her eyes and she wept.
Mythra was so lost in her own grief that she didn't even notice the panic and worry overcoming Kos-Mos. The android was desperately pleading her Driver to hang on, calling him by name than simply "Master".
"Don't die, Xander!" the pastel-blue-haired Blade cried out in haste. Her normally passive red eyes were now filled with worry, small droplets of water dripping down her face. All the while, Xander's breathing was becoming slower and slower. "You can't die. I swore that I'd always protect you. I don't want another master! I don't want to forget you! Please just hang on."
Kos-Mos let out a slight gasp, realizing what she could do to save her beloved Driver. She quickly began gathering up energy within her core crystal, preparing to unleash a specific Art. The Hilbert Effect Refrain. Not only did this Art damage any enemies within the vicinity, but it healed the wounds of anyone Kos-Mos deemed an ally. She was dangerously low on ether, using whatever reserves she had to maintain her physical form. She probably didn't even have the strength to muster any Art, but she didn't care. Her main priority right now is saving her Driver, her partner…her…
Somehow, she managed to gather enough ether within her to muster a Hilbert Effect Refrain. It wasn't enough for a regular one, which can span several meters, but it was enough to save Xander. She quickly unleashed it, its blue waves washing over the Leftherian. However, the wound did not close, and blood just kept pouring from it, making the pool bigger and bigger. His breathing was getting weaker by the second. He didn't have longer to live.
"No," she said in horror, her head shaking in disbelief. "Why isn't it working?"
"I'll tell you why. Because he's already dead."
Both Kos-Mos and Mythra lifted their weary heads up. They were no longer alone as Zarc was now standing before him, retaining that stupid grin on his face. Oh how the girls wanted to clobber him so bad, but Kos-Mos was too weak to move, while Mythra's mental state was just not in the right mind to do any fighting.
"Both my sword and my spells have an added property of reducing the effects of any healing magic, making wounds much more difficult to heal. With a blow like that though, well, not even a god could save him. I'll give you girls some small comfort though," Zarc continued. "It was a clean cut. I could feel his heart split as I ran my blade through. He didn't feel too much pain as I killed him." He chuckled in amusement, as if he had said some kind of joke. "I got to say, that's a rarity for me. I normally draw out a person's suffering before I kill them. I never would have imagined that this so-called 'Aegis Driver' would go down this easily. I guess you really can't expect much from humans after all."
"Don't you dare insult him!" Kos-Mos cried out in outburst, taking both Zarc and Mythra by surprise. "You have no idea what Xander has been through. He suffered so much, lost so much. He fought so hard to prevent people from going what he went through. He never let anyone see him in pain, because they relied on him to be strong, to be a leader. The only one who truly understood him…is me. I say again, don't you dare insult Xander."
"Kos-Mos," Mythra muttered in disbelief.
Just hours before the android barely showed any trace of emotion. She seemed so…artificial. But now, everything was out in the open. Kos-Mos was crying, she was angry, she was desperate. If someone had told Mythra that this would happen to the android, she likely wouldn't have believed them.
Zarc just let out a grunt in response. "Hmph. It matters not to me how a measly human lived his pathetic life. But don't worry, I'll put that life of his to good use with reviving my master. In fact, why don't you two join him?!"
His weapon morphed back into a greatsword. He swung the massive blade horizontally, aiming to kill both girls in a single strike. If either of them was in the right condition, they could easily dodge and potentially land a serious counterattack, but neither of them even flinched. They had simply lost the will to keep fighting. Perhaps they might be reunited with their Driver in whatever afterlife awaited them? They simply braced themselves for death as the blade drew closer and closer.
"Raaa!"
The sudden cry snapped both Blades from their stupor. The sounds of thunder boomed in the air, as was the crackling of electricity. Suddenly a gray blur intercepted the greatsword, creating a shockwave of power that shook the air around them. Mythra's eyes widened when she saw who it was. It was Marth, but something was different about him. In his right hand was still the black sword Lunara, which he had used to stop Zarc's attack. However, it was what was in his left hand that truly shocked her. In fact, even Zarc looked stupefied by what he saw.
Marth was wielding a golden sword in his left hand. But it was not Solaris. It was Excalibur. Kirito's sword.
The Dark Swordsman looked over his best friend as Nia continued to heal him. Dromarch had already patched up the demon prince and was working to help Jin recover. The Gormotti Driver had managed to stop the bleeding, but the wound was still stubborn about closing.
"Curses," Nia spat out in frustration. "This Zarc fellow seems to have a way to limit the potency of healing effect. Even a simple scratch from him could become deadly if that's the case. But I'm still going to close this stupid wound if it's the last thing I do."
Somehow, this all sounded familiar to Marth. Wounds that were difficult to heal, even through magic. He felt like he had been in this situation before, a long time ago. This was meant to counter something, someone. But what was it meant to counter and for what purpose? Sure it was possible Zarc developed it to deal with his enemies easier, but that can't be the only reason he did so. He was trying to find a way to beat something, someone. But who? Gods, he was at the cusp of remembering something important, but the memory refused to resurface. His head was pounding.
"Calm down, Master. Calm down."
He let out a gasp. That voice. It sounded like it came from his own head. It was a voice that sounded familiar, but he couldn't identify it. All he knew was that it was someone important to him. Someone that he trusted absolutely. He found himself gazing at the Lunara, which he noticed was flashing purple.
"Take Excalibur," the voice pleaded. "You must wield it alongside the Lunara. It's the only way."
Wield Excalibur with Lunara? Why did that sound like such a bad idea? Somewhere, deep inside his very being, he knew that he shouldn't attempt such a thing. Excalibur was the ultimate sword of light, while Lunara was a blade of darkness. They are not meant to combine powers. The conflicting energies would lead to total destruction.
"Take it, Marth," Kirito muttered softly, coughing slightly. He was trying to sit up, but it was clearly causing him a lot of pain to do so.
"You lay back down, mister," Nia protested, doing her best to push him back down. "You're in no shape to move. You could make that wound even worse."
"I…don't care," the Black Swordsman replied. Weakly, he grasped the hilt of the holy sword beside him. Somehow, he managed to lift it enough to get the bottom half resting over his chest. The blade, it was flashing with white light, almost paralleling Lunara. "It…wants to be used by you, partner. I'm in no condition to fight right now. Take my sword, my very will, and bring this monster down."
Kirito's eyes were firm and serious, despite all the pain he must be feeling from that shoulder wound. He clearly wanted Marth to wield his best sword, the strongest blade in Alfheim Online. Despite his reservation, he couldn't deny his best friend's wishes. Xander was badly wounded, possibly even dead. Zarc had overcome everything that they threw at him. They were out of options. This was one of the only cards he had left to play.
"Okay," Marth said slowly, forcing himself to smile to bring his best friend some small comfort. "I'll fight on, for both of us. It's you and me, partner."
"And me! It's time for payback."
"I am in agreement as well. Use me well."
That last sentence came from a different voice, another that sounded familiar to him. It must have been the same voice that told Kirito to give Excalibur to him. He'll question that later though. He had to get back into the fight. He needed to end this.
Marth set Solaris down gently before reaching for the holy sword of his partner. The moment he grasped the golden blade, his body suddenly flared with pain. Excalibur engulfed itself within a golden aura while Lunara was surrounded by a black aura. He could feel their conflicting energies tearing him up from the inside. His body screamed at him to let go of the holy sword, but he stubbornly refused. Gathering his strength, he forced himself onto his feet.
It was painful to move, agonizing even. It felt like molten magma was being poured onto his entire body. He slowly worked to catch his breath, steeling himself for what was to come. He would have to reach deep within his being, his very soul, if he wanted to turn this whole battle around. If he fails, then everyone here will die. Kirito, Asuna, Yuuki, Kisara, even Shulk, Reyn and the rest of the Origo Mercenaries. It was because of him that they all got roped into this conflict. Blood was shed that didn't need to be shed. This whole ordeal was his matter, no, an Umbris matter. He didn't know why he felt this way, but he intended to take full responsibility for it. He had family he needed to protect, family that he yearned to return to. While he would gladly give his life for any of his Harbingers, especially for his sister, he had no intention of dying here, at this moment.
"Philia. Rain. Seven. Nautilus. Agil. Argo. Lisbeth. Silica," Marth prayed to himself, thinking of all his friends, those that were in this realm, and those that were left behind. "All my Harbingers. Please, lend me your strength. I can't do this alone."
For a brief moment, the Dark Swordsman felt some sort of link to all his family. It stretched beyond the confines of time and space. Perhaps, even beyond the realm of the living. Long before the SAO Incident, Shiraki once mentioned that some bonds were so strong, not even death could sever their connection. At the time, Marth thought the scientist was just being silly, but perhaps there was truth within those words.
"You are never alone, my master."
A small hand grasped his right hand, the hand that held the Lunara. It was connected to a beautiful young woman with pale white skin. Long lustrous black hair fell behind her back with a few red highlights here and there, tied into a braid. Eyes the color of blood, ones that shone with both light and shadow. She was dressed in a slim black dress that accented her bust, along with exposing parts of her arms and waist, with red accents decorating it, as well as a diamond-cut ruby-like stone that was located just under her collar. Black heeled boots stood underneath the skirt, giving a sense of elegance. Bracelets of silver decorated her wrists.
She was translucent, as if she was merely a hallucination. In fact, Marth wouldn't put it past him with how much pain he was feeling from holding both these swords. However, he had this strange sensation that this girl was really here. She was the voice that came from the Lunara, his most treasured belonging. Without it, there was no Dark Swordsman. It was a part of him. She was a part of him. His most valued partner.
"Sophia," he muttered quietly, a light smile gracing his face. The name just came to him, out of nowhere, but it was one that filled him with nostalgia.
The girl smiled back, placing her other hand upon his cheek. "It has been a long time, Master. As much as I'd love to reminisce and catch up, we have a battle to win," Sophia said gently. "You know what to do. The Lunaris responds to your will alone. Call to it, and it will answer."
"Indeed, as much as I hate to admit it." Marth felt another hand grasp him, this time with his left. He turned to look and saw another translucent young woman beside him. She looked a lot like Sophia, but she had golden blonde hair and deep emerald eyes instead. Her white and yellow dress was more formal and regal, not quite as provocative as Sophia's attire. He knew this girl too. She was the partner of a new friend of his, one he had seven thousand years ago. Her name was…
"Vivian."
The blonde spirit let out a small chuckle. "So you do remember my name. Just so you know, I'm only helping you out of obligation of my mistress. There's no way I'd let my sister's wielder touch me otherwise."
Sophia cracked a mischievous smirk. Even without his memories, Marth knew exactly what dark spirit was planning. "Dear sister, don't you know how provocative that sounds when taken out of context? Just admit it. You wanted to help because you like my master."
Vivian's regal mask broke as her face flashed with pink. "Y-you're being ridiculous, Sophia. Oh, I regret this already."
"Ha-ha. Still so easy to tease, even after seven thousand years. Now then, my master, I believe the hour of twilight…has come. Show that false king what real royalty is."
She was right. As much as he enjoyed seeing the sibling spirits banter, he had a battle to return to. Somehow the pain from wielding both swords lessoned somewhat, as if the two sword spirits were sharing in the burden as well. Steeling himself, Marth turned to face the Greed Lord as the two girls faded. Zarc was right in front of Mythra and Kos-Mos. It looked like he intends to kill them next. Well not if he has anything to say about it.
Gathering his strength, Marth closed his eyes and called upon the raging storm within him. He needed to get there quickly. A normal sprint won't cut it. Luckily, speed happens to be a specialty among wind and lightning magic, and he has a certain technique that would be quite perfect for this occasion.
"Flashing Storm," he muttered quietly.
The very air seemed to vibrate around him, the sounds of thunder booming fiercely. Purple lightning sparked off his body as his two swords flashed with light of the same color. This was the third attack of his Dual Blades style. Flashing Storm was an eight-hit combo with a charge movement. It helped him out in a pinch back in Aincrad when he needed the extra mobility, and it got even stronger when he recreated it in Alfheim. Now it's capable of dealing lightning-based damage, allowing it to bypass the typical defensive walls that certain enemies could be when against physical attacks.
He let out a mighty bellow and kicked off the ground, cracking it beneath his heel, and rushed forward at a speed beyond what any game system could allow. He closed the distance within an instant. The moment he reached his target, he unleashed the first attack to stop Zarc's sword from beheading Mythra.
For the first time in this whole battle, the Greed Lord was truly shocked, speechless even. It left him wide open, which Marth had every intention to exploit. The second hit involved a diagonal slash with the left sword, which was Excalibur. He put everything he had into this strike, and delivered the first real blow against the demon lord, cutting through his armor like a hot knife through butter. Zarc staggered backward as black blood poured from his chest wound. He didn't get much of a chance to recover as Marth continued with his assault.
Despite the agony the Dark Swordsman was in, he never felt stronger. Wielding both Exalibur and Lunara together seemed to have finally helped close the gap in power between him and the Greed Lord. But he was still not done. After all, he had to unleash the true power of his trusted blade. That was when the real fun begins.
Marth managed to land three more attacks before Zarc was able to shrink his sword back to block the remaining four. It was disappointing that he couldn't end the traitor with that last attack, but it was not surprising. If anything, Marth would have been disappointed if that had happened.
There was a reason why he was so feared back in Aincrad, and even to an extent now in Alfheim Online. It wasn't just his cold nature, or the fact that he was a Beater. While he did not seek them, he loved fighting against strong opponents, especially other players. In Aincrad, he never went for the kill, as even he honored the no PK rule as best he could, but that didn't stop him from enjoying the fight. He didn't know why he had this love for duels, especially because it contradicts his normally reserved nature. Perhaps it was because in a duel, he was able to let loose, to unleash any feelings he kept bottled up inside. In some aspects, this side of his personality terrified him. He was worried that he could end up turning his sword against his beloved family, his Harbingers, or worse, that they would leave him because of it. Naturally, they didn't and being with them helped make it easier to manage. In fact, they even claim it helps them improve their combat prowess since they know Marth will never hold back. Honestly, they were too good for him.
Zarc clutched the bleeding wounds on his chest. The healing glow of magic graced his empty palm, and the wounds were closed, as were the gashes in his armor. Normally this would discourage one after finally landing a solid blow on such a difficult opponent, but that wasn't the case for Marth. If anything, it just excited him even more.
"So you can bleed," the Dark Swordsman said slowly. "I was beginning to wonder."
The Greed Lord still looked bewildered at seeing the demon prince. "You're…wielding both Excalibur and Lunara? That shouldn't be possible. There's no way Excalibur would accept someone like you as a master. Not to mention the combined energy of those swords would kill anyone. Light and dark aren't supposed to mix! You should be dead right now."
"And yet, here I am, alive and well." Marth took a few steps forward, Zarc taking one step backward for each step. He then let out a pained grunt. "Well, almost well. Yes this little trick would kill anyone foolish to try. However," he pointed the golden blade right at the Greed Lord, "I should be able to hold out just long enough to kill you. It's just you and me now, Zarc. It's time we settle this."
For the first time Zarc looked nervous. He never would have imagined that the demon prince would do something this bold to turn the tables. He really was Altena's child. Altena? Yes of course. That's how he'll tip scales back into his favor. He'll use that stone against him. Even without his memories, there's no way Marth would want to risk damaging the soul prison of his beloved mother, Altena Umbris.
Zarc reached for the stone that was hidden in one of his pockets, only to grasp nothing but empty air. Panic surged within him. He knew that he had it earlier before Marth and his group reached the spire. So then where did it go? It can't be. Did it fall out during that furious clash he had to protect himself from Marth? He looked around from his current position, trying to locate the familiar green gem, only to find nothing. He couldn't have accidently stepped on it. He would have felt that witch's presence if he did. Even as a spirit, Altena was strong enough to do real damage. However, what he failed to notice that during the furious clash, a certain mysterious figure had willed the gemstone to her the moment Zarc went on the defensive while hiding behind a pillar. She carefully stashed the gem in a small pouch before changing back into a black cat. She didn't to risk Zarc discovering her after all. By all accounts, she had now completed her mission and was free to leave, but she decided to stick around. Something told her this duel was going to be good. A duel the likes of which that hasn't been seen for seven millennia.
After all, she was about to witness a battle between two demon lords, although neither of whom were aware of this fact. Zarc was slain before he learned the truth about Zane, that he was actually the seventh demon lord, the Demon Lord of Wrath. The Wrath Lord position was supposed to be Sinestra's enforcer, the one to keep the other demon lords in line, but due to a mysterious curse that drove the first two lords insane while also increasing their power, they instead became feared as the "Lord of Calamity" and were forced to be destroyed. No one knew how this came to be, but out of fear that the Lord of Calamity could destroy the world, Wrath Lord position became taboo and was erased from history. Only a select few individuals like herself knew about it. Naturally Marth didn't know about this as well, though that was largely because he has yet to regain his memories as Zane. As for how he even became the Wrath Lord despite it being forbidden, well, that's a story for another day.
"Now then, Marth Umbris," she thought to herself mischievously. "I do hope you give me some good entertainment. After all, I am looking after your castle for you."
Zarc had no choice but to give up searching for Altena's soul prison. He didn't know how he lost it, but now wasn't the time to worry about such things. Marth was already a hard opponent to handle even before he wielded Excalibur. Of course, the Greed Lord was holding back during their previous clashes. He didn't think that any of them were at a level where he needed to use his full power. But now, he couldn't afford to hold back.
Marth had just made himself the biggest threat in this tiny realm. If Zarc wanted to survive, he'll have to give this duel everything he's got. He should still be able to win. After all, though a fierce fighter, Marth was still untrained. He was self-taught at best. His slashes didn't have the same bite they did seven thousand years ago. The lack of proper training should be enough for Zarc to overcome this new hurdle.
Satisfied with this mindset, his smirked before rushing at the dual wielder. They exchanged a fierce set of blows, though neither managed to land a hit on the other. Frustrating for Zarc, entertaining for Marth.
"That all you got?" Marth goaded. "I'm just getting started."
This was one of the Dark Swordsman's classic strategies against arrogant opponents. He deliberately taunts them to anger them, potentially causing them to make mistakes. Also, it was really fun to see arrogant people throw a fit over getting insulted. Naturally, he knew that Zarc wouldn't be easily angered, but there was no harm in sowing the seeds. With careful planning, it could be just what he needs to win the duel.
"Tch. Don't get cocky, little boy!"
Another furious exchange of blows echoed across the top of Eclipse Tower. Both swordsmen were constantly on the move, never staying in the same place for more than a second. They moved at speeds that no regular person could ever replicate. It was as if they were in an entirely different world, just the two of them. They fired barrages of spells at each other, resulting in multiple explosions as the attacks collided.
It was just like Marth thought. Wielding both Lunara and Excalibur has granted him enough power to close the gap between him and Zarc. He was now fighting on equal terms with the Greed Lord. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough for him to fully overtake the False King. He needed a bit more power to overcome that hurdle, and he knew just where to get it, but he must time it well, otherwise it could not only lead to his own death, but the deaths of his friends and family. The question is, could he control it long enough to land a final blow?
Each clash of their blades led to a shockwave of power, shaking the entire tower, sparks dancing in the air. Marth focused everything on the fight in front of him. He had to, otherwise he'll be overwhelmed by the Greed Lord's power and subsequently killed. He'll kill this bastard to protect his family and also to avenge Xander. Though they were not friends and were only recently beginning to understand each other, Marth was not going to let his death go unanswered. He swore that he will end this himself, with Zarc's death.
All while he continued to put the pressure on Zarc, the pain in Marth's body refused to go away. It was still tearing up at him, trying to wear him down, but he pressed on. He didn't care how much pain he was feeling. As long as he could swing his swords, as long as he had the strength to fight, he'll keep at it, no matter how long it takes.
Slowly, but surely, injuries began piling up on both demons. Both had serious wounds across their bodies, with black blood gushing out. Marth looked a bit worse off as he had blood staining his face, almost rendering his left eye unusable. One of Zarc's attacks had grazed his forehead, resulting in the wound. Even if he lost his eyesight, that still wouldn't stop him. Marth's senses were in overdrive now. The roar of battle, the disturbance of the very air, he could sense it all and it motivated him to fight even harder, to push himself further.
The time was nearly upon him. Zarc was starting to get more desperate with his attacks, resulting in openings that should not have occurred. He had even stopped trying to heal his own wounds as he just couldn't find time to do so while defending himself from Marth's relentless onslaught. The demon prince's slashes have evolved into a whirlwind of slashes and attacks, moving at speeds impossible to keep up with. It wasn't long until the opening he needed was finally upon him as he repelled Zarc's blade once more.
"Do it now, Brother!" Kisara cried out in desperation. "That man is a threat to me. Hit him with everything you've got."
It was no secret that Marth was very overprotective of his little sister. It wasn't surprising that he was, given their history, but it has caused him to get in trouble on multiple occasions. However, there were times where they weaponized his protective nature, and this was one of those moments. This man was a danger to his beloved sister, and he will not allow him to harm even a hair on her head.
"Release Recollection!" Marth shouted with all his might channeling his power into his right sword.
The Lunara let out a roar as shadows surrounded it, morphing it. The blade grew a bit longer, matching the same length as Excalibur. It gained crimson red accents in both its hilt and its edges. The winged-crossguard grew more ornate while the onyx jewel in its center became a dazzling ruby. This was the Sword of Darkness's true form. It was…
"The Lunaris?!" Zarc cried out in disbelief. "That's not possible. How did you know that technique? This can't be happening!"
Marth could feel the presences of both Sophia and Vivian behind him. They both knew it was time to end this, as did he. Reaching within himself, he tapped into the dark power within him. The familiar black aura surrounded him, changing his hair white and his eyes a pale yellow. This only added to his already demanding burden and this nearly pushed him over the edge, but he was somehow able to maintain control of himself.
"That power? It can't be. How are you still in control? No one has been able to control that curse. No one!"
Marth almost hesitated at that. Did Zarc know the nature of this power, or rather curse as he puts it. He quickly pushed the thought aside. This was his only chance to end this duel. If he stopped now, the backlash of unleashing this power would render him immobile for a short period, leaving him totally at the Greed Lord's mercy.
"You know what to do, Master," Sophia said quickly.
"Yes," Vivian agreed. "Unleash the final Dual Blades technique, one that can only be done while wielding both Excalibur and Lunaris. Show this tyrant the power of twilight!"
There wasn't Dual Blades technique like that. At least, there shouldn't be. Both Marth and Kirito only had seven combos in their Dual Blades styles, outside of the Skill Connect exploit. However, despite his doubt, he could see a brand-new Sword Skill clearly in his mind, most likely given to him by the two sword spirits. He smiled in anticipation. This was going to be fun.
He brought his swords in the preset position to execute the skill. "Millennium," the blades flashed with gold and purple light respectively, "Twilight!"
And with that, he unleashed his new deadly attack. His body moved at a speed even he had trouble keeping up with. He kept slashing over and over. Ten times. Twenty times. Thirty times. Some of the attacks were blocked by Zarc's sword and earth barriers, but the majority managed to break through and inflict devastating damage upon the Greed Lord. Finally the last hit came, the thirty-third attack, which was an x-slash with both swords.
"Farewell, Zarc!" Marth shouted as he unleashed the attack, leaving a fatal blow upon the Greed Lord.
To be continued
Yeah, I know, another cliffhanger but it was getting really long and I felt this was a good stopping point. I know I'd say that I'd provide full context regarding character backstories with Dark Swordsman/Ashen Wolf characters, but what's wrong with a little mystery here and there? Besides if you've read Ashen Wolf, you likely already know how Marth became the Wrath Lord. Anyway, the next chapter should be the last one in the Temporal Island arc. Dear God, I can't believe this arc is over 10 chapters long. I don't even think the original Temporal Island arc was this long. Guess that tends to happen when you have a habit of overwriting like me. Man I can't wait to start covering the events of the actual game again. Don't get me wrong. I'm not disappointed with how this arc turned out, even after that huge rewrite halfway through, but I never could have imagined it turning out this long. Initially I did this arc early since that's part of how it happened in my original Xenoblade story and it gave me an opportunity to get it out of the way so I could focus on the main game's plot. Kind of funny when you want to get a particular arc over with, it ends up becoming one of your longest arcs ever. This isn't the first time this has happened to me as this also occurred while I was writing the original Black Wolf (which is now deleted because it became total crap) as I wanted to get the Seiji arc over with so I could move on, and it ended up being one of that story's longer arcs.
Anyway, that's all I have to say. See you guys next time!
Chapter 14: Diverging Paths
Chapter Text
"Farewell, Zarc!" Marth shouted as he performed the final attack of Millennium Twilight, inflicting a devastating wound upon the Greed Lord.
Zarc howled in pain as he felt his bones break, his veins bursting. It was clear that no amount of healing magic would save him from death. He had taken too much damage, had expended too much of his power trying to defeat the demon prince. Damn it all. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to use the life essence of Zane and his Harbingers in order to free his master from his prison. How could things have turned so wrong?
He turned to the altar where Zeta was imprisoned. "I am sorry, Master. I have failed you." Hold on. Something didn't feel quite right. Perhaps it was because he was close to death, but Zarc could have sworn that he sensed something off from the altar. He soon found himself smiling. "I see. So that's it."
Meanwhile, the Dark Swordsman fell to his knees as the dark aura around him intensified. He quickly let go of Excalibur, putting an end to the literal conflict within him, however that didn't put a stop to the enormous amount of pain he felt across his whole body. As for Lunaris, he still kept his grip on it, but it had reverted back into Lunara. Everything hurt. His chest, his arms, his head. He felt pain in places he didn't know he had. His vision was dark. He could barely see anything that was a few feet in front of him. His hearing was shot. The most he could hear was the pounding of his heart. Even breathing was difficult as he was coughing up blood. So this was what happened if you tried wielding a holy sword and a dark sword at the same time. Had he held Excalibur for a moment longer, it might have actually killed him.
On top of that, Marth was having a hard time suppressing his curse. This wasn't surprising. After all, every time he uses it, the harder it becomes to control, even if he only used it for a brief moment. He could feel the curse vying to take control of him. It was relentless. He didn't know if he could muster the strength to resist it while in his current condition.
"It's okay, Brother. You've done enough. You can rest now."
He felt an arm wrap around him. Weakly, he turned to see who the arm belonged to, which happened to be his little sister. Her face was wrought with worry. He always hated to see that. She kept talking to him, her voice barely even a whisper. However, it was just enough for him to latch onto and regain control. Soon enough, he managed to suppress the dark power, causing his hair and eyes to return to normal and his black aura to fade away.
"Thank you, Sister," Marth said slowly after he found his voice again. His breathing was still unsteady, and he was still in a lot of pain, but they had suddenly become more manageable for him. "You saved me again."
Kisara smiled back before pulling her brother into a warm embrace. "I could say the same to you. You're always getting hurt for my sake. I'm always worried that one day it'll cost you your life and I'll be left alone. I couldn't bear it if I lost you."
Somehow, the Dark Swordsman found enough strength in his left arm to return the hug. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."
They stayed like that for a brief moment as Kirito and Asuna approached them. The Black Swordsman's shoulder wound was finally gone. There wasn't even a scar left behind. That was a relief. Sinon was missing, but that was because she had gone to get Yuuki's team to let them know it was over. After giving their congratulations to their leader, the couple then turned their gazes to the Greed Lord, who was stumbling backward with every step.
"So what now?" Kirito questioned as he and his girlfriend took defensive positions in front of the siblings. "You planning on making one last ditch attack to take us down?"
Zarc let out a weak chuckle before shaking his head. "As tempting as that is, I don't even have enough strength to swing my blade or cast a spell to try it. I underestimated you all, especially Marth. To think that he was the Wrath Lord all along."
"Wrath Lord?" Asuna said with a raised eyebrow, keeping a close grip on her rapier. "What are you talking about?"
"He-he. Where's the satisfaction of me telling you the answer. I'm sure you'll learn what it is if you are the same Harbingers my Darkfallen so revile. This is not over. You have only won the battle, not the war." Zarc's heel was dangerously close to the edge of the tower. If he took one more step, he'll fall.
Realizing his intent, Marth shouted, "Wait. Stop!"
Kirito rushed forward while reaching out towards the demon lord, however he was too slow. The Greed Lord gave the quartet one final sneer before leaning backward, allowing himself to fall off the tower and plummet to the ground.
The Black Swordsman glanced from over the edge and watched as Zarc made no effort to slow his descent. Instead, he crashed into the ruined city, disappearing from sight.
"Damn it," he cursed under his breath. "Right when we were finally getting more answers."
He wanted to fly down and search for the Greed Lord, but he knew there would be no point. No one could survive a fall like that. Besides, if Zarc somehow survived, Zophia was large enough for him to easily slip away. By the time Kirito even reached the city, the demon lord would be long gone (again, if he was alive). This was beyond frustrating.
"Marth! Kirito! Asuna! Kisara!"
The quartet turned around, the girls helping the demon prince to his feet, and they saw their remaining guild members hurrying over to them. Yuuki in particular had more spring in her step than usual. It wasn't surprising to see her tackle Marth into a hug, nearly knocking him over had Asuna and Kisara not been there to catch him. The Dark Swordsman flinched as his body was still very sore, but he soon felt a dampness on his chest, but it wasn't from any bloodstains.
"Yuuki?" he asked slowly.
Sure enough, the Absolute Sword was crying. She kept a tight grip on him, as if afraid that he would disappear if she let go. It was rare to see this side of her. She was always so cheerful, so full of energy. In fact, that was part of why he loved her, so to see her in tears sent a pain in his heart.
"I was so scared," the purple-clad fairy said in a hoarse voice. "Earlier I had this strange feeling that you were in danger. I'm sorry, but I disobeyed your orders and saw your battle with that monster. Sure, you were holding your own, but I was terrified for you. One slipup, one single mistake, and you could have been killed."
"I saw your battle too," Klein admitted. "I've never seen you move like that before or fight that hard. It was like you became a totally different person."
"We were all worried about you, Marth," the Cait Sith archer added. "We all wanted to help, to back you up, but none of us could move. We were…worried that we'd just get in the way."
Marth could see the regret coming from all of his guildmates. He honestly couldn't blame them for feeling this way. This wasn't the first time he risked his life to protect his guild, his family. Usually, Kirito and Kisara were right beside him, but this was the first time he had to fight by himself to keep them all safe. Lunara gave a brief flash of purple light while remaining in his right hand, as if in protest. Okay, not exactly by himself.
The Dark Swordsman wrapped an arm around his girlfriend, catching her off-guard. "Don't worry about it," he said softly. "I'm the one at fault. I'm sorry for worrying you, everyone."
Kirito gave his partner a brief nudge on the shoulder, cracking a slight grin. "Hey at least we all survived. We're still the only guild with a zero-fatality rate. It's all thanks to you, Leader."
"Heh. I see your sense of humor is back. You and I both know I'm not the only reason our guild is so effective. I'm not so arrogant to take all the credit."
The Alfheim Warriors all shared a chuckle. However, the mention of fatalities brought a sudden jolt to Marth's heart. How could he have forgotten? This wasn't a true no-fatality victory. One person had lost their life in this battle. He turned his attention towards a certain Driver, who was surrounded by his own comrades, as well as Shulk and Reyn, while he laid in a pool of his own blood.
"Sorry, Xander," was all he could say.
They were losing him. It was clear for all of the Origo Mercenaries to see. Their leader was dying, and there was nothing they could do to save him. Even when combining her Healing Arts with Dromarch, Nia still couldn't heal that chest wound. It was just not strong enough. She wasn't strong enough. All she could do was watch as Xander's lifeforce continued to fade away as she knelt behind his head, her knees stained with from the pool of blood.
"This can't be happening," the Gormotti thought to herself. "Not again. I'm seeing someone else dying again."
Kos-Mos was uncharacteristically pleading with her Driver to hang on, to not return to the Architect's embrace, all while she herself started to dematerialize. It was strange to see someone so robotic now full of emotion and tears streaming down her face. It won't be much longer until she reverts back into a core crystal and forgets her beloved master. Ethan wasn't holding himself well either. He was practically making a waterfall against Poppi's chest over the loss of their leader. Azurda was saddened as well. He muttered something about how he should tell Xander's family about his passing, which made Nia's heart ache. Like all the Origo Mercenaries, Xander had his fair share of secrets. He never talked about where he came from, though given his physical traits, it was clear he was a mix of Leftherian and Ardanian. Given that he only had issues with going to Mor Ardain for mercenary jobs, did that mean his family was there? Were they on bad terms or something? The Gormotti Driver couldn't think of many reasons for why her leader had been so vehement on not going to the Ardanian Titan. But now, she'll likely never know.
As for Jin, he was the most composed mercenary in the group. He had only been a member of their team for only a year, but even Nia could tell it was tearing him up inside. It was no surprise, given his backstory. While he still had not gone into more details regarding his involvement in the Aegis War, it was clear that he was familiar with loss. Who knows how many people he had seen die before him, sacrificing themselves so that others could live?
"Damn it," Reyn said in frustration. "Isn't there anything we can do?"
Shulk clenched his jaw tightly while squeezing the handle of the Monado. He had to be taking this worse than everyone else. After all, Xander only got this fatal injury protecting him. Why didn't he stop it? Nia had seen him change the future before, right when he saved Kisara from certain death. Why didn't he do the same for Xander?
"I couldn't do anything," the Homs engineer spoke in a sad tone. "My vision didn't show me Xander getting hurt. And even if it did, Zarc was so fast, that I wouldn't have been able to react in time to stop him."
Nia then realized that she had said those thoughts aloud, making her feel instantly guilty. It wasn't right to blame this boy on her leader's death. She had seen with her own eyes just how strong Zarc was. Even when he was holding back, the Gormotti couldn't even keep track of his movements. Only the fastest members of the entire team were just barely able to keep up with him.
The life of a mercenary wasn't one of peace. She knew that from the start. It was rare for even the most hardened of mercenaries to die of natural causes. Most of the time, they met their ends in battle. It was inevitable that Xander would die in such a way, but Nia never imagined that it would happen this soon. This just wasn't fair. He was still young. He shouldn't be dying this early in his youth, in this broken realm. Was there anything Nia could do to save him?
There was one thing she could try. One last trick up her sleeve. A power that she had slumbering within her. A power that she obtained through tragic circumstances. After her Pa had died, she sealed it within her out of despair. This wretched power had caused her so much pain and grief. She had constantly been on the run with Dromarch because of it. It was only thanks to the timely arrival of Klaus that she was here now, a member of the Origo Mercenaries.
At first, Nia treated her new comrades coldly, pushing them away whenever they tried to get close with her. If they knew the truth about her, there was no doubt in her mind that they would turn on her, likely even kill her in the worst case scenario. However, as she continued to fight alongside them, those fears have been slowly disappearing. It was largely thanks to Xander. He respected her privacy, more so than the other mercenaries. He always gave her the option to leave if she didn't feel comfortable staying with them. He gave her a place to call home when she had nothing. To see him like this, it gnawed at her heart. She could feel her tears rolling off her cheeks.
The scars in her heart ran deep. Was Xander truly someone that she could share her deepest secrets with? Would he be able to accept her for who she is? It was a gamble. A dangerous gamble. However, if the Driver of the Aegis was willing to put his faith in the prince of the demons, then perhaps he would accept someone like her. She took a moment to collect herself.
"Hey guys…" she started to say, only for a certain someone to interrupt her.
"Mythra," Klaus spoke up in a hasty tone. "There may be a way for you to save him. It's something that only an Aegis can pull off."
The Light Blade had been silent this entire time, her head resting on her Driver's chest. Weakly, she sat up and faced the older scientist. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying. "What do you mean?" Mythra questioned, her voice hoarse. "What can I do?"
"You already know it. It's practically ingrained within your very being. Or perhaps, within your very core."
Nia raised an eyebrow at that. What in Alrest was Klaus talking about? Did the Aegis have some special ability for reviving the dead? She didn't remember hearing about that in the stories she heard about the legendary Blade. Whatever she was missing, Mythra seemed to catch on, as her eyes quickly widened in realization.
"You're right," she said slowly. "There's still that. I might be able to save Xander with that."
Without going into further detail, Mythra pressed two fingers onto her core crystal. It then lit up with a brilliant show of emerald light.
Why did he feel so cold? He had no strength at all in his entire body. He couldn't even lift a finger. Everything was black. He couldn't see anything. He couldn't hear anything. He was just…floating…in an endless void.
What had he been doing before? He couldn't remember. Everything was a blur. Whatever it was, he felt that he had something important to do. But what was it?
"Xander!"
A faint voice pierced through the darkness, symbolized by a star of beautiful emerald light. It sounded familiar. Who did that voice belong to? Why did it make him feel so sad?
"Xander!" the voiced cried out once more, louder this time.
The green light grew brighter, its warm embrace enveloping Xander's body. Slowly, he could feel his strength returning to him, but he still felt so weak, so tired. He just wanted to rest, just for a second.
"Don't go! Please hang on, Xander!"
That was a different voice that spoke up, it symbolized by a white star. Again, this wave of sadness crashed against his heart. He knew that voice. Just hearing it gave him this strong feeling of nostalgia. It was the voice of someone he held dear. Someone who had stayed by his side for as long as he could remember.
"Kos-Mos," he muttered, the name sounding so natural on his tongue.
The white star morphed into a figure. It was female, but most other details were obscured in its blinding light. The most Xander could make out was her pastel-blue hair. The figure reached out and took his right hand. Slowly, she began to lift him up, towards the ever-expanding green light.
"Just hang on, Xander!" the figure said quickly. "I won't let you die. I swear it!"
He couldn't give a response. He didn't have time to, as the emerald star consumed them both.
By the time his vision returned to normal, Xander found himself standing on a grassy hill. At the base of the hill were countless trees, the leaves all a healthy green. The sky above was a bit cloudy, but it was a brilliant blue. He could feel the warm kiss of the sun's rays upon his skin.
Where was he? This landscape didn't look familiar to him. Was he on some undiscovered Titan, or in another alternate world? His thoughts were interrupted by the crisp sound of a loud bell. It wasn't just any bell. It was the bell of a church. Was he near the Praetorium? That can't be it. This landscape looks nothing like the Indoline Titan.
Confused, Xander turned around, towards the top of the hill. It was the direction where the bell's ringing was coming from. At the hill's peak was a lone tree, thin but no less strong. There was a figure standing under it, obscured by its shade.
"Perhaps she knows where I am."
He no weapon with him. There was no telling if this figure was even friendly. However, he had to take the chance if he wanted to find the answers to his questions. Steeling himself, he began marching up the hill.
As he drew closer, he could more clearly make out the details of the figure by the tree. Brilliant golden hair. A form-fitting white dress. Black leggings. He knew this person. It was…
"Mythra!" he shouted in disbelief, putting more spring into his steps.
He ran to the top and sure enough, it was indeed the female Aegis who was there. She had her back turned to him, her left hand placed upon the trunk of the tree beside her. She looked vulnerable, frail. It gave Xander this strange feeling to wrap his arms around her, to shield her from all harm, but he managed to restrain himself.
Mythra seemed to be gazing at the sight before her, on the other side of the hill. It was a sprawling town. The architecture looked well-built but it was nothing like the buildings he had seen from any of the other nations. Just what was this place? As he pondered over this question, the bell continued to ring.
"It's such a mournful sound," the Aegis suddenly spoke up, her voice melancholic. "It hasn't stopped. Not even after all these years."
"A-are you referring to that bell?" he asked. "Are we near the Praetorium or something? Just where are we Mythra?"
"This is…Elysium. The land where mankind once lived in harmony with their creator, a long time ago."
Elysium?! This was the legendary land of the Architect?! Xander found himself reeling at the realization. While he wasn't a devout follower of the Indoline Church, he did believe in the existence of the Architect, and to some extent, the sacred land of Elysium. According to legend, it was a bountiful land where there was no fighting, no famine. Everyone lived there in luxury, until one day, the Architect cast the humans out, condemning them to live in Alrest where they struggled to survive. That was until their divine creator took pity on them, and sent down the Titans, allowing mankind to live on their backs.
When the mercenary leader had told the Alfheim Warriors about this so they could understand more about his world, Marth quickly chided it as religious propaganda. The Dark Swordsman mentioned that it was very convenient how the reason for why humans were kicked out of Elysium was a mystery. In fact, he even commented that there was no mention of Blades anywhere in the story. It was rather fortunate that none of the Origo Mercenaries were devout believers, or that they were in Indol, otherwise Marth could get in serious trouble for heresy.
Xander initially took that as Marth just trying to stir up trouble since he was a demon, a race of beings who typically oppose followers of the church. However, after pondering it in private, he did have to concede that the demon did bring up some good points. Xander never questioned the Praetorium's teachings since he was taught them at a young age. They were ingrained in the world culture of Alrest. Marth, on the other hand, was an outsider. He wasn't from Alrest, so he would notice things that others wouldn't, and what he did brought up some valid questions.
He could partially excuse the lack of a clear reason why humans were banished from Elysium. It wasn't uncommon for certain details to get lost in the flow of time. However, given how important Blades are, it was strange how the Praetorium's teachings barely give them a mention. At best, they were interpreted as gifts from the Architect to help with mankind's survival while at worst, they were the humans' slaves.
But he can worry about that later. Right now he needed to figure out what was going on. He needed to know how he got here.
"Um, Mythra, do you have any idea why I'm here? I can't seem to remember how I got here."
The Aegis lowered her head. He didn't see her face, but it was clear she was distraught over something.
"You were…stabbed in the heart…by Zarc. He killed you after you took the blow to save Shulk."
"Stabbed…through the heart…" Xander paused as he tried to process the information he just acquired. Slowly, he brought his hands close to his chest, right where his heart was located. He didn't feel any stab wounds there, but he did notice something was missing. The lack of a heartbeat.
It was at that moment that everything came back to him. How could he have forgotten? He and his friends were fighting that crazed demon lord who wanted to sacrifice them all to free his dark god. They could barely even scratch the Greed Lord and right when he was about to kill one of their teammates, Xander…
"Damn it," he said in frustration. "So that sick feeling I got back in Zophia was right. I was going to my death. I knew I would suffer this fate eventually, but I never imagined that it would be this soon."
Then there was Kos-Mos to worry about. If he died, she'll be returned to her core crystal. If that happens, she'll lose all her memories. All the times they spent together, both good and bad, erased in a single moment. When she awakens again, she'll pretty much be a brand-new Blade, with Xander practically nonexistent to her. Talk about a cruel fate, especially for someone he cared so much for.
As if reading his thoughts, Mythra said, "It doesn't have to end here. There's a way for both you and Kos-Mos to survive."
"What? But I got stabbed through the heart. I'm no medical expert, but there's way to treat that. I was dead the moment that sword stabbed me."
The Aegis turned towards him. She looked more composed than before. Her eyes were filled with a determination that was more fitting for her than sorrow. "Maybe, but there are ways to defy death," she said, gaining more confidence with every word. "Right now, Kos-Mos is fighting to maintain her physical form. She doesn't want to forget you. As her Driver, don't you feel some desire to return to her?"
Uh, she did know how that last sentence could be wrongly interpreted if taken out of context right? She made it sound like he and Kos-Mos were lovers, when they were most definitely not. Still, there was no denying that there was some truth to her words. Even now, he didn't want for things to end here. He didn't want to leave Kos-Mos, Mythra and the rest of his friends in such a tragic way. If there was a way for him to continue travelling with them, he would do it, without hesitation.
"You're right. I don't want things to end like this. What's the plan?"
Mythra smiled. She looked a lot prettier like that. More radiant. Ugh, why was he thinking this now of all times? In fact, why was he even thinking of this at all?
"Now that's what I expected to hear from my Driver," she said confidently. She cusped her core crystal in her right hand, which seemed to be pulsing. "I'm going to give you half of my lifeforce. That should be enough to revive you."
"Wait, what? You can do that. Is it even safe for you to do that?"
"Logically, no. Blades are not supposed to do this. However, I am an Aegis. The usual rules don't apply to me. I don't care if this could even cost me my own immortality. I refuse to let you die!"
"Hold on, did you just say losing your immortality? Are you really sure you want to do that? There's got to be a better way. I don't want you to sacrifice so much just for my sake."
"I don't care!" Mythra protested in a forceful tone, catching him off-guard. "You're Addam's descendent. I failed him and all of Torna when they needed me the most. I will not do that again. No matter what you say, I will save you, Xander, no matter what it costs me."
There were no words for Xander to say. His voice was stuck in his throat. He never heard the female Blade speak so fervently before. Despite not knowing each other for more than two days, she was willing to sacrifice everything for him. It would be wrong of him to refuse her at this point, and even so, her stubbornness would surely wear him down to the point of acceptance anyway. But he couldn't let her do this without any benefit for herself. There had to be some way to repay her for this act.
"Alright," he said in reluctance. "Let's do it. But there must be something I can do to repay you. I feel guilty taking so much from you without giving you anything in return. Just name it, and I'll do it. Anything you ask."
Mythra cracked a light smile before shaking her head. "I should have expected as much from you. I wasn't expecting anything in return but if that's what you want, then I'll take your offer. I wanted to ask you of this for a while, but there was never a good time. I guess now is as good a time as any."
"Go on. What do you want?"
"Can you…take me to Elysium? This place is just a memory of it, an ancient half-forgotten memory at that. The real Elysium is in Alrest, atop the World Tree."
"I see. So this place is basically an illusion." Xander took a moment to think about it. Going to Elysium will most certainly be a difficult task. No one has ever managed to reach it, not in the entire history of Alrest. No one was even sure if it existed. However, if it really does exist, then it could be the key to saving his world.
The Titans were dying, the available land shrinking as a result. There's been several armed conflicts between the nations because of it. If Elysium was real, and the legends about it were true, then it might allow for everyone to coexist, with no need to fight. It was a naïve idea, certainly a dream that a mercenary like him would never think about, but it was the only way he felt he could make a difference in the world. His mother would want him to do this. His sister and cousin would want him to go as well.
There was no need to question any further.
"Deal," he replied firmly. "We'll go to Elysium together."
"Thank you, Xander." Mythra then lowered her hand from her crystal. It seemed to pulse, almost like a heartbeat. "Now place your hand on my chest."
The Aegis Driver naturally blushed at that. "Uh, what? Are you sure?"
"Just my core crystal," she snapped back. "Don't even think of touching my breasts. If you, I'm gonna slap you."
Xander couldn't help but chuckle at that. It felt…reassuring. He went closer to the legendary Blade and placed two fingers upon the green core crystal. Immediately afterwards, the crystal lit with a dazzling emerald light. He could feel its energy pouring throughout his entire body, congregating within his chest. He was being revitalized!
A pillar of green ether below the duo. Eventually his vision went out and he found himself losing consciousness yet again.
Xander awoke in an instant, taking a sudden breath. He sat up with all haste. He was back in the Eclipse Spire, alive once more. He quickly looked himself over. Curiously, he noticed the addition of a green crystal on his chest, right where his heart was located. It was shaped like an x, yet its emerald hue was strikingly familiar.
"Xander!"
His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden tackle from a white figure. It nearly knocked him over yet somehow he was able to catch himself. It took him a moment to recognize the figure clutching so tightly to him and weeping into his shoulder. After all, how could he ever forget that lovely pastel-blue hair.
"Hey, Kos-Mos," he said casually, wrapping one arm around her waist to help comfort her. "Good morning."
He said that now, but even he could not put to words how happy he was to be back in the land of the living. He didn't even comment that his trusted Blade had called him by his name rather than "Master". That alone made coming back worth it.
"Yeesh. Only you would treat this so casually, Xander," said a familiar voice. "Not everyone just comes back from the dead."
He glanced over his shoulder, which wasn't easy to do with Kos-Mos pressed against him so much. But he could faintly see the familiar cat-like ears and light brown hair.
"Good to see you too, Nia," he said, tossing in a smile for good measure. "I'm sorry that I worried you all."
The Gormotti's face reddened a little. Was she actually blushing? She quickly turned her head to the side, hoping to hide her face from him. "J-just don't pull this kind of stunt again. We can't lose our leader. Mercenary jobs would be so much more of a hassle without you."
"Yeah, like that's the reason you were so frantic over trying to heal Xander."
"S-shut it, Jin! No one asked you for your opinion."
The tiger Blade let out an amused chuckle. "It is refreshing to see this side of you, my lady. Perhaps we made the right choice with joining this company after all."
"Not you too, Dromarch!" the female Driver cried out.
Everyone else burst out laughing. It was as though nothing bad had ever happened. Xander then felt another weight pressed against him. He took a glance to his right to see that a familiar bob of golden hair.
"Thank you, Mythra," he said slowly. "I literally owe you my life."
"Don't mention it," she replied, though it was clear she was barely keeping herself together given her voice and how much she clung to his chest. "I'm just glad you're alright."
"Me too," Shulk added. "It was my fault you even got like this to begin with. I'm sorry you had to sacrifice yourself to save me."
"It was nothing, Shulk," Xander dismissed calmly. "Any one of us would have done the same. It's a relief to see that you're all safe. What happened after I was killed? Did we win?"
Shulk and the others then explained what had transpired after Zarc had killed him. It was shocking to hear that Marth was able to defeat the Greed Lord all by himself, but given everyone's accounts, it had nearly killed the dual wielder in the process. Xander wished that he had been conscious to see that momentous clash though. Supposedly it was a very intense battle, the likes of which no one has ever seen before.
It took him a while to get back onto his feet, mostly because Mythra and Kos-Mos kept holding him down, as if afraid that he would suddenly disappear. Eventually he was able to convince them to let go, largely thanks to Klaus and Jin. They all then made their way to Marth's group, who were standing before the altar where Zeta's prison resided.
The Dark Swordsman himself looked alright, more so than Xander had anticipated. Kisara and Asuna must have patched him up with their healing magic. He had Solaris back in his scabbard while holding Lunara in his right hand.
Suddenly, he noticed something strange. A ghostly figure stood beside the male demon. They were translucent and hard to make out, but he could clearly see her lustrous black hair and matching color dress. She glanced over her shoulder and stared at him with her ruby red eyes. She cracked a slight smirk. He wanted to say something, but the moment he blinked, she was gone, not even a trace of her remaining. Was he just imagining things?
"So that's it then?" Klein questioned. "This gem is Zeta's prison?"
Xander glanced over at the altar. There was that large black gemstone chained to it. It had such an unnatural presence that he could definitely picture it housing the soul of a god. Strangely though, it hurt his head to look directly at it. He had no choice but to look away for fear of his head exploding.
Everyone seemed unsure of what to do. Zarc was dead, so that should mean that Zeta was not getting out any time soon. Did that mean they could finally leave this terrible place and return home? Out of all of them, Marth looked the most skeptical.
Without saying a word, the demon approached the altar and pulled his sword back. A flash of red and the blade shot forward at inhuman speed, piercing the gemstone. It shattered into countless fragments in an instant, leaving everyone bewildered at what they just saw.
"What in Bionis's name are you thinking, Marth?!" Reyn shouted in anger. "Are you trying to get us all killed?!"
He didn't react at all to everyone's outbursts. Instead, Marth maintained his calm composure. "There's nothing here," he said slowly. "It's empty."
"Wait, what?" Azurda asked in confusion. "Are you saying that Zeta has already been released from his prison?"
"No. I'm saying that he was never here to begin with. Ever since we entered the tower, I noticed something odd. I could sense the presence of dark beings, but I could never make out Zeta's specifically. The other monsters could have obscured it from me, but now that we're at the top, the only malicious presence I felt was Zarc's. Whatever murderous intent that came from this gem was merely an illusion."
"But that makes no sense," Shulk spoke up. "Why would the gods of your world construct a prison like this, but leave it empty? This doesn't add up with what we were told."
"No, it doesn't," Kirito added. "This whole island is just one big lie. It was designed to make everyone believe that Zeta was imprisoned. If he was never here to begin with, then there's no telling where he could be now."
"We're missing something," Marth said slowly. "Something important. Something that I had forgotten. Ngh!" He suddenly grunted in pain as he held his forehead in his palm.
"Brother!" Kisara said in worry.
"I'm fine. Just a slight headache. We should leave now while we have the chance. Klaus, can you call your ship from here?"
"Yes. With Zarc gone, the sky around Eclipse Tower should be back to normal. The Galahad should have no issues reaching us."
The Dark Swordsman nodded in acknowledgement. "Good. Call it now. After learning what we just learned, we shouldn't stay here any longer."
A lone figure marched through the ruined streets of Zophia. How long has it been since he had come here? Just walking through these streets brought him some semblance of nostalgia. Sure there were Lemures prowling about, but they were nothing he needed to be concerned about. Even in his weakened state, he was perfectly capable of taking out those poor excuses for cannon fodder. Their pathetic souls weren't even a decent appetizer for him.
Now, it had to be around here somewhere. If his prediction was on point it should be…ah, here. Just around the corner was a body, a humanoid body at that, sprawled in the center of a small crater in the stone street. It was covered in grievous wounds, the gashes piercing through its sturdy armor. It was a miracle in itself that it didn't splatter the moment it made impact. Then again, demon lords were made of much more sturdy stuff than other mortals.
He sneered, chilling the air around him. The events that transpired in Eclipse Tower had transpired largely how he expected. However, even he couldn't have predicted the inhabitants of other worlds coming to help that boy and his rag-tag team.
Regardless, it didn't have much impact on any of his plans. If anything, it helped him turn his attention to the future after these ones were finished. After all, once he finished feasting off the souls of his world, he'll naturally need to find another world to sate his hunger. How sweet will the souls of these other worlds will be compared to the ones of his world?
Ah, but he was getting ahead of himself. He still had need of this tool before him. He couldn't risk losing this piece so soon before the big event. He stretched his arm out towards the broken corpse of the demon lord, a dark power emanating from his body.
"Rise once more, Zarc," he spoke softly. "There are things that I still need you to do after all."
As the dark power radiated off his body and into the corpse before him, the unnamed figure turned his attention to the enormous tower before him. It was small, but he could faintly make out a black figure taking off from the top, heading away from the island.
"Don't die too soon, Zane. You have a very important role in this game. Once it's all over, I will be devouring that soul of yours."
It would be troublesome if the demon prince managed to fully recover his missing memories. If that happened, his entire plans would be in jeopardy. Thankfully, he took precautions to ensure that won't happen. Now then, it was time to bring this fool back from the brink.
Xander had no experience travelling between alternate worlds, but something told him they shouldn't be this bumpy. The Galahad was groaning as it struggled to escape the confines of Temporal Island. It would seem that it was easier to break into this realm than it is to escape. Everyone was holding onto something to try to stay still as they watched Klaus and a few others struggle to get the ship out.
"Damn it," Kirito cursed as he and his partner rapidly typed various commands from their control boards. Apparently, they had some experience with computers. Jin was even helping too since he was familiar with the Galahad's technology as it was a Tornan ship. So was Shulk, given that he was one of the tech people in Colony 9. "We're losing our starboard thrusters. The port ones aren't looking good either."
"Our shields are failing too," Shulk added. "If they go down, the bounded field of the island will crush us."
"Power is dropping rapidly," Jin spoke hastily. "We don't have enough to break free."
The Galahad's shaking grew more violent. The floating island was determined to keep them trapped here. Damn it all. This is not looking good.
"Rrg! Marth. Kisara. Come here at once!"
That voice did not sound familiar. In fact, Xander almost believed he imagined it since it seemed to come out of the cat itself, which was sitting in the middle of the control room. However, given how everyone else was staring at it too, it couldn't have just been him who heard it.
"Did that cat just talk?" Sinon questioned.
"I'm guessing they're not supposed to do that," Ethan guessed, getting a head shake from the sniper.
Rose let out a scoff. "How rude. I am not a cat. This was just a disguise I took to hide myself from Zarc." A crimson magic circle erupted beneath her and her appearance changed to small girl with long golden hair and red eyes. She was garbed in a white and red dress. The presence she had was nothing like the ones Xander felt before. It had the menacing aura of a demon, yet also a sense of grace and elegance. In terms of power though, it was easily on point with Zarc's. Also, despite her youthful appearance, she had the air of someone much older. She smiled, revealing her elongated fangs. "Is that better? I am Roselia le Fay, and I can help you all escape this realm."
"Why should we trust you?" Jin asked. "This could all be a trick so that you can kill us all."
"We're all going to die if I don't help. Now do you really have time to question my sincerity?"
"I believe her," Marth spoke up. "For some reason, I feel like we can trust her."
"As do I," Kisara added.
If someone like Marth was willing to trust in this stranger, than Xander found no reason not to do the same. He watched as the two demons hurried to the young girl. Roselia then materialized a black staff with red crystals decorating its tips. A red magic circle appeared below the trio. Curiously, a much larger one appeared in the view of the Galahad's front.
"Concentrate your mana into the space in front of us," Roselia advised. "It's going to take all our strength to break through the barrier."
"On it!" the siblings acknowledged.
Xander could feel the intensity of their joint magical energy. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. It must be taking a heavy toll on the trio though if the beads of sweat on them was any indication. Thankfully, it didn't take long for the portal before them to stabilize.
"Go now!" she ordered. "We can't maintain this for long!"
"As you wish," Klaus said firmly. The scientist flipped a lever and suddenly the engines roared with renewed vigor. Unbeknownst to them all, Ultor's core, which Klaus was diverting power from to fuel this escape attempt, suddenly gained hairline fractures across its body at the same time.
Regardless, the Galahad rushed through the crimson portal and out of the Temporal Realm. The trip became far less bumpy as a result and the ship seemed to stabilize.
"Alright, now that we're out, which world should we go to first?" Reyn asked.
"Earth!" Roselia commanded. "That's where this whole mess began and I plan to ensure Marth and Kisara's safety above all else. Traveling between worlds is cakewalk for me, so I can help ensure the rest of you get back safely while also returning to my own realm."
"No need," Klaus replied, realizing Ultor's condition. It saddened him to see it like this, but he could tell that it wanted to continue, despite knowing what it would cost. Who was he to deny its wish? "I should have enough power to get to the Bionis and Alrest. I'll just drop you and the Harbingers off on Earth."
"Very well, but don't blame me if you get stranded. I offered to help after all."
They reached Earth with no issue. The Galahad flew into this massive city with tall buildings that seemed to pierce the very sky. So those are the skyscrapers Marth and the others talked about. This was the city that they called home. Tokyo, the capital of the island nation of Japan.
The Galahad was currently invisible, courtesy of Roselia, as ships like it don't actually exist in this world. If people saw it, there would no doubt be a panic. They landed the ship in a large park, which was thankfully empty as it was the middle of the night. After that, they all began to say their farewells to the Alfheim Warriors and their new savior. Interestingly enough, all of the players had changed into what Xander assumed to be civilian clothes. Their weapons were gone and some of their hair and eye colors changed. Sinon's hair turned brown and her eyes became gray while also wearing a pair of glasses. Her cat ears and tail were gone as well. Yuuki's hair became the same color, but her eyes were a lovely amber. Asuna's blue hair became a chestnut brown, as did her eyes. As for Kisara, her hair was now a beautiful snow white while her eyes remained bloodred.
"Man, I thought we were goners back there," Klein said in relief.
"Eh, it all worked out," Yuuki replied with a cheerful smile. "It's a shame we're back to our normal selves though."
"That's all because you were severed by the spell Zarc used to summon you all to Temporal Island," Roselia explained. "You all have a certain aptitude for magic and that spell somehow allowed you all to assume what you might call your 'combat forms'. I can teach you all how to use magic before I make my way back home."
"Thanks, Roselia," Kirito said politely. "We'd appreciate it. Now we won't have to worry about being defenseless if this happens again. But who are you and why are you helping us?"
The mysterious witch smiled smugly. "That's a secret." She then turned her attention to the departing members of the group. "You all should leave now. My cloaking spell won't last forever and I really don't want to have to wipe the memory of a flying battleship in an entire city."
"Agreed," Klaus replied. "Harbingers, Alfheim Warriors, or whatever you call yourselves, take care."
"Thanks," Asuna said with a smile. "Maybe we'll meet again next time."
"Indeed," Poppi mused. "Despite our circumstances, it was fun adventuring with you all." She and the majority of the Origo Mercenaries then boarded the Galahad.
"Take care, Marth," Shulk added. "Maybe next time you can teach me a few sword tricks."
The Dark Swordsman chuckled. "Sure. I'd be happy to give you some pointers. You and Reyn look after each other." He then muttered something in the engineer's ear, but it was too quiet for Xander to make out. After he was done, Shulk and Reyn then returned to the ship as well, leaving only Xander and his two Blades behind.
"Hey Marth," the mercenary leader spoke up. "You're a good guy. I'm glad I trusted you."
"I'm glad you did too, and I'm glad you're alright. Kos-Mos, Mythra, you might want to keep a close eye on him. He seems a bit too reckless for his own good."
"Oh I intend to do just that," the android replied. "I have no intention of letting Xander out of my sight again. As his Blade, it's my duty to protect him at all cost."
"I'll help out too since he's my Driver too," Mythra added. Her core crystal was missing half of it, curiously in the shape of the crystal on Xander's own chest. It was like a physical representation of the link the two now shared.
"Hey, it's a two-way street," Xander protested. "I'll protect you both too."
Everyone chuckled at that. The trio then said their own farewells right as they heard new voices calling out to the Harbingers. They must be the remaining members of the guild, the ones that got left behind. Xander watched them all reunite as he boarded the Galahad. It brought a smile to his face, seeing the rest of Marth's family.
Returning Shulk and Reyn to the Bionis was no issue. In fact, they managed to drop them off right where they had been taken before, just outside of Gaur Plains. Their farewells were a lot briefer, as Klaus only barely had enough power for one last interdimensional trip.
It was a shame as there was a lot Xander wanted to discuss with Shulk about, especially in regards with the Monado. It was clear there was more to the weapon than it appeared. It almost reminded him of a Blade weapon. However, it would seem those questions will go unanswered.
After seeing the duo off, the Galahad took off before soon finding itself in the familiar skies of Alrest. It was nighttime here, with the sight of Gormott's Titan lazily swimming about in the Cloud Sea below.
"Well that…an adventure," Ethan said after taking a heavy breath.
"Indeed. You don't experience things like that every day," Azurda added.
"How about we all return to Gormott and treat ourselves to a feast," Nia suggested. "I say we more than earned it."
"I'll help cook," Mythra offered.
"No," Jin said hastily. "I'll handle the cooking. I'd rather we all not die of food poisoning after finally returning to our own world."
Xander couldn't help but laugh at that. It was good to finally be home. Despite the circumstances, he was glad that he met Marth and Shulk. They all came from different walks of life and were each walking down their own paths. For a long time, he didn't know what his path was.
But now he did. He turned his gaze to the far-off World Tree, which sparkled in the moonlight. Somehow, someway, he'll scale that monstrous tree and reach Elysium. He'll do it not just to save Alrest, but because it was Mythra's request.
And he was not one to go back on his word, unlike a certain someone who abandoned him and his sister long ago.
To be continued
And with that, the Temporal Island arc is drawn to a close. In a way, I guess you could consider this the prologue arc as now's the time when the main story kicks in. The next chapter will finally show the debut of a character I've wanted to show for a long time now. Who that character is though, well, you'll have to wait and see. See you guys next time!
Chapter 15: Jewel of the Empire
Chapter Text
It's been about three weeks since the ordeal that occurred on Temporal Island. Three weeks since the Aegis had been awakened for her five-hundred-year slumber. The Origo Mercenaries have since transitioned back to what their lives were before the incident with moderate success. Unfortunately, both their main means of transportation were currently out of commission. Azurda obviously couldn't carry any of the mercenaries to the other nations in his larva state. Then there was the Galahad, which had sustained heavy damage during the escape from Temporal Island. It wasn't in any condition to go anywhere.
The most frustrating part regarding the Titanless ship was acquiring the parts to repair it. This mainly stemmed from the fact that the Galahad was an ancient Tornan ship, according to Jin anyway. Since the nation of Torna was gone, finding any spare parts to repair the ship was very difficult. Any parts they could find they had to acquire through salvaging, a rather unorthodox method, not to mention pricey. Well at least it gave Ethan an excuse to work on his salvaging skills.
Xander was currently in the engine room, doing an inspection to make sure everything was working properly. He had to admire the craftsmanship of his ancestor's homeland. They sure knew how to make marvelous machines. They were the only nation that was capable of building ships that didn't require Titans, a skill that was unfortunately lost when the kingdom was destroyed.
Everything seemed to be working properly from this end. He could clearly see the ether flowing from the humming engine, spreading throughout the entire ship. The engine itself took up half the room and was very intricate in its design. It made it really hard to repair because if they forgot to put one part in, it could lead to total disaster. They had a close call just last week when Ethan forgot to reattach a certain piece to the engine, and it nearly led to an ether overload that would have destroyed the entire ship. Thankfully Klaus was able to stop it in the nick of time.
"Okay. All done here." The Aegis Driver went over to the speaker and pressed the communication button. "Kos-Mos. Give the thrusters another test."
"As you wish, Xander," the familiar robotic voice replied from the other end.
Kos-Mos was currently in the control room. Her task was to help with any system or mechanical tests, while her Driver and Klaus worked on the repairs themselves. Jin would help out as well, but he was currently out on a mission with Nia and Ethan. From Xander's end, he could hear the engine powering up behind him. Meanwhile outside, the ship's thrusters started to groan to life.
"How does it look on your end?" the android questioned.
Well the engine wasn't making any funny noises or looked like it was about to blow up. That at least was a good sign. However, the ether transference still looked a little weak. Puzzled, he relayed his report to his partner.
"Hmm. Most peculiar. It would seem the engine can only reach about seventy-five percent power in its current state. Not ideal, but it is progress."
"That's bit of a bummer. It must still have some bad parts I haven't replaced yet. How are the thrusters themselves looking?"
"The starboard thrusters are fully operational. However, the port ones are still not operating at peak performance. The shield generator is not responding either. Nor are any of the Galahad's ether cannons."
Ugh. This was being such a pain in the ass. Whatever that bounded field was seemed to have fried most of the Galahad's systems during the escape. It was barely holding itself together. It was hard to find anything that was working right. They were fortunately the engine was even capable of turning on. If that was damaged beyond repair, then they were screwed as they could not find any replacements, even from Titan ships.
"Great," Xander said tiredly, pinching the bridge of his nose with his other hand. "Go ahead and turn them off. I'll have Ethan check out the shield generator when he and Nia get back. Go ahead and take a break, Kos-Mos."
"As you wish." The line went dead after that.
"Wow. You guys seem to be having fun."
He turned around and saw that he was no longer alone. Standing right by the door was a familiar young woman with long blonde hair and garbed in a white dress and black tights. Plastered on her face was an amused smirk. He let out a slight chuckle before taking a seat on a nearby bench.
"Tell me about it," the Aegis Driver said. "Replace one thing, another part breaks. Replace that and the other part stops working properly. How the hell did my ancestors put up with these ships?"
Mythra simply giggled as she approached her Driver. She then took a seat next to him. "Addam had a lot of the same issues as you during the Aegis War. It was rather amusing seeing him deal with a malfunctioning ship. Eventually it got to the point where we just paid for travel rather than use our own ships. It gave us much less of a headache."
Xander let out a deep breath. He certainly felt like he had a headache right now. It was interesting to hear more about his ancestor. He remembered his mother and aunt telling stories about the legendary hero when he was a child. It always fascinated him to hear of Addam's exploits, even if they were slightly exaggerated sometimes. It was times like this he was grateful to have awakened Mythra. After all, who better to tell tales of the Aegis War than someone who had fought in it.
"So, got any funny stories to share about Addam?" he asked with a light smile.
"Hmm. Did I tell you about that one time he fell off this ledge in Gormott and landed right into a Volff den? I nearly choked up a lung from laughing as he scrambled back up the cliff. He could have the worst luck sometimes. There were a few incidents he might have died if I wasn't there to bail him out."
"Well, I'm glad he survived. Otherwise, I wouldn't even exist. Did Addam have any other Blades besides you?"
Mythra pondered for a moment, pressing her index finger on her left cheek. It was actually kind of cute to see. Wait, why did he just think that?
"Let's see. There was this one Blade. I think his name was Minoth, but he didn't really belong to Addam. His Driver was someone else if I recall correctly and was just lending his strength. As for Blades he had an actual resonance with…" she paused for a moment. "Huh. My memory is a little fuzzy. Probably a side effect for being asleep for five hundred years. I can faintly recall Addam having another Blade prior to him awakening me, but I can't remember their name. The most I can remember is that they wore some kind of white armor."
White armor? That certainly rung a bell. There was a certain Blade who matched that admittedly vague description. In fact, she was supposedly a family heirloom on his mother's side. Could it be…
"How are you feeling, Xander?"
The silver-haired Driver sat up in alert as a familiar robotic voice interrupted his thoughts. Kneeling right in front of him was a certain android with pastel-blue hair and dazzling magenta eyes. Somehow, she had managed to approach him without him even noticing. Even Mythra was a little surprised by the other Blade's sudden appearance. Kos-Mos had one hand on her Driver's knee, bringing her other hand onto his forehead as if to check for a fever.
"Kos-Mos!" he cried out in surprise, unconsciously reeling backward. If it wasn't for the back of the bench, he likely would have fallen off from the sudden movement. "When did you get here? Why are you here?"
"Just now," she said as though it was the simplest thing. "As for why I'm here, you said to take a break, so I'm using this as an opportunity to check on you. You haven't answered my question yet. Are you feeling well?"
She has not been the same ever since the Temporal Island Incident, or more accurately, since Xander was brought back from the dead by the Aegis. Before his revival, Kos-Mos rarely showed any emotions, even when the two of them were alone. However, nowadays she was being more expressive, more open. There were even a few times he caught her smiling, although those moments were pretty rare. Her manner of speech was still somewhat rigid, but it felt far more natural than before. Heck, she doesn't even address him as "Master" anymore, instead calling him by his name.
It was touching to see so much of a change in his longtime partner. He had wanted to see this side to her for a long time. However, it would be nice if she stopped fretting over him. Somehow Kos-Mos had gotten even more protective of him. Xander couldn't really blame her, after all he did technically die and came back to life. It was only natural that she would have that kind of response. However, for the last few weeks, she has hardly left him alone, constantly staying by his side. It was like they were back in the early days of their mercenary careers when it was just the two of them. It was a little annoying, but Xander was more concerned over the android's health than her overprotectiveness.
"I'm fine," he said dismissively, trying hard not to blush, shooing away her hand. "I've never felt better."
"Are you sure?" Kos-Mos questioned intently. "We do not know what kind of side effects may have occurred when Mythra gave you half of her core crystal. It's not normal for a Driver and Blade to share a core. There is just so much we don't know."
Xander tossed a glance at the Aegis, who was still sitting beside him. On her chest was the familiar green core crystal, shimmering in the artificial light. However, right in the center of it was an x-shaped hole in it. He then looked down at his own chest where he saw the missing half of the core, the green x shimmering just as much. This was practically a symbol of his and Mythra's new connection with each other, what the Aegis gave up so that both her Driver and Kos-Mos could live.
As far as they knew, it wasn't possible for Blades to share their cores with humans, much less do so to bring back the dead. They were in unfamiliar territory. There was no telling what kind of repercussions this could bring to either party.
"Don't worry, Kos-Mos," Mythra said casually, leaning slightly forward in her seat. "Whatever problems this brings us, we can handle it together. We are a team after all."
The android was silent for a moment. "Yes. You are right. Whatever happens, the three of us can deal with it together." She then turned her head towards the Aegis. "Thank you again for saving our Driver, Mythra."
Miraculously, the two Light Blades were actually getting along better. It seems like there were perks to being revived. Now there was still the occasional banter here and there, but they were over relatively minor stuff, like who should accompany Xander to the market to stock up on supplies. Although thinking about it now, it was kind of embarrassing seeing his Blades fight over him like that.
Suddenly Kos-Mos took the opposite side of the bench, sitting to Xander's right. Maybe it was the heat of the engine, but he was starting to feel a little hot. His pulse quickened as well. He could only hope his cheeks weren't pink. He had two rather good-looking girls on either side. Most guys would probably kill to be in this scenario.
"Stop it. You're their Driver. You don't think of them in that way, nor do they think of you like that in return."
"Anyway," Kos-Mos continued, totally oblivious to her Driver's thoughts. Although, she was a little close to him, despite there being enough room on the bench for her not to do that. "Our end goal is to reach Elysium, correct?"
"Yep," Mythra confirmed, scooching a little closer to her Driver as well while eyeing her fellow Blade. "That was my request to Xander when I revived him. It's where I'm from."
"I see. If the legends about Elysium are true, then it should resolve the resource issue that Alrest is facing. The Titans are slowly dying, decreasing the amount of available land and the resources they provide. Even Gormott, while it still fertile, has been having declining harvests every year. Meanwhile, Mor Ardain's Titan is little more than a wasteland since it is nearing the end of its lifespan."
Just hearing the state of his homeland brought sorrow to his heart. The declining health of the Ardanian Titan was what caused the empire to annex Gormott in the first place. They simply did not have the resources to support their large population, which was larger than Uraya's, without it. Naturally the annexation has caused a large amount of controversy. A lot of the Gormotti population didn't like Mor Ardain's occupation, claiming that the empire was stealing their food. Uraya was critical of Mor Ardain as well, but that wasn't much of a surprise given that neither nation really got along. However, the annexation has led to an increased tension between the two nations, the possibility of war stirring in people's thoughts.
The thought of war befalling his homeland was not a pleasant one to say the least. It was where his sister and cousin lived after all. It's been years since he's seen them or his aunt, the latter of whom living in the Leftherian Archipelago. He's occasionally written letters to them, under an alias of course, just to hear how they were doing. Then of course, there was he and his sister's shared contact, who was responsible for keeping Xander up to date on the events transpiring within the empire. Speaking of which, wasn't the next arranged meeting with that contact coming up soon?
"Hey, Kos-Mos. Do you remember when I'm supposed to meet with my contact?"
"Of course I do," she replied instantly. "Your next meeting is tomorrow at one PM. Do you need me to remind you of where the meeting is to be held?"
"No need. I remember that much. Thanks, Kos-Mos."
"What the heck are you two talking about?" Mythra questioned in confusion.
Ah, right. He still hasn't told her much of his past. The only thing she really knew was that he was a descendant of her previous Driver, Addam Origo, the fourth prince of the fallen kingdom of Torna. Now that he thought of it, it might be a good idea to notify his family that he had awakened the Aegis. He had no interest in fighting in any wars, at least for the moment, but they still deserved to know. That contact he was meeting with tomorrow will make sure that his message is delivered with absolute secrecy. Perhaps that will also be a good time to tell Mythra more about his past.
Nia let out a heavy breath in exhaustion as she, Ethan, their Blades and Jin had finally reached the front gates of Torigoth. They had been away on a mission all morning to deal with some bandits over in Boulderbore Gate. Apparently the Ardanian army received an anonymous tip that those bandits were planning a raid on the city tomorrow night. The Origo Mercenaries were then hired to help deal with the thieves, although it was certainly not at the most opportune time as half their team wasn't available.
Thankfully Jin was able to go with them, and boy did he make quick work of most of those thugs. He took most of them down before they even had a chance to strike. It seems he wasn't kidding when he said he was the strongest Blade in Torna. Needless to say, the mission was a success and the Ardanian army was able to arrest the guilty party.
"Boy it's nice to know that you're a Blade, Jin," the Gormotti Driver commented as she stretched her arms and back. She did feel kinda tired from all the traveling they did, not to mention the occasional monster battles. "Our battles seem to go a lot quicker now that you're able to use your real Arts."
"No kidding," Ethan added, a big grin decorating his face. "You were already strong before. Now that you're able to use your true power in front of us, you're basically unstoppable."
Jin let out an amused chuckle. He no longer wore his gray mask to hide his core crystal, revealing to any that see him that he is in fact a Blade. He still did not have a proper Driver yet, meaning that he wasn't quite capable of fighting at his full strength. However, while never mentioning this to anyone except for Dromarch, Nia had a suspicion as to who the Paragon of Torna will choose for his Driver, and it certainly wasn't her. That boy sure was lucky sometimes. Go figure, given that it was the same individual that gave her a place to call home.
"I think you're exaggerating there, Ethan," Jin said humbly. "Even if I had a proper Driver, I certainly wouldn't be unbeatable. No Blade is."
"Not even the Aegis?" the Gormotti questioned.
"Not even the Aegis, although its strange to see that Malos is still alive. I would have thought he had perished when Torna was destroyed."
Oh right. There were technically two Aegises. One was their friend, Mythra, the legendary Blade wielded by the hero, Addam Origo, and the second was Malos, that strange Driver who attacked them on that ancient ship three weeks ago. Well, there was also that third core that went missing in the war, but from what she could recall about it, it wasn't really capable of resonating with anyone, making it essentially useless as a Blade. As for Malos himself, he certainly didn't seem like a legendary Blade from how he fought that night. He didn't even have his own Blade weapon. Mythra speculated that perhaps Malos hasn't fully recovered from their battle five hundred years ago, which was why he didn't seem to have access to his full abilities. However, even without his Aegis powers, he still gave the Origo Mercenaries a hard time. Then there was that Julius fellow and his Blade T-elos. If it wasn't for Azurda's timely arrival, they might not have gotten out of there alive.
"Let's just hope we don't run into him and his Torna lot again," Nia said dismissively. Even as the words left her mouth, she doubted that scenario was even remotely possible. That terrorist group was pretty determined to capture Mythra that fateful night. For what purpose was still unknown, but it was highly unlikely that they would just give up after one failure. Sooner or later, they will come for the Aegis again.
Since they still had some time to spare, the group decided to spend some of their new earnings on supplies, mainly parts to help repair the Galahad. With the ship out of commission and the threat of Torna looming, the Origo Mercenaries chose not to take jobs outside of Gormott unless they could all go together. It was going to be an interesting journey once they start making their journey to Elysium.
"Eh," Nia grunted out as she spotted something out of the corner of her eye, slowly backing up a few steps.
She turned around to a collection of wanted posters nailed onto the wanted board. It had your typical variety of bandits and lowlifes. Heck, even Julius and Malos had their own wanted posters. However, what really caught her attention was that she had a wanted poster as well. What really set her off though was that it barely resembled her at all. It looked more like the artist merged her and Dromarch together. To add insult to injury, the bounty for her capture was abysmally low, only a lousy thousand gold.
"What the bloody hell!" she cried out in anger, catching the attention of her wandering friends. "Is that supposed to be me?!" Better question, why was she even wanted in the first place?! She didn't break any laws as far she knew. Please don't let this be her past catching up to her?
"A remarkable likeness to say the least," Dromarch commented as he examined the wanted poster.
A murderous aura radiated off the Gormotti Driver as she tossed a death glare at the tiger Blade beside her, her eyes glinting with fury. "Did you just say something?" she said in warning.
Rightfully fearing the wrath of his lady, Dromarch hastily replied with, "Er, no. But it would appear that they got our appearances confused, my lady. How awful."
"Uh, Nia," Ethan asked nervously. "What did you do?"
"Nothing! This has to be some kind of sick prank. I'm not a criminal. I'm a member of the Origo Mercenaries."
"Still," Poppi mused. "It is very strange to see one of our own with a bounty on their head, although I cannot dispute its accurate depiction." Nia promptly hissed at the artificial Blade in anger, causing her Driver to flinch in fear.
"Regardless of its depiction," Jin spoke up calmly. "We need to tell the others this immediately and find out what's really going on."
Nia couldn't agree more. She wanted to claw at the person who dared to falsely accuse her as a criminal. She could already feel the anger boiling within her. Her picture on that wanted poster is such a disgrace. Whoever drew it should be promptly fired without a second thought. She was even about to tear the poster off the board and rip it to shreds, but Jin snatched it up and pocketed it before she even got the chance.
With this new information, the group decided to postpone their shopping trip and head straight for their base. However, it was too risky to take their usual route, which was straight through the square as that would have them go past the Ardanian recruit booth. Since Nia was apparently a wanted criminal, any interactions with the authorities were too risky. Thank the Architect that she wasn't arrested by those soldiers along with those bandits. Perhaps the wanted poster was only put up just after they left Torigoth.
Thankfully there was a secret entrance to their base. They just had to cut through the marketplace and go straight until they reach a sharp turn where a hidden door was located. That was their best bet to get Nia to safety.
Things seemed to be going smoothly for them as they made past the merchant booths with no issue. However, once they entered the alley afterward, their luck immediately soured.
"Hold it!" cried an unfamiliar voice.
Suddenly Ardanian soldiers surrounded the mercenaries, blocking both sides. Although none of them were Drivers. Damn it. How could the army have mobilized so quickly? They were completely trapped.
"Is there a problem, officer?" Jin asked calmly.
"Yes," the man Nia assumed to be the captain as he had a taller helmet said with a nod. "That girl accompanying you is a fugitive of the state. She's a member of Torna."
"Hell, no I'm not a member of that blasted group!" the Gormotti protested fiercely. "You've obviously got the wrong person."
"I don't think so. You're a Gormotti Driver with a white beast-form Blade. Not to mention you look exactly like the wanted poster." As if to piss her off even more, the captain even pulled out the laughably inaccurate poster of the female mercenary.
"Oh come on!" Ethan voiced in complaint. "That doesn't even look like Nia at all."
Suddenly the captain turned his steely gaze towards the raven-haired Ardanian, causing him to flinch. "Hmm. You look like a Driver. What's your registration number?"
Oh crap. By law, all Drivers had to register with the Indoline Praetorium, as Indol was the nation that distributed core crystals to the other nations. Even Uraya, a country that didn't like associating with the Praetorium, begrudgingly accepted this law. Naturally, since Ethan wasn't a real Driver, he wasn't registered at all. Anyone with eyes can tell that Poppi's body is mechanical, meaning she isn't a real Blade, but Jin was and his core crystal could be clearly seen by everyone now that he was no longer wearing his mask.
"Uh, 5-3-9—"
"Knock it off, you fool," the captain interrupted, obviously not buying Ethan's poor excuse. "Looks like we're going to have to take you for questioning too. The consul will decide your fate."
Damn their luck. This was escalating badly. Now it wasn't just Nia facing the threat of arrest, but Ethan too. Curses. Why did Xander have to stay behind at base. He was the best negotiator of the team. Surely, he could convince the soldiers surrounding them to stand down. But he wasn't here and there was no way to contact him about the situation.
"Ethan. Jin. Poppi," she muttered quietly as she reached for her twin rings. "Dromarch and I will distract them. You three need to run and notify Xander about what's happened."
"No way," the Ardanian Driver rejected as he drew his saber and shield. "We're a team. There's no way we'd just abandon you to save ourselves."
"Not to mention they want to arrest us too," Jin added as he summoned his nodachi.
Yeah, she figured they would say something like that. It would have been more surprising if they actually took her up on her offer. Besides, they were just regular foot soldiers. They should be no match for a couple of Drivers and Blades.
Suddenly a wall of azure flames surrounded the mercenaries, trapping them even further. The heat coming off them was intense. It was like Nia had walked into an oven. However, despite the intense heat, a deep chill ran down her spine. This was no natural fire surrounding them. This was an elemental attack, which meant the source had to be…
"Such a commotion."
A new figure entered the alley. It was a beautiful young woman with long purple hair, the sides of which were tied up in buns and matching purple eyes. Both the buns and the tips of her hair were alight with blue flames. She was tall, easily towering over Nia and a had curvaceous figure that would make any woman jealous. Accenting her figure was her dress, which was a deep purple and floor length, however a thin transparent line ran down the center of the outfit. Her arms and legs were covered in a blue crystal, acting as gloves and heeled boots, the shape even resembling flames. Around her waist was a matching belt and a small dagger. On her forehead were two blue marks that resembled flames. As for her chest, clearly visible was a blue core crystal shaped like a flame, meaning she was obviously a Blade. Her weapons of choice were a pair of twin rapier-like swords.
"And here I thought I could enjoy a little peace and quiet," the woman continued, her voice sounding remarkably calm.
Jin let out a gasp as he saw the new arrival. He clearly recognized her, meanwhile Nia only had some suspicions on who this Blade could be. If she was who the Gormotti thought she was, then they were in big trouble.
"It can't be," the Paragon of Torna said slowly. "Brighid?!"
"Hmm. Do I know you?"
Once again Nia cursed at their rotten luck. What was one of the Twin Jewels of the Empire and the strongest Blade in Mor Ardain doing in a place like Torigoth?! Sure, Gormott was technically a province of the empire, but it was still unusual to see such a legendary Blade this far from the motherland. At least her Driver, the Empress of Flames, wasn't here with her. That meant Brighid can't currently fight at her full power.
What else could go wrong? Is Torna gonna join the party too?
"You've got to be kidding me," Ethan cursed out. "What the hell is Lady Brighid doing here? Dare I even ask where her Driver is?"
"My Driver is otherwise engaged at the moment," the Jewel of the Empire replied. "I have come here alone."
"Be careful everyone," Jin called out in warning, readying his nodachi. "Even when's she's alone, Brighid is more than strong enough to fight us. She's a Blade that can fight even Mythra head on."
"Seriously?!" Nia exclaimed in disbelief. "You're telling me she's capable of fighting even the Aegis herself?" Any confidence she did have was quickly drained away. At the very least, they still had the Paragon of Torna at their side, and he was a Blade that could fight Mythra head-on as well.
The Fire Blade raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Mythra? Aegis? How peculiar. Captain Padraig, I'll handle them myself. You and your men stand back and get ready. I want them all alive."
"Of course, Lady Brighid," the soldier said with a bow. "It will be an honor to watch you bring these criminals to justice." He then tossed a glance at the soldiers behind him. "Men. Bring the you-know-what." The grunts gave a salute and quickly scurried off. Something told the Gormotti that she wasn't going to like whatever it they were fetching.
The wall of flames that surrounded the mercenaries dissipated, but none of them relaxed. After all, their opponent was one of the Twin Jewels of the Empire, and arguably the strongest Blade in Mor Ardain. This was not going to be an easy battle.
Brighid would be the one to make the first move. She rushed at the group, her dual swords raised. Jin quickly moved to intercept, stopping her weapons with his nodachi. Sparks and blue flames shot off the weapons as the two tried to overpower the other.
"Not bad," Brighid commented. "But not good enough."
Suddenly her weapons were wrapped in a cloak of azure flames. Knowing what she was about to do, Jin quickly jumped back as the swordswoman spun in a circle, unleashing a blast of blue flames that struck both Nia and Ethan when they had tried to attack her from the sides. That was one of Brighid's Arts. Heat Haze.
Thankfully Nia suffered only a grazing wound from the flames and was able to easily patch it up with a Healing Halo. Meanwhile Dromarch made sure to patch up Ethan as he was furiously trying to put out the fire on his shirt.
The Flame Jewel of Mor Ardain wasn't done yet though as she swung her right sword at the group. At first Nia thought it was a pointless as they were not within striking distance of the weapon. Imagine the Gormotti's surprise when the blade suddenly extended into a whip and easily closed the distance. If it wasn't for Poppi's quick reflexes by grabbing her Driver's shield to block the sudden attack, they might have been in big trouble.
"So not only can she generate fire to attack, but she can also increase the range of her swords by turning the blades into whips," Nia said to herself. "Does she have any weaknesses?!"
The Origo Mercenaries soon entered a furious clash with the female Blade. None except Jin could even manage to land a single scratch upon her beautiful figure. She was really light on her feet, allowing her to easily dodge most of their attacks. She honestly reminded the Gormotti of Marth and Kirito with their dual-wielding prowess, but mixed with Asuna and Kisara's grace. Even when the Paragon of Torna resorted to using his ice attacks to strike her down, Brighid just countered by unleashing volleys of fire, completely canceling his attacks. Jin wasn't kidding when he said that even without her Driver, Brighid was more than a match for them. It made Nia dread to think how strong she was when she was with her Driver.
Dromarch unleashed his Wild Roar, hoping to at least knock the enemy Blade off-balance. However, she easily deflected the Art before countering with her Twin Serpents Art, which was a series of blinding fast slashes followed by a cross slash. Most of the attacks managed to strike the white tiger, leaving quite a few nasty injuries across his body, but the final few hits were stopped by Jin.
Ethan tried in vain to slash at the female Blade from behind with his Vorpal Slash, but she repelled that attack just as easily. Brighid then fired a blast of fire at the group, which Jin stopped by countering with a blast of ice.
"Damn it," he cursed out loud. "I knew Brighid would be tough, but I didn't think we'd have this hard of a time."
"And this is her power without her Driver," Poppi added.
"Don't worry about that!" Nia cried out. "Just get her!"
The Gormotti and her partner leapt into the air, hoping to strike their enemy from above. Brighid just stood there, watching their descent. Why wasn't she trying to stop them? Suddenly two energy projectiles were fired from behind the female Blade. They struck Nia and Dromarch head-on, knocking them to the ground. The next thing she knew, both she and her Blade were wrapped in some kind of energy net. Nia tried with all her might to break free, but her bindings refused to give in.
"Ugh…Dromarch…" she cried out, worried for her Blade, who was also having a difficult time escaping from his bonds.
"Ha-ha!" Captain Padraig cheered. "Those are ether nets. Just try to use any Arts when you can't even draw ether from the atmosphere."
"Even Blades have weaknesses," Brighid added. "This is one of them. Without the flow of ether, Blades are quite useless."
Damn it. This was bad. At this rate, they were all going to get arrested by the empire. She might not be able to escape now, but at least Ethan and the others still have a chance.
"Ethan. Poppi. Jin. Get out of here now!" she cried out in desperation. "Save yourselves!"
"No way!" the Ardanian Driver refused. "There's no way we're leaving you two here."
"Just go! Find Xander and tell what's happened. I'll be fine. Just run!"
Poppi gritted her teeth in frustration. "She's right, Ethan. We need to withdraw. It's our only chance if we want to save Nia and Dromarch."
"You're not going anywhere," Brighid spoke up. She swung her whipswords out, creating a wall of fire behind the remaining mercenaries and blocking their only escape route.
Finally, Ethan seemed to realize the hopelessness of continuing to this fight. Out of desperation, he fired a jet biter from his shield. It was possible that he was aiming for Brighid, but he missed and instead hit the water pipe above her. The pipe ruptured in an instant, showering the Fire Blade in water. She out a pained cry and the fire wall behind the group went out. Wait a minute, she's a Fire Blade. Water weakens her powers. Ethan didn't miss. He struck the pipe on purpose.
"Poppi, Noponic Axiom!" he cried out as he tossed her his saber.
"Roger, roger," the artificial Blade acknowledged. She pulled the saber back and fired a white beam at the weakened Blade. The Art struck true and Brighid was pushed backward into the alley wall. Meanwhile Jin had incapacitated the Ardanian soldiers that had blocked the passage further into the alley.
"Ethan, let's go!" he ordered hastily.
"Right!"
Nia watched from the ground as her friends ran off, the Ardanian army in hot pursuit. She knew that they weren't abandoning her. They were all a team after all. Once Xander was informed about what happened, they were sure to prove her innocence.
"Well that was rather amusing." It was Brighid who spoke. She had already recovered from Poppi's attack and her surprise shower. It was the two of them and Dromarch who were still in the alley. "I shouldn't be too surprised though. You are the Origo Mercenaries after all." She then cracked a faint smile. "A shame that Kos-Mos wasn't here. It's been ages since I had a proper fight with her. I was hoping this little skirmish would be a good excuse to fight her again."
Wait. She knew Kos-Mos and has even fought the Light Blade before? Does that mean she knew Xander as well? And skirmish? What in Alrest is going on here? Nia was so confused.
To be continued
Okay, this chapter got so long that the character I wanted to debut has gotten pushed back to the next one. Oh well. At least her partner finally made her Connections debut. Lady Brighid is finally in the story! I've been waiting a long time to write her in. I hope I managed to accurately portray how powerful she is. If her Arts names weren't clear, she'll have access to both her base game and her Torna Arts. Mythra will have access to her Torna Arts too, I just haven't had the chance to show them off yet. Anyway, Nia got arrested by the empire, yet it seems like there's more to the story than she thinks. I wonder what's going to happen. See you guys next time!
Chapter 16: The Empress of Flames
Chapter Text
Brighid calmly arrived at the Ardanian military base that was located on the eastern side of Torigoth, past the farmlands. As she walked, most of the soldiers and Blades all saluted to her as a sign of respect when they saw her. This wasn't surprising for her as she was the strongest Blade in the empire and her beloved Driver was the emperor's right-hand, his Special Inquisitor. Normally as one of the Twin Jewels of the Empire, Brighid would be awakened by the emperor himself and serve as one of his vassals, but special circumstances had led to her resonating with her current Driver. In all honesty, she was quite happy by that. She by no means thought little of His Majesty, Emperor Niall, in fact she held a lot of respect for him. Despite only being fifteen, with him having inherited the throne three years ago, the young ruler possessed a wisdom and maturity that far exceeded his years. He was very different from the previous emperors as instead of continuing Mor Ardain's militaristic traditions, he opted instead for peace and diplomacy. He truly cared for the people. This wasn't much of a surprise to the Fire Blade, considering who Niall was related to. He greatly admired his late aunt, who had been born a simple commoner in a small, isolated village, and took much her beliefs to heart. There was no doubt in Brighid's mind that she would be proud of her nephew if she could see him now.
Naturally, such radical beliefs have led to heated arguments both among the emperor's council and within the Senate. More than a few of them have long voiced their complaints over their ruler's "cowardice". Some have even gone behind His Majesty's back and have been testing out new weapons to be used in warfare. After all, tension was rather high between the empire and the Kingdom of Uraya with the Titans slowly dying off and Mor Ardain's annexation of Gormott from ten years ago.
This partially contributed to Brighid being grateful for having been awakened by the Special Inquisitor instead, as it gave her more freedom to go out and enforce His Majesty's will. She and her Driver were an unstoppable team, having completed countless missions together over the years. There was not a single person in the empire who did not fear them. To date, there were only two Blades in Alrest that could give the duo a difficult fight. The first was Aegaeon, the other Twin Jewel. He wasn't quite as strong as Brighid as he doesn't get many opportunities to fight as her, but he was just as loyal to His Majesty, who happens to be his Driver. As for the second Blade, that honor goes to a certain pastel-blue-haired Blade who possessed a rather elusive element. A shame she and her Driver weren't present during that little skirmish with the Origo Mercenaries earlier. She had been hoping to get the chance to battle her again as it has been eight years since their last clash.
"Well, I can't say that I was disappointed with that battle. That Blade with the nodachi was able to keep up with me, a very welcome surprise. What was his name again? Jin?"
Just thinking about it, that name sounded very familiar to her. Where had she heard it before? Oh right. It was from one of her old diaries. Like all Blades, Brighid would lose all her memories the moment she is reverted back into a core crystal. It was rather common for Blades to keep diaries as a way of preserving their memories, unfortunately most would end up losing those journals when they are returned to their cores. After all, a core crystal cannot protect a diary. Brighid was one of the fortunate ones as most of her exploits are documented in historical chronicles and each of her journals are carefully preserved by the royal family.
Even though the memories of her previous life were long gone, Brighid couldn't help but feel this sense of nostalgia. So Jin, one of the Blades that she had fought beside in the Aegis War five hundred years ago, was still around. She had believed that his core crystal had been lost for good, but there he was in Torigoth, alive and well. It was strange to see that he still seemed to remember her. Perhaps he somehow found a way to prevent himself from returning to his core crystal, thus allowing him to retain his memories from five hundred years ago.
"Perhaps he can tell me his secret when I see him again," she thought with a light smile. "Even though my diaries are protected, I don't want to forget about her."
It's been about five hours since she and the military captured the Gormotti Driver, Nia, and the white tiger Blade called Dromarch. As for Jin and his friends, they had somehow managed to give the Ardanians the slip. Brighid had a hunch as to where they had gone, but she made no effort to apprehend them. After all, that wasn't the plan.
Captain Padraig had the Gormotti girl and Blade (in separate locations of course) locked up tight here in the relay base. Brighid felt that it was a bit unnecessary, but they had to do it to maintain appearances. Should she pay the girl a visit or wait for her Driver to arrive?
"Lady Brighid." She was snapped from her thoughts right there as the good captain approached her.
"What is it, captain?"
"We just received word from the Resolute. It will be docking here momentarily."
Already? But she had only messaged her mistress just four hours ago that she had captured the target. She wasn't expecting the Empress of Flames to be arriving until tomorrow. Then again, that was just like her to defy people's expectations.
"Very well," Brighid calmly acknowledged. "Has the consul been informed of this?"
"Indeed. As you ordered, we haven't told him the true reason for why we apprehended that Driver and her Blade. He of course complained at me for not capturing the Aegis, so I decided to have some fun and pretend that I didn't know what color emerald was. Pardon my language, my lady, but it was hilarious to see him flip out over it."
Padraig let out a hearty laugh as he recalled the memory. Even Brighid couldn't help but chuckle as well. Consul Dughall was a rather selfish and cowardly noble, with rumors of him even involving himself in some rather shady deals with a certain Nopon from Argentum, but he was a competent leader which was why he was stationed here in Torigoth after Gormott was annexed. However, that didn't stop him from voicing his complaints of being sent to, in his own words "a back-water town in the boonies".
It always disgusted her to see that lowlife of a politician. Dughall was one of the many humans who saw Blades as nothing more than servants or tools. There have even been accounts of him using his Blade as a shield to protect himself from harm. Yes, Blades are capable of regenerating from practically any wound, but that didn't mean they didn't feel pain. Just once, she would love to have consul alone and give him a personal demonstration over how hot her flames could get.
It was not surprising to hear that Dughall wanted Padraig and his forces to capture the Aegis. Ever since rumors of the legendary Blade's return began spreading throughout Alrest three weeks ago, the consul has been taking more interest in any Drivers that come into Torigoth. Whatever he was up to could not be good. Of course, if he did try anything, well, that would give her and her lady just the excuse they need to remove him from power.
A loud engine sound could be heard as a huge Titan warship sailed into the dock by the relay base. Brighid could tell it was an Ardanian vessel with just a glance as the empire was the only nation that mechanized their Titans. Deep in her core, she could feel the presence of her Driver. She was here.
Giving her regards to the captain, she trotted over to the dock as a lone figure emerged from the vessel, her beautiful silver hair shining in the light of the evening sun. There were a few soldiers gathered by the end of the dock, along with the consul himself.
"Special Inquisitor Rachel!" Dughall greeted with a flamboyant tone, a beady smile plastering his face. Brighid could tell immediately that it was an act, but chose not to say anything. Instead, she decided to let the consul continue his little speech which he clearly rushed to prepare, largely for her own amusement. "To what do we owe this extreme pleasure? It is not every day you take time out of your busy schedule to visit this far away town. Had Your Grace given us proper notice of your arrival, we could have prepared a feast in your honor."
Rachel Ladair was a beautiful woman with long silver hair that was tied back in a braid and had lovely golden eyes. Her skin was fair, a trait commonly seen in most Ardanians. It would be fair to say that she was the spitting image of her late mother. She was garbed in a navy-blue military uniform (which resembled an overcoat with a single tail) that had purple accents on the sleeves, white gloves, and black boots. On her right shoulder was a silver shoulderpad with the Ardanian crest inlaid with gold, signaling her position as Special Inquisitor, a title she held with honor despite only being twenty years old.
The Empress of Flames narrowed her eyes at the noble and folded her arms across her chest. "I don't care much for such pointless things, Consul," she said dryly. "It would be better if you just did your job."
There it was. Her lady may be a member of the Ardanian royal family, but she was far from the typical tropes one would see in princesses. Rachel wasn't afraid to speak her mind out towards stuck-up individuals like Dughall. Like her cousin, the emperor, she cared deeply for her people and her country. And those were just some of the few things Brighid loved about her partner. Her ability to remain calm and collected regardless of the situation won her the respect of many high-position individuals within the military. Heck, there were even people in Uraya who respected her too if the rumors were true. It was no wonder why Emperor Niall wanted her to be his Special Inquisitor.
Just seeing her partner again made Brighid's heart skip a beat, but she remained composed. They were still out in public after all. They had to maintain a professional appearance. Matters of the heart can wait until they were alone.
"B-but Your Grace," the consul argued nervously. "Someone of your standing deserves to be treated as such. Not only are you the cousin of His Majesty, but you are also his representative. Please permit us to prepare a meal worthy for one such as you. Perhaps you can even wait here while we—"
"You made impressive time, my lady," Brighid interrupted, making her presence clear to all, as she knew the consul would keep pestering the Empress of Flames if she kept quiet. Dughall comically jumped at the sight of the Fire Blade, which gave her some satisfaction. "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."
Rachel turned her attention towards her partner. Her eyes softened somewhat, but her body language remained composed. "Unfortunately, we do not have much time to waste. If we have managed to capture our target, then we must move swiftly. It won't be long before he comes."
"I understand. However, your haste to get here must have put a terrible strain on your engines."
"A necessary compromise, but nothing our engineers can't fix. I expect it will be repaired in a matter of days."
"Um," Dughall suddenly spoke up, looking somewhat nervous, "Your Grace, what are you talking about?"
"Nothing you need to be concerned about, Consul," Rachel brushed off. "I heard you have captured a supposed member of Torna. I want her and her Blade relocated onto my ship at once. I will question her myself."
"B-but—"
"Did I stutter just now? You have your orders, now go do them."
Dughall promptly scurried off to get the transfer underway, the soldiers following soon after. It was just Brighid and Rachel on the dock. As they were reasonably alone, the two shared a warm embrace for a brief moment.
"How did I do?" the Empress of Flames questioned with a sly grin on her face.
"You were brilliant as always, Rachel," she replied, her voice filled with pride. "I never get tired of seeing you put fools like Dughall in their place." The two parted afterward.
"Well, it is one of the highlights of being His Majesty's Special Inquisitor. It's certainly not easy juggling all of my responsibilities. If it weren't for you and Kasandra, I might have collapsed years ago."
Contrary to her nickname, fire was not the only element Rachel used as a Driver. About five years ago, she and Brighid came across this strange Marrin near the Chansagh Wastes in Mor Ardain. The monster had attacked them during their patrol, but it was easily felled by them in a matter of minutes. When the Marrin died, a core crystal popped out of it. With how strong Brighid was, Rachel didn't feel the need to awaken any other Blades. As such, whenever she came across core crystals, she would donate them to the military, who would then send them off to Indol for cleansing. However, this core crystal felt different from the others she had found, and so with Brighid's consent, she resonated with the core and awakened the Blade inside.
That Blade was none other than Kasandra. Unlike Rachel or Brighid, she was very cheerful and full of energy. It was quite rare to see the Dark Blade upset. She considers herself to be a very lucky girl, although strange things seem to happen to those around her. The only exceptions seem to be her partners and the emperor himself. She was also a very capable fighter. She was nowhere near Brighid's level, of course, but she has great potential and has never let her Driver down.
"Speaking of which, where is Kasandra?" Brighid questioned, noticing the girl's absence.
"I had her stay behind to watch over His Majesty. There's nothing wrong with being too careful."
"Maybe, but she might accuse you of playing favorites again."
Rachel simply giggled at that. Such an adorable sound from such a stoic warrior. "I think I can manage that. You both know I care about you equally. I'll make it up to her by getting her some of that famous lucky bread that's sold here in Torigoth."
"I'm sure she'll like that, beloved. Perhaps we can get some after our business here is concluded."
"That sounds good to me. Now then, we should get ready. We have a reunion to prepare for."
Mythra didn't know what to say when Jin and the others came back. It definitely couldn't have been good given that they had gone through one of the secret entrances, which were meant for emergencies, to return to base. Not to mention that they looked rather winded, as if they had just run a marathon. Then there was the fact that Nia and Dromarch weren't with them either, despite the fact that the group had all left together on a job to get rid of some bandits. Imagine her surprise when she heard that they had been attacked by the Ardanian military and that Nia was arrested on suspicion of being a member of Torna.
Now the Aegis only knew the Gormotti girl for only a few weeks, the latter not really talking much about her past, but even Mythra knew those charges had to be false. It pissed her off that it was Brighid of all people who apprehended her. She remembered fighting beside the Fire Blade in the Aegis War. Sure, the two butted heads every now and then, okay almost all the time, but there was at least some respect they held for each other. If someone had given the Ardanian army a false tip, or they were acting with ill intent, there was no way the Brighid she knew would go along with it.
Blades at their core remain the same upon their very first awakening. They were the only things that were immortal in this world, besides the Architect of course. However, subtle changes in their personalities can be made depending on what their subsequent Drivers are like. Did something happen in the empire that caused her rival to seemingly have a personality shift, or was there more going on here than she knew?
"How strange," Xander spoke up, snapping Mythra from her thoughts. "Are you sure it was Brighid who confronted you all?" They were all gathered around the table in the dining room, with just barely enough chairs for everyone. Xander himself was examining the very inaccurate wanted poster of the Gormotti. Mythra admittedly found it a little funny, but she had a feeling that Nia didn't have the same reaction when she saw it.
"I am," Jin confirmed gravely. "She was one of the Blades I fought beside in the Aegis War. I could never forget her."
Both Xander and Kos-Mos looked a little uneasy. It was pretty unusual to see. Azurda was strangely quiet as well. Then there was the way Xander said Brighid's name. Even Ethan addressed her formally when debriefing the others. However, the Aegis Driver did no such thing. He said her name so casually. It was like he knew her.
"What are we going to do?" Poppi questioned. "At this rate, we're all going to be branded as criminals. How are we going to help Nia and Dromarch? We can't just abandon them."
"Do not worry, Poppi," Kos-Mos reassured. "The Origo Mercenaries do not abandon their own. One way or another, we will get Nia and Dromarch back."
"But how are we going to do that?" Ethan asked nervously. "Are we going to break them out of prison or something? They might execute her for a crime she didn't commit if we don't hurry."
Azurda shook his head, his chin held in one small hand. "Do that and we'll be branded as criminals for real. As for Nia's safety, I do not believe they will harm her or Dromarch. Brighid herself ordered that you all were to be captured alive. They must have a reason for wanting to keep her alive."
That was about the same thought process Mythra had. Sure, it was possible that Mor Ardain was only keeping Nia alive to extract information from her and might kill her after they get what they want. However, she pushed that thought aside. She wanted to have some faith in the Blade she acknowledged as her rival.
Xander let out a heavy breath, catching everyone's attention. "I know why Mor Ardain took Nia. They're using her as bait to lure me in." That caught everyone except for Kos-Mos, Azurda and Klaus off-guard. In fact, those three in particular looked a little uneasy, as if they knew what was going on too.
"What?" Mythra said in shock. "But why would the empire want to lure you in? You're not anyone special."
"Well, he is the Driver of the Aegis," Ethan reasoned. "Maybe they somehow found out and are trying to enlist him by using Nia as a hostage?"
"First, ouch," Xander continued. "Second, I don't think that's why Mor Ardain is after me." He leaned forward onto the table, pinching the bridge of his nose between the fingers of his right hand. "Looks like my past is catching up to me. I was planning on telling you all about it soon, but not like this."
Again, everyone was surprised by his words. Secrets were kind of a big deal for the Origo Mercenaries. Every member had things they wanted to hide. For Jin, it was his status as a Blade, though he doesn't talk much about his past, something that the others shared. They were all outcasts, people who couldn't survive on their own, running from something. They were almost like a family with how they looked after each other.
Basically, when one of the Origo Mercenaries wishes to talk about their past, it was a big deal. The rest of the mercenaries knew that Xander was a descendant of Addam, the fourth prince of Torna and the hero who ended the Aegis War, but not much else. He did briefly mention having a sister, a cousin, and an aunt, but he never went into detail as to who they were.
"Who are you, Xander Origo?" Mythra questioned slowly.
Her Driver locked eyes with her for a few moments. He didn't say anything, but he looked like he knew what he had to do. Soon he turned his gaze to the android beside him. "Kos-Mos, grab my cloak. I'm gonna need it where we're going."
"Of course, Xander. But are you sure want to do this?" It was strange to hear Kos-Mos sound so reluctant to comply. Normally she would obey her Driver's orders without question. She was becoming more like a real person than some mindless pawn.
"Yeah. If they're going to these lengths to catch my attention, it's got to be important."
The Light Blade still looked a little hesitant, but she decided to respect Xander's wishes. She then went to fetch the item in question. After a minute had passed, Kos-Mos returned with a gray hooded cloak. It actually reminded Mythra of the one Addam used when he wanted to hide his identity. The Aegis watched as he put the cloak on and pulled the hood over his face.
"If anyone wants to stay here, just say the word. However, I'd much prefer that we all go together so I can tell you my secret at the same time."
"What about the Ardanians?" Poppi questioned. "Won't they attack us because we ran away?"
"It'll be fine. As long as I'm there, they won't hurt any of you, not unless they want to face Kos-Mos's X-Buster."
That left most of the other mercenaries confused. They were all silent as they decided on what to do. Well, it's not like Mythra needed much to decide. Xander was her Driver. He promised to take her to Elysium, so she'll stay by his side no matter what. The others seemed to have made their decisions at around the same time. They all gave their leader a brief nod, not needing to elaborate further.
To say that Xander felt nervous would be an understatement as he and his friends made their way to the Torigoth Relay Base. The very presence of that military base made him uneasy given his past. If they discovered his existence in Torigoth, it could put his family in danger. Klaus was the one who convinced him to make Torigoth their main base, his reasoning being that the Ardanians wouldn't recognize him because it's been so long. Well, that was the case for most Ardanians anyway. There were a few that could probably recognize him even after these long eight years, but the ones he could think of were the people he didn't mind knowing.
It was nightfall when they reached the military base. The sky twinkled with countless stars. Far off into the distance was the ever-impressive World Tree. Docked by the base was a massive Titan battleship. Just by looking at it, he had a feeling he knew who was waiting for him. That brought him some comfort at least. It meant that Nia and Dromarch weren't in any real danger.
Naturally, even at night, the Ardanian base was still well guarded. They had guards at every entrance. If they were planning to sneak in, they would need to find another way in, but Xander had a feeling such a method was unnecessary.
Taking another breath to calm himself, he trotted over to the front entrance of the base, with Kos-Mos and Mythra by his side. As expected, the two soldiers stationed there quickly stopped him.
"Hold it," the first soldier grunted out, his firearm within his grasp. "Citizens are not allowed inside. I can see that you and your friends are Drivers though. If you've come to enlist, then I'm afraid we have to send you all away. You will have to wait until tomorrow morning if you wish to join the army."
"That's not why we're here," Xander answered, trying to keep his voice calm. His hood was still covering his face well enough, but he was worried that his voice would be recognized by the wrong people. Of course, it was doubtful that any regular foot soldier would be able to recognize his voice, especially since it's been eight years and he's gone through puberty, but the fear was still there. "My name is Xander Origo. I'm the leader of the Origo Mercenaries. It's come to my attention that you have arrested one of my Drivers. I've come to negotiate for their release."
The second soldier let out a scoff. "Yeah right. How do we know you're not actually members of Torna here to bust your friend out? It's quite suspicious to see the supposed leader of a well-known guild hiding his face like you are."
Yeah, he kind of expected that kind of reaction. He didn't harbor any ill will towards the military as they were just trying to do their jobs. Not to mention, he did look pretty suspicious with his cloak on. However, that was going to make it difficult for him to get anything done.
"Stand down, both of you. Let them through."
Xander perked up at the sound of the new voice. If he turned around, he would have seen Ethan and Poppi flinch out of instinct. As for Mythra and Jin, they both looked surprised. Walking over to the group, her crystalline heels clicking against the metallic floor, was none other than Brighid. As expected for a Blade, she hasn't changed at all. It was a bit reassuring to see.
"L-Lady Brighid!" the first soldier stuttered out. "A-are you sure?"
"I am," she said firmly. "Lady Rachel is expecting them. I will personally vouch for them."
They couldn't really argue with that, especially since it was coming from the Special Inquisitor herself. Reluctantly, they moved aside, allowing the mercenaries into the base. Xander wanted to greet the Fire Blade but held his tongue. This wasn't exactly ideal to reveal his familiarity with her. Both Brighid and Kos-Mos seemed to think the same as they didn't greet each other either. Although interestingly enough, he did notice the former tossing a strange look to Mythra, or more specifically her core crystal.
The Fire Jewel of the Empire led the Origo Mercenaries into the Ardanian ship. Ethan and the others still looked a little uneasy as there were countless soldiers inside. It wasn't surprising to see them so on edge. After all, Mor Ardain attacked them first. They were still concerned that this may be a trap. The group passed through various halls and climbed several sets of stairs. Eventually they came to a door that was guarded by two soldiers. It most likely was the throne room, the most secure place on the ship that was meant to be used by the emperor himself. A rather perfect meeting place.
"Lady Brighid!" one cried out, saluting with his right hand. "Are these the ones you and the Special Inquisitor spoke about?"
"They are. Do not allow anyone else inside this room and remember not to speak of this to anyone."
"Of course, my lady. We would never dare to betray Lady Rachel's trust."
As the soldiers opened the metal door, Xander could hear his friends muttering amongst themselves. They were wondering why the empire were being so secretive. Boy they were in for a shock.
Brighid led them into the room, the door shutting and locking behind them. The throne room was quite large, easily capable of housing the Origo Mercenaries and then some. Just being in here made Xander feel a sense of nostalgia as he finally lowered his hood. Memories of the past flooded into him, both the good ones and the bad.
"Xander!"
A yellow figure tackled into him with incredible force. It very nearly knocked him over, but he managed to stay on his feet. It was none other than Nia who was clinging to him tightly. As he thought, she was safe and sound, but that didn't discount the relief he felt seeing her again. Cracking a faint smile, he returned her embrace.
"I'm glad you're alright, Nia. They didn't hurt you, did they?" If he had been paying attention, he would have noticed both Kos-Mos and Mythra looking a little uncomfortable at seeing him hug the Gormotti.
"We're fine. Both me and Dromarch. Thanks for not abandoning me."
"Hey, I said I'd look after you. What kind of person would I be if I went against my word?"
"Indeed. I would have been disappointed if you didn't come," said a familiar voice.
Xander and Nia separated as both Dromarch and a familiar silver-haired girl approached them. It was good to see that the past eight years have done quite well for her. She was a near perfect image of her mother, so much so that it nearly brought a pain to the Aegis Driver's heart.
"It's been too long," Rachel said warmly with a gentle smile donning her face, instead of the usual stoic mask she wore as Special Inquisitor. She walked over and pulled Xander into a hug herself. "It's good to see you again…Brother."
To be continued
Yeah, I know. This chapter is shorter than usual, but this was just too good of an ending to pass up. I wonder how many people expected that little twist. Well this probably wasn't too much of a surprise since this is a rewrite of my now deleted Xenoblade 2 Bonds story, which had the main character and Brighid's Driver be siblings. Of course this only really applies if you've actually read Bonds before I deleted it. I hope you guys don't mind that Rachel is nicknamed the "Empress of Flames" instead "the Flamebringer". She is essentially replacing Morag in this story, but I felt that it would be insensitive if Rachel took her nickname as well, hence why I gave her a new one. Also, she's the first Driver besides Xander to have more than one Blade and this isn't going to be a one time thing. Certain other characters will get new Blades as well, but who they are and what Blades they will get will remain a secret until the time is right. Anyway, that's all I needed to say. See you guys next time!
Chapter 17: Family Reunion
Chapter Text
Okay, out of all the things Mythra suspected about her Driver, she never would have guessed that he was a member of the imperial line of Mor Ardain. She knew that Xander was half Ardainian, but it was always rather odd how he preferred to avoid interacting with his homeland even though the jobs they offered paid well. In fact, the mercenary leader only accepted jobs in the empire when the team really needed the money, and even then, he made sure to keep their visits brief. If Xander was indeed a member of the royal family, then that would partially explain why he was so hesitant to go to his homeland. Still, there were still quite a few pieces missing within this puzzle. Hopefully this encounter will bring those pieces to light.
After a few moments, the Empress of Flames parted from her supposed brother and turned her gaze towards the white-clad android. "It's good to see you as well, Kos-Mos," she said formally. "I hope my brother hasn't caused you too much trouble."
Surprisingly, the Light Blade bowed her head in respect. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Lady Rachel," Kos-Mos replied, a hint of familiarity in her tone. "As for Xander, I am his Blade. It is my duty to keep him safe."
Rachel chuckled in amusement. "Interesting. I don't think I've ever heard you refer to Xander by name. Perhaps the mercenary life has done you some good. Regardless, it's nice to see you showing more human-like characteristics."
"Pardon, my lady?"
Should Mythra mention that it was only because of Xander's sudden death and revival on Temporal Island that Kos-Mos started showing more human-like emotions? Even now, the Aegis had the occasional nightmare of her Driver being stabbed by Zarc's sword. Thank the Architect that Marth managed to defeat the demon lord afterward, allowing Mythra to transfer half of her core crystal to Xander to revive him.
Speaking of which, there was no telling what repercussions she and her Driver will face now that they were sharing a core. Mythra will have to take great care that her actions did not put her partner in even greater danger.
Her thoughts were interrupted a deliberate cough from Jin, who looked just as bewildered as the rest of the mercenaries.
"Sorry to interrupt the family reunion," he said politely. "But can any of you explain what is going on?"
"Of course," Brighid spoke up, now standing beside her Driver. "Let us all have a seat and my lady and I will explain everything."
There was a long table in the middle of the room, surrounded by a number of chairs. It would seem that the Special Inquisitor had been preparing this encounter from the start. Seeing that Xander and Kos-Mos made no complaints and calmly took their seats, Mythra and the other mercenaries soon joined them, as did Rachel and Brighid. As for Azurda, he chose to sit on the table, surprising the latter two with his new diminutive size.
"Uncle Azurda?" Rachel said slowly. "What happened to you? Why are you now a larva?"
The small Titan scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It's a rather long story. I'll explain once we get to that point. For now, let's just say we ran into complications during one of our missions."
The Special Inquisitor nodded her head in acknowledgement. It would seem that she was rather quick on the uptake. She quickly turned her gaze to the other mercenaries and bowed her head briefly. "To start things off, let me first apologize for Mor Ardain's actions towards you, especially for framing Nia as a member of Torna. Due to certain political issues, my brother cannot be seen among the higher-ups within the empire. Normally I would just send Brighid as a messenger, but due to the severity of these news, I felt it was best if I delivered them in-person, but I still had to be discreet with my methods."
"So you used Nia as bait to lure Xander here under the pretext of negotiating for her release," Klaus mused. "To the public, it will appear as though someone gave the Ardainian military a false tip and the leader of the Origo Mercenaries would come to prove his comrade's innocence. You might suffer a hit to your reputation, especially since Nia's a Gormotti, but other than that, I can't see any issues with your strategy."
"Well, you could have had Brighid hold back a bit during our fight," Nia voiced in complaint. "I still feel a little singed on my arms from her flames touched me."
"Apologies," the Flame Jewel of the Empire said solemnly. "In order for our plan to work, I had to make it appear that I was fighting you and your friends for real. I was at least able to minimize potential injuries by fighting you all by myself, instead of having the other soldiers join in."
"A wise decision," Dromarch added. "That could have added a few more complications to the situation at hand. Instead, you just had them block our escape routes while you dealt with us yourself."
"Yeah, it all makes sense now," Ethan said. "Honestly, in a weird way, I'm kind of glad we fought. It's not every day your opponent is the strongest Blade in the empire. It was a good learning experience."
"Indeed," Poppi added with a nod. "I've already archived the encounter into my database and will use it to improve my fighting capabilities so I can better protect my master."
"I see. I'm glad Lord Xander has such reliable friends. Lady Rachel is constantly worrying about him. In fact, there are times where she wishes to mobilize the military to protect her dear brother."
"Brighid!" the Empress of Flames cried out, her normally calm face now beet red with embarrassment, much to everyone's amusement, including her Blade's. Even Kos-Mos let out a small semblance of a chuckle. "You didn't need to tell them that. You're making me look like a sister with a huge brother complex."
Just the mere mention of a sibling complex made Mythra think of a certain dual-wielding demon. If the stories his subordinates told about him were true, he would snap even if someone made just a lewd comment about his sister. It was both terrifying and hilarious. Thankfully, that was the only short fuse the Dark Swordsman had. Most of the time, he had good control over his emotions. Still, not even the legendary Aegis wanted to be on the receiving end of Marth's wrath.
After a few moments of laughter, Rachel was able to recollect herself. She and Xander then went on to explain their past, and why they needed such a convoluted plan to meet. Xander's true name was Alexander Aletto Ladair, the firstborn son of Renning Ladair and Ceres Origo, and the elder twin of Rachel. Ceres herself originated from Fonsett Village in the Leftherian Archipelago, where her younger sister still resides. She and Renning met when the latter's ship aground as the result of a storm and she helped nurse him back to health. The two would soon fall in love and get married, but that gave rise to new complications.
For starters, Ceres was a commoner while Renning was the cousin of the previous emperor. By all accounts, they should not have been wed, but the previous emperor allowed it since he and Renning were quite close (although both Rachel and Xander suspect it had to do with Ceres being a direct descendant of Addam, which isn't public knowledge). Things only got worse once Xander was born. You see, the previous emperor had no offspring of his own, so he decided to groom the boy into becoming the next ruler. Xander already possessed the aptitude to be a Driver, as he had resonated with Kos-Mos at the young age of two. How that itself happened was completely accidental as Ceres had left the core crystal out and Xander happened to touch it, awakening the Blade that was inside. Surprisingly, the Leftherian wasn't mad about it, instead she was relieved that her son possessed the aptitude she did not have. Apparently, Kos-Mos's core crystal is rather finicky. It only resonates with Drivers that possess a particularly special aptitude. It would not resonate with just any Driver, unlike most other core crystals. Why this was the case, no one really knew, not even Kos-Mos. It most likely had to due with her Light element, which is extremely rare among Blades. Perhaps not just anyone can wield the power of a Light elemental Blade.
Anyway, back to the story. Xander preparing to be the next heir to the Ardainian throne was what allowed Rachel to awaken Brighid, as Renning felt that it would be fitting for his twin sister to be his right hand. Aegaeon's awakening was planned to be later, after Xander had gotten just a little bit older. However, that day would never come as soon after the boy turned five, the emperor had sired a son, Niall Ardanach. Just like that, all that preparation came to a halt as a direct successor had been born. Despite having the throne ripped from him so abruptly, Xander harbored no ill will towards his cousin. Even at such a young age, he knew that he was just a stand-in, a mere substitute until the emperor managed to produce an heir of his own.
The three young royals actually got along fairly well, their Blades acting as their retainers. They always loved visiting Fonsett, Ceres's home. It was the one place where they could be themselves, without having to worry about politics. Had things gone differently, Xander would have gladly served under the young emperor. Unfortunately, like all dreams, those good days would come to an end.
You see, there were quite a few powerful nobles that looked down at the Ladair twins. Not only were they of common birth, but Xander was still a potential candidate for the throne. It didn't matter if he didn't possess any desire to challenge his cousin's inheritance, his mere existence was seen as a threat, one that will not be tolerated any further.
It happened six years ago, during a family outing in Gormott. They were staying at a villa, which was heavily isolated from the rest of the world. It was meant to be a simple vacation with a change of scenery. However, one fateful night, bandits suddenly attacked and set the whole villa on fire. Both Xander and Rachel could still picture the screams of the terrified servants as they were set ablaze or slaughtered by the murderers.
They were sharing a room with their cousin, like they usually did on such occasions, but that was the room that was targeted by the blaze. If it wasn't for Aegaeon's water abilities or Brighid's control over fire, they might not have escaped that deathtrap alive.
All three of their Blades fought like hell to keep them safe as they desperately tried to flee the estate. Eventually the children regrouped with Renning and Ceres, who told them to run away while they held off the intruders. Knowing it was pointless to argue otherwise, Xander led his sister and cousin out of the manor, having Kos-Mos and the other Blades handle the fighting. Miraculously, the six of them managed to escape and flee into the woods. They stayed there for the remainder of the night, terrified of the bandits finding them.
While that wait was around seven hours, it felt like several centuries for the children. Once they were sure the bandits were gone, they returned to the estate and found it burned to the ground. Everything that was valuable was either stolen or burned beyond recognition. Only a handful of soldiers and servants had survived the slaughter, all of whom were badly wounded and needed medical attention. However, what truly got a rise out of the children was seeing the maimed body of Ceres Origo. She had been run through with a blade to the stomach, left to bleed to death. Despite her children's pleas, her eyes never opened. As for Renning, his body was never found, but given that he never returned to the manor or even tried looking for the children, it was likely that he just abandoned them to save himself.
Even at the young age of fourteen, Xander knew that this atrocity was all because of him. Whoever had sent those raiders were clearly trying to kill him, and his mother paid the price for it. Knowing that his remaining family would be in danger so long as he drew breath, Xander made the hard decision to leave his sister and cousin, pretending to have died in the fire. Both Niall and Rachel begged him to stay, but it had to be done to ensure their safety. Even to this day, he did not regret his decision.
On that day, Prince Alexander Ladair died, with Xander Origo the mercenary taking his place. He had to avoid Fonsett Village for the first few years, as people knew that was where his mother was born. He couldn't even attend her funeral there. It was only within that last year that he felt it was safe to go to Leftheria again. As for Mor Ardain, it was still too risky for him to be seen there publicly.
Only a handful of people knew he was still alive, which were his sister, cousin, their Blades, and his Aunt Elise, Ceres's sister. None of them could offer him direct aid, but they exchanged letters frequently, all encoded of course in case they fall into the wrong hands. Brighid would even be sent incognito to give the mercenary leader updates on the happenings within the empire. Azurda knew as well, but it wasn't until a certain incident with a certain Gogol that he started being more proactive with Xander's safety.
Once the tale came to an end, silence befell the room. No one dared to speak, but they all looked at their leader in sorrow.
"I don't know what to say," Ethan spoke up slowly. "I guess, all I can say is, I'm sorry you had to go through that."
"Don't worry about it," Xander said dismissively, his arms folded across his chest, the green crystal just above gleaming in the artificial light. "It's all in the past now. I'm sure you've all got your own skeletons in the closet, ones that are probably worse than mine."
Mythra felt the sudden urge to comfort the young man with a hug, but she chose not to. This didn't seem like the appropriate time to do so. Not even Kos-Mos made any such moves, and she typically was one to not shy away from them.
"Do you know who sent those bandits?" Jin asked suddenly, his gaze planted on the Special Inquisitor.
Sadly, the Empress of Flames just shook her head in shame. "No," she said in remorse. "To this day, the case remains unsolved. Whoever sent those bandits did a good job with covering their tracks. We have our suspicions, of course, but we have no evidence to prosecute them. I've got my best people still working on the case, but until we have sufficient evidence, my brother is unable to return to Mor Ardain."
"Couldn't Xander return now, though?" Nia questioned. "I mean, he's not exactly a kid anymore. Surely, he'd be able to take care of himself better, especially since we're with him now."
"That would not be wise," Klaus refuted calmly. "We do not know who was responsible for that attack and Ceres's murder. If they could launch an attack at a secure manor in Gormott, there's no telling what they can do in the Ardainian capital. Until they're dealt with, it is too dangerous for Xander to reveal that he is still alive."
"Not to mention that if my brother does reveal himself, the culprits responsible might destroy the evidence to avoid incriminating themselves," Rachel added. "As much as it pains me to keep him away, I want justice for my mother's murder. I will not let those rats get away with this."
"Neither will I," Xander spoke up. "Which is why I'm fine with continuing to live in hiding. Of course, I did agree to return should the situation in Mor Ardain become dire enough to warrant it."
"Speaking of which. What exactly happened to you, Brother? Why do you have a core crystal on your chest? What happened since you and Brighid last spoke?"
Xander spent the next several minutes explaining what happened to the group over the last three weeks. He started with the sudden mission of them salvaging a sunken ship, his accidental resonance with Mythra, the legendary Aegis, and the ambush from Torna. Both Rachel and Brighid were surprised by this news, but what truly shocked them were the events of Temporal Island. The Origo Mercenaries teaming up with the Harbingers, a guild from another world, and a boy who could see into the future, all to stop the resurrection of a dark god. He didn't hide any details from his twin, including the fact that Marth was a demon, as well as his apparent death at the hands of Zarc, the demon lord who had brought them all to that alternate realm.
"First of all, I'm glad you're alright, Brother," Rachel said after he finished telling his story. "Second, it seems like things got rather intense for you in just two days. So you don't know what happened to the dark god?"
"No. Marth believes that the prison was just a ruse, a trick to make everyone think that Zeta was imprisoned. Even he has no idea where Zeta could be."
"How troubling," Brighid commented. "Could this Zeta become a threat for Mor Ardain, or perhaps all of Alrest."
"I doubt it will come to that. If Zeta really is still around, I'm sure Marth and his friends will stop him. We only saw a handful of the Harbingers in action, but I think they're much stronger than us, especially Marth. If anyone can stop that dark god, it would be him. He may be untrained, but I don't think I could beat him in a fight, even with both Mythra and Kos-Mos helping me. At best, it would be a stalemate between me and him."
That was high praise coming the mercenary leader, one that Mythra herself agreed with. While there were still things she didn't know about the Dark Swordsman, even she had to acknowledge his strength and raw potential. He was already pretty powerful when he was self-taught in magic and swordplay. Just how strong would he get once he got a proper teacher? Not to mention those swords he wielded.
Excalibur and Lunaris. The ultimate holy and demonic swords respectively. She could tell from a glance that they possessed the same amount of power as the Aegis and the Monado. They almost seemed…alive. She hasn't told the others this yet, but after Zarc's death, she briefly saw a ghostly figure behind the Dark Swordsman. It was a girl with black hair and ruby red eyes. Dressed in black that showed off her alluring figure. A red crystal on her chest, right below her neck.
At first, Mythra had assumed that the girl was another Blade, but she had never seen one with a red core crystal before. Not to mention, she had a totally different aura than that of other Blades. The best way to describe her would be chaos incarnate, as if the darkness had taken on human form. It almost reminded her of Malos and T-elos. Even now, she had no idea who that girl was, but just thinking about her sent a chill down her spine.
Mythra found herself dreading the possibility of a day where they become enemies. There's no way she couldn't fight an opponent like him without using the full extent of her Aegis powers, but that would just lead to more death and destruction. She didn't want to burn the world again.
"Just calm down," she spoke to herself, trying her hardest not to have another panic attack. "There's no way Marth would become my enemy. Let's just hope there won't be a need for me to use my full powers as an Aegis. I've caused enough destruction with them already. Now I only wish that I…"
"Incredible," Rachel said in awe. "A pity that the Harbingers are back in their own world. I would love to meet them myself."
"Given our track record, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw them again in the near future," Jin suggested. "If that does happen, I wonder how much stronger they will have gotten."
"Indeed. Anyway, we need to get back on topic. It's a relief to see that you are the Driver of the Aegis, Brother, as that's part of why I wanted to meet with you. There are rumors spreading that the Aegis has awakened, and it's caused a stir all over Alrest, with Mor Ardain being no exception."
"There are rumors about Mythra's return?" Ethan questioned in confusion.
"Correct. Given that the Aegis destroyed three continents during the Aegis War five hundred years ago, I could not ignore the possibility of such a tragedy happening again. As such, I wanted to enlist my brother to help locate the Aegis and deal with them if necessary. As the descendants of Addam, we cannot ignore the possibility of the Aegis's power being abused. Fortunately, it would seem that my worries were unwarranted as my own brother is the Aegis's new Driver. I can think of no better person to inherit Addam's Blade."
Well, it was a relief to know that Brighid's new Driver has a good head on her shoulders. Given her position, it was only natural for her to call on her brother's aid if the Aegis was truly awake and on a rampage. After all, Kos-Mos was a Blade that rivalled Mythra's strength. If they were to fight in a serious match, there's no telling what kind of destruction they'd leave in their wake.
"Of course, the Aegis's return isn't the only reason why I called you here," Rachel continued, her tone becoming grave. "Over the past few weeks, some of our core crystal transports to Indol have been attacked and robbed. As you all know, Blades are vital to a nation's military and with natural core crystals having low resonance rates, the cleansing rituals from Indol are crucial for creating new Drivers. If our transports are being taken out while on route to the Praetorium, then we are in grave danger."
Just the mention of the Praetorium made both Jin and Nia instinctively tense up. Mythra could tell that they both had negative experiences with the church but were not in the mood to share them. She didn't pressure them to satisfy her own curiosity, as it would go against the ideals of the Origo Mercenaries, which is to reveal your past when you desire to share, not when others demand for it.
Still, this was troubling information. Just who would target those transports, which most likely had military escorts? Was it Uraya? No, not likely. Despite tensions between it and Mor Ardain being high, there was no way Uraya would do something so reckless. That would just invite the empire to declare war on them. It couldn't be the Argentum Trade Guild either. Sure there were shady people within its ranks, but even they weren't stupid enough to make an enemy of a military nation like Mor Ardain. Indol was eliminated as well because there is no reason for them to attack those transports. So then who was responsible for the attacks?
Hold on. A dark thought suddenly crept on her mind. It couldn't be, could it?
As if reading her mind, Brighid solemnly said, "The ones responsible for the attacks are none other than Torna."
"Are you bloody serious?!" Nia cried out in disbelief.
"There's no way that's true," Ethan added, also in shock. "They're just a terrorist organization. There's no way they can manage something of that scale."
The two mercenaries looked at the Flame Jewel of the Empire, expecting her to say it was a joke, but her passive face remained unchanged. "Unfortunately, it's the truth. Thanks to a lucky survivor, we got a brief description on the attackers who raided the ship. A masked man dressed in black with a greatsword who can move with incredible speeds and a dark-skinned woman wielding a scythe with a sadistic personality."
"Julius and T-elos," Xander said knowingly. "It has to be them."
"My thoughts exactly, Brother," Rachel said with a nod. "Torna is getting bolder by the day. I do not know what their intentions are with hoarding all those stolen core crystals, but it cannot be good. Unfortunately, because of how elusive they are, it's impossible to form a real strategy to stop them. They only reveal themselves when they want to."
"No kidding. So far, they haven't made a move on us since our last encounter, but I doubt they'll leave us be forever. Sooner or later, they'll make another attempt to steal Mythra away. It's honestly a little stressful, especially with the Galahad in its damaged state."
"I'll arrange for some of my finest engineers to repair your ship. Think of it as an apology for Nia's unjust arrest."
"You don't need to do that, but I'm certainly not going to complain about it. So do you want us to deal with Torna?"
Rachel simply shook her head. "No, I would never ask you of something so dangerous. You all barely survived your previous encounter with Torna. I just wanted you to be aware of what happened. Also, these attacks have made the Senate restless. They're plotting something behind His Majesty's back. Aegaeon's looking into it, so we should have more information soon."
Xander let out a tired groan, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Not the Senate again. They just love giving you and Niall migraines."
His younger twin let out a similarly tired breath, looking just as frustrated. "Indeed. Onto a much lighter note, you said that you plan to take Mythra to Elysium in order to repay her for resurrecting you. Do you have a plan to do that?"
It was Klaus who answered on his leader's behalf. "Well, we can't sail directly towards the World Tree, mainly because of Ophion. That monster won't let anyone get close to the World Tree."
Hearing that name brought a slight pain to Mythra's heart. Ophion was an Artifice. Her Artifice. Artifices are mechanical creatures that serve as weapons of the Aegises. According to the data within her core, they originated from Elysium. Now that she thought about it, it was kind of strange that weapons of mass destruction came from a supposed paradise. Just what is Elysium? Her memories were too distorted to tell.
Anyway, back to Ophion. It was a gigantic serpentine machine. It was actually bigger than most Artifices, but much smaller than a continental-class Titan. She had only really used Ophion a handful of times during the Aegis War. The last time she had called upon it was during the final battle of Torna, when Malos and T-elos tried to overwhelm the Titan's core with the male Aegis's Gargoyle Artifices to cause it to explode and destroy all of Alrest. Mythra retaliated by summoning Ophion and it destroyed a good chunk of the Artifices, unfortunately Malos outplayed her by hiding the majority of his forces within the clouds and they divebombed the sole Artifice. Ophion was quickly overwhelmed and destroyed by the enemy forces, sinking to the depths of the Cloud Sea.
If Ophion was still around, then that meant someone must have revived it. Upon learning of her Artifice's survival, Mythra has tried multiple times to call out to it. However, despite her pleas, it refused to obey. Artifices aren't supposed to disobey their masters on a whim, even Ophion was no exception. That meant something must have happened to its control unit. Someone else was controlling it.
To some small comfort, Ophion wasn't the only Artifice under her command. There was still Siren, which is currently at suborbital height above Alrest. Unlike her other Artifice, Siren still responded to her commands, but she was very hesitant to use it. After all, it was thanks to Siren that she caused Torna to sink to the Cloud Sea's bed five hundred years ago.
"Anyway," Klaus continued, unaware to her tormented thoughts. "I was thinking of having us journey to Fonsa Myma, the capital of Uraya. There's a man there I know who can point us in the right direction."
"I see," Rachel replied inquisitively. "I'm half-tempted to join you all on your journey so that I can better look after my brother, but circumstances in Mor Ardain won't allow me to. Perhaps I can join once things settle down a little."
"You sure you don't have a brother complex, my lady?" her Blade said mischievously.
"Brighid!"
Honestly, it was bit of a shame that the Empress of Flames and the strongest Blade in the empire weren't going to join the Origo Mercenaries on their quest to reach Elysium. Given the deteriorating state of the Ardainian Titan, they had the most to gain out of the trip if the legends about the sacred land were true. Still Mythra, and by extension Xander, knew that this was a rather difficult time for the Special Inquisitor to suddenly go on a trip.
The meeting concluded there. Rachel had already made the arrangements to release Nia and Dromarch, so they were free to go. It will still take some time for the Galahad to be seaworthy again, even with Mor Ardain's best engineers, so the Empress of Flames opted to arrange a ferry for the mercenaries to use to reach the Urayan capital, another way of recompense for her actions. Klaus would be staying behind in Gormott to oversee repairs, but he promised to catch up when he can.
After that, she personally escorted the group back out of the ship. However, they were stopped in the hanger by certain consul accompanied by a large, armored Blade with a shield hammer.
"Halt, you ruffians!" Dughall shouted flamboyantly, puffing out his chest. His beady eyes were locked straight onto the Aegis, which made her feel a little creeped out.
"Oh great," Rachel muttered in disgust under her breath. "Should've known he'd show up eventually."
"Lady Rachel! Surely you can see the prize before us. That emerald core crystal. It's the sign of the Aegis. I…no we must capture it at once. Its power will serve me—I mean the empire well. Only a fool would not seek to claim such a powerful Blade, one that can rend Alrest asunder, and I am no fool. You cannot argue with such logic."
Practically everyone in the hanger uttered out a groan, with Nia and Ethan facepalming. The consul wasn't even bothering to hide his true intentions, practically wearing it on his sleeve. He clearly wanted Mythra for his own selfish desires, likely to return to Mor Ardain. Did he seriously think that he could claim her just like that, like she was some toy off a shelf? That arrogant attitude really pissed her off.
"Xander, permission to show that fool just how powerful I am?" Mythra asked, putting as much venom into her tone as possible, enough that it actually caused Dughall to flinch with terror.
The Aegis Driver tossed a glance at his sister, who right next to him. The Empress of Flames just shrugged, not even batting the consul an eye. Clearly, she didn't like the guy either.
"Granted," Xander said finally. "Just leave him in one piece."
Mythra smirked devilishly as she summoned her weapon into her right hand before casually trotting over to the arrogant consul. Needless to say, Dughall was good dummy to vent out all of her frustrations, his screams of terror filling the hanger room. Not even his behemoth of a Blade could shield him from the Aegis's fury.
The next day came with no issue. Xander and his team were standing by the end of a ferry dock in Torigoth. Just as she promised, Rachel paid for the fare to get them to Uraya. She was there as well to give her goodbyes as well as her thanks for helping her dispose of Dughall.
The guy was a decent politician, but he was as corrupt as they come. He had a lot of shady deals in the black market, even selling off core crystals instead of turning them over to the Praetorium, but it was still hard to convict him since he knew how to cover his tracks. The events of last night finally gave Rachel the excuse to dismiss him from his post, and he made a convenient scapegoat for the whole Nia incident. Needless to say, he won't be returning to Mor Ardain anytime soon.
"Be safe on your journey, Xander," she said sincerely. She was calling him by his given name since they were in public. "Again, I must apologize for the transgressions my soldiers have caused you and your company."
"Thank you, and don't worry about it," he replied, going along with her story. "The true guilty party has been convicted and my teammates have been returned with no issue. Let us hope we meet again in more favorable conditions."
"I would like that. Perhaps you could spare me the honor of a duel when that day comes. I'm quite curious to see how you fare as a Driver."
He couldn't help but chuckle at that. "A duel with the illustrious Empress of Flames. That's quite the honor. Let's hope that day comes soon."
"Indeed. Farewell." She then bowed before taking her leave, her loyal Blade following suit.
She's grown a lot since he last saw her six years ago. It was hard to believe that she had become the strongest Driver of Mor Ardain. It was because of that strength that he had faith that Niall would be safe from any of their enemies. Perhaps the day will come when he'll stand by his cousin's side as well.
No, he's come to rather enjoy his freedom as a mercenary. This lifestyle was far less stressful and way more entertaining than dealing with politicians and the like. Still, if Mor Ardain did fall under threat, there's no way Xander could ignore it. Unlike his father, he will protect his family, both the new one he made and the one he was forced to leave behind.
"You all look after yourselves," Klaus spoke up. "Keep me posted on where you are so that I can find you when the Galahad's repairs are done."
"Will do," Jin replied. "So who's this guy we're supposed to meet in Fonsa Myma?"
"His name is Cole, and he runs a theater. It should be easy to find. Just tell him I sent you and he'll help you out."
"Understood," Kos-Mos acknowledged. "Take care of yourself, Klaus."
The mercenaries then boarded the ferry, waving a final goodbye to the older man as the ship departed from the port. This was the start of their new adventure, one that will affect all of Alrest. When looked at under that light, it did make Xander feel a little nervous, but he figured that everything will be alright. After all, he's got Kos-Mos, Mythra and the remaining Origo Mercenaries backing him up. With a team like this, there was no way they can't succeed.
Their new adventure starts now!
To be continued
Apologies this chapter took so long to come out. Ashen Wolf was just taking so much of my writing time that I ended up putting this story on the backburner. Anyway, Xander's off on a new journey. I've been debating on how I should handle the Uraya arc, but I think I got an idea on how to go about it. Sadly a certain Urayan mercenary will not be making his appearance. As much as I like the guy, I don't want to give Xander too many Blades (he's going to have four by the end of this story) , also I think his inclusion is a little redundant given the role that Klaus has. Sorry Vandham. Maybe you and Roc can make a proper appearance in some other story. This does mean the Uraya arc will be shorter than it was in the game since I'm cutting out a good chunk of it. Hey, at least I'm including the MOST EVIL DRIVER IN ALL OF ALREST (if you've played the game or watched Chuggaconroy's let's play, you're gonna get that reference). Heck, he'll be making his debut really soon. Look forward to that. Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. See you guys next time!
P.S. I haven't abandoned Dark Swordsman Remake. I've just been waiting for a good time to get SAO Progressive vol 1 so that I can properly adapt Floor 1 raid into the narrative. That'll be coming soon, along with one minor retcon (I'll leave that as a surprise until the chapter comes out). How soon, I'm not gonna promise anything because I suck at keeping my word on such things.
Chapter 18: Kingdom of Uraya
Chapter Text
I do apologize for the long wait. Ashen Wolf has taken so much of my writing time that I completely threw Connections and Ties That Bind to the wayside. Also I've been playing Xenoblade 3 nonstop since it launched which is another reason why I haven't uploaded anything in a while. Long story short, I have not abandoned either of them and will try to get more chapters up for them on a consistent basis.
Julius was silent as he did a few practice swings while in the training hall within the Marsanes. He and T-elos have only just returned from another interception of an Ardainian transport ship headed for Indol, which was the third one in this week alone. Like the ones before, this mission had been an easy one. Sure the Ardainians had Drivers in their mix, but they were nothing compared to him and his Blade, the latter having nearly succeeded with destroying the world five hundred years ago with Malos.
And now, every single one of the core crystals within that ship were now secure within the core of the Marsanes, out of Indol's hands. The more they can sabotage the Praetorium's efforts, the better off they'll be in the future once everything is ready for the final phase of their plan.
Upon their return, T-elos immediately hit the showers, wanting to cleanse herself of the mongrels' blood that had gotten on her during the fighting. Ironically that only happened due to her own vicious and sadistic fighting style, but Julius knew better than to mention that to her. The Dark Blade had no qualms with killing her own Driver after all, despite knowing it would revert her into a core crystal. It was better for everyone if she directed her fury at the enemy rather than her comrades.
As for Julius himself, while Mikhail told him to get some rest, the leader of Torna just couldn't bring himself to sit still. Rather than just aimlessly wander around the submerged vessel, he instead decided to occupy his time training with his sword, something that reminded him of the old days, before he cut himself off from his past. He put as much effort as he could into every swing, picturing the faces of the ones he wishes to strike down the most.
"I thought I'd find you here. You haven't changed at all."
Julius paused with what he was doing to see that he was no longer alone. Standing right by the door and leaning into the frame with his arms folded across his chest was none other than the other Aegis, Malos. Sever wasn't with him, likely to help Mikhail with the relocation of the core crystals.
"Is there something wrong?" Julius said emotionlessly.
"No, I just wanted to tell you that Mythra and her allies are finally on the move," Malos replied, completely unfazed by the masked man's coldness. "Akhos believes that they're heading for Uraya."
Interesting. After their clash with the Origo Mercenaries on the ancient ship, Julius tasked Akhos with tracking down the Aegis so that they could move to capture her again, due to his Blade having the ability to disturb the ether flow. However, Mythra's signal had abruptly disappeared for about two days. And not just her, but the signals for the mercenaries' other Blades too. It was as though they had fallen off the face of Alrest itself.
Naturally this was a big concern for Julius and his group as they needed the female Aegis in order for them to continue with their plan. However, right before they could begin an investigation over the Origo Mercenaries disappearance, the signals of their Blades returned, revealing that they were back in Torigoth. The whole situation was very strange, but Julius didn't care to know what had happened after the Aegis and her friends had escaped. All that mattered was that she was still alive.
As for why Torna didn't try to go after Mythra after confirming her whereabouts, it's because they were just waiting for the perfect opportunity to snatch her. According to Malos, she will most likely want to go to Elysium, the place of her birth, and where the Architect resides. It would be much easier to capture her in the wilderness than in a populated city, especially one that is occupied by the Ardainian military. It would seem that all that waiting as finally paid off. Still, why go to Uraya of all places?
As if reading his mind, Malos answered with, "My best guess is that my partner and her new friends are trying to find a lead on how to reach Elysium, what with Ophion guarding the World Tree and all. That old fossil in Fonsa Myma may be far from his prime nowadays, but he can still point her in the right direction of where to go next."
"I see. Do you think you and Akhos will be enough to capture the Aegis?"
"Of course. Mythra may have fallen in league with a decent mercenary group, but they're still no match for us. Not to mention Akhos and Obrona have that trick up their sleeve."
Ah, right. That trick should be more than enough to capture even the legendary Aegis. Perhaps there won't be a need for him to interfere, although T-elos will be mad that she won't be getting a chance to crush Kos-Mos, but that can wait for another day.
"Alright then," Julius said calmly. "I'll leave this matter in your hands. Depart as soon as you are able."
"Of course." Malos's face then softened a bit as he noticed something. "How are you feeling, by the way? Is your body still working like it should?"
It was that moment that Julius noticed that his right hand was trembling. There wasn't much feeling in it either. There hasn't been ever since that dreadful day where he lost everything. That lack of sensation made it hard for him to swing his sword, but not impossible. If anything, it was a testament of his skill that he was able to continue fighting in his current condition. It was only thanks to Malos finding him in that ditch when he did and treated him that he was still here.
The masked man forced himself to chuckle. "Can't hide anything from you, can I? No matter how you slice it, I'm basically a walking corpse. That capsule and treatment you gave me only delayed the inevitable. No matter what happens, I'll be dead by the end of this path."
The male Aegis looked frustrated, moreso at himself. "I'm sorry. If I had gotten my hands on some Judicium tech, we might have been able to give you better treatment, perhaps even extend your life by a few more years. Unfortunately that man keeps a tight lock on that technology that it's impossible for us to get it."
"Don't worry about it. The time you gave me is plenty, more than I could ever ask for. I'll use the time I have left to see your wishes realized. Both you and T-elos. I owe you that much at least."
"Didn't know you were so sentimental," a familiar voice spoke up. "But I guess tragic characters like you are what makes these tales so interesting."
A young man with raven hair strolled into the room. He was dressed in armor that was similar to Malos's, but it was blue instead of black. Strapped to his waist were a pair of short katanas, while on his face was a pair of rectangular red glasses. By his side was a female Blade that resembled a humanoid moth, which wasn't much of a surprise since the two were always together. The man was named Akhos while the Blade was called Obrona. The blue-clad Driver served as the brains of Torna, acting as their tactician.
"What are you doing here, Akhos?" Julius questioned, his tone becoming more rigid.
"Oh I just thought we'd go over the finer details of how we are to apprehend the Aegis from that boy. I already have one in mind, since I know where they're going. What do you two think of this plan?" He shared his idea with the duo, and both gave their approval. It was a surefire way of getting their hands on Mythra, and then they can proceed further with their plan.
Although, that Driver of hers. Something about that boy felt familiar to him, like a long-forgotten memory. Julius internally shook himself, dismissing the thought. Now wasn't the time to think about the past. He had no right to do so after severing himself from it the day Malos saved him. He was the leader of Torna now, and will see his goals realized, no matter who needs to be cut down in order to achieve it.
Xander felt a little uneasy when the ferry docked in the port of Fonsa Myma, the capital city of Uraya. Given the tensions between the Kingdom and the Empire after the latter annexed Gormott, it was probably not a good idea for a member of Mor Ardain's imperial line to be strolling about the capital of what could be argued was enemy territory.
But what choice did he have? According to Klaus, there was a man here that could give them a lead on how to reach the World Tree. They needed all the help they could get, especially since that monster Ophion was guarding the World Tree, preventing anyone from reaching it. At least there was a very small likelihood of him being recognized here, especially since he had been out of the public eye for years.
"You okay?" Mythra asked in concern, noticing his long silence.
It took a moment for him to answer her. "Y-yeah. I just always feel anxious whenever I come to Uraya. I don't want to cause my family anymore trouble by getting dragged into a political debacle."
The Aegis let out a chuckle. "Well if things do fall apart, I'll make sure to protect you. I am your Blade after all."
"We'll protect you," Kos-Mos corrected, though she looked extremely on-guard, as if scanning for any potential threats in the area. "As long as we're here, no harm shall befall you."
Xander couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at that. While they may occasionally argue over petty things, they always seem to agree over their Driver's safety. He couldn't really complain over it, since it was better than them constantly arguing, but it was still a little embarrassing.
The Origo Mercenaries quickly got off the boat and made their way into the city. The capital was quite busy today, with crowds coming and going. Still, there was a slight tension in the air, as if a small spark could light a whole fuse and combust. Something had changed within the Kingdom. One thing the mercenary leader immediately noticed was that there were now distribution centers to hand out rations to the citizens. Those weren't there last month when he last visited Uraya.
"They must be preparing for war with Mor Ardain," Azurda speculated while riding his nephew's shoulder, as if reading his thoughts. "While there hasn't been any armed conflict, tensions between them and Empire have escalated with the awakening of Mythra."
"No kidding," Ethan commented, hovering close to Poppi on instinct, to which the artificial Blade went into protective mode and kept an eye out for anyone that might be a threat to her Driver. "I heard the rumors back in Torigoth, but I guess I didn't want to believe it. This all feels too real."
"Tell me about it," Nia agreed before whispering to her leader, "Are you sure it's safe for you to be here, Xander? If the Kingdom finds out about your connections to Mor Ardain, they might have you imprisoned under the pretense of being a spy."
So it wasn't just his Blades that were concerned over his safety. The Gormotti Driver was also worried, as were probably the rest of the mercenary company. They were all pretty loyal to him. If the worst were to come and he ordered them to flee for their own safety, he doubted that any of them would listen. They would stick by him to the bitter end.
Nia in particular was an interesting case. He took her and Dromarch in when Klaus brought them to his base in Torigoth. The Gormotti and her Blade were covered in grime and mud, the former's clothes all tattered and worn. It was clear that she had a hard life. But like with all the Origo Mercenaries, he didn't pry into her past when she clearly wasn't ready to share. Instead, he offered her sanctuary and that was about it. In fact, out of all the members of his company, she was by far the most skeptical. Ethan didn't question anything about his leader since the latter offered him a place to build Poppi, meanwhile Jin just kept to himself. But Nia, she always seemed to be analyzing his actions, as if trying to sense any ill intent from him. She would occasionally join him on missions, but that was largely to repay her debt for letting her stay at Xander's place for free (plus he needed the help since Poppi still wasn't fully built yet).
Life must have been truly hell for her to be so distrusting of others. However, over time, she started to soften up. She kept herself guarded, but she wasn't so distrusting of him as she was when they first met. She would join him on mercenary jobs, not out of obligation to pay off a debt, but because she wanted to as a member of the Origo Mercenaries. There was still much Xander didn't know about the Gormotti. The most he did know was that she shared the name of a Gormotti noble that supposedly died to illness a few years ago, but there wasn't enough evidence to conclude that they were the same person. After all, it wasn't uncommon for people to share the same name.
Regardless of who Nia really was, she was a valued member of the Origo Mercenaries. Nothing about her past would change that. Hell, he wouldn't care if she was even a former member of Torna. She would still be his friend and his teammate. He will always offer her a place to come back to, just like he would for all the Origo Mercenaries.
"I'll be fine," he muttered back to her. "I'm much less likely to be recognized here than I would in Mor Ardain. Plus, even if they did recognize me, I doubt Uraya would do anything severe enough to me that would warrant military action from Mor Ardain."
Nia still looked a little uneasy, but seemed relatively calm. "Alright, but don't come crying to me if we have to break you out of prison."
That got a chuckle out of him. "Hopefully things won't come to that. Ah!" The group came across a certain building that had a bit of a crowd going in and out. Given the posters and signs, this must be the theater that Klaus told them about. Which means the person they're looking for will be somewhere inside.
Out of curiosity, Xander approached one of the posters, which was saying what type of play is being performed today. To his surprise, it was one that he had seen before. In fact, there probably wasn't anyone in Alrest who hadn't seen it at least once. The Heroic Adventures of Addam, a tale of the legendary hero who fought in the Aegis War five hundred years ago. Possibly out of obligation due to being his descendant, he once came to Uraya with his family to see the play, though only his mother and aunt would know of how accurate the depiction was. Even with Mythra only giving brief highlights of her time with her previous Driver only gave Xander a small grasp of how his ancestor had lived. It could be worth another peek just to see if there were any inconsistencies with what he's been told.
Wait, would Mythra be okay with watching a play like this? As much as she enjoys telling funny stories about Addam, she kept the majority of her past kept close to her chest, granted there were parts of her pasts that even she couldn't fully recall, or so she claims anyway. Perhaps seeing this play would just bring back terrible memories.
"It's fine," Mythra suddenly spoke up, as if reading her Driver's mind. "I'm kinda curious about it myself. What do you all think?"
"I'm down with taking a peek," Jin acknowledged.
"I'm in too!" Ethan said in excitement. "This is one of my favorite plays ever!"
"I've read about this play in passing, but I have never seen it for myself," Dromarch added. "Not to mention that it would be a good way for us to unwind before we set out on our journey."
The others agreed as well, plus they had to go in anyway to meet with Cole, the man who leads this troupe of performers. They might as well check out his work while they were here.
Quietly, the group made their way inside the building and took seats near the end of the stage room. Today must have been one of those busy days as the audience section was pretty packed. Kos-Mos ended up clinging to his arm when they took their seats, claiming it was a precaution so that they wouldn't get separated after the ends. Naturally, Mythra took that act as a challenge prompting her to take hold of Xander's other arm. Must they always try to find ways to make him feel so flustered? Now he won't be able to focus on the play (though he didn't miss Ethan's comment of lucky bastard, which was hard to hear over the loud orchestra playing in the background).
Speaking of which, the play had already started, looking to be near the end. Right at the foot of the stage was a narrator, recounting the events of the past. Meanwhile, on the stage, there people dressed up in costumes, playing as the people from that dark time. It was honestly laughable to see the play's depiction of Addam. The costume looked nothing like the fourth prince of Torna and was wearing a ridiculous spiked helmet that covered his face. Xander himself had only seen a few photos of his ancestor, so he had a decent idea of what he looked like. Perhaps he should donate one to Cole so that he could update the costume.
Interestingly, there was a female actor near Addam, wearing a pure white dress and blue crystal on her chest. She even wore a pastel-blue wig. When he was a kid, those details flew over his head, but seeing this now as an adult, plus combined with the vague information Mythra gave him of her past, but could there be more to Kos-Mos than he thought? He knew that there were things that Ceres wanted to tell him when he was old enough, but she never got the chance due to her death. As for his Aunt Elise, she wouldn't talk about it, claiming that he still wasn't ready. Meanwhile Kos-Mos herself didn't remember anything from her past awakenings.
Kos-Mos was a family heirloom, the greatest treasure of the Origo family. When he had resonated with her core crystal as a child, his aunt was rightfully worried about the Light Blade falling into the wrong hands due to her being handicapped by her inexperienced Driver. She only acquiesced because the only way to revert Kos-Mos back into a core crystal was to kill Xander, and she wasn't that cold-hearted. Just a shame that he had to wait so long before it was safe for him to visit Leftheria. Elise was a highly experienced Driver, so she would have been a perfect mentor for him in those early years.
Xander's thoughts were interrupted the actress playing the Aegis descended onto the stage, all due to wires of course. Just like with Addam, the actress's costume looked nothing like Mythra at all. The costume was very white, angelic even, which wasn't at all like Mythra in terms of looks or personality. It would seem that details like that get lost over time. Well that and it was a play, so it was only natural that things would be exaggerated in order to entertain the audience.
The group watched as Addam and his Blades defeated the monsters, the play ending with Addam choosing to seal the Aegis away, vowing to make sure she is always remembered (ironically not once mentioning her real name, instead always referring to her by her title, but eh, details). A thunderous applause rose from the crowd, some participants being from Xander's friends as well.
Soon people started to clear out and leave. It was at that point that Xander noticed that Mythra hadn't said anything. There was a longing in her eyes, maybe sadness too. It hurt him to see her in that state. She looked so fragile right now, as if she would shatter from even the slightest breeze.
"Are you okay, Mythra?" he asked in concern.
The sound of his voice seemed to snap her out of her stupor, but she still looked a little uneasy. "Y-yeah," she spoke up. She smirked, but it was clearly forced, as if trying to reassure her Driver that everything was fine. "I should file a complaint with the owner over that costume. It looked nothing like me."
"Perhaps that might be for the best," Kos-Mos goaded. "After all, if people saw an accurate depiction of you, they'd probably run for the hills."
Normally Mythra would make an angry retort at that, but instead she fell unusually silent, staring down at the ground. Her eyes looked distant and contained a tinge of wetness. Was she…crying? It was clear that Kos-Mos had hit a sore spot prompting Xander to tell her to apologize, to which the android reluctantly obeyed, but Mythra didn't seem to hear her.
"E-excuse me," a new voice spoke up nervously.
The room was nearly empty, but Xander and the others were not alone, as young girl with pale skin and short aqua blue hair stood before them. She looked no older than ten. Was she here alone? Where were her parents?
"Can I help you?" Xander said slowly.
"That Blade you have with you. She looks a lot like what Grandpa described. Could she be the legendary Aegis?"
Immediately alarm bells went off in his head. Damn it, why didn't Xander have Mythra wear a cloak? Just seeing her emerald core crystal is enough to clue most people that she's the legendary Aegis. Talk about a stupid mistake.
"It's okay, Xander," Mythra spoke up, finally back to herself. "I don't think she means us any harm." She turned her attention to the little girl in front of her. "I'm Mythra. You said that I look like what your grandfather described the Aegis as. Who is he?"
The little girl smiled at that. "He's the man in charge of this troupe. Would you like to meet him?"
Oh, so her grandfather was the owner of this theater. Xander couldn't sense any ill intent from the little girl, whose name was Iona, so he chose to trust in his Blade's words. They soon explained that they were here to see Cole anyway, so this was a good opportunity. Iona led them to a small room at the back of the theater, which judging by all the books and scripts, seemed be an office of sorts.
"Grandpa!" Iona said cheerfully. "There's some people here to see you."
The man, who Xander assumed to be Cole, was sitting at his desk. He was dressed in a worn brown coat and a long scarf wrapped around his neck. There was a hood pulled over his face, but even with dim light of the ether lamp, Xander could spot the traces of old age on the man's face.
Cole glanced over his shoulder, examining the mercenary company. His eyes seemed to widen when he saw Mythra, Kos-Mos and Jin, but he managed to quickly compose himself.
"You all are mercenaries, aren't you?" he suddenly commented.
"How'd you know that?" Ethan questioned in confusion.
"None of you are wearing military uniforms for one thing, and most Drivers don't live the quiet life. I'm not judging you, by the way. I actually used to be a mercenary back in the day. Anyway, the name's Cole. Would you tell me your names and why you're here?"
Xander and his friends quickly introduced themselves and explained why they came. Once they were done, Cole nodded in understanding.
"I see. So Klaus sent you. Has the time finally come?" That last sentence seemed more to himself than to the mercenary company.
"What did you just say?" Nia asked.
"Nothing, just the ramblings of an old man. Anyway, I'm guessing you haven't tried sailing directly for the World Tree in order to reach Elysium, right?"
"Naturally," Poppi explained matter-of-factly. "With Ophion guarding it, any trips to the World Tree would be suicide without proper preparations. Klaus said that you could help us find a way to reach the World Tree."
"And why do you seek Elysium? Is it for ulterior motives or something else?"
It was Xander that answered next, placing his hand upon the green crystal on his chest. "A few weeks ago, I was killed in battle by a dangerous foe. Mythra gave me half of her lifeforce in order to resurrect me. In order to pay her back for that kindness, I chose to fulfill her request to take her to Elysium, the place where she was created. That's the main reason. The secondary one is that Alrest is dying. If Elysium is real, and is as bountiful as the legends say, then it's a place where we can all live safely. Admittedly that part's a naïve thought, but it's better than just doing nothing while waiting for the end. Those are why I seek Elysium. Does that satisfy you?"
Cole chuckled, cracking the faintest of a smile. "That's good enough for me. I'm relieved that those two have such a kind-hearted Driver. Anyway, long ago, five hundred years to be exact, there was a man who went up the tree, supposedly even met the Architect in fact. If anyone would know how to get to tree, it would be him."
"That's great!" Ethan said in excitement. "Who is it?"
The older man's face darkened as he lowered his head, as if pondering if he should share more. Xander knew from experience that whatever Cole was keeping quiet about was something he didn't like to talk about, but unfortunately they had no other leads after him. This was the only way they could find a way to reach Elysium.
"Please tell us what you know," the mercenary leader said calmly, trying to sound as understandable as possible. "We need to reach Elysium. We can't do it without your help."
Cole was silent for a few more moments before finally looking the group in the eye again. "Very well. I'll tell you, but I would like to have a word with Mythra and Jin first, if that would be possible."
That took Xander by surprise. Why would Cole want to speak with those two in private? Just who was this man? There was more to him than meets the eye and there was something about him that seemed familiar. Where has he seen that face before? Before he could get a word in, both Mythra and Jin agreed to his terms, and Cole led them to a small room where they could have their talk. All Xander could do was trust in them and hope for the best.
"It's good to see you again, Minoth," Mythra said fondly as soon as he closed the door.
He was clearly much older now, but she could never forget that face. After all, they did fight side-by-side in the Aegis War. It was obvious that he was far from his prime, but it was good to see a familiar face, one that actually remembers what happened five hundred years ago.
The older man chuckled at the hearing of his old name, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over him. "Minoth. I haven't heard that name in a long time. So how have you two been doing? Life as mercenaries treating you well?"
"We get by," Jin replied, leaning his back against the wall. "Just to be upfront about it, I do remember my time with Lorna and the others, but I think you already knew that, given that you requested to speak with me as well."
"I see nothing gets past you, Jin. It's good to see that you're the same as ever. As you thought, I know that you didn't lose your memories of your old life, likely because of the circumstances around your awakening. Klaus told me as much sometime after he found you. I am sorry to hear about what happened to Lora. I hope you harbor no ill will towards me."
"It's not like you had anything to do with her death. That blame lies squarely on someone else. In fact, you could even say that he's the reason I'm here."
That caused Mythra to raise an eyebrow. She knew that Lora, Jin's previous Driver had died sometime after the Aegis War, but the Paragon of Torna never went into detail on what exactly happened. Well it's not like she was much better, after all, she has yet to share more of her past with her new Driver.
"Do you seek revenge against that man, not that I don't blame you if you harbor such feelings."
Curiously, Jin shook his head at the idea. "As tempting as that is, it won't change anything. Besides, I know Lora wouldn't want me to do that. I'm here for a different reason, one that Klaus requested of me when he awoke me." He then shared that reason with his old friends.
"Wow, so that's why you stuck around despite not having a proper Driver," Mythra commented. "Can't say I'm not surprised though. Even without a Driver, you're still a force to be reckoned with, and I don't say that lightly."
"Indeed," Cole mused in agreement. He then turned his attention to Mythra. "I hope you didn't mind that play from earlier. I just felt that those events shouldn't be forgotten. I hope it didn't bring back any terrible memories."
Mythra was silent for a moment, collecting her thoughts. It would be a lie to say that seeing those events, while heavily dramatized, didn't cause painful memories to surface, old wounds to ache. Honestly, she had to struggle to keep herself composed, lest she breakdown into tears. She was the Aegis, a weapon created by the Architect, a weapon of destruction, she didn't have the luxury to experience such things. Also, she didn't want Xander to see her in such a state, not after promising to protect him from harm.
"It's fine. It brought back good memories too, though you could stand to update your costume design, especially for me." The trio shared a laugh at that, though it was clearly forced on Mythra's end, but neither male chose to point it out.
"Will you be using that power again?" Cole questioned.
Mythra looked away from her old friend, struggling to come up with an answer. "I won't…is what I would like to say. Had things turned out differently on Temporal Island, I might have been forced to use that power, and probably would have burned it to the ground. Thankfully, we had a powerful ally who was able to end the fight before it reached that point."
Jin nodded in agreement. "You should have seen him, Minoth. He was self-taught in swordplay but he was an excellent fighter, especially with that black sword of his. During that final clash, he seemed to be at me and Mythra's level, but it nearly got him killed in the process. I wonder how he's doing now."
Cole stroked the beard on his face. "Interesting. What was this young man's name?"
"Marth. His name is Marth. Anyway, about my power, I can't say for certain if I will be able to keep it sealed forever, especially since Malos and T-elos are still out there. Eventually I might have no choice but to use it just to protect my Driver."
The older man grimaced at the news. "I had heard the occasional rumors, but to think that those monsters are still alive. If you plan to use that power, Mythra, I won't stop you, but be careful. I don't think this world can handle it a second time."
"I know. Which is why I only plan for it to be used as a last resort."
"That's good to hear. Anyway, that man is the only one who knows how to reach Elysium. Will the two of you be okay meeting him again?"
"Of course," Mythra assured. "It's my destiny after all."
"Same for me," Jin added. "If Xander's path requires him to meet that man, then it's only natural that I go with him."
"I see. I guess I don't have much to worry about, especially regarding Xander. After all, not only does he have you two to support him, but her as well."
Mythra raised an eyebrow at that. "Her? Do you mean Kos-Mos? You know her?"
Cole chuckled as though he had heard a joke. He chose not to clarify and simply continued with his line of thought. "He certainly resembles Addam in his youth, and if what Klaus told me is to be believed, is just as kindhearted as him."
"You know of Xander's past, don't you, Minoth."
"Yes. Klaus told me as much, years back. I would have offered to take the boy in, but Fonsa Myma isn't the ideal place to raise a runaway imperial prince. I'm just glad to see that he turned out as such a fine young man. Alright then. I'll help you out then. It's the least that I owe you."
The two Blades offered the old man their thanks and they rejoined the others. Cole spent a good minute or two scouring the room, looking for something. However, it wasn't long before he started going into a coughing fit, prompting Iona to hurry to him. He was holding his stomach and bent over. It was honestly a miracle he was still standing.
Out of consideration for the man health, Xander decided to have them visit the theater tomorrow to receive the item that Cole wanted to give them, which everyone agreed to. It was still pretty early in the afternoon. Rather than simply wander around town or camp out at the inn, the group decided to take on a mercenary job. For one, it would help to pass the time, and second, it never hurts having a little extra spending money.
The job they ended up with was investigating a strange energy effect near the Urayan Titan's blowhole. The trek would be a long one since it was on the other side of the Titan, but the pay was decent (also it lowered the risk of Xander getting recognized by the Urayans so that was another benefit), so the Origo Mercenaries decided to take that one.
As they exited the Urayan capital, the group noticed multiple warships docked by the cliff, with military personnel stationed there. There were a lot more ships than Mythra expected, especially during a supposed time of peace.
"That's a lot of warships," Ethan commented as they took in the sight.
"Indeed," Dromarch mused. "War with Mor Ardain is looking more and more likely by the day. It would seem that Uraya has expanded their military program."
"These ships look different than the ones of other nations," Poppi noted aloud.
The artificial Blade was right. Unlike the other nations, mainly Mor Ardain, the Kingdom of Uraya didn't modify their Titans that much. They deemed such things as unnecessary and only put in the bare minimum to make into vehicles and military weapons. They preferred a more natural look, the exact opposite of Mor Ardain. Now, this isn't to say that doing such things made Uraya weak, in fact it was quite the opposite. Uraya's military might was not one to be underestimated. After all, it is one of the few nations that can take on the Ardainian Empire.
"I seriously wonder if the Titans like all those modifications," Nia commented. "Doesn't all that metal and stuff hurt?"
"It's just something Titans just have to deal with when they live with humans," Azurda answered while riding his nephew's shoulder. "After all, if Xander had chosen a different path, like say a salvager, I would probably have a hut on my back and a crane stuck where the sun doesn't shine."
"Eh, not really my thing," Xander said in dismissal. "Honestly I'd be way more paranoid of drowning if I took that career path, not to mention how unreliable it can be at times if the currents are wrong. Mercenary work provides a more steady income, at least in my book."
"True, but it caused me and your aunt a lot of gray hairs when it was just you and Kos-Mos," the Titan replied. "If Klaus hadn't shown up when he did, you would have perished a long time ago. He's certainly done a lot for you and the others."
Yeah, now that Azurda mentioned it, Klaus really has had a big impact on Xander and the others. It was thanks to him that Xander survived that Gogol, that he met Nia and the others, to him even awakening Mythra herself. And yet, despite playing such a huge role in the lives of the Origo Mercenaries, none of them knew anything about him, not even Xander, who saw the man as a surrogate father.
"Just who are you, Klaus?" Mythra thought to herself. There was more to that man than he was letting on. Something about him felt familiar to her, and yet she couldn't quite identify it. Despite all these unknowns, Xander still chooses to trust in that man, so the Aegis will give him the benefit of the doubt. However, if he does become a threat to her Driver, then she won't hesitate to strike him down. This time, she will keep him safe.
A trio of cloaked individuals watched the Origo Mercenaries from a distance, careful to avoid drawing their attention, especially from some of their more observant members, namely the swordsman in gray. The unnamed man took the rare opportunity to get a good look at the group. A raven-haired boy who possessed an artificial Blade. A Gormotti girl who was a Driver, and there seemed to be more to her than meets the eye. A swordsman in gray whose swordsmanship was without equal. And of course, their leader, a young man with silver hair and golden eyes, dressed in blue and silver. He certainly managed to last this long on his own, no doubt thanks to pastel-blue haired Blade beside him. It was a relief to see, especially looking at his own personal history. And then…
He turned his good eye over to the blonde girl beside silver-haired Driver. There was no mistaking it. That girl was indeed the Aegis. How fitting that her new Driver was that young man. This will make this all the more fun. He could barely contain his excitement.
"Should we make our move now?" the smaller of his two partners questioned, her circular frames hiding her eyes with the light. The other one, whose cloak was barely concealing her Titanlike wings remained silent.
The man watched as the Origo Mercenaries headed out in the wilderness, likely doing a mercenary job.
"Not yet. For now, let's shadow them, then we'll make our big reveal. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees us again."
"In that case," his other partner spoke up emotionlessly. "Shouldn't we hurry after them? They're nearly out of eyesight now."
Oh crap, she was right! The group was almost gone. How did they get so far ahead already? Luckily speed wasn't an issue for him, but they should probably get moving before they lose track of them.
And with that, the most evil Driver in all of Alrest hurried after his quarry, preparing to make his big debut.
To be continued
Man this update has been a long time coming. I can't believe it took me this long to continue this story. I'm really sorry about that. I'll try to do better to update all my Xenoblade stories (especially after finally finishing Xenoblade 3, because oh God, playing that made me realize I need to dedicate more time to these stories). If you're wondering if I'll do a Xenoblade 3 story, it's in the cards, but I want to finish both Connections and Ties That Bind before then, for pretty obvious reasons of course. I also want to finish Ashen Wolf if possible before then as well. In order to make up for lost time, I think I will be focusing my next set of updates on my Xenoblade stories. It's been way past due for them to get their moments to shine. Honestly I should have done this the moment the Chrome Disaster arc of Ashen Wolf ended, but I got too engrossed with writing the Urun arc. In case you're worried if I'll forget crucial things about the Urun arc by doing this, worry not, because I made notes of the important details of what goes on in that arc as precaution. Once my Xenoblade stories reach a point I'm satisfied with, I'll continue production on Ashen Wolf. I hope you guys will be patient for me and sorry in advance!
Anyway, remember how I said that Vandham would be cut from the story. Sadly this hiatus didn't do anything to change my mind, mainly because I don't want Xander to have too many Blades, because obviously he would be the one to awaken Roc. Fun fact, when I initially started this story, I was gonna include him as a mental figure for Xander and potentially save him, but I ended up giving that role to Klaus. Ironically enough, things would have probably gone much different had I wrote this story after I decided to reboot my Dark Swordsman stories (the Temporal Island arc really pushed me into a corner, had I wrote both Connections and Ashen Wolf with the rebooted continuity in mind, mainly retconning Marth being an Aegis Eater (still can't believe I once thought that was a good idea), I probably would have just scrapped the arc entirely, which is kinda sad given that it's longest arc I've ever written). Someone once told me that it might have been better if I had withheld the Temporal Island arc at a later point, and I agree in hindsight. Originally, Xander and the others were gonna crashland in Gormott like in the game, but this gave me a good opportunity to get the arc out of the way so I wouldn't have to worry about it later on. Now while this might seem like a long rant over my poor thinking (and in a way it kinda is), I don't regret writing the Temporal Island arc. I was actually able to use it in ways that I never expected, like having Marth, Shulk and Xander meet and work together, having Mythra revive Xander so that they share a core, to even build up to future events that will take place in Ashen Wolf.
I do intend for Xander to meet Marth and Shulk again but those meetings won't be happening for a long while. Anyhow, this author's note got really long huh? Guess I just needed to get that stuff off my chest and address a few things to you guys. Okay, rant over. I am really looking forward to the next chapter because it's finally time for him to make his big debut, a character that I had cut/replaced in my original Xenoblade 2 story, and it was criminal of me to do so (although in my defense, I originally had a completely different idea with that story and just suddenly changed course a third of the way through)! But this time, he will finally be shown in all his glory. Who is this person, you might ask? Well you'll just have to wait to find out. I'll see you guys next time!
Chapter 19: Eternal History
Chapter Text
The Kingdom of Uraya was quite interesting. Unlike the other nations, their Titan tends to spend most of its time submerged within the Cloud Sea, occasionally resurfacing for air. As such, the people who called this nation home opted to live within the beast. The only other Titan of a similar nature was Genbu, the Titan of the nation of Tantal. Now without proper context, one would think that would be a terrible idea and would cause everyone inside the Titan to be digested and that the inside would be all fleshy and gross. However, that couldn't be further from the truth.
There was vegetation and fresh water as far as the eye can see within the Urayan Titan. No signs of flesh to give the impression of being in someone's stomach, just steep rock walls that stretched all the way towards the Titan's back. There was even wildlife roaming around the wetlands and highlands, oblivious to the fact that they were within another living creature. It wasn't even dark inside as Uraya's back was translucent, allowing sunlight to filter through. Titans were truly mysterious creatures. It was hard to believe that any of this was possible, but this was just a fact of life for the people of Alrest. As for what the Titans actually eat to regain energy, they are living creatures after all, the working theory is that the continental class Titans fed off of the Cloud Sea due to its mysterious composition, while the much smaller ones like Azurda had both that option and to eat like any normal creature.
But what was probably the highlight of coming to Uraya were the saffronnia trees. They can only be found here in this Titan and they were a spectacle to behold, especially when at full-bloom. You see, saffronnia trees bioluminescent red leaves and flowers. Now that alone may not sound too impressive, but once those trees reach full blooms, those same leaves get caught in the wind (best not to ask how that works while inside a Titan) and just dance in the air, creating a dazzling spectacle.
And today just so happens to be in the middle of the season where the saffronnias are in full-bloom, providing quite the eye candy for the wandering mercenaries. Even Mythra found herself in awe of the sparkling lights floating in the breeze, though she wouldn't admit it out loud. This was probably the first time she had ever seen such natural beauty.
Addam did awaken her in Olethro, which was located on the tail of the Urayan Titan, during the Aegis War, but the two of them didn't spend much time in the kingdom as they soon were off to hunt down the rampaging Malos and T-elos. Interestingly enough, the fourth prince of Torna did promise to take Mythra back to Uraya to see the saffronnias in full bloom (which she was secretly excited for after seeing pictures of it in a book), but the aftermath of the Aegis War ended up throwing a wrench in those plans. That was because after the defeat of Malos and T-elos, as well as the destruction of the Tornan Titan, Addam chose to seal Mythra away. The last memory she had of the man was him voicing his regret over not being able to keep his promise to her.
Mythra didn't hold it against her original Driver. After Torna was destroyed, she wasn't exactly in the best mental state, especially after seeing the dead body of Milton, a young Gormotti boy that had accompanied them on their travels. It was her fault that he died. Milton was no Driver, he didn't possess the aptitude for it, so everyone thought it was best that he and his friend Mikhail would stay in Auresco, the Tornan capital, while they left to confront Malos at the Titan's core. They thought it was too dangerous to bring them along, especially since Malos's partner had no honor whatsoever. It was the female Aegis that convinced the boys to listen and stay behind. She and Milton always butted heads, the young boy not even caring that she was one of the strongest Blades in existence. The arguments varied depending on the circumstances. Sometimes it was over something Mythra did in battle (which was usually reckless), or some rather trivial stuff. Still, it was thanks to Milton that she started to form real connections with her friends. Even now, she could remember that hopeful look Milton gave her when she and the others left Auresco that fateful day.
Originally when Mythra awakened, she kept herself distant from everyone, even her own Driver. She was a weapon of the Architect, a being of mass destruction. She didn't think that she deserved the same things other people had. Jin actually called her out for that when they first met, saying that she was lacking in compassion. She couldn't really fault him for that, since she purposely walled herself off from everyone. Not to mention that she would casually flex her power as an Aegis, even over a petty insult, not even considering the safety of those around her. That behavior really bit her in the ass when she and the others fought Brighid in Torigoth. The town had been burned to the ground by bandits, its inhabitants slain without mercy. The Flame Jewel thought that they were the culprits behind it and fought to apprehend them. Initially, Mythra was going easy on the Fire Blade, but when Brighid insulted her for her crude fighting style, she got so pissed off she resorted to using Siren's particle cannon, despite Addam's pleas for her to stop since Milton and Mikhail were with them. In that moment, she didn't care about them. She just wanted to defeat Brighid, by any means necessary. If it wasn't for Haze, Lora's other Blade, and her power to seal the powers of other Blades, Mythra might have ended up hurting her own friends in her blind fury.
Of course, once things had calmed down and she was properly scolded by her comrades, even she knew that was a stupid thing to do. Perhaps that moment was what seeded in the thought that she didn't deserve to exist in this world. Like Malos, Mythra largely did whatever she wanted, not really thinking too much about the consequences. The only reason why she even agreed to fight the male Aegis was because that's what Addam wanted to do, so she assisted him out of her obligation as his Blade. It wasn't until near the end of the Aegis War where she consciously chose to oppose him because she felt it was the right thing to do, and it was thanks to the time she spent with Milton, Jin and the others that she came to that conclusion.
Addam once told her that she was unpolished. It happened after the Paragon of Torna called her out for her lack of compassion. Addam wanted to clarify what Jin meant, that was because she was newly awakened (it had only been a year since that day in Olethro), she was still coarse. Blades lose their memories when they return to their cores. However, the feelings and experiences they have become ingrained in them, allowing them to become more and more human. Of course, as an Aegis, Mythra wouldn't return to her core if her Driver died, but the point still stands. By interacting with people, whether they be humans or Blades, she can become more human herself, instead of just being a weapon.
During her adventure in Torna, Mythra slowly came to believe that even someone like her could live a life like that. That she could live among the people, make real connections, and laugh. That wish was what motivated her to convince Milton to stay behind, for he was her first real friend. She wanted to protect him. She thought he would be safe in the capital, tasking him with looking after Mikhail.
How wrong she was.
Halfway through the final fight with Malos and T-elos, the male Aegis had his Siren fire its particle cannon at Auresco, devastating it in an instant, all so that he could draw out more of his counterpart's power. Everyone just watched in horror as they could picture the screams of terror from citizens there. So many people, whether they be man, woman, child or elderly were killed in the blink of an eye. However, the person who took it the hardest was Mythra herself.
She had convinced Milton to stay behind. She put him in the line of fire. She put her friend in grave danger and possibly killed him. Devastated over the unknown fate of the young Gormotti, Mythra tapped into a power she didn't know she had. This sudden surge of power completely incapacitated Addam and Mythra lost control of herself. The most she could remember afterward was fighting Malos alone, with each Aegis taking direct control of their Sirens. She fought with all her might, nothing restraining her anymore, all to crush her so-called "partner". She didn't even care that each of her attacks were devastating Torna. Eventually, she released an attack so devastating, it destroyed Malos's Siren, plunging it and him into the depths of the Cloud Sea, seemingly killing him, screaming his counterpart's name in blind fury. T-elos was defeated at the same time by Addam's other Blade, with the Dark Blade also falling into the Cloud Sea.
However, that same attack destroyed the Tornan Titan's core, killing the once mighty creature. The next thing Mythra knew, she was on a flying transport that was evacuating the now sinking Titan. There, she learned that Emperor Hugo, the Driver of Brighid and Aegaeon, was dead, sacrificing himself to shield Addam, his longtime friend, from the explosion of the Titan's core. From that ship's balcony, Mythra watched in horror as the dying Tornan Titan began sinking beneath the Cloud Sea. It was all her fault. Not only did she kill it, but she destroyed the homes of countless people, and probably condemned many others to their deaths if they couldn't evacuate.
Then she saw the thing that devastated her the most. Cradled in the arms of an injured Mikhail, was the burned corpse of a Gormotti boy. Milton had died protecting Mikhail, something he wouldn't have had to do if Mythra just took the boys with her. In her grief, she tried to reach out and touch the Gormotti's cheek, but the surviving boy pulled Milton's body away from her. She could never forget the look in his eyes as he stared at her in that moment. Hatred, bitterness, and fear. He blamed her for the death of his friend and rightfully feared her.
After that, something broke within the Aegis. The wish to live alongside humans and protect them was plunged from her mind. A weapon like her didn't deserve such luxury, such happiness. It was naïve of her to think otherwise. At that moment, she wanted to disappear, to leave this world so that her power could never hurt anyone else.
Perhaps things would have been better if there was a different version of her, a weaker one, a better one. In her despair, Mythra sought to create an alternate self to take her place as the Aegis, one that didn't run the risk of burning the world like she did. This version of her would be her ideal self, based off of everything her friends told her she lacked. An Aegis who was humble, kind, a good chef, and most importantly, a mere shadow to what she really is. That would be how she will atone for her sins. But in her darkest hour, even that mercy was denied to her. Her core responded to her will, her body engulfed with crimson light, but once the light died down, nothing about her had changed. Her appearance remained the same, her personality unaltered, not even her Blade Weapon was changed. She was still Mythra, the destroyer of Torna.
Perhaps that was her father's doing, the will of the divine Architect. He wouldn't allow her to essentially flee from her sin. She would have no choice but to bear this burden alone. The days afterward were a blur to her. She didn't talk to anyone or eat anything, no matter how much her stomach grumbled. She just kept herself locked inside her room, not even letting Addam in. Eventually she was sealed away in that ship and sent to the Cloud Sea's bed. For five hundred years, she dreamed of standing on hill with the lone tree, gazing down at the greenery of Elysium.
She had no one to talk to, no one to confide in. All she had were the painful memories of the atrocities she committed, forever tormenting her. It was such a lonely existence. Addam told her that this slumber was only temporary, that someone would one day reawaken her and give her the peace she so rightfully deserved. But Mythra didn't want to wake up. If she wasn't allowed to pass her Aegis duties onto someone else, than she would rather remain in this dreamworld, forever tortured by her memories. That was all she deserved.
And then it finally happened. Someone had reawakened her, five hundred years later. How cruel fate was to have her next Driver look almost exactly like Addam. In fact he could even pose as his son if the two were to be put in the same room. At first, Mythra just went along with things after her reawakening. As Xander's Blade, she decided to dedicate herself to keep him safe, acting like her old self to hide her pain and suffering. She didn't want to burden him with her problems. They weren't any of his concern. She was just a weapon at the end of the day, and weapons listen to their masters. But she did have one wish, one wish that she desperately wanted granted. To go to Elysium, the place of her birth. Perhaps if she goes there and meets with her father, she can get the answers she seeks.
However, even she didn't fully account for how attached she would become with her new Driver. Xander reminded her so much of Addam that it threatened to tear down the walls she built around her heart. It was funny how similar his past was to Marth, the Demon King of Aincrad, and yet they came to very different paths. Marth became cold and cynical to the world, preferring to protect only those close to him. He wouldn't think twice of fighting the entire world if it meant keeping his loved ones safe, even if his actions cause him to be hated as a monster. But Xander was the opposite. Despite the cruel hand fate dealt him, the young Driver still retained a kind heart, helping those in need. He took in people with no homes, never questioning them about their pasts or anything, and together they formed the Origo Mercenaries, to ensure that other people wouldn't have to suffer what they did. That's the true reason Xander created the company. It wasn't just to survive in this cruel world, but he did admit that the reason was kinda naïve. Mythra found herself laughing when he finally told her, much to his embarrassment.
Unlike most Drivers, he didn't treat Blades like weapons, but like living beings. It was hard not for Mythra to find herself growing fond of him. Sure there was that whole tension between him and Marth, but that was mostly the latter's fault since he really gave off the wrong impression to the Alrestians. Despite that slight hiccup in her Driver's behavior, she started wondering if she really could live alongside humans again. And right when she started thinking that, Xander died before her eyes, killed by a madman looking to free a dark god that wasn't even in its prison. Once again, she started regressing to the mentality that this world would be better off without her. If it wasn't for Klaus reminding her of what she could do, she might not have reacted in time to save both Xander and Kos-Mos.
And now she was shouldering the burden of sustaining her Driver's life, sacrificing her own immortality as the price. Addam mentioned something about saffronnias representing rebirth, but not life after death. No, it meant new beginnings. Perhaps this was a sign for her to treat this awakening as a fresh start. It was a nice thought and brought some small comfort, but ultimately she was still unsure if she deserved such kindness, to be Xander's Blade.
After all, when she resurrected him, she swore to protect him with all her being, and yet she hasn't fulfilled that oath. Not once has she used her full power as an Aegis. On several missions, she could have ended the battle in an instant by calling upon Siren, her remaining Artifice. Yet every time she even thinks about the Artifice, she freezes in her tracks, fearing that she might lose control again. She told Minoth that she'll only use Siren as a last resort, but could she even bring herself to do even that? Can she bring herself to use the same power that sent an entire nation to the Cloud Sea's bed?
"You alright, Mythra?" Xander asked in concern, noticing her downtrodden expression.
"Huh? I-is something wrong?" she replied hastily as she noticed her Driver beside her, trying to hide her hesitation. She spent so long thinking in her head that she accidentally dropped her mask. She didn't want him to see her in that state. How embarrassing.
"No, you were just really quiet all of a sudden. I came over to check on you and you looked sad for a second. Are you feeling okay?"
It was times like this Mythra really noticed the similarities between Xander and Addam. Addam always watched over her, like father towards his own daughter. But with Xander, she didn't quite know what their relationship was. Friends, maybe? Weird. Why did that sudden thought make her feel more depressed than before? She mentally shrugged it off, forcing herself to give her Driver her usual smirk.
"It's nothing," she lied. "I was just thinking about how much time has passed since I was last here. A lot can change in five hundred years." She hoped that would be enough to assure her Driver.
"That is true. You told me you didn't spend much time in Uraya after you awakened, but even so, that doesn't make it immune to the flow of time. Was there any place you wanted to visit while we are here?"
Now that was an interesting thought. Just her and Xander hanging out together, admiring the sights and talking about random things. Wait, why would it just be the two of them? Wouldn't Kos-Mos be there too, as with the other Origo Mercenaries? Strange thought process aside, it wouldn't hurt to do much exploring here before they set off for the World Tree, and luckily she had just the place in mind.
"Yeah, the Olethro Ruins. That's the place Addam awakened me. I'm sure its fallen apart during the last five hundred years, but I wouldn't mind checking it out again. Could be fun."
"Olethro, huh? I've heard of that place. My mother used to tell me about it when she read me stories about Addam. Alright then. It's a date. We'll go tomorrow after we visit Cole."
Mythra's face suddenly went bright red. "A-a date?! Wh-what are you talking about?"
Xander tilted his head in confusion as if she said something odd. "It's just a figure of speech. I'm sure Kos-Mos and the others want to go see the ruins as well. That's not a problem, is it?"
She quickly managed to calm down. Obviously Xander didn't mean anything about it. They were just friends after all. Yep, just friends. Still, why did she find herself feeling disappointed by that? What the hell is wrong with her?
"Nope! It's fine. Perfect even. I can show off how awesome I am to everyone there. I can't wait for tomorrow."
The Driver and Blade shared a laugh together. Oh how it felt good to do so. It almost made her forget about the dark thoughts she had just moments ago.
It wasn't much longer until the Origo Mercenaries reached the Titan's blowhole. As Xander expected, the weird energy source was actually from another Titan. It was a small one, probably big enough to hold a small boat. It actually looked like an adolescent version of the Urayan Titan, which was interesting. But how did it cause that strange energy output? It certainly wasn't old age. This Titan still looked relatively young. Could it have been an accident? No, that didn't feel right either. Upon further inspection, there looked to be serious wounds on the Titan's stomach and side. Which meant that…
A loud screech filled the air, putting the mercenaries on-guard. That sound only meant one thing. Prepare for battle.
It wasn't long before a Queen Arachno appeared on the summit, but it wasn't alone. Right by it's side…was a Blade! That's right, humans weren't the only ones that can resonate with core crystals. Monsters can too. Typically that only happened by accident, like if the monster happens to step on the core crystal and just so happen to have the aptitude to resonate with it. If the resonance worked, then it would make the monster even more dangerous since they now have a Blade at their command.
This wouldn't be the first time Xander had encountered such a foe, but this was the first time he saw a monster command a Blade with a unique appearance. Typically monsters only had the regular common Blades. That meant that either the Arachno got really lucky, influenced the Blade's appearance through resonance, or the more likely scenario, killed the Blade's previous Driver (which would most likely a human) and just so happened to resonate with its core.
Still, he had never seen a Blade like this one before. It truly looked like a monster. The Blade had thick black skin which almost looked like armor with light blue outlines, a muscular upper body, two curved antenna on its head, spiked arms, to even what looked like exhaust channels on its shoulder. On its chest was a blue core crystal, signaling that it was indeed a Blade. Perhaps it was the second option after all. He couldn't imagine any human Driver influencing a Blade's appearance that much during resonance.
"Looks like we found the culprit behind the strange energy," Nia said casually as she and the other mercenaries readied their weapons.
"Looks like it," Jin replied. "Leave the enemy Blade to me. The rest of you focus on the Arachno."
"Sounds like a plan," Xander agreed, readying the Aegis Sword. He'll have Kos-Mos wielding her own Blade Weapon for this fight since he wants to try something with Mythra. "Now let's go!"
The Paragon of Torna rushed towards his target with blinding speed, hoping to separate the Blade from its Driver. It was a good tactic as it would make both enemies easier to handle. After all, nothing would stop the Blade from transferring its power to its Driver, whether they were human or beast.
The enemy Blade responded in kind by summoning a black megalance before charging at Jin. It was surprisingly speedy despite its massive frame, but still not on the Ice Blade's level. Meanwhile Xander and the others took on the Arachno. As usual, Ethan and Poppi held its attention, blocking its attacks while attacking from the front. Xander and Kos-Mos would attack from the sides, while Nia focused on healing and occasionally getting some strikes in.
The Arachno's exoskeleton was surprisingly tough, likely a result of its resonance with its Blade. That tough exterior made it tricky to land good strikes even with the Aegis Sword, at least with regular attacks. Once Xander and them started to use their Arts, they started making more of a dent in the monster's armor. During the battle, he dared take a peek at Jin's progress, and to no surprise, he was holding his own against the enemy Blade.
Judging from its attacks, it seemed that the Blade was an Earth element, not a bad match up against Jin. Its main strategy seemed to just be brute force since there was no real rhythm or sense to its attacks. It just swung around its lance and occasionally fired earthen projectiles hoping to hit its opponent. Unfortunately, such tactics were doomed to fail against the Paragon of Torna. While still lacking a true Driver to call upon his full power, Jin was a veteran fighter and extremely nimble. If anyone can get a read on this Blade's attacks and safely land counters, it would be him (not counting Mythra's Foresight of course). Eventually the battle reached a point where the Arachno wasn't getting enough power from its Blade as the latter had to dedicate more energy to hold back Jin. That gave Xander just the opening he needed to finish this.
"Ready, Mythra?"
The Aegis gave him a firm nod, knowing exactly what he was thinking as a golden aura flared to life around them, signaling that their resonance was at its peak. "You bet!" she said confidently. "I've been waiting for this. Let's show this thing what a real Driver and Blade can do!"
Wielding the Aegis Sword with both hands, Xander delivered three powerful slashes on the Arachno's side, with each strike leaving a nasty gash behind and causing the monster to screech in pain. Next, Xander jumped into the air and performed a spinning overhead slash on the monster's backside, creating a small explosion of golden light that burned its carapace. The Arachno still wasn't dead yet though as it stubbornly turned towards the pair and lunged at them. Unfortunately, its attempts to kill them will be in vain as the duo weren't done yet.
In one fluid motion, Xander tossed the Aegis Sword into the air, prompting Mythra to jump up at catch it with ease. As she descended back to the ground, she struck the Arachno's head with a full-powered downward slash before following it up with a spin attack. This was an extremely powerful Art that can only be used when the Driver and Blade act as one. The technique and name depended on the Blade and their element, but the result is always the same. A devastating attack that will leave your enemies helpless. Mythra's version of this joint Art was called Hadron Impact, which she had previously used with Addam during the Aegis War.
Needless to say, the Arachno couldn't handle it any longer and succumbed to its wounds, letting out one final screech in defiance. Once he determined that it was truly dead, Xander turned his attention to Jin and the Earth Blade, the latter of which was dissolving into ether particles due to the death of its Driver. Interestingly enough, the monstrous Blade looked at him and smiled. Was it…relieved?
"Thank…you," it said gruffly, surprising the mercenaries. "Finally…I am…free…" The Blade reverted into an inactive core crystal afterward.
"No way," Ethan said slowly, still unable to process it. "That Blade… It spoke."
"Indeed," Dromarch answered. "It would appear that that Blade was more intelligent than its appearance suggested. A classic judging a book by its cover."
Nia lowered her head in shame. "That Blade. It, no he, must have been waiting for humans to come and fight his Driver. He could have killed it at any time, but that ran the risk of being awakened by another monster. He must have wanted to ensure that his core crystal was inherited by someone who would truly make use of his power, like a proper Driver would."
"Looks that way," Jin said in agreement as he scooped up the inactive core crystal and gave it to his leader. "At least he won't have to remember being the Blade of a monster when he reawakens."
When a Blade returns to its core, it can't be reawakened right away. After a few days, the crystal will regain its light, allowing a new Driver to awaken the Blade inside. Xander wondered what he should do with this core crystal. Typically, the Origo Mercenaries handed whatever cores they retrieved in such encounters to the nation's military. None of them really liked strengthening the military, especially in such a tense time, but it was better than just leaving the cores out in the wild where anyone can snatch them.
What should he do with this core though? He could just picture the horror a newbie Driver would have if they ever awakened this Blade. Perhaps it might be better to hold onto this one for now, at least until he finds someone, he feels is suitable for the Blade. He owed him that much at least as the victor.
"Well then," he spoke up, pocketing the darkened core in his coat. He turned his attention to the wounded Titan, which also dying from its wounds and dissolving into ether. "Time to finish what we started."
The other mercenaries watched as Xander inspected the Titan, returning to them after it fully faded away. However, when he returned, there was something in his hand. It was another core crystal, but this one was glowing blue, meaning it was ready to be awakened.
"Where'd you get that, Xander?" Ethan questioned.
"From the Titan. That's where they come from. My mother told me about it when I was a kid. She said that she would tell me the full story once I got older, but…" He paused for a moment and shook his head. "Anyway, as you can see, this one's all ready to go. Humans and Titans die, but Blades keep living on, as long as their crystals are intact. Over course, every time their Driver dies, they return to their core and forget everything. It's a never-ending cycle. An eternal history."
Nia let out a giggle. "Where'd you get that? A fortune cookie?" she said snarkily, getting a laugh out of everyone.
Xander scratched his head sheepishly. "I guess that did sound a little corny. Anyway, we're done here so let's head back to Fonsa Myma."
The others agreed and the mercenaries began making their way back to the Urayan capital. As they walked, Xander noticed that Mythra had fallen silent again. He could tell that something was bothering her. Was it because she can't return to her core like other Blades, meaning she'll never lose her memories?
On one hand, living forever sounded interesting, but it would quickly become a lonely existence. After all, you watch your friends and loved ones die around you while you remain unchanged. It's kinda sad if you think about it. He couldn't help but wonder how Marth feels about the whole thing, since he was immortal as a demon, watching his friends leave him behind while he stays the same.
Just how did Mythra feel…being alive for five hundred years and seeing that most of her old friends are dead?
The trek back to Fonsa Myma was going largely uneventful as the glowing embers of twilight illuminated the land. It was a pretty sight combined with the saffronnia trees. Mythra found herself feeling glad that she came, finally fulfilling the promise that Addam made to her all those ages ago, in a weird roundabout way. They still had about an hour or two of walking to do before they reach the city. In fact she could see it off in the distance.
To help pass the time, Mythra was chatting with Xander and Kos-Mos, discussing new strategies on how to best utilize their combined power. It was actually pretty fun for her, especially since she just experienced the fruits of her labor in that last battle. Looks like all that special training she and her Driver did has paid off. Now she wanted to see much further she could take it. Anything was a better alternative than using Siren again.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. The legendary Aegis and her Driver! Looks like all those rumors we heard were true."
The group came to a sudden halt as they heard the male voice. Before they could even question it, three cloaked figures suddenly emerged behind a conveniently placed boulder. Actually, was that boulder even here the last time they passed through? Eh, not important right now. Anyway, it was hard to get a read on two of the figures in their cloaks, but the figure on the left was pretty unusual. The figure seemed to be hovering rather than properly standing, and were those wings sticking out of its cloak?!
Mythra could already tell this was gonna be annoying. Whoever these people were, they were quite clearly obstructing their path, taking full advantage of the narrow cliff to try to block their advance.
"Who are you?" Xander asked cautiously.
The figure in the middle chuckled, trying way too hard to sound menacing. The voice sounded masculine so it was clearly a guy, probably the ringleader too. "That's quite the heavy burden you have there, pipsqueak," he said theatrically. "You sure you're up for it? How about you see sense, step aside and let the big boys take charge?" As if he were putting on a performance, the man dramatically pointed his finger at the Aegis Driver, with the figure on his right mirroring his every move. "C'mon then. Yield the merchandise!"
Xander could only tilt his head in confusion. "Uh, merchandise? Do you mean Mythra?"
"Yes, obviously! What else would I be talking about? So come on then. Hand her over like a good boy and no one will get hurt."
Why did this stranger's attitude remind Mythra of the antics Addam used to do when they traveled together? It made it hard for her to take the man seriously when he was trying to come off as intimidating. Of course it would take more than that scare someone like her and her own Driver, especially since the latter has a very over protective Blade. Speaking of which…
"You didn't answer Xander's original question," Kos-Mos spoke up, her eyes narrowing as she stood ready to defend her Driver, her Gravity Shell activating. "Who are you? You have five seconds to answer before I blast you off the cliff. Five…four…"
That seemed to have gotten a reaction out of the strangers' as the cloaked man swung his hands out wildly, trying to stop the crazy android. It was pretty funny to see, actually. It was fun seeing Kos-Mos in protector mode.
"Wait, wait, wait!" the man said quickly. "There's no need for that. Once we take our cloaks off, it'll all be clear. I guarantee you'll all be quivering in your boots."
"Doubt it," Mythra said dismissively, finding a blade of grass more interesting than what was going on right now.
"Yes, I concur," the other Light Blade replied. "Who you are matters little to me. I will still not allow you to harm Xander in anyway."
"Wow, this guy got Mythra and Kos-Mos to agree on something," the Gormotti Driver commented, to which both Dromarch and Jin wordlessly nodded in agreement.
The cloaked man let out an annoyed grumble. "Geez, tough crowd here. Anyway, behold!" He and his companions threw off their cloaks, revealing what they looked like underneath.
The first thing that Mythra noticed was that the man's companions were actually Blades. The one on his left was slim girl with messy short green hair, her eyes obscured by the glare of her round glasses. Her outfit was steampunk themed with an open blouse that had a popped collar, as well clear lightbulbs for shoulders and a small hat. She also had pointed ears and a bulb tail. On her chest was her core crystal, which resembled that of an electric board with a triangle cut out of it.
The next Blade was more interesting though. It was a woman that appeared to be fused together with a dragon-like mech. The woman herself had pale skin as well as pastel purple hair and eyes and wore a black bodysuit. As for the mech itself, it was black, consisting of a static dragon head, a second pair of arms, razor-sharp wings, pointed feet, a large ether cannon and twin tails. Her core crystal resembled that of an asymmetrical pentagon. She was probably the largest Blade Mythra's ever seen, factoring in that mech of course.
As for the weird man, he was obviously their Driver. He was pretty tall, probably an inch or two over Xander, probably around twenty-five years old. He had a muscular build and short spikey dark gray hair. His outfit consisted of a long black coat that he keeps open to expose his bare chest, as well as armor on his knees and shoulders. He also wore black fingerless gloves that covered his forearms and dark leather boots. His eye color seemed to be gray but he also wore a black eyepatch over his right eye. Strapped to his back was a large electric blue greatsword.
Xander suddenly gasped, causing the man to smirk in anticipation. "Wait, are you…" the Aegis Driver started to say.
"You know this weirdo, Xander?" Nia questioned, looking at her leader expectantly.
Surprisingly, the silverette just shook his head. "Nope. No clue."
That clearly wasn't what the man was expecting to hear as both he and the Blade on his left slumped over comically. "Oh, come on!" he cried out in outrage. "Do you seriously not recognize me?! Kos-Mos, surely you remember me, right?"
The android simply shook her head. "I have no records of you in my database. This is our first meeting."
Now the man collapsed on the dirt, which got a giggle out of Mythra. She was enjoying this now. "You too?! Is ten years all it takes to forget about me? Fine then. Guess I'll have to reintroduce myself to jog your memory." He quickly jumped back up on his feet, brushed off the dirt from his coat, and took a few bold steps forward. "The name's Zeke von Genbu! Bringer of Chaos! I am mostly known as Zeke, but I also answer to the Zekenator!"
The man known as Zeke then gestured over to the steampunk Blade. "Behold! My first Blade, Pandoria!" The greenette crossed her arms while looking smug. It seemed like she enjoyed this kind of thing. He then gestured to the woman by his right, who was just hovering there, not saying or doing anything. "And now for my second Blade. The fearsome Herald!" After that, Zeke then drew his weapon and promptly swung around a few times to show it off. "This is my sword. The Purple Lightning Dreamsmasher! If you want a taste, then come and get it!" He said that last sentence while taking on a fighting stance, the sword activating by extending out electric blue edges.
Honestly Mythra couldn't help but burst out laughing. That was the most ridiculous name for a sword she ever heard, and she heard Addam come up with a few dumb ones before. Was this guy trying to be Addam 2.0 or something?
This Driver seemed to be looking for a fight, but he does realize that he's outnumbered right? Were his two Blades really powerful enough to contend with the Aegis, the Paragon of Torna, AND Kos-Mos? Somehow, Mythra doubted this was the case. This guy was clearly over his head. She could easily throttle him if her Driver gave the word, so she decided to leave the final decision to him.
"Nah, we're good," Xander said dismissively.
Or they could do that too. The Origo Mercenaries began walking past the bizarre trio. As much as Mythra would love to put the older Driver in his place, who was she to go against her Driver? Besides, it was quite amusing to see Zeke's exasperated face as everyone gave him the cold shoulder. Sadly for the mercenaries, Zeke didn't seem like the type to give up as he and his Blades suddenly zoomed right past them and blocked their path yet again.
"Ugh," Nia groaned in annoyance. "I'm getting tired of this guy already."
Zeke looked pretty frustrated. This was really not going the way he intended. "Do you lowlives think you can lick the four of us?"
"Four?" Jin questioned before doing a quick head count. "I only see three. Seems like you lost someone."
Surprisingly, Zeke just chuckled at that. "Not exactly. Behold our beloved mascot! Turters, reveal yourself!" He then reached into the inside of his coat to grab something. However, after a few moments he started panicking as he couldn't find what he was looking for, prompting him to start looking around him. "Turters? Turters, where are you, boy? Turters!"
Okay, this was getting sad to watch. Just what was this guy? Mythra then noticed some movement by her feet. She glanced down and saw none other than a little green turtle slowly making its way towards her. It was honestly kind of cute, so she scooped it up in her palm, which it comfortably fit in.
"So what are you doing out here, all alone?" she said softly, catching both Xander and Kos-Mos's attention.
"Turters!" Suddenly in a flash, Zeke appeared before the Aegis, his face filled with rage. It actually caused Mythra to freeze up for a second. Maybe she underestimated this guy. That burst of speed was incredible. She let down her guard and now he's free to grab her.
"Handling a man's turtle!" Zeke said bitterly before snatching the turtle in Mythra's hands and scurrying back to his Blades. Once he was back with his partners, both he and Pandoria looked pretty relieved to see their pet safe and sound. Meanwhile Herald looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here.
Okay, never mind. This guy's a complete dunce. He could have just grabbed the Aegis while she was distracted, but instead he went for his turtle. Any tension that existed between the two groups was pretty much gone now. Although, even if he did manage to grab her at that moment, there's no way a Driver would be able to hold her. She is a legendary Blade after all.
"Uh, he does realize he had a clear shot to capture Mythra right?" Ethan spoke up nervously.
"What an idiot," Nia said in annoyance.
"Hear hear," Poppi added.
Seems like Zeke finally noticed his little blunder, returning his gaze back to the mercenaries while pocketing Turters in his coat. "Gah. Wh-whatever. She'll be mine soon enough. If you don't want me to take her, then come at me! And don't hold back!" He said that last part while getting into the same fighting stance as before, trying to look as imposing as possible.
"Is this guy for real?" the Gormotti Driver asked in exasperation.
"Detecting hostility from enemy Driver and Blades," Kos-Mos said emotionlessly. "What are your orders, Xander?"
The Aegis Driver let out a groan, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Looks like we aren't getting out of this without a fight. Alright then. Let's show this weirdo what happens when you mess with the Origo Mercenaries."
The other mercenaries acknowledged their leader's order and readied their weapons. Mythra herself took her place right beside her Driver, flashing the Bringer of Chaos a confident smirk.
"Well this should be fun," she thought to herself. "How tough can this goofball be?"
To be continued
And now the mighty Zeke has finally made his debut! I wanted to put their battle in here but I ended up overwriting the first third of the chapter with Mythra long monologue. Would you believe that it was originally just going to be a short tangent regarding the Aegis War then just move on to other stuff, like maybe a skirmish or two? I certainly didn't anticipate it becoming so depressing. Eh, at least I got to reveal what happened in the aftermath of the Aegis War and explain why Pyra's nonexistent in this universe (well at least partially explain, there's still one part I haven't fully shown, and it's why the transformation failed, which will be revealed later on in the story). I was actually thinking of cutting the Wulfric fight so that I could do Zeke's but I kept it in for the worldbuilding thing. Still, I'm looking forward to writing more of Zeke. He's always a blast to see on screen with that eccentric personality of his. In my original Bonds story, he was replaced by an OC named Jason. Like I mentioned before, that story was meant to go in a completely different direction so I'm glad that in this version properly have Zeke in the story. And just like Rachel, he's starting out with two Blades, the second one being the ether cannon user Herald.
Why did I pick Herald to be Zeke's second Blade? Simple, they're both from Tantal, and she's canonically pretty strong. Also, she's got a cool design. It just felt right giving her to Zeke. Heck, part of why I gave Rachel Kasandra was because you get her in Mor Ardain, also Morag is probably the best Driver for her (which isn't saying much given that shield hammers SUCK in XC2).
Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. See you guys next time!