Aisrin and Iwata stood, observing the other.
"Sin-Kun is it?" Iwata called out.
"That's correct." Aisrin responded. Aisrin began gathering his mana for a large scale array, larger than the previous spells. He was planning an all out attack. Iwata noticed this and responded in with the same.
"Don't use Takeover. You may end up with a serious repercussion." Verenia warned Aisrin.
"Very well." Aisrin replied. He began combining the fire and lightning elements. The Bloodrend soldiers tentively moved closer towards the small group. Aisrin shifted his gaze briefly towards the soldiers. Iwata took the opportunity to launch his attack. A beam of light shot towards Aisrin who immediately cast his.
"Holy Beam!" Iwata shouted.
"Flaming Thunder!" Aisrin returned. The two spells collided and formed an energized ball of mana equal to the size of a two story house. The explosion that followed, blew all that were present backwards and through the air. All but Aisrin and Iwata, that is. Aisrin stared at the large plume of dust that acted as a smoke screen against both sides.
Iwata was grinning in ecstasy. This battle, though only having been brief, had provided him more satisfaction than all the fights he'd had since being summoned, put together.
"Oh Sin-Kun!" Iwata began laughing blissfully and grotesquely. Aisrin could hear it from where he stood, almost a football field away.
'How disgusting.'
Aisrin drew his daggers, opting for close combat. Using all the buffs he had on hand, he launched through the smokescreen. The force of him blasting through, dispersed the plume of dust outwards, revealing a crater several meters deep and wide.
Iwata noticed Aisrin rocketing towards him and met him with equal if not greater power. The clang of their blades meeting eachother's echoed loudly. The remaining Bloodrend soldiers had begun to retreat, not seeing any possibility of successfully singing the city, especially with the three girls that had begun ripping through their ranks with a precise, practiced approach.
The small, white clad child cast spell after spell, taking a soldier with each attack. The carrot top woman easily fought her way through with her broadsword. Where as the blue haired one fought bare handed, and proved to be a terrifying opponent to face.
With their forces dwindled to a third of their original force, all moral was lost. The troops fell back in a desperate act of survival. Only Aisrin and Iwata continued to clash.
"Here I've been, searching for Aisrin, and instead, I find a far worthwhile opponent! Oh Sin-Kun! Entertain me more!" Iwata became more ferocious and his power slowly climbed higher until Aisrin became overwhelmed. Iwata noticed how Aisrin had slowed down and clicked his tongue as he sent him away with a powerful kick.
Aisrin landed in the crater, his breath expelled from his lungs. Sharp pain emanated from his abdominal area.
"I guess no one can stand up against me. It always ends pitifully one way or another. Here's to hoping Aisrin-Kun provides me the thrills I seek." Iwata stood at the edge of the crater, looking down at Aisrin in disappointment. Iwata pointed his finger at Aisrin, a white glow permeating from it.
Every signal in Aisrins body screamed to move. Aisrin leaped away just a a small beam of light pierced the ground where he was laying.
'Now what? This dudes insanely powerful!'
(Summoning Available.)
'Summoning? I don't know how!'
Aisrin dodged once more, just as another means of light shot past his head.
'I don't have a choice!'
"Summon!" Aisrin shouted.
(How much mana would you like to offer?)
"All of it!" Aisrin exclaimed, as he attempted to dodge another beam, only to be hit by a second one in the leg. It burned immensely. Permeating throughout his body as if being devoured.
(Confirmed. Using all 367,893 Mana Power. Summoning lesser god.)
Aisrin felt his magic leave him as a large magic circle appeared below him. Within moments, someone appeared in front of him. He was a muscular man, wearing a toga and wielding a hammer. He had a beard as red as a forge fire with long unruly hair to match it. His face was horribly disfigured and he wore a bronze brace on his leg. The man looked at Aisrin with questions Aisrin knew he wouldn't be able to answer.
"And you are?" The man started with. His voice was gravelly and somewhat metallic.
"I go by Sin, I'll answer whatever questions you have, at a later time. Right now, I'm more concerned with surviving." Aisrin cut to the point. The man grunted and turned towards Iwata, who had a mixture of disbelief and surprise on face.
"You want me, the Great Hephaestus, to fight this puny mortal? I get summoned for the first time... ever, and this is my first battle? How utterly pathetic." Hephaestus grumbled in irritation. The man reached into, what Aisrin assumed was a void storage, and pulled out a small bronze figure.
"This'll do." Hephaestus tossed the figurine, which quickly grew into a giant bull like creature, steam and fire spitting out from its joints.
"Hephaestus? As in the Greek god of Fire?" Iwata questioned.
"Fire, Forge, Father of Technology, The stonemason god. God of Volcanoes. Yeah, that's me. You can also call me Vulcan." Hephaestus replied casually. The bronze bull had begun its assault on Iwata, who quickly realized he was outmatched.
Iwata looked at Aisrin one last time, smiled in an unnerving manor before he then vanished, as he too retreated.
"Return." Hephaestus(Vulcan) called to the bronze bull. The bull flew through the air as it shrank and returned to Hephaestus.
"Now then, boy. Can you... ah." Hephaestus had turned back to Aisrin, but he had long passed out from mana exhaustion.
"Used up a you had to Summon me huh? Hmm. I'll leave the contracting for later. I think I'll explore this world a bit, I want to know their techniques." Hephaestus picked Ausrin up and tossed him over his shoulder as he began walking out of the crater. His emergence from the crater surprised the soldiers and Adventurers who were running to help Aisrin.
"No need to worry. He's just exhausted. Now, where's the nearest blacksmith?" Hephaestus smiled.
*Three weeks Later, Bloodrend Palace*
Iwata knelt before Princess Miriam. Her face was seething with uncontrolled rage.
"You were thwarted by a child in a mask and a disfigured, crippled, old man? You lost over six hundred men trying to siege one city, and to five people! Five measly Adventurers! Mere peasants! Yet you dare tell me that it was a satisfying battle?" Miriam yelled.
"Yes." Iwata confirmed.
"Tch! And, what of the Faux Hero?" Miriam clicked her tongue and changed subjects.
"I believe Aisrin is in the city. He didn't show up in the battle, of course." Iwata responded.
"What about the masked kid? Couldn't he have been Aisrin?" Miriam questioned Iwata.
"No chance. The Faux Hero uses dark magics. This kid used mostly elemental magic. There's also the difference in age. Aisrin should be in his mid twenties, this kid was no more than sixteen or seventeen." Iwata reported.
"Hmm. Sixteen with such unfathomable power, that closely rivaled you. So young. I want him..." Miriam's habit of lusting after powerful people began to show.
"I can capture him for you, Miriam-Sama, but I'll need a larger force." Iwata offered.
"How many? How soon?" Miriam asked.
"Twenty thousand. Three months." Iwata answered firmly.
"Twenty-five thousand, six months. Can't be too hasty. This defeat must be removed from our history. I want it expunged. All who know, or were present must be silenced. News shall not spread. See to it. I have other matters to attend to. Mina, there's rumors of a rebellious group loyal to the Faux Hero, they call themselves, 'The Army of the Half Breed King'. Infiltrate and exterminate them please. They're a stain in my kingdom." Miriam turned to a red mask standing by for the latter part of her conversation.
"With haste your majesty." Mina clasped her fist to her chest and bowed before leaving the room.
"Good, so he is in Fargo!" Mina mumbled excitedly as soon as she was out of sight.