"I think I found out what my Karma is,"
Ichijou smirked, a glint of mischief dancing in his eyes as he retorted, "Very well then. Since you are finally able to use your Karma... why don't we kept this going!" With a sudden burst of energy, Ichijou darted around me in a graceful circle, searching for the perfect opening to strike.
"Haha! This will be the best time to test out my Karma onto my other artifact!" I exclaimed, my gaze unwaveringly fixed on him.
"I won't go easy on you! Get ready!" He declared with determination.
Filled with anticipation, I eagerly responded, "Bring it on!"
After what felt like hours of unraveling the mysteries of my Karma, I finally discovered its name: 'Heroic.' With it, I could summon ancient heroes at will, based on the artifacts I wielded in battle.
Standing behind me was one of the seven heroes I could summon: Olympius the Knight, a stalwart figure armed with a sword and shield. He excelled in three distinct combat forms: close-quarters combat, offense, and defense. I could call upon him whenever I brandished a sword, a shield, or both simultaneously.
Ichijou, seizing the moment, attempted to exert control over my hero using his 'Leadership' Karma.
"Hear my command! Disperse!" he commanded, hoping to make my spectral ally vanish into thin air.
Little did he realize, his tactics were futile against me. My Heroic Karma embodied leadership itself, rendering two leaders unable to dominate one another.
"What- Why is he isn't dispersing?!" Ichijou exclaimed in shock.
Now, it was my turn to unleash an assault on Ichijou. With swift determination, I lunged towards him, swinging my sword with ferocious intent, despite the distance between us is far from being able to hit.
Though it may have appeared to be a reckless move, it was far from it. In an instant, Olympius mirrored my action, wielding his massive sword with equal force, sending Ichijou hurtling towards a nearby boulder with incredible momentum.
Without granting him a moment to collect his thoughts, I unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks upon Ichijou. My sword sliced through the air in a flurry of strikes, while Olympius faithfully replicated each movement, raining blows upon Ichijou until he found himself cornered.
"You've left me with no choice, Kiseki. Prepare to face my full power," Ichijou declared fiercely.
With a sudden cry, he unleashed his ultimate technique: "Massacre!"
A colossal explosion engulfed him, obliterating Olympius in a single devastating blast. What in the world had he just done?!
Surrounded by a sea of shattered fragments from his artifact, Ichijou stood amidst the chaos. Could it be that he commanded his sword to detonate? And if so, for what purpose?
The broken shards began to shift and transform, taking on the form of menacing blades. Initially hesitant, I soon realized the gravity of the situation as Ichijou raised his arm to the sky and uttered a chilling command,
"Arise, my soldiers, from your slumber, and heed my every order!"
The ground trembled violently beneath our feet as the earth cracked open, and a legion of shadow warriors emerged, each seizing the weapons fashioned from the shattered remnants provided by Ichijou.
"Give us... Order, Sire," intoned one of the shadow soldiers.
Now faced with an army, it seemed like an insurmountable challenge. How had Ichijou managed to summon such forces with his Karma? But I couldn't afford to dwell on that now. My focus had to be on finding a way to fend them off. And I knew just the equipment for the task at hand.
With a swift motion, I dismissed my sword and summoned my magic staff, beginning to chant an incantation. As I did so, another spectral hero materialized behind me, infused with the power of my Karma. This time, it was Hester the Great Wizard, an ancient heroine of Magica. Together, we chanted the spell, doubling its potency in an instant.
"Charge, my minions! Crush our adversary before us," commanded Ichijou, gesturing with the bladeless hilt of his sword.
"Not too fast!" I retorted.
As the shadow warriors advanced, I swiftly retreated, creating a significant gap between us. With the incantation complete, Hester and I unleashed our combined magical power without hesitation.
"Icey Claws!" Hester and I shouted,
A massive magical sigil materialized on the ground, followed by a barrage of jagged ice spikes erupting from its center, freezing anything they touched upon contact.
As the battle raged on, the numbers of the shadow army dwindled, their frozen bodies crumbling to ashes under the weight of their own momentum.
Yet, despite the diminishing forces, Ichijou remained undeterred, hurtling towards me with a ferocious close-range assault. He knew well the vulnerability I faced while wielding the staff. Unable to cast spells, I could only brace myself defensively.
"Let's see how skilled you are with that staff up close!" he taunted, launching into a double flying kick before driving his sword into the center of my staff with precision.
With a cry of "Devour!" Ichijou attempted to neutralize the magical integrity of my staff, rendering it useless for spellcasting.
"Hah! You think you can succeed by simply repeating your tactics?" I scoffed, though my confidence wavered as I glanced at my staff.
To my horror, I realized his target wasn't my Karma but the very essence of the artifact itself. His sword devoured the magical power within, leaving my staff drained and ineffectual.
Despite my efforts to pull it away, I found myself ensnared by an invisible force, unable to retrieve my staff. With no other choice, I relinquished it and prepared to face Ichijou empty-handed.
He seized the advantage, relentlessly slashing at me, each blow leaving its mark as blood trickled from numerous wounds. Though painful, none were fatal.
"Where is your ego now, Kiseki? Hahaha!" Ichijou jeered, his sword slicing through the air with deadly precision, each strike pushing me further into a corner.
Despite possessing more artifacts than him, I found myself unable to match Ichijou's expertise. It was clear he held a crucial advantage I had yet to acquire: experience.
In the end, he pressed his sword against my throat, declaring, "Training session over," before pushing me to the ground in a swift motion.
I couldn't help but feel frustrated at my inability to defeat him. Yet, I had to admit, he was simply superior in this arena. At least our objective had been achieved—I had finally grasped the art of controlling and channeling my Karma.
"It's getting late. We should head home," Ichijou suggested as he began packing his belongings into a bag.
"Mhm," I responded quietly.
"That was some sick Karma you have there, though. Heroic. Does that mean your personality as if a real-life hero? Hahahaha," he teased.
I shot back with a playful retort, "Why? You want to be my personal sidekick then? You know, Batman always need his Robin,"
"Not in a million years, dude. But seriously, think about it. Isn't it strange that you arrive two years later and possess a Karma called Heroic? I don't believe it's a coincidence," he mused.
"Woah- where did this sudden mister High Believer came from. A few days ago, you were skeptical about hope and chances. Now, look at you, all grown up to be wise. Pfft!" I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Haha, very funny." he replied sarcastically.
After packing our belongings, we set off down the road, embarking on our journey back home.
As we walked side by side, Ichijou suddenly posed a question that had been lingering in his mind.
"I've been wondering, let say, the day we embark on our journey is in a couple of days, right? Do you even know where to even start, though?"
"I haven't a clue. Haven't even gotten hold of a map of the Ender Human Continent," I admitted bluntly.
"What?! So, we're just going to wander aimlessly?!" he exclaimed incredulously.
"What's the big deal? Relax, Ichijou. We'll figure it out," I reassured him, though his disappointment was palpable.
He sighed at me as flat as possible, indicating he was disappointed by my lack of preparation.
"Don't worry. I've already found a trader in Fairdrift who sells maps. We'll sort it out," I assured him.
"Ah, just shut up." he muttered.
After a couple of hours, we finally arrived back at Ellisa's house. Ellisa and her father welcomed us warmly.
"Come quick, both of you! You must be starving! I cook a lot of delicious stuff to celebrate our upcoming adventure!" Ellisa exclaimed, ushering us to the dining table.
The table was laden with an array of delicious dishes, some made from luxurious ingredients.
"What are you waiting for, boys! Have a seat and dig right in! Hahahaha!" Han chuckled, giving us hearty pats on the back. Despite his initial reluctance about Ellisa joining our journey, he seemed genuinely happy now.
As we sat down to eat, surrounded by warmth and good company, I couldn't help but feel optimistic about the adventures that lay ahead.
As we reveled in the festivities, the joyous atmosphere was abruptly shattered by the ominous sound of distant trumpets. Han, Ichijou, and Ellisa's expressions morphed from mirth to fear as the sound reverberated through the house.
"What's with the long faces?" I began to inquire, but before I could finish, Han interjected urgently, "You need to leave this region now."
Confusion etched across my face as I asked, "What do you mean?"
"This place will be a warzone in a couple of hours, Kiseki. The Devil's army is here. They're coming for Fairdrift." Ichijou explained solemnly, shedding light on the grim reality.
"Wait- what?! I didn't know anything about the Devil going to attack Fairdrift?!" I exclaimed, stunned by the revelation.
"Pack your things and leave immediately!" Han commanded, his voice tinged with urgency.
"Dad, you're coming with us, right?" Ellisa implored, clutching onto Han's shoulders and searching his eyes for reassurance.
Han didn't reply to her question and just looked at Ellisa with a sorrowful look on his face.
"You're coming with us, right?!" Ellisa repeated her question,
Han's response was laden with sorrow as he hesitated before finally admitting, "I'd only slow you down if I came along."
"That's nonsense! You can't just stay here and wait for the Devil's army to kill you! Come with us!" Ellisa retorted bitterly, her frustration evident.
"I'm too old for this adventure, Ellisa. I've made my peace with it. I'll stay behind and buy you all some time to escape," Han replied, his tone firm yet tinged with resignation.
"But we don't have any map to navigate around!- I didn't have the chance to buy it before! And probably no more chances since Fairdrift is about to get obliterated!" I interjected, desperation lacing my words.
Han turned to me, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. Without a word, he strode over to a nearby cupboard and began rummaging through it. After a moment, he withdrew a map and handed it to me.
"Use this one," he said simply.
As I inspected the map, a peculiar sensation washed over me. Unlike any other map I had encountered, this one seemed to be in constant motion, depicting the Ender Human Continent much like the maps I had seen in the Market District. However, there was something distinctly magical about it.
Han noticed my curiosity and proceeded to enlighten me about the map he had provided.
"This is not the typical map you can find anywhere in any cities among the traders. This map is called, The Map of All-Knowing. It's a map that possessed magical essence that can show the exact location of the handler while giving the users an advantage to see what's around them in real-time. Meaning that this map is constantly up to date with this world."
"Woah... That's really useful! Thank you, Han." I expressed my gratitude sincerely.
The sound of the Devil's army drawing near interrupted our conversation, reminding us of the urgency of the situation.
"You don't have much time! Leave now!" Han urged, opening the front door to witness the number of monsters that were coming towards us,
"Dad, please! I can't leave you here! If you stay, then so will I!" Ellisa pleaded through tears, her desperation evident.
"No, Ellisa. Listen to me... You have a bright future ahead of you. Staying here or keeping you around will just waste the opportunity that you may have... Now you should go, please." Han implored, his voice heavy with emotion.
Ellisa remained obstinate, sinking to her knees and clutching desperately at Han's clothes, her cries echoing through the room. Despite Ichijou's attempts to pry her away, she refused to budge.
Observing the heartbreaking scene, Han exchanged a knowing glance with Ichijou before nodding silently. In a swift and decisive motion, Ichijou rendered Ellisa unconscious with a blow to the back of her neck.
"It's been a pleasure to spend time around you, Han," Ichijou remarked, gently lifting Ellisa into his arms.
Han offered a sorrowful smile in return, "Take care of Ellisa for me,"
"I will," he replied.
As we hurried away from Han's home, my heart heavy with worry for him, I couldn't bring myself to watch as he faced the approaching army alone. I prayed for his safety, hoping for the best possible outcome.
Ellisa remained unconscious in Ichijou's arms as we traveled, unaware of her father's brave stand against the enemy. I dreaded the moment she would awaken, knowing she would be devastated to learn that we had left her father behind.
Eventually, we found refuge within the dense cover of the woods, far from the city walls of Fairdrift. We decided to lay low and wait until the chaos of battle subsided. Looking up at the night sky, I saw it obscured by thick smoke billowing from the direction of Fairdrift, a grim reminder of the conflict raging on.
As exhaustion weighed heavily upon me and I prepared to rest, the voice of the Calling unexpectedly spoke to me.
"Dear Seekers of Truth, those who wish to uncover the mysteries of this world may begin their journey at the summit of Elmwick Mountain. There lies an ancient ruin that may hold the key to unlocking the secrets of Ruina."