Recap;
"About damned time. Was getting sick waiting." Arthur sneered as he left the space.
Arthur POV
I was debriefing the new council composed of representatives of both the continents over the new means of transportation. In the previous timeline I was taken to a separate realm by Azreal after almost getting killed by Agrona.
The tree is the key source which fuels the relictombs. It worked like a factory which could manufacture its own aether. This, further supplemented by the ambient aether, helped the relictombs act as a fortress against the Asuras from gaining further insights. If they had gained access to it, the world would be nothing more than cinders.
Hence the tree was what was actually holding and preserving all lesser lives from perishing. I turned my attention towards the council who were now admiring the portals that connected every major city of both continents with each other.
Suddenly I felt discomfort and panic from my bond with Regis as well as Sylvie. She seemed to be making her way to where I was at breakneck speeds.
I expanded my senses as I felt everything around me. The slight giggles of women, men discussing the merits it will bring in business, the wind around us, mana disruptions around the lances. Around Cecilia and Nico to be exact who were sensing the same thing as Regis did.
I looked towards Regis who was holding Aya's hand as he stood Infront of her. He gave me a knowing nod as I spoke with my voice backed up with mana,
"No one will leave this place for a while. Cecil take care of things here and don't let anyone out. Regis, get Caera."
My mind raced towards her as panic filled my entire being. But seeing as Regis was already gone, with destruction flames dancing on his fingertips I breathed a sigh of relief.
I heard multiple grunts of frustration as to why I was going to keep them here, but that was the least of my worries. I left them all there as I stepped inside the cavity of Yggdrasil, and returned to the huge hall where the entrance to Yggdrasil lays.
Using godstep I teleported to where the source of my discomfort was. I saw four men staring down at me as they hovered above me.
The first one had a sculpted face with platinum blond hair on top of it, neatly swept to the side. His deep-set galaxy eyes almost touched his brows, which appeared to be permanently furrowed. He was wearing the usual military uniform.
The second one was another face I recognised too well. A man who seemed well past his prime but despite his age, he stood, poised, with his hands elegantly placed behind his straight back. Both of his eyes were closed, bringing further emphasis on a third, unblinking eye in his forehead that glowed a radiant purple.
The third one wasn't in its humanoid form as it towered behind them. It was almost red in colour, with multiple heads. His body seemed somewhat serpentine in shape, possibly with strong legs, powerful claws on each. Scales so strong no mortal weapon could wound him. His eyes gleamed with an intense, powerful red aura.
A Leviathan.
I looked at the last figure as I immediately recognised him.It was the only one who I deemed as a good mentor, Kordri.
Windsom came forward as he spoke "Arthur Leywin, due to your commendable action against the Vritra, defeating and killing them, our lord sends his honest praise."
I decided to play along, "You're very welcome. I would've done it anyway."
Windsom started at me for a moment and then started speaking again,
"However our lord never mentioned the unification of the two continents. Since you've acted on your own, by the order of our Lord, he demands your presence. And all of the tech you've introduced will be confiscated."
He said as he gestured for the leviathan to take me while Aldir and the others moved past me.
"I don't remember inviting you all here."
All of them looked at me with a scowl on their face while Kordri had an excited face, likely in the anticipation of a battle. It was so clear a child could see through it.
"Do you think I don't notice your kin some miles away as backup? Let me say it again, Windsom" I said, infusing mana in my words and letting my bloodlust supplemented by aether let loose like a mad dog.
"You are not welcome here, nor is Kezzes or any other asura."
The sky rumbled as visible cracks appeared in the space around me. The leviathan dashed towards me hurling its huge tail towards me, but the other second a purple blur appeared severing his tail from the base.
"Woah, looks like I made it in time." Regis said with a smirk as he saw the leviathan in pain, flames of destruction already eating him away.
Aldir's closed eyes opened as he saw the flames devour the huge creature in a matter of seconds, his echoing shallows screams the only proof that he was here a moment ago.
Aldir reached for the strings attached to his weapon as he summoned his cherished weapon, Silverlight.
"Stand down Aldir." Kordri commanded as he came to a halt. Aldir looked back visibly confused as much as Windsom. Kordri shook his head as Windsom understood what he meant and all of them withdrew.
"Leywin. You do understand what you just did was a clear indication of betrayal of our alliance. Expect no mercy. You and your family shall be….."
Blood pounded in my heart as I heard him take my family's name. Letting the aether out of my pores I let the aetheric intent loose on Windsom. His eyes narrowed as he looked at me with his brows furrowed. He tried to activate the teleportation relic powered by aether.
I smirked as I dispelled the aether fueling the relic. His eyes widened at it.
"I don't remember allowing you to leave just like that when you dared to bring my family in the midst of it."
I said as I burst stepped towards Windsom in an instant arriving in front of him, an aetheric blade cutting through space as I swung at him. Just as it was about to make contact, Aldir's mana signature disappeared and he reappeared in between Windsom and me, Silverlight blocking my sword. His weapon quivered at the collision as a deep crack ran along it.
"Stay away Aldir, you know exactly how Kezzes doesn't care about your loyalty." I said but Aldir side stepped as Windsom blasted a sphere of pure mana at me. I ducked as I stepped back, then the next moment I conjured multiple ice javelins above their heads and made it rain over them.
They ducked with lightning quick movement. A few javelins caught Windsom. While he was a dragon he spent most of his time overlooking the continents. He paled to a great extent when compared to Kordri and Aldir.
Both of them ducked the javelins without much effort. Kordri used mirage walk as his mana signature blinked a few times and reappeared in different spots. His speed was so fast that it created after-images.
He appeared behind me as he tried to deliver a jab. I stepped to the side and caught his arm, and used the same throwing technique he had used on me so many times in the previous timeline.
Just as I threw him away, Aldir appeared, silverlight in his hand as he threw a quick stab at me. Just as I thought it'll pierce me another aetheric sword appeared behind me as it blocked his weapon.
"Get your wits together. Get the four-arms here, I'll handle the lackey." Regis said as he kicked Aldir and moved towards Windsom who was ready to fire another blast of pure mana.
Kordri regained his footing as he looked at me with a smirk.
"You've grown so much, Leywin. If only you were born an asura."
He said as he descended. He extended his back leg as he brought his clenched right hand in front of him and his left hand balled in the back. His eyes narrowed in concentration as mana fluctuated around him. Aldir got into a different stance, as he stood with his back a little bent. He placed one hand over the blunt side of his blade, as he used his dominant hand to grip it tightly. All of his three eyes were now opened as he stared at me.
Kordri's mana skyrocketed as an extra pair of hands emerged from his sides and his hazel eyes started to have a tinge of purple in them.
"Let's have a fight to the death, Leywin." He said his voice tinged with excitement.
"Sorry but I have no intention of killing you." I said knowing well that both of them were against Kezzes' methods of ruling and his methods.
His eyes narrowed but shrugged it. He got his body into a lower stance. The mere sight of the stance sent a shiver down my spine. The stance was immaculate with almost no openings. Aldir got into a lower stance as well.
Kordri leapt first as he used mirage walk and Aldir followed suit. Kordri delivered a punch straight at my face as Aldir sneaked behind me, thrusting Silverlight straight at my spine.
Dread overcame me as I saw no way to get out of it. Aldir had already prepared a spell alongside the physical attack. There was no getting out of it.
"No other way around it then. Damn, I hate revealing my cards so soon." I muttered as syphoned aether from my core towards my godrune.
Looking for strands of aether I picked up the nearest one outside of the range of the spell and bent it. Just as they were about to make contact, I felt myself practically teleport as I got out of between them.
Aldir and Kordri stopped immediately as the tip of Aldir's weapon pierced Kordri's fist, resulting in a trickle of blood. The strand that I bent sent me straight to Aldir's back, but he soon jerked back, an indication of how monstrous his reflexes were as he stabbed his weapon in my sternum.
Or that was what he thought. I had already picked up another strand as I bliped to his back and launched a punch to his spine. His body jerked at the sudden punch immobilising him as his body went limp. I bent my body at an impossible angle as I spun in the air and delivered a kick at the back of his head . As soon as my kick connected, Kordri's punch landed square in my face.
I was sent flying but soon regained my balance as I dug my feet in the ground, making a huge crevice.
Aldir limped as he stood up and Kordri descended in his true form gracefully.
"How did you teleport?" Kordri asked but not as an order but with the seal of a warrior who wanted nothing but to improve himself.
"Should I tell you?" I asked.
"Not that I'm reminding you, but after all I taught you, can't you cut your ex-mentor some slack? If you were born asura, I would've been dead by now." He said with sincerity.
*boom*
I looked back at the explosion. I saw Windsom's unconscious body fall to the ground. Regis descended with a few scratches here and there, but other than that he was well. He gave me a thumbs up as he restrained Windsom using a relic.
"I have no intention of killing or even fighting you" I said as the aether around me fluctuated "But if things have come to it, I won't hesitate to kill those who threaten my family"
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(A/n Phew. Well that's all. See ya all next time. Happy reading and stay blessed. )
(E/N Vote if Whooper should go bald so I can shine his head)
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Whooper signing out.
Sayonara