[ 12th Floor ]
"( The battle was too destructive thus far...! )" Flolial says as she sees Adrian and Ignis give them all to outdo each other.
" [Burn Bastard, Burn]! " Ignis use his usual attack move, basically just spray every fire he had in him into the environment area around him.
" That's why I hate people like you, Ignis... " Adrian says as he then uses his hands' ability (his transformed hand, gained from his Great Ocean Guild's Shark Members).
[ Gift: Vortex Vacuum ]
[ Using the power of wind, vacuum all of the bendable elements inside the center of the conjured vortex. ]
Using the great vacuum, Adrian absorbed all of the fire inside his very hands.
"( Dammit, it burns from inside... )"
"( So this is the power of the Balrog, huh? )" he asks himself, as he can see that it seems he's not used to the ability which he then decides to stop the very skill and transformed his hand, manifesting another Gift he obtained from his other Shark's men.
[ Gift Switch ]
[ Gift: Kabuto Blade ]
[ A transformed Hand Blade, turning the whole hand into a katana-like blade that could cut enemies with ease. ]
"( Thank goodness, I've been with Raiden for a long time. )" Adrian says to himself.
"( Because of that, I could at least just follow him on how to fight using the hand-implanted weapons, like his [Hand Scythe]. )" Adrian says.
"( But still, where is he? is he dead? )"
"( It can't be... )" Adrian wonder while Ignis attacked him which he countered by slashing him back, parrying all of his bursting attacks as the blade cuts it.
" Gyahahahaha...!!! "
" Oops, the blade is going to melt, sorry! " Ignis says, being playful like he always does (seriously does he even go serious once in his life).
While fighting with Ignis, Adrian can't stop thinking about Raiden whom he hasn't heard from for a long time during these times inside the Abyss Tower.
"( Did Raiden get killed by this burning brute? or... )" Adrian looked at Ignis and realized that he must be wrong to assume a guy like Ignis to be the one who killed his friend.
"( No, it can't be..., if the two fight then their elemental abilities would've even exploded half-section of the Tower. )"
"( But the Tower is still intact, no hard explosion whatsoever just some burns from Ignis... )"
"( If he wasn't the one who killed him, then where is Rai...- )"
" Oh, it can't be...? " Adrian then kicks Ignis and then gives me a [Long Range Kabuto Slash] as he gives himself some distance.
After making it, Adrian remembers that Ignis is not the only one he should fear inside this Tower from the non-his-follower faction.
"( Did Rai killed by the Battle Maiden, or... )" Adrian says, remembering something, some information he gained.
"( Is it, her...? )"
"( The newbie Divine Avatar...? )" Adrian thinks while deciding to shift his gifts again.
"( I don't know why but it seems I can only assume that he's still alive or probably get killed among the task I gave him, to execute those who oppose me in this Tower. )"
"( Besides... )"
"( I think it is better for him not around me right now. )" Adrian says as he then shifts his gifts again and transformed his whole hand into a more monstrous form which shocks both Flolial and Ignis.
" What the hell is that, Waterson!? "
" Adrian is that...!? " Flolial asks, her sweat drolls so fast as she sees it.
" The fruit of my Labor... " Adrian says as he then summons a large tooth from the ground.
" It seems it's time for me to use this as I deserve. "
" For it has been some time for me to hold back the very urge of using this. " Adrian says as he then attacks Ignis harder with the new switched gift he had.
" My new 'Demonic Power'!!! " Adrian shouts while releasing it.
.....
( Meanwhile. )
[ 6th Floor. ]
" What did you just say? Adrian Waterson is actually the current Leader of the Vulture Guild!? " Aphrodite asks Raiden about it which made her shocked.
" Yes, I thought you guys already knew it, so... "
" After all, after hustling ourselves to gain power within the Association, in two years we managed to recruit strong people into our cause, which... "
" But still, that doesn't make sense, wasn't the Vulture Guild leader... " Aphrodite replied.
" The Vulture Guild leader you publicly knew was dead, the ones you saw on TV, the ones your Inquisitors had captured is just the double we created to deceive the public. "
" The real leader was killed by both Adrian and me in a perfect way, hence you won't know it unless both or one of us bluntly revealed that to you. "
" With that said, after we killed the real leader, Adrian and I then make Randall, 'Ripper Jack', my cousin our Vice since we still need him for his intel regarding the [Arch-Deviant Fruit]. "
" But still, things didn't go so smoothly, until... " Raiden looks at the Battle Maiden.
" Another member joined our cause. "
" Adrian's cause. "
...
(Years Ago.)
*Door opened.*
" Adrian, you're f*king late! huh! " I was shocked to see Adrian coming with another person to our private room, which shocked both me and cousin Randall at that time.
" Adrian, WTF!!! " we yelled as we see the woman behind him as he let her in, the reason we shout is that our private meeting room is meant for us who had the same goal at the time, no outsiders or other guild members that know about this room for we rarely revealed it to people and try our best to make that room non-existent in our Guild's building.
But this time, I was so shocked that Adrian suddenly break the rules we agreed on regarding this, I knew that something must be wrong with him for letting another person into this room of ours, for he was the one who created this very particular rule.
" Adrian, who is she!!!? why is she!!!? "
" I know, I know, it's my fault for not telling you all of the sudden. "
" But the woman behind me is my acquaintance I had the best interest with without you knowing and I must say, she is legit to our cause. "
" To gain more power, to break free from our sins... " Adrian says it to us which made us shocked as he then asks the woman to open her hood, showing her yellow hair, with some green color around the tip of her long hair.
" Hello there, Adrian Waterson's comrades. "
" I know you must be shocked to see me here and I'm sorry if Waterson didn't tell a thing about his relationship with me to you all his trusted accomplice. " she looks at Adrian for a bit which made him smirk.
" But have no fear, for I also have the same cause as yours. "
" Really though!? "
" Are you sure!? "
" I mean, just who the bloody hell are you then!? " Randall asks the woman.
" Well if you wondered so badly about it then... "
" Let me introduce myself, my name's Flolial Flora. "
" And I'm here on behalf of the organization that helps your guild's funding through our very relationship with Waterson here. "
" The organization that also wants to find the [Arch-Deviant Fruit]. "
" [The Dark Brotherhood Sect]. " Flolial says which makes us widen our eyes, for we who had experienced the underworld society had already heard that organization before.
Hearing that, our eyes looked at Adrian as he just smirks at all of us, making us wonder if he still have his sanity left inside of him at the moment...
.....
Raiden tells all about it, which shocks the three women there, their eyes and mouths are wide open, swallowing such a fact come out from him.
" You're lying... " Battle Maiden says, still in disbelief.
" Flolial is part of... " the Maiden's heart was shaken, her heart is being stabbed by the facts she couldn't heal with even if she had to lie upon herself at this moment.
" It can't be! "
" I know that is shocking to you, Maiden. "
" Having your related flesh and blood be part of the darkness you swear to destroy. " Raiden says to the Battle Maiden just that.
" Well, it is what it is, in this world no matter how related you are to another person... "
" In the end, what matters is that person's true allegiance. "
" The allegiance they will keep 'till the end of their lives, for they were bounded by it. " Raiden says, which made the Battle Maiden's heart broken even more as the truth comes to her, the truth about her cousin she knows since they were a child.
As they were talking, a large explosion happened, and the boulder near them was destroyed.
" What is...? "
" It's the brat, Kara... " Raiden tells her.
" He's finally achieving something after doing something for many hours, days even... " Raiden says as he sees Ragna from afar.
" As we waste our time, making me explain all of the things while we just can train ourselves and kill Adrian on the top Tower's Floor afterward. "
" Besides regarding this story, the thing is, you know Adrian is something different from us, something more hence his slippery and unknown nature. "
" Even to me, I still can't grasp all of his actions, I only followed where he goes, wherever the flow of fate he goes since it really rewards me every time I followed him. " Raiden explains as he then tells the girls that the further story can wait until it's time for them to just return to prepare themselves.
As Raiden says, on the other hand, Ragna still continues his training despite obtaining some rewards after mastering the [Gunshot Steps].
...
< Quest: [ Learn the 'Gunshot Steps' Part I ] -- (Completed) >
< Rewards:
< 1) 69.000 EXP >
< 2) [Martial Arts Skill: Gunshot Steps]>
< -- Now available in [Skill Menu]. -- >
< 3) Ki Pill (X10) >
< 4) Reward Box [Legendary] (X1) >
...
" It seems easier now... " Ragna says.
" Good, you get your grasp...! " Galen tells him.
" But still, you need to continue to get used to the form before I teach you more. "
" Now continue!!! "
< Martial Arts Skill: Gunshot Steps >