In a vast realm of only water, two figures could be seen battling. It was a fight for survival. The old man seemed to be sweating due to his nervousness. Whatever calm facade he had previously was gone. There was no way to escape from someone's domain. Unless he canceled it out with his own, it was kill or be killed.
Aiden moved with quick steps, his spear dancing all the while. The calm sea would rise and fall with every swing. Sometimes it would rise up or sink. White hyper beams and blue water slashes flew in every direction. This battle had been going on for a while now.
"What a predicament." The old man muttered while catching his breath.
"As I said. Losing your life to the gentle element of water is your fate. It is inevitable." Aiden spoke as if it was fact.
His red eyes bore down unto the tired powerhouse. Without saying another word, the man vanished. He immediately appeared above the red eyed commander. Instead of one pistol, there were two. A bit of energy pulsed at the edges of the barrel.
ZZZZT
Two massive hyper beams of white light shot down from the guns. It was headed straight toward Aiden. The captain blinked out of the way, his arm arched back to throw his spear. An abyssal hole opened up in the ocean due to the colossal beams.
Aiden's arm blurred. It was impossible to see him throw the spear. It had launched from his hand so fast, the air detonated with a sonic boom. Shu watched from the sidelines as the skinny black spear impaled the old man.
The force was so great that it sent him flying back. It didn't seem as if the momentum would stop anytime soon. As the Cardinal of Althana flew down toward the sea, his hands grasped the spear in his stomach. Blood spurted out of his mouth as he attempted to pull it out.
Unfortunately, it was not to be. Aiden appeared beside the weapon and channeled his mana into the spear. Mana blades instantly spouted from inside the wounds, destroying the man's organs.
Sudden weakness enveloped the man. He couldn't hold his pistols any longer. Aiden didn't stop the fall. They were coming in hot. The ocean only grew closer and closer.
BOOM SPLASH
Large waves jumped into the sky. It soaked the two fighters, washing away the Cardinal's blood. The battle was over. Aiden twisted his spear for good measure before pulling it out. The light slowly began to leave the man's eyes.
"To think I would lose my life to a mere…captain. A general! Hehe." He chuckled weakly.
"The commanders of Valsir are the highest powers of the nation. What did you expect? The Althana has been consumed by its arrogance." The red eyed commander mocked.
Shu slowly dragged his tired body over to the captain. His clothes were torn and blood covered his skin. There were several cuts all over his frame. Not only that. His mana core was almost sealed. It made it hard to perform even the most basic actions.
Aiden nodded upon seeing Shu. Cracks quickly appeared throughout the red sky. It was as if it would fall upon them. A few moments later, it shattered like glass. The night sky of Zariel could be seen beyond it. They'd returned to the real world.
Both members of Silent Night heaved a sigh of relief. It always felt good to be done with an operation. A large crater was still present nearby, due to Corinne's previous entrance. Cailu's mangled corpse hadn't moved in the slightest.
Shu gazed down at the dying old man. Those pistols seemed pretty interesting. It wouldn't hurt to try them out. The sleepy man snatched them up and placed them in his storage. A frown was the only thing the man could release, seeing that his weapons of choice had been taken.
"Even the sword demon couldn't be taken out. Corinne has also failed…what a blunder."
"...Why did she work for the Althana? How did she become a Cardinal?" Shu questioned.
"Heh. Why would I tell you that? Young man, you should…you should keep your nose out of our business." He croaked.
His life force was fading. He would be dead in a couple seconds. It seemed as if the man wanted to say one more thing. His eyes turned to Aiden.
"Know the name of the man you killed. I am known as Eclair-"
SLASH
The red eyed commander's spear sliced off his head. It rolled a few feet before falling into the crater. Aiden clicked his tongue.
"We don't care."
Now that everything was settled, Shu went to sit and lean against a tree. It would be wise to start unsealing his mana core. Just by looking at it, he could tell that it would take some time. His eyes closed as he entered a meditative state.
Time passed as the two focused on themselves. Nothing else needed to be said at the moment. Their mission was complete, and all that was left was to return to the king. Eventually, quick footsteps could be heard.
Greenish blonde hair burst into the clearing. It was Gwyn. A look of anger and frustration could be seen on her face. The first thing she noticed was the crater. Cailu's corpse and another head laid there silently. Next was Aiden. The man was staring off into space.
Finally, she locked on to Shu. His clothes looked like rags at this point. Not caring about his state, she stomped over to him. Her hands were placed on her hips.
"Hey, you! What the hell was that?! Leaving me back there! You bastard!" She exclaimed.
Shu didn't hear her, too focused on his mana core. A vein appeared on her forehead seeing his lack of response. Her foot hurdled toward his face. Right before it connected, Shu's head leaned back.
The lazy swordmaster's eyes fluttered open, and his hand grabbed her leg. He then pulled with force. Gwyn immediately lost her balance and fell onto his lap.
"Uwah!" She yelped from the quick change.
"...Can I help you?" Shu spoke with a raised eyebrow. Gwyn's shocked expression turned back to its angry one.
"You left me by myself! Do you know how many people I had to kill just to make it here?! Heartless bastard!" She exclaimed. By now, Aiden was watching with boredom.
"I thought we agreed that I won't be watching over you?" The samurai responded with a slight smile. His mana breather was nowhere to be found.
Hearing his words, she froze. It was as if she finally remembered. Still, it wasn't enough to calm her anger. They had come up with a plan after all. She immediately jumped out of his lap and pointed at him.
"You…nnnnnnnnngh! Fine. Remember this." She finally said. Her impression of him had now dropped by several levels. Shu heaved a sigh.
"Alright, alright. Don't be angry anymore. What should I do to make up for it?" He asked.
It was only now that she realized how nice he was being. Earlier, he'd been as cold as ice. She couldn't understand why his lazy but kind persona had returned.
"Did you finish your mission?" She asked, ignoring his question.
"Yes, the trash has been cleaned."
"Is that why you're being nice again?"
"Huh?"
"What do you mean 'huh', you idiot. You can't comprehend your own actions?"
"...I don't know what you mean. Are you not mad anymore?" Shu pretended to be clueless. Aiden watched this interaction with annoyance.
'Shu's existence is the bane of all women. The strongest enemy that he's ever fought today almost killed him, and it's a woman. This gigolo is making me sick.' The captain thought.
"Oh I'm definitely still mad." Gwyn exclaimed.
"...State your demand. It doesn't matter what it is." Shu spoke while resting his chin in his hand. It was as if he wasn't covered in blood and tattered rags.
"My demand, huh. Hmmmm."
Gwyn thought to herself while checking her surroundings. She looked toward the crater, then at Aiden, who was shaking his head. Her hands rested on both hilts of her swords.The elf maiden looked at herself, realizing that she was coated in blood and dirt.
'I need a shower.' She thought.
She then realized that Shu was also covered in blood. Suddenly, a quick image appeared in her head. A grin appeared once she understood just how powerful this free demand was. She eventually crouched down beside his ear. Her hands covered her mouth in order to make sure nobody else heard.
"Here's what you will do for me…"
…
…
…
A few weeks had passed, and it was time to return to Valsir. Solomon had cleared the way with his arrival. This allowed Lux to rule as he wished, along with the Mother Tree's assistance. Relations with the elven kingdom and Valsir would remain friendly in the coming years.
King Solomon's carriage could be seen exiting the nation. Shu was sitting on top as usual. Standing at the exit was a host of soldiers, along with Lux, the Godking of nature. Gwynneth Virre, the wind maiden, was also there. A sly grin could be seen on her face.
Shu sighed as they soon left the kingdom behind. They would have to cross the Vadim Death Gorge once more on their return. As the minutes flew by, Aiden stuck his head out of the window.
"Oi, newbie." He called out.
"Mmm?" Shu looked over to see what he wanted.
"Are you going to tell us what she did to you?"
King Solomon's interest peaked upon hearing the question. His entire train of thought derailed as he zeroed in, waiting for Shu's answer. He couldn't help but gulp. Aiden had the same feelings deep inside. The two older men wanted to live their lives through the young man. What was it that happened?
Shu raised an eyebrow at the question. He took a deep breath, and gave his captain an ultra serious look. It was as if his next words would be incredible. Aiden felt his throat dry up. The lazy samurai finally opened his mouth to speak.
"No."