We made it to the summit after three days of travel. I used my magic to provide everyone with equipment that protected us from the cold environment of the summit.
"The Tomb is only maybe three hours from here. I actually wonder what the weapon could be that the first Emperor wielded. It's used as the key for the cove I believe. Speaking of Legendary Weapons...Rosenea do you still have your Legendary Weapon?" Ignatius asked as he walked along side Flaire and Rosenea.
"I do but I promised Titania I would never use it...The weapon is a curse..." Rosenea said.
"Curse?" Esta asked.
"Yeah...The weapon slowly turns the wielder into a Great Tree. It fuses with the wielder over time. That's what happened to Yggril. She turned into the Great Tree that resides beside the castle in Yggdrasil Woods." Rosenea said.
Gideon looked at Rosenea as he carried Pyria on his back. "Is there a way to reverse the curse or at least stop it?"
"No. There's no way to stop the curse at all or even reverse it." Rosenea answered.
"The Emperor, do you know anything about him?" I asked.
"Oh yeah, the First Emperor of Adristian was named Emperor Kulik. He was one of the strongest in the world in his time, you know before Shidao came with his destruction. He was actually said to have powers of a god. That's all I know about him." Ignatius said.
"The weapon he wielded is a sword." Aaron said as he stroked his beard.
"Eh? How do you know?" Ignatius asked.
"I'm over 50 years old. I witnessed the death of Kulik and I am the one who created the weapon he wielded." Aaron smiled. "I created two of the Six Legendary Weapons."
Aaron shocked everyone as he brought up the news of him blacksmithing the legendary weapon.
"Yep, the name is Prima Ignia or it's localized name being Ignelgia." Aaron said. "It was made from a special ore you can only find in the heart of the Ember Volcano, an ore that only forms once every other century. Only two swords have ever been formed using that ore. One being Ignelgia and the other bring King Avant's blade, Prima Helius or also known as Helimagna."
"Wow, what's the sword like?" Ignatius asked.
"It's a powerful blade that can immediately boost the wielder's spirits and overall combat abilities. The weapon itself is already a Tier 6-A weapon, imagine how stronger it would be at max awakening." Aaron said.
"What's the other weapon you created?" Freya asked.
"The Black Lance, Prima Nycto or known as Judecca. It started off as a weapon known for giving its opponents PTSD because it was just overwhelmingly powerful, but soon its first master went on a killing rampage, endowing the blade in dark energy and forces. Now the name has meaning...the blade is a nightmare to both the wielder and the target." Aaron answered.
"Huh. I wonder who wields the blade now." Gideon said.
"Who knows." Aaron shrugged.
We continued to traverse the summit and I noticed the ruined kingdom in the far distance.
A bullet was fired at us and the bullet hit the ground next to Takame. She froze and Ocula formed above her head. Ocula scanned the area and another bullet was fired. I pulled Takame to me and the bullet hit the ground again.
"Damn a sniper!" Skye said then summoned his sniper rifle.
"We're at the tomb and it seems like Icas's Army can't advance because they can't obtain the blade! This is a perfect chance to rush into the ruined castle and get Ignelgia!" Ignatius said.
I nodded and looked at everyone. "Let's all split up! Ignatius we should head straight to the castle!"
"Right!" Ignatius nodded.
We all ran ahead and split up into different groups. Ignatius and I headed straight to the ruined castle.
"Fire!" A general commanded.
Icas's gun units began to fire bullets at me and Ignatius. I awakened my Crest of Tranquility and began dodging the bullets with ease. Ignatius dodged the bullets the best he could. One bullet nearly hit him, but Flaire summoned a flame barrier around Ignatius before shooting a few of the artillery units with fireballs.
Phoenix fired a barrage of fireballs at the artillery units as well and killed a few of them. Flaire and Phoenix worked together to handle the units.
"Send in the big cannons!" The general yelled.
Two cannon users took aim at us then fired massive beams at us. I awakened my Crest of Absence and summoned voids to absorb the beams then opened another, sending their attack back. An explosion happened and the two units groaned in pain as they were hit.
The Sniper on the top of a tower tried to snipe me, but Skye used one of his own bullets to deflect the sniper's bullet. Esta appeared behind the Sniper and placed their head between the wooden part of the bow and string then used her Physical Augmentation technique to boost her power just enough to snap the sniper's neck.
"Holy shit...I didn't think she had it in her." Skye said as he watched through his sniper.
Gideon placed Pyria in a safe place then heard her grunt softly. He looked at her then noticed she was waking up. "You're still alive..?"
"Where...am I..?" She asked and looked at Gideon. She blinked and noticed the battle going on. "What..? What's going on..?"
"Stay here, I'll be back!" Gideon said then ran onto the battlefield.
Takame noticed a woman and dodged her attack then slid backwards. She switched into her battle mode then glared at the woman.
"Well well well...if it isn't the Octopus Breath. We meet again." The woman smirked.
"You...you're Lilac from the Exams! Why are you helping Icas?! He's not trustworthy!" Takame said.
"Neither is the Ragnarok, but you're helping him. Y'know, it's weird that you made it into top five but here I'll show you that none of that matters!" Lilac bellowed and dashed to Takame.
Takame dodged her attack then used her tentacle to smack Lilac away. Lilac dashed to Takame again and Takame used her tentacles to attack once again, but Lilac sliced them off. Takame grunted then another woman appeared in front of Takame and struck her with a lariat then sent her flying into a pillar.
Takame groaned and fell to the ground then coughed, holding her neck. She heard a ghostly laugh and her eyes widened.
"You realize...you can never truly rid of me correct?" The voice said in Takame's head.
"You..." Takame said then slowly stood up. "I don't need you...I haven't needed you since the day Shiryo got rid of you.."
"Yeah..? Well haven't you realized it by now that you may can get rid of the familiar, but you can't rid who you are...A Human Monster. An Extraterrestrial Human. Why don't you embrace your power..? Is it that you still...are too weak to awaken it?" The voice said.
"It's not that I'm too weak...it's that I'm scared." Takame said then looked up at Lilac and her friend. "Scared I might lose control and hurt someone I care about.."
"Why be afraid when you have Shiryo at your side..? Come on...use my power because I know you want to." The voice said then a humanoid woman who looked exactly like Takame appeared behind Takeme and her tentacles slowly wrapped around her body. "You don't have to deal with me anymore if you accept me. I'll give you all of my power and you can finally have freewill.."
Takame felt her tentacles then a soft wind blew and her eyes slowly turned orange. "Fine...but I am only doing this...so I can protect Shiryo." Takame's hair slowly turned white.
"Hey she's still up. I thought that lariat would've taken her out. Look at her, she's different now." Lilac's friend said.
"Really? It doesn't matter what color her hair or eyes are, the ending will always be the same!" Lilac smirked then dashed to Takame.
Lilac swung her sword at Takame multiple times, but couldn't hit her because Takame avoided every possible attack. Takame kicked Lilac away then he friend appeared in front of Takame, going for a kick but Takame blocked her kick with her arm. The woman looked surprised then groaned as she was sent flying from Takame's tentacle.
"I guess...it's my turn to attack isn't it..?" Takame said then smirked and her scleras turned black then she dashed ahead.
Lilac looked at Takame and looked surprised. Takame uppercut her chin and sent her flying in the air then used her tentacles to wrap around her legs then slammed her on the ground multiple times. Takame used her tentacles to swing Lilac around in a circle then threw her into the tower.
"Take this!" Lilac's friend bellowed and slashed at Takame's neck.
Takame used her tentacles to construct armor around her neck. Lilac's friend was now afraid of Takame. Takame looked at Lilac's friend then smirked. "It's too late to be afraid..."
"Wh-What the fuck are you?!" Lilac's friend as in fear.
Takame giggled softly then used one of her tentacles to impale her then raised her off the ground. "I'm something you'll never understand...After all, you won't live long enough to remember what I am.."
The other seven tentacles stabbed the woman and Takame slowly balled her hand into a fist, causing her tentacles to slowly drive into her body even more.
"Get away from my friend!" Lilac yelled.
Takame generated another tentacle and the tentacle wrapped around Lilac's neck. She rose Lilac off the ground and began to suffocate her as her other eight tentacles crushed her friend's insides.
"What the hell..?" Skye asked as he watched Takame.
"This is an entirely different woman..." Phoenix said.
This was Takame's true personality. This is the true her when she lets her inner demons win. She was a very sadistic woman who tortures her enemies and loves to torture anyone that gets in her way. She's a very bloodthirsty killer when she gets like this. Although she's very violent in battle, her split personality outside of battle is the Takame that's shy, gentle, sweet and the exact opposite of her sadistic side.
Takame absorbed every bit of Lilac's and her friend's life force, killing them. She dropped their bodies and her tentacles disappeared then she turned back to normal, closing her eyes. Using that power, awakened some repressed memories within her, but she noticed that she had self control now.
What makes Takame a dangerous person is that she has an ability called Absorption Empowerment. Every time she absorbs Life Force, half of the total life force she absorbs empowers her until she uses an ability that releases it into one massive blast, returning her stats back to normal. She can continue stacking her ability for as long as her body can withstand before she can no longer absorb life force. Essentially, Takame can become as strong as a Tier 4-A or higher just as long as her body can withstand that much energy.
Ignatius and I made it to the throne room where the tomb was. We noticed Alastor in front of the tomb and he chuckled.
"We always have a back up plan for these kinds of failures and I'm him. Just as I brought Pyria back to life...I can do the same with Kulik and bring him over to our side." Alastor said.
"That voice...you're the Deity of Souls aren't you?!" I yelled.
"Yes." Alastor said then turned to us. "I am Alastor, Deity of Souls! With my power...I can reincarnate anyone I please, resurrect anyone I please under the right conditions...I am unkillable because of my ability, Self-Resurrection! I can even create souls...no matter what as long as I'm alive, you can't win this war. You are only delaying the inevitable!"
"We will stop you. We may cannot kill you, but we can most certainly beat you." I said.
"Oh, then let's see...I will entertain you both until I feel bored." Alastor smirked.