A few days later, Vakra wanted to do a test on our powers. Sadly, the Emperor had decided that effective immediately, Isabella was to report to him and Jarbold...
Currently, I stood outside in a field that was empty all around for miles. Instead of my old clothes and regulation military attire, I was wearing a combat suit made by Elysium.
It was navy-blue with black armored plates. Leiso had a hand in making the metal for this particular suit.
It displayed the heart device on my chest and emitted a soft glow.
"Vakra...if that little shit continues to try and keep Isabella away from me..."
"I know, I know. Every day I find myself less likely to stop you... The world is in grave danger and all he cares about is looking at the pretty girl. He is far too naive..." Vakra said.
"I'm personally against killing children, but I've done it before. Besides, Cassandra can make someone else kill him. They'll take the fall," I said.
"I might take you up on that offer. Although there are no other heirs to the throne right now. Jarbold would likely-"
"He dies too. Someone else can have the throne," I said.
"I can tell by the energy and pressure surrounding you that I couldn't stop you even if I tried."
At that point, I had an idea.
I would show them all my power.
Once they knew I couldn't be stopped, then I would do as I pleased. With that, we would be able to fight the Corruption.
The plan was flawless.
I felt invincible with this new power.
"Now then...let's run a few tests. I want to see how much power you can unleash," Vakra said.
"Did I tell you that I made a spell to completely annihilate an entire port back on Ignitus? It drained the hell out of me, but it killed over twelve million people," I said.
Vakra simply stared for a moment.
"Cast it. I want to know if it's easier to use and if it drains you as much. Let's start there," Vakra said.
"Is there anyone nearby?" I asked.
"There shouldn't be. Not for many miles. This place is a wasteland that we use for weapons testing. It's a restricted area."
"Understood."
I turned around and began channeling the spell.
The first thing I noticed, was that I had all of the energy I needed within a few seconds of channeling...
And that I could make it even stronger if I wanted...
I decided not to.
If I could destroy a world by siphoning Animus Energy from it, I didn't want to try blasting it straight to its core.
Regardless, I prepared to unleash the spell.
"ETHER STRIKE!!!" I shouted.
At the same time, I used some of the extra ether that I had to form a barrier... It might not have been as effective as Isabella's barriers, but it was something...
The spell shot down from the sky on the distance, and suddenly, Vakra's eyes went wide.
"WHAT IS THAT!? A NUCLEAR MAGIC SPELL!?" He shouted.
Then it impacted and exploded.
The explosion sent a reverberating shockwave of pure magic power that completely obliterated the landscape.
The barrier I made shattered and Vakra teleported away.
I was completely unaffected by the blast of my own magic and even absorbed some of it back in.
A few minutes later, once everything had calmed down, I still felt fine. It was like only a tiny amount of power had been used from my energy stores.
Then Vakra reappeared next to me.
"I've actually done it... I created a monster... I really am a menace to all of creation, aren't I? Just like the gods said... And there are two of you, now... I hope the gods don't curse me again for this..."
"You've done me a great service by helping me out with this problem. The gods will have to get through me, first," I said.
"Who will have to get through you?" A familiar voice said behind me.
I turned and saw Iris standing there with a surprised look on her face.
"Iris...?" I said.
"Speaking of gods... What do you want with me, divine being!?" Vakra said angrily.
He readied himself for battle.
Iris simply looked curiously at him.
"Who...or what are you...? It's like there are thousands of different versions of the same person...all compressed into a single form..." Iris said.
"I am from a paradox cluster. And it is as you say. My name is Vakra. Formerly Doctor Vals Kranel, an interdimensional researcher."
"Ooooh. One of those? That sucks... Well...I'm here for him, not you. So don't worry. Now, Mizik...what the hell happened to you? Didn't I say not to end the world?" She asked.
"It was just an ether strike. Only for testing..." I said.
"Ether Strike is a magic nuke. You don't use something like that for a simple test. And the gods of this world are harassing me for it. They're starting to fear you," she said.
"Good. I don't know if I could actually kill a god at this point, but at some point, I'd like to try. Unfortunately, Novak is dead and I don't know where the Avernian gods are..." I said.
"Well, if any of them try to impede your progress, I won't stop you... But what is that thing on your chest?" Iris said.
"The Heart of the World."
"You...used a legendary heart stone...?"
"Yeah. And it almost killed me. But now, I'm much stronger as a result of Vakra's hard work," I said.
Iris turned to Vakra and bowed her head.
"Thank you for helping Mizik. You have no idea how important that is..." She said.
"Well, I expect him to kill this Corruption that has arrived in our world," Vakra said.
Iris looked confused...and somewhat worried.
"Wait...Corruption!?"
"The Corruption has arrived. With a false source known as Cain controlling it," I said.
"Supposedly, it was this Cain fellow that nearly caused Mizik to die. There was another man named Tyranus, but Isabella killed him and took his sword," Vakra said.
"So one of them was slain... Good. That is one step towards avenging our world. Mizik, I'm going to leave again. I trust that my Enforcers are being of assistance? Iris said.
I nodded.
"They're invaluable to our work," I said.
"Good. I'll leave them in your care. Try not to die, okay?" Iris said.
I nodded and she left.
After that, Vakra turned to me.
"That was the goddess of balance you mentioned, yes?" He said.
I nodded.
"Good. Then I will trust that she means us no harm. Now then, I want to see more of your power," he said.
"I'm at your service. But keep in mind, if the Emperor causes me any further issues..."
"That's fine. We'll figure it out, later," Vakra said.
* * *
I spent the next few hours testing my abilities and found some fairly interesting things.
First, although I couldn't use my light element, Blessing of the Creator could now function better.
I could use purified divine energy to attack again. Meaning I could destroy the Corruption.
Although, it wasn't as potent as it had been in the past... Despite this, I now had an effective weapon to fight.
Next, my Aspects had grown considerably.
The Archmage was now simpler to use and didn't strain me as much. Although I needed time to fully utilize its power. I would deal with that later.
The Warlord was also more responsive in its abilities and powers.
Lastly, I could now level up indefinitely thanks to the Heart of the World.
Vakra was glad we were on his side.
The Mad Admiral...one of the most powerful beings in this world, was telling us that he had no way to stop us if we fought against him.
My physical attacks could likely shatter the ground...maybe even destroy mountains.
And my magic could end the world.
And this was before Vengeance was taken into account.
The sword was linked to my soul and therefore now also connected to the Heart of the World. It had become much stronger as a result.
My sword strikes could obliterate everything around me.
I used flames of rage and found myself creating the same levels of explosive power that Difar had done back on Ignitus.
The best part, was that the device in my chest was still a prototype. I had much more room to grow.
Vakra couldn't stop himself from laughing as I obliterated the landscape with my power...and minimal effort.
I made a mental note to construct a skill to normalize my abilities when I wasn't in combat. That way, I wouldn't kill people by accident from standing too close to touching them too hard.
"We're going to war with Lokan soon. In a few days, Elysium will attack. You'll be the first one deployed," Vakra said.
"What are my orders?" I asked.
"Destroy everything. Leave nothing in the wake of your rampage. From this day forth, I'll give you a title like my own. You will now be known as: The Emerald Demon. I already spoke about it with the Emperor," Vakra said.
"I don't give a shit what that little bastard says. But fine. Call me whatever you want. If you want me to destroy that country, I will. But what about the world dragon?" I said.
"Leave the mountain intact. He needs to live, as he is a guardian of our world. Everything else can go," Vakra said.
"Isn't he trapped in there? I could at least make an exit for him."
"Not necessary. The back part of the cavern leading up to the surface is composed entirely out of magical ice. He can force it to open and close as he pleases. You have your orders "
"Consider it done."
"Also, you don't have to kill all of the civilians. Just the ones that try to fight back. Our soldiers will take care of them while you deal with Lokan's adventures and military."
After that, I continued practicing and getting used to the new power.
I came to a decision that using Vengeance might be...overkill on most things.
I would probably have Leiso make me a normal sword to use in regular situations. Or maybe figure out how to make one myself using magic...
Regardless, as I trained, I couldn't help but worry about Isabella...
* * *
Isabella couldn't stand the Emperor. It was honestly getting to the point where looking at him filled her with rage.
Cassandra was having 'Mizik withdrawals'. Constantly worrying and freaking out because he wasn't nearby.
"MIZIIIIIIK!!!! WHERE ARE YOU!? I MISS YOU, MY DARLING!!! UWAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"
"Cassandra...please stop... I miss him too, you know..."
"I NEED HIM!!! I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT HIM!!!"
"Ugh..."
"Hey, big sister Isabella, can I have a hug?" Emperor Alwen said.
"For the...tenth time in the past hour, your Majesty...?" Isabella said.
"Big sister Isabella gives the best hugs!" Emperor Alwen said.
Isabella reluctantly and gently hugged him. As she did, he leaned his head on her chest.
She immediately drew back and narrowed her eyes.
"Huh? What's wrong?" He asked.
"I don't like it when people touch my chest. I would rather you didn't try, your Majesty," Isabella said.
"But...I'm the Emperor! I can do whatever I want!"
"Absolutely not. I won't budge on this."
"I demand you hug me, big sister Isabella!" The Emperor said angrily.
Isabella simply nodded and pulled Bravery from her Inventory while it remained in its sheath.
She affixed it to her side and activated the aegis armor.
Now she was fully armored except for her head.
She walked over and hugged the Empror again.
"Ehhhh...I don't like this! Take the armor off!" He said.
"No. It is for your own safety. If the Corruption appears, I have to be ready to fight it. This is the best way," Isabella said.
"Fine...big sister Isabella is mean!"
"You little brat...I'm going to laugh when you die..."
"LET ME KILL HIM!!! NO ONE TOUCHES US EXCEPT MIZIK!!!"
"His Majesty seems...quite upset with your lack of cooperation, Lady Isabella..." Jarbold said as he entered the throne room.
A group of elite guards were following him and took up their normal position in the room.
Isabella noted that they were staring at her.
"Jarbold, I was assigned to do a job and I intend to do it. I have no patience for any of the activities either of you have planned. That wasn't part of the deal. Or have you forgotten my sister?"
"Yes...your terrifying sister..." Jarbold said.
"Wait! Big sister Isabella has a sister? Is she a bigger sister or a little sister? Is she my age? I want to know!" Emperor Alwen said.
"My sister isn't here right now. She's also completely insane and has violent tendencies. It's better if you never meet her, your Majesty."
"Oh...I could probably convince her not to hurt anyone. I'm good at that!"
"DIE!!! JUST DIE FOR ME!!! I HATE YOU, ALWEN!!! GIVE ME BACK MY DARLING MIZIK!!!"
"Umm...his Majesty should probably be careful with that..." Jarbold said.
"Of course! If Jarbold says to be careful, then I will. Thank you, Jarbold!" Emperor Alwen said.
"Y-yes...I am merely concerned for your safety..."
Isabella could tell that for once, he was speaking the truth.
She already spoke with Jarbold on her first day of guard duty. If Cassandra was forced to come out, she would kill Jarbold and possibly the Emperor without hesitation.
With the Heart of the Sky, no one would be able to stop her.
Their compliance at this point was thanks only to their gratitude towards Vakra for granting them this power and saving their lives.
In fact, if not for that very same gratitude, Isabella wouldn't have minded personally eliminating both Jarbold and Alwen.
And it would be especially difficult to kill Isabella due to her holding the aegis shield in her left hand. Blocking access to her heart.
She was an unstoppable wall...and unfortunately relegated to only guard duty.
She internally groaned as she knew that her life was already becoming an extreme annoyance...