Kai and Trixx made their way out of the Castle and onto the crowded city streets, heading back to the Inn. On the way, he told Trixx of the conversation he and Asura had before checking if they had enough healing potions provided by the Scholar for the coming battles the next day.
"So you're around 900 years old!? You barely look like you're in your early 30's!" Trixx was half right with that remark. Kai did in fact look like he was in his early 30's but, he was much, much older than that.
"That's the only thing that concerns you. Not the fact that I almost killed Asura or the revelation that my powers have a connection with The Cataclysm?" He sighed.
"I have my priorities straight. And no, not really. I could tell you were strong. I just didn't know the exact scale. Wait, that means- I was an idiot! You're one of the Twin Harbingers of the Apocalypse!!!" Trixx made another bizarre claim. But one which wasn't actually far from the truth.
There a brief period of silence as they kept on walking while Trixx kept looking at Kai as he seemed to not be declining that claim.
"You actually got it right." He finally spoke.
"I'm right!? You're fucking joking!" She has baffled.
"Let's get a drink. You'll need it." Kai patted her back and led them to a pub right beside the Inn they stayed at.
They headed over to a bar where Kai tried to answer Trixx's questions in a simple manner trying to not overwhelm her.
Trixx gulped down 3 whole bottles of a Blue Ramshaw Eel. A very well know drink for helping one calm their nerves and relax. Of course, too much of it will turn your skin slightly bluish and like most alcoholic beverages back on earth, drinking too much will turn you into an idiot.
Kai was about to speak before she raised her point finger making him remain silent. She turns back to the counter and gulps down her 9th bottle. By this point, most of the people in the Bar were terrified. Some slowly sneaked away towards the exit, others had their shots of painkillers ready. It seemed like this wasn't the first time this has happened.
Normally even a giant would have bounced around with enough energy to destroy half a city after 7 bottles. Yet here she was. A 6 foot 1-inch-tall woman, in a pub, gulping down 9 whole Bottles of pure Blue Ramshaw Eel. Kai couldn't help but feel amused at the level of discomfort and stress he had brought by simply just agreeing to her claim.
"PWA. This is a good drink. Alright back to what I just fucking heard. You're actually one of the Twin Harbingers of the Apocalypse?"
"Yes. I was." He replies
"Well shit hoody. I didn't think you were that old." Trixx snarks
"Speaking of, what exactly do u know about them and the events that transpired all those years ago?" He asks
"The king of fools was hailed as one of the two heroes who helped save the people of Diadere during the Cataclysm and they were both given the name "The Twin Harbingers of the Apocalypse". While Asura was named The Harbinger of Order for his strength in combat and capability to protect and maintain balance between the people he led, the second Harbinger was named "The Harbinger of Shadows" due to his reserved nature regarding keeping his name and purpose a hidden secret. He was just as powerful as The Harbinger of Order, but he did not seem to have any interest in being social nor displaying his power unnecessarily. But he was more than capable of going toe to toe against The Harbinger of Order." She took a few breaths before confirming one more time.
"You were The Harbinger of Shadow's, weren't you. The reason why I didn't believe it at first was because he had disappeared shortly after the cataclysm was stopped. That was centuries before I was even born." Trixx finished with one hand on her chest as exhaled loudly.
"You seem to know a lot about us and yes I am." Kai remarked.
"I grew up hearing tales about you two. Many believed you're dead you know. So did I."
She looked right at Kai.
"I didn't deserve that life, so I moved on. That's all there is to it." Kai answered, tipping the empty bottle until the last drop fell onto the ground and splattered into smaller droplets.
"I don't get it. Why did a hero like you end up slaug-" She pauses, looking around to see any eavesdroppers before leaning closer beside Kai.
"Why did you slaughter those innocent miners in cold blood? They had families you know." Trixx was genuinely curious.
"Cold blood?" He chuckled half-heartedly.
"Everyone knows about it ya know. Most of those miners were still sleeping in bed. They didn't even know what was going to happen before you-" Trixx was interrupted as a finger was placed on her lips.
"They weren't innocent. Not even the tiniest fraction of it. The ones I killed were a hired group of smugglers working for an intergalactic warlord out in some distant star system. They killed the actual miners and replaced them to steal their resources. After I intervened and killed them, I was going to leave before I got distracted. Someone else was there." Kai paused to see if Trixx understood everything so far.
"Wow. That's quite the tale, isn't it? Almost sounds fake." She mocked with Irony.
Kai stared at her for what seemed to be an eternity before she lost her composure.
Fine. I'll believe you. So, who was it?" She leaned closer.
"A bounty hunter. He attacked me and our fight ended up taking us quite the distance away from the site. I managed to injure him enough, but he slipped away. By the time I got back, the dead bodies of the smugglers were all replaced with the innocent miners they had killed. Before I could leave however, that bounty hunter showed up with more bounty hunters. They were the actual bounty hunters. They saw the site and the alibi from the false bounty hunter and well, it was enough for them to try to kill me." He spoke with a strained voice at the mention of the Bounty Hunter.
"That's how you got that bounty on you, but what about the name? How did that change?" She asked.
"They didn't know who I was. I never let anyone see my face nor let them get too much evidence on me to figure out my identity for a while. They sent bounty hunters, and I killed the corrupt ones. Eventually, I got the name Harbinger of Death after a few years once they learned that I was one of the "Heroes" who saved them from the cataclysm. But it seems like they kept that part hidden from the public to avoid a mass outrage or riots against the hunters since they used to work with the Twin Harbingers a couple of centuries ago, but the public isn't as stupid as they think." Kai said while briefly stretching his arms.
"What about that bounty hunter?" Trixx asked while opening another bottle before Kai grabbed it from her and finished it himself.
"He most likely works for that war lord. A corrupt bounty hunter, he was probably there as a lookout and attacked me after he realized what happened." He replies.
A moment of silence once more as Trixx seemed to have calmed down and was finally satisfied. Until Kai asked. "So, any more questions to ask?"
"Well, a couple more." She smiles coyly.
"Alright. Ask away. But before that, I heard a rumor about you, Scarlet bladeweaver." Kai noticed her slight jolt at the mention of her alter name.
"Another time." Trixx was silent afterwards.
"Very well. Emotional much?" Kai teased in an attempt to change the mood.
Trixx's words slightly slurred, playfully swayed and pointed a finger at Kai. "Don't make me kick me," she exclaimed, her tone laced with a tipsy amusement. Some of the locals saw the effect starting to kick in and immediately left the pub.
Kai surprisingly had a small smirk and let her have her fun.
Eventually after Trixx took a few more bottles of a less potent alcoholic drink much to the worry of the bartender, the conversation eventually changed and became lighter as they both drank away till the moonlight was at its highest.
The Next Day.
They woke up early, their heads still pounding from the night before, with no memory of how they got back to their room. They quickly got dressed and made their way to the arena, where the crowds were already starting to gather for the day's events.
At the entrance of the Arena Trixx slightly drools at the sight of her next victims before composing herself.
The event required to be pairs. Therefore, Kai and Trixx paired up. Much to her dismay as she was looking forward to fighting Kai.
Kai and Trixx walked side by side through the dimly lit corridors, their footsteps echoing in the empty hallways. They made their way towards the underground chamber where they would wait for their turn in the arena.
As they entered the room, they saw that it was already occupied by a few other competitors. They took a seat on a bench along the wall and waited in silence. Kai looked around, studying the other contestants, trying to assess their strengths and weaknesses.
"Trixx is a rather chaotic being, but she has her uses. Her fighting style is unpredictable from the way she's always rambling about fighting. Her body has definitely been built to fight. That unpredictability will be an important factor for making distractions if timed right or maybe even defeat a few opponents. But she does have a rather odd behavior for a woman raised in such an environment." He pauses as a massive tremor vibrates through the tunnel systems underneath the coliseum. He looks around and notices the other combatants waiting for their turn wearing a wide variety of armor and weapons.
After a few minutes, Kai's mind began to wander. He thought about the corrupt souls that he had faced in the past, those who had betrayed and hurt people. He couldn't help but feel a sense of anger and disgust towards them.
Unbeknownst to him, his thoughts had triggered his dark aura, and it started to radiate from him. Trixx was the first to notice, and she nudged Kai, bringing him back to reality.
"Uh hoody? You're doing that thing again...." Trixx speaks out slightly terrified at the sudden change in the air surrounding Kai again.
He controls his emotions as he comes out of his grim thoughts and looks around. No one but Trixx sensed it. No. Someone did but they kept quiet. Kai chose to keep quiet for now.
Before Trixx could respond, the Arena above goes quiet, and they announced the next battle. The Harbinger of Death and The Scarlet Bladeweaver vs Vex and Eclipse. Their faces were put on a display board with their name beneath them. The arena went silent at the mention of the competitors, one specific competitor.
Kai and Trixx get up and proceed to go their side of the gate ignore the whispers between the other fighters when he quickly spotted his competitors on their way to the other gate.
They were both women. Vex was a muscular 7-foot-tall woman with an imposing figure with broad shoulders, an athletic build. Her skin is a warm, golden brown and she has piercing blue eyes that glint with fierce determination. Her hair is shaved close to her scalp and dyed a vibrant shade of electric blue.
She wore a set of armor that was black and white in color, with a sleek design. The armor was made from an advanced material that is both lightweight and incredibly durable, providing her with excellent protection without sacrificing her agility and mobility.
The woman carries a machine gun that seems to have been heavily modified, with a streamlined design that allows her to move quickly and easily while still wielding a formidable weapon. The gun is black and white, matching the color scheme of her armor, and has a sleek, futuristic look that suggests it was inspired by the technology from around 300 years ago.
Overall, this woman is a force to be reckoned with, combining incredible physical strength with advanced weaponry and cutting-edge technology to become a true warrior of the modern apocalyptic age.
Eclipse on the other hand appears to be another strong female warrior in full armor and holding two swords. Standing at a height of 6 feet 2 inches, the warrior had long black hair that flowed down her back and her stance was strong and confident. She appeared to be wearing a black tank top or crop top. She also had a black choker necklace around her neck while wearing high-waisted black shorts that were embellished with silver zippers and other silver hardware. The shorts have a tight fit, and they end just below her hips. She is also wearing black thigh-high boots with a chunky heel. The boots have silver zippers on the sides, and they extend up to her mid-thigh. Overall, her outfit has a punk or rocker vibe with a lot of black leather and silver hardware.
"She's strong, that Gatling gun of her's will be a problem right off the bat from a distance. Her mass will definitely make close combat hard as well if you're not strong. Meanwhile that other one, Eclipse I believe. She's definitely fast and agile. We should look out for hidden weapons as well. So, she's definitely close combat. No, it would be a mistake to make that assumption. They both might have powers. Maybe we cou-" Kai stops his analysis as he notices Trixx giving a deep questionable look.
"Something wrong?" Kai asks.
Trixx who was admiring the muscles on Kai's arms snaps out of her thought and replies with a tint of red on her cheeks. "Just noticing how you look rather admirable when you're so deep in thought."
Kai ignored the compliment of as noticed some of the warriors mentioned The scarlet Bladeweaver a few times. Trixx just huffed slightly annoyed at the lack of response, but what did she expect?
"Some of them seem to be talking about you, why is that?" Kai quizzically asks.
"You're not the only one who has a reputation ya know," Trixx replied, her tone laced with a touch of sarcasm.
As they reach the gate, Kai looks through the bars of the gate and notices his enemies on the other side.
"Trixx, I have an idea. I need you to go after Eclipse and distract her while I deal with Vex . Think you can do that?" Kai asks.
"Huh? I'll blow that Sea Shrimp out of the water!" Trixx could only laugh mischievously.
The gate raises and the crowd starts cheering as the warriors enter the arena. The tension hung thick in the air as Kai and Trixx prepared to face their opponents, Eclipse and Vex. The crowd's eager anticipation filled the space, their murmurs fading into a hushed silence as Vex raised her menacing machine gun while Eclipse unsheathed her blades.
Sensing the impending clash, Kai used his ability once again as he surveyed their adversaries.
Eclipse had a massive energy of blue and purple surrounding her soul. But something else was present, a deep wavering pulse of black mist surrounding her soul, entrapping the other two colors. While Vex had a white and purple energies in a clash with the same phenomenon with a black mist entrapping them and pulsing unnaturally.
A surge of unease washed over him, and he turned to Trixx, his voice low and urgent. "Trixx, remember what Asura said?"
Trixx's gives a slightly concerned look. "Asura said we would face formidable opponents, ruthless in their actions and have killed or harmed innocent people. What's wrong?"
Kai grips the handle of his sword. "Those two, they have an unnatural pulsing black aura or rather energy surrounding their souls. No matter what the situation was, if you kill an innocent being, your soul will be tainted by a black flame. I call it a Mark of Death. Theirs are wavering, weak. It's different."
"I don't get it, so they're not killers?" Trixx asked half-heartedly.
As Vex's finger tightened around the trigger of her machine gun, Eclipse leaned ever so slightly forward, ready to clash swords. The weight of uncertainty pressed upon Kai's shoulders as he was met with an unexpected problem.
Kai's thinks hard before his eyes relax a bit and expression changed from one of uneasiness to that of excitement as he unsheathes his sword. "They're innocent!"