The blinding sun was cast into darkness as clouds of despair drifted in front of it. The sky then began to cry as thick drops of water fell perhaps in an attempt to warn the people of the coming age of sadness and conflict.
The king removed his royal attire, leaving himself with only the essential gear for combat. He put on wrist guards and some plated armor over his shoulders but kept it minimal. He wore a fitted golden shirt that opened at the neck, paired with tight golden pants that loosened near the ankles.
The king strode into an expansive chamber with towering pillars that stretched up to the ceiling, marking the beginning of the second floor. These majestic columns were crafted from exquisite granite stone, gleaming and reflecting the dwindling light as it gradually faded from the world.
The expansive room was flanked by two imposing pairs of stairs, each leading up to the grandeur of the second floor. The first floor was adorned with a multitude of doors, offering passage to various hallways and rooms. The luxurious floors were crafted from a gleaming, polished stone whose name eluded the king. It was a poignant reminder of a resource that they could no longer procure or afford.
A man dressed in the Aces guard attire came charging thew the pair of massive steel reinforced doors and knelt before the king who was standing awaiting his opposition.
"Your Highness, an extremely powerful foe has breached the castle. We have requested reinforcements, but they are currently delayed by an associate of the enemy." The man looked at the king examining his current attire. Seeing as he was dressed for combat the man's breath caught in his throat. The situation was so bad even the king himself was prepared to fight to the death.
" Thanks for the report...You may leave through the back exit. Leave this man to me."
" Uh! Sir!" The man's eyes widened at the command. The Aces guards prided themselves on fighting to the end for the king, being the last line of defense if things were to be exactly as they are now...Ordering him to run and leave him was...Going against everything he stood for.
"You heard me. Before you argue this man is far stronger than you or anyone in this kingdom's military...I can sense him from here." The man shot to his feet meeting the king's eyes which in this world was seen as massively disrespectful to someone of greater status than you, but he couldn't care less cause right now he felt his king had lost his mind.
" I can at least slow him down...Your Highness, you can escape! Live to fight back against these monsters! People will still rally to your cause!"
"No," the king's eyes narrowed. "I refuse to abandon my city. I will not leave my troops or lead them into a futile war against two mere crusaders. This battle will be swift. I'm the one he wants, and only one of us can leave this room."
" S-Sir!" The soldier was nearly left speechless, he had served at the king's side for years, but never once did he see. Such a determined look in his blood-red eyes.
" Just as it's your pride to fight for me to the end...It's my pride to fight to protect the people of this kingdom. To protect what my ancestors built with my own two hands...You've done your part. Now I must fulfill mine."
The man was now truly left speechless. Reluctively he made his way to the back exit each step carried a weight, it felt like abandoning his father in a forest full of wolves, just as he opened the door he heard fighting from the other side of the massive double doors that separated Tsucko from the king.
The king heard the door open, followed by the sound of raindrops hitting the stone outside. After a brief pause, he heard it shut, and then silence fell, except for the increasingly violent fighting on the other side of the doors.
The king took in a deep breath. Reaching his right hand over his back he felt the hard cloth handle of his katana, passed down from his late ancestor. Yuka Takatori.
" I, Ichi Takatori shall protect this city, by any means necessary."
The grand doors opened revealing the shadowy figure of Tsucko surrounded by the bodies of Aces guards. Mana wire extended from his fingers and blood was stained onto the cloak he was wearing.
"Your personal guards were supposed to be tougher, but it looks like I was wrong," the misleading bright blue eyes locked with the blood-red ones of Ichi, seething with anger and disgust at a being who could take lives and mock those it had taken.
His long blonde hair dropped onto his shoulders, but not elegantly like a handsome prince, but raggedly like a careless bandit. A sinister grin mirrored that of a knight who had strayed and relished the slaughter of the innocent.
[" The kings come to welcome me...That sword on his back, it's strange...Gives off a different feeling than the one Hebi used.] Hm. Come to welcome me to my new home?"
" I'm here to kill you and put an end to your rampage!" The King began to unleash mana throughout his body preparing for combat. A wind gathered around him as he stood in the center of the great room.
" I'm here to do the same and take this kingdom for myself."
"Then let's get to it."
[" Getting right to it huh...I respect it."] Tsucko ripped off his cloak and de-cast his mana wire. The king would be his toughest opponent yet, housing mana in a similar capacity to his own and a multitude of casts he had learned along with his 10 more years of experience...Tsucko was still confident he could win but the battle could take a while. Using mana wire from the start could be a bad move especially if Ichi already has a counter for it prepared.
Ichi carefully observed Tsucko, who was dressed in a striking white ensemble. The outfit consisted of a loosely fitting shirt with baggy sleeves and matching pants that draped past his ankles. This kind of clothing would not be suitable for combat usually...but after further examination, Ichi realized Tsucko had a layer of defensive magic cast over it.
[ " I've received many reports containing knowledge on his powerful casts and magical capabilities...All I've seen thus far has been expected, hopefully, it stays that way."]
" FWISH!"
Ichi blinked and Tsucko closed the distance appearing just in front of him with a fist charged with mana heading his way.
" BOOM!!"
The room shook as the floor was stuck by Tsuckos fist. Ichi was quick to react and jumped back away from the strike, landing in between two of the 8 granite pillars spread threw the room. Tsucko looked up, a confident grin spread across his face.
Ichis eyes narrowed filled with a focus Tsucko hadn't seen from any of his opponents thus far. Usually their fearful after seeing such speed and strength, but Ichi was prepared and locked onto Tsucko awaiting his next move.
" FWUUM!!"
The floor cracked under Tsucko's strength as he dashed at Ichi once again. The two powerful warriors collided and simultaneously bounced between the two pillars throwing strikes mid-air.
Near the ceiling, Tsucko unleashed a strike that Ichi promptly parried before countering with a swift punch. Though Tsucko managed to catch the punch, Ichi decisively broke free from his grasp and focused his energy to cast a basic attack magic spell in his left hand.
" BANG!!"
The room turned all white for a moment blinding Tsucko and Ichi, as the light cleared Tsucko wasted no time countering as he used defensive magic to block the previous attack. Casting a small amount of mana near his feet he used it as a physical platform to get closer.
Reaching out Tsucko grabbed Ichi's wrist and Ichi felt as a strange magical cast touched his body.
[" What was that!?"]
He attempted to pull his wrist away only for his hand to be caught on the retreat. With an overly confident grin Tsucko pulled him in and with his right fist charged with mana struck his gut.
" CRASH!!!!"
Ichi was sent through the pillar and into an interior wall of the massive building. Dust surrounded the area of contact as that pillar collapsed just in front of Tsucko who waved the dust away with his hand. He was unable to see the result of his strike, but it felt like a clean hit that would kill almost anything. Even a king.
" I hope that isn't all you can offer." Tsucko walked towards the area where Ichi had landed, still unable to see him but he could sense the mana, significantly weakened, within the smoke. " I was prepared for a long fight."
The dust began to clear and Tsucko's eyes began to sulk and his smile turned to one of disappointment as he could see the outline of a body. Tsucko stopped detecting mana and dropped his mana output at the sorry sight as he felt sad that the battle had ended so quickly.
[" I expected you to be more fun-"]
" Huh!?"
His eyes widened as the smoke cleared...There was indeed a body but, only a husk that looked nothing like the true king. Meaning the battle was not over, and that the king had used...
" Replication magic!"
The dust the piller had kicked up was still lingering and unknown to Tsucko...Ichi had reappeared with a fully charged magical attack, and not simply attack magic, This was an advanced spell, one that would erase its intended target from existence if it landed.
" Genshi-Kashigomu![ My great ancestors created this cast to erase the evil from this world...To think you would fall for such a simple replication cast. My pride wouldn't allow me to fall that easily!"
" SHZAAANG!"