" We Need To Run!!"
" The Hole Towns On Fire!!"
" Who The Hell Are Those Guys!? And Where Are The Aces Guards!?
The town that was celebrating the full moon festival only moments ago, full of laughter and music and sounds of joy. Was now full of sounds of terror and anguish, confusion and some anger.
The town that was full of festive lights and ornaments was now turned a reddish-orange as the flames burned away any building in its path. Any person or animal caught would not be spared from its wrath.
The ones leading this deadly flame were Tsucko and Kalci who were walking through a center street that branched off into many others which Tsucko used to guide his flames making sure everything would be engulfed.
Their goal wasn't to kill civilians, though they didn't care if they died or not. If they were caught up in the chaos then they would have to find their way out through their own means using their mana and magic.
" What exactly is the point of this Tsucko?" Kalci asked while looking down a street of burning buildings watching people crawl their way out and avoid collapsing buildings. He didn't care either but he simply wanted to know the point of burning a small village to the ground when theirs more significant ones to go after.
" Hm," A smile crossed Tsuckos face. He was examining a long strand of his hair by his shoulder, watching the flickering fire reflect off of it, much to his amusement. " I figured you would know."
" Well, I don't so explain!" Kalci grew slightly impatient.
Tsucko conjured another fireball to his hand and fired it down an untouched street. The screams of people then followed as the buildings quickly burst into flames.
" We want to create a world where no social standards exist, where our lives aren't guided by stupid rules or laws or what is judged as right and wrong."
'Yeah, a world where people are free to do as they please as long as they are capable of doing so.[ No matter what that might be."]
Tsucko looked up to the once starry sky which was now blocked out by smoke and ash. The smell of the outdoors was now replaced with burning garbage and death. Tsucko wasn't exactly pleased with this but he wasn't upset with what he had done. He had already lived life as a perfect example of a good human being, so letting loose felt good to him. Plus all of this was essential to his dream.
" We'll need the world in our control then. We can't create a world like that without us being held at the top...We need our words to mean more than some nonsense spoken by some crazies. If we want our world to become reality we need to stand at the top of them all.
"...Still, how does this contribute to that?"
" Still not getting it huh...?"
" Tch! [ Don't act like your some geniouse."]
" Hm." The stone road was glowing as the fire raged around them acting as a guide leading them from street to street." Well, we can't do that on our own no matter how strong we are. Theirs simply too many of them, and if things get bad enough they'll simply call civilians to their aid. [ And that's a lot of people."]
" Huh, so you're saying.[ If he's thinking what I think he is...then I don't know if I should call him a genius or crazy!"]
" Yeah...We'll cause people of the Aces kingdom to feel unsafe. To feel like their military can't protect them. By burning down towns of all sizes and killing any soldiers who try to stop us. Then once the seed of doubt is placed we'll raid the capital city and take control over the whole kingdom...!"
Kalci was stuck speechless looking at Tsucko toss fire balls down a street. His emotionless face showed him how serious he was about this. Kalci knows Tsucko is strong but...
[ "Strong enough to take down the whole kingdom...His entire plan is a gamble. What if the people don't react the way he thinks? Then he'll have a whole other issue if he does end up taking the capital city...Rebellion would slow us down, no, make it almost impossible to go the rest of the way... That's all assuming we can kill the king who is said to possess magic out of this world!"]
" Don't worry about the king...I can kill him."
" Huh!?"
Kalci tensed up. He felt like his mind had just been read. Tsucko hadn't even looked his way when he said this but, the tone he said it in almost made Kalci believe it was possible.
" Kill the king you say!" Their raging march was halted by a burly voice. " Like people like you could even dream of coming close
Standing a couple of feet ahead of them was a group of Ace military soldiers...Not just any though, these were the Ace's guards. A higher-ranking part of the military that had been sent due to their proximity to the crisis.
They all wore similar robes to the regular military but with one difference in the playing card on their right shoulders which now had a shield positioned in a way making it look as if the card was holding it.
Leading them was an older man in his mid-thirties with grayish hair and a muscular build. Tsucko measured his mana and determined he was indeed the strongest of them all, but that isn't to say the rest were weak. Compared to the others he had seen before they were leagues above.
[" We can take them...I'll reveal my mana and split them up leaving the smaller group to Kalci. They most likely have never seen anything like him so he'll make quick work."]
" FWUUU!!"
Tsuckos cloths began to wave around as he revealed his mana to the Aces guards. Kalci summoned his sword in his right hand as he picked out who the sword users most likely were.
" We'll split up. This could get chaotic and I don't want to accidentally hit you since you'll be concealing your mana." Kalci nodded in agreement.
" Sir!" A girl standing next to the leader with green hair tied up in a ponytail spoke.
" Yeah, that blond-haired one is strong...I'll take most of the mages to fight him, you take the swordsman to deal with the other...Make quick work of him."
" Roger!"
She turned to the rest of the group and used a couple of hand signs to communicate with them. Kalci watched closely deciphering that she was the second in command.
" FWIPP!!"
Suddenly Tsucko dashed off over into the next pathway behind some houses. The leader then pursued taking a group of soldiers with him. Kalci then followed his example dashing to the right opposite of Tsucko through a burning building exiting through a window on the other side
" SHEWW!!"
The girl with her group quickly followed. Kalci noticed something in the girl's hand which resembled a long staff. She then pointed it at him and unleashed a flurry of basic attack magic at him
" Bang bang bang!!!"
" TSK!!" [That's a magic amplifier...How the hell did she hide that?"]
Most soldiers used a combination of sword combat and casting, but some chose to focus on one or the other...Ones known as true mages use magic amplifiers to increase the speed and rate at which they cast magic.
Kalci dashed back multiple times evading each blow. Then through the clouds of dust created by the impact came three sword users, one through the center, one to the right, and one to the left.
Kalci dashed straight at all three of them closing the distance and reaching their attack range.
" Clang Cling.!"
The sounds of their weapons clashing echoed through the burning street. Kalci kicked the right one into a wall of a burning building creating space. Turning his attention to the other two. The center one closed the gap first swinging his sword from above.
Kalci parried and landed a kick on his side sending him rolling down the street. then the one who had been kicked into a burning wall attacked from behind. Kalci flipped over him and swung his blade but was blocked.
After landing he saw the third one in mid-air with his blade in his palm. He swiftly ran his pam down his blade and the blood from his hand then bonded to the blade creating an extension like a whip.
" WASH WISH WIP!!"
He swung it multiple times at Kalci and kicked up dirt and ash that had built up from the ground which now partially blinded them all.
" DAM IT LACU!!" The green-haired girl shouted while looking down onto the dust cloud. " Now we have no visual!"
" Calm down, just sense his mana." the one with the blood whipp responded.
" Erghh fine!...Ugh!" Her eyes widened at a realization [" I can't find him, my mana detection is the best here and I can't find him!... I knew he had little mana but. Theirs know way he can suppress it all right!?"]
"What's wrong!?"
" TEP TEP TEP!!"
" Huh!!"
The sound of footsteps along ash startled the blood-whip user as he quickly turned and searched for the source. He saw recently kicked up ash and due to the tension of not knowing where the target was he began to wildly attack.
" WHIP WHASH WHI-"
" SHINK!"
He saw him, a pair of red eyes seemed to pierce through the clouds of dust, and ash before striking the man in the neck. After a moment he realized what had happened and his weapon de-summoned before he collapsed to the ground
" LACU! Hey Lacu!!"
A second soldier heard what sounded like a body hitting the ground from within the cloud... He began to walk forward towards the sound as they began to regain visual.
"Argh!"
He then almost tripped on something. After looking down he saw the boot of a military soldier.
" LAC-"
" SHINK!"
This time they all saw it, the two remaining saw as their comrade was impaled from the back.
" Noo!"
The last swordsman engaged half-hazardly sprinting at Kalci who ripped the blade out of his last victim and did a jumping kick that knocked the last swordsman to the floor. He then turned his attention to the one floating in the sky.
[" Flight magic huh? You probably think I can't reach that height without any man-"']
The girl suddenly shot a chunk of ice that connected to her staff at Kacli crashing into the ground with a thud.
["I got him...I haven't been able to get a clean shot but now...I've avenged you two!"]
" SHINK!"
" Huh!"
" CRASHHH!"
Suddenly her ice split into two and crumbled like it was nothing. She looked on as the mana-less man stood intact'
" How did you-"
Kalci then flipped his blade into a reverse grip and brought it back like a spear. The girl's eyes widened and she prepared a defensive mana wall. Kalci brought his arm back and launched it at the girl.
" SHANG, SHINK!"
The sword broke through the defense like it was nothing and punctured her stomach causing her to drop her staff. Kalci wasted no time and leaped into the air after his sword using the girl's body as leverage. he then ripped the blade out and began descending back to the floor.
The last remaining soldier on the ground watched as Kalcis's blood-red eyes locked onto him. He knew it was over at that moment as Kalci began to fall quicker and then crashed into the ground right in front of him sending him into a violent role.
" Cough Cough!"
The ash blinded him but then he felt the sharpness of a blade pressed against his neck. Kalci was standing in front of a kneeling man with his blade ready to slit his neck.
" Please wai-"
" SHING!!"
Without hesitation, Kalci moved his blade from left to right creating a clean cut that would lead to a quick death. The man fell over with a thump against the ash-covered ground. the raging fire served as the backdrop for a revenge-driven killer seeking justice for those who would do people like him harm.
"That's all."
' Impressive!"
Just as Kalci de-summoned his sword a voice raspy like a snake hiss reached his ears causing his skin to crawl. He turned and faced a man wearing a black and blue buttoned shirt with an over jacket that turned from red at the top to orange at the bottom. His mouth was covered in bandages and his eyes were the color of the fire that surrounded them.
[ This guy...He has an emerald sown to his shirt over his heart. So he's a part of the emerald kingdom...Right? What is he doing here."]
Kalci then examined him further and noticed a rather strange part of his outfit on his hip.
[" A sheath...WAIT! I know this guy. The year of preparation I had gave me time to study and learn about all sword users in the nation, along with the ones who use sheaths that contain real swords that they then imbue with mana...That and the emerald sown on his shirt means."]
A strong opponent that he is not ready to face. A man with thousands of accolades under his belt and is respected among the Emerald Kingdom as an ally and the Kingdom of Aces as an enemy. Part of a group of elite swordsmen.
[" This guy is part of the Emeralds 8 Deadly Swordsman!"]