*Booooom*
[Some distance from Arcadia]
About fifty imperial soldiers are marching to Arcadia. A royal carriage is being pulled by two horses is in the lead.
At the sound of the explosion, the movement halts and Zarten Reign walks of the carriage. He looks towards the city with a serious expression and his righthand man came to his side.
"Do you think it has begun my lord?"
"Who knows. Bring me a horse, I'll deal with it myself if I have to."
"Pardon me but, doubt it is wise to go there yourself your highness."
"Thinking I might die? Don't fret, it's not possible." He walked to the carriage and took out cloves.
One of the soldiers brought him a horse and he got on it on the spot. He rode to Arcadia alone, but Rouchefort came behind him shortly after him at a distance.
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…
…
From the other side, Ryuga charged towards the city with his best speed dodging branches until he was out of the forest and on open space. The moment the city 's Walls came into his sight, he sensed the overflowing dark Ohra and the heaviness of its power. He looked around and started flying towards the closest gate into the city with
[Withing the Walls Of Arcadia]
"Allura, go get the horses now, I'll get your father from the basement." Jesselia got back into the house and went into the basement.
Allura went to the stables to get the horses, but they scatter out as soon as the entrance opened. She catches two - of six- by the reigns before they got far and tied them by the door.
She ran heading into the house but came to a halt just by the door. Slowly she turned her head to look into the far distance. "Brother….." a whisper escaped her lips almost like a worried mumble.
What halted her was Ryuga 's energy which she sensed. Though sensing it should make her happy, she wasn't. Ryuga 's energy felt unstable and was wavering, as if not under control. In a hurry, she got on one of the horses and rode to him.
Some distance after coming out the gates of her home, she sees movement beneath the ground. A scargrim following her from under the ground as the cracks get closer to her horse. Her heart pounded hard in her chest with fear as she clung to her horse as it galloped through the chaotic city. But the cracks stopped following her as if the beast let go of its prey. Allura 's racing heart started calming down but the celebration was premature.
Allura was now getting closer to Xicor but..... a scargrim jumped infront of the horse causing her to fall off. The horse got up and ran off before she could get to it. This one seemed different from the others, it was larger than most and had intelligence. A very rare species even among monster.
Allura 's heart was once again pounding heavily. But she hid her fear well. She got up and locked eyes with the beast before her. She took few deep breaths to calm herself, in her mind only hoping to get to her brother - Ryuga.
The beast charged at her with its claws exposed and bloodlust in its eyes.
But before its claws could get to her, they were cut off and they fell to the ground as blood gushed out of the wounds.
"I really care not what or who you are, just know that my little sister is off limits." Ryuga landed between Allura and the beast holding a sword with blood dripping from it.
"Big brother,,,are you okay? I noticed earlier that it has begun." a sense of relief washed over her.
"I know, it began when I jumped over the gate into the city. Whatever caused it is here now. But, let me go get mom and dad so we can get out of here." For some reason he felt uneasy. His body felt like it was changing. But he ignored it nonetheless.
He looked at his sword and tightened his grip on it. Magic flowed into it and it cracked before it shattered to pieces.
"Nothing can be done about it. Allura… kill it. I'll unlock your powers on a time limit." Ryuga looked at Allura with encouraging eyes and a smile.
"Fools. You are both going to die no matter where you go. Haha,,,, haha,,, hahahahaha. And there is nothing you can do about it." the monster before them spoke with a hoarse voice that could not go unnoticed.
Ryuga put his right hand by Allura 's heart and a magic circle glowed faintly. A halo appeared above Allura and a serious expression appeared on her face. It was almost as if she had undergone personality changes.
"Ten minutes, then get to safety." Ryuga spoke to her with a firm voice before leaving. Going to his house.
Because of his great speed, it took him a short time till his house came into his sight. But he never had the chance to rejoice.
What he saw next hit him like a storm. A scargrim jumping out from the roof of the house holding his father in its jaws. His body looking lifeless and bloodied.
"No. No no no no noooo…" Ryuga stopped running and walked closer and closer with accounted steps. His eyes widely open, his heart beating erratically in his chest and his breaths heavy.
He uses creation magic to make a sword even in his state of absent-mindedness. But a heavy and tearing scream into his mind, Xicor holds his head and falls to his knees screaming in agonising emotional and physical pain. Jessely runs to Xicor and try to help him up. "You needs to run nooow... Xicor,, Xicor,,, Xicor ,,,"
Tears roll down her cheeks as she calls out to him to no avail.
The Scargrim cut off his father's head with it's claws and stabs him with 3 claws. Slowly it devours and swallows him before his eyes. Xicor still feeling dizzy, tries getting up and with low voice, he warns to Jesselia.
"Mother, move away. Move nowwww!" Shouting, he looses control of his powers and the energy erupts out of him.
A shadow assassin appears behind him with a sword. Swinging down his sword to kill Ryuga, Jesselia gets in between them and she is stuck down. The sword runs her diagonally from the left shoulder.
She stumbles back and bumps into Ryuga 's back. Xicor reaching emotional breakdown looses complete control at the sight of his mother choking on her own blood. His energy runs rampant causing explosions around him as he charges towards the assassin.
The assassin raises his hand "Don't rush to your death boy" suddenly Xicor 's movements slowed, a spear appears behind him. Assassin lowers his hand as the spear fires at Ryuga but his rampant energy blows it up.
"Chant- Jurack Numerous Spears." multiple blue spears appear around Xicor firing at the assassin.
The assassin disappears in a flash and appears above Xicor "You're talented but you're still a kid without enough skill to beat me."
" Chant- Nazurack" a spear shoots from below Xicor as he rolls over and hits the assassin, sending him crashing into the wall.
He gets up, makes a black sword in his hand and charges towards Xicor. His coat is shredded and his mask cracked in half. "Damn it. Since it looks like we are not leaving alive, I should serve my queen well to my last."
" Time to die you little runt." He charges to with high speed cuts Xicor's shoulder. Xicor falls down bleeding and crashes into a wall. He gets up looking down, his vision getting blurry.
The assassin realizes Zarten, makes a barrier around himself and Xicor. " Farewell kid, you've been pain in the backside so I'll give you credit."
Blood gushes from Ryuga 's body as multiple arrows pin him to the wall behind him. He looks at his mother's body and thoughts fill his mind. "This can't be the End of me. Allura, I promised to protect her. Ash, we still have so much to achieve. Ryukka, the sense of family I said I'll give you. All my wishes…" Everything goes dark.
[In Ryuga 's subconscious]
He opens his eyes and sees himself surrounded by blue all around him. In here, there is no sense of direction. He sees five men, "Who are you? What is this place?"
"Why did you reject the power the power you're given?" The first one asked.
"Yes, why? You're going against your fate."
"Stop fighting it, take the power, you're in need of it right now." One after the other, they spoke to him.
"We shall discuss who we are, now finish the fight. Lest you die"
All five men raised their a hand and white light gathered before them. They gestured for him to take hold of it. "What is this going to accomplish? I'm dead anyway."
"This is the Necrozmaz Blade --The Resemblance-- and with it you can keep the promise you made to your sister"
With the mentioning of Allura, he did not hesitate to plunge his hands into the ball of light. The brightness spread out and wide.
[Back In The Real World]
Zarten walks towards the barrier and breaks it with his hand. "I think I should pay a visit to Hades, don't you think so? After all, I told him to keep his pets in his house, but my warning fell on deaf ears."
Zarten 's piercing look sent shivers down the assassin's spine as both fear and anger filled his being.
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Hades is the king of the second layer of hell in this world. But his power and authority only goes as far as the second layer.