The sky's dark chest ripped open as a blinding column of azure lightning pierced through the thick curtain of murky dark clouds as it fell on the solitary metallic rod that was lodged in the middle of the battleground, right in front of the Queen's Guard and the right flank.
The sun that yet to reach its zenith was overshadowed by the stormy clouds and the column of lightning casted long shadows of the monsters in every direction.
The lightning column, however, was not directly absorbed and then nullified by the lightning rod. Instead of dispersing permanently, the column of lightning brightened even further and the place where the rod was lodged into cracked.
Huge splinters spiderwebbed all across the battlefield as they slithered like a cobra towards the Wujins.
A deluge of ions started to scatter in every direction, harmlessly touching- caressing the Wujin's bodies with a delicate touch. As if mocking Arthur, the Wujin Queen's gnarly lips turned into a smile-ish frown. The sail-like frills fanned out and like a drum it started to beat in a constant rhythm.
Arthur placed his foot over the edge of the platform.
The stormy winds flipped his grey hoodie back as it made a loud swishing sound, and the black shirt underneath it did little to mask the growing cold. However, his mind was not even focused on such trivialities.
All of his focus was turned towards the application of his Arcane Art that was the hardest to perform, even amongst all the other Phase 2 ones.
Humans – The Seven Syndicates basically – had classed their Arcane Arts using the Terms 'Phase.'
Which literally indicates different phases of progression. The Olvasens' Arcane Arts' Phase 1 is the same for everyone. Be it either Magnetic, Electric or any other wave on the electromagnetic spectrum, the Phase 1 stayed the same for them. For the lucky few who awakened more than one aspect, they had to learn phase 1 of each wave present on the spectrum.
It was the same for Phase 2.
Each Phase comprised of around 5-6 applications.
The way to tap into different applications was to have a staunch understanding of the application in question. The way it worked, its dynamics etcetera etcetera. And the jump from Phases occurred when a caster's body had reached the requirements to perform it.
A strong enough body. Since Adam was a one in an eternity prodigy, replicating his Destruction Type Arcane Arts – even if it's a mere shadow of what he used to wield – was nigh impossible.
Phase 2 – irrespective of the Family – was generally reached when a person reached 20 years of age when the nodes have been exposed to Arcanum long enough so that they had solidified and reinforced muscle fibres for the extreme stress that comes from the Phase shift.
However, since Arcane Arts were "Interpretation" of a "Concept," despite having the physical limitation, Arthur was able to open Phase 2. Since he knew how it was done. Or rather, the deep mechanics behind this specific application.
But the stipulation still remained. Adam's Arcane Arts were highly destructive. It was possible that doing this might rupture his organs. Or even tear him apart.
But there was a thought in his mind that steeled his resolve. The acceptance of reality that whether or not he decides to do it, he would end up being torn to shreds. It was better to die trying and surpassing his limits than inside the maw of a creature that couldn't even continue living without an order from the Queen.
To Arthur, dying such an insulting death was beneath him.
"Phase 2: Slipstream."
The chant was carried away by the blistering wind as Arthur's entire body, down to their very molecules vibrated.
The deluge of ions that had scattered all over the battlefield had still not dissipated, but was on its last legs. The ions were forming a net that extended backwards. The Queen's frill stopped vibrating and at the same time, the right flank attacked. Ignoring the harmless scattering of sparks that fizzled every now and then, they rushed towards the trio, their long tongues dangling out of their gnarly mouths.
The spell Arthur was about to perform was something that was argued to even surpass higher phases, unbefitting of the Phase 2. But due to how much stress it put on the user's body and how rarely it was used by the Olvasens, it never got ranked higher. Since Arcanum manifested 'concepts' formed by the caster's interpretation and insight into the Arcane Art they were born with, this spell never made it high enough. Because most of the Olvasens couldn't fully understand it.
'Focus.' Arthur prompted himself.
'Slipstream' was a tunnel passageway. A spell which caused the concept of Phasing. But a bit more complicated
A charged particle – like an electron – can be described by a wave function, which gives the probability of finding the particles at a particular location.
Arthur could use electromagnetism in a way that it caused a localised phenomenon where particles pass through a barrier that they theoretically shouldn't be able to, according to classical physics. This occurred due to the wave-like nature of particles at the quantum level, allowing them to exist in a probabilistic state on the other side of the barrier.
The barrier around the charged particles, which essentially prevented the concept of teleportation, was something that had its own unique signature. Normally it would be impossible to match a body's electromagnetic orientation with something else due to the physiological factor, however, there was an exception.
The exception was the additional factor of Arcanum. The way it works is that while electric fields that are naturally occurring and the ones that are either generated or manipulated via Arcanum are similar for the most part. However, the only difference – which also happens to be the key difference – is the composition.
And due to the presence of Arcanum around the barrier that encased the charged particles, those with Electromagnetism manipulation could take a hold of it and weaken it.
By supercharging the column of lightning that Arthur had summoned a few seconds ago, the particles were already close to decay, evident from how the sparks that scattered like a net across the battlefield were sizzling, extinguishing out of existence.
Arthur's senses had already enhanced as he started to detect unique electromagnetic fields around the individual sparks.
"Got it." He spoke out loud, his face impassive but his heart was beating like a war drum as he chose a target spark.
At the same time, Arthur influenced his own body's electromagnetic field to match the frequency of the chosen spark, aligning the two's quantum states with the energy of the electromagnetic field as it created a temporary, stable warp tunnel to the spark's location.
The tunnel was invisible to the naked eye; however, miniature bolts of lightning were visible inside his irises. Just like how they used to appear in Aksel's eyes.
Astrid and Michael looked at each other in bewilderment.
As if there was actually a tunnel, Arthur stepped into it.
His form blurred as it started vibrating, becoming semi-transparent.
Astrid gasped and almost reached out for him before Michael pulled her hand back.
"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? THAT GUY IS SUPERCHARGED WITH LIKE A WHOLE FUCKING COUNTRY'S WORTH OF ELECTRICITY!"
"But…" Her voice trailed off, worry etched on her face. With an annoyed grunt, Astrid yanked her hand off from his grip. Before she could look back at Arthur, a thunderclap resounded, making her flinch and jump back on pure instinct.
With a sharp crackle, Arthur dissolves into a swarm of glowing cerulean particles, his form melding as it raced like a bolt of lightning toward the nearest spark.
Before anyone could even consider what was happening, he was already in front of the chosen spark's location, his body reforming from the dancing lights.
The air around him hummed with residual electricity, the faint translucent glow fading as he solidified.
Before the first Wujin's eye could even turn towards Arthur and catch a glimpse of its attacker, Arthur's sword sliced through the thick, layered commissure – which was the muscle covering the intersection point of the upper and lower jaw – and made its way cleanly through its body.
And before the whole situation of Arthur basically teleporting even registered in anyone's mind, the Wujin in the lead's body was cleaved cleanly into half.
The upper half flew over and landed a few yards away due to the momentum and the lower body collided into Arthur and stopped right there, in his feet.
Arthur stood there, motionless as a few drops of noxious blood fell on his wrist. His eyes were set on the Queen who was hiding behind the Queen's Guard, her membranous frills retracted.
They vibrated once, and a shadow closed in on Arthur.
The world around him had gotten really slow and his mind was reading every danger and providing hundreds of solutions to him at the same time in a matter of a few seconds. However, this overload made his body unmoving as it was his physical limitation.
The maw of a Wujin closed in on his head, ready to chomp it up in one fell swoop.
Arthur's mind raced; however, his body was unable to dodge.
Without even looking back, he tried to search for a passing spark.
A small spark was scurrying around right behind the Wujin that was attacking Arthur. Letting his body fall to the back, he activated it once again.
[Slipstream]
His entire body vibrated and he disappeared, the Wujin's maw chewing on open air.
Appearing right behind it, Arthur willed Arcanum into his body and pushed away the hundreds of thoughts and focused on a single one.
A single upward slash.
Arcanum flicked like a whip from the tip of his sword as it cleaved another Wujin, the two halves of it falling on either side.
"This bastard!" Michael exclaimed in excitement. "He learned the sword extension from that Ed guy mid-battle."
"Might be a bit late, but who on Earth is Ed?"
Michael looked to the side. "Are you serious?"
"Very serious?"
"Very, very serious?"
"Yeah."
"Then I won't tell ya." Michael scoffed.
Astrid let out a tired breath. "Are you autistic?"
"Say that again, you dumb blonde."
"Say what?"
"The thing you just said."
"I didn't say anything."
"You just fucking did!" Michael snapped.
"Didn't know you were schizophrenic as well."
Michael let out a frustrated sneer. "I am so going to kill you, you brat."
"Yeah, yeah." Astrid brushed him off. Her eyes had not left Arthur even for a single moment. Peeling them away for the first time, she turned around and faced Michael. "I think we should get going too."
She pointed at the left flank battalion. A lot of them had climbed the long path and were now charging towards Astrid and Michael.
Cursing underneath his breath, Michael nodded. "I will lure them into the ravine." He spoke and narrowed his eyes on Astrid. "Not sure why that freak trusts you, but if he does, there must be a good reason." He paused, his words causing Astrid's eyes to widen. "I will trust ya as well. Focus on the work you've been given. Don't worry about the monsters coming y'er way."
"Alright…?"
Astrid couldn't really put a finger on what she was witnessing. The sudden shift was quite jarring.
"Don't mess it up, ratatouille."
Turning around, he started to walk away, waving his right hand while his left one nonchalantly slipped into his pants pocket.
Shaking her head to empty her head, she focused on the task at hand.
'He has trusted me with this one job. I can't mess it up! And I can't let this pretentious bastard laugh at me anymore as well!'
On the battlefield, Arthur's form was a mere blue as he blipped in and out of the vibratory existence for brief moments. Each time he appeared, a Wujin's head flew into the air, painting the blank canvas with a sickly green shade of blood before vanishing into a bright flash followed by a thunderclap.
As he side-stepped and disappeared, he took a hold of the spark closest to the queen and appeared right behind her. His sword had no glint as the sun was hidden behind a veil of grey clouds.
As the sword slashed through the air in a powerful downward slash, one of the Queen's guards rammed into him, his shield flaring outwards.
At the same time its meaty hand – that was like a Gorilla unlike the usual soldiers – lowered into a stance and thrust a huge, crudely carved weapon made out of stone at Arthur.
Arthur planted his feet into the ground; however, the guard's strength was superior to his own. Still ramming the natural shield into him, the Commander Wujin continued trying to get an attack off him. However, with the thick shield in between them and the Wujin's own, beefy arms, it was almost impossible to reach him.
Arthur's senses that were constantly being electrified were taking in everything. But at the same time, his body was protesting. Begging him to not use the 'Phase' once again.
Arthur immediately spun and the Wujin stumbled forward. His sword blurred around himself in a full circle as the 6 soldier ranks that had jumped him had their faces cut in half. Arthur didn't bat an eye to the lifeless bodies as he went straight after the commander rank.
With his face impassive, Arthur lashed out with a punch, his fist clad in blue lightning. The shield crumbled and the Wujin looked upwards, spasming while he was being shocked to the ground.
Another commander, one of a different shade of green, swung both of his.arms down at him in a clubbing motion.
Taking a step back, Arthur phased out of existence only for a few seconds before reappearing behind the Wujin whose attack landed atop his peer, crushing his head underneath the force of his attack. Lightning jumped like a sentient being from the dead Wujin to the other one, locking him in a series of convulsions.
Arthur whipped his sword once again and lightning crackled as an extension of the sword. Since it was not his own technique and he had just learned it from Ed, its effective range wasn't as much as Ed, but it was still quite destructive.
The whip made of lightning hardened like a blade and then like one huge tidal wave of death, the sparks that branched from it cleaved and sheared through hundreds if not thousands of soldier ranks. As soon as the extended blade of electrifying death subsided, Arthur bolted forward like a missile and his sword lodged into the heart of the commander Wujin that was still pinned to the ground via electricity.
Its hulking body fell like a huge boulder atop the other commander's body who had his head crushed.
Despite the nauseous stench of the Wujin's blood, Arthur turned a blind eye to everything. Seconds stretched into minutes which further morphed into the first hour.
Another commander rank bolted towards Arthur. However, he already knew of their weaknesses now. Before it could retract its frill, which also served as its shield, Arthur shot forward. His sword swung in a diagonal slash.
The commander brought its hand upward and caught the sword.
However, that was exactly what Arthur was waiting for. The sword had already weathered out due to fighting and slashing the Wujins whose scales were so hard that only a HEAT tank was able to kill it. Arthur had long left the handle of the sword. The ring around his index finger morphed into silver claws on his fingertips and Arthur went straight for its jugular.
The silvery claws dug deeper into its throat and poisonous blood squirted out in a thin stream. Avoiding it, Arthur applied more force until his claws dug deeper until it touched the creature's tongue. Yanking it out with one powerful tug, Arthur phased out once again.
The Queen's frills were perpetually retracted as she gave constant orders, trying to make a defensive wall of her subjects. But no matter how much she tried, Arthur was able to exploit the holes in their defences and after a few minutes, their formation would crumble, descending into a slaughtering chaos.
Atop the hill, Astrid was standing on the upper end of the ravine from where the crack between the mountains extended downward into a steep valley like trap. The fog was heavy as clouds descended down, and her vision was blurry.
Her hands trembled against the rough textured surface of the ground.
Her fingers were pulsating with a subtle hum, Arcanum lightning up the node inside her mind that activated the Arcane Art.
She let out a shallow breath and a small cloud of fog escaped her lips.
'Any time now…' She focused, trying to not let it waver.
As if on cue, something huge flew and crashed into the mountain beside her before slowly slipping into the ravine below.
As Astrid looked down, she saw Michael herding the Wujins like a dog herding livestock. The Queen had already sent a command to leave Michael and Astrid alone and focus on the bigger threat.
Arthur.
However, Michael was holding his own very well against them, not allowing a single one of them pass him.
"Alright, ya ugly bastards! First to get past me gets a free cheesesteak from me!" He cackled like a maniac as his fist drove into the one who had passed his right flank, followed by a loud splatter as its skull got crushed and the impact made a crater beneath him. "Come on, ya dogs! Try better."
His Arcanum was alive and pulsating, like a sparkler candle. The Queen's sail-like frills opened once again, thrumming as all of the Wujins that were going against Michael immediately turned around and started to flank to the side and then planned to regroup together.
Michael sneered.
'They're going right into his trap.'
The whole formation ran in tandem, circling from underneath the ravine-like place Michael had formed. As Astrid spotted them, she pressed her hands firmly on the ground.
A translucent, white light spilled from her hands and a dome started to extend from about 70 feet above the Wujins. Extending downwards, it closed all of the paths. A few of them managed to escape, but they were instantly caught by Michael and killed.
'Good thing the fatality limitation doesn't apply to these fuckers.' He thought to himself in a moment of pure bliss.
Michael – as Arthur had guessed – had a Divine Covenant. Since his Arcane Art's byproduct brought harm to his own body, he made a Covenant in which he would seal his Arcane Art away in exchange for around 3 to 4 times increase in his physical abilities.
However, there was more to it. He did not permanently give up his Arcane Art for physical capabilities, he could still use it but only when he was at around 30% 'health,' i.e. when he is really close to dying.
Since he was able to still tap into his Arcane Art, the loss he had to incur was that as soon as he reached 30% health, he would lose his physical buff. And while he had this buff, he can not kill humans. Michael had thought this would not apply to Edeners. However, it was applicable, given how no one who fought him had died.
Monsters, however, were exempt from this criteria.
It was annoying, but Michael was fully satisfied with it. With a ridiculous amount of strength coupled with the knowledge of multiple martial arts, he was a force to be reckoned with, even with only basic body augmentation.
Astrid let out a pained gasp as the Wujins started to club against her barrier in which she had sealed them. At the same time Michael called out for Arthur.
"DO IT!"
Without looking back, Arthur flicked his wrist and the weapons he had lodged into the ravine all started to oscillate subtly, creating a specific weak frequency of sound waves to wash over them in an orderly manner.
The clubbing started to weaken, before eventually dying out.
"Perfect." Michael grinned as Astrid fell on her back, gasping loudly.
"God that took a lot out of me…" she mumbled to herself before looking over in Arthur's direction.
His clothes were sagging down due to the blood and sweat leaking out from his body. He had already overused 'Slipstream'.
The number of steps before his body started to break was around 15 steps. Right now he has used it for around 18 times, resulting in the muscles in his left arm torn and ears bleeding.
However, the heavy amounts of adrenaline coursing through his bloodstream numbed out the pain.
The commanders were all dead, their bodies making an extremely large pile.
The Queen took a step back. Her regular soldiers were running towards her.
However, it was too late.
Biting back a groan, Arthur phased, turning the last, dying spark into a checkpoint and arrived behind the Queen. She tried to turn around, however, Arthur effortlessly lodged his blade's tip into its membranous frill.
It let out a loud crunch.
The ones circling around the queen and a few others that had circled around Astrid suddenly limped.
She looked back and a wave of horror washed over her.
The Wujin jumped at her, determined to kill her at least.
Astrid brought her hands up, but before it could bite down at her, Arthur yanked the frills from the Queen with his bare hands, killing it in the process and in extension, turning the switch off for every Wujin around them.
The Wujin's giant body fell on Astrid.
She let out a groan, trying to push the humongous weight of the creature from above her. But even with Arcanum, she wasn't strong enough.
"BUAHAHAHA! LOOK AT YOU! Squashed like the little rat you are!" Michael mocked, wrapping his arms around his waist as he laughed.
"Oh, for heaven's sake." She grumbled to herself. It wasn't just that one but every Wujin was dropping dead the moment their Queen was killed.
Suddenly, Astrid's lips started to tremble as she saw something. Something that wasn't supposed to be here. And the scene sent her senses into an unbridled state of alarum.
It was not Arthur and his bloodied face, nor was it the way he was sitting on the giant throne of Wujin corpses, but it was the one standing right behind Michael.
His horns etched a deep imprint into her mind.
She pointed to his back, her lips fluttering but fear muffled out every word.
Michael threw his body backwards and a dark blade pierced through his forearm. As he looked back, his eyes were met with squinted amethyst eyes.
"You are quite the bother, from what we have observed." The newcomer spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "The Lord has decreed, should you sabotage his plans, I will personally execute you. Do not expect any form of mercy."
Michael sneered, unfazed by his arm that bled profusely. "Fuck your lord... and FUCK YOU!" Ed's eyes widened as he brought his other arm upwards. The bones inside his arm rattled from Michael's punch.
Arthur looked at the scene with a tired look, still sitting comfortably atop the pile of corpses of the commander ranked Wujins. He let out a deep breath and his Arcanum started to slowly hasten the process of his healing. To an extent it was capable of.
Ed had already summoned Nightcrackle, which meant that Michael wouldn't last long. Not without a weapon of his own or his Arcane Art.
Arthur thought. His eyes flicked from Michael to Astrid who had almost removed the hulking weight of the creature from atop herself.
'Something isn't right…'
Arthur mused; the grey clouds overcast subsiding. His Arcanum had taken a huge hit, dropping to around 40% of what it was. As he watched the battlefield break underneath the might of Michael and Ed's auras clashing together, he took in a deep breath, trying to refill his reserves.
His heart palpitated as the much purer form of Arcanum – when compared to Earth at least – seeped into his skin and stored into his primary node. Even if the air was tinged with a foul smell, it felt extremely light and crisp.
As the adrenaline started to wash off, he started to feel the pain hit him like a truck. However, at the same time, he jumped down from the makeshift throne of corpses.
Just as his foot touched the ground, a huge, sickly green runic circle encased the entire battlefield, save for the place where Michael, Ed and Astrid were.
Arthur's eyes widened as he recognised the circle.
Turning around, his eyes met a single person.
Short, curly white hair and a pair of slit golden eyes. Two pairs of obsidian horns shone in the sun as it continued its ascent and washed the whole world in an orange hue now that the stormy clouds were gone.
Two horns sprouted from his forehead that moved upwards and the other two extended upwards from his temples and curled down around his ear.
He looked down at the dead Wujin queen, her frills yanked away from her.
"You are smarter than I thought."
Arthur stayed silent. There was no more chance for him to phase out of this circle. And his body was as heavy as lead.
"How did you predict my Arcane Art? Even if Adam or Eve passed out everything that they knew about us, this Arcane Art was not well known back then. So how?"
Arthur stayed silent once again. Not because he didn't want to talk. But he was trying to save every bit of energy.
The Lord looked at him with a rather amused look. "You look angry at this outcome." He placed his chin over his hand.
"If it makes you feel any better, I can't make use of the Queen. You have foiled my whole plan of controlling the Wujin Army." He paused and then looked down at him.
"It is really infuriating, you know."
He studied Arthur's entire form and felt his muscles going stiff. "Pardon my manners. I am Jayden Cromwell. Lord of Central Dominion."
"Uh, cool."
Arthur's chest heaved up and down and then suddenly he held his breath.
Lightning spilled out of Arthur's body as a huge amount of Arcanum exploded underneath his feet and he shot forward towards him.
"Oh? Nice attempt."
With a rapacious glint in his eyes, the Lord raised his hand making a sign.
"But playtime's over, pup." He sneered.
The tip of his thumb and index finger created a perfect ring, while the other three fingers stood tall, like a crown. He placed the circle directly in front of his eye, the open space framing his golden iris like a lens.
Through the small, rounded window, his eyes shone with an otherworldly glow.
The light caught the edges of his fingers, casting a soft shadow.
"Technique Deployment."
The Lord – Jayden Cromwell – mumbled with a victorious grin as Arthur frowned.
"Requiem of Eternal Rest."
Jayden deployed his technique once again as everything turned white.
Was it a checkmate?