The three Riders did not pause to admire their handiwork. They leaped into the air, dispersing in different directions to search for the remaining ShadowWeavers. Kyra headed towards the most likely location of Grim, still believing he was behind OneEye. CodeForger went north to secure the rear, and Daed guarded her back. They remained within each other's reach, ready to provide support when needed. It was all a diversion, designed to draw Grim's attention away from the others.
Grim had no choice but to confront them.
"Daed, below you!" CodeForger shouted through the Mind-Lace.
What?! Kyra thought, her gaze snapping downwards. She saw Grim, disguised as Unshorn, charging towards Daed. How did he blindside us?
He was too fast for Kyra and Daed to react. He slammed his fist into Daed's gut with all his might, his use of Revert rendering Daed's Aegis-Veil useless.
Kyra watched in horror as Daed lost consciousness, propelled upwards by the force of the blow, blood spewing from his mouth. Grim followed without hesitation. Kyra gave chase, but she was no match for his speed. She had to stay on his tail. If he escaped with Daed, their plan would crumble. As a RiteMaster, Grim could easily generate a Shackled-Sigil, forcing Daed into servitude.
Kyra could only watch helplessly as the ShadowWeaver reached for the unconscious Masson. But at that moment, a black arrow materialized near Grim's left side. It was not aimed at the ShadowWeaver, however, but at Daed.
As the arrow was about to strike, it transformed, morphing into a humanoid figure. Selhob!
He grabbed Daed and continued ascending, leaving Grim behind. The ShadowWeaver changed course, diving towards Kyra.
Kyra flew towards CodeForger, Grim in hot pursuit. CodeForger opened fire, forcing the ShadowWeaver to evade the bullets while still chasing Kyra. The LastBorn maintained a straight course, providing a predictable target for Gaia. I must keep going straight, she thought. This will give Gaia a clear shot.
As Grim focused on dodging CodeForger's barrage while still pursuing Kyra, another black arrow appeared, this time finding its mark. It pierced Grim's left arm, exploding in a controlled burst, severing the limb.
Grim lost control, plummeting towards the ground.
He was finished. Kyra stopped fleeing, correcting her trajectory and charging towards her falling opponent. She positioned herself at his right side and met his gaze. Dread filled his eyes. With a swift swing of her sword, she severed his remaining arm.
Grim watched helplessly as his right arm fell away. Kyra followed up with a powerful punch to his face, knocking him unconscious and sending him hurtling towards the ground. I cannot risk him using his Kin Rune again, she thought, using Mind-Hand to halt his descent.
"Target secured," she announced through the Mind-Lace, gently hovering in the air. Maintaining her grip on their primary objective, she descended towards the ground, CodeForger close behind. Selhob, still carrying the unconscious Daed, followed.
Kyra landed first, guiding her prisoner to the ground, forcing him to kneel as blood streamed from his severed limbs. His head hung low.
CodeForger cautiously approached Grim and tossed two rings towards him. They turned to dust, entering the prisoner's body.
"How did he appear below us?" Kyra inquired through the Mind-Lace.
"OneEye wasn't holding a Soul-Sever," CodeForger explained.
"I see," Kyra said. He had transformed into a sword and then reversed the morph after we left the ground. He came at us from below, and since Codex-7's scanners could not penetrate the Bastion's coating, CodeForger could not differentiate between a sword and Grim's morphed form. To think he and Selhob had the same idea. Not bad! He had more guts than I thought.
Selhob arrived and gently laid Daed on the ground before kneeling beside him, using Restore to mend his comrade's wounds. "Brilliant plan, Selhob," Kyra praised. "Risky, but efficient."
Selhob chuckled. "I'm the best."
Gaia's arrival was imminent, Kyra thought, just as the One materialized above them. "Nice shot," Kyra commended her friend.
Gaia merely smiled in response.
Sena, carrying Kira, landed near the group. She gently set Kira down and approached Grim. "Just in time," Kyra said.
Sena smiled and activated her Kin Rune before walking towards Grim, whose wounds were already closing, and the bleeding stopped. She stood behind him and placed her right hand on the back of his neck. Selhob finished healing Daed, who stood up, scratching his head. "Did we win?" he asked with a grin.
Selhob playfully smacked him on the back of the head. "Course we did."
Kyra smiled.
After a while, Sena removed her hand, leaving the Seal of Binding burned into Grim's skin. This was the only known method to sever the connection between StreamBreath and its user. Once applied, it blocked the Primal Rune, rendering the Rider incapable of using Runes. Grim was truly secured.
Two down, one to go. "CodeForger, he's yours. We need to check on Igniss," Kyra said, releasing Grim from her Mind-Hand. CodeForger took over, using his own Mind-Hand to restrain the prisoner. "Selhob, Daed, and Gaia, with me," she ordered.
The four leaped towards Igniss and Unshorn, who were engaged in a brutal battle to the south.
Kyra and the others watched as the two Dragons clashed on the ground. Both wielded the same type of Soul-Sever, rendering Mend-Flesh ineffective. Igniss held his ground, evading and blocking his opponent's blows while delivering powerful strikes of his own. Neither yielded an inch, their movements blurring with speed. Igniss laughed wildly as blood streamed from his wounds, mirrored by Unshorn's injuries. They reveled in the thrill of combat, their bloodlust evident. If I were Unshorn's opponent, I would die instantly, Kyra thought, marveling at their ferocity.
"Typical," Gaia scoffed, readying her bow.
"Wait!" Kyra interjected. "Igniss would hate it if we spoiled his fun."
Gaia, Daed, and Selhob grinned. "True," Selhob agreed.
They continued to observe the battle.
Several minutes later, Igniss found an opening in his opponent's guard. He unleashed his right fist, driving it into Unshorn's chest. He grabbed hold of the Dragon's heart and, with a surge of Alkahest, caused Unshorn's limbs to rot and fall away. The fight was over.
Kyra and the others joined Igniss, Kyra beaming with pride as she gazed at her exhausted teammate. Despite being covered in blood, sweat, and wounds, he exuded strength and determination. "A great fight!" she commended him through the Mind-Lace, her gaze shifting to Unshorn.
Igniss nodded, catching his breath. "It was a good bout," he said aloud to Unshorn.
The Dragon shortly stopped his manic laughter, spat a mouthful of blood at Igniss, and resumed his cackling.
Igniss looked at Kyra, a silent request in his eyes. He wanted to grant his opponent an honorable death after their fierce battle. He did not want him taken prisoner. Kyra nodded in understanding.
Igniss met Unshorn's gaze and swiftly pulled his hand from the Dragon's chest, heart in hand. It pulsed one final time before falling still. Unshorn was dead. Igniss used Convert to incinerate the heart and then tossed it onto the remains of his fallen foe, summoning black flames to consume the corpse.
"Igniss, can you manage?" Kyra asked, concerned for his well-being.
"Yes," he replied, a smile playing on his lips as he watched the flames devour Unshorn's remains.
"Good," Kyra said. "Let's head back," she instructed through the Mind-Lace.
The five leaped into the air, returning to the others.
They landed near Kira, who was staring intently at Grim. The prisoner was awake, his wounds healed by CodeForger. He returned Kira's gaze, his expression unreadable. She remained oblivious to the arrival of Kyra and the others, her focus solely on Grim. Sena stood behind the captive, her hand still resting on his neck.
"Sena!" CodeForger called out, walking towards Igniss. He asked her to take over guarding the prisoner. He then tossed four rings at Igniss, which turned to dust and entered his body, beginning the healing process.
Kyra approached Kira and placed a hand on her shoulder. "What is it?" she asked gently.
Kira turned to Kyra, her voice filled with urgency. "What will you do with him?"
Kyra smiled. "After we extract some information from him, an Arbiter will decide his fate," she explained. "My guess is he'll either be imprisoned or executed."
Kira turned away from Kyra and marched towards Grim, stopping a few paces away. "Why did you oppress us!" she demanded.
Grim sneered, his face still bearing Unshorn's features. "We only sought to build a nation. And a nation is like a tree – it needs water to grow. And a nation's water is blood. The more that's spilled, the stronger and more resilient it becomes. It may seem cruel to you, but it is an unpleasant fact, a necessary condition. What I did was essential. A truth." He gestured towards the six Riders behind her. "They would know. Their King did the same."
He had a point. The SixOriginals had a long history of warring amongst themselves, their endless conflict leading to the emergence of the other Rider kinds. The bloodshed continued until the rise of the first LastBorn Rider, the current King. His strength, justice, and revolutionary ideals had united Riders from all kinds and nations. However, his efforts for peace had ignited the EraSchism. After years of arduous struggle, peace was finally achieved, and the Accord, a treaty that became law, was enacted, establishing the LastBorn Aggregate.
Kyra approached Grim, her gaze cold. "Don't compare yourselves to our King," she said, her voice laced with disdain. "You lot are neither just nor vile. You are simply scum. And death is the only penance for scum."
"Do you honestly believe your superiors will kill me?" Grim grinned, his eyes gleaming with defiance. "No. They'll brand me with a Shackled-Sigil and continue to exploit me for the benefit of your Aggregate. So, who's the scum now, little girl?"
It was a possibility. Marking with Shackled-Sigils was a common practice among Riders, even within the Aggregate. The thought sickened Kyra.
"I don't know much about complicated stuff," Kira said, her voice firm. "But I know how to grow trees. A tree watered with blood withers and dies, while a tree watered with clean water grows strong."
Grim remained unfazed, his smirk unwavering.
Her answer solidified Kyra's decision. She smiled and placed her hand on Kira's shoulder once more. The little girl turned to meet her gaze. "Do you want to become like me?" Kyra asked, her eyes locking with Kira's. We don't help those who don't help themselves, she thought. None of her team objected. They understood.
"Kira, you are strong. You helped us save your world from their oppression. It will take time, but your people will be free to govern themselves and rebuild," Kyra explained, her voice filled with conviction. "I believe you are more than worthy to be a LastBorn."
Kira's eyes widened, a smile slowly spreading across her face. She nodded eagerly.
"Good," Kyra said. Then, to initiate her, she added, "You won't need your old name anymore. From this day forward, your name shall be Elara Vane." Kyra activated the Akashic-Key Rune, the symbol appearing on her forehead.
The scenery around Kyra shifted as she found herself standing before a giant, rotating black cube in a vast, white void. I hate this scenery, she thought. The stark white surroundings instantly transformed into a majestic mountain range covered in snow, a breathtaking orange sky illuminated by the rising sun. She stood atop the highest peak, the black cube still hovering nearby. I can always change the environment around the Akashic Records' representation, she mused. I've tried changing the cube's shape, but it always remains the same. Primal once told me that Logos said the Akashic Records want sentient beings to perceive it this way.
"Connect me with Praetor Vorn," she spoke to the black cube, though she knew it wasn't necessary.
A tall, muscular man with black hair and a bleak, silver-chromed mask covering his face materialized before her. He wore the same uniform as Kyra. The black cube hovered between them.
"Main target secured. Two targets down," Kyra reported immediately. Praetor Vorn, the Arbiter overseeing the mission, listened intently. "We suffered no losses. Mission successful."
"Well done," Praetor Vorn replied. "Take the mark to Nabira."
"Understood," Kyra responded. "There's something else."
"What is it?"
"I made a choice," Kyra stated. "Her name is Elara Vane, and I'm bringing her along."
The Arbiter nodded once in approval.