Dakkon noticed the man’s look and immediately pounded his chest, eyes wild as he stared back at Roy. “You think you can defeat me?! I’m Dakkon Kaito of the fateful three. I’ve killed giants with my bare hands! I’ve left massacres in my wake! And you? You’re just a dog! Soon that little boost of power of yours will dry up and you’ll be nothing!”
Roy grinned, noticing a figure darting around behind them as he channeled everything he had into his palm. The energy formed into a sphere, drawing on his void aura, his borrowed light energy and the little he had left of his divine power. “Maybe you just need to learn how to shut your damn mouth.”
Roy darted forward, slamming the shining orb into Dakkon with everything that he had.
“Ultraviolet spiral!”
A ring of dust rose from the ground as the two adepts collided, filling the center of the arena with a blast of brilliant, violet light. Dakkon dug his heels into the ground as Roy pressed forward, staving off the spinning orb of energy as it tore away at his gray skin.
The two struggled in the sand as the void adept fought for positioning, pouring everything that he was into the swirling orb. Then with a final shout, Roy’s released the technique, enveloping Dakkon Kaito in a final, explosive blast.
Suddenly, the arena fell very still as Roy dropped to a knee, his strength completely expended and his spirit taxed beyond belief. A cloud of spiritual smoke swirled in front of him, the aftereffect of his technique that left his opponent’s fate hidden.
Roy clenched a fist and pressed it into the ground, using it to support his weight. He watched with hope as the smoke slowly began to fade, drifting off into the ether... a hope that was quickly dashed when he spotted Dakkon Kaito still very much on his feet.
The behemoth grimaced, unable to move as his hands clutched are the brutal spherical wound now smoking in his chest.
“You bastard,” Dakkon growled, legs shaking as he tried to will his body forward. It was clear that he was feeling just as much pain as Roy. “I’ll kill you!” he said, taking another step forward and nearly putting himself in striking range. “I’ll ki-“
Dakkon’s words were cut short as a thin line of golden light flashed across the man’s neck, then another across his torso. For several breaths the man stood very still, eyes wide and arms unmoving... Then he took a final step forward and his head rolled off his shoulders.
Roy watched in disbelief as the Kaito brother’s body tumbled lifelessly to the ground, emitting a cloud of soul essence large enough to block out the worldstar. Quickly, his spirit scan went about absorbing his portion of essence, clearing his vision once more. And standing in his wake was none other than his brother in arms... Kai Blaine.
The beast adept leaned back and let out a victorious roar, hoisting his new weapon dawnbreaker into the air. Roy immediately wondered why his companion had been able to wield the weapon and he had not. Perhaps it was because he already had divine energy flowing through his veins... or perhaps, it was the goddess had said... Dawnbreaker belonged in the hands of the righteous. Either way, he was eternally grateful to have Kai at his side.
With his vision growing hazy, Roy shifted his weight to all fours and crawled over to where Kimoura laid. He couldn’t feel her spirit anymore, nor could he feel the light that usually flooded her form.
With his heart beating uncontrollably, he turned the woman over and placed his head on her chest, waiting impatiently for that oh so precious sign of life. He remained completely still, waiting for something, anything...
Then came a breath.
“Thank all the damn gods,” Roy muttered, rolling over to his side as the worldstar bathed him in its rays. Then, unable to hold his focus any longer, he allowed unconsciousness to grip his spirit as everything in his vision slowly faded to black.
Chapter 25
The Glorious Silver Dragon
The war-torn marketplace, the city of Shadowreach
Seline Bonaduce, the glorious silver dragon, had appeared like a ghost from Ayzeth’s past. During the massacre of the steel brotherhood, the devil adept and his brothers had laid waste to her friends, her loved ones, and a number of soldiers that had served under her name. However, when it came to the adept herself, Ayzeth had failed to defeat her... a failure he kept to himself up until this very moment. Perhaps he had assumed that she would disappear into hiding. Perhaps he didn’t want to tarnish his pride by telling the spiders of his failure... But for whatever reason it was, Ayzeth Kaito had failed to hunt her down.
That only proved how foolish he really was.
“You!” Ayzeth growled as he locked eyes with the woman, the silver light of her aura reflecting in his empty, black orbs. Although she was a flame adept, Seline had a very unique spirit aura. Her body, like many of the Bonaduce family, was imbued in the flames of dragon fire. However, she had undergone a very special transformation... an imbuing in the flames of a mighty silver dragon. The technique had left her body scarred beyond belief, and many thought that she wouldn’t survive. But she did... she not only survived, but her aura took on a mighty transformation, strengthening it, morphing into the aura of the silver flame. And with it came a boost of unbridled draconic strength.
Seline didn’t bother to respond to the devil adept, not when her message could be written in blood. Instead, she channeled spirit energy into her legs and launched herself at Ayzeth, blade trained directly at his throat.
Flashes of silver light filled the destroyed marketplace as Seline went on the attack, darting in and out with insane speed as she struck out at the Kaito brother with her blade. Each time she waded in, the silver flame adept targeted a new area of her opponent.
Sparks showered the pair as she swept her blade across his horns, and crimson liquid sprayed across the soil as she landed a strike on his thigh. Her movements were fast and precise, like that of a warrior who’d fought a thousand battles.
From an onlooker’s perspective, one would guess that the silver dragon was picking her opponent apart. However, Ayzeth was just as deadly as he looked. The devil adept was well aware he could never match Seline’s speed, especially when she was at full power. But what he could do was anticipate her strikes. Each time the woman bolted in, her body would release a signature flash of silvery spirit energy. At that precise second, Ayzeth would channel his own spirit energy, releasing a pulse of destructive aura that surrounded his form. And when Seline closed in, that devilish aura would burn at her flesh, punishing her for every single inch taken.
“How long can you keep this up?” Ayzeth asked, raising his claws as he awaited Seline’s next strike. “How long can you stand the burn?”
Seline ignored his comment and attacked once more, aiming for a straight stab to the gut. Ayzeth responded a bit differently this time, activating another skill of his own.
“Obsidian skin!”
The devil adept’s flesh changed to a deep black hue as the woman charged in, hardening like stone for the briefest of seconds. Her sword, forged to the sharpest of points, merely clanged off his armored flesh, sending another wave of sparks into the air and drawing a look of surprise on her face.
“Gotcha!’ Ayzeth said as he reached out and grabbed her by the arm, immediately digging his claws into her flesh to secure his hold. Seline didn’t cry out though, nor did she show a single shred of pain. Instead, she began channeling her next technique.
“Silver flame inferno!”
Waves of shimmering fire swirled around her form, growing in intensity until it was strong enough to blast Ayzeth off his feet. The devil adept lost his grip and was sent careening through the market before crashing horns first into an overturned cart, smashing it to pieces.
“You will never best me again,” Seline said, finally speaking with her commanding, unshakable tone. “And you will not be leaving here alive. The bounty of blades ends here.”
Ayzeth rose to his feet, his aura pulsing with anger as he met the woman’s resolute gaze. Behind her, he could see his brother Kazuka falling to some strange
darkbeast adept… and Dakkon hadn’t reported in either. By the dark gods, he was not going to let things end like this.
“Very well, Bonaduce. If you’d like to end things, then I’d be more than happy to oblige!” Drawing in all of his spirit aura, Ayzeth slammed a fist into the ground, activating something stored deep within his soul. It was a power he hadn’t used since the massacre of the steel brotherhood, a power that once unleashed, he couldn’t hope to control. It was the power of destruction… in its most absolute form.
“You brought this upon yourself, Seline! Now the lives lost today will be in your name! Divine power: Annihilation Wave!”
Corrupted energy immediately began to spread from his fist, eating away at the ground, destroying everything it passed over like an all-consuming plague. It was a power born of the dark gods, a power that never should have seen the light of day. And as long as Ayzeth could channel it, it would destroy everything in its path.
Seline acted instantaneously, charging at the man despite the sudden pang of fear in her soul. The manifestation of this technique had been burned into her memory… the very skill that killed so many that she loved. After all this time, she still didn’t know of a way to stop it, but here in the bowels of the ravaged marketplace, she had to try.
“Steel Brotherhood technique: Seven Bladed Guardian!”
Energy poured from the silver flame adept’s body as six ghostly warriors took form, melding with one another to create a massive armored guardian in their wake. The ghostly warrior immediately set its eyes on Ayzeth, charging him as dark energy continued to pour out of his soul.
Ayzeth spotted the creature and quickly channeled some of his own energy in return, sending the destructive power directly at the armored guard. The two adepts tensed as they set their mighty techniques on a collision course, unsure of what awaited when their unstoppable skills would meet…
Then with a sudden pulse of spirit energy, everything came to a complete and utter halt.
A crippling wave of gravitational spirit energy filled the marketplace, forcing Seline onto her stomach and Ayzeth onto his back. Their techniques, once on the verge of unleashing irreparable damage, quickly dispersed as the pair of combatants were nearly crushed under an invisible weight.
All remained quiet as the two writhed on the ground, struggling to retain their own thoughts as they were buried under a power that they couldn’t see but surely felt. Then, as a few more agonizing seconds ticked by, they saw him. Descending from the clouds as if he was one of the gods themselves was the self-appointed ruler of the city… the spirit magus, Argo Zael had arrived.
“Well, well, well…” the spirit magus said, eyeing the two combatants with a curiosity that defied his age. “I haven’t seen fights like these in quite a long time.” The tone of his voice reflected genuine amusement, if not outright pleasure.
“Then why not let us continue,” Ayzeth growled, forcing his head nearly an inch off the ground.
Argo chuckled. “Because I can’t have you destroying my city… at least not while I’m still around.”
“You fool. I demand that you allow me to rise and fulfill the bounty of blades, a decree made by the dark gods of-“ Ayzeth’s words were cut short as Argo reversed the polarity of his gravitational technique, sending the devil adept into the clouds and completely out of sight.
Argo chuckled again before easing the pressure on Seline. “Don’t worry, he’ll come back down in a few days… probably a few hundred miles from here.”
“You should have killed him,” Seline said, brushing the dirt away from her clothes.
Argo shrugged. “Maybe, but then I’d be going against everything I built this city for. This place is a haven for outlaws… those that society has cast out.”
“But he is part of a guild,” Seline argued. “The worst kind.”
Argo nodded. “Maybe your right. Or maybe he’s an outcast just like yourself. I mean, the guy has red skin and horns.”
Seline shook her head, returning her blade to its sheath. “I don’t want to talk about him anymore.”
“Me neither,” Argo replied, approaching the woman with an almost boyish smile.
“I want to talk about you. I love watching you people fight, by the way.”
Seline paused, putting her arms up in defense. “Me?”
“Yes,” he continued. “The orphan building her empire in my city streets. Don’t think I haven’t had my eye on you.”
Seline nearly assumed a defensive stance, though deep down she knew it was a bad idea. If Argo wanted her gone, he’d merely use his power to send her into space.
“Why me?” she asked, voice hesitant.
Argo stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m going to be completely honest with you right now, Lady Bonaduce. I am going to die soon… and I need someone to watch over these streets.”
****
A few days later
Roy Skyworth leaned back in the old chair at the center of the living area and let out a deep, resentful sigh. It had been nearly a week since the melee in the arena, and the others had forbidden him from accepting any contracts until his body had completely healed and his spirit was back in fighting form, especially with the threat of Ayzeth making his return. Unfortunately, sitting in the tower day and night had slowly begun to make the man stir crazy.
Drawing in another deep breath, Roy thought back to the trials he’d faced over the past few days. He and Kimoura had nearly lost their lives in the arena to that massive brute, Dakkon and his sadistic infatuation with bloodshed. In fact, if it wasn’t for Kai, he was certain he’d be lying in his own grave.
The durable void adept had been out for nearly a day after that battle, only to find out that the others had faced struggles even worse than his own. Varyon and Remley had been beaten within inches of their existence, and Quinn had suffered a back injury that still hadn’t healed.
And then there was Leila… The woman had supposedly unleashed her dark passenger, allowing it to consume her before disappearing into the city’s shadows. Varyon was the only adept who had experience with such dark forces, and he had assured the others that Leila would turn up once her host had drained her of her spirit energy. Still, that didn’t stop Remley from coercing his sister into lending him men for an informal search party… a search party that turned up nothing.
Perhaps it was just a matter of time…
Shaking off his feelings of doubt, Roy rose to his feet and walked over to his private quarters, a small space that he now shared with Kimoura. Currently, she was seated in the center of the room, legs crossed and fists pressed together as she vigorously channeled her aura. He found it amazing how quickly her light aura had worked to mend most of her wounds, though what he found more amazing was the woman herself. When he had entered kindred mode, it was like he felt a piece of her soul melding with his, something more chaotic and intimate than anything he’d ever felt before.
Roy tried to exit the room silently, but his spirit still managed to give him away. Although she continued to channel, a small smile appeared on Kimoura’s face, acknowledging his presence. He grinned, giving the woman her pics as he quietly exited the room.
After re-entering the main living area, Roy made his way over to one of the flat, wooden tables where a large, crystalline shard sat on display. This shard… this piece was all he had left of his cryofox, the loyal little creature that had followed him into battle. If only he’d forced it to stay back, then it might still be alive…
“Sorry buddy,” he said, fighting back a wave of guilt. He pressed his hand onto the ice shard, releasing the tiniest bit of built up energy into the shard in an almost therapeutic manner.
Slowly, the adept began to walk away, though something in the corner of his vision caught his eye. Had he… had he just seen the ice shard wriggle? Several seconds passed by as Roy stared intently at the shard, waiting for something to happen again… but nothing. Perhaps his mind was just playing tricks on him. Or perhaps�
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Suddenly, a noise caught the man’s attention… something just outside the tower. Roy paused and turned his head to the window, staring out at the pale, orange sky. His eyes lingering on the window’s sill as he waited for the adept outside to show his face, the one giving off the primal feeling brushing against his spirit.
A breath later the face of Kai Blaine appeared in the window, his eyes glowing with bestial energy and his hands transformed into mighty claws. Though Kai hadn’t officially joined the ranks of the Sky Wolves, their fight with Dakkon had cemented his position as an informal member of the team. That was something Roy was extremely thankful for, especially with Kai’s prior display of stubbornness. They may have challenged one another in the past, but the truth was when working together they made each other better.
“Don’t tell me you’re still licking your wounds,” Kai said as he slipped into the window, maneuvering so that his divine axe didn’t clip the sill. “I remember you taking a bullet to the leg back in Phoenix City and trying to come back to work the next day.”
Roy chuckled. “I’d say the beating we took was just a little bit worse.”
Kai shook his head. “Don’t get soft on me Skyworth. I need your help.”
“With what?”
Kai grinned. “I think I might have a hunch about where your friend might be.”
Roy’s eyes went wide. “You’ve seen Leila?”
“No,” Kai replied. “But the streets talk. In the slums, there’s been rumors of a creature lurking in the sewers... a creature with jet-black skin that looks just like a darkbeast.”
Roy’s heart began to pound. “D’you think it’s her?”
Kai’s shot Roy and adventurous look. “There’s only one way to find out. Are you with me, brother?”
Roy shifted his gaze back to his quarters where the soft glow of aura radiated from the doorway. He smiled, then turned back to Kai and grasped the man’s hand. “Damn right I am.”
The Adept Archives: Volumes 1-3 Page 40
