Royal Duels Rules:
The candidates must not directly kill other candidates. Companions can kill candidates. Supporters can only prevent the companions of candidates. Death is accepted in this duel. The royal duels won't end until the four fragments are assembled in one's hands. Only companions have the privilege to withdraw.
- A supporter can sacrifice himself to give the targeted population 10 points
- Punishment: Getting to the Black List for the next 500 years
Supporters of one line aren't allowed to support candidates and companions of other lines. Punishment: Execution. Points System:
+ Defeat:
- A supporter = 1 point
- A companion = 10 points
- A candidate = 100 points
+ Kill = 10x points for each.
Point transfer: -20% for fees. Rewards System:
*25 points = tracking one's location
*100 points = instant recovery
*250 points = duel declaration to a candidate
*500 points = shield (protect a candidate beneath one deadly strike)
*1000 points = Fragment Steal (one-time-used; guaranteed)
- Requirement: the companions have left the duel.
In the forest of the west, Prince Harba and his companion, Almy, are following the road near the highest mountain. These royal duels are organized inside another dimension, also the destination of each candidate here. They must find out the location of "it" for the final goal.
But the problem is none of them know exactly where it is and this dimension is as big as a real world outside. If they weren't told the truth, none of them would believe that it's true.
Almy: "Where are we going?"
Harba only steps forward without looking back, "Just follow."
Inside his right hand, a compass lingers under the moonlight. She can see it's pointing to the east clearly. Within that moment, Almy realizes that these duels aren't that great.
She was taught to be a loyal companion for the prince or princess without any reason.
She was taught that the Royal Duels are the highest ritual, the highest honor that a woman like her can admire. She was taught, taught and taught… but no one asked her about her feelings.
*Sigh* - "Prince Harba." - Her voice is spoken up lowly.
"Go on." - An order, not an invitation.
"Can I withdraw from our Aza branch after this royal event?"
"I dare you." - His voice is cold as a metal blade cutting through her heart sharply.
The hesitation again lingers inside her chest, so miserable, "I… I want to leave. I don't want to stay here anymore."
"As I said, if you withdraw, all of your family will be set to zero." - This time he glances at her, madly.
"I know, so I want to make a contract. I will do everything to support you to the highest crown, and I want you to let us free. My wings can't bear these chains anymore." - A deprecation.
*Hah–* - A laugh, so arrogant and provoking, "Based on your performance."
"Than… Thanks." - That voice instantly evaporates in the air, as a voiceless whisper.
Suddenly, a group of 100 guys approach them in order to form a faction, obviously they are the supporters of Harba.
"Where are the others?" - He asks.
"I've sent the next destination to meet them already. It's in the swamp of the North."
"Tell them we will move to the East. Split it to many destinations for each group, I don't want my force to be defeated all at once." - He orders.
"Understood."
"What is our plan, my highness?" - A supporter asks Aliny.
"Don't worry, they will come to the East soon. With that speed, perhaps three more hours is the best chance for us to kill them all.
"Do we have any insider on that side?"
"Sure." - She smiles and continues, "If they can't figure out who he is, nothing will happen, you know?"
He also smiles, "All for your glory, my highness."
On the contrary, Crytinas is not as leisurely as them. Right in front of herself, another phoenix in human-form is giggling.
"Welcome, Crytin, why are you so serious? We are best friends, aren't we?" - Yllinas laughs.
"I don't have time for this childish gameplay, tell me what you want."
*Haha* - "First, I'd like to defeat you. Or maybe… for the better one, let's change to I want to declare a fair match with you. No matter the result, I'll support you."
"I can't believe who is set to be my enemy."
*Fuhaha* - "Don't worry my sweetie." - She takes out two pearls.
"We will make a binding vow. These pearls will take away a part of ourselves, we also must set them on the same parts for equality. Considerable~?"
"Didn't you say that you want to sweep out all the roadblocks?" - Crytinas doesn't get it.
*Haha* - "Just to correct, I said 'challengers' not 'road blocks,' got it?"
"Fine, tell me your purpose."
Yllinas looks at her, gently, "I want to kill all the strongs, I want to stay at the top of this creation and! I also don't want those two white-eyed wolves to rule our clan."
"What should the reasons be?" - Crytinas knows that they aren't suitable to be a patriarch, yet, to witness that kind of hostility, even herself needs to redetermine her evaluations.
"They do not deserve it."
Still witnessing Crytinas struggling in the confusion, Yllinas continues, "Harba, his malices is too obvious and disgusting to fit the authority and responsibility of a good leader. Aliny, she is too calculating and cunning. If the highest crown is put on her head and the greatest authority is set inside her hands, our clan's future will be dyed in separation, battles, blood, hatreds and everything must come to an end that shouldn't exist."
"So you chose me because I was the last option?" - "No."
The declaration has pierced through the veils of separation between them, "You are kind, honest and stupid."
"Hey."
"You always pretend like you are weak, yet, all your plans are just about running out of this heartless and bloody slaughtering. As usual, I don't appreciate that manner, however, right now, you are the best choice for my goodwill."
"I am not that easy for you to take control over."
"I know." - Yllinas admits.
"I know that you are stupid or somehow stubborn, also kind and determined at the same time. That kind of characteristic would be the best standard for candidates for the patriarchal authority. Perhaps you might make a mistake in ruling the clan, but it doesn't mean that you would make it worse than those two guys. Maybe the distance made by manners and behaviors among us wiped out the truth…"
Her eyes slowly move up and stop right at Crytinas' face, "We don't need power, neither property nor expedition of territories. We need a land to live happily and peacefully, it's the primordial ideal of our clan."
Then she observes silence, she just sits there and waits for the final answer.
A minute…
Two minutes…
And then, "I accept."
Their compromise has come up with three clauses:
Yllinas will help Crytinas on her way to become the next patriarch. Crytinas must move all their clan to the new place, somewhere peaceful and isolated to the outer world. The contract can be rejected later if two sides come up with the same agreement.
And their parts put on this scale for sacrifice are their left arm.
"It's my pleasure to cooperate."
"Also my honor." - Crytinas sits down and takes out an item. It's a cube, with four vertical and horizontal lines eventually distributed on each side. Looks like a 4x4 cubic and there are six different kinds of symbols for those small squares, standing for some meanings.
Even though Yllinas doesn't know what it is exactly, nevertheless, the red light surrounding has already told the whole thing.
"Mythical Item? Are they still able to exist in this slope of depression?" - She is really agitated but still tries to hold back her voice in the throat.
"H… How? - She wonders.
"This is my trump card." - Crytinas clearly reveals her secret weapon in front of Yllinas, showing her sincerity.
*Haha…" - "You are crazy…"
They say nothing but two smiles, a plan has been sealed in the darkness of the forest.
The next day, they have already seen the remains of a battle. Half of it is covered by the ashes and burnt woods and another half of it is dyed in the massive ices.
"Seems like they've fought at this place at least three hours ago."
Crytinas looks around, "I don't think we're able to find something right here. All the traces are absolutely erased, we should leave before some of them come back."
*Sigh* - "Let it be."
"Here Misin, I've found Crytinas and Yllinas, they are…"
*Crack*
"They are what?" - The voice from the other side slightly asks, but he gets nothing but the silence.
"Are you there?"
"I'm here." - Yllinas steadily controls him through her voice. This is her ability, Voice of Order.
"Now, give me the signal…"
*Boom* - Explosion in the air, a blue pillar has already formed.
"What are you doing?" - A girl instantly touches his shoulders and shakes, but…
*Crack* - In her witness, that guy just mechanically moves his hands and wrings his neck broken within an effort.
*Ah!* - Her voice rises up, but it's also buried under ground two seconds after that. That team of four was eliminated totally beneath Yllinas' hands.
A spirit instantly pops up right next to her and forms the number 40, which means she just gets 40 points for those four corpses.
"We have a maximum of 1000 supporters for each candidate. Which means there are around 1500 to 2000 creeps to farm points."
Crytinas knows what her partner wants to say, "15000 to 20000 points in general, those two companions worth 200 points. So basically we will aim at their factions instead of the headsquatters."
"Sure, we need at least 3 shields for each of us and 2000 more points for stealing the fragments. Which means 5000 in total."
"The shield will only activate when the strike is deadly enough to threaten the users' lives or whenever they actively use it. My power and abilities are about the destruction of a single target. I'll break the shields."
Matching that idea, Crytinas continues, "I need to kill all the supporters left and transfer the points to you for the guaranteed protections of yours."
"Same thoughts, but I think that you should split it into three parts. Send one third for me and save the rest, you will need it to cover our plans." - Yllinas adjusts.
"But you will need to fight against two enemies, you will need it the most." - Crytinas declines.
"Don't be stubborn Crytin, I'm the strongest here. The chance that some of them can eliminate me after three protections is really low while my physique is incredible. On the contrary, you will need to use shields instead of recovery like me."
"I care not, we will work at the equilibrium, you and I both earn half of it." - Crytinas is really stubborn right now, she doesn't care about better efficiency, she cares about their safety.
*Sigh* - "Up to you."
She also puts her hand on Crytinas' head and slightly pats.
"Oh, forgot to ask but…" - She points to the stone coffin behind her partner and wonders.
"What is that?"
*Oh…* - "Just a coffin and a corpse."
"You bring a corpse in this deadly battle?"
"Nah, my secret. Don't worry, if he wakes up before the match ends, we will win."
"Seems like you really believe in that guy." - Yllinas only smiles with a "wicked" look.
"Don't look at me like that."
Day 3, they are still hiding away from both Harba and Aliny, Crytin's suggested to find out the mausoleum first instead of farming points. But then they all came up with the same idea, they will only seek it in two days, whatever later, they must stop and gain points for the final duels.
Day 5, nothing happened in those two days. But, suddenly Yllinas is shone inside the red pillar, of course, someone has started the hunt.
She gives Crytinas a signal and runs to the forest of the west while her partner is moving to the north swamp.
"Where are you going?"
*Boom* - A bunch of ice stakes instantly drop down on the ground to form a massive wall preventing her.
*Tch* - "I wonder why you came up with this cooperation." - Crytinas burns the Aura surrounding herself with the incredible consumption speed.
"Why? Because no idiot will let others jump them at the end." - She materializes ten more ice stakes and shoots them straight toward Crytinas.
*Boom* - Even though I said they were ten ice stakes, each of them is really as big as a small hill. Based on what Kura explained before, materializing one object requires one specific cost of Aura and one more cost to maintain it. And that's still the lesser power of a manifestor.
Now, take a look at what she just did. She materialized ten giant ice stakes and placed them there as the true objects not the created one. This is the true power of the Manifestation element of the Aura System.
No fees for maintenance and lower cost for the better efficiency of manifestation. Which means, she can do something really crazy without paying that much.
Like… dying the whole forest inside the small ice age.
*Whss* - It instantly takes away the left leg of Crytinas, that cost is even the result of a self-rescue from the princess. She instinctively cut down her leg and flew upward with the wings of flames.
That destruction was caused by the features of her ice. Alterers can exchange their Aura to many forms of elements, that's true. But, to manipulate the elements absolutely in the Aura System, they must get back to their blessing issue.
Manipulation, Alteration and Manifestation, this is the best function for an ice element Aura user, generally.
*Whss* - Another ten ice stakes are created and they all pierce through everything in their way easily as pie.
*Heh~* - "Why are you running?"
They keep chasing and running from north to west, east to south and then they all climb on the highest mountain, until the first layer of clouds is left behind a large distance.
*Vsh* - After a leap, Aliny has already delivered one strike to Crytinas' left side, even though it's parried, yet, it's still enough to send her flying toward the sky with the unstoppable inertia.
*Whss* - This time, it looks like the whole sky above her head is already frozen and forced to drop down onto her head. Yes, the whole ice ball that weighs hundreds of tons of cold water has been already pushing her down.
*Krss…* - Honestly, to counter this kind of attack, Crytin only needs to concentrate her flame into her rear and form the two wings of fire. The difference in temperature between two objects is even easier for her to melt the ice while hiding that action from Aliny inside the steam under it.
*Vsh* - Instantly, another ice phoenix appears right above Crytinas' head without any announcement. Aliny already predicted this kind of action, that's why she had prepared this second plan.
Her right arm is covered by a well-carved ice gauntlet, this is one of her abilities. By materializing the ice as a normal alterer and non-stop restructuring it by adding more and more power.
If Savan was here, he would realize that it's the same power of Leo's ability with the small difference in element. Perhaps… the world has its own cycle, doesn't it?
*Vsh* - Her silhouette is erased from the sky above.
*Vsh* - In the next moment, she's right above Crytinas's head with the massive power in her hand.
"Hey Har, if I'm pushed into a dangerous situation. You must cover me no matter your current job."
You will be here, right? Her eyes haven't closed for a second, she is still looking at the coffin under her feet, where her shadow is lying on due to the vertical sunlight above.
*Plop* - Har instantly leaps upward from that pool of darkness, his hand still holding one special item.
*Bang* - Not more than one second, not even a moment, the cube has been placed fitly between his hand and that ice gauntlet. The pressure it's carrying is even equal to a mountain crushing on.
It's heavy as hell, but that left hand doesn't hesitate to keep moving forward. He needs to buy time for it to analyze the strike.
Yet, it works like Escalation Protocol, that pressure doesn't reduce but increases more and more over time. Her maximum Aura output is way more overwhelming than Leo, to maintain two seconds beneath that power, Har has already paid a big cost for it, let alone to knock her back.
*Crack* - Bones? No, her gauntlet has been cracked a bit, it seems like it's no longer able to handle the pressure of the strike.
*Heh~* - "My name is Maiya, the eldest daughter of Supreme Elder Aisen."
But the whole reaction of Har for that action is a glance and a cold face, not even a sound is made.
"Hey. How dare you?"
Putting aside the safety, she drives one more strike on the same spot - breaking all the defenses on Har's side.
*Bang* - Obviously, he has sent flying downward with the over supersonic speed. The air around him is even heated to the temperature of over fifty thousands celsius.
Do you still remember the difference between normal moving objects and Aura shifted objects that I mentioned before? Here it is, one more time, let me remind you about it for one more time.
Aura can shift objects with the controlled trajectory and it also leaves nothing like inertia or accumulative impact force. Isn't it too familiar? That's right, Light Dash, a high level spell of light element, works on this principle of coordinate shifting functions.
However, on the contrary, we have normal movement in the air, moving objects in three-dimensional space in a normal physical way, which leaves the inertia on the shifted objects. And Har is playing the same role as that mentioned object, he is flying downward to the giant ice with the cyan trail stretched behind.
Do you know what it is? Oxygen in the air can be ionized to the fourth form of any material - plasma. Which means if anything without Aura protection touches him right now, it will surely disappear out of this world, right away.
*Boom* - After a long time of waiting, Aliny has already lost control, she can't wait anymore.
"Why does it take too long?"
*Bang* - No reply, Har instantly rushes straight toward her with a head bullet right on her chest - crushing all the ribcage.
*Pff* - A sip of blood has been spurted from her two tiny lips.
*Swish - Bang* - Having fun but still keeping himself responsible, Har instantly shoots back the cube to block the ice strike from Maiya anew.
*Crackle* - The flame has burnt up, it follows her hands and concentrates at the bottom of the cube. This is one of her ultimate moves: Rising Phoenix.
*Whirr* - A tornado is even made by that reaction between those two strikes as a by-product. It's the consequence of the mana concentrating actions of those two phoenixes, yet, it seems like Maiya is in the upper position.
The space around them is full of mana particles, which is neutral between two sides, also, which means that whoever dominates another in controlling mana is whoever wins this fight.
And this chance is literally made by the only and only one equilibrium - the cube. Honestly, to fight against Maiya at this moment, it is almost improbable for Crytinas.
But, but, but! Backing up the candidates is the work of companions.
Somehow that Har can move freely and acrobatically through the flying ices no matter the fact that he was just sent flying away with the speed of Mach 30. This is insane, it doesn't only prove that he's a strong opponent, but also presses his existence into all the enemies' minds here.
And, right now, exactly at this moment, Har has sealed his hands together.
*Plop* - Intense and strong, ten shadow ropes are made and shot straight toward Maiya at her little knees.
"I dare you."
She pops up her Aura and covers herself in Guard. But then, suddenly all of it is swallowed by those ropes, without any announcement.
"Ho…"
Instantly, her body from the legs up to her chest is covered by the dark veil, this is reasonable due to the principles of Aura System.
Alright, let me remind you all the original Shadow Gates. It was given to Razun two months before his fight with Aetheria of the Holy Council East branch by the intense and non-stop wish of that man.
At first, he was able to make contracts with any beast to store them inside his shadowverse. Its function has already told the whole tale, meeting the requirements of the ability to activate itself, isn't it too obvious to determine that he's bound to the Manipulation element?
And then, he split up two shadows and fused all the lighting birds to make a chimera - Lazaro Sa. Isn't it similar to the Amplification element?
Not yet, it's even more than that. Do you still remember the first time that he mentioned "Transformation" in the secret meeting of himself and Hoshira?
"The fourth one, I call it Transformation. It allows you to temporarily change your contracted beasts into their own elements for a minute. Its benefits are obviously huge so I won't waste my time explaining it here." - He said.
Changing the beasts to their main elements temporarily, Alteration element ahead. And I haven't said anything about his talents yet, that's right, he is a specialist like Kura Cylia. And right now, Har is applying both the Alteration and Manipulation elements on the ability: Shadow Gates, but in his own way instead.
And by combining the stealing function of The Sense of Thief, which allows him to drain someone's Aura with the specific consumption speed, into those ten shadow ropes, consequently, Maiya's power is lowered time by time.
And within those two seconds, after five seconds they've been directly attacking each other, Maiya gets knocked back in that duel by the shockwave.
Don't stop at that, Crytinas one more time throws a fire ball toward her enemy with the power that can melt all the clouds above their heads.
*Eh~?* - "Don't you dare…"
Her hands point straight downward the land below, insanely releasing the incredible amount of materialized ices that fill all the sky above them.
"Look down upon me?!" - Following her movement, that ice mountain instantly drops down on both her partner and her enemies all at once.
"Sorry my highness, try to dodge it this time."
"Wait wait wait wai…" - Her voice struggles inside her throat, when the continent of ice has stayed right above herself and the enemies already.
*Clack* - Har instantly grabs the cube off Crytinas's hands. Obviously, he's going to carry all that pressure into his bones and muscles.
"Har!" - Her voice is shouted out. Yet, it's too late for her to stop him. Those lips have been bit to weave the blood through.
Her eyes reflect determination shining intensely, "Stubborn."
*Bang* - Her flame madly drops down upon Aliny and the absolute destruction within. She wants to defeat her enemy right away, their plan has changed.
*Whirr* - Birds of a feather flock together, the blizzard is formed just to defend that calamity. The sounds, the cracks and the torn space are painted between their sides. Space is a concept, and for those who can access that level of sensory perception, they can do something as powerful as Space Breaker.
*Crack* - Even an empty dimensional rift is drawn into this world as an inevitable consequence.
*Haha* - "Why are you trying so hard?" - Aliny slightly smirks, she knows that her enemy has been weaker time by time. This difference between the maximum output and persistence lies in the continuous flow of Aura to the outer world. If the accuracy of an Aura user in moving Aura not only inside but outside that body is overwhelmed, direct dueling isn't a wise choice when all the roads lead to the defeat.
*Crack* - After 2.03 seconds, Maiya's power has been negated all of sudden.
"Eh?" - A whisper, a thought and a confusion, Maiya knows that the shadow ropes weren't the reason for her negated power.
This is impossible in her perspective. As I said, her techniques of materializing objects are different from the lesser usage that Torun performed. Those objects can go far beyond the edge of her Aura and they also cost her less Aura to maintain them in the general space.
So the conjecture of the possibility of those ropes' function swallowing her Aura was the reason for that phenomena is just impossible.
There must be something. She thought.
That cube? She wondered.
And then, her body swiftly moves again to drive one more strike in the right ice gauntlet toward his face.
*Bang* - Her two fingers have been broken by the impact forces, her weapon had been deleted right before it touched the cube. And right at that moment, she has already come up with a confirmation of that cube.
"Annoying."
She swings her hands and a lot of ice spears are shot toward him.
*Shnk* - All of them are destroyed immediately beneath the expanded zone of its power.
*Tch* - Surely, she is pissed off.
*Whirr* - Twisting ice stakes covered by the flow of winds, her strategy is really simple, if the cube can negate her element, then just cover the strikes inside another element to counter the negation.
*Plop* - The shadow gate has been popped up and connected to her rear in a dead angle. This action has taken away from Maiya three drops of blood, a wound that stains her perfect self.
"How dare you?"
*Clash* - Just for examining, instead of materializing ice stakes, Maiya chooses to reform her Aura directly to an energy sword and drive its blade toward his neck. Of course, when that sound clangs around, Har has already parried the slash while the cube within already.
*Clash - Clash* - Following the pace that she leads, they swiftly move their own melody to another vibe, in another stage.
*Thud - Crack* - Within three more seconds, his back has already laid on the flying ice block over the top of the mountain.
"Struggle more!"
*Crack* - It's starting to break down slowly and slowly each time her pressure rises up.
"Move!" - Her grin is so disgusting, yet, in her own melody, that's the highest excitement that she can extend her respect through.
In other words, Maiya has admitted that she has the feeling of being threatened by the man staying below her blade right now. And it turns all her pleasure inside, all of them are flowing through her blood veins, madly.
"Let's start our melody, boy."
*Bang - Crack* - This time, the ice field has been crushed into pieces, it seems like she is no longer holding back.
Crytinas also calls his name, as a couragement or a fluster, whatever, her hope has lied on him already, though no one knows when it all began.
*Bang - Swish* - Another strong slash has sent him flying backward vertically to the ground. Fast as a bullet, the temperature around him is high enough to stretch another blue line behind, even a longer one.
But his hands still hold the cube tight until their faces are closer, as if they are going to do a face attack to each other. And when the gap is close enough, the gate is opened again.
*Plop* - Immersing into the shadow on the other side and the ropes have already locked all her limbs up, a dead end situation.
*Clash* - The sword and the cube are clashing with each other for one more time among the darkness around.
Maiya doesn't want this situation to keep going. She looks around and around to just find out that there's no way for her to escape from this birdcage.
This is bad. She thought.
Back to the outer world, both Crytinas and Aliny are having their own hard time right at this moment. Unlike Aliny, Crytinas doesn't have a strong offensive skill, she belongs to the field of mages rather than the warriors like her enemy. That's also the reason why she needs to dodge as much as possible to balance the fight.
"Just surrender, Crytinas." - Aliny says as if she's staying on the top.
"Life could be dream~"
*Smack* - Even though her close combat skills aren't that good, yet, she still has enough basic experience to find a chance for a counter strike, it's not that hard by the way. Nevertheless, it seems like her effort just left no damage on Aliny's left hip, it's tiny, but still as beautiful as ever, not even a wound is carved.
"That's not a wise choice." - She declares while slowly freezing the whole mountain by the particles of her Aura.
*Boom* - Three enormous fire balls instantly blow away the shields surrounding Anily in a second. And taking the advantages of the "wall" full of ice fragments that haven't evaporated and the fire sparkles flowing in the air, Crytinas has already stayed right behind her opponent with another three giant fire balls staying between them.
*Fwoosh* - Consequently, they all collapse and release another blind spot in their sight. But it's still enough for her to shift the pace to the way she wants. Fire is a kind of another kind of energy - heat. When the fire element users want to strengthen their attacks, they somehow always think about boosting the scale and the total heat of the strikes.
To be honest, it's supposed to be a fine way to increase the destruction, it's fine… But! It's too cumbrous when applying on a single target instead of a legion.
And then, the reversed idea was made in this situation. Instead of expanding it, they tried to concentrate the energy into one point and reform it to a much smaller type of attack. Meanwhile, they also tried to raise the heat inside that point, until the new form of fire ball was invented.
*Boom* - Even though the principle is really easy on the words, hiding inside it are a lot of experiments, experiences and functions that humans in posterity need to figure out in 50 years of studying the legacies from the bygone eras.
"Let's end it fast, I'm tired."
*Boom* - Within that moment, the space in Aliny's sight was dyed in the illusion of the melted iron. That heat was high enough to wipe out all the shields placed before herself and send Aliny flying back with the large and long blue trail stretching behind.
*Boom* - Another explosion instantly drives her back to the ground with the burnt interface. Non-stop, Crytinas continues on her devastation, by dropping down ten, hundreds, thousands of the compressed fire balls, the whole forest below her has been turned to a death zone.
Understanding her own circumstance, Aliny doesn't waste a second to escape that blazing field. She materializes a perfect prism cage - a polyhedral cage of ice phase VII with the slope of each surface of 20 degrees, and none of them are parallel to each other in order to reduce the loss of Aura as much as possible.
Ice has eighteen phases and the 7th one is one of the best choices for Aliny to defend herself beneath that shower of doomed flames. It's not the compression in the structure of normal ice, it is the work of restructuring each connection between molecules to another existence.
However, the structure between them can be destroyed easily by the shocked heat of those fire balls, which means for each time the cage takes one attack, she needs to spend a specific amount of her Aura to consolidate the compressed structure for the next waves.
In short, she needs to escape as fast as possible.
*Boom* - Leaving behind the ice cage and the ground turned to magma above, Aliny swiftly bursts her Aura into the ground below via a strong strike from Pulse. Consequently, a fit tunnel has been made just for her to slide through.
But on the contrary, Crytinas doesn't realize that action; all her thoughts are still in the flame shower, never aware of the up-coming assassination.
*Fwoosh* - Around Crytinas, the mist of freeze has been scattered to trap her inside.
*Phsst* - Something has been shot through.
The trick that she used is really simple, she only needs to scatter a lot of her fire balls around the mist to eliminate a part of it. Yet, the true goal is projecting the shadow of any object moving inside the "cage."
It's not the problem about using Zone to scan all the objects, it's only true when the Aura strikes or the user isn't covered in Veil. To be specific, there are two ways of using Veil to hide away the Aura objects or attacks. The users can choose whether to recall their Aura back to hide or temporarily disable the strikes.
Let's have an example like this:
When a user materializes a dagger and throws it toward someone, then he uses Veil to disable the given Aura into it.
Consequently, the dagger is invisible both in visuality and movement sensory in the Zone of others. However, it can't also damage anything while being hidden by Veil, which means the user must disable Veil right before the dagger hits something to give it back the ability to leave a wound on the enemies.
When a user materializes a chain and activates Veil onto it. But this time, he chooses to slowly move the Aura through the chain and itself toward the target all in silence.
For the goal of locking the enemy up, the disadvantage of an unharmful limit doesn't make any sense in this case. And then when all the chain has already wrapped the target up, he just needs to give back the Aura to bring back the materialized object - locking up the enemy.
For other information and the possible problems that might cause you a troublesome time to understand the difference advantages and usages of those two application directions.
Why don't we shift the dagger by using Aura and activate Veil after that?
Answer: When we recall the Aura, the dagger momentum is set equal zero, which means it's harmless.
How can the dagger be hidden when the Aura is hidden?
Answer: Because it's made by Aura. And if the users choose to apply this kind of usage to their strategy, they must be able to go beyond the lesser power of the Manifestation element.
How can the second usage be useful with the same benefits while we still be able to control our Aura?
Answer: When the flow of Aura moves outside the user's body, it always stirs up the stable of moving particles, mana, energy in the air. That's why it's easy as pie to figure out the different flow through the united moving block of particles. But if that strange flow of Aura is controlled delicately enough not to disturb the original flows in the zone. It's like a snake slowly crawling in the space on the ground and below the mist of the unforeseen truth.
Is it possible for us to affect the dagger trajectory while it's being hidden by Veil?
Answer: Of course you can. The dagger and the Aura are only sent to another layer of space to keep moving forward. But it isn't like the kind of independent space manipulation of Savan's special power, it's still related to the general space, so basically it's not too easy but also not that hard to counter it. The only problem is to time the coordinate of the attack while it's being invisibled.
So the fact that Crytinas just got one bloody hole in her left hip wasn't random. The difference between manipulators also projectors and other Aura users using Pulse to send their Aura outside is the flexibility in taking control of the attacks.
Other users can't arbitrarily control the whole attack after sending it too far away from them. On the contrary, manipulators and projectors can do the same thing while running the different functions from the normal ones.
For example, just imagine that other users need to burst 80 out of 100 at the starting zone to boost its speed, while manipulators and projectors can split it up to 4 times of 20 or even 8 times of 10 to decide when and where the attack should be boosted.
By splitting the whole process to 20 times with 20 small explosions from many sides of the ice fragment and activating them all respectively until it hits the target.
Of course, timing to use Veil to hide it away is the most important part of this strategy, furthermore, she also combined Aura Shifting Technique between each "phase" - the gap after removing Veil and before the next bursting - to redirect the vector while saving at least 90% of the momentum for each.
Yes, it's a surprise attack, yet, it's still cumbrous for just an attack. And when I mention it's not worth it, it's worth it in another way.
One of her techniques that she got enlightened is indirectly reforming her Aura objects to another structure with the limit of current energy inside the things, which is called Recreation.
No matter how strong a Phoenix is, they aren't known for their strong physique and physical defense. As a piece of fact, it only takes one maximum output Space Breaker of Ian to damage Crytinas at least a hurtful wound on her skin. It doesn't mean that Crytinas is weak, it's just a claim that her race isn't physically strong.
*Splash* - Starting at her left hip, a thirty-inch ice spike has been formed and stabs through the local parts - directly shocking a sudden heat loss into her viscera and heart.
*Crackle - Fwoosh* - A flame burns up and recovers all the wounds slowly, this is one of the benefits of the blessing of flames. One of the legacies of the Phoenix Clan from the ancient era is The Blessing of Flames, which only accepts pure bloodline Phoenixes with clear fire elements to carry it on.
*Ha~* - "So disgusting, that's why I hate the orthodox line." - Aliny just looks at Crytinas with a complex gaze. Honestly, she doesn't hate Crytinas, because they had the unforgettable childhood bound together, yet, the envy inside her isn't fake. Yes, she's envious of their difference in origins and hierarchy.
Long ago, they were too young to understand and years ago, the chains between them were bent to something unclear and impure. It's no longer the color of those bygone days, it's turned to dark already, long ago.
"Stop complaining, Alin, don't blame all on the path we choose." - Crytinas breathes out a heavy mist, through her lips and the shaking teeth. Obviously, she's bearing the feelings of being torn and recovering non-stop.
"I'm not even complaining. I'm just… I just hate this distinction, to my blood, spine and core."
Her feet again step on a flying flat ice plate in the air, she's aiming for something.
*Crackle* - After 5 seconds, Crytinas has recovered to the level that she's able to continue this fight. Except the outlier as Maiya, who was born with the blessed physique with the pitifully low chance to be given, no one in the Phoenix Clan, new generation, currently can bear other's one strike in maximum output without Guard.
In other words, this fight between Crytinas and Aliny is supposed to be one of these two options, whether they remove all the protection by Aura to maximize their maximum output or whether they are going to distribute their energy eventually for a turning point if it may happen.
Within a glance, they both match their brains.
*Whirr* - Their Aura is raised absolutely higher time by time, no protection, no hesitation, they have laid their steps all on the deadly match.
As an ice element user like Aliny, the things that are required to win this match are maintaining the small ice barrier in its 7th phase to redirect the fire balls, exploring the blind spots to eliminate Crytinas immediately and using her trump card to make that chance.
On the contrary, even though she is blessed more than Aliny, Crytinas is still weaker than her old childhood friend. It's not the problem of talent, it's just because there is a big enough gap between their maximum output to leave her behind Aliny an unreachable distance. However, Crytinas' energy accumulating is faster than her enemy's, which means if she's given enough time to concentrate more fire balls at the start, she has more chance to win. Yet, if not, the situation will be back to 40 - 60 instead. It sounds not that big, but that 20% difference is the dagger hanging over her head, waiting to be dropped down.
For the first five seconds, Aliny doesn't do anything, this is the last gift she can…
*Swish - Fwoosh* - Instantly, a yellow and orange line is stretched in the air, obviously, it's a warning shot from Crytinas. But the problem is it's too fast, it's even faster than everything she shot before.
"Don't be so foolish." - Her hands are clasped together and a dense smoke within.
"I'm not good at close range combat, but shooting a bullet through your forehead isn't that hard for me right now."
"I'll take it."
*Silent* - They both look at each other, as if they are finding something remaining in those gazes and eyes.
*Sigh* - A sigh.
*Vsh* - They both disappear.
*Crack - Fwoosh* - Three fire bullets are shot and redirected while Crytinas uses her hands to melt the shields around Aliny in a moment.
That's the problem Aliny needs to face, to maintain the 7th phase of the ice shields, she must lower down the operational capability of each molecule inside them to stabilize the whole structure. Nevertheless, if Crytinas can concentrate the heat into a small orb, she can also do it with her two hands. With the strong reaction of one cold and one hot side, it's a deadly calamity that can suddenly wipe out all the efforts of Aliny. In short, it's dangerous.
*Swish - Fwoosh* - Five bullets have been shot and redirected, they tear down the air and blow away the top of the mountain behind Aliny. They both look at each other with determination lingering within their eyes, they are waiting. They are waiting for a mistake coming from the other side.
*Sss…* - Something is being burnt when her hands are clasped into each other, and since that moment, Aliny felt the danger was coming.
*Swish* - A compressed fire ball is concentrated and shot toward Aliny. As usual, it should be redirected after being impacted by the shield, yet, this time only an explosion is waiting for her.
*Boom* - Another one has taken away her left arm. The confusion and dismay are shown directly on her face, in her thoughts that the attack was just impossible to be true.
*Boom* - The third explosion instantly forces her to sacrifice three small ice shields to keep herself in safety. That's too overwhelming, even Aliny with the strengthened vision with Sight couldn't catch its afterimage.
"Shield!" - She yells at the air, fortunately, it's just in time to save her life right before the fourth explosion took it away.
First information update after 104 hour(s) 03 minute(s) and 57 second(s):
Leaderboard:
Harba Aza: 5000 points
Aliny Lam: 4500 points (-500)
Crytinas: 2120 points
Yllinas: 1060 points
Current participants: 689 members.
*Boom* - An explosion occurs right below them, inside the shades of elder trees. The signal of that guy has come back.
*Tremble - Tremble* - A lot of ice blocks with the size of a small hill respectively get kicked out of the dark swamp. Is it…?
*Plop* - As Crytinas predicted, that cube shines the azure aura around it dimly, he has succeeded.
*Fwoosh* - Three ice columns instantly stay above them. Yes, Har just manipulated the ice element as what his rival did, and all that power is overflowing through the small cube on his right hand.
*Tack* - A finger snap, a mist surrounds Aliny without any announcement.
*Tack* - A bunch of chains instantly locks her up at the center of the trap.
*Tack* - Those three big columns rapidly crash straight onto her body and push everything to the ground, where he has been standing still.
Suddenly, the azure Aura on his right hand disappears, saving the spot light for the dark mud boiling at the left side.
*Boom* - Almy came out of nowhere and landed a kick strike straight toward his "dark" side all of sudden. It contained the blazing destruction of flame and lightning, with the speed of mach 70, Har was sent flying away without any possible restriction.
And the even more incredible fact that he was pushed back with the speed of Mach 100, it's even faster than the attack speed at the origin. Consequently, the air around him is totally ionized as an extra effect for this battle.
"Sorry, I have my own mission." - Almy slightly says sorry to the rival that is set to be her enemy by the prince. Yes, Harba forces her to kill any enemy for points, no mercy is allowed.
*Ssss–* - His two legs slightly touch the ground and draw another mixture of red, orange and yellow in a line formation. That howling of the winds left behind both of them in this fight, there is no place for the inferiors.
Har just stays calm, his hands slightly point ahead and the shadow lingers itself as if it's a living creature summoned into this world all by accident, an existence that shouldn't be true.
Isn't it too familiar? A dark purple tentacle, which hides among the darkness, has been called out to this fight, intentionally.
"Why are you so taciturn?" - Almy is quite curious, but all the response is a glance and a motionless face.
*Jezz* - "Let's end it fast."
She rushes straight toward him again with the speed of Mach 70 with two flames on her hands, surely, it is an all-out attack.
*Swish* - His hands seal to each other and that tentacle just shoots itself toward her, however, it missed that chance right at the last moment.
*Whirr* - Disappear and appear again via the sparkle flames in various distances and coordinates, this is one of the abilities that have already carved into herself - Feet on Heat.
*Whirr* - Her hands move swiftly in the air until the right one has stopped at his left hip. By combining both lightning and fire after pushing them to the heat of destruction.
*Ssss* - The high-pitched and intense sound bursts up right at his body, fortunately, at the last moment, Har has switched the power back to the cube to parry that strike.
*Ssss* - The power clashes for a minute, that pressure isn't as strong as Maiya's maximum output strike, yet, to hold this balance for 60 seconds, his right hand is going to be overloaded.
Don't let that case happen, Har swiftly breaks his posture intentionally to dodge aside. Following that action, Almy also loses her momentum and falls forward a bit. Catching the chance, the cube has already been right below her chest - aiming straight toward her beating heart.
*Fwoosh* - A bursting freezing bomb explodes and releases the mist, which reduces her entropy directly.
*Crack* - The flame bursts in her hands to fade away the mist around, the fire blazes her body for another all-out strike.
Her ability is called: Blazing Phoenix. Haven't I told you about the fact that there are two kinds of abilities that take the majority of the power system among Aura users? Literally we have Inherited Abilities, which can be carved into someone's body since birth, and the special abilities that can be given by wishes and desires.
And that's how the Blazing Phoenix ability has been carved into the Phoenix Clan from main and sub lines. However, the ratio that one guy can awaken this type of power is based on the complexity of it. Yet, it doesn't mean that those who can't awaken it are useless, they both have their own path to go on.
Literally, Blazing Phoenix is an ability of the Amplification element, which means it allows the users to boost their bodies inside the blazing flames. "It's pathetically simple" is the worst and the most superficial way to evaluate this power. So I'll keep it short, just two words: "skill issue."
*Whirr* - The four blazing wings form at her rear, also right on her left arm, she equips a shield and in her right hand, she holds a long sword dying in the fire of destruction.
"Hey, why don't you just say something?"
*Swish - Vsh* - The tentacle has again missed the attack, and then, the blazing sword has stabbed through his neck.
"You are so mean." - She sighs while his eyes still glance at her with the motionless manner.
"I hate it." - She ends the conversation with a slash which divides himself to half.
"Why do all men just look at me with that glance?" - She wonders.
*Ssss* - The blade collides with the cube as a starting note of this melody. Almy holds tight the shield to cover her left side while moving her sword with various techniques and postures to distract him. Yet, instead of thinking out of the box, Har chooses to declare that there is no box. Instead of predicting and reflexing with the next actions, he just needs to build up one ice wall in phase 7 to prevent all of the probable choices on her side.
He doesn't have to worry about the cost, because he isn't the one who pays for them. After a wave of the hand, five ice spikes firmly shoot toward Almy, at her viscera.
*Ssss* - Of course, the blazing shield has already negated them all at once. However, her rear lacks protection as he observes.
*Fwoosh* - Five more ice stakes are formed and shot toward her from behind.
*Ssss* - Oh, her wings can play the same role too, I forgot.
Yet, what if he just adds… those ice Aura into Almy's arms?
Fire is a stable status of non-stop providing heat to maintain it, in short, he just needs to break that process inside out or cut the heat flow and then everything will be corrupted.
But the current problem is how it will be done. "Don't worry, if some phenomenon that we can't explain by science, just blame it all on magic" - I confidently said.
Aura starts from the heart, as usual, the shield and sword are created and maintained via the blood veins in her two arms and hands. Which means it's delivered to those destinations through each heartbeat, through the aorta to the brachial artery.
Here we will introduce two kinds of Aura users. The first one burst his Aura from heart to all over himself with the same density and intensity. Which causes him trouble after abusing it for too long, but his mobilization speed is way faster than the next one.
The second style of Aura user is whoever maintains the Aura flow stable after releasing. Mobilizing it through the aorta and brachial artery with the stability and instantly reforming it to the specific structure.
I'd like to call it "fighting-style Aura" which is the same as what the first type of Aura user bursts through himself. Yet, with the deviation and disorder while moving it through the long ways, the damage is different with the obvious advantage lying on the side of the second type user. It's just a choice whether to prefer attack speed with possible heavy pressure later or a stable process with greater damage but slower starting point.
And right at this moment, Har only needs to shoot the absolute cold flow into her aorta, brachial artery or heart to interrupt that stable flow. Within the boost of Sight, he has determined that Almy is applying the technique of the second type, which means before the joints at the elbows, her Aura is stable and harmless. It is a really easy way to disable her for a while when her arms would be in trouble, yet, he must finish his first step before it may come true.
Okay, we are introduced about the principles of the trick already, how are we going to do it right now? Surely, Har can't shoot the cold flows to her body while the flame is blazing madly around herself.
How about rushing straight toward her? Oh, nice idea, who is the genius coming up with this genuinely clever strategy? Oh it's me who lives up to my reputation.
There is one technique allowing Aura users to exploit 120% of their maximum output in a short time with a high cost as a consequence.
Ignite! He assembles his two hands to two sides of the cube, which is non-stop bursting more and more Aura to the outer world.
What if we exhaust the ability instead of the Aura to use that ability? The answer will be a strike with the way more enormous output with Ignite is a key.
Ignite - Aura is the fuel of a machine that is called "Ability," when the Ignite burns the Aura, it will release more energy with the faster energy providing process.
Yet, the "Ability" machine has its own cap on the input, so we can't force it to consume the energy that goes beyond its maximum input, can we actually?
Ignite: Overdrive - Instead of burning the Aura, we change the target to the machine, the Ability. Consuming Aura for a while always leaves inside that "machine" the ashes of energy which prevents the whole process from being clean as what it used to be at the start. And burning both the fuel and machine all at once, those ashes will be created way faster than usual, yet, the maximum output is also increased consequently.
Actually, the only thing he burns is the cube staying between his hands. It has always been the core of the energy following him since Maiya disappeared.
If the machine and the fuel is put inside one box, and then Har burns the box, he is burning everything. Got it?
No matter if it's intentional or not, in this way or that way, whatever, Har has reached that technique - Ignite: Overdrive.
*Fwoosh* - The whole forest is frozen inside the ice blocks in the seventh phase. Unfortunately for Almy, both her hands and wrists are also locked up. And the technique that Har used to counter the weak spot of phase 7 of ices - the structure that can be destroyed beneath the heat - is preventing it from collapsing.
After restructuring the ice to its seventh phase, the structure inside must be kept the same with no heat allowed near it. Because the heat will melt away that stable wall, yet, what if we just lock up the structure?
Entropy, if this unit is locked in one specific unit that allows the structure not to be corrupted, and if we pay the specific cost for that process, the heat is harmless whenever there is something inside our "pocket."
As I said, only from her elbows, the Aura has started reforming to the fighting style. Which means he only needs to do…
This - *Splash* - an ice blade is stabbed through her right elbow.
This - *Splash* - another ice blade is stabbed through her left elbow.
And this - *Splash* - three ice stakes are driven toward her shoulder joints and her heart.
All the wounds instantly release the mist of ice particles - swiftly freezing all her body and flowing Aura inside the veins.
*Ssss–* - The blazing flames around her are also evaporating away, until she is only able to stand still and witness everything happening in hopelessness.
"Plea–" - Her voice is struggling, it's so cold.
*Crrssh* - When his hands drop and he turns away, the only thing remaining is that frozen girl inside the perfect square ice block.
*Tch* - "Idiot."
"Oh? Our prince is mad already." - A smock, she leaps toward him with a drive kick.
*Smack - Crackle* - The fire has burnt up right at the meeting point, where her left leg and his right arm clash with each other.
"Shut up, outsider." - Harba glances at her.
*He is talking about her origin - a phoenix that wasn't born in any line, she was rescued years ago by the Supreme Elite Phoenix.
*Huh?* - "You wanna mess with me? Then crying as you must be." - Another blazing drive kick is driven toward his head, it's obviously a high kick.
*Crack* - The ground beneath them is crushed toward the fragments by the pressure coming from the strike.
*Boom* - All the heat explodes, it forms a bomb and sends him pinning down onto the floor with the cracked legs.
*Whirr - Crackle* - The fire instantly spreads out and burns all the objects around, especially the grasses and oak trees.
"Oh wow, woman lover prince, is my right foot delicious?"
*Whirr - Crackle* - He rises from the ashes and dirt and…
*Boom* - Another fire burst has pinned him on the ground again.
"You are weak." - She declares.
She bursts her Aura, "I don't care about your sad back story, ambition or volition. I care not, I just need the fragment, wise man choose wise thing, right?"
*Splash* - Another Harba appears behind her and stabs his arm through her lungs.
*Splash* - She disappears and uses the same thing on Harba to eliminate him.
*Splash* - Harba again…
*Smack - Crackle* - Parry! She turns around for a counterstrike with a driving high kick covered in flames.
*Crackle - Smack* - He is knocked to the left side for two steps. Non-stop, his chin is knocked by a knee strike after that.
*Smack* - Another elbow slash has eliminated his consciousness.
"Recovery!"
*Smack* - For the first time he has a chance to knock back his enemy.
*Tch* - "Get lost, outsider."
*Heh* - "Get lost, loser."
Second information update after 104 hour(s) 09 minute(s) and 32 second(s):
Leaderboard:
Harba Aza: 4900 points (-100) - supporters: 112 members.
Aliny Lam: 4300 points (-200) - supporters: 277 members.
Crytinas: 1920 points (-200)
Yllinas: 4060 points (+1000)
Current participants: 389 members (-300).
*Vsh* - Leaving it back as the core to seal Almy, Har instantly moves himself to his partner's side with the obvious intention - to eliminate Aliny once and forever. But in the corner that none of them can be aware of, the cube has moved, slightly.
*Vsh - Smack* - A strike sends her back two steps while the ropes have wrapped her legs up. After a jolt, she instantly loses the stable posture.
*Boom - Fsshhh* - Three explosions are set on her side, Crytinas also shoots one beam toward her with incredible speed, taking down her left wrist.
*Grab* - After half of the full rotation, Har throws her toward Crytinas, who still concentrates the power inside those two hands.
*Crackle - Fsshh* - Even though she tries to defend herself with a dense ice barrier in phase seven, her left hip and right arm are totally destroyed.
"Re…"
*Splash* - The weak spot of the rules is the points holders must say out loud the requirements before their functions are activated. So it only takes Har one movement to break her neck and throat at the same time.
*Sigh* - It lingers in a low-pitched sound. They chose to step on two different paths, and now one of those two friends has been taken down, leaving the emptiness inside the other's heart, so hurt.
She sighs, "Farewell."
But in another dimension, Maiya is smiling, insidiously.
"Defeat a candidate but the points didn't change?"
"Sounds fun."
Her eyes slightly move around and then she bursts out laughing, "Thanks to you, human. Thanks to you that my vision has been brought up to another level."
*Clank - Clank* - The hundred chains behind her slightly sway beneath that pressure.
This mythical item is called "Hexahedron of Six Faces" which is used to take, adapt and slowly but thoroughly understand the core of the Aura. After three faces are filled up by the sigils, there is a chance of 50% to capture one Aura user into it. Respectively, two more faces to raise the ratio to 1:9 and guaranteed chance after the cube is filled.
"A prison that always suits the prisoner inside" is the statement that Maiya praised. Yet, it doesn't mean that it's unstoppable.
The dimension that is only created just for locking up Maiya is filled by the reflection of her Aura. Which means all her effort in attacking with the ice element is reduced almost to nothing. In other words, she has two choices to make a decision.
Option 1, she waits until the battery running this prison is exhausted by time. Or she directly goes against it.
A space that is carved the specific Aura to dominate everything inside, isn't it the principle of Domain Expansion Technique? And remind me, what is the most important element that determines the winner in a domain clash?
Domain Expansion - "Glacial Finality"
At the same moment, Har instantly rushes toward the cube with the shadow claws on hands. In the confusion of Crytinas, the cube has been picked up and floating in the air by the unknown force.
*Vsh* - Bursting his Aura to the maximum output while activating Ignite, even though his energy has reached the bottom, he still wants to struggle in the last chance. Right before those fingers have a chance to reach the cube themselves, all the sigils have been overwritten by some others.
*Fwoosh* - "Fuu~, nice try buddy."
Not only Har, but also the small pieces of the cube, forty-eight small cubes, are split and sealed inside many ice stakes. Its core is revealed, a perfect sphere with the bone-chilling cold, which is put right in her left hand.
"Long time no see, Crytin."
Her voice spreads out with an absolute freeze, the small orbs around Crytinas are also dominated by that pressure.
"Let's end it fast."
When her first step lands on the frozen ground, that pair of eyes have opened for a while. A smile and a grin within, "I think so…"