Damn, he did a number on me with that kick. Never mind the fact that he broke past my guard as my eyes could not efficiently track him, but how did he break past my divine silver and snap my neck. If I had not used Divine Silver to reinforce the arteries, capillaries, veins, nerves and spinal cord, I could have actually died. He could have severed the connection between my brain and body. Is that truly his own strength? Red lightning…is that truly how powerful it is?
Damon….no matter, I conquered your talent. That is just one of many I have to demolish if I wish to find it.
~
"So you are the little talent that everyone is fussing over. You won the battle of three crescents so I will do what I can to train you. Openly express what you wish to attain," Alnico said before he took a seat.
"Me…" Walter trailed off, watching Alnico take every step before taking a seat. "Me…I want enough strength to conquer death."
"So you do not wish to die….then your goal is already accomplished. Thanks to that divine blight, you have inherited divine silver. As long as the connection between your heart and brain is not severed, you will always regenerate even if it means expending your life energy to do so. So there is nothing I can teach you in that regard."
"No, I think you misunderstood mister. I don't want to conquer death because I don't want to die. Rather, I want to conquer death because there is someone I want alive. If dying is how I can achieve that, I would gladly die," Walter said, his gaze vacant as though it was drifting into a foggy domain.
Alnico snapped his fingers before metal materialized from the ground and pressed Walter to it, squeezing tightly against his throat. "What makes you so certain that death can ever be conquered," Walter grabbed hold of the metal desperately trying to loosen its grip. "As nature dictates, we are all meant to die. If someone who could command death existed, wouldn't that notion prove pointless. It is impossible to revive someone once they are dead!"
"Impossible? Nonsense!" his hands began releasing a silver aura before he crushed the metal and forced it away from his throat. His body trembled with fear as he began panting. The torn flesh from his throat then began regenerating. "I know that you know he exists…he must exist, the one with enough talent at healing to conquer even death. I know you know about him…because you died once." Walter bowed, tears running down his face as his voice weakened. Slowly, quivering as his tone reduced.
Alnico's eyes narrowed, his gazed filled with an unmistakable malice. "Who told you that? Dead people can't just mysteriously rise."
"They can…..because the tree of life exists for that reason…if I could go to Faqualora…maybe, just maybe I would be satisfied," he said wiping his tears as more just came rushing down.
Alnico sighed, "Fine…just never tell anyone that I died. People do not take kindly to those kind of jokes. That aside, if you really want to meet him, or to conquer death…or whatever you want to do, you have to be strong enough to conquer other talents."
"What do you mean..hic.."
"Exactly like it sounds like….the tree on its own can never revive the dead…but, a chance exists if you can find the one linked to it. The piece of life…he is the one you are looking for. But I doubt Faqualora will just let you have him. So then, what do you think must be done?"
"Then I have no choice…if they want to interfere, I will crush them all, right?"
"That is right, that is exactly right. That is what I want to hear. You are by no means ordinary, the world should experience that first hand."
~
But Damon was just one of many I have to crush. He saw a silver scale materialize at his feet. It tipped to one side before his eyes began releasing a silver aura. He got back to his feet before thinking, I have to find Kano….no…that is not what is most important, I feel as if I am being told to find Anemone. Alright, I will locate her…but I have to figure out why I keep feeling this way nowadays.
~
'Master, I will inquire once more. Are you truly Asim still?'
Yes…how many times must I answer. Listen, can we discuss this later, they look like they want to kill us. Must be because I exposed my shadow. They are all water mages, but still, ganging up on me. "Let my blade be adorned with water…my body, darkness. I am the edge that ripples the calm."
'The water that is defiled…..This chant master, whence learned you it.'
I am not sure but…the way that I am feeling right now. I can't mistake it. This cold, that's unbearable yet calming…it reminds me of when you and I first resonated. Part of your knowledge keeps sipping into me. This calming feeling…I don't want to forget it. The water that had condensed around his blade dissipated. So did his aura.
The sound of drizzling water echoed in his ears when all he saw once more was darkness.
'Asi….Fair is one thing you are not? If this is truly what you desire, then abide I shall. Not much of a reckoning if your true self is tampered with.' The darkness shattered when a black fog was released from his chest. It then covered the rest of his body, as his aquamarine eye's splendor was accentuated even further. Their radiance acting like a perfect mirror to the shadow that he had become.
'Will this suffice?'
It will, thanks…..when you say Asi…who do you mean exactly, I see those memories but they are always vague. I know for a fact that they aren't mine.
'They too, are your own. Yet, you can never reclaim them lest you integrate with me. The way you are at the moment is perfect. Your soul and mine are seamlessly blending. I wish grief did not before you each time we did.'
Water began condensing around his blade before he dashed forward. He then recalled,
He was busy shooting water bullets against the tree, with each thought, they got even faster. Anemone reclined against a tree as she watched him. Regardless of the fact that it was in the dead of night, she was awake still.
"Kano, can you tell me what the difference between a regular water bullet and a Discordant Torrent bullet one is?" she asked when she stood up.
"Well Discordant Torrent bullets are more powerful. Their spiraling motion allows them to cut through the air faster. They are shaped to penetrate deeper too."
"So that's the difference, I suspected as much. Do you remember that barrier thing you did with your Discordant Torrent.? Those spiraling water balls you formed….can you like summon just one."
He released a blue aura and beside him, a water ball emerged. It was made of a spiraling stream.
"Can you shoot a Discordant Torrent bullet now?"
"I can't….the first rule of Discordant Torrent is that two opposing streams must exist at the same time for me to project something. Well, I can project a bullet of that nature simply because it's a single stream. But, creating a bullet then, from this giant water ball would be making two active projections. Never mind the fact that one opposing its direction can never be formed."
"I see…..I think I have an idea. Can you try it once I refine it? I promise that it will be one of your best techniques yet," she smiled, flashing him a smug expression. Before he could even offer a response, she had taken off running. He smiled as he watched her walk away, a strong headache, lingering about.
~
Water is my gift…visualize myself sinking. I won't drown, I will envision it, the depth of the sea. Water began condensing beside him as it comprised several streams, each flowing in a direction that opposes another. "Water Art: Discordant Torrent; Chaos Orb!" he exclaimed.
For the moment, there are four opponents I need to care about. They are staring me down. Alright then, let's see if they can keep up in my partial shadow state. He then recalled further:
"Kano, here is what I came up with….absolute dissonance or a more friendly name, chaos orb, but that friendly name is only for its inactive form. It will be a technique unique only to you. You have an incredible magic reserve so I thought, imagine if you could shoot more than one bullet without them losing power. Typically, people would have to resort to using a condensed field but even then they can't recreate the same kind of force. They only increase the range. With this technique, you can attack super fast since water is readily available, you have a greater range. And, since it is akin to a single bullet, you never lose power regardless of how many bullets you shoot. Just remember, this technique isn't suitable for prolonged use. It is extremely stamina depleting."
He went for a horizontal swing, water rampaging around his blade. "Water Art: Discordant Torrent; Shifting Tide!" He brought the blade down only for it to clash with water. Water that had materialized on one of the other candidate's palm. The twisting waters wore and tore the still water as their magic clashed. The candidate slipped his palms in opposing directions, brushing the water around his palm against the twisting waves. "Now dissipate, Water Art: Tidal Rift; Splitting waves!"
The water that shrouded Kano's blade dissipated before he shifted into a diagonal slash. His opponent parried the blade as Kano repetitively swung it. Not bothering to coat it in water.
'Master…to your left. A water bullet is being prepared. Dodge at your leisure.'
Those are yours….block them for me. I need to break past this one's guard.
A blue stripe materialized from his shoulder and deflected the incoming bullet before disappearing. Thanks for that…now, omnidirectional shooting. Absolute dissonance. The sphere beside him released a wave of bullets, akin to those from a sniper riffle. A wave of water surrounded them all before it devoured the bullets. The water condensed into a single sphere before it returned to the one who shot the bullet earlier. "Water Art: Tidal shift; Tidal Rise Then Eclipse."
One slices through water and the other redirects it. I am really screwed. Hey, think we can take them.
'They are rather impressive. Master, if you will allow me, I want to devour them.' His once blue eyes were devoured by darkness turning to black. He felt a strong headache when everything disappeared. He then saw a city, as a black and blue fog lingered over it. It then blanketed it before disappearing. All that was left were stains of blood.
Eh, so many people…snuffed out. His eyes watered before he saw it heading toward him. It blanketed him too.
'You are my body…'
And you are a part of me….
'You are the one I serve….'
And you the one I command…
'I will tear the world apart….'
And I will rebuild it….
He stood still, his aura only growing. Seeing this, the one with water around his palm dashed forward aiming to end it all in a single strike. Kano dodged before kicking the back of his head.
'Why?…. I understand it not. My Master is one with out a heart. His chest, why is it hollow?'