Meanwhile…
Sarah sat alone in her office; her face implanted into the hard wood of the desk. A small glass containing an unknown beverage lingered on her desk. Her fingers reached for the rim of the glass, gently caressing the lip of the glass. She huffed, releasing a soft sigh that stretched into the silence beyond.
She sat more upright, straightening in her chair as she glanced across the length of the desk that had served as her pillow for the past several nights. A series of papers and reports were littered across her desk, each detailing another likely failed mission. To her right, pinned to the wall, sat a collection of locations along a map, detailing where trials had formed seemingly overnight. Just the thought of it send a scowl sprawling across her face. The promise of rewards were tempting, but she was in no position to pursue such a venture. This embroiling civil war gave no time or chance for risks.
They had been fighting for several weeks now. She'd stayed awake deep into the night analyzing their movements. The Confederacy, as they called themselves, had been amassing resources for weeks prior to their secession, and already a makeshift council had formulated, accompanied by a constitution to boot.
Who do they think they are? This isn't the old world. They know that.
Democracy had been attempted several times, with the most successful being the Collective, one of the Great Four within the Skyscraper. Besides them, all others had fallen, and the Confederacy certainly didn't have enough firepower to last against their neighbors. So what was their game plan? Did they tunnel vision on the collapsing empire around her?
She'd be foolish if she said she didn't see it.
The collapse of The Garden had been steady ever since the first ambush into their territory. Perhaps she'd expanded too fast or drawn the ire of this "Lord Black." Whatever the case, there was nothing left but war. Perhaps she'd be able to rebuild after it was all over, or perhaps she'd die once their walls were kicked in from a three-pronged war.
Why was she the one made to inherit this failing nation? She groggily looked towards the drink, gently clasping the glass between her fingers, bringing the lip to her mouth. The liquid poured down her throat, stinging as it fell, like liquid fire. She grunted, coughing slightly before calming herself. She wiped away a small stream of spittle from her lip, which quivered slightly in the cold air.
Thunk
She placed the glass back down onto the table, hearing it clink as a single ice cube jostled around its depths. Her expression furrowed, melting into a small, concerned frown.
Something felt different today.
Perhaps it was something in the air, or the way the lights of the complex glinted a sickly green color, but she felt a sense of anticipation. She straightened herself upright, her eyes glancing around her room.
She felt as if something was moving.
Clearly there wasn't anything, as all movement seemed to stop the instant she turned, but she couldn't shake the feeling. She stilled as she continued her wide, concerned search, but found nothing. Why, then, did she feel such an intense pressure pressing into her back?
It wasn't the pressure she'd felt before. Pressure of responsibility, pressure of a greater cause, pressure of her people. No, this was something different. Like a needle, gently guiding its way into her shoulder, pushing deeper and deeper until it would eventually pierce her skin.
She blinked. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she sat perfectly still, straining her ear to the air, listening for anything, any sign of potential danger or intrusion, but there was nothing. Finally, she sighed, slumping back down into her chair, once again picking up the now empty glass, rolling it around in the palm of her hand.
She sniffed the air nonchalantly, breathing in the slight mist that always persisted throughout the second layer. She closed her eyes as she inhaled, taking in the cold air, when she felt a tang of something unusual.
Smoke?
The last bit of her breath caught in her throat as her brows furrowed in concentration. She'd caught the whiff of smoke at the last possible moment, and it sent her systems into high alert. She straightened her back, lifting her nose to the sky, searching for a sign, but…
Nothing. Why can't I smell anything? She paused, confusion rising within her. Did I imagine it?
Silence.
She stood up again, stepping towards the door. It was made to be soundproof, to not disturb her during her work. Unfortunately, this could backfire in a time of crisis, and the creeping fear that labored through her spine didn't made a small bead of sweat fall down her forehead.
As she approached the door, a nearly silent creaaaak echoed from behind her, the sound of metal twisting sending her swiveling around, her eyes widening as she saw something that shouldn't be possible.
The vent above her desk shuddered, before the metal cover shattered in two, falling neatly to the ground around her chair, kicking up a small cloud of dust from the carpet below. From the vent above fell two lone figures, each plopping to the ground, exuding confidence. Their identities made Sarah shudder in anger.
"Santiago… Akari?" Her voice lowered to a barely held back growl, her anger evident in every fiber of her speech.
The two stepped into the light, a bright dagger held in Santiago's hands, his face twisted into a besmirching smirk. An expression of victory. He thinks he's won, Sarah thought. She rose to her maximum height, pushing her chin to the sky.
"What brings you all the way to Hope? What happened to rioting and slaughtering the guardsmen that once protected you?" She asked, clasping her hands together. A small stream of mana drifted from her core, solidifying within her, forming the shape of a scabbard. She pulled internally on the scabbard, unsheathing her glowing, sharpened sword from its grasp. At the same time, the palm of her hand glowed with that same, familiar aura, before the sword manifested into reality with a startling pop!
"Woah-" Santiago said, opening his palms wide to her. "I wouldn't do that so hastily. There's no reason left to fight." He shrugged nonchalantly, his dagger splaying to the side. He waved it around without a care, like a conductor during a concert, not a single part of his body language indicating a threat.
"No… reason left?" Sarah stuttered for a moment, blinking rapidly as she processed the statement. Then it began to dawn on her. The smoke, the feeling of unease, it was something real.
"What did you do?" She asked, her face alight with suspicion. Her eyes widened as her breathing began to quicken, and she quickly scanned the room for any sign of danger. Something clearly wasn't right… but what?
Akari stepped forward, her small stature somehow still looking down on Sarah as she moved. "Step outside, Sarah." Her words were quick and staccato, her eyes downcast on her, as if she were a disappointed parent. "You wrought this upon yourself."
Sarah glanced at the two of them, her eyes meeting theirs, before she sprinted for the door, wrestling the handle into the palm of her hands, before wrenching the door open violently.
"Shit…"
She was immediately hit with the overwhelming stench of smoke. Fire splayed out across the complex as far as she could see, a layer of fire carving its way across the carpet. She watched as one by one, the individual barracks of her own soldiers burned to the ground, not collapsing, but burning from within. The 2nd layer couldn't tolerate destruction of its landscape.
"What…" Her breathing turned heavy, her eyes burning with tears that formed in the corner of hey eyes, the smoke causing her to force them shut. In the distance, she could her a series of screams, the smell of burning flesh piercing her nostrils. Each scream echoed into the open air, before being cut short.
"What have you done?!" She half-screamed, half-whimpered. She fell to a knee as she watched her world burn to the ground. "They were your people too!" She whipped her head back towards the two Confederate leaders behind her, who watched her grief with indifference.
Sarah climbed to her feet, shambling towards the two, before quickening her steps, dashing to them. She gripped the front of Santiago's vest, not out of violence or malice, but out of desperation. "You son of a bitch…" She muttered, her mouth close to his ear, so he could hear every syllable she spoke.
Phwoom
A bright blue shield materialized before Santiago, coating his skin in a glowing, hexagonal pattern. Sarah's hand, upon coming into contact with the coat, slammed backwards, sending her reeling, and throwing her to the ground, losing her balance in the push.
Santiago walked to her, his footsteps even. He looked down towards her as she scrambled to get to her feet, his eyes soft, yet unshakable. "War is here, Captain. You declared it. You could've let us be, could've gone our separate ways and lived in peace, but your actions brought us here today." He reached out his hand, placing his palm in hers. "Get up." A series of soldiers surrounded her, equipped with thick, piercing spears. They held them to Sarah's skin, their faces stoic, as if begging for her to make a move.
Sarah could do nothing.
She shook, stood on one knee. Her face blanched, and she hunched over, heaving towards the ground below. It was dry, but the effect on her felt the same. She stayed there for a minute, watching the flames slowly burn away, the orange tint of the smoke lingering on the smoky air. Finally, she sighed, closing her eyes. She waited a beat, before using Santiago's waiting hand to get to her feet.
"What now?" She asked. Her voice was silent as a mouse.
"Come with us." Akari said, stepping in front of the two, her posture professional and business-like. She turned her back to them, before walking in a straight line. She angled towards the legislative district, the place they had spent so much time together, toiling in meetings with the council. Sarah knew where they were going.
As they walked, scenes of gore and violence played out around Sarah. She watched, her eyes wide, as her people were pulled from their homes, thrown into the carpet floor, and impaled on pikes. She winced at the start, watching the people scream with terror and unimaginable pain, before being hauled away, to who knows where.
"We haven't gotten to the outskirts yet…" Akari stated, stopping for a moment to watch one of the gruesome scenes. Her face was indifferent, but Sarah could see the slight quiver in the bottom of her lip. "But they will fall too. For now, your administration will die."
Tears flowed across Sarah's face as they continued their trek. Lines of prisoners, bound in thick, iron chains walked in lines around them. She watched as their heads turned to her, pleading, begging for some respite from this horrible fate.
"Why…?" No response.
They walked and walked and walked some more, until Sarah's feet began to burn. Finally, their destination lay within sight. The overwhelmingly large doors to the council-chambers lay before them, pushed wide open. Around the large, circular table, her remaining council-members sat bound by their hands, each forced into silence by a series of rags that were unceremoniously stuffed into their mouths.
Akari stepped behind Sarah and Santiago, gesturing with her hands for the guards to leave the massive room. They stepped outside the chambers, leaving the three of them alone, alongside the prisoners before them.
"Sarah…" Santiago started, his dagger gripped cleanly in his hands. He lowered the blade at Sarah's face, stepping back to create space between them. "Today, The Garden falls for good. Today, the injustices you have reaved upon the Confederate people will be paid twice over. Today, Evander's life will be avenged. We have given you the honor as a leader, as a friend and colleague, to not kill you in your office. A leader deserves to see their people before they die." His words were very matter-of-fact, but he shifted slightly as he spoke.
Sarah's eyes narrowed. He's not confident he'll win.
She looked out at the captured council members, observing the bruises that littered their faces, alongside the many small cuts that bled fresh blood onto the carpet below. The sight didn't fill her with dread, but instead with a weird sense of determination.
She turned to the pair that stood before her, clasping her hands together once more. This time, she saw seven scabbards, each boasting a different, unique sword. She pulled on them, all at once, before manifesting them, their existence radiating an aura from around her.
"We could've had something good." She said, her voice soft, but just loud enough for the two to hear. "If you'd just stayed, we wouldn't be in this mess… this nightmare." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "Instead, I'm forced to live through this failure of a nation every. Single. Day." She punctuated her words with accented sharpness. Her hand rose to the sky, gently caressing the hilt of one of her glowing swords, which phased through her palm with a gentle phoom.
"Don't blame us for your mistakes." Santiago began. His voice was soft, but conniving, like a fox. "It was your failures that led us into this mess. If we'd stayed as we were, and avoided excess expansion, we would be safe. Our people wouldn't have to fear that the guard will cut them down in their sleep." His blade rested at his side, but his muscles were tense and active, ready to cut her down in a moment's notice.
"Don't you DARE blame me for that." Sarah screamed as she spoke, her voice filled with stark, indomitable hatred. You expect me to fix our problems? To fix the hole that Matsuo left when he died? If he were still alive, you'd be cowering in his shadow, all the same." She lifted an accusatory finger towards the pair, her eyes darting between them. "Instead, you traitors slaughter my people when war is on the horizon! Do you forget Lord Black's excursions into our territory? HE'S the real threat, not I." She rested her hand at her side, using her other hand to brush her hair out of her face.
"Lord Black isn't an issue" Akari said, her tone dismissive. "We have dealt with him, and we will coexist in peace. You're the only obstacle remaining in our way." She held no weapon, no major threat, but her expertise was in shields. If Sarah was to get through Santiago, she had to get through those barriers first.
"You're ignoring the fact that you MURDERED a fellow council member" Santiago said, his knuckles whitening on his knife. A small, red flush spread through his face, enveloping his cheeks. "Evander died because he questioned your authority. Because he threatened your little play at power." His breathing quickened as he stepped towards her, his skin still enveloped in a fresh layer of shielding. "You're a power-hungry, authoritarian maniac. You demand loyalty where it is not earned, you demand respect from your betters, and you demand appeasement when none are willing to give it." He said, spitting on the ground. "You're pathetic. A dog to power." He tapped the burning leaf inscribed on his shoulder with his index finger.
Sarah sneered, her expression deadpan. "I was TRYING to-" Suddenly, she paused, pushing her hand to her chest. She felt her lungs inhale, and exhale air.
What's the point? She thought, her hands balling into fists.
"Enough" She spoke, and her opponents knew it was the last time they would talk. It had a heaviness to it, the silence that rang out after she spoke, but it did not last long.
Sarah's blades began to spin around her, her eyes flaring with concentration as she placed them behind her, creating an array of colorful energy, like a peacock spreading its feathers. "Come, traitors. Come and die."
Santiago glanced at Akari, their eyes locking as Santiago shrugged, a sad expression upon his face. Without exchanging a word, he placed his knife at head height, whilst a shimmering blue shield enveloped the two of them. A small, red aura of knife energy enveloped his blade, sparking with sharp electricity.
The world slowed to a crawl.
Neither side dared to make a move, staring at each other silently, their eyes locked onto each other, looking for any sign of movement. They sat there for a few more seconds, the silence deafening, before finally, someone made the first move.
Sarah burst forward in a flurry of movement, slamming three of her swords towards Akari's weaponless form. Her hand mimicked their movement, guiding the swords through the air as they carved through the open space, whistling in the air as they flew, inching closer and closer to her face-
Clang!
The swords collided with her shield, sending a shimmering hexagonal pattern down the course of her body. A sound of a glass barrier shuddered with an intense impact rang out across the massive council hall, causing Sarah to jump slightly in surprise. Still, she was unperturbed by the miss, instead smoothly transitioning into her next attack.
In fact, it had already come.
At the same time as her blades slammed into Akari's shield, another three swords orbited around Santiago. He spun around slightly, attempting to keep the blades within his view, but on occasion a random sword would dash in, its tip poking into his side, before falling away. Still, however, that same, infallible shield held strong.
The three stepped back, catching their breath for a brief moment. Despite only being engaged for a few seconds, it took Santiago and Akari most of their concentration to stay alert in the face of Sarah's blades, yet it would take a toll on Sarah too.
"It could've been different!" Akari yelled, her voice slightly hoarse. A gentle breeze flew from the vents above them battering their hair softly. "We could've worked things out."
"I agree." Sarah said, guiding her seventh sword into her hand, which took the shape of a large Odachi, an overwhelmingly long sword in the shape of a katana. It glowed a vibrant green, and the hilt solidified around where her palm gripped, creating an extremely light, incorporeal sword. "But you came to my home." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "You SLAUGHTERED my people. I think we're past working thing's out." Her frame shook as she spoke, her voice rising with anger.
She held the lengthy blade horizontally, pointing the razor-sharp edge towards the pair. "Your shields will break." She said, her demeanor suddenly surprisingly calm. "And soon I will have your heads!" As she said those last words, she burst forward with a flurry of speed, launching herself towards the pair, who were caught woefully unprepared. The sword in her hands flashed forwards, dashing between the two, slamming into the side of Santiago, who gasped as the air found itself knocked out of his lungs. He collapsed to a knee, the shield taking the front of the blow, but not ignoring the pain, his hand clutching the brim of his thick leather armor.
Sarah didn't pay attention to his reaction. She continued her movement, her next attack already played out in her mind before she struck. Her sword bounced cleanly off the shield, but instead of letting it awkwardly fall back into her hand, she moved alongside the deflection, using the new momentum to propel her blade into Akari's chest.
Akari gasped as the blade collided with her, falling backwards, her balance forcefully thrown asunder by the sheer impact of Sarah's blade. She grunted as she caught herself, placing her hand behind her back and using her palm to keep her aloft, but it was much to slow to stop what came next.
Sarah lifted her free arm above her head, her fingers spread wide like a star. The remaining six ethereal swords manifested above her, orbiting slowly around each other, as if trapped in a whirlpool. She smirked, her eyes widening as she pulled her hand closed, clenching into a fist. The swords began to twist, spinning around each other, continuing their orbit but much, much faster. Two seconds was all it took to reach the maximum speed, the swords spinning so fast it resembled a drill.
"W-Wait!" Akari screamed, but Sarah was too quick. She brought her arm down towards Akari's struggling form, the very tips of the blades stabbing towards her exposed skin.
Dink! They slammed into the shield all at once, all seven blades stopped by the oppressive shield, but Sarah's intention wasn't to hit it once. The spinning blades whipped around in the air with a whoosh, pulsing back and forth as it slammed into Akari's shield again and again, each blade sending a ripple down the transparent, hexagonal wall several times a second. It looked as if it was being shot by a mini-gun as Sarah essentially used her swords like a drill, attempting to collapse the barrier with sheer force.
"Agh~!" Akari writhed in pain as the swords drilled into her, pressing her further into the ground with the sheer weight of the blows. A trickle of panic seeped into her as she felt her shield crumple against the carpet below her. Despite its comforting texture, the ground could not be pierced by common means, and so her shield folded against itself. With her being shoved deeper into the ground by the merciless swords above, a crushing sensation began to echo around her body.
She desperately tried to push herself upwards, her arms placing themselves flat against the ground, before shoving up with all her might, into the terrifying drill above, but it was useless. Her body failed her as she fell back into the ground, and her eyes widened with fear as a strange, crackling sound emerged from below her. It was the sound of bones that were beginning to break apart.
"S-Santiago!" She screamed, her lungs burning in her chest. She struggled for breath, her only wisps of air coming out as ragged, struggled gasps. I need to do something! She thought, bracing herself for another, final push upwards—
Sarah watched Akari's desperate struggle with a look of indifference. She felt nothing, not a breath of sadness at the pain she inflicted upon such a close comrade, despite their years working together. One sword remained at her hip, held aloft in her hand as she tunneled deeper towards her former comrade. Just a little bit longer…
Danger!
A flash of something from behind her caused her hair to stand on edge, and she whipped her head around, eyes searching desperately for whatever it may have been.
Santiago charged at her from the side, his dagger burning with a thick, yellow energy as he swung his weapon towards her exposed stomach. Her eyes dashed between both Santiago and Akari, her mind racing as she fought with herself.
Just a moment longer… A moment more and I can take her down. He's nothing. The devil on her shoulder whispered softly into her ear, adrenaline sparking down her body. He's nothing! I can kill her! A small but loud crack echoed around them, only furthering her desire to continue. She had to make a decision, to push forward and risk taking a blow, or take down the trump card, here and now--
SLAM!
The blade sunk into Sarah's waist, plunging deeply into her skin before twisting itself in place. She gasped silently, not a word escaping her as she fell to the side, clutching the wound as Santiago pulled his blade from within her, a spout of blood gushing out of the deadly wound.
Sarah's swords fell to the ground, disappearing into nothingness as she scrambled for her belt. At her side, a small, red healing potion dangled heroically, and she quickly grabbed the liquid, unscrewing the cap and pouring it down her throat.
Sarah shuddered as the liquid seeped into her skin, filling her with the familiar warmth she hadn't felt in years. Her small but deep wound began to stitch itself back together, zipping itself back to health, as if it didn't happen in the first place.
She slowly and shakily got to her feet, her breath heavy as she raised her gaze to meet the two, who now stood together. Akari, bruised but relatively healthy, placed herself behind Santiago, who lowered his blade.
"No more second chances" he said, before inhaling a deep breath. He then plunged himself towards Sarah, his dagger zipping through the air, aimed for Sarah's exposed hip. His blade crackled with yellow sword energy, sparking like lightning along the length of the weapon.
Sarah didn't hesitate. Her weapon re-manifested in her hand, its shining length illuminating her face in a vibrant, green light. She stepped into the attack, deflecting the blow with the length of her blade, a few sparks flying from where their metals met.
She dashed into a counter-attack, but Santiago moved too quickly. His blade, more nimble and precise than her large sword, dashed underneath her arm, threatening to pierce into her flesh.
She was ready for this, however.
In an instant, a flash of bright yellow light erupted from within her chest, bursting outward and unveiling another ethereal sword, which slammed into the dagger below her. At the same time, her Odachi spun into a downward stroke, slicing to cut Santiago's neck clean off.
Dink! The dagger met her Odachi, deflecting the blade just enough to send it spiraling out of the way. The Odachi burst into a cloud of neon dust once it hit the floor, before reforming behind Sarah, gliding along the length of her arm as she thrust it towards him once again in a seemingly never-ending assault.
One by one, more blades manifest around her, until finally, a soft, white glowing sword manifested in her hand, taking the shape of a light great sword. She gripped its hilt tightly, feeling the blade's presence alongside her own, before she stepped forward again.
"Santiago!" Akari shouted from behind him. He swung around, narrowly dodging another swipe from Sarah's swords.
"Yea?" He asked, leaping backwards until he was within touching distance of her.
"Time's up for theatrics. End it." She said, her hands clasping together, before separating, a thin layer of shield stretching between her palms like a web from a spider. "I'll give you everything I've got left, so fight like you've got nothing to lose. Understand?"
He nodded, feeling the new shield wrap around him, not forming neatly against his skin, but instead manifesting into a small bubble around himself. He focused inwards, feeling something that wasn't there before.
__
One week prior, the leading council of the Confederacy received a summons from a "mysterious benefactor," as they called themselves. The man was hidden, cloaked in a dark shawl, but his power radiated from within, exerting itself outwards, enveloping the entire room in his presence. It began as a shadow, as if the sun was blocked from their eyes on a hot day, calming their emotions with practiced efficiency. Then, it felt heavier, as if a small anvil lay placed on their chest, growing stronger and stronger with each moving second.
"Now now- no need to fight, is there?" The man said, lowering the shawl from his head. His choking presence died away, finally revealing the man behind the chaos that besieged them. He had a menacing line of black stubble along the length of his jaw, and a stark smile that accompanied his senseless ease. He felt no danger, being held in the midst of a council that didn't trust him, but Santiago felt something was off.
"I come bearing gifts, little ones." He spoke of them as if they were children, his devious, devilish smile unwavering.
"What gifts could we accept from a stranger such as yourself?" Santiago answered, his eyes narrowing. While Santiago was a proud silver-tiered awakened, it was clear that this man could tear through them if he wanted. No one had a presence like that and was lower than a gold-tier.
The man merely chuckled, his laugh echoing off the yellow walls around them. "Simple." His words were slow and calculated, the intensity so sharp it could cut through butter. "Have you ever wondered how your precious Matsuo commanded the authority he did?" He spoke with a strange sense of familiarity, as if he was discussing an old friend.
"It's a simple tool, really." He continued past the Council's combined silence. "Expensive- but nothing to a man with power." He clapped once, the sound ringing through the ears of everyone present. "Allow me to demonstrate~"
As he finished speaking, the commanding pressure re-emerged at a strength even more dominant than before, sending a few council members who hadn't fought much to their knees, clutching their chest for breath.
Santiago watched, his eyes widening, as his body began to shudder with fear. The man who stood in front of them, already as towering as a giant, grew stronger by the second, the feeling of oncoming, innate death seeping into what felt like his soul.
"I-" he gasped, finding himself unable to formulate the words to speak. "I- agh~ I-" He struggled for a moment, before he spent every fiber of focus to push the fear out. "I get it!" He said, breathing heavily. "I understand. Please, lower your power." He said, less of an order, and more of a plea, yet the others still sat, frozen in place.
The man eyed him with renewed interest, grinning from ear to ear. "You've got some potential." He walked towards Santiago, taking his grizzled, worked palm and placing it on his shoulder. Suddenly, Santiago felt a warmth in his chest, a filling warmth that he felt grew his soul.
[10,000 Essence Acquired]
"I- this is- this is too much!" He protested, but he was stopped by the strange man.
"Take it. Manifest yourself outward. In exchange…" His grin grew wider, looking more like a devil than a human.
"Win your war."
__
Santiago reached inwards, manifesting that power, that strength he had felt just a week before. The man had given him something to reach for, to strive to achieve. That strength… it was magnifying…
[Aura Manipulation]
Sarah gasped as a heavy pressure erupted from Santiago's form, spilling itself outward uncontrollably, enveloping the area in his presence.
An aura? She thought, her mind racing. There is no world where he should have such an ability… Her sword flashed in front of her, shielding her from the brunt of the aura. He's never used this before. It's spilling out of control.
An uncontrolled aura was much weaker than a tempered one. Despite that, it all depended on the individual. She couldn't tell what his aura represented, but contrary to hers, it boosted his power immensely. Raw strength though, couldn't win a battle on its own.
She stepped backwards, her swords orbiting around her as Santiago opened his arms, his eyes closed as he absorbed the energies around himself.
They stood there, silently staring at each other, neither side daring to make a move. Sarah felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu, her head spinning slightly from her continuous control of her blades, but her focus remained on Santiago.
Her eyes locked with his, and she watched his face twist into one of pure confidence, a smirk emerging from his bruised face. In that single moment, her eyes widened, not because of his perceived strength, but because he disappeared.
He vanished from sight, blurring into thin air, before immediately re-appearing besides her, his dagger already poised to strike into her side.
Shit! She cursed internally, twisting herself around, her blade already rising to meet his. The weapons collided in a shower of magical sparks, sword energy meeting her ghostly steel. Sarah furrowed her brows, lowering her face in concentration as Santiago followed his attacks in rapid succession, combining his attacks into one longer, continuous string of death.
Sarah backed through the massive space, backpedaling with a fluid, confident motion. Her muscles strained as every strike rocked her to her core, causing her to shake with use. Despite that, she had lived the last few years at death's door, and this was not the first time she'd been faced with an opponent of greater strength.
They clashed together faster than Akari could follow. She watched from the side as she felt her mana reserves within her core slowly drain. She knew that a series of blows could cut it down, but she had put everything in that shield so that Santiago would have every advantage possible.
And he truly had the advantage.
I've got you! Sarah thought, finally managing to find a break in his onslaught of attacks. She didn't have enough time to control her blades, which floated limply behind her, until now. Santiago stepped slightly too far to the side, the reach between his dagger and her shoulder just barely short. Seeing this, Sarah pressed the attack, finding the time to finally command her blades to zip towards his waiting body. She knew it likely wouldn't kill him yet, but it would certainly slow him down-
Santiago ignored the attacks completely, instead transitioning into his next set of stabs, a slow grunt emerging from his throat as he thrust himself completely into the attack.
Sarah gasped as her blades met the transparent bubble of a shield, which now extended far beyond his skin. Despite landing cleanly, all seven swords bounced off his shield, not even slowing him for an instant. Knowing that… he leaned into the attack to catch me off guard? No- He just has nothing left to lose.
She desperately twisted her body around in the air, doing her best to remove herself from the deadly path of Santiago's blade. As the blade inched towards her, she realized it was far too late to dodge completely.
Her eyes narrowed as she processed this, but she moved unperturbed. Instead of twisting away, she instead angled herself parallel to the dagger. Barely managing to move whatsoever, it had much less of an impact, but still the result was the same, and Santiago's weapon cut a small line across her waist, leaving a long, red streak along the length of her skin.
"Guahhh!" She exhaled with a grunt, but continued to move away, managing to finally regain control in the few seconds after Santiago's blade cut into her.
"Yes!" Akari shouted from afar after hearing Sarah's cry of pain, her every muscle tensed with intensity.
Santiago stopped to take a breath for a brief second, pausing his onslaught-
But that was his mistake.
Now! Sarah stopped moving completely, closing her eyes and turning inward. She felt her aura emerge from within her, swirling around her form like a blanket of warmth. She felt the invisible energy gather in front of her, congealing into a single mass of energy, before slamming back into her chest, and seeping into her very soul.
Santiago, noticing the change, flared his own aura, his blade already dashing towards Sarah's neck, intending to end the fight with a single blow… but it would be too late.
Her eyes opened forcefully as she lifted off the ground, bursting into the air, just narrowly dodging the deadly strike. As she flew, she opened her arms wide, energy building within her palms. Internally, she reached for the scabbards, finding not seven, but fourteen waiting for her. Both mentally and physically, she reached forward and pulled, erupting the nearby area in a dazzling, colorful light.
Santiago shielded his eyes with his hands, the bright light overwhelming him. He stood there for a few seconds, clutching his eyes, before opening them once more, his dagger held aloft, ready for an attack. What awaited him was no attack, but an armory of swords, floating around him, poised to strike at any moment.
"What-?"
Shink! Shirk! Shcck!
All emotion was gone from Sarah's eyes as she watched all fourteen swords descended upon him, slamming into the shield that extended itself around him. They bounced off the shield before slamming back into it, not allowing him to take a step, or even lift his blade.
Santiago bounced around on the balls of his feet, barely managing to stay standing. Adrenaline rushed through him as he began to panic, watching as a single crack emerged through the shield. His eyes widened as one turned into two, and then four.
Within seconds, the shield burst apart, the sound like shattering glass scattering across concrete. Santiago flew onto his back, falling to the ground as a pair of glowing swords stabbed into his arms, pinning him into the carpet below, their edges shearing into the concrete that lay below the comforting flooring. He shrieked with pain as his arms were impaled, a sound that sent a shiver down Sarah's spine as she slowly glided to the ground.
Her face twisted suddenly as emotions rushed back into her, her moment of strength from her aura fading fast. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she started at Santiago's writhing form.
She turned her head to the right, watching as Akari fell to her knees, a single tear running down her face. Her eyes widened with fear as they met Sarah's, but she could do nothing as Sarah slowly walked towards her, her gait slow and confident.
The white great sword manifested in her hand once more, and she lowered the edge towards Akari's neck.
"Any last words, traitor?" Her voice was deadly soft.
Akari glanced at her, swallowing a mouthful of saliva. "I have nothing to say to you, tyrant. You should never have taken Matsuo's place." She spat onto Sarah's shoe, a small spurt of phlegm sinking into her boot.
Sarah pulled down on her sword, slashing Akari's throat in one, clean cut.
Thunk.
As Akari's head hit the carpet, Sarah was already weakened. Her swords returned to seven, but the two that impaled themselves within Santiago's arms remained. His screams had died away, replaced with soft whimpers of pain as he shifted uncomfortably, causing the blades to dig deeper into his arms.
She walked slowly to him, watching as his eyes met hers, and he attempted to leap back, causing another shark bark of pain.
"Enough, Santiago." She said, her voice was solemn and emotional, her words catching in her chest. She didn't understand why she felt like this for some traitors. "It's time finish this… here, where our little squabble began."
She held her blade to his neck, seeing him tense at the cool edge as it glowed brightly. "Any last words, traitor?" She asked, expecting as much as Akari. Silence rang out for the next few seconds, and she readied herself to deal the finishing blow, sighing deeply as she shifted her grip on her blade.
"I-" Sarah paused as Santiago began to speak, her muscles calming themselves.
"We could've talked it out, Sarah." He said, shivering at the close call with death. "You had the opportunity to explain yourself, to allow us to help you. Hell- we wanted to help you. That's all- that's all I've ever wanted to do." He gasped, gulping softly.
"Throughout Matsuo's rule, I was nothing. Together, we had taken the region by storm, worked hand in hand to create a better nation… but then the Great War happened. He put us into isolation and demanded that he control every aspect of The Garden. Suddenly my role became nothing more than a mascot. Of course, he never said it himself. In his eyes, he was a benevolent leader. To us, though, he was an oppressive tyrant, leading our once great people to fade away into irrelevancy." His hands shook as he reached for her, and Sarah bent down, her sword floating from her palm to rest under his neck still. She took his hand in hers, pressing her ear close to him.
"I wanted us to be strong. I wanted us to be the force of good in the region, to guide the awakened that enter the layer towards safety and shelter… but Matsuo refused. He wanted nothing to do with the outside world, and we couldn't even protest him. Sure, we were at peace. We were thriving within our little walls… but I saw it for what it was. The Garden was a prison for our people, nothing more." His breathing was calm, but heavy.
"When he died, there was opportunity. You took over, and we expanded as we dreamed, but that hunger, that undying hunger for power, it's seeped within you too." He glanced into Sarah's eyes, unable to hold her gaze.
She tilted her head, placing his hand towards her shoulder. "I don't believe I have fallen so low. There was ample opportunity to stay." She protested, narrowing her brows.
His next words interrupted her line of thought. "No there wasn't. I knew it from the moment Evander protested your decisions for the first time. You're not a leader, not like him. You care, but you can't fill his shoes." He sniffed slightly, a small smile passing on his face, but quickly disappearing. "When Evander died- when you tried to kill me for leaving- there was no hope left."
Santiago motioned to the captive council members that sat around the round table. "Look at them. They're afraid of you, much more than they are of me."
Sarah looked back to the grouped captives, watching as they struggled to make eye contact with her, looking down to the floor. Some even shied from her gaze, unwilling to place themselves in front of her.
"No… nonono" Her voice was soft, her grip around Santiago's hand tightening. "I- I was trying my best… There was so many roles to fill, so many things to do… I couldn't have been a tyrant!" Her words were short-lived, however.
"The word doesn't matter. The tools were there for you, but you refused to use them. This collapse, this war. You wrought this upon yourself." He took a deep breath, as if hesitant to continue. "But I understand you. You weren't taught to be a leader of a nation like this. You tried to fill Matsuo's shoes, but he only knew one thing- control." He shook his head, smiling softly. "I blame him, more than anything."
He rolled his head back, letting it rest against the ground.
"Now, let's be done with it. I have nothing left to say, tyrant."
Sarah paused. "I don't- I don't think I want to. Let me make it up to you- let me-"
Shirk~!
Sarah gasped as Santiago lifted himself off the ground, thrusting his neck into the length of Sarah's waiting blade. The edge cut into his skin, embedding itself deeply into the soft tissue, causing a fountain of blood to splay forward, coating Sarah in a small layer of gore.
"Ack… Grrck- "He struggled for breath as his life spilled out of him, the blood settling onto the carpet below, and draining further into the complex beyond. After a few moments, his head rolled back once more, and he lay still, for the final time.
Sarah stood completely still, her eyes orbs as she watched the life drain out of Santiago, before returning her to the silence of the council room. She raised her head to the sky, cradling Santiago's body in her arms, her palms slick with both his blood and her own…
And she wailed.
She wailed, and wailed, and wailed.
She didn't understand why she felt this way. Why the tears began to flow. They came like an unstoppable tidal wave, racking her body with heavy, turbulent sobs.
She cried until she didn't have tears left to cry, her fellow council looking on in silence, not even attempting to remove themselves from their restraints. The silence weighed into everyone, and no one had the courage to dispute it.
Slam!
The large doors to the council chambers were forcibly shoved open, a series of armored guards rapidly approaching. They were equipped with thick metal armor, and a series of sharpened iron spears. Despite the lack of weapon energy, enough attacks from those could still kill Sarah as she was.
Nearly thirty soldiers surrounded Sarah's almost prone form, their weapons held aloft and pointed at her neck. The closest man, who donned no helmet, stepped forward, his stature proper and commanding. His mouth opened to speak, but before any word could come out, a new sound rang out across the room-
Clang… thump!
From far above, the vent covering embedded in the ceiling fell away, slamming into the floor below. The sound caused Sarah to jump, her gaze panning to the new interruption, her hand glowing brightly as she readied her swords once again.
Where the vent cover dropped, a cloud of dust had burst forward, shrouding the area in a heavy, almost unnatural veil. Sarah scrunched her eyes, looking for any sign of what caused the disturbance, and just as she did, she saw four figures unveil themselves.
A woman, wielding a double-sided scythe walked forth from the cloud, the edge of her blade glowing a vibrant, dark purple. Heat radiated from the weapon, causing Sarah to flinch away at just the sight of it.
Alongside her, a monster of a man, equipped with a massive, oppressive sword, which was clearly made for a giant, stepped forward. He stood over seven feet tall, towering over Sarah and the guards like a titan of myth.
Another man, a hunched man, equipped with a pair of large, curved daggers stepped forth, his face one of maniacal calm. His eyes darted between Sarah, the corpses of her former comrades, and the guards. It felt as if his gaze was efficiently calculative, as if he could predict her thoughts themselves.
Lastly, from the shadows beyond, a man equipped in all black, a line of black stubble lining his jaw stepped into the light. Upon his face, a devilish grin emerged, and he moved with a slight skip in his step, as if receiving a gift he'd been waiting on for years. At his side, two large daggers the size of short swords hung from his belt. Despite the new faces, Sarah could tell there was something terrifying about him, and soon he would confirm it.
Without saying a word, his presence began to fill the room, filling Sarah with an oppressive, dangerous pressure. She struggled to lift her head for a moment, before finally pushing her gaze upwards. His eyes were glued to her, and his grin widened further as her gaze met his. He walked through the council chamber as if he'd lived there for years, not even acknowledging as the soldiers around him froze in fear. Except for one.
"Wh-who the hell are you?!" The man who had stepped forward earlier spoke up, his voice trembling, but keeping the commanding tone he conveyed in his demeanor. "This is private business between the Confederacy of Un-"
A wave of water burst from the mysterious man's cloak, slamming into the man with brutal, unrelenting force. The soldier fell backwards, but the water did not dissipate. Sarah watched as the wave followed him to the ground, pouring down the man's throat with relentless malice. He struggled, attempting to cover his mouth with his hands, but another wave of water sent his arms flying upwards, and the seemingly sentient water continued its assault. It buried itself into his throat, then to his lungs, filling them completely, until the man couldn't breathe any longer. His breaths came out as gurgling, terrified wheezes, sputtering out until eventually… he fell silent.
Silence
In that moment, Sarah felt a fear she hadn't felt in years, an overwhelming, domineering fear that sunk into her very soul.
And she knew who this man was. His identity had plagued her for weeks now.
It was him.
Lord Black had arrived.