Chapter 7: First Contact

Ash was currently making materials once again for the mobile city they were constructing. And he left more research about originium and oripathy to Adele who is a new member to the team. Though Gnosis was actually better than her due to his mind that was obsessed with knowledge.

He even pestered him about the miniguns he installed, especially because the factories in the Silverash territory have been mass producing bullets for the guns of freedom.

Ash was overlooking the construction of the city that was being expedited due to the help of all his connections. MountainDash has been delivering materials for buildings nonstop. Penguin logistics helped with it too and they didn't have trouble with the heavy lift choppers.

The Silverash hired tons of manpower for the project because money wasn't a problem. Making it into a loop of benefit, with the people SilverAsh hired earning tons due to the important work and Ash getting his city as quick as possible.

A chopper that was carrying a large container arrived at the construction site once again and an excitable angel greeted Ash. "Boss Ash! Hallo, I've got some pretty important news ya know? Though I would need some apple pie to convey it."

"Stop messing around Exusiai." Texas smacked her and Ash sighed at the Sankta's antics. "Exusiai, how about I give you this?" He procured some sugarcanes in advance from his farms because of their delivery.

"Huh? What am I gonna do with some bamboo, boss Ash?" Exusiai gave him a weird look. "This isn't bamboo you know." He bit it with his strong jaws and started chewing on it. He then spit the pulp out after the sweet taste disappeared.

"This could be your fix for sugar, it's a sugar cane. This is delicious you know? Amusing to eat too." Ash gave her one and he bit into his once again like it was made out of gelatin.

Exusiai took a bite on it and she regretted it immediately. "Ahh! This thing isn't as soft as what you make it look like!" She nursed her teeth that went numb from biting on it at full force.

"Serves you right." Texas snorted and smirked at her. "Ahh, boss Ash! Texas is making fun of me!? Can you believe this?" Exusiai pointed at Texas like she was an imposter and she rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, what's the news?" Ash asked Texas in order to get the news faster. "We found Margaret Nearl, she's wandering around nearby the border or Ursus and Kazimierz, fighting off bandits for rural villages." Texas informed him and he nodded with a smile.

"Thank you for the good work once again Texas, tell Emperor my thanks." Ash wired them a handsome amount of LMD and even gave the two extra pocket money in the form of a wad of cash.

"Waw! Thanks boss man! I can buy tons of apple pie with his and throw a lot of parties! I'm gonna try to get Texas drunk, I'll send you a video if I'm successful!" Exusiai thanked him with a cheeky smile and Texas sighed.

The duo said their goodbyes, with Texas driving his issued chinook to PL. "Now, where are you. Little pegasus." Ash took a look at the map and confirmed her last known position recently.

"No time like the present." He took some stims of suppressants for extra insurance if she really was infected and went on his way.

By processing the gigantic originium crystals in no man's land in order to make graphite beams. He learned that it made his reserves higher, so he just flew like a madman in order to find her.

The sighting was pretty recent, but you'd never know where the hell she'd go again once she leaves the area.

"Let's see..." He concentrated and focused his eyes. Looking all over the place for a blonde woman with horse ears. Degenbrecher already providing a picture of the radiant knight of justice.

Squinting his eyes, his vision magnified and he checked the villages for any signs of the Nearl champion. "Bandits..." He spotted some people that are wearing some shoddy crap. Armed with machetes and rickety crossbows.

"Surrender now heathens! I am Margaret Nearl, the radiant knight! If you continue to exploit this village, I will let you meet your maker!" A blonde woman with a mace and shield put her weapon on the ground and put her hands on it, posing majestically like the knight she was. A golden light shining behind her. (pic)

"Wooh, that girl's a badass." Ash whistled and saw the bandits flee in terror from her. They were still nearby Kazimierz after all, they all knew who the radiant knight was. And she was also a terrific arts user, so they didn't stand a chance.

And when the bandits escaped far enough, he took some stones and aimed at them with his magnified vision. Throwing the stones and reducing their drag to zero while increasing their kinetic energy, the bandits got sniped helplessly.

Without drag and Ash cancelling gravity as well, his pebbles of death moved at an unnatural straight line.

Watching them die, his face was impassive. "I thought killing them would elicit a reaction. I guess subconsciously, I know that people are just like cattle. They can just talk." He killed them because Margaret will leave the village and those bandits would surely come back.

He landed a few meters away from the blonde and she furrowed her brows when she saw him. "A Sarkaz caster!?" She quickly went into action, being a knight that's formally trained and all.

"Wait! I'm not an enemy!" Ash tried to stop her, but the knight was intent on incapacitating him with her mace that was currently being aimed at his ribs.

With a sigh, he lunged forward and made her miss. He then pulled on her right arm with the mace and maneuvered himself to her back. Twisting her joints, immobilizing the overexcited blonde knight.

"Calm down, I'm just here to talk to you." Ash explained to her and waited for her to respond. After a few seconds, she nodded and he slowly let go of her.

"You, who are you? A bandit, you are not. Your skill and strength is too high, you can also use powerful arts." Margaret raised a brow at him in suspicion.

"I am Asmodeus Naumann, heard of it?" Margaret was surprised. "I didn't know that the head of the Asmodeus enterprise is an accomplished warrior and caster..." She was in disbelief.

"Yeah, people don't expect that." She then squinted her eyes. "But that still begs the question, why do you want to speak with me?" Margaret was still in the dark about what he wants.

"Degenbrecher, the dark knight. I heard of you from her, the 22nd major champion. Margaret of the Nearl family." Ash was pleased with her reaction.

"The legendary three time champion!? But you did not answer my question, speak." Margaret was impatient and he shrugged.

"I won't lie Margaret, I have ulterior motives. My purpose here is I want you as my knight." He explained succinctly and Margaret glared at him.

"Insolence, a knight for hire I am not. Leave, right this instant." She remembered the greedy corporations that turned the sacred major tournament into a gambling sport. And Kamizierz's knights were now glorified gladiators.

"You misunderstand Margaret, unlike the Kamizierz General Chamber of Commerce. I'm different, you should know that already, yes?" He squinted his eyes.

Margaret remembered some facts about the Asmodeus enterprise. Ash's company gives cheap produce to anyone and everyone, even the infected.

Their prices don't rise even if the demand for it increased astronomically. And the AOS was also made by them, giving it to infected in order to make them live normal lives as much as possible.

"My sister contracted oripathy you see. I was always researching about oripathy and originium ever since I was younger. But my sister got infected." He gave her a sample of the stim they were producing.

"We need people like you, we're going to create a world where the infected could live normally. A world where oripathy doesn't have a death grip on those who are affected. And people could live peacefully after we reform the geopolitics of Terra. Look at this, our resolve already gave birth to this in such little time." Ash explained the mechanics of the suppressant.

"This... This is a miracle. But why me? I'm only just one person, sir Asmodeus." Margaret was confused. "That's true, though thinking like that is a losing battle. With a band of like minded people who wants to help the populace. We'll be stronger than entire countries." Ash put his hand on her shoulder.

"Am I really necessary for this grand plan?" She now believed it, especially because of the stim. And Degenbrecher also knows him and most likely works for him.

"You are, every person counts Margaret. Will you come with me? This is just the start, yet we are making great strides already." Ash smiled and Margaret imagined a stable geopolitical climate.

Then those soulless corporations and warmongering politicians will be unable to enact their tyranny on the masses. People that she, as a knight has sworn to protect.

She suddenly kneeled on the ground and Ash didn't expect it. "I Margaret Nearl. The radiant knight swears that I will help you, sir Asmodeus. Promise me that your path shall not change and my shield will be yours."

Putting a hand on her shoulder he spoke. "I promise, we will not let evil succeed. And if I am consumed by greed and lust for power. I give you permission to strike me down. Call me Ash Margaret."

Margaret looked up to him with determined eyes and she nodded. "Sir Ash, where is your current base of operations?" He smiled and pointed at the direction of Kjerag.

"You're a Kuranta Pegasi right? Have you ever flown before Margaret?" She was confused and he put his arm on her waist. "Sir Ash?" She raised a brow at him but he didn't reply and just showed it to her instead.

They flew into the skies and Margaret frowned, keeping up her stoic expression, it was anxiety inducing at first. Flying at the sky and seeing the far off land below. But she began to feel like it was a natural feeling.

She thought it was because he held her tightly, or her pegasi blood running in her veins. But one thing was for sure, flying was enjoyable.

"Like the view?" He pointed at the areas they were passing through and Margaret looked at it with awe. "It is breathtaking." Margaret replied while delightfully looking around.

Kjerag wasn't too far off and they arrived by Ash taking Margaret with her, there weren't any problems that arose too.

And Margaret saw the massive construction site that was currently underway at the distance. "A mobile city?" She yelled and he nodded.

"It isn't that big, about five square kilometers. But it'd be a worthy base for our cause. We're going to have a lot of citizens soon when it's ready for take off." Ash explained their plans for now and Margaret was thankful that she accepted his proposition.

While he was touring her around, they saw Degenbrecher. "Ahhh, the radiant knight of house Nearl." She bowed and Margaret got troubled. "I am an exile now lady Degenbrecher. I am a Nearl only in name."

"What's with that lady crap, we're both champions that are out of Kazimierz now, call me big sis Degenbrecher." The dark knight put her arm around Margaret's shoulder and she smiled.

"Ahhh, but that'd be disrespectful for a knight of your stature." Margaret was uncomfortable and Ash lifted up Degenbrecher like a child, putting her aside. "You're troubling her."

"Apologies, apologies. He's my de jure master, my employer is the SilverAsh matriarch and they're engaged." Degenbrecher explained and Margaret nodded.

"So you're a royal, sir?" Ash sighed and shook his head. "I'm not a royal Margaret, besides. Tell her everything Degenbrecher. SilverAsh has been forced to be wed to me. We're more like, partners."

After talking a bit more, Degenbrecher took her with her to explain more about their organization and what they were hoping to do. She was also going to give Margaret her role as Asmodeus' bodyguard. Just like her status with SilverAsh.

__

When Margaret arrived at their secret base in Kjerag, the pegasi was vexed that the person she would be guarding is stronger than her. So while Ash was busy with the mobile city, she sought out Degenbrecher's teachings.

And as a knight with newfound purpose after her exile, Margaret worked her ass off in every possible way.

First was her combat ability, with the three time champion as her sparring partner. It was obvious that her experience lacked immensely against her. And Margaret's skill began to grow explosively.

With her arts, Degenbrecher introduced her to Gnosis and the blank faced researcher taught her all the theories to use her arts at the most efficient and effective way possible. Margaret might not be at the level of Gnosis or other researchers, but she was still smart.

SilverAsh taught her to be an even better commander. The leopard woman imparting her ability to scheme and be as vicious as possible to win against the odds.

And she combined all that by fighting with Asmodeus himself who is a combination of all of them. He had heaven defying arts that he just doesn't use to its full potential because of lacking opportunities.

His strength stagnated for now, but it was sure to increase in the future, his speed is matched with Degenbrecher. Though the caprinae is starting to leave him in the dust with his focus on other projects.

And his tactical acumen was still as sharp as ever, especially because he could calculate everything in the battlefield with his superior vision and ridiculously fast processing power.

"Light! Heed me!" Margaret's shield glowed with golden light along with her mace. feathery wings of gold appeared behind her and she charged at Asmodeus who was wielding his greatsword.

"Darkness, swallow the accursed light. Kukuku." He was having fun with her and used his arts on his sword, it gained a black sheen that made it look two dimensional because it was absorbing radiant energy and dispersing it.

Margaret swung her mace at him and his sword crashed at the arts infused mace. She gritted her teeth and frowned when she saw the black blade start to encroach on her weapon. The arts she imbued on it disappearing.

"Light will not succeed, knight. Might, makes right." He pointed his sword at her after she leaped backwards. "A true knight will not bend to the threat of violence. Now, repent for your sins, in front of my mace!"

She concentrated her arts once again and with their next encounter, she gave a shield bash towards his sword and then attacked with her mace.

"Kukuku~ It's a shame knight of radiance. But it seems that darkness swallows all." He blocked the mace with his hand that was coated with darkness. He swung his sword at her and she hastily put her shield up, its light arts shattering from the contact.

She was forced to kneel from the heavy blow and he quickly kicked away her shield. His other hand holding her mace and erasing any trace of light on it. "Now, my little knight. I hope you are prepared."

"Kuuu! Kill me." Margaret squinted her eyes at him. "What the hell are you two doing? Are you roleplaying?" SilverAsh looked at them weirdly.

"Roleplaying?" Margaret treated it seriously. "What? You need to have fun while sparring, isn't that right Margaret? Or you'll quickly be overwhelmed by boredom and you'll start to skip training." Ash shrugged.

"It seems that Nearl here didn't know you were roleplaying though." The Silverash matriarch pointed at the blonde and Margaret looked vexed.

"So you weren't taking it that seriously against me sir Ash, I will work harder to be much stronger and can be qualified to guard you." Margaret was too serious and Ash patted her on the back.

"Don't worry about it Margaret, you're improving really quickly. And besides, I used a counter to your arts. I still had to be careful and watch your mace carefully or I'll be in a world of hurt." Margaret bowed.

"Thank you very much for your kind words." Ash looked towards SilverAsh and Degenbrecher shrugged. "She's a pegasi of Kazimierz after all, you have to get used to it."

"I guess, Margaret. I have a question though, why were you in the border of Kazimierz and Ursus?" Ash was curious and she looked downwards.

"I've heard of the treatment of their citizens if they are infected. And I learned that they were even sending soldiers for a purge." Margaret furrowed her brows.

"Ahh, Ursus is that bad huh?" Ash clicked his tongue. He then had an idea, that is to locate radioactive materials in order to replace originium reactors.

If he didn't change the reactors of their mobile cities, it was going to be just like putting lead in gasoline. It would lead to more oripathy.

And if Ursus really was like Russia, he'd have an easier time there to find some radioactive materials.

"Margaret, I think we'll go on a mission to Ursus. I'm going to try and find some materials that might turn originite obsolete." Ash smiled and everyone listening in were shocked to their core.

"Make it obsolete? That's impossible, originium is the backbone of modern society!" SilverAsh yelled and he smirked. "Then let's shatter that notion."

It would take a long ass time in order to make it work, but it was the best alternative to originium. And it might decrease the frequency of catastrophes if originite prime isn't used so excessively.

Margaret kneeled again. "By your will, being a part of this important mission would be an honor." She smiled and he helped her to stand.

"Enough of that kneeling stuff yeah? Come on, let's go." Ash was eager to find it and there was also another purpose. That is to poach as many villagers as they can to populate the city that would be completed in a few months.

"Madame, permission to go with them? This will be fun." Degenbrecher asked SilverAsh and she nodded. "Go, you might encounter some Ursus soldiers there. Margaret and Asmodeus are plenty strong enough already. But two Kazimierz champions and this guy? Not a chance they'll win."

"What do you mean this guy?" Ash snorted at her and SilverAsh chuckled. "Don't worry you sensitive boy, it's a compliment."

"The dark knight on board sir, are we gonna wait for one of your choppers?" Degenbrecher sighed and thought it would take a couple of days before Lungmen receives their message.

"No need for that, this will just be a daytrip." He held their waists and flew to the skies, going to the direction of Ursus.

"That sure is convenient." SilverAsh sighed and thought she'd be able to compete against his business if she could do that and trap a myriad of businesses with her contracts.

__

The trio flew to Ursus and landed on the western part of it because he thought it would be closer to Kazakhstan if compared to his old world. And that place mines the majority of uranium.

"What are we looking for here in Ursus exactly, sir?" Degenbrecher stretched as she enjoyed the flight towards Ursus.

"It's a radioactive material called uranium... It's not really that dangerous when it's in its ore and unrefined form. But once its been processed like originite prime. It could cause explosions that can destroy entire cities in one spectacular explosion." Ash explained and the two paled.

"Don't worry, it's not scary at all. I'm the only one who can do that after all." He patted them on the head and they were still frozen stiff.

"What's with that destructive power? And you say it comes from ore?" Margaret broke into a cold sweat. "Yeah, you only need a small amount of it too. And when it explodes, it'd cause something like oripathy to people for hundreds of kilometers. Turn the area uninhabitable for hundreds of years." They stopped him from telling more about it, covering his mouth.

"Ahhh, I don't need to hear more! It makes me think you're gonna use it!" Degenbrecher shook her head to forget the image in her mind.

"Are you sure you're not weaponizing it sir?" Margaret looked at him anxiously. "No, not really. If I'm destroying a city, I'll be doing it with normal explosives. Not that I'm gonna do that anyways, unless..."

Margaret hit him on the chest and he chuckled at their reactions. "Calm down, I'm going to use it like originite prime actually. A power source for technology, it will lessen oripathy contractions and the over reliance on the material. Though it would take decades to do that completely."

"Is that so? It is so similar to originite prime. The material could cause a lot of deaths or make it advance to greater heights." Margaret wanted to find it. But worry was still in her mind after his story of nuclear explosions.

"And it's not like I need to get it to bomb cities girls. With enough energy, my arts can do the exact same thing. Much stronger even." He rubbed his chin and thought of when could he use nuclear fusion and weaponize it like that.

"You're not serious, right?" Degenbrecher laughed dryly and he just stared at them in the eye. Then he started walking around, looking for some radioactive decay from the ground so he could locate them.

The trio roamed Ursus and Ash marked the spots where he got signs of radioactive materials. And they traveled upwards further up north, to try and find some oil as well for plastic.

"Aren't we too far up north sir? Don't you know the stories about the icy north?" Degenbrecher frowned when she looked towards the north.

"It's called Infy ice field right? What's with the place?" Ash saw its name on the map once. "It is said that a thousand years ago, eldritch demons have poured out from the north and south, sir." Margaret elaborated.

"Demons? Huh, so there's stories like that." He squinted his eyes towards the north and he did feel something out there and it's subtly calling out to him.

"Even if it's true, that was a thousand years ago. And we aren't going to go super up north anyways." Ash shrugged and he continued onwards.

The two agreed and they followed him, after trying to find some oil reserves. He was able to locate one at north west.

And while he was marking the place for extraction later just like the radioactive materials, Ash suddenly looked forwards. "People?" He could feel oripathy and biological signals right ahead.

"Did you say people?" His two companions raised a brow and he nodded. "I don't know why anyone would live here, but right up ahead. There is a gathering of people, pretty sizeable too like a village." Ash squinted his eyes and magnified his sight, but the visibility was crap.

"Should we make contact?" Margaret prepared her shield and mace. While Degenbrecher put her greatsword on her shoulders.

"They're infected, maybe we should help them. Margaret, you still don't know this. But I can actually regress the progression of oripathy using my arts." Ash informed the blonde knight.

"Then let us go and help them. It is only right to do so, especially if you have the capabilities, sir." Margaret was more motivated to go to them now.

__

"Alina, we're slowly running out of food reserves. Patriot and his shield guard are also holding back Ursus hunting parties." A silver haired woman looked at the bonfire that was keeping them warm solemnly. (pic)

"Talulah, it's fine. Everything will be fine, we have to be strong for the others. You're our leader, it's a must for you to be steadfast." Alina, an Elafian who are like deer.

"You're right, Reunion will be the hope of the infected." Talulah smiled at the sweet woman and they warmed up nearby the fire.

Bells then started to ring and hurried footsteps were heard all over outside their encampment. "Enemies..." Talulah's eyes hardened and Alina gasped. Reunion's freedom fighters were getting worn down by the Infected Patrol of Ursus who were killing off those who contracted oripathy.

Talulah took her sword and immediately ran outside. Prepared to use her fire arts to fight, they saw three silhouettes behind the thick mist and frost.

"The radiant knight and dark knight..." Talulah frowned heavily. She was confident in facing the radiant knight, but the dark knight was another story altogether. And they were already armed and ready.

"Hello~" Ash waved his hand at them without a care in the world. "You're infected right?" He smiled at them and the reunion fighters around Talulah were starting to get tense and anxious.

"They're Ursus Patrol!" Talulah couldn't hold it anymore and she fired a blast of fire towards them like a flamethrower.

"Light shall protect!" Margaret planted her new kite shield on the ground and a burst of light appeared from her arts. "What a mess, sir. It seems we've been labeled as Ursus forces." Degenbrecher sighed, but she was tapping her sword on her shoulders with a smile.

"Don't kill them okay." Ash sighed and thought that it was understandable they were so goddamned suspicious of people. They weren't infected too, so telling them they appeared there to help was going to be suspicious as hell.

In their eyes, they were elites that were sent to get rid of them. "Good job Margaret, I told you that you're improving really quickly." Ash patted her shoulder and he used his arts, robbing the heat of its molecular energy and Talulah's flames disappeared.

"I-Impossible..." Talulah was pouring out her arts, but it was neutralized easily. "Now, now, why are you so hotheaded, lady?" Ash walked out of Margaret's shielding and he sighed.

"We won't yield! Reunion will fight for the rights of the infected!" Talulah decided to went up close and personal. "Might as well test my arts here for the heck of it." He shrugged and the draco woman glared at him, underestimating her like she was some rabble.

With extreme prejudice, she swung her sword at him but she saw his cold and calculating eyes bore into her as he raised his hand.

Her sword completely froze in the air and she felt like she was swinging her sword while it's embedded in steel. It was completely and utterly immovable. She looked at her blade for a moment and she heard his voice making her break into a cold sweat.

"Kinetic energy deduction experiment, successful. It seems I can reduce it to basically zero and cancel all and any force put into an object." He nodded in satisfaction without giving a single fuck.

"I-is this all a game to you!?" Talulah screamed at him and he was taken out of his stupor, releasing her sword from his arts.

"Ahh, go on continue. Can you shoot me with fire again?" He requested politely. "FUCK! ARE THE INFECTED'S LIVES NOTHING TO YOU!?" With her emotions flaring, she fired a pretty devastating stream of fire that was more concentrated.

Talulah screamed as she kept on pouring out her arts, after a full 20 seconds of intense hellfire, she finished her arts and panted heavily. "N-no way, that's..." Talulah's eyes trembled upon the sight.

Ash devoured the fire literally and replaced his energy reserves he used from it. "I see, energy absorption is more efficient when I take the source to my own body?" Asmodeus was pleased with his findings.

"Don't come near me..." Talulah was starting lose morale, she could hear her soldiers drop down like flies because of Degenbrecher, thinking they were being killed like wheat.

And Margaret was shooting light left and right, quickly overwhelming Reunion. Asmodeus started walking up to her and the draco girl couldn't understand his arts at all. Thinking that Ursus sent out someone godlike to kill them all.

"Don't be so scared girl, you guys attacked us first anyways, isn't that rude?" Ash complained to her and Talulah could only stare at him dumbly. "You're... Please kill us quickly."

"Huh?" Ash was dumbfounded, but he'd ask about it later. He pointed his palm towards her and Talulah's eyes dilated, her life flashing before her eyes.

He absorbed her bioenergy and Talulah froze in place then suddenly went limp like he just took her soul. But she was just so powerless that she couldn't talk or move. "Hmm, so incapacitation experiment is also a success, extremely effective." He took out a note pad and added his findings to his moves.

"Ta-Talulah died just like that." A Reunion soldier muttered, but it was like it was heard all over the camp. The soldiers just staring at her body that dropped onto the ground.

"Surrender quickly now, it would be for the best you know?" Degenbrecher suggested to them and everyone thought they'll give them an easy death if they surrender.

"Talulah!" Alina cried out and ran to her friend. "Talulah! Wake up, Talulah!" She only saw her wide open eyes that were like a dead fish's.

The girl then started crying right in front of him and he scratched his head. "Ah, she isn't dead you know? She just can't move, I'd close her eyes if I were you, it'll get dried out." Ash advised her and the deer girl was confused.

"Watch out!" Margaret shouted and Ash could feel the fast moving object travelling to his position with tons of kinetic energy.

Ash dropped down on the ground and a massive glaive cut through the air. The mist and frost around the camp getting blown away as the glaive crashed on the ground and released a shockwave.

"P-Patriot is here!" A soldier had tears of joy, a tall and imposing armored person walked towards the camp and every step made the ice crack. (pic)

"Patriot!?" Degenbrecher and Margaret shouted out in disbelief. "Hmm, you know him?" Ash asked them and they looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Patriot is the strongest soldier of Ursus! He's a wendigo Sarkaz that nobody wants to mess with back when he was still with Ursus, they said that he died. But it seems that he's with Reunion." Degenbrecher explained and she started sweating.

"Hoh? You are, really?" Asmodeus felt pressure from Patriot and the red glowing eyes on the helmet was ominous.

"Who are you and what are you doing here. You're not from Ursus." Patriot's heavy and baritone voice shook their bodies.

"We were just roaming around when we got here, they attacked us all of a sudden." Ash explained calmly. "Alina, is Talulah alive?" Patriot asked and Alina checked her pulse, which was there so she nodded.

"As I thought, you're not from Ursus." Patriot could see the unconscious people on the ground and there was no blood spilled.

"Hey, old man. You're strong right?" Asmodeus asked him and he was having an itch in his blood again. Patriot just stared at him and didn't reply.

"Margaret, walk back slowly. He's going to go on a rampage." Degenbrecher gulped and could remember his first slip out of control. And that was just him when he doesn't have an idea how to fight.

Now, he definitely improved and he doesn't have that subconscious bias to hold back against Patriot.

"Do you wanna fight boy?" Patriot said with a ridiculing tone, thinking he was an arrogant guy who wanted to have a dick measuring contest.

"Say yes old man." Ash was starting to breathe heavily and his brain was getting flooded by endorphins. Fighting in this state was like sexual arousal for him.

Patriot nodded and the legendary wendigo from Ursus was surprised. Ash suddenly appearing right in front of him, throwing a punch that he enhanced with kinetic energy arts.

And the wendigo was only able to lift up his thick shield by pure instinct in his decades of fighting experience against all kinds of enemies.

A shockwave exploded and Patriot got lifted from the ground, he was thrown backwards for dozens of meters and he had to stab his shield on the ice to balance himself.

"What in the world?" Patriot couldn't finish his thought as Asmodeus went ham on his shield and he was grinning like a madman. Every punch gaining more kinetic energy like a wind up.

Patriot was about to attack him and make him go unconscious because Ash was berserk. But the air suddenly went still as he stopped his kinetic energy.

With a kick right at his shield that left a foot sized dent, Patriot flew away from the extremely violent blow and Ash cracked his neck. "That man is dangerous." The wendigo stared at him and cursed that he threw his main weapon away.

"You are strong old man, that was fun. Let's continue eh?" He grinned and his arms started to turn orange hot, but before he could continue to power up his arts even more, Margaret whacked him on the head with her mace.

"That hurt Margaret! Fuck." Ash sobered up as he saw her concerned eyes. "Ohhh, I was losing control." He realized and looked at Patriot who stood up.

"Sorry old man, I have this troublesome bloodline that I haven't figured out yet. When I see people like you, I lose control a bit." Ash sighed and Patriot was confused, in his long life. He does not know any race that is like that.

His bloodthirsty grin from earlier was something he only saw in a couple of people that he fought in his life. Insane motherfuckers who live to fight and shed blood on the battlefield.

Ash returned to the camp and he used his arts to revitalize people with his arts, making them stand up and even Talulah stared at him in confusion.

"I'm Asmodeus Naumann, we don't have a name for our organization huh?" He looked towards his companions.

"How about you call us Deliverance? And we're here to dial down your infections." Ash smiled at them confidently and they of course did not believe him at all.