Chapter 90: Ultra Aspect

Two years of training and learning.

I was eighteen now and Isabella was twenty.

We worked for a long time, training to properly use our new weapons and learning the weaponry of this world.

I learned a lot about technology too. I now had a deep understanding of many kinds of weaponry. Energy weapons, plasma weapons, ballistic weapons, explosives, etcetera.

I also knew about using them.

Leiso had turned us both into lethal soldiers and we were almost on the same level of hand-to-hand combat as she was.

In the two years we had spent training, we weren't attacked once. Michael killed a few more assassins, but none of them ever reached us.

He was supposedly able to use an odd trick with light and darkness that would show if someone's hair had been dyed or not.

Attendants in Arcadia were not allowed to dye their hair under any circumstances unless they had special government permission to do so. It let everyone know that they were Attendants and served as a badge of office.

Exposed Attendants would either be executed on the spot if they dropped their cover, or brought in for questioning.

It was still genuinely surprising how good at this Michael was, considering he still had yet to call me by my name before being corrected.

Regardless, one day we were called into the Awakening room at the Torantis Enforcer HQ. On our way in, we passed a huge mob of news reporters that repeatedly asked us questions we weren't allowed to answer. Michael kept them at a distance and brought us in to see Iris.

We currently stood within the awakening room.

"It has now been over three years since the beginning of your manifestation, you two. The time is now," Iris said.

We nodded and removed our shirts.

"I will be doing this to both of you at the same time. This might get messy. I haven't manifested Aspects with people of such immense power before."

Isabella and I stood at the center of the room.

"Do you know what Aspects we'll receive?" I asked.

"Yep," Iris said as she pulled out the fragments of our souls from before.

"I'll start with Isabella..." Iris said as she turned to her.

"I will be receiving two Ultra Aspects, yes?" Isabella asked.

Iris nodded.

"First is the Ultra Aspect of The Centurion. The mighty commander and feared force of the battlefield. Your strength and defensive abilities will increase drastically. You can deploy powerful barriers around yourself, around allies, and command the battlefield with your voice. Even your presence brings great courage and strengthens all of our allies. You will be the shield that protects Arcadia. Secondly, the Ultra Aspect of The Priestess. Your divine power will be able to heal just about any wound. Your prayers will shield and protect everyone around you. And your holy power will smite all who stand against you. You stand at the apex of divinity without being divine. Isabella Iratus, you will henceforth be known as The Divine Crusader."

I could see Isabella perk up upon hearing this. I could see a genuine sparkle in her eyes as she placed her hands together and looked at me.

"Mizik! I can protect you better like this! Isn't it wonderful!?" She said.

I smiled at her.

"Yes, Isabella. It's amazing. Thank you, truly, for standing by my side," I said.

Iris cleared her throat.

"Now then, onto Mizik," she said as she held out my soul fragment.

"Just like Isabella, right? Two Ultra Aspects?"

Iris nodded and smiled at me.

"And I think you'll like these. They're especially potent and very lethal. First off, the Ultra Aspect of The Warlord. You are the master of combat. The unchained beast of battle. War is a completely normal thing to you and no longer will you feel the rush of blood on the battlefield. Instead, all who lay eyes on you shall cower in fear. Great strength and understanding of combat, as well as weaponry will accompany you. Your attacks will devastate your foes and leave them broken. All the while the enemy will struggle just to lay a finger upon you. Secondly, the Ultra Aspect of The Archmage. To you, magic is a third arm. One that has been exercised greatly. Your mortal limits on magic are lifted. With the eyes of your soul, you can peer into the chasm of magic. Master the arcane abyss. Gaze into its depths. Become one with the power of magic. Mizik Iratus, you will henceforth be known as The Warmage."

I couldn't help but give a wide smile.

This was beyond anything I could have hoped for. A mastery of combat and magic at the same time!?

This was truly spectacular...

My versatility would only increase from here. It would be absolutely perfect for wielding Vengeance.

"Now then...I will manifest these Aspects into both of you. When I do, the thread that connects you will become strengthened...however..."

"Yes...?" Isabella said.

"Doing so means that your power will weaken while you are apart. As this is the case, you will mainly be deployed together since your strength will increase while you're closer. I hope this is acceptable."

"I assure you that wont be a problem!" Isabella said happily.

"Agreed. This sounds like a great benefit," I said.

"I didn't think you would protest. Now then, let's get started, shall we?" Iris said.

She angled the two glowing fragments towards us and adopted a strange pose.

"I AM IRIS! GODDESS OF BALANCE AND SUPREME RULER OF IGNITUS! I PRESENT THIS MODIFIED DRAGON CONTRACT IN THE NAME OF PROTECTING OUR HOME AND I HENCEFORTH GRANT THESE TWO THE POWER OF ENFORCERS!!!" At once, Iris slammed the soul shards into our chests and we had to take a step back.

There was an incredible feeling in my body...a horrible burning began to manifest.

Soon, it became a searing pain as both Isabella and I dropped to our knees. Iris stood back and put her arms out towards the crystal hanging from the ceiling.

Our energy was being funneled into it through and around Iris. The runes on the ceiling and floor began to glow brightly.

"Oh shit...this is way more than I thought there would be! HYAAAA!!!" Iris said.

Then...the energy from the two of us violently began to pulse and the room was filled with white light.

I heard a violent crash as well as an explosion of some kind...then I lost consciousness.

* * *

Eventually, I opened my eyes again and saw that I was in a medical bed next to Isabella. She was staring at me.

"Good morning, my love!" She said happily.

Isabella sat up and smiled at me.

She already had a shirt on and placed her hands on my chest.

I felt an extreme pressure emanating from her as she sat and looked at me.

"Good...morning? Is it morning?" I asked.

"Hmm...probably not. I woke up about five minutes ago and there isn't a clock in here," She said.

I slowly sat up and realized that my arm was missing again. I noticed it on a table and it looked like it had...melted somehow...

Then the door opened and all of the Enforcers along with Iris rushed in.

"Well well! You two are something else, aren't ya?" Michael said with a smile.

"Damn monsters...thank Iris they're on our side... We would be so screwed if they weren't..." Gavin mumbled.

"You two continue to surprise me..." Leiso said.

"Indeed. You both might even be stronger than me now!" Dante said with a laugh.

Carlos remained silent and instead gave an approving smile.

"Well, if you two are awake... How about I make good on a promise I made with you, Mizik?" Iris said as she held out her hand.

It's about damn time...

I turned to my left and Iris placed her hand over my right shoulder.

I felt a calm tickling sensation as my arm was restored.

I expected it to be slightly smaller, but this wasn't the case. I'm not sure how, but Iris managed to even speed up its aging to match my current body.

The arm still had the scars Cassandra gave it, however.

But it was my arm. It was really my arm...

Despite my happiness at getting it back, it still felt weaker than my left. I would make sure to exercise it later.

For now...

The first thing I did was hug Isabella and touch her hair with my reconstructed hand...

It was as soft and smooth as I remember it being. While hugging her, I felt my eyes tearing up and she simply hugged me back.

I had grown a lot since we came here. Isabella had grown too, but at a slower rate. I was now six feet tall and Isabella was at around 5'10.

"Isn't that just the sweetest thing you've ever laid eyes on? Makes me kinda want to get married again..." Michael said.

I shouldn't find it hard to believe he was married...but I really do...

"You two caused a disturbance when you awakened. You overloaded the power crystal and blew up the entire room...as well as part of the building. It's a miracle that no one was hurt in the incident," Iris said.

"So that's why my prosthetic arm melted then?" I said.

Iris nodded with a slight smile.

Then she could no longer contain herself.

"It was so...COOL!!! YOU TWO ARE AMAZING! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU FIGHT!" Iris shouted gleefully.

I almost forgot that she had a side like this...

"Umm...lady Iris?" Dante said.

"Yes, my sweet Dante!?" She said as she turned to him.

"Eh...nothing...carry on..." Dante said uncomfortably.

Iris cleared her throat and looked at us.

"You two should probably take some time to get used to your new powers. Take it easy and remember that it will take time for the abilities to fully manifest. You'll be stationed at Jallah's old home in Ulkanos. Before that, you will have a press conference."

I truly didn't feel like dealing with the news reporters, but I didn't have a choice. I put on a shirt and walked with the other Enforcers and Iris.

While I walked, I checked my status.

Interestingly enough, my listed numbers hadn't changed at all, but I saw several differences.

For one thing, my class had changed slightly. I also had two new abilities.

{Class: Arcane Fencer(T) (Enforcer)}

{New abilities gained: Ultra Aspect: The Warlord, Ultra Aspect: The Archmage.}

I checked each one as we walked and smiled to myself.

{Ability name: Ultra Aspect: The Warlord.

Ability description: You are inbued with the conceptual divine power of The Warlord. As a result of exposure to 'Enforcer' Aspects, you have become an immortal being of immense power. The Warlord grants its user several passive abilities.}

{Warlord passives: Combat Mastery: grants the user with a forced mastery of all weapon types and highly increased martial prowess. This power makes you one with the battlefield, being able to move with the flow of battle while remaining perfectly focused.

Instant Reaction: grants the user a sixth sense to detect and automatically dodge attacks if at all possible in battle.

Lethal Strikes: cloak your weapons in a powerful aura that shatters defenses and grants a higher chance to land killing blows at the cost of mp. Lethal Strikes may be toggled on and off at will.

Enforcer Prowess: the user is imbued with a divine barrier while also having increased speed and strength. The barrier, speed, and strength are all further boosted by the potency of an Ultra Aspect}

{Ability name: Ultra Aspect: The Archmage.

Ability description: You are imbued with the conceptual divine power of The Archmage. As a result of exposure to 'Enforcer' Aspects, you have become an immortal being of immense power. The Archmage grants its user several passive abilities.}

{Archmage passives: Arcane Nexus: grants the user with the ability to modify and create spells of all forms. This ability breaks down all spells into their basic elements in order to allow the creation of more complex and powerful spells.

Chasm of Magic: grants the user the ability to gaze into the endless abyss of magic while retaining full comprehension and sanity. This ability is used to discover new forms of magic. Additionally, magic can be drawn directly from the chasm itself for use of spells that require immense magical power to cast.

Resonance Mastery: this user is capable of using all types of spells without restriction. All spells cast by [Mizik Iratus] are fully enhanced and powered.

Enforcer Prowess: the user is imbued with a divine barrier while also having increased speed and strength. The barrier, speed, and strength are all further boosted by the potency of an Ultra Aspect.}

As I read, I began to notice certain things about my status magic...

I could modify it if I wanted to.

My status screen was at the tips of my fingers and I understood everything about it. I selected the unknown skill.

{Warning: UNKNOWN SKILL may not be tampered with. You will unlock it when you are ready, Mizik. Just be patient.}

I was mildly shocked by the rather...personal response...but there were so many things I wanted to do right now that I chose to ignore it.

I tried to increase my level cap next.

{Warning: manually breaking the level cap of 150 will cause physical degradation into dust. User currently lacks a power source of sufficient energy capacity to alleviate the affects. You will die a slow and painful death. Continue?}

Absolutely not.

I wasn't sure about this. I didn't want to kill myself by tampering too much with the magic so I chose to move on again.

But, I was curious...

I tapped Isabella and she looked at me.

"Could you show me what your abilities are? I'll show you mine, too," I said.

"Of course, my love. You don't have to ask!" She said with a smile.

At once I checked her abilities.

{Centurion passives: Voice of the Centurion: Words have power. A word spoken with the might of the Centurion can give special effects based on what is spoken. The Centurion's voice can rally allies, scatter enemies, and obliterate defenses. You may also strengthen allies, yourself, and weaken enemies.

Almighty Presence: This user's presence on the battlefield is a source of incredible morale for allies and terror for enemies.

Invincible Warrior: Grants the user incredible defensive capabilities as well as the ability to deploy wide-reaching barriers around self and allies.

Enforcer Prowess: the user is imbued with a divine barrier while also having increased speed and strength. The barrier, speed, and strength are all further boosted by the potency of an Ultra Aspect.}

{Priestess passives: Divine Power: grants the user an immense amount of divine power for casting light and holy spells of every kind. Holy and Light based spells cast by the user are maximum power. This ability cloaks the user in a field of radiant, holy energy.

Healer's Embrace: grants the user the ability to heal and even regenerate wounds on allies. Limbs and organs can be recreated with this ability.

Holy Conviction: allows this user to grant allies with potent support magic of every kind. Supported allies are stronger and more resistant to enemy attacks.

Enforcer Prowess: the user is imbued with a divine barrier while also having increased speed and strength. The barrier, speed, and strength are all further boosted by the potency of an Ultra Aspect.}

"That's amazing, Isabella! You're like...a goddess of some kind!" I said.

"You're so sweet! But your abilities are pretty powerful too, you know?" She replied.

Before we could finish our conversation, we arrived at the entrance to HQ.

Iris stepped out, surrounded by her Enforcers and motioned for us to wait.

"Greetings people of Arcadia! Today, I would like to announce the creation of our sixth and seventh Enforcers. Their names are Mizik Iratus and Isabella Iratus, and together they are one unit. They are the first ever Enforcers to unlock more than one Ultra Aspect at the same time. Hear that, Nexus? They both have two! YOUR MOVE, NOVAK!!! Here they are to speak with everyone, and also...everybody gets ONE QUESTION! Don't overload them, either! Take turns!" Iris said.

She motioned for us to come out and I stepped up to the podium.

The people stared at me and raised their hands. They took pictures and filmed me with their cameras.

I pointed to someone.

"Why are your eyes such a shiny green color?" The female reporter asked.

Considering the circumstances, isn't that a stupid question?

"Because this trait runs in my family from another world. They're called the sacred emerald eyes of the Iratus clan. Next question," I said as I pointed to someone else.

"What Aspects are you imbued with? And what is your designation?" Another female reporter asked.

They're allowed one question, but I don't really care...

"The Ultra Aspect of The Warlord and the Ultra Aspect of the Archmage. I am designated as The Warmage."

The crowd roared in applause and cheering.

I pointed to another person.

"How do you intend to protect us from the threat of the Overlords?" A man asked.

"By killing them all. We will liberate Nexus and kill every single Overlord that tries to stop us."

"Even Overlord Kazuma?" The mam asked.

"Especially Kazuma," I growled angrily. "No further questions."

Then I stepped down from the podium and Isabella moved up.

I could tell she didn't want to, but she adopted her confident persona and prepared herself.

I hadn't yet realized it, but since her Aspects inspired such incredible awe and confidence, everyone went silent as soon as she stepped up.

To me, she was as radiantly beautiful as ever...but to people seeing her for the first time like this...

Isabella was a literal goddess of heavenly beauty. Someone that inspired true amazement and courage.

The pictures intensified and she covered her eyes from the bright lights.

Here we freaking go...

Before she could point at anyone, they began asking her questions rapidly.

"Are you single?"

"Why is your hair pink?"

"Have you considered a side career as a model?"

"What are your Enforcer Aspects and designation?"

"Will you marry me!?"

"What are your measurements!?"

"How do you intend to stop the Overlords?

"SILENCE!" Isabella shouted mightily.

There was a low rumble and everyone instantly got quiet again.

She cleared her throat.

"I am married to Mizik Iratus and my hair is pink because it runs in my mother's family. That is to say, it is not hair dye and is a result of being from another world. I have been offered to start a...'modeling career' before, but I have declined every time. I have no desire to flaunt my looks for the public to enjoy. My Aspects are both Ultra. The Centurion and The Priestess. I am the Divine Crusader. And I will not marry you because I am already married. Among other reasons, sir. My measurements are no one's business but mine and my husband's. Also, my plan is the same as Mizik for dealing with the Overlords. In other words, kill them all." Isabella said.

Before the people could begin asking more questions, Iris stepped up.

"No further questions. Thank you all so much!" Iris said nervously. After that, she took us both away and the other Enforcers stepped forward.

Immediately, I heard Michael shouting at the reporters.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves! Come on, really!? I mean, I know she's beautiful, but seriously!? Have some self-respect!" He said.

Shortly after that, we couldn't hear them anymore.

* * *

"I am so sorry about that, Isabella. I didn't think they would be so...intrusive... Although it should be expected. You're a lot more radiant than you were before," Iris said apologetically.

"Radiant...? What do you mean?" Isabella asked.

"You radiate an aura that gives people confidence. And there's a sort of...holy light surrounding you that draws peoples attention."

"Does that mean more people bothering me...?" Isabella said dejectedly.

Iris nodded sadly.

"Damn it...I hate this... I only want Mizik to look at me like that..." Isabella said.

Honestly, I was hardly able to take my eyes off of her, but that was normal.

"Well regardless, I'm going to have Leiso and Michael spar with you two in a specially designed training room. You'll have a few minutes to sort yourselves out, so make sure you're ready."

Two armed Attendants arrived at that point and began escorting us away.

And as we walked, I silently hoped I would get the chance to beat the crap out of both Michael and Leiso.