Chapter 142: Awaken

("I have been through many battles in my life, or you could call them brawls in actuality. Though I was in a private school courtesy of my father, I was always subjected to bullying, or attempted bullying at any rate. I always fought back, no matter the numbers. I won by fighting dirty, but I won all the same. Then I got isekaid, and I haven't lost a single fight, at most a fight was left inconclusive, but now...")

Mikoto frowned as he gazed at the bright blue sky covered with formless clouds. Still dressed in his clothing from last night, he could feel the grass touching his skin. Now, why, pray tell, was he on the grass-covered ground? Well, he was flat on his ass.

"Now, now, Mikoto, no pouting," the one responsible chuckled out.

"I am not pouting!" Mikoto denied, shooting up into a sitting position, Sabre lying motionless to his side.

"No need to stress," Telluris said teasingly. Rested in her left hand was a sword, a gleaming and stainless beautiful straight blade with a white handle adorned in gold. "It's quite the cute look for you, Mikoto."

He merely grumbled as he took Sabre and stood back up, taking up a stance he spoke. "C'mon, let's go again."

"So eager," she leveled a teasing smile. "But, as always, it is charming all the same."

With a blur of speed, they closed the distance. Without warning, Telluris lunged, her blade glinting as she slashed down towards Mikoto, who countered with a fast upward block, the impact sending a shockwave through the air that scattered nearby leaves. As she circled him, Telluris spoke lightly, "You must learn to be faster, my dear Mikoto. Aim for the heart, not the ego." Mikoto pushed back against her strikes even as he moved away. Telluris arched her back as she twisted away from his counterattack, spinning as if caught in the wind, her steps fluid. She feigned left, then struck right, and Mikoto barely managed to parry in time, feeling the swish of her blade skim the fabric of his shirt while she laughed brightly.

"Come now, I know you can do better than this," she urged, her smile entrancing as she cartwheeled back, the sunlight catching the golden threads of her robe, turning her into a moving blur of light. As she launched a flurry of strikes, Mikoto fought to maintain his composure, every counter accompanied by mingled frustration. "You know, with more finesse, you could rival even the stars," Telluris teased, as she deflected one of his strikes, forcing him into a brief, precarious spin.

Pushing through, Mikoto feigned a retreat, hoping to throw her off balance. Telluris, with an almost predatory movement, pursued—moving in close, her blade flashing. As their weapons clashed, the sound echoed through the trees. "Ah, but running away won't win you this dance," she cajoled, playfully. Mikoto gritted his teeth, redoubling his strength as he channeled a sweeping arcing strike aimed at her. Yet, with a movement of her hand, she parried effortlessly, the contact reverberating through his sword and into his very core.

"My dear Mikoto, your swordsmanship must be more precise with much more creativity," she whispered, her tone dripping with playful teasing. Mikoto, biting back a retort, lunged forward with Sabre raised high, but at the very moment of impact, she sidestepped, spinning into his space to deliver a swift blow to his side that left him annoyed. The world swirled around him, and as he staggered back, she floated above him.

"Do try to keep up!" Her eyes sparkled as Mikoto rectified his stance, annoyance outweighing the charm of her playful flirtation. Telluris moved with an effortless speed that made even the difficult maneuvers seem trivial. With every clash of their blades, shockwaves rippled through the underbrush, sending tiny animals scurrying into their burrows. Sunlight glinted off the vibrant red of Sabre, as he brought it down in a powerful arc, aiming to cleave towards Telluris, who gracefully predicted his strike and stepped aside. The earth trembled beneath their feet, shards of bark flying as her sidestep led her to position right behind him.

"Ah, Mikoto, my dear. Your swings are as wild as your hair. Come now, focus," she called playfully, spinning into a swift kick that caught him mid-step, forcing him to stumble. He regained his balance, a frown etched into his features as Telluris pirouetted away, gliding effortlessly through the air, leaving traces of laughter lingering in her wake. As he tightened his grip on his sword, Mikoto aimed a feigned thrust towards her midsection, only for her to effortlessly dodge and counter with a fluid strike aimed at his shoulder. He barely ducked in time, the blade slicing through the air above him, sending a breeze that tousled his wild hair.

The ground beneath them began to reflect their fight; with every blow exchanged, the trees trembled, branches spiraling downwards like fallen stars. With each wound dealt to the surroundings, "Remember, Mikoto, it's not just about the strength of your blow but the complexity of your movement," Telluris advised, melding into a rapid series of steps that sent leaves spiraling around her like confetti. She leaped onto a nearby low branch, her robe fluttering elegantly around her as she perched like a bird.

From her lofty position, she leapt down towards him, quickly aiming her blade for a downward strike. Mikoto anticipated the move, this time channeling energy into his feet and launching himself sideways in a roll, narrowly escaping with a breathless grin. "You see. That's more like it! Though I must say, rolling around won't impress me for long," she laughed, landing on her feet and following up with a series of quick stabs aimed at his torso. Each thrust came with a good-natured taunt, "You should consider a more graceful approach. Like so."

With that, she unleashed a rapid flurry of strikes, her sword glinting in the daylight; Mikoto frowned deeper as he deflected one, then two, then three of her strikes, every parry met with the rush of sparks. "Ah, you're getting better. But you do not strike me as someone who prefers to simply survive today but to actually win." She slipped close again, dancing into his space, her golden antlers glinting with a demure charm as she twisted around him, causing him to spin off-balance for a moment.

"Tch!" he snapped, as he aimed for a horizontal slash. The blade cut through the air, but Telluris ducked low, the robe billowing around her, before she launched into a graceful flip, positioning herself behind him once more. "My dear Mikoto, if you could harness some of that frustration into your movements, you would do more damage," she coaxed, striking swiftly and lightly at his side, feeling the sting of her impact resonate through his core.

Mikoto growled under his breath as he regained his stance. He focused on his breathing, grounding himself. He dropped low into a crouch, letting her move above him, and then deftly swept his sword in a low arc, expecting her to easily sidestep. But this time, with timing finely attuned by their sparring, he executed the move just as Telluris landed, attempting to remain unpredictable.

Telluris barely managed to hop back, her eyes twinkling with surprise. "Impressive! But you must mix in unpredictability with your speed! Perhaps... a little less temper?" she flirted, but the compliment only fueled him further. Mikoto took that to heart, using the moment to pivot. He feinted a high strike before rolling into a low stance, attempting to rise up for a surprise counter-attack.

Massive vegetation fell with each strike, while the cries of startled birds filled the air, echoing their ferocity. "Ah, now that's the spirit. A bit of confidence can go a long way," Telluris chimed, parrying another of his blows and sending him reeling back. "But be careful. Without control, even the most beautiful storms can spiral into devastation." In that moment, she leapt high, twirling like a dancer above him, her blade shining brightly.

Mikoto took a step back, prepared for what might come next. He allowed himself to absorb her words as she flipped down, swords colliding once more, the forest trembled with their force. They disengaged as they both leaped back.

"Hm, you improve at a rapid pace. With each passing moment, your sword strikes grow more complex and fluid," Telluris noted with an appraising smile. "It seems your talents do not solely lie with magic. Well done, Mikoto!" She gave a bright smile as her blade glowed a bright gold before deforming into specks of gold. "At any rate, we should stop for now."

"Seems you held back a ton when we first fought," Mikoto grumbled somewhat as Sabre mimicked her blade, dissipating into red particles.

"You should not feel dissuaded. I am billions upon billions of years old. Yet still, your strength is impressive for one only fifteen winters old. It will not be long before you match my own strength."

"You don't say," Mikoto hummed at that. Maybe if he attained Arcane Ascendance, then that gap would be filled. Furthermore, he was yet to master Sabre and the Harbinger of Fate. Well, besides Harbinger of Fate and his Chthonia, there was his third Familial Arts he was yet to use. ("Man, I still have a ton to learn.")

"So what are you going to do now?" Telluris questioned curiously. Mikoto shrugged.

"Dunno, I'm too bored. Usually back in my world, there was a lot to do. Besides practicing magic or reading, there ain't much to do here. Well, I still have my phone, I guess..." He murmured with a sigh. He was beginning to miss all the manga he read and video games he frequently played.

Telluris seemed curious about what a 'phone' was, but she ignored her curiosity for the time being. "Well, there was an activity I and Octavia frequently participated in to relieve our boredom. Maybe we can exercise that?" She suggested. "It was quite fun."

"If a God and Divine Beast found it fun, then it must be something good," he reasoned with an affirmative nod.

"Indeed, I am sure you'll enjoy it. And maybe afterwards, you can show me around the capital of Galadriel. I am quite curious about what your cities have to offer. They always seem so vibrant from afar."

"No problem," Mikoto muttered. At least he would not be bored.

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The interior of the ruins was a labyrinth of stone corridors, their walls decorated with carvings and hieroglyphics that seemed foreign. Dust motes moved in the shafts of sunlight that filtered through the crumbling ceiling, illuminating the cavernous space. The air was thick with the scent of decay and a musty tang. At the heart of the ruins lay a chamber of immense size, its ceiling supported by towering pillars of stone. In the center of the chamber stood five sarcophagi, each a massive monolith of black granite. The coffins had carvings on their surfaces showing a myriad of scenes.

The first sarcophagus was the largest of the five, its lid adorned with a bas-relief depicting a warrior standing before the gods. The second coffin was smaller, its sides etched with hieroglyphs that told the story of a woman's journey to the afterlife. The third sarcophagus was rectangular in shape, its lid decorated with a scene of a warrior leading his army into battle. The fourth coffin was shaped like the first, its surface covered in intricate carvings of a morbid death. The fifth and final sarcophagus was the most unusual of all, its shape resembling a celestial body. The lid of this coffin was adorned with a star chart, its surface etched with the constellations of the night sky.

Rhiannon and Aegraxes starkly contrasted all around them.

"Hmm, are you sure this is the wisest of moves, Rhiannon?" Aegraxes questioned, eyes glazing over the coffins.

"You question me?" She scoffed. "Every move I make is well thought out. Besides, my brethren would like a chance in this new era as well."

"They might not be as powerful as you, but there is a reason Ancestors were seen as a major threat," Aegraxes warned.

"Cease your worrying, fool. They know well not to cause too much havoc lest they want their fun cut short," she said as she approached one of the coffins. "The festival is days away, and this era could use some more test in the meantime."

Aegraxes could but shrug. "Suppose it's a good thing their bodies were intact when they were sealed away by the forsaken one."

"Ha! Indeed, that was a battle I would not soon forget," she smiled as she recalled the memory. "It left me in such a state that I had to break away from my body. It has quite a lot of spawns in this era, but there is an odd one in Verdantis. It does not seem like an Inheritor even." She quickly shook her head of the thoughts. "It matters not," she spoke as she raised a hand to the sarcophagus. "Let us begin."