The Singing of Swords Signals the Start

"So, see ya Yaibel. I'm sure you've got this. Don't die though. Would be a tad disappointing!"

"Yea, yea…you're a wild kid. Protect our flag."

"Of course."

Lira was sitting down directly behind the flag, as Yaibel and the British woman walked off with a part of the team that attacked them, the Hawkspire team.

An agreement had been reached and each team exchanged members to show its sincerity and ward off betrayal. This left Lira with the Russian girl who couldn't speak English, and the thin, white man who probably had cancer.

Vindel, in particular, was excited about this development, as he excitedly spoke on how they had already demolished one team.

*I'm going to assume they mean killed, which is a bit disturbing to me as I haven't probably experienced the bloodshed and desperation many of these people have.*

Give or take an hour later, the silence was becoming boring to Lira.

"Alright everyone. So, do we all speak English to some degree?"

"Yes."

Ahfgh. Ahfgh.

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Yus."

"Beau-ti-ful. Well, this will be boring, so, anyone have stories on their life or coming to their powers? Anyone wanna share?"

One could hear even the slightest breath in the silence that ensued.

"Well, my story's not so interesting…"

Lira then proceeded to tell those present his story while entirely skipping the tower section. Speaking well was nothing to new to him, as was talking to a wall.

…

"And that was when I created a skill that I call Vihredra. Fun times, huh. Bit long, but anyone else got a story?"

"…"

"Sure. My name's Paul. To keep things short, as I don't tell stories well like Jone here, my family was killed in front of me, and it was do or die. I did and continued to "do" until I reached a city where a regiment of my country's military held control. I was drafted into it, happily. No one needs to know the pain I've felt, even as humanity stands in the face of this crisis. Within the month, on the basis of a lack of personnel and because of my strength, I am currently at the rank of Brigadier General, protecting a city of tens of thousands. I need to get back there as soon as possible. However, I am not willing to kill others of similar ambitions who have family that I've lost, to do so. I will not yield to this war game…"

While Paul was speaking, Lira was slowly motioning with his fingers towards the corpse of the man.

No one exactly paid attention because it was the heat of the moment, but the corpse was still warm. In fact, if anyone had checked otherwise, the pulse had only been absent for a short time. Of course, given the apparent desperation of the situation, no one bothered to go back and check, or give this man that they didn't know a proper burial.

[Welcome back to life, Gondril. I am the man who "killed you". Good thing I don't support pointless killing. Now, could you tell me why you killed your family?]

[Hmm? What? You? How did you know?]

[Just answer the question.]

[…To save my wife and girls from the horrors that would come. They already have anxiety disorders. Just hearing the news broke them. Fear, more than death, paralyzed them to inaction. Inaction means death where I'm from. So, I asked them if they wished to live in this changed world. I asked. And, they…they told me no. I asked them what I could do about it and I'll never forget the look on my daughter's face, that look of giving up, of losing all desire to life, all desire period. She told me "Just kill me dad.", and my wife said nothing for a while. Soon enough, she too requested that and made the request for our youngest who has what the doctors from across the sea called "Level 3 Autism". I didn't grant what they asked for more than a week after the discussion. I wasn't strong enough to do it. Eventually, seeing the chaos and slaughter that had constant among my neighbors, among my community as more monsters came, I gathered up my strength, and did it. I will regret it forever. If only I was stronger, strong enough to create a haven, to expect the unexpected in this crazy world. I was complacent…]

Tears slid down the man's face as he sobbed in silence. Lira watched from where he sat on the ground amidst the others telling their stories.

Lira felt a pang of sympathy.

[You know, my friend, it needs no telling to you, but nothing is certain. No one expected this, and very few were prepared for it. Shit happens. You could not have been prepared for it, however, there's a contradiction that I see you know but won't address. It was their wish to die, to move on because they could not accept or deal with the new environment. As a father and partner, you made the hardest choice of giving your family what they desired in spite of your own desires. In all of the uncertainty of what the future would be, you gave them certainty in finally gaining the strength to make that decision. Right now, I might guess that you wish to live on to be strong enough to create a haven, to do what you couldn't for them. Do so happily, then.]

[I will. I will.]

Sniff. Sniff.

[Good, well, see, the others think you're dead due to my misdirection. You could use this opportunity to either journey alone, figure out how to be one of the ten who advance a tier, or you could simply join us. Our teams have reached an agreement on working together. The chances of getting the spot would be lesser though, clearly. What do you choose?]

[Alone.]

[Good. Good luck. Have some fun.]

[Thank you. Good bye.]

*Such a straightforward individual. He'll benefit humanity for sure.*

Lira now zoned back into the conversation being held around him.

"And so, I stayed consistently at number 8 on the leveling board. That person Lira though never left number one…how do they do it? I had to face giants and wolves while facing other humans, and still I was below him."

"I know, right? My town was overtaken. I've been killing kabals this entire time until I hit level 49. I'm one of the few survivors and still I was nowhere near as quick as they were advance."

"I heard that America has a Black Knight, Golden Man, and Burning Woman. Maybe, Lira is one of those. All of them seem to have insane feats that I couldn't match up to even though we're similar levels. There seems to be more to their power.

"You're right. I just don't know what it is. I mean, South Korea has that handsome hunk Jaemon. He seems to be working with their government. China has the Long Shen. He's absolutely incredible. He can fly! If you hear the shit coming out of Africa, you'd think their top heroes are gods among men. They say one can shoot his bow from a mile away? What kind of strength would that take?"

Sigh.

"Yea, there are many incredible people standing out from the masses right now. I'm only second-class to their strength if the reports are true, but because things are like they are, I have the opportunity to surpass them! Then, my government will give me weight and my family can be safe at last."

Lira's eyes were in constant circle motion during this conversation.

"Naw, he disrespected me, so I showed him that I wasn't someone to disrespect no mo."

*Sometimes I forget that gaining power doesn't mean being stronger. Which makes me wonder, how many of these men and women would fight someone for something so trivial as honor or reputation?*

"Hey everyone, sorry to interrupt, but I've got a question. Ya know, a lot of people are delusional, right? For example, before the world changed, they think they can fight when they can't. They view themselves as better than someone else at something with no actual evidence. So, mind telling me, if any of you is so foolish as to believe you are a better combatant than anyone else here?"

"…"

"…"

Silence dominated the surroundings except for the wind, on which road the faint scent of iron.

"Well, I guess that's a no? You guys have no superiority complex? No certain way of determining someone's strength to some degree? Mana-reading, figure-reading, do any of you have any idea how strong anyone else on the team is?"

"…"

"…I'm certain I'm the strongest here."

A man from the other team, one who wore red plated armor only covering his extremities, spoke up.

"So, then, why?"

"Why? Do you want to fight and find out?"

"Calm down there Mufasa. What makes you certain that you could beat everyone here in a one versus one? Or, do you think you could take more than one? All of us? What makes you certain? If we are to survive, I advise you tell the people around you. After all, the strength we've gained came far too quick and without the proper lessons attached to it. So, give us a lesson, will ya?"

The man Lira jokingly dubbed Mufasa leered at Lira before turning towards everyone else.

"We're all level 50 here, and it has only been about a month, so we should be close to equal, you all think? Tell me, have any of you been able to feel the aura of those around you? It's not an indication of level, but the level of threat someone can bring. Basic human instincts, but in this situation, you should have developed them extremely right?"

"Sure. I could tell when a monster was a threat."

"Yea, that wasn't hard…"

"What about a human? How many of you have had to face the threat of your fellow man?"

"All of us."

Lira tucked his head down.

"How many of you have triumphed over your fellow man?"

"All of us, or we wouldn't be here."

"Yea."

"Then, do you know how you won? Was it simply two unskilled individuals fighting haphazardly, or did you learn patterns for yourself that would pack a punch? Learn to use your skills accordingly and more?"

"I learnt to use my skills."

"I dominate off of my body alone."

"Learnt to use skills."

"Now, watch me execute a simple slash and tell me if you could block it."

Zpt.

The man slowly sheathed the sword he had summoned while the light of summoning was still shining.

Silence pervaded once more.

Then, an instant later, a tearing sound occurred.

SWRR!

"Anyone?"

"Easily, but I'm sure that I'm not the target of this exercise…"

Mufasa's hand flexed as he immediately replied.

"Oh, then, you'd be okay with us having a little practice match to prove it, right?"

"No issues there. Just, are you sure others would learn anything from this?"

"Of course! You could survive long enough for them to gain some insight, I'm sure."

*Oooh, so the leader-man left someone he thought could take me. However, he's far too prideful! This guy seems to be trying to be purposefully aggressive maybe to find out my strength. They must know each other for him to put this much effort into it, or he was friends with Gondril…no, probably not.*

"Alright! Alright! I've been waiting, waiting, waiting for this! Ah, the smells, the sights, let's use our swords, of course! Show me, then, how your blade paints! How it dances! How your breath intertwines with your movements to form a sculpture of brilliance! Ah, the bloodlust is affecting me."

The two sized each other up as they backed up to around five meters apart from each other.

Lira then began to walk towards Mufasa, slowly. Mufasa didn't move but kept his sword ready, his eyes squinting. Lira, however, seemed to remain conversational.

"You know, Mufasa, I was never exceptional at anything."

Puff.

"Well, I was for a time, when I was putting in the work and loving the craft, but that was the naivete of childhood. I grew out of that and let my passion die."

Puff.

*Why isn't he spawning a weapon?*

"As I got older, I even let the worries of trying to make money and survive in society get the better of me, let me stop myself from creating new pinnacles for humanity's greatest achievements."

Puff.

*He's simply walking, but I can't read his movements. Why can't I tell where he's going to go? His muscles aren't giving anything away!*

"Recently though, I've come to realize how…sad it was. If you don't pursue passion, how fulfilled can you be? How great?"

PUFF!

He stepped down harder than usual.

*Shit! Shit! Was he this powerful?!*

"I've had a burgeoning interest in swords from young. Not the weapon as much as its use, how it could be an extension of the body, the freedom of the swing, how the joints affect it, how it can become like a river or like a rock. Always. I've always wanted a sword, so you could expect that when I held my first one, forced to claim my first kill, I was elated. Not for the kill, but for how natural it felt to have a sword in hand, to use it!"

PUFF!

*I'll just have to wing it! Fuck it!

"So much time, and still it feels like I am an unborn babe to the various ways of the sword, consistently feeding off what is to me, the greater beyond. Now, tell me, do you know when you are outclassed?"

CRUNCH!

"When you are but a provincial stain in the minds of two reckless individuals who are only considering creating a family in the future? You have not even begun to form the prowess to recognize the nutrients you require, to be nourished by the art."

CRA-CRUUUNCH!

*I'm dead…*

Mufasa felt, for the first time in his life, even after this crazy strange situation had occurred, like he was looking upon something beyond his understanding. He simply could not fathom this sudden change in Lira, from class clown into something beyond even the boundaries of what it was to be human. Looking at Lira as he was now, though nothing had changed about him, he saw a sea of stars. Hundreds of thousands of lights shimmering in varying degrees and colors, the never-ending darkness giving space for their luminosity to be shown upon.

Above all of this though, stood Lira – the Ruler of the Sea of Stars. He didn't know why this delusional illusion suddenly entered his mind so suddenly, but even then, he did not question it.

Lira suddenly smashed his chest and yelled out, shattering Mufasa's visions.

"NOW, STRIKE ME."