Chapter 7 - Guidance of Darkness

"It seems the head warrior has less honor than I had hoped." Momon remarked.

"Momon-san?" asked a confused looking Belotte.

"My apologies Belotte-san." seeing the sizable audience around him. Momonga decided to be spiteful. "You see it was less than a handful of days ago when several people from the Theocracy dressed in Imperial Regalia attacked and killed villagers just outside of E-Rantel. I was able to prevent a massacre in Carne Village, while capturing most of the knights and several mages of an order called the Sunlight Scripture." he continued despite the growing hushed conversations around him. "They were kept alive to be presented to the King as evidence. You see those people were only able to do so, due to a noble man from within the Kingdom itself, allowing three hundred theocracy knights and a hundred mages entrance to the Kingdom and access to imperial weapons and armors. Now it seems the head warrior had taken matters into his own hands. Taking my prisoners hoping that the King would judge those men instead of dragging the nobility into the limelight of the crime. A path on which the outcome may be civil war at worst. How bold of him."

After a few seconds it was again Igvarge that spoke out.

"You have no proof! For all we know it was the Head Warrior that defeated the Scripture and you are just in it for the glory." Igvarge challenged.

Artix stepped forward, producing a large crystal out of nowhere and placed it on the table Momon was sitting it.

Momon then explained. "This is one of the Slane Theocracy Treasures. A sealing crystal containing a Sixth Tier Angel. Dominion Authority."

They gasp at his words. It was a bold declaration seeing as the Sixth Tier is said to belong to the mightiest of heroes bordering Godhood.

Amidst the audience, a thin looking man rushed forward and gazed upon the crystal as if trying to discern it. While his hands though looked restless, as if wanting to hold such treasure.

*Ahem!* "My apologies for disturbing you Momon-sama. My name is Pluton Ainzach. Guild Master of E-Rantel. And this-" he indicated to the thin robed fellow. "is the leader of the Magician's Guild. Theo Rakshir."

"An honor to meet you Guild Master and please, drop the Lordly titles. I am not here in any formal nor official capacity after all."

"Then please, just address me as Guild Master like everybody else." Pluton remarked, receiving a nod in return. "With your permission, we can verify your claims in which I hope to rectify my own mistake."

His words raised a brow at the two people in front of him, making him elaborate. "You see the Mayor didn't have enough time to prepare the necessary numbers for this prison transfer. A number which was solved when he approached me and I inturn gave him a good number of adventurers. I agreed, believing they were merely bandits to be tried at the capital. I didn't know this was between The Theocracy and The Kingdom."

His words prompted a yelp of surprise from Theo as Narberal suddenly manifested her Mace-Staff. "But if what you said is true that then I can recall those forces immediately!" Ainzach immediately added, faltering at the sudden rush of fear.

The anger on the woman though only faded when Momon placed a hand on her shoulder, sitting her back down. He then pulled the young woman close by her waist and then softly rubbed her back.

A sigh of relief left him as soon as the beauty was pacified.

"I see. He has a band of thirty Warriors and a prisoner count of four times that. Without the Adventurers he would be forced to return as the trip to the Capital would take him a week with the convoy."

"Exactly, but first I need physical evidence. Word of your achievement has not reached my ears despite the mayor being informed of what transpired. But testaments can be altered or lied to. Physical evidence on the other hand is undeniable, specially to the ruling monarch."

" • • • Very well. You may see for yourself."

Receiving permission, Theo immediately casted his spells. "Appraisal Magic Item!" Theo stopped for a moment before trying to lunge at the crystal only for Artix to raise it above his head outside of the man's reach who was trying to take it.

Pluton was surprised at the childish actions of his friend, looking like a child who was reaching out for a toy. He suddenly snapped back to reality. "Theo! What are you doing!?"

"It's real Ainzach! It is real! The mightiest of all Angels truly do exist!"

Ainzach's jaw dropped at his friends word ls stunning him for a handful of seconds before trying to pry the man off of the black armored youth who looked on amusedly at Theo.

*Ahem!* Interrupted Momonga. "Guild master. I believe time is of the essence."

Narberal suddenly yelped as Theo dove for Momonga's hand and shouted. "I will buy It! Name your price!"

"You insect! How dare you touch my Suzuki!" screeched Narberal.

Seeing the unfolding chaos Pluton decided to act instead. He went to his office to use a message scroll while also sending an outrider at the off chance that they ignore the order.

Returning back down, things looked to have calmed slightly as he can see his friend Theo smiling from ear to ear like a creepy child high on sugar as he gazed upon a yellow crystal.

"I believe this concludes our time together Belotte-san. It appears we each have matters we are better off addressing soon after all."

"True. But allow me a bit more of your time if you would. I never did answered your question regarding the lack of magical items here." After Momon nodded he explained. "I'm sure you've already heard of the corruption of the Nobility here in Re-Estize. Well, aside from the lack of care towards their own people, there is also their constant belittling of Magic. They even called mages or magic casters here 'cowards'. This has become the most common term that is forcefully labeled to any practitioner of magic. This in turn has the effect of forcing those who wish to excel at the art to seek it elsewhere while those that stayed, received no aid. Compared to the Empire, the Theocracy or anywhere else really, Re-Estize is a magically deprived Kingdom."

"And the magicians guild?"

"Magical merchants. That would be the apt term for our order." Theo said in sadness.

"Why stay?" Momonga asked.

"Because I was born here."

A somber silence filled the hall but was broken when Momonga pulled out a sheathed sword. The sheath was beautiful, it was black at the edges with the center lied a transparent glass with shimmering colors of red and gold, like the flickering lights of a candle flame. The handle was a golden crossguard with black leather grips trimmed in gold and a red pointy gem at the hilt. The sword easily reaching five and a half feet long from one end to another.

He handed the weapon to Belotte and left with a few parting words. "The sword is one of two, reach Orichalcum and I will give you the other." and then left with Artix giving him a goofy thumbs up on the way out.

Surprised and confused Belotte drew the blade only for his breath to be taken away just like everyone else.

The blade was beautifully crafted. Perfectly straight and unblemished. But what really took his breath away is the glowing edges of the blade as if it was in perpetual heat.

(AN: Solarfire Blade)

Once he held the sword with one hand, perfectly fitting to the grip. It was at that moment he realized how light it was. He swung the sword and it left a trail of red-golden light. It was a breath taking weapon.

"That can't be legal!" shouted Igvarge.

"What!?" shouted one of Belotte's team mate.

"You hear me! That can't be legal! Magic Items are regulated here in the Kingdom! There are rules to be followed!"

"You jealous little prick!"

From there the hall devolved into a shouting match. Surprisingly, few spoke out against Igvarge. They are all after all equally envious. Though some would never say it, they were hoping the Magicians Guild or the Guild Master would confiscate the weapon.

Seconds passed and the hall had gotten into fights with Team Sky Wolf surrounding Belotte, keeping anyone away from him.

While Ainzach looks into the peculiarity of the situation Theo was gushing at the sword.

"Solarfire Blade! A fitting name! Hahaha!" shouted Theo.

"What else can you tell me Rakshir-dono?"

"Detect Enchant!" Theo choked at what he had just found out. "The sword is dormant!?"

"Dormant? Does that not mean I cannot use it?" said Belotte with a slight bit of disappointment. And while Igvarge was grinning at what he just heard that all changed when Theo explained.

"No! You can use it! It basically demands you to! But! There's features within that is beyond you currently. The best I could say is that you need to get stronger to access what comes next."

With a wide smile, Belotte asked. "Can you tell what they are or what they needed."

"Not much on what is needed except the necessary strength to wield it. But seeing as it looks as light as a feather in your hand then I can confidently say that it requires a different kind of strength." *sigh* "Sadly I can't tell what it rewards you with. But I do know one thing. 'Flame Guardian'. I do not know if that meant it literally or metaphorically but... Well.... I'm sure you'll find out eventually."

Another round of conversations flooded the guild. That was until Ainzach returned holding a piece of parchment. They all quieted down almost instantly each one looking at him, waiting for his verdict.

"Client, Momon. Status, Immediate/Urgent. Rank, highest available or willing. Reward... Enchanted Magic Weapon."

The members eyes widened at what he had just said. An enchanted weapon is the rarest of quality currently known, solidified by the sword of a Hero, Kleneiram. Now another has made an appearance and it was given away for such a mundane reason of all things.

While most were not happy with the outcome, they simple sighed in defeat. It is in the rules after all.

Being given the sword would have been a problem, being rewarded it is not.

Theo Rakshir looked at Belotte and asked. "How much for the sword?"

He hesitated after seeing all the eyes focused on him specially the serious gaze of the Guild Master. Suddenly he felt a tinge of heat flowing from his arm then through out his body. He felt a rush of power. One he had never felt before. Looking at the sword, he smiled and answered. "Not for sale..."

*******BREAK*******

Ainzach fell roughly on his chair making it creek and groan loudly.

He poured himself a drink. Taking note of everything that had happened in such short amount of time.

And slowly he smiled wider and wider until he ended up laughing like a mad man. His happyness was practically reverberating across the room.

"Hahaha! I always did liked that boy. A good lad! There had been no better choice for giving such a treasure. An Adamantite Adventurer in E-Rantel! People would be flocking here with a Hero's assurance! He needs to be nourished. He needs to earn that title. So.... where to begin?"

*******BREAK*******

"Bad news Momon. It seems that Stronoff is strong arming the Adventurers into compliance. They won't be making a return." Artix announced as he walked into the bedroom of a laid down Momonga.

"How? The Adventurer's Guild is said to be free of political interference." He asked confused as he sat back up.

"The guild is, people aren't. They are genuinely afraid of defying what Stronoff has declared a Royal Decree. It appears the man has access the message scrolls."

"He probably obtained it from the Mayor." Momonga remarked receiving a nod from the Raven haired youth.

"What now? I wouldn't trust a cowardly king whos sword clearly has no honor you know." Artix asked.

"I know, but I am undecided on which path to take. We could either go to the Empire or The Roble Holy Kingdom. What do you think?"

"Why not see both and then determine later which one we would prefer?"

"Haha. A care free answer, why did I even bother to ask." Momonga jested. "It is decided then, The Empire first. I heard they had something called a Magic Academy. What such an infrastructure entails, I wish to see for myself."

"Alright! I'll leave you two love birds then! Chow!" shouted Artix as he slammed the door close.

Momonga sat blushing, right next to him slowly creeping up from under the covers was Narberal Gamma. Completely devoid of her clothes.

"W-We really shouldn't have-" she tried to utter out as she slid away only for Momonga to grab her by her waist and tossed her to the center of the bed.

Momonga pried open her legs as he settled himself between them once more.

"Momonga-sama-"

"No. You know my name Nabe, say it." he whispered softly against her neck. Feeling her slight hesitation, Momonga began rubbing his well endowed cock against her pussy lips. Making her hips buckle against the underside of his dick. But Momonga continued to get out of her reach every time she would try to insert him inside of her.

"Say it... Nabe-hime."

Her breath hitched at the nickname.

"Suzukiiiiii!" She screeched as he entered her leading to another round of passion between the two.

*******BREAK*******

A couple of rooms away sat Celestia having tea with a downcast looking Albedo. Celestia sighed and reached for the broken hearted girl's hand. Slowly rubbing it until she raised her eyes towards her.

"It is not the end for you my dear. Your chance will come. I know of it." Celestia said assuringly.

"How could you be so sure my lady."

"Because I know my son. He doesn't reject you my dear. He rejects what I did. He doesn't want to be with you because I made it so, he wants it to be so because he chose to."

"He could have taken us both my lady." Albedo pushed back trying to sound unconvinced.

"Would you have wanted your first be shared with another?" Seeing Albedo smile slightly made Celestia giggled at the love struck girl.

"I am sorry. I should have made it clear for you from the very beginning. But after everything I had said. Everything he said, I'm sure you now understand."

"I do....I do...I was never going to be the first, no matter what. That place belonged to his confidant. The only NPC aside from his own whom he believed truly understood him. Yes my lady. I understand now why.... doesn't make the heart ache any less but, I do understand." Albedo choked out.

Seeing Albedo cry made Celestia gather the girl into her arms and simply embraced her. Knowing full well this was all she could do for now.

"I will fix this my dear, I promise I will."

She hiccuped and cried like a true little girl, comforted within her mother's loving embrace.

*******BREAK*******

Artix watched from afar as a convoy traversed the dirt road. His eyes fixed on a silver and golden armored man leading them.

Artix eyes were set into a deadly glare. Behind him opened a swirling vortex of darkness and from it stepped out A beautiful teen elf with Heterochromic eyes with her left eye being blue and her right eye being green.

"Aura Bella Fiora! Reporting for duty!" she I troduced herself with a childishly cute salute.

Artix simply smiled at the little elf girl. He rubbed her head making her purr like a cute furry kitten eliciting a small but genuine laugh from the black armored man.

"It is good to see you too Aura." Aura beamed at his words. "I'm sorry to have to disturb your rest but-"

"No! Please! Think nothing of it Artix-sama! I was very happy to have received this orders from you"

Smiling wearily at the little girl he instead confirmed his order.

"Did you bring it?"

"Yes my Lord!"

From the portal stepped out a massive creature easily fifteen feet in length and twice as tall as an average man. A green scaled beast with crown like horns looking a lot like a hybrid between a snake and lizard.

A basilisk.

"Good. It's venom?"

"Neutralized as you ordered."

"How tame is it?" Artix asked as he ran his fingers across it's scales.

"I can tell him whom to kill. But he can't follow anything more complicated than that. Nothing like how I want them dead or somewhere along those lines Artix-sama." answered Aura looking a bit embarrassed at her new pet's lack of progress regarding following orders.

Artix hearing the uncertainty from the little girl's voice decided to reward the girl. From his inventory he pulled out a simple silver bracelet. Artix knelt before Aura and wrapped the bracelet around her wrist.

"This is one of your mother's memorables. Her voice is recorded into it. Though. You could only hear a few lines every hour or so. I hope that it reminds you of the loving woman who made you in her image."

Aura teared as she ran her gloved fingers through the bracelet. With a soft sob, she ran and embraced Artix who hugged her back.

After but a few moments Artix wiped her tears off her face and nodded at how vibrant she looked than she used to.

"We can do this tomorrow if you want."

"No need Artix-sama. I can do this! Umu!"

He laughed at her response and so he gave her his orders. But before he does, he looked to the lizard first.

"Greater Hardening! Indomitability! Greater Full potential! Draconic Power! Skill: Guidance of Darkness!"

He smiled as he saw the giants lizard bulk up in an instant showing a more muscled form, it's claws sharpened and it's teeth lengthened. It's eyes shone with more intelligence that it used to. Then a slow tearing sounds can be heard and Artix was all smiles at what he was seeing. It was deadly, that much was certain.

"Now, to repay you for your transgression Stronoff. If there is one thing I will never tolerate, it will be traitors."

*******BREAK*******

Down below leading the caravan rode Gazef Stronoff. His eyes shone with determination biting off the guilt that tried to claw it's way into his conscience.

'If I don't do this, there could be Civil War. Too many will die.'

"It matters not what you believe Stronoff." said Nigun. "Nor does it matter what you tell yourself. We are all gonna die because of you."

"He is a good man."

"Yes he is. A man. You are right about that. Which is why I know you had sentenced us to our deaths the moment you had crossed them."

"He will understand. This is to prevent deaths."

"No it isn't not by their eyes. They will see you as a traitor. Someone who saved the life of a murderer for the sake of your king."

"What I do, I do for the people! If I let them have their way there would have been war within the Kingdom itself! Countless will die instead!"

"And you would have had a powerful ally by your side instead." interrupted Nigun earning a sneer from Gazef. "But your love for your king has blinded you. You knew he would have had to die to rebuild his lineage to the throne. Just to appease both the public and the nobles. But you would have won that war. A chance to rebuild anew.

You would have a powerful ally that would have ensured your protection from The Empire and possibly even aid from the Theocracy. The Cardinals would have been happy to answer the call of God-kins. Natural born Heroes. And from the rubble of your bloodied Kingdom you would have been able to rebuild stronger and better than ever. Now ....you had thrown all that away.... To preserve the status quo, in the defense of your king. You would let the Kingdom rot if it meant not having to feel the pain of having to chop off the rotten arm....

Hahahaha!!! Gazef the coward...hahaha!"

With gritted teeth Gazef did his best trying to ignore the laughter of Nigun. "Why are you so adamant about returning to your captors?"

Nigun stopped laughing. He was suddenly all serious and the glint of determination leaking from his eyes. Gazef didn't like it, not one bit.

"Because I want to hear more about the Gods." Seeing the baffled looks from Gazef, he continued. "The Gods Gazef, called each other by another term. 'Players'- baffling I know! Why was such lowly label was placed upon them and then I received my answer." Nigun looked intensely at Gazef and said. "Because their existence was a Game to them. One God killing another God. For power, power items, for materials or for Dominance. It mattered little to them. Death was not the end. The Gods return weaker but they never truly die. They can even choose to be reborn as Demi-humans." Gazef gulped at Nigun's feral smile. "Can you imagine an existance like that Gazef. To see death as mere a Set back, to know that your life has always been yours all along."

"Free from the shackles of Mortality. From the confines of time. Where your race is a choice! Beautiful isn't it, Gazef!?"

He then heard a large flock of birds suddenly taking flight from the nearby forest. Shortly after he felt a rumbling and soon he was hearing it, it was coming towards them.

"Something is coming! Get ready!"

Hea steadied himself hearing the adventurers and guards taking position. With a sudden *boom!* a massive creature erupted from the tree line. They sucked the breath through their gritted teeth as they looked up in horror at a giant basilisk standing in front of them.

But not only was it bigger and meaner, it was also too still. The do not want to accept it but they were sure they could tell, the basilisk was analysing them.

With no warning, it stomped it's bulky legs to the ground and then clawed straight at the first person they could reach.

"Eh?" *Splat!* *bang!*

His body reduced to a red paste before it could even reach the tree line.

Gazef roared forward but was swiped by the tail in a thunderous crash and laid unconscious by the trees to the side.

"Stronoff-sama!"

"Run!"

"Retreat!"

"Ride off! Ride off!"

A route began from the guards and then they rode off to the distance but the basilisk hardly cared. It's eyes were trained at the adventurers.

Again, without the recorded roar it was said to do before acting, it lunged at one of the mages at the rear tearing it to bits with its teeth. It then jumped as it dodged spell fire and arrows much to their horror. Only to fall on its legs, squashing four people as it landed. It made two more swipes of its claw before creating a short distance from the regrouping adventurers.

It then began circling the adventurers. Suddenly, it swiped it's tail straight at the prison caravans killing most of the cargo.

Amongs the survivors was Nigun. Nigun watched from the side as one after another, his comrades began dying. Stomping, clawing, biting, it did anything it could to kill the prisoners with little to no regard to the powerless adventurers.

Their steel swords, arrows, spells and fears ....none of it could scratch the monstrous creature. And by the time a minute has passed, all that they were supposed to protect was dead.

Gazef picked himself up, his form is battered and broken. His armor was shattered and is falling apart piece by piece, revealing his bleeding and badly wounded body. But before anything could happen. A sudden squelching sound echoed and the Basilisk released a growl that shook the air. And from its back sprouted two pairs of bat like wings, splashing blood in every direction.

With another roar the basilisk then spewed black smoke from its mouth. It screech and screech for a whole minute untila suddenly flash of pale white light.

*ROAAAARRRRRR!!!!*

"...it breath fire..."

They couldn't believe their eyes. The basilisk is actually evolving before their very eyes. And it is turning into a dragon.

Looking around at the horror stricken face of every person present. The basilisk stood on its hind legs, flexed it's wings and with a slight crouch, jumped and glided far into the distance, disappearing from sight.

Gazef fell on the ground, too wounded to even stand. Though his eyes were fixed on one direction. The escaping form of one Nigun Grid Luin.