Archons

Cedric, unheeding of his father's brooding posture. Takes a while to digest the information. Upon realizing that he forgot to ask about the most important thing in this realm.

"Dad, but what about the Great Archons? Are they immortals?"

Quickly ragaining his calm, Rodrick explains:

"No, Cedric. The Archons are beings that Inhabit a different plane of existence. They are the gods of this world. According to the stories my father used to tell me, Archons have always existed, even since ancient times. It is rumored that when a cultivator reaches an exceptional level of mastery they get the opportunity to ascend onto a higher realm of existence. It has been documented that some Archons have even descended to this realm a handful of times before, choosing their representative, granting them immense power and a unique path."

-----------------------------------------------------

*The Immortal plane, Sword's abode.*

The man lay lazily inside the hotspring, their short hair tinged with a color that was reminiscent of stars shining in the deepest parts of the void. The strands were a mixture of dark blues and purples, interwoven with tiny flecks of white that glimmered in the light.

As they reclined on the stone carved rails of the pool, their hair fanned out around them like a halo, creating an otherworldly aura that was both striking and beautiful.

Despite their seemingly ordinary appearance, the person exuded a sense of ethereal grace and quiet strength. Their eyes, which shimmered like flames with a resplendent silver light, seemed to hold a universe of secrets and knowledge.

The hotspring in which they lay was a place of stunning natural beauty, with the bubbling water creating a soothing background music that calmed the mind and spirit. The steam that rose from the water enveloped the person in a gentle mist, blurring the edges of their form and adding to the surreal atmosphere of the place.

As the person lay there in the hotspring, gazing up at the stars above, lost in thought, their aura of bloodlust and the battlefield added a dark edge to the otherwise serene scene. The aura seemed to wrap around them like a shroud, making it clear that this was a being who had experienced the horrors of war and emerged with a deep-seated thirst for blood.

Despite the intensity of their energy, the person still seemed to be in harmony with the elements around them. The hotspring, a place of transformation and renewal, seemed to accept the person and their aura as a natural part of the cycle of life and death.

The person was at the center of it all, a being of both light and darkness, who had tapped into the power of the universe and emerged as something more. Their aura was a reminder that there was a price to pay for such power, and that the cost could be seen in the traces of the battlefield that clung to them like a second skin.

"Ahahaha, that's right! Except that you didn't know enough to mention that once our representatives ascend, we are to fight to the death. There is no better way than to leave our border of reality than to be bested by our juniors, and there can only be one Archon Of The Sword."

The person cackled to himself, musing over the irony. A bottle of what appears to be liquor appeared in their hand, and they uncorked it to take a sip.

Entering the hot spring is what seems to be the most beautiful female the federation has ever seen, with long, crimson blood-colored hair flowing below her hips, and what can only be described as a white-colored tail adorned with golden stripes that shimmer with a radiant light, piercing through the veil of red.

Seeing the bath already occupied, she decides to join her fellow Archon in his musings.

As she steps into the water, the temperature of the spring seems to rise, causing steam to rise from the surface. The Archon turns his head, acknowledging her presence with a simple nod before turning his gaze back to the sky.

They sit in silence for a few moments before the Archon speaks, his voice cutting through the air like a sharp blade. "What brings you to this backwater place situated on my island, Emrys?"