Chapter 36: Irka, The Dutyful

"Hey, dad... What do you think is the most important thing for you?" A child with green skin and black hair asked.

"... I don't know... There are a lot of things I care about... And some things, I'm not exactly proud I love so much... I like to know things and in a way, I think I have to discover more a share it with the world... It's my duty... After all, I am his best student." A young man responded with a weak smile.

"Hum... You love it even more than Mom?" The child added a question out of curiosity.

"... Yes... Even more than her... it's in some ways sad, but duty is a man's soul, without something to drive you, you're an empty nobody... I would gladly die for what I believe in and that's my integrity... Though, I do hope you're better than me." The young man expressed.

"I'll do my best! And someday, I'll find my duty!" The child smiled widely full of hope.

"Yeah... Just don't forget to be happy..." The young man advised.

"I won't!" The child was all smiles and the young man couldn't but smile too.

"... Let's go get some honey biscuits, I know you really like them, just don't tell your mother. It's our little secret." He proposed.

"Yes! I won't, I'm great at keeping secrets!" The child was excited.

Later they ate honey biscuits together and that was the last time, he saw any of his parents.

____________________________________________

-Reyha Kingdom; Gallo's Outskirts; Goblin's Lair; 10th Floor-

"You came here... Took my eyes and an arm... Yet, here you are, pierced by my spear... You... Purple goblin... You said that you're here not for what lies beyond the door, but instead for me... Considering you didn't try to reach the door at any point, it might be true, but then I ask you, why do you want my head? Is my death worth your lives?" Irka now having only one arm, was still calm and looked at Kymani as he asked.

"... I need it, otherwise I'll lose something and more importantly someone that I'm growing accustomed to having in my life... And honestly, I don't like how you just killed those two... I was warming up to them." Kymani responded.

"So, is that your duty? To protect those you care for? That's surprisingly honorable, had I no duty of my own to pay respects to, I wouldn't mind dying for that, unfortunately for you, I have things to fight for too. You won't win. Also, I didn't kill them, I don't need them coming back anytime soon, though I wonder if it's the same for you." Irka sighed before smiling at Kymani.

"I guess that's true... A duty for my dream... Why be strong if you can't protect what you care for? In that case... Aren't you weak?... Well, I guess I'll have to surpass all the limits so that something like that no longer applies to me, I'll stand above all and have a harem of beauties!" Kymani smiled gripping Sand Shredder as ready as he could be.

"Stand above all?... Harem of beauties?... Don't you think that's a bit delusional or childish, maybe you'll accomplish the second thing, but the first one? Hahahahaha! Not even my father or his master had the galls to call themselves a being who stands above all, why so you think you deserve to be a God... No, from your arrogant tone, you don't just want to be a God, you want to be The God. Never in my life have, I met a greedier bastard than you. Hahahahahaha!" Irka raised his eyebrow and looked Kymani up and down, before laughing.

"Of course, it's delusional and childish, I decided this when I was like 5, except the second part, that one came as an effect of puberty... Anyway, I know I can do it, and even if takes a lot from me, I'll get there!" Kymani replied with a smile full of confidence.

"... You know... My mother once told me a story about something she and my father came across, something so outlandish they are still not sure if it was a dream... A creature so utterly massive that it dwarfed any concepts of size they had, appeared before them, and asked if they wished to compete for the title of Omni-Being, an all perfect, being that exists beyond everything and as everything simultaneously...

"They refused... But she said that every once in a while she wondered if it was real and if it was a good choice to reject the offer, but then again, I would be here had they accepted the offer... What do you think? Real or delusional?" Irka asked.

"Real! I choose to believe it's real." Kymani answered rather quickly.

"Hmph! And how do you know, I didn't just make this up?" Irka added another question.

"I don't, but as I said, I choose to believe it's real." Kymani responded.

"You're truly a fool... But at least you're sincere I guess this is your integrity, show me all of it, before you fall to my blade!" Irka expressed.

"And you call me arrogant..." Kymani retorted.

"Well, I'm not the one trying to become a being who stands above all, am I?" Irka questioned.

"Fair enough." Kymani nodded weakly.

"Enough indeed, enough talking!" Irka rushed at Kymani, while rotating his spear with his one arm.

As he got closer to Kymani, Irka's spear was enveloped in a greenish aura, and the moment he swung, Kymani defended with Sand Shredder, but just then, Irka's strike was covered in a sort of wind pressure that made it much much heavier, and so the ground below Kymani began cracking as he tried to stop the attack and in response, his feet would just be pushed deeper into the floor.

'What the hell did those Zen and Den people feed this guy?!... If it weren't Sand Shredder in my hand, I would have been cut in two by now!... Should I use <Void Walker>? No, not now, I need to find a proper opening... Once he sees that ability, he won't easily fall for it again.' Kymani smiled weakly at the difference in strength, but never backed down.

"Wind Dancing Warrior Technique: Pressure Slash!" Irka chanted as he pushed to cut Kymani down with his still-present arm.

Unfortunately for him, things were not so simple, and from behind another blue bullet hit him on the back of his neck, freezing most of his body.

"4th-degree ice shot." Lavenica chanted.

Using this opening, Kymani got out of there and moved closer to Lavenica, who now stood beside him.

"Thanks! You saved me there, I thought I was a gon-" Kymani was thanking her, but before he could finish, Lavenica hit him in the head. "Hey! What was that for?!" Kymani complained.

"So you stop putting yourself in dangerous situations for a small advantage! Do you not value your life?!" Lavenica was clearly not happy as she side-eyed him like there was no tomorrow.

"... I was gonna escape... If it got too dangerous..." Kymani responded with an innocent smile and eyes as if to say, 'I didn't mean It, I did nothing wrong, really...'

"Urgh... Your "too dangerous" is not a valid way to measure danger... I would say more about this, but we have to talk later, right now, we have a serious threat to deal with on our hands." Lavenica shook her head and sighed before turning her focus to Irka, who had just gotten free from the ice, rather easily now that he was in crisis state.

"Somehow, I feel like this Irka guy will give me an easier time than you.... We'll see once we're done with him." Kymani smiled awkwardly.

Just as the two were ready to move, Iketica and Rakuia got up.

[Warning! Named monster Iketica has entered crisis state! A significant increase in their overall power has occurred.]

[Warning! Named monster Rakuia has entered crisis state! A significant increase in their overall power has occurred.]

At that time two notifications hit Kymani and he smiled wider.

"Did you really have to put a hole in my stomach? That hurts, you know! Whatever... It's not great to complain about the dead anyway." Iketica commented holding his bone greatsword tight.

"Don't tell me about it, I just got my body fixed and you went ahead and did this? You'll be lucky if you don't come back from the dead like us, that way, at least you get the easy way out.... Dear, can you keep him busy for me?" Rakuia added holding both her hooked swords.

Before there was a reaction from Irka, Iketica nodded and ran at him, before his sword began glowing red, and he left mirages of himself on his way, then once he was close enough, he swung his sword at Irka.

This was stopped and as Irka was about to overpower and push Irka back, a mirage came in and attacked him, something Irka wasn't worried about, until the mirage actually cut him, as it had actually changed places with the original Iketica, using <Mirage Exchange>.

At that moment, Irka hit Iketica before he could change places with his mirage, but it didn't stop there, as Iketica continued to hit Irka and vice-versa. This went on for a while, though it was clear that the one taking most of the damage and slowly going out, was Iketica.

'I want to help... But what can I do? My attacks even with Sand Shredder didn't do too much, and speaking physically... I'm about the same as Iketica and Rakuia, so... I guess my only option is to use <Light Conversion>, but I'll have to focus as much as I can in order to deal a one-hit kill.' Kymani decided looking at Iketica fight, and then immediately began using the ability as a faint violet grow-covered Sand Shredder.

{Your mana! I can feel it use light to strengthen me, in that case, I'll give you something else... When you need, call out Thorny Bones, and I'll help you in defending or killing the enemy... I would like to just do it, only you as the wielder can invoke it.} Sand Shredder said as it felt Kymani's ability.

{... Fine... I'll trust you... Don't disappointed me.} Kymani nodded to his weapon's words and focused on <Light Conversion> and the violet tone on the glow of the ability grew stronger.

Stepping in front of Kymani was Lavenica, who took a stance, ready for whatever.

As Irka was about to hit Iketica with the final blow, Rakuia pulled him out, and then a sphere of water covered her and Irka submerging them.

"Water Dancing Warrior technique: Deep Sea Dome! Now you are in my field..." Rakuia declared as she went in to attack him.

"Useless! Just let the purple goblin fight already... You're wasting my time." Irka responded apparently not bothered by the lack of air.

Before Rakuia could he him, Irka hit her away with his spear and began rotating his spear, and a green glow surrounded his spear before he cut the water sphere in two, breaking it just there and then...

"... Again... My sphere was effortlessly destroyed... Am I only fighting monsters recently?!... They shouldn't be able to use mana in my water dome... Oh well... Good thing, I came prepared." Rakuia hit the floor a few times and then a geyser much bigger than the one to hit Kymani erupted from the ground taking in them both.

Soon, the vapors dissipated, and Irka was still standing. "That was... hot... And It actually hurt... I have to admit, you're a bit better than I thought... However, I'm tired of you. Whatever the case, you won't be able to come back fast enough to stop me, so do me a favor and die." Irka declared with his now bruised body as he began moving his spear hitting the ground a few times, before stopping and stomping the base of the spear on the floor.

Just then a green sphere appeared surrounding him, Iketica, Rakuia, and not too much more than that. Both Rakuia and Iketica got up for one last effort, before immediately falling to their knees and holding their neck as their eyes widened, until they both just fell to the ground motionless with their eyes opened.

Standing there staring at Kymani and Lavenica, was Irka who said. "As I mentioned before, so long as I live you will not see what stands beyond the door, and for that reason, I can't allow you to take my life, so prepare to die by my hand... After all, it is my duty."