Chap 56 - A Song of Ice and Fire

(3rd Person Perspective)

"Arthur!" Virion's voice, sounding rushed and apprehensive, came from the communication scroll, with a bitter and almost fearful undertone as he spoke to Arthur. "You have to come back. The ships will arrive in a few minutes."

"I will be fine." Arthur replied as he flew, leaving a series of thunderous sonic booms as he flew at an abnormal speed, surpassing the speed of sound. His figure became a blur as he zipped through the air, effortlessly cutting through the wind. Arisu kept up with him, a few meters away from him. 

"The Lances and the battalions there can handle them. You have to come back. You and Arisu are our top priority." Aldir interrupted, his tone bearing a commanding and gruff timbre, with a marked air of irrevocability---an incontestable finality in his voice. 

"Do you want to lose everything at once!?" Arisu was the one who talked this time, her voice agitated and rushed as they got closer and closer to the the bay of the Capital of Sapin---Etistin. 

"What do you mean?" Virion asked, sounding confused and irritated at the same time. 

"Apparently there are two scythes on board those ships." Arisu replied and the colour from Virion's face washed away, as though a wave of shock had washed over him. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the communication scroll tightly, which, under the pressure, began to fracture with a distinct cracking sound. The transmission signal wavered, its images and sounds distorting and fluctuating before finally stabilising themselves.

Aldir remained wordless and exhaled deeply, his breath escaping in a slow and audible manner. A profound stillness then descended upon both Aldir and Virion, enveloping them like a dense and heavy cloak. The silence seemed to stretch out interminably, creating an atmosphere charged with tension and uncertainty, as the two men locked gazes on the scroll, their thoughts cloaked in mystery. The quietude was so palpable that it felt almost tangible, evoking a sense of anticipation and apprehension for what outcome will their decision lead to.

"Fine. You are free to act. However, if I feel like you're in trouble, I will teleport you back. We can't afford to lose a precious military asset so early on in the war." Aldir choice of words left  Arisu with a bitter taste in her mouth, prompting her to clench her jaw and bite down on her lower lip in frustration.

"Fine." Arthur replied and the transmission came to an end.

"I know you won't tell me much, but we can't trust the Asuras, right?" Arisu asked, picking up pace. 

"We can't." Arthur replied, his reply short and to-the-point. 

"Do you plan on ending it all on your own, then?" Arisu asked, her words carrying a certain meaning behind them. A wish to be of some use to him. 

"I have my reasons." Arthur replied. The reason was his family, a group of people he had come to somehow adore over the past 16 years as he grew up with them. The mother who always tended to him even when he didn't need it, a father who was always there as a supporting role, telling him to do whatever his heard desires and a little sibling which meant so much to him.

Despite his inability to vocalize it or even feel it as of now, Arthur felt an unshakeable urge to protect his family, a presence that lay dormant within his cold stone heart. He remained unaware of this deep-rooted feeling, buried beneath layers of stoicism and indifference. Yet, it lingered like a silent sentinel, ever watchful and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

"Then let me be by your side for whatever purpose you're trying so hard." 

"No." 

As if struck by Cupid's arrow, Arisu felt a sharp pain pierce her heart. With an eyebrow raised in annoyance, she retorted, "Well, butter my biscuits, that hurt! You don't have to outright refuse me like that, Arthur, fufu~" 

Arthur remained silent as he gazed ahead, fixated on the breathtaking vista that unfolded before his eyes. The harbor sprawled before him, its azure waters shimmering under the warm sun's embrace. Yet, his reverie was short-lived as he noticed the colossal armada of enemy ships sailing towards the shore, numbering in the hundreds. The sails billowed in the salty breeze, their colors a kaleidoscope of crimson and black, foretelling of the carnage and destruction that would ensue once they arrive. Their ominous silhouettes looming menacingly in the distance. The masts of the vessels swayed rhythmically with the undulating waves, their sails billowing in the wind as they sailed closer towards the shore. Arthur's eyes traced the outline of the approaching flotilla, taking in every minute detail with a sharp and analytical mind, as he prepared himself for the inevitable confrontation that lay ahead. 

Arthur's flight stopped and Arisu came to a screeching halt behind him, almost crashing into his back. 

Floating effortlessly above the shoreline, Arthur cast his gaze downwards with an expressionless face, devoid of any discernible emotion. His once luminous and bright sapphire irises now appeared dull and lackluster, resembling a dull azure hue. His eyes were fixated on the largest ship that was anchored by the edge of the sea, observing the two figures that stood upon it with an unwavering focus. Despite the tumultuous events that were about to unfold, Arthur remained stoic and detached, as if his emotions were locked away in a chest that only he had the key to. He surveyed the scene below with a calm and analytical mind, assessing every minute detail with a sharp and critical eye. 

The first one was a boy his age. He had black hair and a pair of crimson eyes. However, that wasn't what got Arthur's attention because his mana signature was much underwhelming compared to the girl that stood beside him. The stark contrast between their potential immediately had his attention. While the boy's mana signature was dim and unremarkable, the girl's mana was a dazzling display of raw power, a swirling vortex of energy that seemed to radiate from her very being. It was as if she was a vessel for an otherworldly force, a conduit of cosmic energy that imbued her with otherworldly strength and potential. 

Mana danced like a servant around her, waiting for her to command it and do her bidding. She was surrounded by an effervescent aura of mana, its shimmering particles obediently swirling around her like a throng of devoted servants, eagerly awaiting their master's every command.  

The girl stood at an average height. She had short, shoulder length luscious black hair that didn't seem to get in her way at all. While Arisu's long hair had an elegant and well-groomed air around it, her short hair had a wild edge to it, granting her a beauty of her own. 

Her clothes seemed casual and she had an aloof look on her face, a face that one wouldn't expect from someone who is a leading figure in an upcoming battle. 

"It is them." Arisu replied, her eyes shining in an orange-red shade before reverting to back to their golden colour. She pointed at the boy and girl who now looked up, finally realising Arthur and Arisu have been here all this time. 

"You should go back, now." 

The sound of Arthur's voice reached her ears, but it was as if it came from a great distance, detached and devoid of any feeling or emotion. It was a disconcerting sensation, as if he were a mere marionette at this moment, the usual warmth and kindness she used to feel by being around him replaced by an eerie and unsettling aura that seemed to permeate his very being. 

She didn't just felt unsettled, she felt...

...

...scared. 

As if a demon had been summoned forth from the nether realm and manifested into a tangible form, Arthur's aura exuded a repellent force, causing all objects and beings within its proximity to recoil in horror. The very air around him seemed to warp and distort, as if struggling to resist the overwhelming pressure of the darkness that encased him. Despite the catastrophic changes wrought by his mere presence, Arthur's visage remained eerily impassive, as if immune to the chaotic and destructive forces that surrounded him. 

As Arisu gazed upon him, she could feel a sense of unease creeping up her spine, a primal instinct warning her of the danger that lurked within his aura. It was a humbling reminder of the power that lay at the fingertips of Arthur, a force that could both elevate and corrupt, inspire and destroy. 

"I won't." She replied, not letting her words to crumble and kept her back straight and chest puffed out, "I told you I want to stay by your side. Why don't you get it?" 

Arthur looked back over his shoulder from the corner of his eye. For a moment, Arisu's heart seemed to leap out of her chest but she remained steadfast. The stern look over her face didn't waver making Arthur sigh and look away from her. 

"Don't expect me to save you." 

"Well, I wasn't expecting a hero, I was hoping for a sandwich," she retorted with a wry grin, "But I guess I'll have to settle for just fending off the boy myself. No biggie, I've done it before. Just wish I had some mayo to go with it."

Arthur's features relaxed and the sinister aura seemed to retract for a fraction of a second at her irreverent response, his serious demeanor melting away in the face of her lighthearted banter. "Well, in that case, make sure to bring some extra mayo next time," he quipped. 

"Don't worry. I wouldn't want us to face the enemies without the proper condiments, after all." 

Arthur didn't reply but started to descend to the ground. Arisu did the same as she got the ground, her feet nimbly touching the ground. The two Alacryans---Nico and Cecelia flew towards them and landed a few yards away from them. 

"You must be Arisu Watsken. Next Lance candidate." Nico spoke as he looked at her and then looked at Arthur, "There is no data about you. Who are you?" 

Arisu was about to speak but Cecelia interrupted her, "Don't you see how pointless it is?" 

Arisu looked at her with confusion. "It is pointless for you Dicathians to wail and struggle so pathetically. Don't you value your life, your family? Why struggle when you can just surrender and ac-"

She was interrupted as Arthur's King's Force spread throughout the battleground and a cataclysmic wave of magical energy rippled outwards, causing the very fabric of reality to warp and contort in response. The sky itself seemed to groan under the weight of his power, as if struggling to contain the raw force that pulsed from Arthur. As the shockwaves propagated outward, the ground beneath their feet convulsed and shuddered, threatening to rupture under the overwhelming force of the King's force. Great cracks appeared in the earth, yawning wide to reveal the fiery depths of the underworld below. Amidst the chaos and destruction, Nico and Cecelia could feel the raw power and instantly knew they weren't mere pushovers. 

"Now would be a good time." Arthur said as he turned towards Arisu. He knew what Arisu's strengths were and Arisu knew well what he meant. 

Manifest, flames of renaissance,From the ashes of rebirth. "

"Phoenix's Rebirth - Fiery Resurgence." 

"Dragon's Awakening - Realmheart." 

Both muttered under their breaths.

She shut her eyelids and opened them once more. In that moment, the once-golden hue of her irises was transformed into a blazing shade of vermillion, akin to the fiery glow of stars illuminating a pitch-black firmament. Her hair, previously white, was now suffused with streaks of orange, red, and gold, imbuing it with the resplendent aura of a dying phoenix. As her transformation reached its culmination, a mystic rune materialized upon her forehead, marking her as one touched by the ancient powers of the phoenix. She stood there, radiant and powerful, a being of transcendent beauty and fierce majesty. It was as if she had been reborn, made anew by the fires of a mystical crucible. 

Meanwhile Arthur's physical form also underwent a remarkable transformation. His luscious auburn locks grew longer and thicker, transitioning into an immaculate shade of snowy white granting him an almost holy appearance. His once dull azure irises underwent a metamorphosis, darkening into a striking hue of regal lavender. Golden runes began to branch across his entire being, from his well-toned arms down to his fingertips, and even spanning over his firm abdomen and toned legs. The beast-will mark etched onto his mana core unfurled like the roots of an ancient tree, expanding until it entirely engulfed his entire mana core. His presence was now so imposing that the air around him seemed to repel all those who came too close, as a potent magnetic field formed around him.

Arisu looked at Arthur in his Realmheart form for the first time and she could feel her heart skip a beat. While herself looked like the epitome of perfection from her hourglass figure to her beautiful features, Arthur seemed like a distant transcendent being as the mana around them trembled. There was a certain amount of chaos between the mana particles. 

A frenzy. 

Why? 

When two people with equal mana control clashed, the mana fell into ambiguity about who to follow and who's orders to obey. Who to serve. 

A staff appeared in Arisu's hand while Arthur's skin started to turn pale.

(Nico Sever) 

The transformation from Arisu Watsken was already overwhelming enough but when the auburn-haired boy tapped into his real form, I could feel my heart explode inside my chest. It wasn't just a display of pure strength that baffled me. It was the uncanny presence that he had. He wasn't entirely human. I could feel it. Having asuran blood inside me helped me to identify at least this much. He was mostly human, but it seemed like his body was undergoing changes. He was becoming more and more like a... dragon?

With a heartwarming smile, Cecelia turned to me and extended her hand backward, beckoning me to take it. I couldn't resist the invitation and slipped my hand into hers, feeling a rush of warmth and comfort flow through my veins, feeling her soft touch sent tingles down my spine. Her fingers curled around mine, and her smile grew even wider as she gave my hand a gentle squeeze, conveying a sense of affection and joy that blurred away the momentary worry of the moment, "Don't worry. It will all be over in an instant." 

[Niflheim]

[Muspelheim]

In the midst of an eerie stillness, two faint chants wafted through the air, barely perceptible, then, a cataclysmic wave surged through the ground, cleaving the battlefield into two distinct halves. The boy grew paler and paler with every passing second, as an onslaught of frost began to consume one side of the terrain, a relentless wave of ice encroaching upon all in its path. Meanwhile, the other half of the battlefield transformed into a roiling, molten inferno, the blazing heat turning earth to lava beneath the searing temperature.

I could feel Cecelia's confident demeanor crumble under her mask where she wore a confident grin. 

This wasn't what we expected. Scratch lance candidate, she was in a league of her own. And the boy... his technique was immaculate. The control over his spell was so much that it only extended forward. The ice layer that started underneath his feet reached us. As soon as the touched our boots, thick, freezing spikes emerged from it, trying to mutilate us from all directions. The frigid spires reached out like the bony fingers of a vengeful spirit, threatening to maim and rend us from all sides with their razor-sharp edges.

I flicked my wrist conjuring obsidian metallic spikes from the ground as they clashed with his ice spikes. My eyes widened as I saw the spike shatter on impact. Just as when I felt the ice spike would pierce my sternum, the ice lance changed properties and became a puddle of water that plopped on the icy terrain. Looking to my right, I saw Cecelia, her hand in my direction as she had a worried look on her face. 

"Nico, are you o-"

"CECIL, BEHIND YOU-"

Before I could warn her, the boy was already behind her, his features were a mere silhouette and the only thing that was visible was his eyes, gleaming and unwavering. His hand swung like a club at Cecelia and she barely blocked it with her own arm, forming a crater beneath them. 

I lunged forward, trying to save her but Arisu appeared in front of me, her multi-coloured hair waving in the breeze like a flag. 

"Fufufu~ Why don't we play for a while?" She said and tapped the icy floor below. A deafening explosion akin to a whistle resounded as I was encased in a burning vortex of steam. She had been boiling and compressing the underground water sources until she she could lure me into place and then explode it. 

"Ara, did you dodge it? Fufu~" She remarked, and a confident smirk appeared on her face before she closed in the distance. I flicked my wrist again, laying a nest of obsidian spikes that would attack her from every angle. 

"Not very smart, I see." I mocked but she grinned again. 

"Is this your strategy?" She asked and before the spikes could touch her the tips up to half of the spikes were instantly melted by a heat wave barrier around her, "How sublime."

She was already expecting this attack? How? 

How am I supposed to defeat this thing? 

(3rd person)

The battlefield was soon covered in an icy cover, the temperature dropping well below 0 and still dropping. The thick layer of ice started to spread through the sea and towards the ships that still didn't reach the shore. 

"Why fight in this meaningless battle when you are sure to die?" Cecelia mocked Arthur as bent lower and spun his entire body, closing the distance in a near instant. Before she could react, Arthur swung his hand, slapping her face as she fell to the ground. 

"Stand up, now." He spoke, his voice distorted and garbled under the effects of Realmheart. 

Cecelia lost her cool and held her hand towards Arthur, trying to suck the mana out of his core. Arthur gasped, the sensation of mana quickly leaving his core striking him as he suddenly fell on his knees. 

Cecelia stood up and walked up to her, holding him by his pure white hair, "What was that? Stand up? I will do so but you should grovel!" She said as she hastened the mana suction process from his core. Soon all of his mana was sucked from his core, and he fell to the ground with a muted thud, muffled by the steam explosions all around because of Arisu. 

"Well, all bark and no bite. Let's end up the girl as we-"

"Cecelia, snap out of it. It's not him. It's a-"

Nico's voice was cut short as Arisu stabbed her staff into his abdomen, making him reel on the ground in pain. Cecelia looked back and Arthur's figure reverted back to stone and mud, his features getting dulled.  

"Illusion magic? He is not an elf though." She spoke to herself as Arthur appeared just behind her, "You're wide open." 

"I know." She replied and a huge blade of wind cut Arthur's hand as it went flying away, a fountain of blood gushing out from it. But a mere sniff was all it took as Cecelia's senses heightened, "That is not human blood." She muttered to herself, and this time Arthur's punch connected to her face as she was sent flying back, past Nico, and crashed into the ship they had arrived in. 

"CECIL!" Nico shouted, his eyes a dark shade of crimson. He looked at Arisu with bloodshot eyes as his hands lit up in ashen grey flames. 

"Heh, 'fight fire with fire,' is it? How original," Arisu snickered derisively, dripping with sarcasm. "Fufu~ I must admit, I do appreciate the spirit, but it takes more than mere bravado to triumph in battle, But hey, who am I to judge? Perhaps you'll surprise me yet." Her words were laced with disdain and ridicule. Arisu knew about the weird nature of flames, but she continued to talk down to Nico, trying to make him lose his cool. She knew that Cecelia was much stronger but the more dangerous one is the one with brains. 

Nico wouldn't have lost his cool but seeing Cecelia in such a state made him lose himself as he started to attack Arisu with Soul Fire blindly. 

That attack to Cecelia did take a lot of Arthur's mana. 

'Was this in your calculation too?' Arisu asked herself on Arthur's behalf. Until now, Arthur had immediately gauged their strengths and he knew better than anyone that he couldn't fight Cecelia in a fight of pure and brute mana. Her control over it was that much superior. His illusions might have worked on her once, but she won't fall for it twice. 

Cecelia broke out of the rubble, a streak of red flowing down her nose as she wiped it with the collar of her dress. She looked back and saw that more than half of the fleet had been wiped out by Arthur's spell [Niflheim].

It was taking every ounce of his strength to not let his mana be sapped by Cecelia. The only way to do that was for him to stay in his Realmheart form. After training in Euphotus he could maintain the Realmheart for a whole day. However, he can maintain it for a whole day under optimal conditions. The timing gets shorter and shorter with the higher-level opponents. She was clearly stronger than most of his future opponents as well. She was almost as strong as the one who killed Sylvia. 

She snapped her fingers and Arthur's spell that was about to destroy the other half of the fleet too, stopped and was completely cancelled out. 

Meanwhile, Arisu's form started to flicker in and out of life, her mana reserves being quickly depleted. 

"Both of you are low on mana. This is the end." Nico spoke, battered and bruised while his one arm was brutally burnt. Arisu on the other hand was pretty much unscathed with only a scratch on her thigh that bleeded slightly. 

"Fufu~, hey you crispy critter, don't you think you should focus on your own scales instead of trying to slither into my worrying for my well-being?"

With that both of them engaged into long ranged attack once again, turning it into a battle of attrition. 

"Let's end this." Cecelia said as she landed nimbly on the ground, the gust of wind clearing the dust beneath her feet. 

"I have a question." Arthur spoke up, his voice seemed like 3 voices overlapping each other. Cecelia stayed silent, mana building up around her like she was preparing for a spell. 

"Why do you follow Agrona?" He asked but Cecelia didn't waver. 

"I follow him because I want to. That is all there is to it." She replied as Arthur sighed. 

"There is no saving you then." 

Suddenly, both moved and disappeared. Like stars twinkling in a systematic order they vanished and appeared again and again, each clash sending a series of tremors into the ground. It wasn't that Arthur had an equal control over mana or have same amount of mana as Cecelia. The reason behind Arthur being able to keep up was excellent usage of mana. 

As Cecelia threw a jab at him, Arthur didn't augment his whole body. He left his body vulnerable and only augmented his left arm that defended him and right fist that did a counter jab. However, Cecelia noticed the fluctuation in mana and kicked him in the sternum. However, instead of blocking the previous jab from her, he parried her jab with a fluid motion and blocked her knee. Holding her by her neck, he clashed his own head against her. 

Her body convulsed, invaded by a sudden concussion invading her. Her body staggered and she soon lost control of her flight. As she was about to fall down, Arthur unsheathed his sword and aimed straight for her core. However, as soon as his sword got close to her, a crimson blade that was curved like sea waves blocked his attack. 

Arthur looked up with wide eyes since he wasn't able to tell when that person creeped up to him. The ornaments on Grey's horns jingled in the air as his long hair fell on his face, a subtle smile over his face. Dawn clashed against his own sword and seemed to overwhelm it. Grey retracted his sword and went back with Cecelia's immobile form in tow. 

"You could've pushed me back." Arthur said as Grey looked at him, a sad smile creeping up his face, "This sword is the last thing I have to remind me of someone. I can't let it break." He said, "We will be taking our leave for now. The war is still on but please forgive my friends for not obeying orders and insisting on coming here," he paused before continuing, "you really are something else for putting up such a fight against legacy. You are not stronger than her, but smarter." He remarked.

So she is the legacy mentioned by the djinns, Arthur thought. 

"Do you think I will let you go?" 

"I know you can handle it but you shouldn't stress you core so much. It will break if you perform the art you're about to use." He said with a smirk. 

Can he sense aether? Arthur thought to himself. 

As if reading his mind he spoke, "No I can't sense it. But exposure to it has granted me something like a sixth sense for it." He explained. Nico was on the ground, unconscious while Arisu was panting heavily, clinging on to her staff so that she doesn't fall down.

"I don't want to fight here. Nor I am allowed to, since I am an asura. However, I don't want my friends to die because of their foolishness and because they underestimated you. Look at your girlfriend, she will die from a single blow." Grey said but Arthur didn't look at her. Sensing something weird, Grey probed for Arthur's heart. Just like how Agrona can read minds, Grey could read hearts. However, his eyes widened and without saying a word he disappeared. 

A weird sensation bubbled in Arthur. 

A feeling of defeat...

"So, this is how it feels, huh? It's much different than that time." 

Realmheart finally flickered out of life and a bone shattering pain invaded his body but he took it all with a straight face. Suddenly, in his peripheral vision he caught sight of Arisu who was about to fall to the ground. Arthur blurred and reached for Arisu, coiling his hand around her body and pulling her in towards him. 

"Well, it seems my Grim Reaper has taken on the form of Arthur. What a delightful thought!" She exclaimed with a grin that could scare the living daylights out of anyone. 

"Stop exaggerating." Arthur remarked as he picked her up, picking her up by placing on of his hands under her neck and other under her knees. 

"Hey Arthur, could you try not being the party pooper just this once? I heard funerals aren't really your thing anyway. It won't kill you."

"It might actually." Arthur replied and Arisu chuckled as she poked her finger into his cheek. 

"I am happy you are alive." 

"But we lost." 

"But you're alive." 

"Still doesn't change the fact we let them go."

"Still doesn't change the fact that you're alive and well. You can get them next time."

Arthur looked at Arisu for a while and she could feel the warm, fuzzy feeling in her heart. She got closer to Arthur, looking at his lips at one moment and the other moment she was looking at ground as Arthur released and her let her fall on the sandy beach. 

"If you can talk like that you sure can walk on your own. The war hasn't ended. Lets go back." Arthur said and Arisu continued to engage in light-hearted banter with him, prompting him to pick her up. 

(*****)

Author's Note; Well, I hope this chapter was good. I want to release more chapters like this that have a blend of everything and are at least 5k words. This is 4.9k and I will now update weekly. 

Saturday: Jobless / Blue Lock

Friday: masterpiece