Goren clenched his teeth. Who did this child think she was?
“Disturbing peace, you say? You complain of disturbing your peace while the kingdom crumbles?”
“The Kingdom’s...crumbling?” the princess asked. Beside her, the red-headed woman cracked her knuckles—a gesture Goren found amusing, given that she would be next to useless against him. The one with the blue hair wrung her hands, distress written across her face. So soft, so naive—all three of them.
“That fool has grown insane, expanding the kingdom, starting wars, making enemies on all borders—all thanks to him.”
“I must go to the capital…I’ll appeal to my father...”
“You’ll do no such thing! Aldric scarcely cares for family or council anymore, drunk on his own deranged divinity. Many nobles have already gone missing.”
“That…can’t be. What about my brother? Regindis...is he safe?”
“He is out of sight. Safe enough for now, thanks to the Master of Illusion and that boy. But don’t you worry, once I remove this meddling, false hero from the equation, order will be restored.”
“Goren, no. You don’t have to.” Zenith pleaded, staggering backwards, only for Kaito to gently catch her arm.
There she went, testing his patience, just like her mother.
“It’ll be fine,” Kaito said as he helped Zenith to her feet with a smile on his face.
The outworlder’s eyes then fell on Goren. He felt the pressure of Kaito’s gaze, but it only made his heart thrum faster.
“So you’re the ‘World’s Strongest,’ right?” Kaito asked.
“That’s right. The name is Goren Rotris. I’ve come to challenge you.”
“I’m Kaito Smith, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Goren paused, nonplussed. This odd human showed no fear.
He noticed the dragonfolk, who stood ready to take his head off given the chance.
Not that he could.
“Likewise, outworlder. And on the same sun cycle of my birth, nonetheless. I guess some prophecies do come true after all.”
“Oh…today’s your birthday? Zee, your uncle came to visit us on his birthday, and we didn’t get him anything. Did you know he was coming?”
“He’s the warrior Shagal warned us about,” the princess said.
“Your uncle wants to kill me?”
There was a brief moment of silence where the princess stared at the outworlder, as if she didn’t understand the question.
‘Snort, snort, snort.’
The princess erupted in laughter. What an annoying laugh, Goren thought. He hoped, for their sakes, they weren’t mocking him.
“Stop fooling around! Will you accept my challenge, or should I simply kill you where you stand?”
“I accept, but would you please give me a few moments to get ready? It won’t take long.”
Goren shrugged. “Fine. I’m not one to deny a dead man’s last request.”
The squabbling about giving him gifts appeared to be over. Goren now stood with his arms crossed, watching as the hero strode away and entered a pathetically small shack. Perhaps he had misjudged the hero; he didn’t seem better or worse than the common folk. And if Goren were honest with himself, it was King Aldric who deserved to die. Sadly, between Kaito and Aldric, it had to be Kaito—for the stability of the kingdom.
He turned his head as the princess approached. The dragon wasn’t far behind her. He could feel the creature’s resolve. Like a dog on a leash, ready to bite. If Goren didn’t know his own power far exceeded the dragon’s, he might even have felt a twinge of fear.
The two maids got closer to the princess, too, standing on either side of her, also ready to forfeit their lives to defend her. It was comical to Goren. Did they really think they had a chance against him? They were brave, but they were mistaken.
It made Goren smile.
“Princess, I really am glad you’re safe.”
“Uncle Goren, please don’t fight Kaito.”
Goren looked past her and toward Kaito’s shack.
“You’ve chosen well for companions. Their loyalty to you speaks volumes. You’ll be safe here with them.”
“Let’s go to the capital together, my father must have a reason, fighting—”
“NO! Do not make me repeat myself, princess. You will not step foot in the capital. I promise you—the heroes of Daiyudura will restore peace to the kingdom. You must trust me.”
“Kaito can help!”
“Niece, I do love you, but this is inevitable. Kaito will fall,” Goren said, then turned his gaze back to the shack.
After a flash of rage IDM, a massive axe appeared in the red-haired one’s hands.
“You’re insane! Kaito will leave you in his wake…”
It was always the same, ‘Kaito,’ ‘Kaito,’ ‘Kaito.’ Goren ignored the angry woman. Instead, he watched the door intently, shifting from foot to foot. He crossed and uncrossed his arms. What is taking him so long? If he doesn’t appear soon—
A smirk crept across his face as the shack’s door finally creaked open.
“Sorry for the wait. I hope it wasn’t too long.”
“Let’s just get on with it. My patience is running thin,” Goren scoffed.
“Yes, we only have thirty minutes, though—would you mind if we did this in a separate realm? I really like my house, and to avoid damaging the village and all that.”
Goren paused, his eyebrows shot up, his eyes bulged out, and his lips parted to reveal a barricade of teeth. Paulus’s nausea-inducing spell assaulted his thoughts.
“This realm of yours...it isn’t one part mind-IDM and three parts time-IDM is it?”
The outworlder stared at him for a moment, contemplating the question.
“Oh god no, nothing like that, I promise. Just a solid dimensional pocket, no distortion or ill effects.”
“Very well. Lead the way, Outworlder.”
Kaito smiled. “Excellent.”
The outworlder whispered something to the dragon that made the beast stagger back. Satisfied—Kaito, not the dragon—he rolled up his sleeves, finally ready to meet his doom.
Goren watched the outworlder closely as he began casting his spell. Interesting, he thought. To others, it appeared as if the man had merely blinked. However, in that infinitesimal moment, Goren’s Eye of Aetheric Sight saw everything. Kaito had completed an entire elemental IDM ritual. He had drawn upon a massive reserve of chaos mana—more accurately, fire and shadow mana—from its dimension.
But how? There were no tattoo dyna—that can’t be true? He’s not wielding any mana tattoos.
For the first time in centuries, he felt the unfamiliar grip of uncertainty.
Goren focused. And paid attention to the rest of the spell.
The man’s resonance frequency was perfect; his emotional state was detachment. Not only that, but Kaito had enacted intricate wards and boundaries to safely contain the chaotic forces he was summoning. The precision and control were exquisite; they made Goren’s heart race, his hairs stand on end, and a grin form on his face.
And even more so after a magnificent portal appeared before them. It was pure IDM made concrete, a true work of art. Goren was itching to step through it; he needed to and didn’t care if it was a trap.
He followed Kaito through the portal and winced, expecting nausea, but there was none. The trip was seamless. Instantaneous. Just like that, they were alone.
Alone in an endless sea of purple.
“You’ve managed to impress me. You’re at least a level above the Master of Illusion.”
“Thank you. That’s—”
“But I must say I’m disappointed, the landscape is rather boring.”
“Oh, that’s no problem. I can fix it.”
The outworlder took the deepest breath, placed both hands on the floor and…
The artificial space trembled.
Tall structures sprouted from the ground, ugly structures. The one at the front reached the sky, the next was even taller. They were made of stone and metal, and all had an absurd number of windows. Some were wider than others, and the absolute tallest ones had spears at the top.
This unsightly architecture spanned further than his eyes could see, all grey, dull, and devoid of life. It seemed the hero’s world had given up on aesthetics. A strange city for a strange man. Well, soon he would erase the outworlder’s sad existence, Goren told himself. If there was one thing that Kaito would be remembered for, and one thing only, it would be his eccentricities.
“Now’s my turn,” declared Goren. He raised his hand skyward as he recited an elven incantation. Dark storm clouds swirled overhead in response, arcing lightning to his upheld palm. With a thunderous crack, an ornate longsword materialized in his grasp.
An obsidian blade with a sharp, curved edge. The sword’s crossguard curved into sharpened spikes, a bright blue gemstone inlaid in it. A mythical, legendary weapon forged for one purpose, kill. Or destroy. Glowing azure runes along the dark metal spelled out its name.
“Meet Deathraze, Ender of Reckoning. Now draw your weapon so we may begin.”
Goren eyed the eccentric man, raising his arms, outstretching them forward slowly. “I’ll use these,” he said.
“Confident, are we? Before we begin, tell me, what mastery do you claim?”
“Mastery?”
“I see, how rude of me to ask before revealing mine first.” Goren drove his sword into the ground. “I wield the cosmos itself. A cosmic battle-mage with dominion over the very essence of pure IDM energy. I’ve devoted my life to the arcane and ascended to the pinnacle of powers untold.”
“Oh, you mean class? if you seek a label, a bard was what I became in my second tour.”
“A bard,” Goren sputtered. “You surely jest! Are you mocking me, boy? To think, all this trouble over a pitiful bard—”
He heard the snap of fingers. A jet stream of wind and sound flew inches away from his right cheek—a thick strand of his golden hair separated from the rest of his mane. Goren smirked.
Before that strand of yellow hair touched the ground, he plunged at Kaito, yelling at the top of his voice, swinging the sword over his head. The outworlder ducked and snapped his fingers again. The sound felt like a small blast to the gut, leaving him without air, sending Goren stumbling back, gasping as he supported his weight with his sword.
He flailed around with Deathraze, but the snaps continued assaulting him. One hit him on the shoulder, making him drop his blade. Another one hit him in the thigh and he spun, stumbled, slipped, picked up his sword before hitting the ground and erected hasty magical wards. Everything was a mess of dust, rubble, iron, magical explosions, ragged breathing, and those dreaded clicks from Kaito’s fingers.
Goren raised Deathraze, but it felt so heavy, so useless in this fight. The legendary weapon felt wrong. It required so much mana for so little benefit. He tossed the powerful blade aside and it clanged against one of the many metal carriages lining the street, smashing it under its weight and sending bits of glass in every direction.
There was a long-forgotten feeling in Goren’s stomach. Butterflies. The thrill of fighting someone worthy of his full power.
“Yes, yes, you are worthy!” Goren gasped as lightning crackled around him.
He removed his emerald green, high-collared jacket.
[Veil of the Soul Eclipse - First Form]
Inter-dimensional Mana surged!
His eyes blazed bright blue and pure energy swirled around his outstretched arms like serpents. The ground charred. His breathing quickened. A halo of magical power formed around him. “Only one other, the Balthier panther, has witnessed this form. Outworlder—Kaito, I will never forget our battle, but...”
[Eternal Silence Bind - First Decree, Second Decree]
“It’s over,” Goren breathed as he flung a spell from his right palm, followed by another from his left.
The ball of energy reached Kaito before he could even twitch his thumb, clamping around his hands and silencing their snapping. Forever. Kaito inspected his palms, encased in brilliant IDM.
“It’s no use. These bindings take a great deal of control, and I can only hold four of them at a time, but they always strike true. And they’re unbreakable. Even if you had your hands, in this state my strength has increased tenfold.” Goren stepped forward, and again, smirked, tasting victory.
Until an unexpected sound reverberated through the air.
A sharp whistle, but it seemed far away. Something hit him in the arm and he nearly fell. His hand felt cold. Then he couldn’t feel it at all. Sharp pain erupted from his shoulder. Blood poured out of it. A lot of blood. It splashed on the ground beneath his feet.
“Yes,” he whispered. “This is the prophecy.” The real fight will finally begin. Finally…
…blood continued coming out of the stump left on his shoulder. The pain fueled him. The fingers on his remaining arm sought to grasp the IDM around him like an ironwood tree overtaking a forest, assimilating its energy.
[Veil of the Soul Eclipse - Second Form]
Goren’s skin burned away, replaced by a coat of mana. The tangible strength orbiting his form darkened.
IDM rushed out of his shoulder, then bone, followed by muscle tissue, veins and arteries, blood, skin. When his arm was whole, he flung another rapid spell.
[Eternal Silence Bind - Third Decree]
It landed perfectly on Kaito’s mouth.
Goren Rotris dashed forward, cackling. He swung fists, flung kicks, faster than a thousand Nozian falcons diving at their prey, driving his opponent back with a torrent of attacks. None connected with Kaito’s body. Nothing. The man was harder to hit than fog. Kaito held a calm face as he danced over the rubble, twisting and turning with exaggerated upper body movements.
Suddenly, Goren felt a sting on his ribs and the area quickly turned red. A moment later, he felt another sting. Soon, his entire body was peppered with red marks. But how? Kaito had only been dodging. The bard had produced no sound.
Those eyes, he thought.
A left wink. Then sharp pain stabbed through his side, though no blade had pierced it. As the next right wink hit, he understood—Kaito was attacking by alternately blinking. Almost imperceptible sound, but he heard it clearly. It was permission. Permission to go beyond…
“Kaito Smith, I thought I’d become too strong. I thought this day would never come to pass. But I developed this forbidden technique two hundred years ago for this very moment. You’re the one the prophecy said would unlock my true potential.”
[Soul Sacrifice - First degree]
Of course, with his lips sealed, Kaito couldn’t respond, but Goren felt his words loud and clear: ‘Don’t do it.’ The words spelled fear. Perhaps he should’ve used his last ‘Eternal Silence Bind’ on his opponent’s nose and been done with it—no, that would have been too easy.
Goren winced as the IDM conversion formula transmuted a fraction of his soul into another tenfold power increase. He dragged a glowing mote of light from within his chest. His form seemed to flicker and fade as he converted raw essence to power, skin going translucent to reveal violet energy pathways coursing beneath like rivers of light.
[Eternal Silence Bind - Fourth Decree]
He blasted off and the IDM followed him in a furious, beautiful, magical stream. It sailed towards Kaito’s face, covering his eyes, blinding him and ensuring no more wicked blinks.
A blur of fists followed. But rather than connect, the man recoiled after each one, at the exact same moment, snapping his head back as if struck—though no hit landed.
Blood sprayed out, misting the air, as a cut appeared on Goren’s shoulder.
Even with Goren’s unbreakable magical energy binding his hands, mouth, and eyes, Kaito stood there nonchalantly, dodging and attacking.
Kaito evaded Goren’s first great energy blast, and the second. Strong and fast, but not unreachable. The third missed too. Meanwhile, more cuts appeared all over Goren’s body. It wasn’t like the snaps or blinks from before. It was whip-like, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. There was a satisfying terror to his body being completely covered in his own blood. Thirteen. Goren had never felt terror before. He sagged sideways, and closed his eyes, blood dripping from every pore.
Concentrating IDM to his ears, Goren listened. There had to be sound—
His hair.
He realized that while the hair produced no sound to his regular senses, at supersonic speeds the follicles themselves must be emitting devastating vibrational waves. Each time Kaito evaded his attacks with that unnatural speed, his flowing locks sent out a barrage of microscopic sonic booms, small but surgical in their devastation.
Goren opened his eyes. He had plenty of IDM left, but the effectiveness of his tattoo dynamics had been stretched thin after using all four of his eternal bindings. He wouldn’t be able to bind his hair, but it didn’t matter. He now knew Kaito’s trick.
“Kaito Smith, you’re definitely the one. In my youth, a seer foretold a prophecy of someone who’d come along on the cycle of my birth, someone who’d unlock my true potential. Show me the strength I’ve been looking for to make every day shine!”
I’ll condense all but a speck of my soul. I may never recover, but I will win! Goren sank deep into a meditative trance, visualizing his soul merging with the primordial darkness of Forbidden IDM. His tattoos blazed under all the fresh and dried blood, channels opening to the abyssal dimensions beyond.
[Soul Sacrifice - Maximum Consumption]
With a scream that reached every corner of the pocket dimension, Goren’s physical form grew dimmer, as if slowly transitioning to another plane of existence altogether. His solid elven frame became a flickering silhouette. Only the faintest outline remained to reference the warrior he’d been just moments before.
The churning tempest of violet energy seeped from its vessel. The power overflowed in place of substance. Goren’s eyes had vanished—empty glowing sockets spilled celestial force.
Just a fragment of soul persisted, clinging to the mortal realm out of single-minded purpose and force of will alone. The rest had become sheer cosmic might. This ephemeral specter clung to existence through the excitement and stimulation of battle. Daiyudura, King Aldric held no meaning.
Kaito anchored Goren’s form to reality.
He was no longer an elf.
He was no longer a hero.
He was untamed power ready to claim victory and become the strongest, if only for a moment before the last part of his soul disappeared.
Kaito straightened and all the IDM bindings encasing his eyes, hands, and mouth fell away into countless radiant pieces. He blinked freely, flexing his fingers. His face was different. Veins pulsed at his temples, his nostrils flared, the corners of his mouth turned down sharply, and his eyes… they had gone from calm to furious.
“Goren, stop this now! Time’s up!”
The words fell on deaf ears. He hurled a bolt of violet lightning at Kaito. But the outworlder didn’t flinch or dodge. He stood firm, almost sorrowful.
Then he clapped his hands together in a manner that almost stopped time, sending a visible shockwave vibrating through the air, sending the rubble away as it made its way to the creature enveloped in cosmic power.
The shockwave hit Goren like a charging gryphon. He felt himself flung backward, the tattered remnants of his physical form trailing wisps of energy.
He slammed into one of the tall structures, concrete cracking under the impact. Slumping to the ground while everything went black. There was no more glow, no more IDM, no more power. His mouth went dry, he had no sense of taste, smell, sight, feeling—his body felt light—only hearing remained. After the pebbles and dust rolled to a stop, peace fell over the artificial space.
Goren cycled IDM through his body, but it had nowhere to go. The pain was gone. No fingers, no arms, no legs. If his assessment was correct, half of his head was missing too. His heart beat weakly, ‘thump,’ ‘thump,’ ‘thump,’ held together by the last crumbs of his mana and soul. Never had he imagined such power from a mere bard.
He could hear debris crunching under the bard’s boots. He sensed Kaito’s shadow fall over him.
“Is it over?” Goren could barely hear his own words.
“Yes, and I made you ushemia cake with nighthoney for your birthday. It’s been thirty minutes, so Jogid must have it ready by now.”
“Eccentric to the end,” Goren chuckled weakly. “You’ve shattered another prophecy.”
“Prophecies often speak in riddles, weaving futures out of expectation. But you’re strong, it could have gone either way.”
“You jest…I never stood a chance. I see that now.”
“Don’t talk. With rest and plenty of fluids, you’ll surely recover.”
“Flesh can heal, the soul cannot. Let me say this—All I wanted was to attain a fraction of your power. My whole life, I sought the strength to erase evil so all could live without fear. Orleado…he got closer to that dream than I ever did. Tell the princess…tell her I witnessed your might and disappeared—seeking my own. Save her. Save Daiyudura. The burden is yours now.”
He sensed the warmth of Kaito’s magnificent form near him.
“I will. I promise.”
“End me. I wish to apologize to Orleado.”
‘Snap.’
And then, darkness.
Goren clenched his teeth. Who did this child think she was?
“Disturbing peace, you say? You complain of disturbing your peace while the kingdom crumbles?”
“The Kingdom’s...crumbling?” the princess asked. Beside her, the red-headed woman cracked her knuckles—a gesture Goren found amusing, given that she would be next to useless against him. The one with the blue hair wrung her hands, distress written across her face. So soft, so naive—all three of them.
“That fool has grown insane, expanding the kingdom, starting wars, making enemies on all borders—all thanks to him.”
“I must go to the capital…I’ll appeal to my father...”
“You’ll do no such thing! Aldric scarcely cares for family or council anymore, drunk on his own deranged divinity. Many nobles have already gone missing.”
“That…can’t be. What about my brother? Regindis...is he safe?”
“He is out of sight. Safe enough for now, thanks to the Master of Illusion and that boy. But don’t you worry, once I remove this meddling, false hero from the equation, order will be restored.”
“Goren, no. You don’t have to.” Zenith pleaded, staggering backwards, only for Kaito to gently catch her arm.
There she went, testing his patience, just like her mother.
“It’ll be fine,” Kaito said as he helped Zenith to her feet with a smile on his face.
The outworlder’s eyes then fell on Goren. He felt the pressure of Kaito’s gaze, but it only made his heart thrum faster.
“So you’re the ‘World’s Strongest,’ right?” Kaito asked.
“That’s right. The name is Goren Rotris. I’ve come to challenge you.”
“I’m Kaito Smith, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Goren paused, nonplussed. This odd human showed no fear.
He noticed the dragonfolk, who stood ready to take his head off given the chance.
Not that he could.
“Likewise, outworlder. And on the same sun cycle of my birth, nonetheless. I guess some prophecies do come true after all.”
“Oh…today’s your birthday? Zee, your uncle came to visit us on his birthday, and we didn’t get him anything. Did you know he was coming?”
“He’s the warrior Shagal warned us about,” the princess said.
“Your uncle wants to kill me?”
There was a brief moment of silence where the princess stared at the outworlder, as if she didn’t understand the question.
‘Snort, snort, snort.’
The princess erupted in laughter. What an annoying laugh, Goren thought. He hoped, for their sakes, they weren’t mocking him.
“Stop fooling around! Will you accept my challenge, or should I simply kill you where you stand?”
“I accept, but would you please give me a few moments to get ready? It won’t take long.”
Goren shrugged. “Fine. I’m not one to deny a dead man’s last request.”
The squabbling about giving him gifts appeared to be over. Goren now stood with his arms crossed, watching as the hero strode away and entered a pathetically small shack. Perhaps he had misjudged the hero; he didn’t seem better or worse than the common folk. And if Goren were honest with himself, it was King Aldric who deserved to die. Sadly, between Kaito and Aldric, it had to be Kaito—for the stability of the kingdom.
He turned his head as the princess approached. The dragon wasn’t far behind her. He could feel the creature’s resolve. Like a dog on a leash, ready to bite. If Goren didn’t know his own power far exceeded the dragon’s, he might even have felt a twinge of fear.
The two maids got closer to the princess, too, standing on either side of her, also ready to forfeit their lives to defend her. It was comical to Goren. Did they really think they had a chance against him? They were brave, but they were mistaken.
It made Goren smile.
“Princess, I really am glad you’re safe.”
“Uncle Goren, please don’t fight Kaito.”
Goren looked past her and toward Kaito’s shack.
“You’ve chosen well for companions. Their loyalty to you speaks volumes. You’ll be safe here with them.”
“Let’s go to the capital together, my father must have a reason, fighting—”
“NO! Do not make me repeat myself, princess. You will not step foot in the capital. I promise you—the heroes of Daiyudura will restore peace to the kingdom. You must trust me.”
“Kaito can help!”
“Niece, I do love you, but this is inevitable. Kaito will fall,” Goren said, then turned his gaze back to the shack.
After a flash of rage IDM, a massive axe appeared in the red-haired one’s hands.
“You’re insane! Kaito will leave you in his wake…”
It was always the same, ‘Kaito,’ ‘Kaito,’ ‘Kaito.’ Goren ignored the angry woman. Instead, he watched the door intently, shifting from foot to foot. He crossed and uncrossed his arms. What is taking him so long? If he doesn’t appear soon—
A smirk crept across his face as the shack’s door finally creaked open.
“Sorry for the wait. I hope it wasn’t too long.”
“Let’s just get on with it. My patience is running thin,” Goren scoffed.
“Yes, we only have thirty minutes, though—would you mind if we did this in a separate realm? I really like my house, and to avoid damaging the village and all that.”
Goren paused, his eyebrows shot up, his eyes bulged out, and his lips parted to reveal a barricade of teeth. Paulus’s nausea-inducing spell assaulted his thoughts.
“This realm of yours...it isn’t one part mind-IDM and three parts time-IDM is it?”
The outworlder stared at him for a moment, contemplating the question.
“Oh god no, nothing like that, I promise. Just a solid dimensional pocket, no distortion or ill effects.”
“Very well. Lead the way, Outworlder.”
Kaito smiled. “Excellent.”
The outworlder whispered something to the dragon that made the beast stagger back. Satisfied—Kaito, not the dragon—he rolled up his sleeves, finally ready to meet his doom.
Goren watched the outworlder closely as he began casting his spell. Interesting, he thought. To others, it appeared as if the man had merely blinked. However, in that infinitesimal moment, Goren’s Eye of Aetheric Sight saw everything. Kaito had completed an entire elemental IDM ritual. He had drawn upon a massive reserve of chaos mana—more accurately, fire and shadow mana—from its dimension.
But how? There were no tattoo dyna—that can’t be true? He’s not wielding any mana tattoos.
For the first time in centuries, he felt the unfamiliar grip of uncertainty.
Goren focused. And paid attention to the rest of the spell.
The man’s resonance frequency was perfect; his emotional state was detachment. Not only that, but Kaito had enacted intricate wards and boundaries to safely contain the chaotic forces he was summoning. The precision and control were exquisite; they made Goren’s heart race, his hairs stand on end, and a grin form on his face.
And even more so after a magnificent portal appeared before them. It was pure IDM made concrete, a true work of art. Goren was itching to step through it; he needed to and didn’t care if it was a trap.
He followed Kaito through the portal and winced, expecting nausea, but there was none. The trip was seamless. Instantaneous. Just like that, they were alone.
Alone in an endless sea of purple.
“You’ve managed to impress me. You’re at least a level above the Master of Illusion.”
“Thank you. That’s—”
“But I must say I’m disappointed, the landscape is rather boring.”
“Oh, that’s no problem. I can fix it.”
The outworlder took the deepest breath, placed both hands on the floor and…
The artificial space trembled.
Tall structures sprouted from the ground, ugly structures. The one at the front reached the sky, the next was even taller. They were made of stone and metal, and all had an absurd number of windows. Some were wider than others, and the absolute tallest ones had spears at the top.
This unsightly architecture spanned further than his eyes could see, all grey, dull, and devoid of life. It seemed the hero’s world had given up on aesthetics. A strange city for a strange man. Well, soon he would erase the outworlder’s sad existence, Goren told himself. If there was one thing that Kaito would be remembered for, and one thing only, it would be his eccentricities.
“Now’s my turn,” declared Goren. He raised his hand skyward as he recited an elven incantation. Dark storm clouds swirled overhead in response, arcing lightning to his upheld palm. With a thunderous crack, an ornate longsword materialized in his grasp.
An obsidian blade with a sharp, curved edge. The sword’s crossguard curved into sharpened spikes, a bright blue gemstone inlaid in it. A mythical, legendary weapon forged for one purpose, kill. Or destroy. Glowing azure runes along the dark metal spelled out its name.
“Meet Deathraze, Ender of Reckoning. Now draw your weapon so we may begin.”
Goren eyed the eccentric man, raising his arms, outstretching them forward slowly. “I’ll use these,” he said.
“Confident, are we? Before we begin, tell me, what mastery do you claim?”
“Mastery?”
“I see, how rude of me to ask before revealing mine first.” Goren drove his sword into the ground. “I wield the cosmos itself. A cosmic battle-mage with dominion over the very essence of pure IDM energy. I’ve devoted my life to the arcane and ascended to the pinnacle of powers untold.”
“Oh, you mean class? if you seek a label, a bard was what I became in my second tour.”
“A bard,” Goren sputtered. “You surely jest! Are you mocking me, boy? To think, all this trouble over a pitiful bard—”
He heard the snap of fingers. A jet stream of wind and sound flew inches away from his right cheek—a thick strand of his golden hair separated from the rest of his mane. Goren smirked.
Before that strand of yellow hair touched the ground, he plunged at Kaito, yelling at the top of his voice, swinging the sword over his head. The outworlder ducked and snapped his fingers again. The sound felt like a small blast to the gut, leaving him without air, sending Goren stumbling back, gasping as he supported his weight with his sword.
He flailed around with Deathraze, but the snaps continued assaulting him. One hit him on the shoulder, making him drop his blade. Another one hit him in the thigh and he spun, stumbled, slipped, picked up his sword before hitting the ground and erected hasty magical wards. Everything was a mess of dust, rubble, iron, magical explosions, ragged breathing, and those dreaded clicks from Kaito’s fingers.
Goren raised Deathraze, but it felt so heavy, so useless in this fight. The legendary weapon felt wrong. It required so much mana for so little benefit. He tossed the powerful blade aside and it clanged against one of the many metal carriages lining the street, smashing it under its weight and sending bits of glass in every direction.
There was a long-forgotten feeling in Goren’s stomach. Butterflies. The thrill of fighting someone worthy of his full power.
“Yes, yes, you are worthy!” Goren gasped as lightning crackled around him.
He removed his emerald green, high-collared jacket.
[Veil of the Soul Eclipse - First Form]
Inter-dimensional Mana surged!
His eyes blazed bright blue and pure energy swirled around his outstretched arms like serpents. The ground charred. His breathing quickened. A halo of magical power formed around him. “Only one other, the Balthier panther, has witnessed this form. Outworlder—Kaito, I will never forget our battle, but...”
[Eternal Silence Bind - First Decree, Second Decree]
“It’s over,” Goren breathed as he flung a spell from his right palm, followed by another from his left.
The ball of energy reached Kaito before he could even twitch his thumb, clamping around his hands and silencing their snapping. Forever. Kaito inspected his palms, encased in brilliant IDM.
“It’s no use. These bindings take a great deal of control, and I can only hold four of them at a time, but they always strike true. And they’re unbreakable. Even if you had your hands, in this state my strength has increased tenfold.” Goren stepped forward, and again, smirked, tasting victory.
Until an unexpected sound reverberated through the air.
A sharp whistle, but it seemed far away. Something hit him in the arm and he nearly fell. His hand felt cold. Then he couldn’t feel it at all. Sharp pain erupted from his shoulder. Blood poured out of it. A lot of blood. It splashed on the ground beneath his feet.
“Yes,” he whispered. “This is the prophecy.” The real fight will finally begin. Finally…
…blood continued coming out of the stump left on his shoulder. The pain fueled him. The fingers on his remaining arm sought to grasp the IDM around him like an ironwood tree overtaking a forest, assimilating its energy.
[Veil of the Soul Eclipse - Second Form]
Goren’s skin burned away, replaced by a coat of mana. The tangible strength orbiting his form darkened.
IDM rushed out of his shoulder, then bone, followed by muscle tissue, veins and arteries, blood, skin. When his arm was whole, he flung another rapid spell.
[Eternal Silence Bind - Third Decree]
It landed perfectly on Kaito’s mouth.
Goren Rotris dashed forward, cackling. He swung fists, flung kicks, faster than a thousand Nozian falcons diving at their prey, driving his opponent back with a torrent of attacks. None connected with Kaito’s body. Nothing. The man was harder to hit than fog. Kaito held a calm face as he danced over the rubble, twisting and turning with exaggerated upper body movements.
Suddenly, Goren felt a sting on his ribs and the area quickly turned red. A moment later, he felt another sting. Soon, his entire body was peppered with red marks. But how? Kaito had only been dodging. The bard had produced no sound.
Those eyes, he thought.
A left wink. Then sharp pain stabbed through his side, though no blade had pierced it. As the next right wink hit, he understood—Kaito was attacking by alternately blinking. Almost imperceptible sound, but he heard it clearly. It was permission. Permission to go beyond…
“Kaito Smith, I thought I’d become too strong. I thought this day would never come to pass. But I developed this forbidden technique two hundred years ago for this very moment. You’re the one the prophecy said would unlock my true potential.”
[Soul Sacrifice - First degree]
Of course, with his lips sealed, Kaito couldn’t respond, but Goren felt his words loud and clear: ‘Don’t do it.’ The words spelled fear. Perhaps he should’ve used his last ‘Eternal Silence Bind’ on his opponent’s nose and been done with it—no, that would have been too easy.
Goren winced as the IDM conversion formula transmuted a fraction of his soul into another tenfold power increase. He dragged a glowing mote of light from within his chest. His form seemed to flicker and fade as he converted raw essence to power, skin going translucent to reveal violet energy pathways coursing beneath like rivers of light.
[Eternal Silence Bind - Fourth Decree]
He blasted off and the IDM followed him in a furious, beautiful, magical stream. It sailed towards Kaito’s face, covering his eyes, blinding him and ensuring no more wicked blinks.
A blur of fists followed. But rather than connect, the man recoiled after each one, at the exact same moment, snapping his head back as if struck—though no hit landed.
Blood sprayed out, misting the air, as a cut appeared on Goren’s shoulder.
Even with Goren’s unbreakable magical energy binding his hands, mouth, and eyes, Kaito stood there nonchalantly, dodging and attacking.
Kaito evaded Goren’s first great energy blast, and the second. Strong and fast, but not unreachable. The third missed too. Meanwhile, more cuts appeared all over Goren’s body. It wasn’t like the snaps or blinks from before. It was whip-like, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. There was a satisfying terror to his body being completely covered in his own blood. Thirteen. Goren had never felt terror before. He sagged sideways, and closed his eyes, blood dripping from every pore.
Concentrating IDM to his ears, Goren listened. There had to be sound—
His hair.
He realized that while the hair produced no sound to his regular senses, at supersonic speeds the follicles themselves must be emitting devastating vibrational waves. Each time Kaito evaded his attacks with that unnatural speed, his flowing locks sent out a barrage of microscopic sonic booms, small but surgical in their devastation.
Goren opened his eyes. He had plenty of IDM left, but the effectiveness of his tattoo dynamics had been stretched thin after using all four of his eternal bindings. He wouldn’t be able to bind his hair, but it didn’t matter. He now knew Kaito’s trick.
“Kaito Smith, you’re definitely the one. In my youth, a seer foretold a prophecy of someone who’d come along on the cycle of my birth, someone who’d unlock my true potential. Show me the strength I’ve been looking for to make every day shine!”
I’ll condense all but a speck of my soul. I may never recover, but I will win! Goren sank deep into a meditative trance, visualizing his soul merging with the primordial darkness of Forbidden IDM. His tattoos blazed under all the fresh and dried blood, channels opening to the abyssal dimensions beyond.
[Soul Sacrifice - Maximum Consumption]
With a scream that reached every corner of the pocket dimension, Goren’s physical form grew dimmer, as if slowly transitioning to another plane of existence altogether. His solid elven frame became a flickering silhouette. Only the faintest outline remained to reference the warrior he’d been just moments before.
The churning tempest of violet energy seeped from its vessel. The power overflowed in place of substance. Goren’s eyes had vanished—empty glowing sockets spilled celestial force.
Just a fragment of soul persisted, clinging to the mortal realm out of single-minded purpose and force of will alone. The rest had become sheer cosmic might. This ephemeral specter clung to existence through the excitement and stimulation of battle. Daiyudura, King Aldric held no meaning.
Kaito anchored Goren’s form to reality.
He was no longer an elf.
He was no longer a hero.
He was untamed power ready to claim victory and become the strongest, if only for a moment before the last part of his soul disappeared.
Kaito straightened and all the IDM bindings encasing his eyes, hands, and mouth fell away into countless radiant pieces. He blinked freely, flexing his fingers. His face was different. Veins pulsed at his temples, his nostrils flared, the corners of his mouth turned down sharply, and his eyes… they had gone from calm to furious.
“Goren, stop this now! Time’s up!”
The words fell on deaf ears. He hurled a bolt of violet lightning at Kaito. But the outworlder didn’t flinch or dodge. He stood firm, almost sorrowful.
Then he clapped his hands together in a manner that almost stopped time, sending a visible shockwave vibrating through the air, sending the rubble away as it made its way to the creature enveloped in cosmic power.
The shockwave hit Goren like a charging gryphon. He felt himself flung backward, the tattered remnants of his physical form trailing wisps of energy.
He slammed into one of the tall structures, concrete cracking under the impact. Slumping to the ground while everything went black. There was no more glow, no more IDM, no more power. His mouth went dry, he had no sense of taste, smell, sight, feeling—his body felt light—only hearing remained. After the pebbles and dust rolled to a stop, peace fell over the artificial space.
Goren cycled IDM through his body, but it had nowhere to go. The pain was gone. No fingers, no arms, no legs. If his assessment was correct, half of his head was missing too. His heart beat weakly, ‘thump,’ ‘thump,’ ‘thump,’ held together by the last crumbs of his mana and soul. Never had he imagined such power from a mere bard.
He could hear debris crunching under the bard’s boots. He sensed Kaito’s shadow fall over him.
“Is it over?” Goren could barely hear his own words.
“Yes, and I made you ushemia cake with nighthoney for your birthday. It’s been thirty minutes, so Jogid must have it ready by now.”
“Eccentric to the end,” Goren chuckled weakly. “You’ve shattered another prophecy.”
“Prophecies often speak in riddles, weaving futures out of expectation. But you’re strong, it could have gone either way.”
“You jest…I never stood a chance. I see that now.”
“Don’t talk. With rest and plenty of fluids, you’ll surely recover.”
“Flesh can heal, the soul cannot. Let me say this—All I wanted was to attain a fraction of your power. My whole life, I sought the strength to erase evil so all could live without fear. Orleado…he got closer to that dream than I ever did. Tell the princess…tell her I witnessed your might and disappeared—seeking my own. Save her. Save Daiyudura. The burden is yours now.”
He sensed the warmth of Kaito’s magnificent form near him.
“I will. I promise.”
“End me. I wish to apologize to Orleado.”
‘Snap.’
And then, darkness.
