Idris held the arrow for a moment longer before releasing it. With ease, The Old King knocked it away, causing it to plunge into the ground where its magic activated, shifting the hardened snow, causing the ice beneath it to crack open, revealing large drops down into darkness below. The Old King adjusted themselves and looked to Idris, nodding in acknowledgment. "Clever," they remarked.
Suddenly, they disappeared and reappeared in front of Idris, delivering a mighty kick that sent him backward with tremendous force, embedding him into the snow. "One," The Old King stated, turning their attention to Taharqa. They swung their sword downward, but Taharqa flicked his wand and created a small shield that blocked the blow. The Old King adjusted and swung around toward Dohon. Loki stepped forward, using his sword to block The Old King's attack, but they countered with a second swing, forcing the ground to take another deep blow, stirring another crack and throwing them all off balance.
Seizing the moment, The Old King grabbed hold of Dohon's magic arm with incredible strength, pulling him forward and kicking him down into the hole. However, Loki intervened, snapping his fingers and seemingly rewinding time for Dohon. This time, Dohon evaded The Old King's grasp and landed safely on stable ground. As Loki attempted to engage The Old King with his sword, it was deflected.
Meanwhile, Idris pulled himself from the snow, shaking his head. He grabbed another arrow and docked it, firing it into the sky. The whistle it made caught The Old King's attention as they followed its trajectory into the blizzard clouds. Suddenly, the arrow began to grow in size, transforming into a large column that held up the ceiling of a vast chamber. As it descended back down, it shifted once more, growing to the size of a Maru Frost Giant's leg.
Everyone darted out of the way as the arrow came down, creating an enormous crest of fire around it. The Old King tossed down their swords and braced for impact, catching the arrow tip as the explosion followed. The shockwave propelled Loki, Taharqa, Dohon, and Idris, ripping up an entire crater's worth of ice and snow and shaking the entire northern section of the island viciously.
Amidst the chaos, The Old King roared as the arrow continued to push them deeper into the island. The armor on their hands glowed bright red with heat, beginning to melt onto their hands. The plume of their helmet emitted a blinding light, voiding out all other colors and turning white.
Another roar pierced outward, resonating for longer and louder. As it reached its peak, a rush of blue aura surged from The Old King, traveling all the way up the enormous arrow. With a deafening explosion, the arrow shattered into millions of shards of magic, and The Old King collapsed to their knees.
They sat there for a moment, then looked up to the sky, taking in a deep breath before rising upward and holding out their hands. Their swords, buried in the snow, faded away and reappeared in The Old King's hands. They turned toward the left, where an enormous burst of magical energy had just been unleashed, getting into a stance as if preparing to dash toward the source.
Suddenly, from the same direction, a blur of red and orange came hurtling toward them. Reacting quickly, The Old King adjusted just in time as a fireball shot past them. They looked toward the source of the attack, but their attention was immediately drawn back as the first fireball jolted by them again, this time landing in front of them, revealing Maeve.
She stood up, her chest filled with a deep, scaly red, surrounded by swirling orange and yellow hues as her ironheart heated her entire body. She wore a dark yellow long-sleeved shirt with a shallow neckline, her tattered trousers a deep blue, and her feet bare. Her appearance suggested she had just been preparing for bed or was already asleep.
She observed The Old King, then took a deep breath and held out her hand. The rapier that Idris had lost when they first arrived on the Ayce rushed across the landscape toward her, melting a path through the snow before meeting her grasp. Her eyes glazed over in black as the core in her chest ignited further, emitting an even brighter glow. Her horns began to grow back, stopping just before their final curled tips. Maeve lifted a hand to feel where the nub had stopped. "Didn't think so," she remarked with a shrug. "It was worth a shot."
Her focus returned to The Old King, who seemed intrigued by her rapier. Gripping it tightly, she pointed it forward. "You woke me up, and I had a long-ass day."
The Old King dropped into their stance, their swords poised for battle. "You are different than the others," they remarked, their voice clearer and more natural. "I have never lost a duel, but I have been outrun. Will you run?"
Maeve pulled the rapier back and assumed a stance, holding it directly in front of her with the blade tip angled toward the sky. She shook her head with a smile. "I could never."
The Old King dashed forward and swung at Maeve, initiating an all-out brawl as Maeve and The Old King engaged in a mix of offensive and defensive maneuvers. Neither was able to break through to the other; every swing was deflected. Even when both swords clashed, Maeve skillfully parried the attacks, deflecting the blades down the thin black blade of her own.
Maeve adjusted herself and moved gracefully across the crater, putting some distance between her and The Old King. The Old King lowered their guard, simply staring at Maeve.
"You aren’t like the others at all. The Frost Giant was close at first, but now, how are you growing stronger?" The Old King asked.
"My husband taught me to reserve my strength, only use what’s needed and nothing more," Maeve replied.
"Why not crush your opponent right away? Show them the true might of your warrior prowess?" The Old King inquired.
Maeve shook her head and smiled. "It’s not as fun."
"Fun," The Old King repeated, intrigued. "What is this fun?"
"What we are having right now," Maeve replied. "This is fun."
The Old King glanced around at the crater created from Idris’ arrow, then down at their two swords. "Fun," they stated. They looked to Maeve. "Tell me your name. I want to know this mighty warrior whom I face."
Maeve smirked again and adjusted her stance. "You sound just like Zero. My name is Maeve, I am the King of Sidra."
"A BATTLE OF KINGS!" The Old King exclaimed, dashing forward and swinging both blades. "FINALLY, A WORTHY OPPONENT!"
Maeve sidestepped the first blade, then blocked the other with her own. She drove her fist forward, channeling magic into it. The magic exploded on impact, knocking The Old King away. However, they pivoted and moved around in a rotation toward Maeve, just as Idris, Loki, and Taharqa finally made their way back to the edge of the enormous crater. They watched as Maeve and The Old King danced around, magic flying from Maeve alongside their sword clashes.
"Hmm," Loki stated. "So you could have summoned her at any time?"
"She said only emergencies, and now was the only time that felt like she wouldn’t get mad at me for using it…I also really don’t want to try to fight another Higher. That’s some Zero shit that I don’t need answered anymore," Idris replied.
The three of them watched in silence as Maeve and The Old King continued to engage, each of them increasing their speed and strength with every swing of their blades.
"That blade, who forged it?" The Old King asked as he sidestepped away from Maeve’s stab.
"The Dwarves of this island," Maeve replied, adjusting herself for another thrust.
"Their craftsmanship is impressive," The Old King remarked, taking two steps back and stabbing the glowing sword into the ground. They lifted their hand, and magic manifested inside their palm. Maeve pivoted to the side, and their hand followed suit. Just as it swayed to the left, she leapt into the air. The Old King lifted their hand to follow, but they were struck by a spell in the center of their chest. Their own spell was cast off into the ground as they slumped over from the hit. They let out a small laugh as Maeve landed in front of them. They rubbed their armored chest. "I didn’t even see you cast it."
Maeve smirked. "Which one?"
The Old King suddenly looked up as another spell hit them in the helmet, knocking them off their feet. They landed on their back and quickly recovered, wielding their sword. They held out their hand, summoning their glowing sword from the ground and into their grasp. They took a stance and looked at Maeve. "We can do this forever and a day, or we can both start taking this seriously." Magical aura exploded from The Old King, knocking Maeve off the ground and up and over Idris and the others. She landed in the snow but did not rise immediately; she just lay there for a moment. She took in a deep breath before she leaned up and walked silently to the snow bank. She didn’t look at Idris, Taharqa, or Loki, just silently slid back down and walked all the way up to The Old King, glaring at the nameplate over their head.
"I remember when we had to come to you. Now you’re coming to us."
"I’m a special case."
"Clearly." Maeve let out an exhausted sigh. "Guess it’s time to see who's stronger…" Maeve dropped the rapier and with all her might, punched The Old King in the abdomen, causing them to keel over. "...you..." She lifted up her other fist and punched them in the helmet, knocking them backward. She picked up her rapier and dashed forward the little space she had made and thrust the rapier forward. "...or Death’s children!" The moment the tip of the rapier touched The Old King’s chest, a shockwave of pure blackness echoed out from the tip, turning the entire area into darkness for a brief moment, like a flash of reverse lightning from a Tempest Storm. "VOID RUSH!" Maeve called out, and The Old Knight was propelled backward with tremendous force. They ragdolled across the crater and into the snowbank on the other side, but they recovered just as fast and dashed forward, sprinting at first but soon disappearing, moving at such intense speeds that Maeve began running herself. Quickly, she caught up to his speed, the world around them moving in such a slowed state that it was certain Idris, Taharqa, and Loki were no longer following. To them, there was nothing in the crater beyond the occasional snap when their blades collided.
Faster and faster they became, moving like clockwork. Over and over they came at one another, their blades clashing. Spells became useless at this speed; it was all about your swordsmanship. The Old King diverted themselves to the left suddenly, and Maeve turned around, dashing in the other direction to meet them as they circled around. Their blades clashed once more, but this time, Maeve was knocked off her feet and went tumbling into the snowbank. She was growing tired, but The Old King looked as if they had just started.
"You should help her," Idris stated, looking directly at Loki. "You and Dohon."
"Do I look stupid to you?" Loki asked. "I wouldn’t be able to maintain Dohon and keep myself alive. You help her."
Idris shrugged his shoulders and leapt down into the crater, sliding down the snowbank. He fired off two arrows toward Maeve. She leaned up, watching as they sailed toward her. She took in a deep breath and disappeared into an intense speed. She diverted The Old King around, allowing both arrows to hit against their back. They turned around, and Maeve thrust her blade forward, but The Old King sidestepped, grabbed her by her face, lifted her, and with incredible strength, threw her into Idris, knocking them both off their feet and into the snow.
The Old King looked around at the crater, then at the chunks of snow and ice that had been dislodged all around the area atop. Then they turned their attention over to Maeve, who was helping Idris to his feet. "Look what you did to my island."
"Did he just say, ‘my island’?" Taharqa asked.
Loki nodded his head silently, then took a step forward and slid down the snowbank. Taharqa watched for a moment, then slid down himself. Both landed and walked toward Maeve and Idris, each of them readying themselves for whatever The Old King was about to do.
"I think this has gone on long enough." The Old King disappeared only to reappear in front of the group. Loki instinctively cast a barrier between the group and The Old King, but with one swing, it was broken. The next swing was blocked by Maeve’s rapier, and with a thrust of her palm, she forced The Old King back before they could swing again. They quickly adjusted and looked up and bellowed. "I TIRE OF THIS!"
The roar that erupted from them dropped everyone in the group to their knees apart from Maeve, who was covering her ears as she winced. When the roar stopped, she dashed forward, just for The Old King to thwart her down. Maeve stood up again and again, pushing The Old King back more and more until she finally was able to put distance between them and the others. Maeve lifted her rapier and took in a deep breath.
"Here we go," she said under her breath. She dashed forward with intense speed and began thrusting her rapier so quickly into The Old King’s chest that they weren’t able to deflect it, only take the hits. "Faster," Maeve told herself. "Have to go faster!" She began moving faster and faster, so fast that the Void that encompassed the rapier began to shed at the tip, chipping back as it pressed into Maeve’s cheek, sticking against it. "FASTER!" Maeve cried out as she thrust the rapier more, and the more she did, the more the Void chipped away, revealing an incredible white metal underneath, all while slowly covering Maeve’s body. "AHHHH!"
On the final thrust, all of the Void expanded off the rapier, revealing the pristine white metal underneath, the cup-like hilt embedded with dense teal gemstones. The pieces of Void enveloped Maeve’s body, shaping to her figure as they spread and expanded, forming a hooded cloak around her body as she landed and The Old King collapsed onto their back. Maeve closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as she languished in the comfort of her new Void Cloak. She tucked her hands inside the Void, feeling around her Domain for her weapons and other assortments, then turned her attention back to the rapier. She smirked at it, admiring how it kept such a secret from her. Then she looked to The Old King, but her attention was quickly pulled to their nameplate. All the words became fuzzy and shifted around before finally changing. As they shifted, a chill ran down Maeve’s spine and her heart sank as she read the new nameplate above The Old King’s head.
[Death’s Final Test - New God - Aizen]
Maeve read the first part of the nameplate again: "Death’s Final Test." Before her brain could even process what it meant, the familiar sound of a small snap followed by a short gust of wind hitting her back stirred every bit of chill inside her away and lifted her heart right back where it belonged. A voice she knew all too well echoed from behind her.
"Hey guys…I told you I’d get Oduduwa back."
Idris held the arrow for a moment longer before releasing it. With ease, The Old King knocked it away, causing it to plunge into the ground where its magic activated, shifting the hardened snow, causing the ice beneath it to crack open, revealing large drops down into darkness below. The Old King adjusted themselves and looked to Idris, nodding in acknowledgment. "Clever," they remarked.
Suddenly, they disappeared and reappeared in front of Idris, delivering a mighty kick that sent him backward with tremendous force, embedding him into the snow. "One," The Old King stated, turning their attention to Taharqa. They swung their sword downward, but Taharqa flicked his wand and created a small shield that blocked the blow. The Old King adjusted and swung around toward Dohon. Loki stepped forward, using his sword to block The Old King's attack, but they countered with a second swing, forcing the ground to take another deep blow, stirring another crack and throwing them all off balance.
Seizing the moment, The Old King grabbed hold of Dohon's magic arm with incredible strength, pulling him forward and kicking him down into the hole. However, Loki intervened, snapping his fingers and seemingly rewinding time for Dohon. This time, Dohon evaded The Old King's grasp and landed safely on stable ground. As Loki attempted to engage The Old King with his sword, it was deflected.
Meanwhile, Idris pulled himself from the snow, shaking his head. He grabbed another arrow and docked it, firing it into the sky. The whistle it made caught The Old King's attention as they followed its trajectory into the blizzard clouds. Suddenly, the arrow began to grow in size, transforming into a large column that held up the ceiling of a vast chamber. As it descended back down, it shifted once more, growing to the size of a Maru Frost Giant's leg.
Everyone darted out of the way as the arrow came down, creating an enormous crest of fire around it. The Old King tossed down their swords and braced for impact, catching the arrow tip as the explosion followed. The shockwave propelled Loki, Taharqa, Dohon, and Idris, ripping up an entire crater's worth of ice and snow and shaking the entire northern section of the island viciously.
Amidst the chaos, The Old King roared as the arrow continued to push them deeper into the island. The armor on their hands glowed bright red with heat, beginning to melt onto their hands. The plume of their helmet emitted a blinding light, voiding out all other colors and turning white.
Another roar pierced outward, resonating for longer and louder. As it reached its peak, a rush of blue aura surged from The Old King, traveling all the way up the enormous arrow. With a deafening explosion, the arrow shattered into millions of shards of magic, and The Old King collapsed to their knees.
They sat there for a moment, then looked up to the sky, taking in a deep breath before rising upward and holding out their hands. Their swords, buried in the snow, faded away and reappeared in The Old King's hands. They turned toward the left, where an enormous burst of magical energy had just been unleashed, getting into a stance as if preparing to dash toward the source.
Suddenly, from the same direction, a blur of red and orange came hurtling toward them. Reacting quickly, The Old King adjusted just in time as a fireball shot past them. They looked toward the source of the attack, but their attention was immediately drawn back as the first fireball jolted by them again, this time landing in front of them, revealing Maeve.
She stood up, her chest filled with a deep, scaly red, surrounded by swirling orange and yellow hues as her ironheart heated her entire body. She wore a dark yellow long-sleeved shirt with a shallow neckline, her tattered trousers a deep blue, and her feet bare. Her appearance suggested she had just been preparing for bed or was already asleep.
She observed The Old King, then took a deep breath and held out her hand. The rapier that Idris had lost when they first arrived on the Ayce rushed across the landscape toward her, melting a path through the snow before meeting her grasp. Her eyes glazed over in black as the core in her chest ignited further, emitting an even brighter glow. Her horns began to grow back, stopping just before their final curled tips. Maeve lifted a hand to feel where the nub had stopped. "Didn't think so," she remarked with a shrug. "It was worth a shot."
Her focus returned to The Old King, who seemed intrigued by her rapier. Gripping it tightly, she pointed it forward. "You woke me up, and I had a long-ass day."
The Old King dropped into their stance, their swords poised for battle. "You are different than the others," they remarked, their voice clearer and more natural. "I have never lost a duel, but I have been outrun. Will you run?"
Maeve pulled the rapier back and assumed a stance, holding it directly in front of her with the blade tip angled toward the sky. She shook her head with a smile. "I could never."
The Old King dashed forward and swung at Maeve, initiating an all-out brawl as Maeve and The Old King engaged in a mix of offensive and defensive maneuvers. Neither was able to break through to the other; every swing was deflected. Even when both swords clashed, Maeve skillfully parried the attacks, deflecting the blades down the thin black blade of her own.
Maeve adjusted herself and moved gracefully across the crater, putting some distance between her and The Old King. The Old King lowered their guard, simply staring at Maeve.
"You aren’t like the others at all. The Frost Giant was close at first, but now, how are you growing stronger?" The Old King asked.
"My husband taught me to reserve my strength, only use what’s needed and nothing more," Maeve replied.
"Why not crush your opponent right away? Show them the true might of your warrior prowess?" The Old King inquired.
Maeve shook her head and smiled. "It’s not as fun."
"Fun," The Old King repeated, intrigued. "What is this fun?"
"What we are having right now," Maeve replied. "This is fun."
The Old King glanced around at the crater created from Idris’ arrow, then down at their two swords. "Fun," they stated. They looked to Maeve. "Tell me your name. I want to know this mighty warrior whom I face."
Maeve smirked again and adjusted her stance. "You sound just like Zero. My name is Maeve, I am the King of Sidra."
"A BATTLE OF KINGS!" The Old King exclaimed, dashing forward and swinging both blades. "FINALLY, A WORTHY OPPONENT!"
Maeve sidestepped the first blade, then blocked the other with her own. She drove her fist forward, channeling magic into it. The magic exploded on impact, knocking The Old King away. However, they pivoted and moved around in a rotation toward Maeve, just as Idris, Loki, and Taharqa finally made their way back to the edge of the enormous crater. They watched as Maeve and The Old King danced around, magic flying from Maeve alongside their sword clashes.
"Hmm," Loki stated. "So you could have summoned her at any time?"
"She said only emergencies, and now was the only time that felt like she wouldn’t get mad at me for using it…I also really don’t want to try to fight another Higher. That’s some Zero shit that I don’t need answered anymore," Idris replied.
The three of them watched in silence as Maeve and The Old King continued to engage, each of them increasing their speed and strength with every swing of their blades.
"That blade, who forged it?" The Old King asked as he sidestepped away from Maeve’s stab.
"The Dwarves of this island," Maeve replied, adjusting herself for another thrust.
"Their craftsmanship is impressive," The Old King remarked, taking two steps back and stabbing the glowing sword into the ground. They lifted their hand, and magic manifested inside their palm. Maeve pivoted to the side, and their hand followed suit. Just as it swayed to the left, she leapt into the air. The Old King lifted their hand to follow, but they were struck by a spell in the center of their chest. Their own spell was cast off into the ground as they slumped over from the hit. They let out a small laugh as Maeve landed in front of them. They rubbed their armored chest. "I didn’t even see you cast it."
Maeve smirked. "Which one?"
The Old King suddenly looked up as another spell hit them in the helmet, knocking them off their feet. They landed on their back and quickly recovered, wielding their sword. They held out their hand, summoning their glowing sword from the ground and into their grasp. They took a stance and looked at Maeve. "We can do this forever and a day, or we can both start taking this seriously." Magical aura exploded from The Old King, knocking Maeve off the ground and up and over Idris and the others. She landed in the snow but did not rise immediately; she just lay there for a moment. She took in a deep breath before she leaned up and walked silently to the snow bank. She didn’t look at Idris, Taharqa, or Loki, just silently slid back down and walked all the way up to The Old King, glaring at the nameplate over their head.
"I remember when we had to come to you. Now you’re coming to us."
"I’m a special case."
"Clearly." Maeve let out an exhausted sigh. "Guess it’s time to see who's stronger…" Maeve dropped the rapier and with all her might, punched The Old King in the abdomen, causing them to keel over. "...you..." She lifted up her other fist and punched them in the helmet, knocking them backward. She picked up her rapier and dashed forward the little space she had made and thrust the rapier forward. "...or Death’s children!" The moment the tip of the rapier touched The Old King’s chest, a shockwave of pure blackness echoed out from the tip, turning the entire area into darkness for a brief moment, like a flash of reverse lightning from a Tempest Storm. "VOID RUSH!" Maeve called out, and The Old Knight was propelled backward with tremendous force. They ragdolled across the crater and into the snowbank on the other side, but they recovered just as fast and dashed forward, sprinting at first but soon disappearing, moving at such intense speeds that Maeve began running herself. Quickly, she caught up to his speed, the world around them moving in such a slowed state that it was certain Idris, Taharqa, and Loki were no longer following. To them, there was nothing in the crater beyond the occasional snap when their blades collided.
Faster and faster they became, moving like clockwork. Over and over they came at one another, their blades clashing. Spells became useless at this speed; it was all about your swordsmanship. The Old King diverted themselves to the left suddenly, and Maeve turned around, dashing in the other direction to meet them as they circled around. Their blades clashed once more, but this time, Maeve was knocked off her feet and went tumbling into the snowbank. She was growing tired, but The Old King looked as if they had just started.
"You should help her," Idris stated, looking directly at Loki. "You and Dohon."
"Do I look stupid to you?" Loki asked. "I wouldn’t be able to maintain Dohon and keep myself alive. You help her."
Idris shrugged his shoulders and leapt down into the crater, sliding down the snowbank. He fired off two arrows toward Maeve. She leaned up, watching as they sailed toward her. She took in a deep breath and disappeared into an intense speed. She diverted The Old King around, allowing both arrows to hit against their back. They turned around, and Maeve thrust her blade forward, but The Old King sidestepped, grabbed her by her face, lifted her, and with incredible strength, threw her into Idris, knocking them both off their feet and into the snow.
The Old King looked around at the crater, then at the chunks of snow and ice that had been dislodged all around the area atop. Then they turned their attention over to Maeve, who was helping Idris to his feet. "Look what you did to my island."
"Did he just say, ‘my island’?" Taharqa asked.
Loki nodded his head silently, then took a step forward and slid down the snowbank. Taharqa watched for a moment, then slid down himself. Both landed and walked toward Maeve and Idris, each of them readying themselves for whatever The Old King was about to do.
"I think this has gone on long enough." The Old King disappeared only to reappear in front of the group. Loki instinctively cast a barrier between the group and The Old King, but with one swing, it was broken. The next swing was blocked by Maeve’s rapier, and with a thrust of her palm, she forced The Old King back before they could swing again. They quickly adjusted and looked up and bellowed. "I TIRE OF THIS!"
The roar that erupted from them dropped everyone in the group to their knees apart from Maeve, who was covering her ears as she winced. When the roar stopped, she dashed forward, just for The Old King to thwart her down. Maeve stood up again and again, pushing The Old King back more and more until she finally was able to put distance between them and the others. Maeve lifted her rapier and took in a deep breath.
"Here we go," she said under her breath. She dashed forward with intense speed and began thrusting her rapier so quickly into The Old King’s chest that they weren’t able to deflect it, only take the hits. "Faster," Maeve told herself. "Have to go faster!" She began moving faster and faster, so fast that the Void that encompassed the rapier began to shed at the tip, chipping back as it pressed into Maeve’s cheek, sticking against it. "FASTER!" Maeve cried out as she thrust the rapier more, and the more she did, the more the Void chipped away, revealing an incredible white metal underneath, all while slowly covering Maeve’s body. "AHHHH!"
On the final thrust, all of the Void expanded off the rapier, revealing the pristine white metal underneath, the cup-like hilt embedded with dense teal gemstones. The pieces of Void enveloped Maeve’s body, shaping to her figure as they spread and expanded, forming a hooded cloak around her body as she landed and The Old King collapsed onto their back. Maeve closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as she languished in the comfort of her new Void Cloak. She tucked her hands inside the Void, feeling around her Domain for her weapons and other assortments, then turned her attention back to the rapier. She smirked at it, admiring how it kept such a secret from her. Then she looked to The Old King, but her attention was quickly pulled to their nameplate. All the words became fuzzy and shifted around before finally changing. As they shifted, a chill ran down Maeve’s spine and her heart sank as she read the new nameplate above The Old King’s head.
[Death’s Final Test - New God - Aizen]
Maeve read the first part of the nameplate again: "Death’s Final Test." Before her brain could even process what it meant, the familiar sound of a small snap followed by a short gust of wind hitting her back stirred every bit of chill inside her away and lifted her heart right back where it belonged. A voice she knew all too well echoed from behind her.
"Hey guys…I told you I’d get Oduduwa back."
