Tsurugi the Arbiter
Location: Imperial Province of Rhomadial, near the frontier between the Republic of Nywell and the Empire, Village of Ilbastica
Time: Afternoon
"
-Yes, my master."
Before the eyes of the Imperials, a champion from another world rose. The sky darkened as from a gap in reality, a truly massive figure emerged. Chitinous talons the size of a train car sundered the earth as it stepped forth, covering a large part of the village in its shadow. An intimidating presence emanated from the figure, who stood with all four of its arms crossed as it stared down the incoming Spirit horde.
After a moment where both armies gaped at the creature with both fear and shock, it stirred.
Ravana's four arms glowed with the multicoloured Mana of Horizon as it spread them aside, severing the boundaries between fantasy and reality to tear four holes in space. From the void, four gargantuan swords emerged- They floated as if pulled by a gentle wind, only stopping when they hovered over the Guardian Spirit's hands which immediately gripped them.
Two massive wings unfolded from the creature's back and it took a powerful leap into the air, its four swords trailing behind as it took to the skies.
Then, brandishing all four of the swords towards the incoming spirits, the Guardian Spirit let out a thunderous war cry that spread shockwaves across the battlefield, causing many of the people below to cover their ears.
"Whoaaaaa!" Michelle looked up at the Guardian Spirit. "That's amazing, Senpai! Your magic is so strong!"
"Aaah..." One of the weird soldiers from before muttered, holding their face with one bandaged hand while their head tilted to the point where it looked it would snap. "So the spirit of death has descended upon the battlefield... Kukuku, how nostalgic."
"With Senpai on our side, there's no way we will lose!" Michelle claimed, huffing as she turned towards the troops with a glare. "What are you waiting for, everyone!? We can't get left behind!" As the troops started to move in response to her cry, Michelle turned towards the distant enemies and broke into a run towards them. "Let's go, Fulfillment! Full power, full steam aheaaaaaaaaaaaaad!"
Unsheathing her sword, Michelle's speed quickly increased by orders of magnitude as she sped off like a blur towards the enemy, leading her troops by example. She was swiftly followed by the Mana Walkers formerly on standby. Meanwhile, the rest of the soldiers trailed behind them, moving to cover the areas the machines could not.
Blinking blearily at the girl's sudden enthusiasm, you felt the beginnings of fighting spirit fan within your heart as your sword began to thirst for battle, courtesy of Ravana's bloodlust.
Feeling muted excitement at the thought of testing your blade against the dangers of this new world, you soon followed behind the starry trail of Michelle's movements.
...
Ravana watched the incoming enemies from high above, his hands trembling in expectation as the clash between the two forces drew near. Even if the enemy at the moment was unworthy of their full power, it could not change the desire he held to wield his arms in battle.
In fact, he would not wait any longer. His master had ordered him to smite the enemy and spill their blood, and so he would. His heart sped up at the thought of releasing all of his power, and with that excitement vanished any notions of restraint or patience.
Roaring once more, the Guardian Spirit suddenly took a dive towards the center of the loosely spread Spirit squadrons. Falling with the speed of a meteor towards the earth, it struck with enough force to lift a mountain of dust that spread out towards the enemy troops with the force of a hurricane.
The spirits that had been near ground zero managed to avoid the highly telegraphed impact, but as they were staring at the zone of impact and charging up Divine Magic to attack the Guardian when it revealed himself, several flashes of light caused them to drop to the ground suddenly.
Moments later, the source of those flashes revealed itself as the mountain of dust was suddenly broken apart by a storm of wind currents, caused by the distortions in space that had been generated by Ravana's consecutive slashes at the foes that had attempted to attack him after landing.
Ravana's compound eyes gleamed with the flames of belligerence, even as its four swords pulsed with mana. Around him, the distorted space caused by his sudden attack suddenly warped and everything around the creature appeared to start falling back into place, as if the effect of the weapon had been reversed.
As it did so, the essence of the Divine Magic which the Spirits had been preparing to use against him flowed into each of its arms, having been severed from their source and absorbed into the realm of Horizon.
Effect [Essence of Red] has been acquired.
Effect [Essence of Green] has been acquired.
Effect [Essence of Blue] has been acquired.
Effect [Essence of Black] has been acquired.
Each of the Swords now pulsed with a different color. One of them had a burning red glow, white-hot flames dripping plasma towards the ground as the weapon took the shape of a curved scimitar. Another pulsed with the strength of the wind, having turned into a massive stone greatsword that nonetheless appeared light in the hands of Ravana. A third one possessed the chill of ice, having transformed into a segmented longsword of crystalline ice. Finally, the fourth blade simmered with a sickly-looking black smoke, the nodachi being longer and thinner than all of the other swords, but looking no less deadly.
Ravana looked at the swords on his hands, and for a brief moment felt respect for the enemy. Regardless of their weakness, they nonetheless were wielders of fine swords.
-However, that was all that he would give them.
Whether they would be honored in the end or not, depended entirely of the resolve that they would show when tested against his swords. Only by bathing in their own blood would they find the strength in adversity to grow into real warriors.
With a cry that shook the heavens, Ravana ignored the fallen spirits and hurled himself towards the closest Spirit in fighting condition.
(BGM off)
...
"Damn, that thing is insane!" A fairly normal-looking soldier cried, watching with disbelieving eyes at the storm of slashes and elemental disasters that were being unleashed by Tsurugi's Guardian Spirit, which had continued to advanced unassailably since the beginning of the battle. "That thing was called by the straw-hat girl, wasn't it? Is the commander really going to be alright?"
"Of course. No matter how scary-looking, nobody with a smidgen of intelligence would commit a sin as grave as striking our Goddess." One of the 'touched' soldiers said, grasping at his heart even as he performed a religious gesture with his free hand.
"No, no, she's our commander, not a Goddess..." The only sane soldier pathetically tried to retort, but knew in his heart that it was just better to give it up. Whatever exhaustion he felt however stopped when an abrupt crashing noise caused both of them to start. "Wait, did you hear that-"
-Suddenly, the wall of a nearby house collapsed in a shower of mortar and dust. The group of five soldiers stepped back as a figure emerged from the collapsed building, her blue hair glowing impeccably despite the dust that should have dirtied it. Her dull eyes stared at the direction of the soldiers, even as she dragged her bloodied greatsword.
"Shit..." The soldier felt a cold sweat on his neck, even as his hand inched towards the flare gun that would signal the nearest Walker unit to intercept the Spirit. However, he felt doubtful that any attempt to summon help would help them survive. Having been caught by surprise, the spirit was almost on them already. It didn't matter whether they used firearms, swords or explosives...
-At this distance, the Spirit was perfectly capable of disposing of them with its eyes closed.
A flutter of noise suddenly caused both the soldier and the Spirit to turn their gaze, and he watched as two of the men in his groups had immediately bolted back, choosing to retreat over trying to delay the spirit or losing their lives in vain.
However... No, you idiots-!
-It was useless.
Before the soldiers could flee, the area was filled by their painful screams as both of them suddenly had their legs frozen up to their knees in ice, the moisture around them having suddenly turned into a deathly prison. The spirit's outscretched hand glowed vibrantly with a similar gleam, causing even her cold eyes to glint dangerously.
The soldier felt a momentary dash of sympathy for the troops- But immediately made use of the opportunity he'd been given and took out the flare gun from its holster. Without even bothering to aim, he just fired at the sky as fast as he could.
-That was a good thing, because no sooner had the light erupted in sky than a dainty hand lashed out at him, and he felt a momentary sense of vertigo as a powerful backhand sent him sprawling against a brick wall, causing his head to turn white from the pain.
The Spirit looked at the signal flare in the sky, before it turned back towards the group and cocked her sword back, hoisting it over her shoulder. An air of deadly intent surrounded the Spirit, as it glared at the last two soldiers which fearfully held on to their weapons, even knowing them it would do them no good.
Crouching low, the Spirit's muscles tensed as it immediately readied itself for a finishing strike-
"---Good grief."
-When a rapidly moving projectile impacted against the side of the Spirit's head. Even as the rock split upon hitting the Spirit's head, she did not so much as twitch... But her emotionless eyes turned ever-so-slighty towards the direction of the thrown stone.
There, sitting on the edge of a rooftop, a mysterious figure leaned back. His back turned to the setting sun, he lazily bounced one rock with his hand while the other drifted in the wind, its bandages almost loose. His crimson scarf billowed in the orange sunset, tinged with the color of blood.
With a single eye that looked red under the twilight, he stared at the Spirit with an impassive expression. "For such a lovely flower to bear its thorns at my brethren... I cannot deny being jealous. Tell me..."
Jumping off the roof while doing a short pirouette, the man briefly fell to his knees on the ground, the coattails of his uniform laying a pool of shadows below him. Before the still frozen Spirit, one of his hands reached towards his coat-
...And plucked a single rose from within, which he offered to the air. "Won't you dance with me instead?"
(BGM off)
-At that instant, the Spirit finally changed targets and dashed towards the rogue factor that had intervened, crossing the distance between them in the blink of an eye and slamming her greatsword with such force that the house where the man had stood was completely destroyed by a shockwave. The ruins around her were covered in a fine icy mist, the ice destroying anything that could have survived the attack.
In an instant, the intruder had been disposed of...
-Or so she thought.
"...I supposed not." The Spirit turned, blue hair swirling as she glared at the man as he stepped out from a broken wall, walking inconspicuously as his scarf swayed. Staring at the girl with a cool eye the color of honey, the soldier unsheathed his massive sword and let its tip burrow into the ground. "Well then..."
With his free hand, the soldier taunted the Spirit with a gesture. "Shall we begin?"
-The two flickered for a moment, and before the other soldiers' eyes, clashed against each other at a speed that mortals couldn't possibly grasp.
The Spirit's attacks were vicious and relentless, charged with mana that froze everything they touched. A single hit would be deadly against the human she was fighting, of that there was no doubt. However...
-Every single time the Spirit appeared to be about to kill him, the soldier managed to find a way to sway away from the blow. With every whirlwind of slashes, the soldier would simply shout something such as 'too slow!', and suddenly swerved in some unexpected way that couldn't be attributed to mere luck or skill, but something in between.
"...Then, it's my turn now. Behold, an attack that God chose to keep hidden for 1000 years-" The soldier said, speaking needlessly and dragging his words even as he dodged every single one of the Spirit's attacks. "A strike that will surely leave the enemy weeping at its power... Those are the depths of this forbidden technique! Prepare yourself-"
The Spirit stiffened when the soldier's movements shifted abruptly, and it prepared itself for an attack-
"Absolute Death Stance! ...The end has come." The soldier fell into a stance, his sword exhuding a foul aura as a massive spike of killing intent rolled off of him in waves. It was such a pervasive, dark pressure that it caused the air to warp around him, belying the massive danger of the forbidden art that he had dared unleash on the world.
It was a move of certain death. An absolute, invincible technique that would defeat its enemy with 100% certainty. A true deathblow.
...However.
"..." The soldier gritted his teeth, glaring at the spirit who hadn't so much as moved a single muscle. "Th-this can't be... This dark technique that was born in the depths of hell... Has been seen through!?"
-That's right.
The spirit did not attack, because there was no reason to. Absolute Death Stance... It was the strongest technique, that could slay even a god. It was created by one who hated the gods, and wished to bring about their end with a sword. However, this omnipotent force of destruction had only one requirement for being unleashed...
-Of course, it could only be used defensively as a response to an attack long after its name had been announced. If the enemy didn't attack, it was a skill that was worse than garbage.
"As expected... To have overcome this attack, you're too strong...!" The soldier said, lamenting his own weakness. "...I see, so this is the extent of the power I can display without unleashing any of the 'seals'. I guess..." The soldier chuckled briefly. "It can't be helped. I'll have to use 'that', huh...?"
The moment the soldier broke his stance, the Spirit leaped forwars and attacked him. However, before the Spirit's eyes-
...He flickered out of existence, and reappeared behind the Spirit. "You're finished-!"
But the moment he finished the attack, the Spirit disappeared from view. Naturally, it had stepped behind him where it ran its through the man's back, killing him instantly. However, all she did was slay an afterimage, for the real soldier had been lurking behind her shadow, waiting for the right moment to strike-
-But that too was a feint.
The group of wounded soldiers gaped as they watched the two fade into the distance, their afterimages leaving them behind. Quickly, they scrambled to assist their comrades and retreat.
"-Alright..." Suddenly the dance stopped, and with a swift swing of his sword the soldier forced the Spirit to back away. "I think being this far should be enough." He looked around, noticing that they appeared to be on the outskirts of the village.
(BGM off)
The Spirit, which did not appear to be fatigued in the slightest, prepared herself to go on the offensive once again-
...When a staggering presence caused her to instinctively freeze in terror. Her cold eyes suddenly widened, as she beheld the source of the terrible aura.
"O Gods, I doth implore Absolution." The soldier started chanting, as the red scarf on his neck was suddenly hurled to the wind, revealing a terrifying magical power. "For thou hast seen what lies within this soul, and doth forbid its existence."
The Spirit stepped back, as one by one the bandages on the man's arm began to fall off, and it appeared as if the man was sucking in all light.
"Weep, O Heavens, for the covenant hath doth broken and the Dark walk the earth once more." The man held out his sword forwards, even as his right arm began to pulse with a pitch-black smoke that distorted the air around him. Suddenly, spiderweb-like cracks began to form on the sword, falling piece by one as beams of unholy radiance peeked out from within.
"
This is... "
The entire surroundings fell away as the soldier's immense mana washed away everything else. Reality, time, space, even the battle raging beyond... All was swallowed into the monstruous presence that raged within the man's soul.
It was a power too dark, too terrible to understand.
It was something that wasn't meant to be unleashed on this world.
The soldier- No, the monster laughed, covering his face with one hand even as the last of the bits covering the sword fell away, revealing a weapon beyond human fathom. "It's too late for regrets now! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Behold, the ultimate power that God sealed away-"
Raising that forbidden sword into the sky, the soldier's cursed mana caused the sun on the distance to turn black, and all of reality became covered in darkness and deep black flame. "Now, let this festival of death..."
Laughing maniacally, the soldier grabbed at his eyepatch-
"BEGIN!!!"
-And tossed it aside.
At that moment...
...The world died.
I am the lost, the voice that hails from the deepest darkness.
I am the coming of the dusk, the dreaded fall of radiance.
I rise from the maws of the Abyss, carrying that which was forbidden by Creation.
Taste the darkness, partake in its glory.
I am the exiled, the insatiable void from beyond space and time.
A cursed soul that devours all, and summons an eternity of madness.
Rejected by existence, yet feared by the universe.
The cursed land calls for blood.
With a sound that destroys worlds, it beckons.
"Resign yourself of all hope, and surrender to the immutable darkness."
Writhing through the gaps in reality, it swallows all into pitch-black oblivion.
Child of Light, the end is nigh.
Abyss that dwells beyond, I order you-
Consume.
Vanish.
Destroy.
-Spread from thy prison, and devour God!
Blight of The Deep that Curses Eden
"---GESCHWÄRTEM LICHT---"
And nothing remained.
(BGM off)
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.."-Hey, are you listening!?"
The cry snapped him back to focus. He looked at his fellow soldier, a slight frown on his face. "What is it, fellow child of the night?"
"Child of the- Look, whatever that is, you're pretty strong right?" The thin-looking soldier asked, pointing at his well-muscled arms. "We need to get some rubble out of the way, since one of the Walkers caused a mess trying to get one of the spirits away from us. There's civilians trapped in the district, too, so we need to open up a path. Come on, hurry it up!"
The eccentric soldier watched his comrade walk away, and sighed wistfully. Brushing his hair back with one bandaged arm, he took a lasting glance at the rubble around him and snorted. "Maybe next time, existence..."
Shaking his head, he started to follow after the other man.
...
"I won't... Be left behind! Haaaaaaaaaaaa-!"
You arrived into the scene just in time to see as Michelle fought against several of the Spirits, brandishing her Sword not only with spirit, but also with skill.
"Bearer of sacred light, shine down hope upon us! Illuminating Wave!" Just as she fended off one blue spirit with light clad swings of her swords, Michelle retreated a few steps back and traced a circle with her sword. In an instant, a magic circle formed on the air and from it a massive amount of light flowed, crashing against the small group of spirits and blowing them away with a powerful gust.
Sensing a lull in the combat, Michelle's muscles lost a bit of their tension, and she quickly perked up as she noticed you. "Senpai! You came here to help?"
Just as you opened your mouth...
-A swirling in the wind made you raise an eyebrow.
You did not move so much as twitched, a minimal movement placing horizon in the way of the Spirit that had decided to attack you. The Spirit bounced off the sword as if it had hit an immovable object, but nonetheless continued to pursue the attack even though you blocked every attack without even putting in conscious thought.
That was... Reckless.
It was then, that you noticed. In the Spirit's eyes, there was not a single ounce of desire or feelings. As a sword, there was purpose in becoming a weapon- But there was no beauty in this spirit's blows. It was a machine, acting like a soulless puppet that saw no pleasure in proving its worth, or indeed- It saw no feelings at all, for it had none.
It wasn't the first time you had met beings like these, especially given that the Law Eternals all too often created such puppets.
But these were clearly inhabitants of this world.
"Senpai! They've surrounded us!" Knocking back the Spirit that had been harassing you with a well-placed kick, Michelle brandished her sword at the now numerous crowd of Spirits that had gathered around your position, perhaps sensing the immense amount of mana brandished by your Sword. "...I still can't get used to how cold they look like..." Michelle said, sounding sad for a moment-
Before she gave you a bright smile. "D-Don't worry, Senpai! We'll pull out of this, together!" Cocking back her sword, she glared at the enemies, and called. "Let's do this, Fulfillment! If you go all-out, I'll polish you really nicely tomorrow, okay!?"
As if crying out at its Master's words, the sword began to glow with an overpowering white light.
Wait... The Sword as well?
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Originally Posted by Eric
