Th3King0fChaos

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

Guess it's time to kill some... time... by searching completely subjective and highly un-asked for theme music for everyones character. Wooh.

@Xaltwind

Here's another one for Illios.

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

Since the 4th of July's coming up this week, how many of you murricans are gonna be busy/away for that? Or, how're your schedules for this week looking overall? Should the rest of us who don't celebrate it be expecting any lull or singificant slow-down? Just checking~

@Xaltwind

No slow downs here

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

Kikka - Coliseum Road - On the Move

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Illios was chuckles and laughs as walked with Bryant. Illios had taken the moments he could to try and purchase some food for himself. He didn't want to be hungry when he was to enter the exams. He took a bite from some of his own food, a large nomotatoe that was baked with multiple fillings. He took a bite, being gentle with it as to not allow any of the fillings to spill. The moment he took a bite was also when he was asked by Bryant his name again, then where he was from, and even his magic! Illios mentally shrugged, there wasn't to much to think about over all, to Illios, Bryant seemed like a nice person.

Illios finished the food in his mouth before he spoke, "Oh, you didn't catch my name? It's Illios". Illios chuckled as he began to wipe his mouth to make sure there was nothing on it as he continued, "I'm from a small town in the Forsaken realm, it's called Pome. It's nothing special". Illios was mostly excited to talk about his magic as he didn't even think about taking another bite of his food, "My magic is actually really cool! It's called Sun Magic and I can do a bunch of cool stuff! I can make fires! Light! I can even fly a little!"

He realized before he went into his magic or tried showing it off, he should save it for the actual even as he asked quickly, "What about your magic? What is it like?" Then Illios took a bite of his loaded nomotatoe.

@Zeroth

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

Kikka - Coliseum Road - Food Stalls

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Illios helped Bryant carry his food as he took hold of the tray. Illios watched curiously as Bryant started to adjust for a moment then began to inhale and swallow his food with ease. Illios chuckled a little as he watched the spectacle. Illios nodded and laughed as he said, "Thanks! I just thought you might have needed a hand to eat, you looked like you were ready to drop everything".

Illios nodded with Bryant and gave his name in turn, "My name's Illios!" He then noticed on Bryant's chest a badge, Illios smiled and made notice of it, "Oh! You're a Mage Knight Applicant as well?"

@Zeroth

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

We love to see it.

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

Bing bong, got a post up, I noticed y'all were starting to congregate on the 3 noble kids and decided to help the dude who is trying to carry too much food.

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

Kikka - Coliseum Road - Food Stalls

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Illios stretched as he walked the streets, countless people were talking, hustling, and within their own worlds. The sun flew high and shined with such incredible wonder that it was bright enough to chase away any shadow, leaving barely enough room for even shade. For many, the sun bore down on a great day. For some, the sun was too bright. Yet for Illios, he walked head high. As the sun bore down, the light poured down onto Illios, and he felt vigor fill him. He stretched wide, his black curly hair lightly shifted with the wind, and a big smile adorned his face.

The city was filled with hustle and bustle. Countless magic knights, to be knights, vendors, peddlers, and wannabes. The city was filled with such energy that it felt like it would seep into the body. Illios had not felt something like this in a long time, the last time he had been in a city of this size, his mother was alive. Today would not be the last time he would enter a city like this again, only the first in a long time to come.

Illios made his way to the signup center near the coliseum where he waited and listened as the official called his name and told him, "Illios Avalona! You're number 201! Good luck!"

Illios took his badge number and began to walk around. He had some time to kill as he felt his stomach rumble as he headed for the food stalls. There were many different foodstuffs, many of which came from various parts of the kingdom and assembled here. The scents filled the air as Illios began to take notice of the lines, many of which seemed to be filled with countless people, yet there was one thing he noticed. A boy was trying to perform a balancing act with his food and seemed not to get much help as he wobbled from place to place. Illios made his way over quickly as he called out to the boy, "Hey! You need some help with those?"

Illios offered to help the boy carry the foodstuffs as he seemed to be struggling with the wide assortment the golden-haired boy seemed to carry.

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

Illios Avalona

ILLIOS AVALONA
Appearance | 16 | 5’9/145lbs | Male | "When there’s tomorrow, why fight for yesterday?" PERSONALITY: | Illios often comes off as warm and friendly as he often smiles or laughs. He is a jovial and free spirit who often does as he sees is correct, good, or right. May it be when it comes to work or otherwise, he lives a life determined by his own hands and wishes for nothing more than to be the very best he can be. Illios enjoys expressing much of his excitement through active actions rather than just saying them. He speaks with a voice that is a little deeper than expected for a boy of his age and will often be quite steeped in his emotions, so his inflections of voice will shine through very easily. | MAGIC: | Sun Magic- A rare magic attribute that has its roots in the very aspect of the sun and its energy. Often it is confused with Fire Magic or Light Magic, as Sun Magic can manipulate solar energy to become flames, heat, or light. With this incredibly rare and powerful magic comes the fact that it is incredibly mana-intensive and taxing on the user. Making those who are not blessed by mana to struggle to use this magic. | SPELLS: SPELL LIST Sun’s Strength - Offense, Self Enhancment- The user focuses solar energy into their body and increases their physical strength proportional to the mana used while being covered in a warm golden glow. Day Racers - Movement, Self Enhancment - The user creates a pair of shoes made from this golden fiery energy. The shoes increase the users' running speed by double and allow them to glide for short periods of time, enough to cover a 30-foot hole with a running start. Sun’s Embrace - Healing - The user forms 2 orbs of sunlight in their hands which they can use to heal wounds over time. With more severe the wound, the more mana needed to be used. This can also be used on plants to heal plants and make them grow faster. ABILITIES & SKILLS: SKILL LIST Worked body - Taken in by farmers and held a wish to become a magic knight, Illios knew what a hard day’s work was from a young age. His body had been built upon hard work and a wish to follow his mother’s footsteps. He has never missed a day and worked tirelessly to improve himself. Endurance - Born with or cultivated, neither can be said, however, Illios has never once complained or given up on anything. No matter the pain he found when he had to till the land, to carry the animals, and to prepare to try and follow in his mother’s footsteps. Illios always looked forward and prepared for the next day, filled with spirit and vigor for it. Amateur Fighter - Illios is not a trained fighter, he hasn’t honed the skill of a weapon for years. He hasn’t had to brawl to survive in a rough city. Nor has he been blessed with the innate skill to fight like a savant. Just through practice using random objects that seemed weapon-like, punching things that seemed punchable, and scuffles boys had to make themselves ‘stronger’, he has learned a theoretical thing or two about fighting. He doesn’t flinch if he was to get hit, but it doesn’t mean he has the best form or skills needed to fight. But it’s a start. GOALS & FEARS: | Illios wants to become the best Magic Knight he can be. He wants to help people and put smiles on everyone’s faces, just like his mother did when she went through the cities with him. | | Illios fears that all he is doing is sullying his mother’s wishes. He’s afraid that he may not be able to be a Magic Knight, as he is worried, about what if he isn’t able to be a Knight. Yet most of all. He’s afraid of the idea, what if his mother never died, what if she left him, like his father did. | .............................................................................	Illios was a born to 2 magic knights. They were well known in some respects, a great duo who could have made a name for themselves, yet they never did, as around the time of their rise, they had a child. They loved and lived well, often they were sent on missions separately as one stayed to take care of Illios, while the other left to work. Yet around when Illios was 5, his father left, with no rhyme or reason, leaving Illios and his mother to fend for themselves, yet his mother was not a women who was so weak to have dispaired over such a thing. She took Illios with her, as he spent the next few years with her in travel. Illios learned much of the world, yet most importantly, he learned how awesome it was to be a Magic Knight. Illios saw his mother as she was treated something like a hero. Even though she did her job, she put smiles on the faces of everyone she met and seemed to always make people happy. Yet when Illios was 10, he was approached by 2 people he never knew. He was informed by them that they were his aunt and uncle as they were going to take him to their house to stay for a while. Illios went, as he was slowly informed, his mother was gone, in her last mission, they were unable to find her. It took Illios a while to recover from that news, he stuck himself in his room as it took 2 months for him to leave. When he left his room he took up a hoe, and began to help his uncle till the land. He wore a smile, he began to work, and he began to improve. Illios seemed to almost become a spitting image of his mother, putting smiles on other people’s faces, and laughing. He laughed an infectious laugh that seemed to always get others to laugh no matter the situation. It was when he was 15 that when he made his wish known, that he wanted to be a Magic Knight like his mother. His Aunt and Uncle disapproved, he was the child of his uncle’s sister, and the only child they could have. Yet his warm smile and determined look was all that was needed to tell them. No matter what they did, he would do it, because that was his mother’s smile. For the next 6 months he trained, he worked, he played, and he learned he loved to use his magic. It was fun to use magic, it was fun to have magic and play with it, but most of all, it was fun to be so close to his goal. As the moment it came time to leave, he left with a smile, promising to come back with a cape.

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

Hello, I saw this and was quite interested, so I threw this together.

Illios Avalona

ILLIOS AVALONA
Appearance | 16 | 5’9/145lbs | Male | "When there’s tomorrow, why fight for yesterday?" PERSONALITY: | Illios often comes off as warm and friendly as he often smiles or laughs. He is a jovial and free spirit who often does as he sees is correct, good, or right. May it be when it comes to work or otherwise, he lives a life determined by his own hands and wishes for nothing more than to be the very best he can be. Illios enjoys expressing much of his excitement through active actions rather than just saying them. He speaks with a voice that is a little deeper than expected for a boy of his age and will often be quite steeped in his emotions, so his inflections of voice will shine through very easily. | MAGIC: | Sun Magic- A rare magic attribute that has its roots in the very aspect of the sun and its energy. Often it is confused with Fire Magic or Light Magic, as Sun Magic can manipulate solar energy to become flames, heat, or light. With this incredibly rare and powerful magic comes the fact that it is incredibly mana-intensive and taxing on the user. Making those who are not blessed by mana to struggle to use this magic. | SPELLS: SPELL LIST Sun’s Strength - Offense, Self Enhancment- The user focuses solar energy into their body and increases their physical strength proportional to the mana used while being covered in a warm golden glow. Day Racers - Movement, Self Enhancment - The user creates a pair of shoes made from this golden fiery energy. The shoes increase the users' running speed by double and allow them to glide for short periods of time, enough to cover a 30-foot hole with a running start. Sun’s Embrace - Healing - The user forms 2 orbs of sunlight in their hands which they can use to heal wounds over time. With more severe the wound, the more mana needed to be used. This can also be used on plants to heal plants and make them grow faster. ABILITIES & SKILLS: SKILL LIST Worked body - Taken in by farmers and held a wish to become a magic knight, Illios knew what a hard day’s work was from a young age. His body had been built upon hard work and a wish to follow his mother’s footsteps. He has never missed a day and worked tirelessly to improve himself. Endurance - Born with or cultivated, neither can be said, however, Illios has never once complained or given up on anything. No matter the pain he found when he had to till the land, to carry the animals, and to prepare to try and follow in his mother’s footsteps. Illios always looked forward and prepared for the next day, filled with spirit and vigor for it. Amateur Fighter - Illios is not a trained fighter, he hasn’t honed the skill of a weapon for years. He hasn’t had to brawl to survive in a rough city. Nor has he been blessed with the innate skill to fight like a savant. Just through practice using random objects that seemed weapon-like, punching things that seemed punchable, and scuffles boys had to make themselves ‘stronger’, he has learned a theoretical thing or two about fighting. He doesn’t flinch if he was to get hit, but it doesn’t mean he has the best form or skills needed to fight. But it’s a start. GOALS & FEARS: | Illios wants to become the best Magic Knight he can be. He wants to help people and put smiles on everyone’s faces, just like his mother did when she went through the cities with him. | | Illios fears that all he is doing is sullying his mother’s wishes. He’s afraid that he may not be able to be a Magic Knight, as he is worried, about what if he isn’t able to be a Knight. Yet most of all. He’s afraid of the idea, what if his mother never died, what if she left him, like his father did. | .............................................................................	Illios was a born to 2 magic knights. They were well known in some respects, a great duo who could have made a name for themselves, yet they never did, as around the time of their rise, they had a child. They loved and lived well, often they were sent on missions separately as one stayed to take care of Illios, while the other left to work. Yet around when Illios was 5, his father left, with no rhyme or reason, leaving Illios and his mother to fend for themselves, yet his mother was not a women who was so weak to have dispaired over such a thing. She took Illios with her, as he spent the next few years with her in travel. Illios learned much of the world, yet most importantly, he learned how awesome it was to be a Magic Knight. Illios saw his mother as she was treated something like a hero. Even though she did her job, she put smiles on the faces of everyone she met and seemed to always make people happy. Yet when Illios was 10, he was approached by 2 people he never knew. He was informed by them that they were his aunt and uncle as they were going to take him to their house to stay for a while. Illios went, as he was slowly informed, his mother was gone, in her last mission, they were unable to find her. It took Illios a while to recover from that news, he stuck himself in his room as it took 2 months for him to leave. When he left his room he took up a hoe, and began to help his uncle till the land. He wore a smile, he began to work, and he began to improve. Illios seemed to almost become a spitting image of his mother, putting smiles on other people’s faces, and laughing. He laughed an infectious laugh that seemed to always get others to laugh no matter the situation. It was when he was 15 that when he made his wish known, that he wanted to be a Magic Knight like his mother. His Aunt and Uncle disapproved, he was the child of his uncle’s sister, and the only child they could have. Yet his warm smile and determined look was all that was needed to tell them. No matter what they did, he would do it, because that was his mother’s smile. For the next 6 months he trained, he worked, he played, and he learned he loved to use his magic. It was fun to use magic, it was fun to have magic and play with it, but most of all, it was fun to be so close to his goal. As the moment it came time to leave, he left with a smile, promising to come back with a cape.

The Hourglass Order

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The 6 Pillars to Tomorrow

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After a day of combat, a full day of nonstop violence, Desmond had shown to all in heaven he was the strongest. He had fought multiple great fightrained hard,he had done everything he could, and now, here he was, at the top of the mountain. After a full day, he had finally reached the point where the real fight began.

254 fights have happened, by the end of the day, that number will be 260, and Desmond will have proved his existence.

And find his friend.

An Appetizer to Hell

Among the champions of the heavens, the Elite 6 are among the strongest ever to grace the arena. With that, they gain much of the greatest glories that could be known to any within the afterlife. With that, they are permitted to choose whichever arena they wish to be in for their chosen battleground. For some, they choose areas they wish for aesthetics, as an advantage for their own skills, or as a way to hinder the skills of others.

Yet for the first, Desmond found that in the first fight he would find himself in, he would head to the heaven of Tosatsu, where he would face the first of the Elite 6, Kurogane Hitoshi, the man named ‘The Oni’.

The moment Desmond entered the Tosatsu heaven cherry blossoms fell, music played in the distance, and the somewhat warm yet cool air breezed by. It was serene as Desmond saw himself in front of a large dojo-like area. As in the courtyard there stood a large man on top of a large wooden platform. The man stood somewhere past 6 and a half feet tall and filled his long flowing clothes quite a bit. He had long wavy disheveled black hair and thin beard as the man stood there with a large smile.

The man waved to Desmond as he yelled from nearly 100 feet away yet sounded like he was 5 feet away, ”Hey Kid!”

Desmond’s head slightly tilted back as he reeled from the yelling. Desmond waved lightly as the man then yelled again, ”What kind of women do you like?!”

Desmond then continued to make his way over as he lightly tilted his head as he reeled once more from the yelling. It took Desmond a moment longer before he neared the stage as he said, ”Uh, tall women with nice butts”.

The man smiled wide as he grabbed Desmond’s shoulder and ripped him from the ground. Desmond was sent flying as he was thrown into the middle of the ring. Desmond braced for a possible crash, however, it felt like he didn’t even feel an ounce of pain or even force.

Hitoshi laughed out as he said, ”Great taste! So do you want to fight or drink first?”

Desmond thought for a moment as he said, ”How about we fight then drink. You know, get excited then unwind”.

Hitoshi laughed as he said, ”Fantastic! Alright! Show me your strength!”

In that moment, Hitoshi lifted his leg and stamped down onto the platform. A gong rang out as the man pulled from his back, a large metal club, and then a sword longer than the height of a man.

Desmond nodded his head as he pulled from his bag, the pistol he got from Murox and a longsword. As Desmond began to chemically alter his body to prepare for the fight.

Desmond was the first to try and attack, however it was Hitoshi who was the first to attack. Desmond saw the large metal club swing around and aimed at Desmond. It was then he noticed that the club had a hollowed top which then ignited, firing out a large ball that streaked across the arena. All Desmond could do was throw himself headlong out of the way of the cannon aimed at him as it nearly blew through him, as it crashed through the platform and pulverized the wood.

The moment Desmond hit the ground, he rolled and sprung to his feet, yet before he could even get his true bearings, he saw a shadow cross over him. Which forced him to dodge once more. Desmond sent himself flying as the moment he could see behind him, he saw Hitoshi had cleared the distance he had made already and had nearly caved in Desmond’s skull. This was a dance Desmond realized he had to play as he could not find a single moment to set his feet down.

Desmond couldn’t find a moment to attack normally, so he began to try and chemically alter Hitoshi’s internal perception slowly. As they continued to fight, Desmond found there were no moments where he could fight on his feet. Desmond continued to chemically try and alter him as then Desmond heard a laugh, ”Seems you finally realized kid! Noticed you like screwing with people’s minds, sadly I was gifted by the gods to fight ninjas like you”.

Desmond’s eyes widened, then he smiled as he realized that he needed to try much harder. As the moment he dived once more, he aimed his gun behind him and began to fire. A few bullets nearly hit Hitoshi yet he was able to dodge the bullets as he tried to close the distance once more. Yet Desmond dived, he held his other hand out to catch himself and throw himself further, now twisting and aiming his gun again as he continued to fire.

Hitoshi began to leap and dodge, as the bullets began to streak and curve to try and cut into Hitoshi, yet he used his incredible strength to draw in all the energy of the bullets. Yet there was little to nothing in them in terms of energy. Not to the man with such a powerful connection with the Gift, yet that did not matter. It bought Desmond another moment. Desmond reached into his bag and pulled out 2 more pistols and began to fire at Hitoshi once more, now doubling the amount of bullets fired, ”Looks like I might need to kick it up a notch”.

As the bullets fired, Hitoshi began to create kinetic barriers as he tried to fight the constant barrage of attacks, as in the midst of fire, Desmond threw one of his guns and fired at the gun. The moment the bullet hit the gun, it exploded and forced Hitoshi to then block it fully. A smoke cloud covered Hitoshi’s vision as he quickly flared and cut with his large sword, slicing the air as he looked to where Desmond was, and found nothing.

Hitoshi knew these tricks well, and knew it was easy to find them when they were in this arena. Hitoshi drew in a massive amount of energy and he expelled it into a wide area As he cracked the platform and sent it out in a destructive way. Yet Hitoshi saw nothing as he looked up as in the sky was Desmond as a kite was high in the air and more bullets began to rain down, ”Sorry, seemed you finally noticed, I don’t like to be on the ground”.

Hitoshi pointed his club up and from it came out a condensed wave of kinetic, arcane, and chemical energy. This condensed wave shot with such force it nearly pulverized the entire platform as it went up to Desmond with a resounding roar.

Yet multiple bullets punched through the cloud as 3 hit Hitoshi across the arms and shoulders, yet none punched in a vital area.

Desmond slammed into the ground with a thud, Hitoshi looked to the man on the floor as he began to shake his head, ”Come on kid, you were doing so well in your other fights. Why does it seem like you’re not doing so hot?”

Desmond began to slowly shift as he tried to rise, yet he was in terrible pain. The constant rolling and diving, then the explosion, then him getting hit with that wave attack, then now the fall. Desmond took a few bad hits, however as he turned, he smiled.

Hitoshi smiled back as he neared, ”Hey! There you go! Looking like your old self now-”

Hitoshi then felt it, his eye shook as his vision began to become blurry. His knees began to weaken as he began to feel his stomach churn, all his strength began to disappear as he felt a pain dig into him he was not used to. Hitoshi took all the energy he could and leaped forward, bringing his blade up as he aimed to cleave Desmond in half. And the moment he struck down onto Desmond, he realized that he had struck a strange metal canister. His eyes widened as he then saw a bright and brilliant light appear, and then an explosion.

Desmond watched from above as he saw Hitoshi hit his canister and exploded. He saw as the dust settled the man standing there, still alive yet seeming to struggle to move ”Sorry to tell you this, but I think I’ve faced a few people like you in my time”.

A smile came across Hitoshi’s face as he could barely move his arms, yet he couldn’t help but feel like he was read through the very start. Desmond then pulled out his gun as he lightly waved, ”Here, let me help you. I won’t tell anyone”.

As Desmond fired a single bullet and put Hitoshi out of his misery. As a moment later Desmond began to hear a loud laugh, ”Damn kid! I didn’t think you’d have something like that!”.

The man laughed loudly as Desmond turned and saw the man was already back and had a small table set up with a large bottle. Hitoshi began to gesture Desmond over as the two sat down for a drink.

”So! How did you figure it out?”, Hitoshi asked as he poured them both a drink.

”Hm? Oh that you’re weak to poisons? Lucky guess”, Desmond said with a chuckle.

Hitoshi laughed as he passed Desmond a cup, ”Damn! Well how did you hide it?”

Desmond pulled from his bag a flintlock pistol, ”This is a pistol from my time. I’m actually a studied mage who focused on chemical compounds”.

Desmond tilted his pistol to allow the ball to fall out as it had strange metal surrounding it. Hitoshi tilted his head as he then asked, ”Why is it colored like that?”

Desmond pointed to it and said, ”So I know what is in it”.

Hitoshi nodded his head as he took the bullet and flicked it at Desmond. Punching a hole through his head as a moment later Desmond reappeared where he was as Hitoshi laughed, ”Sorry I had to get you back!”

The two began to laugh as they drank for some time before Desmond was called to his next fight.

One thing lingered with him, he wondered why his magic truly worked. Desmond knew he wasn’t good enough with arcane illusions. The poison was good, however, someone like him must have been used to the idea of poisons before. Maybe there was something more here than he knew.

Under the Intense Sun

After Desmond defeated the first of the Elite 6, he had a bit of time to converse and talk with the champion. What Desmond learned was that his next opponent was to be a real doozy as Hitoshi put it. The woman who represented the Darhannic heaven was quite the woman, and Desmond believed him when he was called to the crena of the champion, he appeared under the sun. He immediately felt like he was being baked as he could see in the distance multiple buildings inside a valley near a flowing river.

Desmond began to draw from the intense heat that was bombarding him as he made his way to the village. He thought he would transported near the arena, not a mile away, and needed to make his way over to just meet with the champion before the fight. The moment he neared the village, a large sandstorm billowed as it began to come over the village, it cast a large shadow over the village as then Desmond saw in front of him, right outside the main entrance, a large figure stood there as Desmond tried to call out as there was no response.

After a few moments the sandstorm grew and whipped up before it disappeared as the figure disappeared with it, yet now a voice lingered, ”It has been some years since anyone had graced this land”.

Desmond looked around as he realized they had to be somewhere near, however he couldn’t be sure. The voice was that of a woman’s as he realized that it had to be the Champion. The voice began to trail in a laugh as it seemed to go deeper into the village. Desmond realized she wanted to show him something.

Desmond began to enter the village as he began to explore it. It was empty, within the buildings were pots, rugs, bowls and cup, wooden toys, balls, and left clothing. It was all dusty and dirty.

”Life was hard here, yet it was simple. Water was shared, food was shared, the burden of life was shared. We lived as we could, under the light of Vashdal, we lived good lives”.

A Dust storm then began to pick up as it darkened the area once more, Desmond twisted in place as he saw the figure was now at the doorway of the house he entered. She nearly covered the entire doorway and allowed no light in as she spoke, ”Yet as all things, when people take from another, it affects them more than they understand”.

And as quickly as the sandstorm kicked up, it faded.

Desmond ran out of the building as he then saw the village had changed. Now the buildings had cracked stone walls. Burns across the tops where they had wood and thatch. He could see that there was scars of battle as there was nothing more than for him to explore more.

Desmond began to see this village was ravaged by combat, possibly it was raided as he began to hear the woman continue talking, ”Our land was raided, our people taken as slaves as we were made into a people displaced”.

Desmond nodded as he heard, he understood it in his own way. The world is cruel, no matter if you have something or don’t. He looked through the ruble, maybe as some kind of wish to maybe find something. Or maybe he just wanted to know what he was supposed to find. As once he searched a small building with a somewhat intact mural, he saw within a small half burnt doll. And then the sandstorm reformed.

”Could you know the pain? The pain of losing your people? The pain to be taken and sold like property? You fight like you’ve had access to everything you needed. Have you known the struggles of those of little fortune?”

It was in that moment the sandstorm stopped as Desmond began to laugh. He laughed a dry laugh, as to him it was not funny, yet he needed to get the point across.

”Do you know the struggle of a child who lost everyone? Who never was able to find a home until they were an adult? What about you? Do you know the struggle of a child who had no strength of their own? Who had to fight and survive on the killing fields and carve a path to make something of themselves?”

Desmond stood there, looking out of the building he was in as there was no one there. He walked out as he reached into his bag and pulled out a pair of gloves and two pistols. He knew the fighting would come ahead, they were here to fight, not have some moral battle. He wondered why she would do something like this. Desmond took a breath in as he began to magnetically charge himself. He wanted to make sure she wasn’t trying to internally fuck with him.

Desmond began to make his way to the highest point of the village, as there he saw the figure, not covered by the sandstorm, or covered with a large cloak. It was to be his next opponent. A woman who stood near 8 feet tall, had long flowing black hair, she wore gorgeous bronze armor and held in both hands 2 long curved blades known as khopesh. This was the woman known as The Bear of the North, Azra Yilmaz.

A smile came across her face as she looked to Desmond, maybe she was testing him during this time, or maybe she was just happy to know someone who can relate to her. The struggle of raging against the pain done upon oneself. Yet they weren’t here to think about where they came from. They were here to prove their strength. To prove their worth and why they should exist.

As it was Desmond who broke the silence, ”Man, I love me a tall woman”.

Desmond and Azra pulled their weapons, as they both aimed and fired. Desmond fired his pistol while Azra’s Khopesh had in the handle a pistol which fired. Both the bullets met as they began to fire a constant stream of bullets at each other. Each of them controlled their bullets as they attempted to try and find an opening, yet neither could find one, as anytime they tried, the other would use their control over the bullets to intercept the other person’s. Yet this was not a fight Desmond could win. He realized very quickly that Azra was using binding magic to fire multiple bullets while Desmond was using the fact his gun had many rounds. As the moment Desmond neared the end of his ammunition, he knew he needed to act fast, ”Sorry, I’m getting a little tired of foreplay, how about we get into it?”

The moment he fired his last bullet, he threw his guns forward and dashed at Azra, who continued to fire bullets. Desmond began to dodge and weave, using the magnetic charge he set on himself earlier, he used the energy and magic to make the bullets repel from himself as to buy himself the room he needed to slip between the volleys. Azra smiled to herself as she said, ”You have some good moves. You mind teaching me some?”

As Demsond neared where he threw his guns, he slid and kicked them up, launching them high as he threw himself back and continued to dance, dodging and slipping bullets, ”Sure, just make sure you keep up!”

It took Azra a moment to realize something was amiss as she looked to the guns and saw in the light of the sun multiple shimmering wires followed them, and then they stopped mid air.

Desmond pulled upon the wires as he pulled himself into the air then flared his hands. He was now over Azra as he looked down onto her and pulled 10 daggers from his bag. He threw all 10 as he aimed to overwhelm Azra, yet it took more than some daggers to best someone of her caliber. She pointed both her weapons up and fired a large explosive shock wave that sent all the daggers flying, ”You can do better than that”.

Yet the moment the explosion cleared, Azra saw that the daggers were hanging in the air, suspended by the guns as she then looked back down. She realized that Desmond somehow got passed her senses. He was not in melee as he was wielding…a rifle and a pistol?

A smile came onto Demsond’s face, ”Oh you bet I can!”

They began to fight in melee as Desmond lunged forward, on the end of his rifle was a bayonet, while his pistol seemed to have a large blade on it as well. It seemed that they both understood the uses of melee and ranged combat mixed together, Azra was curious, ”You think you can handle me?”

Desmond laughed, ”Handle you? I’m here to get the full course!”.

The two warriors began to swing their weapons with such precision and deftness that to say they were dodging by the skin of their teeth was an understatement. Desmond’s blades were clipping and shaving metal off of Azra’s armor, while her own Khopesh’s were cutting into Desmond’s clothing and even a little into his skin.

Yet the most dangerous weapons they had were not their blades but their guns. In the midst of them swinging their weapons, they aimed to try and fire a shot into the other to find a decisive blow. Yet neither were able to find one, with Desmond's agility and unpredictable movements versus Azra’s physical might and overwhelming use in the gift, it was hard for either to find a solid hit.

Until Azra created a sandstorm.

The moment the visibility Desmond had was taken away, Azra used the moment to speed herself up to the point of becoming a blur and appearing behind Desmond, ”What a shame, I thought you could have satisfied me”.

When she cut Desmond in the back, he was sent tumbling forward to try and mitigate the damage. Which was when he let the daggers fall. She knew this would happen as Azra aimed up and fired a shock wave to send them away. And in that moment, she lost. As she sped up to go behind Desmond, she never thought to check if he was still holding his wires. She saw them hanging, and they were never being hit when she swung at him, however, she never knew where the gloves were. As in that moment of error, she took off her own leg.

From the tumble, Desmond turned to see that Azra was stepping on the gloves he left. The daggers being launched and being attached to the wires made the wires become taut and cut through her leg trying to follow the dagger. Desmond twisted as he leveled his gun to Azra’s head, and before she could even respond to her fall, he pulled the trigger.

It was then Desmond realized, he thought the gloves were under his feet. Why were they a foot back? He couldn’t shake the feeling something was strange, however, the voice of Azra pulled him out of his thoughts, ”Good fight, I never thought you had such skill”.

Desmond twisted as he laid and posed as he looked up to her, ”Of course, when you are handling a classy woman, you can’t half-ass with strength alone”.

Azra chuckled as she lightly gestured for him to follow her. Where she let him to the river which seemed to act as a small oasis in the middle of the desert. She turned and regarded Desmond with a smile, ”You mind helping me with my armor?”.

Desmond made his way over, ”Absolutely”.

Pentanence

Much of Desmond’s time he had with the Champion of the Dahannic heaven included intimate talking. However, he was able to glean insight into his next fight. He was to head to the heaven of the Angic Way. He didn’t allow it to ruin the moment, however, he felt that he was going to be in a sour mood when he entered.

The heaven was that of something he would say looked to be out of a picture. It was a gorgeous mountain top monastery where a cool wind blew through. The sun had just risen as in the center of the courtyard stood a man Desmond never thought he’d see alive again. Desmond then thought, I guess he’s dead hu?

The man standing in front of him bows as he says, The Fist of the North, Riu Kai-Tan, tried to bow to Desmond, ”I am sorry for what I have done. You may pass. I wish not to bring more-”.

”-I’m not letting you off that easy old man!”

Riu Kai-Tan in that moment looked up as he saw Desmond had already closed the distance and was about to kick him in the head. Riu lifted himself as he began to step back, where Desmond kept up his assault. He swung and struck nothing but air as Riu Kai-Tan showed his years of skill in action. Stemming from both his skill yet also strength with the gift, he was able to ‘see’ the countless variations of actions and moves Desmond would perform. To Riu Kai-tan, in singular combat, there was no action able to be performed that was not calculated and already responded to.

Riu Kai-Tan slowly shifted and moved, pacing every motion as he spoke with Desmond who was still trying to punch him, ”I understand your anger, I wish not to hurt you. I’ve done you-”.

”Shut up and fight!”.

Desmond was beginning to use magic as he continually was throwing punches and kicks, even with enhanced magics, they were still only that. Riu Kai-Tan knew what was going on in his mind, he wished to hit him. He understood fully that Desmond was hurting, he lost his friend, he lost his life, and now he was trying to do all this to fight him. He understood clearly, yet Riu Kai-Tan could not allow the man to throw away his life a 2nd time. If Riu Kai-Tan was struck, he was obligated to strike, it was something he must do, yet he wished to have allowed Desmond to pass. If Desmond passed, Riu Kai-Tan knew he could have possibly talked to the other Elites to allow him to pass. With him beating the Elites it would have allowed Desmond to wish for himself to return to the world, and acted as some form of penance for his crimes.

Desmond, however, had other plans. These strikes, punches and kicks were all tests. He was beginning to realize as he was fighting, Riu Kai-Tan was not fighting him with skills that would be considered normal. There was something supernatural, it was as if he was fighting a second ahead. Desmond felt like he was almost being read and the bastard was reacting far before he would even see an action happening. It was…

Exhilerating!

Desmond never thought of something like this. To fight someone who could see every move he was able to make. To see each of his actions without a moment of hesitation and able to act in accordance against them. As Desmond swung an attack and made it seem like he was trying to punch when really he went to kick, he realized that there was a small delay. A moment of misunderstanding. Desmond’s eyes then sparkled, he knew what he had to do.

There was something here.

Just as he did countless times.

He needed to improve.

He needed to evolve.

Desmond began to swing at Riu Kai-tan, he punched and kicked, as he then began to wonder. What if he never committed to anything? Every action is set and prepared for another one. Every motion was built into being another level of action. As he thought, every motion was set to be another, as when an action is taken, he then performs an action in response. It seemed simple in nature, however, it needed to be built into the fighting, into Desmond’s mind. His thoughts had to not confuse himself, he needed to begin to fight in a constant level of planning.

He struck with constantly layering in the thoughts of performing different actions in the midst of an action. He prepared a constant stream of attacks, each one leading into the other, every one prepared to layer in another strike. There was not a single moment he allowed an attack to not be active in another way. A punch could be a grab, a kick can be altered to change it’s motion. Lunges can be knees, rolls can have attacks that move from each other. Desmond wasn’t landing hits, not yet, however, he could see he was on the right track. It was working. The once composed and serene Riu Kai-Tan began to look more serious, his movements sped up as now even his hands that were once on the small of his back were now out and moving with him.

Yet it wasn’t enough.

He hadn’t landed a hit.

Desmond had to become sharper. His skills needed to improve even further. He would not leave here, not without having proven who was right. Desmond knew who this man was after they fought, he knew his skills, and this was not a man who needed to fight. Desmond knew this was a man who was proven right power. He was an old man who was stronger than most. He dictated what was right or wrong, through his moral compass and what was to be determined through power.

Desmond didn’t care about the intentions, Riu Kai-Tan determining if he believed he was good or not did not matter. What mattered to him was who won, and the problem of it all, he was exactly the same as all the other monsters Desmond hated. The strong and the wealthy ruled, they dictated the laws, they dictated what was right, and what was wrong, and there was no say from the rest. Those who had to live under those rules, those who followed those morals, it was the people who needed to deal with this world and who should have been the ones to be the determiners of the world.

Not men like him.

He should have stepped down.

Now Desmond will make sure he stays here and allowed the world to run its course.

The attacks became more vicious, Desmond became much more ruthless as his body seemed to move in ways that could be described as ethereal. To Riu Kai-Tan, he could see the countless flowing motions, it was as if Desmond had trained all his life in different styles of combat. He flowed like water, struck like fire, he moved and shifted through countless motions. His eyes were always looking into a place far past where Riu Kai-Tan could even see.

It was as if Desmond was looking to a point far higher than himself.

As it was then Riu Kai-Tan saw it. The moment Desmond punched, he shifted. That punch shifted into a grab, which Riu Kai-Tan lept back from, yet before he could fully move Desmond had already shifted into a motion and swung his leg to try and sweep Riu Kai-Tan’s feet. Riu Kai-Tan then could only leap to dodge the leg sweep, which then in a single moment, Desmond dropped to the floor where he pushed against the floor with his arms and shoulders, launching himself up into a double boot kick. Riu Kai-Tan used his magic to land on the ground as Desmond flipped in the air. His feet landed the same moment Riu Kai-Tan’s did, as it was in that moment Desmond moved even faster. He continued to strike, his movements became so fast that he seemed to blur. Riu Kai-Tan then fully realized, it was the countless possibilities Desmond was performing all at once. He layered multiple attacks together, different possibilities from different actions. Different movements through different variables. Riu Kai-Tan realized it fully there, Desmond had begun to create a style with the sole purpose of fighting mages who could see into the future.

He created a weapon to beat the abilities of time mages and other beings with foresight.

Yet that was not the only trick Riu Kai-Tan had. Far from it, yet it was the moment that Riu Kai-Tan felt it, he knew it was too late.

Desmond was to land a punch directly to Riu Kai-Tan’s face. His hand moved at an unnatural speed, as Desmond struck it, and his arm fractured and broke.

Riu Kai-Tan looked to Desmond as he then spoke, ”Stop now-”.

Then another strike came, this time it did not even register in Riu Kai-Tan’s mind as he was struck across the face and it felt like a freight train. Desmond twisted as he moved once more as he pulled his broken arm up and struck again, and it was in that moment Riu Kai-Tan was fully angered. The arm broke and turned into ribbons as Desmond stuck with all the power he could muster and Riu Kai-Tan bounced all the impact back with a bit more.

Riu Kai-Tan gave him chances, he tried to give an apology, and yet here he was striking him. Biting the outreaching hand.

Riu Kai-Tan reached up and took hold of Desmond’s hand and struck him. Desmond’s arm ripped off as Riu Kai-Tan realized he had just performed something he shouldn’t have.

Desmond was launched 40 feet as Riu Kai-Tan realized that he struck Desmond quite heavily. He realized that he had done something he shouldn’t have. His hand began to shake as he looked to his now bloodied hand that held the arm of another student. Even if he did not truly kill him a second time, there was a moment he looked up as flashbacks occurred.

Then he saw Desmond rise. His broken body seems unbroken, his missing arm dumped blood and his other arm was completely turned into barely hanging on flesh. Then his eyes rose and met Riu Kai-Tan’s as there was nothing but determination.

Riu Kai-Tan yelled out to Desmond, ”End this! Stop then I will allow-”!

Was it a sense of worry? Was it a sense of fear?

There was a moment that it felt like the energy around him was not moving, being drawn in, or taken, yet it felt like existence itself shifted and shaped. It felt as if reality shaped and warped around Desmond, as Riu Kai-Tan’s hand began to shake. Riu Kai-Tan was witnessing something that could only be described as magic, that which is arcane and mystical, as this was a magic that could not make sense. It can only be believed if one witnessed it. It was…

An almost demonic smile crossed Desmond’s face as the strangest feeling began to fill Riu Kai-Tan, it was dread.

From Desmond’s arms 2 onyx black poles formed like that of bones. Riu Kai-Tan could not understand what they were made of, it was a material that he could not sense through, and any energy around it seemed to get pulled in like a black hole. From the ends came 5 more poles that seemed to resemble fingers. Those onyx poles began to form and shift as from the tip of them formed what was silvery claws. Riu Kai-Tan, for all his years and countless experiences, could not tell what the claws or the bones were made of, yet, what came next, he knew all too well.

From those claws onyx black scales began to explode out and forming what looks to be fingers. Those scales were similar to what was studied from Zarina Al-Nader when she was transformed under the 5 moons. The scales of a Tyrannus Horrifer. The fingers and claws began to fill in with black spindly wires that bound and wrapped around each other as the black scales were forced to expand before retracting giving the fingers full form. Riu Kai-Tan couldn’t believe what was happening, he couldn’t even begin to fathom the countless thoughts going on in the eyes of Desmond. As all Riu Kai-Tan saw was a shadow was cast over Desmond’s face as he wore such a smile that it could be mistaken for the Arch Devil’s himself.

Riu Kai-Tan knew he should have attacked. He knew he should have moved far before any of this happened. He should have acted and stopped such a thing from happening. He knew Desmond Catulus had many tricks, countless tools, and an almost limitless pool of thoughts. And yet he could not move a single finger as he watched in horror as Desmond created a tool in front of him. One that both was light and dark, hot and cold. These arms, these terrible arms that seemed to draw in cold and inverted light as it produced darkness. These terrible devices that seem to flip the very notions existence. Riu Kai-Tan could only think of calling them:

From the fingers of these Arms of Annihilation, the wirey muscles exploded out, beginning to cover the hands. Within the muscles began to form golden tubes, silvery white pipes, and reddish-blue spikes began to form within. These strange completely nonliving objects pushed up and out from where the elbow bends and all down the arm creating outward spikes and jagged plates. The moment the muscles connected fully with Desmond’s body, Riu Kai-Tan began to feel an incredible weight press on him as a hissing sound began to come from Desmond as he began to step forward, ”Sorry Old man, I had to make these since you ripped mine off. Let’s get started”.

As Desmond pulled his arms up, Riu Kai-Tan began to feel the draw of energy, as the energy he was sensing began to swell up and be condensed in the arms. Riu Kai-Tan sensed no manas within yet strangely there was so much energy within them that they could have been mistaken for atomic infinity loops. Then in that moment his vision was completely overwhelmed.

Riu Kai-Tan felt a strike directly to his stomach as he realized Desmond had perfected his technique. Desmond had attacked with such skill that in Riu Kai-Tan’s eyes, there were countless variations of Desmond’s move. Yet what was overwhelmingly obvious was that the strike struck with much more power than he could have anticipated.

Riu Kai-Tan realized that this was not a fight that he could stop. He needed to end it, as in that moment, Riu Kai-Ran performed Temporal magic. He did not wish to use it, however he needed to, it was the only way for him to finish this and leave some dignity.

Yet he felt in that moment as he pulled upon the strings of time, it was ripped from his grasp and the energy he exerted was ripped from his control entirely. It was then he realized why the Arms filled him with such dread, within them held the power of Chaos. A marble of Eshiran was within them and they struck with such devastating power because of the gift of the Chaos Marble. Yet that was what made Riu Kai-Tan even more concerned, what had Desmond done to make such a weapon of calamity?

Did he flirt with the Divine Damsel of Devastation?

Was he Eshiran’s avatar?

Another strike landed upon Riu Kai-Tan’s body as he knew he had to fight back. He used his monstrous power with the Gift and pulled in such a great heave of energy that the entire world seemed to have gone dark. He aimed to finish this in a single blow as he pulled his fist back and aimed to take Desmond’s head clean off. Yet as his fist connected he felt all the energy he put into the strike was dispersed as Desmond’s head turned with the strike. It couldn’t make sense, the Desmond Catulus he knew could not perform such a feat of power, yet he just did.

Desmond twisted his lower body as he aimed to strike Riu Kai-Tan dead in the chest. Riu Kai-Tan lifted his hand as he aimed to send all the energy back and using the power he can draw to then try and destroy these abominable arms. Yet the moment he took notice of the arm, he realized that there was something more to it. The spikes, tubes, and pipes seemed to resonate with such a great deal of energy, they glowed. As lightning, plasma, and fire spewed and launched from the arm, it struck with such tremendous power it created a small explosion.

Riu Kai-Tan felt the fist impact as he took the energy in and tried to send it directly back into Desmond’s arm, as he realized that couldn’t work anymore. As he felt the energy he sent back was absorbed into the arm, channeled through the spikes, tubes, and pipes, and sent straight back through the fist again. Riu Kai-Tan barely drew enough energy from the hit to then send it into the ground to save himself, yet he was blown back a few feet. As there his once well-known and respected robe he wore in life and in the afterlife was ruined again.

Desmond did not let up his assault as he immediately dashed at Riu Kai-Tan. The energy within his arms seemed to begin to flow within him as it moved like water. It didn’t make sense, Riu Kai-Tan knew Desmond’s history, within the knowledge of the Forked Tower, Desmond was a strong mage, yet there was nothing within that spoke of these almost impossible moves. His arms were filled with an incredible amount of energy and it began to leak into the rest of his body.

Desmond became faster, and stronger, the distance between Desmond and Riu Kai-Tan vastly shrunk in this short period of time. As now, even the power of the Gift meant nothing to Desmond. As when Riu Kai-Tan attempted to perform possibly the most underhanded tactic he could, it failed. Riu Kai-Tan tried to perform a draw against Desmond himself, to try and take away Desmond’s arms to finish the fight. Yet as he tried, he felt he could not get a grasp, it was as if Desmond was immune to the very power Riu Kai-Tan had over him.

As they continued to fight Desmond threw a constant flurry of blows that struck and created explosions. Each one created plasma in their wake as continuously Riu Kai-Tan could feel the energy ramping up. The power increased, as it was then he realized, Desmond was not gaining power through drawing energy from different sources. It was the arms themselves that was drawing in the energy. It began to take in the energy from every strike they performed, every motion, every action, and every time Riu Kai-Tan tried to interact with them.

As now, Riu Kai-Tan finally understood,

These Arms of Annihilation were truly weapons to destroy everything. They were made to only grow in power as the moment they finally struck true, Riu Kai-Tan accepted his fate.

The Aporic Arms of Annihilation were designed to draw in all forms of energy at all times and store it within the bone cores, muscles, spikes, tubes, and pipes. They will leak energy constantly as the higher the energy storage the harder it is to contain, meaning that they will constantly gain strength as they use, but there is a plateau. Yet these arms are able to at anytime unleash the energy in it’s entirety.

And destroy anything in their path.

As the arena erupted in such a devastating explosion, few could believe anything was there in the first place. Yet as the light dissipated, in the center of a crater that had flattened the once ginormous mountain, stands Desmond.

He takes a breath in as he smiles, opening his arms as he begins to bask in the sun.

As there in the rubble appears Riu Kai-Tan, as he watches Desmond celebrate to himself and leaves, never saying a word to him.

As everything needed to be said, was already known to both of them.

A Brush With Death

Desmond had gave nearly no time between one fight to the next as he entered the heaven of Femrigr. There he was on rolling hills of green and trees that stood taller than anyone would see in any other nation, Desmond knew that he was in for a fight with the champion of the Eskandish heaven, Grønhal. He wondered what they were like.

Desmond saw there was a single great building that seemed to have smoke coming from it. Desmond knew that had to be the next place he had to fight.

The moment Desmond entered he saw what was a giant hall that seemed to have quite a bit of history. Within seemed to have large barrels and steins. It smelt of food and mead, yet in it there was only 1 man. A single man who sat at a small makeshift table in the center. Desmond began to make his way over as he began to realize that the man was not a normal man, he was a giant of a man, built with a frame as wide as an ox’s and seemed to be holding a stein like it was a small cup.

The man turned his head and smiled as he raised his stein to Desmond.

”Hey there boyo, hell of a fight you had there!”

Desmond nodded his head as he said, ”Thank you, will we be drinking then fighting?”

The man laughed as he lightly gestured to the seat across from him, ”Something like that”.

Desmond took a seat across from him as he was now able to fully take in this man’s size. This was the Champion of Femrigr, Kol, Death’s Hand.

”So, how long you’ve been down ‘ere?” Kol asked as he handed Desmond a stein.

Desmond took the stein and said, ”I’ve actually not been here long”.

Kol shook his head, ”A real talent hu!” He laughed as he took a drink before continuing, ”So why you climbing? Trying to prove something?”

Desmond laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. Kol immediately noticed Desmond’s arms were still the same as they were in the other heaven, ”Something like that, I’m trying to get an audience with one of the pentangels so I can go and find my friend”.

Kol’s head tilted and nodded as he said, ”I see! What a good one!”

Desmond nodded his head as he said, ”Yeah, also I need to face off against someone here”.

Kol shook his head, ”Ah you mean that guy you just fought? Yeah he was a real danger himself. He was here for no more than a few days in the world of the living and he became a legend within his heaven”.

Desmond lightly waved his hand, ”Naw, actually I’m here to fight an ancestor of mine”.

Kol laughed as he asked, ”Is it the gun guy?”

Desmond nodded his head as he drank from his stein and his vision began to become blurry. Desmond was at first going to become aggressive, yet Kol raised a hand and said, ”Don’t worry. This’ll help you more than you think”.

Desmond then passed out.

As he awoke in the middle of a dark arena, in the center was a man wearing a black set of armor Desmond was familiar with. This was the man known as the Demon of Varennes, the one to burn the holy city during the time of Oriflamme, the ancestor of Sven.

The once-dark arena began to glow as the black-armored beast began to swell in power. Desmond began to feel the energy within him swell as a voice began to talk to him.

”You fight far too mundanly”.

Desmond then felt the energy dissipate, and then erupt into an inferno.

”You fight like a normal person. You are far too untrained for your power. You must not be used to your strength”.

Desmond began to try and draw in the energy and dispelled in an attempt to fight the heat. Yet it grew greater and greater until it felt like it would overwhelm him. Then it stopped.

”Let’s work you up then”.

Desmond then saw the armored man disappear, as there stood Kol as a man. As Desmond and him began to fight.

Within this heaven, Kol was known as a man of honor, integrity, and most of all, a man who looked after people. May it have been a sense of kinship, or the fact that Kol knew Desmond is a good friend of his descendant, it did not matter. Kol took a liking to Desmond, he could see the want in his eyes, the dedication in his hands, and in his actions, there was a sense of joy.

Desmond wore a smile, one that he seemed to almost enjoy fighting, yet there was something off. He fought like he was always at the power Kol is at his weakest. Yet he was able to fight like he had the power to fight on the level of supposed gods. Kol knew, if there was to be a fight between them, Kol could possibly lose, yet he knew that in terms of understanding and fighting, there would be a difference between them that Desmond could not beat. His strength was high yet he did not know how to use it, and Kol wanted to see what would happen if Desmond could reach that potential.

Desmond awoke in a cold sweat, he was standing in the center of the hall as Kol began to stand and speak, ”Seems you might have felt it”.

Desmond swallowed the saliva that built up in his mouth, ”I…I think I did”.

Kol nodded his head, ”Alright, now we can fight for real. You’ll now be up to the task now I bet. After all-”, the air in the room heated up so much that all the wood instantaneously lit on fire, ”-if not, you’ll die before you got a chance to react”.

Kol leaped at Desmond as he aimed to punch him directly in the head. Desmond began to draw the energy around him and began to expel it in the form of sound, he continually performed this action as he began to create a barrier around him which disrupted and pushed the heat around him away, allowing him to fight in this terrible environment.

Kol’s hands were heavy, the punch resounded through the area as Desmond could feel the energy flowing into his Arms.

A smile crossed both of their faces as the pulled back their fists, and punched.

A feedback loop began to form as the Arms of Annihilation drew in energy and was able to expel it back out as Desmond wished, Kol was able to perform the same feat. They constantly attacked and fed back into each other more and more energy. Desmond understood now why Kol was a walking inferno, as he took in energy, it swelled and soared, to maintain that energy, he often expelled it in heat that he can then absorb back into himself and use like a constant battery that ramped up.

He was like a walking infinity loop as he performed countless moves using this swirling energy like a weapon. In the most base form, Kol would use the energy around him to burn people to death. Yet if you knew how to fight against the energy, then it would be no problem, often it could even enhance you. Yet Kol used this energy for other means as well. As Kol pulled in the energy, he manipulated it as he took it in and expelled it, making the heat around him become like a solid object, he moved it in walls, and shifted it in lines, it was as if he took control of it entirely. It was some of the most fundamental forms of energy control yet taken to the height of its extent. It was what made the magical, magical.

To control the energies of the world to fight with them, to harness them, and control them. It was something Desmond lacked, he did not understand that concept. He was weak in the gift, he could only use it to perform enough magic, yet he had to understand how the world worked. He had to play by the rules of the world, yet with magic, for those who are strong, those aren’t rules, those are benchmarks of strength.

The truly strong could go beyond the rules, and make their own.

That was magic.

Desmond saw the countless waves of energy coming his way, he could not funnel it all into the Arms of Annihilation, so he decided to believe, he stuck his hands out, and twisted them.

Reality itself began to twist and turn, as the heat began to increase further and further until it all disappeared. Kol felt all the energy just vanish. It was not drawn in, it was not moved, there was not even a burst fo energy sending it away through space magic. It was Desmond as they both smiled at each other.

Kol and Desmond knew that this was going to be a fistfight. Kol was a monster of magic, yet Desmond was something far worse. No amount of power or skill would overwhelm him.

Desmond and Kol began to strike out at each other, even with the show of great skill he showed with Riu Kai-Tan, there was a level of refinement that Kol displayed that would take Riu Kai-Tan let alone Desmond years to match. There was no wonder he had ruled the top of the ring of champions within Femrigr.

As they continued to brawl, Desmond began to feel even as he punched and dispersed energy into his Arm of Annihilation, that his fist weren’t hurting Kol. He saw across his body, there were bruises, yet they seemed so small in comparison to what he would expect. Yet Desmond could feel on his own body he was starting to feel the pain. Each punch that landed had such tremendous force that Desmond was unable to block them all, and every one that landed felt like they shattered bone.

Yet it was in that moment Desmond saw a moment where Kol looked him in the eye and winked.

Desmond saw this and thought, you bastard. Desmond smiled as he wanted to laugh. He felt like a child to this man. Somehow, not only did he teach him how to see magic, yet also he was given a win by him.

Desmond pulled his hand back as he aimed to put it right into Kol’s body as Kol blocked it. The ensuing explosion was so large that it flattened the hall, yet Desmond knew it did not hit Kol. He was prepared for it. Unlike Riu Kai-Tan had countless mental blocks that made the fight he had against him possible, Kol was a man who was completely able to stay focused in the fight.

Yet as the light and smoke cleared, Kol laid on the ground with a potion of his body blown off as Desmond had floating behind him the barrel of a cannon. And all he could do was laugh, as from behind him he heard a loud laugh as there stood Kol, ”Good one! I hate the idea that I died the same way now as I did in life, but it was fun”.

Kol made his way over and slapped Desmond on the back, it had enough force to lift him up and take him off of his feet, ”Well, get out of here, I need to fix this place up before my people come to have a drink and grill me”.

Kol laughed more before Desmond headed off. Desmond was left wondering, why did he take the loss? Was there nothing he gained from winning? All Desmond knew was that Kol was a monster in the shape of a man.

But he was a good one.

Among the Moonlight

Within the heaven of the Chosen Creed there were countless fighters of great power and regard. Many of them were some of the greatest temporal mages, and more are among some of the greatest of three-dimensional combat. Desmond knew what was to come as he appeared…in a tavern.

“Well~ Hello there lovely!”

She was a woman who was very distinct among many people, she looked quite tall for a Yasoi woman, somewhere near the 6 foot 4 range yet it would be hard to tell because of her sitting. She had gorgeous golden eyes that seemed to lock with Desmond’s.

Desmond sat down as he had a smile on his face, ”Well what a pleasant surprise~! Great to meet you gorgeous”.

The woman laughed as Desmond saw in that moment her off-hand that she used to pat her lap then tensed for a moment as in a flash she pulled her blade and attempted to stab him, Yet Desmond was too quick as he took hold of her wrist as he said, ”And here I thought love was blooming”.

They both snickered and laughed as Desmond let go of her hand. They looked at each other as Desmond asked, ”When we doing this?”

Desmond heard of this woman from Hitoshi, she was strong fast, and had a wit as quick as a gun, Desmond was curious how this would start as it was up to The Moon Halo, Catriis'Moadolo'Namariis. To start the fight. Catriis cooed as she said, “Well I normally save things like that for after we test ourselves, but if you’re so eager nobody’s watching yet”.

Desmond chuckled as he shook his head, ”I normally like to feel them out before things like that”.

Catriis snickered as she swung her legs around and stood up, walking to the end of the tavern as she opened a door, “Give me just a moment, and no peaking~”.

Desmond chuckled as within a moment the whole tavern he was in vanished. Surrounding him was a vast forest with trees taller than any Desmond had ever seen that seemed to almost move and writhe as atop one, right under the 5 moons, stood Catriis'Moadolo'Namariis, in black armor that held her tight, with chains that wrapped around her arms and legs while dropping and falling off the branch she stood on.

The fight was on.

Desmond pulled from his bag 2 gloves which he slipped over his hands as he called out, ”What a setting for our duel”.

Catriis lightly swayed along her tree branch as she spoke nonchalantly, “I thought I would take you on a date from where I come from. After all, I wanna soften the blow of you losing just a little bit”.

Desmond chuckled as he lightly pushed off against the ground and seemed to almost fly. It was incredibly gentle as he lifted to the air and raised his hands up to the sky, ”Then let’s dance”.

Desmond launched out his strings from his gloves as they began to attach to different tree branches, and the moment they did, he disappeared. Catriis then saw a moment later, right when he was about to strike, he reappeared.

Catriis would normally temporally displace herself, however the moment she pulled upon the threads of reality, she felt they were ripped from her hands and she was forced to act. Catriis swayed back as she barely dodged underneath Desmond’s leg as he tried to kick her head off. She then let herself fall off the branch, “I like them feisty, but you should let the lady go first”.

Catriis extended her arm out as the chains wrapped around her arms began to roll off and launch out. As the moment the chain slammed into a tree, the chain began to pull itself together. Catriis was ripped in the direction the chain was as the moment she made it close to the tree, the chain dislodged and she launched another chain into another tree. She wanted to figure out Desmond’s speed of maneuvering before she took him down.

As she turned, she was quickly informed of his speed, he moved obscenely fast for a human. Far faster than most who would have never used such ways to maneuver as he used his wires much similar as she used her chain blades to move. Yet that was not all, she realized as he moved, he looked like he was almost flying.

Catriis didn’t let that bother her as amid her swing, she realized with her distance from him at this moment she can use temporal as she used magic to slow time. Long enough for her to swing around and get as close as humanly possible before the time pressure affects her. She picked up speed as the moment she neared she retracted her chains and made her weapons take their true form, in her hands were a pair of Calinx the took the shape of longswords. While on her legs were long metal greaves and leg armor that had a single long blade going from the foot all the way to the knee. She began to spin in the air as the moment she neared Desmond, she was forced to allow time to flow again, as was the power of Eshiran’s marble .

Desmond was given fractions of a moment to react, and with it he was slashed, yet he was able to react even in this split second of time. Instead of his head being taken from his body and his entire body being turned into ribbons, he was able to bring his arm up to block his neck, and the strings from his glove were attached to his boots and bit deeply into them and his feet to make a form of barrier as it caught multiple blades slashes before Desmond was able to escape the slashes. “Seems you’ve got quick hands”

“And a quick tongue~”

Overall the wounds were superficial, yet it showed Desmond she was going to be hard to fight. As he dashed at her, he began to swing around, he needed to get close as he had countless things he could do, yet he needed to get close. And still, Catriis is never allows him near, always running as she uses her skill with this kind of movement and her skills in temporal to always be outside of Desmond’s effective range. “You know I love a good chase! Can’t say this isn’t my favorite part!”

Desmond began to laugh as he heard that, yet then he had a thought, Why chase?

Desmond then allowed himself to fall as he used his wires to catch him and send him at super high speed in the opposite direction. He wanted to know, what would Catriis do. And in that moment Catriis realized that it was not her being the hunter, as she realized the moment his body dropped, he was going to try and force her into the chaser. She gritted her teeth as the moment she lept to her next jump, she disappeared.

Again Catriis used her magic to stop the flow of time as she began to move to now and try to take Desmond out as he fell. The moment she was to near him, she moved away and let herself fall further than he was. When she found herself underneath him, she launched her chains out to create a net to catch him in the chain blades. And then she resumed time.

“Sorry, seems you missed a step”

Catriis then realized she was the one falling, she could sense directly underneath her was her own chain blades. She was teleported! Catriis then realized that wasn’t it. She would have sensed it and fought it. This was not it, she felt one of the blades bite into her back as she teleported herself 20 feet away and called her weapons back to her. Then she saw Desmond disappear into the darkness, she could sense him for but a moment longer before his signature was all but gone. Catriis was now no longer the hunter.

Desmond and Catriis began this game of cat and mouse, Desmond and he began to fight amongst each other, yet it seemed Desmond was always planning something. It was not until it happened was when she realized it was too late.

She dashed and teleported, yet there was a moment when she used her magic to stop time, she saw something terrifying, Desmond was still moving. She began to chase him even in the frozen time, as the moment the Temporal pressure became unbearable, she came out and saw that Desmond was nowhere to be seen. Until she felt from above, countless of thousands of wires began to fall, cutting into her skin as she saw from above, Desmond held a gun with smoke pouring out. Catriis tried to temporally displace herself, as she tried to leap back a few seconds, yet it was already too late. The moment she tried, she saw herself die. The bullet was sent backward in time, and it killed her before she was even aware of it.

All this Catriis could do, was look up at the moons, and not remember anything else.

Desmond was then transported back to the tavern where he heard Catriis yell, “How! I had you that whole time!”

Desmond shrugged, “I don’t know what to tell you. You got got”.

Catriis pointed her finger at Desmond, “When did you learn that?! You teleported me without knowing, were able to move through time when before you were unable to, and then you killed me with a bullet through time!”

Desmond shrugged, “I don’t tell without a price”.

Desmond then was pulled from his seat by Catriis as she pulled him to her face, “Then I’m getting everything out of you”.

As they teleported away.

Family Reunion

Desmond appeared at a scene that he was all too familiar with. It was a battlefield, torched and battle-scarred, it was a land he was all too familiar. It was a land that was covered in blood, gun smoke, and weapons. There was nothing but a single man in the center in a green piece of grass with a table and a chair.

”Hey, seems you’ve finally made it, wanna have a chat? Talk to some family-”

Desmond cut him off and shook his head, ”Naw, I’m here to kick your ass. Nothing else. I could care less who you are”.

The man was stunned for a moment and then laughed as he covered his face, ”Ah, you must be one of mine!”

Desmond and the man across from him look strangely similar, Desmond knew this man, he was the man Erika had entrusted Desmond to knock some sense into. Arsène Avalona, the founder of House Avalon. The Slayer of Dragons, the Knight of the Mystic Cloud, The Child of Light, and countless other titles Desmond has heard thrown around in the streets by the many nobles who claim heritage.

Yet none of that mattered. Desmond may be of his blood, yet that means nothing. The only thing that is similar between the two of them, is the moment they stanced up against each other, both pull out guns.

Arsène was not the first to pull his gun, but he was the first to fire. As a resounding roar of gunfire began to rain down onto Desmond as 5 guns continuously fire upon where Desmond was. Desmond leaped forward to Arsène as the bullets rained down onto where Desmond was but had a hard time following. Desmond noticed with the bits of concentration, this man must have taken a great deal of energy to just do something like that, yet Desmond wasn’t sure where the gun were firing from.

Yet Desmond wouldn’t allow him to be the only one to fire as Desmond pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Arsène and began to fire. Forcing him to now be defensive as the bullets stopped firing. Desmond realized that the fighting was going to be very violent. As between the both of them, they were using tools to their fullest. And Desmond was completely fine with this, as he wished to now fight as he normally did.

Desmond continued to rush forward as he began to fire more rounds, forcing Arsène to dip and dive until he was able to pull form his own back a pistol. Both of them began to fire upon each other, forcing them to dodge as they try and find an opening. Yet as Arsène was trying to make distance, Desmond was trying to close the distance.

They continued to fire until they both noticed that they had ran out of ammunition, Arsène realized Desmond’s gun fired more than his own, it must have been the difference in what weapons they had. Desmond had a semi-automatic pistol while Arsène had a revolver, this was not out of an aesthetics, but from the pure fact that Arsène had not been able to get such a tool yet. Yet the moment they both finished firing, Arsène pivoted and turned to get into melee combat with Desmond, pulling out a weapon Desmond had not seen. What looked like a double-barreled musket, yet the moment it fired, Desmond realized that it was not some kind of musket, it was like a blunderbuss. Desmond used his arms and wires to block his head and body as his legs and shoulders were peppered in shot. Yet he could still stand.

Arsène pushed the advantage as he yelled out, ”You got some decent moves kid! And you got lucky with that pistol! But here? You don’t have a-”.

Arsène ate his words in that moment as he saw when Desmond blocked his body, his arm that was near his bag pulled out a shotgun much different than the one he used, but one that he has used before. Desmond fired the shot as multiple pellets slammed into Arsène’s armor and even a few busted through, yet none were a lethal hit.

Arsène was thrown back as Desmond said, ”Stupid motherfucker. Why would I let you know all my guns?”

Arsène spat as he used his magics to launch his body back to get up as another shot came and slammed into where Arsène was. Arsène realized that he had weapons that the armory has not seen yet. It must have been technology that hasn’t been seen by other warriors, which meant it had to be good.

Arsène reached into his bag as he pulled out a tower shield, as when Desmond shot it, the pellets from his shotgun ricocheted and shattered upon it. Desmond clicked his tongue as he threw the shotgun away. He began to pull from his bag a pistol as then Arsène let the shield fall. And Desmond saw a weapon he did not expect from him.

”Come now, you must have expected something like this”.

Desmond immediatly dived as he began to hear the constant gunfire of Arsène’s rapid fire gun that slammed into the gorund with enough force to send mud and dirt flying. The gun fire began to become too much to just dodge alone as Desmond had to begin to fire bullets from his pistol to intercept rounds from Arsène’s. While not being as powerful, when the bullets make an impact they explode and deform making them harmless to Desmond. Desmond fired multiple times as he began to think of a weapon. It was an old one, yet as long as he continuously thought of it, it will be able to come, he just wished it wasn’t so complicated. After a bit of time, Desmond began to realize he was being overwhelmed. Not only did the gun in Arsène’s hand fire countless bullets, there were also multiple other guns similar to the gun he was holding that was firing from distant places that Arsène was using to try and overwhelm Desmond.

Desmond realized that was the type of advantage these elites got, they could technically set up a field in their favor if they were so willing. Yet Desmond survived for long enough as he pulled from his bag a weapon he had not used in a while. Hugo had originally forbade him from ever allowing people to know of it’s existence, but Hugo is gone. And the only ones to know it exists is those who are already dead.

From Desmond’s bag came a strange and alien weapon that seemed almost fake, yet the moment Arsène beheld it, he threw his gun and lept.

Multiple high-speed rounds began to ring out as they hit around Arsène with such fury that he could liken them to thunderbolts. Arsènecould not even fathom where Desmond could have found something like this, yet it was the most dangerous weapon he had seen in years. As a single round impacting him in his arm completely debilitated it.

The rounds continued to sound off as Arsène was waiting for a moment like this as the moment Desmond fired his last shot. Arsène pounced as he lept for his shotgun he fired one round out of and aimed it at Desmond, yet there was something that mortified Arsène to the core, and then just made him laugh.

Desmond had taken a bow as behind him was a cannon.

”Hey kid, you could have at least went easy on an old timer”.

”Naw, think of this one being from Erika”