The Battle Against Asgard

The job post Mathis had taken did not leave much explained, but the task at hand was well enough. Within the cursed lands, in a graveyard hidden away, lay a tomb, rumored to belong to an ancient hero of legend. Inside that tomb, if the legends were true, lay a blade of legendary renown. Mathis had little need for a weapon. He had Monado, after all. Monado, as far as Mathis knew, was one of the greatest weapons in existence, and not just for boasting. Its immense power, its ability to switch form, its lightly radiating energy...he was proud of the blade he called his own work. He could not take on such a task by himself, he knew, however. Such weapons of repute bred people of ill repute. There certainly would be resistance of some sort, and it was prudent to seek out others for help, and his ally certainly had done their work during the arrival towards the graveyard where this tomb was told to be. They were not the only group to be assigned such a task, but they were the first one to make it to the site of their job, if not the only ones to make it. Along the way they had encountered many foes, whether it be would-be tomb raiders or bandits or skeletal beasts, but each was eliminated with little fuss. The group had not talked much during their journey, as Mathis was not one for talking if work needed to be done. They merely traveled with each other due to an alliance Silver Wolf was a part of, and the ally had been a part of another guild that was in the alliance.

Coming upon the graveyard now, such silence and dutiful nature had to come to an end. Crouching down slightly, Monado already in hand, Mathis decided to finally speak. "I suspect that, if people are here, they are already waiting to lay a trap. It is what I would do in such a situation. I would suggest that we stay vigilant of such a possibility. If they are not laying a trap in wait yet, they will certainly arrive soon. As superstitious as it may sound, we cannot discount the possibility of a supernatural force persisting here. Such tombs and graveyards beget evil lying in wait. However, I shall leave the decisions to you. I am not a commander, as you seem to be, but merely a soldier, so I shall listen to your advice."

Dipping his head slightly to show reverence, Mathis prepared to listen to what his ally had to say.

---

WC: 434

Kyran crouched as they stopped at the graveyard. A hand touched the soil. His demons reacted immediately. Each began cooing incessantly. Death, recent and old, soaked this place. It wasn't quite like the death in other graveyards though. There was something... different about this one. The redhead couldn't put a finger on what it might be. That might require entering the graveyard itself. Kyran stood up, brushing the dirt off his hands. "This graveyard is... different. If there is an ambush set up in there, they could be in danger. If they come after us, they'd also be in danger as well. That being said... We will also be in danger when entering this graveyard. He explained to his partner. It was the most they'd spoken since this job had begun.

This job happened to be odd. Kyran wasn't sure how he'd ended up here. What about this weapon required a VP of the WFTC? There were books to write, twins to play with, a wife to massage. Given the opposition they'd face on the way here, there might be something there. The redhead scratched the back of his head. Perhaps some investigation should have been done before going on this job. Something to remember for next time. He was a big shot now. The bigger jobs had bigger implications.

Kyran turned to his partner. "I can't say for certain the danger comes from a supernatural force or other aspects, unfortunately. Vigilance is our best tool other than these." He pulled five dolls from his coat pocket. None were very large, maybe the size of his finger, but each appeared humanoid in shape. A green aura surrounded his hand briefly. Each doll twitched before standing up. A pentagram appeared on their chests. They waited soundlessly for his instructions. Kyran grinned. He hadn't been sure this little trick would work. His demons tended to be too rowdy. "They'll scout the graveyard. Let's patrol the perimeter. We don't want anything sneaking up on us." The dolls hopped off his hand and darted into the graveyard.

The VP's duster flared as he turned away from the graveyard. White energy filled his palm. The energy unfolded into a bow. The bow was blue, appearing to be a wave caught as it crashed down upon the shore. Blue wisps encircled Kyran's wrist as he held the bow. "Best prepare everything. There's no telling what lurks around a graveyard." He warned his companion. His brow furrowed. He wasn't even sure if they had exchanged names before departing. "My name is Kyran, by the way. I don't remember exchanging names before so I apologize if we already have." Kyran turned to walk the perimeter.

It seemed best to inform his partner of his various abilities. After several fiasco's with his wife, Kyran had learned the importance of sharing such information. Partners couldn't form good battle strategies without it. "We should tell each other our magics. It'll help avoid confusion in the coming battle. I specialize in Summoning and Requip magic. My Summoning focuses around my inner demons and will mostly be there for support with a few exceptions. My Requip mainly only boosts my own battle capacity. Nothing too flashy in either." Kyran stepped around a few larger rocks. The air had gone eerily still. The redhead took note but continued nonchalantly. "I also happen to be a demon slayer. The wind is my attribute. I prefer not to use this magic for... personal reasons. If it becomes necessary, I will use it but not before then."

A trace of movement caught the corner of Kyran's eye. He drew back on his bowstring, aiming carefully. An arrow formed upon the bow. "What is your magic? I assume it has something to do with your sword?" The arrow sprang off his bow. The skull of the animated skeleton burst into a shower of bone shards. Threat eliminated. The redhead frowned as he lowered his bow. Skeletons required magic to be animated. They couldn't hold a magical charge on their own. It was why zombies didn't overrun the world. Their decomposition slowly leaked the magic that held them together. Given the lack of magic in the air, something must have revived the skeleton. "Be alert. There's a mage nearby. Probably a necromancer. Could be an alchemist.

WC: 718

Mathis nodded at the man's introduction. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kyran-san.  Unfortunately, I am not one that is...truly able to use magic. I have the capability to summon beings from another world, but that work is far too inadequate and unrefined for true use in combat. I merely have this sword, Monado." He looked around the cemetery, seeing more of the skeletons that Kyran had struck before. A scan through them showed that they did not seem to bear any difficulty to them, but there was another person of note: a man with a set of steel claws and a wild mane of hair. "Further down, Kyran-san. There is a man yet living. I do not suspect that he is the necromancer that has raised these skeletons, though I suspect that he is one who is in league with our necromancer. I can draw the attention of the dead while you strike down the living one. You need not worry about my capabilities, even in spite of not having magic myself."

He nodded, keeping a low profile as he slinked his way through the cemetery. The dead, despite their magical reanimation, seemed surprisingly unperceptive, allowing Mathis to investigate the area a bit further. As he suspected, more living people were around, including a man with a strange crown across his head. Mathis ceased his hiding, opting to finally reveal himself in a blaze of action. Monado shifted into the form of dual pistols as Mathis vaulted over a headstone as Mathis blasted a number of skeletons into dust. Landing in front of a skeleton with a sword and shield, Monado shifted once more into a pair of nunchaku, parrying away a strike from the skeleton's sword before he delivered a hearty blow into its ribcage, sending it exploding in a slightly comedic way, its skull pathetically dropping to the ground. He continued to twirl Monado's nunchaku as the different skeletons feebly threw themselves against him, before a rumbling in the ground bade Mathis to leap. His caution was rewarded with him managing to avoid an explosion as his shifted Monado back to its tried-and-true sword form. The man in the crown stepped forwards, applauding.

"Imprrrrrressive!" the garish man said, overly rolling his R's to seem more pretentious. "Not many have the skills to avoid my truly WONDERFUL magic! Now, I should really be telling you to ta-ta, because you are just...ruining our plans! We have things that need to be done, mister!"

Mathis nodded as he leaped from the top of the mausoleum, stepping forwards towards the man. "What is your name?"

He seemed pleased by this question. "I am Frrrrrrey! The great and noble member of the great and noble guild of Asgard! You and your friend should truly fear us!"

Mathis dipped his head slightly. "Perhaps, but I am not one that easily feels fear. Very well, Frey-san. It shall be a noble endeavor to fight you."

He dashed forwards, his blade cutting through the air, causing Frey to panickedly raise a wall of vines, which exploded as Monado made contact. He flew back, landing on his feet and instinctively punching a skeleton's skull off as he slid from the force. The mask he bore had no expression, though removing the mask would not have changed much from that fact, as Mathis himself was prepared to strike further yet, his only focus being that of striking down Frey. He dashed forwards once more, opting this time to switch Monado into the form of a spear, vaulting himself over the same attempt at a trick. High in the air above Frey, Monado shifted yet again into a bow as Mathis fired an explosive magic bolt that burst beneath Frey's feet. Landing behind him, Monado switched once more, this time emerging into the form of dual shortswords that further extended into whips at the will of the master of weaponry. Frey warded off each attempt at a strike with his exploding vines, each and every explosion failing to have an effect on the durability of the legendary magical blade of Alrest. The whips retreated into Monado as he formed it once more into the sword variant, preparing to strike at Frey. As expected, the vines shot up once more and Mathis was launched back.

"Poppi is ready for combat!" a voice said. The woman-like robot that Mathis had spent years creating flew in, seemingly out of nowhere, snatching Mathis from the sky. She dropped Mathis off on one side of Frey before she herself descended onto the other and drew her sword. The duo charged at Frey simultaneously, who opted to fight back using his hands. He was shockingly effective at this, Mathis thought, as, while Poppi was not as adept in weaponry as himself, she was designed to be much stronger than an average human, so perhaps there was a defect in the programming. It was something Mathis thought that he had to check out upon his return to Silver Wolf. The fight became little more than muscle memory to Mathis at this point. His mind was no longer into the combat, and his trained body moved on its own, dancing and weaving as he prepared to strike down the foe in front of him. Poppi had already activated her link, letting Mathis regenerate from his own wounds and he felt his speed, both of foot and of strike, improve as he continued to strike at Frey. It was only a matter of time before the pompous member of Asgard dropped to his knees in defeat, Mathis and Poppi both holding their blades to his throat. Monado shifted into the form of a club, battering in the side of Frey's head. He would be turned into the police once all was said and done, but now Mathis looked to see how his strange ally was faring in his own combat.

---

WC: 984
TWC: 1418

Kyran smiled at the man's admittance. That was nothing to be ashamed of. Gaia couldn't use magic either without help. He had learned martial techniques himself. A non-mage had the capacity to be as dangerous as a high ranking mage. His partner turned out to be very sharp. The man pointed out a figure standing further down. Kyran frowned at the revelation. How had he missed that man? His frown deepened at the assumption that he might doubt his partner's capabilities. The redhead turned toward the swordsman. "I would never doubt someone's capabilities, uh... I still don't know your name. My wife has to use several aids to do magic at all. I have met several non-mages that are fairly dangerous themselves. I trust you to do your job."

Kyran decided to try a different tactic as he approached the man with a wild mane. He unleashed his full power. The aura weighed heavily around him. The opponent before the redhead twitched but nothing more. Excellent. This fight wouldn't be too boring. Anyone that could feel that amount of power and not run was brave. Probably a little foolhardy too. Kyran stopped moving a hundred meters from his opponent. He could initiate the fight from here. His opponent could sense it or had anticipated it. The outline of his opponent blurred. Suddenly there were five men with wild manes. Each held a different weapon. One clutched a crossbow, another a kusari-gama, the third held a naginata, and the fourth held a pair of fans. The original retained their claws.

Kyran's lips twitched, slowly turning upward into a smile. "My, my, you look like you'll present a challenge. Mind telling me your name?" He called out in a friendly manner. The five looked at each other. The one with the crossbow stepped forward. "We are Itsutsuno. We will-" A black arrow impacted into the man's stomach. Ebony streamers wrapped around his body, binding him in place. A herd of onyx horses started galloping around Kyran's victim. "Well, nice to meet you, Itsutsuno. May the best man win!" Despite his carefree manner, the VP was keeping a close eye on his surroundings. He wanted to prevent any potential comrades of Itsutsuno from sneaking up on him.

"You bastard! How could you strike like that?" Kyran's expression hardened. He thrummed the string of the bow. A green giant coalesced before the bow. As its eyes slowly opened, the giant shot at the speaker. The opponent tried to roll out of the way but didn't manage to avoid it. The giant slammed into the man. He was flung backward, landing in a sprawl. Kyran let off another arrow in spite. It slammed into the dirt but it made the redhead feel good. "This is war! Chivalry has no place on the battlefield!" "Oh ho. Glad to hear that!" Kyran felt something slam into his side. He stumbled away from the attack.

A man had appeared. Bright green hair crowned his head. Red leather sheathed his body. He was staring at his dagger, curiously. "Useless." He flung the blade over his shoulder. "Welcome to the party, Red! I'm Green! That's Five! We're from the Asgard guild." The sounds of battle came from the graveyard. Green frowned, pulling another dagger out of thin air. He put a hand on his chest. "You wouldn't happen to be part of the goody-goody team sent after our sword, now would you? I am hurt, my new friend" Green licked the blade of his weapon. A wide smile spread across his face, and he tilted his head to the side. "I'll have to kill you."

Kyran hadn't been idle while Green talked. Black streamers now cascaded down his shoulders. An invisible energy shimmered around his body. He smiled viciously. This was the kind of fight he craved. He was hopelessly outnumbered, his partner was probably too far away to help. His abilities should be pushed to the limits. Five was closing in. Green had undetermined abilities. He was also holding a weapon that didn't mesh with the current circumstances. As Green came at him, Kyran laughed. This made him feel absolutely alive. Now, he could appreciate being sent on this mission.

He whipped out a summoning ticket. Time for a little backup. "Come at me, Greenie." Kyran sneered. The ticket shone a bright crimson and vanished. Five would be managed for now. Bunnies were sitting before them. They'd probably laugh. That would be their mistake. In front of Kyran, Green cackled maniacally, rushing forward. The redhead blocked the initial attack with his bow. He strained, the bow being pushed closer to his chest. Green put his face over the interlocked weapons. "Come on Red. Gimme a fight!" Kyran merely smiled at his opponent. He wanted to see what his opponent had first. Then he'd give back everything he had.

WC: 810
TWC: 1528

Daggers floated around Kyran, striking at him viciously. His attacker pressed down on him with yet another set of daggers. Yet, the redhead simply fended off the attacks using as little magic as possible. He glanced over at his bunnies. Five had found out the hard way they weren't cute. Three of the little bastards were chewing on one of them. The rest looked to be running away from the rest of the swarm. Odd, but it put a smile on Kyran's face. The daggers slamming home brought his attention back around. His shield had finally failed. "Is that really all you've got?" He asked Green in a bored tone. The man grit his teeth. Apparently he'd run out of fancy words.

"In that case..." His leg lashed out. His ankle hooked behind Green's leg. A swift yank pulled the man off his feet. Kyran rushed forward. Knee into stomach, rabbit punch to throat. Green began coughing, suddenly out of air. His daggers dropped from the sky as the mage lost control of them. Kyran sighed. This battle wasn't quite what he'd hoped it would be. A white light wrapped itself around his hands. Fingerless white gloves formed there. White metal armored the back of the knuckles. A light blue rune that appeared like a snowflake emblazoned the back. "Sleep tight" The VP said snapping his fingers. Snow swirled around Green even as the man struggled. When it vanished, the mage was encased in ice. It wouldn't hold him that long but Kyran thought it was better than nothing.

The sounds of battle reached his ears. It appeared Mathis had found an opponent or two. From the little Kyran could make out, his partner had things well in hand. His bunnies, on the other hand, weren't doing well anymore. Five had remembered they had magic weapons. Fire, ice and wind were engulfing the poor creatures. They'd eaten the fourth one. The body sat a little ways away. Kyran winced. That hadn't been his intention. He could only hope Five used a unique cloning magic and that hadn't been the original. As the last of the bunnies were swept aside, Five set their sights on Kyran. They were burning for revenge. The redhead favored them with a grin. They had no idea what he had in store for them.

"Ahriman. Ready to play?" He asked pulling a doll from his jacket. It was a small white, plain quadruped he'd made specially for the beings sharing his mind. They needed to get out some. Ahriman drooled in anticipation. The others complained loudly, wondering when they'd be allowed to play. Kyran ignored them. They'd have their own fun soon. A summoning ticket was slammed onto the doll. Then he threw it in the direction of Five. "No killing. Incapacitate only, Ahriman." The doll transformed in mid air. It grew rapidly first. Features formed, becoming canine in likeness. Black fur sprouted next, each tip stained a deep red. As the demon landed on dinner plate paws, he opened his burning red eyes. His roar of triumph shook the air. Five chuckled together. They were clearly confident they could handle Ahriman. That would come back to bite them.

Kyran had planned to turn and help Mathis. He didn't get the chance. The earth beneath his feet erupted upward. The redhead tumbled downward as a skeletal structure rose. No, not one. Three. Draconic skeletons raised their heads as one, letting out a chilling roar. A deep purple magic burned where their eyes should have been. Kyran landed on his back, his bow spinning from his hand. It vanished back into the aether. The WFTC VP scowled, rolling over to avid being crushed by falling debris. This was a little outside his expertise. He enjoyed a challenge, its true but this was potentially fatal. He had a family to get back to. The redhead focused on getting out of range of the falling debris. Several spells wrapped around his body. Each increased his speed until he was nearly a blur. The redhead was still struck by several rocks. The last one, nearly big enough to be a boulder, glanced off his shoulder. Kyran stumbled forward to safety. His duster was torn at the shoulder. Blood welled within a deep cut. He looked it over dispassionately. It'd be unwise to use that arm then.

The slayer caught Mathis coming out of the corner of his eye. The swordsman appeared to be accompanied by a metal woman. He turned suddenly excited, the battle partially forgotten. Was that a robot? Potentially an advanced combat unit? Or was it a true AI, able to function without instruction? The redhead nearly bubbled with questions. However, he knew now was not the right time. "Glad you could join me." Kyran gestured to the three monstrosities before them. They were necromantic works of wonder but they were clearly being conjured by the enemy. "Have anything that can deal with these three? Most of what I have will probably just slide right off them." Even his most power demon slayer spells were only wind. Kyran could throw them at the dragons but it'd waste mana and likely deal half damage at best.

The redhead glanced at Ahriman. The demon wolf hadn't let the new enemies distract him. He was still attacking Five. One of the three remaining 'clones' was already on the ground. "I could cobble together a few of my spells but it'll likely drain most of my mana and will only maybe work. I'd be betting on entirely overcoming their natural spell resistance." There were several plans already formulating in his head. The biggest issue was he hadn't worked with Mathis before. He didn't know the man's potential or current capacity for battle. It made the VP leery of trying anything too outlandish. Those plans always required complete trust in one another. The three dragons roared again and turned their attention on the trio. "Looks like time is up." Kyran said, his good hand coming up. Perhaps he should heal his arm first. His natural pain resistance might lead him to use it while it was heavily damaged. Blood was already starting to drip off his fingertips. No time for that. Here came the skeletal dragons.

WC: 1043
TWC: 2571

Kyran tried to protest. Then he tried to explain. The words got stuck in his throat. He'd never faced a long drawn out battle like this. While pain had never been an issue, his body could still give out under him. The redhead ran a hand through his hair. How to thank the man? Then Mathis was gone. The slayer shook his head. He may have been placed in a position of leadership but he wasn't a leader. Kyran, at best, was only a loner. Sometimes, he wished that Ada hadn't ever dragged him into WFTC. Where would he have been without all of this? Kyran realized the bladesman had left the summons with him. He regarded her solemnly. She seemed quite cheerful. Her metal hands pressed bandages into the wound in her shoulder. Her mouth constantly babbled. The demons screamed for her to be eliminated - those left in his head anyway. Kyran merely smiled

Ahriman appeared then. The wolf dropped what was left of Five at his feet. The redhead wasn't sure if he should laugh or scowl. The demon had followed his instructions to the barest minimum. Five wasn't dead. However, the flayed corpse could easily die at any time. The slayer glanced at Poppi. "Poppi? If you wouldn't mind healing this one? They can't all be here. No threats should be left when we're done. He'll be good for information." Kyran's hand shot out to grip Ahriman's ear. The demon howled in pain and rage. "Did good! Did good! No kill!" Kyran bared his teeth, yanking on the ear. The wolf howled once again. "You nearly killed him, Ahriman. He would have died without intervention." The redhead said in monotone. The demon wouldn't understand empathy or compassion. Only ruthlessness and the logical conclusion of failure to comply. The wolf finally dropped and showed his belly. Kyran punched it once. A warning.

The redhead turned, pointing. Ahriman darted away without a word. No word needed to be said. The wolf had been given permission to hunt. Kyran pulled two more dolls from his trench coat. His ears picked up multiple heartbeats, creaking leather, sounds of more opponents. Not commanders but the grunts. The fodder thrown to worn Kyran and Mathis down. "Poppi. Please tell Mathis, they've opened the flood gates. Sounds like an entire army is headed our way. Impossible to tell where the commanders are. Any ideas would be appreciated." He wished he'd honed his senses more. They were an asset he consistently ignored. Summoning tickets were slapped onto the dolls. One sprouted long golden fur. Talons jutted from paws the size of dinner plates. Long fangs filled a feline mouth. Medea stretched in appreciation of her new body. The other doll expanded upward. White cloth wrapped around a feminine form. Slender limbs of a golden complexion suddenly grasped long black spears. A black sword was belted at the woman's hip. Eae flipped her mass of black locks and stretched out her blue black wings. Kyran bowed to them both, indicating the incoming enemies, still obscured in mist. Both demons took off with cries of joy.

The redhead turned toward the incoming enemies. His ears couldn't pinpoint the highest concentration. Damn. Several buildings jutted from the mist. Could one of those hold the sword or the rest of these dark mages? He tugged at the white gloves sheathing his hands. Time to wade back into it. This time, he'd be prepared. Plate armor sprouted from a ball of white light at his chest. The red metal slithered around until it encased all but his head. It appeared as if flame had wrapped itself around Kyran. To battle. His body still hummed with previously cast spell. The slayer transformed into a red blur. He'd already picked a target. As he skidded to a stop, the mage lashed out with a foot. It collided into a dark mage's midsection. Kyran twisted and struck with terrifying speed. The squad tried to defend itself. Lighting crackled against his armor. Fire too. Then the dark mages crashed to the ground. Kyran had struck both in the sternum. Their bones had crunched under the force of his attack.

Similar squads appeared to litter the battlefield. Between each of them were various summons, constructs and undead creatures. The redhead couldn't make head or tails of the strategy. Overwhelming numbers to crush them? That would be an assumption of power arrayed against them. Unless there was another dark mage guild coming to seize the sword. What an unpleasant thought that was. There was the possibility this was all a distraction. A ploy meant to make sure anyone coming after them was held up while they found the sword. Kyran shuddered unable to focus much longer. His battle lust rose inside him. How many more times could he say that he took on an army? Much less with only one ally by his side? He wanted to fight until his body wouldn't move anymore.

His eyes flashed green, the pupils elongating to the side. Kyran let out a maniacal laugh. Let them come. Let them all taste the purifying power at his fingertips! The redhead's jaws opened green energy gathered between his teeth. The rapid buildup of power turned more than a few heads. If the edges of his lips could have turned up, they would have. A massive beam of green power erupted from the slayer. He directed it carefully, cutting a swath through the troops without hitting his allies. In the long run, it was a terrible waste of power. His previously cast spells would have helped him cut through just as many without too using as much mana. His spell also sliced through the mausoleums. Not quite the best idea he'd had all in all. Kyran's jaws snapped shut on the spell. His green eyes glittered, the only thing visible inside the cloud of dust he'd kicked up.

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Thread: 6978