"Now what? Are you going to consume the whole world?"
. . . .
The night was calm in Ebony, but the romantic music disk in the bedroom of the couple proved calmer.
In the epicentre region of the beautiful town of Ebony, a humble abode sat proudly in one of the luxurious streets. Sitting comfortably on the banks of a canal, its cobblestones getting splashed by the calm waters, and the interior poisoned with the aroma of love.
The bedroom was dark, the music danced through the air, and the couples lay on destroyed their 6-poster beds, recovering from their quiet midnight with their loud endeavour.
Christopher Archer, the revered assassin knight, carefully opened the curtain, welcoming the pink light of Tsuki and the crimson rays of Edirp. He breathed in the fresh early morning breeze, his skin tingling to the refreshing cold and calm sounds of the canals.
He quietly walked back to his bed and opened a drawer that sat beside the bed. He gripped a lilac cigarette and a beautiful lighter, dazzling purple and adorned with gorgeous crystals, with the inscription, "Ride or Die."
The lighter burnt the tip of the cigarette, knowingly aware of the health risks it can bring, but unable to stop himself.
He took a deep whiff of the vapour, the chemicals calming his nerves and allowing his body to breathe once more. He exhaled a gust of blue vapour, the smell sweet and intoxicating.
He smiled at his early morning treat, preparing himself for the Shawnforth knight cadet arriving very soon. His mind, however, continued to race uncontrollably.
Would he be a good mentor to the youngsters? He lacks Divinity and substantial grace control, so he wondered if the higher-ups made a mistake choosing him to lead the excursion. Was he worthy?
Ready?
Strong enough?
Competent enough?
Has he been redeemed from the sins that haunted his pas...
An unexpected snore escaped from the lips of the woman sleeping beside Archer.
His beautiful wife, Burnice Vera Christopher.
Her body seemed to sparkle under the combined light of the two moons, her voluptuous build tempting Archer again. Her hand tattoos, cyan inks inscribed into her skin, were intricate and enhanced her beauty. Her hair, a wild combination of red, pink, gold and burnt orange, trapped Archer in her allure the first time they met.
As Archer took another whiff of his cigarette, his eyes were magnetised to Burnice. Even though he has seen hundreds of witches, he has never seen one as jaw-dropping as her.
"I feel shy when you look at me like that, sugar." Burnice suddenly whispered.
Archer smiled, his heart burning more than the cigarette. "But how can I stop staring at the goddess in front of me?"
Burnice slowly opened her eyes, a sharp mosaic of red, gold and emerald. "You and your sweet corny lines."
Archer moved closer to her. Burnice could smell the sweet residue of the cigarette, and he could feel her warm aura tempting him for another go.
"What a blazing night, huh?" Burnice whispered tiredly.
"Yeah, pretty amazing." Archer smiled softly. "It makes it fun before the night we are meant to be working."
Burnice fatigue vanished. "Don't tell me it's today?"
She grunted while pulling the sheets over her head. "Why, why, why, why, why?"
Archer joined her under the sheets, her hot breath caressing his neck. "I thought you loved children."
"Children, Suger," Burnice said. "Teenagers are a different story."
Archer held her hands gently. "Are you shy of kids?"
Burnice's eyes seemed to spark. "I am never shy, and certainly not to kids, so stop your teasing."
Archer chuckled. "All I am saying is that I believe this work would be exciting, especially when we..." Archer raised his eyebrow, but he wasn't sure that Burnice could see it.
Archer, Burnice said slowly.
I know, I know, Archer quickly reaffirmed as he pulled the sheets away. But, don't you want to raise children?
Sugar.
I know you love being a knight, and I adore being an assassin, but don't you want to be free from all this?
Sweetie, please stop.
We have been doing this for 15 years now, don't you think we deserve peace? We have fought strongly and we...
Burnice swiftly planted the cigarette into Archer's lips, who instinctively inhaled it.
"Better?" Burnice asked, and Archer slowly nodded.
Burnice carefully turned away, but Archer hugged her from behind.
"15 years, my love," Archer whispered as he exhaled in her face. "Aren't you tired?"
Burnice's thoughts ran wild, but she was keen to keep them under control. She must.
"My papa's coming," Burnice said slyly. "For the Water Mother celebration."
Archer's smile disappeared as he gently let go of Burnice. He childishly pulled the sheets over his head. "Why, why, why, why, why?"
Burnice turned to look at her husband. "I thought you liked Papa."
"But the feeling isn't mutual," Archer grumbled.
"Can't you folks get along, for me?" Burnice made a sad frown, which ached Archer's heart.
"I...I'll try at least," Archer said. "But remember when he dropped into the Demon's belly just because I kissed you without brushing my teeth."
"But I like it hot."
"That's what I said." Archer took another whiff of his cigarette. "He told me that one day, this knighthood thing is gonna kill us. Do you know what I replied with?"
Burnice clampered out of the sheets, her body bare and naked, and climbed on top of Archer. She slowly leaned forward, planting her lips at the end of the cigarette. She exhaled the blue vapour, her eyes lovely and her face simply perfect.
"'That we are ride or die,'" Burnice said.
Archer pulled out the cigarette from his mouth and gave Burnice a warm kiss. "Exactly."
Burnice looked outside, her seductive look slowly evaporating. "Few Horas until the Shawnforth lads arrive. Time to get busy."
"Caterine, Monica and Lucilla must have already awoken," Archer extinguished the flame from his cigarette.
"Caterine must be screaming right now," Burnice chuckled.
"And Elaire?"
"That girl is still kickin' in her dormitory," Burnice smiled. "She looked rather giddy for the arrival of the Shawnforth kids. But first..."
Burnice's seductive eyes suddenly returned. She grabbed the extinguished cigarette and placed it on her lips. She raised her middle finger to the tip, and ice emerged from it. Unlike regular ice, this one was red and sizzling. The cigarette was lighted again, and Burnice took a long, deep inhale.
"Wanna do it again, sugar," Burnice grinned wildly.
Archer inspected the state of the 6-poster bed, noting the woodwork was cracked and the posts had fallen.
"I'm sure it can handle one more," Archer smiled as the two couples hid under the sheets.
"Sugar, what about the Silver thieves?" Burncie asked worriedly. "They have killed 30 knights and 4 nobles. Would the Shawnforth lads be okay?"
Archer arched his eyebrows. "I believe in those lads. Especially since Jacques is with them."
"Boy blue?" Burnice asked excitedly.
"We can rest assured, plus the Silver thieves won't attack children."
. . . .
Sorry, Archer, but the Silver thieves did, in fact attacked the children.
And they were brutal.
Mr Pierr stabilised the chariot, while the cadets faced their opposition. Their white attire and powerful creatures behind them were petrifying, but a true knight never allows fear to win.
Caesar stepped in front of his Order, donning his title of the Vanguard, leading them into their first battle as a system.
Caesar's hands shivered. He was nervous, scared even. He drew out his weapon, and the others followed suit. It was time for Caesar to prove himself to himself.
The Ebony Order of Year 1 vs the most Wanted group in The scynther ciites.
"Chalybe, Jacques," Caesar whispered. "I want you guys to fly."
Jacques and Chalybe stared at each other and nodded.
Without a word, Jacques and Chalybe leapt to the sky as they brought out their arsenals, raining bullets and explosions down on the enemy, but the thieves disappeared.
Caesar's mind immediately went to Ms Fiah.
. . . .
"Divide and Conquer," Ms Fiah told Caesar, both master and teacher strolling along the academy gardens. "When split, you need to analyse the enemy immediately, and counter them with your Order."
Caesar listened attentively, his brain jotting down all points he could understand, not memorise.
"And make sure to make it subtle," Ms Fiah continued. "You can open up with explosions to create a smokescreen, but you need to deploy your troops immediately and swiftly without the enemy realising. Have you mastered the Order communication technique?"
Caesar immediately stopped in his tracks. "Uh, well."
"You can't be serious," Ms Fiah sounded disappointed. "I took time out of my recreation to help you..."
"And you are doing a very good job at it," Caesar complimented, hoping to soothe the raging beast, or cat.
Ms Fiah sighed. "So divide, conquer, deploy, and most importantly..."
Ms Fiah swept Caesar off his feet and pinned him down. "Destroy!!"
Caesar struggled to breathe. "For a teacher, you got moves."
Ms Fiah looked offended. "Firstly, I am 24 in human years; secondly, I was once aspiring to become a knight."
Caesar's eyes glinted. "Really, what happened?"
Ms Fiah smiled, her smile so warm but sorrowful. "You could say life."
. . . .
The smokescreen was created, and the perfect opportunity has presented itself. Caesar only has to communicate with his group, but he needs something to connect them-
[Morning, Ebony Order.]
The group froze in fear, wondering what spoke to them.
"It is I, Sol, your automated combat armour."
"You can talk?" Fenrir said. "That's convenient."
[I am the combination of multiple souls, so I can communicate, but you can hear my voice in your souls, not your ears.]
"Perfect," Caesar said, thanking Zida wherever she may be. "Team, you hear me?"
"Perfectly," Chaylbe responded.
"Crystal clear," Fenrir replied.
"R-Roger." Jacques chided in.
"Surprisingly, yes." Izobel sounded excited.
"Could be clearer," Aurelia complained, knowing that Zida is going to give her an earful.
Caesar grinned, his brain running wild, and his plan for victory set in stone. "I can see a way to victory. We conquer."
As the thieves tried to navigate through the smoke, one of them turned around and realised that she was alone.
"Damn it," The thief bit his lips.
Emerging from the smoke, a large centipede avatar speared the thief into a large boulder.
"Gotcha!" Izobel smiled.
The silver thief was shocked, but she suddenly grinned, her pearly white teeth glinting as her eyes and forehead were masked. "Swifty, Minster, let's go."
The thief glowed in a blinding white light, disrupting Izobel's vision. The large avatar was destroyed by the talons of the large bird that appeared, its beautiful brown feathers contrasting with its silver colored head and strong yellow beak.
"A spirit animal?" Izobel eyes widened. "So cool."
The silver thief opposing Izobel was clearly a woman, and a beautiful one at that. She wore a distinctive white jacket, tucked into her skirt, featuring multiple little mirrors. She also wore the mask and a white cape over her shoulders, paired with elegant boots and gloves.
"I have to admit," Izobel smiled. "For a thief, you really have a sense of fashion."
The silver thief patted her spirit animal on its beak, her eyes wild and glinting with madness "Nobles. Disgusting, prideful creatures. But which animal doesn't have pride? I certainly do."
The thief's eyes drifted towards Izobel, threatening and sharp. "My name is Silver Thief York, and my weapon..."
The eagle spread its powerful wings and used them to shield York. Izobel's eyes adjusted, and York was gone, appearing behind the fairy princess.
"Is my unseen pride!" York kicked Izobel away, and one of the large Leviathans emerged from the waters, opening its powerful jaws to devour Izobel.
Izobel narrowly dodged the Leviathan, but the thief appeared behind her again, kicking her towards the large sea creature.
Izobel was forced to dodge and swerve, always moving to avoid York's surprise attack. The Leviathan would dive into her, and the spirit animal would try to shred her with its talons.
[The opponent seems to be warping space to move around.]
"Geez, Sol, who would have thought. Thanks anyway, I almost sounded like Aurelia," Izobel smiled. "Guess I'll bring out mine then."
Izobel summoned 3 large avatars: the centipede, the horned hornet, and the jellyfish ant.
"Let's tango."
The centipede clashed with the leviathan, wrapping around its scales and choking it.
"Leviathan? Check," Izobel giggled.
The horned hornet dived into the spirit animal, using its horn to direct continous flow of impact into the phantom, its innate technique. The hornet would swerve out of the eagle's reach, then attack with its horn.
"I can't touch spirit animals," Izobel smiled. "But it would take a soul to wrestle a soul. Spirit animal? check."
York hissed as two of her weapons were easily disarmed. "Humans, nobles, the poor, animals, angels, nephilims... What are the differences?"
York appeared behind Izobel and landed a clean kick to the gut. "We all run on our desire to conquer and fight. To reclaim our rightful place and even take it from others. That is the rule of nature."
York appeared to be phasing in and out of existence from Izobel's view. She appeared behind Izobel, immediately teleported again to her blind spot, and kneed Izobel in the jaw, drawing out green, viscous blood.
"So, tell me why?" York sniffled. "You nobles always abuse that rule. Why attack what you don't need if not for greed or avarice? Why? Tell me why?"
Izobel brought out her weapon, a thin, long staff brandished with a large, indigo gem at the tip and a blade at the end.
Izobel drew a circle around her, and the Jellyfish ant avatar, a normal ant but with a translucent veil above it, joined her in the circle.
Izobel started to dance and chant, her voice and feet moving at the same tempo. Suddenly, a red flash of light appeared in her peripheral vision.
"There," Izobel whispered as he stomped the ground. A small pebble rose to her eye level, and York appeared in place of the pebble.
As York tried to attack, the fairy princess used her staff to smack her away, sending her flying towards a boulder.
"I get it now," Izobel chuckled. "You aren't teleporting, you are just swapping with nearby pebbles. And you have to see where I am. That is what the mirrors are for: omnidirectional vision. It is only with the spirit animal that you can just simply teleport. It's genius."
Izobel dashed towards York, who struggled to get her bearings.
"You can't react to instantaneous teleportation," York thought. "It's that ant avatar and her chant. It predicted where I was heading. This is not good."
As the spirit animal rushed towards York to teleport her away, the horned hornet sliced through the air to reach Izobel. The two soul animals flew desperately to their master, but who will win?
The spirit animal.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes." York thought, but she was suddenly where Izobel was standing.
"I don't know if you use a divinity or another form of power," Izobel laughed. "But what you can do, my jellyfish ant can do the same."
York realised too late. She was in the circle that Izobel drew, and the hornet was heading towards her.
"That's bullshit!!" York shouted as the hornet collided with her, hitting her with a continuous flow of hits and pain.
Fenrir and one of the Silver Thieves exchanged blows and kicks, but the thief was too swift and accurate.
"Lunar's roar!!"
"Crescent wind!!!"
The thief grabbed Fenrir's mouth, reflecting the roar into his organs. A large astral crescent-shaped weapon appeared in the thief's hand, and Fenrir narrowly dodged it, escaping with a thin cut in his cheek.
The thief wore a combat sleeveless top and trousers, adorned with chainmail armour and gloves tipped with microblades. Only his eyes were masked with a very long headband with two holes for the eyes.
"Screaming your attack name louder is not gonna make it stronger." The thief sent waves of crescent-shaped weapons, Fenrir struggling to evade all of them. "You false gods."
The thief appeared beside Fenrir and kicked his knee, forcing him to kneel. He grabbed the wolf's arm, placed a crescent weapon in his mouth, leapt off Fenrir's thigh, twisted mid-air and proceeded to fall, another weapon coming like a guillotine towards Fenrir's neck.
`Tsuki no megami no tamashī yo.'
`Ten o saku tetsu no ha yo.'
`Waga teki o shokei suru toki, waga sakebi to tangan o kiki Tamae.'
`Nanji no eien no gyomei o tataeru watashi no shihen ni kotae Tamae.'
"Heavenly Splitting Moon."
The weapon increased tenfold, glowing and pulsating with divine power.
"It's not called an attack name," The thief said angrily. "It's called a chant."
Fenrir's eyes turned sharper, his instincts in control, and his strength more primal. He broke free from the thief's grasp and returned a flurry of kicks.
"I know that weapon," Fenrir smiled at the thief.
[It is the signature technique of the Blue Crescent clan, the 2nd most powerful ninja clan in the 10th world]
Fenrir's smile widened. "He's a freaking ninja?!"
The thief advanced with a punch, but Fenrir ducked, grabbed his arm, kicked his knee, leapt off with the bent thighs, and proceeded to fall on the thief.
"Lunar's Roar!!"
An earth-shaking roar escaped from Fenrir's mouth, shattering the ground and damaging the thief.
"I have to say," The thief smiled."Canary is impressed."
The large leviathan speared Fenrir, with the thief dashing towards him with another weapon appearing in his arm.
"Good job, Wharf," Canary complimented his beast. "These nobles certainly underestimate us."
Fenrir took a deep, cold breath, wrestled out from the beast's jaws and raised his fists. But instead of striking the thief, he punched the leviathan, throwing the thief up. Fenrir did a handstand and kicked his opponent in the back.
"This heavy armour ain't gonna slow me down."
Fenrir took a deeper breath, his eyes getting sharper and pupils getting thinner.
"The Almighty, king of the beginning and the end"
Nothing seemed to happen. Yet.
"Look upon the blasphemy, my foe calls on your name."
Fenrir could feel his grace growing inside him, but he needed more.
Canary and Fenrir continued to exchange powerful blows, each chanting to their respective religion.
`Tsuki no megami no tamashī yo, eikō ni kiwotsukero'
`nanji no rakuen ni ue rareta ikoku no tane yo'
The two felt their powers growing, their grace ascending to the divine and their soul's pact with the gods.
"Give me thine glory to smite your unbelievers."
"I call upon the supreme ruler of all creation."
Canary grabbed Fenrir and threw him away, catching up to him and plunging him into the ground.
Ā, hahayo, anata no utsu chikara de watashi o shukufuku shite kudasai.'
`Anata o takaku ageru tame ni, anata no o te o watashi ni sazukete kudasai.'
The two opponents, completing their chants, felt their souls ready to serve their god.
"Almighty Iago's Roar!!!"
"Tsukoyomi's Eternal Blade!!!"
Fenrir unleased a very powerful roar, while Canary created a large crescent-shaped weapon to counter said roar.
The two attacks were relentless and earth-shattering, but only one could truly exalt their god.
The crescent weapon got shattered, and the roar blasted Canary away, sending him into a mountain, cratering it significantly. A flash of light sparked, and a large explosion rocked the very bedrock of the mountain, destroying it.
Fenrir knelt, his body and his soul fatigued. "I gotta tell Caesar about this."
Chalybe and another of the thief stared at each other from a distance, their gaze heavy and strong. Fenri reached for his bow, and the thief reached for his rifle.
The two marksmen dashed through the barren lands, firing relentless waves of bullets and grace arrows.
The thief was a rather humble lady, with a white bodysuit decorated with golden accents, her mouth masked, but her black-brown hair and amber eyes free, with a large sniper rifle in her grasp.
Chalybe kicked a boulder into little pieces and kicked the largest piece towards the thief. As the thief aimed to destroy the stone, it stopped mid-air. Chalybe appeared behind the rubble and shot the thief, who narrowly dodged it by a hair's breadth.
"Oh nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah," The thief thought. "He's a very strong and tricky fella. Calm your bones, Warwick, calm down the bones."
The thief aimed at the ground, and the bullet ricocheted and struck Chalybe's armour.
"Oh, nice bullets," Chalybe commented.
The two opponents created space between themselves, firing shots and arrows at impossible angles and range.
"She's good," Chalybe thought. "I feel like he is leading me somewh... oh, I see it now."
Chalybe quickly turned mid-air to stare into the crimson eyes of the large leviathan, and 25 bullets came at him from different angles.
"Perfect, Castle." Warwick commended her beast.
"I'm toast," Chalybe thought. "I don't want to, but..."
The bullets bounced off a powerful defence, and the beast of the ocean was stung by the prince's divinity.
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT," Warwick stared, dumbfounded.
Chalybe glided through the sky, a large, cyan wing smoking from the impact of the bullets.
"I can't deny it," Chalybe sighed. "I am a Nephilim, whether I like it or not."
Chalybe's eyes glinted as he flew beside Warwick.
"He is way too fast," Warwick thought. "Why do nobles get power and wealth?"
Chalybe looked 3 times larger, with a horn protruding from his hair, with a semi- halo levitating above his head. Blue tattoos appeared on his face, and his voice became more hollow, more divine and commanding.
As Warwick tried to aim, Chalybe grabbed the rifle and snapped it. He drew his bow back, and a much larger arrow was knocked into it.
"I am so sorry," Chalybe said as he took the shot.
Warwick stared at the divine arrow pointed at her face, but she merely broke a sweat.
"I don't care if I die," Warwick said, her voice serious and rough. "But I ain't bowing to you."
Chalybe's eyes were sympathetic and warm. "I never asked for that."
Aurelia danced gracefully.
She dodged through the bites of the leviathan and the claws of the thief. Aurelia brought out a dagger, stabbed the thief in both palms, jammed it into the ground, leapt from the hilt and landed with a powerful axe kick.
But the kick was blocked by the thief's arm, which now enlarged dramatically.
"A titan, I see." Aurelia thought. She dashed away as the Leviathan attempted again to consume her. The three flashed through the entire battle with unbreakable focus and indomitable will.
As the Leviathan dived for another attempt, Aurelia disappeared.
"Are you shittting me?" The thief bit her lips, her entire face masked. "Stay sharp, Thea."
Aurelia appeared atop the thief and landed for another axe kick, but the leviathan interrupted it. Aurelia and the thief were inches away from each other, with the claw and the dagger creating sparks.
Abbey and Aurelia both landed a hook on the other's face, pushing them apart.
"You really are a master of feints." Aurelia commended, which suprised even her.
"Oh, I took notes from the lying nobles who took my future, literally," Abbey inhaled sharply. "Let's fight then, One lier to another.Neverland: Ancient ruins of the Charred Motherland."
Aurelia found herself in a peculiar situation. She was trapped in a large throne room, the walls burnt and destroyed, the ceiling scarred and smeared, and the throne burning.
As Aurelia took a step, Abbey appeared beside her and gave her a devastating hook to the chest, blasting her away.
"What's wrong, can't lie now?" Abbey screamed.
Anytime Aurelia moved, Abbey would appear instantly and land a powerful attack, almost impossible to dodge.
Aurelia removed the pin from her hair, allowing it to flow. "I need to get back to Caesar."
Aurelia sprinted, but Abbey appeared beside her. Swiftly, Aurelia countered with a punch to the gut.
"I knew it," Aurelia smiled. "This Neverland is still far incomplete."
Abbey spat out blood, her eyes burning with rage. "So what?"
Aurelia made an evil grin. "It means it is incapable and unsuitable. The rules are simple, If I move, the neverland teleport you to my incoming destination, allowing you to attack, while weakening me and strengthening you. Isn't that right?"
Abbey was shocked, her mouth left ajar. "Uh, no."
[It represents the fall of the famous Titan city, Gunjabo, when the enemy attacked anytime their soldiers moved]
Aurelia chuckled. "Word of advice. When picking an opponent..." Aurelia raised her hands elegantly. "Make sure it's not me. Neverland: Aphrodite's Shadow Garden."
Abbey found herself in a more peculiar situation.
She found herself in a garden, where all flowers, fruits and vegetation were all black. Butterflies and Flutterbies carried the colour of darkness, and a large Oberon statue of Aurelia dominated the epicentre of the domain.
"Why do you fight?"
Aurelia's laughter echoed through the arena, which made Abbey alert.
"Dissapointing," Aurelia's voice blared. "Even though my Neverland is far more incomplete than yours, it disappeared with no trace."
Abbey was annoyed. Her opponent was bratty, egotistical, clever, bewitching, alluring, beautiful...
"What da..." She fell to her knees, her breath becoming laboured and her strength vanishing fast. Furthermore, she can't get Aurelia out of her head.
"You are in love with me, aren't you?"
Abbey's eyes drifted towards the statue, as Aurelia sat elegantly in one of the hands. She didn't know why she wanted to lick her feet.
What was this?
Aurelia appeared in front of Abbey, her form appearing godly and tempting. But her alluring aura was destroyed as Aurelia kicked the thief in the face, sending her flying through the garden.
"You aren't a rebel."
The future knight continued to unleash rows of punches, and Abbey didn't know why she was allowing herself to be attacked.
"You aren't fighting for freedom."
Abbey gnashed her teeth. "What have you done to me?"
"You don't even know what you are fighting for."
"Don't test me!!" Abbey shouted. "Who are you to tell me what I fight for?"
Aurelia grabbed the thief by her collar, stepped on her chest and landed with an axe kick.
Aurelia giggled as she continued her onslaught. "I am a child of Deadelus."
As Abbey tried to throw a punch, her hands fell to her legs, cowering before Aurelia like a desperate dog.
Aurelia calmly raised the criminal's head and smiled. "Moral Lesson of the day: Find what you are actually fighting for. You disgrace."
Aurelia punched the thief out of the Neverland, colliding with a stone pillar. As Aurelia was about to breathe, the leviathan appeared behind her, its jaws successfully in the perfect range to devour the genius.
But the beast was smacked by the body of another Leviathan, the two monstrous creatures tumbling back into the sea.
Aurelia turned her eyes to see Izobel standing over her opponent victoriously. The two girls stared at each other before rushing towards their goal.
Caesar and the leader of the Silver thieves, who wore a simple white suit and an eye mask, were battling relentlessly, both sides refusing to slow their tempo.
Caesar brought his cleaver down on the thief, but it was easily blocked. As Caesar's head began to spin, he grinned wildly.
With a squeeze of the trigger, the pipes exploded, as two bullets were fired into the thief, blood staining the white attire of the leader.
"Impressive," The thief surprisingly smiled. "What prodigies my team has encountered today."
The thief punched Caesar away, but the prodigy grabbed the edge of a pillar, spun himself around, used his cleaver to slice off a piece, and kicked it in the direction of the thief. As the thief was about to jump over the rubble, Caesar flicked his hands.
"Boom."
The rubble exploded, catching the thief offguard as he received the brunt of the explosion. Caesar walked towards the site of the explosion, and the thief surprisingly walked out, his white attire spotless.
"Why are you attacking us?" Caesar said. "What have we done to deserve this?"
"Nothing really, young man." The thief said. "My name is Gatwick, and my team are on a mission to fight back the nobles."
Caesar tilted his head, beckoning for an elaboration.
"Do you know how many people die every day due to stabbing, hunger, corruption, thirst, and disease? All of them died because of the thing we call the 'devil', ranking living things on a fake scale created out of greed and gluttony."
"So that is why you are creating this conflict?"
"Not conflict, young man, revolution," The leader smiled. "You won't understand the pain of the poor. Your father is nearing the title of the richest man in Zion. You can eat warmly, sleep comfortably, love freely, work happily, even... even... laugh genuinely."
The leader wiped his eyes, removing any incoming tears. "Pardon me, it seems I am getting broody. I am a noble, like yourself, and I won't stand to watch our people oppress the disadvantaged because of what? Money? Power? How big can you throw a party? It's disgusting."
Caesar took a deep breath. "I believe you live in Ebony, correct?"
"Truthfully, young man."
"Well, even though I can't understand the pain of the oppressed, I refuse to believe Zion would build that kind of structure. Zion would never think about..."
Suddenly, the thief began to laugh. His laugh was loud, genuine, and uncontrollable.
"Naiveity, young man, so naive." The leader touched his ribs. "ZION IS WHERE IT ALL STARTED."
Caesar's brain short-circuited. "W-what?"
"The corruption, the destruction, the history of an empire once brutal," Gatwick smiled. "I have seen into the history of Zion, history that the king is willing to put a royal bounty on my head. A royal bounty of 2,000,000,000 Freys."
Caesar's legs felt heavy, and he could sense something was wrong.
The eyes of the Silver thieves glowed, and the group quickly held their weapons.
"There are 4 levels of currency," Gatwick started. "Ikol, Thork, Freys and Nairo. The king is aware of what I know, and he immediately placed that bounty on my head, not too high to arouse questions, but not too low to enforce urgency. And do you want to know what's more interesting, young man? Your father is in it, too."
Fenrir stared as Canary stood up from the former mountain.
"Took you long enough, Gat."
Chalybe aimed his weapon at his opponent, who emitted a thick, purple aura of pure destruction.
"My brother is really doing it?"
Gatwick's white attire glowed with brighter intensity, his power seemingly multiplying every second. The thief appeared in front of Caesar, causing the paragon to draw his sword, but it shattered on impact.
"Should I tell you the story of Zion, the most evil empire in existence?"