AN: Sorry again for the late post! Hope you all enjoy this one. There's still more planning going on for our next arc, but I promise I'm giving it my best to make it as good and in depth as possible. I certainly don't want to time skip over parts that I can flesh out instead.
On the other hand, hopefully to make up for the late post, I've got more art! This time, its detailed official art of Umara, courtesy of Lunifura on Vgen. I'll be posting it to the other art post as well.
Hope you like it!
“FUCK OFF!”
“Just like a primitive! You never learn!”
Vatsy’s hand snapped out as Carrion’s sword cleaved through the air with palpable Vigor.
With a moment of incredible concentration, Vatsy’s knuckles flashed with several times the density of plasma. It seared through the Vigor around Carrion’s sword before making contact with the metal.
The ensuing explosion of lightning arced up the metal and into Carrion’s arm, snapping through his body and stunning him for the eighth time. Vatsy used the opening to slam his fist into Carrion’s chest, sending him flying into a nearby building in the city.
Vatsy panted a bit, sweat beading across his body, the idle plasma around his hands slightly weaker than before.
It had been several minutes since the Puppet Master had left with his students. They were likely already in the Black Spider Hotel, just waiting for him to escape.
That was proving to be more of an issue than he thought it would. Not because he couldn’t, but because he didn’t want to bear the cost that would come with it.
Carrion was easy to fend off, but not easy to get away from. His physical abilities were top notch, even for Authority 11 knights. He was a far cry from someone talented enough to break the Great Barrier, but for those at his level, he was still incredible.
He was fast, strong, and had oppressive sword techniques. Being a full Authority underneath him, Vatsy couldn’t find any great openings to get away in a fashion that wouldn’t just drag Carrion back to the Hotel with him. That would be a good way to get on the Key Master’s shit list.
Even that punch which sent Carrion flying only did so for a portion of a second. The man came flying right back, Vatsy not fast enough to create meaningful distance. He may be able to move his body with literal lightning reflexes locally, but traversal still remained difficult without some more extreme techniques that caused considerable pain and exhaustion.
And the obvious conclusion was that Vatsy would be the one running out of energy first. Knowing that time was fast approaching, Vatsy cried out.
“Dammit! Why do you have to be so difficult! Just let me go and you can fuck off back to your school! I don’t ever plan on coming back to this forsaken city again anyway!”
“Your delusions truly know no bounds! I’ll have you begging for death as soon as you’ve worn yourself to the bone! You are destined to lose this fight!”
“It’s like talking to a brick wall…”
Vatsy grunted, dodging another enraged slash from Carrion before jumping away.
Then, he brought out a device, the mana it contained causing Carrion to pause his attacks.
Carrion’s eyes narrowed.
“You think some expensive device is going to kill me?”
“Kill you? No, I hardly care whether you live or die. Your life couldn’t possibly be worth so much that I’d need to find an item to kill you. It would be far too expensive!”
“You fucking…”
“But you’ve still made me expend a precious possession! I guess you should take comfort in knowing you’ve cost me a whole pile of Gold Bullion! But nevertheless, goodbye. May I never have to meet your barbaric self again.”
“You think-!”
Carrion dashed forth, and yet Vatsy still disappeared from his spot, a snap of spatial magic bringing him to an unknowable location.
Carrion roared in rage, his voice chaking the city, not knowing that Vatsy could, in fact, still hear him.
Reappearing within the Black Spider Hotel, Vatsy settled his body, looking down at the enchanted device in his hands, seeing the Crystal shatter within and go dim.
He clenched the pieces.
“A precious escape treasure, gone, just like that…”
“Vatsy.”
The Puppet Master walked over, seeing the broken device in Vatsy’s hand. His heart felt pained, his hand planting on Vatsy’s shoulder.
“We thank you, greatly. If not for you holding Carrion off, I don't think any of us would have made it out alive. Or still human.”
“I…”
Vatsy paused, gripping the device harder.
“I only have five left…”
“...”
The Puppet Master looked at him weirdly.
“...How expensive are they?”
“Almost a million coin each! And I burned this one to travel just halfway across the city! What unbearable waste! At least I might be able to get more from Polaris…”
“...Nevermind.”
The Puppet Master sighed, internally retracting only some of his thanks.
Then, they all turned to the Key Master as he walked over. With that courteous smile and sharp suit unbefitting the Capital’s current chaos, he bowed a bit.
“Welcome, all, to my Hotel. While we have a larger audience than expected, it’s of no consequence. Allow me to introduce you to your escort out of this city.”
The Key Master motioned to his side, and that’s when everyone saw an armored individual appear out of nowhere.
The armor was unlike anything they had seen before, and only somewhat similar to those that the guards outside the Hotel were equipped with. It was sleeker, definitely custom made to fit their body perfectly. It was definitely a woman standing there, the armor giving enough justice to her curves to make everyone wonder whether it actually provided protection.
Then, she took off her helmet, her face being revealed. Thoughts of beauty and ferocity in her gaze passed through the students’ minds, her light smile unable to mask the sharpness she radiated.
“Hello everyone, you can call me Aria. I’m a special operative for Iron Legion, and I’ll be responsible for your safety until we reach friendly territory. Thanks to the Key Master here, it should be mostly safe until we’re outside. Just make sure to follow directions and we’ll reach our ride out in no time.”
“Oh! Are you a part of that Sector 4 the King talked about?”
One of the students suddenly chimed out, the eyes of the rest perking up and widening with realization.
Aria gave a low chuckle.
“I can’t answer that question. And to all of you, I recommend that you keep your curiosities to yourself. There are a lot of very evil people who would kill you to extract information about people like me. If you go talking to others about how you met someone who may have been from Sector 4, you might attract some really bad attention. I can’t expect you all to take what you’ve seen to your graves, but at least exercise some discretion. Technically I shouldn’t have even told you my name, but I’m a bit different.”
“...Why are you different?”
The same student asked another question, earning some glares from the others who had been spooked by Aria’s warning.
She smiled.
“My family was killed long ago. I have no roots or connections that anyone can trace me back through. For all intents and purposes, I don’t exist, so it doesn’t matter if anyone knows my name. That means it’s not a violation of operational security for me to speak my name anymore than it is to speak my callsign, though it can’t be both.”
Aria finished her words, none of the students responding, simply staring at her with gazes of awe.
She turned her gaze to the Key Master, her axe, the Bloodsworn, appearing in her grip. Taller than herself and with a massive head, it drew plenty of eyes with its bulk and the aura it radiated.
“I’m ready whenever you are, sir.”
“Of course. Please, this way.”
The Key Master waved, leading the group to an elevator, one that most customers used to go to their rooms above.
Taking out an old, rusted key, he slotted it into a keyhole on the wall next to the elevator. With it, the doors opened, the elevator suspiciously larger in volume than it should’ve been. Aria’s suit sensors went off with it, detecting spatial magic.
They ushered the students in, as well as the noble families that Vatsy had originally planned to help, Aria nodding to the Key Master.
“Thank you for helping me, Key Master.”
“It’s my pleasure, madam. I certainly wouldn’t keep one of John Cooper’s closest trapped in this city. Do give him my best regards.”
“I will. I wish you safety, sir.”
“And I wish you a fruitful fight.”
The Key Master bowed a bit, Aria entering the elevator and letting the door close, noticing nobody having reacted to their conversation.
There was faint chatter as the elevator moved downward. It seemed the spatial aspect was only for expanding the size of the elevator itself, not augmenting its transportive abilities.
While moving, the Puppet Master finally spoke, his words aimed at Aria.
“So, you’re one of John’s friends?”
Aria glanced at him, nodding before putting her helmet back on, her voice coming out with a faintly fake tone created by enchanted speaker systems.
“Yes, although he’s more my liege than a friend, I would say.”
“You serve him?”
“He wouldn’t classify it as that. When I was younger, around the time he was in the Magisterium, he saved me from the Clockwork Association's trafficking ring. Since then, I’ve trained so I could fight for him. Has he told you about us?”
She questioned, earning a chuckle from the Puppet Master.
“Heavens no. The boy has tried to poach me no shortage of times, but nevertheless, it’s been years since we’ve properly talked, and he certainly didn’t tell me something so secret about his agents. You just looked like you were more than one of his many operatives, and oddly enough, it’s not difficult to see his effect on other people. You carry yourself accordingly.”
“You must not have met many agents, not that I’d expect it to be any other way. I’m not so special even among the majority of them.”
“Miss Aria, I’ve been training the most talented Magi this Kingdom has ever seen for almost a century. I have an eye for these things, that much is certain. John Cooper and his Calamity class, at least those that survived, are perhaps the most extreme batch of students I’ve ever had the pleasure of training. And I see the same stuff in them as I can see in you. So I implore you not to sell yourself short, especially since you’re wielding something as unnerving as that dreadful axe.”
Aria’s grip tightened around the handle at the mention of Bloodsworn. Still, her mind occupied with the compliment, she nodded.
“Thank you, sir. I will do my best.”
“I’m sure that’s all you do. Your eyes looked almost as old as mine.”
“Hm.”
Aria gave a hum in response, the rest of those around them staring at their conversation with rapt attention.
Soon enough, they arrived at their floor. It wasn’t a floor of the Hotel, but an underground tunnel. As opposed to others that may have been unlit, cramped, and exposed rock, this one was made of proper brick with bright lights and no dark corners. It was slightly cool and perfectly clean with a stone tiled path.
“How lavish, for an escape tunnel…”
Vatsy muttered, echoing everyone’s thoughts as they started moving forward. Aria took the lead, speaking to the Puppet Master and Vatsy.
“Vatsy, you can fight, so bring up our rear. Puppet Master is with me. Vizen, stay in the middle, and take this.”
“You heard the lady.”
The Puppet Master hurried his aide and Vatsy to their positions, neither of them complaining. Once she stepped out of the elevator, Aria clearly flipped a switch. Her presence became faint, even though they could still see her, and the Aura she once radiated was no longer. Still, that inability to sense her made those with sharp instincts look at her with an edge to their gaze.
The device she handed to Vizen was also esoteric in nature. It projected a field around them, blocking out all sound and perception from beyond. It was definitely to stealth their presence, even though the tunnel itself should’ve been perfectly safe.
Like that, they started walking through. The tunnel was comfortably wide and its atmosphere didn’t impose any sense of creepiness, keeping everyone relatively calm.
The Puppet Master asked.
“Can we expect hostilities?”
“It’s possible, but I can’t know what the enemy is doing beyond the walls. This tunnel lets out at least three miles from the walls, but we can’t know if the enemy has any intel about its exit. Unfortunately, no matter how secretive, the Key Master’s escape routes may not be entirely uncomprimised.”
“I see. And you said we have a ride out?”
“Yes. Air transport. They’ll meet us as soon as I call them.”
“Will that be possible? I don’t want to underestimate your methods, but not only is the NodeNet shut down, but if I’m not mistaken, a magical barrier has been created around the city, and I’m sure even further beyond.”
Aria nodded, as if she’d always known.
“Correct, a Sovereign has projected some of their Mana-laced Aura across an area about 10 miles in diameter, preventing just about all communications. But… Well, our tech supersedes that. Communication is the least of our issues.”
“I see. How amazing, to supercede a Sovereign barrier.”
“I couldn’t tell you how it worked even if I wanted to. The shit those enchanters think up is beyond me.”
“Heh, Indeed.”
The Puppet Master chuckled in agreement, the tunnel being traversed at a steady pace.
It was mostly silent for the walk, but the extended duration of walking several miles served to calm most people’s nerves.
Then, they finally reached the end. Seeing the exit, Aria turned to the others.
“Keep your formation, stay together, and follow orders. If we want to protect you all, then you have to stay within range. Those who can fight, keep your hands free. If you can’t, stay out of the way. That includes the students. If we’re so unfortunate as to run into people, they won’t be anyone you can fight. I’ve already called transport, so sit still for a moment.”
Aria stopped at the exit door with those words, going silent, everyone watching her as she stared at the door. They initially thought she was just staring off into space while preoccupied, but then her head started to turn, glancing at other areas around them.
Then, she planted a device on the door. She touched it once, then twice, and a projection appeared around them, showing three people standing around the entrance, two of which were up in trees, the other hiding above their door, with traps riddled around the exit.
Enemies, clearly. Aria turned.
“Change of plans. Vatsy, get up here. Vizen, stay with them.”
They did as she commanded, Vatsy moving up, a frown on his face.
“How strong are they?”
“One Authority Ten, two Authority Nines.”
“Can we even fight that?”
“...Your file did say you were weird.”
“Sorry?”
Vatsy gaped at her.
“I have a file?”
“We’ll breach through the top, straight at the Authority Ten. Vatsy and I will handle him. Puppet Master, guard the exit. I’ve got an agent ready to engage the other two. They’ll handle them.”
“What the hell does my file say?!”
“We’ll go off my breaching charge. Stand by.”
Aria moved, ignoring Vatsy and planting a device on the ceiling above them, right underneath the feet of that Authority Ten’s scanned figure.
Grunting, Vatsy primed his fists, metal knuckles over his fingers, while the Puppet Master primed some of his mana.
Then, Aria spoke.
“On my mark. Three, two, one, mark.”
The charge detonated on her word, blasting the entire ceiling above it to dust and throwing the Authority 10 into the sky.
Aria followed the explosion, swinging her axe while Vatsy jumped through after her. She moved with unhesitant, almost bored decision, he moved with hesitant reluctance, and explosions simultaneously rang around the locations of the other two enemies.
Rising into the air, Aria brought back her axe and swung once she was in range. Her blade whipped at the chest of her enemy, cleaving into his chest before exploding with detonating Vigor. The pressure blasted him back down at the floor, his body cratering in the dirt.
Aria landed on top of him, bringing down her axe again with multiple times the momentum and all her strength.
Yet the blade was stopped, her enemy bringing up armored arms covered in palpable Vigor. The blade created fierce sparks with the armor as its Vigor exploded with the contact, but was still halted by superior sheer power.
But it was only once. With another follow up attack giving no room to breathe, Aria slashed down with another full power strike. The Vigor in her axe, vibrating in malice, clashed with her enemy’s arms and blew apart his defenses, taking off an arm with it.
With a cry, the Nephilim below her released a shockwave of Vigor, blowing Aria off him and creating some distance. However, that’s when Vatsy shot in, bringing down a fist full of plasma.
The first punch stunned him with a jolt of lightning, and the second created an explosion of heat right on his face, liquifying his eyes and senses, causing a scream to erupt.
Another explosion of Vigor erupted, and Vatsy created distance, only for Aria to jump back in. She cleaved down, her enemy moving on pure instinct and bringing up a weapon to block, only for it to shatter under her power. Preserving that momentum, she spun around and cleaved down once more, the arm that was raised to block being blown to fleshy bits.
Vatsy followed up with a knife hand, shoving it toward the enemy’s throat, the plasma forming a knife and slicing right through. Their enemy died instantly, Aria turning to the others.
Now, in the air was a duo of helicopters, both of them with weapons trained below, and an agent of their own standing above two corpses.
Vatsy’s breath came out in a hurried, adrenaline fueled rhythm. On the other hand, Aria took stock of the situation and nodded.
She went back to the tunnel, looking down the hole at the Puppet Master, who had created a barrier to protect the exit.
“All clear. Open the door and come through. Let’s get everyone boarded.
“Understood.”
The Puppet Master nodded, filing everyone through as the helicopters landed. The students and noble families were quickly loaded between both.
Aria went with the Puppet Master, while Vatsy went with the other agent. When she finally boarded last, she closed the door and smacked it, the helicopters lifting off and flying away, going completely invisible.
After some moments of silence, Aria took off her helmet once more, the Puppet Master turning to her with impression in his eye.
“You pull off something that makes an Authority Ten look like an untrained child, and then dare say that you’re nothing special while being an Authority lower?”
“I had help and a surprise attack.”
“...Well, that’s certainly something you didn’t pick up from John.”
“What’s that?”
“Your humility. Just don’t let it become excessive. Learn to have confidence. What you just did is an achievement that few of those in the world could ever boast, let alone pull off like it’s an average day at work.”
“This is an average day at work for me.”
“Indeed. That’s the spirit.”
“No, I…”
She looked at him like she wanted to correct him, seeing his smug old face and sighing.
“Nevermind.”
“Heh. I thank you again for the help, Miss Aria. Will I be able to meet John?”
“That’s up to you. I was asked to retrieve you so you could be safe, but it wasn’t by John. He’s disappeared, and I’m not at liberty to say anything about it. If you did want to go where he is, that can be arranged, but you’d be forced to remain there for the forseeable future. Otherwise, you can remain in friendly territory and either retire or continue your work within Iron Legion, training up soldiers who will inevitably be forced to protect their homes from the Scourge. The choice is yours.”
“Is this to say that Iron Legion will remain whole?”
“That is correct.”
“I see…”
The Puppet Master went silent in thought, looking around at his students.
His mixed thoughts churned for several minutes, eventually coming out with a sigh.
“Well, I did make him promise that I’d have job security. But I can’t say I’m interested in disappearing with him. I’ll remain and help, which is what I’m assuming was originally planned.”
“Nothing was planned, only expected. Since that’s the case, you’ll be meeting with Duchess Talerria and Sovereign Ironheart to arrange training programs in their territories. However, there is one more thing I was requested to ask from you.”
“Oh? What would that be?”
Aria smiled a bit, as if expectant of the results.
“We want all of the technology and magic related to your puppetry. We’re hoping to develop improved training simulators that will hopefully be able to allow people to fight at full capacity, with all their power, and yet not sustain any injury even to the point of death. John calls the concept a ‘full virtual reality simulator.’ It sounds quite exciting, and it would be perhaps the best conceivable tool for training.”
“And torture, it seems like.”
“A matter of perspective. So what do you say.”
She looked at him with a light in her eyes, the Puppet Master chuckling.
“I certainly have no reason to reject, even if the tech is one of the Magisterium’s most closely guarded secrets. Sure, I’ll give what I can.”
“Perfect. I’ll let him know.”
“Yes, give him my regards as well. He finally managed to poach me.”
“And it only took bringing revolution to the Kingdom.”
“I suppose it did.”
The two of them laughed, the helicopters continuing on their way through the sky.