Ogre Tyrant

Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 66 – A Monarch’s pride – Part One

Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 66 - A Monarch’s pride - Part One

Waves of cold fury dominated my mind as I stared at the gold and crimson notifications fixed in front of my eyes. I had been only a handful of days, at most, from returning to my family and being able to relax. To have events take such an unexpected and dangerous turn was beyond infuriating.

[ {Divine Patriarch ~ 10623} has issued a {Supremacy Challenge}. The Monarch has ( 23h 59m 37s ) to dictate the terms of the conflict. ]

[ The penalty for refusing the {Supremacy Challenge} has been escalated due to {Monarch Inactivity} and is temporarily set at ( 50% ) of all {Dimensional Assets and Territories}. ]

[ Terms of Engagement: The challenged Monarch has the right to determine the scale and stakes of the conflict. The minimum stake is set at ( 1 ) {Standard Territory}. In the event of a Monarch’s death, all remaining {Dimensional Assets and Territories} will be assigned to the Monarch’s designated descendant. ]

At first glance, the information didn’t make a great deal of sense on its own. However, a fraction of a second later, my authority filled in the gaps and made things clear.

Divine Patriarch was the title and alias of another Awakened. Like me, he had an extradimensional space and his subjects. The numbers denoted a score and ranking amongst other Awakened. The twenty-four-hour countdown was absolute. If I didn’t provide an answer before it ran out, I would forfeit by default and lose half of all the territories I had taken from the Labyrinths and all the people who lived in them.

As the challenged party, I had the right to dictate whether we would face one another in a duel, or an outright battle. There was no upper limit on how many subordinates I could allow, and the thought of carnage on such an impossible scale sent shivers down my spine.

I was also responsible for choosing how many territories would be set as a mandatory wager. The limit that I could set was the number of territories I currently controlled. Or rather, the maximum number of territories was set according to the Monarch with the least territories. I didn’t know how many territories the Divine Patriarch had, just that he had more than me.

The conflict itself was open to a certain degree of interpretation but the alternatives were no less violent. Similar to ancient honour duels, there was the option to have seconds fight on our behalf if we so chose. So long as there was conflict and lethal combat, the system was disgustingly amenable.

I had been an idiot to dare to hope that who or whatever controlled the Labyrinths would just leave me be. The conflict was what they had wanted from the beginning, so it made a sick sort of sense that they would take more direct steps toward ensuring that goal was met.

Refusing the challenge was absolutely out of the question. I had a duty and responsibility to protect my subjects. Based solely on my experiences of other Awakened thus far, I doubted they would be treated with anything approximating basic dignity or respect, let alone be allowed control over their own lives.

Through a force of will, I suppressed my rage and forced myself to assess my options rationally.

The challenge presented several significant risks, but it also provided an opportunity., not just for additional territories, but for information.

I used my mana to Summon projections of Nadine and Clarice alongside my champions. After explaining the situation, I took a certain degree of comfort in the fact that I wasn’t the only one to find the sudden danger of the challenge to be profoundly unsettling.

“This fucker wants to take advantage of us because he thinks we are weak!” Clarice snarled with a feral ferocity burning in her eyes. “I say we take them for all their fucking worth!”

Unsurprisingly, Sebet nodded in agreement while smiling approvingly. “There will never be an opportunity quite like this one, and in exchange for accepting a certain degree of risk, there are considerable gains for your efforts.”

“But what’s the point?” Nadine interjected hurriedly. “These territories, they’re just floors from the Labyrinths, right? Why do you need to take crazy risks?” She looked to Gric for support and was emboldened when he motioned for her to continue. “Your increase in authority is going to make seizing more territory from the Labyrinths even faster now, right? So it seems needlessly reckless to risk anything more than the bare minimum. It just isn’t worth it.”

Jayne moved to stand beside Nadine as a show of support. “She speaks true, Majesty. We have little to gain, but much to lose-”

“Only if we lose...” Randle interjected reservedly, not quite convinced one way or the other.

“Which would mean the death of his Majesty or his proxy,” Faine added pensively. “It would be truly reckless to believe that our enemies will allow a surrender without exacting a punishing price in exchange.”

“All the more reason not to take such risks!” Nadine insisted, planting her feet determinedly and fearlessly facing off against the two knights.

“I believe you have misunderstood my intentions...” Faine commented calmly. “Lives are at stake. His Majesty and his proxies will face vicious opponents who intend to take their lives. I would go to my death gladly if it meant the continued peace and security of His Majesty’s realm.” His expression hardened and his jaw tightened, “However if His Majesty were to die, everything would be at risk. Valuing His Majesty’s life against a single day's labour is simply unacceptable!”

“We could wager unpopulated territories to mitigate the risks to civilians,” Sebet added in support while riding Faine’s momentum. “Six territories could be made available before the deadline comes due. Providing six more territories than we would have had otherwise. If they are unpopulated, they could be set aside as insurance against future challenges. If they prove otherwise, we may gain access to much-needed information regarding our enemy.”

“We are lacking information required to determine the appropriate degree of risk...” Gric agreed bitterly and with visible distaste.

“So we wager the six then!” Clarice insisted animatedly, “That’s gotta hurt them far more than just one!”

“Assuming we win...” I commented dryly. “I have yet to defeat a truly dangerous Awakened on my own,” I reminded her.

Each time I had fought an Awakened, I had several allies backing me up or outright taking the lead. Furthermore, my experience with fighting one on one in general was severely lacking.

There was no telling how many years the Divine Patriarch had been training, or how many rivals he had killed. For all I knew, I could be headed straight for slaughter.

Nadine grimaced, clenching her teeth and lowering her eyes.

Sebet stepped forward, “With all due respect, Great One, you should designate a second to fight in your place!” She insisted, earning approving nods from the other champions which were accompanied by a combination of acceptance and grim determination.

“No,” I refused to survive by sacrificing the lives of those I was supposed to protect.

“Then allow us to fight alongside you, my Tyrant!” Gric demanded angrily, “You should not face the danger alone!”

“You’re right,” I agreed with only the faintest trace of hesitation. Facing an unknown enemy on my own would be suicide.

Of course, that raised the question regarding who I should bring as my backup. Almost immediately, I thought of Ushu and Cooper. However, I was forced to dismiss them as viable candidates. Their incredible size made them well-suited to larger-scale conflicts but incredibly vulnerable to elite enemies. During the fight with the Liche, Ushu had made a point of steering clear of a close-quarters engagement. And if Ushu wasn’t going, there would be no chance whatsoever that he would allow Cooper to go alone.

All of the Humans and formerly wild monsters were simply too weak. Despite their Class levels, their stat progression and lack of competitively ranked Racial Abilities would make them a liability. Which was a shame given the advanced tactical acumen the Humans had accumulated and built upon over the generations.

Conversely, most monsters had too few Class levels. Losing established Class levels when changing Classes was a short-term loss for the individual, but collectively it left few individuals within the range regular humans would categorise as elite.

Only four monsters had high-Class levels and high stats, and their levels were largely due to my funnelling Exp directly toward their level progression.

Gric and Sebet were each at the peak of their respective Evolutionary potential and were amassing larger volumes of mana with each passing day. Their Classes were not the absolute highest level, but they were the highest Master tier Classes by a substantial margin. Unfortunately, some of their Racial Abilities were designed to exclusively function with members of their Species.

Ophelia’s Evolutionary progress was not as great as Grick and Sebet’s. However, her Class levels were the highest and her Abilities were entirely metered toward battle.

Losing out to Ophelia, Lash had the second highest Class level. However, her Evolutionary progress was far lower and there was no way I was going to even consider taking her. If the worst were to happen, and I died, I needed to know that Lash would be able to take care of our children. If she came with me, there would be no way I could guarantee her survival, especially since I couldn’t even guarantee my own.

Unfortunately, Gric, Sebet and Ophelia all presented a shared yet otherwise unique problem. They all belonged to Species on some sort of heavenly extermination list. Angels wanted them killed on sight.

A title such as Divine Patriarch didn’t necessarily mean that he had any association or dealings with Angels, but there was no way of knowing he didn’t either.

Gric, Sebet and Ophelia were all capable of disguising themselves as humans to varying degrees, but there was no way of telling if their disguises would be enough. Making matters worse, while disguised, Sebet and Ophelia would lose a considerable degree of mobility and utility. Leaving me to wonder if perhaps I could power-level Rikit or one of the veteran warriors from Lash’s tribe.

There was another minor problem as well. Gric, Sebet and Ophelia all lacked Racial Abilities that could Synergise with others. Which meant that I would be the only one providing Abilities that would provide benefits for the group as a whole.

“You are right to be cautious, Great One,” Sebet commented approvingly, surprising the Humans who were not privy to reading my surface thoughts. “Angels can detect their own as readily as breathing. However, they have no such acclimation regarding the detection of Daemon or Devil-kind. On this, I can attest to having witnessed as much first-hand.”

“The Battle-Maiden’s capabilities would be too disadvantaged by such a handicap,” Gric stated matter of factly, seemingly pretending as if Sebet had not spoken and that they were in agreement with one another. “It would be far wiser to choose another or to go without.”

“We could, of course, always use Summons to gain beneficial Synergies,” Sebet continued after waiting for Gric to finish speaking. “My portfolio may not contain nearly as many options as others,” she looked pointedly at Gric, “However, I am certain I can still be of use.”

Gric’s right eyebrow twitched in annoyance but he grunted in agreement.

“The three of us then,” I decided after a lengthy deliberation.

“Tim...Are you sure about this?” Nadine asked quietly. “No one would think less of you-”

“You’re wrong,” I interjected bluntly. “If I don’t step up now, it will make the next time that much harder...This is the new normal now. The challenges will keep coming...” I tried not to grind my teeth as the mounting stress tightened the tendons in my jaw. “Even if I am not as prepared as I could be, I need to do this.”

Unwilling to have Nadine tempt me further, I dismissed her projection. It was cowardly and underhanded, but I knew myself well enough to know my limits.

“I need a training montage...” I muttered bitterly, wishing that matters could be so simple.

“Yes,” Gric agreed soberly, “Training would be the best use of our time.”

“Training?” Jayne and her cousins perked up at the mention of the word.

“I wish to volunteer our services, Majesty!” Randle declared with earnest determination, earning immediate shows of support from Faine and Jayne.

“They are the best qualified,” Sebet commented approvingly. “Amongst those who are aware of your alternative identity, at any rate,” she qualified before Gric had an opportunity to correct her.

“Hey! Don’t forget about me!” Clarice demanded irritably, “I might not have their noble training or whatever, but I bet I know a thing or two that they don’t!”

Sebet smirked lasciviously, causing Clarice’s cheeks to flush.

“A-About fighting to win!” Clarice barked while deliberately avoiding eye contact with Sebet. “Winning is what matters! So you need to know how to fight dirty!”

“Victory by any means,” Gric rumbled approvingly.

With no better time than the present, I conjured a magical club from Sanctuary’s treasury and got to work.

Knowing full well that a last-minute training montage wouldn’t magically make me a better fighter, I was still confident that the training was necessary to prepare my state of mind for the battle ahead.

With projections of Faine, Jayne and Randle swapping in and out as my opponent, I divided my efforts between my Human and true form. I had no way of knowing the Divine patriarch’s size or the Abilities he would have access to.

The name gave me cause to suspect that he was some sort of Eastern martial arts devotee from a manga or old badly dubbed movie. However, the name could just as easily fit a high-ranking clergyman.

To that end, my sparring against the three knights was not limited to traditional melee combat. As projections, they were free to burn through their mana at a truly alarming rate without the need to worry about downtime recovery. After all, the mana was all mine to begin with and I could regenerate their entire supply within a matter of minutes between bouts.

To a certain degree, Faine, Randle and Jayne had initially pulled their respective punches. However, as our training continued, and they became more comfortable with the idea of harming me for my good, the trio collectively made it clear that the kids' gloves were coming off.

Fighting was easier in my Human form but far more dangerous. My defensive and offensive Racial Abilities were made considerably weaker due to the proportional differences in anatomy and scale. I was still profoundly stronger and sturdier than any human, but for the sake of preparedness, the knights’ projections were as well.

The difference was so extreme when fighting in my true form, that I had to check with the projections several times just to make sure that they were benefiting from my Synergies. With magical armour intercepting the overwhelming majority of attacks and my Toughness soaking the rest, I took very little actual damage.

Of course, Spells made everything considerably more complicated.

Technically, Barrier was able to cancel just about anything. It was expensive to maintain, but usually, a single pulse was enough to counter any given Spell. However, therein lay the problem. It was immensely difficult to practise fighting against a spellcaster when both parties could just effortlessly counter the other’s Spells.

Making matters worse, a handful of Spells had to remain strictly off-limits due to their inherent dangers.

Even so, we did our best to replicate real combat conditions as closely as possible. All the while, the deadline remained in my peripheral vision. Hours, minutes and seconds slipped away with increasing speed as I became more engaged in the training.

All too soon, I found myself left with a single hour remaining. Calling an end to the training, I dismissed the projections, stripped off my armour and assumed my true form.

With a pulse of mana, I Summoned short-lived projections of my children.

“Daddy!” Already larger than most humans, Suzy tackled my right leg and smushed her chubby cheek into my thigh while grinning up at me with unrestrained excitement.

Pete approached at a comparatively more subdued pace to his sister but was smiling broadly. “Up!” He demanded, raising both arms and flexing his webbed fingers.

“Ups!” Suzy chorused excitedly, grabbing hold of my right arm and swinging off of my forearm as I bent down and lifted Pete with my left.

Pete pressed his face against my chest and hugged me with open arms.

“I missed you,” I gave them both a brief squeeze and couldn’t help but smile as Suzy and Pete positively thrummed in response.

“Miss you!” Suzy parroted, rubbing her face against my chest and leaving trails of mucus I preferred to remain unidentified.

“Mum, miss you too,” Pete added somewhat reservedly.

“Mummy sad!” Suzy agreed energetically despite remaining otherwise focused on spreading the unidentified mucus.

“Mum should see too,” Pete suggested in a determined tone that took me by surprise.

I had never spent time around children as an adult while on Earth, so my expectations were somewhat malleable. The rapid physical development of monsters was something I had come to accept as relatively normal. However, the social and neurological development was something I doubted I would ever truly become comfortable with.

Earthling babies and children were a blank canvas and needed to learn everything from scratch. Monster children were proving to be very different. Beginning life with a reserve of imprinted knowledge radically altered their mental development.

I had intended to Summon Lash from the beginning, but the twins' perceptiveness still caught me momentarily off guard.

“I agree,” I gave them both another squeeze and Summoned a projection of Lash.

The Summoning process provided a certain degree of expectation for the projections to follow, but the way Lash’s amethyst eyes lit up as she looked at me made my heart skip a beat before hammering into high gear.

Without saying a word, Lash threw herself against my chest with enough force to drive the air from my lungs before wrapping one of her arms around Pete’s legs and the other around Suzy’s waist with considerably greater care than she had shown me. Not that it mattered. Lash could break three of my ribs for all I cared, I would still be happy to see her.

Suzy giggled and squealed with delight, wriggling and squirming between the two of us like a snotty monkey while Pete wore a self-satisfied smile and lightly kicked his legs against Lash’s exposed side. Not that Lash seemed to mind.

Deciding that Lash deserved the truth, I explained the truth of why I had Summoned projections of her and the children rather than returning home in person.

As always, Lash surprised me with how readily she accepted the reality of the situation. Lash was by no means happy about it and was somewhat concerned, but mostly she was just angry at our enemies. Although I wasn’t sure how much of it was an act just to give me peace of mind. In either case, I appreciated it.

I had deliberately provided Pete and Suzy’s projections with only enough mana for roughly ten minutes each, so I made sure to tell them both how much I loved them and gave them another hug before they disappeared.

“You do not expect victory,” Lash commented quietly.

“It’s complicated...” I replied hesitantly. “I don’t know what this guy is capable of or how strong they are. I know that winning isn’t impossible. Even if I had to fight the Liche one on one, I believe I could have destroyed her. It’s just...” I struggled to find the words to express the maelstrom of thoughts crashing through my mind and failed.

Lash stared up at me with her glowing amethyst eyes, genuine concern warring in their depths, “You are afraid you will return broken.”

I nodded. There was more to it than that, but ultimately I was afraid of turning into someone, or rather, something, that would be a danger to my family.

“You won’t,” Lash insisted with irreproachable confidence. “You will defeat our enemies and return home to us,” her tone shifted and took on a measure of demand to match her confidence.

Despite myself, I had to fight hard not to smile. “You’re right,” I agreed determinedly, “When this is over, I will return home.”

Lash stared intensely into my eyes for a few moments before nodding in satisfaction and resting her head against my chest. I held her tight until the mana sustaining her projection ran out and I was left alone once more.

Returning to my Human form, I donned my armour and waited for Gric and Sebet’s arrival. While I waited, I formed a simple spiked club out of stone and then used my blood to Empower the Shape Stone Spell to make it supernaturally resilient.

After hanging the other club from my belt, I decided to be somewhat creative and test an idea that had been forming in my mind for quite some time.

Conjuring a rope, I cut it into roughly footlong lengths and then tied a large knot at the end of each piece. Using my authority, I then shaped small nearly fist-sized spheres around the end of each rope bearing the knot. It took a few tries to get them just how I wanted but I was satisfied with the final results.

Tying a smaller knot around the other end of each section of rope, I used the second knot to hang six of the improvised weapons from the belt on my left side. The knots prevented the rope from slipping through on its own but weren’t so big that a decent tug couldn’t pull them free.

Gric and Sebet arrived in person shortly afterwards.

Gric had chosen armour similar to my own but with more manoeuvrability and less overall protection. He carried a winged mace in his right hand and had a spare hanging from his belt.

Sebet’s armour was surprisingly conservative compared to what I had expected. She had chosen a set of studded boiled leather with an open-faced steel helmet and banded steel vambraces. Unsurprisingly, she carried a whip on each hip and a small collection of knives beside.

“What are they?” Sebet asked curiously, leaning down and pointing animatedly at the stone balls hanging from my belt. “A form of simulacra to shame our enemies and announce our sexual prowess?” She asked hopefully.

“Not as such, no...” I replied awkwardly. “They’re weapons.”

“Ranged bludgeons?” Sebet didn’t seem particularly impressed, “At least a bola would have two...”

“They're grenades,” I clarified with a hint of irritation, realising too late that it was only now that they were reading my mind that they would understand what I was talking about.

“Impressive!” Sebet remarked with renewed interest, “And the flaws will make that much more shrapnel, clever clever.”

“As expected of the Tyrant,” Gric declared proudly.

“I made some for both of you as well. The Thundering Strikes Spell is too volatile to store in advance, but these should perform better than random rocks on the ground,” I offered them two each.

“I will use them well, my Tyrant,” Gric swore solemnly before hanging them from his belt over his left hip.

“These will be fun!” Sebet hissed eagerly while making a point of hanging them so they clattered and clacked below her groyne. “Never underestimate the potential openings you can generate from an enemy’s inferiority complex or bashfulness!” Sebet exclaimed lasciviously while giving a hard pelvic thrust to test that her prostheses were well anchored.

I had to admit that Sebet had a point. She was making profoundly uncomfortable and that feeling on its own was rather distracting without even considering Sebet’s deliberate attempts to exacerbate it further.

“Enough,” I ordered and was glad when Sebet immediately fell back into line.

I used my Racial Ability to mark them both as my Bodyguards. I had no intention for Gric or Sebet to sacrifice themselves on my behalf, but the Bodyguard Ability would make them that much faster to act if I needed help.

Clearing my mind, I directed my focus toward setting the details of the challenge. The instant the details were finalised, we were transported onto an open field.

The knee-high brown grass grew in ragged patches and waved in the light western breeze, leaving large stretches of exposed stone-ridden soil. A full moon in the sky cast the fields in an eerie and ominous silver light.

Three men in Eastern-style banded armour were staring back at us from roughly thirty feet away.

The man standing in the centre took several steps forward, leaving his companions behind. “So, you have finally overcome your cowardice and accepted your fate!” He declared contemptuously. “But of course, it is to be expected of uncultured Western barbarians!”

The moment I laid eyes on him, I knew that he was the Monarch who had issued the challenge.

The two men that had remained behind snickered and guffawed in amusement as they slowly moved to join their companion.

All three men carried an Eastern straight-edge sword in their right hand and carried the empty scabbard in their left. However, they didn’t appear to have any other weapons.

The Monarch raised his sword and made a show of inspecting its edge. “You should feel honoured, for this day, you face the Divine Patriarch! Master of the Thousand Sword Style! The supreme deity of the Golden Orchards!” He declared proudly, sweeping his blade through the air with blurring speed and confirming his identity. “If you surrender now, I will only demand that you leave your right arm behind as payment! As utterly lacking as it may be!”

The Monarch’s boastful taunting drew more laughter from his subordinates.

Gric’s fists trembled with rage but he held his ground.

<He’s a tough nut to crack...> Sebet hissed in irritation before turning her attention toward the subordinate on the Monarch’s right. Her lips curled into a cruel smile. <This one I can work with!>

Weathering the Monarch’s taunts, I stared back at him in silence.

One of the conditions I had set for our duel was a ten-minute preparation period before the actual conflict was to commence. Violence from either party would result in their defeat. I had wanted more time to allow Sebet to gather more information, but the system had not allowed it for a battle involving so few people.

Similar to Jacque, Sebet’s telepathy was native to her Species. In direct contrast, Gric’s telepathy was the result of insane bioengineering. He had evolved his brain to the point that it became a literal weapon.

“Grk!” Sebet’s target snapped into a defensive stance. “They have Hidden Mind arts! Brother, raise your defences!”

“Damn it!” The other subordinate cursed but made no other signs of reacting to the warning.

Sebet snickered with satisfaction. <Their defences will drain their mana, and I have already found all that I could without alerting them.> She had made her presence known on purpose. Sebet’s grin quickly faded. <You were right to be cautious, Great One. From what I managed to learn, they all possess a Master Tier Class that combines body enhancement Spells and Abilities with extreme close combat enhancements. Their bodies are comparatively frail, but striking them a lethal blow will prove...difficult...>

<Then we stall them until the battle turns in our favour.> I replied stoically.

“You dare to employ such underhanded tricks?” The Divine Patriarch sneered contemptuously. “Just for that, I will demand you surrender your right leg as well! And You!-” He pointed the tip of his sword at Sebet, “Do not think that your bestial beauty will spare you from my wrath! Such diabolical sorcery cannot be permitted to exist!”

Sebet’s concern turned to amusement. “Diabolical Sorcery? But I haven't even started yet?”

Given the threat we were facing, Sebet was free to use the full extent of her Abilities. However, she would still no doubt be hampered by our collective efforts to keep her and Gric’s true identities a secret.

<They look human...> I observed warily.

<They are Human.> Sebet replied calmly, conveying their status as monsters with a mild telepathic inflection. <They appear to be a mana-specialised Sub-Species of some kind. Although there aren’t that many of them, and even those few are mostly half-breeds.> Sebet gave a noncommittal shrug before becoming deadly serious again. <The Monarch is different, he has mana to burn and knows it. The rank of his subordinates doesn’t matter to him, he won’t think twice about sacrificing one of them if it means he can land a decisive strike against you.>

That seemed about right, but it was good to know for certain.

<We will do our best to draw them away.> Sebet continued, her thoughts became anxious and uncertain. <But they have orders to ignore us and attack you exclusively.>

<We will not allow it!> Gric’s thoughts boomed like thunder and his already impressive frame began to swell, taking on more muscle and causing his outermost armour to groan under the strain as it tried to accommodate his increasing size.

I rested my free hand on Gric’s shoulder and sent a steady stream of mana into his armour, compelling it to grow and adjust to his shifting form. Gric could have done it himself, but his mana wouldn’t regenerate nearly as quickly as mine.

“Nothing to say for yourselves?” The Divine Patriarch scoffed. “I suppose it is to be expected from such lowly savages.” This brought more laughter from his subordinates, but there was a certain nervousness in their voices.

Gathering my mana, I began casting the Lesser Summon Servant Spell to Summon a small host of generic Beasts for their Synergies.

“Hmph! Low-grade Magical Beasts? Is this how you plan to fight me?!” The Divine Patriarch demanded with amusement. “Just like you, they are far too weak! Ha!” He flourished his sword dismissively.

Making sure to also Summon a few furred Kobolds and hide them amongst the Beasts, I decided to try and lean into the enemy's expectations to give us an advantage.

Falling to one knee, I feigned weakness as if Summoning so many Beasts had severely depleted my mana.

“My Tyrant!” Sebet and Gric moved quickly to try and shield me from the sight of the enemy, but not so quickly that they would undermine my ruse.

Unsure how familiar the enemy was with Summoning Spells, I decided to push our deception one step further.

I gave all of my Summons a mental order to flee.

At first, it didn’t look like the Divine Patriarch would fall for it, but then he began to laugh.

“Such incompetence! Never have I seen a monarch so weak that they would lose control over Magical Beasts of such a low grade!” The Divine Patriarch roared with amusement, waving and pointing with his sword as he encouraged his subordinates to join in his merriment. “Do you see now why we are the chosen of heaven?! The Western barbarians lack mastery over themselves, and yet they still attempt mastery over others! This is the peak of foolishness!”

“As in all things, you are right, Divine Patriarch!” The leftmost subordinate agreed, despite sounding somewhat cautious.

“It is just so, Divine Patriarch!” The other subordinate replied stiffly, his attention focused entirely on us and not the Beasts scattering across the plains.

Allowing Gric and Sebet to pull me back onto my feet, I pulled one of the grenades free from my belt and mentally prepared myself for combat.

The final handful of seconds passed with increasing slowness as anticipation on both sides steadily grew to a feverish intensity.

“This is your last chance!” The Divine Patriarch snapped angrily. “The heavens know that I am a pious and charitable man, but my mercy has its limits! Surrender now, or face my wrath!”

“NO!” I roared in defiance and drew my arm back in preparation to throw the grenade at the Divine Patriarch’s chest.

With only twenty feet between us, he wouldn’t have much time to dodge. However, I was hoping that he would try to deflect or block the grenade instead. With any luck, the sheer kinetic force of the blast would destroy his weapon.

However, for all of the Divine Patriarch’s arrogance, he hadn’t taken his eyes off of me for even a single second of the rapidly expiring ten-minute grace period. Worse still, he had begun gathering mana of his own, suggesting that he could sense my mana just the same as I could sense his.

It was an important reminder that the enemy had fought such challenges before and that his arrogance was not entirely unjustified.

“So be it!” The Divine Patriarch sneered dismissively. “You have spurned my generosity and must now face the consequences of your stubbornness and impropriety! Allow this senior to provide you with instruction on proper etiquette!”

The instant the ten-minute grace period ended, the Divine Patriarch disappeared.

At the same moment, Gric began shoving me away from himself and toward Sebet, who grabbed hold of my arm in turn and pulled with all her might.

Pain erupted from my right shoulder as the blade of a straight-edged sword sheared through my pauldron and briefly entered my peripheral vision.

<MOVE!> Gric and Sebet’s thoughts slammed into my mind like a sledgehammer and compelled me to act.

Using a portion of the mana I had already gathered, I used Shadowstep to reposition myself. Only instead of buying distance, I used Shadowstep to turn myself about and face my attacker.

Grinning like a madman, the Divine Patriarch was in the middle of retracting his blade in preparation for a second thrust when we locked eyes with one another once more. His surprise lasted only a fraction of a second before he continued his attack. However, the Divine Patriarch’s attention was almost immediately diverted as the claws of Gric’s right hand raced toward the open face of his helmet.

Raising his sword to block or perhaps deflect Gric’s attack, the Divine patriarch was instead launched off his feet and thrown away at extreme speed. Unfortunately, the Divine Patriarch managed to reorient himself mid-flight and then reestablish his footing without any apparent effort.

Grenade still in hand, I flooded the lump of specially prepared stone with destructive mana, grit my teeth and then hurled it at the Divine Patriarch with as much strength as I could muster. Pain flared from my injured shoulder, but I ignored it, refusing to take my eyes off of my target.

As the grenade flew from my hand and sped toward the Divine Patriarch, I realised my mistake. His subordinates had yet to act, and I had just turned my back on them both.

***** Bai ~ Fields of despair *****

Racing alongside his brother Jun under the effects of their respective supreme footwork techniques, Wang Bai felt a thrill of anticipation as the tip of his sword inched closer to the exposed back of the enemy Monarch.

Thoughts of reward and prestige raced through his mind, but Bai refused to allow them to distract him from his duty.

<Look out!> Jun’s warning came just in time for Bai to prepare himself for an incoming mental attack.

Even with the benefit of the warning, Bai nearly tripped and lost his footing as an impossibly immense pressure slammed into his mental defences.

Momentarily distracted, Bai didn’t see the attack coming until it was too late.

A length of bloodstained leather cord wrapped itself tight around Bai’s extended right arm and snapped tight as a vice before yanking him off course.

Still moving at impossible speeds, Bai was surprised to find that the enemy Monarch’s female retainer was responsible for ensnaring him with a whip. However, the bigger surprise came from her ability to overpower him through sheer brute strength alone.

The female retainer wore a wicked grin and her eyes flashed with predatory hunger.

The pressure on Bai’s mental defences strained to the breaking point.

“BROTHER!” With a flash, Jun’s sword sheared through the whip and freed Bai from the female retainer’s monstrous strength.

Keenly aware that they had now failed in their surprise attack, Bai leapt backward alongside his brother to gain distance on the female retainer. They had underestimated her capabilities and paid the price for it once already.

A thunderous explosion erupted from the direction of the Divine Patriarch, casting dust and dirt into the air. Bai could only assume that the Divine Patriarch had used a secret technique to counter the enemy Monarch’s attack because he appeared to be unharmed.

Even so, Bai could sense the Divine Patriarch’s disappointment and knew that both himself and his brother would be severely punished after the battle was concluded.

“Grk...” Jun staggered and very nearly collapsed before catching himself at the last moment.

“Jun!” Bai knew better than to let the enemy out of his sight, so he could only rely on peripheral vision to assess his brother’s condition.

“I...I’m fine...” Jun croaked, shaking his head groggily and trembling slightly as he briefly lost his balance. “Their mind arts...” Jun didn’t seem able to complete the sentence, but Bai understood what he meant.

The pressure within his mind had been slowly but steadily increasing with each passing moment.

“We need to kill the mind art user!” Bai insisted and began preparing his supreme heron footwork technique for a fresh assault. Renewing his focus upon the female retainer, Bai wreathed his blade with sword Chi and prepared to charge.

“No!...” Jun croaked, “Not her...HIM...” Still trembling, Jun pointed the tip of his sword at the second retainer.

Tall and powerfully built, the second retainer was just as heavily armoured as his master. Not that it would do any good against concentrated sword Chi.

Now that Bai’s focus was fixed upon the retainer, he recognised the signs that had led his brother to identify him as their true assailant.

The retainer was standing incredibly still and was staring fixedly at the both of them with unblinking eyes.

“We will take him together then!” Bai hissed determinedly. It was not too late to assuage the Divine Patriarch’s wrath. They just needed to take decisive action.

“Together!...” Jun agreed and returned to a combat-ready stance.

Confident that his brother would follow, Bai charged.

Once more moving with impossible speed, Bai aimed the tip of his sword at the retainer’s heart.

Bai’s sword pierced the steel plate with expected ease, but before it could find purchase in his flesh, the retainer disappeared.

Suspecting the retainer had used the same shadow relocation technique that his Monarch had demonstrated earlier, Bai spun about and raised his sword to defend himself. Now staring at the retainer’s back, Bai was momentarily caught off guard.

At that exact moment, the tip of Jun’s sword erupted from the retainer’s back. A few fractions of a second later, two feet of bloody steel marked the success of their assault.

“Unfortunate, hehe...” The retainer chuckled wetly. With blurring speed, the retainer’s right hand snatched hold of Jun’s neck, and his left slapped against Jun’s back.

Before Bai could take even a half step forward, a wet ripping sound filled the air and Bai could only watch in horror as his brother’s head was ripped from his shoulders.

The pressure on Bai’s mental defences swelled and for a brief moment, it appeared that they would hold. Then, they collapsed.

Bai’s anguish was swept aside in a torrent of indescribable agony as the invisible force tore through his mind and violated the very core of his being.

Utterly paralysed and unable to contact his Divine Patriarch for help, Bai collapsed to his knees and was left staring at the ground.

Jun’s death repeated over and over again before his eyes, and Bai could do nothing to stop it.

“Bai! Get up!” Jun’s panicked voice tore Bai free of his stupor.

Lifting his head, Bai couldn’t believe his eyes.

Jun was alive...And at his feet?...

The enemy Monarch’s retainer lay dead at Jun’s feet, his neck severed with impossibly keen precision.

“How?...I...I saw you die...” Bai accepted his brother’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

“The Divine Patriarch arrived just in time!” Jun exclaimed excitedly, bowing his head respectfully to the Patriarch who Bai only now realised was standing a short distance to his right.

“But...I saw it...I felt it...” Bai shook his head and tightened his grip on his sword.

“Enough of this foolishness!” The Divine Patriarch snapped in irritation. “If I had intended to do everything myself and spend all my time minding after children, I would have done so!”

Bai struggled hard not to flinch. “Apologies Divine Patriarch...” Still feeling woozy, Bai did his best to bow with adequate sincerity as his brother did the same.

“Wang Bai! Clearly, you have been neglecting your practice against mind art techniques!” The Divine Patriarch scowled disapprovingly. “You will report to Elder Huang for discipline upon our return! Perhaps then you will appreciate the discipline required to be considered a true cultivator!”

“As you say, most honoured Divine Patriarch!” The Divine Patriarch’s words had forced something approximating clarity upon Bai’s mind, and he did not intend to waste it or test the Divine Patriarch’s patience further.

“Now, if you wish to regain any semblance of my favour, I suggest you bring me the Tyrant’s head!” The Divine Patriarch hissed impatiently and pointed to the enemy Monarch who was quietly watching them from roughly thirty feet away.

Without another thought, Bai wreathed his sword’s blade with sword Chi once more and raced toward his target.

<What foolishness is this?!> The Divine patriarch demanded, his voice booming through Bai’s mind like an avalanche. <If you are to expect any leniency for your family, then you will explain yourself immediately!>

Bai’s vision blurred and it was all he could do just to stop himself from toppling over. “Divine Patriarch?...” Bai tried to communicate through the mental link but spoke aloud unintentionally.

A sharp pain erupted in Bai’s chest.

Looking down at his chest Bair found that his Ironscale armour had been punctured and that his lifeblood was now spilling freely through the hole. Having devoted his life to mastering the way of the sword, Bai immediately recognised the source of the puncture but couldn’t bring himself to believe it was true.

<Ah...I believe I understand now...> There was a dangerous finality in the Divine Patriarch's tone of voice that sent shivers down Bai’s spine. <It is a shame, but you are of no further use to me Wang Bai. In the end, you both proved not to be of much use after all...I must see to things myself...>

“D-Divine P-Patriarch?” Bai’s strength failed him and he collapsed to his knees. The Tyrant disappeared and in his stead stood the Divine Patriarch.

Staring down at him with cold cruel eyes, the Divine Patriarch wore an expression of utter contempt and disgust. With a casual flick of his wrist, the blade of the Divine Patriarch’s sword severed Bai’s neck and sent his head tumbling to the ground.

As the darkness claimed him, Wang Bai could only hope that his brother Jun would not share in his fate and that the Divine patriarch would show him mercy.

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