Chapter 550: "Lover of tea and cute things"

'Little do they know,' light caught the signet ring granted by those of the monster realm, '-there's a chance of me becoming just that.' 

Granted, the entrance was a little confusing, and the fighters watched one another more than the opponent. An exchange between Frost and Leonard resumed the fight.

"Don't get too cocky," said Frost summoning two-swords, "-Rena, Lampard, let's go," said he mid-sprint. 

'Fast,' thought Igna leaning on the first swing. No time to recover, another went for the bowel, a jump had Frost smiling. 'I've fallen in a trap.' Two shadows loomed behind with weapons in hand, '-good try,' a spin narrowly dodged both attacks of which the forces lashed at the empty ground. Three steps back, "-strong, is this teamwork?" a faint dot blinked into sight, Jen stood at the opposite side with a broken bow. '-Must be her best attack, I'll play along.' *Woosh,* he caught the projectile, '-what's happened to me since the transformation. I feel so much stronger now. Wait, she's grinning,' scanning the arena. 

"Above," cried Éclair, "-they've conjured two high-tier spells."

"Spells?" checking upwards, '-Glacier and Rathome; first is a spell that freezes the area and slows the enemy. It also gives the caster power to strike at any time using said frozen ground. Rathome is a dark-element spell, one focused on immobilization. A favorite of combat-mages, the target feels nauseated and prone to surrender.'

"Behind," said Éclair, "-Rena, Lampard, Frost, and Jen are closing in for the last attack."

'I'm surrounded, Leonard enhanced the team's base abilities thrice their normal limit.' Lids shut; the sense of impending doom had the heart racing. 

"THIS IS THE END,"

"SURRENDER NOW OR DIE!" 

'I'm not going to use Blood-Arts.' *Bzzt,* a jolt ran along the body, Rathome hit, followed by Glacier, of which, ice-spears dug mercilessly into the sole. Jen's arrowed hit its mark, the head. Frost's sword ran through the body, Leonard's spear pierced the heart and Rena took off the throat. A complete and total defeat, Leonard's delay attack hit into an explosion of ice and blood. 

"Hey guys…" voiced Anna, "-we killed him..."

"Shit," cried Frost, "-it's just… you felt it, didn't you?" he yearned for an answer.

"He f-felt like a monster," said Rena, "-the body reacted with intent to kill."

"I know," gulped Leonard, "-we lost the ability to think for a second."

"No…no…no, I don't accept it," exclaimed Jen, "-WHY DID WE FIGHT SO HARD? It was six versus one, and come on, our opponent was Igna." The frosty mist settled, they gritted in anticipation of a dead-body. 

"No chill," battered and bruised, "-high-tier spells, I'm impressed. Well, considering they were mostly for support; only attack variants shine when using the title of high-tier."

"How are you alive?" cried Rena, "-I swear I took your head."

"Think again," he smirked, "-enough playing around, shall we end this little battle?"

More than anything, the discouragement carried with ire, one of unknown heights. He survived one of their tried and tested stratagems. 

'Thank you, father. If not for mana-cancellation, I'd have been a dead man. The gamble paid off, my regeneration is faster, and so is my body. The incomplete transformation wasn't a mistake, the curse of the blood grew too pure to be contained. I'm an idiot for thinking the power grew weak. It's damned obvious, I carry the purest blood of the vampire clan, tis a given. How is Mrs. the First Progenitor, Adete, where are you, what you up to?' The physical pain inflicted remained after the wounds healed. Guards rose once more, the spilled blood gathered around the right hand, twirling about the wrist. 'Let's get serious then.' 

Lampard jumped first into the fray, spear in hand, blood on the face, and murder in the eyes. "Fight me like a real man, IGNA!" he charged like a bull.

"Alright," the bag dropped, the scabbarded join with his belt. '-I haven't neglected my sword training. Practicing every day, even during those hours where I had to cater to others, I've never stopped swinging. A man's heart is reflected in his blade, wise words from father. Guess after all this time, it never left me.'

"Stop looking dazed!" screamed he readying the spear to impale.

'No special techniques, no names, only muscle memory, and battle-experience.' Deep breath in, the body lowered closer to the ground, hands on the grip, a perimeter materialized around the floor, a zone in which he could hit his target. First came the spear riding towards his neck, the weapon would reach him before the spear's wielder. Narrowly escaping the spear, Lampard stepped into the zone. A dark-aura filled his vision, *crack,* Igna's presence and figure flickered to suddenly stand behind. 

"You missed," said Lampard, "-what was that?" 

"Are you sure?" the blade returned to its home. The spear shattered into pieces, blood flowed from numerous spots.

"I see," crumbled to the knees, "-I died the moment I stepped into the sword's reach. You're quite the fierce swordsman."

"No, don't say that," facing the others, "-you're fearsome too. Your body reacted albeit a little slow, but faster than your mind; most people are usually dead without moving." Rena and Frost charged into battle; "-besides, I have more experience fighting than you. Spent my childhood, teenage years, and adulthood in battle."

"What are you even talking about?" breathing a sigh, "-go and fight, friend."

"No need to say it twice."

"HOW DARE YOU!" came the screaming ire of Rena, seeing her lover defeated so easily clouded the rational way of thought.

*Earth-Barrier,* said Frost conjuring a wall to impair vision.

'Casting magic without incantation, adventurers sure are strong.' 

"This is the end," said Frost leaping.

"Our ultimate attack," said Rena proudly, "-ain't no way!" two users of the double-sword style, two tornadoes of death and fierce resolve. 

"Get 'em!" said Leonard conjuring earth-magic, a spell to dull movement and make the ground unsteady.

"Nice try," *Mana-cancellation,* merely making contact failed the spell. *Clang, clang,* parring both attackers, they dodged nimbly and repositioned into a better striking posture.

"Leonard, are you ok?" inquired Jen.

"No, I'm not," on a single knee and hand to the ground,"-my spell nullified without even reaching the target."

"Don't even bother," said Anna sat with legs crossed, "-it's a lost battle now."

"Are you giving up?" voiced Jen loudly.

"Didn't you see?" catching your best attack, nullifying the spell, and now facing two of our best fighters using that sword.

"It's cursed," said Jen, "-I feel the damnation of the many souls slain at its core."

"Cursed?" gulped Leonard, "-but, how is that possible. The way the aura shifted when he drew the sword, there's more to it, Anna, do you know anything?"

"Yeah," said she, "-a lot actually. Listen, the sword there isn't anything normal. It was used to massacre hundreds, if not thousands of fighters during battle and war. A relic of the past, or should I say, a relic made by the strongest person to ever walk this planet. The Blood Blade of the Queen, Orenmir, a weapon usable only by a chosen individual."

"Well, what if the sword is cursed, we can conjure a high-tier spell and break him, can't we?"

"No," her head shook, "-sorry to say, but, Igna there isn't the same as before. He remembers the past, his past, and the past of a world unknown to us. Forget it, one thing remains true till today, if we were still in the era of mages; he would have slain us all."

"I don't get it," cried Jen, "-how do you know so much?"

"My mother and his father were related; I know more than you could ever imagine. Trust me, we've lost our only chance. Look at him," and as she said, the pace of the fight grew, "-the muscle memory is awakening."

"Even so," fired she, "-I'm not backing down." The aura lifted, "-if he says he a Demonlord, then I'll be a hero!" the appearance swapped for one angelic and pure. A white ethereal bow materialized, 

*Blessed bow of my god. Carry with the sufferance of my comrades. Bring forth an arrow capable of solving our query, I, humble servant, implore of thee to grant mine wish, a wish to end life as is, to bring upon the salvation of the tormented soul, grant the power to undo harm.*

The strings pulled; gust welled from the ground up. "RENA, FROST, GET BACK!" cried Leonard.

"Oh shit, we ought to run, NOW!" 

'What's this, I was having fun,' the duo dashed to hide behind a barrier of bricks courtesy of Leonard. '-It can't be,' he locked onto Jen, '-she's a saint?' 

*Blessed goes the arrow, SQUANDER ALL EVIL!*

*Thud,* "my heart," *thud,* "-not now." A cacophony of lost souls shrieked so much so he buckled, '-what is it now?' 

"Dearest heir," 

*Thud,* the face paled, '-is that?'

"-Tis I, thy one and only master, Lord Death. Time is short and waits for no one, not even a god. Zeus has made a mockery of the godly realm, all is in chaos, balance will tip in his favor before long. He searches for the Symbol of Kronos as does Lucifer for the Symbol of Death. Worry not, I'll handle the situation alongside Creation. Thy body is ready to reawaken the Death-Element. Yes, my son, you were truly the one best fit for the title of Death Reaper. The risk paid off, you shook off the curse of misfortune and have cleansed the element. Congratulations, my heir, a job well done. There are more things to come, the future looks bleak, Miira and the others wait. The day might come where you are called to fight the realm of the gods, all of us, on thy lonesome. I leave with this, you're my pride and joy, Staxius, Igna, no matter what age, what name, or what body, I'll always watch over for I'm lord Death, lover of tea and cute things." A burst of black ran along with the hands towards the chest; the sleeping element awoke with a cough of blood. 'It's back,' he winched, '-the element, I feel it.' *BANG* Jen's arrow made contact.

A burnt white-shirt and dirtied pants remained; the arrow pierced the then disappear. For a brief moment, he laid face-down lifelessly. Jen panted to draw another arrow.

"That's enough," said Anna.

"No, I missed," said she, "-I missed my last shot."  Pulling back twice as hard, the bow buckled but stood stronger. "-I'm a saint, there's no way my god's going to accept defeat!" 

'I died,' the eyes reopened, '-it's been a long time,' he smirked, '-I'm back, finally back. The element is strong, too strong – this body's great. I lost the title of god.  The three boons of divinity are gone. Well, no matter,' push to a stand, '-I can use magic.' Over yonder grew another powerful attack. "-Why is Jen so persistent, "-hands-on the grip, *Lightning Strike: Death Element Variant,* "-an homage to you, dearest friend, Adelana." Mana sucked out the arena and gathered around, the expression showed relief as well as pain. 

"CLEANSE EVIL!" cried Jen. A trail of destruction followed in its wake, she'd used all her mana and power. The strongest arrow fired to date, "-I'm tired," she fell, "-give me strength, my god."

"There goes nothing," color turned black and white, the outline of objects highlighted into a white movable mist, while those of the living harbored a colorless burning flame. '-this is,' he thought, '-the power I used when fighting the unseen. It's all coming back to me.' A step forth, the blade carried the full brunt of the newly awaken element – the arrow split upon contact to fire into the distance and explode. Cuts formed along the left cheeks, '-she's strong.' 

"Good fight," said he falling to his knees, "-good to see you guys again."

"IGNA," cried Anna jumping into his arms, "-I've missed you."

"I missed you too," he coughed, "-Jen, you've grown stronger than I imagined."

"Says the one who's grown so much," a pout turned grin, "-good to see you again."

'Feels good to be back.'