Chapter 23 (XXIII) Waves

Jackson contemplated each choice: run away and hide, far away from the portal, or stay and fight. He grabbed the <Asura of the Four Rivers Skillbook> from his Gobbii Bag, inspecting his progress:

[Mastery: 2%]

'It's probably around midnight...' He thought, rubbing his chin and raising his, staring at the giant moon floating directly overhead, 'Six hours left...'

He rotated his shoulders, stretching his arms and legs. His muscles ached as he warmed his body up, prepared for the exhausting night ahead.

***

The Tenth Floor followed a similar layout for each of the Ten Guardian's Domains. It was an everlasting siege, sending countless waves of infinitely spawning fodder against each other in a neverending stalemate.

La Décima Isla was two islands connected by a massive water bridge that could facilitate fifteen men standing shoulder to shoulder comfortably when crossing. Both islands supported large rival kingdoms with castles, tilled land, and lush forestry.

Lexx briskly paced, the tail of his long red coat whipping through the air when he turned around. His orange eyes stared down at the carpet inside the temporary office for Flaming Dawn. The stone walls shook as dust fell to the ground.

"Fuck!" He shouted, slamming his fist against the wall as flames roared from the impact, quickly dissipating. He took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his short hair, calming himself as he returned to his pacing.

"Damn you, Viscardi!" He cursed, moments like these caused him to regret having challenged the previous Guild Master, but he couldn't let the geezer take all of his glory.

"If he's as strong as Imperia claims, it shouldn't take him too long to get here..." He muttered, stepping to the window as he stared out into the distance overlooking the loud clashing of battle on the bridge.

"It'll still take him a few days to get here... The Recruitment Office on the Fifth Floor will notify me of his response..." He continued to mutter to himself.

"He's definitely not going to accept, which means I have to stay here..." He sighed, shaking his head as he placed his hand on the hilt of the massive sword hanging behind his waist.

His fingers traced around the large ruby attached to the pommel, lifting and releasing it as the magnetic apparatus clicked repeatedly. He slid his hand down to the tightly wrapped purple hilt, gripping it as he released the sword from the magnets, twirling it around and resting it against his black pauldron.

His orange eyes illuminated as the stone window frame exploded, creating a massive opening in the castle. Lexx stepped out to the ledge, his jacket flapping wildly in the wind as he looked down.

The door to the office he was in burst open as a handful of armored guards entered with their weapons drawn; one stepped forward, lowering his spear, and asked, "Lord Seifer! What happened here?"

Lexx turned around and smiled as he fell backward out of the window. The guards ran to the edge, witnessing him twirl through the air before two massive explosions burst from the bottom of his boots, launching him like a missile toward the bridge.

He soared rapidly through the air, his eyes locked toward the waves of Hollows clashing against similarly armored soldiers. He flew over the men rushing to their deaths, raising his long sword above his head.

His trajectory launched him deep into the swarm of Hollows, cutting off their advance. He grinned maniacally as his sword ignited before violently crashing into the bridge, creating a massive quake along the entire bridge and a wall of flames to surround the man.

He spun in a circle, his sword passing through the flames, separating from the fire above as the top wall turned clockwise and the bottom wall span counterclockwise.

A pillar of fire rose from beneath his feet as he rose into the air, repeating the process twice more until four walls spun in opposite directions around him.

Instantly the pillar under him shot him high into the air as he twirled again, gaining momentum as he flipped in the air and rocketed back into the bridge, his sword catching all four walls as each became small rings spinning interlocked around his sword.

His sword slammed against the ground, creating a large crater as Lexx spun in a circle, slashing his sword horizontally as a wave of flames shot out from the tip, burning everything around him to a crisp as dozens of Hollows turned to ash.

He quickly dashed forward, swinging his blade deftly despite its massive length; dozens of <White Hollow Spirit> cores cluttered the bridge behind him.

He need not worry about looting anything; once the soldiers could gain the advantage and press forward, his guild members would collect the drops for him.

He would throw himself against a million waves alone if it meant saving at least one member in Flaming Dawn. He couldn't forgive the previous Guild Master for simply staying back and throwing wave after wave of members to clear a floor.

Flaming Dawn was his family... his savior... his entire life. He couldn't continue to watch those he called brothers and sisters dying every day under orders from a man he considered his father.

His Mystic Artes made it impossible for him to team up with a group. Without them, his Martial Artes are enough for him to remain within the Top 100 Climbers, but he would lose his place within Tetrakyts.

This was his curse and his burden to bear. Lexx grinned as he released all the pent-up frustration he had been feeling, unleashing devastating explosions each time his sword ricocheted off the stone around him.

He couldn't go full power but could do just enough to not win the war and wait for the fool who would decline an offer to join a Tetrakyts Guild. Lexx knew that Jackson wouldn't accept and would stand defiantly against the mountains.

"You better not disappoint, Jax! I'm waiting for you!" He shouted, slaughtering his way as he crossed over to the other island. He swung his sword horizontally, sending Hollows flying away from him as he stabbed it into the ground.

Lexx fell to his knees, raising his fists into the air, yelling loudly as a gigantic pillar of flames consumed the entire island, spiraling diagonally as it pierced beyond eyesight into the air as the sun began to rise in God's Tower.