The moment the bolt of dark lightning tumbled down, Mithras closed his eyes. A slow, rumbling beat resounding from his chest as a formless storm of primal energies erupted from his form.
Blasted by the impact, Hakim went flying, but before his armored form crashed into that same seat he'd appeared in, the Huntmaster broke into squalls of dark and sanguine mist, firing into the sky and reforming on a cloud of malignant energies. Worldbreaker collided with Mithras' face, bouncing against a wall of divine power, and flying back to Hakim's hands.
"When you really think about it. Inheritance is one of the cleverest injustices we people have come up with. The parent's shits going to the kids. It feels so natural. Righteous even...till a guy with an ego is born a demigod...inheriting divine powers with the maturity of an incel...and it all goes to shit.
Divinity is hereditary and Lord do I hate it." Hakim shook his head. Certain things in this world transcended their owners. Forces like the Lord's appearance, the Lord's touch, the Lord's voice, the Lord's tears, the Lord's everything, really. And stuff like Perfection and Divine Blood.
For example, the moment Mithras achieved perfection, those who carried his blood obtained a massive boost. Likewise, the moment Hadubrangr became a Blood God, the divine powers Mithras and Ishtar had inherited from him shot up as well—making Hakim's murder goals unnecessarily difficult.
"Hakim. Why are you so determined to turn the world upside down?" Wanting to buy time as he spread his senses across Springtime City, Mithras asked, making the Huntmaster tilt his head with a pensive look.
"Mhm...there are many reasons why a rationally thinking individual would want to lay waste to the world. But if I had to pick one...it'd be because it's full of pussies," Hakim said, and if before, Mithras was only mildly interested, his eyes now narrowed at Hakim, their interest captured.
"Come again?"
"I thank the Lord for my many blessings. But as I take a look around, all I see is victims and scammers. Bottoms and bitches. Women who won't dare to do what they wanna do. Men who don't dare to be who they wanna be.
Punks and pussies. They smile as they go through the motions of day. Bearing the 9 to 5 with a raggedy gait. But deep down they cry, asking the parasites inside...'why am I alive?'
What kind of shit world is this that so many need to question the very meaning of their existence? It needs to die. It is my intimate conviction...that this world must be destroyed. I believe it in my heart...and will die standing on that hill.
But I don't just want to burn the world down. I want to break it down with style.
Those hopeless fellows across the world call out to me. They need someone to prop them up. Someone to show them the way to the promised land of peace and psychotic ecstasy. I am that person. The bad guy who leads the way...with the example of his rampage.
Mithras, the brotherhood of Hakim only follows this one word:
Rampage!
Run amok! Unleash yourselves! Rampage at will! Forever at the vanguard, I will be leading the way, and shield you as we indulge...in this world of madness." Hakim declared, and as if to backup his words, one scarlet portal formed at his left, marking the arrival of a slender yet majestic figure dressed in long sanguine robes topped with golden epaulets.
A mask of that same gold covered the newcomer's face, only revealing their burning red eyes. But while Mithras couldn't see the looks behind the mask, he didn't doubt that he now stood before the most imperial and majestic figure he'd ever met.
Even those white hair, so long, divine and ordered that they cascaded below the cape without ever giving that same bestial feel that Mithras' hair did.
No. The Lord is the most majestic. No one is as majestic as the Lord. But as they stand on the pommel of their broadsword, staring me down with that deadpan look, I can't deny there's something about that fellow that makes me want to scream "Your Majesty."
And for good reasons. Aurelian...is the Lord's copy. The Weaver's perception of the Lord. That Aurelian had appeared, aiming their imperial sword at Mithras.
[Ding! Ding! Ding!]
[Warning: The Beast's First Devotee has awoken!]
[Warning: The host's opponents are both blessed by the Triumvirate in unusual and forbidden ways]
[Act with caution!]
—Status—
<Name: Hakim di Rashukan>
<Race: Blood Noble>
Immune to the first five secrets and carrying the Right of Annihilation, the God-Slaying Armor was every templar's dream cheat code, invincible against Dark Preceptors and below. But when Mithras clenched his fist, punching at Worldbreaker with his bare hand, Hakim wondered...if he'd not perhaps underestimated the assignment.
Fist and hammer met in an ear-splitting blast. Hakim flying back while Mithras pressed forth and stomped on his opponent's chest! Aurelian's sword came flying in, slicing at Mithras' leg. He didn't bother to avoid, hardening into an adamantine structure as he crushed Hakim's chest with a ruthless stomp, sending the Huntmaster hurtling towards the ground.
A moment before he hit rocks, Hakim forcefully stopped his fall, staring at Mithras with wide, trembling eyes.
'How many days...how many days ago was it that this blud was discovering his Fylkir powers?
Lady Sucuria was right. Why is Sucuria always right?' Hakim's thoughts trailed off. Meanwhile, Aurelian hacked at Mithras' leg at the beat of hundreds of thousands of slashes per second—each slightly stronger than the previous one.
Realizing what his half-sibling was up to, Mithras broke into blood mist, reforming in the distance. But why would Aurelian give him room to regroup and rebuild? The Emperor gave chase, closing in on their only surviving brother with a cold-blooded sword chop!
Hakim didn't stay idle, aiming the Worldbreaker at the sky!
"Rumble!" The Huntmaster ordered, causing the world around Mithras to tremble and shake as myriad vibration waves hammered into him from all sides. Nuclear detonations blew up the Muk'Bal field, forming a chain reaction as they charged at Mithras.
But though the situation looked grim and disastrous, Mithras stayed stoic, arching his head back with a wicked grin!
[Holy Sacrament: Animistic Reset]
Mithras made a grasping motion, and to the audience's shock, Hakim's Rumble...vanished as if it'd never happened.
It never happened. Even Aurelian's charge had been undone. Time reset three seconds back!
[Rite of Oblivion: Lunatic Eruption]
Dark lunar markings formed on Mithras' skin, a mad burst of malignant energies erupting from his form as a veil of darkness blotted out the sun.
Aurelian's Fractal Blood Field took off, blasting into Mithras, and forcing him to counter with an all-out outburst of Solar Blood Field. Aurelian didn't lose their momentum. Walking towards Mithras at a calm and leisurely pace.
"Two against one. Must say I expected better from my imperial brother. Why can't you be on some Trajan-type timing?" Mithras asked in a playful tone, cracking his fingers as Aurelian closed in on him.
"Oh hell no, please don't say that. There are no silly mofos on this Muk'Bal Field. Men of our mettle know that fighting fair is for dummies. Gangs bring the whole crew to war," Hakim said with a smile, two dozen scarlet portals forming at Aurelian's back while crowds of Blood Nobles emerged from the students' shadows.
Continue reading on m|v-l'e-NovelFire
Hakim walked back to Aurelian's side, his Fractal Blood Field unfurling alongside the Emperor's and pushing Mithras backward.
Still, our prince didn't seem bothered. Better, the smile on his lips stretched—becoming a broad, fiendish grin as Mithras held back a laugh.
Meanwhile, in Cassandra's office, the new King of the Antinos, Fylkir Lucius, was having his head torn off his shoulders by the previous King's Abomination. Hadrian's Abomination ripped Lucius apart! The Fylkir shocked to find out that he was completely helpless before his Blood Father's Abomination!
Above Springtime City, the King of the Nerva, Fylkir Marcus, was about to lead his troops into the Academy when his Blood Father's Abomination, Trajan's Abomination, appeared in the sky, greeting him with a Fractal Blood Field!
Inside the Academy, Sucuria, Julia and Druscilla, were all stopped in the corridors, cornered by Elektra, Belphegor, Arminius...and a returning Akamana.
And back on the Muk'Bal Field...
"AAAAAAAAAARGH!" Menaka and Vel'Asha's divine flames reduced the rising Blood Nobles into ashes, the elite at Aurelian's back surrounded by platoons of Yakshini as the Co-Regent summoned hidden forces.
The brothers of Mithras went unhinged, tearing through Hakim and Aurelian's subordinates while Mithras' Solar Flames...pushed both Fylkirs to a standstill.
"I do agree with that spirit. Gangs bring the whole crew to war. My crew is right here, Hakim. And you're looking pretty outnumbered," Mithras said with a shy look, making Hakim sink his fangs in his lower lip...and drink his own blood.