Rise Of Steele

Arrival 2

The crackling of electricity filled the room containing a large man wielding a hammer and a thin man holding an oddly shaped mace.

The two objects were channeling electricity as the two fighters charged at one another.

Clank! Thud! Clank!

The two massive weapons collide sending sparks all over the room.

These two have been fighting for nearly forty minutes now without rest.

"Former district commander Vorus, your talents precede you."

The thin-looking man commended his opponent.

This man was Falkner, wielder of the Vajra relic.

In Hindu mythology, Vajra is the weapon of Indra, the god of thunder and king of the devas.

The vajra is a powerful weapon having the combined features of sword, mace, and spear.

It was created out of the hard thigh bones of sage Dadhichi who gave up his life willingly for a noble cause so that his spine could be used to build the weapon.

Truth to the legends, the vajra now was in the form of a mace and was trading blows with the mighty weapon of another god of thunder, Mjolnir.

"To think that my opponent would be someone that controls lightning, just as I can," Vorus said with a big grin on his face.

He was always one who enjoyed a good battle, a true warrior feared throughout Ernia as "Nature's hunter." Today he has met an equal in so many ways.

The two legendary weapons kept clashing with neither side easing up on their assault or even trying to dodge. It was simply a context of 'you hit me, I hit back.

At times the vajra will strike Vorus and at times Mjolnir will hit Falkner.

The two fighters kept trading blows with broad grins on their faces.

If there was a third party watching this exchange they'll be awestruck.

The screen showcasing their fight in the security room was becoming unstable due to the high discharge of electricity.

In another section of the mansion, Rohan was about to confront the fifth and final member of the enders clan, Jake.

The blond-haired swordsman came face to face with another swordsman.

"It's been a while, Ro-ro." The red-haired swordsman said as he bowed to his childhood friend and current foe.

"Tsk. Don't call me that, Jake!"

Jake bursts into laughter as he looked up at Rohan.

"Why? I'm just happy to be reunited with my childhood friend." He said with a wide smile on his face only for his expression to darken in a split second.

Rohan upped his guard as he quickly drew his sword.

"The same childhood friend who ended up becoming the strongest swordsman in the country and got the title - mad swordsman for his relentless style of fighting. Where's your alter-ego now?"

"The same friend who used to play all sorts of games with me when no one would, not even Rhea."

"The same friend who saved my life all those years ago."

Jake drew his sword relic. It was a pure white blade with strange markings on it.

He pointed his sword at Rohan as he continued.

"The same friend who betrayed us and left us for dead!" Rohan lowered his head and clenched his fists.

It was about six months ago.

"I refuse to further align myself with the likes of those accursed relic users, even if they were your companions at some point in time, Rohan."

"They are not just my companions. They're my friends, brother. We grew up together, learned together, trained together, and played together."

Rohan was arguing with his brother.

Rada Khan had asked Rohan to help him in his plot to oust "the accursed relic users" from the kingdom. He has had enough of working with them.

In truth, ever since the five soldiers were chosen to become SOAR's very own unit of relic users a year ago, he has had nothing but resentment and malice towards the system and the team.

He finally decided to take matters into his own hands.

"All I need to do is to make sure that these devils will be castrated from the region and deemed as traitors to the nation."

"I'm sorry brother, but I won't be helping you with this deed, best you let it go."

Rohan walked out of the room they were in, leaving Rada Khan to his thoughts.

Rohan had figured that his brother would drop whatever it was that he had planned if he decided not to be a part of it, but he was wrong.

A week later, the king summoned the Generals, Rohan, and the unit.

He said that somebody had been communicating with the enemy region and that it was one of them. He then added that prior to their summoning, he had ordered a thorough searching for evidence in all of their homes and that the traitor has been exposed.

"What! No! My liege, I swear it wasn't me!" Rhea was grabbed by the guards following the order of the king to subdue and lock her up.

"Your majesty Rh-"

Before he could object to anything, Jake was struck in the head by one of the guards. The king ordered the execution of Rhea by sunset tomorrow.

She was locked up in a special section of the region's prison.

Hours later, Jake and the others sort out Rohan to help them in saving Rhea.

"You know her just as well as we do! She'll never betray this nation."

They pleaded to the king but only got thrashed by the guards and threatened to be executed with her.

They pleaded to their childhood friend but all he could say was.

"Give it up, her faith has been sealed."

Rohan clenched his trembling fists as he recalled the terrible memories of how their friendship ended.

He truly felt sorry. For not believing in his friends, for not lending them his help, and most importantly, for not calling out his brother.

"Jake..."

"Enough chit-chat now! Rohan Khan, I shall be your opponent and you shall pay for your sins against our beloved captain and friend!"

His sword glowed brighter as he slashes the air and sends a white energy wave at Rohan who easily deflects it.

Rohan looks up to see no one as he quickly swings his sword around to block a strike from his blind spot.

"I have seen that teleporting technique more than once, you're gonna have to try something else."

Jake had used the ability of his relic to teleport.

This was none other than Hofund, the famed sword of the Norse god Heimdall which was said to have the ability to teleport the user.

The two swordsmen traded and deflected each other's attacks barely dealing mere scratch wounds. They both jumped back and took a similar stand readying an attack.

" Dai style." They both said in unison as their swords glowed

"White arc!"

"Eclipse slash!"

The white energy wave collided with the black energy wave resulting in a mild explosion as the two swordsmen quickly charge at one another again.

"It doesn't have to be like this, Jake."

"Yeah well, it's too late now!"

Jake made a feint and teleported. As Rohan was ready for an attack from behind.

"Up here! White arc!"

"Tsk. I barely dodged that one. Jake has gotten stronger."

Was it that he was driven by hatred and wanted revenge so badly?

No.

Jake had truly gotten stronger from the last time that the two of them clashed.

There was always a rivalry going on between the two even when they were children.

Rohan recalled how they would race each other to the dining and see who could finish their food first.

How they both trained together and competed to see who can do more sit-ups.

The two would turn something as simple as flower picking into a contest.

Rohan smiled recalling these moments as he dodged another one of Jake's attacks.

"You've gotten stronger Jake. How long has it been since we had a duel? A year perhaps."

Jake didn't care to reply to his foe as he swings his sword repeatedly but not carelessly. He was fueled with anger but he also knew firsthand just how powerful Rohan was.

He earned himself the title mad swordsman and was the strongest swordsman in Cronoa.

Although the last time they clashed was a day after Jake got his relic as thus could only exert a portion of its true powers.

This time was different. Jake had a whole year to train and the motive strong enough to drive him to exceed his past limits.

He was not going to lose to his rival this time around!

"Dai style: Blinding rush!"

Jake moved at light speed and teleports even more than ever as he attempts to pierce Rohan with his glowing sword.

Rohan could barely dodge the attack on instinct as he jumped out of harm's way. But Jake didn't ease up one bit as he kept pushing him with a flurry of well-executed and timed combos using his relic abilities and his refined swordsmanship.

Suddenly, Jake halted his assault and was staring down at his opponent.

"Are you mocking me!?"

"Huh?"

"You are not fighting with your all. Do not insult me any further!"

Rohan had been fighting defensively since their duel began. It wasn't that he was doing that on purpose, he didn't even know. he was lost in his guilt and self-pity.

If he had backed his friends all these won't have happened.

After the gang helped Rhea escape and ran away together, the king ordered the capture and execution of her fiance. that was what gave Rhea the final push she needed to resort to taking on the path of vengeance.

Rohan had locked away that thought for a long time now, but he can't seem to keep lying to himself anymore.

He drops his sword and spreads his arm apart.

"Jake, a thousand apologies will never be sufficient to change the things I've done. I am sorry, I truly am. "

He kneels and closes his eyes.

"What better way to repent than with my own life? Do it, Jake."

The red-haired swordsman looked at him with eyes as cold as the Arctic, his entire body was shaking with rage as he tightened the grip on his sword.

"As you wish."

Without a second to waste, charged at the disarmed swordman.

Swoosh!

Clank!

Swoosh!

Having completely shattered all the furniture and items in the room they were in, Reginald and Chase both stopped on their tracks and faced each other.

The two were both battered and tired as they were breathing heavily too.

"Huff. Huff. Had enough?" Reginal said with a corky attitude.

"Hahahaha. I am just getting started." Chase disappears as he finished and starts blitzing around the room at light speed.

'Tsk, I have less than five minutes to end this or my snatch steal's duration will end.'

His opponent had a similar thought as he had also burned a lot of stamina and was planning on ending the fight as well.

Reginald sounded confident earlier whereas in reality, he was worried that soon enough his relic' s ability will end and enter a cooldown period thus he won't be able to keep up.

'Here I come.'

He holds his sword with both hands and took a stance as he closes his eyes.

After duking it out for so long against the speedster, Reginald had finally figured out a way to harness his aura even if it was a little.

' If I can't extend a lot of it as the demon spawn does, I'll heavily concentrate the little amount that I can muster and coat my sword with it.'

This was the aura coating technique.

He knows that this could very well be the last attack he can dish out so he was planning on going all out with this one. He channels the power of the boots of Hermès and awaits an opening.

Chase's maniacal laughter echoed through the room as he readied his final attack.

"Die! Die! Die! Blitz x rush!"

The speedster jumps and leaps forward with his right leg sticking out as it was glowing red from the friction he had generated whilst running around the room.

"Shooter's fencing 1st form: Pierce!"

He thrust his sword forward at the charging speedster and a thin beam of concentrated aura was emitted from the blade as it pierces the speedster's right leg causing the speedster to cry out in agony as he fell hard to the ground.

" Huff. Huff. Huff. It's over"

Without another word, he seethes his sword as he walks over to his opponent who was rolling around the ground while holding his injured leg.

Chase stares at Reginald as he bends down and tears a piece of clothing which he then uses to wrap the wounded spot on his leg to stop the bleeding.

"W-why help me? I'm the enemy you could have just let me bleed out."

Chase's reason was understandable.

He was the enemy, just a few moments ago they were both trying to kill each other in their heated confrontation.

Reginald could only sigh in response.

"Idiot. Before the battle starts, we were enemies. Once the battle ends, we're no more enemies. You're simply a stranger whom I. Just so happen to stumble upon that needed help."

Chase was silent in his thoughts as he watched Reginald walk out of the room.

Unbeknownst to Chase, Reginald took something of his.

He was currently skipping through the halls of the mansion holding a sack filled with coins as his eyes lit up and he starts drooling over the coins that were inside. He estimated that it was about one hundred gold coins.

"Hehehe, jackpot!"

Conroy was running around the room barely dodging the arrows that came his way.

"Hahaha, why don't you surrender? My mantra gives me access to limitless ain. I'm practically invincible!" Lexi declares as she shoots another arrow.

"My apologies but my esteemed captain is counting on me to take you down therefore I do not plan on giving up just yet."

Conroy's response only seemed to anger his opponent as she increases the pace at which she fires her arrows.

They were fighting equally at the beginning until she used the mantra which grants her the ability to drain ain from her surroundings which include all attacks that may come her way.

'I don't even know why I said that!'

Conroy was someone who would easily give up when a challenge gets tough. But he couldn't find it in himself to run away this time around.

Was it the sinister warning he received from Ace earlier?

Sure that might have played a role in it but he just got tired.

Tired of being pushed around by everyone around him.

First was Serena, the leader whom he idolized. She turned her back on him and sold him off to accompany Ace.

At first, that was what he thought, but looking back now.

Both Ace and Serena wanted the same thing for Conroy.

"I have decided to accept their wishes in seeing me take on anything that heads my way with an iron force resolve!"

That was the case. A while back, Conroy wouldn't think twice about surrendering just now.

But this time, it was different.

"I used to think that I was only fighting for myself, that was how I developed the habit of running whenever the fight gets tough."

He changes his course and was now running in the direction of Lexi.

"Now, I have people who will fight for me just as much as I would fight for them. So, don't insult me by asking me to surrender... My resolve is stronger now!"

Lexi scoffs seeing as how her arrows were being evaded easily by the approaching enemy.

'What has gotten into him!?'

She takes a step back as she shoots more arrows only for him to evade them too.

A look of desperation appears on her face which Conroy seems to have noticed as he smirks when he finally comes face to face with her at point-blank.

"Tell me, why is someone who has unlimited ain scared of a coward like me?"

She yelps as she tries to fire another arrow only for Conroy to headbutt her.

The female archer foamed at the mouth as she fell backward.

"Why haven't you fired your purifier attack? It would have received a major boost."

She had access to all the ain around them but only sort to shoot normal arrows generated by her relic.

"It's because you can't use your own ain as the mantra markings will only absorb them like it absorbed my attacks. In short, your mantra is incomplete!"

That was the case, once she uses mantra, every and all attacks would be instantly absorbed by relics so she needed to maintain a high level of concentration just to prevent her regular arrows from being absorbed as well. She couldn't do the same for her aim coated arrows and purifier.

The mantra grants her boosted physical abilities similar to doping, that was how she could make her regular arrows fly faster and hit harder.

Conroy uses that to exploit her. He not only managed to close the distance with his opponent who had still not regained her senses after suffering from a devastating headbutt, but he also severed her mantra due to her poor mental condition.

Her markings had disappeared completely.

All she could do was use up a lot of her focus to fire regular arrows.

Conroy curled up his fist and pulled her by the collar.

"My apologies for this in advance, but I must knock you out now."

She was already dazed from the shock her brain received while using up all her concentration.

"If there was another way, I wouldn't have had to lay my hands on a lady but I'm a bit desperate here."

Wam!

He sends her flying with a big right as she crashes through the door to the room behind her.

He shakes off his hands as he winced in pain and walks in her direction.

He stays a few meters apart and quickly bows at her before holding up his bow and taking aim at her.

"My apologies once again but I must make sure you won't be able to get back up till my captain takes care of your captain."

"Sun binding arrow!"

He fires a golden arrow which then transforms into golden chains as it wraps itself around her body.

"Conroy!"

He turns around towards the direction of the familiar voice that was calling out to him.

"Oh, sir Reginald! I take it you've successfully beaten your opponent as well? Well done!"

Reginald puffs his chest and rubs his nose as he pats Conroy on the back.

"Hehehe. I, the great Reginald Star have gracefully won my fierce duel against a formidable opponent."

"That's great, let's go check on Sir Vorus he's this way!"

The two quickly ran towards the entrance of the room that Vorus was located in.

When they first came, they were attacked by a mace-wielding opponent who easily overwhelmed them. Vorus stepped forward to face this opponent head-on and told them to head out in different sections of the mansion in order to regroup with Ace.

As they entered the room, their expressions darkened as they were met with a horrific sight.

"Vorus!"/"Sir Vorus!"

Vorus was lying on the floor completely battered and bloodied and Falkner was seated atop the large man with a strange-looking object floating beside him.

The item was his vajra in its normal form. It consists of a spherical central section, with two symmetrical sets of five prongs, which arc out from lotus blooms on either side of the sphere.

"It seems we have more guests."