In the center of the Skybreaker Continent

Three figures sat around a large table, eyeing each other warily. The first, a large man, bare-chested man that resembled a bear on two legs, leaned back in his chair and grumbled.

['Bear' chested man] - "Where the hell is he? He's the one who called this meeting in the first place, and now he's going to make us wait?! Does he think we've all got as much free time as him? Those barbaric Mages have been pushing the Western lines harder recently."

A small, slim man who looked like a strong breeze could knock him over lifted his tired head from the table and looked over at the larger man with contempt.

[Sickly looking Man] - "Will you be quiet, Medved. Some of us are trying to rest. Your little Awakened Beast Clan isn't going to have any trouble if you're gone for a little while. Do you think my Heaven's Seal Guild's Formations are that weak? The Wall will hold without you fussing over every little detail like a hovering mother hen."

The bare-chested man, "Medved," stood and roared, slamming his hands into the table.

[Medved] - "I'll show you mother hen, you son of a..."

Suddenly, a warm burst of Spiritual Energy erupted from the third person at the table. Medved's body relaxed and went soft like clay before his own Spiritual Energy injection countered the effects.

[???] - "Peace. This is not the time to be fighting among ourselves. Mr. Helmont, please don't poke the Bear. I know you find it hard to control yourself, but we are all part of the Fou *cough* excuse me, Five Pillars. Let us wait and see what the Arms Soul School's Headmaster has Summoned us here for, no matter how rude he maybe by letting us wait so long."

Medved stared daggers at the bald, robed woman across the table from him but only grumbled and sat down. Very few people sent cold shivers up his spine like the seemingly kind and gentle "monk" named Amari Mitsuko. Of the Five Pillars, the Shanti Oni Monastery was by far the most mysterious (and dangerous). They might never butt-heads for the Counsel's leadership like the Arms Soul School, and the recently added Origin Sect did, but it was an unspoken rule that in any disputes among the five, the Monastery's word counted for double.

While the woman herself always gave off a perfect air of peace and calm contemplation, that only lasted till she opened her mouth. The Beastman could count on his fingers the number of times he'd heard her speak without some jab at someone else in the room (and often those not). The perfect face of a Saint with the tongue of a poisonous viper. Light and Dark in one body and soul. Despite his... dislike for the woman, Medved had learned long ago it was best to stay in her good graces.

The group once more fell into silence as time ticked by. Half an hour later, the large double doors swung open, and an extravagantly clothed man strutted in. Despite the man's gaudy fashion sense and arrogant demeanor, Medved couldn't help but narrow his eyes in surprise and chuckled,

[Medved] - "{Sea Splitter}, I see you've advanced once again, Shao Jiayi. Impressive. It won't be long till you've caught up with Yeom Ki. But surely you haven't brought us altogether just to celebrate."

Shao Jiayi, Headmaster of the Arms Soul School for Weaponry and Combat, twitched his eye at the mention of Yeom Ki, but his calm quickly returned, and he smiled at the Beastman before taking his seat and speaking.

[Shao Jiayi] - "Thank you, my friend, but no, that is not why I've gathered you here today. We have more... urgent matters to attend to."

The skinny man, head still on the table, yelled out, not even bothering to look in the Headmaster's direction.

[Jacques van Helmont] - "If it was so urgent, then why the hell did you make us wait so long? I don't like being out of the lab this long. It makes me nervous what those idiot apprentices of mine will get themselves in to. Hurry up already..."

Shao Jiayi glared at the man, but continued,

[Shao Jiayi] -"*cough*, very well. My informants in the Origin Sect have recently contacted me with some... troubling news."

Medved put his face in his hand and shook his head.

[Medved] - "What the hell did that Cub do this time? Awaken a Dragon? Topple one of the southern Independent Nations? Did Jīshí throw a Mountain at him again? I'm NOT cleaning that up this time."

Shao Jiayi just shook his head and spoke, his voice uncharacteristically serious.

[Shao Jiayi] -"No. It seems they have unearthed an Artifact of Laws. A powerful one, at that."

The room went so silent, you could hear a pin drop. Medved stood up, eyes wide and mouth agape, while Amari Mitsuko opened her eyes for the first time, a sharp, cold light pouring from them. Helmont finally raised his head, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear.

[Jacques van Helmont] - "Well now. Things just got interesting..."

Two weeks later, on the other side of the World, Gaia Continent.

A large group of robed men and women sat in a Forum room with dozens of rows of seats surrounding a central platform shaped like a large, Seven-Pointed Star. Between each point stood a single chair, and in each chair sat an older man or woman. Once all of the seats surrounding the platform had filled, a large man in a brown robe stood from one of the center chairs and raised their hand.

[Cedar] - "Silence! Silence, I say! By the power invested in me as Master of the Cedar Branch and Acting Speaker of the High Council, I bring this 565th meeting of the Grand Magical Assembly to order!"

There was a pulse of power, and the room went silent, though if one looked, they could still see the lips of some in the seats moving.

"Ceder" walked to the middle of the Star and slammed down the large Cedar staff that gave him his name into the center. There was another burst of magic as a large wooden podium grew upwards. The man cleared his throat and spoke.

[Cedar] - "First off, I would like to thank my fellow Branches for answering the Summons in such a hasty manner. May the Blessing of the World Tree bear you much fruit."

The six others surrounding the podium nodded and returned the blessing.

[Cedar] - "Now, let us begin with Roll Call."

One by one, the other six stood.

First, a woman in a robe that seemed to blend greens and browns perfectly, until they became a single, indescribable color, stood.

[Pine] - "The Branch of Pine sees the Speaker."

Next was a large, well-muscled man in a blood-red rode.

[Rose]: "The Branch of Roses sees the Speaker."

The third to stand was an older man in a robe so bright green it hurt.

[Thyme] - "The Branch of Thyme sees the Speaker."

Forth stood a tall man in a pale purple robe, face obscured by a dark hood.

[Lavender]: "The Branch of Lavender sees the Speaker."

The fifth was a Scholarly man in rimmed glasses, dressed in an olive-green robe accented with swirls and mystical symbols that seems to shift and move.

[Bay] - "The Branch of Bay sees the Speaker."

The final one to stand was an older, sweet grandmotherly looking woman, small hands resting on the round belly of her plain, Sage-green robe.

[Sage] - "The Branch of Sage sees the Speaker."

As one, the crowds behind the Seven stood and bowed before all took their seat.

[Cedar] - "Now, normally, we would start a Grand Assembly by having each Branch give a detailed account of their records since the last assembly, but I'm afraid we have more pressing matters to attend to. Bay, would you mind?"

The small, Scholarly man stood and approached the middle of the platform.

[Bay] - "My pleasure."

The man gave a wave of his hand, and a large screen materialized above the platform. Rather than just a flat screen, the strange magical construct seemed to project the image on it in such a way that anyone in the room could see perfectly. On it, played the scene of a certain AI mowing down a group of Cultivators.

The crowds surrounding the platform began to murmur and whisper to themselves, though no sound could be heard.

The young woman to the right of Cedar leaned on her chair and asked in a bored tone.

[Pine] - "So a bunch of Cultivators decided to pick on some new Spirit Beast and got wreaked. What does that have to do with us?"

The old man in the bright green robe chirped up as we;

[Thyme] - "While I am quite interested in seeing the young whippersnappers get their arces handed to them, I have to agree with Pine. I don't see how a new Spirit Beast, no matter how powerful, is enough to warrant a Summons."

The hooded man responded to Thyme, his deep voice hoarse, but distant, as if from away.

[Lavender] - "Look again, old man. That's no Spirit Beast...Look at the Energy readings."

Thyme stared at the hooded man, before squinting his eyes and snapping his fingers. The image suddenly zoomed in to focus on a strange figure, with several charts popping up around it. The more Thyme studies the charts, the more confused he became.

[Thyme] - "What in the World...

Bay's eyes flickered back and forth as he quickly scanned and commented on every detail of the recording to memory, even if he'd already seen the recording dozens of times.

[Bay] - "One of my Scouts picked up this recording two months ago, near the border of the Grassy Sea and the Cultivator's "Origin" Sect's territory. At first, they had almost passed by, assuming it to just be a group of Cultivators out hunting. That's when they realized their sensors were picking up strange readings... or rather, the lack of them."

Lavender gave a deep laugh and spoke again.

[Lavender] - "Interesting. No Spiritual signature in the slightest. Not even any Mana readings. And yet it's trashing multiple Cultivators who are at least 2nd Rank. There is some Mental Energy mixed in there though, could it be some kind of Mentalist Puppet? Has the Grand Seer finally bared his teeth?"

Pine shook her head and denied that.

[Pine] - "No. That old Bastard might be sneaky and manipulative, but he's absolute in his neutrality. As Powerful as he is, he knows that he can't risk being so open with his moves, lest the other three Paths band together to crush his little Temple. And I know of no other Mentalist with the power to control something like THAT."

The tall, Muscular man in the blood-red robe as the next to speak.

[Rose]: "Agreed. I've seen Mentalist Puppets before. This construct is nothing like the crude toys they use. This is a creation of War if I ever saw one. Not only that, the Scout is picking up some high energy levels, but it's like nothing else I've seen."

Five others nodded their head in agreement as discussion broke out in the crowds behind them. Finally, the only Branch Master who'd not spoken yet lifted up her voice.

[Sage] - "I have."

As one, six eyes turned in shock to stare at the old, grandmotherly woman.

Cedar lifted an eyebrow and asked.

[Cedar] - "You know what this Construct is, Sage?"

But Sage shook her head,

[Sage] - "No, I'm as clueless to the nature and origin of the thing as you are. But the power it is using, I am familiar with. It is something from long, long ago, when I was just an apprentice."

Well, he might has suspected as much. Sage was by far the oldest of all the Branch Masters. In fact, she had been the only "Sage" in the last four generations. The other Branch Masters might not have been spring chickens, but how the old woman had lived this long, no one truly knew.

[Sage] - "When I was but a little girl, my Master, the 'Sage' before me, sent me into the World to learn of the other Paths. He believed that only by understanding others, no matter their beliefs or Path, could we truly learn to grow. On my journeys, I came across a most fascinating people who lived in the northern Skybreaker Continent. The land there is dead, with very little Spiritual Energy and no significant Mana source to draw on. But they were hardy people, and smart too. Despite the lack of the World's Blessing, they had devised ways to accomplish tasks that I would have thought impossible without Magic or Spiritual Power.

Using only their skills and tools, they had dug deep into the Mountain, Harnessing the Power of Nature itself to do their bidding, as one might tame a Horse or Dog. I spent several years in their Capital City, learning their ways and the ways of their so-called 'Path of Laws.' Shortly before leaving, a young Noblewoman of the City, a bright and ingenious inventor, showed me something that, even to this day, leaves me in awe and fear.

Through careful application of both Spiritual Energy and Mana, she had devised a way of breaking down the very fundamental elements of existence."

At that moment, Thyme stood to his feet and yelled, his face a beet red.

[Thyme] - "BLASPHEMY!"

The room erupted into chaos, with some people showing looks of rage and anger mimicking Thyme's own, while others showed confusion or curiosity, while others showed fear or amusement. Even the Branch Masters seemed to have mixed feelings about the old Lady's claim.

Cedar worked for several moments to calm the room before motioning Sage to continue.

[Sage] - "I know how you feel. I thought the same thing, myself. I had always believed that the very thing that made something 'elemental' was that it was the very basic, the simplest that a substance could get. On that day, however, that young woman showed me just how much more I have to learn about our World. The experiment she showed me was only of a tiny scale, barely a few particles. But the Energy that it released was enormous, and of a kind, I had never seen anywhere else before... Until today."

The room went silent before Rose asked,

[Rose] - "So you think this thing might be their handiwork?"

Sage shook her head.

[Sage] - "Impossible..."

[Pine] - "Why?"

[Sage] - "She's Dead. They all are..."

Another bout of silence fell on the hall.

[Sage] - "The young Noblewoman believed her discovery would revolutionize the World. A source of power that anyone, Mundane or Otherwise, could make use of. Instead, it sparked a War. Shortly after I left, a war broke out between the people under the Mountain and the Cultivators to the south. It was long and bloody, by all account, but came to a swift end when the Cultivators somehow snuck into the City's heart. They destroyed their factories and great machines, then slaughtered their people, down to every man, woman, and child. After that, they wiped out all record of the city, its people, and their 'Path of Laws' from history, leaving only a cursed Mountain and a young Witch to remember their story."

A long moment passed before someone spoke.

[Thyme] - "... Well, Da... Ouch!"

Thyme turned and glared at Rose, who simply stared ahead soberly.

Cedar cleared his through to bring attention back to him,

[Cedar] - "*cough* Well, thank you for that information, Sage. At the very least, it helps to shed some light on why the Cultivators might be after the Construct. Unfortunately, that doesn't explain THIS."

With a wave of his hand, the image shifted, showing the figure of two people, one male, one female, standing in a grassy field. The man seemed to be in a panic, while the female laughed at his retreating figure. The room as a whole gasped, and a heated discussion started once more.

Lavender sat straight in his seat, asking with both confusion and curiosity in equal measures.

[Lavender] - "Is that Jīshí? What business does the Prime Earth Elemental have with Origin Sect? If my memory serves me, she broke off ties with Yeom Ki over a century ago. Could they be working together again?... No, if it was flighty Fēnghuǒ, maybe, but Jīshí isn't the type to forgive grudges so easily..."

Bay spoke up this time, pushing up his glasses as he did so.

[Bay] - "Based on the constructed Temple and the battle damage of the area, we believe that Jīshí was in possession of the Construct at first. The Origin Sect must have approached her, requesting the Artifact for whatever purpose they might have held. However, before our Scout arrived, things went south, resulting in the footage we have now."

Ceder was the next to add to the discussion,

[Cedar] - "That's not all. Two weeks ago, our spies reported movement from four of the Five Pillars. There are even rumors that Medved has pulled back troops from the front-lines, though for what purpose and where he's sent them, we haven't been able to figure out."

Pine stared at the screen, her baby faces serious for the first time since the meeting started.

[Pine] - "So not only do we have a Construct that shouldn't exist from a people who should have been wiped from history, but one of the Five most powerful Cultivators in the World found it necessary to steal it from a Prime Elemental. To top it off, the OTHER Four old Cultivation Junkies most likely have noticed the commotion as well and are making their own move on it too. So that begs the question, Why? What exactly is this thing, and why are so many people so desperate to get a hold of it?"

[Cedar] - "Right. That's why I have gathered you all here today. Something tells me there is far more going on here than we are aware of. More importantly, we have to ask; What are we going to do about it?".

As the Grand Magical Assembly broke into heated debate and discussion, one young woman sitting in the crowd behind Cedar stared at the screen in front of her in confusion and shock.

As she watched the recording play over and over in her mind, a single question popped into her head.

"Is that a Tachikoma?!"

High Above the Eastern Sea, on the Floating Continent of Avalon.

An old man hovered in the air, legs crossed, in the bare, featureless room. He floated silently, hands on his knees and eyes closed when there was a knock on the door. Without opening his mouth or eyes, a voice sounded out.

[Grand Seer] - "Enter, child."

The door opened to reveal a young woman in a long white robe, nervously.

[Robed Woman] - "G-Grand Seer..."

[Grand Seer] - "Yes?"

[Robed Woman] - "I-its just as you said. Both the Pillars and the Grand Assembly have begun to move."

The Grand Seer smiled and nodded.

[Grand Seer] - "And what of the Primas?"

[Robed Woman] - "Still no word, but there are... whispers, in the shadows of the Temples..."

[Grand Seer] - "Good. Good. I have already made preparations for what needs to be done. Inform the Guardians that I will be there to speak to them soon."

The robed woman bowed and spoke.

[Robed Woman] - "Yes, sir! Right away!"

She bowed again and backed away but hesitated at the door.

The Grand Seer raised an eyebrow and asked.

[Grand Seer] - "Yes? What is it, Child? You know there is no need to hide your questions here."

The Robed Woman hesitated only for a moment more, before taking a deep breath and asking.

[Robed Woman] - "S-sir, what's going on? I've never seen the Guardians this secretive before. We're all running around like a chicken with their heads cut off, but no one seems to know why."

The Grand Seer finally opened his mouth and laughed a fulled bellied laugh, though his voice was dry and hoarse as if it had not been used in a long time. Then with a grin, he spoke.

[Grand Seer] - "Something terrifying and at the same time, something monumental. Something that we have been wishing and striving for since Avalon itself was raised."

Suddenly, the Grand Seer's eyes opened wide, pure white power bursting forth from them, as if two tiny suns sat in his skull. When he next spoke, the words came out filled with power and meaning that brought the young woman to her knees,

[Grand Seer] - "Our Freedom!"