CHAPTER 6

“Bunch of weaklings…” said the ominous voice.

Twenty first round…one month of continues climb and every time we become less and less. Every time more people die and even more give up. I count but twenty that are still here.

Once we reached the tenth floor, it was but monster fights. We fought monsters after monsters wave after wave. Many dropped from tiredness.

Food was a scarce resource here. I already went through the provisions I had with me. The principal had already mentioned that this will be a problem that I will face sometime but I didn’t think that it would be this grave…not even normal animals were present at any of the floors… At one point I was forced to eat monster flesh to sustain myself…

Nevertheless I need to keep climbing.

I was approached by many before…they all wanted one thing. To help them climb but I was not one to be tricked twice so I left them…they never made it out.

One thing is for sure. Those that are still alive on this floor have no desire for surrendering. Only four floors and they could leave. Leave with glory, wealth, and prestige. But I needed more. I needed power.

Power and respect that accompanies any that manages to clear the fiftieth floor…

“Now, it seems that you can barely handle yourselves fighting these mindless beasts. I wonder what you will do now?” said the same sadistic maniac that was killing people left and right.

Another portal soon opened and every one of us knew what to expect. More dread…

Once I entered I was showered with a blinding light. Again…

Loud cries was all I could hear and sounds of battle was all around me. I was inside a battlefield

I had no idea what was happening but I knew one thing. I was not wearing my normal clothes but a standard uniform. One of which many was wearing. It was brown dirtied and filled with mud. In front of me was a raging battle with sword and shield.

The ‘enemy’ was wearing a different outfit. They looked organized and more disciplined with blue tunics under their armor they moved as one and killed as one. Whilst our side was mercilessly being massacred. I put up my hand forward and began to chant so that I can summon ice to help me deal with the enemy…only to figure out one dreadful thing…I cannot feel mana inside me anymore. I cannot use magic…

A man wearing the enemy’s tunic soon saw the still puzzled me and charged forward with sword brought up and a clear look of disgust and hatred showing on his face.

I could only look in shock until one man out of nowhere stabbed the charging enemy by the side making him trip and slide over the mud until he stopped ‘dead’ near where I stood.

“Get yourself together soldier! Even if our commander is dead we need to fight for our lives get that man’s sword and fight back!” Shouted the man.

I looked at him and instantly understood.

A challenge without the use of magic…

(Four months earlier)

“Use it!” said Ousay

“But I can’t…I only know how to use magic…martial arts are not my fort!” I replied

“I don’t think you understand clearly, this is not a request it is an order.” He said and threw a short sword in front of me.

“Once you are there you need to expect anything. Being unable to use your magic is one of those things. So use the blade to defend yourself or I will make you regret not doing It.” said the master swordsman

I hesitantly grabbed the sword and stood forward.

“Wrong!” he said and struck it away from my hand

“Pick it up!” he said

Once I did, he got closer to me, and pointed the shaft of his sheeted katana to my side.

“Dead!”

“Are you guys really not doing this on purpose?” I said as they seemed to like the idea of ‘killing’ me at any single mistake. ‘Dead’ was the word I heard the most when I was practicing with the principal. And now it seems that Ousay became fond of this word…quite vexing

“No one is going to let you wait until you grab your sword. Age of chivalry is long since lost so get your weapon and come at me once again.” Said Ousay

And I did. And got ‘killed’ I tried again and got killed once more…every time I got killed but every time I learned something new.

I began to swap teachers from day to another.

I am thankful that Ousay decided to show up here at Alsa. It seems that he managed to escape captivity and bring back our forces before they were hindered…

He was however sadden that he didn’t manage to get the other four out from prison as it became heavily guarded…But once Gaz-sama ordered him to remain at Alsa he found out about me training with the principal and (although he won’t admit it) became rather curious about my training once he knew I was going to attempt the crucible.

“Again!” he said

So we continued…

(Four months later)

I instantly grabbed the sword of the enemy at my feet and blocked a downward slash that was coming at me from another enemy. He placed a lot of weight under that strike but he failed to follow up on it. His technique was clumsy as I easily shifted the weight of his sword by tilting my blade sideway and instantly slashing in a rising strike.

With that I managed to cut an artery on his neck and the man dropped down gurgling and drowning from his own blood.

Another one came at me but I only had to move sideways to dodge yet another mechanical attack. While retaliating with a fast stab to the unprotected area of his armor which was below the armpit as his hand was still raised once I dodged.

And another man dropped.

Although they were humans. The excitement didn’t let me pause to think of my actions…I only had to think of them as beasts. This after all could be but an illusion. The same thing that happened at the seventh floor. And if so this is only to destabilize us and make us hesitate. Hesitation is deadly…a lesson that was engraved into me by the two heavenly demons that shifted while trying to train me.

The enemy was very organized but their swordsmanship was very lacking. They worked well as a group but never did so as individuals. Ours however was a walking disaster. Dirtied and disgusting and without a leader. We were like a headless chicken.

One of the men on our side however mounted on a horseback and loudly shouted

“Rally to me!”

He screamed his lungs out and most of the unorganized individuals soon adhered to his command.

He had a tight coagulation of mismatches but they all still obeyed him, as with this new ‘leader’ they thought to have better chance at beating the well-organized enemy.

The man was wearing the same outfit as the rest of the infantry but seeing him on top of a horse gave the rest a sense of courage and gave him an air of leadership.

He had bright red hair with blue eyes and a small and thin nose. His square face and pointy chin made him look like one born in nobility. However his arm which was unadorned with any sort of armor showed that this man had trained for a hard and a long time. As the well-developed muscles bulged with power once he grabbed a spear from a nearby soldier and shot it forward.

The spear was shot with such a force that it flew far and heavy.

The target was the commander of the enemy team who thought himself to be well beyond the reach of the arrows from our ranks. Only to be shot in between the eyes by the spear that came from more than four hundred meters. A feat that only the strongest of warriors could replicate.

“CHARGE!!!” said the man and we all did.

But right before our forces would make contact.

A blinding light soon engulfed us all.

“Oh! That was quite fast…not bad you managed to kill the commander at such a short notice.” Said the same voice reverberating from everywhere.

I looked around me to see that our numbers had not decreased by much. We were still few however.

But on another look it seems that the red haired man who threw that spear is in fact one of the challengers…

“Let the next round begin!” said the same voice.

And once again the same portal opened. And once again I proceeded, I still need to climb more…

***

“What is this?” I said

“A gift to you.” Said Drakhsis

“Euh…thank you but what am I to do with your claw? Claim it as a trophy?” I said

“No…here” said Drakhsis and he then grabbed, by the way he just sprouted another claw to replace the old one…

He cracked it in two and they both began to change shape.

The first became a small oval like object that had a purple red and ashen symbols on it… And the second took the shape of a sword. The shape of the devourer’s first form. A scimitar…

“Use these inside the crucible. They will help.” Said Drakhsis

“Thank you. The sword is a great gift at least now I can fight while using something other than my hands. But what is the other thing?” I said

“Place it on your face” said Drakhsis

I looked at the thing…and decided to do as he said. Fearing that this might be some sort of test I still had my guard up from any incoming attack.

I placed the thing on my face but I could only see the white of the object…I then faced the direction where I thought Drakhsis was and dumbly said

“Like this?” I said

“Yes” he said “Shinral Onama”

Once he spoke the old words for true vision the thing reformed until it became compatible with the shape of my face. Then it lightly pressed against it and my vision became clear…no clear is an understatement I was able to have a full vision.

I was struggling at first with partial vision due to my right eye being missing…but with this gift I am like new.

“This will help you see attacks aimed at you from any direction while at the same time won’t reveal your intentions to your enemies.” Said Drakhsis

“I-I can’t thank you enough Drakhsis-san…this si truly a wonderful gift.” I said

“No need youngling. You earned it. Now go. The crucible has already begun you can still make it. You will need to travel south of this mountain and for quite a long time once you see the glow of its tower you will know that you had approached. Youngling, Forget not your promise. I will wait until the day you call out to me from outside this world. Open the passage and set ‘us’ free…Now go youngling…” said Drakhsis…

And with this I have two promises to fulfil for him. The first is to set him free…while the other…

…

I headed south of the mountain. Feeling the presence of Drakhsis ever so slowly fading. And with each day of travel I began to encounter more monsters…however, they didn’t seem to ever be wanting to encounter me…

Every time and everywhere I moved, creatures would squirm away and run. I did not bother with them however. As long as they don’t attempt anything on me I won’t be needing to kill them. So I walked.

After few days I managed to encounter some old acquaintances. Yes, the south side of the mountain was the same direction where the old man’s cave was in. I met with; the damn long clawed monsters. And managed to beat the living crap out of them. But I didn’t kill any as I just didn’t feel like wanting to needlessly spill blood. The second acquaintances I met were the wolves that got me to this place.

And their leader whose name was Zhareb if I remember correctly slowly approached.

“Asura. You grew strong and in such a short period…what are you?” said Zhareb

“It matters not. I need to get to the crucible…I need to free Drakhsis-san from this place…” I said

“The crucible? Are you certain of your ability to surpass that place?” said Zhareb.

“I don’t know but what I do know is that if I want to leave this place that is the only choice I have.” I responded.

“Then could we please ask you a selfish request?” said Zhareb

“Ask away. You helped me the time I was here and it is your right to demand whatever you want for me. I partially own you my life.” I said as truly if they didn’t show up with good intentions six months ago I would have probably never lived to this day.

“We have heard much about this world of yours from our ancestors they had spoken with the ruler of this world and he told them of what lies beyond…we want to go there…to run free under a sole moon. Under the clear blue sky…we want freedom of this prison. A prison where we fear for our own sanity if we spend much time under this accursed dark star…” said Zhareb.

Indeed they look like they could use some fresh air…

“I will see what I can do.” I said

“We are most thankful Asura.” Responded Zhareb

Then I left and continued on with my journey. Only walking no running as I didn’t see reason to waste my breath or my stamina. The crucible would remain for an entire year so why the rush.

So I walked and walked. Until I really couldn’t stand it anymore

“To hell with it.” I reached equilibrium and shouted

“Morfii Drakh!”

Then I flew toward the crucible like a burning meteor.

***

“The hell is going on…” Said Gaz-sama

We were at the antechamber of Ryouka Gaz, head of the raging fire clan and lord over the Alsian country. Along with the head of the current raging water dragon clan’s head Kyouka Shimazu.

Who by the way, was an old and bald looking man that had the height of but a meter and a half, he was dressed in a blue kimono. With his clan’s emblem on his chest’s right side. He had a face full of wrinkles and a small mole atop his lips’ right side. His eyes were so small and hidden behind the overgrown eyebrows that you could barely see them. He looked old. But oh man if one would know what this man was capable of they would flee.

Along with him there was Shiki Youtaro’s father. Ryuji Youtaro. This man had just turned forty years old but still looked like a young man. His golden short hair and well-trimmed mustache and easy on the eye face of his made any who looked at him see this person as a handsome noble in which he was not far from the case he is the noble of the lightning beast clan and one of the strongest people to have ever headed the clan with the sole exception being his deceased brother Genkaki Youtaro

That man was probably the only man that could stand to Greetman and truly give him a run for his money after all they were the only ones that managed to clear the first fifty floors of the notorious crucible

“Well not that I know what were they thinking but we were released and without clarifications…” I said

“…something is going on…they even claimed that the prince was the one that killed his father, I know he is irresponsible but I would never think of him capable of doing such a thing…and that new heir, no. The new king of Alikh…they said that he was a bastard son of the king…such arrogance for Elior would never do something like that…that man loved his late wife dearly and saw none worthy of her place in his heart…he was a good king…”

“What is the status now?” I said

“After the retrieval of our forces and the rise of the barrier even more so the return of the four of you unharmed gives us no reason to continue on with the war against Alikh…but we will still be needing to take care as this might bring about some unwanted troubles…” said Ryouka Gaz with an air full of worry.

“But enough of that. I need you to go back to Albion you and the other heavenly demons. Ousay had taken a teaching position in that school once students saw that the way of the blade truly can be helpful. We also have a guest. Arianna Dorova is there…” added Ryouka Gaz.

“The iron lady…” I said

“Yes, she is here to reach a collaboration with our school. It seems she wants to change the policy of the Mächtige cling…” replied Ryouka Gaz while firmly pressing his hand on his sheeted Katana’s hilt

I wonder what she is trying to accomplish.

“I have no idea why she is here…but it seems that after the rise of the crucible the situation at Astarte became a bit too tense. With many of its renowned warriors attempting the challenge, the country is now facing a shortage of people capable of defending the country. As you know the king has no right to stop anyone form accessing the tower but if many men and young kids try out their luck in that manner this was bound to happen…I think she wants some sort of alliance but you have to go and take care of that.”

That damn thing again…I am not a coward for all I know, but one thing I do know is that no sane man should attempt something like that. The mortality rate of participation in that challenge is more than ninety nine percent…and I am in no rush to getting myself killed for the sake of becoming slightly more famous or even a bit more powerful. After all I already have all I need…

I walked away and left Ryouka-sama to handle the clan heads…it seems that they have their own agenda to accomplish, and I am in no mood to play with them…for now.

Reaching Albion after god knows how long, it takes too much time to just get from the city center to the school…they need to ease the access to school and the far away regions…

The moment I reached the school gate I face palmed myself…

“I should have used teleportation magic…”

I never was this distracted in my life but it seems that the irrational happenings are making me very nervous and are clouding my judgment.

Once I teleported in front of Kazehara’s office I saw her passionately speaking with Sraam…

I am one hundred percent sure that these two have a thing for each other.

But the moment Sraam took notice of me…he disappeared.

“God damn it!” I said “He is always like that…”

Kazehara then coughed while a ting of redness was apparent on her cheeks and formally addressed me saying

“What brings you here Osfor?”

“I don’t really care what you do with that man, but the least he can do is say hello…” I said

“W-we are doing nothing…it was just a conversation” she mumbled under her breath

“Yeah, yeah. I never seen you speak that way toward anyone but that guy…” I then added “Anyway, Gaz sama had told me that there was someone waiting for me. Where is the Iron lady?”

“Right behind you” said a womanly voice

I then loudly expressed

“Speak of the devil”

She then replied

“And the devil will answer, so you are here. I guess it has to do with the matters that I needed to discuss with Ryouka Gaz but instead he sent me one of his lackeys…quite rude I might say” said Arianna Dorova.

She was an old lady about fifty years old but she has yet to show signs of feebleness that accompanied old age. She was wearing a formal attire dressed in a dark green colored blouse with a long skirt that reached well beyond her knees. The skirt however was large for ease of movement.

She had the emblem of her school on her shirt that was the cross of two swords over a kite shield.

With the words “The sword is just”

“Oh, and it truly is. So I have an offer to make. Will you hear me out?” said the woman with an air full of confidence and pride.

“With all pleasure” I responded and led the way out of Kazehara’s office.