Tony's chest burned with rage.

He'd come here to get away from the whole "Celestial being trying to kill him" thing and instead he'd brought the conflict with him. Jorogu and her people had paid for it.

"You son of a bitch, you came here to fight for her, now look! She's not moving!" One of the spikes snapped off, putting Tony on one knee. He used the Marital Blade to cleave through the other and got to his feet. Sujuko wasn't looking too hot, most of his launchable legs were gone and not growing back and the fact that he wasn't firing at Tony right away meant that he probably wasn't sure if they'd grow back at all.

The anger burning in Tony was unlike any he had ever felt. The bottled-up regret, angst, self-loathing, and sorrow had burst open and mixed with the absolute fury and contempt he held for the "man" standing before him. His heart pounded like a war drum, every muscle in his body drew taut, his vision scored red; there was only one thing left to do.

Tony surged forward with such force that the platform turned up and shattered in his wake, the surprise on Sujuko's face only grew as Tony's fist sent him soaring back thirty feet. The monster got to his feet only to receive Tony's dropkick into his gut sending him face-first into the platform.

"Come on, get up!" Tony bellowed. He stalked toward the man-spider, Marital Blade held loosely by his side. Sujuko shot up and launched three of his remaining spikes at Tony.

They were so easy for him to follow.

Tony deflected two of them with an upward slash and lodged the tip of his blade into the third, swinging it around the entirety of his body before flinging the spike off and back at Sujuko with a shout. The beast weaved to the side and caught the spike, twirled it in his grip, and dropped into a low stance holding it out in front of him like a spear.

Pure bloodlust nearly boiled over when a cough snapped Tony out of his frenzy. For a moment, he thought, he hoped, it was Jorogu. Semiramis emerged from a pile of wreckage and bodies, arms extended and spinnerets spewing webbing at Sujuko, rooting him in place. She locked eyes with Tony, her gaze a blazing emerald bonfire.

"Fight him in anger and you will fall. You must think beyond the moment," she commanded.

Tony took deep ragged breaths. The tempest of emotions made focusing difficult, Semiramis was right, if he couldn't regain a center Tony would be fighting not only Sujuko but himself.

"Quickly, Antonious, I cannot hold him for long," Semiramis called.

Tony went to do what he always did and pull his emotions in and bottle them, but the bottle was broken, there was nowhere to keep them. Instead, he forced them outward, making a storm wall and Tony the eye of the tempest. His eyes snapped open in the same moment Sujuko broke free and Semiramis ran out of webbing.

The beast rushed forward and Tony moved to intercept. Their exchange was rapid staccato clashes of steel on steel. Tony lost himself in the rhythm of the fight, moving seamlessly from offense to defense and back again. He didn't think, he just moved. Sujuko's grunts of pain, flashes of ichor, and burning light were the only indication that the balance of the fight was tipping. For every cut Tony made, molten essence poured out and scarred over at near-instant speeds; the "gift" of regeneration given to Sujuko by Ignacious seemed to be draining his total "pool" of Essence, keeping his HP up while failing to generate additional spikes, spider legs, or weaponry. He couldn't let up, if Sujuko had enough time to reload Tony would be in trouble.

Tony redoubled his efforts, thrusting and cutting away at his foe when the hair on the back of his neck stood up on end. It was the same feeling when Sujuko got his first boost from Ignacious.

Another one, really? Can't he try to kill someone else?

Tony dropped a pommel strike in the middle of Sujuko's chest, caving it in. The beast dropped his javelin and hunched forward, gasping for air. Tony used the back of Sujuko's neck like a springboard, soaring above him and intercepting the incoming boost.

You Have Unlocked an Achievement!

What's not Mine is also Mine!

Steal a Power-up or piece of High-Rarity Loot from an enemy

Traits have Awakened!

Essence (Awakened)

Ascendant Healing Factor

Ascendant Attribute Enhancement

Congratulations, You have Ascended

The rush of power that flowed through Tony was intoxicating, the remnants of the spikes in his shoulders popped out and the holes burned closed shortly after. Tony's eyes flashed to his status bar as a buff flashed at him:

Throes of Ascension

Essence Trait increased to 8

Duration: 29s

He could feel the Essence around him, how to manipulate it, weaponize it, use it. Tony flexed his will and sprung from the Essence in the air behind him launching down at Sujuko.

It was time to end this.

The Marital Blade clashed against all three of the spikes Sujuko brought up to meet Tony's attack. Sparks flew in every direction. Even with the boost from his Ascension and the stolen buff, he needed more. Tony growled, straining against Sujuko's defense. Maximus and his Dreadblade were back in the lounge he'd dressed and bathed in.

I guess it doesn't really matter anymore.

Tony roared and activated Adamant Slash; the indigo essence thrummed and pulsed through his weapon with a high-pitched whine and bisected the gargantuan man-spider.

Jorogu's Marital Blade

Rarity: Unique (1 of 1) Durability: 13% Enchantments: Unyielding, Dueling (N/A Durability Low)

Slashing Damage: Exceptional Thrusting Damage: Good Parry: Good Riposte Multiplier: 3.75x

Unyielding: The wielder does not know surrender and gains +5% Attack and Defense Rating for every 10% of missing HP

Dueling: The wielder gains +20% Attack Rating and +20% to Defense Rating (Parry) when in combat against 1 foe

The top two-thirds of the blade shattered into gleaming shards, embedding themselves into what remained of Sujuko's body. Tony stood over the corpse, frustrated. He wanted to do something, send a message. Sujuko was dead and further aggression wouldn't do anything to ease his mind.

"Antonious, come here," Semiramis croaked, the effort of the conflict glaringly obvious on her withering frame. Her cheeks and eyes were sunken and pallid, the skin across the entirety of her body grew wan and taut. The Queen was dying.

Tony rushed to her side and caught her toppling body in his arms. "How can I help? What do you need?" he rattled.

"I need you to save Jorogu," she said.

Tony opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. His throat slammed shut and his eyes stung with tears. He hadn't known Jorogu for long at all. She was a good person who wanted to live her life and choose who she would love, not be forced into an arranged marriage for the sake of the bloodline. "She's gone..." he managed.

"Says you, who know so much of our people?" the Queen chided, a wry smirk crossing her fading features. "I know where you are from, the technology your people hold. You... We can save her, Antonious."

Tony jumped as he heard Maximus's small growl and the sound of steel dragging across wood. He turned and saw the pup's rear high in the air heading toward him, the guard of Tony's Dreadblade gripped firmly in his teeth. Semiramis dug her fingers into Tony's bicep and reclaimed his attention. "Just tell me what to do, I'll do whatever it takes."

"You must take her body to your flagship and then put her in your pods. Before she is sealed inside, you must put my heart in the wound," she explained.

"How do you know about- wait, what?"

"I am the Queen of all Arach, Jorogu marked you and just as I could see through her eyes should I wish, I could see through the mark."

Tony shook his head, he couldn't get his head around the request, let alone the explanation. "I don't know-"

"There is no time for uncertainty. Take up that blade and take the heart from my chest, go back to your people, put it inside the hole in her chest, then seal her in one of your regeneration pods." Her eyes blazed viridian once more, punctuating her command.

The hilt of the Dreadblade landed in his open right hand, covered in puppy drool. "As you wish," he muttered, heaving the weapon up to his shoulder.

"One last thing, Antonious. You must do this quickly. If the Empire is without a leader for too long they will become feral, monstrous. That cannot happen."

Tony nodded in understanding. "Be done with it then, I'm ready."

You have received a Quest! King of Hearts: To save both the sentience and people of the Arach Empire, you must perform the Rite of Rulership on behalf of the Arach Queen and her heir. Rewards: XP, Dread Knight Set Piece, Jorogu Social Link Increase Bonus Objective: Put Jorogu in an Ascendant Regeneration Pod within 6 hours

Tony set his jaw and plunged the Dreadblade into Semiramis's chest. She gasped, but that was it. No shout of pain, no cursing, nothing. He reached into her chest and pushed the wound open, getting a full view of the heart. Steeling his resolve, as not to vacate the contents of his stomach, he wrenched the blade back and forth, cleaving the heart out. Tony gripped the heart gently; it pumped once in his hand before going still.

Tony set the Queen's body down on the ground, crossed her arms over her chest, and closed her eyes. He went to sling the Dreadblade over his shoulder and realized that the Pauldron of Vengeance wasn't there. He opened his Equipment screen and received a prompt:

Event Period has expired, return Event Equipment and restore Previous Loadout?

Yes No

Tony selected "Yes" and watched as his equipment changed over on its own, then sheathed his Dreadblade. When he looked for the remnants of the Marital Blade, Tony was shocked to see a bracer made of the same material clamped around his right arm, Jorogu's mark emblazoned prominently on the armor directly above the mark on his skin.

Covenant Rarity: Unique (1 of 2) Durability: N/A Armor Slot: Wrist Type: Organic Attack Rating Bonus: +5 Defense Rating: +5 Note: The remnants of Destroyed Item "Jorogu's Marital Blade" The symbol of a continued Promise

Tony decided to look into this new armor piece later; he was on a time limit. Semiramis's Heart vanished from his hand and appeared in the "Quest Items" sub-menu of the Quest Log. Tony squelched his curiosity before it got the better of him and closed his menus, put Maximus in the web-sling on his back, and walked over to where Jorogu's body lay.

The memory of her body soaring over him flashed to the front of his mind. Everything about this felt wrong. She'd leaped to his defense when he had been helpless, she had died protecting him because her ex had buddied up with the number one douchebag in the known galaxy, and he had just carved out her mother's heart to cram where a dissolving metal spike protruded from.

He brushed the strands of mottled hair from her face. "I'm sorry. None of this would have happened if I didn't come back here. I... I should have waited until I was stronger... until I knew I could protect you." Just as the air caught in Tony's throat, Maximus, ever his emotional savior, barked and yipped and licked the back of his neck. He couldn't help but smile.

"What, boy?"

It okay! We save spooder lady with thump-thump and glow bubbles! a voice spoke into Tony's mind.

"Did you just talk to me?" Tony almost shouted, looking over his shoulder at the small dog.

I talka you allatime! You hear me now? Maximus asked.

"Yeah boy, I hear you!" Tears welled up in Tony's eyes. "I hear you."

Yay! Leggo to zoom room! I know where glow stick go!

"The access key?" Tony asked.

Yis, glow stick. Taste bad, no fun for play, his companion answered.

Tony scooped Jorogu's body up in his arms. This is not how I imagined the Threshold Carry going, he thought.

"Lead on, buddy!"