Iteration 87

"Blast him! Just Blast him already!"

"He's too fast."

*Boom*

"It's a miss."

"He is tearing us apart."

"It's just one man. Kill him already!"

A flash of silver. Chaos sown. The bone-shaking sound of magical mortar fire. The screams of agony suddenly cut off. Cries for help. Begging for orders. The Eldens spat curses or prayed to the Primals for their deliverance.

"Regent, ma'am! The vanguard is locked in combat, but they are dropping fast. If we use artillery grade spells, we will hit our own soldiers."

"Do it. We will lose them anyway. Send a signal to hold him in place. Tripvines and Earth Prisons. Summon Air Walls and thicken that swamp. Now!"

"Ma'am!"

Several siege sentinels linked into groups, sharing their mana in a dangerous maneuver. More mana, more magic, bigger boom.

The scarce water mages were called into action—their Water Geysers adding to the muck. Stray explosions sprouted murky water. Raining down to drench all combatants.

Geomancers thrust their hands into the soggy earth, attempting to shape it. Several tried compacting the wet soil and mud into usable walls, but it was too malleable. The best they could manage was to hinder the enemy's movement. They weren't suited to fight in a swamp.

A vanguard clashed with the assailant, ignoring the other enemy dregs currently being blown apart by explosions. The Elden recast his Enhanced Senses and tried to layer another Physical Enhancement, but it wouldn't stick, glopping off the three already active. The physical kickback from layering physical enhancements was already agony.

"Die, stubborn barbarian."

Cold eyes. A flash of silver. The Elden would never see his family again.

Two took his place, not sparing a glance for their fallen. They had the same active spells their comrade had. They took turns swiping their standard-issue gladius'. The pair were battle-hardened, working in tandem perfectly.

The enemy swordsman slipped on mud. They didn't miss their chance, swinging high and low. The man scoffed.

Weighed down by drenched and raggy clothes, he let himself slip. His legs lifted into the air as he twisted, turned, and allowed the weapons to frame him as he passed, slashing twice more.

Still locked in the air, he saw the enormous fire strike barreling down at him. The red-orange light reflected in his eyes as he calculated. He wouldn't be able to get his feet under him in time to block or deflect. Wind wriggled his muck-sodden cloak free, blowing out behind him.

Clicking his tongue, he spoke a word aloud.

"[Flicker]."

=

"Is he dead? Can anyone confirm?"

The regent cast her vision across the torn-up battlefield. Rain still blanketed the field from the explosion.

"Regent!"

The Regent swiveled her neck. There he was, unharmed. Standing in front of the remaining enemy forces. He turned away, leading their forces in a withdraw.

"Was that him?"

A voice from her left interrupted a stream of cursing. She was about to take out her anger on the speaker but jerked back instead.

"Lady Lestruiz..."

A tall, lithe figure gazed out at the battlefield in uninterest, hands in her pockets; she kicked a muddy rock. Several nearby mages backed away in fear.

"My name is Lizzy. Use it."

Grand Overseer Lizzy Lestruiz stood next to the lowly Regent, looking down at her shoes.

"Was that him, or not?"

The Regent reacted.

"Yes, Lady Lestuiz. We don't have any problems with the other Aurelians. Just the Timekeeper."

Lizzy ignored the blatant disregard of respect. Her thin eyebrows quirked up, making the powerful leylines tattooed to her forehead wave and wrinkle.

"Timekeeper? Why haven't I heard that nickname before?"

The Regent flinched unnecessarily.

"A silly nickname. Someone recognized he wields a clock hand, that's all."

"Oh. So he can't cast time magic?"

"We don't believe so. Though, he appears to teleport. It has something to do with their Skills and Classes. We haven't detected any magical signatures from him. As far as the scouts can ascertain, he is without mana."

"Hmm..."

Lizzy gazed across the battlefield. Casting an Enhance Vision, she saw the retreating form of the swordsman. He walked away, talking angrily with a woman covered in plate armor—a superior, perhaps.

Changing her vision to Mana Sight, the world shifted color. The remaining flora flickered in color while the ground was covered in shades of blue. Focusing on the "Timekeeper," she saw nothing. No magic. No aura. Nothing.

Grunting, she saw that the tall woman's armor was glowing with magic, and her shield was practically sparkling. She outshone the other regulars who only had a smattering of color. Going back to the man, she confirmed that he didn't have any color. It wasn't just that he was outshone.

The silver clock-hand sword sheathed on his back was a dull grey.

It shouldn't be.

Everything harbored mana. Even the Manaless held color, if fluctuating and dark. A sucking aura that restrained others and felt suffocating.

An Aurelian Manaless?

It could be a clue.

Uncasting her vision spells, she clapped her hands together. Casually, she separated them to cast a portal spell, the signature spell of the space domain. A tearing sound later, and an abyssal portal opened in front of her.

The Regent and others watched in awe at the spell being performed effortlessly, that the magic came to Lizzy as easy as breathing.

"I'll take care of it. You all can go now. Bye."

Lizzy waved, voice high-pitched and fake, before stepping in.

=

"Do you understand yet, Quinnie? What I meant by avoiding open war with the Eldens? Yet, you all had to go and provoke them."

Quinnerva was silent as they walked back to camp. The Eldens never followed them after encountering Reiss. Not after the first massacre.

"You are sending the citizens to die. Hoping one will crawl back and gain levels. This is no way to fight a war. To train soldiers? This is madness. All of it."

"His Eminence sent every high-level soldier we could muster at them. None came back, so this is our only option."

"Did I not say that would happen? William and Charles believed the difference between our soldiers to be exaggerated. You didn't believe me either. None of you ever do."

"We learned the hard way. Now, at least some make it back."

Because you are using me. Again.

"I am telling you, these losses are unneeded. Let me try talking to them. They respect power. We still have time to apologize and sue for peace. Why insist on fighting them off? This is no longer our world alone."

Quinnerva stopped and turned to Reiss.

"Why should the [Emperor] give an inch when all these worlds are invading ours? Should they not be respectful towards the Slumbering Empire for hosting them all? His eminence has ruled this land for over two decades, his father and grandfather a dozen before that. These people are the aggressors. They are a threat to the stability of the Empire."

Reiss grabbed at his wet hair in exasperation. If they just listened to him and gave a little respect back. It wasn't like the other worlds asked for any.

"The other worlds all have intelligent races and people. Why can't William apologize and make up."

"A [Emperor] does not bow or apologize."

"There will be no Empire left if this continues. I cannot hold the Eldens back forever all by my lonesome."

"That is why we are training the recruits. To provide you with assistance."

Reiss had enough, throwing up his hands.

"Assistance? You are sending the few loyal citizens you have remaining to get blown apart. This is insanity. This whole iteration is a failure. I might as well take over the Empire next time. That way, at least my words will be heeded."

Quinnie drew her sword and pointed it at Reiss.

"Are you going to disobey your orders?"

Reiss looked at the tip and laughed.

"What do you plan to do? Kill me? Even if you managed, I would come back and do what I just said. None of you respect my knowledge and continue to treat me like a blunt blade to whack your enemies with. I thought you were different, Quinnie. You even came out to the front lines with me. Was it not to grow stronger to protect William?"

Quinnerva bristled.

"Everything I do is for the [Emperor] and his Empire."

There was silence as they stood across from one another. The weary soldiers that remained stopped and watched with indifference, too broken to care. Reiss' voice became flat, hiding the underlying trauma and affection.

"Emperor. That is all he is to you. You follow blindly like you always have and always will, Qunnie..."

Reiss didn't move. He stared into her eyes, daring her to say otherwise.

"I was planning on watching longer, but I changed my mind."

A light singsong voice trickled down from above. All present looked up to see and a figure sitting in the sky as if she were sat on a park bench. Reiss drew his sword along with the rest of the soldiers. Quinnerva's attention became fully trained in on the hovering Elden.

Reiss examined her. A thin Elden woman dressed in light leathers and cloths. Prismatic purple hair waved down her neck; her bangs tugged back. Glowing, azure mana leylines flowed over her smooth bronze skin, creating intricate patterns and connections. Two right angles cornered her forehead and temples while another line flowed out from her right eye to run down her jaw and neck, connecting someplace else. Her dainty lips curve upward, making the leyline under her eye scoot over to her cheek.

"It is true. You don't have any magic, do you?"

Reiss stared up.

"Or is it you never tried? Maybe you thought you could rely on your unique weapon and Aurelian Skills."

A flinch. Reiss was no mage. He was a Florist.

The Elden sighed and pointed an index finger at the crowd below. A miniscule blue dot coalesced. Reiss' eyes widened. Every alarm bell ringing in his head.

"Run!"

It fired.

"[Flicker]!"