Tides Of Protomis LXIX

The Joker And The Eagle- Centuries Long Blood War!!

Elsewhere in Tsugashuan, Alarick and Blumstein stood on a floor within one of the city's many skyscrapers. Though they’d both taken note of the battles that happened around them, neither of the two cared all that much. For both Alarick and Blumstein, their focus was on one another. All things considered, more invested in their personal goals. The two stared at one another with expressions of rage, tightened fists, the two fighters were both ready to continue their battle… At the least, until two men smashed through the wall of the building, both of the two looked alike, with short red hair that draped over their shoulders, and yellow orbs that focused on the Von Zaisen. Their clothes were simple officer uniforms, black in color. With 7 others coming to join them soon after. The red-haired men came to the front of the formation, the two leaders of Apostle Blumstein’s personal guard, Viscount Vures, and Viscount Ures.

“You won't kill apostle Blumstein, not before you handle us.”

“Indeed, Vures. By Ardam's will- we shall eliminate you.”

Blumstein turned his gaze toward them.

“You shan't…”

This declaration had caught them by surprise… More So as they took note of the expression on the man’s face.

“This is a personal affair. And I won't tolerate any interference, be it by nobles or commoners… Or even the emperor himself.”

Vures stepped forward as Blumstein completed his statement.

“But-Milord!”

As words of protest came from his soldiers. He exploded.

“Did you not hear me before? Leave!”

His yell silenced the troops.

“Support what’s left of the defense force against the heretics. We’ve already lost too many for you to be around here getting in my way. I'll handle this one myself.”

“Yes sir!”

Vures and Ures saluted, soon followed by the troops which surrounded them. They turned in the direction of the hole they’d entered through before they disappeared into the night sky. Blumstein kept his gaze on the hole, making sure his troops would act on the orders he gave them… As they exited his view, he turned back to Alarick.

“My men, they tend to be a bit extreme in involving themselves… We shall move to where we won’t be interrupted.”

The apostle began to float over the floorboards.

“That’s no problem… I wouldn’t want some random interlopers getting in the way.”

As Alarick began floating, Blumstein flew out of the building, using a hole on the opposite end, away from his troops, Alarick would follow soon after. The two were silent as they flew beside one another, and eventually landed on a derelict street, destroyed and with no activity, military, or otherwise. This was no doubt the best battlefield, in their heads, at the least. They didn’t need to do any more damage to their two respective forces. Especially with how much the other battles had affected their fighting strength. They both understood these facts, one having been trained to be a general since his Youth, and the other having been leading armies before. Though these tactical thoughts may have run through their heads, it did not look like it, given that they were silent and unmoving. Alarick began to raise his left hand, as he straightened his fingers, a black glow began surrounding it. Blumstein put both of his arms up, ready to strike at the Youth. Wordlessly, the two flashed forward, ripping apart the ground behind them.

“Devouring Void Blade!”

As Alarick invoked the words, his hand was soon coated in the very same black light, coming to form what looked like a blade. As the two got closer to one another, he took a swing at Blumstein’s neck, however, Blumstein managed to weave out of the way, though it was a narrow dodge. Close enough that some blood was drawn from him. He clicked his tongue as he skidded, landing behind Alarick… As the man opened his hands, a circle of cards appeared around Blumstein in a flash of light, they soon began to revolve around him, something which Alarick took notice of as he glanced over his shoulder.

“Cards, they look like… Just what are his abilities?”

Alarick quickly pivoted, as to not get attacked from behind. Blumstein’s hand shot out, as he caught a card between his fingers, as he glanced down at the front of the card, he smirked.

“Draw- Accelerate!!”

With his words, Blumstein soon began to zip and zoom around Alarick, as the boy’s eyes darted around in his attempts to follow the blur. Until he’d decided on a strategy, he simply began zipping around as well, attempting to follow him. However, even so, he found himself hit by his opponent’s fist time and time again, one caught his cheek, and he swiped only to find him gone, his opponent returned, striking his chest, he swiped, only for him to disappear, once again. He soon skidded, stopping, and turning his focus to follow the man with his eyes, if he was correct, he would attempt to strike again. And that he was, the man flew forward, attempting to land a punch on his chest, however, Alarick would soon throw a strike of his own, the two fists met between them, as their bodies, and the area around them shook with the force. For a moment, the two squinted their eyes at one another. Alarick stepped back, his gaze going to his opponent’s torso, he’d found his target, his fist shot into the Blumstein’ stomach, knocking the wind out of him. The man soon stepped back, before stepping in with another strike to return the favor, as well, at Alarick’s stomach. What began soon after was a long exchange of strikes, time and time again, the two struck each other's stomachs, back and forth. Until Alarick jumped back, as he straightened the fingers on his left hand once again, his hand was soon surrounded in the black light, as he jumped forward, prepared to strike at him.

“You'll pay for what you've done, Van Blumstein!!! Void Blade-kill-”

The cards around Blumstein soon resumed their revolutions, the man quickly reached into the cards, pulling one out, marked in strange angular runes.

“Draw- Refrain!!”

With this, Alarick soon found his movements stopped, as his body was restrained by rings of golden light, the man looked around in confusion.

“What?!”

Blumstein arched his brows as he began yelling.

“Don't think because those allies of yours won, that I will be so easy to defeat. Unlike those other three-- I have a will, I have a reason!!!”

He reached into the cards once again, taking one between his fingers.

“Draw- Cutter!!!”

Soon, a green light surrounded the card, as Blumstein dashed forward, going around the length of the man’s body, leaving cuts as he did so. However, his opponent would not allow this to continue for long. As Blumstein zoomed past him, he began to push, and push, until, using every muscle in his body, he eventually burst out of the restraints, as they dissipated into the air. Though Blumstein took notice, skidding and turning back to cut him once again, Alarick soon leaped into the air.

Alarick: Void!!

A darkened void soon appeared at Alarick’s side, and he soon flew in. Blumstein’s focus had changed, as he now searched for where his opponent would emerge, Alarick, taking notice of this, would not jump out immediately, instead, opting to open portals above Blumstein.

“Multi Stone-Cutter!!!”

Sharpened blade-like stones soon dropped out of the portals, taking the man by surprise, as they began closing in on him from all directions. He soon dodged one wave, only for another to come next, he dodged once again, and then came a third. Portal’s continued to appear, and out came the blades, only for Blumstein to dodge them. Alarick’s attacks were relentless, him being unwilling to allow the man a moment of reprieve. multiple sharp blade-like stones are projected, they fly toward Blumstein, who is caught by surprise, they all close in on him, from Multiple directions. More continue to fly at him, in a relentless attack by Alarick. However, the man’s defenses began to fail, as the fabric of his clothes was soon covered in cuts. Alarick kept his gaze on the swift man as he continued his assault.

“I need to be thorough!! Destroy him, only then, will you be able to leave noble politics behind!!”

“Confident, aren't you… do you truly think this is enough? Your lack of movement says so… I'll have to fix that.”

Part B

As Blumstein's eyes bore into the portals, his suspected location of his opponent, he began to think of his past.

“My Father may have failed to reinstate the rule of Van Blumstein… we had our honor taken, as what remained of us were forced into the commoner class by the Zaisen… You burned our manor, salted our fields. And then try to call us a threat to the nation, as justification for your slaughter…My father, he always told me to keep my pride, as a once powerful house. That we would one day return to power… I will make this happen. I will not fail my forefathers and die to the likes of you!!!”

The man gritted his teeth, as rage began to build up within him. His hands soon went toward the deck… Now, however, he drew two cards between his fingers.

Blumstein: Duo- Refrain, Reflect!!!

Soon, the daggers flying out of the portals were wrapped in the very same rings of light that suspended Alarick, soon facing the same fate. As the rings disappeared, the blades flew back to their origin. Alarick looked at this through his portals, clicking his tongue. Alarick soon jumped out of one of the portals, closing them behind him. Landing on the wall of a building, he slammed his palm against it, with more blades flying outward, in his attempt to intercept the counterattack… However, he would soon take note of the fact that they were turned as well, simply increasing the volume of the blades. He would soon jump out of the way, as the blades ripped apart the wall he landed on. The man skidded on the ground as he stamped his foot, smashing it apart, and sending rubble and dust cascading outward. Alarick crossed his arms over his chest, as he looked up at Blumstein.

“Stone Carapace!!!”

The stone soon coiled around him, until what roughly resembles gothic armor covered his entire body. He bent his knees, prepared to attack his opponent. Blumstein watched the dust, lying in wait for the boy to make a move, opening his hands, as they drifted toward the cards. Alarick did not wait long, he shot forward toward Blumstein. As the man took note, he swiftly grabbed another card. As Alarick straightened his fingers, the black light surrounded his hand once again,

“Void!”

“Draw!’

Alarick continued his advance as the apostle soon leaped, beginning a charge of his own, the two came closer to one another, before alarick swung his left arm, and Blumstein, his right.

“Blade!!!”

“Cutter!!!”

Green light covered Blumstein’s hands, growing into what resembled a blade as well, as the clash took place, there was little damage to either, aside from a small cut. What took them by surprise, however, was the result of the simple force of the attack, the two found themselves thrown back, with the buildings around them ripped apart, and the roads around them facing the same fate. The two stopped themselves, skidding backward. As they came to a halt, they looked at their opponent in surprise. Alarick put his hand to his chin.

“That Attack… it repelled my Void Blade?!”

Blumstein soon did the same as he squinted his eyes.

“I don't know the nature of that attack… But I know one thing, I can easily stop it if I have a cutter card with me. Otherwise, it could be an issue.”

Blumstein soon charged forward once again. Alarick quickly noticed and began a dash as well. Blumstein soon reached into the circle of cards, grabbing another two out of his deck. He glanced down at the front of the cards, and then, focused on his opponent, before throwing them out.

“Duo- Refrain, Enfeeble!!”

Alarick was soon wrapped in the golden rings once again, much to his chagrin. Blumstein soon rushed up and began striking his armor, Though it took some time, the rapidly falling punches began to chip away the suit. Eventually, though it took some time, a gap in the armor formed, at his chest. It was there that Blumstein continued his attack, throwing strike after strike. Alarick grunted in frustration. Why couldn’t he break out?! Was that what that “Enfeeble” command did? These strikes did not continue for much longer, however, as the restraints shattered. The apostle looked up in surprise before he was met with a punch to the nose. Though he did not respond with any sound of pain, rather a return punch, to Alarick’s cheek. His head lurched sideways, but he turned his gaze forward once again, as he sent a knee at the man’s chin, which hit, sending the man flying. Or it would have, had he not stopped, and landed back onto the ground, giving yet another strike to the youth’s chest. What took place afterward, was but a fistfight, an exchange of the two’s anger. They smashed their fists into another again and again, with no end in sight. Until Blumstein sent a left hook at Alarick’s face, which the latter dodged. Letting out a right hook in return, which Blumstein stopped with his arm. He did not stop there, throwing an uppercut, but Blumstein put both hands under his chin, putting a stop to his assault. He soon shoved his hands away, as he reeled back, before launching his fist into Alarick’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him, and making him fly up.

“Begone!!!!”

Blumstein soon drew another card, but, Alarick, regaining his composure, flipped in the air, and hit the top of Blumstein’s head with an axe kick before he was allowed to continue his attack. To his surprise, given his widened eyes.

“Did you think I wouldn't figure it out?! In order to use your moves- you need to state the name!!! As long as you aren't allowed to do so, victory is assured!”

“Dammit!!!”

Alarick would soon land in front of him, throwing a punch at his cheek, sending the man’s head lurching to the left, but he would soon kick his side, sending him the other way. Only for him to move over, and punch his cheek once again, before flashing to the front, and landing punch after punch over his torso. All the while, Blumstein’s range continued to bubble at the man’s words… “Victory is assured”... His apparent arrogance, it annoyed him to no end, and that anger was ready to explode. He soon grabbed the man’s fist, stopping his shortly lived beatdown. He soon tightened his grip on the fist as the man began his attempt to pull away. Blumstein would soon begin charging forward, rushing throughout the city, and pushing alarick all the while, smashing the buildings in his path, as he began to strike the man’s body.

“Victory is assured?! As if!! I'd never let a single descendant of the Von Zaisen escape my grasp!! Does one with no ambition think he can defeat me?! Kill me, and then what, let your house fall into History?! A weak will, No pride… Somebody like you will never defeat me, I will make sure of it! Tre- Reject, Refrain, Detonate!”

Blumstein soon let go of Alarick’s hand, as he was sent cascading into the air, flipping as he did so. However, he would eventually stop himself in the air, and as his gaze focused on Blumstein, he clenched his fists, enraged at the man’s words.

“Somebody like me… We’ll see about that!”

As he began to move, forward, or at the least, tried to, he found himself stopped, surrounded in the same rings of light. Before the space around him began to flash, detonating soon after. The resulting shockwave knocked yet another cluster of buildings down. As the smoke cleared, Alarick was left covered in bruises, as he looked down at his damaged clothing.

“He's going to be an issue.”

To Be Continued