《In Association with Death》Vol. 2: Chapter 6 - A Visit From the Tyrants
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This image was of course born of my constant imagining of the pocket watch that I was trying to create. During this period of time Chronos never visited again, seeming to have his own things to do.
Whilst linking myself with the ‘time’ element by using the image that I made, I once again stretch out my hand to try and recreate the ‘larger version’ of the watch, concentrating on every single strand of ‘aura’, I manipulate them into place. Beads of perspiration began to show due to me attempting to push my mental capacity far beyond its limit. As the ‘aura’ nears its final movement, it begins to quiver a lot and, eventually unable to hold its shape; it scatters.
Failed again…
Opening my eyes, I see the childish version of Chronos, this time with a lollipop in his mouth.
“Finally visiting me huh.”
“I decided to visit you since I have an obligation to help you.”
“From Death?”
“I’d rather not answer that.”
“ *sigh”, How many questions of mine have you answered I wonder?”
Waving his arm as though to brush of the matter, Chronos quickly switches to another topic.
“Putting that aside, what were you just doing?”
“Oh that, I was thinking of replicating the watch I made earlier.”
Seeing his expression tighten, I quickly verify a point with him.
“Don’t worry, I remember your words of not showing this power to any Gods, but just for matters that don’t have any association with Gods.”
His expression relaxes, albeit slowly. After a few seconds of silence, he speaks.
“That’s not what I am worried about… But if you must use it, then you can likely employ a few tricks to make it easier. I can teach you if you want, I have time after all. Only a month, but that should be enough, and your completion of this will actually be pretty beneficial for me and you in a few different ways.”
“How so?”
“Well, if you complete the watch, see the outside world through using that watch as a medium.”
I spent a few seconds contemplating on what he said, then upon stumbling upon a possibility, I send a short probing question.
“Time rift...?”
“Exactly. As you know, I can view different dimensions only through zones influenced by time magic. Since you have the watch, and the watch is made of ‘time’ magic, I can view through it, maybe even to the extent of being able to communicate with you due to the similarities between your ‘watch’ and my own.”
“So what are the tricks then?”
“Ahh, I will tell you how to make the watch easier, and I’ll give you a clue as to what you should try for more efficiency, but I don’t really want to tell you outright the trick for efficiency. It’s better if you learn how to figure things out by yourself without any help from any source.”
“Sounds reasonable, what is the clue and trick to be able to create the watch easier?”
“Well, the only problem with your manufacturing process, other than not being able to concentrate long enough is your speed. You get to the last step of watch creation in about 40 seconds, but to be honest that isn’t anywhere near fast enough in a fight. There are two ways to improve this, one is to just increase your ‘aura’ capacity, but that will happen gradually by itself, and the other is to increase your creation speed. Your clue is to question who are the fastest ‘aura’ manipulators: Warriors or Mages? Think about why, and it should help with speed.
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As for how to create the watch in general, ignore everything and try and remember the watch that you made earlier. The size of the watch actually doesn’t matter, it will work regardless of how large it is.”
Gathering a great amount of silver-coloured ‘aura’, he forms a massive pocket watch, twice his size behind him. Then to demonstrate that it actually works, he slows an area of grass, making it move slower in the wind and the clock face on the watch accordingly slows down the second hands movement, quickly flipping back to the normal time after he releases the ability.
“See? As I said, try and create a watch by remembering its previous creation, but since you don’t have enough conscious control to create it normally, you have to shut down your thinking and try and do it without any mental awareness, similarly to how you initially did it.”
Thinking about it for a second, I nod in understanding and thank him, but before he leaves again I quickly throw out a question that I didn’t have the chance to ask earlier.
“How can I even make that watch? Especially unconsciously.”
He avoids looking into my eyes by looking at his feet, hiding his facial expression and replying.
“... You don’t need to know. Just remember that you should think about the speed issue, and we’ll settle the unconscious casting issue late.”
I had already given up on trying to understand the affairs of a God, and especially this one who hasn’t answered any of my questions.
“I’ll be preparing the time reversal gate soon, so I gotta go. Call me if you need anything important. Remember, only one more month before the reversal.”
Suddenly he perks his head up and his pupils contract slightly.
“Never mind, it seems I have some visitors to tend to. Don’t worry, I’ll come back soon. Give me a week or so before calling for me.”
Silver light suddenly spills forth from all his body’s pores and a split second later he is clad in his knight armor. Silver flames consume him and he vanishes.
Do all Gods have that sort of movement? Death seemed to have the same ability. Who is the fastest: Warrior or Mage, was it? Hmmm…
---In Chronos’s realm, in the darkness
right outside the door to the world Sephtis is in right now---
A great silver flame emerges out of nowhere, quickly dying out as a figure steps out of the flame. The figure is clad in silver armor and has baleful ‘aura’ spilling out. He is Chronos, the true form shown to all beings with the exception of Death and Sephtis.
In front of Chronos are 3 figures, one clad in red, one clad in blue and one clad in brown. The red figure’s bright flames cover his body, appearing to take the shape of a hoodless cloak. His long, dark red hair is swung over the cloak and reaches down to his feet, appearing to be shimmering. His irises are blood red whilst his skin matches with the colour of bright orange flames, seeming to cycle through different shades of orange.
The figure surrounded by wind appears to have an identical appearance to the figure of flames, starting from the clothing down to the facial features, except rather than a theme of reddish orange, it is one of a light green, teetering on the edge of lime. The man's face is a blue-white colour, like that of lightning.
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The last figure differs greatly from the first two. He has unique facial features, neither too handsome looking or ugly, but he wears earthen armor to cover his body and legs, similar to the armor of Chronos. However, he doesn’t wear a slitted helmet, but instead an open face helmet which almost completely covers his short hair. The armor and helmet seems to be made from cracked hardened earth, but if one peers into the cracks, they will see another layer of earth directly beneath.
Chronos is the first to speak. He uses a voice layered with pure power and a hint of rage, so powerful that mortals would likely drop on their knees and beg for forgiveness. It is a voice that heavily overshadows the voice Death used during his ‘first’ meeting with Sephtis.
“Why are you here, Tyrants? Did we not agree to not attack each other?”
The earth-clad figure replies calmly, as though unfazed by Chronos’s voice. Contrasting the earthen figure’s appearance, his voice doesn’t sound powerful at all, almost deceiving people into thinking that he is weak.
“That was indeed the agreement, but only if you avoided interaction with the mortal world and limited your visitations to the immortal world to a minute amount. You broke the first rule and forcefully abducted a mortal. As much as you wish to hide it, you cannot hide from us the situations of mortal worlds.”
“I would rather not fight with you Tyrants if possible, so please leave and forget about the matter. It would be better for you anyway.”
The red figure which had stayed silent the entire time put on an arrogant face and with a voice of superiority asked:
“Do you honestly think you can fight us Tyrants? I hope you didn’t forget exactly who we are, because there is no way that we cannot seal you away.”
“I can ask the same of you. Did you forget what a Tyrant is? I can defeat you in a fair fight easily, since you are only a false Tyrant. Prometheus was the true Flame Tyrant, you are merely his right-hand man who assumed the position after his death. Although I can’t fight any of the ‘true’ Tyrants and win, much less three of you in a fair fight, did you forget from whom I got this realm? Did you also forget from whom I got this armor?”
The Wind Tyrant finally spoke up, with a voice also carrying arrogance like the false flame Tyrant, but at a much lesser degree.
“Don’t forget your place. Although you may be able to fight one of us in a one on one fight here, there is no way that you can beat all three of us Tyrants in a fight with the four of us.”
“Correct, I can at most seal away one of you before my inevitable sealing that would occur if we fight. However, I can still seal at least one of you away, and not just the false Flame Tyrant. My sealing is also far more efficient because you would need a major of the time element to unseal you or a large amount of time. Believe me, the time that it would take for the seal to wear off is more than enough to lose your position at the top of the elements.”
The false Flame Tyrant cursed under his breath.
“Fucking bastard.”
Ignoring the false Tyrants cursing, Chronos continued.
“Whoever wins, the results will be disadvantageous for you. I recommend that we come to some kind of agreement.”
The Earth Tyrant was the first to ask for what Chronos wants.
“So what do you suggest we do. We cannot let you off the hook so easily you know. Although the three of us can’t fight you, we can likely convince the Water Tyrant to help us, and then there won’t even be a chance of you harming one of us.”
“I suppose you can convince her if I truly did break an agreement, and her defences are so powerful that I will indeed have trouble even harming you, much less sealing you away. How about I use the promise you Tyrants gave both me and Lord Death.”
The Earth Tyrant narrowed his eyes and asked:
“Do you have Lord Death’s permission for the promise? It is a shared one in which both of you have to agree.”
“Lord Death is sealed away right now, fighting him and either way, he would likely agree to the promise I wish to make.”
The Wind Tyrant commanded:
“Fine, speak.”
“I wish for all Gods to be prohibited from entering the world from which I stole the child, and I am to be forgiven for that incident.”
The false Flame Tyrant spoke up in an angered voice.
“That is two requests, not the single one that we Tyrants promised you.”
“Well, I want both requests to be fulfilled regardless. Otherwise we will have to fight to the last man standing.”
The false Flame Tyrant, angered by Chronos’s words leaned forward and released a large amount of flame element ‘aura’, ready to charge in an instant. However, right before charging, the Earth Tyrant placed his arm in front of the false Tyrant, blocking him.
“Calm down Flame Tyrant, we will agree to his requests as they are really small requests and only require a small tweaking of one of the promises that we made. Do not think of opposing my decision. I am the one with the ‘Immortal War God Body’ here, breaking through me is far more difficult than you think.”
The Earth Tyrant then turns to face Chronos after stopping the false Flame Tyrant and states his compliance with Chronos’s requests.
“We Tyrants agree to your two requests, but only for the tweaking of the one promise.”
He then signals turns around and signals the other two Tyrants to leave, and they quickly vanish into normal coloured flames and green flames. The false Flame Tyrant still having a reluctant face.
The Earth Tyrant's ‘aura’ then forms into a small ball which he brings to his mouth before saying.
“Don’t forget, this is the alteration of only a single promise. If it has anything to do with Chaos, we will stop at nothing to destroy you and that world.”
Chronos replies to the Earth Tyrants statement.
“Do not worry, it has nothing to do with my master.”
The Earth Tyrant nods and then swallows the small ball, vanishing.
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