Moyo danced around in the training zone, fighting against three projections of his master and losing badly. This time without his katana and in hand-to-hand combat, he was getting pummeled and brutalized, his body healing the damage as fast as he could get them but his wrath of the titan skill didn’t level up. Dodging a strike to the back of his neck, he stretched his leg forward and caught two clones of his master on their back legs, causing them to stumble. Without pausing he flipped through the air, another leg forward to slam them into the wall when his perception screamed at him to dodge an attack coming at him from the side. With fluid movements, he caught the blow on his arms crossed to block and got slammed into the wall. Coughing as he strained his already tired body to get up, one eye swollen, he saw the clones disappear and master Killian appearing in the training zone.

Standing up and biting a wince as he bowed, he glanced up to see the man staring at him with cold dead eyes,

“You punish yourself,” Killian said as a fact,

“I merely train to get better master Killian, for the tournament” Moyo replied,

“Getting beat up by mere mid tier experts is not training young one” Killian replied,

“It is the only way I’ve known, the only way my master trained me,” Moyo said,

“Ajax is known as a survivor, his methods are for that, surviving, not improving,” Killian said,

“Isn’t the archailect about surviving ?” Moyo asked,

Killian eyed him for a few seconds before sighing,

“Get up, dust yourself, you’re an expert of the house thousand blades, at least temporarily, do behave as one” Killian said,

Moyo sighed and walked closer to the master who was watching the holographic moon up in the sky of the training zone, he stood by his side in awkward silence,

“You know, when we first met, I thought you’d inquire as to why we chose you and how our ruler found you at the beginning,” Killian said,

“With everything that I’ve been through, it was the least of my worries” Moyo replied honestly as Killian glanced at him,

“True, and by the time the tournament starts, you’d have more things to bother about, but let me explain,” Killian said,

“I do not know how you truly caught the attention of a ruler, even masters rarely do, the realm of rulers is a strange one, the rules go out the window” Killian started,

“But I do know why he chose you for the tournament, you see in the archailect, there is a council, the council of collectives, they decide how the new galaxies and planets are handled, among other things,” Killian said,

“a few months ago, a significant portion of the collectives, decided that in our fight against the abyss and its blights, new galaxies are to be cultivated, given the minimum training, and thrown into the jaws of the war, to buy time for the stronger planets and ascenders to get stronger,” Killian said,

Moyo’s eyes widened,

“Ah, I just remembered your world has seen what blights can do, I believe you fought it off right?, be thankful to the supreme beings that it was a mere category two, they make them in numbers, their shock force so to say,” Killian said,

“Those things are death sentences, even I at expert barely managed to hold them back and almost died doing so,” Moyo said,

“They are literal embodiments of chaos, they are not your problem, for now, simply what they represent is my point. Should the faction that wants that strategy win, tier 1 worlds like yours would see an influx of colonizers, mostly powerful houses sending their vassals to train the inhabitants to at least advocate and expert and then sending them on their merry way to their deaths with barely formed and manifestable mantles” Killian explained,

Moyo just stood, short of words, too many powers moved over his world and he was too weak to stop them,

“Ajax would always tell me to get strong enough to stop them from messing with my world” Moyo replied,

“Ajax’s view is…twisted by certain…events, but he is a bit right, strength can indeed solve some of the issues, but there is so much you can do against overwhelming power,” Killian said,

Moyo nodded in agreement,

“I can’t do it alone,” Moyo said,

“Nor should it fall to an expert to stop the machinations of great houses and rulers, however, you can contribute a little, through the tournament,” Killian said,

“House thousand blades, among more other sensible houses, fought against the movement, stating that if we give the newer universes time to get stronger, to show their worth in the archailect proper, by the time they hit master, they would be able to willingly take part in the battles without needlessly dying in droves to the blights,” Killian said,

“And this tournament proves that?” Moyo asked,

“as a bet, the swordsmanship tournament was shifted forwards, the sword houses that were part of the movement decided to use this tournament to prove a point, should they win with a wide gap, meaning if none of the lesser worlds that would be placed to represent the faction headed by house thousand blades gets to at least the semi-finals, in both advocate and expert categories, then they would have proven their point about it being a waste of time in training the tier 1 and 2 worlds,” Killian said,

“that’s a lot of pressure” Moyo murmured,

“Better it be pressure than certain death, so you see my point young expert, your masters’ methods are for when your world has been given certain death, not before. The tournament you’re about to attend isn’t to the death, a training zone would be provided also, it will be a display of skills and cunning, not pure brutal strength, although that too would have its place” Killian said and turned to Moyo,

“Hit me with your strongest punch” Killian said as he shifted backwards and took a crouch, hands forwards like a martial artist,

“Excuse me?’ Moyo asked, taken back,

“I will not repeat myself, young expert, are you delaying a master?” Killian asked softly,

Moyo could feel the raw power coming from Killian, cold and deadly, not like frost but like the judgmental gaze of a transcendent god judging him from high, wondering why he hadn’t obeyed its commandments,

Moyo nodded and took a stance too,

“Let me guess, you have no actual fighting style apart from the skill for your sword?” Killian said,

Moyo nodded as Killian rolled his eyes,

“Typical of a disciple of Ajax, just swords and no brains, anyways, do your best,” Killian said,

Moyo gathered all of his willpower of the titan, his authority, and his overpowered strength attribute, he channeled it all into his fist and blasted forward, mantle blazing all over his body towards Killian who just tracked his blitzing movements with the eyes of a master. Moyo had no idea what happened, one minute he was inches from landing a devastating punch on Killian, and the next minute his back was slamming into the ground, taking away the air from his lungs, his fist in the hand of the master who raised one eyebrow at him,

“You lack finesse, you lack battle senses, your perception is too slow despite your high dexterity, a testament to you using it against those who aren’t up to one-tenth of your speed” Killian chastised,

“Get out of my training zone, get a bathe, eat something, and sleep. Tomorrow, we arrive at one of our stops for refueling and your preparations, you would need all the rest you can get” Killian said as his avatar body faded away, leaving Moyo panting on the ground as he stared up to the night sky, his mind wondering.

************

Killian felt Ajax before he saw the man sitting on a couch and overlooking the training zone,

“he’s my disciple you know,” Ajax said,

“I’m aware of the fact” Killian simply replied as he sat opposite the man who used his katana to file his nails,

Killian had seen that weapon behead beings with necks thicker than mountains and he had a healthy fear of that weapon which was slowly approaching the mythical tier. Ajax glanced at him, his eyes unreadable as usual,

“Then you should know well enough to leave his training to me,” Ajax said,

Killian sighed as he poured himself some green sparkling liquid, a wine served for most masters and used as tranquilizers to bring down the most feral of expert rank monsters. He poured Ajax a glass and sipped his, staring at his fellow master who looked haggard, Ajax always looked haggard anyways,

“what’s this really about?” Killian asked,

Ajax simply stared at his drink,

“Did I do well, training him this way?” he asked softly,

“Well, you did a pretty good job creating a monster than can survive in the wild, I haven’t heard of monsters his rank before, probably the burning princess was a monster at his level, but it’s hard to say,” Killian said,

“That witch had the healing factor of the phoenixes, of course, she was a monster” Ajax replied as they both chuckled,

“She would either sleep with you or kill you for that statement, last I heard you were banned from the galaxies belonging to house Garuda,” Killian said,

“She wanted to tie me down in marriage, I had to run,” Ajax said,

“You broke the heart of the burning princess, not many beings are capable of walking away alive outside of rulers" Killian said with a raised eyebrow, Ajax shrugging before turning back to his drink,

“The boy needed to survive, from the time of the dungeon and you did well training him to survive, you are a great master at that” Killian said,

“But for the challenges, he is about the face, brute strength won’t see him through. He would be going up against the scions of the greater houses who have fed their wards the best elixirs and hired the best swords masters’ coins can get them, not to talk of actual dueling experience, he needs more than to just survive” Killian explained gently,

“Then I suppose you would protect him from the gazes of those who would tear him like ravenous wolves? ensure his survival and sanity? not let him rot in an undisclosed world for fifty fucking years?!” Ajax shouted before breathing deeply, throwing his glass at the wall that sizzled from the liquid touching it as it slowly ate through the wall,

Killian dropped his glass back on the table,

“Ajax, you aren’t training him for whatever twisted plans you have against that house, do you?” Killian asked, his voice cold,

Ajax glanced back at Killian, his eyes a deep dark pit that spoke of death,

“he’s my disciple, my revenge is mine alone,” Ajax said,

“That may be true Ajax, but I can’t help but feel like you’re projecting, you tempered his body in lava, a fledgling, in lava,” Killian said slowly,

“It was the only way for him to survive the dungeon filled with rucar lava hive” Ajax retorted,

“Ajax, he was to be a swordsman, why in the archailect would he even need a tempered body and at that young a stage? there are hundreds of body tempering methods you could use, even you have the diamond rune body, and you just got it!” Killian said, his voice rising before he controlled it, bringing it down,

Ajax stared at Killian,

“I want that boy to win, I want him to survive the cruelty of the archailect he would face, I want him to come out unscathed and not with a scarred body and soul, he is my legacy, the same as my masters were, I will not fail him,” Ajax said as he turned to leave,

“You think you can train him better, then you’re free to do so, I’m after his survival, not this farce of a tournament,” Ajax said,

“It’s not a farce you know” Killian shouted after him as Ajax simply waved as he walked away,

Killian sighed as he turned back to the training zone, watching Moyo drag himself out of his tube, stretching as he wobbled on his feet, glancing around to check if no one was there before opening the tube again to enter,

Killian pressed a button from the control center up where he was,

“Expert Moyosore, GET OUT OF MY TRAINING ROOM,” he said, his voice booming as Moyo jumped in shock before slumping away dejectedly towards the shower room,

Killian shook his head,

“Crazy disciple of Ajax” he grumbled,

**************

Moyo slept like a dead man, his body tired beyond reason as the entire stress of the training zone had been transferred to his body and he hadn’t felt it till he showered, then he had to drag his almost collapsed body to the room and it was lights out for him then. He woke to his door banging, grunting as he opened his eyes, blinking as the light in his room came on, shielding him from the offending brightness and with half a mind to smash it to smithereens. He blinked to see master Killian stepping into his room, he bolted up like he had been shocked by a live electric wire, bowing hastily,

“The expert greets the master,” he said formally like he had been taught,

Killian nodded at him,

“Come with me,” Killian said,

Moyo grabbed his robe and followed the man who walked without even looking backward, Moyo hastily putting on the robes. He noticed they were walking in the direction of the ships’ bridge, perhaps they had arrived at their destination,

“Are we there yet?” Moyo asked,

“a few more hours, I wanted to show you something,” Killian said,

Moyo nodded and followed till they entered a large hall where glowing crystals floated in the air, the crystals converged together as Killian stepped into the room to become one large crystal shard. Killian stopped in front of it, touching it as its body rippled,

“You are chasing a peak you do not understand" Killian said,

Moyo kept quiet and watched, the shard began to play images in flashes, running over thousands of images in a flash till Killian stopped at one, a man in dark black armor holding a sickle in both hands as he cut down monsters after monsters, the armor releasing hazy smoke that seemed to disintegrate his foes,

“Amat of the dark sands, he followed the path of the consuming darkness, as is shown” Killian explained,

The man stood against an entire horde of monsters that kept pouring out from numerous dungeons, his dark corrosive powers blazing up in the air,

“As a ruler, he became legend when he single-handedly held back an invading force of category 6 blights who used category 4 blights as shock troops, enabling time for the brigade to safely evacuate the majority of the planet, he died a hero,” Killian said, waving his hand as another image appeared, this one of a woman in a flowing white robe that hurled burning white energy at monsters that flew through the air, darkening the skies,

“Latasha of the bright rage, she followed the path of the bright rage aptly named after her as she created it, she too saved countless worlds and two galaxies from the invading forces of the abyss, she too died later in battle as a vaunted ruler, many worlds made statues of her” Killian said,

“I don’t understand” Moyo finally said,

Killian turned to him,

“You are aptly named the titan due to your concepts and characteristics as an ascender, you want to protect all that matters to you from danger, the same way as amat and Latasha did. However, I wanted to show you what usually became of defenders” Killian said,

“You think I’m going to kill myself,” Moyo said,

“No, not easily anyways, your growth has been, well, astonishing to say the least” Killian started,

“I’m showing you what happens to those who try, they keep trying to protect all they can, but they did it at ruler, not expert, and even then, they died for it, are you ready to die for your world?” Killian asked,

“yes” Moyo simply said,

“Then these are the people you should understand, their concepts, their fighting styles, by morning, tell me what you’ve learned from watching them fight,” Killian said and left Moyo there,

He stood watching amat and Latasha, folding his legs he sat on the ground and watched the projections replay.

************

Ajax woke up with the dull hum of thrusters that came to life, a sign that they were approaching a nexus point. Nexus points were entire worlds that acted as bridges between the different corners or tiers of the archailect. This nexus point was the gateway between the tier 1 universes and the tier 2 ones, it also acted as an aether generation hub for entire universes, a mythic aether shard lay embedded in the world and guarded by some of the archailects most brutal brigade members, after the Urguth incident, the powers that be, namely the major houses were not taking any risks. Groaning as he sat up and sighed, rubbing his bleary eyes, masters had no need of sleep, Ajax just loved it so much his body had become used to it.

Standing up and stretching, he picked up his blade that was propped at the side of his bed, using a mirror to view himself as he used a blade known to cut down numerous foes to shave. Opening the door after taking care of himself, he stepped out to see them coming up on the world where hundreds of ships were arriving also, the first major signs of life in the archailect, they had left the so-called uncivilized parts of the archailect behind. He yawned and went in search of the other two occupants of the ship, finding Killian on the bridge as he directed the A. I system towards the world. He glanced around looking for his disciple, asking Killian who pointed down a narrow hall, walking down towards what looked like a crystal recording room, he heard movements coming from within it.

The sight that met him would be one that defined his view of the titan for years to come, Moyo moved in between sequences of predetermined steps, blocking as well as attacking an invincible foe, but this time Ajax could feel it in the air, the absolute dominance he displayed. He was using movements he had never used before, his dance of Ijakadi along with other incorporated and leg fighting styles, and the purple haze that followed every swing was enough detail for Ajax to realize his student was touching upon it,

Anshara,

He watched transfixed, his disciple unaware of his audience as the state of Anshara took his entire thought. Even without a sword in his hands, his disciples fighting style had grown cleaner, just a bit, but if this is what just one day of training did, then he couldn’t wait till they arrived at Agabod. Walking back to the bridge, he stood next to Killian in silence as the ship descended into the world, planet security passing them through when they saw the emblem of house thousand blades,

“You don’t have to look so smug you know,” Ajax said as Killian bit in a smile,

“Oh?, whatever for?” Killian asked innocently,

“Gloat all you like, my sincerest apologies for my behavior yesterday, due to your tutelage in just a day he was able to attain It,” Ajax said,

“Attain what?” Killian asked, turning to Ajax, this time genuinely confused,

“Whatever you made him watch enlightened his path to achieve Anshara, just a touch though, he isn’t even aware” Ajax explained,

Killian stood still, eyes wide,

“He what?” Killian said,

Ajax stared for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter,

“You had no idea, did you?’ he said between fits of laughter,

“of course not, it’s not possible to reach that stage as a low tiered expert!” Killian said,

“well he did, and guess what?, without his katana,” Ajax said wiping a tear from his eyes as he calmed down,

“Are you sure?” Killian asked again, shutting off the transmission from the security forces on the planet asking for verification, instead releasing a pulse of his sharpened holy intent towards them, they scrambled out of the way after that,

“of course, I am, see for yourself” Ajax said,

Killian brought it up, eyes wide at what he saw,

“I’ve got to hand it to that guy, he knows how to spot talents,” Ajax said,

“The ruler always had a knack for spotting them, this disciple of yours is a prodigy, his mantle isn’t even fully formed yet” Killian marveled,

“All the more reason we need to push him to his limit, if you want the best out of my disciple for the competition, then we need him fighting above his range for training,” Ajax said,

“Indeed, I’ll hire some peak experts to act as sparring partners for him when we depart Agabod on our way home,” Killian said,

“No, I mean way higher than that” Ajax said,

“Masters?, are you mad?, he’ll be dead before he made the first move,” Killian said,

“Not if it is against allied masters he won’t,” Ajax said,

“Ajax, we talked about this, he needs those versed in duel fighting, not survival anything goes fighting” Killian protested,

Ajax simply raised an eyebrow as it clicked in Killian’s head,

“Oh, you meant me, you do know how valuable my time is right?, even here, in the farthest reaches of the archailect I still have to attend to house businesses,” Killian said,

“Consider it a favor to me, I owe you a debt then,” Ajax said,

Killian tsked and eyed Ajax,

“you’re going through a lot for this kid,” Killian said,

“An investment” Ajax said,

“Very well then, I accept, it helps the house anyways and if he can still walk after the trainings then I will relieve you of the debt,” Killian said,

“You might regret saying that,” Ajax said with a twinkle in his eyes,

“we’ll see,” Killian said,

Moyo came through the corridor, sweat trailing down his toned body,

“Are we there yet?’ he asked, eyes alight,

“We are, go freshen up, you must look presentable to the royalties of the nexus,” Killian said.