Sigmar true blade vanished the same way he appeared; the prime representatives of each house retreating back to their ships. Moyo keenly watched Alvar as they entered the ship, the diamond silent, Alvar noticed the gaze on him and spoke up,

“That was…interesting” he said,

“The confrontations?” Moyo asked,

Alvar shook his head, glancing at Moyo,

“No, the way you repulsed their auras, you repulsed the power of 9 scions of houses that breed monsters, how did you it?”

Moyo shrugged,

“I’ve been dealing with stronger opponents my whole life, this was no different” he replied,

Alvar shook his head again,

“no, not strong, except the ember lady, red jaw and maybe eclipse blade and gloom blade, you totally dominated them with ease”

Moyo turned his gaze to the tunnel of the rulers’ ship,

“Those are four ascenders you just mentioned are simply a few who we’ll be facing in this tournament, I simply dared to bare my fang against those who would look down on me” he replied again,

Alvar kept silent after that, Moyo could feel his gaze burning into the distance,

“What do you represent?’ Moyo asked, Alvar tuning to him again,

“What is your goal?”

“To raise the banner of clan solar blade and thousand blades high” Alvar replied,

Moyo nodded,

“Admirable, but what is your aim, what drives you?” he asked again,

“Victory, the fear of failure” Alvar replied, his gaze confused,

Moyo guessed he had been living a bit of a sheltered life, he was no doubt strong, to get to diamond proved that simple fact, but Moyo knew well enough that sometimes pure strength wasn’t always enough, what drove you decided fights. Moyo began to subtly exude his energy, Alvar looking at him,

“I represent the unyielding will of my people, my world. I am the culmination of humanity’s drive to overcome odds, I am the shield and blade in service of my specie, I am the mountain that weathers the incessant and unrelenting attacks of those who would seek to enslave or wipe out my world” Moyo recited,

Snapping his power back into his body, he raised an eyebrow to Alvar who nodded,

“I’ll meditate on it” he replied,

Moyo nodded, together they exited the tunnel and into the ship proper, coming out into a large room. Large was an understatement, the inside of the ship built as a cathedral with bustling with different people in the colors of house thousand blades, from iron rankers to as high as silver bustling around. Moyo noticed the golds carried themselves with the pride of their positions, silvers and below bowing to them as they moved across the polished floors of the ship where the crest of house thousand blades hand been painted. Their presence halted everyone, golds included who bowed at the waist till they passed, Moyo still wasn’t comfortable with the bowing aspects, but it wasn’t his place to change that.

Passing beside the golds, they made their way through a glass-stained corridor into another room, Moyo had been following the aura of Ashira that guided him to this place, a large room with chairs made of a black leather, a large holographic image of altera in front of the masters and diamonds assembled. Ajax looked up, a smile on his lips,

“Perfectly done, come over here, we have work to do” he said,

Ashira sat on a chair, legs crossed as she stared intently at the map, glancing up at him in recognition before looking back to the glowing world that had various dots around it,

“what’s going on?” Moyo asked,

“Clan true blade have gotten in contact with all the houses, the first stages of the tournament would begin in a two weeks’ time, coinciding with when the brigade would be initiating calamities for the newly absorbed galaxies” Killian said,

Moyo glanced up at them, his world would be facing a calamity the same time he could possibly be having his first duel. He nodded, nothing he could do about that, he had done the best he could and with a message dropped for Ayo to retrieve her bow from his vault, clan titan blade was as prepared as they could be. Turning back to the issue on ground, he spoke,

“What happens next?” he asked,

Master Duval pushed a construct to him, a small circular disc he tapped as the image of Sigmar true blade shimmered to life,

“Greetings house thousand blades, welcome to altera and the tournament. I come bearing the words of the patriarch himself, in his infinite wisdom, he has decreed the tournament would consist of stages, 7 stages that would take place in the space of two weeks, starting three days from now. A required number of 64 ascenders would proceed to the next stage from the 100 at the initial stage, this is to initiate the reduction of ascenders by half at each stage” Sigmar said,

That meant a few houses would be completely out of the competition if they weren’t careful and alliances weren’t made in time. The hologram continued,

“There would be no prizes for the first stage the second stage and above would be the starting point, the prizes are as follows” it said before the body of Sigmar vanished and a large table list of rewards presented itself,

STAGES

PRIZES

64

Primordial essence (1)

32

Primordial essence (5)

16

Primordial essence (10)

4

Master tutelage, construct ship

2

Legendary weapon from the true blade vault

1

Mythical class evolution scroll

Moyo stared at the list in fascination, his inner greedy self-salivating at the possibilities of weapons he could make with the amount of primordial essences he could forge with the weapons, he might not even need to petition house thousand blades for essences any longer. The list disappeared as Sigmar appeared again, continuing his speech,

“The first stage of the tournament would be known as warfare, on the map of altera is a continent set aside for this specific purpose. Fortresses have been built, ten in all for the ten houses participating, for the duration of entire day, houses can attack the fortresses of each other, attempting to destroy them”

“After a whole day, houses whose fortresses are left standing automatically qualify, while houses whose fortresses have been destroyed but still have unharmed fighters will move to the next round as individuals with the house disqualified” Sigmar said,

“As per regulations, the entire continent will be covered in a training field, meaning ascenders won’t actually be fighting with their real bodies and instead a projection similar to that of a training field would be used, pods would be sent by the end of the day, Goodluck, and may the true blade protect us all” Sigmar finished, the projection blinking shut.

“Our plan is as follows” master Duval started,

“Once the stage starts, we and our allies would rendezvous at the series of fortresses closes to each other, a joint protection action would commence, Moyo, Ashira and Alvar would attack other fortresses while Raina, Gisela and Lothar would defend our fortresses in tandem with our other allied houses” he explained,

“Who are representing the other houses?” Ashira asked,

“Not known as of now, but the odds of you meeting up in the heat of battle is sparse, hence until the rounds of 64 or higher, it hardly matters” master Killian said,

Moyo nodded, getting up and stretching, the other diamonds crowding the holographic display,

“Will the fights be shown?” he asked suddenly,

Ajax looked up at him,

“Sometimes, why?” he replied,

“I want to do something…. outlandish” he replied, a grin on his face,

“Like?” master Killian asked,

“He wants to show someone, or some people” Ashira said, looking to Moyo who nodded,

“I see” Ajax replied,

“We can resolve that later, we have work to do for now” master Duval said,

“Work?” Moyo asked,

Duval nodded,

“Training, brutal training” the master replied,

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

Moyo had forgotten the feeling of being in a training zone, the reckless manner in which ascenders fought without a care in the world for their safety seeing as the bodies weren’t real. He flexed his diamond ranked step of Ogun as dominion sang in his hand, arching with pure deadly intent to Ajax where he stood. The deathblade smiled as he used his bare hands to crush the attack, blitzing towards Moyo who rolled through the air, dominion out to stop the deadly attack his master was sending his way.

A bright flare of light appeared behind the master, Alvar sol blade roaring with his body wreathed in the literal flames of a bright sun, his blade, a red beautiful work of art blazing towards Ajax who somehow dodged the attack at point blank range. The realm of master wasn’t so much brute strength as it was mind games, and as Moyo was slowly realizing, authority. Masters were capable of shutting their opponents’ attacks if their authorities were strong enough.

Ashira shimmered next to Ajax, her blade talon cleaving the air between her and Ajax who laughed, gripping her and hurling her straight to the ground with reckless abandon. Moyo had hardly registered Ashira crashing into ground before master Ajax locked everyone into his realm. The realm of cold, stillness and the pungent smell of death locked their abilities and body movements in place. Moyo grunted, eyes blazing as his core began to spew intent, fighting desperately, pitting his entire will against the realm of the death blade.

For a mountain never died, titans were immortal and all he stood for should be an anathema against that belief. It mattered little, for he had barely twitched his fingers before he was sent sailing straight into the earth. Crashing into the rocks below, master Ajax landed atop his body, ribs cracking under the pure bodily strength of his master who it seemed now had a cultivator’s body as well. Dizzy with pain, his body trying to heal desperately but the powers of death that oozed off the body of his master prevented it from doing so.

Alvar crashed close to him, Ashira already fading to dust, the last image he saw was of his master swinging his blade Krial towards his neck with a grin. He woke up in the stasis chamber with a gasp, panting at his body transmitted the pains from his training through his body. Standing on wobbly feet, he saw Ashira sitting on a chair, a haunted look on her face as she glanced at him. Alvar wobbled over from his chamber, silent and sullen also.

They maintained the silence between them till Ajax trailed into the room, a smile on his face while following closely behind were the masters Killian and Duval.

“Well, that was fun” Ajax said as they all looked up at him bleakly,

“Where did you go wrong?” master Duval asked them,

From what Moyo had seen before, Raina and her team had suffered the same brutal defeat at the hands of the stellar blade himself. Master Killian had no mercy for his daughter even as he battered her around like a ball, Moyo had winced, sure of himself that he wouldn’t go through the same thing in his duel with his master, not when he had Ashira and Alvar with him. He sat up, wincing at the phantom pain that permeated his body,

“We were cocky” he muttered,

“No, you were cocky” Ajax said, glancing at Moyo,

Moyo stared at his master,

“They followed your lead, believe it or not you’re the de facto leader of this attack team. They saw you use brute force and they followed, a rookie mistake but a mistake non the less” master Duval said,

“Moyo could had weathered a few of my blows, Alvar could had blinded me and Ashira could had snuck up on me without the whole theatrics, you’re diamond rankers now, the era of using brute force has passed, most fights will be decided on superior fighting styles” Duval said, continuing,

Moyo nodded,

“let’s go again” he asked,

Ajax stared at him, then hopped to his feet,

“Alright, but you alone, the rest of you watch” he said as Raina, Inge and Gisela entered the room, haunted looks on their faces,

Moyo walked back to his stasis chamber and plugged himself back in, the chamber sealing shut with a hiss, not before he saw the look of anxiety on Ashira’s face. He took a deep breathe, appearing on a plain grassland, dominion in hand. Ajax appeared a moment later, lazily swinging Krial,

“I must admit, you impressed me” his master said,

Moyo didn’t respond, taking a stance as he extended his realm close to him, Digi Aye blazing around his realm. Ajax watched as his mountain core materialized behind Moyo, a smirk on his face,

“Realms at diamond are…fickle” his master said,

“They haven’t fully settled in to reality proper like they would at master, but they carry the pure power of the ascender”

Ajax began moving to him leisurely, Moyo gripping dominion tighter, he wasn’t some acolyte any longer. The titan was a diamond, he wielded dominion and Oro, his authority, his Ashe had evolved, he had slain dragons and broken chains, the titan would not bow down. Ajax raised on finger up, a smile on his face,

“of course, anyone below diamond would be dead for stepping into your realm” he said,

“a master however” Ajax said as he stepped one foot into Moyo’s realm,

“Answers to no authority or rules below ruler” Ajax completed as Moyo felt his realm shatter like glass at the mere presence of Ajax,

Bearing the backlash from his realm being destroyed, Moyo clamped down on the migraine that threatened to bloom in his mind. Knowing full well his master would take advantage of the instance, dominion was already swinging upwards to clash with Krial, both blades screaming in a shower of sparks as moyo whirled with a kick, mantle locked in place. Together he and his master began an intricate dance of blade works, Moyo knowing fully well that his wrath of Oya couldn’t heal his body fast enough to help him in this fight.

Ferocity of Oshosi struggled under the barrage of Ajax who grinned as his blade flashed in all directions at once, cutting into Moyo whenever he got the chance. Moyo followed the blades as best as he could, pushing his body deeper and deeper into feeling every moment of the attack, trying to understand the sequence and pattern the deathblade used. Moyo took a step forward when he saw an opening, Ashe and intent blazing his blade like a fallen star in an upward cut that was well placed,

A pity he fought a master,

With one finger, master Ajax tapped his blade, canceling his Ashe and intent, dominion barely scratching his master. Moyo pressed on in that instant, realizing he wouldn’t get another chance like this, not with master Ajax underestimating him. Gathering his Ashe that burned bright within him, he uttered the command with all the conviction he had,

“HOLD”

The command caught the master off guard, but only for a second, a second in a battle of diamonds was akin to minutes and it was all Moyo required to smash his head into Ajax, gripping the collar of his masters’ robes, he hooked his leg, slamming him into the ground with all his titans might. The very ground cracked and crumbled from the force of the attack, Moyo roaring as all his strength was pushed into the attack, and still Ajax grinned. Face unblemished while leaving Moyo with a raging migraine, Ajax flipped Moyo into the air with his legs, the force blasting the titan high up into the air with all the force of a rocket.

Moyo’s eyes widened in shock, but his aura blazed, his mantle glowing as his runic draconic robe blazed,

“good” he heard from his side, pure terror in his eyes,

And then the titan was slammed miles deep into the ground from on high in a flash, his mind shutting down the moment he hit the ground, the force of the attack shattering every bone in his body.

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

He woke up on a couch with a start, glancing around to realize he was in his room. Sitting up with a startled expression, he touched his body just to make sure he wasn’t a mess of bones. Finally calming down, he breathed a sigh of relief, resting back into the chair, hands clenched. It hadn’t made a difference to Ajax, whether he was acolyte or diamond, his master always had an overwhelming edge over him.

The door opening drew his attention to Raina peeking in,

“you’re awake, the masters sent me to check on you” she said, glancing at him slowly,

“How long was I out?” he asked softly,

“An hour or thereabouts, they said you had a backlash from the training field, the intensity of the beating was, ah, quite serious” she said with a wince,

Moyo nodded solemnly,

“Ashira?” he asked,

“With the rest of us, meditation or some boring thing they require us to this” Raina said,

Moyo stood up, looking at his clenched fists,

“You exceeded even the expectations of the masters you know; master Ajax is…. well among masters only few and emissaries at that would consider taking him on” Raina said,

Moyo took a deep breath, to doubt himself right now would be to doubt what he stood for. He had stood his ground against a master, got pummeled, but he had stood his ground nonetheless. Nodding to her in appreciation, he followed her through the large ship, aware the ruler was somewhere in the ship and probably saw the duel. Removing his mind from the stray thought that floated in his head, wondering if he had met the expectations of the thousand blades himself, he entered a large room where all the diamonds sat, eyes closed in concentration while master Duval imposed his realm upon them.

While the realm wasn’t visible and it stopped inches close to the door, Moyo could nonetheless feel the potency of the realm. master Duval glanced in his direction, motioning for him to sit lotus style, he nodded and sat, Raina at his side. The realm snapped over them and Moyo’s breath stopped for a second, even when his lungs were no longer needed, the organ seized at the pressure from the realm. He gathered his Ashe and pushed back, feeling the pressure lift just a few meters,

“Authority and aura training are linked” master Duval spoke up,

“They both are a representation of who you are, they are your presence in the greater archailect and the failure to build them up will see you pummeled not by fists but by the mere presence of your foe”

Moyo squeezed his eyes shut as the pressure increased,

“You are diamond now, the days of brutally whamming your foes are a bit behind you. Strength has its place in higher ranks, but I assure you most masters and even diamonds are known for their aura strengths and authority, they are the foundations to build into master”

Moyo could feel the master walk by him,

“Entire realms have been shattered when faced with a stronger opponent, masters have seen their ascension crippled when their authorities could withstand the onslaught of a greater opponent” master Duval continued,

He felt Raina shuddering beside him, breath coming out in short gasps as she fought for control,

“The very concept of who you are defines your authority and aura, it is what heralds your presence, to get stronger, you must have absolute confidence in who you are. I am the sun, the ever-blazing star of pure light and fire, I will burn down your realms should I choose to, that is my conviction, my concept and my will. My authority is that of the ever-burning body of flames, I burn whatever I touch no matter what that is”

As the master finished, Moyo took a deep breathe and clenched his fists tighter, eyes squeezed shut,

No more,

He imagined a mountain, a world, a giant ball structure that pushed back against its foe, his was the shield, to absorb, to make his, he wouldn’t fall, not again. True, death might corrode with time even the strongest of beings, but he wasn’t just any being, he was the titan, he would endure, he would protect, he would absorb.

He shook his head a little, frowning,

No, not in that order. He would absorb, he would protect, he would endure,

And just like that he felt the mantra click into him, his aura swelling and ballooning as he began to absorb the burning essence of the solar realm. he heard master Duval pause right in front of him,

“Good, you’ve realized what makes you tick, now impress it on your subconscious” the master said,

Moyo wasn’t actually sure if he was talking to him, but he did just that. He kept repeating the mantra even as he felt the heat burning away the layers of his authority, driving it into his very being that he could keep absorbing, keep holding on. With a silent snarl he imagined himself as a tall titan, grabbing at the burning sun in the sky, he heard master Duval chuckle and the pressure blazed stronger, eating into his authority, he could feel blood in his palms, his fingers digging into his draconic skin, but he didn’t relent, he kept pushing, fighting.

In a flash the presence snapped away and Moyo wobbled, crashing to the ground as his sight swam the moment, he opened it. Master Duval stood above him, mask on as he stared down at him. Moyo cleared his throat, sitting up with Ashira who was suddenly at his side, helping him into a sitting position. The master crouched close to him,

“Your path is one of forbearance and fortitude young titan blade, you push to hard, fight too hard. You do that I battle and you leave yourself exposed for another foe to take you off the board” master Duval said.

Moyo stood up, feeling the others turn to master Duval,

“You are going up against monsters born of monsters, diamonds bred and taught the finest of the house’s styles, you have no choice but to go in with your full abilities. We will be unavailable for the duration of the tournament, diamonds will on their own, team work will be vital, and remember, we fight for the fate of those weaker than us, for the fate of those we protect” master Duval said as he left,

Gisela turned to Moyo,

“How are you even walking?” she asked, her white hair cascading down her shoulders,

Moyo glanced at her,

“It was a training field” he replied obviously,

“Whose pain tolerance has been increased to the maximum, we could barely move once we crashed somewhere” Inge said, her cropped hair beginning to grow over her eyes,

Moyo shrugged,

“Used to it, do we have a strategy yet, apart from securing five fortresses closest to our allies of course?” he asked,

“House jackal and Garuda are opting to lead an attack, the message isn’t clear yet, but in the coming days we should have an idea of what the entire plan would be like” Alvar said,

Moyo nodded,

“We have to get to at least the last 4” Moyo muttered,

“or house Dracon goes on a rampage” Ashira said with a grim thought.