Shadow of the Abyss

The Shadow looked stunned for a moment. Complying soon after as the thrum of a Vale Weapon, a Glaive congealed around her palm with the snap of her fingers. Exposed by the drip of moonlight.

Altair lifted a brow, noting the intrinsic manner in which Nia conjured the very essence of the Vale. It seemed as though it were done not as a thought but as though it were an everyday occurrence.

She moved. The thromb of her Glaive piercing through space like a surgeon's blade through flesh: precise and deadly.

Altair both saw and felt the blow approach, guiding it off course with the full length of his sword, taken back by the raw power. Despite what he felt, Nia had only used the power proportioned to an average human. Matching that level of strength, he drew a step back despite averting most of the force. Momentum drove him back.

He pushed forward, but by the time he did, Nia had taken a step back. Her glaive was holding him at a distance, jolting and sweeping at him in wild thrust.

Altair felt as though no matter how far he advanced, the distance between the two never closed, at least not with the level of skill he was displaying. And he had a momentary sense to push Nia's technique to its limit: to test the zenith of her art.

Sword light seemed to roar in a sudden iridescent jolt of motion, sweeping forth at such a speed it seemed no different than rays of light consuming Nia on all sides as Altair entered the Third Stance of Grave of Night.

Devouring Night

Trapped, Nia Glaive hummed, roaring as though it held a combustion engine. Its smooth surface vibrating at such a frequency, Altair's eyes went wide as Nia Glaive seemed to match the natural speed of sound.

Altair smiled, pulling back. Despite Nia's movement, it had been clear that her technique had been outclassed by several Realms. Still…

"Not bad," he said, dismissing the Vale Sword back into embers. He smiled a smile that met his eyes within the biome of the Imperial garden," For most humans, it's near the peak of what they'll ever master."

"I've also created higher tiers if there are those that show true promise. Still…" Nia paused, making an annoyed face. "None of them can compared to Grave of Night."

Altair tried to stifle his laughter but failed outright. He'd thought she was joking, but it made him laugh even harder. After all, some of the smartest minds in all the Myriad Heavens had come together to create Grave of Night. The sword that allows a mortal to cut light itself.

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It was arrogant, thinking she was able to outclass his sword art with her level of comprehension.

Nia flushed. "It's not funny!" she snapped the Vale Weapon in her hand, dissipating into nodes of ephemeral light.

"Oh, it one hundred percent is," Altair told her, returning to himself. "And yet I'm for it. Do it. Try to achieve what I consider impossible. Prove me wrong. I would love to learn from you."

Nia bit her lips. "You mean that?"

"I mean everything I say," Altair intoned. "You think I'm lying?"

N-no," Nia said frantically. "I just… I don't know. You just never really give words of encouragement like that."

"Good. Then show me a bit more," Altair demanded, creating a vale sword.

***

As dawn broke across the Imperial biome, exposing the vibrant colors of various unnamed life blossoming. The thrum of the Vale weapons finally went silent as the two sat in their sweat, panting for air.

Nia was looking at him as though he were a monster. Throughout the night, Altair had only ever used the first stance of Grave of End, perfecting its nature. At first, she thought it was in order to limit himself, but the more Nia faced him… the more she began to fear the first stance, Shadow Blade.

She couldn't sense his sword anymore. It was as if the thrum of his sword had vanished. Even the motion of the blade seemed to escape her senses as though he were trying to mask his intent within his heart. And yet he assured her their spar was one of the sword.

If not for her dual pupils being able to 'see' the blade, she was sure the first stance of Grave of Night might have felled her in a real battle.

"Master… you're a monster. How'd you improve so much?"

Altair grinned. "The Sword Path. I just followed it. Sword Mastery isn't just about adding various aspects or concepts to your blade but the ability to hone even the most rudimentary skill to its zenith. I actually plan on limiting myself to relearn everything until now."

Nia hummed in response, rising to her feet. "Looks like I've got a lot to learn as well," she expressed, bowing deeply. "Thank you for assisting me, master. It would have taken me three months to gain the progress I made with you after one night."

Later, as the day progressed, Altair looked up, his eyes affixed on Hepheustus entering his throne room, dragging his limp leg forward. A crooked smile plastered across his face.

"Good Morning, Your Majesty," he said, holding a nine-inch-long white crystal in his right hand—similar to the Chaos Shard Raina acquired long ago.

Altair did not waste idle time with pleasantries and said, "I thought you'd have abandoned Azar."

Hepheustus chagrined. "He is my acolyte. How could I abandon him."

Attending his court, Athena frowned, turning to look at Altair, back to Hepheustus, then the white crystal.

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"That's…" she thought, opening her mouth to warn the Emperor of the foolish scheme. "Your Majesty… the Flame of the Third Rite is not something you can handle. Only two have ever been capable of wielding the flame of the Third Rite. Hephaestus, and Prometheus…"

"Be silent, woman," Hephaestus snapped. "Can't you see men are talking?! No wonder you fell out of favor with Zeus."

Athena's thin brows beetled. "Heph—"

Hephaestus snarled. "Did you know, Your Majesty Athena has not seen our father in over a dao cycle? She's not even allowed in his court to discuss politics."

"Then why is it that she was able to merge Gaia and Earth? Surely that required her influence," Altair calmly said, glancing at the poised Athena, too disdainful to react to such claims.

"A mere trick. Athena, that little cunt, went to the Titans behind our back, even while Sealed. Gaia herself is a being of nature, a force that stretches beyond what we can contain through seals." Hephaestus said. "Father was so furious for the first time in a Dao Cycle that he ordered her into his court. Instead, she fled to your side."

"Athena," Altair gaped, feigning surprise. "Is this all true?"

Athena threaded her hands through her long, silky hair. "It's true, your grace, though I don't understand why that matters."

"It means you are a bloody snake! You betrayed our father by promising the freedom of the Titans! You know that—"

"That sounds like a swell idea," Altair cut in. he turned to Athena, who looked a little stunned.

'He's not mad?' she thought.

"Are they purebloods?" Altair asked.

"Y-Yes. Gaia is a… pure blood. Long ago, in the Lower Realm, before the Silver Devil and his Order pulled the Twelve Realms to a higher realm, it was said that Aether, the birthplace of sorcery, gave birth to her with the aid of Khaos, willing her into being. Back then, he sat upon one of the Twelve Thrones of Power.

It was in his authority to produce particular races at various times in order to keep the balance of causality."

"The Balance?" Altair questioned.

"The Yin and Yang, or Order and Chaos within the web of Karma. Have you ever wondered why some are born advantaged? Why some are born with absolute power? While others are born cripple? It's all a balance. Khaos controlled the balance in a sense.

While there are many limitations in his position, he can use the Myriad Heavens to produce someone like me. I, too, was born out of Khaos' will. It was he who decided that I was to be born from my Father's skull. And odd decision, but he is the reason I'm alive today."

"I… still don't understand. Why? No, how?" Altair said, ignoring the irritated Hephaestus.

Thanatos answered before Athena could, "Because of the concept of equivalent and exchange. Each time you use a spell or cultivate, you go against the natural order. A sin in a sense. Breeding negative karma.

To counterbalance negative karma, Khaos or in one of the higher realms like the one we preside in the Council of Omnis will manipulate creation into producing cripples, stillborns, diseases, and so on. Anything natural or what we deem as natural. However, that's how we deal with negative karma from creation. Positive Karma is used to create life or create lucky, chances, and so on.

People like Athena, really. However, whether we do good or evil is up to the individual. It's a rather complex cycle."

Altair felt his head spin. "Wow… I never knew," he said, but it had all made sense—at least for now. Yet he had to wonder how strong someone needed to be to control that type of authority.

"So if that's the truth of Gaia lineage. Is that the same for other titans?"

"No, they all came from Gaia herself," Athena said.

Altair nodded. "What a most curious tangent we fell into." he turned back to Hephaestus, smiling. "What do you think? Should we make the Titans our guardian pets?"