One Of The Greatest

Dante: “Where are we headed, Astro?”

Astro: “The center of the tree to the library. It’s how you move quickly through this place. It’s like a maze in here. It always gives me a headache. I came here once and vowed never again, yet here I am back again.”

A man walked by, “Nice sword there kid. Can I hold it?” Astro immediately chimed in, “No, I’m afraid not. We are just here to meet a friend. We have to be on our way. Let’s go, Dante.”

They walked out of the man’s site, but Dante felt strange. ‘My mind feels different here. It’s like I can’t hold onto my own self. I didn’t want to tell Astro, but as soon as that man asked me a question, I felt like I had to say yes. What is going on?’

“Down these stairs before we arrive, Dante.”

The stairs were giant tree trunks extending outwards. In Dante’s body, he had to be careful jumping down because of how large they were compared to how small he was. Finally, at the bottom, a large wooden door opened.

‘This is the biggest library I have ever seen in my life.’ Dante thought. A huge space contained 6 levels of bookshelves lining the area. A grassy plain remained at the back wall where people practiced their abilities. In the distance, a man chanted, “Rocky Wall!” The grass ripped apart and a rock wall formed in front of the man before eventually retreating back into the ground. The grass reset entirely after the wall went down like a training ground.

“Follow me, Dante.”

He walked with him to an area on the left where a circle of about 20 podiums stood. They all had a book with 1 page on it that glowed different colors on each.

“Let’s see…Ah. Here it is.” Astro pointed to a turquoise looking book that had the word “Springs” on the page. “Hold my hand.” As Dante did this, Astro touched the book with his other hand and they disappeared from the library. They drifted through a portal. Purple and blue spirals combined in swirling motions making Dante dizzy. After 10 seconds, they ended up in a space where hot baths and springs filled with warm and cold water. They walked through all the way to the end. ‘Gross.’ Dante thought to himself. ‘Women laying on men and seducing them for money. Really? Is nothing in this world different than the power structure?’

They continued to a door at the end that said ‘Do not enter.’ Astro sighed, “Well, if I die here, you’re on your own kid.” He opened the door slowly where he was met with 9 sharp differently designed blades pointed at Astro and Dante as they entered. Each one extended down the handle with 5 openings for chaplets. Each sword held 5 of the same chaplet, but different ones on each, totaling 45. Dante wasn’t afraid though. He wasn’t surprised at the encounters they have had. ‘If I have to face guys like this to get back to my family, bring it on! Lucky, I’m on my way. You’re a part of that.’

Astro began to speak. “Kento…” The swords retracted back to a man relaxing in a hot bath with girls surrounding him. Dante had noticed that 1 sword remained next to his side that did not attack them. It had a plain gold handle, white with a hint of blue, 2 small white wings on the left and 4 on the right along with a mini shield attached to the front with 2 faces facing opposite each other above the long handle.

The man did not respond, but instead chose to indulge in the women that sat beside him. “Kento!” Astro yelled out.

Kento looked at Astro with annoyance in his eyes and shooed the women away. The swords remained floating in the air behind him as if to show his dominance over Astro. “That’s not what I taught you to call me,” Kento said to Astro. He stood up and walked over to Astro looking down on him with his tremendous height. “Next time, you call me master or I’ll break your stupid scythe in two. Understood?”

They continued to stare at each other for 10 seconds. Dante chose not to interrupt. He could feel the tension in the air. ‘Master?’ he thought. ‘Doesn’t seem like that to me.’

Kento walked back into the hot bath and sat down. “Ahh I’m just kidding.” He started to laugh, but Dante could tell he was still somewhat serious. “Please…Join me. You’ve already interrupted a great time. Why not pester me some more?”

Dante entered the bath while glaring at the man before him who stared him down with a black blindfold over his eyes. A gold suit of armor sat behind him. He had spiky blonde hair and a black blindfold almost identical to the one over his eyes around his neck that hung down. On his hands, gold bracelets with holes surrounding the top of it filled with different colored chaplets.

Dante had no idea what they were. ‘They all have different designs and colors. Maybe one of them can help me get what I need. Although, I’m not really in a position to ask. Wait, that orange one…It’s the ones that Astro just got from that guy.’

Kento: “Isn’t this relaxing? I get greeted by an old acquaintance and his pupil. The cycle continues! Does it not, Astro?”

“Not even considered a friend, huh?” Astro replied.

Kento: “Friends? Who has friends in this world?”

He took a sip of wine from his left hand before continuing. “Even your swords aren’t your friends. You should know that. After all, the stronger your will, the stronger your sword. Or is that just a made up rumor to get kids to have motivation nowadays? Well, I guess that in the end, it’s all on you and your mind or else you get betrayed anyways, much like our close friend Aya…Am I correct?”

Astro swelled with black mana as if to attack. Kento did the same and overpowered Astro’s mana with whitish gold mana like a ray of light. Completely unphased, Kento said, “Touch a nerve, did I?”

“Astro…” Dante slightly whispered. Astro calmed down, focusing on what was important. Kento spoke before Astro could though. “I’m interested in this young boy here, Astro. To be honest, that little greeting earlier was because of this boy here, not you. I’m intrigued.”

Dante thought, ‘Huh? Me? What does he want with me?’

“Let me just see here…” He raised his hand at Dante and one of the chaplets on his right hand bracelet lit up. It was a yellow orb with an eye inside of a triangle, however as it glowed, it shifted to an actual human eyeball. Astro and Dante stood still in the bath until Kento was done and the chaplet reverted back to normal. “Hmm…You chose a good pupil Astro.”

Astro: “What do you mean by that?”

Kento: “I think it would be easier for me to show you than to tell you. Let’s go somewhere else. Get ready boys! Adventure awaits!”

Astro: “Hold on. We came here to ask you a question. I want to make sure that wish is granted.”

Kento: “As long as you come with me, then I’ll answer your question, deal?”

Astro: “–Fine.”

The three of them headed outside the tree and crossed a bridge leading to an open grassy area a few miles away from the tree. ‘What is he going to do to me? If he was going to kill me, he wouldn’t have told Astro that. I’m going to have to ride it out for now. I don’t have the strength to challenge him.’

“Astro, stand back. You might die from this, so I wouldn’t come too close,” Kento said now wrapped in his gold glossy armor.

Astro: “What! What are you going to do to him? Kento. Answer me.”

Kento looked back at him menacingly.

“Did you just threaten me? One more time and I swear I won’t even think twice about putting you through hell again.” Kento continued to speak. “Relax. Nothing will happen. Just stand back and watch.”

Before he began to speak to Dante, 5 men wearing white armor like hoodies appeared in a circle around them chanting a spell. Each wore a bird looking helmet with feathers sticking out from the top running down the helmet. A magic circle appeared before them shaped like a yin and yang symbol while a white cube formed, entrapping them.

‘What? How did I not notice these men? Were they following us the whole time?’ Astro and Dante both thought.

Kento laughed with his arms raised at his sides. “Look at this. The Association has made an appearance!”