Chapter 30:

Act 3 - Chapter 3, Part 1

The Celestials Prison - Envoy of the Damned


Chapter 28: Ajal; Shauran 45th, 344SR; 16:45

Ajal, Reinhardt, Adam, and George blended into the crowd of people and made their way through the wide streets of Cabac. 'They've turned off most of the lights in this city. Thankfully the people from Baltin are as tall as me so I sort of pass off as one of them... But I will absolutely not wear those clothes... I can't believe Marina recommended that...' Ajal shivered at the thought of the revealing clothes. Reinhardt and Adam walked in front, and George was close behind. Ajal looked up at the sky, a green square of light shone against the blanket of clouds. The light came from Anka, in the center of Andurill.

"I wonder what the queen is wearing today!" A masked woman gossiped.

"She always wears something new and looks amazing," the other masked woman replied.

"The weather is nice, not too hot or cold," a masked man said behind Ajal.

'It is so hot today... Why do they all wear these masks?' Ajal could feel his warm breath hit his face. The limited visibility and the sweat on his nose continued to bother him. They approached an overpass that connected two of the large buildings in the city together, just beyond that was where the majority of the district's lights shone. Reinhardt and Adam looked down as they started to descend a flight of stairs, Ajal got a better look at the center of Cabac. Down the flight of stairs, a concrete walkway surrounded a large field of green grass. The field stretched as far as Ajal could see in both directions towards the center of Andurill and away from it.

In the middle of the large divide that split Cabac, was a large circular building. It was three stories high, the first and third floors were open and had no walls. A massive statue stood on the roof, it depicted a woman holding a large katana in a crouched down position with her blade raised in the air. 'Looks like she's swinging her sword... In that direction, it makes her look like the one who made this field, almost like she split the city with a slash... What the?' Ajal took notice of some strange jagged rocks at the base of the statue. 'Those look like... Feet? But where is the rest of the body? Was there another statue?'

On the grass, were thousands of mats with various colorful patterns on them. Families sat down and prepared to dine together. Along the concrete walkway, stands were set up where food would be served. Several masked people even volunteered to help.

"George, I swear you better not try to eat-"

Ajal turned to see George holding a plastic cup with a strange green drink inside, he even had a straw. 'I- how... I didn't say drink... I should have said drink...' Ajal just shook his head as he looked around again. 'If everyone has a mask, it'll be annoying to keep track of... But, Raum doesn't have a mask, he should be easy to spot.'

Adam nudged Ajal with his elbow, he looked up to see him pointing at someone. A brown-haired woman with a pretty face he recognized. She wore red pants, and a red vest, with a gold sash hanging off her shoulder. The clan leader walked through the field with a spring in her step, the jewelry around her neck jingled each time. 'It's her... I- can't remember her name... But I fought her in Logos... The one with the green thunder...' She walked in front of two people who wore masks. One of them was a man and the other a woman with similar clothing. However, rather than gold sashes they had the normal red, with silver decals and edges.

"I'm going to follow them... Keep an eye on our exits," Ajal whispered.

"Got it... Are you sure you want to go alone? You should at least go with Reinhardt..." Adam suggested.

"Even with Spirit Arts a clan leader would mop the floor with all of you single-handedly. No offense, but teaching you all Spirit Arts would be a waste if you died. As soon as I send the signal, go help the others, I'll try to join you as soon as I can."

"No offense taken, we remember what happened in Logos."

"We'll try and keep an eye out for the resistance," Reinhardt whispered.

Ajal walked forward, following the clan leader from Welis. He stepped over the various mats set in vertical lines across the field. Young hybrids looked up at him as he walked by, wearing masks that made them look quite intimidating. An aroma of spices filled the air, multiple drum beats could be heard close to where the two clan leaders walked.

They approached a muscular man who was the same height as Ajal. The eight-foot man wore dark green pants and a golden belt, his upper body was completely exposed. His body and muscles almost ripped through his skin from how big they were. His veins were clearly defined along his rugged forearms, and every muscle would move with him. 'No mask... He must be the clan leader from Baltin if he's wearing that... It probably is better to go shirtless when their tops are that tight...' He had a brown scruffy beard with the rest of his hair slicked back, 'Descendants of Wilo have a golden arm, that can't be Raum...' Ajal continued to follow them, he glanced back and saw multiple masked hybrids seated on the grass or mats, Reinhardt followed not too far behind, Adam stood with George near the stairs. 'Come on... Where could he be...?'

Ajal stood a short distance away from the two clan leaders as they greeted each other casually. The two men behind the clan leader from Welis bowed before the large muscular man. Young hybrids peered up at them with eyes full of sparkle and awe. Ajal waited for them to keep moving, however, he felt someone poke his shoulder twice.

"Uh- hi?" Ajal turned quickly.

A six-foot-tall woman with a sleek black and gold dress looked up at Ajal with a glare. Her rich brown hair was tied back, and a single blade of hair ran down the right side of her head. She pushed her glasses up and seemed to squint even harder at Ajal, her eyes scanning him up and down. 'She has no mask... Is she supposed to be a clan leader as well?' She looked up at Ajal with an annoyed glare, 'What's her deal- does she know-'

"Move," the woman rudely demanded.

Ajal looked at her for a moment and then took a step to the side and she walked by, 'Pretty sure you have enough room to walk around...' She stopped right next to him and squinted again. Ajal felt uncomfortable, 'Shit... Is she onto me? Am I too obvious-' Her thin eyebrow twitched, she sighed and moved a blade of brown hair to the side of her head. A purple scarf was loosely coiled around her slim neck. The edges of her sleeves and collar were all fashioned with golden beads and details. Above her chest was an insignia of a winged horse.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm... Looking for a place to sit?" Ajal lied.

"I'm talking about that ridiculous outfit..."

Ajal looked down at his loose white coat and black dress shirt. 'What?' He lifted one leg and observed his small shoe and brown pants, his ankle exposed between the two. He looked back up at her and tilted his head in confusion.

"Ugh, moron," she said under her breath, she pointed at his pants with crossed arms. "You're wearing the wrong pants and the wrong outfit in general. Someone from Baltin shouldn't wear clothes from Andurill, those coats are too small for you. Are you a soldier? Must be... Considering you can't even dress properly," she lectured.

'What... Huh... I look fine... What's her problem?' Ajal just looked down at her silently. She turned and continued to walk. A tall man was walking behind her, he wore a similar outfit. However, the gold details were now silver, and he wore a mask with a horizontal line under each eye and a dot on the forehead.

"Oberon! Where's your shirt?! You're setting a bad example for the others you brute!" the woman shouted towards the clan leaders.

"Carala, it's good to see you too," the large man with the gold belt and green pants greeted her.

Oberon noticed Ajal, he squinted for a moment before he turned his head. 'Do I stand out that much... Crap...' Ajal turned his head and looked around, every time his eyes would meet another, they'd looked away. 'Maybe I do...' The hybrid clan leaders turned and continued towards the structure in the center of the long grassy plane between the towers of the city. Ajal gave it a moment before he continued to follow.

The food they ate had a strange scent, not bad, but certainly different. A bold, earthy scent rose from the variety of foods eaten on long tensile leaves. Ajal didn't see or smell any meat, just legumes, vegetables, and lots of fruit.

The clan leaders were a good distance away and nearing the main building, Ajal continued forward. 'How will the resistance strike... They could be hiding in the crowd...'

Ajal approached the central structure, the pillars on the side represented swords on the outside. He walked between the pillars and entered the structure, on the other side he noticed that behind each pillar was a woman with long blue robes, each of them with a katana sheathed at their side.

There were many hybrids gathered there, all in very pristine clothing. Ajal noticed a large number of them with golden arms, but they wore white robes that covered even their feet. Each of them seemed to be overweight, their round stomachs hung over the sashes at their waist.

'They remind me of the archbishops... Huh?'

The descendants of Wilo in white robes greeted people in very different attire. They weren't uniform in appearance like the hybrids were, but wore formal black tuxedos and dress shirts. One of them caught Ajal's attention, a short, black-haired man with a red shirt underneath. 'That's... an angel?! The noble from Logos, he's the odd one that didn't fight... I almost forgot angels are going to be attending this event as well... That may make things complicated...'

The angels and the hybrids in white robes walked up a set of stairs that encircled the edge of the building, following the descendants of Wilo in white robes. Ajal took one step forward, and two katanas jutted forward in front of him and blocked his path. He glanced left and right, a blue-haired woman at the handle of each blade, wearing a loose blue coat with thin fabric over a dark blue garment. Ajal backed up slightly but stopped as he felt the light poke of a blade behind him.

"Not another step," one of the swordswomen behind him ordered.

'Royal guards... Four of them, there's more around the room as well...' Ajal observed his surroundings, and the other female guards around the room stood by.

"I didn't think you'd be dumb enough to walk right in," said a familiar voice from behind.

Ajal looked down and noticed a short man with a full head of spiky black hair walk in front of him, as well as a woman wearing similar clothes to the guards, but with gold wavy patterns along the coat. The two of them didn't have masks, 'Clan leaders... This guy was also in Logos...' He wore a similar outfit to the one Ajal wore, but with golden decals on it. His curved greatsword rested on his back as he turned and looked Ajal in the eyes.

"I remember you two, from Logos right-" Ajal turned his head to the one with the katana, he stopped as he realized it was a different person.

"So you were the one who made my best student look like a pushover, an admirable feat," the one with the katana praised. "The name's Shina, leader of Dorad's royal guard."

"You forgot my name? That's cold... It's Rolo, but, you've gone and joined the resistance though so I don't mind. We'd never be friends," Rolo tightened his grip.

"I'm not here to fight, and I'm not with the resistance. I wish to speak with the queen of the hybrids, peacefully," Ajal nonchalantly revealed.

The angels and other clan leaders hadn't noticed the encounter as they went up the stairs. Rolo and Shina looked at each other for a moment when they heard that.

"My cousin almost died when she said she encountered you and the resistance in Rea," Rolo reminded him with a fist clenched around the greatsword handle.

"I didn't know that would happen, nor did I want that to happen. The resistance wanted me to join them in some plan they had tonight, but I turned them down. I'm sorry your family member got hurt. I did the best I could to help her," Ajal apologized, Rolo squinted as he looked up at him.

"Why do you want to speak with the queen, and what details did they reveal about that plan?" Shina asked as she tilted her head.

"I don't know much about the plan, just that it was meant to happen tonight and it involves taking all of Andurill," Ajal brought his hand up to his face.

Shina raised her own hand to the long katana sheathed at her waist. Ajal looked at her for a moment. He pulled the mask off over his head and revealed his face.

"I was getting tired of wearing that... I'm going to free the non-unified people from slavery," Ajal stated outright.

"Huh?" Rolo uttered.

"Why would you- an off-worlder, want to free the non-unified..." Shina asked.

"I don't believe the non-unified deserve the lives they live, and I'm someone with the strength to change that," Ajal mentioned. "I think people are born pure, even all of you," Ajal glanced outside, some children were playing with their newborn siblings. "Life will always be exposed to sin, maybe it's inevitable. I'm willing to give the hybrids and the angels a chance to explain themselves before I must release my wrath."

"Your wrath? The strength to change that? Don't you think you're underestimating us a bit-"

"Zilu, wait," Shina raised her arm and interrupted her.

"Huh?"

"Don't underestimate him, he defeated Avery easily... And don't forget our duty... The resistance can still attack... This, this may be a favorable option for us, let him through," the clan leader of the guard explained. "Alright, off-worlder..."

"It's Ajal..."

"Ajal... I'll grant your request, however, if you take advantage of our courtesy, I will kill you."

"I don't want to ruin this event for any of the people here."

Rolo continued to glare at Ajal.

"You sure about this..." Rolo asked.

"Don't worry, the queen was interested in the off-worlder as well, and if he tries anything, I can stop him," Shina stated confidently with a lax expression.

Shina turned and made her way for the stairs, the guards sheathed their katanas. The swords they held were half the length of the clan leaders. Ajal followed her. They walked up the stairs and ended up in an enclosed hallway, the sound of people outside was blocked out. Candles with blue flames lit the hallway, 'This is going well so far on this end... But, I still haven't found Raum... How are the others doing... Not having communication makes this a lot more complicated...'

"By the way," Shina suddenly broke the silence.

"Hm?"

"Who dressed you?" Shina snickered.

"Oh, not again... It doesn't look bad..." Ajal argued with an annoyed tone.

"I mean, you look good- but... Your outfit is all over the place, so it was-" Shina held back a giggle. "Really obvious you were sneaking around. You looked so odd, you stood out."

"Beats wearing that green outfit from Baltin..."

"What? You'd probably look great in that... Tafi couldn't even take her eyes off of you once she saw your face."

"Tafi? Who's that?"

"The guard who was to your left earlier. Truth is, all my girls have been curious to see who defeated Riva in Logos."

"Riva?" Ajal remembered the battle in Logos. "Oh, her... She didn't like small talk as much as you seem to," Ajal laughed.

"Haha, yeah that's Riva alright..."

The two approached another set of stairs that led to the third floor. Light spilled into the hallway from the top of the steps.

"Come to think of it, all of the royal guards I've seen so far have been women. Why is that?" Ajal asked.

"Only women can inherit Ginpa's fang. The Celestial beast itself despises men," said Shina.

"Huh... Interesting..."

The two walked up the steps. Ajal looked to the right, the walls of the building were open once again. Ajal glanced to the left and stopped, he took a deep breath through his nose as everyone's sight fell upon him. The circular floor had a strange design. A black and white circle, it wasn't split down the middle, the black appeared to engulf the white. But on the other side, the white flooded towards the black and consumed the color at the same time as it was consumed. At the wide end of both colors, standing opposite from each other were two statues. On the black side was a statue of a woman, and on the other was the statue of a man.

'Well... I knew this part would be awkward...'

The noble angels stood at the sides of the room. The black-haired boy with a red shirt looked at Ajal and his eyes went wide. A woman with short blonde hair next to him was wearing a blue shirt and white pants, she nearly choked on her drink as she noticed Ajal. 'Two nobles... Are those the Lightbringers? No... they have the insignia of a dragon, and that one is a mask... I don't see Alexander Rael...'

The hybrid clan leaders sat behind a long table. 'Raum isn't here yet...' Behind all of them, was a single throne that was at least twelve feet tall. On that throne, atop the short flight of steps, sat a woman. She leaned forward to get a better view, the silver tiara on her head had a variety of colored jewels embedded in it.

Around the back of the room, behind the queen, were several old hybrids. Each of them wore robes that covered their wrinkled skinny bodies. 'Purple, blue, green, two people with grey, brown... The colors of their robes, they're each from different clans... Who are they?'

The two in the grey robes seemed like opposites of each other. One bloated and breathing heavily as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead plastered with curled golden hair. His golden arm rattled as he watched Ajal carefully. 'I haven't done anything and he already looks like he's shaking...' The other in grey seemed to be around the same age as Marina's grandfather, he was a descendant of Ophi. A short, slim man with a white beard covering his mouth, but a stern gaze that looked down on Ajal.

At the right end of the table, seated slightly far from the others, was the man in glossy purple robes. He picked at his nails, unaware of everyone else's concern. Each of his fingers was decorated with a different golden ring.

The one with a brown robe was looking at Ajal with a spark in his eye. His dark skin was speckled with dark spots underneath his eyes. His head of hair and beard was full of silver strands, shining in the light. The old woman in the green robe was very slim, her skin was well taken care of but her age could not be hidden. She looked at Ajal with a stern, focused gaze.

Ajal's eyes lingered to the last in a blue robe, he had been in a state of meditation with his eyes closed. He had straight blue hair, a long face, and considerably smoother skin than the rest of the elderly hybrids. His clothing was adorned by red strings and curved silver decals that almost resembled blades. He had a multitude of wooden trinkets hanging off of his robes, Ajal didn't know what they were, but they had an odd five-pointed symbol on them. Shina said something quietly to the queen before she took a seat next to Oberon, Carala, and Avery sat at the other end.

"My queen, my elders, I bring the off-worlder before you. We expected he'd be here following the commotion in Bellos. However he claims to not be working with the resistance, and he wishes to speak with us, peacefully," Shina gestured toward Ajal.

"What is the meaning of this?" the female noble of the angels with a shiny blue dress shirt glared at Ajal.

"You..." Carala tilted her head in confusion.

Oberon leaned back while he watched Ajal. "I had a feeling there was something strange about you... So you're the one who defeated Alexander Rael..."

Ajal looked up at the queen, and she looked back down at him with curious blue eyes. Her skin was perfect, her black hair had a hint of purple, braided into a ponytail that rested on her right shoulder. Her clothing was different than the rest of the hybrids. Blue robes hung loosely from her body, she wore a tight black dress under, revealing her slim yet defined abdomen, long legs, as well as her arms up to the shoulders. Vala rested her cheek against a finger with a blue painted nail, her fair skin, and entire appearance made her seem harmless. 'She has the gift of a harbinger... I shouldn't underestimate her...' Ajal reminded himself.

"I assume you're the Queen of the Hybrids?" said Ajal.

"Please, call me Vala," she said with a smile and a soft voice.

She was beautiful, her eyes brimming with confidence and strength as they locked with Ajal's. A firework shot into the sky, lighting up the field of hybrids who looked up in wonder at the display of colors. The queen and the divine being kept their intense glares as the light faded.

"My name is Ajal, the divine being of the planet Imperion."

The elders at the back of the room, even the ones who weren't interested initially were now focused on Ajal upon hearing the title.

"Divine Being? Impossible..." the bloated man with the grey robe breathed even heavier.

"I've heard, you're quite the topic, and the rumors of you being quite handsome are true," Vala complimented. "How long have you been in Andurill? Is it to your liking?"

"It's been a few weeks. It's nice, quite the change for me. I like Imperion more, but both have problems I can't ignore."

"Problems you can't ignore? Is that why have you come here," Vala asked with a smile, her gaze narrowing.

"It wasn't by choice," Ajal answered as his eyes wandered to the two statues in the room. "I was forced to flee from my home world."

"Forced?" Oberon repeated with a puzzled tone.

"I was betrayed on Imperion, and it's why I am here. Unfortunately, I'm stuck here on Grelt until I can figure something out. Until then, I am staying, and there is no way I'm standing by while I see the harm you all do."

"Stay on Grelt?!" The elder in a purple robe scoffed.

"Why? What do you seek to accomplish on Grelt?" The elder woman in green leaned forward.

"The non-unified do not deserve the lives they live, you and the angels will release them from slavery," Ajal demanded.

Vala's smile faded. The room was silent for a moment before several elders started to giggle.

"Haha, fool! You don't understand the amount of progress we've made with the non-unified! They who had nothing to offer were given the means to support this world! You want to take away their place in the hierarchy?" The elder in a purple robe suddenly snapped.

"Hierarchy?" Ajal scoffed with grit teeth. "You don't give any of them a choice! You're forcing them to help you... Your progress is being marked in their blood, on their graves, with their lives!"

"Well, of course, that's what I just said, were you even listening? They should be honored to aid the Celestials chosen-"

"Bullshit," Ajal cut him off.

"You- Did you just interrupt me?!"

"Vala, do not humor this heathen any longer!" the large blonde elder with the grey robe spat.

"I saw what happened in Logos, you're letting innocent people suffer for their entire lives... The fact you care about your profits before that shows me who's in the wrong here..." Ajal argued back.

"Without the non-unified, the resistance will-"

"The resistance, the demons, I don't care... There hasn't been an attack from the demons for years... You're blatantly in the wrong here. Especially them!" Ajal pointed to the angels.

"You heretic! Shina! Kill-"

The queen raised her hand and everyone stopped talking, Ajal gulped as he kept his calm. The angels looked ready to engage at a moment's notice. Ajal had focused his spirit to his core the moment he arrived, ready to counter at any time. A drop of sweat rolled down his forehead. 'Where is Raum... He's still not here?'

"Ajal, you believe the non-unified to be innocent?" Vala asked.

Ajal squinted at her. "Yeah... From what I've seen..."

"From what you've seen, but what about that which you haven't?"

"What are you getting at?" Ajal tilted his head.

"There was a point in time when the hybrids were forced into slavery by the non-unified, it was several eras ago, back when we were still known as Lithonians, and the non-unified as Ammonians. I can assure you, they do deserve the lives they live, every single one of them," Vala revealed.

'What?' Oberon didn't flinch at those words, but Shina and Carala both looked surprised as she mentioned that. 'Known as Lithonians? Ammonians... The real name of the non-unified? What...'

"My queen, please, this is forbidden to speak of," the elder in a blue robe calmly stated.

"The angels helped end that age of despair for the hybrids, freeing the non-unified will both bring about the inevitable return of that era as well as the end of my people," said Vala.

"Vala, do not speak further of this-"

"No, an era didn't end. You pushed the cycle forward... And now the ones you've oppressed seek the same justice you do! It's going to continue like that unless it's stopped or when one of you is dead and gone!" Ajal cut the elders off.

The elder in purple sighed, "You think we can trust you? Humor me more, clown. No wonder you were betrayed... Are you sure it was a betrayal or did they just kill an idiot with no idea what he spoke of?"

"I don't trust him, how can we be sure his outrageous story is even true? What if this... Imperion simply sent him to take ours?" the elder in green raised the question.

Ajal tilted his head, 'This isn't going how I thought it would... Was she telling the truth about that? The non-unified once ruled Grelt? How... I don't buy it at all... But this planet has been strange as is... Could the non-unified Celestial have been destroyed... Wait... I didn't once consider that... Wouldn't that mean... There is an abyss somewhere on-' Multiple footsteps walked up the stairs, breaking Ajal's train of thought. a man with spiky black hair and a golden arm entered. 'Another clan leader?'

"What the... What's going on here?" the man who entered uttered.

"Hi, Raum!" Avery waved, seemingly unaware of the tension in the room.

'Raum?! That's him?' Ajal turned and looked at him carefully. He wore a bright white coat, but he never had anything on underneath, his lean upper body was exposed. He had baggy black pants and spiky black hair with a stern face. Ajal observed him up and down several times, there was no key in sight. 'I have to let the others know with Dark Abyss... But... I don't think it'd be wise to do something sudden right now... What the?'

Ajal squinted as he watched Raum pull a chain up the stairs. A slim man with torn, ragged black pants at the end of the tether stepped into the room.

He had long, light blue hair, his bangs covered his face, and Ajal could only see the scruff of his beard. The man looked up at Ajal with a glare, followed by a squint of confusion. His arms were bound by a coil of green lightning.

"I'm afraid you cannot simply leave as you intended, Ajal," Vala said coldly.

Ajal sighed as he looked down.

"Oh yeah?" Ajal replied.

"While we can't prove if the story about your homeworld is true. Instead, you can prove it to us, prove you are not a member of the resistance," the queen raised her arm to the man in tattered robes.

"Huh? I'm not a part of the resistance-" Ajal squinted at the light blue-haired man staring up at him. "Who even is this?"

"Jericho Ilyian, one of the last descendants of Tilill. He fought for the resistance, ruthlessly slaying hybrids using his skill with a sword, even besting many of the royal guards. With Geral Murdok's escape, he escaped as well, only to be captured again on the outskirts of Dorad with a vengeance. He is responsible for killing seventy-four of our soldiers, twelve of our rangers, and two members of the royal guard, and that was since his escape. He now has the opportunity to atone," Vala explained.

"Why are you telling me all this..." Ajal tilted his head.

"Because I want you to be my executioner. He is a valued member of the resistance, take his head, and I will know you aren't one of them."

"I don't care about this- I'm here for the non-"

"The non-unified are out of the question, they cannot be set free," Vala shut his request down.

'She isn't going to budge on this... And those old people won't let her tell me the full truth...' He turned to the man with light blue hair on his knees.

"Do it, I'd rather die by your hand than any of the frauds of this alliance," said Jericho.

Ajal looked down at him with a blank expression, "You seem ready to die?"

"Yeah... The last few weeks have shown me something important. I disgraced Tilill's gift by committing to such bloodshed."

"Why'd you do it?" Ajal asked.

"Heh, one last conversation before the end, would have preferred someone I knew rather than a stranger... At first, I believed I was right to follow in his footsteps... But, years in that prison gave me a lot of time to think... I was a young and naïve fool..." Jericho looked up at the queen and the clan leaders, and then at the two statues in the room, a grin spread across his face. "None of us could have ever lived up to the Lithonians of the past, no one except Arken. Master Shura and Master Roku would scoff at the sight of this pathetic council!"

The queen clenched her teeth as she looked down on Jericho, her fingers gripping the armrest of the throne. Ajal looked up, he sighed as his third eye opened. 'Looks like we're doing this the hard way... Dark Abyss.' The black and white wave extended out of Ajal's forehead and engulfed all of Cabac. The green coil of crackling electricity vanished, Jericho looked at his palms in shock and then back up to Ajal.

"So, you finally reveal your true nature," Vala scoffed at him as she looked around at the colorless world, even observing her own hands.

"What the... Who- who are you?!" Jericho asked with a shocked tone.

"You want to atone right? That won't happen when you're dead. You are all broken... This world won't change with bloodshed," Ajal said coldly as he turned to the queen.

"Then? You seek to change this world without sacrifice?" Vala laughed. "Perhaps I overestimated you, your ideals are that of a foolish child, willfully ignorant to the truth of this world."

Ajal looked down, unsure of what he could say to try and convince them peacefully anymore. Then crouched down and grabbed Jericho's shoulders, in the next motion he focused his spirit into his foot and dashed with him towards the window. Many lanterns fell from the sky, and people in the crowds outside the building were suddenly startled as the black and white wave retreated into his forehead.

"Oberon!" Vala called.

Ajal glanced behind him to see a battle axe made from black steel ethore spin toward him. He dodged to the right and turned to face the large man. Oberon raised his palm, where there was a symbol that resembled two horns. Jericho was suddenly pulled back, but Ajal quickly ran past him toward Oberon. 'Without his axe-' Oberon closed his fist, pointed it to Ajal, and opened his palm once more. 'What is he-' Ajal heard chips of wood hit the floor, and immediately rolled. The battle axe flew over Ajal and back into Oberon's hand. He tumbled onto two hands and pivoted, swinging his right leg at Oberon's ankle to try and sweep him from below. Oberon winced but stood his ground as Ajal's foot slammed into his ankle, the large hybrid raised his axe into the air and swung down. Ajal rolled to the right, the axe pierced into the wooden floor. Ajal focused his spirit on his leg this time.

"You'd dare fight me without a weapon?!" Oberon shouted as he started swinging his giant axe with one hand.

Ajal got to his feet as Oberon made a horizontal swing, leaning out of the blade's reach. The axe sliced some of his hair. Oberon swung and made a vertical swing from below. Ajal flipped backward and landed on his feet once more out of his range. Ajal crouched down as his spirit overflowed.

"I don't need one," Ajal lunged forward, 'Spirit Ignition!'

"Guh!" Oberon gasped.

Ajal's fist planted into Oberon's exposed abdomen. The large man stumbled back with wide eyes. Oberon dropped the heavy axe and raised both his hands into the air with clenched fists. Ajal ducked quickly and went for another sweep, 'Spirit Ignition!' Oberon's feet left the floor. Ajal pushed off the ground with his arms, flipping over in mid-air and bringing his foot down. 'Double Ignition!' Oberon blocked the kick but was smashed through every floor of the building. Ajal stood up straight.

"Let's stop that there..." Ajal said nonchalantly.

Carala's jaw dropped. Shina had a look of shock on her face, and Avery shivered in her seat. The queen sighed as she came to terms with what just happened. Raum stood up and jumped over the podium he sat behind.

"You! How dare you use Arken's Chambers!" the elder in the blue robe stood up and slammed his hands into the table.

"Arken's Chambers?" said Ajal.

"What- are you... Are you Arken?!" Jericho uttered in shock.

"Huh? No? What?" Ajal stammered.

"Avery I thought you said this guy wasn't that much stronger than you..." Shina asked.

"Yeah... Well..." Avery stuttered.

"I was stiff that day, I woke up from my coma a few hours before we fought. This time, I'm at full power, you don't want to fight me, not here, and not when the resistance is afoot," Ajal tried to convince them.

"The resistance?" Jericho repeated in surprise.

"Stiff?" Avery laughed with a fierce look as she stood up and cracked her knuckles.

"Welp, Carala I assume you'll be taking the lead on this one," Shina smiled as she stood up and reached for her blade.

"Heh, funny..." Carala replied, her eyes fixed on the hole Oberon fell through, sweat rolling down her head.

"No, stand down," Vala ordered.

Ajal looked to the queen and focused his spirit on his arms. Vala sighed and raised her arms up to stretch. She stood from the throne and took a step off into the air. Ajal turned to Jericho, who looked to be shivering as his eyes were locked on the queen preparing to fight.

"Get out of here," Ajal told him once and he didn't hesitate to take off in a hurry, jumping out of the building.