Saikō no Chitsujo

Chapter 1: Order

A deafening explosion rocked the town, the residents scurried out of their homes as a sea of magma flowed into their streets and consumed everything.

Panic

"Im...impossible...the volcano....it's supposed to be dormant." A fear stricken man stuttered as a wave of lava rose - the heat it emitted burning up a group of fleeing people.

Chaos

"Get off me, you bastard!" A man yelled as he kicked a crying boy before stumbling into a tree. A loud crack knocked a few of their feet as where the tree stood a charred stomp and corpse remained.

Death

"What's... What's happening?" A wounded boy stuttered as he crawled away from the ashen bones of his mother and sister along with the flowing lava. "Is this the work of a god?"

A bright blue streak shot across the sky, a resounding clash of blades it's echo following, a large silver scythe cut through the air only to be obstructed by a black and crimson claymore. The stormy clouds parted revealing the two figures in a struggle; the swordsman- a silver haired man with a slim muscular build donning a black sleeveless leather armour, his left arm partly covered in bandages from the base of his wrist to a small distance from his elbow. His right arm had a crimson black appearance with claws instead of fingernails, small horn like projections and vein like cracks which gave off a fiery red glow, bandages coated in mud and dried blood sagged on the arm. His crimson irises reflected his rage, his handsome face was scrunched up clearly reflecting his emotions.
His opponent; a man of similar build with blue hair and blue eyes, donned a silver armour with a light blue mantle. His scythe crackled with electricity as he moved back and swung with an inhumane speed, dashing underneath it's path the silver-haired swordsman used both of his arms to swing his blade towards his adversary's torso clearing the armour there. A kick channeling lightning to the swordsman's side knocked him down the mountain, he dashed foward following up with a swing that tore the swordsman across his chest.
"Enough screwing around!!" the swordsman yelled, driving his blade into the ground, as a crimson aura began to envelope him changing both his aura and appearance, his visible wounds disappeared leaving scars behind. A crimson black armour had formed on him with streaks of red moving through several parts of it like flowing magma. Pitch black wings rose with curls of fiery red coming off them like smoke, the ground cracked and caved in giving way to bubbling lava.
"Trump card 'Akuma no supon' (demon's spawn)." He shot off the ground, with the flat side of his blade he swatted the scythe user downwards where a pool of lava had sprouted out from the ground and dived towards him. Only a hair's length away the scythe user dashed forward and created three orbs which projected white bright arcs of lightning, firing them consecutively at the swordsman who struck it aside with his blade. Switching his blade to the left arm, the swordsman projected flames from his right which greatly imitated it's inhuman form and swung narrowly missing the scythe user, grabbing the ground he swung forward knocking the wind out of his adversary with a knee to the gut. "Thunder clap arrows!" The scythe user yelled before shooting up into the sky. Hundreds of lightning arrows lit up the night sky as the rained down on the swordsman, who lifted his right hand a tower of lava rising along with it solidifying partially in the air. A thunderous explosion echoed across the mountain as shards of rock rained down to expose a transformed scythe user; his light blue wings crackled with lightning as they spread out behind him, his body fully covered in a silver armour lined on the edges with a bright blue hue, his scythe hummed with energy as a blue aura surrounded it. "So you finally used it huh? I thought you'd finally lost it 'ya bastard." The swordsman said with a wolfish smirk.
"And let you carry out your deranged form of justice on my clansmen? Never! Be crushed by the power of my trump card, HEAVENS FALL." Lightning struck across the darkened skies as the scythe user lifted up his weapon. "Hell yeah let's make these sacrifices of ours worth it whaddya say?!" The swordsman said with a fierce grin. Lightning shot down from the clouds clashing with risen lava halfway, lunging backwards the swordsman flew up at outstanding speed swinging his massive blade at his adversary's head, swiftly dodging in his swing, he used the end of his scythe charged and knocked him to the ground. Flying immediately after him, he swung his scythe; leaving behind a trail of lightning which was parried by the swordsman who followed with a swift jab to his torso, his hand was smacked away and a powerful gust of air knocked him back a few feet. Clenching his jaw in frustration he slammed his left palm onto the ground creating a large network of fissures, a hissing sound was followed by a large explosion as an abnormal wave of lava shot out of the fissures widening them. A tsunami of lava covering the entire mountain produced tentacle-like projections intent at restraining the scythe user who weaved and cut through the projections. Lightning struck the lava several times throwing it and sparks about as both attacks were obliterated. A sudden cut behind the swordsman's knee forced him to stumble forward startled, winding up to land another blow the scythe user was knocked back by a wide swing and a set of blows which were either swiftly parried, blocked or hit their mark.
Magma and flames swirled around the two figures who clashed dispersing fire and streaks of lightning, noting his opponent's plan the scythe user shot into the air surrounding himself with a layer of wind which instantly cooled some of the risen magma.
"Running away again?" The spokesman said with gasps as part of his armour began to crumble and fall, blood following. "Fighting an enemy in their field of advantage would simply be stupid and also like you I cannot maintain this form for much longer as my body is already burning out." The scythe user replied as he gazed at his left hand which had it's armour completely damaged and was scalded. He tightened his grip around the scythe.
"Should you really be telling me that? Doesn't matter anyway since I'm gonna end this now
"The swordsman yelled as he lifted up his sword and supported it with his left hand.
"I intend to as well." The scythe user mentioned with a frown as he lifted his left hand into the air and the rumbling of thunder greatly increased introduced by multiple bolts of lightning. In response the magma at the feet of the swordster bubbled and rose coating the entire mountains peak and flowing down the slopes.
"Here I come !!" The scytheman called as he swooped down, several bolts of lightning trailing him. The swordster set his blade at his torso and leapt up, waves and tendrils of magma circling him, the clash of the lightning coated scythe and the flaming sword alongside the magma and lighting produced a blinding light and a thunderous explosion which ruptured the mountain, sending flaming debris streaking across the sky and crashing down burning anything it set itself on- be it living or not.

Hours had passed before the panicked screams of the town's people had died down, smoke and ash momentarily blotted out the full moon as they drifted away from the crumbled and charred remains of the battlefield. Amiss the destruction only two bodies remained breathing, but not unscathed. The silver-haired swordsman had most of his hair coated in ash, red fiery cracks ran from his crimson and black right arm to the left side of his chest whilst what seemed like burn marks coated his chest, abdomen on his sides. The blue-haired man was in a similar state with a large amount of bruises but both arms which were once a fair tone were covered with burns. With visible effort, the swordsman lifted up his right arm studying the bright red cracks, gritting his teeth in pain he slowly set it down, gazing up he noticed the ash coated blue hair of his adversary and his breathing form. "Still alive? You stubborn bastard." He whispered with underlying annoyance.
"Would say the same about you. It seems with so much power sometimes we forget we are still human...at least mostly." The scythe user softly replied, his gaze on the ashen sky.
"Tch, at least those Empire bastards don't think that."
"So what will you do? Kill them all?" The scythe user tilted his head up awaiting the swordsman's reply
"Would have done it if it wasn't so tedious, may as well take out the ones responsible or the head himself." He replied taking a deep breath afterwards
"Taking out the emperor?! Would that not be as tedious?"
"Easy for the one whose people weren't massacred to say."
"Just saying. I agree the empire has rotted, so instead I will use not just my power but position and whatever I can change it from the very rotten core." The swordster chuckled before wincing in pain, frowning the scythe user return his gaze to the night sky.
"Not bad, as expected from a man of chilvary. Well I myself have always been better in killing than negotiation."
"Not that I stand for it but as long as it is the rot and not the innocence I may let it slide. As effective as it may be it is not my strategy."
"It's settled then." The swordster said before rising up from the ground clenching his jaw in pain well reaching for his blade, upon grabbing it he gazed around as if noticing the burning homes and forest for the first time.
"So much damage for what we could have just talked out." The scythe user mentioned frowning as he rose with the support of his weapon
"This was bound to happen sooner or later." T lhe swordsman replied with a sigh as he brushed the ash from his hair
"But I do not want to ever be the cause again" the swordster turned to his opponent and noticed the intensity in his gaze "So what are you gonna do? Make an oath to never use your trump again?" asking tauntingly the swordster chuckled at the scythe user's annoyed expression.
"I will take an oath to never battle you again." raising a brow at his intense gaze, the swordster realised he was one to stand by his word, with an exasperated sigh, he adjusted his stance using his sword as support, he then mentioned "So you wanna take away the satisfaction of having your ass kicked by me huh? Whatever then, one sided battles are never fun." The scythe user offered his hand to the swordsman who hesitantly shook it "By the name of the supreme order and the lightning blade, I, the Order of the Storm, Arata, swear to never engage in combat with you fellow member of the supreme order, the Order of Flames."
"Tch...same here. Now if you'll excuse me..." The swordster stepped back and lifted his sword out from the ground "...a large jug of beer and some meat calls out to me right now." With this he disappeared into the ash covered ruins of the town.
"Two times left huh?" The scythe user said with a sigh as he shifted his gaze to the sky.