Ancient Pasts - Tbate

Progress

Cathan Leywin Pov

"Now that this is over." I turned to the unconscious Alacryans.

'Do you want to use that?' Athena asked.

'I would rather avoid using it, but I can't say no to such a powerful ability.' I replied as I kneeled in front of the Alacryans.

'There must be some side effect to it.' Athena pondered.

'It would probably harm most people. The only reason I'm not affected is probably my potent soul.' I dismissed.

Athena grew silent as I placed my index finger on the forehead of one of the Alacryans. I took a deep breath before testing my new abilities. The Alacryans' bodies melted from the inside out as blue flames erupted from their eye sockets.

Unlike asuras, my core and influenced the ambient mana of all four elements. Transmutation was a form of magic developed due to my mana core and unique understanding.

My core gave me a few powers that I didn't want to dabble in, but it was still something I couldn't deny. After reaching the integration stage, all my abilities grew. Using wind and earth allowed me to manipulate the atoms around me. That, of course, couldn't work on living beings. Earth and fire allowed me to conjure metal and similar objects.

When I combined all my elements, I remembered that no branch of aether gave control over souls. Vivium is life, death, creation, and destruction. Aevum is time. Spacium is space, and fate wouldn't tie into souls. It might allow for reincarnation, but it's only one piece.

Combining all my elements allowed me to tap into the real power of mana. While it might not compare to the aether branches, it still is powerful. I was okay with the whole controlling the life force of the dead, but not with controlling souls.

I absorbed the life force of the Alacryans into my flames as I let out a sigh, being disappointed with myself, but I kept reminding myself that I was only stealing what remained of their life force and that their souls were free.

"Nothing is more powerful than a life," I muttered.

'Yes, but you're still unable to form that life force into a physical form.' Athena reminded me.

'I know. All I can do for now is turn it into mana.' I sighed as I flooded my mana core.

'Perhaps once you learn to master mana and aether, you could create a new body for yourself and others.' Athena suggested.

'No. Life without suffering and death isn't life.' I shook my head with a sad smile.

'I suppose so.' Athena agreed.

'Azrael, are you there?' I asked, opening our bond to him.

'Yep.' Azrael replied enthusiastically.

'I just dealt with Nico and sent him back to Alacrya, so tell Virion to prepare the troops to continue our plan.' I stated.

'Will do.' Azrael's presence once again faded as I closed our bond.

I still knew he was feeling nervous despite our bond being closed. I was anxious too. If this worked, then I would save hundreds of thousands. Soldiers began rushing out of the teleportation gate as the Alacryans I killed turned into ash.

"General." A captain saluted as he approached me.

"Avoid civilian casualties at all costs, and make sure they all get to the sanctuary," I ordered the captain, who I recognized as the one welcoming to the wall before I proposed to Claire.

The soldiers rushed out of the teleportation room and spread around Xyrus city to free it from the Alacryan tyranny. The captain saluted me again and ran outside behind his troops before yelling out commands.