Omega Wars Chronicles

Chapter 53: It Starts Now

   Elsewhere in a distant land filled with white grass known as Del-hamiri, Roku stood near a pond and sprinkled grains into it for fishes to feed on them and as the action took course, the cloaked man appeared behind Roku.
   "I never thought we would meet again... Asnath." Roku said.
   "It's been a while since i've heard someone call me that name." Asnath said.
    "Too long." Roku said, "Now look at what you've become, a nameless being of the shadows, driven by his endless thirst for destruction; one i can't even call a shell of his former self."
     "I'm only doing my duty." Asnath said.
     "Why are you here?" Roku asked.
    "Did you know?" Asnath asked.
    "Know what?" Roku asked.
    "That the successor of the Dragon empress has been found." Asnath answered.
     "I did." Roku said.
     "Oh, i see." Asnath said, "Tell me, when her tribe was destroyed, did you have a hand in saving her?"
       Hearing Asnath's question, Roku ignores him and continues paying attention to the fishes in the pond.
       "You preserved the life of the other destroyer of worlds and suppressed the power of the ruler. What is your game here?" Asnath asked.
       "There is no game. I'm just doing what i feel is right." Roku said, "And you don't need to talk about the empress like she was a mindless murderer."
       "But she did destroy worlds." Asnath said.
       "Only the worlds that were a threat to others safety." Roku replied, "She has also offered mercy to other worlds and has brought peace among them."
       "Once again, what is your game? Who are you loyal to?" Asnath asked, "The Dragon empress or the Ruler of the end?"
       "I am loyal to the Ruler." Roku replied.
        "Then why did you save the Empress? Why did you suppress the Ruler's power?"
        "My reasons are not your concern, mad one."
        "Oh, so you think i'm mad?" Asnath asked with a smirk, "Still, your reasons are my concern because that is my master too, and so far, you and the other great sages has proven to be nothing but traitors to the master."
         "If we were traitors, then we would have killed that boy each time we had a chance but we didn't." Roku said, "We watched the boy, he has a light in him that is beautiful."
      "But he has a terrifying darkness in him as well. The darkness his people once had." Asnath said.
     "Cloud will not fall into it." Roku said.
      "He is the other half of him." Asnath said, "He will fall into it and he will finish off what was started in the old world."
     "I doubt that." Roku said.
     "No, you don't." Asnath said, "If you doubted it, you wouldn't have bothered saving the Empress's life. If you doubted it, you wouldn't have suppressed his power at that infant age. How long has it been? Yes, five years since he has taken those herbs.
      Very soon, the two will meet and merge and from there, they will become the Ruler of the end, the bringer of calamity, the chaos in the order and the head of entropy."
      "You underestimate Cloud." Roku said while smiling at the pond, "He is very flawed but it is those flaws that strengthens my faith in him. I've watched him ever since his tribe was destroyed. His will, his heart... He is really something.
    Yes, you were correct. I did have my doubts about him but that was a long time ago, which was why i kept the successor alive because in the old world, the Empress was the only one powerful enough to stand against him but now, after meeting him face to face, he will defy his destiny. I am loyal to the Ruler and since Cloud is the other half, i am loyal to him. I and the other sages are loyal to him."
    "You, Riu, Azel and the other sages are so incompetent and delusional." Asnath said, "His true test has barely begun. You claim to have faith in him but you did something to him in Keigra, and you talk as if the Empress stood a chance against the Ruler. Are your memories failing you? If she stood a chance then she would have stopped the Ruler in the old world and when he fully awakens from his slumber and merges with Cloud, i'll make sure he destroys you and the others for your treachery."
      "I am getting tired of this conversation." Roku said, "You may take your leave now."
      "Humph." Asnath said as he turns his back to walk away, "No matter how long it takes, he will fall and i will be waiting."
    As Asnath vanishes, Roku sighed and lifts his head to the sky.
    "His destiny is not written on a stone." Roku said, "He will not fall."
     At the audience stand, Cloud googled down at the arena, viewing Sting and Pit standing in the field a bit far from each other and at that moment, Cloud had a recollection that took place earlier.
     "Well, that was close." Rish said, "I actually thought Karma was going to kill Dam."
     "Bee used her gates to get to the fields before Karma could fully take action; she didn't consider how dangerous it was to go there at that moment." Govo said, "All she could think of was stopping her friend from making a mistake."
      "We all know the main reason why she got there was because the barrier was turned off when Karma was descending into madness." Rish replied, "We all saw the invisible barrier temporarily turned blue in color before vanishing. The Chiefs must have used kan communication of the heart to tell the people responsible for the barrier to turn it off."
       "I don't think Lizira is ready to continue, considering what happened. The semi-final is approaching and we clearly don't need them to tell us who we are fighting next. Isn't that right, Pit?" Sting asked as his darkened eyes moves towards her with a smug smile.
      Pit gapes at Sting with her panora eyes, filling the air with so much tension between the two. After recalling that moment, Cloud's worries grew more as he continued staring down at the two.
     "I felt some dangerous intent coming from Sting, earlier." Cloud said inwardly, "I truly hope this match doesn't end up like the last two."
    "But that man... Who was he?" Cloud asked within himself as he recalls the face of Asnath, "And why does it feel like i know him? Its surprising that no one other than me could feel or see him."
     At the left Chief center, Chief Grai recalls earlier in a private room as Lizira (wearing a black cloak covering her entire body) was trembling before him during their discussion.
    "I can't do it." Lizira said, "I just can't."
    "Lizira-"
     "No, Chief Grai, i cannot continue!" Lizira said, "What i've witnessed there is so frightening. From that savage Graundar to that mentally incorrect Kenar... To that Dreygar lunatic and that black ice Kenar! What they did in the fields... What they've done... Are you sure they are children?! How can children posses that type of power?!"
     "No! They are monsters...! Monsters are what they are...!" Lizira said at the time she faced the ground while trembling, "How did Trengal deal with them? If they are this strong then how strong will they become when they are adults? That black ice Kenar, he was able to .... My projected body... He was able to... To ... I can't do this! I... Just can't..."
       As Lizira was still trembling with fear, Chief Grai stared at her for a short time and sighed.
     "I see." Chief Grai said, "You are clearly not fit for this work. Return the equipments and go to your house."
      "B-but who are you going to give them to?" Lizira asked.
      "That's none of your concern, failure." Chief Grai said.
       "Failure?" Lizira asked in shock.
        "You were given a task, a simple task and that was to replace Trengal and oversee the match but the two matches you handled ended up in chaos and here you are telling me garbage." Chief Grai said, "You are no better than your pathetic husband, as a matter of fact, you are even worse than him; just another pile of trash trying to outdo a smaller pile.
        You have no right to stand before me. Now get out."
       Done with remembering that moment, Chief Grai stared down at Lizira with a stern look. At that moment, Lizira lifts her head and sights Chief Grai which made her face at the ground in shame.
       "She seems to have overcome her fear." Chief Uhma said.
       "Yes, she has." Chief Grai replied, "I just gave her a good talk and she felt ashamed of even feeling fear in the first place."
       At the arena as Pit was observing at Sting, Pit recalls earlier in the stands as they locked eyes with each other.
      "His soul, i couldn't read it at all." Current Pit said inwardly, "It was covered in pitch blackness just like Dam. He is going to be a huge problem and seeing how he defeated Gorn, i'll have to be extremely wary.
     As of right now, my panora eyes have no use. However, he is a gaaruda user and despite how powerful he is in gaaruda techniques, he is barely an exception to it's rules. If i can work things right, i might be able to have a chance of obtaining victory."
     "I can do this." Pit said within herself as she closed her eyes.
      "I'm going to make something clear, here." Lizira said while facing the ground, "I was too lenient in the last two matches but this time i won't have it.
     If you two decide to step out of line and try to kill each other, i'll disqualify you and i don't care about your dreams of becoming a pilgrim."
     "Am i understood?" Lizira asked in process of her eyes moving swiftly at Sting and Pit, leading the two to nod their heads in response.
      At this time, the audience (especially Chief Ezgord and Vaniva) brimmed with anticipation for the action to begin as Lizira steadily lifts both arms in the air and exhales.
     "Ready...?" Lizira asked.
      During that time, Pit clenched her fist and Sting's right hand was covered with dark aura.
      "GO!!" Lizira said as she swiftly brings down her arms.
   Sting, wasting no time, immediately attacks with a dark blast from his palm but Pit weaves the attack, leaving a dark explosion to appear far behind. Pit immediately charges towards Sting and launched her fist at him but a dark barrier suddenly appears and protects Sting from her attack; initially stunned, Pit began to discharge a gunfire of attacks on Sting's barrier but none of them were having effect.
     As Pit was landing a myriad of punches and kicks, Sting smirked and Pit found her fist stuck in the barrier; momentarily surprised, Pit hastily struggles in trying to pull her hand away from the barrier, a huge dark fist emerges out of it and punched her which sent her tumbling backwards.
     Pit steadies herself with one hand and lifts her head to gaze at Sting again who happened to be staring at her with a raised brow.  Pit immediately advances towards Sting and tries to punch the barrier again but multiple dark fists emerged and stretched towards Pit; Pit instinctively set up her arms to guard against the fists but was blown back to the ground in the process, sending her tumbling backwards again, leaving the many confused.
      "What the hell is going here?"
      "Yeah, what is up with her?"
      "Why isn't she using those eyes of hers? Is she suicidal or something?"
      "Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that Pit is already having a hard time when the round has just started and what is more confusing here is that she is not using those special eyes of hers to aid her in anyway!" Lizira said, "Just what is she thinking?! She is planning something or is she just confident that she can beat him without them?!"
        "These people dont seem to understand." Rish said.
      "Hm?" Cloud said as he glanced at Rish in confusion.
      "It's not that she chose not to use it, it's just that she couldn't use it." Rish said.
       "I don't understand." Cloud said.
       "Since I've known Pit, there had never been a time she would fight her opponents without activating those eyes of hers." Rish said, "She is not the type to underestimate her opponents, no matter how strong or weak they are and she wouldn't be using her natural eyes to fight unless there is something up.
        My guts tells me that it's because she can't read Sting's soul."
      "Can't read Sting's soul?" Cloud asked quizzically.
       "Makes sense to me." Govo said, "I mean if your strongest tool isn't working, then why waste time trying to use it. But the question is why can't she use it?  Right now, it seems that Pit is trying to improvise but i'm not sure how that will help her, especially with the kind of opponent she is fighting."
     "Still, she is charging recklessly at Sting." Rish said inwardly as he watches Pit charge at Sting endlessly but was getting blown back by diverse dark blasts, "It's not like her to do something like that. Even if she is trying to improvise, her movements seems a little too desperate."
     Back at the arena, Pit charged at Sting with a battle cry while having her fist set to attack but was met with another dark blast from Sting that caused her to flop backwards. As Pit laid chest-first on the ground, heaving, Sting was staring down at her with a bored look.
     "She is out of steam." Yulin said.
     "She can't continue anymore." Raen said.
     "Sting doesn't look like he is enjoying this fight." Kein said.
     "Is he supposed to?" Ziron asked.
     During the time Pit was breathing heavily while still laying on the ground, Pit raised her head and gazed at Sting and wasting no time, Pit darts towards Sting.
    "Reapers hand." Sting said as he stretched out his aura-filled hand.
     Pit found herself covered with Sting's dark aura and was pulled up close to him.
     "What are you doing?" Sting asked, "First of all, why are you charging recklessly at me? Second, why aren't you using her eyes? You're making this match boring for me, you know."
    Sting sends Pit flying back to the ground and yawns.
    "Oh well, i guess i got to end it now." Sting said as he creates a small dark orb on his palm.
     In the act of Pit raising her head, Pit's panora eyes lights up and she sees flashing images of Sting's aura moving towards her; at that very moment that Pit saw this, Sting had already advanced to punch her with his dark aura-filled fist but Pit appears at his side and lands a huge punch that sent him sliding at the side of his face.
     "Ow." Sting said.
     The audience became astonished as Sting laid on the while steam was exuding from Pit's fist.
     "W-Woah! Pit has just turned the tables around!" Lizira said, "She has just turned the tables around in a blink of an eye!! What is going here?!!!"
     "I'm surprised they didn't see this coming." Izaiya said.
     "Huh?" Obaru said as he gazed at Izaiya in a confused manner.
     "When Pit started fighting without those cheat eyes of hers, it was quite obvious something was wrong." Izaiya said, "It didn't take me long to understand what was happening. It first seemed Pit was charging recklessly at Sting due to her desperation of being unable to use her eyes on him but that wasn't it at all.
     The gaaruda is a technique that involves the use of aura and soul energy manipulation, so her plan was to make it look like she was charging recklessly so that she can get Sting to continually use it and leave his soul exposed to her eyes."
    "But she didn't use them until the final moment." Reiv said.
     "Wrong. She was using them, but no one noticed." Izaiya said.
      "Huh?" Reiv and Obaru said in confusion.
      "Each time she was about to get hit by one of Sting's gaaruda attacks, Pit would activate those eyes of hers, hoping to see if his soul was exposed at that moment." Izaiya said as he recalls Pit's panora eyes activating while having her arms to guard against Sting's attacks.
    "I paid so much attention to her movements and it occured to me how she was able to take them and keep moving forward."
   "Which is?" Reiv asked.
The Niyei armour. " Izaiya replied, "A technique created by Grei which involves the act of relaxing your muscles  and allowing your kan energy to move through you like a river and disperse the impact.
     Though I've seen Grei use this technique a couple of times, he admitted there is a limit on how many times he can use it in a fight and if he dares go above those limits, he could either experience severe dizziness, being paralyzed or death but in this match, Pit was using the technique recklessly and received not a single side effect from it."
     "Well, we do know that Pit can use a technique two times better than the creator when she copies it, so it's not really surprising to me." Reiv said.
     "Those A+ candidates are on a level of their own and they continue to show it." Obaru said.
     Back at ring, Sting sat up and was rubbing his cheek while groaning in pain. In the act of this, Sting lifts his head and sees Pit staring down at him with her panora eyes.
     "Sting, son of Chief Ezgord, i commend you for your strength and i apologise for boring you in this match." Pit said, "So according to your request, the real fight starts..."
     "Now." Pit said as her panora eyes glowed.