Odyssey of the Guardian Emperor

Alaric's blood went cold… but his resolve still burned. So what if this demon knew who he was? It changed nothing in the end. If anything, it only meant this beast was going to try to kill him just like the demon that killed Jared had.

A sword came out of nowhere, whistling down for a cut aimed to lop the demon's head off. Before it could land, however, the demon jumped back, easily avoiding LionHeart's attack.

Byron's blade came a moment later, keeping up with the demon's speed. The edge of his blade struck the demon's outstretched hand with a devastating shockwave.

Dust rose and cleared… leaving a scene that made Alaric's heart plummet. The man's blade had cut halfway through the demon's hand… and was now stuck.

Alaric's body moved before his mind had the time to catch up. If he wasted even a moment, Byron was history. The demon's muscles bunched as a kaleidoscopic eye caught Alaric's approach. The demon's free hand lashed out at the boy, swatting Alaric's blade out of the way.

'Predictable.' The boy's thoughts echoed.

Alaric had seen this a few times now. The demon, while insanely powerful, was not so creative with its attacks and even less concerned with defence. Alaric's blade twisted on impact, gliding along the inside of the demon's claws and into its hand. There, he swung his sword down with all his energy.

On a good day, this would have sliced right through the demon's wrist… but today wasn't that good day. All of Alaric's efforts were enough to merely push the demon off-balance, leaving a very shallow cut in its hide.

He wasn't shocked by this, though. If anything, he'd achieved his goal. Now, he put his all into appearing to be fighting with his all. The demon was momentarily distracted by regaining balance and the surprisingly zealous boy.

Byron ripped his own sword out of the demon's hand while Leon leapt into the opening, blade already going for the kill.

A clap of thunder echoed across the battlefield.

BOOM went the sound of his weapon slamming into the demon's torso, powered by his Inborn Ability. The demon flew off like a missile shot through trees, past the broken ones and straight through three others, felling them in the process before it was embedded in one.

Alaric's eyes had followed it all… and he didn't like what he was seeing. The demon, beaten and bloodied, was still in one piece. It peeled itself from the ice-covered tree and stared at them with a hateful gaze.

Byron took a step forward, then swayed and took a step back.

Alaric's heart sank.

The man was spent. Their strongest ally was tired. Byron gripped the hilt of his sword firmly and focused his aether on the sword's fiery enchantments but the flames of the blade continued to dim.

'Aether Exhaustion.' That's what this was.

Alaric knew the signs well. He'd been through it quite a few times himself. When someone's Aether channels ran dry, the body became as heavy as lead, followed by a strong sense of vertigo and the urge to vomit. At that point, all the other symptoms got lost in the noise.

'In the middle of a battle?' the boy cursed inwardly.

The boy's sword was already moving to stop the demon's claws. This demon, with those kaleidoscopic eyes that were shaped like multi-coloured flowers, made his stomach turn.

Not only was it fast but it also forced Alaric to use his senses to the best of his abilities as though an ill-timed blink could spell his death.

Leon's sword jumped in… this time together with a shield on the other side. Bumi had joined them. The three would have to cover for the guard as he recovered. Since he was of the Stone Rank, his recovery was faster than those of the Wood Rank. Even then, none of them knew how long that would take, but there was no choice in the matter. They had to fight.

When Alaric parried one set of claws, Leon went in for an attack while Bumi retained the freedom to either defend with his shield or attack with his sword, depending on the cadence of the battle.

For a tentative period of five seconds, there was a balance during which no side seemed to gain the upper hand. Without Byron, the team had lost their edge in this battle, not to mention the fact that they were now trying to protect him.

Five seconds was all it was, though. After that, Alaric could barely keep up.

For a split second, the demon got faster.

It grabbed Alaric's sword, dodged LionHeart's blade and rammed the incoming shield before unleashing yet another terrifying screech. The trio was pushed back and just like before, all manner of magic was disabled.

Alaric held his sword in front of him and ordered his aether to swirl back to life. His speed and reaction time had dropped because of the screech, which meant the demon had the upper hand for the time it took for him to bring his Aether Circulation back to maximum. He looked in front of him, then gasped.

The demon wasn't there.

His breath hitched, 'NO… calm down!'

Alaric's muscles went taut… but his body wouldn't move fast enough.

Tapping into his Inborn Ability while the aether in his body flowed with urgency, he activated yet another faucet of SwiftWind's power.

His ears turned a brilliant shade of azure, and the air seemed to go still. The important thing here was that Alaric had gained the ability to detect slight shifts in the air around him.

Unfortunately, he was late. By the time this ability kicked in and his aether was nearly in full circulation, there was a hole in Byron's gut and deep scratches along his arm.

An explosion rang out, a testament of LionHeart's ability being used, but something sounded off about it. It almost sounded like the air itself had exploded… like the sound of a powerful bird breaking the sound barrier.

There was no sound of impact… just the explosive force of his power slamming the air. Alaric didn't even know that was possible and didn't care because it was all beside the point.

The boy turned, his aether roaring to return to peak performance.

Carnage welcomed him.

Leon was struggling to remain standing, a chunk of his side gone and his shoulder torn savagely. Byron was on the ground, bleeding while Bumi's shield was being ravaged by the bloodthirsty demon.

The shield was dented and cracked, yet the demon was raring to go another round. Alaric was in front of it in a heartbeat. His sword flashed, clashing with the demon's nails in a shower of sparks.

He changed the grip of his sword and sent the tip of it sailing for the creature's eyes. Naturally, the demon leaned back in time…

Alaric landed, changing his grip yet again. A downward diagonal slash came next, slamming into the demon's claws before the beast leapt back a safe distance.

"Get those two back to Lucy! I'll cover you," Alaric yelled before engaging the Dance of the Bear.

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To his surprise, however, the demon stood still and regarded him with an odd look. Bumi lifted Byron up and darted away, keeping his eyes on the demon the whole way.

He placed Byron by the Sphere of Ice and looked back at the demon. The demon's kaleidoscopic eyes surveyed the man with curiosity before it gestured at a limping Leon.

Fear swept through the clearing. Bumi swallowed. Taking an order from a bloodthirsty demon was just wrong on so many levels.

"I'll cover you, Bumi," Alaric spoke gently, walking beside Leon as the man painfully made his way back to the others.

Before he could leave Alaric's side, however, he grabbed the boy's shoulder as Bumi came up to them, "I know you can't summon your guardian without a Barrier… but I also remember that aura you unleashed back at the Tower. I don't know what you're capable of or what your limits are and it's shameful of me to ask this, so I'll pay you back in Information. Make that bastard regret looking down on us."

Alaric smiled in response… Wasn't LionHeart supposed to be his bodyguard?

Turning back, he stowed the blade he'd been using and retrieved a chain of bone with a blade at its tip that touched the ground just lightly as he walked.

"I'll hold you to that, Leon," Alaric responded briefly.

Was Alaric way out of his depths? Definitely. Was this perhaps a show of overconfidence? Maybe. Was there at least a chance he would win? Absolutely.

Alaric's mind was clear, buzzing with ideas on how to end this… but his confidence didn't come from blind hope in his abilities. He'd been watching the way this demon fought.

It loved to taunt its victims, using brute force to push them back and even revelled in watching them struggle to pick themselves back up.

That annoying, arrogant gurgle came from its maw once again… only to vanish a second later when an oppressive aura descended onto the battlefield.

Alaric dragged his blade forward. His aether had reached peak circulation. His eyes had turned to slits and his ears were a deep azure colour. At the same time, a black vambrace was materialising on his right hand, carrying with it a fraction of the oppressive aura of his S-class guardian.

Power surged through Alaric as his mind soared. His body hummed with more strength and vitality than he'd ever felt. This was the second time he was unleashing the power of his guardian through himself.

It was nothing short of overwhelming.

While it was a transformation nowhere near as complete as Byron's, it was still powerful. The ground shook in response to the powerful humming of his chaotic aether.

He felt even more aether surge from his reserves, like he'd just undone the shackles that kept a lot of it back. His senses heightened and things he'd normally need to focus on to achieve became trivial… like controlling the wind with SwiftWind's power.

Alia drew a sharp breath as she watched from the In Between, ready to spring out of the boy's shadow at the slightest sign of a fatality.

Alaric shot forward with the hilt of the bone chain sword in hand. A fraction of a second later, he was in front of the demon, blade going straight for the demon's neck. The demon's kaleidoscopic eye followed him faster than the body could react, then widened in shock… if that was even possible.

Right when the blade was about to cut the demon's neck, it pushed back with a force so explosive that it kicked up the hardened ground. The demon skidded to a halt and Alaric allowed the beast just a small second to acknowledge the thin black slit on its throat.

It wasn't fatal… but it was enough to send a message. The boy was on top of the demon a moment later. This time, though, the demon's claws rose to meet his blade, swatting it away in the process and lunging forward.

Alaric's footwork danced around the demon while he changed the grip of his sword and brought the blade up into the demon's torso with full strength. Kaleidoscopic eyes wide and mouth parting in shock, the demon's body bent over the blade before it was launched upwards.

The chain sword then went loose and danced around the boy before coming down for a powerful slash right down the demon's shoulder.

The heavy sound of crunching bone filled the air, and dust rose as the beast slammed into the ground with the force of a full-grown elephant. Alaric's bone sword dragged lightly against the floor as he walked up to the demon to investigate.

The dust was clearing, and the demon was staggering, attempting to stand. It squeezed its shoulder back, allowing a deep cut to mend itself partially. A long cut also appeared on its torso, but that one wasn't deep enough to be fatal.

On top of the injuries Byron and Leon had given it, it wasn't looking so good. And yet, Alaric's heart sank, 'I guess three cuts won't do it with this one.'

[ I'm not sure you can cut that demon's soul with just three cuts. ] Alia informed him thoughtfully.

The boy nodded, then darted forward, bone sword singing through the air as he shot for his target. The demon growled and mirrored him, ambling forward with a limp, black-bloodied torso and dislocated shoulder.

Its good hand deflected the blade, but a moment later, the blade went slack, slithering past the demon and leaving a nasty cut on its thigh. A split second later, the boy somehow managed to end up in the air above the demon, holding his weird weapon by the end of the serpentine bone chain.

Alaric tugged with all his energy, bringing the blade down with the strength to split a boulder in half. The demon leapt out of the way just in time, but Alaric was already on top of it.

This time, the demon grabbed the chain of the sword and pulled the boy in, an evil gleam on its face.

Alaric's body complied, drawing in close yet confidently. The demon's hand was coming in from above, yet Alaric's free hand was coiled back like a spring.

Aether pooled within his fist as he layered his Spirit Vessel onto his fist. He struck the demon right in the torso and sent it shooting through a tree. His attack wasn't as powerful as LionHeart's, but it had been used on a much weaker, much more exhausted version of the demon. Not to mention, his muscles were roaring with the power of his aether and his guardian. He'd also layered his Spirit Vessel onto his fist.

Even then, that was not enough for Alaric to bring such results.

This far into the battle, victory was no longer about personal power. Had Alaric fought this demon when it was in peak form, he probably would have lost… but right now, it wasn't looking too good for the demon.

The demon shot out of the woods with an angry growl, bringing with it a heavy onslaught of claws. Alaric's blade flashed through the air faster than he'd ever been forced to. He parried, blocked, ducked and leapt through various evasive manoeuvres just to keep himself from getting gutted by the insane demon.

"Pro…tec…tor…" the creature growled as it continued to assault the boy.

Alaric's perception warped and twisted, eliminating unnecessary details and pushing him to focus on the demon alone. His body roared in response to the aggression, and beyond his expectations, he matched the creature's vigour and retaliated with equivalent strength.

What pushed him back before didn't, sending shockwaves and gales of wind about, remodelling the battlefield once more.

Ah, the clarity of battle. It was easy to drown in… It was easy to lose himself to the brilliance that was complete and utter destruction. He poured his all into the fight because that's what this battle demanded.

The demon didn't relent either, matching his blows with lethal ones of its own. The murderous intent rolling off the beast was almost palpable.

It was this same murderous intent that made the beast ignore Alaric's blade, allowing him to sink the blade right through its torso, all for the chance of snuffing out the boy's life.

Alaric's mind was working too fast to fall for the ploy, though.

Demons didn't treat pain the same way humans did and were even better at healing. By now, the creature had repaired the shattered shoulder and its strength was still climbing. And yet, it wanted to win so desperately that Alaric didn't miss when it raised its claws up instead of blocking a blade going for its torso.

[ALARIC…] his guardian yelled at the boy. A set of claws above him would be descending soon.

Alaric ought to have stepped out of the way… but instead, the boy stepped in, pulled his free fist back, [Oh, I see him.]

He layered his spirit vessel onto the fist before driving it into the creature's chest with enough power to shatter a giant boulder.

Alaric heard breaking bones and the gurgling sounds one made after having the air knocked out of them… but he didn't let himself acknowledge the feat.

The demon skidded to a halt several metres away from Alaric, spitting out a mass of black liquid. 'I think it's time…'

It was time for the crucial part of the plan Alaric had cooked up since the start of this battle. Everything depended on this.

"Lucy… I need Holy Magic on my blade," the boy called out.

The demon's kaleidoscopic eyes flashed with an emotion that almost made Alaric chuckle: Fear. The girl behind him was no doubt preparing some sort of spell.

"But it didn't work the last time."

"I know," Alaric responded, "But don't worry about that."

The demon wasn't going to just sit back and let this happen. It staggered back but didn't fall. Its chest swelled with air. Alaric couldn't imagine what kind of stabbing fest was going on in its chest, considering all the ribs he'd broken.

At the same time, Alaric took in a deep breath of his own. Azure marks appeared on his body, lining his chest and ribs as it expanded beyond the normal human capacity. The demon's maw opened fully once more, a red flower lined with grotesque teeth, each dripping with black ooze.

SCREEEE!!! The demon unleashed the loudest screech yet.

A screech which Alaric mirrored, his mouth expanding slightly more than it should have been capable.

The two sonic booms collided and one shattered the other. Alaric's sonic attack did not serve a purpose as trivial as disabling magic. Instead, it was a much more powerful sonic attack capable of flattening fields of wheat.

Not only that, but it also lasted a whole thirty seconds before Alaric's lungs were empty.

The blue linings on his neck, face and chest vanished, leaving a panting boy in their place. The demon, however, was bleeding black in several places, battered beyond Alaric's expectations.

Its maw had been reduced to a shattered mess of a flower that couldn't close anymore while it staggered, overcome by slight dizziness. Alaric pulled his blade up and noticed a white glow on its surface. Lucy's Holy Magic had remained unaffected. His aether flow was unaffected as well.

It now made sense why the demon rarely used this ability, only using it in times of despair. It was like its armour had come undone.

"Seems you had a weakness all along," the boy acknowledged before shooting off, heading straight for the kill.