Power Overwhelming

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Envy, Hope, and Valor had understandably been a little shaken by the death of their two prisoners. It was one thing to know it was going to happen, and even understand and condone the action, while it was another to see and feel it happen. Being in close proximity while The Reaper did her business affected them as well, no matter how much they had prepared for it. Luckily, they had soon gotten over it. By the time they reached their home, they were already bantering like usual.

"Master, I can detect the presence of multiple immortals," Zuellni reported as soon as they arrived.

“So can I. Three to be exact.” Envy confirmed. Her senses were only second to Karna’s. “One of them feels familiar though, but I’m not sure how.”

“It feels familiar because you’ve met him while he was rank 9.” Karna jogged her friend’s memory, before releasing a sigh filled with exasperation. “Oh father. It would’ve been better if you could’ve waited for a couple more years.”

“Father? You’re talking about Arjuna, the Grand Medjai?” Valor questioned. Arjuna had visited this world a couple of times as the gateways had been completed, and the two had met briefly. Ironically Karna had not been present at the meeting, as Arjuna had been there as a representative of the Magocracy.

“The other two are likely the new Emissary and whoever is supposed to bring Arjuna to the Divine Planes then.” Hope put two and two together. “This must have happened while we were gone.”

“Such rotten luck.” Envy shook her head. The plan they had hatched included Arjuna Ascending together with the four of them. Even if Arjuna wasn’t a reincarnator, he was still a powerful mage and a warrior, so his presence and support would’ve been useful, not to mention the familiar relationship. They knew this change in events would create some additional trouble. And for it to happen in the few days they had been gone was extra bad.

“At least he’s still here.” Valor pointed out. “I know there’s usually a grace period to put your affairs in order, but few people actually use that period for more than a few days. Likely because usually those affairs are already in order before they become immortal.”

One of the reasons the Host enforced a grace period was so that any new immortals wouldn’t take the opportunity to go on a rampage with their new powers. Even though the difference between the ranks was very dependent on the individual in question, the jump from a mortal to an immortal was a big one for everyone, so even a single immortal could cause a lot of devastation. And cultivators often created grudges and resentment. The Host didn’t cherish the idea that whoever reached immortality first slaughtered their way through all their enemies and killed off many other potential immortals. On the flipside, they also provided some protection for the families left behind, mostly in the form of retaliation if someone crossed the line.

Their arrival had apparently been noticed as Arjuna flared his own powers in what could only be described as an invitation. There was literally a large shadowy hand beckoning them in orbit. “Not very subtle.” Envy chortled.

“Arjuna is many things, but subtle is generally not one of those. He can be, but usually chooses not to be.” Karna smiled fondly before turning more somber. Like father like daughter in some things. This would be hard for Duskclaw and the little one. Not only would Arjuna Ascend now, but Karna would be following him shortly. It wasn't impossible for them to come and visit, but those visits would be few and far between. The Host didn't just randomly open gates for every immortal.

As the tower descended towards the new joint capital city of both the Magocracy and the elves, the progress that had been made in the last few years was clear. The city was quickly growing, but it wasn’t allowed to grow organically. Every street and district was meticulously designed and allotted to different purposes. The architects had been given the opportunity to design the future capital from the ground up, and they were taking full advantage. Space was also reserved in the center of the city for future projects, which meant those areas were assigned as parks for now. The architecture was an interesting blend of elven stone and still living wood construction, married with the heavy stone and glass style of the Magocracy, resulting in highly ornamental spires made entirely of magical glass, or tree-like buildings made of living stone.

“Say what you will, but you guys can build a pretty decent city. I didn’t expect to see skyscrapers at this level of development. Especially ones as ornamental as those.” Envy was quite aware that her own tribe’s settlements were nowhere near this level.

“What are you going to do with your continent by the way?” Valor suddenly asked Hope. The latter had gotten a slice of the pie as she’d also been among the winners of the tournament.

“Well, I was planning on gifting it to Wrath, but I’m still holding onto it. Haven’t honestly decided. I wanted the resources for some new goodies, but as soon as I realized she was here, the need for those resources kind of disappeared. Speaking of, can you make a few items for me? You’ll get a continent in exchange.” Hope turned to ask Karna.

“I mean, what can I say to a deal like that?” Karna shook off her melancholic mood and reached over to shake Hope’s hand to seal the deal.

The tower came to a stop over one of the tallest buildings at the center of the city. The roof of the building had been turned into a meeting spot with a view over the city and the adjoining lands. Most of the place was covered in carefully manicured plants that hid countless enchantments designed for protection and privacy. The four of them were brought down in the middle of the little garden, while the tower remained above as a sort of statement.

“It’s good that you returned so soon Karna.” Arjuna rose from his seat to pull his daughter into an emotional hug. “I was afraid that I’d miss you.” He whispered into her ear.

“Seems you finally did it. Couldn’t stop it anymore?” She knew her father had been on the precipice of Ascending for years now and had actually been holding back. Usually, you only ranked up when you chose to, and even then it was often an ordeal. Sometimes when you held back for too long even when you had more than enough potential, or there was some kind of momentum pushing you towards ranking up, you couldn’t stop it.

“Ironically the tip you gave to me about purifying my mana was the drop that broke the dam.” Both Arjuna and Tsumi had gotten a very important hint about purifying their cultivation to the point where they would be able to utilize divine power once they Ascended, and that purification had the effect of also making their cultivation stronger. “I wouldn’t be too shocked if Tsumi were to follow me in a few years. The only reason she hasn’t already is because she has even more reason to stay than me.”

“Mr. Arjuna, I believe introductions are in order.” The gaudily dressed and ash black-skinned man interrupted their reunion.

“Emissary Merodach, this is my daughter Karna.” Arjuna introduced. Since Karna had shown up, he assumed introducing her was safe. “And these are...” He was about to present the three others but was stopped.

“Envy.” The Sin introduced herself more officially. That was the moniker she most identified with, and she was sick of hiding. So, she decided to start staking her claim openly. Might as well start now before they got to the Divine Planes.

“Hope.” She was once again clad in heavy illusions and glamours. She was more than happy to go along as she realized what Envy was likely going for.

“Valor.” He decided to follow the example of the other two, and his Name was at least a positive one.

“And I’m more commonly known as Karma.” Karna also added, having sensed that the new Emissary was also a reincarnator. She wasn’t going to introduce herself as Wrath though.

“Well then.” The Emissary smiled a little, his small movements causing his numerous accessories to jingle. "I was expecting great things from this meeting, and yet I seem to have underestimated things.”

“Bold of the Host to send a Devil as the next Emissary after a member of the Royal Family.” Karna pointed out. A change like that could be interpreted as an intentional snub.

"Believe it or not, it was considered a neutral choice. Since Mount Celestis has sternly refused to offer any kind of support to any side, and since our kind are banned from royal politics thanks to our lineage ties to the Inferno, we were about as neutral as could be managed on such short notice. I should note that I have been instructed to bring you to the Divine Planes if possible, Princess Ynnead.” The Devil didn’t bother hiding that fact.

“And I’ve been instructed to tell you to fuck off. Politely of course.” Karna countered. “There’s an insane Faerie Dragon that would happily see you try and take me. Not that I’d need her help to defend myself.” As if there were any other kind of Faerie Dragon.

“Of course. It’s good that we understand each other. Incidentally, since our introductions were halted midway, I should mention my friend here.” The Devil gestured to the third immortal present, a female Arch-Naga. Her kind were among the most powerful close combatants and weapon masters in all of the multiverse, even rivaling Asura and the Royal Rakshasa. Even though they could all sense that she was a rank 10 immortal, all of them knew that picking a melee fight with the snakelike being with a woman’s torso was a bad idea. “She will be in charge of keeping Arjuna here safe and escorting him to the Divine Plane once he is done with his preparations. I’m sure she has a name, but she didn’t even bother telling me, so here we are.”

“I did not expect to see one of the Arch-Naga in the Higher Planes.” Karna gave a respectful nod. The deadly exclusively female beings may carry the same term Naga as those seen in other planes, but calling her kind just Naga was the same as calling dragons lizards. While strictly true, it would also be a grievous insult. Arch-Naga were beings that could only be born on the Divine Planes, same as certain other superior variants of their species.

“We all must perform our duty.” The immortal stated coldly, making it clear she didn’t care of anything else. Not uncommon with her kind being famous for their practicality and dampened emotions. Their kind were created for one simple thing, and that was war.

"Charming," Arjuna muttered sarcastically. "Oh, right. I remember the thing you requested about aiding one of your Academy professors, and it's handled."

“Good. Even if he helped me only to curry favor with you, it’s polite to deal with these kinds of debts when possible.” Karna remembered the professor who had wanted to help her when she had enrolled at the Academy. “Besides, helping find lost loved ones is always a worthy endeavor.”

“Did you manage to accomplish your business?” Arjuna changed the subject and pulled Karna aside so they could talk more privately. The ward he made against eavesdropping was something that could easily be broken, but it would be seen as extremely impolite. The Emissary was happy to stay behind and discuss things with the three that stayed behind, though the Arch-Naga kept close enough to Arjuna that only the ward kept her from overhearing.

“For now. I really do wish you would’ve managed to wait just a couple of years longer. I managed to create a more permanent alliance with the three I arrived with. We were planning on Ascending together with you, which would’ve made us all safer.”

“You think I’ll be in danger?” Arjuna asked seriously. He knew enough to trust his daughter in such matters.

“Yes and no. I already told you about the draft you will be subjected to. That means you’ll have to fight, and wars are always dangerous. Here’s where the fact that you’re my father might work to your advantage though. Those that want to use you to get to me will likely make sure that your life won’t be thrown away needlessly in a random battle. On the other hand, who knows what they’re willing to do to use you to get to me. It’s going to be a bit of a tug of war between those that want to curry my favor by protecting you, and those that want to use you in more negative ways. This is all assuming the word about your identity will be widely spread. If it’s not, and I don’t recommend you spreading it, who knows?” Politics was a complicated game, especially with so many competing agendas, and the fact that not everyone was playing the same game with the same stakes.

“So, what you’re saying is, be careful, keep my eyes open, and don’t trust anyone easily? Sounds like smart advice.” He summarized with a small smile dancing on his lips.

"Good advice in general." She chuckled as well at the obvious conclusion. "Have you spoken with Duskclaw?"

“Yes. I already left my tower and all my possessions to her. I also called in some favors to make sure she’ll be alright. You do know she’ll be devastated when you’ll follow me, right?” His expression turned to one of extreme sadness and looked at her meaningfully.

“Yet there’s very little to be done, since you’ve already taken the leap, and I’m not going to delay mine. It’s rare that more than one person from a family Ascends to the Divine Planes. It’s both our good fortune and bad luck that we have two, and we also happen to be almost her entire family. Cultivation is a selfish business and striving for the peak has its consequences.” She knew there were countless ways cultivation could break a family, which was just one of the reasons she’d spent several lifetimes as a mortal.

"Sometimes I feel it would've been easier for her if we hadn't gotten romantically involved," Arjuna stated sadly.

“I disagree. At least you got several years of happiness, and Duskclaw will have a child to take care of instead of being left alone. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but she’s had years to get prepared for this. It would’ve been worse for both of you if you hadn’t taken the leap and had been left wondering what could’ve been. I’ll invite her to stay here, so at least we’ll get to spend time together before I leave.”

“I’ll have to hope you’re right. It’s not like I can go back in time to change things anyway.” He wasn’t convinced his daughter was right, but he had no reason to think she was wrong either.

“When are you leaving?” Karna questioned.

“As soon as I’m done here. I actually reached immortality a couple of weeks ago, but we arrived here only a couple of days ago. This has been coming for a while and most things were ready. I got to say my goodbyes. Incidentally, I heard that Ashanti and his partner also started preparing for Ascension about the same time, though I’m not sure how that went.” It wasn’t uncommon for multiple people to Ascend close together, as the gifted individuals often kept an eye on each other, often as rivals. The success of one often acted as a catalyst for the other.

“I have something for you.” Karna pulled out something she had prepared just in case. She had a fairly large black gem prepared, which she handed it to Arjuna. “This is something for the time you face trouble you can’t deal with alone. Use it, and I will be able to find you no matter where you are. It doesn’t matter if I have to tear the dimensions apart to get to you.”

Even with her current powers, it had been difficult to create the magic stored in the gem. "I will treasure it." Arjuna smiled and stored the gift away. He wasn't sure if he would use it even if he needed to since it was a father's job to protect their daughter, not put them in more danger. He kept it anyway. "I realize with everything going on that there's a more than zero chance we won't be able to meet again. Remember, I will always love you no matter what. You are my daughter even if only because I found you."

“I love you too.” Karna embraced him. “You weren’t all that bad as a dad.”

“What a ringing endorsement.” He couldn’t help himself bursting into laughter.