The Earth After Rebirth

Since his mouth was bloodied by the sand, Kiro didn't even try to open his good eye. Using his feet to feel the world around him, his vibrations to sense felt a little weaker.

But he could sense endless sand, as if the world was nothing but. It annoyed him a little bit that he had no control over where he would land. In that water world, he was that close to landing in the water.

Hubris brushed onto his side to let him know that he was there, he climbed his mount and Hubris began his hunt for a way out of there.

Then he surprised Kiro by doing something he never could previously and transformed into a winged beast that flew straight to the skies.

He shot through the sandstorm at amazing speeds and before long they were high enough and far out of reach for the storm that threatened to devour them.

"Great job buddy, what the hell is this? You can finally shapeshift, what else have you unlocked?" There was just desert as far as their eyes could take them.

"I smell, blood, I hear fighting. Master, we may be too late for this one." Hubris didn't have time to chit-chat he could sense trouble ahead.

Kiro hoped that Hubris was just exaggerating, he wasn't exactly in the mood to be fighting harbingers. He just wanted a day filled with other worlds recruiting them and creating wormholes that would connect to Asgard.

Hubris took off in the skies, it was hard to tell what was happening on the ground due to the heavy sandstorm that was happening, Kiro couldn't use vibrations unless he was rooted on the ground either.

Now he was just trying to use his good eye to check out the world. It was just, pure sand. Everywhere, there was nothing else. Nothing to confirm there was civilisation, but the more forward they went the more they could see some parts that resembled houses on sand dunes.

"Aren't those houses just a little bit tiny?"

"Yes master, it's likely that these people are similar to dwarves."

It took them more than half an hour to fly over to the battlefield. There were thousands of these unidentified races, they laid strewn on the sands, the sand on the spot wasn't its colour anymore. It was dyed with red.

There were a few who still held their ground on the battlefield. Both Kiro and Hubris were shocked to find out that it was just a single harbinger that caused so much death.

"Are they weak or is he that strong?"

"Both."

The Harbinger's attention shifted as its fun was interrupted by two sets of strong individuals it picked up.

It disappeared from the ground and appeared in the skies where they were. It had a large sword in its hand. At first glance one would think it was wearing armour but it was just scales, thick and protective.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show." It opened its already wide mouth and talked, each of its teeth were razor sharp.

"You were expecting us?" Kiro frowned he didn't like this at all, he couldn't but think this was a trap now.

"Of course, do you think anything can be hidden from the ancient one? Now I'm going to be the one to kill you and bring your head to my Lord!"

Kiro already Ryu on his hand, he kicked himself off of Hubris' back. He zoomed to the skies and stepped in the air, he ran straight for the harbinger.

Hubris was right behind him flapping his wings.

Kiro swung his staff and was blocked easily by the harbinger with his large sword. Hubris breathed his hellfire, Kiro jumped out of the way it hit the creature square on the face.

And instead of writhing in agony, it released an earpiercing screech that they recognised as a laugh. Kiro couldn't pinpoint exactly which animal it was, it wasn't anything he recognised.

But he wasn't going to let it recover from the fire that didn't seem to be affecting him. He held his staff forward falling ontop of it aiming for its large head.

Right before he could reach it, its head turned to him and a twisted smile stretched across its face. It moved its head slightly and pointed its sword right where Kiro was about to land.

He used his free hand to create a gust of wind pushing him slightly out of the way but the sword still graze him to the side and this was the first time where his robe didn't fully protect him.

The robe was cut clean, leaving his body with only a stretch. He landed softly on the sand thanks to the wind. His eyes widened into shock when he saw that the sword was following where he'd fallen, it was already too late for him to get out of the way.

'F*ck! F*ck! Is this how I die!'

Hubris was very far away to help him. He couldn't blink he was on his back, then he did something that surprised even himself. He breathed in deeply and blew the air right at the oncoming sword, at first nothing happened then a gust of wind formed, slowing the weapon down by a considerable amount.

He then used his staff to parry it out of the way.
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"Holy shit! That was, that was too close that was too close for comfort!"

While he was relieved the owner of the weapon was descending at incredible speeds, with a single fist pointed at its prey.

He waited until the pressure of the fist could be felt on his face and then rolled the other way. The impact it made on the ground could be felt all around, with a couple of the dwarves lookalikes falling over.

But the harbinger didn't seem distraught about the miss in fact, a smile cracked on its face. The fist sunk much deeper into the sand and it twisted its arm as though opening up a locked door.

Spikes of sand appeared where Kiro had landed, piercing him from limb to limb. Pinning him to the ground. This served as a reminder of how stronger he needed to get.