Chapter 100

“I hate sand, it’s coarse, rough, and gets everywhere.”

[You deserve to die for that joke.]

“Hehe”

I looked around at the endless sand dunes. The sun beating down on me, the dry air that pushed against my face.

“I’ve been here for like 5 minutes and yet – fuck this place.” If there wasn’t the possibility of a sword in this for me, I would totally have bailed.

[Hang on, I’m trying to find a memory of cheese so I can enjoy it with all that whine.]

I just grumbled, kneeling down and grabbing a handful of sand to add to a baggy, putting it away in my ring. Looking up, I could see the Academy on the horizon, it was perhaps the talent thing on the entire continent. And I knew for a fact I didn’t appear too far away. Actually, wanted to approach from a distance away, popping up in the middle of a crowded area would probably been a bad idea.

A little skip, and I was much closer, actually have to tilt my head up to see the whole thing. The cities walls practically in touching distance.

It was an interesting design, a mix between Egyptian and probably Central America. The Academy itself was a Ziggurat, and instead of a city, it looked like a mobile market that sprang up overnight. While, I doubt that conclusion, it looked like instead of an actual city, this place was formed by people settling down all around the academy.

I guess I couldn’t blame them, this was probably the safest place on the continent from what I’ve read. Understandably, a desert isn’t really a place for civilization to thrive, well, this particular desert was lacking a large source of constant water like the Nile in Egypt.

There was almost a straight shot to the academy like a road that no one dared to block.

In fact, as I walked down it, I drew quite a few eyes. None quite hostile, but I could tell I was being watched intently.

I paid it no mind, taking my scroll out to start taking pictures. While I did in fact wish to document the sights, I tried my best to seem like an oblivious tourist before ducking out and weaving an illusion over myself and making my way towards the gates.

While they were ‘guarded’ no on even batted an eye as I walked through, large ‘weapon’ on my back and combatish clothes. I could only assume there were several hundred students at a minimum, there was no way the guards would recognize every single one.

The inside was more…..minimalistic than Haven academy over in Mistral. A product of their environment I could only assume.

Even the kids didn’t just stand around outside or just do school kid things. Honestly, it seemed like everyone had somewhere to be here, moving with a purpose.

But what caught my eye, at the center of this ‘courtyard’ I walked into, a large statue of a sword…..similar to the one I saw of Jinn at mistral.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” I put a hand on it and felt something very familiar.

[Hah! Call it.]

“Well done, Ddraig.”

[I’m deciding dinner tonight.]

“Fine, fine. You definitely earned this.” I quickly pulsed mana and got an idea of the structure and ripped open a portal down the elevator shaft, the feeling of my wings coming out was refreshing as always. “Oh, it’s a bit different.” I swept my eyes around my surroundings, landing on a platform reminiscent of the one from Mistral. Except, there wasn’t a large tree here, instead there was this bioluminescence plant that lit up the cavern.

I looked around for a moment more before taking out the Relic of Knowledge, giving it a little tap. “Jinn.”

A moment later the naked blue woman came out in a swirl of mist, looking down on me. “Do you have a question?” She asked me happily.

“No, got something else I wanted your help with.”

“Oh, do you require relief?” She looked at me coquettishly

“Ye—”

[Focus.]

Right, right.

I shook my head. “Later.” I said, clearing my throat. “Actually, thought you may want to be here for this.”

She hummed, not commenting as she took in her surroundings, clearly recognizing where she was.

“So, I’m assuming that a sword is on the other side of that door.” I pointed towards a dimensional door just like Jinns.

She smirked. “Is that a question?” She lazily floated towards me.

“Ah, I suppose you can’t answer.” I grumbled. “This is going to get annoying, I going to have to find a way to overcome that limitation.”

Her eyes brightened immediately, clearly giving me an approving look. I suppose such a limitation is an annoyance on her as well.

I stepped towards the bright orange door at the other end of the platform. The makeup was almost exactly the same. Placing my hand on it, the colors began to swirl and change as I Hijacked it for my own purposes.

“Amazing.” Jinn commented, looking at what I was going.

“I guess you’re already aware I am capable of magic.” I looked towards her.

“Now that you have confirmed it, I can speak of it freely” She beamed. “I’m curious where you learned such a thing.”

“That is a long answer that would need many drinks.” I waived her off. “Lets deal with this first.” I offered my hand to her as she took it without a second thought and we walked through the portal.

Immediately, the rush of cold air hit me.

“What the hells?” I spat out, the air a stark contrast from the world outside. Jinn just hovered nearby giggling to herself. I didn’t dwell on it long, my eyes moving towards a sword on a pedestal nearby. “So, am I going to find another naked woman when I touch this one?”

“Would you be disappointed?” Jinn eyed me.

“I…would not be.” I came to the conclusion as I glanced at her legs. I didn’t hesitate this time, I placed my hand on the Sword…and nothing happened. “Ah, no beautiful sword spirit to tempt me then.”

“Don’t sound so disappointed when I’m right here.” She cooed, head right next to my ear.

Alright, time to stop messing around. I gave the sword another thorough look. The blade was almost crystalline in structure, could have even been mistaken for glass, if a different shade of blue than my Mirage. It was decorated I gold, following The Relic of Knowledge’s color scheme.

“Good weight.” I gave it a swing. “Balance is amazingly balanced……so I have no idea what this does, and I hesitate to mess around with a divine weapon.”

“Hem hem.” Jinn sat her head on my shoulder, getting my attention.

“Fine, I guess I’ll ask a quest – “ I paused as something exploaded out of Jinn. The snow stopped falling, the world around us freezing as Jinn landed on her feet. “Did you just stop time?”

Jinn looked at me smugly. “I am allowed to stop time while you ask your question.”

“How!?” I couldn’t help but blurt out. “The amount of power needed to stop time for an entire world….unless that’s not what your doing.” I muttered. “No, that’s obvious not what you’re doing. Even your creators couldn’t stop time for the entire planet for an extended period. A little bubble, a pocket of localized time created around us, we are outside of the normal time and space axis for a brief moment, then you insert us back right at the moment we left.”

Jinn’s eyes widened slightly. “You are frighteningly knowledgeable.” She whispered before her look turned something more predatorily. “I look forward to milking~ you for all your secrets.” She waived her hands, the Lamp appearing in her hands. “Ask your question.”

“The Relics, I want to know everything about them.”

Jinn smiled as scenes began to emergy through magical means. Images flashed through the air, showing their creation, the gods who birthed them and passed them down to humanity. Four relics in total, each representing one of their ‘gifts’ to mortals.

Knowledge, Creation, Choice, Destruction.

They weren’t just powerful items created by divine hands, they had another purpose. Their creatiors, these ‘brother gods’ they left Remnant for who knows where. But when the four relics are gathered together, they act as a beacon to summon the gods back and they will judge humanity.

The details on that are vague as they aren’t part of the Relic’s history…but the idea of calling back these gods who so readily abandoned the planet, it didn’t sit well with me.

I shook my head, compartmentalizing everything I just learned.

“Four relics, huh?” I looked as the surroundings returned to normal, as we aligned back with the normal flow of time.

“That’s right. And you now possess the Relic of Knowledge and the Relic of Destruction.” Jinn confirmed. I guess since we both know that information, she can speak it openly.

I looked down at the Sword, the Sword of Destruction.

It possesses the ability to ‘destroy’ anything three times every century. Otherwise it is just a supernaturally good sword, even divine in quality.

The idea that it could destroy ‘anything’ almost made me snort in contempt. I doubt the gods who created it would allow themselves to be destroyed by such a thing. “Let me guess, it utilizes the concept of ‘destruction’ and forces it onto a target, thereby ‘destroying’ it?”

Jinn paused again. “You can even understand the conceptual nature of the Relic. Truly I have no regrets about my decision.”

I held the sword out infront of me. “What do you think, Ddraig?”

“Pardon?” Jinn looked at me in confusion.

[Might as well let me meet her.]

“Right, I almost forgot.” I smiled at my new companion, summoning the boosted gear on my hand. She marveled at it, almost hypnotically so.

“[Hello.]” The gem on the gauntlet lit up, Ddraig’s voice coming through.

“Hello to you too.” Jinn said with clear amusement in her voice. “I do not know who you are, this is becoming the best day of my existence.”

“[I am Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon Emperor]” He introduced himself.

“A Dragon?” Jinn exclaimed in surprise.

“I take it dragons are rare?” I hazard a guess.

Jinn sighed. “Is that a question?” She said, her annoyance very clear in her tone. Not directed at me, it was probably frustrating she couldn’t speak plainly about certain topics. She huffed, moving closer to me. “May I?”

“By all means.” I held it out for her to inspect. I wouldn’t hold back with my people, she already gave herself to me, if she wanted to look at my stuff, I wouldn’t stop her.

“Fascinating. I can tell this was not created by mortal hands.” She spoke without much thought in her words. My free hand slip down, moving towards her ample rear and giving her butt a little squeeze. Her head perked up, she gave me a knowing smile as she wiggled herself to give me a better angle.

“[As much as you both are undoubtedly enjoying this, perhaps we could focus on the important matter at hand?]” He said dryly.

I wanted to argue that I had a very important matter in hand, but he was right.

I could molest her butt whenever I wanted, needed to focus on this sword. “So, you thinking what I was thinking with this sword?”

“[Power of destruction?]”

“Yup.” I nodded. “They work off similar concepts…..I can probably use this sword as a catalyst to bright out my bloodline.”

“What is the ‘Power of Destruction’?” Jinn looked at me expectantly.

“A bloodline ability of my family. It’s similar to the ability of the sword, the power to ‘destroy’ anything essentially. Though it varies on strength depending on the user.” I sat down cross legged on the cold ground, The Sword of Destruction in my Lap as Jinn quietly sat down across from me, happy to watch what I was going. “Aura gave my bloodline a little push, but it isn’t enough.”

I closed my eyes and held out a single finger and focused on that little budding seed I had deep within me. My aura flared as it tried to coalescence on it, to nourish that tiny little speck. I could feel a bit of sweat pouring down my brow as I forced it to materialize.

Opening my eyes, there was the tiniest whiff of destruction energy. The blackish energy blowing each way as I focused on reeling in the tiny little manifestation.

“This is the best I could do. Maybe in a few centuries of trial and effort, it could become usable.” I said dryly.

“[But what if the Sword nourishes it?]” Ddraig practically voiced my thoughts.

I didn’t bother with any more words. I held the sword with the Boosted Gear and I pushed my Power of Destruction inside. Using my Aura to guide it, the concepts of the two foreign entities began to react. Using the techniques that Scathach taught me, I began to refine the weapon and my bloodlines into each other.

My eyes shot open as I let out a gasp of breath. My aura was sucked in, my supposedly ridiculous amount of Aura was drained in a second and I felt like I had just been punched in the kidney.

The sword fell to the ground as I clutched my heart.

The next few moments were a blur, as I felt like something was forcibly flowing in and out of me, my body trying to cope with the process.

When I finally regained my surroundings, I found myself staring up at a familiar blue face. “Well, that was unpleasant.”

“Are you okay?” Jinn looked down, my head resting in her lap.

“Yeah.” I mumbled, sitting up.

“[That was an interesting experience.]”

“You’re telling me.” I rubbed my eyes. “I think I succeeded but…..some unforeseen consequences.”

I looked at the Sword of Destruction float up next to me with a small smile on my face. With another thought, my Aura flared, and it ignited in the familiar destructive energy. “The sword is a catalyst, and my Aura is acting as a fuel due to how I merged them together. The only issue is that I don’t think I’ll ever use my Power of Destruction without the sword.”

“[It wasn’t going to be much help anytime soon anyways. While you’re not exactly on a clock…]”

“Yeah.” I knew what he wanted to say. “I have no regrets.” The opposite actually. With a thought my Sword flashed through the air, cutting in every direction, destructive energy cascading off.

I was quite happy.

“I have the Power of Destruction.”

****

Noncanon Omake – A secret technique.

My swords flew all around, only to be knocked away with relative ease. The armor around my body receding, returning to the normal form of the Gauntlet, the boosted gear.

I was breathing heavily at this point, the dozens of boosts I used wearing off all at once and blood was already flowing down my lips. I looked to the side, my companions weren’t faring much better.

“Don’t suppose you got any command seals left?” I asked. Ritsuka Fujimaru looked at me with sadness. “What about you, miss eggplant?”

Mash turned her head, a melancholic smile on her face as she shook her head. She wasn’t in much better shape than I was.

“Chaldeans.” The voice of our opponent boomed over this realm that existed outside of time and space. This workshop owned by the King of Magecraft, Solomon. “This is the end, this is where you ideals and your fate has brought you. You have fought against the inevitable, it is time to end this farce.”

The 72 demon pillars of Solomon, the Human Order Correction Ritual left behind by the King of Magecraft who turned into one of humanities evils.

A beast.

Ars Goetia.

The demon held out his arms, the orbs – the eyes all over his body turned to face us as they discharged magical energy in the form of lasers.

I stood up, grabbing Ascalon.

“Foolish.” Goetia sneered. “Do you think I have forgotten about your little tricks, Magician?” They arced around me, aiming right for Ritsuka.

Mashu jumped in the way with her shield, clashing against her noble phantasm, but not all decided to initiate a war of attrition with he young shielder.

“My banner, Protect my brethren.” A familiar blond head of hair stepped forward, armor almost in smithereens and body barely standing. “Luminosite Eternelle!” Jeanne D Arc slammed her war banner on the ground, a shining golden banner enveloped all of us, blocking the attack.

“Jeanne!” Ritsuka called out as the heroic spirits’ footing began to wane.

“Absurd.” Goetia bellowed. “A heroic spirit who can barely stand wished to stand against me?” As the words left him, the pressure intensified, shattering the protections, blowing away the saintess. “Join the remainder of humanities final protectors.” He declared, sweeping his arms at the bodies of heroic spirits littering the area. Some dead, some unconscious or simply unable to move, their spiritual bodies unable to cope with the damage sustained.

I reached out towards the last master of Chaldea with a grabbing motion, ripping and tearing the space around him. The attacks moved around him in a manner that was impossible. Zig Zagging, moving back and forth at different points in time and simple appearing on the wrong side of the battlefield.

Blood flowed out of my throat as I fell to the ground.

“Will!” Ritsuka ran to me, catching me from falling down.

“Once again, you are a thorn in my side – ‘Devil’.” His eyes focusing on me.

I stood up laughing, eyes all drawn on me. “It seems I must use my final technique.” I shakily stood straight.

The beast scoffed. “You have no hope, no chance for victory. You act as these – humans, foolish perseverance.”

I glanced to the side, Jeanne wobbled over, using her banner as a crutch, Mashu quick to support her.

“If you got something, now’s the time, Wilhelm.” The voice of Da Vinci from chaldea sounded through the mystic code Ritsuka wore.

“Fine. Bring about your last shred of hope, I shall crush it all the same.” He held his arms out, welcoming me to make a move.

“Fine, you asked for this.” With the last of my strength, I opened a portal, a connection between two vastly different dimensions.

“I’m detecting some strange readings, what did you do!?” Da Vinci seemed erratic as a strange feeling began to fill the area.

Goetia, for the first time, seemed….hesitant.

I turned and looked at the portal. “Meridia, help, I’m being bullied.” I called out.

A strange silence now filled the whole realm.

“…what?” Ritsuka voiced out.

Seemingly answering his question, the whole place SHOOK.

A woman walked out of the iridescent portal, blond hair and a blue robe that hug her body in all the right places.

A pair of legs I would always recognize.

Her very presence demanded attention, and her gaze turned right to me.

“Wilhelm.” Her voice icy. “It is our anniversary, you were supposed to be home hours ago.” She hissed before finally realizing the state I was in. “What happened?” A softness now filled her tone.

“I wanted to be home, but.” I held my hand out, pointing towards Goeita. “He did it!”

Her head snapped towards the Demon God, who was showing a look of fear for the first time.