Chapter 54: How’s That? |
The Infested left the conversation scroll on the ground where he’d painted it, but stood up slowly and pulled a pair of new scrolls from where they hung on his shoulders. Weapons. He didn’t immediately jump into attacking, though, instead pointing at Hiral like he was giving him the chance to get ready.
Hiral nodded his thanks and pushed himself up to his feet – the Infested had a sense of honor – then took a deep breath to center himself. As he blew the air back out slowly between his teeth, he activated Foundational Split.
Despite the surge of solar energy, the Infested didn’t react like it was an attack – Hiral had let him pull out the scrolls, after all – but his jaw did drop when Left and Right peeled off. Head swiveling side to side, he just gawked at the sudden three-on-one, then burst out laughing again. Pointing one of the scrolls at the three of them, he just shook his head. He’d had no idea there were the same person. Then the laughing stopped, and he used the other scroll to gesture to his own body.
The outfit should’ve given it away.
He shook his head again in disbelief at himself, then sighed in resignation. Putting the scroll in his left hand back where he’d gotten it, he retrieved a different scroll from beside it. Apparently, the appearance of Left and Right necessitated a change in tactics. Holding it out to his side, he pointed at the doubles, then pointed at the scroll.
I let you use an ability, will you let me do the same?
Hiral nodded.
The Infested gave a flourishing bow, one leg going back while he bent double and brought his left hand in to his stomach. When he stood back up a second later, that same hand whipped out to the side, the scroll snapping open at the same time. Solar energy flowed like a river through the Infested’s hand and into the scroll as the paper didn’t arc out in a straight line, but instead circled around the Infested over and over.
Within a few blinks, the scroll had orbited the Infested seven times, each rotation lining up on the ground perfectly – though with a larger circumference – to the layer before it. And, within those seven side-by-side layers, Hiral saw four, large images, somehow drawn across the entire width of the unfurled parchment.
Almost like a trick of the eyes, the paintings still looked like paintings, with rough brushstrokes and smears hanging in the air even as they moved. Mostly black and white, there were shocks of different colors on the four bodies – though only one other color each – and they radiated A-Rank power.
The first – with red eyes, claws, and teeth like molten lava – was a tiger that stood at the same height as the Infested’s shoulders, though it had what looked like armored scales running in place of the normally black lines. A plated ridge ran along its spine, and as it took a step forward, the armor shifted, heat venting out at the movement. Above its head, a name appeared to Hiral’s View.
(Soul Fragment Rendition) Volcanic Tiger – Low-A-Rank
The name explained the look of the claws, but Hiral’s eyes didn’t linger on the tiger long, moving instead to the shape looming behind the Infested. This one, a three-armed monkey of some kind, stood at least twelve-feet tall, with shoulders and muscles to make a Shaper envious. Almost entirely black – except where the white seemed to create contrast to accentuate the muscles – the only other color on it was a yellow pattern on the strange third arm.
Extending from the side of the chest beneath the ‘normal’ right arm, this thing was just as thick and muscular as the other two. The only real difference were those yellow, symmetrical symbols wrapping around it. Reminds me of Meridian Lines…
Above it’s head, the name (Soul Fragment Rendition) Glyph-Wrought Gorilla – Low-A-Rank didn’t give many hints what the monstrosity would be capable of. I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough.
Next, on the Infested’s right side, starkly opposite to the gorilla, was a large bird made almost entirely of white, with black instead used for the contrast. Dark green edged the tips of its feathers – reminding Hiral a bit of the Rocs they’d battled before – along with its talons and beak. Clearly a bird of prey, its head stood almost at chest-height, and Hiral could only imagine its wingspan. According to the name, this beast was a (Soul Fragment Rendition) Intrinsic Origin Eagle – Low-A-Rank.
That just left one more beast, the one curled up in front of the Infested. (Soul Fragment Rendition) Tidal Cobra – Low-A-Rank. As it lifted its head, white hood spreading to reveal blue streaking that continued down the massively long body of the snake, Hiral didn’t actually see a hint of black anywhere on it. Or, maybe just the spots that looked dark blue were black? Not that it really mattered.
“Those aren’t normal summons,” Left said. “They’re closer to us than anything I’ve ever seen.”
“How can you tell?” Hiral asked. Sure, the appearance of the summons – and the name – suggested something was different, but nothing else leaped out to Hiral.
“Call it something like sensing kindred,” Right said. “Not the capital-k type. Kinship? Those things have a soul, or at least part of one.”
“Hold up,” Hiral said without looking away from his enemy. “Does that mean you two have souls?” In his sensory domain, he felt the doubles’ head turn to him – and each other – briefly, before returning to look at their opponents.
“Huh,” Right said. “I guess it does. Or part of yours?”
“Something we should explore,” Left said. “At a later time. We have something more pressing in front of us to address.”
“Agreed, on both points,” Hiral said. “You two can handle those Soul Fragment Renditions?”
“More like, can you handle the Infested?” Right poked back.
The Infested seemed to have the same question, looking at his summons – pride in his eyes – before he turned his attention to Hiral. The scroll in his other hand pointed at the image of their battle, then to the one of Vorinal. You have to be strong enough to beat me if you want to have a chance against him. Can you do it?
“He wants proof we can do this,” Hiral said. “That I can. I’m not holding back. You both ready to get serious?”
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Right rolled his shoulders and clapped his hands together, while Left simply nodded. That done, the two of them stepped slowly out to the sides – as non-threateningly as possible – before stopping ten feet away.
“Let’s see what all this A-Rank hype is about,” Right said, another clap of his hands.
Without responding to his double, Hiral pushed energy into the Ring of Amin Thetthanging behind him, the crystal shattering into hundreds of shards. The Infested’s eyes widened, and he tensed, but didn’t attack, then watched as those floating shards moved to reform atop Hiral’s head as the Crown of Amin Thett.
Next came the tried-and-true combination of Double Trouble+ and Domain of the Sun+, the spectral amphitheatre erupting all around them to witness their duel. Towering walls reached to stand over a hundred feet tall, spectators cheering just as loud as they had through the Battle of the Bands. With this being the first time Hiral had used it at A-Rank, he glanced briefly at the notification window.
Class Ability (Active): Domain of the Sun+
Domain of the Sun+: Set the stage to claim the advantage.
Grants the following bonuses to user and members of user’s party while within the bounds of the domain:
Cooldowns and damage taken reduced by 30%
Attributes, movement speed, energy efficiency, and damage increased by 30%
Critical hit chance increased by 16%
Critical hit damage increased by 48%
Trigger chance for random abilities increased by 20%
Note: Diameter of domain is 300 feet from central point at time of creation.
Note (2): Domain does not move once created.
Note (3): Domain restricts entry and exit of anybody other than the creator and their party, though sufficient strength can bypass this.
Note (4): Domain can take on aspects of other lasting area-of-effect abilities with a fixed range and duration.
Note (5): Duration—2 minutes per Rank
Note (6): Cooldown—1 hour
Note (7): Bonuses for user are doubled when dueling an opponent one on one.
Aside from the fact these bonuses were ridiculous – and further doubled because the Infested and his summons counted as one opponent – there was also one new line in there. Trigger chances of abilities increased. That was perfect for Hiral’s next ability.
Resonance of Heroes didn’t have the same visible flair as the domain, but the Infested clearly felt something activating. Though, really, his eyes were still on the glowing arena that’d sprouted up around them.
He even gave a little clap at how impressive it was. Sure, he’d seen a part of it during the Battle of the Bands, but something about standing there, on the arena floor, with the crowd thundering around them was entirely different. Still, it didn’t seem to be impressive enough to make the Infested think Hiral had a chance against him. The other man’s body language hadn’t changed in the least since the reveal of Left and Right.
The Infested even held his hand out in front of himself and gestured like he wanted Hiral to get on with things if he had anything else to show.
Well, if he wants something a bit more impressive…
Hiral hadn’t lied to his doubles when he said he wasn’t planning on holding back – though he wouldn’t use Eloquently Enraged+ right off the bat if he didn’t have to – and that included something he hadn’t exactly tried before.
First, though, Hiral focused on the solar energy flowing through his channels. Moving to A-Rank had helped tremendously with his control, and hundreds of smaller threads made up the streams of energy. His Solar Heart beat in time with his own, stronger than ever with the evolution. More than just being stronger though, was how it had more truly incorporated itself in his body. Like the evolution had been needed to make it a part of his PIM, it not only purified his solar energy, but also provided its own.
It wasn’t a huge amount – especially not compared to Hiral’s overpowered absorption rate – but it didn’t need to be. More than a fuel itself for his abilities and runes, the Solar Heart produced what Hiral could best describe as an accelerant. Mixed with his solar energy it, it supercharged everything he used it for.
And, what did he use it for now? His pseudo-aspect, of course.
White energy exploded out of him and his doubles, shaking the arena and cracking the ground at their feet. Patches of the black fabric of their Second-Skins of Amin Thett snapped with the force of it, and glowed phosphorescent as the trio’s attributes jumped by almost sixty percent. On Right, his Meridian Lines flared in purple and red, and this time when he clapped his hands together, the air burst around him from the force of the impact. For Left, it wasn’t anything nearly as dramatic, tattoos glowing and ready for use.
To the Infested, though, it was just another buffing skill. He’d seen those. He had his own, in fact, which he actually activated. Two can play at that game, his face seemed to say, as his tentacles pulsed and then exploded with energy. Like around Hiral and his doubles, the ground – even if it was prepared by Tomorrow for their duel – wasn’t up to the sheer pressure coming off their A-Rank bodies with their buffing skills.
Standing in front of Hiral, the Infested held his arms up. If that’s all you’ve got… I’ll even give you the first shot.
Hiral smirked. The pseudo-aspect was powerful, sure, but it was only the door opening to what he was going to show the Infested. If he was willing to let Hiral really get things started, who was Hiral to object? With the connections formed and ready, Hiral called out to the Edicts.
All around them, the arena shuddered. No, not just the arena they were in, the entire Tower of Dynamic Trials groaned as the Edicts manifested in the air behind Hiral. The ground they stood on fractured and cracked, reality split, and colors bled down the air like it was a pane of glass. From those hanging cracks, shapes emerged.
Surrounded by glowing cocoons of energy so they didn’t simply break down the world around them, these symbols matched those on Hiral’s body, and floated in a ring behind him. Each as tall as he was, they gave off an aura of dominance. Utter command.
Except when they seemed to face Hiral. To him… there was a nod of respect. Of kinship and shared authority. They were allies who’d come at his call to war.
And heavens help any who stood before them.
With a flex of Hiral’s solar energy, there was another loud series of crack as the same twelve symbols floating behind him imprinted themselves one-by-one on the walls of the Domain of the Sun+. Forged of solar energy, the arena bent and threatened to buckle underneath the power of the individual Edicts, even as the twelfth settled in place. One second, two, three, Hiral let the world around him rock and buck, the Infested in front of him struggling to keep his balance like he stood on a ship in a storm.
A second flex of Hiral’s solar energy – of his will – released a pulse in all directions that brought balance to the turbulent Edicts. Just like that, the arena calmed, with the floating echoes shrinking in size – each no bigger than Hiral’s fist – and moved to circle right at his back. Exactly where the Ring of Amin Thett had been, the twelve Edicts slowly rotated, around and around, offering their power and support to the man in front of them.
Black and white energy like lightning pulsed across Hiral’s body and around him – the air itself charged by the Edicts – and he looked again at the Infested. Then he unleashed Intimidating Aura+, the ability enhanced by the domain infused with the very essence of the Edicts, and the arena floor collapsed under the weight of his will.
Floating there, standing on planes of Rejection with his doubles, Hiral looked down into the crater more than five-hundred feet deep at the Infested and his four summons crushed against the compressed stone.
“How’s that?” he asked, the Edicts flaring along with his words as the Tower rumbled.