Grey Vritra

“Taegrin Caelum" I said with a smirk and saw Caera froze in place.

“Don't worry you're with me. And Agrona already said that he made you an exceptions in the highbloods who awakened their Vritra blood. I explained trying to calm her down.

“I already know that! But the High Sovereign is in there." She said nervously

“So what if he's there? it's not like somethings going to happen if you see him."

“sighh You don't understand just how rare it is to see the High Sovereign in person. He's like a god to us Alacryans." Caera explained to me

“scoff A god? he's just a stressed ruler in my opinion. Well that doesn't matter, you're still coming with me."
I said sending a smirk to the nervous Caera.

//////

The two of us just arrived in front of Taegrin Caelum. I forgot to ask Seris about the Tempus Wrap to go here so I flew the both Caera and myself here with wind mana. 

It's not that exhausting maybe because I'm already near white core but the ride is quite enjoyble. Caera keep screaming as she's afraid of heights.

I'm quite displeased because the horns that Agrona gave me isn't enough to push me to white core but it make sense as the horn is not complete and just a part of the original horn.

“The pattern of the cuts on the horn signifies that it is cut off during a battle."

I thought now wandering whose horn really is that. We approached the huge door of Taegrin Caelum and the guards immediately recognized me.

“Sir Grey, It is a pleasure to see you again. Please enter." One of the guards said while bowing. He's probably the leader of this group. Just as he bowed the rest of the guards followed.

The guards opened the doors and I walked in hilding Caera's arms who's following behind me. The two of us walked for a few minutes when I heard multiple footsteps which made the two of us stop.

We waited for a while then saw the source of footsteps, Three people consisting of a tall man with a full black armor covering his body, blood red cape same colors as it's eyes. And pale grey skin. Memories flooded my mind as I know who this man is.

“Cadell" I thought, My dormant emotions starting to wake up but tried my best to suppress it.

With Cadell is a woman who looks a little older than me. She has porcelain white skin and short snow white hair. I don't know who she is, but all I can assume is that she's a Scythe just like Cadell. 

In between the two Scythes is a boy with an average build and height. He has black hair and he isn't wearing his glasses anymore. Yes I know who this person is. He is a former friend, a friend who I saved from death and lived in the same room, my bestfriend. After what I've done to help him he betrayed me, treating me like a monster, the same as how they treated me.

“Elijah"

Just as those words escaped my mouth, I didn't notice but Grudge is already in my right hand. I gathered fire mana in my legs and blasted it performing eclipse step.

I traveled really fast but it felt like everything is in slow motion. I noticed that the fire mana I blasted isn't color orange or blue as I always use but it's black. Ignoring that and focusing back to my target, I brought my sword up my head and swung it down to Elijah with my two hands. But another sword blocked mine.

“You look familiar boy." Cadell said swinging his sheathed sword making me blast away by a few meters.

“I could say the same to you." I replied and used Eclipse step again, I swung Grudge down to Cadell

“Using the same move again, you're quite predictable." He said blocking me again.

Cadell swung his sword again just like the last time but I retracted my sword so I won't get blasted away this time. I landed just in front of Cadell and he immediately tried to slash my head off but I immediately ducked. Now seeing an opening under him, I conjured a fire which weirdly came out as a black colored flame and blasted it to his face.

I then kicked him in the solar plexus but the impact recoiled back at me making me retreat making a distance of a few meters.

“Interesting, if you really are the one I'm suspecting you to be, then it would be a surprise seeing you having a horn and using soulfire." Cadell said finally unsheathing his sword. The blade is as dark as the night sky swallowing the light of the day.

“My business with you is done Cadell, now move." I said releasing all my pressure only on him. Cadell got surprised by it but that's the only thing it did to him.

“You are strong but still lacking, boy." Cadell said charging towards me his sword coated by soul fire.

“Calling me a boy is an insult, Cadell." I said preparing to take on this monster.

I activated realmheart and conjured an ice armor around me again strangely to at least lessen the damage of the soul fire as I don't know how to counter it. Then again the ice I conjured became a black colored ice that looks more like a metal than an ice.

I gathered all my fire mana and transformed it to lightning boosting my speed with thunderclap impulse. I also coated Grudge with it to make my attacks more potent.

Cadell jumped swinging his dark blade down at me. I lowered my stance holding my sword with two hands welcoming Cadell's attack.

(I really don't want to put pics here in this story but this is just too goated so it's an exception.)

Both of our swords are about to touch when suddenly, a pressure I've never felt before dawned before us. Not just the two of us but everyone around us, no, the whole castle is being drowned by this pressure.

I fell down on one knee, the pressure is so strong I will probably be knocked out if I'm not using realm heart now.

“This isn't just pure pressure, it has mana involved with it."

I looked at the back and saw Caera struggling to breath. I immediately tried to stand up but struggled to do so. I forced the mana in my core to spread even more and I felt that the runes on my body started to crawl much further through my body.

I managed to stand up and get to where Caera is. I immediately hugged her forming a mana barrier around us. Caera then managed to breath but still couldn't move because of the pressure.

I looked around and saw the two Scythes are also in one knee but unlike me who's in one knee because I'm struggling, they are like that because they really are kneeling to someone. The two also have Elijah who've been knocked out cold protected by a mana barrier.

clap clap clap “That's enough playing Cadell, and you too Grey." A familiar voice was heard and the pressure immediately disappeared.

“Agrona! what's the meaning of this. Why is Elijah here." I asked raising my voice to the ruler of Vritras.

sighh Grey, you're once a king. You shouldn't act before thinking. It seems that you being in Dicathen made you soft " Agrona said shaking his head in dissapoinment.

"Well I believe it's also my fault not explaining it to you in advance but it's too late now. But I'm surprised you have horns now and not just that you can also use Vritra mana arts." Agrona explained

“Vritra mana arts? What do you mean?" I asked him genuinely confused.

“Is it when my spells become black? but only the color changed."

“Follow me, all of you. I'll explain everything especially about Elijah or should I say Nico?"

______________
Credits to noomuaz for the pic. His tbate arts are one of the best.

10-31-23