'If I can align the thirteenth Constellation Token with when the true war between Asgard and the Devas begins, I can minimize damage to myself. Well, that might backfire, since the Divine Rankers might pay attention to me, instead.'
Arthur wasn't certain what to do, but he decided to push it aside until it came to it. Dispelling all of his thoughts, Arthur entered the State Of Mushin to reduce his cortisol levels, abandoning logic for instinct.
It wasn't long before Diamond and Matthew exited the den. Arthur spotted a bag in each of their hands. "Are those all of your belongings?"
"Yeah," Diamond replied, casting a glance at her bags. "I'm pretty minimalistic."
Arthur nodded. "Let's go."
The three traversed through the First Floor, chatting while familiarizing themselves with each other. Arthur maintained a somewhat gentle smile, as if he were the kindest soul Matthew and Diamond had ever come across.
However, their paths were not smooth.
"That's the guy, right?" A certain man with short, ashen hair that was slicked back, inquired. His eyes remained on Diamond, Arthur, and Matthew. A somewhat short woman with stark black hair–who stood beside him–nodded.
"That's definitely him!" The woman announced, smiling devilishly. "You can ask anyone who was there! He's the one who brutally murdered the other guys!"
The ashen-haired man gently patted the woman's head, smiling as she squealed in delight, trembling in pleasure. Behind the ashen-haired man, hundreds of men dressed in black stood in an orderly fashion.
The harsh rays of the Sun shined upon them, enveloping them in a warm light that provided majesty to their formation.
The man at the front held two small axes, while the woman beside him wielded a rapier. All men dressed in black seemed to wield longswords that were strapped to their waist, yearning for the taste of blood.
"Mother?" Matthew's eyes widened as his body suddenly began trembling violently. His expression crumpled like paper, while he obeyed the sudden urge to lower his head before the group.
Diamond also seemed conflicted. She glanced at Arthur, dumbfounded by his casual demeanor and blank expression. 'What is he thinking… He's probably shitting his pants right now… I should probably step forward before something happens.'
Swallowing her saliva, Diamond stepped forth, approaching the ashen-haired man, whose smile widened. "I'm Diamond. Can I help you?"
"Definitely," said the ashen-haired man, licking his lips in a lewd fashion. His gaze seemed to pierce Diamond's soul. His eyes fell upon her decently-sized breasts, and his narrowed, as if inspecting them. "You can definitely help me tonight."
Diamond felt the sudden urge to castrate the ashen-haired man, but as she glanced at Matthew's trembling figure, she couldn't help but sigh. But she couldn't simply endure the harassment…
"I'm sorry, but that won't be possible," a voice laced with confidence rung in Diamond's ears, startling her. The sound of footsteps resounded across the area as a certain crimson-eyed man halted beside Diamond. "You won't survive until tonight."
"Arthur Solace," said the ashen-haired man, raising an eyebrow. "The man who was first place in the first ten floors."
"I'm surprised you recognize me."
"Who wouldn't? You're practically a celebrity, and even with recent recording of you insulting Princess Eleanor, it wouldn't be a surprise if you disappeared any day now. Actually, do you think Princess Eleanor would hook up with me if I give your chopped-up body to her in equal pieces?"
"No, I think she'd barf and kill you, too," Arthur said, half-jokingly. 'Considering Eleanor's personality, it wouldn't be a surprise if she actually did.'
The ashen-haired man seemed to have interpreted Arthur's words as humor, as he promptly burst into laughter, clutching his belly. "You're funny. It's a pity you'll be buried six feet under after today."
"Really?" Arthur asked rhetorically.
"Really."
At that moment, the two unsheathed their weapons almost simultaneously, moving their bodies at terrifying speeds as they clashed instantaneously, defying several laws of nature in the process.
"Diamond, protect Matthew," Arthur ordered, forming a barrier that deflected a blade wave headed in Diamond's general direction before shattering. Nodding while conjuring several defensive spells, she rushed towards her son, casting them on him.
The men dressed in black unleashed their rapiers, roaring in determination, which was vivid through their eyes. Stomping the ground at the same time, they rushed forward in a uniform fashion.
The woman's eyes widened as a ball of flames rushed towards her, but a certain man dressed in black protected her.
"You really have an entire posse, eh?" Arthur inquired, raising an eyebrow as he and the ashen-haired man shared blows.
"They're called the Legion Of Hatake."
"What is Hatake? Some kind of dumbass name you pulled out of your ass? What's with the cliche group names these days?"
"Hatake is my name…" The ashen-haired man seemed truly offended at Arthur's words, as his confident demeanor crumbled in an instant. Arthur bit his lip, finding the man somewhat pitiful. Then again, Arthur still believed the name was weird.
"Get a new name," Arthur suggested, igniting Sword Aura, prompting Hatake to do the same. Using [Divine Sense] to predict almost all of Hatake's movements, the former continued to play with the latter.
However, it seemed as if Hatake was maintaining a bit of competition, as he seemed incredibly confident in his abilities.
The Legion of Hatake spread out, circling the crimson-eyed man as they prepared an assault. Hatake smiled, slipping away while allowing his men to unleash a barrage of spells and strikes on Arthur.
'So that was his plan,' Arthur muttered internally, heightening the potency of [Divine Sense]. In terms of reflexes, the crimson-eyed man was an expert. The Blade Sovereign's legacy trial had benefited him in more ways than one.
Clang!
Arthur quickly deflected a certain strike, conjuring a barrier to block a spell before repeating. He moved at terrifying speeds.
Hatake expression gradually turned grim, but he didn't give up.
'I still have a few cards…'
He was surely not helpless against Arthur…
Or was he?
