Kiltara

[Quantum Rain]

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The ruined cityscapes of Kiltara abound, and so too does the battle yet rage. The battle for Kiltara and the fate of mankind as a whole rests on this planet, and several others across the Arcturus front. Millions have died defending their home, and millions more in the service of Aeon. How long can this blind faith last, or how far can it reach, to save a desolate land?

---

Auger would awaken in a bombed out building, a wreckage of a battle long since passed. He laid next to a fire that shouldn't have existed, and a being whose presence was oddly familiar. "I hope that dark elf hadn't taken too much of the fight out of you, Auger of Praaxis. It would be a shame." The fully armored being spoke with a voice that seemed to reverberate in the air, as if many spoke the same words. He was obviously aware that Auger was awakening.

[agentaaa]

Auger jumped out of the way of some, but by ill luck had his side hit by a single beam. "Damn... is this really all it takes to beat me?" Auger thought to himself. He couldn't lose in such a simple way - not when there were so many challenges in his way.
this is just like the logs....

A much younger Auger was standing shirtless within the stream, watching as the old man who'd become his tutor threw logs into the stream, the logs moving quickly towards Auger. Auger attempted to dodge them all, but this stream moved incredibly fast, and the heavy water combined with the sheer number of logs and rocks in the water stopped him. grabbing one log up, the one behind it hit him in the hip.
"Is that all, mighty Auger? No. 2 in the Arena Auger? Keh..." the old man spit at that statement, simply looking away. "Like this, if you go against that man, he'll kill you in one blow."
"Whatever, old man." Auger replied. for some reason, this man was the only one capable of getting under his skin...
"still, if you don't learn to dodge these logs, you'll lose against him. you know it's true."

[Quantum Rain]

The images all became one being again, as Vires stood there, looking at Auger. "If you are unable to overcome my attacks, you will fall as certainly as the rest. Now counteract my attacks or be met with disaster." He said, calling forth more energy into the palm of his hand as he fired, disappeared, and fired from a different angle, repeating this process at an incredible speed.

[agentaaa]

Auger struck at the first beam, reflexively cutting it, but just barely slid through the second of them...
"where the hell's your head. It was coming right for you.
"How was I even supposed to know, old man? it struck the rock and then smacked me straight in the knee."
"sounds like an excuse someone who's limited in thinking might make. Concentrate, focus. You can feel it coming.
"But I can't feel the wind."
"Moron, I didn't say feel the air, did I? idiot."

Auger moved out of the next set of beams, dodging, before thinking through what was said to him. Suddenly, he stood quite still, as Vires prepared his next barrage.

[Quantum Rain]

Vires shifted into multiple images again and unleashed a final barrage meant moreso to test Auger than harm him this time. He learns quickly, and adapts... and yet... he doesn't grow in power. Vires thought to himself, observing Auger in a different image outside of the battle entirely.

[agentaaa]

Vires would be capable of just seeing with his eyes a barely-visible circle encompassing Auger's body, as a barrage was fired at him. Auger's blades both pointed forward, but stayed close to his body. Each of the numerous strikes was intercepted by his blades, the strikes used by him breaking apart each one, seemingly without effort from Auger, as he calmed himself. every single strike was intercepted without fail or strain on Auger's part.

[Quantum Rain]

The images once more became one again, and Vires laughed as Auger countered his attacks. "Very good." He shouted sincerely, but then transitioning from his passive demeanor to a combative stance. "Now we can fight more evenly." Underneath, Vires was grinning. "Zah. Meyz. Unahzaal!" He shouted, his body reacting by glowing brightly with energy visibly coursing about his body. He stood there for a moment, regaining control over his newfound and concentrated energy, before walking calmly towards Auger.

[agentaaa]

Auger walked towards him, grinning once again. "Cool light-show." He remarked, keeping his blades pointed forward. despite moving, his stance didn't break, as his seikuken held firm.

[Quantum Rain]

Vires continued forth before something broke his concentration immediately. While Auger wouldn't be able to sense what he did, he could tell that, even past the armor, Vires was unnerved as his energies fluctuated, visibly mixing between rage and hatred. He was staring into the sky, or perhaps beyond it for several more minutes, searching it. "... Tyrath." He muttered bitterly. "I found you."

[agentaaa]

"what's a Tyrath?" Auger asked, his seikuken slowly fading. "sounds strong. Are we going to go kill him?" Auger asked.

[Quantum Rain]

"What are you doing here...?!" He continued, more rage fueling the energies around him to an almost visible extent, appearing reminiscent to flames. His hands balled into fists as he glares up at the sky, and then it all faded away. He turned to Auger, more calm this time. "You faced him once already, the knight of fire and shadow." He explained, and then turned to one of the angels. "Tell the pilots to advance to the warfront as hastily as possible. Time is essential at this moment, and I want that destroyer to pay for his sins!" He commanded, and the angel didn't even bow, but rather flew off towards the door, and sprinted through the hallways.

"The rest of you, prepare for a fierce battle. If such is necessary, we will charge their fortress walls from the skies!" The other angels bowed slightly in response and flew off into various groups. "I will not allow him to ruin another world..." Vires muttered to himself as they departed.

[agentaaa]

"Geh, you worry too much. This is going to be a blast! Just relax and look forward for the moment. Besides, next time, I'll definitely blast that guy into so many pieces he won't even move." Auger responded, not seeming concerned with what's going on. "It's like I'm the only one who knows how to have fun around here..." He muttered.

[Quantum Rain]

"When we encounter the knight of flames, know that he is mine and mine alone." Vires stated as the Arms Fort suddenly shifted speeds, accelerating towards the fortress. In the distance to either side, not before seen due to the wreckage of the cityscape and the fog, could be seen other Motherwill class Arms Forts. "Until then, we destroy them all without holding back, we cannot waste any time." He turns to Auger. "Consider it a contest of speed."

It would be a mere ten minutes before the Arms Fort suddenly stopped, those on the deck lurching forward and almost losing their balance. It turned to its side and the cannons rose up, preparing to bombard the fortress ahead.

"Phase one, initial bombardment." He said calmly to himself, then offered Auger a hand. "Phase two, aerial insertion." He said, hoping that Auger would catch on to what he means.

[agentaaa]

"Man, why can't aerial insertion be phase one?" Auger complained. It was obvious to any onlooker that this complaint came from grumpiness more than anything else. It was obvious he was still miffed over the half-finished spar between him and Vires.

[Quantum Rain]

"We're the spearhead." He said, grabbing Auger and throwing him with as much power as he can muster, casting him towards the black-metal walls of the fortress under the cover of the Motherwills' first volley. The walls themselves were littered with the shambling undead soldiers and disorders. As well, a trio of marauders had charged at Auger, surrounding him when he landed, magic in one hand and swords in the other. "Slice them down and move towards the center. Do not waste any time, we must reach the portal and destroy the master of this fortress." Vires thought towards Auger as he flew overhead and into the courtyard behind the wall. (Feel free to take control from here.)

The courtyard was even more littered with various enemies, and almost hundreds of artillery positions atop the various buildings or on the ground. As the Motherwills' second bombardment came screaming overhead and impacted, the fortress responded with its own bombardment.

Vires unsheathed his sword as he was surrounded by undead as the fires spread amongst the fresh battlefield. Aeon's soldiers would be storming the fortress walls now, and his angels were on standby, waiting for his command.

[agentaaa]

Auger blocked the bolts of magic shot at him while throwing his chain in a round-about fashion behind the marauders, tugging to cause it to move around the group. While the chain only would hold for a couple seconds, Auger charged at the same time, stabbing one straight in the head, before slicing out of said head and directly toward his next opponents. The third marauder shook off the chain, sending out a blast of flames all around him, but auger had already jumped away from his opponent, swinging the chain, before ending his life with a dagger to the chest - his favorite move to use on weaker opponents.
"Dangit! Get out of my way you stupid creatures!" Auger said, cutting down undead and disorder's one after the other while barely slowing down. "I'd rather go fight the main event!"

[Quantum Rain]

Vires stood there as the enemies charged. He was capable of deflecting the first few, but was going to be overwhelmed due to his poor position. That is, if his position was anything but a target for the angels. After a mere second, Vires leapt out of where he was, overhead of the creatures, as a bombardment from above shattered the undead forces he was formerly surrounded by.

Vires landed past the broken bone pile of his enemies and continued, now accompanied by his angels as they crashed against enemy lines and steadily advanced.

[agentaaa]

Auger continued into the courtyard, jumping down onto the back of a cerberi and cutting it's heads off only a half-second later. Breaking his way through a massive wall of undead, he seemed to simply glide around them as they broke behind him, his blades cutting a deadly swathe through their ranks, destroying what seemed like dozens every second. Breaking his way through a combination of the skeletal creatures and disorders, he quickly broke into a nearby structure, killing the marauder he found inside with a trio of sword-slashes before he had time to raise his blade.
"Hmmm.... Come to think of it, I don't know my way around this place." Auger said in the relative safety of the barracks building. "Well, he did say the center, so..." Auger muttered, punching his way through the opposite wall of the barracks. "I'll just use the direct approach."

[Quantum Rain]

It did not take much for the two parties to reunite within the central fortress. Many of Exitium's forces were tied up at the walls, defending against Aeon's assault. Vires, and his angels, awaited Auger as he crashed through the wall rather than taking the large door he now stood next to. "...Did you get lost or are you paranoid of doors?" Vires asked at Auger's entrance. The other angels had already dispatched the guards, and were merely cleaning up, examining the area.

[agentaaa]

"I didn't have a map, and you said he was in the center, so I just went the quickest way to get there." Auger explained. "this place's got too many damn walls." Auger told him. "Anyhoo, nice to see you, hope you get to watch the match, but I still gotta go kill that guy." Auger told Vires, breaking through the next wall. "otherwise someone might beat me to it, after all."

[Quantum Rain]

"Auger. He's upstairs... at the top of this undead structure..." He said, stopping Auger before he crashed through another wall past that. "You might want to take the stairs for a change?" He pointed to a wall towards the left. "Just a suggestion." He said, walking away from the stairs towards another door. "I will join you when you have completed your task." He phased through the wall, three of his angels doing the same, escorting him. Two remained to guard the chamber, and the remainder deigned to clear Auger a path upwards.

[agentaaa]

Auger, of course, had stopped listening as soon as Vires told him the location, and immediately hurried into and up the building at his top speed. a few guards appeared to stop him, but they were chopped into ribbons before they could even slow his movement. The expression on Auger's face, should anyone see it long enough, would be akin to a 5-year old who'd just got a new toy.

[Quantum Rain]

The angels did their utmost best to keep pace with Auger, and though they managed, even they were slightly taken aback by the human's joyfulness. Ahead of Auger lay many more stairs yet, and several more enemies, but above, he could even feel his target's presence. Like an oppressive force, his power emanated outward and sought to crush his enemies. This would only serve as a further lure for Auger, however.

[agentaaa]

Auger merely grinned as he came nearer to the force above him, feeling it's opressive strength. In turn, his own Strength seemed to flow, becoming almost visible and certainly feelable to the angels around him - a feeling of bloodlust, giving off a feeling similar to being stalked by a hungry predator. "I'll have you soon, knight!" Auger yelled in glee. Finally making it up the last steps, he saw...

[Quantum Rain]

... a black mass that stood behind the guard wall circling around the large round and black-stone tower. He hadn't seen Auger yet, or at least, he didn't turn around to acknowledge him. He was flanked by either side by four heavily armored reapers. His guards, it seemed, but they didn't move or show surprise when Auger had arrived, also flanked by the angels guarding him, who had said nothing about the situation or the one that they escort.

[agentaaa]

Auger looked at his foes, drawing his blades. Moving into stance, he would seem utterly stoic, before...
"Hahahahahaha! Hahahahaha!" Auger laughed out loud. "And here I was thinking something would happen to prevent this battle! I'm sorry..." Auger said, chuckling once more before finishing his sentence. "I'm not laughing at you, I'm just happy I finally get to fight you, so much so I couldn't help but laugh." Auger said, addressing the black knight. "Turn around, though. I don't want to accidentally kill you from behind and ruin the whole thing." Auger told him, suddenly seeming almost serious in his tone.

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