Arc III: “Return of Darkness”
Chapter I: “Dark Army”
Episode VIII: “True Objective: Plot of The Three Admirals!”
Aster-Volt Canticle: Heaven’s Return…
“Lightning Regenerations! That’s the name of the technique that will bring you down! By using my own energy to induce a thunder cloud, I’m able to absorb the pure lightning it produces to restore my vitality and increase my power… this form may be temporary, but it’s more than enough to defeat you!”
Why does his power keep increasing!? I have to stop him now before it’s too late!
“Nuh-uh-uh, no cheating,” Kyoto said as he flashed out of view. He reappeared in front of the First, clamping his wrists and grinding tendons under his grip as he snuffed out the forming art.
“Argh!” He jeered as he jumped back. “You bastard!”
“How about this…” Kyoto smiled. “We both launch our strongest attacks at each other, and we see who survives. That sounds like fun, right?”
This kid is crazy! I’m not doing that!
“You ready? Here goes!”
Kyoto began gathering his energy.
“Empyrean Alectryon: Godly Lightning Star Destroyer!”
A sun-bright pillar of cyan-blue aether bloomed, haloed in feathered flares; thunder rolled inside the beam as it tore forward.
“Damn, he’s serious! SUPERIOR DARK SABER!”
A black cylinder with saw-tooth edges screamed to meet the light—then buckled as lightning tore through it.
Kyoto blasted right through him and destroyed his entire body. He kneeled over and powered down.
“Well, that was tougher than I thought it would be.”
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Kyoto’s glow sheared off into embers; he exhaled heat as his mantle of lighting fell.
I wonder what happened to that girl… “I should go find Reito...”
“I’m already here.”
Reito stepped from a thin gate of dark energy, violet steam curling off his shoulders.
“You took so long that I had enough time to sweep the entire island.”
“R-really?”
“Listen up, Kyoto. I’ve discovered what the Dark Heart really is.”
[Elsewhere, in the Central Skies…]
I’ve got to hurry and meet Kyoto and Reito; they’ve probably tagged a portal or two already, Leo thought, high-air cold needling his skin. Wait a minute… they wouldn’t leave without me, right? Right!?
“Woah, stop right there, buddy!” The Third Captain appeared in front of Leo while he was flying.
“What!? Wait a minute… you’re the bastard that attacked Lian!”
“Who? Oh, that Elaris guy! Yeah, I did do that, huh. Whatever, that doesn’t matter now. We’ve got more important business with you right now.”
“We?” Leo asked.
“Yes, we.” Another man appeared. “I’m the Second Captain.”
A third man appeared. “And I’m the Fifth Captain!”
“Three of you, huh? Still not enough.” Leo rolled his shoulders, boots biting the air. “I’m in a bit of a rush—you all’d better step aside.”
“Hehehe, just what I would expect from Mr. World’s Strongest. Don’t worry, once we show you what we have, you’ll want to stay too.”
What? Leo had a serious face. He wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but he pulled up his fighting stance.
“Seventh Threshold: Providence!”
[Five minutes later]
“And that’s the last of them…” Leo said as he dropped another soldier into the ocean.
He reverted to his natural state. Three captains and a platoon of soldiers, yet their numbers were meaningless before him.
Huh!?
The sky thickened. A film of energy solidified into a large dome around Leo.
“What is this!?”
“Hahaha, the plan worked! You fell for it!” A young man said from near Leo.
An enormous spherical barrier materialized around him, hex-shaped aether lattices merging together. Leo felt his limbs drag through the air like syrup.
“What is this!? Who are you!?”
“Hahaha, I’m the Third Admiral of Cataline’s Army! Filter!”
“The Third Admiral… what do you want with me? You seem to recognize my strength, so why would you go out of your way to try and fight me?”
“Hahaha, because you’ve fallen completely for our trap!”
The lattice swelled, pulsating in waves of dark energy.
“You may be the strongest being on the planet, but in this domain, we’ve got a fair chance!” Filter smiled as he gestured, dragging the back of his thumb against his neck.
“We…?” Leo had sweat dripping down his face.
“Hello, Leo,” a voice poured from behind him; he hadn’t felt a thing. “Cuter than I pictured.” She licked her lips. “I’m Sink.”
I didn’t even notice that she was behind me!
“You look startled, Leo,” Filter said. “Ah, you must be noticing the effects of this barrier we put up. Not only is it draining your flow, but it also makes you unable to recognize external aether signatures, either. The longer and harder you fight, the faster you’ll run out of power. And to make things worse for you, not only do you have to fight us, two Admirals, but you have to fight them too!”
The three captains ascended back onto the scene.
How? I vaporized them!
“This is the grand power of the Dark Heart! So long as our Lady Cataline wills it, we shall be immortal!” the Second captain said.
That’s insane! You’ve got to be joking with me!
All the other fallen soldiers were restored and slowly gathered around Leo.
“Shit… looks like I’m going to have another tough battle on my hands…” Leo smiled, his grip tightening. “Akira would be jealous right now…” Where are you… master?
[Next Time on Lyte of Utopia]: “Leo vs. Sink and Filter”
[Yield Levels]:
Kyoto: 280t
- ST + LECT3 + LR: 140sx
- Godly Lightning Star Destroyer: x1m
First Captain: 100qt
- DFL2 + OD: 100sx
- Superior Dark Saber: x1000
Reito: 250t
Leo: 10qd
- T7: 10sp
Third Captain: 1qt
- OD + DFL2: 1sx
Second Captain: 10qt
- OD + DFL2: 10sx
Fifth Captain: 10qd
- OD + DFL2: 10qt
Soldiers: 1 – 50t
- DFL1: 2.5 – 125t
Experimental Soldiers: 51 – 100t
- Orange Doping: 5.1 – 10qd
Filter: 1sx
Sink: 10sx